driftfleet | mingle part deux

No exceptions.

{ sorry, bro. ]

It's Sokka's ship, and I've caused him enough trouble.

[ plus zuko needs to talk to him about whatever the hell happens in his future, and he doesn't want to cause another fight ]

[ Sasuke glances towards the hallway then, out where he knows Ino and Allen had been earlier. ]

... I don't like it. [ It feels like an invasion of his privacy to have to potentially share with more than one person when he's planning to visit.

It's an invasion of his privacy to not be able to freely invade people's privacy. Yeah. ]

But I won't ask for the code.

Well, when my sister leaves, we can remove it.

[ guess who has zero sympathy for your locked door phobia you piece of shit

still, it's good that he won't ask for the code, because zuko doesn't have the energy to fight with sasuke over the stupid thing. ]

You can just text me. I don't care.

[ He's currently calculating the odds in his head on guessing the code. ]

Bullshit. [ WITH NO OUNCE OF SHAME ]

[ THE WORLD'S LONGEST SIGH ]

Then try to break down the door, but it won't work. Texting is a lot easier.

[ Well honestly he still thinks that using chidori on the lock mechanism itself is a good idea, but-- ]

I'll text you, you'll be preoccupied and annoyed, and it'll potentially lead to a disagreement. Members of your crew will overhear, then Allen will appear to say 'oh, you're here again?' in the way he does.

[ And he actually mimics Allen's exact voice when he says the question, too, unnervingly. ]

[ the exact mimicking gets a stare from zuko.

a long, drawn out stare.

and then sasuke gets a roll chucked at his head from zuko's plate because -- ]

Don't do that.

And you're being dramatic. We have to let everyone in, and we all agreed to it. No one will be annoyed to let you in.

[ pause ]

Allen might be, but don't text him.

[ Have you ever heard the sad little 'poot' sound of perfectly good bread hitting a steel floor after it's been batted out of the air because you have now, you fuckin' murderer. ]

I've only texted him once. [ ... okay he didn't even mean to reveal that much information, but whatever. ]

It's not happening again. And it's not dramatic to not want to deal with anyone else on this ship, in passing or otherwise.

[ . . . ]

You could have caught that.

[ you're the murderer here, asshole. ]

And there's not really much other choice than dealing with at least one person on the ship in order to be let in. You don't even have to talk to them.

I didn't want it and it was forfeit the moment you decided to throw it at me.

Talking with people isn't my concern either way. [ How have you not put it together yet that I'm trying to avoid anyone knowing I'm even here. ]

[ oh my god he's put it together but you literally cannot avoid this sasuke WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM HIM ]

You can either text me to get into the ship or you can sit outside.

[ pause ]

It's not like anyone talks to you while you're here anyway, and I don't advertise that you're here.

[ people know anyway but whatever ]

[ He's a ninja whose sneaking abilities are being infringed upon; he feels castrated.

... maybe he could leave a clone to hide in the vents... ]

I understand the distinct lack of options; you don't need to outline them again. I'll make the decision when I have to.

[ the solution is LITERALLY A TEXT MESSAGE sasuke who didn't fucking hug you as a child ]

[ but zuko sighs and gets up again, collecting up his communicator. ]

I need to find Katara, and figure out when I have to meet with Azula.

[ though the prospect of katara scolding him over the fight is honestly more daunting than hanging out with his sister ]

[ Is that an actual question because the Uchiha are not huggers. ]

... you're actually meeting with her this soon?

It's only a matter of time before she finds me. I'd rather just go and get it over with.

[ azula won't harm him right off the bat. zuko is pretty sure she just wants to interrogate him about team avatar and try to obtain as much information as possible. like it or not, zuko is her one flexible link to home. ]

Well, not with the fucking lock on the door... [ under his breath

Honestly, Sasuke's conversation with Azula probably didn't make her feel less competitive towards Zuko, but he's not about to talk about that right now. ]

Always carry a few throwing knives just in case. [ Is this a joke, or... ]

I'm not staying inside the ship for the entire time that she's here, I need sunlight. The minute we dock, I'm off of this thing.

[ pointedly. ]

And she's not going to kill me in front of an audience, that would just make her look bad.

[ ... he says that like it's literally the only thing stopping her, which. is probably true. ]

[ Oh right, you're solar-powered. He wonders if it's similar to the Jojos. ]

Aa, perhaps so. She was more honest when I spoke to her without the potential for one.

... it's still best to be prepared.

{ . . . that gives him pause, and zuko eyes sasuke for a long moment.

azula and sasuke's conversation suddenly went dead, which means it probably got locked behind a filter. he hadn't asked katara to hack it for him, mostly because he has little interest -- and he trusts sasuke to not, you know. completely fuck everything up.

that being said -- ]

What else did she say?

[ He expected the question sooner or later -- sooner, really -- but hadn't bothered to actually prepare an answer. Should he be fully honest? Zuko will no doubt realize if he isn't, but it should be clear that he's also the main person Sasuke had been keeping out of the conversation. ]

... [ ugh ]

I wanted to hear what she would say in a way that wasn't filtered. She has a fake persona she presents otherwise, that much is clear.

You genuinely want to know?

The last time I saw Azula, she almost killed me.

[ it's said dryly -- a deflection of emotion, to be sure, and steadily ignoring how much that agni kai meant. but -- ]

Whatever she has to say won't phase me anymore.

[ Sasuke would want to know too, really, and it would drive him crazy until he did. So he glances to him again, chin finding his palm after his elbow acquires purchase on the table. ]

She said you were undeserving of the crown because you didn't defend the Fire Nation, but also that you didn't show interest in it. Undermotivated, even if she also claimed that she had no intention of taking the title from you.

She made some guesses about my brother that I ignored, started getting defensive in response to my questioning, and stated her need for control. [ And maybe more but hey, the thread isn't over so Sasuke is just hush-hush on the rest apparently. ]

[ aha. so azula knows, at least in part, that zuko didn't do anything on the day of black sun. but does she know the full extent. ]

... I was dealing with my father on that day, and I left after. She must not know that part, yet, if she's still talking about my birthright.

[ hmmm ]

She is right, though, the throne was never a motivation for me, and I don't think she ever wanted to take it away. She never thought I'd make it there.

[ zuko just wanted ozai's approval, and once he figured out ozai was never going to give it to him, zuko left. ]

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