[ Well, Bolin's got nothing but walking going on right now. He guesses he could have put his armor back on and put a fairy ring closer to the blood granite limit and everything, but then it just seems wrong to have a ton of fairy rings splashed all over the place on the same road... a few hours is a few hours. Hopefully it doesn't make a bad difference in the end.
Bolin! [ zuko sounds happy, for once. it's relief, so palpable he might as well be the newest reliefbender. but knowing nothing has changed for his friend since he last spoke to kaldur is good. the weight that's been settling itself upon zuko's shoulders disperses as if he'd bended it himself. ]
[ and then the awkwardness returns to leech the relief from its place. ]
Hey, Zuko! [ Don't you spoil him with your joy. Because he's matching it, pretty much. He's matching it so much he's not even calling him Lord Zuko, and it's nigh impossible to leech these kinds of things out of his system once they're in motion. ]
I'm on the road out to Redgate. You know, the big... Western one. Gonna pop in and see what they need, try to figure out what's going on. You're heading that way too, right?
[ spirits, he's so relieved bolin's still walking. spirits bless slow earthbenders who don't think to use their bending to skate along dirt paths. ]
Yeah. I was, and then I wasn't. [ that sounds confusing, even to the most confusing person in the history of confusing people. let him try that again. ]
I was on my way until Kaldur sent out a message about what happened. [ bolin will hear the rustling of paper as zuko unfolds his map. ] I got far enough to be close to the Encircling Mountains. If you're no further than that, I can meet you there right now.
[ He just doesn't know how to do that... maybe someday, but. He's lame and mostly learned pro-bending style stuff. Plus lava. Which is not ideal for skating.
If we're being honest, though, he'd totally not think to use that trick. ]
Uhhhh. [ Casually getting his map out. Traveling is a little easier when you can fairy ring or bison everywhere, huh. ] Sure, that sounds like a plan! Little bit of teamwork regrouping never hurt.
[ if he says yes, well. zuko's going to have to pass a law where all nice benders cannot be alone but require a fan club to trail after them at all times. but he needs to know so he can decide whether he wishes to teleport with his blue spirit mask right in front of bolin or somewhere off the road and walk without it to his friend and any company that may be present. thinking ahead, sokka and uncle would be proud. ]
Yep. Kind of operating a solo Champion journey right now, I guess. Since, uh. Redgate kinda has this history with dragons. And with Korra. [ So it put Mako and Korra a little out of safe running. That's a whole complicated mess, anyway. ]
Well, you know, unless you wanna count the bird that just flew over my head, but I don't really think he's invested in the same trip I am.
[ oh, yeah. the dragon that had died while zuko had lived under a rock. he vaguely remembers that conversation he'd had with a man a few months ago. but, still, the history of redgate currently remains unknown to the fire lord who had undergone lessons about the other three nations when he'd been younger and had reached level 89 on the how to disappoint father game. it'd be a little embarrassing if zuko had had time to take to the library and study the locations on the map. ]
I guess I don't? [ Zuko this is the guy who once looked into an empty apartment through the window and thought a guy might legitimately be invisible in there. And he is only getting prettier rn. ] I mean, there was that thing with the blue feathers a while back and all. I've never had a bird decide to follow me around other than around then.
[ considering the nature of reynard, zuko's a little more paranoid than usual. the guy poofs into thin air, can disorient everyone while they're attacking him, and use magic when apparently no magic can be used? him using a bird as a tactical strategy is not out of the realm of possibility. ]
call » 21/11
So he picks up pretty fast. ]
Hello?
call » 21/11
[ and then the awkwardness returns to leech the relief from its place. ]
Uh. It's Zuko. Where are you?
call » 21/11
I'm on the road out to Redgate. You know, the big... Western one. Gonna pop in and see what they need, try to figure out what's going on. You're heading that way too, right?
call » 21/11
Yeah. I was, and then I wasn't. [ that sounds confusing, even to the most confusing person in the history of confusing people. let him try that again. ]
I was on my way until Kaldur sent out a message about what happened. [ bolin will hear the rustling of paper as zuko unfolds his map. ] I got far enough to be close to the Encircling Mountains. If you're no further than that, I can meet you there right now.
call » 21/11
If we're being honest, though, he'd totally not think to use that trick. ]
Uhhhh. [ Casually getting his map out. Traveling is a little easier when you can fairy ring or bison everywhere, huh. ] Sure, that sounds like a plan! Little bit of teamwork regrouping never hurt.
call » 21/11
[ if he says yes, well. zuko's going to have to pass a law where all nice benders cannot be alone but require a fan club to trail after them at all times. but he needs to know so he can decide whether he wishes to teleport with his blue spirit mask right in front of bolin or somewhere off the road and walk without it to his friend and any company that may be present. thinking ahead, sokka and uncle would be proud. ]
call » 21/11
Well, you know, unless you wanna count the bird that just flew over my head, but I don't really think he's invested in the same trip I am.
call » 21/11
How do you know?
[ sokka logic is the best. ]
call » 21/11
I guess I don't? [ Zuko this is the guy who once looked into an empty apartment through the window and thought a guy might legitimately be invisible in there. And he is only getting prettier rn. ] I mean, there was that thing with the blue feathers a while back and all. I've never had a bird decide to follow me around other than around then.
call » 21/11
[ considering the nature of reynard, zuko's a little more paranoid than usual. the guy poofs into thin air, can disorient everyone while they're attacking him, and use magic when apparently no magic can be used? him using a bird as a tactical strategy is not out of the realm of possibility. ]
Is it loitering?
call » 21/11
He will probably try to feed it. ]