Senna Kiyoko's Story

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That was nearly seven years ago as she was seen looking out the window of their home at the rising sun. Her mother had walked into her room as she spoke that her master requested her services immediately. Kasumi lowered her head with a soft sigh escaping over her parted lips. She turned heel and walked past her mother and out of her room. Her eyes gazed towards her father and siblings as she smiled gently then offered them a small wave before heading out the door and making her trek towards the building were her master resided.

Upon entering his home, she saw that he was training another student waterbending. She walked in with a smile then that was when her master caught her out of the corner of her eye. He released the student in training or told him to take a break as she sat down and awaited her master's attention. "Ah, Kasumi, how have you been?" Kasumi raised up to her feet upon her master speaking towards her. "Good. I guess you heard too?" She spoke after bowing towards her master. Her master nodded his head at her questionable tone towards him. She sighed softly then looked towards him.

"These Chi Blocking fools are about to get on my nerves. I mean, who is malicious enough to attack every single nation?" Her master rested a hand upon her shoulder then spoke softly towards her. "Kasumi, you have those groups out there that are like that but it is up to you to make sure no other group rise up again." She looked off to the side then he continued. "Now, I've taken the liberty to call to the other nations and get you retrained by some of their best benders." Kasumi raised one of her delicate brows up at him as she stood to her feet after his hand was removed from her shoulder. "As a matter of fact, they're already here. Waiting for you." Her master handed her three bags then patted her on her back. "Your parents brought them over here last night. I am also going to give you my polar bear dog, Kowai." She smiled then nodded her head as he handed her the reigns.

She went out to get Kowai and saddled her up as she sat her three bags upon Kowai's back. She softly tugged the reigns as Kowai slowly walked towards the gates of the Northern Water Tribe. Upon getting there, she stared down at the group of benders but she was sure that at least two of them were non benders. Her brow raised as a female bared the colors of a Chi Blocker. Kasumi didn't want to make a scene on her very first day so she ignored that fact for right now.

"I remember seeing some of you guys in your respective nation. We all grew up since then but most of you know about that am I the Avatar and I want to be treated as such." She breathed after those words then continued. "I suppose that we are going to the Earth Kingdom first since that is the next element in the cycle." Her and Kowai walked past them as she hoped they knew to follow her. She didn't want to start the introductions until they actually started moving towards the Earth Kingdom.

She slid off of Kowai along with her bags as she handed Kowai and her to a crewman. "Take my bags to my room and take Kowai towards the kettle, please." The crewman nodded and did as he was told as she turned heel after petting Kowai, folding her arms over her chest, a smirk plastered upon her feminine features as she turned around and walked to the deck of the ship, standing close to the edge as a breeze blew over her. Her eyes turned back towards her mentors as she walked towards them.

"Okay. As I said before, I am the Avatar, Kasumi is what I prefer to be called. You guys are?"

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Kasumi eyes fluttered towards the first person who was introducing himself. It was Asad, who appeared much older than the last time they had seen each other. He had a face full of hair and her ears twitched when he spoke about speaking with her in private. She nodded her head softly towards his way then shot a glance at the Chi Blocker who had started to introduce herself next. Kasumi wanted to stop her from talking and tell her that she needed to go last but she was suppose to keep the peace and not start anything amongst her mentors - But when the Chi Blocker was like yell at me, attack me or whatever you want and she wouldn't care, Kasumi fists clenched as the boat rocked a little.

She stood her ground but the boat rocked because it was finally setting sail. Kasumi eyed Xue and sighed. "No one is going to yell or attack you. You have my word." She smiled then eyed everyone else while pointing towards Xue. "If anyone touch or attack her, I'll throw you off this boat. I don't care where we are. Got it?" She waited for everyone's response before continuing with their introductions.

Next was Jin, oh, did puberty do him some good. She smiled cutely then shied away from him for awhile. He was always the charming kind of guy but she was young and never understood many things back then but now, she knew a lot. His introduction made her chuckle like a little schoolgirl but then she straightened up when he bowed and grabbed a hold of her hand, kissing the back of it. Kasumi blushed then winked towards Jin as her eyes fell upon the next mentor.

It was Eris. Her introduction was short. She kind of hated short introductions but she smiled towards Eris. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Eris." She then walked over towards the Airbender then heard his introduction, which was also short and not very amusing. She quirked her lips to the side as she turned heel and walked a few distances between then. "It's a pleasure to see you guys again though most of you look way better than you use to. I hope to learn all I can from you and much more." Kasumi smiled then turned her attention towards Asad. "You wish to speak to me in private?" She didn't need an answer to that question since he had stated it earlier than he indeed needed to speak with her. "Follow me, please."

Kasumi would lead him through a series of doors and finally into her room on the ship. She would hold the door open for Asad to enter then close it and walk over to her desk, where she pulled the chair out for Asad while she sat down on the edge of her bed. "So, what's on your mind?" She raised a delicate brow while leaning forward. "Oh, by the way, don't tell anyone how my room looks." She would laugh but she tried to lighten the mood in the atmosphere.

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Xue couldn't help but feel more than a little shocked when no one stepped forward to take her up on her offer and attack her, even more so when the Avatar herself defended the chi-blocker. Her eyes widened a bit, but she quickly masked her surprise and allowed everyone else to go through their introductions. Besides Kasumi and the earth bender, Asad, there was a silver haired weapons master named Jin whom she didn't recall hearing about during her debriefing when she was contacted to assist the Avatar, a small Fire Nation girl named Eris and an air nomad. Xue raised an eyebrow when Keirin, the air bender, introduced himself; she had never before met an air nomad, though she wasn't entirely surprised that there would be one in the Avatar's party.

When the introductions finished, Asad and Kasumi went off to speak of something privately and Xue found herself amongst three complete strangers, two of which were benders. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, but not knowing where her own quarters were and thus not having a place to go to escape the awkward situation, Xue stood and scooted the barrel closer to the rim of the ship and then sat back on it, facing the ocean. 'Maybe if I ignore them they'll go away.' She thought dismally, looking out onto the chilly sea.

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Asad's hand retreated back to the chair as she did not actually shake it. However, her word was more than enough. It was understandable that she would not be overly-excited about traveling with a fugitive, but at least she was not about to turn him in. He rises quickly, staggering and only just barely able to catch himself before he fell over. Letting out a soft sigh, he finds balance for a moment and bows before the Avatar. "No. That is all. " The harshness of her words did not seem to bother him. He knew where she was coming from. Anyone that had housed him even for a night and figured that out really seemed to want him around much less. But who would want to risk themselves for one man?

He turned around and made his way to the door, trying not to fall over or feel sick from the boat's motions. "I will do my best not to be a burden and to make myself useful, Avatar Kasumi. You have my word." His word. If only people realized how much that actually meant. "I thank you for your time." And without waiting for any real response, he took off from her room.

Making his way back on deck, he had arrived just in time to hear the final rantings of the chi blocker. "...what you want, I don't care. I can't force you to trust me after all that I've done, but whether or not you trust me doesn't change the fact that I'm here. Besides, I would be lying if I said that I trust all of you as well." The wanderer raised an eyebrow at the situation, trying to assess it. They were to be at war with the Chi Blocker group. But this girl was with the Avatar, not with them. A deserter, perhaps? Maybe an outcast like himself? Whatever the reason, he was sure that it would cause some dissent within the group. "And I wonder why I stay by myself..." He mumbles to himself before making his way further out onto deck. A small wave rocked the boat ever so slightly and caught the Earthbender off guard, making him lose his footing. With one foot in the air, he rapidly began waving his arms around as if it woul help him regain balance. Of course, it only ended in failure.

With his face now flat on the deck, the Drunken Golem groaned and staggered up to his hands and knees. Feeling around his waist, he seemed rather frantic. As if something precious had been lost, his now-pale face was stricken with worry. After but a moment that expression would fade as he noticed a small, gourd-shaped container rolling slowly in a circle beside him. Snatching it up quickly, he popped the cork off the top and took a small sip of its contents. Almost instantly, all of his worry seemed to fade away. A small smile even touched his lips for a moment as he took in the scene around him. He was on a boat with the Avatar, other bending masters, a chi blocker, and a self-proclaimed weapons master. He actually wondered how a ragtag group like this is even formed. To him, it looked like a band of misfits playing the hero. "Heh... Don't know how I got myself into this mess. But let's hope it's not a bad decision." Once again, to himself.

Making his way to a crate that was on the deck, he sat down on it and cleared his throat. After taking another sip from his gourd container, he corked it and spoke up. "The rest of you... Fire Bender, Air Bender, Chi Blocker, Weapons guy... I am Asad Boder. If you have heard my name before, it is probable that you know I have earned the nickname 'Drunken Golem.' And there are reasons for that... But the most imporant reason..." He pauses to smile big, any grim expressions fading from his face almost instantly. "That reason is because nothing beats a good drink! Now, is anyone going to join me or are you all going to make a man drink alone?" He extends his gourd and keeps that big smile that showed off his teeth.

This was more than a gesture to just get drunk with the others. It had been a while since Asad let loose, ever felt like he had time to rest. If he was to be working with these people then he would at least need to get along with them. Whether or not he would come to trust any of them would still be determined...

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Xue had successfully managed to tune out most of the ramblings of the weapons master, but when he spoke of 'handling' Keirin the corners of her lips twitched in an almost smile. "I don't think that would be the best idea, but thank you for the offer." She said, her tone holding the slightest bit of sarcasm though the gratitude wasn't entirely insincere. Truth be told, Xue wasn't expecting so much support as she was getting, first from the Avatar, then the fire bender, and finally Jin. The earth bender, Asad, hadn't done anything in support, but he hadn't spoken against her either.

"Good lord, what ever he has in there I need a sip. As do you Xue, you need to loosen up some."

She turned her body to see what Jin was speaking of just as Asad staggered over to where they were gathered, fell, and then shakily sat himself on a crate. Both the fire bender and Jin gravitated towards the drunk man and Xue, against her better judgment, followed suit. The fire bender declined a drink and moved to the far side of the deck, but Jin took up Asad's offer happily and took a large gulp. The drink seemed to have taken effect rather quickly and Jin attempted to sit beside Asad only to fall down and give way to a fit of giggles. Xue curled her lip in disgust at the display, two grown men giggling and stumbling about like children. Not only that, but they were willingly numbing their own senses, leaving themselves incredibly vulnerable to attack.

Still...would it be so bad to take a small sip? Xue was more than a little stressed, she could feel the dark tendrils of anxiety curling in her chest and finally decided that she would take a tiny sip, just enough to calm her nerves, and then that would be it. Quickly, before she could realize what she was doing and stop herself, Xue snatched the gourd from Jin's outstretched hand with a huff, and taking a tiny sip. The foul drink burned all the way down and the chi blocker cringed and gave the gourd back to Asad.

Despite not taking much, the drink was strong and her vision was blurred at the edges. Xue was already beginning to regret her decision. With a sigh, she stood and half-stumbled over to the fire bender to have a few words but was shocked to see that the air bender, Keirin had approached her.

"I'm... Sorry."

Keirin looked about as shocked about the words that came out as Xue was. Xue saw a look of panic cross his features and before she could open her mouth to say something, Keirin was no longer there. She turned her head about to look for him but didn't see him anywhere on the deck. Xue knitted her brows and looked up into the air to see that the air bender was sitting atop one of the masts. If she were anyone else she may have laughed, but she was confused, dizzy, and slightly drunk so she turned back to speak with the fire bender as she originally intended.

"Eris, correct?" Xue began, allowing a bit of timidness into her voice. "I heard what you said to the air bender. Thank you for standing up for me, but I don't want you fighting my battles." She shivered against the breeze coming off of the water and pulled her jacket tighter around her, swaying slightly from both the motion of the ship and the alcohol in her system.

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Kasumi parted her lips to speak but saw that Asad had left her room before she could even say anything. Her eyes rolled as she sighed softly and slumped down in her bed a little bit but jumped up when a crewman entered. "Oh, sorry, I was told to come and check on you." The crewman said as he leaned against the door. "Oh, I am fine, Kalen." Kasumi stated while waving him away as he nodded his head before departing but opened back up immediately. "Oh, I think the deck's on fire." Her eyes widened as she burst through the door, nearly killing the crewman.

She ran all the way up to the deck then shouted. "Eris, what the hell are you doing?!" The waves rocked harshly from side to side as she shouted. Her fists clenched as she stared at Eris then sniffed the air after the soft breeze blew through the deck of the boat. "Are you guys drinking?!" Her eyes fell immediately upon Asad as she stormed over towards him. "Just because you're a drunken mess, don't make everyone follow your ways." She sighed then raised her hand up to rub her temple. She felt like she was going to faint but held on to the railing of the boat.

"I am extremely disappointed in all of you already." Kasumi said harshly while placing her eyes on every single one of her so called mentors. She looked at them then walked towards the front of the boat, arms folded over her chest as she let out a huff. She didn't really want neither of them to talking to her right now but she knew at least one of them was going to try.

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It would seem the Avatar was not pleased with what the others had done, and took it upon herself to blame the rounin called Asad. The man, not quite drunk yet, gazed over at her as she stormed off. She was clearly peeved, but he was not one to just allow people to blame him for things that were not his fault. "Avatar Kasumi." He spoke out her name as he stood up. He gave Jin a pat on the shoulder and wavered in his first step. "Damn this boat... all boats... As if a hangover was not enough..." He mumbles this to himself upset and manages his way over to Kasumi. He stood at the rail of the boat nearest her, attempting to hold in his breakfast as he could now see the waters knocking against the boat below him. "Ugh... I'm almost looking forward to being in the Earth Kingdom at this rate." Hopefully that joke would help lighten her mood a bit.

"Avatar Kasumi. You must understand. I was just taking a sip to help my hangover. Everyone else was right there. Offering them a drink was the only polite option. I refuse to be like a king who feasts in front of the poor, if you will accept that analogy. I did not expect her to be so weak to the liquor." Though it was strong stuff. Had his head been more clear, he probably would have noticed that. Jin seemed to handle it well enough, so he made a note that this was someone he could share with for certain in the future. "I did not force anyone to drink, or even pressure anyone. That is not my way. I apologize for any problems it has created. I will look after the Chi Blocker until she sobers up."

Before waiting for an answer from the probably still-agitated Avatar, he made his way back to the crate and took a small sip from his gourd again. His eyes strayed between the Chi Blocker, the planks that made up the deck, and his own gourd. "The Avatar is not too happy with me, I think. Groups are weird. I am much too accustomed to being a loner." He says this to Jin before letting out a bellowing laugh as though he had said the funniest joke in the world. He was much more animated in this moment than he had been the entire time. After settling, he let out a quick breath and tapped the bottom of the gourd to Jin as he passed it off. "Sip small. It is strong stuff. I am sure you felt that burn from before... It's the second-strongest stuff I have."

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“It is sad to see people have become so jaded and cynical. We are all comrades now, and if we do not have trust, we do not have anything. I know everyone here has a story…and I feel as though you should not judge from past decisions but from current actions."

Xue nodded, her eyes flickering from Eris' face, to Keirin, and finally resting on the water that was becoming more turbulent as the night wore on. She mirrored Eris' movement to grab the railing when the boat rocked with a more persistent wave. Though Xue didn't have much experience with boats, apart from the few times that she had used smuggling vessels to sneak into island villages as night with her purging party, she wasn't one to get seasick and was doing better than others.

Eris spoke again, and Xue turned her attention back to the fire bender's somewhat forced smile, "...but if you wish, on matters that involve you, I will keep my opinion to myself"

Xue chuckled and responded with a small smile, "Well, I can't keep you from expressing your opinions. But I just... ah, I don't know, I guess I just don't want any sympathy and that's what it feels like." She shrugged and sent a glance up towards Keirin again. Despite his words, Xue did appreciate his honesty and she understood what he was saying. She felt a twinge in her heart like she should call him down but decided against it.

A shout turned her attention back to the deck and she saw a fuming Avatar Kasumi standing with her fists clenched at her sides. She yelled at Eris before turning her fury towards Asad. Xue grabbed the railing once more as the waves rocked the boat violently in response to Kasumi's outburst.

Xue kept herself quiet during the ordeal though she wanted to defend herself against the accusations. She knew if she stepped out of hand the tables could be turned quite rapidly due to her past as a chi blocker. There was no use in directing more distrust and suspicion towards herself over a misunderstanding.

Asad quickly took control of the situation and attempted to explain what was going on to the angry Avatar. His explanation was calm and well put, though Xue was confused about which female he was apologizing for who was so 'weak to the liquor'. Kasumi had yelled at Eris who hadn't had anything to drink, and Xue herself had only had a sip and the side effects were very minor. Asad somewhat cleared it up when he said that he would 'look after the chi blocker' and Xue's cheeks reddened with the realization. "I didn't do anything," she complained under her breath, but didn't openly protest to what Asad was saying, hoping only for a quick resolution.

Xue turned her eyes to Eris who had looked furious in response to being yelled at, but was slowly calming down as she returned to the railing of the ship. The silence was awkward between them and Xue considered walking back to Jin and Asad. Instead, she decided that if Eris wanted to be alone, she would tell her. Xue sighed and rested her chin against her arms on the railing. She opened her mouth to speak when Jin rose and began to talk. She turned around, leaning her back against the rail and put on her best poker face while she listened.

Half of his words she couldn't hear over the water, but she could catch his meaning and, despite her best attempts to keep it down, she couldn't help but smile a bit when he mentioned trusting her. Xue listened to the rest of the speech silently, and then watched with mild curiosity as Jin embedded daggers blade-up in the planks of the ship and then began tight roping above them. It wasn't until just before he began his descent that it clicked in Xue's mind what Jin's intentions were. She tensed, knowing that she was too far away to do anything to help, and watched silently to see what would happen.

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She was fuming but then came to realize that she wasn't really mad at neither one of them but at the fact the Chi Blockers are a rising force that deems themselves as unstoppable. Her eyes cut towards Asad as he came over to speak towards her. A sly smirk played across her lips as she could have a little fun with this but it was a little too late. She unpressed to talk but Asad had walked away and she raised a brow. Why don't he stay for her respond? She shrugged her shoulders then continued to stare out into the distance. Kasumi turned heel so that she can watch Jin as he spoke.

His words were so moving that she wanted to cry but held in her tears. She then raised a brow when he asked her did she trust him. She trusted all of her mentors - Even the Chi Blocker she trusted. She was lowered her head when Jin asked her that then looked back up at him. "Well, ye..." She watched as he lined up six knifes. Her hands went up to her temples as she thinks that the boat is going to sink. Her eyes widened when she saw Jin walking along the railing then fall backwards. Kasumi gasped as she opened her canteen then bended enough water out to make a bubble as she focused on her inner Chi.

Kasumi pushed the bubbled just in time to catch Jin. She lowered the bubble then dropped it as it drenched Jin. "Does that answer your question?" She asked him with her arms folded and another raised brow. Her eyes went over towards Keirin. "No need to use your Airbending. You were too late anyway." She spoke towards him then walked over towards Jin, extending her hand to help him up.

Kalen ran onto the deck as she looked at him. "Avatar Kasumi. We are nearing towards the Earth Kingdom so be ready." Kasumi nodded towards him then waved for him to come over. "Show Jin his room so that he can put on some dry clothing please." Kalen nodded and did what he was told as she walked over towards her other mentors. "I just received word that we are nearing the Earth Kingdom. If you guys need to freshen up, let me know and I can get Kalen to show you guys where you can do that at." She nodded once then turned heel, walking while basically hugging herself as she sighed.

Her blue eyes looked up as she seen the gates that lead into the Earth Kingdom up ahead.

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Jin certainly was one to go the whole nine yards to make a point. Asad liked that about him. This situation made it feel as if Jin was someone to actually trust. He at the very least seemed friendly enough to share a drink with, which in itself felt just as important to Asad.

For the others, arriving in the Earth Kingdom had to be exciting. To explore or return to such a strong and culture-rich kingdom certainly was something to look forward to. But in this land, Asad Boder was a nationally-recognized criminal. Wanted for the murder of a man he was to protect. For anyone who knew, it was understandable that he would not be so excited to return home. "I do believe that I will need to... freshen up." The tall, tanned man would seek out his room as well. To his surprise, what little he had in the way of belongings were already in there and neatly placed on the well-made bed. It was looking at this that he tried, unsuccessfuly, to remember the last time he had slept in a real bed. Shaking his head, he got to work.

His mid-chest to mid-stomach became covered in white bandages to hide away his scarring from plain site. Reaching up to his left arm he would carefully remove his blue pauldron and place it on the bed. It would be there when they were done in the Earth Kingdom, but his arm felt uncomfortably light without it. Next he would bring his fingers to the tie that kept his hair up in a plume. Hesitantly, as if making a life-changing decision, he eventually untied it and let his brown hair fall straight. It was long enough to nearly touch his waistline. "It... certainly has been a long time since I have tended to my hair. Will I ever again have the luxury?" He questions himself before finding the straw jingasa hat that he would put upon his head. The wide hat would help to hide some of his facial features, the large collar on his shawl would to the rest. With this simple disguise, he would easily be able to toss aside his identity as the Drunken Golem and appear as nothing more than a ragged traveler. He would take a moment to stare at the pauldron he had discarded before forcing himself to turn around and leave the room with a sip of his gourd.

He eventually returned to the deck in his new attire and gave a look on the deck. He did not say anything to anyone, not having anything to say for a moment until he turned to Kasumi. "Avatar. I am ready. When everyone else is ready, I do hope you will honor our agreement." He hung around long enough for a short response before he would turn and head to the bow of the ship that was pointed directly at the land the Earthbender had once called home. The place that had once welcomed and revered him. And he would be lying if he were to say that he was not feeling a sense of anxiety.

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Xue released a sigh of relief when Avatar Kasumi caught Jin through water bending. She didn’t think that Jin would have fallen to his death if Kasumi hadn’t caught him, what with the other benders at the ready, but she still had to wait a few moments for her heartbeat to settle a bit. Xue swallowed a bit of anger down at Jin for his reckless move nonetheless and turned her head back towards the water and to her surprise, Xue could see land in the very distance. She turned back to the group, opening her mouth to tell them, when she saw that a crewman was speaking to Kasumi and when he finished, she announced what Xue had already discovered for herself.

"I just received word that we are nearing the Earth Kingdom. If you guys need to freshen up, let me know and I can get Kalen to show you guys where you can do that at."

Xue paled, she knew that they had been heading towards the Earth Kingdom, but the sudden realness of it all was finally catching up.

She was going back.

She turned and followed a crewman to her assigned quarters to do as Kasumi said and 'freshen up', her heart hammering in her chest. The Earth Kingdom was where she did the majority of her 'purges' with the chi-blockers. If she was going to be recognized anywhere, it would be there. She considered her clothing options carefully. She had bought clothing for each of the respective nations with her, but she decided that it would only serve to make her stand out more if she wore garb from any other nation, Xue would blend in more in Earth Kingdom clothes. With her mind made, she replaced her tight bun for a loose up-do held up by a black comb, and simple traveling clothes.

When she was done fussing over her appearance, Xue took a few calming breaths and left the cabin to join up with the others. Asad and Eris had returned in different clothing as well. Eris looked like she was heading for war in her Fire Nation armor, and Xue wondered why she hadn't dressed herself in something more... practical. Looking at Asad, Xue could sense a discomfort about him, and she couldn't help but notice that he appeared to be trying to disguise himself as well. She felt an odd security in the fact that she wasn't the only one anxious about their destination and found herself silently gravitating toward him. As she stood by the earth bender, she wondered what the implications would be if someone were to recognize her.

OOC: Sorry this post is so bad, I couldn't think of what to write //orz

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Kasumi didn't really need to get freshened up because the people of the Earth Nation seen her even in her worst days. Her eyes rolled over towards Eris as she had freshened up and made it to the deck. She huffed then gasped when Asad came up to her, making sure she still agreed to their deal. Kasumi nodded her head then whispered to him. "As long as you don't do anything stupid." Kalen lowered the stairs and brought out Kowai for Kasumi. She mounted him then looked down at her mentors. "Do anything to make me look stupid and I will leave you guys here. Got it?" She turned her head ahead of her while whipping the reigns and Kowai began his trek towards the Earth Nation's gates.

As soon as she edged near the gates, the gatekeeper saw her and instantly recognized her. "Avatar Kasumi. It's a pleasure to see you again." Her bowed with respect then glanced at her mentors. "Friends of yours?" The gatekeeper asked her as she nodded her head. "Yes, they are. May we go in or are you just going to keep us waiting?" She asked politely as he apologized and opened up the gates, extending his arm forward. "Welcome to the Earth Kingdom." As she proceeded inside with her mentors, her head nodded towards Asad, giving him the okay to go and do whatever he needed to do.

She lifted herself off of Kowai and slid down off of him. The Earth Nation was a little bit different now after seven years. She walked till she found some kids practicing Earthbending. She was impressed with their technique as she bit her bottom lip, a little worried about Asad. She had to stop but that would ruin her loyalty, her promise. She was in a predicament she couldn't get out of and it was destroying her on the inside.

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On the boat, Asad had turned his head to notice that one of the group had begun hovering around him. As she would find herself closer to him, he would turn his head to give her a quick look-over. It was Xue, the Chi Blocker that was in the party. Chi Blockers were a threat to the modern world, but this woman was to join them in the party. And ironically, she was the one he felt he could trust more than any other. He was a wanted criminal, and she certainly would be if she was discovered to be a Chi Blocker. They were both innocent criminals. They shared a potential threat to their existence. Of course, she would not know that they shared such a danger, but Asad did. He turned his gaze away from her as he noticed that in Earth Kingdom clothing she seemed a bit more... visually appealing to him than she did in the Fire Nation attire. Clearing his throat and averting his eyes from her at all costs, he would speak. "Keep your eyes and ears open, Chi Blocker." He had never actually stopped to catch her name. "The Earth Kingdom is full of tough customers. Some that may even pose a threat to me... If you find yourself in a tough spot, seek me out." His eyes would remain forward and his mouth remain closed from that point as he followed the Avatar off the deck and onto land.

Once he had the okay to go and do his own thing, he gave a solemn nod to the Avatar. "I will be around the main town. I am going to ask around, for my quest. If you need me, feel free to interrupt me. My main obligation is your safety and training." With that, he gave a nod to the remaining members of the party and split off on his own. If anyone was following him from the group, he would certainly be aware but not bothered by it. He felt a bit bad that he had forced the Avatar into his own conflict. But at this point, traveling with the Avatar presented too many benefits to be ignored. He would honor his half of the agreement so long as she did.

He made his way into the nearest tavern and refilled his gourd, purchasing a much weaker drink as he would sit around. He would notice no one familiar in the dimly-lit drinkery. This was good in the sense that he may not be recognized, but also bad in that none of these men were the one he was pursuing. He would make his way around, asking people if they had seen a man that matched his description. However, no one seemed to have ever encountered anyone that looked like him. Asad would only groan and down more of the light drink. He had a feeling that this man, whomever he was, was still in the Earth Kingdom. There was no sign of him in the other parts of the world that he explored. And it would only be a matter of time until he found the man and brought him to justice. But the Earth Kingdom was massive and possibly the highest in terms of concentrated populations. Finding him so soon would have been too easy...

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Kasumi eyes went towards Eris as she helped a little Earth bender. Her eyes eventually rolled to the side with scoffed. She may have hated Fire benders but really needed to give Eris a chance. Her lip quirked up at the thought as she neared towards Eris, only to be interrupted by the Airbender, Keirin. "Something is worrying me but it's nothing major." She sat down then sat stared up at him, patting the spot next to her for him to sit.

"Being Avatar isn't the easiest thing in the world, you know." She said towards him. "I thought that this was going to be a breeze but it turns out that it is much worse that I expected." A soft sigh escaped through her parted lips as she looked at Keirin. "Where is the Chi Blocker?" She asked then shrugged her shoulders while staring at the kids earth bending. "Never mind, don't really care for her. She cannot be trusted, if you ask me." Another shrug of her shoulders as she stood up now.

"I'm hungry. Want to come with me to get something to eat?" She asked towards him then yelled to see if Eris wanted to join them. Whether if they join her or not, she would begin her trek towards one of the local merchants for some food.