This one is a long one... Things are getting set up :)

Tuesday, September 18, 1900, 11:01

"...My Lord, instant communication is now possible. You can speak to someone and with this device they can answer you back immediately." The man who was presenting this strange contraption was obviously nervous. After all, he was standing in front of his sovereign. Zuko was actually quite interested in the device. He was supposed to have seen it yesterday, but he was not going to begrudge Sokka an anxiety attack. He looked down to his right and saw that Sokka was staring intently at the device. That steely look of focus that Sokka made something in him stir.

"So you're telling me that even a mile, five, ten, a hundred miles away I can speak to someone?" Zuko asked.

"Yes," the inventor said, "As far as you want, Sir. As far as you want and it will be a s clear as a bell."

"Even, Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked.

"It would be quite a project to put up the wires, but yes even Ba Sing Se, Your Majesty."

"I'd better add that to the list of things I have to speak with the Earth King about." Zuko asked.

"Perhaps, my Lord. I have set up a demonstration. This apparatus is attached to another one three hundred yards away, five rooms down and around two corners."

Sokka's eyes lit up. "I have to see this work." The thought of technology distracted him. It sounded to good to be true. Talking to Zuko with electricity. Nah! It couldn't be done. He got up and started walking towards the inventor.

"I'll use this to talk to you." Sokka said looking at Zuko.

"Good idea."

"I'll go to the other end of this thing." Sokka said.

An assistant popped out of thin air, "Master Sokka this way."

Zuko watched him walk out in an almost clandestine way., knowing that he was stealing a peek. He did like the way Sokka's muscles showed though the robes. He loved how Sokka walked with the utmost confidence mixed with a bit excitement mixed in.

He snapped out of it when the device was brought to him. He stepped down from his throne and walked to the small table they placed it on. He examined it.

It looked like a candlestick, except it was made out of iron. At the bottom of the base of it there was a small hole through which an insulated wire was connected to the system. At the front of the base, there was a circle with all the numbers written in the inner edge. At the top of the candlestick there was a sort of funnel that looked like the bell of an oboe. Slightly lower down on the stick there was a small strip of metal, also black, that resembled a hook. Sitting in that hook there was another piece that looked like a funnel it was attached to a wire that went into the base.

"How do I use this thing?" Zuko asked.

"You speak into the receiver on the stick and you put the speaker to your ear and you will be able to speak to him. He will be the one to activate the system" The inventor said.

A moment later the device started to ring. It was unlike any sound Zuko heard before. He let it ring a couple of times, thinking of what to say. How would one converse on this thing. He picked up the stick and held the attached funnel an inch from his mouth. He put the speaker up to his ear.

Zuko felt nervous as he tried to come up with a proper word to greet Sokka.

"Hello?" Zuko finally settled with.

Sokka's response was one of amazement. "Oh my goodness, I can hear you. Can you hear me Zuko?"

"Yes," Zuko was easily amazed, "I can hear you loud and clear. Clear as a bell."

"What a time to be alive, Zuko. I can talk through walls now." Sokka sounded very proud to have used such a strange device successfully.

"Yes, we can."

"It sounds like you're in the room."

18:00

Zuko and Sokka spoke on the phones that Zuko had installed in their rooms. This was the first telephone line being put to use in the world, but somehow they were already comfortable with it, like it had been there the whole time, like they had known each other forever. They were still both excited to have it and were grateful for it. The both of them had it on their bedside tables.

Zuko dialed him. It was a direct line but Zuko liked the dialing mechanism. He could put his finger in any of the holes drag it around and Sokka would be on the other end in a second or two. Zuko had given the inventor fifteen million for the patent and ninety percent control of the technology. Zuko even named it and wanted to tell Sokka. He picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Sokka answered, still thrilled that he had a new device.

"I've come up with a name for this thing, Sokka. It's a 'telephone'"

"That's makes a lot of sense Zuko. Very smart," Sokka was genuinely impressed with his ability to come up with terms and phrases to express himself. Sokka slapped himself mentally, he didn't want to muddle anything.

"Why, thank you." Zuko hoped very much that his tone didn't give away how much pleasure he took in that statement. Bringing the phone with him, he changed position on his bed, laying flat on his belly, lifting his feet up and crossing them. "

"I'm sure that the many inventions that come before you are going to get new branding."

"I mean, come on Sokka, the 'Instant Telecommunication Apparatus' wasn't exactly catchy."

"No, it wasn't." Sokka said, feeling that he was the one running this conversation into the ground. There was a certain tension in the conversation and Sokka knew that he was responsible for it.

"I'm sure that his thing will be in the newspaper in the morning. I'm sure that when we start to set up telephone lines that crisscross these islands-"

"Wait, 'crisscross', I mean I get what that means but you can't just spring these new words on people."

"I can spring it on you."

"You know what Zuko, you're bored." Sokka didn't know where this was going, but he

"What?"

"You're bored, Zuko, that's why you're coming up with ll this new stuff. You need to get out of here."

"A vacation, no. I can't." Zuko said, though Sokka had managed to reinvigorate his attention.

"Not a vacation, just getting out of this palace."

"I can't-"

"You know what tonight, right now, we're going out," Sokka was ordering him.

"What? I can't-"

"You're not doing anything tonight. Are you?" Sokka asked determined that he was going to go out with Zuko tonight.

"I haven't any plans, but-"

"But nothing Zuko. Get out of those damn robes, put on some pants like everyone else and get out of this stuffy place."

"You can't order the Fire Lord around." Zuko tried to protest.

"You're not my Fire Lord Zuko. I am a Water Tribe citizen and heir apparent to the throne of the Southern Tribe." Sokka reasserted those pressing facts.

"I-" Zuko couldn't think of anything, "Alright." It was not as if Zuko could say no to Sokka...

18:30

Sokka was wearing one of those new collared shirts that he had seen from the Colonies. The Republicans really knew how to dress. It was white and he loved the whole button idea. The sleeves went down to wrist but he rolled the up to a couple of inches below the elbow It was pressed and ready for him. It was entirely too warm for him to wear a tie. He didn't button the two top buttons and let a bit of his chest show. He was fit enough for there to be no embarrassment. He wore a necklace, one of those shark tooth ones that he took with him when he left home, back in the winter. Now the pants, another new material that he liked.

They called it denim. It was blue and it reminded Sokka of home. It was a darker shade of blue, almost black. They were comfortable and he thought them to be quite stylish. He put on a belt. It was brown leather with a simple square buckle of gold. He wore some brown shoes too, also leather (the smooth side, he hated suede) that matched the belt. He tied the laces and readied himself.

He was still slapping himself mentally. This was so impulsive, what he was doing. He still didn't know why exactly he did it. It was true that he wanted to get out of the palace. He missed the freedom that he had during the War. Of course, he hated the War, but behind the vague, silent dread, there was a will to be free and escape. That will had not disappeared in Sokka. On the contrary, it grew stronger now that peace was achieved. He had the true freedom to move around as he pleased.

He wanted to, but he wanted Zuko to be with him.

That realization scared him the most. The more effort he put into just riding out those strange feelings he had, the deeper the grew. He was cutting off his nose to spite his face. He was stuck in a vicious cycle. Deny Zuko, like him more. Deny to ignore liking him, like him more.

Sokka knew that sooner or later he was going to be forced into a decision. His thoughts had him on a frantic race to the bottom, but what happened when he finally hit it? Rock bottom?

He wasn't there yet, so he wouldn't think about it. Putting things off was against his nature, but he felt that looking and thinking about Zuko like that was against all nature. Right? It was as wrong as wrong could be. It wasn't manly and his father taught him to be masculine, before he left. Sokka was a man. Men simply did not think about other men that way. Right?

Right. But then the irrational thought process made itself known again. He just made a poor decision in wanting to get out of this place with Zuko. But he would have been miserable if Zuko wasn't with him. Angst much? Yes. How far would Sokka fall before he hit rock bottom was hard to know.

It was just as hard for him to know as it was for him to contemplate Zuko. He simply could never think of him in an objective way. He had forgiven everything before they were on the same team months ago.

When he thought about Zuko, it was only the way he smirked when he had something clever to say, the light always glinting off his perfect teeth. It was the depression and yearning in his voice when he spoke yesterday. The gentle, earnest passion he had in his eyes when they talked about the Fire Nation. The way Zuko's skin felt on his when they touched accidentally. It was in his It was the cute little frown he's make when…

'Cute'. Yes, Sokka actually contemplated the word 'cute', when he thought of the Fire Lord. Sokka put that thought away. There was no need to go down that road. That was an evocative word. He realized that he never used that word Suki or even Yue.

Enough for now.

Sokka got his sword and boomerang and sheathed them both. He managed to keep them sheathed on his belt. Sokka walked to Zuko's chamber. He knocked, pushing those scary thoughts down and away. Zuko opened the door. He decided to dress the 'new' way too. Zuko wore a collared shirt too, only his was black and had short sleeves. He forwent the tie as well, opting to wear a necklace with a gold and red pendant on it. His jeans were very dark, in fact as Sokka looked, he saw that they were black. The jeans fit more closely to his legs than did Sokka's, though they weren't too skinny on his legs. He saw that Zuko was also wearing the canvas shoes that had they wore in the colonies to save leather. And apparently jeans became famous because of those cowboys who exemplified the western Earth Kingdom and some of the Fire Nation Colonies.

Whatever the case was, the clothes were changing and Zuko prefered the new clothes from the colonies than those old robes. They were more comfortable. He let his hair down too. He felt much freer and would have to thank Sokka somehow. Sokka really frustrated him.

Sokka was so kind to him, so selfless. Every time he had a problem, day or night, Sokka put everything aside and addressed it. Even after he passed out, all he wanted to do was go out for a walk and get some dumplings from the outside. Sokka had already said that he had his own throne and his own duties.

Zuko felt like asking him to be free, as it started to feel like he was enslaving Sokka. That would not end well if he sent Sokka away. It would destroy him. It would ruin him completely.

"You look nice." Sokka said, trying not to be awkward. Internally he was screaming. This wearing all black thing was not good for his sanity. Sokka also took note of how slight Zuko's frame was, small but not frail. Zuko was built like a dancer. He was a couple inches shorter than Sokka too. If he got on his tippy toes, they would be eye to eye, mouth to mouth.

"Thank you," Zuko looked down at the carpet, blushing hard, "You too."

They walked through the hallways, yes it was about a ten minute walk to the front doors and another five minutes to reach the Southern Gate. As they passed into one of the last hallways to get out of the place, Hashi seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

"My Lord, where-" Hashi walked beside his sovereign

"Out."

"Out where?"

"To get something to eat, to get some fresh air to be among the people, like I promised," Zuko realized how quickly he was justifying this drastic change from tradition.

"There's a safety-"

"I'm a master firebender and Sokka's a master swordsman. We're fine."

"And you're dressed like-"

"Regular people, because that's what we are." Zuko was getting impatient, his remarks were getting curt.

Sokka spoke as they continued the progress down the hall, "He's just trying to be good Sage. Thank you Hashi, but we're both adults. We'll be fine."

"Zuko's only seventeen," Hashi said before he had the opportunity to think his statement through. He grimaced when the words registered fully in his head.

Zuko stopped suddenly, not out of anger but shock "What did you just call me?"

They all stopped.

"My Lord, I'm sorry-"

"No, don't be sorry. All I want is the freedom to be called Zuko, not 'Fire Lord', not 'Your Majesty', Lord High this or Right Honourable that. I know that if I go outside, I won't be called that, but I want to be among people like that. I am going outside to see my people and to be seen. Sooner they will accept me as one of them and not just some vague deity, some distant despot to whom they pay their taxes. All of that pretense and falseness got us into the War in the first place. I am for use, not merely for show. If a citizen asks me a question, I'll answer it."

"You intrigue me, Sir."

"Good. Now, please, don't worry about me. I've had Azula after me and if I can survive that, I'll be just fine." Zuko started walking again

"Sir?"

"Don't wait up." Zuko called back.

The gas streetlamps were turning on though there was still about a half hour of sunlight left. People were having all sorts of reactions. Some people were squinting and saying, "Nah". Others went into silent hysterics, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness." Most simply stared, shocked to see the Fire Lord dressed similarly to them. In the last few months the middle classes were embracing this new way of dress. Only the stuffy nobles were sticking with the full robes and gowns.

They were walking down the street talking when a boy about six years old bumped into him. He was playing around with his friends. Looking at the sky, Zuko thought it strange that a boy of this age would be out playing this late.

"I'm sorry, mister," the boy said looking up, "I didn't see you."

Zuko squatted to looked the boy in the eye. His mother and uncle always did it, so he did it too. "It's alright… just be more care-"

A woman came out of a house and ran up to the scene. "Li, what did I tell you-" She stammered when she saw who he had bumped into. He stood up. "Fire Lord Zuko, I… I can't express my apologies-"

"You're the Fire Lord? I thought he was older." The little boy made Zuko and Sokka both chuckle a bit.

"Li, say you're sorry to-"

"He already apologized, Miss."

"See mommy, I did."

Zuko squatted again, "Remember to listen to your mother, okay. Mom always knows best. Okay?"

The little boy nodded affirmatively.

Zuko got up again pat her gently on the shoulder. "You have a good night, miss."

Zuko started his trek with Sokka again, but the lady stood in the middle of the road staring at the two of them. She never wanted to wash that shoulder again.

They approached the main street. The promenade itself was wide as it went down towards the Marketplace Green. Again, Sokka and Zuko were being watched by a few thousand people. They did not dare to approach him. That is what Zuko wanted to change. He wanted to be able to shake people's hands and talk to them, not to be watched like an ant under a magnifying glass.

"Pick a place." Sokka said, "You know this town much better than I."

"Well, the all say Mister Fong has the best food in the whole nation."

Just before they started down the road, The Promenade, as it were, a shrill voice called out to them from behind. "Fire Lord Zuko? FIre Lord Zuko?"

A small man, shorter than Zuko. He was wearing a full Republican style suit with the bowler hat, vest, white shirt, tie, and slacks. He held a pen in one hand and a notepad in the other. Zuko turned around.

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"My name is Li Ming with the gazette. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"No, not at all." Zuko looked over at Sokka and asked him, "You don't mind."

"No, go ahead." Sokka was glad to see the way Zuko's face lit up when someone felt comfortable enough to talk to him.

"You said last week that you want to monarchy to be different. What exactly did you mean by that?"

Zuko paused for a second before he spoke. "What I meant was that I want the monarchy to be more approachable. I think it is an unfortunate fact that the people didn't know my father, or his father or any Fire Lord before them so I take it very seriously that my people not only see me but know me as well. If I am not honest about who I am, this would all be a waste. If the people I love don't understand the love I have for them, I could not be the best Fire Lord I could be. I have been honest about everything and I will continue a government of honesty."

Sokka shuddered a little bit, but was glad that both Zuko and the reporter were to engaged to notice.

"We know that there is great upheaval in the colonies right now. We also now that you ordered our troops to stand down. Why?" Ming asked.

"It's very simple. That whole region is volatile. For reasons that only He knows, the Earth King has put an opposing force to us. Any act that can even be mistaken for aggression will be destabilizing. I told my soldiers to defend their own bases. THe Avatar's job is to maintain peace and balance, and he is there doing that. My highest priority is making absolutely certain that we don't pour any more blood or treasure into war. War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!"

Are there any efforts on the part of the FIre Nation to make contact with the Earth King to start talks. If so what has been done?"

"Yes. As of right now we have had no assurances that our diplomats can start up an embassy. On our end, I am ready to proceed with talks and ready to welcome a delegation from all nations."

"Last one."

"Sure."

"Do you intend to come out into the public often and why?

"Yes. I am going to get out of the palace because as I said, I work for the people."

"That's a very republican concept."

"Well, it's true. The last hundred years have proven that governments that do not listen start only to care about themselves. Governments are set up among us to work for the citizenry. At every stage I am going to tell you what I am doing and why. I think that it is easier to do that out in the streets than it is from some edict coming down from up high. I want people to trust me and I have to earn that trust. It's pretty hard to trust somebody you cannot see."

Zuko realized in that moment that he, they were surrounded by about a throng of fifty people. They all started clapping and cheering.

Zuko reached his hand out to shake the reporter's hand. The reporter was shocked and returned the gesture.

"Shake my hand, Fire Lord" Some of the people started shouting.

He obliged. Sokka, who looked from the back of the crowd, realized that he loved how open Zuko was. He loved the way that he greeted his people. He was so passionate yet gentle. Strong, but vulnerable.

Sokka shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts.

19:22

They sat across from each other in a booth by the window, a lit candle on the table. Zuko loved how the flame danced in Sokka's eyes. Sokka loved how the flame danced in in Zuko's eyes. Of course, neither would admit that. They were focused on the other instead of the people around them. They weren't sitting separate from the people. Needless to say that the people were absolutely delighted to see the Fire Lord, and to see that he was normal and like them.

"Sokka, you were right, as always."

"Told you you needed to go out. Your whole mood is lifted, I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much. Sure as hell didn't see the typical Fire Nation citizen smile at all."

"We were focused on war and now we have-"

"Peace?"

"Yes, Sokka. You and me and everyone. We have peace. A week ago I was laid up in bed recovering from a lightning strike. In seven days, just wow."

"I went from a cast to passing out to eating dumplings in a Fire Nation restaurant."

"You're better now, that's all that matters." Zuko replied.

Zuko smiling and excited made Sokka feel good inside. It was right to see him smiling, just as it was wrong for him to frown. Another moral question entered Sokka's head. If Sokka was able to make Zuko content and merry, and it was right to make him this way. Was it still wrong to feel this attraction to him. If Zuko was really telling the truth about how much he loved him, that meant that if Sokka reciprocated that would make him happy. Making Zuko happy is right. The piece of Sokka that wanted to make Zuko happy was getting louder, though nature and society call it wrong.

Loving Zuko was wrong, but loving Zuko was right. He put that thought to one side.

"I am better," Sokka lied. "And so are you. Just remember that tomorrow, the struggle continues."

"What struggle?" Zuko asked.

"The struggle for sanity." Sokka replied.

"I know what you mean, but this is the escape."

"Toldya."

"You did." Zuko said, "You did."