☀ 02, log

[flammatory]

Who: Zuko and whoever wants in! OPEN.
When: Sometime this week, whenever.
Where: Around the island.
Format: Action tags, please?
Warnings: None! Not even swearing for this guy, at least.

on the beach.
[It's early morning at the beach, and the sun is glinting across the waves, a darker blue-green contrast to the pale white-blue of the sky. The air feels light and crisp, salty, this early in spring; but regardless of how cold it is, it's still the best time to firebend in the morning.

Which is what Zuko's doing. He has a very practiced, sharply punctuated style of martial arts, because it is literally a form of kung fu. He sweeps across the sand, plumes and waves of fire preceding him. He's frowning with concentration, but focused as he is, he's aware enough to notice someone approaching. He knows the beach is more or less public, and doesn't want to catch anyone with fire accidentally.]

in the village.
[Later on in the day in early afternoon, the clouds are starting to roll through and cast gray over the island. Zuko's taking the chance to dig through the rubble in the abandoned village, and anyone walking by might hear him grumbling from within a half-collapsed building.]

Ow! Stupid beam... [Yeah, he just hit his head on a structural beam. His life is hard.]

at the harbor.
[Once evening comes, though, Zuko is back to his preferred default activity: brooding. He's standing near the edge of the pier, staring out into the ocean with a pensive expression. He's trying to be blank and neutral, but it's undeniably not working; there is a darker, preoccupied cast to him.

It matches the fact that by now the cloud cover has become more of a carpet across the sky, and the fading light is weak and dreary over the roiling water.]

Comments

[flammatory]

[Zuko expects him to be fidgety.] This is like teaching Aang, [he grumbles, shifting his weight and getting comfortable.]

All fire comes from the breath. [And with that, his characteristic prickliness fades into the background. Zuko's worked hard to be able to do this, to meditate and practice control without getting in his own way, and it's only since he started using what he'd learned from the Sun Warriors that he's really gotten the hang of it.

This isn't just a silly demonstration, it's practice, so when he brings up his cupped hands, he directs a long exhale into them. A beat into it, his breath turns to flame, caught gently by his hands.]

[sonlight]

[He looks a little startled when the fire comes up, expecting something a little flashier, something with a bit more pizazz. But this... It's small, it's cute, it's the very essence of life floating in his hands, it's...

A little boring too, actually, but Chibi gets the feeling this particular part of the exercise is a little too important to Zuko. Probably best to keep a watchful eye and not try to make fun of him or anything.

Seeing this still source as a chance to demonstrate his own abilities with fire, he lifts a paw, waving carefully at the small flame and looking inquisitive.] Roo?

[flammatory]

[Hey, exhaling fire was actually really difficult, something Iroh was known for that Zuko had never been that great at. It was definitely on the less flashier side of firebending, though, which is why he'd picked it for an up close demonstration.]

--Huh? What are you trying to do? [He stares at him in curiosity, but offers his hands out, the flame along with them, for whatever Chibi's getting at.]

[sonlight]

[Slowly, carefully, Chibi uses the offered source to do some fancy fire feats of his own. It's nothing grandiose- just one or two simple shapes and a series of harmless wisps. The point here is just to prove that he can do it, not to show off.

Showing off could get both of them burnt.]

[flammatory]

Wh-- so you can firebend! A little, anyway.

[Zuko's leaning in to peer closely, relatively fearless about it despite his constant yelling at Chibi to be careful. It's not hypocritical when he's the bender, right? And he wants a closer look.] Not bad.

[sonlight]

[He wuffles, taking the comment of "not bad" to be a challenge. He accepts, of course!

Carefully, he draws another stream of fire away from the tiny source, small to start but expanding as soon as it's far enough that it won't hurt anybody. It then tears through the air, curving around to form a large infinity symbol and hovering there until it gently fades into nothing.]

[flammatory]

[He watches with interest, and has to admit he's impressed, though the idea of certain animals being able to bend isn't at all unfamiliar to him.]

Okay, you're pretty good for a wolf-thing. I wish I could ask where you learned this... what kind of world you're from. But you wouldn't have a way to tell me, would you? [It's a doubtful, rhetorical question.]

[sonlight]

[He'll try not to look too indignant at being called a "wolf-thing." |3

Chibi shakes his head in reply; rhetorical or not, he wishes he could explain. But, talking is out of the question, he can't read or write, and there's no Celestial Envoy or partner here to translate for him. He can't draw that well yet either, so trying to show Zuko with pictures might leave him even more confused.

Summoning the sun might do the trick... but Lamufao took that one from him.] Roo... [He's sorry. :( ]

[flammatory]

[Well, it's still too weird to just call him a "wolf", what even is that?

Zuko shakes his head at him, dismissing the thought.] Don't look like that, it's not your fault. You're already smarter than any animal I've ever met, what more do you want?

Not even Appa knows exactly what I'm saying to him. Uh, that's the Avatar's sky bison. [Something about talking to someone that can't expressly talk back is making him ramble.]

[sonlight]

[Ramble on Zuko, because at least this animal can look genuinely interested in what you have to say! (Compliments about his smartness definitely help that.)

He looks to the sky, then back to Zuko, and tilts his head. Sky... bison...?]