video un: konpeito_oni with un: fireprince

[konpeito_aji]

Make sure you get my good side!

[Oda Nobunaga is being filmed by someone else, and as he quickly makes apparent: hunting in the forest.]

Okay! This is Oda Nobunaga, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. [He'll get tired of that mouthful... eventually.] Hijikata-sama is busy doing super important police work so I got Zuko to provide backup so I can show you proper sumo techniques on a bear fir! Those are trees in the shape of bears. Don't worry, if I get eaten, and can't cut my way free, Zuko will set it on fire, and then we'll show you how to make sure it doesn't spread to the forest!

First you need to lure it! [He has a fish for the bait.] In my time, we would give offerings and sacrifices, but since I want to wrestle one, not appease it--

[He doesn't get to finish the sentence before he gets sideswiped by an irritated bear fir. It was not lured by the fish. It was flushed out by Nobunaga's oni, but who's counting?]

[Nobunaga crashes into a tree, gets the wind knocked out of him... but he's grinning ear to ear.]

[And tackles the bear, trying to wrestle, or ride it, or... who the fuck knows?]

[It's a bit insane. But eventually he winds up inside it and cuts himself free...]

[And looks sorely disappointed.]

Ah... that's it? I didn't get to show anything off... Okay! Let's do the fire anyway! Zuko set me on fire!

[This can only end well.]

[On cue, a small puff of flame appears from the cameraman's unseen hands. The flames are weak. After another, only slightly bigger puff, a grumble can be heard, before one more unsteady, unimpressive lick of flames appears from thin air, followed by a hoarse:]

What the fuck?!

[Muttered under the firebender's breath. Finally, fourth must be the charm... and a gust of fire shoots forth, striking Nobunaga straight-on. Thank goodness the daimyo has healing magic because, uh, Zuko is clearly not fully in control of this fire he's magicking up. And he's very embarrassed to be short on juice on a live public feed. This whole thing isn't going exactly to plan, is it?]

[The grown warlord then holds up a finger, as his cuirass (at least it's not his Japanese armor? Is that better or worse?) smolders and gets hotter!] This technique isn't taught in my time, but you should all know it!

Stop! Drop! And roll!

[And he demonstrates.]

[The bear fir in the meanwhile has recollected, REFORMED itself... and just decides an idiot on fire is not worth trying to eat again. Good thinking. Off it goes!]

[No idiots were maimed in the making of this video. Don't play with fire. Or bear trees.]

Comments

[beautyrest]

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, so the saying goes.

[Yes, the poem is well after her time but Aurora has all sorts of access to books here in Camelot.]

[rediscovering]

...Is that a proverb or something?

[ Oh, great, someone else who talks in riddles. He doesn't get it. ]

[beautyrest]

A line from a poem. It means that even the most carefully crafted, and clever plans can go wrong.

[rediscovering]

Oh. That's very true. I can speak to that firsthand many times over... [ Not that he's bragging, though, oy vey. ] I'll have to tell that line to Uncle.

Do you, uh— like poetry? And proverbs? And stuff?

[ "And stuff." Damn, Zuko Suavé over here. Better than asking if she likes "doing activities," though. ]

[beautyrest]

Oh! Your uncle is here? Zuko, that's wonderful! I know how deeply you care for him.

And yes, I am very fond of poetry. I've been reading as much as I can since being here. Have you been to the many libraries here, Zuko? They're incredible, just endless shelves and shelves of books!

[rediscovering]

Yes! Uncle is here! And I want to take him to the libraries. My friend Gokudera was telling me about religions of his world and said we should go to the library. Uncle loves proverbs and poetry and is very wise — ...You, uh, you could meet him now! N-Now that he's here, I mean! His name is Iroh... His username is pai sho.

[ Something about Iroh and Aurora meeting makes him hitch but he's certain they'd get on quite well. Certain enough he even gives her his username to contact the old man. Zuko's thrilled introducing people to his uncle — especially people he's certain his uncle would approve of. What's not to approve of with Aurora? It's not like she's in the mafia or anything... ]

[beautyrest]

I know Gokudera, he is very honest. [Aurora has only ever met the other when something unfortunate seems to be happening to him, though.]

He, that is, your uncle, would not mind a random call from a stranger?

[rediscovering]

Ah? You know Gokudera and Hikaru? They're my two best friends! Do you happen to know Katara, Sokka or Suki, as well...? Those are my friends from home.

[ They have overlap in people. That seems a good thing. He likes that "honest" is the first word she uses to describe Gokudera; Zuko finds that to be true, too. ]

Uncle wouldn't mind if you tell him how you know me. He wants to meet all my— [ Friends. Are they friends? Oh, he doesn't think so, but maybe they are already?! He stammers. ] ...All the people I spend time with, I mean.

[beautyrest]

I know Gokudera better than Hikaru, but I could not say we are anything more than people who know one another. [Not that she WOULDN'T want to be friends, but Aurora never assumes friendship simply because they've met and have spoken to one another.] I am afraid I do not know the other names you have spoken of. But I would like to meet all your friends from home, Zuko.

Well, I... would feel a bit more comfortable with introductions, if that is alright? [She's trying to be better at just calling people and talking to them, but it's hard when you lived your entire life with your aunts and literally no one else and was told all your life to stay away from strangers.]

1/2

[rediscovering]

Oh, um, y-yeah! Of course! I mean, I would, too, anyone would, right— I'm just saying Uncle's friendly and people generally seem to like him— I mean, except for being an outcast in the Fire Nation, but that's complicated and not entirely fair, and my friends seem to like him, although they haven't spent much time together, I mean, time not in battle at least, but they uh, fought together once— against... my sister... and me... B-But they're all nice, I swear! They won't try to fight you.

[ oh god why is he rambling, deep breath crispito ]

2/2

[rediscovering]

...They're all kindhearted people who learned compassion the hard way. And are patient, forgiving people who want to see the good in the world. And in other people.

[ So that nonsense at least wrapped up into something genuine and earnest from the heart, and a much better testament to his cast of characters' natures than... whatever the fuck he was going on about before, what ]

[beautyrest]

I am grateful they do not wish to fight, they would win quite handily if they did. But I am not so surprised you are good friends with kindhearted people, Zuko.

I would love to meet your uncle, your sister, and your friends if they would like to meet me as well.

[rediscovering]

You should meet my uncle and my friends. Not my sister.

[ Woah, what a strange, snappy response? Why's he on edge? ]

[beautyrest]

Oh? Ah, did I offend?

[rediscovering]

No, no! It's just— ...It's complicated.

[beautyrest]

It's complicated with your sister?

[rediscovering]

Yes. I’m sorry. I don’t want to introduce you. Unless... you already know each other. Azula?

[beautyrest]

No, I can't say we have met. I am not the most sociable of people, I'm afraid.

[rediscovering]

Neither is she...

[ He says this with a heavy wryness. ]

I’m not, either, though. Both of us aren’t exactly the best at making friends. We grew up, um— in an unusual family situation. We spent many years apart, too. But— now we live together here... And uh... Yeah. Things are better. We used to not get along sometimes.

[ He's putting this all incredibly lightly and vaguely and that must be clear at the very least. He sounds awkward, looks awkward, can’t even keep eye contact with the camera and it doesn’t even have eyes...! ]

[beautyrest]

Well, then I hope things only improve, Zuko. But for someone who isn't "the best at making friends," you certainly have a good many I can think of off-hand. [Sokka, Suki, Katara, Hikaru, Gokudera, and now Nobunaga, and that was just who she knew. But she'll change the subject.]

Did you manage to find the horn?

[rediscovering]

Ah—! Uh, yeah. This past year has been... very social. They’re all new friends. I mean— I guess depends how you define “new” but... for me— it’s new.

[ He says this with a tenuous, nervous tone. Sometimes it still feels new and uncomfortable, even after almost a year since making his first friend groups back home — he feels out of tune often in a way he can notice but not discern, like everyone else knows what they’re doing but him. But he doesn’t give himself nearly enough credit for how personable— err, maybe not quite personable — how affable he can be. People are endeared to him. He’s getting into a good social groove more than he realizes. ]

Oh, and as for the tsungi horn, yes! Well, sort of. I found out that we can ask the traders to send us stuff from home. I dunno how it works yet. But I’m gonna ask for a tsungi horn.

[beautyrest]

I look forward to it, Zuko. I'm sure it will sound lovely. And I can't wait to meet all your friends, whenever that may be.

[rediscovering]

I, uh— I'm sure they'd like to meet you, too.

[ And by that he means... he's flailing. ]

Maybe not, uh, all at once... I have a lot of different kinds of friends.

[ The first time admitting he's popular and has a lot of friends! ]

[beautyrest]

Well, besides our own picnic, I certainly don't see why we couldn't have another so I could meet them. [She likes picnics, don't judge.]

[rediscovering]

R-Right... About that, um— [ Oh, he’s hitching. ] ...when should we do that?