Practice topic (Kouzai and Massie)

King Hui Peng is in his room at his desk, humming a song. It was one of his favorite pieces of all time. It was a favorite because it was a gift from one of his people in the Earth Kingdom, he would always request it at ceremonies that celebrated the greatness of his kingdom. He just loved to hear it. He hums, before deciding to end the song.

He sighs after he's done, thinking about bending and how he wishes he showed some sort signs that he will bend an element to please his father, his father seeming to have hated him due to the fact that Hui hadn't presented any signs of being able to bend at all. Hui just shrugs, preferring the culture of things. He also had to focus on learning the things his dad does as king rather than bending when he was younger.

Despite all of this thinking that he's doing, Hui starts to hum a piece of music that is calming and won't be a distraction to his mind. He starts to practice some of the moves that he'd been taught to see if he had any signs of being a bender, again for what felt like the billionth time this week. He breathes in and out, focusing on the moves. Nothing happens, as usual.

Hui is still trying when there is a knock at the door. "Yes?" He asks

"Is everything okay? We haven't seen much of you today, sir." A maid replies

Hui opens the door and looks at her, "yes. I'm fine. Is there something you needed, ma'am?"

Owlan stepped into the room, ageless as ever.  Such was one of the perks of being Spirit King.  He was almost seventy, but he looked like he was still in his 30s.  Ageless since the day he became Spirit King.  Onao had passed on, Hui's father, and Owlan's old friend.  One of the first monarchs to recognize him after he took the throne.  Sixteen years old and Fire Lord.  Onao was one of the first people to recognize Owlan as monarch.

The scariest part of politics in the Six Nations was gaining the acceptance of other rulers. Your people could accept you, but if you had no recognition from other rulers then your rule would be a short one. War was imminent, as were traitors in your family who would willingly take your crown from you. People could manipulate the politics of a nation by instilling a weaker monarch. Then again, stronger monarchs might not back down, and war would ensue.

It was dangerous. Thankfully Onao had recognized Owlan quickly, followed by the Water Tribes. It took a Six Nation Summit for the Air Kingdom to recognize him, and the South was not participating due to its own issues. Owlan looked at Hui. He was nothing like his father. Strong, muscular, rugged, tough looking. A weathered man. Onao had always been clean cut, calm, a protected, bubbled man who did not mingle with his people as often, or in the same ways as Hui.

The poor boy was lamenting his lack of Bending skills. 30 years since Owlan had seen him last, 15 since Owlan became Spirit King, and still the boy regretted not being able to bend. Owlan could help him, but it would be wrong. Very wrong. It would be favoritism, and that was wrong for the Spirit King.

The maid leaves as soon as Owlan enters the room.

Hui turns around and studies Owlan by looking him up and down, "hello Owlan. This is a surprise. What are you doing in the Earth Kingdom?" He goes over to his friend and thinks of the last time that he'd seen his friend last. It has been years since Hui has seen Owlan. "You don't look a day over 30," he mentions with a smile.

Hui gestures to a small table in his room by the window where they could sit and talk. The sun was shining in with a pleasant glow to it. The table that he had gestured to was very decorative which Hui liked very much, but, of course he liked it because he had picked it out himself. Hui pulls out a chair for Owlan and then pulls out the other chair to sit down. "How is life in the Spirit Kingdom going, my friend? Anything that you need help with?" He asks before sitting down.

A young maid enters with tea and looks at Hui, Hui gives a nod at her. She pours him a cup and sets it down, very carefully as to not spill the tea all over just like she had been taught to do. She's spilled a lot of tea on Hui and other guests before she had learned the proper way to pour tea. She then looks at Owlan. "Would you like some tea, sir?" She asks then waits for his reply.

Owlan followed Hui to the small sun room.  That was something Owlan appreciated more than anything when he left the Shadow Lands.  They were the manifestation of the Spirit World on Earth.  The Shadow Lands was the place where where the Spirit World and the Physical World intersected.  From it, one could access the Spirit World, either through portal, or by stepping beyond several boundaries that Owlan had not yet figured out.  The Veil was weak in certain places, and though Owlan tried to reinforce it, he could only do so much.

Being the crossroads between the two worlds meant the Shadow Lands held qualities of both the Spirit World and the Physical World, and one of those Spirit World characteristics was the eternal twilight.  The sun was always bright, shining on the western horizon.  It glowed with the eternal light of evening; the of twilight, of eventide.  The time between day and night.  It was both beautiful and annoying.

For the first ten years it was kind of nice.  After that, it got to be boring.  It gave Owlan headaches.  Well, it would if he was alive and could get headaches.  No.  One Owlan took the World Soul in his chest, he ceased to live.  To be Spirit King; to wield the power of ultimate creation and destruction, one had to die.  You could not live and possess the World Spirit.  It would tear your apart.  And once your body was destroyed, the World Soul would rip the two worlds apart.

It was not a pretty thing.  The Maid asked Owlan if he wanted tea, and he returned to reality to accept.  Even if Owlan couldn't taste it, and didn't need to eat...and the tea would probably soak through the holes in his flesh where his ribs were.  Oh well.  He was having tea anyway.  "Yes please," smiled Owlan.  He turned to Hui to answer the Earth King's question.  "I'm here to visit the son of my oldest friend," smiled Owlan, "Is the almighty anchor between the worlds not allowed to do as he pleases?"

The maid pours the tea and leaves the kettle for them, she exits.

"You may do what you please, you know that and what I meant. But, is there something wrong? That's what I worry about. Well, you know me. I just worry for my friends and whatnot." Hui pauses to sip his tea, "anyways. What is going on with you in your personal life?" Hui looks at Owlan.

Hui thinks to himself while he waits for a response, he thinks of a response if the question gets directed back to him. What would he say? That he's still trying to bend and failing still? What if Owlan asked about a wife or kids? Hui doesn't have a wife or any kids. He needs to go about doing so soon. He needs a heir. He just turns his focus back to Owlan

Parvada made her way to the royal library, her feet dragging as she walked. Her boots were caked in mud from training today, sweat causing dirt and her short hair to sick to her face. It was times like these that she was very grateful to have short hair, a cut that was usually used for men. It kept her hair out of her face while fighting and hunting. It also kept her from having too much hair stick to her face and neck. She knew that her behavior was not typical for a princess but she did not mind. She wasn't girly like her sister. She would much rather spend her time doing something important like learning to fight and hunting, bettering herself,  than to waste her time on mud baths and clothes. Though she enjoyed a spa treatment from time to time after an extra long week she didn't like to waste much time on things of that sort.

As she approached the library one of the maids came out. She took one glance at Parvada's mud covered boots, messy hair, and dirty clothes and gave a small sigh. Parvada gave her a small smile. "Miss, would you like for me to get you a clean set of clothes? There is company in the library." The maid asked. Parvada knew that this was more of a request but she was not really in the mood to change. If it was company who cared how she looked she would have heard something about it before now.
"No thank you. I think I will just stay like this for now."

Parvada told her as she continued to walk past her, towards the library. She was now curious as to who would be here without further notice. She entered the library, tracking dirt onto the imported rugs. It did not take her long to spot her brother Hui and their fathers old friend Owlan. A grin spread across her face as she walked up to the table that they were sitting at. She sat in one of the chairs near her brother and propped her feet up on the chair across from her. "Hello Owlan, nice to see you again. What are you doing here?" She asked bluntly as she grabbed a cookie shoving it in her mouth, holding it between her teeth as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"Personal life? No I do not have that kind of luxury anymore," sighed Owlan, "I'm too busy dealing with the demands of the Spirits, and the humans. Not to mention keeping an eye out for the next Avatar. Then there's the issue with the Sand Benders. There's been some troubles lately in the Spirit World. The Spirit Benders living in my lands are looking to create their own nation under me, but, I should not trouble you with these thoughts. There is much in my life to deal with--none of it personal. Yourself?"

Owlan reached down for his tea, forgetting that he only ordered it to be polite. Before he could take a sip however, there was the sound of heavy leather boots squishing mud across the expensive carpet. It could only be one person, as only royalty and servants were allowed in this library, and no maid would enter this library dirty in leather boots.

Owlan smiled as Parvada entered. He remembered when she was a little girl marching alongside her father's side. Pretending she was a general on the battlefield in Ullondor. Much like Owlan's own daughter, Alyssandra, Parvada had been raised next to her father on the battlefield, in the heat of the bloodiest battles of the Ullondorian Crusade. It had changed these children, hardened them, made them strong. Parvada was a general for real now. She was one of the highest ranking generals in the Earth Kingdom in fact, and had served in many domestic conflicts with the Sand Benders.

"Hello Parvada, how are you?" asked Owlan formally. He had grown used to her rough exterior and ability to sound rude. Owlan dismissed it. She was a child of the battlefield. Manners were not something that usually accompanied that kind of childhood. Owlan returned to his tea and took a sip. He got a surprise as he felt the liquid leak from his rotting rib cage, seeping out through the holes between his ribs, over the bone, soaking the front of his robes. "Damn," hissed Owlan, "I forgot about those holes in my chest." With a wave of his hand the tea in his robes disappeared, as if it never existed. Being dead was not fun. Limitless power had such an annoying price.

Hui just shrugged, "not much of a personal life. Ruling the people here in the Earth Kingdom as you know. I wish to have more of a personal life, but, ruling and being king is fine." He didn't divulge into the wife and kids matter at all. To be honest, he didn't know how he was going to get a wife or kids at all. Hui had never been one to flirt with many girls. Yes, he's flirted with a few in his youth and the occasional maid, but, not much flirting has been done at all.

Hui looks up when Parvada enters the room, "ah.. Parvada, how nice to see you." He sighs slightly at his sister's ragged appearance, but, it's usual for her to come in like that very often. The maids didn't like it, he knew. They always complained later when his sister has gone away. But, he isn't going to boss the general, his sister, around even though he very well could.

Hui turns his attention back to Owlan, hearing him cuss. He looked concerned about Owlan, "are you alright? Anything I can do to help? Or, get a maid and have her help?" He asks. Then, seeing the tea disappearing, he remembered than Owlan had it on his own. "Never mind then, I suppose." Hui takes a sip of his tea and glances at his sister, "tea?" He gestures to the tea kettle and extra cup.

Parvada let her lips turn up into a slight smile and she nodded towards her brother. She could hear Hui's almost silent sigh as he commented on her presence. It was a well-known fact that no one really approved of the way she did things. After all, it was not common for a princess to dress and act the way she did. Unlike her sister, she did not like to dress up and be the center of attention. She didn't even like to go to the royal social gatherings. "It is nice to see you as well." She commented before turning towards Owlan.

"I am doing well, and yourself?"She asked Owlan. She remembered growing up around him as he had been one of her father's closest friends. She had been what people would call her father's shadow growing up. She had always been fascinated by weapons, fighting, and strategy. This cause her to stick to her father like glue as to learn more and be able to see it all in action. She was rough around the edges and nowhere near girly but she didn't mind. She wouldn't change a thing about growing up as a child of the battlefield.

She heard Owlan cuss and looked him over. She noticed the wet stains starting to appear on his clothing near his ribs. She slightly rolled her eyes but didn't say a thing as the liquid disappeared. She figured he would be used to not being able to drink anything without that happening by now. She guessed that he just forgot and it spaced his mind. She began to wonder what it would be like.

Parvada hadn't realized that she had let her mind wander until Hui spoke, asking is she would like some tea. Her gaze snapped towards him and she gave a small nod. "Sure." She answered as she grabbed another cookie. She took a bite out of it then shoved the rest of it in her mouth.

"So what have you two been up to lately?" Parvada asked as she took the cup of tea from Hui. She took a small sip before setting it down. She slouched a little lower in her chair, getting comfortable. She was glad that she was not a girl who would pick looks over comfort. She had seen how her sister does with it and that just looked like too much unnecessary effort. Why would someone want to be uncomfortable just so they could look pretty and fit into society?

Owlan smiled as Hui attempted to assist him. "No, no, old friend, it's quite all right," nodded Owlan, motioning with his hand to the place where the tea had disappeared from his robes, "I've taken care of it, see?" Even Hui forgot he was dead and all powerful too. At least Owlan was sure of one thing: dead or not, humans were humans, and he was still one. Readjusting his position in the chair, Owlan turned so that he faced both Parvada and Hui. He examined them both.

They were siblings, but they were both so different. Parvada took after their mother, dear Leihsing Peng, born Sho. Owlan had married her and Onao on the battlefield. Love at first site. A beautiful ceremony. Hui took after his father; in looks anyway, but he had his mother's personality. One of the people; always be one of the people. His mother was also a Non-Bender. Alas, Leihsing was claimed 15 years ago by the same plague that took Owlan's wife from him, as well as his brother Eldunar's wife, Regent Lady Han Ezofuji-no-Tsukuyomi, born Shu. His nephews had been so young. As had Owlan's own children. Barely out of diapers with no mother, and soon no father as Owlan had departed the family to become Spirit King. He never really had a choice. Raiden had chosen him.

Or that's what Owlan told himself. The bigger picture. World peace. Doing good. That's why he took this job, wasn't it? Is this what Raiden felt, as he remembered the deaths of his wife and two sons when they were so young? His inability to save them? Raiden hadn't been there when they died, and it was forbidden for a Spirit King to use his powers for his own personal gain. Reviving his family from death would've earned only damnation by the Gods. It only made it more painful when Raiden's own daughter abandoned him to go join the Assassins, never to be seen again. Owlan had heard she had passed on with the rest of her Order, shortly after her father died to allow Owlan to take over the role of Spirit King. A shame. Sadness followed the Ezofuji family. Ever since the days of Konoe; sadness always followed.

Owlan returned to the present. Looked over at Parvada as she asked him and Hui what they had been up to. He took that to mean the two had been extremely busy and separate lately, doing their own jobs so far away from another, not having much time to see one another. Owlan responded first. "Alas, very little in the ways of personal time," he smiled sadly, "There has been...many things that have been preoccupying my time. Much to look over, much to examine. A future to care for. An Avatar to find, you know. Much is to change soon; very much."