It all started at The Hospice ... (Zulera)

Staying at The Hospice Inn and Tavern as a resident had it's share of perks. For one, it was the source of information for this section of the Earth Kingdom; one would be initially surprised that such a small inn could be such a source of information until they took into consideration the amount of money that flowed through Gaoling. With it's many shops, beautiful scenery, and underworld activities, the only city that rivaled the cash flow of was Fire Fountain City itself. The Hospice, however, was the only inn in the city; all others that opened soon found themselves burned to the ground, all their assets mysteriously disappearing. So for ten years so far, The Hospice had maintained a monopoly on both the Inn and Tavern industries in Gaoling.

Second, there's the marks to be found. Being the sole server for the only tavern in town, she knows where the cash flows and to whom. With this information, she has made some lucrative "business ventures", so to speak. A smirk crossed her face as she laid a new mug on the table of a sobbing man. "Gone! Everything gone!" She hid a malicious grin. This man had recently had all of his business books ripped to shreds, his money gone and safes destroyed, and his house burned to the ground. What was the motive? He ran a smuggling ring, specializing in underage sex toys. He deserved what he got.

However, with the perks comes certain ... disadvantages, the second stemming directly from the first. As a part of her rent, she was forced to wear this ... this ... whore castoff. She scoffed as, for not the last time, she glimpsed herself in the mug. With her long, silky black hair plastered to her face from the sweat, the rest pulled back into a messy ponytail, and - worst of all - her body dressed in a skanky black leather corset, making even her developing assets look large, and a tiny black leather skirt, so short if she were to lift her leg, her panties would be exposed, she looked a mess. She scoffed; anything to pay the rent.

Yet there was a second, drastically more annoying, drawback, stemming directly from the skanky outfit she was forced to wear; the men whom frequented this town didn't care she was underage when they were drunk, only that she had boobs and a vagina. She broke many fingers and kicked many groins ... but this one man - 6'0, obviously an earthbender from the callous on his fingers and his strong muscles - wouldn't leave her alone, his hands constantly grabbing her butt and breasts. Her anger was peaking. And finally, it snapped. As his hand came up to brush the hair out of her face, her own hand - infinitely quicker and deadlier - gripped his thick wrist and twisted it around his back. With a movement of her leg, a compressed ball of air knocked his feet out from under him, the wind force from it shattering cups along the bar. As he fell, her slender knee slammed into his thick face, crushing the nose and ramming his head against the edge of the bar; the way he fell, the arm behind his back broke. Her hand darted out and slammed his thick hand against the edge of the wooden bar; from seemingly nowhere, a dagger - bright silver with a pitch black pommel - was procured and shoved through the hand of the drunkard. A pitiful screamed echoed around the bar. This whole event took less than three seconds.

She crouched over him, her face merely inches from his. Fear was in his eyes, her own like sapphires frozen in a lake of fire. Her upper lip twitched into a snarl. "You are a twisted fool, wasting your life away while your wife cuckolds you. Go home. If I see you again, it won't be your hand- She punctuated this word by pulling out the dagger in his hand. -The Northern Moon will meet. Are we clear?" To prove her point, she dug her foot into his testacels. Tears welling up in his eyes, he got up, his hands flopping like fish, and ran out the door. Flicking the blood off her dagger, she sheathed it again in a hidden sheath in the knee high boots she was wearing. Then she grabbed her tray and proceeded to get refills to everyone on the counter.

Blue eyes, as deep and dark as Lake Laogoi and hiding as many secrets, scanned the bar. Slender shoulders curled inwards on themselves, as if trying to hide herself from the scrutiny of the crowd; any casual observer versed in body language could tell she was uncomfortable in the outfit. With a grace that only confidence or skill could bring, she floated over to a newcomer, who for some reason looked vaguely familiar.

In a voice that reeked of self-disgust, she said "Can I get you another beer, Ms ... ?" Her eyes scanned over the muscular skin, confident grin, and most importantly, water tribe clothing, and one thing came to mind: this girl was not someone you want to mess with. Her eyes narrowed briefly, so quickly that most people wouldn't see it all. "Do I know you from somewhere? You seem familiar."

The lean body of Yuhi stiffened as she heard the words. "... the avatar ... ? Here?" With a thrust of her arms, she threw the tray on the ground. "Hey! I'm leaving early!" She shouted over the counter. Whether or not the boss heard was up to debate, as - with a whirling of wind - the thief disappeared. A couple minutes passed, in which the tavern was eerily silent. Then Yuhi appeared again, dressed in a completely different garb; a cotton shirt and pants, simple leather shoes, and a long tan overcoat. She was buckling on her waist a black-and-silver belt, with various constellations on it. On it were two bladed weapons; a bronze short sword and a black dagger.

Yuhi seemed ... hyper. Far from her ordinary self. She was buzzing with energy as she approached the Avatar once again. "Let me treat you to a night on the town. Everything is free. For you, anyway." She smiled brazenly, showing white teeth. Her foremost molar had a chip in it. Sapphire eyes begged for her to accept. "It'll be worth it. We can cause some trouble. Though from what I heard, trouble'll catch up to you." She laughed lightly, nervously. Oh, how she hoped she would accept!