Can I Keep Him? [tag: Zombi, Airi]

A Long Display Name Here

Jul 4, 2012 20:39:40 GMT -6

It had been a week and a day since Ling had visited the City Hall and finished getting licenses for herself and Mei, and about four days since she had last seen Hyuk-jae. The two of them had finished their meal, dropped off Mei's and Ma-ma's lunch, and had gone their separate ways, agreeing to meet up again soon and pay 'Lee the Gentle' a visit. Hyuk-jae said he'd call her, and Ling agreed that would likely be best.

Her work schedule at the docks had been busy. It was about three days since she had her date with Raeya, and the freckled woman needed to earn back the money she had spent; until the sisters cracked their first case, they had no reputation, and therefore no income. Without income, they couldn't really justify keeping on Kasumi as an employee. Ling wanted to spirit her friend away from the Fan, where ungrateful and grabby patrons made work nights exhausting. She knew Kasumi longed for a more exciting sort of life, away from the mundane; Ling didn't want to let her down.

Today was her first day off from the docks, and she spent the better part of the morning lounging on the sofa, listening to ragtime, and reading a magazine. She didn't know what time Hyuk-jae got up, so she waited a little impatiently; maybe she should've asked for his number instead.

Mei had the day off too, and once Ling had told her of the plans to meet Lee the Gentle, had asked to come along on their first official detective outing. The younger sister could hardly refuse her, and despite her misgivings and worry, agreed.

Lunchtime rolled around; Shi'ren left her daughters home alone, smiling mysteriously and saying she was going 'out'. Ling grinned at her mother as she left with a smile and a wave. "She looks... happy, doesn't she Mei?" And she did; happier than Ling had seen her in a very long time.

The girls finished their lunch relatively quickly, chattering a bit as sisters do. It was Mei's turn to do the dishes since Ling did the breakfast ones, so the younger sister hovered around the telephone, hoping it would ring.

This user is Mod

Last edit: Sept 4, 2012 18:28:37 GMT -6

Anonymous

Jul 5, 2012 19:47:05 GMT -6

Hyuk-jae had let a week go by without calling Ling Yao. He'd had serious time to make up selling papers for Mr. Gil — while the man knew he had fits, it still wasn't easy to appease him when he missed several days of work. Hyuk-jae had spent extra time cleaning the offices and delivering papers to subscribers and such. Double shifts. It was exhausting work and if that weren't enough, he'd had to take on a few clients to make sure the rent and utilities all got paid.

By the time he got around to the shop to call the girl again, he was surprised to think that he was actually looking forward to seeing her. Ling didn't treat him like she was waiting for him to fall over, nor did she treat him with a certain coldness he often received from his roommates. She was a little annoyingly helpful, but he understood her pity. He was used to that.

The only way to use a telephone was to go to a shop or other place where the use of one could be bought. No one in Hyuk-jae's whole apartment building had a 'phone, much less a group of ragtag paperboys who all shared one apartment.

After paying the man for use of the 'phone, Hyuk-jae took the paper out of his pocket and carefully dialed the number. When she picked up, he tried his best not to sound as tired as he felt. "Hi — it's Hyuk-jae," he said, still feeling nervous about talking on the device. "I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to call you, but I've been working a lot." He leaned against the wall, resting the sole of one stompy boot up against the brick. "I thought if you were free tonight, we could go out to the Eye. I can drop in and it won't be weird, so... I think you might have a nice card game or two." He was mindful of people possibly listening.

This user is a former member

ailin

Jul 6, 2012 21:28:29 GMT -6

Time off was not a common occurrence for Mei-zhen. Between her shifts at the restaurant, helping at the clinic, and now their detective agency, it was unusual to have a nice quiet morning to spend at home. Quiet was a relative term, as Ling had spent the morning listening to some rather fantastic ragtime while she perused her magazines and Mei had taken out her anatomy books, studying the chi pathways of the upper arm. Okay, that probably fell under the category of “work” but she was doing it at home, in the company of her sister, enjoying some music. She would count it as relaxing.

Ling had spoken of her new contact, Hyuk-jae, a young man who sounded down on his luck but with a good ear for what they would need. Helping him would be doubly beneficial, giving them what they needed for a case--which would help the city at large--and giving him well deserved yuans. They had set up a meeting with someone named Lee the Gentle, and Mei supposed it was one of those names you got when you had a reputation of being…well…soft spoken. That didn’t mean the people that this Lee employed had that same level of gentility, so it was only right that she accompany both her sister and the young man for this meeting. After all, she was the other starting member of this detective agency and it wouldn’t do for her to miss their first meeting on their first case. It was unprofessional.

It was around lunchtime when Shi’ren left, only telling them she was going ’out’ with a coy smile Mei hadn’t seen on their mother in quite some time. Ling noticed it too, and said so. “She does,” Mei replied, “She's much happier than usual...That's great.”

Humming her favorite song, Mei gathered the dishes when they were finished eating and set to cleaning them. Anxious, Ling took to hanging around the telephone, not getting more than a foot away from it as the water ran in the kitchen. It did seem about time for Hyuk-jae to call, Mei supposed, and Ling was a go-getter at heart. Both sisters were able to display patience in their own way, with Ling’s ability to read players with calm appraisal and Mei’s quiet concentration on her healing. That said, when Ling had a path she would pursue it, and sitting around waiting for it to come to her when she could go out there and make it happen? That tended to make her a little anxious.

BRIIIIING.

And just like that, Mei could hear their waiting possibly coming to an end. It was a blaring ring; all phones had them and they were all a bit unnerving in their own way. Mei never admitted that to anyone, it seemed like such a silly thing to react to. Her humming stopped, though she continued to scrub what remained of the lunch on their plates.

“That must be him!” she called out. “Best if you get it! My hands are all wet!”

This user is a guest

A Long Display Name Here

Jul 11, 2012 21:14:21 GMT -6

"Yeah, yeah, I'm right here!" Ling called back, picking up the phone. "Hello?" she said, eagerly. It literally could've been anyone. Misdialing was a common occurrence; the switchboard operators were occasionally inaccurate when they put calls through, so there were a lot of times when a phone call was intended for the store below.

Fortunately, it was the right number. Ling picked up the telephone base and twirled, nearly tripping as the cord wrapped around her. Untangling herself carefully and trying not to laugh at her silliness, she greeted Hyuk-jae. "So glad to hear from you!" she told him, extracting herself from the jumble of cord and sitting on the couch. "Tonight?" she echoed, glancing over at the kitchen and waving to Mei. "Yeah, we can go tonight. What time?" She listened to his reply and gestured the appropriate time with her fingers to her sister. "Mmhm. What street is it on?" Ling paused, then reached for a pen that was on the table and scribbled something down in the margin of a magazine. She put the phone base back on its table. "We'll meet you there, okay? Please take care of yourself. See you tonight!"

She hung up, and turned to Mei, her grey-blue eyes shining with excitement. "Can you believe this?" she squealed, her voice rising in pitch. "Our first actual, honest-to-goodness case!" Ling laughed, feeling so giddy. She sidled up to Mei and gave her a one-armed hug. "I can't wait for you to meet Hyuk-jae either," she told her older sister. "He's such a nice guy. I don't really think he knows that about himself, either." The freckled woman picked up a dishrag and began drying the things Mei had already washed. "I can't believe we're actually doing this! It's so ... surreal."

—-

About half an hour before they were supposed to meet Hyuk-jae, Ling fussed over herself in the mirror. "Does this look suspicious to you?" she called out, emerging from her room and doing a turn in the hallway. She had on her "normal" clothes, for the most part — her khaki trousers, brown waistcoat, white blouse, and suspenders. She felt somewhat naked, as she had opted to remove the trigger-mechanisms from her coat and leave only the single knife strapped to her thigh. She had no idea what kind of security the Eye had — or Lee the Gentle had — and the young woman felt it would be a little on the suspicious side to be carrying her customary number of weapons.

Only half-listening to Mei's response, Ling donned her tan overcoat with the cinch belt; the coat still had one dagger on it, which she could always claim was for self defence. It wasn't exactly a lie, because that is why she carried it around. But one knife on a removable layer of clothing shouldn't arouse too much suspicion; in fact, it would probably rouse more suspicion if she was completely unarmed, going to a place like the Eye. Its reputation as the seediest bar in Downtown Republic City preceded it. Ling spent a lot of time with people most of polite society would call "unsavoury", but a majority of them hadn't even set foot in the Eye. The ones that did vowed never to return, preferring instead the more light-hearted atmosphere at the Fan.

When Mei was ready to leave, Ling looked around the flat one last time. Their mother had yet to return from her excursion, and while a small part of her was worried Ling had seen the kind of smile her mother wore. Good for her; she was probably out having a good time. She locked the house up tightly, making sure the keys were in her trouser pockets before heading off.

The sisters took a cab to the location Hyuk-jae gave them. When they arrived, the street was eerily empty save the sounds coming from the Eye. They weren't happy sounds, per se, like the fan, and there was just a touch of something-off-ness that gave Ling the creeps. It would be easy to spot Hyuk-jae in this. Ling hooked her arm around Mei's and kept an eye out for the dark-haired young man.

This user is Mod

Anonymous

Jul 12, 2012 19:44:50 GMT -6

Since they'd agreed on a time, Hyuk-jae left it at that and hung up. Whenever he went out to the Eye, he always made sure to look the part he was supposed to look — which meant he actually had to do a little something to his appearance besides his usual nothing. A naturally pretty young man, his long lashes and deep black hair didn't need much help. But a little kohl around the eyes went a long way in smoky bars at night, and he knew for a fact that Lee the Gentle liked it. Anything he could do that would make this go easier, he'd do.

Well, within reason.

Hyuk-jae took the time to go have a shower — cold, naturally — and put on what he always wore to the Eye: black pants, the same tall, thick-soled black boots, long laces wrapped around the calf to secure before tying, the only black shirt he had, red leather bracelet. He had just a small stub of black kohl for lining the eye, and he did so carefully before smudging it with his index finger. He always looked even paler than normal like this, his eyes almost scarily bright. But it was a good look for him — mysterious, a bit off-putting. His high cheek bones and angular face had an androgynous look to them even without help, but with a little hair-styling and the kohl, he was able to achieve a certain is-s/he-or-isn't-s/he look. Hyuk-jae liked to seem even less approachable than usual at the Eye. Though, it was almost unnecessary any more. Most people knew by now that Lee had a special liking for him, and he got left alone.

Unable to put it off any longer, Hyuk-jae began to make his way to the Wooden Eye.

It was a neighborhood he knew well. He walked with the characteristic almost-sway he used when working — the young man felt safer in those parts of the city if he put on a persona, pretended to be someone else. Of course, it didn't work one hundred per cent of the time. But tonight he felt reasonably good about it. Perhaps because he wasn't going in alone?

He waited on a street corner, surprisingly hard to spot. For all his tall and thin stature, dressed the way he was and stood back, leaning against a building, he blended right in. He spotted Ling Yao before she spotted him and pushed away from the wall with one foot, heading towards her. Who was with her? He supposed it would be her sister, though what good a healer would do he couldn't fathom. The young Firebender was already on the defensive just seeing the girl.

"You made it," he said, stopping near them, crossing his arms over his chest. "We'll go in on the side." Hyuk-jae never used the main entrance — the people who watched the side entrance knew him, and would know who he was there to see. Dropping in without an appointment would make Lee either happy or irritable. The kohl was to help ensure it made him happy. He paused for a moment, looking Ling over. "I hope you aren't armed to the teeth," said Hyuk-jae, as if it were an afterthought. "It won't look good for you if you are, and I don't want to have to explain things for you." He jerked his chin in the other girl's direction. "Who's this?"

This user is a former member

Last edit by Deleted: Jul 12, 2012 21:07:28 GMT -6

ailin

Jul 15, 2012 0:27:39 GMT -6

Looking her sister over, Mei squinted and shrugged. “Why would it look suspicious? They’re just clothes.”

Ling tended to arm herself more than she was going to be for this meeting and one would think that more arms were suspicious than less. The clothes themselves were standard for her little sister, complete with her tan overcoat. On their own there was no way they could be taken as suspicious, and now Mei would wonder about that for the rest of the evening.

With Ling finished with the mirror, Mei stepping front of it, taking stock of herself. Smoothing down some wild strands of hair, she put on her navy blue cloche hat and set it straight. Her cream colored undershirt was barely seen underneath her high collared chocolate brown shirt. Given that they were going to a place of…let’s just say ill repute, her charcoal work pants seemed more appropriate. Of course her waterskin stayed attached to her leather belt, as it always did, and her navy blue collared jacket would keep her warm. There was no chance she would go anywhere without her waterskin and she hoped that the Wooden Eye would not give her trouble about it.

It was strange to see the flat so empty, their mother still out doing…whatever it was she was doing. Still, their mother deserved all the happiness in the world and if she could handle the later night then all the better for her. It would be sad to not be there when she returned, and wheedle her until she recounted the fun she had, but Mei supposed there would be time enough for that the next day.

— — — —

The Wooden Eye was a harder place than the Fan, a place that even from the vantage point outside you could smell the stale sourness and hear the serious clamor of people down as far as down could go. They weren’t necessarily bad people, Mei believed most people were decent folk if you treated them as such and gave them a chance, but they were the kind you needed to handle with care.

Around the Eye the streets were empty, desolate and dark, with the ever present scent of Republic City smog combined with a tangy undercurrent of garbage. Ling wrapped her arm around Mei’s, and Mei felt a surge of butterflies flutter in her stomach. They were on the job. They were on their first job. Despite everything, the dingy surroundings, the eerily empty streets, Mei felt proud. It was a big step towards doing what was right for them, and for others as well. They were providing a much needed service to the people of Republic City. They were doing something their father would be proud of.

A thin tall young man approached them, almost appearing out of the gloom of the streets itself. His gait was swaying, though as soon as he approached he gave Ling an appraising look, crossing his arms and hoping she hadn‘t brought too many arms with her. It did seem strange to be going into a place like the Eye with fewer arms than a place like the Fan, but the city had a lot of odd codes that Mei could not parse for the life of her. The young man, who she assumed to be Hyuk-jae, jerked his chin at Mei, asking Ling who she was.

Mei held out her hand and smiled. “I’m Mei-zhen Yao, Ling’s sister. We work together. Nice to meet you…?” Her voice trailed off as she expected a reply. While Ling had told her about him, who they would be meeting, official greetings were still the polite thing to do. She didn't want to presume anything about him.

This user is a guest

A Long Display Name Here

Jul 15, 2012 21:15:46 GMT -6

Ling cocked an eyebrow as Hyuk-jae approached, smiling lopsidedly. "Ooh, look at you~" she teased good-naturedly, noting something ... 'cleaned up' about his appearance. It wasn't a bad look, but it looked strange. Her critical eye noted his swagger, his smoky eyelids, his black shirt; how it all fit together, but somehow didn't seem right. She couldn't quite put her finger on it; it was almost as if the clothes were piecemeal on him, purchased or obtained over a period of time from varying sources, none tailored specifically to his current needs.

She held up her hands, palms out. "Not to the teeth, no. But not completely unarmed." Dropping her right arm, Ling held up two fingers on her left hand. "Knifes only. One is spring-loaded in a mechanism on my coat. I fully expect that to be taken away. The other is attached to my inner thigh. I'm prepared for that to be taken as well, though I'd prefer it not to be." She had no illusions about not being patted down or asked if she had any weapons. She was a scrapper; her knives were an asset, not a requirement. Things could be grabbed in a spur-of-the moment fight, and she could always use her fists. Mei was armed as well, by virtue of being a waterbender. Even though she was training with Iluak to be a healer, her primary skill was fighting. Ling didn't think Mei had a taste for it, didn't enjoy the thrill of a good brawl like she did; but, as Mei was taught by her father, she was definitely competent enough to hold her own. Beyond normal familial worry, Ling knew that her sister didn't necessarily need protecting if it came down to it.

Hyuk-jae demanded to know who accompanied her, but before Ling could answer Mei spoke up, holding out her hand. Although the introductions were already made, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awkwardness as the seconds ticked by, seeming like ages, waiting for him to acknowledge her sister's greeting. Ling jammed her hands in her coat, feeling somewhat irritated. "Yes, this is my sister," she said, keeping her voice even. "I said earlier she was going to be coming along."

She wondered if she ought to buy a cricket and keep it on her at all times, just to fill any awkward silences. It wasn't exactly Ling's forte, interacting with strangers she genuinely liked; outside of the family, and Kasumi, it was often a very staccato task as awkward and often uncomfortable silences stretched between her words and the other person's / people's.

Like now. Ling shifted her weight on her feet, hoping Hyuk-jae would at least take her sister's hand and shake it. A nagging voice in her head kept prompting her about his reaction to mentioning Iluak when they first met, but she waved it off. Tugging her ear, Ling cleared her throat, wishing that she did, in fact, have a cricket. That would at least be better than this somewhat uncomfortable, seemingly endless silence.

This user is Mod

Last edit: Jul 15, 2012 21:29:55 GMT -6

Anonymous

Jul 15, 2012 21:52:28 GMT -6

Ling’s teasing was unappreciated; Hyuk-jae fixed her with an emotionless look. “We all wear masks sometimes,” he said. As Ling explained her weaponry, he sighed. “They’ll take them both,” he said, “even if I vouch for you. But at least it’s not that many. You should seem normal enough.” Raucous laughter spilled out from the Eye, and he turned his head, cracking a joint in his neck.

The young woman in a navy blue hat held out her hand to him, but not before he’d clocked her water skin. Waterbenders in general were dangerous territory – one never knew who was a healer and who wasn’t. Hyuk-jae didn’t remember the conversation wherein Ling had told him her sister was, but that didn’t matter. She had a vibe to her. He could tell. He stared at her hand for a moment as if it were a snake poised to bite him. He did not lift a hand to hers.

“I’m Mei-zhen Yao, Ling’s sister. We work together. Nice to meet you…?”

“Is it?” he asked in a detached manner. He didn’t think it was very nice to meet her at all. Pulling back away from both girls, he headed for the left side of the Wooden Eye, away from the front door. He assumed the girls would follow. Down an alley and around the corner a single doorway with one torch next to it stood, painted emerald green. A burly man stood in front of the door, arms crossed.

Hyuk-jae smiled a beautiful smile. “Hi Slim,” he said. “Lee in?”
“Haven’t seen you in a while,” the man said, eyeing the two girls. “Do you actually have friends?”
Hyuk-jae looked back at the sisters and laughed. “Search ‘em if you like,” he said. “The boyish one has knives.”
“Smart girl.” Slim did indeed pat down both girls, taking away the knives and pausing at Mei’s water skin. “I’ll be needing that, too,” he said.

Once through the door the trio were in a blue-painted hallway, into which laughter, music, and the scent of cigarette smoke spilled from the rest of the Eye. Hyuk-jae seemed to know exactly where he was going – he headed straight down and to the left, pulling open another door. Golden light filtered into the hallway as they stepped through. Card tables and men smoking filled the room. A handsome man with green eyes and thick chestnut-coloured hair looked up at their entrance, smiling and showing smooth white teeth.
“Hyuk-jae!” he seemed quite pleased.

The tall young man went slinking around tables, leading them up to the green-eyed man’s table. It was the largest, the furthest from any door, and obviously the most important table in the room. A scantily clad woman patted Hyuk-jae on the shoulder, murmuring something about how it had been too long, and did he want to work a party?
Shaking his head, the chestnut-haired man pulled Hyuk-jae into his lap with an odd amount of tenderness. “He’s not doing those these days, are you?”
“Hi Lee,” said Hyuk-jae. “These are my friends, Ling and Mei Yao.”

Lee the Gentle looked surprised. “I didn’t think you had any friends,” he said.
Hyuk-jae ran his fingers through the man's hair in an adoring manner. “They want to play cards.”
“Do they?” Lee fixed both girls with a searing look, seeming to measure them. “And what are the stakes, ladies?”

((OOC: sorry for the slight godmod; I didn’t want them to languish in the doorways forever and they wouldn’t get inside without giving up the water skin! So I assumed for you.))

This user is a former member

Last edit by Deleted: Jul 15, 2012 21:54:09 GMT -6

ailin

Jul 21, 2012 0:31:55 GMT -6

No one had ever given Mei’s hand such a distasteful look before; at worst she was given a polite smile and moved past, and at best a hearty greeting. Hyuk-jae gave it a cursory look as if it were about to lash out and rip his heart right out of his chest.

“Is it?” He pulled away without another word, heading for the left side of the building.

Mei waved her fingers for a moment, feeling the air and emptiness, before letting it drop and nodding at Ling for them to follow Hyuk-Jae. He led them down the alley next to the building and around a corner, coming to stop in front an ominous looking emerald painted door with a single torch standing next to it. In front of it stood a door sized man, with arms as thick as Mei’s thighs, crossed against his chest with that finality that said, “You’ll only get past me because I allow it.” The torch would have been ominous enough, but the bouncer (or was it guard?) got the point across for anyone else who couldn’t pick up on such subtlety.

The man exchanged some pleasantries with Hyuk-jae before declaring he’d need to search the sisters for their weapons. He took Ling’s knives, and they had all expected that, but when he reached for Mei’s waterskin she froze.

Had she expected to be allowed to have it? It was probably stupid but the thought hadn’t crossed her mind. Her waterskin was a part of her; she never left the flat without it, and was barely more than a few paces away from it while at home. With it she felt…safe. It smelled of smooth leather and oil, scents that recalled their father and his lessons. Him on his best days, with his wide gleaming grin that reached his eyes. Pride, and happiness, and the knowledge that with its familiar weight she carried with her everything that he was.

To let it out of her grasp, to let some stranger touch it, take it and hold onto it…it was like losing your way in the wilderness without a map. She was lost. She was not safe.

Mei-zhen allowed herself to be led down a blue hallway, wrapping her arms around her waist where her waterskin had been. There was echoing laughter mingled with music, with the undercurrent of alcohol and smoke lingering in the air. They were both hollow and cheap to her. Hyuk-Jae led them with a sure step down the hallway and through a door where all the scents and sounds were emanating from. For a brief moment the opened door spilled brilliant light into the darker blue hallway and Mei squinted her eyes against the sudden adjustment.

The main room itself was…nothing Mei could say was impressive. Smoke hanged in the air so thick you could reach out and grab it, and the tables set up were unremarkable. These places held games for people that Mei did not understand, try as she did. There were jokes, and politeness and games, but underneath it was still that second game she could not get. Hyuk-jae had said we all wore masks sometimes, and Mei wondered if these people ever took theirs off. If only it had been a literal statement; true masks were works of art and easily removed.

A green eyed man with a liquid smooth smile noticed their entrance and called the young man and the Yao sisters over to him. His table was set up in a way that said importance and fortification, and although he was handsome and all smiles, Mei was willing to guess it was one of those masks. Was it so difficult to be genuine?

Hyuk-jae was pulled into the handsome man’s--Lee the Gentle’s--lap, where they continued their introductions. Mei twitched, making the effort to smile when without her waterskin she felt like running in the opposite direction from everyone. This time she did not offer her hand to shake, and they remained wrapped around her waist.

Lee’s intense glare when the prospect of playing cards came up made her more uncomfortable. It was a bug under a jar sort of feeling, like he was staring into her big blue eyes and finding her soul was lacking. And in all honesty there was no bit of Mei that wanted to play cards…but Ling could.

And this was their job now.

“Yes. We would.” Mei nodded and again made the effort to smile pleasantly. She glanced sideways at Ling; she would know what to say when it came to stakes. All of these games were her arena, and Mei had no intention of ruining that for her.

This user is a guest

Last edit by ailin: Jul 21, 2012 0:33:01 GMT -6

A Long Display Name Here

Jul 21, 2012 2:21:03 GMT -6

Ling visibly bristled at Hyuk-jae's dismissal of her sister. "Hey-—" she started to say, her voice full of fiery indignation, but the ebony-haired young man was already moving away and heading for the entrance to the Wooden Eye. The freckled Yao sister glared at his back. The nerve! She glanced over at her sister, her eyes apologetic; Mei looked startled, slightly at a loss with what to do with her empty handshake. Then she nodded at Ling, indicating they should follow; the younger woman shrugged, still feeling quite put out.

The door was guarded, unsurprisingly, by one of the burliest men Ling had ever seen in her life. He towered over her, in height and width; 'Slim', he was called. Must have been one of those ironic nicknames. Frowning yet again -this time at Hyuk-jae's reference to her as being 'boyish' - Ling allowed her knives to be removed from her person, including the one strapped to her leg. Ah well; it was still worth a shot. She started to follow Hyuk-jae, but then stopped and turned back when she noticed Mei wasn't immediately behind her.

Mei-zhen was standing there, looking at Slim like she hadn't ever quite seen anything like him as he stretched his hand out for her water skin. Of course. Ling could've smacked herself; Mei never left home without it. It was as much a part of the darker woman as Ling's cowlicks were a part of her. Ling put a reassuring hand on her sister's arm, leading her through the Eye as Hyuk-jae wove his way through, down some stairs, and into a room she could only assume belonged to Lee the Gentle.

The light was a little blinding, and it took her a second to adjust. When her eyesight righted itself, Ling glanced around casually and nodding like she approved. The easiest way to get off on the right foot with these types of people was to act as impressed by them as they thought everyone ought to be. Masks, Hyuk-jae's words echoed in her head as the young man simpered all over the green-eyed smooth-talker he introduced as 'Lee'. Ling smiled crookedly, a smile that came so easily and naturally by the fact that she wore it almost everywhere and everyday. He stared at them as Hyuk-jae said they wanted to play cards.

In a fluid motion, Ling pulled out a chair, gesturing for Mei to sit.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lee," she said, genuinely pleased. It was kind of a rush, doing this. Not just infiltrating, so to speak, their first shady clue-giver, but taking the first steps to actualising their dreams. Her voice rang with truth as she sat down, her body language completely at ease, but still respectful. Mei affirmed their desire to play cards, and Ling shrugged. "I'm a regular over at the Golden Fan." She jerked her head to the side, indicating its direction, her cowlicks waggling. She made her voice sound bored, dismissive of the place. "I enjoy playing cards. Mei doesn't play, herself, but I dragged her out with me anyway. She needs to get out more."

Her first lie. A small one, but still a lie. It was true that Mei didn't play, and that Ling often tried to explain the finer, underhanded side of playing cards. It was useless to do so, so she had stopped. Lee didn't have to know that part, though. A lie of omission was better than a bald-faced lie. She hoped Mei would excuse the little slight on her social life. Part of the act.

She leaned in, making sure to slouch just a bit as she put some of her weight onto the table, her body language giving Lee the 'perched' advantage over her. She looked up at him, remembering what Hyuk-jae said about his preferences, and spoke to him gambler-to-gambler. "The folks at the Fan, see, it's the same bunch of knuckleheads almost on a nightly basis." Her voice was pained, exasperated. "I win more than I lose, and quite frankly it's become such a bore." She sighed to emphasise her point. "I've been whining about it for a while now, trying to find better players at the Fan. Then Hyuk-jae told me you played cards."

Another lie of omission. Hyuk-jae had told her that, but Ling carefully phrased the sentence as if it had come up in casual conversation.

"I'm sure you know that this place has a reputation for being some of the most hardened gamblers in the district." She leaned back in her seat, leaving her hands on the table, turned up and palms exposed. A plea.

She had the four thousand yuans they were going to use to furnish the rest of the office. Faulty planning, she had nothing else to wager. Ling smiled lopsidedly, giving Lee a barely perceptible wink. "Why don't we have a private, friendly game? Just to test out the waters?" She put an arm around Mei and laughed lightly. "I had to practically drag my sister here because I hate going anywhere alone. But I'm sure she'd be bored to pieces watching the two of us play a silly card game."

Her heart hammered in her chest. Would he go for it? She shifted slightly, giving Mei a small squeeze on the shoulder. She was changing the plan, just a little, but if Ling had him pegged right Lee would not overtly exchange information for money. Too risky.

She smiled winsomely, allowing just a little of her nervousness to seep through, hoping it would give Lee a sense of comfort and control over the situation.

This user is Mod

Anonymous

Jul 21, 2012 2:52:54 GMT -6

Hyuk-jae let his arm rest about Lee’s shoulder and neck. In truth, he was very comfortable with that man, probably moreso than he was with any other person in his life. It was a fact that seemed a little sad. The green-eyed gangster treated him well, though Hyuk-jae had no illusions about him being so ‘gentle’ with anyone else. The girl in blue seemed horrifically uncomfortable.

Good.

Letting his mouth curve in an easy, satisfied smile, Hyuk-jae watched Ling sit down and try to work some magic. Lee the Gentle was hard to get a private game with, in all honesty. However, that night Hyuk-jae brought the girls in past Slim. As such they were already surely weaponless, and Lee had that glint in his eye that said he was bored. That boredom might work to the girls’ advantage, and it might not. Ling’s story about the Golden Fan was not interesting to the gangster; that much was obvious. Like a cat with a mouse, he focused his gaze on Mei, the sister.
Lee loved to toy with things – things and people. Mei, so obvious in her blue hat and forced smile, was a far more entertaining prospect than Ling.
Curse that girl for making it obvious that she, too, played games. At the moment that Hyuk-jae thought he might need to step in, however, Ling hit upon an unexpected – and unbeknownst to Hyuk-jae – goldmine: Lee’s affection for him.

Then Hyuk-jae told me you played cards.

Letting out a pleased laugh, Lee ran a hand up Hyuk-jae’s thigh. “Aww,” he said, “is that so? And here I didn’t think you talked about me,” turning those eyes on Hyuk-jae.
“A rare occurrence,” Hyuk-jae said in a drawl, glad for the distraction from the surely-weaker sister, “try not to be so obviously amused.” He shifted on the man’s lap. For a moment, the distraction was perfect – Lee seemed the slightest bit more interested in Ling, until she put her arm around her sister and ruined everything. That squeeze to the shoulder didn’t go unnoticed.

I'm sure she'd be bored to pieces watching the two of us play a silly card game.

Inwardly, Hyuk-jae groaned. Now it came, the part where Lee would ask for something entirely different than what had been offered.
“I’ll tell you what,” the gangster said, leaning on an elbow and across the table, “I’ll give you your private game, girl – but I think, to make it interesting…” Lee flicked almost acid-green eyes to Mei’s face, “that I’d rather play your darling sister.”
He leaned back then, sliding both arms around Hyuk-jae’s waist. “We can even have a very small wager, to even the odds. Five yuan.” Lee arched a dark brow. “I do enjoy a girl's first time. Or is it?”

Hyuk-jae laughed. He didn't mean to, it just slipped out. Of all the things Lee could say, sexual innuendo towards women was always the funniest. The laugh also covered for his unease at the idea of being in a room with no one but Lee, Ling, and the Waterbending girl. Despite the fact that he knew she couldn't do anything to him while they were at the Eye, she still made him nervous.

Lee leaned his head against Hyuk-jae's arm, smiling slightly as he waited for an answer. The whole room seemed to be waiting for an answer.

This user is a former member

Last edit by Deleted: Jul 21, 2012 4:11:50 GMT -6

Anonymous

Sept 2, 2012 12:15:56 GMT -6

Mei raised a hand so that the back of her hand faced up and her thumb brushing up against her forehead to avoid the light that was quick to blind her. Slowly, but surely, her eyes adjusted to the light to reveal a room that held a man called Lee. For the moment, everything seemed to be about the man and her sister, Ling. Knowing that this wasn't her strength, she kept out of it as much as she could, only giving a small bow of recognition as Ling talked and offering a small smile when she was brought into their conversation. She nodded her head. "I'm not much of a fan," she said apologetically, a look on her face that said "I'm sorry" as she took her seat, her movements jerky and not smooth like before they entered this place.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine," Mei said to Ling, her hands shooting up into the air so they hovered in front of her shoulders, palms forward. What had Ling brought her in for? She did not want to be pulled into this... this game. Her body reacted to this new-found stress and she could feel every muscle in her body tighten and her stomach giving a dull ache. Her eyes darted from the man before them to her sister- hoping for some form of help. The girl of blue knew what she was good at and what she was not and she knew coming into this that what she was getting into Ling could handle perfectly; she trusted her completely. Lee the Gentle- on the other hand- she did not and she had not counted on him to put her on the spot like that. What was he getting at? Was this just for fun? She had no clue.

She gulped, something that managed to take more effort than she intended and it hurt her throat. Once more she glanced at Ling for guidance, but the pressure sunk in too quickly, too fast. A joke? No, there was a chance she could make things worse. What could she do? What could she say? Ling's contact laughed at Lee's perverted joke and it left Mei speechless, her mouth agape and hands resting at her side. She felt naked without her water pouch and all the attention on her. A squeeze on her shoulder was felt and for one moment she forgot who's hand was on her shoulder, but after the split second it took for her to remember, she felt at ease. She had Ling with her.

"Ling could offer you a much better game," she said nervously, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice though her voice filled the soundless room that waited on her. Surprisingly, her efforts were fruitful. "But I suppose that if it's a small wager?" What was she saying? This was their money and they couldn't afford to gamble it away because Lee wanted to challenge her to a game before her sister. At the same time, they couldn't simply let any of these efforts go to waste, they were already to close.

This user is a former member

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 2, 2012 12:59:45 GMT -6

OOC @ Airi: It might be good to read the thread Zombi and I played before this one, "Answer That And Stay Fashionable" so you can read some background on how Hyuk-jae and Ling met. :] Remember, too, that Mei *is* the older sister. She may look to Ling for guidance in unfamiliar situations, but she is also strong (and headstrong) herself. You're doing great so far, keep it up!

OOC @ Both: Sorry for the short-ish post! I am not sure where Z wants to take them for a private game. :]

————

Damn. She drew Lee's attention to Mei, and now Mei would have to play. She could have kicked herself. Faking a natural-sounding laugh at Lee's joke, she went ahead and nodded at the older sister. "Just a small wager," she said to Lee, smiling. "We don't have much money right now, I'm afraid."

Another half-truth. They had plenty of money in a jar at home, but all that money was spoken for. They were poorer than temple mice save the remaining half of a work payment Ling had in her pocket. It was only about a hundred, two hundred yuans — easily re-made after a quarter of a day's working the docks. Making a brand new business in a crime-riddled city took a lot of start up money. Hopefully, if they solved this case, they'd make it all back.

"I hope you don't mind," Ling said brightly, "but I'll just give my sister a refresher course on the game." She pulled out her own deck of cards, quickly shuffled with a deft hand, and turned her chair so that her back was facing Lee. "Excuse me a moment," she called back. "I don't mean to be rude." Ling motioned for Mei to do the same, and when she did she held up the cards just enough so that Lee could see from behind them that she was being true to her word.

"Remember, Mei, the cards with the faces on them are higher." She sifted through the stack of cards until she found a couple. "The Avatar card is the highest, followed by the Fire Lord, the Princess, and then the Earth King." She moved around the cards. "The cards with the Air Nomad symbol are higher than the Fire Nation symbols, then the Earth Kingdom, then the Water Tribe; aside from the cards with the faces, everything is numbered one through ten and are numerically sequential in terms of value." The cards were colour-coded: Light blue, red, green, and dark blue, respectively.

In a slightly softer undertone, Ling addressed what was probably her sister's biggest concern. "Don't worry about the bluffing and the cheating," she murmured for Mei's ears only. "Play honestly. I don't expect you to win, and Lee doesn't either. Play smart: if your cards are low ranking, put them face-down on the table and say you fold. If they're decent, at least eights or higher, then keep playing. Got it?"

When Mei affirmed her understanding, Ling smiled encouragingly. "You can do it. Just take deep breaths and remember to not smile if you have a good hand." She snapped the cards back to form a solid deck and turned around to face Lee.

"I think she'll be as ready as she'll ever be," she told him, hoping that her sister would forgive the slight against her card-playing ability.

This user is Mod

Last edit: Sept 2, 2012 13:01:12 GMT -6

Anonymous

Sept 4, 2012 18:27:54 GMT -6

Lee smiled like the cat that had gotten into the cream. "A very small wager," he agreed. Inwardly, Hyuk-jae groaned yet again. The girls probably didn't know what they were in for. Idly, he wondered how this would turn out. It could go a lot of ways at this point...

"We'll go to the blue room," Lee announced, as both girls agreed to the game. He tapped Hyuk-jae on the spine and the Firebender got up, automatically heading towards his left. He liked the blue room best — it was calm and serene, with sweet blue walls and soft lighting. Lee had probably picked it for him. Opening the door, Hyuk-jae slid inside and began setting up the table. In the blue room everyone sat on the floor, on pretty foamy cushions.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'll just give my sister a refresher course on the game."

"Of course." Lee waved a hand, looking bored. As Ling went on to give her sister a small coaching session, he stood up and followed Hyuk-jae, gliding into the room noiselessly. Hyuk-jae jumped a little, surprised.
"Nice of you to agree to a game," he said.
"I have nothing better to do for now," said Lee, voice a drawl. He watched the young man move around the room, setting things up and picking out a seafoam green cushion for himself. "Why don't you ask the girls for some tea?" he suggested.

Hyuk-jae left the room in search of one of the girls and some tea, and Lee returned to see Ling finish her impromptu card lesson session. He grinned. "Follow me," he said easily, leading the way to the left. Hyuk-jae had not yet returned, but a deck of cards already graced the table. With a glance out the door, Lee slid it shut again, closing the girls off with him in the small room. He took a seat at the table, leaning on an elbow and shuffling the cards.
"Let's cut to the chase, ladies," he said, teeth very white. "I know you're not here to play cards. I'm not sure what connection you have to Hyuk-jae, but I know you're likely more than just his friends." Never in his life had the paperboy brought any friends to the Wooden Eye, and Lee had not been fooled. "Sit down."

Lee dealt the cards between himself and Mei, setting the deck back down when he finished. The girls would get their game, of course, but he wanted to take care of business — preferably before his erstwhile associate came back with tea. It would take Hyuk-jae a few minutes to choose tea and come back, which Lee knew, but he was pushing his luck with his next question. Hopefully, it would hold out long enough.

"Tell me what you want, and I'll tell you my price. Fair?"

((OOC note for Airi: Are you up to speed with the agreement between HJ and Ling? He is trying to get information from him — if Mei wants to tell Lee what they want, she will need to say something to that effect. If you have questions PM Kami or myself before replying!))

This user is a former member

Anonymous

Sept 5, 2012 0:04:00 GMT -6

Mei didn't wait to stand up and follow her younger sister, listening intently on how to play the game. Sure, she had a vague idea of it and how it was played, so the 'refresher course' was actually helpful though she had the feeling it was meant to be a way to pull her away and tell her not to do anything fancy and that no one expected her to win. That was a huge relief, immensely so seeing as their money was on the line. Loosing a little might not seem like a lot, but when trying to start up a business, they needed every yuan they could get their hands on. "Thanks,"

[/color] she whispered quickly before turning around and following Lee into the blue room that reminded her of something soft and innocent but all it did was make her even more nervous. The blue reminded her of water, water she couldn't bend.

The topic of tea came up and all the she could think was: tea is water. She could at least count herself a little safe when the tea came. She barely took two steps when the doors shut, leaving the two girls alone in the room with Lee. Watching as Lee took his seat, shuffling the cards and spouting intimidating towards towards them. With a gulp and a relaxing breath she obeyed the man, taking a seat across from him. The cards were dealt and the waterbender reached forward, the tips of her fingers touching the tops of the cards lightly and sliding them her way, though she didn't dare take a look at them yet as Lee began to speak once more.

She resisted the urge to look back at Ling and decided to go ahead and speak before she looked at her cards and lost the nerve. "We're searching for a shipment of stolen spices,"[/color] she said, pacing her words though her thoughts were in jumbles. "And we were told you might have the information that could help us."[/color] Finally she looked at her cards with the feeling she had beginners luck on her side as she was paired with two eights (one earth kingdom, the other fire nation), a Princess (water tribe), and a three and a two (both earth kingdom). Now what? Uh, she placed a bet, right? "I bet five yuans?"[/color] she asked, remembering the initial conversation about how big the wager was to be.

"So, what is your price, Lee, for the information?"[/color][/blockquote]

Ooc; eek! This was confusing to write. I spent about an hour looking up how to play this game (I don't play a lot of card games) and whatnot. It's not a great post, but I'm still trying to break into character. Sorry!

This user is a former member

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 5, 2012 13:29:36 GMT -6

OOC: Don't worry about the game! Haha. It's just a segue into Lee hiring the girls, I don't think we'll actually play. Zombi isn't so great at poker either. =P

——

Ling nodded. "Of course," she whispered back. Anything for Mei. Always. She stood as well, bowing a little to gesture her sister go ahead of her. Lee brought them to a room, painted blue. Instantly, the hairs on the back of Ling's neck stood straight up; Hyuk-jae was not in the room, and Lee shut the door behind her. Quickly, she gave Lee the briefest of glances and weighed her chances against him in a fist-fight. The problem was, of course, he was a complete unknown. If he were a bender of any sort, she would be outmatched without her knives. There was no way out, either, so if a scuffle were heard they would have to fight the entire building just to leave. She couldn't put Mei through that — she was unarmed, too.

She decided to let things play out, and the young woman kept a pleasant smile on her face the whole time. Lee dealt the cards and asked why they were really there, and the smile became genuine. Of course he would know that they had another motive. Nothing less from someone of obvious import in the gambliest-gambley place in town. Ling resisted the urge to look at Mei's cards, resisted the urge to coach. Mei, honest as ever, blurted out their mission.

Ling leaned back in her seat casually, and interjected. "Before this goes on, however, I have to say that Hyuk-jae is our friend. Or at least, we'd like him to be. I met him a few weeks ago, and I know he has a condition —-" the freckled woman gambled again, this time on the fact that Lee was the kind of person who would know, "—- and I know that his day job isn't cutting it." Ling left out his 'other' job. If Lee was a client of that, there would be no use mentioning it. "You seem to care for him, at least somewhat." Another gamble. "So please rest assured that we genuinely want to befriend him, as much as he'll let us."

Mei bet five yuans on their game, then asked Lee his actual price. Ling nodded in approval and agreement. This could go either really well for them, or really badly. She glanced briefly at the door, hoping that Hyuk-jae would come back in the nick of time — for good, or ill.

This user is Mod

Anonymous

Sept 5, 2012 19:50:21 GMT -6

This girl. She didn't have an ounce of guile in her, did she? Lee laughed. "Maybe I do and maybe I don't," he said. "I do hear a lot of things. Doesn't everyone?" As it so happened he knew all about that stolen shipment, including where it was presently residing, but he wasn't about to tell them all that.

"I bet five yuans?"

Lee laughed yet again. "Oh no," he said. "You're too easy to beat — I have no intention of playing a card game with you, sweetheart. Thanks for the offer of your fiver, though." How cute. He playfully flipped over a card and tossed chestnut hair out of his eyes. "We can play if you really want to, but we'll save it for a moment, shall we?"

While unwilling to discuss his... friend?'s... private affairs, Lee nodded when Ling mentioned Hyuk-jae's situation. Privately, Lee the Gentle would have liked to see the young man move in elsewhere and stop working at night altogether, but he would never betray those feelings to someone he'd just met, least of all someone he viewed as a little girl. No, he didn't want to talk about Hyuk-jae — but Ling was barking up exactly the right tree.

"So please rest assured that we genuinely want to befriend him, as much as he'll let us."

Steepling his fingers before his face, the green-eyed man looked solemn and thoughtful for a moment. "All right," he said. "I'll tell you what. We'll do an even trade." Holding up a finger, he paused. "You want information from me. Well, I'd like you to get some information for me." He'd put the request and Ling's watchful gaze together already, assuming the girls could do petty detective work. "I don't know how much you know about Hyuk-jae, but there are a few things I would like to know. I want you to find his family for me. I assume they are yet living."

Lee already knew that Hyuk-jae's father had, at least when the boy was small, worked as an electricity provider in the power plants. He knew the young man's last name, and that his parents had been married. "I can give you his last name and a starting point. If you can find his family for me, I'll tell you... almost everything you want to know about a certain ship." The gangster raised an eyebrow, glancing at the door. He wanted this deal made before Hyuk-jae came back, and they were running out of time.

"Do we have a deal?"

This user is a former member

Anonymous

Sept 6, 2012 21:12:07 GMT -6

So he probably does know what they need to know but was stretching it out? Perhaps she should have left the talking to Ling because it felt like she just said something she shouldn't have... despite the fact that's what they came here for. This really didn't make a lot of sense, this indirect way of business, but maybe it was for the best that she didn't. Mei had her own strengths so not knowing street lingo wasn't going to be a big hole in her security. The hole in her security was her lack of water; when was Hyuk-jae coming back with the tea? Simply knowing she could defend herself when she needed to would be enough to put her at ease if only a little.

"Oh... okay," she said, feeling the blood rush towards her face. She had really thought that's what she would be doing while they discussed 'business'. "No, I'm fine," she said, placing her cards down and resting her hands on her lap (though she used the word "resting" rather loosely). Then what had been with Ling telling her the rules of the game if she wasn't going to play? Well, she couldn't expect Ling to know what Lee was thinking, now could she? Thank the spirits that her sister came and began to talk, letting the waterbender relax slightly and relieving her the worry she would mess something up.

Mei nodded slightly as he spoke for the price of the information they wanted. Information for information? That sounded easy enough: that was something she could do later. This kind of thing - this shady gambling talk and business- might not be her forte, but she was intelligent enough to search for information, depending on what he wanted of course.

Family? Tracking down family that may or may not be alive? How was she- no. She wasn't going to psyche herself out before hand, knowing well she was capable of such research. And with a last name and a starting point, she felt a wave of stress fall off her shoulders, even accidentally letting out a sigh. That probably wasn't the best thing she could have done, but this ordeal was soon to be over, so she just needed to stick it out a little while longer. The woman watched Lee carefully as he offered the deal, noticing that his eyes had been darting back and forth from the door. Perhaps Ling's friend was coming back soon. Thank the spirits for the soon to be present tea.

She turned to her head to see her sister's cute face, full of little freckles. "Shall we?"

[/color] she asked, deciding it was for the best if she let Ling take over again and let herself become as much of a wallflower as she could mange.[/blockquote]

This user is a former member

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 7, 2012 2:06:46 GMT -6

Putting a hand on Mei's arm, Ling took charge of the situation. She turned her grey-blue gaze to Lee, her eyes shrewd and calculating, her mind racing. Find Hyuk-jae's family? This wasn't going to be easy. Not because Lee had been vague (though there was that), but because it was apparent that Lee was a resourceful and cunning man. If he hadn't been able to locate Hyuk-jae's family, hadn't been able to discern if they were dead or alive, then they would have their work cut out for them.

But this case was even more important, now; not only would this make or break their bank and reputation as private investigators, but because this involved Hyuk-jae. If they could find his parents, then maybe he wouldn't live in squalor anymore! He could get proper clothes, proper meals, and get someone to take care of him properly, with his condition. With a final glance at Mei, she nodded curtly at Lee. "You have a deal," she said brusquely. "But I trust you about as far as I can throw you, as I'm sure you'll understand." She gestured to the room. "This place isn't exactly known for it's honest, upstanding patrons."

Crossing her arms across her chest, she spoke quickly. "I assume you got Hyuk-jae out of the way on purpose, which means you don't want him to know that you're doing this for him. He's been pretty tight-lipped about his family, which would probably mean that he's not too keen on letting people in. You asked us, which means that you, and/or your people, haven't been able to find anything." She leaned back in her seat, her eyes narrowed, eyebrow cocked.

"So how bad is it?" Ling cut to the chase. "How big of a dead-end are we talking about here?" She paused, then groaned. "Oh, please don't tell me his last name is something like Kim. There are hundreds of Kims in this city alone, not to mention United Republic — or hell, this whole continent." Ling made a face. "It has to be something like that, or you would've found them already."

This user is Mod

Anonymous

Sept 7, 2012 12:15:15 GMT -6

Chuckling a little at Mei's obvious relief, the gangster shrugged. "You looked too terrified to play with," he said. "And I never play for such small change." It wasn't fun if it wasn't risky, after all. Where was the risk in five yuans? No, the game was just a ruse — a cover to get them in a private space.

"You asked us, which means that you, and/or your people, haven't been able to find anything."

Laughing, Lee eyed Ling with bright eyes. "Oh, I like you," he said. "Actually, no, I haven't had my people look for his parents at all. You'll be doing all your own legwork for this." Hyuk-jae had, in the past, asked Lee not to find his parents, and the man had complied. However, he hadn't asked the girls not to find them, and Lee was counting on that loophole.

"Oh, please don't tell me his last name is something like Kim."

"Not at all," said Lee, smiling. "His last name isn't Kim. It's the same as mine — Lee." There was a noise by the door and he paused, glancing at it. The next words wee spoken quickly, and in a tone that implied they'd not be repeated again. "His father is a Firebender, last employed in the power plants. See what you can find." The young man stood up, indicating he didn't wish to speak further about the topic, and opened the door.

Hyuk-jae glared at him. "What did you lock it for?!" he demanded, coming in with no tea in hand.
"Where's the tea?" asked Lee, leaving the door open. "Didn't you go for tea? What is this?"
The slender young man cast a withering glance at Mei. "I can't bring tea with a Waterbender in the room," he said.
"Oh." Lee spared another, longer glance for Mei. "... I see. Well, I suppose it can wait." He smiled easily.

Hyuk-jae sighed. He had been hoping to eat before he left. Stupid Waterbenders. He rubbed the back of his neck, noticing the cards. "Did you already play?" he asked. "I know I was gone forever — I got stopped by Ping."
"We've had our fun," said Lee. "In fact, we were just finishing up here..."

Ah, he'd missed it! Hyuk-jae wasn't sure whether to be happy or annoyed. On one hand, any time not in the room with a Waterbender was good for him. On the other hand, he hadn't even gotten to see Lee very much and they were already going to have to go! Maybe he could stay...

This user is a former member

The Avatar RP

Previously, on Avatar...

The Moderation Team

Latest TARP News