[ Unbeknownst to Mai, she's being watched — she and her turtle-duck familiar. A pair of sharp golden eyes are fixated on the two of them from afar, alight with shocked recognition, excitement, trepidation... There had been many a lonesome moment, a private late night wrapped in melancholy and nostalgia, spent peering at a portrait of the couple Zuko had been sent with here. The gaze fixed on her was so focused as if to ensure it was the real thing and not some magical illustration of a memory... It was important to ascertain this before zipping over like a flash as Mai petted her turtle-duck. It's her, for sure.
But, in fact, these were not Zuko's sharp golden eyes fixed on her. Mai was being approached first by a small, ferrety red dragon, Zuko's own familiar. Who knows where Zuko is, he's around here somewhere, halfway oblivious and solely focused on his own business, as usual. In his ten months since being spirited away from their home, not that much has changed...! But his dragon notices. His dragon has sat there in a lonesome Zuko's lap nearly every time the fire prince whips out his portrait with Mai, one of his prized possessions now. The stealthy little dragon found Iroh much the same way; however, Iroh had food on him, which was quickly stolen and put to a, uh, more charitable cause, so this was maybe not quite as thrilling... But, it looks like she's nice to her familiar, and the dragon's become accustomed to that sort of affection, Zuko being so nice to it, himself, so the promise of headpats is enticing, too. What it really cares for, though, is Zuko. This will make Zuko happy. Right? It recognizes a person it knows he misses, even if it doesn't know much else about her but that he misses her... Its spiritual bond with Zuko is strong, and what makes Zuko happy, betters his magic, and betters their worlds.
It scurries up from behind the pair, darts in front of them in their direct line of vision, wings halfway unfolded and fluttering for show, and stops just shy of them with a strong stance and a pointed stare, dragons not having very expressive faces beyond "intense;" and what's more, it gives an excited hiss, but for those who don't spend much time with dragons, how the hell are they supposed to know it's being friendly...?! It's Zuko's dragon, though, so of course it's socially... challenged... in its own ways. Ahem. ]
ii; also omg this is like ten years late i am so sorry but yes hi, h e l l o . . . ! !
But, in fact, these were not Zuko's sharp golden eyes fixed on her. Mai was being approached first by a small, ferrety red dragon, Zuko's own familiar. Who knows where Zuko is, he's around here somewhere, halfway oblivious and solely focused on his own business, as usual. In his ten months since being spirited away from their home, not that much has changed...! But his dragon notices. His dragon has sat there in a lonesome Zuko's lap nearly every time the fire prince whips out his portrait with Mai, one of his prized possessions now. The stealthy little dragon found Iroh much the same way; however, Iroh had food on him, which was quickly stolen and put to a, uh, more charitable cause, so this was maybe not quite as thrilling... But, it looks like she's nice to her familiar, and the dragon's become accustomed to that sort of affection, Zuko being so nice to it, himself, so the promise of headpats is enticing, too. What it really cares for, though, is Zuko. This will make Zuko happy. Right? It recognizes a person it knows he misses, even if it doesn't know much else about her but that he misses her... Its spiritual bond with Zuko is strong, and what makes Zuko happy, betters his magic, and betters their worlds.
It scurries up from behind the pair, darts in front of them in their direct line of vision, wings halfway unfolded and fluttering for show, and stops just shy of them with a strong stance and a pointed stare, dragons not having very expressive faces beyond "intense;" and what's more, it gives an excited hiss, but for those who don't spend much time with dragons, how the hell are they supposed to know it's being friendly...?! It's Zuko's dragon, though, so of course it's socially... challenged... in its own ways. Ahem. ]