Day 188

[daughterofursa]

Who: Zuko and anyone!
Open: Open!
When: Day 188, morning
Where: Eastern Bastion
What: Tea time. =)
Format: I'll match.
Warnings: Honor.

It's not uncommon to find Zuko up at an early hour, but she usually spends the time doing something she considers productive--training or otherwise preparing for time on the Skyway. She doesn't leave herself much time for sitting and thinking, most days. She figures it's better that way, since her thoughts so easily turn negative. But this morning, she's trying her best not to let them.

She can be found seated cross-legged on the eastern side of the Bastion, just north of Dragonfield, watching the unaccountable sunrise with a cup of tea in hand. Actually, the whole set is with her, a plain but sturdy-looking earthenware pot and several more matching cups. She hasn't invited anyone to join her, but if any impromptu guests show up, she's decided to accommodate them. That's what her uncle would do, she's sure.

Comments

[daughterofursa]

So why does that make it more complicated than him just being from another world? I'm not sure what you could do with a sister that you couldn't with a brother.

[...that sentence really could have just been "I'm not sure what you could do with a sister."]

[hellpyre]

[You're lucky Rin's not all that perverted, Zuko...]

Welllll... I think it's more... him to me. The same as we're twin girls in my version of things, they're twin boys in his version of things. That on top of just gettin' here and knowin' what happened to our worlds... well he's been hidin' in his room a lot since then.

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko would be so easy to embarrass, too.

She tries to think for a second. She's not good at giving advice, and she has no idea what her uncle would say about dealing with a sibling from another world.]

Have you tried dragging him out and talking to him?

[When in doubt, the straightforward approach?]

[hellpyre]

Mm... a little. I gave him the other egg yesterday and he was actually willin' to have a conversation then. And I keep askin' him to go with me on the Skyway so he won't be completely bored here. It's workin'. ... I think. Maybe he just needs time to adjust?

[daughterofursa]

Maybe.

It could be something he has to work out for himself.

[Though at the end of the world, it doesn't seem like there's much point worrying over someone's gender. If a boy version of Mai showed up, she wouldn't need to hide in her room, would she?

...as awkward as that might be.]

[hellpyre]

[Never underestimate an Okumuras ability to blow things entirely out of proportion.]

Yeah. I don't wanna push him. He's takin' this hard enough as it is.

[daughterofursa]

[It's not like it's a matter of honor, Yukio should just get over it.]

How long has he been here now?

[hellpyre]

[Yukio.

Getting over something.

Ahahahaha.]

'bout two weeks.

[daughterofursa]

Well. He'll have to figure it out soon. There are plenty of other things to think about.

[hellpyre]

Yeah. I'm sure he'll find something else to worry himself in to a fit over. He always does.

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko nods.]

Good luck with him, I guess.

[hellpyre]

Mm... thanks.

So. You gonna stay out here all mornin'?

[daughterofursa]

Probably not the whole morning. Why?

[hellpyre]

I was thinkin' maybe we could spar later, after breakfast. If you're up for it.

[daughterofursa]

Sure, I'm up for it. You want to meet back here later?

[hellpyre]

Sounds good to me!

[daughterofursa]

[She nods again, mostly to herself. It'll feel good to be up and moving again after this sitting around thinking about things.]

Are you finished with your tea?

((You want to thread the sparring or handwave?))

[hellpyre]

[And Rin is looking forward to doing something more than just being in the kitchen. Don't get her wrong, she loves her work, but she's been needing more activities outside it for a while.]

Oh, yeah. Thanks.

[She hands the cup back, standing carefully with her egg safely in her arms.]

See ya in a bit then?

(We can handwave it if you want. I'm fine with either. :3 )

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko actually smiles just a bit as she takes the cup back.]

Right. See you.

[Rin will find her back there again later, the tea set since put away and her swords fetched, though she hasn't drawn them yet.]

((Liable to be slow but I refuse to give in to brain failure.))

[hellpyre]

[Rin takes a little bit longer to get ready, having changed in to a different, lighter skirt and shirt for practice before coming out.

She has both swords with her again, Kurikara in it's blue sheath on the left and the plain one in it's tarnished brass and black one on the left.]

(Slow is fine, I've been pretty sluggish too ^^ )

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko nods to her in greeting, then touches her hand to the double hilts at her shoulder.]

You ready?

[hellpyre]

[Rin nodded, hand hovering over Kurikara's hilt as she slid in to a ready stance.]

Whenever you are!

derp

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko slides her swords out of their sheath and takes her own stance. She waits a beat just to be sure Rin is prepared before she steps forward into the first attack, swords swinging around from one side, one following the other.]

herpaderp

[hellpyre]

[Part of their sparring, of course, was to help Rin with her control. Not just in keeping her flames from burning the wrong thing or person, but in getting them to do what she wanted instead of just letting them go out wildly.

As soon as Zuko starts moving, Rin yanked out the enchanted blade from it's scabbard, dragging the blue flames along the metal with the release. Just like always her features changed with it, though the more they practiced like this the less the flames themselves took over her whole body, staying at her head and tail more and more.

Her hand swung down then, Zuko's blades colliding with hers, letting out a loud clang of metal on metal. She was getting better about actually planning in battles, too, but a always she still had issues.

Like her stance being far too unbalanced to actually be effective.]

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko may be lacking in a variety of social skills, but when it comes to martial arts, she's had years of training and experience. Fire Nation priorities, man.

She's better at this than Rin, which is fine when she has those flames to avoid, too. Bending them away herself is preferably a last resort, since it probably means Rin has lost control.

When their swords meet, she can sense that Rin's stance is off. She immediately pivots, only one of her swords holding off Kurikara as she comes around to stand practically side-by-side with Rin, bumping shoulders with the girl to throw her even more off balance.]