third petal.

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

[Since her journey with Yuri and, eventually, the others began, Estelle has slept in a lot of places she never would have dreamed of before. At inns both sumptuous and threadbare; in tents and in covered wagons. But she's never woken up anywhere this cold.]

Oh!

[Her first thought is that someone should do something about the cold. Her second thought is that there's someone else in the sleeping bag with her. That's also new.]

Oh!

[She scrambles out, cold as it may be.]

I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to take your sleeping bag!

Actually, I didn't mean to be here at all...

Comments

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

[Finding herself far too close for comfort with another girl, being abruptly woken up, and realizing she was inside someplace very, very cold made for one very grumpy Azula.

...Grumpier.

She frowns like she's never frowned before and does her best to stand nobly and angrily, despite having to squirm her way out of a sleepbag to do so.]

You have three seconds to explain who you are, where I am, and, most importantly, why I am here.

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

[The look she gets for this display is some mix of alarmed and crestfallen. Estelle takes an awkward step back.]

I can't do that.

Wait! I can explain who I am! I'm...Estelle.

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

Augh. Wonderful. I was starting to get bored. Really.

[Azula was good at reading people, sure, but it didn't need to take someone with those sorts of skills to read the neon light that was Estelle saying "NOT A KIDNAPPING MASTERMIND".]

I am Princess Azula.

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

I know stories, so I can try to keep you from getting bored...

Huh? Really? Another princess? I thought I was the only one here!

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

Oh, wonderful. This must be the VIP freezing stone hovel.

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

[It's at this point that Estelle starts to realize that Azula is being sarcastic. And also possibly a jerk.]

You know, you don't...you don't have to be so negative! We're together, so we can find a way to get through this.

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

(Great, it's the alternate reality Princess Ty Lee with the hair she's always wanted.)

Okay, okay. So, what do you think we should do first in this situation?

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

[Estelle looks slightly encouraged...although she has the feeling she hasn't really gotten through to Azula, somehow.]

I think we need to search this place. Look--there's a door to another room, I think. Over there.

[And she heads over to open it.]

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a start. What's in there?

[The first step was pretty blatantly obvious: figure out where the Hell they were. Still, Azula was wondering how long this girl would go before being helpless. She wasn't exactly worried about surviving being difficult, so may as well enjoy herself.]

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

[Silence for a moment, then the sound of running water.]

I think it's a bathroom.

That was very considerate of whoever put us here, to give us a bathroom. Although I still don't approve of the kidnapping.

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

Remind me to thank them for their generosity when we find them. How about we look for a way out?

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

[Oh...that was sarcasm again. This princess isn't very nice.

Estelle pops her head out of the bathroom.]

There's another door. Maybe that leads outside? It must...look at the windows.

[The windows, which are half-blocked by drifts of snow.]

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

Well, go and check. I wouldn't want to interrupt your investigation.

[Read: I want to see you do something stupid and screw up to sate my superiority complex. Must assert dominance towards all other princesses!]

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

I think you might like interrupting investigations, though...

[This is Estelle's way of saying you might not be very nice, Azula. But she bites her lip and determinedly makes her way over to the door. Which she opens--]

Aah!

[Snow blows fiercely into the room. Estelle hurriedly closes the door.]

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

Hahaha.

[Yes, Azula laughed. She saw that coming, more or less; however, to her credit, she did her best to make it sound...not so mean and arrogant as it could have been.]

I suppose there are far worse people I could have gotten stuck with. You're amusing, at least. Let me guess: you've been a bit...sheltered, what with being a princess and all?

[readitinabook.livejournal.com]

[Estelle flushes a little, or maybe it's just the cold.]

It's not a very nice thing to laugh about...

[But she doesn't push that issue any further.]

Yes, but I've been doing my best to change that recently. I've been traveling the world with...my friends. I like it a lot better than staying in the castle.

[burns-things.livejournal.com]

I suppose that's something we have in common, though my nation isn't quite so...old-fashioned.

[Azula finally gets moving and inspects the place herself. Doesn't take long, considering the distinct lack of...well, anything.]

Whoever brought us here didn't give us much to work with. A bathroom and a single sleeping bag--what exactly do they expect us to do with this? No food? I wonder if they plan on having us starve...or freeze.