Fandom Avatar: The Exiled Chronicles

[Entity.Eclypse]

Taka
Mentions/Interactions: Flutterby . D O V E The Prophet Xanto ​

Flashes, bright vibrant flashes were filling the little vision he was maintaining. They hurt his eyes, was he getting slapped by the sun now? Surely not... the sun was kind and benevolent, it was the source of firebenders power. There was no way that it would assault him in such a cruel manner. The world around him became a blend of sound, it was like dozens of people clamoring about with each attempting to talk louder than the other. He heard the white-haired man say something about how he looked, and let out a strained chuckle. "Terri- ble, eh? Don't see- how it's... any different from- the usual... from me." It was strange, even in the situation he found himself in... bleeding out against a car he had spent years working on. Despite the fact, his body was on fire with pain, he felt a strange sense of calm.

This calmness was quickly shattered as something jabbed him in the torso once more, "Agh!-" A short cry of pain cast from his mouth as he made haste to grit his teeth, doing his best just to find another method of dulling out the pain he felt. His eyes opened to try to spot this new form of pain, trying to figure out what had assaulted him this time. His head slowly lowered down to see a woman pressing something against his wound. Her expression and tone were rather strange, he hadn't expected someone to call him weak after being slapped by a flying bison full force and somewhat living to tell the tale. Then again, he was weak... wasn't he? He didn't have any special abilities, no amazing titles, no claim to fame, maybe... maybe he was a weakling. Someone just clinging onto life because they were afraid of death. Someone relishing their pain so that they could feel the world around them. This person was trying to help him, but why would they? Other voices rang out now, some clearer than others.

'The Avatar?' His eyes lulled back over to the features of the woman before him. Earth Kingdom attire, a well-trained physique given her arm, she had bent two different elements that he had seen. His expression changed slightly, though it was subtle given his lack of extreme facial expression right now. A look of concern now changed to one of understanding, his eyebrows were indicative of that as the small smile returned to his face. For a moment it threatened to twist back into that of pain as he felt the cloth digging deeper into his body. The pain was... immeasurable, and he could feel as another rush of blood oozed free from his side and fell to the ground. Slowly he lifted his bloodied hand back off the ground, where it had been moved previously, and shakily placed it on the avatar's wrist. His fingers wrapped around as best they could, and he squeezed onto her arm slightly. His eyes moved in an attempt to meet her own, however, it looked at though the avatar was focussed elsewhere, not that he could blame her.
"You- were protecting... Agh! Someone- precious... to you. That is- just. As... the avatar- you're the... pr- otector of the spirits- and us all." There was no malice in his tone, no indication of anger, instead he spoke with the slightest hint of joy. He paused for a moment and he once more sucked down as much air as he could, his chest rang out in agony as it slowly began to expand with the air. He could almost feel a crack on the inside as he breathed, perhaps his lungs had been moving around his bones? He wasn't certain either way. "They dont- understand. I- am sorry... that I'm not- in proper form to greet... you. I am- T-Taka... of the fire- nation. It's a ple- pleasure to meet you... Ms. Avatar." Despite the fact that his words were choppy, and spoken through bouts of pain, he did his best to appear as polite as he could. He wasn't able to bow for a few reasons, the most pressing of which happened to be the avatar herself.

"It's hard... that r-responsibility. A heavy... burden- to bear." His hand squeezed a little tighter, granted it wasn't enough to even give him a firm grip on the avatar's arm. Slowly his vision was taken towards another feeling, it was colder than the rest of him had felt at the moment. His head lulled to the side to see Yara there, she seemed nearly as panicked as some of the crowd had been but took it in much better stride than the others, though he couldn't quite pin why she would be panicking in this situation. Maybe she was afraid of crowds, or maybe the blood startled her... that might've been it. He nodded slightly to her request before turning back to Xiurong. His lips moved for a moment before he choked down another bout of air and spoke again, "You will face extreme- difficulty... and have... undoubtedly faced some already. But remember... this- we're all lost in this world... searching for something... for h- hope. It may be someone... something... or somewhere- but remember. No one can always be their strongest... our strength- is only determined by our weakness. The desire- to get back up... to keep. pressing. on. Even the weakest... candle... can ward off- the darkness..."

He felt weak... he was weak. Unnaturally so at this moment, and yet a sense of humbleness filled him. A sense of detachment from everything around him as the feeling took sight and smell from him. His head slowly lulled to the opposing side, his eyelids fluttering meekly before they closed. His fingers loosened, his grip weaker than before as his hand fell absently towards his side. A cool sensation raced through his torso, it was serene and served to dull some of the pain. The pulsing heat reducing slowly from the roaring flame that it had been prior. It wasn't an unfamiliar sensation to him, back during his first encounter with Yara he felt something similar. A wave of cool rushing through his body and working to reduce the ignition he had felt in his chest. His shoulders slacked, falling slightly lower against the vehicle behind him as his mind began to be consumed in that darkness. Single flickering candlelight was all he had to follow. Just breathe.

His breathing was still ragged, but he could breathe. He was told to breathe. He had to breathe.

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda
Location: Docks
Interactions: Xiurong, Xian, Taka, Yara, and Igoo​

Maizen listened to Yara and the feeble Taka before shaking his head slightly. This was certainly a grand way to come to Republic City, but he'd respect Yara's wish. He would not call the authorities, though he suspected someone may already have. Hopefully they were too stricken with shock to place the call. "Alright, I won't be making any calls, but I do believe both Taka and I deserve to know what's going on. Let me deal with the crowd." He offered with a bland undertone, stretching his arms above his head for a moment before slipping into a different role, that of an innocent victim. With a fake smile underlined in a false humor, he began.

"There seems to be a great deal of drama at the docks today! Do not worry everyone, just now, that victim of the wild animal attack has been out under the care of the greatest private healer money can buy. And as for me, I'm perfectly fine. I actually know that woman, though I've been absent for a long time in the pursuit of helping out the common man and woman like you and I. She simply wanted to pay me back for being gone so long. You know how good friends are. It was pure coincidence that the animal attacked at the same time." He lied smoothly and easily, smiling brightly and laughing a soft and innocent tune. He even brought a chuckle out of some gruff looking dock workers, likely used to that sort of friendly rough housing. He had to take advantage of the confusion; these people knew even less of what he knew, and that was already little. He cleared his throat and carried on, taking in the sight of the crowd for anything he could use. "Though I can't excuse how that pet bison treated my friend, and that's why I'm talking to you all. While I do request that you rid yourselves of those images as I'm quite shy about being on camera and they tell a false narrative, I ask that we all clear out from the docks so that animal control has a clear path to seize this rabid animal, as well as an ambulance for our injured friend."

His lies seemed to strike a chord with most of the crowd, already seeing a small trickle from over the heads of the mass. From the forefront of the crowd he could see that his words directed all negativity towards the flying bison, but most was pure confusion as to what was even going on. He even heard some positivity going the avatars way, speaking of the fact she was simply tomboyishly seeing an old friend. He had them, but now was where he made his demands. After all, he couldn't get to amby of those photos out either. His mother would have him on the first boat back to the fire nation and he would likely go back to being shadowed by father's dogs yet again. Dipping into yet more false innocence and sadness, he continued. "I'm so sorry to ask you all to do something on my request, but I beg of you to allow the proper authorities to make their way over once they arrive by dispersing today. I'm sure you all have much more important matters than some youths, given how well off you all look. I ask that anyone who actually saw everything to stay and speak with me, so we can get a proper testimony." Maizen watched as a few more people left upon seeing a lack of action and his words, and then the mob mentality kicked in and most of the crowd went away and back to their day to day. Only five people remained, and he approached them with kindness in his eyes and business cards in hand. Passing the black card to the small group he introduced himself and explained the 'situation'.

"Please, when you get home and find the time, give this number a call. I'd love to hear your witness account for the inevitable court case. I'm offering a sizable sum of money as a condolences for seeing such a thing as well. It's my personal number, so don't hesitate. Have a wonderful day." He smiled again, attempting to ease them from the sight. He could spare a few calls if it meant he could be rid of them all. He engaged in a conversation with the five for a minute or so, waving them goodbye when they finally all dispersed. The moment he turned around, all prior emotion died a quick death, Maizen passively making his way back to the scene of the crime and opened in a rather distant and stoic tone.

"Does that work? I could have done a better job if it wasn't such a brutal attack on Taka and less already bad word of mouth on….Xiurong, was it? I'm sorry I lied and said we knew each other in such a friendship, but it was difficult to come up with another reason as to why you attacked me in broad daylight without actually saying that you wrongly accused us of being criminals. We should be able to move now, but…..Igoo… might have to take the long way to wherever we're taking Taka. Had to place the negativity somewhere and an animal is the easiest to forgive." He apologized to Xiurong and Xian, turning and nodding at Yara with his last sentence. While it wasn't his best work, he got the job done. Now hopefully he could learn as to what this eccentric group could possibly be up to to lead them to this moment in time. It ended up getting him and another assaulted, so it had better be good.

"Where are we taking him by the way? I would first assume the hospital, but seeing as you have a healer and would need to explain all this to the doctors I assume not."

 

[. D O V E]

XIURONG BEIFONG
07 / 16 / 264AG​

Xiurong never liked authority. She has always found the concept rather constricting and suffocating- even a touch frightening although she would never admit it out loud. Perhaps it was because her life has always been revolving around the subject. Whether she be the crown princess or the great Avatar, there would always be people constantly telling her what to do. Her own parents, her mentors, the Grand Lotus, and so much more- they made her feel like she was still the same little girl trapped in her palace. They would demand her obedience as though she owed it to them just because she was born special. She has always loathed the feeling, and she would continue loathing it.

So, imagine her surprise when Yara used the same tone at her. It was enough to send her blood boiling and her stomach churning. All she wanted was to help. Why must everyone always think she was the bad guy? Even now, she could still hear the whispers behind her back. The World's Worst Avatar. Even just hearing it with her inner voice brought her a new kind of pain she couldn't describe. She was about ready to comply and leave when a languid force brought her back to her clearer senses. When she looked down, she found the man wrapping his bloodied fingers around her wrist.

Confused, Xiurong moved her eyes to the man himself, her furious orbs boring into his dulling ones. She was just in time to see him suck a breathe and began stammering. At first, Xiurong was wholly tempted to tell him to shut up and snatch her hand away but she was later on caught engrossed by his words. She was ready for him to start complaining or blaming her, but he ended up... sympathizing with her? He was implying he could understand her even though the rest of the world couldn't. Halfway through his strained speech, Xiurong frankly thought the man would bite the dust and plop lifeless but he soldiered on, telling her it was their flaws which made them strong. Even the weakest candle can ward off the darkness?

Xiurong has always hated the darkness.

By the end of his statement, Xiurong's head was hanging low. Her dark hair was framing her features, obscuring whatever expression she had from everyone except Taka. "You should shut up or you're going to die," came the Avatar's reply. There was the same sharp arrogance in her tone, making it seem as though his words didn't reach either of her ears much less her heart. A perfect contrast to her face's glimpse of vulnerability; knitted brows, glossy eyes, and quivering lips. Her father was kidnapped, her effort to find him transformed her into a fugitive, she got banished from her own home, she might get arrested in Republic City, and now the whole world was gradually turning their back on her. It was all too heavy, yet Xiurong knew she must carry on. She should, she could, and she would carry on. Because she was the Avatar. She couldn't afford to be weak even for a single second. That was why she was so much stronger- better- than anyone.

She snapped her arm away from the man's grasp, her expression quickly shifting back to its usual form as she tilted her chin upwards. "Save your sheep talk for somebody else. And Yara's not precious." She told him and shot the healer a glare before standing up, once again surrounding herself with that smug air of superiority.

It was only then did Xiurong realize the crowd has dissipated. She could see the white-haired man talking with the remaining few in the corner of her vision. She could pick up a few words from him. It sounded as though he was defusing the situation with his words. She arched a brow at this. It reminded him of her twin, Prince Xu. Xiurong had mocked him plenty of times about it. Wordbending, she'd call it. Since Xu couldn't sway the earth to his every whim, he learned how to sway people with his words. The Grand Lotus would mention time and time again that she needed to learn the same skill. It was one of the many things Xiurong hated.

The Avatar simply crossed her arms when the white-haired approached. Now that she got a closer look at him, he did look completely different from the thug from earlier. It still wasn't her fault though. "Why would you blame Igoo? Now we can't use him to transport the dude without making it look suspicious." She replied after he apologized before turning to Xian. "But he's right. We can't take him to a hospital. Let's bring him to your house."

Entity.Eclypse Flutterby The Prophet Xanto

 

[Flutterby]

Taka was talking when she got to him, but very quickly he was not. Most of Yara's face grew very still- her eyebrows stopped their usual wiggling, there was no movement at the corners of her eyes where tension or laughter usually showed. With her eyes shut, it would have looked like she was sleeping, if not for the motion of her lips as she soundlessly muttered to herself. When the crowd noise swelled, she tilted her chin away from it, trying to block it out as much as possible. In the lulls in the noise there was a just barely audible song coming from her, but she was far too quiet for any lyrics to be heard.

She didn't pay attention to Xiurong's response to Taka- not until her name was mentioned, and then she could feel Xiurong's glare without breaking her concentration. The healer made a mental note to find a moment to apologise to Xiurong later- for intending to abandon her, maybe, but definitely for snapping at her during this tense moment. The entire experience.. well, she had forgotten how much pressure was on Xiurong, in the days after watching her level a city. It would have to be later though, because there was another hour at least, maybe two, of work to do with Taka after they moved him.

When she was sure that he was put back together at least enough to keep from bleeding on the way, she finally opened her eyes and looked up.
"He's ready to move now. If we're not putting him on Igoo, I need someone to drive his.. thing." She vaguely indicated the machine Taka had fallen against.
"There's still a lot to be done." The sharpness of her voice was gonna now, replaced by a breathy, flat affect.

Her hands drew the water back into the skin, and she leaned over Taka to speak to him.
"Taka, I've closed the worst of it and we're going to move you now. When we get somewhere better, I'll continue. Try to stay awake."
And then she looked up to the group, waiting for someone to step forward to help her.
Interactions: The Prophet Entity.Eclypse . D O V E Xanto

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Taka
Mentions/Interactions: Flutterby The Prophet Xanto . D O V E ​

Once more he heard people talking to him, his eyes slowly opened once more and gazed towards Xiurong. Though her tone had been sharp, and agitated, he could see that she was wavering. Her expression could tell him that much, but the way she held herself afterward spoke volumes more. The look in her eyes had told him a few things about the avatar that many had voiced grievances over. The first of which had been that she was troubled, it was a look he had presented in his eyes all too much in his past. The second fact was that she was lying, perhaps she was lying to herself, him, or even someone else... but the unmistakable glint had made itself known in her eyes. If only for a moment, a fraction in time, she lowered her mask to him... she showed her weakness. Perhaps it was unintentional, but he had found a reason to side with this avatar that so many targetted with ire.

"Is that so?" He whispered in a hushed tone, a small smirk teasing the edge of his lips as he watched the avatar turn away from him. It was at this point he had heard something from Yara, not an identifiable noise but it almost sounded like... music? He strained a little to try and better identify it, though his efforts had been to no avail. Slowly he glanced down to his stomach, the pain had reduced quite considerably since Yara had started her work. The gash on his stomach had seemingly been healed in full, much to his own surprise. He couldn't see within himself, but he'd assumed that her bending had likely done some work within him as well. Slowly he attempted to take a breath in, it offered a significant amount of tenderness but required far less strain than he initially had dealt with.

A moment later he had heard her request towards the others, for one of them to drive the Izumobile. Was he going to be forced to sit in the backseat of his own car? No... there was no way he could stand for that, then again... it wasn't like he could comfortably stand at all right now. A pit formed in his stomach, a hollowness that he could only describe as dread. His eyes moved between each of those around him, slowly and methodically, as he began to consider what had gone through each of their minds when Yara made that statement. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked from Xian, to Maizen, then to Xiurong. As he progressed through each of them his eyes narrowed more and more, critiquing the idea of each member sitting behind the wheel of the Pheonix.

Perhaps he could try to drive... even in his injured state, he was almost certain he could get them wherever they were trying to send him. He couldn't help but think back to Xiurong's statement from before, he might actually die if he didn't do it himself. The thoughts raced through his mind as suddenly a figure appeared before him, his head immediately snapped to focus on it where he saw the form of Yara now. He could feel his heart stop in his chest for a moment, mainly at the shock of being pulled from his thoughts so suddenly. His eyes widened slightly as he looked up to her. She was closer to him than he had expected, had he not been in immense pain a mere moment ago having a girl this close would have already caused him to flush red and babble like a child giving their first-ever class presentation. His eyes quickly darted away, looking out at the ground.

'Stop being awkward you idiot! This is just so you don't die, purge the thought!' He mentally scolded himself for thinking such a stupid thing, if he had to guess it was the blood-loss causing this train of thought... that was the only rational reason. After all, he probably looked like a piece of meat that a rabid Catgator just finished tearing apart given the blood and torn attire. When he pictured it in his mind, he could hardly think of his appearance as anything other than depressing. Having heard Yara's request he began to look higher to try and look her in the face better, instead, he was met with the hard exterior of the Izumobile. A resounding thud rang out as his hand quickly shot up an held the back of his head, a sheepish smile taking over his face as his gaze looked towards her.

"S-sure. I can manage that. Oh... by the way-" He paused for a moment, sitting there in silence for a moment as he thought over his next statement carefully. His mouth began to open but quickly shut once more, instead, he shook his head softly for a moment. "Nevermind. Let me get my keys out... can't get in the car otherwise." Leaning over slightly, he felt another pulse of pain fire through him- but he still managed to retrieve the keys and held them in his hand. Despite his disliking of the idea, he prepared to hand the keys off to whoever elected to be his driver.

 

[Xanto]

Xian Zhao

"Wild animal attack" . . "-how that pet bison" . . "-animal control" . . "rabid animal" . . "witness account for the inevitable court case" . . "-sizable sum of money as a condolences"​

The senseless phrases echoed through the airbender's mind. He tried speaking, only to be bogged down by the voices surrounding him. Uttering words even phrases, only to be cut off by lies framing his friend . . his closest family. Strangers didn't hesitate to step in front of him, all gathering to hear Maizen's word. A sea of bodies that eventually blocked the distance between the group and his motorcycle. Till eventually, Xian was in the crowd.

This white-haired speaker pressed on. His attempt to thin out the crowd by portraying Igoo as some rabid beast was successful for the most part. Finally, he neatly closed off his story time with monetary compensation in exchange for entertaining dishonesty.

Honed in. Zoned out. The airbender's vision blurred when weighted ropes enclosed his helpless friend. "RAAGH!" Igoo struggled, shifting under the many constraints tying him down. His roar only amplifying more as they burned against his exposed skin. Meanwhile, the full team tightened their grips as more representatives joined in. Line after line, each animal control member pulled to aggressively strengthen their rein over Igoo. A sight Xian couldn't endure.

Vroom. Bratata pop pop! VROOM! Xian charged his motorcycle forward, breaking through the the late crowd gathering in front of him. People parted the sea as he numbly maneuvered to stop at nothing but Taka. His eyes focused on no one else, but his bloodied friend before carefully slinging him onto his back. "Go home," He commanded Xiurong in a lower voice than usual. His eyes didn't even come into contact with her's as he tossed his keys to the avatar. Fortunately for them, Xian's house was just along the docks.

The airbender swiftly lifted Taka onto the motorcycle then positioned himself in front. It wasn't hard for Xian to sway against whatever anyone else mentioned, mainly since the words of those around him submerged into a dreaded familiar feeling. A blood boiling, devouring, warm sensation that smoothly pulled him into a dark abyss. Yet on the outside, his face was merely expressionless. "I'll take care of Taka, and his car," Then without further discussion, Xian drove away.

___​

His contact lived just around the corner. In fact, this guy in particular had the habit of healing Xian after engaging in countless brawls back in the day. A quick bison smack to the head was nothing he couldn't fix. "He doesn't look too bad," A tall, darker man commented toward Xian as he exited his establishment. "You too, stranger," He said, glancing at the bloody guy latching onto the familiar face, "Come on in."

The host held his door open as Xian guided Taka into the house. "You run into Jade?" He inquired before turning to close his door, "She went over to your place just a few minutes ago." "Haven't seen her," Xian shook his head after pausing in silence at the realization. Maybe she would run into Xiurong at his place. . . who knew if those two would get along. Xian sat Taka down as the still unnamed guy unwound the royal material from his head, "So what happened here? A steel bat to the head?" "A flying bison to the upper eye ridge," Xian replied, taking a glance at Taka's wound. Then, the stranger chuckled as he dipped his head to see the victim's wound in a clearer light, "Raiko, nice to meet ya."

Entity.Eclypse . D O V E Flutterby The Prophet

 

[. D O V E]

XIURONG BEIFONG
07 / 16 / 264AG​

Igoo's cries didn't go unnoticed by the Avatar. She whipped her head to the behemoth's direction almost automatically, and her eyes widened with shock at the sight. They were throwing reinforced ropes all over the bison, and Xiurong could only gape when they constricted around the writhing creature. "Hey, hey!" She angrily called out and tried to move from her position, but Xian's bike came zooming from behind the crowd. When the airbender hopped off, tossed her the key to his house, and told her to go home; Xiurong couldn't find it in herself to move an inch. A voice at the back of her mind told her that if she said anything, then it would be her who was going to get hauled to jail instead of Igoo. Xiurong didn't want to be restrained anymore.

Dark eyes then bore into Xian's face. His expression remained neutral despite the situation. Xiurong couldn't tell what was going on in his mind. Was he angry or not? He did use that tone on her. Then again, if he was indeed angry, then to whom? To the white-haired man for blaming Igoo? To her for accidentally attacking the wrong guys? If it was the latter then that would be very unfair. None of this was her fault.

Somehow, her blood began boiling at the thought. And here she thought the situation couldn't get any worse. With a frown, the Avatar watched as Xian and Taka drove from the place. She clenched the keys in her hands tighter as her mind went back earlier when Xian suggested they should just walk and not use Igoo. Xiurong vehemently refused because...

Because she wanted to play Airball...

"Hey Yara, hurry up!" She called out. "We're leaving the city soon." She added before facing the direction of Xian's humble abode. With a stomp, the Avatar launched herself onto the sky and used her airbending to glide forward, doing her best to ignore Igoo's cries as he got dragged off somewhere.

Flutterby The Prophet Xanto

 

[Flutterby]

There was a hint of a smile on her face as Yara lifted a hand and touched the side of Taka's head lightly.
"I'll add that to the list," She said, warmly now. She watched him consider saying something but change his mind with a bit of relief- he wasn't 100% yet and yapping away wasn't necessary.

Yara stepped back without worry when Xian started to move Taka. But then, he put him in the motorcycle instead of in the car, and he said he would take care of it all, over the sounds of Igoo being restrained. Yara took half a step forward.
"Xian where-"
But he was already gone. At the end of the dock, it was clear he wasn't headed home, and then he quickly disappeared from sight.

Within a few moments, Igoo had been removed from the docks and Xiurong had started to go, leaving Yara standing with no patient and no Avatar charge once again. Once again, Taka had been removed from her care before she was ready, before he was really better. Her heart was beating too loudly. She was almost sure Maizen could hear it.
As she finally lost sight of Igoo, she said to the strange white-hired man,
"I don't know if they forgive animals that easily in Republic City. I hope they don't destroy that animal because of what you said. But at least now you've met the Avatar."

And then Yara started her feet forward, walking back down the dock with none of the energy she had that morning. Somehow, she was faced with the same choice she thought she had made already that day- be a fugitive at the Avatar's side, or abandon someone who she was obligated to.
She just hoped she knew the right thing by the time she reached the end of the dock.
Interactions: The Prophet Entity.Eclypse . D O V E Xanto

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Taka
Mentions/Interactions: Xanto Flutterby The Prophet . D O V E ​

In all honesty, he wasn't even sure why he was sitting there so embarrassed, it's not like anything had happened between him and the others here to prompt such a thing. So he slowly managed to reduce his heart rate, breathing slowly to focus on calming himself to some degree. Today had been a whirlwind of emotions, and yet he had a creeping feeling that only more emotions would come from the day. His grip was held tightly on his keys, the tiniest hint of shaking coming from his arm as he held them. Something in his subconscious refused to relinquish the keys, it was like he was grasping onto the last thread he held towards something, and even then he couldn't let it go. But soon there-after he felt a hand upon his face, it was gentle and had a kind warmth emanate from where it had made contact.

His eyes shifted back up to Yara for a moment as he listened to what she had to say, though he couldn't tell what the statement had been directed towards. "After all of this... I-" He stopped once again as he heard the sounds of a motorcycle approach them, coming to a halt merely a meter away. His face turned to look towards Xian, who was staring him down for some reason... Had Igoo been hurt during the hit!? Taka quickly turned to see Igoo being restrained, his hand moved behind him as he began pressing himself against the car in a desperate attempt to get to his feet.

Needless to say, the pain was immense, but he couldn't focus on that right now. He was the reason as to why Igoo was being restrained in the first place, his inability to take a hit, his weakness, was resulting in people hurting someone precious to his friend. But by the time he had just about gotten to his feet, he felt Xian grab him and pull him onto his back. It definitely wasn't the gentlest of feelings, but it was deserved. Against the cries of Igoo Taka couldn't bring himself to voice his own pain, because it wasn't nearly as much as Xian's companion was feeling. All he could do was stare idly at Xian's back as they loaded onto the motorcycle. He returned his keys once more to his pocket at Xian's words before looking back towards the remnants of the group as they began to speed off.

As he looked back towards them all he could manage to do was speak out a measly "Sorry" before they had begun speeding off. Slowly he turned his head back towards Xian's form, given the tone of his voice earlier Taka could tell that he wasn't doing the best either. His grip was held firmly to the sides of the bike, using what strength he had to hold himself in place. Blame had to go somewhere in this instance. The Avatar had prompted the attack, but it was to protect someone, so it was justified. Maizen had fabricated the story for the press, but he did it to prevent people from wrongly becoming criminals, so it was justified. Yara had asked them to remove the crowd, but it was for the protection of someone, so it was justified. Igoo had thrown him towards the sea, but it was done with the thought of protecting someone, so it was justified.

Xian had done nothing wrong, he came to help those around him. What had he done? What had Taka truly done throughout the entire thing? He had caused discourse, difficulty, displeasure. Had he been stronger he could've walked it off and helped persuade the crowd of a lie. Had he been tougher, he wouldn't have to worry about people suffering from his weakness. His fingers held tighter to the seat of the motorcycle as he gazed downwards, his brow knit together as his mouth moved to form a scowl. In his mind, he could see the face reflected back at him, along with the face of his mother and father. "Why did the spirits have to curse me..." He spoke beneath his breath, allowing the sounds of the motorcycle to drown him out.

~~~ Transition~~​

By the time they had come to a stop, his expression shared that of Xian's monotonous and blank. As they left the vehicle he wrapped his arm around his friend's neck as support before they entered the building. The pain in his body felt dulled, a shockwave of adrenaline had rushed into his body, but he knew it wouldn't let him miraculously stand up without being healed first. As they entered the house Taka couldn't help but feel like he was inconveniencing the gentleman who had allowed them in, much less the fact he had appeared in such an unsightly condition. "Sorry for the intrusion..." He spoke quietly as they continued past the threshold and towards what he could only assume to be a sitting room.

He did his best to assist Xian in sitting him down as the two began to converse, they mentioned another individual who he had no knowledge of. If he could've found it in him, Taka would have jested with Xian about this possible new suitor for his friend. But given the condition, he'd seen him in he couldn't manage to do so. So instead he let a small smile etch it's way into his lips, though it felt like someone was attempting to carve into his porcelain expression as he had done so. At this point, the stranger had begun looking into his injuries and introduced himself. "I'm Taka, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir." He felt his form tighten as the thought of bowing came to mind, though that might cause greater issues for the one looking him over. "I hope that I won't cause too much trouble for you today" His voice came across as genuine and kind, as he shut his eyes and began to enter his internal maelstrom once more. His mind racing with ways he could attempt to rectify this situation, how he could brandish his weakness, and force it into strength.

His mind raced back to the docks, to the group there, to Igoo. He had been assaulted by a few dozen people with restraints who took him away not much later. He needed to find Igoo and break him out, to atone for the difficulty he'd caused those around him. His eyes opened once more as he glanced over to Xian for a moment, "Xian, I'm sorry for what happened back there. After I'm able to get around without having to use you as a crutch... I'm going to fix this."

 

[Fletchawk]

Bao Rongye
Seventeenth Night of The Seventh Month
A Several Miles From Si Wong Rock​

The sand swirled in the cool air of the desert night air as the Royal airship lifted off, leaving Bao, a large sand sailer, and a contingent of Royal Guards. It would return to Ba Sing Se to deliver the documents, along with written summary of the meeting, and orders to various people, before returning. Bao knew he'd get a polite earful for not returning immediately, but the almost daily sparring matches weren't quite cutting it for him. He needed to see something other than the green and gold that surrounded him for the past month. As the airship's position lights got smaller, the stars got brighter, and with the familiar feeling of sand under his feet, Bao knew he made a good decision.

When Xu and Jia joined them, Bao removed the faceplate of his helmet, attaching it to the loop on the shoulder of the uniform he'd changed into. Even in the moonlight, the Prince's lethargy was apparent from a distance. Making a mental note not to seperate from the young prince, he was glad that there was a Dai Li retainer to also keep an eye on him as well.

"Before we make the final approach, let's go over the plan quick to make sure we're on the same page," Bao advised, motioning for Xu and Jia to come closer, "We're going to split into three groups. A pair of men will be standing guard at your airship, and the rest will go on the sand sailer and run the perimeter of the Rock until we find a decent entrance. At which point, we'll split up. I will lead a group inside to try and establish where the buzzard wasp queen is, and eliminate it if possible. Those on the sand sailer will continue run the perimeter, taking note of any other ground level entrances until dawn, which they will return to the split point before pulling back to the airship for the day. So which group would like to be a part of, Your Highness?" Bao tapped on a metal barrel of water that was loaded onto sand sailer to make sure it full before doing some last minute tightening of his armor's straps, causing it to hug his torso snugly as he listened to the Prince's answer.


AI10100 [Sleepy Xu]
Colorless Spectrum [Dai Li Doll]

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda
Location: leaving the docks
Interactions: Yara (mention of Taka, Xian and Xiurong)​

It should have been simple. Direct the negativity towards the animal and falsify the fact that animal control was on their way and send some positivity towards the rather brutish avatar. It had gone exactly bad planned, but he'd made a mistake. Of course some animal control would already be on sight at the docks, giving how much imports and exports happened here it wouldn't be a reach to say animals came along this way and thus required professional handlers. Maizen watched the flying bison get lashed down, and watched it's handler undergo some deep emotional change as he tossed a key to Xiurong and took off with Taka. They left, and so did the bison soon after. Perhaps his lies worked too well? Whatever the case, he should at the very least aide the people still around. He could bail out the animal later as some sort of apology.

"Well then. I've been in republic city for about 15 minutes and already I'm waist high in trouble." He mused quietly, making note of where the animal control workers went as Xiu quite literally took off to the skies. Hearing Yara's comment he looked over at her, nodding. "It seems I have indeed met the avatar. If I were to be positive, she's quite…….confident. Though her eyes tell quite the story." He watched Yara start to walk off at the command of the avatar, and after one brief look at Taka's car he finally decided to get into his bike.

Taking his spot on the soft black leather seat, Maizen turned the ignition and and listened for the soft rumble of the engine starting. The white motorcycle spurred to life, the dull purr of the running engine quiet as Maizen found his footing on its sides and caught up to the walking figure of Yara. He couldn't exactly help out the gliding avatar, but he could at least alleviate some exertion of the walking healer. Slowing the RX to a crawl he looked over at Yara and motioned to the space on his motorcycle directly behind him. "After all that, I couldn't ask you to walk to wherever you're going. As someone who did not in fact throw a boulder into my stomach and in fact aided me, it would be rude not to reoay you in some way. would you like a ride to wherever the avatar is off to? It doesn't exactly look right in that the avatar leaves you to walk alone yet still come along with her." He pointed out the avatar's fast gliding form in the skies above, before smiling faintly.

"Of course you can refuse, I'm only offering an escape from the walk to spirits-know-where."



Flutterby (look guys I finally remembered)

 

[Flutterby]

Yara couldn't get her thoughts in order- far too many of them, far too quickly- and she was dreading the chore of sorting them out and making a choice. It didn't occur to her until Maizen requested she ride with him that she didn't really know where she was going.

"Spirits-know-where, indeed," Yara mused softly, glancing once again at Xiurong's retreating form. She needs someone, and Xian clearly isn't able to do it right now. But I don't know if I can, either.

She looked to Maizen again, and it occurred to her that he was, now that she wasn't annoyed by his interruption of re-meeting Taka, fairly attractive. There was a new kind of glint in her eyes as she looked more closely at him. Before Xiurong, she had dated. Frequently. She had danced and flirted and got to know all kinds of people, some for longer than others.
He was new in town. He had to have a place to stay, and that bike, the clothes.. he had said Tosuda International earlier, hadn't he? That implied at least a nice hotel, if not some corporate-owned house. He was already offering a ride. It would be so, so easy to cry a little and ask for a place to stay, a nice drink to ease the day...
Yara stopped herself there. As much as she wanted to be away from Xiurong and unwind a little, there was too much of a mess to clean up now. And she wanted to know how Taka recovered- immediately, not in a few years.

"As much as I want to ask where you're headed.." Yara began speaking with the tiniest of smirks, and then let it fall away to reveal her worried, tired expression. "I suppose now is the wrong time to drop my obligation."
Yara let out a long breath, and briefly glared at Xiurong. Then she carefully threw a leg over the bike and scooted on behind Maizen, wrapping her arms around him to secure herself. "The airbender's house isn't far. Maybe you can spare a minute to help me plot to get the bison back, if Xiurong lets you in the door."
Yara knew herself well enough to admit she didn't need help with that. She needed help with not being blown up by an unpredictable Avatar- and at this point, she'd take anyone for that.
Interactions: The Prophet // Mentions: . D O V E Xanto Entity.Eclypse

 

[Xanto]

Xian Zhao​

"This ol' scratch, trouble?" Raiko smiled before leaning away and reaching for some cleaning supplies, "I've seen worse in my day." Although he didn't look that much older than Taka and Xian, Raiko surely had a slight change in lifestyle since his . . rougher years. The waterbender furrowed his brows as he lifted a damp cloth to dab Taka's wound. The open injury already seemed partially healed, with its outer ridges showing repaired scar tissue as if it'd been given 2 weeks ago. Another healer perhaps, another one of his kind had helped him out.

In the meantime, Xian kept his calm by a window. He seemed to be studying the view beyond Raiko's transparent glass. When in reality, he was simply deep in thought. Anyone catching sight of his serene exterior wouldn't realize the internal flames bursting with displeasure. Fortunately, the short time it took for him to drive over seemed to cool him down enough for the time being.

"Xian, I'm sorry for what happened back there. After I'm able to get around without having to use you as a crutch... I'm going to fix this," Taka remarked in his usual habit. Nothing new here. The two knew each other well enough to understand that the Fire Nation native would do anything to place the blame on himself . . even if he got hit by a flying bison out of nowhere.

"Don't apologize, Taka," Xian finally muttered as his gaze shifted from the window to his contact's patient, "None of this was your fault. If anything, I should be apologizing on behalf of Igoo." A truth of the matter. It was only right for him to take ownership of his flying bison's actions after practically raising him on his own. Though, he knew fairly well that Igoo was merely trying to help Xiurong. "A warm welcome to our reunion," He slightly smirked, albeit failing to hide his lifeless eyes, " . . Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out."

"Tilt your head back will ya? . . sir." Raiko blurted out after randomly pulling out a bowl of water, "I'd like to skip the romantic face holding this time." And that was his cue. Xian stretched an arm across his chest before extending a hand out to Taka, "Time to get your ride." It wouldn't be the first time he's driven one of his cars. So, his friend shouldn't be too worked up about it.

Entity.Eclypse

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda
Location: Xian's home
Interactions: Yara and ???​

Watching Yara's eyes regard him more closely, he maintain the faint smile on his lips, even smiling just a bit more before she eventually answered. "Well I originally planned on dropping my things off at my residence and then heading out to familiarize myself with the city and beyond, settling all this with you and your friends feels paramount. I caused some of it after all." Maizen raised his arms a little to let her arms go around his waist comfortably, looking back at her to make sure she was secure. "So we're going to the Airbender's home? Alright, hold on."

Picking up the pace slowly at first in order to let Yara get used to the movement, his motorcycle took to the streets and revved up to speed, smoothly riding down the street whilst maintaining the quiet purr of the engine. Talking in a slightly louder voice to accommodate for the fact they were zooming down the street, he started up conversation whilst facing forward save for the ever occasional glance back. "We'll definitely have to see about getting Igoo back, I feel that would do wonders for the Airbender and Avatar's mood. I suppose we could just go and pay whatever fee and retrieve him, but I don't know if they even have the option since even by accident people saw it hit Taka. It's certainly a predicament. I do hope the avatar isn't against letting me in and talking about the bison's procurement. She strikes me at first glance as someone unreasonably headstrong and prone to hitting things head on, no matter who."

With Yara's directions he turned into the front of what he assumed was the bison owner's home. Odd, that wasn't Taka's car, in fact it looked like…..

"The authorities work incredibly fast here, don't they? Yara, you remember my story back at the docks, right? That's our story, anything else and we go with what the other says. This might be trouble." He muttered just loud enough for her to hear, and brought the bike to a stop perpendicular to the home. The bike still ran, in case they needed a getaway. Looking at the police officer standing in front of the house, Maizen took in as much information about the person in question. A far older man with a beard, with an undeniable air of someone with rank. Xiurong could be inside, but he might not know that. But he very obviously knew they were there, and as such it put them under a bright light. Here's to him and Yara getting away scott-free.

Flutterby . D O V E

 

[. D O V E]

XIURONG BEIFONG
07 / 16 / 264AG​

Xiurong gracefully landed onto Xian's front yard in no less than three minutes. With a huff, the Avatar dusted herself- only to realize that she had just wiped Taka's blood all over her royal garment. Great, even the last remnant of her royalty has been smirched. Could today be any worse? It probably could. She shook her head in disbelief before taking light steps to the airbender's front door. It was only an hour ago when she walked out of the same abode, feeling a bit hopeful about her situation as she schemed her way into playing Airball. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Again.

They shouldn't have went looking for Yara. No, that was wrong. Yara shouldn't have went to the docks. What was she doing in the docks anyways? Watching the fishes with men? Who were those men anyways? She scoffed. The waterbender has always been good with people. Again, one of the reason why the Grand Lotus slapped her with Xiurong.

The irked Avatar wasted no time and inserted the key upon arriving at the doorstep. The object smoothly went in and she turned the knob with a click, pushing the door in a needlessly aggressive manner so that it banged against the wall with a loud thump. Unconcerned, she pulled the key from the knob and walked past the aperture, using her airbending to shut the unlocked door behind her.

She felt dirty and parched. She should take a quick shower then change her filthy clothes before gathering her things. It seemed like Nightwing wasn't back from her morning hunting yet, and Yara was being a slowpoke as usual. She could spare at least an hour or so before leaving. A part of her wondered if she should wait or at least write a message for Xian. What would she say though? Thank you for the dumplings and the bison sacrifice? Ridiculous!

She should really stop thinking about the incident. It was only making her more and more angry. However, as she was making way to the kitchen, a woman suddenly busted out of the bathroom.

"Xian?" She asked, before her eyes raised to meet Xiurong's dark ones.

There was nothing but silence for almost a minute as the two women gaped at each other. Xiurong regarded the woman's appearance; long and curly black hair, striking golden eyes, and gray and scarlet outfit. Obviously a firebender or at least a Fire Nation descent. What the hell was she doing in Xian's bathroom? Then, both their eyes widened with realization and the two of them pointed at each other in synchronization.

"THIEF!"

"THIEF!"

In a blink of an eye, the woman scurried to pick up a nearby broom and raised it against Xiurong. In response, the Avatar grabbed a bowl innocently sitting on one of the many countertops and threw it at the stranger. The dark-haired woman seemed reluctant at first, but she eventually shifted to the side and swiveled the broom to redirect the basin a few steps away. The shrill sound of ceramic breaking into tiny fragments resonated throughout the house. It wasn't enough to deter the two women from fighting though.

"HAYAH!" The woman cried as she ran for Xiurong with pointed broom. The Avatar planted her right foot on the ground and took a step with her left, shifting her torso leftwards so the stick would miss her while her hands shot for the woman's wrists. Xiurong then seized the woman's disorientation and used her superior strength to ram the woman onto the wall.

"You picked the wrong house." Xiurong taunted with a triumphant smirk, holding the woman's hands over her head and applying enough force for the woman to yelp in pain and drop the broom.

But the fight was far from over. "Get your bloody hands off me!" The stranger sharply demanded before she abruptly kneed Xiurong on the crotch.

"OOF!" Xiurong, despite being a woman, lost her grip and instinctively bent over to press her hands on her aching body part. It hurt like hell! Did this woman have metal for knees!?

She then felt the woman's arms wrap around her torso and before she knew it, she was mid-air and a few seconds away from getting suplexed onto the floor. A few inches before she collided with the ground, however, Xiurong swung her arms upward and a gust of wind launched the two of them upwards.

CRASH! The reverberating sound was quickly followed by groans of pain as the two women dented Xian's ceiling and limply fell back on the ground.

"Y...You airbending waste of air..." The intruder murmured as she shakily picked herself back up.

"I will airbend you through the roof." Xiurong said with a twitching grin as she did the same.

And just like that, the two women continued throwing hands at each other- at the expense of Xian's many furniture.

---

???​

A few minutes before the two women's fight escalated, a police car pulled over in front of Xian's apartment. Out came a man who appeared to be at least in his late thirties, a dark tinted sunglasses obscuring his scrutinizing gaze as he looked around the block. If it wasn't for the fact that he came out of a police car and there was a shiny badge pinned on his cream coat, one could easily assume he was up to no good. Finally, his eyes focused on the airbender's flat and he reached a hand to rub the back of his neck.

He was about to take a step forward when the robust sound of engine caught his attention. When he craned his neck to its direction, an interesting sight greeted his eyes: a motorcycle driven by a pale man and a familiar waterbender parked across the street. He smiled at them as they drew closer, and the cop fairly assumed the three of them were all heading to the same destination.

"Well met, kids." He gave the two of them a casual two-fingered salute before he looked down on Yara. The burly man had a rather imposing height, probably just a few inches away from reaching seven feet. He then brought a hand to scratch his ragged beard as he momentarily pondered. "You're Mara, wasn't it? The Avatar's personal healer?" He inquired before pointing at himself and grinning. "It's me, Lieutenant Beifong... although I've been recently promoted so I guess I'm Captain Beifong now."

Three months ago, the Avatar was summoned to Republic City to infiltrate a notorious gang's turf and put an end to their illegal weaponry production. The Bone Crusher gang had swelled in both numbers and power that the police department had to call in the help of the Avatar. Captain Beifong's platoon was chosen to help the Avatar and her team ( namely Yara and the Grand Lotus who mostly was just there to oversee Xiurong ) accomplish the operation. It went well, if we were to ignore the damages and injuries which could've been avoided if the Avatar had better self-control, and the gang's leader was captured and brought to justice.

"Do you mind if I take up a bit of your time? I hope you're not busy." He said, although he didn't really wait for their response and soldiered on. "I received a handful of reports just a few minutes ago. A wild bison attacked someone in the docks apparently, and the Avatar was somehow involved- along with a female healer and a Tosuda Internationals representative among many." His sheepish grin flattened into a knowing smile.

"I was just wondering if you could explain the situation, is all."

The Prophet Flutterby

 

[AI10100]

B E I F O N G , X U
Interacting with: Fletchawk Colorless Spectrum
Location: Sand Sailer, Si Wong Rock​

He waved his hand idly. "I'm fine. Really." Xu had a thoughtful look on his face soon after he said that though. While he did hold his ship dearly to his heart after everything that happened during its construction, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let someone else know how to pilot it. If there was a case where he would not be able to steer the airship, someone should be able to fly it to safety. "You do have a point. Having someone else know how to pilot would be a good idea." He nodded, resolute with a hint of a smile as he accepted the challenge of teaching someone the basics of aviation. "Very well. I'll teach you after this entire debacle." There was no hint of joy in Xu's voice anymore as they were taken back to the task at hand.

They descended the ship and met up with Bao and listened to his plan. It was a solid plan. If they were able to rid of the buzzard infection now, it would be ideal. But as it stands, if they do eliminate the buzzard queen, it would kick up the hive into a frenzy as they would make a new one. If they act too slowly in bringing in the reinforcement, they'd have reared a new buzzard queen already. The insects were pests, but they were worrisome to have around. There's a big reason why it was left untouched for so many decades. It just wasn't worth it to gain the land when you had to deal with this infestation. Too bad it was required of them if they didn't want to start war between the Sand Kingdom and the Earth Empire. It was the last thing that they wanted to have after recent events.

"Oh, I'll join y-" He paused, as if rethinking his words. He rolled his shoulders, a troubled look passing his face before he shook his head and sighed. "Fine. Jia and I will accompany the scouting group and make note of any entrances." It was certainly the safer option unless Bao and his group managed to agitate the buzzards enough to send them into a frenzy to protect the entire hive. Nevertheless, whatever happens, they would be able to get the information that they need. He turned to the sky. Until dawn. At most, it would be a few hours of simple recon. Only a few things could happen and the soldiers were trained enough in sandbending that they'd be able to utilize their full potential in the sands.

"Best of luck to you and your group, Lord Regent." Xu said before positioning himself to the side, to be able to see better. He was a capable combatant. This should be a simple task for him. "Don't take any unnecessary risks." He reminded the older man. Their goal here was to simply gather information with killing the buzzard queen as a simple bonus mission.

Once Jia came closer, Xu leaned towards her and muttered. "I thought you'd be more inclined to try out combat than sit on a sand sailer." He joked with a huff of amusement. Sure, they had their little taste of combat when they were escaping the Sand Kingdom's troops, but it was nowhere near what the Dai Li trained Jia for. Sometimes, it was nice to loosen up in a spar - and nice to let loose when it comes to a real battle. Even he was itching to clip some wings if he could.

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Jia Xiaodan

She was glad that Xu will be taking her up on her request on learning, if anything he needed the rest, despite his always lethargic mannerisms and Jia knew that. She also knew how important the airship is to him, and that is why she has no plans on lacking in learning how to fly his airship.

She followed Bao and stood behind her liege as she listened to the plan. The mere question from the Lord Regent of which group the prince wanted to be a part of- made her give an intense stare at Xu's back. "Oh, I'll join y-" It was as if she grew in size and loomed over at his back despite her small stature.

"Fine. Jia and I will accompany the scouting group and make note of any entrances."

Good. She said to herself in relief even if she never showed it. Jia gave Bao a respectful bow and a simple, "May you find the Buzzard Wasp Queen swiftly, Lord Regent." before coming to Xu's side.

He leaned over and gave her a small quip, she raised a brow and gave her own thoughts on the matter that only the prince could hear. "I would be, but I'd rather that you give yourself a break every once in a while." Her tone, if one would notice was more relaxed. "I'm responsible for you in every regard, even if you wished to head-on into danger so willingly and if you command me so, I wouldn't let you." Her statement was part of her obligation to him, but she also cared. More than she would want to admit, especially with Xiurong.

It's been a while since she had talked so much, just a few sentences and there was already a slight ache to her jaws.

She looked at her right wrist, underneath her sleeves was the form of a bracelet from long ago. She let out a sigh and brought her attention to the sky, noting the beautiful stars that was going to fade the moment dawn arrives. "We should get started, the earlier we start the more we can possibly find." She said to Xu rather sternly. The more openings they find, the faster the operation will be, the lesser it would be for the Sand Kingdom to ensue war with the Earth Empire.

mention: || interaction: Xu Beifong AI10100 Bao Rongye Fletchawk

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Taka
Mentions/Interactions: Xanto ​

Taka's adrenaline had begun to wear down, becoming far less capable of sustaining him once again and could already feel his body returning to a state of semi-normality. Xian's companion was rather kind-natured from what he had to assume, though he was only going based off the brief interaction they'd had so far. Though the mention of a scratch was somewhat surprising to him, when he had been it hit it felt like far more than a simple scratch. That's when it dawned on him, his chest was healed... wasn't it? At the very least he would be able to move around now... maybe he could even fight. "Haha... yeah. I guess it was more dazing than anything" His tone took on something bordering between embarrassment and light-hearted fun, though the reason as to why could be anyone's guess.

His eyes crept over to Xian for a moment, it seemed like he was still out of it for the most part- up until he responded to him. He carefully watched his friend's expression as he spoke, being diligent not to lose the slightest hint of expression despite how difficult that proved to be. As Xian spoke, his mind returned to that moment, analyzing what he had seen- even if just for a fraction of a second. Igoo's face, what he'd seen in the bison's eyes, it wasn't malice or hatred that filled them but instead it was that of dedication. The desire to aid and protect. Sure the situation wasn't read correctly, but that wasn't anyone's fault. After all, they didn't even know who the rest of them were up until the point of the injuries.

"Even still, it's-!" His voice began to raise as passion billowed up, only to be shut off as he heard the voice of the healer before him. "O-oh... right. Sorry." His voice quietened down as he slowly moved his head back, waiting for a nod or affirmation that he'd moved far enough to grant a good view. Once he'd moved back to the proper location for that he would hold still, for the most part, not wanting to cause any more difficulty than was strictly necessary. His eyes, however, shifted to the side while his head remained stationary.

"This world is kind of like a play... there's missed cues and forgotten lines constantly." He began as he moved a hand into his pocket and began to slowly seek out his keys once more. His heart rate hadn't accelerated nearly as much as it had beforehand, Xian was one of... one of the only people he truly trusted out there. "In that situation, I was the only one who missed that cue." With that claim he pulled his hand free from his pocket, the keys now present in his hand. While he held them in somewhat of a closed fist, a charm dangled freely from between his fingers. In the end, was a small wooden carving of a bird. It was elegantly created from a reddish-brown wood and that showed evidence of burn marks. "All that's left is for me to do some improv."

Without a moment more of hesitation, he brought his hand down into Xian's, dropping the keys into the extended hand before grasping onto it himself. "I know I don't have to say it every time, but, don't look in the glove compartment." He smiled at his friend before pulling his hand away again and turning back towards the healer once more. The sooner he could get up and move the better. He didn't dislike it here, it was far more peaceful and welcoming than anything had been in the past two days, but he needed to get into action soon.

His eyes closed once again as he sat there with his head angled backward, he hated being a bother and causing others difficulty. But one could make up for that crime merely by doing another deed to balance it out. In Taka's case, he'd need a pretty significant deed to rectify what he'd done. A small smirk cut into the corner of his lips as his mind began to wander, he knew exactly what he needed to do. Once his cut was healed, provided there were no other objections, he would pay Raiko for his services and then leave. From there he'd need to free Igoo from whatever captivity they were keeping him in, and then split town. If memory served him right the next boat would be leaving sometime in the afternoon today, he didn't have a clue as to where it would be going... but that was an issue for future Taka to deal with.

Today was a good day, he met the person who saved his life many years ago, semi-reconnected with Xian, met the Avatar, and even had a moment with Igoo. If the rest of his plan would play out... then today wouldn't be quite as bad as every other day. But with the way this world threw curveballs... it was wishful thinking at best.

 

[Flutterby]

Yara gave directions as needed, but mostly she focused on enjoying the ride. The contrast of the cool air and the warmth of another body. The way her hair got caught up in the wind, almost like swimming. Without height, speed was thrilling. The buzz of the engine helped drown out her thoughts. She half-listened to Maizen speak, sure they could cover the important stuff after they reached Xian's.

That is, until they pulled up. Yara dismounted with a soft grunt, agreeing to the speed of Republic City's police. This one though.. she placed his face right as he began speaking. One of the officers they had met during their last escapade in the city. Another BeiFong, although she hadn't been able to figure out if it was coincidence, providence, or bad luck. Her mood slipped further into the negative, even as she plastered a pleasant-but-worried smile on her face.

"Yara, actually," She quickly corrected, "Although I am impressed that you remember me at all. We were both rather busy the last time we met."
She stepped up onto the curb and towards him so she could speak without projecting her voice, and her eyes drifted to the building behind him. Xiurong was not in sight, so she had to assume the Avatar was somewhere inside already.
"I suppose with a promotion I can assume you are doing well. I'll admit I'm happy to see a familiar face today- we could use a little help, I'm afraid."

Yara allowed her eyebrows to tent a little, showing how long of a day it had been with a little tension at the corners of her eyes.
"I'm terribly sorry we caused such a to-do. It was just a playful reunion.. You know how Avatar Xiurong likes to jest, especially with old friends like us. Everything was all in good fun, but then Igoo.."

Yara's lip just barely began to wobble. "That's the air bison, the one they took away. I know that Maizen," Here, the young woman looked back and gave her companion a quick glance, "said some harsh things about Igoo, that the reports probably repeated, but it was their first time meeting. I'm sure you remember that Igoo really is usually such a sweet animal. I just don't know what got in to him."

Yara glanced between the two men, a little imploring now. "The only explanation I can think of, is that Igoo thought the situation was serious, and was trying to protect the people he cares about. And I- well I really can't fault him for that, such a simple misunderstanding and such a noble intention, and now he's probably stuck in some cage somewhere.."
Yara focused her blue-gray eyes on the officer. "Do you know how we might get him back, Captain? It really would ease my mind, all of our minds, if he were home safe."
Interactions: . D O V E The Prophet // Mentions: Xanto

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda
Location: Xian's House
Interactions: Yara and the Captain​

Letting Yara open was a good idea; she was surprisingly good at the damsel act. He'd likely have fallen for it if not for her retaliation and talk towards the Avatar earlier at the docks. When Yara said his name he smiled innocently at the officer, bowing his head slightly. If she was going to do so well he could hardly drag behind, could he? As Yara finished off with a question, he took the baton and continued. The fact that Yara new the officer in question was great; hopefully he was more likely to believe them.

"It's unfortunate, but true. When I saw how he struck my friend I couldn't help but be a little harsh and brand the animal as rabbid. Now that I've calmed down I know it was an accident originating from Xiurong and I horsing around. I feel terrible about subjecting an innocent animal to being tied down and hauled off like that." He began, hanging his head slightly as he cut the engine and got off next to Yara, learning on his bike and looking up to meet the captain's eyes with a look that appeared as if he was trying not to be sad in the presence of others.

"Maizen Tosuda sir, I wish I could have met on lighter terms. In a summary of events; I arrived just earlier today on a boat and was surprised to see Xiurong at the docks as well, and when Xiurong and I started to horse around the Bison hit my friend. I told the resulting crowd about the bison not realizing it was an accident and they hauled him away. Anything else I can answer? I'll answer all I can, as long as it could aid in saving that poor bison." Pale silver orbs looked into the captain's eyes with innocence, dipped in sadness and uncertainty for the bison's condition. An officer could do wonders in getting Igoo back, as well as ensuring their innocence. Now all that needed to happen was perhaps a witness corroboration in that of Xiurong, which hopefully she was already inside. How quickly could you get into trouble after that scene at the docks? How often did Yara have to deal with that anyways? Keeping Xian's home in his peripheral vision, Maizen attempted to discern whether someone had gone inside. Hopefully she was just inside, sitting down and unwinding after a stressful event. Hopefully.

Flutterby . D O V E

 

[. D O V E]

CAPTAIN BEIFONG
07 / 16 / 264AG​

"Of course I remember. You were a big help back then, Yara." Guiren pointed out after the healer corrected her name. His words weren't born out of flattery; Yara along with the rest of the healers whom the government employed for the special mission, greatly contributed to its success. Or perhaps to be more specific, to the media coverage's positivity. If the world had seen the severity of the thugs' injuries, he doubt they would have reacted as well as they did. Tremendous effort has been poured to save the Avatar's image. It made him internally wonder if this case was any different.

Russet-colored eyes wandered off to the house, but it eventually found its way back on the young adults. The officer nodded his head every now and then as they went on with their explanation. Their cordial attitudes made the job way easier than expected and he was highly grateful for that. Moreover, their words matched up with the reports and they looked genuinely regretful for what happened.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Tosuda. I didn't know the Avatar was good friends with the heir of Tosuda Internationals." He said as he gave Maizen a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I've always been a fan of your bikes."

"Anyways, I'm grateful for the cooperation. I think I can understand the situation better now. It's true that my cousin can sometimes be.. very easy to misunderstand." A light sigh followed the statement. "As for the bison... What happened was unfortunate and I'd like to help you guys get him back, but there's a process. I'd have to forward the case to the deputy." He knew about Igoo- Republic City's resident air bison. It was hard to miss a flying creature of that size.

"Alright. I think that checks out. One last question: do you know where Avatar Xiurong is?"

As if on cue, a reverberating sound thundered from Xian's apartment. It sounded as though something large crashed inside the house, quickly followed by smaller thuds and incomprehensible screaming.

"...Nevermind." Guiren massaged the bridge of his nose while shaking his head. "We better head inside." He said before moving.

XIURONG BEIFONG​

A very peculiar sight was waiting for the trio when the door flew open.

A handful of scattered ceramic fragments, a ceiling with human-shaped dents, a few cracks in the wall, and a wooden table split in half composed the chaotic scene before them. At the center of the madness were the two women who were still locked in battle, although both their attention seemed to have been fully redirected towards the new arrivals.

The Avatar was pinned against the floor by the dark-haired stranger, albeit that quickly changed when the former took advantage of the moment and flipped themselves. Post haste, she threw a fist forward only to be caught. She then threw her other fist but it sadly received the same treatment. Annoyed, the Avatar crashed her forehead against her adversary’s- eliciting sharp cries from the both of them until they finally detached from each other and rolled on the ground while nursing their respective bumps.

“Avatar Xiurong, Professor Jade! What the hell is happening!?” Captain Beifong rebuked as he drew closer with heavy steps. His voice boomed with authority, a contrast to his earlier amicable persona.

The first one to recover was the woman in fire nation garb who turned out to be none other than Jade Hayashi, an esteemed professor and one of Xian’s many cousins. Meaning, she had the right to be in his apartment and was in fact not a thief. “Wait, what?” She blinked at the cop in confusion before returning her gaze onto the other Beifong. “You’re Xiurong? As in… that Xiurong? The Avatar? Xian’s friend?”

Xiurong sat up from the ground with a groan. “Yes!” She venomously retorted.

However, this only earned a hearty laugh from Jade. “Oh spirits! I didn’t even recognize you! It’s been so long since we last met. Do you remember me? We met a few times before when you were still studying on the island.”

The Avatar stared at her dumbfoundedly. It was only now, when they were no longer after each other’s neck, did she realize the other woman did look familiar. “Oh. You’re that firebending cousin of Xian,” came her flat realization. Xiurong was sent to Air Temple Island when she was fifteen to study the element. There, she met Xian along with a bunch of his colorful cousins. They were all equally annoying. She couldn't believe they descended from a former incarnation of hers.

“Yeah! It’s me Jade. Wow, you gave me quite the experience… fighting the Avatar. The look on my students' faces will be priceless once I tell them the tale. I bet it’d even look good on my resume.” She blabbered with a skittish smile which only further irritated the Avatar.

“Oh shut up. You could’ve saved us this mess if you only said so earlier.” Xiurong shot with narrowed eyes while she stood up.

“Well... you could’ve done the same but you didn’t so we're even.” Jade shrugged.

“Well, it’s certainly not my fault so I’m not explaining this to Xian. Good luck with that.” She said as she wildly gestured to the ransacked interior.

“Yikes. At least his workshop was left untouched.” Jade pursed her lips and jabbed a thumb at the said place’s direction. Just as she said, Xian’s many blueprints and tools were still sitting there as though the ramble never happened. “Can’t say the same about his china bowl though. I wonder if he’ll make us pay.”

Xiurong scoffed at the thought. She had no means of paying the airbender. It was only yesterday when she basically got disowned by the Empire, and she couldn't ask the Grand Lotus for any financial aid since he was probably still in the palace. "I am not paying for anything. Why are you even here?"

"I wanted to visit my cousin." Jade answered, unbothered.

Xiurong then moved her glare to the cop.

"I wanted to visit my cousin." He shrugged although his eyes were busy scrutinizing Xiurong. He regarded her bloodied hands and clothes. They were surely not from the recently resolved fist fight since they appeared to be dry. It must've been from the dock rumpus. "I heard about the incident. Are you alright?" He tried to place a hand on her shoulder but it was quickly slapped away.

"Don't you dare touch me." She almost automatically growled, a new flash of anger and disdain in her eyes. It was only then did she notice the presence of Yara and the white-haired man from earlier. She felt her anger rise. This man got Igoo hauled off to who knows where! "Yara! Why did you bring him here!?" She viciously complained.

Captain Beifong seemed surprise by this. His eyebrows slowly knitted together and he moved his eyes to Maizen. "I thought you were good friends?"

Flutterby The Prophet

 

[Xanto]

Xian Zhao​

"In that situation, I was the only one who missed that cue," Taka explained, holding his keys in a closed fist. The world was indeed some sort of play. Wherein, everyone had to pitch in their individual parts to run the show. Taka wasn't the only who missed a cue though. Xian's gaze shifted downward to the dangling charm he'd only seen once before. A bird most likely nodding to the Pheonix brand he drove. Then, the keys dropped into his hand. The airbender started turning for the door when Taka suddenly grasped his hand. What happened? Xian swiftly glanced over his shoulder with raised brow at the sudden contact. . . All this to remind him not to open the glove compartment. Then, he let go. A familiar request the sullen bender nodded to before exiting the room.

"You're quite the poet, aren't ya?" Raiko mentioned, clasping Taka's nape so his neck wouldn't strain as it leaned back. His hand then lifted from his side, smoothly drawing water up and out from the bowl. For a rough looking man, you'd think he'd be more clumsy with such fluid actions. His motions though proved otherwise. Raiko shifted his free palm upward before catching the light stream of water onto his hand. It never splashed though, merely coating his entire hand till he placed it against Taka's wound. "This will only take a second," He assured, breathing in deep. By the time Raiko exhaled, Taka's wound was coated in a thick layer of water. Then, he released. The coating seemed to liquefy along with any trace of the wound. Now, the water regularly ran down in its typical state. "I don't mean to pry, but my cousin over there didn't seem too . . ah, regular," Raiko stated, smirking as if he merely placed a band aid over a paper cut, "What's the news, huh? Ya know, the story behind the pain."

Meanwhile, Xian was roaring his engine down the dock. Perhaps tension was returning. He could feel it in his bones. His knuckles, whitened around his grip as earlier thoughts simmered in his mind. The audacity of a stranger to fabricate lies about Igoo. The coarse restraints grinding against the bison's withering fur. His wheels abruptly skidded against the wooden planking when he slid at an angled stop.

This was the place. Xian stood up from the motorcycle, overlooking the portion of the dock the little group once stood at.

. . Igoo.

The airbender clenched his fist as the scene faintly replayed before his eyes. Yet, he didn't scream . . or bend. His fists merely tightened, only trembling as more anger surged through his veins. Rabid. Xian glared across the sea, seething with madness until his eyes landed on a distant figure. A statue. Aang.

"That man. He was quite a character," A warm maternal voice gently pointed out. It nailed a timbre that anyone could miss. "What'd he do?" A different youthful tone sounded out, a boy's enthusiasm ringing through. "His eyes would glow along with the arrow on his head, sometimes when he was very angry," She replied in true storytelling fashion. There was even a break of silence between them for added suspense. " . . Is that it?" The boy finally said, being cut off by his mother's laugh, "Hm, any guesses?" "Mass destruction? Intense kung fu!" The boy acted out, punching and chopping the air without realizing the gusts of wind that shifted the leaves around them. "He could move mountains if he wanted to. But sometimes, all he needed was someone by his side. Or as your grandmother would put it, ' a simple solution'," She replied, before moving a soothing hand through his naturally ruffled hair. "Wasn't one of his solutions turning into a water monster?" "Not the point, Xian."

Xian blinked. His eyes had moistened out of anger . . or was it sadness? Then, his gaze fell on Taka's car. The still vehicle, waiting to be driven as it gently swayed on the boat. " . . The things I get myself into," He sighed before roughly moving a hand through his hair and unlocking the car.

Entity.Eclypse

 

[Flutterby]

Yara gave Maizen and then the police officer a small smile, but she couldn't hide her disappointment in the Captain's response.
"Well, we would appreciate any help at all you could give. Avatar Xiurong should be..." Yara paused, as a ruckus began to sound from inside the house. "...inside."
As she confirmed it, she closed her eyes briefly- an expression not unlike Captain Beifong's on her face as she started toward the front door.

The scene inside was.. disappointing, to say the least. Not only was Xian's friend injured and bison missing, but now his home was trashed. Luckily for Yara, she didn't have to break anything up or scold the Avatar. Captain Beifong had that covered. She stayed quiet and surveyed the damage, until she caught Xiurong glaring at Maizen. She wasn't fast enough to keep the Avatar from snapping out an indignant question. And the officer standing between them wasn't dense enough to not notice.

Yara fixed Xiurong with a calm look, but inside her head the insults were flying off the shelf at the woman. If Xiurong would just keep her mouth shut for a few moments..
"As you can imagine, Avatar Xiurong is also upset about Igoo's removal." She moved her gaze back to the officer, and gave a diplomatic shake of her head. "It may take some time to resolve the.. feelings around the situation, but its nothing a rag-tag bunch like us can't handle.."
There was an edge, maybe a knowing glint in her eyes, as she added, "I'll make sure of it."

She looked over at the professor and gave a small nod of greeting. "I'm sorry, but we don't know when Xian will be back. It might be better to come back tomorrow, if you need to see him. Even if he does get home soon.. well, it's been a long day."
There was an apologetic smile there, and then she gestured to the mess.
"I can take care of most of this, so if there isn't anything else..?"
She glanced between the professor and the police officer. It was perhaps the most polite 'get the heck out' she had ever managed, but she meant it.
Interactions: . D O V E The Prophet // Mentions: Xanto

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Taka
Mentions/Interactions: Xanto ​

The familiar sound of footfall rang out as he heard Xian leave the room, his eye began to peek open as the healer's hand clasp the back of his neck. Normally this would raise a flag of alert, but Taka merely brushed it off as part of the healing procedure. The mention of poetry caused a small smile to grace his features, he had to physically repress the temptation to shake his head. "I wouldn't call myself a poet by any means. After all, I'm just a man who fumbles his words around until something works." He let out a small chuckle in accompaniment to his seemingly cheerful tone, though it was short-lived as he hushed himself to allow Raiko to concentrate better. From the corner of his eye, he could see the waterbender's hand begin to creep up towards his wound. Merely a moment later and the dull aching pain in his head was instead replaced by a cool tingling sensation, almost as though an icepack had been pressed against his forehead.

He felt the power of it for a moment as the healer took a breath in. The tingling sensation grew more powerful as he could almost feel the cells in his body knitting themselves back together. The only thing he could feel was a slight tugging sensation from the wound, but even that felt like it was being suppressed beneath the cooling touch. Almost as if on cue, he heard Raiko exhale as the water showed it's first signs of weakness. Immediately the handful of water raced down his features, some taking a journey around the contour of his face while others made a bee-line for the air. In the same time it had taken to heal him, he was able to gain a thin sheen of water that decided to stay behind. Even that water gradually trailed down his face, finding hold upon his chin before dripping off onto his pants.

From here he shifted a bit, being free from the restrictions of head-tilting angles and the like, mostly trying to find a more comfortable seating position. Lifting his sleeve to his face, he slowly wiped off the semi-dried blood and water before returning his attention to Raiko. 'So this is one of Xian's kin.' The thought was almost hard to believe, granted there were a few similarities in the facial structure and the fact that this man hadn't lied to him yet... that he knew of. Then came the question of what had happened, and Taka's shoulders immediately slumped, his expression becoming something far more solemn than it had before.

"I'll tell you what I know, it's the least I can do for the aid you've provided me." Taka nodded to himself once more as he took a short breath in to prepare himself to give a rough explanation. "Igoo- We were down at the docks not even... twenty minutes ago, and had a bit of a misunderstanding. I and a few others were standing around and having introductions, and the Avatar showed up. She mistook our discussion for an attempt to hurt someone, and Igoo stepped in to help with handling me and one of the others." He reached a hand up slowly and tapped his chest, "Given the size of his tail... I got hit pretty good. This caused me to look a little roughed up, and a crowd gathered because of the spectacle. So the guy who had been there with me initially fabricated an explanation to disperse the crowd and give a healer some breathing room."

His mind flashed back to the sounds of Igoo roaring in contention against the ropes, struggling against the animal control who he'd assumed had been patrolling in search of illegal animal importation. Slowly his hand crumpled into a fist, gripping against his torn and bloodied sleeve. "Unfortunately this worked a bit too well. We ended up leaving as they were hauling Igoo off under the claims of being a 'rabid beast'. I haven't had much time to talk to Xian, but I'd assume that Igoo has just become more precious to him since the last time we hung out. So... if I had to guess, that's where the pain stems from." Slowly he released the fabric again and glanced over his shoulder, looking towards the exit of the building. He could only imagine what Xian was going through right now. He'd never had a pet, but from what he'd seen with those around him it was heartbreaking to lose them.

A small sigh cut through his otherwise distant expression, his gaze turning back to Raiko once more. "We weren't able to stick around and try to challenge them for his freedom. I can only assume that they were dragging him off to some sort of pound as we were heading here. But that's what I could see from my viewpoint.. granted I was regrettably still delirious at the time."

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda​

"You like them? Why thank you, they're our pride and joy." He smiled as the officer's hand found his shoulder. Maiden's fingers lightly rasped against his bike is he considered his options, Wondering how he could get that Bison back. "The avatar? She's…….right over there." He motioned to the home they stood in front of. It was humorous so you could look for any signs of violence and find the avatar, but Maizen wasn't laughing as the door opened and they went inside.

Redirecting his foot not step on a broken vase the moment he stepped inside the home, he looked on at the two women fighting and felt his mask crack. Who got into another brawl minutes after nearly being arrested for assault? The captain ended the fight, and Maizen gave the brawling professor a wave and a smile as the duo bickered and explained themselves. The Avatar the relationship with the captain was a particular one, and he was about to comment on it when Xiurong in all her infinite wisdom said something stupid. For a first impression, Xiurong was doing terribly.

"Yes Captain we are most definitely friends, she's likely just upset with me because of the events at the docks. We'll make up, don't worry. Thank you for forwarding the case to your deputy, Sir." Maizen answered and change the subject, looking about the mess. Would paying for all of this help lessen the blow from that Bison owner? It was a shot at least. Turning to the professor and Avatar he bowed lightly, motioning towards the wreckage. "Don't worry about the damages, I'll pay for it all and help clean up the mess. Wouldn't want Xian to come home to a ruined home and costs, now would we?" This excessive act was starting to grow bothersome; if only the officer made haste. At least Yara was looking to get them away. Idly he wondered how far this incident at the docks would travel. Hopefully never makes its way over the waters, or his family would be very adamant in him coming home as soon as possible. He could see father's dogs on him already, making sure everything was done for him, that he had no privacy in case of an 'accident'. It already made him feel weary.

"So how long could the deputy case take? Understandably I'd like this to all be over as fast as possible."

Flutterby . D O V E