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Post by yasu on Jun 4, 2007 15:47:00 GMT -5
Yasu sat back as she finished eating and set her hands in her lap, looking at her plate. From her peripheral, she noticed that Taka was eating with more vigor. She let him finish. She was in her own little land, at the moment, remembering her time at the Academy. There, she hadn't had so many friends. Being naturally a quiet girl, no one took the time to get to know her. If they had, they would have realized that Yasu was just shy, but once gotten to know, she was quite fun and a hyper girl. But no one had, so she had remained silent. Besides, most of the time she was looking for someone at the Rebellion outside of the school. She had wanted to join the Rebellion to fight for her mother's cause. To fight the guilt that had been strangling her since that very unfateful day in the garden.
She wondered what had happened with her mother. Surely she wouldn't have had her trial yet. She was sure that the Fire Lord was a bit busy at the moment, with taking down Ba Sing Se and all. She grimaced inwardly at the thought. From her mother, her thoughts went to her sister. The one who had abandoned her father in his time of need. Emi. What a little brat. Yasu Al seethed at the thought of her little sister; driven by love, Emi had eloped. From Emi, her thoughts drifted to her father. He did not deserve such a family as hers. He deserved better. He had a wounded leg, and yes he had served in the army, but he was a good man, who knew when to appreciate things in life such as other cultures. And he was a dieing man, being killed by the very women in his life.
"Are you alright Yasu?" Yasu fought back tears and sighed heavily. No, she wasn't alright. She was worried about her father. She had been gone for too long. She needed to check on him, even though in doing so she was sure she'd be putting herself and the Rebellion in danger. Was her father even still alive?
"Yeah," she said softly. She looked at Taka and smiled a bit more brightly, even though it was dripping in false enthusiasm. "I'm fine, Taka-kun. Just...thinking." She looked back at the meal, and her eyes widened. "Hey, we did pretty good, didn't we? On the meal? I think it was pretty good. I haven't been in the kitchen in so long." This time she put some real enthusiasm into her smile.
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Post by taka on Jun 5, 2007 18:12:15 GMT -5
"Yeah...I'm fine, Taka-kun. Just... thinking." He smiled.
"Good to hear." He'd been worried for a moment. She'd been so quiet. Probably it was his terrible cooking. He made a vow that he'd try harder next time he cooked, because his cooking was probably so bad she had to be quiet when she ate it. He sighed.
"Hey, we did pretty good, didn't we? On the meal? I think it was pretty good. I haven't been in the kitchen in so long," Yasu said. He chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess we did. We did do pretty good." He picked up his plate, and put it on the other side of the counter before sitting back down. "It was really good... but now that we're done, there's nothing to do..."
He sighed, thinking again. There really wasn't all that much to do. THey could help around with rebuilding, but everything was so far out, that they wouldn't know where to start. And they wouldn't be much help. Taka wasn't very strong, and Yasu wasn't as strong as Taka. So they wouldn't be able to do much even if they insisted on helping.
But there were other things they could do...
Just then, his parents came back in. They first looked at him, then Yasu's plate, then the slight mess they'd made. His mother sighed. "Taka, you sure know how to cook up a mess."
Taka grumbled. "It was good.... Yasu said so. Isn't that right Yasu?"
Taka's father rolled his eyes. "That's not the point... oh, screw this. Yasu, Taka, I need you both to go out into the field and gather whatever you can scavenge. We'll need the supplies to help rebuild. Also, and good food or animals you come across would be nice. Taka, you'll need your old bow."
Taka groaned. "You know I'm not good with that."
His father grinned and nodded. " I know. Hence, why you will use them: you're not young enough to be a messenger anymore, Taka. That will be done by Arai's younger cousin from now on. Understand?" Taka DID understand. It meant he'd be on more raids...
He smiled, with the gratitude. This was essentially a promotion. "Yes. Thanks..." He turned to Yasu. "I'll be right back!" He quickly went to his room to get his bow. It had been packed away, but it was fine. He opened his door, and went in to get it. Ah, there it was, in it's case under his bed. He brought it out, with his arrows in their brown leather quiver. His bow had a slight tint of reddish brown in it, the dust on it as well clouding the color. He brushed it off, and blew on it a bit. It looked just fine...
He went back out to the kitchen, and saw Yasu was ready. His father nodded, their send off. "Get going, you two. Be back by sundown!"
"Yes, father."
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Post by yasu on Jun 5, 2007 20:45:38 GMT -5
"Yeah, I guess we did. We did do pretty good." She followed him in putting her plate on the counter, sitting back down with a look of content. "It was really good... but now that we're done, there's nothing to do..."
She nodded in agreement. People would be building and fixing all day. She knew she'd get in the way. If Taka wanted to help, he could. Besides, Yasu was in the mood to just sort of relax. Think things over. Yeah, thinking was a great pass time. Got her somewhere real fast, you know? But most of the time, her thoughts lead to the Rebellion. Which led to the Fire Nation. Which led to the Fire Lord. Which led to her mother. Then her sister. And then her father. ...Oh yes, her thought process was a maze.
Someone walked into the cafeteria and she looked up, tucking a loose strand of black hair behind her ear as she did so. Golden eyes met light brown before they were torn away to look around the kitchen herself, her eyes met a disaster area. She smiled to herself guiltily.
"Taka, you sure know how to cook up a mess," Taka's mother chided softly.
Taka merely grumbled: "It was good.... Yasu said so. Isn't that right Yasu?"
Yasu nodded, quick to agree. It had been really good. A meal that good couldn't be destroyed by a mess. ...Accusation of a mess, that is.
Yasu looked up as his father began to speak. "That's not the point... oh, screw this," Yasu lifted an eyebrow in surprise, "Yasu, Taka, I need you both to go out into the field and gather whatever you can scavenge. We'll need the supplies to help rebuild. Also, and good food or animals you come across would be nice. Taka, you'll need your old bow."
Taka-kun uses a bow? I thought it was just the knives... Yasu blinked. Interesting. She was excited about this little adventure. She wanted to use her bow badly. She wanted to kill something...as bad as that sounded. She just wanted to put a little bit of her anxiousness into an animal. No matter how terrible it sounded. Maybe she should just punch something. No, no. She would take all those thoughts back. She could never kill an animal like that through anger, grievance, or sadness. It was like killing a human being. ...Oh wait, she'd already done that, hadn't she.
" I know. Hence, why you will use them: you're not young enough to be a messenger anymore, Taka. That will be done by Arai's younger cousin from now on. Understand?"
Yasu turned in surprise to Taka, whose face was lit up in gratitude. She wanted to congratulate Taka, but she didn't no how so she just smiled stupidly.
"I'll be right back!" he said to her and raced away. Yasu nodded and stood, bowing to both adults before racing away to receive her own bow and quiver. When she reached her room, she noticed that her Fire Nation garments were laying on her matt. She set down the quiver and touched the soft material before withdrawing her hand away quickly. She grabbed her quiver, and left her room.
When she returned to the kitchen, she was looking at her quiver rather stupidly. She had no arrows.
"Umm, Sir, I seem to have no arrows..." she said after a moment, when she realized he had been looking down at her with a glimmer of amusement in his green eyes.
"Yes, I have some for you. They're in the storage area bellow. You can go grab some, seeing as Taka isn't back yet."
Nodding, Yasu made her way to the storage area, where, with the help of the earth-bender under the el-ave-at-or, she managed to grab two handfuls of arrows (quite greedily), and make her way back just a few minutes before Taka.
"Get going, you two! Be back by sundown!"
Yasu nodded as Taka spoke, and bowed after a moment's pause. "Thank you, Sir." She said after following Taka outside. She threw her bow loosely over a shoulder, her quiver over her should as well. She lifted her hands to greet the breeze, cool still with the aftermath of the storm. It would warm up though. "Ah, fresh air!" she said in pleasure.
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Post by jialingjin on Jun 5, 2007 22:17:24 GMT -5
Unable to avoid the rain, a giant dog raced ahead of the two quarreling lovebirds. Jin, who stood as high as a man's waist, was soaked. His once bright golden coat was dark and matted, his legs clumped with mud, but his tail continued to wag.. flinging little mud bits all over. Coming along the muddy road, with the worn in wheel ruts, Jialing walked with a heavy step. Her usually wavy, taupe colored hair hung straight, plastered to her face by the water and also now a dull black, completely soaked. Her brown eyes flashed over to Reed as they walked, and she defly lifted a hand. "I don't even want to hear it." The woman snapped, shooting a glare to him as he walked by her, his hair slicked back. Reed was always a fool, Jialing thought.. though it was probably her that made him a fool.
"I can not believe we couldn't get out of that damn forest." Once the dark clouds had rolled in and it had started pouring, finding their way was next to impossible. And so, caught in the rain, they had taken shelter under a fallen log till the storm passed. "As much as I needed a bath.. that's not the kind I was talking about.." She rolled her amber eyes, stopping for a moment to kick a fallen branch that was a bit too big out of their way. She heard a unpleasant crack as her toe struck the wood and soon was hopping on one foot, cursing every spirit under the sun. Jialing was no pleasant when resembling a drowned rat..
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Post by reed on Jun 20, 2007 22:00:03 GMT -5
Reed wiped the strands of wet hair out of his face. "to think i used to know this forest front and back." Reed looked around. He saw trees, more tress, and more trees. He itched his head. "Jia!" he called to her through the pouring rain. "Go left!" Reed wasn't sure if it was left, but he was positive it wasn't right, so what the heck; it's not like they could get anymore lost than they were.
Reed ran a little to catch up more to Jialing as she was still ahead of him. "Hey Jia-aaahh!" He said flipping backwards sending drop of muddle to his fellow companions; though literally covering him head to toe in mud. Reed started laughing as he got up. "that was pretty lame." he said as he had short flash backs of how Kai, the farm land kids and him used to have mud wars and not child would be left uncovered in mud or dirt. Reed shook his hair in the way a dog would launching more specks of mud at Jialing and Jin.
Reed laughed some more. "Oops, Did I get you?"
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Post by taka on Jun 29, 2007 14:38:36 GMT -5
Taka smiled at Yasu's comment. "It is pretty nice out here," he said, looking around. The sun was peeking out from behind the clouds, warming up the day. However, it was still cool enough to be very nice out.
He made his way down the main road (which was nearly deserted) towards the forest. The forest looked practically alive. The ground was churned up with water routes, the tree's were sparkling with raindrops, and the sun shone on the drops, and made them all the more brilliant. As he walked under the first few trees, the leaves dropped a bit of water on him. He chuckled lightly, and then said, "We'll need to be off the trail. Let's go." He quickly made for the side of the road, and went straight into the trees. He looked about for any sign of animals, or maybe some berries... but there wasn't anything. The rain would have washed all signs of footprints away...
He sighed. However, in the quiet din of the morning, he could tell there was something ahead...
...Voices...?
"...get you?" Faint laughter accompanied this. He motioned for Yasu to follow him, and he drew a single arrow from his quiver, notching it limply, and moved along slowly now... he wanted to see who it was before he exposed himself. He carefully tread among the trees, until the voices were a bit louder. He turned and whispered to Yasu.
"Who could it be? Everybody would be rebuilding now... any ideas?" He then turned to see them... a boy, a girl, and a dog.
...A dog... they were downwind for now... but if it shifted... and that girl had a bow...
He turned to Yasu again. "Be careful. She's got a bow..." He didn't know who they were, or what their intentions were yet. He wasn't going to be caught blindsided.
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Post by yasu on Jun 29, 2007 22:52:51 GMT -5
"It is pretty nice out here," Taka said in answer to her comment, looking around. Yasu smiled and lowered her hands to her side. It was lovely, as they made their way into the trees. THe forest sparkled with a mix of dew and rain water, and animals seemed to scurry around every corner, gathering foods that might have fallen from trees in the harsh gusts of the earlier night. Yasu looked up just in time to see water fall from leaves...and right onto Taka's head.
Yasu's lips pressed together in suppressed laughter. "We'll need to be off the trail. Let's go." Yasu Al followed obediently behind as he made his way to the side of the road, and then into the trees. Yasu Al came up from behind him, ducking under lowered branches (from the weight of water in cupped leaves) as she made her way a little off to the side of him, making her own path, her smile soft. It seemed that as they went further into trees, animals dispersed or disappeared, and any sort of berry bush had been torn away by the storm. Or perhaps bigger, hungrier animals had already gotten to them first.
Yasu continued further ahead of Taka only slightly, before she realized he had slowed, and had drawn his bow and an arrow, motioning for her to come to him. She hesitantly fingered her bow as she neared him once more, and leaned in to him to hear what he heard. ...Laughter? "Who could it be?" he whispered to her, "Everybody would be rebuilding now... any ideas?"
Yasu, interested, leaned even further in front of him, her hand pressed against the tree beside her. THe rough bark of the Spine Tree dug into her palm, but she ignored it as she spotted a strange sight. A boy. A girl. And a dog. All soaking. And the girl seemed to be..well, not irritated. But surely not happy to be in the state of dress she was in.
Yasu didn't answer Taka's question, because she never got the chance. When Taka spoke again, it was a warning, and Yasu Al had already spotted the threat. A bow and arrow. Those weapons are popular... she thought icily.
After his warning, she turned to look at him, her hair falling over her shoulder to her back as her gold eyes met his own, curious and a little worried. "I think," she whispered in return, "they were in the storm." Her eyes went back to the small troupe in front of them, concern now in her eyes instead of suspicion. "...I wonder..."
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Post by jialingjin on Jul 4, 2007 22:56:04 GMT -5
Of course. Fear the girl with the bow. Take no mind to the fact that Jialing couldn't hit the broad side of the SUN if it were three feet from her.Pfft. Moving on..
The woman stopped for a moment, dead in her tracks as she watched Reed do a series of backflips by her. Her amber eyes followed him with disdain, unimpressed with his little.. trick. She then scoffed, rolling her eyes. He was worse than Jin! Jin didn't roll around in the mud! The dog had sense enough after Jialing had spent hours trying to work the dried mud out of his long coat.
And now.. here was Reed.. rollin- .....A slap of mud hit her right under her cheek. The first.. of many. Specks of mud soared through the air to her, striking her from head to toe and covering her skin and clothing in a fine mist of mud. O M S! (Oh My Spirits! instead of Oh My God!) She was silent, as she seethed for a moment. Oh what would be funner..smacking Reed, kicking him in the nuts, or shooting him with arrows.
Jialing exhaled her breath deeply, recalling that infact.. she couldn't hit anything.. and went for option B. She turneed towards Reed and started to stomp towards him. With her hair widly flying about her face, she raised one hand, a finger DEFIANTLY pointing from her fist as she gestured and waved it around crazily.
"YOU ARE SUCH A NIMCOMPOOP! I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU! AFTER WE JUST GOT SOAKED?!?! C'MERE!"
Lunging at her companion, Jialing dropped her bow (Intending to pick it up after she taught him a lesson) and struck out with her long, lanky hands, trying to grab his arms. Her lips curled into a snarle
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Post by reed on Jul 15, 2007 23:19:02 GMT -5
'Aw cruds' Reed thought. She dropped the bow.. I'm in for it now! quick, figure out something to say before your finished!!! The young man thought/ told himself before letting out a nervous chuckle. "Oh, come' on Jia, it didn't hurt too much right?" The teenage boy quickly strambled through his brain to find yet another excuse to get him off the hook as Jialing grabbed his arms. "Oh! " And idea struck at the suddne moment," Well, Jia, think of it this way! You look the same way as you did before we got soaking wet-..Oh BAD!....." He again let out a nervous chuckle....Maybe insulting her in chance to get off the hook took a little turn around. "Well...the mud...matches...your eyes?"
Something caught Reed's eye as he looked around trying to find more blabbering nonsense....what was it.. . . .People?
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Post by taka on Jul 16, 2007 0:06:10 GMT -5
Well well, they were lively weren't they? And the fact that the woman had dropped her bow had just confirmed Yasu's apparent idea. She was always right.... how come he was never right? Taka sniffed in indignation. But alas, it didn't matter. He was suspicious after the battle because any farmer would know to stay indoors during such a storm... perhaps they were exceedingly stupid farmers? Or perhaps they weren't farmers at all. His brain simply hadn't worked fast enough to realize this. He sighed again. He was so stupid sometimes. He felt embarrassed.
Suddenly, the boy seemed to have seen him, and he quickly stuck his arrow back in his quiver, doing so behind the tree as not to be seen with it. He didn't want them mistaking HIM for a threat like he had them... foolishly. But if THEY were out in a storm, then they were VERY foolish, yes?
He smiled at Yasu. "I guess you were right. Silly me..." He chuckled, and came out from the trees. "Hello! Who's there?" he called out to the two.
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Post by yasu on Jul 16, 2007 9:34:43 GMT -5
Yasu had to cover her mouth with one hand when the woman threw down her weapons and yelled angrily at her companion. My, they're lively, Yasu couldn't help to think as a grin grew on her lips and she crouched with Taka, watching the two in dim amusement. Yasu was completely blind to her own companions misgivings on how wrong he had been before, instead, her eyes were glued to the duo in the path, where the man was no trying to make up for his own misgivings.
One thing he siad caught Yasu's ears, and she winced at it, feeling sorry for the man. "You look the same way as you did before we got soaking wet--" Yasu shook her head, eyes narrowing. He must be new at that sort of thing. Poor guy.
And suddenly the boy's eyes were on them, and Yasu stilled her movements, eyes wide. She noted how Taka quickly stowed his arrow, and Yasu copied his movements. And then Taka smiled at her, "I guess you were right. Silly me..." He chuckled, and Yasu smiled in return and stepped out as well when Taka did. Taka called out to the two, and Yasu stayed close by, eyes watching the pair as they came closer.
Finally, she stepped away from Taka and said, "Were you out in the storm?"
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Post by jialingjin on Jul 18, 2007 0:19:24 GMT -5
Jialing had her hands around Reed's neck, her fingers tightening slowly as she snarled, bearing her teeth much like Jin suddenly was. The dog, caked in mud and his golden hair tarnished stood firmly infront of the two, his head low. The hair along his neck and spine was raised, gums lifted and teeth barred.
His usually jovial, dark eyes sparkled with a rare feriocious that Jin rarely showed to anyone.
Jialing paused in mid strangle, hearing the woman's voice over her dog's growling. She whipped her head around, releasing Reed's neck though not without bright red handprints. Her hair flirted around her face, dancing with her high cheekbones as her mud-colored eyes looked over the man and woman emerging from the bushes. There was seemingly.. nothing strange to tell. But Jin.. was obviously upset.
Running a hand through the tangled MOUND of hair that seemingly held it's own ecosystem on her head, Jialing stepped forward, and shot a hand out infront of Jin's face, blocking his immediate view of the two strangers. "Back!" She commanded in her rough, smoker's tone of a voice, and Jin.. lowered his gums and took one step back. It was good enough for her.. at least he didn't try to rip off her hand that time.
His hair was still raised as his nose was busy working. Sniff.. Sniff..Sniff.. Purge. Sniff.. Sniff.. Purge. The woman smelled of.. fire. Of burnt wood.. of smoke.. Something the Dog had learned to associate with trouble.
Jialing stood infront of her dog, and crossed her arms across her mud-splattered chest, burying her hands under her elbows. Her arm-wraps, fresh thank to Reed's family.. were well on their way to looking hideous once again thanks to his mud-slinging. She stared down the two infront of her, her long nose crinkled as she frowned.
"...Yes... we were caught in the storm.."
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Post by jialingjin on Jul 22, 2007 12:28:22 GMT -5
((Raine gives permission to skip Reed))
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Post by yasu on Jul 27, 2007 19:29:02 GMT -5
Yasu Al jumped back as the dark, dark eyes flashing dangerously, lowered his head and growled. Yasu had never been very fond of dogs-- Wait, no, she's never been fond of virocious, man-eating dogs that growl at unsuspecting persons. This dog fit the bill. The woman finally seemed to see them and paused strangling the poor young man to look at them. Yasu, still slightly unnerved by the dog, stepped around Taka so she was slightly behind him. Nothing like a big strong boy to protect you...even though Yasu was completely capable of taking care of that dog on her own.
The woman blocked the dog's face with one hand, and yelled for the dog to get back. And the dog immediatly lowered himself, or at least, he stopped snarling. Yasu sighed thankfully and stepped from around Taka again. The dog was sniffing the air, and wondered what he scented.
The woman stepped in front of her dog, arms crossed, and she stared at them intensly. Yasu was confident she could do the same, so she also crossed her arms and stared the woman down, or tried to, at least...because, really, how intimidating is a fifteen year old girl?
"...Yes... we were caught in the storm.." she finally said.
Yasu nodded. "That's a shame. I'm sorry, that storm was pretty bad. Are you all alright? Are you tired, hungry?" she paused, glanced to Taka, and then looked back, "You aren't too far from Tachi Dai, but it got hit pretty bad, too."
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Post by jialingjin on Jul 30, 2007 0:41:53 GMT -5
"..We were heading to the Inn.." Jialing muttered, looking back at Reed who stood speechless.. like the idiot he was and covered in mud. She rolled her eyes, letting an exaggerated sigh pass from her lips as her speckled-face turned once more to Yasu. Jialing's eyes dropped along her figure, eyeing her clothing. This wasn't a simple Tachi Dai survivor.. No one in the decimated city would such.. nice clothes.. even if compared to the King's they were rags. The woman, Jialing, sneered.. her upper lip curling.
She decided to take a step or so closer to the strangers, her wild hair, unkept and greasy like a ball of.. greasy.. something.. bounced around her rectangular face which was smudged with mud and dirt.. made even worse as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. Which she then proceed to stick out and offer in the classic handshake gesture.
"Name is Xiang Jialing. The Idiot is Reed.. and the furball is Jin. He's harmless unless you're Fire Nation (and unwilling to pay me but we won't mention that..) or Earth Kingdom Fried Chicken-pig. "
Jin, Naturally.. despite having be shushed by Jialing.. lurked behind her, his head low and his eyes constantly on Yasu. His lips were even barred ever so slightly, the glint of white teeth barely visible every now and then. His tail might have been waging.. but it was all a feign.
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