Just Another Port

Subject: Just Another Port Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:21 pm

The sun was high in the bright blue sky, letting its warmth glow over all who wandered below in the busy little port of Seedy Merchants Pier. People were running in an out of the port buying and trading what they had for what they needed, ships coming and going as well to trade. It was noisy as could be in the tiny little area, but nobody paid any mind to the chatter around them, all busy with their own business that was their first priority. One particular person could be seen moving through the crowds as silent as could be though while everyone else shouted and hollered, a black cloak covering their skin and a hood pulled up to shield the rest of their appearance.

Kaji let a small sigh pass her lips as she reached up with a pale hand and tugged the hood to her cloak over her pale hair a little tighter, an older man nearly pushing her over as she continued through the masses of people. She let a small sigh pass her lips, pushing her way through the crowds as well until she reached a small tea shop that was nestled in the heart of the trading post. It wasn’t a real tea shop in her opinion, just a little run down hut that served tea with different smaller food items, but the nearly vacant store would do for now. She walked into the door less shop as silent as could be and sat down at an abandoned table in the corner, leaving her hood up over her head and her eyes down at her hands that rested in her lap. A waiter walked up to her and took her order for a mango green tea before scurrying off to the back room to tell the chef, her eyes never even looking up at him as she pulled her small black bag on the table and began rummaging through it for a bronze coin to pay for her order. A flash of crimson could be seen in the bag from her other shirt that she usually wore when she was home, one that was traded in for a forest green tank top so she would blend in much more efficiently in the Earth Kingdom city. Soon enough she pulled out what she was looking for though, locking her bag shut and setting it next to her black clothed legs. Her eyes never left the table as she placed the coin on the table, the waiter bringing her the tea and taking her money silently. Her pale fingers skimmed over the rough texture of the cup as she raised it to her lips and took a drink of the poorly made substance that was more bitter and earthy tasting then anything, a few strands of her blonde hair falling from her hood that she did not even bother with at that point; she assumed nobody would bother her in the nearly empty shop.

Subject: Re: Just Another Port Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:21 pm

"HAHAHA! Really?! What cha' say next, Data?!" One man shouted laughing hysterically at what would seem unknown to any that entered the small tea shop. "Yeah, man. That's pretty crazy. I told you not to mess with that chick, Data." A second man would mutter; much softer than his laughing companion right beside him. The three men sat around a circular table, with a massive pouch of gold directly in the center. "Yeah, yeah. I know what you said, but what can I say. The chick was smokin'!" Data spoke seating right at the head of the circular table. Massive bare bronze feet rested upon the surface, as he balanced himself on two legs of the chair, with hands behind his head. Data didn't live here, nor did he have a place of residence upon the port. He simply visited the cheerful locals from time to time. Being a traveler, Data doesn't find himself getting to attached to the people he meets. At the most, he'll find himself with a gorgeous female, but other then that, the young Earth-Bender rarely makes friends. But this pier was slightly different. The Earth-Kingdom was his home, he's been within every city, every port, and every castle, and knew a lot of people. And these two men beside him were no exception.

"You're still a dog, Data! HAHA!" The loud man cried, slamming a mighty fist upon the table from his great laughter. Data paid no attention to the comment, his eyes were locked on the door-less entrance. Without even a warning, he laid eyes upon a girl; a girl with silky blonde hair. The silent man noticed Data looking off in the direction and quickly followed his friends eyes, he too saw the mysterious girl. "Looks like our friend her3 has found a new target." The man muttered taking a long sip of the tea right beside him. The young Earth-Benders ears twitched as he caught the comment. "Yeah, as if. I'm pretty sure a girl like that couldn't handle all this man!" He spoke with a typical male ego, causing the other two to joyfully laugh along with the comment. But as he spat words, his eyes continued to follow the mysterious young lady. "Types like her are rarely seen around these parts, yo." He spoke rocking back and fourth within the chair. "Yeah, you should go woo her with some sweet talk, Data! HAHA!!!" The laughing man shouted slamming yet another powerful fist upon the table. The Young Earth-Bender let out a lazy yawn and continued to rock within the chair. "Yeah, I'll think about it. Hehe." He smirked, still following the girl. Suddenly, all three men busted out into a mighty laughter; causing the entire shop to shake. It was a good thing they were well known around these parts, or else they'd find themselves out on the port with nothing to do.

Word Count: 483
Total Word Count: 483
Rank up Points: ---

Subject: Re: Just Another Port Wed Dec 28, 2011 4:12 pm

The entire time Kaji was sitting in the room she could hear three loud men laughing noisily about a topic that she listened to for a few moments to pass the time while she drank her tea; apparently the man named Data had wooed a young female and used her to his desires before coming back to brag about it with his annoying friends, something that disgusted her personally but she would never say it aloud in front of them. Their conversation continued though, a conversation that she let pass her by without a second thought to it, so she never caught a word that was muttered about herself. She was ignoring everything around her, the people who passed her and the noises of the ships pulling in and out of port as she brought the ridged cup up to her lips and took another drink of the bitter liquid that somehow passed for tea in the pier.

For several minutes the female sat silently and drank her tea, though soon finding her cup empty which forced her to set it back down in front of her. She let a soft sigh pass her lips, pushing her hair back into her hood with a slender hand so it would not stick out as much in the mess of darker haired people that had filled the Earth Kingdom port. A loud bang reverberated through the room as one of the man slammed their fist on the table, laughing even louder than before with what she assumed to be an overinflated ego that needed to be popped; she did not jump though, just shook her head to herself. She kept silent as always, pulling her bag onto her lap as she fished around for another bronze piece to pay for a refill that she knew was to come since she never bothered to get up from her seat. The waiter caught her movements, taking her cup and replacing it with a new one of what appeared to be half warm tea before stalking off into the back room, not even bothering to collect her money since a call from the shop keeper or chef drew him away to help with another task.

”How annoying…”

Kaji muttered lightly to herself as she picked up the cup of tea and took a sip to find it just as bad as the last one, talking about the noise in the room that only seemed to grow louder and louder with the three men that were sitting around enjoying themselves on that warm day. She began to wonder why she was even bothering with attempting to get a drink at the place anymore, the noise bothering her slightly as she finally pulled a coin from her bag and laid it on the table. It was only a matter of her finishing her tea until she would leave the area, something that she figured would come soon enough.

Subject: Re: Just Another Port Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:27 am

All the ruckus made by the small group of men made the tea shop owner come from the back; in a very frantic manner. From the corner of his eye, Data could see the balding old-man quickly make his way over to the round table. Chuckling a little, The Young Earth-Bender whispered softly to the other two men on both his sides. "Looks like the old fart got somethin' on his mind. Don't worry, I'll handle this. You two idiots just stay quiet." Swiftly removing his feet from the table, and facing the approaching man. Data stood up, tall and proud. His well toned bronze body shining within the magnificent glow of the sun. With a friendly smile upon his face, he began using a skill he developed over the years; his perfect silver-tongue. "Ahh. If it isn't my favorite old man! How goes it?" The Young Earth-Bender spoke with a wild smile and loud proud voice. But the keeper of the shop wasn't falling for this half-heart gesture. "This happens every time, Data! You and your friends come to my shop, creating all sorts of noise chaos! I'm sick and tired of it!" The old man screamed at the top of his lungs, both hands on the table and looking directly up at Data. Data's vision shifted back over to the mysterious girl, then back at the old man. What would be say now?

"I can say we'd keep the noise down, but we both know that'll be a lie. But I can promise you one thing..." Reaching over to the massive pouch of gold in the center of the table, The Young Earth-Bender pulled out a great deal of shiny pieces of circular gold, he'd then began speaking yet again. "My friends love tea, and you love gold, right? Keeping me around means you get a nice fat stack of gold, right? So why don't you go back and get my companions some more tea, alright? Oh yeah, why don't you get that young lady over there anything she wants, on me." Data said while dropping one coin at a time into the open palms of the old man. It was obvious he paid way more then what was really needed, but Data didn't care. Money was no object to this traveler.

The old mans mouth dropped wide open, as his eyes almost popped from his head. He said nothing as he quickly scooted back from where he came. Data released a deep sigh of relief as he dropped back down into his chair, swiftly placing his feet back upon the table with two massive "BANGS!" "I can't believed that worked, yo! HAHA!" He said laughing hardly at the passing situation. At first the two men looked at one another; thinking this was something Data had already had planed from the get-go. But soon joined in with the erupting laughter. Soon realizing Data never plans situations like this out, he simply goes with the flow. The shop was now louder than ever, but the Young Earth-Bender still kept a watchful eye on the mysterious blonde. Something about her was mystifying

Word Count: 522
Total Word Count: 1,005
Rank up Points: 1

Subject: Re: Just Another Port Fri Dec 30, 2011 1:43 pm

From her table Kaji watched as the elderly man scurried over to the three men in the corner of the room and begin screaming at them, a rather entertaining sight any day considering the man was so much scrawnier than the three who sat before him. A ghost of a smile seemed to creep to her lips as she took a drink of her tea, half expecting the man to kick them all out and half expecting the men to kick him out in what would have been an expected turn of events. She picked up that the main leader of the group was named Data in the old man's rantings, an odd name that she had not heard before yet seemed to fit the muscular man. What happened next in an odd turn of events brought momentary shock to her that was concealed within her eyes that never looked up at them, the smooth devil of a man using his silver tongue to persuade the older gentleman to simply leave them along and bring them some more tea since they paid him a hefty sum of gold. It was typical of such a man to simply wave around a bag of gold and expect to get his way, but what she did not expect were his final words about getting her whatever she wanted as well. It was now obvious to her that he was up to something, the eyes staring during her entire stay in the shop her having been her first clue and this having been the second.

She let a coy smile slip to her lips as the waiter that continued to serve her scurried over to her side and asked her if she wanted anything other than tea to drink or eat; she figured now was a pleasant time to try to pull a reaction out of the man named Data. Her pale hand rose up, signaling the gentleman to lean closer to her and him complying. She whispered into his ear something for a few moments, the waiter's eyes widening lightly as he walked off to the back room rather nervously. Her fingers sliding back to her cup as she brought it to her lips once more for a taste of the liquid. The waiter returned in no time, placing a small biscuit that was usually served with tea in front of her before eying her, obviously unsure of something. Her only gesture was to raise her hand in a signal that told him to go, the lanky gentleman walking slowly and unsure to the table where the three boisterous men were perched in their seats. She watched from the corner of her eye, her hair shading her sight lightly as the waiter cleared his throat in front of the three, his knees shaking visibly as he stuttered out words in a rough voice.

”Um, sir? T-The lady says that next time y-you wish to get her attention not to s-stare because it’s rude.”

Kaji assumed that the single statement she had the waiter tell the men would ruffle Data’s feathers, possibly making his friends burst out in laughter, though she did feel the tiniest bit guilty about subjecting the waiter to the three’s antics that wee to come. She let that thought pass to the back of her mind, finishing her tea and placing her biscuit in her bag as the waiter spoke to the three before slipping out the door of the shop as silent as night itself. She only paused for a moment to look back at Data, her bright red eyes shining in the sun that streamed into the shop in a manner that almost dared him to follow her any further. If her hunch was correct, he’d follow her in a few minutes despite the unnatural color of her hues, making their game that much more fun and eliminating the two more annoying men from the equation.

Subject: Re: Just Another Port Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:02 pm

"HAHA! That old-geezer must really love his gold!" The Loud man shouted swinging his empty cup of tea within the air like a drunk. Data eyed his loud friend and could do nothing but smile. "Good thing Data's rich, or we'd have to find a new hangout spot. And you both know how much I love my tea." The silent man basically whispered taking a nice long sip of the warm liquid. The group joined in one last mighty chuckle, before the waiters came with fresh cups for all three men. As the tea landed beside Data, he glanced over at the cup with flattened eyebrows. He disliked tea; and with a passion. He was simply here to enjoy the needed company of long-term friends; something a traveler like himself doesn't acquire jumping from nation to nation. Working his vision in the direction of the mysterious girl, he noticed she took full advantage of his offer; ordering something that resembled some kind of bread. Upon seeing this, The Young Earth-Bender knocked his vision away from the girl and back towards his friends. The two talked amongest themselves; about things Data didn't find interesting at all, so he remained silent during the conversation. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed the same waiter from the girls table approach his; with a very uneasy face and wobbly walking pattern. Data drove his vision down towards the waiters buckling knees, this told him something was up, may it be good or bad. Kicking back, The Young Earth-Bender awaited for what needed to be said, and the very moment the words feel from the waiters shaking lips. Things have just gotten serious.

All three men laughed; Data, himself, manly chuckled. But the other two, found this gesture amazing and very hilarious. "She caught you... Hehe!" The silent man said wrapping his arm around Data's shoulders laughing almost directly in his face. "Yeah, Data, she saw you good! HAHA!" The loud man shouted at the tops of his lungs, still swinging the tea cup around as if it was some kind of weapon. But The Young Earth-Bender showed no emotion, he simply looked at both his friends and said a few words; with a half serious tone of voice. "Yeah, but check this. She must have been payin' attention to me, while I was payin' attention to her." The group instantly feel silent. He was right, and they knew it. The two men continued drinking their tea, as Data looked back over at the girl with a small smile upon his face. His eyes opened wide as he noticed her departure from the little tea shop. Her Crimson Orbs caught his attention. It sent a wave of emotion down his entire body, but the feeling was amazing. He found this mysterious women "Interesting" so he wouldn't let her escape so easily; especially when she was in the lead of this little game the two were obviously playing.

"I'll catch you guys later. This chick is callin' me, yo!" Data quickly said walking over the surface of the table with his pouch of gold tucked tightly within his right hand. As his feet hit the mighty earth, a massive shock-wave of vibration left his feet and gave The Young Earth-Bender a perfect view of the area; but in a black in white picture within his head. He saw the mysterious girl turn the corner, and he quickly followed. Looking back at the two other men one last time, he shook his head and existed the door-less shop. The hunt was on!

Word Count: 592
Total Word Count: 1,602
Rank up Points: 1

Subject: Re: Just Another Port Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:53 pm

From outside the small shop, Kaji paused momentarily, listening to see if the man would really follow her in their little game of cat and mouse that she had initiated. The rumbling of chairs moving and feet hitting the ground quickly told her that she was correct though, his cheerful laughter being the last thing she heard as she quickly walked down the small street and spun around the corner, her cloak moving with her and being the last vision before she was completely gone. She knew that she would have to play this game carefully, not wanting to get herself cornered by a man that could have easily over powered her if he had something up his sleeve that she did not know about; she was in the Earth Kingdom after all, so there was a decent chance he was an earth bender.

She let a small smirk pass her lips, quickly picking up her pace until she fell into a light sprint, her feet barely touching the ground as she only used the balls of her feet to propel herself forward. She began to devise a plan in her mind, knowing well that if he was determined to play he would follow her every move no matter how difficult she made it for him. Her first move was to lose him, the main part of the harbor posing the perfect solution to her devious plan. The area was extremely crowded, at least a hundred people there all working on their mid day business. The mass amount of ships that were pulled into the port only added to the crowd, most having to travel across the main road to get to the market stalls that were posted on the other side with items for sale that all of the workers would need as a sailor.

Her approach to the crowd was silent, weaving in and out of the people at a quick pace until she was nestled in the heart of the action. Men could be heard yelling all around her, bringing a small smirk back to her lips as she slowed her movements and began to walk normally through the crowds like everyone else. He would have been lucky to pick her out in the masses of people, nothing in particular making her stand out from the rest who tried to push past her since her most startling features were tucked under her coal black hood. The long road gave her plenty of room to wander and many places to duck behind and hide, but none of the shops were right for this kind of fun game in her opinion. She wanted to throw him off her trail, to test his abilities at keeping up, so she turned a corner and ducked between two stalls, suddenly finding herself just on the edge of whatever forest occupied the area behind the Seedy Merchant Port. She decided to wait and see if she needed to continue on her little adventure, pausing where she was to peer at the items that the man had for sale in front of her. The middle aged man attempted to intrigue her with some jewelry, but her silent reaction discouraged him and made him wander to the other side of his stall where paying customers stood. Both her eyes and mind were not focused on the little trinkets that were sale, but instead the only escape route to her left that lead into the forest and around the back of the stalls.