Light as a Feather

Sound Travels On a Metal Ship

There was a distinct clanging that reverberated throughout the ship. Most ignored it since the airbender wouldn't know that sound, especially the thick and reinforced iron that made up most of the chains and manacles on the ship, against the walls of the ship, travelled extremely well on a metal ship.

There was one, however, that seemed to not be able to even tolerate the sound.

"Will she shut up!" The teenage prince jumped from his spot in his room where he was supposed to be meditating, candles flaring along with his anger.

"I do not think so Prince Zuko, sound travels very well on metal ships and our guest wouldn't have that knowledge seeing as she has probably lived in or around the temple for many years."

Plopping down, Zuko sighed heavily, his seemingly permanent scowl giving way to an exasperated eye roll. Crossing his legs into a lotus form once again, he closed his eyes and breathed, syncing his breathing to the flame of the candles.

Clang

The only indication that Zuko had heard was the twitch of the corner of his mouth, turning down before smoothing out.

Clang

His eyebrow twitched, the candles before him flaring with the extra forceful breath that he took.

Clang

His fists clenched tightly, the flames of the candle glowing a dangerous red colour.

Clang

Eyes twitching, the pale skin of his face turning a faint red colour as the blood rushed to his head while his anger rose. 

Clang

The candles flared, scorching the metal ceiling as he leapt to his feet, hands balled into fists as he stormed from the room, his scowl deepening with each footstep as they too reverberated throughout the ship. His crewmembers wisely kept away from his path.

As he stormed down to the brig level, stomping his way to her cell. She was laying on her back with one of her legs bent toward her torso, while the other leg rested across her knee. She turned her head to the side to look at him with a rather startled look on her face.

"Will. You. Stop."

Speaking haltingly, enunciating the words as much as he could.

"Stop what firebug? I'm literally doing nothing except being bored out of my Spirits-damned mind."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off the inevitable headache

Taking a deep breath to calm himself before he threw a fireball, Zuko waved his hand towards the cast-iron manacles. "Stop throwing the chains against the wall. In case you haven't noticed, this is a metal ship with little to no other material to dampen the sound. Pretty much everything is below deck. Sound travels really well on a metal ship, ergo, we can hear every little move you make."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

The airbender contemplated that little tidbit of information. "So what youre saying, is that as long as I'm not making noise below deck, I can do whatever I want?"

"I never said anything even remotely close to that."

"Yes, you did." Zuko took one look at the grin on her face and scowled.

"No, I didn't." Her smirk grew just a little bit wider.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't." Zuko made sure to enunciate the no since the airbender clearly didn't understand what no meant."

"Yes, you did." And now she was copying him.

"What game are you trying to play airbender. I never said that and you know it."

Her smile curled into a smirk, her chained arms crossing.

"But you did say it."

"No, I didn't"

"Yes, you did."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes-wait."

"Ha."

Zuko scowled harder while she smugged.

Turning around, he stomped away while calling over his shoulder. "I said no such thing airbender."

Locking himself in his room, Zuko attempted to meditate. Instead, he threw himself face-first onto the futon, screaming into his pillow as he did so.

A few hours later after Zuko took an impromptu nap, (If anyone asked, he did no such thing) he stalked out of his room onto the deck to do some firebending practice with one of the crewmembers (Teruko), stopping in his tracks when he saw his Uncle and the airbender, who didn't have any chains wrapped around her wrists like they were when he left her down in the brig, sitting at a small table sipping tea.

"Ah, Zuko. Join Miss Aella and me for a cup of calming tea."

Smoke was literally coming from his fists and nostrils, Teruko sighing in resignation as she sunk into the first stance of the Monkey-scorpion kata.