Zuko nods, his face stern in thought, taking his uncle’s words of wisdom with some amount of guilt as much as appreciation. Iroh isn’t like a wisdom coin machine; put in information, get advice out. He feels bad like he’s taking advantage of the old man’s constant wish to comfort his nephew, delivering such information he feels so guilty for even though he’s faultless, as a child; it’s only Ozai who’s to be truly resented here. But because of Azula’s reaction… Zuko doesn’t think Ursa has come out looking so hot, herself. But what would be the alternative? Zuko’d be dead. How can he make any other argument not in his mother’s favor?
But Iroh is hurting as much as Zuko is, hearing all this, or at least in his own realm of pain. It’s alarming for everyone involved. Aang revealed something severe, something multi-tiered, more than the Avatar maybe even knew. Zuko had never told them about how he was banished or how he got his scar or all his family’s sordid personal history; it was always focused on their sordid international history, which the rest of the Gaang were already well aware of. He’d have a lot to sit down and talk to the Avatar about. It might be best to take a couple days off at Iroh’s flat to process things, sit with his thoughts. He’d been given only fair points by everyone, even Azula’s, and there was much to consider in what he was meant to do with this information now… There wasn’t much to do. But think. And adjust his lens. Perhaps that was all. But to what end?
He takes another glance at his uncle, sitting there wrought by emotion, and without a word in response to the good advice Iroh had offered, Zuko just gets up from his seat to walk over to Iroh’s chair and wraps his arms around the man’s shoulders, standing there beside him in the embrace. He could do at least that much to comfort his uncle, turn the tables a little. It’s funny, how much more physical he’s become in Avalon than in the touch-based Lunatia, ironically. But emotional openness and emotional need happen when they happen. He takes a moment of silence just to hug him loosely, but keeps his hand pressed to Iroh’s shoulder as he stands to speak.
“…I talked to Gokudera about it all before I talked to Azula. He pointed out the same thing, kind of — but about Azula keeping this from me. That I need to consider the path that leads people to their choices and examine their motivations from another angle, to listen and ask questions… That goes for Azula and Mom. I just have to think about it more, I guess. He told me to keep in mind I’m not going to get closure from this. And to be open… and fair.”
Although Gokudera and Iroh have quite different reactions to Azula, these are all points that surely the two forces of comfort and wisdom in Zuko’s life can agree on. Wait and listen. Wait and learn.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2021-06-20 03:02 pm (UTC)But Iroh is hurting as much as Zuko is, hearing all this, or at least in his own realm of pain. It’s alarming for everyone involved. Aang revealed something severe, something multi-tiered, more than the Avatar maybe even knew. Zuko had never told them about how he was banished or how he got his scar or all his family’s sordid personal history; it was always focused on their sordid international history, which the rest of the Gaang were already well aware of. He’d have a lot to sit down and talk to the Avatar about. It might be best to take a couple days off at Iroh’s flat to process things, sit with his thoughts. He’d been given only fair points by everyone, even Azula’s, and there was much to consider in what he was meant to do with this information now… There wasn’t much to do. But think. And adjust his lens. Perhaps that was all. But to what end?
He takes another glance at his uncle, sitting there wrought by emotion, and without a word in response to the good advice Iroh had offered, Zuko just gets up from his seat to walk over to Iroh’s chair and wraps his arms around the man’s shoulders, standing there beside him in the embrace. He could do at least that much to comfort his uncle, turn the tables a little. It’s funny, how much more physical he’s become in Avalon than in the touch-based Lunatia, ironically. But emotional openness and emotional need happen when they happen. He takes a moment of silence just to hug him loosely, but keeps his hand pressed to Iroh’s shoulder as he stands to speak.
“…I talked to Gokudera about it all before I talked to Azula. He pointed out the same thing, kind of — but about Azula keeping this from me. That I need to consider the path that leads people to their choices and examine their motivations from another angle, to listen and ask questions… That goes for Azula and Mom. I just have to think about it more, I guess. He told me to keep in mind I’m not going to get closure from this. And to be open… and fair.”
Although Gokudera and Iroh have quite different reactions to Azula, these are all points that surely the two forces of comfort and wisdom in Zuko’s life can agree on. Wait and listen. Wait and learn.