WANDERING SOULS, tag; mai

[KIARA]

- edge of desire ,

Young and full of running, tell me where is that taking me just a great figure eight or a tiny infinity. Love is really nothing but a dream that keeps waking me. For all of my trying we still end up dying; how can it be? Don't say a word; just come over and lie here with me 'cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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She didn’t want to be here. The Fire Nation always did bring those memories that she tried so hard to suppress. It wasn’t easy coming back into the land that had taken so much from you. In a way Kiara almost resented her ability, almost resented the ability she and her people possessed. Her father had been so proud to be a fire bender, to be part of the fire nation guard and to work for hit king. And in the end, it was fire that had taken not only his life, but the lives of her family. Her eyes wanted to squeeze close at the thought of them, and her feet wanted to lead her to the house that may or may not have been rebuilt. A part of her wanted to see what new house stood there or if the ground was blackened and charred. But she knew the sight would only cause pain, and she always tried to avoid that kind of pain. Remembering her family was something she always tried to do. She always tried to remember the good times they had, that made her feel as if they weren’t completely gone but the memory of her house burning down and knowing her brother had been trapped within the flames always had her heart hurting and the pain to freely flow through her veins. But she pushed them away and kept walking. The streets surrounding the palace where the king lived trickled with people, children played in the streets and parents watched on with a careful eye. Kiara just studied them, wondering what her life would be like if her father was still alive. Would she be a better fire bender? Would she be able to control the fire that lay within her better now if her father kept working with her? Would her brother, who would be 13, would he be a good person? Or would he have been bitter of their father’s disappointed stare that his son didn’t posses the ability to control fire. It was all ‘what if’s’ and they would do nothing for her to swell on it.

Instead she walked through the neighborhood, walked the streets she had visited countless times when coming here with her mother. Very little had changed, and the only thing that did was now they had a new King. She wondered what her father would have done about that, what he would have done with the new events that were taking place. Would he accept the new King’s view that the fire nation wasn’t better than the other’s? Would he accept Zuko wanting to live peacefully with the other nations? Probably not, her father was very stuck in his view, very stubborn with his opinion and way of life. And she could remember now the words he had spoken to her about the other nations. It was all so foolish. Kiara harbored no ill will to anyone who was an earth bender, water bender, or an air bender. They had the ability to control a different element, so what made the fire benders any better than anyone else? It made no sense to Kiara, even when her father was still alive she questioned his views silently and blindly followed him without a word.

While she was surrounded by the past she wasn’t paying attention to the present and had promptly run into a slight figure ahead of her. She was forced back a step, arms automatically going to her side. She didn’t know if she accidentally ran into someone, or if someone intentionally put themselves in her path. A paranoid thought of course, but it was her being paranoid that has kept her alive these past two years. Her amber eyes took in the figure before her, a pretty girl with jet black hair stared at her. But Kiara didn’t stutter out an apology nor she did she blush and look away. Instead her hand relaxed and she kept her arms at her sides. ”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run into you.” Her tone contradicted her words. No emotion could be heard in her words, and her face was a blank canvas showing nothing that she was feeling.

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- created by summer of atf ,

[Mai]

you’re not the only one

when they all come crashing down, mid-flight. you know you’re not the only one. When they’re so alone they find a back door out. You know you’re not the only one. We’re all grieving. Lost and bleeding. All our lives, we’ve been waiting for someone to call our leader. All your lies, I’m not believing.

A sigh passed Mai’s lips. The sound was all too familiar to her own ears. How many times did the slight amount of air pass through her lips, causing a slight bit of her bangs to flick upwards. She was bored with the sound, but yet without thinking she would sigh.Though that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, most things in life bored Mai, and the few things that did cause her some sort of interest were almost always taken away from her. But at least she was keeping her freedom. Somewhat. Technically, as the new Fire Lady to be, Mai should have been traveling in full splendor, complete with servants to rush to her side if she breathed the wrong way. Maybe if she was bored, a servant or two would be nice to boss around. It had always been a sort of childish game that her and Zuko played. Really it was ridiculous what some of the servants would do to try and please her. They’d rush about like ants about to be squished to get her something as simple as a tart. She’d like to see a person that wasn’t amused by such a sight. In any case, she hated the fact that she was surrounded by servants now a days. She was still the same Mai she had always been. Well, perhaps not. A warmer, nicer version of the same Mai she had always been. But she didn’t need protection from anyone. Had she not proven well enough that fact by her trips with the Avatar. Not to mention they shoved her in the worst prison known to the Fire Nation. She didn’t need twenty servants then. What made them think that she was in any more need now? Just because of a label that was soon to be placed on her.

Of course there was the idea of the raids that had to be dealt with. Violence against the Fire Nation was rising, and everyone knew it, even if the fact wasn’t spoken of during dinner conversations. Mai supposed that made her a target, maybe even one that people viewed as easy? But she didn’t buy that for one minute. She really dared anyone to try and fight her. It might not be common knowledge, but one quickly learned that Mai was fully armed at almost any given minute. Even at night she had several blades hidden in her pillow, on her bedside, or within reach that would never leave her defenseless. Call her paranoid, but she liked blades, and she liked having them within grasp. Mai had to scoff lightly at the thought of being a mother in due time. The idea couldn’t be avoided with her announced marriage to Zuko, but all the same she tried to imagine nursing a child in an environment where blades where anywhere. After all, anyone thinking that she was going to toss them all way, and live the quite life of a proper Fire Lady was mistaken. That was...unless Zuko wanted her to be the quite type. A part of her couldn’t see him asking that of her, but with the distance growing between them because of obligations, she wasn’t sure if he had changed that idea or not. She hated how he made her bend to his will, but despite spending her entire life closed up for the sake of appearances, she would do it for him in an instant. Though she wouldn’t hesitate to point out just how well he hid his own emotions...

Mai didn’t often loose herself in thought. But she hadn’t been acting as she usually did these past two years. She was changing into someone much...warmer, and being lost in thought had become a part of all of it. That alone was the cause, she was sure, that she found herself slamming into another person. Mai’s steps were usually very carefully measured and she was sure never to tread too close to anyone. That didn’t seem to be the case today as she found herself taking several steps back to right herself. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, thinking instantly that someone was looking for a fight. That was until her eyes rested on the girl that was in front of her. At least she had the decency to apologize, but the way she spoke to her made Mai realize that the girl had no idea just who she was. Strangely enough, the thought was comforting to her. While it was nice to have people bow when they saw her, Mai was much more of a person that flourished in the background. Her gaze drifted over her, taking every aspect of the girls appearance. If she didn’t recognize Mai, then she hadn’t been in the Capital City recently, or for the past two years in fact. Making public appearances next to the Fire Lord had ensured that Mai’s face was well known.

But something about the way the girl spoke struck Mai. That tone, absent of anything, of any infliction of emotion. She was all too familiar with that mannerism of speaking. She had spent her whole life ensuring that no amount of emotion dripped into her voice. Casting her sharp gaze back up to meet the girl’s eyes, Mai spoke. Her voice was not as emotionless as the girls, but the slow husky quality could make anyone feel like she was bored with even breathing, let alone having any sort of verbal exchange with the girl. ”Obviously you didn’t mean to.” The girl didn’t look like any sort of royalty, so Mai doubted if she acted so emotionally distant because of that. But she didn’t exactly expect to learn any of this from a simple exchange such as this.

WORDS 972 NOTES i’m sure this will be an interesting situation for mai.

THIS TEMPLATE WAS MADE BY CHASE STARLIGHT AT ATF.

[KIARA]

- edge of desire ,

Young and full of running, tell me where is that taking me just a great figure eight or a tiny infinity. Love is really nothing but a dream that keeps waking me. For all of my trying we still end up dying; how can it be? Don't say a word; just come over and lie here with me 'cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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For once in Kiara’s life she was quite baffled as to what to say or do. Of course nothing could be seen on her face, as it was completely blank and devoid of anything. But even so her head tilted to the side, a simple movement that would give away her curiosity and nothing more that is if you were looking for such behaviors. She did indeed relax when she saw that the girl wouldn’t attack her verbally or physically with the accident of clashing into one another. It almost made her a little grateful to keep away from such foolish exchanges as harsh words that would do nothing for either in the end. You never knew how someone would act to a choice action, even if it was an accident, or a few choice words. The people of the Fire Nation were brash at times and snobbish at best. At least, this is what she remembered of them for her father had been one just like them. Always looking down at all the other benders, when deep down all he did was probably fear them in a way that others did. Each bender had their unique qualities, and each was powerful in their own right, her father wasn’t stupid so he must have known this. But again, the past was just that, in the past and didn’t belong here and now. Her eyes may have glazed over, as if bored to anyone else looking upon her face, but she had taken a trip back in time and she was now in the present where she once more nodded her head toward the young woman.

Kiara took in her appearance with just a simple glance. The clothes were expensive and of fine quality, while her own weren’t dirty, but also didn’t look as they did when she first got them. Her traveling didn’t allow her the luxury of buying extravagant things, and even if she could it would be quite pointless. But a response for this woman was still rolling around in her head. The thought of an introduction did pass by quickly but she dismissed it. If she had been anyone else she’d probably fidget with her hands but instead she was still completely and utterly still. The only thing moving was her hair, for even her eyes were trained on the girl. ”Obviously.” She knew how that sounded, snobbish and rude but really what else was she to say? She had already apologized even if her tone didn’t put feeling behind those words. Her fingers fidgeted for a moment, just a mere second at her side at the weapons that were placed just under the sash she wore belted at her waist. Just for a moment, but once more they stilled. Old habits did seem to die hard now and again. ”Are you alright?” Why was she standing here with her? It was as clear as day that the girl was just fine, there were no bumps or bruises so the question was moot. But even so she couldn’t help it feeling as if she owed her something, which was completely ridiculous.

She almost gave into the urge to sigh heavily and look away, but instead she kept her stance. It was still unknown to her if the girl would continue to be this passive, or if she’d start to go all willy nilly on her. People were strange, something she had learned firsthand while living for the past seventeen years of her life. It was smart to always be on your guard, even with those you didn’t think would harm you. Take her for example, she was of a short stature, barely 5’1 if that with a slim and petite figure. She looked innocent, more like a younger girl then a teenager that she was, but she was deadly. Her moved could be quick and accurate, proving dangerous for anyone who was on the other side of her blade or anger. It was unwise to tread on her toes or to make stupid assumptions that she was an ‘easy target’ for she quickly showed you that she was anything but. The cry above told her that Riya was still with her, but the dragon falcon did not come to grace her shoulder with her presence, instead she kept to the sky on the lookout for anything suspicious that would harm Kiara. Riya was more of a lookout than anything else, and Kiara was quite fond of the animal seeing it as her only ‘real’ friend in this world. It wasn’t easy to be friendly to others when all you could think about was when they’d betray you, not if, but when.

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- created by summer of atf ,