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Seokjin furrowed his brow in concentration as he moved his right hand over his left, bending water over a small cut on his palm. The water began to glow a dazzling blue as the edges of the wound drew together, eventually melting shut, leaving nothing but a thin white line. He sighed, content, as he examined his work, tracing over the scar with his knobbly fingers.
“So, is that what you’ve been holed up in here doing?”
Seokjin shrieked as he jumped in surprise, whirling his head and whipping around to scowl at his brother.
“Hyosang!" he seethed. "Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“I didn’t!” Hyosang replied, laughing. “I knocked like four times!”
“Sure you did,” Seokjin muttered in reply, rolling his eyes. Hyosang’s smile faded.
“I actually did knock though, you know. You were really into it that there, Jin.” Seokjin sighed.
“Healing takes a lot of focus for me, especially since I haven’t had any formal training after…that.” The brothers winced as they recalled the time that Seokjin had visited the head healer in the Northern Water Tribe, and had asked to be tutored in their art. She had been elated with the prospect of a royal protégé, and agreed immediately. However, when their father found out what Seokjin was doing with his free time, he was less than impressed. Needless to say, Seokjin hadn’t been back since.
“Well I’d believe that,” Hyosang replied, bringing them back to the conversation. “It’s not like I can talk, your control is eons above mine. But be careful Seokjin, if I was our Father, you’d be in big trouble.” Seokjin sighed.
“I know, I know. But I just really want to learn, you know? It’s a useful skill, and while Dad is all about preparing for war, I don’t think it’s fair that we can send our people out to die without being able to help them.”
“You know that Father would say that fighting for the Tribe is the best way to help the people, don’t you?” Seokjin knew it wasn’t a question.
“Well obviously. But I’m not really any good at that, am I?” Hyosang lightly punched his brother in the shoulder, frowning.
“Don’t say shit like that Jin. You’re a perfectly fine bender.”
“Even if that was true, I’m nowhere near the skill level of you, or our Father.” There was a pause in conversation, before Seokjin again turned to his brother.
“Do you resent me, Hyosang?” His younger brother blinked, confused.
“What? Why would I?” he replied, perplexed.
“Because you have the skills, the tactics and the drive to be the king one day, and the one thing that’s stopping you is your poor excuse for an older brother.”
“Oh yes Seokjin, because a compassionate man with a passion for healing and helping his people is going to make a rubbish king, obviously.” Hyosang managed to keep a straight face for a few moments, before snorting, causing Seokjin to break out into giggles. Hyosang looked fondly at his older brother, before continuing.
“Honestly though Seokjin, you’ve gotta stop doubting yourself!” Seokjin was hushed by his younger brother as he tried to protest. “Ssh, shut up and let me finish. Sure, we’re different, but that doesn’t make me any better than you, idiot. You have the patience of a saint, you’re determined to learn to heal in order to follow your own values, and you’re driven to help your people. What’s so bad about that?” Seokjin dropped his gaze down to his hands, his fingers pulling and tugging at each other in order to attempt to ease his worries.
“I don’t fit into what Dad and the council want me to be,” Seokjin murmured in reply. “I’m twenty-two years old, I was meant to have taken the throne at twenty, but the council have been holding me back, and we both know why.” Hyosang scoffed.
“Just because you don’t fit their idea of what a good king would be, doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t be one. All the people on the council are old farts who can’t see past their own prejudice and react to change like the plague.”
“You can’t say that!” Seokjin hissed, trying to hide a smile.
“What? You know it’s true!” Hyosang yelled. The younger sibling then proceeded to squeak out a rendition of the council laws in an impressive imitation of the elder, sending the pair into a fit of giggles. They leaned on eachother as they struggled to get their breath back, the tension in the room dissolving. Hyosang let out a happy sign before grabbing his brother by his shoulders and looking him straight in the eyes.
“All the people against you, they're just against change," Hyosang said softly, a great contrast to his earlier shouting. "Besides,” he continued quietly, “I think this nation needs change. I fully believe that it’s you that will bring that change to us, Seokjin.”