driftfleet | mingle part deux

[ He doesn't have any desire to press the issue, really, but rather just wanted to hear Zuko's answer. ]

She's pushy. [ finally ] She'd probably try to give you life advice in the process of helping you.

[ If you're somehow overhearing this, Ino, just try to deny it. ]

So does Katara.

[ but zuko tolerates it from katara, because it's katara. ]

But I've noticed the same about Ino, too. She seems nice enough.

[ zuko just doesn't want strangers touching him, thanks. he pauses in his rebuilding of the sandwich, eyeing sasuke for a bit. ]

Are you alright?

[ sasuke seems kinda bleh even more than usual ]

[ Sasuke had a feeling, honestly. There's something about healers when they have you vulnerable to questioning. ]

I'm not the one that should be asked that kind of question. A fight after your sister arrived here?

That on its own stands out, let alone in conjunction with everything that happened prior to it.

It needed to happen.

[ allen and zuko aren't vocal people, and they don't verbalize their feelings very well. now everything is fine again, and zuko feels a lot more calm.

there's a slight pause. ]

I'm fine.

[ not that you know sasuke cares or anything but he's lingering pretty badly ]

[ You will kindly shut up, sir. ]

I'm saying it's a symptom, not that it was an unwise thing to do. Fights are generally beneficial.

[ To him, anyway. And he knows all about using them to communicate or to let off steam, whatever the case may be. ]

Did you ask Sokka to install the locks or was it his own idea?

[ that sure was some vaguely disguised concern, but zuko lets it slide in favor of answering the question, his brow furrowing. ]

Sokka did it on his own.

[ pause ]

It's his ship.

[ so. even if zuko thought it was a bad idea (and he doesn't), he wouldn't argue. ]

It'll all be made irrelevant if she's put on board this ship somehow.

[ Because sure, it's full, but so is everywhere else. ]

I was able to formulate my opinion on her after all, without your bias attached. [ He still remembers the first convo they had about it. ]

[ his fingers tighten around his cup abruptly, at the thought -- but zuko ignores it. the thought has occurred to him, but if that happens, then they;ll have to deal with it when it comes. ]

-- I noticed.

[ dryly, as he raises his cup to sip his tea.

zuko totally stalked it, sorry, bruh. ]

[ Yeah, in retrospect he should've made it a private conversation earlier. ]

[ It is absolutely like pulling teeth, especially right now, and he can already feel the burning tug of emotional backlog, but-- ]

Sorry. [ curt and emotionless ]

[ -- that is kind of a surprise, and zuko stares at him for a moment, gauging sasuke's face. what, exactly, is he apologizing for? crossing a line, pressing azula, asking personal questions? being related to her? all of the above? ]

... she's a lot less stable, where -- when I'm from. She's insane.

[ this azula, calm, cool, calculated, snide and proud -- zuko would so much rather have her than the other version, the one locked in his dungeon.

or not.

according to sokka. ]

Because of being pushed too far. I know what it feels like and I understand what you're trying to do, to buy time, but...

Have you thought of a permanent measure yet? [ Because actually assuming that Azula is going to remain unchallenged here is a pipe dream; not everyone is going to agree to Zuko's rules and even if they did, the truth has a way of showing itself eventually. ]

[ -- that causes him to put his cup down with a sigh, and he stares down into it. ]

I'm not going to kill her. And the only person who can remove her powers from her isn't here.

[ it's said finally. ]

I defeat her, in the end. And I was ready to kill her, if I had to. But I was able to capture her instead. If I can neutralize her in the same way here, then that's what I'm going to do.

[ Sasuke thinks even that plan sounds optimistic but he isn't going to actually suggest murder, unsure of the proper course but knowing that that's one that's best avoided. ]

I assumed as much. Still, things are different.

Being outside of your home world is a huge variable. Do you think it'll lessen her stress or increase it? [ He doesn't know exactly how gradual or sudden Azula's break from reality had been, honestly. ]

I don't know.

[ it's said honestly, and zuko taps his fingers against his cup, but he doesn't reheat his tea. ]

She doesn't have my father as an influence, but she also doesn't have Mai or Ty Lee.. they're her closest friends. They betray her, at home, to ... they saved me, instead.

[ something zuko can't ever make up to either mai or ty lee, to be honest. ]

It was after that, I think, that she started to... slip. -- I'm just glad I can have a conversation with her.

[ azula, after that, couldn't communicate. ]

[ It makes it clear that he still genuinely cares about her a significant amount despite how he's holding himself together, not sure that he would have the same ability to do what's right over prioritizing his family. He says he can now, sure, but by now they're all-- ]

... yeah. Whether you want to think of it as her needing you right now or as the fleet needing you to keep the peace, there's another burden on your head.

When I spoke to her she was obviously ambitious about the war effort. Being separated from the pressure of that may also help.

[ azula, needing him. the thought is a little ridiculous, but in zuko's time, he supposes it's true. azula needs him to ensure that she won't lash out and take down everyone within her path, or kill innocents. to keep her safe, and keep others safe. zuko will probably have to take care of azula for the rest of his life, if he finds her again.

allen had told him, without quarter, that part of the reason why zuko was so off was because he both loved and hated his sister, and his father. zuko supposes it's true, though he tries to ignore both. he can't rely on hatred (and there is no point in hating either of them), but he also can't allow himself to be tricked into love, either. ozai does not love him, and zuko has wasted enough of his life attempting to force that to happen. it's the same with azula -- zuko is her punching bag. and ozai's.

still, though, azula is his sister. and that, like it or not, makes her his responsibility.

he had lied; his feelings about family are complicated. ]

She's arrived here from a huge victory for the Fire Nation. The Day of Black Sun.

[ he steadily ignores the first part, instead focusing on the second. ]

Firebenders rise and fall with the sun -- and when the sun is blocked, we lose our ability to firebend. The resistance decided to launch an attack on the palace during a solar eclipse, when we were defenseless. The Avatar and the rest of his -- ... my friends went to kill my father, but they ran into my sister, instead. She bought enough time for my father to escape, and by the time the Avatar found his throne room, the eclipse was over.

[ zuko, of course, had been dealing with ozai. but. that's not an important part of the story. ]

As far as she knows, she's kicked the Avatar away from her birthright. She's in a good mood.

[ He knows a deflection when he hears one -- probably because he'd used one near the beginning of this very conversation -- but he allows it without pressing him, equally aware of when someone needs a shove and when they need to decompress.

It's just rare for him to give enough of a shit to not keep needling them anyway. ]

In that case it should secure even more time, assuming that that ends up being necessary. [ A pause. ]

If you want to handle it on your own, that's understandable. If you need help containing her later, however, I'm also willing to do what I can. They're your choices.

[ while zuko is ... extraordinarily grateful for sasuke's offer of help (and it's a little unexpected, given their... whatever they have), he exhales slowly. ]

... the last time I brought someone with me to take down Azula, they nearly died.

[ or. well. azula tried to kill katara. zuko stopped her. but it had been close. ]

I'd rather deal with her on my own, but I don't think I'll have a choice. If it happens.

You said that you defeated her before. Don't forget that in assessing your own capabilities.

[ If someone like Madara showed up here Sasuke would remind himself of the same thing... even while internally trying to suppress a very healthy amount of fear. ]

And I know the risks of every battle that I enter. I'm not afraid of her or of helping to stop a potential threat here.

She wasn't the same.

[ it's murmured, and he taps his fingers against his cup again, in thought. ]

And I never said you were afraid.

[ but he's also not going to allow his friends (??) to put themselves in danger, when azula is far from the pretty little princess she likes to waltz about as. azula is his problem, and no one else's. ]

Neither are you, are you?

[ Zuko's also had the chance to fight other people, to get stronger, and to learn more than he likely knew when he fought Azula before. ]

It's merely something to keep in mind. If you want to fight her alone... well, it's as I said. That's your choice. [ He doesn't need to say he'll intervene if it spreads to involve others; Zuko's heard those tired words enough already no doubt. ]

I don't want to have to fight her ever again, but if anyone has to deal with her, it's going to be me.

[ part of the reason is that their first agni kai was supposed to have been their last. it was symbolic, and hugely important, and it should never be replicated. it had bene destructive, nearly gotten people killed, and azula had only been barely defeated.

that being said, both azula and zuko deserve the opportunity to prove themselves to each other, and to handle their family business as privately as possible. zuko doesn't want anyone else to be the one to strike her down, if necessary. ]

... I appreciate the offer, though.

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