genessia | viii ⚜ action + voice

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viii ⚜ action + voice

ＡＣＴＩＯＮ, ＯＰＥＮＴＯＡＮＹＯＮＥ

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, ＬＯＣＫＥＤＴＯＫＡＴＡＲＡ

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... ]

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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.

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.

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."

"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.

"It's possible. A lot of worlds I've been to and not many of them have had sitar players. I mean in the world I'm originally from there were...obviously." Demyx said, looking thoughtful. "But even where I'm living now the other worlds don't seem to have much sitar music."

He glanced around a bit and shrugged. "Can't really comment on how behind the times stuff is. I can't think of a place I've been to that seems much more different from this. I mean, aside from around this world." The world he came from was nothing like any of the ones he'd been to since it was devoid of human life.

"My world's a lot like this in some ways. Others... not so much."

Fayren lacked the various aspects of Fire Nation culture that dominated the areas in which he was raised -- didn't have any culture aspects of any of the four nations, now that he thought about it. That bothered him at first, but he's been here for almost a year. He's used to it by now.

"That's how it is for most of us, though. Beyond those who also come for your world, there aren't a lot of similarities. Unless you're from the Earth that's a world and not a place." He's still wrapping his hand around that. Earth was the name of a world, but it wasn't an Earth Kingdom? Weird. "They have their differences, but people from variations of that world seem to have more in common with one another than the rest of us do."

Demyx looked around, thinking of the place he was from, taking in a deep breath. "This place is full of vibrant colours, fresh crisp air...what's not to like?" He smiled.

"Fortunately I don't think anyone who is from my world or has been to it is here. Never been to a world called Earth, but that's how the worlds are. They're all kind a different. Full of life until the darkness sets in." His mind seemed to wander. "I think the world I came from was like that..."

He was musing aloud, forgetting for a moment that he had an audience. "But, uh, the one I live in now - well before this place, is called The World That Never Was. Very dark that place. No life at all."

"We have an Earth where I'm from, but it's not a world. It's a nation. The Earth Kingdom."

Zuko probably would've had some positive things to offer about the Earth Kingdom, had he not spent so much of his time within Ba Sing Se's walls and traveling through their lands wallowing in his own misery and obsession. Now all he can think about is the Dai Li, but you don't just tell someone you just met about a nation's secret police.

He frowned, a picture of what such a place would be like forming in his head. It wasn't his world, yet he couldn't help but picture his father standing before the ruins of the Earth Kingdom, that darkness and lack of life the result of a Ozai's nefarious actions.

"That's rough. I'd probably love it here if I came from a world like that. I'm just glad there's no war."

"Don't think I've been to your world either, for that matter." He'd stopped playing when his mind had wandered off, so he adjusted his sitar, resting the base on the ground. It was sturdy enough and built fine for him to lean on it.

He shook his head. "No war there or anything, just no life. It's in the name isn't it? The World That Never Was. Nothing meant to be there. Nothing that exists anyway. The city itself is dark, there's never any sun. We lived in a castle though. It's impossibly white. Nothing but white everywhere. Not the most visually stimulating place."

"Sounds like some areas of the Spirit World," Zuko remarked, thinking back on stories of Koh and other dark spirits that he was told as a child.

"Palaces aren't always as glamorous as people think they are. I grew up in one."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't grow up in one. When I got there I remember thinking the castle was really huge, because it is. It's just vast, empty and white. Sometimes gray. Bedrooms, everything. White on white. It's so boring."

Demyx grinned and tapped the brilliant blues of his sitar. "I prefer a little more colour. I'd have killed for a beach! Although I guess if there's no sunshine..."

"Better than red on red, sometimes browns and blacks -- and gold, yellow, and orange, if you were lucky. I got tired of looking at red everything after a while. Seeing the colors of the other nations was refreshing."

As much as he'd wanted to go home, once upon a time, seeing color that wasn't the scheme his country was committed to was nice. Like a breath of fresh air that wasn't filled with the smog from their factories and engines of their ships and trains.

"There's a beach here. I think. Not like, an ocean, but there's something I remember hearing about... If not, there's a few pools once it gets warmer."

"Nah, it's probably the same. Spend six...or is it eight..?" Demyx lost his train of thought. "Years anyway, spend years staring at white on white and it will lose its appeal."

He visibly deflated. "A pool isn't the same. It doesn't have the right smell..or the sand or the wind..."

"It doesn't, but if you're looking to cool off, it'll do in a pinch. We had an indoor pool at the palace that we used a lot. It got really hot in the islands during the summer."

Hot by the stands of someone who ran hot normally was probably really hot to others. Zuko didn't know how to measure heat where non-firebenders were concerned, just as he was sure Katara would have trouble measuring cold by the standards of someone who didn't grow up in the arctic tundra of one of the poles.

He looked a little puzzled, something he was considering more and more. The problem was he'd spent years locked away in a castle, a dead world away from normal people and sometimes what they said were leaving him with questions. Questions he should not ask, nor should he even have an interest in. What was happening to him here?

"I guess that could be true." He rarely paid any attention to the temperature, probably a good thing considering his uniform. "But I can do that myself anyway. Or I could pick a room and flood it. What I really miss is a beach."

"You should ask around, see if someone can point you in the right direction. Or--"

Zuko pulls out his device, flipping through a few options until he finds a map.

"Looks like there's a pond in the park in Genessia City, and a decent-sized lake in Everglade."

Edited 2015-03-07 19:43 (UTC)

"A lake might be okay. The ocean would be the best but I guess if this world doesn't have one then, it doesn't." He sighed softly. "But I will probably also ask around. Just in case. I haven't been to a beach in so long I'd really like to."

Demyx couldn't help but peer over his shoulder. "There's a map on this thing? All I've figured out is how to talk to people. I never had anything like it."

"There's one on mine? But someone could've put it there... Don't know if it comes, uh, what's the word? Standard? On everyone's."

For all Zuko knew, Weiss or one of the people working at the Guardian Offices in Fayren could've installed it. Technology wasn't really his strong point, and this is the first time he's referenced the map. He preferred to do things the old-fashioned way, so to speak.

"Stuff like this is pretty complicated to me so I have no idea." He pulled out his own and poked at it helplessly. "There's a reason I'm not in charge of stuff."

He laughed easily and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, I'll learn by walking around. Might be the best way."

"Well, I'm sort of in charge here and technology's still mostly a mystery to me."

Oh, the stories his girlfriend could probably tell about how he walks up escalator steps like the stairs aren't moving and tried to bend at the washing machine when it started rumbling while on the spin cycle...

"You are? Huh! Guess I should find out who the people in charge are." He leaned away a little, trying to look even more meek and intimidated. Demyx did not need any unnecessary problems. Not until he sorted out what his long term plans were.

"I just haven't had much exposure. It isn't necessary with my music."

Zuko blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion. He hadn't realized--

"You don't know who I am, do you?"

He had something of an unforgettable face, and he'd grown used to the citizens of Fayren recognizing him, considering how long he and Azula have held office.

"No idea. I just got here not long ago and we haven't spoken before now." Demyx shook his head, hoping his confusion wasn't a bad thing.

"I'm staying in Genessia, I just came for the day."

That would explain it.

Zuko held out a hand. "Prince Zuko, Deputy Guardian of Fayren."

"So much royalty around here!" Demyx exclaimed without much tact. He paused for just a moment before taking his hand with his gloved one. "I'm Demyx. It's nice to meet you."

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