Day 151 | Open

[amnesiadragon]

Who: Ryu and anyone who will humor him with questions.
Open: Open
When: Day 151
Where: All around the Bastion.
What: Ryu has some difficult questions for people.
Format: Either
Warnings: Possible mention of death/war/other upsetting topics. His questions today are running on the existential side.

After all the excitement of the day, Ryu is still left with questions. He just doesn't understand why people hurt each other, or go to war. He doesn't understand why people have to fight. None of this makes sense. And his heart hurts at thinking about all of these things, so there's really only one thing to do.

In the evening, Ryu approaches people, gently clearing his throat or tugging their sleeve if it doesn't look like that will provoke violence. It doesn't really matter the age - he knows he's one of the youngest in the Bastion anyway, even if he doesn't look it. Still, the worry in his eyes is evident as he speaks softly.

"... Do you mind answering some questions?"

Comments

[fuckthemancers]

"No." Smoke curling and fading and disappearing- Zulf turns his eyes away from it and begins to sketch out a rough map of the land in the ground. "There weren't any openings to the surface in that area so those living there couldn't tell the Caels to stop. And... That's the downside to having your people spread out through so much land." He makes an X far to the right.

"This is the Tazal Terminals."

And another X, nearer to the middle but a bit lower.

"That would be Point Lemaign, in relation to it. It doesn't look like a very long distance this way, but in reality... It's quite a treck. Before the Terminals could do anything, the damage was already done. I doubt Caelondia meant to cause such destruction, but that was what happened. It was misfortune all around, and neither side could come to any agreement on- anything, really."

[amnesiadragon]

"Oh no..."

He wipes his face - he's not going to cry, but he feels a little shaky thinking about it.

[fuckthemancers]

Yeah, it's... not a pleasant thing to think on. Zulf would know, considering his background. He just stays quiet for a moment, letting Ryu have a few seconds to himself, before speaking again.

"Caelondia technically won the war. However, both sides had lost many lives and used up a lot of resources. It was much harder on the Tazal Terminals, although I suppose I would be biased. However, the loser in a war has to give up a lot of things to the other side. A smaller military, land... that sort of thing." He takes in another deep breath of smoke, letting it curl heavy in the pit of his lungs and tighten in his throat.

"That is why the Point Lemaign War happened. A desire to grow stronger and see more leading to hastiness, which lead to things stolen and lives lost. In turn, that all lead to anger and bitterness."

[amnesiadragon]

"They should have negotiated. Talked it out, before more lives were lost..."

It's hard to imagine so many people dead. He has a hard enough time imagining so many people, period - but the thought of them dead shakes him even more.

[fuckthemancers]

"There's a lot of things people should do, when you can look back at it without being directly involved. Things are rarely that easy."

[amnesiadragon]

"But why can't they be?"

Sorry Zulf but Ryu is not an adult as much as he might look like one.

[fuckthemancers]

He's somewhat caught onto this, really. Zulf just sighs.

"Because people are flawed. That means sometimes it simply doesn't occur to them to do something else. Other times, they're too focused on one thing and not the other. There's probably more reasons than I can count."

[amnesiadragon]

"Oh..."

He looks down, shaking his head. Why? Humans are weird.

[fuckthemancers]

If Ryu isn't asking anymore questions, then Zulf is just going to keep smoking. It has been that kind of day. Besides, maybe silence will help the young boy to think over just what he's said. It might help. It might not.

[amnesiadragon]

He doesn't seem to mind the smoke. One of his companions at home is - was - an alcoholic, so he's used to just quietly letting people do what they need to.

After a bit, he speaks up again. "... It's hard to understand people. I'm trying, but... I'm not mortal. Not in the same way. I can't help but wonder if that's why I just can't seem to get it."

[fuckthemancers]

Yet another kind of person he's slightly unused to dealing with thanks to such a minor detail as 'not mortal'. He blows out the smoke sharply between his teeth.

"I imagine that would be a contributing factor. I... certainly didn't take you for it when we first met. How old are you?

[amnesiadragon]

He's quiet for a long few moments. He starts silently counting on his fingers.

"... Well, originally I was summoned hundreds of years ago, but only half of me showed up. That was the First Emperor, but even though we're both half of the Yorae Dragon I don't remember any of that."

He pauses for a moment, before continuing.

"But if you mean 'me' as my own person... I've been here... I think a month and a half? And I don't remember anything before Nina found me in the desert, which was I think maybe two months before I showed up here. So... that old."

[fuckthemancers]

Thanks for encouraging him to smoke more, Ryu. He had been meaning to and such fodder is fantastic for his slowly budding addiction.

He is finished with this entire bastion. Done. Just done.

"Well if you're that... relatively young, then it's only natural that a lot of things don't quite make sense yet."

[amnesiadragon]

"Yeah... I guess. Nina was helping teach me some things, like reading and writing, but we didn't have a whole lot of time while we were traveling. We never stayed in one place for long." Reading is hard. It's hard to learn and no one understands.

[fuckthemancers]

"Well... have you thought about having someone teach you here? I'm not certain about heavy questions like the one you first asked me, but reading, writing... Things like that I'm certain someone can teach you about." He... won't exactly volunteer himself, but that's more because he doesn't want to make any decisions while he's been smoking his pipe for a while.

"Time is something we seem to have in abundance here."

[amnesiadragon]

"Yeah, I've been trying to learn how to read, but everyone's got different languages, so it's a little confusing."

He scratches his head, making an annoyed face.

[fuckthemancers]

"Try and find out what the most common language is. If none of the other foreigners have something, then your best bet would probably lay in learning Caelondian." A shrug. "That's merely my suggestion, however."

[amnesiadragon]

"I want to learn lots of languages."

Ryu no.

"I want to be able to talk to everyone and find out their stories, and how to make a peaceful world."

... Well okay.

[fuckthemancers]

Just a little, Zulf's mouth quirks a bit at the corners- nearly a smile.

"That's going to take a lot of work. Be careful and don't stretch yourself out too thin."

[amnesiadragon]

"Eheh. I just want to help everyone. When people get left out, they feel lonely. And that's a really horrible feeling..."

[fuckthemancers]

"You'll have to do a lot more than learn languages, then, if you want to help everyone. For now... it might be best to just focus on the Bastion. There's only so much a single person can do, really..."

[amnesiadragon]

"Well, yeah. I mean there's a lot of people here already. More than I usually see in one place outside of cities."

[fuckthemancers]

"Yes... This is probably going to be the only place for miles where there are so many gathered, now. Caelondia and the Terminals used to be bustling with life... but that's obviously changed."

[amnesiadragon]

"I've been traveling with only a few other people. We've picked up more on the way, so it's five other people."

He pauses and sighs.

"... Was five other people. Cities are nice because there's a lot of people, but I'm more comfortable out in the wild."

[fuckthemancers]

Zulf gives an understanding nod at the loss, but decides not to mention it for now. It's something he'll keep in mind for later.

"Raile is similar to that, I think. I guess that's what happens when you work on the Rippling Walls for so long."