Landdown

Subject: Landdown Wed Aug 06, 2014 11:22 pm

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	North the two of them flew, from Kyoshi Island across the brief amount of water towards the city of Chin, with Xili telling Yu Jin the exploits of Avatar Kyoshi, and how she had been the reason Kyoshi Island was an island instead of a peninsula extending further out from Chin Village. Xi was no story collector, but she knew a good amount of lore from other nations, having visited them all many times. She was pretty much the sole representative of Air Nomad interests for the world anyways. It was not as hard as it seemed though. Generally the airbenders left the outside world alone if they were granted the same respect. Xilingshi was okay with this. Whatever the case, Chin Village was not their stop of choice tonight. Instead, it was the Foggy Swamps, which were on the way to Omashu. Xi had actually been here before, and the people were extremely friendly and hospitable, even to outsiders (but especially to their own. there were more concentrations of these people in the swamps than one, after all. Deciding to let her young companion know of this arrangement, she spoke up as she began to gradually decrease altitude as the afternoon sun blazed overhead. "so... have you ever been to the Foggy Swamps?" she asked, popping the question then and there.
Mood: Happy Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi

Subject: Re: Landdown Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:06 am

Yu Jin	"Nuh uh," Yu Jin answered, shaking her head a few times, "But I know that Avatar Aang traveled through here; he learned that the whooooole swamp was made of trees that were all connected at the roots." More or less, anyway. When she drew out the word 'whole', the young airbender girl extended her arms all the way out, for emphasis, as well. The young airbender was definitely excited about stopping in the swamp - as she'd told Xilingshi before, she wanted to follow the exact path (or near as she could) that Avatar Aang took, during his childhood journey.
Mood: Excited Condition: Good	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Landdown Thu Aug 07, 2014 1:38 am

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	Xilingshi smiled and ruffled Yu Jin's hair playfully. "someone's done their research." she nodded, "aye... the trees are all connected. It's like one big gigantic life form almost. The swamp has a personality, some say--especially if you ask the locals. Maybe we'll meet some as we go?" The stop was technically completely optional, as they weren't going to continue their journey on foot or anything when the balloon was still in perfect working condition. But, Xi did see storm clouds off in the distance and would rather not try to fly into them to get to Omashu. A night in the swamps wouldn't be too bad, really. "so..." they were pretty much landed at the fringe of the swamps. "you want to go in? spend the night with eh swamp people?" she chuckled. If not... well, there'd have to be some improvision done, but hopefully the idea of meeting new people that Avatar Aang had also met in his lifetime, would be appealing enough. Besides, the swamp tribes were a friendly bunch, if not a bit eccentric. Treat them nice though, and they were completely harmless.
Mood: Happy Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi

Subject: Re: Landdown Fri Aug 08, 2014 1:38 am

Yu Jin	Hesitating for a moment, Yu Jin considered this. She wanted to meet some Swampbenders, sure, and to see the big tree... but she was no so sure about eating with them. "Do they really eat giant bugs for dinner?" the young airbender asked tentatively, unsure if she really wanted to see that. Like most airbenders from the Temple, she was a vegetarian. Not that the sight of someone else eating meat disturbed her too badly, but... bugs? Eww! Still... Avatar Aang had done it, giant bugs or not. Yu Jin had heard such interesting stories about this place, too. "Alright, we can go. If they eat giant bugs, I'll just... close my eyes. They don't really, though, do they?" She sounded so concerned about it, that Xilingshi would probably find it hilarious.
Mood: Concerned about Bugs Condition: Good	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Landdown Fri Aug 08, 2014 5:43 am

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	Xili heard the yongster out, cracking a smile and mentally chuckling at her seemingly genuine concern for giant bugs and such. oh they were there, and some of the swamp people did in fact eat them, but that was not all they ate. Xilingshi, being honest to a fault, could not lie. "A few of them do," she indicated, "but most of them will eat meat, or a lot of fruits and berries that grow in the swamp... they've got myriad of different foods to try, and so if you don't like one, you'll have other options. You can save the giant bugs for the weird old guys. does that sound good?" She deflated her balloon and tied it down, leaving it here for the night. If Yu Jin didn't have any more qualms or concerns, they were ready to enter the swamps.
Mood: Secretly Amused Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi

Subject: Re: Landdown Fri Aug 08, 2014 11:09 am

Yu Jin	That had the youngster nodding, "Yeah... they can eat the bugs. We'll eat the nuts and the fruits." This was serious business, apparently - at least to Yu Jin. "So..." She began, looking around at the 'entrance' to the swamp, "How do we find them? Do you already know where the Swampbenders live? Because Avatar Aang said that they found him, when he was here." Or, that's what was written, anyway. It's not like Yu Jin had asked the previous Avatar personally.
Mood: Concerned about Bugs Condition: Good	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Landdown Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:12 pm

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	Xilingshi chuckled at how seriously Yu Jin was taking the bugs thing. She might end up trying one or two anyways, because frankly, some of them weren't that bad. Still... she didn't want to gross the youngster out and have her decide she doesn'tw ant anything to do with these smelly bug-eating people, and so she kept that part of her life story quiet. "Aye..." she nodded, venturing into the swamp, "we go in, and we'll either find them, or they'll find us. If you can pick up their trail the way I can, they are usually not too hard to come across, since they do tend to clear out parts of the swamp so they can have some solid ground to walk on and such." she wouldn't want the youngster thinking that they'd be having to navigate this treacherous growth all the way through or anything.
Mood: Secretly Amused Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi

Subject: Re: Landdown Sun Aug 10, 2014 12:08 pm

Yu Jin	"That's good," Yu Jin nodded, rolling up her sleeves in preparation for the journey into the swamp, "At least we won't have to jump from tree to tree for hours, trying to keep out of the mud..." It wasn't just water and dirt, but the poor kid did not need to know that. She did not need to know what that murk consisted of in all the gory detail. Then, apparently deciding that rolling her sleeves up simply wasn't enough, the young girl started stripping down to the light, breezy clothing beneath her uniform - not quite underwear, of course, but a sort of tank top and loose shorts. "There we go," She nodded once again, rolling her clothes up and stowing them in her pack with a proud expression, "Now I won't get all dirty."
Mood: Concerned about Mud Condition: Good	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Landdown Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:32 pm

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	Xilingshi chuckled. "aye... we might need to sprint-jump across a few parts, but that shouldn't be too hard I don't think." not for her anyways. if the youngster needed help, Xili would be glad to provide. She had carried people far larger than her, after all. She realized that Yu Jin had the right idea, and so might as well just take precautions to prevent a mess. Xili stripped down to her smalls (a pair of high shorts and a crop-top reminiscent of a sports bra), keeping the gloves but stowing the rest in her bag. "if we're ready... in we go..." she smiled. the swamp was not too ba, at least at this point. they could walk regularly for the first little bit, feeling the soft earth beneath their bare feet as they did. the growth and trees did begin to get thicker, but so far, the travelling was good.
Mood: Secretly Amused Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi

Subject: Re: Landdown Mon Aug 11, 2014 12:50 pm

Yu Jin	Though she didn't really mind mud on a regular basis, Yu Jin knew that, once inside the swamp, there would be nowhere to wash off, once she wanted to. That was why she was being so particular about filth at the moment, but hadn't been back on Kyoshi Island. Getting good and muddy was only fun when you could have a bath afterward, and according to the stories of Avatar Aang, the swampbenders didn't even know what baths were. Since they were walking, the young girl was easily able to keep up with Xilingshi, but after a while she started to get more and more interested and curious in the surrounding flora. "Lookit that one!" She called out to the older airbender, pointing at a huge purple blossom that, to her delighted surprise, turned out to actually be a winged lizard that swept down to the swamp floor mere seconds later.
Mood: Excited Again Condition: Good	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Landdown Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:36 pm

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	Xilingshi was much less aversive to getting dirty, but didn't really think much for or against it. She was a soldier, and so she had always just had higher priorities. But... she'd rather not unnecessarily cause Yu Jin discomfort, and so there was no problem, as long as she didn't mind the mud between her toes or something. Xilingshi appreciated the beauty of nature where it was free to grow just as she was free to roam; that sort of connection or whatnot. She'd smile and explain what something was if Yu Jin saw anything that took her curious fancy or whatnot. other times she didn't know either and was thus in just as much awe and wonder as the youngster. Either way, the foliage was growing thicker, which meant they were probably getting close--they'd hit a clearing and probably come across a village or two, if she recalled correctly.
Mood: Secretly Amused Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi

Subject: Re: Landdown Mon Aug 11, 2014 11:34 pm

Yu Jin	Squealing, Yu Jin began to rush forward suddenly, having caught sight of something. "Look! There it is! I SEE IT!" She shouted back to the older airbender, excited enough to burst. The young girl had, indeed, found the swampbender village. She did stop at the edge of said village, however, to wait for Xilingshi; she didn't know the protocol for entering swampbender villages. "Come on, come on!" She called, gesturing for Xilingshi to hurry and come over. No, Yu Jin wasn't impatient at all... Yes she was. She really wanted to see what the people looked like, and what they ate, and everything else.
Mood: Excited Again Condition: Good	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Landdown Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:01 am

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	Xilingshi was just about to mentally ask herself where the fuck--okay, where the hell she wa--okay fine. where the heck she was (she did have a rather vulgar language problem that usually only ever concealed itself in front of children), but then Yu Jin had called out excitedly. It could only mean one of two things--either she had found an exotic creature of some sort, or she had found the village (which theoretically was also full of "exciting creatures" given the primitive but happy lifestyles of the locals). "I'm comin' I'm comin'..." Xi had to stop and catch her breath. She was still in pretty much the prime of her life, but youngsters seemed to always have limitless energy. Soon they came across a quaint but cozy looking little village. Xi joined Yu Jin at her side, and then took the kid's hand to lead her into the village. "you just need to kind of walk in and say hello." she reassured her. She was no socialite herself though, and so when she was greeted, she'd smile, wave, and sometimes return a soft but still very sweet "hello".
Mood: Slightly Shy Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi

Subject: Re: Landdown Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:08 pm

Yu Jin	The young girl wondered why all older people seemed so tired all the time; it wasn't hard to run around and do things all day - I mean, jeeze, you'd think that growing old sapped all your energy away! Having her hand held also felt a bit juvenile, but Yu Jin let that one pass. Xilingshi probably hadn't dealt with another twelve year old in a long time; she must not know just how close to being a grown up it was. Waving excitedly at the various villagers, the young airbender girl grinned brightly, hoping to make friends. Since she had been on the move (a whole three days), she hadn't had much time to play with other kids. It had just been her and the older airbender woman, during that time, and Yu Jin had a lot of excess energy to get out of her system. She hoped that there were some playmates around that would be close to her age...
Mood: Excited Condition: Good	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Landdown Thu Aug 14, 2014 5:43 pm

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	Xili did release Yu jin's hand once they reached the village proper; she just didn't want the youngster running off at the first thing she saw and getting into trouble. She did kind of feel morally obligated to watch after her, after all. It was funny though, because Xilingshi wouldn't have admitted she was tired. She wasn't actually tired; just that Yu Jin was... energetic. "you wanna see if we can find some kids around your age?" she offered, herself finding smaller children to be easier for her to be around. Yup, the legendary Xilingshi Zoraki; Defender and protector of the Air Temples, was shy. She did see a few kids running around here or there, although did kind of want to find an adult that she could introduce herself and her younger companion to before just throwing her in and telling her to go play. Not that she felt like it would turn things awkward or anything; just that she felt someone older should be aware of their presence before jumping right in.
Mood: Slightly Shy Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi

Subject: Re: Landdown Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:24 am

Yu Jin	Nodding, Yu Jin released her companion's hand, watching the other children run around in those colorful, leafy outfits. While they looked comfortable, the young airbender couldn't imagine wearing something that wasn't part of her Air Temple uniform... but maybe she would give it a try, if they stayed for a while? Thankfully, Yu Jin wasn't one to just go running up to people either - even if they were kids. "Woah," She blinked, her eyes suddenly focusing on something that she had initially thought was just part of a log, "Lookit him...!" Pointing, Yu Jin singled out an older swampbender man who had been relaxing on a log, watching over the little ones. He looked dirty, true, but as soon as the two newcomers had come into the village, he had been alert, watching them. He seemed to have deemed them no threat, however, and thus had not bothered to get up.
Mood: Excited Condition: Good	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Landdown Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:44 am

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki	Xilingshi was actually familiar with the leafy getups that these people wore, having donned one herself. Of course, she got playfully teased for being the "peach 'n blue girl", since her lighter skin and blue arrow tattoos stood out prominently (and very little of her body had been covered), against these dark-skinned, dark-haired folks with green or brown eyes. But, that was anther story entirely. Instead, she figured she should introduce herself and her companion to this man, who seemed to be watching over the playing youngsters--well, not like there was a whole lot of trouble to get into in this particular part of the swamp, but maybe it was just to make the mothers feel better? While she approached the man, politely introducing herself and mentioning her young friend, one of the smaller children's eyes widened as she saw the bright-colored strangers, and began wandering towards Yu Jin, her leafy skirts bouncing with each of her light-footed steps. There was a reason they had nicknamed her "Zair the dancing girl". so, while Xilingshi was thus saying things such as "We're just stopping by for a night or two" and such just to let him and thus the others know why she was here, the youngster approached the airbender that was more her age, those wide green eyes scanning the youngster's form. She was a full foot shorter than her though (standing only at 3'10" versus Yu Jin's 4'10"), but things like body shape and size didn't matter to someone so young and carefree. "heya!" she offered her (slightly wet) hand as if to shake... like this was something these outsideers did or something, "whatcha doin' all th'way out here, ay?" she certainly didn't sound accusatory or anything, but she was definitely curious.
Mood: Slightly Shy Condition: Perfect	Link: Xilingshi