“Yes. Your initial purpose, helping me track down my traitorous brother and uncle has become irrelevant after all. And with the escape of that Kiyoshi warrior—” Ty Lee flushed hot with shame. She was the one who was sent to stop her. “I realize that you don’t need to continue when you’ve already served me so faithfully. If you want, you may go back to the circus whenever you please. With my blessing. With the Fire Lord’s blessing.”
It was too good to be true that Ty Lee couldn’t keep herself from breaking out into a wide grin. “Azula? Really? I can!”
“Of course,” Azula smiled sadly, something uncontrolled flickering beneath the surface. “But you’re more than welcome to stay, if you prefer. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m sending you away. That’s not my intention at all.”
Suddenly the wire upon Ty Lee imagined herself on was looking incredibly frayed. “But...you just said you didn’t need me.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t stay.”
There was an edge in it that frightened Ty Lee to the center of her being. How strange that now she noticed the full length mirror was missing from Azula’s room, and the family portrait was also mysteriously absent. She must have removed it when Zuko betrayed them. Even for Azula, to have her brother betray her it would be expected to get rid of such things. Indeed she was so busy searching for whatever else was gone that she did not feel Azula move up in front of her.
“...Azula.”
“You are the only one I am offering this to.”
“I. I’m not sure right now...” Ty Lee murmured, trying to smile. “It’s really flattering! But kind of a big decision to make.”
Azula’s hands were on Ty Lee’s waist, in what at first seemed like a way to steady her, but as a long nail flicked against the bareness of her stomach she couldn’t be sure anymore.
“You’ve been with me before even my father was Fire Lord.” And the way Azula whispered ‘been with’ made it sound so natural as she pressed herself closer to Ty Lee. “My good friend. I know in the end it will be betrayal. Zuko is just the most obvious about it. My father fears me, Mai is wary, the generals wait to see who will triumph. Everything waits for who will strike first.”
Ty Lee turned against her friend’s hand, but it only seemed to have another part of her draw closer. “I would never...”
“I know,” Azula breathed. “That is why I am giving you the chance to walk away. For you, it was never about power, or calculation. I’m sure if I had not asked you to come back you would be content to have spent the rest of your days as a circus performer.”
Azula smelled like she had been fighting. The sweat of the ceremonial flames must have been very hot for her to bear her first time but she didn’t look flush at all. Ty Lee could practically taste the heady bitter scent from Azula’s proximity. Her throat felt dry and she swallowed.
“So, I had to wonder how I could reward you. If you did not want the influence or riches of a Fire Lord, what could I give you...”
‘Oh,’ thought Ty Lee in a dim, resigned sort of way. Before Azula’s fingers slipped under her shirt to rub against her skin. Then it was not dim at all as Ty Lee gasped and arched into her touch like a trained acrobat does. So this was what they offer someone who doesn’t care for riches, influence or power.
Loyalty 2
“Yes. Your initial purpose, helping me track down my traitorous brother and uncle has become irrelevant after all. And with the escape of that Kiyoshi warrior—” Ty Lee flushed hot with shame. She was the one who was sent to stop her. “I realize that you don’t need to continue when you’ve already served me so faithfully. If you want, you may go back to the circus whenever you please. With my blessing. With the Fire Lord’s blessing.”
It was too good to be true that Ty Lee couldn’t keep herself from breaking out into a wide grin. “Azula? Really? I can!”
“Of course,” Azula smiled sadly, something uncontrolled flickering beneath the surface. “But you’re more than welcome to stay, if you prefer. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m sending you away. That’s not my intention at all.”
Suddenly the wire upon Ty Lee imagined herself on was looking incredibly frayed. “But...you just said you didn’t need me.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t stay.”
There was an edge in it that frightened Ty Lee to the center of her being. How strange that now she noticed the full length mirror was missing from Azula’s room, and the family portrait was also mysteriously absent. She must have removed it when Zuko betrayed them. Even for Azula, to have her brother betray her it would be expected to get rid of such things. Indeed she was so busy searching for whatever else was gone that she did not feel Azula move up in front of her.
“...Azula.”
“You are the only one I am offering this to.”
“I. I’m not sure right now...” Ty Lee murmured, trying to smile. “It’s really flattering! But kind of a big decision to make.”
Azula’s hands were on Ty Lee’s waist, in what at first seemed like a way to steady her, but as a long nail flicked against the bareness of her stomach she couldn’t be sure anymore.
“You’ve been with me before even my father was Fire Lord.” And the way Azula whispered ‘been with’ made it sound so natural as she pressed herself closer to Ty Lee. “My good friend. I know in the end it will be betrayal. Zuko is just the most obvious about it. My father fears me, Mai is wary, the generals wait to see who will triumph. Everything waits for who will strike first.”
Ty Lee turned against her friend’s hand, but it only seemed to have another part of her draw closer. “I would never...”
“I know,” Azula breathed. “That is why I am giving you the chance to walk away. For you, it was never about power, or calculation. I’m sure if I had not asked you to come back you would be content to have spent the rest of your days as a circus performer.”
Azula smelled like she had been fighting. The sweat of the ceremonial flames must have been very hot for her to bear her first time but she didn’t look flush at all. Ty Lee could practically taste the heady bitter scent from Azula’s proximity. Her throat felt dry and she swallowed.
“So, I had to wonder how I could reward you. If you did not want the influence or riches of a Fire Lord, what could I give you...”
‘Oh,’ thought Ty Lee in a dim, resigned sort of way. Before Azula’s fingers slipped under her shirt to rub against her skin. Then it was not dim at all as Ty Lee gasped and arched into her touch like a trained acrobat does. So this was what they offer someone who doesn’t care for riches, influence or power.
Choice.