milliways_bar | (no subject)

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There's a man by the bar.

He's got his wallet out, and seems to be making a point to the bar.

"Put this on Bruce Banner's tab, please. And, I'd sooner you kept it anonymous, thanks."

Those with attentive eyes, will notice either the 4 $10 bills vanishing from the bar top, or maybe the $40 of credit that then goes onto the tab of one B.Banner.

"And I'll have a pint of Kopparbergs. No, not the cider, the beer."

So, there's one scientist, with a pint, at the bar. Eminently botherable.

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"I'm the Avatar."

It feels as though there should be some weight behind this statement. Maybe a swell of music should rise from out of no where, or a breeze should dramatically blow through so his robes flutter.

Something.

Because...without it, Aang's just a kid in monk's robes.

"I'm sorry, what does that mean. Asides from that you feel responsible for others."

Which, is all well and good, but it needs power behind it. See: Thor.

...

Oh.
Right.

"It um...it means that I'm the one who can master all four elements, and that I'm the one that's supposed to bring the world back into balance."

"..."

Ah. Right.

"Oh. Who's pulling it out of balance?"

Aang reaches out and pokes at the origami lemur.

"The Fire Nation."

"How long has this been going on?" Erik asks.

Because, the kid can't be older than, what? 14? if he looks really young for his age?

The fidgeting ceases.

"Hundred years?"

Oh.

Sorry, Erik just lost control of his jaw for a moment, there.

Yeeaaah, he gets that a lot.

"I kind of got...detained."

And now Erik really freezes.

"You were alive back then?" he asks.

Aang takes a deep breath, and then exhales it slowly.

"Yeah. I, kind of ran away from home and then got caught in a storm and frozen in an ice burg for a hundred years. And while I was gone the Fire Nation started taking over."

Oh. right.

Now Erik thinks he understands why Aang is taking it so personally.

"And now you're back to set it right."

"That's the plan, it's just...I don't know how."

"Well, start with one step at a time."

"That's what I've been trying to do. I even went to the Spirit World to ask for help, but then the blue light the monkey told me to follow lead me here where I fell out of the fire place."

It makes sense...if you squint.

"Uh. Okay."

"You fell out the fireplace?" That's kind of the more shocking bit to Erik. He's getting used to parallel universes.

"Right over there, yeah."

Aang doesn't even look backwards when he gestures in the direction of the hearth.

"That's where I met Faithful and his boy Alan."

The phrasing catches his ear.

"Faithful and his boy?"

He's read Lewis, but maybe it's not that.

"Yup. A talking black cat with purple eyes, and a boy with red hair and purple eyes."

There's an earnestness to his tone, almost as if he expect Erik to think him crazy.

"I think Faithful is a spirit, I mean...why else would it be just a cat?"

Erik doesn't. He probably would have, a month ago. But he's seen things since then.

"Okay. Couldn't it just be a cat? I mean, the fact that it talks implies it isn't, but?"

"Because there aren't just cats. There are Pygmy pumas, and badger-cats, and cat-pigeons, but...not just cats."

That's just weird.

"There are. Back in my world at any rate. And I've never heard of badger-cats, though badgers and cats are different animals."

Which brings up another point actually. Is it just a quirk of chance that everyone can communicate perfectly here, and means exactly the same thing with words? or is there some guiding mechanism at work?

"Badger-cats are AMAZING! Especially when they're kittens. They're so cute! And far less likely to bite your face off."

right...

"Kittens are cute as a general rule anyway. And I'm..." Wait. Big Cats can and do. "Most cats can't bite your face off anyway."

Aang seems unimpressed by this.

"Really?"