Sweet Air [Mature]

Kano stood, breathing slowly. He could feel the air passing over him, the smell of the moisture upon it. The few earthbenders who were present at the temple had formed a new pipe for bringing water up from the aquifer far below. All they needed now was a waterbender to apply a bit of pressure.

He began moving his hands up and down in front of him, parallel to one another. At the peak of the movement, he brought his hands outward in a large, circular movement and then repeated the process once his hands came together again at the bottom of the motion. Around him, he could hear the earthbenders raising the walls of a pool for the water to flow into and channels off the side of the structure of the temple so that the overflow could fall back into the abyss. Within a few months, every last unused drop would trickle back through the ground and into the aquifer.

Suddenly, with a huge burst of sound, a great cascade of water flowed from the embellished mouth of the lion-turtle carved around the opening. The earthbenders who had answered the call were mostly sculptors from an Earth Kingdom town just across the channel. The water splashed into the pool with a lively sound and immediately began to fill it. Kano stood there, enjoying the light spray of water the flow was throwing off as it licked at his face. This was water at it's most beautiful -- restoring the hope of hundreds. After the damage done to the temple, the previous well had been rendered useless. And so, a new one was planned to supplement the old. Once the original was repaired, the two fountains would provide ample water to the temple.

"Well done, young chief!" said a voice as Kano turned. The strategist, Gen Zhou was standing there with an appreciative smile on his face.

"It really wasn't that difficult." Kano said, shaking his head as he stepped out of the water of the pool. "With that much water down there, you don't even have to know where it is to bring it up. Pick any direction that's down and you'll hit the mark."

"Well, quite." Gen nodded, folding his arms and appreciating the effect of the fountain.

"So," Kano said, bending what water was left on him into the pool, leaving his clothes bone dry. "Anything else for me to do?"

"Oh, we couldn't ask more of the Chief of the North." Gen said. "Why don't you take a break? There's a wonderful little perch near the south end of the temple, on the third floor of the Platypus-bear Pagoda which is quite nice. Why don't you head over and... enjoy the view."

There was something about the way Gen said this that made Kano a little uncomfortable, but taking a break did sound like a good idea. With a word of thanks for the suggestion to Gen, he turned and headed out across the terrace, moving for the inner chambers of the pagoda. He'd have to climb a fair few flights of steps before he would come to the bridge over to the Platypus-bear Pagoda. It was something of a trek, but he didn't really mind. He rather enjoyed exploring the place. And, as he didn't have a perfectly clear idea of where he was going, it was almost like wandering. He did love wandering. As he left the terrace, he thought he heard a few people giggling behind him, but he didn't give it much thought.

And wander, he did. For over an hour, in fact. He got lost once or twice. Or rather, he allowed himself to be distracted. The temple had a lot to offer. He particularly enjoyed a particular massive mural in the Sky Bison Pagoda, the largest of the pagodas in the complex. When, finally, he stepped out onto the Platypus-bear Pagoda's terrace, he saw what Gen had meant. There was a positively wondrous view of the mountains and the forests which covered them. He could see the horizon here and there, but the dazzling array of colors was something even the word stunning didn't do justice to...

The voice took Kano by surprise as he leaned there on one of the pillars. They had been added temporarily for the benefit of the non-airbenders throughout the temple. Gave them something to lean on while they enjoyed the view. They were also very useful for supporting Gen's metal barricades, plates of steel designed to act as cover for the defenders of the temple against firebender barrages. They'd saved more than a few lives. However, at the moment, the barricades were safely tucked away in a storage area closer to the heart of the temple.

He looked around. There, sitting on the very edge of the terrace was a young woman with long brown hair and silvery eyes. Her war paint and wild ponytail gave her an air of danger.

"No." Kano said, responding to her question after a moment's pause to consider his unexpected company. Or rather, the person into whose company he had walked. "I was just out... for a stroll." he shrugged.

Kano smiled faintly at the joke. There were more and more like it being traded these days. It was a shame, too. He'd seen the Fire Nation. They had much to offer the world. What they chose to share was their lesser half, their warlike half. He'd seen the half that danced beautiful dances and played heartbreaking music. He'd seen their craftsmen forge magnificent pieces of art and their chefs prepare truly bold food. He wondered where they would be if the Fire Lords of the past had tried to win the hearts and minds of the world with art rather than trying to dominate the bodies of the world by the sword. But that was all philosophy for another time. A reality for another world. His world had an invitation to sit with someone inside it, and he didn't mind if he took it.

He carefully approached the edge of the terrace and peered over. It wasn't a phobia he usually had cause to be on the wrong side of, but he had a pretty intense fear of heights. He didn't like anything he couldn't see the bottom of that wasn't filled with water. The gorge just dropped into blackness. Far below, a cover of wispy clouds churned through the open space. Still, he wasn't about to be defeated by something as pathetic as fear. He was the Chief of the North now... he needed to act like it. Squaring his shoulders almost imperceptibly, he marched over to where she sat and lowered himself beside her, hanging his legs over the edge. It was a little dizzying to think a simple tip forward might be his last act as chief. Despite this, he put on a broad, friendly smile and looked over at his company.

"Well, this isn't so bad." he said with a chuckle.

This is bad. said a voice inside his head -- his. Bravery was for people who weren't teetering on the edge of a ten minute drop with a short stop.

"Kanoei, Son of Tako of the Northern Water Tribe." Kano said. It seemed like a mouthful, but he didn't even notice saying the whole thing anymore. He'd said it so many times since he'd left the north pole, it had become as natural as saying John Doe. "I guess... I should really introduce myself as Kanoei Hakanoka Aowaka, Chieftain of the North..."

That wasn't so natural. It still stuck in his throat a bit. His grandfather had handed down a chieftain's name for him, naming him for the clan patriarch of his birth, Hakano himself, and the clan itself. It was a pretentious name he disliked. He'd come into many of them of late. He'd even heard the waterbenders -- his waterbenders referring to him as The Young Wolf-King when they thought he wasn't around. He missed the days when all anyone ever called him was Kano.

"Anyway," he said, shaking himself out of his introspection. "People call me Kano."

"Well, there's no simple answer to that." Kano said slowly, pondering it. "I suppose the chief reason was because this was where the Avatar was headed. I've been traveling with her for quite some time now."

There were, of course, other reasons, but they were... sensitive. While he didn't consider Xi to be a Fire Nation spy any more than he considered Zulera to be a fluffy bunny-rabbit, he still couldn't risk it. His grandfather had told him to keep his secrets close and his tribe's secrets closer. For now, he'd have to defer to that judgment.

"So the Tekina-Kaze, eh?" he said. "I imagine it must be quite something to command a group of elite fighters..."

"I felt that way long before I was the chief." Kano smiled. "My great dream is to end the divide between the north and the south. We've been split for far too long. Together, we could be so much more than we are apart. But this treaty with the Fire Nation and the continued threat of conflict weigh heavily on our ability to simply interact with one another."

He looked out at the horizon.

"I love my people." he said. "Even if it were as a mere waterbender, I would give everything I had to protecting them. As chief, I can make a difference. I would do anything to protect them. Anything. Both the north and the south. If it meant I had to kill Novai and Meili to protect them, I would find a way and I would do it without hesitation."

Kano felt himself blush at her kiss. It wasn't at all what he had been expecting. He looked over at her. Amongst the Water Tribes, that sort of thing bordered on a proposal of marriage between two unrelated individuals. He was hardly ready to start carving a betrothal necklace for her, but he was surprised at the gesture.

Certain that she didn't mean it in any way even remotely resembling what it translated to for him, he decided to just take it for what it was and left it at that. He turned his attention toward her comments about the Tekina-Kaze.

"Thank you." Kano said, nodding his appreciation for her words. "And I yours. I suppose we all have our desires to protect the things we love. The Tekina-Kaze and the Aowaka Clan are not so different in that way."

(May I join the two of you? Or is this roleplay not open to the public?)

"It's not awkward." Kano said, shaking his head slightly. And then upon thinking on it -- "Okay, it's a little awkward."

IDIOT! all his voices screamed. This was one of those situations where he absolutely didn't need them. Kisses might have different meanings in different nations, but a comment like that was oil on a downhill slide everywhere.

"B-but in a good way!" he said, trying to save the conversation. "Usually boyfriends and girlfriends or spouses would kiss, even like that. It has a special sort of meaning in the north, kissing. It's sort of... an... 'I want to go out with you again' gesture. Even parents don't often kiss their children..."

(OOC: This one's closed. But if you want, I'll be happy to start another thread with you )

[OOC--yep, Kanoei's right. it's closed, but there are always other threads that can be started]

Xilingshi Nailah Zoraki

she turned a deep red when he called it a little awkward. "I sor... I-m... err... sorry." she stammered, "I just... well here it's... I, erm..." she took a deep breath. "...I'll shut up now." Stupid stupid stupid! She had to have a better strategy than that. She was about to open her mouth again, but he spoke up, and she almost heaved a sigh of relief till he said what he did. Goodness, she wasn't sure if she could go any redder from the first remark. Did this mean they were going out? "here it's more of a friendly gesture," she almost blurted out, "kinda to show appreciation... I admit to being a bit over-excited about finding someone who agrees with me on so many things." she paused. she didn't want to 'dump' him, per se either. had she just done that? "but that doesn't mean I wouldn't wanna... I mean, it doesn't mean..." she buried her face in her gloved hands, at somewhat of a loss for words, her cheeks a deep red that blended nicely with her war paint.

Mood: Happy, Albeit Embarrassed Condition: Perfect

Link:

Kano peeked sidelong at her, his eyes flicking back and forth between her and some random point in the distance. This had gotten a little... out of hand. He needed to think of a way to bring this back, but he was a little lost. He glanced over at the neighboring pagoda and, realizing he didn't even know it's name, he had a sudden idea.

"Hey," he said, looking around at Xi, the trace of a smile playing across his face. He almost wanted to beam at his genius. "Would you mind giving me a tour of this place? I don't really know the temple all that well. It'll be fun!"

"Fly?" Kano said slowly. "You mean like... fly? Like a bird? Fly?"

Somehow, Kano managed to make himself sound thrilled about this prospect, but he wasn't about to successfully fool himself. The prospect of flying over this death drop to a pagoda who knew where was terrifying to say the least. And yet... strangely enticing.

What the hell? he thought, mentally shrugging. If I'm gunna die, I might as well die doing something crazy and exhilarating...

"Sounds like fun." he said finally, managing to beam broadly. How? He had no idea. "Lead the way!"

"It's..." Kano said, looking around. "Magnificent!"

Kano was a great lover of beautiful views and this definitely counted among the best he'd seen. It was a love he'd come into as he traveled with his companions across the globe. Icy tundras were incredible sights given the right conditions, but they had nothing on this breathtaking scenery. Now he knew why the Air Nomads had chosen this place, of all places, to construct the Western Air Temple. There was a small part of him, the part which had been born when he had discovered his new authority as chief, that envied the Air Nomads this place...

"I have to confess, it's a little overwhelming." he said, looking out upon the seemingly endless beauty. He looked around at the fountains. They were small, but they were arranged so that one ran off into the next, into the next, and so on. The calm and constant sound of the water was, indeed soothing. "You Air Nomads really know how to build monuments to nature..."

"Y-your welcome." Kano said, surprised. He hadn't realized how much it would mean to her. Of course, given the state of the temple, she probably had this place to herself. He should have guessed that it wasn't just another place everyone went to if she'd saved it in secret this long. This place... it was her Gray Cape...

Kano looked around again, stepping up to the edge of the terrace. Unlike the other locations in the temple, this pagoda had remained untouched by Gen's outfitters. There were no earthbent pillars here or artillery pieces. The entire place was virtually untouched by the passage of time.

"You know..." Kano said slowly, looking out at the horizon. "This place makes me want to visit the other temples. It makes me want to continue exploring this world, continue finding it's wonders. It makes me want to protect this place..."

He turned and looked at Xi.

"My people lost great creations of our own." he said. "We didn't always live on the ice. Once, we built wonders as great as this temple. Some were even greater, though I do not say that to brag. But the evils of a ruler long ago took that heritage from us. Now it crumbles in ruins all across the Earth Kingdom. Like this temple, those accomplishments were wiped away in a tide of malice. I don't want to see that happen again... to anyone."