thebastion | Day 219 [Open]

Entry tags:

Day 219 [Open]

Who: Zuko and anyone
Open: Open!
When: Day 219, morning
Where: By the lake
What: Being Paar's secretary
Format: I'll match
Warnings: Honor

Zuko can be found by the lake shore, on the Dragonfield side, with a few piles of stone slabs nearby. Many here should clearly recognize the marks carved into the stone as Dovahzul, and some of Paarthurnax's students might pick out the names and skills of those in the Bastion. Zuko has a stack of paper in her lap and is transcribing them with a writing brush. For the ones she understands, she's also adding a line in her own language (traditional Chinese to any Earth folk), and for the ones she doesn't, she's leaving space until she can ask Paarthurnax. Every now and again she makes a note aside on a separate sheet, more for herself.

Some of the turtle ducks are milling around in the water nearby. One particularly curious one is hanging around by her inkstone and probably in need of being shooed away before it gets ink on itself.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Red liked visiting the lake, particularly in the early morning time, and it was a surprise on that one to see Zuko. But a fine surprise!

Once he close enough to get an idea of what she was doing, he knew nearly right away what it was for. If she's too engrossed to notice him coming to the lake, nevermind- ]

Drem yol lok?

[ There's a friendly welcome with a smile to let her know! ]

[Zuko recognizes the voice and the greeting, but she didn't expect to hear them together. She glances up.]

...drem yol lok.

Are you joining Paarthurnax's classes?

No. [ A small shake. ] I met him around when I first got here. He taught me that greeting.

[ He looks at the turtle duck with Zuko, then sits himself down onto the grass near to the lake bed and shifting the bag hanging from his shoulder to beside him and unzipping the top. ]

Are you copying the notes he gathered about peoples' abilities? He told me you were a student.

[ From the bag, he takes out a loaf of bread and begins to break off a small part of it, tearing it into smaller pieces. ]

[Zuko nods.] That's right. We both thought it would be better to have it on paper than... all this. [She gestures at the nearest pile of rocks.

Meanwhile the turtle duck already on the shore happily leaves the inkstone alone and waddles towards the bread with an eager quack. The sound draws those in the water in closer.]

[ Just as planned. Red throws a piece to the one on shore, then begins to throw out bits to those in the water. Here you go, everyone. ]

Yeah, we talked about that too. [ There's a slight amused tone as he says that. ] He mentioned getting someone called Colin to help with it too, I think. About finding a way to store it.

[Zuko smiles slightly, watching the turtle ducks, but it's gone again at the mention of Colin.]

Colin is... our expert on technology, I guess. He's a pain, but he knows a lot. I had some questions for him myself.

Any you're willing to share? [ He tips his head to the side, just in a friendly motion. ] Sorry if I'm being too nosy.

[ His hands quickly empty of snacks for the animals, Red takes off a ball from his belt around his waist, placing one after another onto his lap. As he does - ]

I'm going to let out my pokémon if that's okay.

It's fine. [Although in her mind she's wondering, let them out from where? and it probably shows on her face.]

I was thinking... we probably have a lot of resources in the Bastion that not all of us understand or even know about. It would help to have an inventory.

[ He sees it. Which is why he waits on doing anything, with one of the pokéballs in his hands. But he does nod at what she says. ]

I figured there's a lot about the Bastion none of us really know, or what's available. Are you wondering if he can make something that everyone will be able to understand? I know a bulletin board wouldn't be useful here when we write in different languages.

[ Annnd with that said, Red holds out the ball he's holding and upon clicking the button -- out shoots a small light, and Pikachu has been chosen! The small pokémon yawns, stretching out his body and turning in a circle until he stops and faces Zuko - which is when he trips over and lands on his face.

Oops.

BUT HE GETS UP ON HIS FEET AGAIN, SHAKING HIMSELF with small sparks of electricity crackling from his cheeks. But oh oh, hi Zuko! Waving!! ]

That's a good point. I wonder if he could make something that would speak it aloud, like--

[She gives a start at the flash of light, streaking a line of ink across the page. Her train of thought is definitely derailed. She doesn't even process Pikachu being adorable because where did he even come from??]

What did you just--?

Sorry! [ He waves a hand, trying to imply it's alright while putting Pikachu's ball away and picking up another. ]

It's called a pokéball. Pokémon can be kept inside them by trainers. It's how we keep our pokémon close to us.

[ He brings attention to the ball in his hand with a move of his wrist, carefully, eyeing it himself for a brief moment. ]

Everyone with me has one. Sorry, I forget how weird it can be for someone who doesn't know about them.

...but they're not big enough.

[She looks back and forth between the rabbit mouse and the pokeball. Pikachu, how did you fit in there?]

Honestly, I can't explain how it works, but these can hold pokémon larger than I have with me.

[ He smiles when he looks at the ball again, and next he gives it a throw over his head. Out comes another light directed at the lake itself, and Red holds his hand still for the ball to fall towards when the light disconnects from the sphere.

And there in the lake now sits Lapras, being very much bigger than Pikachu in every single way. ]

This is Lapras. [ just fyi. Don't worry turtle ducks, Lapras will hum softly and friendly in greeting, meaning no harm. ]

[Zuko stares but she doesn't startle this time. Which is more than can be said for the turtle ducks. They still aren't used to sharing their space, and the sudden turtle seal is greeted with a lot of alarmed quacking and swimming away. Even the one duck on the shore waddles back over to Zuko. Sorry, Lapras. They'll need a minute to settle down.]

So- do they not mind being in there?

[ That's fine. Lapras knows to keep to where he is, watching them go with an apologetic look for a moment, but then quietly facing to his trainer. With his long head he lowers it down, and Red touches at the side of his face. ]

No. They haven't told me they do. [ Red grabs at the bread from before, breaking off a piece for Lapras to take in his mouth. ] I wondered about getting new ones for them sometime, but.

[ But then the end of the world. Alas. He looks back to Zuko. ]

It's like a second home for them; they can sleep in them and rest. And they know I'll let them out if they want me to.

[The chorus of quacks dies down quickly enough, but the turtle ducks maintain their distance for the moment. Even though that bread is awfully tempting.]

That's... pretty strange.

[But as long as the pokemon are okay with it, Zuko is okay with it.]

It's normal where I'm from. [ a small, friendly shrug. ] If you meet trainers from the same world with me, they'll have balls like these too.

[ Back to Lapras again, quickly speaking to the creature: ] Can you let them know I'm bringing out more? I'll let out Blastoise next. [ he motions towards a direction in the water ] Around there.

[ The pokémon nods, then turns to face the lake and all those in it before closing his eyes. Even Zuko will pick up on the message, soothing and masculine though spoken telepathically - 'another will join us in the water; please do not be alarmed. He will stay close to me.'

A pause.

'...and we have food to share, too, if you are all hungry.' ]

[Between Skysong and Tobias, Zuko is no stranger to mind-speak by now, but the turtle ducks still find this all very strange and they'll be keeping their distance, thanks.]

I'm not sure they can really understand that. They're just animals.

So are pokémon. [ He takes the bread again, separating it into chunks. ] But it was worth trying.

[ At least there was plenty of lake for them all. From under the bread he takes up another ball, and from inside in the same fashion as Pikachu and Lapras comes out another creature, a much larger and less fuzzy turtle thing. The waters around him move as his presence comes into being, and he's less quiet as Lapras yawning loudly and deeply, and then flopping his body down onto the water, all of his limbs disappearing inside. Yeah, five more minutes guys.

But for all this commotion, Red will break up some more bread just for the turtle ducks, throwing it with a decent enough aim towards where they're keeping back, a few small handfuls at a time. He claps his hands to brush off the crumbs that still stick. ]

Anyway, sorry, I interrupted you before. You were speaking about an inventory.

That one spoke.

[Animals don't generally speak, as far as Zuko is concerned. And Pikachu seems to understand human speech well, even better than animals like Appa. But, these pokemon are clearly very different animals, so maybe that's normal for them.

The turtle ducks seem to be calming down a bit, pecking at the bread in the water and cautiously meandering closer to these large animals. At least they are all turtle things?]

Inventory? Oh, right. Well- you're right that there's nothing all of us are going to understand. Some people here can't read at all. But there's technology that can record voices, right? Like that screen play last week. [She means "movie."]

[ Getting into explanations is perhaps... for a later time, and a different discussion. For now, Red looks curious at her description. ]

Screen play?

You didn't see it? The one with the space ships and the metal people.

No... [ uhh ] But I guess it was a TV show or a movie?

Is that what they're called?

I'm guessing. How was it set up?

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