It was inevitable that she would meet up with Azula, but even the enemy who had attacked Zuko could not spoil her good mood. She was currently looking into things to tidy up the W.I.T.C.H. bus, and was whistling pleasantly until she came across a pretty disheveled looking Azula.
To help, or not to help? Kaya sighed.
"You know, there ARE places to go so you don't look so shabby. I would suggest looking for Rein down in the City: she'll at least get you clothes to your liking. And really, you should take a trip to the baths at least: you look haggard."
So much for "Princess Azula" looking the part. She would still be keeping an eye on her though, advice or not.
Azula felt a sharp stab to her pride and she had to bite her lip hard to avoid lashing out with some scathing or cruel counter. Among the cacophony of voices in her head her own small but powerful voice roared at her to not lose this game so early.
So instead with deliberate and carefully spoken words she responded.
"I've only seen a little of the ship since I was released, I don't know where those places are, or who Rein is." Her tone was laced with annoyance, but at least she was making an attempt and being polite? Sort of?
"I was taken to the place where one can be cleansed without use of water. It was...different." And indeed she was clean if only a little unkempt compared to how meticulous she used to look. Not that Kaya would have seen that save for her false memories.
"Well in that case, I guess I could show you." Kaya felt a little like a traitor here, honestly, as she was sure the rest of the GAang would not have been so accommodating to help Azula. Then again, Azula was from her world, and there was no point in having people on the ship thinking they all looked like crazy people.
"Rein will be in the City," Kaya said, tapping the Omnicomm to show her the map contained within, "right here. And your hair could use a good brushing and combing. I guess I can't shake you of your paranoia with water, but you might need a little of it sometime...oh, and you should probably get yourself some quarters."
She could still barely believe this was happening.
"I have a place to sleep." She responded glancing at the map. Even with her mind fractured and spinning as it felt like it did her memory still felt sharp.
"And what is this place?" She asked looked past Kaya to the WITCH bus. Her expression was neutral but betrayed her fatigue. It seemed that even if she HAD a place to sleep she hadn't made much use of it. Her constant paranoia wouldn't allow her to lower her defenses for long even if she had been assured that Stacy was watching over and protecting her.
She approached cautious, her face stern and distrusting despite how Zetta had been nothing but helpful to her. It couldn't be helped. Out in the open like this the paranoia came and went but when it came it became unbearable and she found herself more then once with her back pressed to a wall paralyzed with fear or darting into nooks and crannies to hide form people who may or may not be hallucinations.
"Don't call me that." She finally responded after giving him a fish eye sort of glare.
"Well, even if I don't call you one, you still are one," he said, not at all bothered by her attitude. "You look a little spacey, still. How're you getting by out here?"
There was a sensation that was becoming more and more familiar and uncomfortable to her of her dignity being ground away by these people who didn't respect her, or have any reason to really.
"I am...educating myself." She explained examining the lift tube. While Zam had shown her how to use it she still didn't understand how it worked. There was so much about this ship that was decades beyond the technology of the Firenation which was the most advanced in her world.
"Wow, you look like shit! Have you been regressing like the others too?" A slightly younger Lash peered at Azula from a short distance away, arms crossed, watching. She hadn't no idea who this person was, the information about Azula being only read and talkd about, and never having met her face to face.
"You might want to get yourself some shoes! Unless you like getting cut feet, tee hee!"
Azula bit her lip sharply to avoid lashing out verbally at the crude little girl. There was a time she would have been completely in her right to banish his one, her family and anyone she was associated with from the nation.
"I don't know where to get any shoes." She grumbled managing to force those words out with only a handful of venom. It was one thing to be pitied and not feared while she was in a cage...but out in public it was almost more then she could bare.
Lashing out on Lash was a terrible idea in any case.
"I think they can easily be found here and there," the wunderkind answers mysteriously. "Know what your shoe size is? We can maybe go look around in the city and steal a pair from someone or something. Or you could use your suit. You're wearing yours right?"
Lash you were so kind and being helpful in your own way. If the left the shoes so easy lying around it was there for picking anyway, right?
"Scrounging for shoes like a peasant." Azula lamented looking at her own feet in dismay. Once she had a collection of the finest shoes in the fire nation. Comfortable shoes, functional shoes, every color and style she could have desired.
"How would I...use this?" She asked indicating her plantsuit which was the only thing she was wearing at the moment.
Thom breathed a little easier these days. His colleagues, as he thought of them now, had bought him precious time against the magical disease that ravaged his body. He split his time between quiet reading in Hydroponics and research in the Tower.
If only this blasted ship weren't so huge. The trek took him time, even with the transport tubes that still gave him the shivers to use. The Tower didn't like it when its books were taken off the premises - Thom wasn't fool enough to tamper with its contents without a thorough assessment of the spells inside it. So Hydroponics was his personal time, spent reading the tablets from the media library he had earlier dismissed as 'useless.'
He passed into the eerily open tube of the Spacewalk, the colors of the Bleed dashing by outside. He glanced at the girl and almost dismissed her, but her disheveled appearance drew a second, longer look. Thom wasn't inclined to hide his expression while he took Azula in - haughty smirk, raised eyebrows. "You look almost worse than I do," he said.
The girl didn't even turn to face him, her eyes glazed over and empty as she stared out into the bleed. her lips were dry and the lower lip looked like it had been the victim of her chewing on it frequently.
"My new clothes won't be ready for a few days." She noted as if that was the only problem with her appearance.
Thom wasn't troubled about the plantsuit that he wore underneath his Master's robes. It was a marvel, even if he didn't know how it worked, and the robe was the important part. He walked closer to the windows, reaching out to put his fingertips on it. Immediately, frost formed around them. "A million worlds screaming by at a blink," he murmured. "If I hadn't seen this ship above planets and sitting among the stars, I wouldn't believe it."
Conquering his fear of the ship had been easy. Conquering his fear of traveling through total nothingness... that might take more time. Still, he didn't flinch away from the view.
Azula was uncharacteristically subdued as she allowed her mind to drift and expand upon the notions that were presented to her.
"All the years of looking up at the stars and never once did I imagine what lay beyond them was like this." There was no regret there, simply a fact stated. "My life was much more focused on the world I lived in rather then those that were only imaginary."
Anwei was feeling better - not because things were better, but because at this point there was nothing more she could do to help. Either they would destroy the Clock and the people affected would stop de-aging (or even - maybe - regain their lost time), or they would not. Med Bay was no longer full up, so she could take a little more time to sleep, and eat, and just walk and stretch underused muscles.
She recognized the dark-haired girl in the hallway, still looking rather dishevelled but out from that cell at least. Free. And there was nobody with her - no wait, the ship's AI would - no, hold on. She frowned to herself for an instant, brow creasing. Of course, she had assumed (based on her own experience) that Azula would be under surveillance, accompanied and monitored at all times. But now that she thought about it, the Council might have just let her out.
Hopefully they would not end up regretting that.
"Hello, Azula," she said, smiling. "I'm glad to see you out and about."
Azula turned to the voice and took a moment to appraise Anwei. Almost like she didn't recognize her at first but recognition settled in.
"I'm glad to be out." Her voice sounded soft but not as worn as before. Even if physically she looked like she could drift away in a heavy wind, she sounded better at least.
"I'm just...looking around." She looked around and realized she really had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there.
Anwei relaxed, fractionally. The other woman didn't seem too stressed. Hopefully rest and food would help her recover - or at least would make recovering look more desirable than not-recovering.
"There's a lot to take in at once, I know. And almost all of these hallways in the Living Area look the same; you have to just map them out in your mind. Stacy doesn't seem to believe in signs," she said, glancing at a grey-green tentacled wall that looked like every other grey-green tentacled wall. Maybe she should add Stacy-compatible skin dye to her theoretical shopping list.
"Is there anything in particular you'd like to see? I'm off duty right now, so I have some time to spare."
Comments 220
To help, or not to help? Kaya sighed.
"You know, there ARE places to go so you don't look so shabby. I would suggest looking for Rein down in the City: she'll at least get you clothes to your liking. And really, you should take a trip to the baths at least: you look haggard."
So much for "Princess Azula" looking the part. She would still be keeping an eye on her though, advice or not.
Reply
So instead with deliberate and carefully spoken words she responded.
"I've only seen a little of the ship since I was released, I don't know where those places are, or who Rein is." Her tone was laced with annoyance, but at least she was making an attempt and being polite? Sort of?
"I was taken to the place where one can be cleansed without use of water. It was...different." And indeed she was clean if only a little unkempt compared to how meticulous she used to look. Not that Kaya would have seen that save for her false memories.
Reply
"Rein will be in the City," Kaya said, tapping the Omnicomm to show her the map contained within, "right here. And your hair could use a good brushing and combing. I guess I can't shake you of your paranoia with water, but you might need a little of it sometime...oh, and you should probably get yourself some quarters."
She could still barely believe this was happening.
Reply
"And what is this place?" She asked looked past Kaya to the WITCH bus. Her expression was neutral but betrayed her fatigue. It seemed that even if she HAD a place to sleep she hadn't made much use of it. Her constant paranoia wouldn't allow her to lower her defenses for long even if she had been assured that Stacy was watching over and protecting her.
Reply
Sly and with a flirtatious grin on his face, the temporarily-teenage Overlord offered a wave from his lean on the wall leading up to the lift tube.
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She approached cautious, her face stern and distrusting despite how Zetta had been nothing but helpful to her. It couldn't be helped. Out in the open like this the paranoia came and went but when it came it became unbearable and she found herself more then once with her back pressed to a wall paralyzed with fear or darting into nooks and crannies to hide form people who may or may not be hallucinations.
"Don't call me that." She finally responded after giving him a fish eye sort of glare.
Reply
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"I am...educating myself." She explained examining the lift tube. While Zam had shown her how to use it she still didn't understand how it worked. There was so much about this ship that was decades beyond the technology of the Firenation which was the most advanced in her world.
Reply
"You might want to get yourself some shoes! Unless you like getting cut feet, tee hee!"
Reply
"I don't know where to get any shoes." She grumbled managing to force those words out with only a handful of venom. It was one thing to be pitied and not feared while she was in a cage...but out in public it was almost more then she could bare.
Reply
"I think they can easily be found here and there," the wunderkind answers mysteriously. "Know what your shoe size is? We can maybe go look around in the city and steal a pair from someone or something. Or you could use your suit. You're wearing yours right?"
Lash you were so kind and being helpful in your own way. If the left the shoes so easy lying around it was there for picking anyway, right?
Reply
"How would I...use this?" She asked indicating her plantsuit which was the only thing she was wearing at the moment.
Reply
If only this blasted ship weren't so huge. The trek took him time, even with the transport tubes that still gave him the shivers to use. The Tower didn't like it when its books were taken off the premises - Thom wasn't fool enough to tamper with its contents without a thorough assessment of the spells inside it. So Hydroponics was his personal time, spent reading the tablets from the media library he had earlier dismissed as 'useless.'
He passed into the eerily open tube of the Spacewalk, the colors of the Bleed dashing by outside. He glanced at the girl and almost dismissed her, but her disheveled appearance drew a second, longer look. Thom wasn't inclined to hide his expression while he took Azula in - haughty smirk, raised eyebrows. "You look almost worse than I do," he said.
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"My new clothes won't be ready for a few days." She noted as if that was the only problem with her appearance.
Reply
Conquering his fear of the ship had been easy. Conquering his fear of traveling through total nothingness... that might take more time. Still, he didn't flinch away from the view.
Reply
"All the years of looking up at the stars and never once did I imagine what lay beyond them was like this." There was no regret there, simply a fact stated. "My life was much more focused on the world I lived in rather then those that were only imaginary."
Reply
She recognized the dark-haired girl in the hallway, still looking rather dishevelled but out from that cell at least. Free. And there was nobody with her - no wait, the ship's AI would - no, hold on. She frowned to herself for an instant, brow creasing. Of course, she had assumed (based on her own experience) that Azula would be under surveillance, accompanied and monitored at all times. But now that she thought about it, the Council might have just let her out.
Hopefully they would not end up regretting that.
"Hello, Azula," she said, smiling. "I'm glad to see you out and about."
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"I'm glad to be out." Her voice sounded soft but not as worn as before. Even if physically she looked like she could drift away in a heavy wind, she sounded better at least.
"I'm just...looking around." She looked around and realized she really had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there.
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"There's a lot to take in at once, I know. And almost all of these hallways in the Living Area look the same; you have to just map them out in your mind. Stacy doesn't seem to believe in signs," she said, glancing at a grey-green tentacled wall that looked like every other grey-green tentacled wall. Maybe she should add Stacy-compatible skin dye to her theoretical shopping list.
"Is there anything in particular you'd like to see? I'm off duty right now, so I have some time to spare."
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"I've just been looking...where do you think is somewhere worth seeing?" That question had served her well so far.
Reply
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