Avatar: Four O'Clock
Title Four O'Clock
Summary:
"She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along." (Margaret Culkin Banning)
Rating: G
Fandom: Avatar: Last Airbender
Word count: 459
“He's gone.”
Azula keeps her voice quiet, steady, making sure no one could hear her. No one roamed the halls of the palace at that hour. But one couldn't be too careful, could they?
“Oh?” The response is mildly shocked and disappointed. “I haven't heard. Why?”
Her back is turned so the woman wouldn't see her face. Azula is smiling. “You wouldn't be proud if I said.”
“Of who, your brother or you?”
She started walking away, her footsteps brisk and angry. She was frowning slightly. “Don't be stupid. You are never proud of me.”
The other woman sighs, tiredly. When she finally answers her voice is slow, steady, and almost sickly sweet. “What did your brother do, then?”
“He got himself banished.”
There isn't so much as a gasp of surprise. That was infuriating. Azula turns around and walks back. This time it's with more energy. While she kept her face as impassive as ever, it was obvious this reaction was not wanted. “Did you hear me? Maybe I didn't speak loud enough. You are getting old after all.”
The woman didn't respond and just stood, infuriatingly quiet. Azula stops and takes a slow breath. “You didn't, then. Your precious little ZuZu got himself banished. You'll never see him again.” She pauses, a wry chuckle at her lips. “Not that you'd recognize his face if he did manage to come back.”
“It was your father, wasn't it? He always liked you best...Zuko can't please him, no matter what he does.” Azula rolled here eyes at that, almost throwing her hands up in the air with impatience.
“This is your favorite we're talking about. Is that all you have to say?”
She shrugs. “What more do you want me to say?”
She shouldn't just stand there. Why wasn't she crying out in dismay? Saying that it was a lie, that Zuko wouldn't get banished? Calling her a monster? Saying that Azula shouldn't say such things. Yet, she was standing there just as if Azula had said that water was wet or that fire burned.
“Your precious little ZuZu is gone, Mother. He's good as dead and all you do is stand there.”
Her mother looked as she always had quiet, pretty, a bit of sadness in her eyes, and everything a mother was supposed to be. No matter what Azula said, she would still stand impassively. “What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing. Just go. It's late. I need sleep.” She raises her hand, covering her eyes and waved her other hand in a dismissive gesture.
“Then later, darling.”
Then Azula's reflection was alone in the mirror. That was fine. Sometimes her mother was like that, but with Zuko gone she was sure to be more talkative.
Summary:
"She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along." (Margaret Culkin Banning)
Rating: G
Fandom: Avatar: Last Airbender
Word count: 459
“He's gone.”
Azula keeps her voice quiet, steady, making sure no one could hear her. No one roamed the halls of the palace at that hour. But one couldn't be too careful, could they?
“Oh?” The response is mildly shocked and disappointed. “I haven't heard. Why?”
Her back is turned so the woman wouldn't see her face. Azula is smiling. “You wouldn't be proud if I said.”
“Of who, your brother or you?”
She started walking away, her footsteps brisk and angry. She was frowning slightly. “Don't be stupid. You are never proud of me.”
The other woman sighs, tiredly. When she finally answers her voice is slow, steady, and almost sickly sweet. “What did your brother do, then?”
“He got himself banished.”
There isn't so much as a gasp of surprise. That was infuriating. Azula turns around and walks back. This time it's with more energy. While she kept her face as impassive as ever, it was obvious this reaction was not wanted. “Did you hear me? Maybe I didn't speak loud enough. You are getting old after all.”
The woman didn't respond and just stood, infuriatingly quiet. Azula stops and takes a slow breath. “You didn't, then. Your precious little ZuZu got himself banished. You'll never see him again.” She pauses, a wry chuckle at her lips. “Not that you'd recognize his face if he did manage to come back.”
“It was your father, wasn't it? He always liked you best...Zuko can't please him, no matter what he does.” Azula rolled here eyes at that, almost throwing her hands up in the air with impatience.
“This is your favorite we're talking about. Is that all you have to say?”
She shrugs. “What more do you want me to say?”
She shouldn't just stand there. Why wasn't she crying out in dismay? Saying that it was a lie, that Zuko wouldn't get banished? Calling her a monster? Saying that Azula shouldn't say such things. Yet, she was standing there just as if Azula had said that water was wet or that fire burned.
“Your precious little ZuZu is gone, Mother. He's good as dead and all you do is stand there.”
Her mother looked as she always had quiet, pretty, a bit of sadness in her eyes, and everything a mother was supposed to be. No matter what Azula said, she would still stand impassively. “What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing. Just go. It's late. I need sleep.” She raises her hand, covering her eyes and waved her other hand in a dismissive gesture.
“Then later, darling.”
Then Azula's reflection was alone in the mirror. That was fine. Sometimes her mother was like that, but with Zuko gone she was sure to be more talkative.