Prelude (Rex & ????)

The Park was a great place to relax in the central area, At the moment travel to Central was allowed due to the Coming Festival this would allow other people to come look around get used to navigating the area, and allow those that wished to set up shops, to get the paperwork squared away and approved and gave them time to set up and prepare for the festival.

One thing that was quite the common sight in central, the Presence of a Waddle-dee, these little Creatures seemed to be absolutely everywhere, running little errands and cleaning and preparing the place for the Festival along with people who where doing the same. In the Park however The Waddle-dee's seemed to be taking their time off, likely being told to go rest or go play as normally the little spirits would work till they were quite tired and told to rest by a Waddle-doo. But in the Park groups of them  could be seen sitting in the grass with others, napping under trees and tending to flowers or simply running around playing with other Waddle-dee's.

And among the Multitudes of Waddle-dee's wandering about, there were a few Waddle-doo's keeping a protective eye over them, to make sure the people that showed up to play with the Waddle-dee's were not being mean to them.


It would be in the middle of the park that an old man was sitting petting a Waddle-dee and giving food to a few others and gently humming a tune to them.

As interesting as walking through the bustle of the city could be, the crowds could very quickly become tiresome, especially around such a highly anticipated event like this. Thus, Rex found himself eventually wandering off to the local park, seeking to take a momentary break or at least find a slightly less people-filled area for a while. People could be extremely noisy at times, and that went doubly for some of the more excited musicians out there. At least, the spirits were a lot more quieter, even though they did make for a bit of an odd company. In all honesty, the amber eyed man didn't think much of them as long as they didn't try to approach him and get his attention. Similarly to how there was no reason to occupy one's thoughts with every person or animal that happened to enter their field of vision. It was simpler that way, no matter how strange the sight could at times be to witness.

Deciding to take a pause in his wandering, he'd find himself leaning against one of the many trees adorning the park, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, simply watching the multitudes of Dees running around with a faint air of amusement. Well, it was somewhat more entertaining than watching people. For the moment, anyway. As for the strange old man in the middle of the park...he had taken notice of course, but it would by all means be impolite to bother a person when he had no good reason to. He didn't rush to make small talk with every random person, and this situation was frankly no different in his eyes, thus he would just watch for the time being.

The old man took out a little laser pointer and shined it on the ground, and one of the Waddle-dee noticed the dot and tried to grab at it, and the old man moved it, making the Waddle-dee scoot after it, soon it gently tapped on another Waddle-dee and it joined in on chasing the little dot, Eventually there was a little herd of Waddle-dee chasing after the dot. The old man smiling and chuckling as the Waddle-dee's where trying to out maneuver the Dot to try to trap it, Meanwhile the Waddle-doo that was watching had sat down next to the man on the bench to see what was going on better and seemed to be trying to direct the Waddle-dee's but all of them seemed to miss the fact that the old man was using a laser pointer.

After some time the Waddle-doo looked over at the old man who was chuckling a little louder and it noticed the laser pointer and gently tapped him on the arm "I am sorry my little friend I will stop now.. I just wanted to play with them all and I am not a young man anymore" he said gently petting the Waddle-doo and he led the Waddle-dee's back to him and started to give them little sandwiches apparently made for their size "Here you little guys go.. it was a good little game" he said as he handed one to the Waddle-doo as well.

He then looked up and seen Rex and gestured for him to join him "Well hello my friend, do you care to join an old man and hear what he has to say? maybe share with him some stories?" he asked in a wizen but Jovial tone.

Honestly, Rex had been drifting off into his own thoughts more than paying a lot of attention to the scenery in front of him, and would have probably continued in doing so had the old man not gone out of his way to address him all of a sudden. Slightly taken off guard, amber eyes would blink a couple times at the other man, his arms dropping down to hang by his sides as a moment of silence passed while he gathered his thoughts.

"Ah, good day to you as well sir. I wouldn't wish to intrude on your leisure time, but I suppose I can stay around a while." He would take a couple steps closer to the man and the gathering of Dees, somewhat unsure of what to think about the situation. Well, it wasn't as if he had never gotten approached by older people before, and some of them could certainly be rather chatty but it was always surprising when something like that happened. Did the man not have human friends to hang out with? "I'm not sure I can offer much in terms of stories however, seeing as I've hardly prepared for such an activity." Storytelling could be a delicate matter after all.

The man smiled a bit and gestured him over "Young one, you are not Intruding if you are being invited now are you? Come come, tell me of your day.. it doesn't have to be anything exciting an old man just wonders.. Oh I know... how are you liking the Central district? And the Festival how are you enjoying the lead up to the main event?" he asked jovially with his Wizened voice, as he gently picked up a Waddle-dee and pets it gently "Oh.. maybe you have some views on this place this old man has missed... the eyes of the youth tend to catch things us older fellows do miss after all.." he added as he smiled

The Waddle-dee's that had been chasing the light had gathered again near the man and where happily sitting around him, the Waddle-doo seemingly not worried about the old man or Rex at the moment and more going around checking on the Waddle-dee that had gathered as if making sure none had stepped on a stone or hurt themselves during their little chase.

His brows would furrow slightly, rather unsure of how to respond. It wasn't like him to discuss his likes with strangers as the first thing. Certain kinds of small talk struck him as weird, and he didn't quite understand why his opinion would be of interest. The man hadn't even introduced himself or anything.


Nevetheless, he did not wish to come off unnecessarily rude without reason, and would simply offer a half-hearted shrug for the moment. "It's...alright. Frankly, not a whole lot to say from me, for I am not a person for loud celebrations and overt gestures. I am certain many find this a pleasant occassion and I am glad for them, but I actually prefer quieter times. It is why I came to this park...to take a break from the more excited crowds. That about sums up my opinion in general, I'd say." It wasn't bad by any means, neither the district nor the festival lead up, but it was also not entirely up his alley due to the kind of a person he was.


"What...do you mean by 'view' though? I have never thought that age was what truly made the main difference. How we choose to perceive what we see is a result of our attitude towards the world and what is in front of us, more than a reflection of actual reality or ability to see better or worse than others." Sometimes the older person was wiser, and sometimes it was the younger one, for a multitude of reasons. It was never simple.

The old man smiled a bit more as he placed the Waddle-dee down gently and picked up a Waddle-doo who seemed a bit confused to why it was picked up but as it was petted it seemed to relax in the old man's arms "I am glad to hear you are enjoying your time here... Though different from your preference it may be, and it's interesting isn't it? Even during such an uproarious time as this one can find these quiet sanctuaries to help center themselves.. but such sanctuaries can be prisons as well before one even realizes it.. sealing themselves off from the world..." she smile on the mans face seemed to dim a bit at the last parts.

Though as the man brought up his...question? comment? it was hard to tell what it was, the old man only smiled more "I see you are one that likes to sound like they know more then they do by turning a question on it's side and over analyzing.. not everything is in need of that you know, A question can be as simple as it is stated, Answers are the ones that tend to get overly complicated as some tend to try to make them more then what they are about... I didn't ask you for some philosophical analysis I asked you on your view of the District and the City, an answer that you seem to be avoiding.. perhaps that fact should be taken as the answer hmnm?" the man said with a childish smile before chuckling.

"No.. no I am afraid I am not asking some deep philosophical question. No... I simply asked a question that it seems I will likely not get an answer to if your answer is anything to go by.. you see Young one... sometimes a question about a view... is just a question about YOUR view... if you understand what I mean" he said with a kind smile "Are you against sharing that view? Or will you entertain an old man his question of a young man able to travel and let me hear it?" he asked as he took a rather large sandwich out of a bag next to him and gave it to the waddle-doo. "Here little one... make sure you and your friends get equal shares now okay?" he said as the Waddle-doo nodded and gave a little salute before being placed down and starting to distribute the Sandwich.

"Perhaps." He'd look off into the distance thoughtfully. "Not knowing how to stop and take a breath could be equally as damaging however. As long as one knows how to maintain a healthy balance, I don't think there is too much to fear." It was indeed possible to go too far with isolating, but that went for just about any choice a person could make. Too much of a good thinhmg could turn bad, as unfortunate as that was. Personally, while he definitely preferred a more peaceful environment, he wouldn't run from every crowd the moment he spotted one either. That would be a rather silly way to approach life.

As for the turn the conversation took afterwards however, he couldn't quite say he agreed with the assessment given...and now more than before, he had to wonder why exactly did a random stranger think it their business to ask for an opinion and proceed to judge his thought process based on the first response given. He wasn't even obligated to offer an answer to begin with, and this was frankly strange enough to make him mildly uneasy. The old man maintaining a smiling face didn't particularly do anything to ease that feeling either. He did not wish to cause conflict though, and so he would nevertheless remain mostly mild-mannered in response.

"Pardon my confusion, but is the way I answer not valid if it does not fit what was expected of me? I shall not deny that it may say something about the way I think, but to assume that it is my intent is to hide my 'real' opinion or be overthinking this sounds a little hasty to me. If anything, I'd rather ask than answer completely off the left field based on an assumption. A question can be simple, but it doesn't have to be either." He did not know this man enough to just know whether he was fishing for a simple answer or a more in depth one. Thus he responded in a way that came to him most naturally on spot. "I nevertheless do to an extent mean what I said, and I actually say it because I do not think I can claim to know better than anyone else. What I think could easily be wrong, and my opinion is hardly an interesting one if you're looking to hear a passionate riveting tale of any sort simply because I am of younger age." He'd shake his head with a gentle huff, before moving slightly to bend down on one knee so he could take a closer look at the Dees around. Perhaps as a way to distract himself from the strangeness of the discussion.

"This city is a multifaceted one in my opinion. I've had both positive and negative experiences in my life, and that's just how it is. It could be said that it's great due to being the safest known haven against the demonic forces plaguing the land, but it is also a fact that certain choices, such as the restrictions on how people are allowed to express their musical inclinations are a possible infringement on personal freedom. There is no other place to move to however, regardless of the opinion one has, and without having witnessed a different society, there is nothing to compare to when deciding just how good or bad life here truly is." It was by no means a paradise but it was no hell either. It was honestly difficult to put his feelings on it into words, because he didn't feel too strongly in either direction to justify doubling down on a specific viewpoint.

The old man continued to smile, "Well there are only a few guesses one can make when presented with so little information don't you agree? Especially when someone answers a question with such a long and meandering deflection... whether you see it as one or not, others may and so your bound to create a great deal of confusion answering questions in that manner. Now As to why you do it? I haven't the foggiest Idea Young one, though I could make some guesses, but of course that's all they would be Guesses and Theory, but it's the best I have to go on unless you present more information now isn't that true?" the man smiled having leaned back on the bench a bit to look out over the park filled with Waddle-dee's and Waddle-doo's.

"And yet you assume I am asking for a riveting tale? or that I will assume your words to be ether right or wrong? No... no young one, I want to hear your words and view, whether it is right or wrong is irrelevant, views are views, it's simply how one sees and processes what they have learned... nothing more nothing less, a view can be misinformed, and then clarified" he said taking out another sandwich and taking a bit out of it.

"This sandwich for example... is a perfect example... I think.. and View this sandwich as delicious... it's very filling, and it's flavor is just right... now your views on this sandwich could very much be different, but it doesn't make ether of us wrong... now.. add in a majority? then suddenly something can be DEEMED wrong... because more agree on one view or another.. do you see what I mean? Oh Granted there are Moral views to take into account as well but if we want to talk about the moral Implications of a Sandwich I think we would have very much lost the Mustard" he chuckled as he broke a piece of the Sandwich off and gave it to a Waddle-dee that just joined the others.

Though as his younger guest talked about his views on the city the and sat up and smiled "Now you see, it's thoughts like that, that could make some worry... some would think that you are wrong... that you are saying something that could be harmful, and there are some what could view what you say as comparing this city to a prison... no one in preset company of course, as I said I simply wanted to hear your view and you gave it" he said as he held the sandwich out "Care for a bit of the Sandwich?" he asked with a kind smile.

"..." He'd sight faintly, doing his best to try and not get annoyed by this. If he were to speak honestly, he ultimately didn't care about this conversation much at all. He initially agreed to the small talk more out of politeness and not wanting to come off rude more than anything else, and to this moment he did not understand why his opinion on things was so important it warranted him getting essentially chided for responding the way he wanted to. The old man talked like he thought he knew quite a lot himself despite having prodded at his words sounding like he knew more than he really did earlier. What was the difference between them in the end?

He wasn't feeling this discussion, but there also wasn't anything for him to gain by being sharp with his words. At times, he frankly wanted to just to get some people to leave him alone, even though it didn't quite feel right to do so. "I am simply taking a 'guess' that you wanted to hear a certain type of answer from me, otherwise you wouldn't have a reason to be dissatisfied with my choice of a less personal response to the extent of essentially calling me out on avoiding giving you an answer. Even though this whole discussion is giving me the feel that my choices are being analyzed as much if not more than what I was suspected of doing with my answer." He would shake his head a bit. "No offense sir, but I do not even know who you are. And as you have said, certain views might not sit well with some people. With that in mind, I've more than enough reason to be cautious enough to not speak with a stranger as if they were a close friend right off the bat. Talking about a sandwich which is a simple matter of food preference is very different from making statements about a city which could easily lead into a more political dispute. I've little interest in giving people ample reasons to think I'm trying to spread harmful views or anything of that kind." He had his opinions sure, but it wasn't as if it benefitted him any to actively go out of his way and label himself as a disagreeable person in the eyes of others just for the sake of doing so. "Regardless, thank you but I will have to pass. I'm not hungry right now." He had eaten not too long ago, and he wasn't going to take food when he had no intention of eating it.

The old man nodded "Well.. now if you don't like everything over analyzed you should have just said so, I only did so as you did much the same, And so I guessed that was how you wanted to be treated, Clearly by your response I am wrong, however is that a reason to be frustrated with me? After all I could only go by the Clue's you presented with your manner of speech" the man said stroking his beard the smile gone and him looking thoughtful.

"but very well, now I know, you do not like to be analyzed despite you liking to analyze things, and if you do not wish to speak frankly to an old man who asked I can respect that, but perhaps... instead of simply dodging around the answers.. maybe simply tell me? Could have avoided this unneeded frustration you are feeling" he finished and then bowed his head "Apologies, I didn't intend to make this a frustrating interaction for you".

The man then took a bite out of the sandwich and broke a piece off giving it to another Waddle-dee that just joined the group of them around him. "So then child, May I ask... how your day is going? besides the obvious aggravation the previous part of out conversation had I mean, make any new friend? Meet any interesting people? if you don't consider that to intrusive a question that is.." the man said looking over to him and making it obvious he was asking those to make sure he wasn't going to be getting aggravated again.

This...was honestly somewhat confusing. One way or another, Rex didn't particularly understand what the old man was trying to accomplish by this. Did mirroring actually work in practice? Many people probably didn't truly want to interact with someone who behaved the exact same as them, and it could even be unsettling when it was done on purpose and not simply a natural happenstance. On top of that, the man had made it seem like he didn't appreciate him talking like that and wanted simple answers, so why then mimic the thing that was supposedly not desired for the conversation? That was something he would expect out of someone trying to rub salt in the wound or someone who'd do it to 'show' how annoying it was right back. And in the end, getting confused only served to make him think about it more anyway.

"Respect..." He would huff out a breath as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not really angry. I am more confused than anything else. It sounded like you did not want me to talk that way and were asking for simple answers, which then made it not make a lot of sense for you to be copying said style." He couldn't tell what was being expected of him at all when things went all over the place like that. "I do not mind people analyzing things, however I am not asking for people to do it just to arbitrarily match me. In fact, would it not be the most respectful thing to simply...be yourself? That's what frankness and honesty entails. Mirroring someone means you're faking your behavior. Doing that makes you no less dodgy yourself." If he desired to listen to a 'copy' of himself to stroke his ego or something, he'd get a parrot. Interacting with people wasn't about that. Well...maybe some people liked it and thought it a good way to create a connection, but personally he was far more 'charmed' by those who could simply be themselves and own it, while of course not being overly rude about it. In fact, that young girl he met earlier today had been quite entertaining company despite the fact that her attitude was extremely different from his. He'd rather that than someone playing 'psychological tricks' on him to foster what would be essentially artificial friendliness. Also, what did the guy being an old man even had to do with it anyway? He wasn't choosing how honest he was based on the age or appearance of the person he was speaking to, honestly. Being older did not automatically make one more trustworthy.

"My day is going fine. I've noticed that people seem rather excited about the festival, but I didn't go out of my way to chat to many personally. Lest I drag their mood down. I'm not good at being hyped." He'd shake his head. "It's not entirely about the questions being intrusive though. It's also just a matter of what I want or do not want to speak about out loud. After all, this isn't an interview where either side is obligated to answer everything posed to them. I have agreed to stay around for a while, but not necessarily to getting interrogated. Why is it that you care about those things anyway?" In the end, people did have the right to just say they didn't wish to elaborate in depth on a subject, especially when it wasn't something extremely important. No matter whether it caused someone frustration or not.

The old man nodded "Ah I see... I see... well then I will explain, and I do apologize for earlier, most people I have come across seem set in their ways when they come from a different district, and some expect to be talked to in a certain way, for instance, I have noticed that many from the Classical District tend to talk more Formally and will thus expect the same in return, or they may consider that person rude, now this isn't a set rule of course, this is just an observation I have made over my long life.. and of course it's hard to tell if someone is like that from the beginning, and truth be told I was somewhat worried that my overly informal speech at the start had offended you what with you seeming to be analyzing what I said instead of answering... clearly there was a miscommunication and misunderstanding on both sides here" he said with a sage nod.

"But as you have asked I will talk like myself, and I do appreciate you saying so, many can't understand the need sometimes for one to talk as they are.. and some even don't see why others can't just talk or act like them, that is the way of the world and of people sadly, a roll of the dice with every interaction" he smiled.

Listening to him further he nodded "Ah yes, well Unlike many I, due to my age, find it very hard to get around, do news from other districts, and views of people from other districts is rather hard for me to get since I can't just do the paperwork and head over there for a day or so to learn myself, so I usually ask the people that come for the Festival, and Asking for someone's personal views on things usually tells you far more then just simply asking for news on the district.. though granted I do that as well, I just haven't gotten around to it with you yet due to the misunderstanding" he said nodded slowly "Also... it's just a personal hobby" he added with a smile.

it was then a steady bop bop bop sound could be heard and the man looked down and seen a waddle-dee gently hopping up and down trying to get his attention and then once it had it it pointed to the sandwich "Oh I am sorry little one" he said as he broke a piece of the sandwich off and gave it to the Waddle-dee "there you go.." he said with a chuckle as he started to distribute Sandwich again to the New Waddle-dee that had gathered.

The tall man would blink. Huh? "How do you know where I'm from?" He was pretty sure it was never mentioned after all, and he wasn't aware of there being anything special to indicate what District a person came from by simply looking at them. "Honestly though, while I can appreciate formal speech, I do think that forcefully abiding by a standard like that makes communication stiff and ingenuine, so I'm not particularly interested in demanding that people behave a certain way unless it is natural to them." He could be on the more formal side at times, but he wouldn't even attribute it so much to where he lived, as it was more a product of his personality. On top of that, he hadn't even been born in the Classical district to begin with and only moved there once he was in his later teens. Of course, he knew how to be purposefully formal for the sake of ease when it came to interactions which demanded it, but he didn't always agree with the approach internally. "Regardless, no I am not truly offended. What you saw as analyzing is simply the way I tend to speak sometimes...it's not necessarily an indication that I'm upset in most cases." He had his opinions sure, but questioning a situation wasn't always done for purely negative reasons. He just liked to know what he was dealing with.

In any case, he would frown thoughtfully. "Do you not have any family or friends to help you out with a visit trip?" That was a little strange, albeit it wasn't completely impossible for that to happen. Musings aside, he'd turn his attention to the Dees for a few moments, finding the situation mildly amusing.

The Old man Smiled and gestured to Rex's clothing "When you live as long as I have, you get to be able to tell the different styles of the different districts, as all districts have different styles one starts to be able to be able to pick up on such things" he said simply nodding as he continued to distribute the Sandwich, and he smiled at how happy a simple bit of sandwich made the little creature so happy as it gently nibbled on the food and sat down nearby. and he smiled as the man mentioned that he didn't like people not being comfortable and he nodded a bit "Yes it's much better that people be comfortable when talking with each other I agree on that my young friend" he said chuckling.

"I am glad to hear that you took no offence as well" he said as he finished distributing the large sandwich to the Waddle-dee's who all seemed quite happily sitting around nibbling away on the sandwich pieces they had received, As the old man let out a chuckle at the antics of the creatures, and as the question of the friends or family is asked the old mans smile changes to a slightly sad one "Ah... sadly I lost my family a long time ago, so sadly not many that can help me plan such a trip" he said nodding slowly.