Search for the Avatar

Subject: Search for the Avatar Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:26 pm

Elegys	“This is an announcement; we are now arriving at Kyoshi Island. Please take care while leaving the vessel.” Elegys stood at the prow of a sizeable wooden ship, looking out at the quickly growing Kyoshi Island. He had bought passage on the vessel when it dropped supplies off at the Southern Air Temple, and planned to make a short stop on Kyoshi Island to pay homage to the Avatar that used to reside there. In no time at all, the ship pulled into dock. Elegys was one of the few people leaving the ship, and he waved off the man who told him to be back within the hour. He set off at a brisk pace up the hill and towards the towering statue of Kyoshi, placed in the centre of the island that bore her name. The streets were rather busy, but Elegys had no trouble making his way through them – he was as a leaf in the wind as he moved between the shoppers and tourists. When he reached the statue, he dropped to one knee in front of it and bowed his head. His hand moved subconsciously to the shell tied around his neck, the gift that the previous incarnation of the Avatar, Aang, had given to him. He breathed slowly and almost entered a meditative state as he paid reverence, feeling the energies of everything around him. He touched the ground softly in front of him and realised what he had to do. “I need to find the Avatar,” he said to nobody in particular. One or two people turned to glance his way, but everybody else ignored him.
Mood: Reverent Condition: Kneeling	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:13 am

Zulera Joanna Tallarico	Kyoshi Island... Zulera came here now and again, although she did not have the strongest of connections with her past lives. This was not so much from a lack of spirituality anymore as much as it was that she simply did not invoke the Avatar State or Avatar Spirit very often. In fact, there was very little that indicated this woman was the avatar, unless you knew her name and identity beforehand. Otherwise, she just looked and dressed like a wild Water Tribe woman. She had come here looking for parts, although they were not found, and so instead she simply collected on an old debt and then decided to spend the day on the island. Not that she didn't know her past lives either... just that she did not communicate with them much. On the other hand though, that did not mean she did not pay them respects. Avatar Kyoshi, for example, got shit done. Zulera wondered if she would be remembered for that. Perhaps if her technological revolution ever got off the ground, she would be. That was why she had needed those parts, dammit! But since she was here, she made her way towards where the large central statue of Avatar Kyoshi was, and while noticing someone there, she also got down in a respectful kneeling position, offering a type of prayer of her own up. She might have looked like a ragtag-dressed waterbender, but Zulera was actually very spiritual.
Mood: Happy Condition: Perfect	Link: Zulera

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:23 am

Elegys	The Airbender glanced to the side as he felt and heard another kneeling beside him. He quickly took in her clothing and appearance, and concluded that she was from the Water Tribes. Something about her was strange, though – she gave off a spiritual energy that even Elegys, a novice in the world of spiritual matters, could sense. “Avatar Kyoshi was a wondrous woman,” he started, looking up at the statue. “Yet she understood balance to a lesser extent to other Avatars. Balance should not be sustained for personal reasons, such as it was in creating this island. Balance for the sake of balance is erroneous; it should be quested for in order to fulfil the needs of the many.” Elegys was quite familiar with Avatar Kyoshi; she had been one of the Avatars that he had studied early in his Airbending career due to her use of fans to boost her bending abilities. “This is a long way from the Water Tribes. What brings you here?” Elegys said, keeping his eyes up on the statue.
Mood: Reverent Condition: Kneeling	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:48 am

Zulera Joanna Tallarico	Zulera opened her eyes just briefly to see if the man speaking was directing it at her. Given that there was not really anyone around within an appropriate speaking range, this seemed to be the case. "I certainly respect her," the Water Tribe woman replied, "she has done much in this world to garner respect. It makes me curious as to how people are remembered. Will I be exalted as a hero or condemned as a villain... the mystery eludes me..." She was not necessarily even hinting that she was the Avatar at this point, but she always enjoyed people's reactions to realizing who she was. The main reason for this was because she enjoyed being seen as an equal rather than a superior. "Me?" Zulera chuckled after a moment and getting the question as to why she was here. "I came here looking for certain merchandise, as well as to collect on a debt. Since I was only able to do one of those things, I decided to pay homage to one of my past lives..." She shrugged rather nonchalantly, as if being the Avatar was just... there. That was actually kind of how she viewed it, really. She was Zulera first, and Avatar second, in her eyes. But, she'd let him put the puzzle together.
Mood: Happy Condition: Perfect	Link: Zulera

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:56 am

Elegys	Elegys froze at her words. His calm face dropped into an expression of shock before he quickly composed himself. He had searched for only a few days and had already found the Avatar? He rose to his feet slowly and meaningfully before turning to her and bowing low. “Avatar Zulera; it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have come from the Southern Air Temple in search of enlightenment, and this was the last place I expected to find you,” he said, his voice getting faster and faster as his excitement became clear for all to see. “I met your past incarnation once, Avatar Aang. Though I remember little of him, I know he was a powerful and dutiful man.” As he spoke, his fingers rose to his neck, where they gently touched the shell around his neck. He could almost feel the link between the item and the woman before him, and smiled with the feeling of satisfaction it brought. “I seek you for a very important reason, Avatar. Is there somewhere more…” he glanced around at the people that continued to pass them by. “Private that we could speak? I think you may find what I have to say interesting to say the least.”
Mood: Excited Condition: Perfect	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 1:18 am

Zulera Joanna Tallarico	Zulera cracked a smile. People always reacted differently to the reveal that she was the avatar. in truth... she had mixed feelings about it. She loved particularly when people were surprised but then proceeded to talk to her like any other normal person, and was a bit upset when people took to exalting her, or of course, expressing vehement disdain for her or what have you. She wasn't about to frown or throw a tantrum or anything over it though. "He was a good man," Zulera nodded in referral to Aang. Obviously she had never known him since his death was what marked her coming into this world, but she had seen and spoken to him on a spiritual level. The Avatar spirit was such a curious thing like that. The relics and symbols of Zulera's life were a pair of golden hoop earrings, and then on her skin in the form of elaborate Water Tribe tattoos. Sure the Air Nomads had their blue arrow tattoos, but ultimately the tattooing champions of the world were definitely the Water Tribes. "Well... suggestive as it sounds, I've got a room at the Silk and Steel inn just a few blocks that way," she pointed her thumb. "It's private, if nothing else." If he was fine with the arrangements, Zulera would lead him to said room, which would in fact be nice and quiet, and thus also private.
Mood: Curious Condition: Perfect	Link: Zulera

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:14 am

Elegys	While most men would have blushed at the suggestive nature of the Inn’s name, Elegys retained his stoic expression. He nodded at the Avatar, who led the pair to the inn. As they entered, several pairs of eyes turned to them, but Elegys wasn’t sure if they were ogling the Avatar or himself – after all, Air Nomads weren’t often seen entering an inn. They reached the room in the back of the inn speedily, and the door closed behind them. Elegys stepped over to it and bolted it shut before turning to face the Avatar. “Balance is a delicate thing, Avatar Zulera,” he began, starting to pace up and down in front of the door. “It can be destroyed in a single motion, but recreating it is so much more difficult. Alas, that is my goal now. I seek to enter the Spirit World, and I think you might be able to help me.” The Airbender reached into his bag and withdrew the scroll he had been carrying with him from the Southern Air Temple – ‘Accessing the Greater Realm, by Guru Tumaki.’ It was, as far as Elegys knew, the only surviving work of the great Guru, and it dealt with entering and controlling the Spirit World. “I have studied the scroll, but it only got me so far. I need your help to take the next step. The Spirits have summoned me, and I do not know how long they will wait. I must meet with them; I must fulfil my destiny.”
Mood: Ready for Learning Condition: Perfect	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 7:25 pm

Zulera Joanna Tallarico	Zuelra admittedly raised her eyebrows in surprise when he so swiftly bolted the door behind her, but at the same time she was not terribly concerned. she ad not minded who had ogled them, or if it had been the airbender next to her that they had ogled. She saw airbenders a lot. If anything, they were easier to find roaming the other three nations than they were to sticking around their own temples. Not that Zulera blamed them--there wasn't much in that landscape apart from the Air Temples. "so wait..." she paused, "this is an adventure to find a way into the spirit world?" she sounded more curious than anything. She had been to the spirit world on numerous occasions, sometimes even unwillingly. Sometimes she had gone in through meditation, and other times through actual portals. Other times, when she was much less willing applicant, she had just found herself there and had to find her way out. Whatever the case, Zulera looked at the man in front of him. "well... I suppose I should see what this scroll says unless you wish to summarize?" she asked, "the more I know, the more I'm likely to help." Yup, such was Zuzu--local hero, helper, Avatar. Not that she was always this willing--she had a few terms of her own. For one, she usually wished to be interested in the subject at hand first, and secondly, she refused to help people who did not help themselves. Luckily, the man in front of her (who she realized she did not know the name of), seemed to have put in a decent effort here.
Mood: Curious Condition: Perfect	Link: Zulera

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 7:35 pm

Elegys	Elegys couldn’t help but smile. ”I would have thought you would know about Guru Tumaki, Avatar. He was a great spiritual leader of the Air Nomads, and was considered to be an expert in the Spirit World,” he said, and then his face grew solemn again. ”The Guru states that the Spirit World can be accessed through intense meditation whilst focusing upon your spiritual energies. His exact words are ‘become one with your Spiritual Self.’ That is where I was having difficulties; I went to the most spiritual places in the Southern Air Temple, but it was to no avail.” He skipped over the more detailed explanation of various spiritual matters, assuming that the Avatar was already something of an expert herself. The Airbender put the scroll back into his bag and stopped pacing. He looked the Avatar straight in the eyes, his head angled to accommodate her lesser height. ”I need your help, Avatar; nobody else knows the spirits like you do. You’ve made the journey a thousand times in a thousand different lives, yet I cannot make a single journey. Help me understand – am I ready for this?” Elegys’ words shocked even himself – whilst he was usually a reserved person, he felt his emotions and feelings bubbling over in presence of Zulera. He took a deep breath to regain control, attempting to regain his stoic composure. ”As Tumaki himself stated, the experience of others is worthless without true understanding.”
Mood: Hungry for knowledge Condition: Perfect	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 9:50 pm

Zulera Joanna Tallarico	Zulera let out a chuckle of her own. "with thousands of years of history and knowledge to be had and to be gained, I don't even think the Avatar could remember everything, past lives or no," She was not saying it was not possible; she was simply admitting her own human imperfection. "The spirit world is an interesting place." Zulera nodded in agreement. There were countless people in the world that may have been wiser than her about all of this, but one of her secrets had in fact been her release of her pride. "Tell me... what do you wish to gain from venturing there? It is a dangerous place... and some who have gone there, have never returned..." she cracked her neck. "On the other hand, those who are able to release their worldly bonds can reach enlightenment much sooner. Tell me about yourself a bit, perhaps. I do not even think I know your name..." She was not trying to lead him on or anything, but the more she knew, the more she could help. He had piqued her interest, to say the least.
Mood: Curious Condition: Perfect	Link: Zulera

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:01 pm

Elegys	”I seek the advice of the Spirits,” Elegys said slowly. ”A few years ago, I heard a voice whilst I was meditating – it is my belief that it was a Spirit. It told me that I had to change to fulfil my destiny, to balance the worldly scales. I need to go to the Spirit World to seek out the Spirit so I can find out what I must do.” At the question about himself, he found himself in quiet contemplation. He hadn’t led much of an exciting life so far – for ten years he had meditated and hadn’t learned any new Airbending techniques, and before that he was simply training. He scratched his chin slightly as he contemplated. ”My name is Elegys,” he said, choosing the easiest question to answer first. ”As for my past, I am much as you see here – a simple Air Nomad seeking Spiritual Awakening. I have lived my life in accordance with the teachings, and have not wavered in my resolve to follow in the footsteps of those greater than I. As for worldly bonds, I have none; I have no possessions but the clothes on my back, and no friends or family to speak of. Even the scroll is borrowed from the Southern Library, and I mean to return it one day.” As he spoke however, he felt a strange tingling upon his chest. Acting through instinct, he reached up and touched the shell that hung around his neck. ”… And this.” He removed it from his neck and held it in his palm. It was a simple shell like one might find on a beach, but the swirls upon it almost made up the symbol of the Air Nation – no doubt it was that that had gripped Aang attention on that day. ”This was given to me by Avatar Aang when I was just a baby. I have cherished it since – not a day goes by that I do not wear it.”
Mood: Hungry for knowledge Condition: Perfect	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:12 pm

Zulera Joanna Tallarico	Zulera listened with a rather attentive expression on her face. The short, wild little woman, despite her appearance, did seem to have a very gentle demeanor to her, as well as an air of wisdom and intellect. She was definitely much more than she appeared to be, despite her simple blue clothing, her messy, unkempt hair, and her bare feet. So his name was Elegys. He did seem to be a much more traditional airbender than most of the wild nomads she saw roaming the world during her travels. There was nothing wrong with either lifestyle in Zulera's opinion. And yet, there was something that took her interest when he spoke--that amulet around his neck to be exact. She reached a gloved hand out simply to touch it. "You obviously understand that I am Avatar Aang reincarnated... for better or worse," she shrugged. She didn't exactly have the best history as an Avatar, and was still not exactly a patron saint. "He was a better avatar than me for sure... many of them are. It does kind of make me wonder why the spirits even chose to have their link take a human form at all... what a silly concept, isn't it?" She chuckled. "but I digress. I certainly would not suggest that the amulet is an earthly attachment, but I also do not think that entering the spirit world requires a rejection of such things anyways. Sometimes, it's simply a matter of clearing your mind... no longer worrying about who or what you are... it is how I have done so at least." she suggested. "Even shrugging off the notion that I am the Avatar managed to help me in that way. It seems rather ironic, but I certainly don't know everything about their inner workings. Perhaps a journey to the spirit world would be good for us both then, yes?" Essentially, maybe it was earthly identity, that Zulera was suggesting, was preventing the meditation from reaching its zenith and destination. It was different for each person, and frankly, it interested the smaller woman. She wanted to see how this played out.
Mood: Curious Condition: Perfect	Link: Zulera

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:24 pm

Elegys	A smirk made its way onto Elegys’ face as the Avatar chuckled. ”I’m sure the Spirits have a plan for us all – they are not likely to make a mistake of that magnitude.” At her next words, however, Elegys’ smile drifted away. Was it truly his identity that kept him from entering the Spirit World? All of these years he had tried various techniques to break himself down, remove his individuality to enter the Spirit World, but never had he considered shedding his identity as an Air Nomad. It was something to consider, most definitely. The Airbender nodded to the Avatar in contemplation. He placed the necklace back over his neck and retreated to a corner of the room. He sat down cross-legged and started to breathe out slowly. As he did so, his breath coalesced before him and expanded until it covered all the walls and ceiling of the room, giving the appearance of the inside of a cloud. ”I have found that a lack of distractions helps my meditations – I hope you don’t mind,” he said before closing his eyes. His breath came slowly as he concentrated, focusing on his inner self. He discarded his name and his past, as was his usual tendency, but then he went further. His nation, his beliefs, his very being. He concentrated harder than he ever had before, willing himself to enter the next world, to enter the Realm of Spirits. And then, he felt a gust of wind blow into his face. With it came the smell of burning and an intense heat that seared his features. His eyes shot open immediately, and he found himself still in the room in the back of the inn. ”I think it worked; if I had kept going, I think I might have made it,” he said excitedly. He swallowed nervously next, and looked up at the Avatar. ”As much as I have learned about the Spirit World, I could certainly use the wisdom of somebody who has been there before; will you enter with me, Avatar?”
Mood: Hungry for knowledge Condition: Perfect	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:59 pm

Zulera Joanna Tallarico	"Who knows?" Zulera chuckled, "maybe they are just as prone to mistakes as the rest of us." In truth, Zulera did not believe in perfection or infallibility. To her, there was no such thing as black and white. Everything was a shade of grey, darker or lighter. No right or wrong, no good or evil... it was a very far way of thinking--not that Zulera was very apologetic about it though. And then came the part where Zulera simply watched and witnessed the demonstration. There was good technique here, although she was a bit intrigued by the cloudy fog that he created around them. It was not a big deal though--she had seen and done worse. "It does not bother me." she admitted plainly. "do what you will." Zulera was one of those people who believed there was about 116 ways to do just about anything. Elegys' question was also an interesting one as a result. "Me?" she put a hand to her chest, "I believe I could oblige in that regard. Did you wish to enter it from here? or was there another place that would be more suited to do so?" she wouldn't mind a bit of travel. Zulera was essentially a leaf in the wind, devoid of most worldly attachments already, ironically enough. She felt this would be hardly much different.
Mood: Curious Condition: Perfect	Link: Zulera

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:06 am

Elegys	Elegys glanced around the room they were in. ”Physical location seems to have little effect for me. Here seems as good a place as any,” he said, motioning for Zulera to adopt a meditative stance. ”I hope this works. Thank you for the advice, Avatar.” The Airbender closed his eyes and emptied his mind as before. Almost at once he felt the heat from the other world, and struggled to regulate his breathing. He slightly opened one eye and was dismayed to find himself still in the physical world. Resolved to try harder, he started to breathe heavier, his breath beginning to circle around him like a fog. It turned to a bright shade of white, and then vanished. Elegys opened his eyes, and stumbled backwards from what he saw. He had made it into the Spirit World – a huge volcano was before him, emitting heat the likes of which Elegys had never felt. He rose to his feet and glanced around him, but saw no sign of anybody, human or Spirit. ”Zulera? Can you hear me?”
Mood: Astounded Condition: Spirit	Link: Character Sheet

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:32 am

Zulera Joanna Tallarico	"you're welcome," she nodded, "I do try to help enlighten people when I can, since knowledge is far greater than ignorance. I am no saint, but let it not be said that I do not enjoy helping the right kinds of people out." she was an odd one, to say the least, but her "ways" had worked for 30 years thus far, and she was still alive... so how bad could they be? Zulera knew just what to do in terms of meditating. Taking a deep breath, she sat down and meditated, her eyes lighting up as they seemed to do. It was an Avatar thing, she was pretty sure, for not just anyone's eyes lit up like that. Perhaps Zulera was a "special snowflake". Either way, a moment later, she could sense her body and spirit parting ways, ad she knew what it meant--it meant she had succeeded. Elegys seemed to have beaten her there though--not that it was a race or anything. She was behind him, and they both seemed to be in a rather warm locale. "Right behind ya," she chuckled, getting to her feet. "So... what do you think of this place?"
Mood: Curious Condition: Perfect	Link: Zulera

Subject: Re: Search for the Avatar Thu Oct 16, 2014 7:33 am

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