A. N. : Many good things happened to me since I started writing this fic (because I sought help mostly), and one of them gave me a whole other view on Mai's character. Namely that lowkey dissociation actually fits her. So yeah, you get a small, originally unplanned interlude before I wrap up the Headband arc in 2-3 chapters. (Also a theme appeared between this one and the previous gal pals interlude (ch. 54 if you're curious) and I might actually stick with it haha !)

Mai is angry.

Mai is angry and it has been so long since she felt something so strongly that she doesn't know what to do. It's as if opening up to Ty Lee broke some of the walls she built inside herself. She needs to build the next ones stronger.

Most of them are still here though, which is how she manages to live day to day without bothering anyone. Don't act, don't show, don't feel – but now she feels and she hates this.

If Azula picks up on this – how comes she didn't pick up on this yet – Mai's life will become hell.

Mai doesn't know what to do, but she believes personal problems must be dealt with personally. And she will find a solution, no matter what she has to do.

She knows her anger stems from Zuko's betrayal, she isn't that cut off from her own emotions not to realize this. The thing is, she can't shake Zuko – or hit him, or threaten him with her knives – until he explains why he decided to betray his Nation, precisely because he betrayed, even though what happened three years ago proves he cared at some point.

She can't reach Zuko to demand an explanation, but she still wants – needs – one. So she thinks of the one other person who could know of his reasons, the one person she can reach and threaten and –

Now that she thinks about it, Iroh is not only all of that, he is also most certainly responsible for Zuko's change.

She wonders for a second, idly, how much she could rough him up in his cell before someone intervened, but quickly shakes off the idea. She isn't Azula. She might be angry and she might want answers, but she won't hurt someone who can't fight back.

She is not Azula.

Mai enters the prison with her intentions clear and doesn't try to hide her being here. Hiding things from Azula is never a good idea, even moreso now that she has picked up some high quality spies in Ba Sing Se. So Mai doesn't hide – she is here to get information from the traitor.

She just doesn't specify what sort.

Iroh looks disgusting, nothing like the man who would make everyone tea and play Pai Sho with Ty Lee after Princess Ursa's disappearance. It never lasted long, because Azula didn't like him and he didn't like Azula, and that fact meant something always happened to interrupt the tea party.

The Iroh in front of Mai doesn't look anything like the one Mai remembered – he looks dirty and old. Like a ruin. Did captivity do this, or did he do this to himself ?

Did he ruin Zuko in the same way ?

Mai doesn't answer his hello, doesn't answer his did Azula send you, she just stares and sees his eyes are the same as Ty Lee's when she plays dumber than she is. Clever, calculating eyes that don't fit the ruin he pretends to be.

He was the genius General after all. The genius sibling. And Mai has years of experience in dealing with these, so she won't be fooled.

She cuts to the chase. What did he do to Zuko – he frowns, looks confused, and now that she knows it's all an act it really gets on her nerves.

She grits her teeth. Grabs one of the bars of the cell. What did he do to Zuko ?

There's an echo and Mai realizes she screamed that. Bad, she needs to get a grip on her anger and fast, losing control like that is dangerous. Her throat hurts from the unusual effort, her jaw hurts too now with how hard she keeps it clenched, and her breathing is uneven.

How long since she was this angry and acted on it – it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because it won't happen again if she can help it. It has to never happen again, especially not in front of Azula.

But it won't happen again. She is already building back some of the walls that just fell, and with every breath she feels her posture straighten, her face putting on the usual apathetic expression, and it is only when she has crushed every single remnant of anger under her heel that she lets go of the bar she is still holding.

Iroh is asking if everything is alright and she ignores him. He will not answer, and so he doesn't matter anymore.

She turns around, opens the door to exit the cell. Qin is standing in the hallway, right in front of her, and that makes her pause. There is no reason for Azula to send him over – he isn't a spy, the Dai Li archives said he was in charge of some underground research facility or whatever. Him being here doesn't make any sense.

He smiles nicely and Mai can't read him at all – there is no explanation, no someone ordered me to, not even a ridiculous excuse such as I got lost. He just asks if she is done here, then says they should go back and guides her outside with a hand on her back, in something that feels like it's supposed to be a protective move.

Mai glares at him and he takes his hand back. They still walk side to side and Mai doesn't see the use in making any effort to change that. The only sounds are of their footsteps and respective breaths.

Qin's earrings are glittering in the torchlight. Always glittering in the corner of her eye. For some reason this doesn't annoy her.

She feels calm for the first time in days.

All is right.