Summary: When Kazuo met Zuko for the first time, his near constant train of thought came to a complete, unexpected stop.
(A member of Zuko's crew gets a little bit of backstory)
(sorry for any errors!)
When Kazuo met Zuko for the first time, his near constant train of thought came to a complete, unexpected stop.
Zuko had been made infamous by rumours. The failure prince, the exile, the useless traitor prince.
Kazuo didn't understand the nature of the nobility, only that Zuko had done something to anger them enough that it landed him here - disgraced and scarred.
The next thing Kazuo noticed was the broken look of helplessness that Kazuo often saw in his own face. It was the image of someone who'd lost everything and knew there was no hope of ever getting it back, and Kazuo knew that feeling well.
He'd never met his mother. She killed herself when he was far too young to remember. He supposes the trauma in her life was too much for her to carry. That happened to soldiers sometimes, as though the battlefield followed them home, and haunted them until the day they died, finally at peace.
His father was an Earth Kingdom soldier.
Kazuo's coming into this world was not a wanted or a welcome one. He will never be sure if the relationship his mother had with his father was one of love, or if it was just a moment of release between a Fire Nation soldier and an Earth Kingdom soldier, desperate to distract themselves from the carnage of war that surrounded them.
He had no siblings, he did not know of anyone from his mother's side, and he doubts they would accept him anyway. They probably knew of Kazuo's origins. His skin is a little too dark, his hair a little too light to be accepted into a Fire Nation family. But he also knew that his golden eyes and his Firebending would forever keep him nailed to a country that wanted nothing more than to rid of him.
When Zuko looked at him, shame splayed across his face and written into his walk, he was reminded of himself.
Kazuo had jumped on the offer to leave, to go on a journey, to see where his father came from, to escape from the painful clutches of this life.
He had barely looked at who he would be travelling with, only that he'd need to bluff his way into learning the way of sailing and that surely, nothing could be worse than how his life had already been.
He's glad he never looked at who he'd be travelling with until the last minute, otherwise, he knows he would have thought about his prince far too much, and his thoughts would have taken on a mind of their own.
The first time Kazuo talks to Zuko - who's only a measly year younger than him - it's a stunted conversation that neither are sure how to start, and yet clearly with a lot on their minds.
"Prince Zuko," Kazuo starts eventually, leaning a little closer to Zuko's side from where they're both sitting on the bed but Zuko interrupts him, and Kazuo is confronted for the first time, up close with how utterly horrifying Zuko's scar is.
How utterly horrifying their so called perfect leader is.
"I am no prince," he says. The words are soft and full of pained resignation and Kazuo blinks, processing the words carefully before he nods. "If you are no prince, then we must come up with another title…" he trails off, letting himself ponder the options.
Zuko is so much like him, Kazuo can't help the feeling of sickness within his stomach.
How many of them must suffer for the beliefs of other people? How many more of them must have their wills destroyed to nothing but dust before someone finally puts a stop to it?
"Captain," Kazuo says. He scratches his nose, irritating flaking pieces of burnt skin from so many hours on the deck and it would seem Zuko is not faring any better.
They're both hurting and all because of the selfish actions of others and the disturbing beliefs of their nation, but they are no longer there now. Now they are on the open seas. Now, their nation can't hurt them.
Zuko looks at him, his good eye widening and Kazuo stands up, offering his hand out.
"Captain," he says again. "Would you care for a spar?"
Zuko doesn't smile, but he hardly thinks that matters as Zuko grasps his hand tightly, letting Kazuo pull him off the bed. "I would love to, Kazuo."
Kazuo grins for the first time in what feels like years, his dried lips cracking and it feels almost painful on his face from the sunburn, but for the first time, Kazuo is sure that this - whatever this is - is going to work out.
Yo so Ao3 user Jaffar_Toufan commented on my last story about wanting to know more about Kazuo and since I was only just managing to restrain myself from ranting about the crew I thought a little backstory would be nice!
I know OCs can get annoying so I didn't want to bombard the main story too much, but if it's something you want let me know and I will accommodate!
Also if you want to know about the rest of the crew let me know... I'm sure I can spin something up!
As you can see from the origins of this part, comments fuel my soul!