eachdraidh | 1 ☼ joint tutorial video / open to both courts

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1 ☼ joint tutorial video / open to both courts

[ for the first time since zuko had unlocked his locket, it turns on without fuss. perhaps because it's in the hands of toph that it does. for viewers with a keen eye, they'll spy a thin, red ring around the ring finger on his left hand. after tapping into the power when he had been practicing his firebending techniques, his flame hotter and brighter than anything it had been before, zuko's been attempting to tap into sozin's comet once again. but as he hadn't taken the time to note the time of day he had used his ring, he believes it to be broken (he’s momentarily forgotten what the imps had informed him of, overloading him with information when he had already felt overwhelmed at his boon actually appearing in his hand, a living ring that didn’t feel as hot as sozin’s comet, but had left him feeling invincible). with that thought in mind, he's almost fuming. ]

[ with a scowl, the right side — the good side — of his face can be seen. his left hand is currently occupied, but his right curls by his side into a tight fist, knuckles painfully white. unaware of being filmed, zuko's holding an imp by the scruff of his neck. the little creature snaps its small jaw at him, but the fire lord looks nonplussed. ]

Where are the dwarves!? [ the little beast twists, despite zuko's long fingers digging hard into his flesh, to try and bite at his wrist. leaning in further, he yells so loud the earth may move beneath his feet in fright, ] Where do I find them!? Stop snickering!

[ for good measure, he shakes the imp before his other hand forms into a gun, index finger aiming for the little beast's feet. small blasts of fire shoot at the imp's toes, the creature squealing as it tries to chomp at the air in front of zuko. ] Stop laughing every time I ask what a dwarf is!

[ at first it starts as a small, indistinguishable sound, then grows into a gigantic, unruly, loud, exasperated yawn. ladylike as always. then, a voice comes from off-screen. ]

You’re so predictable. [ a beat ] And loud. [ another beat ] Also boring.

[ the locket clatters to the ground, the view shifting to show mostly the ground, though zuko’s legs are still visible. closer to the locket, a leg covered in green pants is there, a foot crossing over the knee that’s mostly covered in dirt. the toes wriggle. ]

I know where the dwarves are. [ she doesn’t. ]

[ zuko doesn’t hear toph until he hears the d word. not that anyone can see — thanks, toph — but zuko’s head snaps in her direction. how his neck hasn’t is a trick of the spirits. his grip on the imp drops — his ugly feet hit the ground and scamper away — as he turns on her. he shouts, ] Where!?

[ if anyone’s paying close enough attention, they’ll see a subtle shift in toph’s foot that’s on the ground. there’s a soft rumbling and it looks as if something’s moving underground. in the distance, the imp flings off to the side with a yelp. she admits to nothing. ]

I can hear, you know. [ avoid the question. she’s not answering. ]

I know that! [ curling his fingers into a fist, he smacks his knuckles against his head. zuko sighs, exasperated. his shoulders slump slightly, as if the exhale of air has rid him of all the anger keeping his bones upright and stiff. (it hasn’t.) his tone is softer, less of an inferno and more of a comfortable hearth, ] Where are they?

[ she sniffs, then pitches the locket in his direction. sorry but not sorry for shaky cam. her voice grows a little distant. ] Don’t know if I feel like telling you.

[ his voice is as loud as ever, hands balled into fists as he yells, ] WHY NOT!?

[ her voice is definitely farther away now, but she does yell back: ] Don’t feel like it!

WHY NOT!?

[ there’s a long moment of silence, followed rapidly by a rumbling and a moderately sized boulder comes flying right at zuko, courtesy of one earthbender. ]

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( staring. just... a lot of it. ) One? You need to relax. Two? Why would you want to know where the dwarves are in the first place? They're all really grouchy. Three - the fire thing. How did you do that?

[ is he meant to pick a question to answer? because he hardly remembers any of them. he goes for the last one, as it's the most easiest — it's common knowledge in his world that someone who can hold fire is a bender — or that they exist. ]

[ it's kind of nice not having to defend himself, even though she had asked him why he'd want to have a tea party with the dwarves. casually ignores that question for now, even though he does want to know if she's met them. he hasn't exactly played this too smart, thanks to toph, but he does wish to keep his own business private for as long as it takes for him to trip up. ] I'm a firebender.

And that is...? ( what the fuck is a firebender. you're a witch. ) And again I ask - why dwarves, they're grouchy?

[ bender. it's the first word everyone is taught in class. he takes it for granted, people knowing what it is. he takes a moment to think. someone who can bend fire probably makes very little sense. ] I can manipulate fire? [ does that pass her test? ]

[ he's grouchy. they'll get along like a house on fire. ] I need them to fix something for me.

... So you have magic. ( she says it like it's fact and also with a slight edge of superiority like he cannot possibly know what he's talking about.

don't make housefire jokes it killed her mom how Rude of you. )

Oh? What's broken?

I have bending.

[ but he drops that because bending is bending, just like a komodo rhino is a komodo rhino. magic has no place in his world, or so he likes to think, preferring to be ignorant to anything else existing outside of bending. ]

[ he says it a little forcefully, ] My boon. [ he glances down, his hand off-camera, before looking back up. ] It's not what I asked for.

Whatever you wanna call it. ( M A G I C oh oh oh it's magic u knooooo never believe it's not so, etc. )

What did you ask for? And did you honestly think the fairies would give you exactly what you wanted? They don't care about us.

[ he did. zuko honestly believed the imps would deliver on his request. hadn't be proven himself to be valuable? though the transporting of raonil had turned sour, he had endeavoured to do his best. he had acted honourably, following his gut rather than his head. and yet ... ]

[ he doubted it. was this another trick? another lie similar to azula's? ]

Something to help with my bending. [ he's not letting it go; gripping to it as fiercely as a stone, the pinch to his brows is weak in comparison. as a petulant aside, ] You'd think they'd care about that.

What's wrong with it? That you need help, I mean. ( she purses her lips slightly, brow knitting. she really is concerned. ) Unless it poses a threat to them, probably not.

It's not — [ he sighs, defeated. it's neither a threat nor is it truly working, the former less true if he were to really think about his actions during the transporation of raonil. he had used his bending for morla, but the moment reynard had glowed and taken on his old enemy, zuko had left with toph on his arm, ensuring both of them were safe. morla has every right to want to strip him of his alleged gift. he could truly use it against her — as he had shown it had been easy for him to disobey orders. ]

[ his shoulders slump. ] It's meant to amplify my bending. Make it stronger. But it only works once.

It's not good enough.

( cassie's brow knits together and her lips form a thin line. she takes some time before responding, as she formulates a plan. not necessarily one of action, but of what to say. she considers, briefly, what that might mean. if this bending of his is truly something in need of amplification, of additional strength... )

I might be able to help you.

[ zuko pauses for a thoughtful moment. it's not hope he feels, it's skepticism. how can someone outside of the court help him amplify his bending? is this all another trick? is she someone who thinks herself capable of moving the world when she can barely lift a stone? ] How?

Mm - watch. ( she holds up a finger, to signify that he ought to wait just a second. then she sets her locket down in a way that allows her to showcase the area she's in. luckily, it's pretty remote, and there's enough wet area around her that she's not actually concerned about causing damage. cassie lifts a hand, gives him a pointed look, then holds her palm toward the ground. a small flame sparks to life, rising, lapping at the air around it. )

Now. ( then she looks away from him and concentrates and looks at the fire. she puts all of her energy into it. she can feel her heart beating in her ears and she sees darkness at the edges of her eyes, because this dips into not just her normal solo magic, but the balcoin evil that bubbles in half of her dna. the flame turns into a roaring blaze just moments after. then she squeezes her fist shut, and the fire not only goes out but is dampened by a sudden flash of rain.

she turns back to face him. )

Like I said. I might be able to help you.

[ he's not quite sure what he expects. does he expect her to bend fire? no. he doesn't expect her to bend water, either. it's the indicators of an avatar, being able to control more than one element. but the avatar can only exist in one human body, and while she looks as normal as anyone within his world, she lacks the distinctive features of any of the four elemental nations. ]

[ still, he's a little convinced she's an avatar. ]

How — [ then he remembers. ] Magic. [ which he had argued as bending. while his bending works in a similar way, seeing flames burst and dispel, hers had seemed ... different. it's nothing like the masters and their bending, beautiful in the colours they'd managed to breathe out as they wrapped he and aang in the flames of a rainbow of fire, but it's different. he can just tell. ]

Why would you want to help me? [ it's not the question he had wanted to ask. but why would a stranger wish to expel her energy onto someone she barely knows? ]

Mmhmm. And those are just parlor tricks, compared to what I'm able to do. It's not just about the elements. ( she really is one of the most powerful witches of her time, and the extent of her full power hasn't even been realized yet. she's dangerous and monumental all at once, with the potential to destroy utterly but the ability to create and nurture, with a moral compass that's still more or less pointed... northish. )

Because I'm a nice person? ( she shrugs. ) And you don't seem so bad. I could probably use some friends here. Maybe you can help teach me better control of what I already know, or something.

[ you don't seem so bad. it's not the worst thing he's ever been dealt. it's a compliment that sees his own face flushing a very light pink. any sort of compliment tips the balance, seeing to it he's uncertain of how to even reply. it's reprimands and scoldings and being compared to azula that he's used to. ]

[ he's still uncertain if what she proposes is even feasible, but it's better than relying on a ring that works only once a month at sunset. perhaps it can help his firebending remain permanently at the level it had been during sozin's comet. maybe it'll even make him realise he doesn't need a boost in power to be able to attain a status that can even burn azula. ]

I'm not a very good teacher. [ which is a lie, and he knows it. but zuko's not the type to ever praise himself. self-deprecation is what he's the crown prince of. azula's the one who knows her own abilities and is self-aware enough to sell herself to the highest bidder on words alone. but he's a firebending master, accepted by the masters themselves, and shown to be a powerful bender, even if he believes what he sees reflected back is merely still not good enough. his hand goes to the back of his neck as he looks away briefly, ] I only know how to bend fire. I can't bend any other element.

( she sees the blush and wonders what brought it on; it's not like she said anything particularly flustering. that isn't the most pressing issue at hand, however. this guy seems to be in a tough spot, and if cassie can help, she really does want to. )

That's alright. I'm not sure I am, either. ( her smile broadens, all sunshine and bright blue eyes. ) Control is control. The element doesn't matter.

[ the sunshine and rainbows belongs to aang. maybe that's why the fire nation had attacked the air nomads and wiped them out? too much sunshine, too much happiness. but zuko doesn't feel the need to wipe anyone or anything from extinction — except for his own uncertainty. he's never quite coped well with being conflicted. ]

[ he thinks the element does matter, but she's never really seen the way different benders move. if it wasn't for uncle studying waterbenders, and zuko studying katara when she had taken to training during the days they spent waiting on ember's island, he doesn't think he'd have made it out alive in his agni kai with azula. ]

[ if she's going to go to great lengths to assist him, he might as well give her his name tag. hello, there — ] I'm Zuko. [ for a moment, he looks to the side, rolling his eyes. ] That's Toph.

( she's never seen the way any benders move, let alone different kinds. but it doesn't much matter to her, really. and maybe her inexperience is the reason behind the indifference. she just doesn't see the need to be so specific. magic is one singular element, like a pulse, like the blood in her veins. it simply is, and regardless of what part of nature she's channeling with it, it all comes from the same source. that's just how she sees it. but he's all dead set against the existence of magic so. she won't explain it that way, maybe ever. )

Cassie. ( what kind of a name is zuko are you japanese or perhaps related to frank zappa??? wow. but those thoughts don't come out of her mouth. she just smiles. ) Your friend is um... Energetic.

She's an Earthbender. [ which doesn't exactly explain it, since firebenders and waterbenders and aang are energetic, too. but toph's ... she's a different type of energetic. she tires zuko out within seconds; it's not bad, it's just different. he's used to firebenders being monotonous and a little too blunt for his liking at times. toph's ... she's fun. ]

[ not that he'll ever admit that. ]

[ he's a little worn out — and not for simply playing rock, fire, squash zuko, either; it's why he sits against a rock, even though it's dangerous to lean upon toph's element when he needs a moment of respite. knowing her, she'll see to it it forms fingers and tickles him, or even smacks him down into the ground once again. he's going to get a nice bruise on his chest thanks to that boulder. his expression is pinched, but affection slips in to curve upward at the corner of his lips, ] She's annoying.

How exactly does a person earth bend? Does she throw dirt? ( because that's totally how she imagines earth bending works. maybe it involves rocks instead. either way - she's done something similar, ish. if blowing a giant hole in the ground to save herself from suffocating after being buried alive counts. )

She's kind of like a little sister to you, isn't she?

She can manipulate the earth. Didn't you see that boulder hit me? [ despite being wounded by it, he seems pretty proud of the greatest earthbender of all time. ] She threw it at me.

[ he thinks that's pretty self-explanatory. where he would shout in block capital letters that he doesn't see toph in any way, he mulls it over. she's family. he doesn't see her as a little sister as his own little sister is a menace. are all younger siblings meant to make it their life mission to make their older sibling's life miserable? he doubts sokka wants to bring harm to katara in the way azula craves of doing to him. he doesn't yell; his answer is quiet, ] She's one of my best friends, [ it's a pathetic addendum: ] One of my only few.

The abilities you all have in your world really are amazing. ( LIMITED compared to magic SHE GUESSES but... But amazing... mostly. Ish. She offers a small smile for just a second, shaking her head with a light chuckle. )

( then that smile melts and suddenly she feels a level of empathy because until she moved to chance harbor, her best friend was her mom - now dead - and she was a loner. and she was fine like that until the circle wormed their way into her heart. diana, most of all. she misses diana. a lot. ) Sometimes a few is all it takes.

[ zuko feels a little too exposed, having shown all his cards when azula would've shown none. but azula has none in this arena; her friends are merely followers, foot soldiers she torments and orders around. he'd seen how easy ty lee and mai had turned their backs on her. he doubts the gaang would find it easy to do it to him. he'd find it difficult to turn his back on them. his hand cards through his hair as he appears a little sheepish, as though he's spoken out of turn. but it does matter, hearing that a few friends are better than none at all. ]

You'd like Aang and Katara. He's an airbender. He can make these balls that he sits on and rides around ... And Katara can bend water. Some of the things she can do are things I've never seen before. [ she'd offered to heal him — the fact that she could speaks volume in itself, but she had wanted to heal his scar. after everything he had done to her, she'd wanted to help him, even though he was her enemy. their abilities may be amazing, but zuko believes the people are even more. ]

[ zuko looks to the side, hoping toph is out of earshot, even though she can probably feel it through the earth that he's talking her up to someone. the greatest earthbender in the world. his expression brightens up, along with his voice, ] I should get Toph to show you how she bends metal one day. She's the only metalbender in the world. She invented it.

( azula is dumb and zuko should stop comparing himself to her, news at eleven. p.s. zuko life is not a popularity contest, gosh, haven't you heard that it's better to be alone than in bad company? cassie pushes forward a smile again, difficult as it actually is. she really does miss her friends. the way he talks about these people definitely indicates that he cares about them )

You really admire them, huh. ( she's just observing; maybe he doesn't, maybe he's just explaining them simply, but it sounds like he looks up to them a bit.

he looks like a different person when he smiles; she makes a mental note of it. he's shiny when he smiles. instead of you know. the other faces. ) Seriously? Metal? I'm not really sure that counts as actual earth - I mean, metals are an element all their own...

1 ☼ joint tutorial video / open to both courts

video. IT IS TIME.

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video. ROLLS THAT BALL

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