Catch-all: Zuko

[ercnerd]

Comments

[ercnerd]

I was out of control, but that was still me. I remember everything.

[cuedoves]

[ why does he look smug about it... ]

So what happened that night? Tell me everything.

[ercnerd]

[It's called resignation.]

That night . . . I left the room and saw Flayn in the lobby. She tried to run, but I chased her into the gift shop. [He lifts his left hand.] Rin was right; the cut was from a snow globe. And the dent on the wall was probably my doing.

[His hand lowers.]

She tried to lose me at the butterfly garden, but I tracked her down. That's where I snapped her neck.

[ercnerd]

To put it this way . . . there was a period where two of the kids thought I was their dad.

[cuedoves]

Oh.

[ those cyoas were so good ]

So... brainwashed into a story. That sounds pretty messed up. I guess... maybe being a dad wasn't that bad, though.

[ sieg's probably a better father than ozai anyway ]

[cuedoves]

[ hearing it recounted like this is a little... unsettling, almost. just. 'i tracked her down and snapped her neck.' it's not like he knew flayn, but still.. she seemed kind enough. ]

.. At least it was quick.

[ he doesn't know what else to say. ]

Why her?

[ercnerd]

[At least it was that. But . . . it wasn't quick enough.]

Because I saw her. I would've gone after anyone else if I had them in my line of sight.

[cuedoves]

That's it? You didn't pick her out or anything?

[ercnerd]

I had no intention of killing until then. There was no reason to pick anyone for anything.

[ercnerd]

[Terrible.]

It was just a role. Things only came to a head once the assimilated started turning against the rest of us with their fabricated memories; even the brightest minds and the strong of will couldn't resist. That was the power of assimilation.

[cuedoves]

You just saw her and the... murder urge... happened?

[ zuko trying to make sense of this since it's an entirely different murder mechanic ]

[cuedoves]

... Crazy how much these things can change a person.

[ zuko remembering splintered people... fuckt up. ]

[ercnerd]

More or less.

[Hateful. Utterly hateful.]

[ercnerd]

[He nods.]

Was there something like that in the timeloop?

[cuedoves]

I see.

[ he doesn't, quite, but. ]

What about after?

[cuedoves]

Splintering. People would... lose memories, fall apart. That kind of thing. It was a threat to everyone.

[ercnerd]

After . . . all I knew was that I couldn't confess until the verdict—not if I wanted to keep Mari safe.

[ercnerd]

Memories can define a person. Losing them isn't easy for most . . . Did you get them all back in the end?

[cuedoves]

Your hostage, I'm guessing?

[ yeah, he wouldn't want to confess if it meant hilda could be hurt, or worse... ]

[cuedoves]

... Yeah. But they would actually fall apart and take everyone down with them, if someone didn't step in. [ with murder. ]

Yeah, we did.

[ercnerd]

[He nods.]

You know the rest.

[ercnerd]

[That sounds about right, actually.]

That's good.

You know what that means, don't you? Whatever happens here, we can overcome it together.

[cuedoves]

... Yeah.

Your hostage. Did you hear anything more about her? [ was she safe? this was before the announcement that killing guarantees their safety ]

[cuedoves]

Yeah, yeah, the power of friendship.

[ grumbles a little but he's not opposed to it. ]

We just have to figure out where to start.

[ercnerd]

No. All I know is what the shadow promised me at the beginning—that it'd help ensure her safety. The rest came as a feeling without guarantees.