A. N. : Sorry for the wait ! As I said last update I kinda ran out of backlog, and on top of that I got some health issues in late October that just completely ruined my groove. I'm good now though ! Bought myself a new chair too, so hopefully it won't happen again. And I guess it's fitting that both me and our "heroes" have now escaped our respective glue traps haha
Zuko got out easy.
Azula is still fuming, and her hands still itch to strangle her idiot of a brother, even after Agni knows how long they spent glued to the ceiling. Or maybe precisely because of how long they were stuck on there. Insulting him – insulting each other, little Zuzu finally grew a backbone after Azula brought Mother dearest into it – could only take out so much wind out of her rage.
Still, kicking Zuko's face in might not make a great impression on the armed guards surrounding them.
They're being accused of trying to steal the, uh, Sun Warriors wannabes? These guys' Sun Stone. And Azula would love nothing more than to keep watching Zuko struggle to justify himself in the face of the aardvark-sloths feasting on the glue he caused by taking the Sun Stone from its pedestal, but…
Well. Unfortunately, she was found alongside this idiot, and is thus considered guilty by association.
She sighs.
Weird outcasts living in the wild and impersonating a dead people would likely love to betray the Fire Lord, so she starts with this. Her stupid brother – he glares at her – may have grabbed the stone in misplaced curiosity, but he is the Avatar's firebending teacher and came here in search of new ways to teach him.
The apparent leader looks down at Zuko, eyebrows raised, and Zuko thankfully speaks up before the annoying vermin next to the leader has a chance to open his mouth again.
Zuko introduces himself, bows low and apologizes for the crimes of their fore-fathers – Azula doesn't react one bit, not even a roll of the eye, and thinks idly that Mai would be proud of how carefully blank her face is in this instant – and blah blah blah, the Avatar, the balance of the world, Zuko's fuel changing in ways that don't quite match the way Sozin's style is taught, blah blah. Wait, does he really think they're authentic Sun Warriors? Oh, Zuzu…
It's cringe-worthy, but it seems to work.
But then – what about you, Princess? And Azula grinds her teeth, both at the question and the title. She expected it, of course, pointing to Zuko as the sole teacher would obviously lead anyone to wonder about her, but it's not like Zuzu can lie to save his life, so for her sake? Not a chance.
She exhales. Pictures the playroom where Mai and Ty Lee would spend the night with her on sleepovers, a long time ago. It's the closest she's found to what Qin calls a garden during his meditations with Mai, and Azula may find a lot of what he says asinine, but this exercise does… ground her, somewhat, if only a little. Enough that she doesn't flinch when speaking – I was banished, haven't you heard? And I can't bend anymore, so I want to fix that – and doesn't stab Zuko when he gasps at her words.
She refuses to look at his face, though. The thought of seeing pity all over it makes her stomach crawl up her throat, like a sea stern flailing to escape the unknown, suffocatingly dry land it flew in by accident.
Azula keeps on a pleasant smile as she gives her thanks to the leader for allowing them to meet the Masters. Thinks of the dull thump of fish being slammed on wood, all while he speaks of judgement, of being worthy enough to learn. Destruction, should they fail to pass the trial.
It's all Azula can do to keep her smile from growing.