I tried to make it as IC as possible. But this way I can blame it on future events if I get it wrong.
The one thing Ty Lee had grown up knowing was being given the illusion of choice. When the Fire Nation gives you options you can mislead yourself to believe that they are truly different when they all serve the same ends. Power, wealth, influence, prestige. Ty Lee never really cared for any of them, except prestige because then it meant people knew her, and in knowing her they could not mistake her. Ty Lee thought if she couldn’t guide the universe to give her a sporting chance at being whatever she wanted she could at least be assured in aligning herself properly.
When she ran away to join the circus she forgot, however briefly, this fact of life. Then Azula came to set her back on the course. And at first Ty Lee foolishly, foolishly thought she could refuse. After all, Azula had let her go once before. As they grew up the princess pushed her, manipulated her, undermined her, and seduced her. But if Ty Lee said ‘no’ then Azula never forced her.
After all, they were friends.
Azula stood in her quarters, stripped of the new armor they had given her for the coronation. Neither Ty Lee nor Mai were invited to the ceremony. As of late, Azula had been even more closed off than usual. Ty Lee assumed it was her way of punishing them for their failure to stop the Avatar at the Boiling Rock prison. Or Mai’s growing displeasure at being used in this war, to the point where even her careful mask of boredom could not disguise it. Then Ty Lee realized that Mai had not been called tonight.
Careful to divert her eyes, Ty Lee gave a low bow so that her forehead was touching the ground. “May you live long and burn brightly, Fire Lord Azula.”
It was so formal to say it that way. Especially to Azula, even if she was the Fire Lord now and some part of her, the part that noticed her eyes when she stared at Zuko too long, knew she would always become. But it still felt stilted, and Ty Lee was not used to being so still when a thin wire wasn’t stretched out before her with no where to turn to.
“Please, get up,” Azula said. It was stately, more like a command than a request from a childhood friend. Yet when Ty Lee flipped up into a handstand to meet her, Azula took both her arms in hers in a familiar greeting. “I would have asked for you but Father did not want such a public display when the war depends on his ascending to Phoenix Lord. No one but the highest generals and priests were allowed to come. You understand.”
“Of course, Pr—Fire Lord Azula.”
Azula withdrew her hands. “Good. Do you know why I’ve called you here?”
Ty Lee frowned, nervous that she had overlooked something. “Was there something you wanted me to do?”
“No. Nothing like that,” Azula dismissed with a wave of her hand. It looked like something she had seen Ozai do, years ago when Azula’s parents got into a discussion before Azula pulled her away. “But now that I am Fire Lord I will not need you.”
Loyalty
The one thing Ty Lee had grown up knowing was being given the illusion of choice. When the Fire Nation gives you options you can mislead yourself to believe that they are truly different when they all serve the same ends. Power, wealth, influence, prestige. Ty Lee never really cared for any of them, except prestige because then it meant people knew her, and in knowing her they could not mistake her. Ty Lee thought if she couldn’t guide the universe to give her a sporting chance at being whatever she wanted she could at least be assured in aligning herself properly.
When she ran away to join the circus she forgot, however briefly, this fact of life. Then Azula came to set her back on the course. And at first Ty Lee foolishly, foolishly thought she could refuse. After all, Azula had let her go once before. As they grew up the princess pushed her, manipulated her, undermined her, and seduced her. But if Ty Lee said ‘no’ then Azula never forced her.
After all, they were friends.
Azula stood in her quarters, stripped of the new armor they had given her for the coronation. Neither Ty Lee nor Mai were invited to the ceremony. As of late, Azula had been even more closed off than usual. Ty Lee assumed it was her way of punishing them for their failure to stop the Avatar at the Boiling Rock prison. Or Mai’s growing displeasure at being used in this war, to the point where even her careful mask of boredom could not disguise it. Then Ty Lee realized that Mai had not been called tonight.
Careful to divert her eyes, Ty Lee gave a low bow so that her forehead was touching the ground. “May you live long and burn brightly, Fire Lord Azula.”
It was so formal to say it that way. Especially to Azula, even if she was the Fire Lord now and some part of her, the part that noticed her eyes when she stared at Zuko too long, knew she would always become. But it still felt stilted, and Ty Lee was not used to being so still when a thin wire wasn’t stretched out before her with no where to turn to.
“Please, get up,” Azula said. It was stately, more like a command than a request from a childhood friend. Yet when Ty Lee flipped up into a handstand to meet her, Azula took both her arms in hers in a familiar greeting. “I would have asked for you but Father did not want such a public display when the war depends on his ascending to Phoenix Lord. No one but the highest generals and priests were allowed to come. You understand.”
“Of course, Pr—Fire Lord Azula.”
Azula withdrew her hands. “Good. Do you know why I’ve called you here?”
Ty Lee frowned, nervous that she had overlooked something. “Was there something you wanted me to do?”
“No. Nothing like that,” Azula dismissed with a wave of her hand. It looked like something she had seen Ozai do, years ago when Azula’s parents got into a discussion before Azula pulled her away. “But now that I am Fire Lord I will not need you.”