It is a sunny midday in Caldera, and Azula is sitting in cake shop number eight. She has pretended to taste everything that was not thrust into her mouth by her fiancée, and mostly has been occupying herself by disagreeing with her brother and his water slut. His face turns a delightful shade of red when she humiliates him in front of the subjects who already do not take him seriously.

Honestly, when cake shop owners do not fear the Fire Lord, the world is a very sad place. But, funny for Azula.

Ty Lee is currently sitting at a table, looking in disgust at a cinnamon cake. Azula has chopped her little slice up into pieces and has not taken a bite. Katara has her peasant nose pressed against the glass of a case of pastries and she is trying to choose which she wants. Zuko has just licked frosting off her nose and it made Azula want to commit mass arson.

"Azula, I know that royal weddings have all these rules and traditions and everything, but Zuko has broken so many rules and traditions, so I think we can too," Ty Lee says, clasping her hands on her crossed legs, her knuckles resting on her knee.

"Go on," Azula purrs, waving her hand for Ty Lee to continue. This intrigues her.

"I don't like cinnamon cake and I want lava cake," Ty Lee says and Azula was expecting it to be more interesting. Or perhaps more violent.

Before Azula can answer, a voice inquires behind them, "What's lava cake?"

"None of your damn business, Kamala," Azula snaps, looking bitter.

"I'm not going to correct you on my name again," Katara sighs, rubbing her temples.

Azula knows her name. She has known her name since she first started pursuing her and she analyzed everyone the Avatar had come in contact with. Azula is thorough about her work, including Avatar hunting and Earth Kingdom conquering. But she will never call Katara by her proper name even if Katara becomes Fire Lady someday.

"It's okay. I'm really good at explaining things to not Fire Nation people. I did so much of it on Kyoshi Island. They know nothing about anything. It's like talking to people from the past or something," Ty Lee says sweetly and Katara knows she means well even when she is devastatingly offensive. "Lava cake is a kind of dessert."

Katara sighs. "I know it's a dessert. I know what cake is."

"Mhm." Ty Lee nods and Azula snickers. "So, it's chocolate, and you heat it up and the inside is gooey and the outside is cakey like cake. And it's like a volcano that doesn't explode. A volcano cake is completely different from a lava cake."

"What's a volcano cake?" Katara asks, looking genuinely baffled.

"A volcano cake is a cake shaped like a volcano and you put candles all around the top and the candles are timed and then the cake explodes with sugary filling of your choice," Ty Lee explains, smiling the entire time. "You do know what a volcano is, right?"

"I'm Water Tribe, not an infant," Katara says slowly, one of her eyebrows twitching, and Azula smirks. "I want to try lava cake. Zuko, let's find lava cake!"

Katara escapes Ty Lee and Azula to locate Zuko. He is buying pastries and is glad to see her, which is definitely nice.

"They're cute together," Ty Lee says gently, cooing as if they are kittens, and Azula simply shrugs.

"We are so much cuter," Azula replies curtly and Ty Lee laughs and nods.

"Well, yeah. Lava cake?" Ty Lee clasps her hands together and bats her eyelashes.

"Yes. If Zuko is allowed to date some Water Tribe girl who doesn't even know what a lava cake is, we are allowed to have whatever kind of cake we want," Azula says coolly as she watches Zuko and Katara talking and laughing. She makes him so happy, which Azula would be glad of if she were any other woman.

"I used to think you had a thing for her," Ty Lee states as she tries to get the attention of the owner of the shop. He is busy trying to explain a pastry to the dumb water girl who does not know the slightest thing about Fire Nation food that does not have fire in the title.

"Ew," Azula laughs, rolling her eyes. "I mean, she's sexy. Sort of. When you don't think about her personality. You are much sexier."

"And I have a great personality," Ty Lee says excitedly and Azula does not correct her. "People are always saying, well she's not that smart but she's got a great personality."

"I think you're smart," Azula lies, eyeing Ty Lee closely.

"I think you are the cutest liar in the history of all liars ever," Ty Lee says, leaning across the table and kissing Azula's nose. Azula blinks several times and then rubs the frosting off of her face. Then Ty Lee makes a noise that is not perky or thrilled. "We're just like them. Look at that. Ew."

"No. We're not just like them because we are hot and they aren't. Hot people can do whatever they want. Ugly people like them can't," Azula says, choosing her words carefully. And, of course, they are the right ones.

"We're hotter than lava cake. They're kind of like that cold Earth Kingdom soup."

"I don't think that soup was intended to be served cold," Azula says. "Soup isn't cold."

Ty Lee pauses and seems to be deep in thought before giving up. "No. The Earth Kingdom is weird. I think they do eat cold soup."

Azula shrugs. "Savages. All of them."

"Completely." Ty Lee nods.