The Kraken

Sacred World (Engel x The Kraken)

Kasai nodded and shrugged, "I doubt that, she cares about you. I'm sure she knows you care about her too. She'll get over it when we get them out of there." She watched while Avani used her bending to create another shelter from the earth. As she crawled into the shelter, Kasai moved to go in after her, but stepped back when Avani crawled back out and created another shelter of her own. "Right, thanks." She started to walk over to the other shelter, but she stopped short and turned back around. "Hang on," She moved back over to Avani's shelter and stood for a moment, trying to get a feel for the temperature outside. They were surely both warm because of their time spend walking, the blood pumping fast enough to keep them warm. However, Kasai figured as soon as they stopped moving the chilly air would move in and cause some shivers. "Here, this might help with the cold." Flames dance from her hands towards the shelter, heating the rock enough so that the residual heat would radiate and keep the inside of the shelter warm. "Though, sleeping with a firebender would keep you warmer." She smiled shortly and then walked over to her own shelter, doing the same to it before making her way inside. She cleared the small space of any sticks or stray rocks that would jab her, and then she lay down. Her body was exhausted, but her mind had not quite caught up with her physical tiredness. She stared up through one of the small holes in the shelter at the trees and pieces of the spirit sky that she could see. Swirling shades of purple melded with the deep blue of the night sky, and several moons could be seen as they slowly made their orbit. Kasai sighed and thought about all that had happened in that short day. She had been given a mission, excited to take it on with her two best friends. But now, one of them was gone. And the other... well at least there was hope for him. Her eyes finally fluttered shut and sleep met her weary mind. The rising sun peeked through the holes of the shelter and for the first time since they arrived in the spirit world, the sounds of rustling spirits filled the air of the forest. Kasai groggily opened her eyes and then stretched, looking around to remember where she was. She sat up and yawned, but realized she couldn't leave her shelter because, well... she was not an earthbender. Instead, she allowed herself to wake up, rummaging through her bag and finding enough food to serve up for breakfast. She used her bending to heat it up, and hoped that the smell of cooked meat would wake Avani so that she could exit the shelter.

Sacred World (Engel x The Kraken)

One minute they were bickering, and the next they were standing close enough that Kasai could see Avani's pulse beating on her neck. The flame in her hand lit up the space between them and cast an orange glow over their faces and contributed to the ambiance, which Kasai tried to her damnedest to ignore. She swallowed the lump in her throat whenever Avani's hand touched her face, brushing her hair away while their eyes remained locked in a gaze. What was it about this girl? Kasai didn't know why she allowed her to get so close to her, to touch her and hold her within a breath's distance. She was annoying and childish and immature, and yet Kasai found her intriguing and tempting. She followed Avani's hand with her gaze as it moved from cheek to neck to chest. Goosebumps ran down her spine and she looked back at Avani as the woman's face grew ever closer to hers. She ignored the part of her brain that told her to move away and instead gave in to the part that told her to press closer, for whatever reason. She closed her eyes and met Avani's lips. That is, until a strange and alarming voice was heard from the side. Kasai's eyes opened wide and she moved her head back and turned it around looking for the source of the voice. When her head was turned, Avani pushed Kasai and sent her stumbling backwards a few steps. When Avani pointed at her, she threw her hands up in innocence, just like all those suspect had when she had yelled at them to put their hands up. "I, uh..." Kasai clenched her jaw and stood there awkward and stiff, left again in an uncomfortable position as Avani spoke to the transparent image of her airbender friend. She looked on and listened while they spoke, then blushed when Mio accused them and Avani called Kasai pretty in the light. She cleared her throat looked at her feet. Then the airbender started to describe where she was and the surrounding area, and Kasai looked up with eager eyes at the sound of the word "we". She took a step forward from where she had been standing and raised a hand to try and catch the fleeting image of Mio. "Wait, 'we'? Is Kieron there with you? Is he-" the projection of the young woman faded away and Kasai was left without answers. She had to assume the best, that he was there and alive and that he could be saved. She sighed, knowing she wouldn't know his fate until they got to where they were going. Kasai put the map up and grabbed the pack again, slinging it over her shoulder. She walked up next to Avani and nodded, "I think we should move on too. The closer we get, the better chance we have of saving them." She tried to smile, but she could tell it was halfhearted. So instead, she bit her bottom lip and looked down at the ground as they started to walk again. "So uh..." she rubbed the back of her neck and laughed a bit out of nervousness, she didn't really know how to respond or react to the events that were occurring between them, or even if she should. "I came on to you, huh?" she laughed a bit again and then cleared her throat, "Looked to me like you came towards me." Kasai smiled a bit but she was still unsure if Avani was going to rebuttal with a smart ass, rude comment or with some sarcastic joke. "Tell ya what, if we ever do get back to Republic City, we have us a little wager or contest, and loser buys the other dinner?" They kept walking for a few more hours, but even Kasai was growing weaker at this point. She stopped and dropped the bag to the ground. "I think now we should probably rest. We won't be any good to them if we can't even defend ourselves, let alone get them out of there. There's just a few hours now until daybreak, at least I think." She realized the spirit world was something totally different from their own. "We can get a move on again at dawn."

The Circus At The End Of The World (Engel X The Kraken)

Kathryn stared blankly at her friend, she understood her unconditional love for her creatures, but she was a bit too... overjoyed with the fact that she literally heard animals talk. Not to mention she roared as if a tigress was trapped within her diaphragm and had been unleashed unto the sound waves. "Wonderful...? Perhaps." She smiled a bit and shrugged her shoulders, "But I think bizarre was the word I was looking for." She laughed a bit, unable to squander her best friends happiness, although the source of the euphoria was something quite peculiar. Elijah was also donning a small smile, trying to suppress the panic that was threatening to erupt from the inside out and consume him into madness. Although he hid it well, he was quite frightened over the whole incident. He couldn't help but think something was going on behind the scenes, some outside force affecting the show and those in it. His train of thought was interrupted though when Elena stepped out to do her act. Just as they had all the others, Kate and Eli watched their ring master during her act as she closed off their show. The first thing that Eli noticed was that Elena now carried herself with a different air about her, one that seemed more determined and mighty than usual. He found that strange, although she usually held a power of authority and confidence. Kate looked on with her two friends, looking on out to the main ring and expecting a routine that was similar to all the ones she had seen before. Elena was quite the magician, very good at illusions and tricks. But of course, they were all just that: tricks. That is, until their leader began to do extraordinary things. This act was unlike any other she had done before. Kate's jaw hung open in awe and she looked to Claire, "I've never seen her do such things. This is incredible." She and her friends continued watching. It was no surprise that Elena was able to pull off such feats, it was just quite the change from her regular performance. When it came time for the last act, two young men who worked odd jobs around the circus were called out to assist in a feat. "Oh, this must be that trick where she pretends to cut them in half and then-" Elijah's words were cut off as the first boy began to scream in pain, blood pooling around his feet. Kate gasped and put a hand over her mouth, the blood seemed so real. "Th-that must just be a balloon of fake bl-blood..." Eli stuttered as Elena moved to the second boy and did the same. As the boxes floated around, it made him dizzy in combination with the blood. When the boxes arrived in the wrong pairs, each held their breath for just a moment. Kate had to look away after the first boy fell limp and the second ran away with terror in his eyes. Her heart was thumping against her chest, but her attention was drawn back to the ring when she heard a frightening tone coming from Elena as she began to chant. Another terrifying illusion out of the way and the show was over. When the three walked out together to join hands and take a bow, the tension could be felt in not only Kate's but Elijah's body, though they each held their posture to hide it. They each tentatively bowed, did their send-off tricks, and then took their leave. Kate walked backstage, seeing that her friends were in tow. When she reached an area outside of the tent and checked to make sure there was no one within ear shot, she looked at Claire and Elijah. "What the hell was that?" Her face showed her distress and concern, maybe she was over reacting, but she felt like it was all too convenient to just be a coincidence.

Sacred World (Engel x The Kraken)

Kasai had a smug look on her face while Avani attempted to defend herself, all the while walking carefully through the forest and attempting to catch a glimpse of the sky, hoping that she could garner any indication that they were in fact heading the right way. Avani was right about the map, it was a surprise when she found it. But, Kasai trusted that the local government had done so much as to at least preview the spirit world during the time it was peaceful and open to exploration. Surely they wouldn't send them in here blindly? Well, they had this time. She continued leading the pair until they came to a small clearing, where she pulled the map back out to make sure they were still on course. It was difficult to navigate in this world, traditional methods of direction weren't as trustworthy. She looked over her shoulder and caught Avani's stare rising from a lower target to meet her eyes. Kasai rolled her eyes and folded the map back up. When Avani finally spoke up again, Kasai's face turned hot again. She didn't turn around, for fear of showing her embarrassment to someone who would use it against her in every way possible. She had never considered such things with a woman before, but as she thought about it again it didn't make her regret anything. That is, other than the fact that the person it was with would never let her live it down. Ever. "You know," she said after calming down a bit and easing her mind on the subject, "who says I care about anyone finding out? Beauty comes in different forms, right?" She immediately regretted her words as she realized she may have inadvertently called Avani beautiful, even with the sass in her tone, so she quickly thought of something else to tack on to her statement, "That is, if there is a brain to accompany it." Kasai swallowed and continued walking, the sun, or suns rather, were beginning to set there in the spirit realm, and the light was beginning to fade. Kasai waited until a suitable spot was found to stop so that they could assess their options on whether to press forward or not. She rolled her eyes again and sighed in annoyance as Avani had to pause to release the laughter that was erupting after her self-humoring monologue. "Don't you think maybe you should buy me dinner first?" She smirked and pulled the map from the pack, opening it up and laying it on a stump so that she could use her hands for reference points. She pointed to approximately where they were, and then where they needed to be. "We've still got a ways to go. If you need to take a break from hobbling then we can rest here for the night. Or, if you want to press on..." She snapped her fingers and a flame appeared, lighting up the space between them, "We have light." Kasai grinned but then flattened her expression when she remembered the last comment thrown at her, which stung her pride a bit, even if it did come from Avani. "Anyways, bottom line: rest or keep moving?" The red flame caught her eye and melded perfectly with her expression and complexion. Funny how the fire burned both on the inside, and the outside.

Sacred World (Engel x The Kraken)

Kasai had started to open her mouth to say more to Avani about how she needed to stop acting childish and quit being so bipolar with her actions, but before she could even finish the thought process, she felt Avani grab the back of her head and pull her the short distance forward until their lips pressed together in a powerful motion. Kasai's eyes grew wide and she stood there, stiffened and in shock at what was taking place. Yet still, she did not move away. There was something about it that was as electrifying as it was terrifying. But Kasai didn't know how to react other than to stand there awkwardly as she tried to snap out of her phase. At the last second, she allowed her body to relax, letting the tension drain away. When Avani pulled away, Kasai was left with a dumbfounded expression on her face, but she looked up at her with the same fire in her eyes that had been there before. However, this time it was there for a different reason. "I, uh, I didn't, uh-" she was lost for words, and her face felt hot with embarrassment. Her misery was soon terminated when she was kissed again, but her reaction was calmer this time. She didn't stiffen at Avani's touch, but instead she felt herself press closer. Thoughts raced through her head though. Five minutes ago this woman was sassing Kasai and blaming her for the death of her friends, but then what prompted this? And why did it excite Kasai instead of repulse her? She had never thought of such actions with a woman before, but now she was embracing it. Avani pulled away and turned her back, rambling on again about Kasai's status as a cop. "I didn't do it for a reward, that's not why I'm here." Though still, she figured they had a better chance of finding the airbender, as well as Kieron, if they traveled together. Not to mention the unfamiliarity of the spirit world and the fact that they were the last remaining members of two teams on this task force. Kasai returned to the shelter to grab the supplies that she managed to scavenge from the battle area and put everything back into the bag she found as well. Avani soon approached, walking stick in hand. Kasai looked up and slung the bag over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow at her and donning a perplexed expression. "So you're telling me, that you think we should put our differences aside and work together." She laughed to herself a little. "You're telling me this after shoving your tongue down my throat?" She laughed again because the situation was funny to her. She found it amusing how they had had that moment and then Avani was back to acting like they were competitors again. "Are you bipolar? I think you might be bipolar." She grinned and pulled the map out of the bag and opened it up, calculating where they were and the estimated direction they should take. "Alright, let's put our differences aside then. Looks like we need to head west." She pointed to a place on the map and made a mental note. "I think my friend might be there too. Or at least, I can hope..." She put the map up and then walked out of the shelter, making sure to walk slow enough so that Avani could move effectively. She felt like they should probably talk about what happened, other than making a joke at it like she had a few moments ago, but she kept quiet and tried to navigate through the forest towards their destination.

The Circus At The End Of The World (Engel X The Kraken)

Kate and Elijah shuffled back stage, each of them trying to resist from going into shock after what had just happened. Kate was attached at Eli's hip, but the doctor who had arrived soon split them apart. She pushed her way through the people, making sure she kept an eye on him all the way to an area that was marked off for this very instance. Kate nearly shoved a knife in the doctor's neck when he tried to tell her that she would have to wait outside of the curtains while he assessed Elijah, refusing to let him out of her sight after what just happened. The doctor agreed only after she threatened to strap him to a board and use him as target practice herself. The doctor looked Eli over, noticing the blood splatter that covered his entire torso, as well as Kate's hands. But, finding nothing medically wrong with him, he eyed them both suspiciously. "Is this some trick? I am here for real emergencies, not as a continuation of your little illusion." He scribbled on a piece of paper and pulled back the curtain of the makeshift room to let them both out. "I give you approval for making the incident so realistic, however. You had me convinced with the blood." Kate and Elijah both tried to explain that the blood was real, as well as what they claimed had happened, but the doctor simply waved them off and returned to his station should he be needed for a real accident. Elijah walked away with a hand on his neck where the knife had pierced his flesh. He remained silent, and Kate followed him to a pair of chairs that sat at the edge of the backstage, looking on to the show ring. "Eli?" Kate frowned and looked at her friend, "Are you alright?" Elijah remained silent for another moment, staring out on at whatever act was currently on. He didn't look at her as he spoke, his voice low and unchanging. "You hit me. Your knife pierced my neck. I felt the blood gushing out of me and my vision blurred." He exhaled and looked down at his feet. "And then nothing. The bleeding stopped, I could see clearly, the wound was gone." He looked at her now with glossy eyes, "How?" Kate swallowed hard, knowing that the most damaging part was that she had told him that everything would be okay, and then it wasn't. Her brow furrowed as she looked at him. "Eli, I've no idea what just happened. But please, I beg you, believe me when I say that that knife was not on a path towards you. I am sure of that." Her eyes were pleading him to forgive her, fearful that she had lost his trust for good. Eli sighed again, and remained quiet as he looked at her. Finally, he blinked and nodded slowly. "I believe you. Honestly, the most unbelievable part of the whole bit was that you hit me in the first place." A small smile was restored on his face and he patted Kate on the knee. "But..." his face drew a curious mask, "something odd is going on here..." The two of them watched the other acts as the show continued as it should. As they watched, they began to noticed peculiar differences in this show from any other... minor things that seemed to alter the acts to make them more appealing to the crowds. When it was Claire's turn to perform, Kate watched on curiously, but a hint of nervousness gnawed at her as well. Strangely enough, her performance seemed to go on as planned, that is until she heard something odd. Kate had to blink a few times and scan the ring to make sure her brain was not hearing things. It appeared as though Claire had just... roared? Not like she usually did, a poor human attempt to speak the big cat language. This one sounded astoundingly real. After her act, Claire found Kate and Elijah where they had been watching. She was overly chipper, with a pep in her step, considering the recent circumstances. "Well, we're shaken up." Kate said with a weak smile. "But alive!" Eli butted in with a grin, as he was trying to see the brighter side of the situation himself. Kate raised an eyebrow but said nothing to him, looking back to Claire. "So, uh... when did you learn to speak, oh how do you say... lion? Tiger? Animal?" Kate blinked a few times and stared at her friend, sincerely wanting an explanation for what she had witnessed moments ago. "Something strange is going on here," Eli agreed, nodding his head. He was baffled at the traumatic event that had occurred to him, but more suspicious than anything at the strange events occurring. It definitely was different than anything that had happened during a show before, and it made them all curious.

Sacred World (Engel x The Kraken)

That's a good idea, given she has enough time or peace and quiet to meditate into that state. Could give a little bit better of a forward direction for them to take, and hope since she would be seen alive (kind of haha)

The Circus At The End Of The World (Engel X The Kraken)

I'll edit it in real quick, no big deal

The Circus At The End Of The World (Engel X The Kraken)

Yeah that could work, definitely could begin to bring in the freaky factor

The Circus At The End Of The World (Engel X The Kraken)

It neeD not be responded to if you had no plans to have Elena affect it, I just left it that way in case you did. I know we're on different time zones (currently 6 am for me) and my creative juices were flowing so I went ahead and wrote the post instead of waiting. I'll add one more line to the end so it all goes off smoothly. Also, I've got a Skype if you want to use that as an option, I'm totally okay with that if you want to give it a go.