Duo Maxwell (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
death_scythe) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
farsickness2020-03-30 04:41 pm
death_scythe) wrote in farsickness2020-03-30 04:41 pm
I've had my adventure...
WHO: Duo Maxwell and whoever so happens to bump into him.
WHEN: End of March/Beginning of April
WHAT: Arrival and Exploring the City
WHERE: Gazin
WARNINGS: Besides language? Depends on how much he decides to divulge.
Arrival:
It was strange. One moment he was lying down on the couch for a nap, wondering if life on Earth would have been just as fruitful. The next...
The next, Duo was waking up in some tall grass next to a dirt trail he assumed was meant to be used as a road. There was a bright blue sky above him, and fields of green grass all around him. There was a forest off to his left, and mountains far behind him. This place...was it Earth? A dream, maybe. He was on the colony, in his home/shop for the scrapyard he owned. How the hell did he end up here?
"This has got to be some weird dream." Though the smell of the grass and the feeling of the wind in his hair didn't seem like a dream. Standing up, he noticed a wooden sign some ways ahead. Most signs these days were metal. If this was Earth, then it had to be a part he never traveled to.
He could make it out easily enough even before he was right up on it. "Gazin," Duo read out loud. He frowned, confused, as he made to run his fingers through his bangs. That was when he noticed the series of small white scars that he didn't have when he fell asleep. Two of his fingers were wrapped in bandages. Giving a shake of his head, he felt the end of his braid tap the back of his knee. Was his hair longer?
Get it together, Maxwell! He ran his hands down his face and sat down on a rock near the sign. What the hell was going on?
Near-violet eyes looked up at the sign, then followed the road out to a decent sized town. Should he go? Maybe there were answers as to what he was doing in this new place? Would it even matter, since this could all be a dream anyway?
Duo sat in thought for a long moment before he sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He couldn't stay in one spot, even in Dreamland. Might as well keep moving. Shoving his hands in his coat pockets, he began his trek towards this Gazin he never heard of.
The City:
Gazin was nothing like Duo had ever seen before. The closest he could think of was the small place where the Maganac Corps had hidden Quatre and himself for a short time. Even still, it was...strange. Surreal, even. And he stuck out like a sore thumb, what with his leather jacket, tight jeans, and combat boots. Forget the braid, it was his clothes that pointed him out as being not from here. It was what prompted a woman with a small child to point him in the direction of the inn he was currently staying at.
It took a day or so, once he had been set up with a room, before he managed to convince himself to explore a bit. Each passing moment made it feel more like he had certainly been dragged out of space and slammed back onto Earth. This was real, not a dream like he had originally thought. And if he wanted to survive in this new place, he needed to adapt. To learn more about Gazin and the people and the ways of life.
He started with the roads closest to the inn. He made a mental note of the alleys and the couple of dead ends he had stumbled upon. The people had watched him, curious about him, but they left him alone for the most part. It was almost as if they were use to this sort of thing.
When he was satisfied with that part of his mission, he decided to head towards where the biggest gathering of people could be found. A market. Fruit stalls, weapon vendors (he made a note to look for a knife at some point), fish peddlers. There was a man selling leather things, and the 12-year-old in Duo's mind took a trip to the gutter, making it hard for him to not start snickering.
From the market, he ventured down random streets. He looked through the windows of various shops. He smiled and said hello to the people around. There were children who asked a lot of questions, and he answered them as best he could given the circumstances.
By the time the sun started to set and he had somehow managed to get back to the inn, Duo was more than ready to get a bit of food in him and pass out in his bed.
WHEN: End of March/Beginning of April
WHAT: Arrival and Exploring the City
WHERE: Gazin
WARNINGS: Besides language? Depends on how much he decides to divulge.
Arrival:
It was strange. One moment he was lying down on the couch for a nap, wondering if life on Earth would have been just as fruitful. The next...
The next, Duo was waking up in some tall grass next to a dirt trail he assumed was meant to be used as a road. There was a bright blue sky above him, and fields of green grass all around him. There was a forest off to his left, and mountains far behind him. This place...was it Earth? A dream, maybe. He was on the colony, in his home/shop for the scrapyard he owned. How the hell did he end up here?
"This has got to be some weird dream." Though the smell of the grass and the feeling of the wind in his hair didn't seem like a dream. Standing up, he noticed a wooden sign some ways ahead. Most signs these days were metal. If this was Earth, then it had to be a part he never traveled to.
He could make it out easily enough even before he was right up on it. "Gazin," Duo read out loud. He frowned, confused, as he made to run his fingers through his bangs. That was when he noticed the series of small white scars that he didn't have when he fell asleep. Two of his fingers were wrapped in bandages. Giving a shake of his head, he felt the end of his braid tap the back of his knee. Was his hair longer?
Get it together, Maxwell! He ran his hands down his face and sat down on a rock near the sign. What the hell was going on?
Near-violet eyes looked up at the sign, then followed the road out to a decent sized town. Should he go? Maybe there were answers as to what he was doing in this new place? Would it even matter, since this could all be a dream anyway?
Duo sat in thought for a long moment before he sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He couldn't stay in one spot, even in Dreamland. Might as well keep moving. Shoving his hands in his coat pockets, he began his trek towards this Gazin he never heard of.
The City:
Gazin was nothing like Duo had ever seen before. The closest he could think of was the small place where the Maganac Corps had hidden Quatre and himself for a short time. Even still, it was...strange. Surreal, even. And he stuck out like a sore thumb, what with his leather jacket, tight jeans, and combat boots. Forget the braid, it was his clothes that pointed him out as being not from here. It was what prompted a woman with a small child to point him in the direction of the inn he was currently staying at.
It took a day or so, once he had been set up with a room, before he managed to convince himself to explore a bit. Each passing moment made it feel more like he had certainly been dragged out of space and slammed back onto Earth. This was real, not a dream like he had originally thought. And if he wanted to survive in this new place, he needed to adapt. To learn more about Gazin and the people and the ways of life.
He started with the roads closest to the inn. He made a mental note of the alleys and the couple of dead ends he had stumbled upon. The people had watched him, curious about him, but they left him alone for the most part. It was almost as if they were use to this sort of thing.
When he was satisfied with that part of his mission, he decided to head towards where the biggest gathering of people could be found. A market. Fruit stalls, weapon vendors (he made a note to look for a knife at some point), fish peddlers. There was a man selling leather things, and the 12-year-old in Duo's mind took a trip to the gutter, making it hard for him to not start snickering.
From the market, he ventured down random streets. He looked through the windows of various shops. He smiled and said hello to the people around. There were children who asked a lot of questions, and he answered them as best he could given the circumstances.
By the time the sun started to set and he had somehow managed to get back to the inn, Duo was more than ready to get a bit of food in him and pass out in his bed.
continued from tdm
That... is a very good question, and she has been keeping herself so busy getting her bearings and acquiring the essentials that she has successfully avoided thinking about it.
Until now, anyway. She is silent for a good long while, her gaze still distant. Thinking about the life she had left behind, and the very good reason she'd had for wishing herself away. Her companions aren't friends, they are barely allies, and right now with her mother's betrayal fresh on her mind, she isn't even sure if she still wants to acquire the soul of an Old God or follow any of Flemeth's plans for her at all.
"I don't know if it's possible," she says instead, yet she still sounds subdued. "They have ships but the ones at the port in Gazin only travel down the river, I suppose you would need travel farther west to an ocean port to find out if there are any ships to other continents. It's worth exploring either way. If not for a way home, there could still be many things to learn and discover on other continents."
continued from tdm
It's an uncommonly kind and understanding response for having been the subject of her rant and when he finally comes to that question at the end, Wen Qing can't help giving a startled little laugh.
"A long time, I'm afraid," she admits, not quite smiling but close enough, with wry, self-deprecating amusement lacing her voice. "I have been here for two months by now." She exhales noisily. "Two months of running around in circles without visible progress."
Sure, she has made unexpected friends and learned new skills here but none of this is equal to finding a way back to the time and place she belongs.
"I'm a physician, and my field includes treating magical maladies. Could I inspect your hand at some point? You're the first person I have talked to who lost time during the transit. That is very worrisome."
no subject
Duo took a couple more steps in front of the woman and moved in front to face her. He started walking backwards on the road, his hands on his hips. Smiling, he told her, "I'm no doc myself, and feel free to tell me to buzz off, but if you need to get that sort of stuff out of your system, just call on Duo Maxwell." He winked.
"And you're more than welcome to check out my hands. Who knows, it might help with trying to figure out more about what's been going on." He glanced behind him to make sure he wasn't going to trip before turning back to the woman. "From my point of view, you seem to have adapted pretty well. It's a good skill to have to keep yourself alive. That's progress, right?" His smile was more sincere as he made to move to walk beside the woman again.
no subject
I might run and hide, but I never tell a lie.
Nodding, Duo turned his attention to the people milling around the pair.
"You'd learn something either way, huh?" Shaking his head a little, he added, "If there are no answers to our questions here, it's possible that they'd be out there. Won't know until you go and check it out."
He stopped and blinked before rubbing the back of his neck.
"I don't mean you specifically. Just...in general."
Smooth.
no subject
"There's much to learn indeed," she agreed, even so gracious as not to mock him for his stumble. "For me or a general you." Well, okay, some mockery. But that's still her being downright nice. She hadn't called anyone an idiot yet.
"Might be someone out there has found a solution for our problem. But right now I'm far more eager to find sources of lyrium. The druid at the herbarium doesn't have it and seems to be in no hurry to provide." She sized Duo up. "I wager you've never heard of it, have you? Lyrium dust or lyrium veins to mine?"
no subject
"I'm curious if anyone else feels like they've lost time. That might be the first thing I'd look for." The question about lyrium however stopped Duo. It didn't sound familiar, and he sighed.
"Unfortunately, nothing like that exists where I'm from. Haven't heard anyone talk about it while I've been meandering. I'm gonna assume gundanium alloy isn't in your dictionary, so I won't ask. Not like it'd do me a lot of good now..."
no subject
Wen Qing being Wen Qing, she decided to act as if she was completely oblivious to the winking. Never mind that, though, it was a kind offer he had made, and one she appreciated.
"I'll take you up on that," she said, "both the offer to examine you and... the rest." The offer for a friendly ear. The few people she is close to are from her own world and share complicated history with her, every conversation means choosing her words carefully. It would certainly be liberating to talk freely without any of that. "I work at the apothecary. It's the only one in town, you can't miss it. You'll find me there on most days."
She pressed her lips together. "I think adapting to changes is... Well, it is not a choice, is it? It is necessary. We have to do what is necessary. You will adjust as well." A moment of thought. "I can help, if you like."
no subject
"I'll have to swing by some time. It's not like I have much else to do, you know? Got all the time in the world." Maybe.
His smile faltered ever so slightly when the woman offered to help him to adapt to this new world. Thoughts of the past played in his mind like a video on fast-forward before he shook his head, his smile quickly back in place.
"Adapting is a necessity, but I don't think everyone has the right skill to do that." Trust me. Duo shrugged, and looked at his companion out of the corner of his eye. "If you're offering, I'll gladly accept the help. Would definitely make it easier for me to get use to this..." He waved a hand is a motion as though to encompass the situation he found himself in.
no subject
"For what it's worth, the people in Gazin are a friendly enough lot, and they don't mind outsiders. Which isn't something to take for granted. People can be suspicious of strangers, but here they aren't, and there doesn't seem to be any kind of regulating authority, neither magical nor imperial, who could take offense to us newcomers or put us under scrutiny. I haven't even seen much of regular law enforcement yet, even. It seems to be a peaceful enough place as long as you stick to the city."
Her gaze turned distant, fingers twitching at her sides. "It could be a place to stay for good... if you could choose whom you bring with you."
no subject
In the end, all she could do was shake her head. "No, I can't say I've ever heard of your gundanium alloy. What do you use it for?" She regarded Duo curiously for a moment, though she didn't wait for his answer before trying to give an answer of her own. "Weapons, I'd wager. It's always weapons or magic which people hunger for most."
She stepped a little closer towards him. "I'm more interested in hearing about your lost time. I've not heard anyone mention it."
no subject
"Yeah, gundanium was used for weapons. It was the strongest metal where I'm from, so what else would it be used for? Infrastructure?" He offered a shrug as he looked down at his hands, the small scars from nicks and cuts littering his skin.
"It's the weirdest thing that's happened to me, besides being plucked from my home and brought here. Or maybe it's a tie for the weirdest."
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Duo leaned over to tap his shoulder against his new walking companion. His habit of invading personal spaces was starting to show.
"Out of curiosity, who would you bring? Or are they already here?"
no subject
"If 'tis only a tie for the weirdest thing you've ever seen, then I'd like to hear what other stories you have to tell." Because clearly nothing can be quite as weird as this. "Even I would call it the strangest, and I've been part of a group of adventurers trying to kill an Old God in dragon shape."
no subject
"I would bring my brother," she said, not even a moment of hesitation. Her face softened at the mere mention of him, a small smile curling the corners of her mouth upwards. "Wen Ning, my younger brother, is a talented archer and helps me in brewing medicine. He is a very kind, generous boy. Getting to live a life in a place that is peaceful and safe for us, where his gentle heart is seen as a strength and not a weakness... He would thrive here."
She sized him up thoughtfully. "If I could bring more, I would bring my entire branch of the Wen clan, they would all do so much better here than at home in the middle of a war. War is not kind to those who can't or won't fight." She shook her head a little. "Maybe you are right and I do like collecting people. My family isn't here, so trying to help strangers is the closest I can come... and it's nice being in a place where there are no consequences for showing kindness."
no subject
"...Yeah, I think my idea of weird is nowhere near that level." He stops, and looks up at the sky before looking back to Morrigan with a neutral expression. He lifts a hand to point a finger up. "But maybe our ideas are just skewed from experience. For example, would you believe me if I told you I was born in space?" he asks, deadpan.
no subject
But the mention of war, how war wasn't kind, and Duo no longer saw a road and open field. He saw a church on fire. He could smell smoke and burning flesh, and the soft voice next to him suddenly sounded like someone screaming.
His steps slowed, and for the briefest of moments his smile faltered. But just as fast, the smile was back and he was right next to the woman walking with him. It wasn't as bright as before, perhaps a bit of sadness there.
"War isn't kind to anyone really, but yeah, it's worse for people who can't fight for themselves." Duo once more bumped his shoulder against Wen's, maybe more for his sake than hers. "I suppose I should thank you for picking me up, huh? I don't think I did that yet. So, thank you, uh..."
Then it hit him...
"Do I just call you Doc? Or I'm guessing Wen? That's your last name, right? Or your surname?" He chuckled as his cheeks started to turn a slight pink. "It'd be rude to just call you 'that nice lady who found me in the middle of the road'."
no subject
She crosses her arms over her chest, sizing him up for some sign of mischief. "I've run into a fair number of strange people and strange magics, but people living in the sky is too much for me. I'd tell you not to dip so deep into the ale."
no subject
At his joking - flirting? She still couldn't tell which one it was - she chuckled a little, her eyes softening with amusement at the charm he was laying on so thick. To be quite honest, it reminded her of another friend who would use cheer and charm to deflect from moments of sadness, but who was she to deny people their coping mechanisms.
"You could, but that would be far too long-winded to keep up." That little smile still played at her lips. "You could call me Physician Wen, or Maiden Wen, if you wish to be formal. Or simply Wen Qing, as most do. Or you could address me as you would in your lands."
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"And I'd say you're high as a kite for claiming to fight so-called gods and dragons and whatever. See? Perspective! None of that exists where I'm from." He shifts his weight on his feet, looking once more up to the sky before returning his gaze to Morrigan.
"I've met someone who supposedly came from a different time than others who arrived from the same place she's from. And a man who, for all I know, came from a different time than me. Not entirely sure about that one, but--" He shrugs. "--that's not important." He holds up a finger and points it at Morrigan as if about to chastise her, though his tone is more light-hearted than that.
"How 'bout we both agree this shit's weird as hell, and we're both a bit weird, and not stoop so low as to calling each other drunkards or stoners?"
no subject
Perhaps he just liked being the one to make people smile, so if he had to do all three, then he would.
"Hm..." Duo tapped his chin with a finger, making a show of thinking before glancing at Wen Qing and smiling. "Wen Qing it is! I'm about as informal as they come, so if would please my lady, I would like to be called Duo."
...What was that about blurred lines again?
no subject
"Duo then," she agrees, weighing it on her tongue. That is terribly rude and informal, and maybe a little bit too familiar even, but some people are nowhere near as formal as others. She can go with that, puzzled though she may be with it.
"You are indeed very informal," she adds, giving him a pointed look, even if there is no actual criticism to her tone of voice. More befuddlement. He is very, very different from what she is used to.
no subject
"If we must," is all she says, acting as if this is all a terrible imposition on her, while the doubtful look she gives him clearly shows that she is still doubting his tall tales. She actually doesn't, though. He does make a good point about both their stories sounding incredulous to the other. Hers is incredulous even to someone from Thedas, to be truthful.
"What is that about a man from a different time than you?" she asks instead, interest perked once more. "From your own... place in the sky, but not from your time?"
no subject
Oh, but Morrigan is asking about Doc Herbert.
"Ah, the Doc? That's a really strange situation. I don't know for sure if he's from the same...universe? Damn, this is weird." He chuckles a bit as he reaches up to rub the back of his neck. "We were comparing things and places in each other's worlds, and come to find out, he is from a place that I sort of knew about? Something I would have read about in a history book, if that makes sense. The timelines sort of match, too? If we share the same sort of timeline, he'd be from somewhere in my FAR FAR past!" His arms start moving as he talks, as though that would help make his point. "Like, we're talking hundreds of years! Space travel hadn't even become a thing for him! It's strange to even imagine for me!"
no subject
"Of course, if you'd rather call me Maxwell, you're more than welcome to. One of the guys I knew back home would use my last name instead. I think he was the only one to do that. Everyone else I knew called me Duo." Either name was fine...really. Both were his, and he chose them both. Okay, so maybe the first one was sort of given to them, but he accepted it readily.
no subject
"I will stick to calling you Duo," she decided after a moment of thought, "calling you just by your last name would be no less rude." But maybe they don't have titles and honorifics where he is from, or at least don't use them as often. Or he just doesn't care for them. In the end, it doesn't matter much.
Names matter, of course, but that is for different reasons. For the affiliation they stand for, foremost.
She shakes her head a little, shaking off these wandering thoughts. "Either way, I'm glad to have met you, Duo Maxwell. Come to the apothecary when you can for the exam and... if there is anything else I can help with, to make settling in easier for you, then you can come for that, too."
no subject
Is this something magic could do? Not that she has ever heard of and yet it's the only explanation for how they ended up here, so she adds, "If any mage has brought us here and it isn't just a strange accident, we are in trouble. They must be very powerful. More powerful than anything I've come across before in my world... or even heard of. I don't know how we are supposed to force anyone so powerful to send us home. Good thing I'm not in any hurry to go back."
no subject
He smiles, soft-like, and turns his attention to the road ahead of the pair.
"Y'know...I'm glad, too. I could have been picked up some sort of cannibal or run over by a horse or something! But I lucked out and was found by the wonderful Wen Qing! Physician extraordinaire!" He casts a glance to his companion with a grin. "I'll try to make my way there when I am...yeah, more settled. And I won't hesitate to ask all the questions."
no subject
Duo does go silent after, quietly listening as the woman ranted about mages and whatnot. Magic was not his forte, and with how serious she appeared, he was more inclined to believe her...even her desire to stay here rather than go home.
"I suppose it depends on if the powerful are benevolent or malevolent. If this was an accident, there's always the possibility that they'd help us home. If it wasn't, welp, we might be here for the long run. It's the same everywhere. Doesn't necessarily have to be magic-involved."
no subject
"And don't you get that you called me a physician extraordinaire when I need you to follow my medical advice sometime in the future," she says pointedly.
What follows is a bow that is deep and solemn enough to show her regard for her new acquaintance. "I look forward to seeing you again, Duo Maxwell."
She will go her own ways now but her day has been much improved by this chance encounter.
no subject
"True," she agrees, reluctantly, "their intentions are the big question. And we aren't going to have answers until we dig deeper and spend more time observing... or they may even show themselves eventually."
She scoffs. "I hate waiting games. At least it will be more pleasant than the last one." Not being hunted by things wanting to eat you alive sure helps.