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Tag Archives: F-80
SAVED BY THE SABRE
In late 1950, as USAF B-29s were bombing North Korean supply lines in support of UN ground troops, they encountered a swept-winged North Korean aircraft capable of great speed. While the introduction of the MIG-15 caught United Nations forces by surprise, its counterpart would prove to be a legend among jet fighter aircraft.
As early as 1944, North American Aviation had proposed a jet aircraft design to the US Navy, as a result of combat against the early German jet fighters, such as the ME-262. This design, the FJ-1 Fury was, in essence, a jet version of the P-51 MUSTANG. Though its speed was impressive compared to piston-powered fighters, its overall performance failed to meet expectations. However, within a few months, the USAAF approached North American with a requirement for a medium-range, single-seat, high-altitude, jet-powered day escort fighter/fighter-bomber. In early 1945, North American submitted four designs to the Air Corps with North American granted permission to produce three examples of the XP-86 (Experimental Pursuit) aircraft. While the XP-86 was a lighter plane than the Fury, and could attain 582 mph, as opposed to 547 for the FJ-1, the XP-86 could not meet the Air Corps requirement for a top speed of 600 mph. Furthermore, two rival designs, the XP-80 and XP-84 having speeds in the range of the XP-86 were already under development and might result in cancellation of the contract for the XP-86.
North American was able to solve this problem with a leapfrog in technology. The XP-86 was the first American aircraft to take advantage of captured German test data at the end of World War II, which indicated a thin swept wing could greatly reduce drag and delay compressibility problems when an aircraft approached the speed of sound. Further study of the tests revealed a swept wing would solve the speed problem, while a slat on the wing's leading edge would enhance low-speed stability. Since the 86 was approaching an advanced stage of development, North American's senior management was hesitant to incorporate a swept wing design. However, after a series of wind tunnel tests, a 35-degree sweep offered the best performance with automatic front slats and an electrically adjusted stabilizer based on the ME-262. As a result of combat experience gained in Korea, the front edge wing slats were phased out in favor of a leading edge chord extending 6 inches from the wing root to 3 inches at the tip.
Though much of the design work was delayed until after the end of World War II, the first F-86 SABRE was completed on August 8, 1947, with the first flight occurring on October 1 of that year. The SABRE was first assigned to the USAF Strategic Air Command in 1949 prior to its deployment to Korea in late 1950. The F-86 set a number of speed records during its early years, an official world speed record of 671 mph in September 1948, a 1951Bendix Trophy for an average speed of 553.76 mph, as well as the first woman, Jacqueline Cochran, to break the speed of sound in May 1953.
When the Soviet MIG-15 was introduced in November 1950, it outperformed all UN aircraft, such as the straight-winged F-80 and F-84. The MIG was clearly a generation ahead of both types, as well as the F9F PANTHER, flown by the US Navy from carriers offshore. Three squadrons of F-86s were dispatched to the Far East in December 1950. Though the F-86 and the MIG-15 were evenly matched and based on similar design concepts, there were a number of differences. SABRES were more aerodynamically stable and could turn, roll and dive faster than the MIG. The F-86 could also go supersonic in a dive, while the MIG would experience structural damage attempting to do so. The SABRE was also equipped with a radar gunsight, which allowed pilots to quickly aim their .50 caliber guns more accurately-even compensating for speed. The MIG-15s key advantages were faster climbing and acceleration rates, effective handling at high altitudes and being somewhat more maneuverable. Firepower between the two aircraft was a tradeoff, with the SABRE firing more smaller rounds more accurately aimed and the MIG firing less accurate but larger bore (23mm and 37mm) ammunition. Perhaps the deciding factor in the air war over Korea was the quality of pilots. Many of the MIGs were flown by Soviet pilots for about the first year of their deployment. Many of these were aces from World War II and were thus capable pilots. The USAF followed the same philosophy, sending a number of World War II aces to Korea as well. While the Soviet pilots were well trained, the USAF training program at Nellis AFB was both more broad and intense. As Soviet pilots were rotated home, they were replaced by less capable Chinese and North Korean pilots. As the war progressed, this was reflected in the loss ratio between the two aircraft. While the overall loss ratio was in favor of the SABRE of about eight to one by wars end (78 to 687), the loss ratio against Soviet pilots has been disputed in recent years, with a number of former Soviet pilots stating a loss ratio of two to one in favor of the SABRE. The most hotly contested battles were fought over an area near the mouth of the Yalu River known as MIG ALLEY.
After the Korean War, the SABRE was exported to a number of nations to include NATO allies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, West Germany, Greece, Spain, Norway and Turkey, as well as Taiwan, Japan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The last SABRE was retired from the Bolivian Air Force in 1994. Though the SABRE was in service for many years, the high point of its career was in Korea-in which a few brave pilots and planes made the difference in saving a nation.
This entry was posted in Historic Aviation and tagged B-29 Superfortress, Bendix Trophy, F-80, F-84, F-86 Sabre, F9F Panther, FJ-1 Fury, Jacqueline Cochran, Korean War, Mig-15, Nellis AFB, Straight-Winged, Supersonic, Swept-Winged, United Nations, USAF on July 20, 2018 by flybywireair.com.
LOCKHEED'S VERY OWN
Aircraft designers and artists share a common trait – the ability to think out of the box and incorporate new concepts into their works . While the artist strives to create a pleasing appearance out of their work, whether art or sculpture, the aircraft designer must first meet a set of performance criteria in order to produce a successful aircraft, the artistic form being of secondary importance. During the course of this blog we'll trace the career of an engineer who designed a number of aircraft achieving both impressive performance and appearance.
Clarence Leonard "Kelly" Johnson was born in Ishpeming, Michigan on February 27, 1910. Johnson decided to pursue a career in aeronautical engineering at the age of 12, largely as a result of reading a series of Tom Swift novels. A few months later, he designed his own small plane, which he named the Merlin 1 Battle Plane. After seeing a Curtiss Jenny in flight during a local exhibition, he became interested in flying aircraft as well as designing them. During his high school years, Kelly moved to Flint, where his father had a construction business. He also worked part time in the motor test section of Buick, gaining a practical knowledge of engineering. By the time he completed high school, Kelly had saved about $300 to defray the costs of flight school. When Johnson approached the flight instructor, he persuaded him to use the money to further his education.
While Johnson was surprised at the instructor's response, he respected him, and after holding a number of odd jobs, graduated from the University Of Michigan in 1932, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering. After gaining a number of teaching fellowships, as well as serving as a consultant to the university, he received a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering the following year. Johnson's first assignment at Lockheed in 1933 was to design tools from which to build aircraft . However, it wasn't long before he was involved in the design of Lockheed's first line aircraft of the era, such as the Model 10 Electra flown by Amelia Earhart. Johnson would later design the military version of the Electra, the Hudson Lockheed, for the British from a set of sketches he made from his hotel room. By 1938 Kelly was serving as an assistant to Lockheed's chief engineer, Hall Hibbard. In 1937 the Air Corps contracted with Lockheed to produce an aircraft capable of speeds in excess of 400 mph., with nearly double the range and firepower of existing fighter aircraft. Within a year, Hibbard and Johnson designed a twin-boomed plane, a radical departure from current practice, with armament of four fifty caliber machine guns with a 20 mm. cannon in the nose, with a larger internal fuel capacity augmented by detachable drop tanks underneath the inner wing panels. The aircraft was test flown in 1939 and entered service in 1941 as the P-38 Lightning. The P-38 proved to be a versatile plane, performing a variety of missions ranging from ground attack to the night fighter role.
In 1943 Hibbard and Johnson were presented with a new challenge. Both Germany and Britain were developing fighter aircraft driven by jet propulsion, while the USAAF program efforts lagged. Another reason for a practical jet fighter was the receipt of intelligence reports in early 1943 about a German jet fighter undergoing advanced testing, the ME-262. Fearful the new German fighter would soon become operational, Lockheed was awarded the contract and Johnson promised the design would be completed within six months. Hibbard and Johnson decided to build the new jet fighter around the existing British De Haviland Goblin engine, already in use in the Gloster Meteor. Within a mere 143 days, the new jet fighter, the P-80 Shooting Star, had completed its first test flight and production began two months later. While too late to see action in World War II, the P-80 saw extensive action in Korea, in both the ground attack and aerial combat roles. Variants of the P-80/F-80 were in use until 1997.
Due to a perceived Soviet bomber threat, the CIA issued a requirement in late 1953 for an aircraft capable of scanning large segments of Soviet territory from an extremely high altitude. During the last year of the Korean War, several Convair B-36 bombers flew over Manchuria, taking pictures of Mig bases from a relatively high altitude. The large bomb bay area, long wings, and a high altitude dash capability from it's four jet engines made the B-36 a good camera platform for its time. The proposed aircraft would not be as big, but would have long, glider like wings, coupled with a lightweight fuselage powered by a single jet engine mounted in the fuselage. The contract was awarded to Lockheed the following year and Kelly Johnson went to work. The initial specifications called for an aircraft capable of operating at an altitude of 70,000 ft. with a range of 1,700 miles. Johnson shortened the fuselage of an experimental F-104 Starfighter with long, slender wings. The design was powered by the J73 General Electric jet engine and emphasized weight saving, discarding features such as a landing gear and ejection seats. It took off from a special cart and belly landed when returning. The aircraft, designated Utility Two or U-2 , could cruise at an altitude of 73,000 ft. with a range of 1,600 miles. By 1955 the U-2 was in production and CIA operators were flying it over the world's trouble spots the following year. These flights over the Soviet Union ended in May 1960 with Francis Gary Powers U-2 shot down by a Soviet SA-2 missile. However, the U-2 continued to serve in other areas, providing valuable intelligence during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the aircraft remaining in service for over 50 yrs.
In the 1960s, Johnson designed the successor to the U-2, the SR-71, The SR-71 was a twin jet, twin tail, delta-winged reconnaissance aircraft, capable of sustained mach 3 speeds with a service ceiling in excess of 85,000 ft. with a range of 2,900 miles. From the technology standpoint, the SR-71 or Blackbird, was a totally new design made largely of titanium, which was ironically imported from the Soviet Union at the time. The SR-71 was in service for over 30 yrs. and set a number of world speed and altitude records – many of them still standing. Kelly Johnson was instrumental in the design of some 40 aircraft during his forty plus years at Lockheed, designing a number of great planes at pivotal times in our nation's history – making him a true hero of aviation.
This blog is the fourth in a series about the heroes of aviation.
This entry was posted in Historic Aviation and tagged B-36, Cuban Missile Crisis, F-80, Hall Hibbard, Kelly Johnson, Lockheed, Lockheed Electra, P-38, Soviet Union, SR-71, U-2, University Of Michigan on May 20, 2016 by flybywireair.com.


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First line index
Heiti
Kennings
Runic poetry
Note to Bǫlv Hardr 2II
[4] brynjaðar skeiðr 'armoured warships': For skeiðr, see Jesch 2001a, 123-5 and Note to Valg Har 1/2. It is not quite clear how the adj. brynjaðar 'armoured' should be interpreted. Falk (1912, 38) believes that it referred to a ship equipped with protective metal covering, while Jesch (2001a, 157-9) argues that there is no evidence that Viking-Age ships were protected in this manner; rather, such adjectives denote the shields carried along the shield-rim (see also Notes to ÞjóðA Har 5/7, Þfagr Sveinn 4/4 and Steinn Óldr 13/4).
Jesch, Judith. 2001a. Ships and Men in the Late Viking Age: The Vocabulary of Runic Inscriptions and Skaldic Verse. Woodbridge: Boydell.
Falk, Hjalmar. 1912. Altnordisches Seewesen. Wörter und Sachen 4. Heidelberg: Winter.
Internal references
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, 'Steinn Herdísarson, Óláfsdrápa 13' in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings' Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 378-9.
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, 'Þorleikr fagri, Flokkr about Sveinn Úlfsson 4' in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings' Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 316.
Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, 'Þjóðólfr Arnórsson, Stanzas about Haraldr Sigurðarson's leiðangr 5' in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings' Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 155-6.
Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, 'Valgarðr á Velli, Poem about Haraldr harðráði 1' in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings' Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 300-1.
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The German destruction of Belgrade in 1941
Luftwaffe Stuka dive-bombers
The German bombing of Belgrade in World War II, also known as Operation Punishment (Unternehmen Strafgericht), took place on 6, 7, 11 and 12 April 1941. The bombing took place during the opening days of the invasion of the Axes forces to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The bombing resulted in a paralysis of the Yugoslav government and military leadership, mass destruction and thousands of human casualties, as well as the general demoralization and dissolution that led to the capitulation of the army and the de facto disappearance of the Yugoslav state eleven days later.
After the Anschluss of Austria, Yugoslavia shared a border with the Third Reich. In November 1940, Hungary joined the Triple Pact, Italy attacked Greece, and Romania also joined the Triple Pact. From that moment on, Yugoslavia was almost surrounded by the Axis Powers or their satellite states, and its neutral attitude towards the war was under increasing pressure. On February 14, 1941, Adolf Hitler invited Yugoslav Prime Minister Dragisa Cvetkovic and Foreign Minister Aleksandar Cincar-Markovic to Berchtesgaden and asked for Yugoslavia to join the Triple Pact. Two weeks later, Bulgaria joined the Triple Pact. The next day, German troops from Romania moved to Bulgaria and closed the ring around Yugoslavia.
Alexander Löhr and Wolfram von Richthofen in February 1942. Both commanded units that bombed Belgrade. Löhr was commander of the 4th air fleet and Richthofen 8th air corps.
On March 20. Hitler, who wanted to protect the southern wing of the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union, sent an ultimatum that Yugoslavia sign the accession to the Tripartite Pact; In the end, the Yugoslav government eventually gave up, on March 25th. Two days later a military coup was carried out by a group of officers of the JKRV and the Royal Guard, led by Army General Dusan Simovic and Brigadier General Borivoje Mirkovic. Prince Paul was deposed and replaced by the 17-year-old King Peter II who was declared to be of age.
A 2008 photograph of the site of the National Library of Serbia, bombed on 6 April 1941
On the same day as the Yugoslav coup d'état, Hitler issued Directive 25, which stated that the coup had changed the political situation in the Balkans. He ordered that "even if Yugoslavia at first should give declarations of loyalty, she must be considered as a foe and therefore must be destroyed as quickly as possible." After the coup, German reconnaissance aircraft frequently violated Yugoslav airspace, and VVKJ fighter aircraft were on constant alert. The German incursions showed that the Yugoslav ground observation post network and supporting radio communications were inadequate.
The bomb-damaged Old Palace in central Belgrade. The royal palaces located in the city center and the southern suburb of Dedinje were among the targets of the Luftwaffe during the first wave of bombing on 6 April
As Belgrade was proclaimed an open city, there was no anti-aircraft defense around the city, while JKRV (Yugoslav Royal Air Force) planes were outdated. On the list of 1941, Jkrv had about 800 combat aircraft, with 487 operational (of which only 150 were sufficiently prepared to confront modern plane Luftwaffe). The 32nd fighter group, composed of three squadrons, was armed with 27 German Messerschmitt Bf 109; The 51st fighter group, also divided into three squadrons, had 12 Messerschmitt Bf 109 and 6 interceptors Rogozarski IK-3 domestic production. Zemun airport was one of the first targets destroyed, allowing the German planes given a great advantage in the following attacks
April 1941 Belgrade's Defenders of the Sky. Pilots of the Yugoslav Royal Air Force
The main airbase of the Yugoslav army and the accompanying crew were:
Kraljevo-Kragujevac; 6th fighter regiment, equipped with 36 Messerschmitt Bf 109 and 30 Hawker Hurricane
Nova Topola - Bosanski Aleksandrovac; 2nd Airborne Mixed Brigade, equipped with 33 Hawker Hurricane and 8 Ikarus IK-2
Banja Luka; 8. The bombers regiment, equipped with 48 British bombers Bristol Blenny
Skopje-Urosevac, 3rd bomber regiment 120 aircraft Dornier Do 17
On April 6 and 7, JKRV and Air Defense managed to shoot down between 90 and 100 enemy aircraft, while JKRV lost 24 aircraft in defense missions in the first two days and 40 on the ground. Thus, a Luftwaffe blitzkrieg prevents Jkrv to offer organized resistance.
Bomb-damaged buildings in Belgrade in April 1941
On April 6, at 6:30 in the morning, without announcing the war, the forces of the Third Reich attacked the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Their air force was bombed by Belgrade using 234 bombers and 120 fighters (484 aircraft on April 6 and April 7). Airplanes flew from Vienna (Cvolfashing, Winer Neustadt, Aspang), Graz and Arad. The city was bombed in four raids on April 6, and again on 7, 11 and 12 April 1941. About 440 tons of inflammable bombs were used.
Bombers over Belgrade on April 6, 1941
The first wave closed on Belgrade and consisted of 74 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, 160 Heinkel He 111 medium bombers, and Dornier Do 17 light bombers. They were escorted by Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighters and 100 Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighters. The second wave arrived over Belgrade about 10:00, consisting of 57 Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers and 30 Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighters.
German Luftwaffe propaganda air image of the Belgrade Bombardment 461941, appeared in the German propaganda magazine, Der Adler, No. 9, Apr. 29. 1941
In the bombing of Belgrade in 1941 2,274 people were killed (estimates: 2,271-4,000, German estimates 1500-1700). About 627 buildings were demolished, 1,601 buildings damaged, partially damaged 6,829 buildings, including part of the Old Court building. The most important cultural monument destroyed in the bombing is the National Library with 300,000 books, including medieval clips of priceless value. According to German sources, the old-fashioned way of house construction and poorly organized fire service and civil protection have contributed to the suffering of a large number of people.
Monument to the Royal Yugoslav Air Force defenders of Belgrade, located in New Belgrade
In the aftermath of the war, German Field Marshal von Kleist said: "The air strike on Belgrade in 1941 had a primarily political-terrorist character and had nothing in common with the war. That bombing was the matter of Hitler's personal revenge.
Propaganda message from the German Wehrmacht about the Luftwaffe attack on Belgrade on April 6, 1941.
"In the first wave, we had to destroy the National Library, and then the objects of military significance," Löhr emphasized. When asked by the Yugoslav officers why the National Library was, he replied: "Because that institution has preserved the constitution of the cultural identity of that nation."
Löhr was captured by the Yugoslav Partisans on 9 May 1945, escaped, and was recaptured on 13 May. He was intensively interrogated, after which he was tried before a Yugoslav military court on a number of war crimes charges, one of which related to his command of Luftwaffe IV during Operation Retribution. He was convicted, sentenced to death and executed.


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CLOSED SIGNUPS Avatar: The Rebel Armada (IC)
Thread starter Mobley Eats
GROUP RP IN CHARACTER
Mobley Eats
Consume. Smother your doubts. Be fulfilled.
A Few Posts A Day, One Post a Day, A Few Posts a Week
Male, Female, Primarily Prefer Female, No Preferences
A bit of both, lean more towards passive.
Modern, Romance, Fantasy, Scifi, Drama, Action.
Horror, Mystery (I like them, just not good at it)
AVATAR: THE REBEL ARMADA
Each of you are scheduled to arrive at the gates of General Fong Xu's campsite, which is located on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. You all have your own reasons for why you decided to join his personal squadron, whether it be for the glory of Rebel Armada, for the thrill of action and adventure, for finding a purpose, for the pride of your origin battalion, or for something else entirely.
Soon, the gates shall open and you will be personally welcomed by General Fong Xu. He will brief you of your mission, provide you food and clothing, analyze your skills, and settle you down within your own tents for the night.
By morning, you will set off for the first Earth Kingdom village currently under Fire Nation siege--Gooling. Trials and tribulations will strike you in abundance, and not a single morrow can be promised.
Tread with caution.
Time: Dusk
Location: Outside of Ba Sing Se Limits, Earth Battalion Campsite
General Huang Fong Xu
The blood of innocents, rebels, and fire nation alike have long stained the soils of our home. An earthy scent unlike the crisp harmony of nature, but burns our nostrils as a reminder to the discord permeating every inch of our lives. Deaths of the young, of the old, of the naive and wise and confused...the total threatens to reach unimaginable heights. I grow ill at the thought.
But how can this be? How can we suffer any further? What more can this war take from me? From us?
...Knowledge.
Once upon a time, I knew of how this blasted age worked, of what made my men tick and what drummed deep within their hearts. I knew of the hatred and greed that lurks the border between us and our foe. I knew these things. I used to believe that I knew all.
How wrong I am. How foolish.
Now I am struck with an unsettling discovery. The battalions have spread word of non-benders moving the earth beneath their feet, splitting the lakes in two, and reducing homes to smoldering ashes. I would have disregarded this as the imagination of a war-torn mind...And then General Choy of the Northern Water Battalion sent the distress call. The details and fear in his letter is impossible to miss. Even more so to fake...It is all true. I do not know how, but the Fire Nation now has a means of granting bending to anyone they choose.
Rebel Armada is in jeopardy.
I am but a general of the East Battalion. I am no king. No Lord of the lands. But I shall wear the crown, for only a moment, and make a call to those that will listen. I am General Fong Xu of the Eastern Earth Battalion...and I am going to take back our freedom. No matter the costs. No matter how desperate the measures.
My personal squadron shall arrive no later than dusk tomorrow. They are trained. They are seasoned. They are fresh. They are untouched by war. They are stained by the bloods of too many to count. They share all and yet nothing in common. The perfect team.
My own, personal, Rebel Armada.
General Fong Xu rose before the sun.
His armor weighed heavier upon his shoulders than normal. Perhaps it was his mind toying with him, taunting him, reminding him of the possibilities and consequences. How could he ever forget, though? Surely, he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried. This entire plan was birthed by desperation and epiphany, but the columns supporting it were fragile. Prone to snap in two at any moment. If he wished to apply salve to the cracks and strengthen the base, this morning would have to progress without fail.
It must.
The faint traces of morning sun warmed the campsite, yet not a single head stirred from slumber. His men were always slow to awaken on days other than prep for immediate warfare, a fault in the system that he promised to address at a later date. The general emerged from his tent, figure strong and erect, while sheathing his short swords into the holsters on either sides of his waist. He traversed the cobble path bisecting the camp in two, rows upon rows of fire pits manning him on either side--he could still feel the warmth of last night's crow pig roasting.
General Fong Xu caught sight of his night watch crew up ahead, stationed at the front gates and overseeing land from their raised platform. Their demeanor seemed aloof, but the vigilance was not lost to him, their eyes scanning what he could only assume were his future soldiers loitering outside. Waiting. And they would continue to wait until the bottom curve of the sun climbed beyond the tip of the distant mountain range.
The general stood there, rooted in place with his hands clasped before him, expression forlorn and stone-like. If he was anything, he was a man of patience. This moment was well worth his diligence and self-restraint. His discipline. He refused to succumb to an eagerness betraying his respected reputation and position among the ranks.
Not long after, the sun was in prime position and with a single raised arm, General Huang's voice boomed across the front of camp.
"Open the gates!"
His command was answered immediately. The night watchers descended from their post and fell into solid stances. With mirror-like accuracy, they both dropped hammer fists into the dirt and the row of wooden pikes before them sunk into the ground.
On the other side stood his special squadron.
General Huang approached on slow, measured steps, eyes sweeping over the collection of men and women. "Welcome to my camp, fellow rebel warriors."
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Kazuo "Kazu"
"Hey! Are you here for tryouts too?"
Kazu looked about at the gathering group with the excitement of an armadillo puppy. His question wasn't directed to anyone in particular, but was open to be answered that someone willing to give him the time of day. He stood more towards the front of the crowd, all jittery and bouncing on his heels. This was going to be great! Hopefully, this would give him the opportunity to meet new people and make friends. He severely missed social interaction, especially with people who weren't dead set on lighting his head on fire. Or killing him. Or flat out harming him in general.
This was such a refreshing change of pace!
The waterbender's words seemed to fall flat with the others, not really garnering attention. Unperturbed, he waltzed up to the front gates, gaze switching back forth between it and the rising sun. It was daytime. Which meant today was today. Emphasis on the day part. His old friends worked hard to specify the difference between day and night to Kazu--specifically when the transition happened--so he knew he was right...Oh wow. He was right.
What a weird feeling.
Brow furrowed in confusion, he turned back to the others to ask, "Are the people inside still asleep? Ah, excuse me!" He called out to the night watch men glancing down their noses at him. "Are you guys awake yet? Do you understand times different from us? I just want to let you know that, uh...we're here!" To further assist them, he knocked against the gates-- "Ouch!"
And immediately regretted it when a splinter punctured his knuckle. He plucked it free of his skin before sucking on the injury, eyes heavy with a pout. That stung.
However, he perked up when the gates suddenly dropped, revealing a man covered head to toe in armor (minus the helmet). The waterbender waved with his free hand, mouth still attached to his other one. He looked like a nice man. "Fwey! (Hey!)"
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Red Thunder
A Warrior in a Garden
A Few Posts a Week, One Post a Week, Slow As Molasses
Adept, Advanced, Prestige
Both/Either
Fantasy, SciFi, Modern, Magical
Tarkik Quassa
Dawn came far too early, as ever it did. Light broke across the land, casting a few scattered tents in a warming orange glow. One tent in particular held within it the flickering glow of a lantern. A mixed pattern of whites and blues, golds and reds, the fabric spoke of a strange union of Fire Nation and Water Tribe. Even more particular, it bore a mark just above the as yet secured opening: a white lotus flower engraved and painted onto a small disc of wood. It was the mark of the White Lotus, an organization of goodwill across borders, and its oldest apprentice sat within. Tark looked at the letter again, for a time uncounted by now, certain of what it yet said utterly displeased with it.
Tark,
You're being sent away on assignment. A representative of the White Lotus needs to be present for events to come, and the other members agree: this is to be your trial of membership. The decade and more you've given the Lotus have shown you capable; here, you shall be tasked as before, but without supervision.
Go to Ba Sing Se. Be outside the gates to the camp of the Earth Battalion at sunrise in three weeks' time. Meet with General Xu and assist him and the Rebel Armada however you may; he knows you are coming.
You have grown much during the years I've known you, and I am exceedingly proud of you and the man you've become. Be safe, son.
It was, maybe, the last words Tark would ever receive from the now aging Master Piandao, and it irked the Water Tribesman to leave him, even if it meant earning full membership into the White Lotus. He did long to be so, it wa true; to see the union of differing philosophies, bending styles, and peoples was awe inspiring. Being their comrade, even as an apprentice, was all he might want. At this moment, though, he wanted to do something, and the waiting was frustrating.
Tark set the letter aside, folding it neatly before replacing it within his pack. Slowly he shifted his weight to his knees before sitting back on his heels. Hands on his lap, he took several deep breaths, slowly drawing in patience with the air before exhaling the presently unneeded agitation. Now calm, or at least, more calm than he was, Tark stood. Strapping his sheathed Dao blade against his back, he stepped out into the warm daybreak.
Immediately, he found his patience tested. Some kid, it looked, was yammering on endlessly. Water Tribe, by the look of him. Tark frowned, displeased at the display and the stream of questions for which the kid didn't even wait for an answer. Instead, he merely stood some yards back from the gates, arms crossed and observant, ignoring the others save for a nod of acknowledgement or where they might first approach him in conversation.
At the General's arrival, his posture relaxed, and he bowed.
"Good day, General," Tark said, rising from his position of respect. "Master Piandao sends his regards."
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Elle Joyner
Several Posts a Day
Male, Primarily Prefer Female
Probably a mix. When I GM I tend to prefer mostly aggressive, but with input from my players. I like to offer ideas and receive them. I don't like when people just take the reins and run with it though...especially in a 1x1.
Political intrigue, fantasy, futuristic, sci fi lite, superheroes, historical fiction, alternate universes. Smittings of romance, but only as side plot.
Anime. Ever. Just not my jam.
Smut. Romance as a main plot. Horror. Grimdark.
NIA CARROW
"He's not coming, Nia. We need to face it... It's just us."
"No, Clem. It's just me. You need to go..."
"I'm not leaving you, Nia..."
"You think I need you sticking around, feeling sorry for me? Take a hint, kid. I've been tryin' to get rid of you for weeks now. Just go, already... Get out of here and make a life for yourself. Just... don't let them know where you come from, and you'll be fine."
"So it's my turn, hm? Just like Poli and Vane. You push us away till there's no one left, and then what? You drink yourself into oblivion, like your grandfather?"
"...If that's what I wanna do, what's it to you? Why are you still here, Clem. My breakfast is getting cold..."
"Are the people inside still asleep? Ah, excuse me!"
Pulled from her thoughts, Nia's eyes opened, and uncrossing her arms, she pushed away from the wall she rested against. Morning had dawned with a vengeance, reflective of her poor choices from the night prior. In her hand, she held a cask, half empty, of some vile brew she'd haggled off an old wine merchant, in the other, a letter from Clem, informing her of the call for rebel forces. She couldn't rightly remember now why she was there, and any ability to draw to mind what decisions had driven her to the gate made the pounding in her head significantly worse. Grimacing, squinting beyond the bright light of the dawning sun, she struggled up to her feet and stretched as her eyes scanned the crowd for the all-too-eager voice that had awoken her.
There were to many faces, and her head swam through them, her thoughts revolving around regret and confusion. These were, for the most part, soldiers... men driven by honor, by the desire to impress, by some self imposed sense of duty or calling. Among them, no doubt, the caliber of scum that had raised her village to the ground. And with that thought, she suddenly remembered why she'd come.
Her fist tensed around the letter and crumpled it, before letting it fall to the ground. She'd find no peace, joining another man's fight... But she might find what she really wanted. A little vindication.
"Master Piandao sends his regards."
A little way away, a man rose and bowed at the waist to the figure who had appeared as the gates swung open. She'd never been terribly easy to impress, and decidedly her respect for those in armor had faded over the years - what others saw as authority and glory, Nia just saw as another self-important jackass in a can. Rolling her eyes, Nia brushed dirt from her pants, hooking the cask to a small peg on her belt, "I'd say the same about General Carrow," She muttered to herself, "But given he's buried under a heap of rocks, I doubt he'd be so amiable..."
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Reythaak
Lurker dargon
Male, Transgender, Futanari, Androgynous
A little bit of both, depending on what's called for. Works well if we've got a couple general plot points we want to poke with sticks.
Fantasy (of pretty much all flavors), Magic, Modern, Romance, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Cyberpunk
•Sirrak Lian••Zari Lian•
• Location: Outside of Ba Sing Se Limits, Earth Battalion Campsite
• Interactions: Each other, General Huang Xu Fong
Sirrak let out a slow, steady breath as he worked through each of the forms of the Stone Dragon. A practice he'd been doing, in some way, every morning for the past 26 years. Maybe it was a little longer, maybe a little shorter. The specifics of time didn't matter that much at this point. It was a long while, and he certainly wasn't about to stop now. The man would have prefered going through the motions when it was a little lighter out, but there were other things to be doing this morning and he wasn't about to be late because he was slightly inconvenienced by the time that had been chosen to start.
The movements were relatively tame, and the forms looked a bit more like the standard style of earthbending instead of the more explosive form they ended up creating in practice. But, taking your time when practicing was what made your execution in battle better. And Sirrak took his time. He knew intimately how long each form took, and had a pretty good gauge on what time it was presently.
Also taking his time with the forms meant he could harass his brother a little bit more.
Yes, the remarkably serious looking earthbender, practicing his forms slow and steady, dressed in full Earth Kingdom armor… was harassing his still-dozing brother.
With much of the Stone Dragon focusing on earthbending, Sirrak was (of course) moving some rocks as he practiced. Not anything too big and loud, pebbles and the like for the most part. He didn't have any interest in disturbing anyone else, or potentially injuring someone. He was, occasionally, "losing track" of a couple pebbles, however, and they would just happen to leave his control to be perfectly lobbed to drop on the form of someone still napping on a rather large eel hound.
"Mnnn… not yet, Zip…" the man murmured, "Still have five minutes or so."
Zip, the eel hound who was being used as a bed at present, let out a little almost whimper noise before abruptly rolling and sending his rider to the ground, only to whip around and nuzzle-lick at the man's cheeks and face.
Zari sat up, sputtering, and was promptly beaned in the middle of his forehead by one of Sirrak's "lost" rocks. He flopped back down on his back.
"Zip, Sirrak! Stoppit! Don't gang up on me like that!"
The words didn't seem to have any effect on the eel hound, however, as the beast went right back to harassing his owner.
Sirrak, mid form, barely held in a laugh. He did allow himself a rather smug smile however.
"No, no. Your hound is right, it is time to be up."
Zari grumbled, forcefully shoving Zip's face away from him then using the hound to get up to his feet. One hand automatically went to rubbing and scritching over the hound's skin, finding just the right spot just behind the creature's skull to make a rear leg tap.
"Alright. Alright. I'm up…" He leaned against Zip, watching his brother for a few moments, then shifting his gaze around to the others that had joined them over time. It was Kazu that drew a smile from Zari and almost instantly improved the non-bender's mood. "Pfft. Tryouts. Who needs to try out, at this point~?" it came across as good natured. But a little bit cocky. On the other hand, you didn't fight for 16 years and not make some sort of name for yourself.
And it was a little bit impressive to be able to fire accurately from the back of an eel hound running at full speed. Zari knew it, Sirrak knew it.
He let out a snirk when Kazu went to knock on the gate and managed to injure himself slightly, and decided it was probably getting to be about that time... Zari had just swung himself up into Zip's saddle and settled there when the gates opened.
Sirrak allowed himself another smile as he finished out the last form, ending it turned towards the gate and watching the general come out. Near-perfect timing, that felt good.
"Sirrak Lian, at your service." He might have added the name of whoever he'd been serving with last… but, well. The earthbender honestly couldn't remember. He and Zari floated and drifted between companies and battalions, joining up to try to help shore up defenses and help push forward for a bit before drifting to the next fight that they thought they could make some sort of difference in.
"Zari Lian," was Zari's simple introduction. He honestly didn't think he needed much more of one than that.
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SkittlesAndSpike
Definitely not a Fekfox
COMMUNITY DEPARTMENT
A Few Posts a Week
Intermediate, Adept, Advanced, Prestige, Adaptable
Soren & Amaya
Soren took a nervous gulp from his gourd of water, wetting his dry mouth. His free hand drummed against his thigh to a nearly inaudible rhythm he played in his head to distract him from the nervous energy that filled his body. The crowd was big, bigger than he imagined it would be, to be honest. But then again, it wasn't like he had an accurate idea of what the crowd size should be.
Everyone, well, for the most part, seemed to be the type of character you could imagine being in a squadron of rebels. Steeley faces and eyes filled with determination and drive. Some of them even looked like they'd already seen more than their fair share of war. Their faces and bodies were brutally scarred or burned, sometimes both. One of them was even missing his nose.
Yeah, his nose.
To put it simply, Soren was feeling a little out of place. There were only three things that kept him from leaving. The first being his father, the reason he'd joined the Rebel Armada in the first place. The second was his mother. She'd assured him he was ready for this, that after his first battle war would come to him easier than before. The final reason was because to walk away would make him a coward. And he was anything but that. He was a warrior now! He wasn't the oddest one out of the bunch either. There was someone ahead of him that was rather relaxed and chatty. Oh, how he envied that guy's enthusiasm
As he tried to cap his gourd and return it to his bag, his nervous hands caused him to fumble and drop the gourd, spilling some of his water. "Awh man." He grumbled, shaking his head. As he knelt down to pick up his gourd he heard someone laughing at him. Cheeks reddening, he grabbed his gourd quickly and stuffed it into his bag, not even bothering to cap it again.
"I meant to do that!" He turned to the person laughing at his folly, a woman. Despite the embarrassment of the moment, he found her laugh to be relieving. Somewhat. "I was just uh...it was...err...yeah, it was an accident." He admitted finally.
"It's fine," The woman snickered at him, "It's okay to be nervous." She could tell he was a bit green behind the ears by the way he spoke and his little mishap, of course. His shoulders were unnaturally tense as well. Definitely green. "Just stay sharp and keep your wits about you. You're among allies, you don't gotta be so tense." She raised her hand, literally wiping away the laughter from her face. "What's your name?"
"Soren." He responded to her, audibly sighing in relief now that the woman's smirk was gone. Of course, his sigh only served to reignite the snickers.
"Soren...that's a nice name." The woman chuckled. "I'm Amaya. Lookin' forward to serving with ya." She gave him a small thumbs up, hoping that it would quell his nervousness some. "Like I said, just keep your wits about ya."
"Thanks." Soren felt better, thanks to her thumbs up. As he looked back to the gate some of the nervous energy left his body and shoulders relaxed a little. Maybe he didn't quite belong with these warriors yet, but this mission would change that!
"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Amaya!" He turned to back to her, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Amaya was no longer paying any attention to him. The gates had just opened and the General stood in its opening, armor-clad and forlorn. His appearance was stoic yet commanding, definitely worthy of the title of general.
As the general walked forward, greeting the group, Soren swallowed and shook his arms out ever so slightly. Should he greet him back or not? He didn't want to be rude and remain silent but he'd also rather not embarrass himself anymore for the day.
"Glad to be here, General. I'm looking forward to serving under ya." Amaya responded to the general after a few others in the crowd did. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. While Soren was practically radiating nervousness, anticipation poured from Amaya. It was a wonder she wasn't rocking back and forth on her heels like he was.
"Hi! Looking forward to serving with you!" Soren took after the examples of the others and, not wanting to be too much of a copy-cat, struck a nervous and hilariously stiff salute. He swore he could feel Amaya trying her hardest not to laugh at him again.
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Follow the Strange Trails
Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate, Adept, Advanced, Adaptable
Male, Female, Androgynous, Primarily Prefer Female
Passive.
Fantasy, Supernatural, Horror
Ishoku had always known he'd never be in a single place for too long. The life of a spy made it so he couldn't afford to remain stagnant for more than a few days, otherwise his cover could very well be blown. When he joined the Rebel Armada, he figured he would finally become a proper soldier who would be able to fight alongside his comrades for honour and justice, to finally give his entire self to a fair cause that would change the course of the world.
It turned out that the Rebel Armada wasn't too different, at least not in the sense that they saw him as someone who could be used to gain enemy secrets. Perhaps he just had one of those faces? But it felt like he wasn't quite doing with his life what he wanted to. After Siri had passed away, he'd been determined to turn over a stone, but fate it seemed had wanted him running the old course for a while longer. That is, until he learned of positions opening to join General Fong Xu's personal squadron. Perhaps that was what fate was leading him too? He was usually one who let himself be pulled along by the flow, except on rare occasions. One was leaving the Fire Nation's army. The other was this.
His journey wasn't a lonely one, strangely enough. During his last days with his former squadron, he came across a strange young woman, one who was probably as different from Siri as day was from night. Her dark hair was a mess, usually hidden under a hood, and her green eyes, why they sparkled with mischief. Perhaps this was what called out to Ishoku? All he knew was that he wanted to be friends with this strange person who had pulled him out of lingering funk over his potential lover's passing. Luckily for him, Dahlia was also taken with the prospect of joining the special squadron. It took a little persuading, but both received letters of recommendation from the General of their former squadron.
"It'll be funny if you end up doin' exactly what you always do." Ishoku looked to Dahlia with a raised eyebrow, shaking his head at her attempt to faze him.
"If that's what's meant to be," he replied with a chuckle, "it's what will happen. I'm going to try and change what I can, but if things aren't as I expected, I'm not going to complain. I'm in a good place in life and many have it worse. You should know that."
"I s'pose," was the reply he received. There was a glint to Dahlia's eye; Ishoku barely managed to catch the pebble she had tried to flick against his nose. "Too slow, little one."
"Hey!" she protested. "I'm not little!"
"You are to me," he replied with a smirk. He reached over and tugged at her nose, letting out a laugh when she growled and smacked his hand away.
"Quit it, we're almost there!"
And indeed they were, finally reaching their destination. Ishoku smiled placidly at those already gathered, though his gaze shifted to the gates as soon as they were opened and General Huang stepped out. As soon as the others introduced themselves, he bowed respectfully.
"Ishoku here at your service."
"I'm Dahlia, nice to meet ya!" The two greetings were very different, but both held a determined look in their eyes.
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Wei Fong Xu
"Holy shit you guys need to shut up."
Wei hated this. She hated every living, breathing moment spent outside these gates. The people who had gradually gathered around her came in varying shapes and sizes, yet she couldn't help but clunk them all together in one category: Annoying. Some were way too chatty for her liking, such as the dope who managed to give himself to splinter and wouldn't close his yap, or the over-sized rock-muncher horsing around with who looked to be his twin brother. Hell, even the cackling hyena getting all buddy-buddy with the waterbender who literally couldn't keep hold of his own fucking water.
Wei needed to practice her breathing exercises.
She knew that getting snippy and starting a fight wouldn't help (maybe later, but not now). Besides, her current mission relied entirely on General Fong Xu and proving herself worry to the asshole. During her travels, the earthbender had tossed about potential scenarios and "greetings" in her head. "You fucking asshole, I hate you" and "I'm your niece that you never knew existed, ass wipe" were some good options, especially as her self-restraint steadily dwindled like ice hovering over a volcano. Just looking at General Fong Xu's visage, all proud and snobbish, made heat bubble along her skin.
She decided to hang in the back of the group as everyone introduced themselves one by one, taking the time to analyze them. She wasn't thrilled at the idea of working with anyone, but she'd might as well know what she was going to deal with. The group seemed to be fond of ass-kissing, which wasn't a surprise. She scoffed when one man tossed out Master Panda-something. "Oh, an actual title. I've got chills," she whispered under her breath sarcastically with an eye roll. What, was that supposed to give him a leg up? Get him on the general's good side? Pathetic.
Once she was certain that everyone had finished running their mouths, she saunter her way up to the front, aggressively shoving aside the idiot from earlier. "Ah--oh! Sorry! I was standing and you hit me. Must've been my fault," he babbled, still sucking his knuckle.
"Do the world a favor and talk less," Wei growled.
Kazu clamped his mouth shut.
Satisfied with the waterbender's compliance, Wei focused on General Fong Xu once more and shot him the dirtiest glare she could muster. "It's just Wei. Now let's get this initiation bullshit over with." She didn't have nearly enough patience for polite introductions--definitely not for him.
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The recruits seemed...interesting. And diverse. One of those two descriptions resonated well with Huang and his mission statement. Most of the recruits had decent manners and greeted him with respect, gestures that went highly appreciated on his part. And, of course, there were the oddities. A lively pair of twins, their apparels as stark as night and day, yet also harmonious to one another like the push and pull of an ocean. Huang didn't miss the bow brandished one of them, let alone his eel hound--good. A very useful addition to the team. He harbored some concerns about the...more quiet and bitter ones, but Huang was no stranger to such personalities. War traumatized even the strongest of souls. He couldn't blame them--
And now some small girl was barking in his face.
The general blinked, leaning back ever so slightly from the verbal backlash. Well, she was definitely passionate. Heaving a tired sigh, he slowly circled around the girl while muttering, "Filter that passion into the cause, Wei." He could hear the young earthbender suck her teeth in annoyance, but was relieved when silence followed. Thank goodness--it was too early to squabble with a youngster. The general made his rounds, nodding in acknowledgment of each greeting and bow. However, he gave pause upon coming face to face with...Tark, he remembered the man saying.
"A disciple of Piandao, I presume." He gave Tark a firm pat on the shoulder. "Such potential is always wanted and needed among my ranks. Welcome."
"I'd say the same about General Carrow but given he's buried under a heap of rocks, I doubt he'd be so amiable..." Ah, one of the bitters. Huang should've seen a wayward comment coming. He maintained face and turned to the woman in question. A tattered soul. He knew fellow haunted eyes when he saw one.
"A deep loss to the Rebel Armada and a much deeper one to his beloved. It disturbs me to think of what self-respecting earthbeder would stoop to such atrocities, but they're never one of our own. Never in my book." Huang had heard of the savage attack a while ago and it stabbed daggers through his chest. Whether it was by the hands of earthbenders, firebenders, or waterbenders, the death of a Rebel Armada general weighed as a heavy tragedy.
Huang's eyes strayed over to a stiff and awkward salute. A waterbender, fairly young and lively, though the woman next to him rivaled in vitality. Well, they didn't share the same brand of energy; he was sort of skittish and clumsy, while the other seemed to channel it into a composed charisma. A good balance. A ghost of a smirk pulled at the general's lips as he saluted back, though not as tense. "A pleasure meeting both of you. And a word of advice?" With a single pointer finger, he pressed down on the waterbender's shoulders, forcing his posture to relax. "Stress will shave off years and in a time of war, those are precious."
"Ishoku here at your service."
"I'm Dahlia, nice to meet ya!"
"Ishoku and Dahlia." Huang returned Ishoku's bow, taking note of his calm and poise. Another cool temperament, but juxtaposed to a zealous one. Dahlia seemed somewhat small and in need of some proper nourishment, but he knew better than to judge prematurely. "Welcome. I'm certain your skills and devotion to the Rebel Armada shall be irreplaceable." As he turned around to head for the gates once more, he sent a grin the twins' way while muttering, "Double the trouble for our enemies. Wonderful."
The general took position at the gates once more, his voice carrying over into everyone's ears. "I welcome all of you to my camp. I must first thank all of you for offering your services and taking the liberty and pains of traveling here. I know it must not have been an easy task for all of you and for that, I am grateful. All of you, follow me inside and I shall explain your mission statement in further detail." He strutted into camp at a casual pace, being sure to keep the group within close quarters. His men were finally awake and bustling about busily, all taking care of their own tasks for the morning. There was a small circled of soldiers seated around a fire pit, still unlit, and they eyed the group with varying degrees of sneers. They didn't utter a single work, but the disapproving looks on their faces compensated for it.
"All battalions have fleets. Naval forces. Field hands. The basics." General Fong Xu tread the cobblestone path with ease as his men parted ways for him. "But what I am forming is an elite group of soldiers, with an elite set of skills prepared to perform tasks of an unorthodox nature. I will personally lead you and you will follow my orders without complaint. Any and all childish rebuttals have no room in my squadron, understood?" He slowed to a stop towards the back of camp, where three large tents faced one another and formed a triangle. He gestured to the two nearest rows of smaller tents. "This is where you will take station for the time being. A set of clothes awaits you inside if you wish to change. I'll give you an hour to settle down and rest your feet. After that, I expect all of you lined up outside of my tent," he pointed to the tent in question, "and prepared to show me your skill. As to how you're going to do that...you'll see in due time. Afterwards, you'll be served lunch and a preparation for tomorrow. Any questions?"
"Um," Kazu's hand shot up, "Do you have, like, some kind of ointment? You see, I got a blister...no. No, no, a splinter. Yeah. I got a splinter earlier and I think I got all of it out, but it still kinda stings."
Huang pointed to the second large tent at his right. "The medic resides there. Any other questions?"
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Tarkik Quassa
The General had issued his orders and now requested additional questions. Tarkik has none. Indeed, he longed to get on with things, to show what he was capable and to justify Master Piandao's trust in him. Tasks needed to be completed within the hour given, as well: his tent without the Camp gates would have to be broken down and moved within to his new facility, and a short period of meditation through his forms would do him good. Too, he wished to speak with his potential crew mates, to determine the weaknesses he may have to cover and the strengths they possessed to cover his own.
Bending is not the sole form of battlefield proficiency, son; it's only the most flashy.
He had complained about having to learn the sword, at first, and he grimaced at himself to think he'd once believed that bending could be taught. There were likely several among their group capable of great feats of bending, and his hand flexed at the thought of seeing how his own fighting style might fair with the differing ways of bending.
But for now, Tark needed to be getting things done, protocol be damned. Waiting on others to voice their opinions was a waste, and he found his teeth clenching in impatience at his Northern brethren's asinine question.
"With your leave, General, I will make better use of the time given us than to wait on questions whose answers will be revealed in time anyway." There was no accusation in his deep tone, but rather simple statement of fact, if perhaps a small bit of frustration. "I welcome any who wish to break down camp outside the gates with me; the more that come, the faster it will go."
With one more genuflect, Tark turned and strode back the way they came.
•Sirrak Lian•
• Location: Earth Battalion Campsite
• Interactions: Tarkik ( Red Thunder ), Zari
Sirrak took note mentally of Huang's interactions with each of the other recruits. It wasn't too difficult to tell who was new to the cause, and who had been around a while. He suspected he and his brother were some of the more experienced. Actually… some of them look about the age that we were when Zari came and got me from Kharrut… He smiled slightly at the thought. It… informed him quite a bit about what to expect from his new comrades, however.
As the general began leading them into the camp proper, Sirrak almost idly stomped once. The slabs of stone that had erupted from the ground to form his tent from the night before slid fluidly back into the ground, and the man glanced over his shoulder to make sure before following Huang Fong Xu into the camp. He let the general speak, flexing the stone gauntlets that surrounded his hands. It wasn't intended to be any sort of show of power or force, just one of Sirrak's little tics.
Someone seems less than pleased at our arrival…Or perhaps at General Fong Xu's leadership… he caught the soldiers sitting around the empty fire pit out of the corner of his eye, I suppose we'll find out what's up there sooner rather than later. Soldiers like that tended to let their displeasure be known quickly to what they considered to be "new recruits," even if said "new recruits" had been fighting for as long as Sirrak had been. He mentally marked the group, however, uncertain whether he wanted to avoid them or not.
"None from me, General," Sirrak said simply once Huang had finished speaking. And addressed the waterbender's concerns. He had only given a slight shake of his head, and found himself a little.. jealous of what the kid found important. It was a way of seeing the world that he hadn't been able to replicate for a long while.
Tarkik drew his attention, and Sirrak found himself raising an eyebrow once more. Then he simply gave a little shrug. His own "camp" had been broken down the moment he'd stomped earlier, and his brother's eel hound was carrying what supplies they had brought with them. (Zari had woken up for a bit before the gates had opened, and the brothers had gotten their stuff loaded up on Zip before Zari had decided he wanted to continue napping.)
"My own gear is stowed already, but I'll join you. Do you mind dropping my stuff in a tent, Zari?"
"I got chu," came his brother's reply.
"Thanks." and Sirrak trailed along after Tarkik. The other man wasn't wrong, more hands would make the work go quicker. Even if none of the work was really Sirrak's to do.
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Beloved... If that wasn't the funniest thing Nia had heard in a good, long while. He father was a stalwart man, capable of a lot of things. One thing, however, that always seemed to elude his grasp was any sort of affection towards his wife and children. Nia had no delusions that she was anything to the man but a potential soldier... And his death hit her only because of what it was the catalyst towards. It was her village that deserved vengeance. Her village she would vindicate.
Her eyes flickered from the general to the dopey kid with the splinter and with a smirk, she called out, "Here..." Pulling the flask from her hip, she tossed it his way, "Pour some of that on it, Little Pup. You'll feel a hell of a lot better than if the medics get a hold of you."
Gaze shifting, her smirk grew slightly and stretching again, she popped a kink in her lower back, "And Hell, yeah... I got a question..." Pointing a finger, she gestured to the man, once again groveling before General Fong Xu, "Is sucking up gonna be part of the trial here? Cause I'm not so great at it, but the pretty Flower Boy here could probably teach the training. Could give us all a pointer or two..." Her finger roved from the White Lotus, to the near mirror copies... Before finally falling on the angry piece of work who had plowed her way to the front, "The Wonder Twins.. They're doing alright in that respect. But this one? Yikes."
TAGS || Mobley Eats , Red Thunder , Reythaak
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•Zari Lian•
• Interactions: Fong Xu ( Mobley Eats )
Zari blinked at Wei.
What a little ray of sunshine…
While Sirrak would try to remember everyone's names and what had been said between Fong Xu and them, Zari would actually succeed. The entire time, he was rubbing at Zip's head idly, keeping the eel hound nice and calm under him. Not that he really needed to, Zip was pretty well behaved and use to this entire song and dance by this point.
He gave Zip a little nudge with a heel, and the hound slunk along with the rest of the group into the camp proper, paying more attention to his new-found companions than he did the other soldiers. His new comrades were a lot more relevant than the rest of the folks he'd be camping with.
He let Fong Xu say his peace, allowing himself to lounge back slightly on the eel hound, propped up by the gear slung across Zip's back, and folded his arms over his chest.
"Got it... One- no, two questions from me. Do you have any other cavalry or mounts within the camp, and will my eel hound need to be stabled off with them if so?" because of course Zari's concern would be with his hound. He hadn't seen any other mounts, but that didn't mean much. He hadn't taken a great look around, afterall.
"I got chu," he flashed a grin in his brother's direction, and watched Sirrak trail after Tarkik.
Then Nia was drawing his attention, and all Zari did was let out a little, barely audible sigh.
They'll learn eventually, I guess.
He wasn't surprised at the conflict already within the group, he expected it even. It came with the nature of the way Fong Xu had "selected" his team. It didn't mean he welcomed it, however.
But it also wasn't his place to try to get everyone working harmoniously. That was the general's task and trial.
Once everyone's concerns had been addressed sufficiently, Zari slid from Zip's back and made his way over to a tent. Sirrak's bags were pulled off the hound's back and placed inside carefully (Zari had "gotten in trouble" with his brother before when he'd tossed Sirrak's stuff around. The earthbender had buried him up to his waist in stone, with his hands caught down at his sides. It hadn't been fun.), then Zari tended to his own packs and choosing his own tent. His supplies were dropped, and he inspected the clothes that had been provided, letting out a little thoughtful humm as he did.
When in Ba Sing Se… well. Outside of Ba Sing Se. Whatever.
He slipped the new attire on, checking it's fit and the like, before stepping out of the tent. Zip had settled down a bit out of the way, just watching the movements around him and taking some good whiffs of the air of the camp.
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Looking at the others assembled by the gate, Dahlia could tell that save for a few, most people were made of salt and fire. Maybe that was a good thing for them? Who knew? Aside from Ishoku, she didn't recognize a single face among the lot. Some looked friendlier than others- the young man with the splinter for example. He seemed like a dope, but hey, it was always good to know where the medic was, right? The one named Soren seemed inexperienced as well, as if he was scared of doing anything wrong.
Yikes. She didn't have any questions, but she did question whether the squadron would actually be able to get along and work as a team. That had been the first thing ground into her when she joined the rebel armada. There was no place for lone wolves- you had a leader you followed, you had companions you worked together with even if you disliked them. Well, it's just the first day- minutes really. There was no point in making judgments, that was General Fong Xu's job.
Dahlia's green eyes turned to Ishoku, wondering what he was thinking. As usual he had a rather placid and neutral expression, revealing nothing more than he wished others to see. She was a little envious; it would have been nice to be able to hide feelings like that. Well, at least she wasn't as brash and brusque as the two of the three other females here. The third one, whose name she caught as Amaya was still under review.
Seeing most of the others were now heading to their tents, Dahlia decided she might as well do the same. Nodding to Ishoku as well as acknowledging the General with a bow of her head, she headed with her meager belongings to her accommodations, ready to take a cat nap before having to display her abilities before everybody.
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Interactions: Nia Elle Joyner | General Fong Xu
"Yes! Thank you, General Ffff..." Kazu's features pinched with deep concentration. He could do this. He could do this...A complete blank. "Thank you!" Just as he was about to go waltzing into the medic's tent, he realized that one of the others were addressing him. Him! As in willing conversing and talking with him! A giddy smile was already in the process of splitting his cheeks in two--
"Here..."
Kazu caught the flask without much trouble, though he did blink down at the container in confusion. Did he ever mention being thirsty and he just forgot? Probably. Likely. It was hard to remember what he said sometimes. Regardless, he beamed gratefully at the woman and titled the flask back to drink--
"Pour some of that on it, Little Pup. You'll feel a hell of a lot better than if the medics get a hold of you."
"Ooooooh! Understood!" Kazu redirected the bottle to his stinging wound. Okay. He got it now. Not for drinking, but healing. Well, he figured that water was good for both; he would know since it's his element and all. Water was the best! Slowly, he poured the liquid onto his throbbing knuckle, a tad fascinated by the color of this woman's water. Huh, was it dirty? Or just, like, super special water--
"Ow...ow! Ow, ow, ow!" This hurt! Why did the water make it sting so badly?? This felt awful! Eyes wide in shock, he held out both hands to the woman, one begging to give back the evil water and the other red with agitation. "N-nice lady! Help! This burns--a lot! The water's too spicy!"
Then he paused.
"Little Pup?" An excited gasp escaped him, his apparent pain clouded over in that moment. His eyes absolutely twinkled. "Does that mean we're friends now?? Um, was the spicy water a test? Did I pass?! I hope so. Um, cuz, you see, I'm not really good with tests." During the entire time he was babbling, his hands remained where they were, awkwardly extended. "This one time, I had a test about...I think, naviagaaa...tors? tion? Navigatoration. Like, in the desert and stuff. But then I was like, wondering how in the world do you find Navi Gators in the desert, when there's not any water for them to live in?? So, I got up to ask my instructor and--"
He went off on a tangent.
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Interactions: Nia Elle Joyner | Tark Red Thunder | Zari Reythaak | Kazu
"I"ll give you yikes, you sloth-faced bitch," Wei grumbled under her breath while shooting the woman a not-so-stealthy middle finger. Who the fuck did this walking, talking, alcoholic turd thing she was? Where did she come off getting all high and mighty? Nowhere. She looked as important as the dirt on the bottom of Wei's shoe. No, lower than that. All of these idiots were below her and not even worth her time.
She rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance as the dope from earlier started flipping his shit. "It's alcohol, you dumbass. Not spicy water. Who's even heard of that?"
"So my teacher got really red in the face and told me to go outside and walk along the edge of the cliff and not stop until he came out to get me. It was a really long time. And very dark out, so I didn't really like it a lot. But it was kinda nice to get away from the test cuz my head was starting to hurt and, like, burn a bit and--oh." Kazu blinked, Wei's words finally sinking in. He eyed the flask in wonder. "It's alcohol? Whoooooa, that's the stuff my friend used to love drinking! I never got to try it..."
Before Wei could understand the implications behind his words, the waterbender took a long sip, his eyebrows raising as the taste hit his tongue. He coughed, eyeing the container with confusion. "Ew...nice lady, how do you drink this? How did my friend drink this?? It tastes so weird and...like, hot."
"What have I gotten myself into..." Wei swore a headache was peeking over the horizon. Fuckity fuck--these were the shitheads she was going to fight and work with? How? Through the haze of bubbling horror, she caught the tail end of that ass-kisser's comment and scoffed in response, rubbing her temples. "Have fun with that, Mr. Panda Ass-Kisser. You've got more than enough help from your servant copy." Why in the world did that man think she would even consider helping him? And for something so mundane and stupid? Wei came to join the squadron and fulfill her own mission--to fight, to escape home, to make her mother proud, and shove all of General Fong Xu's bullshit down his crummy throat. Fuck everything else.
"Um, excuse me? Angry girl?"
Wei froze.
She spoke through her teeth. "What...do you want."
"You sound really angry," Kazu noted intelligently. And yes--he was still holding out the flask and his pulsing hand to Nice Lady. "I was told that being angry too much or all the time is really bad for your health. It makes you sick in your body, your head, your heart, and your spirit." His head tilted like an armadillo puppy. "If you want, I can help you be happy. My friend showed me how to--"
"Another word out of your dumb mouth and a boulder will show up in there."
"...My friend showed me--"
"Fuck off!" Wei growled, her face redder than a Fire Nation blood orange.
Kazu shut his mouth.
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"...give us all a pointer or two in being a suck up."
Tark paused in his stride away, allowing a moment for examination of the first of the oddly confrontational women who had evidently been approved to assist in a strategically important mission. It was- yes, odd, that such a fiery temperament had been approved. Likely, then, that she had other skills relevant to the team's success, which meant he himself ought not engender disunity.
Much as the retort on the tip of his tongue longed to leap out.
And not only at her, but at 'Wei', the other spitfire, who had fortunately introduced herself earlier. Turning the examining gaze to her, Tark regarded the woman for an uncomfortable minute, lips pursed in contemplation and self-restraint. Finally, having reminded himself again of her relevance her, he gestured to the man who'd proffered his help, extending a hand in greeting.
"I'd much rather a friend than a servant. Tarkik, of the White Lotus." After a moment to allow his companion to introduce himself, he continued on toward the now defunct camp outside the gate. There wasn't much to pack, fortunately: Piandao and his experience thus far in the war had taught him to travel lightly and efficiently. Break down would take him but a few moments, after which time he could assist anyone else with the break down of their own tents. He nodded to Zari, indicating the man. "You're here with your brother? I'll admit; I'd not anticipated Earth Nationals to take any liking to ships."
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Soren
"No questions here, sir!" An hour before a performance review? Good. Soren could use the hour to calm himself down and expel some of his nervous energy. He relaxed his salute, assuming a marginally less tense posture, and began to roll his shoulders, as if he was rolling away the stiffness in his body.
So far, the group of rebels seemed interesting. There were a few that, to be honest, frightened him, as if he needed to be frightened anymore. But the rest seemed decent enough, even if some were a bit quirky, and others hard to read. But they were all here for the same reason: to defeat the fire nation army. So that meant they would ultimately get along, right? At least in the grand scheme of things. They'd have to in order to succeed.
Perhaps he ought to spend the hour speaking to some of his new comrades and get to know them? It seemed like a good idea to him, and he'd start with the woman who had laughed at him, since they'd already introduced themselves into each other. Besides, he'd rather avoid contact with the woman who shoved the enthusiastic kid. She seemed like she would eat all of them alive if given the opportunity, and he rather enjoyed not being food. He turned to look for Amaya, but she wasn't in the same place anymore. "Huh...probably gone to her tent then." He mumbled to himself. He should probably do the same, at least to settle in. He stalked off towards the tents, stopping when he noticed Ishoku in his path.
Admittedly, the quiet demeanor the man held was a little intimidating, but only barely. He seemed nice enough to try and strike up a conversation with."Hi! Ishoku, was it?" He greeted, offering his hand. "My name is Soren, nice to meet you." He smiled.
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Interactions: Tark Red Thunder | Nia Elle Joyner | Zari Reythaak
General Fong Xu was somewhat surprised to see that most of his recruits lacked questions and had already retired to their tents, though it was pleasant brand of surprise. They were already showing signs of initiative and independence. The latter could prove to be counteractive while functioning as a team, but he had faith. Boundless faith.
He merely nodded in response to Tark. "Perfectly acceptable, Tark. The gates will remain open to you until you're finished. However, I must warn all of you that opening it beyond nightfall will be difficult, as we'll be on lockdown by then. Keep this in mind. As for your question, Nia, no. Neither sucking up, down, or in any direction whatsoever is required of you. I receive enough of that from incompetent slackers as it is." Humor didn't exactly color his flat tone, but it wasn't terribly hard to hear. If one were listening close enough, they could narrow it down. However, he couldn't hide a grimace as her jab at the temperamental Wei caused a bit of hostility to unfold. Not to mention that Kazu was rambling. Again.
At least now he knew which ones would be potential pains to weed out of the squadron soon.
Rather than addressing their squabbling, he focused on Zari and nodded. "Why yes, we do. We have a stable established on the west side of camp for our Ostrich Horses, along with plenty of extra gear if you're in need. You're more than welcome to station your eel hound there for the night." He fell silent once more, eyeing the remaining recruits with a critical eye. In the end, he wouldn't speak out about their behavior; this was merely added to the growing list of strikes. At this rate, half of them were bound to be turned away. He could only hope that their skills and potential would outweigh the attitude problems. Along with cooperation improvement. If they theorized joining his squadron and not respecting his authority...they were sorely mistaken.
"Well, if that is all from you, then I am retiring into my tent for the hour." Briskly, he spun on his heels and strode into his tent.
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• Interactions: Kazuo ( Mobley Eats )
Well, we aren't part of things in an official sense yet, so there's no reason to go get Zip all settled in yet… especially not if Fong Xu expects me to be able to show what I can do in an hour...
Some of Zari's logic broke down quickly in the face of his now wearing the attire provided in their tents, but he ignored that. Zip had been with him for quite some time; it was about as comforting to have the hound nearby as it was to have Sirrak. Honestly? Probably more so.
Zari idly rubbed and scritched over Zip's head once more, causing the eel hound to lift it and look up at him for a moment, almost like he was asking if they were staying long. The man gave a shrug, not quite sure yet himself.
Not that I really think Fong Xu'll turn Sirrak or I away. But, being that cocky is a good way to get yourself hurt or worse… But Nia and Wei won't last long here unless they change their tunes. Even if it's just outwardly.
Inwardly, the two woman could think what they pleased. But outwardly? Being that aggressive wasn't a good thing. Zari's usual method would have been to try to nudge his way into being on semi-decent terms with them, but they seemed to have already decided that he and his sibling were to get all sorts of crap flung their way. And so be it.
"Oi. Kazuo. C'mere."
The kid was still standing with Wei and Nia. Neither were likely to show him any actual kindness, and enough toxicity and the kid would probably go the same way. Someone who babbled that hard, spewing a more toxic nature, would just be… bad.
"Where are you from? Clothing says you might have been a monk before coming here, but I don't think that's quite right and I'm curious."
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