Jason doesn't run on the beach often. The boardwalk's easier, firm and unyielding like the streets from home, and though he knows the shifting sand will work him harder, the way it slips from underfoot just pisses Jason off. Tonight though, he wants to see the ocean, likes the colors in the sky and water when the sun meets the horizon. He sees Zuko and means to move on, one hand already lifted in a wave, when he realizes that something is different.
Off, in the way Zuko's sitting, stiff and careful, off in the way there's white peeking over the top of his shirt. Jason slows to a stop. "Hey."
Zuko notices Jason when he's still far off, too far yet for Zuko to call to him. He sits, trying to channel his uncle's patience, and when Jason's close enough to call out a greeting Zuko nods in response before standing, a little slower than usual.
"Hey," he replies, raking a hand through his hair. "I didn't know you ran on the beach."
Jason doesn't need much more confirmation, but the way Zuko stands quite neatly does the trick. "What happened to you?" he asks with no thought for what's polite. The bandages on Zuko's torso aren't the right wrapping for bruised ribs, and placed far too high. Not a burn, Jason thinks, can't see any pink beyond the white fabric, but the way Zuko moves speaks of an extensive injury. "Were you attacked?"
"Not exactly," Zuko says, or at least, he wouldn't qualify it as an attack in the strictest sense. "Sliced with a gunblade during a sparring match." If it had been an accident, that would have been one thing, though Zuko likes to think he wouldn't spar with someone who would make that kind of accident. No, this was deliberate. Which is why the hurt he feels isn't just from the wound.
He's been staring out at the horizon, but that hadn't prevented him from noticing Zell's approach, and he turns his head to look at him before Zell speaks. "Hey, Zell," he says, and he knows Zell is...maybe not friends with Seifer, exactly, but it's enough that Zuko isn't sure whose side Zell will be on in this. He's not even sure he wants there to be sides.
"Yeah," Zuko replies with a short nod. "Just some stitches, I'll be fine." Physically, he'd be fine. He wasn't sure how long it would take for the anger to go away.
Zuko turns his head to watch Helena as she jogs over to him, his lips curving upward into a small smile. "Hey," he says, a little of his lingering anger dissipating at her arrival. "Yeah, I'm all right. Sore, but it'll heal." And leave another scar as a memory.
"I guess it depends on what your definition of a good story is," Zuko says with a wry smile as he sits down next to her, moving a little stiffer than usual in an effort to not stretch out his wound. He's taking enough chances in ITF as it is with the thing, or at least as much as Captain Thrace will allow. "It happened during a sparring match. And it wasn't an accident."
Edmund hadn't been paying attention to much of anything that week. It had been hard enough to get himself out of his hut, though he had. Some part of him knew he had to pretend things were normal, even though they weren't. Some part of him cared enough to ease the worry in Charlie's eyes, so he moved around. But it wasn't much, usually nothing more than wandering around as he was now.
He would have run over Zuko for all the attention he was paying. His lips parted when he saw him, but where he would have said "Oh," Edmund merely blinked. It took two seconds for him to work up to, "Hello. How are you?"
Zuko may be taking care with his stitches - outside of ITF, at least, though Captain Thrace is forcing him to ease up a little there as well - but he's still as alert as ever. He sees Edmund headed his direction, and is prepared to step nimbly out of the way when the other boy sees him. "Hey, Edmund," he says in reply, and frowns slightly. "I'm all right. You seem distracted."
"A bit," Edmund admitted with a thick swallow. Despite the fact that his sister's disappearance would be common knowledge to anyone who needed to know -- the kitchen staff, the council, those who knew her -- he was loathe to say it out loud, even now.
Instead he frowned slightly as he noticed the bandage on Zuko's chest. "What happened to you? That's not alright."
Zuko's a little surprised Edmund hasn't already heard what happened, considering he knows both of the people involved and news seems to travel pretty fast on the island. Zuko wonders if something's happened to make Edmund distracted - maybe there's some news he, Zuko, should have learned by now.
"Seifer and I were sparring," he explains, his voice taking on a hard edge. "He cut me purposely, I'm guessing with the intent to leave a scar."
Felicity had heard what happened, but was unable to really decide how she thought on it. She'd heard that the two had been sparring, so some injuries would've been inevitable, but then she'd also heard rumors that it wasn't an accident.
It was sort of a relief to see Zuko when she did. Not that she was really trying to look for him on purpose, it was sort of an accident, but she wanted the chance to hear the story from him, and not through rumors.
"Zuko." She called out, walking a little faster over to him. "I heard what happened. Are you alright?" He wasn't seriously injured of course, but there were other sorts of pain or discomfort.
Zuko knows Felicity's there, long before she says anything, but he doesn't look in her direction until she calls his name. "I'm okay, Felicity," he assures her. "Just a few stitches."
"What happened? I heard rumors but I wanted to hear the story straight." She knew all too well that stories based on rumors could be mixed up, and thought it only fair to hear what happened from Zuko himself.
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Off, in the way Zuko's sitting, stiff and careful, off in the way there's white peeking over the top of his shirt. Jason slows to a stop. "Hey."
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"Hey," he replies, raking a hand through his hair. "I didn't know you ran on the beach."
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He would have run over Zuko for all the attention he was paying. His lips parted when he saw him, but where he would have said "Oh," Edmund merely blinked. It took two seconds for him to work up to, "Hello. How are you?"
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Instead he frowned slightly as he noticed the bandage on Zuko's chest. "What happened to you? That's not alright."
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"Seifer and I were sparring," he explains, his voice taking on a hard edge. "He cut me purposely, I'm guessing with the intent to leave a scar."
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It was sort of a relief to see Zuko when she did. Not that she was really trying to look for him on purpose, it was sort of an accident, but she wanted the chance to hear the story from him, and not through rumors.
"Zuko." She called out, walking a little faster over to him. "I heard what happened. Are you alright?" He wasn't seriously injured of course, but there were other sorts of pain or discomfort.
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"What happened? I heard rumors but I wanted to hear the story straight." She knew all too well that stories based on rumors could be mixed up, and thought it only fair to hear what happened from Zuko himself.
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