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. ]
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Mako. I'm a friend of the other two.
[ you know, the two weenies down there. ]
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[ this is still the strangest question he'll ever ask, and he's asked a lot on behalf of uncle. ] Do I know you?
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[ at least this one isn't making a big deal out of you? unless you'd like that. ]
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[ but if he doesn't know him, then maybe he knows — ] Do you know Toph? [ and here comes a lie (one of a thousand and one) toph will eventually clear up for him, ] She's the new Earth Queen.
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... The Earth Queen.
[ you can hear the skepticism dripping from his voice, almost. ] At fifteen? No. Hou-Ting is the Earth Queen, she's not a Bei Fong.
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She's sixteen. [ ... ] I think. I just know she's taller than I remember! [ so, maybe mako's behind toph, if he thinks she's fifteen ... ]
She told me she's the Earth Queen! Hou-Ting isn't. [ she would've told him! ]
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And I can say with absolute certainty that she's not the Earth Queen, except maybe figuratively.
[ how does he do this without spoiling zuko? OH BY THE WAY MAN, MY BOSS IS YOUR FRIEND'S DAUGHTER 70 YEARS IN TO FUTURE? no. terrible idea. he needs to drag bolin and korra off so they get their stories straight. (he doesn't need a backstory) ]
no subject
[ except not really. ]
[ but according to her, she is. which make sense, toph believes anything that's remotely figurative is reality, especially when it comes to her being the greatest to ever live. ]
[ zuko can accept this. to him, she's the earth queen, the greatest earthbender to ever exist. it makes sense. it's also something he wants to believe in. a future where she's the queen of the earth kingdom is one he wants to be in. ]
She is. [ short. ] I can rest my arm on her head now. [ he looks around for her so he can do it, but she's, you know, a pain in the ass and not where he wants her to be. he sighs, quietly, ] She's going to stone me for saying that.
no subject
[ god, toph beifong, though! no offense, lord zuko, but, uh. the toph beifong. you don't stand a chance, dude. ]