The Guider Effect ☼ Zuko || ATLA

Struck

3 DAYS AGO
•part two•

     "Are you two ready to listen to me now?" Rein grunted after the eighth failed attempt to break free of her restraints. Katara and Zuko bickered for at least an hour on their best course of action while Rein sat uncomfortably bound and annoyed. Upon enacting their ideas they only managed to cause more damage to Rein's skin as opposed to the cuffs digging into her wrists.

     Katara huffed, "Kireina, just tell us what to do because this buffoon is clueless!"

     Zuko's eyes widened before narrowing into a leer, "If I'm a clueless buffoon does that make you a stupid idiot?"

     "Well, Zu, actually that's an oxymoron." Rein tried to explain but Zuko's face fell into an even deeper scowl.

     "Did you just call me a moron?"

     "Yeah she did! Nice one, Rein!" Katara cheered, holding her hand out for a high five before remembering that her friend's arms were bound behind her back. Rein groaned and threw her head back, feeling more hopeless now than yesterday even with the extra set of helping hands.

     "No I didn't— it's a figure of speech— oh, who cares!" Rein sputtered. "We're running out of time thanks to you blubbering morons! I have sat here for hours and listened to you both argue through this pissing contest, now it's my turn seeing as I'm the only person here with some sense of urgency.
Zuko, you can't melt iron and Katara, you can't freeze it to the point of shattering like ice. What you can do, however, is fluctuate the temperature. I'm sure if you guys take turns heating it up and cooling it down, at some point it'll crack and we can handle the rest with a big rock or something."

     "Why didn't you say that sooner?" Katara asked, baffled by the brilliant idea.

     Rein rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath to maintain her rationality as her irritation was fighting a battle with her sanity. "How I miss the days when I was sleeping peacefully in a block of ice... Zu, start heating up the chain."

     "What do you want me to do?" Katara questioned, ready for her orders.

     "Take a lap, collect some souvenirs, go to sleep, I don't care just do it over there." Rein grumbled, desperate to separate the two. Katara scoffed and stomped across the makeshift prison, kicking rocks and muttering to herself.

     "You still like this moron though, right?" Zuko whispered, fixing his gaze on the back of Rein's head. She cracked a smile, a small breathless chuckle falling from her lips.

     "Never stopped, unfortunately." She teased, gasping as Zuko threateningly brought his flame closer to her bare skin. Once an action that instilled fear in her now filled her with excitement, confident that her love would never harm her. "Don't poke the bear, my prince."

The vast space fell into a comfortable silence as Zuko worked on the cuffs. Katara paced around, weaving in and out of crystal pillars to entertain herself. Rein managed to enter a meditative state, allowing her body to relax and succumb to the burning heat that rose up the metal. Noticing this, Zuko silently beckoned Katara over and instructed her to freeze the chains.

The change in temperature pulled Rein out of her trance, blinking a few times to fully adjust to her surroundings. Zuko stood before her, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears. "There she is." He mumbled quietly, keeping the nature of the room calm. "Did you go to your happy place for a bit?"