Family reunions are the best

[sexyhitchhiker]

Who: Natsuki and Zuko
What: Hey, you know that family reunion I was ditching...?
When: First day of the family plot
Where: Lakeside
Rating: PG?


[after finally running all over camp looking for Zuko and finally extracting him from his family, Natsuki's making damn sure that she's not losing him again. Hence the vise-like grip on his wrist.

Finding a private spot to speak is harder than one would think, seeing how there are about a million people at the little resort right now, but she's managing. A desolate stretch of unkempt shore by the lakeside would do. Of course, she's also keeping a weather eye out for family members of the Stark variety - particularly the ones with big mouths.

And once she's certain he's not going to somehow disappear again, she lets go.]

Zuko, my family's here.

Comments

[honorinflames]

Would you stop already--

[but then she finally deems them far enough away from everything, and does just that. When he takes his wrist back, he's rough about it.

But whatever else he was about to snap at her kind of dies before it leaves his mouth. And it takes him a blinking moment to really process what she'd said]

What? ...Here? That can't be--Korra said our family booked up the whole resort.

[sexyhitchhiker]

My nephew's here, my older brother's here, and even my dad is here. And I'm pretty sure they didn't just make a wrong turn somewhere.

[honorinflames]

But why? That doesn't make any sense.

[the fact that they're attending the same reunion would be his very last guess...]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[and she takes out her fancy tablet where she pulls up a copy of the family tree she got off of Dad's laptop.]

Because we're related, Zuko. [somehow]

1/2

[honorinflames]

What? [--incredulous, making a face as he takes the paper...]

[honorinflames]

[he stares at it for a minute or two, completely uncomprehending... before this awful rising horror builds until it breaks, hitting him like a punch in the gut]

...What?!

[sexyhitchhiker]

[she winces]

Yeah, that was my reaction. Dad says only my half brother and my nephew are actually related though.

[honorinflames]

[it doesn't seem to really be helping. Not yet, anyway. He's having trouble processing anything right now]

But... that can't be. There's got to be some mistake...

[sexyhitchhiker]

Like one of our families just invited themselves to a complete stranger's reunion?

[oh man, does your family like doing that? 'Cause that might explain it.]

[honorinflames]

[...give him a second. He turns away, letting the tablet dangle from his hand as he drops his arm at his side, the other moving to rake a hand through his hair. Just trying to absorb this information.

He almost demands to know how this possibly could have happened, how this could really be true. ...But no, it's their fault for never mentioning family before this, and he knows it]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[she just stays quiet, looking out towards the lake. She's had all morning to try and get used to the idea, after all.]

[honorinflames]

[eventually, he sighs]

...What do we do now?

[sexyhitchhiker]

Make sure we're not actually related. [how illegal did Shizuru say this was again?]

[honorinflames]

Ugh... [hearing her even say that... he just drops his head into his hands]

...I knew something like this was going to happen!

[well, maybe not this, but... yeah]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[eyebrow raise]

Really? ['cause this was completely out of the blue for her. What do you mean 'House' isn't a common last name?]

[honorinflames]

I mean, not that--[halfheartedly waving the tablet]--but... that something would happen to mess this up.

[sexyhitchhiker]

That's what happens when you bring family into the mix. [like her insane brother.

...Speaking of which, she glances at his scar. What was the story again? A bear attack? Or House running around with a stolen flamethrower?]

[honorinflames]

[bear attack. or was it wolves...]

I just wanted this one thing to go right! Is that really so much to ask??

[sexyhitchhiker]

[speaking of which, her husky-wolf hybrid Duran is hanging out near the Stark cabin.]

Apparently. [she seems to be used to his tantrums, not that it's really helpful at the moment. She takes back the tablet and continues staring at the stupidly convoluted tree.]

[honorinflames]

[she can try to make sense of the tangled-up family tree while he continues to rage. he apparently hasn't gotten it all out of his system yet]

It's always been like this! My whole life has been like this!

First my parents, then I get taken in by a guy who hates me-- but oh, he thinks my brother is great, of course. Then my stupid face, my whole family is crazy... and now this!

[a frustrated growl] --I just wanted one thing!

[sexyhitchhiker]

House seems to like to hate things on principle.

[yep, still looking. Sheesh, how many kids does Cross have???]

[honorinflames]

Well, he sure doesn't hate Once.

[ugh, he rubs his face with both hands]

This is the worst thing that could have happened!

[well, second worst. The very worst would be her coming from the Stark family or something. Man, could you imagine?]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[yeah, honestly ---- Hey!!]

Better than say, finding out at the wedding or something.

[the eventual wedding that will eventually take place at least when they can both drink legally.]

[honorinflames]

[he can't even imagine that wedding now. What a mess that would be]

What are we even going to say now?

[sexyhitchhiker]

"Hey guys, we're just friends until we can figure out this stupid chart - despite the inter-family feud issue."

[instead of 'intra-family.' Hopefully.]

[honorinflames]

[he had something to add onto that, but there is a hiccup in his rant-momentum.

It's that 'feud' word that catches him, and he glances over at her. Wait a minute.]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[looks like she's checking her email now. The feud is only some dumb thing perpetuated by her stupid older brother, isn't it? Besides, Allen seems okay with it.

...Then again, Allen is one of the sane Starks.]

[honorinflames]

...What do you mean, 'feud?' [--reaching to take the tablet back]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[and she hands it back to him]

Gwaine seems pretty hung up [understatement] on what happened to Allen.

[honorinflames]

...

[between hearing those names, and taking a second look at that chart... he freezes.]




...You're a Stark??

[sexyhitchhiker]

[she blinks at the sudden venom in his voice]

Yeah?

[what, did you think that Stark is a common-ish name too?]

[honorinflames]

[whatever, you didn't put the pieces together either, lady]

Augh! I don't believe this!

[sexyhitchhiker]

[unlike you, she's somewhat less involved in the feud.]

What?? It's not like I'm asking you to get along with my brother! [the House House hating brother, not the one who's scared of House.]

[honorinflames]

[finally turning toward her, glaring like it's her fault]

The Starks have made my life miserable!

[sexyhitchhiker]

[yup, getting defensive now]

It's not my fault my family is insane!

[honorinflames]

I don't want Starks at my wedding!

[sexyhitchhiker]

[any comebacks she might have had leave her as she stands there, gaping at him. It's all she could do to keep it together, in the sudden silence that followed.

So knowing her for all these years meant absolutely nothing, when she's being judged by something she can't help. Slowly, she pulls out a chain with a ring on it, hidden under her shirt for safekeeping, and stares at it for a long moment. After all, working with oil and engines all the time isn't exactly great for jewelry. A sharp tug, and then she drops the whole thing on the ground.]

There won't be.

[and she stalks off]

1/2

[honorinflames]

[no... no no no, that's not what he wanted! Everything is somehow getting worse, right in front of his eyes. When she pulls out the ring, it all dawns on him far too late, and the glare breaks apart and falls from his face. He can only watch in horror as she tugs off the chain]

Natsuki, wait... That's not what I-- [too late. far, far too late.

She's already leaving. She's walking away, but already gone.]

2/3 oops

[honorinflames]

[and then he's left with himself, a lake, and twisted-up family tree.

Which is where his eyes land when they finally fall. Just staring at the tablet in his hand.



...There really is only one course of action here.

With an enraged and heartbroken cry, he finally whips the thing far out into the lake.]

[honorinflames]

[he watches it splash, and sink. Then he watches all the ripples spread out and echo back.

After they fade, he just watches the lake for a while. Replaying things in his head, wishing curses down on every name he can think of on that stupid chart. He stays out there long enough that he figures his family might be starting to wonder where he is.

He doesn't want them hounding him with questions, so he finally turns to head back.

He stoops to pick up the ring on his way.]