Test Drive Meme

[cyclicalitymods]

	♥ 1. Where did you come from? You may not know anyone else on the boat, but you've all got one thing in common; you're headed to Republic City. ♥ 2. It's your first day in Republic City. You might wanna get a job lined up or you'll be living on the streets. ♥ 3. You're the new person in the city. You gotta make some friends, right? Go find someone and strike up a conversation.
	♦ 4. Feeling a little crafty? Maybe you could make a quick yuan. Sell information for money or do a little threatening. ♦ 5. Vines. Vines everywhere! They're like the heads of a hydra. What are you going to do about the vines that just invaded your apartment? ♦ 6. Triads, Equalists... thugs in general. Welcome to the aftermath of losing a fight. Are you gonna go find a healer or are you gonna tough it out?
	♣ 7. You've got a job. What is it? How are you going to get customers? You better get some soon. More customers equals more money. ♣ 8. You're a bender, right? Then you better practice it. What's that? Oh, a non-bender? You can still find a partner to spar with, right? ♣ 9. It's late. Have a drink at the pub! Get to know one another. Let it all flow freely!
	♠ 10. Yeah! You've got a driver's license! Everyone else better watch out... ♠ 11. Entertainment's just rolled on into the city! Watch the ostrich-horses race or the acrobats perform. Or maybe you're one of them! ♠ 12. It's a long line at whatever vendor you're at. Make small talk with nearby civilians or try and haggle the vendor down to a better price.
	• Make up your own scenario!

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Comments

[lordhotman]

No!

[And Zuko's voice is a little louder now.]

It's me but future me! When I'm like a hundred years old!

[That's a little bit of an exaggeration but still!]

[raavashing]

[Technically there was a Wan there that was ten thousand years old through reincarnation, so that was his go to assumption. But if it wasn't reincarnation for Zuko, Wan didn't know what to say.

So he shrugged.]

Okay?

[Wait! Idea!]

Does that mean you're the one that's supposed to be here and he's from the future, or is he the one that's supposed to be here and you're from the past? Because I'm pretty sure it's the second one for me.

[lordhotman]

It's the second one for me too.

[But wait a minute. Does that mean this guy is from this world too?]

So who are you?

[raavashing]

[Wan blinked a moment then smiled in embarrassment.]

Right. Sorry. My name is Wan. Don't worry if you haven't heard of me. Most humans haven't, even in my time.

[lordhotman]

Okay. So are you supposed to be someone important?

[If only you knew, Zuko.]

[raavashing]

Not really.

[Wan shrugged. His time was past. The role of the Avatar had moved on to so many others after his death. Something he hadn't anticipated and was still mentally sorting through. Regardless, even if his starting the Avatar cycle had been an important act for the history of the world, he, himself, was no longer important to it. The world had it's Avatar. Her name was Korra, apparently. And she'd defeated Vaatu at Harmonic Convergence and ushered in a second era of peace.

The Museum under Aang's statue had been very informative.]

I'm just a guy that traveled a little more than most humans did in my time. Most of us didn't leave our cities except to hunt for food we couldn't grow or raise. It wasn't like this. Where people of all walks of life live together. Everything was so separate, different groups of people ignoring or not knowing that others existed.

This is better.

[lordhotman]

[Zuko listens, and what Wan is describing sounds almost alien to him. And yet in some ways, kind of familiar. The nations have always been seperate in his time. He was just starting to see how people from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom could live together. But this... this is way beyond the scope of things he could have ever imagined for the future of their world.]

I think I know what you mean. It sounds like your people lived a very simple, exclusive life.

[Which isn't really bad but...]

[raavashing]

Simple?

[Wan laughed, turning his body away so he could double over a for a little while and get that out of his system.]

No. No... it wasn't simple. I grew up in a city about a third of the size of this one, maybe a quarter. It was just as crowded and things were just as complicated. The cities being separate didn't make the life in them any less messed up. It was simpler, for a time, after I was banished to the wilds.

[A pause.]

I mean, after I left the city.

[lordhotman]

[Zuko folds his arms and just stands there to watch as Wan laughs. His face twisting in a little bit of annoyance at the joke he was apparently not getting. But as Wan explains, he blinks once in surprise.]

You were banished?

[Well hey, he certainly knows what that's like.]

[raavashing]

Yeah.

[Wan winced a little.]

Actually, I don't regret what led to it or anything, but most other humans I've brought it up to treat me like I'm a terrible person because of it. They don't even know the details. They just hear 'banished' and stop wanting anything to do with me. So, if you feel the same, I'll understand. I can go.

[lordhotman]

I don't feel that way.

[And Zuko can say that with certainty. He's completely serious and there's not even an inkling of judgement in his voice or expression.]

I was banished too.

[raavashing]

[Wan blinked a couple times and then pointed upward and spoke in a deadpan.]

But there's a statue of you.

[lordhotman]

[Zuko looks back up at the statue again and sighs.]

Yeah. It's a long story.

[Way too long to tell just standing here in the middle of a square.]

And I'm not really sure I deserve it, anyway.

[raavashing]

Normally, people who get banished don't get statues of themselves.

[If only he knew about his own, tucked away and forgotten as it was.]

But hey, I've got time to spare. We can go somewhere and you can tell me all about it.

[A beat.]

If you want to.

[lordhotman]

[Zuko considers this for a moment. He doesn't really know this guy, but he seems pretty decent. Plus they have this whole banished thing in common and with his luck, he could probably read about it in a history book anyway.]

Sure.

[It's not like he has anything else to do right now. So with that, he'll start walking away from the statue. They can go to the park or something, unless Wan has a better idea.]

[raavashing]

[Wan follows Zuko's lead for a time until he realizes Zuko probably doesn't really know where to go. Then he jogs ahead and goes, yes, toward the park. It was big enough that there were plenty of quiet places to sit and talk or just walk around.

He was silent for most of the trip, occasionally pointing at things and making comments about what he'd learned about them already (trolleys, satomobiles, electricity, how that one shop over there claims they make the best seaweed noodles in the city but they really don't those liars). When they were finally to the park and away from any semblance of a crowd that might overhear them, Wan finally turned around to face Zuko again, walking casually backwards over the grass.]

I think we're clear.

[lordhotman]

[Good plan Wan, because Zuko really does have no idea where he's going. He'd actually not seen the park yet, so this is good.

Zuko is quiet the entire way too, but he looks attentive enough as Wan points things out. After all, a lot of these things he has yet to figure out, so its important stuff to know. He'll definitely avoid that seaweed noodle joint.

When they get to the park and find a patch of grass, Zuko nods and sits himself cross-legged. Now... where to start.]

When I was thirteen, my uncle allowed me to attend a war meeting in the palace. My father, the Fire Lord, and his generals were discussing battle strategies. But they wanted to send inexperienced soldiers to the front as bait to cover for the more experienced ones. I spoke out of turn and protested the general's plan. This was seen as a grievous insult, and back then, disputes were settled by an Agni Kai. A fire duel.

I thought I was going to face the general, but instead it was my father. Since it had happened in his meeting, it had disgraced him.

But I refused to fight him, and as my punishment, he burned my face and banished me.

[Zuko closes his eyes, the memory still a painful one.]

[raavashing]

Your father is a terrible person.

[Wan didn't even hesitate as the words came spilling out, tone completely horrified.]

And so is that general. You were thirteen.

[lordhotman]

I know.

[He had told his father pretty much the same thing.]

I was only allowed to come back if I captured the Avatar. But it was a fool's errand, since no one had seen the Avatar in a hundred years. That is, not until Aang showed up. I was angry, and I wanted nothing more than to restore my honor and please my father. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of.

[raavashing]

[Wan was quiet for a long moment before admitting to what he'd done.]

I stole f- a powerful weapon. From the guardian of my city. And I used it to lead a raid on the food stores of the family the guardian had put in charge. The Chou Family. They hoarded food and there were a lot of people, me and my friends, who some days didn't even get to eat. We thought we had no power to change things. So I stole power and tried to use it for what I thought was good. I was caught and when I chose not to give up the names of those who had helped me, I was banished into the wilds.

I was lucky, though. The guardian of the city let me keep the weapon I'd stole as a means to protect myself. I wasn't allowed to take anything else but the clothes I wore with me.

[lordhotman]

[Zuko listens quietly as Wan tells his story. After he's done, there's a few more moments of thoughtful silence before he speaks up.]

Sounds like that Chou family was pretty terrible too. Letting people starve like that. I think you did the right thing by fighting back.

[raavashing]

Actually, no. They weren't terrible and while I do think taking action was right... I'm not sure violence was the answer. It taught a lesson to a friend of mine that eventually led to his death a couple years later. That power, strength, is found in violence. He went to war with another group of my friends and... his side lost.

[Wan looked down and away]

Completely. The entire settlement. They were wiped out.

[lordhotman]

Oh... I see.

[Zuko's voice and expression turns solemn now. So Wan blames himself for that. He can see how he would but...]

There's no way you could have known what would happen. You did what you thought was right at the time.

[And now Zuko sighs.]

When Aang almost died because of me, I didn't have that excuse.

[raavashing]

It's not an excuse. Even if it was what I thought was right at the time, it still happened because of my actions. And there's nothing I can do to fix that mistake.

[Wan was a champion of holding onto blame and taking responsibility for his screw ups. Ten Thousand years and going. Of course he still didn't have that whole 'look before you leap' thing down, but he was sort of trying now that he was the Avatar. damn cliffs shouldn't be so tempting to jump off of, metaphorical or not]

You know, you might have almost caused Avatar Aang to die, but he didn't die. And you were able to fix your mistakes. You didn't run away from them. And that's really important.

[lordhotman]

[Zuko pauses in thought. There was some truth to what this guy says, but he's got the feeling that Wan is definitely being harder on himself than he needs to be. But he's not exactly one to talk here.]

I think you're giving me too much credit.

[He then shakes his head.]

There has to be something you can do. You can't bring back the people who died, and I can't undo all the wrongs of the Fire Nation. But I plan to atone for them, and you can do the same thing.