The Challenge of Uncertainty [OPEN]

Given how new I am and such, Anyone who wants to join can do so.

Zhin Lyautey

One day passed after the other, and the day afterwards passed as well, and such was the boring pattern of everyday life for Zhin. Okay, so maybe it was not all boring, but she was getting bored with her time spent back home in the Fire Fountain City. that was just sometimes how Zhin felt, and ever since she had begun travelling the world, sitting around anywhere, especially at home, had never quite been the same to her. there was still so much more to see; so much more to do. Despite the warnings that the town authority often gave that advised citizens, particularly women, children, or the elderly, to stay indoors after the sun went down, that was never something to stop Zhin. her lust for adventure drew her towards the bright moon in the sky and into the dodgy streets of the city at night. She had no real destination in mind as she travelled; she was simply following the brightest lights, which always seemed to be visible from around the nearest streetcorner or from behind the next building. Zhin put one booted foot in front of the other, hearing little besides the breeze and the sound of her footfalls. after a while, she began hearing the sound of fire--something was burning. Judging from Zhin's reaction, one might have thought that it was commonplace. she kept walking, her face remaining blank and calm. Anyone who lived here knew that it was just the sounds of the Fire Fountain for which the city was named. Zhin approached it because of the bright light from the flames, as well as the silver moonlight which poured down overhead. the central plaza was devoid of tall buildings and features, leaving plenty of open sky. the lights from the flames and from the various streetlights and lanterns made viewing the stars a bit difficult, but the bright full moon was another story altogether. She sat down at the foot of this fountain, gazing up into the sky. To some, she might have looked like the perfect target: a young, unarmed girl alone on the streets at night. To others, she may have been dangerous. After all, most people said it was the quiet ones that you had to watch out for. Either way, Zhin did not actually have a reputation here of being someone dangerous. A few folks who knew her knew that she could hold her own in the average fight. Most of all, Zhin was fast, both in running speed and in reflexes, and she had learned that there were plenty of times when running was the better of the two options when the 2nd option was to face the opponent. Zhin crossed her legs, leaning her head back to stare towards the clear sky. “I almost feel like I should be asking myself what—or who—I am waiting for.” She pondered, “I came here without any set idea in mind, but is fate really going to let me continue to wander by the sidelines?” She paused, glancing out towards the sea, the moonlight glimmering on the waves in the distance. The rugged terrain in the area meant that the city was a little higher up than the coast, and so at the right angle, you could see the sea from the Fire Fountain. For that matter, she paused to glance up at the structure she was seated at the base of. This was a true work of art; a massive statue of the current Firelord, a woman named Shula that Zhin had never formally met. The hours and effort that had to have gone into this thing... this was the type of thing that Zhin deeply appreciated, and already ideas were brewing in her mind. designing things; building things; that was where her passions began. She snapped herself back to reality for a moment, glancing around her. so far the place looked deserted, but she knew that this could change at a moment's notice, given how many streets converged in the area. Perhaps she would wait and see.

Mood: A little bored Condition: Healthy

Link:

Well howdy, Zhin. Welcome to NC. *tips hat*

Shula Njoo

"Come on!" Shula called to the guard lumbering after her as she ran towards the shores below Fire Fountain City. He was panting lightly, fairly young--he was younger than most, and she'd decided to take him along because he wouldn't know that he could literally drag her off if he believed her safety was at stake. Tossing a silken robe onto the sand, Shula dove into the water happily. "Lady Shula, you must come back to the inn! It isn't appropriate for you to be here!" the guard, Ren-Ja she thought was his name, squeaked as she came up for air. With a laugh, Shula dove under the water yet again, kicking her legs and flowing with the water as a dolphin-turtle might. Hours later, as the sun dove behind the landscape, Shula got out of the water, moving towards her silken robe. Ren-Ja handed her a towel, expecting to lead her back to their inn within the city before setting off for the Capital yet again in the morn. Instead, she managed to ditch him, smiling all the while. Shula hummed lightly as she walked through the lovely streets of Fire Fountain City, finally free and drying her hair off as she retied it into little ties on the sides of her face. Her body was covered by the cream-colored silken robe, as she was now fully dry and it wouldn't harm the thing. She didn't really know where she was heading until she noticed the great fountain for which the city was named, an enormous full body statue of her cresting the top. She looked at this for a while. Her face wasn't smiling, but her eyes were kind. Her hair, half of it piled on top of her head with a crown in the middle, reached her lower back, loosely waving. She'd heard of the thing, but had never seen it personally. The kimono in which the creators depicted her in was very pretty, with a long billowing skirt, her hands hidden inside of the long sleeves. She grunted in approval--something she would never do unless she was alone, and moved to circle the thing; her extremely small feet (bound when she was growing up) were encased in red satin ballet slippers, allowed her to move gracefully and quietly. She moved with the care and attention that was hard to master, her long willowy body seeming to flow with the light breeze. She came around to the side, before spotting a young woman, just sitting there. She didn't make any approach towards her, although she didn't back away either. She just stood their for a moment, analyzing her. She was pretty, dressed fairly modestly. Her hair was dark, and her face young; it was obvious that she was well-off. She was very Fire Nation-esque in appearance. Shula was analyzing her boots as she stood there, finally done fidgeting with her dark raven-colored locks.

Mood: Fine Condition: Wonderful

Fire Lord Shula Njoo

Why thank you =). I hope to have a good RPing time here.

Zhin Lyautey

In the silence of the evening, Zhin almost began to zone out, staring blankly ahead of her. Had she not been the more sophisticated type, she might have even had a string of drool hanging out one of the corners of her mouth, but that was far too rude a thing for her to do in public, even if she was alone. She was a lady, and moreso, a lady with dignity that she was not about to lose. Either way, it was a while before she snapped out of this mini-trance, thanks to a faint noise, or so she thought. Maybe it was just the breeze, or a bird flying from one surface to the other. Zhin’s light green eyes darted left and right and she hardly moved her head. If someone was trying to sneak up on her from behind, they would have to climb the large (and probably mostly hollow) metal statue, and would need to do so without making any noise. Zhin’s reflexes were not about to let that happen either way. As puny as humans seemed compared to other animals, given their lack of claws, fur, fangs, wings, and such, they clearly had an advantage over the rest of the world. Despite being little more than soft, warm, and puny creatures on their own, they were nothing impressive until one took into account their intellect. This was the type of simile that Zhin enjoyed making. While she was indeed a young, unarmed rich girl, she was far from weak, and her trump cards were ones that could not be beheld with the naked eye. Inside her head were tactics, knowledge, and a variety of other things—the selfsame things that had brought humanity itself to the leading role in the circle of nature. This was especially true of benders, but even those without such gifts, like herself, were still plenty dangerous. One of the inherent talents that humans had was that they always seemed to know when they were being watched. Not all of them could react quickly enough should they be in danger, but that acute sense of awareness was present, and Zhin was no exception. She cocked her head instantly in the direction of her observer, her billowing black waves flinging with her, softly petting her face before falling back over her shoulder. Her expression remained unchanged, and her legs were still crossed, one of her feet still lightly swaying rhythmically. While she was being analyzed, Zhin analyzed the woman in return from what she could see in the dim light. “This is someone sophisticated,” she noted, “rich, perhaps, at the very least. Light colored robes at night; perhaps she does not wish to get lost in the shadows. Though… one must wonder what she is doing late at night? Is she perhaps doing the same thing I am, and waiting for something or someone that she knows not of? Perhaps she has other things on her mind that bring her here. I do not think she knows me, nor I her, however. I wonder if she is nervous. The way she is fidgeting with her hair makes it seem like she is either out when she is not supposed to be, or is guilty of something. That is not for me to decide, however. Perhaps I am simply overthinking it.” Zhin’s lips remained softly closed as they usually did when she was analyzing something or someone. She appeared so silent and unreactive, and yet there were so many things running through that mind of hers at any given time. The light color of Shula’s robes enabled Zhin to see where her arms were against the darker background, but it did not cause Zhin to open her mouth—not at first anyways. She mentally followed the path from the visitor’s eyes to where it stopped, which appeared to be around her feet. This was enough to make her speak up. “Do I by chance have something on my boot?” she asked gently, glancing from it towards the woman watching her. She was not trying to be rude, but was aware that she was being watched, and not only wished to know why, but also perhaps to learn a little about who this was. If nothing else, it would be a nice little conversation, provided that Zhin got an answer at all.

Mood: Curious Condition: Healthy

Link:

'Welcome, dear. (: No worries, those of this site are rather warm and welcoming; I can 100% guarantee that your experience here will not be a foul one. :3

Shula Njoo

As Shula finished her observations of the girl, she meant to observe the area around, but before she did so, a voice spoke. "Do I by chance have something on my boot?" came the gentle question, Shula's eyes flicking back towards her face, framed by such sweet wavy locks. She visibly sweat-dropped; "Oh, no, my apologies, dear. I found them quite nice, actually; usually when females wear boots they look awkward, or masculine, yet you have managed to pull the look off with quite a nice amount of finesse." Shula returned, simply stating what had been on her mind. She took a few small steps forward, so that the other woman could better see her, and she in turn could see her. She was slightly curious, as the streets of the great city were all but empty except a wayward traveler here and a mugger there. Part of her wondered what the woman was doing out here, and being who she was, she didn't hesitate in asking. "You're all alone," she observed. "Perhaps waiting for someone?" she inquired, her voice soft and gentle, like it could get lost in the breeze, but she was always certain to be heard. She drew the pink sash around her waist a bit tighter, her slender hands gripping the ends for but a moment before falling back to her sides, as a gentle breeze had started; during the day, with the heat of the Nation, such a breeze would be welcome. Here was where she wished for that stuffy kimono--beautiful, yes, but restrictive--as it always managed to keep her warm. Instead, she simply used her chi to warm her a bit, bringing a slight amount of color to her cheeks, offsetting her eyes further. She looked up at the fountain, her cheeks reddening further, although more from embarrassment that she'd been admiring her own statue. "My apologies, again. I seem to have forgotten my manners! My name is Shula Njoo; might I be so bold as to ask for yours?" she said, her voice still gentle, still soft, although a little more warm than previously.

Mood: Fine Condition: Wonderful

Fire Lord Shula Njoo

Shula Njoo

Shula watched the other woman's eyes widening and inwardly sighed, although her expression didn't change. Perhaps she could've continued conversing with the woman before telling her that she was the Fire Lord. She stood, apologizing, then bowing. Shula returned the bow gracefully, straightening as she spoke again. "A pleasure to meet you, Zhin. No need to apologize, I understand perfectly. It was quite nice to converse equally with you." she returned. They were the same height, which pleased Shula inwardly; many claimed she was a tall woman, it was nice to meet one of the same stature. She apologized again, giving her full name. "Don't worry about it, dear, really. As for being here...well, it's nice to get away from the Palace sometimes. And the night is a nice one; forgive my attire, as I'd come up from a swim down by the shores." she returned, watching as Zhin took a glance to the statue. Shula relayed no reaction to this. "What of you? I do believe I recognize the name Lyautey. You're a noble, are you not?" she inquired with a smile.

Mood: Fine Condition: Wonderful

Fire Lord Shula Njoo

Apologies for the shorter post, dearie. :3

It is fine. Sometimes there is much to say, other times there is not.

Zhin Lyautey

Zhin had already been suspicious that Shula was the Fire Lord based on her appearance compared to that of the statue that she had spent a moment looking at just a few minutes earlier. Combine that with the number of people named Shula, and the odds of this being a different Shula were extremely slim. But… no matter. Zhin was not about to grovel. “Alright then.” She nodded, “If you are okay with conversing equally, then I am as well. I simply did not wish to disrespect you. Manners run deep in my blood.” She chuckled lightly, but meant every word of it. She had grown up with that mindset, and frankly, she saw no reason why being respectful would ever be seen as a bad thing. She knew the line between respecting, schmoozing, and brown-nosing. She listened to Shula’s words, already making observations. “She is kinder than I expected, but I cannot complain. She seems very modest, humble, and down-to-earth. I see a good leader in this woman. She either wants something from me, or simply wishes to treat me as her equal. I frankly do not mind it, and so there is no reason for me to fight it. The shores… mmm, There are times when I wish to do the same. Perhaps I should find a good afternoon to take a trip to the beach, perhaps. Maybe I should fantasize less—at least for the time.” Zhin snapped herself back to reality. There was another phrase Shula uttered that took Zhin’s fancy. “You say you like to get away from the palace sometimes… do you like exploring? Travelling, perhaps?” If this was true, it was something that Zhin could heavily relate to. “Perhaps she understands the plight of many nobles, who feel confined when they are kept in one area for such long periods of time. If she feels trapped, I would certainly sympathize with her, as I understand what that is like, though it is not duty that traps me, but my own foolish inaction. I suppose if I am complaining this much, that I should rectify my problem a bit more. There is nothing forcing me to stay in Fire Fountain if I do not wish it.” “That sounds like fun.” She agreed, “It is nice to get away sometimes, and to unwind by doing what you please and going where you wish. I respect that. I really do.” “Aye,” she added after hearing the question, “I am of the noble house of Lyautey. We live here in the Fire Fountain City, and have since the days when it was called North Chung-Ling. So… you simply came out here to take a dip in the ocean?” It was a curious question, but surely there had to be more to Shula’s visit here than a simple swim. There were plenty of other islands, many with beaches far better than these… but, perhaps she was being too nosy? Was this her business? Hopefully Shula was honest enough to say if she thought Zhin was being too meddlesome. She doubted that she had actually gone this far, as her questions were mostly just curious.

Mood: Curious Condition: Healthy

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