bendless | [Avalon] Inbox

[ Tough times for the Fire Nation royal family, man. Zuko's "grocery shopping" on his own tonight; Azula wasn't in the mood to help. For as competent as these two are — okay, so as competent as Azula is — neither sibling knows shit about shit when it comes to taking care of themselves domestically. Think these kids can cook? Clean? Cook?! ...It bears repeating. A solid no. They subsist on garbage — primarily hotchips and flavored water — and after almost five months since their arrival, are still living in the inn without a proper kitchen anyway. Good thing they're both maniac workoutaholics and aren't fond of just lazing about all day... but they certainly aren't coming home to cook. They're lazy in other ways — like instead of saving money to go get a real house and try to live like normal people who are functional, they draw a line in the sand what's beneath them, or out of their capacity, and it starts at cooking and grocery shopping. With limited funds from being choosy about quests on the Questboard, Zuko spends too much money buying the most expensive versions of the things he does want to spend money on – like fancy tea leaves and gifts for his dragon, who does not need gifts (they promptly disappear anyway and Zuko just continually replaces them, baffled and broke ~~the dragon hoards them under the bed but Zuko never cleans so he doesn't know what's under there~~)... It's really a sad life, if you take a step back. He's not exactly going around advertising any of this to his friends, after all.

Most especially he's not advertising to his friends how they afford the stupid overpriced food they do have. Because the answer is: they don't. A couple months ago, Zuko discovered that Azula seemed to have a lot more money than before... and it turned out it was because she was saving it. By stealing everything she wanted instead. Not ready to let his sister take the fall but ready to have her back as protection, knowing he's a good hand in thievery himself, and figuring it's more beneficial to double their winnings in their time of need than to continue low-key suffering, instead of taking the moral high road and trying to convince her to stop (and what? get a job-job...? Azula?), Zuko decided to join her. For the past two or three months, the pair has become rather prolific around town as shoplifters and occasionally petty muggers, if they're in bad moods. They're smart enough not to rob the actual stores, and just pocket everything they want in shifts to avoid suspicion. After all, two masked figures in convenience stores are pretty suspicious.

What, of course Azula and Zuko both have masks they wear for all this. It's more theatrical that way.

However, this is none too subtle, and both the convenience stores nearer to where they live have now put up pictures of these masks in their store. Meaning, they've overfished. Time for new waters. It'd be no surprise if the convenience store owners of the town have spread the word about these shoplifters amongst themselves and their employees — like, the Internet is a thing? and so are security cameras? But Zuko doesn't know about security cameras, in fact... He thinks if he's out of sight of another human being, then he's in the clear. So one night, he stealthily stakes out a nearby cornerstore they'd never hit before, waiting and watching from afar until he sees the figure at the counter step into the back while the store is empty of other customers. He can't make out careful detail of the worker, not really imagining it could be anyone he knows, anyway. Just figures he'll pop in while the guy's away from the counter or whatever, fill his arms up with all the hotchips he wants, duck behind a shelf out of sight from the counter to shove it all in his backpack, so even if he does come back, he won't be seen... And then sneak back out as soon as the guy's not paying attention. It's worked every other time.

Except this convenience store is a little nicer than the smaller ones they've been hitting, has actual, y'know, technology. And a camera pointed right at Zuko's hiding spot, because it can't be seen from the register — except on the little monitor clearly showing what's happening... Oy vey. ]

[Sokka is usually the one shelving things at the store. Tonight though, he's been tasked with the register. He's kind of bored whenever he's there since he just waits for people to come in and buy stuff. Tonight's even a night when Katara's not working so he's extra bored. Usually it's a good time for him to plan his next videos for his channel, but right now he doesn't feel like it.

Instead he checks the cameras and sees a strange looking guy in a strange colorful mask... shoving stuff into his backpack? This is the shoplifter they have been warned about! Well he's not gonna succeed in his store! Sokka promptly gets up and checks which isle this image is coming from before half-running there to deal with this thief.

While he has no weapons with him in work, he does have a mop for cleaning the floors which he took with him - which he points towards the thief.]

Stop!

[ The thief is not caught off-guard, immediately drawing the string of the backpack and flinging it over his shoulder in one fell motion, but just before he moves to bolt, he's stopped in his tracks by surprise... While he's always anticipating he might get caught and is ready to run rather than fight, one thing does catch him off-guard. ]

...Sokka?!

[ His mask may still be on, but, uh... he has a pretty recognizable voice. Oops. ]

[That makes him pause and his eyes widen. Wait, what.]

Zuko?! Why are you... ugh. [He looks around. No one.] Come with me to the staff room. Quick.

[He attempts to grab his wrist.]

[ Zuko snatches his wrist away, though. He's glancing around, searching for other customers or employees, but it seems to be just them. Sokka wouldn't turn him into the Knights, surely... But he's also not really keen on going in the backroom to get a stern talking to and slapped on the wrist. He wishes he could just bolt, but he knows he can't; it'd cause problems personally now if he goes through with it. He just has to pay for all this... That's all he can think to do to fix this. After a moment's silent hesitation, Zuko goes ahead and follows Sokka to the staff room, but says nothing. Is there still a chance he could get out of this as if he's not Zuko...?! No... There's not. ]

[Once they're both in the staff room, Sokka closes the door and leans against it, looking like an upset big brother or something similar.]

Explanation. Now.

[ Zuko is silent for a long moment, not looking at Sokka from beneath the mask; even if Sokka can't see that he won't make eye contact, it's so palpable he can surely feel it anyway. The gears in his head aren't turning fast enough, and finally, on the verge of defeat already, caught redhanded, the best he can muster is a mumbled: ]

...I didn't know you worked here...

[ Like that's any kind of excuse or explanation. Zuko knows what Sokka is asking for. He just doesn't want to admit it. ]

[Sokka facepalms at that "explanation".]

Even if you didn't, why would you rob any store?! Does your uncle know about this?

No, and don't you tell him! I don't need Uncle worrying about us even more than he already probably is...

[ "Us." That one short word is revealing. There's only so many other people who can be encompassed under "us" in a regular-shoplifting scenario like this... And someone who's probably quite close to home and knows how best to lead the future fire lord astray more than anyone else could. ]

[Avalon] Inbox

action; backdated to before Suki's departure

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject