[Action 03] Quad--Early Morning

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, there might be other open areas in Fisherman's Horizon, but Toph likes the quad.

Right now, it's pretty early, and she's going through her bending forms. They look an awful lot like this (also known as Southern Praying Mantis Style, for those Earthly kung fu junkies), but without all the rocks flying everywhere.

Observe?]

Comments

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

Wait- you've met my uncle? How? When?

The last time I-- [Again he shuts up. The catacombs... his betrayal. Immediately Zuko's closing up. As if scarring one of his own friends wasn't bad enough already, now he's remembering what he'd done to his uncle.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

Well, the first time was right before Azula got us all at that abandoned--Zuko, what's wrong?

[Toph turns her head]

Why don't you remember this stuff?

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Azula...]

No, I-- [Another shake of his head.] I don't know.

[She has no idea how badly he wants to just turn back around and leave the way he came.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

Don't you lie to me too, Sparky. Aang did that already and I really don't need more friends lying to me.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

I already told you I wasn't there!

[Emphasized words, a sudden outburst. This is really confusing; it must be a different timeline thing again.]

Augh-- you're from a different time than I am. I wasn't there. Another... me was.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

So you're saying you--the Zuko I'm talking to now--left home before you could join up?

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

Look, Toph. It was a long time ago. I've been here for a year already. [Zuko gestures to whatever part of Garden behind him even though they're in the Quad.]

But back home, the last thing I remember doing was fighting Katara and the Avatar with Azula under Ba Sing Se, the old crystal catacombs.

[He'll leave out his betrayal to his uncle. For now. Zuko's not sure how much she knows if she's from a time far in the future.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[Toph didn't say anything right away. So Zuko was from then. Toph knew he regretted all of that--she'd been there--but still. It was...weird.

She sighs and throws another, slightly larger rock at him]

This place is weirder than Ba Sing Se.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Zuko frowns then and knocks the rock away, saying nothing. Ignoring the dull throb where the rock had met with his palm.]

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

But hey, who cares? We're here now, we're not dead, and I get to harass Sokka to my heart's content. [She grins. C'mon, Sparky, take the hint and cheer up]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

...yeah. I guess.

[He half turns to head back.]

Sorry... I'm going to go back.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[There's a rock wall in front of him when he tries]

Oh no. Not you too.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[He almost smacks his nose against it, then whips around and scowls.]

What d'you mean 'not you too'? And drop the wall, Toph, I'm going back in.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

Don't start sulking because of something stupid like this time compression, got it? There's only so many rocks I can throw at people's heads before they get a concussion.

[She's not answering the 'not you too' part, but she means Aang and his sulking. At least he seems to be sulking to her]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

I'm not sulking because of that. I've had a year to deal with it, I'm pretty sure I'm over it by now.

[erosion-sucks.livejournal.com]

[She lets the wall fall and goes back to practicing]

If you say so. I try to get out here every morning, if you want to train sometime.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[It's really tempting to turn back around and take her up on the offer now. But the heavy weight of his thoughts and past betrayal to the one man who had done so much for him...

Zuko closes his eyes and ducks his head.]

...sure.

[And Zuko's then heading back to the entrance/exit, hands balled into fists at his sides.]