if you mean the loft then no he moved because he lives with some guy now ['Some guy' AKA a good friend from his world. Hikaru just doesn't like sharing and hasn't even talked to poor Juzu yet.]
i'll give you the directions
[He sends them over and he is now very, very curious about why Zuko was at Taichi's alone.]
[ And with that, qa planned, he arrives right on time at the address Hikaru gave. Zuko’s looking a bit worse for wear, tired eyes, resting scowl, poor posture. He looks a lot more like Zuko looked in Prismatica, frankly. He’s even wearing a plain deep red hoodie and dark grey slacks and black boots again, not so different from his basic dress code back then. It all just screams “feeling low,” for someone who’s seen now a year’s worth of progress in Zuko… He’s too comfortable with misery. He just shoulders it, sits in it. He even went to school today even though he only realized yesterday Uncle and Azula had disappeared. Did not even take the day off to rest and mourn. So he’s extra tired by this afternoon, mentally burnt out.
But above all, he wants distractions… He wallowed in it the first day, talked it out with Gokudera last night. Today, he just really didn’t want to go home from school to his empty, half-packed inn room. So shopping with Hikaru it is. He can count on that to be fairly lighthearted and leave little room for getting over-emotional about things he can’t change. So in addition to his lazy clothes and obvious exhaustion, mentally and physically, he’s wearing a face that shows somehow all that is on his mind, expressive as always even without words. He knocks at the door but also texts Hikaru for good measure, since Taichi and apparently “some guy” live here, too. ]
[Hikaru gets it. He's pretty much feeling very similar, even though it's been over a month since he lost Kaoru. He's had Zuko and Taichi but it doesn't mean he doesn't feel the grief from losing somebody so important.
But he is dressing better now. Much more chic with his well-loved layers, shirt under a shirt. He's putting more effort in than he was a month ago.]
Hey. [He's going out of his way not to make a comment about his appearance.] So, ready to go? Did you eat or anything?
[ Zuko knows Hikaru's biting his tongue about his appearance. And appreciates that. He just nods and sets off in stride with the other. ]
Yeah. I ate at school.
[ Good thing that he's at least feeling well enough to go to school, maybe? But it is a welcome distraction. Better than moping around at home. ]
You lead the way. I don't go shopping much.
[ He doesn't strictly need new clothes... but it's another welcome distraction. And he figures if they see some houseware shops along the way — beddings, kitchenware, electronics, decor, and such — they can stop off for a peek if something catches Zuko's eye. He's not even sure if he's told Hikaru yet he's moving. It'll come up. Which reminds him— ]
I'll never understand the school thing. [On one hand he does understand why Zuko goes to school but Hikaru is happy to be able to just miss school. And he definitely doesn't understand it when Zuko's going through this.
But Hikaru starts to lead them to some nice department stores. They could use the magic carpet but Hikaru, for once, is having them walk. He thinks Zuko would appreciate that, being able to move and offer my distraction.]
A guy from his world. Name's Juza. He reminds me of someone from my world but I don't talk to him. [Hikaru has no interest even if he really should because this is Taichi's friend. Oops.]
But more importantly...why did you go to Taichi's place before?
Oh—! Uh... J-Just to visit. He invited me over for, um. What are those weird snacks in packs he had me find... In little plastic boxes... Didn't even look like real food. I had to go to three stores until someone knew what the hell I was talking about! Lunch—something.
[ He is absolutely dodging this question and it's not obvious at all, nope. ]
A-Anyways, why don't you talk to his friend? You should talk to his friend!
[ This was a completely normal and not suspicious at all reaction. Yes. Nailed it. ]
Oh, those lunchable things. It's like a fake, processed charcuterie board. No idea what his obsession with fake cheese is. [Hikaru will never understand Taichi's food and he doesn't want to. Tamaki was into the commoner food and Hikaru liked the novelty of it but at the end of the day, he's a priss and wants his fine foods. The novelty has long worn off.
But what Hikaru cares about more is Zuko's reaction. He's being defensive and Zuko is awful at lying.]
Yeah, yeah, I'll talk to Juza. [No he won't.] But did Taichi really make you just come over to eat food? Nothing else? At all? [By now, Hikaru trusts Zuko and Taichi enough to not jump to something like cheating. So then whatever happened? Well, it's probably hilarious.]
Oh, uh— I didn't eat it, actually... I wouldn't. It looked fake. I let him have them, he'd just asked me to bring them over when we, um— hung out.
[ His eyes dart away awkwardly, transparent as always even in his lack of transparency. He's definitely hiding something uncomfortable and trying to make it seem normal. Shit-talking Lunchables will only distract Hikaru for so long, though, and he knows it... He doesn't want to tell this story, fjknsd surely Taichi wouldn't want him to, either. It's— not an easy story to tell. He didn't even want to have this story in his repertoire at all, but well, y'know, life is full of surprises. ]
[ Two emphatic "what?!"s...? Something's up. He absolutely bumbles, almost stopping in his tracks, barely containing himself from flailing as his face falls, before moving forward with his head held too high and quickening his speed. ]
No, Hikaru, we were just hanging out, that's it! C'mon!
[ Funnily enough, though, come to think of it... Has Zuko or Taichi ever mentioned hanging out alone before or since whenever this happened...? Something's definitely up. ]
[ Zuko groans, growing aggravated. He has no excuse built in here. He wishes he hadn't brought it up in any regard. He dug his own grave. He doesn't want to betray Taichi's trust... but he doesn't want to betray Hikaru's, either. Predicament. ]
...There was— something he was nervous about. And he knew I didn't know much about it, either, and wanted, uh— moral support— which I guess was helpful because I knew about things related to what he was nervous about... He told me I was the bravest person he knew, so he wanted me there to encourage him.
[ That's.
Detailed.
But still not at all revealing.
Which is surely aggravating.
However, Hikaru knows Zuko well; the question now is what's not being said, to decipher what topics Zuko would want to dance around... It's a process of elimination here, rather than revelation, which clearly isn't gonna happen so easily. ]
[That sure is a lot and really not enough. Hikaru has to really read into the words.]
Something he didn't know about but you know some stuff about? Fighting? Eh, he wouldn't be worried about that so much and he would have told me all about this if he'd trained with you. You wouldn't be so embarrassed about it either. Hmm. Was it about me?
[Both Zuko and Taichi know more than "some stuff" about Hikaru but he's going to have to start somewhere.]
[ Zuko grimaces slightly, shooting Hikaru a Look. ]
I already told you I'm not telling you...!
[ That reluctant, reticent response alone probably makes things unintentionally clear, Hikaru knowing so much about Zuko's reactions: first of all, yes, it obviously was about Hikaru, or he wouldn't balk and bark like this at the question; and second of all, it was probably sexual. Because what else does Zuko get so keyed up and awkward talking about...? Definitely not fighting, that's true. Zuko doesn't need to say anything to say so much. And he's completely blind to his own transparency. ]
It was about me! But what about? Taichi knows just as much about me as you. So what? [He's going down the list, trying to think of things. What would embarrass Zuko and Taichi wouldn't tell him about?
He's going down the timeline and then he pauses once it hits him. The only thing that would get this reaction from Zuko.]
Did you give him sex advice? From the time he tried to seduce me? [There's a shit eating grin slowly growing on his face.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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give me an hour and a half. i spent the night at taichi's. but we can meet at my place.
[And he has a lot of his stuff at Taichi's but if he's going out shopping, he has to look nice.]
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ive been there
i could meet you there
[ Wait, when the fuck did Zuko go to Taichi's apartment alone...?! ]
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i'll give you the directions
[He sends them over and he is now very, very curious about why Zuko was at Taichi's alone.]
text -> action;
[ And with that, qa planned, he arrives right on time at the address Hikaru gave. Zuko’s looking a bit worse for wear, tired eyes, resting scowl, poor posture. He looks a lot more like Zuko looked in Prismatica, frankly. He’s even wearing a plain deep red hoodie and dark grey slacks and black boots again, not so different from his basic dress code back then. It all just screams “feeling low,” for someone who’s seen now a year’s worth of progress in Zuko… He’s too comfortable with misery. He just shoulders it, sits in it. He even went to school today even though he only realized yesterday Uncle and Azula had disappeared. Did not even take the day off to rest and mourn. So he’s extra tired by this afternoon, mentally burnt out.
But above all, he wants distractions… He wallowed in it the first day, talked it out with Gokudera last night. Today, he just really didn’t want to go home from school to his empty, half-packed inn room. So shopping with Hikaru it is. He can count on that to be fairly lighthearted and leave little room for getting over-emotional about things he can’t change. So in addition to his lazy clothes and obvious exhaustion, mentally and physically, he’s wearing a face that shows somehow all that is on his mind, expressive as always even without words. He knocks at the door but also texts Hikaru for good measure, since Taichi and apparently “some guy” live here, too. ]
here
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But he is dressing better now. Much more chic with his well-loved layers, shirt under a shirt. He's putting more effort in than he was a month ago.]
Hey. [He's going out of his way not to make a comment about his appearance.] So, ready to go? Did you eat or anything?
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Yeah. I ate at school.
[ Good thing that he's at least feeling well enough to go to school, maybe? But it is a welcome distraction. Better than moping around at home. ]
You lead the way. I don't go shopping much.
[ He doesn't strictly need new clothes... but it's another welcome distraction. And he figures if they see some houseware shops along the way — beddings, kitchenware, electronics, decor, and such — they can stop off for a peek if something catches Zuko's eye. He's not even sure if he's told Hikaru yet he's moving. It'll come up. Which reminds him— ]
...So who's Taichi living with? "Some guy?"
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But Hikaru starts to lead them to some nice department stores. They could use the magic carpet but Hikaru, for once, is having them walk. He thinks Zuko would appreciate that, being able to move and offer my distraction.]
A guy from his world. Name's Juza. He reminds me of someone from my world but I don't talk to him. [Hikaru has no interest even if he really should because this is Taichi's friend. Oops.]
But more importantly...why did you go to Taichi's place before?
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Oh—! Uh... J-Just to visit. He invited me over for, um. What are those weird snacks in packs he had me find... In little plastic boxes... Didn't even look like real food. I had to go to three stores until someone knew what the hell I was talking about! Lunch—something.
[ He is absolutely dodging this question and it's not obvious at all, nope. ]
A-Anyways, why don't you talk to his friend? You should talk to his friend!
[ This was a completely normal and not suspicious at all reaction. Yes. Nailed it. ]
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But what Hikaru cares about more is Zuko's reaction. He's being defensive and Zuko is awful at lying.]
Yeah, yeah, I'll talk to Juza. [No he won't.] But did Taichi really make you just come over to eat food? Nothing else? At all? [By now, Hikaru trusts Zuko and Taichi enough to not jump to something like cheating. So then whatever happened? Well, it's probably hilarious.]
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[ His eyes dart away awkwardly, transparent as always even in his lack of transparency. He's definitely hiding something uncomfortable and trying to make it seem normal. Shit-talking Lunchables will only distract Hikaru for so long, though, and he knows it... He doesn't want to tell this story, fjknsd surely Taichi wouldn't want him to, either. It's— not an easy story to tell. He didn't even want to have this story in his repertoire at all, but well, y'know, life is full of surprises. ]
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[He needs to rile Zuko up into telling the truth.] Did you two have an affair or something?
[Hikaru knows that this would absolutely not happen. They both would never do that. But he knows how Zuko works and he's hoping he'll blurt it out. ]
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[ Two emphatic "what?!"s...? Something's up. He absolutely bumbles, almost stopping in his tracks, barely containing himself from flailing as his face falls, before moving forward with his head held too high and quickening his speed. ]
No, Hikaru, we were just hanging out, that's it! C'mon!
[ Funnily enough, though, come to think of it... Has Zuko or Taichi ever mentioned hanging out alone before or since whenever this happened...? Something's definitely up. ]
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So then what did you two do? Kind of weird that you're not telling me details? I'm gonna keep questioning you, you know~
[Hikaru can be very annoying.]
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[ That's still not very detailed. Or accurate, necessarily. ]
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[Rude.]
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[ Rude. ]
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[Here it comes. Make it believable, Zuko.]
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[ Grumble, pout, etc.
Zuko's a jerk. A tease. And not as adept as lying as he'd sometimes wish he were... He's learned nothing from Azula. ]
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[He's not even bothered. The good thing that has come from their friendship is Zuko could even yell at him but Hikaru wouldn't bat an eye.]
why hello there ; v ;
...There was— something he was nervous about. And he knew I didn't know much about it, either, and wanted, uh— moral support— which I guess was helpful because I knew about things related to what he was nervous about... He told me I was the bravest person he knew, so he wanted me there to encourage him.
[ That's.
Detailed.
But still not at all revealing.
Which is surely aggravating.
However, Hikaru knows Zuko well; the question now is what's not being said, to decipher what topics Zuko would want to dance around... It's a process of elimination here, rather than revelation, which clearly isn't gonna happen so easily. ]
This thread says a lot about their friendship
Something he didn't know about but you know some stuff about? Fighting? Eh, he wouldn't be worried about that so much and he would have told me all about this if he'd trained with you. You wouldn't be so embarrassed about it either. Hmm. Was it about me?
[Both Zuko and Taichi know more than "some stuff" about Hikaru but he's going to have to start somewhere.]
it really does, lol, i love it
I already told you I'm not telling you...!
[ That reluctant, reticent response alone probably makes things unintentionally clear, Hikaru knowing so much about Zuko's reactions: first of all, yes, it obviously was about Hikaru, or he wouldn't balk and bark like this at the question; and second of all, it was probably sexual. Because what else does Zuko get so keyed up and awkward talking about...? Definitely not fighting, that's true. Zuko doesn't need to say anything to say so much. And he's completely blind to his own transparency. ]
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He's going down the timeline and then he pauses once it hits him. The only thing that would get this reaction from Zuko.]
Did you give him sex advice? From the time he tried to seduce me? [There's a shit eating grin slowly growing on his face.]
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No...!
[ That is to say: Yes. ]
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Taichi came to you on how to seduce me?!
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