The Northern Palace

[The Wild Hunt]

He felt a hand on his shoulder, acknowledging that it was X, though he avoided contact with his eyes. Instead, he let him stare blankly into his third eye, the creepy red one that liked to shoot out explosions. "X," he replied. It wasn't really a name, though. Seriously, how could X be considered a name? "I don't have candy. I eat healthy. That's why I'm so fit, bro." He was just about to flex, but then the guy turned his attention entirely to Meili. Whatever. X was just a pink haired beauty queen with a tendency to throw rocks around. "X, you need to get some earth blocks out of the palace storage. You know - the ones Taka left around for us for when there's potential combat. The Avatar might be dangerous when he emerges. We'll need to be prepared." Usually, he liked to sit around and not take anything seriously, but for the moment he was moving towards the serious and the stern. He had a really bad feeling. A real bad one, and he couldn't get it out of his system.

"For a firebender, Meili," he turned, "Pai Sho represents strategic ability and tactical composure. I've become one of the greatest firebenders in the world -- on the level of the royal family. Don't say never. It's a word often regretted." He smiled, then after a moment of silence, laughed. He was speaking almost philosophical, but it was really just him playing at being competitive with Meili. His words had truth, however. Ever since the Fall of the Phoenix Kingdom, as they called it, firebenders had been given a curriculum of discipline and patience, learning to fight like the Sun Warriors instead of running on anger and hate. Pai Sho was practically their national game, and since Meili was Fire Nation, she was skilled as well.

When she questioned him about the Avatar, he began to walk up the steps and shrugged. "I never licked his heels. And I don't think he's throwing tantrums. He's doing something, very specific. Some kind of... mission of his. I don't know; he refuses to tell me when he's in that state, and always forgets afterwards. I don't think it's just an emotional outbreak, though." It very well could've been something bad, but he didn't believe that the Avatar had turned on them yet. He'd gotten less and less violent in the Avatar State, and Taiyou had also noticed the amount of dark spirits slightly decreasing from the norm. Maybe he was the one making that difference. He really didn't have a clue, but he decided to support Han anyway; he liked the funding that came with it, too. He could put that towards his pro-bending team, a goal that served as his distraction from the real world.

As Meili agreed to his proposition, he aimed his third eye to the sky and readied to fire a powerful blast. However, right as he steadied his aim, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder. "Taiyou," said Suihara. He was the second highest ranking member of the Gong Jen, Han's closest friend and his mentor in physical combat. However, the members of this group had only rarely seen him these days, as he was on mission to eliminate the Chen Rai. They were only a small group and not very dangerous, according to him, but any threat to the Avatar was something serious.

"You're looking for Taka, right? One of the guards found me and informed me. I know where he is. I'll go find him." With that, he began to walk away. He'd always been a man of few words, and honestly, fewer actions. But, whatever. He was the best waterbender in the world. No one doubted that. He had mastered all forms of waterbending; healing, twin lions, traditional, even bloodbending. He was also a famous melee combatant with mastery over chi blocking. No one in the Gong Jen, save for Avatar Han, compared to him. He was the elite of the elite.

Everyone respected his skills. As he walked away, no one really suspected that he was their greatest enemy.

"Well, we won't need to alert Taka if Sui is going to inform him. So -- I guess we'll just have to wait!"

 

[Suijin_Kami]

X would tune out Taiyou for a few moments as he kept his eyes on the beauty that was in front of him. Their hands would still be touching as he exhaled a small amount of air. Ahh well that's not good at all. Take my jacket." Before the lady could turn down the offer the jacket was already on her shoulders. It didn't make any sense for anybody to freeze to death out here. He would hear the faint words of Taiyou as he made a suggestion for him to get some blocks that had been prepared for a situation like this. "I'm on it." X would begin to walk towards the palace storage at a steady pace as he walked pass Meili he would whisper words that only she could hear "Remember my face. You will fall for me someday." He was done being silly, he was back to business as he prepared for this bad feeling that their leader had.

 

[Koneko Kuromira]

XXXXXXXXXXOOC: ...

Meili, again, was left speechless for a moment when the weight of the man's -- X was his name? -- jacket fell on her shoulders. That was a more gentlemanly act than his first words to her suggested he was capable. "Thank you..." She murmured, watching him go with a slight blush on her cheeks -- though it might not be recognizable as such since her face was already flush from the cold. She stood there for a short time, hands gripping the front of the coat, before she snapped from her slight shock and pushed her arms through the sleeves.

The airbender turned to the two remaining people on the top of the steps, slightly relieved that the apparent head of the Royal Guard had arrived to handle things. She still wanted to address that issue, but first things first. "I wish to apologize for my previous... curtness. It has been a very long, frustrating, and too cold for my tastes day, which has left my nerves a bit... on edge."

Meili smiled apologetically at the woman. "I hope you can forgive my sharp tongue, Hana. I'm usually not so... unbearable?"

She focused back on Taiyou. "So, allow me to amend my previous statement. You haven't beaten me at Pai Sho yet. But, to matters at hand." Meili tucked her hands behind her back, frowned for a moment, looked down, and then sighed and stuffed them into the jacket pockets. Ah, that was much better, regardless of how uncultured it looked. When she returned her gaze to her companions, it was serious.

"The reason I came all the way up here was to warn Lord Taka of a planned act against his life. The theater was closed down for some unknown reason last night, and when I went to rehearse in the spare time, there were people gathered on the stage discussing killing him -- planning his assassination. I can't give you names -- didn't risk trying to see their faces and get myself killed -- however, they sounded entirely serious, enough to warrant true concern." Meili pulled out a hand to rub her face. "So he might honestly be safest where he is, if no one really knows how to find that location. I don't know."

She returns her hand to her pocket and looks to Taiyou. "Now what is all this about 'Gong Jen?' You haven't joined some cult since we last parted ways, have you?"  

[Jai Bait]

━━━━━━━━━━━ xxxxＨａｎ ａ


Hana looked over at Yamada, who wasn't happy about all the people. The dragon's tail slid back and forth much too ferociously to be considered normal. Tohru- who was on her shoulder- squeaked cuddled into the tuck between her breasts. Was it honestly that cold? Hana had yet to notice, and let it get to her. She waved Yamada away before focusing on the conversation the others were having. They discussed things she couldn't really follow- it bored her. She ended up sitting there- zoned out- and with a vole cuddling in her boobs.




show spoilerhide spoiler

Chi : 1300 - 1300

Technique : Restoration


Outfit : x





#EE8262

 

[A faint smile]

The trip here had been very brief. The moment Taka Shen's message had reached them the Gong Jen sprang into action. Taiyou left, by way of his dragon, and Liana by way of her bison. It had taken her longer to arrive because a certain furry flying creature did not want to awake right away. So here she was, the last to arrive to the apparent party that was being held at the Palance. She was greeted with a warm welcome from the Water Tribe guards. They were always respectful to her and quite interested in what she did. There were still not too many air benders, so as fully fledged master nomad was quite the spectacle. After kindly answering all questions and even giving a small demonstrations of her abilities. Once she was able to steal away without offending anyone, Liana made her get away.

Liana had her hands submerged in the recessses of her sleeves, appearing to be very calm and comfortable despite the bitter coldness. Air benders often practiced breath control, this was merely another exercise for her. "Taiyou, I trust your journey was smooth. Is Han well?" Han was the reason they were here and the greatest importance to their world in its current state. She was hoping Han would be in a post-breakdown phase, because not a single one of them wished to have to harm Han in order to bring him to safety. She spoke up as she approached the others, entering the crowd of her apparent associates. Liana believed that they must be relatively new, for she did not recognize a single one of them. With a generous kindness rolling off of her. Ana nodded her head deeply to each person assembled. Then her eyes alit upon the other air bender. Those very eyes lit up with a gleam of joy. She crossed the distance between them and offered her hand, a faint smile decorating her face. "Hello, I am Liana of the Eastern Air Temple. I am very enthused to see another nomad here." This was the woman known as the Gentle Breeze. Like many of those of her origin, she was an extremely tranquil and spiritual being. Her entire self emanated an inner peace as well. From her soft eyes to the flowing grace of her body, Liana was truly an airbender.

 

[Koneko Kuromira]

XXXXXXXXXXOOC: I guess it's been long enough that I can post "out of order?"

Meili frowned at Hana, who was apparently ignoring her now, even after she apologized for her earlier words. Was the girl seriously that petty? Meili rolled her eyes skyward and shook her head. "Well, okay then. Suit yourself."

She turned back away from the girl and glided over to Taiyou, pulling X's jacket closer around herself. "If we're going to be chatting out here, would you mind lighting some sort of fire? I'm sure that inner flame of yours keeps you warm enough, but it doesn't do much good for the rest of us, hey?" By 'the rest of us' she meant herself, of course, but she was not so self-centered to speak only for herself. "I know I can use a little extra heat right now...and she might as well."

As Meili added the last statement, her gaze slid past Taiyou to the newest person approaching the palace -- a fellow Airbender. This woman seemed nice enough, radiating an aura of peace that Meili had lost since arriving here. Stress could do that to a soul. When the woman moved to take her hand, Meili stepped to meet her, though her smile became a little cautious and slightly apologetic at the woman's words.

"Good to meet you Liana. I am Meili, though I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not an Air Nomad. I'm a citizen of the Fire Nation, born and raised, though I did spend a few months in the Western Air Temple taking the test to be named a Master." She withdrew her hand from shaking Liana's and rubbed the tattoos on their backs. She could still feel the sting of the tattooing needle and the disapproving gaze of the other women of the Western Air Temple when she refused to remain there. They wanted her so badly to remain in the temple with them, but Meili's heart was set in Ember Isle. The more the women pushed, the less she wanted to stay.

"It is a pleasure to meet another Airbender, however. They are few and far between on Ember Isle." She glanced to Taiyou and back. "I don't suppose you're with this 'Gong Jen' thing as well? Tai's mind appears to be elsewhere, and he hasn't explained what that means exactly." She smiled wryly and waved a hand in front of Taiyou's face.  

[___youwillknownihilism]

Liu Bai walked to the gates as he usually would, a salute to the soldiers who knew why he was here. He'd heard the call to arms, and wasn't far away from the palace anyhow. They parted ways, not wanting to keep a man so large and mean looking from his business longer than need be. His steps were heavy and obvious, not at all like they were in combat. His demeanor was different too, like he knew something was going to happen that day. It was not long before he joined the group, but didnt speak. He only knew Taiyou and Anika from the Gong Jen, and even then not too extensively. He closed his eyes and exhaled before speaking to everyone. "Today is a good day to die." That would be all he said as his hands reached his hips and his tattoo burned on his forehead a bit.