Ty Lee was having trouble staying bouncy these days.
Azula's dad wasn't a nice man, no matter how much Ty Lee tried to see his good points. He didn't care that he was hurting people. He just cared that things were going well for him.
Ty Lee had hurt people for him. For Azula, anyway. It made her sick to think of it, but not as sick as thinking about what had probably happened to them later. They were much thinner, and there were scars or injuries where there hadn't been before. Sometimes Ty Lee had to look away. She didn't like what Ozai was doing.
Azula was different around him. She seemed- sharper, all around. She didn't laugh as freely, and Ty Lee was worried about what she was doing, when it was just her and her father.
Azula thought she could kill and torture and be fine, but Ty Lee knew better. Azula could hide how she was feeling- so well that she didn't even know she was doing it- but she couldn't hide the cruelty that was seeping into everything she did. Things just bothered her less, these days.
Ty Lee was good at lying to herself, but even she couldn't avoid seeing it.
She didn't want her girlfriend (yes, girlfriend, even if Azula wouldn't say the word) to be balanced on a razor's edge between humanity and-
And whatever Ozai was.
He talked about strength, and what he meant was cruelty. And Azula believed him, because he was her father and she believed everything he told her.
Ty Lee wanted to leave. She wanted to take Azula and flee to some island, some place with sunshine and cool breezes, where they could just be happy and not worry about bending or wars or what Ozai was planning to do tomorrow or the next day.
But Azula wouldn't leave, and Ty Lee couldn't leave her here. If Azula were alone here with Ozai, Ty Lee was sure she would be broken in no time. She'd be just like him.
So she stayed. She loved Azula, and while there was still some Azula left to love- something besides blue flames and cunning and cold cruelty- Ty Lee would stay here.
But Azula was getting a little colder every day.
There was a slab of rock in the hall of the house they were staying in. It was carved in calligraphy Ty Lee couldn't read- it was too old, and the characters were illegible. Ozai had said something about it, when they came to stay here. It was a prayer, he'd said. A prayer to Agni, the sun spirit.
Right now, a beam of sunshine played across the surface of the stone, and it shone.
You're warm, aren't you, Ty Lee thought to the sun. You're responsible for- photosynthesis, and plants, and summer. And Azula is a little bit yours, isn't she? Could you keep her warm, too?
I could use all the help I can get, she added.
The sunlight winked at her, she swore. Or maybe a cloud just blew by overhead, for a second.
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branchandroot
Ty Lee is having trouble staying bouncy
Date: 2011-03-11 05:44 am (UTC)Azula's dad wasn't a nice man, no matter how much Ty Lee tried to see his good points. He didn't care that he was hurting people. He just cared that things were going well for him.
Ty Lee had hurt people for him. For Azula, anyway. It made her sick to think of it, but not as sick as thinking about what had probably happened to them later. They were much thinner, and there were scars or injuries where there hadn't been before. Sometimes Ty Lee had to look away. She didn't like what Ozai was doing.
Azula was different around him. She seemed- sharper, all around. She didn't laugh as freely, and Ty Lee was worried about what she was doing, when it was just her and her father.
Azula thought she could kill and torture and be fine, but Ty Lee knew better. Azula could hide how she was feeling- so well that she didn't even know she was doing it- but she couldn't hide the cruelty that was seeping into everything she did. Things just bothered her less, these days.
Ty Lee was good at lying to herself, but even she couldn't avoid seeing it.
She didn't want her girlfriend (yes, girlfriend, even if Azula wouldn't say the word) to be balanced on a razor's edge between humanity and-
And whatever Ozai was.
He talked about strength, and what he meant was cruelty. And Azula believed him, because he was her father and she believed everything he told her.
Ty Lee wanted to leave. She wanted to take Azula and flee to some island, some place with sunshine and cool breezes, where they could just be happy and not worry about bending or wars or what Ozai was planning to do tomorrow or the next day.
But Azula wouldn't leave, and Ty Lee couldn't leave her here. If Azula were alone here with Ozai, Ty Lee was sure she would be broken in no time. She'd be just like him.
So she stayed. She loved Azula, and while there was still some Azula left to love- something besides blue flames and cunning and cold cruelty- Ty Lee would stay here.
But Azula was getting a little colder every day.
There was a slab of rock in the hall of the house they were staying in. It was carved in calligraphy Ty Lee couldn't read- it was too old, and the characters were illegible. Ozai had said something about it, when they came to stay here. It was a prayer, he'd said. A prayer to Agni, the sun spirit.
Right now, a beam of sunshine played across the surface of the stone, and it shone.
You're warm, aren't you, Ty Lee thought to the sun. You're responsible for- photosynthesis, and plants, and summer. And Azula is a little bit yours, isn't she? Could you keep her warm, too?
I could use all the help I can get, she added.
The sunlight winked at her, she swore. Or maybe a cloud just blew by overhead, for a second.
But Ty Lee felt better anyway.
Maybe things were going to be okay.