Plot Update 10 March 2021
A year has passed since Fire Lord Zuko ascended the throne, and it seems like trouble is brewing between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom once more. The Fire Lord and the Avatar began the Harmony Restoration Movement to restore the Fire Nation Colonies to their pre-war state by bringing any Fire Nation nationals back home, but for many of the citizens — of mixed Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom … Read more ›
SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
We're making some changes to adjust to our new plot. Sorry for the delay! We will be up and running shortly.
Mike & Bryan leave Netflix Adaptation
The original creators of ATLA quit the Netflix series, citing creative differences & an unsupportive environment.
Port Town Abais
Ji-Lin Tsen ;;
Time seemed to stop as the girl steadily calmed her breathing, closing her eyes as her muscles tightened against that taut drawstring. Lin's stance was wide and grounded, her eyes shut as she concentrated on her hand-to-eye coordination. Archery wasn't a simple as it looked, whatever anyone thought. Being able to focus and be aware of every limb, every organ in your body was a feat in itself. It took long, arduous weeks for her to prefect her technique, and even so, she often missed her target. Her father had taught her to be precise in every movement, not to rush things. At first she had completely disregarded this method of teaching, until he introduced another one. She would be given a lightweight scarlet ball; told to juggle it and balance it, and use it to knock over heavier objects. If she failed, her father would explode, and it took every ounce of concentration not to let the sphere drop. It was harsh, she shuddered at remembering it, but it had made this particular style burn into her mind until she wasn't able to pick up her bow without naturally falling into a proper stance. That said, it also greatly helped with her Firebending. Proper stances and breathing were essential unless you wanted to produce only a tiny whisper of a flame.
Her golden eyes opened again, hard, yet holding a strange, peaceful expression. She held her arm for a moment, trying to feel for any wind that could suddenly blow when she let go of the drawstring. Feeling none, her muscles strained to pull the twine back another inch. She honestly had no clue what hit her, she was lost so deeply in her own little world of concentration. She grunted in annoyance as a hand reached from behind her and she automatically tensed, expecting some sort of ambush. What did happen surprised her, yet it was one of the worst things that could happen. The hand that had shot over her shoulder clasped her arrow and the extra pressure on the twine of her bow was too much; the drawstring snapped with a quiet 'twang'. The shock of it all made the Firebender rolled back onto her heels before anger boiled through her veins and made her flush angrily. Who was this anyway, some sort of pervert? With an irked growl, she lurched to the side, using her weight and the momentum of movement to swing anti-clockwise in a deft roundhouse kick. Flames suddenly burst from her heels, dancing up along her legs as she timed her kick to clip the man in the shoulder.
Not caring enough to see if her attack had connected, she swung backward again and stepped lightly away, her brow creasing in a frown as she inspected her bow. That was the second time in a week, and she hadn't the finances to pay for another string. Twine that would fit this particular style of longbow were more expensive than the norm, and she had always made it her duty to care for them like they were her children. So why was it that she was getting all of the misfortune? Snarling again, her temper rearing up again, she snapped her neck up to inspect the intruder furiously. He was wearing Water Tribe clothing, yet what piqued her interest were his eyes, which were a dazzling green. Quite unusual for one who hailed from the Water Tribes. Lin shook away her curiosity and glared at him, a look in her facial expression that clearly said 'Who that hell are you?'
Village Near Sabaku
Blah. Blah, blah, blah. He didn't know why he had decided to pick a life of nomadicness. Traveling constantly was terrible! The minute you got settled down in one place, you had to pack all of your things up again and move on. Well, guess it wasn't really the traveling life style that did it, but rather the group he had chosen to travel with. Among others, it comprised of the Avatar, and apparently he was on a tight schedule. Something something about defeating the Fire Lord and whatnot. Blah.
Though, also in this group, was his delicious, fantastical --was that even a word? it was now.— man, Lakano. Only a small time had passed since they had met, but Hatsuharu had fallen, and fallen hard. Most of the time, he walked around with an idiotic grin on his face, his head in the clouds. He fantasized every waking moment, and dreamed well when he slept. Not that he and Lakano had .. sealed the deal yet, so to speak. But .. Haru couldn't wait for the day that would happen.
He knew that a lot of people thought he was crazy. No one could possibly fall in love, truly fall in love, in that amount of time. He dared anyone deny it though; the redhead knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that his love for Lakano was real. It was as if his heart was in a constant state of euphoria, feeling like it would burst at any second. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. Lakano made butterflies appear, even if he wasn't around.
Hatsuharu knew that something important was about to 'go down' as it were, in Sabaku. He knew that it was something personal to Lakano and Akita, but he was really hazy on the details [curse Lakano and his distractive-ness!]. Yet, Haru knew that it was going to be a dangerous battle. Shakhran was a name not unknown to him. His father had been a master weapons smith; Shakhran had been one of his primary customers prior to his father's retirement. From what Haru remembered, Shakhran was using the village of Sabaku as a .. weapons.. holdy.. thing. Damn words.
Lakano had been training with Katara on a constant basis... often shirtless. Haru had tried watching, to see his man improve, but he just wound up getting distracted with rippling muscles glistening in the bright sun. The waterbender was a very good source of distraction ... Hmmm. What was he thinking of? Oh, yeah. Training. Katara had more finesse, and skill than Lakano, but he made up for it in sheer power. The young girl had been trying to teach Lakano to temper his power, to get him to balance force with skill. To Haru's untrained eye, it seemed Lakano was having a bit of a rough spot with that.
Truth be told, he worried for the man, and for himself. He knew that everyone in their party could handle themselves ... but last time they had a major fight, Lakano had wound up .. compromised, and Hatsuharu had become like a starved caged tiger suddenly loosed on a village of fat people. The young red head had never been a fighter, but seeing Lakano in trouble infuriated him. Others may have started the fight, but be damned if he wasn't ending it. That worried him. He was as powerful as Lakano when it came to firebending [if he wanted], but was --as Lakano-- completely unskilled. Natural aptitude could only get you so far, and against Shakhran with a small army at his disposal .. mistakes and missteps could be costly.
Hatsuharu wished Lakano would hurry up with his training or what not. The village was small-ish, but it was busy enough. Tall as he was, he stood on his tip-toes, craning his neck to try and see — there! There it was, that unmistakable flash of fiery red in a sea of browns. Haru whistled — one short, one long. That coppery mane whirled around —-
— with a cry of "HARI'I!", she lunged forward, pushing [irate] patrons out of her way. Granted, kimonos were not the best thing for running, but she managed. She could feel Geng Kai behind her, but she ignored him. All that mattered now was that her baby brother was here!
Xiaoyu squealed in delight as she tackled her younger brother. They were the same height, so much alike. She stared into amber eyes that were her own, the same beauty mark, the same soft haughtiness. Her brother had gotten tanner in the past few months, his body more toned. She hugged him tightly, inhaling the scent of him. It was a bit of a start, but she found his scent changed. It was more than just an acquired scent during his travels, but she smelled another on him. Her eyes widened, and she pulled away.
"Are you.. did you..?" she smiled, her incomplete question answered totally by the look of complete contentment on her brother's face. He was positively radiant, everything about him just seemed to glow with a certain, peaceful happiness. She was very happy for him; Haru had gotten hell from their father over his.. er, 'alternative lifestyle choice', and was told he'd never find anyone to love him.
Xiao smiled, beaming at her younger brother, who was beaming back. "You'll need to introduce me to him!" She grabbed his wrist, and dragged them back to their table. "I got your letter, obviously. Is ... your errand completed yet?" She nodded as Haru shook his head. "Good, good, then we made it in time. Are you and your friends prepared for the ... journey ... to deliver your errand?" Her brother shrugged, seemingly uninterested in talking. The voluptuous redhead frowned. "Well, fine, don't talk. But hopefully we'll meet your friends soon." She noticed that Haru was glancing around, as if anticipating another. With an understanding nod, she smiled. "Fair dues."
Village Near Sabaku
"Hey." It was a familiar voice, one that sent little shivers of delight up and down his spine. He shuddered, now, the broad grin on his face getting wider [if that was possible, haha!]. Hatsuharu's heart leaped as Lakano sat next to him, pulling up a chair with a nonchalant grace he envied. He bit his lip, and noticing Lakano's usual stand-offish-ness, grabbed his arm and cuddled it. "Xiao-nee," he said, using his baby name for his sister. "This is Lakano!" The younger redhead giggled, tossing his fiery locks. "Isn't he sexy!?" Haru knew that Lakano would be embarrassed. He didn't really understand it, who cares who looked, who saw! All that mattered was they loved each other, right? Silly man. Silly ... gorgeous ... sexy... he gazed off into the distance.
With a perfectly shaped eyebrow arched, Xiaoyu watched as a very tan, very muscular, very handsome young man pulled up a chair next to her brother. She smiled at Hatsuharu's excitement, her smile identical to his. Her amber eyes glanced up at the young man, taking in the fine visage. She sighed; this is what she and her friends in the dancing business called "Mr. What-a-Waste." This man would no doubt have hundreds of girls just throwing themselves at his feet, and all he wanted was another man. What a waste indeed.
"Lakano, was it?" she said softly, her voice a huskier version of her brother's. It threw people off, usually. With all the grace of a dancer, she placed her perfectly manicured hand over hear heart and inclined her head. "As you guessed, I am Xiaoyu. Please, call me Xiao." She gestured to her companion. "This is my, ah, friend, Geng Kai." The older redhead glanced at her brother, who had a rather idiotic, empty look to his face. She sighed, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Oi, baka," she chided, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes. "Get your head out of the clouds, will you?"
Snap, snap, snap! Hatsuharu was jolted out of his daydream to see a bemused copy of his face starting at him, eyes dancing. The firebender grinned at his sister apologetically. "Sorry, sorry, but I can't help but be distracted! I mean, look at him!" Haru squealed, and flung his arms around the waterbender's neck, nuzzling him gently. "I mean, Xiao, just ... wow, innit?" He giggled, giddy as a school child. He could feel Lakano's muscles were tense, a definite result of whatever training he had done before meeting up with them. He made a mental note to give those a right proper massage that night.
Wheeee! he thought, inwardly twirling and spinning and cartwheeling. Lakano was everything he wanted in a man, and then some. Sure, their personalities were as different as night and day, but it was like the yin and yang of the moon and the sea. Fire and water, an unlikely mix. But, it was there, and it was real. Gently, he brushed a strand of hair from Lakano's face that had escaped his bindings. With great difficulty, he pried himself loose from his boyfriend [ohmigawd, boyfriend, ah-hahahaha!] and settled in his seat. It took all of his self control not to pounce again.
"-ahem.- So, Lakano. Xiao's here to help us with our errand. I wrote to her, you may remember, and she said she'd be willing to help deliver. I think her friend --Geng Kai was it, Xiao-nee?— is here to help as well." Hatsuharu glanced at the man. He was silent, morose. He had hardly said a word since meeting them, just sat there like a bump on a log. How utterly boring. And yet... he had traveled this far with his sister. There had to be more than just a friendship between the two. Geng Kai... Geng Kai... that name sounded somewhat familiar. Unaware, Haru pursed his lips and furrowed his brow as he attempted to place the name.
Suddenly, it dawned on him. He gaped at the man, then at his sister, then back at the man, then back at his sister. No...way. No way! What on earth where these two doing traveling together? Hatsuharu glared at his sister accusingly. You're letting yourself be used! his eyes told her. What was Xiaoyu thinking? Wasn't one time enough? She could have any straight man she wanted, and she had to stick with this loser?
Xiaoyu could feel the heat creeping up her neck as realization hit her younger brother. He glared at her, his eyes demanding explanations, his look clearly stating he thought she was letting Geng Kai use her. She glared right back at him, her eyebrow arched defiantly. I'll explain later, just shut up! The voluptuous woman tossed her fiery red man back haughtily, placing her left hand on Geng Kai's right knee. A slight breeze blew through the open door, and her pink jasmine scent wafted lazily through the air. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw other patrons glancing surreptitiously around for the source of the scent. She ignored them.
"So, Lakano," Xiaoyu continued, as if the silent exchange between her and her brother had never occurred. "As Hari'i says, we" Xiao added an extra emphasis on the word for Hatsuharu's benefit, "are here to help you with your delivery, by any means possible." The young woman shifted uncomfortably under her brother's gaze.
Who was he to judge who she traveled with? Sure, Geng Kai had showed her a great night, then left her bereft and broken the next morning. But they had reconciled! True, she still desired him, after all the heart ache he had put her through --despite it all. But, they'd been traveling for a while now, and he'd not even made one move in her direction. She was trying so hard to captivate him, like she captivated countless others, and he was just not taking it.
It was infuriating. They traveled together, slept in the same inn room --always separate beds, but no matter-— shared meals; why could she not get him to look twice at her?
Random Village! {{LOL Huntzorz}}
She nodded wordlessly, her dark eyes dull against her pale skin. Her kinswoman was right, she needed to focus on the mission at hand. If she was to be the leader of the Hunt in the place of Halaku, she needed to be even a fraction as strong of a leader as he was. Oh, Halaku. He had been her rock, the light in the dreariness of her existence. And now, now he was gone.
Nanashi touched her abdomen. Hidden away in her stomach bandages was a small memorial tablet with Halaku's name, and the name of their unborn child written in beautiful calligraphy down the side. She said a silent prayer to Koh to watch over their spirits. As she walked through to the seedier part of town, Nanashi couldn't help but realize she felt .. well, nothing. She was just empty.
It wasn't that she no longer mourned the loss of Halaku and their baby... it was more that the pain no longer came through, as if there was some wall that blocked it from her mind and heart. The young woman said a quick prayer of thanks to Koh. Maybe now she could focus on the mission at hand — destroying the Avatar.
Suddenly, Nanashi stood taller. What was the use of mourning? If Halaku died, that meant he was weaker than she thought. It didn't stop her loving him any, but this was, after all, a world where the strong ate the weak. The child was obviously also weak; perhaps Koh had taken his blessing from her because it would not fit the strength she had to give. The colour returned to her cheeks.
She turned to her kinswoman, smiling like her former self —- that empty, joyless smile. "Come, Jiao-san," she said, gesturing. "I believe I hear Toph-san and Jun-san over that way. Or, at least, I smell the stables." Nanashi laughed, and continued on her way.
It was a familiar emotion, or lack thereof, rather. She felt this way after 'Gure-nii was murdered. She had stopped caring then, thrown away her morals and become one of the most feared Galgori assassins on the market. Nanashi vowed to become the same killing machine again, in honour of her fallen husband, leader, and comrade. She touched the two katana at her side, and took comfort at the feel of the other two on her back. Spotting a familiar face, she waved her arm. "Ne, ne!" she the young woman called.
She stopped; even before the voice sounded, she knew. "They're here," Toph told Jun, jerking her thumb in a direction behind her. "Ne, ne!" she heard, moments later. The young earthbender smiled. It was good to be awesome. Then she frowned, her brow furrowing. There was something different about Nanashi. Her heart was no longer that melancholy beat, but rather more similar to the heartbeat she had when they had first met. It was slightly different, but it was overall more like how she used to be.
Her footsteps were once again light as a feather, rather than the dull, dragging steps she had been taking. Good, Toph thought. Something had happened in the short separation, either something Jiao said, or a personal epiphany, but it seemed as if Nanashi would be OK. The girl was a little concerned at the speed in which this transformation occurred. She hoped there wouldn't be any repercussions in the immediate future, if at all.
Personally, she was baffled by the Galgori woman. When they had first met, she had been a fierce warrior, uncaring, bloodthirsty, polite. When Nanashi fell in love with Halaku, she was still just as fierce, just as bloodthirsty, just as polite, but she cared. Her actions were no longer rash, no longer without a thought for her own personal safety. It held her back, just a little. Now... now Toph could sense that she was reckless again, but not like before. Before, the recklessness was from a lack of interest in life. It was strange, but now it seemed that Nanashi had a drive, a purpose.
Curious, indeed.
She turned to face the two of them, her milk-grey eyes unseeing. "I have a bit of bad news," Toph announced with out much preamble. "They're not here. There's no one in this entire village that matches their heart beat, nor their footstep, nor their group size — nothing." Morosely, she kicked a nearby rock. "What do you guys want to do now?"
Port Town Abais
Ji-Lin Tsen ;;
It satisfied her almost to the point of laughing aloud that she had nearly burnt his face beyond recognition. Of course, his reflexes were sharp, but she knew from the way he exclaimed as she kicked out that he hadn't been expecting it. The amount of talk he created was actually rather overwhelming and she watched silently, tensely, as he quickly pulled out a blade. She didn't want trouble. Again she asked herself, why did she get all the misfortune? All she had done was practice her archery. Glaring hotly at the water tribesman across from her, she swiveled her head and looked behind her. The archer watched as a rather largely inherited woman watched them, almost panicked at the commotion. The girl's expression dropped into an annoyed one, her mouth pressed into a thin line. She slowly turned back to look at the man, irked that he would assume that she would pick off some random civilian. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed that he was examining her, and she soon began to feel uncomfortable under his emerald stare. She opened her mouth to speak to him roughly, but instead smirked as he lifted his head to locate the smell of smoke.
'Yeah, you're burning, you buffoon.' She grinned to herself as the man finally noticed that his shirt was on fire and began frantically patting the small flames out. The girl was tempted to throw another small flame at him, just to get him even more wound up, but foregone it to pick up her cloak and throw it over her shoulders. She observed silently as he tore off his shirt and began to stare at it sadly, slowly taking in that she had already et him know that she could manifest fire. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at herself, shaking her head with an angry sigh. Sometimes she felt she just wanted to scream her troubles out to the world, but even so, she couldn't do it, because of both physical and mental reasons. She looked up suddenly after catching movement from the corner of her eye and saw Kei looking down on them in boredom, a half-sneer plastered on the hawk's face. The girl rolled her eyes, turning again to face the man as he addressed her with a snarl. So it was her fault? Her fault for reacting on instinct when the water-rat sneaked up behind her and made her snap her drawstring? No, she didn't think so.
She thought about what she would say for a moment, dreading the thought of speech before she sighed irritably and attempted to explain things to the man in as little words possible. She just wanted to get out of here. "I wasn't going to shoot her. I was practicing." She rasped hoarsely, her voice weak from misuse, "And you owe me a drawstring, thank you very much." She finished petulantly, forcing away the wince from the sting of speaking and glaring at the lad with as much force as he was using; refusing to yield. She held up her arm and without a moments notice the Hawk flew down to perch on her arm. She had recently trained him (it was agonizing) to come to her without a call of some sort. Lin throw a final, haughty glare at the water tribesman before pulling up her hood, putting Kei on her shoulder and strolling out of the alleyway briskly, hoping to lose the man in the crowds.
Port Town Abais
Ji-Lin Tsen ;;
And still, she faintly heard his voice as she nervously made her way through the crowds. She was even braving this torture to try and get away from the man, yet he still insisted on chasing her because she ruined his shirt. Well why didn't he just go buy a new one? The girl heaved her shoulder up slightly, a silent command for Kei to take flight, hoping the movement would help her lose the pesky water tribesman. The bird ruffled his feathers for a moment, irked that the girl would summon him then send him off almost right after, but spread his wings nonetheless, his feathers whistling as the wind played along their smoother surface. He glided along on an updraft above the crowd, keeping close; his master's fear scent was pungent, and he knew that there would be trouble if she was caught like this. Ji-Lin wasn't expecting the man to catch up to quickly, and leaped away after looking backwards and hearing commotion. He ran right past her, followed closely by lumbering fire-nation guards. 'So he's a trouble maker, huh?' She thought to herself, watching without interest for a moment before turning to look back at the doorway she had stepped into.
And it was a weapons shop, how convenient! A rare smile touched the girl's lips and she immediately made her way through the open and inviting doorway, hoping to find a cheap drawstring she could use with the little money she had. As soon as she entered, the young man serving at the counter looked suspicious, and the elder beside him looked rather fearful. She observed them in an irritated fashion before turning and rolling her eyes, intent on getting her jobs done. What she saw did amaze her; she wondered briefly how the two men managed to afford such brilliant looking bows. Beaver-swan feathers lined one shelf, along with strange, thin fletches she hadn't seen before. The arrows were designed beautifully and came in a magnificent range; shortbows, longbows, even those recently invented cross bows. She was tempted to buy one of these things, if only to make her own ash bow look stunning, but shook her head and made her way to the drawstrings.
The one she needed was the cheapest one there.
At first she had glared at it suspiciously, thinking it a fake, but shortly after picking it up and inspecting it closely, she knew it was genuine. She danced inside but calmed herself, delicately picking up the string again and bringing it over to the counter and plucking the needed coins from the purse she carried everywhere. The hood was still shrouding her face in shadows, and the man even tried to bend down to spot her face, making the firebender dip her head further into her chest. "16 gold pieces please." The earth kingdom man grunted, holding out his hand while the girl picked out an extra two pieces tediously. 'Stupid, lying, thieving little-' Her thoughts were interrupted by the sweet tinkling of the wind chimes above the shop door, and she turned around curiously after handing the man the needed amount of money. She ambled over curiously, taking in the faded papyrus with a raised eyebrow.
WANTED
The Jade Eyed Pirate
Crimes: Freeing a prisoner, public defiance, and assault against the Fire Nation guard.
Her eyebrow was raised, the girl was completely astounded at her good luck. Wasn't he searching for her? She could easily wait a while and make herself blatantly obvious. Once he approached, she could rough him up a little, maybe shoot him for snapping her drawstring. With a quick nod to herself, the girl concreted her decision and made her way out the door, the only remembrance of actually being in the run-down-yet-expensive shop being the sweet chime of the wind singer above the door. She made her way through the crowds briskly for about a half hour, her hood down and her face completely free from any shadows. She even stood at the town square stature (of a past avatar) for a moment, her eyes skimming the various heads of different people. Yet she couldn't find the familiar dark hair, tanned complexion and bright, jade eyes of the man who had so petulantly called her a 'hothead'. What a water rat...
With an irritated sigh, she pushed herself off the carved wooden statue, pulling up her hood again and forcefully pushing her way through the crowds. Although she didn't really need it, seeing the glimpse of bright scarlet underneath her white cloak made the civilians want to avoid her anyway. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. The only words that came to mind about all this was that they were being immature. Sure, there were some fire nation citizens out there who supported Ozai (including herself, to a point) but many of them served the fire nation only to protect their family. There were also a lot of disloyal firebenders out there, willing to help any type of rebellion. Although it was her job to catch and incapacitate those specific people, she felt that they shouldn't be judged on sight alone. A view on which a lot of fire nation people agreed on. The crowds were slowly becoming sparser the further away from the bustling marketplace she ambled, and there were more alleyways, too. She knew she could protect herself easily, yet she kept her muscles tense and her sense sharp. You'd never know when you could get an ambush.
And then she spotted that familiar shade of white, slumped down in an alleyway. The girl stopped and looked over, her eyes trailing over the man's figure before their golden expanse lit with recognition and she skipped away before he noticed her. She'd have to get him somehow. Awh, to hell with being subtle. She literally charged at the man, pulling out her newly string bow and notching an arrow. She pulled it back gently, noticing that the strung the weapon a little too tightly and released quickly before the pressure became too much. The arrow whistled through the air and landed between the resting man's legs with a threatening thump sound. It dug its way at least an inch into the earth below the man and she approached quickly, notching another arrow and pointing it at him with a warning.
"Just come with me. Silently." She rasped, her voice only a tad stronger from her previous enunciation. "Be a good water rat and I won't be forced to give you a rather ugly burn." She warned, a smirk playing on her cold face. Well, that last part she was only half serious about.
))Port Town Abais
Ji-Lin Tsen ;;
Appearances could be deceiving, really. Not in the way that you usually expect, however, and this time she actually used the term to describe herself. Even when she was younger, she had never threatened to shoot someone, never pointing an arrow at another human being unless it was strictly for defensive means. Her life had changed since she had left her mother and she didn't know if it was for the better or for the worse. Sure, this was helping the fire nation and she'd no doubt get a hefty sum for bringing this... troublemaker in, but honestly, capturing too many people puts a risk on your life. Humans were vengeful, no matter what they thought. Her thoughtful frown deepened as the man flashed his silver blade, and, in all honesty, the gleam of light against metal startled her for a moment. Obviously he would feel no regret in killed her, but she wouldn't just let him go. She wouldn't give up without a fight, not on her life. She needed the money that the capture of this guys offered, and she sure as hell wouldn't pass it up.
She grunted in affirmation, feeling slightly relieved as the man sheathed his sword again, albeit slowly. She scowled slightly in irritation as she arced around him, jabbing the arrow at his back roughly and taking his last sentence as an insult to her birthplace. "Watch it water-rat. I'm loyal." She broke off in a quiet tone, her voice nearly lost and the sting in her throat becoming unbearable. "Now you'll give me the money you owe me, won't you?" She growled in a whisper, putting pressure onto the arrow to motion him forward. She whistled lowly, calling Kei to her side, and murmured under her breath to the Hawk.
"Find some Fire Nation soldiers and have them follow you here."
Port Town Abais
Ji-Lin Tsen ;;
Kei nodded with a quiet chirp, his wings stretching off as he took off gracefully from Lin's cloaked shoulders. She watched him go with a cold frown, her eyes growing distant for a moment before her attention returned to the man before her. She still couldn't quite believe it; she was still on a quite potent high now that she realized she had actually caught someone. It gave her a strange sense of satisfaction and excitement, and her golden brown eyes gleamed. Hopefully she would get a good reward for getting this guy to where he belonged; into a cell. Or perhaps an asylum, both seemed fine to her. She could give at least three quarters of her winnings to her mother, but, then again, she never knew where her money went. Last time she had sent something, she hadn't gotten a reply. The firebender swallowed thickly, thinking of the many abhorrent things that could've happened to her mother. Or perhaps Kei was simply intercepted, and her money taken. Her eyes flashed with rage at that thought, her lip lifting in a grimace. The thought of Fire Nation; her own country taking her money for booze and whatnot filled her with disgust. She'd find out what had happened to it, but perhaps she should deliver the money first hand this time. But, of course, that would also mean going on a boat again.
"Maybe you should." She whispered tersely in response to his snide comment, her neck craned upward and her eyes scanning the skies for Kei. It was getting dark. She didn't quite like that dark; it made everything seem even smaller. She was already rather pale due to the two standing in an alley. Already her mind was creating warped images of the walls suddenly closing in and leaving her with no way out. She inhaled deeply, exhaling through her mouth slowly and trying to expel any of the fears. It was an idea that usually worked when her claustrophobia became a bit too much. She smiled slightly in relief when her fears lessened slightly. It was like a weight off her shoulders whe-
'Fire flake?!' She scowled furiously, her head snapping down and her eyes boring furiously into the back of the man's head, as if her gaze alone would set it on fire. She didn't respond, simply seethed with rage at his idiotic nickname and tried to keep her temper in check. She did rather easily, the last of her rage rolling out of her mouth in the form of a hoarse sigh. It was mandatory to keep a hold of powerful emotions like anger; especially when you were a fire bender. The power you had was all dependent on how you felt. She could easily-
Her thoughts were shattered once again as the water tribesman in front of her boldly began speaking again; this time making fun of the bandages around her neck and questioning sarcastically on how she had obtained them. She grit her teeth, her pulse racing as her anger nearly made her drive the arrow through his back. But a dead scapegoat would be worth nothing to the Fire nation. Even she knew that they liked to humiliate the men behind bars, especially if they were from any other kingdom. Not very benevolent, but however. She growled lowly to herself, her eyes burning as she responded to his comment with a threatening voice; something the shouldn't be taken lightly from someone who rarely expressed things like herself. "Shut your mouth or you'll regret it, water-rat." Lin snarled, pulling the arrow back and prodding him sharply again. "You may even have an accidental death by arrow." She added dangerously, not taking an ounce of pressure from the shaft of wood. There was quiet for a moment and the girl was relieved, bathing in the silence and looking up again for the familiar hawk.
The man suddenly turned around, much to her surprise, and looked down at her. Lin took a step back cautiously, fully taking in how much bigger and brawnier than her she was. Sure, she had the advantage of being able to bend (for surely if he could waterbend he would have used it) but he had a much larger advantage. Then he suddenly commented on how her voice sounded, startling her viciously into taking another step backward. Nobody had ever talked about her voice; maybe given her a few peculiar stares, but that was about the worst of it. She felt the most peculiar sensation behind her eyes and, her nose wrinkling, took in a deep shuddering breath. That was about the time when anger took over. She relaxed her arm calmly, pulling the arrow out and placing it in her quiver and pulling the bow over her head to let it rest around her shoulders.
The firebender then proceeded to look up at the man with an almost friendly glance, trying to deceive him. "You'll regret that." She whispered, glaring at the man hotly. She looked down at her feet, breathing deeply in an attempt to gain control of her emotions. She blinked slightly, still stinging from his harsh words before looking up again. She suddenly snarled and lunged at him, aiming to tackle into his chest and take him down. Sure, her weight wasn't much, but her palm glowed red and flamed licked up along her arm as her closed fist burst into controlled flames. Let's see how much he would hurt now. Dead or alive, she'd get her revenge for that.
