☯ 1. The barrier has fallen and the entirety of the Avatar world is open for exploration. If you're going to the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom or any of the Air Temples, you might have a few days to travel. Stuck on a boat, airship or flying bison; yeesh! Those headed to the Fire Nation have the option of taking an ominous-looking portal located on Air Temple Island which will zip them straight there! No matter the destination, the population of each nation seems a little... thinned out.
☯ 2. Do you have an OU counterpart somewhere? Does that counterpart have some kind of bending-related ability? Then today is your lucky today! Gone are the days of bending (or non-bending); today, you get the powers your OU counterpart has! Alternatively, you thought you were out of the woods when everyone else had their bending messed up; not so anymore!
☯ 3. The city is in desperate need of vigilantes. Maybe. Vandals are ruining the city. Some are destroying property while others are making inappropriate graffiti on the walls and streets of the city.
☯ 4. Fresh off the boat? You know, now that all the barriers have dropped? Well you better find yourself a place to live and a place to work; otherwise you might as well make yourself home in Avatar Korra Park or ask for help on Air Temple Island.
Relatively, I guess. On both counts. There was a civil war, for a while there, between the North and the South? The Northern chief was this nutjob who wanted to become a dark Avatar or something.
[Going to very conveniently leave out his own involvement in that particular conflict.]
But he kicked the bucket and his kids are are the throne now and they're at least relatively sane. Aaaaaand the Earth Queen just got killed by a member of the Red Lotus and her heir won't be of age for another three years. But other than that, sure, all hunky dory!
[He stops and stares at Varrick in disbelief. Not at the civil war, or the dark Avatar, or even the Earth Queen's death, but on another particular detail.]
Oh yeah, them. Most of this is second hand knowledge, but sounds like they were some kind of crazy commando squad of nutbars. Led by this evil airbender, Zaheer. Wanted to get rid of all the world leaders, turn the world into some sort of happy free-for-all with no governments! Like that would work out right, buddy?
[Varrick gives a snort.]
They tried to off Avatar Korra, too, but they managed to kick 'em where the sun don't shine.
[Connor looks troubled by that. Do they have anything to do with the White Lotus? Or has the order still managed to keep their existence a secret? He'd ask, but that would risk compromising them.
...And what was that about an evil airbender? He's starting to get a headache.]
I suppose I will learn more about all this, in time... It still seems unbelievable.
[Is that actual sincerity in your voice, Varrick, dear god.]
So tell me what you were doing in the Earth Kingdom. Attacking Fire Nation colonies?
[What, a little history talk could be exciting. Also, they've reached the restaurant by now, and Varrick very gentlemanly holds the door open for him. It's a fairly low-key place, a ace with a small spread of international cuisine, filled with a mixed bag of dock workers and office people from the surrounding areas. He's trying not to over-whelm the guy with anything too fancy. If the stories his dad used to tell him about what the South was like during the war, there probably wasn't much more than salt fish and seal jerky to eat for him.]
[Connor nods a silent thanks as he holds the door open for him, and steps inside. It all looks so strikingly foreign, like a mishmash of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation design... but at least the food looks and smells familiar. That's one thing time hasn't changed.]
Not the colonies. Only their military bases and convoys. Then there's intercepting intelligence, committing sabotage on structures and equipment, raiding their supplies...
[Connor shrugs as if to say the list goes on. He chooses a table for them both, and, aware that he's attracting more than a few stares, at least has the decency to slip off his bow and arrows and set them aside.]
[Just don't fire at any civilians and they should be okay. Varrick orders a pot of tea for them to start and throws himself into a chair with his usual sprawl of dangly limbs.]
Back when I was a kid, the few elders in the village that had actually made it back from the war never shut up about it once, lemme tell you. None of them ever seemed as impressive as you do, if I may say so.
[As he takes a seat opposite, Connor just gives a wry smirk, taking his sword and club from his belt and setting those aside too. Still within reach -- old habits die hard -- but out of sight to most other customers.]
I will try not to bore you with too many of my own war stories, then.
Ah! That'd be the Satomobiles. Gasoline powered horseless carriages if you will. Developed by Future Industries a few years back. Although I was really nearly at the same break through myself when they came out with the patent!
Yeah. I'm kind of a big deal around here. I started in shipping about twenty years back but lately I've been doing a lot more technological innovation. I should take you to a mover sometime while you're in town. That was one of my own little inventions.
[The waiter comes to take their orders, and Varrick just gets the most expensive thing on the menu and a bucketload more tea, cause why not.]
Moving pictures! It's like a play that's been recorded and projected up on a screen. I did these movers during the war called Nuktuk, Hero of the South! They were pretty damn popular, lemme tell you.
I like to think so. Don't know what I would have done in a world without electricity. No offence, pal. But I had enough of seal blubber lamps and igloos as a kid. The comforts of the future are a-okay with me.
[Privately, Connor thinks he'd much prefer being at home to fighting a war, seal blubber lamps, igloos and all, but he doesn't say so. Attitudes in the future have changed a great deal.]
I am sorry for all the questions... But what is electricity?
[Varrick gestures to the (admittedly a little dusty) ceiling lamps over their heads.]
They're not lit by fire or anything. It's a new source of energy called electricity. Got it all over the place these days. You can turn on your lights or power your oven with the flip of a switch.
[He looks at the lamps with interest. He did think they looked far too bright to be regular flames, but he had never imagined that could be the reason.]
Do we have this kind of energy at the South Pole, as well?
Some places. It's not anything in most people's homes though.
[Varrick looks uncharacteristically serious as he takes a log sip of tea.
The South got pretty devistated during the Hundred Year War. I mean I don't have to tell you that. Meanwhile the North was hiding between their nice little walls keeping their economy running tickedy boo. When the war finished the North promised to help rebuild the South, send money and help rebuild. But there was never really anything in it for them and they need did more than the bare necessity. Most people back home in the villages are living about they did probably when you were last there.
I have never been to the North, but I know they turned their back on us a long time ago.
[He doesn't really have any interest in going there, either. They'd probably look down on him simply for being from a poor village in the South, and it sounds like it wouldn't be any different in this time.]
[yes. Certainly not any kind of war profiteering would happen with him EVER. What a ridiculous idea. Varrick goes at his own dinner with a little more delicacy, but he does appreciate a man with a good appetite.]
Well I am a bit of a rare case. I started out my business with a single canoe, and now I run the world's shipping! But I m a genius, so not everyone can be at my standard.
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rctimes2014-11-19 12:01 am
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[Going to very conveniently leave out his own involvement in that particular conflict.]
But he kicked the bucket and his kids are are the throne now and they're at least relatively sane. Aaaaaand the Earth Queen just got killed by a member of the Red Lotus and her heir won't be of age for another three years. But other than that, sure, all hunky dory!
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The Red Lotus? Explain.
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[Varrick gives a snort.]
They tried to off Avatar Korra, too, but they managed to kick 'em where the sun don't shine.
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...And what was that about an evil airbender? He's starting to get a headache.]
I suppose I will learn more about all this, in time... It still seems unbelievable.
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[Is that actual sincerity in your voice, Varrick, dear god.]
So tell me what you were doing in the Earth Kingdom. Attacking Fire Nation colonies?
[What, a little history talk could be exciting. Also, they've reached the restaurant by now, and Varrick very gentlemanly holds the door open for him. It's a fairly low-key place, a ace with a small spread of international cuisine, filled with a mixed bag of dock workers and office people from the surrounding areas. He's trying not to over-whelm the guy with anything too fancy. If the stories his dad used to tell him about what the South was like during the war, there probably wasn't much more than salt fish and seal jerky to eat for him.]
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Not the colonies. Only their military bases and convoys. Then there's intercepting intelligence, committing sabotage on structures and equipment, raiding their supplies...
[Connor shrugs as if to say the list goes on. He chooses a table for them both, and, aware that he's attracting more than a few stares, at least has the decency to slip off his bow and arrows and set them aside.]
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Sounds exciting!
[It... doesn't, Varrick. Stop saying dumb things.]
Back when I was a kid, the few elders in the village that had actually made it back from the war never shut up about it once, lemme tell you. None of them ever seemed as impressive as you do, if I may say so.
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I will try not to bore you with too many of my own war stories, then.
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[ARE YOU NOTICING HIM FLIRTING YET really he's pulling out the good stuff here.]
So need any more questions answered about the bright and terrifying future?
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I've been meaning to ask about those carriage machines that are everywhere in the streets... I have not seen anything like them before. What are they?
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[Sure you were, Varrick.]
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[He sounds impressed. Varrick's been kind to him so far, so he doesn't have any reason to disbelieve any of what he says.]
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[The waiter comes to take their orders, and Varrick just gets the most expensive thing on the menu and a bucketload more tea, cause why not.]
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[More intrigued still! When the waitress comes, Connor orders a meat dish. Anything he doesn't have to hunt or fish for himself is always a luxury.]
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[He pauses to sip his tea, then:] The future is strange... but you have many amazing things here, as well. You are very fortunate.
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I am sorry for all the questions... But what is electricity?
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[Varrick gestures to the (admittedly a little dusty) ceiling lamps over their heads.]
They're not lit by fire or anything. It's a new source of energy called electricity. Got it all over the place these days. You can turn on your lights or power your oven with the flip of a switch.
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Do we have this kind of energy at the South Pole, as well?
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[Varrick looks uncharacteristically serious as he takes a log sip of tea.
The South got pretty devistated during the Hundred Year War. I mean I don't have to tell you that. Meanwhile the North was hiding between their nice little walls keeping their economy running tickedy boo. When the war finished the North promised to help rebuild the South, send money and help rebuild. But there was never really anything in it for them and they need did more than the bare necessity. Most people back home in the villages are living about they did probably when you were last there.
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[He doesn't really have any interest in going there, either. They'd probably look down on him simply for being from a poor village in the South, and it sounds like it wouldn't be any different in this time.]
What about you? Do you live in this city?
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[Ah, here's there food. Excellent!]
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It is good that at least you have prospered after the war, even if not all of our people yet have.
[Especially if he helps his fellow tribesmen like this. What a nice guy, right? ... Right???]
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Well I am a bit of a rare case. I started out my business with a single canoe, and now I run the world's shipping! But I m a genius, so not everyone can be at my standard.
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