[sup]A collab with [@Treue][/sup]
[hr]
[center][h1][color=gold]AKANE[/color]
and
[Color=a0410d]JENU[/color][/h1][/center]
Akane stumbled out of the bar, back into the brightly lit streets of Ba Sing Se. She squinted her eyes while they adjusted to the new light, having become accustomed to the darkness while she was busy consuming her drink. [Color=gold]"What do y-HIC-you think, Ryuu? Where could the Avatar be..."[/color] The alcohol had worked its way into her bloodstream by now, and Akane was feeling the results. Her balance was off, and her vision had become somewhat disoriented. Without waiting for a response from her pet tigermonkey however, Akane took a right from the door and began walking down the street.

Due to her innebriation, Akane failed to realize the small group of men that had formed behind her, and that was now following her. Instead she happily and drunkenly made her way down the street, coins jingling in their small purse. It wasn't long after this group formed however that one of them ran up from behind and gave her a shove into an alleyway, nearly toppling her. Akane bounced off the wall of a building and remained on her feet, looking to see where the push had come from. Entering the alley was the group of men, around four by what she could tell.  [Color=gold]"C'mon guys,"[/color] she spoke as she walked backwards away from them, [color=gold]"we can work this out, can't we?"[/color]

Jenu had been watching this scene intently, seated right at the alley's opening, allowing him to look down the street and spot the obviously intoxicated girl stumble her way down the street. With a tap on his shoulder, he collected the sugar glider in his hood and stood quickly, utilizing the aid of his bending to avoid wasting time. He stretched his shoulders and approached a corner, peeking around it and continuing to watch.

The girl had seemingly attracted a small crew of gangsters, obviously looking for some easy money from someone who couldn't defend themselves. Jenu knew he wasn't supposed to be so easily distracted, but he managed to keep doing so, and to be fair, helping her could earn him a little extra coin himself. Light on his feet, he crossed the distance quickly and followed the men closely. A few moments later and they shoved the girl into an alleyway. Jenu gripped onto his dagger, hoping that it wouldn't have to come to that. With a sigh, he finally spoke, seemingly appearing right behind them. [Color=a0410d]"How cowardly, mugging someone who can't defend themselves,"[/color] he spoke in a quiet monotone.[color=a0410d]"You will stop this nonsense, immediately."[/color]

As she backpedaled, Akane noticed another man come around the corner into the alley. [I][color=gold]Oh come on, not more of them...[/color][/I] she thought. That was until he started speaking. It seemed to her that, for the time being at least, this new person was on her side. A smile crossed her lips, andshe closed her eyes. She wasn't sure if it was because of her intoxication or not, but laughter bubbled up from inside her, causing a deep chuckle. [Color=gold]"I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm defenseless there mister, but thank you for stepping in anyway. As for you all, I guess what happens now is up to you."[/color] The thugs looked at each other for a brief moment, before the front two ran at Akane.

[Color=gold]"Your choice..."[/color] The words fell heavily from her mouth. After speaking them Akane took a deep breath. She followed this by bracing her legs outward and bringing her arms behind her, then lurched her head forward as she exhaled, a gout of fire erupting from her maw which hurtled toward the men rushing towards her. At this point Akane couldn't see past her own fire, but she could smell the alcohol from her drink. This pleased her.

Jenu sighed as the four men split up to target both him and the girl. He took a deep breath and shifted his feet onto their toes, bending his knees slightly and placing his hands behind his back, held together. One of the men chuckled at his appearence. "Look at this guy, thinks he's an Air Nomad or something!" he and his partner guffawed as they approached, drawing weapons and taking what Jenu assumed could be considered fighting stances, he wasn't exactly certain, they looked off balance and unsure of their footing.

They stared at each other for quite some time, the men's smiles slowly dimming as Jenu stared silently behind his mask. Finally one of them charged him, swinging a short blade wildly. Jenu shifted rightwards, easily dodging the first blow, then ducked his way under the second, placing a hand on the man's shoulder, he vaulted himself over and landed on the ground behind him, following by kicking him in the back. Jenu again retook his neutral position and prepared himself. The man grimaced and rubbed his back, approaching angrier than ever. Jenu looked over at the girl, who had seemingly produced a jet of flame from her mouth. [i]A fire bender?[/i] he asked himelf. [i]What is she doing in Ba Sing Se?[/i]

As she ran out of air in her lungs, Akane's flames came to an end. As they burned away and her visibility returned, Akane noticed the two men on the ground, their clothes burning apart. They were still alive, as she hadn't been trying to kill them. They most likely hit the ground and stayed under her flames after the initial burst, though that was sufficient for Akane. The way she figured things, they'd be too frightened after nearly being burned alive to get back up and fight. This only left the other two, though by the look of things they were occupied with the man in some kind of mask who had stepped in to help her out.

Akane began walking towards the man despite him still dealing with the thugs. She gave the two on the ground a swift kick each to their ribs, spitting on the ground next to them. [Color=gold]"Maybe if you didn't mess around with fire you wouldn't get burned."[/color] Her tone was snarky as she uttered the words, and a soft chuckle escaped her lips after about her little pun. She debated on whether or not to unfurl her urumi, but decided not to given the level of skill and concentration required, mixed with her drunkenness. Instead she readied herself for a bit more bending, though she doubted she would need it seeing as the man seemed able to deal with the thugs.

Jenu, now surrounded by the two men, continued moving in wide, deliberate motions, breathing deeply all the while. The one who he had attacked before seemed far more hesitant to charge now, simply standing in his "fighting pose". The one who he hadn't attacked, now in front of him, noticed the fact that the girl had managed to dispose of their comrades, shooting his eyes between her and Jenu, he decided to turn and charge her. Jenu shot forth, slightly adding to his speed with his bending. With a quick motion, he grabbed the man's head in his left hand. [color=a0410d]"You're fighting me, not her,"[/color] he said, almost like a parent lecturing a child. Through vibrations in the air, he was able to notice the thug behind him approaching, and with a swift kick he knocked the man's weapon aside.

Placing his leg down with a stomp, he pulled the man towards his right hand side with surprising strength, and smashed the man's head against the wall of the closest building. He let go, and kicked the man in the spine for good measure. As he tumbled to the ground, Jenu lifted his foot and stomped the back of the man's head, driving him face-first into the ground. That should have been more than enough to knock him out cold, he was probably going to be feeling that when he awoke. The last remaining thug stared wide-eyed, his body slightly shaking as he did. Jenu turned his gaze upon the man, foot still firmly placed on his comrade's head. 

The man gave a yelp and turned to run, to which Jenu turned down his head, clicking his tongue off the top of his mouth in disapproval. Drawing a knife from his belt, he tossed it over the man's head, sending it sailing in front of him. Suddenly it halted in mid air right in front of the man, and with a pull of his arm, Jenu drove the blade's hilt directly into the man's nose, sending him sliding back towards him. Jenu caught the blade in his hand as it sailed by, and with a final spin, he kicked the man across the face, leaving him unconscious as well. Finally finished, he turned his gaze upon the girl, staring at her behind his mask, waiting to see what she did.

Akane was about to deal with the man that turned toward her as well, when the man in the mask dashed forward and grabbed him. She watched, fairly amused, as he handled them. It was almost like a play put on for her amusement. [Color=gold]"My first day here, and so eventful already. I wonder if it's always like this here in Ba Sing Se..."[/color] She contemplated this aloud as she stared, the thugs clearly getting their asses handed to them. It wasn't long before one was downed, and shortly after the other ran to try getting away, only to be thwarted by something the man threw at him. In her stupor Akane barely had enough concentration to perform the bending she had, nevermind keep up with projectiles. Instead she was happy that her attackers had been dealt with. 

After it was all said and done, Akane began walking up to the man in the wooden mask. She extended her right arm and opened her hand in preparation to shake his hand in thanks for his help.[color=gold] "I don't know where you came from,"[/color] she spoke as she approached him, [color=gold]"but I'm glad you showed up. Definitely made things easier than they would have been. I'd like to know how I can make it up to you, if that's alright."[/color] By this time she was right in front of him, guard down, smiling as if he was a friend she had known for life.

Jenu stared oddly at Akane's extended arm, seemingly confused, before awkwardly taking it in his own and shaking it softly and robotically. He pushed his mask into his face and lowered his arm once more. [color=a0410d]"If you could provide me with some money in exchange it would be much appreciated,"[/color] he stated simply. He looked back upon the sprawled muggers. [color=a0410d]"If you wanted me to kill them I could do so for a little extra."[/color]

His blunt statement was punctuated by his knife dancing from its hilt and hanging in the air in front of him, allowing him to grab it and spin it in his hand. [color=a0410d]"Your choice,"[/color] he offered while continuing to play with his weapon.

She released his hand, still smiling, and brought her back down to her side. [Color=gold]"That's fine, if I wanted them dead I could finish them off myself. In any case, I've got a good bit of coin on me."[/color] She reached into the coinpurse and felt around, gathering a few silver pieces. Once she had retrieved them she tossed the three coins toward the man. [Color=gold]"Hopefully that'll suffice. In any case, I gotta go. Got someone important I'm trying to meet. See you around, mask-y."[/color] Akane laughed as she moved past the man, back out into the street, where she took off in a slightly unstable jog.

Jenu easily caught the coins in his right hand, pocketing them soon after in a swift motion. He nodded as the girl finished up, calling him "masky", to which Jenu had to tilt his head slightly. As she jog-stumbled away, Jenu freed his new pet from under his hood and ran a finger along its back. The money was nice, but he couldn't help but feel a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, almost like he had enjoyed doing that. That clearly wasn't the answer though, it had to be something else. With a final exhale, he placed the small creature back in his hood and walked back into the street.