Tyzula things
She Always Did (Rated G, fluff) Her laugh.
There was nothing Azula hated more than Ty Lee's effeminate giggle. She constantly accused the acrobat of putting on a show for the boys; making her laugh bubbly, airheaded, and more hopeless. Ty Lee, of course, had no idea what Azula was talking about. It was just her normal laugh, and didn't she laugh like that all the time? Frustration ensued. In the end Azula somehow convinced Ty Lee that she'd been faking her own laugh for her entire life and her real one was a snorting, obnoxious guffaw. This went on for a week before Mai decided to finally point out that Ty Lee sounded very much like a dying beaver-duck, and that their fearsome leader was simply 'being funny again', as they so often worded it. Even so, Azula won. She always did.
Her hair.
There was nothing Azula loved more than Ty Lee's hair. Her own hair was straight and obedient and perfect, and she would have it no other way, but something about her best friend's hair captivated her. It was an unruly twirl of bouncing waves and untamed tresses that took nearly an hour to coax into a hairstyle that still only passed as 'just thrown together'. Often she would offer to brush Ty Lee's hair and stare into their shared reflection at the vanity mirror. One day, her amber eyes filled with intrigue as they regarded the impossible locks of gentle brown, wild and impertinent like the fire she so adored in every moment of her life, and like a moth to the flame her head dipped and those full lips pressed a gentle kiss atop those locks. Ty Lee smiled bashfully, and suddenly things were very warm, and the only thing she could do to break the awkwardness was giggle. That giggle more or less destroyed Azula's good mood and she made a passing insult about Ty Lee's ridiculous laugh before leaving to do something else. Azula had the last word. She always did.
Her eyes.
There was nothing Azula hated more than Ty Lee's eyes. They were so big and brown and stupid, she could only wonder at times if Ty Lee had a single thought in that empty head. The pupils were small and nearly nonexistent while the irises took up most of her bright, dopey-eyed expression. It had been a silent game for Azula ever since she was small to tell Ty Lee to shut her eyes when they were particularly annoying her. Her friend would be perplexed but hesitantly oblige, much to Azula's initial surprise. The poor girl would sit there for the longest time with her eyes shut, calling out to Azula for permission to open them again, to which Azula would most often respond in the negative. Only when Azula's responses ceased to come would Ty Lee open her eyes and see that Azula had left the room already, and she had been there alone, talking to herself. Azula had gotten the last laugh. She always did.
Her hands.
There was nothing Azula loved more than Ty Lee's hands. The skills they were capable of were incredibly diverse, whether it was piercing an enemy's pressure points in just the right location, balancing her entire body weight upright on a thin, unsteady wire, or winning in a game of rock-paper-scissors, Ty Lee's hands mastered any art. Azula would sometimes compliment Ty Lee on the softness of her hands and, on those more rare occasions, would take one of Ty Lee's hands in her own and hold it there. It was passive and casual, as though she did it every day, and Ty Lee would find herself fighting off the urge to giggle and ruin things. Then the need to reciprocate affection would arise and she would happily grip Azula's hand in her own, after which Azula would meet those big, dopey eyes and yank her hand away in disdain. She would say something about Ty Lee's hands being too rough and man-like for her tastes, and that the compliments on their softness was just to make the acrobat feel better, and Ty Lee would sulk pitifully. Azula made the last move. She always did.
The first day of summer was always a time of celebration for the Fire Nation. It marked the start of a new year of the volcanic land's most successful crops, soon to thrive and spread the joys of food and business across the continent. Parties took place in every building; even the lowest of classes had a place to be and a drink in hand. Lamps set aflame and lights danced across the surrounding towns, lighting up the entire nation for one whole night. Music flowed from one song to another, from one road to another, town to town, and city to city, accompanied by howls of laughter and whoops of celebration.
While Mai and Zuko were off doing some silly date thing, Azula and Ty Lee partook of the palace activities with fervor and delight, with the Fire Nation princess in the lead and her plucky friend happily trailing along. They turned down suitors and ate spicy food, reminisced past memories and sneaked expensive wine. As the night wore on well into the early morning and the celebration raged on, Azula grew weary and summoned Ty Lee to join her on the balcony just outside her bedchambers.
Out there the night felt cool and refreshing to their spinning heads; the ongoing fireworks seemed slow against the backdrop of sky, like fireflies floating lazily in the ripples of a pond. Ty Lee threw her arms out and twirled in a perfect pirouette, then fell rather unceremoniously on a pile of plush throw pillows, her limbs splayed out ungracefully. She giggled long and hard, even as Azula curtly lowered herself to the bed of pillows beside her friend.
"Ty Lee, stop that, you sound like a toad-pig," she said in all seriousness, but her expression was relaxed and still held onto an alcohol-induced simper, despite her slight aggravation.
The young acrobat beamed and sat herself upright, unaffected by the harsh words. "I'm sorry, Azula," she replied, then pulled herself into indian-style and gripped her ankles, "I'm just having such a great night." The fireworks left shimmering trails of light in her large, brown eyes, and they suddenly seemed brighter and more alive than usual.
Azula cast a sidelong glance at her friend, paused to observe the lightshow in those big, stupid eyes, and allowed herself a low chuckle. "Yes, it has been enjoyable," she responded in a pretentious tone, as if she had said so first, "The fireworks are better than they were last year - not that that's saying much, but still." She tried to act slightly uninterested but in truth, the moment felt too perfect for even her to ignore; they fell into a companionable silence, accompanied only by the distant pop-hiss-pop of the fireworks and the low whirr of a never-ending party on the floors below them.
Azula wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or fatigue that hit her first; her head was fuzzy, her body heavy, and at some point her neck went slack and her head rolled to one side. She fought back a yawn, lightly rested her temple on the shoulder next to her - which happened to be Ty Lee's - and closed her eyes. Butterflies erupted deep in Ty Lee's stomach and she fought back the urge to giggle again. Instead she casually slipped her palm over top Azula's hand and their fingers interlaced for the first time, and she opted instead for the widest, brightest grin she ever remembered having.
A hint of a smirk ghosted Azula's face as somewhere deep in her mind she became acutely aware of how silly things were and how sappy she felt. Even so, she tilted her head to the side just a bit and buried her face in the crevice of Ty Lee's neck, allowing their bodies to lean into one another, and dozed off there.
Ty Lee wasn't sure how things had led up to that point or why she felt so happy all of the sudden. All she knew was her chi was flying high and her heart soared in her chest as it beat wildly against her rib cage; the fireworks were soothing and exciting all at once and the alcohol swam in her head faster than she felt like she could ever run again, but Azula was holding her hand, and Azula was sleepily nuzzling her neck, and she was with Azula.
And Azula, best of all, was with her. Azula chose to be with her. She always did.
A Killer's Death, a Lover's Demise (Rated PG, angst) Sometimes it felt like the world was falling around me. Sometimes it felt like nothing had changed at all.
It amazes me still how much the death of someone can affect a person so greatly that their entire outlook on life changes for a time, if not permanently. When I found out, the world that had been so comfortably the same every single day of my life was suddenly very different; I felt separated from reality, as if I existed only in my mind and nowhere else. It surprised me when people spoke to me, looked at me, expecting a response; didn't they know I wasn't really there? Didn't they know I didn't exist anymore?
The day I was told the princess was dead, I went to the marketplace. Don't ask me why I did that first because I don't really know. Maybe I was searching for a sense of normalcy, for a grasp on reality. Maybe I was hoping I'd wake up from the terrible nightmare I'd plunged into. I'd somehow found the bottom of a bottomless pit and the location was my mind, and I was trying desperately to claw my way out but the walls were so damn vacant.
My eyes searched the crowd, the vendors and consumers; families, friends, couples. It was astonishing how the world continued to go on when my own had stopped so abruptly. Smiling faces, bickering, hugs, shoves, cold shoulders, affection. All around me the world was oblivious to the rot that had begun, to the hole that had been torn inside me. I wanted them to know. I wanted them to be silent. I wanted them to pity me, to pity her.
But even then I knew. Even as I fell to my knees, alone in a crowd, sobbing and numb, that they would never understand. Even when news of the princess's death would eventually spread, no one could ever understand. They would see the death of a tyrant. The fall of their princess, for certain, but still the end of a reign of terror that had begun the day Azula first set foot in the prison. All feared what she was capable of. None mourned her passing. They would never see a woman who was so blindly unique, a woman who knew she was perfect in all the wrong ways and thought she was imperfect in every right way; a woman who could show love and compassion as easily as she could end a life; a woman who was both impetuous and strategic, and every decision she made seemed to be the right one at the time, however brash. A woman who could smile in the face of death as easily as she could in the embrace of a friend. A woman who slaughtered innocents with the touch of her hands, yes, but also a woman who gave soft caresses with those same hands. A woman who spoke of death and decay like longtime friends and kissed as passionately as she killed. A woman who was a warrior, yes, but also a maiden, and a scholar, and a sage.
Azula was many things. I knew this as my head hung to the earth and I gripped dirt between my trembling fingers and felt rage and tragedy tear me asunder in vicious waves. I knew she was many things. A lover, a friend. Even a killer. But what they could never understand was that she was never a monster.
This is Why I'm Hot (Rated G, subtext if you squint) The afternoon sun streamed through the open window in a warm, strong beam, lighting up a swirl of springtime pollen and dust particles that floated around the room. Birds sang cheerily as they swooped over the balcony and descended into the surrounding city. Ty Lee rose to her tip-toes and leaned far out the window; her long braid slipped over the windowsill and swayed in the gentle breeze. Her eyes widened in excitement and a smile lit up her face. After months of being confined to the indoors, the season was finally changing!
"Azula!" She chirped just as blithely as any springtime bird outside as she ducked back through the window and spun around to face her friend.
Azula was draped languorously over a bed of throw pillows, her limbs set in a feline-esque stretch. "Mmm?" She responded, simpering mostly because she could; she toyed with an uneaten cherry, regarding it as if she expected it to tell her why she should waste any time eating it.
Ty Lee's response was a dramatic twirl, followed by more excited babbling, "It's so nice outside! Why don't we go for a walk tonight!? It's going to be beautiful this evening! The stars are going to be so bright and - "
Azula shot upright, interested despite herself. "Ty Lee, let's go into town tonight."
The young acrobat halted her incessant spinning and twirling to regard Azula with an open-mouthed smile, excitement bubbling over. "R-really!?" She quipped, and at Azula's eager nod, she careened forward and balanced herself upside-down on her hands, "Oh, Azula! It's going to be so much fun!"
"We'll bring many guards," Azula went on with a slow smirk, "Everyone will know who we are. We'll cause such a ruckus."
"'Specially you, 'Zula," Ty Lee added as she walked on her hands over to the bed of throw pillows, then let herself fall backwards on top of them, right next to her friend. She beamed. "I mean, you're so cool! Everyone will be so jealous."
"I know," the princess agreed, soaking up the compliment; she tossed the forgotten cherry aside, as if it had lost its case. It wasn't worth her taste buds. "Everyone will want to talk to me. Of course, they will all be ignored." She lay back next to Ty Lee and grinned smugly.
Ty Lee's smile faded and she rolled over onto her stomach, her brow furrowed slightly. "You won't ignore me, will you, 'Zula?"
Azula arched a slender eyebrow at her friend. "Ty Lee, sometimes you're incredibly stupid." When her friend looked further crestfallen, she shook her head in exasperation. "You're a noble. Of course I'm not going to ignore you."
Ty Lee burst forth with giggles as joy took over and she threw her arms around Azula's neck amidst her happiness; the princess patted Ty Lee on the back as though she were a small child, endured the hug for a moment longer, then firmly pushed the girl away. "Alright, alright, stop," she said, her returning smile dripping with conceit, "Make sure you don't act like this tonight. I really don't need you cramping my style."
Ty Lee's head bobbed eagerly. "Right!"
The princess regarded her friend for a moment longer; big, stupid eyes, dopey grin, completely empty-headed demeanor. Without explanation she found herself laughing. At Ty Lee's curious inquisition, she was only able to reply amidst bouts of chuckles, "Any concept of being cool completely eludes you, Ty Lee."
Caught between being embarrassed and confused, Ty Lee grinned abashedly with the princess, then said, "Well, I guess it's a good thing I'll have you with me, right, 'Zula?"
Azula's laughter died down to a contented, self-satisfied quirk of her lips. "Definitely."
There was nothing Azula hated more than Ty Lee's effeminate giggle. She constantly accused the acrobat of putting on a show for the boys; making her laugh bubbly, airheaded, and more hopeless. Ty Lee, of course, had no idea what Azula was talking about. It was just her normal laugh, and didn't she laugh like that all the time? Frustration ensued. In the end Azula somehow convinced Ty Lee that she'd been faking her own laugh for her entire life and her real one was a snorting, obnoxious guffaw. This went on for a week before Mai decided to finally point out that Ty Lee sounded very much like a dying beaver-duck, and that their fearsome leader was simply 'being funny again', as they so often worded it. Even so, Azula won. She always did.
Her hair.
There was nothing Azula loved more than Ty Lee's hair. Her own hair was straight and obedient and perfect, and she would have it no other way, but something about her best friend's hair captivated her. It was an unruly twirl of bouncing waves and untamed tresses that took nearly an hour to coax into a hairstyle that still only passed as 'just thrown together'. Often she would offer to brush Ty Lee's hair and stare into their shared reflection at the vanity mirror. One day, her amber eyes filled with intrigue as they regarded the impossible locks of gentle brown, wild and impertinent like the fire she so adored in every moment of her life, and like a moth to the flame her head dipped and those full lips pressed a gentle kiss atop those locks. Ty Lee smiled bashfully, and suddenly things were very warm, and the only thing she could do to break the awkwardness was giggle. That giggle more or less destroyed Azula's good mood and she made a passing insult about Ty Lee's ridiculous laugh before leaving to do something else. Azula had the last word. She always did.
Her eyes.
There was nothing Azula hated more than Ty Lee's eyes. They were so big and brown and stupid, she could only wonder at times if Ty Lee had a single thought in that empty head. The pupils were small and nearly nonexistent while the irises took up most of her bright, dopey-eyed expression. It had been a silent game for Azula ever since she was small to tell Ty Lee to shut her eyes when they were particularly annoying her. Her friend would be perplexed but hesitantly oblige, much to Azula's initial surprise. The poor girl would sit there for the longest time with her eyes shut, calling out to Azula for permission to open them again, to which Azula would most often respond in the negative. Only when Azula's responses ceased to come would Ty Lee open her eyes and see that Azula had left the room already, and she had been there alone, talking to herself. Azula had gotten the last laugh. She always did.
Her hands.
There was nothing Azula loved more than Ty Lee's hands. The skills they were capable of were incredibly diverse, whether it was piercing an enemy's pressure points in just the right location, balancing her entire body weight upright on a thin, unsteady wire, or winning in a game of rock-paper-scissors, Ty Lee's hands mastered any art. Azula would sometimes compliment Ty Lee on the softness of her hands and, on those more rare occasions, would take one of Ty Lee's hands in her own and hold it there. It was passive and casual, as though she did it every day, and Ty Lee would find herself fighting off the urge to giggle and ruin things. Then the need to reciprocate affection would arise and she would happily grip Azula's hand in her own, after which Azula would meet those big, dopey eyes and yank her hand away in disdain. She would say something about Ty Lee's hands being too rough and man-like for her tastes, and that the compliments on their softness was just to make the acrobat feel better, and Ty Lee would sulk pitifully. Azula made the last move. She always did.
The first day of summer was always a time of celebration for the Fire Nation. It marked the start of a new year of the volcanic land's most successful crops, soon to thrive and spread the joys of food and business across the continent. Parties took place in every building; even the lowest of classes had a place to be and a drink in hand. Lamps set aflame and lights danced across the surrounding towns, lighting up the entire nation for one whole night. Music flowed from one song to another, from one road to another, town to town, and city to city, accompanied by howls of laughter and whoops of celebration.
While Mai and Zuko were off doing some silly date thing, Azula and Ty Lee partook of the palace activities with fervor and delight, with the Fire Nation princess in the lead and her plucky friend happily trailing along. They turned down suitors and ate spicy food, reminisced past memories and sneaked expensive wine. As the night wore on well into the early morning and the celebration raged on, Azula grew weary and summoned Ty Lee to join her on the balcony just outside her bedchambers.
Out there the night felt cool and refreshing to their spinning heads; the ongoing fireworks seemed slow against the backdrop of sky, like fireflies floating lazily in the ripples of a pond. Ty Lee threw her arms out and twirled in a perfect pirouette, then fell rather unceremoniously on a pile of plush throw pillows, her limbs splayed out ungracefully. She giggled long and hard, even as Azula curtly lowered herself to the bed of pillows beside her friend.
"Ty Lee, stop that, you sound like a toad-pig," she said in all seriousness, but her expression was relaxed and still held onto an alcohol-induced simper, despite her slight aggravation.
The young acrobat beamed and sat herself upright, unaffected by the harsh words. "I'm sorry, Azula," she replied, then pulled herself into indian-style and gripped her ankles, "I'm just having such a great night." The fireworks left shimmering trails of light in her large, brown eyes, and they suddenly seemed brighter and more alive than usual.
Azula cast a sidelong glance at her friend, paused to observe the lightshow in those big, stupid eyes, and allowed herself a low chuckle. "Yes, it has been enjoyable," she responded in a pretentious tone, as if she had said so first, "The fireworks are better than they were last year - not that that's saying much, but still." She tried to act slightly uninterested but in truth, the moment felt too perfect for even her to ignore; they fell into a companionable silence, accompanied only by the distant pop-hiss-pop of the fireworks and the low whirr of a never-ending party on the floors below them.
Azula wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or fatigue that hit her first; her head was fuzzy, her body heavy, and at some point her neck went slack and her head rolled to one side. She fought back a yawn, lightly rested her temple on the shoulder next to her - which happened to be Ty Lee's - and closed her eyes. Butterflies erupted deep in Ty Lee's stomach and she fought back the urge to giggle again. Instead she casually slipped her palm over top Azula's hand and their fingers interlaced for the first time, and she opted instead for the widest, brightest grin she ever remembered having.
A hint of a smirk ghosted Azula's face as somewhere deep in her mind she became acutely aware of how silly things were and how sappy she felt. Even so, she tilted her head to the side just a bit and buried her face in the crevice of Ty Lee's neck, allowing their bodies to lean into one another, and dozed off there.
Ty Lee wasn't sure how things had led up to that point or why she felt so happy all of the sudden. All she knew was her chi was flying high and her heart soared in her chest as it beat wildly against her rib cage; the fireworks were soothing and exciting all at once and the alcohol swam in her head faster than she felt like she could ever run again, but Azula was holding her hand, and Azula was sleepily nuzzling her neck, and she was with Azula.
And Azula, best of all, was with her. Azula chose to be with her. She always did.
A Killer's Death, a Lover's Demise (Rated PG, angst) Sometimes it felt like the world was falling around me. Sometimes it felt like nothing had changed at all.
It amazes me still how much the death of someone can affect a person so greatly that their entire outlook on life changes for a time, if not permanently. When I found out, the world that had been so comfortably the same every single day of my life was suddenly very different; I felt separated from reality, as if I existed only in my mind and nowhere else. It surprised me when people spoke to me, looked at me, expecting a response; didn't they know I wasn't really there? Didn't they know I didn't exist anymore?
The day I was told the princess was dead, I went to the marketplace. Don't ask me why I did that first because I don't really know. Maybe I was searching for a sense of normalcy, for a grasp on reality. Maybe I was hoping I'd wake up from the terrible nightmare I'd plunged into. I'd somehow found the bottom of a bottomless pit and the location was my mind, and I was trying desperately to claw my way out but the walls were so damn vacant.
My eyes searched the crowd, the vendors and consumers; families, friends, couples. It was astonishing how the world continued to go on when my own had stopped so abruptly. Smiling faces, bickering, hugs, shoves, cold shoulders, affection. All around me the world was oblivious to the rot that had begun, to the hole that had been torn inside me. I wanted them to know. I wanted them to be silent. I wanted them to pity me, to pity her.
But even then I knew. Even as I fell to my knees, alone in a crowd, sobbing and numb, that they would never understand. Even when news of the princess's death would eventually spread, no one could ever understand. They would see the death of a tyrant. The fall of their princess, for certain, but still the end of a reign of terror that had begun the day Azula first set foot in the prison. All feared what she was capable of. None mourned her passing. They would never see a woman who was so blindly unique, a woman who knew she was perfect in all the wrong ways and thought she was imperfect in every right way; a woman who could show love and compassion as easily as she could end a life; a woman who was both impetuous and strategic, and every decision she made seemed to be the right one at the time, however brash. A woman who could smile in the face of death as easily as she could in the embrace of a friend. A woman who slaughtered innocents with the touch of her hands, yes, but also a woman who gave soft caresses with those same hands. A woman who spoke of death and decay like longtime friends and kissed as passionately as she killed. A woman who was a warrior, yes, but also a maiden, and a scholar, and a sage.
Azula was many things. I knew this as my head hung to the earth and I gripped dirt between my trembling fingers and felt rage and tragedy tear me asunder in vicious waves. I knew she was many things. A lover, a friend. Even a killer. But what they could never understand was that she was never a monster.
This is Why I'm Hot (Rated G, subtext if you squint) The afternoon sun streamed through the open window in a warm, strong beam, lighting up a swirl of springtime pollen and dust particles that floated around the room. Birds sang cheerily as they swooped over the balcony and descended into the surrounding city. Ty Lee rose to her tip-toes and leaned far out the window; her long braid slipped over the windowsill and swayed in the gentle breeze. Her eyes widened in excitement and a smile lit up her face. After months of being confined to the indoors, the season was finally changing!
"Azula!" She chirped just as blithely as any springtime bird outside as she ducked back through the window and spun around to face her friend.
Azula was draped languorously over a bed of throw pillows, her limbs set in a feline-esque stretch. "Mmm?" She responded, simpering mostly because she could; she toyed with an uneaten cherry, regarding it as if she expected it to tell her why she should waste any time eating it.
Ty Lee's response was a dramatic twirl, followed by more excited babbling, "It's so nice outside! Why don't we go for a walk tonight!? It's going to be beautiful this evening! The stars are going to be so bright and - "
Azula shot upright, interested despite herself. "Ty Lee, let's go into town tonight."
The young acrobat halted her incessant spinning and twirling to regard Azula with an open-mouthed smile, excitement bubbling over. "R-really!?" She quipped, and at Azula's eager nod, she careened forward and balanced herself upside-down on her hands, "Oh, Azula! It's going to be so much fun!"
"We'll bring many guards," Azula went on with a slow smirk, "Everyone will know who we are. We'll cause such a ruckus."
"'Specially you, 'Zula," Ty Lee added as she walked on her hands over to the bed of throw pillows, then let herself fall backwards on top of them, right next to her friend. She beamed. "I mean, you're so cool! Everyone will be so jealous."
"I know," the princess agreed, soaking up the compliment; she tossed the forgotten cherry aside, as if it had lost its case. It wasn't worth her taste buds. "Everyone will want to talk to me. Of course, they will all be ignored." She lay back next to Ty Lee and grinned smugly.
Ty Lee's smile faded and she rolled over onto her stomach, her brow furrowed slightly. "You won't ignore me, will you, 'Zula?"
Azula arched a slender eyebrow at her friend. "Ty Lee, sometimes you're incredibly stupid." When her friend looked further crestfallen, she shook her head in exasperation. "You're a noble. Of course I'm not going to ignore you."
Ty Lee burst forth with giggles as joy took over and she threw her arms around Azula's neck amidst her happiness; the princess patted Ty Lee on the back as though she were a small child, endured the hug for a moment longer, then firmly pushed the girl away. "Alright, alright, stop," she said, her returning smile dripping with conceit, "Make sure you don't act like this tonight. I really don't need you cramping my style."
Ty Lee's head bobbed eagerly. "Right!"
The princess regarded her friend for a moment longer; big, stupid eyes, dopey grin, completely empty-headed demeanor. Without explanation she found herself laughing. At Ty Lee's curious inquisition, she was only able to reply amidst bouts of chuckles, "Any concept of being cool completely eludes you, Ty Lee."
Caught between being embarrassed and confused, Ty Lee grinned abashedly with the princess, then said, "Well, I guess it's a good thing I'll have you with me, right, 'Zula?"
Azula's laughter died down to a contented, self-satisfied quirk of her lips. "Definitely."