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[itstillhurt]

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[itstillhurt]

Precisely. It is an individual choice, and if nobody else will make it with me, I'll make it myself.

[She doesn't sound like she approves, there's still plenty of resentment lacing her voice. When she speaks again, though, she seems to have resumed her usual neutrally smug demeanor.]

So. Let the defense force and the clinic continue wasting their time protecting spies and sycophants who will inevitably stab us in the back at every opportunity. I'll do what I should have been doing all along and work alone.

[restoredhonor]

Who said no one would?

[ It's asked reasonably. Because he's still holding his temper. ]

However, you bring up a good point. We have been betrayed, and it would be foolish to believe there are not spies among them. But the presentation is what's lacking.

[ He frowns, thinking about it. ]

Let me speak to a few friends, see what I can do. Perhaps the way to do it is to change one mind, not all.

[itstillhurt]

[She narrows her eyes at him, scrutinizing him for an uncomfortably long time.]

And even if I had the slightest faith in your ability to be persuasive, why would you do that?

[restoredhonor]

Because you aren't wrong, but you are abrasive and demanding. I'm just trying to help.

[itstillhurt]

[Excuse you, sir?]

Abrasive and-

[How dare. How very dare. Her frustration and indignation is momentarily forgotten in a moment of very mundane sibling irritation.]

Like you have room to talk! All sullen and pathetic all the time, and that's when you aren't getting bent out of shape over nothing!

[restoredhonor]

[ Look; he calls it as he sees it. ]

Neither of us is the most diplomatic, but you have to admit my diplomacy - which is needed here - is a little better than yours.

[itstillhurt]

[Hrmph. As irrational and absurd as it is, he has a point- he certainly seems to have the edge when it comes to being liked, a skill Azula largely considered useless but which seems to be all that matters here.

She regards it as a failing of this place.]

Fine. But don't be surprised when the bleeding hearts get upset with you for not being nice.

[restoredhonor]

I don't need them to think me nice. I just need them to listen. Perhaps if they listen, they'll actually hear what I am saying.

[ Which is the fight, honestly, and he knows it. He knows that he'll have to work at this. ]

Who's head of the council?

[itstillhurt]

[She scoffs at that.]

Princess Jasmine. I had thought her the most reasonable of the moralizing fools, but she was among those who scolded me for defending myself. Little wonder that her council accomplished nothing.

[... At least, it accomplished nothing by the standards of somebody who measures action in military and state terms.]

I may as well warn you. If you do talk to her, she will be insufferable.

[restoredhonor]

[ A princess should be concerned with her people, and threats within and without. ]

I'll talk to her. She sent me a tea set. We have a report even if it's a shallow one.

[ He scratches at the back of his neck. ]

anyone else?

[itstillhurt]

Anyone else what?

[She rolls her eyes.]

I'm not particularly interested in trying to persuade the whole village at this point, even if I thought you were capable of it. If you somehow manage to convince the princess to stop being a fool, she'll likely be more persuasive than you to the rest of them anyway. But I'm not holding my breath.

[restoredhonor]

It's worth talking to her Azula. We cannot discount her, even if you want to. Perhaps, just perhaps we can get someone else on our side.

[ He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. ]

Thank you, Azula.

[itstillhurt]

Yes, yes. I'm nothing if not reasonable.

[...She sounds like she really believes that.]

If there's nothing else?

[She doesn't wait for a response before she turns and starts to leave.]