[Konei] What have I gotten myself into?

[Inahku Yuzuki]

Terra was running as fast as she could. She had already been sure she'd get in trouble with her mother for wandering off, and now she had gone and been attacked by some of the many homeless people living in the Dragon Flats District of the city.

She knew she should have worn different clothes when going out into the city. The clothes she was currently wearing was a dead give away that she wasn't just another commoner, but in fact someone of noble blood. Unlike the clothes worn by commoners, Terra's clothes were made from the highest quality fabric available in the Earth Kingdom capital Ba Sing Se, and on front of it was the national emblem of the Earth Kingdom.

The young earthbender girl had her fans unfolded in her hands, and the reflection of the setting sun shone off the golden metal, making the fans shine brightly. Terra had inherited the fans from her mother, who had been a member of the Kyoshi Warriors before she left them to marry Terra's father, the Earth King. They were Terra's most priced possession, and she always had them on her, no matter where she went.

Oh great, she was lost, and the men were still following her, trying to catch up with her. Thankfully, Terra was in good shape thanks to her earthbending practice, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could run. Even if she was in good shape, she too had her limits, and she was scared she might reach said limit soon.

That was when she made up her mind. Since she seemingly couldn't outrun them, she would just have to stand her ground and fight, so that was just what she did.

Without thinking about it, she went into a low stance, waiting for the people to get closer. The stance she had assumed was one of the basic stances of an earthbender, and it was one of the first things she had mastered in her training at the palace.

Next to her, her pet pygmy puma, Shia, was hissing and spitting at the people, wanting to protect her owner more than anything. This was highly unusual behavior for a pygmy puma, but Terra had often associated it with how she had saved Shia from being beaten up by a group of orphans when it was still just a cub.

When the people who had been chasing her got within striking range, Terra stomped down hard on the ground, causing one of the men to be shot up into the air by a pillar of earth and land ten feet away from her.

However, she didn't stay for long enough to see where he had landed as she had started running again as soon as she had seen the men had been distracted by her sudden attack.

Now, if only she could find her way back to Air Temple Island where she was staying with her mother, everything would be alright again.

She would much rather face the wrath of her mother than face what these men would do to her if they caught her.

[Konei Kozuki]

When not working at the forge, Konei managed to hold down a second job. The second, though, he wouldn’t really consider to be work, more like a hobby he got paid for. Konei could easily work overtime at the garage, the hours flying past without him even realising where they were going. Most of the time he fixed up Satomobiles, but every once in a while a motorbike would need fixing up and they were most fun of all. Satomobiles had so many parts and so much could go wrong, but motorbikes were pretty utilitarian. They had to trim down the fat, so to speak, just to fit on two wheels. If there was something on a bike, it was generally very necessary for it to be there. On a Satomobile there were bits and pieces that you didn’t even need, but it was just nice to have them there anyway.

A week ago somebody had sold the garage a busted up, broken down wreck of a machine, and after fixing up the motorcycle Konei had taken it for a spin. The gear shift was still a little clunky, but that could be worked on, and other than that one tiny issue it ran like a dream. Konei wondered if the garage would let him buy the thing if he paid the wrecked price for it, because after all, the restoration had been all his effort.

He was wheeling the vehicle back into the shelter of the garage when he saw a young girl running along the end of the street. He could tell instantly by the cut and style of her clothes that she didn’t belong down in the Dragon Flats hellhole like the rest of those scraping by in Republic City. And as she came closer to the garage he saw that she seemed to be running away from something, rather than to somewhere. One alone, young, well-to-do girl looking lost in the middle of gang territory? She was a magnet to all the wrong kinds of attention.

Konei shut off the radio and stepped out of the garage to lower the shutters. He hoisted the metal screens that covered the workshop down to his chest, then to his knees, before rolling the thing down to his feet, all the time staring at the young girl who looked more out of place than anyone else he’d ever seen before.

"Hey kid," he called to her, locking up the garage and pocketing the keys. "Are you lost?"

[Inahku Yuzuki]

To be completely honest, Terra had no idea where she was going. The only thing she knew, was that she had to get away from the men who had been chasing her through the streets of the city. The only thing she felt was the pounding of her heart in her chest and the constant drumming of her feet against the ground.

Shia was still running beside her, and the feline seemed to have no trouble at all keeping up with her master, which was good. While Terra was terrified of the men herself, she would hate it even more if Shia got hurt because of her.

After she had run for a good while, the sound of footsteps behind her had died away, and Terra stopped to catch her breath. She knew she had been lucky that the men had given up the chase. Now she just needed to find her way back to Air Temple Island, which might prove harder than she had first thought as she had no idea where on earth she was.

The men had said something about something called the Triple Thread Triads, and they had also claimed that she was on their territory, but she didn't really know what that meant. The only thing she knew about this organization was that it was supposedly some sort of gang. That was all.

Terra was suddenly pulled out of her own little world when suddenly someone called out to her. Without even thinking about it, she crouched down into a squat that was one of the basic stances of an earthbender. Of course she wasn't just going to attack him, but since she didn't know him, she wasn't about to take any chances. Not after what she had just experienced.

"Who are you!?" she demanded in her most authoritative voice. For the man's sake, she hoped that he would tell her. She did not want to crush him with rocks, but if she had to do so to ensure her own safety, then so be it.

When she was sure the man didn't pose a threat to her, she stood up again, never taking her eyes off the man. "I have a name, you know" she huffed, her voice laced with annoyance. "It's Terra" she then added, her arms folded over her chest.

At least, he didn't seem to pose a threat to her.

Next to her, Shia was looking at the man with what could only be interpreted as boredom. This did not surprise Terra. She was the only one the feline ever acted friendly towards because pygmy pumas were loners by nature.

When the man asked her if she was lost, she couldn't help but to blush. Was it really that obvious?

"Yeah" she replied, a sheepish smile on her face. "I need to get back to Air Temple Island. That's where I'm staying" she said, having now regained her composure after the embarrassment she had been feeling moments before.

[Konei Kozuki]

Konei damn near burst out laughing when the girl first responded. She had an air of authority about her, undeserved, it seemed, by her youth and tiny stature. Konei wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d puffed out her chest, stamped her foot, and claimed to be the Avatar herself. Konei was sorely tempted to flick the little girl back down to earth when she adopted her stance. She clearly wasn’t from these parts. Earthbending had evolved in this city, low, squat stances weren’t used any more. This kid was using the old styles.

Konei finished lowering the shutters and locked up after, smiling to himself as she blurted out her name as if though it were a royal title.

"Terra - right." Konei tossed the keys up into the air and caught them swiftly. "Look squirt, you shouldn’t be running around here at night. This place is a gang hotspot. Running around with your tiara on is just gonna get you mugged, yeah?"

He looked her up and down carefully, spotting the pygmy puma at her feet. Konei raised a scarred eyebrow; he wasn’t much of an animal person and the pumas had always seemed to him like the overgrown rats of the alleyways. Yowling at insane hours of the morning, pushing trash cans over, fighting with each other in the streets. Nasty things, he thought they were, probably flea-ridden as well. So why the hell was Little Miss Princess hanging around with animal vermin?

She mentioned that she had to get back to Air Temple Island, and Konei’s sceptical expression, if possible, only grew more exaggerated. He pocketed the keys and looked from her, to the pygymy puma, back to her.

"Air Temple Island?" Konei said, crossing the silent street and approaching her. "You sure, kiddo? You look a little too young to be an Air Acolyte to me, and frankly, not nearly bald enough. Though that can easily be fixed, can’t it?" he said, chuckling to himself. He began to circle her slowly, eyeing her long, dark curls. "Nice head of hair you got there, kid. I bet somebody somewhere would pay top yuans for all that. Then you could paint a giant blue arrow on your head and carry on pretending you’re an airbender." Konei snickered to himself and crossed his arms. "Shall we stop off at the barber’s then before I show you the way to Air Temple Island?"

[Inahku Yuzuki]

If Terra hadn't been lost, she would have just thrown the man a murderous glare and been on her way, but seeing as she was indeed lost and needed someone to show her the way to Air Temple Island, she stayed just where she was.

When the older boy pointed out that she was just about asking to be mugged, walking around alone in the night like she was, she had to admit that he was right. However, she wasn't about to back down that easily. "No, really? And here I thought the men from before was just following me around for fun" she deadpanned.

For some strange reason, she felt a pang of guilt as soon as the words had escaped her. She shouldn't be acting like this towards the only person who seemed willing to show her the way back to Air Temple Island, but she quickly brushed it off again, her stubbornness winning as usual.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure" She replied calmly, crossing her arms in front of her, her green eyes not leaving the man in front of her once. While he did not seem to be dangerous, she had learned over time that looks could indeed be deceiving, so she did not want to take any chances.

"And no, you're absolutely right - I am too young to be an air acolyte" She replied, turning so that she had her eyes on him while he was circling her. "I'm here on... other business with my mother" She was sure that he wouldn't believe her if she told him that her parents were the king and queen of the Earth Kingdom, and that she was here with her mother on a diplomatic mission.

"Why thank you, I'll take that as a compliment" she replied with a smirk when the man said that people would most likely be willing to pay good money to have her hair. "And I never said anything about pretending to be an airbender" she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the man. Really, she had never claimed to be an airbender. It was something the man had made up.

"That won't be necessary - I'm perfectly happy with my hair the way it is now" she said, growing more and more annoyed with the whole situation. This talk was getting them nowhere, and she still hadn't gotten a name on the man.

"You never did give me a name" she stated calmly, hoping that he would give her one this time, because calling people 'hey-you' or 'you-with-the-face' just didn't seem right.

[Konei Kozuki]

No, really? And here I thought the men from before was just following me around for fun.

They were. Gangs were pretty sick like that. Against a full-grown man any mugging would’ve been a simple ‘get the cash and run’ job. With a vulnerable little flower like this kid, they were bound to stalk her for a while, mess with her head, have the girl scared shitless before moving in for the attack. Konei had the nasty feeling that if guys had been following her, they may well still be.

"What men?" he asked sharply. They were in gang territory here. ‘Men’ could mean the Agni Kai’s, Red Monsoons, the Triple Threat Triad... best to get moving.

Other than that piece of information that set Konei a little on edge, he was amused that his remarks seemed to get the girl more riled. He wasn’t giving her any useful information and that was probably annoying her most of all.

"Chill out, pintsize, I’m just messing with ya." He jerked his head aside, motioning for her to follow. "My name’s Konei, not that it’s important to you." Now that wasn’t a jibe at her or anything, but if someone asked for directions they generally didn’t care who from as long as they weren’t being led into a trap. His name wasn’t truly important to anyone around here; he was nobody special. He looked back at her as he walked, then his eyes flicked up, scanning the shadows for signs of movement. Nothing. Maybe they were safe.

"Also, a word of advice; when you’re earthbending, try not to be so heavy and solid with your stance. I know that’s how the old masters do it, but here in the city you’ve gotta be nimble. Lighten up. Here, lemme show you," he said, and turned in mid-step so that he walking backwards along the sidewalk. "First week I came to Republic City a guy used this against me. It shoots rock slivers out of the ground. That’s how I got this–" Konei pointed to the prominent scar on his face with a grin.

He went on to demonstrate the weird foot flick the earthbender had used, a drag of the heel then kick of the toe. Only, when he did it, nothing happened. Though someone could have attributed it to walking backwards at the time and not being properly rooted in a stance.
"It’s kind of a heel-toe foot flick, see? You try."

He turned back again as he walked, so that he moved forwards, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "So why’re you headed for Air Temple Island? It’s a bit high profile over there with Councilman Tenzin and that lot isn’t it?"

[Inahku Yuzuki]

Well, the other man, who had now introduced himself as Konei, didn't seem very willing to share any sort of information about himself. This, Terra guessed, was not as strange as some might have thought it to be, considering the place they were in, so she didn't push the subject any further than that.

She was, however, caught off guard by the sudden sharpness in his voice when he asked her about the men that had been following her. ”I’m not exactly sure - they said something about the Agni Kais” She said thoughtfully. Just the thought of what those creepy men might have done to her if they had captured her was enough to make her shiver with fear.

She had definitely learned her lesson.

When the man, who had now introduce dhimself as Konei, motioned for her to follow him, she did just that, having no desire to stick around this place for longer than what was absolutely necnecessaryThe two of them walked in silence for a while, and even if neither one of them didn’t seem to want to make any attempts at any kind of conversation, Terra couldn’t hep but to be curious about him. Still, her face betrayed no such feelings. Every now and then, she too would cast a glance over her shoulder to make sure that no one was following them.

It seemed that the two of them were alone. For now.

When Konei mentioned eearth bending, the fifteen year old girl’s eyes lit up with excitement. Her earthbending meant the world to her, and she could not imagine living without, so a chance to learn something new about her bending was definitely not something she would say no to.

Terra listened carefully as Konei explained how she needed to be lighter on her feet, despite what she had been taught before and nodded to show that she had heard and understood what he had said. It did seem to make sense that in a city like Republic City, one would need to be light on one’s feet in order to survive.

Of course, she wouldn’t know about this as it had never been necessery for her back in Ba Sing Se. It seemed that whole new styles of bending had been incented here in Republic City, and it was most likely due to the fact that here, benders of all elements lived together.

When Konei began demonstrating the move he had just told her about, Terra watched him closely, not wanting to miss anything. It seemed like an easy enough move to pull off, so Terra was eager to try it out herself. She tried mimicking the flick of the foot she had just seen Konei use, and when she did, a handful of small, needle sharp rock slivers shot out of the ground and flew off into the darkness.

It felt strange having to not be as rooted in her stance as she was used to being when she used her bending, and that was why the move had not come off as powerful as it could have. ”Thanks for showing me. I’m sure that with some practice, I’d be able to use it in a tight spot” she said with a small smile. Had she known this before, she might have been able to deal with the men better than she had done as it was.

When the matter of Air Temple Island was brought up, Terra looked at Konei as he spoke. She still wasn’t too keen on discussing the subject of her family, for the simple reason that she had just met Konei and didn’t know if she could trust him. She wanted to believe that he was someone she could trust, but seeing as how the two of them had just met.

”I guess” She said, trying to think of what else she could say. ”Mother is a high ranked politician in Ba Sing Se, so that was why we were invited to stay on Air Temple Island” There, not too much information was given. Hopefully it would be enough to satisfy his curiosity.

And besides, her coming from a lot of money could not possibly come as a surprise to him, given the clothes she was wearing.

[Konei Kozuki]

She said that they had mentioned themselves to be the Agni Kais. Firebenders then, possibly the most volatile of all the bending types. At least they had little to fear from the Red Monsoons; there was no water source nearby and there was only so much water a bender could carry. The Triple Threat Triad, however, were the most dangerous of the lot. At least they hadn’t been Triple Threats; Konei could handle Firebenders... in moderation.

Earthbenders were rather predictable in their fighting style. Although metalbending was common practice these days – especially within the police force – it wasn’t a universally known bending art, just as not all firebenders could generate lightning or not all waterbenders could heal. This girl, however, seemed to know her stuff when it came to earthbending. It obvious that she was traditionally taught; most likely her rich parents had hired her a professional tutor who stuck to the old school methods. She had picked up the small move he’d shown her with ease, even without a demonstration, and he wondered if she was a metalbender.

Konei had no problem with showing her the earthbending move. Most people may have harboured bitter thoughts towards earthbenders after he was mugged, if not been sour about showing her the technique that left him with a scarred eye, but Konei had no quarrel with benders who did not use their powers to intimidate or subjugate. He held nothing against benders, although maybe he should.

"You picked up that move quick," he remarked with a smile. "Were you ever taught how to metalbend? It’s a pretty big thing here in the city; even he cops use it."

He stuck his hands in his pockets and glanced over his shoulder. He thought he saw a flash of movement in the street behind them, but when he stared harder, it was gone.

"So, if you’re so rich, can’t you just afford a hotel? I bet Councilman Tenzin doesn’t invite just any old politician into his home, otherwise Councilman Tarrlok would be having slumber parties there already, I bet."

((Sorry for the wait.))