Day 210 [Open]

[daughterofursa]

Who: Zuko, ostrich horses, and you!
Open: Open!
When: Day 210, morning
Where: Near the monument
What: More weird animals.
Format: I'll match
Warnings: Honor

Anyone outside this morning might run across Zuko looking over a small flock (or is it a herd?) of ostrich horses. That's right, she's at last used some of her shards to bring more strange animals into the Bastion. The turtle ducks were not enough.

She's touched, used, even eaten things that came from shards, but none of them have been familiar until now. She thought there might have been something to give them away as copies or imitations, but as far as she can tell? They're perfectly normal ostrich horses.

Comments

[daughterofursa]

"Well, then you probably know a lot of things that other people don't, anymore."

He obviously knows plenty that she doesn't.

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"What do you mean?"

[daughterofursa]

"You don't think that knowledge is useful?"

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"It is if you can apply it to something. On its own? Not so much.

[daughterofursa]

"Well, then start applying it."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

He snorts softly.

"That's the problem. Most of what I know either can't be applied to anything useful or requires a ton of other knowledge and experience that I don't have."

[daughterofursa]

"So what do you do around here, just sit on your hands?"

Sorry, Zuko can be critical of people who don't seem to be trying.

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

He recognizes that tone; he uses it with himself a lot.

"So far I've been helping out with food while the people who regularly do that stuff are getting better. Once they're back... I'm not sure what I'll do. I can help out with the farm at least, but..."

He shrugs helplessly and trails off.

At least now Zuko knows who to blame for the recent bland food, as well as the drop in variety on the menu.

[daughterofursa]

It might be bland, but it's more than Zuko could manage on her own, so her expression softens again.

"That's something."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"Yeah, but it's not much."

[daughterofursa]

"You can build on it."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"Maybe."

He says it almost like he's expecting to fail.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko recognizes it, and frowns again.

"That attitude won't get you very far."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

He smiles slightly, though it looks vaguely forced. Or would, if he wasn't watching the ostrich horses still instead of looking at Zuko, though he's not really seeing them anymore.

"Not getting very far gets you that attitude."

[daughterofursa]

Someday she's going to pick up bad language from Rin so she can call bullshit.

"No, it doesn't. When you fail, you can either give up like a chicken lizard, or you can keep trying. I don't consider the first one an option."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

That might be a helpful skill to learn around here.

"'Chicken lizard'?" Rob mutters under his breath, then gives his head a slight shake and gets back on track.

"And when you try, and your trying only delays failure rather than creates success? How long can you go on before you start coming to the conclusion that you just don't have what it takes to succeed?"

[daughterofursa]

"I would never come to that conclusion. If some people get things handed to them on a silver platter, some of us have to struggle for it. And that means failing, a lot. It never means it's not worth trying."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"Knowing something intellectually isn't the same as feeling it in your heart."

He lightly thumped his chest with a fist, but there was no real energy in it.

[daughterofursa]

"Well, then that's another problem you're going to have to deal with."

Zuko is accepting no excuses.

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"Yup."

He says it like he already knew it, though there's no sarcasm, only a sense of being resigned to his fate.

[daughterofursa]

"You're infuriating."

The nearest ostrich horse gives a snort-squawk, reacting to Zuko's tone, and moves away a few steps.

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"Yeah, I know."

Again, he sounds like he's resigned to that fate.

[daughterofursa]

"Don't just accept it!"

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

He opens his mouth to say something and turns to face her, a look of frustration and pain poorly-concealed by irritation on his face. Before he can say anything though he stops. Zuko might be able to recognize what's happening from his gaze; he's finally noticed her scar and is looking at it, then realizes he's staring and looks lower but keeps seeing it out of the corner of his eye, then he looks even lower and realizes that he must look like he's staring at her chest, so he looks back up, can't avoid looking at the scar, and finally latches on to looking at one of the ostrich horses to escape. His train of thought has evidently derailed, since he doesn't say anything, only clenching his teeth and displaying a slightly pained look as he mentally kicks himself.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko narrows her eyes at him. Not because of the unintentional look at her chest--there isn't much there to stare at so it's not something that even registers--but because she can definitely recognize a reaction to her scar.

"What?"