TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 5

[avalonmods]

✨ Greet new players on the OOC intro while apps are processed HERE! ✨

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival KERPLUNK, SPLASH! 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 slightly chilled 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 still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, but seems to be focusing on coordinating a band of chia manatees to help rescue any wayward new arrivals. Chia manatees are a special Avalonian manatee that is green in color and has what appears to be a patches of grass or other short plantlife growing on its back. While some are fully green, others sport small flower blossoms that haven't yet grown in or various types of mushrooms. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. Those with animal magic may get their info from the manatees, though may notice that they're really overly friendly and have zero concept of personal boundaries. Everyone may notice they have no concept of personal space, as they will happily run right into someone's belly for a snoot squishing. 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. *Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones and a pair of earbuds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go. 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 The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies. 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. The Isle of Avalon is abuzz with excitement for the upcoming Spring Equinox (though some of the more posh citizens will insist it's the Vernal Equinox, tut tut). Unlike the very specific rituals of the Winter Solstice that require much preparation, the Spring is welcomed throughout the month through a variety of small rituals to help the world along as it renews itself, growing new plants and allowing nature to make new life. A ⦿ The Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies Throughout February, the Frost Fairies were running amok and keeping things chilly, even awarding those who gave them treats last month. These fairies create ice crystals on contact and can be spotted by the beautiful ice crystal patterns that form in their trail. They cause frost bite if you physically touch them, so capture isn't recommended. They seem to be sticking around a little too long this month, as they're normally supposed to leave at the end of February. No one seems alarmed, as it seems that this happens from time to time. It's easy enough to deal with-- and so, people throughout town are being asked to perform a ritual called the Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies. It's perfectly safe, and lets these invisible little creatures be sent on their way until the next winter. The first step: create bait. Fill a planter with dusty miller and silver sage, with a night-blooming flower at the center. The silvery-white leaves pique the curiosity of the Frost Fairies because they look snowy, yet when they see the flower bloom, they know it cannot be. The plants won't be damaged at all in the ritual, so you'll get a moon garden out of it, which can be incidentally draw adorable little moon rabbit kits in to play inside your home while the moon is out. They're friendly, though they do tend to enjoy pack-sized snuggles-- you may find yourself stuck with no fewer than 15 rabbits attempting to climb on you for attention and need someone's help to pull them off. You may need to get them under control before you continue with the ritual. Once you've assembled your miniature moon garden, you'll need to find a stranger to perform the ritual. You need to bring a new energy into your home in order to let the Frost Fairies know that it's time to meet something new. Take hands with the new person and dance in circles around the miniature moon garden. The plants will start to glow and the Frost Fairies will become visible-- short, fat, all-white penguin with flamingo-length legs and icicle crowns. They will immediately challenge you and your summoning partner to a duel! Though, you can pick what kind of challenge it is as their culture dictates. They're pretty overconfident, just remember not to pick something that involves touching them unless you want to end up needing a healer. B ⦿ The Language of Flowers Once the Frost Fairies are properly banished, flowers are starting to crop up all around Camelot, the Broceliande, the fields in between, and those who come back to the White Cliffs after arrival will even find the Cliff Beast in a pleasant mood from all the lovely little flowers hanging off of his clifftop. (No one's quite sure how a cliff seems happy, but that's the sense everyone gets.) Wherever you may be, there are flowers starting to crop up. Normally, this would be when people would start gathering decorations to cover the buildings and make flower altars, but a lot of the wild flowers normally accessible... well... It looks like a brood of dragons hatched a little early and, upon seeing all the flowers start to crop up, decided that these flowers are the treasures that they want to hoard. The baby dragons didn't fly too far down from their mountain, but once one of them flew past the Lands of Rot and found the fields of flowers, it got its siblings. Now there are a handful of baby dragons claiming different areas as their hoard and making it impossible to get around without being attacked by an admittedly cute fire-breathing menace. No one wants the baby dragons slain, but the baby dragons need to be brought back to their mother's cave in the Ash Mountains. The safest way is through the half-dead area between the Dusklight Woods and the Lands of Rot. The dragons will attack anyone who comes into their area but seem to be friendly toward anyone wearing a flower crown, as they seem to accept them as a part of their hoard if the flowers send the right message. Use the language of flowers to communicate with the dragons and try to get them to follow you by wearing a flower crown that matches one you offer to the dragon. A flower crown that says sympathy and sadness might not be as effective as something that says virtue and bravery. Just be careful not to woo them the wrong impression with something that says eternal love and devotion, or you might have a different kind of dragon problem... Regardless, since the dragons are guarding the flowers you need to make the crowns out of, you'll need to find a way to get past their attacks to gather flowers to begin with to find the flowers you want to make your crown with. Flower crowns need at least two types of flowers to communicate with the dragons, so it's recommended you work together with others to try to gather as many flowers as you can to find the flowers you need. Thankfully, since dragons are sacred, most of the Dusklight Woods creatures will leave you alone, so it's best to hug that side of the mixed path. You and whoever you're working with only have to worry about fighting alongside the baby dragons to fight off the Land of Rot creatures that hang around the edge: Skeleton warriors that can only be scattered but not killed, Fogueria (a lion made of fire that likes to play with its food in sadistic ways), and rattlesnakes. Once you're at the foot of the Ash Mountains, the baby dragons will fly back up to their cave on their own. With the baby dragons returned to their nest, you can head home, and the townsfolk can start decorating for the Spring Equinox. C ⦿ Spiritual Cleansing The frost is gone, the flowers are free, and rabbits are running around town like they own the place. All of the physical and symbolic spring equinox preparations are made, now it's time to look within. As the season of renewal and rebirth, a huge part of that is personal reflection and growth. As such, outdoor meditation and yoga flash parties are all the rage right now. Get caught it one and you and anyone around you will be stuck in a barrier until you complete at least 5 yoga poses and hold them for 30 seconds each. Some of them are a little challenging.. thankfully, no one is going to stop you from getting help holding them from someone else who's stuck with you. A plague of smoothie hockers has also cropped up around town, which means portable carts offering different magical smoothies is going around selling their fruity and flowery spring flavors for a refreshing boost of your spirit. No, really boost it. The magical effects are in small text underneath the flavors, so they may be easy to miss. Hibiscus-Berry: Vanity Spirit (person may become temporarily obsessed with appearance, finding cute clothes, getting their hair and nails done, needing to be their ideal of attractive) Strawberry-Rose: Romantic Spirit (flirtiness, desire to be romantic with someone) Jasmine-Peach: Friendship Spirit (go out of your way to make new friends, make grand friendship gestures to people you've already befriended or have known for five minutes and want to befriend) Lavender-Mulberry: Distrusting Spirit (paranoid, may start fights because they think someone is out to get them) Butterfly Pea-Lemon Tea: Meditative Spirit (fall asleep easily, peaceful/relaxed about alarming things, sudden penchant for Big Thoughts about the universe) Dandelion-Apple-Banana: Surivival Spirit (sudden desire to do everything yourself, whether that's hunting/gathering food, getting really into DIY projects like making your own soap or building your own chicken hutch because you're going to get your own eggs, or really wanting to live outside for a while) The effects only last for an hour or two, so it's unlikely any real damage can be done (hopefully) but it'll certainly give you a new outlook on life! Spring is in the air, the Equinox is coming, and prep is underway. But all work and no play can get a little boring, right? Avalonians have come together and set up a few activities for Adventurers. While all of these activities can be completed and enjoyed without using magic, participants will be encouraged do to so, don’t worry if it goes a little haywire. There are magical force fields around the play zones to contain any mishaps. A ⦿ Keep it Rollin' Rollin' The first area set up for fun and games is a barrel rolling contest. Participants are split into pairs to compete against each other to see who can roll their partner inside the barrel down the hill and across the finish line the fastest. Springtime is when geysers start bursting around the bottom of the hill though, so you'll have to watch out for those and any boulders to make sure your barrel doesn't burst before you reach the bottom! To make things a little more interesting, the planners had a bit of mischief with the barrels... As barrels reach a quarter of a way down the hill, the outside will burst into flames. Surprise! While they are enchanted so that the flames aren't actually hot, participants are not aware of this. Sorry, the guys running this game aren’t that big on explaining; after all, it’s just rolling a fire barrel down the hill; what’s so complicated? Fire makes it look like it's going faster and is way more exciting to watch! B ⦿ Hop Skip and a Jump Everyone loves hopscotch, right? Well, whether you do or don’t, that next zone is all about the hop, the skip, and the jump. Two hopscotch boards about the size of a basketball court each are laid out side by side for participants. The object again, to see who can complete the task that fastest. If you reach a spot with a magic symbol, you have to cast a spell at your opponent or you can't proceed. This is combat hopscotch! Of course, once more, the folks running the show forgot to mention one tiny thing, a quarter of the way into the board, random spots will drop away as you go, leaving holes in the ground! Yikes, better take that leap! Don’t worry, if you miss, the bottom of the hole is filled with marshmallow fluff in bright pink, yellow, and pastel purple. (Kind of reminds you of something, huh...?) Down in the hole are rungs and footholds to get yourself back out, but boy, will that put you behind the other guy if they didn’t fall. Well, guess victory will have to be a little sweeter than you planned! C ⦿ Gettin' Brewy With It Now, this activity probably seems a little safer. Welcome to the “Brew” tent. Participants will be given ingredients, space, and set up in pairs to brew up a tasty drink! A variety of ingredients are available and with it, participants will be taught the Recipe: Brewery. This spell can be used to accelerate brewing and distilling processes for alcoholic drinks. Of course, if someone who is too young to drink according to their world's rules, any alcohol in the drink will evaporate, so it's really only a spell that's useful for adults... but everyone can participate in making drinks. You can pick any ingredients you want, but all participants are instructed that a sprinkle of that magic at just the right time will make it perfect. When asked what the right time is, all they will be told is they’ll know when. Some may get it right, depending on instinct. Others might sprinkle too much and cause the drink to burst all over them and their partner, and their workstation or have some other silly side effect, like make them hiccup uncontrollably or catch a case of the giggles. Or maybe they cast for too long or too short a time and the drink turns sour, turns to ash, grows wings on the cup, and flies away. Brewery magic can be fickle, so there's lots that can go wrong.. but get it right, and you can have one heck of a drink to enjoy! 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. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but 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.

Comments

Iroh | Avatar The Last Airbender

[uncle_iroh]

Arrival

Oh! They were friendly. So was Iroh. He accepted the help, and gave affection to the creatures, and might have even made a few quips about them having the same body shape on their way to land. Once there, he bowed to thank them before wringing out his clothes and hair. He could have used Bending to dry them - or so he thought - but it was just damp clothing, he'd save that for important things. Like tea. Speaking of...

He turned to the nearest person with a warm smile. "I don't suppose you know where an old man could sit and enjoy a nice cup of tea?"


Red Spring

It hadn't taken him long to realize that he couldn't use half the stuff in his room. So once he was changed into clean and dry clothes he went off in search of a cup of tea. Iroh could be found sitting by the water, seeming to be contemplating a soak as he sipped his tea. He was actually contemplating the situation he had found himself in. These people needed help, but so did people back home. He hadn't been able to help his son, he wanted to be able to help his nephew. If time was really frozen back home, so much the better. However time wasn't frozen here, and he wasn't exactly a young man. And he knew how dangerous war could be. If he was going to help, he'd be going all the way. But could he do that, knowing that meant that he'd be abandoning his responsibilities at home and his nephew?

Yes, he had much to think about indeed.

I was considering this TDM, then saw Iroh, and now have to.

[avatar_state]

Friendly wouldn't even begin to describe her reaction. Nothing here made sense, she had no idea what to do - and there, once again, was that familiar, wise face. A guide in troubled times. The face looked younger, but that didn't matter. So what he would get was a young woman dashing up to him to give him a hug, sodden and all, and not seeming to care at all.

"Iroh! I should have expected to see you here!"

The cast is very welcoming! Just a heads up, his canon point is in ATLA

[uncle_iroh]

He blinked, startled, even as he returned the hug. He was hardly one to let a young woman hanging like that. "I am very happy to see you young lady, I just have one question. Who exactly are you?" He asked it as kindly as he could, but something was clearly off here. He'd remember someone like her, would he not? "I think I would know, if I had met someone so lovely, after all," he said to try to keep from hurting her.

Whoever she was.

My last tag was sort of counting on that :)

[avatar_state]

Which is when the younger face clicks in to her conscious mind. She pulled back, looking a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, it's...it's a long story. You're not there yet. Not by a long shot, actually. But I'm doing this wrong, it's just...when I'm lost, it's really good to see your face."

But she bows, respectfully, from the waist. "But first things first. My name is Korra. I'm the Avatar."

Cool

[uncle_iroh]

He returned the bow, respectfully. "Well I am glad that I could be a comfort, but I was pretty sure the Avatar was a young boy," he said. And she clearly... wasn't. "Still, it is nice to meet you, Korra."

[avatar_state]

She nodded.

"I know - you were a friend of Avatar Aang. Your nephew told me a few stories and, well, we've met. It was only once but you were...memorable. I don't think I properly thanked you for it either, so I guess I'm doing that out of order."

[uncle_iroh]

A friend, huh? Interesting. And an Avatar on friendly terms with Zuko?

"My dear, I think perhaps we should find a place to share a nice cup of tea and you can start at the beginning. I suspect this is the sort of tale best told with a hot beverage."

red spring;

[rediscovering]

Likewise, as any time, his nephew also had much to think about.

The young prince often strays away from Camelot, back to the inn with the springs and the training grounds to use those facilities — the training grounds more than the springs, really. Nearly every morning at dawn, in fact, because he's a freak entirely diligent as Iroh had trained him to be; the staff at the inn knew him by face but not by name, by this point, because of course he also doesn't talk to them... He just goes and fumes, focused intently on his magic training, trying to get his fire back, his missing flame inside feeling like a visceral void. It was exhausting mentally and physically, and this is how he's spent his days the past month or two. Tonight was a rare occasion, where he felt due for a soak in the springs.

The truth is, Zuko doesn't only come here to use the training grounds. He's also made it a habit to come looking on the shores for his uncle when there are new arrivals. Katara and Sokka had found him that way, searching the shores hopefully for their loved ones, anyone, so it seemed like a good habit to pick up. But Zuko just... hoped for Uncle. He scarcely wished for anyone else; Mai and Aang sometimes, but really he was always just checking for Iroh. He figured their destinies are inextricably linked and he'd already appeared on the other planet Zuko'd been on; so that must mean destiny will bring him to this realm, too, the same as it'd brought Azula and all his other new alien friends. Zuko felt hopeful it was only a matter of time until Iroh showed up here.

But at times, when he inevitably turned up alone going back home every time, sometimes he felt he was betting in vain on some chaotic chance, in a universe that made less and less sense every day. Why should he expect his uncle here so soon with such certainty? All his theories and beliefs about destiny have been warped the past several months, after all, even before being spirited away. And after a while... one feels a bit defeated. Not so much to give up hope or stop searching, because that's not Zuko's style! But enough to want to take a soak in a hot spring and think, alone.

But Zuko is not alone. He has his uncle here without even realizing it. He's a bit dejected and not carefully looking around, preparing to enter the springs without noticing much, needing still to undress and whatnot. But he's indeed not alone at all; his familiar, a small, ferrety red dragon, is usually slinking around nearby, and it notices Iroh, recognizes Iroh immediately, because it knows Zuko so deeply through their magical, spiritual bond — and also, uh, has seen Iroh's portrait Zuko keeps by the bedside. The little dragon wastes no time zipping toward the old man, out of Zuko's sight, and even takes an unnecessary, dramatic, clumsy plunge into the water as a shortcut to reach him, creating a small splash in range of wetting the poor man. It is not a graceful dragon... But it climbs out of the water and holds itself up regally as if none of that mess just now ever happened, extending its wings showily to dry them. But as it sits on the rock, it stares at Iroh intently, very clear it ran to him specifically.

Meantime, its brooding master is still none the wiser to its antics from afar, still inside the entrance hall. Dragon problems were the last thing he wanted tonight; yet he always seemed to find plenty of dragon problems on the regular...

Re: red spring;

[uncle_iroh]

It had been years since Iroh had seen a dragon. He smiled at the small dragon's antics, then reached for the plate beside him and broke off a piece of his snack, offering it. "Well hello there, little one," he said kindly. "Would you like something to eat? I would offer you some tea, but they only gave me one cup."

If there was a dragon here, wherever here was, that was a dragon that survived. And he would do whatever it took to keep that dragon alive.

[rediscovering]

The zippy little dragon also wastes no time snatching that snack right out of Iroh's hand, hell yeah, free food. It has to be a young dragon, even if its size is misleading; in fact, the beast can grow quite large, though not as large as their dragons at home, but far bigger than the fiery ferret it is now. It's clearly young because of its... enthusiasm... and carelessness... and inability to eat in a polite looking way at all, it's just gnawing openly on the food as half the crumbs fall out, gross, c'mon...! This is the least majestic dragon in its behavior, even if it's beautiful up-close. Something about its demeanor just points to its youth and raucous spirit.

It scurries up toward Iroh more readily now, climbing onto the table where the plate sat. Helping itself to another, why, thank you... Give an inch, take a foot... And since Iroh said he'd offer his tea but they'd only given one cup, that's halfway like permission if you're a dragon who doesn't mind sharing, even when it's... not yours. It was a very tasty snack, but this dragon eats and drinks anything with little qualm, and the warm cup of tea smells good, nice to wash down its treat. Don't mind if he does, it thinks...

It's fast, but not so fast, thankfully. Just as its wandering whiskers graze the surface of Iroh's tea, before its mouth can reach it, its quick chance to sneak a sip is interrupted by a sharp, harsh yell... from an all too familiar voice.

"Zunyan! Cut it out!"

Its master's command halts the dragon to full attention, peering back up on edge, caught redhanded in the act, as the young firebender stomps up in a rush. The dragon moves to slink away, but has a second thought, and steals one more bite of Iroh's snack to-go, before leaping from the table with another unnecessary showy flap of its wings, before it, too, rushes up to its master in turn, chewing its food hastily and sloppily as it runs back toward him. Zuko's wearing a scowl, alarmed, annoyed, as the dragon meets him at his heels halfway. Zuko's only seen the pair from behind, from afar, and it does not click immediately just who his dragon is harassing now until he draws nearer. He walks up in a simple, white yukata, his hair short like he'd worn it in Ba Sing Se, but a cleaner, chicer cut, skin clear, his face not gaunt, maybe standing a centimeter or two taller, looking healthy and handsome — but indeed, Iroh's nephew still looked very tired.

[uncle_iroh]

He knew that voice of course. How could he not. Well, that solved a fair bit of his dilemma, didn't it? He turned slowly. "A fine name for a fine young Dragon," he said, standing as he twisted.

He took in the sight before him. Zuko. His nephew. As dear to him as a son. He looked better, healthier, but still tired. Still the face of someone who pushed too hard, never bothered to rest.

"Sometimes a single sound or sight can answer many questions, but just as often every answer spawns new questions." Like why does Zuko look different at all from when he saw him last? Like how did Zuko wind up with the care of a small dragon? And what were they going to do from here?

Still, those were questions he far preferred to the ones he had had five minutes ago.

1/2

[rediscovering]

Those were also questions with easy answers — well, for the most part. But that would require words, which Zuko is at a loss for as his jaw drops when Iroh stands and turns around and Zuko comes close enough to see clearly who it is. He stops dead in his tracks at first, just gaping for a half a moment. It can't be...

After all this agonizing this way and that, seemingly endless carriage rides with myriad strangers Zuko'd had to welcome, all just because he wanted to search for his uncle this whole time, even telling so many people about his uncle here somehow... He'd just been missing him extra, when it came down to it. It was a surreal cusp between a dream and a slap in the face by reality, his real reality, returning to him from home. Or maybe from elsewhere. It didn't matter. He's here.

Zuko's different somehow for sure, than however Iroh last saw him, because a half a year on a planet oriented around physical affection and several new close friendships later, Zuko's full of surprises... His first uncharacteristic move, once the shock washes over him, is to run to Iroh and close that gap between them but completely, eagerly roping his uncle into a tight hug. It'd only been a few months since he'd last seen him, but they were long, long months without him.

"Uncle...?!"

He doesn't smile; his scowl stays in place, though drawn into more of a hyper-emotional pout now. He pulls away, grasping his uncle's shoulders with both hands as if to keep him there just in case he disappears.

"When did you get here?! Today?! I've been searching for you!"

2/2

[rediscovering]

While he may not smile at Iroh, there is another surprise in Zuko's reaction, as he flashes an incredulous, thankful, almost painful smile at the little dragon on the ground, which preens in acknowledgment. He'd clearly made some kind of special bond with it — more than a pet, knowing dragons are much wiser than that, but something still was quite boyish and pure about the way he addresses the creature.

"Zun! You found Uncle!"

Yes, yes, it did, didn't it...~ It holds its head high, fluttering its wings as it folds them; dragons' faces aren't the most expressive, but it sure does look pleased with itself. Zuko had named the dragon himself, since unlike some others' familiars, his could not talk to him, so couldn't tell him if it already had a name of its own. But Zuko, with deep respect for dragons of course, had named it Zunyan — "Dignity" — or for short, just Zun — written like "Honor" in their world's language. So the dragon seemed to have no objections to its new name. It was doing a fantastic job as a familiar so far, Zun felt of itself... and had stolen gotten a lot of free food along the way while at it.

Re: 2/2

[uncle_iroh]

Iroh returned the hug. There would never come a day when he wouldn't. "I think that perhaps we have much to discuss," he said instead of answering. He would, but he needed to think and he had questions of his own. "Shall we go inside and get some more tea? For the three of us, perhaps?"

Red Spring

[bendless]

One thing Sokka didn't expect to see when he came to take a bath in the Red Springs was a familiar old man. Like every month, Sokka had gone to the Beach to look at the newcomers but somehow he had ended up missing Iroh in the progress it seemed.

"General Iroh...?" Please tell him the man didn't think of him as an enemy in his timeline.

Re: Red Spring

[uncle_iroh]

General, huh? Well that told him somethings about how he was viewed, perhaps. But it didn't tell him quite enough. Since he hadn't been attacked, he gave a small smile and a nod, before taking a sip of his tea, watching the young man. "Did you come to join me for a nice refreshing cup of tea? It has to be more comfortable than just standing there."

[bendless]

He's not sure what else to call him and he doesn't want to be disrespectful at someone older than him.

"... so you don't view me as an enemy? Even if I'm with the Avatar?" He does sit down in the path, watching him carefully. "I would hope you're more of an... ally."

[uncle_iroh]

"Moments of peace are so rare, who wants to shatter them with such things?" he asked. "Besides, if we truly are on a new world, what could be gained by holding on to old animosity? For all I know the Avatar and my nephew are not here. And even if they were, if Prince Zuko was to try to capture your friend, where would we take him?" he asked.

Not quite an answer, and yet perhaps all the answer that was needed.

[bendless]

"Good news, Zuko is here and he's basically on our side. The, uh, time is weird in this place, so you might not remember that he kind of joined Team Avatar."

Ah, the bath is so relaxing though. This is one of the reasons he comes to Red Spring to be honest. "Though his sister is also here."

[uncle_iroh]

"I see. I apparently have much yet to learn of what I thought I already knew. It is refreshing, at my age." In other words, please tell him more, Sokka.

Red spring

[lendedahand]

Lavellan hadn't intended to visit the springs this day, but with all the new arrivals crowding the training fields, and the remains of his left arm bothering him, he gave in to a bit of rest. Took all of five minutes for him to doze off with his feet dangling in the water, so Iroh would likely notice the elf, slightly shorter than a human, far more lean, and missing his left arm at the elbow, out cold by the water's edge. It did not last long however, he was a light sleeper and Iroh's presence woke him with a start not long after his arrival. Reflex had him reaching for a weapon he hadn't bought upon seeing the human, but the tension faded once he had a moment to regain some clarity from his slumber. Old habit he couldn't quite shake, but better overly wary than dead. Still, the stranger had done nothing to warrant such a reaction so Lavellan offered an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that, I'm far more used to being woken by something that would potentially have me as a snack."

Re: Red spring

[uncle_iroh]

"It is a sad state of affairs, but from what I have seen so far, most of us have been in that same position. And given why we seem to be here, I don't suppose it will get easier anytime soon. But, if we work together, perhaps we can find a way to help each other get a safer and deeper sleep along the way. A full night's sleep is something to be treasured, and not for its rarity alone."

Re: Red spring

[lendedahand]

That gets Lavellan to chuckle, the old human had a nice thought but it wasn’t something he could ever imagine being able to indulge in. People were probably the biggest reason he slept lightly, a beast would be content simply getting away with some livestock after all, but a slaver or assassin had very different goals.

“Forgive my skepticism on the matter, my people always tend to sleep lightly. The lands we traveled tended to be hostile.”

Re: Red spring

[uncle_iroh]

A look of deep sympathy crossed his features. "And there has never been a friend you have trusted who could watch over you when you slept, if you did the same for them?"

Re: Red spring

[lendedahand]

That question was more loaded than Iroh knew given the recent betrayal of a close friend back home. Did he have people he trusted? Yes of course, but now that trust was tainted by a constant whisper of what if. He generally tried to avoid such heavy topics though, bad for moral, and he has enough people fretting over him back home. Easier to deflect with good humor, or poor humor if he could get a good pun in.

“Oh I’ve people I trust, just not enough to wake up before me if there’s danger. I’m like the mine canary! Comes with years of being hated and living somewhere notoriously dangerous!”