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Post by Rhea Scorpio on Jan 8, 2011 22:02:40 GMT -5
Rhea stared in wonder as she watched the city pass before her. The train ride from the wall was pleasant enough although it was a bit crowded. She had never seen so many buildings in one place before, nor had she ever been so warm. The Earth Kingdom was such a different place from her home in the Southern Water Tribe. There was something so unique about the city that made Rhea want to explore every inch of it. However, she knew that she would probably never have a chance to see the upper ring of the city, she didn't have that kind of money.
As she stepped off the train into the middle ring of the city Rhea began to feel a bit out of place. Her blue Water Tribe clothing seems to stick out in the sea of earthen colors. She began to wander the streets looking at everything and trying to take it all in. There were so many people and everyone was moving so quickly. What Rhea liked the best about the city so far though was the buildings, they were all very beautiful and it appeared as though a lot of thought had gone into their planning.
Rhea sighed, she needed to find a place to stop and plan out exactly what she was going to do next. She wandered the streets looking for someplace to stop but all she could find were little shops selling trinkets she didn't need. Maybe she would pick something nice looking out for her mother to bring back but not today, today she was going to explore Ba Sing Sey.
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Post by Shang-hui on Jan 9, 2011 22:25:50 GMT -5
Shang-hui was almost as stressed out as he'd been when the princess heir had gone missing. A wedding! How in the name of the avatar was he supposed to help plan a wedding? He was captain of the guard, advisor to her Highness, personal guardian to the heir to the throne, not a wedding planner! He didn't know the first thing about royal weddings, or weddings in general. Yet when he'd woken up that morning, he found a list of chores and errands to perform, which had so far taken up the majority of his day. Running the errands hadn't exactly been a command, though he figured it would ease Raisa's mind if she knew a friends was helping to bear her burden.
Speaking of such a burden, Shang-hui wasn't entirely sure if he'd come to terms with the fact of the matter yet, either. It was strange, knowing that soon his world would be turned upside down and he'd no longer be a part of hers like he'd always been. It was discomforting, even. It didn't settle right with him.
So engrossed was he in his thoughts and the list of errands still to be done on the leaf of parchment he held, he hardly noticed the crowd passing around him. It wasn't until he felt a sharp knock on his shoulder that he looked up at all, only to find he'd run straight into a young girl and sent her bag of belonging flying.
"Ah, I'm so sorry, miss." He said hurriedly, bending down to retrieve her belongings. "Please, let me get those..."
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Post by Rhea Scorpio on Jan 10, 2011 20:14:02 GMT -5
"Oh, ah. It's alright, I wasn't paying much attention myself. This place is just so big!" Rhea stammered. "Thank you," she said, accepted her bag back. She looked at the man, he was very rich-looking and Rhea assumed that he was native to the Earth Kingdom. Rhea suddenly felt very self-conscious. Her travel-worn Water Tribe clothes must have looked pathetic next to almost everything in the city.
Rhea stood awkwardly before the man, not making any real eye-contact. She felt very out of place and very alone. She knew no one and hardly had anything with her. She had enough money to get by but she was starting to miss the familiar things of home. Her father had warned her about these things: homesickness and culture shock. She hadn't expected it to be be, and so far it wasn't. Her father had told her horrible stories of what these things could do to you but Rhea suspected it was just a way of trying to keep her home.
The wind whipped through the city, which surprised bit. She figured the walls and building would keep the wind out. It wasn't cold though, at least not to what Rhea was used to. It was almost warm enough for her to want to take off some of her warmer layers, not that she had anywhere to do this. Rhea glanced back up at the man when she realized that he was still there. She decided that she might as well introduce herself, it was only polite. "Hi, I'm Rhea of the Southern Water Tribe."
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Post by Shang-hui on Jan 11, 2011 11:58:25 GMT -5
Without meaning no, Shang-hui's guardian instincts kicked in, and he found himself analyzing the small trinkets and clothes he picked up. Blues - water tribe. And white, instead of purple - from the south. He carefully brushed the belongings off and neatly put them away. His suspicions were confirmed when the girl introduced herself.
Shang-hui looked back up at the girl. She was a pretty little thing, all mocha skin, dark hair, and bright eyes. It wasn't often they had visitors from the tribes in the city. He was surprised he hadn't noticed her before. He made a mental note to pay more attention to his surroundings - nothing could slip through the cracks now, not with what about about to happen in three day's time. And the girl stuck out in the crowd like a comodorhino in an ostrich-horse farm, the way she was dressed. How in the world had he not seen her. Shang-hui was losing his touch.
He smiled as she introduced herself. "Rhea, that's a lovely name. I'm Shang-hui, captain of the guard." He said with a slight bow. "You seem a bit lost. Is there anything I could do for you? The outer ring is no place for a young lady to be wandering without an escort."
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Post by Rhea Scorpio on Jan 17, 2011 22:54:01 GMT -5
"Thank you," Rhea said as Shang-hui complimented her name. She mimicked his bow, figuring it to be one of the many customs of the Earth Nation. She remembered how boys in her training classes used to make fun of royalty, faking all of the niceties that had to be observed and all of the rules that had to be followed.
"Escort?" The word seemed almost foreign to her. At home she had done all of her exploring on her own and spent much of her time by herself. Rhea supposed the city would be different, well she knew it would be, her father had told her so. Maybe an escort would be just another custom and, as a guest, Rhea would probably have to follow it. How in the world was she supposed to adventure if someone was leading her around all of the time?
Rhea shifted slightly to her left as she contemplated what would happen next in her journey. It was silly to think that she needed an escort, she was a waterbender and a warrior, although this man probably didn't know that. Rhea felt her daggers cling to her, concealed just under her clothes. Better safe than sorry. Maybe this escort would be a good thing. I can get a handle on the city before I really explore it! Rhea thought. At least she could see the good in everything.
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Post by Shang-hui on Jan 19, 2011 9:20:22 GMT -5
Shang-hui waited patiently for a reply. When none came, his smile faltered slightly. The girl stood there silently, looking slightly addled. Was something wrong? Culture shock, perhaps? But there was nothing in the city that was all too shocking, minus the immense number of people compared to the Southern Tribe. But if she'd traveled this far, surely she'd seen other cities. The Earth Kingdom capital may be the largest in the world, but there were others between here and the tribes that were impressive as well.
Then a thought occurred; had he committed some sort of customary faux pas? He wracked his brain for all he'd studied about the different cultures of the world and their customs, and he couldn't think of anything that he could have done wrong. For the most part, the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes were the same, with the exception of courting rules and regional legends and beliefs. So he hadn't done anything wrong, Rhea was just... he didn't know.
"Yes, and escort," he repeated, his usual charm flaring back up out of showmanship this time. "The outer ring isn't exactly the safest of neighborhoods. Despite Princess Raisa's best effort, there are thugs and thieves who come in from other regions and exploit the good-natured people who live here. But if you'd prefer you're own company, I'll be on my way."
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Post by Luinnar Zen Tao on Mar 26, 2011 22:25:37 GMT -5
The train ride into the Earth Kingdom Capital was most open and surprisingly comfortable to Luinnar. He was afraid the train would be crammed and smelly with people but it was actually spacious. No one bothered him which pleased him. He just layed his head back on the ledge of the window and took in some of the sights of Ba Sing Sey. Luinnar did not think he would find any fire bending masters here that could teach him more advanced forms but it does present him with the unique opportunity to observe the earth benders. Luinnar always thought it was best to learn as much of what ones enemies could be because you never know what they have in store for you until you face them.
When the train had come to their destination Luinnar took his sweet time gathering his belongings before exiting the train. When he finally exited the earth train he looked all over the station they had stopped at. Well at least there are a lot of people to ask for directions. I just need an inn. Just as he was stepping forward he almost bumped into a lady, not in the standard green of the earth benders but in blue colors. And speaking with her was a man, more then a man Luinnar thought. Looked more like a warrior to his eyes. Luinnar made an attempt to speak to them. "Oh please excuse me. I uhh...almost bumped into you. Terribly sorry." Luinnar said shyly. Oh how he hated having to talk to people and his nervousness did not die down with this crowd. He hoped no one was really paying much attention to him, thought maybe blended in with his gray colored cloths.
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Post by Shang-hui on Mar 28, 2011 16:46:43 GMT -5
Shang-hui snapped his attention to the man who had nearly run into him, his instincts as a martial artist taking over for a fleeting moment as he assessed his target, then his expression softened as he saw the boy who had almost bumped him. "It's alright, my friend. It seems we are all more than a bit clumsy today! But the city is crowded more than usual with preparations for the wedding, so it was bound to happen!"
He ran a hand through his hair, shoving his dark unruly bangs out of his face. There certainly were more people than usual running about the streets - all of them excited over the news of their beloved Princess' upcoming wedding. It was exhilarating and uplifting to see just how in love Raisa's citizens were with her, though he wished that the Princess shared their enthusiasm. He knew that, even as he ran the long list of errands for her, that she was probably close to tears in her room. It nearly tore his heart in two to think of her so upset, and he quickly banished the thought.
Being the military mastermind he was, Shang-hui didn't overlook the newcomer's clothing for an ordinary Earth Kingdom citizen. Sure, he didn't seem to stand out at first, but on closer inspection Shang-hui could tell that he was not from the city. The cut of his clothing was different, a style not found traditionally in the Earth Kingdom, more sharp and angular than the current fashion. "Do you need any help finding your way, sir?" He asked, trying not to sound imposing. How effective that was while he was in full uniform, however, he had no idea. "Things are a bit more hectic than usual, perhaps I could be of assistance?"
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Post by Luinnar Zen Tao on Mar 29, 2011 17:35:07 GMT -5
The soft expression of this man's face relaxed Luinnar from his earlier nervousness. Looking around the station was quite crowded and this man appeared more like a soldier to Luinnar. He was grateful the man had manners and was quite pleasant.
"Yes I can see things are more hectic." Luinnar replied still taking in everything in the area. Some sort of celebration I suppose. The man offered directions this was exactly what he needed although Luinnar's curiosity overcame his need for the moment. "Yes I do need directions but may I ask why things are so hectic right now?" Luinnar said is a rather slow and very controlled manner. He always had to do that when asking someone he did not know too well. Always uncomfortable talking to a complete stranger. He rather hoped no one ever notices his attempts to keep his nervousness down but he often doubts it.
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Post by Toph Bei Fong on Apr 3, 2011 10:55:00 GMT -5
Topph had been working on trying to find her parents all day. It was impossible!!! Who knew that three months away from your parents would make it so hard to find them again?
Maybe she should go into town. Boy why was everybody in such a hurry today?
PHOOMPH!!
Ow; they didn't even care, they just walked away.
Suddenly in the distance Toph had noticed someone coming her way. Great. Now what?
" Toph you shouldn't be wandering the city on your own. Would you like me to escort you?"
" No thanks, I am quite capable on my own, and I don't even know you."
PHOOMPH!!! Somebody ran into her again!!!
"Hey watch where you're going!"
"I can't I'm blind!!"
" Oh so sorry."
"Yeah, you better be."
Yeesh! Why is everyone so hectic today? Hey, maybe those three guys know!
"Hey, my name's Toph... Can any of you three tell me why everyone is so frantic today?"
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