[ Zuko listens carefully all the way through, surprisingly good at keeping his gaze comfortably linked with Nobunaga's, though eye contact is not usually his strong point. He looks away at certain choice, tender points, often seeking his dragon's gaze for comfort in those moments, but his attention is rapt, fascinated hearing about this man's life and complicated world. It sounded too familiar; more familiar than anyone else he's met since being spirited away, in fact. That was eerie. ]
That must be hard... Fighting with your family like that. I, um— I know how that goes. Azula and I did more than fight, but— not anymore. And I've come to realize, you know, she's so talented and the perfect warrior and a brilliant strategist— if she'd really wanted to kill me, she would have. She was just... playing.
[ This sounds so much sicker than it should. And it is! They're not normal! Nor healthy! But they've conjured some peace and that's something, even if Zuko's done some impressive mental and moral gymnastics to justify such a truce. ]
What happened to Nobuyuki? You forgave him, even after all the trouble he gave you all those years? What did your mother say? Our mother wanted me and Azula to get along; but now Uncle doesn't seem to think we should. Even when we were little, Azula had it out for me, but— I dunno... it's hard to describe when you don't know her... It's like— that's her way of bonding. Like any reaction from me is better than no reaction. I don't know if I'd call us allies now, but we're not enemies anymore, and— it makes me question if we ever truly were... But she's from years in my future here. She's technically my older sister now, which is weird— I'm supposed to be two years older than her, but now she's two years older than me, but I— ...I don't want to know, either. I don't want to know what happens in her timeline. If our future allows for us to build a truce, I don't want to learn anything early and fuck it up, just in case we do remember these places when we go home. And— even if we don't— ...what's relevant now is that we're here for each other after everything that's happened, even if I don't know what's happened. I don't know if that just makes me willfully blind, or stupid to trust her, but— ...getting along feels more valuable than knowing my future, even if it's her past.
[ He finds particular interest in the contents of his teacup as he speaks, eyes boring a hole as he shares more than he'd intended to, which snaps his realization to, as well, suddenly. ]
S-Sorry— I don't know why I'm telling you all this...
[ He raises his gaze up again nervously, blushing faintly as he becomes self-aware of how much more emotional he's leading the conversation than it had been. ]
I, uh— I'd like to meet that Ieyasu guy. If he ever shows up here. If my friend Aang ever shows up here, you should meet him, too. He's very important in our world, a wise kid. And he's a monk, too — he also shaves his hair. Air Nomads did that, too. But I don't think our worlds have any religions in common... Everything in my world is centered around the elements. And besides, Aang's unique anyway, he has powers unlike any other — he's someone called the Avatar, the only person who can control all the elements, reincarnated over and over, and he's uh, sort of like a peacekeeper, a-and the bridge between our world and the Spirt World— we have Spirits, too. I don't think it's like the ones you describe, although we do have such a concept as yin and yang as well, but our spirits are present, tangible, not really speculation. Although, I mean, I guess, neither are yours, especially in a place like this, which is kinda like a Spirit Realm, if you think about it... And there are kitsune and stuff here, too... I met one. My friend Hikaru's familiar Yoshiha. We don't have foxes in my world– not like those— but maybe we do and they're just spirits and I never knew about them, I dunno. I don't know a lot about religion in your world, from what my friends have told me, and what I've learned, but— religion in my world... it's less complicated... The Avatar is kind of the central figure no matter what way you slice it, no matter where you're from. And his role is pretty direct and active... provided he's around for it, I mean. Definitely real, though.
[ Oh, boy. He's better off rambling. When in doubt, rant about the Avatar. An uncomfortable hand searches for the back of his neck to rub at while he speaks, losing his train of focus. He's also not touching the remarks about his lover Kitsuno, or the variations of her. Zuko doesn't want to imagine that there can be any more variations of his loved ones than a linear backwards-or-forwards in time scenario like has been the case with his sister. If an alternate version of Mai shows up, Zuko'll just about lose his mind. ]
no subject
That must be hard... Fighting with your family like that. I, um— I know how that goes. Azula and I did more than fight, but— not anymore. And I've come to realize, you know, she's so talented and the perfect warrior and a brilliant strategist— if she'd really wanted to kill me, she would have. She was just... playing.
[ This sounds so much sicker than it should. And it is! They're not normal! Nor healthy! But they've conjured some peace and that's something, even if Zuko's done some impressive mental and moral gymnastics to justify such a truce. ]
What happened to Nobuyuki? You forgave him, even after all the trouble he gave you all those years? What did your mother say? Our mother wanted me and Azula to get along; but now Uncle doesn't seem to think we should. Even when we were little, Azula had it out for me, but— I dunno... it's hard to describe when you don't know her... It's like— that's her way of bonding. Like any reaction from me is better than no reaction. I don't know if I'd call us allies now, but we're not enemies anymore, and— it makes me question if we ever truly were... But she's from years in my future here. She's technically my older sister now, which is weird— I'm supposed to be two years older than her, but now she's two years older than me, but I— ...I don't want to know, either. I don't want to know what happens in her timeline. If our future allows for us to build a truce, I don't want to learn anything early and fuck it up, just in case we do remember these places when we go home. And— even if we don't— ...what's relevant now is that we're here for each other after everything that's happened, even if I don't know what's happened. I don't know if that just makes me willfully blind, or stupid to trust her, but— ...getting along feels more valuable than knowing my future, even if it's her past.
[ He finds particular interest in the contents of his teacup as he speaks, eyes boring a hole as he shares more than he'd intended to, which snaps his realization to, as well, suddenly. ]
S-Sorry— I don't know why I'm telling you all this...
[ He raises his gaze up again nervously, blushing faintly as he becomes self-aware of how much more emotional he's leading the conversation than it had been. ]
I, uh— I'd like to meet that Ieyasu guy. If he ever shows up here. If my friend Aang ever shows up here, you should meet him, too. He's very important in our world, a wise kid. And he's a monk, too — he also shaves his hair. Air Nomads did that, too. But I don't think our worlds have any religions in common... Everything in my world is centered around the elements. And besides, Aang's unique anyway, he has powers unlike any other — he's someone called the Avatar, the only person who can control all the elements, reincarnated over and over, and he's uh, sort of like a peacekeeper, a-and the bridge between our world and the Spirt World— we have Spirits, too. I don't think it's like the ones you describe, although we do have such a concept as yin and yang as well, but our spirits are present, tangible, not really speculation. Although, I mean, I guess, neither are yours, especially in a place like this, which is kinda like a Spirit Realm, if you think about it... And there are kitsune and stuff here, too... I met one. My friend Hikaru's familiar Yoshiha. We don't have foxes in my world– not like those— but maybe we do and they're just spirits and I never knew about them, I dunno. I don't know a lot about religion in your world, from what my friends have told me, and what I've learned, but— religion in my world... it's less complicated... The Avatar is kind of the central figure no matter what way you slice it, no matter where you're from. And his role is pretty direct and active... provided he's around for it, I mean. Definitely real, though.
[ Oh, boy. He's better off rambling. When in doubt, rant about the Avatar. An uncomfortable hand searches for the back of his neck to rub at while he speaks, losing his train of focus. He's also not touching the remarks about his lover Kitsuno, or the variations of her. Zuko doesn't want to imagine that there can be any more variations of his loved ones than a linear backwards-or-forwards in time scenario like has been the case with his sister. If an alternate version of Mai shows up, Zuko'll just about lose his mind. ]