(Untitled)

[princeinexile]

[OOM: Everybody has their own ways of coping when someone's broken their heart. Zuko's involves heavy exertion and exhausting himself.He came back this morning; a flash of magic and he was here with a duffel bag and some crates, which were hauled upstairs, where he vanished for a good part of the day

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[milkbonesoldier]

Wells came to the Bar after working with the girls today. Did a bunch of knife-throwing- he's getting good at that. But afterwards he still had some things he needed to do, to keep himself well ahead of the Slayers, and running was one of them. So he's been on an endurance kick today- five minutes the mile, as many miles as he can manage without stopping.

... the number just ceased climbing, because the stink of chemicals and flames will always get Wells' attention.

[princeinexile]

Yeah. You burn someone's clothes and odds and ends and pictures and...

Well, yes. It creates quite a stink. Zuko doesn't seem to mind, though. The stink of burning -- burning anything -- is the first thing a Firebender is trained to adjust to.

[milkbonesoldier]

Wells moves in towards the fire carefully, but he's not going to say anything just yet. He's just going to watch, and take stock of the situation. Anything could set off worse.

[princeinexile]

Volatile firebenders, indeed, can be dangerous. Zuko just settles back to watch it go up, ash and smoke leaving it's mark on the sky.

He seems relatively calm, but that's like saying he's nitroglycerin. He only might explode if you bump him right.

[milkbonesoldier]

Mm. And we all know how that goes.

Eventually, Wells judges that it's something like safe to talk; he glances in Zuko's direction one more time. "Trouble?"

[princeinexile]

"Just taking out the trash," Zuko says flatly.

[milkbonesoldier]

"Ah," says Wells, and watches the smoke climb further.

"Thorough of you."

[princeinexile]

"Well, you shouldn't hold on to useless things." Zuko looks at the sky, and then says, "You dump what you don't need. The thing is, the Fire Nation burns it's trash-- they don't leave it for anybody else to use it or want it. Not very good of us, I guess."

[milkbonesoldier]

"I dunno," says Wells. "Sometimes that's the best way to clear off old trash. Otherwise it piles up, gets in the way."

He knows what it is, to need fire to clean the world for you.

[princeinexile]

Zuko snorts softly -- an undignified sound, but he doesn't care. He's not a prince, he's a poor peasant.

[milkbonesoldier]

"Now," says Wells, "do I ask what prompted the cleansing, or do I just watch and note that it's a damn fine fire by any stretch of the word?"

[princeinexile]

"I don't want to talk about it," Zuko says, preempting any questions. "It's-- it's just people can't be trusted."

People like Steph.

[milkbonesoldier]

"Ah," says Wells. Frankly, he's a little surprised Zuko still has people left, but... yeah.

"All right, then."

There's not much else you can say to that without getting burned, or getting someone else burned.

[princeinexile]

He's got Wells. He's got Hephaestus. That's something, somebody, right?

Sighing, Zuko looks on as things burn, his heart heavy. There's not really much to cheer here, but-- it's better then being alone.

[milkbonesoldier]

True enough. Other people than that, then.

Wells would ask if Zuko needed to hit something, but from what he's seen, this is hitting something by Zuko's standards. There's a point where it becomes counterproductive.

(And offering to roast marshmallows isn't going to do anyone any good at all.)

[princeinexile]

Zuko remembers marshmallows, from that one time in the scrub, when they were still running... He might be amused at best. But burning over plastic and cloth? Probably not good for them.

"I was thinking maybe I might come to Yorkshire a while. Travel Britain again." Vigilante till I feel better.