Yi couldn’t understand this feeling he was experience… The pressure and softness of Li’s head on his shoulder felt indescribable! Her skin was softer then silk, and her hair smelt of sprint rain. Yi was in ecstasy, She felt oh so good against him; he didn’t want this moment to end until the end of time… he couldn’t help but shed a single tear of joy… he loved this feeling oh so much… he couldn’t help but rest his head softly on hers. He smile was still visible; he closed his eyes and cherished the moment as best he could… he was happy now… his memories will no longer be filtered and censored by anyone… he will forever remember this one moment… forever….

“You don't have to worry about talking about it. I won't bring it up. You don't have to tell me if you are uncomfortable talking about it.”

Yi smiled in understanding…As her hand gripped his; he could only lock on to hers just as tight. Wonderful sensations shot up his and flooded his mind and his heart… Things were indeed getting better; but he still felt empty inside, the voice left a void in his mind and he was still pained by the void… he wished Li could feel it.. But she couldn’t… The void was a part of him… and until the voice came back... he would never be complete…

“Yi...your sister? Was she nice?”

Yi searched his now unblocked memories for anything about his sister… but there was nothing… not a single memory existed of her… “I don’t remember much about my sister… I never really knew here… My parents kept her away from me… I don’t even know what she looks like…”, replied Yi softly…

Lifting her head only momentarily, Li Mei looked sadly at Yi. He didn't even know what she looked like. Her head returned to his shoulder and she drew her knees up to her chest. She had something to say...but was unsure if she wanted to say it. Her shoulders heaved as her mind became shrouded in memories. Her arms felt numb and almost as if they didn't work.

"I'm sorry, Yi..." she replied sadly. Why was she so sad when she felt so wonderful just a few moments ago. Yi made her feel safe and warm. And for the first time since she parted ways with her mother, she felt something other than loneliness. She knew this was Yi's doing.

Her heart ached and she wished she could find the words to talk and express how she felt at this moment. But they were lost, swimming in the torrents of memories of her mind.

Yi couldn’t help but feel guilty… Li sounded so sad… and it was his fault… It was always his fault… What made Yi’s guilt worse… was the fact that she had been helping him and he was giving nothing but sorrow back... it ate away at him… making him feel lower then he already was… He was so happy… yet so sad... depressed yet joyful… Yi’s body couldn’t process these raw emotions correctly… They were all new to him… they hurt him… they made him feel terrible…he was lost in them… Yi wanted more… more pressure… more of these feelings... they were sad... yet addicting... he craved them... even thought he hated them... he needed them…

Yi’s body was alive with activity, sensations jumped from nerve to nerve in his body. Yi knew the Li was hurting herself by taking care of him… He didn’t want that at all... she was so nice... so soft... she should have to burden herself by being forced to listen to his depressing life. Yi did the only thing he could think of… he knew that when Li wrapped her arms around him, he felt so much better… maybe it will work for her? Yi summoned all the traces of courage he had left in him and hesitantly wrapped his arm around Li’ back, he had never done this before… he hoped he was doing it right. He gently pulled her closer to him… her body felt so well against his, her warmth and softness sent a chill of pleasure down his spine.

“I’m sorry Li.. I shouldnt push my burdens onto you… you have been nothing but nice to me… and I have been nothing but depressive. You should not have to hear my problems…’, apologized Yi softly, trying not to speak loudly… since her head was right there next to his. Yi was in awe, he did not want this to fade away…

There was a warm feeling starting at the top of her head and spreading down the very tips of her toes. This feeling began when she felt Yi's arm around her. She sighed contently and smiled. She felt so much better now. The memories that haunted her mind slowly began melting away and suddenly didn't matter anymore. Perhaps they never mattered at all. After all, it was in the past. And that's where it belonged.

"Yi, you have nothing to apologize for. I depressed myself with all these thoughts of dad. I'm usually alone when I think about him so I simply shed my tears and then this...thing that I call a life moves on." She didn't want to cry, for the simple fact that she didn't want Yi to see her that way.

She gave his hand an affectionate squeeze as she shut her eyes. "You've been a great comfort to me and I really do appreciate it."

Yi felt her hand squeeze his. The pressure was greatly welcomed. Yi’s mind was lost in so many great feelings he had never felt before; happiness… joy… pleasure… all new to him and they felt oh so good. Yi sighed quietly in utter bliss; closing his eyes and savoring every moment. Time became an abstract thing to Yi, it seemed like so much time had passed. Even though Yi hated silence, he didn’t care right now… his mind was too busy experiencing these strange, yet wonderful, new feelings.

The mood was abruptly interrupted by the low leveled growling of Yi’s stomach. He raised his head slightly and glanced out the window. Even though the blinds were covering most of the window, a few cracks between them allowed him to see out. Judging by the sun light hitting the wall adjacent to his door, he could guess that it was getting late… really late… his stomach reminding him that it was dinner time. As much as he hated doing this... he had to break his contact with Li… he was getting hungrier and hungrier. He thought of what he could do…

“It’s getting late…there is a restaurant just a block down the road… that is... if you’re hungry…, offered Yi in his usual quiet, non threatening and almost submissive voice. He pulled his head off Li and glanced down at her head that still rested on his shoulder.

((OOC: Sorry, I was visiting with family))

Li Mei heard Yi's growling stomach and she looked up at him and smiled. "Someone's hungry..." she said playfully. She slowly got to her feet when she heard Yi explain about the restaurant. She grabbed both his hands to pull him to his feet. Her cheeks flushed a bright red when her own stomach growled softly. Now she had no reason to tease him.

"Guess I'm hungry too...Let's go before we keel over." she said with a small smile. She a whole lot better now that the subject had been switched from their dark pasts. There would be plenty of time to speak of those things later. Li Mei was much better at being cheerful. And she wanted to see Yi happy too.

((oh no problem… I’m just getting caught up on homework >.< ))

Yi could only blush at Li’s comment about his loud stomach. He was indeed hungry…He felt Li lift herself off his shoulder, leaving a somewhat numb sensation where her head used to be. The air around his shoulder and neck felt cold compared to the heat from Li’s head. His shoulder felt lighter and more moveable… He guessed the pressure and weight from Li’s head made his shoulder feel lighter, the muscles used to carrying the pressure. When Li reached for his hands and pulled him up, Yi helped slightly; not wanting Li to strain herself too much… While in the process of standing up, Yi heard Li’s stomach growl. He couldn’t help my let out a low, quiet chuckle.

” Guess I'm hungry too...Let's go before we keel over.”

A playful smile slowly grew across his face as he walked over to the dresser and pulled out the second drawer. Inside was a bunch of organized trinkets.. Yi never paid much attention to them… but they served a purpose… The voice in Yi’s head was a cunning man… very secretive and mysterious. Amongst the seemingly useless toys, small jars and other trinkets sat a rather old looking wooden toy. It looked like a big box; it was deep and heavy. Yi placed it on top of the dresser and examined the box carefully. The voice told Yi how to make this box… it was special, and the perfect place to hide things. Zian unlatched the lid and opened the large lid… inside… there was nothing.

Yi ran his finger along the edge of the box, as if trying to feel something. Then it touched it, a small thin wooden block with rounded edges. Yi quickly pulled it up and slid open the side of the box. Inside was a large cache of gold pieces that Yi has be hoarding to himself… Yi would rather starve now and save up for later, then to splurge himself and have nothing… The voice was indeed a smart man… always thinking of the future. Yi sighed and pulled out a small handful of gold pieces and closed the box back up. He carefully placed the wooden box amongst the trinkets and closed the drawer. He stuffed the coins in his pocket and walked over to Li and smiled. He slid open the door and allowed a cold rush of air to blow into the room sending a chill down his spine… He only hoped the Li would be ok in the wind... for he had no jackets.

Li Mei smiled as she heard Yi laugh. That was the first time she had ever heard it and it was nice. She went over to her old clothes and began searching through the pockets of her tunic. Once she found her coin pouch, she emptied the contents into her hand. Six gold pieces and a coin from the Northern Water Tribe fell into her hand. She had best not spend the Water Tribe since she wanted to attract as little attention as possible. Then a wonderful idea came to mind. "Oh Yi...I have something I want to give you." She moved toward him. Lifting his hand, she placed the silver coin in his palm and smiled up at him. "It's money from the Water Tribe. I thought you might like to have it."

The gold pieces in her other palm clanged together as she shoved it down in the pockets of her new pants. Li Mei followed Yi to the door and as she slid it open, she shivered slightly from the cold wind. How she wished she had brought her parka with her when she left the North Pole. But it was okay. It wasn't like she hadn't experienced anything colder than this before. She caught up with Yi and hesitantly reached for his hand again. She wrapped her hand around his and smiled at the warmth of his hand. And all of a sudden, the cold of the air didn't matter anymore.

Yi closed the door behind them and latched it shut. In one hand he had the silver coin and the other hand was Li. Yi gently placed the silver coin into his pocket, and gently squeezed Li’s hand. He smiled faintly as he began to walk around the shop and towards the street. “Thank you for the coin, it’s so beautiful… a brilliant work of art…I shall cherish it… forever”, commented Yi in his regular soft voice. Waves of joy flooded his body as he held Li’s hand. He loved it… he cherished it…

A slight chill ran up his body. He could only imagine how cold Li was… When they reached the street the sun was almost out of the sky…. It was dark and the moon was out in all its glory, its eerie blue light casting dark shadows on the ground and walls of the buildings. The shadows jumped back and forth as if to move. It was indeed a scary sight. The street was deserted; all the homes and shops were closed up and bunkered in for the night. Many people in the Fire Nation didn’t like the night… Yi loved the night, he felt at home in the night… he loved it so…

Yi glanced over at Li and flashed a faint smile… he broke away from her hand and wrapped is arm around her waist and pulled he close to him. Yi wasn’t stupid, he knew that whatever this was... it always made the person seem happier. He had seen it work… and he hoped that it would make her happy this time. The warmth of her body felt good against his skin. With her next to him, the coldness vanished. He gently tightened his grip around her wait to show that he was there.

Li Mei was a bit surprised when she felt Yi's arm around her waist. Her heart almost felt like it had stopped beating. A smile slowly crept it's way across her lips before she slipped her arm underneath his and she planted it around his waist. There was no one on the streets, so Li Mei didn't worry to much about being caught. And there she walked in direct defiance of what her father ordered. He didn't want her close to anyone outside of their home and therefore kept her in isolation. But that didn't matter at all. She was with Yi and that was enough.

Gazing up at the moon reminded her of one of the nights she spent in the North Pole. Finally something cheerful she could relate to Yi. "The moon is very pretty. I remember one night, while I was in the North Pole, I watched Master Pakku bend underneath the light of the moon. It was so graceful and calm. That's why...if I were a bender, I would want to be a waterbender."

Li Mei said nothing more on the matter, remembering that Yi was a Fire Nation citizen. Even if he was the only one she had ever talked to, she didn't want to take a chance of upsetting him or making him angry. She knew that wasn't likely though. Yi was nice. And maybe that's what drew her to him in the first place. Li Mei sighed contently, grateful for this time she had with Yi.

A slight chill ran up Yi’s back as Li wrapped her arm around his waist. He couldn’t feel the cold anymore, all he could feel was the warmth from Luan. He skin and body were so soft. He was in pure bliss. He loved ever moment of this night… but he feared about tonight… what will happen to him tonight… Tonight would be the first time he has ever been alone without the voice. The voice always bragged about the horrors it blocked out of Yi’s mind when he slept… Yi was afraid, no longer happy... but afraid... afraid to sleep… afraid to close his eyes. He tried his best to push it out of his already crowded and over works mind. At least he had Li to comfort him tonight.

Yi listened intently to Li’s description of the North Pole. He wanted to go there so badly… but he knew he would never fit in… he was an outcast where ever he went.. Even though he was a Fire Nation citizen, he didn’t truly believe in some of their philosophies. The Fire Nation was the only place he could live and not be bothered… if he were to go anywhere else… People would know… regardless of his affiliation… he was born from fire and carries its brand… he was automatically hated by The Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe.

“Ever since I left my home… I’ve always wanted to go to the North Pole… I want to sit under the moon surrounded by ice and snow…, started Yi in his soft calm voice… but slowly it trickled down to a whisper ” But he wouldn’t allow it… no… he hates the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom…”. The sun was now completely set and the cold winds picked up ever so slightly… but it didn’t matter.. they were at the restaurant.

Yi revered from his thoughts and led Li off to the left side of the street towards a small hole in the wall restaurant. A single solitary lantern was lit outside, marking the entrance and nothing more. “We’re here…” , whispered Yi as he walked into the small restaurant, letting Li go in first.

He? Who was he? Yi had gotten Li Mei's interest. Certainly he didn't mean his father. After all, it had been a while since Yi had seen his parents. He wouldn't let them stop him from leaving. She shook her head and stepped into the light of the restaurant. It wasn't much different than the restaurants she had been to around the Earth Kingdom. However, Li Mei wasn't interested in the interior. Instead, her mind had become preoccupied with identifying this 'he' Yi had spoken of. She wanted to know...And then she remembered his reaction when she had brought up his parents. She didn't want him to hurt like that again. He was happy and she didn't want to mess that up with her incessant curiosity.

"If he doesn't like the Water Tribe or the Earth Kingdom..." she whispered, "Then he must really really hate me...since my parents are from those nations." Her shoulders fell forward and she felt sad for a moment. It was obvious this 'he' was important to Yi, important enough to keep him from leaving the Fire Nation Capital. And if 'he' didn't like Li Mei...how would that influence Yi? Hopefully, 'he' won't change Yi's mind. Or worse yet...what if this 'he' talked Yi into harming her? Li Mei shook her head. No! Yi wouldn't hurt her. She trusted him. And so she pushed these thoughts aside, instead choosing to reflect on what she should eat this evening for dinner.

The restaurant was nothing special, A hand full of wooden tables were scatter in front of a small kitchen. Like most Fire Nation restaurants, there were large tapestries on the wall. And each tapestry had the glorious symbol of the Fire nation. The tablecloths were of course red in color and the tables and chairs made of a fine cherry oak. There was no one in the restaurant, no one except a cook and a waitress. Nights were always slow for most Fire Nation businesses in this area.

Li’s words struck Yi like a thousand arrows in the heart. The voice already made his position on her clear… but things were different now… things had to be different now… Yi broke away from Li slightly… his right hand taking its place in the back of his neck. Yi lowered his head and closed his eyes… “No... No... He’s gone now… he’s gone…, replied Yi in a clearly submissive tone. “I’m happy now! That means he’s gone!... I’m happy… I’m happy…”, added Yi with more force in his voice. He quickly shook himself out of his trance and lifted his head again. Yi glanced over at Li and frowned slightly “I’m sorry… , apologized Yi meekly as he waited for the waitress to seat them.

Li Mei was reminded that it was cold when Yi broke away from her. She moved toward him again held his hand. "You don't need to apologize. I just thought..." her voice trailed off and she looked down at the floor. She suddenly felt like she didn't belong in Yi's life. This 'he' had more control than what Yi was letting on and Li Mei was frightened to ask.

The waitress appeared and immediately seated them at a table under the window. The moon was shining down on them through it, and Li Mei wouldn't look at Yi. Instead she chose to watch the moon. She needed courage to ask who he was. And she needed courage if she was going to face Yi's reaction. "...Yi who is he?"

((last post for the night rp with ya tomorrow!))

Yi sat at the table, keeping his head down and his eyes directed to the floor next to the table. He knew that question would rise sooner or later… he was ashamed to admit it, ashamed to admit that part of him wanted to see Li dead. He was ashamed to admit that he was weak without him… he was ashamed that such a cruel manipulative sadistic entity… was a part of him… Yi knew that he had to tell Li the truth… better she know now... then find out later…Yi’s right hand still remained on the back of his neck. He had to answer

“He… He’s me… He’s a part of me… A part of me that I’m not proud of… He keeps me safe… he…he gives me strength… But he’s gone now… gone away…”, stuttered Yi, his voice filled with sorrow and the urge to cry. “He doesn’t like you… he doesn’t like anyone…. But he’s gone now… I’m happy… so he has to be gone!”, added Yi, trying to reassure himself that the voice was no longer a threat to himself or Li. He couldn’t live another day know that he had harmed Li in some way. He would not let the voice have her…There were a few moments of silence before the waitress returned with complimentary tea. Yi removed his hand from the back of his neck and placed both of his hands in his lap; he slouched forwards slightly.

“Can I take your order?”, asked the waitress in an exhausted tone, the stress of a busy day weighing heavily on her; it was clearly obvious. Yi took a menu from the end of the table and quickly scanned it. “Ill take the chickenduck plate please…” The waitress nodded and looked at Li. “And what would you like hun?”