Azula burns bright (bornoffire) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2012-07-23 18:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, azula, zuko |
"Brother, do I need to spell out just how badly I'll ruin you if she's hurt?"
Who: Zuko and Azula
What: A talk about Mai, and a truce. Sort of. Also: tribble.
When: Monday
Where: Azula's apartment
Status: Compete
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for discussing trafficking
Azula was inspecting a small furry creature in her hand when Zuko entered the apartment. It had been cuddling up with her chinchilla, who had gotten disturbingly low on food.
Her brother raised his eyebrow, "Collecting pets, are we?"
She thrust it into his hand, "A present for you to give Mai when she gets back." The action kept her from punching, or burning him, like she wanted to do, but her eyes seared into his.
He looked away, stroking the little creature and unable to meet Azula's eyes, "Thanks for coming. How's Ty Lee handling it."
"Well enough. What's the plan?"
"Uncle is combing through old contacts, he should be contacting me later today," Zuko replied, putting the creature on the table as it trilled at him pleasantly.
"Have you been monitoring law enforcement channels?"
Zuko nodded his head, "There was some kind of distress call but I couldn't get ahold of the details."
Azula scowled imperiously, "We need those details."
"Relax, I'll get ahold of them."
She eyed him, not sure if she could trust his confidence, but they really didn't have much else to go on without further information. It wasn't like she could hop on a ship and go chasing after Mai, as appealing as the idea sounded.
After a long moment, she said, eyes flashing, "Brother, do I need to spell out just how badly I'll ruin you if she's hurt?"
Zuko replied grimly, "I get the picture."
The warmth in the condo became uncomfortable, then almost unbearable. There was a literal spark between them. Zuko shifted on his feet, the better to react should Azula attack.
The attack didn't come. Azula sank down onto the couch. She wanted to bury her face in her hands but there was no time to think, or to sulk. And she couldn't, not with Zuko here.
The trilling of the creature was soothing, at least. Even to her. Her general demeanor was somewhat disconcerting to Zuko. Maybe love really was good for her. She actually seemed concerned about Mai, beyond the basic alpha dog power plays.
Zuko didn't say anything. He looked at his phone, "We have a lead. I need to go."
She looked up, narrowing her eyes, "Go where?"
"We can't do this alone, or sweep it under the rug."
"Are you going to the police?" She got to her feet, fire igniting in her hands.
Zuko turned towards her, fire dancing around his left hand, "Where's the honor in exploiting girls?!"
The two stood facing each other again, neither willing or able to back down.
As blue light flickered on Azula's face, she said quietly, "There is none, but you can't expect to topple everything just for this. We can get Mai back on our own."
Zuko pressed her, hoping that selfishness might be the key, "What if Ty Lee is next? Or you? This whole thing will fall to us some day and I'm not going to be part of something that turns women into sex toys."
As the mental image of Ty Lee at the mercy of traffickers paraded through her head, Azula's flames snuffed out, "Fine. We deal with this, then I clean up the mess you make, Zu Zu."
"Father can disassociate himself and us from this," Zuko assured her. "The company will be fine. The Syndicate will be wounded, but become stronger for it. We need to clean out this disease before it kills everything we've worked for." He held out his hand, "Frankly I don't care what happens to the syndicate, as long as Mai is safe."
Azula looked at it, as though she were staring at something disgusting and gross. Then she took his hand. Flame engulfed both, blue fighting orange. Azula could use this against him, secure her power base and remove him as a player on the board forever. They both knew this, they both accepted this. But for now, a truce.