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What Are You Listening To?

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	O V E R A G A I N 2024 _____________________ sir chloe _____________________ over again _________

^{did you know...}

What Are You Listening To?

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	T O P D O G 2023 _____________________ magdalena bay _____________________ mini mix vol. 3 _________

^{or any of their stuff reallly.}

What Are You Listening To?

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	D A Z I E S 2023 ____________________ yeule ______________________ softscars _________

^{i'm a little sleepy}

What Are You Listening To?

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	P O L L E N S O N G 2023 _____________________ tennis _____________________ pollen _________

^{mahz returned today.}

ᵀʰᵉ Last Avatar & ᵀʰᵉ Red Lotus.

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__Evening · |@Exit] |@Fiber] |@DreamingFlowers] |@FunnyGuy]Evening · @Exit @Fiber @DreamingFlowers @FunnyGuy ____________________________________________________________________________. Fiber    Taiichi spoke after Lana. He was shaking as he rose, and the first words came out uncertain. He was one of the less experienced members of the advisory council, and seldom spoke up. He said. “I have some strong feelings, but I think it helps for me to explain some about why I feel this way. I had a half-brother. He came from my father’s first marriage, but he died before I was born. The first time my father told me about him he broke down crying, that was when I was ten; before then I had never seen him cry, nor had I heard even a word about my half-brother. When we went to the family mausoleum I looked for where his place would be, but I knew it wasn’t there. The ashes of generation after generation of Satos were around me, amidst the work of the finest artisans our fortune could afford, on a hill that stood tall over the rest of the city cemetery, but there was no room for him. He had died before his tenth birthday, and his ashes had been scattered in the city canal; even if we had collected them we couldn’t have interred him in the city cemetery, for he was a Bender. You can tell something is off when you visit the mausoleum, how my branch of Sato family has so many blank spaces compared to the other branches. Family reunions are emptier, our history more sensitive, and we grow up learning there are subjects we will politely refuse to discuss. If you total up the “blank spaces” in our branch there may be more than official members, no one, not even my father knows the true count, but both of his siblings are among them.“ Sweat dripped from his brow and he clenched his hands to stave off the nerves. Taiichi looked the advisors in the eyes as he said the next part of his speech ”The next memory I’ll discuss is from when I was twenty, and some of you may have I heard the details. That day started with my parents and my younger brother walking through the concrete hallways of an RSF facility, until we reached the place where we would witness my elder sister’s execution. She was seven years older than me, and while she was alive I never heard anyone say an unkind word about her. I remember how my father was so proud of her, how he was actually excited to reach the day where he could retire and pass his title to her; it even made me a little jealous. That jealousy melted in an instant when I was with her, because one thing that Himiko never failed to do was figure out how to cheer someone up. There were no goodbyes exchanged, no last rites, and whatever she tried to shout through the glass I never got to hear. I could see the tears rolling down her face when they put the blindfold on her, how they flowed even though she tried to stop them, but what I remember most was how she tried to smile at the end, even as she was about to die, she didn’t want us to be sad. After that day we hardly spoke of her again, all of our mourning had to be done outside the public eye. My father had spent tens of millions of Yuan to try and keep her alive, and all those bribes, faked records, and schemes managed to do was buy her time. After that I’d have nightmares about them taking my brother too, even after he was old enough for the tests to be reliable; it took years for those to go away. I have many more stories, how I spent most of my twenties falling into a life of substance abuse and hedonism to forget all of this, how I grapple with all of the truths and lies about ancestors who died a hundred and twenty years ago, how I’ve spent millions of Yuan on genealogy studies and consultations just to try and figure out if there’s a way I could have a child and know for certain they wouldn’t be a bender, how I gave up on that hope but am still haunted by one question: if I had a child that was a Bender would I hate them for how they were born, or would I love them in spite of it? What I’m left with at the end of all of this is one question: What have I done? Through all of this, through all of my life until now I’ve sat by and accepted this as the way things have to be, I’ve been afraid to bring any more shame by speaking up, by standing for something. That changes tonight, where I am putting my unequivocal support behind this new proposal. I don’t know if what I’ve said will change anyone minds, I know many are still set in their ways, but all that I am asking is that we let them live. How can we condemn them all to death, young and old, sinners and saints, snuffed out all the same, and still call ourselves a just society?” FunnyGuy    Tao cleared his throat as if he were reserving his turn to speak next. Seated strategically across from Lana and beside his predecessor Nahalia. His eyes had only been affixed to Taichi as he spoke for a short moment. Utter ignorance. “Mr. Sato's words should not fall on deaf ears. What he and his distinguished family have experienced is something we should all acknowledge…” His eyes returned to Taichi while giving a respectable nod to the man who stood courageously before then. “Yet this should not be what supports the decision to allow the free roam and continued procreation of Benders. In fact, my honorable king, we should celebrate the sacrifice that the Sato family and many others have made to maintain our just society. We cannot fall into the mistake of placing the needs of the few over the needs of the many, and as a product of recent developments, we are all aware of what damage a single bender can do to the many. Our city is not perfect, all at this table can agree but we should be proud of how far we have come. Where are the warring nations? Where is the desperately sought after Avatar? Where is the fear of being under the thumb of men and women that can raze homes and slaughter many with simply a wave of the hand?” He shut his eyes and sighed. “Gone. Nonexistent to the world we now thrive in. We've made grand strides after the purge of Benders. We've maintained a peace the world hasn't seen. So I also ask this. Why jeopardize that? We did not make these laws on a whim. There was a reason for it, and if we have forgotten or grown complacent, allow the recent explosion caused by a Bender to return yourselves to reality. Allow the murders of our people to remind you why we remove the weeds from our garden of a city we are still trying to cultivate! It is my absolute duty to ensure the safety of our people and with all due respect King Wu, I am sure you wish to ensure the same.” Exit    ”Well spoken.” Nahalia commented. ”We’ve laid the groundwork necessary to ensure a future as peaceful and as safe as the one we’ve enjoyed for a hundred years. Generations who will never have to fear tyranny at powerful hands and we enforce the laws we’ve created to protect that future. I will not see our work thrown away because of one accident, regardless of the cause. Regardless of the people affected. We can only ensure that our system continues to work if we trust it.” ”Trust that we’ve sent a good person to die?” The last to add their voice to the room finally spoke. A woman with piercing blue and glowing eyes. If one stood close enough, they could see the irises shift as she looked around the room. Mina was seated next to the one empty seat at the table. ”What did Xiu do to deserve that, hm? Her only crime being that on a random day in the middle of the week, she woke up a Bender. Xiu, who spent many years seated here with us, working to improve this city. Working to solve the issues that have plagued it since before her time.” She turned to Tao. ”We speak of sacrifice to protect our way of life but what of her sacrifice? What of the bright spot on this council that has been smothered. Tossed to the side and forgotten as if she never existed. What of those of us who refuse to forget?” She turned to Taiichi. Her bright eyes became empathetic. ”Those of us who are left with the loss. Truthfully… I mourn Xiu, I will not deny it. Xiu was a dear friend of mine as I’m sure she was to others here and yet, despite everything she did for us and for Ba Sing Se, we have condemned her for fear of an act she never committed. Worse still… I look around this table… I look at everyone outside this room and understand that anyone has the potential to cause others unimaginable harm.” She shook her head. ”But only Xiu had the potential to do as much good as she did. Imagine what our city would be like without her. Imagine what our city could be like if we consider everyone in the same light.” She gestured toward Lana. ”Medicine for instance. Spirit water is limited to the Upper Ring and those in the Lower Ring suffer because of it. What good may come if there were more people who could effectively treat with it. Or industry, Over a century ago, Firebenders were employed to generate electricity. Imagine what a Bender could create today.” Finally, Mina looked at everyone at the table. ”I too stand with the King in looking toward a better future. Of looking for change. If we don’t give it a chance, if we don’t give our people a chance… and I mean all of them, we’ll never be free of the world we created outside the walls. We’ll never be free of our fear and we’ll never know what could be.” Vyska nodded, as did the king who turned to the man seated next to Lana. Song Cheng nodded as well. ”As we share this seat, it should come as no surprise to anyone that our opinion on this matter is shared. I think change is good. Allowing Benders to live within the city can help drive our economy.” He gestured loosely at his wife. ”Medicine, science, work…” Song shrugged his shoulders as his voice trailed off, struggling to find another thing to add to his list. However, he was saved when another entrance interrupted his shallow speech. Double doors at the far end of the room were opened and a woman stepped inside holding a tray with a pot and several tea cups on top. As she approached and walked past some of those seated at the table, the air around them became tainted with the scent of roasted rice. She circled around to stand beside the king and placed the tray down nearby before pouring a cup and passing it to him. ”Thank you…” He said. He gestured at Song to continue before sipping at his tea. The woman rotated around, moving next to Lana and Song. Song declined the cup. ”I think it’s a good idea.” He stated simply.

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Evening · |@Exit] & |@MistressDizzy] CollaborationEvening · @Exit & @Mistress Dizzy Collaboration ____________________________________________________________________________. Exit    ”The hell?” Like at the entrance to the club, Jin and Nelu were greeted again by two individuals, these ones standing ahead of what looked like a heavy steel door. And again, like before, one of the individuals was rather large. This one, however, clearly had some work done as one arm was metal in make. Rivets, wires and steel bars made up the skeleton and muscle of the man’s left arm. It was slightly unwieldy and longer than his right. The person standing next to him was a woman, the same one with a blue cloak hanging off their shoulder from the bar. Or was it teal? It was hard to tell in the light. ”You lost?” Came the unusually deep voice of the larger male. ”Wait a minute… Aren’t you two the ones trying to get water earlier?” The girl tried not laugh. ”You’re not going to find any down here.” ”No. We uh… we’re… looking for someone? We’re….” Nelu hesitated for a moment and gestured at both himself and Jin. ”...We’re Benders.” The woman raised a brow and the man next to her laughed. ”You expect me to believe you’re Benders? Dressed like that? You look like you’re from the Upper Ring and no one from the Upper Ring survives in the Lower Ring, much less all the way down here.” He said. ”Prove it.” ”Sonam…” ”Boss says anyone.” Her eyes bounced from Nelu to Jin. ”And that means anyone, no matter where they’re from.” She sighed and her eyes softened a bit. ”I’m sure it’s been rough for you, especially coming from the Upper Ring if… that’s actually where you’re from. Which regardless of where that really is, we’ll still need proof… Of course, if you can’t provide it…” The man smiled. ”...Then you won’t be leaving this place.” Nelu glanced between the two and then back to Jin, before giving them a confident and reassuring nod. ”We’ll need some water.” He said, turning back to Sonam. Sonam moved to the wall where in the dark was a shelf and a bowl. She picked up the bowl and brought it over to Jin and Nelu before placing it down at their feet. The liquid inside was not clear but an opaque brown, nearly black. Sonam nodded toward it. ”Go ahead.” Mistress Dizzy    By the time the pair of them reached the area where the meeting was to take place, Jin had overcome their embarrassment - at least outwardly - and gotten back on the mission. After all - the sooner they got the faces and info the LSF wanted, the sooner they could get back to the surface and forget this night ever happened. Jin had gone over a plan to get the two of them in the door without the risk of having Nelu bloodbend in the open. As soon as Nelu sensed the two figures they were approaching, Jin's persona shifted yet again, morphing like warm plastic in a shell. They stepped closer to Nelu as if trying to use him as a shield. Their shoulders drooped, and their body turned in on itself. It took a very short time for Jin to go from a relaxed stride to a nervous step. By the time they reached the door, Jin looked like an Upper Ring girl seeing her first taste of the real world on the outside. While Nelu did the talking, Jin hung back in his shadow, silent. They were angled so that they could get a clear shot of both guards with the hidden camera. With their gaze looking this way and that, all but jumping at shadows and dust bunnies, the motions Jin had to make to scope out the scene were masked. A name pricked up Jin's ears, and they almost made eye contact with the blue-cloaked woman on reflex before letting their gaze sweep though them to gawk at the large man's mechanical arm like it was bizarre. But their mind was kicking into a new gear. Sonam? Things had just gotten… interesting. The former thief and the capable supplier were nearly the same age and had run in similiar, sometimes overlapping circles. Jin hadn't worked with the woman face to face since they were both skinny, no-name brats cutting their teeth in the criminal underworld. Thanks to the RSF snatching away 4 years of their life, almost everyone Jin had ever run with in the old days thought they were dead. They'd even found an old memorial shrine to the Flying Frog in one Underground tunnel. It would be impossible to be recognized after so long. Right? As the bowl of "water" - honestly, it was more like wet silt than anything else - was placed down, Jin exhaled nervously. That was no act. These two guards had to buy what came next, completely. "Right." Jin raised both hands, then moved through the motions that Nelu had described of an early waterbender. They made them grander than necessary, full of wasted energy and flourish. And they finished at the bowl of water with a "Ha!" to the effect of… absolutely nothing. "Wha-" Their face screwed up into a girlish pout. They repeated the last steps in the routine and - the bowl stayed unbothered. Tears began to glisten in the corners of blue eyes. "I-it was… it was working before. The day the power went out, that day with the pink mist… I busted a pipe at Daddy's house and-" A sniffle, and then, to really seal the deal - a sudden cough with a distinct, airy wheeze. It was one of the first signs that an Upper Ring idiot had wandered too low - a symptom of the subterflu. Between the low quality oxygen, lack of sunlight, and carving out a living among other things that made their home in dirt, the Underground life could be hard on the lungs. Truthfully, the subterflu was less an actual disease, and more of an allergic reaction. But the effect was the same. Jin gasped for breath before shooting a teary, weary look at Nelu. "Why doesn't it work? This water isn't clean enough! We need real water.” Exit    Sonam’s face suddenly turned serious, as did the man’s next to her. Nelu reacted by placing a reassuring hand on Jin’s shoulder. ”It’s alright.” He said, turning from Jin to the others. ”She’s been through a lot the past couple of days, trying to stay under the radar and not give herself away when she started bending. She… hasn’t had time to practice in between trying to get out of the Upper Ring and make it all the way here.” ”And what about you?” The man asked, focusing now on Nelu. Sonam kept her eyes on Jin, studying her carefully… almost too carefully. Her eyes narrowed. ”I’ve had time.” Nelu raised his hand above the bowl and spread his fingers wide while twisting his wrist and pushing his fingers to a point. It traced an invisible shape in the air like that of a circle and as he repeated the motion, the water in the bowl began to shift unnaturally before suddenly spiraling upward and into the air. It formed a spinning sphere and remained suspended above the ground. Almost immediately, both Sonam and the man next to her focused on Nelu, watching in surprise at the precise control he was exerting on the water. ”At least enough time to do that. And I’ve been careful enough to remain undetected for years but this…” As he continued to speak, the motion of his hand began to slow and the sphere began to drop out of the air. It floated down gently back into the bowl and resumed its original shape. ”...This is… it’s dangerous, especially where we’re from and we needed a safe place to hide or at least a safe place for her to practice enough so that she could control it. We heard that there were others like us gathering down here.” ”There are… but very few are as able as you are…” Sonam said, staring intently at Nelu. ”And there are none who cannot.” The man gestured at Jin. ”If you can’t bend, you’re not getting in.” ”Right…” Sonam turned back to Jin, studied them for another handful of seconds and then sighed. She reached behind herself and pulled out a small vial, placing it on the ground next to the bowl. The liquid inside was perfectly clear. ”Try again with this. I want you to push the vial. Even if you can’t do that, the liquid should glow if you’re trying. And you…” Sonam pointed at Nelu. ”You keep your hands down.” Nelu nodded and then turned to Jin. ”You’ve got this.” Mistress Dizzy    While Nelu weaved a mastercraft of lies, then did his demonstration, Jin couldn’t help but watch. There was rarely time to just observe him when he was bending. It was actually kind of beautiful. Too bad that the same thing could be so deadly. Looking at him kept them from looking at Sonam. They could practically hear this woman's mind working. One of the few people they knew from the old days was suddenly 5 feet away. Of course, it had to be one of the few people Jin could truly match wits with. But there was nothing they could do. No way to warn Nelu. If Sonam got even a hint that Jin recognized her… it would be trouble. Sometimes the spirits had a bad sense of humor. So far, the story was believable. Now to bring it home. Jin exhaled slow, noting the nervous shudder in their breath. It was quite real. "Alright. I- I can do this." They stretched out a hand, screwed their eyes shut and pushed at it, palm whooshing through empty air. Exit    As Jin pushed at the vial, the liquid inside began to glow, although it wasn’t very bright. It did however wobble slightly. ”Huh…” ”See?” Nelu said smiling. ”She’s got it.” He placed a hand on Jin’s shoulder. ”Good job.” Mistress Dizzy    "Oh… Thank you." The flustered schoolgirl look that Jin gave him back, dropped hastily as if they’d just remembered they weren't alone, was a subtle touch. The guard with the metal arm would miss it. Sonam, though, probably wouldn’t. That was the point, of course. Jin only hoped it would be enough to throw her suspicions to the side. The Jin that Sonam knew would never lose their wits over anyone. Funny how things changed. Exit    The man next to Sonam looked a little disappointed but otherwise relaxed. Sonam, however, did not. For a moment, she continued to study Jin as if there was something else to see. Her eyes narrowed slightly as Jin performed her charade and it was obvious Sonam was a little confused and a little suspicious, but eventually she too relaxed. Whatever alarm had been sounding in her head was silence when she glanced back at the vial. It had moved and she had her orders. She nodded before picking up the vial. ”It’s probably better that way. Easier to hide at least. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone so disappointed that they couldn’t bend. Most of us… Well, you’ll see.” She waved the man to the side. [color=whtie]”What are your names?”[/color] She asked, placing a hand on the door. ”Jasmine.” Nelu gestured at Jin and then at himself. ”And Nemu.” ”Jasmine and Nemu?” Sonam asked, raising a brow and slowly nodding her head as if the names were the strangest things she’d ever heard. ”...Okay.” She knocked on the door three times and a panel in the front slid open. Behind it, a pair of eyes appeared and bounced between the four people in the room. After a moment, the panel was shut and there was a mechanical click in the frame of the door as a bolt was undone. ”Come on.” Sonam pushed the door open and led the two into the next room. The change was immediate. What little light had been filling the previous corridor was replaced by warmer brighter lights that echoed across a large chamber. This chamber was not made of metal or concrete and was instead entirely carved out of the earth. The ground was dirt and divided into various platforms raised to different heights at either side of the room. On top of these platforms were several groups of people. In total, Nelu counted a little more than a hundred heads. He figured there were more he could not see but there were far to many for him to count accurately with his bloodbending. The people gathered here were from every ring of Ba Sing Se although it was clear that there were more here from the Lower than the Upper. Most were wrapped in well worn clothing, stained by a life lived in the shadow of the city. Some wore clothes that were more clean and kept and even seemed somewhat prepared for a trek. They had with them backpacks and food and water. A select few were like Jin in that they had arrived dressed up for the Gala in the palace. They too seemed rather lost and nervous but were otherwise safely tucked away in their own groups. All of them seemed tired and stressed and paid the two new arrivals no mind, save for one. A woman, who had just finished showing the man Jin and Nelu had been following to one of the groups, turned to them as they arrived. Her bright green eyes regarded them curiously. Cautiously. "Welcome." She said, standing up and making her way over. She hopped down one of the raised platforms in a smooth leap, her long white hair trailing behind her like a shadow of ice and snow. Her clothing was loose and left her arms and midsection bare. Part of it was because of the heat, Nelu was sure. The other he could only surmise was to show off the effort she'd put into keeping herself fit. The muscles under her skin were defined in the shadows cast by warm light. She looked as though she could snap a man in half. "So... what do we have?" "Waterbenders. Both of them." Sonam replied. She pointed at Nelu. "And this one seems rather good too... we might want to consider..." The woman nodded her head as she studied the both of them. "Don't worry you two... you're safe now."

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LSF HQ · |@Dog] & |@Exit] CollaborationLSF HQ · @Dog & @Exit Collaboration ____________________________________________________________________________. Exit    “Good Evening, 141.” There was a tap against the capsule and from the other side of the frosted glass pane, a number of concealed faces could be seen. After a few moments of muted voices and a series of electronic beeps and chimes, there was a hiss of gas and the lid on the pod popped free from a latch. Another button press and it slowly began to rise, giving 141 an unobstructed view of a familiar room… again. He was back and surprisingly so soon. “I hope you got enough rest. We’ve got new orders for you today. It’s a little different this time.” Came the familiar voice of the male doctor in the room. ”Are you sure this information is correct?” The female chimed in, same as before. ”If it is… then they’re going to need him.” The male doctor pressed a button on the panel in the center of the room and an image of a familiar face populated the air in front of 141. Katakuri stared back at him. ”Katakuri Soran… is not joining you for this.” The male doctor began, filling in the missing information. ”He is the target. Now normally Captain Nelu would fill you in on the details but he is currently in the middle of his own mission with Jin. So, I’ve been tasked with catching you up.” The man hit another button and the face of Katakuri was replaced with a render of the city. In the space below the city, the known corridors of the Underground were highlighted and about a third of the way down was a small red flashing dot. ”Katakuri’s last known location and…” The portrait of the rogue agent returned along with a picture of a little girl. ”... this is Chosah. A firebender who is accompanying him. Kill him. Capture the child. Understand?” Dog    Object-141 stands still as his body and mind starts to process the mass amount of data fed to him by screen and neuro-ports. In an instant, 141 understands what must be done. Katakuri must die. The firebender’s combat forms and manners were already being predicted by the monster. How fit the man was. How many steps he could take within the span of a few seconds and other hundreds of factors on combat with Katakuri were being calculated by 141. There were only thoughts of how quickly and effectively 141 could take down Katakuri. Nothing more or less.

_Prompt:

End Chapter Two.

ᵗʰᵉ Last Avatar.

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____________________________________________________________________________. The next two days brought heat and sand and a cold night. Feyi led the group across the endless desert, stopping only for short rests or during the night they had to make camp. She’d spend the majority of the day answering questions and catching them up on the world outside, or at least the parts of the world she knew about. Outside the walls of Ba Sing Se, a world thought dead was still thriving, though it was very much changed. Pockets of civilization created by survivors of the war had sprung up, opting to take their freedom in the waste rather than live in the confines of the city. Trade flourished, people were happy and more than anything else, Benders were not so heavily persecuted. Places existed where they were protected and even worshiped. Hailed as protectors and sought after so as to find safety in their watch from the threats born of a changing world. Like in the city, they were few and far between, and while life was still difficult for them, it was not so oppressive as it was within the walls. There of course were still those who did not want for a Benders well-being, but Tu Zin was a place of safety. In fact, Tu Zin was home to two Benders. The leader, Unye, was an Earthbender and had been for years. It wasn’t the most well kept secret but not all the ears out in the wild were not given to Ba Sing Se. Raiders and other dangers alike usually gave the place a wide berth for fear of his reprisal and in this way, Tu Zin thrived. Not so much as to draw attention but enough that those who knew it knew they could seek solace and a place to rest if needed. The other was a recent addition to the settlement having arrived in Tu Zin nearly a year earlier. It was also someone quite close to Feyi. Feluna was Feyi’s little sister who at the age of seven, had discovered she was a waterbender. --- Late into the second day of travel, the scenery began to change. Rolling hills of sand turned to flat, sunbaked land. Loose pebbles turned to gravel and eventually compacted dirt and the barren world of the Si Wong Desert slowly transformed into a land where flora could once again thrive. Dry bushes and small shrubs marked the landscape until eventually, some small amount of green began to stand out in the brown of a mostly dry world. There wasn’t enough to make shade or take the dust out of the air, but it was a noticeable difference from before. And, it was a sign that the riders could break their circle formation as the threat of attack by a sandworm passed. Eventually wayward dirt became a trail and after two days of traveling, the first sign of civilization beyond the wall appeared under the horizon. A mountain pierced the darkening sky splitting the colors of a setting sun in two, and at its base were unnatural shapes crowding in the mountain’s shade. As they approached, these shapes became buildings made of stone and wood and metal and eventually, standing in and around and on top of these buildings were the silhouettes of people. They were greeted with a mix of emotions. Some cheered, greeting the arrivals with shouts of joy and welcoming home the hunters and the food they’d returned with. Some gawked at the newcomers with awe and curiosity. Children ran up to the Kyoshi to try and peer through the metal shutters of the windows and see who was riding inside. Worried parents would run after them and fetch them away, admonishing them for being so brazen. Some stared into the distance behind the group, out into the desert in the hopes that there were others who were not far behind. But no one else arrived. To the side, standing atop a raised platform, was an elderly man with graying beard and white hair who held a striking resemblance to one of the drivers who had been at the outpost. He was wrapped in thick blue cloth and dark leather straps and held himself upright by the cane in his hand. He paid no attention to the Kyoshi or the returning hunters and only stared into the desert. The setting sun illuminated weary, sad eyes in golden light. --- The group had been given rooms at the local tavern and a day to rest and gather themselves. Food was provided along with water and any amenities they needed. The following day, they were allowed to explore freely although they were informed that later that day, Unye would be returning and would want to talk to all of them. Although smuggling Benders out of the city was not new, the arrival of a group of Benders had never happened before. He would want words as their arrival was unprecedented. He was also currently away as Tu Zin itself was in the midst of its own celebration of the end of the great war. Their celebration differed slightly from the city. Hunting parties were formed to seek out and hunt the largest prey in the sand and the group with who returned with the largest kill was rewarded. Feyi had been in one such party before they were diverted, and although their rescue also rewarded them with a kill of their own, the worm was an adolescent and quite small. Word had been received that Unye had managed to get a kill early and was quite happy with the size. He and his group were already on their way back, but until his return, everyone was free to do as they pleased. Tu Zin itself was rather large to those unfamiliar with it. The settlement was built into the base of the mountain and was also partially carved into it. Much of the remains of the expanding city it once was still survived to the current day. Buildings, streets, street lights and power lines from a bygone area remained frozen in time, scarred now by the elements as a result of disuse. Much of these structures became the skeleton and the veins of the settlement built over it, as those who moved in transformed it into the haven it was now. A safe place at the edge of one the most inhospitable environments in the world. Of course from the outside it was hard to tell. The outer walls were simply the old abandoned buildings of the original ghost town. These had been converted into a kind of ‘wall’ with towers and guards patrolling the perimeter on a regular basis. There was a main entrance, but there were also many other smaller entrances and it seemed there were no procedures or checks to enter. Within the walls, the settlement was stained by the sea of sand it sat on the edge of. The streets were ever covered in a layer of loose dust and the town itself seemed covered in a brown haze that persisted. Despite this, life brought color toTu Zin by way of the people who lived within it and those people thrived. Families flourished and trade was good.

_Prompt:

I want to open up the opportunity to allow for creation of part of this settlement from the players. Specific buildings and businesses exist, but you are free to add to Tu Zin. Keep in mind that people who live here now would have most likely migrated from cities nearby, including the now destroyed Gao Ling. Gao Ling would have at one point rivaled Republic City with a population hailing from various nations. Tu Zin will not have an identity to any one specific nation however, some people may have been able to keep track of their lineage and may present as still being a part of that nation. The group has been given the day to do as they please. Players may interact with each other or explore and find more information about the world. There will be no joint collaboration doc for this posting period. Places that currently exist: The Thirsty Cactus, the tavern where the group still has rooms and free food for the rest of the day although the proprietor insists he can’t keep giving out his stock for free even if it’s for Benders. There is a gun/weapon smith named Bartus who owns the Platinum Blade. A doctor named Sarah. A square where various goods are traded at stalls from vendors and peddlers. There is also a town hall where Unye resides that exists within the part of the city under the mountain. It is currently off limits.

ᵗʰᵉ Last Avatar.

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Morning · A TLA CollaborationMorning · A TLA Collaboration ____________________________________________________________________________. Exit    Behind Feyi, the others were already securing the worm with ropes and tying the ends to the saddles on their ostrich horses. It looked as if they meant to bring the entire thing back with them. All of them were cloaked in similar garb: Long leather and dark outerwear that helped to protect from the heat of the sun but remained loose enough to breathe. Packs were strapped to their back as were weapons and gear, all in varying states of deterioration. It looked like a lot of what they had on them had been scavenged but held together well enough to get the job done. Besides the rifles, there were weapons, machetes, knives and a few handguns. At first glance, none of the firearms looked like they could be synergy. Feyi dug into the folds of her jacket and pulled out a canteen. She tossed it up to Reman. ”You look like shit… as usual.” She said, her smile turning into a small laugh. As her eyes scanned over the rest of the group, her smile faded. ”Actually… you all do. Are you all that’s left of the caravan?” canaryrose    Chu Hua’s mouth opened into a small ‘o’ and her eyebrows contorted into something resembling confusion. She glanced between Feyi and Reman, and then took a step up to stand next to Reman. Who was this woman? Chu eyed her with some level of distrust. But then again, what did she know about Reman? Next to nothing, but she had no idea how he could’ve known this desert raider. She watched them cart away the worm. At least they could do that, she supposed. Chu leaned in to talk to Reman, but made no effort to be quiet. Feyi could hear her, but she didn’t address her. “Um. Reman. Mind introducing us to your friends?” Theyra    ” Uh…uh.” Reman wided eye, stumbled on his words and barely caught the canteen. Feyi was the last person he expected to see and he had many questions. “Feyi… her name is Feyi but I only know her. Not her friends and she is a friend of mine from the city.” Reman then tried to focus and stopped being eye wided. “Yeah we are the only ones that made it.” Reman looking back at the Kyoshi and then looking back at Feyi . “We got attacked while at the outpost, speed and a sandstorm saved us. But, I have many questions Feyi. I…. I do not know where to begin.” Exit    Feyi giggled, placing a hand on her hip. ”Reman is being modest. I’m really his only friend anywhere.” She threw him a wink and then once again turned to the others. ”Although I guess that’s changed, huh? And I know you’ve got questions but I’ve also got some of my own, starting with…” She turned again to Reman. ”Why didn’t you tell me you were a Bender, Reman!” She clicked her tongue and furrowed her brow looking somewhat disappointed. ”What the hell?” Theyra    ”Uhh…..” Reman looked awkward at her and started to speak. ”Well, Feyi the truth is and this will surprise you but I am not a Bender.” Saying it as matter of factly. ”You see while I was at the Synergy Storage Facility for business when the explosion happened and one of the pipe runner Jin.” Reman turned to point at Jin before turning back to Feyi. “Turned out to be a Bender and while his plan was to escape into the wasteland I knew he would not last long and I know of one place out here. Granted the information about it is old and its looks like it is still good. I well did not want Jin to die out in the wasteland like that so I came with him as a guide and well, you know I always wanted to see the world beyond the city.” Reman smiled weakly, “There is more to that but I think that is best for later and in a place where it is safe.” Reman looking back at the dead worm and Feyi’s friends messing with it. ”Are there more creatures out here we should be worried about? Nothing in the city said there would be sandworms out here.” canaryrose    Chu was still incredibly confused. She looked back at the others and shrugged, not sure what to say. Apparently Reman had a friend who got out. Honestly, Chu was jealous. She looked at him, reappraising and envious. Did this man even need to be here? “So, erm, Feyi, Reman... care to enlighten the rest of us?” She crossed her arms. Exit    ”That information is still good. It exists.” Feyi turned to Chu. ”And it’s where we’re headed, or where you would have been headed.” She paused for a moment realizing that there was a lot to cover and there was no real good place to start. Considering what she’d just walked into, she was sure they were all flustered having just fought for their lives and it wouldn’t do to hit them with more information all at once. ”The short of it is, I’m your rescue.” She flashed Chu a smile. ”Reman being here just happens to be a weird coincidence since… he’s not a Bender but I guess we’ll have to talk about that later. That just adds more questions…” She furrowed a brow at Reman. ”We were out on a hunting run when we got word that Tu Zin lost contact with Tikaani. They sent us to go find any survivors of the caravan and that’s when I ran into Mova. I was just…” Her eyes grew soft and a little disappointed. ”I didn’t know this would be it. But you’re safe now. We can keep the worms away and it’s only a couple days to Tu Zin from here. Maybe less since it looks like…” She pointed at the Kyoshi. ”...It looks like you’ve got a working vehicle. We’ve got plenty of food and water.” vietmyke    ”Well, I’ll never complain about an excess of food and water.” Jin said gratefully as he pulled off his helmet, Sumire doing the same. ” Our situation wouldn’t have been good in a few days. Either way, we appreciate the save.” He relaxed a bit, though he was still a bit on edge as he glanced at the worm. ”Sand worm isn’t on the menu is it?” Sumire chimed in curiously, looking disdainfully at the fallen worm as she too removed her helmet. ”The others were killed or captured by RSF,” Jin informed the woman named Feyi, answering her unasked question. He decided it would be wiser to leave out the fact that one of their drivers had tried to shoot and rob him of his car. ”We only made it through on account of the sandstorm rolling in. Barely.” Abstract Proxy    Vasra followed the growing conversation with carefully guarded caution that soon shifted into a soft smile.. A happy meeting between friends was a welcome relief in between running from people trying to kill them and staving off deadly giant sandworms. The young doctor could not help but reflect with some surprise that she had not been seriously hurt in the insuring scuffle and by the looks of it neither had anyone else. ”Many thanks for the rescue, as the others have said, our journey was not an easy one, then again what is easy these days?” Her lips pursed in a small frown as she looked at Chu, noting the state of the bandages she had wrapped around her hands and the sand that now covered the wounds, “Forgive me, Chu, but I must see to your hands when we have the time. An infection now would be far from idea and I hold little hope concerning the cleanliness of giant sandworms.” KillamriX88    Weiyuan found himself just so very tired. Relief at being rescued was making him realize that he still hadn’t gotten any proper sleep, food, or drink. For some reason all he could think about was that at any other time, his other half would be absolutely losing his mind over being this close to an ostrich horse. It wasn’t really something you saw in the cramped streets of the Lower Ring. The exhaustion was only held at bay as they were told that their promised sanctuary was real and they’d now be led to it. A few days away still, but as far as he knew, they had enough supplies to make it there, right? . . . but then what?

_Prompt:

Feyi escorts the group safely the rest of the way to Tu Zin over the next two days. The Kyoshi and the worm are taken with them. End Chapter Two.

ᵀʰᵉ Last Avatar & ᵀʰᵉ Red Lotus.

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__Evening · |@Exit] |@Fiber] |@DreamingFlowers] |@FunnyGuy]Evening · @Exit @Fiber @DreamingFlowers @FunnyGuy ____________________________________________________________________________. Exit    King Wu rubbed at his temple as he listened to the others bicker in the room. The conversation was heated and the table was effectively split. As expected, those in the room and everyone back at the gala did not take the news of his intentions well. The precedence he was setting was unusual. A change from the narrative they’d previously set that was too drastically different from the last 100 years. It was unrealistic to expect everyone to be on board. As the meeting continued, it was becoming increasingly obvious that those in the room would not so quickly find a resolution. As far as they were concerned, there was no middle ground. Either Benders were good or they were bad. ”It’s not just the suddenness of it. This should have been discussed. There were better ways to announce such a change.” Nahalia was a woman of dark complexion, graying hair and green eyes. The former Chief of the RSF before Tao took over and had spent many of her later years establishing law and enforcing it from a desk. Like Tao, she was against the King’s new direction, seeing it as a dangerous first step in allowing more powerful people the opportunity to tear the city apart. She believed the fragile balance they’d managed to keep between the different rings couldn’t take the pressure. The man sitting next to her was of similar mind. A younger male who had spent time developing the Lower Ring industrial sectors, investing in businesses he thought would help drive the economy and encourage growth, the creation of jobs and wealth. Despite his age, he was experienced as any at the table as the King’s Advisor and was advising strongly against his intention. However, he at the moment was more interested in what Vyska had to say. The explosion had affected him harder than most at the table. He put the blame squarely on SynEn and to further spurn his own suspicion, not only was Mynwa not at the table, his daughter looked as if she were somewhere else. Vyska had been sitting quietly in her father’s seat, staring at the sheet of paper in front of her that outlined the points they were to discuss. More specifically, she’d been staring at the line of text that read ‘SynEn’. ”As unorthodox as it is, Vyska is representing her father. Representing SynEn. Are you absolutely sure he stands with the King.” Dai asked, addressing the girl. She immediately turned to the man. ”Yes. Are you hard of hearing?” Her far away expression and lost look suddenly left her face, turning to pointed anger. ”The Moon family has and will continue to stand with the King.” Dai shook his head. ”The Moon family has always been staunch supporters of anti-bender law.” ”And yet my father has seen fit to change direction, as the King has. As we all should.” ”Right, but it does make me question whether or not the ‘easy answer’ is the real answer after all. An explosion at your storage facility that brought hundreds of Benders out of the woodwork and now Mynwa suddenly has a change of heart.” ”Implying what?” King Wu raised his hand. ”We’ll get to SynEn later. I want to hear where everyone stand on this once more.” ”Yes.” Vyska said, still looking at Dai. dreamingflowers    Lana was able to empathize with the parties opposing benders, despite being of a different mind. Accepting benders into all layers of society would mean the upheaval of the comfortable lifestyle the citizens of the upper ring were used to. Because of this they didn’t see or did not want to see the possible positive influence this change could have. They did not want to give up on a system that kept them at the top of the food chain for a hundred years. The young woman was the first to speak up on the matter after the King regained control of the discussion. “Your highness if I may, I do understand the apprehension, the hesitation and the complete rejection of the notion of benders. It will change society as we’ve known it for years.” “What concerns me is that we also refuse to look at the possibilities.” Lana faced the ones at the table who were against the notion and went on to share a statement. “One area I believe could greatly benefit from the inclusion of benders is the medical field. The powerful healing ability of water benders could be the answer to many untreatable conditions and grim prognosis we are all facing, regardless of status.”

ᵗʰᵉ Last Avatar.

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Morning · A TLA CollaborationMorning · A TLA Collaboration ____________________________________________________________________________. Exit    ”Uuuuhh… Sumire began, adjusting her aim for the shadows standing on the ridge ahead. ”...More?! Am I… am I shooting them?” ”Reman is thirsty.” Came Mova who was still floating behind them. On Reman’s order, the drone was simply hovering slightly higher. canaryrose    Chu Hua looked at Weiyuan for a moment, considering, and then turned to the others. His voice was so quiet, but she had heard him. An ominous feeling spread through her. Something else. Could it be so bad as what they were already facing? Just then, before she was about to shout out, she heard Sumire’s voice and turned her head to the horizon, where she saw two things: the worm writhing about with its throat blown open and five human-shaped silhouettes on the ridge beyond. Well… her strategy had worked! She nearly cheered, but stopped when she noticed it wasn’t dead quite yet. Unfortunately, she was no use at a range. She climbed onto the rock, completely ignoring Vasra’s hand (truth be told she didn’t trust the little woman to be able to help her up). Chu turned to Weiyuan once more. “Those people- they’re what you meant, right? “ She was pretty confident, just wanted to make sure. “How could you feel people walking? Or was it more than that?” “Let’s see what they do first,” she said to Sumire. Her body was coiled with tension. This- this is what I live for, she thought. Despite the mortal danger, she was almost excited. “I’m curious.” Theyra    “I…I am not sure Sumire,” he said as he turned to face the new shadows on the ridge. Thinking are these new sandworms or something else? And Mova is not helping with the situation and is acting odd. Raising his voice to Mova. “Mova what are you talking about and do you know what these shadows are?” Still looking concerned and uneasy, one sandworm is one thing but now there are unknowns to deal with. He should have studied the area more when he had the chance but that is hindsight and does not help now. For now, they were stuck between a sandworm and five unknowns. But, the sandworm is the current threat and so Reman spoke. “Sumire, keep firing at the sandworm. Me and Vasra will watch the shadows on the ridge in case they attack.” Once again offering his spare pistol to Vasra and carefully watching the shadows’ next moves. Please not be a threat please not be a threat, Reman thought as he waited to see what these shadows will do. Exit    ”The shadows are a friend.” Mova replied. One of the silhouettes started descending the hill. As their form caught the light of the sun from a different angle, the silhouette became a human, cloaked in brown, riding an ostrich horse. They pulled a rifle from over their shoulder and began firing upon the worm. The bullets kept it pinned as they began to punch more cracks into the soft armor. The others behind the rider joined in, keeping a loose formation like that of a circle as three more riders appeared from over the ridge. In total, eight strangers began approaching the worm. Two more pulled out rifles while another pulled out a spear. vietmyke    ”Just one thing after another.” Jin grumbled as he found purchase on the stiff rock formation, watching what appeared to be human riders on giant birds coming to their supposed rescue. Whether or not these folk would actually turn on them and shoot them afterwards remained to be seen, but for the moment they could be content in the fact that they weren’t actively shooting at them. ”How would you know if they’re friends or not?” Jin questioned the small drone- not entirely sure if it would answer him. canaryrose    Chu squatted down on the rock, gaze fixed on the horizon- at the people below. Who were they? She watched them defeat the worm with fascination. She had feared they were RSF or military, people following them, but no officer or soldier carried those kinds of primitive weapons. No soldier rode an ostrich horse. vietmyke    ”At least they’re shooting at the worm.” He sighed. He held an arm to stop Sumire from aiming or firing the rifle, ”They seem like they have it handled. Best not waste ammo- or accidentally hit one of them while they’re running around this thing.” canaryrose    “Agreed,” she said, answering Jin Wei. They were focused on the worm for the time being, and Chu felt they shouldn’t get in their way. Besides, the little robot had said they were friends. Hopefully it was right. Abstract Proxy    “Is everyone alright?” Vasra interjected, taking advantage of the fresh help and welcome chance to breathe in between hurling rocks. She kept an eye on Chu, well aware that the outlawed athlete had taken the brunt of the damage from the monstrous desert worm. canaryrose    “I’m fine,” she told Vasra. Many injuries throughout her lifetime had conditioned her to both minor and major aches and pains, and she felt being slammed into the sand created a pain that was solidly in the middle. “No broken ribs or anything. Just some sand in my mouth. Blegh.” Truth be told, her hands, although bandaged and rubbed in salve courtesy of Vasra, had likely been rubbed raw from gripping the worm. They didn’t need to worry about that now, though. Exit    One of the riders broke away from the others and began to approach the main group, letting the rifle hang loosely to their side as they put their hands up in surrender. They kept them in the air until they were within talking distance and with one hand, pulled down the mask covering their nose and mouth and pulled back the hood revealing a woman underneath. Mahogany hair, freed from the dark brown denim, fell loosely around her softer face framing her round lips and slender nose. An odd portrait of perfection against the backdrop of a desert worm being anchored in place with ropes before being run through with a spear. Her piercing blue eyes fixed on Reman as Feyi smiled playfully. "I found you."

ᵀʰᵉ Last Avatar & ᵀʰᵉ Red Lotus.

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Evening · Washroom · |@Exit] & |@canaryrose] CollaborationEvening · Washroom · @Exit & @canaryrose Collaboration ____________________________________________________________________________. canaryrose    An sat on the white leather couch with her head in her hands, trying not to scream. She ground her teeth with a fierce intensity, her eyes shut tight. What a fool she had been, to even think that Vyska’s plan might work, that she might be of use here! And those people she had been forced to speak with… how had that man known what he did? To say she was mortified would’ve been an understatement, but she was also so furious. She mutely registered Vyska’s entrance and looked up, face red. Exit    ”I could have Jack murder everyone at that table for you.” canaryrose    “I’d rather do it myself,” she said tersely. “It’s more satisfying that way.” She was only half-joking. At that moment, she would’ve liked to kill that Zhang man- not only for his comments about Chu, but for how thoroughly he had mocked her. An sighed. “Vyska, this was an awful idea. I’m a massive liability. … What are we going to do?” Exit    Vyska sat down next to An and leaned against the wall, resting her head against it as well as she stared up at the ceiling. ”I don’t know.” She said honestly. ”I had no idea they had assigned someone to your case so quickly. And to that man of all people…” She closed her eyes and ground her teeth. ”Ugh… he has no tact.” She opened her eyes and turned to An. ”I’m sorry. I knew the dinner would be difficult but I didn’t expect… this.” canaryrose    “It’s alright,” An finally said, letting out a shaky breath and leaning further back into the couch. “You couldn’t’ve known. I… honestly, I’ve been trying my hardest not to think about the trial. Or what I did, really. But I might need to fight harder than I thought.” She sighed again, heavy. Even thinking about the trial put a sick feeling in her stomach, made her blood run cold. “They can’t really know what actually happened- right? Or was he just trying to get under my skin? Being an ass?” Exit    ”Being an ass.” Vyska straightened up. ”He’ll know about the Vanguard unit. Everything else is conjecture. But, I won’t lie to you…” She glanced at An. ”...Even with the family lawyer, the best we might be able to do is a reduced sentence. If we’re lucky, you might be able to serve it outside of a cell.” canaryrose    A long silence stretched after Vyska spoke. An couldn’t meet her gaze, instead staring straight up at the ceiling with a distinctly sad look in her eyes. As soon as Vyska said the word “sentence”, her stomach flipped. She felt ill, not out of guilt, but out of dread. “I…” What could she say? I don’t want to go to prison? I’m not sure I’d survive prison? I don’t deserve this? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t committed the crime she was being accused of. And she already knew what Vyska was saying. “I know. We’ll have to make arrangements, so you can continue our… projects for however long I’m away. But I’d need more than a few drinks to talk about that right now, mostly because I don’t look good in orange.” She chuckled without humor, leaning forward onto her knees as she spoke. “Changing topics: glean anything interesting?” Exit    ”Actually…” Jack came through clearly on both of their earbuds. ”...I think An was right.” Vyska furrowed her brows, still looking at An. ”I found a chamber down here… and a few guards. Infrastructure. Pipes leading toward something in the center. Looks like SynEn design, but… much older. Unfortunately I can’t get any closer to make out what it is.” ”SynEn?” canaryrose    An suddenly snapped out of her funk, a focused sheen coming over her eyes. “Did you get any photos?” she demanded. “Any way a drone or something could make it inside, you think?” Exit    ”Possibly from the otherside. It’s a large structure but the chamber surrounds the entire thing. Give me a moment.” ”Wow. He’s actually using the drone.” Vyska said more out of excitement than surprise. ’I half expected him to find nothing at all. But…” She furrowed her brow as she looked across the empty room, her gaze seemingly lost on an idea. ”...SynEn?” ”Before our time. Maybe it has something to do with your father.” canaryrose    “Or maybe even your grandparents or great grandparents,” An supplied, resting a hand on Vyska’s knee as if it guide her back towards the moment at hand. “We’ve been around since the Great War. No telling what sort of things we’ve done since then… but if it’s that old, it is odd we just started getting signals from it now…” An furrowed her brow. There was more at play here than she had thought, it seemed. “Make sure to get the drone back, Jack. The footage transmits to a secure server, but we don’t want to leave it behind and show our hand.” Exit    The reassuring hand on her knee pulled her from her musings, just as the muted voices from the dining hall could be heard through several walls. She nodded and then turned to the door as if she could see through it to the people listening to the King’s speech. ”You’re right. There’s over a hundred years of history buried in the company alone. It’s just odd for something as old as it to still be drawing power. As far as I know, the palace’s energy infrastructure was upgraded only a few years ago.” She turned back to An. ”Nothing that old should exist and be turned on.” canaryrose    “Ba Sing Se is thousands of years old,” An refuted, although gently. “Whatever this machine is, it’s different from our usual infrastructure. The only two things emitting those kinds of waves are the plant… and whatever this structure is. My point is, we haven’t come across anything like this before. Whatever it is, it’s not in use across the rest of the city. It’s bizarre. And it’s connected to the explosion.” She tilted her head, then, thinking. “Your father and grandfather never talked about any special projects?” Exit    Vyska shook her head, looking off again as she searched for anything she’d learned about her family’s company that may have seemed strange. She came up mostly empty handed. ”I remember very little about my grandfather, but my father… I mean If he was hiding anything, I didn’t know about it. The only thing strange right now is that he’s still at the plant…” She furrowed her brow again. ”Drone is in place.” Jack said. ”Small opening in the outer panels. I’ve followed some of the piping into the interior. Whatever this is, there’s definitely activity. Lights. I’ve seen a few people… lab coats. No markings.” canaryrose    Scientists? So it’s active!” An glanced at Vyska, face lighting up with excitement. “Can it see what they’re doing?” Exit    ”It looks like they’re… monitoring pods… with people inside…” Vyska’s face turned white. ”What?” canaryrose    Just like that, the excitement disappeared. An went silent in horror, her face turning white alongside Vyska’s. “Jack… you can’t be… people?” Her hand went to her mouth. “People? Are they…” An took a sharp breath. She wanted to say “benders”, but she couldn’t bring herself to. “I don’t understand. Those readings and this… how?”

...

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Evening · |@Exit] & |@MistressDizzy] CollaborationEvening · @Exit & @Mistress Dizzy Collaboration ____________________________________________________________________________. Exit    The darker hall of the entrance opened up to a much larger and much more crowded space than anticipated; almost as long as a stickball field but only half as wide and much more packed. The ceiling was high, nearly disappearing into the shadows with the lights of the club just barely illuminating old pipes and aging metallic structure. Across the room was a column of what looked to be lava flow cascading from halfway up the wall and flowing into a basin behind the booth. Red orange and yellow lights flashed across the entire space while some neon greens and pinks and blues periodically cut through the monochrome hues. The bar was situated to the right on a slightly raised platform and a drink wall outlined in white fluorescent light. Behind the counter were several bartenders, one of which looked to be a repurposed Vanguard bot. To the left, crowded booths with tables on which bare skinned performers danced. Above them was a level overlooking the club reserved for VIPs which was somewhat obscured from the ground floor. The sound too was almost impossibly loud and even with Jin standing so close, Nelu knew direct communication was going to be difficult. He’d have to get closer. With his arm still wrapped around their back and his hand hooked around their hip, Nelu leaned in again, this time close enough that they’d be able to feel his breath across their neck. ”What’s a good drink in the Underground?” It was then that he noticed the dress they were wearing. The lights across the fabric seemed to respond to the music and pulsed with the beat. Each jump of the bass sent a wave across Jin’s body, dragging Nelu’s eyes across it with them and again, not just his. Mistress Dizzy    Jin was going to have one monster of a migraine when this mission was over. 15 seconds in and they could feel themselves getting overstimulated. Bright lights, and colors, and Nelu at their side. Sound so loud it wasn’t music anymore, so loud they could feel it under their ribs, right where Nelu’s arm was. Bodies everywhere, anyone could be against them, anyone could have a weapon or be a weapon and Nelu’s touch on their skin. Lights on their front, Nelu’s breath on their back, burning heat in their middle, Nelu Nelu Nelu - Jin was going to murder the Doc for this dress idea, it was fucking cursed, did pretty chicks have to do this all the time, what the fuck- “Drinks? Let’s see… For me? An Empty Ember. For you? Water.” Exit    ”Why am I only getting water?” Nelu replied, sounding as if he were pouting. He carefully guided them both toward the bar where on the platform, he figured he’d have a better eye on the crowd despite how dense it was and could establish a place for them to start. They needed to figure out where to go and who to talk to and besides outing themselves immediately as another pair of Benders, the next and better option was to find someone to follow. However, they couldn't do that from the floor. There were too many bodies. Nelu pushed through a section of the crowd with Jin in tow and as coincidence would have it, happened to find a recently vacated stool that Jin could occupy. He gestured for them to take it while he stood sentry nearby and waved down one of the bartenders. The repurposed robot came over and nodded them both a greeting. ”What. Can I. Get. You.” It said flatly. ”Empty Ember. Just one.” Nelu said somewhat loudly over the noise of the club. ”Anything. Else.” ”Just a water for me.” ”Zhu Li. Limited.” Jin interjected. One of the patrons nearby half stifled a laugh. A woman in a blue cloak stole a glance at the two before turning back to her own drink. ”This. Only served. In. VIP.” ”Just water is fine.” Nelu looked down at Jin, surprised that they were being serious about the water. Nelu hadn’t planned to drink, although he knew it could help his cover if anyone was paying too close attention. Water would have been fine and Lower Ring water was fine too. He was no stranger to it. Filtered water all the way down here, however, was expensive. Valuable even. They didn’t serve it to just anyone and he and Jin were… mostly nobodies. Jin’s dress begged to differ. The robot nodded, grabbed a glass from under the counter and from a faucet, poured water into it. The water itself was polluted an odd gray color. It placed the glass close to where Nelu was standing and went about making the other drink. Nelu picked up the glass and downed half of the liquid before placing the glass back on the counter. It tasted like dirt. He tried to ignore the way it left his mouth feeling as he scanned the crowd before him. It was chaotic to say the least. The noise itself was a blanket placed over one sense. The lights were messing with another. The warmth and the smells and the proximity of everyone was constricting his other senses making the task at hand difficult. To make matters worse, it was nearly impossible to tell who was ‘out of place’ in a crowd like the one in front of him. ”Here. You are.” The robot returned within the minute holding a dark hued, slightly orange tinted drink. The film of liquid layered at the top glowed slightly yellow as if it were ‘hot’ and seemed to dance in circles as the drink swam around the glass. From certain angles, it almost looked like fire. It was placed in front of Jin. ”Enjoy. Miss.” Nelu glanced at the robot and then down at the drink as he fished in his jacket for another wad of cash. As he placed an amount more than what was needed on the counter for the bot to take, he again leaned into Jin. ”There’s too much going on here. We’d need a higher vantage point but I don’t think we’re getting into VIP.” Mistress Dizzy    Jin took their drink with a polite smile. They took a sip, and only Nelu would have noticed that no liquid actually left the glass. “We’re not getting in, no. I could, alone.” They paused. “It would be getting out that’d be the tricky part.” They looked around again, higher this time, scoping the building. No cameras in the corners, at least none that they could see easily. That wasn’t really a surprise. Being anonymous was part of the appeal, after all. ‘What happens Underground stays buried’ and all that. But a place this fine had to have eyes. If they weren’t digital, that meant they were keeping tabs the old-fashioned way. Which left Jin with the same problem as before. The crowd and the lights and the noise made a proper recon absolutely impossible. With the slightest look of defeat on their face, they leaned toward Nelu to speak as privately as they could manage. “And you get water because adding alcohol to what's already going on with you is a bad idea. I figured it out, by the way.” Jin smiled ruefully. “Sorry it took so fucking long. But don’t worry, once we’re outta here, it’ll be fine.” Exit    ...It’ll be fine… And there it was. The consequences to a momentary lapse in judgment. Nelu wasn’t so sure about things being ‘fine’ when it was all said and done. There were layers to it that he’d considered that he would have to face again when they were back on the surface. But then again, maybe he wouldn’t have to. Maybe things would be fine, but that was impossible to know in the now and even more difficult for him to ruminate on. The club was obfuscating not only everything outside but his internal dialogue too. What he did know for sure was that besides the blushing and the very clear surprise in their voice from before, Jin was taking the realization quite well. He bit his lip as he turned over his options for both their next steps and how to respond to Jin correctly identifying what his ‘issue’ from earlier was. He didn’t really have answers for either. For one, they were a needle searching for another needle in a stack of needles. For another, he wasn’t supposed to be in a compromising position… ever. And now he suddenly was. The woman to their right reached for her ear. ”What!... Another?... Yeah… YEA- Well maybe you shouldn’t have been acting stupid hustling the wrong people. I thought you were supposed to be good at reading… You know what? I. Don’t. Care. Just send him in and I’ll take care of them.” She finished saying before removing her hand from her ear. ”For spirits’ sake I need a vacation.” Downing the rest of her drink, she suddenly got up and began making their way through the crowd toward an odd looking individual at the other side of the room. The two were the only ones who really stood out in any meaningful way. One seemed alone but moved with too much purpose, as if the club was just a thing that was in their way and not something they were here for. The other looked lost. They met up and after what looked like an exchange of words, both moved toward a side path that cut into the dark and out of sight. Nelu turned to Jin, both of them now quite close. The tips of their noses only a few inches away from each other. ”I’m not so sure about ‘fine’…” He said, again holding Jin’s gaze. For a moment, he tried searching their bright blue irises for something that told him how they felt too. It was one thing to react positively but it was another to say it. Acknowledge it. ”But first…” He nodded toward the other side of the dance floor where the woman had gone. ”We’re supposed to be on a date… Have a dance with me.” As he straightened out, he held out his hand for them to take. On the counter, his glass of water was also suddenly very empty despite having only been touched once. Mistress Dizzy    Jin's gaze slid just off of Nelu's, as the laughing woman in the cape caught their attention again. That little motion to the ear only meant one thing. That was at least one security member tagged. As the woman stood and slipped through the crowd, Jin found Nelu refocusing as well. Had he gotten closer, or were they just losing it? Nope, he was definitely closer. They could see little golden flecks among the brown in his eyes. "I-" They cleared their suddenly dry throat, and spoke again, one octave higher and sweeter. "I would love to." Without looking away, they found their drink and tipped back half the Ember in two gulps. While it burned its way down their throat, they held the other half out to Nelu."Drink this. It'll get the silt outta your mouth." Exit    Nelu took the glass and quickly downed the rest, thankful for the wash that cleared up the grit covering his tongue and teeth. It wasn’t perfect but the smooth, warm liquid helped and lit a small fire in his gut that seemed to burn away any small bits of uncertainty. It wasn’t alcohol but it acted like it was. An appropriate drink for their situation. Mistress Dizzy    Once he was done, they grinned and put a hand in his. "I'll warn you. My dancing actually sucks." Exit    A familiar electricity danced across his skin as they placed their hand in his. He tightened his grip around theirs and gently pulled them from their stool and toward himself as he backed into the dance floor. ”That’s alright. Just follow my lead.” He said, giving them a confident smile. Like falling into surf, Nelu slipped under and pulled Jin in with them. Releasing their hand, he placed both of his on their hips and pulled them closer as he began guiding them to the other side of the dance floor. He clocked their destination with a single glance, worked out a path and then turned back to his partner, holding their gaze with his so they wouldn’t get lost. Everything from here on was simple guiding nudges and careful steps. The music fell over them both; vibrations in the air creating a bubble of space that was open for just the two of them. In that space, isolated from the sea of bodies all around, only the two of them existed. Orange lights further drew out the golden spark in the brown of Nelu’s eyes. They glistened and beckoned Jin to follow. In that space the club disappeared and the music changed. Mistress Dizzy    Jin hadn’t been lying about being a lousy dancer. They were self conscious when moving to music. Crowded places made them paranoid. Alcohol usually skipped the "fun buzz" part and landed straight on the "dizzy and puking" part. Somehow, this was completely different. All they could see was Nelu’s eyes gazing down at them, with a look they couldn't quantify at all. It wasn’t the hungry sweeping stare they’d caught hours ago at the Underground steps. Jin knew what lust looked like in a man's eyes, even if it was new to be the direct target. Nelu’s eyes, warm and brown and glittering gold, weren’t looking at Jin like that at all. Everything felt like it was falling away. The noise, the lights, even the mission… Jin smiled up at him, blue eyes dreamy and lost. Their hands gently drifted up his chest to link around the back of his neck. Exit    Jin’s touch drew warmth and fire on his skin as their fingers carved a trail up his chest and hooked themselves across his nape, anchoring their body to his. In that moment, as their hand came to rest against the back of his neck, his whole world became that patch of skin. It was different, their hand touching a part of him other than his own hand. It was a pressure that he was incredibly aware of. A spot of heat that spread to his shoulders and slid down his spine. A yearning for those hands to explore further and introduce other parts of him to their touch. He realized too in that moment that this was the closest the two of them had ever been, and as they continued to move around each other, that sliver of space between them only continued to shrink. Every now and then, Jin would press themselves firmly against him, describing the shape of them against his chest and abdomen and impressing a desire to know that shape more. To feel more, for in those brief moments of contact, despite the music drowning the air around them in vibrations and the sea of bodies pushing from all sides, he could actually feel Jin. He could feel their heart beating against their chest. He’d always been able to feel it, but this was vastly different. WIth blue eyes latched onto his, hands clasped around his neck and their body pressed against him, it was as if they were giving that information to him freely. His guidance remained gentle; soft steps in response to their more clumsy moves so as to catch them and reel them back in before they fell into the wash of bodies. Moves disguised as intentional instead of correcting so it never seemed like either of them were making a mistake. All the while, he continued to direct traffic. As he found a small crack in a wall of bodies before them and carefully pulled Jin through it, his hand slipped from their hip to their lower back and a small amount of pressure was applied. Jin’s hip was pushed forward as Nelu continued his backward step, effortlessly rotating the both of them so that Nelu was now moving toward Jin and they were moving backwards. From Jin’s perspective, as they continued dancing, it would be as if they were simply falling and Nelu was guiding the descent. ”Your dancing does not ‘suck’.” He began, leaning in so he could whisper into their ear and also so he could steal a glance ahead to make sure he was still steering them in the right direction. ”I think you just needed a better partner.” One hand remained on their hip. The other began to crawl slowly, deliberately up their spine. Mistress Dizzy    Jin was weightless. Adrift in an endless sea of nothing but an expanding heat that wanted to swallow them whole. Any other day, they would have scrabbled back to the surface of control and order. Any other person would have found themselves on the business end of a pistol for invading Jin’s personal space. Jin remembered, almost against their will, the first time they had been close to this man. They’d been cold and still - he'd been the one going in circles. The intense energy, ironically, was of an equal level. But the difference between the situations was so wide it might as well be antipodal. Even brushing against the memory of that day was like having the icy muzzle of a gun at their back- And then Nelu was whispering, so close Jin could have counted the gold flecks in his gaze. The warning klaxon sounding in their memory was swiftly smothered. "Well, I haven't really had partners. Kinda been dancing solo." Exit    ”Not a single partner?” He asked, holding their piercing blue gaze with his. ”I find that a little hard to believe.” Then his gaze shifted ever so slightly, becoming less watchful and more searching. ”Although maybe it really isn’t. I guess anywhere else it’d be impossible to keep up with you. But what about the other way around?” The fingers gliding along her spine hooked gently into the bottom edge of their shoulder blade, coaxing them to arch their back ever so slightly and drawing them just a little closer. Their weight would shift just so onto that hand, further adding to their weightlessness. ”Was there ever a lucky someone you wanted as a dance partner?” Mistress Dizzy    Jin's mouth opened to respond, but Nelu's carefully roaming touch caused a chain reaction up their spine. All that came out was a shivering gasp, in an octave that Jin didn't know they had. Their face went an intensely red shade. "Hey!" Jin seemed to recover in short order, though Nelu could likely still feel the flighty pace of their pulse. "You first! You opened the door…" Exit    ...Damn… Even while under duress were they quick enough to turn his ask back around on him. He was impressed and only slightly disappointed by the reflect. He was, however, quite pleased with the sound that had escaped their lips. It spurred him forward. ”I guess that’s fair.” The gold in his eyes seemed to sparkle as he answered. ”Yes.” He said simply. ”I have. Now it’s your turn.” His other hand left their hip and scooped lightly into the curve of their lower back, holding them so that they were now anchored securely to each other. Mistress Dizzy    "Wha-" Jin started, before letting out a tiny, slightly indignant huff. Then they giggled, giving Nelu a painless whap on the chest. "You tricked me! I can't believe you- well, I can, it's you, but-" They whapped him again, before going very still. Calculation was briefly visible behind their blue eyes. Without taking another second to think again, or second-guess it, Jin gently lay their cheek against Nelu's chest. They spoke in a low, secretive tone, despite that being wholly unnecessary in the midst of the pounding noise. "...I was 14. She was an older woman. Which meant she was 15." They smiled a bit, unseen. "Freckles. Brown eyes. Sweet as a summer apple. We were best friends. Then one day she laughed and hugged me, like she always did, and-" Nelu could likely feel Jin shrug slightly. "Guess I discovered girls a couple years after everyone else on the block." "Lady Cho said some people were like Doc. Wouldn't dance if they wanted to, and they don't. And then there are people like me." Exit    Nelu felt his chest tighten. If he thought the thicker, dirtier air of the Underground was already difficult to breathe, he found it significantly harder with Jin so casually placing themselves against him. He was positive they could feel or even hear the rate at which his heart was jumping in his chest, despite the thumping of the music. Despite the images flashing in his mind’s eye of the other girl, their hug… Jin’s life before. He realized that while he knew a lot about Jin, there were layers and layers of them that he didn’t. A whole life lived, no matter how short, before their time as the Flying Frog and before their time with him on the LSF. He looked down at them, his eyes falling on the top of their head as they rested against him. He could feel the isolating bubble of space surrounding them shrinking as they remained connected to each other. ”What does Lady Cho say about people like you?” Mistress Dizzy    "That music is…" Jin paused, frowning slightly. "The dancing-" Another stop, as they mentally sorted through words. The metaphor was rapidly escaping them. Laughing softly, they pulled away just slightly, enough to look up at Nelu again. Yet they were still as close as possible. "Fuck it, I'll just say it straight. What she says is, ⁵the bit that most people feel first, I guess she called it a spark? That happens for most people and it just means 'hey my body likes your body' I guess. But people like me don't feel sparks. Not unless, and until, someone becomes truly important." Their gaze darted aside. This was very suddenly too close to the truth. "Don't ask me for the details in between, but instead of a spark, well… y'know what a Tiru Coil is? Bigass electrical conductor? Instead of a spark, you get hit with one of those." Exit    Nelu raised an eyebrow. ”That sounds scary.” Mistress Dizzy    Jin snorted faintly. "Scary? Try disturbing. Waking up in a sweat, an hour past sin, realizin you were dreamin' of-" In the half-second silence between one word and the next, Jin's train of thought reversed so hard they could almost hear brakes squealing. "-things that can never happen." They continued to meet Nelu's eyes, as if they hadn't just yanked the truth away like a purse-snatching amateur. Exit    The pause was short enough that it was as if it never happened, but the words were still there. They hung in the air and continued to float around Nelu’s head long after Jin had stopped and corrected themselves. They’d given him enough that he could almost finish the sentence for them. Jin… was dreaming. Of things that couldn’t happen. Of him? ”That does sound... pretty disturbing...” Nelu said, his mind split between the realization of what that could mean and the latter half of the sentence. ”...Not knowing whether or not you can have what you want. Especially after getting your spark.” Suddenly Nelu stopped moving and his hold on Jin tightened just a little. ”I can’t speak for whoever it is keeping you up at night, but at least for me… dancing with you is...” He smiled and leaned a little closer to Jin’s upturned gaze. That bubble of space surrounding them shrunk further. They were close enough now that they could almost taste each other’s breath. ”I like it… so maybe it can happen.” Nelu fought the urge to close the small gap between them and steal for himself something he wasn’t sure was his. Instead, he pulled away and as he did, the world opened up once more. The noise and chaos of the club returned and with it, the realization that everything around them had shifted. They’d left the dance floor and the sea of people behind and were now standing next the path they had to take. Nelu’s hands slowly slid down the length of Jin’s back, retreating from where they had hooked themselves onto their body. They came to rest on Jin’s hips. ”As much as I would love to dance with you all night like this...” Nelu nodded toward the corridor. Mistress Dizzy    For a brief second, Jin just stood rooted to the spot. Like someone waking in the morning, trying to cling to the scraps of an already fading dream. Their eyes were half shut, because Nelu had almost… almost… Then they exhaled as everything came invading back. Sound. Light. Reality. "Got it. I'm right behind you."