genessia | [Private Video - Open to Action]

[Raye's partied out. That's more social activity than she's had since the Cherry Blossom festival she hosted, and even then, she hadn't really gone out of her way to talk to very many people. She leans on the railing of her apartment porch, gazing out at the city quietly. Tendrils of long black hair float in the hot summer gusts, brushing over her shoulders and the curve of her back. It's a long shot, she knows, but she's got to try. Maybe a call will be enough to shake away their encroaching apathy. Taking out her radio, she looks down at it before pressing a few buttons.]

Private Video to Jaune Arc and Harry Dresden

Haven't heard from either of you two in a while. Let me know if you're okay.

[She hesitates for a moment, wanting to say more. But she doesn't. Her gut tightens, and so does the line of her mouth.]

I guess that's all.

[The video ends as she shuts off the radio and slips it into the back pocket of her white jeans. Then, holding the railing, she leans back and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It's hot out, and she'd rather stay inside with the air conditioning, but right now a walk sounds pretty good.]

[Locking up her apartment, she heads downstairs with her purse slung over her shoulder and steps onto the streets. Where to go? It doesn't matter. Just somewhere. Her sneakers are laced up tight, and the forest green tank top lets her arms breathe better in the summer heat.]

[She hopes they're not gone, but...a little voice in her head tells her she knew they wouldn't stay. Men never do.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I guess that makes sense.

[The part about a crown jabbing him in the head makes her grin at least, and she relaxes.]

You haven't been here very long, have you? I can show you around a little, if you like.

[She might enjoy her walk a little more with company. If anything, it'll give her mind a break from all the gloomy thoughts that have been swimming around lately.]

Only for a few days. I hear a lot of people have been here for much longer.

[ zuko's never served as a distraction before. usually, he's the one who needs the distraction. ]

Uh, sure. If you're okay with that... There's still parts of the region I'm getting used to.

You're in luck, I've been here longer than anybody else. I think it's safe to say I know my way around.

[She showed some guy how to use a vending machine earlier, she's kind of proud of that.]

What are you looking for, anything in particular?

[ zuko shrugs. ]

I don't really know. To be honest, this world's a little... Well, let's just say that I had no idea what a videophone was before I got here.

They're not common where I'm from either. Don't feel bad about it.

[Just in case he was.]

If you need someone to show you how your apartment works, I can walk you through it. ...If you're staying in an apartment.

I get the apartment. [ even he's surprised that he manages not to snap. his quick temper isn't so quick anymore. uncle would be proud. ] It's the rest of this place that I don't get.

...or the parties, but I guess I've never really been to any peasant parties.

[ he used to abuse that word — peasant. now it feels like a word he shouldn't say. ]

Edited 2014-07-11 19:45 (UTC)

[Raye shoots him a piercing look that says he should feel bad about saying it. Rude!]

It does take some getting used to. Thankfully...

[She folds her arms and works her head from side to side with a smug smile.]

...Mina and I were in charge of setting everything up. I'd like to think we're pretty good at throwing a decent birthday bash!

[ he's not rude, he's just awkward! ...okay, so sometimes he is legitimately rude, but a lot of that is a social defense mechanism now that he no longer believes himself to be better than the rest. zuko knows how to be an ass, how to snap at the hand that tries to be nice to him. he doesn't always know how to be nice back. this whole nice guy, good guy thing is a work in progress. he tries, but he didn't exactly have many examples growing up as he did. ]

You did good. It was... It was really nice, though different. Very different. People were having fun, and they seemed like they meant it. Whenever I had birthday celebrations at the palace, people came because they were obligated to. I was the crown prince; it would be an insult to my father not to come and pay their respects to the boy who might be king one day. [ he shrugs. ] I hated those parties. I spent most of it sitting on my knees beside my father's throne. Royal etiquette demanded I not get involved with my own party.

[ zuko snorted at the memory, quickly switching up the topic. ]

You're a friend of Minako's? [ and because usagi jumped to this conclusion: ] I'm not her boyfriend.

Edited (i can't type first thing in the morning >.o;) 2014-07-19 11:55 (UTC)

Uh?! I...didn't think you were.

[Why, does he want to be? She wouldn't blame him, Minako's pretty great so long as she isn't trying to cook or clean. She folds her arms, puffing out a sigh.]

That sounds like the lamest party in the world. You'd think a royal birthday party would be one of the best! What day were you born?

[ he breathed a sigh of relief. ] Good. Not that she's not... I'm not saying she wouldn't make a good girlfriend, just she's not mine. She's nice, but not— I don't know her know her. You know? [ rambling. it wasn't very princely of him, but a prince doesn't usually have explain himself. his social skills, when exercised out in the real world, away from the royal world, weren't always all that great.

his good cheek was pink from embarrassment and he balled his fists at his sides to stop himself from bending fire at the ground in response to how utterly flustered he felt. ] Usagi thought I was. Thought I was Minako's boyfriend. I'm not. Really, I'm not.

[ zuko shrugged. ] I'm not sure how it would line up with the calendar everyone's using here. It's not important, anyway. [ the boy who was "lucky to be born" hadn't really celebrated his birthday since he turned thirteen, was allowed to sit in on one of the war meetings, spoke out against it, and was burned and banished as a result. ] I'm not big on the day of own birth.

Edited 2014-07-24 20:53 (UTC)

[If Raye had a dollar/yen for every time she ran into a romantically awkward person in this city, she could live in a mansion and still have heaps of money leftover. She peers at Zuko, waiting until he was finished floundering.]

You know, if you make that big a deal out of it, people are going to assume something is going on anyway.

[Raye wasn't interested one way or the other on what his romantic intentions were/weren't towards Minako. Now if Minako expressed interest, then Raye would start paying attention. But birthdays, at least, he can handle conversationally so she'll move on to those.]

If you say so. But if you let us know what season it was in, we could give you a decent party. No kowtowing allowed.

[ romantically awkward? zuko was just awkward in general. though ironically, he could be pretty damned romantically confident when he was sure about his feelings and intentions. he wasn't entirely inexperienced in the area, just not comfortable with all these assumptions being thrown at him haphazardly. ]

Uhg. [ this time he did bend — away from the both of them, a wave of his hand off to the side, sending a brief bust of fire through the air as if he were trying dispelling some of his frustration. ]

Winter. I was born in the winter. Or what constitutes for winter in the Fire Nation. It's pretty much summer all the time there.

[She'll remember that remark about being born in the winter, but right now? She's too busy goggling at the spot where he just casually tossed off a little fire.]

What was that? You can do that?

[Raye might be just a teensy bit impressed. It's not like she's a total firebug or anything. Is that how he burned his face?]

Huh? Oh. Bending. Yeah, I did that. It's called firebending where I'm from. Sorry, I keep forgetting that bending isn't exactly normal here.

It's not common, but it's actually pretty normal for people to have certain abilities.

[She pulls her gaze away from the fire to look back at Zuko. She actually smiles, feeling a little more friendly now that they've got something in common...even if he doesn't realize it.]

I have some spiritual abilities myself. I mean, I am a priestess and all.

[Is she...bragging?]

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