Avatar Legends - The Northern War

[Purr]

Bamboo continues to copy as Smoochie travels through the air. His back to the wind, Bamboo is as careful as a young scholar can be with his pen. He is sure to be even more careful with his words to Liu. Bamboo speaks clearly and calmly as if meditating aloud.

"Liu, you follow the way of the warrior, don't you? I believe we are lucky to live in a time when the warriors of our past continue to teach us through their writings unlike long, long ago when there were warriors, but no writing. Blood, but no ink. Bones, but no books. Today, through what they left behind, great warriors continue their awe-inspiring legacies whenever we read their challenges and stories. From their lessons, we are given the precious blessings of wisdom, fortitude, inner strength, and new ways of thinking and feeling we would not come by on our own. Their bodies are gone, but their lessons need not be.

"Do you think yourself the first to struggle with this burden? Is it not true that a master warrior is also a master of themselves? And is it not written, 'control your emotion or it will control you?' If these things are true, Liu, as I believe they are, then you must take up the mantle of warriors both past and present who chose discipline over easy temptations, self-awareness over pretty illusions, confidence over vanity, and the simple understanding that no matter what weapons your hands grasp, and what methods you practice with them, the ultimate weapon - and the ultimate victory - is not what is grasped in your hands but what is grasped by your mind.

"Just like the warriors of old, through diligent practice of self-awareness and self-control, you can learn how to clearly see any matter for what it is and act only as your soul requires. In any battle. Against any foe. Even yourself. With enough desire and practice, you can master not only this single problem, but many others. Begin today and take the first step in the long journey of mastering yourself, Liu."

 

[Psychie]

O-Ren places a comforting hand on the other woman's shoulder and gives her a squeeze. "How early in life were you when you were drafted into the army? You have spent a sizable amount of your life in training, learning to use that spear to end the lives of the foes of the Fire Nation, so it is understandable that you would instinctively fall back on that training in a time of stress. Also, you are right to point out that our options at the time were limited. That combustionbender wouldn't have hesitated to use lethal force against us, and we have to get our message about the tunnels under Fort Tongdao before the Fire Nation makes their move."

She leans back and looks Liu in the eye. "Liu, I don't hate you. But the fact of the matter is, you have a choice to make. Do you continue on the path that you were set on by your training, or do you choose to chart a new course for your life? I fully understand that there may be times that will require you to take a life, but just so long as you don't turn to lethal force first, it will be ok. Consider this a wake-up call, and choose to make the right decisions in the future."

 

[Sherwood]

Liu is quiet for a moment, thinking about what Bamboo and O-Ren have said. Finally, she nods, saying, "You are far more forgiving to me than I feel that I deserve, but I thank you both. I will take what you have said to me and think about it, pondering on your words. I just hope . . . . no. I will do better. I have to in order to redeem myself and keep my soul from condemning me forever for my crimes."

She finally looks at the two Water Benders and simply finishes up with, "Thank you."

 

[Purr]

Bamboo nods with a grateful grin to Liu (for "the giver should be grateful"). "If the path seems too steep, I'm here to help, Liu."

Bamboo turns to Psychie O-Ren while he scribes. "How about you, O-Ren? I don't think you've been quite yourself since you went chasing after that Fire Nation commander. Am I right or just misreading things? Do you want to talk about anything?"

 

[Psychie]

Psychie O-Ren while he scribes. "How about you, O-Ren? I don't think you've been quite yourself since you went chasing after that Fire Nation commander. Am I right or just misreading things? Do you want to talk about anything?"

O-Ren lets out a nervous laugh. "I - I think that I just scared the holy beejeebies out of myself, thinking that I could make the leap off of Smoochie's back and be able to land in the fight without any trouble. From all the time I spent in the monastery training and protecting the monks, I've not been in such a situation before. I mean, how could I? It's not like I have ever been in a fight like the one we just left behind."

She takes a deep breath, then slowly lets it out, trying to find her center and refocus herself before continuing. "I have to thank you, cousin, for being there for me when I needed it. And to you, Liu, you are not alone in this. We are all still learning how to live in this world, and if you are ever in need of a shoulder to lean on, we are here for you."

 

[Purr]

Bamboo's eyes light up, intrigued. "Wow! You spent time in a monastery? Protecting monks?" This sounds all too familiar to Bamboo, and yet not familiar at all because it wasn't his jungle monastery in the Celestial Wildlands. "What was it like? What were the monks like?"

"As for going after that Fire Nation commander, I don't know anyone who has trained leaping off of the back of a Sky Bison mid-flight. I think you'd have a hard time trying to find a teacher for doing that!" Bamboo grins as O-Ren focuses on her breathing. To him, that was a great place to start. Take a deep breath. Take a step back. See the situation for what it is instead of what he might think it is. This was one good way to start living life without illusions. Not that he was any kind of master (one day, universe willing), but he was born with the foundations to live the life of the wise. "I think the old saying 'look before you leap' sticks here. Both you and Liu will be wiser in the future now that you've both experienced these situations."

 

[Psychie]

O-Ren lets out a bark of laughter. "Well, yes, I do suppose that the 'look before you leap' thing does pose some merit. Certainly will lead to a much longer life than simply jumping off willy-nilly like I just did. Not that running around crazy like we are is going to do much for that." She looks out at the view of the ground passing along below them, then says, "At the monastery, did you know that I was the only water bender there? All the others there are earth benders. Nice enough bunch, even so."

 

[Purr]

"Not at all," Bamboo replies as he continues to copy, a pleased smile making its way across his face. "That's neat! What monastery did you help protect? If they were all Earth-benders, I take it you have some experience with the people of the Earth Kingdom?"

 

[Psychie]

"Not at all," Bamboo replies as he continues to copy, a pleased smile making its way across his face. "That's neat! What monastery did you help protect? If they were all Earth-benders, I take it you have some experience with the people of the Earth Kingdom?"

O-Ren says, "Well, to my eyes, the people of the Earth Kingdom were just that - people. There is bad and good in everyone, no matter what kingdom you are from. For example, there is a member of the monastery named Sallah. A real academician, always with his nose in a book. But the man is an ass, and I never could get past his rude behavior on the outside to try and connect to him as a person. Look at Liu here. She is a member of the Fire Nation, but I am quite glad to have met her and to be able to call her 'friend'. It all depends on the person if they turn to their good side, or succumb to the evil within them."

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: OOC

Bamboo's thoughts and actions take into account Sherwood's and Psychie's recent rolls in OOC-chat. =)

Spoiler: Instrumental Mood Music

"Turning Point" by the legendary Japanese-American hit band of the 80s, Hiroshima! 8D This title and song both capture my feelings in Bamboo in this delicate moment. =)

Look at Liu here. She is a member of the Fire Nation, but I am quite glad to have met her and to be able to call her 'friend'. It all depends on the person if they turn to their good side, or succumb to the evil within them."

Pausing in his scroll-copying, Bamboo does just that. He turns to open meditation.

His youthful gaze, his male instincts look past Liu's attractive warrior features to see with his mind what he cannot see with his eyes. Bamboo's gaze rests on her without judgment but also without indifference. While Liu Bing had just now somehow done a horrible job of convincing Bamboo that she could indeed rein herself in the next time the killing compulsion came up, O-Ren's perspective proves to be the gold inside the dirty earth that Bamboo's heart requires. The Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom both had suffered dearly (though no one greater than the peace-loving Airbenders!) from the Fire Nation's attack. O-Ren had first-hand experience with both realms while Bamboo had virtually none save for the tales, songs, and culture passed onto him from his scholarly upbringing in the Celestial Wildlands. While he was grateful for that, nothing beat first-hand experience. How could one accurately describe flying on Smoochie's back through the air?

It is the combination of his perhaps naïve upbringing and O-Ren's own rock-solid beliefs that turn Bamboo around despite Liu Bing's luckless inability to express it herself. As much as Bamboo wanted to trust and even like Liu. The jungle-born scholar realized if it had been he in her sandals, he too might experience severe troubles in the art of communicating one's heart enough to convince another.

What have I learned? Bamboo thinks to himself. I shouldn't be so quick to trust Liu Bing's self-control just yet, for her internal battles are still taking place, but instead I can put faith in O-Ren's wider experience in such matters! If I can't trust my own lack of experience to find reasons to trust Liu, I can instead trust O-Ren's! On that bridge, I can find a way to not hold Liu Bing's actions against her - even though they resulted in Lieutenant Bakuha's death.

To Liu, he offers. "Liu, I hope Lieutenant Bakuha and her family can find a way to forgive you. I hope you can find a way to forgive yourself. Perhaps helping the Earth Kingdom can somehow balance the universal scales in our attempts to save lives and not take them. Either way, I believe you, Liu."

Bamboo listens to whatever his friends have to say while returning to his scroll-copying. Perhaps he is less troubled than before, perhaps not. But all the more, he feels a little wiser and a little better for having taken the time to meditate on it. No one deserved to be hated for their actions. In his forgiveness of Liu's killing, he releases himself from any ill will he holds toward her.

"Thanks, O-Ren!" he adds with a grateful grin as he pushes his windblown hair out of his eyes. "I see more clearly because of you."

 

[Purr]

As Bamboo regards O-Ren, he believes he senses that she is still troubled. The people of the Celestial Wildlands are compassionate and Bamboo no less so, and so he tries. "O-Ren? How did the monks you protected face the possibility of their ending in this life? I mean, what might they say if they had performed a similar mistake to your own? Might they face it with the goal of taking something positive from it all? I mean, to risk and to survive that risk, doesn't that make us stronger if we're willing to face it in some way new to us?"

 

[Sherwood]

Liu sits back, somewhat surprised to be pulled into the conversation by O-Ren and labeled as a friend, even after what she's done. Feeling a warm sense of relief in her heart at the kind words, she manages to say, "Th-thank you, O-Ren. You too, Bamboo. If it were not for the two of you trying to help guide me, I fear that I would be a lost soul for a very long time. It means a lot to me. And I am thankful that you still look to me as a friend. It gives me hope for the future, that if someone as broken as I am can learn from her mistakes, then there is hope for the others of the Fire Nation to do the same and restore some semblance of peace to the world."

 

[Purr]

To Liu, Bamboo ponders aloud and openly while copying the Fort Tongdau scroll to his journal. If this is complete, Bamboo offers the following to Liu. "And how could a person in your position possibly be complete? It seems to me you are fighting against the only culture - and people - you were ever close to, going against traditions you were taught to be on the side of, and wrestling with demons that are only now rearing their heads. I cannot imagine the person who would be completely serene and centered in such a tornado of fate."

If O-Ren appears to accept Bamboo's argument, he asks her the following question: "Is there somewhere in the great wide world you have always longed to travel to?"

 

[jaydude]

Bump for Psychie .

 

[Purr]

Ooh! Jay! You're bumping? I want to bump! Can I bump too? Just like this!

This moment brought to you by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Have a nice day!

 

[Psychie]

To Liu, Bamboo ponders aloud and openly while copying the Fort Tongdau scroll to his journal. If this is complete, Bamboo offers the following to Liu. "And how could a person in your position possibly be complete? It seems to me you are fighting against the only culture - and people - you were ever close to, going against traditions you were taught to be on the side of, and wrestling with demons that are only now rearing their heads. I cannot imagine the person who would be completely serene and centered in such a tornado of fate."

If O-Ren appears to accept Bamboo's argument, he asks her the following question: "Is there somewhere in the great wide world you have always longed to travel to?"

O-Ren thinks for a moment, then says, "I have heard that the city of Bao Sing Se is a marvel to behold, but I have never been there myself. It would be a wonderful thing to see for me, someday." She lets out a wistful sigh, then asks, "What about you guys? Anywhere in particular you wish to go? After we deliver this message to the defenders of the Fort, that is."

 

[Purr]

"You kidding? Everywhere!" Bamboo pauses in his copying to admire the maps in the journal his mother made for him.

 

[jaydude]

As the three of you discuss future destinations, Smoochie continues her eastward journey towards Fort Tongdao.

Later on...
Approaching the eastern border of Tongdao Province, Smoochie's flight path takes her - and you three - towards what appears to be the mouth of a narrow valley within the mountains. A Fire Nation encampment - numerous orderly rows of red tents spreading out for about a mile and surrounded by a wooden palisade - occupies the valley mouth.

A little way into the valley - within viewing distance of the encampment - is the settlement of Fort Tongdao. It's a large town, with buildings of stone and roofs of green tiles, making it unmistakably Earth Kingdom. The settlement encompasses the entire width of the area of valley it occupies, with the parts of it not flanked by the valley's sides protected by high stone walls. Combined with the fact that the valley's narrow width would nullify any numbers advantage of an attacking army, it's easy to see why General Daizin would need a secret network of underground tunnels to take this place.

Flying closer to the town, you see a wide street that cuts through the settlement from a gatehouse, presumably to accommodate columns of marching soldiers. The wide street leads to another gatehouse, this one attached to a wall that forms a circle around the approximate centre of the town. Buildings line the inner edges of this circular complex, with a much larger building that Liu Bing recognizes as a traditional Earth Kingdom keep sitting at its centre.

Where do you wish to go?

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [X]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

Bamboo knows well that he is a creature of nature and the jungles and the wild things of the natural world. He is new to cities and forts. And so he turns to his two friends.

Bamboo pushes some loose strands of his long hair from his eyes and looks below. "Erm, what's one supposed to do here? I mean, where do they land their flying creatures around here?"

 

[jaydude]

Were Han still travelling with the three of you, he would probably point out that this world hasn't had to accommodate flying bison riders - or any other airborne mount - for roughly a century.

While continuing to keep Yun a fair distance from the town, the three of you are able to spot a couple of relatively open spaces outside of the central compound that look large enough to accommodate a flying bison. There's also the entire length of that wide street, which on closer inspection runs through the entire settlement. Finally, there's also a good deal of space within the central compound, though by now Liu Bing will have figured out that the area in question is dedicated to military affairs; no doubt it's the 'fort' part of Fort Tongdao.

Spoiler: OOC

So there's basically two options on where you can land. You can try and head to the fortress proper if you'd like to pass on your information to General Shizu as soon as possible, or you can land somewhere within the town but outside of the military area. If you choose the latter option, you can either choose where you land/what you land in front of, or let me decide something.

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [X]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

Bamboo continues to look to Liu Bing and O-Ren for assistance. Because Bamboo knows! Once you get a Sky Bison who has spent hours going through the air down? You might not get them back up again for some time! The young jungle scholar begins earnestly looking for any spots below with a lot of hay.

 

[jaydude]

As Bamboo takes Smoochie downwards while waiting for the input of the other two, he's able to make out a yard attached to a somewhat large building a short way off from the wide road running through the town. Dotting the edges of the yard are what appear to be a number of stalls for enclosing animals, some of which are occupied by ostrich-horses. In one corner of the yard is a storage area containing full-looking bags, as well as a large pile of hay.

(Those more versed in general society will recognize this yard as a stable, with the building it's attached to most likely being an inn.)

With Smoochie this low in the air, the three on her back are now able to make out people in the streets below, some of whom look up and notice the flying bison in turn.

Do you want to land within the stableyard?

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [X]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

Do you want to land within the stableyard?

(Absolutely!) Bamboo sets Smoochie down right in front of the nearest pile of hay. He hops off and gives her ear-scratchies and head-rubs and all the things hard-working Smoochies like. All the while, he finds himself looking around at the buildings, the people, the ostrich-horses, the... well, the everything! This is, after all, the very first fort he has ever been to!

"Wow! Look at all this!"

 

[jaydude]

A pair of stablehands in leaf green attire are working within the area, but halt in bewilderment when Smoochie lands within their midst. As the flying bison tucks into the pile of hay in front of her - after growling happily from Bamboo's attention - one of the stablehands approaches.

"Er...the stables are only open to paying customers." he says meekly, pointing at the inn with his thumb. He's young - no more than a year older than Bamboo - and there's a clear level of uncertainly within his voice. You all get the feeling that half of it comes from having never seen the likes of Smoochie before, and the other half comes from the realisation that despite his "warning", he and his companion probably couldn't eject the four of you if they tried.

How do you react?

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [X]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

You all get the feeling that half of it comes from having never seen the likes of Smoochie before, and the other half comes from the realisation that despite his "warning", he and his companion probably couldn't eject the four of you if they tried.

While Bamboo fully understands can relate to the former half (having felt that way when he first laid eyes on Sky Bisons), the latter half is a thought so far back in his mind as to hardly be worth bringing up. These were people. This was a "stable (and it seemed stable to him)" and while he understood the concept of commerce, he had precious little experience with it. To the stablehands, Bamboo brightly smiles and says, "Well, hey! You're doing us a favor in feeding Smoochie here; is there a favor I could do for you? Anything you need doing around here? We don't have a great deal of time, but I have some unusual skills and learnings?" Smoochie being his charge, Bamboo makes himself the sole receiver of the stablehands' transaction.

Still, the jungle scholar looks to O-Ren and Liu for approval, hopeful that he has done this the right way the first time, and eager to return his part of the as-yet-unmade bargain. "Right, guys? That's how we do it in the Celestial Wildlands! We can do that here too! Right?"