Zuko thinks that's rough, buddy (fireprincezuko) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-03-05 17:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, azula, zuko |
Who: Zuko and Azula
When: 3/3
Where: Pub & Grill
What: Talking about love and crime families
Rating: Low
Status: Complete
It had been a while since he'd seen his sister -- and while their texting wasn't a bad way of contact, Zuko felt that maybe a meet up would be better in some cases. For one thing, he wanted to hear about what was up with Ty Lee. The other thing he wanted to know about was Azula's dreams. And lastly?
Well. He really fucking wanted to know why his little sister required a bodyguard in the first place. Which was something she had so clearly avoided responding to via text, and he wasn't really for it.
So, they were meeting in a restaurant -- nothing fancy, just a pub and grill sort of place. Because, hey, if she'd had a fake ID made for him, he saw no reason to put it to use every now and then.
Azula dressed snappily, and a little sexily, because she liked being looked at. She gave Ty Lee several hours off to ‘do whatever’ because she wanted to meet her brother alone. Having someone hanging around might get in the way of conversation.
She sat down across from him, looking around. “This place sucks.”
Zuko gave a shrug that was both lazy and a bit nonchalant. One burger was the same as the other, as far as he knew or cared. She was probably just saying that to be contrary anyway.
“No Ty Lee?” He asked instead, even though he’d obviously known the other girl wouldn’t be here.
“I gave her the night off. She probably doesn’t need to hear me gush.” It was a very real risk. Without her presence, Azula couldn’t stop thinking about her. She felt (and wanted to act) her age.
Zuko only nodded. Wise choice, he supposed. Considering. Still. “You -- well. You do look happy.” As if he’d really needed to point it out. Zuko wondered if that was how he looked when he was around Draco.
She looked like she was going to be contrary on principle, but she fought the urge down. Flagging down a waiter, she ordered a drink. "I'll bring her next time."
Lowering her hand, Azula sighed wistfully. "I wish I'd found her before."
Zuko ordered one too, and then some french fries because -- well. Dinner? He slouched down a little, resting into his seat and crossed his arms again, tilting his head to the side. “Before?” he repeated, in question.
"..I don't know what I mean. Sooner, I guess. So I could have more time." Before the dreams had come back. They made her shakey, and unstable, and it ticked her off. She'd thought she'd finally been okay.
Maybe she needed to 'leave' the family, so to speak. Zuko was lucky. She'd never admit that to him.
"I love her."
It was really weird to hear Azula say that -- even without the full backing of a total set of dreams on his part, he knew his sister to be -- well. Not particularly affectionate. Certainly, he’d never heard her say she loved someone. It did make him give some pause. “Really?” He asked.
She looked irritated. "I know I have a reputation for mistruths, but I do. She's...sunshine."
Azula folded her arms, her ears turning pink.
“Sunshine,” Zuko repeated, slowly, as if maybe she were just pulling a fast one on him and he was trying to figure out if that was actually the case. Still. No one could make their ears that pink on purpose.
“It’s impossible to get her down,” Azula said, shrugging her shoulder and trying to downplay the effect on her. “I hardly deserve someone like her, but you know how I like to take what I want.”
“I’ve gathered as much anyway,” Zuko said, sitting forward again -- he just couldnt seem to sit still today, although he wasn’t really sure why. “But if she’s willing, it’s not really just taking what you want, you know.” Even Zuko, who was more subtle and mild mannered (in his own right) was usually good at getting things he wanted. But he was beginning to understand the give and take of a real relationship now and he knew it wasn’t just -- well. Taking.
“I’m working on that part,” Azula said, waving a hand dismissively. “She’s so eager to please that it’s difficult to tell when she wants to because she wants to, or because she wants to please me. Then she makes it difficult to think. And breathe.”
That was all fine and good. A little funny, in its’ own right. Zuko could honestly say he was -- well. Happy might not have been the right word. But he was pleased for his sister in any case. Especially since he’d seen the last time she tried flirting with someone. Disaster didn’t even come close to a descriptive word.
He waited for a moment, while their waitress delivered their drinks and fries, and then he spoke. “Why do you need a bodyguard anyway?” He asked, because this was what he really wanted to know.
“Uncle suggested the idea. I don’t really know why.” She sipped her drink, studying her brother, wondering how much he’d been let in on. “Has Uncle told you about the business?”
“No,” Zuko said, feeling agitated despite the fact that he knew he’d never asked. Part of him didn’t want to know. He liked being oblivious sometimes -- liked thinking that their family business was just a legitimate one. It was nice to think fancifully -- to think that one day he’d go to college, learn the business and then take it over properly.
He also kind of knew that was stupid. There was no reason that Azula would need a bodyguard if that was really the case. Well. Unless she was just too busy pissing people off all the time.
“Tell me.”
Azula smirked, and set her drink down. "Where should I start? You've heard of the Yakuza?" She tapped her finger along the edge of the glass.
Zuko shouldn’t have been shocked about that, but he found he still kind of was. “The Japanese Mafia?”
“Yes.” She lifted the drink to her glass again and sipped at it. “We’re heavily involved, Zuzu. No one ever bothered to tell you because you were considered weak.” Perhaps it had been a wish of their mother’s, the thought of which only hurt Azula. She snorted to disguise it. “That’s why Uncle is really here. To oversee things. Fortunately we both agree on what aspects of business should be pursued.”
Azula’s words were like a slap in the face -- hardly something Zuko really needed. “You’re lying,” he said, his voice harsh and angry, but not disbelieving. Judging from the way his fingers were gripping the edge of the table, it was probably fair to say that Zuko was pretty angry. He wasn’t weak. He wasn’t.
And he absolutely hated being lied to.
She tilted her head, then rolled up her sleeve to show him the stylized fire tattoo on her arm. By now, he probably could recognize the symbol on the Fire Nation flags from their dreams. “Do you think I entirely marked myself up for shits and giggles, brother? I had to put fire on me, so I did. It doesn’t really matter what shape it takes. I’m quite fond of this design, though.”
She rolled her sleeve back down. “Do you want to know what Iroh was doing in Hong Kong all those years? You really should ask him. I hear it’s quite a story.”
Zuko couldn’t help but think that if they were having a competition on it, he’d been the one marked by fire in a far more complete sort of manner. He didn’t bother saying so, though.
He was silent for a long moment, not sure how to process her words. He didn’t want to believe her, but -- it was kind of hard not to. “I’ll have to speak with him on the matter,” he said a bit blandly.
“Do it and then... stay as far away from the business as you can.” There was an oddly protective note in her voice. She was eyeing him, her eyes shadowed and the overhead lightning giving her face an eerie cast to it.
“After all, I’d feel positively terrible if something happened to you and I wasn’t the cause.”
Not sure how to really respond to that, Zuko gave his sister a long considering sort of look. How had it that she was the one who acted older? The one who’d become even more jaded by life than him? Especially when he was the one with the physical scars?
“I-- have to go,” he said, standing abruptly; leaving his drink and fries completely untouched. “I have to think.”
Azula thought that Zuko would understand when he dreamed more. “Think. Wet your bed.” She dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
“I hate you,” he told her with the kind of scowl that was reserved only for annoying younger sisters. But they both knew that for now he didn’t really mean it. That could change, most likely, when he did dream more.
He turned to leave, but then gave a slight pause, glancing at Azula. “I--uh. I’m glad for you, though. About Ty Lee.”
She knew it would change, and the thought was a depressing one. Her smile was a little tight. “Thank you. I’m glad for you and Draco, too.”