A Blooming Antagnostic Encounter [Private: Shanhu]

[Sayaka]

Sayaka didn't regret leaving her nation. It made her grow more appreciative with what life had to offer, even if it included all the less glorifying and more traumatic experiences. She was grateful with the pampered lifestyle, but if she were to be reborn, she wouldn't mind taking something lesser than that. If she had any regrets, she wouldn't be in the state or position she was currently in.

The woman was in her usual white kimono and barefoot. She sat on the edge of a cliff, just below where the village stood just kilometers away. Sayaka's body leaned back with both arms to support her and her feet lightly kicking back and forth. It made her wonder what life would be like hadn't she gained airbending. What if she just inherited firebending or became a nonbender altogether? Or never became an Avatar? She wasn't necessarily satisfied with the life she currently lived, but she wasn't so sure if she would be content with the life once promised to her.

Sayaka sighed to herself as she gave the grassy scenery one last look over before she hopped back from the cliff and straightened her posture. "No point in dwelling hypotheticals and what-ifs if they'll get me nowhere." She stretched her hands over her head and went up on her toes to stretch out her legs.

In just a few seconds, she took a deep breath began to thrust air blasts from her hands, air slices with her sweep kicks, and perform other airbending feats as a way to train both her body and bending. Each move became more graceful with airbending; a definite improvement compared to when she first started training. Each twirl and flip fueled Sayaka with motivation to do better, to outperform the move just done.

The training went on for a good ten minutes of nonstop moving and evasive maneuver before she finally came to a brief. Her final move involved a flip in the air and slowly levitating back to the ground on her feet. She closed her eyes and gave herself a satisfied now.

She still got it as an airbender; a thought that continuously replayed in her head.

[Shanhu]

The sound of clapping erupted behind the short-haired woman followed by the noise of heavy boots against the ground as Shanhu approached the individual. A distrusting small smirk already curled on her lips and her eye beamed with amusement when the other woman finished what Shanhu assumed to be training. Her smirk broke into a soft giggle, one that was filled with mischief.

The other woman before her was Sayaka Himari: an airbender that originally hailed from the Fire Nation in nobility (to which was also Shanhu's birthplace), and the woman that Shanhu could either kill, behead, and bring it back to the Fire Nation or bring her back alive. It wasn't long ago did her target's father approached the assassin and offered details on what happened. In short, he despised his daughter's airbending since it was no secret an airbender of all people slaughtered their glorious previous Fire Lord. That, and he believed his bloodline was tainted with her airbending. She either had the choice to kill her and bring her body back, or bring her back alive. The pay obviously favored the former.

It wasn't the first time Shanhu's services were used for personal gains, but rarely would it involve a kin wanting to take out another kin. Reasons have varied whether it was something the targeted kin did to drive the other to the point where murder had to be involved, or just out of downright spite. Shanhu had always questioned the morality of those that use her service... but money always talks and is usually in the right in the woman's eye.

"My, my, my." The woman cooed, clapping ceased. "Such a talented young airbender. It's not everyday you'd see the extinct rise from the dead even after you lot came crawling back like roaches." She snickered in a sick reference to the Air Nomad Genocide.

Shanhu took a few more steps forward, her glance never leaving the other woman. "It's a shame, though. Truly. White seems to such a fitting color on you... except I might have to taint it with flames and book." The smirk returned on her lips and cracked her knuckles.

"Though if you give me a good reason why I shouldn't burn you to a crisp, I wouldn't mind a show of you begging." As if on cue, her right hand was engulfed in flames as she stared down at the other woman.

"I am feeling a little... generous right now."

[Sayaka]

Sayaka's head whipped around behind her and noticed another woman who appeared to be mockingly pleased with her performance, under the assumption that she's been watching the Avatar for a while. She turned her body around to the other woman to give her full attention. She gave her a full look over and gave a thoughtful head tilt. This woman was a force to reckon with from how she presents herself physically. For all she knew, she could've been a bandit. Sayaka was far from concerned, but she wasn't foolish enough to let her guard down so easily.

A cruel joke was made, though Sayaka welcomed it with an amused smile of her own. She'd be lying if she said it didn't bother her, however. She just didn't want to give the other woman an advantage. "Yeah, well, insects can never die out. We always come back one way or another." She chimed in and gave a playful shrug.

But the atmosphere was quick to change from joshing to threatening. The other woman's hand was covered in flames and was ready to launch a fire blast if she didn't beg for her life. "With how beautiful it is, you wouldn't want to burn me while I'm in this kimono now, would you?" She spoke softly. Her smile grew as she took a few steps forward, but the distance remained reasonable.

"If you're feeling generous, you can take it off me first." Blunt with her teasing, she gave a flirtatious wink and a delighted giggle.

Her frisky expression suddenly changed into a more grim image. "Though I'm not fond of bandits with such high confidence to take down their targets... then again I expect nothing less from a typical firebender like yourself." She growled.

With one last step forward, she said, "If you value your other eye, it would be wise of you to drop the tough woman act and walk away."