tushanshu | Text; Don't judge.

Oh my gosh! You know Chinese too!? I had no idea there were that many who did. Thanks! I’ve been taking notes from all the corrections I’ve been getting. It’s pretty hard to get English down, but Bean’s a great teacher. Especially for how old he is.

You know Iskierka, right? Can you believe someone else from your world is here!? And not even a person, anotherdragon! That is so amazing!

Why, yes, of course: I am Chinese, although I was raised in England.

English must be quite difficult for a new student of the language, must it not, especially as there are so many exceptions to the rules of grammar and spelling? But I have met Bean, and he does seem as if he would make for a good teacher, to say nothing of how mature he is for his age. Still, if you should ever like to practice outside of your lessons, I should be happy to assist you.

[WOW he is ever grateful tone cannot be conveyed through text.] Oh, yes: I have spoken to her already.

So you're probably used to all the customs that I am! That's even better!

Oh my gosh, don't even get me started on the grammar part. I try saying the words out and using the alphabet cheat sheet he gave me, but that doesn't work at all. There's so many punctuational rules and grammatical difference, it's frustrating. Bean's great though, I mean for a first lesson I don't think I'm doing too bad. Any help from you would be great! What do you use to write?

Isn't it great that you're not by yourself any more? I mean sure it's nice to have human friends, but that can only go so far, you know?

Well, it is certainly possible, although from what I hear your world is not precisely like ours: there is no Water Tribe where I come from, for example.

I have a sand-table, I built it myself, and it is easy enough to practice my characters in it, then wipe the whole thing clean again. I can hold a pen at my current size, of course, but this way saves more ink.

I ~~Well~~ Yes, I suppose you are correct; it is nice to have another dragon here.

I would never be able to keep track of all the nations there are on Earth. Four alone is hard enough to deal with, let me tell you. But I do find it interesting that we share a similar heritage. Dragons on my world supposedly look different than dragons on yours. As far as books go anyway.

That table sounds pretty handy for a big guy like you. If you ever want to have its size changed, I can whip that up in no time. There is another earthbender that just arrived, she could do a better job than I can. She’s kind of the best earthbender of all time.

So what do dragons do for fun? I mean we humans hang out and talk, but I think it’d be different if we could fly and had scales.

Oh, yes, Am--[no wait sore subject, even if Amon was the source of his knowledge]--that is to say, I have seen pictures of your dragons, before, and they look rather more similar to myself and the dragons in China than they do to the dragons in England. And they all breathe fire, do they not?

Well, I shall let you know, if I ever do; I think its size suits me at present, but perhaps I might grow a little more, in the future?

[He pauses for a moment, thinking.] Well, it is much the same for us, when we are not on duty: we talk, and swim, and tell stories--there is one dragon back home, Arkady, who is a marvellous story-teller, and I have been meaning to find some way to publish one of his stories for some time. I am sure dragons elsewhere must have other ways of entertaining themselves, but after drills and training we at least do not have the energy to fly very much.

So you've seen how long they're supposed to be too? Their wings and tail are very different. They used to breath fire, yeah.

Whoa, someone trains you with drills? I didn't think there would be a need for that. I mean, you are a dragon, you know how to fly naturally.

If you know Arkady's stories well enough, you could record them for others to hear. I know Clark Kent has a radio station that probably has recording equipment. And of course there's Tony Stark, both of them. I'm sure they've got something that would work.

I'd like to hear them sometime.

They are very graceful-looking, are they not? I should like to meet one, one day: there are people here who say they have died, so I see no reason why dragons who have died might not come here, as well.

Oh, of course I know how to fly naturally, but it is quite another thing to know how to fly in combat: you must stay in formation, even when you are being shot at, for one thing; and my friend Lily is a Longwing, an acid-spitter, so we must make sure she is not targeted by any one else, for another. And there are a great many new formations we must develop, and so on and so forth: it can be very dull, but I suppose we must do it, if we are to win the war.

I should like that, I think, but it will be difficult, if I am the only one here who remembers most of them. Iskierka was not yet hatched when I heard many of his stories, and his stories are largely communal affairs: you chime in with a detail you should like to add whenever you like, you see, and he adds it to the story.

That never even occurred to me. Maybe we will get one! ...This place is making me sound like a kid trying to complete a stamp collection, doesn't it?

Yeah, that’s true. I mean we all know how to kick and punch, but without training we wouldn’t be nearly as effective in combat, let alone a war. Acid-spitter? That’s…totally disgusting, but if she helped…

Sounds like an on-going thing, like word of mouth stories before books. Oh, so you’re older than Iskierka? Do dragons really live for hundreds of years like they supposedly do here?

A collection of what? [Hooray for predating the postage stamp by thirty years!]

It is not disgusting; it is useful, and Lily does not dribble it about all the time, unless she is ill: it is on command. But it is certainly very painful, and it is strong enough to eat through wood and rock, which is why it is so important to protect her in battle.

Of course I am older than Iskierka--I suppose you would not be able to tell, if we are the same size here, though I am certainly more mature. But we might live for two to three centuries, if we are not taken ill, or killed in combat.

Stamps. They're used on letters to prove that letter was paid to be mailed. People like to collect the different pictured ones for whatever reason.

[Acid from anything's mouth is disgusting, but Korra' just going to let that subject drop. But the mention of her dribbling it is enough to make her gag. Thankfully it's text.] Protecting your friends in battle is always a good thing.

Certainly. [Korra has yet to talk further with Iskierka, so her judgement on maturity is still reserved. So she'll let that slide along too.] So what happens when you outlive your crew and human friends?

[Any further remarks he might have about the stamps are cut abruptly short by Korra's last question.

His next response is noticeably slower to arrive than the previous ones.]

Then I suppose they will try to put me away in a breeding-ground somewhere. A new crew--oh, that is all well and good, I might accept that, in time; but I cannot imagine ever taking another captain.

[ Breeding ground? That sounded- wrong. Now unsure if Korra may have hit a nerve on accident, she quickly said:] Hey, there’s nothing wrong with making new friends, right? I mean you’ve made a few here, so making more later on isn’t so bad.

~~It is not the same as~~

~~One cannot~~

[Another delay of similar length as he struggles to find the words. It is a little easier, at least, typing it out: not that he does not wish Laurence to overhear, but--]

I am sorry: of course you would not know, since your world no longer has dragons. But a captain is not merely a friend, to be so easily replaced once lost. One might as well ask one to find another--mate, perhaps, though that is not quite the same thing; or a part of oneself.

It is difficult to explain.

Wow, I had no idea you got that close to your crew. Is your captain here on Tu Vishan too? [What were the chances?]

Wait, so who is in your crew now?

Yes; I did not expect him to appear, at all, but he arrived two months after I did, and while I would prefer neither of us were taken at all, I am glad I may spend what time I have here with him.

Well, there is Laurence, my captain, of course; and Gavroche I think has the makings of a fine runner, and has expressed interest in joining us; besides which there are several more candidates, none of whom have been confirmed yet. I think we shall have to do some test flying to determine their abilities; they are none of them used to dragons, as I understand it, and Laurence does not like to make this sort of decision without some deliberation.

Oh wow! So your captain is here! That's some luck you have there.

Neither of those names are familiar, but I hope they turn out to be a good crew. I don't think there are a lot of people who have dragons on their world, so I'm not too surprised about that. What do they do when you're flying over the battlefield? Drop bombs or something?

I do not know whether it can rightly be termed luck, if we have been summoned here for some precise purpose, but I am glad of it, all the same.

Well, when I was larger, I would have teams of riflemen on my back, or in my belly-rigging--that is to say, we would drop bombs, as well, but the bulk of our attention would be focused on the French dragons and their crews. Runners such as Gavroche would be in charge of supplying ammunition and other provisions, as necessary: they are smaller, you see, and can get about on dragonback much faster than a grown man might.

Someone told me that if there are more foreigners from one particular world, then more are likely to show up. Or at least that's how I understood him. [According to Korra, her getting detoured to Tu Vishan was because of Amon and Tarrlok's presence.]

I see, so you're trying to get a crew together for the big fight we're all supposed to be here for, huh?

On the one hand, I should be pleased to know more of my friends are likely on their way; and on the other, I would not wish to see them put in harm's way, like this, without their permission.

Yes, that is right: there are a great many people here who do not have powers at all, but have seen some form of combat, and it does not seem fair to me that they be caught by that entity unawares, when Laurence and I might offer some way of evening the score.

Well it’s not just friends that could be drawn here.

I’ve met a few people without any powers or abilities and I wasn’t sure how they could help at first, but that does seem the way to go. And now that Iskierka’s here can double that, right?

That is true: but even if our enemies were to be brought here, we should still be expected to tolerate them, in the face of this new threat, and I had much rather fight alongside my friends than my enemies.

Well, there are no people with unusual powers or abilities, in my world: at least, none they have not developed naturally, after training, but that does not make them helpless, at all. And with Iskierka here--I suppose you are right, but we have never flown in formation together, and that will take practice, and drills I am not certain I shall be able to persuade her to fly.

Easier said than done. Tolerating someone you can’t stand isn’t an easy request. [Even more so for someone with an unforgivable temper like Korra’s.]

No? She seemed pretty cool about flying to me. I can ask her about when she takes me up for the first time? But I don’t know anything about formations or maneuvers.

I assure you, I know the feeling: and it is very troublesome to have to pretend you get along, when you have little other choice; and all the while they are making comments that do not sound insulting, at all, until you have gone away and thought them over. [He is definitely not speaking from experience, no sirree.]

Oh, it is not the flying that is the problem, it is staying in formation; you cannot go haring after any enemy you see, because it will leave your friends exposed to fire, and she is much too bloodthirsty to stay where she ought to for long.

Sounds like we have the same problem. Or when they're being very insulting and you're the only one that knows it was meant that way. [Neither is she, NOPE.]

Getting swept up in the moment, especially in something like that can be hard to avoid. But maybe some good practice drills will help. Especially if it's in regards to the big battle we have coming.

text; Chinese

dracobin - 2013-06-27 21:54 (UTC) - Expand

text; Chinese

alphatar - 2013-06-28 03:33 (UTC) - Expand

Text; Don't judge.

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese She's totally shipping Isky and Tem in her head.

text; Chinese yes goooooooood

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese

text; Chinese