#fearbend

they've found a place to rest,   for now.   he's not sure about azula    with whom he's been travelling for the past few days   ( or maybe weeks ?   he's lost track,   as is his usual routine )     but he's so used to being on the move that this unfamiliar territory doesn't strike him with nerves.   it's dark enough tonight,   the moon enshrouded by clouds,   that he doesn't think anyone will spot the smoke from the fire,   least of all take interest in it.   if he's ever found by the fire nation's army,   he'll surely have to join.   and he wants that less than anything in this world.  

with a soft puff of breath,   howl blows the small flame he's made across to the next long.   it sparks weakly at first,   aided only once the sparks reach the dried leaves and twigs he had stacked on it.   only then does it begin to grow into the campfire he wants it to be.   satisfied then,   he leans back,   crossing one leg and pulling the other knee up to wrap his arms around it.   he curls up,   rests his cheek on his knee,   looks off at a point just shy of where azula is sitting.   and for now,   he's silent,   and in that silence,   time ticks on.   he's tired.   the day has been long,   after all.

@fearbend.   ‘ in another kingdom exists a throne and a crown that is mine by right. ’

it strikes him at this very moment that he really hasn't heard much about azula from she herself.   he quirks a brow,   attention immediately snapping to her,   and tilts his chin up slightly so he can see her better.    ❝    mmm ?   another kingdom ?    ❞    he's begun to suspect,   in knowing her even for this small amount of time,   who she really is.   but he'll never even hint that he knows in any way.   instead,   he merely looks at her,   a curious gleam in his eye.   an eager one,   too.    ❝    yours by right,   is it ?   and what sort of right is that ?    ❞

.゜––   of fairytales, folklore and faekind.  /  𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐.

Haughtiness dripped from her every word. Clearly the girl not only knew her own talents, but was unabashedly proud of them. Childe couldn't help but chuckle, remembering back to his days as a common Fatui foot soldier when he'd worn a similar look each time he bested his training partners.

If they'd ended up bloodied and bruised by the time he was done with them? Well, someone had to push the Tsaritsa's soldiers to improve when his superiors at the time clearly hadn't.

"A Vision is far more than a trinket, though I can see how it may seem that way to those who don't have one," he said with a shrug. Challenging words lit a spark in his eyes, and his grin stretched wider—sharpened just beyond the realm of 'friendly.'

“ you’re  still  my  enemy . ” / @fearbend​

                    azula   makes   it   hard   to   be   her   friend.   

                    of   course   ,   katara   should   have   known   this   already.   mai   and   ty   lee   have   been   dealing   with   azula   since   childhood   ,   and   the   two   of   them   could   never   completely   understand   her.   they   could   PREDICT   her    —    anyone   who   pays   enough   attention   could   predict   her   ,   because   she   would   do   whatever   benefited   her   the   most   ,   whatever   might   impress   her   father    —    but   could   never   understand   her.   what   broken   pieces   of   ozai   and   ursa   make   up   her   shattered   pieces   ?   

                    it   would   be   easy   to   write   her   off   as   a   lost   cause.   someone   who   would   see   neither   sense   nor   reason   ,   who   was   a   weapon   for   her   father's   ambitions   more   than   anyone   else.   katara   feels   awful   for   her.   being   ozai's   child   could   not   have   been   easy.   the   image   of   azula   chaned   to   a   grate   with   iron   shackles   pops   up   in   her   head   ,   unbidden.   the   moment   when   she   realized   that   azula   was   a   victim   ,   like   the   rest   of   them.   they   could   have   been   friends   ,   she   thinks.   in   another   life   ,   in   another   world.   one   where   iroh   maybe   took   as   much   INTEREST   in   her   as   he   did   zuko   ;   one   where   her   mother   didn't   leave   ;   one   where   someone   ,   somewhere   ,   fought   for   her.

                    but   no   one   did   ,   and   now   azula   stares   at   her   through   those   golden   eyes   with   fire   in   her   gaze   and   hatred   in   her   heart   ,   because   no   one   showed   her   she   was   worth   caring   about   beyond   what   she   could   do   for   them.

                    so   katara   watches   as   the   tea   boils    —    iroh's   new   blend   ,   sent   from   ba   sing   se    —    and   breathes   in   deep   the   scent   of   rosewater   tea.   “   if   you   want   to   spend   the   day   drinking   still   water   and   stale   bread   from   the   commons   ,   i   can   leave   ,   ”   she   says   in   her   best   impression   of   grangran's   calm   disapproval.

(    *    meme,    with @fearbend​      ).

@fearbend.    ❛  this  is  the  nicest  thing  anyone  has  ever  done  for  me.   ❜

howl  looked  up  from  the  table,    where  he  currently  had  two  plates  set  :    one  for  himself,    &.    one  for  a̲z̲u̲l̲a̲.      ❛  are  you  absolutely  certain  about  that  ?  ❜      from  the  look  of  her  clothing             well-fitted,    decorative  while  not  being  quite  simply  &.    not  at  all  overtly  ornate            howl  doubted  that  this  was  the  nicest  thing  anyone  had  ever  done  for  her.    she  seemed  more  the  type  who  had  been  pampered  when  she  was  younger,    &.    if  the  sharp  aura  that  surrounded  her  were  anything  to  go  by,    she  just  might  have  been.    b̲u̲t̲ ̲ ̲n̲e̲i̲t̲h̲e̲r̲ ̲ ̲w̲a̲s̲ ̲ ̲h̲e̲ ̲ ̲v̲e̲r̲y̲ ̲ ̲i̲n̲c̲l̲i̲n̲e̲d̲ ̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲ ̲s̲p̲e̲a̲k̲ ̲ ̲a̲ ̲ ̲w̲o̲r̲d̲ ̲ ̲o̲n̲ ̲ ̲i̲t̲  :    he  had  fashioned  up  his  own  elaborate  fabrics  to  wear,    &.    probably  looked  just  as  decorated.    but  at  least  he  knew  he  had  come  from  no  nobility  ;  well-off  commoners  did  in  fact  exist  around  the  fire  nation.    b̲u̲t̲ ̲ ̲s̲h̲e̲ ̲ ̲l̲o̲o̲k̲e̲d̲ ̲ ̲l̲i̲k̲e̲ ̲ ̲s̲h̲e̲ ̲ ̲h̲a̲d̲ ̲ ̲b̲e̲e̲n̲ ̲ ̲t̲r̲a̲v̲e̲l̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲ ̲f̲o̲r̲ ̲ ̲a̲ ̲ ̲l̲o̲n̲g̲ ̲ ̲w̲h̲i̲l̲e̲,    &.    he  would  turn  away  no  one  who  managed  to  find  him  out  here,    as  long  as  they  didn't  seem  a  threat  to  his  home  &.    hearth.    &.    she  …  didn't  seem  to  be  lying.      ❛  …  well,    in  that  case,    please  sit  down.    i  have  enough  for  the  two  of  us.  ❜

" Princess. "

The formality rings hollow in her mouth now, but PRINCESS was all she had known her as, another figure of authority with the same goal implanted in her mind, the goal she'd once believed was her only purpose for living. Words alone would never be enough to dissuade the royal, but still maroon eyes lock with gold, unwavering as she speaks for herself.

"I don't wish to fight you. Let me be. "

@fearbend​  liked  for  a  starter .

in his absence, his chancellors grow smug, and are quick to sideline the ‘junior’ adviser  &  disgraced princess in favor of puffing themselves up, seacocks comparing plumage.  recognition eclipses result, only they’re too busy patting themselves on the back to notice that, this time, the result has more holes in it than sliced lotus root.  mai sighs and, in her silent misery, her gaze find’s azula’s.

kill me now.

for a flash, they’re back at school, bored to tears while he shihan demonstrates the basic firebending stances.  mai half expects a folded note to land in her lap, a snarky observation that almost makes the wasted time worth it... then she frowns and glances away.  that they’re still able to communicate with just a look years later sits in her stomach like bad shrimp.  

the one benefit to their moment of silent camaraderie comes later, when azula flounces into her small office.  mai doesn’t even need to glance up from her desk to greet her with a sigh.

❝    and the day’s trials only continue .    ❞