bendless | [Avalon] Inbox

sokka
we're doubling down on firebending training from now on
it wont be easy

And why's that?
Did I do something to offend you?

Edited 2021-01-21 19:07 (UTC)

no
but someone did
and now we need to train twice as hard
both of us

Did you piss off someone dangerous?
I'm not ready for another Sparky Sparky Boom Man.

actually thats kinda accurate

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
Ugh. Fine. Let's go train right now.

ok
azula is coming...

[Give him a moment. Of deep breathing.
Deep. Breathes.]

Sure. I just hope she'll behave.

she doesnt have elemental magic here
but you know she's a good firebender
she knows her stuff

[ Not that she wants to help Sokka train in his firebending. But it could be amusing for her, at the least. Welcome your new in-law, Team Avatar 2.0... ]

Edited 2021-01-21 21:26 (UTC)

So she's just going to laugh at me for being a failure of a firebender.
Well, it's not the first time I've been laughed at, so I'll deal with it.

yeah probably
but im struggling with my firebending here too
and it definitely wouldnt be the first time azula has laughed at me for being a failure of a firebender compared to her....
so we're in the same boat.

Right. You probably trained a lot together or at least observed each other.
Well, let's suffer together buddy.
Training grounds in fifteen?

Mind if I ask Katara to come with me?
Just in case injuries.
Maybe Toph since she seems bored.

Edited 2021-01-21 21:37 (UTC)

observed? we performed beside each other for our grandfather fire lord azulon
get ready to feel humiliated

i'll be there in 10

yeah good idea
lets get everyone together
i need healing anyway
you'll see......

Your life was a lot rougher than I realized.
I'll see you there.

Hey Sokka Uncle is here!!!! :)

That's great news! I'm glad for you, Zuko.

but he uh. knows we're not enemies right.

yeah he knows, i made sure
even if he didnt uncle only fights when he has to anyway

[ 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. ]

she's gone
theyre both gone

Edited 2021-09-14 20:04 (UTC)

hiii
i hope it's not prying..
but how have you been?
since your last video post, you know.....

im sorry zuko.
do you need company? im free right now.

not all, miwako. thanks for reaching out for me.
ive been okay? we moved into a new house so thats kept me distracted.
wanna come and see my new video setup sometime? its awesome.

yes. if you want.
i need distraction
im packing for the move anyway
pretty much done separating my things from azula's..... i already grabbed uncle's stuff from his room.

oh?! youre a filmmaker??
id love that!!
you can come see my atelier too ♡ ～( ´ ▽ ` 人)

we can pick a room for both of their items so they can have them when or if they come back.
we'll have enough room for that.

wanna spar? i have some new earth magic tricks i can show.

its for my youtube channel!
so sort of?? i guess i could try my hands at other filming.

i'd love to see your aterlier. have you done new clothes lately?

how cool!!!☆ you are a vlogger?? what about??

im always sewing but i dont know.... miwako has been in a rut designing lately (⇀‸↼‶)a

i finished this for alice-chan yesterday..
im sure she'll like it, and it'd probably be salable if i so choose, but..
it reminds me too much of my sister.
which is good!!! just.... it's still mikako. not miwako.
｡:ﾟ(◞ ‸ ◟ ✿)

[ She attaches an image of a soft red tartan bell-shaped dress on a child-sized bodice, with a scalloped circle skirt, puff sleeves and peter pan collar. The room in the background, what little that can be seen of it, is a bit dazzling, though — the walls painted the palest pink, with myriad handpainted colorful flowers lining the bottoms like a little meadow. If Sokka looks closely, there's a silvery white rabbit barely seen in the corner of the frame. Even if Miwako doesn't seem proud of it, at least the picture has a nice visual impact. Looks like Valentine's Day in kindergarten. ]

[ There's some delay before his next response, which is maybe a surprising one: ]

.....no.

[ Zuko must be feeling some kind of way to decline an invitation to spar and beat his feelings out into the ground itself. That's some serious moping. There's another, shorter delay, before a second text comes through. ]

but i am hungry.

[ Atta boy. At least he's not shutting people out. ]

[That is rather worrying, but Sokka can work with this.]

want to order pizza?
we could watch something while eating.

oh, you don't know? this is my channel! I review and introduce weapons to others.

oh wow, that's really cute tho!
but i can undestand. u want to make stuff that is you right?

your room looks really cute too though.

ehhhh weapons??! youre a fighter??
give me a second, i'll watch something and lyk...!

thank you. yeah, i suppose that's it, though. something me.
the thing is— i know im unoriginal..... and that i don't have what it takes to be a designer on my own. i'm not a genius like my sister.
and i know sissy isn't here so i don't need to worry about anyone comparing us
no one here will know if i'm just a happy berry copycat kouda mikako wannabe, ha..
but i'll know. so i still want to stand on my own, nee?
she's not even in this world and i'm still in her shadow, heh.... (⸝⸝•́ ᗨ •̀⸝⸝;)ゞ

[ Wow, she may cover that up with a laugh and some cute emoji, but the way she rattles off these self-defeating statements as if they're concrete fact... No wonder she's feeling in a "rut." ]

sure..
i dont have a tv here. i havent bought it yet.
but we can listen to something. or something. i dont know.

[ Even just in text, it's clear how frayed Zuko's nerves must be, that his mind is more frazzled than usual. It's clear he shouldn't be alone. It's easy to imagine he'd be a mess stewing in his thoughts and feelings if left to his own devices in this now half-empty inn room. ]

music is good too.
though i can play some videos on my phone.
not that it's ideal size to look at.

ill be there soon anyway.

yeah.
i fought in a war. well, for me the war is still going on but for my sister it's already over. time is weird here you know.

you don't need to be a genius to be great!
a lot of people are still excellent at what they do even if they're not a genius.
you will succeed and make clothes that feel completely you one day, Miwako. i know you will. you just have to believe.

and if you don't believe in yourself, i'll believe in you for you.

okay. we'll figure it out.
let yourself in. im in the bedroom

[ Sokka will find the house... surprisingly not a mess. Not as much as it had been, at least. Zuko had gone on a "cleaning" rampage yesterday after realizing the disappearances, and needed that time to decompress, like dumping out all the dresser drawers all over and separating his clothes from Azula's in wild piles on the bedroom floor was somehow cathartic and counted as cleaning technically... But by now, only one big pile of clothes remains, all obviously Azula's. He'd since devoted his attention to packing his things today.

The main wall in the main room is lined with a few crates of his own stuff, all these random things people collect over time, but for the most part he's fairly minimal in his materialism, so there's not much... There's noticeably a crate filled with some paints and bottles of ink, all in several colors, along with an elegantly patterned wooden box that Sokka may recognize as a calligraphy set, even though it's closed. And just beside it, the other topmost crate, is clearly Iroh's stuff — cans of tea leaves, a wooden pai sho case, some folded robes, a copper teakettle... There's a few potted plants, unexpected of Zuko to have flowers but not so unexpected of Iroh, particularly these red and white larkspurs.

There are also purple larkspurs still in the bedroom, in their usual spot by the bedside window. Atop the dresser is a small model ship painted to look like Zuko's old Fire Navy cruiser, as Sokka will surely recognize; it even has a little chain installed to lower the spiked bow he'd customized. Apart from this, there's nothing by way of decorations in there, and though it's quite bright and washed with sunshine with all the curtains drawn and blinds open, the room looks somehow eerily... sad. And so does Zuko. Zuko can be found sitting on the floor crosslegged in loose house clothes, grey sweatpants with a muted green T-shirt, barefoot, with a small pile of ambiguous clothing beside him, mostly red and black, and a fair collection of myriad teacups and a couple ceramic teapots spread out in front of him. He's carefully wrapping each piece in spare clothes, and setting them aside in another crate nearby. There's incense burning in a jade holder shaped like a dragon by the bedside, filling the whole place with the smells of patchouli and sandalwood. And his own real dragon is curled up beside it, asleep in a coil in the noon sunshine on the windowsill, its red scales all the more eye-catching now bathed in sunlight. But other than occasional tinkling of the porcelain and stone cups in his hands— there is silence. ]

ehhhhhh!?!?!! you fought in a war.....?!! aren't you, like
my age?!?!

thank you though..... ♥
back home, i know i can't succeed as a designer. thats why i wanna try what i can here!
but it's not so bad back home, it's not like i've given up on my dream or anything, nee?
my sister, mikako,
she's a famous fashion designer. she has her own successful clothing line called Happy Berry, all her boutiques sell only her designs, total control of her brand
she's amazing ☆
we went to the same arts high school, though, even had the same professors!! and the chairwoman of the fashion design department, hamada-sensei, has an excellent eye... she saw through me my freshman year. mostly cuz sissy and i look so alike, ha, but even from my designs.... she's drilled me so hard over the past three years, but no matter what, my designs just always end up looking like my sister's style... the fashion industry is too competitive and cutthroat for that lack of originality.
but my sister has always been my idol and i have lots of Happy Berry clothes in my own closet, it's my favorite brand not just because she's my sister~ ♥
so i guess i can't help it! (´꒳`;)a

but now that i'm graduating..... i got a job at Happy Berry waiting for me back home!!! (∗ᵕ̴᷄◡ᵕ̴᷅∗)՞
and it's not just connections....!! my sister is a very serious business woman, after all! ☆ she wouldnt hire me if i wasn't perfect for the job, like anyone else. my genius designer friend george pointed that out to me after graduation.
so it was then i realized i can actually be of help to my sister. no one knows Happy Berry as well as i do because i was raised in it!! my sister's eighteen years older than me, so even my childhood clothes were Happy Berry!
and that was a very fulfilling realization~ even though i can't be a designer living in her shadow, i'd rather be by her side involved in the art that's always inspired me most, with the person who's always inspired me most, y'know~? ♥ (⑅˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈ )
so maybe a better dream i never knew i had until it came true, hehe~ ☆

heh...... look at me going on about myself...!! (‾́▿‾́; ) sorry!

but thank you, sincerely ♥
sokkun is a good cheerleader hehe~ ( ´͈ ᵕ `͈ )♡.°

[ He's been upgraded to nickname status, congratulations, Sokka. ]

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