Her eyes widened hugely, and she leaned back fast, looking him all over. "Nuh-uh! You don't look like one!" she told him, as if calling him out on a joke. He didn't look like the spirits she knew of. "You're a man," she corrected him knowingly.
"I am," he agreed, giving a slow, sagely nod as he reached up to run his fingers over his beard. "I am indeed a man. But... I'm also a spirit. A little of both."
And now that they were deep enough in the wilds to be safe, he let go of his beard to set her on the ground, then offer his hand to her, "My home is a little further in. The people I live with don't know I'm a spirit. This is just between us. Okay?"
"Both?" she inquired, still unsure. "...that's weird."
She stayed still, looking up at him as he set her on the ground, but quickly took hold of his tunic until he offered his hand. Small fingers closed tightly around his own. She did not want to be lost again.
The small spirit fluttered back down to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek as she nodded. "Okay..." she agreed, a little more hushed now as they got closer to where he lived.
He squeezed her hand right back to reassure her, "You can stay with me until we can find your mom and dad. Do you know their names? That'll be easier for me to ask other people."
because Wan OBVIOUSLY asked for the whole story....
She nodded, but a worried look flooded her young face. "Um... Noriko is my mommy's name, and Noren is my daddy," she told him, her brow furrowing deeply. "But daddy told me that's not their real names... He's Ikem and she's Ursa, really." She huffed, then walked a little closer to Wan, more and more upset as she recalled the 'recent' revelations. "He says mommy is Fire Lord Zuko's mommy, too, and that's why he showed up at our house, and a scary spirit made her different, and then that mean girl broke our house and the spirit showed up!"
Tears filled her eyes and she stopped walking, looking down. "I wanna go home..."
Wan stopped with her and knelt down to draw her into a big hug, "Shhh. It'll be okay. I know Zuko. And his Uncle, Iroh. They've been staying with me. They'll be able to figure out if your parents are near by."
Which... they probably weren't. Because if she was this young and was Zuko's sister by the same mother, then she was probably dragged through time by the Spirit World like the rest of them.
He picked her up again so she could hold on and keep hugging him and even cry if she wanted to. He caught the attention of one of the other spirits following them and quietly asked them to go ahead and see if Iroh or Zuko were around. And if they were, let them know he would be there to see them soon. He picked a spirit that could talk just to make sure they could get the message across. Zuko wasn't as in tune with the spirits as Iroh was.
minor threadjacking progress, will return again later >3>
Iroh was indeed around and greeted the spirit with a smile. He let the spirit know that Zuko wasn't back yet, but he should be soon enough. Before the spirit left, Iroh requested it let Wan know he'd have tea ready for his arrival. It was curious that Wan was looking for one or both of them, so maybe something came up that he needed to talk with them. But what?
She cried against his shoulder as he hugged her, and again made no struggle when he picked her up. She wanted to go home to her mommy and daddy and for all the weird to stop...
The spirit she had befriended snuggled down against her cheek again, between her and Wan's chest, gently cooing once more at her.
"Y-You know Zuko?" she whimpered, not yet asking about the other man.
"I do," he affirmed as he finally drew within sight of the apartment. It wouldn't be long now. He could already smell the tea the spirit that came back said would be waiting.
"Zuko lives in the rooms below mine. Here in the wilds. He's a very good person. So, if your mommy is Zuko's mommy, then you're Zuko's sister. Is that right?"
She stayed still as he carried her, only shifting to lift a hand and pet the little bird-shaped spirit's head as they drew closer and to nod her head at Wan's question. "I guess so... that's what daddy told me." He brow furrowed, and her tone turned much more serious as her sniffles subsided. "He said that Zuko's daddy wasn't very nice to mommy, and that true love winned in the end, but Zuko is a good boy."
Wan adjusted her in his arms as he picked up a little speed so they could get there faster. The power of air boosting him - and with him, her - along. Not enough that it would be readily noticeable to her, but the final stretch of the walk would go much faster for Wan.
"He is," Wan agreed. "He probably got that from your mommy. You're both very good people. Can you smell the tea that's brewing? Iroh is going to have it ready just in time for us to get inside."
Perhaps a little more dramatically than necessary, Kiyi sniffed at the air, causing the spirit in her arms to blink up at her. "I like tea..." she told Wan, looking in the direction of their destination. "What kind of tea?"
"Oh...My mommy likes that kind, I think..." she told him, squirming just the smallest bit. If they were gonna meet new people, she might as well be a big girl and walk...
Wan set her down again, but kept firm hold of her hand, "Well, we'll see if you like it, too. It's a good tea. And if you don't, I have some berries I've gathered that can sweeten it up a bit."
It really wasn't that much longer of a walk to the building being held together by the vines that invaded it. The smell in the air was very strong when they entered the first floor entrance. That was where Zuko and Iroh were making their home along with Jin and Toph. Having the whole first and second floors of an apartment building, even if it was a bit torn up, still meant having a lot of space to themselves.
[It's always weird being near that portal thing at Air Temple Island. Bolin has been cleaning up the island for some time now, and he's earthbending so much of the debris and miscellaneous rocks back into place as best he can... and hopefully figuring out how to assemble it all again. But he's definitely making everything after the earthquake better, and he's been hard at work for a while.
But it's disconcerting doing his work right around it. He hasn't stuck his head in it or looked through yet, and he still doesn't want to, even if he's been assured that being near it or through it seems perfectly safe. As he earthbends chips of rock back onto a column, he just looks at it with a rather uneasy face.]
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Arrival (Continued from Test Drive)
Her eyes widened hugely, and she leaned back fast, looking him all over. "Nuh-uh! You don't look like one!" she told him, as if calling him out on a joke. He didn't look like the spirits she knew of. "You're a man," she corrected him knowingly.
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And now that they were deep enough in the wilds to be safe, he let go of his beard to set her on the ground, then offer his hand to her, "My home is a little further in. The people I live with don't know I'm a spirit. This is just between us. Okay?"
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She stayed still, looking up at him as he set her on the ground, but quickly took hold of his tunic until he offered his hand. Small fingers closed tightly around his own. She did not want to be lost again.
The small spirit fluttered back down to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek as she nodded. "Okay..." she agreed, a little more hushed now as they got closer to where he lived.
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because Wan OBVIOUSLY asked for the whole story....
Tears filled her eyes and she stopped walking, looking down. "I wanna go home..."
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Which... they probably weren't. Because if she was this young and was Zuko's sister by the same mother, then she was probably dragged through time by the Spirit World like the rest of them.
He picked her up again so she could hold on and keep hugging him and even cry if she wanted to. He caught the attention of one of the other spirits following them and quietly asked them to go ahead and see if Iroh or Zuko were around. And if they were, let them know he would be there to see them soon. He picked a spirit that could talk just to make sure they could get the message across. Zuko wasn't as in tune with the spirits as Iroh was.
minor threadjacking progress, will return again later >3>
Sorry I'm late :<
The spirit she had befriended snuggled down against her cheek again, between her and Wan's chest, gently cooing once more at her.
"Y-You know Zuko?" she whimpered, not yet asking about the other man.
i'm way later, it's okay
"Zuko lives in the rooms below mine. Here in the wilds. He's a very good person. So, if your mommy is Zuko's mommy, then you're Zuko's sister. Is that right?"
<3 <3 <3
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"He is," Wan agreed. "He probably got that from your mommy. You're both very good people. Can you smell the tea that's brewing? Iroh is going to have it ready just in time for us to get inside."
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It really wasn't that much longer of a walk to the building being held together by the vines that invaded it. The smell in the air was very strong when they entered the first floor entrance. That was where Zuko and Iroh were making their home along with Jin and Toph. Having the whole first and second floors of an apartment building, even if it was a bit torn up, still meant having a lot of space to themselves.
Much belated; very late; wow. [Air Temple Island]
But it's disconcerting doing his work right around it. He hasn't stuck his head in it or looked through yet, and he still doesn't want to, even if he's been assured that being near it or through it seems perfectly safe. As he earthbends chips of rock back onto a column, he just looks at it with a rather uneasy face.]
FINALLY THOUGHT OF A THING. GAH.