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Wells slips into the Bar from upstairs, pausing at the bar only to pick up dinner and his usual pint of Bass. There's no one at the booth he likes, so he appropriates the table, sets the folder marked GRUINARD ISLAND down nearby, and starts in on dinner. He'll go over the plans later; there's some stuff in there he really doesn't want to try to read while eating.

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"Sometimes," Wells admits. "'course, I am, but that's not the point. He got the sort of schooling a prince ought to have from someone- 'you're going to be in charge one day so you'd better be able to serve your people well'- but he also got a fucking maniac for a dad, and a couple other relatives I wouldn't wish on Saddam Hussein, by the sound of it. 's not exactly conducive to a real egalitarian outlook, that part, but if you've got a good heart- and he does- it's not the sort of thing makes you proud of your own blood either."

She nods, with an air of mentally taking notes. She's going to understand Zuko if it kills her!

"His dad. He won't talk about him. What's he - what did he do? I only know he was banished and his dad won't forgive him for something."

Wells exhales slowly, interlacing his fingers in front of him. "I'll tell you," he says, "but don't you dare tell him you know this. This is the bit where the samurai part comes into play and if he realises you know about it, he'll go right off his trolley."

"Zuko's country's been at war for a good hundred years now. Sounds like your standard wars of conquest with a side helping of genocide thrown in, though I don't know the details. They put the Air Nation or whatever it is to the sword 'cos the next person with the powers to defeat them was gonna be born there, so they figured- no Air people, no Avatar. Still had the rest of the world to conquer, o'course. 'Specially the Earth Kingdom. Zuko wasn't much more than fourteen or fifteen when he got to listen in on his dad's plans for some of that..."

Zuko never, never, ever talks about this part of his own will. He only mentioned it to Wells once- maybe twice- in all their time as master and student. Wells has never forgotten the look on Zuko's face, though, nor the details the young man vouchsafed to him. Change some of the details, change the outcome, and there's enough story congruence there to put the shits up the older man and then some.

"Seems the military brass needed to get an arseload of enemy out of the way, and one of 'em said, oh, hey, here's this bunch of young soldiers, peasants mostly, how about we send 'em out as meat for the wolves? And Zuko, not being a fucking sociopath, spoke up in their defence. Pissed off the brass, pissed off his dad. I dunno what happened next exactly, but from the sound of things there was a fucking enormous fight. I'm guessing his dad called him out for what he said, 'cos-"

( When the time came, I couldn't fight for what I said )

"-well. You know the Prince. If he said he couldn't fight for something, there's not a whole damn lot in the world that could stop him, I reckon. Except maybe everything he'd ever been taught about who you respect, and who you don't, and who it's right to raise a hand to in anger. This is an honour thing, and he's a prince- I imagine you can fill in the blanks as well as I can."

Steph nods, wide-eyed. "I didn't know. His face ..."

And she thought her dad was a jerk.

"Stupid Zuko." It's ... slightly admiring, her tone. "That ... wow."

Wells nods.

"That's when old Dad said that if he couldn't fight, he had no honour, and if he wanted his damn honour back, he could bloody well get it by bringing back the Avatar, now get the fuck out of his sight and don't come back without him. So, Zuko got run out of his own country on a rail and went off on the hunt with nobbut his uncle on his side- I mean, yeah, Uncle got him a shitload of help like naval vessels and stuff, but still- and that was two years of chasing this Avatar person down. Wound up here in the process, which is how I met him. I get the feeling something's happened and he can't ever go back now, but I haven't had the details from him. If he wants to talk about it, fine, otherwise-" He shrugs.

She nods, leaning back in her seat to take it in.

"That ... makes sense. He's still confusing. But it makes sense."

"'Course he's confusing. He's fucking seventeen. I've yet to meet anyone who wasn't confusing at that age, and that includes myself and all the other recruits I was training with at the time."

She laughs, at that. "Boys. Boys are crazy. Especially Zuko."

No, of course she's not applying that 'crazy' to herself. She's only sixteen, so of course her actions are perfectly logical.

"Sure," says Wells, unperturbed. "I'd say it makes me glad Annie 'n me only ever had a daughter, but Philippa was mad as spoons herself at that age, so there you go."

Steph grins. "Heh. Well ... maybe some girls are weird too."

Obviously not her, though. Course.

"I'll give her this- she comes by it honestly," Wells concedes. "Runs in the family, that kind of thing."

Of course.

Steph smiles, a little awkwardly. Family's a mildly awkward subject at the best of times. "You too, huh? I bet you weren't as hard to understand as Zuko, though."

NOBODY could be.

"You'd have to ask Annie," Wells says. "Or her dad. Tell you the truth, though, I was likely pretty simple at that age. A hell of a pain in the arse to everyone who knew me, but pretty simple. Annie's dad wanted to run me off with a shotgun more than a few times."

Steph giggles. "I wish Zuko was simple," she says. "'d make my life so much easier. I haven't got a dad with a shotgun, either."

"Wouldn't be Zuko if he were simpler, though," Wells points out.

"No," she agrees. "He's ..."

Many things.

"...not simple."

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