DEAR DICTATOR → zuko

╸eight : the pirates and the peasants

Nari chuckles to herself. "Someone's gonna get it," She sings to herself, a smile stuck on her face as she watches the oh-so-angry, angst-filled teen disappear behind closed doors— the last thing she saw of him was his sorry excuse for a ponytail.

Since the winter solstice and the time between, Nari has felt more... solid, so to speak. There's more of a grip on her anger, and while it constantly flickers in the back of her mind like a small flame, she's been able to see over the burning orange. Only her flame was never orange in her head— whatever rage hits, that Fire is white. That may be what keeps a hold on her anger to where she didn't lash out on Zhao, because Nari knows well that if she wasn't reminded of her grave situation, she might've snapped again. And she could thank that; maybe it keeps her at bay while a momentary peace has been placed over the past week or so.

Like pieces of a puzzle, practically. But Nari doesn't know the finished image— that'll be something she can guess as she goes. Albeit, the free time on her hands right now could hang up a few quick guesses.

Seeing Tayiko again after capturing the Avatar with Zuko— however that looks; being so highly regarded that her parents shed more respect and positive attention to her; maybe just capturing the avatar and sending things back to normal...

Nari wonders what that looks like.

While Zuko demands an explanation to the sudden change of direction, Nari remains on the deck, hands still gripped against the outer rim of the ship. Along with her, and awkwardly so, is another guard.

He, too, has crashed against the side-wall.

Nari nods in his direction. A quick, up and down motion that strikes up the guts for greeting. "Hey," she chimes, still rested. 

The guard looks rather baffled, but he engages nonetheless. "Hey."

"How's it going?"

He nods, shoulders slightly raised. "Good, good," the guard lightly gestures her way, "how 'bout you?"

"I'm doin' good..." Nari replies, forcing a smile as if, magically, it can hide the thick awkwardness between her and the guard. She glances up to the perfectly clear sky, and decides that between the flawless azure tone and the warmth against her skin, a conversation can be furthered. Not that it needs to be, though. "... Weather turned out nice,"

"Oh, yeah."

Thankfully, Zuko storms out from the door, pointing to her. "Go talk to uncle!"

Nari pushes off the wall before vividly displaying her confusion. "First of all, he's not my uncle," Though Nari can catch the habit of why Zuko slipped up (and the underlying and tangible understanding of his anger), she takes the opportunity to call him out, "and second, what's the problem?"

Zuko slaps a steaming palm to his forehead. "He changed our route for a stupid lotus tile."

Nari shrugs, having found that this was no immediate concern-- she wants to collect the avatar just as much as her friend, she even holds the same haste, yet Iroh doesn't ask much from his nephew (besides begging the boy to think things through). He deserves his lotus tile, or whatever changing the course over such entails. "Just let him be. Who knows, knowing our luck, we'll run into the avatar and his side-kicks at port."

♛

After moments which consisted of simply waiting for the ship to dock— something of a forty-five minute gap, Nari believes— Zuko storms into her room. His stomps radiate such a sound she could hear him from down the hall. She'd previously changed from her training gear to the clothes she normally wore, which forces her into an strange sitting potion on the floor; as mentioned, the skirt paired with her attire was a pain in the rear to straighten out.