witchesreign | [in garden; locked to snoozles and sparky]

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[in garden; locked to snoozles and sparky]

[While Garden was docked in Dollet, Zuko had no care to wander out like the rest of the cadets had eagerly and curiously done. He stayed inside. Inside his dorm room was more like it, flipping through the pages of one of his textbooks. There was a faint scowl growing on his face and his page-flipping picks up the pace until he's slamming the book shut and shoving it to the other side of his bed.

His roommate was out; he had the entire dorm to himself.

There's a faint noise at the main door of the room itself and Zuko tilts his good ear towards it, listening intently. As silent as ever he rises from the bed and quietly stalks out of his room and into the front area to see a piece of slightly crumpled paper at the door. Crumpled as though someone had struggled to get the paper into the room from underneath the door.

Zuko moves to it and crouches, snatching it up, pulling it open to read familiar characters:

Good Guy,
I think we should talk. Come alone, the training center, 1130pm. Tell no one.

From,
Another good guy.

A quick step out into the hallway reveals no one there and Zuko narrows his eyes, the paper crumpling in his fist as he curls it slowly.]

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[His face twists into a disgusted look. Ew. He really did not need to hear that.]

I do not need to hear this. I don't even know this Suki. But I can guess.

I also didn't come down here to listen to you talk about that.

[Sokka crosses his arms over his chest.] She's a Kiyoshi warrior. You know how Azula duped the King of Ba Sing Se? She took Suki's outfit, threw her into Boiling Rock, and pretended to be her.

Anyway. Do you want me to tell you more about how you're part of Team Avatar? Because I can do that.

If you won't tell me now, you'll just tell me later. Either way, it's inevitable.

[He's not sure he really wants to hear it. But ... he'll stay and listen to what Sokka has to say. Zuko still finds it ludicrous that he would join the Avatar. Not when he spent so many years tracking him.]

[He kinda wasn't expecting Zuko to agree--all his best material's been used up.] Uh. Okay. Well. You are. I guess...

I guess you weren't happy at home. You knew that what you were doing--what the Fire Nation was doing--wasn't right. On the day of...

[He almost doesn't want to say it, it's like giving a secret strategy away. Except that Azula knew. And Zuko's his friend.] On the day of the Black Sun. We attacked the Fire Nation. That was the day that you confronted your dad.

[This information stuns him - that's twice in less than an hour, Sokka! - and all he can do is stare at the waterbender's brother. It takes him a full minute to actually work his jaw into responding. The day of the Black Sun - it would make the most sense to attack the Fire Nation. The eclipse would render the entire nation and every firebender virtually useless.

It makes perfect sense. It's the perfect plan. Even Sokka's expression is telling him that he's not lying and that he's telling him the truth. And yet...

Zuko turns and moves to the door, fists clenched at his sides. This is a joke. It has to be. There's no way he would return to the Fire Nation without the Avatar. Not with his honor at stake.]

[Sokka blinks as Zuko wheels around. Was it something he said?] Zuko-- [He reaches out, grabbing for the prince's arm to stop him.]

[Zuko jerks away from the other, and doesn't turn to face him. But at least Sokka stopped him from leaving!] Do you think this is some kind of joke?

[He turns to look back at Sokka from the corner of his eye. His left eye.]

[Sokka lets his arm fall, his feet stopping. He shakes his head and there's nothing on his face to suggest that Zuko's right about him making a joke.] Of course I don't. I told you you're my friend.

... Why would you tell me that? [The question is quietly spoken, as Zuko turns his face away again and looks down at the ground.] That's not the sort of thing you just spring on anyone. Friend or not.

Tell you... what? [Now Sokka's just confused, trying to run backwards through the conversation to figure out what he said.]

You told me that I had confronted my father. [His jaw tightens and his nails dig into his palms as he clenches his fists all the more.] And the Avatar... The Avatar told me I was the new Fire Lord.

[Sokka blinks at that news. Aang told Zuko... well honestly it kinda makes sense. And that's a good thing, right? Zuko as the Fire Lord?

Sokka rubs the back of his head.] Well I don't know what Aang knows, but... maybe we shouldn't tell your sister that news. Zuko-- [He reaches out a hand and then stops, dropping it again.] Look, I don't mean to spring all this on you or anything. I guess it IS kinda big news. But I think it was in you all along, you just--you had to figure it out for yourself. I mean... did you ever really think that taking over the world was a good idea?

[Zuko closes his eyes, head dropping a touch further. He's silent for a moment, not answering Sokka, and turns bit by bit to face him. Even if he doesn't lift his head to meet his gaze.

His eyes search the ground between them. As if that alone would have the answers he needs.]

... He had to be stopped. One way or another.

[Sokka nods and now he does actually finish his initial reach to Zuko, settling a hand on the other boy's shoulder.] You're better than he ever was. I don't know or not if you do become the Fire Lord, Zuko, but if it counts for anything, I think you'd make a good one.

[Too soon, Sokka! Too soon! Zuko's against physical contact on the first date-- I mean period. He tenses under the touch and wordlessly shrugs the hand off, brow twitching.] ... Thanks. I guess.

Uh. You know. This is ... kind of weird.

[Now he looks at the other boy feeling awkward all of a sudden. They're enemies. Aren't they? For Agni's sake -- this water tribe fool threw a boomerang at him. Which isn't nearly as bad as what he tried to do in return.]

[Erk. Sorry. Sokka forgets that Zuko's not a hugger. He crosses his arms over his chest--the standing equivalent to sitting on his hands. And shrugs.] Is it?

I guess your sister never told you... [Foot in mouth, Zuko. Foot. In. Mouth.]

[Both of Sokka's eyebrows go up.] Told me what?

[Zuko awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. This is really just way too weird for him. Shouldn't he be trying to take this guy down by now?]

... I kind of attacked her. [Pause.] Twice.

[Sokka snorts.] Yeah, she told me how--wait.

TWICE??

[And Sokka might be grabbing Zuko by the front of his robe.]

[And Zuko might not be expecting that! But if Sokka tugs him close to growl and glare in his face, he'll stumble forward, caught off-guard. Maybe at one point in his life, had things been different, he would have been this protective over Azula.]

She started it!

Edited 2010-08-02 22:31 (UTC)

[Didn't think Sokka could be threatening, did you? Just the class clown, isn't he? WELL THINK AGAIN! You don't mess with his sister! Sokka is all up in Zuko's piece.]

Right! And you firebenders are all so level-headed, so you fought right back?!

Of course I retaliated! What did you expect?

[Glowers back at him. Love note and tea-time has now turned into a lover's quarrel!

Zuko reaches up to grab at Sokka's wrist, but he doesn't move to pull Sokka's hand from his robes.]

[Sokka don't play that.] SHE'S A GIRL!!

[Now Zuko goes to tear the hand off his robes.] I wasn't going to kill her!

Just teach her a lesson!

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/icon keywords......

Sure, sure. Go tell it to a wood frog.

M-maybe he will!

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