[ it's soft: ] I don't know. You don't have to. I've been living like this for years now. You don't have to worry about me.
[ it's the truth. zuko knows how to survive azula. what he knows he can't survive if not knowing if he needs to watch out for her. zuko just doesn't know. he doesn't know if she'll be the one to try and put a sword in his back. ]
[ but he does. he does. ]
[ his gut's telling him she may be unravelling, but she's more hesitant to slice into him, less intent and intense to strike out at him as though he's the enemy. they'd gotten along upon his return to the fire nation, but his own anger at himself had ruined the ease in which they could've properly returned to. she'd allowed it to, almost nurturing his self-loathing. but zuko knows he won't encourage what upsets her to blossom into a monster that eats away at her like fire. ]
Azula's ... [ he scratches the back of his neck. ] I think I know why you're asking me about her. Something happened to her at the very end of the war. She ... She was different. She wasn't as put together as she usually is. She was slipping. I put her in an institution so she could get better, because I couldn't help her.
[ it's the only reason why he had. if zuko knew how to help his sister, he never would've entrusted any medical practitioners to take care of her. but he's been poor at doing so for years now. he thinks she must see it, too. ]
I don't know why she gets upset sometimes, but she does. She starts yelling and — [ she starts saying things he doesn't understand, referring to people who aren't there, confusing him even more. ] just don't mention Mother. Don't mention any mothers. Something happened that I haven't experienced yet, and I think she's hurt.
audio;
[ it's the truth. zuko knows how to survive azula. what he knows he can't survive if not knowing if he needs to watch out for her. zuko just doesn't know. he doesn't know if she'll be the one to try and put a sword in his back. ]
[ but he does. he does. ]
[ his gut's telling him she may be unravelling, but she's more hesitant to slice into him, less intent and intense to strike out at him as though he's the enemy. they'd gotten along upon his return to the fire nation, but his own anger at himself had ruined the ease in which they could've properly returned to. she'd allowed it to, almost nurturing his self-loathing. but zuko knows he won't encourage what upsets her to blossom into a monster that eats away at her like fire. ]
Azula's ... [ he scratches the back of his neck. ] I think I know why you're asking me about her. Something happened to her at the very end of the war. She ... She was different. She wasn't as put together as she usually is. She was slipping. I put her in an institution so she could get better, because I couldn't help her.
[ it's the only reason why he had. if zuko knew how to help his sister, he never would've entrusted any medical practitioners to take care of her. but he's been poor at doing so for years now. he thinks she must see it, too. ]
I don't know why she gets upset sometimes, but she does. She starts yelling and — [ she starts saying things he doesn't understand, referring to people who aren't there, confusing him even more. ] just don't mention Mother. Don't mention any mothers. Something happened that I haven't experienced yet, and I think she's hurt.