Welcome to Republic City!

[cyclicalitymods]

It was a bright and sunny normal day in Republic City. Children were playing, spirits were chirping about, and everything was going along like normal. Well at least that's what everyone seemed to think. That is until so many people seemed to be appearing out of nowhere. For some reason Republic City seemed to be more lively and the crowds bigger.

The spirits have grown restless as if something important was about to change, and to try to fix that change, the spirits with their big long tree like limbs dragged people into the world left and right. Even the vines covering Republic City seemed to help. Although the spirits had the best intentions in mind, some people were more affected by the grab than others. There's talk that people in this city don't even know what this place is. People who have never heard of the words "bender" or "non-bender."

Welcome to Republic City! And to those who already live here: Happy Saturday. Please make yourselves at home and don't mind a little spirit gunk. It's mostly harmless. Go enjoy yourself a classic mover. Maybe you're the athletic type. If that's the case, come watch a few Pro-bending matches or form your own team. Just watch out for any Satomobiles. They can be deadly no matter how pretty the driver is.

Please remember to enjoy your stay and don't cause too much trouble. The Republic City Police don't need more riffraff to take care of. And don't stray too far. To make the the peace is kept, there's a huge spirit barrier around the perimeter of the city. It seems pretty strong, but it won't be able to last forever. Still, it's worrying. Radio signals and telegraphs don't seem to be getting past it.

[ OOC: The game is officially open! From this point on, feel free to make any posts you want or tag into this. Please remember to tag your posts with Canon: Character. Finally, although the game has no real network, you're free to respond with prose or brackets, whatever you're comfortable with. With that said, have fun! ]

Comments

[lordhotman]

This causes Zuko to stiffen a little bit. In his world he should have been recognized as the Fire Lord. He hadn't been making any effort to conceal who he was after he'd found his mother, the headpiece in his hair making that abundantly clear. Yet still, this guy somehow knew his name but seemed unsure of it, and Zuko knew he had to tread carefully.

"That depends on who's asking."

[creepycyclops]

"That sounds like a 'yes' to me."

Slade takes a steel cylinder from his belt, and concentrates on it. The metal slowly spreads and reshapes until it has become a thin simple mask, which he holds out to Zuko.

"You will find that this world already has a Lord Zuko, and it is not you. You may wish to conceal that crown and that scar for now."

[lordhotman]

Zuko didn't think this man would have believed him if he had said 'no' anyway.

He watched as the stranger took some metal and turned it into a mask, his eyes widening a little. He can metalbend? He hadn't seen anyone other than Toph that could metalbend that well. However, the words are equally as shocking and confusing, though his gaze is hard when he looks back up at hm.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

How can there possibly be a Lord Zuko that isn't him?

"And how is that supposed to help?" He motioned at the mask. Cause really, how is having a big piece of metal on his face supposed to make him stand out any less, anyway?

[creepycyclops]

Slade tosses the mask at Zuko's feet when he doesn't take it.

"Tell me young man. If you'd spent years as a ruler fighting off constant assassination and usurpation attempts, and found out someone was going around looking like you, and telling people he was you, what would you assume?"

[lordhotman]

Zuko's eyes followed the mask for a moment as it fell, then quickly looked back up at Slade with a frown. He then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that this guy has a point. He knows exactly what he's talking about. Maybe not in the sense of years, but many assassins had been after his life before the situation with Yu Dao had been resolved.

"Okay, I get it. But that still doesn't explain anything!"

[creepycyclops]

Slade's eye narrows at Zuko. He's already given this young man far more charity than he would give anyone else.

"Ungrateful boy. I just saved your life and gave you a warning. Why should I give you anything more if you cannot give me even just a pretense of respect?"

[lordhotman]

Zuko's eyes narrow back at him.

"You haven't even told me who you are. I have a feeling you didn't just save me for my health."

He's not stupid, and this guy is more than suspicious looking. He'll give respect when he feels that its been earned. Besides, the constantly condescending tone isn't winning him any points either. He's the Fire Lord, and while he doesn't expect people to grovel before him, he expects a little respect as well.

[creepycyclops]

Slade nods.

"You don't trust me. Good. You do not disappoint. I am Slade, and I am definitely not what you would call a hero. In fact, many people think me to be quite the opposite."

[lordhotman]

So... what, he was testing him? Why? What for? This is just getting stranger all the time.

"So then why did you save me?"

Not that Zuko thought he needed saving to begin with, but that's beside the point.

[creepycyclops]

Slade pauses. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure why he did it, though upon reflection he supposes that Prince Zuko - at least, the one he'd read about - was one of the few figures of history he really respected or related to.

"If my hunch is right, you are simply a younger version of our Firelord Zuko. It would have been a waste to let you meet your end that way."

[lordhotman]

Zuko stares for a moment, not really sure what to make of that. What IS he supposed to make of that? Suddenly he appears in the middle of a bunch of screaming machines, gets pulled into an alley by some weird metalbending freak, and is told that he's a younger version of himself? This is UNBELIEVABLE. And he does have trouble believing it. It's written all over his face.

"So you're saying I'm in the future? That's impossible!"

Really, this guy has to be pulling his leg right? But he has this feeling that he's not. He doesn't look like the kind of man that would joke. Lie maybe, but not fool around. He then pauses and picks up the mask with a frown, not really knowing if he should believe this guy or not. But he did just save him. No matter what his reasons might be, it's still true.

"Thanks, I guess."

But that still doesn't mean he trusts him.

[creepycyclops]

"Appearing from thin air is also impossible, but I saw you do that with my own eyes."

Slade still doesn't know about how that is happening, and that bothers him. Perhaps young Zuko can be of use to him after all.

"Tell me, Zuko, what is the last thing you remember before appearing here?"

[lordhotman]

... He does have a point there. The fact that he was suddenly in one place and now another is definitely not supposed to be possible. At the question though, Zuko hesitates. Not sure if he really should tell this guy anything. If this is the future, then it probably won't matter at all. But if he's lying... well.

"I was in Hira'a."

[creepycyclops]

Hira'a? That's a rather tiny and remote village for the Fire Lord to be visiting... Slade wonders what happened there, and if it has any relation to these strange appearances.

"When was this - how many years had you been Fire Lord? Did anything... supernatural happen there?"

[lordhotman]

Zuko looks rather put off as he's suddenly bombarded with a bunch of questions. Especially since its in the past tense. It's kind of annoying and his nerves are starting to fray a little.

"A year and a half, and I don't know! I mean we did see some spirits there but nothing that would make this happen!"

That he knows of anyway. He really doubts the Mother of Faces and her wolf spirit could do something like this, but then he's not exactly the spirit expert.

[creepycyclops]

Slade steps in close, and irritation creeps into his voice.

"They wouldn't? Are you certain?"

Slade suspected that this involved spirits from the beginning, and he didn't like it. Spirits, and even those humans that seemed to understand them, were incredibly difficult to extort or manipulate.

[lordhotman]

Zuko continued to hold his ground.

"No. I'm not an Avatar! I'm not exactly connected to the spirits! But unless people are getting new faces too, I really doubt it!"

If this does involve the spirits, Zuko is not the person he should be asking about it. His Uncle is the one that's in tune with the spiritual world, not him.

[creepycyclops]

Slade takes a deep breath and backs off slightly. Zuko doesn't know anything of use to him right now.

"Was anyone else with you by any chance? Perhaps they are here, too."

...and, perhaps, they might know something useful.

[lordhotman]

Zuko huffs a little as Slade finally backs down a bit. He then shakes his head.

"No, I was alone at the time."

Not really true, he had been walking and talking with his mother, but the last thing he wants is for this guy to find and harass her too. Sure his friends had been with him in the town, but they hadn't been near each other at he time. But he doesn't need to know that either.

[creepycyclops]

So, the Fire Lord, who self-admittedly doesn't know much about spirits, was in some backwater village dealing with a spirit by himself? Slade's not buying it.

"I trust you remember from your experiences with Toph that metalbenders trained by the Beifong Academy can also detect when someone is being less than honest, so... why don't try again. Who else was there?"

The lie-detection claim is, ironically, a lie, but Slade thinks it is one Zuko is likely to believe under the circumstances.

[lordhotman]

Zuko scowls, his arms folding across his chest. He knows about Toph and her students, but as far as he knows, Toph herself is the only one that could tell if someone was lying. And that was before she ever started metalbending, and even Aang couldn't do that.

So. He is going to call Slade's bluff.

"No one."

[creepycyclops]

Slade still doesn't buy it, but doesn't think it worth it to extract the information the 'old-fashioned way'. This time.

"Fine. Keep your secrets, but we will speak again."

Slade uses his metalbending to propel his metal armor as he leaps into the air. He easily makes it to the roof of the tall building overlooking the alley, and disappears.

[lordhotman]

Even if the guy was able to sense if he was lying, Zuko wouldn't have told him anyway. So whether he believes him or not doesn't matter. The fact that this guy saved him meant that he wasn't out to kill him. At least not right now. When Slade gives his parting words, Zuko watches him go.

He continues to stand there for a moment, looks down at the mask, and puts it over his face. It's there. Might as well use it. Once he's put that on, and undone his top knot, Zuko slipped his crown into his clothing and went on his way. Hopefully he can figure out what's going on.