AUDIENCE: ZUKO

[retellers]

Comments

[retellers]

Nope! If I have to, I'll let you know.

[ they actually sound genuine about that. ]

[cuedoves]

... Thanks.

[ genuine, too. ]

There's... no way to prevent nova splintering, is there?

[retellers]

From what it sounds like... I don't think so, other than collecting nova.

It really is just that the Realm right now is weak, which means it's easier for this kind of stuff to happen. And the stuff with the rules just made it weaker. What we're basically doing is just putting bandaids on a wound that actually needs stitches. It'll hold things off temporarily, but isn't the actual solution to fixing it--which is the nova.

[cuedoves]

Collecting nova would be a lot easier if we could stop that... whatever creature is stealing it.

[ massages his head!!! ]

I'm doing my best with the secrets and the rules. But if we don't stop that thing, I don't know if we're all going to live long enough to fix the... stitches.

[retellers]

[ they just laugh, and then immediately groan and rub their temple. ow. ]

It would be easier if it came to us directly. But as far as we know, it doesn't actually know where we are. It probably would have attacked us more blatantly if it did.

[cuedoves]

... You okay?

[ tiger has an ouchie ]

No, it's just stealing our stuff and making our lives harder than they already are.

[ complains!! ]

I wonder if there's some way to set a trap for it, or draw it out.

[retellers]

Yeah, just... a headche.

[ anyway. ]

But well... it is attracted to nova. So it might end up coming here eventually.

[cuedoves]

.... You want some tea?

[ he doesn't know what tylenol is ]

I think we're better off just confronting it and taking it down so we can get this done. Don't you agree?

[retellers]

Depends on how strong it is? Remember, you guys don't have any powers.

[ a pause. ]

... sure.

[cuedoves]

I get the feeling the more it eats the stronger it's going to get. Besides, I don't need powers to handle things.

[ they are on the bridge, so.... ]

Okay, uh, come to the inn with me? I'll make you some there.

[retellers]

[ they gesture for him to lead the way. ]

How would you handle it?

[cuedoves]

[ here they go to the kitchen!! ]

I'm pretty good at fighting, even without my bending. And I'm sure it has a weakness of some sort. I'd just have to figure out what it is.

[retellers]

What if it has no weakness?

[ it sounds like they're just speaking hypothethically, at least. ]

[cuedoves]

Nova is kind of its weakness already, isn't it? Since it's nova-powered.

[ but he's thinking about it ]

But it'll probably have some kind of pattern. Something worth studying. I'm not the only one here who can fight, either, or strategize. And you guys have powers.

[retellers]

[ the nova observation actually makes them smile a bit. ]

That's true... in any case, the more nova you guys gather, the more likely it'll be drawn to us, at least.

[cuedoves]

[ sometimes he has one braincell even if i do not ]

So sooner or later we'll have to face it, whether we like it or not.

... maybe we can trap it in one of those... places. Like Sora and Archer were in. Those have concentrated nova, don't they?

[retellers]

We could try... the problem is that I don't think those will be easy to predict when they show up. One didn't appear this week, as far as we know.

[cuedoves]

No... some other weird things happened instead.

[ hmmm ]

Maybe there's a way to make them show.

[ zuko writes a fake sign up for nova monster in the cyoa post.... plot solved ]

[retellers]

The people who went to them... they said they were just minding their own business and they were suddenly somewhere else, right?

[cuedoves]

Yeah, that's what I heard. It's gotta be some kind of trap, or something.

[retellers]

I'm not sure if it's a trap, actually.

But... I don't think the content itself actually matters much. There might be hints to what's happening here in those places, since it's still connected to the Realm, but for what the overall experience is? I wouldn't read too much into it.

[cuedoves]

People fall into it, end up somewhere else, and get maimed. If that's not a trap, then what is it?

[ hmmm.... ]

You're probably right about that, but there are some weird things that stick out to me.

[retellers]

No, it's... mostly a high concentration of memories. I don't know exactly why it appears, but I think nova is just attracted to it. Like magnets, or something. A black hole? Anyway, the point is that it isn't something that is intentionally malicious, it just happens that you can get seriously injured.

[ they wait for him to go on. ]

[cuedoves]

It just feels... too convenient to all be an accident. You know what I mean?

[ like, he hears what tiger is saying, but it's sus. ]

Sora talked about how he faced an enemy who told him things like "Do you believe you can change destiny? Time has already been written. There's nothing you can do, is there? Except try, try again. But you'll never make it." and "Not yet. But remember, this is your last chance."

I know it was a cluster of memories, but I can't help but feel it's related to our situation somehow.

[retellers]

I mean, it could be somewhat related. It is still connected to the Realm, so maybe it's drawing shit from its memories as well.

[ ... ]

I'm just saying that, I don't think it's the Realm actively kidnapping you all into pocket memory dimensions to torture you. It's... probably mostly just an unfortunate way that some things are being manifested, but it can also give us some insight.