[in garden; locked to snoozles and sparky]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[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.]

Comments

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[No kidding. Zuko says nothing for a long moment.</small.] ... Are we done here?

[bendthis.livejournal.com]

Um.

[Sokka blinks and looks at Zuko, being all silent.] Hey, I didn't...

[His eyebrows draw toward each other.] Zuko. I'm sorry... I mean. I do get that this isn't easy for you. But I know that you can be a good guy. I know you can.

sob. html fail.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

It's... This is just a lot to take in, alright? [Zuko folds his arms over his chest, eyes averting.]

The last time I saw any of you, we were fighting in the Old Catacombs in Ba Sing Se. I chose my side then.

Are you telling me that I need to rethink my choice?

[bendthis.livejournal.com]

... To tell you the truth, I don't think you really made one then. You just went for the path of least resistance. The way Katara told it, I don't know. She really believed for a minute that you weren't the jerk we all thought you were. To convince her you must have done something right.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[He falls silent, remembering that day. What had taken place before the fight. Quietly, he responds with;] ... We spoke of our mothers. And I told her about my scar...

[bendthis.livejournal.com]

[Sokka gets serious at Zuko's words. That would have definitely been the way to reach Katara--mom.] Why did you pick Azula?

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Zuko finally looks at him, directly. Face to face, eye to eye. He falls into the same silence as moments ago and closes his eyes, head lowering.] It's not something I expect you to understand.

[bendthis.livejournal.com]

[Sokka doesn't bristle at what he might have otherwise taken as an insult. Maybe it's the way Zuko looked at him.] Why not? Explain it to me.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[He opens his eyes and looks at Sokka again, meeting his gaze.] Redemption. Honor. My... father's forgiveness and acceptance. I could stand at his side as his son once again and not some disappointment. Or failure.

Azula had promised me all of that which I had yearned for for so long.

Uncle had begged me not to listen to her. To look into my heart and see what it was I truly wished for. But what I wanted - only Azula could give me.