ethanjory

Avatar - The Fall of Si Wong City

Jemmu knew that the best outcome possible had been achieved when Kyouna managed to cause the thugs to back off, but he was still left with an inescapable feeling of disappointment. As crazy as it might sound to nearly anyone else, Jemmu was more than eager to take advantage of any situation in which he could pit his bending against someone else’s. If it wasn’t for that fact that it would be highly improper, he would have challenged Kyouna to a friendly sparring match ages ago - if only because he simply didn’t have the opportunity to practice against Waterbenders all that often. After observing what Kyouna did with the boiling tea, Jemmu was more excited to see what else she could do. Thinking of all the possibilities was making him a bit hyper, so he proceeded to engage himself in some stretching, if only to expend some of the pent up energy that had begun to grow within him. Now all he wanted to do was anything that could get his blood pumping.

“That thing you did with the tea was really, really cool! Can you make icicles and shoot them like this?” Jemmu motioned with his arms to truly emphasize his point, though it was only a brief interlude before he resumed his stretching, practically jumping up and down as he did so. It was as the adrenaline was passing through his body that his mind finally returned to the most pressing matter within the tea shop - the man that had been assaulted. Thus, Jemmu’s entire demeanor quickly shifted. It was time to be serious.

“He’s… he’s not going to die is he?” Jemmu wasn’t clueless when it came to first aid or tending minor wounds, but he had to admit that he wasn’t exactly in his comfort zone. The man had been sent through the wall of a building. As far as Jemmu could know, there was a possibility of internal bleeding or dozens of other life-threatening injuries. Just thinking about it made his head spin. Jemmu was aware that Waterbending offered healing properties; he could only hope that Kyouna was a skilled healer. There just wasn’t a lot he could pull off on his own, and he’d be more than happy to help in any way that he could.

Jemmu returned with the clean water that Kyouna had requested. Fortunately, it wasn’t that difficult to attain, considering that they were in a tea shop, and all he could do next was hope for the best as he handed it off to Kyouna. The power of healing through Waterbending greatly fascinated Jemmu, and it was a skill he wished that he could learn. Of course, he knew that was impossible for obvious reasons. It was then that it dawned upon him that they hadn’t even bothered to ask the man what his name was. At the very least, it could serve as a ploy to help maintain the man’s consciousness for only a while longer, and that could only be a good thing. Before he could formulate the words in his mouth, Kyouna seemed to have the same idea and she beat Jemmu to it. It was then that he heard a far away sound to his left.

As the door opened, Jemmu nearly shouted out that the shop was closed, but he stayed silent upon seeing the person who had just entered the tea shop. Hiro. An intense feeling of dread was already beginning to wash over him. As for Kyouna and the man, it was unlikely that they had ever met Hiro before, and that was only to their benefit. Hiro was a protege of Jemmu’s father, which was noteworthy, considering that the two of them were polar opposites in nearly every aspect. Even Jemmu would rather keep his distance whenever he had a choice in the matter. Truthfully, the only positive trait that could be ascribed upon Hiro was the man’s undying loyalty towards Jemmu’s father - which was probably the only reason why the One-Eyed Dragon even trusted Hiro in carrying out his will at all.

Hiro casually entered the shop, seemingly ignoring the three other people that shared the room with him. The Firebender whistled in awe once he laid his devious eyes upon that damage that had been done to the tea shop.

“Hiro! What are you doing here?” Jemmu knew that it was a pointless question as soon as it had left his lips. It was clear that Hiro had come for him, and that only caused his heart to leap into his throat.

Hiro smiled at Jemmu’s question. Jemmu gritted his teeth as soon as he realized that Hiro was openly mocking him. For that moment at least, it ended up not going further as Hiro promptly chose to ignore Jemmu instead.

“I am deeply sorry for the tragedy that has befallen your shop. If you require anything at all, do not hesitate to contact me or Zhou.” After Hiro gave Kyouna a short bow, Jemmu could swear that he noticed Hiro look at the wounded man with great disdain. “Instead of rebuilding, it may serve you to move this shop to the Fire District. I can assure you that you won’t have any issues there. Rogue benders are swiftly dealt with.”

Following the brief exchange with Kyouna, Hiro began to approach Jemmu, and that was where the boy lost his nerve, slowly backing away so that he could maintain distance from the man. This didn’t last long, especially after Jemmu nearly tripped over an adjacent chair. He chose to hold his ground after this, and so did Hiro, who still had a menacing smile upon his face. Jemmu returned the gesture with his own look of defiance.

“I was quite surprised when my men told me that you weren’t responsible for this… destruction. You didn’t have anything to gain from doing so, of course, but that didn’t stop you from senselessly destroying the statue of Avatar Si Wong either.”

So Jemmu had been right. There were men who were watching the tea shop in case Jemmu had attempted to slip away. Given the present situation, he could only assume that it wouldn’t have made a difference if he had chosen to do so. After all, Hiro had to be here to drag Jemmu to the monastery - he couldn’t think of any other reason why Hiro would bother coming to the tea shop.

“It wasn’t on purpose. I didn’t mean to…” Jemmu’s voice had gone low, becoming little more than a mutter.

“Accident or not, the result was a damaged statue.” Hiro crossed his arms as he looked down at Jemmu. “Berating you isn’t worth my time. Remove the apron - you’re coming with me.”

Avatar - The Fall of Si Wong City

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I don’t really have any blisters. See?” Jemmu allowed Kyouna to get a good enough look at his hands that would satisfy just about anyone. True to what Jemmu had said, his hands were entirely bereft of blisters. Instead, his hands were heavily callused. Surprising for any other boy of his age, but definitely not so for Jemmu, especially when considering the training regimen that he often subjected himself to. Or, more accurately, the level of training that his father had often arranged for him. His hands were yet another reminder that he wouldn’t be able to do any Firebending training for some time. In fact, his body was feeling a bit flabby lately… could Kyouna tell by just looking at him? That must be why she was acting so nice to him! He had evidently turned into a weakling that demanded pity at every turn. After all, he had to admit that the tea pot he had been lugging around was feeling just a bit heavier than usual… Jemmu was now feeling completely dejected and was only a good push away from falling down a spiral of self-pity. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before he managed to compose himself - the breathing control he learned from Firebending was exceedingly useful in this sort of situation. Still, he had to wipe a few tears away from his brief moment of devastation.

Jemmu was taken aback once he heard Kyouna’s response to his final question. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was possible to be too nice of a person, but if it was, then Kyouna would definitely be guilty of it. He could easily spend far too much time speculating why Kyouna was being so kind to him, and he was fairly certain that he’d get absolutely nowhere by doing so. It would be simpler to accept the gesture for what it was and leave it at that. Still, it was rather shocking that something that he had suggested mostly in jest had been received so warmly. He’d be sure to take advantage of the opportunity that had been presented before him, but he wouldn’t do so immediately. It would be rather foolish of him to head out even under these optimal circumstances. It was true enough that he had Kyouna’s silence, yet that failed to completely reassure him. If he decided to go anywhere of note, there was no question that he’d be seen, and that information would find its way back to his parents. He hadn’t exactly ingratiated himself to the city at large with his latest stunt. Better to let things cool off for awhile longer - at least until the severity of his past deeds had begun to leave everyone’s collective consciousness. That meant he’d be serving tea for a few more weeks, at the very least.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d actually say yes! Things are getting kinda busy, so I’ll stay the rest of today - though I just might take you up on your offer later. I hope you’re ready to see what a Firebender can really do!” Jemmu tried to flex his right bicep to add greater effect, but he was wearing long sleeves, so his intent was largely lost. Jemmu’s face turned red with embarrassment, only dissipating when Kyouna began to make her way out of the back room. As Kyouna was leaving, Jemmu meekly told her that he’d join her later after taking a short break. With his employer finally gone, Jemmu took the opportunity to journey over to one of the counters that lined the wall and poured himself a glass of water. It was just enough to put him back into fighting shape, so to speak. After all, he had only just begun a day that was sure to be longer than he would have liked.

Being all by himself allowed Jemmu to fully appreciate his surroundings. The various dried herbs, spices, and plants vigorously assaulted his sense of smell in all the best kinds of ways. Despite never being much of a fan of tea, he was never against having to work at this tea shop as a punishment; it had been his mother’s idea. His father had been rather set on making him spend the rest of the summer at the local Air Nomad Monastery. Fortunately, his mother had come in at the last moment to suggest that Jemmu could serve tea instead. His father reluctantly agreed, though it was made fairly clear that if Jemmu caused any trouble at all, it would be a summer spent with the monks. Jemmu was quite motivated to avoid that at all costs. After all, Jemmu really had no clue what the Air Nomads did all day anyway. Meditate upon the secrets hidden within the universe and breathe a lot? He was already bored from serving tea, but a summer at the Monastery would be a death sentence. He just couldn’t risk it, at least not yet. Continuing to serve tea at Tea & La was the only way in which he’d be able to come up with a clever way to salvage his summer.

Jemmu was quickly approaching the end of his self-imposed break. Eager to not gain a reputation for laziness with Kyouna, it was probably best to get back to work as quickly as he could. From the folds of his clothing, he pulled out a Waterbending scroll. He had acquired it some time ago from Old Man Lu’s wares, though it was obviously something he wouldn’t have normally been interested in. Lu had lacked any Firebending scroll that was advanced enough to be of use to Jemmu, and the money that he had been saving up was burning a hole in his pocket. Lu had suggested that there was a possibility that Jemmu could incorporate some Waterbending styles in his Firebending. That sounded sensible enough to Jemmu; after all, why would his friend ever steer him wrong? As expected, he had almost no luck with the scroll at all, which soon found itself collecting dust in the mess that he called a bedroom. It only returned to the forefront of his mind once he learned that he would be working at Tea & La where the owner was a Waterbender from the North Pole. He didn’t really know what the difference was when it came to those from the North and South Poles. All he knew was that Kyouna would actually get some use out of the scroll that he never could. He placed the scroll in an area where Kyouna could easily find it, with a short note attached:

Big Sis Kyouna,

Thank you for giving me a chance.
Please take care of me!

-Jemmu

Jemmu frowned as he reread his own note. He really needed to work on his calligraphy. His face slightly reddened again, once the prospect that his writing could be mistaken for something a child would transcribe. The irony was completely lost upon Jemmu. He slapped both of his cheeks a few times, helping him to get his head back into the game. The writing only mattered insofar as it was legible. He could only hope that Kyouna would like the scroll. It was odd; he had no idea why he cared so much about Kyouna’s opinion of him. He supposed it was best to just chalk it up to his nature. Why make enemies when you could make friends instead?

Before Jemmu returned to the main area of the tea shop, he made sure to refill the teapot that he was using with the tea that was that morning’s special. It would do just fine for most of the people that frequented the tea shop, but some people had their own favorites and wanted something more specific. That was usually where a good part of the running back and forth came from. Once Jemmu had left the back room, he became entirely stunned by what he saw. Based on when he was actively serving tea only ten minutes before, practically twice as many were waiting to be served tea as before. Jemmu glanced over to Kyouna, who was frantically trying to keep pace with all the new customers. How was it possible that she was managing this shop all by herself? Maybe it made more sense for Jemmu to train under Kyouna whenever the next opportunity presented itself…

“Looks like I wasn’t lying when I said things were getting busy.” Jemmu was giving Kyouna a wide grin, though it wasn’t exactly easy for him to find his way over to the tea shop’s owner so that he could get a word. The throngs of people that he had to pass through had already emptied most of the contents of his teapot. “If you ever want a break, I could make the next batch of tea, you know? I’m sure there won’t be many people left after that.”

Jemmu thought it was quite a clever joke, and he very much would have liked to get a genuine reaction to it from Kyouna, but he wasn’t afforded the opportunity. He was pulled away almost immediately; Jemmu severely underestimated how ravenous for tea that the patrons of Tea & La actually were. It would be some time before Jemmu had a chance to meet back up with Kyouna. Whenever he had finished serving a group of customers, Kyouna was always busy with something; whether it was serving, brewing, baking, or the plethora of other tasks necessary to keep the shop running smoothly. It was quite incredible how Kyouna seemed to multitask so successfully. On the other hand, Jemmu was clearly struggling with just serving tea and pastries, and it wasn’t for a lack of effort either. The reality of the situation was that Jemmu was exhausted. Not physically - his body was well-conditioned to such a point that pouring tea had little chance of ever wearing him out. It was all the different interactions with the people whom he was serving that was exhausting, and he had always considered himself a people person! Very few took umbrage with sharing a variety of different stories with him; their hopes, desires, dreams, and fears. Much of it was overwhelming, but he truly did not mind. The social aspect of tea seemed to be as important as the drinking of it.

“This is a lot harder work than I thought it would be and I’m having fun, too! We must be coming close to the end of the day, right?” Before Jemmu could receive a proper response, a man with the bushiest mustache that Jemmu had ever seen tugged at his sleeve. Jemmu got the cue, and he refilled the man’s cup.

“Thank you, young man. If I recall correctly, you’ve only been open for about an hour today. Are you planning on closing early today?” The man proceeded to loudly slurp his tea. For a moment, Jemmu had to brace himself with the table. He had never stopped to consider just how much work went into the running of Tea & La, especially just in the short amount of time that he had been there. Jemmu managed to recover quickly.

“Wow, that’s awesome! Big sis, you’re so amazing!” Jemmu humbly gave Kyouna a short bow. As he returned fully upright, his eyes were bright with newly found enthusiasm. “I had no idea that you’ve been managing to do so much everyday all by yourself. I am deeply honored to work beside you.”

It was no sooner than Jemmu had showered Kyouna with accolades than a horrible noise could be heard on the other side of the shop. A window had been completely taken out, along with a good portion of a wall as well. Whatever had crashed through had to have been launched with considerable force. Chaos was only beginning to ensue as the various customers who were all enjoying their tea only moments before were beginning to clear out of the tea shop. Jemmu set aside his teapot as he started to move towards the destruction. Whatever had come through the window had already taken out multiple tables. As he got nearer to the damage, he managed to more closely inspect what had happened - wait, was that a person!?

Upon this realization, Jemmu threw away all reason and rushed to the side of the injured man. He quickly checked for any wounds or broken bones, utilizing much of the medical training that his father had taught him over the years. Nothing seemed to be life-threatening, but he only managed a cursory look before the man’s two assailants had already entered the shop. His entire body tensed; he knew trouble when he saw it. Honestly, he really couldn’t afford to get involved in whatever dispute was happening here, but he couldn’t just walk away from someone who needed his help either. He would just have to beg his parents for forgiveness later.

Jemmu returned to his feet, standing between the two men and their victim in such a way that any further attacks would have to pass through Jemmu before they would be able to hit the man crumpled on the ground. He didn’t assume any threatening stance, he really didn’t want to escalate the situation if he could help it.

“I really hope the two of you are planning to pay for all this damage.”

Of Blood and Bastards

As Rohaan was speaking, Ash noticed Erik pull out a pipe and light it. Ash had no idea what he was smoking, but the smoke itself was strong enough to make her eyes water and she had to cough nearly every other puff. An unhealthy habit to be sure, though it was quite apparent that most soldiers weren't really concerned at all about leading any kind of healthy lifestyle. Even so, she had never really gotten the allure of dying young. Then again, old age didn't seem all that exciting of an experience either. With that passing thought, Ash was at least happy that the conversation hadn't deteriorated yet. Sure, Rohaan was as antagonistic as ever, but that wasn't going change anymore than the sun rising in the sky every morning. Fortunately, it seemed that Erik was ignoring most of the jabs - either he didn't care or he had much more important things on his mind. Truthfully, it was hard to tell which. Erik took another large puff from his pipe and Ash nearly chocked.

"Aye, it'll be a carriage. Nothing nearly as fancy as whatever you're thinking of, though." He slapped the pipe against his leg to empty its contents, then tucked it away for safekeeping. "Slow, but you'll get to Last Vigil fast enough if you keep to the Imperial roads."

"An armed escort will just slow us down, won't it? We're more than capable of defending ourselves." She was would have been in no significant rush normally, but she was fairly certain that they had just unleashed a dark spirit on the entire world. Besides, she had more than a few questions for the Emperor that she wanted answered as soon as possible. Ash was against anything that could possibly slow them down.

"Both of you are clearly capable. You've already proven that." Erik took a glance over to Thoburas' decapitated head, which was now on display on a pike. "If anything happens, you'll be dead and it'll be my problem. And, well, I'd rather avoid the headache that would cause me. You're just going to have to handle a few additional babysitters." Ash saw the logic in that and decided to not push the issue any further.

"I'm sure you both are tired and angry." Erik proceeded to point out the the tents where they could eat and sleep. "There's nothing all that fancy to eat, but I'm sure it's better than whatever you been eating." He turned to address Rohaan.

"Oh, and try to keep a low profile and don't needlessly flaunt that you're a Shifter to the entire camp. I'm not eager to lose any soldiers today." Erik then turned to face Ash once again. "We leave at dawn, so it's best that you get enough rest by then."

"What if we're late?"

Erik paused for a second, as if he was somewhat surprised that Ash would even bother to ask such a question. "You wouldn't stand me up would you? I suppose we'd have to wait on you. The Shifter would just have to catch up."

"I think you're all set now. If you have any question later, though I have no idea why you would, then I'm easy to enough to find." With that, Erik of Strosberg excused himself and began to walk away, though it wasn't long before he was accosted by a few of his lieutenants.

Ash stretched. "Yup, I'm sort of starving. You coming or do you want me to save you something?" She pointed towards where the food was kept, more than eager to get started.

Avatar - The Fall of Si Wong City

Jemmu would be the first one to admit that sometimes he doesn’t make the best decisions. He’s always been the kind of kid that lives much more in the moment than worrying about potential fallout or consequences due to his actions. After all, consequences only matter when you get caught, right? Well, Jemmu got caught, so the consequences were actually a real thing this time around. Of course, his parents were very disappointed with him, but when you have a son like Jemmu, that was more of a constant state of affairs than anything else. When you had prominent parents like Jemmu did, eyes were on you from day one, though he never minded being the center of attention. However, he really screwed up big this time. There was a statue of Avatar Si Wong in the center of the city; the statue itself was rather stern and serious, so Jemmu came up with the bright idea to liven it up. It would look so much better in a dress, wig, and with some brighter paint, wouldn’t it? So he gathered the usual troublemakers that he considered as friends, and he got right into it. As he was clambering up on the statue, Jemmu slipped and… now Avatar Si Wong was missing an arm. And last Jemmu had checked, Si Wong had two arms. Oops.

As expected, his parents were completely merciless once they found out what he had done. Before they could completely destroy him with any punishment, he put his silvertongue to work, getting his friends off mostly scot-free. At least his friends wouldn’t treat him like he had the plague once he finally became a free man in the distant future. It went without saying that his parents (especially his mother) were at their wit’s end in regards to his troublemaking, and so they decided to come down hard on their son. He was placed under what amounted to house arrest, entirely shattering any prospect of having a social life for the foreseeable future. If it had only been this as the punishment, then he would have been able to cope. Sure, he would have become bored and gone stir crazy, but he would have been able to survive. This was where his father truly put his foot down, placing a stipulation where Jemmu was not allowed to Firebend at all. This included training and doing it on his own, or else his punishment would only be extended. Jemmu lived and breathed Firebending, quite literally. On top of this, his parents arranged for him to work at Tea & La, so that he could learn some humility by serving the community. He wasn’t sure if he could survive this.

It was his first day working at the tea shop, and he already hated it. He was wearing the shop’s uniform, which had way too much blue for his liking. Oh, and the apron that he had to wear was so uncool that he desperately hoped that no one that he knew would ever walk in to see him in such a sorry state. Even worse was that Kyouna snatched away his headband - his forehead had never felt so naked and cold. To top it all off, he had to immediately go home at the end of the shift. Everything about having to do this was seriously awful. For now, he’d just have to swallow his pride, put on a fake smile, and get on with it. He saw a customer beckoning him over so he picked up a teapot and went over to serve the man. As he got closer to the table, he instantly recognized the customer. Everything about this individual was nondescript, even the gray streaks running through his dark hair, and the closely cropped beard. However, there was an eternal slyness about him like a fox. Old Man Lu.

“Hey old man! How’d ya know that I’d be here? You don’t want to play some Pai Sho, do you?” Jemmu set down the pot of tea as he began to speak, completely oblivious to the plethora of other patrons still waiting to be served. If it had been anyone else that he knew, he would have been mortified, but Lu was a good person as far he was concerned. Still, he knew he couldn’t spend that much time at Lu’s table before Kyouna started to crack the whip.

“Word gets around. And you have no subtlety at all.” Old Man Lu said this with the faintest smile on his face. He gestured for Jemmu to fill his cup with tea. “Oh, and no Pai Sho for me. You seem to be busy.” The grumbling was beginning to grow around them. Jemmu proceeded to fill Lu’s cup, but he did so with no finesse at all. Plenty of tea found its way outside of the cup and onto the table.

Old Man Lu visibly grimaced as he wiped the excess tea with an embroidered cloth. “How do you expect me to drink this?” He motioned towards the cup that was sitting in front of him. “You poured it with nothing but negative energy!” Jemmu practically did a double take as he set the teapot back onto the table.

“Negative energy!? Are you going senile? Tea is tea. What difference does it make how I pour it?” Jemmu was entirely dumbfounded.

Lu lightly chuckled. “It seems as if your father neglected to teach you one of most important skills that any man should know - the timeless art of tea pouring.” Lu picked up the cup of tea that Jemmu just poured and offered it to the boy. “Go ahead. Drink. Tell me how it tastes.”

Having known Kyouna for only a short time, he had a sneaking suspicion that she would wring his neck for drinking tea that was meant for a customer. However, he knew Lu well enough that he would only continue to insist until Jemmu drank the tea. Jemmu took a sip and… it was awful. It was so bitter that it actually sent a chill running up his spine. “Blegh…”

“Negative energy will ruin even the finest cup of tea.” Old Man Lu said it as if it was a fact that everyone should know. Lu took the cup from Jemmu and tossed the rest of the tea out of the nearest window. “To put it in terms that you can understand… pouring tea is a lot like bending.” Lu only smiled as Jemmu openly scoffed at him.

He picked up the steaming teapot and began his demonstration. “Firebending is all about breathing. If you calm yourself, no matter what your day might have been like, your positive energy will flow into your tea.”

“Airbending is all about freedom. Just like the introspective Air Nomads, sometimes it’s better to not overthink it and go with the flow. Don’t worry about the details and you’ll be sure to have a better cup of tea for it.”

“Waterbending is about being graceful. You ruined the last cup of tea by being sloppy and spilling most of it. The last thing we want is to have tea outside of the cup.”

“Finally we have Earthbending, which is all about waiting for the right moment to pour. Perhaps it may seem insignificant, but when there is no thought put into it, you have tea that has no character or emotion. The point is to pour the tea exactly at the moment that the positive energy wants to be poured.”

“I kinda get the feeling that you’re just making this up as you go along.” Jemmu was clearly still skeptical. On the other hand, Old Man Lu got a hearty laugh out of it.

“You know what? I just might be.” With that, he poured a new cup of tea, and something seemed to be different. It was a similar feeling to whenever he was sparring with his father, and they were Firebending to the best of their abilities. As far as he was aware, Old Man Lu wasn’t a bender of any sort. Jemmu continued to watch silently as Lu poured the tea. No movement was wasted, and it was entirely enthralling. “There,” Lu said as he finished. “I’ll let you determine if there’s any difference.”

Jemmu decided to oblige the old man and his ramblings, fully expected to taste the same bitterness from before. Surprisingly, the cup of tea was quite seriously the best he had ever tasted. It wasn’t long before he finished the entire cup, and was entirely flabbergasted at the same time. He peered closely into the contents of the empty cup, trying to see any remnants of whatever Old Man Lu had snuck into it.

Lu held up his hands. “There’s nothing up my sleeves, my young friend. How about you give it a try?” Jemmu poured Lu another cup of tea and did his best to follow the old man’s advice as closely as he could. As he finished, Lu took a sip and nodded approvingly. “Yes, you’re getting the hang of it. Just like bending, it takes practice to pour the perfect cup of tea. I’ll be looking forward to your progress in the art of tea pouring.”

“Although it pains me to say this, tea isn’t the only reason that I’ve come here.” Lu had reverted to his old sly self as he continued. “This is quickly becoming the most popular tea shop in Si Wong City. As a tea server, you’re bound to overhear an endless assortment of interesting things.” He flashed Jemmu a gold coin. “If you happen to hear anything that is out of the ordinary, I’m willing to pay for that information. And I’ll even leave it entirely to your discretion. Interested?”

It was true enough that Jemmu’s allowance had entirely dried up since the regrettable incident with Avatar Si Wong’s statue. Besides, if it was anything that people didn’t want others to know about, then they wouldn’t talk about it in a tea shop. “Sure! Sounds super easy.”

Old Man Lu only offered Jemmu a smile upon the good news. “Good. You’ve always been a reliable kid.” Lu proceeded to finish the rest of his tea, before placing plenty of copper coins on the table. “For that delicious cup of tea… and all the wasted tea.” Jemmu thought he spotted Lu tearing up a little. “Oh, and give the owner my best. She’s been looking quite stunning lately.”

“Pervy old man…” Jemmu muttered under his breath as he watched Lu take his leave of the establishment. That was when he got back to work, serving all the customers that he had neglected so far. He got nothing but compliments for his new tea pouring abilities until he had to return to the back of the shop with an empty teapot. That was where he found Kyouna furiously making more tea and other foodstuffs. After depositing the coins in the appropriate place, he remembered that he wanted to speak with her.

“Hey, big sis!” Jemmu greeted Kyouna with the boundless enthusiasm that he was well-known for. “I wanted to talk to you earlier but…” Jemmu began to scratch the back of his neck. “If you ever see me doing something I’m not supposed to, it’s a trick of the light. Believe me!”

“And please let my mom know that I’m doing a good job. I don’t know how much longer I can go serving tea. I think I already have blisters…” He looked at his hands concerned, though after years of Firebending there was no chance of him being worn out by pouring tea.

“Ooh! One last thing!” Jemmu had nearly forgotten the most important thing that he wanted to ask Kyouna about. “Any chance that you can let me out early? My parents don’t even have to know…”

Avatar - The Fall of Si Wong City

Jemmu

_{'If you’re having fun without me, then you’re not really having fun'}

---

Character Age:
12

Character Gender:
Male

Character Race:
Fire Islands (Jemmu’s father is of the Fire Islands and his mother is of the Earth Kingdom)

Bending:
Jemmu is a Firebender, and an exceptionally proficient one at that, especially when considering his young age. Ever since he manifested his first embers as a toddler, he’s been under the tutelage of his father Zhou Hongza, “The One-Eyed Dragon”. Given his current level of skill and talent, it would be fairly easy to label Jemmu as a prodigy, but that would be painting a mostly incomplete picture. There were many aspects of Firebending that Jemmu initially struggled with, but he was fortunate enough to have a master Firebender to help guide him through much of it. Of course, while there’s nothing to dispute that he’s clearly naturally talented; there’s also no way that he’d be as advanced as he is now with bending if he hadn’t put in the years upon years of training with his father. He’s proud of the significant progress he has made, especially considering that he’s one of the few people that can comfortably keep up with his father during most of their more intensive training sessions. Regardless, he still has a lot to improve and it will be a long time before he’s considered a master bender like his father.

Skills:

• Swordsmanship: Jemmu’s new found skill with a blade is almost entirely an extension of his Firebending training under his father. What he has been taught is to use it to augment his fire and flames, and to seamlessly integrate it in the martial arts that make up the core of his Firebending.
• Parkour: Having lived his entire life within Si Wong City, there is a barely an inch of the city that Jemmu isn’t extremely familiar with. It was just the natural progression of his childhood to climb structures and buildings until he realized it was faster to travel by rooftop than the streets below.
• Pai Sho: Pai Sho is Jemmu’s father’s favorite game, so he had plenty of exposure to it while growing up. He also played against his father plenty of times, when his father wanted to emphasize nurturing a strong mind and strategy. It was just an inevitability that he would eventually become rather good at it. Jemmu even occasionally plays against others for money, though both his father and mother disapprove of him doing that.
• Gregarious: Jemmu has always been a people person, and in this regard he is much more like his mother than his father. He has always made friends quickly and easily, and he would always make a great effort to turn an enemy into an ally if he could. An extension of this is that he’d be totally lost in complete solitude, and despises the thought of spending any considerable amount of time alone.

Weaknesses:

• Naive: Jemmu is young, thereby lacking the life experiences that many other people have. He just doesn’t have a reason to not trust people at face value, and could be easily taken advantage of by anyone who saw the opportunity. His insistence to see the good in people is going to be exploited one day in the future.
• Impatient: Never one to wait silently on the sidelines, Jemmu has developed a bad habit of rushing into things before fully thinking them through. This is possibly most prevalent in his Firebending; if he sees an opening, he’ll rush to take advantage of it, likely overexposing himself in the process. His father has attempted to teach him to be more thoughtful, but this has largely fallen on deaf ears.

Posessions:

• Firebending Sword: A gift from his father, the blade of this shortsword is made with a highly conductible and combustible metal that makes it perfect for use in many different Firebending styles. The blade can be ignited, and the flames can be manipulated in a much more directed way. Exceptionally deadly in a variety of combat situations.
• Pai Sho Set: Another gift, this time from both his parents. Kept in a pouch, these pieces were expertly carved and commissioned especially for Jemmu.

Biography:
Jemmu’s birth coincided with the summer solstice, an important date for the people of the Fire Islands, and a sign among the superstitious that he would be bound for greatness. However, he was born in Si Wong City, ensuring that his birth would also be met with celebration, albeit under much different circumstances. His father was Zhou Hongza, “The One-Eyed Dragon”, considered to be one of the greatest Firebending masters of the current age, and the de facto leader of the burgeoning Fire Islands minority within Si Wong City. His mother, Tei Li, was a scion of a family that had held considerable influence in Si Wong City ever since its founding, and was a powerful Earthbender in her own right. Their love had developed completely independently of any political machinations, though it still served as a useful alliance between the Earthbending majority and the Firebending minority. Jemmu’s closeness with his mother had always resulted in a very strong relationship, whereas his paternal relationship was much more tenuous in nature. Jemmu was fun-loving, extroverted, and loud. His father was the polar opposite - serious, reserved, and quiet. Oddly enough, despite being father and son, they had nothing in common… except for Firebending. The ability to bond as father and son was ultimately replaced with a stalwart relationship between master and student. Initially disappointed, Jemmu eventually grew to be happy that they could truly communicate through the sacred art of Firebending.

Despite being part of a prominent family and a capable bender, Tei Li shifted much of her focus in raising her son. In nearly all respects, Tei Li was a kind and caring mother. Yet, if Jemmu was ever caught misbehaving, she was fully capable of transforming into a saber-toothed moose lion in an instance. For this very reason, there was no one else that Jemmu loved or feared more than his own mother. However, despite his mother’s swift discipline, Jemmu was the type of mischievous child that never seemed to learn. It wasn’t long at all before Teil Li put Jemmu to work in the family’s flower shop to earn his weekly allowance. It was definitely no exaggeration to say that she worked her son to the bone, mostly to help keep him out of trouble. It worked, to a certain point, but Jemmu somehow still found the time to embroil himself in all kinds of trouble, regardless.

Indeed, Jemmu often found ways to wrangle others into his many misadventures - considering that he never found it especially difficult to befriend others. Jemmu’s extroverted nature allowed him to not discriminate when it came to those that he made friends with. From those belonging to the upper echelons of Si Wong City like himself to those at the bottom, it made very little difference to Jemmu. In either case, he was almost always the natural leader of these groups. Starting from the time that he was a small child, Jemmu had always been well-known throughout Si Wong City - often for all the wrong reasons. Of course, Jemmu always found a way to drag his friends into many of his countless escapades. It was rare for any of them to ever complain since Jemmu usually found a way to make any adventure fun, even if it ended up blowing up in his face at the end. Without a doubt, the positive personality that Jemmu exhibited upon others was highly infectious.

It went without saying that Jemmu was quite easy going in regards to most aspects of his life. All except for the art of Firebending. Jemmu’s passion for it wasn’t equaled by almost anything else, and so it remained one of the few things in the world that he actually took seriously. After all, it was the one common language that he was able to share with his father. Even his own mother couldn’t quite understand, given that she was an Earthbender. Jemmu had obviously trained with and against several other Firebenders many times before, and it just wasn’t the same. It always lacked the same intensity and chemistry that Jemmu and his father had built up over the many years. After all, Jemmu had been training with his father from that time that he was barely more than a toddler. The training itself wasn’t easy, nor was it intended to be, constantly challenging body, mind, and spirit. From time to time, other Firebenders had attempted to train with Zhou and Jemmu, but it was rare for them to last long. Others that did study under Zhou were often given a more manageable regimen. The level of Firebending training performed on a daily basis by Jemmu and his father is practically on an entirely different level than almost anywhere else within Si Wong City.

More recently, Zhou’s training of Jemmu has taken a slightly different route, involving the craft of integrating weapons in the martial arts of Firebending (most notably spears and swords). At first, this was a hurdle for Jemmu, considering that he simply wasn’t used to adding anything else to his martial arts than the fires that he can conjure. Eventually, he came to favor the sword, and it truly became an extension of his arm, though just like with Firebending Jemmu was still a far cry from being a true master like his father. Upon attaining proficiency, it wasn’t long until his father gifted him a custom sword, made with a highly conductible metal that made it perfect to use when bending fire. Jemmu was deeply honored by the gift, and it still remains his most precious possession. Additionally, it adds an entirely new layer to Jemmu and his father’s routine sparring matches. At first, Jemmu couldn’t keep up with his father for longer than a single minute, truly a testament to the incredible abilities of his father. However, after years of training, along with considerable progression of his own Firebending, Jemmu has been able to inch his way into having truly amazing Firebending bouts with his father. After all these years, just watching Jemmu’s overall progress with Firebending has been a truly humbling experience for Zhou.

Many Firebenders use their rage and anger to augment their bending, though Zhou ultimately rejected this, and passed these lessons down to his son, Jemmu. The focus instead lies within the incredible willpower that Firebending should inhibit, most purely represented by the ‘internal fire’ from within to fully accomplish desires and ambitions. Instead of destruction, fire is life, to be harnessed with the utmost care. It is also passion, to be used to protect the people and values that you care the most about. There is a pathway for Firebending to promote peace and not war. Zhou’s legacy is to push this philosophy, and Jemmu is completely dedicated to it as well. At the end of the day, Jemmu is just a goofy kid who likes to have fun like any other, having learned Firebending to be able to connect on a deeper level with his father. At the same time, he is well aware that his skills as a Firebender can be used to protect his family, friends, and Si Wong City, all of which are deeply important to him. If the day ever comes in which he’d have to sacrifice to protect any of those, he’d do so without a second thought.

Supporting Cast:
Zhou Hongza: Jemmu’s father. A member of the once-powerful Hongza clan, Zhou’s extraordinary talents as a masterful Firebender was noted throughout the Fire Islands even back then. He was an aggressive and violent young man, relishing the opportunity to fight in the endless wars that were constantly being waged throughout the Fire Islands. The political climate of the Fire Islands is always extremely turbulent, and it was only a matter of time before the Hongza clan fell to tragedy. Zhou remained one of the few survivors, and the circumstances were such that he was forced to flee from his home. He was now angrier than ever, becoming a mercenary to fight primarily under the banner of Ba Sing Se. It was after a near-death experience that Zhou finally had an epiphany and the weight of the destruction of his family finally came over him. He realized how senseless and pointless war truly was, and he began to travel throughout the world to find himself a worthy purpose. He began to meditate with the Air Nomads at various Air Temples, becoming quite receptive to their philosophy of nonviolence. He was directed to Si Wong City after much time with the Air Nomads, encouraged by a city that was a melting pot of all the differing cultures. He chose to finally set down roots there, and became close to Tei Li, who soon became his wife and mother to Jemmu. From there, he became the de facto leader of the Fire Islands minority in Si Wong City, and remains a loud proponent for peace and opponent of senseless violence.

Tei Li: Jemmu’s mother. Tei Li belongs to one of the most prominent Earthbending families within Si Wong City, and even a prominent ancestor was a companion to Avatar Si Wong. She was tasked with helping Zhou Hongza settle within the city after he was vouched for and sponsored by the city’s Air Nomads. Romance eventually blossomed between the two, they married, and Jemmu was born not long after. Their marriage served as a way to bridge the Firending minority and Earthbending majority together. A talented Earthbender in her own right, Tei Li is more than capable of giving her husband and son a good thrashing whenever they warrant it. Also, it is quite beneficial considering she grows nearly all the flowers that she sells in her shop, and Jemmu has spent enough time helping his mother to know how passionate she is about flowers. Jemmu remains very close to his mother, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

An: The dragon of Jemmu’s father. Zhou Hongza was given An as a child and she has remained his constant companion ever since. Like his father, Jemmu has become just as close to An, as a stalwart companion that can always be relied upon.

Old Man Lu: A friend of Jemmu. He calls himself a travelling merchant, but the goods that he sells were clearly illicitly gained, and he seems to be a con artist of some sort. Still, the majority of these illegal activities have gone right over Jemmu’s head. Jemmu has relied on Lu to attain certain Firebending scrolls to train advanced styles that his father had refused to teach him so far. Lu is also a decent Pai Sho player, and was the one who introduced Jemmu to the illegal Pai Sho betting circles in the city. Both his parents have disapproved of his continued association with Lu, but he has mostly ignored their advice so far.

Xu Zheng: A childhood friend of Jemmu. Having known each other since childhood, Xu is often a critical component of whatever Jemmu is doing. As such, if Jemmu is up to any trouble or mischief, then it’s a good bet that Xu is providing the torch to start the fire. Much of Jemmu’s experience at combat against Earthbenders is from his multitude of friendly sparring matches against Xu.

ethanjory - Character Repository

Jemmu

_{'If you’re having fun without me, then you’re not really having fun'}

---

Character Age:
12

Character Gender:
Male

Character Race:
Fire Islands (Jemmu’s father is of the Fire Islands and his mother is of the Earth Kingdom)

Bending:
Jemmu is a Firebender, and an exceptionally proficient one at that, especially when considering his young age. Ever since he manifested his first embers as a toddler, he’s been under the tutelage of his father Zhou Hongza, “The One-Eyed Dragon”. Given his current level of skill and talent, it would be fairly easy to label Jemmu as a prodigy, but that would be painting a mostly incomplete picture. There were many aspects of Firebending that Jemmu initially struggled with, but he was fortunate enough to have a master Firebender to help guide him through much of it. Of course, while there’s nothing to dispute that he’s clearly naturally talented; there’s also no way that he’d be as advanced as he is now with bending if he hadn’t put in the years upon years of training with his father. He’s proud of the significant progress he has made, especially considering that he’s one of the few people that can comfortably keep up with his father during most of their more intensive training sessions. Regardless, he still has a lot to improve and it will be a long time before he’s considered a master bender like his father.

Skills:

• Swordsmanship: Jemmu’s new found skill with a blade is almost entirely an extension of his Firebending training under his father. What he has been taught is to use it to augment his fire and flames, and to seamlessly integrate it in the martial arts that make up the core of his Firebending.
• Parkour: Having lived his entire life within Si Wong City, there is a barely an inch of the city that Jemmu isn’t extremely familiar with. It was just the natural progression of his childhood to climb structures and buildings until he realized it was faster to travel by rooftop than the streets below.
• Pai Sho: Pai Sho is Jemmu’s father’s favorite game, so he had plenty of exposure to it while growing up. He also played against his father plenty of times, when his father wanted to emphasize nurturing a strong mind and strategy. It was just an inevitability that he would eventually become rather good at it. Jemmu even occasionally plays against others for money, though both his father and mother disapprove of him doing that.
• Gregarious: Jemmu has always been a people person, and in this regard he is much more like his mother than his father. He has always made friends quickly and easily, and he would always make a great effort to turn an enemy into an ally if he could. An extension of this is that he’d be totally lost in complete solitude, and despises the thought of spending any considerable amount of time alone.

Weaknesses:

• Naive: Jemmu is young, thereby lacking the life experiences that many other people have. He just doesn’t have a reason to not trust people at face value, and could be easily taken advantage of by anyone who saw the opportunity. His insistence to see the good in people is going to be exploited one day in the future.
• Impatient: Never one to wait silently on the sidelines, Jemmu has developed a bad habit of rushing into things before fully thinking them through. This is possibly most prevalent in his Firebending; if he sees an opening, he’ll rush to take advantage of it, likely overexposing himself in the process. His father has attempted to teach him to be more thoughtful, but this has largely fallen on deaf ears.

Posessions:

• Firebending Sword: A gift from his father, the blade of this shortsword is made with a highly conductible and combustible metal that makes it perfect for use in many different Firebending styles. The blade can be ignited, and the flames can be manipulated in a much more directed way. Exceptionally deadly in a variety of combat situations.
• Pai Sho Set: Another gift, this time from both his parents. Kept in a pouch, these pieces were expertly carved and commissioned especially for Jemmu.

Biography:
Jemmu’s birth coincided with the summer solstice, an important date for the people of the Fire Islands, and a sign among the superstitious that he would be bound for greatness. However, he was born in Si Wong City, ensuring that his birth would also be met with celebration, albeit under much different circumstances. His father was Zhou Hongza, “The One-Eyed Dragon”, considered to be one of the greatest Firebending masters of the current age, and the de facto leader of the burgeoning Fire Islands minority within Si Wong City. His mother, Tei Li, was a scion of a family that had held considerable influence in Si Wong City ever since its founding, and was a powerful Earthbender in her own right. Their love had developed completely independently of any political machinations, though it still served as a useful alliance between the Earthbending majority and the Firebending minority. Jemmu’s closeness with his mother had always resulted in a very strong relationship, whereas his paternal relationship was much more tenuous in nature. Jemmu was fun-loving, extroverted, and loud. His father was the polar opposite - serious, reserved, and quiet. Oddly enough, despite being father and son, they had nothing in common… except for Firebending. The ability to bond as father and son was ultimately replaced with a stalwart relationship between master and student. Initially disappointed, Jemmu eventually grew to be happy that they could truly communicate through the sacred art of Firebending.

Despite being part of a prominent family and a capable bender, Tei Li shifted much of her focus in raising her son. In nearly all respects, Tei Li was a kind and caring mother. Yet, if Jemmu was ever caught misbehaving, she was fully capable of transforming into a saber-toothed moose lion in an instance. For this very reason, there was no one else that Jemmu loved or feared more than his own mother. However, despite his mother’s swift discipline, Jemmu was the type of mischievous child that never seemed to learn. It wasn’t long at all before Teil Li put Jemmu to work in the family’s flower shop to earn his weekly allowance. It was definitely no exaggeration to say that she worked her son to the bone, mostly to help keep him out of trouble. It worked, to a certain point, but Jemmu somehow still found the time to embroil himself in all kinds of trouble, regardless.

Indeed, Jemmu often found ways to wrangle others into his many misadventures - considering that he never found it especially difficult to befriend others. Jemmu’s extroverted nature allowed him to not discriminate when it came to those that he made friends with. From those belonging to the upper echelons of Si Wong City like himself to those at the bottom, it made very little difference to Jemmu. In either case, he was almost always the natural leader of these groups. Starting from the time that he was a small child, Jemmu had always been well-known throughout Si Wong City - often for all the wrong reasons. Of course, Jemmu always found a way to drag his friends into many of his countless escapades. It was rare for any of them to ever complain since Jemmu usually found a way to make any adventure fun, even if it ended up blowing up in his face at the end. Without a doubt, the positive personality that Jemmu exhibited upon others was highly infectious.

It went without saying that Jemmu was quite easy going in regards to most aspects of his life. All except for the art of Firebending. Jemmu’s passion for it wasn’t equaled by almost anything else, and so it remained one of the few things in the world that he actually took seriously. After all, it was the one common language that he was able to share with his father. Even his own mother couldn’t quite understand, given that she was an Earthbender. Jemmu had obviously trained with and against several other Firebenders many times before, and it just wasn’t the same. It always lacked the same intensity and chemistry that Jemmu and his father had built up over the many years. After all, Jemmu had been training with his father from that time that he was barely more than a toddler. The training itself wasn’t easy, nor was it intended to be, constantly challenging body, mind, and spirit. From time to time, other Firebenders had attempted to train with Zhou and Jemmu, but it was rare for them to last long. Others that did study under Zhou were often given a more manageable regimen. The level of Firebending training performed on a daily basis by Jemmu and his father is practically on an entirely different level than almost anywhere else within Si Wong City.

More recently, Zhou’s training of Jemmu has taken a slightly different route, involving the craft of integrating weapons in the martial arts of Firebending (most notably spears and swords). At first, this was a hurdle for Jemmu, considering that he simply wasn’t used to adding anything else to his martial arts than the fires that he can conjure. Eventually, he came to favor the sword, and it truly became an extension of his arm, though just like with Firebending Jemmu was still a far cry from being a true master like his father. Upon attaining proficiency, it wasn’t long until his father gifted him a custom sword, made with a highly conductible metal that made it perfect to use when bending fire. Jemmu was deeply honored by the gift, and it still remains his most precious possession. Additionally, it adds an entirely new layer to Jemmu and his father’s routine sparring matches. At first, Jemmu couldn’t keep up with his father for longer than a single minute, truly a testament to the incredible abilities of his father. However, after years of training, along with considerable progression of his own Firebending, Jemmu has been able to inch his way into having truly amazing Firebending bouts with his father. After all these years, just watching Jemmu’s overall progress with Firebending has been a truly humbling experience for Zhou.

Many Firebenders use their rage and anger to augment their bending, though Zhou ultimately rejected this, and passed these lessons down to his son, Jemmu. The focus instead lies within the incredible willpower that Firebending should inhibit, most purely represented by the ‘internal fire’ from within to fully accomplish desires and ambitions. Instead of destruction, fire is life, to be harnessed with the utmost care. It is also passion, to be used to protect the people and values that you care the most about. There is a pathway for Firebending to promote peace and not war. Zhou’s legacy is to push this philosophy, and Jemmu is completely dedicated to it as well. At the end of the day, Jemmu is just a goofy kid who likes to have fun like any other, having learned Firebending to be able to connect on a deeper level with his father. At the same time, he is well aware that his skills as a Firebender can be used to protect his family, friends, and Si Wong City, all of which are deeply important to him. If the day ever comes in which he’d have to sacrifice to protect any of those, he’d do so without a second thought.

Supporting Cast:
Zhou Hongza: Jemmu’s father. A member of the once-powerful Hongza clan, Zhou’s extraordinary talents as a masterful Firebender was noted throughout the Fire Islands even back then. He was an aggressive and violent young man, relishing the opportunity to fight in the endless wars that were constantly being waged throughout the Fire Islands. The political climate of the Fire Islands is always extremely turbulent, and it was only a matter of time before the Hongza clan fell to tragedy. Zhou remained one of the few survivors, and the circumstances were such that he was forced to flee from his home. He was now angrier than ever, becoming a mercenary to fight primarily under the banner of Ba Sing Se. It was after a near-death experience that Zhou finally had an epiphany and the weight of the destruction of his family finally came over him. He realized how senseless and pointless war truly was, and he began to travel throughout the world to find himself a worthy purpose. He began to meditate with the Air Nomads at various Air Temples, becoming quite receptive to their philosophy of nonviolence. He was directed to Si Wong City after much time with the Air Nomads, encouraged by a city that was a melting pot of all the differing cultures. He chose to finally set down roots there, and became close to Tei Li, who soon became his wife and mother to Jemmu. From there, he became the de facto leader of the Fire Islands minority in Si Wong City, and remains a loud proponent for peace and opponent of senseless violence.

Tei Li: Jemmu’s mother. Tei Li belongs to one of the most prominent Earthbending families within Si Wong City, and even a prominent ancestor was a companion to Avatar Si Wong. She was tasked with helping Zhou Hongza settle within the city after he was vouched for and sponsored by the city’s Air Nomads. Romance eventually blossomed between the two, they married, and Jemmu was born not long after. Their marriage served as a way to bridge the Firending minority and Earthbending majority together. A talented Earthbender in her own right, Tei Li is more than capable of giving her husband and son a good thrashing whenever they warrant it. Also, it is quite beneficial considering she grows nearly all the flowers that she sells in her shop, and Jemmu has spent enough time helping his mother to know how passionate she is about flowers. Jemmu remains very close to his mother, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

An: The dragon of Jemmu’s father. Zhou Hongza was given An as a child and she has remained his constant companion ever since. Like his father, Jemmu has become just as close to An, as a stalwart companion that can always be relied upon.

Old Man Lu: A friend of Jemmu. He calls himself a travelling merchant, but the goods that he sells were clearly illicitly gained, and he seems to be a con artist of some sort. Still, the majority of these illegal activities have gone right over Jemmu’s head. Jemmu has relied on Lu to attain certain Firebending scrolls to train advanced styles that his father had refused to teach him so far. Lu is also a decent Pai Sho player, and was the one who introduced Jemmu to the illegal Pai Sho betting circles in the city. Both his parents have disapproved of his continued association with Lu, but he has mostly ignored their advice so far.

Xu Zheng: A childhood friend of Jemmu. Having known each other since childhood, Xu is often a critical component of whatever Jemmu is doing. As such, if Jemmu is up to any trouble or mischief, then it’s a good bet that Xu is providing the torch to start the fire. Much of Jemmu’s experience at combat against Earthbenders is from his multitude of friendly sparring matches against Xu.

Avatar - The Fall of Si Wong City

I apologize for the cringe and bad writing below.

Jemmu

_{'If you’re having fun without me, then you’re not really having fun'}

---

Character Age:
12

Character Gender:
Male

Character Race:
Fire Islands (Jemmu’s father is of the Fire Islands and his mother is of the Earth Kingdom)

Bending:
Jemmu is a Firebender, and an exceptionally proficient one at that, especially when considering his young age. Ever since he manifested his first embers as a toddler, he’s been under the tutelage of his father Zhou Hongza, “The One-Eyed Dragon”. Given his current level of skill and talent, it would be fairly easy to label Jemmu as a prodigy, but that would be painting a mostly incomplete picture. There were many aspects of Firebending that Jemmu initially struggled with, but he was fortunate enough to have a master Firebender to help guide him through much of it. Of course, while there’s nothing to dispute that he’s clearly naturally talented; there’s also no way that he’d be as advanced as he is now with bending if he hadn’t put in the years upon years of training with his father. He’s proud of the significant progress he has made, especially considering that he’s one of the few people that can comfortably keep up with his father during most of their more intensive training sessions. Regardless, he still has a lot to improve and it will be a long time before he’s considered a master bender like his father.

Skills:

• Swordsmanship: Jemmu’s new found skill with a blade is almost entirely an extension of his Firebending training under his father. What he has been taught is to use it to augment his fire and flames, and to seamlessly integrate it in the martial arts that make up the core of his Firebending.
• Parkour: Having lived his entire life within Si Wong City, there is a barely an inch of the city that Jemmu isn’t extremely familiar with. It was just the natural progression of his childhood to climb structures and buildings until he realized it was faster to travel by rooftop than the streets below.
• Pai Sho: Pai Sho is Jemmu’s father’s favorite game, so he had plenty of exposure to it while growing up. He also played against his father plenty of times, when his father wanted to emphasize nurturing a strong mind and strategy. It was just an inevitability that he would eventually become rather good at it. Jemmu even occasionally plays against others for money, though both his father and mother disapprove of him doing that.
• Gregarious: Jemmu has always been a people person, and in this regard he is much more like his mother than his father. He has always made friends quickly and easily, and he would always make a great effort to turn an enemy into an ally if he could. An extension of this is that he’d be totally lost in complete solitude, and despises the thought of spending any considerable amount of time alone.

Weaknesses:

• Naive: Jemmu is young, thereby lacking the life experiences that many other people have. He just doesn’t have a reason to not trust people at face value, and could be easily taken advantage of by anyone who saw the opportunity. His insistence to see the good in people is going to be exploited one day in the future.
• Impatient: Never one to wait silently on the sidelines, Jemmu has developed a bad habit of rushing into things before fully thinking them through. This is possibly most prevalent in his Firebending; if he sees an opening, he’ll rush to take advantage of it, likely overexposing himself in the process. His father has attempted to teach him to be more thoughtful, but this has largely fallen on deaf ears.

Posessions:

• Firebending Sword: A gift from his father, the blade of this shortsword is made with a highly conductible and combustible metal that makes it perfect for use in many different Firebending styles. The blade can be ignited, and the flames can be manipulated in a much more directed way. Exceptionally deadly in a variety of combat situations.
• Pai Sho Set: Another gift, this time from both his parents. Kept in a pouch, these pieces were expertly carved and commissioned especially for Jemmu.

Biography:
Jemmu’s birth coincided with the summer solstice, an important date for the people of the Fire Islands, and a sign among the superstitious that he would be bound for greatness. However, he was born in Si Wong City, ensuring that his birth would also be met with celebration, albeit under much different circumstances. His father was Zhou Hongza, “The One-Eyed Dragon”, considered to be one of the greatest Firebending masters of the current age, and the de facto leader of the burgeoning Fire Islands minority within Si Wong City. His mother, Tei Li, was a scion of a family that had held considerable influence in Si Wong City ever since its founding, and was a powerful Earthbender in her own right. Their love had developed completely independently of any political machinations, though it still served as a useful alliance between the Earthbending majority and the Firebending minority. Jemmu’s closeness with his mother had always resulted in a very strong relationship, whereas his paternal relationship was much more tenuous in nature. Jemmu was fun-loving, extroverted, and loud. His father was the polar opposite - serious, reserved, and quiet. Oddly enough, despite being father and son, they had nothing in common… except for Firebending. The ability to bond as father and son was ultimately replaced with a stalwart relationship between master and student. Initially disappointed, Jemmu eventually grew to be happy that they could truly communicate through the sacred art of Firebending.

Despite being part of a prominent family and a capable bender, Tei Li shifted much of her focus in raising her son. In nearly all respects, Tei Li was a kind and caring mother. Yet, if Jemmu was ever caught misbehaving, she was fully capable of transforming into a saber-toothed moose lion in an instance. For this very reason, there was no one else that Jemmu loved or feared more than his own mother. However, despite his mother’s swift discipline, Jemmu was the type of mischievous child that never seemed to learn. It wasn’t long at all before Teil Li put Jemmu to work in the family’s flower shop to earn his weekly allowance. It was definitely no exaggeration to say that she worked her son to the bone, mostly to help keep him out of trouble. It worked, to a certain point, but Jemmu somehow still found the time to embroil himself in all kinds of trouble, regardless.

Indeed, Jemmu often found ways to wrangle others into his many misadventures - considering that he never found it especially difficult to befriend others. Jemmu’s extroverted nature allowed him to not discriminate when it came to those that he made friends with. From those belonging to the upper echelons of Si Wong City like himself to those at the bottom, it made very little difference to Jemmu. In either case, he was almost always the natural leader of these groups. Starting from the time that he was a small child, Jemmu had always been well-known throughout Si Wong City - often for all the wrong reasons. Of course, Jemmu always found a way to drag his friends into many of his countless escapades. It was rare for any of them to ever complain since Jemmu usually found a way to make any adventure fun, even if it ended up blowing up in his face at the end. Without a doubt, the positive personality that Jemmu exhibited upon others was highly infectious.

It went without saying that Jemmu was quite easy going in regards to most aspects of his life. All except for the art of Firebending. Jemmu’s passion for it wasn’t equaled by almost anything else, and so it remained one of the few things in the world that he actually took seriously. After all, it was the one common language that he was able to share with his father. Even his own mother couldn’t quite understand, given that she was an Earthbender. Jemmu had obviously trained with and against several other Firebenders many times before, and it just wasn’t the same. It always lacked the same intensity and chemistry that Jemmu and his father had built up over the many years. After all, Jemmu had been training with his father from that time that he was barely more than a toddler. The training itself wasn’t easy, nor was it intended to be, constantly challenging body, mind, and spirit. From time to time, other Firebenders had attempted to train with Zhou and Jemmu, but it was rare for them to last long. Others that did study under Zhou were often given a more manageable regimen. The level of Firebending training performed on a daily basis by Jemmu and his father is practically on an entirely different level than almost anywhere else within Si Wong City.

More recently, Zhou’s training of Jemmu has taken a slightly different route, involving the craft of integrating weapons in the martial arts of Firebending (most notably spears and swords). At first, this was a hurdle for Jemmu, considering that he simply wasn’t used to adding anything else to his martial arts than the fires that he can conjure. Eventually, he came to favor the sword, and it truly became an extension of his arm, though just like with Firebending Jemmu was still a far cry from being a true master like his father. Upon attaining proficiency, it wasn’t long until his father gifted him a custom sword, made with a highly conductible metal that made it perfect to use when bending fire. Jemmu was deeply honored by the gift, and it still remains his most precious possession. Additionally, it adds an entirely new layer to Jemmu and his father’s routine sparring matches. At first, Jemmu couldn’t keep up with his father for longer than a single minute, truly a testament to the incredible abilities of his father. However, after years of training, along with considerable progression of his own Firebending, Jemmu has been able to inch his way into having truly amazing Firebending bouts with his father. After all these years, just watching Jemmu’s overall progress with Firebending has been a truly humbling experience for Zhou.

Many Firebenders use their rage and anger to augment their bending, though Zhou ultimately rejected this, and passed these lessons down to his son, Jemmu. The focus instead lies within the incredible willpower that Firebending should inhibit, most purely represented by the ‘internal fire’ from within to fully accomplish desires and ambitions. Instead of destruction, fire is life, to be harnessed with the utmost care. It is also passion, to be used to protect the people and values that you care the most about. There is a pathway for Firebending to promote peace and not war. Zhou’s legacy is to push this philosophy, and Jemmu is completely dedicated to it as well. At the end of the day, Jemmu is just a goofy kid who likes to have fun like any other, having learned Firebending to be able to connect on a deeper level with his father. At the same time, he is well aware that his skills as a Firebender can be used to protect his family, friends, and Si Wong City, all of which are deeply important to him. If the day ever comes in which he’d have to sacrifice to protect any of those, he’d do so without a second thought.

Supporting Cast:
Zhou Hongza: Jemmu’s father. A member of the once-powerful Hongza clan, Zhou’s extraordinary talents as a masterful Firebender was noted throughout the Fire Islands even back then. He was an aggressive and violent young man, relishing the opportunity to fight in the endless wars that were constantly being waged throughout the Fire Islands. The political climate of the Fire Islands is always extremely turbulent, and it was only a matter of time before the Hongza clan fell to tragedy. Zhou remained one of the few survivors, and the circumstances were such that he was forced to flee from his home. He was now angrier than ever, becoming a mercenary to fight primarily under the banner of Ba Sing Se. It was after a near-death experience that Zhou finally had an epiphany and the weight of the destruction of his family finally came over him. He realized how senseless and pointless war truly was, and he began to travel throughout the world to find himself a worthy purpose. He began to meditate with the Air Nomads at various Air Temples, becoming quite receptive to their philosophy of nonviolence. He was directed to Si Wong City after much time with the Air Nomads, encouraged by a city that was a melting pot of all the differing cultures. He chose to finally set down roots there, and became close to Tei Li, who soon became his wife and mother to Jemmu. From there, he became the de facto leader of the Fire Islands minority in Si Wong City, and remains a loud proponent for peace and opponent of senseless violence.

Tei Li: Jemmu’s mother. Tei Li belongs to one of the most prominent Earthbending families within Si Wong City, and even a prominent ancestor was a companion to Avatar Si Wong. She was tasked with helping Zhou Hongza settle within the city after he was vouched for and sponsored by the city’s Air Nomads. Romance eventually blossomed between the two, they married, and Jemmu was born not long after. Their marriage served as a way to bridge the Firending minority and Earthbending majority together. A talented Earthbender in her own right, Tei Li is more than capable of giving her husband and son a good thrashing whenever they warrant it. Also, it is quite beneficial considering she grows nearly all the flowers that she sells in her shop, and Jemmu has spent enough time helping his mother to know how passionate she is about flowers. Jemmu remains very close to his mother, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

An: The dragon of Jemmu’s father. Zhou Hongza was given An as a child and she has remained his constant companion ever since. Like his father, Jemmu has become just as close to An, as a stalwart companion that can always be relied upon.

Old Man Lu: A friend of Jemmu. He calls himself a travelling merchant, but the goods that he sells were clearly illicitly gained, and he seems to be a con artist of some sort. Still, the majority of these illegal activities have gone right over Jemmu’s head. Jemmu has relied on Lu to attain certain Firebending scrolls to train advanced styles that his father had refused to teach him so far. Lu is also a decent Pai Sho player, and was the one who introduced Jemmu to the illegal Pai Sho betting circles in the city. Both his parents have disapproved of his continued association with Lu, but he has mostly ignored their advice so far.

Xu Zheng: A childhood friend of Jemmu. Having known each other since childhood, Xu is often a critical component of whatever Jemmu is doing. As such, if Jemmu is up to any trouble or mischief, then it’s a good bet that Xu is providing the torch to start the fire. Much of Jemmu’s experience at combat against Earthbenders is from his multitude of friendly sparring matches against Xu.

Of Blood and Bastards

"The girl and her pet actually do exist. I had my doubts, especially after the tale that the Emperor spun for me." Erik, Prince of Strosberg, bemused as he continued to wipe the blood off of his blade. The man barely looked up as both Ash and Rohaan approached him. Erik was large and powerfully built, clearly of Northern stock. His beard was cut short, as was his hair, with both being as black as a raven's feathers. However, there was a streak of silver that cut through his hair, proving that he was much older than he first appeared. Apart from his Imperial armor, which was always impressive, he wore an emblem designating him as a Sword of the Realm. This was immediately relevant to Ash, but likely less so for Rohaan - not that he would probably care about anything that was associated with Empire. Swords of the Realm were generally responsible for all military matters within a specific region of the Empire. So it wasn't all that surprising that Erik of Strosberg was tasked with purging the remnants of the Malacharian cult. Besides, it seemed that whatever battle that had taken place was short and uneventful, based on the fact that it had already concluded.

It hadn't been terribly difficult to reach the camp. The location was on an outcropping that allowed it to have a good view of the villages below, a useful strategic location if there was any. What was even more remarkable was that the Imperial troops managed to move into the area so quickly after the death of Thoburas. The Emperor clearly had them in place for weeks before he had even sent in Ash and Rohaan. It sort of made Ash wonder what would have happened if they hadn't been successful, but it was fairly evident that there were many other contingencies if that had taken place. Perhaps the Emperor wasn't a good man, but only fools would ever consider him to ever be unprepared. Ultimately, Ash and Rohaan ended up being accosted by a few soldiers, who were quickly put into their place after seeing Ash' ring. From there, they were brought before Erik of Strosberg, as intended. Out of her bag Ash pulled the decapitated head of Thoburas, definitive proof that the elf was dead, and offered it to Erik.

Erik finished cleaning his sword and slid the blade back into its scabbard. He motioned towards one of his subordinates who took the head and began to pound the head on top of a pike. "Death is always the great equalizer, I've found. Cause all of this chaos and you're reduced to nothing in death." Erik stood up, to properly address Rohaan and Ash. "Last I spoke with the Emperor, he indicated to aid the two of you in any capacity. Mind filling me in with what you need?"

"Yes, we need transportation. Uh, to Last Vigil! If that's possible." Ash spoke up first.

"Of course it's possible. I can arrange an armed escort. Slow, but it'll get you there. Any objections?"

Of Blood and Bastards

Rohaan's constant mockery of the Emperor didn't go unnoticed by Ash, although it wasn't as if she was prepared to rush to the man's defense either. Still, the Emperor showed no indication that he was bothered by it - either he was just keeping up appearances or he simply did not care. From Ash's perspective, it was impossible to know which. But it didn't immediately matter to her. For the short time that she had known the both of them, she had quickly learned to let them be in their squabbles. Besides, she'd much rather rest, if only for a moment. Ash found a suitable place to sit down, and she did so, whilst maintaining contact with Rohaan. It was nice to finally have an opportunity to relax, even when she was fully aware that it wouldn't be for long. The Emperor seemed amused as she did so, but she truly did not care. Let the two of them debate the minute details of the travel arrangements and she could take the chance to clear her head before she had to return to the real world with all its associated problems.

"Your cynicism isn't the commendable virtue that you believe it to be. You should already know that anyone who I've ever wished dead... is dead. Thoburas is just the most recent individual to be added to that list."

Karl Valdemar gave a slight smile as he laid his piercing golden eyes entirely on Rohaan. "Your death wouldn't serve me at all. After all, you've been extraordinarily useful to me so far - You've given me quite little to actually complain about. As for your failure concerning the fact that you let Thoburas open the gate?" The Emperor paused for a moment, as if he was preparing his words carefully. "Well, I expected you to fail in that regard, so you've only managed to meet my expectations."

"Not to worry though, that doesn't negate the conditions of our agreement. I still intend to uphold my end of the bargain upon the safe delivery of my daughter." The Emperor smiled, almost as if he was bemused by something. "You were never concerned about that, were you? I imagine you're quite confident that you'll get your way in the end no matter what happens. Act like a brute and you'll always end up proving men like me right."

"Still, I'm not exactly interested in lecturing you over much of anything at the moment. That can be saved for when we're all together again in person. Something that I'm sure you're looking forward to just as much as I am."

"As for the mode of transportation that I had in mind? Nothing." He gave Rohaan a blank look before continuing. "I did say that my men would arrange it, didn't I? If you can't be bothered to ride a horse without great effort, then I'm more than confident that they can arrange something else for you. Though given present circumstances, I suppose I should be more specific."

"The contingent of soldiers that I have stationed near Durgan Fortress should be at a camp at the outskirts of the lower valley villages. It shouldn't be terribly hard to find, so I won't bother with directions. Once you're there, seek out Erik of Strosberg."

"He's a soldier through and through, so there's a small chance that you might even like him. In any case, he'll get you to me, one way or another." The Emperor than pointed to the ring on his hand. "I'd recommend sticking with my daughter and keeping the ring close at hand. I'd so very much hate for the soldiers to get startled at a rogue Vokurian that wandered into their camp and lynch you by mistake..."

Of Blood and Bastards

Karl Valdemar's form materialized before them, looking much the same as he had when they had spoken before the confrontation with Thoburas. The only difference was that it was he who was the one who had initiated the contact through the rings this time. "I see that the two of you are still alive. That's fortuitous." The Emperor said it so matter-of-factly that it was hard to tell whether or not he was ever concerned that they would survive the confrontation with Thoburas. Of course, that was nothing but pure speculation on Ash's part, and the Emperor still remained far too much of a mystery to her. She felt an overwhelming force that drove her to want to meet with the man in person. It was odd. She only learned that this was her real father in the last few days, which resulted in her entire world being turned upside down. Still, there were more than a few things that she wanted to settle with him.

"How did you know to contact us right now?" It was more than a fair question from Ash. Was she being overly paranoid? Probably, but with what she had been through with Rohaan so far, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to Karl Valdemar or much of anyone else. It was clear to her that Karl Valdemar had ulterior motives, though it would be mostly a waste of time to guess what his actual aims were. Still, she didn't have the belief that he was acting towards ends that could be interpreted as malicious. Perhaps that was only due to some common comradery on the basis that she was human and he was her emperor. Of course, at the end of it all, she would always be outmatched in comparison to the Emperor of Man. A frustrating reality to accept to be sure, but there was little to be done about it. However, if Karl Valdemar proved to be a force for evil instead of good... her hand switched as her fingertips brushed against the hilt of the Dark Blade, strengthening her resolve for what she would have to do. Thoburas had taught her that there was absolutely no room for any hesitation.

"I can make assumptions about what is happening there. I'd probably be mostly right if I even bothered to make the effort." He shrugged off most of the question with the amount of grace expected of someone of his class. "The final gate rests below Last Vigil itself. I have many of my inquisitors monitoring that location with great zeal. Believe me when I say that it was fairly easy to know exactly when you two allowed the gate at Durgan Fortress to be opened."

"I could berate the both of you for sheer incompetence, but I'm fairly certain that none of us has the patience for that. I did attempt to contact you for nearly an hour, so I'm curious why you felt that it was proper to ignore me for so long." Karl Valdemar gave one of his piercing gazes that immediately tore right through Ash without an ounce of remorse.

"I... I'm sorry. I was searching for Lord Cassander's body among the dead and couldn't find anything. I most have gotten too into it." Ash was only slightly flustered, and it wasn't helped by the fact that she was completely exhausted, but she could hardly be afforded the opportunity to rest at that particular moment. "I have to find him! If there's even a chance that he's still alive..."

"It's more than likely that the cult had to move many of the bodies elsewhere. I have inquisitors and soldiers moving into the region as we speak. They're tasked with cleaning up any remnants of Thoburas's cult - and can be easily leveraged to search for any sign of Lord Cassander at Durgan. Of course, under optimal circumstances, I'd be more than happy for you to spend weeks searching through ever nook and cranny at Durgan, but time isn't exactly on our side at the moment. I need the two of you at Last Vigil."

"Rendezvous with any of my men as you exit Durgan and they'll arrange appropriate travel accommodations to get you to me. Now, is there anything else that either of you need of me before we meet again?" Karl Valdemar looked at both Ash and Rohaan, ready to receive any other pressing concern.