Chapter 60
Yue had come to truly enjoy her life and her newfound freedom in Ba Sing Se. Living with Katara and Azula in a posh Upper Ring estate, well above their current means, certainly cushioned the fall from riches to rags. She had a steady job and she was starting to build a clientele of young and aspiring Pai Sho hopefuls, looking for private Pai Sho classes. In a couple of weeks, she would start attending the BSSU, studying to become a teacher, something she hadn't considered before this summer, but was suddenly very passionate about.
And yet, lately Yue was starting to become a little frustrated. It wasn't because she was unhappy, or because something was missing from her life. It largely had to do with Katara and Azula, and how they both remained so utterly pigheaded when it came to their feelings for each other. Yue had tried every trick in the book to get those two to finally hook up for good. Yue thought that she had been successful when Azula had finally kissed Katara back in July, but no, even after that Yue's two favorite idiots had for some reason decided that they still had to wait for something.
Yue was aware of Azula's reasoning. When it came to the threat posed by Ozai Nakamura, Yue thought that she was being realistic. It wasn't impossible that Ozai would arrange for Katara to be hurt, or worse. Yue didn't get the sense that Azula or Katara actually realized the possibility that she also was a potential target, just because she lived with Azula and was her friend. It wasn't going to stop Yue from being friends with Azula, of course, just as it didn't stop Katara, even after they had seen several of the very disturbing and threatening letters Ozai kept sending to Azula.
Still, Yue didn't approve of the way Azula used her father's threats as an excuse to keep Katara at bay. She figured that Ozai most likely was spying on Azula, probably using the Dai Li agents as Azula suspected. And if Azula was being spied upon, then Ozai most likely knew how close she was with Katara. Those two always treated each other with such affection that most people who spent any amount of time observing them, ended up with the conclusion that they were a romantic couple. It was very likely that Ozai had actually received reports identifying Katara as Azula's girlfriend, in which case Azula's insistence that she couldn't get with Katara was pointless and changed nothing. Yue could not imagine Azula and Katara acting with even more affection in public than they were already doing, so this reluctance to act on their feelings made no sense and was driving Yue up the wall. She wanted to either bash those two thick skulls together or lock them in a room and only let them out after they had properly made out.
On top of all those daily frustrations, when Yue had arrived at the estate after her shift earlier today, she had found Katara in quite a state. Katara had taken some of those pills she had promised to dispose of, a lie that Yue was pretty mad about, but her immediate concern was to find out what had caused Katara's panic attack. It hadn't been easy to get a coherent story out of Katara because she was still freaking out a bit even while being heavily sedated, but Yue had eventually discovered what had happened earlier in the day, with Azula coming across her childhood friend, and more importantly, her first girlfriend. With the way Azula had dragged this Ty Lee girl over to the estate, given her a room and fussed over her so much, Yue couldn't blame Katara for freaking out. But she couldn't really blame Azula either. Leaving her childhood friend to panhandle in the streets of Ba Sing Se? What kind of monster would do that? Maybe this was just some kind of a misunderstanding.
Little more than an hour later, Yue was sitting at the kitchen table, her frustrations mounting. She still hadn't been introduced to this Ty Lee girl. Azula had checked up on their new housemate earlier only to discover that Ty Lee had fallen firmly asleep. Azula was sitting on a sofa while pretending to read a book, but Yue noticed that she hadn't turned a page for almost like five minutes. Katara was washing the dishes, still moving slowly and sluggishly because of her stupid decision to take Librium. Yue had made her the blackest and strongest coffee imaginable, but it had only a moderate effect. Still, what annoyed Yue the most was the palpable chill in the air between the two girls. They occasionally stole a furtive glance or two at the other, but would refuse to say anything.
More and more as of late, Yue thought back of the promise she had made to herself upon moving to Ba Sing Se, feeling such intense gratitude to Azula and Iroh for helping her out. She had sworn not to mess with the burgeoning relationship between Azula and Katara, and over the past months Yue had successfully kept her promise. But right now, because of the arrival of this new girl on the scene, maybe things would change? If Azula couldn't get her shit together and just work up the courage to be with Katara, then maybe Azula deserved to be with this other girl instead of Katara. Yue felt that she was emotionally much more mature than a year ago, because of everything she had gone through. Maybe she had earned another chance to make Katara happy, especially if Azula kept dragging her feet. How was this fair to Katara?
However, despite feeling angry and frustrated, it only took catching one glance that Katara shot towards Azula for Yue to realize that she didn't have any chance whatsoever with Katara. That look had been so full of desperate longing, really driving it home for Yue just how strongly Katara felt for Azula. Yue turned her attention to Azula and kept observing her, until she caught Azula stealing a look at Katara. It was full of the same emotions as Katara's stare. These useless lesbians were just hopeless and beyond help, but Yue realized that she couldn't give up on them. With a sigh, she rose and walked up to Azula, grabbing her by the hand and yanking her surprised friend up from the sofa.
"What are you doing?" Azula gasped, dropping the book she had been pretending to read.
"I'm sick and tired of you two being idiots," Yue hissed, dragging Azula with her towards Katara. "Consider this an intervention," she said, then grabbing Katara's hand and pulling the two reluctant girls outside, onto the terrace, just in case Ty Lee happened to wake up and wander downstairs at an inopportune moment. "You two," Yue glared at the reluctant couple before her. "Need to start talking, now."
"Talk about what?" Azula tried to feign ignorance. Yue intensified her glare, causing Azula to flinch slightly. Yue felt quite proud of herself. Out-staring Azula Nakamura was no mean feat. "Alright, fine… obviously Katara is angry at me. I happen to think that it's not fair to Ty Lee. Was I supposed to just leave her behind there, wallowing in the dirt? That's messed up, Katara."
"I am not angry at you for bringing Ty Lee to the estate, Azula," Katara sighed tiredly. "I am not angry with you at all."
"I don't know, you could have fooled me," Azula scowled. Yue was starting to develop the impression that Azula was not being honest, however. This would be typical Azula behavior, one that Yue had observed so many times before. When confronted with an emotionally taxing conversation, Azula's first instinct was to throw a smokescreen and manufacture some kind of bullshit excuse to obfuscate the real matter at heart. Yue had a strong feeling that Azula knew perfectly well why Katara was upset about Ty Lee's presence. Azula just didn't want to discuss her feelings with both her and Katara. Azula sometimes opened up to Katara, but she had only recently started allowing herself to show any signs of vulnerability to Yue, despite Yue having made it quite clear that she would not judge Azula for it.
"Katara, you'll have to be the honest and mature one, here," Yue sighed, turning towards her Water Tribe friend. "Just tell Azula the truth. Please?"
Katara blushed darkly as she looked down at her feet. "Okay," she spoke quietly, sounding ashamed and embarrassed. "Look, I know it's probably really unfair and unreasonable for me to react like this, but I'm really freaking out here, Azula, because you're not telling me anything about Ty Lee. For crying out loud, she was your first girlfriend, right? You two have a past that I know nothing about, and… and I'm feeling really threatened by that, okay? Back in July, I told you that I can get insecure about these things. Well, it's happening again. I'm not proud of it, but my jealousy right now? It's through the roof."
Yue felt incredibly proud of her friend, having listened to Katara's confession. She realized how very hard it would be for anyone to bare their feelings like that. Yue also noticed how Azula looked very ashamed right now, red in the face. "Azula, would you perhaps like to say something to Katara?" Yue asked softly.
"I, uh…" Azula stammered. She then swallowed heavily, turning towards Katara, keeping her eyes lowered. "Okay, I know I didn't handle that well, even if I noticed that you were becoming upset," she sighed heavily. "It's just… what happened to Ty Lee and her family has really bothered me for many years. No, I don't blame myself, but I am trying to take responsibility. I guess I was just so overcome with the need to do right by Ty Lee that I didn't think about how it would look from your perspective. I should have thought of that more."
"Maybe there's something you should tell Katara, so that she would feel reassured and would have no reason to feel jealous," Yue suggested. These two apparently needed to be carried through this conversation.
Azula's blush intensified. "Katara, that conversation we had back in July," she spoke, sounding embarrassed. "Everything we spoke about, I still stand by it, and I remain fully committed. Do I need to say more?" she asked.
"It should be enough," Katara replied. Yue thought that she didn't look completely reassured, though. "Have you mentioned this to Ty Lee?" Katara then asked.
"It, umm, it didn't come up," Azula replied awkwardly.
"What are you talking about?" Katara raised her voice. "She literally asked you if we were together and you chickened out of answering her. I know that we're not officially together, but if you don't make Ty Lee understand that we have… something, then you might be encouraging her. Okay, so maybe that shouldn't have been the first thing you two talked about, but an opportunity to address it did come up and you didn't take it."
"I just didn't want to say anything that would upset Ty Lee," Azula said, wincing, probably from how silly that argument sounded. "Look, she's clearly been through a lot considering what my father did to her entire family. The thought of upsetting her even more… it just really bothers me, okay?"
"Okay, fine," Katara said. "Does that mean you're not going to tell her about us? Or are you going to tell her later? How much later? Perhaps after she has already tried to kiss you?" For some reason, Azula appeared particularly anxious at that, taking an involuntary step backwards. "Azula, what-"
Katara's question was left unfinished, however, because suddenly, much to the shock and surprise of the two Water Tribe girls, Azula broke down in unexpected sobs as she sank into a nearby chair. Yue exchanged uncertain stares with Katara, the two of them then approaching Azula with the intent to comfort her, but Azula shoved them away even as tears continued to stream down her face. "Don't!" she exclaimed irately. "I screwed up, okay? I'm useless and I clearly don't deserve you, Katara, everyone can tell you that."
"Can you stop being overly dramatic and just tell me what happened?" Katara asked. She looked torn between being sympathetic and frustrated. "Ty Lee kissed you, didn't she? Well, that girl certainly moves fast."
"Please, don't be angry at her," Azula pleaded. "She didn't mean anything by it. She told me that it's the only way she knows how to reward kindness. If you want to be angry with someone, be angry with me."
"Well," Katara sighed, shaking her head. "I don't want to be angry with you, but I kind of am. But most importantly, I want you to talk it out with Ty Lee and make it clear to her that, well… that there's something between us. As long as it's something you still want, of course. I'll admit that I'm feeling very confused and uncertain right now."
"Of course, I want it," Azula said firmly, wiping her cheeks clean with the back of her hand. "And you're right, Katara. I should have made it clear to Ty Lee right away. I'm going to sort it out." Azula still looked really upset. Yue exchanged a look with Katara. This was a tricky situation. Yue thought that Katara was justified in trying to force Azula to straighten out the mess she had made. But Azula's mental state still wasn't particularly stable, and Yue was worried about pushing the Fire Nation girl too hard. It seemed that Katara had come to realize that as well, looking conflicted.
Yue came to a decision. Azula didn't look to be in a state where she could have a firm and rational conversation with anyone. Asking Katara to speak with Ty Lee would probably be a bad idea. If Ty Lee harbored any lingering feelings towards Azula and Katara made her realize that they were in a competition, then Ty Lee probably wouldn't believe a word Katara told her. And while this was undoubtedly Azula's mess to fix, Yue was in a magnanimous mood, not to mention that she was becoming seriously tired of these two hapless fools making dumb decisions and failing to achieve any progress. Besides, Yue simply had little trust in Azula's ability to solve this. If they sent Azula upstairs to talk things out with Ty Lee, Yue was afraid that the guilt Azula clearly felt for what had happened to her friend might lead to an unintended outcome.
"Alright, here's what we're going to do," Yue said decisively. She quite enjoyed the way both Katara and Azula looked up at her, almost like they recognized that they needed her help. "Sure, Azula, this is your mess to fix, but we don't want you to rush in and make things worse. So, I want you two hapless dumbasses to stay here and maybe work on sorting out whatever misunderstandings you may still have. Meanwhile, I'm going upstairs to check on your friend, Azula. If she's going to stay with us, I want to introduce myself to the notorious Ty Lee."
Azula looked conflicted about Yue's decision. "You're going to be careful with her, right?" the Fire Nation girl frowned. "She's been through a lot, as you know."
"I'm going to be very careful, I promise," Yue smiled at Azula. She hadn't met Ty Lee yet, but Yue was already certain that Azula was underestimating the girl. Life as a homeless beggar on the streets of Ba Sing was likely to inflict the kind of mental scarring that Yue couldn't even fathom, but she was certain that it had also in a way made Ty Lee tough as nails, or else she would not have survived. "Now, can I trust you not to be at each other's throats when I come back downstairs?" she glared at the pair.
"Don't worry, Yue," Katara gave her a genuine smile, putting her arm around Azula's shoulders. On her part, Azula still looked guilty, but also somewhat relieved. "I think we're going to be just fine," Katara nodded as Yue turned to leave.
Sokka was just about to head out of his apartment, ready to hit the gym down the street, when the phone in his living room started ringing. Sokka grumbled as he made his way back inside the apartment, slamming the doors behind him and then dashing to answer the phone. He clumsily fumbled with the handset, nearly dropping it and becoming worried that he had accidentally disconnected the call. Sokka was quite relieved when he heard a familiar voice once he had put the receiver against his ear.
"Zuko, hey, it's so good to hear your voice!" Sokka replied excitedly. "I was hoping that you would call. I was just about to head out, but luckily you just caught me."
"Oh," Zuko sounded a little embarrassed. "If this is a bad time-"
"No, don't be silly, it's fine," Sokka replied quickly. Zuko had promised to call from Omashu, but playing in his first pro tournament was kind of a big deal, so Sokka hadn't actually expected Zuko to remember the promise, thinking that his new friend would be overwhelmed by everything else that was going on. Now that Zuko had called him, Sokka felt quite taken aback by how much the little gesture meant to him. He hadn't realized how much he had missed his friend.
Before Zuko's departure for Omashu, the two of them had been hanging out regularly, after their first pub crawl had been a smashing success. And while Sokka enjoyed visiting Katara at the splendorous Upper Ring mansion, hanging out with his sister and her friends, it just wasn't the same as having a dependable male friend. Sokka always felt a little left out when Katara, Azula and Yue started discussing the intricacies of Pai Sho, or when they went on some giggle-infested girl-talk. Sokka also felt a little awkward around Yue, though he was happy that the sensation was fading fast. Still, it didn't compare to hanging out with a cool dude like Zuko. When it came to having friends, Sokka was becoming a believer in quality over quantity. Back in Cape Kuruk, Sokka had made his friends through the school's ice hockey team, but those weren't the sort of friendships that would survive beyond the high school years. In Agna Qel'a, he and Nuktuk had become good friends, occasionally hanging out after work, either watching sports or brainless action movies. Sokka was hoping that after moving to Ba Sing Se he had found a friend in Zuko, even if at the first glance, they didn't exactly share many interests. But somehow, thus far they were getting on really well. It seemed as if Zuko was kind of desperate for a friend, too.
"Well, as long as you're sure," Zuko said. "Anyway, I did promise that I would call."
"Well, I'm glad you did," Sokka chuckled. "Listen, I would ask how the tournament is going for you, but I've actually been following it, so I already know that you're doing great. I'm really proud of you, bud."
"You… you have been following?" Zuko seemed surprised, almost touched. "But you don't even like Pai Sho."
"It's not that I don't like it," Sokka shrugged. "I actually know the rules. I know how every tile moves, and so on. I just don't see the big picture or understand the intricacies. I guess my mind works in a different way than that of a Pai Sho player."
"Interesting," Zuko remarked. "That makes sense, I suppose. One of my first tutors once told me that every Pai Sho player is a good mathematician, but not every mathematician can become a Pai Sho player. Maybe that applies to you."
"Yeah, I don't know about that, I was definitely not a stellar mathematician at school," Sokka laughed. "I was above average, sure, but not more than that. Still, I've been hanging out a lot with my sister lately. She and the girls have been going through all of your games, which is how I know that you've been doing great. They are all really impressed with the way you've been playing, Zuko."
"Yeah, right," Zuko laughed. "I'm sure Azula still finds a way to put me down by blowing every imperfection in my game totally out of proportion."
"Well, actually, that's where you're wrong, Zuko," Sokka said. "She's been very complimentary towards the way you've been playing. I know you are currently frowning in disbelief, but trust me, I'm telling you the truth. I can even quote what she said about your last game. She said 'I don't think I've ever seen Zuzu play with such poise'." There was silence on the other end of the line, broken only by slightly uneven breathing. "So, what do you think about that, Zuzu?"
"Okay, first of all, I'm killing Azula for using that nickname," Zuko grumbled. "I guess you're telling the truth, though. I haven't heard her call me by that nickname for almost ten years. It just… feels weird, you know."
"I guess it would," Sokka replied. "Did you really think that Azula's constantly talking smack about you behind your back? She really isn't, Zuko. Azula has a lot of stuff on her plate. From what I've seen, she's too busy with her own affairs to be scheming and coming up with nasty plots against you."
"You don't know her the way I do, Sokka," Zuko sighed. "You know why I suck at making friends? Because when we were younger, Azula took great enjoyment in turning all my friends against me. So, I just stopped trying to make friends. I knew that she would just take them away sooner or later."
"Zuko, Azula is not going to stop me from being your friend," Sokka spoke softly. "She knows that we've been hanging out, and she hasn't said anything to mess with our friendship. She actually said something encouraging a couple of days ago."
"Did she, really?" Zuko sounded utterly astonished. "You're really stretching the limits of my credulity here, Sokka."
"Sorry about that," Sokka chuckled. "She just said that you clearly needed someone's company in order to make you look less like an angry puppy that has been kicked one time too many."
"Wow, how charming," Zuko snorted.
"Well, I still think that it was encouraging… in a way," Sokka said. "I mean, when you strip away the light coating of insults, she essentially said that being friends with me would be good for you. Do you think she's wrong about that?"
"Umm… no, I suppose not?" Zuko admitted, sounding a little flustered. Sokka wished he could see the other boy's face right now. "I, uh, I like the idea of us being friends, Sokka."
"Me too," Sokka smiled, feeling relieved. He wasn't sure just what it was about Zuko that was drawing him towards the Fire Nation youth. Perhaps it was the vulnerability that he was so desperately trying to hide. "So, two more rounds left in the tournament, right?" he asked, deciding to change the topic. "How do you rate your chances?"
"Well, Jeong-Jeong is out of sight and out of my mind, as predicted," Zuko replied. "I can't compete with a top ten player just yet. I think he's ranked like sixth or seventh in the world right now. But if I can hold on to the second place, that would be absolutely huge. Uncle Iroh is already dreaming about me having a shot at the world championship qualifiers, but he's really jumping the gun on that one."
"Can't blame him for getting overexcited," Sokka said. "We're all thrilled about your success, Zuko, and that's the truth. I can understand that it feels weird for you to hear and accept that, because you're so accustomed of being all on your own."
"You're right," Zuko admitted. "It does feel weird, and just a little unbelievable. If what you're saying is true, I'll need some time to get used to it."
"Well, just think about it," Sokka said. "And also think about how we could celebrate your success once you come back to Ba Sing Se. I would like it if we could invite the girls along with us, but if you don't feel ready for that, it could be just the two of us."
"I feel like you really want to reconcile me with my sister," Zuko sighed. "Why?"
"I don't know, but I guess it's because of the relationship I have with Katara, and how precious it is to us both," Sokka replied. "And I'm sad that you don't have that in your life."
"I appreciate you trying, Sokka, but I suspect that Azula and I could never manage anything better than uneasy coexistence," Zuko said. "As for your suggestions on how to celebrate… I'll get back to you on that, okay? Right now, I should get going. Uncle Iroh is waiting on me."
"Alright, Zuko, talk to you later," Sokka said, smiling to himself. "I'm glad you called."
"I'm also glad," Zuko replied. "Bye, Sokka," he said before disconnecting the call.
Ty Lee had been lying awake for quite a while, reluctant to get up from the bed. It was so soft and comfy, and Ty Lee felt like she'd be happy to just lay there for days, especially with the warm and purring kitty nestled at her side. She couldn't remember the last time she had rested in a comfortable bed such as this one. She couldn't remember when she had last enjoyed a shower, nor could she recall the last time she had felt this clean. Being covered with grime and stinking like a trashcan had been her reality for more than two tough years. Suddenly, she had to get used to the idea of having her own bed, not mention her own room. It didn't feel real to Ty Lee and she decided to pinch herself awake, but no, she was not dreaming. The purring Shaw next to her also felt real enough.
It had been so strange to see Azula after all these years. She had thought about her old friend a lot, especially in those first few years after going into exile, hoping to hear a word from Azula, all to no avail. Lately, she had stopped thinking about her first girlfriend, expecting to never see Azula again, until she had materialized out of thin air to reveal that she had been living in Ba Sing Se for a while now, offering to save Ty Lee from her pitiful existence, surviving on scraps. The story of what had led Azula to Ba Sing Se was certainly quite horrific, even if Ty Lee had already known that Ozai Nakamura was the worst kind of monster. It was no wonder that Azula was so drastically changed from that brash, arrogant young teen that Ty Lee had made out with all those years ago.
Still, even if Azula had changed a great deal, Ty Lee still found herself quite intrigued about the possibility of reigniting the spark that had once burned quite fiercely between them. Azula's reaction to being kissed had been a little strange, though. Ty Lee didn't quite know what to make of it. Azula had said that she was single, though. But Ty Lee also thought that Katara had looked quite upset when Azula had told Ty Lee that they weren't together. Katara had done a lot for Azula after Ozai had assaulted her. Maybe Katara had a crush on Azula that wasn't reciprocated. Or… maybe it was? When Azula spoke about Katara, Ty Lee thought that she could see Azula's eyes glazing a little, becoming dreamy. But if Azula liked Katara back, then why weren't they together?
Ty Lee felt a little confused, but she resolved to find out the truth. After Azula had invited her into the estate, Ty Lee didn't want to be ungrateful and step on any toes. She had a feeling that Katara wasn't all that happy with her right now. The Water Tribe girl seemed desperate to act politely, but Ty Lee could feel that Katara was tense and her words, while welcoming, did not always sound completely sincere. Ty Lee hoped that her stay at the estate would not create some kind of a drama. She knew that it would be the worst way to repay Azula for her kindness. Still, she didn't feel confident about being able to pick up on all the nuances of the relationship between Azula, Katara and the third girl living at the estate. Ty Lee had very little experience dealing with teenage drama. Out on the streets, she hadn't had the time for it. Instead, she had been dealing with challenges of plain and simple survival.
All of a sudden, Ty Lee's slumber was interrupted by a knock on the doors. She rose up on the bed, forgetting about Shaw resting next to her, and the kitty leapt out of the bed, surprised, giving her an accusing glare afterwards. "Come in," Ty Lee exclaimed, muttering a quick apology to the sulking cat.
"Hello," the girl entering her room said in a pleasant, soft voice. "I'm-"
"Oh… wow!" Ty Lee exclaimed, cutting off the introduction. Ty Lee realized that she was being rude, but she was simply too surprised by the appearance of this very unusual looking girl. She was Water Tribe, like Katara, as indicated by her skin in the color of caramel and bright blue and expressive eyes. She was wearing one of those really cute Jasmine Dragon teahouse waitress uniforms. But the most surprising thing about the appearance of this girl was her shockingly white hair pulled together in a long, thick braid.
"Umm," the girl hesitated a little, but then stepped into the room, closing the doors behind her. She seemed to be blushing slightly. "That's a… very flattering reaction, but honestly, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Yue."
"Oh, right of course! I'm Ty Lee, as you probably know already," Ty Lee exclaimed. She still couldn't take her eyes off Yue's hair. "I'm sorry, but… uh, I'm probably being a bit rude and too straightforward, but I seriously love the hair. I didn't know there was a dye this white!"
Yue blushed more fiercely as she took a few more steps further into the room. Ty Lee awkwardly patted the bed next to her, inviting the other girl to sit down next to her, feeling relieved when Yue accepted the offer. "It's not a dye job, actually. My hair is naturally white," Yue said, her explanation further befuddling Ty Lee.
"You're playing a trick on me right now, aren't you?" Ty Lee gasped, not sure if she believed this exotic looking girl. "I've never heard of anyone having naturally white hair."
Yue looked a little uncomfortable at her words. Ty Lee realized that she had overstepped. She was about to apologize when Yue spoke up again. "It's a very rare genetic disorder, an extreme case of poliosis," the Water Tribe girl said. "I've never had anyone ask me about it so directly. But I kind of appreciate that. It might make the conversation we need to have much easier."
"I'm sorry," Ty Lee apologized. "I have a reputation for being really nosy. Anyway… what's this about us needing to have a conversation? Why does it sound as if I'm in trouble or something?" she laughed awkwardly.
"No, don't worry, that's not what I meant," Yue was quick to reassure, placing her hand on Ty Lee's. "It's just that, well, I'm afraid that Azula and Katara had a little falling out."
"It was because of me, right?" Ty Lee sighed. "I knew I felt some kind of a tension there!"
"Oh, don't even get me started," Yue rolled her eyes. "Did Azula tell you about the threats she is still receiving from her father?"
"Nope," Ty Lee shook her head. This seemed in character for Ozai Nakamura, though. "But she did say that she planned to make some kind of a deal with her father later in November."
"Well, he's been sending Azula letters, threatening to kill her horses if she doesn't come back to him," Yue explained. Ty Lee gasped in shock. This was awfully cruel even for Ozai… or maybe not, there was nothing that monster wouldn't do. "Azula is terrified that if her father knew that she had a girlfriend, he might decide to make an example of her."
"Oh," Ty Lee said. She was starting to understand where this was going. "I think it's a reasonable concern."
"I don't know… maybe," Yue shrugged. It looked like she wasn't entirely in agreement with that. Well, Yue's family hadn't lost everything because of Ozai Nakamura, or at least Ty Lee didn't think that was the case, so perhaps it was no wonder that she didn't understand. "What I'm trying to tell you is that without this threat from Azula's father, she and Katara would be a steady couple."
"Ah," Ty Lee managed. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Reconnecting with Azula in that way probably would have been a lot of fun. But it did seem as if Azula thought the world of this Katara girl, and since Ty Lee was determined not to stir up any drama, she immediately made the decision to back off. "I really wasn't sure if I was reading the room there, but it felt like those two had something going on," she nodded, hoping that Yue hadn't noticed her disappointment.
"Yeah, they're not very good at hiding it, which is why I think that it's bullshit that they don't act on their feelings. Everyone who looks at them pretty much assumes they're a couple, anyway," Yue sighed.
"I didn't think they were super obvious. But I'm not very observant about these things," Ty Lee smiled. "Anyway, I think I get what you're trying to tell me. Azula's taken, back off."
"Umm… I'm sorry if I came off that crass," Yue looked genuinely apologetic. "I didn't mean to upset you, Ty Lee."
"You didn't upset me," Ty Lee lied quickly. "You don't know me, and you're looking out for your friends, it's all fair so don't worry," she reached out and briefly touched Yue's hand. "I promise, I'll back off and I won't go after Azula. She probably saved my life by pulling me off the street. I don't want to repay her by ruining the relationship she seems desperate to have."
Yue looked really relieved at that, placing her hand on top of Ty Lee's and squeezing it lightly. "I'm so glad to hear that," she let out a breath she had been holding. "Honestly, those two have been dealing with a lot of emotional hardships. Some of which has been self inflicted, sure, but they don't need any additional complications. If anything, they need all the help they can get. I've been trying to help as much as I can, but… unless it's too upsetting to you, I'd welcome an ally."
"Oh, you mean like, helping Azula get together with Katara?" Ty Lee asked. Yue nodded at her. Ty Lee let out an excited giggle. "That actually sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe we can sit down later and discuss some ideas? It's not exactly something I have practice with."
"That's okay," Yue smiled at her. Gosh, she had such a beautiful smile. Ty Lee was quickly forgetting that she was supposed to be disappointed about Azula. "I just need someone to bounce ideas off from."
"Sounds perfect," Ty Lee smiled back at the Water Tribe girl. She then suddenly thought of something. "Katara said that this is like a shelter for emotionally traumatized teenage girls. Does, uh… does that mean you have a story of your own?" she asked.
Yue winced slightly. Ty Lee was left cursing her directness yet again. She was about to apologize, when Yue spoke up. "I do, but right now I can only give you the short version," the Water Tribe girl said. "Upon turning eighteen, I had a choice to make, either to accept the marriage my father had arranged for me, or to walk away from my inheritance and face poverty. I accepted the marriage, because I did not think that I could survive without having servants to look after me. This might sound pathetic to you, considering what you have gone through."
"Well, you probably didn't have the skills to survive," Ty Lee shrugged. "It's no wonder you were frightened of making this choice."
"I should have made that choice, though, because it turned out that my new husband was an abusive prick who soon discovered that he could get away with beating me, because my own father would not lift a finger to help me," Yue replied. "I decided that I had to get out of that situation. With the help of Katara, Azula and Sokka - that's Katara's brother, by the way - I escaped Agna Qel'a. I came here where Azula and her uncle provided sanctuary for me. Oh, and I also got divorced. So, that's my story in a nutshell. At least I can now say that the worst is behind me."
Ty Lee fought off a sob, impulsively throwing her arms around Yue for a hug. The other girl tensed at first, but then eased into the embrace. Ty Lee pulled back shortly after. "I'm sorry, was that too soon?" she asked, blushing.
"Umm… you're different from the girls I normally hang out with," Yue admitted. Her cheeks were also tinged with pink. "But I'm kind of digging the directness. I think I just might be over girls who never say what they want and make you try to guess every little thing. Admittedly, I can be like that myself, but I'm trying my best to be more straightforward."
"That sounds good to me," Ty Lee nodded. "Anyway, I'm glad that you feel like the worst is behind you. Now that I'm here, it also feels that way to me."
"I'm genuinely happy for you, Ty Lee," Yue said, looking like she meant every word. "We all really want to make your stay here as enjoyable as possible. You deserve it after what you've been through."
"Thanks," Ty Lee grinned broadly. "That's very sweet of you to say."
"Well, it's only true," Yue smiled back at her. "Anyway, how about we go back downstairs and see whether Katara and Azula have made up by now? And if they haven't, we can just shake them a little until they do." Ty Lee nodded in agreement as they rose from the bed, all smiles. Suddenly, Ty Lee felt even better about this unexpected turn of her fortunes.
Next chapter: We'll check in with the girls a month or so later to see how things have changed in this little household of four.