Fandom Avatar the Last Airbender: Trial By Fire

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Sol watched the exchange between the guards and his 'bodyguard', and only managed to scoff. He should incinerate them where they stood, but that would probably do far more harm than good and he had a very specific mission that he was on and needed to handle. So instead of interjecting and correcting Rei, and being explosive like he usually would, he opted for just standing by quietly with a very visible scowl of irritation. He knew Azula and Ozai had been defeated, and that every nation was equal but boy did it eat him alive to know that he had to mingle with those who were beneath him.

As they opened the gates to the capital, he let out an exaggerated sigh before shaking his head. That process was entirely too difficult for what it was. Without touching him, Rei moved him through the gates before he could say anything but he gave them a parting gift of a middle finger before they were through. It was a few steps before his companion spoke and he scoffed. It wouldn't have been a problem if he had to fight his way into Ba Sing Se, sometimes that was just how the cookei crumbled.

"I'm not trying to catch flies, I'm trying to catch an old man who thinks he can just up and leave," he stated with an apparent aggravated grumble, before he began his walk. He moved into the trolley, and shook his head as he waited for them to get moving. He was serious about having some tea, but he had no plans to worry about the hostess considering he thought the city folk lacked manners. They should have addressed him respect at all time.

He turned to the girl, and shrugged his shoulders slowly. They hadn't actually had a meal, a real meal, in a bit so he stared at her for a second,"Should we get some food first..." he said gently. Though he treated her like shit most of the time, which she clearly ignored anyways, there were times where his demeanor and attitude shifted to a more caring version. These were generally times where it came to her well-being, like if she was sick he'd bring her soup,tea, and a warm compress though he still wouldn't touch her. Whether she was disgusting non-bender scum or not, she was family and he protected his family.

Maj Rei

 

[Brax]

Rochan took a seat. A few of his trusted advisors had followed, eventually filling the table. These were the same men and women who had decided to place Rochan at the head of the rebellion's affairs. When he was told about the fate of Ozai, Rochan did not give off the appearance of a man that was alarmed. His elbows rested on the oak wood top, the bottom of his face buried in both of his hands. The man's eyes had been fixated on Natsumi as she continued to talk. He held off comment for the time being. There were murmurs around the room between the denizens, some of whom were surprised. Others knew that if Zuko came back with the avatar that things would play out that way.

Hell, Rochan was banking on it.

The rebellion grew in numbers by day, with people swiftly moving from various parts of the island to support Rochan's cause. This would rally those who were still teetering on the edge. Once news properly broke out it would no doubt result in further unrest - and Zuko wasn't around to calm those fires. Azula being imprisoned was another step in the right direction. With her locked away there was no one left to reject his eventual takeover. Arguably, Azula was more powerful than even Zuko. Though, in the end, both she and her father would fall to the Avatar's will. Rochan was not Ozai; he would not fall quite as easy as Ozai had.

Rochan smirked, his lips hidden underneath his fingers. When Natsumi had finished speaking on what she had learned from her trip to the capital, the man’s hands planted themselves on the table top before he stood to his feet. It was interesting that someone within the fire nation was brokering peace with the water nation, but this was more confusing to Rochan. Why? It wasn’t Zuko so what family was possibly high enough on the totem pole for this union to make a difference?

Feet led Rochan to a large window. He watched as the waves crashed against the shore; a calming sight. A full minute went by while Rochan stood in silence, thinking of his next move. He would have to ride the wave of the people and use them to leverage him to a proper vantage point. There was power in numbers. As he turned to face the room full of powerful figures belonging to the fire nation - some of the most influential figures the land had to offer - he was sure to address Natsumi first.

“A job truly well done, love. Thank you for this wealth of knowledge. I am impressed.”

Rochan turned his head to her, smiling. Rochan was a master at manipulation, even when it came to those who thought they were in on the punchline. Natsumi was more than capable of bringing this information to him but given the nature of its contents and her noteworthy calmness, he felt it pertinent to throw a bone.

“For the rest of you. Please spread the news that I will be addressing the public tonight in the marketplace. Let the people know we have important information regarding the future of our nation. With haste.”

He turned his back to the group of people, looking back out of the window once more as they began to flood out of the meeting room. Tonight, Rochan was going to relay the same news to the people of Ember Island. On the promise that he would free Ozai, Rochan would use this platform to ricochet himself to the throne.

Maj

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

She took a deep breath as she found her seat near the table, finding herself seating neatly on the cushion as she fold her legs up under her. She took in a deep breath watching those around her, Rochan's counsel, and nodded. Some were nobles or other types of people with influence who served to benefit from the rebellion. She didn't know what their motivations were, perhaps they genuinely believed in Rochan, at least she was sure Natsumi did.

The man could speak. He could persuade anyone with his smooth moves and word choice, so perhaps he was just the right person to lead the rebellion. She didn't mind, she had no desire to be the head of anything but her family and she got that. As long as her family was on top, it didn't matter who the fire lord was. What bothered her was the woman beside him. She'd do anything for the man before her, even it meant burning everyone in her way, including Hikaru. She knew Rochan wouldn't allow it, yet at least, Hikaru was influential, she was still on good terms in the Fire Nation's army and knew all of the locations, and she was still one hell of a fighter.

If Hikaru had any desire to be Rochan's right hand, she'd had challenged the girl long ago, but there was no need to. She'd live happily and peacefully under Rochan once this was all said it done, back home on Kasai.

Natsumi had begun speaking, and for the most part she tuned out. There was nothing that Natsumi said that Hikaru couldn't have gotten easier, but it was fine. She didn't risk blowing her cover and still had the chance to sway an mutiny in the army. It wasn't until Natsumi mentioned Azula and implied killing her that Hikaru clutched her fist, and cut her eyes at Natsumi. She'd slice anyone in two pieces who laid a hand on her. She needed to be locked up, that was true, from all reports her madness had gotten the best of her especially against Zuko. A shortcoming that she blamed on herself. She saw it, but she was too busy to ever pull her to the side. She felt guilty for not visiting her more.....she needed help...but she was supposedly in an Asylum so she'd get it...hopefully

She took in a deep breath when Rochan dismissed everyone and stood up,"Lord Rochan, If I may..." she stated simply before speaking again before he had the chance to speak,"Killing Azula would do nothing. If anything, she's a more capable ally than even myself. I can imagine her desire to overthrow her brother burns brighter than even Natsumi. "
Mention Natsumi Maj Interactions Brax Lord Rochan

 

[Maj]

​

As the boat left with the waves it took all of Pania’s free will to not jump over the side of the small sail boat and swim for the shoreline. She watched in silent horror as her home faded from view and she left everything behind. The girl didn’t speak for a long time, the grief and anger were too strong. Neither of these people cared what happened to her at all, except that she was alive. They didn’t even like her. If Pania couldn’t even get her cousin to like her, what were the chances that her new husband was going to.

Pania hadn’t fully decided if she was going to go through with the wedding or not. She knew it would make her father happy, and it appeared to be a good way to help sway some of the more powerful Fire Nation families over to the side of peace. However, Pania wasn’t sold on any of it. For the time being she knew she had no choice but to go on this journey, but if she planned to ride it to it’s end in the Fire Nation was an entirely different situation.

It wouldn’t take long to make it to their first destination. There was a river that led directly into the walls of the city. There were accommodations made for the group there so they could rest before catching the ferry If they sailed through the night they would arrive first thing in the morning. However, due to the amount of supplies Pania’s father had sent with them she knew that this was a trip that was meant to go at a leisurely pace. She supposed it wasn’t up to her at all, but rather to her companions. She was the first to break the multiple hour silence.

“So are we sailing through the night? Or do we plan to stop off along the coast to make camp?” the girl was void of emotion as she spoke, broken, resigned. She locked eyes with Ryuu. The white haired young woman assumed that her father had gone over the itinerary with him, she only had a brief knowledge of it.

Brax (Ryuu) AkuTheWolfOkami (Kinni)

 

[Maj]

​

Rei was amused by Sol’s displeasure about her conversation with the guard, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at her. Her face was often stoic and hid most of her feelings and thoughts. Only Hikaru knew her well enough to see through her façade. She had never gotten as close to Sol, in fact in many ways Rei shared Hikaru’s feelings for her brother.

She thought that he had a lot of catching up to do to even compare to his sister, and that he had a lot of growing up to do before he could accurately represent his family. She didn’t pretend to be better than him, except maybe in battle. She was just a little orphan girl that his parents had taken in, she had grown up with Sol but at the end of the day it didn’t make her an heir.

She arched her eyebrow at his change of tone when he mentioned food. He did this often. Sol was a strange guy, he tended to dislike non-benders, which included herself. He was vocal about it, and often talked down to her as a resort. It didn’t bother her in the least when he did this. She didn’t need fire bending to put him in his place if he required it. However, most of the time she was tasked with cleaning up his messes and putting out the fires (figuratively and literally) that he liked to leave in his wake. This trip was no exception.

However, sometimes Sol softened. He thought she was beneath him but deep down he wished her no ill will. He had often checked on her when she was sick growing up. In his own cocky Sol way, he did care about her. He used to take care of her under the guise of not wanting to have to hear his father complain if something happened to her, but Rei knew better. She might be non-bending scum to him, but somewhere deep down he still would never let anything happen to her if he could help it. Thankfully Rei could take care of herself.

“I suppose I wouldn’t be a good body guard if I let you starve to death,” Rei said plainly. “Let’s get into the middle ring first though. I don’t want to have to save you from pick pockets.” She ushered him into the trolley and stood by the window as the machine took off, earth benders behind it sliding it effortlessly along the stone rails. The farmlands were kind of beautiful as they passed overhead. It reminded Rei of her childhood home in the fire nation colonies, before her parents had turned traitor and ruined her life. Once it had been peaceful, and nice.

The lower ring was writhe with filth and poverty. Rei had been fortunate that she didn’t end up in the same slums, or even worse dead. It was the kind of place that Sol would cause a lot of trouble in, and Rei was thankful that she had suggested going into the middle ring. Once there, Rei waited for Sol to exit, and followed behind him. Her eyes never stopped moving, the girl was always constantly aware of her surroundings.

The smell of food hit Rei and she realized that she was also hungry. The young fire-bender had been right this time. It was time to eat. With a little more pacing in her step, she found the source of the savory smelling meat and opened the door of the establishment.

“After you.”

AkuTheWolfOkami (Sol)

 

[Brax]

Pania was sitting around moping, looking sad, generally being useless. Ryuu, on the other hand, had been working the sales. Using the oar. Generally being the driving force for the group to get anywhere. Though, considering that very same group consisted of only two women alongside himself, Ryuu had not expected either to work on rowing or the sails. It wasn’t that they weren’t capable, but rather that Ryuu didn’t feel as though they should have to contribute in that way. Hell, neither of them really wanted to be on the trip to begin with.

Aside from that, Ryuu was a pretty big proponent of the ‘if you want shit done right, you do it yourself’ lifestyle. The ship itself wasn’t too large; it comfortably fit three people with room to spare, however. There was a small wheel to drop the sail completely. Seeing as the sail had only been partially unfurled, the young man could take a breath of fresh air and even grab a small break as the wind hit the fabric and pushed it outward in the direction the three were moving.

Instead of immediately answering Pania, Ryuu moved to the side of the boat. Grasping a spear that had been lying on the deck, he placed one foot onto the ledge and looked down into the turquoise-blue water. The man took a moment, eyes scanning to find a fish that had been moving at just the right pace. He raised his spear up into the air as he waited. Once he found a target that was close enough, Ryuu would then stab at the water. The tip of his spear pierced the side of the fish and broke through the other side. In his success, Ryuu pulled the fish out of the water and smiled at his results.

Ryuu first removed a utility knife from a compartment inside of the boat near the sail. Then, after placing the fish on the wooden wheel of the boat, he used the knife to remove its head. Ryuu grasped the head and flung it over his shoulder, into the water behind him. Then, he made a few incisions on the fish before picking it up with both hands and setting it aflame.

The boat had been moving at a decent speed, though not fast enough that Ryuu couldn’t grab some lunch. It was only a minute or two before the fish was completely cooked. Ryuu then cut it up into three equal parts before handing both Pania and Kinni their portions. As for him, Ryuu set his fish on the top of the wheel and placed both of his hands together as though he were praying. Placing his fingers on his forehead, Ryuu stood stationary and in complete silence for a few seconds. He was not a religious man, but he was thankful for the fish’s sacrifice.

Subsequently, Ryuu grabbed his portion of the fish and he took a seat right on the edge of the boat. Placing one hand on the ledge beside him so he could control his balance, the young man would look over to Pania. She had asked him what the plan was and where they were going. It had been a few hours since they left land. Judging by the positioning of the sun, it was close to noon; perhaps an hour or two after.

The young man took a bite of the salmon. Despite its lack of seasoning, it was cooked well enough for Ryuu not to care. He was used to living off of the land, this was just another day for the teen.

“Unless we have a reason to stop moving and camp up for the night, I don’t want to stop before we get to Ba Sing Se. Though, it’ll be a few days.”

Eventually, Ryuu was going to need sleep. However, he would be able to grasp it at times when he wasn’t busy rowing or working the sails. Perhaps after he was done eating, he would nap. Given the fact that they were in the middle of water without land in sight, Ryuu knew that Pania wouldn’t try to escape even with his small window of vulnerability. It was possible that the crew would have to stop if the weather was getting particularly bad, though.

There were a few clouds in the sky...

 

[Maj]

​

His words inflated her like a war balloon. He was impressed, he called her love. Heat rose to her cheeks and caused her face to flush, she quickly looked into her lap to contain herself. She still had to remain professional, she would not embarrass her Lord.

All of that excitement turned to contempt when Hikaru opened her mouth. How dare this woman look at her with those eyes, if Lord Rochan didn’t find her useful Natsumi would have boiled her blood and melted her from the inside. The idea brought a smile to her lips as Hikaru finished her piece of advice. The thrill of her fantasy brought heat to her fingertips and Natsumi had to do her best to keep them from infighting.

“Nothing burns brighter than me, except maybe Lord Rochan,” Natsumi said with iciness in her tone. “Azula is just as likely to overthrow us as she is to overthrow Zuko. Even if we don’t kill her, making her an ally would be a poor decision.” She turned her cat like eyes back to the man in charge.

“Of course, the decision really lies with you my Lord,” Natsumi said. The change in her tone was immediate and drastic. Now warm and affectionate, the young woman looked into his eyes. She didn’t need to; the girl had every aspect of the man memorized. Looking into his eyes quieted things in her, excited others. It didn’t matter how many times she looked at him, each time it was like being born from the ashes. He had saved her, he had made her who she was and she would do whatever he asked.

The girl instructed the less important council members and guards to go and do as the Lord asked and rally Ember Island for his speech. Natsumi was aware of the effect she had on men, she felt their eyes wander over her body as she walked through the streets. Once she would have covered herself up and bowed her head, afraid. That time was gone. Now she was powerful, the stares she got only gave her more sway over people. The danger that radiated off of her either scared them or enticed them, and both were influential tools.

Rochan was wonderful in front of a crowd, collected, calm, she could sway a group without breaking a sweat. She never pretended to be a fraction of the leader he was. Natsumi was fear, his guard dog, his executioner. She was the person who was called in when something dirty needed to be done. Killing, torture, seduction, Natsumi did it all with a smile on her face.

Natsumi didn’t move from her seat, she wouldn’t leave until Rochan did. She spent most of her days like this, lingering, waiting for any moment that she might have a few seconds of his time alone. Natsumi was always hungry for two things bloodshed and the attention of a certain soon to be fire lord.

Brax (Rochan) AkuTheWolfOkami (Hikaru)

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

It took everything in her to not throw a blue flame fireblast at the girl before her. Everything about her presence had become disgusting to Hikaru and if she had been anyone else in the rebellion, she wouldn't have hesitated to burn her down where she stood. Yet, for some reason Lord Rochan felt she held some sort of importance, so she wouldn't waste her energy for someone who wouldn't have been allowed to clean the house for her family. She was beneath her, despite her current position.

So she turned to face the woman as she let out an amused laugh particularly at her comment about no one burning bright as her. Hikaru raised the claw gloved hand (refer to the picture, the hand that is raised) letting a blue fireball appear in her hand,"If you truly wish to test how bright you burn, I'd be more than willing to assist in that." she clutched her fist, the fire ball dispersing before lowering her hand. She shook her head before folding her arms across her chest,"Maybe the voices in your head are too loud for you to hear me. So I'll speak louder....."

She stared the girl down and began to speak in an exaggerated volume, that wasn't actually yelling but it did simulate it,"Her desire to overthrow her brother is unstoppable, unquenchable. She'd crush anyone who opposed her and having her against us will only divide the support for the rebellion. Remember, a lot of the people who are supporting the rebellion are also supporting Azula and Ozai. Losing Ozai is fine, the older generation will eventually find their way back to supporting the rebellion." She knew this was true because she was the one to convince several noble families to follow Rochan, and for those who were on the edge since they trusted her, they'd listen.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. " Hikaru continued with a sigh before rubbing her head,"I get it a handmaid doesn't understand the complexities of politics, so i won't hold it against you." She ran her other hand, with the open fingered gloves, through her hair before raising it in the air,"But she is right about one thing, it's your decision at the end of the day Rochan-dono." she chose dono this time over sama, to let him know she followed him and respected him, but she didn't share the same undying loyalty that Natsumi had. They were peers, and he was her leader.

She moved towards the exit with a slight shrug, before disappearing out of the door.


Interaction Natsumi Maj Interactions Brax Lord Rochan

 

[Oslonaut]

Nazca was a little restless. Firstly, she hadn’t been taken for her routine run in the fields of the Agrarian Zone that morning. Which, in itself, was bizarre. Shangu wasn’t one to disrupt the consistency of his little experimental tests. But no, instead of a run in the fields, she had tagged along on a trip to the palace instead. Shangu had exchanged words with the emperor and his mother, she’d been fed a particularly delicious octopus, and then they were sent off. Her human carrying more scrolls and paperwork from his mother than he had anticipated.


The route they took afterwards grew familiar enough to the pony-sized eel hound to recognize that they were headed to their favorite spot to eat in the middle ring. It was midday by the time they had exited the palace, after all. At least this routine hadn’t been disrupted. As they approached the two story venue, Nazca ran ahead and left her human carrying a bundle of scrolls in his arms as she excitedly rounded the corner and made her way towards the back door. The moment the apron-wearing humans noticed Shangu walked through those doors, she knew it was feeding time for her. Squids weren’t as savory as the octopus she had devoured that morning… but they were still pretty delicious.

| | |​

Shangu had gotten off at the wrong exit by accident in the middle ring. His mind was racing with excitement and anxiety. Furthermore, the number of scrolls he carried in his arms obscured his vision considerably. While he had tried to get Nazca to help him carry them, she appeared far too irritable and restless to let herself be burdened by them, as light as they were. He’d intended to go home and drop them off thereafter, but had instead gotten off the trolley at the exit nearest to their favorite restaurant. His head turned to the side as they walked, he recognized the buildings well enough to make his way towards it with Nazca taking the lead.


Upon reaching the entrance, he tried to kick the door in gently… but still somehow managed to slam it. A bumbling mass of ‘excuse mes’ and ‘pardon me’, the spectacled youth blindly maneuvered his way through the tables as best he could with his pile of scrolls before finding one that seemed to be empty and spilling them down onto it. A sigh of relief escaped his lips once he had done so, which was then immediately replaced with a look of embarrassed shock when he realized he’d accidentally dumped his scrolls onto the table belonging to two patrons: a scary looking guy and girl ( Maj & AkuTheWolfOkami ).


Thankfully, their meals hadn’t been served yet and he hadn’t dropped his scrolls in their soup or anything like that. But, as they began to spill from the edges of the table unceremoniously, Shangu still profusely apologized as he hurriedly began to gather them back up again. ”La shi! I’m so sorry! Let me just get these out of your way.” He abashedly laughed, plucking a scroll off the lap of the female before continuing to pile them in his arms.​

 

[Brax]

“Strategically, it is important to tread lightly for the time being. We accomplished the first step in establishing our base of operations, in the most beautiful city this nation has to offer aside from the capital itself. Azula is fierce, powerful and willing to fight against Zuko… But these things do not make her a better asset than you, Hikaru.” Rochan had yet to look at Hikaru and Natsumi; he was still looking out of the window while the two went back and forth momentarily. His hands slid into the pockets of his shorts before he offered his response.

The leader turned to face the girl with a smile on his face.

“Do not sell yourself short for you are more valuable. Azula is all of those things, but she does not withhold undying loyalty. She fights for herself, for power - she has always been hungry. Does not listen well nor take orders from anyone other than Ozai. In this pursuit, our primary goal is to bring him back into power; he is to decide what becomes of Azula, not me.”

Though he was lying through his teeth, only a few knew of Rochan’s true motivations. He had to tread lightly for much of the nation still sided with Ozai. Rochan’s only true way to claim dominance over his title was to ride on his coattails until the time was right. As far as Rochan was concerned, Azula was not trustworthy. She would not follow without the promise of power or Ozai.

Even then, Ozai was not entirely on Rochan’s kill list. The leader of the rebellion had a primary motivation to have Ozai become the face of the nation; to resume his role albeit a facade. With Ozai on Rochan’s side, Rochan would be virtually untouchable by the people of the fire nation. If the whispers of Ozai having his powers taken by the avatar were true - which seemed to be the case given his imprisonment - then there was not much Ozai could do but act as the ambassador to Rochan’s orders. He would surely barter his freedom for less power.

Either that or he would die. This wasn’t Rochan’s preferred method as it would make his life more difficult. On the same note, Azula’s death would also prove to be the same. While she did not hold the same level of influence as Ozai did, there was obviously some people of influence who maintained her right to power. Hikaru was a clear example of that type. He continued to speak.

“However, we will not bring blood to the royal family. Nor will we do so to those in-house, our primary goal here is more important than the childish bickering you two consistently engage in. Keep focused, our next days could prove to be vital to our cause. The nation is mourning the loss of their leader and it is up to us to bring a calming presence to their pleas. Strength will not come without numbers and we are not garnishing enough support to move into the capital. To take our place we must fight now; not with our fists, but with intellect and persuasion. This is what is necessary to focus on.”

Rochan watched as Hikaru turned to leave. Then he turned to Natsumi, after waiting a moment to be sure Hikaru and the others had left.

“Be patient. Others will come to share our perspective but the time is not now. You know of the plans and what our ultimate goal maintains. We keep moving toward that regardless of what you hear me say - hell, regardless of what happens to me in the process. If I cannot step up because I am taken out, the responsibility falls to you.”

With a wink, Rochan walked out of the meeting room; his hands still glued to the inside of his pockets. Moving into the kitchen, he was greeted by a few servants. The leader shared no dialogue with anyone else who was in the room. He was immediately brought a drink; alcohol, the finest that Ember Island had to offer. The bottle was brought to the side of his glass. The servant was sure to pour some into his cup first. They got busy preparing his meal as Rochan silently waited.

Maj AkuTheWolfOkami

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

The rest of the time went by in slow motion for Kinipela. The lunch was delicious and invoked so many memories of the past. The fish tasted different here, the berries tasted differently, and the cooking was much more towards enjoying the foods as a pop firework, than enjoying it as savory nutrition. Everything here was more relaxed and more fun. It was such an easy way of living and she missed it. She missed playing in the water, she missed the large feasts. She missed Pania....

She shook her head of the thoughts of the past as she finished her last bite, excusing herself from the meal. She had made her way onto the beach and played with some shells she had come across. She looked up and behind her when she heard her uncle and father talk, standing up from her kneeling position. When he was done speaking to Ryuu, he made his way over to her and placed his large hands on her shoulders and stared blankly down at her. She returned his look, staring blankly back, and the two stared at each other for a few moments before Kinni finally laughed.

"You big idiot..." she said with a gentle before pulling her dad into a big hug. He returned it, hugging her tightly before lifting her up and twirling her around and dropping her back on the sand before putting his hands back on her shoulders and smiling down at her.

"That Big idiot, sir," he said jokingly before he looked at her with a serious look despite the smile,"Look. I know you're mad, but she's still ohana. The beef was between her father and I, and if we're still laughing and loving, you two have no reason to be. If you feel like you don't know her anymore, take this time to do that. I know you're going to kick ass helping Ryuu though, yeah? When you come back, you be strong and we can eat all the grindz. Mmm. I'll be here with your uncle waitin' on ya? You get em!" he said before lightly tapping his fist on her chin, to which she smirked and tapped her fist into his abdomen.

With one last light kiss on the forehead, he watched his daughter get on the boat and set sail without him for her first time in her life....

The boat was mostly quiet for length of the trip to their current point. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Ryuu, though she didn't really want to either, she would have gladly sparked up some sort of conversation but that meant leaving an opening for Pania to engage, and she didn't want that. She had initially offered to help with the sails and rowing, she had a good bit of experience with it, but he declined so she opted to just sit quietly -even sleep at some points.

When Pania spoke, Ryuu didn't immediately answer, fetching some fish from the ocean and using his fire bending to cook it. That was an useful skill to have, and she almost wished she had it. When he cut it up and handed them each portions, she blinked before nodding her head,"Thank you..." she said gently. She took a bite (she had cooled it down by lowering the temperature of the remaining water in the fish...or some bull shit) before nodding,"It's good. Thanks."

It was good, but it did lack seasoning - not that Kinni had an issue with it, she often went camping and wouldn't season her fish but her sister? Her sister had always given her something to help if she ever got tired of the natural taste of fish...so Kinni reached back into her sole 'backpack' and pulled out a jar with a red sauce and handed it out to Ryuu,"Here! This sauce goes well with fish. It's made with berries from where I live, my sister made it, so it might be a little sweet but it goes really good with fish."
Mentions/Interactions: Maj (mentions pania and chief) Brax (interacts with Ryu)

 

[Maj]

​

Pania pouted as she listened to the two talk about fish. Sure, Ryuu was worth of Kinni’s attention but Pania was nothing but the spoiled brat they both couldn’t wait to be rid of. Begrudgingly, she ate her fish. The young water bender avoided listening to the two as the conversed, instead her eyes stayed on the sea. Something wasn’t right.

The sky was a little cloudy, but it didn’t necessarily look like a storm, but the sea seemed to get choppier and angrier the longer they sailed. The air began to smell less like salt and more like dampness. Pania stood slowly, careful not to rock the boat and closed her eyes. She did her best to take in the air around her, to feel the moisture, to connect to her spiritual roots.

She could feel the drop in pressure, the sway of the boat and all at once knew that they were in for trouble. The sea was unhappy and their small ship was about to have to sail through the aftermath of that.

“We may want to stop,” Pania said earnestly. “It’s about to storm, it’s gonna be bad.” She wondered if anyone would believe her, or if they would think she was just trying to run away again. However, Pania was one hundred percent sure of this. They needed to get off the water before nightfall and find a sturdy shelter away from the shore.

As if to back her up a giant gust of wind blew through her hair and skirts. If she was the avatar, you may have even though that she was the one controlling the storm, but she wasn’t. Pania was just very in tune to the water, and to the sea, and to the spirits.

She sat, staring up at the sky and awaited an answer. It ultimately was not up to her, and she wasn’t confident in her crew’s ability to trust her words or her judgement.

Brax AkuTheWolfOkami

 

[Maj]

Natsumi clung to his every word. It never mattered what he was speaking about, it could be totally disagreeing with her, but his word was law and she clung to it like it was her lifeline. It didn’t take her long at all to realize that much of what he was saying was only half true. Of course, he would lie to the red haired fuddy duddy. She meant nothing to him, only Natsumi knew his true intentions.

He solidified that knowledge as Hikaru left and he turned to her and said as much. Patience had never been her strong suit, in fact she often go what she wanted when she wanted it. This is why Rochan called the shots, and not Natsumi. Natsumi would just as well burn everything to the ground, even if it meant she burned along with it. Rochan was smarter than that, he knew that some things required more finesse than she naturally had. The way he was able to handle a room, manipulate his followers, get the job done, there was no one in this world more suitable to be the new fire lord.

The last of his statement left her stunned. Did he just insinuate that she would be responsible for their mission if something were to happen to him? No, that couldn’t be. Natsumi was many things. She was powerful, she was sneaky, she was devoted, but she was not a leader. She pushed the thought aside. Nothing would ever happen to Lord Rochan, he was too strong, and they would likely never even make it past her.

The wink he gave her set her heart a flutter, and the dark thoughts receded. It didn’t matter, all that mattered now was taking care of him, so she could see that charming smile as much as humanly possible. She knew that she was a pawn, but as long as she served a king like Rochan, that was okay by her.

Natsumi gracefully got up from her seat as her lord departed. She stretched her long legs as she stood. The girl wasn’t made for councils, she was made for execution. Right now, she knew that the lord would be speaking publicly and she would be in charge of making sure that ran without incident.

Ember island was easy, most of the people here were loyal to Rochan or feared the pair of them enough not to state otherwise, but she would make sure to make her presence as his protector known. He had guards, sure. But none of them could instill the fear and intimidation she could. Rochan gained power by a godly smile and manipulation. Natsumi gained hers by killing anyone who told her she couldn’t.

She went to secure the place of his address, and to make sure the guards were doing their jobs.

Mentions: AkuTheWolfOkami Brax

 

[Brax]

Ryuu had since taken a seat on the side of the boat, closer to the two girls. When Kinni had thanked him for the food, the young man offered a nod of his head in approval. They had quite a bit to go and it was undoubtedly his responsibility to be sure that the girls got enough food to sustain them in their travels - alongside himself. Ryuu took another small bite of his fish. He was a rather slow eater by nature; his parents used to joke about how he used to eat at that pace because he wanted to ‘enjoy’ his food.

When Kinni grabbed a jar out of her bag and extended her hand to Ryuu, the young man had been loosely paying attention. His hues focused on the jar as the girl explained to him how it was made. Ryuu was unfamiliar with the sauce as well as Kinni herself but given her roots and relation to her father, he felt as though he was not only responsible for her well-being; but to be trusting as well. His own version of an olive branch.

The teen extended those tattooed digits before grasping the jar. He twisted the lid off by holding it between his thighs, as his left hand was still holding a piece of fish. Ryuu then lightly tilted the jar so that some of its contents would dribble down onto his meal. Without hesitation, he took a bite. His eyes searched among the planks of wood belonging to the boat as he formulated his opinion on its taste.

With a small smile, the teen looked up to Kinni.

“It’s really good. You guys should package this stuff up and sell it.”

He took a much larger bite, the smile stuck to his face. It gave the fish flavor, made it taste vibrant. The sauce did an excellent job masking the taste of the ocean that came with hunting its game, which was arguably it’s most impressive quality. Then again, maybe Ryuu was just so used to eating plain fish that any additional taste would have done wonders. Though he did not dislike the sauce - he enjoyed the taste very much, in actuality.

As he pondered up various applications for its use on other meals - such as steak, or perhaps a salad - Pania spoke up. When she mentioned the weather, Ryuu turned his eyes from her visage to the sky. It had gotten worse. Finishing the rest of his fish with haste, Ryuu moved to the wheel and began guiding the boat to land. Within fifteen to twenty minutes, the three had made it to land. Ryuu hopped out of the boat as they neared the sand of a deserted island, guiding the wooden structure onto land. He used some of his weight to be sure it was properly docked, not wanting to sacrifice it to the tides of the night.

Wiping some sand off of his hands upon his completion, Ryuu turned from both of the girls and began walking into the largely-populated jungle. He had hoped to find a cave for the group to camp out in for the night. Unfortunately, if the three couldn’t come upon one, he would be forced to begin building a shelter. Judging by the color of the sky, however, who knows if whatever Ryuu built would even hold up. And that was assuming he had time to finish building a small hut.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

As the trolley moved about, Sol glanced out to the city around him. It was a beautiful city, even down in the slums, but it was nothing compared to the glory of the Fire Nation. It failed in comparison to the might of the Fire benders. He held his hand out and clutched it closed, imagining in his head the city was in his palms and he was crushing it. They would learn to bend to his will or he would crush them. He would not fail, even if it meant leaving everything in ash and soot.

When the trolley finally came to a stop, he made his way out and took a look at his surroundings. He made not of everything, from how the people acted at this part of the city to the average pace they walked. Traveling had taught him a few things about different areas and they seemed to be consistent through most cultures. Poorer, working people tended to walk a more brisk pace, as if they had to be somewhere on time. Wealthy people were at the two extremes, either always getitng somewhere quickly (as if they didn't have time to be around lower people) or taking their precious time because they could afford to. Warriors walked with a purpose, and police and guards walked in a pattern.

Rei's pace was always different than the one's he watched. It was that of a bodyguard, always a step faster or slower than his (the pace of a warrior) so when she broke that pace and got ahead of him a couple of meters, he smirked. She was hungry. Good. He succeeded in getting her food without having to let it be known he brought it up for her sake. He wanted tea more than anything, though food would be nice.

He didn't say thank you when he moved through the open door, before moving to find a table to sit at. When a waitress came through, he ordered some of their finest tea before ordering some of their worst. The fine tea was for Rei, the worst was for himself. Apparently they had some good braised beef, so he'd probably get the braised beef noodle soup. He was in thought about it when a ton of scrolls had fallen on his table, and he stared at them for a second before glancing to the man, the culprit. Luckily, no food or tea was on the table yet, so Sol wasn't as angry as he could have been still.....

He picked up a scroll, and watched as the edges started to curl and brown as if they were near heat but not directly on it,"So it looks like you owe us food........right?" he held the scroll so its slow burn was in view. It was amazing how controlled his bending could be when he was extorting people....

Maj Rei Oslonaut Shangu

 

[Maj]

​

Rei ordered her food after Sol did. The smell of the food almost turned her stomach she was so hungry. A bodyguard’s work was never done, between checking in on Sol, doing rounds on the ship, and her daily duty of annoying the young noble, she hadn’t eaten anything today. She sat in silence, across the table from Sol, this is how they often sat.

They were a strange pair, they had grown up together. That meant that there was some degree of unspoken communication between the two. They knew each other pretty well and could read each other to a degree that only came with the type of time that they had under their belts. However, on the other hand, they never had anything they wanted to say to each other. They had little in common, and it was pretty clear to see that they only thing keeping them together was a sense of family duty. If that tie was severed, the two would not choose to be together. So, silence or bickering were pretty much their default moves.

A man approached their table, Rei raised her hopeful eyes, thinking that the young man was their server. It quickly appeared to not be the case, first by his appearance and secondly by the armful of scrolls he so politely dumped on their table. One rolling off the table and onto her lap. She raised a quizzical eyebrow as he apologetically scooped them up and fussed over his mistake.

Sol, in his usual brash way, picked up one of the scrolls, applying heat to it, and did his best to bully the young earth kingdom lad into buying their food. Typical undisciplined fire bender mentality. Rei stood, grabbing the scroll quickly away from her very grumpy companion and gave him a less than enthusiastic glare.

“What my rather hot headed traveling companion means to say,” Rei started with a very pointed eye gesture to Sol “Is that it was an honest mistake.” Rei helped him gather up the rest of his scrolls and even flashed him a rare smile to help soothe him. They weren’t here in the earth kingdom to make enemies. In fact, Sol’s father had been a great supporter of the peace that came between the two nations. Not at first, but he eventually decided it was for the best. The last thing she was going to do was let Sol disgrace his name over a few dropped pieces of paper.

“Sorry about him,” Rei apologized, talking about Sol like he wasn’t there. “He can tend to be a little testy. How about we buy YOU a cup of tea for your troubles?”

Interactions: AkuTheWolfOkami (Sol) Oslonaut (Shangu)

 

[Maj]

It had appeared that Ryuu had taken her warning seriously and had pulled the boat over. The sky was darkening by the second and already Pania could feel the moisture in the air growing denser. With a wave of her hand, Pania could have pulled water from the air, the storm was going to be strong.

She followed Ryuu’s lead into the jungle, hand above her head, stopping the droplets that sprinkled around her before the got to her head. They were going to need shelter, her and Kinni couldn’t bend the whole storm away and they had the firebender to think of too. The trees would help some, but they would need something more stable if the winds were going to pick up, and Pania thought they might.

“Kinni, help me with these vines.” Pania called. She had grown up in the jungles, and due to that she had learned that by bending the water within the vines, she could manipulate their shape. There was no time to build the shelter the old fashion way. They needed a place to hide out that was large enough for the three of them, and the needed it quickly.

When Kinni didn’t immediately jump to help her, Pania rolled her eyes. Neither of these people liked her at all, but they were going to leave the building of their shelter to her all the same. And to think, they were supposed to be her protection. Pania did her best to bend the vines into the shape of a medium sized, sturdy tent. It would keep the water out, but it would be close quarters too. The rain started to come down hard as she finished.

“Well get in!” Pania said with exasperation. Once inside she used water bending to dry herself and her companions and their gear.

Brax (Ryuu) AkuTheWolfOkami (Kinni)
Not my best work, but I figured something was better than nothing.

 

[Oslonaut]

Having gathered up over half of the whirlwind of scrolls he had cast upon their table, Shangu froze when the male ( AkuTheWolfOkami ) sitting at the table addressed him. There was a brown mark at the edge of the scroll the gentleman held. He squinted, thinking it was from a tea he hadn't seen on the table yet. But it wasn't tea, nor was the male a 'gentleman' of any sort. Without skipping a beat, Shangu snatched the scroll away from the stranger's hand before carefully setting it within the pile he held. "I owe you? You'll owe me if the information in this scroll has been damaged in any way! You'll owe me months of research!" The youth protested, receiving the last of the scrolls from the female ( Maj ) and offering her a thankful smile in contrast to the spiteful scowl he cast the other.

She explained her companion's actions and Shangu cast the individual in question a suspicious look. He would agree that it was an honest mistake, huh? "I would hope so." The earth-bender muttered, raising his knee to bounce up a wayward scroll that had attempted to slither out from the pile. Hugging the pile tightly to his body and abashedly smiling back at the female's soothing look, he continued. "Well, as much as it pains me to admit it, it's my fault anyway for carrying this many. I wasn't even supposed to get off at this exit but these blocked my view..." He confessed, cautiously adjusting his glasses with the end of a scroll that stuck out from his arms. "Look, let me just drop these off with Renlo and I'll buy us all a cup of tea. Sound good?" Not bothering to wait for confirmation, he walked away towards the front counter. "Great, I'll be right back!"

Unbeknownst to him, one of the scrolls had been left under the table. It had been left half-opened, its seal having split upon hitting the ground. If the two sitting at the table cared to open it, inside they would find what appeared to be blueprints for some sort of... mechanical fortress? ​

 

[Oslonaut]

Text Hex: #AB0045
Wearing:

The last hero of Shintosaki was a man three times her size and with bending abilities to boot! She had to figure that one of the previous four had been related to him. Probably the last one. The one that had begged for mercy in the end, before being burned to a crisp. Father never tolerated whiners. She wasn't about to cater to such behavior either. Regardless, the last one proved to be far more enjoyable to battle. He was a tank full of anger and power fueled by hate. She'd been forced to bend her body and arms in a few painful ways to evade those vicious strikes and the mounds of earth that followed. But, in the end, he'd been caught unawares when she'd pirouetted in a twirl of flames and came down with a fiery lash. The last of the clothes he wore, sticking to his sweaty skin, was lit ablaze as his skin melted before her eyes.

The few villagers who had remained peered at her and the scene she'd created from behind the false security of their windows and doors. Four bodies laid charred on the main road now, the last of them still croaking out his last screams. The masked fire-bender had requested their strongest warriors, and she'd received them. All of them. Now what remained were nothing but humble peasants, business owners, and brewers with families and lands in their name. People with a lot to lose. "Well. Whoever said Shintosaki wasn't a fun place was a dirty liar!" The girl laughed from behind her mask, regarding the civilians who spoke in hushed tones around her with a joyful gleam in her violet eyes. "Now that I've put any potential dissidents to bed, how about we discuss the terms of my rule here, mm?" She sweetly spoke, her gloved hands on her hips and a smirk on her concealed lips.

 

[Brax]

Ryuu didn't sit around and watch the two girls build a shelter. Initially, the young man thought it a more suitable option to find a cave. Despite the fact that he did not know for sure the small island contained even the slightest resemblance of one, a cave would have been far more suitable for the elements. Something put together from scraps could easily blow away, perhaps water could get through it - though, the girls thought this to be a better idea. Ryuu was going to go along with it, but first, he had to gather some wood. Maybe along with it, he would be able to find some fruit to pick as well, considering the group would eventually need to eat once more.

Walking off into the distance without another word, Ryuu left the two girls. As he walked through the dense forest, the leaves of the higher trees helped cover him from the sprinkles of water that was provided from the sky. He did not have much time - judging by the pattern of weather, maybe an hour at most before he was caught outside in the storm. Not bothering to cover his tracks under the belief that the three were the only humans on this small island, Ryuu’s efforts of gathering various sticks of wood and fruits was accompanied by the life of the forest. The vocalization of monkeys, a multitude of different birds, frogs and even coqui littered the environment in ambience; working in tandem with the sound of rain hitting the leaves belonging to the trees.

In his carelessness, Ryuu did not even notice the three sets of eyes that had been keeping tabs on his whereabouts. The young man’s bag was completely filled to the top with fruit. His arms were already holding as much wood as he could possibly balance. He wasn’t a superhero, but the number of materials that he had gathered would certainly prove to be enough to last the three throughout the night. The rain had begun to fall more haphazardly, its pace seemingly quickening with each step Ryuu took back to the shelter.

When he finally arrived, Ryuu peaked halfway in with a small smile. He first put down all of the wood he was holding before dropping his bag of different fruits on the ground inside. The strap of it had been loosely hanging on to his shoulder for dear life, prior to. As he looked between the two girls and nodded firmly, Ryuu was ready to make way inside and start the fire. The only problem was, he was interrupted by a large grunt.

Ryuu paused. Three spears had been pointed at his back, one of which was softly poking into the small of his back. He lifted both of his hands up and the spear was moved from his back. Ryuu slowly turned around to be greeted with the sight of three men; they further said nothing, so Ryuu was forced to speak first.

“How can we help you three today?” The young man’s hands were still slightly lifted into the air as he spoke. Of course, Ryuu had no intention of being taken hostage or letting anything happen to the girls, but as it was his way of life, he instead questioned the motives of the three men. Ryuu did not take the lives of others without a choice; on the occasion he was forced to as a child, he was in turn forced to learn the value of life. And a good night’s sleep.

The three men all had on straw masks, with scary looking artwork drawn on each one. They were virtually nude, with only straw loincloths and skirts to cover their nether regions. Despite their limited choices in fashion, these three men were in excellent shape. Ryuu easily deduced that the three men lived on the island. Perhaps they were cautious of the three visitors?

“Your food. Womans.” One of them spoke, in broken English.

Oh boy.

​

 

[Maj]

​

The vines made a surprisingly good shelter, they were living and still wound around the trees in the jungle, allowing them to stay firmly rooted and stable. Her bending had tightly woven them in a way that it seemed to be sealed well enough that no water came through and it was spacious enough for all three of them to sleep, although it would be kind of close.

Pania and Kinni had entered the shelter, while Ryuu had gone…somewhere? Pania wasn’t sure where the firebender had wondered off too. Hopefully not to far, wandering off when the storms were about to kick up was probably not the wisest decision. She shrugged the worry off, Ryuu was a big boy he could go get drenched in a storm if he wanted to.

“It’s not exactly spacious, but at least it should give us a dry place to sleep for the night,” Pania said braiding her damp hair away from her face. “I…” the light-haired girl stopped herself from trying to converse with her cousin any more than necisary. It was apparent from earlier today that talking to her only seemed to agitate her more.

After a few moments a wet, half smiling Ryuu showed up in the doorway of her vine hut with arms full of food. So that is where he had gone off to. They had lots of rations with them, but she supposed it made more sense to eat off the land if they could and save the rations for the less vegetated areas.

“Thanks for feeding us,” Pania began, but before she could finish expressing her gratitude she noticed the men that were behind Ryuu. The men were obviously natives of whatever chunk of jungle they had stumbled upon. They dressed in mostly straw and little else and carried primitive spears, that were pointed at Ryuu. When she heard their request Pania couldn’t help but laugh.

The travelers wanted food sure, but the ‘womans?’ They were obviously referring to her and Kinni, as there were no other females around, but the idea was hysterical to her. How primitive were these people? Were they going to caveman carry her back to their cave?

Pania stood and addressed the group of men. She had always been good with the tribesman of her own home, maybe she would have the same luck with these guys. Although no one from Kangaroo Island would ever demand someone hand over their women like they were spoils.

“We are happy to share some food with you,” Pania said once she had gotten her giggles under control “But us ‘Womans’ aren’t going anywhere.”

​

The girl reached out her long arm, holding some of the fruit that Ryuu had just gotten for them in a peace offering, and gave a warm smile. The men reached for the fruit, but suddenly disinterested in the food part of their demands grabbed Pania by the wrist and pulled her to him. She struggled, but he was desptively strong. The other two cut off Ryuu with their spears so he couldn't react immediately to save her.

“Let go of me!” Pania grunted, beating on the man with her other fist. When he didn’t obey her command, she bent one of the vines with her free hand into a whip and smacked him across the back with it. He looked shocked, and then angry and threw her up over his shoulder.

Kicking and screaming over someone’s shoulder seemed to be a new norm for the water tribe princess.

Brax AkuTheWolfOkami

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

When they pulled the boat over, Kinni wasn't too concerned with what was going on. She wasn't a Mariner, though she could handle herself on the boat with the sails and what not, as she often did with her father. She also wasn't very good at bending water as water nor some of the techniques that came with the purer bending. So she really wasn't a help with Pania asked her about her vine bending, but it was probably for the best. She wasn't really in a mood to help, and would bite her nose to spite her face.

It was a moment that passed before the shelter was finished, and even few more as she watched Ryuu return, but with company in tow. She placed a hand on her hip, before folding her arms over her abdomen, right under her chest. What type of party had this become where he had brought along the locals and was being held at spear point. What was worse is Kinni new for a fact that Ryuu could handle this issue with no problem, and was curious as to why he didn't. Was this some sort of sick test for Kinni to prove that she was able to handle herself?

As she sat there and thought it true, she started to piece it together. If her father had accepted him, it meant he was peaceful in some sort of magnitude or fashion. This meant that he probably wouldn't hurt people for no reason if he could avoid it. This was probably one of those situations. No need to agitate the tribesman especially if there were more. They were in their territory, on their land it was best to make peace with them, right?

She watched as Pania tried to speak to the men and rolled her eyes. Yes. This group of men who referred to them as womens were going to listen to a womens....when they could barely speak the common language. When she was tossed over his shoulder, she couldn't help but laugh even tearing up a bit as she did. She was really bad at this,"Oh yes...the savior of the island..Princess Pania." With a sigh, ice moved from her feet across the ground (thankfully it was already wet and about to rain more so it was easy) and to the local who had picked up Pania...trapping his feet in ice.

She rubbed her temples and took in a slow breath,"Ok, are we done with this nonsense? Can we just take shelter now?"
Mentions/Interactions: Maj Brax (interacts with Ryu)

 

[Brax]

Ryuu’s eyes were half-open, glazed over by the animosity that was currently imploding inside of him. He did not even notice that Kinni had successfully stopped the third tribesman from taking Pania. No, Ryuu was focused on the two men who were pointing spears at his face. He had given them the opportunity to take food and move away, but they refused. If it was one thing Ryuu hated more than being disrespected, it was being underestimated.

There were no more chances for these men.

Quickly, both of Ryuu’s hands latched onto the wood connected to the rocky tips of those spears. As he touched them, the two would immediately flare up and crumble into ash - leaving but the tips of those spears to fall onto the grass below. One of the two tribesmen had extended a palm toward Ryuu’s face in attempts to break his nose, but Ryuu quickly grabbed the man’s hand and twisted his arm. With the tribesman’s arm fully extended and his elbow facing the ground, Ryuu’s right hand would briefly surge electricity.

Without so much as a further resemblance of proper warning, Ryuu slammed that fist into the side of the tribesman’s face. As his knuckles connected with the flesh on the man’s cheek, the electricity that was surging off of it would zap his body simultaneously - causing the man to seize up and shake violently. After fully committing and following through with the punch, the tribesman’s body would fly off - trails of electricity still zapping his body and being left to dissipate in the air as he went - and through a rather thick trunk belonging to a nearby tree.

The other two tribesmen watched as their comrade's body slammed through the tree and crashed into the dirt, undoubtedly dead. The top of the tree he had flown through toppled over and generated a lot of noise as it hit the ground nearby, forcing birds to fly off from their perches alongside various other wildlife, such as monkeys and snakes.

Unfortunately for Ryuu, there was no middle ground. It was just how he was raised. He couldn’t help it, and given the amount of focus he maintained when it came to things pertaining to him, that should say plenty in itself. The entire world lived among a pyramid; kill or be killed. Out in the wild, there were prey animals and animals that did the preying. Ryuu didn’t want to be considered either. He just wanted to coexist first and foremost. Part of the reason Ryuu had worked so hard his entire life to live with tranquility, was because when he was forced to fight as a child he was often forced to kill. This current experience only further added to his death count.

The man holding Pania slowly put her down. In response to seeing his friend murdered, the second man who had been holding Ryuu attempted to run for his life. Ryuu saw that he was shakily backing away, so his tattooed hand reached out and grasped the tribesman by the collar. The sight must have been comical, considering the man was much larger than Ryuu.

“You’ll sit down and wait.” He threw the man to the ground at his feet, glaring down at him momentarily before Ryuu moved to the inside of the vine shelter which Pania created. When Ryuu returned, it was a moment later with quite a few pieces of fruit. Both men were still outside. Ryuu immediately noted that the man who had been holding Pania was built of sturdier stuff than his two friends, despite being a womanizing piece of shit.

“Here. Take this fruit.” He dropped them into the lap belonging to the man who had been sitting on the ground. Then, Ryuu turned his head to look at the man who had put Pania down.

“Take that man’s body back home and give him a proper burial.”

Ryuu watched as the man walked from Pania to the deceased tribesman. First, he checked for a pulse. Ryuu knew he found none. When he was not afraid of being shocked by electricity, the man picked up the other tribesman’s body and lifted him off, bringing the third tribesman with him as the two began to walk from that remote part of the island. As they wandered off a few feet, Ryuu watched before softly calling out. They stopped to turn back to Ryuu.

​

“If you two come back, I’ll not only kill you. I'll find whatever hole you crawled out of and kill everyone who lives there as well.”

Lightning struck, the sound of which crackled loudly throughout the sky as rain began to heavily pour. Ryuu’s eyes, almost lifeless in its glare, remained fixated on the two men until they were completely out of sight.

 

[Maj]

Pania scowled as she heard Kinni making fun of her. At least “Princess Pania” had made the shelter, she had tried to be diplomatic, even if it didn’t go according to plan. Kinni had just stood back with her arms crossed and had done nothing to help. At least she did freeze the ground around her kidnapper’s feet and she could rest assured that the tribesman wouldn’t be able to carry her too far off.


The electricity that Ryuu produced caused a bright and distracting light. Watching him fight was a little surreal. It’s not that she doubted his abilities, in fact if her father trusted him as he did she knew that he had to be a very skilled fighter. However, she had never seen him in action, not like this. The man seizing caused Pania to cover her face and gasp.


Suddenly she was being tossed back on the ground as the men began their retreat. Pania shakily came to her feet as Ryuu gave them food and told them to leave.


“He’s….dead?” Pania said slowly. She had never seen someone die before. The idea of it made her stomach turn and tears build at her eyes. It’s not like she was mourning for him, he was going to hurt them but still…


Pania was a healer by trade, if she had done something before he died, she may have been able to heal him, but Pania couldn’t bring the dead back to life. A chill went through Pania as Ryuu warned the tribesman away. It may have been because of the rain that fell around them, but likely it was becuase for the first time she was seeing Ryuu for who he really was. She didn’t know his past, but the fact that someone who could be such a ruthless killer had lived so peacefully on her island made her understand that it wasn’t a life he wanted anymore.


“Don’t you think that was a little overkill?” Pania asked, although not ungently. “Let’s get inside.” She didn’t wait for the others to follow her before she made it inside the shelter and leaned against the vine walls. With a wave of her hand she pulled all the moisture from her clothes and hair.


“Thanks for saving me,” she said to both of them “I guess I didn’t handle that as well as I could have. Is anyone hurt?” Pania asked before biting into a piece of fruit.

Interactions: Brax (Ryuu) AkuTheWolfOkami (Kinni)