eachdraidh | video, open to both courts (action if you are at the barrel)

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video, open to both courts (action if you are at the barrel)

[ Alice has been at the Barrel for a few weeks now. No one's asked her to cook and clean, but it's been a bit of an engraved habit brought over from her time in London. It's only through getting children's clothing and interacting with the nearby town that it's been plaguing the back of her mind. Unlike the last time she's popped on the lockets back in December, Alice looks healthier, but she is still pretty thin.

As usual. And as usual, her white rabbit is sitting there beside her, munching away at a bowl of food. She's not good at public speaking. ]

Hello.

These may be strange times to open a dialogue about this subject while both of our courts prepare for another skirmish. There are plenty of natives here of various ages who have been hit the most by war, especially children. I used to be the maidservant of an orphanage back in Whitechapel London.

[ Her face only flashes with a hint of pain when she mentions it. ]

Houndsditch Home for Wayward Youth—if you heard of it. And the children there came from similar backgrounds, that they were all traumatized and lost family either by sickness, death, or murder. These children are often overlooked, sometimes they are swept up by those with ill intentions and treated even worse. But they are still children and they still have pieces of their innocence left.

I may not have the resources nor the... capacity right now to replicate that orphanage, but I still want to help the youngest natives here have the smallest comforts like food or clothing. I've only had a handful of opportunities in Redgate and the Station to make good on my word and clearly I need the additional hands.

In addition to natives being sent away from the path of war, I hope that there can be a way to provide resources for them or find them the appropriate care somewhere down the line. I know that it is silly to think of such a thing when all the adults in this world are preparing for battle, but they are so young and they deserve so much more while they are being guided to safety.

But if I were to oversee these things, I reserve the right to be very picky. The children I cared for weren't even spared from the cruelty of adults, even the proprietor of that orphanage.

Surely my friends will be thrilled if I focused my attention on children rather than them. I know they must tire of my nagging.

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[ "Shardbearer". There it is again, the word that makes her cringe just as much as "fire". She is still reluctant to travel far out by herself, despite everything. Even the ring that increased her strength still isn't enough. No, that sense of security is gone, because now remnants of Reynard are still present and they have harmed her friend. ]

Some will not harm them. [ Some. She doesn't delude herself with all shardbearers are kind as others. Even she has the capability of being cruel. ] I will not, not unless I am or one of my own are threatened. But if you say they are kind-

[ She is always reluctant to take the word of someone she doesn't know, but, hey, if it's a shardbearer issue, then she has no choice. ] I will take your word for it. The only thing that concerns me is that I do not want to force others into situations they are not comfortable with. I want to ease into this as slowly as possible.

And if possible, sometime in the future, create a refuge for children on neutral grounds. It may not be this village, but it will be a place where anyone can go, regardless of courts.

And if they do, I'll protect them. [ as a fire lord, it's his duty to protect those who have placed their faith within him. he doesn't wish to be like his father, hellbent on decimating the world until it reflects the image of what he had desired, but he no longer wants to be fearful of approaching a town or even a country itself for how it may feel ill toward a firebender. it's peace he wants — and he knows, from those from his future, that he does accomplish it. he just doesn't know how. ]

If you ever want to, Sokka and I can always help you. [ he can't right now. if she came to his world, he'd be able to tell her the air nomad temples may be the best place to go, where they had been peaceful and almost neutral themselves in tone. children would love to climb over the temples and architecture there. zuko had liked it, when he'd been, despite it being in ruins. in the drabwurld, he's incapable of such a feat — he wants that to change, and he knows sokka's eager to map the world, too. ] We're exploring the world; Sokka likes reading. Maybe we'll find a place for you, if you ever want to build your orphanage.

[ but it doesn't necessarily show that they're willing to accept others. sokka had been willing to accept him, despite everything he had done. it's a gift that zuko still doesn't know how to receive. ] There's important people from our future in the Seelie court. I want peace just as much as the next neutral person does.

We shall see.

[ The only thing that makes her hesitant about taking up the mantle for an orphanage is, of course, her mind. She has only told a few - just barely - that she's struggling to keep herself. It isn't as bad as it was in the past, but she is in no position to help another, lest it be by means of using her knife an sword. Battles she can do, care for another is dubious, in her opinion. ]

I will take this as slowly as possible, with every precaution. The last orphanage I oversaw, it was in my hands and in mine alone. It is as I said -- the owner of it was not a good man. His intentions weren't to help them.

[ Seelie court? Months later, Alice still finds herself treading lightly around them, though, not as bad as it was before. ] And who would they be in the Seelie court?

[ he can respect that — wanting to ensure she's the right fit, wanting to guarantee the responsibility she's placing on her shoulders is a weight she can handle. though he had been born to inherit the throne, zuko thinks his banishment has made him more stronger than he would've been if he had remained mute within that war council room. zuko may not know alice — and he may not know much, truthfully — but he has a feeling that if she thinks her own intentions could cross into what the man who had owned the orphanage she had overseen … it's that type of self-awareness that won't allow her to repeat the transgressions of another. ]

[ this is a little awkward. zuko hasn't even told sokka about bolin, korra, and mako yet — time has been a little difficult to obtain, and there's been so much going on … he doesn't really know how to tell him he's the fire lord and he creates the republic city — and that there's a statue of him. it must be unsightly. ] Uh. [ he looks as awkward as he feels, glancing toward sokka before he shifts and turns his back on his friend, as if that will turn him deaf. ] … Bolin? Korra? Mako? They're … [ one's a fanboy, one's a diplomat, and the other is a cop. he doesn't know the truth — he probably couldn't handle it. ] They're people I deal with as Fire Lord in my future.

[ That makes sense, doesn't it? They all have that in common, the strange ability to manipulate some element, she's noticed. ]

I see.

[ As usual, she will proceed with caution, no different than before, she hopes. ] I know of them, but not very well, I'm afraid.

Oh. [ to be quite honest, zuko doesn't really know much. they're from his future; they know him — but not him him. it gives him a migraine when he thinks on it for too long. he looks a little uncomfortable, a little awkward, as he's not quite sure if ... it's good to know of people — especially those from the other side. ] Have you heard good things?

[ Alice hates to lie, but on one hand, people make mistakes, that's what makes them human. ]

They are much like anyone in their youth, so I have not heard anything contrary to good things.

[ so, that's a no. if he was to ask someone in the earth kingdom if they've heard any good things about him, he'd expect the same answer. ]

What have you heard? [ he's quick to add, ] Maybe it's not true! [ and zuko can try and be their publicist, despite not really knowing them from an ember island player's version of toph. he can try, though — and confuse alice even more with his impersonations of uncle by trying to be optimistic instead of his natural pessmisstic. ]

[ The first was a little white lie, as much as it pains her to do. Although, just this once, she will let it go and swear not to lie. ]

What? No. I know that the three of them are friends and that they have creatures in their care, Naga and the other two I do not know of. One is very large, it reminds me of some sort of American bison and the other a ferret. Korra is... she seems eager in her personality, but possesses no bad bone in her body.

[ And that is largely her assessment, omitting details of Redgate and all of that. ]

[ a bison? zuko didn't know there were any sky bisons left for appa to ... you know. but maybe he was wrong. they had all believed the airbenders were gone — and there was aang. they'd all believed the dragons were gone, but there was ran and shaw. ]

Pabu dressed like a shark during Samhain. [ he's really cute — and it's easier to comment on the ferret than anything else. appa belongs with aang — if he'd known aang was here ... he'd feel some sense of obligation and fault at him no longer being here, just like he does with toph. ]

I don't really know her that well. I do — in the future. But ... [ the him now doesn't know them as well as he believes they do him. it's strange and discomforting, being compared to himself. it's always been azula. it's always azula. ] It's confusing. I don't know who they are, but they know me.

Well... this place is rather strange, there is no real particular nuance about it.

[ So that's the little ferret's name! He's cute, Alice was feeding him crackers and cookies on Yule. ]

For example, Jack Frost was here before, and he came back again without a memory of it. And the Queen Elsa, as well, she came back, too. Oh, and... I suppose it is worth mentioning that there are two Sir Lancelots, but they come from different worlds and times. The Outsider is a god in his world and his power is not as omnipotent here as it is in his world. I've seen pictures of Whitechapel, London and what it will be and my father's university.

So there is no really any particular reasoning sometimes here, it will always be very confusing, like an unlocked door.

[ he doesn't know who half these people are — save a sir lancelot and the outsider, but he always called the latter the bender of a very pale complexion — but he thinks he understands what she's saying. there's no reason for it — and perhaps there never will be. some things were always meant to remain confusing to a boy who often confused those around him. ]

[ but he gleans something of alice, perhaps a slip of an admission, or maybe it's something she's proud of. ]

Is London where you're from?

[ he doesn't know what london is, given he hadn't really picked an atlas from the shelf when he'd been at the station, but he thinks it sounds almost like fire nation to him. without the element, of course. ]

[ She is fond of the Outsider and Jack Frost, two prime examples, in her eyes, how strange things can be, not including the heroic spirits and the bandersnatches. Alice gives a small shake of her head. ]

No, London isn't where I am from.

[ She was transported there after the asylum, when they deemed her sane enough. ]

I was from Oxford, originally.

[ zuko glances to the side, uncertain. ]

... Where's that?

It is northwest of London, some distance away. In England, I should say. I haven't been there in years, but... it will always be home to me.

I've never been there. [ obviously; anyone could tell zuko doesn't know what london is or what an ox ford is. if it isn't named after one of the four elements, zuko doesn't know. ]

[ but it doesn't mean he doesn't want to. ]

What was it like?

It isn't big as London, it's quieter. And in the spring, it's greener.

[ That is what she remembers the most when she thinks of Oxford. She remembers it being green, whereas London was brown and dirty. ]

Old, too. The buildings are old, but they're beautiful. We used to go to the creek not that far from my home and read.

[ the first thing he thinks of is the earth kingdom. green and old, but beautiful all the same. ]

The Fire Nation's like the summer. [ hot and dry, but still beautiful all the same. ] You'd probably like the Earth Kingdom. There's a lot of creeks and frogs — [ but he doesn't think it truly inspires reading, or even the calm he thinks she'd get from sitting by her creek. ] Even the old air temples of the airbenders. They're in ruins, but ... if you like old buildings, you might like it there. You'd like the Southern or Eastern Air Temples, if you like the colour green.

[ She takes in a breath. Hold up, there's only one problem- ]

Fire Nation?

It's where I'm from. [ and the fire lord was a piece of work, but she hasn't really inquired about him, so zuko holds off on his personal rant. ] There's four nations — the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Water Tribe. Some people can bend the element of the nation they were born in, like I can.

And does it live up to its name?

[ Because really, if there was ever a terrifying place to be, it certainly had to be this. ]

It isn't made of fire. It's made up of active volcanic islands, but it isn't like ... living on a volcano. [ except his great-grandfather had died when a volcano had erupted, the lava incapable of being stopped by him or his other great-grandfather. but zuko doesn't think to say. the lava hasn't flowed to encase his home. ] It's as warm as fire. And we wear red. But it isn't like the throne room.

It's ... nice. Sort of like when you're facing Mount Verla, you can see it in the far distance, but it's nice and humid where you are. [ before you approach and it burns you, causing even a boy used to the heat to sweat. ] That volcano is really hot.

[ She looks uncomfortable when he's just speaking so freely about it. A volcano means a lot of fire, doesn't it? That is what happened to places like Pompeii in the history books. A place filled with fire-

He didn't know, it's not his fault. The whole thing makes her nervous just talking about it. ]

Perhaps for you it sounds nice. To me, out sounds very frightening. I don't care for fire.

[ if it weren't for ran and shaw, he'd still perceive it like that. frightening. but fire isn't — the dragons had never wanted it to be frightening in the first place. ]

[ his voice is quiet, his expression softening in understanding. ] I know. [ the fire nation had wanted to be frightening. the fire nation had always wanted to be superior. it was a home that he had ultimately rejected, before ran and shaw — and his friends — had shown him to look at it differently. ] The people of my nation never used fire nicely.

[ There's a reason she doesn't ask about that scar -- she knows what it is. In truth, it's painful to look at him, sometimes. Yet out of the kindness of her heart, she overlooks it. ]

I lost my family in a fire and nearly my life. I was fortunate, most of the burns healed.

[ And thus her dislike of fire. ]

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