Solace for a Child

Subject: Solace for a Child Tue Jul 23, 2013 5:05 pm

Z. Katara Len	The village of Makapu was not nearly as bothersome to Zelgius Katara as other cities and towns, be they Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, or Fire Nation. She preferred smaller towns, and even then, she still liked to linger on the outskirts. Sometimes she wandered into shady areas of a town, but the staff that she prodded the ground with as she walked was not just to help her see. it served as a weapon. This journey was without incident though, and instead, the girl in red simply trudged along the outskirts of the city, not even really sure what she was looking for or what she wanted. She was neither tired nor hungry at the moment, and so her needs were mostly fine. She was a bit unkempt, but it was not like she was trying to impress anyone. She might have stood out a bit as the one wearing dark red among a sea of mostly green, although she did fit in at least a little, since she was not wearing any shoes. Katara preferred to avoid people, mostly because there were still traumatic events that she was reminded of, and while she was a very intelligent young lady, she was not very stable. Perhaps what she needed was someone to talk to. Either way, she was quiet, her lips together, using her nose to breathe in and out. her expression was almost unnervingly neutral, although that may have been because of her blank, glazed-over eyes.
Mood: Decent Condition: Fair	Link:

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Tue Jul 23, 2013 6:38 pm

Shaman of the North	Amaji breathed in the sweet air of Makapu, finding the people more delightful than most. She traveled through the streets unnoticed, as she was extremely short and most people didn't stare at their knees all day. A light breeze ruffled her skirt and blew her hair back behind her. She was actually preparing to depart, and a large basket of fresh fruits and vegetables was tied to her back. Her satchel bounced against her thigh, containing her life's work in the form of a book, and her twin tomahawks were at either hip. Around her upper left arm was a leather strip holding four daggers, and one hidden on the inside of her arm. As she left the town's crowds and the buildings became further apart, a girl in red with unruly hair could be spotted. She was not far, though turned away from her. Amaji assumed that because of the cane, she was either blind or injured. Either way, something about her caused Amaji to head in her direction, merely to ask if she wanted some assistance. "Excuse me?" Amaji asked. "Are you alright?" Amaji was a simple woman in most situations, and decided that it'd be easier to ask if the girl was alright than to waste time on introductions. She was a few feet back, keeping a respectful distance. For all she knew, this girl wanted to be alone and Amaji was not one to intrude.
Mood: Calm Condition: Healthy	Amaji Hama Tenkara

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:32 pm

Z. Katara Len	Katara may have lost her eyesight, but her remaining senses were still fairly keen; perhaps even a bit more than they used to be. She knew how to shut out most of it, and she preferred her dark world to be a silent one as well. She was not bitter, although she had the rights to be. Devoid of vision, friends, family, and a proper home that did not bring back painful memories, Z. Katara Len was condemned to walk the world. Her ears perked, though they were deeply buried underneath a thick forest of messy curls. She could tell when someone was talking to her, and so, perhaps out of habit, she turned her head towards the direction of the voice. After all... she had not been blind her whole life, and some instincts did not die too quickly. she swung her cane towards the area in front of her feet to make sure that no one was standing too close, which no one was. "Me?" she asked, and provided that anything but a "no" was said, she continued with: "I'm fine." This was actually an honest answer. There was nothing ailing her other than what usually did. PTSD would not simply go away, and neither would her blindness. Otherwise though, she was actually fairly healthy. A bit hungry and perhaps ready for a little nap or something, but otherwise generally content. She was used to working with little. she was facing the older woman, giving her a clear view of Katara's blank white eyes, making her blindness apparent. Although, there was also injury of some sort, because there were some wicked-looking scars that cut over both her eyes. "Can I help you with something?" she asked curiously. Not exactly one to so eagerly give out her name either, Katara did not mind the lack of introductions. Her question even, was simply a curious presentation, and her tone was calm. She did not seek hostility with people, provided they returned the favor. She was not one to be pitied, although she did not mind a good turn or two from someone who genuinely simply wanted to help her as opposed to try and exploit her for her dangerous and unusual power. As of lately, Katara was much more gentle and passive, trying to rein in her power as opposed to unleashing her fury on anyone who she thought might have wronged her.
Mood: Decent Condition: Fair	Link:

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:02 am

Shaman of the North	Amaji saw her turn her head, and moved slightly so that she could be standing in front of her. Amaji's mouth opened slightly (and silently) as she took sight of the girl's eyes. She barely managed to contain a response about it, though she wanted whoever or whatever did it dead. The cane was swung in front of her and missed Amaji's feet by a few inches. "Me? I'm fine." the girl's response came and Amaji stopped staring at her eyes, instead examining the rest of her. She was obviously in need of a comb at the very least, and perhaps a friend. While Amaji didn't particularly enjoy most people, she didn't feel right about leaving this girl alone, no matter how well she could fend for herself. Obviously this girl could fend for herself. Anyone who could survive having their eyes torn at like that and continue living alone and independent as was obvious could take good care of themselves. But Amaji was a 37 year old woman who had no one in the world at the moment, and if she was being honest with herself, she wanted the company for more selfish reasons than out of kindness. "Can I help you with something?" she asked, and Amaji realized that she had been quiet for longer than normal. "Well, actually, yes. You see, I've been traveling on my own for a month or two now and have gotten very lonely. Perhaps we can keep each other company?" Amaji asked, completely honest. The Shaman was not one to tell lies as she knew that eventually all would be found out and all that you gained from the fibs would be lost.
Mood: Calm Condition: Healthy	Amaji Hama Tenkara

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Wed Jul 24, 2013 3:26 am

Z. Katara Len	Katara was unable to see expressions, although she could hear minor changes in the way people breathed. However, since this woman's mouth opened silently, Katara did not detect the change. Still... the silence almost certainly indicated that she was staring. it was part of the reason her hair was an unkempt mess. it was easier to throw into her scarred face that way. "Fine by me." she shrugged, "you don't hurt me, and I won't hurt you." it was sort of a tragic way to begin a sentence, but it was the fear that Katara lived by. She followed through with those threats, but was much happier when she did not have to. violence never solved anything. "Name's Zelgi," she quipped without even turning her head as she continued her steady walk, "though you can call me whatever. more formally, some call me Zelgius." She did not often use her first name when introducing herself, but she was fine with being called by her middle name. She came off as blunt, but her voice was soft and somewhat tired-sounding. This was a girl forced to grow up much too early, and so had something of the maturity of an older adult, despite being only 15 years old. "I, um..." she mumbled shyly, "thanks... for the company, I mean..." Since she had accepted the request, she was able to see Katara a little closer. other than those vicious markings on her face, she did not look too bad. her clothes were a little worn and dirty, but they were durable, and would last her plenty longer. her feet were a bit dirty, probably because they were bare, and she wore armored gloves over her hands and forearms. She could definitely use a little cleanup, just as she could use a friend.
Mood: Decent Condition: Fair	Link:

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Wed Jul 24, 2013 1:08 pm

Shaman of the North	"Fine by me. You don't hurt me, and I won't hurt you," came the girl's response, and Amaji's brow furrowed. She would never harm someone unless they posed a threat to The Shaman's Guide. Part of her sometimes wished she was a firebender so that if needed, she could burn her life's work at a second's notice. But at the same time, she enjoyed the fact that she was a healer, and her want for a different element ceased there. 'Of course not,' Amaji thought. She would never harm someone willingly, and she doubted that this girl was going to attack her; after all, she had no idea who she was in the first place. And anything to be gained by attacking and/or stealing from Amaji would need to be seen. It was a sad, and simple truth. "Name's Zelgi, though you can call me whatever. more formally, some call me Zelgius." the gal introduced herself and Ama smiled in turn. It was rare for Amaji to smile, as she did not see much in the world to smile about, but something about this young teen made her do so. "I am Amaji Hama Tenkara, Shaman of the North," she responded. "My friends call me Ama; it's a pleasure to meet you, Zelgi." Amaji smiled once again. Usually when introducing herself, she didn't add her title, but something told her that she would be easier to find if Zelgi knew who she was precisely. "I, um...thanks... for the company, I mean..." the girl said shyly, and once again Amaji's expression lit with a smile only the simple elegance of children could bring. Upon closer inspection, the girl didn't look that unkempt; her clothes were worn and slightly dirty as to be expected of a traveler. Her feet as well, but she was walking around barefoot. "Of course! You're doing me a great service as well," Ama said, albeit a little sadly. When alone for too long she began to see her dead fiance everywhere she went. He was the man pulling that cart of wares, or the boy running through the streets. Sometimes he just appeared next to her, when no one else was around. Usually upon sighting him, Amaji would collapse, curling up in the fetal position, sobbing. Sometimes screaming. If people were around they would assume that as a Shaman, some dark spirit took hold of her during a ceremony and was fighting for control. If she were alone, he would disappear suddenly and she would continue screaming until she slept from exhaustion. This dark spirit that most assumed possessed a part of her was none other than her own demons.
Mood: Reminiscent Condition: Healthy	Amaji Hama Tenkara

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Thu Jul 25, 2013 1:08 am

Z. Katara Len	Usually for Katara, the first couple minutes of a meeting would tell her whether or not the subject was hostile. in this case, it appeared to not be the case, much to her comfort. She did feel that she came off as slightly rude with her remark, but she did not exactly trust most people... not easily, anyways. Katara actually cracked something of a rare smile herself. Given that she did not smile often, it actually added a new level of flavor to Katara's face. To put it simply... it was adorable. There was that raggedy worn-out teenager whose face was carved with several ugly scars, giving what was a small but very sincere little smile that shone through the gashes on her face. "pleasure meeting you as well. I uh... guess I should give my full name... m'real name's Katara. Katara Zelgius Altina 2." She was in slightly better spirits as she walked, although she could tell that Amaji was examining her, even if it was subtle. humans seemed to have a hi8dden sense of when people were looking at them--even blind ones. It did not necessarily trigger any red flags for Katara, but it did strike her curiosity for many reasons. "Do... do I look okay?" she asked meekly, "I... I haven't seen my face in years." She did understand colors and visuals though since she had not been born blind. She did appreciate it greatly when people described her appearance and were honest about it, regardless of how clean or dirty she was, because it helped remind her that she was still alive and had not been completely disfigured yet.
Mood: Decent Condition: Fair	Link:

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:16 pm

Shaman of the North	Upon Zelgi's smile, Amaji couldn't help but grin in return. She could tell that a smile was rare for this one, and felt honored to be allowed to see one. Rare smiles were more beautiful than those given easily; there was something about them that made them all the more expressive of emotion. "pleasure meeting you as well. I uh... guess I should give my full name... m'real name's Katara. Katara Zelgius Altina 2." she said, and Ama nodded though she knew the girl couldn't see it. "Do you prefer Zelgius, or Katara? Whatever y'like of course." she asked, not wanting to offend in any way. There was a bounce in Ama's step, one that had not been there since the first week of her leaving the 'Tribe for yet another journey. "Do... do I look okay? I... I haven't seen my face in years." came the meek question, to which Amaji's brow furrowed. She had never pitied anyone in her life, and wouldn't dream of it, but something about this young girl pulled at her heartstrings. "Well, in all honesty: you're beautiful. Maybe a change of clothes and a shower would help, but as a traveler, a small bit of dirt don't hurt. Your hair needs a combing, but not in a bad way; the curls have just gone and tangled themselves up is all. You have a very pretty smile as well; and as for your eyes, they're very different. Silvery in color and I think your scars explain a bit of your personality, and once you get used to them they aren't that noticeable." Amaji said this in honesty; she didn't think Katara looked all that bad. In fact, she could talk to the girl without staring at her eyes now. Maybe it was just her, but Ama liked to feel connected to people through something other than looks. "Are you a bender, Katara?" she asked curiously. A low vibration in Ama's usually perfectly balanced world indicated that she was next to a vast pool of chi, but she'd been wrong before.
Mood: Curious Condition: Healthy	Amaji Hama Tenkara

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:52 pm

Z. Katara Len	It could almost be said that Katara had multiple personalities, but given her young age, it was most likely just various mood swings. Usually they ranged from dry and snarky to meek and concerned, to straight-up furious. the latter of these three was thankfully the rarest. Her smile was similarly rare, although for a moment it looked like she was at peace with herself. "...Katara, now that you mention it." she indicated. She still walked with her slouched posture, taking heavy, somewhat lazy steps, but her strides were long enough that she was moving at a decent pace. After hearing Amaji's description of her appearance, one of her hands reached up and touched two fingers over the scars over one of her eyes. "...thank you for that." she said humbly. it meant more to her than she could really explain, and she did not know how to word it differently or what else to add. "I... I guess I could do for a cleaning up." This was not so much a subtle hint of any kind as much as it was Katara just deciding that maybe such a thing would be good for her. Although clearly such an offer would not likely be turned down by the young blind girl. Although, she was certainly not familiar with any kind of place(s) where she could get pampered like that... so she decided to ask. "do you know of anywhere I could get cleaned up?" it sounded curious more than anything, and that humbleness had not left either. "..." she paused for a moment, looking hesitant. "I am." she shook her head slowly, "I try to avoid using it though... I have almost no control over it at all... so it generally does more harm than good... usually burns me." Such a remark also gave away what kind of bender she was, and so hopefully it would do.
Mood: Decent Condition: Fair	Link:

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Sat Oct 26, 2013 8:46 pm

Shaman of the North	Noting that her preference was her second name, Amaji nodded to herself but said nothing. "...thank you for that. I... I guess I could do for a cleaning up." Katara said, and Amaji's eyes glinted with an idea. "How about you and I go get a nice afternoon of pampering? I could do with some relaxing and I'm sure you could too. I bet there's somewhere not too far from here... as for bending, I can understand that. Growing up, I wasn't all that into controlling my abilities until I learned that in order to master my element, I had to master myself. If you'd like, I could try and teach you some techniques for self-control. Your bending shouldn't be something you fear, nor should it be looked at as a curse. The spirits chose to give you your element for a reason, and not using it would appear ungrateful of the fact that you can do something that many can't." Amaji said, first friendly, then turning passionate but still kind. The gift of bending was something she had never once deemed as lower than a blessing, and she was determined to see the scarred young lady learn to view it that way too--not through force, but through love of what could be created simply through the peaceful movement of the body.
Mood: Curious Condition: Healthy	Amaji Hama Tenkara

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Sat Oct 26, 2013 11:44 pm

Z. Katara Len	Katara's scarred, glazed eyes lit up a bit, widening. "you'd do that for me?" she exclaimed, "I... well, what does that entail?" Katara didn't exactly know what pampering was, so the idea sounded very new and exciting to her. She was very interested. "well... I'm young, so my bending might just need a bit of work." she shrugged, but was pondering on the older woman's words. "I... well, I do have mixed feelings about it overall, but you surely know more about bending than someone as young as me, so I'll take your word for it." Katara was normally slow to trust people as well, but when it was something like bending and talents... there was not really a reason not to trust her. if she really didn't like the older woman's teachings, she just wouldn't have to follow them or something. She doubted that would be the case though. her mind was already in a fairly deep analytic mode. "lead on then." she stated with a weak smile. She was suddenly excited, wondering how a scrawny, scarred up little blind girl would get pampered.
Mood: Interested Condition: Fair	Link:

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Sun Oct 27, 2013 12:39 am

Shaman of the North	"But of course I'd do that for you," Amaji chuckled at the expression upon Katara's face; it was lit with childlike excitement of genuine quality. "I... well, what does that entail?" Katara asked a little uncertainly. "It's a surprise," Ama returned playfully, and while normally she would've added a wink, there was really no point. The conversation then returned the bit more serious point of discussion. "well... I'm young, so my bending might just need a bit of work. I... well, I do have mixed feelings about it overall, but you surely know more about bending than someone as young as me, so I'll take your word for it." she said, and Amaji smiled. "The funny thing about life is, no matter if you're young or old, you're always going to need a bit of work. No matter what point you reach, there will always be room for improvement. If you never forget that, and you keep an open mind, you will always have the ability to grasp more knowledge. And knowledge is key to our survival." Amaji said, believing wholeheartedly that just because Katara was young did not mean she was stupid or unskilled. "lead on then." Katara intoned, and Ama happily did so. She could've sworn she'd seen a little spa in a corner of the town center of Makapu, with all these small-town folks advertising their wares to both locals and tourists alike. "It shouldn't take too long for us to get there," Amaji let her know, leading her through the streets and careful not to lose the blind girl.
Mood: Curious Condition: Healthy	Amaji Hama Tenkara

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Sun Oct 27, 2013 6:27 pm

Z. Katara Len	this remark really helped the child come out in Katara. "nuuuuu... tell me!" she insisted, but knew that that probably wouldn't work. Didn't mean that it wasn't worth a shot though. this did actually mean a lot to the blind youngster, especially given that she was a bit curious as to what she looked like. "some more than others," she quipped in response to Amaji's statement. It was not intended to be sarcastic or rude; it was just an observation Katara had made that seemed true enough. The old witch in the south whom Katara had once spoken to had emphasized the importance of knowledge to Katara. while she had not maybe taken it as seriously as this Zurok Takamatzu would have liked, it wasn't like Katara had just disregarded it or anything. "alright." she nodded in response once again, "I'm still right behind ya."
Mood: Interested Condition: Fair	Link:

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Thu Dec 12, 2013 3:54 pm

Shaman of the North	"nuuuuu... tell me!" The younger girl said, and Amaji chuckled. "Well if I told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise treat, now would it?" Amaji teased. They turned a corner and the spa was in sight; she smiled, taking Katara's hand and leading her through the small groups of people in the street towards the front doors, pushing them open. A bell rang and automatically a woman with an overly peppy smile and much too perfect skin came rushing towards them. "Hi!" she sang cheerfully. "Welcome to the rest, relaxation, and pamper nation! What would you li--...." she said, trailing off as she caught sight of Katara. "I want everything you have to offer. Hair, nails, makeup, a full wardrobe for this one. For myself, the same, albeit you can leave the wardrobe." Amaji said calmly, looking at her young charge. It was now Amaji's personal mission to aid Katara in every way possible. She wasn't certain when she had decided this, but it was decided, and once Amaji decided something, it was certainly going to happen. So unless Katara specifically stated that she did not want nor need Amaji, Amaji would be there.
Mood: Loving Condition: Healthy	Amaji Hama Tenkara

Subject: Re: Solace for a Child Thu Dec 12, 2013 4:31 pm

Z. Katara Len	Katara gave a pouty frown because she knew that the older woman was right. she crossed her arms tightly, but soon relaxed a bit as she was led towards the spa. Her ears perked once she heard the little bell ring upon entering the building. she heard an overly ditzy sort of woman approach them, and then she suddenly dropped off. Someone had just seen her face, and she instinctively lowered her head almost shamefully, but more shyly than anything. Katara did not object when Amaji spoke up, and was somewhat grateful that she took the attention off of Katara a little bit. she shuffled her bare feet a little shyly, as she felt like she was a very foreign entity in this little shop, which caused her to feel out of place. This did not illicit fear from her; just an unusual sense of wariness, but she was willing to trust Amaji. she nodded slowly. "I guess now I'll see what this entails, uh?" she almost forced a laugh, but at least managed to smile weakly. if she was going to get pampered, she might as well enjoy it.
Mood: Interested Condition: Fair	Link: