Across the way from the renewed commotion near Azula’s table, Marion the Librarian let out a deep sigh.
She couldn’t just allow this to stand. The murderous shouters were intimidating, but this was a library. To her, it was even more sacred than the temple at the middle of this year’s map, the thing these lunatics would all be fighting over in a matter of hours. This was a space that deserved silence and respect, and every minute she remained frozen in this chair compromised that. She’d been shooed away by the icy glares of two actual children, and now their psychotic eyes were burned into her brain, keeping her down.
She smoothed out her periwinkle dress and tried to steel her resolve. What would Mr. Jak think of her just allowing these maniacs to run loose without a leash in this, the domain she’d been specifically created to protect, to maintain? Her elderly eyes flitted over to the group, now grown to four, that seemed on the precipice of devolving into a fight once again.
For her part, Azula hadn’t been incredibly bothered by Malloki once she’d decided he could be of use to her. Yes, he was a monstrous lug that under normal circumstances she probably would’ve euthanized with some haste, but he had his purpose, for now.
This new arrival, though… she was intriguing. The fire princess could’ve been offended that the girl assumed she or Toga needed protecting — they didn’t — but she found herself wholly impressed, instead. Impressed at just how fiery this young woman had managed to be within seconds of her arrival. No flimsy introduction, no pleasantries. She barged in and, pun not intended, lit Malloki aflame with her words. That type of spitfire personality was of great interest to her. It wasn’t lost on Azula that she’d found yet another person on this flying rock that seemed to finally be close to her in age. After spending a considerable amount of time around the geriatric back on Opealon, the opportunity to find people she shared more in common with was more than welcome.
The woman dug her fingers into Malloki’s arm and yanked. Azula couldn’t tell if it was because she was surprisingly strong or because Malloki was entirely unprepared, but as Elise pulled, the human voodoo doll’s feet slipped out from under him and he careened past her, slamming into the ground. The fire princess’s eyes shot up as the floor around him vibrated and a few more bookshelves shook from the impact. She didn’t much care about keeping this place maintained, but she didn’t want to incur any penalties going into the games.
The hooded woman staggered back, clutching her lower back. “Um, ouch?”
“Whoa,” Toga grinned next to her, “that was dramatic.”
Malloki simply chuckled. “That was fun!” he shouted, rolling over and pushing himself back up onto his feet. “Hurt me again, misses!” Elise took a small step back towards the other girls, and glanced at them over her shoulder.
“Is this motherfucker serious?” she asked.
“No idea,” Azula shrugged, leaping up and sliding across the table. She landed on the other side and took a few steps till she stood next to Elise. Beneath her hood, the glint of too-sharp canines flickered in the bright fluorescents of the library, and Azula’s face contorted curiously. She decided, in this moment, to simply move on, and pry later.
“But if it’s pain he wants,” she curled her fingers into a fist and conjured sapphire flames around it, “then I can certainly provide.” She didn’t want to incur any penalties, yes, but this man was literally asking to be hurt, so surely the powers-that-be would let it slide if she obliged him. And not in a ‘he’s asking for it’ kind of way — in an actual, begging kind of way. If she hadn’t been so tantalized by the thought, Azula might’ve thought him quite pathetic.
But tantalized she was. It was no secret that somewhere within her slender frame, the heart of a sadist beat like a constant war drum. She loved to inflict pain, she loved to hurt people. Most of all, she loved to watch their faces as they became acutely aware that they were under her control — and nothing was getting them out. Every fool in this world played her game… except, of course, her goddamn mother. No wonder they’d hated each other so much.
Azula scowled. I’m not the monster you thought I was, mother, she thought, but I can be.
Elise’s eyes fell to the flaming fist before her. “You’re a mage?” she asked, looking back up at Azula’s face.
“I’m a firebender,” she corrected. “Azula,” she introduced herself, “Crown Princess of the Fire Nation.”
“Elise,” the other girl blinked, “person who has no idea what the fuck the Fire Nation is.”
“And I want to be included!!” Toga shouted, hopping over the table and linking one arm with Azula’s blazing one. The former Fire Lord scowled slightly and jerked away, almost fully running into Elise as she fled Toga’s aggressive affection. The hooded girl stepped back to avoid a collision with the fire princess as the latter scowled deeply at Toga.
“You could burn yourself, you idiot,” she muttered.
“Aw, Zoola Bear! You do care!” Toga squeed.
“Is everyone here fucking nuts?” Elise interjected.
“BE. QUIET!”
The four competitors, each clocking in at various degrees of crazy, stopped in their tracks. Malloki, the closest to old lady Marion, turned slowly around to face her, reaching up and scratching his head almost shamefully. As he and the old woman locked eyes, the trio of young women emerged into view around him, Toga on one side and Azula and Elise on the other.
Marion’s face went so pale, she may as well have been a ghost already. What in the world had she done? Was winning the approval — nay, the respect — of Mr. Jak so important that she’d just willingly thrown herself into the path of a bunch of steamrolling sociopaths?
No… this wasn’t about Mr. Jak anymore. She knew that, deep down. This was about preserving the sanctity of this sacred space. She would not let the library fall.
Azula stepped out in front of the quartet. “Would you like to repeat that, hag?”
Elise stepped up next to Azula. “Maybe we should take this outside. It is a library.”
The princess met Elise’s gaze. “I’m happy to do that,” she smirked, letting her eyes travel back to Marion. “I’d just like to be asked… nicely.” Her voice deepened on the last word. It dripped with venom as she took another step towards the old woman who’d dared to raise her voice to her.
Marion the Librarian opened her mouth to speak again, but no sound came out.
“Oh no,” Toga grinned. “Zoola Bear got your tongue, Grams?”
“Shut up, Toga,” Azula scoffed. “Let the hag speak.”