Get your Leather On

Subject: Get your Leather On Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:11 pm

Shake it like a ladder to the sun
Makes me feel like a madman on the run

Mei felt slightly uncomfortable as she walked through one of the slummier districts of Omashu. It wasn’t the fact of being in the slums that made her feel uncomfortable, though; this was the same area the army had conscripted her from. The events of that day had made her a local legend, though the sentiment associated with her legend was equal parts fear and adoration. Not that she was likely to be recognized.

When she’d arrived in Omashu, Mei had been a skinny little thing, though pretty. Innocence radiated from her visage like light from the sun, though she’d more than proven that she could take care of herself when she’d created her legend. If you saw her now though, you could only describe her as walking sex. Her short hair was dyed a pure black, with dark blue highlights interspersed through it. Her lips, covered in a dark blue lip paint, were turned upwards in a slight smirk, one that said she knew something you didn’t. In this case, that was that in her pocket she was carrying a poisoned version of the same color, ready to use to kill a would-be-rapist. Her whole body had put on muscle and lost some fat, giving her a nice muscle tone. A silk ribbon replaced the green cloth that bound her pointed ears, colored the same as her hair. Tonight, she wore a black leather jacket with a matching pair of pants that really made her ass stand out. Beneath the jacket, she wore a sleeveless form fitting tunic, tight to make her breasts stand out. Most men would instantly be thinking very dirty thoughts when their eyes fell upon her. Which was exactly what she wanted.

Tonight, Mei was going to a slummy bar to get wasted. She'd just been promoted earlier in the day, but she her two best friends were in Ba Sing Se. A slummy bar was just what she needed: a lot of cheap but potent alcohol, a lot of cheap but sociable people to drink cheap but potent alcohol with.

The establishment she sauntered fit the bill perfectly. The working class were drinking, the band was playing, and all eyes were on her. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards a little further as her smirk grew. Her eyes scanned the bar, and after assuring herself that all attention was on her, she strutted over to the bar, hips rocking side to side like a boat on waves with each step.

Wow... Uh I mean what can I get for you, ma'am?

I'll have a shot of Bay Moonshine to start with. Maybe later I'll have something else. She winked as she plopped a gold coin onto the bar. More than enough to cover her drink, and to get a tab going for her. She planned on being here for a while. Whether or not anything interesting would happen, however, would remain to be seen.

Find me, never, never far gone
So get your leather, leather, leather, on, on, on, on

Song title is Zero, created and performed by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Word Count: 528

Subject: Re: Get your Leather On Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:05 pm

"Lets see what I got!" Data whispered to himself as he sat around a circular table with five other men. He found himself in a sudden game of poker. How he got involved? Even he didn't know. His leather pouch of gold which rested upon his hip, now sat on the table right beside him wide open. The sound of coin rubbing together was a beautiful one. Without even looking at his hard, he dipped his powerful fingers into the pouch and pulled out three glistening coins. "I'll raise." He spoke with a faint smirk across his face throwing the three coins into the center of the table. The man to his left watched everything Data did, his eyes locked on his face attempting to read The Young Earth-Benders emotions, but nothing was shown. Flicking the tip of the cards with his right hand, Data noticed the man watching out the corner of his eye. "You gonna raise?" He asked chuckling slightly with a calm voice. The stranger jumped as the words reached him. "Y,Y,Yeah..." He spoke as his speech came out raspy and unsure. The stranger reached into his bag, and pulled out three coins of his own. The Young Earth-Bender could tell something was a little off. The hand just started and this man was acting strange. Was it a trick? Something commonly used to fool opponents in a false sense of victory. "This guy..." Data whispered looking straight ahead at the man seating across the table. A great smile instantly stretched upon his face as his eyes locked on the cards within his hand. "Wohoho! You guys might wanna stop throwin' in bets right now! HAHA!" He shouted reaching into his leather pouch of gold, but instead of pulling out three coins. This man brought out five.

The other three man threw their cards hard on the table and closed the pouch of gold right next to them. This indicated the round was over for them. They didn't want to risk the laughing mans bluff, and to top everything else off. Data continued to raise the bet even though he hasn't even glanced at his hand, he simply played with the corner of the cards and waited. The Laughing man looked at Data, and quickly at the nervous man and began speaking. "Looks like it's just us three now!" The Young Earth-Bender paid no attention to the man directly ahead of him, he had a strong gut feeling this was a perfect bluff. His stomach crossed and turned the more he though about this obvious bluff, but the other two men couldn't see it for what it truly was. "Yup, just us three." As he said this, he dipped his bronze fingers back into his massive pouch of gold, pulling out five coins and tossing them into the center of the table with great haste. The Laughing man couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't tell if Data was bluffing or just stupid? Maybe it was a little both? "HAHA! You ain't even gonna look at your hand Kid?!" He asked leaning forward slightly as he looked deep within Data's eyes. The Man quickly saw the burning fire within his brown pupils, and the determination of a prideful animal on the hunt. The Nervous Man on the other hand, he had no idea what to do. Or so he showed. "I Can't do this!!!!" He shouted throwing his cards to the table with a great deal of force. All six cards flew in different directions as he slammed his shoulders up on top of the table with his hand being held within palms. "And then there was two..." The last one said placing his hand upward exposing his full house, all of the same suite.

Once Data's eyes caught sight of the amazing hand his eyebrows flattened. Not because he was worried, but because his gut was slightly off this time. "You have pretty good pressure Kid. I almost wanted to give in myself, but you can't beat this so the pot is mine!" He said arrogantly reaching for the pile of shiny gold in the center of the table. Suddenly, Data flipped one card over, exposing the king of hearts. The Mans hand was nearly on the pile now, but this sudden flip caused him to stop. "Now that I have your attention. Listen up!" The Young Earth-Bender spoke flipping over the second card, showing the mighty king of hearts. Looking up at the man with a smile, Data's mouth began shouting out words. "It was a good round, but you can't out bluff me Pal!" With that being said, he flipped the 3rd card, revealing the ace of hearts. The Mans jaw dropped, the thoughts of cheating quickly entered his mind. But then he realized, Data hasn't even touched the cards, so how could he be cheating? He knew the round was over, he accepted the lost by leaning back within his chair, and gripping the gold pouch close. "I can't believe that worked!" The Young Earth-Bender shouted flipping over the last few cards, showing nothing but random numbers that didn't create anything greater then a full house. All four men fell silent as the events unfoilded right before their very eyes, they've been played by one of the very best. "Thanks for the gold." Data said before standing up, and retrieving his quick easy winnings. "Now, its time to drink until I can't anymore!" He thought to himself as the events with Kuan Ti and Dao-Ming quickly came back to him. It was time to drown away his angry.

Making his way over to the bar, he took a seat on a lone stool, right in front of the bar keeper. "Something hard..." He muttered dropping the leather pouch of gold upon the table showing he was good for any tab. The Keeper didn't say a word, he simply smiled and made his way to the back preparing the drink for Data. Exhaling a breath of deep frustration and angry, The Young Earth-Bender couldn't get the picture of Kuan Ti smiling the way he did, before dismissing him. "What The Fuck! How the fuck is he goin' still keep me in the dark about this shit?! 'General' I'll show you General!" He thought balling his hand into mighty fists ready to anyone who deiced to get on his bad side. Maybe it wasn't so bad? Data normally is also the first to overreact when it comes to news like this. "Why couldn't he jus' have told me sooner?!" The thought kept on his mind for a good while, he tired to find a answer, something, anything! He just wanted to understand why someone he started to trust would wait so long before telling him something of this importance. "War means fightin'! I can do fightin', but war also means death... I can't do death..." He muttered as the bar keeper came out with a shot glass of some golden type liquid substance. Holding the tiny glass with two fingers, Data got himself ready to down this powerful solvent. Placing the glass to his lips, and tipping his head back a little. The burning liquid ran down his throat. "Fuckin' burns!" He shouted shaking his head from side to side "Felt like I was drinkin' fire! Get me another one!" The Bar Keeper laughed as he made his way to the back once again, leaving Data to ponder on his thoughts...

Word Count: 1,125
Total Word Count: 1,125
Rank up Points: 1

Subject: Re: Get your Leather On Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:09 am

That’s some strong stuff! Mei laughed as the moonshine burned her throat and tears filled the corners of her eyes. She would wait before having more, though; without friends to accompany her, it wouldn’t be wise to get too drunk. Not that she’d care in an hour or two, but she wasn’t ready to get completely wasted quite yet. She still needed something to drink, however, so she decided on something substantially less potent. Hey barkeep! Let me get a beer, yeah? Mei’s voice, normally sweet, came across as cocky now. She was an officer, with an officer’s pay, drinking alone in a slummy bar full of drunken men. Didn’t she deserve to be cocky? You bet I do!

You got it lady!

Mei smiled as she waited for her beer; at one of the tables in the center of the room, she could see a rather raucous card game taking place. One of the men holding cards looked nervous; a bad hand, perhaps? Whatever the case, the man after him seemed to get a pretty good hand, evidenced by his boisterous boasting and sudden raise. The three men after him seemed to be judge it best to consider the hand lost, and folded. Mei’s amused smirk widened into a grin; it looked like that game would get interesting.

Here’s your beer, miss. I’d say you’ve got another drink or two before you need to add more to your tab. Wanna just take care of that now?

Mei frowned; this bar was more expensive than she remembered. Probably due to the war stretching on so long; it was more important to feed people than to distill alcohol. Still, she wanted to drink, so she simply placed 4 more gold coins on the table.

Here you go, my good man. Say, you don’t recall a group of women with strange ears, do you? I’ve heard quite the tale. Mei worked hard to keep a smirk coming back to her face, changing it instead to a congenial smile. The barkeep would think she was simply being sociable instead of concealing something, such as the fact that she was the main attraction of that particular legend.

Well, shoot, you bet I do! Two of them used to come in here all the time, back in the day! The bartender sounded excited; perhaps he didn’t always get to tell this tale? Ah, what were their names… Shing Li? Zhang Ji? Bah, it was something like that. Anyway, these two loved to get drunk here. Half the time the third of them pointy ear girls would have to come drag them home. They always paid for what they drank though, and for that I’m grateful. But you didn’t ask for the legend of how they could hold their alcohol, did you now! The barkeep chuckled as he went to get Mei a refill; she’d gone through half her beer already. Granted, that was slower than she was used to, but it was still faster than she’d expected. She’d really need to slow down. No no no don’t get me another drink yet! Finish your story first! Please?

The barkeep laughed uproariously as he returned. Very well then, anything the young lady asks! Let’s see, where was I? Ah, yes, how them three became local legends. Now you see, while the two that loved to come in here were decent sized women, with some meat on them bones, their friend was a small little thing. To skinny for my taste, but I guess each man has their own tastes, right? It sure seemed that way when five of them cornered her in an alleyway.

Then, get a load of this, this skinny little girl turns out to be an Earth bender! The barkeeper was crying tears of mirth now as the memory racked him. Mei simply felt… a thrill?

I suppose that’s a natural reaction, it was the first time I realized just how powerful I could become.Mei no longer had any trouble bending; she just needed to master her talent so she could become more powerful. What had happened that day had been pure luck.

So these guys, all of them big and ugly, move in to get her, so she sends two of them flying a mile into the air! Well, these guys are stupid too, so instead of turning tail and running the way a sensible man would, they try to attack! Well, the leader gets a stalagmite thrust up through his junk into his heart, and one of the other men gets knocked out. The last guy is still trying to get her though! Well, this girl is pissed right about now, so she finishes him in a spectacular fashion. Two stalagmites through the feet, then such a large boulder to the chest that his torso was separated from his legs! Not that there was much of a torso left when he hit the ground, mind you, all that was left of him was his head, his legs, and a bloody smear on my wall out there. You probably saw the stain when you came in. Mei nodded; it’d been right next to the doors. Anyhow, the army showed up right as she finished that last guy off. They weren’t stupid either; they figured out what had been happening. One of them even went into the alley and gelded the one she’d left alive! He’s actually over there at the poker table now, he’s the one who looks like he hasn’t got any balls. Cuz he doesn’t! Mei laughed along with the barkeep; he was a very upbeat person, unlike the nervous man at the card table. The laughing man was reaching in to scoop up the pot, but suddenly the big man flipped over one of his cards. It looked like the laughing man wouldn’t be taking the pot after all. The big man looked familiar though…

Now where have I seen you before…She wondered as she turned her attention back to the barkeeper. So this girl is something of a hero then.

The bartender chuckled, then leaned in to mutter in a soft voice. Don’t act as if you don’t know! I’d remember that face anywhere! That and that cloth you wore around your ears. Is that silk? You’ve certainly moved up in the world, lassie!

Mei made certain to keep her face a smile even as disappointment at the failure of her disguise became apparent. Guess I can’t fool you! Just don’t tell anyone, okay? I don’t want people fawning over me simply because I killed some rapists last year, okay?

The barkeep smiled as he handed her some gold; the 5 gold coins she’d used so far to pay for her drinks. Sure thing, lassie. But your drinks are on the house tonight.

Mei chuckled as he used his other hand to plop a pint of his finest beer down in front of her; she had no choice but to drink. And oh did she drink! That pint was the best she ever tasted, and not just because it was free, but also because it was sweet.

Thank you!She called as he moved a few seats down the bar to take an order.

"War means fightin'! I can do fightin', but war also means death... I can't do death... Mei turned her head towards the voice, and wasn’t surprised to find that the big man from the card game had migrated to the bar. What was surprising was his sentiment towards fighting. The poor man, he must have been conscripted… That seemed to make the most sense to Mei, at least; anybody who volunteered for the army would have made themselves okay with killing first. But for some reason, something about this man seemed familiar.

The barkeep came back with the man’s drink; it looked like some sort of strong whiskey to her.

Fuckin' burns! Felt like I was drinkin' fire! Get me another one!

Mei couldn’t help but chuckle at that. This place certainly gets the strongest stuff, doesn’t it? Personally this is my first time here, but my friends all tell me this is the place to go when you want something potent!

Mei still couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew this guy from somewhere, though, or that she’d at least seen him before, and it was beginning to show on her face. She inquire into that quite yet, though, opting instead to take a drink of her beer. She was disappointed when she finished her mug, though.

Hey, barkeep, can I get another pint? This stuff is amazing, I might just have to get a few of friends to chip in and buy a whole barrel next time! She grinned and turned her attention back to the stranger as the barkeep went off to fetch her another drink. So what's your name, stranger? I'm Mei. She offered a hand across the distance for the man to shake as she waited for his reply and her drink.

Word Count: 1503
Word Total: 2031
RUPs: 2

Subject: Re: Get your Leather On Sun Nov 06, 2011 1:36 am

"General..." He spoke softly shifting his vision straight ahead. He wasn't really looking at anything, for everything in his body was wrapped around that single word. Whenever he said it, Data's body felt weak and useless. "Was this his plan the entire time?!" The Young Earth-Bender asked himself gently shaking his head, instantly getting the wicked thought out of his mind. "No, it can't be. Kuan Ti knows the kinda person I am. I respect life to much... I-I-I can't be a general..." He muttered as his eyebrows instantly dropped. Showing the faint sign of sadness and despair over the situation. On the outside, his body remained strong and confident, like the ancient Earth-Benders before him. But, on the inside, his heart felt heavy and his soul felt light. He had no idea on what to do next, everything seemed so perfect at first, and then something like this happens. "Mother Gaia is so cruel..." Data said with a raspy tone as the bar keeper came out with a second shot, he slide it across the table as he caught eye contact with Data. The Young Earth-Bender extended his arm across the table, while the small glass slid perfectly into the center of his plam. Looking at the golden liquid, Data tilted his head back once again, and down went the burning hot alcohol. This time, his eyes watered as he slammed the glass upon the table, causing it to shatter into many pieces instantly. The Burning of his throat caused the sadness to become unsure and foggy. "What was I even upset about..?" He asked himself as it was obvious the effect of this burning alcohol was surly kicking in. But still, he will forever feel this feeling. The feeling of uncertainty. At this very moment, Data needed to talk to the only person that always knew what to say; his mother, but she was a good weeks travel away. Off in the distance, Data could hear the faint sounds of words, but paid them no mind. The look on his face alone told anyone he wasn't in the mood to hold a conversation. "What should I do...?"

Word Count: 359
Total Word Count: 1,484
Rank up Points: 1

Subject: Re: Get your Leather On Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:46 am

General... Was this his plan the entire time?! The man's voice sounded anguished to Mei's ears, which made no sense to her. Generals were the guys who called the shots! Which reminded her:

Hey, I do know you... She murmured to herself as she tried to digest the anguish emnating from this man. According to her boss, Colonel Xian, this man, Data Oki, had just been recruited out of Full Moon Bay a couple months ago. Apparently, he held some secret connection with the king, as he'd just shown up on the day the army was leaving the town and the King had invited him to ride with him as if he'd been expected. In light of this, and the fact that the man was probably around the same age she was, it completely astounded Mei that this guy would be upset by being made a general.

What are you doing here, General? This was out loud, spoken in a manner which conveyed the incredulity of finding a General at a bar in the slums. One could say the same about finding Mei here, being a Captain now, but at the moment, Data's was the bigger faux pas pas.

No, it can't be. Kuan Ti knows the kinda person I am. I respect life to much... I-I-I can't be a general... Mei's expression changed from confused disbelief to a sympathetic grimace as she finally understood the man's problem; he didn't think he'd be able to live with sending men to their deaths, to kill and to be killed. It was a sentiment Mei could sympathize with; when she'd initially arrived in Omashu, the thought of killing another human being seemed so extreme to her. It'd taken her friend getting raped to change that. Some people needed to be protected, and in order to do that, some people needed to die.

Mother Gaia is so cruel... The man's tone was raspy now; Mei half expected him to silently weep. Another shot came out for him, at which point Mei also noticed her mug was empty; she shot a glance at the bartender to send him off for more. More importantly, however, the man's words confirmed that he was an Earth bender. Huge, bare feet like hers, and an intimate connection with the Earth, or 'Mother Gaia', as he called it.

Mei really did feel sorry for him, but he was so turned inward on himself at the moment, that all she could do was watch as he downed his second shot. Almost immediately afterwards, he seemed to cheer up (or rather, be numbed to the anguish), but he still seemed to be talking to himself and not noticing anything. As much as it miffed Mei that she was being ignored, though, she was more annoyed that a General was walking the streets alone without so much as an escort as far as she could tell. If he was to be in charge of the war or at least a section of it, then it was his duty to make sure he was safe. If he was to be captured, slain, or otherwise removed from the picture... it could spell disaster for the Earth Army's plans. Mei decided that if there was no escort, then she'd have to do her best to make sure this guy made it back to the palace in one piece. Whatever it took.

What should I do...? A wavering voice, more uncertain that anguished now. [color=Green]Good, maybe I'll actually get through to him this time. She thought as she slid onto the stool next to him, trying to convey as she did so that she was simply trying to be kind rather than seductive. For the first time that night she regretted her ridiculously sexy outfit, but there was nothing to be done for it now.

General, if I may? She asked as she gently placed her hands on the bar next to his, hopefully showing him she meant no harm. I'm Mei, by the way, a Captain with the King's Guard. I'm Colonel Xian's assistant.

Anyway, if there's one thing I've learned since becoming an officer, it's that responsibility can be a heavy burden. You're not only responsible for your own life and safety, but you're also responsible for the lives and behavior of all the men and women in your command. And from the lowest recruit to the highest General, we're all responsible for the safety of our Kingdom's citizens. As an officer, it's my job to make sure that I strive towards that goal in every way I possibly can. At times, it's hard; just a few months ago, I had to kill a kid in Chin Village. The kid was a fire bender, however, and had clearly demonstrated that he was prepared to kill innocents. As tough as it was for me to make the decision to kill him, I still did it, because if I hadn't, he might have killed some of our citizens... our responsibilities... that kid's face still haunts me, and he probably will until the day I die. But I wouldn't go back and do it any differently, sir.

Mei quaffed her mug, taking gulp after gulp as the beer poured into her mouth and down her throat; bringing up the memory of that kid made her want to cry, but as the General was already visibly upset, at least one of them needed to seem composed.

Word Count: 908
Word Total: 2939
RUPs: 2

Subject: Re: Get your Leather On Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:38 pm

The many tiny pieces of glass covered the entire counter top. The Young Earth-Bender brought his eyes down to his brown fist, he then quickly opened it exposing his mighty palm. "Not even a single scratch..." He whispered as the heavy strain of sadness become even more upon his entire body. The thought of killing another man lingered within his head like a child with a horrible dream the night before. "My entire life... I've been brought up to respect life and others. Some people don't deserve my respect, so they end up seriously hurt!" He slightly chuckled as the weight felt lifted off his shoulders for a split second. "But takin' a life?! That goes against everything I stand for..." He continued to speak looking straight ahead at the vast array of fine wines and whiskys. Looking over to his right, Data seemed to notice a female seating a few stools over, but he paid the young seductive female no mind. For the first time in his life, Data didn't give a woman all his attention, his situation had his full attention and it was something that couldn't wait. But it was odd, the girls eyes kept wondering over in his direction every so often. "What is she lookin' at?" He asked himself turning his head in the direction at which the girl was looking. The only thing he laid eyes on would be a group of men playing a game similar to darts. Great laughter and good times came from that direction, something Data would kill for at this very moment. It isn't like him act like this, but everything he lived for wouldn't matter soon if he took the position...

More voices, more words, but still, Data didn't pay any attention to the words being spoken to him. The Bartender came out from the back and witnessed the glass around Data. "Are you ok?!" He asked running over picking up the tiny pieces with great haste. Unlike the soft voice he has been hearing, this one was much louder and had a lot more base within it, so ignoring the bartender would be close to impossible. Fixing his vision on the man right in front of him picking up the glass he had just shattered, Data began speaking. "Yeah, sorry about that." He said as he dug his fingers deep down into the coin pouch pulling out five shiny gold coins and placing them within the palm of the bartender. "That's for the glass, and for a few more shots." The Young Earth-Bender spoke with a powerful soft voice. The bartender took the coins and scooted off into the back of the bar once again, leaving Data alone for yet another few seconds. Suddenly, the girl beside him started getting closer switching seats. Her outfit was tight and revealing, but Data wasn't in the proper state of mind to actually comment on the outfit. Out the corner of his left eye, he eyed the girl silently, not saying a single word. As she finally got up right next to Data, she began speaking. "General, if I may?" His eyes opened wide, as he realized this girl was listening in on him the entire time. Or maybe he was just talking much louder then he thought he was? It didn't matter anymore, she most likely had no idea who he really was so he just continued letting her talk. Things were looking Grim for Data, he had only one choice and that was to give up his position. This was one answer he couldn't find alone, he needed help from someone wise, Mother Gaia leads him in the direction, he simply finds the correct path. But was the path with Kuan Ti simply a detour?

"I'm Mei, by the way, a Captain with the King's Guard. I'm Colonel Xian's assistant" Still looking at the girl with one eye, Data could really care less who this girl was, or what she did. She had something to say and he wanted this mysterious girl to hurry up and say it. "This is gettin' me no where..." He thought to himself as another shot of the fire liquid came sliding across the table in his direction. With almost instant reflexes, The Young Earth-Bender swiped up the passing drink. Titling his head back once again, the burning solvent chased down his throat. This time, Data's eyes didn't water. It seems his body already got use to the burning effect, well at least most of it. Her first words were words of encouragement. As of now, Data was the new general and the people of the Earth-Kingdom looked up to him for answers, and protection. If anything, he was a second Earth King in the eyes of the citizens. But something like this is easy to see outside the circle of royalty, once a commoner is allowed within, everything chances. Its not all good times and wealth, most people wouldn't last a day doing what Data does, but her words made some sense. "HAHA. I needed that." He chuckled looking straight ahead once again as he continued to listen to this female talk. She then talked about a few events in her past. She was faced wit ha tough choice to kill a young boy. She tried to justify, this only made Data furious! Quickly, he turned and faced the girl with passion and a burning fire deep within his eyes.

"That's the difference between us girly! You see killin' as the only and last option when faced with a difficult situation!" He spoke yelling slightly louder then normal, this showed his beliefs and outlook on killing another human being, especially a child. "That's the ultimate sign of weakness! Killin' another person because you don't have the power to stop them! I've been in plenty of street-fights, and lemme tell you! They kill for fun and sport, and those are the people that are cowards and weaklings! If you have to kill a person to get your point across, you're no better then a criminal!" He said slamming his heavy fist upon the surface of the table. All his emotions came out with that little rant, the heavy weight over his entire body was no more, but what was the cost? Yelling at some random girl that wanted to help? The burning within his eyes slowly dyed down. "Yo, sorry about that..." He whispered shaking his head slightly, and turning back towards the shelf of whisky's and fine wine's. "Killin' is something I'm against. Nothing more, nothing less. I could never kill another person ya' know? I spent countless hours training jus' for that reason alone. My skills are the best. I use them to make sure no one has to die, quick easy take downs. But I agree with you, sometimes you can't help it. But that doesn't mean kill them...!" He said turning towards the girl once again with a faint smirk upon his face. "You gotta beat them within a inch of there life if it comes to that!" Great laughter erupted from the mouth of Data, he finally found something to laugh about. But soon, he would have to make a choice; become a general? Or go back to his normal life...?

Word Count: 1,213
Total Word Count: 2,697
Rank up Points: 2

Subject: Re: Get your Leather On Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:31 am

Mei's demeanor remained perfectly calm in the face of passion. If anything, her lips might have appeared to twitch downwards into a frown. Internally, she was a wreck, as she was every time that boy's face came to mind, but by now she'd learned to conceal the turmoil, putting on a facade of, well, relative okayness. She still didn't seem happy about that course of action, but in actuality she felt a lot worse than she let on. She let him yell though until he got to the point where he was talking about street fights; the implied analogy really pissed her off.

Sir, she began in an icy tone, I agree with you full heartedly; those who kill for sport are no better than thugs, those who kill because it's all they're good for. I, however, have only ever killed to protect either myself or others. That boy was psychotic! I offered him a chance to surrender while he was down, and instead of being sensible and doing just that he lit a villager on fire... Mei's voice petered off, and a single tear ran out the corner of her eye and down her cheek as the memory was relived. Mei had decided to kill the boy to make sure he didn't kill anyone else, and also so she could try to help the villager. Her life was saved, but her sight and the hair on her head were not... Mei had cried herself to sleep that night. Mei turned her head away, wiped away the tear, picked up her mug, cursed when she found it empty, and yelled for the bar tender to bring another. She hadn't planned on getting drunk, and being alone and talking to a strange man, it probably wasn't the best idea, but right now a bit of a drunken stupor was exactly what she wanted.

"Yo, sorry about that..." Mei turned her face back towards the man as he whispered an apology for yelling at her; Mei simply nodded an acceptance as another tear rolled down her cheek, unnoticed.

Killin' is something I'm against. Nothing more, nothing less. I could never kill another person ya' know? Mei nodded again as the man explained his sentiment; it was one she'd agreed with before coming to Omashu. It'd taken one of her best friends being raped to change that. I spent countless hours training jus' for that reason alone. My skills are the best. I use them to make sure no one has to die, quick easy take downs. But I agree with you, sometimes you can't help it. But that doesn't mean kill them...!" Mei saw a smirk on the mans face, and at first was confused by it, though happy to see a change in the man's anguished demeanor. "You gotta beat them within a inch of there life if it comes to that!" Sure enough, the jest came. It was not even a bad one, as Mei found herself laughing with him. This guy! She thought to herself as she struggled to refrain from laughing too hard; it seemed that she was already a little drunk if she was laughing so hard at that!

Hahaha you're right! If the kid's being a little shit, just beat it out of him right? Mei's own demeanor was jovial now, uplifted by the General's burst of humor. She doubted she could ever beat a child to that extent, but back in her clan she had been tempted to by a few of the more precocious children. Mei quickly calmed down, however, as she registered the bit of his speech she'd missed.

If you're truly so good that you don't have to kill, I envy you sir. I wish I was that skilled, but I really only just got the hang of bending a year ago. And even since then, I've only had fellow soldiers to help me learn. What I need is a master... but I don't have time for that, with the amount of running around I have to do for the Colonel... Mei's voice trailed off here. She hadn't considered that problem when she'd accepted the Colonel's promotion. It was a problem, and if this guy was as good as he said he was then just maybe he could help her... but she did not wish to impose, having just met him, and knowing he had other duties to attend to as a general.

Word Count 741
Word Total: 3680
RUPs: 3

Subject: Re: Get your Leather On Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:06 pm

It was hard to believe this mysterious girl caused the heavy weight of sadness to lift from his shoulders. "That was funny..." Data softly spoke to himself knocking away a lone tear rolling down his face with a quick finger flick. From the back of the bar, the bartender scooted over towards Data with three more shots of the fire liquid. The Young Earth-Bender eyed the drinks, instantly his stomach began turning in many different directions as if his gut was attempting to tell him something his brain couldn't. "My head is a little light right now..." He thought to himself as he soon realized the effect of the fire liquid was apparent now. Clearing his throat a few times, he slowly pushed the three glasses out in front of him softly shaking his head with a sick look upon his face. "Yeah, I couldn't drink another one of these things..." He spoke with a strong, but sightly tone of voice looking over to the girl who seemed to look a little upset, or was it more sad? It was obvious his cruel words hit her hard;like a wild charging animal. "Alright, I'll just give these to the next person. HAHA!" The barkeep spoke with a friendly tone and wide smile. The Young Earth-Bender looked over in his direction and simply smiled back. Out the corner of his eyes, Data brought his vision back to the sad looking female. "I should say somethin'? The only thing I hate more then a cryin' child is a sad female..." He thought to himself with little to no idea on what to say now. He had to make sure his words wouldn't trigger another bad memory, but that was much easier said then done.

"Sir." She softly spoke. Almost instantly, Data jerked his head in her direction. He didn't say a single word, from the look on her face she had something to say. Would it be important? Or would this mysterious female give him a taste of his own medicine? Whatever she did, Data didn't blame her. His little outbrust was uncalled for, but what do you expect talking to a guy that has had a little to much to drink? "I agree with you full heartedly; those who kill for sport are no better than thugs, those who kill because it's all they're good for. I, however, have only ever killed to protect either myself or others. That boy was psychotic! I offered him a chance to surrender while he was down, and instead of being sensible and doing just that he lit a villager on fire..." As she spoke, a single tear escaped from her eyes, and rolled down her cheek. But unlike Data's tear of joy, this was a tear full of sadness and hurt. "Then don't give excuses..." The Young Earth-Bender thought to himself looking straight ahead once again with a emotionless face. He doesn't understand how another person can just kill another living thing? "It's almost to easy to make sure a person sees another day." But then he realized, not everyone knows the meaning of Mother Gaia; with all the beautiful bliss she gives. Chuckling gently to himself he turned to the girl once again and looked straight to her eyes. "Liste---" Suddenly, his words of comfort were quickly cut off by laughter of her own.

"Hahaha you're right! If the kid's being a little shit, just beat it out of him right?" The Young Earth-Benders eyebrows flattened a little as he watched the sad girl he was just about to comfort turn into a laughing machine. "Yeah, I guess..." He spoke with a unsure tone trying to force a friendly laugh, but nothing came. After a few moments of laughter from the girls part, she finally seemed to calm down a bit. "If you're truly so good that you don't have to kill, I envy you sir. I wish I was that skilled, but I really only just got the hang of bending a year ago. And even since then, I've only had fellow soldiers to help me learn. What I need is a master... but I don't have time for that, with the amount of running around I have to do for the Colonel..." She spoke with a uneasy voice. "Master huh?" He said taking his eyes off the girl and back ahead at the vast wall of alcohol. A image of his father entered his head, the intense training Data was put through as a child. Being left alone within a sandstorm having to fend for himself for the night. The life or death Earth Bending spars he had on a daily with his father. Anyone looking in from it on a outside view wouldn't call that love, if anything, it was the biggest form of child abuse. But they didn't know his father, this was how he expressed love. Teaching his son how to be a man without using words, only actions. Teaching him how to survive and push forward no matter how grim the situation looks, now to Data, that's real love. Laughing a little, he began speaking soft powerful words. His deep voice carried throughout the entire bar. "My pops taught me everything I know."

"You've only been at Earth-Bending for a year right? You'll find a master trust me." He said knocking his eyes from the wall and back over to the girl who sat right beside him. "You'll need to find someone who understands what you want to accomplish. Power is all good, but using it right is what's most important." He continued to speak with a faint smirk across his face. "Finding a master that understands the value of a life is your best bet girly." With that being said, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a pure gold pocket watch. Flipping the cover upward, he's eyes glanced over the time. "Looks like it's time for me to hit the road." He said placing the watch back within his pocket and picking up his leather bag of gold, swiftly clipping it upon his hip with the rest of his various items. Quickly, Data stood up. His massive body a little sluggish from the drinks, but not enough to cripple his movement. "I wish you luck girly. Finding a master is easy, but finding a good one. Now that's the hard part." Data said as he turned to face the exit, with slow heavy steps, he began making his way to the door. It was almost about time he got back to the palace, but he still had a tough decision to make. And time was running short...

Word Count: 1,090
Total Word Count: 3,787
Rank up Points: 3