Contact

[deconflagration]

"Hey, this is Zuko, which you... hopefully already know if you're trying to contact me. Anyway, I'm not here right now, so... well, if you've got something important to say, leave a message and I'll get back to you."

Comments

It'll be a terrific impression. Well, at least of his hair.

[deconflagration]

It doesn't prove I'll have a bright future. What it proves is that I'm going to spend the rest of my life back home with Mai.

[ WITH MAI. ]

This family is in a desperate need for a stylist.

[futureprofessor]

Zuko, I didn't mean to...

[Well, damn, she didn't think about that. And now she feels bad for bringing this up, as you could tell by the tone of her voice.]

...I thought a family were good news.

Long flowing hair is all the rage

[deconflagration]

It is! I mean—it's just... hard to wrap my mind around. Iroh's in his twenties and I'm still eighteen. My grandson is older than me. He's a great guy and all, but I'm not very sure he's happy, either.

...But I'd gladly take him over most of my family, anyway. He reminds me a lot of my uncle, so I guess my daughter named him well.

Clearly Skippy neds a wig

[futureprofessor]

So you'll have a daughter then. [Guess this is not the right moment to say she finds that cute.]

I can only imagine how weird that may be and all... but you should, like, at least be happy and proud you have him as family.

He can get help on that from Bianca and Kelly

[deconflagration]

That's what I've heard. But that's all I know about her. No one's even told me her name yet, which is... understandable.

And—And I am proud of him. I still don't know him that well though and... I'm not the grandfather he remembers. That's all.

But that would include ribbons too,

[futureprofessor]

Do you? Want to know more, I mean. Like, not only knowing him better but, more about your daughter and the grandfather he knows.

I see nothing wrong with that.

[deconflagration]

[ He's quiet for a while. ]

I do. I've learned from Mai that you can't just run away from the idea of a future that's going to happen anyway. I can understand why Iroh might not want to divulge everything to me and I'd like to grow into the person I'm supposed to become back home on my own... but... I'd like to know more.

And I want Iroh to tell me... that I wasn't anything like—like Ozai.

Because there isn't.

[futureprofessor]

I'm glad to hear that you want to get involved. But, Zuko... you should never be afraid of being like him.

[deconflagration]

My being so much like my father was the whole reason Aang—it's why... we had trouble staying friends. It's in my blood.

[futureprofessor]

Blood is just the red liquid running through your veins. It doesn't make you a better or worse person.

[deconflagration]

It's the symbolism of the blood.

[futureprofessor]

Your family? You take after your uncle and your mom. That's a good thing. [She's totally not cheating, shut up.]

[deconflagration]

...You don't even know them.

[ But he appreciates it nonetheless. ]

[futureprofessor]

I knew Mister Iroh! And you've told me a bit about your mom. If you love her so much, she must've been a wonderful woman.

[deconflagration]

Well, yeah, but...

[ He'd -meant- that she didn't know his family as well as he did. That's what he gets for not being specific. Although he doubts it would have mattered anyway. ]

She was. And I do keep her in mind when making decisions. You know... lately.

[ As in, he didn't keep her in mind when he stole that ostrich horse. ]

[futureprofessor]

[It wouldn't have mattered, nope.]

See, you take after the good side of your family. I'm sure she'd be proud of you!