TEA PARTY

Ty Lee sits with Mai over tea at breakfast. It is a somber day in the palace but a purely ordinary day to the rest of the world. No one truly knows how to deal with the suicide of Fire Lord Ozai. Especially Azula. Ty Lee is absolutely infuriated by the reaction of her wife.

"Her dad is dead," complains Ty Lee to Mai. "I understand that not a lot of people are sad about that since he was like pretty evil and stuff but I feel like she should be acting kinda different. She still visited him every month until the end."

Mai casually replies, "Not everyone grieves the same way. Azula never has been one to face her emotions. She just waits and plays it cool until they utterly overpower her."

"I want to help her. I'm the only person she's ever been vulnerable with and I can't let her down."

"Give her space. It's what she needs from you and you won't let her down if you do what she needs."

"She needs to grieve."

Mai offers in a monotone voice, "Maybe she is grieving. People act weird when someone dies. Or not weird, which is weird, in Azula's case. My Uncle and Aunt got pregnant before marriage. The baby died in childbirth. My Uncle took off and grief banged half of the Fire Nation before impulse marrying my Aunt."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"That grief displays itself in funny ways. Just do something very small to remind her that you're there. And don't push it."

"Thanks. You give surprisingly good relationship advice for someone so bitchy."

"No problem. All in a day's work."

"Azula better not grief bang anybody," mutters Ty Lee on the way out of the room.


Ty Lee spends her entire morning setting up a table like she used to have. It was difficult to coax Azula out of bed for the longest time. Finally, Ty Lee managed to convince Azula to come to breakfast tea parties. Ty Lee sets up one just like the good old days, except with less guards and handcuffs and valerian root.

Ty Lee says, holding the callous hand of her cold wife, "Azula, I set up a little tea party for us. Remember when you were first getting better after the war and we had them every afternoon. Those were so nice."

Azula icily reminds Ty Lee, "They were to drug me with valerian root."

"But they were nice. I even made those yummy cinnamon rolls you like."

"Fine. I suppose I can spare some time to stroke your pathetic ego." Azula sits down. "I am not affected by my father's death. I assure you. I am not celebrating, like so many are, but I don't care. I don't love anyone enough to grieve their death, Ty Lee."

"Not even me."

"You're not allowed to die!" Azula is shocked by her own vehemence. She does not even know where that statement came from. "You. Are. Not. Allowed. To. Die."

"So you would grieve me?"

"I am uncertain."

"Do you love me?"

"You are being clingy and obnoxious. It isn't a flattering look on you."

"Do you love me, Princess Azula?"

The silence stretches for agonizing ages.

"Yes," Azula at last whispers.

Ty Lee smiles and pours them two cups of tea.