thebastion | [192 and 193] Look out below, I know there's no decision [OPEN]

Entry tags:

!event

[192 and 193] Look out below, I know there's no decision [OPEN]

Who: Everyone!
Open: Open!
When: Day 192 and 193
Where: Skyway
What: We might be nearing the end...
Format: Any
Warnings: N/A

[Another stretch of time, another period of finding nothing new. It's been left to Zayna and her father now, to complete those maps. Which they've been doing diligently, but Zayna has been wondering if they've reached the end of parts of other worlds being pulled in to the sky above their own ruined home.

That is until day 192. And just like before, there's another three each on two different days.

So they return and like before Zayna offers off the sketches of what they've found.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Information]

[The first time people came back with reports of new places appearing on the Skyway, Zuko felt hopeful that they might find more survivors, but by now she's only seen and heard of people finding more proof of their worlds' devastation. She wants to believe the familiar-sounding garden is anything else, but on learning they saw the symbol of the Fire Nation on one of its walls, the only feeling that comes to her is dread.

She almost thinks she could have come alone. Her world didn't have the monsters that others seem to, and there can't be much to salvage from a garden. The only danger is in the journey there. But, even if she scarcely knows one of her companions and isn't sure yet if she can count the other as a friend... maybe it's better not to face this alone.

The walls of the garden come into view, the red roof tiles cracked or missing in places, entire sections of the wall crumbled in others. One gate is still in tact, though it would have led there from other parts of the palace, instead of the emptiness of the Skyway. Of course, the palace itself had been empty enough when she'd been there, thanks to Azula.

Zuko hopes that means there won't be any statues waiting for her here. It's bad enough to see her home here at all, though it doesn't slow her step as she approaches the gate.]

[Ryu doesn't really know Zuko, but he can't let people go off on their own. Especially since he's had his own emotional moment over some place from home... even if there aren't monsters they're still places that backup is required in. He walks alongside her, looking up at the palace.]

You lived here?

[They were getting to know one another, at the very least, but Rin admitted right off the bat that she would understand if Zuko didn't want her there.

She hadn't had the best reaction to finding the church she had grown up in herself...

But at the same time, she knew having her friends there had also made it easier to deal with. It made her glad that Zuko was willing to have them along for that reason.

She was quiet as they approached, keep an ear out for any unusual sounds, though that thought is abandoned as they get to that gate.

It was like those pictures of the Forbidden Palace she had seen in one of Yukio's text books. Though... smaller. And broken.]

Wow...

[The main section of the palace, with its great halls, imposing tower, and the broad plaza where she would have been crowned, are nowhere to be seen. They would have made for a more impressive sight, although the gate here does arch high above them, and the gardens they step into are expansive. Expansive and empty, at least of people. Sharper ears than hers might pick up a faint quack.

Zuko hesitates at Ryu's question. Returning after her three years of banishment, she hadn't come to feel that she belonged yet. Even then she'd felt disconnected from it, and now... Is being here doing anything except dredging up memories?]

I grew up here.

[She stops not far inside to take it in. This is really it then, what's left of her world. The others might be impressed, but it just seems like so... little. Why did this place survive, when so much else hadn't? Why her, and not someone more deserving?]

[... Oh. He nods, looking concerned.]

Take the time you need -

[Wait a sec.]

... I heard something quack.

Ah--...

[Quacking? How did she miss that--

No, wait. There it is.]

... I hear it, too.

[A quack? Zuko hasn't heard it, but her attention turns towards the pond a ways off, nearly hidden from view from where they are. Maybe...]

This way.

[The quacking grows clearer as they approach the pond, and sure enough, there are at least half a dozen turtle ducks swimming there. A few of them swim towards the shore when they catch sight of her.]

...I guess I'm not the only one who made it.

[She doesn't know if that makes her want to smile or cry.]

[Ryu follows along quietly, since Zuko seems to know which way to go. But when he sees the turtle ducks in the pond, he grins widely and crouches down next to the shore.]

Oh... they're... cute.

[He kind of wants to take one home. He's not a big fan of water, but surely they can find a place for these...]

Ohhhh...

[They're...

strange.

Adorable. But strange. Ducks with turtle shells?

Zuko your world confuses Rin.

(But then again Rin's world would confuse Zuko plenty)

She inches closer to the water, crouching down and holding out a hand in hopes one of them will venture close.]

Hey there...

[Neither of the people crouching by the shore are Azula, so the turtle ducks seem comfortable enough swimming right up to them. One of them pecks at Rin's empty hand and then looks up at her expectantly. Where is the bread?

Zuko hangs back for a moment. If this little flock survived, is there any chance some person within the palace might have? Or maybe it's just a fluke, like the demon they'd found in Rin's home. There'd been no one to find there.

She returns her attention to the turtle ducks, joining the other two in crouching by the pond.]

They won't fare too well out here, will they? If anything from the Skyway finds them.

No, they probably won't. Should we take them home?

[Maybe his Dragon's Eye will help tame them. Then again, he doesn't know how to intentionally make that work.]

If they'll follow us, at least. Do we have any food that we can give them?

Oh, yeah.

[She could tell the one pecking at her palm really wanted something to eat, and Ryu just confirmed that. She couldn't imagine there was much left here for them.

And once they left, the skyway creatures were going to get in...

She shrugs her bag off, digging through the pockets until she was able to pull out a large cloth wrapped bento box. The food inside wasn't nearly as Japanese as the container would have suggested, but freshly baked bread was among the meal.

She sat down properly with the box in her lap, tearing off chunks of the loaf to hand to Ryu and Zuko, taking a bite of her own before putting some crumbs in to her hand for the turtle ducks.]

There ya go.

[Zuko follows suit, holding out a handful of crumbs to the turtle ducks. Some of them were content to mill around in the middle of the pond before, but the prospect of food brings all of them eagerly crowding over.]

I don't think we'll have much trouble bringing them along.

[There's something strange, though, about sitting here again, doing something that was so familiar and comforting growing up, with two people who never belonged here. She should be grateful that there's anything left and that anyone wanted to come with her, but this isn't how it was meant to be.

She might be tearing up a little, okay.]

[Ryu holds some out to them too, but moves a little closer to Zuko as he watches her. He doesn't want to crowd her, but he knows how emotional finding these places can get.]

We can sit here a little if you want.

[He's not sure how to do the comforting thing. Nina was always better at that. But it hurts to see other people hurting.]

[Rin catches that. It's hard not to. She's always paying far more attention to what other people are doing over herself anyway.

She picks up one of the turtle ducks carefully in her hands, making it quack excitedly at her, and scoots over so she's sitting closer to Zuko.

She doesn't say anything, but she does nudge the other girl, giving her an encouraging smile.

It's okay to feel sad about all of this.]

I used to come here with my mother...

[Zuko isn't all that used to being comforted. Her uncle would have had some wisdom to offer her now. Mai might have tried to distract her. The way Rin and Ryu are looking at her, quietly encouraging her to let her guard down and just feel however it is she's feeling... She can't. A part of her still feels like she doesn't deserve it, or doesn't need it.

And a part of her just needs something to fight against.]

That was a long time ago.

[She sniffs, doing her best to pull back the tears, and then shoves what's left of her bread at Ryu and gets to her feet.]

I'm going to have a look around.

[Ryu blinks in surprise, and tilts his head slightly as he tries to silently get Rin's attention. He doesn't know how to do this. Zuko needs someone to help her, but he doesn't know what to do.]

[Rin returns it with a "don't look at me, I suck at this stuff too!" look, but after a moment she sighs and sets the turtle duck down.]

Stay here.

[They'd need advance warning if anything mean tried to come through that gate.]

Hey! Wait up.

[Zuko slows a few steps and glances back at Rin, but she doesn't stop. She doesn't know what she expects to find, but it's important to look, right? Important to be thorough when this could be all she ever gets. The turtle ducks are something, one little living piece of home.]

There probably isn't much of use here, but I figured we'd check.

[Her voice is still hoarse. Maybe it hurts so much because she spent so long trying to get back here, even before the Calamity. This isn't the first time she's lost everything. It's just that this time, there's no promise of getting it back. Finding the Avatar had been the slimmest hope when she'd started, but it had been something.]

[Ryu doesn't know how to girl, though. He just sits with the turtleducks, feeding them. Who's a cute little animal? You are! You are!]

[Of course he doesn't...]

Y'can still bring stuff back, if you want. Even a little thing. Somethin' to decorate your room?

[A reminder of home, a small piece of it to have amongst all the other things that are probably still so foreign to Zuko.]

[Ryu, this is not about how to girl. It is about how to Zuko.]

This isn't about decorating. This was my home. My destiny. I was so... sure that this is where I was meant to be.

Now look at it. I'm supposed to rule over a bunch of turtle ducks?

[She winces after she says it, because she really is glad to have found them, and she knows she has no reason to be angry with Rin. She just wants a lot of things she can't have.]

[He doesn't know how to do that either. He picks a turtleduck up and puts it in his hair. ... It's very wet.]

[Ryu please.

Also owch Zuko, she's just trying to help.]

I know that. But what the hell else are you gonna do? Gettin' pissed off ain't gonna bring any of this back for any of us!

Day 193: Fire Nation Royal Palace

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject