trans_9 | Bendytimed to during the two souls one body event

Anyone who happened into a particular area of Hydroponics would be treated to a most peculiar site.

Well, not peculiar to most people, but anyone who knew Azula would know that tending to a heard of glowsloths would be one of the LAST things she'd do willingly. Animals were for serving, eating, and working. She had never even taken care of her own pets...unless you counted Ty Lee.

But with an utterly serene smile on her face tending to the brightly colored pack, brushing at their fur, feeding and watering them, treating them with all the kindness and tenderness that she wouldn't even show another human being.

And that was of coarse, because Azula wasn't the one doing it. While she sulked quietly in the back of her head she allowed Nima to tend to her creatures if only to keep her from nagging Azula all day long.

After discovering Aang was no where to be found, and that they weren't the only two with this sort of problem there wasn't much else to do. Azula's normal day of wandering aimlessly and fighting off the voices in her head was not as appealing as letting Nima go about her business.

One less voice to ignore.

But even Azula was reaching her limit of tolerance for kindness to such dumb creatures. She was forced to endure not only the actions, but feeling Nima's feelings for the glowsloths.

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Meanwhile, Azula did not appreciate what she took as mocking and she created an imperfect orange ball of flame in her palm.

"Do not test me airbender. My patience is worn ragged already and you know well enough I wouldn't shed a tear for any of these creatures." She glared in their direction already wondering how their fur would react to flames. Some fur exploded, some just burned, it depended on what creature it was usually.

No.

Nima didn't try to wrestle control away from Azula - yet - but her thoughts were as forceful as she could make them.

Princess, I apologize for my tone, but I am being very generous and I will keep being generous. If you try to hurt my animals, I will fight you for control, and neither of us want to deal with that.

Azula continued to simmer and held the flame firmly in her palm letting it's heat pulse against her skin.

"Then don't turn this into a battle of will that you will lose." the firebender growled dangerously.

Nima kept her thoughts very carefully blank, her response carefully slow.

I will do whatever I can to protect my animals, Princess, including accept your terms.

Challenging the princess' will was something Nima wanted to, but couldn't let herself, give thought.

Now that my chores here are done for the day, would you like to go eat? I would be grateful if we did.

Until her thoughts were her own again, she couldn't afford even to think them.

Keeping them both busy would keep them both calm.

"Very well." She continued her path through Hydroponics and away from Nima's precious beasts. She couldn't deny her own hunger and wouldn't waste her energy being stubborn simply for the sake of being stubborn.

Not yet anyway.

As they stalked through the lush area Azula felt her skin prickle with paranoia again and she moved slower, scanning the area. Every shadow, every tree or rock could hide a potential threat to her life. Her muscles tightened prepared for a fight.

Who are you worried will attack you?

Nima ran through the various people she knew they both knew. Aang was an airbender and his pacifist roots wouldn't let him start a fight. Kaya didn't seem like one to launch an attack without warning. Sokka was attractive, and that was about all she knew of him. And there was Mai -

Anyone. There are plenty of people with reasons to want me dead, and there are plenty more who would do it without reason. The all seeing eyes of Stacy are untrustworthy. The crew are eating themselves alive, dieing a little each day as we become passive and careless. But never me. Her babbling was encouraged by some voices in her head muttering distinct threats, insults, cruel heartless things about the princess.

It was your unfortunate luck to be trapped in this form with me. I wonder if I die will you as well?

Maybe I would.

The thought bothered her. She considered it for a while, and decided it was because if she died, she might not be reborn as an air nomad - unless in her absence, other sisters awoke and took on the task of repopulating the race in time for her to be reborn as an airbender again.

If only she could begin that work on this ship. That she hadn't already given birth in her time since awaking bothered her. Who knew how many of the Air Nomads, besides her and Aang, had been saved? Perhaps it was all of them, but if not, she had a spiritual responsibility as a sister on the path of non-celibacy to create opportunities for her spiritual brothers and sisters to be reborn.

I don't believe anyone will kill you, though. And I don't believe we will be living like this forever. I'm curious, though - what is the crew doing that is so passive and careless?

Azula was about to answer her with another dellusional rant when she tripped over a root and came stumbling in an ungraceful heap through bush to land on all fours in some mud.

For a moment the voices in her head fell absolutely silent, before bursting with laughter.

Her muscles tensed, coiling and tightening, the fire in her blazing just begging to be set free to consume all the oh so flammable plant life in the area.

Why are you so afraid to be laughed at?

Laughter was a basis of air nomad philosophy. Monks and nuns often laughed at each other, and laughed at themselves, when reminded not to take themselves too seriously.

"Why do you assume EVERYTHING I do is based on ear?" She hissed deliberately wiping off the mud deliberately. She new if she set blaze to Hydroponics she'd be locked away again, and she also suspected Nima wouldn't hesitate to turn her in.

"I. Am. Not. Afraid." She snarled using her fire to dry the mud into blackened dirt.

I don't know what else to call it. You believe everyone is against you, which I believe, and that everyone is going to hurt you, which I don't. You have voices in your head that tell you nasty things. I just thought they might be things you were afraid to hear, that you were making yourself hear anyway.

Psychology. Not Nima's forte.

Who would I even turn you in to?

Azula could hardly believe such a ridiculous theory. "Do you listen to yourself when you think or is it just white noise?" her voice was dripping with disdain.

"If you can't even figure that out why would I help you?"

Am I wrong? If I am, what is the truth?

Nima began to consider in earnest who she WOULD turn Azula in to. There had been insane asylums in the Four Nations, of course, but she had never investigated any of them. Perhaps she should have, now that she thought about it - how DID a society deal with its members, when they became so antisocial that they couldn't safely be lived with? And did they do it humanely?

Maybe because I could help them help you, now that I know what goes on in your head. Don't you think you'd be better off if your own mind wasn't laughing at you?

"I don't need your help!" She barked, "And I don't need what they would call help." Fresh new nightmares flashing to the forefront of her unstable mind, images of being chained to a bed, blades carving into the flesh of her head, a needle being slid through her tear duct. potions being forced down her throat.

A mind once so sharp it could destroy men without lifting a finger, melted away to barely functional.

At least as she was now she could still make her own choices. Still take care of herself however poorly.

Nima watched the images in deep discomfort.

No, she agreed, when she had let them pass her by. If that is the help they would give you, then you don't need it.

But she needed SOME kind of help. Bare survival was a good foundation, but alone it wasn't enough.

Bendytimed to during the two souls one body event

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