Air and Fire [Active]

[greaterskies.livejournal.com]

Character(s): Aang and Zuko
Content: An unlikely reunion takes place after Aang arrives in Paixao.
Setting: Niflheim area.
Time: Afternoon
Warnings: None so far.

It hadn't been for very long that Aang had suddenly found himself in what seemed to be an entirely different world. He had been walking for a while now, quite enjoying the scenery. Moments before he had been able to write and somehow communicate with others through the rectangular thing he had been given at the gate. One of the folders had said it was a journal so naturally Aang had to try it out. It took some fumbling but the system hadn't been too difficult to figure out.

The journal was pocketed away for now after he found out it also had a map and had taken a good look at it. Apparently there was a train station somewhere near here and Aang deemed it worthy of checking out. But for now he had to pass through rows of apartments to get there.

Comments

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

It had only been two months since Zuko had last seen the world he came from and already he had fallen into place amidst the city. It was easier to adjust to city life the second time and unlike his previous life in Ba Sing Se; here his past couldn't haunt him and he could openly firebend. Which he was begrudgingly doing street-side for weeks before realizing the people here took anything shiny for money.

Without the need for money, anywhere to be or even Uncle to keep him company, Zuko had wound up spending his days in training. After all, he never knew when he might wake up back home.

Zuko had spent the day the same way he had most of his days in the city; dodging through the alleyways, climbing buildings and firebending about. He made attempts to stay subtle but even when seen, the citizens might give a disapproving glare but they'd never do anything, what a bunch of koala-sheep.

As he made his way toward the apartment, Zuko noticed a rather jarring obstruction between him and his residence, a ghost from his past, dressed in bright yellow the Avatar himself walking right towards him.

He couldn't hide now, could he? No.. He could fight him, but what good would that do? Zuko was a traitor to his nation now, not even the avatar could redeem that and how was he planning on returning anyhow? Was he recognized already? Maybe not.

Zuko turned around in place and swung a bag of groceries over his shoulder to hide his face and made it about three steps before realizing he was still dressed in earth kingdom clothing.

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

Well now what, Zuko wondered to himself and finally decided that he might as well get the most awkward moment of his life out of the way and after a short pause responded to his former quarry while turning to face him, "No, I'm not, but there's some girl on the journals who is."

Zuko had spoken in a calm raspy voice, but inside he was feeling much more like he had just stepped off a cliff.

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

Aang's reaction did little to make this any easier, but it did give Zuko a bit of pride and an off-kilter joy that he still garnered such respect and shock and it manifested as a brief smirk across the the ex-prince's face.

Smirk intact, Zuko did his best to defuse the situation, "Relax, catching you wouldn't do me any benefit, here or anywhere."

However, he lost that smirk once he realized that he was asked what might possibly be the most obvious question and Zuko switched back to his traditional, slightly-miffed self.

"You think I wanted to come here? Everyone just wakes up at the city gates and gets stuck here, there's people complaining all over the message boards or did you pass up that or and just 'avatar' in here?"

Actually, He hadn't thought about that much, but there was a very high chance he was stuck in some sort of spiritual mix-up and that the Avatar would have just avatar'd in here and maybe he knew a way out.

Zuko dropped his tone just in case he was ruining his chance at escaping and continued the conversation, "I don't remember her name just that she was some earth kingdom girl with a big mouth and no vision."

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

Zuko sighed, even the living embodiment of miracle didn't seem to be much help, but at least he did show that there was hope that maybe Uncle could come through one of those gates some time.

The former prince noticed the weight of the bag he was holding growing tiring on his shoulder. He had picked up groceries for the week on his way back from training and decided he should probably get them inside sooner rather then later.
He sighed once again and choked out an invitation, "M- Do you want to come in for some tea? I mean- I live just right over there... and if you've got no where to go, I can show you where I spoke with that girl."

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

"This way, then" the banished prince explained as he led his strange new companion towards his home.

"It's been months now. Nobody knows how we got in and nobody knows how to get out, but there apparently is some way in and out. People do it all the time, probably without realizing what it was they did. They disappear off the streets in an instant and no one seems to be able to figure out why. Though, its not too bad once you're used to it."

With that, they arrived at the door. Which, Zuko pushed open and invited the avatar in. How bizarre, he thought to himself that he'd even want to, but they did seem to have a common history and this was the first reminder Zuko had in a long time that he wasn't crazy. At least, not about where he came from.

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

After a few steps, the exile opened the door, revealing a small but well kept apartment.
It was rather sparsely furnished, though it all still seemed to be made with the same intricate detail as everything else in the city. In the middle of the front room, there was a low glass table, it had probably originally been intended as a coffee table, but Zuko had adopted it as his own table, with small cushions spread around it like seats.

Zuko took into the apartment, letting his guest follow behind.

"Go ahead and take a seat, I have to put some of this away" , Zuko offered, while he started to place his groceries in the kitchen. Which, wasn't really so much a kitchen as it was an area with a different style of floor, some cupboards and a stove.

The stove had originally been a mystery to Zuko, he'd never really had the chance to work something quite like it. Though it was a rather simple mechanic to turn the dial and to spark the gas, the timing was a trick he had sooner given up on and took to lighting the thing with a snap of his wrist.

In the fashion just mentioned above, Zuko lit the stove and put a bronze kettle over the flame to heat before rejoining his guest an continuing their session of questions.

"So what had happened just before you arrived?"

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

"You we're in Ba Sing Se?" ,The prince sputtered in surprise before remembering that he was the one who was bizzare to have been in the Earth Kingdom. For the Avatar, a trip to see the Earth King was probably customary.

"Right... I was, in Ba Sing Se before I was brought here, though that was probably before you were there, there probably would have been some word of the Avatar's arrival among the patrons."

((ooc: short post is short, next one shall be superior))

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

The ex-prince paused a moment to dwell on the events that had transpired what now felt like ages ago.

"After the... events at the north pole came to light, Uncle and I weren't just banished, we were labeled as traitors." Zuko explained, sitting down across from his guest.

"There weren't many places left to hide and with all the refugees pouring in from N- Omashu it actually wasn't too hard to slip in. We eked out an existence there for a while before I wound up here. Heh, Uncle's probably still serving tea, wondering where I got myself..."

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

The exiled prince lost himself in memory, wondering what had ever happened to his Uncle Iroh or Jin, god he had forgotten about Jin... "Yeah", Zuko answered the young Avatar's question, without pausing to reflect on the repercussions.

Though moments later he popped back to amend his statement, "It was just for a survival sort of thing! It's not like I'm constantly just serving tea!"

With that said, the kettle behind Zuko began to whistle with steam and pressure.
"I should go get that..." ,the prince admitted, his eyes slanted to the side to avoid contact as he stood from the table.

Returning with the kettle in hand, Zuko looked down on his waiting guest and groaned, "How do you like your tea?"

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

Cringing, the prince grimaced inwardly, even after so long, he still couldn't escape his amazing talent for finding the perfectly placed moment to embarrass himself and cause the most damage. It was practically his life story by now.

Relenting what amounted to just another small defeat at the Avatar's hands, Zuko went back to his duties as a host, pouring tea for himself and Aang, making sure to get it extra sweet for his bald-headed counterpart.

Sitting down, Zuko put his hands around the cup, feeling the heat slip through the smooth clay of the mug and into the air.
"This city though, it's not too bad”, He admitted with a smile, “It doesn’t have a war going on.” Though, it wasn’t where either of them belonged and Zuko knew it.

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

"Yeah" ,Zuko concurred, drinking a little while Aang spoke. Briefly, He wondered if the Avatar was here, what that would do to the environment back home, but quickly dismissed it, since they were ramifications he would've been more then happy to deal with a few months ago.

At the next question, Zuko didn't have too much of an answer, he knew there were always a lot of people dissatisfied with the government here, but he never read that far into it.

"Uh" he tried his best to recall, "I think there's a mayor and then some sort of committee called the organization, who work less publicly. I don't think it's like a normal government, since there's no apparent Emperor or King."

[scorching-heat.livejournal.com]

"Hot spots" ,Zuko balled his face up in confusion, he'd never really run into anything like that or maybe he had, he wasn't really sure if he'd know if he had.

"I don't know if I'd know if I ever saw one" ,the prince admitted "but, I'm sure there's a lot of supernatural people. Watch the message board on that thing for a while and you'll find more spiritual stuff then you can avatar a stick at; talkative demons, a ghost who hired himself out for assassinations, talking animals, there's even a guy who claims he's death, himself. If you want spiritual, its right on the journals. Just be careful about the people you meet one there."