Yaugur System Mingle

[padadin]

Who: EVERYONE
Broadcast: If you want!
Action: Of course
When: 6/23 to 8/5.

[Welcome to the Yaugur System, where everyone will want to join the most important activity here:



KITE FLYING!

...what do you mean, there's something more important to do? Oh yeah, the mist. Sure, have fun with your despair hallucinations, I guess.]

Comments

[tsunergy]

[Mikleo has been trying to avoid the mist for the most part - one bad experience was enough to teach him to be more careful - but it can be somewhat unpredictable, and some of the ruins he's been following dip too far outside of town for comfort, so he's holding his breath as he wanders the area. The masks are pretty uncomfortable and generally ineffective, so he just finds it easier not to breathe.

The downside of that is when he spots Katara working away nearby, he can't exactly call out to her. Hmm...

He gestures with a hand to try and help her move the mist aside, much to the same effect (the patch she clears is a bit bigger than usual, but otherwise there's no difference), and as he follows behind, he pulls out his communicator to send a message instead.]

Katara, it's Mikleo. Don't be alarmed, I'm walking with you.

[watermarks]

[ My dude. That is a very effective use of communicator. She stops, holding a hand out to maintain a clear space and unhooks her communicator from her belt to check it.

Her voice through the mask is muffled. ] Mikleo?

[ Katara, that's dumb.

She uses the text feature. ]

Where are you? Did something happen so you can't talk?

[tsunergy]

Nothing dramatic.

[Nothing today, anyway.]

I don't have a mask. If I talk, I might inhale accidentally, so I'm waiting until the air is clear. Shall we make a path?

[watermarks]

Why don't you have a mask? [Seriously, boyo, they are not that hard. Do they just... fall off your spirit body or something?] Sure, let's head that way. I've got a room in that house down the block.

[She is not sure how to work with him to make a path, since she can't see him, but she makes a motion with her hand and extends the radius of her bending enough to, hopefully, include him in it.]

[tsunergy]

[He steps up to assist her again, moving the mist more aggressively now that she knows he's here, following along with her movements to create a more consistent path. He does it one-handed, though, so he can tap away. It's... slow. Texting isn't usually his thing.]

They're uncomfortable and ugly, and many are inefficient in the deep mist. Safer to just not breathe.

[YES IT IS 1/3 VANITY, don't judge him.]

[watermarks]

[ She glances down at the communicator and... rolls her eyes. ]

It's not like anyone can see you wearing one anyway. Unless they'd just... see the mask, floating along. [ Which... creepy, but cool. ] And 'not breathing' sounds like the opposite of safe to me.

[tsunergy]

That's because you're human.

[No judgment, but your bodies work differently, buddy.]

[watermarks]

[ She glances at the communicator. ]

Yes, that's true.

[ She still thinks relying on just not breathing is as silly an option as relying on going on with just her bending, but since she doen't know anything about his physiology, it's not a hill she's prepared to die on. ]

How long can you hold your breath? Does it take constant concentration?

[tsunergy]

Seraphim don't actually need to breathe, so time isn't an issue. It does take some effort to stop from doing it automatically, though.

[In other words, yeah, concentration.]

[watermarks]

...right.

[ She wants to ask how that's physiologically possible, because if you don't need to breathe wouldn't you... not need to concentrate? How had they developed to breathe automatically if it served no purpose?

But then again, he's a spirit, so... what does she know about how his body works? ]

Well, we're almost there, so you should be able to breathe pretty soon.

[tsunergy]

[Sometimes it's just better not to question it, Katara. At least not while he can't explain himself properly.

Since they're getting close, he puts away his communicator and focuses on picking up the pace with their mutual waterbending, clearing a careful path through the mist. It isn't too long until the fog begins to clear, growing less thick as they reach the outskirts of town and thus a safer area. Slowing down again, Mikleo steps forward out of the lingering wisps of it and takes a tentative breath.]

...I think we're good, now.

[watermarks]

[ Katara removes her mask and rubs a hand over her face. ]

I'll say one thing about the masks - taking them off feels really good.

[tsunergy]

That it does.

[Though, again, he'd rather just not bother.]

Why were you out in the middle of the mist, anyway?

[watermarks]

I was just walking back from the hospital. It got thicker while I was in there. What about you? What are you doing out there?

[tsunergy]

I've been exploring ruins in the mist. There's a lot of fascinating artifacts out there, if you give yourself enough time to search.

[watermarks]

[ ...oh wow, he's a nerd. Adorable! ]

What kind of artifacts?

[ That... is talking to another nerd, yay? ]

[tsunergy]

[OH NO SHE ASKED

and he's very excited to answer.]

Many kinds! There's an entire ruin just north of here, with a whole series of stone pathways covered in undeciphered hieroglyphs. Many of the buildings carry the same markings, but only in specific, fragmented patterns... it's like a story pieced together from the ground up. Every time I visit there's a new set of text to uncover and transcribe!

[watermarks]

[ Her eyebrows rose, interested. ] Are you able to understand any of the markings, or read the stories?

[tsunergy]

Ahh, not quite! But Sorey and I have been working on it. We study ancient languages back home, so this is right up our alley. I'm sure we'll figure it out in no time!

[watermarks]

[ Okay, that's interesting, but more interesting -- ]

Oh, Sorey's from your world? But - I can see him.

[tsunergy]

[Don't laugh, don't laugh, she has no way of knowing they're besties.]

Of course you can- Sorey's a human.

[watermarks]

[ Her brow furrows as she tries to remember everything Mikleo told her about his world... ]

Right, yes, of course. That makes sense. And... he can hear you too, I guess?

[tsunergy]

He can, though sometimes he pretends not to. [the little shit.] We grew up together, so he has the strongest resonance out of anyone I know.

[watermarks]

[...seraphs grow up?

...wow.]

...So does that mean he can see you?

[tsunergy]

Of course, yeah. ...Are you sure you've met Sorey? I swear he never shuts up about us.