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avalaughs2020-12-31 11:53 pm
avalonmods) wrote in avalaughs2020-12-31 11:53 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 3
 Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️  A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival
Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's chilly waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's paralyzingly cold for a few seconds before you're approached by the Lady of the Lake beneath the water's surface. She puts a vial of a vibrant, glowing red Everwarm* potion to your character's lips. The icy water doesn't feel so icy once consumed and you'll be able to move your limbs enough to swim to shore on your own. She can't stick around to explain, she's got to get this to all the new arrivals! Many of which you'll see plopping in around you. If you can't swim, a handful of helpful ice turtles will scoop you up from beneath and drop you off at the shore. When not helping people, the turtles are going around and hitting the ice that keeps forming on the surface with their shells to keep the surface open for the falling arrivals or pushing personal items to the beach near the new arrivals they smell like (belong to). If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. If anyone with Animal Magic asks the turtles, they will give the full spiel, but very slowly, and they like to get off topic and gossip about other turtles you've never heard of. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot
These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with nip bottles. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk.C ⦿ The Red Spring
If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there.  Everyone needs a little fun from time to time; the locals have put together the annual Snow Games. As with all things Avalonians plan, magic plays a part in the competition. There will be three separate tiers for characters to enter. Each Tier will have its predetermined track or ring, set up and ready to go. A ⦿ Foot Races
Along the route, racers can expect to run into minor obstacles such as snow bunnies, puddles that can’t be jumped, a flock of snowbirds giving hassle, trees that upend their own roots and move to confuse the pathway. Whatever the interruption, it will come in the form of either a small creature made of magical snow or some minor hindrance to the path. Competitors will have to use magic to overcome these obstacles. Whatever your magic class, find a way. B ⦿ Sled Races
On the path, obstacles will come in the form of wholly washed out portions of the track that need to be reformed using magic to pass. Use elemental magic to flatten rocky areas or wash away debris. Larger creatures such as snow deer and moose congregate in large groups blocking the path, so an animal magic user could be useful for asking them to move... someone with cognitive magic could try their hand at a little hypnotizing a fellow newcomer with big muscles to move fallen logs for them. Healing mages could easily use buffers to support their fellow magicians with temporarily increased speed or strength. Use light magic to sneak past living obstacles, or dark users can cast a love enchantment and make a love match between two moose even though it's far from spring. There are tons more creative uses of magic to help you get through the obstacles on the sled's pathway. Find a creative way to use magic and get through the obstacle; make sure you are faster than the other guy. C ⦿ Snow Chicken
Just... be wary, these friendly yeti are surprisingly big on hugging as a form of congratulations. It's much more challenging to escape from a yeti's embrace than it is to knock one over.  Trumpets hail an announcement by the town crier in front of the castle. More than a few people pull out their phones to record it and post it to the AOL network for all to see. "Hear ye, hear ye! Our noblest of lords, King Arthur of Camelot, will host a tournament on this January the 20th on castle grounds. All are welcome to participate in competitions to determine those most skilled in both the physical and magical arts. In preparation for the upcoming tournament, we are sending envoys to Celliwig. In Celliwig lies the Magic Mirror of the South, gifted to Camelot by the Fae, and a means to communicate with their royal court at will. It is a vastly important task in your journey to become magicians and to show your good will toward the fairies. Parts of the mirror's frame have been damaged. We will need those brave of soul and pure of heart to retrieve the crystals needed to repair the mirror. Those interested, the party leaves at dawn." A ⦿ Brave of Soul
B ⦿ Pure of Heart
"The pure of heart will form the bridge with a leap of faith." Since everyone has gone as a group, it will be possible to see others walking over the water once one person figures it out. Though the clue may seem challenging, it is quite straight-forward. Characters who are pure of heart will find that if they believe in themselves, they will be able to step off the bridge and hardlight will form beneath their feet to allow them to step over the water. Those with ill intentions or those who are willing to harm others to get their way will slip into the rapid waters and may need to be saved by other characters. At least you're off the bridge, so magic will work to that end. C ⦿ Celliwig, the Splendored Court
The party is led to a hall at the center of the city-- the hall of mirrors. Those who have succeeded in obtaining crystals need to bring them and set them on a table placed before a mirror at the end of the hall, which appears to have a number of empty settings. It's unclear what happened to the mirror previously, but now it's necessary to restore it to garner the favor of the fae. Once crystals have been delivered, people will be free to explore the quiet city, but it seems most of the city is closing shop while the visitors are around. There is a restaurant that will serve visitors food, though all of the dishes are of the molecular gastronomy variety. Alcoholic drinks seem to come in vapor form and flashes of light if ordered, but seem effective nonetheless. The local general store seems to be willing to sell supplies to weary travelers as well, but that's about it. ...That said the inn doesn't seem particularly keen on allowing visitors in strangely, so you're either going to be sleeping on the iridescent streets or camping just outside the city if you prefer the soft grass and the darkness of night. Just be aware, if you leave, you won't be able to get back into this mysterious city so easily. MOD NOTES: • All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. • If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • Note that the third prompt in this TDM will have consequences on the game's progression. After the application round, a poll will be put up to see how many characters who are in the game, both new and old, are able to obtain the crystals from the Brave of Soul and Pure of Heart prompts. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but may contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ. *This Everwarm does not count toward your potion collection for those who wish to take up potion brewing. You must obtain Everwarm from the Elphame Trader's to count. **Jackets come in a variety of neutral colors, enchanted with a fit-adjustment spell that will adjust to your character's size. |
c; high ideals
And there's been plenty of other things on his mind.
But seeing Zuko, well, that does make him happy. Kaoru and Tamaki are more than enough, really, but Zuko had filled a niche friendship role for him that Hikaru's never quite had before. Selfishly, he's glad he doesn't have to go out and find another friend. That sounds like torture.
Instead of telling Zuko he's happy, Hikaru walks to him like it hasn't been a month since he's last seen the other.]
Took you long enough.
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Until today. Today was horrible. He had to confront his worst fears, convince himself that he's not innately a disgrace to exist at all and remind himself that his uncle told him, after forgiving him for his worst regrets, that he's "an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor." That got him through the cave, got him the crystal, even with an illusion of his father lurking in the background. If Hikaru had been there, it would've been like Bubble Part 2 in emotional intensity level — but this time would have been a lot easier within their friendship, probably. But he got through it still. He got through the test of confidence, too, proved he is as pure of heart as his uncle says, and crossed the invisible bridge... with Taichi, of all people! Who remembers Prismatica and Hikaru! Zuko's privately thrilled to finally meet him properly, as funny as it is to meet him in Avalon and not Lunatia... But he'd mentioned Hikaru is here, so Zuko's already in the know, already means to find him, knows he remembers him. And Azula remembers him. The guy with the piercings online remembers him. He just assumed if he knew someone there, they remember him here. Until that default line of thinking blew up in his face quite literally. Gokudera didn't remember him. They weren't best friends anymore, to put it lightly.
And so he's still happy to see his other best friend, inexpressibly relieved by already knowing that they both remember everything. As happy as they may be to see each other, they certainly don't show it clearly, no big grins and no hugs — that's not them — but Zuko is quite distracted in the moment Hikaru finds him, and not doing so hot. He's made off closer to the city, pacing frantically down the lip of the forest on the edge of town, whole body aching but overcome with nervous energy in the throes of a panic attack. Hikaru'd just missed him talking to himself out loud, flailing and screaming like a crazy person. It was a hard and heated argument with himself, and he didn't win... But when he hears Hikaru's voice, his heart leaps. Hikaru remembers. Hikaru's still his friend. Hikaru wants him here. "Took you long enough" shows that, snarky as a first greeting as it is. Normally Zuko'd probably find it funnier. But Hikaru's found him in a state... When Zuko spins round to face the host, he looks terrifying, like a villain out of an indie action movie.
His short stylish hair Hikaru groomed so well is a mess of wild black spikes. His black jeans are torn at the knees and thighs, all his clothes randomly singed, the collar of his black coat frayed, speckled with grey schmutz because he's covered in dirt... No, ash — soot? Dirt, and ash, and soot. And bruises and scrapes. And blood. A good part of Zuko's grey T-shirt's neckline look black, soaked with fresh blood. And his face is also soaked with both fresh bright red blood and dark crimson dried blood, as are both his hands. He couldn't wipe it all away; faces gush a lot. He has a fresh shiner on his good eye, and a couple gnarly gashes bookending it on his cheekbone and browbone, with a stripe of hair missing from the tail of his only eyebrow, which would look very chic and modern of him like one of those cool notches, if it weren't that the skin was missing, too. His lip is fat and swollen, also bright red, and there's another bloody gash down his chin to match it. Rings, man. Big, tacky rings. A new weapon on their own. He has a feral look on his face, and it's mixed with suspicious surprise at the sight of Hikaru, as he stands stunned before drawing closer. But surely it's Hikaru who should be painted with suspicious surprise, because what the fuck, Zuko. Way to make an entrance.
As you can see, your friend seems well. ]
Hikaru!
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So when he sees Zuko's face, everything, he yells:] Zuko, what the hell?! [Very comforting. Very nice. That's how you react to your friend who looks like he got the shit beaten out of him.]
Crap. Crap, what do I do?! [He is not trained in first aid!! And when he tries to take a step closer, he withdraws because that's so much blood? Hikaru is a prissy rich boy and that's always just been a well-known fact. That just shows itself even better right here and now. But he wants to help. The answer comes to him when he can think for a second:] Healing magic! Taichi has it but there's no way he can do this much. Crap. Give me a second, I'll ask around!
[Taking out his device and furiously texting as he's asking for help.] Seriously! What the hell happened?
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I'm fine. Don't. It's fine.
[ He sighs, shaking his head, bringing his hands to his temples. His whole being hurt, inside and out. Strange, anxious, awful pressure inside his head, heart still racing, blood still boiling. He's willing himself slightly calmer for Hikaru's sake cuz he knows how this goes, this ain't Hikaru's thing, but he's also slightly calmed just cuz... Hikaru's here. Shitty first encounter, but seems on brand for their first encounters, of all occasions so far. He'd only been here a couple days. Now this? He's exasperated, fury still burning slow, but he feels like he wants to deflate suddenly now that Hikaru's here. He evaded several fucking bombs tonight, and didn't evade a couple, too. He's tired, man. There's an edge and breathlessness to his voice that's not usually there, an oddly sharp but slow cadence, almost barely panting from the pain at points, and his anger adds to his natural rasp, too, though his voice cracks a bit when he raises it. ]
Katara's here. She has healing magic, too. And I met Taichi today, by the way. Great. I also met Gokudera. But as you can see— didn't go so great!
[ He waves his hands in the air emphatically. Then winces, cuz it hurt his shoulders to do that; one must have got hurt when he was thrown up against the tree. He feels like shit, and suddenly not being alone with his thoughts makes the physical pain more real, as Hikaru's sensibly frantically focusing on that before anything else. That Zuko has any amount of humor at play right now is actually probably a scary sign. But, on the bright side, he did sort of just casually give Hikaru his blessing about Taichi, so there's that? ]
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Hikaru's trying to find somebody who can help because Hikaru doesn't have much gold on him and he can be a jerk but he would spend it all on making sure his friend isn't too badly hurt. As he scours through the network, he is listening to Zuko but brushing off the fact that he says he's fine.] You're not fine, you're bleeding all over. [Hikaru is shaking and he's trying to keep his voice steady because what he's learned from his time with Zuko is that when either of them gets emotional then it doesn't bode well at all. Not that Hikaru thinks he's doing a good job at this but he's trying and it's better he's trying than not at all.
Zuko mentions Katara and Hikaru's about to ask if they can go find her like right now then? But then he mentions Taichi and okay but then mentioning Gokudera really fills in the missing piece.]
What did he do? What happened? And stop moving! Seriously you need help and you're hurting yourself so stop that! [He's trying to stay calm!!!]
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He doesn't remember me... He doesn't remember anything! He thinks I'm an enemy! And he fought so disgracefully — he fought with no fucking honor, snuck up on me, blinded me with some goddamn light, decked me twice... It was Gokudera all right, but not the Gokudera I know. Some other crazy asshole. And he'll never trust me again... He has no fucking clue who I even am! He doesn't remember anything!
[ The last comment is the most emotional, his voice louder than he means it to be, tone hot and hysterical. He's not well. He's brokenhearted, heartbroken, horrible. He has so much conflict inside, guilt for kicking and "firebending" at him, shame for conjuring his new fire magic out of rage for the first time, devastation for the loss, insulted, anger, confusion, all of it. He's not going to cry. But his voice doesn't instill much confidence in that by the last sentence, an emotional croak splitting what little composure he has. He bites back tears bitterly, throwing his hands out emphatically as he shouts, and winces from the emotional pain as much as the physical. Maybe it's a tantrum, maybe it's a panic attack, but either way Zuko is comfortable to talk to Hikaru about basic details without revealing anything about the conversation or the mafia. Zuko's fucking on edge about mentioning them at all now. His lips are sealed. ]
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And Zuko has the right to be. Everything he says, Hikaru immediately knows how painful it must have been because he can remember the way that Zuko had spoken of Gokudera. How much their friendship had meant to him. It didn't help that Gokudera had obviously been some kind of sexuality awakening in Zuko which Hikaru does know can mean a lot of things alright. Empathy is a new, and hard to manage, sentiment from Hikaru but he can imagine Taichi not remembering him at all. His heart absolutely breaks at the idea and then having Taichi try to kill him or something? Probably would never happen but he can imagine it's still painful.
Zuko's in a lot of pain and Hikaru doesn't know if he's equipped for this and this really, really sucks because he wants to help. More than anything, he wants Zuko to feel better. But even Hikaru knows he cannot magically make that happen. All he can do is listen and be there, all he can do is try to find Zuko some kind of medical attention.]
Zuko, stop moving around! [He's yelling but it sounds much more like a plea and a Hitachiin doesn't just plead to anybody but in this instance, he'll make an exception.] I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but you don't need to get hurt more over this and...[What does one do in this situation? Probably hug but right now Zuko is definitely not ready to be hugged. He takes a breath.] Please sit and just talk, okay? I'm finding somebody to help but I'm listening. He doesn't remember you? Like...like it never happened? [Sometimes, people want somebody to listen and Hikaru thinks he can do that.]
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It never happened. No. This Gokudera was never there. He's come here from Japan, not Prismatica. So he didn't forget. He just doesn't remember...
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So then it's like the Gokudera you knew didn't exist...? I didn't think that was possible. I mean, you remember everything? Taichi remembered everything and so does Kaoru. Tono does. I didn't think you could forget but...[If he thinks about it harder.] There's weird time bullshit going on. Kaoru had been here for a month without me even though we remembered the same things. That Gokudera could have been taken from before he came to Prismatica...
[Sometimes Hikaru's thoughts aren't wildly far off. He can go overboard but this time, he's figured it out. That's really awful.]
So, what, you were overly friendly and he tried to kill you?
[Finally, he finds somebody willing to come and help them for free. Thank goodness for the good samaritans of the world.] Oh, someone said they'll come and help. But keep going because I'm listening. I just need to figure out how to direct them here. They agree you shouldn't be moving. [He is listening as he tries to instruct them on where to get where they are.]
ayyy matching icons by accident lol the Drama
Don't. I only want Katara to heal me. I don't trust strangers. ...I'm glad you're here, but— I don't want to deal with anyone else. I can't handle random people right now.
[ Another, deeper sigh. There was so much love and affection for Hikaru written between the lines there, in Zuko language. He is glad he happened to find him; what are the chances... He holds his head in his hands, palms pressed against his temples. He notices that the ringing in his left ear has finally stopped. That's good, at least. ]
You got it all right, though, yeah. I'd heard from Taichi that you were here and that you remembered everything. I didn't know Tamaki was here, but that's good to know he didn't forget, either... Oh, and Azula is here, by the way— and she remembers everything. So I just assumed... Gokudera would, too.
omg i'm dying at the accidental matching icons
He isn't comfortable telling this person no when they seem to know what they're doing and how long has this Katara been here? Hikaru doesn't know but he also won't go against Zuko's wishes. He tells the healer they found someone else and closes out of the message.]
I'm...sorry. [Hikaru couldn't claim to be Gokudera's biggest fan. After what Zuko had told him about the other boy in Prismatica, he just wasn't sure that he thought this Gokudera was any good at all. A harsh judgment but Hikaru has never been very gentle in his opinions about other people. Even after this but especially when it comes to people he cares about. Zuko means a lot to him and has become one of his best friends. Gokudera hurt him and that's unforgiveable in Hikaru's eyes.
But still, Hikaru can understand the pain Zuko must be feeling.]
I'd say just get to know him again but if this is how he reacts...[It seems dangerous to keep trying for a friendship?] I know he meant a lot to you, but you know you're not alone here, right? You have Katara and Azula [even if Hikaru still is NOT sure about her at all either] but you still have me and Tono. Once you got us there's no losing us so you're stuck. [Hikaru has never had to comfort someone like this before and he's just trying his hardest to let Zuko know that there are plenty of people who care.]
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If Zuko weren't Zuko, it'd probably be clear not to continue trying to gain the friendship of a feral and combustible hitman, not to involve oneself with the mafia even a little bit, and not to forgive someone who tried to kill you in earnest, over and over. But he was sharing a bed with someone like that now; and that probably wasn't very wise, either. Zuko'd walked a dark road before, many times, gotten off it and back on again... To him, forgiveness is important; trusting in progress and potential is important. If he were to be judged objectively himself, he feels his history is so shitty that no one would be his friend; if he deserved forgiveness himself, then Gokudera deserves a chance, too. But maybe— that chance is just a turn down that darker road again. Here sat someone who'd never walked that road — much like Sokka and Katara — telling him he's not alone, that he's got a loyal friend in Hikaru and Tamaki both. People he knows he doesn't need to worry about ever attacking him, that's for sure. Zuko so often feels the devil and angel on each shoulder in his life, very much a theme for him at all turns. But lately, he's wondering which he's been listening to more... And right now, Hikaru's on his right side, literally and symbolically, and even Zuko recognizes that in the moment. If it comes to considering who may lead Zuko morally off-track, Hikaru and Tamaki ain't it.
He doesn't make eye contact, but he holds his head up again, turning toward Hikaru a bit with a sideways glance. He smiles the ghost of a smile, but it's hard to see with his busted lip, and it hurts, so it's short-lived. But he did smile, let the records show. ]
Thanks, Hikaru. Definitely seems like we're stuck together.
[ Without a painful smile, he sits back against the tree trunk again, and reaches over to pat Hikaru fondly on the knee. Two alternate realities, a bubble, an apartment, a loyal friendship... They're stuck, for sure. ]
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And look down on them because they're only rich because they kind of forced it but you also keep that to yourself because they're still the freakin' yakuza.
Right now, all Hikaru cares about is Zuko and how bad he looks. He's hurt inside as well but Hikaru thinks if he just keeps being his friend then maybe that will help? He's not panicking anymore so clearly Hikaru has fixed something.]
I've been here for a month. It's nothing like Lunatia, at least.
[That has to be some comfort. For the moment, he's looking for what he should do about Zuko's condition until they can get Katara to take care of him.] And next time I'm not leaving my place without a first-aid kit.
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A month, really? What's the last thing you remember from Lunatia...?
[ He sounds hesitant asking. This is a loaded question now. He's afraid of the answer. What if Hikaru forgot something? What if Zuko forgot something? Nothing made sense anymore, no predictions, no comfort. Just questions and hopefully comforting answers. But probably not, he feels now. ]
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[And Hikaru would rather not think about that part because boy did he mess up since then.]
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[ Timey-wimey wobbly-wobbly stuff does nothing to help Zuko's mind right now. He just shakes his head in frustration and groans. ]
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[Which was a curse in its own way but Hikaru isn't going to whine about his romance drama when Zuko's literally bleeding all over the place. He has some sense.]
So this time bullshit makes no sense. I've been trying to make sense of a timeline but I don't think there is any?
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[ Zuko splays his arms and legs out dramatically, exasperated. He groans, letting himself loosen up and looking miserable behind his busted lip and black eye, his aggravation softening into just... unease. ]
Hikaru... Do you ever think about what's happening to us? I mean, just think about it...? All this time and space shit... Our place in the universe, literally. Wouldn't all this drive the average person mad? How are we even connected to reality anymore? Are we?
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[Hikaru sighs because he's been thinking about this a lot. How come he is being brought to different worlds like this and with the same people? Like it's always the same people.]
Like I found out Taichi was born fifteen years after me. Fifteen! And then you're from a whole different world? But here we are, still coming together like this. You'd say it's destiny or something, right? [It's a small jab but he's joking. Well...] I'm joking. [He should tell Zuko he's joking.]
But who even knows anymore. I'm too normal for this.
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[ Time travel, he can get down with, sort of; Aang was frozen in ice for a century, that's something timey-wimey. Fifteen years between Hikaru and Taichi is alarming but somehow could still make some sense in another context, maybe. Space travel, okay, he could accept there are other planets, civilizations on other planets, maybe there would be technology advanced enough in his world someday to travel to them, even — seemed more like Sokka's kind of brainchild than Zuko's, but it's not unheard of. Even if his world, there are alien conspiracists. But time and space travel, within time and space travel— it's all too much. He groans softly again, craning his neck slightly to look through the treetops into the night sky, not even caring if he can see stars through the dark clouds or not. It hurts a little because of his shoulder, but he keeps looking upwards despite the pain, a ruminative look washing over his bloody face in the moonlight. He's inwardly brimming with anger still. He feels frail. He just survived numerous close-range explosions and an attack on his life from a formidable mafia hitman, just the most recent two additions to Zuko's long-standing indestructibility log. But he feels frail in a grander scheme, a deeper sense, and it's tiring as much as it is infuriating. ]
Like— do we just do this now? Go from world to world? Why us, specifically? Why me and my sister, but not the Avatar or the Fire Lord? Why you and your brother but at different times both times, never apart before in your life but still end up doing it symmetrically somehow? It can't be random. If it were random, there'd be more random people— why not bring, like, I dunno, a cabbage merchant or someone normal like that?! None of this makes any sense! It never has!!
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I can't go to another world. Like I think I'm going to go crazy with all the world jumping.
[But Zuko's right. None of this has ever made any sense and it's tiring. Hikaru's thought about it and tried to make it make sense. What was even the point of all of this? Like sure, doing all of this had helped him learn a lot about himself. He had met people who were important to him now and Hikaru didn't regret meeting them. He was glad for Zuko and Taichi.
But this was still too much.]
Like what other worlds can there be? Will I go to your world? Will you come to mine?
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[ It's a scary thought. He'd really love to visit Hikaru's world — Gokudera's world seemed to him to be the same world as Hikaru's. Just... Hikaru's probably not involved in the magic mafia. That's Zuko's line of thinking at this point. All his friends are Japanese, after all, barring Tamaki from France and Gokudera from Sicily, who both moved to Japan later on anyway. Their accounts of Japan all seemed to line up. He'd be fascinated to go there and see it for himself, especially after having studied so much about World War II and Japan's involvement, seen movies about yakuza and samurai swords, read about ancient China and its influence on Japan... There was so much that seemed to be a parallel to his own world, too. But it was so different. And inexplicable, unpredictable, where those overlaps are... ]
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Man, I was happy to see you and now I'm all bummed out. Thanks.
[But isn't that just like Zuko? And it's fine because this is just like Zuko and they're friends. Mostly Hikaru is joking even if he is a little sad now.]
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I mean, it's not like we got off on a happy note. A professional hitman attacked me and I just survived, like, dozens of dynamites. Sorry to bum you out, buddy...