DEAR DICTATOR → zuko

╸eleven : mother dearest

❝ mother dearest ❞

· • -- ٠ ♛ ٠ -- • ·

Nari has been resting in her room for the past hour or so, candles kindling around her as to keep her room from being so dimly and poorly lit. She still holds a fear of the dark, but as of the last few days, she holds a larger fear of nightmares and estranged images of Rai or Hikaro flickering through her mind. Meditating is one of the only few ways she manages them-- or so Iroh has advised.

It's not that Nari has told anyone about her bad dreams-- the dreams are minimal, but she used to sleep without a picture flickering through her mind at all, so there's still some apprehension towards such-- but Iroh just happens to know things. Like how there were bags under her eyes this morning, or how she's in a much more snippy and brute mood than normal, or her continuous yawns and stretches.

He also gave her tea, and suggested Zuko meditate as well-- the older man is very persistent on maintaining a strengthened peace of mind. 

Now, Nari continues her own meditation technique. It may not be one which only she uses, but it differs from simply closing ones eyes and relaxing the tension from their body. She needs much more than that, so Nari pictures herself in some golden, peach and lavender setting. She illustrates herself sitting on the sloop's edge during sunset.

She allows herself to breathe within the synchronous and steady breeze of the wind, and Nari inhales with such a beautiful setting in mind, she'd place herself in the moment. It was under her complete control-- soft, comforting, gentle, undisturbed.

This technique works wonders for Nari. It allows her to let in peace and light and shove out tension and darkness.

She places herself to meditate on the edge of the boat, listening to waves against the docks, holding her mothers chain within her hands. Nari rolls the comb shard over her knuckles, calm and in control.

As the rippled waves of water slowly fade into constant background sound, Nari sinks into a state of peace where she opens her eyes, perfectly balanced on the ships edge. The sun melts into the horizon, and the sky turns into a lilac and peach painting, and Nari looks around her in a steady exhale. It slightly catches in her throat as Rai appears by her side, and the gentle golden chain fades to nothing. It's now in Rai's soft, long, delicate hands.

Her mother exhales, a beautiful woman without a distressed wrinkle or hair out of place, with the rhythmic rise and fall of her shoulders speaking her breath. She closes her inky eyes, something of sorrow lacing her features. "Nari, my love, why did you break my comb?" She speaks softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Rai reaches for Nari's hands, taking them as her cold fingertips braze the burning backs of Nari's. "What did you do?"

Nari shivers as the chain rests against her hands. "I... I didn't mean to, mother. It was an accident." She pushes her voice past a lump in her throat, eyes staring down at her mothers locked grasp.

Rai simply sighs. "Sweet love, you have too many accidents,"  she hums, lifting Nari's hands to her face. Rai turns closer to Nari, her delicate voice seeming to ease her daughter as Nari turns to her, as well. "When will you take accountability for your actions?"

Nari shakes her head, a tremor within her voice. "No, no... I didn't mean to break it, I just... you..." her throat becomes a sticky syrup which every word gets caught in. "Mother, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Nari glances into her mothers dark eyes, which grow compassionate and sympathetic, black swirls of love and care and motherly tenderness. Rai's stare is so soft and comforting, one much alike to that of her childhood. The same soft gaze in which she'd look to Nari with when brushing dark strands from her face, or when she'd hold her in her arms as they waited out a thunder storm together. "I-"