Apparently, the rumors were true. Well, that was how he felt. If they were coming from so many different people and at such a speed, then they just had to be true. In addition, if what Zhai-Li said about her daughter and Zuko was as he took it, then there wasn’t any way that another woman would be involved. As far as the young waterbender knew, the boy was Zuko’s, and his mother was Karena.

Looking at Zhai-Li, part of him suspected that she accepted it, maybe even hoped for it to be the case. If it was true, then Karena was at least it good enough care to have a child. Along with that, if the prince was with the Avatar then there was a good reason that the two had gotten back together, because if he had a child with someone he wouldn’t just abandon them to it alone. Also, if her greatest fears were realized, at least she would know that her daughter gave her a grandchild. Maybe it wasn’t the best thing to have, but if he were in her shoes at least it would be a bit comforting to know that somehow her daughter or at least a part of her was still on the earth.

“Well, if I were you, I wouldn’t doubt the rumor in that case. I mean, that many people and that many similar stories can’t all be coincidental.” He began. All they really needed was to see the baby, just once. His mother often said that she would know if a child was theirs; he always thought that was hogmonkey wash, but if it was true then all they would need was one sincere moment to see if not to hold the infant. To bad there wasn’t a definitive test to figure out who the father or mother were. All they could do was take into account looks and mannerisms, and hope for the best.

“All we need is for you to see the baby yourself. I’m sure you’d know if it was or wasn’t you daughter’s baby, at a glance.” Said the young waterbender, hoping that he wouldn’t upset her with that remark.

With a quick glance to the direction of the dinning room, he thought back to the note and more importantly to the inevitable lunch that was to come for Makino. How long would that man be out, and more importantly, how long would they have to wait to find out what their lunch entailed?

OOC: Sorry for the shortness. -_- My muse isn’t coming to me. She’s so sporadic. *sighs*

Takeno gave Yuna a nod. He was still depressed over the fact that their time together would be so short. How were you supposed to get to know someone in two weeks? The beauty would leave, he would be here in the capital. Their lives would go on, and they would never see each other again. It was very depressing, but there was nothing that either of them could do to change that. They were from different places, different worlds… She was in his life for a while, but not forever. Their relationship would end permanently when she sailed away. What were they supposed to do, send letters to each other? Hah, he didn’t think so, and as long as he was a soldier in the Army, he did what his superiors told him. Right now, that was staying where he was. He didn’t have a choice. She did, and of course, she was choosing to go home.

It didn’t make any sense that Takeno found himself attached to Yuna before their first date was even over. It was stupid, he knew it, and yet… there was something about her. The soldier had a feeling that he shouldn’t let the beauty go out of his life, but what else was he supposed to do? Asking her to stay was out of the question. It was such a foolish idea that if the situation had been any less serious, the dark-haired man would have laughed aloud. However, this was not an amusing situation at all. The amber-eyed man truly liked the beauty, and the idea that she was not staying for any length of time – not really – was depressing. There was nothing he could do, except enjoy her company for the next two weeks. Then say a tearful goodbye when she left, never to see her again. He wanted her to see her again, though, and that was what was hurting more than anything else was.

Yuna seemed to enjoy giggling. That was fine. Takeno enjoyed hearing her giggle. It was a pleasant sound, especially when he was the cause. When his date asked him if he wanted dessert, the Firebender shook his head. “Oh, no, thanks,” he said to the waiter, “but I couldn’t have any more.” Taking one more bite of the noodles, the soldier handed the bowl, along with their utensils and his teacup to the waiter. “I’ll take another glass of tea, though, if you don’t mind?” Turning to the beauty, he asked, “Do you want a cup of tea? Or since you’re staying in a tea shop are you just going to wait until you get home.” His amber eyes twinkled in amusement at his statement. Although he had stopped showing how disappointed he was at the situation, he felt the need to cheer himself up. After all, the dark-haired young man didn’t want the dark-haired beauty feeling bad. They were on a date, after all.

OOC: Sorry for the suckiness, but my muse isn’t returning yet. Damn her…

Takeno watched as the waiter left their table with their dishes, and came back with two cups of time – one ginseng for him and a jasmine for the lady. Giving him a nod, the soldier thanked him as the waiter walked off. Taking a sip, the dark-haired man gave a sigh. He knew that this date was ending, and that was a disappointing thought. For now, the soldier wanted it to last as long as possible. Praying for the night never to end, the man did nothing but smile at the beauty sitting across from him. This was a nice place, and he would probably remember it fondly. It was the place of his first date with Yuna. However, it was also possible that the soldier would remember it bitter sweetly for the same reason. After all, she would only be in his life for a short time.

Takeno pushed those thoughts out of his mind. It was time to think about that yet, and the soldier would do everything he could to delay thinking about that. In fact, the dark-haired man didn’t think he would think about the fact that Yuna was going to leave in two short weeks until the beauty was actually leaving. Why worry about something that you couldn’t change? The Firebender didn’t do things that way. He worried about the state of the world, because that was something he could change. The soldier couldn’t do anything about the fact that this stay was temporary, not permanent. That was a simple fact, and he would have to deal with that. However, the Firebender could delay thinking about that until he last possible moment. There was nothing wrong, with that, right?

Takeno gasped when Yuna dropped her tea. “Are you okay?” The beauty seemed to freeze for a moment before running off to the bathroom, apologizing. He shook his head. “No, its okay,” he told her. The soldier hoped that the beauty hadn’t burned herself too bad, and that she was okay. Giving a sigh, he took another sip of his tea. It was a simple accident. All he had to do was wait for her to come out. The soldier had thought he had seen tears come to her eyes, and he felt instantly bad for her. The dark-haired young man hoped that there was something he could to help her out, easy whatever pain she was in. There wasn’t, though, and there was nothing he could do about that, either.

OOC: Meh post alert, I'm sorry. It'll get better soon.

How could you have spilled tea on yourself? I mean honestly, Yuna you've never acted this way before. "Ugh, shut up," the waterbender moaned as she slid the door behind her toned figure, "It's not like I wanted this to happen! I just, I just lost my grip on the cup is all." She moved forward with haste until she reached what she assumed was a sink. It looked like a sink, at least that's what the beauty thought. It was ridiculous how intricately it was designed however, Yuna needed it for only one reason and that reason was to waterbend the burning tea out of her skirt. The dark-haired woman worked with caution as she moved her hands to and fro. She bent the tea out into little whips and disposed of them right into the sink. In a matter of seconds her skirt was free of any stains or smudges and her leg although hot looked as if it had taken on little to no injury. Satisfied, Yuna held her right leg up to the sink and ran it under some cool water so that she could rid her limb of any irritation. Sometimes it dawned upon the beauty that she could be a healer, she had heard her father talking about them one night as they trained together. The blue-eyed woman of course could never tamper with such things, but the curiosity was still there and it nerved her each time she thought about the possibility of her being a healer. "I'll figure it out some day," she shrugged pulling her leg delicately away from the intricate sink, "I mean I have the rest of my life to sort those things out."

Being a woman and all, Yuna couldn't ignore taking a quick look at herself in the mirror. It was a full body one, hung up on the wall with a silver wire and she started at it for a brief moment. She fixed her hair and straightened out her clothes and gave her feet a good wag. They seemed to be falling asleep on her and the last thing she needed was another terrible accident. While she stared at herself and looked over her facial features, the waterbender suddenly realized that her skirt was no longer wet. Obviously she had bent the tea from it, but how the heck was she going to explain that to Takeno? He didn't know she could waterbend and the beauty wasn't willing to share that kind of secret, yet. "I could wet my skirt just a little," the bender sighed reluctantly as she dragged herself to the sink and patted some water on her burgundy skirt. This was pathetic. How could she humiliate herself like this? It could be worse, she thought as she dried her hands on a dark brown cloth. Wiping her face with the cloth she gave herself a good shake and left the bathroom and all of its intricacies. She hoped as she approached her seat that she wouldn't have to return to that room again, except of course for its common uses.

"I'm sorry about that," the student muttered feebly as she took her seat. "I hope I didn't worry you." It was nice to settle herself in front of her date and to see the difference in his amber eyes. She could tell that she had worried him a little, or at least she thought she did. It wasn't everyday that she spilled tea on herself like some idiot. The waterbender stared at her empty tea cup with dread for she was ashamed that had wasted such a satisfying drink. Ah well, she'd have another cup with the Lings soon enough. "I think I've reached my limit tonight," the blue-eyed girl laughed as she rubbed her hands together beneath the table. "I don't want to spill anything else on myself tonight." Yuna gave Takeno a kind smile and said, "I hope your tea's alright."

OOC: Yuna, I think we’re running out of things to do with them.

Zhai-Li had been sitting in the living room with Shio, drowning her thoughts, when her husband finally returned. Thank the Spirits. Of course, Makino started ranting, and the way he phrased cause a slight giggle to escape from the noblewoman’s lips. It wasn’t that what he said was funny, it was simply how he put it. Sometimes, the woman forgot how long her husband had known Ozai. It was silly when one thought about it like that. It didn’t stop the Fire Lord from being arrogant now that he was, well, Fire Lord. The man was probably doing to constantly remind others of his position, regardless of the fact that no one in the entire would could possibly forget.

“I’m afraid that I have no ideas either,” Zhai-Li told him. “It’s possible that he’s doing it to test your loyalty, but we have no way of knowing for certain.” The noblewoman waited for Makino to respond before speaking again. “Also, Shio and I had a thought. It’s possible for you to ask about the rumors concerning the baby and his parentage without seeming suspicious.” Her amber eyes scanned her husband’s face for his reaction. “You could pass it off that you have a right to know if our daughter conceived an illegitimate child.” The noblewoman put on a fake mask of disgust, to show her husband what he could do in front of Ozai.

“How horrible! To think, that it’s possible… the rumors have to be false, don’t they?” Dropping the mask, she locked her amber eyes with her husband’s brown ones, making sure he saw her point. Zhai-Li waited for a moment, her mind going back into it’s mode of being concerned for her husband’s well being. After all, there was no way Makino could fight his way out of any situation he could get himself into. “Yes, you should,” she said, responding to his final statement. “You don’t want to give him any reason to be upset with you.” The noblewoman knew that her husband was a good actor, and that he could more than fool Ozai for lunch.

Takeno was concerned as he waited for Yuna. He hoped that she hadn’t accidentally given herself a scar. The Firebender didn’t want the beauty to have hurt herself. The soldier took a sip of his tea as he waited for her. The waiter came over again, asking if they needed anything. The amber-eyed man replied no, that they were fine. The service was good here, as was the food. He was glad that his date had wanted something to eat. Telling the waiter that it was okay to take her empty cup and the bowl of noodles, which was also now empty, the waiter did so before walking off, back to the kitchen, presumably. The solider still hoped that his bender was okay.

It was a few minutes before Yuna returned. Takeno followed her with his eyes as she sat down. “It’s okay, and yeah, I was a little worried, but that’s okay, too,” he told her. “You’re fine, obviously. It was just a freak accident.” There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the beauty, besides a damp skirt, which couldn’t be avoided. Unless one was a Waterbender, of course, but that was silly. “The tea’s just fine,” he told her. The soldier felt kind of silly now, because he couldn’t think of a damn thing to say. They covered basic things about their past, bending, why she was here, how long they’d both be in town. What else was there to talk about?

Takeno found himself once again thinking of how long Yuna would be in town - a short two weeks. How did one get to know someone else in such a short time? Once again, he wondered if there was even a point. No, there really wasn’t, but a part of the soldier wanted to be with her as much as he could nonetheless. It didn’t matter if the other soldiers made fun of him for seeing a girl. Most of them were too immature to care of dating a girl, at least not right now. If they were seeing a girl, it was for one thing and one thing. Takeno was a man, of course, so that had crossed his mind, but there were more things to a relationship than just that anyway.

Outside a Small Tea Shop[/b]

The shadow made its way down the cold, dark pavement walking at a leisurely place. It had no where to be at the moment, although it knew there was someone it had to meet. Regardless, the meet wasn't something it was looking forward to. It had already been briefed and accepted into a secret Resistance earlier that evening, and meeting yet another member was somewhat a little too much to handle. What more was there to know? It seemed pretty simple, and the dark image had already been given a job to carry out the next day.

Turning onto a different path the illumination of a few meager lights revealed a tall, slender girl dressed in all black. No longer a shadow, Hakaani moved quickly to get back into the darkness. The weapons artist enjoyed being shaded far more than being revealed in the light. Her purpose in life was to attack by surprise; light was a terrible pest. Her cinnamon eyes searched the buildings in front of her. Where did he say he would be? It was difficult to remember exactly, despite the fact that she wasn't trying very hard to. Finding him wouldn't be that much of an issue, she had lived here her entire life. The assassin knew the inns and outs of everything here, and at times she felt as if she ruled the city at night.

Continuing she could feel her weapons against her porcelain skin. Her daggers were tied to her thin thighs and her shuriken rested in their holders on her shoulders. She figured they were sufficient enough for this particular day. There was no need for her swords: carrying that many weapons would make too much noise. Ugh, sounds. If there was anything the Fire Nation girl detested it was the vexatious manner of noise. Any type of sound drove her insane. Her purpose was to remain quiet and stealthy at all times, listening to clanking metal caused her to want to tear her hair out.

Staring admiringly at her clothes she smirked. Their light fabrics stuck close to her tall frame and made no sound. The thought of soldiers in their uniforms was unbearable. Who would want to wear such a loud material? The assassin considered it was why they got their butts handed to them all the time. They let the enemy know they were approaching in record time. Fools.

Suddenly she realized she had arrived. Damn that was quick. Maybe she had been walking faster than she actually assumed. The tea shop was a simple little thing. A few people lingered here and there and it seemed as if it would be closing soon. Looking around she noticed a man standing outside. Pondering as to whether or not it would be the man she needed to meet, she walked up with much caution.

Keeping her distance she kept her hands close to her body in case she needed to reach any of her weapons. If there was one thing she was accustomed to, it was reaching for her "friends". Considering her ebony appearance shaded her she spoke in her lurid tone "Are you the man I needed to talk to?" Hopefully he'd know what she was pertaining to. If not, this was going to take a while.

Outside a Small Tea Shop[/b]

There was something wrong with him, the tall-framed girl knew that for sure. He hadn't done and or said anything rude, but there was apprehension in is voice when he spoke. What could have happened? Hakaani knew it wasn't her place to ask such a thing. This man was her superior, someone she couldn't have casual conversation with. She was aware the only importance of her existence was to receive her duties from him, and that was it; no outside contact whatsoever. The raven-haired girl didn't mind it very much. Her father had raised her to accept such as reality. There was someone who told you what to do and you listened, no questions asked. Although she was capable of casual discussion it never really happened. Her disinterest in most things drove people insane. It wasn't the woman's fault that she was so aloof, she just didn't have feelings. That's normal right? Figuring it was better not to answer, her mind focused back on the man.

The slender girl waited as the unnamed man paid for his tea and beckoned her to follow. As a trained individual she listened to his soft command and followed directly on his heels. Making sure to keep her distance Hakaani decided to take his appearance in. His build definitely proved that he was a soldier. Musculature was apparent on most of his body and something about him just screamed military. Although the casualness of his clothes and hair proved at odds with his occupation, she figured dressing down was necessary when having to wear that uniform all day. Thankfully my uniform is my own clothing, she egotistically thought. She was thankful her job in the Resistance didn't require her to dress differently. When she thought about it, she was similar to a freelancer. Different jobs and duties would be presented to her and there was no definite thing she was stuck doing. My kind of job, she chided.

Suddenly the man stopped and Hakaani positioned herself in front of him. Amazingly he was slightly taller than her; something she wasn't very used to for she towered most men on a daily basis. Her cinnamon eyes locked themselves on the fellow member and she listened to him intently. Quickly she was taken aback. Tomorrow? No she had definitely been told to meet him today. If there was one thing Hakaani was impeccable at, it was following directions. She had specifically been told to meet him later. Unless someone had fed me incorrect information. As he finished her "official" welcome she pressed her fists together in a respectful manner and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you. I apologize for the mix up. It won't happen again." Her apology was sincere. The last thing she needed was for her superior to think she was incompetent. Luckily he wasn't in the middle of an important meeting, so she was glad she hadn't disturbed him.

Tossing her head lightly so as to correct her head-bangs she continued to listen to the man. Everything he said was most obvious to the assassin. Although her father briefed her lightly, she knew well enough that she would report to this man for everything. Hakaani was cognizant of the fact that secrecy was a huge requirement. Although her father and herself were both members, his jobs only pertained to him, and vice versa. She knew they could talk about battle specifics, but when it came to names, locations, and motives, those were best kept to themselves. Kani herself was never one to pry; there was absolutely no need to. As he finished with his speech she spoke, "I completely understand. Secrecy is something I'm very accustomed with. No need to worry, you can count on me." Taking a second to think she added, "Although my father is a member, he'll make sure all jobs for me will be given to you. We've agreed upon not interfering in each other's work." She hoped the man would get the clear message that Kida and herself understood one another's boundaries, and the blood ties wouldn't interfere.

It was then that he continued talking. Sure has a lot to say, she unemotionally joked. This however sounded more serious than the other information mentioned. Of course, he wants to make sure my father didn't breech any information to me. She expected as much. When he was completely done she shifted her wight to one hip in order to stand a bit more comfortably. He didn't seem as if he was trying very hard to be formal, so why would she? "I kind of figured that names were a no-go. Have no worries, my father never mentions names. I am completely unaware of anyone's name. If anything the leader could have purple hair and I would have no clue whatsoever." She hoped he'd enjoy her slight attempt at straight comedy. She wasn't really one to joke, but a blunt comment here and there always seemed to spice up any type of conversation.

Searching through her brain she wondered whether or not she really did have any questions. Unsure of what to ask she just decided to ask whatever came to mind. "I'm guessing the name of this group is to never be uttered, even in the presence of another member correct?" She realized he had never mentioned it once so she assumed as such. Deciding to continue she parted her thin lips and continued, "Would my occupation allow me to live at home, or is there some type of barracks I would be stationed at?" The briefing had been void of any type of living condition information. It was a completely honest question she wanted answered. Either response wouldn't worry her. She could care less about where she was required to stay. As long as no one touches my weapons, I'm fine.

Not knowing how the discussion was going to unfold, the young woman waited for his response. Whether this meeting was going to end as quickly as it began was entirely up to him. The dark-haired girl had nowhere she needed to be. Maybe he'll ask about your personal skills, her mind said. Yea right, as if he'd be interested in getting to know a girl like me.

OOC: Sorry for the shortness, Saiki. I’m not feeling well, so my muse isn’t sticking around. -_-

Takeno tried everything he could not to think of Yuna. Why had she left? The dark-haired man was still utterly confused, and could not get the image of her back out of his mind. What was her problem? Sure, she was only going to be there two weeks. The soldier was sure that the two of them had already agreed that they would make the best of those two weeks. Maybe he had and she hadn’t. Eh, things would be easier this way, right? This way, neither one of them would be attached to the other. That way, in two weeks, when she went home, it would hurt so badly. If they spent every day with each other until she left, it would be a lot harder to be separated from the beauty. It wasn’t if he needed her, anyway. She would only distract him from what he was really important.

The Resistance was what was truly important right now. Ozai and Azula had to be taken down, and that was the only that should matter to him. The soldier should not let himself get distracted by the face of a beautiful girl. He had a job to do, a duty to the world. The Resistance was, and should be, the most important thing in his life right now. Once the Fire Lord and the Princess were destroyed, everything would be fine. The world would be so much better off with Prince Zuko in charge. Hopefully, the banished teenager would stop the war his great-grandfather started once and for all. He had a son, which meant that he had an heir. When that time came, then… then maybe he could think about finding a wife and having children. His parents kept asking about it. Of course, when that happened, they wouldn’t want to talk to him anyway.

Takeno turned towards the tomboyish woman walking next to him. “Sorry if I seem curt,” he told her. “I’m usually not like this, but…” A curt laugh escaped the soldier’s lips. I was just walked out on by my date? Is that what I’m supposed to tell her? The dark-haired young man shook his head. No. That wasn’t important, was it? Besides, they wouldn’t be friends or anything. “It’s not important.” Looking at her with his amber eyes, the Firebender wondered a few things. “Why were you inducted? I mean, your father is an assassin… Are you?” He shrugged. At the moment, the soldier couldn’t remember if Makino had mentioned anything about that or not. “I’m just curious is all.” Waiting for her to respond, he said, “I’m an Advanced Firebender, and a Lieutenant in the Army. I wasn’t when I was inducted, of course.”

OOC: It's alright, we all have those days Hopefully some of the crazy stuff I just wrote will help some creative juices flow...

Outside a Small Tea Shop[/b]

Alright well I guess he hadn't heard my question, the assassin bluntly thought. She couldn't quite be upset at him, but she was finding it hard not to be. The girl knew there was something wrong with him ever since the beginning of the meeting. His actions seemed apprehensive, and all together he appeared slightly puzzled. What had happened before I got there that has him so shaken up? It was in all honesty a mystery to the weapons artist. The man seemed like someone who was constantly in control and yet he was completely disarrayed at the moment. I guess some situation a few minutes ago got out of hand. Deciding her job probably allowed her to live at home she let the unanswered question slip by. She was certain there wasn't a boarding house for assassins in the Resistance. If anything, what her and her father did was very unique. Not everyone grew up trained as a professional killer. Unless of course you had an innate darkness; something Kaani was all too familiar with.

It was then that he apologized. She wanted to tell him there was no need, but she decided not to. The cinnamon-eyed girl knew that the officer was very bothered and had a hard time trying to explain the reason for his actions. She decided she had to anyway. "No worries, an explanation isn't needed. I could tell something was bothering you." The assassin hoped he wouldn't be offended by the fact that she was observant. Lots of people never liked being told of their actions; it made them feel exposed. The slender girl then watched as he searched his mind for something to say. It surprised her from time to time on how well she could read people. Of course it was necessary for her to understand human actions, for her targets always had their own mannerisms. In order to go in for a kill you had to study your prey and learn their various ins and outs. Although reading people on a daily basis was something everyone did, Hakaani had a keen eye for it. Don't worry sir, she laughed internally, you're not my prey quite yet.

“Why were you inducted? I mean, your father is an assassin… Are you? I’m an Advanced Firebender, and a Lieutenant in the Army. I wasn’t when I was inducted, of course.” The young woman was surprised by the sudden rush of his words. Before it was hard for him to say anything at all, and now he wanted to know about her. Guess I was wrong, she surprisingly thought, he does want to know about me. Realizing she had been leaning on her side for some time, she straightened her stance and answered his question. "Yeah, I was kind of scrutinized just like this at the induction. How could someone like me be a killer, right?" She let out a crude laugh and continued. "I was inducted because I'm an assassin like my father. I may seem pretty breakable, but don't be fooled. I've trained with weapons for thirteen years of my life, and was brought up in anti-Fire Nation resentment. My favorites include daggers, throwing stars, and long, butterfly, and dual swords." She gave him some time to absorb the information. It wasn't every day you learned a meager girl like herself was trained in wielding such deadly weapons. "My father made sure I trained daily. He taught me everything I know, and he sometimes fears I might be more deadly than he is. That's of course something he'll have to wait and find out for himself."

Taking a quick breath she thought about what he had just told her. An Advanced Firebender huh? The title itself didn't scare her. She wasn't one to fear firebenders. She considered them as evenly matched as herself. Their fire was their weapon of choice, and blades of course were hers. "I'm pretty sure I could take you on," she chuckled. "Of course the end of the fight wouldn't be so pretty." Her lips curled in a sadistic manner and an evil smirk appeared across her face. The young woman wasn't too concerned if she scared the lieutenant at all. She frightened people all the time, she considered it a personality pro. "Being a lieutenant must be a great honor though." She focused on the remark for a minute. How long had he been part of this group? The assassin was sure it took a lot of time to build up in the ranks. Based on his appearance he still seemed quite young, maybe even her age. Must be specially gifted, she assumed.

Realizing the sketchy stillness that surrounded them, Hakaani couldn't help but feel a sudden change in the atmosphere. Something seemed eerie and all too soon her observations proved correct. In a quick haste she could hear footsteps running up behind her. Their loudness seemed very clumsy, as if the attacker forgot that "sneak attacks" required absolutely no noise. Still, it happened all too fast and before she could react there was a knife up against her neck. It was definitely a man holding her, that she was sure of. One of his large hands pressed down on the top of her head to hold it in place while the other held the blade resting on her porcelain neck. The girl knew full well not to move and or struggle, either one would lead the man to move the blade across her skin, and inevitably kill her. It was then when her small eyes opened in shock did she realize that yet another man accompanied this one. He was stationed close to the lieutenant, whose name she still did not know, in a stance that was prepared to fight.

Suddenly the man that held her spoke. "Now the two of you, my friend here and I are going to make this very simple." Staring at the lieutenant he continued, "All you have to do is give us your money, and we'll make sure beautiful here doesn't get hurt." Hakaani wanted desperately to puke, not in fear, but in disgust. Muggers, she spat. Although not very common in the capital, these morons made sure to make their rounds during the late night. Unfortunately the two Resistance members had been singled out, and the assassin knew that it was actually very late. Struggling to breathe as the man held his tight grip, she stared at the lieutenant. She desperately hoped that he wouldn't say or do anything irrational. The last thing she wanted was for him to actually bargain for her life. She knew he was about to be amazed.

Taking a deep breath the assassin cleared her mind. You're messing with the wrong chick, she angrily thought. Reaching stealthily for the dagger on her right thigh she griped it and removed it from its holder. In less than a second she dug it straight into the man's thigh and dropped to the floor as he released her in utter pain. Watching as his blade almost touched her neck she lowered herself to the floor and watched as he stumbled back in agony. Turning around she stood up and delivered a round house kick straight into the left side of his face. He fell down in an instant and Kaani whipped herself back around. Crossing her arms over one another she reached for the shuriken resting on her shoulders. Once their gleaming bladed-selves were revealed she threw them with great accuracy at the other man. He was dumbfounded at the speed and precision of the weapons. They sent him hurtling back and pinned him onto a wooden wall. Staring as he struggled to free himself with no avail she turned her attention to the lieutenant. Reaching for the other dagger in her left thigh, she released it and sent it flying in the air. "Catch," she yelled to her fellow Resistance member. She was sure he wasn't armed and knew he wouldn't mind to have some sort of weapon.

Running back to the goon who was laying on the floor she removed the dagger from his thigh with no care as to whether or not it hurt him and lifted him up. Placing her left arm around his head and using her right to hold the dagger against his neck she spoke with much intensity in her voice. "Not feeling so lucky now are you, you piece of filth." Marching him toward the lieutenant she stopped before him and stared. "What should we do with them?" She knew he wouldn't agree to kill them. Hakaani didn't mind very much. They probably had already learned their lesson and wanted to get away as soon as possible. Awaiting his reply she focused back on the man who was still stuck to the wall with her throwing stars. Idiot, she muttered.

OOC: 6939. ;D Thanks, Saiki!

Takeno sensed that Hakaani seemed annoyed about something, and it was then that he remembered that the assassin had asked him a question. The soldier kept his face even, but he wondered what would have possessed her to think that? Yeah, right, they’re supposed to be an underground resistance, and yet they would all live in the same place? Sure, that would work… If anything, it would draw more attention to them if a bunch of relative strangers started living together like some army. The whole point was to blend in, draw no attention to them, act as if nothing is different and that nothing has changed. Surely, as an assassin, she valued secrecy and blending in. If she stood out, she wouldn’t be able to do her job, now would she? Perhaps she was just nervous, and she asked a stupid question without thinking about it. Yeah, that was possible.

“Oh, right you asked me a question,” Takeno told her. “Sorry, it slipped my mind, but, er… since we’re a secret organization, how would it work if we all stayed in the same place?” The soldier didn’t want Hakaani to feel like a moron or anything, so he just gave her a look of confusion. The dark haired young man was sure that the woman walking with him would know what he was talking about. As the assassin went on talking about why she was inducted, the amber-eyed man found her attitude… well, it left something to be desired, and that was for sure. He felt was she was brash, arrogant… and she assumed too much. First, why would he have assumed that she was “breakable”? The soldier was not a fool in the least. He also found it interesting that she said “induction” as if it all happened at once? Then again, for her, it probably did.

Hakaani’s father knew how she felt about the Fire Nation, and did need to do the slow process that most people needed to go through, him included.

Takeno, on the other hand, well… he had needed to show how he truly about the Fire Nation, just like most people did. That was what the assassin’s father would have gone through. She, on the other hand, lucked out. I guess that helped when her father was already a member of the Resistance and knew how felt about Ozai and Azula having raised her to hate what their country was doing the world. The soldier had not been so luck, having grown up in home with two loyal citizens of the Fire Nation. He, too, had been loyal, until he’d been forced to see things the hard way. At least that was one good thing about being in the Army. The other was that it put him a good position to help the Resistance, which his why they valued soldiers above all else. They would come in most handy when the time came to finally show themselves.

“Yeah, my date just walked out on me for no apparent reason.” Takeno shrugged. “Things happen, though, and I shouldn’t be getting distracted.” It wasn’t as if the soldier actually cared what the assassin thought. They had just met after all. “My father trained me and my siblings to be able to handle pain well. I’m also fairly skilled with double swords myself.” His mind went to the scars on his back, his father’s… training practice, for lack of a better term. “I guess it’s an honor to be a Lieutenant in the Army of a nation controlled by power hungry psychos.” He shrugged. “It comes in handy, that’s for sure, though.” Hakaani distracted his thoughts again when she mentioned that she could take him on. The dark-haired man shook his head. Wow, she really was arrogant wasn’t she? “Does it really matter?” he asked, annoyance laced in his voice. “Why do you even care if you could?”

Takeno thought he heard something coming towards him and Hakaani. Glancing over at her, she seemed to hear it, too, but before either of them could do anything, the two muggers were upon them. A sword went quickly to his neck, ready to take it off if the soldier tried anything. Keeping his amber eyes on the sword as best as he could, he tried to keep an eye on the man who was wielding it. The other man that had come wit him was threatening Hakaani. The assassin didn’t seem worried from what he could see, though, and why would she be? She wasn’t lacking in confidence, which was for sure, though hers bordered on arrogance. Her mugger was larger than his was, but both seemed equally capable of handling themselves. Oh, boy, did they pick the wrong pair on the wrong night – a soldier and an assassin. Hadn’t anyone taught them to pick their fights better?

A glare entered Takeno’s amber eyes. He was not in the mood for this, not tonight especially. Hakaani began to attack her mugger, and while his was distracted, the soldier used to opportunity to attack his. Moving his hand up quickly, flames appeared in his hands. Grasping the man’s hand, he pushed it away. The man screamed in pain, letting go of his sword. The soldier let it drop to the ground. He heard the assassin screaming catch. Turning back to her slightly, he caught the dagger she threw at him. He shrugged, putting it in his belt. He wouldn’t need it. The mugger went down for his sword, but the Firebender sent a stream of fire in between him and it. “Don’t think so,” he said a dangerous tone in his voice. Bringing his leg up, he caught the man in the chin. The mugger stumbled back slightly, and the dark-haired man used that opportunity to bring the leg up again to get his attacker with a high kick to the head.

Takeno watched as the man felt to the ground. He tossed the dagger back to Hakaani. “Thanks, but not necessary,” he told her, before the soldier pointed his fists at the man on the ground. “I am not in the mood. Move, and there will be a fireball going at your head, I promise you that.” The dark-haired man had a look in his eyes that the other man didn’t like, and evidentially, the mugger took him seriously. The man on the ground held up his hand, evidentially wanting to be able to see through his eyes in the near future. “I’m not sure what we should do with them.” It was then that two soldiers – one male, one female – came up, obviously having heard the commotion. They looked at the two muggers, then at Takeno and Hakaani, and then back to Takeno.

“Lieutenant Takeno?” one asked.

The soldier nodded. “Yeah. These two attacked us without provocation. Put them were they belong.” Takeno relaxed. The female soldier apprehended the man that had assaulted Takeno, while other went about freeing Hakaani’s from the wall. Once that was complete, the two soldiers – both lower in rank than Takeno himself – left, saluting to the Lieutenant despite the fact that he was off duty. Giving a sigh, the dark-haired man turned to his companion. “Well, that was fun. It certainly livened me up a bit.” Amber eyes glanced around the area. She was good, that was for sure. He wasn’t about to tell her, especially since she obviously already knew how good she was. “Didn’t anyone ever tell them to be careful of who they attacked?” With that, the soldier shook his head.