http://jonadarkhair.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] jonadarkhair.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] shatterverse2007-11-06 08:13 pm
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They scrub her up, dress her all nice in dirty grey, tie her hands behind her back and lead her blind out of her cell with the black hood knotted closed at the front. She can't breathe in the smoky street air, can't hear over the press of boos and cheers and chatter that erupts on her ears.

This is it. She's going to die.

The hangman's hands are surprisingly gentle -- but then they have to be, don't they? The crowd needs to be told who's the hero and the villain of the scene -- it's just like a play, she realises, just the endlessly-retold fable of the Bad Little Thief who was Brought To Justice. She's blithely accepted it hundreds of times as part of the gleeful crowd.

This is it. This is it. She's going to die, and they're going to mince her body so she can't come back, and--

--there's a split second's nothing as the hangman pulls the trapdoor lever, clunk, and--

--SHE SCREAMS as the wood beneath her feet vanishes, crack, and--

--hits grass, crumples, struggles, falls, screams again, is she dead?, screams again.

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Iroh considers the question in silence for a bit. "I'm not sure," he eventually says. "Flying Bison are extinct. Wiped out a generation ago. But... those are certainly Flying Bison." The possibility of time travel does not occur to him.

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"Safe?" Iroh laughs, "Flying Bison are only dangerous if you're a threat to them." He eyes her and then glances down at himself, "I don't think we have to worry about that."

"Come on," he says as he begins walking toward the herd.

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, they are rather cute. Iroh himself is grinning. Of course when he reaches the herd he sort of stops. He has no idea what to do now that he's within arm's reach of a Flying Bison.

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Iroh's smile widens as he watches her. It's nice to see that some people are still innocent despite the world he lives in.

For now he's content to sit back and smile as Jona gets to know the somewhat bemused-looking Flying Bison.

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
The wide smile is interrupted by a briefly confused look. "What do you mean?" Six legs isn't "so many"! That's how many legs they're supposed to have.

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Iroh simply lifts an eyebrow and chuckles. "Perhaps where you are from."

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:30 pm (UTC)(link)
The Bison must find this interesting, judging by the rumbling sound it makes. Iroh grins again. "Well, it seems that we might not have to walk after all."

If he can figure out how to ride a Flying Bison and not die.

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's the question, isn't it." Iroh strokes his beard in thought, "I don't imagine you'd have any problems getting up there, if the bison doesn't mind anyway." Not after her little display earlier.

"I'm not so sure about myself."

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"Of course," he grins as he steps forward and laces his fingers together to form a step. "But remember than I'm an old man, so don't be too hard on me."

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Iroh considers her for a moment. "I don't want to break you," he says hesitantly, looking down at his rather evident paunch.

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"We'll figure something out, I'm sure. We should probably figure out if the Bison minds first, though."

[identity profile] dragonreturned.livejournal.com 2007-11-18 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Iroh's grin widens. "Now we just need to figure out how an old man like myself is supposed to get up there." He looks around, trying to find some inspiration.