Avatar Chapter 53
I do not own Avatar the Last Air Bender
Ty Lee looked at each person and studied them carefully, trying to determine if she was walking into a trap again. But she was never much for strategy, numbers or patience so she ultimately just went with what her heart told her. "Giant Catapult!" She threw the card down in front of her.
To her left Azula huffed and placed her own card. "Sabotage, you're on the verge of defeat Ty."
She looked straight across to Mai, who looked disinterested but calmly placed her own card. "Sword Champion." Ty Lee pouted and looked hopefully at Kori, who clutched her hand tightly and looked apologetic.
"I'm very sorry Princess… Siege Tower." Ty Lee was not sure about the math but from the way Azula folded her cards she assumed she had lost. "You're defensive tactics are abysmal Ty Lee."
"Well I don't like being the fort, three on one is so not fair!"
"That is the point of being the fort, to use your defensive advantage to overcome superior numbers." Azula had a fiery gleam in her eye.
Ty Lee pouted, they were playing a card based war game that every child in the Fire Nation seemed to know how to play, Kori even brought her own set of cards from the colonies. It was one of the only, actual, games Azula was eager to play when they were kids and though Ty Lee had never been very good the shiny cards and the fact that it made Azula happy was enough for her to enjoy it.
And card games seemed a good way to pass the time, they had hit a relatively level plateau which meant long stretches of uninterrupted, meaning boring, travel.
"Now give me the deck Ty it's my turn and I will not be fooled by deceptive traps this time." Azula glared at Mai, who looked unfazed.
Ty Lee happily handed the fort deck over, this game was a lot more fun with two other people for Azula to beat up on. As the Princess shuffled Ty Lee leaned back into her big floor cushion and snuggled in, it had been so long since she had hung out and enjoyed normal things.
She loved being with Azula but it was always working, studying, training and of course conquering with her and Ty Lee had missed the more ordinary aspects of life. Of course Mai was not exactly the greatest for that, her gloomy friend talked a lot, when prodded of course, about scandals, eloping brides, duels, illegitimate children and all sorts of political complexities that always made her head spin.
According to Azula such squabbles were beneath the royal family and she did not have to worry about such petty matters. Ty Lee was not sure if that was true, more likely Azula's answer to most of these problems involved fire and pain.
But now she also had Kori to talk to, who was so fascinating simply by how ordinary she was. She went to a good academy in Yu Dao, practiced her Earth Bending, hung out with friends and even did chores.
Kori was very forthcoming for some reason, which as really weird and probably not healthy, but it meant Ty Lee now knew pretty much everything about her new friend.
That included, among other things, something really juicy. "Say Kori, you think that guy you like will be upset about you being out here?" Ty Lee asked innocently.
Kori's head popped up from behind her cards, now the center of attention she glanced at the Azula and Mai who despite their best efforts to look otherwise were paying attention.
"It won't be a problem Princess, Qin's nice but it wouldn't have worked out he`s just not my kind of guy."
"Awww but isn't he the one who writes poems, paints and has a cute butt?"
"He's a wonderful person your majesty, he's just a bit…"
"He sounds soft, he should be volunteering for military service if he has time for such frivolous activities." Azula carefully placed the shuffled deck down.
"Somebody has to make all those billowing banners and inspiring speeches." Mai was lounging and looked more comfortable than Arkrez did in his corner, yet her cards were held tightly to her chest.
"He can paint and write all he wants after he's been maimed in battle, a good scar or a broken bone would be good source of inspiration."
"Your appreciation for the arts is blessing."
Azula glared at Mai again but as she drew her first hand of cards Ty Lee's saw her aura brighten, even if her face betrayed nothing.
"Deep Moat." Azula placed her first card down before looking at Kori.
"Besides you're the mayor's daughter, only the most suitable and accomplished should be vying for your attention."
"Fine idea, too bad most highborn guys are self centered ingrates… Sickly Ostrich Horse." Azula looked at Mai's card suspiciously.
"There… aren't many noble families in Yu Dao, at least not with guys my age." Kori looked around, probably waiting to see if she had spoken out of turn, before playing a card. "Tunnel Borers."
"You could always marry an older guy, at least two of my sisters are planning on that, mmmm oh Xilong the Great Axe."
"Your sisters are leeches looking to be the crown jewel in some ageing nobles collection." Azula glared at her hand, angrily strategizing.
"Yeah I know but their family."
"Doesn't your family have enough stuff already?" Mai looked her over with a critical eye before raising an eyebrow. "It's for the attention isn't it?"
"Pretty much, it's hard to compete when one of your sisters is with the most beautiful girl in the world." Ty Lee fluttered her eyelashes.
"The truth is flattering Ty, but it's not going to work." Ty Lee moped, it would separate beds again tonight.
"Wooden Barricade… Kori besides this Qin, who else has fought for your affection" Ty Lee looked at Kori but then back to Azula wondering why she, of all people, would be interested.
"Well nobody's fought for me exactly but there were the Zou twins, there not violent normally but they got into an Agni Kai over who got to ask me out first."
"An actual duel, in the colonies?" Mai sounded surprised.
"It wasn't official, they could both fire bend but to be honest neither was very good, I could probably beat them both."
"How heroic, which one won?" Now Mai seemed interested, which baffled Ty Lee even more.
"Neither, one tripped over a root and sprained his ankle."
"He sprained his ankle." Azula looked up from her cards with fury in her eyes, her words drawn out and mocking
"Y-yes Princess, it wasn't a bad injury! And they made up right after."
"That makes it worse! A sprained ankle…" The genius fire bender started murmuring to herself, substandard fire bending was one area which got Azula genuinely upset.
"Inept amateurs aside you seem to get a lot of attention from the gruffer sex, Blundering General." Mai flicked her card and it landed perfectly next her previous one.
"I guess, I mean I've had a few guys ask me out but nothing`s gotten serious, my mom would kill me if she found me with guy…oh Encirclement."
"Lucky you, if my mother found me with the right guy she'd probably throw a party."
That was a little unsettling, Ty Lee was a passionate and free loving person but even she felt there should be a line when family was involved.
But then it hit her, when it came to Mai there was only one guy she could be talking about, she could not believe she had not clued in sooner. "That's why she's interested, she looking for tips."
She was curious why Mai had not just asked her, she was in an actual relationship. But she supposed it was the same reason Azula was taking an interest, looking for clues on how normal people did romance. She knew that most of Azula's practical knowledge came from her personal servants and the spa girls who, to be frank, had probably been with more partners then Ty Lee had family.
And listening to Mai these past few days it seemed her parents made it clear she had to help propel the family above their peers, which before this trip meant finding a high ranking noble's son and 'locking him down' as she put it.
"Mai's right, being a noble is hard."
"Ty stop starting into space and play something, I have a battle to win." Azula cut into her thoughts, nearly causing her to drop the cards.
"Sorry mmmm aha, Ming the Flying Spear."
"Oh flaming… I keep telling you, one can't achieve victory in this game just be playing the best looking cards."
"We won the last time you were the fort though."
"That's because these two took advantage of your nonsensical strategies and blindsided me!"
"Don't give me too much credit I used mostly intrigue, it was Kori who crushed you into the dirt." Mai looked unconcerned while Kori looked ready to flee in the face of Azula's wrath. Ty Lee didn't think it was very fair, it wasn't Kori's fault she just happened to be really good at this game.
"Well I won't be losing this time, I took this game far too leisurely last time but no longer, you will all be one with the dust when I'm through."
"How frightening, how exactly does one crush somebody into dust, it must be messy."
"Mock me at you're peril Mai, you shall soon taste the bitter sorrow that is utter defeat, Armored Behemoth."
It was fascinating to see the changes Azula's mood went through as the game progressed from that point, from haughty, to anger, to seething hatred, to something resembling a child upset at being denied sweets. Ty Lee had been rendered useless quickly and Mai seemed content to simply annoy the Princess but Kori had somehow managed build up her forces before breaching Azula's defenses and snatching up a win.
"Congratulations Kori, it seems victory is yours." Ty Lee was in awe, underneath Azula's desire to leap across the room and tear the cowering earth bender apart was a sliver of respect. Unfortunately Ty Lee knew that sliver would mean nothing in the long run if Azula was allowed to dwell, which she always did, on the all-encompassing anger that surrounded it so she had to act fast.
"Zula its Mai's turn, we should play that burn and pillage theme you like."
The pouty Princess's eyes lit up. "An excellent idea, sieges are overrated anyway."
Mai gave her a look of disgruntled confusion, Ty Lee gave her a thumps up and a wink. Hopefully after Azula was finished ravaging Mai's hypothetical countryside she would be in a better mood when it was Kori's turn.
She had accepted that Azula would always be an emotional volcano, deep within her was a riling chamber of fury, disgust and utter hatred for things. But it was what made Azula the passionate girl she loved, and instead trying in vain to change her it was better to help direct the Princess's passion. If all went well the next time she looked at Kori she would remember that tiny shard of respect and from there it was bloom into Azula tolerating the colony girl's presence. Of course it was about fifty-fifty chance, it was just as likely the stubborn prodigy would hold a grudge for the foreseeable future but Ty Lee was never one to be pessimistic.
She could not help but feel good about herself sure they were tracking down their nations mortal enemy, Azula made it very clear how important that was, but in her eyes this was an opportunity to prove that her moody lover could in fact make friends or, at the very least, a tolerated acquaintance.