Azula rested against the cool stone of the wall hungry, cold, and worst of all, bored. Senlin fall was unseasonably cold and she was ill prepared for it. The princess shifted and adjusted the sleeves of the thin cotton tunic she'd traded her silks in for. Just touching the unsophisticated material made her nauseated. All those years of tutors and grooming at her father's side, and for what? Lurking in an Earth Kingdom alley with no money?
Her past few years living with Iroh hadn't been wholly miserable, but they had been profoundly annoying. He had forced to limit her fire bending to meditation and 'sanctioned' hours that would make the laziest bender arch a brow in judgment, and her immediate financial state was just another reflection of her overall failure in life. She had her own finances well and settled, but accessing any credit to her estate or using an Imperial seal was bound to draw nothing but trouble to her. Zuko would come air ballooning to her 'rescue', assuring her she should go back to stay with Iroh in Ba Sing Se.
Even time back in her gilded cage sounded better than that. She'd had enough serving tea to gaping old men and up jumped dirt royalty. A lord of the mud was still beneath the lowest Fire Nation peasant no matter what her Uncle tried to convince her.
If she gave her brother more credit, she'd assume he spent private moments gloating. Unfortunately, he was far more like their father… He was likely locked away brooding and pensive than celebrating his success. His little continued adventures with the Avatar and his accompanying gang of misfits was likely the only spark in his life. He certainly hadn't been properly trained to handle the demands of being Fire Lord. And running off only proved he didn't take it seriously. She pursed her lips and realized she too had run away… twice now.
The parallels between her brother's storybook transformative time in the Earth Kingdom and her own were beginning to surface and it was annoying her. She sighed and crossed her arms, skin pouring out heat. It was a fun way to keep warm and something she'd perfected on her 'holiday' after Zuko had ascended to the throne in her stead. If nothing else, it had ensured nurses and healers kept their hands to themselves.
"Nice trick, little girl."
Azula straightened and turned to regard the voice addressing her. She arched a brow and analyzed the woman who had spoken. Possible Fire Nation by her coloring and a fighter of some kind judging from the way she dressed and the whip at her hip. She doubted a circus performer would be so plain clothed so that left thug. The princess huffed softly and shot the woman a blank look.
"Ooh," the woman mused. "Such an icy thing for a fire bender." A faint smirk split the woman's lips.
Azula tensed, clearing the pathways in her arm, regulating the heat that had been flowing from them. "I'm afraid you're as mistaken as your conversation is unwanted."
The woman chuckled and shook her head. "Listen to that tone. You were steaming, honey." She shrugged. "Not the best undercover fire bender I've met but you're all so hot headed I'm surprised any of you can think a sentence through."
Azula frowned and the continued familiar tone and banter.
"Come on, princess. You must be pretty cold to be putting off heat like that in a backwater place like this. They even think they see fire here and you've got a whole bunch of idiots on your tail."
Azula's eyes flashed at the title. It could be typical condescension, but if the woman was as Fire Nation as she appeared, there might be a reason behind the address. Only people in the capital saw her or Zuko in person and it was rare for citizens of Caldera to leave, or even want to, unless it was for government promotion or military service. Most of the soldiers that had served on her ship or under her during the war were likely dead too and her father's admiralty imprisoned. That didn't leave many who should be able to note her so easily on sight. She took a step away from the wall, wary and tense. Perhaps the woman was an assassin… a dissenter grunt…
"Here," the woman grunted, tossing a few coins to Azula in response to her continued silence. "Why don't you buy a *coat* so you don't stick out so much." A smile slid into place on the older woman's face as Azula caught the coin easily. "Though with those eyes, I think people are going to remember you."
Azula almost took the comment as a charming compliment when the woman whistled high and sharp and ruined the moment. A large shirshu came lumbering down the alley towards them.
"If you're aren't too delicate, come find me. I can help you make some coin with that bending," the woman called, scaling the beast easily. She winked at Azula and rode the thing away, leaving the princess furious at her presumption and possible insult at offering her what could be an offer to be a fire juggler or prostitute.