{VIDEO POST}

[bentflame]

[Azula's sitting out on the hotel suite's balcony, enjoying the night air and looking contemplative]

[she's fingering a necklace-- a simple gold chain-- that some might recognize as one that she always wears under her clothing, and in her hand is a hand-held tape recorder]

[she presses the "play" button, and her own tinny-sounding voice comes out of the little speakers:]

Say something.

hotpinkaura follows:]

"Okay... hi, little machine thing. ... Okay, that just sounded stupid. Is that enough, Azula?"

[Azula rewinds; she plays the recording a few more times before setting the device down and staring off into the night]

Comments

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

Because strange as it may seem, I don't actually like seeing you hurt. And I don't mean just physically.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

I have better people now.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

Of course, of course. And if you keep saying that you might actually start to believe it.

That doesn't mean you can't still miss her.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

You don't believe me?

That would be pointless.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

I didn't say that.

That doesn't mean anything. It's a normal reaction.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Good.

I'm not normal.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

I know that. That doesn't mean you can't do normal things like missing someone who's gone.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

It would be disrespectful to the people that I care about more than her.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

No, it wouldn't. Just because you care about someone doesn't mean you somehow have less care for others.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

But I do have less care for her.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

That's not what I meant. You can miss her without caring less about the people you care more about.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

It's still disrespectful.

Who do you think is more important?

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

How is it disrespectful?

The living, obviously. But even if those who are gone are less important, that doesn't necessarily mean they're not important at all.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

... Never mind. [a.k.a. SHE HAS NO IDEA she just wants what she considers a good reason to deny missing Ty Lee even though she obviously does]

If Lisa were dead and Ty Lee were alive, Lisa would still be more important.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

...

Again, less important doesn't mean she isn't important at all. [He's wary of actually coming out and saying Ty Lee's name after the one time Azula blew up at his mentioning the Fire Nation.]

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

You don't believe me, do you? I can tell by your dotting.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

Given that all you said was "never mind", are you really surprised? You're not the only one who can tell when people are being dismissive because they don't have a good answer.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

I do have a good answer. She isn't my favorite; you have no idea what other people have done compared to her.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

I never said anything that implied I did. But is it that surprising that I might think you couldn't answer when all you said when I asked was "never mind"?

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Maybe I really did want you to never mind.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

I should think you know by now that that isn't going to make me do it.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

... You're annoying.

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

I've known you think that for a long time. In fact, as far as I remember, annoying is the only thing you ever admit to me being.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

And you don't think there's a reason for that?

[unluckychimera.livejournal.com]

I'm perfectly aware I annoy you. I'm surprised it isn't worse than that, honestly.