Avatar: Lightning Strikes (IC)

[Eazy]

Ryota

As he waited quietly for a response, those blue eyes of his gazing over at the female bender, the young tribesman soon noticed the way she was looking at him. It was a look of understanding, of seeing something not evident on the surface, yet able to be viewed even when hidden deep inside by another. When she started to speak, Ryota briefly contemplated a forced change of subject, seeing as it wasn't a subject he felt comfortable in discussing amongst others. However, Katara promptly assuaged at least part of those fears by showing a consideration which should be expected of the at times overbearing, but always thoughtful Water Tribe native.

"Sokka, Angst."

Blinking a few times, Ryota glanced back and forth at the pair, looking as if he wanted to say something but only being able to manage an "Um…" before Sokka got his sisters message and went to work.

"Quickly, Momo! The angst-mufflers!"

And with just those words, the Avatar's pet and companion went to work on supplying an ample amount of fur in order to block out whatever may come of the conversation between their bending travel mates.

Staring in slight disbelief at how in unison that man and the lemur could be, the dark-haired male slumped into his shoulders a bit; feeling a short lived bout of embarrassment as he whispered, "You didn't have to put it so….truthful."

Letting a partial smile ghost the corner of his lips, Ryota's demeanor remained fairly light, considering how much was on the young man's mind at this time. At the same time, it was obvious that many factors weighed heavily upon his shoulders and within his heart as his full attention returned to Katara once she was finished with her brother. Yes, he could tell this was likely to be a rather emotionally draining conversation.

"We're searching for a target, something outside of ourselves. We're 'on the hunt.'

"But my... Aang," she mused, choosing her words carefully, "and your--" she didn't know what Xia was to Ryota at this point, and at this point, she suspected, neither did Ryota "--friend, they're searching for... they're searching for themselves."

His friend. He supposed that was the easiest and most accurate way of putting things. They were friends, if nothing else. She was certainly someone he came to care about in the short time they've known each other; as evident by the way the young man continued listening with undivided attention to Katara's words. Outside of the Avatar himself, there were perhaps few others in this world who could better grasp at what a person in Xia's predicament was going through.

"It can be a difficult quest, searching for yourself. Searching your Spirit for something... missing. It can be a hundred times more dangerous and frustrating and fruitless than this, well, wild dragon-goose chase."

He allowed himself a faint smile at her choice of description for their fruitless search, even as his eyes became tinted, the brows furrowed ever so slightly as he took in what she said about the trials of the search his….friend, was facing even as they speak. Why couldn't he have done more for her while they were together? What could he have done differently to at least feel like their time together wasn't a potential mistake?

"You're worried about her. I can empathise."

His eyes darted up, slowly searching the female bender's expression and feeling a light ping of guilt, but also sympathy as he spoke, "I'm sorry, Katara. I know you've worried yourself about the Av…about Aang. I'm also concerned about what's happened to him. He seems a good man, and has done so much for the world. It's just…"

Another moment of hesitation, brought on by both an attempt at finding the right words and trying to decide on if he should bare his thoughts and feelings to his Southern cousin. Ryota had known Katara and her brother for some time prior to the four nations meeting in Ba Sing Se, but wasn't exactly on a level where they poured their hearts out to each other. Still, as he continued gazing at the young Waterbender, Ryota found it difficult to keep the words from spilling out.

"I wish I could have done something to help her. But as she talked about her life, about the trials she'd faced growing up with those abilities, I couldn't think of anything to say nor do that would help in anyway other then a granting her a few fleeting moments of happiness…if even that." The young man finally confessed, letting Katara know this despite it having been himself who volunteered to join in as part of the search efforts in locating Azula.

Letting out a somewhat frustrated sigh over the situation, he turned his head toward Appa's tail end in order to gaze in the direction they were leaving; as if trying to seek out any trace of the Fire Nation Palace where they departed long ago. It was an old habit the water tribesman picked up whenever he grew homesick during lengthy trips with others at sea.

"Part of me wanted to stay behind. To travel with her, to stand by her side, to offer a friendly ear if she should ever want one." His further admission came out slowly, calm, gazing out at the passing clouds in the sky and trees below before giving a halfhearted shrug while adding, "In the end, however, it felt as if I'd only serve as a distraction from her finding the answers she needs."

That was perhaps the best he could do for her during this time. Allow her space rather then placing any pressure, unintended as it may be, for Xia to try and define what they were when she should be focusing on training and performing her own searching. There could be a certain level of comfort found in that decision, he supposed.

Taking in and releasing a deep, relaxing breath; Ryota turned toward the lady Waterbender and gave a slight chuckle over his admitted angst, "Sorry, I must sound pretty self-centered, huh? Talking about how her problems are making me feel." A half-smile remained on his features as he moved a hand to rub at the back of his neck; feeling a little shame over his feelings as he stated with complete certainty, "No matter how she does it, I just want Xia to find peace with whatever going on inside of her. Regardless of my feelings, that's the more important thing."

Ryota's own feelings aside, that really was what mattered the most. Even weeks removed of that night, he could still remember, quite vividly, the way she spoke of her unusual bending abilities. The sadness in her voice, the look in her eyes, the tears which streamed down her face. If there was any way to keep Xia from feeling that way again, he'd do it in a heartbeat. If only there was such a miracle remedy for easing the unique strain placed upon that aching heart.

"It's just….not easy, is it?" His voice suddenly picked back up, sounding a little closer to its usual tone as he looked over at Katara, giving her a small, yet understanding smile as he finished, "Caring about someone who carries such a unique burden, rooted so deeply inside of them."

 

[Eazy]

Longshot

Despite how any initial appearances may lead one to believe otherwise, Longshot actually was listening when she mentioned the potential boyfriend. It struck the young man, however, that in spite of how long they knew each other, there remained facets of their respective lives which remained a mystery to each other. That was one of the foundations of the Freedom Fighters, though. They each had their own pasts, filled with good and bad times, which didn't seem as important after the Fire Nation, the old Fire Nation, took it away. But it was a shame, amongst the many things they lost, that one of them may be his friend's interest in finding happiness with another; even if the thought of her being with this unnamed boy or anyone else did fill him with a slight pang of jealousy.

And while the young man may have missed the sound of her scoff over the other background noise which made up the hustle and bustle of the nations capital, his eyes did manage to catch a glimpse of her expression before he fully turned to face her. A simple glimpse, which was often all it took to take in and memorize the landscape of an area when he was hunting or fighting. A simple glimpse, for Longshot to remember the way she looked at him even as the male tried pretending that he hadn't noticed it. At this time, however, there were greater concerns dealing with whatever mood she may be in, which is why his immediate inquiry focused around how she was holding up in her leadership role.

"Got my color back in full force. I'll live. Have to agree with The Duke though. I can't wait until everything is normal again."

The marksman gave a light smile as his brown eyes slowly glanced upon outline of those colored markings of her face, as if to silently compliment her on how good they looked upon her features. It wasn't as if he wouldn't enjoy seeing her more without them, but Longshot knew the reason that was a near impossibility. Besides, after so many years, he rarely took any special notice of the color on Smellerbee's cheeks, or the very faint scars one could barely, oh so barely see if they looked close enough. They didn't matter to him, but he knew they mattered to her, and always tried respecting this. Making the exception, of course, for that one selfish kiss on his part.

It was at the memory of that kiss where the rest of Smellerbee's response truly came to mind. Normal again? That would be great, if such a thing were possible. But he knew it wouldn't. Not truly, at least. While Longshot believed, knew that their friendship would last, it was also becoming fairly evident that the boundaries within it were forever altered. This may not have to be a bad thing, but it certainly was making for a rather uneasy transition for the both of them.

The hand upon the young woman's shoulder gave her a firm squeeze, his calm yet often determined brown eyes watching over her with a look of reassurance. For what it was worth, he wanted Smellerbee to know they would remain companions, and that was what really mattered in the end. Anything else, any uncertain feelings which may linger between the two of them would be addressed as need be. Because, when you got down to it, he cared too much about his friend and leader to let anything separate them.

After the firm squeeze and attempt at letting her know things would be fine, the dark-haired male gave a light, friendly slap on her shoulder as he took a second to stretch out his limbs. They had been standing in the same spot for a while, after all, and he hadn't exactly been moving around that much even before she came out. As he considered the time, Longshot quietly smacked his lips a bit, realizing he could go for getting a drink. Looking at Smellerbee, he gestured toward the Palace with a nod of his head; making the offer of joining him for said drink or even just a chance of continuing this 'conversation' inside for a while.

As he turned and started walking slowly toward the Palace entrance, Longshot did pause as he stood at her side; his front facing the opposite way that she was looking as he noted, "In case you were curious, I've never really had my eye on anyone else since joining the Freedom Fighters. And I generally have a stronger attraction toward strong willed women over any type of physical characteristics."

Which was a true, general statement which could obviously be applied to Smellerbee, as she was the one woman there was ever more then a passing attraction toward since his village was destroyed. His words were meant as a general response, on the chance her earlier expression which he captured only a passing glimpse of had been related to their previous conversation. If she was willing to speak (albeit briefly) of her own romantic inclinations, then Longshot felt it only fair to be open about his own feelings in that department. Plus, while the dark-haired male couldn't exactly read his often complex friend like a book, he had known her long enough to make the occasional educated guess at what may be on her mind.

However, as he turned his head to gaze at her as he lingered for a few seconds longer, the young man let a soft smile briefly appear on his features and gave a light, almost easily missed shrug while admitting during this break from silence, "Not that finding you pretty didn't have anything to do with my attraction to you."

 

[Eazy]

Kazuo

Although he remained primarily focused upon leading the way after Azula made her preference known, the young Firebender listened quietly as the Princess spoke with their ally from one of the neighboring nations. While Kazuo knew better then to rely on generalizations, it at times struck him how polite and well spoken Zhuang often presented himself. Earthbenders were typically seen as rather brutish, boorish people who thought more in terms of sheer force rather then showing anything resembling restraint. But he imagined that when it came to rules, there would always be the occasional exception to it.

"I don't know if my own reasons can top that," He suddenly noted with a faint grin toward the Earth man, gazing in his direction even as he continued leading both him and their most honored guest as he admitted, "But after dealing with the paperwork of this morning, I could do for a strong drink to help myself relax."

When reflecting on his outlook toward benders within the Earth Kingdom, he supposed Firebenders carried their own stigmas of savagery when it came to how others perceived them. Thing is, when it came to fighting, they weren't terribly removed from the truth. Certainly while his own flames could come out in a surprisingly calm and fluid motion when in training, their primary source of fuel was the anger he felt over what happened to their Nation. It was a source he kept in check, yet fed off of when needed, and often allowed him greater displays of bending then the young man imagined.

In a short amount of time, they reached the fairly large structure which had become a meeting area for their group even prior to Azula's sudden appointment of leadership. On the outside it did appear similar to many other buildings in the city, albeit larger then most, with a greater emphases on its length rather then width. The place was one of several locations occasionally used for entertaining visiting noblemen and military personal, but over the years following the wars conclusion, the importance of their corner of the Fire Nation dwindled, making it nearly obsolete.

Knocking upon the door, a small viewing hole opened as a pair of golden eyes glared out to look upon the trio, "Who goes there?! Identify yourselves!"

Narrowing his eyes into an intense glare, Kazuo felt immediate annoyance at how loudly the man spoke; not liking how such displays may attract attention, "It's me, you imbecile. And I'm with the Princess, so quit shouting and open the door."

"S-Sir! Your highness. Of course, forgive me." Stuttered the suddenly frightened guard behind the door as he closed the eye hole and got to work on filling his superior officer's command.

The sound of steel barricades being pulled out of place could be heard for a few seconds, followed by the door finally being held open by the now somewhat nervous doorman. There weren't many seemingly normal buildings where they needed to take such precautions, but this was one of them. For even when meetings weren't being held, it was a popular enough location for people in their ranks to speak freely and relax without fear of being seen or overheard by others. Being one of their main places of operation, it also held numerous bedrooms, which worked as a suitable place for those not wanting to be far from the pulse of information to take residence within.

Kazuo stood to the side, allowing both Azula and their mutual associate to enter first, before he followed directly after them. There was a small lobby area, which then led out into the main hall where, as he predicated, there hadn't been many others present aside from the expected guards and servants. They weren't exactly the Fire Nation Capital, but Fire Lord Zuko's reign did indeed have many who opposed it; with not all exactly fitting the bill of soldier material.

The interior layout of the room could be changed, depending on its required seating arrangements, but was presently made up as a sort of royal banquet. There were currently a couple of long tables which connected and stretched vertically along the large room, with one placed horizontally toward the head where himself and others of important would usually sit. It gave one the best view of the room and those within it as the torches helped lit up and illuminated sections where sunlight could not reach; but wouldn't presume tell a member of royalty where they should be seated.

"Please have a seat wherever you wish, Princess Azula. I'll have drinks sent our way immediately." The young man offered as he let the others make themselves comfortable, moving to speak with one of the serving women and keeping note of the earlier conversation between the Fire Princess and Earthbender.

Anything specific which they desired could be brought their way upon request, but the servant was ordered to start things off by bringing them several glasses and a bottle of the strongest, finest tasting drink available to those within their city. That should due for now, he presumed, as the young Firebender moved to take a seat opposite the female fire matriarch; feeling that sitting right beside her in such a generally casual setting almost seemed presumptuous on his part. Almost immediately afterward, a server came along with what was asked for; laying out a tray of glasses and offering to fill them for the trio.

"Would you propose we drink to anything special on this day, my lady?" The young man inquired as he waited for his glass to be filled after Azula's; not being one to have himself served before a lady or esteemed member of royalty.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Katara.

She'd embarrassed him, briefly.

But better to embarrass him briefly now, Katara assured herself, than to have him either bottle up inside that which chafed at him, or to have him confess his innermost burdens and to have Sokka make a poorly-timed wisecrack at the poor lad's expense.

His eyes darted up, slowly searching the female bender's expression and feeling a light ping of guilt, but also sympathy as he spoke, "I'm sorry, Katara. I know you've worried yourself about the Av…about Aang. I'm also concerned about what's happened to him. He seems a good man, and has done so much for the world. It's just…"

He started talking, and then he stopped again, and she watched him quietly. She watched and she waited. She remembered a half-joking conversation with Toph before everything had... gone wrong again...

The difference, she had since decided, between Water and Earth? Is that Earth is stubborn, while Water is patient.

And thus she waited. Patiently. For him to open the sluice gates and let gush forth that which he needed to say.

"I wish I could have done something to help her. But as she talked about her life, about the trials she'd faced growing up with those abilities, I couldn't think of anything to say nor do that would help in anyway other then a granting her a few fleeting moments of happiness…if even that." The young man finally confessed, letting Katara know this despite it having been himself who volunteered to join in as part of the search efforts in locating Azula.

Katara arched an eyebrow. And remembered, again, The Siege of The North. How Sokka, captivated by Yue, nevertheless signed up for what had been advertised, essentially, as a suicide mission. It had all worked out so very unlike anyone had planned.

Sokka had lived. And Yue would live forever. Just not together. As much love as Sokka had experienced in his life since, he had never quite gotten over that heartbreak. (Though he had seemed a little more at peace about things, lately, no sense twisting knives.)

She smiled quietly, the sadness remaining in her eyes and not escaping out to the rest of her face. Sokka didn't need to hear this at all.

Thank the Spirits for angst-mufflers, she mused, wryly.

Letting out a somewhat frustrated sigh over the situation, he turned his head toward Appa's tail end in order to gaze in the direction they were leaving...

Glancing briefly in the direction of his recast gaze, Katara squinted out to that horizon and to hearts left beyond it.

"Part of me wanted to stay behind. To travel with her, to stand by her side, to offer a friendly ear if she should ever want one." His further admission came out slowly, calm, gazing out at the passing clouds in the sky and trees below before giving a halfhearted shrug while adding, "In the end, however, it felt as if I'd only serve as a distraction from her finding the answers she needs."

Simply, she listened. There were many in this life who'd accused her of only offering a listening ear just long enough to rampage all over the conversation with her protestations and lectures and speeches. Not this time.

This time she would wait. And she would listen.

Taking in and releasing a deep, relaxing breath; Ryota turned toward the lady Waterbender and gave a slight chuckle over his admitted angst, "Sorry, I must sound pretty self-centered, huh? Talking about how her problems are making me feel." A half-smile remained on his features as he moved a hand to rub at the back of his neck; feeling a little shame over his feelings as he stated with complete certainty, "No matter how she does it, I just want Xia to find peace with whatever going on inside of her. Regardless of my feelings, that's the more important thing."

She smiled at this, her eyes sinking closed. You really have been thinking about this a lot.

She took a deep breath, and opened her eyes, and found him looking at her again.

"It's just….not easy, is it?" His voice suddenly picked back up, sounding a little closer to its usual tone as he looked over at Katara, giving her a small, yet understanding smile as he finished, "Caring about someone who carries such a unique burden, rooted so deeply inside of them."

Her smile mirrored his like The Sun reflecting off of the floes, though somewhat warmer. "It's never easy. Caring about someone. Having your... happiness... be dependent upon something external."

A soft little chuckle. "So much harder when the one you care about is a man-- a person-- on a mission, and the mission is so much more important than you. Our dad-- mine and Sokka's-- he went off to join the war effort, and he left us behind. And I. I had words with him, when eventually we reconnected. He'd been gone for what felt like forever, fighting the good fight. But all I could think about was how it made me feel. And now, here I am, forever in love with exactly that kind of man."

Her lip quirked, her eyes half-lidded. "'Karma.'"

She shrugged, and shook her head, and the loops she kept in her hair still as ornamentation wafted with her in the winds of their altitude. "'Gravity.'"

Quietly, she regarded him. "But as inevitable as it all seems, it doesn't make it hurt any less. But it doesn't make it any less worth it. You say you only made her happy for a moment. But sometimes a moment is all it may take. A single moment of joy, or triumph, or... you know, delight... can be just candleflame enough to warm you through a long winter's night. I bet you Iroh's a hard taskmaster. I bet you... I bet you Xia's looking back, like you just did, and she's taking refuge in that happiness."

And those half-lidded half-blue-moon eyes twinkled teasingly. "Or maybe she's just wishing she could get some more of that."

Appa veered around a great swirling column of cloud, and Katara cheekily reached out and flicked at a tendril of it, tying it in knots as they passed.

"I think you're on the right track," she murmured. "Putting her needs before what you want, that shows selflessness. But it's..."

She trailed off for a moment, and she gazed back at that column of cloud, seeming lost in its billows. "Did you know you can find peace without happiness, and happiness without peace? You'd think they two would go hand in hand, but they don't always happen together. Even in a time of no peace, you can find happiness. Even in a time of great sadness, you can find peace. But I'll tell you from experience. Happiness will get you through a time of no peace far better than peace will get you through times of no happiness."

...and her look slid deeper, and she looked haunted. "I want him to find peace. To find that balance in himself that he ever seeks to instill in the world. But more than I want him to find peace, I'd like to bring a smile to his face."

Her shoulders rose, her shoulders fell, like tides.

"What we want may be irrelevant," she pondered. "What they need is of primary importance. But just because they're finding the one doesn't mean they can't have the other, too. They're not mutually exclusive."

She paused, and considered her words for a moment. "I still don't know what to make of Xia. I keep thinking it's some kind of hoax. That there would suddenly be another Airbender, after how long we spent thinking Aang was the last. Some cruel prank, maybe on a cosmic level. Who knows, it sounds like she wonders the same thing.

"And yet he's still the last," she realised quietly. "Because while she might wield his Element, she's nothing like his people. He's still the last of The Air Nomads. (So close and yet so far.)

"There's no-one like either of them," she agreed. "There's no-one that really knows what either of them are going through. Not even each other.

"There's no-one that can find peace for them but they themselves," Katara pointed out. "But there's no harm in us bringing them a little happiness when we can. Maybe that little bit of happiness is just what they'll need to find that little bit of peace."

She smiled secretly, and she set her eyes upon him. "I sent Aang a letter. Like I told you about, just after we landed? My little way of trying to give him a little happiness. I asked him to tell her you said 'hi.'"

 

[Eazy]

Ryota

As the currents caused his few loose strands of hair to dance in the wind during their soaring travels, The Northern Water Tribe native felt a little strange after having spilt so much of his personal feelings, his fears and concerns, to the Southern Tribe prodigy. Both relieved, like a weight was lifted off his chest, and somewhat uneasy on what she may think of his admittedly borderline selfish thoughts in certain facets of the strange relationship he had going with Xia. Katara was caring, but also honest, so there was an understandable fear on what she may see in how his thoughts and feelings may reflect his character. It was only then that Ryota realized, somewhat surprisingly, just how much the opinion of his more experienced peer meant to him.

As she resumed speaking after he stopped, however, the young man quickly found himself willing to listen and take in whatever it is she may say. She was of greater experience, not only in Waterbending, but in the ways of life, and Ryota felt like he would learn something out of hearing her opinions. He listened as she spoke of her and Sokka's father, the great chief Hakoda, of how his leaving during the war made her feel, and how she fell in love with a man with a similar weight upon his shoulders. Karma. It seemed a fitting enough word for it, considering the cosmic nature of the Avatar. He felt for the young tribeswoman; both sorry that she had to deal with such heartache, but also happy that she found someone who seemed to make those moments worth it.

Then she spoke of his time with Xia, and his blue eyes lit up, just a bit, as his already attentive self began to hang on her every word. As she spoke, a slight, almost invisible smile formed on the corner of his lips, as she spoke on the importance of a moment's happiness. Ryota knew he gave her that much, and not just because of the sex, so this thought gave him a little comfort. Not that the sex wasn't particularly fun at the time, he mused as a memory of that night flashed through his mind briefly.

And those half-lidded half-blue-moon eyes twinkled teasingly. "Or maybe she's just wishing she could get some more of that."

Appa veered around a great swirling column of cloud, and Katara cheekily reached out and flicked at a tendril of it, tying it in knots as they passed.

The bender blinked a few times as he stared blankly; taking a few sparse moments for him to catch onto her meaning, but feeling a rush of blood come to his cheeks the moment he caught on. Ryota wasn't normally the type who blushed over another persons attempt at teasing, but that did it as he sunk down into his seat, just a little, until the conversation moved on.

Her comments upon the relation of happiness and peace gave him reason to pause and pander for a moment. Maybe they both, him and Xia, needed to find peace with themselves before they could gain true happiness. Or perhaps they required happiness, if even a fleeting moment, in order for them to open their eyes and achieve of sense of peace within. She was right about peace and happiness not being inclusive, but Ryota imagined it couldn't hurt to have a semblance of one to go with the other; even if it wasn't perfect. No two person's idea of both was exactly identical, so perhaps, in time, they could each find the answer to what they needed. Either together or apart.

As he listened in silence during the remainder of what she had to say, Ryota took notice of the haunted expression on Katara's features as she spoke of bringing a smile to Aang. The water tribesman never figured it an easy lot in life to find love with someone like the Avatar, but as he watched her while she spoke of him and the apparent mixed blessing which came from caring for one in his position, Ryota started to realize how much unsung inner strength there was in the young water maiden. She was an impressive woman, and he only hoped to show a similar resolve when it came to his strange relationship with Xia.

She smiled secretly, and she set her eyes upon him. "I sent Aang a letter. Like I told you about, just after we landed? My little way of trying to give him a little happiness. I asked him to tell her you said 'hi.'"

That caught the dark-haired youth by surprise, as his eyelids widened, just a little, while staring across at the young woman with perplexed eyes. But initial surprise aside, his features actually softened a bit, his lips curving into a half smile as he lowered his head; gazing down at the soft surface of Appa's saddle as he spoke, "Katara?" He began softly, raising his head until those blue eyes met hers, "Thank you."

Ryota gave a look of reassurance as he slowly took in and let out a deep sigh, as if feeling a source of inner tension relaxing itself as he admitted, "I've wanted to write so many times, whenever the opportunity presented itself. But each time I couldn't quite find the courage needed to give myself that extra push for taking action."

Letting a brief chuckle escape his lips as he shook his head at himself, he looked upon Katara, almost admiring her, until a full smile spread across his features while stating with all certainty, "Aang's a very lucky man. But I'm sure he already knows that."

His smile lasted for a short while, yet partially faded, but didn't completely disappear as his expression took on a contemplative turn as he considered what it was he wanted, at least in theory, for the both of them.

"In an ideal life, I would always know when to move in and when to step back. But I'd like to try. To try and to give her whatever help she needs. That's become surprisingly important to me after the few days we spent together." He stated plainly, not so much having a direct point to make, as simple voicing his own feelings and thoughts his lids began to hood over his eyes, "If nothing else, she's become a friend I deeply cherish, and I never want to lose that. Not…not again."

His mind went back to the days of the siege on the Northern Water Tribe, and how he wasn't experienced enough to serve with his father during the battles. Also, how he wasn't able to save the friend which meant the world to him. Things changed for him after that day. After losing his father, after losing Akemi right before his eyes. Ryota had since been able to discover moments of happiness, both in serving his tribe and from the few friends he'd made since making a new start in the Southern Water Tribe.

But it hadn't occurred to him until recently (perhaps because he wasn't able to differentiate the two) that there rarely were, if ever, any moments of actual peace for his troubled soul. At least, not until that night, when he was having that heart-to-heart with Xia in the theatre. As they talked, as they held each other, as they embraced, he was certain now that there had been a sense of happiness and peace in his heart during that time.

Slowly nodding his head over this, the young man redirected his full attention toward Katara; seemingly coming to an understanding of sorts, "I believe I finally empathize with how Sokka felt after…" A brief pause as he glanced over to insure the 'angst mufflers' were still in affect, then returning his gaze to the female bender as he picked up, "after Princess Yue left us. How protective he could be over those he cherished like you or that Kyoshi Warrior I'd heard about. After the war, there wasn't really anyone I felt such a bond toward. Most of those I loved were taken by the Fire Nation, and my mother didn't last long after my father passed away."

"There are people I care a great deal about, of course. Sokka and yourself, obviously. Master Pakku…well, for the most part." He stated with a short chuckle, his thoughts briefly flashing back to how bad of a student he was until after the Fire Nation's attacks, which resulted in him nearly being dropped from the Waterbending Master's classes several times in the past.

"And there are others, but this feels….different." His voice trailed off a bit as he gradually diverted his eyes toward the clouds, his mind not really focused on any one thing, but going over a strange flow of various thoughts relating to their conversation and the events since arriving in Ba Sing Se.

Thoughts on his time with Xia. His past feelings for those close to him. About what certain others meant to those who loved them such as Sokka and Katara. How they felt in relation to those people, and how many of those feelings weren't so different from what he felt during this time. It was then, as a particularly strong gust of wind blew past them and aided in shaking him out of this reflective funk, that a somewhat apparent, yet stubbornly denied revelation came across to the young water bender.

"Katara, I think I'm…." The words started to come out without thinking, his blue eyes refocusing on the young woman sitting opposite of him as he looked up, until Ryota caught himself and blinked several times before trying to brush it off.

"Sorry. I don't mean to monopolize your time while we're stuck up here." He quickly interjected with a semi-forced laugh, rubbing at the back of his head a bit in a fairly weak attempt at playing the sudden change off; then gesturing with a turn of his head toward Sokka, "And I'm sure your brother's getting tired of having bison hair stuffed in his ears."

The attempt at laughter continued for a few seconds before it petered out as Ryota realized he was a really, really bad actor. Of course, while he could try brushing off the words that were about to slip free of his lips, there wasn't any denying his feelings toward Xia. Somehow, along the way, he started to feel a growing love for her. Was it romantic love? He didn't know. That wasn't a word, an emotion to be used freely. But there was definitely a well rooted feeling of great affection, of love for the Earth Kingdom girl that hadn't unearthed itself until now. What would come of this, of course, was yet to be seen.

Tilting his head slightly to one side, Ryota gazed appreciatively over at Katara; a slight smile adorning the young man's face as he added in a much calmer manner, "But, you know, thanks. You've given me a lot to think about, but you've also helped me understand a few things. I think things are going to be a little better for me."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Katara.

You're cute when you're embarrassed.

Interesting.

...I can see why she likes you.

She smiled secretly, and she set her eyes upon him. "I sent Aang a letter. Like I told you about, just after we landed? My little way of trying to give him a little happiness. I asked him to tell her you said 'hi.'"

That caught the dark-haired youth by surprise, as his eyelids widened, just a little, while staring across at the young woman with perplexed eyes. But initial surprise aside, his features actually softened a bit, his lips curving into a half smile as he lowered his head; gazing down at the soft surface of Appa's saddle as he spoke, "Katara?" He began softly, raising his head until those blue eyes met hers, "Thank you."

She grinned, grinned a knowing little grin, maybe a little bit of a know-it-all grin, but this time she'd known and done the right thing and that was a good feeling. The right thing done right was a good feeling indeed.

(Just ask The Painted Lady.)

Ryota gave a look of reassurance as he slowly took in and let out a deep sigh, as if feeling a source of inner tension relaxing itself as he admitted, "I've wanted to write so many times, whenever the opportunity presented itself. But each time I couldn't quite find the courage needed to give myself that extra push for taking action."

"I told you I would," she nodded easily, her grin fading into a softly-encouraging smile. "You seemed so hesitant about it, I almost didn't. But I figured you might not mind a little... initiative."

Letting a brief chuckle escape his lips as he shook his head at himself, he looked upon Katara, almost admiring her, until a full smile spread across his features while stating with all certainty, "Aang's a very lucky man. But I'm sure he already knows that."

She blinked, startled at this, and it was her turn for her cheeks to burn crimson for a moment, it was her turn to be embarrassed. But she rode the wave of the compliment and she quirked her lip in a delighted little smirk. "Thank you, Ryota. Thank you very much."

Whether he knows or not... I look forward to reminding him. (If I do say so myself.)

And then silence fell between them for a time, just a brief time, a few beats of Appa's massive heart.

His smile lasted for a short while, yet partially faded, but didn't completely disappear as his expression took on a contemplative turn...

"In an ideal life, I would always know when to move in and when to step back. But I'd like to try. To try and to give her whatever help she needs. That's become surprisingly important to me after the few days we spent together." He stated plainly, not so much having a direct point to make, as simple voicing his own feelings and thoughts his lids began to hood over his eyes, "If nothing else, she's become a friend I deeply cherish, and I never want to lose that. Not…not again."

Katara quieted. Arguably, The Southern Tribe had lost far more than The North during that terrible War. All of their Waterbenders exterminated or imprisoned save one. Overall, they had lacked the dug-in fortresses and defensible walls, they had lacked the sheer fighting force that had kept The North relatively safe until Aang could save The World.

Katara's own mother had been slain, trading her life for Katara's.

But The North had had their losses. Yue, their favoured daughter, for one.

And Ryota's... Akemi.

Katara frowned sadly. Eight years gone, and still all our minds are haunted halls.

"Never again," she agreed, her voice but a breath in her throat, possibly inaudible over the whistlings of the winds.

Slowly nodding his head over this, the young man redirected his full attention toward Katara; seemingly coming to an understanding of sorts, "I believe I finally empathize with how Sokka felt after…" A brief pause as he glanced over to insure the 'angst mufflers' were still in affect, then returning his gaze to the female bender as he picked up, "after Princess Yue left us. How protective he could be over those he cherished like you or that Kyoshi Warrior I'd heard about. After the war, there wasn't really anyone I felt such a bond toward. Most of those I loved were taken by the Fire Nation, and my mother didn't last long after my father passed away."

Silently, reverently, almost instinctively, Katara touched the pendant of her necklace. Honouring the fallen, her own mother foremost amongst them, but Ryota's devotedly lovelorn mother, too. And Ryota's father, stalwart and brave.

"There are people I care a great deal about, of course. Sokka and yourself, obviously. Master Pakku…well, for the most part." He stated with a short chuckle...

Katara's nostrils flared with shared laughter, her own eyes again half-lidded. The man who'd become her step-grandfather had been hard-nosed indeed. But while she'd failed to best him in a rite of combat, she'd found, utterly by accident, the heart beneath the floe of his frosty exterior.

(He had a heart, had Master Pakku. But if you found it, chances were it was by accident.)

Katara knew that she and Sokka both cared for Ryota as though he were one of the family, as close to them or closer than had even been Bato. Whether he was from The North or not, he was as close as blood to them. It was not with irony that she called him "cousin."

"And there are others, but this feels….different." His voice trailed off a bit as he gradually diverted his eyes toward the clouds...

Again, she watched him. She wanted to talk. She wanted to dive into this conversation head-first, ploughing through the surface tension and into the uncounted fathoms of this, Ryota seemed like he was on the verge of a revelation, she wanted to help him find it...

She bit her lip. Let him have this. Like he said. Know when to step back.

A pocket of warm air rising from the gathering marshlands below erupted into a shift of currents, almost strong enough to be wind shear...

...it rattled their back teeth, Sokka swore softly from up at Appa's brow, but Ryota...

...Ryota seemed... realigned?

"Katara, I think I'm…." The words started to come out without thinking, his blue eyes refocusing on the young woman sitting opposite of him as he looked up, until Ryota caught himself and blinked several times before trying to brush it off.

Katara stared at him like he'd sprouted a second head and that second head had demanded to know where were the fire-gummies it had ordered.

...you think you're...

Her eyes widened. Her heart found its way into her throat.

So much for being a know-it-all.

That's... a revelation and a half.

She blinked, and touched a hand to her own forehead, and looked away in surprise, trying to process.

"Sorry. I don't mean to monopolize your time while we're stuck up here." He quickly interjected with a semi-forced laugh, rubbing at the back of his head a bit in a fairly weak attempt at playing the sudden change off; then gesturing with a turn of his head toward Sokka, "And I'm sure your brother's getting tired of having bison hair stuffed in his ears."

The attempt at laughter continued for a few seconds before it petered out...

She couldn't look at him. He was trying to salvage his... whatever, his masculine mystique, trying not to be too vulnerable too fast, trying to keep his secrets treasured close to his heart.

Like with Pakku, just a bit, he had only almost admitted the truth of his heart by... accident. And now he was trying to restore his fumbled balance.

She smiled, and she chuckled, and she shook her head. "Sokka never gets tired of having bison hair in his ears. He claims it gives him time to think. Big--" and at this she made a kind of poof gesture with her fingers "--Science-y thoughts."

The implication was clear: You can take a minute to get your act together, there, master thespian. (The Ember Island Players've got nothing on you.) ...take all the time you need.

She glanced up ahead at Appa's brow. Sokka was absent-mindedly steadfastly gazing ahead. Occasionally, he scritched at the puffs of fluff in his ears, as though scratching some sort of albino mutant beard that had emerged from an unusual location.

Tilting his head slightly to one side, Ryota gazed appreciatively over at Katara; a slight smile adorning the young man's face as he added in a much calmer manner, "But, you know, thanks. You've given me a lot to think about, but you've also helped me understand a few things. I think things are going to be a little better for me."

Katara didn't look back at him, at first.

Her face was tied in knots. She could feel something bubbling up in her... a kind of simultaneous altruism and selfishness-- though, arguably, as much as she strove to be selfless, there might be no altruism that was entirely selfishness-free --in response to the fathoms-deep revelation Ryota'd just undergone.

She glanced over Appa's side, again. The marsh was gradually, gradually, deepening into swamp.

Her hands gripped the rim of the saddle, gripped tight.

Her eyes narrowed.

They were supposed to be. Hunting.

They were supposed to be checking in with the good people of The Foggy Swamp Tribe to see if they'd seen any sign of that Lightningbending little witch.

They were supposed to be...

She looked at Ryota.

Her face was torn like the incoming tide-waves sundered by rocks.

Know when to move in.

Know when to step back.

Her eyes narrowed. She remembered Aang doing a wicked thing, spinning a falsehood which united two feuding tribes. She remembered that it could be a little wrongdoing that accomplished much good.

'I will never ever turn my back on people who need me.'

She had an ache and a longing and she could see that Ryota had these too.

Her voice was a murmur. "Ryota."

"Detour?"

She turned her gaze to The West.

Towards, by implication, The Western Air Temple.

Her eyes glittered with a little wicked flare as she examined Ryota's face once more.

"What do you think?"

 

[UnseenMaiden]

No, Bee, 2 + 2 = 4!

Smellerbee

She hadn’t really thought her statement through when she’d said it. She meant it of course, but again, she had not bothered to realize whether the more personal reasons behind her words would be seen, and Smellerbee didn’t think what she said might’ve hurt her friend because of those reasons. Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair, fingers catching in a few of the tangles she could never quite seem to work out. Then Longshot’s hand, the same hand she’d been studiously ignoring for the sake of her lingering sanity, gave her shoulder a squeeze, making her look him in the eyes, making her see the assurances he was making. Friends forever, was that it then? Something bitter reared its’ ugly head but she brushed it aside. Her mother’s words were the things of another life and nightmares, things that shouldn’t terrify her half as much as they did.

As she followed him back into the palace, because he’d wanted something to drink, though personally she would’ve found a fountain before stepping foot in those walls again, since their stay here a horribly enclosed feeling she hadn’t felt since the prison ship had been trying to overcome her, she realized she’d been unfair. There’s no such thing as normal, not between them, not anymore. She knew that. Damn it, she knew that! It was just, she wished that, maybe if, it would be easier then. Spirits, she hated this, hated not knowing what she wanted or needed or what was best for her or him or everyone. It was like everything she’d hated back in Ba Sing Se and about being leader all rolled into one big mess. A muscle in her jaw twitched fiercely as she fought the urge to scream, for the latest in more times than she could count lately. A pause in Longshot’s footfalls snapped her successfully out of her thoughts, each muscle in her body tensing, instinct born of habit and experience making her scan the perimeter for danger, but there was nothing out of the ordinary around them, no surprise attack by Azula or anything else worth noting.

"In case you were curious, I've never really had my eye on anyone else since joining the Freedom Fighters. And I generally have a stronger attraction toward strong willed women over any type of physical characteristics."

Okay, what in the four nations was that supposed to mean, beyond replacing her mental image of sweet, shy types with the kind of girl that would masterfully brush bothersome boys aside with a few scathing words and be forward and honest about her thoughts. That didn’t really tell her much, which she was actually glad about. What she knew already was to make her stomach twist a bit in a rather discomforting manner. Still she had the distinct feeling she was missing something, again. At least, he always tended to speak plainly when he was silent and not confuse her. Dimly, something else about what he said caught her thoughts. ‘Since joining the Freedom Fighters’ She assumed he meant since returning five years back. It made a certain kind of sense, Bee guessed. They saw nearly the same people day in and day out, not counting the various travelers that made their way through the forest or New Gaipan. Most of the females even close to their age were already well married. There weren’t many options out their way. If he had meant earlier than that though, back when he’d joined Jet’s Freedom Fighters, well, that made little to no sense to her. She’d been six or seven, about there maybe, when she’d first met them all those years ago. He was two years older than her and had been there quite awhile before she’d ever arrived. He’d been a kid. Did kids even look at anyone like that? That sort of train of thought was really an effort to distract herself from the actual topic of conversation. She wasn’t comfortable with it and the tall man wasn’t moving at the moment, so she knew there would be more of it. Certainly when he looked at her, she knew she wasn’t wrong, though his eyes weren’t too clear on what that little smile of his was about.

"Not that finding you pretty didn't have anything to do with my attraction to you."

For a moment, nothing happened. She stood there, staring at him with not a sign as to whether she had even heard Longshot’s admission or not. Then his words suck in and her eyes easily widened to twice their usual size as her skin colored to match to match her dye-stained cheeks. Her feet were moving before she gave the action any thought. Smellerbee walked quickly towards the tall man that had more or less just called her ‘pretty’, a word that in her world had no connection to her person whatsoever, and then went past him, towards the palace entrance they’d been aiming for in the first place. She was only a few feet away when she called back to him, though her feet didn’t stop or slow in their journey.

“Come on, I thought you were thirsty.”

This course of action didn’t come out of avoidance or anger or anything really, only that she wasn’t thinking and didn’t know how to respond to what just happened. It wasn’t like it was a big deal. If the same had been said about any other girl it would’ve been shrugged off or possibly taken with some sort of pleasure, she supposed. So he didn’t think she was hideous when they were younger, so what? It wasn’t that unusual, right? People tended to see others in a softer light if they cared about them, right? He’d also known she was a girl from the beginning, had never once mistaken her for a boy, granted she had been wearing a dress at the time, but that was hardly the point, so her being female probably contributed too. Still, through her reasonings she couldn’t shake the feeling that Longshot had told some sort of cruel joke about her just now. She knew he was being honest, but that’s how she felt all the same. Experience vehemently disagreed with her friend and she was well aware of it. Once well within the palace walls, she finally slowed down. Her friend had been staring at her all this time, and while she still wasn’t sure whether she was angry or embarrassed about him calling her ‘pretty’ like that, she was getting a little annoyed with those prying eyes of his.

“Listen, I..” Her voice tapered off and her mouth closed as she realized suddenly that she didn’t know what she wanted to say exactly, though she knew she wanted to say something. Unconsciously, she raised her hand in order for fingers to graze over the hidden scars on one cheek, something she would’ve stopped doing immediately if she was paying any attention. For a few moments, she mulled silently over what it was that needed telling. Her gut reaction, to yell at him for being an idiot, felt wrong and completely moronic besides. “It’s just..” Did she really have to explain herself anyways? She’d never felt the need to before. How was she going to accomplish that? Tell him that she really did mind a whole hell of a lot when others confused her sex all the time, or that what budding interest in femininity she’d once had was taken from her on that prison ship, or that her mother had done more damage than either of those things put together. Her tongue felt thick and heavy just at the thought of it. So she just settled on the simplest truth as they walked into the dining hall together. “I don’t believe you.”

 

[Eazy]

Ryota (with a fair share of Sokka thrown in)

Their talk had been of great help, but also left the young man feeling somewhat awkward after his near revelation. There was a lot for him to consider and think about during the remainder of his time out here, but it was unlikely he could reach any type of true revelation until the opportunity to speak with Xia arrived. As such, perhaps it was best to put these thoughts aside for now? They had a mission to continue, after all. Granted, it was one which hadn’t bared anything fruitful for their cause. And as he turned around in order to gaze (albeit timidly, due to him still growing used to flight) over the side of Appa as their next stop rolled closer underneath, Ryota was fairly doubtful they would find anything here; despite some of the stories he’d heard about this place.

But, as a light sigh escaped from his lips as he settled back onto the saddle for the remainder of the flight, the young Waterbender figured there wasn’t anything better to do then continue their search. Although, after a couple of the things he’d been told by Sokka, he wasn’t really looking forward to trying out some of the Foggy Swamp Tribes rather unique choice in delicacy. What he wouldn’t give for some fresh Polar Leopard or Arctic Hippo meat right about now. Even a little rotting penguin meat didn’t sound so unappealing after flying around out here for several weeks.

Such thoughts were soon distracted, however, as he noticed a seemingly distracted Katara. The water tribesman could take a few guesses at what may be on her mind, but he had a fair idea of what it might be. Judging by how her eyes narrowed, her mind obviously entrenched in this unspoken dilemma as she gave whatever it was heavy consideration; it was related to The Avatar. Ryota considered trying to say something, but before any words could escape his lips, Katara beat him to the punch.

Her voice was a murmur. "Ryota."

The young man blinked a few times, letting out a soft ‘hmm?’ noise as he waited with interest for what may come next.

"Detour?"

Staring over at the female Waterbender, Ryota followed as she seem to direct his attention away of their currently planned destination. As he gazed out in the general direction which she pointed out, it didn’t take him long to figure out what she as getting at. It did take a little longer for him to get over the notable surprise, as his eyes widened slightly, looking over at her with a mixture of surprise and, perhaps not surprisingly, hopefulness. It could be nice. To see her again. Even if it’s just to see if she’s been thinking of him, or wanted to have him around her at all right now. That alone would speak volumes on where they currently stood and where they may stand in the future. At the same time, he was understandably nervous of what such a visit may entail. But…it could be nice. It could answer a few questions, or maybe bring up others. But it could be nice. Very nice, indeed.

"What do you think?"

Being stirred out of his momentary train of thought, the blue eyed tribesman started to open his mouth, almost hesitantly as he considered whether or not this would be a good idea. The swamp would always be here, and it wasn’t like they alone were on the search for Azula. Others could pick up the slack, if needed, which hopefully wouldn’t be the case. Just one day. One day couldn’t do that much harm. And, really, it could be nice.

“I think,” His voice started to come out softly as he gazed over at her, then picked up into a firmer tone as he finished with the hint of a smile on the corner of his features, “You might be onto something.”

And so it was decided. At least when it came to them, but there remained a third and final vote which they needed to gain before stirring Appa in the direction of their newly desired destination. Glancing over at Sokka, angst mufflers still soundly in place within his ears, Ryota ignored any apprehension on his part as he moved toward the front of the bison to tell him of their new plans. After everything Katara did to try and help him out, the young man figured the least he could do was deal with her often excitable and very schedule happy brother.

Reaching the rim of the large saddle, Ryota leaned over carefully and started to tap a pair of fingers on the back of the other man’s shoulder to try and get his attention, “Sokka?”

A little surprised at the contact after having focused so heavily on the path ahead, the tribesman reached a hand up to pull out the hair in his and Momo’s ears before turning his head in Ryota’s direction, “Huh? You guy’s finished? Is the angsting over and done with?”

“Well…let’s just say we’re putting it on temporary hiatus.” The Northern Water Tribe native admitted to his tribal cousin after a short hesitation, followed by a slightly longer hesitation as he continued, “But Katara and I were thinking of taking a slight detour.”

Raising an eyebrow, Sokka’s blue eyes stared suspiciously at Ryota, then over at his sister, before settling back on the younger male address him, “How slight?”

The young man kept one hand clinging to the saddle, but let the other reach up to rub at the back of his head, obviously a little reluctant and nervous of the other male’s response as he finally answered, “The, uh, Western Air Temple?”

“Oh?” Their ‘pilot’ questioned in a moment of confusion, until both of his blue eyes began to widen a bit as realization suddenly hit the slightly older tribesman, “Oh.... OH!!”

An amused, almost teasing smirk steadily spread across Sokka’s features as he stared at the suddenly embarrassed Ryota; before looking over the male’s shoulder and having said smile decrease in volume as he remembered Katara.

“Ohhh….” Sokka let out in an almost ‘eww’ type of way as he realized what else such a trip may entail; his mind trying to repress images of his little sister doing stuff which he nevertheless knew to be a reality for years now.

Yeah, escorting a friend to a possible booty call? Moderately fun. Escorting your little sister for a similar reason? Considerably less fun. But while these were the first thoughts to enter the young warriors mind, they weren’t the only ones, as he quickly recognized the greater reasons for why both may needed to take such a detour. It was similar to what he felt whenever Suki and himself needed to part company during and after the war. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, and, well, if this could be alleviated for them in anyway, then he was open to trying.

“I don’t know, you guys. That’s going to throw us at least a day off schedule.” The young warrior and schedule planner admitted as a hand reached up to rub at his chin; a few possible options springing to mind on how they could make up for the lost time afterward, “But I guess we can manage it with a little creative retooling to our flight plan.”

The younger tribesman watched in silence as the man seated upon the sky bison’s head seemed to think out a few scenarios; until Sokka finally returned his gaze toward the other pair of Waterbenders. The look of anticipation upon Ryota’s face said it all, as the ‘pilot’ glanced over at his sister for a second, then let out a defeated sigh, right before seemingly being filled with a burst of energy and determination as he faced forward again.

“Then it’s settled! Hang on tight, Momo! We’re making a sharp turn and a ‘slight’ detour for the Western Air Temple.” The young male warned his co-pilot, who simply blinked a few times before hunching down and grasping at Appa’s fur as Sokka gave a careful tug to successfully stir the bison in the desired direction.

Ryota took a firm grip upon the rim of the sky bison’s saddle as they made their turn, surprisingly feeling a greater level of nervousness over the idea of seeing Xia when compared to his usual concern of somehow falling off during flight. Still, he was ultimately grateful for Sokka seemingly having an understanding of the situation, as he wasn’t exactly looking forward to going into detail about his reasons with the other tribesman.

As he held onto the reins and stared ahead until their next course was properly set, Sokka glanced over his shoulder at the pair before suddenly adding, “Just promise me you two will wait until you’re alone before pulling off each others clothing?”

Ryota’s eyes went wide, both embarrassed and surprised at the accusation, especially since the thought actually had crossed his mind as a possible, yet seemingly unlikely outcome; causing the young bender to nearly stumble over his words as he quickly defended himself, “It’s-It’s nothing like that! Really!”

Raising an eyebrow at Ryota, Sokka couldn’t keep from suppressing a faint smirk as he turned a little further and moved a now free hand to repeatedly jab an accusing finger at their third party member, “I was talking to her.”

The young man followed the finger’s trajectory until he was staring at Katara, a steady realization hitting him as he settled down but felt a sympathetic flush of embarrassment lingering within.

 

[Eazy]

Longshot

His friend’s initial reaction had roughly met with Longshot’s expectations; both the short lived silence, followed by the surprised expression once the meaning of his words sunk in. Smellerbee could be a very complex, yet predictable young woman when it came to certain subjects. Still, even if he often worried about the jaded perception his long time companion held toward her own beauty, the look on her face as she started walking away did bring an amused, but very affectionate smile to the silent marksman’s usually stoic features. Despite everything she did (either on a conscious or subconscious level) to disprove the notion, Smellerbee really could be rather cute in her own unique way.

“Come on, I thought you were thirsty.”

The archer nodded before starting to follow in pursuit; picking up the pace a bit to catch up and walk beside the young woman as they reentered the Palace walls. As he watched her while they made their way, Longshot could tell she wasn’t actually trying to avoid him or anything along those lines, which was certainly a plus, as it wasn’t his intention to stir up any angry feelings. But, as he partially expected, it did seem to bring about a few less then desirable feelings within his fellow Earth Kingdom native as she apparently reflected on his words and whatever else may be running through her mind. He was about try and ‘say’ something else, when she promptly beat him to the punch.

“Listen, I..”

His expression remained relatively similar, albeit with his eyelids perking up slightly as he waited for Smellerbee to find the words she needed. He was a patient enough person, especially in dealing with those he cared a great deal about. Still, his growing curiosity left the young man more then a little anxious as he watched her weighing over her thoughts and feelings, as she made a second attempt.

“It’s just..”

While his mouth remained shut, those often calm and expressive eyes of his said plenty as he silently urged her to say whatever was on her mind as they moved throughout the halls of the Fire Nation Palace. Longshot knew she wasn’t angry, but even if he could read people surprisingly well, the man wasn’t a mind reader. And yet, as his soft eyes gazed at her while they entered the dining hall, he had an idea of what she was going to say just seconds before those words finally rolled off her tongue.

“I don’t believe you.”

His brow furrowed a little, weighed down by a deep sadness as her words hit the Freedom Fighter veteran. Not sadness over the implication of being considered a liar for what he said. It was a sadness caused by the fact that she, Smellerbee, his friend, the only woman he came to feel anything romantic for, couldn’t see herself as an attractive young woman. It wasn’t exactly a secret to either of them, but for some reason the reminded really hit her long time companion as he suddenly reached out and took one of her hands into his in order to stop her for a moment.

As he continued holding onto her hand, Longshot recognized that the dining hall perhaps wasn’t the ideal place for such a conversation, but at least the room wasn’t crowded like it could be during regular dining hours. Besides, most of what he had to say wasn’t delivered with actual words, as his fingers slowly wrapped their way around ‘Bee’s hand; giving it a light squeeze as a faint smirk ghost the corner of his lips. It was a simple enough gesture which asked his leader if she truly believed him the type to say such a thing without having meant it.

At the same time, it did dawn on the young man that an individuals opinion of those they cared about may be tampered, softened by said emotional connections. So where words might fail, his eyes drew her back to their first encounter, to that fateful day where their paths crossed and would seemingly be intertwined for the rest of their days. There was a brief reluctance here, partly out of concern for how she may react, but he only now finally confessed to Smellerbee, with a hint of amusement when thinking back in retrospect, that one of the initial thoughts which entered his mind on during their meeting was how pretty this strange girl was when she wasn’t trying to snatch his leechi nuts. It wasn’t exactly a love at first sight moment, but it at least showed that Longshot did indeed think her attractive before their bonds of friendship could even obscure his opinion in any way.

They were honest feelings, and Longshot hoped they counted for something, but realized there were scars on her deceptively wounded psyche that such compliments couldn’t heal on their own. The young man loosened his hold on her hand; not letting it go, but relenting enough where she was welcomed to pull away when she wanted. As that happened, his big, brown eyes carefully skimmed over her features. Partly to try and gauge how she felt on his response, but also looking upon a topic which he almost never brought up out of respect for her past. Perhaps there were some things he shouldn’t remain silent on forever.

“Smellerbee?” He started to say before giving into hesitation, almost backing out as Longshot looked at his companion, before practically forcing himself to finish, “They’re nowhere as bad as you’ve led yourself to believe.” The normally silent archer’s words came out in a sympathetic, yet straight forward manner as he finally addressed the faint marks on her face which resulted in far greater psychological, rather then physical damage for the young leader.

 

[UnseenMaiden]

Smellerbee

Her words, quiet though they’d been, seemed to just echo in the air and hang there like some big, hanging thing for all to see. She didn’t want to look back at him. Not that she was exactly sure what he would say. This whole thing with beauty and what not was a new topic between them, and experience wasn’t really a good guide here when it came to guessing his reaction. So she kept walking and didn’t get very far as, suddenly a familiar hand was clutching her own, halting her steps immediately. There it was again, that sudden almost painful thudding in her chest, the hyperawareness she usually associated with the heat of battle, the need to stay, linger, just a few moments more combating with her instinct telling her to run. She didn’t run or pull away. For a moment, she was too shocked by the simple action of his and then her reaction to do anything. For a moment, Bee stood there and simply felt the warmth of her friend’s touch, the rough calluses that came from a lifetime of labor, the strength that she knew he had but had never been quite so aware of until this moment. She’d always had a certain fondness for his hands. Peculiar how, it was only now that, she began to wonder why.

She didn’t pull her hand from his grasp; even she turned towards him to see what he had to say. Then she stared, caught between the words in his eyes and the fact that he now hand her hand firmly ensconced within his own, squeezing it a little. The latter was doing a lot to influence her reaction to the former. She’d already admitted to herself that he was being honest, knew he wasn’t a liar. However, the thrum in her blood and these fluttering little tingling sensations in her chest were tainting the knowledge a different color. Like, he hadn’t meant that he thought she was pretty just back in Ba Sing Se, but even now. Even before that particular revelation had time to completely cement itself, he was telling her, brown eyes firmly holding her gaze. Longshot, all along, really?

Smellerbee almost opened her mouth to respond, to say.. something. It wasn’t shock or nerves that made her silent now, though surely she had plenty of both. Just.. really? Because, back when they’d first met, she hadn’t thought about it then, hadn’t cared, but she knew very well that what she’d looked like, after roaming around through the woods for days on end with not near enough to eat, could not have been the best of first impressions. Still, in his eyes, she had been something beyond the freak she’d felt like. For a moment, she considered sitting down. Her silence was because she felt like thinking, plain and simple, felt like tossing everything over until she gathered his words and her thoughts and feelings and made some sort of sense out of them all. No not sense, per say. A plan. Fuck, she didn’t know.

Suddenly his grip on her loosened and she almost, almost but not quite, made up the difference by making her loose grip tighter. This particular need, to have him close by her side and not to leave it for even a moment, had last been its’ strongest after he had come back. He’d been absent for so long then and then he’d come back, and, even though she’d given him the cold shoulder for awhile after his return, she’d wanted nothing more than to make sure he would stay. Just like then, she was silent now, still now, afraid of the unknown, of what could possibly happen if she gave into that impulse and squeezed his larger hand with his small one.

“Smellerbee? They’re nowhere as bad as you’ve led yourself to believe.”

The woman froze as she looked at him, the color that had refused to leave her cheeks this entire time, giving her a soft glow, now left completely and those red marks she so routinely applied to her skin stood out bold. There was no doubt in her mind about what her friend was talking about and tense seconds passed where she did nothing. She stood there, hand still in his own, eyes still staring into his, muscles tensed. Save for that last bit, no one in the dining hall would’ve been able to figure out that something had changed between the pair of foreigners. All signs of warmth and affection had gone from Smellerbee’s brown eyes. There was no fury or sadness, though she could feel both whispering underneath, and there was no fear, only the hard, cold numbness that came with her scars, with the memory, with the knowing of why they were there. Eventually her voice came hissing out, low and fierce, from her clenched jaw. Typical as ever, she didn’t bother to think of what she was saying.

“You don’t know anything.”

When she pulled her hand from his, she could feel how his grip tightened for a split second before letting her go. She didn’t look at his eyes, her gaze centered closer to his collarbone, even as she hesitated for a second, because there was a very big possibility that her words, her actions had hurt her friend. Yet, she couldn’t stay and she didn’t want to stay. She wanted to move before her mind thought less on his words and the topic of discussion, before she thought too much about a little girl who was dead, before those nightmares she’d been having lately came back to haunt her during the day.

“You haven’t seen them and you don’t have a fucking clue where they came from. So don’t try to tell me what I believe!”

Her voice had risen quickly as she spoke and she didn’t happen to care, even less than she ever did, if people were staring. They could sit there and gawk at her fury all they wanted to. For a few moments, she stood there, still tense, chest heaving frantically as she tried to catch her breath, eyes glittering with anger and threatening tears that she staunchly refused to let fall. She stood there and didn’t look at her friend. He had so casually, or not so casually, mentioned the one thing guaranteed to hurt her far more than any injury she’d ever received from a battle. She stood there and then she fled. Smellerbee fled from the dining hall and the knowledge of who she had once been.

 

[Mephistophelily]

The Earthbender may have brought about sour tones from her at first, but the more she heard from him, the less his country of origin seemed to phase her. She reminded herself of the situations that stood before her, and the ways her own brother and the Avatar had passed them previously; they had allies of different backgrounds. As much as the idea originally disgusted her, she had come to see the possibilities of such relations. At least her first experiences with such a partnership with Zhuang thus far had proven... tolerable. Perhaps such a thing wasn't so terrible after all. At least he kept the proper respect for her that she demanded of all loyal Fire Nation people. After all was said and done, her victory cemented, she would be certain to bestow him with true Fire Nation nationality.... A fitting reward, she was sure.

The growled words of Kazuo at the guard at the door simply brought about a raised glance from the Princess, a dulled ominous stare being given to the now humbly apologetic man that let them in. "Perhaps next time you could set off a few flaming torches. I believe a few people didn't hear you on the other side of the plaza." A sharp tone flowed in her words, the glare given to the man snapping away as she walked past Kazuo with Zhuang.

Truth be told, the fact that she needed to keep her presence hidden at such a level bothered her to no end. This city was supposed to be one of her family's crowning achievements, but she was forced to stay hidden like a rodent scurrying in the shadows. It infuriated her. At least in the privacy of the Rebel building, she was able to truly reveal herself and, more importantly, receive the respect she deserved.

A quick nod was given to Kazuo as he invited her to find somewhere to sit, a glance shot in Zhuang's direction as n invite for him to join her before starting across the room. The hood that had been covering her head was finally pressed back over her shoulders, her golden eyes taking in the view around her. The group gathered in this place may not have been a Fire Nation army, but it was far, far better than her original group of attacking forces. Recruiting inmates had seemed a good idea... but the level of their mental state had made things a bit more complicated than she had hoped.

These people, however... They shared her dreams. Their minds were clear, their intent fully known. Azula felt so alive among them, reveling in the respect and awe that they gave to her. She would provide them with the Fire Nation they once knew, as long as they provided her with their loyalty.

Like Kazuo. Such a wonderfully loyal Fire Nation subject. He seemed so perfect a soldier to her, his loyalty unwavering, willing to do whatever she asked of him... Asked, demanded, refused to be denied. She wondered how far she could test such loyalty. Perhaps he could be an interesting source of entertainment...

Settling at one of the tables at the far center of the room, she made certain that those around her saw who had graced them with her presence. A curt smirk came to her lips, watching the few that passed, her gaze returning to Kazuo across the room for a moment before passing to the Earthbender that joined her. The smile slipped ever-so-slightly, her hand reaching up to delicately brush the few fallen strands of hair from her eyes. "Zhuang. You've made quite the impression on me thus far. I must say, you're not at all the person I would have thought you to be..."

It was intended to be a compliment, though such a thing was rather- complicated for the Fire Princess to manage. As Kazuo returned, she watched as he settled into a chair opposite her, barely acknowledging the arrival of their drinks from the server other than holding out her hand. "We drink to the future of the Fire Nation, and the glory that will once return. We celebrate now the victory that awaits us, and the rewards to come..."

 

[Ahren1]

The silence between The Fire Lord and his longtime friend was hardly awkward. Both of them knew what needed to be said and what didn't. Perhaps something that he could have admitted was the fact that he just enjoyed her company. Of course he would then run the risk of such a comment being taken in the wrong context. The last thing he'd want Ty Lee to think is that he was trying to replace Mai with her, not to mention so soon. He simply appreciated her friendship... It was lonely around the palace with everyone out searching for Azula. Something he wished he could be doing, himself. She was his problem, but for the good of his nation, he could not just leave on some personal vendetta. So once again his friends stepped up for him. How could he thank them enough for everything they've done and everything they've sacrificed?

“Oh, these are for you. Though I’m sure more paperwork is the last thing you want to see right now.” Ty Lee finally spoke up in a soft tone as she handed him the bag containing the scrolls.

He chuckled lightly in silent agreement to her comment. It really wasn't something he was looking forward to, but he admired her sense of duty after all he had subjected her to over the past months. Years ago it would have been hard to imagine Ty Lee of all people sitting in on meetings of old men and politics. He hated having her do it at all, but the fact was that Mai had not just been the Fire Lady because she was his wife, but she had made sure to do her share of leading as well. She had served to keep the old advisers in line when they may have, accidentally or not, strayed toward a line of thinking that had more in common with the old ways rather than the new.

With them unchecked, who knew the drivel they would spout? So he asked someone he could trust, as hard as it was to do. Being the wonderful person she is, Ty Lee accepted and so far had been making him proud, and likely would have made Mai as well.

"Thank you... I've said it a lot, I know, but I'm sorry I've made you put up with them..." Zuko spoke with a faint smile as they reached the dining hall adorned in the familiar black, red and gold decor. The large table seemingly fit for a banquet would only be holding the two of them today. It was a bit odd, but it would remain private just the same. Zuko entered first to pull out a chair for Ty Lee before taking his own on the opposite side. The table being longer than wide meant they were thankfully not spaced very far. A servant arrived shortly to inquire about their dinner choices with Zuko choosing a spiced stew that was a specialty of the cook's. After taking Ty Lee's order, the man quietly exited, leaving the two friends on their own once again.

Zuko clasped his hands together and stared at his thumbs for a few moments. He wanted to talk to her, but he was having trouble figuring out exactly what to say. There were many subjects but what was appropriate during these dark times? It was strange for Ty Lee to be so solemn, herself. Typically she could hold the conversation entirely on her own and be satisfied. He actually liked that sometimes. It meant someone could enjoy his company and he wouldn't have to say anything foolish. Even after becoming Fire Lord, he never did manage to become very articulate. Thankfully his friend knew that well enough and likely would not blame him for it...

"Thank you again, for everything you've done. If you ever need a break from it just let me know. It is not as if I don't have others to fill in. I just felt better knowing someone was there that I could trust completely... The number of people on that list only seems to get smaller as time goes by...

Is being the Fire Lord supposed to make you so paranoid?" He couldn't help but laugh a bit at his own comments, hoping to make himself not sound so terribly serious.

"Enough about that, though. I don't get to hear much about you anymore. Tell me something interesting. Anything at all." The Fire Lord smirked, knowing she surely had things that still got her excited these days... It would not be Ty Lee otherwise.

--

"She has come further than she thinks she has. But she has far to go."

Aang nodded lightly in response to Iroh's vague yet apt summary of Xia's airbending abilities thus far. Airbending was not just an ability, but a state of mind. Still, this was the first time he had ever been the teacher. A lot of people claimed to have learned things from Aang, and he was always happy to know his way of life provided others with purpose or a template of values to go by, but to be an official teacher, well... it was intimidating, even for the Avatar.

That was one reason Iroh had joined them. Even if he wasn't an airbender, his wisdom in the ways of life provided the stepping stones that Aang might not have been able to word properly. In the end, Aang was the only one who would truly be able to teach her the ways of the Air Nomads and proper airbending. Maybe it would help to see what advice Yangchen might have about this situation... But would he even be able to contact him...? After that dark spirit messing with his mind... weakening his powers... Was he even any good to anyone?

"In the meantime, you are not wrong. It is time for tea."

But that could always wait a little bit. Aang took Iroh's assistance, standing from his meditative position. "Ah, I'll be there in a moment..." Aang called out to Iroh, allowing the older man to nod and exit before the Avatar glanced down at the letter he had been handed...

I love you, and I miss you.

We've known each other almost ten years now, and I've loved you for almost that entire time.

Right now, you're probably begrudging yourself your inactivity, you're probably trying to figure out how you could have avoided this, trying to decide how you could do more to help. And in the process, well, you're probably beating yourself up a bit.

Please don't. Beat yourself up.

You amaze me. Not just, obviously, as The Avatar, but also as a human being. You wander off inside yourself, vanish off into The World, I've seen it a hundred times if I've seen it a dozen, and always you come back with more wisdom, more resolve, more cunning, more sheer unstoppability.

And it's more than just walkabout pilgrimages I've seen you come back from, adventures with giant Lion-Turtles and vision quests with strange and mystical Gurus, you've come back from so much deeper darker wilder things than that.

During The Fire Nation's siege of The North Pole, you went off into The Spirit World to seek aid from The Ocean and Moon Spirits, and chief among the rules was that we could not move you. We couldn't move you because you needed to find your way back to your body.

Zuko stole you, right out from under my nose, he carried you on his back across the frozen wastes through a snowstorm that bit like polar leopard teeth, he tore you away from the space in which you knew to find yourself.

But still you found yourself, and the light you cast in the sky while you sought yourself out helped us find you, too. (You helped me find you.)

And then, struck down while you were in The Avatar State, the most precarious precipice on which I've ever seen you teeter... you were killed in battle. I healed you, a little, the Spirit Water did most of the work, but... still you found your way back.

You were gone. You found your way back.

I can't pretend to imagine I know what it's really really like for you, right now.

But I know you.

Beautiful impossible you.

And you will find your way back.

It's what you do. It's what you always do.

********​

The three of us haven't had much luck. I mean, I'm still waiting for the two boys to return to the rendezvous, but I imagine that since I haven't heard thunder or seen the explosions of Fire that neither of them have stumbled upon a secret enclave, either.

We haven't found her. Much to our chagrin.

Just Spirit-ghosts slipping through our fingers.

But we'll get her. We'll nail her to a wall. Don't you worry.

Just you get better.

Just you get better.

I think we're moving on to Foggy Swamp, next? That should be a fun area to search; I wonder if we'll see any visions.

In any case, I'll tell Huu you said "hi," I know you're a bit fascinated with his Enlightenment.

Speaking of "hi's" and "hello's," Ryota wants me to ask you to tell Xia he says "hi" to her. I asked him if he wanted to drop her a line the next time I sent a message out, and he kind of scuffed his toe and rubbed the back of his head and thought about it for a minute... and he wishes her "the best of luck," and is "keeping fingers crossed" that she "finds what she's looking for." I'm pretty sure that's not all he wanted to say, but it still might be nice for Xia to know that she's been thought of. Frequently, unless I miss my guess.

(Like passing notes in Waterbending class, isn't it? Oh, Pakku was so furious when he caught you...)

I think the next real communication hub we're set to search is Chin Village. I hope to hear from you when we get there, though I understand all too well the difficulty in keeping touch across this ever-changing landscape.

We'll be together soon.

You'll find yourself and you'll show me how to find you.

I love you.

Yours,
Katara

A myriad of emotions filled the young Avatar. Every doubt about himself faded as his eyes scanned the beautifully handwritten note. She was right. He didn't need to beat himself up over anything that happened. He chuckled a bit at certain parts as well, and at the end he carefully rolled it back up and placed it in his pack. He missed her so much that it almost hurt physically, and they hadn't even been apart for that long. Perhaps it was partially worry for the dangerous quest she was on, combined with Mai's death reminding him of how brutal mortality could be.

But he was confident in her strength, and she had strong people with her. He just wished he was with her as well...

Aang eventually exited the chamber, noticing Iroh having arrived only moments earlier and Xia staring rather intently at her cup of tea.

"Gee, I hope you didn't stop the party just for my sake." He smirked before gazing at Xia specifically. "Your boyfriend says hi! He wishes you the best of luck and is keeping his fingers crossed in hopes that you'll find what you're looking for."

"I hope so too..."

 

[UnseenMaiden]

Ty Lee

"Thank you... I've said it a lot, I know, but I'm sorry I've made you put up with them..."

His words didn’t surprise her. Like he had said, Zuko had thanked her quite a bit for sitting in on those meetings. Well, at least he had said it the handful of times she’d actually seen his face these past few weeks. Just as often as he’d thanked her, and apologized in the same breath, Ty Lee had refused both. Just as she silently did now, a slim hand in the air, brushing his words away. She truly didn’t mind, as vexing as those meetings could be at times. She had told him this, if not all the reasons why she didn’t mind. Those she kept to herself alone.

The main dining hall wasn’t too crowded this morning. That wasn’t unusual. Those of the soldiers were either gone from the palace or on duty. Those who remained were mostly foreigners; dignitaries, representatives, soldiers brought over to temporarily replace the ones they had lost. She didn’t know many of them by name, but she tried to recognize all of them, at least. She knew the silent archer and the striped woman were from the Freedom Fighters, a former resistance group stationed in a forest in the western reaches of the Earth Kingdom. She’d only talked to Smellerbee a few times. Longshot, on the other hand, was impossible to talk to. They both had a bit of pink around their auras at the moment, but, then again, couples almost always did.

Looking away from them, she followed Zuko, concentrating on his steps, as sadness tinged her thoughts. Seeing those two together reminded her of the state of affairs her own ‘romantic’ relationship was in. Tatsuo would make an excellent husband. She’d come to realize that over the weeks. The brunette held onto his words that love would come, for both of them, if they gave their marriage all it deserved. But, in the back of her mind, she knew better. There would be no sweet pink tinge to her or her betrothed’s auras if they continued on this path. For a mad moment, as the Fire Lord and herself neared the royal table, concealed by vibrant red and gold curtains to afford the royal family and their guests the utmost privacy, Ty Lee wanted to run.

Yet, her feet kept placing themselves one in front of the other, despite her muscles tensing in readiness for that one desperate act. No one was stopping her. Why was no one stopping her from doing this to herself, and, worse, to a man that had no clue what he would be giving up? She wanted. She wanted. All of her life she had wanted just one person to see her as herself, not one of her sisters, not a pretty face, but herself. This would be the end of that. So why..

As Zuko sat in his chair at the head of the table, she paused in her footsteps and stared at the seat beside him. Her hands clenched then and an uncharacteristic coldness came over her features. The seat beside the Fire Lord was empty. If Mai was here, Ty Lee would’ve asked her what to do. Arranged marriages were old-fashioned, after all. She had no reason to keep it. Mai had told her as much when she’d asked all those years ago. Yet, she’d also told her to stop running away. For the millionth time in the past month, a grim sort of determination set in. Fingering the lotus pinned into her hair, she finally took her own seat, incredibly aware of the empty chair next to her. She would do what Mai had told her to for once. She had made her decision to marry a man she didn’t love and she wouldn’t run away from that.

"Thank you again, for everything you've done. If you ever need a break from it just let me know. It is not as if I don't have others to fill in. I just felt better knowing someone was there that I could trust completely... The number of people on that list only seems to get smaller as time goes by...

Is being the Fire Lord supposed to make you so paranoid?"

The steaming cup that was in her hands paused a couple of inches from her mouth as she was left blinking at her friend. They’d been silent all of this time, save for when a servant had come to see what they wished for their meal. As much as she would’ve liked to say she had been waiting for Zuko to say what had been on his mind when they’d first ran into each other, the truth was that her thoughts had been entirely centered on herself and the commitment she was only months from undertaking. So she stared at him, rewinding his words in her head until she made sense of what she’d only, truly, half heard. Then he spoke again, laughing at first to hide the tension she could see clearly in his face, before she could even begin to address his earlier statements.

"Enough about that, though. I don't get to hear much about you anymore. Tell me something interesting. Anything at all."

Tilting her head slightly, she echoed his question, faint puzzlement evident in her wide brown eyes. “Interesting?”

Silence reigned for the space of a few breaths as she tried to think of something. He was expecting it from her, she knew that. There was a cocky knowledge in his eyes, along with a tinge of desperation in his aura. Her friend was depending on her to perform the same service she’d always had, to laugh and talk of nothing until his heart was light once more. She didn’t resent that. Yet, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. The only things that dominated her life now were the meetings he asked her to attend and the preparations for her marriage, neither of which she deemed as ‘interesting’ for either of them. She really wanted to make him smile again, if only for a little bit. If she did her very best, maybe they could both forget the painful, empty space between them, if only for a little while. A grin spread over her lips as she caught on to something.

“Atsuko asked about one of the Freedom Fighters today. It seems a great many of the younger servant girls have fallen head over heels for this boy.”

It wasn’t much, but it was a beginning. Part of her, now that she’d been brought back from her introspective thoughts, wanted to ask her friend what it was he really had on his mind. Apologies and thanks were no reason to avoid anyone, especially for someone as considered with honor as he was. Yet, she didn’t. She spoke instead of the various servants in her mother’s household, of the art of flower arrangement she was learning from Tatsuo’s own mother, of one of her sister’s newest child, of how the capital had changed, of a particularly colorful bird that landed on her windowsill some days ago. She did not speak of the pain in her side, throbbing in protest of sitting so long as she had this day. She did not speak of the dreams of Mai she had so many nights. She did not speak of Azula. She did not speak of the dark shadow that had lingered over the battlefield. In the end though, after their food was mostly eaten and she had ran out of things to say that would not touch those taboo subjects, Ty Lee had to ask the one question, even if it resulted in Zuko walking away.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

 

[Eazy]

Longshot

A part of Longshot came to almost immediately regret having said what he did, but a larger, more rational part had recognized the simple yet direct words as something which needed saying for many years now. If there was anything to regret, it was not being able to wait until they were alone and safely returned to the Earth Kingdom before bringing up such a sensitive subject. Unfortunately, the demands of the world had changed during the last several weeks, and such luxuries of convenience weren’t so easily afforded when it came to themselves or anyone else involved in confronting this threat. As his big brown eyes watched his friend with concern, he could see, could feel the steady shift in emotions as she broke their shared silence.

“You don’t know anything.”

The young woman’s response was almost to be expected by one who knew her, but that didn’t lessen their impact, especially when coupled by the way she pulled her hand free of his grasp. It hurt, and despite trying to maintain a calm demeanor, a ‘poker face’ if you would, there were indeed signs of this in his eyes as he watched his friend. On top of this, and perhaps greater at the time, was his sadness at the way she looked away while also preparing to push both himself and the underlying problem away.

“You haven’t seen them and you don’t have a fucking clue where they came from. So don’t try to tell me what I believe!”

That, was enough for his features to break away of their typically calm exterior. His lips parted, as if wanting to say something as he watched her with obvious concern, and perhaps even regret on his face. But nothing came from those lips as he noticed how she struggled to fight back tears that threatened to pour out. The hesitation was caused by a concern for how any further words or actions on his part may affect her at this point. And yet, Longshot did slowly reach out a hand, intending to nestle it upon her arm like many times in the past, when she suddenly moved to storm away without giving him another glance.

Turning to let his eyes follow her, the silent marksman considered following as she steadily escaped from her friends worried gaze; instead allowing her a moment to herself as he let out a barely audible ‘I’m sorry’ while she turned a corner and he lowered his eyes. Was what he did wrong? Perhaps. Perhaps not. It seemed that like many things in life, only time would reveal the true answer to that question. The one thing Longshot knew for certain, at least at this point, was that he hoped Smellerbee would come to forgive him for what he’d done.

There was truth to her words, however, or at least to an extent. When it came to her actual scars, a person could make an argument after how long they’d been together, at each others side, countless days and nights spent watching over the other. An argument of how he’d seen her face often enough, close up enough, that he would know better then anyone, perhaps even herself, just how ‘bad’ those scars were underneath those red markings which covered them up. But this only made up half of the problem, and perhaps even the smaller half. And, sadly, at this point the young man was limited on exactly what he could do to try and reach his companion where it mattered. Not that any of this meant the young man was anywhere near giving up on Smellerbee. Not by a…well, not by a long shot.

“Did I miss something?” A familiar voice asked as Longshot raised his eyes once more; this time coming face-to-face with The Duke who was approaching from the direction Smellerbee had vanished, “I came across Smellerbee a minute ago and she walked right by before I could say anything.”

Noting the confusion and understandable signs of concern on the younger male’s features, Longshot shook his head as a hand reached up to rub at the side of his neck. His eyes directed their attention toward the dining area which they were currently standing just outside of, as he ‘explained’ how they were going for a drink but had a disagreement which resulted in Smellerbee taking off. He kept the details of said disagreement to himself, as it wasn’t something The Duke or anyone else needed to find out about at this point, but did let his friend know that it wasn’t anything to be concerning himself with.

Listening (so to speak) to what Longshot was getting across, the younger Freedom Fighter nodded in understanding; until his eyes suddenly widened as a notion crossed his mind. Looking over at his fellow foreigner, The Duke glanced about a bit, then spoke in a near whisper as he suggested, “You don’t suppose her reaction was related to ‘woman’ issues, do you?”

The slightly older male blinked a few times before raising an eyebrow at his helmeted friend; basically giving The Duke a look which anyone passing by would figure out as a ‘you can’t be serious’ expression.

“I was just asking! It’s not like I’m an expert in figuring out girls.” He quickly defended, giving a light shrug of his shoulders as he glanced at the dining area; gesturing toward it with a nod of his head before offering, “Anyway, if you’re still looking for a drink, I can keep you company for a few minutes. Better then drinking alone and sulking to yourself.”

Longshot followed his younger companion’s gaze, and then glanced in the direction which Smellerbee had vanished to only minutes ago. There was a great temptation, a need, which demanded that he give chase after his friend and try to make amends, if nothing else, for what had transpired between them. But he also recognized how she may need time to herself, and that a short break from one-another would perhaps do them both a world of good before they saw each other again.

Nodding at The Duke, the pair of Earth Kingdom natives reentered the dining hall, with Longshot being aware of how a few of those inside were glancing his way after the incident with Smellerbee. Not that it mattered, but he did hope to enjoy his tea in peace and without the stares of others, which also reminded him of how they both needed to remove their respective headgear when in here as a patron. He set the example by moving his hat so that it would rest upon his shoulders; the small strap around his neck keeping it from falling to the ground.

Stretching a hand up and tapping lightly on the helmet, the silent archer alerted his friend about removing his old helmet, which The Duke relented on doing with a little reluctance on his part. At least when the helmet was on he didn’t have to feel so self-conscious about people looking his way. Sure enough, with the helmet now held at his side as the pair acquired a cup of Jasmine Tea for Longshot and small serving of for Roast Duck meat The Duke, both men noticed a few prolonged glances in the younger male’s direction even as they moved to find a seat.

“I’m never getting used to this stuff.” The Duke complained about the peculiar (at least for him) attention he received while the pair went about finding a quite enough spot to pass a few minutes and, if nothing else, give the older of the two a chance to collect his thoughts on what to do about their mutual long-time friend.

 

[Mephistophelily]

"the world is always changing, Toph. Everything around us is always on the move, whether we like it or not. Rocks fall into the sea. The water erodes them away. Fire evaporates the water. The wind carries the fog. Everything is effected by the other..."

King Bumi's words only confused his heir, Toph frowning as she tried to make sense of it. "Then how do we protect ourselves? If it's always changing-"

"We change too... But not always in the way the other expects. Sand melts under fire- but only to become glass once it cools. It's still quite hard, and has quite the temper to it then too." Bumi's signature cackle escaped his lips with that, wrapping an elderly arm around his ward in a loving embrace.

It was still such a strange thing to Toph- this man, a man she only knew for a matter of months, treating her in such a way... But she was coming to like it. Her parents had loved the idea of her becoming the heir to his throne, envisioning only the wealth and fame that came with such a thing- but what about what she actually wanted? She had been so afraid that she was going to be trapped in a dull, monotone royal life...

Instead, that crazy old man became the best thing to ever happen to her.

"I miss you so much...," Toph whispered as she sat on the edge of her bed, her head raising slightly as a knock came at her door. Some of the Fire Nation servants, coming to help her with the bath she had requested. As much as she hated the idea of washing off her comforting dirt coating, she knew that she must have been a horrible sight for those who could actually see. "Come on in. I guess I'm ready."

Blehhh. They had fragranced soaps with them too. The suds were scrubbed hard into her flesh, Toph grimacing as the thick rough sponges tore against her skin. The girls were humming- they were enjoying this! Scowling a bit more, she simply held out her arms as they continued to work, the Earth Queen sinking further and further into the bubbles as the women moved on. When the request for her feet was made, she blew against some of the bubble tufts that made it to her nose, plunking them up on the edge of the tub. "Good luck with those," she called sweetly, grinning deviously.


"I've never had a bathing take two hours... One of the girls whispered in shock as they left the room, Toph grinning even more as the door was closed, leaving her alone in the little silk robe the girls had helped her into. A pink and white dress laid out on the bed for her, Toph firmly stating that she could handle putting it on by herself to the duo before they left. She wasn't helpless. Besides, she hated people fussing over her with something like that... But the colors the girls described certainly did sound pretty.

If she was into that type of thing.
Which she wasn't.

She wondered if Kurzen would be home soon... Maybe she could ask for another dress like that when he came back... Maybe-

Curse Katara! Putting thoughts like that into her head! That woman was always trying to drag out the feminine side of Toph, and telling her things like that actually did manage to bring about questioning thoughts. To be thinking about relationships and fawning over some guy like a fool- She didn't have time for that. It was stupid. All of it was just- really, really stupid.

*I wonder what his favorite color is. Probably red. All Fire Nation guys seem to love red.*

CURSE KATARA!!

She had to get her mind off her. And him. Mainly him. Thinking like this was going to drive her insane; she was already growing more and more annoyed with herself for even allowing such thoughts to enter her mind. Something else had to take over. Something immediate, something that could occupy her thoughts and keep her busy...

Those sweet rolls she had tried with Sokka. THAT would do perfectly.

The best part was, she didn't need anyone's help getting to the dining hall; only her own sense of smell. A wandering walk and an increasingly loud growling stomach brought her to her final destination, a double order of the tasty tidbits placed by the blind Earthbender as she settled into a seat. If food could ease a heartache, it could silence a foolish crush, too.

 

[Ahren1]

Zuko watched Ty Lee curiously as she searched her mind for something to satisfy his need for lighthearted conversation. When the grin crept onto her face, he couldn't help but smile along just on that alone. Naturally, when she managed to catch a topic, the Kiyoshi Warrior was able to segue from that to another without any trouble. The Fire Lord mostly listened, not really wanting to interrupt her train of thought. When he was younger, Ty Lee's chipper attitude drove him mad, but he certainly learned to appreciate it now. Even Mai occasionally tried her hand at optimistic stream of consciousness discussion, although without quite as much success. She attributed her interest in attempting it to Ty Lee, though, because the energetic girl always seemed happy when talking with friends.

Though as their food began to disappear, so did the cheer in conversation. A moment of silence and a sudden serious expression upon Ty Lee's face was soon followed by a blindside question that Zuko hadn't really expected.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

It was true. He had barely spoken to her since Mai's funeral other than to ask for her help with the meetings and reports. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't intentional, but he knew better. He also knew that there would be no point in lying to a childhood friend. The difficult part was simply trying to explain in a way that would not make him sound like a complete fool...

"I'm sorry...

After.. the night of Azula's escape, and everything I've asked of you... I suppose I felt that if I leaned on your shoulder too much, that you might think I was trying to replace Mai..." He began, first looking at his empty dish before pushing it away to match Ty Lee's gaze.

"I might have also been a bit afraid of the topic of Tatsuo... I think you should be the one to choose your partner, not parents or relatives or anyone else...

The fact that I'm scared of such things makes me feel like I haven't grown much. A Fire Lord shouldn't be afraid to talk to his friends..." He concluded, sighing softly. They were true points, though he had neglected to mention how much he had been thinking of Ty Lee as of late, and just what such thoughts implied. So despite his words, he was still afraid of something. Losing Ty Lee. If he mentioned the growing attraction to her, and it upset or offended her, or even just made her uncomfortable, who knows how it would affect their friendship? It was something he didn't want to lose. Couldn't lose.

 

[Eazy]

Longshot w/ The Duke

This place wasn't quite as crowded when compared to the peak hours for dining, but it did prove a slight problem to find a spot where they wouldn't run risk of a nearby patron trying to make small talk. Longshot himself wasn't vehemently against the notion of talking to another person, yet admitted that he wasn't exactly in the best of moods for interacting with any of the various strangers in the palace. The Duke, on the other hand, didn't care to force small talk with anyone at the time, so it was a present surprise, his features lighting up a bit, as the teen spied an old associate of theirs.

“Now there’s an old familiar face.” The young Earth Kingdom native commented with a nudge of his head as he directed his silent companion's attention toward the bending prodigy whom once answered to the stage name of 'The Blind Bandit'.

The slightly taller of the pair followed the teen's line of sight until finally noticing the Queen of Omashu sitting and apparently enjoying some of the local cuisine by herself. Longshot hadn’t really interacted that often with Toph in the past, but knew that The Duke and Pipsqueak had spent their share of time, off and on, amongst her and the other members of Aang’s group during the time leading up to the final days of the war. Again, the young marksman wasn't completely against the idea of the two of them spending a few minutes alongside another person while they enjoyed their respective food and drink, but one look at the young woman was enough to see that she had a few unspoken worries of her own at hand.

While Longshot would have taken this as incentive enough to let the Eathbender be for the time being, his fellow Freedom Fighter wasn't as quick to notice as he lead the march in her direction. For his part, The Duke did catch onto the fact that the blind woman looked lost in her own thoughts, but what else was new? Just about everyone here was on edge or worried about one thing or another since his arrival a couple of weeks ago. And while neither of them knew what was bothering Toph at the time, he figured that much like Longshot, it wouldn't hurt to provide each other with a few minutes of company. Besides, if nothing else, The Duke supposed she was one of the few women around here which he could be around without worry of her gawking at him.

As the pair walked up to the table where their fellow countrywoman was seated, The Duke approached the young woman with little regard for her title as he placed his plate on the table and started pulling up a seat for himself, “Hey, you! I hope you don't mind a little company?”

The slightly taller young man beside him gave his younger friend a slight shake of his head, feeling somewhat amused, yet also embarrassed at The Duke's brashness in dealing with the Bei Fong woman. Still, she hadn't seem immediately against their presence, and his friend obviously wasn't set on leaving, so Longshot quietly settled on pulling up a seat next to the other male as they sat opposite of Toph. The majority of his attention remained on Smellerbee, even as he took the first sip of his tea to try and calm himself, as concerns of how she was doing and what she may say when they met up with each other swam through his head while The Duke spoke with their 'host'.

"So, what's going on with you? You almost looked as down on yourself as Longshot here after his fight with Smellerbee?" The teen inquired as he began cutting into his serving of meat, showing little regard for anyone's feelings as he started teasing, "You having relationship problems, too?"

At this, the young man sitting next to The Duke nearly spit out his mouthful of tea, before turning with a stern look and giving his longtime friend a less then friendly backhanded punch to the arm.

"Hey! Why'd you do that for?!" The teen complained while quickly reaching up a hand to rub at his arm; glaring at Longshot for several seconds, until realization slowly started settling in upon the younger Freedom Fighter.

Turning toward Toph more out of habit then a belief that any eye contact would mean much given her conventional lack of sight, The Duke's voice became a little less brash in nature as he apologized for any possible offense, "Sorry. You spend most of your life growing up with a bunch of guys close to your own age and, I don't know, I guess there's just some things you don't really pick up."

"Tact, is probably the word you're searching for." His normally silent friend added in a mostly calm tone of voice as he brought his cup of tea up to his lips for another drink.

 

[Mephistophelily]

The rolls were good- and this time, Sokka wasn't around to devour them up before she had a chance to nibble on them. Toph smirked slightly as the young man left them before her, a mumbled word of thanks to him before she started to taste her treats. Unfortunately, it wasn't working as well as she had hoped to keep her mind from wandering off on thoughts she hated it to be turning to. She would need to make a note to yell at the one behind all these as soon as she came home. Katara had never managed to set her off like this before- but maybe it wasn't just her. It was the fact she was bringing up someone -else- that made Toph feel this way.

"Graawmph." How shoving the sweet roll in her mouth was going to silence her own thoughts, she had no idea- but it certainly felt to be working. As she chewed, she heard the footsteps and shuffling chairs, her bites slowing slightly as the male voice spoke up. "It's a free nation. Well, now," she replied as she swallowed the last of the roll, gesturing with her hand to the rest of the table.

A light scowl managed to come to her face as The Duke continued, the mention of relationships causing a surge of annoyance to pull inside her. Damn it! Was she really that obvious about it?! She quickly grabbed another roll, biting into it rather angrily and closing her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," she finally huffed as she moved the bite aside, swallowing once more. "I'm just worried on all this, that's all. And what's going on back home- My advisers aren't exactly keen on keeping things the way I left them. I'm gonna have a huge mess to deal with when I get back, I just know it."

She paused, playing with the bowl with her fingertips for a moment. "And don't worry about it. I'm not exactly the most feminine, or worried about things like great manners and things like that. I guess Smellerbee and I have a little more in common than just being from the Earth Kingdom when it comes to that. Even as Queen, I'd rather people talk to me like a normal person than trying to suck up to me. It's just annoying." She frowned again, pushing the bowl away with a sigh.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Iroh and Xia.

Aang took Iroh's assistance, standing from his meditative position. "Ah, I'll be there in a moment..." Aang called out to Iroh, allowing the older man to nod and exit before the Avatar glanced down at the letter he had been handed...

Iroh smiled softly, oh, so very softly. And nodded. And he exited. Of course. Quite right.

'All the power in the world,' my brother would have called it. And wielded by one with such a heart as this.

...quite right.

He walked from that place, and he found Xia still sitting quietly, more than a little apprehensive, the staff across her lap.

She glanced up at Iroh, searching his face. "He's, uh, he's not-- that is, this one seeks to know if--"

Iroh simply picked up a teacup, and filled this with perfectly normal tea, and handed Xia the cup, which she took with both hands, scrutinising his enigmatic features.

"The Avatar's comings and goings are his own," Iroh redirected her, crossing his hands behind himself and casting his own gaze out into the canyon. "You can wait a little bit longer."

"...oh," Xia murmured, and dropped her gaze from Iroh to the teacup's lightly-steaming surface, and hated waiting. "Awesome."

And there was silence between them, for a few moments, silence and the moaning of the wind in the canyon.

Aang eventually exited the chamber, noticing Iroh having arrived only moments earlier and Xia staring rather intently at her cup of tea.

"Gee, I hope you didn't stop the party just for my sake."

"On the contrary, Avatar," Iroh declared, a twinkle in his eyes as he turned to face Aang. "The party simply could not have been started without you. (I am told you throw quite the dance-off, after all.)"

He smirked before gazing at Xia specifically. "Your boyfriend says hi! He wishes you the best of luck and is keeping his fingers crossed in hopes that you'll find what you're looking for."

Xia blinked. And managed, barely, just barely, to keep from spilling her tea. 'Boyfriend.' But I don't. That term's not entirely. I mean that I'd. But we never. There was too much going.

'...boyfriend.'

But I don't...

And then she closed her eyes. And a red like burning sunset clouds wafted across the golden-brown of her cheeks. "'Hi.'"

Yes, the other stuff was nice. The hope and the luck and the crossing of fingers. But just that one syllable, that informal greeting...

I like that.

"I hope so too..."

Her eyes opened at that, and she regarded him. She downed her tea at a gulp and set the cup aside. And swiftly she rose to her feet and handed him his staff, reverently, she passed to him horizontally with a little bit of a bow, a silent thank you for the use of it.

"It occurs to me, uh, sir," Xia attempted, "that there's no-one in this World who isn't searching for some kind of thing or other. Maybe more than one thing. I, ah. Think I've found one thing I was looking for. Just one thing. Maybe. And I don't know exactly what I can do? But maybe you and I are supposed to help each other find what else we're looking for."

Iroh watched this exchange with an arched ancient eyebrow and a smirk upon his ancient lips.

Shifting her feet uncertainly, Xia shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I could just shut up for five minutes and actually listen? Actually listen to you. Maybe that would help both of us."

Iroh muffled a chuckle, and glanced again out at the canyon.

May wonders never cease.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Katara.

“I think,” His voice started to come out softly as he gazed over at her, then picked up into a firmer tone as he finished with the hint of a smile on the corner of his features, “You might be onto something.”

Katara's eyes took on something of the same shady glow they possessed when, on the edge of The Great Divide, she chastised Aang for lying, 'that is so wrong,' except it came out like congratulations. She had that look in her eyes now, and that exact tone of voice: "You're damn right I'm onto something."

Reaching the rim of the large saddle, Ryota leaned over carefully and started to tap a pair of fingers on the back of the other man’s shoulder to try and get his attention, “Sokka?”

Katara resisted the urge to hold her breath. She knew if their positions were reversed, if it were Sokka chasing after a girl, she'd probably scold him for it all up and down Appa's back. But she... she had a good feeling.

Sokka wasn't the only one with instincts.

A little surprised at the contact after having focused so heavily on the path ahead, the tribesman reached a hand up to pull out the hair in his and Momo’s ears before turning his head in Ryota’s direction, “Huh? You guy’s finished? Is the angsting over and done with?”

Grinning, she closed her eyes. Oh, Spirits speed the day. Always with the angst with us.

But Ryota put it rather aptly indeed.

“Well…let’s just say we’re putting it on temporary hiatus.” The Northern Water Tribe native admitted to his tribal cousin after a short hesitation, followed by a slightly longer hesitation as he continued, “But Katara and I were thinking of taking a slight detour.”

Oh, Katara's eyes opened, and she watched her brother carefully, here it comes.

Raising an eyebrow, Sokka’s blue eyes stared suspiciously at Ryota, then over at his sister, before settling back on the younger male address him, “How slight?”

The young man kept one hand clinging to the saddle, but let the other reach up to rub at the back of his head, obviously a little reluctant and nervous of the other male’s response as he finally answered, “The, uh, Western Air Temple?”

“Oh?” Their ‘pilot’ questioned in a moment of confusion, until both of his blue eyes began to widen a bit as realization suddenly hit the slightly older tribesman, “Oh.... OH!!”

She counted quietly to herself, that's three...

An amused, almost teasing smirk steadily spread across Sokka’s features as he stared at the suddenly embarrassed Ryota; before looking over the male’s shoulder and having said smile decrease in volume as he remembered Katara.

Her cheeks burned a bit, burned as red as the Fire Lilies from which Hama had so dearly loved to siphon Bending Water, but she repented not, and her grin faded not.

“Ohhh….” Sokka let out in an almost ‘eww’ type of way as he realized what else such a trip may entail...

She rolled her eyes, glanced up at the sky, and nodded. ...aaaaaaand four.

“I don’t know, you guys. That’s going to throw us at least a day off schedule.” The young warrior and schedule planner admitted as a hand reached up to rub at his chin...

Katara glanced down at the spot where her knees met Appa's saddle, and she winced, instantly, instantly feeling the hypocrisy of her chiding the boys for running a few minutes late for culinary purposes, and now she was taking out a whole day just because she had, well... a different kind of craving entirely.

“But I guess we can manage it with a little creative retooling to our flight plan.”

Hope springs eternal, and they say, and it welled up in Katara, she could feel the hesitation in his voice, the giving in, it was inevitable now, she was grinning, he was caving into this like floes in the summer thaw...

The younger tribesman watched in silence as the man seated upon the sky bison’s head seemed to think out a few scenarios; until Sokka finally returned his gaze toward the other pair of Waterbenders. The look of anticipation upon Ryota’s face said it all, as the ‘pilot’ glanced over at his sister for a second, then let out a defeated sigh, right before seemingly being filled with a burst of energy and determination as he faced forward again.

“Then it’s settled! Hang on tight, Momo! We’re making a sharp turn and a ‘slight’ detour for the Western Air Temple.” The young male warned his co-pilot, who simply blinked a few times before hunching down and grasping at Appa’s fur as Sokka gave a careful tug to successfully stir the bison in the desired direction.

Ryota took a firm grip upon the rim of the sky bison’s saddle as they made their turn, surprisingly feeling a greater level of nervousness over the idea of seeing Xia when compared to his usual concern of somehow falling off during flight. Still, he was ultimately grateful for Sokka seemingly having an understanding of the situation, as he wasn’t exactly looking forward to going into detail about his reasons with the other tribesman.

As he held onto the reins and stared ahead until their next course was properly set, Sokka glanced over his shoulder at the pair before suddenly adding, “Just promise me you two will wait until you’re alone before pulling off each others clothing?”

Ryota’s eyes went wide, both embarrassed and surprised at the accusation, especially since the thought actually had crossed his mind as a possible, yet seemingly unlikely outcome; causing the young bender to nearly stumble over his words as he quickly defended himself, “It’s-It’s nothing like that! Really!”

Raising an eyebrow at Ryota, Sokka couldn’t keep from suppressing a faint smirk as he turned a little further and moved a now free hand to repeatedly jab an accusing finger at their third party member, “I was talking to her.”

The young man followed the finger’s trajectory until he was staring at Katara, a steady realization hitting him as he settled down but felt a sympathetic flush of embarrassment lingering within.

Katara's smirk mirrored Sokka's perfectly. Absolutely down to the last muscle, she bounced Sokka's smirk back at him. "If you don't have to apologise for being a skilled forager or a precise articulator of scientific concepts, I don't have to apologise for being in a hurry. But for the sake of certain parties present, I'll maintain a... modicum of propriety."

But then, as if this had reminded her exactly how much of a hurry she was in, she leaned over the saddle, patted Appa's side with a circular rub, and she murmured, very sincerely: "Yip-yip."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Zhuang.

The growled words of Kazuo at the guard at the door simply brought about a raised glance from the Princess, a dulled ominous stare being given to the now humbly apologetic man that let them in. "Perhaps next time you could set off a few flaming torches. I believe a few people didn't hear you on the other side of the plaza." A sharp tone flowed in her words, the glare given to the man snapping away as she walked past Kazuo with Zhuang.

Zhuang, having entered past The Good Lieutenant, and walked dutifully just behind and beside Azula, then hung back for a moment, and regarded the door guard with a bit of scholarly scrutiny.

"You strove to be attentive," he remarked, "eternally attentive, and you succeeded. Good. But you were not vigilant. Vigilance is more than just attentiveness-- it is preparedness for anything. Including, perhaps obviously, the arrival of them whom you are sworn to protect."

He smiled faintly at the guard, not unkindly. "It is a difficult balance to strike. It is as walking the edge of a jian whilst blindfolded. You will do better next time."

The guard blinked at the peculiar Earthbender and smiled not ungratefully, and opened his mouth to say--

--Zhuang held up a finger. "Don't thank me. Thank the Spirits that she did not order you killed, or your eyes carved out of your skull with storming sands. Because had she ordered either done, I would have done either without question."

The guard's eyes bulged in his head, and Zhuang turned to follow on after The Lady and The Lieutenant.

A quick nod was given to Kazuo as he invited her to find somewhere to sit, a glance shot in Zhuang's direction as an invite for him to join her before starting across the room.

He met her glance, respectful, deferential, made eye contact for purposes of acknowledgement but did not cling to it overlong. My Lady.

Lowering her hood, she chose her table and made her way across the room.

Settling at one of the tables at the far center of the room, she made certain that those around her saw who had graced them with her presence. A curt smirk came to her lips, watching the few that passed, her gaze returning to Kazuo across the room for a moment before passing to the Earthbender that joined her. The smile slipped ever-so-slightly, her hand reaching up to delicately brush the few fallen strands of hair from her eyes. "Zhuang. You've made quite the impression on me thus far. I must say, you're not at all the person I would have thought you to be..."

"Ever are we bound up in jars of clay," Zhuang nodded, watching her clear her eyeline deftly, noting not for the first time the ocular hue which fellow artists would strive and fail to capture on canvas, "imprisoned by the trappings of our beginnings. Ever should we strive to lift the lid, and become more than we are. It honours me that you should think I had accomplished this at all."

"We drink to the future of the Fire Nation, and the glory that will once return. We celebrate now the victory that awaits us, and the rewards to come..."

Having nodded politely to the server, Zhaung sniffed slightly at the concoction in the glass before him.

Spirits save us, how piquant. Curious how The Fire Nation must add spices to simply everything.

Not that I am ungrateful for the provision of a beverage, that would be ingracious.

Of course not.

"To the future," he agreed, "to glory, to victory, and... to a better World."

 

[Eazy]

Longshot and The Duke

A brief look of relief flashed across The Duke's features when Toph seemingly brushed aside any possible offense in his ultimately harmless comments. With those concerns behind him, the teen quickly resumed digging into his meal as both of the Freedom Fighter members listened to the Earth Queen speak on her concerns about what awaited her in Omashu whenever this ordeal was finished. Both listened patiently, outsiders to the task of ruling a kingdom, yet sympathizing due to their roles as leading/senior members of their band of misfits back home. Although the comparison to Smellerbee, the one other woman The Duke felt at ease in talking with around here, did spark a quick comment out of the young male.

"It'd make things simpler for me if more women took after you two. At least a guy wouldn't have to worry about either of you constantly gawking at them." The teen shared this thought with the Earthbender in a seemingly amused tone, then gave a brief pause as he added while barely missing a beat, "Well, uh, you know what I mean."

As the eldest of the three foreigners finished taking a drink of his tea, he couldn't help but let a silent smirk spread across his features over The Duke's choice in words. Going by what little he knew of Toph and the mountain of experience had with Smellerbee, Longshot could say without hesitation that if there's one thing the two of them weren't, it's 'simple'. He supposed it just showed how his friend had come to live such an adventurous, yet oddly sheltered life when it came to certain aspects of it.

Reflecting a bit upon her earlier comments about what awaited her whenever she could return home, The Duke finished another sizable bite of meat; swallowing it down in a fairly noisy fashion before adding, "I have to admit? I was a little surprised when I'd first heard about you taking King Bumi's place in Omashu. Your family aside, I never took you for the type to go for all of that royalty and upper-class stuff."

"But I know what you mean." He continued while splitting his attention between Toph and the nearly finished dish before him, "At least in our case we can count on Pipsqueak to take care of things until we get back. Not that running our place can compete with a whole Kingdom or anything."

Which was true on both counts, as Longshot took a final drink out of the cup in his hands while listening to the pair speak. Unfortunately, there remained other problems outside of running their ragtag team that would need addressing, and there was only one other person he could go to in hopes of fixing said problem. Letting out a light sigh, the silent marksman lamented on how, even in the face of a potential world-wide threat, it was the simpler things in life which could be the most complicated.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna have a word with the cook about the meaning of 'well done'." The Duke announced to his dining associates as he sat up from the table; plate of nearly finished roast duck in hand as he walked off complaining, "You'd think in a nation full of Firebenders they'd have somebody back there that knew how to roast a good duck!"

And thus the blind girl was left with the mute boy. Not exactly the most ideal of combinations for stimulating interaction, but what could you do? All the same, Longshot did take notice of Toph's earlier reaction when The Duke brought up the possibility of relationship problems. Even if their mutual friend may have been speaking in jest, it did seem as if his fellow Freedom Fighter had stumbled across a problem which the young Queen faced that wasn't so different from his own.

"You're trying to forget someone, aren't you?" His voice came out calm, to the point, but not seeming to make any judgments as he elaborated, "Sorry, I don't intend to pry. It's just that I've seen countless variations of that look on your face since before I was old enough to shave. After the past few weeks I've had, I guess it made me a little curious."

 

[Eazy]

Kazuo

The rebellion 'General' sat quietly as their drinks were finished being served; his gold eyes calmly studying both of his 'guests' as they exchanged a few words. Kazuo didn't say anything on the subject, but the young man had, of course, agreed with Azula about their Earthbending companion. It'd been his experience, what little there was, that those of the Earth Kingdom tended to be rather brutish and less then subtle in the ways of...well, anything. Save for perhaps what he'd heard of the traitorous Dai Li agents. But he came to at least respect and, to an extent, even trust Zhuang; if only on the professional level of reaching their goals.

Following on the others example as the toasts were made, the young Firebender raised a glass, staring over it and at his Princess as he added, "To a world built from the ashes of the past and remolded toward a grander future."

Taking a good, steady drink of the substance once their lady went for the first drink out of her own glass; Kazuo gazed over at both earth man and fire lady as he finished about half of his first serving. During quiet moment like this, his eyes had a way about them, where they often appeared to be trying to read whomever they were focused upon. And surely as he let his tongue lightly brush out to lick up the taste of the beverage which lingered on his lips, the young leader was considering both of their roles in the coming days.

His fingers idly rubbed along the side of his glass as he reflected on what was to come, then voiced at least the gist of what was running through his head at the time, "It shouldn't take much longer for us to prepare for a full scale assault. Even with the other Nation's offering support, the devastation caused by your initial attack has left your brother's Kingdom vulnerable for a finishing blow."

This wasn't anything they didn't already know at this point, but his vocal train of thought soon drew nearer to one of his greater concerns as he continued, "There are several wild cards we'll need to take into account. The biggest of which, obviously, being The Avatar himself."

His mind went back to the almost frighteningly powerful display of Firebending the already skilled Princess had shared with them after joining with their rebellion. Going as far back as her teens and early childhood, she was always known as a bending prodigy. Now, her bending was at a level which seemingly matched that of what their people felt during Sozin's Comet. And amazing as that level of power may be, it wasn't enough for Fire Lord Ozai to defeat The Avatar during what should have been a crushing victory for their side during the war.

With perhaps a hint of concern showing out of his normally steely gaze, the dark-haired male took another drink, perhaps seeking a bit of courage out of the glass, as he directed his attention toward the woman across from him, "Forgive me if it seems that I'm doubting your abilities, your highness, but are you sure you'll be ready when the time comes to face him and your brother again?"

Showing even the slightest doubt in his future Queen wasn't something the young man wished to make a habit of doing. All the same, he felt it was his role as one of her most loyal followers to insure the best chances for her safety and success during her ascension toward the top. And as he gazed across at the beautiful fire mistress, the rebellion leader quietly hoped she didn't come to view his question as anything else then that.

 

[Eazy]

Ryota and Sokka

Katara's smirk mirrored Sokka's perfectly. Absolutely down to the last muscle, she bounced Sokka's smirk back at him. "If you don't have to apologise for being a skilled forager or a precise articulator of scientific concepts, I don't have to apologise for being in a hurry. But for the sake of certain parties present, I'll maintain a... modicum of propriety."

Raising a hand in a gesture of apologetic mock defense as his sister slid over the large saddle to pat the Sky Bison's side, Sokka gave a shook of his head as he explained, "Hey. That's all I ask."

Settling back into his spot above the Bison's wide head, the tribesman glanced down at the one responsible for transporting so many people during the past few weeks as he noted with mild concern, "I just hope Appa here doesn't mind making an unexpected detour on top of his other travel plans. At least this trip will take him back to seeing Aang instead of another group of complete strangers."

The third in their party remained silent for now as he watched the siblings interact upon the saddled back of their large flying companion. Ryota then turned his head to glance out into the clouds as their means of travel took its turn and headed in the direction which would lead them toward the Western Air Temple. Already there was the feeling, ever so slight, of regret on taking Katara up on her suggestion. Even more so when he considered how it was his own 'angst' which led them to taking such a side trip during an important period. But, at the same time, the male Waterbender had to admit that it could prove to be rather...nice.

Glancing over his shoulder a final time, Sokka directed his attention toward Ryota as he teased, "Wanna take any bets on which one of these three Aang's going to be more excited to see?"

Shaken out of his stupor by the remarks directed his way, the younger Water Triber was nonetheless caught off guard as he missed the question, "Huh? What?"

Giving a slightly confused look at the younger male, the 'pilot' of their cruise gave a roll of his eyes and scoffed lightly as he faced forward once more, "Hmph. Never mind. Just relax and let Appa and I handle the flying."

At this implication, the lemur sitting beside the Southern Water Tribe native stared at him and began making a series of incomprehensible chattering which, surprisingly, a seemingly defensive Sokka appeared to understand as he narrowed his eyes at his co-pilot, "Hey, I steer!"

Despite any initial confusion, Ryota couldn't help but raise a hand to his lips as he stifled a laugh over the pairs 'conversation' of sorts. Well, regardless of whether or not this was the right decision, they were already well on there way, so as he settled back into his spot on the saddle, eyes turning their attention to gaze out at the clouds passing them by, it seemed there wasn't much else to do but wait until they got there. As he let out a sigh at the thought, the young man sat quietly as he continued contemplating on just what the others may think when they arrived there.

Minutes ticked away, gathering into the dozens upon dozens, as the Sky Bison carried the Water Tribe trio and one lemur off to their new destination. Compared to a few of their other trips, Ryota supposed it wasn't a terribly long flight, although every minute which passed by was definitely felt by the increasingly nervous young man. His present position found him slumped down into the saddle, blue eyes directed toward his feet as he laid on his back, until he nearly came to memorized every tiny piece of dirt or grass stain that found themselves on his footwear in recent days. Funny how one can find interest in the dumbest of things when trying to keep their mind occupied.

"Having second thoughts?" The voice of Sokka suddenly spoke out above the noise of the strong wind currents which passed them by with each passing moment which they remained soaring through the air.

Quickly glancing at the other Water Tribe warrior, the young man fumbled in his words a bit as he rather nervously defended against the simple question, "N-No, no-no....no, it's nothing like that. Really."

Raising an eyebrow as he gazed over his shoulder at the slouching Waterbender, a smirk played at the corner of Sokka's lips as he faced forward once more while announcing, "Good! Because here we are."

If Ryota had been drinking anything, this would have resulted in a perfect spit take, as the slouching young man quickly sat up just enough to peak over the saddle of the large mammal they rode upon. His blue eyes caught sight of the unfamiliar, yet also unmistakable sight of the uniquely put together Air Temple closing in from the distance.

With Appa beginning to close in and descend on the hidden location, the bender sunk down a little, almost trying to hide himself as he spoke in a whispered tone to nobody in particular, "She's probably going to think I'm some type of love sick stalker who can't stay away from her for more then a few days."

"Aren't you?" The familiar voice of Sokka responded as he glanced over with a teasing smirk; noting the sudden glare (or the best he could muster at the moment) which Ryota was giving his fellow tribesman as the Waterbender remained in his partially slouching position.

"I'm kidding!" He promptly corrected in a good natured way as he started to take them down, his demeanor taking a slight turn toward the serious as he reflected upon his past emotional hurdles involving Suki and Princess Yue during the war; voice reflecting his understanding as he assured the younger Tribesman, "Trust me, Ry'. I have a pretty good idea of how you and my sister are feeling right now."

 

[ChasNicollette]

We're all looking for something. Something missing. A missing piece. That certain something.

Some of us, more than one thing.

Maybe some of us have found it already. Faith, love, hope, security, well, Spirits bless those lucky few.

Maybe some of us have found that thing and then stumbled and lost their grasp, or had that thing torn from them, poor sodden sodding souls, and Spirits console their broken number.

We come from somewhere. We don't always know where.

We're all going somewhere. There ain't none of us know that.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and that step is pretty hard, and the second, and the third. But what of the thousandth step? Or the ten-thousandth? How can we possibly keep looking if our journey has torn our feet to shreds on the cobbles of forever?

Let me tell you.

Let me tell you something.

Sometimes all it takes.

Is that one. Missing. Piece.

********​

Iroh turned to gaze out upon that canyon.

He muffled a chuckle.

And he contemplated, perhaps ironically, perhaps precognitively, he thought to himself: May wonders never cease.

And then a shadow passed across him, flickered across The Sun, and he glanced up, shielding his eyes and frowning.

Immediately he recognised that shape. He had fed many good apples to that shape. But on that shape's back...

"My eyes are not what they used to be," Iroh suggested ruefully, glancing back over his shoulder at The Avatar and his prodigal apprentice, "and they were never all that legendary. Perhaps you could tell me what I am seeing?"

Absently, Xia glanced away from Aang. And up.

And up, and up, and Appa. And.

...oh.

And that was her last conscious thought for a moment.

Because she was already running.

She could run very, very fast now. And she was a lot less likely to consume herself like a fire while doing it.

She was already running and she left The Avatar and his flying-staff behind and she blew past Iroh and his robes and long silver hair fluttered in the breeze like a typhoon and one two three gobabygo...

...she leaped.

Without thinking.

It was easier if she didn't think about it.

She wasn't thinking.

Her arms were spread wide and her legs were tucked up under her and her eyes were squinted against the tearing of the wind. She was wearing blue and she was wearing brown, the blue of sky and the brown of Earth and her long long hair was Eagle-Raven black and unpinned and it poured out back behind her as she sailed upwards.

Appa was still two hundred feet up, albeit closing fast, but she cleared this distance as though it were a single step.

And she crashed into Ryota with the weight of a woman who had fallen off of a bed, though this was surely sufficient impetus to knock him sprawling flat on his back with her on top.

Wild-eyed, she gazed at him for a moment, a beat of a thundersome heart.

And she whispered: "'Hi.'"

And then she grabbed his head with both hands and she kissed him like she could hold her breath forever.

Katara simply arched an eyebrow at her brother. "Looks like I'm not the one you needed to make promise after all."

Down in the fountain room, Iroh squinted his allegedly non-legendary eyes and he smiled a craggy little smile. "We have company, Avatar. I'm going to need to make more tea."