蘇 hello, fire lord zuko here. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
atoned) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
eachdraidh2014-09-07 11:01 am
atoned) wrote in eachdraidh2014-09-07 11:01 am
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. ]
[ 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. ]
video. so proud of u, boo.
It's processed earth! My dad's airships were metal, and she bended a door into a suit of armour to use against his men. It's just ... [ that's perhaps more information than he wanted to reveal, but he's never really had anyone he could be proud of to speak about. he's never really had anyone, aside from uncle, to talk to about anyone he's been proud of. his face scrunches up as he tries to think, voice soft as he perhaps asks the spirits, ] What did Aang say? [ there's just a pause before he comes back to her. ] Metal's earth that's been processed and refined. I guess Beryllium and Calcium are metals she could bend if she ever found them. [ despite causing some mayhem at the station and practicing his forms, zuko has been reading. he simply hasn't read any books pertaining to dwarves or even drabwurld itself. he still doesn't understand these chemicals, barely capable of saying beryllium without embarrassing himself, but it's something interesting. it's something toph can do. maybe he can help her if he reads. ]
[ he's smiling again, as he knows the following is too true of toph. ] I'm pretty sure if you asked her, she could talk your ear off about how it works. [ since he's already begun to. ]
video. thk u very machu
That's pretty impressive, actually. Extremely impressive. But - ( now she's confused, because why would his friend fight against his own father?? what ) - Why would she fight against your dad? Isn't she your friend? ( not that... her dad is a good guy either which is where the logic might fail there. ) Iron, also. Lead, chromium... There are a lot of them, actually. Half the periodic table is basically metal. And I'm not sure if the same elements exist here as back in my world, but I bet if you dug deep enough into the ground, you'd find some pretty sure examples.
( she laughs a little bit. ) I don't know if I need to, you're pretty well-versed here.
video. 1/2
[ but he opts for: ] It's a long story.
video.
[ his eyes pop open. ] What? No! I only know so much because she won't stop talking! [ honestly, if you say greatest bender, toph immediately goes into a spiel about how she's the greatest bender. it also doesn't help that zuko asks her why. ] Sages, now she's going to make me dig for them so she can bend them!
video. also 1/2
( evil dads club? bet the faeries would give us jackets. )
video.
There are easier ways. Why would she make you dig if she can just rip the earth up herself?
video.
[ that type of friend? spirits, is she going to start saying toph's his girlfriend again? he can feel the headache knocking against his temple already, wanting to be let inside. it's an outburst, ] What does that mean?
[ and then it's quickly followed by: ] She's Toph! [ it needs no explanation. it's toph. she punches him to show affection. she'd make him dig for the metal she would inevitably bend into some intricate object just so he doesn't feel left out or useless. of course, with the latter, though, she'd pretend she was the melon lord and he her slave. ]
video.
( blank stare ) That means zero to me, you know that, right?
video.
[ toph can be an adjective, right? ]
[ but it's true; toph means nothing to her, just as prince zuko never would, either. is it unfair to take advantage of that? he'd found himself spiteful and angry on ember island when he'd been forced to vacation with ty lee, mai, and azula, but now he finds it almost freeing to not be held to what it is the fire nation had once done to its world. at the same time, he wishes he had his pull, like with the unseelie court and its monarchs. but it's with an uncharacteristic burst of hopebending he says: ] It could mean something.
video.
It could, if I knew her -- I just meant... There have to be other words to describe her besides just... saying her name again.
video.
[ but she does have a point. zuko knows no one aside from those he had travelled with and toph — and the guys from his future. it'd be good if he met a few new people, wouldn't it? ]
We're from … [ is he allowed to say his court on his locket? is it smart? but zuko knows he and toph can take on any threat if she happens to be the enemy, even though the seelie appear to be just people, too. he starts again: ] We're from Caer Scima. Maybe you can meet her and regret it then. [ and he means it with love when he says regret. ]
video.
I'm from Caer Scima, too. I don't really know anyone here... So lucky us, right? Now I know at least two.
video.
[ that makes life ten times easier, doesn't it? he looks surprised; he doesn't know the courts of half of the people he's spoken to, but he always just assumed they'd be from the opposite faction. life always tossed lemons his way and zuko always ensured to taste them. ]
You'll still regret it. I don't believe that as being lucky.
[ zuko would know, wouldn't he? he had been lucky to be born while azula had been born lucky. but he doesn't think of it now, not with luck in this particular context. anyone is lucky to meet toph, but zuko always goes forth to ensure he gets a rock tossed toward the back of his head. ]
video.