Family lunches are always fun

[iamfirelord]

It had been so long since Azula had a bath and even the ones she had from the mental ward were not indulgent, relaxing things. But Zuko had arranged a morning of pampering and she spent the time in peace from the voices in her mind. Free from her mother and when she finished, she felt better than she had in a while but had been fearful of

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[iamfirelord]

Azula laughs when she notices Zuko avoiding the turtle-duck pond. They’re turtle-ducks! He is so much bigger than they are! "They won't bite Zuzu." She bends down to pick up a pebble on the walk around the pond, tossing it in her hand and smirking. She turns with Zuko towards the table, tossing the small rock into the pond and enjoying the sound of the squawking turtle-ducks fleein behind her. It feels like things are back the way they should be...aside from the Firelord robes her brother wears. She drops into a seat, looking unimpressed at all the effort Zuko obviously went to.

She pours herself some tea into one of the celadon cups, turning it in her hand and heating it. As the cup slowly heats, she spots Mai running and the cup boils in her palms. Azula purses her lips, staring at Mai and all at once the negativity comes back. The hate, the paranoia and the...hurt...it’s all there again when Mai addresses her as princess. She shakily sets her cup down with a harsh slam and refuses return the greeting. “Shall I bow?” She asks waspishly. She notices Mai ducking her head just slightly but she notices that she did not bow more.

The princess waits for Mai to sit and offers her the heated cup of tea. “Test this for me.” It is a command. She is not willing to accept her place as below her former best friend.

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko looks at her sister commanding Mai and raises an eyebrow and says protectively, "I'll test it. I am surprised you need it testing when I am drinking it already Azula."

A little annoyed Zuko sticks out his hand waiting for Azula to hand him her glass.

REPOSTED DUE TO FAIL SGHSDLKH

[maixknives]

Gently, Mai reaches out and pushes Zuko's hand away. "No, Zuko, that's alright," she says coolly, her eyes on Azula's. She knows a test when she saw one; it was just like that moment in Omashu all of those years ago - a test of loyalty, of sincerity.

If a scalded tongue is what it takes to make things better, then it's the least I can do.

She takes the hot cup in both of her hands, her eyebrows rising to disappear into the curtain of her bangs. "What am I testing for, anyway?" she wonders, her voice thick with sarcasm. "Poison? Or am I checking to see if the tea leaves have gone bad?"

lol I thought it was a nice typo

[iamfirelord]

Zuko puts himself in harm’s way once again and Azula resists the urge to sneer, instead watching them both calmly and calculatingly. He could have slipped the poison in so easily. When he stepped forward, she was sure he had. And she barely has time to comment. "No Zuko...I want--"

But then, Mai reaches forward and Azula keeps her focus on her former best friend with no change in her expression...just watching. Her empty hand does not move from where it held the hot cup and she waits for Mai to take a sip. “Poison. Your husband is trying to kill me.” Her voice is nonchalant and matter-of-fact. She is shocked that Mai still feels any loyalty but she doesn’t show it, despite it throwing her mind into confusion. She certainly didn’t expect either of them to hold loyalty and it almost feels like how things used to be. When they were smart enough to fear her.

x.x *blush* It was horrifying.

[maixknives]

"Poison, huh?" Mai says it flatly, making a show of eyeing the cup closely. "Well, let's see."

She blows on it quite a bit - Azula has heated it up way too much - before taking a few sips of it, tasting it.

And she winces and gags, holding the cup away from her. "Urgh!" she cries, clutching at her throat. "You're right! It's poisoned!"

She looks up at Zuko with a sly grin on her face. "With bad taste. You made it, didn't you? Ugh."

Re: x.x *blush* It was horrifying.

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko quickly fakes pouts at Mai and says hastily, "Sorry, I wanted to do something nice for both of you. Since Azula and you both think it poison, I'll just have to drink it myself."

He reaches for the pitcher of ice tea and sets it by him. After he fakes sulks he sticks out his tongue at Mai.

[iamfirelord]

Azula takes one of the daidai fruits off the table and begins peeling the bitter orange, watching Mai. And just like that, she is hit with how much things have changed after all. Even she can see the closeness, familiarity, between her former best friend and brother. How he stole everything from her. She can’t hide the envy and wishes she had taken his offer to remain in her cell.

She can see the admiration on his face when he looks at Mai and she throws the peeled orange into the pond, hitting one of the ducks. “Is that your plan Zuko? To bring me here and mock me? Much better than having me killed.” The jealousy is apparent in her voice as she watches them coolly.

[maixknives]

Mai blinks. The acid in Azula's voice is surprising - even at her angriest, she hadn't heard such a tone before.

"No one is mocking you, Azula. Zuko's tea really is poison."

She offers a small smile, deep down feeling sad and nostalgic - there were days when banter was just banter, and not sifted through looking for double-meanings...

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko looks at Azula and shakes his head and says with sadness in his voice, "No, my true purpose is to try to be a brother to my sister instead of being just her warden. I think I am slowly trying to reach out to you, so Azula this is the reason for my kindness and my charity."

[iamfirelord]

She looks between the two of them scathingly, sizing them up and trying to sense hidden intentions. She used to be so good at reading people but now it is all muddled in her mind. Caution. If you cannot see it clearly, use caution. But how exactly should she be cautious? It was just too hard to keep up anymore.

“You’re not fooling me! Things aren’t like they used to be! You both betrayed me and your nation!”

[maixknives]

Mai inwardly winces, but outwardly she keeps calm. She looks right into Azula's eyes and says, very flatly, "Yes. We did. But Azula, you betrayed what your nation stood for long before we did."

She's actually a little surprised at herself - if this had been five years ago, she would have never had the courage to say that.

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko looks at Azula and Mai and shrugs sips his tea and says to himself, "Needs more sugar." Zuko puts some more sugar in it and says to Azula while he is stirring his eyes watching the sugar dissolve, "Honestly, Azula the Fire Nation lost it's way in the world a long time ago. Azula, me, you and Mai our children who grew up in a world at war, and all we known for so long is war. Can't you see that the world needs to heal to move forward. You and Father lost the war."

Zuko he looks up at her and stares at dead in the eyes and says bluntly, "Be a adult and deal with it."

[iamfirelord]

Azula stares at the two of them like they’ve gone insane. “You think this…plan you have for the nation is the way of the Fire Nation? We used to be so great! Everyone feared and respected us!” She stares at Zuko, trying very hard not to show hurt at him bringing up her only failure ever.

“I…I didn’t! The war isn’t over! I will be Firelord…I will…I” She screams and aims at Mai and Zuko at once, missing both of them. She can’t take the thought of failure, of disappointing her father even though he betrayed her too. Azula can’t face the fact that Mai is there, standing by Zuko’s side against her.

[maixknives]

"Azula!" Mai hisses out, genuine fear sending her heart in a flurry. She knows how capable Azula is of causing harm - and she knows that Azula won't miss a second time - but something in her tone of voice and how... emotional she is, sends more than fear through her.

Pity, Mai realises, staring at Azula in shock. It's pity. I've never felt pity for her before...

And, she also realises....shame. For she really had betrayed Azula, in a way - for the right reasons, but...

For Azula, it was just betrayal...

Oh...

A sudden crazy impulse courses through her. She knows it'll probably end badly, but she can't help it - she has to act.

She reaches out and grabs onto Azula's wrists tight.

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko heart races as Mai grabs Azula's wrist. He stands up suddenly, but knocks over his tea.

[iamfirelord]

The instant Mai grabs Azula, she falls apart. She’s sobbing and struggling in Mai’s grip, sure the other woman is trying to do her harm. She is screaming but it is incoherent and she sets a panicked look on Zuko. “LET GO OF ME!” She continues to sob in great gasping sobs as Mai holds on, one hand on her injured wrist.

She screeches and cries while Mai holds onto her, twisting and struggling. “STOP IT! TRAITOR! I DON’T-“ She cuts off in hysterical sobs as she falls to her knees, hoping to free herself. “LET ME GO! I DON’T-“ Her eyes are still on Zuko, begging for help for once in her life and then they are on Mai, pleading. No, those traitors want to harm her! They want to take her bending! She’s better than they are, how can they always win? Father would be so disappointed to see her like this.