Zuko · 蘇科 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
flammatory) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
barrayar2019-08-31 01:01 pm
flammatory) wrote in barrayar2019-08-31 01:01 pm
post-DDD
[ Zuko hasn't even really thought about the community in years. Sometimes he thinks on Azula and how she'd ended up, and how he probably won't be able to contact her ever again. That shouldn't fill him with grief or anger, but sometimes on nights where he can't sleep and it feels like the Fire Lord's bedroom is a farce that echoes too loudly around him, he can't help it. His feelings are a thorny tangle that he has no interest in teasing apart. It won't do any good. It won't help him with anything. There's nothing to do.
Azula, and everyone else on different worlds that he'd left behind, are out of his reach. And there's plenty to do as Fire Lord.
Even so, once in a while Mai blandly enforces a break onto him, or Iroh pretends he wants to see his nephew for a few days and then conspicuously leaves him to himself half the time, and Zuko knows it's their way of expressing concern when he's overworking himself, because no one else is about to tell the Fire Lord to slow down. He doesn't always appreciate it at first - he's an adult and he has responsibilities, he doesn't need to be put down for a nap like a child! - but by the end he feels a lot less likely to snap and set someone on fire, so he figures, begrudgingly, that they had a point.
This time, he uses his enforced day of solitude to work on some letters. He doesn't write too often, and Aang and everyone else don't always have time to write back to him, either, but Zuko admits it helps him feel less isolated to have people to send and receive letters from that just have him signing with a simple Zuko at the end. This still leaves him missing Toph - not that he's about to admit it - but it's usually worth doing.
Zuko sighs and sits down at his writing desk, taking out a brush and ink pot. ]
Aang,
I can't tell if you're helping me or destroying my reputation when you go around telling everyone the Fire Lord is a big softie. I've started getting twice as many people coming to me with personal requests. Think you could add 'but he has no tolerance for people wasting his time' to your public relations campaign?
Otherwise I'm going to start telling them all that I personally know the Avatar and he'd be happy to help. You probably would! So take care of it yourself. I have too much to do. Uncle keeps forcing me to take breaks, and if I refuse he comes up with increasingly embarrassing excuses for why my schedule has to be cleared for the day...
Azula, and everyone else on different worlds that he'd left behind, are out of his reach. And there's plenty to do as Fire Lord.
Even so, once in a while Mai blandly enforces a break onto him, or Iroh pretends he wants to see his nephew for a few days and then conspicuously leaves him to himself half the time, and Zuko knows it's their way of expressing concern when he's overworking himself, because no one else is about to tell the Fire Lord to slow down. He doesn't always appreciate it at first - he's an adult and he has responsibilities, he doesn't need to be put down for a nap like a child! - but by the end he feels a lot less likely to snap and set someone on fire, so he figures, begrudgingly, that they had a point.
This time, he uses his enforced day of solitude to work on some letters. He doesn't write too often, and Aang and everyone else don't always have time to write back to him, either, but Zuko admits it helps him feel less isolated to have people to send and receive letters from that just have him signing with a simple Zuko at the end. This still leaves him missing Toph - not that he's about to admit it - but it's usually worth doing.
Zuko sighs and sits down at his writing desk, taking out a brush and ink pot. ]
Aang,
I can't tell if you're helping me or destroying my reputation when you go around telling everyone the Fire Lord is a big softie. I've started getting twice as many people coming to me with personal requests. Think you could add 'but he has no tolerance for people wasting his time' to your public relations campaign?
Otherwise I'm going to start telling them all that I personally know the Avatar and he'd be happy to help. You probably would! So take care of it yourself. I have too much to do. Uncle keeps forcing me to take breaks, and if I refuse he comes up with increasingly embarrassing excuses for why my schedule has to be cleared for the day...
no subject
well, even if that were true, it's not like she can just stop caring. she's stuck now. ]
what what
do i have to explain the community to you???
i fuckin hate being the one stuck with that
no subject
No, you don't need to explain the community to me! I'm just not expecting it after five years!
[ So if this is the community... Zuko suddenly starts looking for the username. Surprise makes his strokes heavier, translating into bold text. ]
Wait - Minatsuki ?
no subject
wasn't sure if you'd remember or not
[ what she means is "wasn't sure if you'd remember me" but this is a good, casual distance from that. people forget the community often enough; it doesn't have to be personal. on her side of the phone, though, there's a definite feeling of relief when she sees her name there. —wait, what did he say? ]
it's been five years for you??? Σ(゜゜)
you still sound the same to me lol