(no subject)
Next month, it will be a year since Zuko came to Tabula Rasa. It's something he finds a little hard to believe, despite having lived it.
Exactly three weeks ago, Zuko's uncle disappeared. In two days, it will be three weeks since his sister disappeared, right from her jail cell. It's something he can't stand to think about. And yet he does, all the time.
He's looking for a distraction, anything to keep his mind otherwise occupied, when he goes into the rec room. He's been training all morning, harder than usual, like he's trying to wear himself out. He's been determinedly avoiding the corner of the hut (he can't yet say his hut, it still feels like Azula's) where he's got his Tsungi horn carefully stashed, where it's stayed untouched since Iroh left.
Now, freshly showered, his damp hair even more tousled than usual, he's scanning the bookshelf, hoping for some kind of movie, mindless entertainment for a little while. Instead, he gets reel after reel of something called Avatar: The Last Airbender. "What the hell is this?" he mutters. All of the reels seem to be labeled with a subtitle of sorts, all different ones, but the one that jumps out at him the most is Book 3 Chapter 17: The Ember Island Players. Curiosity gets the better of him, and Zuko pulls it out, loads it up, and starts watching.
After close to a year, he's familiar now with things like movies and television. He's familiar with how people find out that their lives are documented in a book or a show. So he's not exactly surprised to find that there's a show apparently centered around Aang, a show about their lives. What he is surprised by, as this particular episode of what's apparently a television show starts up, is that it's a cartoon.
His life, everything he went through for all he knows, is a damn kid's show.
Something makes Zuko keep watching, though. Maybe it's the familiar setting, even though it's animated. Maybe it's because it's like a cart wreck that he can't look away from. Maybe it's because this seems to be taking place in what would have been Zuko's future. Whatever it is, he keeps watching. The place is familiar from the first second it's shown - their family's home on Ember Island, a place they haven't been to in years, a place no one would think to look for them. He knows that's why he picked there for them to hide out before the him on the screen explains it. Then Sokka comes running in with Suki, talking about some play about them, and Zuko groans inwardly, knowing what's about to happen. Of course, they're going to go see it.
He scowls and grimaces through pretty much the entire thing, sitting with his head in his hands during the intermission. The guy who's playing him has his scar on his right eye. Aang's being played by a girl. Toph is a giant, burly man - though the Toph in the show doesn't seem too upset about that, which doesn't surprise Zuko much. After the intermission, things only get worse. "Avatar State...yip yip?" he repeats incredulously. They're all a big joke to the Fire Nation. If he wasn't so pissed off, he might be thinking that could be to their advantage, being underestimated.
He watches himself have a talk with Toph about his uncle during the second intermission, which hurts a lot, but is also kind of the only bright spot in the whole show. Then some kid dressed as Aang runs by for the second time and stops. "Your Zuko costume's pretty good, but your scar's on the wrong side," he says.
There's a moment of shock, then one of silent, irritated scowling. "The scar's not on the wrong side!" yells the Zuko in the rec room in unison with the Zuko on the screen.
[Any and all tags welcome, but be warned, he'll probably be even more prickly than usual. All of A:TLA is available on Netflix if you want to watch, which I highly recommend! This episode is the final one before the 4-part series finale. If you have any questions about what's happening on screen, feel free to e-mail. ST/LT fine, new tags accepted through next week.]
Exactly three weeks ago, Zuko's uncle disappeared. In two days, it will be three weeks since his sister disappeared, right from her jail cell. It's something he can't stand to think about. And yet he does, all the time.
He's looking for a distraction, anything to keep his mind otherwise occupied, when he goes into the rec room. He's been training all morning, harder than usual, like he's trying to wear himself out. He's been determinedly avoiding the corner of the hut (he can't yet say his hut, it still feels like Azula's) where he's got his Tsungi horn carefully stashed, where it's stayed untouched since Iroh left.
Now, freshly showered, his damp hair even more tousled than usual, he's scanning the bookshelf, hoping for some kind of movie, mindless entertainment for a little while. Instead, he gets reel after reel of something called Avatar: The Last Airbender. "What the hell is this?" he mutters. All of the reels seem to be labeled with a subtitle of sorts, all different ones, but the one that jumps out at him the most is Book 3 Chapter 17: The Ember Island Players. Curiosity gets the better of him, and Zuko pulls it out, loads it up, and starts watching.
After close to a year, he's familiar now with things like movies and television. He's familiar with how people find out that their lives are documented in a book or a show. So he's not exactly surprised to find that there's a show apparently centered around Aang, a show about their lives. What he is surprised by, as this particular episode of what's apparently a television show starts up, is that it's a cartoon.
His life, everything he went through for all he knows, is a damn kid's show.
Something makes Zuko keep watching, though. Maybe it's the familiar setting, even though it's animated. Maybe it's because it's like a cart wreck that he can't look away from. Maybe it's because this seems to be taking place in what would have been Zuko's future. Whatever it is, he keeps watching. The place is familiar from the first second it's shown - their family's home on Ember Island, a place they haven't been to in years, a place no one would think to look for them. He knows that's why he picked there for them to hide out before the him on the screen explains it. Then Sokka comes running in with Suki, talking about some play about them, and Zuko groans inwardly, knowing what's about to happen. Of course, they're going to go see it.
He scowls and grimaces through pretty much the entire thing, sitting with his head in his hands during the intermission. The guy who's playing him has his scar on his right eye. Aang's being played by a girl. Toph is a giant, burly man - though the Toph in the show doesn't seem too upset about that, which doesn't surprise Zuko much. After the intermission, things only get worse. "Avatar State...yip yip?" he repeats incredulously. They're all a big joke to the Fire Nation. If he wasn't so pissed off, he might be thinking that could be to their advantage, being underestimated.
He watches himself have a talk with Toph about his uncle during the second intermission, which hurts a lot, but is also kind of the only bright spot in the whole show. Then some kid dressed as Aang runs by for the second time and stops. "Your Zuko costume's pretty good, but your scar's on the wrong side," he says.
There's a moment of shock, then one of silent, irritated scowling. "The scar's not on the wrong side!" yells the Zuko in the rec room in unison with the Zuko on the screen.
[Any and all tags welcome, but be warned, he'll probably be even more prickly than usual. All of A:TLA is available on Netflix if you want to watch, which I highly recommend! This episode is the final one before the 4-part series finale. If you have any questions about what's happening on screen, feel free to e-mail. ST/LT fine, new tags accepted through next week.]