viii ⚜ action + voice

[banishment]

ＡＣＴＩＯＮ, ＯＰＥＮ ＴＯ ＡＮＹＯＮＥ

Zuko hadn't been to work in a while. He took a temporary leave of absence following Weiss's kidnapping and subsequent rescue, determined to keep a watchful eye on her in case Torchwick was foolish enough to go after her again. But time had passed and Torchwick had yet to make a move, and Weiss had recovered enough that he felt comfortable with backing off a little. (Besides, he was sure she knew that he had essentially spent the past month tailing her.) And while the dragon problem in Fayren wasn't as much of a dilemma as it had been, it was still something that required attention.

Which was why the Deputy Guardian could be found in various parts of Fayren throughout the day, from the streets of the city itself to the more mountainous and forested areas where the dragons tended to dwell. It was important to ensure that the native populations remained unharmed and those human-like dragons that had seen to capturing virgins were eradicated.

ＶＯＩＣＥ, ＬＯＣＫＥＤ ＴＯ ＫＡＴＡＲＡ

You said we were supposed to be friends now, that you forgave me for what I did in Ba Sing Se and, you know, everything else? If that's true, then I would like to ask you for a favor.

[ awkward... ]

Comments

[switch_over]

Dragons attacking the town? Draconic humans capturing young virgins? Those sounded like two perfect ingredients for sorrow to fill the Misfortune Gauge to Eas. She hadn't exactly found a way to reconstruct in Genessia yet, but that would come with time. For now she was content to scout out future things she could turn into Nakewameke.

Which is what brought her into the forest today under the guise of Setsuna Higashi, she wanted to find get a good look at one of the two things terrorizing this part of the world and see if she could put them to use herself. What better way to do it then to look like a potential victim herself?

She eventually catches on that she isn't alone in the forest, but she hasn't actually caught sight of Zuko himself yet. There is a purple haired young woman walking around the forest by herself, what do prince?

[banishment]

Approach her, of course!

Zuko doesn't know why this purple-haired girl is out at this our or roaming these forests by herself, but Zuko isn't foolish enough to assume it's for purely innocent reasons that are ignorant of the threat these woods currently pose. Perhaps it's the pessimist in him that's had him looking over his shoulder and watching his back since he was cast out of his mother nation, but he also knows that in a place like Genessia, looks can be very deceiving.

Case in point: those dragons that can take on a human form. Who's to say this girl wasn't a dragon herself or someone working with the dragons to lure out other potential victims? Of course, there was no reason to believe she wasn't just an innocent victim-to-be, either.

"What are you doing out here? These woods are dangerous."

[switch_over]

To be fair, she was completely capable of changing her appearance but a dragon a was far beyond what she was capable of.

She turned to face him as he called out her out and tilted her head in mix of feigned confusion and surprise. She didn't exactly think he looked like much of a dragon, well perhaps the scar made him look a bit like one.

"They are? I-" Her hand moved to reach and hold up the little pendent she had received when she had arrived.

"-I'm new here. I didn't know."

[banishment]

He would probably take looking a bit like a dragon as a compliment.

"There are--" Dragons? No, he refused to call those creatures masquerading as dragons that which they mocked. "--creatures in these woods who have been targeting people. Especially those who are out here alone."

voice | locked

[waterdroplet]

[ Zuko ... ... .......... Zuko. That's -- well, okay it's probably still very confusing to him, that it's all happened where she is from, but repeating all that sure sounds like a good way to make the whole thing even more weird.]

Or you could have just said something like "I need a favor." and my reply would still be the same.

[So sorry, she's actually somewhat amused by that message and refusing to feel weird about it. Nope, nothing weird here. No. Well, okay it is still weird for her too. Timebending, so confusing.

Well, amused or not, she's still glad to hear from a friend and smiling there. Not that he can see it, which ... might be better considering how awkward his message is.]

Yes, I said all that and I still mean it. What can I do for you?

voice | locked

[banishment]

I could've, but...

[ trails off, dismisses the thought with an unseen wave thanks to the voice setting. he'll settle into this friendship thing. eventually. he'd pretty much accepted that katara was never going to forgive him or accept that he'd changed, and having her show up and contradict that has thrown him for a loop. ]

Use your waterbending to heal someone.

voice | locked

[waterdroplet]

[No, really, she understands that it takes time and it must be even weirder for him that she considers him as one of her best friends and part of the team Avatar family thing now.]

... Or you could start with that instead of asking for favors.

[Is she scolding you or is she just worried? Or both!? Anyway, if it's about healing someone, it's not -- exactly a favor as much as it is something she will absolutely do, refusing is not an option for her and it's not like she'll expect anything back from it from friends.]

Who needs healing?

voice | locked

[banishment]

Weiss. She was kidnapped before you got here, and the guy who had her... he did things to her. She's recovered from most of it, but her hand's not healing the way it should. I was hoping you could look at it and see if there's anything you could do.

That's why I was in her room that day -- when you first got here. I was keeping an eye on her to make sure he didn't try and come after her again.

[melodiouspacifist]

Exploration was key to him and so he began to do so, which is how he found himself in Fayren this fine afternoon. Demyx was completely oblivious to the dangers, he'd just been wandering. Ultimately, he set himself up on a street corner with his sitar, playing a cheerful melody, hoping to lure people in to offering a bit of change for his performance.

He looked open and friendly, although in his eyes he was watching and studying a bit more than an innocent person would choose to perhaps. It was likely this was the case, he had a fairly healthy case of paranoia.

[banishment]

Zuko didn't have any spare change to drop in the man's sitar case, but he was watching. At first, he was doing so out of curiosity for the instrument he was playing and the unique sound it made, but it was the way the man seemed to be watching those around him that had him lingering. The prince probably wouldn't have noticed such behavior if he weren't one to do something similar when surrounded by people he didn't know (or didn't trust) himself.

"What do you call that?"

It's up in the air whether he meant the instrument or the song he was playing, but it was a good, neutral conversation starter nonetheless.

[melodiouspacifist]

Demyx did not even miss a note at the question. Based on the queries in this world thus far, he assumed it was his instrument that was the subject. "This is my sitar."

He gave Zuko a friendly smile. He might have waved but his fingers were still occupied. "I take it they're not very popular around here, I haven't yet met anyone who knew what it was."

[banishment]

"Sitar," he echoed, the instrument's name feeling heavy and clumsy on his tongue. (Like most completely foreign words did.) "We had people who played ruans, pipas, and erhus at court, but not a sitar. We probably don't have them."

Zuko shrugged. "They might be, just not in this area. Some consider Fayren to be a little behind the times."

But for someone like the Fire Prince, who was from a world that was 'behind the times' compared to most, it was the closest he could get to home while bound to this place.

[kienzankriller]

[Out in the mountainous area, Zuko will find a rather odd display. From a distance it looks like a large boulder just rising and falling on its own. Upon closer inspection, though, Krillin can be seen doing push-ups with the boulder on his back. How it got there is anyone's guess, as is whether he needs help. So, what do, Zuko?]

[banishment]

[ perhaps he would've observed the seen in something more like awe and wonder were he not accustomed to such seemingly "impossible" feats. his world was full of people who were gifted, naturally, with the ability to do things people from other worlds couldn't -- things the non-benders of his own were unable to. for all zuko knew, this man had gifts similar to the benders of his world, and he's curious enough about that to make his approach. ]

Impressive, but I know a twelve-year-old who could give you a run for your money-- literally.

[kienzankriller]

[Krillin glances to the side, grinning and chuckling at the remark before shrugging to one side, and allowing the rock to fall off his back.]

I wouldn't doubt it. You should see my best friend's kid. At thirteen he was on a level far beyond anything I was capable of.

[He takes a wristband off, dabbing at his forehead for a second before dropping it to his side where it makes an audible thud, as if it were made of metal.]

What brings you this far out? I'm out here training. Figured it was deserted enough I wouldn't be bothering anyone.

[banishment]

Sounds like my sister.

[ zuko was pretty sure he surpassed azula in a few things at this point (especially with the way he still had her believing he was the loyal brother and dedicated heir, still on her and the fire nation's side), but azula had been the prodigy. she did everything before him while he struggled to keep up.

he notices the weighted band, but doesn't comment on it. earthbenders who wore slabs of bent rock as jewelry or for ornamental purposes we common. toph had that piece of space rock that sokka had given her. they were used to fighting with huge weights, but someone like zuko, who relied on swiftness, agility, and flexibility in his style of fighting, couldn't afford to be weighted down. ]

It usually is, but we've had some problems with beings who masquerade as both humans and dragons kidnapping people. Their numbers have dwindled, but I'm not so sure they've left. Not completely. I've been making rounds to make sure they're not thinking about making a comeback.

shows up almost a week late with lattes

[mintchip]

What was Emerald actually doing in Fayren? Earning money to pay the bills with. Well, "earning" is such a strong word when you could use phrases like 'pretending to offer to help stupid old people pick up their groceries while relieving them of what's left in their purses and leaving them none the wiser until it's too late and they're still thinking that there's no way it could be that nice helpful girl.'

Of course, if anyone asked, she could use the excuse that she felt really bad about not being able to help during the whole Torchwick debacle that she was trying to look for clues about where he might've gone. Or even just say she was on the hunt for whatever bounty was in progress. Either way the story would be that she got distracted trying to help someone, but her choice of fake reasoning would depend on who asked her. After all, making a personal connection made it a lot easier to practically get away with murder. Sometimes literally. Lucky for everyone in Fayren right now, Emerald was only going for the figurative.

But when she spotted Zuko, she knew right away that her little ploy to help this couple cover their vegetable garden with tarp from Genessia as the rains started to roll in again, she would have to consider whether or not she still wanted to try to take some of their things. The wind was blowing heavily enough that she was having a little bit of trouble though, so she raised her voice to get his attention.

"Zuko! Do you mind giving me a hand?"

mmm lattes~

[banishment]

His answer was to dart over and grab one of the corners that had come loose and was flapping in the wind. Zuko tugged on it, careful not to pull it so taught that the other corners that had already fastened down would come loose.

"Is there rope we can tie this down with?"

[mintchip]

"Got it."

Emerald reached behind her, pulling the thin but strong rope from her belt, where her sickles would normally be kept- they were on the couple's porch- and tossed one end to Zuko.

"Thanks for your help."

[banishment]

He caught it in deft fingers and quickly laced it through the hole in the tarp, securing it to the post that the couple had already driven into the ground. It seemed the rain began to fall almost the moment they had everything secured, and strands of Zuko's hair that managed to work free of his top knot clung to his face.

Zuko ran a hand over his face, pushing those strands back as he stood, wiping water out of his eyes.

"No problem," he told Emerald, then directed at the couple: "That should hold until the rains stop."

[luckymonster]

Out of nowhere, Zuko will notice rapid footsteps not far from him. And then, right before his eyes, he will see lightning crack from his left going towards someone on his far right. Then, a rapid image of his sister smiling at him, before she continues to run towards the direction of her lightning.

"I promise, it'll end soon", she shouted happily. Dragon hunting. Who knew it could be a great way to pass one's time?

[banishment]

In the past, Zuko would've raced to steal this victory from here, but times had changed and so had they. So he stood back with a lopsided grin on his face, crossing his arms over his chest to sit back and watch the show. He'd intervene if she needed it, but he doubted she would.

"Looks like you've got this under control."

[weapongeek]

[Maybe it was strange for Ruby to come to Fayren to "bump into" Zuko, but after what happened with Weiss and Blake, she felt that she should properly talk to Zuko; Of course after they had recovered enough. Ruby really had no idea what to talk about in general because it was easier to worry about fighting and work on weapons than it was to do social interaction, even now. She supposed it didn't even really matter, but she did want to know more about Zuko without having to be in a dire situation.

So once she found him, she just "accidentally" bumped into him.]

Oh, sorry-- Zuko? Oh hey!

[Terrible acting as if she just happened to be here? Probably.]

[banishment]

[ were zuko any other person, he likely would've fallen over. but being that his guard was up, he easily caught himself on his feet to prevent himself from tumbling over. ]

Huh? Oh. Ruby. Hi.

[ his eyebrows knit together in worry. ]

...is everything okay?

[ because the last time she sought him out, it was because roman had weiss. ]

[weapongeek]

Yep, everything is fine!

[She can tell that worry and it was for good reason, but she has to assure him nobody is in danger right now.]

I just happened to be around, so I thought I'd say hi.