Day 219 [Open]

[daughterofursa]

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.

Comments

[littlerat]

It's normal to me. I mean, it's everyday technology back where I'm from. I couldn't tell you how any of it actually works, but I know how to use some of it.

[daughterofursa]

The most advanced technology back home was all created for war. We didn't have the things I see around here, that don't do any harm.

[littlerat]

[ Well, that's something to be silent for a moment for. ]

...A recording machine at least won't hurt you. [ Physically, anyway. ] People use them for keeping notes. Things are more advanced on my world than here as far as I've seen - we don't have a Monument that can make doughnut trees, but we've got more- well, more of different things. It's hard to think up examples off the top of my head. [ hm ] Vehicles?

[daughterofursa]

We had tanks and airships, but you probably mean ones that aren't equipped with weapons. Like... cars. I think that's what they were called.

[littlerat]

Yeah, cars -- and trucks. We've had wars in my world as well but [ he shakes his head ] it's nothing how it sounds for you.

[ ... ] Have you ever heard of a travelling carnival?

[daughterofursa]

Sure. I never went to any, but we had them.

[littlerat]

The kind with ferris wheels and mechanical rides?

[daughterofursa]

Uh... no.

What are those?

[littlerat]

Ferris wheels are rides in a large circular shape - you know, like a wheel - with small boxed shaped rooms at the ends. It goes round in a circle, slowly - it's kind of a relaxing ride that lets you go high up than a roller-coaster, those are way faster.

Couples usually go on them I think, but friends or a single person can. [ He shrugs a little. ] I haven't actually been on one.

[daughterofursa]

Why not? You make it sound like they're common.

[littlerat]

Never been in the same area as one. I was [ well ] kinda isolated before I came here. No carnivals were going to be passing through anyway.

But I've always wanted to go to one once. See what they're like in person.

[daughterofursa]

I guess we're not likely to have one here. Not with a... ferris wheel anyway.

[littlerat]

No, probably not. [ He puts two of the balls still full beside him, Pikachu returning with arms encircled by doughnuts. He is the doughnut pokémon. ] I just thought they'd be interesting to share about. [ A tip of his head, he laughs slightly. ] If they were.

[daughterofursa]

Well, it sounds like it would've been nice.

[She looks over at Pikachu's return and smiles in amusement.] You get enough of those?

[littlerat]

[ The pokémon squeaks - yes, yes he did! - while carefully but speedily making his way over to Red to have the doughnuts taken off from his arms. Except two! Which, as Red chuckles, he takes over to Zuko and the turtle duck with her. Here here! ]

He's a big fan of that tree.

[ Red takes that time to let out behind him another pokémon, avoiding this time for aiming inside the water. The pokémon shakes her body and growls, the flower and leaves on her back rustling, and Red quickly chatters to her, waving for her to find a spot that she likes.

-- but she'll like that spot right beside him, please! Okay okay, let him move his back so she can plop her head there. There you go, girl. Please don't mind the smell like a garden just bloomed around them. ]

[daughterofursa]

[On being offered a donut, Zuko lets out a short sigh and puts her work aside as though it's against her better judgment. She never was one for taking breaks, but it's a little hard to write at the moment. Not that that's a bad thing. The more she knows about her fellow Bastionites, the better she'll be able to serve them, and Red's already given her one good idea.]

Yeah. This is the second time I've seen him raiding it.

[She takes both donuts, breaking off a smaller piece to feed the turtle duck from her hand. A little absently as she's staring over at the... flower turtle. Of course she doesn't mind the scent, but wow.]

How many pokemon do you have?

[littlerat]

[ Oops, distractions ahoy. Red follows her gaze to Venusaur, whose top of the nose he touches fondly. ]

Six with me. It's the recommended amount trainers are told to carry with them back home.

[daughterofursa]

[Breaking up some donut pieces to toss out to the turtle ducks in the water, who at least seem at ease enough to swim around the strange animals in the interest of food.]

What are you training them for anyway?

[littlerat]

[ Hey, there's an idea. Red will do some of that too with one. Though, the question does make him pause a bit before he throws some of the doughnut out. ]

Just training, really. [ not really explanatory, is it... ] Back in our world, trainers would have friendly matches with their pokémon - it's one of the things people did with pokémon anyway. I used to do that too - still would, I guess - but for us, we train because we like it.

[ Most of the doughnut gone, he looks up as he continues breaking it up. ]

What about you? You look like you train yourself.

[daughterofursa]

Hm.

[So these pokemon will fight each other for fun? Like humans sparring? They really are pretty weird.]

This can be a dangerous place. I can't afford to let my skills suffer. Besides, I've been training most of my life.

[littlerat]

[ He nods to that. ]

Was it dangerous back home? Other than the war. [ ... ] Unless that's why it was dangerous.

[daughterofursa]

Well...

[She wonders which was more dangerous, living in the same palace as her father, or fighting in the war? She won't even mention it.]

At first it was because it was important to my father. But I did need it to help end the war.

[littlerat]

[ War is nothing Red can really imagine, nor a subject he would want to dig in on. Nor about her family life. There is something though he thinks about, tilting his head and looking over to Pikachu with some silence.

He looks back to Zuko. ] By the way, I heard you met with a guy. I suggested he should ask you about learning to ride, but he said he insulted you by saying he couldn't contribute to the Bastion and with the way he looked at you. Sound familiar?

[daughterofursa]

[By the way she scowls, it definitely sounds familiar.]

You mean the man with the nose ring?

[For some reason they never got around to introductions.]

[littlerat]

Uh... maybe? He's got long hair and a small clump of chin beard? I met him in the onsen, so..

[ No nose ring. ]