Spy and Assassin

Subject: Re: Spy and Assassin Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:11 pm

Sei continued walking, getting a little bit tired after a while. Finally, he caved into her demands from earlier.
"You want to know how a soldier of the Earth Nation military lives, then we'd better start from basics. However, you're going to the doctor's first. I'm getting that wound of yours checked out whether you like it or not, alright?" he asked, although the way he asked it it clearly wasn't a question. Taking a few sidestreets he finally got to the doctor's that he visited whenever he had injuries he didn't want to show in public. A tattoo that he got to blend in with a division scoured off, a bullet wound in his chest that he wanted removed before someone saw him and got suspicious, all those kinds of things. He was sure they'd be able to take care of Nokomi with all due discretion.

Although he knew it was rude he kicked the door, knocking it open without having to make it hard to carry her. The doctor stared at him and his 'passenger' with a look of confusion, then an understanding
"What happened to her, Sei? I swear you're in here once every week with a new injury. Oh doc, help me, I need a fire nation tattoo burned out. Help me, doc, there's a bullet in my leg. Help me, doc, my ribs are shattered. Honestly, I know you work for the military and all but you'd think you'd be a little more careful."

Subject: Re: Spy and Assassin Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:57 pm

Nokomi	"You want to know how a soldier of the Earth Nation military lives, then we'd better start from basics. However, you're going to the doctor's first. I'm getting that wound of yours checked out whether you like it or not, alright?" he said, and it obviously wasn't a question, even if she wanted to protest. Which she didn't; she wouldn't be able to take care of herself this time. Well...she'd probably manage with the shoulder wound, and the ankle was something that happened almost daily, but she'd never dealt with bones before. Her hip had to have professional healing; there was no other option. He took a few sidestreets before coming to a door and kicking it open. She automatically bristled at the apparent doctor's examination of her, confusion making its mark upon his features until his brow smoothed with understanding. "What happened to her, Sei? I swear you're in here once every week with a new injury...." the doctor began, going on about all the times Seishin had come in and Nokomi probably would have laughed were she not so wary of the new human being across from her. She slid off of Sei's back easily, fitting her legs out of his hands and sliding down, landing on the leg that wasn't injured simply; she moved to stand next to the soldier, a hand on his arm to keep her balance. She didn't respond to the doctor's question of what had happened to her; she simply kept her other hand on the strap of her pack, ready to grab her flute or a bottle if need be. She could cut the doctor with a broken bottle, knock him unconscious with her flute--her mind made all of these calculations without her bidding and she had to forcefully shut them down, willing herself to at least let this man examine her wounds. She wouldn't trust him--she didn't trust anyone--but she could at least allow him to take a look. If Seishin found him to be alright...who was she to argue with someone who was obviously trying to help her now? She had to concentrate to soften her facial features so that she could stop staring the doctor down, although her gold eyes remained hard and trained on him. As a doctor, he could hurt her in so many ways without killing her--he knew when to stop harming her body and let it rest before beginning again. In the midst of these thoughts of Seishin and the doctor torturing her, her conscience practically screamed that they weren't going to hurt her. Nokomi finally loosened up a bit, telling herself nothing was going to happen; she'd been in the field so long, training everyday, marking every person as an enemy...she'd forgotten what it was like to not worry about that. Her right hand--the one on her pack strap--moved to her shoulder, touching the wound slightly. It didn't hurt, so she put a little more weight on the leg with the injured hip; she found this to be too painful after a second or so, though, and so resumed balancing almost completely on her left. Her hip was now throbbing and she knew that if her dose of poison was wearing off already, then her hip really was past repair unless this man was a waterbender.
Mood: Wary, Untrusting, Shutting Down All Thought Condition: Healthy	Nokomi Nefara Sen

Subject: Re: Spy and Assassin Fri Sep 14, 2012 5:10 am

Sei watched the patient putting her hand towards her bag and knew, quite correctly it turned out, that she was all but certainly reaching for a weapon. He sighed slightly, and levitated a piece of earth outside the shop and made it into small knife-like projectiles, in case he had to protect his doctor. Although, he really wasn't looking forward to having to fight again

"Settle down, Noko, he's just making sure you're alright. Please, don't start a fight. You couldn't even finish it..." he trailed off as the doctor raised his hand to the hip, and started a technique that was probably going to get him into trouble if anyone had caught him. He started blood-bending. Ripping out the blood infected by the dirt and shards of bone, he dropped it onto a nearby bowl which he used for exactly this reason. Sei smiled slightly as he saw the man go to work, knowing that although it would hurt there was little better that anyone could do than him. His techniques were unparalleled in it's efficiency, even if they were completely and utterly illegal. Finally, he moved his hands back and pushed them under a small basin of water, soaking them completely.

"Okay, this is probably going to sting a little bit. just don't bite down, you don't want to lose your tongue." the doctor said, although his mind clearly wasn't on what he was saying. He closed his eyes, manipulating the chi paths in her body to cut off the nerves that were inflamed, and started to heal the wound. After around a minute, he opened his eyes again and went to pick up some bandages
"That's the best I can do. Keep these bandages on the wound until it's fully healed again, alright?" he said, wrapping the wound with the bandages securely.

Subject: Re: Spy and Assassin Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:10 am

Nokomi	Nokomi was having a hard time keeping some control over her own thoughts--and her hand, it seemed. As the doctor came a little closer, it took all of her will to not automatically knock him out. She was consciously fighting her instincts, instincts that had been honed to practical perfection in the span of four years. Becoming the best in any business would require as such. Just as she wondered if they should just tie her down so she didn't hurt anyone, the soldier's voice broke the war inside herself to pieces. "Settle down, Noko, he's just making sure you're alright. Please, don't start a fight. You couldn't even finish it..." he said, trailing off as the doctor's hand came towards her hip. She gritted her teeth, her entire body bristling because she didn't want to hurt anyone, nor did she really want the doctor near her. Personal space was something that she'd gathered over the years and even riding upon Seishin's back had been very new to her. But she knew Seishin; he was already okay in her mind's eye. She already knew that he wouldn't hurt her unless she did something stupid. The doctor on the other hand... Well, she was right about not knowing what to expect from the doctor, as he began blood-bending the blood and dirt and pieces of bone in her hip out. This time, she was gritting her teeth because of pain over anything; the hand on Sei's arm tightened and she had to remember through the pain that she didn't want to maim him with her nails, and her grip loosened. She looked up at him--he was maybe an inch or two taller than she was--to see that he was smiling ever-so-slightly. She didn't know what to make of that, and so she just ignored it, although focusing on that had distracted her from what the doctor was up to next. He soaked his hands in a basin of water and she watched, not knowing what was going to happen next. If he could blood-bend in broad daylight....what else could this man do? And where had he learned to do it? She wanted to ask Seishin these questions, but the doctor began speaking. She was already gritting her teeth--there wasn't much else for her to bite down on. But these small, straying thoughts were dashed to smithereens as the doctor did something to her body, something involving her bending and she closed her eyes against both pain and the sensation. It wasn't pleasant; he was an invader in her body and she wanted him out. A small spark lit her fingertips--her firebending making the first appearance in months--and worked to control her ability to bend as this man messed with what she now assumed to be chi. Eventually, he was done, and her eyes opened. She looked down at herself, then up at Seishin, then at the doctor. The doctor came near her, saying something about bandages, but she was completely unaware of what he was saying because his hands were wrapping her wound. She literally fought off instinct, one part of herself wanting to tear this man to bits, the other part working to protect him from herself. Waging a war within oneself isn't easy work, but she managed, although there were a few beads of sweat on her forehead--both from the pain, and from the fight. She supposed she'd be forever fighting, whether it was herself or an opponent. The doctor finished his work, her hip not nearly so pained as before. She tentatively put her foot down, testing out her weight on it; it didn't hurt nearly as much as before, and for that she was grateful. "Thank you..." she murmured, not adding the fact that a moment ago, her entire being was all for trying to kill him. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, then looked at Seishin, finally dropping her hand from his arm. She was standing pretty well on her own now, although she was careful to not put too much weight on her leg. "To you, as well..." she said to him, knowing that had he not helped her, she'd probably be dead no matter what she administered to her hip and shoulder. She knew, in that moment, that she was sincerely glad his bullets had only maimed her body, instead of killing her. The pain she'd felt was a reflection of her own; it showed her just how much of a monster she was becoming, and with so much pain within oneself, you tend to numb your emotions. Well, today had been productive, then, she thought with a small smile. She'd cried, tried to kill a man in her anger, felt endless amounts of grief, and even a little bit of comfort; yes, a productive day indeed for one so unwilling to acknowledge her emotions. She looked back at the doctor, giving him a small nod in thanks yet again. She then directed her thoughts to the merchant, Lou Zhai; would Seishin allow her to tag along? If so...she wanted to have a bit of fun with it; he could have his little "justice killing" as she had dubbed it. She just wanted to have some fun first.
Mood: Fighting Herself, Grateful Condition: Wound Healed, Now Recovering	Nokomi Nefara Sen

Subject: Re: Spy and Assassin Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:19 am

Sei waited patiently for the operation to be over, but apparently that wasn't enough. She was using his arm like a stressball, squeezing it and sending waves of pain up his arm as he felt her squeeze it tightly. If her hands were around his neck, he was sure that she'd have killed him by squeezing him this hard. It was extremely painful, but he forced it back down and just allowed her to do it, knowing that it was allowing her to get through the operation. To be honest, it was his fault she was having to go through this anyway so he probably deserved the treatment.

Finally, it was over and she stood up. By the mere fact that she COULD stand it was clear that things were better for her, and now there was another part of business to take care of. The doctor turned to her and said in a voice that made it sound like a demand
"Thirty gold pieces please." The price was pretty damn exorbitant for a simple surgery like this, and it was obvious to anyone who could hear the price. But that was because he'd never had a surgery fail and he was never going to tell anyone what he'd had to do, so it was both paying for the operation itself and paying for his silence. Sei, thankfully, got plenty of money from his job. He threw a small bag over to the man who caught it willingly and weighed it, as if checking how much was in it. Sei raised an eyebrow and patted him on the shoulder

"Doc, why the heck would I cheat you? I mean, seriously, if I didn't pay you you'd not be willing to fix me up the next time I get into trouble, so saving a little bit of gold now would probably mean my death later. I'm one of your best customers, surely you can trust me, right?" the doc nodded slowly, as if not quite trusting him and ushered them out the shop. Sei nodded and held the door open for Noko and just looked at her, as if wondering something.

"so, now that you're all fixed, what are you going to do now? Leave Ba, run off to your employer, leave the country?" he asked, as if it didn't really matter. Whilst it would be interesting to know what she was planning to do, it was by no means actually important to him. He'd enjoyed a few of their conversations, true, but that was about as far as their relationship went.

Subject: Re: Spy and Assassin Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:13 am

Nokomi	Nokomi watched the exchange, her hand halfway towards her pack. She had a few coin, but apparently Seishin had it covered. She didn't protest; if he could afford it, she wasn't going to stem her own meager amount of cash. She walked--actually walked--to the door as they were practically pushed out the door by the doctor. She was limping slightly, but she was walking. She'd never known a greater joy than in that moment. She watched as Seishin nodded, holding the door open for her before looking at her like her was pondering a bit. She looked back with a suspicious look, not knowing what the expect as she walked through the door and out into the street. "So, now that you're all fixed, what are you going to do now? Leave Ba, run off to your employer, leave the country?" he asked her, his tone clearly not caring for the answer, really. She merely smiled at this; "I didn't forget that you agreed to showing me your lifestyle, soldier," she said, settling into her old self, although she was more outgoing and responsive to him than she normally was to anyone. It was surprisingly easy, honestly. "If I prefer it over my own, I'll probably stay here in Ba Sing Se with one of the hospitable families here; if not, I'll be on my way." She commented briefly, deciding that she'd examine his life from every point of view, the pros and cons of it, and then make her choice. Making a major life change was, after all, serious business. She tilted her head to the side, thinking for a second, before deciding how to word her question about Lou Zhai. "Er....may I go with you to the merchant's home? I still have to collect my payment, and I would rather enjoy having a bit of fun with it..." she said. None of this was a demand, nor did she expect his agreement. But, if he did, she knew exactly how to mess with the merchant's head before Seishin did what he needed to do. It would be fairly easy, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Whether he said yes or no, it mattered not to him. He still needed to show her the life of an Earth Kingdom soldier; she was going to hold him to that. She moved aside as people walked by, the large streets of Ba Sing Se filling even more as midday approached. She didn't mind large crowds, actually; less people to hear your conversations, although she did need to keep an eye on her coin purse--and her temper. Far too many witnesses in large cities. She rather preferred killing in small villages; in some, she had become a legend. Many believed her to be a spirit that stole the life of those who wandered from the trails in the mountains--in all actuality, she usually just killed them for finding her as she slept in a tree. She hadn't forgotten about her bow and quiver of arrows, nor the rest of her gear, such as her leather strap of daggers anyways. She'd need Seishin to get them for her anyways; such a long trip to go retrieve them too, although he was smart. With only her pack of supplies, there wasn't much she could do--her firebending was weak and useless, using a bottle to slice open an artery was so primitive, and beating people with her flute wasn't something she wanted to do; she rather liked her little flute. Yes, he was very smart indeed; whether he'd consciously kept her weapons from her as they'd traveled into the city or he'd just forgotten...there'd definitely be no more killing in Ba Sing Se--by her hands, anyways. Unless she stole a weapon from someone and used it on them, but she saw no need. Her assignment was complete, and she saw no reason to take on another. Once she had the money from the merchant for his wife's death, she'd be set--if she managed her money wisely. Which, she wouldn't; Nokomi was horrible at holding onto her money.
Mood: Pondering Condition: Recovering	Nokomi Nefara Sen

Subject: Re: Spy and Assassin Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:58 pm

Sei blushed slightly as she mentioned that she hadn't forgotten his promise. Not that he hoped she had, but he had wondered if that had all been friendly banter. Now that he saw it was real, it was a strange thought. Showing a cute girl the way he lived his life everyday... it actually was going to be a little bit embarrassing. He certainly wasn't the neatest guy in the world and he couldn't remember if he'd cleaned his house this morning. It was almost always well-kept, but would it be enough? He hadn't had a girl interested in him for around a year. Well.... interested in anything more important than a drunk one-night thing, so he was a little bit worried if he'd look like a slob to her. As she mentioned that she'd live with one of the more hospitable families, he couldn't help the words that spilled out of his mouth

"Well, if ya don't have a place to live, why not live with me? My place is big enough." The moment he realized what he'd just said he clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself saying anything else stupid. She was cute, yes, but she was also a murderer who he knew had just wanted to kill a doctor who only wanted to help her. He could only imagine what an argument over keeping the place tidy would end up like, and his imagination wasn't giving him anything nice.

However, his mind was brought back to the present as she asked if she could come with him to go see him 'take care' of the man who'd hired Nokomi to kill an innocent woman. This surprised him.... why would she care about things like that? Was it guilt, or was it so she could get the money first, or was it just out of interest? Most assassins, in his experience, didn't have a conscience, or at least not a noticeable one. That left option two and three. He didn't know her well enough to know if she was just curious or not so he decided that option two was more likely. Either way, it would be nice to be able to not have to hunt around and find out who the guy was. If he could just ask her, everything would be so much easier. He nodded and smiled

"Yeah, you go lure him into a false sense of security, then I show him how we deal with murdering scumbags in Ba Sing Sei." he said proudly, a little psyched up to show this man the justice that he deserved. Justice, in this case, would be seeing him get burried alive. He was sure that this man was not an earth-bender or he wouldn't have asked Nokomi to do it for him. This would be easy for Sei to do, but it would also be as painful a fall as the man deserved.

Subject: Re: Spy and Assassin Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:47 am

Nokomi	Nokomi couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips as the soldier offered to let her stay with him; she probably would've ended up staying in a tree than bugging random people for a place to live anyhow. She smirked as he clamped a hand over his own mouth and a little chuckle escaped her lips. "You sure you can trust me?" she teased with a grin; any place to live that wasn't a tree fitted with leaves for a roof was a palace in her eyes. Of course, she momentarily realized that he'd said what he'd said without thinking of who she was, hence the hand over his mouth thing--if he took it back, she wouldn't blame him. She didn't say so, though; she found the thought of staying with him much more pleasant than staying with a strange family or in an uncomfortable tree. At least she knew what to expect from him. There was nothing else that she found implied in his suggestion; she just wasn't one for thinking that way. Oh, sure, she'd had plenty of nights that still brought crimson to her cheeks at the thought of them--but she was an assassin. She wasn't going to be sidetracked by those things often; she found his offer to be gentlemanly and cordial, and assumed there was nothing more. And if there was more...well, she was perfectly fine with that, actually. Life as an assassin really was the emptiest life you could live, unless your lover was equally as demented and psychopathic as you were. Then it was all fun and games—until you ended up in prison, of course. He then spoke of Lou Zhai and Nokomi had to hold back a pleased squeal--she was so excited that it was like she forgot how to breathe for a half second--when he said she could lure the treacherous merchant into a false sense of security. That was almost exactly what she'd planned on doing in the first place. "I can go now, if you like," she said, eager to get this done. The merchant seemed like the last official tie she had to being an assassin--until he was dead, she wouldn't be able to change her life around. Or at least fully contemplate on it. At least, that's how she saw it. Of course it was silly to not be able to change your life just because someone was alive; but, Noko thought of it that way and that was the way it had to be. She examined the crowds passing, her mind carefully calculating each and every step, whether Seishin went with her under the false pretense of her assistant or if he chose to let her go alone. Nothing would ruin this for her; this was going to be her first good deed in a long while. Well...by good, simply something FOR the law, instead of AGAINST it, she corrected herself. But still--it was nice to not be trying to kill someone for your own personal gain. Made her feel a little bit better about herself.
Mood: Happy Condition: Recovering	Nokomi Nefara Sen

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