Failure is Not an Option [open]

[Redd]

Vyse had been traveling for year now, trying to find out what happened to Master Kalen and his brother, but there had been almost no trace of the master anywhere. Maybe he had been going about this the wrong way, maybe he should try a different approach. So far he'd been looking around asking every occasional person on the road about a Water Master, who he described as he remembered Master Kalen. Vyse had gotten used to getting results fast, just like it was when he was learning waterbending. He expected to be back in the Northern Water Tribe within half a year, but here he was a year later, struggling to find any trace.

Vyse was a very determined person, and would stop at nothing to find his master, no matter what the cost. He had been going down a street in Ba Sing Se, his water pouch close at hand in case of trouble. Trouble always seemed to find its way to him. And so it did. Vyse heard a scream from a nearby alley, faint, and very hard to hear. Many just ignored it. After a quick debate in his head, Vyse began running towards where the origin of the scream had been coming from.

A man ran past him, and a woman screamed something about a bag of money and groceries. Quickly Vyse sighed and bended the water from his pouch, freezing it around the perpetrator. Vyse walked calmly up to the now frozen man, unfreezing his hands where the bag was. Vyse took the bag from the frozen man walking it over to the woman. "Thank you!" the woman said, but Vyse remained silent, and with his back to the man unfroze him, placing the water back in his pouch. "It was no problem. Next time, I won't be here. Be careful," Vyse replied quietly closing his eyes before opening them once again and he began to walk off. Little did he know that someone was watching him.

[Hinode]

ooc: -tsks- that last sentence is considered powerplay. -waggles finger- ;D

It was always such a hard task, getting her mother to allow her out of the house, that is. It normally ended up in a half hour debate on where she was going and why it was important. Was getting a little sunlight that much to ask? Sure, she could always walk around the garden, but that was old news. The streets of Ba Sing Se were always filled with change. All the sights and smells almost gave her a headache, but it was still fulfilling just to walk along the... Eh... Commoners. That was probably the main reason why her mother didn't like her going out.

It wasn't like she was alone or anything... Four servants were with her at all times, each carrying a rod connecting to a colorful cloth that connected over her head. Her mother had fussed endlessly the last time she tried to leave without it, saying something about the sun's harmful rays and blah, blah, blah. Was it sad that she tuned her own mother out? ... No, not really.

Long blond locks flowed down by her feet, merely inches away from the dirt. Her hair was only spared from getting dirty by the wooden sandals her mother forced her to always wear, the ones with the inch or so blocks on the bottom. It took her forever to learn how to comfortably wear them, though walking in them was taught when she was still learning how to walk on bare feet. Her cerulean gaze scanned the street, taking in everything they saw.

She could tell that she was being stared at as well. After all, how many people in traditional clothing walked around with their servants? Not many in this day and age... Taking in a deep breath, she lifted her head a little higher, showing that she didn't care what kind of looks she got. Her hands were folded together, completely engulfed by the extra long sleeves. Hidden in one hand was her coin purse. She had to sneak it out of the house without her mother knowing as her mother really didn't like her buying from the lower classes, even though they need the money more than her family does.

The two male servants in front of her halted, both tensing as though they heard something. Confusion flickered in her eyes as she opened her mouth to question them, only to be cut off by a scream. A man rushed passed them, only to be frozen in mid-stride. Awestruck, though masking it well, Hinode watched the scene before her. A water bender? There weren't many of those living in the Earth Kingdom that she knew of. Well, she didn't know of any due to her... Family's preferences. Then the man started walking off... Curiosity piqued, she nodded for her servants to start moving again. It may seem stalker-ish, but she wanted to know more about the other bender. In secret, of course. The servants were sworn to secrecy, so not a word of this would be leaked out to her parents.