[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

[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]