Azula is sitting in her room on her bed reading after hours of fire bending training. This was one of the things she liked to do on her down time. The sun was setting, the glow of its rays seeped into her room, tinting it orange. It made her activity of choice all that much more relaxing. She then hears the sound of tiny feet running down the halls towards her room. Sighing, she prepares for the daily routine of Kiyi begging her to play "House" or having "tea parties" and other such nonsense. She never was one to be "girly" growing up. If she had had the chance, training with knives, swords, and other weapons would have been her pass time rather than burning up the dolls her uncle had insisted on her playing with.
The door creaks open and she can hear giggling. Azula raises an eyebrow but doesn't stop her focus on the material in front of her. Multi tasking was never hard really. "Azzie!" Kiyi jumps on her older sister's bed. It does not faze the prodigy though, "Kiyi...how many times do I have to tell you to knock first before entering and proceeding to mess up my bed?" She lowers the book down and gives her half sister a questioning look.
"Oh! Sorry Azula..." Kiyi says, giving a sheepish grin.
Azula can't help but smile a little. Putting the book down she asks "What is it that you want?" She knows the answer. If everyday hearing it didn't help her to remember the girls daily questions, then she must really be losing her edge.
"Will you come and play house with me?" Kiyi's eyes shown with excitement. "Pleeeeease?"
Azula grimaces inwardly but she keeps her tone in check "Why don't you ask mom instead? I'm sure she would be more than happy to."
"I would but...she went on a walk with daddy." Kiyi mumbles looking away. Then brightens up and faces Azula again."So mommy said to come and ask you!" Of course she did... Kiyi proceeds to bounce up and down, messing up the perfection that was once Azula's bed. "Please, please, please!"
"Kiyi..."
"Just for a little bit!" the little girl then proceeds to put on her cutest pouting face "You never want to play..."
Damn she's good...Azula groans inwardly. "Fine..." Kiyi lets out a yelp of joy and jumps off the bed. "But only for a little while...and not anywhere people can see us..."
Her little sister nods her head enthusiastically "Ok! We can play in my room!" She grabs Azula's hand and starts dragging her out of the room and down the palace halls. This had better be one hell of a good game of house...
She doesn't know how it happens...nor does she entertain the idea of finding out. But somehow in a cruel twist of fate in this game of "house" she is the "mommy", while Kiyi is the "daughter". And not only does the universe like mocking her patience and sanity level but she is bottle feeding a toy stuffed dragon. Oh, sorry...the "baby"She mentally face palms.At least no one can see this karma filled display of embarrassment...
"Azzie make sure to hold her head! Babies are fragile!" Kiyi practically scolds, fixing Azula's motherly display of 'how to hold a baby the wrong way'. Azula's face flushes and she screams internally. Taking deep breaths, she pictures setting a forest on fire. The smell of burning wood and all those nice colors of blue...how peaceful.
There is a knock on the door. Azula snaps out of her fantasy and straightens up panicking. Kiyi leaves her and runs to the door, opening it just enough for her to peak her head out. "Yay! You made it!"
Who made it...?
Her sister opens the door wider and lets them in. Oh for Agni's sake! Just smite me now!
Zuko steps in "Hey Kiyi!" His voice is full of warmth. He looks up and stops in his tracks. "If you say anything I will electrocute you where you stand..." He is quiet for a moment. Then his face starts to strangely contort, putting a hand over his mouth, sounds of obvious laughter threaten to break through the pathetic barrier. Her brother doesn't even try and starts laughing out loud. Kiyi joins in, oblivious to the irony of what she has put her sister in.
Azula's face flushes and she grinds her teeth together. Her thoughts immediately go through ideas of how to silence a witness...most of which would end her up in prison.
He eventually stops, taking in gasps of air and wiping tears off his face. "Oh man...Azula..."
"I'm warning you Zuko..."
Kiyi interrupts Azula's scathing comment, unaware of what could be so funny. "You made it! Now we can really start to have fun!" She grins up at her older brother.
"So...we are playing house are we?" He gives Azula a sideways glance grinning.I can't believe she convinced you to play with her.She can practically hear his thoughts.
"Yep! And Azula is the mommy and I'm the daughter!"
Yep...my life is ruined...
"You can be the daddy!" Kiyi points at him. Zuko's face practically contorts into an expression of horror. Well...maybe karma is on my side today...
"Yeah...'daddy'..." Azula grins slyly, standing up. She walks over to her brother, handing him the 'baby'. "Zuzu dearest...would you be so kind as to feed the baby? Oh, and when you're done that, could you change her diaper as well?" She says in her sweetest voice.
"W-what?" His face flushes in embarrassment "I've been at meetings all day! You take care of the baby!" He shoves the toy dragon back in Azula's arms.
"But honey...I've been taking care of the baby all day!" She hands it back to Zuko. "Be a good father and take care of our child!" She growls lightly back.
"I said no!"
'Baby' in Azula's arms.
"I insist!"
'Baby' in Zuko's arms.
"No, you!"
Azula.
"You!"
Zuko.
Giggling interrupts their sibling scuffle. They stop and glance down at Kiyi, remembering that they had an audience with them. "You guys are funny...you already act like parents!" Zuko and Azula glance back at each other, faces heating up.
The rest of the game continues for another hour, Azula and Zuko cooperating under mutual agreement to get along till it's all over. Ursa returns an hour later looking for her kids. "Kiyi?" She knocks on the door, opening it to find her putting a blanket over the sleeping figures of Azula and Zuko. They lay on the floor, Zuko sprawled on his back and Azula unceremoniously sprawled across his stomach. "What's going on here?" She trys to hold back laughter.
"Mommy!" her daughter runs and clutches onto Ursa's robes. "We were playing house! And it was really fun! Azula was the 'mommy' and Zuko the 'daddy' and I was the 'daughter'!"
Ursa starts laughing "Oh, really?" She glances back at her two oldest. "And how did they end up falling asleep like this?"
Kiyi puts a finger to her chin tapping it "Well...we were making dinner and Azula had just put the 'baby' to bed. But Zuko woke the 'baby'. Azula got mad and then they started throwing pillows and toys at each other. Then they started arguing over what we would have for dinner."
Ursa trys to hold back her laughter. Azula hears and starts to stir."Yep! I left to go play in the gardens and then found them like this!"
The prodigy grumbles and sits up. Noticing her mother is standing at the door, her eyes widen. She looks back down at Zuko, face flushing in embarrassment. Azula punches him in the side, waking him up.
"What?! Is the food burning!"
"No, you idiot!" Azula face palms.
Ursa's voice is filled with amusement "Well...looks like you three have had a really good time! I told you Azula would play with you."
"Yes she did! And she was awesome! I can't wait to have a tea party next!"
Zuko and Azula's faces are unamused.
This couldn't get any worse could it...
"We never speak of this?" her voice deadpanned.
"Agreed."