Day 256 [Open]

[daughterofursa]

Who: Zuko and anyone
Open: Open!
When: Day 256, evening
Where: By the lake
What: A failure to meditate
Format: I'll match
Warnings: Honor

Zuko knows she's always been hard on herself, but she's never really considered it to be too hard. But some of the things people have been saying about her... Well, people in the Bastion have always expressed a more positive view of her than she thinks she deserves, and she always figured it was because they don't know what she's come from, but she's finally starting to wonder. Maybe the flawed perspective is her own.

Which is why she is attempting something else which, like positive thinking, she is not very good at: meditating. Whoever really wants to can find her by the lake, sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed and... definitely scowling more than she ought to be.

Comments

[notachickenhawk]

[Tobias doesn't know much about meditating, but he does know that Zuko seems... well, tense. Not that she's never not, but this is more than it usually is, and hawk eyes are all the better to see tiny movements with.]

[He doesn't want to startle her, so he just swoops down and lands near the water, splashing at it a little. He needs to wash his talons off anyway, since he just ate.]

[daughterofursa]

[Yeah, if she were doing this with candles, they'd be burning pretty hot here.

She doesn't immediately react to hearing him, but after a few moments she opens her good eye to check if that might have been a turtle duck. Oh. It's Tobias. She was hoping no one would be over here at this time of day.]

[notachickenhawk]

[Since she's seen him, he figures it's okay to talk.]

<What's going on?>

[He almost said 'what's up' but then again she's not from the same world and slang seems to be a problem.]

[daughterofursa]

...I'm trying to meditate.

[Yeah, even she's aware that that 'trying' needs to be in there.]

[twinked_witch]

Megaera had simply been taking a walk around the Bastion - fighting her way through the Skyway had taken its share of time and energy out of her, to say the least, so a little bit of recovery was good.

And then, she'd came across a seated Zuko. Eyes closed. To Megaera, what Zuko was doing was immediately obvious - though she had to admit, she'd never seen humans try Elven meditative trancing. Presumably, it had a different origin on Zuko's world, but the basics were familiar enough.

She didn't say anything yet, but did stand nearby, looking towards the lake herself.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko didn't notice Megaera's approach. Unaware she might be observed, she let out a frustrated breath and resettled herself as though she were trying to get comfortable. She was having a hard time focusing her thoughts, and her body was tense from her frustration.

Whatever 'Elven meditative trancing' was, she'd probably fail at that, too.

[twinked_witch]

"You seem tense. Like you can't quite get focused like you wish to focus on."

Megaera announced her presence, moving forward and taking a seat next to Zuko. With the cut in her dress, most of her leg was visible to the black-haired bender.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko gave a start and looked over at her. Not noticing all that leg just yet.

"Maybe I picked a bad spot," she muttered, though it was absolutely not the lake's fault and she knew it.

[freedom_engineer]

[Looks like Colin's come out to the lake for some reason... he spies Zuko, and more importantly, he spies her body language. He's worked with enough Mrrshan to know what that means. So he's just going to hang back and do whatever it is he's doing.]

[Except... it seems a turtle duck has noticed him, and starts quacking at him.]

[daughterofursa]

[Yeah, Zuko hears that, and opens her eyes.]

...are you bothering them?

[Do not mess with her turtle ducks she will cut you.]

[freedom_engineer]

Actually, I came out here to take some scans.

Aaaand they seem to remember that I carry food on me and can't resist hungry animals. Especially around supper time.

[Colin smirks slightly and reaches into one of his pockets, pulling out a piece of pressed bread. Yep, there come the turtle ducks...]

Sorry to disturb you. You looked busy.

[daughterofursa]

Not really.

[She's not going to admit she was failing at what she was doing, but... yeah.]

What 'scans'?

[blackblooded]

Crona comes to the lake, and sits near Zuko, but not too close, knees tucked up to chest, arms wrapped around legs.

Silence, for a few good moments.

"A-are you okay?"

[daughterofursa]

"What?" Zuko opens her eyes to look over. "I'm fine. What does it look like?"

[blackblooded]

Crona's gaze settles nowhere near Zuko, as far from Zuko as possible.

"I... I don't know. You were sitting here, you know. You were making a scary face. That usually doesn't mean people are fine."

[daughterofursa]

"That's just how my face is."

Zuko, Crona was probably not referring to the scar but the fact that you scowl a lot.

[four_quarts]

[Well, if she'd chosen the lake in the hopes that nobody else would likely be here, then she has company because someone else had the same idea.]

...You seem troubled.

[daughterofursa]

No kidding.

[Apparently the lake was the absolute worst choice if she wanted to be undisturbed, does everyone take their evening walks here? Zuko speaks even before looking over this time, but then she blinks in some surprise. She's seen him around before. The man whose face might actually be worse than hers.]

[four_quarts]

[Ghaleon too has seen the young warrior about the Bastion before, and had wondered what her story was. Unless he is mistaken - and he highly doubts he is, given his own experiences - that scar was not created accidentally.]

My apologies for the interruption. You just seemed to be having difficulty concentrating, and thought I might offer my assistance.

[daughterofursa]

Are you some kind of expert on meditating?

[It's said sarcastically, but if she didn't want the help she would have said she didn't need it.]

[wayofvoice]

[Well, if there's anyone who knows about meditation and hangs around by the lake a fair bit... It is his main source of water, after all. Paarthurnax tries to be quiet as possible, but it's rather impossible considering the very obvious fact of his size.]

[Sorry, Zuko. He is trying to be respectful and give her space, however. He can see effort when it's so apparent.]

[daughterofursa]

[Of all the people who've disturbed her attempts at meditating, Paarthurnax is the only one she really expected to be around.

She probably looks annoyed with him, but she's basically just annoyed in general and looking in his direction.]

[wayofvoice]

[Fortunately, he's well aware when someone is annoyed at him in contrast to just annoyed at general. It's a skill one learns when they fill the Wise Old Man trope.]

[Still, he gives a respectful bow of his head to her.]

Difficulty meditating?

[amphibian]

[ALL ABOARD THE LAKE VISIT BRIGADE, featuring one (1) Aoi, who's actually just here to go swimming (hence the swimsuit), but she's too curious about the unhappiest Zuko she has ever seen to just dive right in.

Instead she's going to lie on her stomach not far from Zuko, prop her head up in her hands, and just kinda purse her lips and stare at Zuko.

Tactful.]

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko's attention is focused inward, so it takes her a good minute or two to realize that she might have heard something, and get that feeling like she's being stared at.

She opens her eyes and oh it's Aoi. In her swimsuit. Which Zuko has seen before but was not prepared for just now.]

A-aoi. Hi. [Smooth.]