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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 0:06:39 GMT -5
Post by icefire on Jun 28, 2013 0:06:39 GMT -5
Zi let her eyes drift shut for a while, not actually planning on sleeping. Often, her philosophy was that she would sleep when she was dead. She thought long and hard about what she was even doing right now. This was idiotic, was what it was. She was giving herself a headache thinking about what she was doing right now. It was all so stupid. Why couldn't she just sell her emotions and become a cold, hard, emotionless bitch? She wanted that so badly. She didn't want impulse, or feeling. That was irrational and only caused problems. If she didn't have feelings, they wouldn't be on this stupid quest, and Kest would be dead. End of story.
But.... That lady did need to die. Something about her... The way she moved.... Zi didn't like it. That lady looked like she was going to cause big ripples in the delicate peace the world had somehow achieved right now. Why would she want a monk dead? Did she want to start another war? Was she from the fire nation? There were so many questions, that she only hoped that would be answered with this nonsensical voyage.
Before she knew it, Ling was softly calling her name and telling her to take the reins. She had no idea what he thought about all of this. He was probably sure that she had finally lost her mind. Standing up, she made her short couple of steps across the saddle, and grabbed reins. Ling tried to catch her eye, but she wouldn't let him. She didn't need to let him in to her thoughts.
Settling down, she furrowed her brows and unconsciously ran her fingers through Nala's hair.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 0:17:51 GMT -5
Post by maya-bird on Jun 28, 2013 0:17:51 GMT -5
Kest had nearly fallen asleep by the time Ling whispered to his twin, whose name still evaded him. He blinked a few times, then leaned back on his hands and yawned. He narrowed his eyes, watching the woman as she ran her hands through Nala’s fur. She was prickly one, and quiet. It was always the quiet one’s that you had to worry about. He exhaled softly. How irritating when the villains didn’t divulge their dastardly plans to him. Now he actually had to pay attention, how unfortunate.
His blue eyes shifted to the constellations, drawing patterns out in his mind. He could do that for hours—peacefully. Kest let a small smile grace his face, then glanced to Ling, who seemed preoccupied trying to look at his twin. The silence was comforting, the only noise the soft thumps of Nala’s wings as she kept them aloft. Kest looked at the woman, then spoke. “I’ll relieve you next.” He offered.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 14:57:40 GMT -5
Post by maya-bird on Jun 28, 2013 14:57:40 GMT -5
OOC//: I drew Nala and the three merry travelers xD I sort of improvised the saddle, lol. Attachments:
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 21:08:22 GMT -5
Post by icefire on Jun 28, 2013 21:08:22 GMT -5
Zi responded quickly, not drowsy at all, "We won't need that. We'll be stopping soon, unless you want to fly only at night."
Ling sat down. He wasn't tired, so he looked over to the air bender, who seemed to be groggy, "So, uh, why were you in Ba Sing Se?" He twiddled his thumbs, unusually awkward in trying to make conversation with the quiet monk.
Zi almost snorted aloud at Ling's attempt to be social. Well, she supposed she had put them all in a bit of an awkward situation... She tugged on a bit of Nala's fur, frustrated at herself. It wasn't hard enough to make the large feline-avian irritated, but enough for her to move her head back a bit and look at her for a moment. It wasn't long before she turned her large, slit pupils back towards the flight ahead of her. Zi turned her head up to the stars, surveying where they were and where they were going. They'd probably stop for the night soon, and start again early in the morning.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 21:19:53 GMT -5
Post by maya-bird on Jun 28, 2013 21:19:53 GMT -5
Kest nodded at the woman’s reply. We ought to stop soon anyway… he thought blankly. He needed to sleep, and it wasn’t going to happen on Nala’s back. Ling’s question broke through his thoughts, and he paused before answering. Should he disclose his information? Surely not. “Work.” He said simply, his tone not bothering to hint at any other information.
He sighed quietly. The stars and night sky wreathed him in a peaceful calm, something he’d missed. Ba Sing Se was definitely not someplace he wanted to spend large quantities of time in. Kest looked at Ling, who seemed to feel completely awkward. “You?” He questioned, mostly for Ling’s benefit. He knew the answer—work—but didn’t incline to say.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 21:31:15 GMT -5
Post by icefire on Jun 28, 2013 21:31:15 GMT -5
Ling scratched behind his head, "Mostly assassin work and all tha'."
Truthfully, they had been there for a visit with some of their old masters and guardians. The people who had taken them in were deadly, but it was the only way they remembered their parents. Ling didn't want to talk about that though. Zi would sure scold him for being so open.
The rest of the trip was pretty silent, and it drove Ling crazy. His sister loved it this way and he hated it it. He fidgeted irritably for a while before settling in the corner of saddle and counting stars. It was taking forever, and he wasn't sure when Zi was planning on landing. It had only been five minutes that had passed, but he was so bored that it felt like five hours. He sat up, opening his mouth, about to ask her how much longer, but it was almost as she had sensed him, "Chill Ling, we're landing now."
Zi gripped the reins and steered Nala to the ground. The landing was typically a bit jolting, but gentle enough that a batch of eggs would've remained untarnished.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 21:54:20 GMT -5
Post by maya-bird on Jun 28, 2013 21:54:20 GMT -5
After Ling answered, a silence drew on. Kest thought it was comforting, but Ling looked bothered, fidgeting and glancing about. Kest watched him quietly as he leaned against the back of the saddle, legs crossed. As Ling seemed to be about to say something, mouth agape as he drew in a breath, his twin spoke. “Chill Ling, we’re landing now.” Her words were punctuated by Nala braking quickly with her wings, then landing with a thump.
Kest untied his pack from the saddle, hooking it on his back. He leaned on his glider, then jumped down and landed deftly on the sod. Judging the smears of what he presumed were sand dunes in the distance, they were on the fringe of the Si Wong Desert near Chameleon Bay. Kest figured he’d isolate himself for some sleep, but stopped himself before disappearing. He looked up to Ling and his twin. “Thank you.”
He then loped off, disappearing into the ridges and rocks of the terrain. Kest didn’t think they’d follow him, but made purposeful twists and turns and obscured his footsteps just in case. After he’d found a suitable nook on an overhang, he stashed his pack and rolled out his sleeping roll. He removed his cloak and balled it up as a headrest, falling lightly to sleep.
Kest awoke after a suitable number of hours to see the sun peeking over the horizon, and located his prayer beads. He then sat cross-legged and took a deep breath, listening and waiting silently to receive.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 22:09:05 GMT -5
Post by icefire on Jun 28, 2013 22:09:05 GMT -5
Ling and Zi naturally seperated. They liked to sleep broken up, like most siblings would want to. Ling paced off to a rocky outcrop and rolled out his sleeping mats. He lay down and quickly fell asleep to the sound of a nearby river rushing on. Zi took quite a bit longer to sleep. She was a night owl, in all honesty. She had earthbended a nice, smooth rock to lay upon. She crossed her arms behind her head and studied the constellations. It was a few hours before she slept.
A few hours later, the first one of the two awoke. Strangely, Zi was always the one to awaken first, though she went to bed much later. She stretched almost like a cat in the early morning sun. Before Kest came back, she returned the earth to its normal position, as to not divulge her secret talent. Though she was the first one to awake, Ling was not far behind. They were both used to getting little to no sleep, and waking early for their job.
Ling went through his normal exercises and tai chi while Zi practiced her almost freak-like flexibility. It was a normal morning for two trained killers. Keeping in shape was one of their top priorities, as was to be expected. It only last for about a half an hour before they both silently agreed on breakfast. Zi drew the water from the nearby river, and Ling grabbed some of their food from Nala's saddle. It was a strangely normal morning for two people that you would think to be brutal.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 22:21:04 GMT -5
Post by maya-bird on Jun 28, 2013 22:21:04 GMT -5
Kest sat until the sun was above the horizon, then neatly packed his belongings, donned his cloak, and set off to find Nala. He leaped nimbly from rock to rock, then landed in a narrow slot between rocks. He emerged from the outcroppings into the clearing where Nala sat looking particularly regal today. He supposed a combination of a tiger and a dragon would look nothing less than royal. Kest greeted the two assassins, who were bustling about, with a curt nod.
He stood there solemnly, watching their movements. Ling retrieved food from Nala, but the woman disappeared to what he assumed was the river. He leaned up against his staff, then stood up straight and set his glider against a rock. He removed his pack, sat down, and began quietly eating the assortments of dried fruit he’d bought.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 22:37:18 GMT -5
Post by icefire on Jun 28, 2013 22:37:18 GMT -5
Ling sat down and peeled a couple of fruit. He set them aside and got out a couple slices of bread, donning these new ingredients with the fruit and waiting for the water. Zi came back relatively quickly, balancing the water with almost a childlike expression on her face. When she saw Ling looking, her expression immediately dropped back to being neutral like it generally was. Ling smirked at her, a smug expression to irritate her. He loved irritating her. After all, it was his job, wasn't it?
They both sat down and swiftly devoured their light breakfast. It was going to be a long day of flying, and there was no need to dawdle.
Zi finished and took another sip of the water, standing. She looked over at Kest and saw that he was water-less. In a random act of kindness, she brought the water over to him and offered it. Her expression hadn't changed a single muscle, so it was probably unclear why she was being so nice. She didn't even know why she was being so nice. She supposed it was just nice to think that she did have a heart sometimes, even if she was a cold blooded killer. Wait, what was she saying? That was so weak sounding.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 22:56:29 GMT -5
Post by maya-bird on Jun 28, 2013 22:56:29 GMT -5
Kest observed the two with an idle expression, stowing his victuals away in his pack. Then, as the woman finished her meal, she glanced over at him. He kept his stare, nonchalantly wondering why she was walking over to him. She offered him some water, and his blank expression offered no solace. However, he did have a sense of morality. He eyed the water, then glanced back to Ling, who looked completely surprised. Not tampered with then.
He took a long drink, reveling in the coolness and fresh taste. Kest lightened his eyes, glancing up gratefully at her as he returned the water. He went back to gathering his supplies, then hooked his backpack on and eyed them warily.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 23:09:47 GMT -5
Post by icefire on Jun 28, 2013 23:09:47 GMT -5
Zi was glad he handed the water back to her, because she felt her face heating up. It was so taboo to her, helping people. Of course, Ling was the sentimental one. Every time he saw a younger, scraggly, street rat child, he would hand them water and food. He wouldn't even take their thanks. Ling was awfully sentimental for a psychopathic sadist. She turned away from Kest quickly, and made her way back over to Nala. Silently she called first flying shift, because it was her favorite position.
Ling sighed when Zi sat down in front of the reins. This meant he would have nothing to do, yet again. He knew he was going to fidget all day, unless this monk actually attempted any good conversation.
He easily swung himself up into the saddle, and packed away his sleeping mats into the saddle bag. Today was going to be a long, boring, toilsome day.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 23:18:21 GMT -5
Post by maya-bird on Jun 28, 2013 23:18:21 GMT -5
Kest observed them as they packed up in the saddle, then jumped up and began tying down his pack. He stood up, gazing out towards the dunes they’d soon be flying over. Normally he’d suggest flying at night, but this was dire. “Is Nala going to be okay?” He asked, sitting cross-legged and looking towards the tiger dragons head. “The Si Wong Desert is notorious for travelers bursting into flames.” His voice held no joking tone, yet he smiled despite himself. He shucked off his cloak, setting it neatly by his pack. He’d maybe need it for sun protection, but it wouldn’t help in the heat they were going to be experiencing. Kest adjusted his collar, then eyed them with the ever wary expression.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 23:45:04 GMT -5
Post by icefire on Jun 28, 2013 23:45:04 GMT -5
Zi soon snapped the reins, and lightly mutter, "Up, girl." Nala complied with a pounce of her powerful legs and a swift snap of her wings.
The ride was pretty uneventful, until they reached the desert. It was hot, to put it lightly. Ling spent most of his time complaining and trying to get a response out of his sister, which didn't happen. Zi was as silent and impenetrable as a brick wall. There was a few more groans of protest before Ling, but eventually he was too hot to do that too. Not a complaint or even sigh was had from Zi. She kept her eyes forward, her bands shielding them from the direct glare of the sunlight.
The day continued to be extremely uneventful, until Zi spotted something off in the distance. It was a sand storm, and heading straight for them. She frowned, "Looks like we're landing for now, boys. Sadly."
There was a moan of protest of Ling, as expected, "But do we haaveeee to. It's so hooottttt here."
Zi snapped at him, "I know it is. Deal with it."
She directed Nala down, and then hit the sand. An ominous wall of sand and wind was approaching at a breakneck speed. Zi rummaged through the saddle bag and retrieved her cloak, rapping it around her body and taking a seat atop Nala. Ling did the same, and soon they sat, waiting.
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avaTARD
Jun 28, 2013 23:57:27 GMT -5
Post by maya-bird on Jun 28, 2013 23:57:27 GMT -5
Kest regarded the sandstorm with idle concern. He dropped into a stance, knees slightly bent and facing the storm. With a few precise movements, both footwork and his hands, he exhaled quickly and created a sort of barrier of air around them. The storm was strong, so he concentrated on keeping the air flowing around them with quick circular movements of his hands. Sand streamed past the four of them in rivulets, and he noted that with Nala included it made his concentration have to double. Kest took a few deep breaths and then squared his shoulders, waiting it out. The air was hot and muggy, doubled so from the sheltered bubble he had created. After several minutes sweat dampened his hair, and he closed his eyes in concentration. Heat wasn’t helpful.
He could feel when the storm lessened in intensity, and dropped his sphere a few notches and then ended it abruptly. A few stray winds sprayed them with sand, but it wasn’t anything that was blinding or harmful. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, thankful the storm let up, for the air cooled a bit. “Let’s move on.” He said curtly, climbing back onto Nala’s saddle.
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