Zuko · 蘇科 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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barrayar2020-03-25 03:42 pm
flammatory) wrote in barrayar2020-03-25 03:42 pm
Entry tags:
☀⛇ hope is something you give yourself
[ Zuko occasionally needs to run off and be himself, alone, for a while. Needs to. It might seem overly dramatic, but he wouldn't characterize it as stress relief - it's more like keeping his sanity. Being Fire Lord is so much more than he'd ever expected, and honestly, Zuko hadn't tried to imagine actually being Fire Lord since before he was banished.
It was hard to imagine something he wasn't sure would ever be true. Now it's true, and it's... well. A lot.
By now, Iroh has convinced him to alert his staff to his sudden disappearances (he causes a mass panic one time!) and with this accommodation he's managed to wrangle a full week for himself through the simple expedient of bullishly refusing all attempts to talk him out of it. Or to schedule anything during that week. There has to be some kind of advantage to being an imperial dictator.
He does not need to have another formal dinner. Honestly. What he needs is some time alone practicing firebending and meditation and embarrassing himself without his crown, just so he can stay human.
As much as it riles his staff that Zuko doesn't feel like he needs personal bodyguards while he goes out, they can't exactly gainsay the Fire Lord, either, so he ignores the dangers and goes as incognito as it's possible for him, dressed in red so dark it's almost black and with his hair loose and without a crown or top knot. A simple pack is slung over his shoulder. After years of traveling on a ship and then meandering sullenly through the Earth Kingdom, then running around with Aang, Zuko travels extremely light.
Between his lack of physical burdens and his natural stealth, Zuko is fairly inconspicuous slinking through the woods. There's a lot of whispered rumors about this place, which just says to Zuko that no one else is going to be there. He isn't afraid of spirits after befriending the Avatar and meeting the dragons. If he meets one, fine. They seem more likely to leave him alone than people, these days...
Zuko goes deeper into the woods day by day, sleeping on a thin bedroll under a tiny pop-tent at night, largely scavenging for his own food and water. ]
It was hard to imagine something he wasn't sure would ever be true. Now it's true, and it's... well. A lot.
By now, Iroh has convinced him to alert his staff to his sudden disappearances (he causes a mass panic one time!) and with this accommodation he's managed to wrangle a full week for himself through the simple expedient of bullishly refusing all attempts to talk him out of it. Or to schedule anything during that week. There has to be some kind of advantage to being an imperial dictator.
He does not need to have another formal dinner. Honestly. What he needs is some time alone practicing firebending and meditation and embarrassing himself without his crown, just so he can stay human.
As much as it riles his staff that Zuko doesn't feel like he needs personal bodyguards while he goes out, they can't exactly gainsay the Fire Lord, either, so he ignores the dangers and goes as incognito as it's possible for him, dressed in red so dark it's almost black and with his hair loose and without a crown or top knot. A simple pack is slung over his shoulder. After years of traveling on a ship and then meandering sullenly through the Earth Kingdom, then running around with Aang, Zuko travels extremely light.
Between his lack of physical burdens and his natural stealth, Zuko is fairly inconspicuous slinking through the woods. There's a lot of whispered rumors about this place, which just says to Zuko that no one else is going to be there. He isn't afraid of spirits after befriending the Avatar and meeting the dragons. If he meets one, fine. They seem more likely to leave him alone than people, these days...
Zuko goes deeper into the woods day by day, sleeping on a thin bedroll under a tiny pop-tent at night, largely scavenging for his own food and water. ]
yeah, it's a lot of something right now
All those who come in peace are welcome here.
[ Compared to the walls she once had, Elsa's voice is warmer, more welcoming. Being free here in the forest has done wonders for her. ]
But we don't get many visitors. I think a lot of people are still afraid of this place.
no subject
Elsa seems very physical and real compared to the spirits Zuko's encountered before, more like the dragons than something to do with Aang. The way the horse suddenly turns from ice to water leaves him convinced of his first impression, though: this isn't just a person, and the way she greets him cements it. ]
I'm not afraid, [ he says in a frank tone, without belligerence or pride. ] People who disrespect the spirits get what they deserve. [ Dragon hunting is definitely illegal now. ]
My name is Zuko. I was just looking to be alone for a while -- not, uh, not that that means I want you to leave! [ he fixes hurriedly. Super smooth, as always. ]
no subject
It seems like they agree.
[ As if on cue, another wave of wind moves over them. ]
I'm not the only person who lives in this forest, but they're friendly. If you want to be alone, they'll leave you alone.
[ For a moment, Elsa seems thoughtful before she adds: ]
But handling things alone can be hard, too.
[ It's a lesson she's had to learn more than once. ]