Petal Blessed

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

Certainly she was right about this. There were nobles even who behaved quite differently when they did not believe her to be in the room. She and Ty Liu switched places enough to experience some of that difference.

“I would imagine so…” She started to raise her tea cup to her lips only to set it back down. “On the topic of danger,” The crown princess hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed, “or something along those lines… I have heard that my cousin Lady Manami takes her tea here now and then.”

Ty Lee had managed to miss her each time she came, but it was not necessarily danger to herself that worried her in this particular instance. It was a public enough place and her cousins had not been foolish enough to cause her direct harm since they were children.

Peasants on the other hand… there were things Lilling had alluded to that Ty Lee was inclined to believe.

Manami. Zuko’s favourite customer.

Azula knew that there was something wrong aout her. She gave her that feeling like someone’s jagged nails being dragged along one’s spine. Ty Lee’s sudden broach of the subject in conjunction with the topic of danger only made that funny feeling in the pit of Azula’s stomach all the more obvious.

“Yes,” she said after a pause, “Lady Manami is indeed an occasional client, though I had no idea she was so well connected.”

She did take a sip of her tea, trying to remain nonplussed.

“Should we be troubled over her?”

She took a sip from her teacup, buying herself a little extra time to consider her few next words.

If she said too much, rumors might spread and if they spread too much her family would be put in a difficult situation. Her uncle, Lord Matsuo, ran a good portion of their navy and as such had his hands full with the Earth Kingdom’s forces. An investigation upon the heir of Shipwright’s Cove would be a distraction from the war efforts. Or at least this was the reason Lilling gave for why her cousins would likely get away with their more destructive hobbies as long as they did not go too far with them.

How far was too far? If she was interpreting what Lilling was hinting at correctly it sounded pretty far already.

“…That would depend on whether her interest in any of you has gone beyond what would be expected.”

The words that Ty Lee refused to say were the ones that Azula heard loud and clear. She was dangerous, more dangerous than the Crown Princess wanted to admit aloud. Perhaps because it would be detrimental to her family in some way.

“And if it did?” Azula prompted, “what would we have to fear from her?”

That was not what Ty Lee wanted to hear. Not at all. The other woman could be simply asking, but the crown princess would hate to find out that this was not the case and she had done nothing to warn her. “She has… a certain penchant for cruelty that the war has served as an outlet for. -The way one treats war prisoners does not necessarily translate to how one would treat others, but I wouldn’t take tea with every torturer to find out if it did.” Especially someone who chose to do it when there were perfectly capable professionals fit for the task.  And now that her uncle had sent the both of them to the capital, who was to say that focus would not turn elsewhere? Certainly not Ty Lee. She would not say anything directly of that sort- especially since it was only a rumor.  Surely something like that would be noticed if it was in the capital. Her cousins would have been contained better, watched more. Not allowed to roam about unchecked. “It is just better to be careful. Nothing has happened, if it had she would be in prison.” Ty Lee said.

A new worry sprouted in the back of Azula’s mind with the new information imparted to her by the Crown Princess.

A torturer. An inquisitor. Had the Fire Lord sent her to them? Did he already know who they were? Was he merely biding his time, waiting for the right moment to set Ty Lee’s cousin on them to pry their identites from them and then their livlihoods and their lives?

She would have to speak with her uncle about it. She might not inheret the shop after all.

Those were all things to concern herself with at a later time. For now she tucked them away and tried not to worry about it.

Azula took a breath to steady herself.

“But you find her worrisome enough to think to warn me about her,” she pointed out, “so there must be more there…” Azula leaned against the table top with her forearm, tapping her nails on its surface.

“What do you fear she could do?” she tried.

Azula felt the corner of her mouth tug upward.

She remembered the last time that pai sho and trouble had mixed. It had resulted in an impromptu Agni Kai, and her uncle’s disappointment. But it had been great fun and Azula had enjoyed herself regardless of the consequences.

“I do on occaision. Few people play against me properly, which is rather boring.” She had thought herself to be good at it for a time until Ty Lat made her aware of the fact that everyone else had been letting her win.

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

Certainly she was right about this. There were nobles even who behaved quite differently when they did not believe her to be in the room. She and Ty Liu switched places enough to experience some of that difference.

“I would imagine so…” She started to raise her tea cup to her lips only to set it back down. “On the topic of danger,” The crown princess hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed, “or something along those lines… I have heard that my cousin Lady Manami takes her tea here now and then.”

Ty Lee had managed to miss her each time she came, but it was not necessarily danger to herself that worried her in this particular instance. It was a public enough place and her cousins had not been foolish enough to cause her direct harm since they were children.

Peasants on the other hand… there were things Lilling had alluded to that Ty Lee was inclined to believe.

Manami. Zuko’s favourite customer.

Azula knew that there was something wrong aout her. She gave her that feeling like someone’s jagged nails being dragged along one’s spine. Ty Lee’s sudden broach of the subject in conjunction with the topic of danger only made that funny feeling in the pit of Azula’s stomach all the more obvious.

“Yes,” she said after a pause, “Lady Manami is indeed an occasional client, though I had no idea she was so well connected.”

She did take a sip of her tea, trying to remain nonplussed.

“Should we be troubled over her?”

She took a sip from her teacup, buying herself a little extra time to consider her few next words.

If she said too much, rumors might spread and if they spread too much her family would be put in a difficult situation. Her uncle, Lord Matsuo, ran a good portion of their navy and as such had his hands full with the Earth Kingdom’s forces. An investigation upon the heir of Shipwright’s Cove would be a distraction from the war efforts. Or at least this was the reason Lilling gave for why her cousins would likely get away with their more destructive hobbies as long as they did not go too far with them.

How far was too far? If she was interpreting what Lilling was hinting at correctly it sounded pretty far already.

“…That would depend on whether her interest in any of you has gone beyond what would be expected.”

The words that Ty Lee refused to say were the ones that Azula heard loud and clear. She was dangerous, more dangerous than the Crown Princess wanted to admit aloud. Perhaps because it would be detrimental to her family in some way.

“And if it did?” Azula prompted, “what would we have to fear from her?”

That was not what Ty Lee wanted to hear. Not at all. The other woman could be simply asking, but the crown princess would hate to find out that this was not the case and she had done nothing to warn her. “She has… a certain penchant for cruelty that the war has served as an outlet for. -The way one treats war prisoners does not necessarily translate to how one would treat others, but I wouldn’t take tea with every torturer to find out if it did.” Especially someone who chose to do it when there were perfectly capable professionals fit for the task.  And now that her uncle had sent the both of them to the capital, who was to say that focus would not turn elsewhere? Certainly not Ty Lee. She would not say anything directly of that sort- especially since it was only a rumor.  Surely something like that would be noticed if it was in the capital. Her cousins would have been contained better, watched more. Not allowed to roam about unchecked. “It is just better to be careful. Nothing has happened, if it had she would be in prison.” Ty Lee said.

A new worry sprouted in the back of Azula’s mind with the new information imparted to her by the Crown Princess.

A torturer. An inquisitor. Had the Fire Lord sent her to them? Did he already know who they were? Was he merely biding his time, waiting for the right moment to set Ty Lee’s cousin on them to pry their identites from them and then their livlihoods and their lives?

She would have to speak with her uncle about it. She might not inheret the shop after all.

Those were all things to concern herself with at a later time. For now she tucked them away and tried not to worry about it.

Azula took a breath to steady herself.

“But you find her worrisome enough to think to warn me about her,” she pointed out, “so there must be more there…” Azula leaned against the table top with her forearm, tapping her nails on its surface.

“What do you fear she could do?” she tried.

Azula felt the corner of her mouth tug upward.

She remembered the last time that pai sho and trouble had mixed. It had resulted in an impromptu Agni Kai, and her uncle’s disappointment. But it had been great fun and Azula had enjoyed herself regardless of the consequences.

"I do on occaision. Few people play against me properly, which is rather boring." She had thought herself to be good at it for a time until Ty Lat made her aware of the fact that everyone else had been letting her win.

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

Certainly she was right about this. There were nobles even who behaved quite differently when they did not believe her to be in the room. She and Ty Liu switched places enough to experience some of that difference.

“I would imagine so…” She started to raise her tea cup to her lips only to set it back down. “On the topic of danger,” The crown princess hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed, “or something along those lines… I have heard that my cousin Lady Manami takes her tea here now and then.”

Ty Lee had managed to miss her each time she came, but it was not necessarily danger to herself that worried her in this particular instance. It was a public enough place and her cousins had not been foolish enough to cause her direct harm since they were children.

Peasants on the other hand… there were things Lilling had alluded to that Ty Lee was inclined to believe.

Manami. Zuko’s favourite customer.

Azula knew that there was something wrong aout her. She gave her that feeling like someone’s jagged nails being dragged along one’s spine. Ty Lee’s sudden broach of the subject in conjunction with the topic of danger only made that funny feeling in the pit of Azula’s stomach all the more obvious.

“Yes,” she said after a pause, “Lady Manami is indeed an occasional client, though I had no idea she was so well connected.”

She did take a sip of her tea, trying to remain nonplussed.

“Should we be troubled over her?”

She took a sip from her teacup, buying herself a little extra time to consider her few next words.

If she said too much, rumors might spread and if they spread too much her family would be put in a difficult situation. Her uncle, Lord Matsuo, ran a good portion of their navy and as such had his hands full with the Earth Kingdom’s forces. An investigation upon the heir of Shipwright’s Cove would be a distraction from the war efforts. Or at least this was the reason Lilling gave for why her cousins would likely get away with their more destructive hobbies as long as they did not go too far with them.

How far was too far? If she was interpreting what Lilling was hinting at correctly it sounded pretty far already.

“…That would depend on whether her interest in any of you has gone beyond what would be expected.”

The words that Ty Lee refused to say were the ones that Azula heard loud and clear. She was dangerous, more dangerous than the Crown Princess wanted to admit aloud. Perhaps because it would be detrimental to her family in some way.

“And if it did?” Azula prompted, “what would we have to fear from her?”

That was not what Ty Lee wanted to hear. Not at all. The other woman could be simply asking, but the crown princess would hate to find out that this was not the case and she had done nothing to warn her. “She has… a certain penchant for cruelty that the war has served as an outlet for. -The way one treats war prisoners does not necessarily translate to how one would treat others, but I wouldn’t take tea with every torturer to find out if it did.” Especially someone who chose to do it when there were perfectly capable professionals fit for the task.  And now that her uncle had sent the both of them to the capital, who was to say that focus would not turn elsewhere? Certainly not Ty Lee. She would not say anything directly of that sort- especially since it was only a rumor.  Surely something like that would be noticed if it was in the capital. Her cousins would have been contained better, watched more. Not allowed to roam about unchecked. “It is just better to be careful. Nothing has happened, if it had she would be in prison.” Ty Lee said.

A new worry sprouted in the back of Azula’s mind with the new information imparted to her by the Crown Princess.

A torturer. An inquisitor. Had the Fire Lord sent her to them? Did he already know who they were? Was he merely biding his time, waiting for the right moment to set Ty Lee’s cousin on them to pry their identites from them and then their livlihoods and their lives?

She would have to speak with her uncle about it. She might not inheret the shop after all.

Those were all things to concern herself with at a later time. For now she tucked them away and tried not to worry about it.

Azula took a breath to steady herself.

“But you find her worrisome enough to think to warn me about her,” she pointed out, “so there must be more there…” Azula leaned against the table top with her forearm, tapping her nails on its surface.

“What do you fear she could do?” she tried.

She wanted to ask Ty Lee what sort of bad experience it had been. The Crown Princess was clearly trying to stop her from asking further questions, however.

Ty Lee’s reluctance only served to compound Azula’s own suspicions yet further. Manami was dangerous. They needed to be prepared. So Azula would be prepared.

She smiled her best, sweetest, customer service smile at Ty Lee, offering her the plate of treats once more.

“Well, we all get bored once in a while,” she said, popping a sesame ball into her mouth. It was a little too sickly sweet for Azula, cloying. She worked it around her tongue, and kept her plastered pleasantness in place.

"That sounds frustrating."

Apartment? Wait- did they live upstairs? If her uncle was moving things around did that mean they did not have even one person on staff who was responsible for cleaning and organizing? It was not that hard to believe judging by the clothing Azula had been wearing when they first met in the market.

"What do you do when you are bored?" Likely something boring like cleaning. She tried not to get her hopes up for anything too uncommon. At least nothing uncommon that she would like to share with her. She imagined Azula was more unusual than she let on. There was something that was being hidden. An ordinary person would not talk to her the way she did.

Then again, perhaps they would. It would be a lie to say that she took tea privately with commoners often. Azula had implied before that there were more subjects who disapproved of her than she might think...-

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

Certainly she was right about this. There were nobles even who behaved quite differently when they did not believe her to be in the room. She and Ty Liu switched places enough to experience some of that difference.

“I would imagine so…” She started to raise her tea cup to her lips only to set it back down. “On the topic of danger,” The crown princess hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed, “or something along those lines… I have heard that my cousin Lady Manami takes her tea here now and then.”

Ty Lee had managed to miss her each time she came, but it was not necessarily danger to herself that worried her in this particular instance. It was a public enough place and her cousins had not been foolish enough to cause her direct harm since they were children.

Peasants on the other hand… there were things Lilling had alluded to that Ty Lee was inclined to believe.

Manami. Zuko’s favourite customer.

Azula knew that there was something wrong aout her. She gave her that feeling like someone’s jagged nails being dragged along one’s spine. Ty Lee’s sudden broach of the subject in conjunction with the topic of danger only made that funny feeling in the pit of Azula’s stomach all the more obvious.

“Yes,” she said after a pause, “Lady Manami is indeed an occasional client, though I had no idea she was so well connected.”

She did take a sip of her tea, trying to remain nonplussed.

“Should we be troubled over her?”

She took a sip from her teacup, buying herself a little extra time to consider her few next words.

If she said too much, rumors might spread and if they spread too much her family would be put in a difficult situation. Her uncle, Lord Matsuo, ran a good portion of their navy and as such had his hands full with the Earth Kingdom’s forces. An investigation upon the heir of Shipwright’s Cove would be a distraction from the war efforts. Or at least this was the reason Lilling gave for why her cousins would likely get away with their more destructive hobbies as long as they did not go too far with them.

How far was too far? If she was interpreting what Lilling was hinting at correctly it sounded pretty far already.

“…That would depend on whether her interest in any of you has gone beyond what would be expected.”

The words that Ty Lee refused to say were the ones that Azula heard loud and clear. She was dangerous, more dangerous than the Crown Princess wanted to admit aloud. Perhaps because it would be detrimental to her family in some way.

“And if it did?” Azula prompted, “what would we have to fear from her?”

That was not what Ty Lee wanted to hear. Not at all. The other woman could be simply asking, but the crown princess would hate to find out that this was not the case and she had done nothing to warn her. “She has… a certain penchant for cruelty that the war has served as an outlet for. -The way one treats war prisoners does not necessarily translate to how one would treat others, but I wouldn’t take tea with every torturer to find out if it did.” Especially someone who chose to do it when there were perfectly capable professionals fit for the task.  And now that her uncle had sent the both of them to the capital, who was to say that focus would not turn elsewhere? Certainly not Ty Lee. She would not say anything directly of that sort- especially since it was only a rumor.  Surely something like that would be noticed if it was in the capital. Her cousins would have been contained better, watched more. Not allowed to roam about unchecked. “It is just better to be careful. Nothing has happened, if it had she would be in prison.” Ty Lee said.

A new worry sprouted in the back of Azula’s mind with the new information imparted to her by the Crown Princess.

A torturer. An inquisitor. Had the Fire Lord sent her to them? Did he already know who they were? Was he merely biding his time, waiting for the right moment to set Ty Lee’s cousin on them to pry their identites from them and then their livlihoods and their lives?

She would have to speak with her uncle about it. She might not inheret the shop after all.

Those were all things to concern herself with at a later time. For now she tucked them away and tried not to worry about it.

Azula took a breath to steady herself.

“But you find her worrisome enough to think to warn me about her,” she pointed out, “so there must be more there…” Azula leaned against the table top with her forearm, tapping her nails on its surface.

“What do you fear she could do?” she tried.

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

petalblessed‌:

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

Azula did have to wonder how dangerous Ty Lee’s life really was. What did the princess truly know of danger? 

Azula and her family had been running from Ty Lee’s family for several generations. They were neither safe in the Fire Nation nor the Earth Kingdom. They could not rely on old ties to the Water Tribes because there were none, and the Air Nomads could offer a peaceful life but could they offer any real protection if the current regime ever decided enough was enough?

“…More or less…” Azula said after a moment of deliberation. 

There was always some danger. And if Ty Lee were recognized then certainly there would be a good deal more.

Azula wondered vaguely whether she and Zuko could get away with it if the crown princess were to accidentally…be carried off by some anti-royalist or other. Who was to say whom the Princess might have been meeting? She wasn’t supposed to leave the palace, after all, and yet she’d done so many times (or so Azula gathered) without a guard or any other type of protection in place. 

She could simply disappear one night and no one would be able to claim they knew what had happened to her.

Azula dangled this thought on the end of a string in her mind’s eye, toying with it, turning it this way and that to appraise it at every angle. If she and Zuko could get away with ‘losing’ Ty Lee then Azula thought that she wouldn’t necessarily be sad.

The other woman was a danger to her and her family by virtue of simply taking an active interest in Azula. 

“Regardless you’ll have to take the risk of it not being safe if you want to really see what Caldera is all about, and not just what it looks like when a member of the royal family passes through.”

Certainly she was right about this. There were nobles even who behaved quite differently when they did not believe her to be in the room. She and Ty Liu switched places enough to experience some of that difference.

“I would imagine so…” She started to raise her tea cup to her lips only to set it back down. “On the topic of danger,” The crown princess hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed, “or something along those lines… I have heard that my cousin Lady Manami takes her tea here now and then.”

Ty Lee had managed to miss her each time she came, but it was not necessarily danger to herself that worried her in this particular instance. It was a public enough place and her cousins had not been foolish enough to cause her direct harm since they were children.

Peasants on the other hand… there were things Lilling had alluded to that Ty Lee was inclined to believe.

Manami. Zuko’s favourite customer.

Azula knew that there was something wrong aout her. She gave her that feeling like someone’s jagged nails being dragged along one’s spine. Ty Lee’s sudden broach of the subject in conjunction with the topic of danger only made that funny feeling in the pit of Azula’s stomach all the more obvious.

“Yes,” she said after a pause, “Lady Manami is indeed an occasional client, though I had no idea she was so well connected.”

She did take a sip of her tea, trying to remain nonplussed.

“Should we be troubled over her?”

She took a sip from her teacup, buying herself a little extra time to consider her few next words.

If she said too much, rumors might spread and if they spread too much her family would be put in a difficult situation. Her uncle, Lord Matsuo, ran a good portion of their navy and as such had his hands full with the Earth Kingdom’s forces. An investigation upon the heir of Shipwright’s Cove would be a distraction from the war efforts. Or at least this was the reason Lilling gave for why her cousins would likely get away with their more destructive hobbies as long as they did not go too far with them.

How far was too far? If she was interpreting what Lilling was hinting at correctly it sounded pretty far already.

“…That would depend on whether her interest in any of you has gone beyond what would be expected.”

The words that Ty Lee refused to say were the ones that Azula heard loud and clear. She was dangerous, more dangerous than the Crown Princess wanted to admit aloud. Perhaps because it would be detrimental to her family in some way.

“And if it did?” Azula prompted, “what would we have to fear from her?”

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

Ty Lee’s marriage woes were hardly of any concern to Azula. The tea shop girl could not fathom being told who to marry, and yet she thought that it probably was fair that a Princess’ choices on such matters be controlled.

Azual realised that she stood poised still in the middle of the room, as though ready for a physical fight and not just an emotional one. 

The princess was spoiled, selfish, and naive. She wouldn’t have trusted her to make a good choice in “mistress of Flames” either, if she were her parents. Instead of voicing as much and angering Ty Lee further, however, Azula bit her tongue and then finally wandered back over to sit once again.

“That market,” she said while settling in, pouring the Princess more tea from the pot as she did, “is not even a little bit dangerous. The most danger you’ll find there are the outrageous prices.”

The princess shrugged. “To you perhaps.”

Anywhere outside of the walls of the palace, and at times even within, posed some danger or so she was told. She had yet to experience danger outside the palace, but within yes. She was lucky that Chun Hua had taught her how to chi block, otherwise the attempt on her life would have been successful.

Her fingers wrapped around her newly refilled tea cup, savoring in their warmth. She wondered what it might be like to be a bender and never be cold. What did it feel like to bend? Did they have to focus in order to not catch themselves on fire? It required much discipline to bend lightning, that she knew. Once she had remarked on how wild Lady Manami was and how she and her younger sister lacked control. Scholar Chin had told her otherwise, her cousin could in fact bend lightning so she must be capable of great focus and self-control.

The thought made her actions more frightening.

Her attention shifted back to Azula from where it had been snatched momentarily. “Though you did tell me that you can handle yourself in a fight, so I suppose wherever it is we are visiting will be quite safe.”

Azula did have to wonder how dangerous Ty Lee’s life really was. What did the princess truly know of danger? 

Azula and her family had been running from Ty Lee’s family for several generations. They were neither safe in the Fire Nation nor the Earth Kingdom. They could not rely on old ties to the Water Tribes because there were none, and the Air Nomads could offer a peaceful life but could they offer any real protection if the current regime ever decided enough was enough?

“…More or less…” Azula said after a moment of deliberation. 

There was always some danger. And if Ty Lee were recognized then certainly there would be a good deal more.

Azula wondered vaguely whether she and Zuko could get away with it if the crown princess were to accidentally…be carried off by some anti-royalist or other. Who was to say whom the Princess might have been meeting? She wasn’t supposed to leave the palace, after all, and yet she’d done so many times (or so Azula gathered) without a guard or any other type of protection in place. 

She could simply disappear one night and no one would be able to claim they knew what had happened to her.

Azula dangled this thought on the end of a string in her mind’s eye, toying with it, turning it this way and that to appraise it at every angle. If she and Zuko could get away with ‘losing’ Ty Lee then Azula thought that she wouldn’t necessarily be sad.

The other woman was a danger to her and her family by virtue of simply taking an active interest in Azula. 

“I would imagine so…” She started to raise her tea cup to her lips only to set it back down. “On the topic of danger,” The crown princess hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed, “or something along those lines… I have heard that my cousin Lady Manami takes her tea here now and then.”

Ty Lee had managed to miss her each time she came, but it was not necessarily danger to herself that worried her in this particular instance. It was a public enough place and her cousins had not been foolish enough to cause her direct harm since they were children.

Azula knew that there was something wrong aout her. She gave her that feeling like someone’s jagged nails being dragged along one’s spine. Ty Lee’s sudden broach of the subject in conjunction with the topic of danger only made that funny feeling in the pit of Azula’s stomach all the more obvious.

“Yes,” she said after a pause, “Lady Manami is indeed an occasional client, though I had no idea she was so well connected.”

She did take a sip of her tea, trying to remain nonplussed.

If she said too much, rumors might spread and if they spread too much her family would be put in a difficult situation. Her uncle, Lord Matsuo, ran a good portion of their navy and as such had his hands full with the Earth Kingdom's forces. An investigation upon the heir of Shipwright’s Cove would be a distraction from the war efforts. Or at least this was the reason Lilling gave for why her cousins would likely get away with their more destructive hobbies as long as they did not go too far with them.

How far was too far? If she was interpreting what Lilling was hinting at correctly it sounded pretty far already.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

Ty Lee’s marriage woes were hardly of any concern to Azula. The tea shop girl could not fathom being told who to marry, and yet she thought that it probably was fair that a Princess’ choices on such matters be controlled.

Azual realised that she stood poised still in the middle of the room, as though ready for a physical fight and not just an emotional one. 

The princess was spoiled, selfish, and naive. She wouldn’t have trusted her to make a good choice in “mistress of Flames” either, if she were her parents. Instead of voicing as much and angering Ty Lee further, however, Azula bit her tongue and then finally wandered back over to sit once again.

“That market,” she said while settling in, pouring the Princess more tea from the pot as she did, “is not even a little bit dangerous. The most danger you’ll find there are the outrageous prices.”

The princess shrugged. “To you perhaps.”

Anywhere outside of the walls of the palace, and at times even within, posed some danger or so she was told. She had yet to experience danger outside the palace, but within yes. She was lucky that Chun Hua had taught her how to chi block, otherwise the attempt on her life would have been successful.

Her fingers wrapped around her newly refilled tea cup, savoring in their warmth. She wondered what it might be like to be a bender and never be cold. What did it feel like to bend? Did they have to focus in order to not catch themselves on fire? It required much discipline to bend lightning, that she knew. Once she had remarked on how wild Lady Manami was and how she and her younger sister lacked control. Scholar Chin had told her otherwise, her cousin could in fact bend lightning so she must be capable of great focus and self-control.

The thought made her actions more frightening.

Her attention shifted back to Azula from where it had been snatched momentarily. “Though you did tell me that you can handle yourself in a fight, so I suppose wherever it is we are visiting will be quite safe.”

Azula did have to wonder how dangerous Ty Lee’s life really was. What did the princess truly know of danger? 

Azula and her family had been running from Ty Lee’s family for several generations. They were neither safe in the Fire Nation nor the Earth Kingdom. They could not rely on old ties to the Water Tribes because there were none, and the Air Nomads could offer a peaceful life but could they offer any real protection if the current regime ever decided enough was enough?

“…More or less…” Azula said after a moment of deliberation. 

There was always some danger. And if Ty Lee were recognized then certainly there would be a good deal more.

Azula wondered vaguely whether she and Zuko could get away with it if the crown princess were to accidentally…be carried off by some anti-royalist or other. Who was to say whom the Princess might have been meeting? She wasn’t supposed to leave the palace, after all, and yet she’d done so many times (or so Azula gathered) without a guard or any other type of protection in place. 

She could simply disappear one night and no one would be able to claim they knew what had happened to her.

Azula dangled this thought on the end of a string in her mind’s eye, toying with it, turning it this way and that to appraise it at every angle. If she and Zuko could get away with ‘losing’ Ty Lee then Azula thought that she wouldn’t necessarily be sad.

The other woman was a danger to her and her family by virtue of simply taking an active interest in Azula. 

"I would imagine so..." She started to raise her tea cup to her lips only to set it back down. "On the topic of danger," The crown princess hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed, "or something along those lines... I have heard that my cousin Lady Manami takes her tea here now and then."

Ty Lee had managed to miss her each time she came, but it was not necessarily danger to herself that worried her in this particular instance. It was a public enough place and her cousins had not been foolish enough to cause her direct harm since they were children.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

“I thought that your family prized the women of Baihe’s skills,” Azula said flatly, though she was unsurprised, in all honesty, that this woman was so disparaging of the skilled labourers in the red light district. Still, wasn’t her father’s mistress (the Mistress of Flames) a woman of Baihe?

“…Regardless, surely party planning will be the least of your problems when you are Fire Lord.”

There were a thousand other far more imporant priorities for a Fire Lord to concern themselves over. The day to day minutia of rulership was dizzying to think about. Small things like whether to agree to a dispute between two farmers to things as large as whether to send more troops to war against the Earth Kingdom were only the tip of the iceberg.

“Matters of state would be far more pressing.”

“Eventually, eventually. Yes, yes. I will have to make those decisions.” Her hand waved once again as if to dispell the subject from the room. “And yes they are respected, I certainly adore and respect the Mistress of Flames.” More than her own mother even, which was yet another thing to fuel the subtle feud between the two of them. “It’s just I didn’t get to choose my husband. He is pleasant looking enough, pleasant tempered, so nice. -But I get to choose this time, but it does not entirely feel like it. My first choice was rejected even.” Because she had spent time in prison more than once and wrote poetry that bordered on too indecent for court. Chun Hua, the Mistress of Flames, detested her first choice as well, which certainly did not help.

“It doesn’t feel fair.” Her eyes fell upon the other woman and remained there for a time, combing her over from her hair to her nails. Another reminder that she was a peasant and could not possibly understand these things.

“I do look forward to our little outing. I’ve never seen the more dangerous segments of the city- save for the market I met you in, of course.”

Ty Lee’s marriage woes were hardly of any concern to Azula. The tea shop girl could not fathom being told who to marry, and yet she thought that it probably was fair that a Princess’ choices on such matters be controlled.

Azual realised that she stood poised still in the middle of the room, as though ready for a physical fight and not just an emotional one. 

The princess was spoiled, selfish, and naive. She wouldn’t have trusted her to make a good choice in “mistress of Flames” either, if she were her parents. Instead of voicing as much and angering Ty Lee further, however, Azula bit her tongue and then finally wandered back over to sit once again.

Anywhere outside of the walls of the palace, and at times even within, posed some danger or so she was told. She had yet to experience danger outside the palace, but within yes. She was lucky that Chun Hua had taught her how to chi block, otherwise the attempt on her life would have been successful.

Her fingers wrapped around her newly refilled tea cup, savoring in their warmth. She wondered what it might be like to be a bender and never be cold. What did it feel like to bend? Did they have to focus in order to not catch themselves on fire? It required much discipline to bend lightning, that she knew. Once she had remarked on how wild Lady Manami was and how she and her younger sister lacked control. Scholar Chin had told her otherwise, her cousin could in fact bend lightning so she must be capable of great focus and self-control.

The thought made her actions more frightening.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

So you admit that we’re strangers, and you know that this is an intrusion in my personal life. Azula thought that if she HAD had an aura in that moment it might have flared with her righteous outrage.

She waited a moment or more, her skin slicked with heat before it receded again. Azula’s expression did not change, calculating, cool, as though she were picking Ty Lee apart from the inside out. 

“My uncle has always taught me that I should think for myself rather than listening to any one person’s opinions on a matter,” Azula said at length, “though advice and input can be helpful sometimes, it is usually better to come to your own conclusions.”

Azula could hear the words, measured and even, as her uncle had knelt before her bandaging her knee from a fall that had resulted from the goading of some of the other local children. He’d said it in relation to her belief in her father before that as well. 

“Evidence is helpful, yes, but again I don’t know what you think I could gain by telling a lie like that to you. It’s obvious that you don’t like to hear the hard truth.” Azula raised an eyebrow as though to underline her own point, “I’d gain more by telling you you’re the prettiest, most wonderful, smartest girl in the whole wide world. Don’t you think?” 

Azula’s aura was flaring, angry. What else was new? She was easy to upset. It mattered little to Ty Lee. There was no punishment for upsetting one peasant and surely whatever upset she felt was for a silly reason. It would burn out in a moment.

The princess leaned back upon her palms. “Depends on what you hope to gain,” She answered airily, as if what they were discussing was an serious as a wildflower that somehow managed to creep into one of the palace’s many gardens.

“And you don’t seem to want anything really.” Her nose wrinkled briefly. “Aside from all this... It is a quaint little shop, I suppose, but is your brother not the eldest? I believe it was mentioned that he is….” She leaned forward slightly in a gesture mimicking secrecy, voice dropping almost to a whisper. “Plan on killing him for it?”

Azula could not rightly go ahead and tell the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation that her brother was and had always been meant for something greater. The moment that the spirits had decided to take Lu Ten from Iroh, Zuko had become the line of Sozin’s shining heir. 

Not that anyone’s attitudes had changed toward him over it, of course, but that was another matter all together. 

Azula rolled her eyes, looking away from Ty Lee. 

“Zuko doesn’t want the shop.“ He’d told her as much himself. He wanted to do something more meaningful. He wanted more than what they’d built in their little shop in the Fire Nation.

In some ways he was a little too much like their dad in that respect, perhaps. Dissatisfied with his lot in life. But who was Azula to crush his dreams? If he wanted to be a late night vigilante and hide it from their uncle, then he should be a late night vigilante hiding as much from their uncle. 

The idea struck her as absurd. Who would want to do that? A peasant. They enjoyed such things because it was rewarding. It made them happy. They were not burdened with the divine wisdom and desire to want more for themselves.

Yes, ruling was work, but it wasn’t the same. Besides, her father’s advisors did most of the heavy lifting on that end. Even the planning of parties was handled by the Mistress of Flames and her servants.

She felt her brow tug down into a frown.

“Besides…you yourself will have to work until your death, will you not, your highness? Hereditary rule means that you’ll have to die before the next person in line for the throne can take it. That means you’ll be labouring at your job for as long as you draw breath, after your father dies and passes you the throne.”

And rulership was not all tea parties and soirees. Somehow, Azula doubted that the Crown Princess understood that much as yet.

“It is hardly the same, though yes I am burdened with it all until I die. Especially if I don’t choose a Mistress of Flowers. Then I will have to plan all of those parties. They are so terribly complicated you know. Even the seating arrangements sound bothersome.”

Put the wrong nobles next to eachother and they could fight against eachother, or collude against the crown. Then there were those who would take insult in being placed further away from Father than a detested rival.

“…Regardless, surely party planning will be the least of your problems when you are Fire Lord.”

There were a thousand other far more imporant priorities for a Fire Lord to concern themselves over. The day to day minutia of rulership was dizzying to think about. Small things like whether to agree to a dispute between two farmers to things as large as whether to send more troops to war against the Earth Kingdom were only the tip of the iceberg.

"It doesn't feel fair." Her eyes fell upon the other woman and remained there for a time, combing her over from her hair to her nails. Another reminder that she was a peasant and could not possibly understand these things.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

So you admit that we’re strangers, and you know that this is an intrusion in my personal life. Azula thought that if she HAD had an aura in that moment it might have flared with her righteous outrage.

She waited a moment or more, her skin slicked with heat before it receded again. Azula’s expression did not change, calculating, cool, as though she were picking Ty Lee apart from the inside out. 

“My uncle has always taught me that I should think for myself rather than listening to any one person’s opinions on a matter,” Azula said at length, “though advice and input can be helpful sometimes, it is usually better to come to your own conclusions.”

Azula could hear the words, measured and even, as her uncle had knelt before her bandaging her knee from a fall that had resulted from the goading of some of the other local children. He’d said it in relation to her belief in her father before that as well. 

“Evidence is helpful, yes, but again I don’t know what you think I could gain by telling a lie like that to you. It’s obvious that you don’t like to hear the hard truth.” Azula raised an eyebrow as though to underline her own point, “I’d gain more by telling you you’re the prettiest, most wonderful, smartest girl in the whole wide world. Don’t you think?” 

Azula’s aura was flaring, angry. What else was new? She was easy to upset. It mattered little to Ty Lee. There was no punishment for upsetting one peasant and surely whatever upset she felt was for a silly reason. It would burn out in a moment.

The princess leaned back upon her palms. “Depends on what you hope to gain,” She answered airily, as if what they were discussing was an serious as a wildflower that somehow managed to creep into one of the palace’s many gardens.

“And you don’t seem to want anything really.” Her nose wrinkled briefly. “Aside from all this... It is a quaint little shop, I suppose, but is your brother not the eldest? I believe it was mentioned that he is….” She leaned forward slightly in a gesture mimicking secrecy, voice dropping almost to a whisper. “Plan on killing him for it?”

Azula could not rightly go ahead and tell the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation that her brother was and had always been meant for something greater. The moment that the spirits had decided to take Lu Ten from Iroh, Zuko had become the line of Sozin’s shining heir. 

Not that anyone’s attitudes had changed toward him over it, of course, but that was another matter all together. 

Azula rolled her eyes, looking away from Ty Lee. 

“Zuko doesn’t want the shop.“ He’d told her as much himself. He wanted to do something more meaningful. He wanted more than what they’d built in their little shop in the Fire Nation.

In some ways he was a little too much like their dad in that respect, perhaps. Dissatisfied with his lot in life. But who was Azula to crush his dreams? If he wanted to be a late night vigilante and hide it from their uncle, then he should be a late night vigilante hiding as much from their uncle. 

The idea struck her as absurd. Who would want to do that? A peasant. They enjoyed such things because it was rewarding. It made them happy. They were not burdened with the divine wisdom and desire to want more for themselves.

Yes, ruling was work, but it wasn’t the same. Besides, her father’s advisors did most of the heavy lifting on that end. Even the planning of parties was handled by the Mistress of Flames and her servants.

She felt her brow tug down into a frown.

“Besides…you yourself will have to work until your death, will you not, your highness? Hereditary rule means that you’ll have to die before the next person in line for the throne can take it. That means you’ll be labouring at your job for as long as you draw breath, after your father dies and passes you the throne.”

And rulership was not all tea parties and soirees. Somehow, Azula doubted that the Crown Princess understood that much as yet.

"It is hardly the same, though yes I am burdened with it all until I die. Especially if I don't choose a Mistress of Flowers. Then I will have to plan all of those parties. They are so terribly complicated you know. Even the seating arrangements sound bothersome."

Put the wrong nobles next to eachother and they could fight against eachother, or collude against the crown. Then there were those who would take insult in being placed further away from Father than a detested rival.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

So you admit that we’re strangers, and you know that this is an intrusion in my personal life. Azula thought that if she HAD had an aura in that moment it might have flared with her righteous outrage.

She waited a moment or more, her skin slicked with heat before it receded again. Azula’s expression did not change, calculating, cool, as though she were picking Ty Lee apart from the inside out. 

“My uncle has always taught me that I should think for myself rather than listening to any one person’s opinions on a matter,” Azula said at length, “though advice and input can be helpful sometimes, it is usually better to come to your own conclusions.”

Azula could hear the words, measured and even, as her uncle had knelt before her bandaging her knee from a fall that had resulted from the goading of some of the other local children. He’d said it in relation to her belief in her father before that as well. 

“Evidence is helpful, yes, but again I don’t know what you think I could gain by telling a lie like that to you. It’s obvious that you don’t like to hear the hard truth.” Azula raised an eyebrow as though to underline her own point, “I’d gain more by telling you you’re the prettiest, most wonderful, smartest girl in the whole wide world. Don’t you think?” 

Azula’s aura was flaring, angry. What else was new? She was easy to upset. It mattered little to Ty Lee. There was no punishment for upsetting one peasant and surely whatever upset she felt was for a silly reason. It would burn out in a moment.

The princess leaned back upon her palms. “Depends on what you hope to gain,” She answered airily, as if what they were discussing was an serious as a wildflower that somehow managed to creep into one of the palace’s many gardens.

“And you don’t seem to want anything really.” Her nose wrinkled briefly. “Aside from all this... It is a quaint little shop, I suppose, but is your brother not the eldest? I believe it was mentioned that he is….” She leaned forward slightly in a gesture mimicking secrecy, voice dropping almost to a whisper. “Plan on killing him for it?”

Azula could not rightly go ahead and tell the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation that her brother was and had always been meant for something greater. The moment that the spirits had decided to take Lu Ten from Iroh, Zuko had become the line of Sozin’s shining heir. 

Not that anyone’s attitudes had changed toward him over it, of course, but that was another matter all together. 

Azula rolled her eyes, looking away from Ty Lee. 

“Zuko doesn’t want the shop.“ He’d told her as much himself. He wanted to do something more meaningful. He wanted more than what they’d built in their little shop in the Fire Nation.

In some ways he was a little too much like their dad in that respect, perhaps. Dissatisfied with his lot in life. But who was Azula to crush his dreams? If he wanted to be a late night vigilante and hide it from their uncle, then he should be a late night vigilante hiding as much from their uncle. 

The idea struck her as absurd. Who would want to do that? A peasant. They enjoyed such things because it was rewarding. It made them happy. They were not burdened with the divine wisdom and desire to want more for themselves.

Yes, ruling was work, but it wasn't the same. Besides, her father's advisors did most of the heavy lifting on that end. Even the planning of parties was handled by the Mistress of Flames and her servants.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

Azula stood abrutly, bumping the table on her way up. Its contents rattled dangerously.

Now that she stood she was uncertain of what she had planned to do. She slowly unclenched her hands at her sides, and took to pacing the room at a leisurely gait. As long as she was moving she would not strike out. She was in control of the situation — of herself.

The princess was lashing out with her words because she wanted control and did not have it.

Azula repeated it to herself over and over like a mantra, and stopped herself before she could bring a thumb to her teeth to chew at the edge of a nail.

“How lucky for you that you’re coming with myself and Zuko on that trip in a few nights’ time then,” she said finally, nonchalant. “I’m certain that we can provide all of the evidence you will ever need and more.”

Azula folded her hands at the small of her back.

“Besides,” she continued, “if I were lying to you, wouldn’t I have told you all is well to make you feel better, rather than saying something that would be certain to antagonize you toward myself and my family, your highness?”

Lucky indeed. There was a certain curiosity that gnawed at her over what some of the shadier portions of the capital might contain. Or not contain, in the case of this particular situation.

Of course her family would never permit such things if they knew, not even this would have been allowed. That is why she went to great lengths to ensure that they would not find out. Bribing Lee had been easy, blackmailing Fang had not.

“Perhaps…” She frowned, her lower lip pushed out just slightly. Her long fingernails traced the rim of her teacup in thought. “However I have only known you for a few weeks. My advisors have been a part of my life for as far as I can remember and my parents… Do you make a habit of trusting strangers over your teachers, your own kin without proper evidence?”

So you admit that we’re strangers, and you know that this is an intrusion in my personal life. Azula thought that if she HAD had an aura in that moment it might have flared with her righteous outrage.

She waited a moment or more, her skin slicked with heat before it receded again. Azula’s expression did not change, calculating, cool, as though she were picking Ty Lee apart from the inside out. 

“My uncle has always taught me that I should think for myself rather than listening to any one person’s opinions on a matter,” Azula said at length, “though advice and input can be helpful sometimes, it is usually better to come to your own conclusions.”

Azula could hear the words, measured and even, as her uncle had knelt before her bandaging her knee from a fall that had resulted from the goading of some of the other local children. He’d said it in relation to her belief in her father before that as well. 

The princess leaned back upon her palms. "Depends on what you hope to gain," She answered airily, as if what they were discussing was an serious as a wildflower that somehow managed to creep into one of the palace's many gardens.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

Azula nearly scoffed, but stopped herself at the last moment, biting against the edge of her tongue hard to muffle the sound before it could even entertain the thought of leaving the cage of her ribs. She let the tip of her tongue snap against her front teeth instead, and took another sip from her cup of tea before carefully setting the plain porcelain down against the lacquered table top. 

Auras. How vapidly superstitious. 

But Ty Lee was fixing her with a look that was dangerously close to canny. As though she could look through Azula and see all of her secrets if she so wished. Azula knew this to be false, but still…It was so eerily similar to the way that Ozai had always looked at her. Like he had seen something in her that she had not yet, and that he coveted whatever it was.

Her bending. Her steel-sharp mind. The idea that she could be a bargaining chip once she was grown if he so wished it to be. 

She shook herself off mentally, and finally moved passed the outrageous claim that the princess could see auras and that hers was somehow singularly interesting compared to that of some other patron in the shop. Because it wasn’t, and she couldn’t.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, my lady,” Azula said at length, “you told me not to be agreeable. So I’m not being agreeable. Do you want me to be or don’t you? I’m receiving mixed signals.”

Indeed, she had, but only because Azula had been disagreeable during their first encounter. It was how she actually felt, not how she might pretend to. People always pretended around her in hopes of something; money, power, mercy. It gave her a headache.

‘Do you want me to be, or don’t you’. What she wanted to do was bite her. The tea girl was playing with her, that was obvious- and not in a fun way.

Instead of setting her teeth into the other woman’s silk covered shoulder, the crown princess took a breath. A smug sparkle set into her eyes as her brows raised.

“Don’t worry yourself. You are rather pretty, so you do not have to be intelligent.”

For a moment, Azula entertained what it might be like to sear this other woman’s flesh from her bones with a superheated palm. She wondered how long it would take for someone to come and find the Princess. How long she could run for before someone caught her. 

The Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom. Azula wasn’t certain which one would be worse.

But she had her uncle to think about, and Zuko…And Zuko had made no secret about how he felt regarding her handling of the situation thus far. Azula’s brother wasn’t known for having a cool head, so it was saying something when he felt he had the right to admonish her for being brash. 

Instead of striking out at the princess as she wished to do, Azula controlled herself. The shop girl knew well enough that she was intelligent. She knew, too, that she wasn’t so unappealing to look at. Plenty enough people had told her as much, and Azula had an empirical understanding of what constituted an ideal facial symmetry. She didn’t need validation on either account from a spoiled, wealthy, brat. 

“That isn’t an answer to my question,” Azula pressed. “What does your highness actually want from me?” Azula made certain to put a little more meaning behind the question. 

Maybe if it was something that Azula could readily give to her, Ty Lee would simply fade out of her life and leave her alone. Maybe the Princess and the Crown would simply forget about the Tea Shop owners and their peculiar politics.

“To be true, I have not quite made up my mind…. What I have decided is that I like you, even though you sometimes make me so frustrated I could bite or slap you.” Not that those were necessarily disqualifiers. She had bitten people she liked terribly in the past, under similar circumstances and rather vastly different.

Her large vacant seeming eyes bored into Azula silently for a moment before she continued, chin tilting upwards,

“I also think that you lie about my people or are just too foolish to know better. There is food for the poor, no one is starving for any reason aside from laziness and unless you have evidence proving contrary I have no reason to think that you know more than even the silliest and most decrepit of the old men who advise me.”

Now that she stood she was uncertain of what she had planned to do. She slowly unclenched her hands at her sides, and took to pacing the room at a leisurely gait. As long as she was moving she would not strike out. She was in control of the situation — of herself.

The princess was lashing out with her words because she wanted control and did not have it.

Azula repeated it to herself over and over like a mantra, and stopped herself before she could bring a thumb to her teeth to chew at the edge of a nail.

“How lucky for you that you’re coming with myself and Zuko on that trip in a few nights’ time then,” she said finally, nonchalant. “I’m certain that we can provide all of the evidence you will ever need and more.”

Azula folded her hands at the small of her back.

Of course her family would never permit such things if they knew, not even this would have been allowed. That is why she went to great lengths to ensure that they would not find out. Bribing Lee had been easy, blackmailing Fang had not.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

Azula nearly scoffed, but stopped herself at the last moment, biting against the edge of her tongue hard to muffle the sound before it could even entertain the thought of leaving the cage of her ribs. She let the tip of her tongue snap against her front teeth instead, and took another sip from her cup of tea before carefully setting the plain porcelain down against the lacquered table top. 

Auras. How vapidly superstitious. 

But Ty Lee was fixing her with a look that was dangerously close to canny. As though she could look through Azula and see all of her secrets if she so wished. Azula knew this to be false, but still…It was so eerily similar to the way that Ozai had always looked at her. Like he had seen something in her that she had not yet, and that he coveted whatever it was.

Her bending. Her steel-sharp mind. The idea that she could be a bargaining chip once she was grown if he so wished it to be. 

She shook herself off mentally, and finally moved passed the outrageous claim that the princess could see auras and that hers was somehow singularly interesting compared to that of some other patron in the shop. Because it wasn’t, and she couldn’t.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, my lady,” Azula said at length, “you told me not to be agreeable. So I’m not being agreeable. Do you want me to be or don’t you? I’m receiving mixed signals.”

Indeed, she had, but only because Azula had been disagreeable during their first encounter. It was how she actually felt, not how she might pretend to. People always pretended around her in hopes of something; money, power, mercy. It gave her a headache.

‘Do you want me to be, or don’t you’. What she wanted to do was bite her. The tea girl was playing with her, that was obvious- and not in a fun way.

Instead of setting her teeth into the other woman’s silk covered shoulder, the crown princess took a breath. A smug sparkle set into her eyes as her brows raised.

“Don’t worry yourself. You are rather pretty, so you do not have to be intelligent.”

For a moment, Azula entertained what it might be like to sear this other woman’s flesh from her bones with a superheated palm. She wondered how long it would take for someone to come and find the Princess. How long she could run for before someone caught her. 

The Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom. Azula wasn’t certain which one would be worse.

But she had her uncle to think about, and Zuko…And Zuko had made no secret about how he felt regarding her handling of the situation thus far. Azula’s brother wasn’t known for having a cool head, so it was saying something when he felt he had the right to admonish her for being brash. 

Instead of striking out at the princess as she wished to do, Azula controlled herself. The shop girl knew well enough that she was intelligent. She knew, too, that she wasn’t so unappealing to look at. Plenty enough people had told her as much, and Azula had an empirical understanding of what constituted an ideal facial symmetry. She didn’t need validation on either account from a spoiled, wealthy, brat. 

“That isn’t an answer to my question,” Azula pressed. “What does your highness actually want from me?” Azula made certain to put a little more meaning behind the question. 

Maybe if it was something that Azula could readily give to her, Ty Lee would simply fade out of her life and leave her alone. Maybe the Princess and the Crown would simply forget about the Tea Shop owners and their peculiar politics.

"To be true, I have not quite made up my mind.... What I have decided is that I like you, even though you sometimes make me so frustrated I could bite or slap you." Not that those were necessarily disqualifiers. She had bitten people she liked terribly in the past, under similar circumstances and rather vastly different.

Her large vacant seeming eyes bored into Azula silently for a moment before she continued, chin tilting upwards,

"I also think that you lie about my people or are just too foolish to know better. There is food for the poor, no one is starving for any reason aside from laziness and unless you have evidence proving contrary I have no reason to think that you know more than even the silliest and most decrepit of the old men who advise me."

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

Azula pursed her lips, her tongue tracing the edges of her molars in thought. 

Ty Lee was unpredictable, something which made her all the more dangerous in Azula’s books. She’d placed her finger on exactly what Azula was, even going so far as to hint at the fact that Azula could be considered a traitor for consorting with people like Qiao…And yet Ty Lee made no move to punish her for it when only the week prior she had tossed a tea cup at Azula’s head for impertinence. 

The fact that the princess even knew what a Qiaoist was surprised Azula too.

Ty Lee seemed sheltered and unaware of the things going on in the world. Maybe she wasn’t. Maybe she merely played at being dumb the way that Azula’s family played at being princes. They’d been that once but they weren’t anymore. 

Not for the first time, Azula wondered if the Princess knew exactly who they were and was simply biding her time. A cat playing with the mouse before she tore into its flesh with her razor sharp teeth. 

“How so?” Azula settled on asking, deigning not to acknowledge the accusation of Qiaoism lest she accidentally give anything away. 

When she got the chance, maybe she should tell Qiao or Kai whom she’d made the acquaintance of. Surely they’d like to know.

Surely there was a plan in place for such things. 

‘How so?’ Surely she was not so ignorant as to not understand exactly what she could be capable of- if so inclined. Unlike her northern cousins she was not extremely vicious natured- or at least she did not act out in such an extreme way as they were so rumored.

“One- I could easily have you executed on a whim and yet you insult me.”

A small pinched smile cut at the edges of her painted lips.

“Two, I can see auras and yours,” She pointed fluidly at Azula, “is a most dangerously peculiar shade.” Blue, almost electric in how bright, how live it was.

Azula nearly scoffed, but stopped herself at the last moment, biting against the edge of her tongue hard to muffle the sound before it could even entertain the thought of leaving the cage of her ribs. She let the tip of her tongue snap against her front teeth instead, and took another sip from her cup of tea before carefully setting the plain porcelain down against the lacquered table top. 

Auras. How vapidly superstitious. 

But Ty Lee was fixing her with a look that was dangerously close to canny. As though she could look through Azula and see all of her secrets if she so wished. Azula knew this to be false, but still…It was so eerily similar to the way that Ozai had always looked at her. Like he had seen something in her that she had not yet, and that he coveted whatever it was.

Her bending. Her steel-sharp mind. The idea that she could be a bargaining chip once she was grown if he so wished it to be. 

She shook herself off mentally, and finally moved passed the outrageous claim that the princess could see auras and that hers was somehow singularly interesting compared to that of some other patron in the shop. Because it wasn’t, and she couldn’t.

'Do you want me to be, or don't you'. What she wanted to do was bite her. The tea girl was playing with her, that was obvious- and not in a fun way.

Instead of setting her teeth into the other woman's silk covered shoulder, the crown princess took a breath. A smug sparkle set into her eyes as her brows raised.

firelxrdsdaughter‌:

“Perhaps it’s the laws that prevent these people from having access to the food, shelter, and care that they require which are immoral,” Azula answered bluntly. 

She took a sip of her tea. 

“Aside from which you are drawing false equivalencies. Of course something like murdering your neighbour so that you can be with his wife is immoral and should be punished, but that is hardly the same as you and your children starving to death unless you can steal some rice.” 

Azula fixed Ty Lee with her gaze once again, annoyance only growing with each passing moment.

“And I believe that the princess knows as much and is being purposefully obtuse if she claims otherwise, which is a common tactic amongst the social elite who would rather hoard all of the food for themselves than share it out equally with everyone.” 

Azula’s voice had risen, and she only realised that it had done so belatedly. She’d forgotten, for a moment, that she was in her Uncle’s teashop entertaining a princess, not at one of the many taverns in town at night with her politically minded friends.

What had been done was done. She couldn’t take back what she’d said now. She paused, waiting for the other side of the princess to reemerge and admonish her or worse. 

I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut.

“You’re funny.” The princess laughed; thin, bright. “You sound almost like a Qiao-ist.” She couldn’t be, of course, she wasn’t ugly enough to be.

She chewed carefully, almost mouse-like at a bun for a moment before swallowing and continuing.

“Be careful, your sense of humor trends dangerously close to treason… However you strike me as someone who isn’t afraid of living a little dangerously.”

The princess was uncertain whether she was tip toeing at the edge of flirtation or accusation. As interesting as it was to meet someone who was not falling over themselves to please her, the idea that Azula- despite her appearance- could be leaning towards the teachings of that traitor philosopher Qiao- or possibly even be a disciple left Ty Lee with mixed feelings…

A silly thought. Such ideas took hold only in distant pronvinces, not the capital….right?

Azula pursed her lips, her tongue tracing the edges of her molars in thought. 

Ty Lee was unpredictable, something which made her all the more dangerous in Azula’s books. She’d placed her finger on exactly what Azula was, even going so far as to hint at the fact that Azula could be considered a traitor for consorting with people like Qiao…And yet Ty Lee made no move to punish her for it when only the week prior she had tossed a tea cup at Azula’s head for impertinence. 

The fact that the princess even knew what a Qiaoist was surprised Azula too.

Ty Lee seemed sheltered and unaware of the things going on in the world. Maybe she wasn’t. Maybe she merely played at being dumb the way that Azula’s family played at being princes. They’d been that once but they weren’t anymore. 

Not for the first time, Azula wondered if the Princess knew exactly who they were and was simply biding her time. A cat playing with the mouse before she tore into its flesh with her razor sharp teeth. 

“How so?” Azula settled on asking, deigning not to acknowledge the accusation of Qiaoism lest she accidentally give anything away. 

When she got the chance, maybe she should tell Qiao or Kai whom she’d made the acquaintance of. Surely they’d like to know.

"One- I could easily have you executed on a whim and yet you insult me."

A small pinched smile cut at the edges of her painted lips.