Prompts:

Blanket

Acceptance

Start and end with the same phrase/word

Position / Team: Waterbender / Kolau Komodo Rhinos

Word Count: 1182

Phone Call

Time went too fast these days.

Ursa's never been too fond of the newest gadgets in the Fire Nation, but when Zuko brought a strange device in the middle of the sitting area of her bedroom, she had to take a peek.

She walked around the black gleaming object in her sleeping robe. Not too small or big and it stood on top of dark oak. The yellowish lights made them exude a strange sparkle. Ursa inched forward, adjusting her spectacles as she dragged the blanket-clad settee near the table. She sat and flung the blanket over her lap.

She flinched at the hard knock on her door, "What now?"

Kiyi skipped in with a sleeping robe of her own. "I just heard! Zuko's finally got that talking thing over here. It's like the rave right now!" she squealed, plopping herself on top of Ursa's lap to start palming the device like a piece of meat.

"Will you stop that?!" Ursa pulled Kiyi's hands away, "It's in my room so I touch it first!" Kiyi raised a brow before lifting her bum off her mother's lap and stalking to the four poster bed towards the far right. "Much better."

"As if you know how to use a telephone."

Ursa smiled, "Is that what they call it?" she fiddled with the hand held component of this 'telephone'. "Since you children are much more technological saavy than I am, why don't you come up here and demonstrate this 'telephone's' abilities?"

"There's another new invention: less vocabulary."

"Come over here!" Kiyi rushed over and settled herself near her mother.

She found a tiny slab of paper near the telephone with a list of chicken scratch to read. Zuko should have paid more attention in his calligraphy class. She followed Kiyi's well-manicured finger over the names and numbers. At the top, Iroh, Ikem…and then, with a bright red inked dot, Azula's name remained at the bottom.

"Azula?" Ursa murmured.

It's not as though they just didn't get along with one another, but Ursa found herself not knowing how to approach the thirty summer year old woman. It's strange.

Azula's birth has been the happiest day of her life, and despite the hardships, Ursa recalled the tiny baby who loved lychees and hollered 'Zuzu' in little Zuko's ear. Azula'd mess up her face with juices and run around bare feet in the gardens. The current Azula wore black and gold armor, had red lips and a half top knot that gave her the tightest face Ursa had even seen. Maybe that's why she barely smiled.

"Do you think we should call her?" Ursa asked.

"Huh? Why shouldn't we call her?" Kiyi frowned. "It's not like she's gonna hang up the phone on us. She'll know it's me."

"'Hang up?'"

Kiyi slapped her forehead, "Never mind. Okay. I think I wanna ask her about the Fire Flakes she had in her room." Kiyi began dialing the number.

"Hold on a minute!" Ursa tugged Kiyi's hands off. "I want to do it."

"I'm just dialing her number!"

"I. Want. To. Do. It."

Kiyi grumbled as Ursa hunted and pecked. She managed to double check and grinned when she began to hear ringing. "It's ringing!" Kiyi rolled her eyes.

They waited. One. Two. Three rings. Finally something clicked.

"Hello?" Ursa's eyes widened. Azula sounded like a lioncat on the telephone. "Who is this?"

Kiyi's body had to get in the way, "It's Kiiiyiiiii!"

"Would you please get off my phone?" Ursa yelled.

Kiyi stuck her tongue out, "Our phone, mom. Hi Azula!"

"Hello Kiyi."

"Whatcha doing?"

"What else? Sleeping."

"Where's the Fire Flakes you had stacked in your closet?"

"So you've been the one taking it."

"It's so good!" Kiyi twirled the hand device's springy connector that attached to its stand. "Yours tastes like Komodo dragon and lime. I can't get that anywhere else."

"That's because I toast them up myself." Kiyi gasped.

Ursa almost clenched her fists over the blanket at Kiyi's and Azula's talk. Kiyi knew how to make friends, and her special skill worked with Azula – years after the Forbidden Valley episode. All because of one training session.

She looked down at the red fleece, which almost reminded her of the blanket she waddled Azula in when she barely crawled.

Azula only laughed when Kiyi was around. As for her relationship with Zuko, Ursa could say they were doing much better taking strolls and discussing Azula's duties as his political advisor.

Heck, Ikem can get Azula to help him in the gardens if he wanted. Iroh begged to have Azula stay with him during the summers to help in the Jasmine Dragon. Even some of the guards started called Azula sifu, due to their daily group trainings. Ursa didn't want to think about the cook who taught Azula tricks in the kitchen for the many travels she took alone.

It's just Ursa who had a harder time.

She smiled, "I apologize for Kiyi's rude interruption," Kiyi grinned. "How are you doing, dear?"

"…Well."

Even with this new device, Ursa's strange dynamic with Azula remained. She could tell that it got Kiyi quiet. Their conversations have always been a dance. Ursa had to work to get Azula to say one word and Azula wouldn't budge.

Kiyi got up and walked to the gold laced doors, giving Ursa a wink before stepping out. Slam.

Ursa sighed, "Your sister's a real trip."

She thought she heard a scoff. "She's Kiyi."

"Of course. How are the meetings with King Kuei?"

Azula paused, "Fine."

Whenever they spoke face to face, Ursa found it difficult sharing eye contact with Azula. Their interactions reminded her of her attempts to get Ozai to loosen up, which failed. Just as her father did, Azula would stare quietly in a way that made Ursa squirm and end the conversation.

But she really didn't want to stop now.

Ursa laughed, "Oh really? King Kuei?

Like a Fire Temple's morning bell, Azula's soft laugh eased the tight hold in Ursa's chest. She sounded light, like the wind picked her up and twirled her around.

"Despite the eight guards he brings with him each meeting, everything's going smoothly."

"Oh Agni."

Like inexperienced dancers, they stumbled but soon found a rhythm in their steps. Ursa listened to her daughter's careful description of the newer Upper Ring – of how Iroh's clumsy waitress spilled jasmine tea all over a mayor's lap, how Azula helped a little boy cross a gutter because he was as tiny as an ant as didn't want to admit it, and the way the seas by the harbor looked so calm and blue in the mornings.

"Good night,"

"Sweet dreams."

Her daughter chuckled before hanging up. Ursa did the same, pulled the blanket off her and jumped as fast as her old body could to pump her fists up in victory. They spoke for a record three minutes! Better than their actual conversation last time.

End Note - I know the creation of the phone probably wouldn't happen this period. But considering the fact that there are geniuses on the show, maybe they'd come up with theirs early? I don't know. Hope you like.