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Post by darkblood_alchemist on Dec 5, 2007 17:01:06 GMT -5
Huojin wiped her dirty hands off onto her pants with a scowl. It seemed that her herbs wouldn't grow properly in the desert heat, despite the city's advanced irrigation system. They were weaker and thinner, so she had had to use more in order to create the firecrackers. Unfortunately, this also meant that she had to adjust her mixtures and her experimental tries had resulted in a few charred spots on the table.
But, Huojin had eventually finished, the first set at least. She had no idea how many the city was ordering; they had simply told her to make what should could, and payed handsomely for her work. I'll bring this to the Hall tomorrow, she thought as she carefully re-hung unused herbs. She had also managed to replace part of her low supply of tonics, but the rest would have to wait for the morning. The thought of walking all the way down to the bathhouses was a tiring one, so she decided to just get some sleep. Besides, it was a mild day out and I can go tomorrow after I stop by the Hall. Huojin took off her long coat and shoes, and slipped underneath her covers, extinguishing the candles with her bending as she fell asleep.
((OOC: EDIT: My bad about the time. I wasn't even thinking about it. Just pretend it's mid/late-afternoon and Huojin is really tired))
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TGM
Buzzard Wasp
Co-creator of A Far Cry From Home.
Posts: 526
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Post by TGM on Dec 5, 2007 18:57:55 GMT -5
(OOC: A note for everyone: if you want to change the time of day, you should wait for a lull in the rp. Day changes are catalysts, and characters act differently according to the time of day, such as eating at noon, and sleeping at night. When you change the times of day you affect all players, and perhaps not all players are ready for the change. If someone else is still rping but you have nothing else to do, give you character a vague task that won't require another post until the time change, or else just wait to post. Otherwise guys, great job on picking up the day change. Once the time of day changes, if the other characters ignore it it makes the rp look bad and gets the story confused.)
"Mama! Mama, I'm here!" called Seki happily as a ran through the gate in the approaching dusk. He finally found her bending over a large basket, putting away the clothing she had set out to dry earlier.
"Hey there, sweetheart. How was your day?" Linn answered with vague cheer, putting her focus into lifting the full basket.
"Awesome! WeclimbedupatreeandIbrokemyarmagainandwemetthisguy, Kin, who'slivingatButo'shouseandhisgrannywantsustoshowhimthecitybutshesaidaskyouso can I?" gushed Seki, following right behind her.
"No dear, it's getting late, and it's almost time for supper." Linn said firmly, having caught every word Seki said despite his attempt to confuse her. "Why don't you all wait until tomorrow to go? Then I could come with you for part of the ways, I need to get some shopping done anyway."
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Pao opened the door farther and let Nami in, shutting it quietly behind her before gesturing her past the formal medical room to his rooms in the back. He himself walked past the little table and set of chairs to the stove, taking a teapot down from the shelf and using waterbending to fill it with water from a nearby pitcher before setting it on the hot stove. "It's been a long time since we've had waterbenders in the city." Pao stated plainly, picking out a couple of cups and saucers. "Lemon, or Ginseng?" he asked, turning his head over his shoulder to look at her.
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Post by aangstheone on Dec 8, 2007 19:54:46 GMT -5
Kin made his way over to Seki's mother "Hello, My name is Kin, It is a Pleasure to meet you" Kin Said after he bowed down. "So it is getting late, tomorrow sounds better anyways I could use a good rest" Kin continued
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TGM
Buzzard Wasp
Co-creator of A Far Cry From Home.
Posts: 526
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Post by TGM on Dec 10, 2007 1:48:06 GMT -5
"Oh!" Linn nearly dropped the basket when she heard Kin speak. She hadn't realized that Seki had actually brought the man home with him. "I'm sorry, you startled me. Would you care to stay for supper?" Linn saw a tuft of brown hair hiding behind Kin's pantleg, why was she not surprised? "Buto, you can stay too. I'm sure your grandmother won't mind."
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Post by themarchingoboe on Dec 10, 2007 13:31:34 GMT -5
Nami cast an experienced eye over Pao's workroom. Since she had left the Northern Water Tribe, Nami had worked in many different clinics, from well organized hospitals to the local healer in the middle of nowhere. From what she could see, Pao seemed very clean and organized. Not wanting to look like she was inspecting his clinic for mistakes, Nami turned her attention back to Pao, just barely catching the statement and question.
"Lemon, please." Nami hesitated for a moment, sure that his statement was actually a question in disguise. Nami wasn't quite ready to deal with giving a total stranger her entire history, but she felt comfortable here...perhaps it was because she was a healer too...
Nami settled for the short version. "After the Fire Nation attacked the Northern Water Tribe, I decided I wanted to travel, so I came to the Earth Kingdom and moved around. Somewhere down the line I heard about this place and, well, I was curious." Having finished, Nami sat uncomfortably, waiting for his response.
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TGM
Buzzard Wasp
Co-creator of A Far Cry From Home.
Posts: 526
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Post by TGM on Dec 10, 2007 16:23:23 GMT -5
(OOC: darkblood- It's okay. Everyone's already adjusted. We'll just see this one through.)
Pao picked up a jar of hand-dried herbs and sprinkled them into the boiling water, shaking his head. He had not meant to ask her about her history: rather, trying to check if she knew of the city's past. Apparently she did not. "You are certainly welcome here, but it has not been the best environment for waterbenders." Pao said, handing her her newly filled cup and saucer before sitting down at the table with her.
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Post by aangstheone on Dec 16, 2007 23:43:13 GMT -5
Kin thought about how the grandmother would react to Buto Being home late and then spoke to Sekis mother "Well, I would certainly like too, but Im not sure Buto's Grandmother would react, but lifes about taking chances so, Yes Please..."
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Post by themarchingoboe on Dec 19, 2007 18:44:25 GMT -5
"Not the best environment?" Nami repeated. A sense of dread was slowly beginning to creep over her. Nami had been spending years trying to find a place she could feel safe and could set down roots. Was this paradise not so perfect after all?
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TGM
Buzzard Wasp
Co-creator of A Far Cry From Home.
Posts: 526
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Post by TGM on Dec 19, 2007 23:58:12 GMT -5
"There is certainly an abundance of water compared to other places in the desert." Pao admitted as the steam wafted from his cup. He picked it up with much consideration. "But we had a bad parrotpox epidemic a few years back. For some reason the waterbenders here were especially susceptible to it, and many died. I am the only one left of their number. A few others have come since then from the watertribes, but few enough that I can count them on one hand, and none of the benders. Some see this place as cursed for us, and others can't stand dealing with the sandtribes, who have a deep dislike for waterbenders changing the desert landscape inside the city. " He drank quietly from his cup, the put it down again pensively. "I thought you ought to know all of that first, in case you may not wish to stay in the city. I would not want to hire any sort of help that may suddenly disappear and leave me with extra work to do."
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Linn shifted her weight so that the basket didn't hurt her hands so much. "Buto will be fine. I am on good terms with his grandmother." she told him, following the bouncing Seki into the little house. She set the laundry down on the first available table, then continued on to the kitchen, where she had started cooking some rice earlier. "So, Kin, was it? You've just come to the city? How are you enjoying it so far?" she asked as she went to stir the pot.
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Post by aangstheone on Dec 22, 2007 20:01:26 GMT -5
Kin slowly made his way around the room slowly gazing at everything, being cautious not to nock anything over. “Well, Its just beautiful I cant say that enough, this city is very, Fluid and it is…GREAT” Kin replied to the question. Kin thought about pulling out a chair to sit but thought that it would be rude to just sit without being invited to… “It smells lovely” Kin said as his nose flared to take in the smell of freshly cooked home made food that he missed so much after leaving home…
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Post by themarchingoboe on Jan 2, 2008 15:52:19 GMT -5
Nami's face was solemn as she listened to Pao speak, but at his mention of the city being cursed, she smiled wryly. Sometimes she felt like she was cursed, destined to loose everyone she truly loved. But she only thought that when she was depressed. Most of the time, Nami was too practical to believe in curses. But, in a way, she was glad that this place was considered cursed by some people; if anything happened to the city, she wouldn't blame herself. Shaking the image of the Earth kingdom village in flames out of her head, Nami turned her thoughts to Pao's second warning. Under most circumstances, Nami would have left at the first suggestion of trouble, but this time something made her pause. She began to feel a strength and stubborness that was entirely new. This was a place that felt like home. And she would fight to keep it. Lifting her chin higher, Nami looked directly at Pao as she replied, "This is the closest I've been to having a home in a long time. I will remain here no matter what. I promise you this."
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TGM
Buzzard Wasp
Co-creator of A Far Cry From Home.
Posts: 526
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Post by TGM on Jan 19, 2008 0:31:53 GMT -5
"Then you are welcome to work here. The city is certainly in need of healers. Currently, I split most of my work with Huojin, a herbalist who lives closer to the center of the city. She does illnesses and burns, that which can be healed by herbs, and I- we- take on the broken bones and damaged organs, though not always. She sometimes has trouble dealing with earth kingdom patients, I think. But it is understandable. She has seen war." Pao took a sip from his cup, as if this explained everything. "We don't keep certain lists of patients, and often trade around, depending on what the client needs. I will go a see her soon to let her know you will be helping me. She will have more time to devote to the festival that way, I think."
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"Please, sit." gestured Linn as she filled plates with rice and roast duck. "You too, Seki, Buto." she warned, which quickly ended the game of tag the boys had improvised. "We were very lucky in that the social atmosphere during the final years of the war allowed us to design the city before bringing the people in. Usually cities grow all hodge-podge, a big mass of buildings and people, like a clump of weeds." Linn continued. "You should have seen it when it was empty: just stone buildings, all silent, like an enormous sculpture." Linn paused a moment, remembering. "Of course, I like it much better now, all bustling with life. My favorite bit, though, are the new murals on the western walls of the city. Did you get to see them when you came in? Personally, I think they're hard to miss, with all the people and the enormous flowers, but I suppose most people don't expect to see pictures painted directly on walls."
(OOC: darkblood, lemme know if anything if off in Pao's description of Huojin. I just went with the most sensible prospects for a firebender herbalist, but just pm me if you want something changed.)
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Post by aangstheone on Jan 21, 2008 1:04:24 GMT -5
Kin thought about the Murial's he didn't remember seeing anything on his way in the city, all he could think about now was the roast duck that tempted him, "Thank you very much" Kin said as he picked up the chop Sticks and began eating, After swallowing his enormous bite "This is DELICIOUS" rice came out of his mouth "Excuse me sorry for my manners, its just i haven't eaten in about 3 days" Kin added in as he picked up the last piece of roast duck and slowly stuck it in his mouth, That was better than my Moms!
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Post by Zukosfire5 on Jan 21, 2008 17:12:04 GMT -5
Hau pulled the final weeds from her herb garden, allowing a wry smile to appear on her careworn and bitter face. Who knew that these troublesome weeds could grow out here in the desert, where life seemed to have no chance of surviving.
Straightening up and wincing at her stiff back, Hau made sure to scan the small earthen plot one last time in case she had missed any. Of course the failing light made it hard to tell and her eyes were not what they once were. So Hau just had to trust she'd removed the worst of the pests for today. She carefully wrapped the weeds in a rag to take them inside to dry; one never knew if they could be used as an effective dye. And Hau had learned quickly to use everything to its potential. Even if the city had an advanced irrigation system and whatnot, they still were in the middle of the desert after all.
Hau walked to her porch and pulled out a peice of twine from a small box she kept on the table. She tied the weeds together and then secured them to the small hook hanging from the ceiling so the weeds were upside down. Satisfied, Hau went indoors. The hot sun would dry them more effectively than any fire she had used before.
After a quick check of the lengths of dyed cloth hanging up to dry, Hau decided to call it a day. It was getting dark outside, and she'd been been up before sunrise every day this week preparing for the festival. With a tired sigh, Hau went to the front of her house and closed up shop. She'd actually made a fair profit today. Everyone was buying her cloth to make into clothes for the festival so she'd been busy for most of the morning and early afternoon.
Yawning, Hau extinguished the few candles still burning in the kitchen, and then retreated back to the bedroom. She pulled her gray-streaked brown hair out of its bun, noting that it needed to see a hair washing soon. She hung her clothes up before slipping into a nightgown, and then finally going to bed.
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Post by themarchingoboe on Jan 21, 2008 23:35:15 GMT -5
Nami nodded at Pao's statement. "Too many of us have," she replied softly, more to herself than to Pao. Her thoughts flew back to the battle for the Northern Water Tribe capital and the horrors that day brought. As a healer, it had been the first time she had seen so many horribly wounded people, but unfortunately wasn't the last. And war had taken her husband from her...
Nami slowly shook her head to banish the memories back to the dark parts of her mind. As she drifted back to reality, she realized that one hand gripped her betrothal necklace and that she was staring into her now cold tea. Absently, she swirled the tea around, trying to listen to Pao, but the dark memories threatened to envelop her completely. She heard enough to discern his general drift. Forcing herself to at least look like nothing was bothering her, Nami finally caught his last words.
"A festival? What are you celebrating?" she asked, in hopes that this new topic would distract her from the memories of the war.
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