"Feel the water flow around you, stay in control - there's no raw power in our art, Siku," The man explained, letting the wall of ice in front of him melt into a large puddle on the floor.
"I've been water bending for years, dad, don't give me that spiel again," She retorted, drawing from the pool behind her. A tendril wrapped around her in a circle and began to spin as a second joined to revolve in the opposite direction, creating a gimble. With a series of spins and flourishes, she began to move forward, the water reacting in kind, speeding up before both rings lashed out as whips at her father maliciously. When both cracked, they met only air, the large water bender ducking astonishingly low to avoid the strike. His arms thrust outward into the lengths of water, catching them as he twisted full-circle, turning the attack.
"Gyah!" Siku almost yelped as the counter attack stopped just shy of her neck. Her father had aimed a lash at her, but sharpened the edge of the attack into ice and then held it firm before meeting her flesh, as usual. Her foot stomped into the ground, "Dammit! One of these days..." She muttered angrily as the attack was returned to the pool of water surrounding them.
"You're improving, don't worry about it, Siku. You just need to keep practicing. Maybe it's that pro-bending; it's significantly weaker than traditional, you know that," He argued for what had to be the thousandth time.
"I know it's not the best for practicing my bending, but the restrictions placed on it for the arena make it a viable way to practice versatility. You might learn a thing or two trying to fight me with those rules."
Her father waved a hand and rolled his eyes, "I let you do it yourself, don't pull me into it."
The girl laughed softly and shrugged, "Fine, fine. I guess that's fair." She lifted her hands and slowly pushed them away from her, the water flowing from her clothes and out of her hair. She was still slightly damp, but it helped make her a bit more comfortable. With a sigh, Siku headed for the bathroom, "I need to shower and get to bed, tomorrow Saturday, I've got a match in the afternoon. You wanna go see it?"
Her father sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, Siku, you know I have work, I'll be gone all weekend. I'm heading to the North Pole very early in the morning until later this week."
She nodded - that was fine, he wasn't a fan of the sport anyway. After a warm shower and changing into pyjamas, the girl clambered into bed and extinguished her lights, rolling over. Ahh... sleep. There was nothing more valuable before a match day than a bit of shut-eye.
-----
Republic City was an upstanding, cleanly and respectable place. Its buildings reached for the skies, its people were a conglomerate of every nation and the city enjoyed prosperity unlike anything else in the history of the world. At least that was if you had any semblance of power or influence, for most everyone else Republic City was little more than a home. It met one's needs and little more, it scarcely cared for the individual so long as they continued to do their part. A cog in the machine, day in and day out, keeping the monstrosity that was the city running.
Occasionally one of those cogs would break and the machine would continue on as if nothing were amiss. Pieces could easily be changed out and replaced so why worry? Of course to the parts that broke it was awful but their concerns were hardly heard, everything was for the good of the city.
A cynical view? Perhaps, but it was the one that Katsu had since arriving in Republic City. His initial enamored outlook was quickly replaced with a harsh reality: you were nobody in the city unless you knew the right people, and immigrants were even lesser still. In hindsight it had been his own fault for coming to the city empty handed but the first few months had been terribly rough. No money to his name, no home, he had no friends and routinely had to avoid some of the gangs that roamed the less desirable parts of Republic City's streets. Ironically it would be the same gangs he'd feared at first that would be his salvation.
Bending was by no means a rare ability, thousands if not more had it to some degree, certainly more so in the city it seemed. Of course the extent of which people could use these powers varied but most everyone seemed to be able to practice. Without wanting to oust himself Katsu had stuck primarily to fire bending when he'd arrived, and while young he had a certain... Proficiency that most others lacked. Coupled with his naturally fleet-of-foot style and he'd easily managed to enlist himself in one of the smaller gangs.
It wasn't long until he'd taken over the gang which had been his first and only home, renaming it the Khimori Bandits after his home town. Scarcely two dozen people made up its ranks, many younger than even him, but they made a comfortable living for themselves all the same. They were wealthier than some merchants by the time Katsu had taken over and yet for all the wealth he still hardly had a penny to his name. Wealth wasn't something that interested him any, he wanted the enjoyment that his jobs brought. And, on a personal level, he'd wanted a home. Both he found within this gang and he fully intended never to leave it.
Petty thefts and small crimes were hardly the only thing that the Khimori Bandits undertook for work. Often times the more elusive members, Katsu included, were hired by some influential people to sneak into homes and steal valuable posessions. It was such work that had landed him where he was now: the Tsukiko residence. He knew the family perfectly well, in particular the daughter, Siku. That an uptown, well-to-do girl had anything to do with a street rat like him had always struck him as funny, and all of her sarcastic comments about his stealing from her home were going to come back and bite her tonight.
Katsu only knew two things about the Tsukiko residence: where the item he was meant to steal was, and where Siku's father's room was. He was to avoid the head of the household at all costs though the idea of challenging a capable bender excited him. But he was not here to pick fights and certainly doing so would ruin any chances of getting his mark. So in the dead of night, quiet as a mouse, he slipped into the home and stuck to the shadows, wandering about with only the vaguest idea of where his target might be. So long as no one got up to take a late night piss he should be fine!
------
Unbeknownst to Katsu, a professional earth bender and Metal Corps Officer slept only feet away from his prowl through the house. However, luckily enough for him, the man slept like a rock unless too much noise was made. Siku, on the other hand, was having difficulty falling and staying asleep once she'd laid down. She tried and tried, but no sleep met her. Her stomach twisted in a knot - the match tomorrow could make or break the Ice Wolves' careers as pro-benders.
Against the softly colored lavender walls were a few ornate decorations - mirrors and paintings, a desk rested in the corner as well. Beside her bed, mounted on a rack on her dresser, was an incredibly beautiful, ocean blue sheath covering the blade of a dao. The hilt was wrapped in gorgeous, high quality, white leather and the golden crossguard formed a perfect circle at the base of the blade. It was engraved with crashing waves and clearly cost a fortune.
The girl sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes in frustration, looking around. The curtains on her four-poster were drawn and the soft glow of moonlight filtered comfortably through the thin fabric. She had always loved the nighttime, but of course mankind had chosen to live under the sun's light. Perhaps getting up to wash her face would help... No, but some air would. Her room had an attached balcony, with large glass doors and thick curtains to block the light, when she chose to draw them closed. Pulled them back and pushing the door open quietly, Siku stepped out onto the ledge and placed her hands on the rail, inahling deeply as the brisk air met her lungs. At night, she took the braids out of her short hair and let it fall near to her shoulders and now the soft breeze caused it to wave gently. The soft, silk fabric that wrapped around her body was little more than a tunic and pants, dotted with stars and crescent moons. How comforting the silence of night was...
How big was this bleeding house? Suddenly Katsu was kicking himself for not accepting the map from the messenger earlier. He'd been skeptical about how thorough or how accurate it could be and yet even a scribble would help him now. Or it would if everything wasn't pitch black. Of course he couldn't risk creating light either, someone was bound to notice a little flame floating around in the darkness. He'd have to make due then by following along the walls and blindly searching for doors.
Katsu had to have checked at least a dozen rooms by now. Bathroom, hall closet, a bedroom yet not Siku's bedroom, another bathroom, how many bathrooms did one family need? Assuming the paltry furnishings in the bedroom meant it was a servant's then good chances were the family had their own bedrooms upstairs. How typical, the rich lived over the poor and those that worked for them. It was why he hated much of the city and why he hated money, it made people think they were better than they actually were.
"Come on... Where's the damn... Aha!" To his chagrin and delight he'd found the stairwell leading up... And it was illuminated. Biting his lip tentatively Katsu eased a foot onto the lowest step and tested it, sighing silently when the wood did not creak. Regardless he took it painstakingly slow, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he expected someone to see him any second. When he reached the top step and the second floor he allowed himself a second to catch his breath, taking stock of where he was now. Left or right? Judging by the outside of the house it looped around on itself so either way he should eventually find Siku's room. With that in mind he simply went left, hoping by sheer luck her room would be among the first.
The long drapes of her balcony billowed into her room with the wind as Siku's door creaked open softly. The girl was too preoccupied with the freshness of the air, her eyes closed as she looked out over their yard. They didn't have the largest house in the city by any means, but they were one of only a handful of families to own a full plot of land complete with a yard and garden, right in the middle of the city. It was a house given by status more than payment - they could only live in it while her father worked his very same position. Siku loved it. The air was just a little fresher, the area was just a little quieter, and the life was a lot more lavish.
No way... Did he actually find her room? It certainly looked like a girl's room, though then again fancy people always did adorn their homes in flashy ways. He could just make out a figure by the balcony, utterly unawares to his trespassing and hopefully she would remain that way. Now the sword, where was that dang sword? Ah! Even in the dim lighting the dao shone beautifully and stood out like a sore thumb, just begging to be pilfered. Grinning broadly Katsu slipped into the room and left the door ajar for a quick escape, deadset on fetching the weapon.
There was but brief hesitation when he remembered Hiresh might be nearby. That pesky guard followed Siku around everywhere like a dog and he always gave Katsu the most sour of looks. Good, the disdain between them was mutual.The guard appeared to be absent however which was a blessing, and after reaching the dresser he reached up and easily snatched the weapon from its rest. To think it had been so simple, and right under Siku's nose too! Part of him almost wanted to call out and tease her before making a break for it but he decided better against it. Besides, there was something else he just had to do.
As young women went Siku was rather attractive, no one was going to argue that. And naturally as any hot-blooded male he was rather interested in what Siku looked like underneath her stuffy clothing. Knowing full well THAT was never going to happen perhaps he could get a more... Intimate look, just a quick peek before he left. Perhaps he'd even steal something as a trophy for later to share with his fellow Bandits. Slipping the sword into his belt he eased open the top drawer and immediately broke into a wide grin, stifling an excited giggle as he sifted through its contents. A pair of otter penguin panties, he didn't know whether that was pathetically hilarious or adorable. Either way he absolutely planned on taking these as well!
SNAP!
A whip of water would snap Katsu squre in his ass, and then a second in the shoulder blade. She had heard the sound of her drawer opening when he began rifling, but she couldn't identify the silhouette of her thief yet either. The water had come from a small pond in the garden below her balcony and there was plenty more where it came from.
"Stop right where you are, pervert," her voice spoke softly, but was filled with malicious intent.
Katsu had been dangerously close to sniffing the panties when something sharply struck him in the ass. Barely biting back a yelp of surprise he spun around and stared wide eyed at Siku's silhouette. Well shit, he'd gone and screwed up hadn't he? Did he answer her? If he spoke she'd immediately know who it was, though by this point it wasn't like it mattered. He could easily outrun her and he had the sword, so long as the entire house wasn't woken up he'd be fine.
"Pervert? Hey I resent that statement!" Katsu whispered back with a chuckle, holding up the panties with a grin plastered on his face, "I prefer voyeur, sounds much more refined, don't you think? By the way... Otter penguins, who knew!" Chuckling again he held the band of the panties in both hands and lifted them to the light, stretching them out to examine the item more closely. "You ever going to wear these for me?"
Katsu. He was dead. So dead. Was he holding... a look of horror crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by fury. The hue of her cheeks reddened tenfold with the conflicting embarrassment and anger. She didn't want to wake the house and it took everything she had not to shout at him. The girl hissed and raised her hands, "I'll kill you... Rifling through my drawers a- wait... is that my dao?!" She asked in a venomous whisper. From behind her came another stream of water, creeping around, "If you don't get out of my room... this... instant... so help me, not even the Avatar himself could save you from the fate you're going to face inside it."
Yikes! Maybe he'd gone slightly too far with the teasing? Just his luck too the very girl he was stealing from would be wide awake when he stumbled in. "Uh... Would you believe me if I said no?" Katsu asked rhetorically, taking a step back towards the door. "I-If you insist though I'll just be going! I'll uh... See you later!" Spinning on his heel Katsu bolted straight for and right out of Siku's bedroom, throwing the door closed behind him as he hurried to the stairs. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! All but clearing half of the stairwell by jumping down he darted right for the front door, laughing as he was absolutely positive he was home free already.
Siku sneered as he darted out with yet another joke. Wait... He didn't even return the sword and... Oh that son of a bitch didn't drop her garments either. He was daft if he thought he was getting away. She stepped back to her balcony and vaulted over it, catching herself with the pond quietly, only just before getting to the ground. Her feet kicked powerfully off the ground as she bolted for the front door around the other side of the house. She easily beat Katsu there, as he had more obstacles in his way, and before the door open, a splash of water covered the walkway directly in front of it, freezing over instantly. The girl waited - it would be a matter of seconds before he was out.
"Thanks for the panties Siku! I'll be sure to keep them safe!" Katsu roared with laughed as he vaulted from the house, vanishing back into the darkness outside. He was out and free, no one was going to catch him now. That certainty quickly faded as his foot hit concrete and for some reason slid out from under him, and in a fitful effort to save himself his other foot went down only to go as well. Pinwheeling his arms madly he fell straight onto his ass and slid comically down the walkway, spinning until finally coming to a rest as he crashed into a neatly trimmed bush, his rear and legs sticking out as both kicked haplessly. It was hard to make out just what he was screaming inside, but it sounded vaguely of "cheap tricks" and "panty raid".
The girl watched him fall to his ass and slid and forward, her lip curled with contempt. She approached quickly and wound her foot back, kciking him square in the ribs from behind before forcing his hand open and ripping the cloth from his fingers. After pulling Katsu from the brush, Siku knelt over his chest, her knee helping pin him down. She yanked her dao from his belt and rose to her feet, "You'd better get out of here... Quickly - and don't try any shit like this again, or I'm going to really beat your ass. HIresh'll be here any second, no doubt he woke up when you shouted."
As if right on cue, the metal bender came sprinting out of the house, also slipping on the ice. He hit the ground, but didn't move forward as Katsu had. The boy needed to run or he'd end up in real prison really soon.
Katsu almost thanked Siku for the help until she struck him in the ribs. Completely empty handed and deprived of both of his "trophies" he sat on the ground and looked up at Siku and Hiresh bashfully. "Aw come on... I was going to give them back! Maybe... Probably not..." he trailed off, sighing as he unsteadily climbed to his feet. Stupid ice, in hindsight he probably should have just melted it huh? "Don't promise me with a good time Siku, and I'll be a good boy from now on. Straight as an arrow!" Katsu grinned as he spouted his nonsense, waving to the pair and backing away slowly from them. "I'll uh... See you guys tomorrow? Good luck at your match, Otter penguin!" With another laugh Katsu spun around and ran out the gate, waving to the pair as he vanished again into the darkness.
Siku's lip curled back as her face reddened again, fists clenched at her sides. He ran off with far less injury than he deserved. Hiresh came running up beside her just as Katsu got slipped away.
"Siku! Are you alright..? What happened?"
"I'm fine. It was just a petty thief who didn't realize who he was stealing from. He... didn't get anything valuable," She muttered, stuffing the bogarted undergarments into her pocket before Hiresh could see. "I'm going to bed again. See you tomorrow, Hiresh," She muttered, clearing the walkway's ice and heading back upstairs. At least now she felt tired.
---
Siku was up early the next day, getting ready for her match. Asha was sent over to help babysit Sesi, her nine year old sister. The girl was a young, sweet airbender from Air Temple Island. Hiresh would be accompanying them, but he was hardly good at taking care of kids, he was more of a protector. The time was fast-approaching to leave and Katsu was supposed to meet them here before they left. That idiot... The memory of the night before was infuriating, and the thought of him coming over and joining them for the match was angering enough. It was kind of cool having her dad gone for the week - she didn't have to feel uncomfortable inviting her less... favorable friends over.
"I've been water bending for years, dad, don't give me that spiel again," She retorted, drawing from the pool behind her. A tendril wrapped around her in a circle and began to spin as a second joined to revolve in the opposite direction, creating a gimble. With a series of spins and flourishes, she began to move forward, the water reacting in kind, speeding up before both rings lashed out as whips at her father maliciously. When both cracked, they met only air, the large water bender ducking astonishingly low to avoid the strike. His arms thrust outward into the lengths of water, catching them as he twisted full-circle, turning the attack.
"Gyah!" Siku almost yelped as the counter attack stopped just shy of her neck. Her father had aimed a lash at her, but sharpened the edge of the attack into ice and then held it firm before meeting her flesh, as usual. Her foot stomped into the ground, "Dammit! One of these days..." She muttered angrily as the attack was returned to the pool of water surrounding them.
"You're improving, don't worry about it, Siku. You just need to keep practicing. Maybe it's that pro-bending; it's significantly weaker than traditional, you know that," He argued for what had to be the thousandth time.
"I know it's not the best for practicing my bending, but the restrictions placed on it for the arena make it a viable way to practice versatility. You might learn a thing or two trying to fight me with those rules."
Her father waved a hand and rolled his eyes, "I let you do it yourself, don't pull me into it."
The girl laughed softly and shrugged, "Fine, fine. I guess that's fair." She lifted her hands and slowly pushed them away from her, the water flowing from her clothes and out of her hair. She was still slightly damp, but it helped make her a bit more comfortable. With a sigh, Siku headed for the bathroom, "I need to shower and get to bed, tomorrow Saturday, I've got a match in the afternoon. You wanna go see it?"
Her father sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, Siku, you know I have work, I'll be gone all weekend. I'm heading to the North Pole very early in the morning until later this week."
She nodded - that was fine, he wasn't a fan of the sport anyway. After a warm shower and changing into pyjamas, the girl clambered into bed and extinguished her lights, rolling over. Ahh... sleep. There was nothing more valuable before a match day than a bit of shut-eye.
-----
Republic City was an upstanding, cleanly and respectable place. Its buildings reached for the skies, its people were a conglomerate of every nation and the city enjoyed prosperity unlike anything else in the history of the world. At least that was if you had any semblance of power or influence, for most everyone else Republic City was little more than a home. It met one's needs and little more, it scarcely cared for the individual so long as they continued to do their part. A cog in the machine, day in and day out, keeping the monstrosity that was the city running.
Occasionally one of those cogs would break and the machine would continue on as if nothing were amiss. Pieces could easily be changed out and replaced so why worry? Of course to the parts that broke it was awful but their concerns were hardly heard, everything was for the good of the city.
A cynical view? Perhaps, but it was the one that Katsu had since arriving in Republic City. His initial enamored outlook was quickly replaced with a harsh reality: you were nobody in the city unless you knew the right people, and immigrants were even lesser still. In hindsight it had been his own fault for coming to the city empty handed but the first few months had been terribly rough. No money to his name, no home, he had no friends and routinely had to avoid some of the gangs that roamed the less desirable parts of Republic City's streets. Ironically it would be the same gangs he'd feared at first that would be his salvation.
Bending was by no means a rare ability, thousands if not more had it to some degree, certainly more so in the city it seemed. Of course the extent of which people could use these powers varied but most everyone seemed to be able to practice. Without wanting to oust himself Katsu had stuck primarily to fire bending when he'd arrived, and while young he had a certain... Proficiency that most others lacked. Coupled with his naturally fleet-of-foot style and he'd easily managed to enlist himself in one of the smaller gangs.
It wasn't long until he'd taken over the gang which had been his first and only home, renaming it the Khimori Bandits after his home town. Scarcely two dozen people made up its ranks, many younger than even him, but they made a comfortable living for themselves all the same. They were wealthier than some merchants by the time Katsu had taken over and yet for all the wealth he still hardly had a penny to his name. Wealth wasn't something that interested him any, he wanted the enjoyment that his jobs brought. And, on a personal level, he'd wanted a home. Both he found within this gang and he fully intended never to leave it.
Petty thefts and small crimes were hardly the only thing that the Khimori Bandits undertook for work. Often times the more elusive members, Katsu included, were hired by some influential people to sneak into homes and steal valuable posessions. It was such work that had landed him where he was now: the Tsukiko residence. He knew the family perfectly well, in particular the daughter, Siku. That an uptown, well-to-do girl had anything to do with a street rat like him had always struck him as funny, and all of her sarcastic comments about his stealing from her home were going to come back and bite her tonight.
Katsu only knew two things about the Tsukiko residence: where the item he was meant to steal was, and where Siku's father's room was. He was to avoid the head of the household at all costs though the idea of challenging a capable bender excited him. But he was not here to pick fights and certainly doing so would ruin any chances of getting his mark. So in the dead of night, quiet as a mouse, he slipped into the home and stuck to the shadows, wandering about with only the vaguest idea of where his target might be. So long as no one got up to take a late night piss he should be fine!
------
Unbeknownst to Katsu, a professional earth bender and Metal Corps Officer slept only feet away from his prowl through the house. However, luckily enough for him, the man slept like a rock unless too much noise was made. Siku, on the other hand, was having difficulty falling and staying asleep once she'd laid down. She tried and tried, but no sleep met her. Her stomach twisted in a knot - the match tomorrow could make or break the Ice Wolves' careers as pro-benders.
Against the softly colored lavender walls were a few ornate decorations - mirrors and paintings, a desk rested in the corner as well. Beside her bed, mounted on a rack on her dresser, was an incredibly beautiful, ocean blue sheath covering the blade of a dao. The hilt was wrapped in gorgeous, high quality, white leather and the golden crossguard formed a perfect circle at the base of the blade. It was engraved with crashing waves and clearly cost a fortune.
The girl sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes in frustration, looking around. The curtains on her four-poster were drawn and the soft glow of moonlight filtered comfortably through the thin fabric. She had always loved the nighttime, but of course mankind had chosen to live under the sun's light. Perhaps getting up to wash her face would help... No, but some air would. Her room had an attached balcony, with large glass doors and thick curtains to block the light, when she chose to draw them closed. Pulled them back and pushing the door open quietly, Siku stepped out onto the ledge and placed her hands on the rail, inahling deeply as the brisk air met her lungs. At night, she took the braids out of her short hair and let it fall near to her shoulders and now the soft breeze caused it to wave gently. The soft, silk fabric that wrapped around her body was little more than a tunic and pants, dotted with stars and crescent moons. How comforting the silence of night was...
How big was this bleeding house? Suddenly Katsu was kicking himself for not accepting the map from the messenger earlier. He'd been skeptical about how thorough or how accurate it could be and yet even a scribble would help him now. Or it would if everything wasn't pitch black. Of course he couldn't risk creating light either, someone was bound to notice a little flame floating around in the darkness. He'd have to make due then by following along the walls and blindly searching for doors.
Katsu had to have checked at least a dozen rooms by now. Bathroom, hall closet, a bedroom yet not Siku's bedroom, another bathroom, how many bathrooms did one family need? Assuming the paltry furnishings in the bedroom meant it was a servant's then good chances were the family had their own bedrooms upstairs. How typical, the rich lived over the poor and those that worked for them. It was why he hated much of the city and why he hated money, it made people think they were better than they actually were.
"Come on... Where's the damn... Aha!" To his chagrin and delight he'd found the stairwell leading up... And it was illuminated. Biting his lip tentatively Katsu eased a foot onto the lowest step and tested it, sighing silently when the wood did not creak. Regardless he took it painstakingly slow, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he expected someone to see him any second. When he reached the top step and the second floor he allowed himself a second to catch his breath, taking stock of where he was now. Left or right? Judging by the outside of the house it looped around on itself so either way he should eventually find Siku's room. With that in mind he simply went left, hoping by sheer luck her room would be among the first.
The long drapes of her balcony billowed into her room with the wind as Siku's door creaked open softly. The girl was too preoccupied with the freshness of the air, her eyes closed as she looked out over their yard. They didn't have the largest house in the city by any means, but they were one of only a handful of families to own a full plot of land complete with a yard and garden, right in the middle of the city. It was a house given by status more than payment - they could only live in it while her father worked his very same position. Siku loved it. The air was just a little fresher, the area was just a little quieter, and the life was a lot more lavish.
No way... Did he actually find her room? It certainly looked like a girl's room, though then again fancy people always did adorn their homes in flashy ways. He could just make out a figure by the balcony, utterly unawares to his trespassing and hopefully she would remain that way. Now the sword, where was that dang sword? Ah! Even in the dim lighting the dao shone beautifully and stood out like a sore thumb, just begging to be pilfered. Grinning broadly Katsu slipped into the room and left the door ajar for a quick escape, deadset on fetching the weapon.
There was but brief hesitation when he remembered Hiresh might be nearby. That pesky guard followed Siku around everywhere like a dog and he always gave Katsu the most sour of looks. Good, the disdain between them was mutual.The guard appeared to be absent however which was a blessing, and after reaching the dresser he reached up and easily snatched the weapon from its rest. To think it had been so simple, and right under Siku's nose too! Part of him almost wanted to call out and tease her before making a break for it but he decided better against it. Besides, there was something else he just had to do.
As young women went Siku was rather attractive, no one was going to argue that. And naturally as any hot-blooded male he was rather interested in what Siku looked like underneath her stuffy clothing. Knowing full well THAT was never going to happen perhaps he could get a more... Intimate look, just a quick peek before he left. Perhaps he'd even steal something as a trophy for later to share with his fellow Bandits. Slipping the sword into his belt he eased open the top drawer and immediately broke into a wide grin, stifling an excited giggle as he sifted through its contents. A pair of otter penguin panties, he didn't know whether that was pathetically hilarious or adorable. Either way he absolutely planned on taking these as well!
SNAP!
A whip of water would snap Katsu squre in his ass, and then a second in the shoulder blade. She had heard the sound of her drawer opening when he began rifling, but she couldn't identify the silhouette of her thief yet either. The water had come from a small pond in the garden below her balcony and there was plenty more where it came from.
"Stop right where you are, pervert," her voice spoke softly, but was filled with malicious intent.
Katsu had been dangerously close to sniffing the panties when something sharply struck him in the ass. Barely biting back a yelp of surprise he spun around and stared wide eyed at Siku's silhouette. Well shit, he'd gone and screwed up hadn't he? Did he answer her? If he spoke she'd immediately know who it was, though by this point it wasn't like it mattered. He could easily outrun her and he had the sword, so long as the entire house wasn't woken up he'd be fine.
"Pervert? Hey I resent that statement!" Katsu whispered back with a chuckle, holding up the panties with a grin plastered on his face, "I prefer voyeur, sounds much more refined, don't you think? By the way... Otter penguins, who knew!" Chuckling again he held the band of the panties in both hands and lifted them to the light, stretching them out to examine the item more closely. "You ever going to wear these for me?"
Katsu. He was dead. So dead. Was he holding... a look of horror crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by fury. The hue of her cheeks reddened tenfold with the conflicting embarrassment and anger. She didn't want to wake the house and it took everything she had not to shout at him. The girl hissed and raised her hands, "I'll kill you... Rifling through my drawers a- wait... is that my dao?!" She asked in a venomous whisper. From behind her came another stream of water, creeping around, "If you don't get out of my room... this... instant... so help me, not even the Avatar himself could save you from the fate you're going to face inside it."
Yikes! Maybe he'd gone slightly too far with the teasing? Just his luck too the very girl he was stealing from would be wide awake when he stumbled in. "Uh... Would you believe me if I said no?" Katsu asked rhetorically, taking a step back towards the door. "I-If you insist though I'll just be going! I'll uh... See you later!" Spinning on his heel Katsu bolted straight for and right out of Siku's bedroom, throwing the door closed behind him as he hurried to the stairs. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! All but clearing half of the stairwell by jumping down he darted right for the front door, laughing as he was absolutely positive he was home free already.
Siku sneered as he darted out with yet another joke. Wait... He didn't even return the sword and... Oh that son of a bitch didn't drop her garments either. He was daft if he thought he was getting away. She stepped back to her balcony and vaulted over it, catching herself with the pond quietly, only just before getting to the ground. Her feet kicked powerfully off the ground as she bolted for the front door around the other side of the house. She easily beat Katsu there, as he had more obstacles in his way, and before the door open, a splash of water covered the walkway directly in front of it, freezing over instantly. The girl waited - it would be a matter of seconds before he was out.
"Thanks for the panties Siku! I'll be sure to keep them safe!" Katsu roared with laughed as he vaulted from the house, vanishing back into the darkness outside. He was out and free, no one was going to catch him now. That certainty quickly faded as his foot hit concrete and for some reason slid out from under him, and in a fitful effort to save himself his other foot went down only to go as well. Pinwheeling his arms madly he fell straight onto his ass and slid comically down the walkway, spinning until finally coming to a rest as he crashed into a neatly trimmed bush, his rear and legs sticking out as both kicked haplessly. It was hard to make out just what he was screaming inside, but it sounded vaguely of "cheap tricks" and "panty raid".
The girl watched him fall to his ass and slid and forward, her lip curled with contempt. She approached quickly and wound her foot back, kciking him square in the ribs from behind before forcing his hand open and ripping the cloth from his fingers. After pulling Katsu from the brush, Siku knelt over his chest, her knee helping pin him down. She yanked her dao from his belt and rose to her feet, "You'd better get out of here... Quickly - and don't try any shit like this again, or I'm going to really beat your ass. HIresh'll be here any second, no doubt he woke up when you shouted."
As if right on cue, the metal bender came sprinting out of the house, also slipping on the ice. He hit the ground, but didn't move forward as Katsu had. The boy needed to run or he'd end up in real prison really soon.
Katsu almost thanked Siku for the help until she struck him in the ribs. Completely empty handed and deprived of both of his "trophies" he sat on the ground and looked up at Siku and Hiresh bashfully. "Aw come on... I was going to give them back! Maybe... Probably not..." he trailed off, sighing as he unsteadily climbed to his feet. Stupid ice, in hindsight he probably should have just melted it huh? "Don't promise me with a good time Siku, and I'll be a good boy from now on. Straight as an arrow!" Katsu grinned as he spouted his nonsense, waving to the pair and backing away slowly from them. "I'll uh... See you guys tomorrow? Good luck at your match, Otter penguin!" With another laugh Katsu spun around and ran out the gate, waving to the pair as he vanished again into the darkness.
Siku's lip curled back as her face reddened again, fists clenched at her sides. He ran off with far less injury than he deserved. Hiresh came running up beside her just as Katsu got slipped away.
"Siku! Are you alright..? What happened?"
"I'm fine. It was just a petty thief who didn't realize who he was stealing from. He... didn't get anything valuable," She muttered, stuffing the bogarted undergarments into her pocket before Hiresh could see. "I'm going to bed again. See you tomorrow, Hiresh," She muttered, clearing the walkway's ice and heading back upstairs. At least now she felt tired.
---
Siku was up early the next day, getting ready for her match. Asha was sent over to help babysit Sesi, her nine year old sister. The girl was a young, sweet airbender from Air Temple Island. Hiresh would be accompanying them, but he was hardly good at taking care of kids, he was more of a protector. The time was fast-approaching to leave and Katsu was supposed to meet them here before they left. That idiot... The memory of the night before was infuriating, and the thought of him coming over and joining them for the match was angering enough. It was kind of cool having her dad gone for the week - she didn't have to feel uncomfortable inviting her less... favorable friends over.
