Moo cow and the Fire Nation <Fire Nation>

[zahira]

Zahira stopped and turned to Li, grinning and taking him by the waist.

"Oh, but Li! Haven't you guessed? I'm madly in love with you and want you all to myself!" She giggled and skipped off again.

"Kidding, of course. But just pointing it out. I know you and her had a thing going once before, are you thinking of taking it up again? You looked so cute... and I guess you'd have to have something to do if your brother's off trying to woo a girl or two... you know, I think he might be looking at one, but one can never be sure with you two. Could be nothing." She shrugged, lifting her hands vertical to the sky. She tossed her head, her loose India-ink colored hair cascading down her back. It was dirty and a bit greasey, but she let it loose anyways. The day was breezy enough to feel good through her hair, and it would be even better when she washed it in her bath later.

[shanghuang]

The Water Tribe woman may not have recognized Shang, but he recognized her. Well, not totally, as six years tended to change people, but her age and obvious heritage made it apparent that the girl was Pamuy. Though older then him, she had grown up in more or less the same “lot” as he had. Of course, she had been one of the talented ones, and in general not very outgoing. He blinked a few times as he processed this, and then eyes shifted down and away from her, not wanting to stare or give the wrong impression.

“Uh, right. Thank you,” he offered in return.

Turning towards where the woman was pointing, he walked at an even pace, but his eyes glanced this way and that about the camp. Pretty much, he looked anywhere but at the tent he was walking towards. He still hadn’t figured out what he was going to say. He tried to think about it now, but found himself at a loss. Before he knew it, he was at the tent entrance. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, and was about to enter when the flap opened, and a very familiar girl walked out. To be precise, the girl was thirteen, and her name was Xiang Huang. He knew this because it was his sister.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” she called back over her shoulder. “I gotta…”

The girl trailed off as her head turned forward and she saw Shang standing in front of the tent. Abruptly she stopped walking and just stared, recognition and shock etched on her face. Shang attempted to smile, but it was awkward. Before either could speak, the tent flap opened again.

“Xiang? Is something wrong?” a middle aged woman with her black hair bound in a complicated bun asked as she exited the tent, and she too immediately halted.

For a moment, Sei Huang just stood there like Xiang had, but unlike Xiang, this did not last.

“By the spirits!” she cried, and immediately wrapped Shang in the tightest hug he’d ever had. “You came back! Oh, thank goodness you came back!”

Shang winced, and then smiled awkwardly again, “Hi, Mom.” He turned to Xiang. “Hi, Xiang.”

Even as he awkwardly tried to embrace his mother through her iron hug, Shang could tell that she was crying a little. She didn’t cry often. The tent flap opened again, and a tall, ragged looking man hobbled out. The years had not been as kind to Shang’s father as they had his mother. There was always that risk for acrobats. His father didn’t say anything, he just smiled, and Shang smiled back, this time more genuinely. Why had he ever left?

His mother abruptly released him, “How far have you come? Those clothes are filthy! You must be hungry! I’ll get you some food, then you’ll give me those clothes and you can wash up. Hold on.”


Before anyone could speak, Sei was walking hastily off towards the main fires, wiping some of the tears from her face. His father chuckled a little, and Shang’s smile become even more genuine.

“Welcome home, Shang,” his father said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go keep your mother company.”

Shang nodded, and the family followed Sei over to the fires.

[pamuy]

Pamuy knew that, even though it was not her place to assume things, that the fellow's arrival would serve as fodder for gossip in the days to come. But if only she could remember who he was. No matter. She would find out sooner or later through word of mouth. However, as he hair was being tied into her traidmark loops, Jaemin rose his voice. "Pamuy, hon...don't you know who that was? You didn't recognize him?"

Pursing her lips, Pamuy showed no hesitation toward shrugging her shoulders and admitting her fault. Looking toward the ground as she sat, she inquired of Jaemin. "I didn't, sorry. Who was he?"

Jaemin wore a smirk as he tied those navy blue ribbons in place and allowed her braided hair loops to dangle. Still seated, he put his slender and bony hand on his hip. "There, finished! Anyway, that was the Huang boy, Shang. You know, the one who left a few years ago?"

Pamuy felt her hair with both hands to make sure it was in place. No one styled her hair better than Jaemin, and for that she was glad. "Oh, you don't say. Well, I'm happy he's back..."

[blackcrow]

He leaned closer to Zahira as she sashayed to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. His eyes closed halfway as he dared to brush noses, his lips curled into a faint smile as he played along with her. Even though he knew it was all a game, there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes as she swirled away from him. His gaze dropped a bit towards the river's far edge, the water lapping at a fallen tree's rotting branches.

He continued to listen to Zahira as she talked on. She was never one for a lack of words. He narrowed his eyes. Yeah.... Auina. Though they had broken up years ago, he wondered sometimes. He had bounced back from it well enough, being much younger than the older woman who he had wooed into a relationship really without so much the proper courtship. However, nothing since had felt right. He never had as much fun with the other girls, nobody could respond to his wit the way she had other than Bai-Wu.

And now Bai-Wu seemed distracted. He spent more time apart from Li, something the twins hadn't experienced. It confused Li and they had spent many a night, lying in their separate trundle beds in their wagon pondering things silently. They did not need to share eachother's thoughts usually.. but now.. there was something Li couldn't read about Bai. He shrugged as he lifted his gaze back up. "It's nothing. Bai's just being Bai."

He sighed and walked down the little rise that ended in an overhang over the river's edge, swinging the wooden bucket at his side with his loping gait. Auina had been quite.. well Li didn't know how to describe it. Her reaction to their breakup, honestly.. scared him. It worried him and he had spent weeks keeping his distance from the EarthBender.. and not for fear she'd chuck a rock at the family jewels. It confused him, but then.. Auina seemed to have gone back to normal.. and that, still bothered him to this day. The elder twin walked out into the river, the water immediately crawling up his pant legs as if it was a wick of a candle, turning the sandy taupe near black. He knelt down, the maroon hem of his vest touching the water as he reached out and scooped the bucket through the water. He would glance up and to the side, for what reason.. he didn't know.. his golden eyes meeting with Auina's, her head and shoulders just above the water.

"...Hello.."

[gijoespouse]

Auina had turned her head to the side when she heard movement in the water. Warm brown eyes widened though, as she looked into his golden ones. Her heart seemed to stop for just a moment.

"...Hello..." Li said in that velvety smooth voice of his.

The breeze picked up again, sending a chill over her still moist skin. With a bit of a shiver, she offered him a sheepish smile. Inwardly, she was musing how it was rather funny that she'd gone to the river to bathe, hoping to forget about Li for just a bit...and here he stood before her. A droplet of water fell from her mahogany hair, falling to her cheek where it rolled down to her chin. She didn't move from where she was, as she was in deep enough water to keep herself covered. The acrobat wasn't about to go traipsing about in the nude, since her clothes had been purloined.

"Hello yourself," she managed as a reply.

The earthbender broke eye contact as she brought a hand up to push back a soaked tendril of hair away from her face. She made a concerted effort not to look in the pale lanky man's direction. It was odd. Odd how everytime she tried to push Li from her thoughts, something would happen to bring him back. Apparently the spirit of love was being quite cruel, considering Li wasn't interested in her.


Back at the fires, Jaemin was about to say something, when two teens came streaking through. They were carrying a yukata that most certainly was not theirs. They also seemed to be a in a great hurry as the ran through the camp.

The lanky man behind Pamuy blinked...then asked in a curious tone, "Is that Auina's yukata?"

Taruto, the pudgy one of the pair, was glancing behind his shoulder to see if he and his friend were being pursued, when he ran headlong into Shang. He fell back with an oof, dropping the beige and blossom decorated light robe to the ground. The boy glanced up.

"Sorry," he managed quickly, before he reached to snatch up the robe.

[The Lion Turtle]

He was still moving away from her, saying, "Mother and Father think you needed one.... You can sell the milk.. She can carry your tent and equipment instead of spreading it out across wagons.. she can carry Tar-.." but of course he noticed that she was not keeping up with him and came back over to her, lifting up her chin so her hunter-green eyes met his dark goldenrod ones. She wiped her eyes with the back on her hands.

"Hey now.. Everyone wanted to make sure you had all you needed. It's what we do.. we help each other out. Now stop crying, okay?" he told her gently. She nodded silently, wiping the rest of the wet from her face.

"Yes. I just didn't imagine everyone would be so... so giving." She looked up at Bai and smiled, her tears all gone from her eyes and her face dry. "I'm sorry. This should be a happy occation, not me crying!" She walked on ahead of Bai a little ways, glancing back to him to see if the Firebender was following. "I'll need to think of a name... know any good ones?"

[whitecrow]

Bai stepepd aside to let Xia pass as she wiped her eyes of tears, forcing a smile on her face that was turning a little bit red. He watched her walk ahead, turning around to smile at him and ask him a question. A name? He lifted one eyebrow at the question and he really could just chuckle in amusement and shrug his shoulders. "I dunno." He rolled his head at her and moved into a light jog, or perhaps a skip to catch up to her, slowing down to ambling walk beside her. "You can name the cow ..whatever you like. I don't have a preference. Zebra-cows aren't my thing.."

They continued onward, making small talk that often broke the fourth wall. Zhy had cleaned up nicely since the performance, and had resumed it's sleepy life. Street vendors peddled from their side-shops, children ran ahead of their mothers, and some stared out windows longingly, stuck inside learning. On the other side of Zhy, they met with the owners of a small farm, and after a few minutes of talking, the two flame dancers were led back to a barn where a single solitary Zebra-Cow was waiting. An exchange of gold, and the rope-lead was handed off to Bai-Wu, who then turned and handed it to Xia.

[blackcrow]

The young man stared across the water at the hunched down Auina. He paused for a moment and then straightened, swinging the water bucket back up across his shoulder. He set one hand on his hip and shifted his weight to the side. "So...." His hair fell across his shoulder, the ends slightly wet from dipping in the water. "Auina... What's up?" He spoke rather casually, hooking his thumb in the belt at his waist. Yeah.. Awkward. She was obviously bathing.. something Li had no problem with, but really now... The awkward silence between them that was for sure to follow would really.. be uncomfortable.
"Um... might want to hurry up.. Mother and Father are making the announcement of our next destination.. gonna be big." He nodded, rolling his eyes back mildly as he rocked back and forth. Um.. Yeah... He glanced back down at her in the water..

[gijoespouse]

Awkward would be an understatement at this point. Here she was, in her birthday suit, with the man she cared for standing right there. And worse...she had nothing to change into. It was painfully uncomfortable.

"Um... might want to hurry up.. Mother and Father are making the announcement of our next destination.. gonna be big."

Auina let out a sigh. Great. She needed to get back in a hurry? Just wonderful.

"Well, I've got a bit of a problem here Li."

The beginnings of that probably sounded really intriguing. Naked woman needing help? ...

"A couple of the kids snatched my clothes from the shoreline. They took off towards the camp with them. Leaving me pretty much stranded..."

Her face flushed a bit as she thought about what those horrible little snipes had done. She was so going to give them an earful...and hopefully their parents or even Juning herself would do worse.

The breeze kicked up again, chilling her skin. She really really REALLY wanted to get out of the water at this point.

[pamuy]

"Oh my," Pamuy exclaimed as she saw the boys running. Jaemin was right. That was Auina's yukata, and Pamuy grew concerned at the sight. If those kids had Auina's clothes, what clothes did Auina have? She made haste in heading over to those children to give them what they earned. As the pudgy Taruto lay on the ground, one of the first faces he saw was Pamuy's staring straight down at him. She has a stern expression, as usual when kids pulled such foolish pranks. Grabbing the yukata, she grasped it in the hand that was held to her hip.

"Boys," she said with a rather rigid inflection, staring down the chubby one as he rose from the ground. Crossing her arms, she allowed her furrowed brow to soften slightly. She didn't want to scare them, but she did wan to let them now what they did wasn't funny. Holding the garment in plain view, out of their reach so neither could grab it, she said. "Just where is Auina? Does she know you took her robe?"

[shanghuang]

Shang was just sitting down when the kid ran blindly into him, knocking him almost flat on his face, he just barely stopped himself from hitting the ground. His father and sister looked over but he assured them he was okay with a nervous smile. Some soldier he was. Taken out by a tike.

“It’s okay,” he started and then noticed the yukata. “Say, what’s that there…”

Before he could get an answer, Pamuy showed up. Apparently the robe belonged to Auina. Shang recognized the name as another girl near his age who he’d grown up with. She was from one of the other Earth Kingdom families, though she was an earthbender and in general had been way more talented than he was.

“Well, uh, if they took her clothes, then she’s probably, y’know…bathing,” Shang offered. “There was a river over that way I think.”

Shang pointed off in the direction of the river, and one of the boys decided to kick him sharply in the shin for it. Wincing and letting out a grunt, Shang’s leg flinched, but he resisted the urge to rub it.

“Now you ruined it!” complained the boy.

“Well, you shouldn’t be stealing girls’ clothes, it’s not,” Shang started, and then received another kick to the shin. “You shouldn’t do that, either…”

[blackcrow]

Oh really now? He lifted an eyebrow and of course, his golden eyes ducked to the surface of the water. Damn the discoloration and the refraction of light against the surface, habit proved useless. Only a moment's pause, and he lifted his eyes. Both brows now rose and he rolled his head to the side, cracking one shoulder as he rolled it up. Spirits, he was going to have to do the chivalrous thing.
"ey, Zahira.. take this." The twin turned towards the shore and walked the few steps necessary to set the wooden bucket firmly on the sand, the river's edge lapping at it's base. Li-Wu nodded to the dancer subtly, glancing up at her before he stepped back. With a sigh, his nimble fingers quickly undid the saffron colored sashes, really just long strips of left over fabric from making the flags that decorated the wagons.
The 'prince' whipped it from around his waist, and slung it over the crook of his elbow and then shrugged off the sleeveless vest. It wasn't much, a tunic like vest made of dark Maroon with tattered hems and saffron trim on the color. Gold Collars symbolized high status in the Fire Nation and it was one of the more mimicked bits of the culture in the Flame Dancers who still, after so many years saw themselves as the Royal performers. It simply folded over, with a long enough 'skirt to reach the boy's mid thighs. Sliding it off, Li quickly tossed it up into his hand before the edges could get too wet and he turned towards Auina and headed back out.

How deep was the water? He wandered as he walked towards her, the water slowly rising over his knees, to his thighs, to his waist. He held his bundled up shirt and sash close to his chest, trying to keep the water splashes to a minimal. She was squatting a bit, keeping her shoulders just above the water and everything else that was less than decent below. He smirked and held out his vest and sash. "It's not much.. but.." And if she took it.. like a good gentleman, he'd turn away.

[gijoespouse]

The acrobat's head turned as Li called to Zahira at the shoreline. Was he going to send the dancer back to the caravan for her clothes? No, that apparently wasn't the plan. Her eyes held to him as he set the bucket down and began to untie the saffron sash, followed by the removal of his deep crimson vest. It didn't click right away what Li Wu was up to. When he started heading out into the water though, Auina figured out what was up. When he came to a stop, holding the vest and sash, she hesitated for just a moment.

Don't be stupid, Auina. You can't stay in the water forever, you know...

The earthbender rose to stand fully, bringing an arm up to help conceal her chest. Luckily, the water was deep enough to cover anything else lower than that. She offered him a smile as she took the garments with her other hand.

"Thank you."

Once he turned away, she moved toward the shore a little bit. Auina didn't want to get his clothes any more wet than she possibly had to. She brought the sash up to her mouth, clenching it in her teeth so she could slip the vest on. The maroon material wanted to cling to her wet skin, but it would have to do for now. Once it was on and folded over, she took the sash and wrapped it about her waist. She glanced back over her shoulder, to check to see if Li was watching as she knotted the saffron material at her left hip.

Now that she was somewhat clothed, the acrobat turned fully to Li. Her hands pulled her dampened mahogany hair back, so that it didn't cling to her face.

"We can head back now. And I know a couple of kids who're going to get an earful when I get a hold of them."

[iikagen]

The last few days had been rather uneventful. Since he had given up his niche terrorizing travelers in the guise of a Tengu, Iikagen had simply followed the current of the stream Westward. The stream eventually grew wider and wider until it was a decent-sized river, and at that point the Igni abandoned walking in favor of floating. Iikagen had managed to find a hefty log along the way and rolled the chunk of wood into the water to use as a float. It was large enough that he could rest his upper body across the log and keep his travelling pack mostly dry as well.

On this latest day of travel, he found himself nearly asleep as the current pulled him steadily downriver at a lazy pace. However, his skin was beginning to prune and the sounds of people reached his ears. Iikagen slipped off the log so that he was mostly underwater and managed to turn the chunk of wood so that it was parallel to to the flow of the river. Peaking over the log, he came into view of a large encampment a short way off the riverbank. Red tents and wagons were visible and despite a rather motley assortment of people, they seemed distinctly Fire Nation.

That could be good or bad, depending on the individual people, but Iikagen decided he could take a chance. He hadn't eaten much of a meal in the last two days, and with the money he had he could possibly barter himself some food. The Igni reached into his bag that rested atop the log and fished around through its contents for a moment until he managed to grab the Tengu mask. Still floating lazily by the campsite, he slipped the mask over his head. Iikagen then grabbed his travelling pack, took a deep breath, and sank underwater.

Having grown up on a tropical island, Iikagen was a pretty adept swimmer. He was about sixty feet out into the river when he started swimming, and even toting the traveling pack with him he managed to make it almost to shore before he needed to come up for breath. He found the riverbed with his feet, composed himself, and then stood up from the water.

The mask obscured his vision slightly and he had to blink the water out of his eyes, but when his sight became clear he realized that he had come up very close to a man and woman standing on the shore. The man was without a shirt and the woman was.... without anything but a shirt. Iikagen strode forward, emerging fully from the water after just a few steps. He had no shirt himself; just a pair of grey pants that he'd cut off at the knee for comfort and his sarong tied in its usual diagonal-folded fashion around his waist. Aside from that, the Tengu mask was the only other artle of clothing.

Iikagen continued walking right out of the water and toward the main encampment, turning his head toward the pair beside him to offer a slight wave and a friendly, "Morning!"

[The Lion Turtle]

The lead of the zebra-cow's harness was given to Xia, and she could only smile at her new friend. The cow was beautiful, with clear, creamy white under stripes of obsidian, a shapely head, robost body, and sturdy legs. She was milking, and as Xia knew, she'd have to milk her every day if the cow would keep producing milk before her next calf.

Reaching out a gentle hand, Xia felt the end of the cow's velvety nose. The cow blew out a breath onto Xia's hand, covering it in less than desireable things, but the breath as sweet as grass. She was chewing on her curd, and her soft brown eyes looked up at Xia, as if she was saying, "And?"

Down the street from the farm, after some pondering, Xia turned to Bai.

"Ratu... I think I'll name her Ratu. It means 'queen.' She's certainly looking at me as if she was one." She giggled and patted the cow, who moo'ed quietly in response. She nodded, satisfied with herself. She was content with happiness in her life, and she was very pleased with her newest family member. She hoped Tarak loved Ratu as much as Xia was starting to.