The Need For Speed [Milliways]

[princeinexile]

"This," Zuko had explained, "is a motorcycle."

It has a combustion engine, can carry two people, and is a zippy form of transport for the stylish and those who want to be able to go places a car cannot. Zuko does not explain ALL of that in detail, but when he gets on and waits for his sister to get behind him --

-- he shows her instead, twisting and turning on the heavy duty tires down the road till one is leaving rural Yorkshire and heading into Harrogate at breakneck speed.

He doesn't spare an ounce; no, he roars that thing fast and hard and the speed would make an airbender jealous.

Zuko is hoping that it'll make Azula a little green, too.

Comments

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

See, she'd rather never ever touch him.

Ever.

But right now she's got her arms tight around his waist and is holding Very Tightly. Her head is buried in between his back and her arm. She hopes (and by hopes she means she doesn't care what he thinks) he won't mind if she throws up on him.

[princeinexile]

Zuko does not want to be puked on, thanks.

He heads into Harrogate with zigs and zags and puts his bike in the evening parking at Annie's bakery. He -- will HELP his dear sister off the bike, but refuses to be her puke receptacle.

"So, that's a motorcycle. Makes those lizards you ride look pretty slow..."

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

She's definitely green now and shaking slightly. She glares daggers at him. "I'd rather ride lizards everyday than get on that thing again."

She reaches up and smooths her messed up hair with a shaking hand. Eugh.

[princeinexile]

"Well, that's how we're getting back," Zuko says blithely, "so don't be too quick to swear it off."

Poor Azula. Zuko bets Ty Lee would have liked it!

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

"Can I walk?" She replies blandly.

Azula doesn't care what Ty Lee likes!

[princeinexile]

"Not unless you want to sleep in the woods halfway back to Yorkshire," Zuko says helpfully. "And I wouldn't, if I were you."

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

Azula gives an assenting nod. "I don't, you're right."

She gives the motorcycle a sneer. "And everyone thinks I'm the mean one."

[princeinexile]

Zuko looks at the bike, and then snorts. "You just don't like something that puts you that close to being out of control. Or having to trust anyone else's control," Zuko replies as he turns from his sister and then fishes out his wallet. Yeah, good;plenty of cash.

"Alright. This is Harrogate. This is a town in the land of England, which is part of the United Kingdoms. This isn't a really BIG city, but it's still pretty good," he says, as the wallet gets put away. "It's major trade is that it hosts people. THey come here to meet and discuss trades and things. So there's a lot of foreigners here so we blend in better. We look like people from a land to the east, called Asia. It has a lot of countries; more then we do, definitely."

Or at least, this is Zuko's version of Geography. He isn't THAT well learned about the world, after all.

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

She reties her hair up as he talks, flattening it from where the bike ride swept it out of the elastics.

Azula's pretty good at blending in, when she has to. When she needs to. "Is there anything I should know about that Asia place if someone asks?"

[princeinexile]

"Nah, they're not like that," Zuko replies. "Besides, nailing down which nation we're from...?" he shakes his head.

"Or you could pretend you don't speak English and let me 'translate'."

Which would be very humiliating, he's sure.

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

"I'd rather kiss you and tell you that you are my favourite brother ever." She says disgustedly.

[princeinexile]

Zuko makes a face.

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

She makes one back. "Never prompt me to say that again."

[princeinexile]

"I'll try," Zuko drawls, as he turns around. "That is Annie Wells' bakery," he says. "We'll leave the bike here and wander the city on foot."

If she's not too proud, anyway.

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

"Leaving the bike is good." Azula nods, crossing her arms and eying the bakery with interest.

[princeinexile]

"We're not going to the bakery," he says, and jerks his head. Walk this way! After him!

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

She makes a face at him as he jerks his head, moving to fall into step with him. "So. Where are we going?"

[princeinexile]

"We're going to go look at a few things in the city," he explains. "THere's a few things to look at. Didn't Tour of the Capitol ever interest you?"

You know, going around with Dad and seeing everything that would someday be somebody else's? Zuko liked it!

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

"It was alright. I guess." She shrugs. "As far as tours go."

[princeinexile]

"That's sort of what we're doing here. It's not as big and busy as London -- but I don't think we'll go there yet," Zuko replies.

He walks along toward the train station. It's not the far away! See? Trains that move without Earthbenders!

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

It's interesting, that's for sure and she finds herself looking with interest. Huh.

"It's nice," She gives, looking around a bit. It's not the Fire Nation, but...as far as places she's stuck in go...Harrogate > Earth Kingdom.

[princeinexile]

"It doesn't require benders. They do things with engines we can't yet," Zuko replies. COMBUSTION! They totally have to figure that out. "Just like the engine the bike."

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

"Hmm." She makes a noncommital noise, to show that she heard him. She's more interested in watching the train for herself.

[princeinexile]

The train loads up people, announces time and destination. A few minutes later, it's chugging along, slow but powerful, gaining speed to zoom out of sight...

Zuko just grins a little.

[favoured-azula.livejournal.com]

She watches it leave, her hands coming to grip one another behind her back in unconcious military precision. She purses her lips after a moment and eyes Zuko.

The "what next" is clear on her face.