zuko catchall

[exercisms]

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[exercisms]

He's only a year younger than I am. The same age as my brother. [So. A kid.]

But his life must have been very different than mine.

[cuedoves]

... He's a year younger than my sister.

[ and a year older than aang.... ]

I think we've all lead pretty different lives.

[exercisms]

[Was Azula really 14. God.]

Mm. I didn't realize it until recently. . . how differently people can see things, depending on the kind of life they'd lived.

[cuedoves]

[ yeah that's why she's so evil ]

Trust me, I know all about that.

[ fire nation music plays in the bg ]

[exercisms]

You do?

[That makes sense to him. Zuko seems harsh at first, but is really a pretty kind person.]

Um. . . why is it that even though you have powers, you're good at fighting without them?

[cuedoves]

Yeah. I used to be bad, but I thought I was good. I made a lot of mistakes before I figured out how to be good.

[ and then when he was good!! ]

Powers aren't everything. You don't need them to take care of yourself, or fight.

[ its complicated ]

[exercisms]

[Staring at Zuko with big, shining eyes, because he is just voicing two things right now that are so important to him. The idea that people can change, and the idea that powers aren't as important as everyone treats them are two of the things he feels strongest about, and almost no one he's ever met with powers before seems to understand these things at all. So just. Deciding that Zuko is incredibly wise.]

I believe that, too! That's why I've been trying to train hard and become strong. But even so, without powers, I didn't know what to do today.

[cuedoves]

[ moe.... b. zuko actually looks a little taken aback by these shining adorable eyes, because he'd never really consider himself wise or worth looking up to in the first place. ]

Well... keep at it. It's mostly discipline and practice. [ shuffles awkwardly. ]

It's not that easy to just jump into a situation, even if you know how to fight. But I could teach you, if you want. Uh... the training part, not the jumping part.

[exercisms]

[Still enthusiastic and admiring. Nodding!]

I don't like fighting. . . but I want to be able to help, too.

[cuedoves]

Even if you don't like it, you might have to do it. Especially here.

[ if this is going to happen again. ]

But we can start with defensive maneuvers.

[exercisms]

I've had to fight before, so I understand.

[But only with powers. He wants to know how to do it the way Zuko did.]

. . . You said you used to be bad, but become good.

[cuedoves]

[ approving nod. sometimes you gotta do things even if you don't like them! ]

Yeah. I've... got a complicated past.

[exercisms]

Could you teach me how to do that, too?

[cuedoves]

You're not bad.

[ ??? ]

[exercisms]

How do you know something like that?

[He seems to react as though Zuko has magical innate bad-dar.]

[cuedoves]

You're a good kid. You tried to stop Virid. You care about people... and cats.

[ he does it's called common sense bc mob is a precious angel ]

[exercisms]

[Dorothy said that too, didn't she? Caring about animals means you're kind. And he thought she was right, when she said it. But.]

Do you think it's bad to hurt people? To make them go to the hospital? To make them lose their clothes and their hair and all of their friends? To destroy their school? Do you think it's bad to make your brother afraid of you?

[cuedoves]

.... You did those things?

[ it's hard to believe, coming from such a soft boy. ]

Why?

[exercisms]

[Shrugging.] You might be able to call it an accident. But. . .

[They're still pretty bad?]

I want to change.

[cuedoves]

You can do it.

[ confidently!! ]

But how did it happen in the first place? Was it your powers?

[exercisms]

[Nodding.]

There have been times where I've lost control of them. When I get too angry, or - if I get hurt.

[cuedoves]

Yeah. I know what you mean.

[ not so much the getting hurt, but.... it's easy to hurt people with fire. ]

Do you a master to teach you how to use them?

[exercisms]

[Yes! He looks a little more enthusiastic.]

Master Reigen. After the first time it happened, that's when I started coming to talk to him . . . it helped a lot.

[cuedoves]

[ approving nod ]

If it weren't for my Uncle, I wouldn't have been on the path I am now. So, it's important. Uncle taught me a lot of meditation, too, I can teach you.

[exercisms]

Your uncle.

[So Zuko has a wise master, too, and that's how he became so wise.]

I'd like that. My master does meditation with clients a lot. And massages.