[ Zuko glances at him while Hikaru speaks, but his eyes dart away at the end, a little "tch" noise escaping his mouth. He almost regrets saying anything — when drawing attention to the scar, in his mind, if it's unspoken, it's processed as scorn; if it's addressed, it's processed as pity; and it sucks having to think about it at all right now. He often forgot about his scar himself — he didn't really see himself with it in his mind's eye still, even after all these three long years... His inner eye knew what his own face looked like as a thirteen-year-old boy and froze that self-image somewhere inside, untainted by life's fire. He still saw himself that way unconsciously, until being wildly forced to realize that's not what he looks like — which happens daily, to one degree or another. The duality of awareness of it itself is upsetting enough, but every shade of a new upsetting thought he was feeling now is like a sprinkle on the shit cake of Today. He grumbles and rolls his eyes, turning away from Hikaru, scarred side facing toward him now, while all these thoughts flash by in nearly half a second. ]
So? Those things don't matter. Hair can't help this. What difference does it make?
[ Like Hikaru would know or understand or empathize — he knew that wasn't the case. But even as Zuko spoke, with all the other frustration of this conversation, there was a new sort of resentment toward Hikaru now bubbling up, an illogical but totally natural teenage one — Hikaru's obviously very good-looking. He's an attractive rich kid Zuko's same age, condescending to him, laughing at him, teasing him, and now the scar has somehow gotten dragged into it, even if he claims he wasn't coming for it... Even if he honestly wasn't, it almost made it feel more patronizing to be told "oh, well, I wouldn't attack your obvious deformity, that'd be too low." Gee, thanks. Zuko makes another, slightly hotter glance Hikaru's way, just to be angry at his handsome face in a new light now. ]
no subject
So? Those things don't matter. Hair can't help this. What difference does it make?
[ Like Hikaru would know or understand or empathize — he knew that wasn't the case. But even as Zuko spoke, with all the other frustration of this conversation, there was a new sort of resentment toward Hikaru now bubbling up, an illogical but totally natural teenage one — Hikaru's obviously very good-looking. He's an attractive rich kid Zuko's same age, condescending to him, laughing at him, teasing him, and now the scar has somehow gotten dragged into it, even if he claims he wasn't coming for it... Even if he honestly wasn't, it almost made it feel more patronizing to be told "oh, well, I wouldn't attack your obvious deformity, that'd be too low." Gee, thanks. Zuko makes another, slightly hotter glance Hikaru's way, just to be angry at his handsome face in a new light now. ]