[RL with Azula- and perhaps Akako/Ty lee too]

[clockmaster]

[In the cell]

It had been 4 days, 17 hours, 37 minutes and 23 seconds since he had been invited to the Fire Nation. The distance between walls were less than 5.5 meters, and there were 157 bricks on the wall, 12 of them broken. Saguru Hakuba counted them. Not just because he was really bored, but because he liked to count things to keep his mind busy.

He had tried to practice some fencing too, it was not the same without a real opponent, or a real sword- but he could practice the steps, and it kept him from freezing.

They called that cells Coolers. It was an adequate name.

The coldness of the cell permeated the blond to the bone, while he wait, listening, hoping against hope that Akako wasn't going to try anything drastic. Hakuba knew that to survive, he had to adapt- to keep cool, learn to give and take pain as it comes. Sometimes he got scared, too. In fact, he was scared often, more for the other than himself, but he couldn''t show it - in a place like this, if you admit weakness, you're a dead man. It's as simple as that, as sure as a wounded fish is a meal for hungry sharks. Mercy doesn't exist. Second chances are about as rare.

So, here, in the coldness dark, he waited.

[On the palace]

Akako was not a happy witch. Between having her boyfriend kidnapped (no matter how many times the princess insisted it was an arrest, she'd never believe her) and being bested by the mousy girl (it had taken all night to heal the bruises!) she was in a horrid mood. All she wanted to do was rescue Hakuba, take him home with her, and go to sleep... preferably with him lying next to her, but eh. Minor details!

Akako approached the prison again, a bit more weary this time, and kept her eyes open for Ty Lee. She wouldn't be taken off guard and beaten up like that again.

The bruises really did hurt.

Comments

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Azula's walk was slower, and less purposeful this time- after all, she wasn't here to interrogate, but to watch and make sure nothing happened to the prisoner if Akako did indeed show up.

Entering the cell (she was wearing several layers, and therefore didn't even shiver), she leaned casually against the wall, examining her nails.

"So. Your little girlfriend's planning on stopping by."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba stood up, even if the girl in question was Azula, he was still a gentleman, and it wasn't nice to talk to a lady while sitting on the floor. Besides, he was taller than her, and to look down at her gave him a small mound of satisfaction.

"that's a statement or a question?"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"A statement. Though Ty Lee did beat her so thoroughly last time, I'm wondering if she'll even bother coming back for you." Azula smiled- on the outside it looked nice, but she made very little attempt to hide the glint of malice underneath. "You missed quite a show, actually- she's been nearly panicking; running around asking for you back."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"If you say so, princess." Hakuba replied, his face a mask of nothingness, even if he was even more pale than before. There were few sights in his life he prayed never to see. Akako hurt was on the tip on the list.

Saguru tsked.


"She will not be defeated so easily. It's all a bout perseverance. You should know better than anyone, after all the Avatar keeps defeating you in every occasion."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Azula rolled her eyes. "The Avatar doesn't defeat me, he eludes me."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"And you're not exactly succesful at finding him,princess." Hakuba raised an eyebrow and smiled. "What a shame, what you father will think of you?"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Oh, Dad thinks quite highly of me, actually," she said flippantly.

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"I wonder why.." Hakuba rolled his eyes sarcastically. "What about you dear mom?"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Azula's face remained unconcerned. "She was banished. Her opinion means nothing to me."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Vanished, Hakuba thought, nice way to put it. He already knew about it, but it was more distracting to ask the princess.

"My mother wasn't the maternal type, she loves me and all, but even if she wanted kids she didn't know how to deal with them." He watched her patiently, a smirk still tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"She couldn't understand me as a Kid, I don't think she can understand me now either. I wasn't good at making friends, the other kids weren't interesting, I got bored of them so easily they didn't matter a thing for me." Hakuba made a short pause. "I didn't even care about not having friends. That's why she thought that I was..strange,maybe some kind of...monster."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

The only change in Azula's expression was a delicately-raised eyebrow. "Are you under the impression that telling me your life story will get you out of her any sooner?"

OOC: XD Sounds like Hakuba did some research- or was the monster thing just a coincidence?

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"Are your really that much scared about being a failure?" Was the short response, Hakuba knew that the princess was trying to avoid the subject and he was not interested in that now.

research >:3, And damn I wrote 'Vanished' and not 'Banished' I'm stupid XD *fails*

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I'm not scared of being a failure. It simply won't happen, that's all."

OOC: Haha, no problem. ;)

RlL with Akako

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

His first thought once he was out of the cooler cell was, in fact, was that that much sun was hurting his eyes, but god bless the warmness that it came with it. Hakuba didn’t know for sure if Azula’s words about Akako getting hurt by Ty Lee were really true, but he kwen that something was really wrong, and it was his entire fault. He just hoped that she didn’t try to help him a second time, but again, trying to predict her proved harder than anything he faced.

RL with Akako

[scarlet-magic.livejournal.com]

Akako's head lifted when the prison doors opened, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when she saw Hakuba walk through them. Her attempts to get into the prison to rescue him a second time had also been foiled, but at least this time she didn't meet Ty Lee.

The witch trotted over to Hakuba and took one of his hands in her own, pressing the other against his cheek. He was shivering. "Are you alright?" she asked. She was very concerned.

Re: RL with Akako

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Regardless of how much he missed her, Hakuba couldn't' found the words to answer her. He ran is long fingers lightly over her face and lifted her gaze, held eye contact for a moment, and he felt the connection in the pit of his stomach. The boy felt the urge to touch her more so he moved closer so that he was hugging her carefully.

Her breath was a little uneven, more than he expected. "I'm sorry," he says, softly. "....you get hurt because of me."

Re: RL with Akako

[scarlet-magic.livejournal.com]

Akako responded by wrapping her own arms around the detective and burying her face in his shoulder. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Doesn't matter, you're okay," she said.

The witch pulled away and gave one last glare at the Fire Nation prison. "Let's go home," she said. She reached up and clutched the necklace around her neck, muttered a few unintelligible words under her breath... and worldhopped herself and Hakuba back to Ekoda.

Re: RL with Akako

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba looked around them; they were on Akako's house. He was reluctant to let her go. He might fall if he does that. She was safe, she was alive, and she came to save him even if she didn’t have to.

There was a huge lump in his throat, and he felt really sleepy. Hakuba didn’t’ realized how tired he was until now. He opened his mouth to say something, but he sneezed instead, and felt immediately dizzy.

Re: RL with Akako

[scarlet-magic.livejournal.com]

Akako immediately led Hakuba over to the nearest couch and laid him down on it. She reached out and brushed his blond bangs out of his eyes and sighed. "I'll get you some tea, Saguru," she said soothingly, before she stood up and walked briskly into the kitchen.

How dare that spoiled princess do this to him!

She returned moments later with a steaming cup of tea. Blowing on it lightly so it wasn't too hot for the weary detective, she sat down on the couch and offered him the cup. "Drink," she commanded lightly, "It has magical properties. It will make you feel better."

Re: RL with Akako

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba waited on the sofa, a bit surprised to see Akako's softer side, and thinking that the whole situation was a bit strange. She was the only woman, even person, he didn't mind giving him orders, but she was hurt too and he wanted to support her.

He took the tea from her delicate hands with a grateful smile, and drank it in smalls sips. Hakuba didn't drank or eat anything hot in the last week and he didn't want to get sick because of that. He felt much better after that, Akako was really good at potions.

"I'm so..happy to be with you again." He left the cup on the table and took Akako's hand on his, caressing them softly. "You're ok?"

Re: RL with Akako

[scarlet-magic.livejournal.com]

Akako nodded. "I'm fine," she responded. "Getting you back from them was a lot more difficult than I imagined." Her expression suddenly grew hard. "And I suppose that mousy girl never really did learn her lesson."

Re: RL with Akako

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba notice her change of expression and moved her hands up to kiss them.

"The important thing for me is that you come to find me." He looked at Akako's eyes, and she made it quite clear that she felt she had dealt with the whole situation badly. Losing against Ty lee was a hard punch to her ago and it was obvious. It was his fault too, he just make it worse. He was constantly pushing things to the edge with the princess, his behavior was becoming more and more self-destructive with her, so it was no surprise that she reacted so badly.

"It's not helpful, but you know lost a battle win a war." He was really bad at comforting people, Hakuba wasn't sure why Aoko always came to him when she need to talk. He was good at listening, but he had the sensation that Akako wasn't the talking type.

Re: RL with Akako

[scarlet-magic.livejournal.com]

Akako wasn't the most optimistic person. She liked to think of herself as a realist. She didn't bother with childish naivete, and under normal circumstances she didn't respond well to such talk.

But... seeing as it was Hakuba, there was something different about it this time.

With a weary sigh, she leaned forward and rest her head against Hakuba's chest. She could feel his heart beating, and couldn't help but notice that it sounded weary as well.

It had been a long week. She felt like crying. But if she did...

"I don't ever want to see her again," the witch said sternly.

Re: RL with Akako

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to." He reassured her, trying to comfort her and knowing that nothing was enough. He smelled the sweet scent of her perfume and blushed. He realized that he been in a cold cell for four days with the same clothes, and he was probably smelling like humidity and dirt.

"Uhm..Akako..." Hakuba took her softly by her shoulders and mover Akako away, but not enough to make her feel rejected. "I..I'm not.." He blushed more, feeling stupid. "I need a shower." He ended, ashamed.

Re: RL with Akako

[scarlet-magic.livejournal.com]

Akako blinked at the detective for a moment, before she smiled knowingly. "Of course, Saguru," she said as she stood up. "I can show you where it is."

In all honesty... she really didn't mind. She was just glad he was safe, and felt better knowing he was there to hold her again.