[WEEK 4, SUNDAY POST-EXECUTION: Zuko]

[spinatalltale]

[have you ever seen a woman stab a coconut with as much force as Magilou is stabbing this one, Zuko?]

[probably not]

[anyway, Magilou is out by the edge of the jungle today, cracking open coconuts! . . . whatever feelings she might be working out from the execution are clear in the way she pries said coconut open, spilling its water all over her lap]

Heeeey, this isn't the kind of bath I was looking for. . .!

[do you approach, Zuko?]

Comments

[cuedoves]

[He does, apparently, because he has no self-preservation skills]

Then learn how to crack coconuts open properly!

[despite his bitching, he's going to come over to help]

[spinatalltale]

[THANKS, ZUKO]

Hey, don't give me that lecture. This was a very naughty coconut.

It deserved to be punished.

[cuedoves]

[how soaked is she rn]

That coconut is smarter than half the people here. It doesn't deserve anything.

[gosh he sounds upset for some reason what a mystery]

[spinatalltale]

[pretty soaked, that coconut had a LOT OF WATER IN IT]

. . .

You seem a little upset.

[yeah. can't imagine why. thanks, captain mags obvious]

[cuedoves]

[well he's not wiping her lap but he will offer her his shirt]

[and by offer it I mean throw it at her]

No, I'm in a great mood! I love running trials with a bunch of idiots and watching innocent people die because they can't get over their mob mentality! I love being outmaneuvered by Sirens every week!

[Zuko please]

[spinatalltale]

[aosdijfpoas THANKS ZUKO. it wraps around her face, and she lets out a surprised cry before she tugs it away and begins cleaning up the coconut water mess]

Huh, really? Those are all things that most normal people would be pretty upset about.

[fighting sarcasm with sincerity! Magilou now is not the time]

[cuedoves]

[HE'S SO HELPFUL]

[he just gives her a Look]

You can't tell me you're not upset. You just had to kill your friend -- a kid.

[spinatalltale]

[. . .]

[her hand still for the briefest of moments, but she doesn't look up and it doesn't take her long to start cleaning again]

It's no the first time I've taken a life, Sandals.

[ccccasually]

You saw me last weekend with Keith, didn't you?

[cuedoves]

Zuko, [he corrects!!! miffed!!] and I know that.

But this is different. He's someone you knew before, right?

[spinatalltale]

Yeah.

[no hesitation there, but no emotion, either]

We traveled together for a time. Helped plunge the world into unrelenting chaos. Just your average weekend vacation.

[cuedoves]

[why are you like this, Magilou]

He was someone important to you.

[spinatalltale]

[it's just the way she is]

[. . .]

He was.

Why does it matter?

[cuedoves]

I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to do that.

[it matters because it's AWKWARD ZUKO COMFORT TIME]

[spinatalltale]

[THAT'S ROUGH, BUDDY]

He killed someone, didn't he? Kid or not-- and he really isn't a kid, for the record-- he knew the consequences of his actions.

It had to be done. That's all there is to it. I don't waste time on emotions or tears.

[cuedoves]

[yeah, he's some kind of spirit, but it's still beyond Zuko's comprehension so he's not going there]

[also yeah, it is rough, buddy]

So, what? You waste time on jokes and games instead?

[spinatalltale]

Yep!

[what an. . . earnest response]

Someone's gotta try to cheer you guys up when the going gets tough! And that task just so happens to fall to be, the cute and lovable sidekick character!

[cuedoves]

For the record, I can't be cheered up. I'm never happy.

[And you're not cute or loveable!!!!]

And there's no point to it, anyway. People are going to keep dying. No amount of joking will change that, or make people forget. So focus on your own feelings. Your own grief -- I know you have it, even if you want to pretend otherwise.

1/2

[spinatalltale]

[. . . it's his talk about grief and her own feelings that gets to her, pierces right through her harlequin mask and touches who she is underneath the dramatics and shitposting. she's quiet for a moment]

[and then. . .]

[spinatalltale]

"I'm never happy?" Who says that, means it, and actually expects people to take it seriously!

[MAGILOU. . .]

[cuedoves]

[Zuko's not the best with people, but he's come a far long way from the man he used to be. He's no Uncle Iroh, but his travels with him and the gaang have given him more insight into other people]

[And right now, he feels like he's almost breaking through to her]

I mean it. Don't change the subject.

[DENIED]

[spinatalltale]

[RUDE]

[there's another pause. and her next question may seem like a non-sequitur, but]

Hey. Zuko.

What do you think it means to live? Not just "be alive," but truly live?

[cuedoves]

[he kind of side-eyes her, because it does seem like she's going off-topic, but she's serious, so maybe it's relevant]

To survive. To experience life -- the good, and the bad. To struggle.

[that's probably a weird thing to say, but]

Do you disagree?

[spinatalltale]

[jesus]

No. I don't.

[a pause]

But I would add one more thing to that list.

[cuedoves]

Don't tell me it's laughter or joking.

[because if so he may actually throw a coconut]

[spinatalltale]

To struggle, and to persevere.

[LOOK A SERIOUS ANSWER]

[cuedoves]

[Aaawww, Magilou]

No matter how much struggling it takes.

That's how you've been living your life up until now, isn't it?

[spinatalltale]

No, it isn't.

[another earnest reply]

My heart broke ages ago, and with it, my ability to feel grief, pain, fear and suffering.

With it, broke my ability to truly live.

[cuedoves]

[there's no way that's true. He's seen her grief and suffer -- she may hide it, she may not express it the way most sane people do, but it's there]

.....

Look, you can't--- you can't just shut off your feelings, no matter how much they hurt you. You won't recover like that. You can't really live like that.

You understand that, right? [she must, if she says she can't really live]

[spinatalltale]

Oh, of course I do.

[she isn't stupid. she knows that when she cut off her feelings, she stopped living. and it wasn't until she saw the people around her acting so alive because of their emotions, that she started to rethink her stance]

But I never said my goal was to heal. Or even to live.

[cuedoves]

So what is it, then? To die?

[He doesn't sound angry.... yet. Right now he just wants to know]

[spinatalltale]

. . . no.

[of course not. despite her actions on this island, she never truly had a death wish. she doesn't have one now]

Honestly. . .

[. . .]

Until recently, I didn't know.

[cuedoves]

You were conflicted. You lost your way--- you didn't know which path to take.

Am I right?

[because if so they have more in common than Zuko would have thought]

[spinatalltale]

[. . . hmmmm~]

Something like that, perhaps.

[cuedoves]

[MAGILOU HAD TO REGAIN HER HONOUR!!!!!!!]

[zuko's triggered]

So what did you find out?

[spinatalltale]

[MAGILOU NEVER HAD ANY HONOR]

[he'll notice her running a hand across the spine of one of the books at her waist]

I decided my own path, for one.

And I decided to make sure everyone who has ever lived is remembered.

[cuedoves]

[yeah, he does]

Good. Sometimes... the path you choose is unexpected -- destiny isn't always clear cut. I know, because I spent years hunting a particular person, without realizing my destiny was always to fight alongside him and teach him. But I know you can do it.

And you should strive to live, too, Magilou. Really live. Feel, persevere, and everything. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for all the people you're thinking of.

[spinatalltale]

Eh. I don't really believe much in destiny. I just kind of like doing what I feel like doing, you know?

[she smiles at that last part, too. it's an actual smile, even though it doesn't quite reach her eyes. but she doesn't say anything]

[cuedoves]

Well, you still have your own path to follow. So hold your head high and follow it, Magilou.

[awwww]