[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]

"As if your witch is doing any better." She refused to allow his words to get it her. It was a bit harder when the subject matter was Ty Lee (how pathetic; how weak- it shouldn't make a difference), but still manageable.

I am quite capable of telling when people are lying," Azula snapped. That was true, for the most part- but she hadn't anticipated Mai's betrayal, had she? And she certainly hadn't anticipated her return.

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"oh, but we are not talking about my witch now, right?" Hakuba grinned. That knowing smile again.

"I ask you again, how do you know for sure that she's not afraid? You can't be sure. You can not tell when I'm lying to you, after all."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Actually, we are. You're the only one with a witch, after all."

It was true, she couldn't tell when he was lying. He was a good liar; possibly as good as her. That was... unsettling.

"Of course I'm sure. She isn't afraid; not even in the slightest."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"I don't have a witch, unlike someone, I don't force people to be with me. She's not my possession." The detective responded, his warm breath coming out in white small clouds into cold air.

"You can be sure of that unless you ask her and she gave you a sincere response. Something hardly impossible when it comes to you. You're not even sincere with yourself, why should Ty Lee be sincere with you?"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

The corner of her mouth twitched again. "I'm not forcing her. She started it."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba's eyebrows raised. Now, now, that was fun.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

The twitch turned into a smirk. "Something wrong?"

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"It's hard to believe that she did that...without coercion."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"But she did."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba snorted.

"Please."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I didn't coerce her into-" Azula fought a scowl. "That would have been pathetic."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"Right, and she just fell into your arms and kissed you deeply." Hakuba forced himself not to laugh, that will destroy the nonchalant effect.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Who says she has?" Azula frowned. "And we've been friends for a very long time; it's not as if I just met her last week."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"So you started coercing her since she was a child?"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Her face remained impassive, other than the occasional muscle twitch. "As I told you, I haven't coerced her at all."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

With a sneer, he replied. "And I should trust you because...?"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to. Your opinion has no bearing whatsoever."

OOC: After this RL and this (http://community.livejournal.com/dramadramaduck/2282222.html?thread=152644590#t152644590) conversation with Kaito, Azula SO needs to make an emo failed!lock entry. XD At the end of this RL, Hakuba's going to pretend to cave and then show her the records, right? Or do you want him in jail for a little while longer?

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"You're the one who insisted that it was not a forced relationship, like you wanted me to be convinced about it." Hakuba smiled. "Me...or yourself. Whatever, you didn't come to see me just to talk about that, because if you do.." Hakuba shrugged again. "You know, I have better things to do, like stay here and freeze to death."

(ooc: ooh I saw it! >:3 yes! Emofailedlock! we need to move on, he's going to propose her to have a deal or somethign. So yes, let's cave)

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I didn't insist." Azula frowned. "I was simply correcting you."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba studied Azula's face for a moment, and smiled. he came a bit more closer to her, but always respecting her space, and murmured in a charming voice.

"You're attractive when you frown. Ty lee told you that?"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

She narrowed her eyes at him.

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba smile grow. She was to easy to annoy...

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Azula's expression didn't change.

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"So...I assume that she didn't? Or the cat got your tongue?" He was still smiling at her, like he was at high school again instead of a cold cell in the middle of a foreign land. He learned that irritating trick thanks to Kuroba.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Do you have a point?" she said smoothly.