Fandom A:TLA Arranged Marriage 1x1

[nyanunix]

Rozai shifted his weight absently as he wiped down the counter of his small store. Well, it wasn't exactly "his" - after all, he was just a part-time employee - but over the months he'd worked there he had developed a fondness for the building, as well as the family that owned it. They sold a variety of things, but primarily fishing and sailing equipment. As it was a coastal town, most of the residents were fishers, and they needed lots of supplies, enough so to necessitate not one but two fishing supply stores. The firebender felt that in the past year, he'd eaten more fish than he had in his entire twenty-two years of life, but he didn't mind so much. After all, he was free to be his own man, though he didn't see himself choosing to go back on a boat anytime soon.

The day had been rather slow. Rozai woke up at the crack of dawn, the fire in his blood singing as the sun rose, and he'd gone through his basic firebending stances in the privacy of the room he rented from a family in the village before being called to eat. He had left for work right after eating a quick breakfast, and had been standing behind the counter of the store since then, occasionally making a sale to a customer. He knew everyone that lived in the village, had attended many festivals and ceremonies with them, and as he considered his position, he found himself thinking about the possibility of traveling more.

The only thing the young man missed about being in the Fire Nation navy was the many different locations he'd been able to see. Rozai had sailed through icebergs in the south pole, scouting for remnants of the tribes there, had walked through Earth Kingdom ports and cities and had even be able to see an abandoned Air Temple - though the memory left his heart hurting. Somewhere along the way, he realized that he wasn't fighting to protect his people as he had been led to believe, but that he was actually causing the pain and suffering of others. Even then, he hadn't been brave enough to stand up for his newfound beliefs, and had chosen instead to fake his own death to escape the Fire Nation's war machine.

These thoughts only reminded him of what he had left behind. In his mind, he tried to remember his mother's face, and he found that he couldn't quite conjure her image in his mind's eye. He wondered what his sisters would be doing now. They had received money from the Fire Nation after he died, or at least he had been told that in the event of his death they would. That money wouldn't last forever, though.

As he thought, he realized that he had been seeing someone new around town for the past few days. A young woman that was dressed in Water Tribe blues. Rozai thought it likely she was renting a room at the only inn available in town. She always seemed a little skittish, so he hasn't approached her, waiting for other people to give him information about her through roundabout conversations.

 

[Satan]

The woman had always been used to starting her days at the crack of dawn, when the sky was painted with numerous shades of yellows and purples. Since arriving at the Earth Kingdom a few days earlier, Kiarri had been staying in the town's nearest motel as she planned for her next destination — which the woman had no clue where to even start. The fresh environment the Earth kingdom brought to her was pleasant, a pleasant change. Rather than draping her small arms with a thick fur coat and her nose beginning to grow red at the below freezing temperatures — her lungs expanded as they inhaled the warm, fresh spring oxygen she hadn't experienced in what seemed a life time. The only moment the runaway princess got to endure the other elemental cultures and locations were on Royalty meetings, or travels for vacation. Still, once the war had toppled against the other three elements ; life became even more contain for Kiarri.

Now she was walking through the cobbled streets, passing by multiple stores smelling of fresh dumplings, tea and incense. Before deserting the Northern Water Tribe and beginning a solo, clueless adventure, Kiarri managed to snag funds and a small pack with her belongings in preparation. She couldn't bare the thought of marrying, it was a subject that forced itself to cloud her mind everyday. Everyday she'd make the same face with a scrunched nose and tightly pulled lips at the mention of it, or when the voice inside her head began to ring and remind the woman what she'd run from. It wasn't just an unwanted, money hungry fiancé whose power would grow the moment she laid her hand to his... but her entire family. Despite the differences, leading up to Kiarri's travels she had battled with herself. Thinking just how broken her parents would be if she vanished without a word, but they could never understand how she felt!

So there she was, alone in the northern earth kingdom with no direction on how to get to the Southern Water Tribe, where finally she could be greeted with opportunity to expand her knowledge within her element & finally learn to bend freely. The only direction for her was right now was the opposite direction of which Norak, her fiancee, had been following her. It came to no surprise that she'd be hunted, actually there was no question.

It'd been a calming few days since she made it. The townspeople were kind, whether she had been hesitant to say a word to them or not. Kiarri wore a light blue dress with a matching kimono tunic over top slightly darker than the shade of blue her dress appeared — though in attempt to keep her presence discreet, she draped a light brown coat over top to hood her head. She only ever adventured through the town if she was in need of food or other supplies, like now as she weaved through the isles belonging to a small produce area ; there were casual conversations bubbling around her as Kiarri filled a woven basket with various fruits and vegetables. It was clear the girl was always on alert, she hadn't been oblivious to the whispers she received when she avoided eye contact with townspeople or refused to give an explanation on why she'd been traveling. Whether they'd soon recognize where she came from, that was why it was best in her mind to avoid all contact as possible — but she would've been holding her new found freedom back if she didn't allow exploration.

She heard a few loud voices echoing down the narrow streets, the conversation dimmer and everyones attention soon adverted to the oncoming chaos. Kiarri thought for a second it was another common thief trying to snag a few apples or bread rolls, and that the soldiers were just being overly aggressive as they had seemed to be from time to time. But when her head lifted and those blue eyes came in contact with the bodies clothed in her own similar blues — the pit of her stomach deepened. Norak and a few of her own tribe's men were swiftly walking through the bare streets, eyes in search for his prized possession. In an instance, her basket dropped and a hand reached up to secure the hood over her head as her feet pivoted in the opposite direction and she took off running. She refused to give herself another chance to look at the men's faces, but when they started to scream in her direction ; that was her cue to speed up the unexpected process.

Her lungs were burning, mouth gasping for air whilst jumping over curbs and sliding around corners of the town. She'd been bumping into numerous bodies, receiving either both grunts and cursing slurs... she couldn't blame them. Though the goal of escaping her fiancees grasp was far much more important. Her energy was swiftly wearing out, she may have held a slim form but the woman had no athletic training in her life — nothing to strengthen her with defense as for her human biology. A store came in sight and she knew instantly if she dared to run any more... the trained water tribe soldiers would snatch her with ease. So she desperately treaded for the small shop, unaware and uncaring of what the purpose of it was for — it was a place to vanish. She assumed the male spotted behind the counter had been the owner, his face grew familiar from the few times she'd past ; but there was no assuming how he'd react to such an.. in burst?

"Can I hide behind your counter?" She gasped in his direction, her head snapping in the other direction where she feared her fiancee would appear. Then she turned back to the male, though realizing up close he was much closer to her age... no owner, but still someone to help.

 

[nyanunix]

There was some kind of commotion outside. Rozai was used to the occasional fight in the marketplace; sometimes irate customers would try to knock a seller's stand over, but it was rare, and he was considering stepping out the door for a moment to see what was going on when the front door burst open to reveal the same mystery woman he'd just been wondering about. She was red-faced even under her darker skin and clearly had been running, hood obscuring most of her face.

Her request caught him off-guard, but she looked like she was being chased, so he quickly waved her over and helped her crouch in the small amount of leg room between two storage cabinets built into the counter. Not a moment too soon - as he was bending back up, the door opened again and several large men hurried in, looking around. One was clearly their leader, giving the others orders to look behind shelves as he himself strode up to the counter.

"You seen a water tribe woman around here?" he barked. "We lost her in the market, but I saw her coming this way. She's run away from her family and we're here to take her home."

Rozai looked the man up and down, a small grin forming on his face as he desperately tried to ensure he wasn't giving anything away. "No water tribe women here. Unless you intend to buy something, you need to get out. Your men are ruining our displays," he said, voice cool. He scanned the room to see that the three other men were now congregating behind the first, their posture threatening. He was not impressed. These men were fighters, certainly, but anyone outside would hear a commotion if they started a fight and come looking. There was no way they would risk being thrown out of the town without completing their search.

The man looked like he was about to growl as Rozai gestured to the door. "If you're hiding her, you'll pay," he snarled, before turning on his heel and stomping out, followed by his entourage. Good, then, he had been convincing. Still, he wouldn't put it past them to come in again in a few moments to try and catch him hiding the woman, so he waited several moments in a tense silence before he opened the door to a back room and pointed for the woman to crawl though.

"Don't want them to see you if they're at the windows," he muttered to her, trying to be as quiet as possible so his voice wouldn't carry into the street.

The room behind the counter had a window, but he strode over after closing the door behind them and closed it, shutting out the light but also protecting them from any would-be spies. in the darkness, he fumbled for sparkrocks and lit a candle, revealing a small "break room" with a table and some chairs, and a small cabinet that was generally stocked with snacks. There was also a tea station. This was the room where the owners would have meetings, if needed, and also where they stored some extra supplies, as evidenced by the stack of boxes by the door. "Are you okay?" he asked, finally turning his attention to the woman. "Also, you do have to tell me if I'm now guilty of harboring a fugitive." She seemed fine, if a little winded. He guessed that she had been having a little trouble breathing in the cramped space under the counter.

 

[Satan]

To Kiarri's surprise, the male ahead went through with her situation and lended a hand. They were in no time to waste, her sapphire orbs focused on the points he'd directed her to go before hastily crawling and slipping through the space. It was tight, Kiarri could feel the muscles of her stomach tensing with desperation as she forced her small form between the two cabinets — with no time at all to catch her breath from the marathon she seemed to have run. When the doors of the shop slammed open familiarly, the water tribe woman pressed her head firmly against one of the cabinets to ensure her cover while listening to the conversation blindly. The only view she had were a few planks of wood, but the sound of her fiancee searching the store had her hopes falling slowly.

The last thing she wanted was to bring the chaos along with her, or at least she hoped to conceal herself from it long enough that no one in public would even be aware of the occurrence. Now she was cursing at herself within her mind, trying to calculate another plan in case this last resort had fallen through. "She's run away from her family and we're here to take her home." — the words that spit from Norak's mouth made Kiarri's eyebrows narrow and nearly scoff. If it wouldn't have been for the hand that she laid over her mouth to keep her labored breathing quiet, she would have slipped ; 'it's more like running away from you.' she thought to herself, grinning small as she just achieved that escape once again.

The sounds of Norak's defeated thumps leaving the store left Kiarri feeling triumphant, but most of her would unwillingly admit that she was frightened by his unexpected presence again. She moved her hand from her mouth slowly, revealing the smallest heaves of breath between the shadows of the cabinets when the tension finally eased off her shoulders. Her head looked over to see the small beam of light appearing from the doors opening, and squeezed her form through the entryway by crouching.

She stretched her back out as her structure stood to it's full 5'6 potential, sighing with relief when realizing the comfort of the back room was much more pleasant than... the space she forcibly crammed into before. The thin, rag-like hood was still sloppily draped over her head, at this point she'd grown annoyed with the material and needed air to breathe. Her hands gripped the sides and pulled the brown material from her head - revealing a dark head of hair that reached the midst of Kiarri's back. Beautiful, full waves and spotty curls laced through the Water benders hair whilst half had been tied up in a ponytail.

"Yeah..." She nodded to him, licking the dry skin of her lips. His next words managed to make a snicker slip from her mouth, though she shook her gently in response to his question. "Not as long as no one hears about me being here." She lightly joked in response, though it was the truth. She couldn't lie and say her presence around people wouldn't have brought danger, or just unnecessary drama. She scratched at her brown skin laid along her neck, unsure of how far she should really take the conversation. She wasn't a fugitive, at least that wasn't how she perceived herself in this situation — what would the guy ahead of her, or ANYONE do, if they found out she was royal? Her initial thought was to flee the store the moment Norak had disappeared... but the safety and privacy the man's back room brought her was a little reassuring at least. "Thank you, though. For... squeezing me in." The sentence came out cheesy and Kiarri wore a faint smile the entire time she spoke, though there were still thoughts that pulled her into a series of hesitation.