[The first sounds heard would be Zuko grunting as he shoves something heavy off of himself. It's quiet all around, otherwise, except for maybe the muted rustle of clothing as he stands, or the skittering and squeak of a stray mouse.]

...It would be too much to ask to dump me someplace comfortable for once, wouldn't it? Or too much to ask not to dump me here at all, especially when things begin shaking like they did earlier!

[He groans, shuffling toward a door. It can be heard creaking open, and the wind outside gently hisses over the head of the microphone.]

It's not as bad as last time, at least... but I can see some of those things scattered around. The... Can-toi, or whatever they're called.

What happened?

[He starts forward, footsteps scuffing lightly across dirt and various pebbles. About seven or so steps away from the house, there is a loud crash from behind him that causes him to make a noise. It's not a yell! Because Zuko's not afraid, he's not going to yell! Much. But it's something of a startled gasp.]

...Just great! At least the stupid house waited for me to leave before it came down.

[End transmission...]

[There is an angry and frustrated growl as the feed begins, followed by the sound of a disgusted sort of hiss. A muted 'shhhing' as Zuko sheathes a sword, and then his voice. Behind him the fall of rain is heavy...]

What is it with large animals and things attacking me?

I've been here five days, not even a week, and three of those days have been spent fending off carnivorous predators! One of those days I was in an earthquake!

This is getting to be ridiculous.

[A crash of thunder rumbles behind him and Zuko pauses. The echo carries on for a moment, and then fades back to rain. Zuko sighs, seemingly a little more calm. It could also be that his fire is just getting rained upon and it's not a lot of use shouting into a strange little communicator.]

Miss Yukina, again, I appreciate what you did. You didn't have to. Kurama shouldn't have asked you to in the first place, but... well, you know.

And... Crawford is it? If there was one place you didn't search, then there has to be others. Tell me! I need to know.

[One final pause. And then, quietly hissed...]

And you. Gohan. Just remember what I said.

[The feed cuts off with a roar of thunder and some static before it goes dead.]

[One can hear a clipped thump as something hard tumbles and hits the communicator, triggering a video broadcast. Whatever has struck appears to be some sort of dark rock and it completely obstructs the view of the lens. There is very little light eclipsing the edges, but if one looks closely enough they might see that the rock is of igneous origins, very old and from some sort of mountainous region. It is covered in dirt and clumps of long and lush green grass... grass that is notably not from around here.

From somewhere beyond the foreign rock a few muttered curses sound off. They begin to grow closer, and louder, quite quickly. The voice belongs to that of a young man, conflicted and angry at finding himself elsewhere than he intended to be. His boots can be heard kicking at the earth in vain, the airborn dirt flying this way or that, only frustrating him further when it does nothing to satisfy his aggression.]

"I had them... they were right there in my sights, and I had them! How could I let this happen?!"

[For a moment there is silence... but only for a moment. With a loud, angry yell, the quiet passes and the young man kicks at some more of the tiny, earthy obstructions in his way. Dirt and dead grass alike, as well as the stone in front of the camera, go pitching through the air on an unfriendly looking corkscrew of fire. The accumulated debris strikes a tree and falls, glowing a brilliant red in the dark of the forest around him, illuminating his face briefly before that light fades.

He is as young as he sounds, but there is a burdened expression upon his features, within his narrowed, golden eyes. Covering short stubs of black hair is a straw hat that is fastened beneath his chin. His other raiment are those resembling the farmer social class, dark and uncomplicated. The rest of his body cannot yet be seen... but what is most unforgettable is the fire shaped crimson scar that mars the left side of his face, swallowing his eye in red, streaming back into his hairline.]

"I don't even know where I am now, or how I... What - what is that?"

[Holding out his hand, the young man conjures an orb of flickering flames in the center of his palm that lights his way. He wanders nearer to the communicator, and then stops, standing above it, frowning. After only a few seconds of deliberation he hooks the toe of his boot beneath the device, then kicks it up into the air and catches it with his free hand. He is thoughtful, gazing around himself, almost as if expecting an ambush. When all remains still, a tiny smirk tugs at the right side of his lips, but it does not meet his eyes.]

"How strange, a contraption like this out in the middle of nowhere. Or perhaps I'm not as far from civilization as I thought."

[The last thing seen before the device times out is a glimpse of the forest as the boy stuffs the communicator into the front of his shirt. It appears he has a way to walk before he gets out of the cluster of trees, but at the end of the way... there is definitely a dim light waiting for him.]

bending_fire is a Zuko RP journal created for a_trialbyfire and operated by bertarded

If you are not a member of the community, I would greatly appreciate it if you would refrain from adding this journal as a friend to your f-list. The point of this HMD post is to enable fellow players of the community to anonymously offer constructive criticism, comments, ask questions or offer compliments on how I portray Zuko. I also welcome the comments and critique of others, providing they do their research and do not abuse the luxury of anonymity.

Everything you need to know in regards to my portrayal can be found on Zuko's profile page. Conversely, the same information, but in more extensive detail, can also be found within.

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