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]

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?

[beautyrest]

The weather is still rather inclement. Perhaps in a few more weeks when we can be assured it will be sunny?

[rediscovering]

Sure, whenever, just— let me know, I guess... You have my username now...

[ Hikaru is relieved of his duties as wingman! ]

[beautyrest]

I do, so, is there a particular reason prince is in the title?

[rediscovering]

No.

[ Whoops, that came out more quickly and sharply than he wanted. He softens himself slightly. ]

...No, there's not. It's just a dumb username.

1/2

[beautyrest]

2/2

[beautyrest]

Alright.

[rediscovering]

...Alright. Til then, Aurora.

[ He's not sure why, but he gets the impression she saw through that and just said "alright," and it makes him nervous, but he's relieved for her feigning ignorance, if it's the case, and the sigh he breathes is subtle but needed. He doesn't advertise the fact that he's a prince. He doesn't want Aurora in particular to think differently of him for being royalty. He really should just change the username, oy... But now everyone knows him by this. He's doomed to dweebiness. ]

[beautyrest]

[To some degree, she has seen through it, not so much that he is a prince, but clearly that something else is afoot. Still, she does not pry. 1. Because they are in public for all to see. 2. They are simply not close enough that she feels it right to do so. And 3. It is his right to have his thoughts and privacy to himself.]

Until we speak again, Zuko. Have a wonderful day.

[rediscovering]

[ Something about being told to have a wonderful day, after setting Nobunaga aflame publicly... strikes his funny bone. She earns a soft, cockeyed smile from him at the remark. ]

You, too.