driftfleet | time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted.

Who: Azula + y'all
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: HS MARSIVA BABY
When: Idk, now.

[Oh, she's furious at first. Waking alone in a strange place, with no one to answer for her predicament? Azula is not happy about that. But she refuses to lose her cool under pressure. She won't waste time throwing a temper tantrum. Instead she gets to work. When she can't find anyone, she looks for exits. When she can't find any exits, she finally resigns herself to examining the-- the "communications log", her augment helpfully supplies.

Hm. That's new. She absorbs that information and continues. Figuring out how to use the system is somewhat of a learning curve at first, but the augment helps her along until she has the gist of it. She snorts in derision as she reads and watches one log after another, published by individuals clearly once in the same predicament as herself. Every post the same as the last. "Where am I? How did I get here? How do I get home?" How ridiculous, she thinks. If only they had bothered to take a few extra minutes to figure out how to access the network records, all their questions would have been answered, and they would have been saved the indignity of looking like a fool. Well, no-one will catch her looking like that, that's for sure.

The more she reads, the less she likes. Her scowl deepens the longer she spends. After a while, few unpleasant facts make themselves readily apparent:

1) This is not home. Few here will recognise or respect her authority as crown princess of the Fire Nation.
2) Her ability to threaten or intimidate people into doing what she says while she's being held captive on a completely separate vessel to everybody else is virtually nil. First rule of thumb: don't give threats unless you can actually follow through on them. Otherwise you only look stupid.
3) She currently has no money with which to bribe people with, either.
4) Her brother is here, has been here for a while by the look of things. She doesn't understand how that's possible, but there's no point in debating the facts. He's also had time to make allies.
5) She, on the other hand, has none.

All in all, it's an extremely unfavorable position to be in. All her favourite tools have been summarily taken from her. Arms crossed, one finger tapping on her arm, she tries to think of the best way to spin this horrible situation to her advantage-- at least until she can leverage herself some bargaining chips, or isn't on the Marsiva. She reads further back on the network some more, until one particular post gives her an idea. A brother, separated from his siblings. The sympathy pouring in for miles. It's a masterful stroke, really. ... Well, that settles it. Mind made up, she uncrosses her arms and turns on the video feed, prepared with her most innocent smile.]

Good evening, citizens of this... ah, fleet. I am Princess Azula, of the Fire Nation. Your newest arrival, of course. Not to worry, I've already availed myself of the answers to the standard newcomer questions.

I'm addressing you today because I believe some of you may already be acquainted with my dear brother, Prince Zuko. I do hope he's all right-- ever since we were young, you see, he's had this knack for getting himself into trouble. If it's not too much to ask, I'd be extremely grateful to anyone who can put me in touch with him. Or at the very least, let me know how he's doing. From what I understand, apparently he's switched his message apparatus off to take a long nap. I wouldn't want to interrupt.

In any case, I look forward to ... co-habitating with all of you. [No, she absolutely does not.] I suppose if you wish to introduce yourself, you may do that too.

[If it's a competition the Atroma want, she doesn't intend to lose. But she can't do anything from her current position without backup and information. As irritating as it is to have to fake interest and politeness, this will help her get the lay of the land much more efficiently than causing a scene right off the bat. There will be time enough for that later.

Plus, it will absolutely infuriate Zuko, and that's always hilarious.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ odd. here, people are usually so unbearably kind. ]

He never mentioned it. [ she sounds as though she's at a loss -- as though it's difficult to believe a prince would not announce himself. ]

Unsurprising really.

Exile was so hard on him. And the Earth Kingdom is terribly uncivilized. He's still adjusting to life back at the palace.

[ exile.

sansa decides not to ask why zuko was ever exiled in the first place. instead: ] You must be doubly pleased to be reunited.

Of course.

It's terrible to be separated from family.

Terrible. [ she agrees. but sansa isn't quite so blinded by familial love as her younger brother, and so isn't quick to spill any of zuko's details. not because of any suspicion -- after all, she knows nothing of azula. but sansa has her own natural inclination to keep things to herself.

to play the fool. ] But he will contact you soon enough, I imagine. You will not have to wait much longer.

Oh, he will. I'm certain of it.

Would you like company while you wait, your grace? [ she exhales. ] Unless, mayhaps, you have company enough with others who might want to speak with you.

[Company? How quaint. Normally she would reject such an offer out of hand, but... allies may be hard to come by here. At least until she has a better grasp of the situation, it would be foolish to dismiss the girl. She doesn't seem particularly useful, but... well, Azula knows better than anyone not to judge a book by it's girlish cover.]

... Yes. I think I should appreciate the company of someone who knows how to behave themselves in polite society.

[She studies Sansa again for a moment, taking her in. Going over the things the girl has said in her head, her mannerisms. It's obvious, really.]

You are a nobleman's daughter, are you not?

I am.

[ daughter of a great house whose lord father was convicted and executed for treason. sister to a self-claimed king murdered against the auspices of the guest right. but the nobility is bred into her bones, and it cannot be escaped. ]

Sansa, your grace. Of House Stark. [ ... ] But few who come here know of Westeros or the Seven Kingdoms. You'll find we come from all manner of different places.

Yes... I'm finding that. Nobody here seems to know of the Fire Nation, either. Certainly, we don't have anyone who looks quite like you back home either. No matter. It's no reason to abandon our manners.

[AKA you better believe Azula is keeping a list of people who are being rude to her and has every intention to make them pay in kind. But she can bide her time.]

[ and so perhaps it's a good thing that sansa -- although deeply doubtful of every stranger she meets -- makes it a point to remain courteous. indeed, why should they abandon good manners? never-she-mind that she finds it particularly galling to have her looks referenced in such an off-hand manner.

but she doesn't quarrel. ]

I only know a little of your lands. What others have said. Do you bend as well, your grace?

Of course. A crown princess who couldn't firebend would be nothing short of a disgrace.

And your people?

We have nothing of its likeness in Westeros. Nothing outside of the stories, at least.

... I see. That's a shame.

[And boring and useless. Boo.]

But there were dragons, once. Long ago.

[ and rumours of them still. but dragons are about the nearest thing she can imagine to firebenders. ]

Probably all hunted down.

That's what happened in the Fire Nation, anyway. Uncle killed the last one a few decades before I was born.

Not -- not exactly, your grace. [ not exactly hunted. ] Civil war took most of them. The kings and princes of Westeros would ride their dragons into battle, and when royal blood fought royal blood...

[ the dance of the dragons. ]

How foolish. They couldn't have been very good rulers, if they let their country descend into civil war.

[ luckily, sansa's own family lore supports azula's opinion. ] Then you will not be surprised to learn they rule no longer.

Not terribly, no.

Sounds like an awful waste of good dragons, though. They say they were the first firebenders, before humans.

[ privately, she's glad they're gone. ]

-- Then bending is something humans learned in your kingdom? [ curious. zuko made it sound like something more akin to breathing. ]

Of course. We don't just come out of the womb doing it, you know.

Bending is just like any other fighting form, really. It takes years of practice to be good.

I would not know, your grace. [ not only does her world not have bending, but: ] I am no fighter.

No...

[That much is obvious.]

What do you excel in?

I play a bit of the high harp, your grace. And I like to sing.

[ she excels at other things: needlework, dance, and painting. but she doesn't want to seem eager. or boastful. ]

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