Aside from the carnival outing with Shealtiel and the business with the dreamnappings and the refugees- and a handful of supply stops- Azula has studiously avoided the village for the weeks since her Noctaere transformation. She hasn't stayed as far away as she was before, but she's still stayed in the wildlands. Better for everybody that way, she supposes.
She wasn't sure what possessed her to send a message to Zuko, but it didn't matter. He never responded. Typical. He wants to ignore her, fine. Unless...
The thought finally brings her back to the village. And, sure enough, she can't seem to find him anywhere. Either he's avoiding her- with an uncharacteristic level of skill- or he's left the village and gone home. The thought... bothers her, though she can't explain why.
It's not long after this that she sees Uncle's little tea setup. The absolute last person in the world she wants to see. And the last who would want to see her, she imagines.
She avoids him and goes about her business, but something is bothering her again. For one thing, she can't get the thought of Zuko out of her head. The angry thought. Which is ridiculous- she'd never wanted him around in the first place- but it's there, nagging at her mind. Her distracted wanderings bring her to the tea shop, which just reminds her of Uncle again. Rrgh. Even when he's not there, the old fool is frustrating. Whatever. It's not important.
She's about to simply order her usual tea and leave, but then she sees something odd. At first, it reminds her of home, but- no. She's made the mistake before, back in the city last year. The daifuku of Japan are similar to fire gummies, but with none of the spice. Not her taste at all. They complimented a floral tea well enough, she supposed, but she'd never cared for floral teas anyway, she always left that sort of nonsense to-
...
After a moment's contemplation, she orders a box of daifuku alongside her usual tea.
She's not sure, again, what possessed her, what ridiculous impulse, but now she has a box of stupid rice cakes for Uncle and no idea how to give them to him. He wouldn't even want them. He'd probably assume that she would poisoned them or some such ridiculous nonsense.
Not that she hadn't earned the suspicion. Rrgh. And that voice wasn't helpful. She's just going to ignore it.
Perhaps if she simply... left them for him. While he was distracted. He would chalk it up to the kindness of a stranger- ironic that he'd trust an unseen stranger more than he would her- not unfair, but ironic nonetheless- not helpful, not useful, shut up...
Ignoring the tumult of nagging thoughts and voices in her mind, she winds up- absurdly, comically, this is ridiculous- slipping near Uncle's teapot while his back is turned, leaving the box nearby, and trying to slip away before he can turn around.
We ready to get WEIRD?
She wasn't sure what possessed her to send a message to Zuko, but it didn't matter. He never responded. Typical. He wants to ignore her, fine. Unless...
The thought finally brings her back to the village. And, sure enough, she can't seem to find him anywhere. Either he's avoiding her- with an uncharacteristic level of skill- or he's left the village and gone home. The thought... bothers her, though she can't explain why.
It's not long after this that she sees Uncle's little tea setup. The absolute last person in the world she wants to see. And the last who would want to see her, she imagines.
She avoids him and goes about her business, but something is bothering her again. For one thing, she can't get the thought of Zuko out of her head. The angry thought. Which is ridiculous- she'd never wanted him around in the first place- but it's there, nagging at her mind. Her distracted wanderings bring her to the tea shop, which just reminds her of Uncle again. Rrgh. Even when he's not there, the old fool is frustrating. Whatever. It's not important.
She's about to simply order her usual tea and leave, but then she sees something odd. At first, it reminds her of home, but- no. She's made the mistake before, back in the city last year. The daifuku of Japan are similar to fire gummies, but with none of the spice. Not her taste at all. They complimented a floral tea well enough, she supposed, but she'd never cared for floral teas anyway, she always left that sort of nonsense to-
...
After a moment's contemplation, she orders a box of daifuku alongside her usual tea.
She's not sure, again, what possessed her, what ridiculous impulse, but now she has a box of stupid rice cakes for Uncle and no idea how to give them to him. He wouldn't even want them. He'd probably assume that she would poisoned them or some such ridiculous nonsense.
Not that she hadn't earned the suspicion. Rrgh. And that voice wasn't helpful. She's just going to ignore it.
Perhaps if she simply... left them for him. While he was distracted. He would chalk it up to the kindness of a stranger- ironic that he'd trust an unseen stranger more than he would her- not unfair, but ironic nonetheless- not helpful, not useful, shut up...
Ignoring the tumult of nagging thoughts and voices in her mind, she winds up- absurdly, comically, this is ridiculous- slipping near Uncle's teapot while his back is turned, leaving the box nearby, and trying to slip away before he can turn around.