vatheon | (no subject)

Who: Peony IX, you~~, that cute girl, and that one...~~
Where: Plaza
When: Early evening
Status: Open
Style: Anything goes?

Peony was not unfamiliar with large bodies of water, or with accidents involving it. Being that his capital city was surrounded by the sea and in fact the sea passed through the barrier and alongside Grand Chokmah's streets--which were more like bridges as a result--there was always the occasional seaspray or accident that meant someone was getting soaked. It was more where he was that proved strange. Well, it helped that it looked like he was under the sea instead of on it. He paused in his steps to tilt his head back, towel falling from his head only to be pulled over his shoulders. Just to make sure it hadn't just been a bad fall and he'd been seeing things.

Nope, still underwater.

Damn.

To be honest, he'd mostly been wandering in a circle. Pacing, in a way, to help him think. He'd spoken to a few of the shop owners, but Peony only drew the conclusion that this was all pretty crazy. This place--Vatheon, they'd called it--had to have some kind of Fonic barrier to keep the water from flooding everything. He'd mentioned the word, but gotten no sign that anyone had ever heard it before. That was mainly why it was pretty crazy. Unless you were sheltered (which, he admitted, could and did happen), you'd have to know what fonons were and possess a general understanding of how they're used in day-to-day technologies.

At some point during this walk, just before his current state of pause, he'd taken off his sandals. The squelching noise wasn't helping him think at all. It was actually pretty distracting because of how ridiculous it sounded, and the part of him that still acted like a child kept laughing at it. He held them in his left hand now, ring and little finger hooked through straps on either. The befuddled monarch pulled his towel back up over his head like a hood, wringing his hair while it was covered; he needed to do something about this. Was there anyone higher up he could speak to? A ruler? But all he found was a cluster of coral, which he hadn't realized he'd stopped so close to. Grimacing slightly, brows drawn together and upward, Peony couldn't help a small chuckle.

"Well, if anything's going to rule an underwater city, you're the best candidate." As if it could hear him. Coral wasn't alive in the sense that humans were, after all. They were everywhere though, as he recalled from books he hadn't touched in years, and this batch seemed no different.

One of the few comforts of this place was bits of what he could see were vaguely reminiscent of Grand Chokmah (if just underwater). It eased the stress of his bemusement some if only because it gave him some hope that maybe he wasn't so lost as he thought he was. This probably unintentionally made things harder by thinking this way, but he'd deal with it for now; he needed the calm. After all, answers with any real substance would make everything that much easier to digest, even if he was wrong. He'd have something else to fall back on that wasn't just confusion of the highest caliber, but in the meantime he wouldn't be panicking. ...It made sense to him, somehow.

With a heavy sigh, he turned his attention away from the glowing mass and cast his gaze out upon the shops again. He hadn't thought to ask anyone who wasn't a shop owner, just yet... Maybe that's what he should try. If he ran into a tourist, then oops. Next person. This in mind, Peony strode away from the coral to find someone else to ask. Someone who looked like they might know enough to answer his questions, anyway. Er. Well.

Okay. First person he got to!

"Hey, I was wondering if you could tell me something about this place. Where it is, if everyone gets here without knowing how and catches cold as a result, that kind of thing."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Hmn..." Ioder had to think for a moment, giving a tilt of his head to the side as he did so. When he'd first arrived, his cousin had been called by way of Duke because of his injuries, so he'd skirted around the normal way most people entered Vatheon.

"I believe most people start at the welcome center," he finally answered, pointing to it once he recalled where it was, "Or you can see if you can track down your friend first?"

"Then that sounds like a good place to start~" Peony hummed, amusement flitting openly across his features. "He won't miss me if he doesn't know I'm here." Which was to say, Guy wouldn't start a fit of some nature if he didn't know Peony was here. If it could be called a fit.

Provided they were even from the same time and knew the same things.

Ah, well!

"That's... certainly one way to look at it."

The amusement was catching, even if Ioder didn't completely understand it himself. He chuckled awkwardly himself, though the smile he gave was little more than polite confusion. Peony was... different, but not in a way that was bothersome.

"Well, if you ever need any further assistance, I'd be happy to help you in the future."

He got that a lot. Either different or eccentric, or sometimes just plain weird. Well, Ioder hadn't met him in Grand Chokmah. If he had, well... That would have been more than just a little confusing and more than just a little different. But odd choice in pets aside, Peony chuckles a bit. Ah, poor guy. Poor Guy, as well.

"I'll offer you the same, even if I don't think I'd be very useful around here just yet. Peony, by the way." He held out his hand to the other blond.

Ioder wasn't normally bothered by 'different', even if he was confused for the moment. Anything was a breath of fresh air from the stuffiness of palace life - even Vatheon and it's often strange residents.

"Oh, that's quite alright. I'm sure if you're intent on repaying the favor you'll find some way," Ioder said cheerfully, taking the man's hand in a surprisingly firm grip, "Ioder. I won't bore you with my full name. It's a pleasure to meet you, Peony."

Peony'd agree with that. It took a lot to get him out of the palace and not by his own design. He'd rather be out wandering the city, but nope. Between the council and his status, that was definitely a no-go.

"I'll definitely try." Peony chuckled, and again at the grip he was met with. "And I'm no stranger to long names, but the pleasure's mine."

A bit of distraction took Ioder then, mostly because he caught the time in a near by clock. Not that time had much sway over day and night in Vatheon, but it did concern him when he knew he'd been away from home long enough for Estelle to worry.

"Well, I do hope you settle in well. And of course my offer of help remains, should you need it."

"Once I find someone, I'm sure I will. I'll keep your offer in mind, too; I offer my help in return if you find yourself needing it." Peony laughed, though; he wasn't sure why anyone would need his help, but why not offer, anyway? It's good to make positive relations with people, and he definitely wasn't out to make anything negative while here!

"Oh, thank you. I'll remember that!" Ioder said happily. He knew some things were not going to be easy for Peony to adjust to, but he certainly seemed to be handling the situation better than some.

"I'm sure I'll see you again soon. I do have to return home now, though. I don't wish to worry my cousin."

"See you around, then." Peony flashed a grin.

His weight shifted about, from foot to foot, and he shortly turned his attention to digging around through pockets hidden by the blue wrap around his waist to see if he could find the device Ioder had shown him before.

Ioder lingered for another few seconds longer, but it wasn't much more than that before he turned and headed for his apartment. All he could really do was hope quietly that Peony found his way on his own, and came across his friend before things got too confusing.