Day 8

[faintwaves]

...Everyone?

Do you think it's too late to change partners?

Comments

[faintwaves]

But you don't want me around. I know you don't.

[sonofamelonlord]

Look... Whatever I feel about you doesn't matter right now. This is something I signed up for, and I'd like to do what I was asked for. And I need you around for that.

So... Please stop hiding.

[faintwaves]

[...Well in retrospect, causing someone to fail an assignment definitely isn't nice at all. Especially not when they're family (sort of).]

[.........However, the idea that "Thalassa" might miss her "daddy" is completely bizarre in the first place and implies far too many unsettling things.]


I'm...not hiding, really. I'm up in the clock tower.

[sonofamelonlord]

Ok. I'll... Go meet you then.

[faintwaves]

I'll wait.

[Really. She won't change places or find something to hide behind, just sit and wait.]

[sonofamelonlord]

[Zuko closed his journal and made his way out of the dorm.

Once he was at the top of the tower, he gave the room a quick look over, trying to see Xion.]

Xion?

[faintwaves]

...Hi, Zuko.

[There's Xion holding up the egg.]

Here's Thalassa.

[sonofamelonlord]

You named it?

[faintwaves]

Named her. She's a girl.

...Thalassas are seashells from back home.

[sonofamelonlord]

Oh...

[Awk-ward...]

... It's a nice name.

[faintwaves]

...Yeah. They're nice shells, too. I'll miss collecting them.

[sonofamelonlord]

Do you... Do you want to work a schedule for when we'll take care of the egg?

[faintwaves]

[At this, Xion clutches the egg a little tighter to her chest.]

Yes, but--You have to talk to Thalassa a lot! And...don't leave her alone or put her some place that she'll be boxed in, okay? She needs to have room to breathe, she needs to see everything.

[sonofamelonlord]

[Well... That's surprising. And feels more personal than it probably should.

Still, she's the one with the egg, and it's not like he had any idea what to do with the egg, so he may as well go with what she says.]

Ok. Anything else?

[faintwaves]

Hmm...we come here to watch the sunset from the clock tower. I try not to eat ice cream around her, though, she doesn't like anything cold. You can't even talk about anything cold around her, she shivers sort of when you do.

[And she sounds totally crazy, but still.]

[sonofamelonlord]

... Do you want me to tell you when I come up here with her?

[And he's going along with it, partially because he's used to this kind of crazy with his uncle and his teas.]

[faintwaves]

I like coming up to the clock tower too, so...you'd probably see me anyway. I mean, if you wanted to, you don't have to see me at all.

[sonofamelonlord]

If I'm asking, it's because I don't mind, Xion.

[faintwaves]

...Oh.

[Him actually NOT being annoyed by something? Unreal.

That and she wasn't exactly trained to pick up on implications.]

I'm used to asking for permission to do things. That's all.

[sonofamelonlord]

[Oh...

Oh...

Yeah, that's something he can relate to.]

... I know the feeling.

[faintwaves]

--Really?

[She thought pureblood kids just had it all!]

Then you also know that to do something you wanted to do or felt was right...you'd have to go against your parents. [Maybe he doesn't.] ...I used to have to do that a lot, if I wanted to see the ocean or...go outside in general.

[sonofamelonlord]

[Oh... Oh boy.

Getting personal here. Abort, abort. But touch scar without really noticing. Yes, good, that won't attract attention at all.]

I do.

[faintwaves]

[...Wow, chilly. That mark seems to be a part of it, but as if he would ever talk about it. Better just turn the subject around.]

It's lonely. Being caged up by their expectations and methods all the time.

[sonofamelonlord]

[Lonely? Well, that'd definitely describe him if he hadn't had his mother.

Since she's been gone, though...

Yes, lonely is right.

He's not sure why he's talking to her about this. He really doesn't want to, but... Someone actually understanding is just such a breath of fresh air that he needed.]

And nothing you do is ever enough.

[faintwaves]

...Yeah. They're never satisfied, they just keep treating you like you're not even a human being.

[Like a stupid little doll for them to leave on the shelf to get dusty and/or sunbleached. Alone.]

Or like you can't do anything by yourself, or that you can't do anything at all.