Carousing in Gaoling <Gaoling, Earth Kingdom>

[nasrin]

Nasrin followed her plate with her gaze as the waiter approached the table. The moment it was placed down in front of her, the sandbender's expression shifted to one of mild disappointment. Her chicken wasn't purple...

Letting out a slight sigh, Nasrin assumed in her inebriated state that the chef must only have orange food coloring. She picked up a pair of chopsticks and began fumbling with them between her fingers while the others chattered about other things. Her motor skills were a little sluggish, but with a little concentration she managed to get them to work. Nasrin gripped one of them like a dagger and skewered several chunks of chicken at a time, making a more familiar shishkabob out of her platter of food.

Nasrin nibbled on her food and vaguely listened to the conversation going on between the others. In truth, she had no real intention of letting Tali tag along with them... assuming the original trio was even sticking together after this point. But even so, that was a topic for another time.

Talk later. Food now.

[manju]

Hers was the last plate served, but Manju didn't much mind. Nor was she paying that close of attention, laying back in her chair with her dirty feet on the table. When her plate was carefully slid in front of her, she peaked an eyebrow at the waiter. He clearly had his own opinions about the quartet, which were made obvious through his treatment alone. Still, even beside her filthy feet, she could see that her food looked no different than normal.

Staying in her position and exerting little effort, her hands still placed behind her head, she picked up one of the chopsticks beside her plate and jabbed it into one of the dumplings. Not quite feeling like moving from her place, she carefully balanced the slippery pork dumpling on the chopstick as she brought it to her mouth. Though it was quite a feat of flexibility, she remained nonchalant simply because she didn't care. Eating with her feet was something she'd done dozens, if not hundreds of times in her life, so there was little care that crossed her mind. Of course, in the Earth Kingdom, these were hardly proper table manners, so she happened to earn a stare or two...or more.

Chewing on the piping-hot pork dumpling, she wasn't amazed to taste only a little spice and a rather bland flavor. It was really to be expected, though. Few things in the Earth Kingdom had met with the same standard of pungency as her favorite Igni foods, but she had grown accustomed to it.

[tali]

self consciously the girl looked down popping another shrimp gyoza into her mouth, chewing it thoroughly she tried to ignore her own throbbing pride. Were the temples that elusive? She wanted to travel the world and see all of them, look for clues to their all but extinct culture. Never before had she stopped to think about it being impossible, rather it was a goal, something that if she worked hard on she could succeed. The northern southern and eastern were near the earth kingdom supposedly. Tracking them down seemed like no big deal. Then there was the western air temple, near the fire nation. She didn't know if any self-respecting earth ship would travel there. It seemed dangerous but all the more exciting.

Her brown eyes watched her plate as she ate another one, dipping it in sauce before putting it to her lips. Having her re-think things was never good, but then shaking her head she knew her mind was made up, there would be no chickening out on her end. " Well I'm going to the northern air temple, it's supposed to be somewhere near Ba Sing Se.... or Tachi dai..... well in that area. Thats where I'm headed tonight"

She nodded to finish her point, of course the trip would be long but she'd make it. She was strong and realitivly intelligent, nothing would hold her back, she promised herself that. Without even thinking about it too much her hand went to her old wooden necklace, her most prized possession, out shining even the blown glass and fade hair piece her father got her. It wasn't as valuable but this meant so much more to her than a pretty babble.

[mulaqi]

Muqali cracked open another crab leg as Tali talked, though more carefully this time. He had a feeling that the price on these things was somewhat of a rip-off. Sure, the meat was great, but there seemed entirely too little of the stuff. As for what Tali said, it gave him pause. She was planning to leave town tonight…perhaps that’s why she had befriended a group of obvious outsiders, for information or even protection. Well, more likely the former given what she’d done in the bar.

“Ba Sing Se’s a long way away,” he mused through a partially full mouth of crab. “Are you planning to walk all the way there by yourself?”

That would be quite the journey. It even made Muqali a little hesitant, and normally he was all for such excursions. Of course, this wasn’t him doing it, it was Tali. She certainly seemed capable, but she had said herself she’d never left her home town. Protection and guides would help. A northward path would take her through the desert. He probably needed to head back to the desert. He, Nasrin and Manju were currently out of a job, living on Manjus gems for who knows how much longer. At this point, an idea struck him.

He swallowed his crab and turned to the girl with a lopsided smile, “Ever consider hiring some protection?”

[nasrin]

Despite not being purple, Nasrin had to admit that the orange chicken wasn't too bad. It was more savory than the food she was used to. It seemed like everything in the Si Wong Desert, even the food, was dry as a bone. The sandbender gnawed on her kabob, taking occasional sips from a cup of water that the waiter had brought over earlier. She listened to the girl's lofty traveling plans with the faintest of interest, but at Muqali's mention of hiring some protection she turned a glance their way.

Nasrin chewed down her last mouthful of food and deposited the chopstick on her plate. Tilting her head back and extending her arms far out to the sides she let out a great yawn followed by a rather extensive stretch.

As she recoiled back into her former relaxed posture, the sandbender thought it ironic that Muqali would seem to be offering their services as bodyguards. After all, protecting travelers from the perils of the desert had been Nasrin's profession for many years now. She had just managed to get out of that business and now he wanted to get her back in?

She would have laughed if the others wouldn't have given her strange looks over the unexpected chuckle. Instead, Nasrin just remained silent and took a sip of her water, watching to see how the situation panned out. Whatever Muqali agreed, she was not heading back North again.

[manju]

Manju devoured her food quickly, leaving her the first to have eaten her entire meal. After the few minutes it took to eat every dumpling, she switched back to her uncouth position with her feet on the table. It brought her a modicum of surprise how no one thought twice before seeing her eat with her feet, but she soon realized her traveling companions were probably used to such nonsense. As for Tali, she was probably lost in Muqali's eyes.

Muqali's suggestion was odd, but Manju didn't really care. Sure, her gemstones were valuable, even more so than she knew, but it would still be nice to earn some extra money. Aside from that, it could lead to interesting circumstances on their travels, even if the girl was some sort of hardened criminal. In any case, Tali could possibly lead them on a path far different and much different than their current one. In fact, Manju wasn't even sure what would happen next.

Abandoning all uncertainty, she pounded her fist on the table. "Yes! We make some good bodyguards. Well, I do anyway."

[tali]

Tali was a little put off by the sudden burst of interest in traveling with her, first how would she be able to pay them? It wasn't as if she'd planned for this short of financial burden, hell she had to tell her parents to only allow her so much. She planned out her trip mentally and that didn't include other travelers , also the group seemed to be a little shakey. Not exactly the sort of people she imagined herself with, the taller woman was nice and so was the boy but... Her eyes cast a quick glance over at Manju and quietly she wondered if all fire nation citizens were like that. She'd finished her meal and placed her chop sticks on her plate sipping her tea quietly trying to ignore the trio of eves on her, it was a little un nerving.

" I don't really know, I mean it's a long way. And four people? It seems a bit much..." Her eyes fluttered awkwardly between the three faces, she was never good at saying no. When it came to this sort of thing she'd always had a hard time letting people down. Taking the final swig of tea she looked again at Muqali and sighed a bit, where had her convictions gone? Maybe it was the way the boy across from her smiled when the proposition came up. Shaking her head she smiled weakly. " No I'm sorry, I don't want to change your plans"

[mulaqi]

Muqali watched Tali hesitate and raised an eyebrow for a moment. He couldn’t quite place the reaction, but decided it didn’t really matter. He could understand why she would be apprehensive. After all, they were an odd group. An island girl that ate with her feet (you did get used to it eventually), an alcoholic and him. Well, he wasn’t too weird…was he? Either way, it was her decision. So, with a shrug, he turned back to his final bits of crab and started picking away at them.

“If you say so. I need to head in that direction eventually anyway, though. If I don’t head back eventually, my tribe might think I’m dead.” he let out a small laugh at the thought of his last remark, as it was probably a bit far fetched. “Well, I guess we gotta figure out what we’re going to do then, huh guys? Maybe…um…”

Leaning back in his chair, Muqali started to absentmindedly pick at his teeth as he thought about what they could do next if Tali was indeed rejecting his job offer. At this point, a thought occurred to him. The partnership between him, Manju and Nasrin had been one of convenience, and it might very well be ending here. True, they’d shared perils and adventures and gotten to know each other fairly well, but neither of them seemed the type to get particularly attached to others, at least that he’d seen. It was a shame, because he had actually grown a little fond of their company, but it seemed as though they would be parting ways soon. Still, he kept silent. He was going to wait and see what they did before he made a judgment call…

[nasrin]

Listening to the conversation, Nasrin wasn't surprised to hear the girl turn down Muqali's implied offer. Even she thought it was strange, having only met the girl perhaps a half hour ago. Then again, both she and the other Si Wong native were currently dependent on Manju for cash at the moment. And Manju, to be honest, was not exactly the picture of 'dependable.'

The sandbender drained the remaining water in her cup and scooped up a clump of rice from her bowl before deciding that the silence lingering after Muqali's words was an invitation for someone to say something. Nasrin chewed for a few seconds, gazing with half-lidded eyes between Manju and Muqali before deciding to speak.

"We need to find work," she stated, more than suggested. "Temporary or whatever, but I could use some money of my own. I don't feel like heading back to the desert yet..." Nasrin placed her hands on the edges of her seat and lifted herself up slightly, trying to shift her weight to a more comfortable position. "I was thinking of heading along the Southern coast," she continued after a moment, "Maybe see the ocean or something and then cut up North through the mountains to get to the desert."

[manju]

Now sitting like a civilized human being, Manju's honey-colored eyes flickered between her traveling companions as they spoke. She knew full well that the two sand nomads beside her were probably much more familiar with the land around them. In fact, the Igni was certain that Tali even knew the countryside better. The three likely knew the nearby sights to see, or at least knew of them, which is more than Manju could say. At this time, she figured she would give her input, but not question anyone's decisions. Despite her spontaneous nature, she was quite aware that others had better judgement than she at times.

But all the uncertainty was grating on her nerves. It was like the Si Wong natives were going around in circles before settling on a decision, and Manju was frankly getting bored with it. Resting her face on her hand, elbow planted firmly on the table, she kept looking around at her acquaintances. Waiting it out would be painful, but she finally made her own decision.

"Dunno, dun' care. Wake me when jou decide," she said, drooping her head onto the table and closing her eyes.

[tali]

Tali was pretty sure she wanted to get out of this conversation before she was dragged into something she didn't want to be in. The fire nation woman seemingly dropped on the table and it caused her to laugh slightly, they were a weird group. No doubt about that. Her eyes looked between the taller woman and the man with a bit of a smile. "thank you for having lunch with me, your welcome to stay at my house tonight, it's the dojo on the main street, you can't miss it. Tell my father that your my friends." Getting up she set a few coins on the table and then gave a smile to the server. He turned a slight shade of red and retreated into the kitchen. That was nothing new, he was such a shy boy.

With a wave to her companions she set off. Honestly she hoped they'd figure out something to do, it seemed like the boy was willing to go anywhere, the tall girl was set on south and the fire nation woman was more concerned over sleeping then discussing anything. Honestly she hoped to cross paths with them again... They were odd but they got her thinking, how long would it take for her to get to the air temple, and would she even find anything there? It bothered her, but luckily she didn't except to be sleeping tonight.

[mulaqi]

Muqali blinked after Tali as she suddenly got up and left. That was odd. Had he said something wrong? Actually, it was more likely that the group was behaving…well, not Earth Kingdom like. It was at this point he realized that people had indeed been staring at their table, and not just at Manju, but at him, too. Apparently, one did not break crab legs with a tonfa. Suddenly he felt very awkward, and a little stupid. He didn’t belong here. Even with these new Earth Kingdom clothes, he was Sand Nomad. He wasn’t Earth Kingdom, and everywhere he went in the Earth Kingdom he’d found trouble because of it. His face drooped a bit and he looked down at the floor. What was he doing here? He’d left to help those Earth Kingdom soldiers, and he’d done that. He couldn’t just neglect his tribe and go play around. Even as tempting as Nasrin’s offer to head south was, towards the ocean which he’d never seen before, he couldn’t accept it. Great men didn’t neglect their duty to others for selfish reasons.

With a sigh, he stood from his seat, “As much as I’d love to stick around, I think I need to head home. So, I guess this is where we part ways.”

With that, he stuck out a hand towards Manju, as she was the closest. Frankly, he wasn’t sure if Nasrin would bother to shake it if he offered it to her, anyway.

[manju]

Indeed was it strange, Tali leaving so quickly for little reason whatsoever. It was enough to make Manju raise both eyebrows and bear a puzzled expression. The sheer randomness of her departure rivaled Manju's own, or even that of a certain Tengu tribe member she met some time ago. But in spite of Tali's departure, another event caught Manju's attention. Leaning back in her seat with her hands on her bandana-covered head, the Igni noted Muqali standing to say his goodbyes. responding to his offered handshake, she looked him straight in the face while she stayed in her seat. "What, followin' Tali already?"

Then a grin happened across her face, dispeling any image of her prior notions. Sure, she wasn't keen of him leaving the small group, especially after all the good times they shared. Fondly she would remember all the times they traveled on the road, the Igni teasing Muqali while Nasrin lumbered a few feet behind. Good times. But as any Igni knew, all good things must come to and end. Though not enough to bring tears to her eye, Manju still knew the moment was poignant.

Then suddenly, she leapt from her seat and pounced at Muqali. Words were lighthearted when Manju said; "Gonna miss ya, jerk!"

[nasrin]

Nasrin watched Tali leave the bar suddenly, but did little more than follow the girl with her eyes. She was quite flightly it seemed, and the sandbender didn't have enough emotional attachment after one barfight to bother wishing her farwell. After all... the girl's entire presence among them had been unasked for. A tearful goodbye wasn't exactly mandatory.

However, it seemed like her departure had reminded Muqali of his own responsibilities. Nasrin still considered the man more of an acquaintence than a friend, considering the circumstances of their relationship and the short duration she'd known him. But still, seeing him preparing to leave created just the slightest sense of obligation. They were both desert nimads after all, and it had been nice having some one of similar upbrining around on these last few weeks of travel.

Manju was, for lack of better term... batsh*t crazy.

Without Muqali to siphon off her attention, Nasrin feared that she might be forced to drink herself into a coma to help deal with the younger Igni girl.

In any case, Nasrin managed to shake off the effects of her latest drinking binge long enough to rise from her seat. Despite a blood alcohol content that made her very breath flammable, she stood steadily enough and waited for Manju to finish molesting the Si Wong native.

Nasrin cleared her throat slightly and extended a hand toward Muqali. "Good luck," she said, not even bothering to really say 'good-bye,' "Stop by the Cairn in a few months. I'll probably be back by then, and I'll let you know what the beach is like." The sandbender offered the faintest hint of a smile, though her eyes still seemed somewhat heavy from the drinking.

[mulaqi]

Muqali grimaced a little at Manju’s initial comment, getting a little tired of this particular line of taunts, but before he could do anything further, he was pounced upon. Letting out a small cry of surprise, he stumbled backwards but retained his footing. He patted Manju on the head and started to pry her off of him with a lopsided grin.

“Likewise, nut-job, likewise,” he returned.

With the Igni finally dislodged, he found himself a little surprised to see Nasrin standing. He was even more surprised when she offered a hand to him, and then proceeded to give him what sounded like an actual farewell. He raised an eyebrow. Was she even smiling a little? He grinned. So, she could be cordial after all. Who would have guessed.

“I might just do that,” he told her, gripping her hand and giving it a firm shake. “Just try to stay sober enough to remember the good parts.”

Releasing Nasrins hand, he took a step back, turned around and headed for the door. Though he didn’t look back, he raised his right hand and gave a short wave just before he left the bar. It was the end to an interesting journey. Still, even as he walked the streets of Goaling, he realized he had another journey still ahead of him. The Oasis was almost directly to the north, if he recalled. It would take some time, but he was finally going to head home. Back to the blazing sun, the shifting sands and the howling winds of the Si Wong.

[Muqali has left the thread]