The Honeypot (Aang meets Azara)

I started reworking and expanding that short bit with Azara trying to seduce Aang, from one of the /co/ threads. It might be a little too :-*shippy to work as their legit first encounter, but I liked it enough to keep at it:

"So you won't have anything?" The girl puckered her lips in mock-disappointment.
"I don't usually break my bread with the enemy." Aang said, rather less sternly than he intended.
She made a dismissing gesture towards the servants, who immediately left the cabin, silver plates and all.
"Why would I be your enemy, Aang? You don't even know me." she chirped.
Aang said nothing.
"If you're not going to dine with me, at least sit with me for a while." She inclined her head towards the far end of the cabin, with the comfy looking pillows arranged into a neat nest.
He let his curiosity get the better of him, so he sat. She dropped down next to him and gave a happy sigh, while arranging herself to look at him from the side.
"First things first. Aren't you going to guess who I am?"
Aang was perplexed, by this and it must have shown in his expression.
"Here I'll give you a hint." She put a hand over the right side of her face and looked at him sternly. " I must capture the Avatar!" she bellowed gruffly. Aang nearly jumped, she only giggled.
"You are-"
"Princess Azara of the Fire Nation, at your service. You simply must tell me of your adventures, Avatar Aang."
With that she had grabbed his arm enthusiastically. Aang didn't even know where to begin, digesting this information.
"Oh dear, please don't judge my entire family by my brother's example. Just between the two of us, there's a reason he's been exiled." She said the last part in a conspiratorial whisper. Aang's thoughts were racing. He was sitting inside the Firenation Princess's personal pleasure barge. Doesn't get much more trapped than this. He got up stiffly."I'm very sorry, miss-I mean your highness. I'm afraid I'll have to leave."
"Please don't go." she cried as she pounced on him, making him fall back into the pillows. A whole other kind of panic was now settling in, now that Azara was basically snuggling up to him. He cleared his throat.
"Am I your prisoner then?"
"Never."Her eyes widened, but there was a gleam in them that promised "unless you wanted to be".
"I just fear you might have some misconceptions about us, Aang. A lot of the things you've witnessed must seem strange, even threatening to you. I'd like to put them into perspective."
Despite the awkwardness of this alien situation Aang mustered up some outrage.
"What are you talking about?!" he snapped. "All I've seen is war and oppression. My own people... my own people are all dead thanks to your Firenation."
"Now now, neither of us were there when that unfortunate incident occurred, centuries ago. I'm very sorry for your loss, but I can only speak for the present." She gave him a remorseful look and squeezed his hand gently. Aang immediately lost his footing and started stammering: "So what about today. You're trying to do the same thing to the other Nations, aren't you?"
Her eyes lit with enthusiasm. "But that's where you're wrong, Aang. We are trying to create a better world for all of them."
Aang couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was this girl completely delusional? How could the crimes he witnessed have been in service of their victims?
"You've seen it, haven't you? The barbaric customs of the Watertribe? The poverty of the simple Earthkingdom farmer? And what do their chieftains and kings do?"
Azara spoke with genuine passion, all while edging closer to Aang.
"Nothing!" she swept her hand through the air dramatically.
"The Firelord sees their plight, Aang. He hears their lamentation and he will not stay idle any longer."
She was so close to him now that their noses were touching.
"So we've come to help. We want to lead them to a brighter future!"
Aang tried to edge away from her, but Azara's legs were tangled up with his, making it difficult. There was also that distracting warmness where her skin was touching his.
"But our efforts were met with hostility. Change frightens these poor, uneducated beings. And the tyrants, seeing their reign threatened, use this fear to justify waging war against us."
Aang had real difficulty concentrating on the words, because the pretty lips that spoke them were practically on his.
"The Firelord had no choice. He had to sent out his troops, to defend his own. Now he will burn the chains and crush the oppressors. And then we will have a new era of prosperity and peace."
Where was Aya when you needed a cold shower?
"Is that not a dream we share? Won't you join us, Aang. We can't do it without you. We need your strength, your bravery, your compassion."
And just like that her lips were brushing against his, sending a current through his entire body. There was something he was supposed to be doing. For the life of him he couldn't remember what.

With a sharp inhale Sokka started rubbing his backside, where the guard had kicked him. He took in the very sparse cell, before his eyes fell upon the person he was sharing it with.
"Oh hey, sis."
"You never fail to disappoint, do you, brother?" Aya gave him a humorless smile.

Aang was feeling very lightheaded. While she caressed his cheek, Azara purred in his ear: "We could do so much together, Aang."
"Penguinsledding?" he murmured contently. She placed his head in her lap and started questioning him about all kinds of things, occasionally gasping at his daring feats or laughing over his witticisms. Not in a million years would Aang join forces with the Firenation, though. No matter how clear and melodic her laughter was. He was sure Azara meant well. It was just that she was ill-informed and biased towards her country. He knew that once he guided her along and showed her the undeniable truth of the Firenation's crimes, he'd be able to win her over. She'd make for an invaluable ally and a pleasant companion. And that way he could enjoy her attention every day.
"So you made Zhao burn all those boats? You're such a scamp, Aang. I would have loved to have been there!"
He sighed contently. Even though he was the Avatar, people never really took that much interest in him. They were always going on about his duty, never inquiring about the food he liked, the sports and games he enjoyed, the animals he had ridden… Well, he had his admirers on Kyoshi Island. But Aya had put a stop to that.
Aya?
Aya!
He suddenly sat upright.
"What's the matter, Aang?" Azara asked cautiously.
"There are some things I have to do, Princess. We will talk more later."
She wouldn't approve of this at all. It'd probably be for the best to discuss the situation with Sokka and her before he made any plans.
"You already want to leave?" there was a hint of reproachfulness in her voice.
"Look I'm sorry, but my friends must be worried by now!" Knowing Aya she'd turn the entire town upside-down or worse. He marched out of the cabin and onto the upper deck only to find the deep blue ocean, spreading out around him as far as the eye could see. The only other thing in sight were several Firenation cruisers keeping pace with the Princess ship. He was starting to feel that old nervousness again.

"You know , we're clearly inside a boat. Boats are traditionally surrounded by large bodies of water. Couldn't you just-" Sokka waved his hands back and forth.
"Do you think I would still be here if I could, you numbskull?!" Aya hissed. "Some girl got the jump on me. She was fast and she did something to me, some sort of paralyzing technique-"
"It's called chi-blocking and it's my speciality." said a bemused voice from above their heads. The girl was hanging from a beam upside down, surveying the cell. "Don't worry, the effect wears off. But that means I'm kinda stuck here with you, having to reapply it, until we reach the capital. What a bummer."
"Oh yeah?! What If I don't let you?" Sokka puffed himself up protectively in front of Aya.
"You're a real cutie," the girl dropped to the ground, landing on her hands before doing a backflip and facing Sokka, "don't make me hurt you."
The corners of Sokka's mouth twitched, then he sat back down next to Aya.
"That girl seems to like you."
"Uh-huh"
"Doesn't speak highly for her intelligence."
"Uh-huh."
"We can use that."
"...I was just thinking the same thing."

How did he not notice the boat taking to sea? Idiot.
"Oh dear, looks like our conversation coincided with my scheduled departure." Azara sashayed up behind him "I'm such a scatterbrain."
Aang put on an uneasy smile "It's no big deal, Princess. I'll just use my glider to…"
Where was his staff? Aang dashed back into the cabin. He was sure he brought it, but it was nowhere to be found. He even scattered the pillow nest, to no avail. Azara stood in the doorway looking very concerned.
"Oh no, I'm sure it's here. I'm sure." She must have noticed the hint of panic in his voice, because she put a hand on his shoulder
"Don't worry, Aang. If you brought it, we'll find it!"
She guided him back upstairs, with her hand on his back. On deck, a pale robed figure was waiting for them.
"Ah Mai, have you seen Aang's staff? It's very important that we find it."
The girl gave them a dispassionate shrug: "Maybe someone mistook it for worthless junk and threw it overboard."
"Threw it overboard?" Aang echoed, shocked.
"Don't say that!" Azara scolded her dour companion before turning her attention back to him. "If we can't find it here, we might as well turn around."
Mai crossed her arms and leaned back against the railing "You have important engagements, Azara. I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Don't tell me what's possible and what's not. You'll send my pointless honor guard ahead to clear my schedule. We're going back to port to find Aang's staff… and his friends. That's an order."
A hint of a smile crept across the other girl's face: "As you wish, Princess. I'll relay the message back to your escort. But don't blame me if we get attacked by pirates or something."
"Oh Aang, I never wanted to cause you any trouble. This is all my fault." Azara hugged him and after a moment Aang eased into it. but he resisted the urge to hug her back.

As Sokka engaged their captor in idle chatter, Aya sat facing the hull of the vessel. She could feel the currents, even through the thickness of the steel plating. There was no time to loose, she only had a brief window of opportunity. Her arms still felt numb, but she had massaged some feeling back into them with Sokka's help. Carefully she stretched them out and pulled them back in. Nothing. She repeated the motion, a little more fluently. This time she felt something. The boat had rocked ever so slightly. Or was she imagining that? She had to keep going, building up momentum, finding the right rhythm. Ebb and flow. Ebb and flow. There it was. The rocking was intensifying. Now all she needed to do was reel in the big one.

With the ship turning around in a cumbersome arc and the Firenation cruisers passing them by, Aang began to relax again. Here he was, basically helpless to escape her and Azara was setting him free all the same. He knew he was right about her, he even felt a little guilty for doubting her in the first place. She may have been a little foreword with him, but it's not like he had objected. In fact the idea of their lips meeting again kinda gave him goosebumps, in a good way.
"You're a hundred miles away."
"Oh sorry." Aang smiled as Azara handed him a cup of tea.
"Don't worry, we'll have you back with your friends in no time." she took a careful sip
"That's not it. I was just thinking… it must be tough with all that responsibility. Maybe you'd want to come travel with me. Only for a while. " he tried to sound as casual as possible.
Azara grinned: "Are you sure about that, Avatar? A princess can be terribly needy."

"And then I got hit over the head. Next thing I knew I was being dragged in here, where I met you. Anyway that's basically my whole life's story up to this point." Sokka recounted, laughing nervously
Ty Lee cocked an eyebrow: "Wait a second… you're trying to distract me!"
"Aya, if you were going to do something, now would be the right time!" he yelled, panicking.
At that very moment a massive wave crashed into the ship's side, sending Ty Lee flying. She knocked her head on a low hanging lantern and landed on her behind. For a moment it looked like she was going to regain her footing. That was when the ship rebounded and she staggered foreword, towards the cell. Daftly Sokka grabbed her arms and pulled them through the iron bars. Before the girl could give as much as a dizzy objection, Aya had bound her hands together with a piece of cloth ripped from her sleeve.
"This calls for a big hug." Sokka said, dangling the keychain from one finger.
"Maybe later, let's just get out of here for now."
Carefully they made their way up, only to find that Aya's stunt had alarmed the entire crew of the vessel. Even with her Waterbending slowly returning to her, the odds were stacked against them. She'd be able to hold a few of them off, but they'd just overwhelm her sooner or later. Aya got into a fighting stance and the soldiers edged nearer. Sokka felt pretty useless without his boomerang or club, maybe Aya could disarm one of them and hand the weapon to him. But that wouldn't buy them anymore time. Then he noticed the entire deck was still glistening wet. Why not? A good trick might just work twice. He made a mad dash for the bridge, with Aya and the crew looking after him, equally puzzled. He took the helm and started spinning the wheel like crazy while screaming: "The floor, Aya. Freeze the floor."
Without a moment's hesitation Aya swept her hand in a wide arc, glazing the entire deck. As Sokka made the ship violently jerk around, the crew tumbled and slipped, desperately grasping for anything to hold on to. Aya froze her own feet to the ground and started throwing the sailors overboard, one by one, with well-aimed waterwhips.
"Are you sure you know how to operate this thing?" she asked, propelling the last enemy into the sea.
"It's not too different from a watertribe boat… apart from all the cranks. And the levers. And the big furnace."
"Can you steer us in the direction of that big ship over there?"
"I'll manage. Why?"
"I think that's where they might be keeping Aang!"
"How do you figure?"
"It looks very big and important and it's heading in a different direction!"
"Can't argue with that logic."

Aang was in a pleasant stupor, after receiving a second kiss from Azara, this time only on the cheek. But he would take what he could get. Besides, the promise of more was hanging in the air.
Azara was leading him back to her cabin as Mai caught up with them.
"Princess, I think you should have a look at that!" She handed her a spyglass and pointed one of the oncoming Firenation cruisers out to her.
"That vessel is breaking formation!" Azara observed "It couldn't be Ty Lee's ship, could it?"
Mai exhaled "You know it is."
Curiosity got the better of Aang and he grabbed the scope from Azara before she could object. The boat was unpopulated apart from two blue figures arguing at the helm.
"Oh, that's Sokka and Aya!" he exclaimed "I wonder what they're doing!"
"I think they are going to ram us." Mai answered drily.