☄12. Encounters by the pond. [Open RL in the Fire Nation.]

[honorregained]

So what if it was his birthday? Turning eighteen meant you were an adult in some places, but Zuko had been an adult for years, in function if not in reality. It didn't mean anything to him. He was sure his mother and his uncle remembered the occasion, and that warm glow of assurance - that he knew they would without having to ask, or check - was

Comments

*A week later, via Mello express!*

[cyberelric]

Edward was now standing in the courtyard in the Fire Nation, looking around wide-eyed. A real palace, how cool was that? Edward looked alright, although he had an ever present bandage above one of his eyes.

/o/

[honorregained]

Zuko saw him out of the corner of his eye, then started to approach, smiling. He paused for a moment to wave off the cloud of people following him. They looked stoically tolerant: most of them dispersed and went inside, with only a couple remaining behind, some distance off.

Eventually, he did make his way over. "Ed, I'm glad you could make it," he said, the formal atmosphere somewhat abated by his relaxed attitude.

\o\ They needed to meet.

[cyberelric]

Edward grinned brightly and offered his hand to Zuko, not realize how rude it probably is to greet a King that way.

"Hey, yeah, sorry we had a bit of trouble to handle at home so I couldn't come until now. Happy birthday by the way."

yes :3

[honorregained]

He'd been staring at his hand oddly, not realizing he was meant to shake it, but then abruptly jerked his head up and blushed. "It was a week ago," Zuko protested. "And what am I supposed to do with your hand?"

Two worlds...imploding XD

[cyberelric]

"Give me yours." Edward said and when he got it, he clasped Zuko's hand and shook it. "It's a greeting, that's all. Sorry, didn't realize. A birthday is still a birthday. I decided I would make you something, whatever you want as a gift."

Germany-esque + Imperial Japan... yeah, pretty different XD

[honorregained]

"I don't want anything," he grumbled, still embarrassed. He dutifully shook his hand, though the motion was awkward.

Then Zuko cleared his throat and gave him a shallow bow, almost a nod - though the Fire Lord strictly shouldn't be bowing to anyone but the Avatar, it was a return of the gesture, so he thought it'd be fine. "Why don't I just show you around?"

[cyberelric]

"Okay cool." Edward grinned, looking around. "Besides you should tell me what you want for your birthday. I can make anything I understand."

[honorregained]

"Make whatever you want," said Zuko shortly, starting to walk toward an entrance to the palace and assuming that he would follow. "I don't want anything."

[cyberelric]

"I can't, I have no idea what you'd like. You're impossible." Ed smiled and rolled his eyes. He caught up to Zuko easily. "So this huge palace is all yours?"

[honorregained]

He was dropping the subject and that was that, as far as he was concerned.

"It's mine," he conceded as they entered. Inside things were ornate but sparse, and distinctly Asian. "I grew up here, knowing I'd inherit it one day. It doesn't feel as fulfilling as I thought it would."

[cyberelric]

"Can't even imagine, we lived in a house so I've never been to a palace like this. I've only read about it in books." Edward said as they walked inside. It was really nice, he thought at least. Everything looked expensive and like something his mother would have thwapped his hand and told him not to touch.

[honorregained]

Zuko shrugged, leading them toward his rooms with the intention of changing out of his heavy, unwieldy formal robes. They started to pass more guards, who nodded to Zuko but otherwise said nothing.

"It's just what I knew. I've spent some time as a refugee in the Earth Kingdom, though, so I know what you mean. When you're royalty, it's not just where you live - it's your whole life."

[cyberelric]

"I'm not complaining or anything, I just think it's different from what I know...Just as my place would probably be unfit to host a king, heh." Ed joked a little with a sheepish smile.

[honorregained]

He rolled his eyes, sweeping a hand to push aside a drape that led into the residential wing.

"Don't be modest; I'm sure your place is fine. I'm not much of a king, anyway," said Zuko, apparently not noticing how much the surroundings and his own clothes put those words at odds. "Wait here for a second - I'm going to change. Otherwise I'll get stopped every two minutes to listen to something."

With that, he left Ed behind in the antechamber, moving into his bedroom proper. It had several places to sit, a writing desk piled with scrolls, and an inconspicuous bell to summon servants, among several portraits on the walls.

[cyberelric]

"Considering my house is a pile of ash, I'd say it still isn't." Edward rolled his eyes, but he nodded and sat down to wait. He slouched lazily and looked at the portraits. Everything was very different here.

[honorregained]

Zuko heard his comment just after he'd gone through the door, and paused, taking it in. What had happened there? Well, it wasn't anything he could affect. Ed could probably rebuild it with his alchemy-thing if he really wanted, anyway, so the Fire Lord occupied himself changing clothes.

When he returned moments later, his hair was down and tousled, and he was in much more common Fire Nation clothes. "Okay," he said, exhaling. "Much better. Can I ask what happened to your house, or should I just tell you your options for the tour?" He raised his eyebrows in query.