The Vagrant and The Scholar

Subject: The Vagrant and The Scholar Fri Dec 14, 2012 2:08 pm

Tarek Raiden	Tarek sat at his desk in the Fire Nation Palace, hard at work. After the incident with the Fire Lord’s half-brother attacking the Palace, he decided to review the Fire Nation’s security and border check procedures. The information wasn’t too hard to come by, but it was a lot to sort through. He had a little help from Spymaster Kako, who let him have a list of people who the Fire Nation were “watching” or keeping tabs on. As Tarek flipped through the papers, one named in particular stood out, Hakota-Zai. Tarek sat back in his chair and held his chin as he stared at the piece of paper before him. He had met a man by that name, not too long back, on Kyoshi Island, and according to the official records, he was in the Fire Nation. His thoughts were interrupted as he read a list of Zai’s skills. "Chi-blocking?" He thought to himself as he read through Zai's listed abilities. This made Tarek grin; he had been studying chi-energy and its effects on the body and on bending all his life. In fact he was an expert on the subject and had mastered controlling and manipulating his own chi inside his body. He had never, however, learned the art of chi-blocking, as very few people still practiced it outside of the Kyoshi Warriors. Tarek found himself being very curious indeed. He looked up Zai’s last know location and packed up his things. He let one of his assistants know that he would be out, indefinitely. He wanted to meet Hakota-Zai again, and hopefully it would be under better circumstances than their first meeting. ***Two Days Later*** Tarek arrived in Jang Hui, wearing his normal, red traveling clothes; instead his more formal General’s uniform. He curiously looked around as he walked around the town’s floating buildings and realized that finding one man, even in a town as small as this, would be difficult. He found himself wondering why Zai would come to the Fire Nation, and maybe more specifically, to Jang Hui. After a quick initial search, he decided that the nearest tavern would be the best place to start looking and the nearest tavern is where he went. It was quite full and Tarek figured it must have been the only one in town. His eyes scanned the sea of faces before him, looking for any hint of familiarity.
Mood: Calm Condition: Healthy	Link: Tarek Raiden

Subject: Re: The Vagrant and The Scholar Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:13 pm

Hakota-Zai	Name:Lee Hakota-Zai Alias: Dead-Eye Zai Age: 28 Abilities: Swords(Master); Chi-Blocking(Expert); Earthbending(Intermidiate); Fans(expert) Mood:Indifferent. Condition:Assumedly Inebriated.
Jang Hui was a nice, quite place, rather serene upon the river the boat-houses floated. This was something The Vagrant idolized of the town; it'd changed so little in light of the Industrial ways. All that had truly been subject to the seasons of technology were the boats themselves that netted for fish. It was pleasant, really; minus, of course, the fact that Zai was in the only tavern the place had, making it subject to anyone who happened to desire a drink. This made it very loud, but the mercenary was on a job, one not to be taken lightly. So why is he drunk, one might think. Zai was indeed drinking his heart out, apparently on the tab of a finely-dressed gentleman on his left. He seemed to be enjoying himself, slurring his words, laughing, telling only slightly-tasteful jokes. The man he was with seemed to enjoy the company, as if the two could relate. Dressed in his usual Kiyoshi robes, faded from age and wear, as well as the dark over-tattered cloak and headwrap, Zai was easily identifiable. It helped that he was being loud and making something of a ruckus, though a seemingly friendly one that stood among the other rambling drunkards only in that the others drank to waive a long day of work, or some unspoken anguish. The fine-looking gentleman beside him laughed just as heartily, seeming unmindful of the accumulating bill he and his new-found friend were developing. He was dressed in fair clothes, the type fitted for him and made on the spot. It was an unusual sight in the village, not to mention the fact that the seats to either side of him and Zai were empty.
Link:Lee Hakota-Zai

Subject: Re: The Vagrant and The Scholar Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:49 pm

Tarek Raiden	The tavern was bustling with noise and activity, as was to be expected from the town’s only bar. Most of the patrons were Fire Nation citizens; however Tarek did spot a few foreigners hanging about as well, as he searched the room. He soon spotted the easily identifiable Kyoshi robes and headwrap usually worn by Hakota-Zai. Tarek grinned to himself and made his way to the table where the man was sitting. It looked like he was enjoying a drink with a rather wealthy looking gentleman. Tarek had to politely push a few drunks out of his way before he reached the open stool to the right of the Kyoshi warrior, whom Tarek assumed was Hakota-Zai. After all, Zai was the only male Kyoshi warrior Tarek had ever seen. Tarek sat down besides the man with a grin. “I’ll have whatever he’s having,” he said to the barkeeper as he gestured to Zai.
Mood: Calm Condition: Healthy	Link: Tarek Raiden

Subject: Re: The Vagrant and The Scholar Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:47 pm

Hakota-Zai	Name:Lee Hakota-Zai Alias: Dead-Eye Zai Age: 28 Abilities: Swords(Master); Chi-Blocking(Expert); Earthbending(Intermidiate); Fans(Expert) Mood:Indifferent. Condition:Assumedly inebriated.
Zai was taking another swig as a familiar man sat beside him, completely unwitting to the situation, but Zai remembered him from their brief encounter. It took a moment, but Tarek held some part of his mind. He ordered the same Zai had. A pitcher of liquor and two mugs, one of water and one empty (but for ice) for the alcohol itself. Zai had to turn his head to excess to get a good look at him, given he was seated on Zai's bad side, but the Mercenary grinned slyly, taking another mouthful of the fluid and took the mug of 'water' to his lips. From the right side it was clear Hakota wasn't drinking anything, only spitting the inebriating fluid into the mug. Facing mostly left for his fellow, the neat-looking man couldn't see Zai doing as such, though from Tarek's angle it was clear. After Tarek ordered, there was a movement in the crowds of people. Certain patrons beginning to stand from their tables. At least until Zai slung an arm over Tarek's shoulders, putting on a convincing slur. "Ehhh. Mr. Keshin! I didn' know ya shaved yer hair again!" He turned back to the dressed man -obviously actually drunk off his arse-, "Sintra, 'dis is tha guy I jus told ya 'bout! 'e is quite a badass, but still coul'nt keep me from stompin him a' Pai Sho. Hah!" At this, the individuals who had began to bustle seated themselves again and Sintra laughed heartilly. "Lee 'ere tells me yer da best he ever played at Pai Sho. Dis true?" He didn't seem to wait for an answer as he turned back to the mercenary, returning to talking about.. Some unusual woman with a stomach of steel, it seems. Zai curiously stopped taking drinks, instead casually shifting his two mugs and the pitcher into a position relative to their seat placement, with the pitcher being the well-dressed man. Hoping his acquaintance got the picture, he began tapping two spots near the mug on the right (Tarek's own representative). And were Tarek to see the message, he would find that in those places behind him were two men, dressed like fisherman. They seemed well-built, not unusual for laborers, but one could observe how they constantly came around to eying Sintra and his two new pals. Everyone else seemed to purposefully stray their gaze away from the three. And Tarek's veteran eye might even observe the barely-visible weapons hidden within the two's clothes. Around this point, the Vagrant turned back to Tarek, pushing his mug towards him. "Eh, Mr. Keshin. Toss two mugs back fer me in a sec, yeah? While you wait fer yer drink." He asks this with a curt nod, waiting for the firebender's confirmation before turning back to the keenly dressed man.
Link:Lee Hakota-Zai

Subject: Re: The Vagrant and The Scholar Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:25 am

Tarek Raiden	Tarek looked curiously at Zai and the wealthy looking man beside him. Both of them appeared to be quite drunk, but Tarek soon noticed that Zai wasn’t drinking at all; instead he was just spitting the alcohol back into the mug of water. Tarek also noticed quite a bit of activity from the seats behind them as certain patrons started standing up together. Suddenly Hakota threw his arm around Tarek’s shoulders. "Ehhh. Mr. Keshin! I didn' know ya shaved yer hair again! Sintra, 'dis is tha guy I jus told ya 'bout! 'e is quite a badass, but still coul'nt keep me from stompin him a' Pai Sho. Hah!” Zai slurred out convincingly. Tarek fell right in and played along with the act, laughing heartily. “Hey now! You just got lucky with that sneaky white jade gambit is all!” he said still laughing. Tarek noticed that the people who stood to their feet started sitting down again. He had no idea what he had just stepped into, but he would help Zai out and go along with this either way. He gave a nod at the wealthy man whom Zai called Sintra. “I have been known to play Pai Sho from time to time,” he said with a confident smile as he pulled out a Pai Sho tile from his pocket and flipped it between his fingers. Tarek noticed Zai start rearranging his mugs and the pitcher before tapping on the table just behind the second mug. Tarek realised what Zai was doing, he had got a good look at the layout of the room as he entered and realised that Zai was bringing his attention to a table behind them. While Tarek could have turned around to look at them, he decided that it might have been too obvious. Instead he took a deep breath and reached out with his heat sense. He could feel two men sitting at the table Zai had gestured to and judging by the heat patterns, he could sense that they were armed. He could also tell that they seemed to be very interested in Sintra and his two new friends. Zai then slid a mug over to Tarek, “Eh, Mr. Keshin. Toss two mugs back fer me in a sec, yeah? While you wait fer yer drink.” Tarek took the mug and gave Zai a nod, confirming that he knew about the two people behind them “Thanks Lee…” he said as he filled the mug up from the pitcher and took what appeared to be a large swig, although he hardly let any alcohol down his throat at all. He made sure he was prepared for anything as he started to cautiously feel around him with his heat sense, he wasn’t too sure what Zai’s next move would be, but he would be ready.
Mood: Suspicious Condition: Healthy	Link: Tarek Raiden

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