Scout

Avatar: The Price of Freedom

Siku smiled brightly, "Thank you, Asha," She said, leaving the room to prepare for the bath. Closing the door to the bathroom behind her, she shed her clothing and folded it neatly, setting it aside. It was unlikely that she would ever really get that smell out of them... A shame too, she really liked them. The girl looked around the room and found a towel, wrapping it around herself as she gave Asha and the water a few minutes to start heating before reaching out and dipping a toe in.

"Gah!" She exclaimed, keeping her voice low despite the shock. It was so cold - maybe Asha forgot or it was taking longer than usual. Siku hated to be impatient, but she really hated the feeling that those sewers gave her, so she took a deep breath and brought her hands together and low before swinging them out wide and up to her sides, releasing the breath. The water hissed as steam filled the room. A bit more motion and the steam thickened to a fog-like mist clouding the entire bath. Of course, that was only the surface of the water; the bender had to spend at least another minute focused on the entire bath to get it heated. This wasn't like firebending - water could be cooled in an instant, but heating it took time and concentration.

Finally, she felt comfortable enough to set the towel aside and lower herself gently into the bath, letting out a long sigh of relief as the water gradually engulfed her entire frame. She tipped her head back and gently submerged the rest of her body, spending a moment under the surface to ensure that her face and hair were soaked properly. This was paradise - she was so content that she hadn't even heard the knock at the door at the front of the shack.

-----

Hiresh stared daggers into the door as Katsu answered it, but the face on the other side was an unfamiliar one to him. The White Lotus might be an official organization, but that didn't mean they broadcast all of their information to everybody. The earthbender only relaxed when Katsu displayed at least a modicum of trust for the man. Yakedo... Where had he heard that name before..?

Hideki, on the other hand, watched Katsu's apprehensive approach, allowing the boy all the time he needed. Of course, he lowered himself to a knee and offered his hand to Koinu, giving the small Sabre Fox a chance to recognize his scent. When Katsu finally agreed to join him, Yakedo smiled and gave him a small bow, "Thank you. I promise no harm will come to your friends here. I only know of your arrival because... Well, secrets of the trade." The Lotus teased, though it was hardly a secret... Obviously, somebody on the island had told him. Nobody would be caught being the one who didn't inform the Grand Lotus on any news they had.

Once he and Katsu were taking their stroll, leaving the shack behind them, Hideki took a few moments to collect his thoughts before looking down to his young trainee. "You left without finishing your training with me," He observed rhetorically. "Was my teaching style not to your liking?" The discussion was more of a pleasantry, but one that he wished to have nonetheless. "I know I'm a bit stern, but firebending is an art that we cannot take lightly..."

-----

Again, Hiresh let out a slightly irritated sigh, watching as the door shut. If that guy took off with Katsu, he could kiss being a cop goodbye... Forever. Looking over to Asha, he shrugged, clearing his throat a bit awkwardly. "So... Airbending..." He observed with a nod, "Cool..." There was a brief, but incredibly awkward pause which followed as he scratched his neck, "You can handle yourself in a fight, I noticed. How far along are you in your training, then?"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith

I've got an Ydra for myself that I'll be posting as soon as we're ready to give more info.

As a side note! Once we have more information posted for you guys, we'd love to have some suggestions/proposals for the bestiary, the map/cities all over Adelon, and even races. But they have to be cleared/tweaked before they can be made into characters. Some might not fit at all and if an idea or proposal is rejected, we only ask that you don't take it personally, we just want the world to be cohesive! :)

Far From Home [ Scout & Vena Sera ]

Alphard was just pulling Yari off-scene when a fist came in from the side and landed square into Doku's chin. "Back the fuck off, cretin!" The blond-haired boy shouted, fists trembling now at his sides. Fitch stood in the middle of the tavern fuming, the scene garnering attention now as the door was open and other patrons began clambering around them. The table of adventurers was given a wide berth, but the throngs of people made any kind of attempt to get away more difficult. The sword & shield user looked around to all of his "friends" and his lip curled back with a little bit of contempt.

Luna had only just arrived, but he hadn't seen her in days, come to think of it. His eyes fixed on Titus, a new face, for only a moment. They then rested on Suto, "What are you doing out here? Why's she with you and, Suto I swear, you'd better tell me she's not drunk." His palm slammed into the table, making a loud clatter as a mug or two fell off, hit the floor, and shattered before dissipating. Every part of his body was visibly trembling, feelings of betrayal clear on his face.

-----

Everything was kind of blurry around her, but there was mention of getting into pants and other antics... Yari looked around in confusion with a scowl. "H-hey, where do you think you're taking me?" She asked, wrenching her hand clumsily from Alphard's grip and stumbling back toward the table, her momentum carrying her until she fell into it. The girl had to brace herself on the edge to remain standing as she shook her head, "Stop! All of you, stop telling me what to do!" The fresh rounds on the table weren't long for this world as she reached for one, lifted it a bit too quickly, and ended up just dropping it before she could take a sip. She wanted to forget this stupid day - why couldn't she remember anything that they said?

"S-shtop following me... everywhere!" She said as Fitch dramatically came on scene.

-----

Titus rose from his seat and took a few steps back as the scene grew a bit more intense and, honestly, intimate for his tastes. Everything happened so quickly that when Fitch stepped into the picture, he was just about ready to leave. This didn't involve him, but the groups of people were so thick... He turned and cleared his throat, "'Scuse me," He said a bit autoritatively. A couple of players moved and Titus gave Suto and Nero a wave, "I'll see you guys around, alright? I don't wanna get too involved, but let me know if you need anything..." Thank God, he thought to himself, finally getting out of the tavern himself.

-----

The hair on the back Nero's neck stood up. Something was coming... something bad... Just then, after Kenshin and Alphard appeared and tried to wrangle the situation themselves, Luna smacked the table indignantly. He cringed. Oh god, oh god, oh god... Get him out of here... Too many people, too many feelings from all of them, he didn't know exactly how to deal with it. When Doku reeled from Fitch's strike, Nero looked over and scooted his chair back, pulling his own non-alcoholic drink off the table to prevent it from falling off. He leaned the chair back and threw his feet up on the table, watching over the brim of the glass apprehensively. Don't notice me, don't notice me, don't notice me... His mantra repeated over and over again as he watched Luna and Fitch for their next moves, hoping to god that Kenshin didn't overreact and get involved like Fitch already was.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith

Interested!

@clericbeast

Good to hear!

Adelon: Steeling the Faith

Just chiming in as official Co-GM. Heya, folks!

In the Rough

Sienna sheathed her machete on her back and pulled the defender from her thigh, checking to ensure it had a full count of cells. She'd have to use them sparingly, still - they took her refills. Even as they walked together, the wastelander could feel distrusting eyes on her back, but had little fear of it. This girl didn't show even an ounce of defiance against her capture, what made her think she could pull that trigger were she to have a blade to her throat now?

It took probably twenty minutes before the small shack came into view. It was patched up by scrap metal and bits of wood, a worn sign over it used to read Breyman's Petting Zoo. But years of dust storms and difficult weather tore up the fence posts and made a mess of the place. Senna had spent a couple of weeks cleaning it up and clearing out the tiny building which was once the registration office. Her cot was behind the counter and as they opened the door, several cans clattered on strings. She didn't always stay here, but it was her go-to place when she spent a while in the wasteland. It probably wouldn't be long before it was found by somebody else and either adopted or used against her as a trap, but for now it was their best option.

Most of the shelves were clear and Sienna got right to work as she stepped behind the counter, shuffling her cot out of the way. "I think this was the registration office for whatever this place was before the bombs dropped and it was abandoned. I found a bunch of old yellow-y papers with names and signatures... They were labeled 'waiver' at the top... Some were, anyway. Been using those for fires; they had a ton of them. But here, you'll want... these first," She explained, pulling a couple of blankets out and placing them on top with a pillow. "There ya go - it'll get cold out here, so you'll wanna be bundled up pretty quickly." Sienna pulled one of the blankets off of her own cot and then wrapped it over her shoulders, hopping up on the counter and turning to face Zoe, pulling one foot to her chest while the other dangled over the edge.

"I'll start up a fire soon... We don't want to rush that, because it'll turn to embers quickly and to be honest I only have so much fuel for it, so we'll wait for a bit more cold to set in... Otherwise, make yourself at home. Sorry I've only one cot... I don't typically have visitors, but you can use anything you find or... whatever," She placed her defender beside her on the counter to show she had no malicious intent, her eyes on the sound-trapped door. Completely ignoring the subject of the two men that were captured with them, as Zoe would ask should she like elaboration on that, Sienna moved on to the obvious question.

"You're pretty new to the wasteland thing, huh? I'm Sienna - from Sydney, a ways east. Not an easy life, but a more comfortable one than most. What about you?" She asked curiously, green eyes intently studying Zoe.

Digital or Real?

Really? It's all over the internet. That's kinda what the internet is *for.*

Avatar: The Price of Freedom

Hiresh scowled, shaking his head. Don't talk to me like I'm stupid - I'm just doing my job. I'd have advised against it anyway... But he kept his mouth shut and continued tagging along, keeping himself ready for another attack. Seemed like those guys might still be regrouping and getting back on the prowl. Even on the boat, Hiresh had to keep alert.

Siku blinked and shook her head, "I... Can't say that I have, Katsu. But..." She shrugged and followed his gaze out to the water, "I mean... All things considered - are you ever in real danger? I might have made fun of you, but you're a really good fighter and you managed to hide for a long time... You even told me you liked how you were living, right? So... I think you could find something like that again. You're adaptable, it's a good trait to have. I'm not," She said with a small laugh, "I know water is supposed to be the element of change, but... God if something breaks from the norm, I have a lot more difficulty taking care of it than I like to admit..."

Finally, she nodded and sighed, "Just because you don't assign them meaning, doesn't mean they're empty," Siku said softly, pushing off of the railing and finding her own place on the boat to wait. Finally, they were on the island and Asha led them to a small hut where they were going to be staying.

Siku looked to the small Airbender and around the room, "Hey, Asha - for those of us actually allowed to be out and about, is there a bath somewhere? In the hut or outside... I could really use a wash and a change of clothes," She confessed, looking herself over with a frown, Papa's gonna kill me...

-----

Nothing got by Hideki tonight. No, he'd been in Republic City for weeks now; the other Grandmasters of the Lotus had all agreed that, despite his opposition, they would move to retrieve Katsu and safely return him to the compound. It was time for his training to resume, he'd had his fun and Yakedo had been putting it off long enough. They knew he was safe, they could get to him, but the Grand Lotus continued to encourage him living a life of his own choice, learning his own path. Their biggest argument against him was Katsu's turn to thievery - it wasn't fair. After such a sheltered life, of course he turned to debauchery and mischief. Katsu never stole something beyond a petty little trinket and he was just rebelling. There was no harm in it, really. The operation was tonight and the Lotus had eyes everywhere. The problem? Hideki didn't trust a majority of his agents.

The Grand Lotus was not a part of the operation itself, but he was in Republic City to oversee the immediate events. For about two weeks, he'd been here, keeping his eyes peeled for anything he could. But on Air Temple Island, he had his own connections - both White Lotus "auxiliary" agents and old friends - which he needed to touch base with. The news reached him in minutes - one of the members of the squad who'd been turned on in apprehending Katsu got to the island quickly. He was an airbender, which lent itself to his speedy arrival. Hideki took the news is stride; he was prepared, this was why he was here. In that precise moment, he decided it was time for the Lotus to dissolve and would be doing so in the coming weeks. Now, however, he had to take care of Katsu. The next news came from Bo, not more than an hour later, to tell them that he'd just transported several newcomers across the water to the island - one of them matching Katsu's description. One of the nomads spoke up next, having recognized Asha's description, he told the Grand Lotus exactly where he figured she would take them.

The small band of "fugitives" weren't hard to find. Hideki strode down the small path leading to the hut with conviction. Arriving at the door, he lifted a hand and knocked thrice, "Katsu, it's Master Yakedo. I think we need to talk..." He said, confident that Katsu would recognize his voice in the same moment and if not, he'd see him when the door opened. "Without your friends, please? Take a walk?"

Avatar: The Price of Freedom

Name: Grand Lotus Hideki Yakedo

Gender: Male

Age: 54

Element: Fire

Appearance:



Background: Grand Lotus Yakedo is the head of the White Lotus organization. He was a part of the group from a very young age; his father was an agent who gave his life in the line of duty for the previous Avatar from the Earth Kingdom. Having grown up in the society made becoming an official member rather easy. Of course, he set his goals much higher. While he loved the group, he saw countless flaws with how institutionalized it was; the White Lotus was an "official" faction nowadays, but he knew that in history they were once a secret society which protected the balance of the world alongside the Avatar, they weren't guards for the Avatar. Hideki did not make it his life's goal to become the leader of the Lotus, he wanted to change it - to get it back to its roots before somebody turned its tides against their charge. The Avatar should be in charge of their own training, watched over and supervised by the sages and elders of each kingdom. No government, no politics, and no full-time protection. The Avatars of old were so great because of the trials and tribulations they faced in their travels - an Avatar couldn't be trained, they had to be grown. Now, his worst nightmare has come to pass: even as he tries to pull the White Lotus out of the Avatar's life (hence why Katsu was able to avoid them for so long), there were double agents and infiltrators in his midst who meant to bring the boy harm.

Far From Home [ Scout & Vena Sera ]

Posted, though I'm less than impressed by it. Obviously, the two mentioned toward the end are Kenshin and Alphard. Uh... Don't think I'm missing anything else though.