driftfleet | mingle part deux

[ ugh ]

I need a favor.

Please.

[ you know zuko is apologetic when he says please ]

Where are you?

[ she's actually not upset at him. maybe they butted heads a little, but azula had just showed up. of course tensions are going to be running high. ]

My personnel room.

It's locked, so let me know when you're outside.

[ and a few minutes later- ]

I'm here.

[ so when the door opens, he actually doesn't look too bad. he has a bandaged arm, and a slightly bruised cheek -- and he probably has bruised ribs, but he's not entirely sure. and zuko at least has the grace to look somewhat apologetic before he steps aside to let her in. ]

It's not a big deal, before you ask, and it's settled.

[ to skip over the bickering ]

[ katara's expression tightens slightly as she surveys zuko's injuries, before she sighs and opens the sling of water she keeps on herself even now. ]

At least tell me who it was.

Allen.

{ he relaxes slightly at the sight of the water, and does her the favor of undoing the bandages on his arm, sitting on his desk so he can sit as still as possible for her to do her work ]

But it was a spar.

[ . . . kinda. ]

I'm not completely sure I believe that. Sorry.

[ she gloves one of her hands with water, before lifting it to tend to the bruise on his cheek first. ]

[ he draws in a slight breath, which he always does whenever someone goes near his face (it's an instinct that'll probably go away when he dies, probably), but zuko remains still, fidget-free. ]

... I was doing fine, but my firebending --

[ zuko finally does move a little to roll his wrist, and a flickering ball of flames appears in it. he's a lot calmer now than he was before, and is instantly reassured by the sight of the flames, but it's certainly not as bright as it usually is. ]

It wasn't cooperating like it should have been.

[ because he's an actual disaster. ]

Do you think it's the Fleet affecting it? Or do you think it's like what happened after you joined us?

[ her eyes flit briefly to his, before she finishes doing what she can for his face and moves to his shoulder. ]

... I think I need to take a break.

[ so. the latter. but something is still bothering at him, and he pretty much just lets katara move his arm whenever she needs to move it, frowning at his hand before he shakes the flames out. ]

Katara, what's the last thing you remember, from home?

[ he's asked this question of her before, but he needs to hear it again. ]

[ katara goes briefly very still, before she sighs and resumes working on his shoulder. she's being careful not to injure it further, at least. finally, she'll speak: ]

We were all in the Fire Nation. It was a few hours before your coronation as Fire Lord. Why? What's the last thing you remember, Zuko?

[ that does not bode well. katara isn't lying, but -- ]

I talked to Sokka about what to do with Azula.

[ he says it absently, letting his eyes wander to the desk he's sitting on ]

I said that I locked her away, and that's where she was at home. Sokka told me that she wasn't there anymore, and said he would tell me the rest after this ... mess calmed down.

[ he draws in a breath, letting it out slowly ]

The last thing I remember from home is asking my father what he did to my mother.

[ katara's hands go still on him again, because - well, he's right. a lot of this is worrisome, and she's not sure how they're supposed to handle it. it was different back home. hell, it was different in adstring; she felt like they were better-equipped to deal with things like this there. but here, on ships, in space?

ugh. ]

You're going to find your mother.

[ her voice is soft, firm, though it's clear her attention is still focused on listening to him. ]

Are you hurt anywhere else?

[ she's probably dead. but he hasn't ever really given up hope. no one would tell him what happened -- iroh, ozai, azula... no one would tell him. and zuko had held on to some vague hope that she was still alive and fine. he had to wait until he had control in order to figure out what really happened to ursa, but... still, nothing.

ozai, it seems, could still torment him even after he fell from power. ]

Are you just telling me that, or do you know that?

{ it's quiet, because there's a big difference. ]

[ katara falters for a moment, because it's not until right then that she realizes how the statement could read. her voice is quiet now, and she's busying herself with seeking out any other injuries since he didn't answer her question outright. ]

I'm saying that because I believe it. But- no. I don't know for sure.

[ a long exhale, because zuko had been expecting that, and he hadn't had his hopes up. but -- katara is a bad liar. sokka didn't tell her anything, or if he did, he left out whatever would have freaked out zuko so badly. ]

... I'm fine, I think you got it all.

[ it's murmured, and he straightens. ]

Thanks.

[ he straightens, but that doesn't change the weird, guilty weight that's settled on her. it's stupid, she knows; none of this is about her, none of this is something she can change. regardless- ]

Zuko-

[ ugh. where was aang for this? he'd know exactly what to say, how to start fixing things. ]

We're going to be there for you no matter what happens. You know that, right? If it takes all of Team Avatar searching high and low to look for her, we'll do it. You're part of our family. That means she is, too.

[ he pauses in getting up, when katara speaks -- and he really hadn't intended on talking about ursa today, he had been thinking about what was causing him trouble, and not knowing the future was one of those things. and now that he was on the topic of his mother (a wound that's really never healed, and that zuko has never given himself time to focus on), zuko isn't sure he wants to stay on it.

but the reassurance actually causes the weight in his chest to dissipate, just a little bit, and replaced by something warmer. allowing himself to get so wrapped up in azula, and his own problems, and stuck in his own head had been stupid -- not because zuko doesn't have legitimate things to be stressed over, because he does, but because he has a support system. right in front of him. and he hasn't used it.

it's still a new thing, having family to rely on, instead of family that just wants to kill you. ]

... thank you.

[ it's said quietly, but genuinely. ]

[ and he draws in another breath before pushing himself up off the desk, to stand. ]

But Team Avatar is still a stupid name.

[ enough of this talk, thank you.

but he seems to be in a much more comfortable spirit. ]

[ it's easy for katara - who has always had an ally in her brother, who trusts and loves and relies on him more than she could ever put into words - to take having the support of your family for granted sometimes. later, she'll probably reflect on that, think about how much it's grown; for now, she's just going to give him a genuine smile that she's trying to make seem long-suffering. ]

Yeah, well, so is "Zuko," but you don't hear us complaining about it.

Yeah, well, 'Katara' isn't a very common name in the Fire Nation, either.

[ with a slight roll of his eyes, and zuko collects up the bandages to deposit in the trash can near his desk. ]

Thank you, again. [ he means it. :c ] -- and I'm sorry, for how I acted earlier.

[ she's obviously not upset with him, but he still wants to apologize. ]

Stop thanking me. And don't apologize. [ did you ever think you would hear those two phrases said back-to-back by katara, zuko...

she goes to take the bandages from him, just because he is the patient!! she should be the one disposing of things like that. aka she's going to mom him to death probably. ]

You were stressed out and it was stupid of me to charge in the way that I did. But- thank you for apologizing. It means a lot.

You tell me to have manners, and then you tell me not to use them...

[ it's said under his breath, in slight exasperation -- but he lets katara take away the bandages, now frowning.

katara had told him to stop apologizing but what he had to say next definitely counted as a continuation so now he's just

done talking apparently

#awkward]

Manners are good! You should have them. But 'manners' doesn't mean 'apologizing to me when I feel like I should be the one saying I'm sorry,' okay?

[ she finishes tidying up, before rounding him stand in front of zuko and giving him a tight, impulsive hug. ]

We've got this, okay? Never forget how many people here have your back.

mingle part deux

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