(Theme Forty-Nine) Sparrowkeet
(As prompted by) Oh You in that Dress
"Azula," says Ty Lee softly, her voice careful and girlish. Azula already does not like where this is going, "I would've gone to Zuko about this, but I would so rather go to you."
Azula crosses her arms and leans back in her chair. Ty Lee has invited her out to a cute little teashop in Caldera. The princess agreed reluctantly to go see her; she knows she has to act as if she is not hurt. Because six months ago, Ty Lee broke up with her over the petty reason that Azula cannot leave the Fire Nation. Well, Azula is sorry that her legal restrictions are such an inconvenience.
But if she did not agree, Ty Lee would think that Azula actually cared that they broke up. And of course she does not. Why would she care? She can have anyone she wants and it is not as if Ty Lee means anything to her. Despite her glittering eyes that Azula is engrossed in, her kissable coral pink lips. No, no, Azula will resist.
"Well, spit it out," Azula replies, sipping her tea. She does not like it but she does not bother causing a ruckus about it.
"I'm trying to start a business. Here ─ in the Fire Nation," Ty Lee says blithely, completely oblivious to Azula's clenched jaw and narrowed golden eyes.
"I thought you wanted to travel the world," Azula purrs, trying to sound mocking but just sounding wounded. Ugh.
Ty Lee stirs her tea. "I did. It was really fun. I'd love to tell you about it, but, uh, I think you might get bored. Anyway, now I want to settle down. I know that I'm not the most trustworthy person for a business, so I managed to convince Mai to be an investor and partner. Because she's, uh, smart and has money."
"Then why do you need me?" Azula asks coldly and Ty Lee looks uncomfortable for a moment.
"I just, well, I wanted the endorsement of the royal family," she says and Azula crosses her arm. The princess does not know why she agreed to come here.
"Mai should've gone to Zuko. At least she didn't break up with him," Azula replies airily and Ty Lee purses her lips, her cheeks flushing light pink.
"Please don't make this about us."
"I have to, Ty Lee. You can't just ask me for favors after casting me aside so easily." Azula stands up, leaving, wondering why she even bothered to come. Ty Lee's lip trembles, and she decides to simply take Azula's advice and ask Mai to go to Zuko.
But Azula reaches Mai first.
She stands in Mai's apartment, her arms crossed. Mai already knows what is coming. Ty Lee and Azula never bothered to keep Mai out of their squabbles. And, Agni, have there been squabbles over the years. Making matters worse, Mai is a swing vote in most of her relationships, between Zuko and Azula, Azula and Ty Lee, hmm, maybe just her relationships involving Azula...
"I need you to put a stop to this nonsense," Azula snaps, crossing her arms.
Mai frowns. "Okay, you do realize that she's going to start her business, settle in and then decide to date you. Or I mean at least fuck you a couple of times."
"I'm livid, Mai," Azula says in a deadpan, although her eyes are on fire. "She has the nerve to break up with me because I'm not legally allowed to leave the Fire Nation, and then she just decides to move back here? What's her business, anyway? Hooking up with tacky assholes?"
Mai chuckles and then shakes her head. "So much more Ty Lee. A daycare for pets."
"A... daycare for... pets? That's the most useless thing I've ever heard of," Azula snaps, waving her hand around wildly. She might take an eye out with one of her nails.
"She saw those ones in Ba Sing Se, apparently. Azula, there are a lot of rich people with pets in Caldera. I think it could be pretty successful. Or I wouldn't have invested in it," Mai remarks with a shrug and Azula inhales as if she is about to breathe fire.
"I think it's ludicrous." Silence. "And she asks for my royal endorsement?"
Mai cocks an eyebrow. "That's not what she told me she was inviting you out for."
"Hmph?" Azula is baffled. Ty Lee does not seem smart enough to come up with a lie so quickly.
"She wanted to ask you to be her business partner. Guess something made her back out at the last minute. If she wanted an endorsement, I would've gone to Zuko," Mai explains and Azula is stunned. She did not think of that. She could not think of Ty Lee wanting anything but to use Azula.
"She wanted to run an animal daycare with me?" Azula asks slowly, the words difficult to form. Mai just nods. "Hmph." And now Azula is confused. It was easier just to be blindly angry at Ty Lee.
"I think you two would be adorable pet parents. And I don't ever say adorable, or pet parents for that matter," Mai replies and Azula sighs.
"Well now I feel like a jerk. Ugh." Azula rolls her eyes. "Ugh. I'll see you later."
"Thanks for stopping by," Mai sighs as Azula is gone. She genuinely never shows up unless she needs something. Like... most people for that matter.
"Zuko," Azula says, throwing open the doors to the throne room, "I know you like baby animals, so you won't like this but─"
"Not a good lead in. Really not," Zuko interrupts, almost cringing at the baby animals part.
Azula grits her teeth. "I don't have time for your teasing. Mai is going to come here and ask for your royal endorsement. I do not want you to give it to her. Please do this for me."
"I...? Endorsement for what?"
"A pet daycare. Don't do it!" Azula points one finger accusingly at him and leaves without explanation.
Zuko is not sure what to make of that. But Mai does not come to ask for the endorsement. Ty Lee does.
"So, uh, animal daycare? Do you have a real business plan?" Zuko asks, stepping down from the throne and sitting beside her at a table. She opens a scroll of the objectives and details she filled out with Mai's help. Or, well, that Mai filled out and Ty Lee took credit for.
"Yeah. I do. I really want to do it. I mean, my soldier years have been fun, but I think it'll be nice to just settle down and open a weird business. And I promise I won't go broke or do anything dumb because Mai has a tight leash on me," Ty Lee says with a small smile.
Zuko swallows. "Azula told me not to give you the royal endorsement."
Ty Lee frowns. "I originally was going to open this in Ba Sing Se."
"What?"
"Yeah. It's popular there. I'd probably do better. But I thought, if I'm settling down, I want to..." Ty Lee clenches and unclenches her fists. The words are hard. "I wanted to settle down with her. I kinda tested the waters to see if she was still pissed without putting my heart out there for her to stab. She's still pissed."
Ty Lee frowns. Zuko does not know what to say.
Zuko says quietly, "She's still in love with you. I'm giving you the endorsement under one condition. You tell my sister how you feel instead of keeping playing these games with her."
Ty Lee nods feverishly.
A week after Zuko gives the endorsement, Ty Lee arrives in the palace clutching an expensive birdcage. Inside is a sparrowkeet that is eyeing Azula with great interest, as if she is the strangest thing it has ever seen. Azula looks at Ty Lee and closes the book she is writing in. Her heart warms a little when she sees her... no, it implodes when she sees her.
But Ty Lee is not interested. And Azula refuses to be interested either.
"What?" Azula asks. "My brother is in the other room, seeing as you probably fucked him for that endorsement."
Ty Lee takes a deep breath. "Azula, I want to tell you that I love you. And that I came home to the Fire Nation to be with you, as silly as that is."
"It's less silly than opening a daycare for baby animals." Azula is glad words came to her lips because her mind has gone blank. She did not imagine the feelings still existed. That they are reciprocated makes her so happy. But she takes great care not to show it on her face.
"I got you a pet," Ty Lee says sweetly, gesturing at the sparrowkeet. It makes a loud sound in assent and Azula cocks an eyebrow, baffled by the creature. "It's a sparrowkeet. I named him Emerald."
"Oh no, no, no," Azula says sharply and Ty Lee's eyes flicker wide. She worries that she misread Azula entirely. "Emerald is a horrible name for him. I'm calling him Zuko. Hm, ZuZu."
Ty Lee grins. And then she knows she must ask. She has to ask Azula to settle down with her. "I was thinking we could be pet parents together."
So far so good. Azula taps her lip in fake contemplation. Ty Lee fidgets nervously as Azula draws it out.
"I suppose in this world raising a pet on my own would be ridiculous. Sparrowkeets definitely need nice, two parent households," Azula purrs and Ty Lee smiles even wider. "Let's be pet parents together."
Azula kisses Ty Lee on the lips.
Finally.
