|
Post by desna on Aug 27, 2008 22:18:42 GMT -5
It had been a long weekend for Desna, a lot of thinking, reflecting, suppressing memories and changing her own feelings but by the time she wandered back into Shai on Monday she'd managed to iron her problems out for the most part. As usual the morning was deliveries, running her make shift shop and purchasing whatever supplies she may need. That left most of her evening open to her digression. So many fun ideas flitted through her head. Perhaps she'd pawn a ride off of someone on a small boat. She could always head off to visit some of her girlfriends for the latest gossip about the city, or perhaps some of her male friends for an afternoon of military stories from the earth kingdom.
Walking away from the market Desna made her way over the bridge with her hand flitting along the retaining wall keeping people from topping into the canals. Pikatti plodded along behind her as usual at his own tired pace but she made no move to speed him up. Several thoughts came forward in her mind but deciding that it would be best to let those go she did. Last thing she needed now was something to delude her already thin attachment to the real world. Her poncho bobbed about her body while her gangly hair freely flitted across her shoulders. Only the two clumps bound on their side of her head were in any sort of order but the bright glint in her eyes and the healthy dark tone of her skin seemed to distract from it somewhat.
As she walked along the ice field skirting to city towards the docks a stay snowball found it's way to the back of her head. The girl froze, automatically suspicious, but the trio of apology's fired her way stopped any of her militaristic rebuttals. The kids whispered hushed words amounst them selves seeing just who it was that they hit. Desna was fairly well know at least to the children, the weird girl living off on the shelf was a common source of amusement. She was seen as a witch with her wild hair and odd plants she brought from the frozen tundra. Curiously Desna looked over her shoulder at the children playing in the snow, immediately she grinned. " You think you can throw a snow ball at someone and get away with it huh?"
Much as Desna predicted the boys ran and Desna started packing her own snowballs, the first one was fired and the boy fell to the ground with his hood flopping over his head. Desna giggled pleasantly and started up another snowball as she was hit in the thigh with a retaliation shot. If it was for the sake of some form of entertainment Desna had no problem stooping to the level of some twelve year olds.
|
|
|
Post by aden on Aug 30, 2008 22:54:45 GMT -5
Word circulated relatively quickly around the city with speculation about a strike against the Fire nation. Of course, with a towering frigate parked inside the city it was hard not to speak about it. Aden had managed to get a break from work on the first day of the week and decided to go speak with his former commander from the expedition to the Earth Kingdom. No word had reached him about being redeployed, but he figured it would be best to double-check lest he accidentally stay behind when he was being counted on to go.
Aden managed to find Hissun walking between the wharf and the barracks near the front of the city. The older waterbender was speaking with one of his subordinates who carried a list, presumably of supplies or recruits. The young warrior drifted closer to the war chief, biding his time and waiting for an opening to get a word in. But eventually, Hissun simply turned enough to catch a glimpse of him and he excused himself from the conversation for a moment.
"Aden," he said, smiling slightly at the younger warrior, "What brings you down here?"
"With that thing in the harbor, it's hard not to stop by," Aden replied, nodding his head toward the ship. "I'd heard rumors of some strike against the Fire Nation."
"Indeed. Captain Saghani will be picking at their supply lines under the guise of one of their own."
Aden nodded, offering a slight "Ah" of comprehension. "So... is our old unit assigned to this mission?"
"No, the expeditionary force was disbanded after the siege. I thought you'd recieved a message about that?"
"Well, yes, but I still wanted to make sure if I was needed." Aden looked away for a moment, thinking himself sounding a little arrogant by implying that the mission would grind to a halt without his presence.
"No, this is a crew of volunteers, and we have enough for now."
"Oh..." Aden looked at Hissun, but found the older man's expression hard to read. His words seemed to imply that he wasn't wanted, and yet his expression held no hint of such a sentiment. "Well, if that's the extent of it, I'll leave you to it."
"Very well... Good day, and send your father my greetings."
"I will," Aden said, and he bowed and left. Something seemed a little off about that encounter, and as he made his way back through the city he couldn't help but marvel at how easily he'd let the opporunity pass him by. Even as little as two weeks ago, he would have leaped at the chance to fight the Fire Nation again. But now, he felt far less eager to go to war.
*********************************************************************************
Halfway back to his home, a few shouts from young voices caught his attention and drew his thoughts away from his contemplations of the newest assault on the Fire Nation. Aden followed the source of the noise and noticed that it came from a familiar face. Desna seemed to have gotten tangled in a snowball fight with some young boys.
With a slight smirk of amusement spreading across his features, he casually strolled closer and observed the exchange. Depending on who was winning, he figured he could step in at the most opportune moment.
|
|
|
Post by desna on Aug 30, 2008 23:11:29 GMT -5
Desna laughed as her lifted her arm guarding from some stay snowballs but as she clamored to retreat and regroup some snow hitting the back of her neck and traveling down her shirt make her spine tense and her entire body let loose a tremor of shivering. She tugged her hood over her head and ducked behind a small mound of snow beginning to build more snow balls, the boys continued to pelt near her. Idly Desna questioned how much sap sugar they had in their oats this morning, surely more that she had. From the side lines Pikatti huffed a small burst of warm air from his nose, his owner was so odd.
The dog picked up a familiar scent though, sniffing at the air before turning his head to spot Aden, with his sled still attached the polar bear dog plodded over to Aden wagging his stumpy little tail and allowing his tounge to loll lazily out of his mouth. Since their first meeting the dog had since warmed up to the boy, mostly after Desna forced the two to be civil but he'd since learned that Aden was no more of a threat to Desna than a fish in a pond.
He plopped near Aden and starred at the boy waiting for a friendly hand to give him some attention. Another shriek came from Desna's direction but Pikatti didn't even register it, he knew the difference in her various shouts, she was in no danger, perhaps she might pull something in her side from laughing too much.
Huffing some bangs out of her eyes she peeked her head over the snow shield trying to locate the boys before two snowballs were aimed in her direction, she ducked back down a small bit of snow landing on her cheek as she pushed her back against the make shift shield. Her eyes were bright and glittered playfully as she continued working on her soon to be massive pile of snow balls ready to be launched at the two, they'd tire soon, she had more stamina.
" Okay Pikatti are you ready...... Pikatti?" Desna blinked glancing around for her animal companion with him being seemingly no where within her range of vision, silly bear-dog.
|
|
|
Post by aden on Aug 30, 2008 23:34:10 GMT -5
Aden couldn't help but find Desna's beisiegement amusing, and as Pikatti wandered over toward him with a friendly gait the young bender found himself in a good mood. The polar bear-dog had seemed to accept him at long last, which was a refreshing change from being growled at. Aden extended an open hand toward Pikatti, holding it up to his nose to allow the animal a moment to sniff him before petting his head.
"Staying out of the crossfire?" he asked rhetorically. From his vantage point, he could see Desna starting to get even more bogged down with superior fire power and her figured that it might be prudent to intervene. "Excuse me one second," he said to Pikatti as he stepped around the polar bear-dog and positioned himself behind the young boys.
Aden took a moment to steady his stance and inhale a smooth breath before lofting his hands forward with a sort of rolling motion at the wrist. He concentrated his bending along the snow at their feet, and then with a sharp snap of the wrist he hanked his hands back.
Like a person snapping a roll into a rug to shake the dust out, a pulse of snow began rippling across the ground about a foot high. The unsuspecting kids never saw it coming, and in one fell swoop they were knocked off their feet and flat onto their rumps.
"Shame on you kids," he called out, smiling, "Try picking on someone who knows how to throw a snowball!"
|
|
|
Post by desna on Aug 30, 2008 23:51:29 GMT -5
Pikatti was more than pleased with the attention, he licked at Aden's hand and all but basked in the attention the boy was giving him, there was another yelp from Desna and he simply turned his head in her direction in enough time to see the girl take a snowball to her shoulder. He rolled his eyes and yawned settling himself down in the snow, resting his head on his paws in a relaxed position, he could easily take a nap and still wake up in enough time to see the end of her burst of insanity.
Desna brushed snow away from her face, finally content enough with her horde of snowballs to begin her assault but as she peered up over her snow shield she was surprised with the new comer to the brawl. Like a snow gopher her head poked up somewhat from the white of the earth nearer to a standing position. " Aden?" She quipped quietly and stared in his direction, where did he come from? She was attempting to rid him from her mind.
The lanky girl took a snowball in her hand and tossed it in his direction. " I can throw just fine thank you!" She was a bit surprised to see him bending but at least it calmed her earlier suspicions on the matter, she did find benders a little TOO reliant on their bending. Still she hadn't seen him bend all that much before this so perhaps he was different.
The kids fell too easily to the bending aided assault but just to add insult to injury she tosses snowballs at them giggling wickedly before hopping over her shield and plodding over across the snow feild to the boys and Aden. She laughed light heartedly and sent a smug smirk to each of the boys, a silent, 'haha, you lost'
Once she reached Aden her arms immediately pulled him into a tight and quick hug before she released him and grinned widely. "Perfect team!"
|
|
|
Post by aden on Aug 31, 2008 0:08:13 GMT -5
Aden merely continued to grin at Desna's response to his jibe at her throwing arm, but as she closed in for a hug he put up his arms a little bit. He allowed her to hug him around the middle, but he was content to just pat her on the shoulders with he free hands whle he gently pressed her back a bit.
"Poetry in motion..." he added to her comment on their teamwork. The kids whom he'd surprised seemed like they weren't too happy about the introduction of a bender into their fun. Instead they just stuck their tongues out and meandered off to continue their snowball fight elsewhere while muttering about "cheaters."
"So..." Aden began to say after he has managed to disengage himself from Desna, "do you often pick fights with little kids when you're done selling herbs?" he asked casually. Surprisingly, he welcomed the distraction that Desna created with her presence. It took his mind off the fact that he was, ultimately, dodging any attempt to go on the latest mission against the Fire Nation.
|
|
|
Post by desna on Aug 31, 2008 9:31:47 GMT -5
She was quite pleased with the outcome of the battle, not so much that it was cut short but you couldn't have everything you wanted. With her jaunt over to Aden her hood had fallen back and her hair was in it's usual disarray. Desna idly got to brushing the snow off of her poncho with the intent to appear more presentable.
" Great words of the poets pale in comparison to the victory we have tasted today." She added with a small smile, people thought just because she was weird that she was stupid, if she wanted to she could speak in rhymes and talk circles around people. She just didn't feel like it. Still with the cheaters comment she whipped around and stuck her tounge out at them, kids could be so immature.
Desna's head tilted back towards Aden with no small degree of interest, while she wanted to suppress it the first thing that popped in her mind popped out of her mouth " They started it!" She blushed a bit and turned herself around laughing it off like she usually did. " After I finish selling my herbs I do tend to find some sort of amusement, better than walking back home for the rest of the day."
|
|
|
Post by aden on Aug 31, 2008 19:10:04 GMT -5
Aden chuckled lightly at Desna's flowery speech. He wasn't a huge scroll-mite himself, but he respected people who knew how to use the gift of speech to its fullest. In the somewhat rare occasion that he stopped to share a conversation, he found it much more enjoyable if the other party had a decent vocabulary.
"Of course..." he replied after Desna had finished, referring to both her accusation that the kids had provoked her and that she needed something fun to do. "And it wouldn't just be because you were getting warmed up for that rematch of ours?" Aden had recalled her challenge from the previous week even as he was speaking. The young warrior had a day to himself, and surprisingly little on his own agenda to finish. Perhaps the chance encounter could give him something to keep busy for the next hour or so.
"Because I can understand if you're too tired after that fight for your life..." he added, just for the sake of egging her on.
|
|
|
Post by desna on Aug 31, 2008 19:31:31 GMT -5
" Perhaps" She said smiling a little too happily at him, a rematch would be the perfect thing to keep her amused for the rest of the afternoon. In all honesty she was more than pleased with Aden's seemingly open desire to spend time with her. Before he seemed forced to play her games but he was egging her on now. Who would have guessed.
Desna put her hands behind her back and arched an eyebrow at him and his attempts to rev up her fighting spirit, honestly it worked. She twirled away from him with his back to her and a tired sigh coming out of her lips. " Well if you really want a re-match I might have to grind your face into the snow just to prove my point, oh and no bending." Her finger wagged back and forth in her glove at him, there would be a definite advantage for him if he got to move the water about her like it was another appendage.
She looked back at Aden turning her body to a slight profile shooting him a smile before retreating to her snow mound and the already assembled horde of snowballs.
|
|
|
Post by taartoq on Aug 31, 2008 20:17:36 GMT -5
The path home was, more than likely, awkward that time of day. It seemed, from the jaunt from the archival building to his home in second-highest tier of the city, the place was crawling with children who waited to pummel people with snowballs, and run away like cowards. If they had tails - and Taartoq didn't doubt some of those nasty little imps did - they would skitter away with them between their legs. Inwardly, Taartoq had found the idea of a snowball fight rather mundane. Though he hadn't always felt that way. There were many times, after waterbending class, where he wanted to join in a good old rousing volley of snowballs, but it seemed whenever he was struck by a projectile, it would scare him to no end. He would start moaning in fright, complain a bit, maybe even shed a few tears. The boys eventually didn't even want him to be part of their games, and would drive him away with petty insults. In time, he focused on reasons why he also didn't want to be around them. They were vulgar, uncouth, disrespectful. Not the very image of prim propriety he aimed to be. Composed, debonair, even a bit stuffy. Many folks claim he forgot how to have fun after awhile. But it was all their fault.
Rather than dwell on the past, Taartoq merely wanted to make it home in one piece. He did hear a few giggles from people out of his view, no doubt similar little boys out for a good, puerile prank or two, but he tried to be prepared. Not physically, but mentally. If he were struck, why should he even retaliate? It wouldn't bring him harm, especially through his parka, but would do nothing but continue the cycle of senseless stupidity. He didn't want that, nor did he want to harm the children by misjudging his own waterbending strength. It wasn't as though he struck many people with snowballs on a daily - or yearly - basis. What image would that convey if an archivist, of all people, sent a little boy crying back home to his mother.
Like clockwork, a snowball soon exploded on the back of his head, scattering flecks of white against a nearly black background of his hair. Taartoq winced slightly, but ultimately went off unscathed. If they wanted a reaction, they'd best look elsewhere. Then it happened again. Another snowball struck his shoulder with enough force to make him flinch again, but he summoned all his willpower to stay silent. He did, however, stop in his tracks and grumble, since his satchel of scrolls had fallen to the ground. Taking them home to transcribe a few, his work for the day wasn't quite finished. Quickly, and unusually sloppily, he scooped them up and tucked them back into the bag.
"Hey, mister lady!" he heard a puny voice call out. His day, from there on, wouldn't get any easier. IT was plain to see. At least at home there would be peace, quiet, and solitude. Diverging from his normal path, Taartoq peered out of the way and caught a brief sight of a girl ducking behind a snow fort, and a boy not too far away. It was perplexing to see they were both apparently in their teenage years, in Taartoq's opinion far too old to do that sort of thing. If it was some silly, sentimental 'puppy love', then there was no telling what would happen next. Taking a breath, he stopped in his tracks right before the snowy wall. These ones would be fools to pelt him with snowballs as well. His statuesque posture and fine clothes were a warning sign of his reaction, yet possibly a target, even. Those rich, uptight folk weren't exactly the best loved by the common populace. That still wasn't always a fact noticed immediately by Taartoq, oddly enough. Turning to his right, facing the girl, he spoke in a rather deadpan voice, aside from necessary emphasis. "Please, don't let me stop you."
|
|
|
Post by aden on Aug 31, 2008 22:19:51 GMT -5
Aden smiled at Desna as she scampered away for cover. No bending? It was fair enough, even if he did feel like raising up an impressive fortress to do battle from. "Good luck," he called out as she disappeared behind her mound of snow.
Aden held back from finding cover of his own, and instead figured that he he would try to stay out in the open to try and play the dodging game. However, before the first snowball could be thrown, their little competiton was interrupted by a passing man.
He was relatiely frail looking, despite the bulky parka, and he seemed to take a bit too much pride in his hair and accessories. The scrolls tucked under his arm suggested that he was either a courier or a scholar of some kind. His rather condescending tone caused Aden to raise his eyebrow in questioning, though the young bender was stilll wearing a slight smile from before.
"Sorry," Aden called out to him, apologizing for no other reason than to sound respectful to his elder... no matter how effeminate he seemed. "We'll keep our rough-housing to an appropriate minimum."
|
|
|
Post by desna on Aug 31, 2008 22:56:29 GMT -5
Desna was more than ready to begin her assault on the boy, she would show no mercy and take no prisoners, without his bending she was rather confident in her ability to kick butt. Those boys though, they were another matter, they were just too uncivilized to have a fight with. In a fair fight her aim was pretty spot on and she could always call him out for cheating if she needed to.
Her hands were on a snowball but her eyes found some interference to their fun. She blinked a bit watching the man, wells she assumed it was a man noticing the definite lack in breast development. Still it was a little annoying to have her fun put on hold for a while. Pushing her tounge into her cheek she looked at the man, he was closer to her than to Aden, once she got past the annoyance she had with him and really looked at the man she remembered vaguely who the man was. He was the archivist who's wife raved about their as of yet, unborn child, in the healing huts whenever she had the opportunity to stick around and hear gossip.
In a huff she blew her hair from her face and glowered, silly girly man bothering them.
She got to her feet peering at him with a sheepish smile, and her hands behind her back, still letting the snowball pass between her hands debating throwing it at him out of sheer spite. Idly she rolled back from her heels to her toes in turn hoping he'd leave eventually. " Did we do something wrong?" She chimed in curious as to why the man found it fit to interupt the battle of the century.
|
|
|
Post by taartoq on Sept 1, 2008 1:09:32 GMT -5
While the boy both seemed civil, Taartoq was certain they both wanted him gone. There was no denying that fact. It wasn't much of a problem, since he would have been glad to make his expedient exit, if not for the crumpled scrolls in his bag that were in dire need of re-rollin lest they wind up a creased disaster. Taartoq couldn't sleep if that were to happen. He'd blame everyone else - silently, of course - and wind up harboring ill will toward anyone in particular for at least a week, except perhaps Padma. But that was a different story. She was becoming someone so totally different from the woman he married, which gave him much to think about regarding her pregnancy. Her mood could, and would change in an instant, which was quite unsettling.
"I suppose you didn't," he muttered audibly, loud enough for either to hear before slinking away. Thankfully, a bench lay nearby where he could straighten out his scroll collection, and walk away as content as possible, considering how the day's events had already transpired. Who knew how many snowballs would hit him until the children were called in for suppertime. Then maybe, just maybe, he could be at peace.
Seating himself promptly on the icy bench, he had a clear view of the two teenagers. Whether or not he would watch was the question, but his eyes were set on every single scroll he would take out of his bag and smooth out. Taartoq would no doubt unfold each entirely, check for damage with extreme scrutiny, and take his sweet time. He had to praise the spirits silently, since the small jar of ink that dangled down at his side was unaffected. He would die if it sprung open and stained his clothes. But with those thoughts planted firmly in mind, he gently took out one of the scrolls, placed it on his lap, and started unfolding it with the utmost care.
|
|
|
Post by aden on Sept 1, 2008 11:19:50 GMT -5
With the librarian out of the way, Aden merely glanced back at Desna and offered a shrug. It was wierd enough that the man saw fit to insert himself into their harmless fun, but the fact that he chose a bench in the middle of the snowfield to work on his scrolls was even stranger.
Regardless, the young warrior put him out of mind and concentrated on his opponent. "Well," he said to catch her attention, "Ladies first." He wafted his hand elegantly and then swung it out to the side while giving a low bow. The invitation to begin was a little elaborate, but his eyes never left her position as he anticipated the first throw.
Truth be told, despite his newfound outlook on things, he missed some of the warrior training that had so engrossed his life. Sure he had always done it for a more urgent purpose than sheer fun, but it was something he was good at, and he enjoyed testing his capabilities.As playful as the spirit of the snowball fight was, Aden found himself imagining that he was dodging blasts of fire from an enemy soldier.
|
|
|
Post by desna on Sept 1, 2008 11:32:48 GMT -5
Desna smiled, happy to be back to the matters at hand, they had a snow ball fight to battle through after all. She laughed a bit at the joke that popped into her head with Aden's words. It seemed too funny to pass up so as she dropped back behind her retaining wall of snow she smirked and shouted over to her companion.
" I didn't know the scroll man was playing!" Regardless of her jibe at the man who seemingly appeared out of no where she managed to toss the snow ball experimentally between her hands. Mostly to make sure she had the weight figured properly in her head, secondly to figure out how well it would fly, the first shot of the day, not counting the kids who OBVIOUSLY started the snow wars earlier.
She stood up suddenly tossing the snowball with a excitement plain on her face, Desna was always one to live in the moment. Before it hit Desna ducked back down, snagged another snow ball and got up chucking it at Aden once again. She was ready to rumble, at least until her stash ran out. Her plan was well formulated, peg him with as many snow balls as possible and then make a run for him and tackle him into the snow until he admitted his defeat.
|
|