The Avatar Without a Name (Nacht/Zul) [IC][M]

[Zulera301]

OOC thread found here
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The Foggy Swamps were an intriguing place full of mysteries, spirits, and other oddities alike. Despite some of the wild and crazy inhabitants that took up residence in some tiny pockets of this vast wetland, most of this locale was actually a rather quiet and serene place, and was far enough from people that the avatar herself liked it.

Well, sort of. Her nature as a firebender made it slightly odd being surrounded by so much mud and water, but if anything, that was an effective way to help her learn the ways of waterbending and earthbending. Sometimes she'd run into a spirit here or there. Those were always fun times.
Because of the bounty the land provided, Shui did not have to resort to thieving from merchant stands in nearby villages like she normally did. Few settlements were in the swamps at all, and none were this deep in.

Curling her toes in the mud, she swung her arms and bent her legs, moving rock, earth, and water in what would have been a rather impressive display had anyone been there to watch it. Shui's 'element' was *the* elements. For her, it was a de-stressing way for her to clear her mind and focus as her chi energy flowed through her body, manipulating her surroundings as she pleased.
Incidentally, as wild as this girl was (considering that she often crouched on all fours when she wasn't moving), she was not inherently aggressive either--just a bit intimidating in appearance.
Even that was kind of ironic, considering that the diminutive avatar only stood at 5'1"... 5'4" when she stood up straight, but that was a rarity.

Shui meditated in a rather large clearing, spending much of her afternoon motionless, letting her mind cleanse itself of imperfections, and letting the calm sounds of the swamps around her fill her ears as she focused and relaxed. All things considering, she was very healthy both physically and mentally, and things like this were her reasons why.

[Nachthexe]

There was much to be learned from travelling. Yolen was quickly realizing it. As she went from village to village and even into the other nations she was always finding something to take away with her. Knowledge. It was the ultimate tool and the only one the peaceful monk ever wished to have to wield. There was still so much she didn't understand and she knew it. Among them, were many questions that were simply begging for answers. Among was the ultimate question of human nature? Why did humans resort to conflict? Why did they have to fight over resources and land when plentiful harvests were all around them? Humans were a mysterious species and sometimes even Yolen needed a break from them.

After packing up her very few belongings, Yolen glanced out the window of the modest inn she found herself in. By her own rigid standards it was the height of luxury, but to most it was something much less. It displayed another blatant trait of human nature the young monk didn't fully understand. Why did humans strive for so much material wealth when there was so much more to gain from enriching one's self spiritually? Yolen felt at the height of her own growth and had com to pity those who lacked greatly in the spiritual department. They were deprived of something, even if it wasn't always so simple to make out. She, however, felt whole.

Only nodding her head in acknowledgment of the innkeeper, Yolen silently made her leave. Once within a safe distance she expanded her glider and began shifting through the air's current. It was up in the air she felt her freest and at the height of her development, but today she had much different plans. She had questions and they needed answers. Reflection and meditation seemed to ignite the single spark she needed. It was a sort of spark that pieced her together; a sort of passion she didn't want to lose. It only became larger as she found herself further away from the village that had tended to her. Instead, the isolated swamps of the wilds began calling out to her.

Yolen glanced down at the ground below her as she began to lose altitude. She carefully orchestrated her landing, softly setting her feet into the murky water as if she hadn't stepped there at all. To the trained eye it was a demonstration of a mastery over the element of air. It was a single fact the young Airbender was utmost proud of and now she had the signature blue tattoos to show for it. Still, basking in her own achievements wasn't like the modest woman who began her trek through the wilds and into one of the places she could truly reflect on the world.

Was the connection to the Spirit World truly stronger in the swamps? It was yet another question to answer Yolen's mind as she continued on her journey. Somewhere, she sensed a surge of spiritual energy. She attempted to follow it, no longer being able to hold back. She wanted to collide with the alternate world she felt so much connection to, feeling full satisfaction on choosing to come to the swamp. It was accompanied by a sort of childlike fascination as she carefully examined her surroundings. There was simply so much she did not know about the swamps with so few venturing inside. Was she the first?

Or one of the first. Yolen was not alone, a fact she took some time to absorb as she spotted a second very human-like figure currently in a state of meditation. Momentarily she watched the figure with intrigue as she took in her features, raising many more questions in the monk's mind. Was she, or whom Yolen was certain was a she, even human? She had an almost wild and feral appearance about her. It was one that told the monk the figure was in a very familiar element. Swamp spirit. Definitely a swamp spirit. Yolen thought as she took a meditation stance of her own and attempted to clear her mind. Suddenly she gained all the hopes in the world of communicating with whom she was certain was a swamp spirit of some kind.

[Zulera301]

Meditation was a rather interesting subject when all was considered. It opened the mind and spirit up to things that they could not normally contact, leading to ample possibilities. On the other hand, maybe that was just her? the spirit world was an interesting place that she had found herself in on more than one occasion, and sometimes she had even learned a trick or two from them. This was not one of those times, since she was mostly just meditating to relax. other than the bugs and other tree-dwelling creatures, it was considerably silent.

And so, when she felt an unusual presence behind her, it actually startled her to an extent, costing her a few moments to recover her trance.
She had met humans before. They were odd creatures, always jabbering about this or that, and they seemed to not like it when she took their food. And yet, just like in nature, they left it out in the open. Why then, did so many give chase? They weren't eating it... just... displaying it. What was the point of that? food was for eating.
But this one seemed different. She had never met someone spiritually attuned like this, because she could feel the spiritual presence in front of her.

So while it was not a swamp spirit that Yolen was able to communicate with, she did, by chance, stumble across the Avatar spirit.
"Not many people come to the swamps." the voice was definitely female, having a certain ring to it that made it clear that the voice was a spirit, "what brings one such as yourself here?"
This was one of those things that Shui didn't understand. On one hand, communicating as a spirit was easy. She could understand what was being said and could speak well on her own. On the other hand, when back in her physical form, her words were broken and loosely patched together in choppy sentences/ How come her spirit knew this language better than her body?

In reality, the secret was simple, even if Shui was not aware of it. her spiritual knowledge was backed by her predecessors--avatars from past and bygone ages. Physically, there was nothing wrong with her mouth, tongue, or speech at all, shy of her simply not fully understanding the language. She had never needed to speak much unless she was communing with spirits, and as such, her ability to talk was slightly hindered. It was funny really--just how much this woman knew, and yet how much about herself and her own identity that she did not yet understand...

[Nachthexe]

Finding herself in her highest stage of spiritual enlightenment, Yolen focused immensely and freed herself from the material world. Almost as quickly as she had left she was certain she now found herself drifting among the spirit world. All around her were the sounds of a calming and bliss atmosphere she so desperately craved for the physical world. She knew the spirit world as a place untouched by human concepts such as conflict and greed, but what she hadn't been expecting were voices - voices unmistakably trying to contact her. It was a new revelation that even she was surprised about. Few had the high level of spiritual attunement required to even fully reach the spirit world, a task usually reserved for a single person: the Avatar.

Continuing to listen for the source of the voice, Yolen found it oddly soothing. Perhaps it was from a swamp spirit. Perhaps there was one simply trying to tell her something. There was so much more she wanted to know that she began following the voice towards its source. "No, I don't suppose they do." She concurred, fairly certain the swamps truly were one of the most isolated sections of the world. Truly who could survive in such an inhospitable environment unless they were a master? Not many fit the description and the young Airbender now knew herself just how much of a revered title it was in any of the four nations.

"Are you a spirit or are you physical? I think I know, I saw you in the swamp. Doesn't it get lonely or are you a traveller like me?" Yolen immediately began asking questions as soon as she came to the source of the voice. Sure enough it did belong to the very same figure she had seen upon entry to the swamp. A human. The figure was undoubtedly human. Spirits could no longer enter the physical world and Avatar Wan had seen to it generations ago. That Yolen was certain of. Truly only the most spiritually developed humans could penetrate it now, raising another series of questions in the Airbender's mind she didn't dare ask. Not yet. "I'm simply stopping by, but you are something else. Something that intrigues me."

[Zulera301]

Shui listened to the words and conjured up appropriate responses in return. "An interesting thought--I do hope I did not alarm you then. It's certainly not that I seek to keep you away from this place--more just curious as to how you came here. I am both physical and spirit--Although I dare say I am much more eloquent while here than in my physical body. 'Tis a concept that vexes and confuses me, no less."

"in truth, sometimes it gets lonely, unless I come here, but I am also a traveller. This is just one of the better places to commune with my inner spirit, and so I return here more often than other places. I enjoy gazing upon such untouched and serene places and feeling the focus that they bring me."
She gave pause at the last remark, curious as to what was being implied.
"I am? Now what sort of different thing might I be?" the avatar asked, "I do believe that I am what they call human, although my time spent among them has shown that many of them do rather silly things. But if that is not my aspect that you suspect of me... then what is? I am normally not one to judge."

It was funny, because she wasn't necessarily even this philosophical normally. But, with the wisdom of her past lives manifesting through her spirit (even if she did not realize that that was the key to her power here), she was able to rather eloquently speak to this fine lady, and perhaps even start forging something of a friendship with her. Shui was smart and she was strong, but she also knew that there was plenty more for her to learn, and she was willing to learn it if she could find a practical application for it.
"what do they call you, if I may ask," she added at the end. She wondered what this woman's title was. It could potentially tell her a bit about what kind of person she was working with here.

[Nachthexe]

The way the figure formed her sentences so eloquently served as a further clue to Yolen. She was intrigued by this feral spirit woman, whoever she was. Somehow she knew there was undoubtedly more to her than what met the eye, but what was it? What was it about this woman that was so easily drawing the Air Nomad in? Something did seem off and the master wanted to know exactly what it was. If she wasn't a spirit and was truly from the wilds how was she so spiritually attuned. For most, it was a process that took many years. Even then very few among the other nations truly mastered it. This, however, was clearly a unique case.

"Different, as in you're spiritual. You have reached a level that most cannot." Yolen explained, trying to decipher the best way to describe to this woman exactly how she felt about her and her presence. Even if she appeared it she was clearly no ignorant and lost soul. Perhaps she had a purpose, but of now it remained a complete mystery to Yolen. "If you come here often then perhaps there is something you understand that others do not. Does time spent living in the wilds, as I can only guess has been the case with you, give one a unique connection to the spirit world?"

Making her own inferences known Yolen proceeded to merely watch and observe. She liked to believe there was something to be learned in watching others. It reminded her of many of the lessons having been so emphasized by her own former masters: watching, learning, and repeating was just one of the many keys to success; "Our ancestors learned from the Sky Bison. It's through them, the original Airbenders, we gain our power." Even to this day the words stained her mind, being valuable wisdom she could apply to nearly any situation. This was no exception, watching the odd feral woman. It was only through a single question her gaze on the woman was broken.

Her name. The woman wanted her name. It was something Yolen knew was recognizable by some upon her becoming a master. The curious words of this woman further proved her state of isolation. Perhaps her rough appearance wasn't just for show and she truly was feral. Either way, Yolen's own interest did not diminish, eagerly leading her into a simple introduction. "I am Yolen of the Air Nomads."

[Zulera301]

"Ah."
That explained what the mystery was. While she did not understand the entirety of it, Shui knew at least that she was human, and that she was rather detached from the world. While she did not understand it entirely, this was also part of the secret to her success. She had almost no worldly things to attach herself to, which meant her chakras were all open wide.
"from my understanding it is a matter of finding the places where spiritual attunement can reach its zenith," she explained, "that is how I was able to access the spirit world, at least."

Shui knew many of the basics, and was also a very observational woman. that, coupled with her affinity for the spiritual, was part of the secret to her success bending the elements. but there was more to her than just bending the elements, and even with water, earth, fire, and air at her disposal, she still had plenty to learn, even with her native element of fire. But, she learned as she needed to, or when she felt like. She figured that that was how it worked.

"A pleasure then, Yolen." a smile appeared on the feral woman's face, "I do not have such a name myself, although there many who simply refer to me as 'She who Controls the Elements.' Others have nicknamed me 'Shui', although I am unsure as to that name's origins. I suppose it is the simpler of the two, serving its purpose as a nickname, but it is what it is." Considering her minimal contact with people, Shui had never really needed a name. Her 'formal name' was more just a title as the words clearly indicated, and so perhaps 'Shui' was as close as she would get. Nothing about anything Shui had said felt unusual to her in the slightest, and so, with the assumption that it was completely normal, she stated it exactly as truthfully as she knew it.

[Nachthexe]

Yolen simply nodded in agreement with the mysterious feral woman. Despite her origins, she did seem to know a lot about certain matters that took most years to understand. The Airbender herself knew she had hardly been an exception to the rule. While the spiritual aspects of airbending had come easily to her some of the more directly physical stuff had been slightly more challenging. That and many other factors had very much placed delays in her own training and finally obtaining master status. When she had finally accomplished it she couldn't have felt better. Suddenly, this little trip into the spirit world felt a testament to it that her training had paid off.

Certainly there were more interesting qualities in this figure that Yolen was only beginning to decipher. Even with her own experience her knowledge was still limited, raising many questions in her mind. It was only with the revelation of a particularly curious nickname that Yolen had struck gold. "She who controls the elements". There had to be meaning to it. There simply had to be. Recalling everything she knew and if the name was indeed literal, much suddenly made sense. It was as if a light went off in the Airbender's head as she took a close glance at the feral woman who had just revealed a second name: Shui.

The Avatar. Was this woman simply known as "Shui" truly the Avatar? It was one person Yolen had thought gone, possibly forever. It was well-known to her, after all, that the last had disappeared without a word before she was even born. As years had gone by most had lost hope and even the Airbender herself had come to lose hope in there ever being another. In many ways she hadn't even been sure if the legends were true, having never encountered such a person herself. Suddenly a very different possibly had smacked her directly in the face and she was unsure how to even cope with it, simply offering a nod to the woman.

"Everybody thought you, the Avatar, gone. Supposedly the last disappeared several years before I was even born." Yolen admitted, calmly as she developed all sorts of intrigue about the woman who claimed to be the Avatar. "Most would consider you a liar if you made claims to such a title, but I believe you. Much suddenly makes sense. Only the Avatar would be able to enter the spirit world with ease as you seemingly had." She continued, letting few theories slip past. Using powers of observation was invaluable, and suddenly she found herself conversing with the one person the world was certain they would never see again. Perhaps it was the signalling of a good omen for the future. She liked to believe so, not wanting anything to happen to her during her travels.

[Zulera301]

"Avatar...?"
She had heard whispers of such a being now and again, although was not fully certain what those things all meant. She heard things about being able to control the elements, but she had met airbenders, earthbenders, firebenders, and waterbenders alike. Much like her, they did not all use their abilities at every waking moment. What then, set her apart? Was it the voices that she heard, and that helped her speak? She had always just assumed that they were spirits of sorts, but that still left the question about what kind of spirits they were. Perhaps that made her at least half right.

"I have never made such claims to the title on my own, although at the same time, I do not usually make claims that are not true unless done in error." It was probably for the best that she spoke through their spirits instead of in the physical world, because one of the reasons Shui avoided people was because communication was difficult for her. Often her spirit could put into words what her physical mouth could not. "If 'Avatar' is what they name those who control the elements, then I suppose I am 'Avatar'." She did assume it was a title, although the significance of which did in fact just go straight over her head. Perhaps naively, Shui had always been under the impression that everyone had abilities similar to hers and simply ignored them or used them sparingly. Not all humans were silly or stupid--Shui knew that much. A prime example of this was the woman in front of her: clearly a wise and intellectual woman worth sharing time with.

"of course," she added, "if it was requisite for me to prove such a claim, I could, although such an act would necessitate our return to the physical world for me to properly perform. If we do, I will warn you now that I lack the... erm... eloquence and grace, with words... that I am gifted with here. The explanation for this is beyond my size and scope of understanding, and so if a woman can make but a humble request, it would be to bear with me."
She was strong, and she was clever. It showed through her actions and she did not need to state this as much as she could just simply show it. She was intelligent too, and made a good combatant. But... even with this experience and skillset under her belt, the feral Avatar realized that she was far from perfect. She had her flaws ans insecurities, and the fact that she was willing to admit them to this Air Nomad was actually an intimate step in humility for Shui. The fact that she trusted her with that kind of a secret meant that Yolen had already gained Shui's respect.

[Nachthexe]

Yolen was surprised as Shui spoke further. It was as if she knew nothing about the Avatar, hardly a surprising revelation with all things considered. Shui lived alone and in isolation, making it truly no wonder there was so much she did not know about human concepts. In some ways Yolen both envied and pitied her. Some parts of human nature simply weren't all that desirable, making even her own contact with them limited at times. Instead, she preferred to serve them from the sidelines; watching and observing while eventually training aspiring new Airbenders. It seemed like a simple life, but it was exactly what the spiritual woman wished for. Nothing of the sort was bound to never be so simple for Shui, and perhaps never for herself either now that the woman had entered her life entirely by chance.

Or was it by chance? Was there a reason for this encounter? If so, Yolen couldn't possibly decipher what it was. She was inclined to believe nearly everything had a purpose, even if the purposes were not immediately clear. Nonetheless, she remained calm and collected as the woman continued to speak. Many gained excitement over the prospect of meeting the Avatar, but to Yolen they were merely another person albeit one with a close connection to the Spirit World. "In our world that title holds significance, as you may learn soon enough. As somebody so attuned spiritually I can see I don't need to explain to you the risks of having the world out of balance." She explained, still somewhat amazed this woman knew so much yet so little. It was just one huge oxymoron.

"Many of us within the four nations are gifted with the ability to bend the elements, but you are special. Only you and your predecessors have ever been able to bend all four. You have that ability, yes?" Yolen continued, glancing at Shui with great intrigue. Many of her suspicions about the woman were proving correct, but there was still so much that remained unanswered. To her luck, Shui appeared all too eager to answer some of her questions, making her next intentions clear. Bending the elements. It was something known to be impossible in their current state, producing a nod from Yolen before returning to her physical body.

How different was Shui while in the physical world? Did the Spirit World bring out a different sort of nature in her? If she was indeed feral and lacked the eloquence she did in the Spirit World then Yolen tried to prepare for it. Jolting back into her conscious state she glanced over to where she was certain Shui's physical body had been just minutes earlier. Sure enough, it was intact and as if it hadn't been disturbed at all. In its current state it appeared so calm and serene, yet there was no knowing how the physical Shui was like. Yolen expected wild and erratic behaviour, stepping to her feet and watching for any signs of movement. "Show me who you truly are. Show me that the Avatar has, in fact, returned." She declared, eager to see the woman's true form for the first time.