Mai's brush faltered and she set it down, looking at Alessa curiously through dulled eyes when she appeared. That wasn't supposed to happen, her mind told her. People didn't just appear out of thin air like that. Not even the now-extinct Airbenders. For a long moment she simply stared at Alessa and the offered knives. Those weren't her's. She'd given it up ages ago because her parents had made her.
No. That wasn't how it had gone at all. Her lips turned down slightly into a frown, eyes narrowing in concentration. As Leon joined Alessa her eyes started to clear and her expression began to turn cold. She reached out a hand and took the sheaths and straps; a familiar weight in her hand and she realized that she was still wearing them. She'd always been wearing them. Memories began to flood back to her. Stacy. HAL. Her journey with Azula and Ty Lee.
Zuko.
She flexed her fingers and then in one spiteful, smooth motion, she overturned her ink pot, letting the black liquid flow over her paper.
"Mai, what do you think you're doing? You'll have to start all over again!" Her mother again, this time sounding indignant. Mai's gaze snapped over to her.
"You're not my mother. Not really. And I'm finished with calligraphy." Mai's voice was a dangerous monotone - little inflection, but there was a cold, hard edge to it.
"Nonsense-!" Her mother - her dream mother - flushed angrily, looking as if she was about to launch into a tirade.
Alessa smiled. This was the kind of human she liked: she seemed more of a creature of logic than feelings, and now that this facade was done they could get going again. Alessa was anxious to get a few people out of their dreams: the TRUE showdown was going to be at Escherville, where the Nightmare King was gaining power.
But this distraction was already of no interest to Alessa. They had work to do.
"Enough," Alessa said, her voice sounding much darker than they usually did. Her gaze froze the figment in place, and the air around her started to warp a bit, looking out of place. "Your illusions are nonsense. Now move aside. Our quarrel goes much deeper than you."
And there was definitely a chill in the air, as if Alessa could do much worse if there were any more objections. But she wasn't going to: Leon had a gun, and anyway, her strength had to be saved right now.
Mai had feelings. She was just very good at burying them beneath the surface. She eyed the illusion of her mother for a moment longer before she turned away with a shrug (although for just a moment she wished her real mother were aboard).
"This way," he told the girls. It was easy to get turned around in these illusions. Where east became west became north became south. But Leon knew exactly where he was going.
No. That wasn't how it had gone at all. Her lips turned down slightly into a frown, eyes narrowing in concentration. As Leon joined Alessa her eyes started to clear and her expression began to turn cold. She reached out a hand and took the sheaths and straps; a familiar weight in her hand and she realized that she was still wearing them. She'd always been wearing them. Memories began to flood back to her. Stacy. HAL. Her journey with Azula and Ty Lee.
Zuko.
She flexed her fingers and then in one spiteful, smooth motion, she overturned her ink pot, letting the black liquid flow over her paper.
"Mai, what do you think you're doing? You'll have to start all over again!" Her mother again, this time sounding indignant. Mai's gaze snapped over to her.
"You're not my mother. Not really. And I'm finished with calligraphy." Mai's voice was a dangerous monotone - little inflection, but there was a cold, hard edge to it.
"Nonsense-!" Her mother - her dream mother - flushed angrily, looking as if she was about to launch into a tirade.
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But this distraction was already of no interest to Alessa. They had work to do.
"Enough," Alessa said, her voice sounding much darker than they usually did. Her gaze froze the figment in place, and the air around her started to warp a bit, looking out of place. "Your illusions are nonsense. Now move aside. Our quarrel goes much deeper than you."
And there was definitely a chill in the air, as if Alessa could do much worse if there were any more objections. But she wasn't going to: Leon had a gun, and anyway, her strength had to be saved right now.
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"Let's go."
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"Already moving."
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