(no subject)

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

Zuko's in a hurry on his way to the forge. The sooner he has real swords, the sooner he can get back to training.

(He could always use pretend ones in the Sensorium, but that feels like cheating.)

On the way, he's thinking of what, exactly, he's going to pay Dustin with. They danced around the subject of reimbursement, but Zuko knows, nothing's ever free.

Comments

[tricks-of-trade.livejournal.com]

Choline arched a long eyebrow and smiled. "It's the only way to go, as far as I'm concerned."

With a swift movement and a little twirly flourish, her daggers were in her hands. The blades were long, but wide, designed to stab or be used in dirty fighting.

"How long have you been doing it?"

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

She's good. Zuko's used to seeing people who are good with weapons being good with their weapons, but still, she's good.

"Since I was old enough to be taught."

So, since he could stand an make a fist.

"You?"

[tricks-of-trade.livejournal.com]

"The daggers? Not long. A decade, maybe? Before this, I used to dual-wield heavier swords, or do the sword-and-board thing." She smirked. "When my family was killed in the war, I had to take up a sneakier line of work to stay alive."

She won't bother you with the story of the war, Zuko. With a scar like that, she figured he'd probably been in at least one himself.

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

"Sorry about your family."

That's fine, Zuko doesn't want to assist anyone in brooding about it either.

He nods. "Good choice. I used my dao for infiltration more than once."

It was less flashy than firebending.

[tricks-of-trade.livejournal.com]

"It's a good line of work." Choline nodded firmly. "If you ever need a sparring partner, just let me know. Ohm aside, I'm falling out of practice. And that's never good."

She was by no means a martial artist, but she could scrap with the best of them.

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

"I'd be honored."

Zuko has made a point of it not to say no to sparring partners. There are worse ways to stay in practice or preparing for fights with more people, like Choline, whose styles and abilities he won't know in advance.

[tricks-of-trade.livejournal.com]

"Excellent." She smiled. "And we might learn a thing or two along the way."

"But don't let me keep you. I'm sure you need to go pick up your new swords."

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

"That's the point," he agrees.

"Yeah. I'll see you later. When?"

[tricks-of-trade.livejournal.com]

"Anytime. Today, tomorrow, next week..." She shrugged. "I'm pretty flexible, and I don't get up to much. Reading, or playing with my herbs in the Hydroponics place."

She put her daggers back and held open her hands as though showing herself off. "I'm not that easy to miss, really. Send me a message on the magic box and we can figure something out."