Thirty-ninth rebirth [Video]

[neverquitedies]

[The PCD clicks on, and Yuca looks a little curious- he hasn't realized it's turned on at first, he's too busy typing away, trying to run a program or two on it, frowning slightly in concentration.]

D.

[Clicking away, muttering a little to himself.]

O. R. A. -

[There's nothing there for a moment, and his face goes completely blank. For a

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[Voice]

[innerfirewithin]

[He wasn't going to offer... but Al did. FML.]

I'll go.

[Offline]

[neverquitedies]

[Yuca was collecting things to arrange later, so Zuko helping in that regard is nice? He's silent though, until almost everything in the house that could be easily moved was in the living room.

Then, he takes a deep breath, and steps back.]

What can I help with?

[Offline]

[innerfirewithin]

Nothing. This is enough. Just stand back. I'll control it until we leave so we don't get sucked in. Most of this stuff is dry and will light quickly.

[Offline]

[neverquitedies]

Alright.

[He takes a few steps back, his face blank and emotionless.]

[Offline]

[innerfirewithin]

[And Zuko exhales slowly before shooting two jets of fire directly into the heart of the material. It catches quickly, as predicted, and the firebender backs up after a moment or two of constant flames before he begins to bend what's already there, a constant game of control.

Iroh would scold him if he knew he was using his firebending for such destructive purposes... but Zuko pushes the thought of his head with a soft 'tch'. Sometimes burning the pain away was the best thing you could do.]

[Offline]

[neverquitedies]

[Yuca watches it, solemnly, imagining Folk sitting on the couch that was going up in flames, seeing him in his mind's eye, relaxing, laughing at him and his futile attempts to lash out at him. Laughing as the flames licked up around his knees, enveloped his arms his chest, his head.

He turned and saw Folk in the kitchen, eating whatever meat he'd killed that day, looking idly toward the fire and laughing at it.

Yuca took a step back, remembering suddenly, Folk with a knife to his throat, drawing blood, watching Rain. Folk holding the cross in his hands, laughing, greed in his eyes. Folk laughing as Yuca shot him, again and again, blood streaming down his face, down his chest, over Rain's cross laughing, and-

He coughed from the smoke and took a step back, cringing, trembling. Finally, Yuca turned on his heel and left, far faster than he'd like to admit.]

[Offline]

[innerfirewithin]

[Zuko glances over his shoulder at Yuca's abrupt exit, cursing under his breath as he followed, allowing the fire to spread a little further as they stepped into the cold night air. He is quiet for a moment before turning to face the large house.]

I can't leave this just burning. It'll spread unless I control it.

[Offline]

[neverquitedies]

Do it, then.

[His voice is shaky and betrays his instability more than his dull expression ever will. Yuca turns away and is suddenly cold in the night air. His arms wrap around himself and he stares hard at the ground, and even now, all he can hear is that laughter.]

[Offline]

[innerfirewithin]

... tch.

[Zuko shrugs off his jacket and tosses it to Yuca, annoyed.]

Put it on, idiot.

[The firebender has the fine ability to use his chi to warm himself.]

[Offline]

[neverquitedies]

I-

[He catches it, frowning for a moment, before slipping it on. Warmth was always nice, and Yuca, for a long moment, wondered why Zuko had just done that.]

-it's not enough. The burning. He doesn't care- he never did. It- he'd still be laughing at us.

[Offline]

[innerfirewithin]

[Zuko, as much as he tries to hide it, is a nice person. Somewhere, deep down, he'd rather not see Yuca freeze to death. Damned if he can explain why, considering what he had done and what he had yet to possibly do.

Zuko is silent for a long time. Five minutes. Ten. He works the flames with careful movements of his hands before he finally speaks.]

Sometimes nothing is enough.

[Offline]

[neverquitedies]

[It all comes back. All of the awful things Folk has done, all of the horrible things he'd said. Yuca cared about one person in the world. Later, much later, he cared about two.

Folk had destroyed them. Both of them. And the damndest thing, the most awful thing, was that both times, it was because they were protecting Yuca. The immortal who had manipulated them into needing him to be okay. The immortal who would just come back didn't they understand?

Yuca doesn't respond. He's just going to sit there and try not to cry.]

[Offline]

[innerfirewithin]

... Yuca.

[It's quiet, but strong. His eyes are fixated on the fire.]

Move forward.

[Offline]

[neverquitedies]

...what?

[It's quiet, almost barely heard over the inferno before them.]

[Offline]

[innerfirewithin]

He's gone now. Pick up and move on. Dwelling on whatever he did to you is just going to poison you.

[Offline]

[neverquitedies]

[Yuca doesn't respond to that for a long moment, turning back to look at it before nodding slightly. Zuko was right.]

I'm aware.