Thank you all very, very much for your patience! Without any further ado, the opening post is open and we can begin! If you have any questions, or have difficulty with your starting post, please let me know! I am super excited for this to begin!
AmazinglyVivid Member
Obfuscating Reality
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- Old Guild Username: AmazinglyVivid
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- AmazinglyVivid 11 yrs ago
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Bio
Howdy there! I'm 19 and from Texas, though I'm currently going to college in New York. I've been roleplaying for quite a few years, and prefer casual or advanced roleplays. I'm pretty friendly, so if you want to drop me a message, go ahead. I'm not super-active unless I'm on break, but I'll always get to you when I can.
Most Recent Posts
The long, ornate hall led to several lesser-used meditation areas. It was never particularly crowded, and many days was entirely empty. Today it was not. Today, the sounds of footsteps and labored breathing pierced its serene silence. A woman, orange and yellow robes singed and spattered with blood, was running through it. Her hand was wrapped tightly around the wrist of a small, wide-eyed child, who struggled to keep up.
"Sister Daiyu, where are we going?! What is happening?! I'm so confu-" A hand clutched over the boy's mouth and cut him off mid-sentence. With her other arm, Daiyu pulled the boy tightly against herself and ducked behind a column. No sooner had she done so than had three Fire Nation soldiers entered the hall.
"Private, are you sure that you saw movement in this direction?" A weary woman's voice demanded.
"I-I thought I did..." Came the stammered reply.
"There's no one here. This is a waste of time; we should go back to the stables." A third voice.
"No! Just now, I was sure I heard voices. Let's stay here, look around..." The second voice again.
For several long, agonizing minutes, the only sound in the hall was that of metal on metal, the Fire Nation soldiers' armor clinking together as they peeked their heads into a few rooms. Finally, the woman who seemed to be in charge spoke up again.
"Private, you must have been mistaken. We need to go back."
"No! I mean, I-"
"I'm not exactly enjoying this either," the third voice interrupted. "But it doesn't matter. We have our orders. Captain, can we please return?"
"Yes." And, like that, they were gone.
Daiyu let out the deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She released the boy and turned to continue in the direction they'd originally been travelling, but he did not follow. "Rinzen. Come." Anger and fear had made her snappish. I was never good with children to begin with. Revered Mother, why, of all people, did you ask me?
Rinzen shook his head. "I wanna go back. Anil, and Tashi, and the others; they're in danger, right? We need to help." His voice cracked on that last statement, and he seemed about to cry. Daiyu's expression softened. The boy didn't even know that he was the Avatar; there was no time to explain the situation, or how important he was.
"They'll be right behind us," she lied, "But there isn't time to wait up. We need to get moving." She offered her hand out to him, and he took it gingerly. Once again, they were running, and, after a few turns, they came out onto a covered walkway. What greeted them was a stark contrast from the serene interior of the temple. The air around them was thick with smoke, and the sky was black with it. Though they were in a relatively remote location on the far side of the Eastern-most of the three mountains, they could still hear the screams in the distance. Even from this far away, the smell of burning flesh was still distinguishable in the air.
They continued running down the covered pathway, heading towards a wooded area used for meditation. Only when they reached it did she finally allow them a rest, leaning against a tall stone that would hide them from the view of anyone in the temple itself. She reached into her robe, pulled out a bison-shaped whistle, and blew. It didn't make a noise that she could hear but she knew that, if Uppi were alive, the sky bison would come. If she didn't? Well, Daiyu wasn't sure. She had her glider on her back, but she was tired and in pain from a gash on her arm. It would be a long way down, and she didn't believe that she'd be able to make it down with the Avatar. No, waiting for Uppi seemed to be the only way.
Daiyu took a deep breath and went about tearing a strip of cloth from her robe. She wrapped it around the gash and tied it off, hoping that would help with the bleeding. While she did this, Rinzen took out a whistle of his own. The young bison he'd bonded with the day before, named Stumpy for a missing horn, he'd been left behind as well. They'd played together with the whistle that morning; maybe he'd recognize it and come to them. He took a deep breath and blew the whistle, again and again. Daiyu pretended not to notice his efforts; such a young sky bison's chances of survival in this massacre were slim.
"Sister Daiyu," Rinzen said. It was only now that she noticed he was peeking around the rock, staring at an approaching man. "Who is that?"
Progressing slowly through the neatly shaved grass towards the circle of meditation stones, Captain Jin Zoulu had assumed an offensive posture, his dominant leg and arm forward, feet shoulder width apart, crouched down in preparation. "I am sorry," he murmured, just loud enough for Daiyu to hear, "but I cannot allow you to leave." Jin inhaled slowly and, at the peak of his breath, thrust his forward arm and leg outward, a great fireball hurtling towards the two Air Nomads.
As he circled the perimeter of the stones, harnessing the awesome power of the bright red comet overhead to spray gouts of fire forward, singeing the stones black with soot, it became apparent that Jin was doing his best to direct his attacks at Daiyu, and not the young boy with her. Unlike many of the Fire Nation troops at the Eastern Air Temple, his fire was under control; it was evident that he had a great deal of respect for the element under his control, refusing to set fire to the forest behind them - always in control, always careful.
"If you surrender yourselves, the Fire Lord may grant you mercy," he cried, a bitterness ringing in his voice that spoke of a hard-told lie.
Each of Jin's attacks were met by a gust of air only just big enough to knock the flames aside. Daiyu winced with every swing of her staff; the wound on her arm had been deep, and just parrying him was sapping her energy quickly. A voice in the back of her head screamed for her to fight, rather than to dodge and defend, but something even deeper than her survival instinct prevented her. She had taken a vow of nonviolence. To herself, and to the old woman.
Daiyu clenched her jaw, glancing around for Uppi before fixing the lying man -the monster, for surely no person could commit these atrocities- with a glare. "If you stop now, maybe the universe will grant you mercy."
After a particularly nasty blast of fire, Jin halted, standing at the ready to deliver another fiery blow. "The universe? Woman, you may be more at one with the cosmic forces than I, but I assure you, the universe has no interest in your safety: if I was not meant to carry out my orders, why would Fire Lord Sozin's army be here, on this day, that comet overhead bolstering our powers tenfold?"
Daiyu knew that she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. That last blast had partially landed, and now the fabric on her left shoulder singed away, a harsh burn in its place. The pain was like nothing she’d ever felt. She ground her teeth to keep herself from crying out. Seeing her hurt, Rinzen ran over before she could voice protest. Daiyu grabbed him by the collar and jerked him behind her.
Jin drew his breath in once more, narrowing his eyes and staring directly at Daiyu. "Quickly, then. Tell me why I should disobey my orders - why I should risk my own family's lives and safety over two shaved monks whose names I do not even know. I implore you."
"He is not a monk. He is a child," she snapped, voice trembling from rage as much as from pain. Getting angry won’t help anything, she reminded herself, trying to real in her emotions. She stared back at him, considering his question carefully. Finally, she decided. These next words could very well doom them both, but their chances seemed poor to begin with. "And... He is also the Avatar. Even if you don't care for us as individuals, even if you do decide to kill me," She winced from a flash of pain, took a moment to recover, and continued, "the world needs him. And that includes the Fire Nation. It includes you, and everything you hold dear."
Flinching, Jin's mouth hung open for a fraction of a second before snapping shut. Many things had just slid into place, and the Fire Nation Captain now understood the purpose of the battle he had fought today. This was not a mission of defense against aggressive benders, as he had been lead to believe; this was a genocide... and he was a murderer - of the cold-blooded variety. There was no time for a pity-party, however; Jin abandoned his combative pose, bowing his head.
"I have made a grave mistake, and misplaced my trust. I expect you incapable of forgiving me - but I hope that, one day, you might understand how I have been deceived." Turning his attention towards the temple behind him, where he could pick up the faint noises of troops approaching, Jin turned back towards Daiyu and her charge, his face the picture of urgency. "Find your bison and fly south-east. The perimeter guard, from that angle, are advanced scouts; they have been awake for far too long. The comet will still bolster their strength and their energy, but they are your best bet for escaping unscathed."
Jin clasped his left hand in front of his chest, his right palm open above it as he inclined his upper half just slightly. After a moment, he turned and quickly strode towards the temple; in the distance, his voice, commanding and authoritative, rang out: "A pair of them fled from the stones; they're headed towards the eastern side of the temple! Go, now, and find them!"
Daiyu watched him leave, wide-eyed. What had just happened? What did he think they were doing here, if not- no, she shook her head quickly, It doesn’t matter. There are more pressing things to think of right now.
“Come, Rinzen,” She said, starting towards the woods and using her staff for support. She pulled out her whistle and blew once more, and then realized that the boy was not following.
“Why did you tell him that I was the Avatar? I’m not… Right?” He asked quietly, eyes glued to the ground.
Daiyu’s brows furrowed. “There will be time to discuss this later. We must go. Now.” She turned and continued. After a few long seconds, she heard his soft footsteps treading behind her.
Then, the most glorious sound in the world: Uppi’s familiar growl. The creature had been flying low, just above the trees, and upon seeing them she landed. The creature had some singed fur and a few minor burns on her flanks, but other than that she seemed alive and well. Daiyu could have cried at the sight of her. The bison was okay, and they would be, too. Rinzen jumped on the creature’s back with ease. Injured as she was, Daiyu had a little more trouble. The moment they were both aboard, Uppi took to the skies.
"Sister Daiyu, where are we going?! What is happening?! I'm so confu-" A hand clutched over the boy's mouth and cut him off mid-sentence. With her other arm, Daiyu pulled the boy tightly against herself and ducked behind a column. No sooner had she done so than had three Fire Nation soldiers entered the hall.
"Private, are you sure that you saw movement in this direction?" A weary woman's voice demanded.
"I-I thought I did..." Came the stammered reply.
"There's no one here. This is a waste of time; we should go back to the stables." A third voice.
"No! Just now, I was sure I heard voices. Let's stay here, look around..." The second voice again.
For several long, agonizing minutes, the only sound in the hall was that of metal on metal, the Fire Nation soldiers' armor clinking together as they peeked their heads into a few rooms. Finally, the woman who seemed to be in charge spoke up again.
"Private, you must have been mistaken. We need to go back."
"No! I mean, I-"
"I'm not exactly enjoying this either," the third voice interrupted. "But it doesn't matter. We have our orders. Captain, can we please return?"
"Yes." And, like that, they were gone.
Daiyu let out the deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She released the boy and turned to continue in the direction they'd originally been travelling, but he did not follow. "Rinzen. Come." Anger and fear had made her snappish. I was never good with children to begin with. Revered Mother, why, of all people, did you ask me?
Rinzen shook his head. "I wanna go back. Anil, and Tashi, and the others; they're in danger, right? We need to help." His voice cracked on that last statement, and he seemed about to cry. Daiyu's expression softened. The boy didn't even know that he was the Avatar; there was no time to explain the situation, or how important he was.
"They'll be right behind us," she lied, "But there isn't time to wait up. We need to get moving." She offered her hand out to him, and he took it gingerly. Once again, they were running, and, after a few turns, they came out onto a covered walkway. What greeted them was a stark contrast from the serene interior of the temple. The air around them was thick with smoke, and the sky was black with it. Though they were in a relatively remote location on the far side of the Eastern-most of the three mountains, they could still hear the screams in the distance. Even from this far away, the smell of burning flesh was still distinguishable in the air.
They continued running down the covered pathway, heading towards a wooded area used for meditation. Only when they reached it did she finally allow them a rest, leaning against a tall stone that would hide them from the view of anyone in the temple itself. She reached into her robe, pulled out a bison-shaped whistle, and blew. It didn't make a noise that she could hear but she knew that, if Uppi were alive, the sky bison would come. If she didn't? Well, Daiyu wasn't sure. She had her glider on her back, but she was tired and in pain from a gash on her arm. It would be a long way down, and she didn't believe that she'd be able to make it down with the Avatar. No, waiting for Uppi seemed to be the only way.
Daiyu took a deep breath and went about tearing a strip of cloth from her robe. She wrapped it around the gash and tied it off, hoping that would help with the bleeding. While she did this, Rinzen took out a whistle of his own. The young bison he'd bonded with the day before, named Stumpy for a missing horn, he'd been left behind as well. They'd played together with the whistle that morning; maybe he'd recognize it and come to them. He took a deep breath and blew the whistle, again and again. Daiyu pretended not to notice his efforts; such a young sky bison's chances of survival in this massacre were slim.
"Sister Daiyu," Rinzen said. It was only now that she noticed he was peeking around the rock, staring at an approaching man. "Who is that?"
Progressing slowly through the neatly shaved grass towards the circle of meditation stones, Captain Jin Zoulu had assumed an offensive posture, his dominant leg and arm forward, feet shoulder width apart, crouched down in preparation. "I am sorry," he murmured, just loud enough for Daiyu to hear, "but I cannot allow you to leave." Jin inhaled slowly and, at the peak of his breath, thrust his forward arm and leg outward, a great fireball hurtling towards the two Air Nomads.
As he circled the perimeter of the stones, harnessing the awesome power of the bright red comet overhead to spray gouts of fire forward, singeing the stones black with soot, it became apparent that Jin was doing his best to direct his attacks at Daiyu, and not the young boy with her. Unlike many of the Fire Nation troops at the Eastern Air Temple, his fire was under control; it was evident that he had a great deal of respect for the element under his control, refusing to set fire to the forest behind them - always in control, always careful.
"If you surrender yourselves, the Fire Lord may grant you mercy," he cried, a bitterness ringing in his voice that spoke of a hard-told lie.
Each of Jin's attacks were met by a gust of air only just big enough to knock the flames aside. Daiyu winced with every swing of her staff; the wound on her arm had been deep, and just parrying him was sapping her energy quickly. A voice in the back of her head screamed for her to fight, rather than to dodge and defend, but something even deeper than her survival instinct prevented her. She had taken a vow of nonviolence. To herself, and to the old woman.
Daiyu clenched her jaw, glancing around for Uppi before fixing the lying man -the monster, for surely no person could commit these atrocities- with a glare. "If you stop now, maybe the universe will grant you mercy."
After a particularly nasty blast of fire, Jin halted, standing at the ready to deliver another fiery blow. "The universe? Woman, you may be more at one with the cosmic forces than I, but I assure you, the universe has no interest in your safety: if I was not meant to carry out my orders, why would Fire Lord Sozin's army be here, on this day, that comet overhead bolstering our powers tenfold?"
Daiyu knew that she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. That last blast had partially landed, and now the fabric on her left shoulder singed away, a harsh burn in its place. The pain was like nothing she’d ever felt. She ground her teeth to keep herself from crying out. Seeing her hurt, Rinzen ran over before she could voice protest. Daiyu grabbed him by the collar and jerked him behind her.
Jin drew his breath in once more, narrowing his eyes and staring directly at Daiyu. "Quickly, then. Tell me why I should disobey my orders - why I should risk my own family's lives and safety over two shaved monks whose names I do not even know. I implore you."
"He is not a monk. He is a child," she snapped, voice trembling from rage as much as from pain. Getting angry won’t help anything, she reminded herself, trying to real in her emotions. She stared back at him, considering his question carefully. Finally, she decided. These next words could very well doom them both, but their chances seemed poor to begin with. "And... He is also the Avatar. Even if you don't care for us as individuals, even if you do decide to kill me," She winced from a flash of pain, took a moment to recover, and continued, "the world needs him. And that includes the Fire Nation. It includes you, and everything you hold dear."
Flinching, Jin's mouth hung open for a fraction of a second before snapping shut. Many things had just slid into place, and the Fire Nation Captain now understood the purpose of the battle he had fought today. This was not a mission of defense against aggressive benders, as he had been lead to believe; this was a genocide... and he was a murderer - of the cold-blooded variety. There was no time for a pity-party, however; Jin abandoned his combative pose, bowing his head.
"I have made a grave mistake, and misplaced my trust. I expect you incapable of forgiving me - but I hope that, one day, you might understand how I have been deceived." Turning his attention towards the temple behind him, where he could pick up the faint noises of troops approaching, Jin turned back towards Daiyu and her charge, his face the picture of urgency. "Find your bison and fly south-east. The perimeter guard, from that angle, are advanced scouts; they have been awake for far too long. The comet will still bolster their strength and their energy, but they are your best bet for escaping unscathed."
Jin clasped his left hand in front of his chest, his right palm open above it as he inclined his upper half just slightly. After a moment, he turned and quickly strode towards the temple; in the distance, his voice, commanding and authoritative, rang out: "A pair of them fled from the stones; they're headed towards the eastern side of the temple! Go, now, and find them!"
Daiyu watched him leave, wide-eyed. What had just happened? What did he think they were doing here, if not- no, she shook her head quickly, It doesn’t matter. There are more pressing things to think of right now.
“Come, Rinzen,” She said, starting towards the woods and using her staff for support. She pulled out her whistle and blew once more, and then realized that the boy was not following.
“Why did you tell him that I was the Avatar? I’m not… Right?” He asked quietly, eyes glued to the ground.
Daiyu’s brows furrowed. “There will be time to discuss this later. We must go. Now.” She turned and continued. After a few long seconds, she heard his soft footsteps treading behind her.
Then, the most glorious sound in the world: Uppi’s familiar growl. The creature had been flying low, just above the trees, and upon seeing them she landed. The creature had some singed fur and a few minor burns on her flanks, but other than that she seemed alive and well. Daiyu could have cried at the sight of her. The bison was okay, and they would be, too. Rinzen jumped on the creature’s back with ease. Injured as she was, Daiyu had a little more trouble. The moment they were both aboard, Uppi took to the skies.
IC post is about 3/4's done. Again, sorry for the delay.
That ETA of it being up by today was a little too optimistic, I'm afraid. Now I'm hoping to have it up by Monday. Thank you all for your patience! I'm super excited for this to begin! If you want to go ahead and get started on your intro posts, anyways -since my post won't have much direct impact on them- go ahead!
Awesome! Sorry for my relative inactivity, but we've hit a rough patch at work. Things will slow down after tonight. I'll get working on the IC tonight when I get home, and it'll likely be up tomorrow. The first bit will be about my character and the Avatar's flight from the attack on the Eastern Air Temple, and the second part will set up a meeting with Malik. Everyone else will be left to their own devices for now. Sound good?
Hmm. Well, Pietra, if you don't think that your character would team up with a bender and you'd like for her to be last, your character might be left alone for a while! But I'm fine with that, if you are.
Right now, I'm thinking that maybe Malik joins first. Since he's travelling the Earth Kingdom, maybe he could be near the Eastern Air Temple when Sozin's Comet comes. After the attack, my character will be injured and lost, so they could meet and he could help them out. Once he finds out about what happened, and that the boy was the Avatar, he decides to come along and help protect him?
Then, it'd be interesting if Jin and Saili met, with him being a former Fire Nation Soldier and her doing resistance work. Then the two groups could meet up? I'm just tossing around ideas, so y'all feel free to throw your own in!
Right now, I'm thinking that maybe Malik joins first. Since he's travelling the Earth Kingdom, maybe he could be near the Eastern Air Temple when Sozin's Comet comes. After the attack, my character will be injured and lost, so they could meet and he could help them out. Once he finds out about what happened, and that the boy was the Avatar, he decides to come along and help protect him?
Then, it'd be interesting if Jin and Saili met, with him being a former Fire Nation Soldier and her doing resistance work. Then the two groups could meet up? I'm just tossing around ideas, so y'all feel free to throw your own in!
Well, since it's Tuesday and the people I was waiting on haven't contacted me, I'm going to assume that they are no longer working on CS's and accept Free Faller! Welcome aboard. :)
If anyone knows anyone else who might be interested, they can PM me, and maybe we can make room for one more if I like the concept enough. Now, let's talk a bit more about the start of the RP. Now, does anyone have a preference on when their character joins the group? Like, does anyone want to specifically be first or last or something?
If anyone knows anyone else who might be interested, they can PM me, and maybe we can make room for one more if I like the concept enough. Now, let's talk a bit more about the start of the RP. Now, does anyone have a preference on when their character joins the group? Like, does anyone want to specifically be first or last or something?
No, there are still some people who showed interest in the Earth master working on applications, so I'm giving them until tomorrow night before I make the final decision and get us started.
I've posted my character sheet. I need to give it another read through and do some slight editing, so it's not completely finished, but that's the gist of it and I wanted to get it up before I go to bed.
Name: Daiyu
Age: 32
History:
Daiyu's parents were airbenders who decided early on that they did not want to spend their lives in the same temples they'd grown up in. Ever since they got their arrows they were allowed to travel wherever they wished, and they used this freedom to travel, well, everywhere. They were free spirits who were overjoyed when they realized that they would be bringing a new life into the world, but had no intention of raising said child. When the time for Daiyu's birth came close, they decided to make for the Eastern Air Temple.
The flighty nature of Daiyu's parents meant that they were easily distracted from their journey. They were in the heart of the Earth Kingdom when they started their journey, and frequent side trips to visit friends or attractions meant that Daiyu was not born in the temple. With no nuns to take her away after her birth, her parents grew attached quickly. They found more and more distractions to prolong their journey. Daiyu was four years old when an old friend encountered the family and chastised her parents. Airbenders should be raised in temples, and the road was no place for a child, besides. Not long after that encounter, an encounter with dangerous brigands on the road convinced her parents that the other airbender had been right. They brought her to the Eastern Air Temple, were Daiyu's mother had grown up, and left her behind.
Daiyu was confused, sad, and angry in turn. She did not want to live with these strict women and be forced to meditate and practice airbending. She wanted to run barefoot on the beach, and visit new, exciting places, and sleep under the stars, as she had with her parents. She wanted them to come back for her. She was a problem child who alternated between lashing out at both the nuns and other children and outright ignoring them. At times, her behavior was to spite the authority figures who she believes to be responsible for keeping her from enjoying her life, and sometimes, it was to spite the parents who'd abandoned her.
As she grew older Daiyu lost all but a few memories of her parents and the world outside, but that just served to make her angrier. The only nun who could really command her respect was the old Revered Mother Meifen. The head of the temple was wise and firm, but with a wry sense of humor that could bring a smile to Daiyu's face even on her darkest days. Meifen was the only nun who never got frustrated or flustered at her; when she threw a fit, the old woman simply chided her and guilted her into calming down and apologizing.
Daiyu's temper didn't get any better as she aged, and its affect on her bending was clear. To begin with she was already behind the other children her age and, with her refusals to practice or meditate, her skill at bending was very poor. After Meifen became more involved in her rearing, Daiyu did more of what she was supposed to do, but only reluctantly. It was always still exceedingly clear that she would rather be somewhere else.
Most of the children that Daiyu grew up with started to master their bending by their late teens. With that mastery came their arrow tattoos, and the ability to travel as they wished. Daiyu's envy at their ability to leave made her even more disagreeable, but it also fueled her motivation for her training. With Meifen's help, she was able to become a master not long after twenty-one. Still very late, but all that mattered to her was that she was free.
The next several years she spent defying as many of the teachings she'd grown up with as possible. She drank, ate meat, fought, and took men and women both into her bed. A bit of experimenting and pushing the limits of what they were familiar with was normal -even expected- for Air Nomads fresh into the world, but Daiyu took it entirely too far. What's more, because of the limited time she spent outside of the temple as a young child, she thought herself worldly and experienced enough to handle anything that life could through at her. She thought herself invincible. And she was wrong.
At the time, she'd been travelling with a companion. After leaving the temple she had become more sociable, and so she made extra money by allowing travelers bypass forests, mountains, and seas by riding with her on her sky bison, Uppi. She and her companion were travelling to Ba-Sing-Se, and had made camp for the night. They went to a nearby river to bathe and, upon returning to their campsite, found that it had been ransacked. Their food, their money, everything was gone; but the bandits who'd stolen from them left an easy trail to follow. A furious Daiyu pursued. She realized early on that they had bender among them, and were fairly competent warriors, but she hadn't cared. The encounter that followed left her and Uppi injured, and one of the women who'd stolen from them, dead.
She tended their wounds as best she could and started towards the Eastern Air Temple, dropping her companion off at a village not far from their original destination. She was distraught. Her actions had gotten the sky bison she loved permanent scars on her tail and belly, but it was the death she'd caused that truly came as a wake-up call. She was twenty-six the rainy night she returned to the Eastern Air Temple. But, the manner with which she explained the situation to the Revered Mother was that of a child who'd done something wrong and was desperate for forgiveness.
When the Revered Mother refused to grant her what the sought, forgiveness and confirmation that there wasn't something wrong with her -"I cannot tell you the words you want to hear, child," the old woman had said, "the peace that you seek can only come from within"- she lashed out. Even then, the old woman did not anger. When Daiyu begged forgiveness for that, too, the Revered Mother repeated her answer and suggested that she get some sleep. Daiyu complied.
Those events changed Daiyu. She decided to stay at the temple and become a nun to attempt to atone for her actions. She found some semblance of peace in caring for sky bison and, later, becoming something of a personal attendant for the aging Revered Mother. She was not welcomed warmly by those who remembered her actions as a child, but she didn't particularly feel the need for friends. When she was not fulfilling her duties, she dedicated herself to practicing her airbending and meditating; however, she still found the later as difficult as she did when she was a child.
If she were honest with herself, she'd realize that she had no true desire to relieve herself of earthly attachments. She was passionate and had a deep desire to experience life to the fullest; but her guilt kept her at the temple. She knew that she'd never be wise and serene like the old woman, but damned if she wouldn't try. Her training she steadily improved at, until she became one of the very best benders at the temple. Her difficulties with meditating and finding inner peace frustrate her, though now her anger is directed at herself, rather than at some authority figure who is making her do these things. Still, she had no intentions of leaving the temple again until fate forced her to.
Skills
Airbending- Daiyu was a master in the technical sense when she left the temple for the first time, in that she'd learned all thirty-six forms required to receive her tattoos. However, she'd still had a lot to learn about the art. In the six years since she returned to the Eastern Air Temple she seriously dedicated herself to becoming a true master, and her improvement has been remarkable. Though she takes her vow of non-violence very seriously, were she to break it, there are very few who could best her.
Healing- Part of her education growing up included basic first-aid. Since returning to the temple, caring for sick and wounded people and bison has been just another one of her duties, so she's grown more knowledgeable in that area.
Herbology- Daiyu can recognize many edible plants, and those useful in healing.
Cooking- Having cooked for herself when she traveled, and for groups while at the temple -excepting senior members, most nuns are expected to participate in the preparation of meals- Daiyu is a competent chef.
Sewing- Daiyu can make and mend clothing, another duty required of her as a nun.
Music- While travelling, Daiyu picked up the ability to play several instruments, most notably the ruan. She is also a decent singer. She doesn't have much range, but her voice is pleasant enough to listen to. Though she rarely gets the chance to play at the temple, music is one of the few things she really enjoys.
Appearance
Daiyu is tall for a woman, with shoulders and hips just slightly on the broader side. She is strong from her daily chores and airbending exercises, and so has some muscle mass to her, but overall she's quite bony, with very shoulder blades, collarbones, hipbones, etc. All the time she's spent outside has given her a bit of a tan, but she's naturally on the paler side. Like many Air Nomads, her eyes are grey and if she chose to grow out her hair, which she usually keeps shaven, it would be a light brown. Scars and marks from the multiple conflicts she got in when she roamed, most notably that final fight, decorate her body, mostly her arms and hands, though there are a few larger ones on her torso. The most notable of her scars starts at her right temple, stretches over her sharp cheekbone and ends at her collarbone. She wears the traditional robes of her people, including a wooden medallion to symbolize the higher level of bending mastery she's attained since returning to the temple.
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