The little bundle of unhappiness and unrest in the guard's arms can be none other than Lili, her hair done up in the prettiest combs, her robes a clear marker of her wealth even when she can't be more than 7 years old. Yet there she is, in the arms of an armor-wearing young man who maintains his stone face even in the face of the other girl's yelling. After all, the water tribe are known for their calm.
Except for little Lili it would seem.
Behind the guard, Joon-gi walks in his stoic way, his voice firm, "I've already told you. You aren't to go near beggars on the street. You disobeyed me again."
"But why not?! They're our people, aren't they?!"
"Don't argue with me. You don't understand. Now I don't want to have to do this, but you've left me no choice."
And with that, she was set on the ground in a room - her own room. For a cage, it was undoubtedly beautiful. A large bed all to herself, ornate vases, a single window that would look out on the beautiful garden that decorated the estate of the ruling family. Immediately Lili went to run toward her father who stood at the door, the guard already having exited. "Wait, Father!"
"A week, Lili. Cool your head."
The door shut.
Lili immediately reached for the doorknob, trying to get it to open so that she could return to the hallway and continue this important matter with her father - but it didn't budge. Confusion registers on her round face as she tries again. It's Lili's first time experiencing a locked door.
"Father?" Confusion colors her voice more than anything else then, as she knocks on the door - confused on how this works when she's on the inside of a room. There are no footsteps outside. "Father...? Guard?"
Again, she tries.
"Father....!! Please!" Her small voice tries to become louder, yelling in the way that no one else in the tribe does. Just her.
A week, he had said. Lili's eyes, still too large for her face in her youth, begin to fill with tears and she's left trying for the doorknob even more desperately.
"Father!!"
Joon-gi doesn't come for her. No one does.
The force of the memory causes Lili to stagger - though at the very least she's glad that they're already seated at a cafe and yet she finds herself gripping at the table, blinking rapidly to try to get ahold of herself.
She also doesn't realize it yet but she's forgotten how to calculate tips.]
One moment he's enjoying what's honestly pretty acceptable tea, and the next he's plunged into Lili's memory, and then... then his blood boils. It's very clear what he's seeing here--he's seeing the disciplining of an unruly child by a father in a position of authority who simply seems to not care. It's all too familiar to him, and the taste of it is bitter on his tongue; he swallows once, tightly, expression flat and unhappy.
Of course. Lili could not have come from an entirely happy home situation, not with the chip she carries on her shoulder and the attitude. He's aware enough to know that he has something much the same--and much the same, he has troubles with the same thing, even if he hates to admit it. But even so...
Lili didn't deserve that. Lili has always been a paragon of someone who cared so much for her lands, so purely. Why would she be punished for that?
He doesn't realize that his hands have balled into fists on the table, or that his breathing has slowed. But then he looks up, and sees the way Lili staggers, and frowns.]
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[And she'll take a seat before she explains, pulling aside a waitress to just bring her a cup of whatever Leon's having.]
Are you telling me that you haven't seen any odd animals about?
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Oh.
That.
[Ugh.]
They're pitiful creatures.
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[POUTING. Some of us actually have compassion for them, Leon. Still, she'll take a seat opposite from him.]
It took some time for me to wrangle mine into coming along, which is why I was late.
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They are strange and somewhat irritating, but otherwise I wouldn't concern myself overly much with them.
[......]
It would have followed you anyway, I hope you know.
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[She sounds so matter of fact about this.
Though admittedly if nothing's going to stop this goat, it'll meander right over.
And get really close to bumping into Leon.]
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So naturally he's going to step right through it.
WHOOPS.]
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"Unhand me! Let go! What did I do wrong?!"
The little bundle of unhappiness and unrest in the guard's arms can be none other than Lili, her hair done up in the prettiest combs, her robes a clear marker of her wealth even when she can't be more than 7 years old. Yet there she is, in the arms of an armor-wearing young man who maintains his stone face even in the face of the other girl's yelling. After all, the water tribe are known for their calm.
Except for little Lili it would seem.
Behind the guard, Joon-gi walks in his stoic way, his voice firm, "I've already told you. You aren't to go near beggars on the street. You disobeyed me again."
"But why not?! They're our people, aren't they?!"
"Don't argue with me. You don't understand. Now I don't want to have to do this, but you've left me no choice."
And with that, she was set on the ground in a room - her own room. For a cage, it was undoubtedly beautiful. A large bed all to herself, ornate vases, a single window that would look out on the beautiful garden that decorated the estate of the ruling family. Immediately Lili went to run toward her father who stood at the door, the guard already having exited. "Wait, Father!"
"A week, Lili. Cool your head."
The door shut.
Lili immediately reached for the doorknob, trying to get it to open so that she could return to the hallway and continue this important matter with her father - but it didn't budge. Confusion registers on her round face as she tries again. It's Lili's first time experiencing a locked door.
"Father?" Confusion colors her voice more than anything else then, as she knocks on the door - confused on how this works when she's on the inside of a room. There are no footsteps outside. "Father...? Guard?"
Again, she tries.
"Father....!! Please!" Her small voice tries to become louder, yelling in the way that no one else in the tribe does. Just her.
A week, he had said. Lili's eyes, still too large for her face in her youth, begin to fill with tears and she's left trying for the doorknob even more desperately.
"Father!!"
Joon-gi doesn't come for her. No one does.
The force of the memory causes Lili to stagger - though at the very least she's glad that they're already seated at a cafe and yet she finds herself gripping at the table, blinking rapidly to try to get ahold of herself.
She also doesn't realize it yet but she's forgotten how to calculate tips.]
no subject
One moment he's enjoying what's honestly pretty acceptable tea, and the next he's plunged into Lili's memory, and then... then his blood boils. It's very clear what he's seeing here--he's seeing the disciplining of an unruly child by a father in a position of authority who simply seems to not care. It's all too familiar to him, and the taste of it is bitter on his tongue; he swallows once, tightly, expression flat and unhappy.
Of course. Lili could not have come from an entirely happy home situation, not with the chip she carries on her shoulder and the attitude. He's aware enough to know that he has something much the same--and much the same, he has troubles with the same thing, even if he hates to admit it. But even so...
Lili didn't deserve that. Lili has always been a paragon of someone who cared so much for her lands, so purely. Why would she be punished for that?
He doesn't realize that his hands have balled into fists on the table, or that his breathing has slowed. But then he looks up, and sees the way Lili staggers, and frowns.]
Drink some water, before you lose your lunch.
[He's concerned but...well, he's also Leon.]