[December Catch-All] In the lane, snow is glistening...

[itstillhurt]

Who: Azula and maybe you?
Which: Open log plus closed prompts
Where: Around Songerein
What: An open log for December!
Warnings: None in the toplevels, will warn for anything in threads or if I add a warnable toplevel.

(OOC Note: If you have something else in mind or want to discuss a closed prompt, feel free to hit me up on my plotting post, on the game discord, or on plurk at yonfellow )

Comments

[itstillhurt]

And if there's one thing Azula really doesn't want on top of all the snow, it's sudden sleet and rain mixed in with it. Infuriating. The disgusting weather bubble seems so sudden that it distracts Azula as well, and though she ignores the snowmen tossing snowballs- they're easy enough to dodge, after all- she's still in a fairly foul mood when somebody nearly bumps into her.

"Watch where you're-"

She pauses when she sees Najaran- both in recognition, and because she's clearly in a mood. Naturally, Azula responds with her trademark sensitivity and empathy:

"What's the matter with you?"

[najaran]

"Wha... oh.." she blinked and put a smile on her face, trying to seem her usual sunny self. The rain gave her away. "Azula! Hi!"

[itstillhurt]

Mm-hmm.

"That is not an answer."

[najaran]

"S...Sorry," she mumbled. "Just... was thinking about my dad..." she mumbled.

[itstillhurt]

Ah. Fathers. One of Azula's favorite subjects.

Her eyes narrow, but she keeps her voice even, at least.

"What about him?"

[najaran]

A weak wobbly little smile. "How stupid I was to believe his lies when I was a kid..." she said, sheepishly. "And wondering... if I now know why... things went the way they did... If he had been treated the way I was treated outside Bisteam, if Zenith had been... I feel like I understand them both more now..."

[itstillhurt]

Lying fathers. Better and better. Her voice gets a little strained, but she still manages to be mostly civil?

"What lies did he tell you, exactly? I'm a bit lacking context here."

[najaran]

She stared out at the snow, a bit distant.

And took a snowball to the face as she was about to reply. She fell over into the snow.

[itstillhurt]

She sees the movement from the corner of her eye, a moment too late to intervene- not that she's certain she would, but she couldn't even if she wished to, and sure enough, Najaran sprawls into the snowbank beside them.

Azula stares at this for a few moments, apparently uncertain how to react. And then, drily:

"... That didn't really clear anything up, you realize."

Whereupon she erupts into harsh, cackling laughter. Even when the snowballs are turned on her, she only pauses in her hysterics long enough to duck the attack and keep laughing.

[najaran]

GRRRRRRR.....

Najaran pushed herself up to her knees and made a snowball of her own. She timed it to when Azula was dodging another one and threw it, trying to hit her friend in the high back.

1/2

[itstillhurt]

Azula easily dodges the snowballs from the aggressive snowman, and she's already responding with two lances of blue flame to pare off its arms.

As such, she's completely caught off guard by the sudden splatter of cold wet slush that smacks her squarely between the shoulderblades. And splatters along her back. And her shoulders. And her neck. In her neck. Down the back of her coat.

To say that she is surprised would be an understatement, as she lets out an ungainly yelp and doubles over, brushing the snow and ice from her back. And for a moment, there's a flush of rage, instinctively preparing to turn on Najaran and exact painful vengeance for the indignity.

2/2

[itstillhurt]

And then the calm reasserts itself. The rage fades.

And she opts, instead, for a more pragmatic- and perhaps less hostile- form of retribution.

And so, while she's still doubled over, she suddenly ducks into a roll, shifting her momentum into her arm as she rolls so that she swipes a wave of loose snow and slush at Najaran, following it up with a swiftly scooped clump with her other hand aimed at Najaran's face as she comes back to her feet.

Re: 2/2

[najaran]

She fell back under the snow, sputtering, though it soon turned to laughter. She flung a loose handful in Azula's direction as she sat up, as much hitting herself as going forward. She laughed more at that.

[itstillhurt]

This time, Azula is prepared for the assault, and she dives aside, springboarding off of a nearby tree- and shaking down the snow from its branches, hoping to dump the powdery payload all over Najaran.

And, to a lesser degree, the snowman, who seems to be stunned and weakened by the onslaught of snow from above.

...okay, she'll admit, this is kind of fun.

[najaran]

It worked, Najaran was buried. She gasped as it fell, so she inhaled snow, flailing as she tried to fight her way out. But of course there was one easy way out...

So Najaram started eating her way out.

[itstillhurt]

"Hah!"

The little exultant shout is all the celebration she allows herself- she hears that munching noise.

She actually smirks a little, despite herself. Typical Najaran. Still, this does present a unique opportunity. And as Najaran is busily eating her way out of the snow, Azula sets to work on her plan.

The monent Najaran finally gets her face free of the pile of snow, a single, perfectly sculpted, perfectly packed fist-sized snowball smacks directly into her now-exposed face.

[najaran]

She cried out in shock, head slamming back. If he had a Decoy she would have been so tempted. As it was, she was stunned and completely helpless for the moment.

[itstillhurt]

Azula let out another harsh laugh of triumph as her shot hits its target.

She idly considers whether to press the assault with another barrage of snow, but after a moment, she simply fishes in the snow for Najaran's arm so she can haul her back to her feet, still clearly smirking in smug satisfaction at her victory.

[najaran]

Najaran laughed and took the help, staggering against Azula a bit. "I didn't know fighting could be fun! This is so much better than my friends trying to kill me!"