[ Zuko’s face is more and more awash with emotion with every next word. He’d thought Lunatia was annoying, but it was comfortable enough. But this? Sounds like a nightmare. He could empathize right away, read between the lines as if it were plainly stated, and his heart is breaking for Gokudera before the end of it. He notices the collar burn his neck, which just draws his brow into an even tighter knot. He wants to remain calm, and really, what can he possibly say to any of this? Now’s the time to listen. But he does have one comment he wants to be sure to put out on the table as a matter of certain fact, an important enough point to interrupt this mind-blowing story. ]

Gokudera, you aren’t disgusting. You’re amazing. Whatever’s happened— it can haunt you but it can’t define you. Not here.

[ His tone is pointed with conviction. People’s cores can change, he does believe, for better or worse; but only so much. None of this sounded fair. Pure trauma. Undue. And a fucking stupid way to categorize people. What kind of basis for a society is that? He’s uneasy feeling his own hair color suddenly... ]