honourburned

[honourburned]

NAME: Zuko HOUSING: Apartment 320, Golden DESIRED POSITION: Barista PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: I worked in a tea shop for awhile, and I think I’m pretty good at it.  HOW THICKSKINNED ARE YOU:  I can probably take whatever people have to throw at me.

( @honourburned​ )

“Someone with actual experience at a tea shop is rare. You are, of course, hired.”

“I am curious, though, as to whether or not it was a typical mall setup or a formal shop like this, or something else entirely.”

[honourburned]

lxnarprophet​:

At first Waka made to reject the offer, for he wanted to rest in the comfort of his own apartment rather than be a burden to someone else. Yet as he tried to move forward and nearly collapsed were it not for the others hand, Waka knew he had little choice.

“Oui. That will suffice.” And when he was able to move without feeling close to passing out due to whatever sickness overcame him, he would take his leave and return home.

“I am Ushiwaka, though some refer to me as Waka. Bonjour~” He gave a smile, albeit a tired one as he let Zuko lead the way to his apartment. “I have been here a few months, but there is still much to get used to, no?”

HE’S GLAD THAT   the stranger accepts the offer of help, and steps over to the door, opening it up and allowing Waka to enter. Once inside, he quickly heads over to the kitchen, taking out his teapot and filling it with water. Still not knowing how to operate the stove (and feeling much safer and more comfortable using his bending anyway), he ignites a flame in his palm and heats it, brewing the tea and carrying it over, along with a pair of cups. 

“ pleased to meet you, ”   the firebender responds with a bow.   “ there certainly is a lot to get used to. this place is nothing like my home. ”  Though some things can be similar, the vast majority are entirely foreign, and each day makes Zuko a little more homesick than the last. 

In a way, it feels like being banished all over again-- only this time there’s no way at all to get back. No task to complete. Just... the unknown. 

He pours each of them a cup of tea, and offers it to Waka.   “ please, drink. it should help you feel a little better. ”

[honourburned]

burnredhot​:

Kabu blinks in surprise, and works hard to keep a pitying look off his face. He’s sure the young man wouldn’t like that. He nods in understanding instead. 

“I see…so, you must have lived through this war all your life. I won’t pretend to know how you feel or how that must have affected you. However, I can say this….it is clear to me that despite your hardships, you have continued to burn bright and look for a better future. And that, is commendable.” 

Sizzlipede agreed, chirping and blowing bits of fire. Kabu chuckles.

“You see, even Ichika understands your burning spirit. Pokemon cannot understand human speech, typically, but they can still understand us. Through our tone, and actions, and our aura.”

GAZE DRIFTS DOWN   toward the ground, and Zuko nods a little in response. The war’s affected everyone, and now that there’s peace-- a relative term, but peace nonetheless-- those effects are more and more noticeable. Sure, he’s still fighting every day from the palace, trying to fix what his nation has done over the past century as much as possible, but out in the villages and cities it’s a different world-- one with new problems for sure, but different. 

Fingers catch the end of his sleeves, rubbing gently at fabric worn from similar repetitive actions. 

“ thank you, ”   he responds, the tension in his features relaxing. He certainly remembers a time where that wasn’t the case, and how difficult it’s been to get to this point.  

Another nod, and he reaches a hand out toward Sizzlipede.   “ i know a lot of animals back home are the same. especially the dragons. ”   While Ran and Shaw hadn’t been able to speak, Zuko still felt as if he’d communicated with them, like they’d understood him, and he understood them. 

[honourburned]

thelostvessel​:

‘I do not,’ Their hands were quick as the vessel signed back in response, ‘but we could go looking. There has to be somewhere quieter, right?’

It would be helpful if xey could find a map, but to be honest, the Broken Vessel wasn’t sure where to even look for one here. Just like xey had been talking about with Zuko, everything here was too damn loud and crowded, and with xyr own small size it made looking for things in even the shops nearly impossible without getting practically walked over in the most literal sense of the word. They didn’t want xyr shell to become even more cracked; humans were so rude, sometimes barely even seeming to notice xey were there…

Zuko, though… he seemed friendly enough, and he was human, meaning he could probably guide the two of them through the crowds if they really needed to. Size advantage, and all that. Not that xey really wanted for either of them to have to face the masses of people that much, though; it was pretty clear that both of them were stressed by the fact that so many people existed in this city already. Xey didn’t want to shove a new friend into a crowd just for their own sake.

‘Where should we start?’

IT ISN’T TOO MUCH   of a surprise-- probably if the other had known of quieter places, they’d spend time there instead of around here, where the crowds still milled about. 

He looks around the area, trying to get past the lights and the people and the crazy technology of this place.   “ i’d think so, ”   he replies,   “ i can’t believe that this whole place is as busy as... most places i’ve seen here. ”   He just sounds a little bit defeated here. But then he has a thought. 

“ it was a little less crowded near that big tree... and i think i’ve seen some forests around. forests are usually quieter than cities. ”

Knowing this place, that might not be the case here, but it’s worth a shot anyway. The firebender rises to his feet, quickly mapping at out a path through the crowd in his mind-- finding the cooler places where less of them seem to be congregated, following the flow. The stranger’s pretty small and already looks to have been hurt at some point. It seems like xey might be hurt again easily, even if not intentionally, by people who aren’t looking out where they’re going. 

“ follow me, i think i can get us back to where i’ve seen some of the forests. ”

[honourburned]

tremorstep​:

Toph’s mind can’t help but entertain further possibilities given what Zuko was telling her.  If he had been pulled here from her future, could she have been pulled from that same point as well?  Could their situations have been reversed, with her being confused when confronted with a Zuko still on the opposing side of a war that had already been won?  She decides to toss these ideas to the wayside.  Thinking about herself and Zuko being friends was still a lot to wrap her head around; theoretical situations weren’t going to help her sort things out any more.

“If it helps, I’m feeling a lot better about you than I was a few minutes ago.  Not to say I could easily hold back if the you I know showed up and attacked, but if we’re friends where you come from, you probably figured holding back wasn’t really my style anyway.”  For the first time in their conversation, a smile manages to come to Toph’s face.  Maybe the Zuko she knew did have a lot to work through…but this one had made some progress on that front, clearly.  She was believing more and more that they really could be friends in the future.  Maybe she could even give it a test run with him here.

She listens patiently to the rest of what he tells.  Three years of peace…  To think the war was something she once never concerned herself with at all.  Agreeing to teach the Avatar earthbending couldn’t exactly be a neutral decision, of course, but her hope and ideals had come a ways since then.  The news of progress and prosperity lifted a weight from her chest.  They’re going to win.  Even if it hasn’t happened yet for her, it will.

“So Twinkletoes really manages to pull it off, huh?”  The pride of a teacher seeing their student succeed fills her, as well as the joy of someone hearing their friend accomplish something that seemed so impossible.  She gave Aang grief for his previous pushover attitude and some of his general airheadedness- pun halfway intended- but she still cared very much for him and the weight he bore.  Tale of his success in his destiny brought her relief.  “I bet you have an even more impressive story up your sleeve, though.  You talked like you became our friend before the Fire Lord was defeated.  The solar eclipse isn’t too far away from when I…left.  You must’ve done something pretty amazing to earn our trust by then, huh?”

WELL HE SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT.   But, having lived through things one way, he’d forgotten that Toph wouldn’t have known about the eclipse, and what happened then-- she wouldn’t know that the climactic battle had happened during Sozin’s Comet, and now, Zuko wonders how to explain all that. 

He releases a sigh, a quiet, somewhat hesitant   “ yeah... ”   and then he takes a deep breath.   “ except... it’s not going to go how you’re hoping. azula found out about the eclipse. the fire lord was ready... ”   Zuko shudders a little bit, remembering just how terrified he had been facing his father that day, despite the brave facade he’d put on. Even knowing that Ozai couldn’t hurt him, even knowing he had the upper hand... He swallows.   “ actually... you might be even more impressed. he fought my father under Sozin’s comet. ”

There’s a little, awkward chuckle then,   “ it wasn’t easy to gain your trust... well, everyone’s. some of you believed me more than others. but katara hated me for a while. ” 

Even threatened him with death... sure, he’d known she could be intense, but he’d actually been more than a little afraid. And, knowing what he now knows about her, rightfully so. 

He closes his eyes, inhaling, exhaling, leaning back to let his hands rest on the ground.   “ so, i guess you can say that everything’s going to be okay. ”

At least, that particular conflict will turn out alright. The world’s different than it was now, with different problems... some far from being resolved. And it’s still healing. But things are definitely better than they were. 

“ i didn’t do anything extraordinary to convince you all to trust me, ”   he admits-- though he had risked his life a few times, he’s not sure if that counts, and he admittedly hasn’t really thought about it in awhile.  “ i guess it was just pretty hard to find any firebenders that were willing to teach the avatar and help take down the fire lord. ”

[honourburned]

moondemi-goddess​:

“No one you need to know, don’t worry about it.” She replied quickly in his questioning of her uncles name; she hadn’t ever had the pleasure of meeting him but based off what she’d heard of him from her mother she wasn’t so sure she wanted to. Honestly the boys sudden burst of anger reminded her of the stories her mother had told her of her elder sibling. It was just regardless that he didn’t know Helios, he was one of the many that had grown to hate the humans. 

Of course his next question made her pause and stare at him once more; a spirit? Well she supposed she could get called worse, really his question was humorous. Her face moved up into a smile and she covered part of it in attempt to stifle a laugh threatening to burst.

“No-no.” She said finally laughing, really it probably wasn’t meant to be funny but she couldn’t see it any other way. Besides deep down she appreciated this, she hadn’t been able to laugh in so long.

“I suppose my features do make me look like some sort of spirit, but no that’s not what I am.” Taking a breath to compose herself again she returned her gaze to him her smile still very present. “I’m a demigoddess; half-human and half-god mixed together. I don’t come from this mortal world, which is why I refer to it in such a way.”

THERE AREN’T REALLY   gods where Zuko comes from-- though the term has been used by some people, it’s not quite common-- though the spirit world is most definitely a very real thing-- and the way she’s talking about it, it really doesn’t seem too different. There’s a mortal world, so that must make her from the spirit world, or whatever the equivalent is where she’s from. 

Still, he’s not sure he gets the joke. At all. Lip twitches a little bit, awkwardly, and then he frowns in confusion.   “ i’m... not sure what’s so funny about that... from what you’re saying, you do sound a lot like a spirit to me... though, i’ve never heard of anything like what you’re saying happening... except the avatar, but that’s different. ”

He pauses a beat, confusion still palpable,   “ does... does the word spirit mean something different where you’re from? ”

Probably. Knowing how strange this whole place is. 

It’s all still a lot to wrap his head around, but Zuko’s gradually accepted that either this place is completely crazy, or he is. 

Still, he wonders if he’s supposed to give her the same sort of respect that he’d give spirits back home. Probably not, since she’s still... at least partly... human, right? But just in case, it wouldn’t hurt to give an apology. 

He bows his head.   “ forgive me for getting angry like that-- i just wasn’t expecting the questions.”

Still-- at least they’re on a different topic now. As awkward as it might still be (for Zuko, she seems to be enjoying herself).

[honourburned]

ilmania​:

||  █ ▌— kuja’s eyes are on his general surroundings more than anything or anyone in particular, but he senses the alertness in the young man nearby. when he speaks, kuja turns his gaze toward him, lazy. ❝ is that a polite way of asking me to leave? ❞ he asked, making absolutely no move to do so.

HE’S OUT HERE   to practice his firebending katas, figuring that even though his bending itself is limited it wouldn’t hurt to keep up with the forms-- the last thing he wants is to go sloppy by the time he gets out of here. He’s already on thin ice often enough as Fire Lord, it wouldn’t do any good to slack off in his bending. 

Frown creases his features at the stranger’s response, and he falls out of his stance, crossing his arms over his chest. Not quite sure if the other’s being belligerent or just... normal. 

“ well... not necessarily, ”   this is awkward.   “ i was more just... wondering why you’re out here. ”

Not a lot of people come here. Which is why Zuko’s here-- he has more room to practise. Maybe the other’s here for a similar reason. The firebender can’t possibly think of anything else. 

“ if you want to stay, i won’t stop you, ”   he adds, though it’ll be a little hard to get back to training that way. 

[honourburned]

boundlesshsentity​:

Judging from the sudden drop in Zuko’s mood he probably forgot his smartphone. Considering that they take people from all sorts of different worlds you’d think the scientists would at least leave an instruction Manuel on how to use technology here! 

“Well a cellphone, or rather smartphone looks like this.” Mumei said while pulling his own phone out, a touchscreen with a simple blue cover that was overshadowed by the goat charm attached. You kind of need it for accessing currency on the go in this city, even more so when you’re moving around and don’t want to walk everywhere so you can get transportation. It can be a bit of a learning curve until you get used to it, but it should be pretty straightforward to use.” 

“I usually don’t forget mine since without it I can’t fight, but that’s due to the boundaries of my own world….universe? Either way when we get to the shop I’ll show you how to purchase with it.” 

OH...   well, now he feels pretty silly.   “ so that’s what that was, ”   he mutters, shaking his head. It would’ve been nice to know that he needed that strange device. Though he supposes he should have guessed he would. Why else would he have gotten it? 

Well, it isn’t his fault that nothing was explained properly! Fortunately, the other seems to be alright with helping him out. 

He listens to the explanation, nodding, he supposes it makes sense despite its unfamiliarity. He breathes a soft sigh of relief at the offer, dipping his head a little.   “ thank you... i guess you can tell i haven’t been here very long. i’m not used to... well, any of this. we don’t have most of the things in this city where i come from. ”

[honourburned]

moondemi-goddess​:

There was no recoil nor surprise at the snap, if he wanted to be mad at her then that was his choice; she wasn’t going to apologize for being curious. “Your father huh?” Again there was no surprise on her face, she had a feeling the humans had learned how to use the elements to their advantage. That was part of the problem with them; some were just too smart. 

Still she wasn’t going to get anywhere with this man if he was mad, she needed to know why it was his father gained an ability similar to the gods. She also wondered if his father had this affinity would he too? 

“How rude of me to approach and ask such invasive questions right? You’ll have to forgive me, humans are still a fairly new concept to me after all.”

Looking away from his face now having felt she saw enough she gave a simple shrug. “Good to hear, had you been burned by Helios’ flames can’t say you would be so lucky.”

IT ISN’T SOMETHING HE’S   even told his friends the full story about-- only a few people really know. Well. A few people being most of the Fire Nation’s nobility, who had been there. No wonder he’s seen as a weak Fire Lord... But regardless, he’s not about to regale a total stranger with the tale of his childhood traumas. 

But he manages to quiet his anger, feeling it flickering down from a raging wildfire to a candle flame-- still present, of course, he’s still a little perturbed, but with her comment... she looks mostly human, but she speaks as if she’s something else. Perhaps some kind of spirit? If so, he’d rather not get her angry at him in return. 

“ helios? ”   A frown in response to the name. It’s unfamiliar-- not one he knows of, but they must be some kind of firebender. 

It’s a lot easier to calm down now than it used to be. And as long as she doesn’t try to press him about the story. It should be fine. 

Still, he sees an opportunity to change the subject, and takes it.   “ humans? are you some kind of spirit? ”   he asks, wanting to clarify-- it would be a good idea to know exactly who he’d sort of blown up at. 

[honourburned]

burnredhot​:

Kabu chuckles lightly, happy to explain. 

“Think of it this way: There is a small doorway that you can only enter if you crawl, but the room past it is enormous. The Pokeball is bigger on the inside.” 

Briefly, Kabu looks confused. War, why—and then it clicks; the talk of fighting must have made him assume they did it for war. 

“Oh no, we haven’t been to war in thousands of years. Pokemon battling is more like, a sport, a national past time. It is a way for both trainer and Pokemon to grow strong and build bonds, not only with each other but with other trainers.”

HE DOESN’T PRETEND   to fully understand it, but he’s fascinated nonetheless. At least it makes a little sense now. Shouldn’t be possible based on everything he knows, but at this point, Zuko’s questioning what’s possible daily. This is the least difficult to believe. 

However, the answer to his question is unexpected-- but overall, he isn’t too surprised. While Zuko himself hasn’t experienced anything like fighting as a sport before, he knows that such tournaments exist in the Earth Kingdom. Now that the war is over, and bending skills are no longer needed for battles and conquest, it might actually be a good way to practice.

He smiles a little bit, thinking about a future where the only real bending “battles” fought are those that bring enjoyment, rather than pain and devastation. 

Maybe things will get to that point someday. 

“ oh,  sorry, i didn’t understand what you’d meant. i think that’s great, though! my world just came out of a hundred years of war... it’s probably still too soon to think of anything like that, but maybe... maybe someday we could have something like that too, but with the bending arts. ”

[honourburned]

boundlesshsentity​:

Mumei grinned back at Zuko as they continued to walk through the streets of this city. He felt himself getting used to the daily life of this place again even without the Transient light from the Gates. While not knowing where everything was on the account of things getting weirdly moved around at the whims of those scientist guys. 

“This area has a pretty good cafe as well, but nothing can beat the taste of freshly baked bread from the bakery not to far away from the tea shop I’m showing you to. You’ve got to try it at least once. Oh, but also the stores around here don’t use physical coin so you have to use your cellphone instead.” 

AND HERE WE RUN INTO   the first of, likely, many problems. The fact that Zuko had never seen a cell-phone before, and, upon arriving at his room for the first time, had simply set it down, not knowing its purpose, how to use it, or why he had it. And he hadn’t brought it with him. 

“ oh... i-- i don’t know what that is. ”

Cue embarrassment. To say the truth, Zuko hadn’t been sure how he’d pay in the first place, since he didn’t have any coin on him-- but again, he hadn’t thought too hard on it. Since he was overwhelmingly used to living in a palace, and to street vendors simply offering him samples when he passed. 

It’s been a few years since he actually had to live as a commoner. He’s definitely been a little spoiled. Though, he certainly makes up for that with the stress of ruling. 

“ do you think you could show me first? how it works. so i don’t look like an idiot when i get there... ”

[honourburned]

moondemi-goddess​:

Ever the blunt woman she took notice of his being uncomfortable; it was something that no matter how long she would be in the human world she didn’t thin she could feel. Then again now that she thought further on it she was wrong there, should a person become curious about her abilities, she would likely shoot them down quickly. 

Still the curiosity didn’t leave her mind, even after he told her he was burned. Obviously she could tell that much on her own, but it would probably be wrong to voice that opinion.

“Fire is dangerous, I don’t think one should get close enough to actually be burned so severely.” Her natural affinity with water made her want to stay as far as possible from flames; really while looking at him she was thankful for that.

“Does it hurt?”

HE SCOFFS AT THE WARNING, corner of his mouth twitching a little. He’s already more than a little annoyed at the question itself, even though he knows it’s not unreasonable. Though, he would have expected it more from a child. That’s one thing. Kids don’t know any better. This is just... 

Rude. 

“ yeah, well, maybe you should tell that to my father, ”   he snaps, he doesn’t need to be scolded like some irresponsible kid. Hands curl into fists-- if his bending weren’t on the fritz like this, there’s a good chance the bench he’s sitting on might have caught fire. 

He’s angry. He tries to calm down, but it’s hard at first. He used to think about it daily, but he’s gotten over it recently. It makes it all the more shocking to have it shoved back into his face. 

Finally, he does manage to calm down a little bit. 

“ no. it doesn’t hurt anymore. ”

If it does, he’s gotten used so used to it that it simply doesn’t register. 

[honourburned]

clumsyseedling​:

A ruler?? If Naegi was his former self, he would have laughed it off as a joke. But, he had met a princess, albeit while she was in despair, but a princess no less! He kind of had an idea how to approach this. But, on the other hand, he only spent a short time with Sonia. He decided to just be himself and go with the flow.

 "Oh, I can help you with that!! I may not be fashionable, but blending in shouldn’t be too hard,“ Naegi offered. He honestly couldn’t believe that his plainness would actually come in handy. He looked to the door and opened it for Zuko to enter. "Should I call you your majesty?”

A SHAKE OF HIS HEAD   comes after the question, and Zuko raises one hand slightly.   “ no, no, just zuko is fine-- i’m not really lord of anything here, after all. i’m... ”   a glance around the area, taking in the surroundings and the other people that are weaving through the streets,   “ i’m just like everyone else. ”

Honestly, it’s a little bit relieving. Though he’s certainly settled into his role at home, Zuko does like the occasional times when he can just slip into the guise of an ordinary person. Though, unfortunately, he’s particularly recognisable. So it’s pretty hard to fully do that at home. 

Here, it’s different. Scar or no, most people in this world don’t know who he is. He’s just a person like everyone else. As much as he hates being here, hates how loud and busy it is, gets so exhausted by all the new sounds, sights, and smells every day, he really doesn’t mind that part at all. It’s nice to just be a normal person again. While once he would have given anything for his crown to be returned, he now wishes frequently for the days when the well-being and stability of an entire nation wasn’t resting on his shoulders. It’s exhausting, ruling a nation.

“ thank you for helping me, ”   he adds with a bow of his head.   “ i don’t know how long i’m going to be stuck here, but i guess it would be a good idea to try to adapt while i’m here. ”

Hopefully, he gets to go home soon. He can’t help but wonder how things are going there. While things were relatively stable when he left, he knows that that can change at a moment’s notice. 

He just hopes he doesn’t come back to another war.

[honourburned]

thelostvessel​:

@honourburned​ (from here)

If there was one good thing that came from the vessel having no voice to speak of, it made xem into an excellent listener, even in xyr angsty teenage years that they were currently in. Between that and the fact that xey were almost hyper-sensitive to when someone else was in need due to their own trauma and issues with abandonment, and they had been able to tell this human needed someone to lend an ear quite desperately from almost just a mere glance at him.

Xey had decided to be that ear, despite the fact that this was a stranger. Sitting next to Zuko on the bench, the vessel looked upwards at him, occasionally nodding in agreement as he spoke to xem. He was right; this city was too loud, too confusing, too different. It was nothing like the Abyss, the Ancient Basin, or any of the rest of Hallownest. It was filled with strange creatures, strange noises, strange technology… strange everything.

‘You’re right,’ Xey began to sign to him a few moments after his apologies. ‘I’m in the same situation. I miss home, I miss the void, I miss how quiet everything was.’

They paused, seeming to be thinking of the right words.

‘I still think we should help each other though, shouldn’t we? I don’t know you, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. I’m a good listener.’

HE FEELS A LITTLE BAD   about venting to a total stranger. But is relieved when said stranger doesn’t seem to mind too much-- and seems like they can relate. 

Quiet, yes. While the Fire Nation is far from a ‘void,’ and the capital city is actually probably one of the louder places in his world, the palace itself tends to be rather peaceful these days. A sort of peace that’s hard to find here. At least in the city, and in the places he’s been. There are just so many people, and so many things. It’s loud in more than just volume. 

Everything’s just too much, and Zuko would do anything just to get away for awhile. To find somewhere quiet. 

Still, he’s able to smile a little bit in response.  “ thank you, ”   he replies, with an inclination of his head.   “ i’m zuko. do you know any places around the city that might be on the quieter side? maybe we could go there. ”

He’s glad that the other is understanding. Zuko feels a lot better after getting everything off his chest.  Without being able to release his emotions into his bending, like he used to do when he was stressed, it’s a lot harder to relax. There’s only so much that calming tea can do.

[honourburned]

orlonditherose​:

🌹  Orlondi tilts his head to the side before just gesturing the other to follow him and starts walking. The people brought to this place really don’t seem to know any fears whatsoever. To think that this guy would just follow him after he’s mentioned to pick up his dinner at the hospital? It is difficult to get any frightened reaction around here. At least he seemed a little weirded out.

“Yeah yeah. I was here already twice. Makes it almost two months now. But the first time? Not going to forget that. It was awful. A lot here don’t even know what vampires are.”

HE DOESN’T RESPOND   for a few moments. Gaze drifting off to one side, curious but not entirely wanting to ask just yet. Still, no real use putting it off, he supposes. 

“ ... what are vampires? ”

Though at this point, he’s not really surprised. A good half at least of the things he’s come across here don’t exist in his own world. He can’t turn a corner without running into something new. Some of those things are good-- and things that, if he ever gets back home, he might try to bring with him. Like some of the foods. But some of them aren’t so good, and he’d rather not run into them again. 

But the fact that people can go away and then come back is something he hadn’t heard of before. And makes him just a little concerned that he wouldn’t be able to return home for good.

[honourburned]

burnredhot​:

“Hhmm, you manage your flame just as Ichika does, then. He has yet to relearn his more powerful fire moves, unfortunately, though that can only be blamed on our captors.”

He nodded, pulling out Sizzlipede’s Pokeball. 

“Yes, indeed we do. Inside this ball is something of a condensed ecosystem.” 

Tapping the button on the ball, a red light shot from it to Sizzlipede, instantaneously transporting it inside. He turned the ball this way and that to show Zuko, before pressing the button again, Sizzlipede appearing on his hand once more. 

“Pokemon are our partners and friends. Some live with Pokemon as pets, or helpers, while others, such as I, train and battle with them. Those who do so are Pokemon Trainers.”

EYES WIDEN IN FASCINATION   as Sizzlipede vanishes into the device, and Zuko leans in to get a good look at it. 

“ but... he was bigger than it-- how does he fit inside? ”   he asks, head tilting, incredibly curious as to how it worked. They didn’t have anything like this back home, even with all of the technological advancements that had been happening. 

And then, the Pokémon’s released again, seemingly none the worse for wear. Zuko’s fascination only increases. 

Expression shifts thoughtful as he nods along to the further explanation. It would make sense-- if the humans in Kabu’s world can’t bend, then why not use Pokémon’s powers to fight?

“ why are you at war? ”  Just out of curiosity, of course, and as someone who’s had a lot of experience fighting wars himself. 

[honourburned]

tremorstep​:

It was a weird, confusing moment to be living in, for sure.  To be caught in this strange situation with someone she’d considered an enemy…and trying to calmly work through things with him.  It wasn’t the first time she’d had a simple discussion with someone who was supposed to be on the “enemy” side, of course- while she didn’t know who he was at the time, she’d had quite a nice conversation with Zuko’s uncle before.  He seemed to really love his nephew, and while she still resented what he’d done to him in the Earth Kingdom capital…it seemed like this Zuko resented it even more.  Maybe having such a supportive, loving figure had rubbed off on him in the end.

“I believe you,” she responds simply to his continued apology.  It comes off as a bit curt, but her tone was sincere.  She just doesn’t know what else there is to say under these bizarre, impossible circumstances.  Besides that, she has every reason to believe him- his body betrayed no sign of dishonesty.

Toph sits beside him, feet out in front of herself, hands planted to the ground so she could continue to register the world around her, including Zuko.  She remains silent as he mused aloud about what he thought of the situation.

“Not making sense seems to be the norm around this place,” she counters.  Her lips press together to hum, the thoughts he’s gotten a rise out of stirring about in her head.  “You’re talking about a lot of things that aren’t true from what I last remember, but aren’t impossible either.  If they just haven’t happened yet, then that’d mean you know about my future, and unless you’re some kinda fortune teller, you being from that future is the only explanation.”  

The young earthbender sighs and rests back against the tree.  “Not exactly a simple one, and I kinda hate the idea that this place might spit out versions of my friends I don’t recognize, but I can’t think of any other reasoning that’d explain everything.”

IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’VE BOTH   accepted, at least a little bit, the utter and complete weirdness of the situation. After all, what other option is there, really? Aside from Zuko just being crazy, which... still a possibility, but that would be a lot of crazy. And he’s not sure that he could even dream up this situation. 

He traces circles in the earth with one finger, absently, lower lip caught between his teeth as he contemplates it further. 

All things considered, if she’s from that particular point in time, then he’s lucky that she didn’t actually hit him. She’s from one of the lowest points of the war for them all-- Zuko included. No wonder there would be some animosity there. 

Still, thinking about them coming from different times only makes his thought process sound even crazier to him. He releases a very soft, somewhat strained chuckle.   “ yeah... especially if your friends think you’re an enemy, ”   he mutters, shoulders scrunching inward. It’s still an incredibly unpleasant scenario, being suddenly reminded just how much of a terrible person you once were. 

“ i’m definitely not a fortune-teller, ”   he adds on, then,   “ but i... i guess now i sort of would be, from your perspective, huh? i know exactly what point in time you come from-- and for me, that all happened almost three years ago. ”   Curious. Zuko’s never really been one to believe fortune-tellers, but if this whole messy-timeline stuff exists, then maybe there are some real ones out there. Or maybe it’s just the two of them here, in this weird situation, for whatever reason.   “ uh... anyway, things get better. i mean, there are still problems, sure, but... the world’s pretty much at peace now. it’s changed a lot from back then. people’s lives are improving every day. ”  And the Fire Nation is no longer attacking anyone. But that’s a given. 

Or at least, should be. All things considered, it might not be that obvious. So he adds,   “ the fire nation minds its own business these days too. at least, as much as any nation should. we help, sometimes, and trade, and things like that, but we’re not conquering. ”