"......and now he hates me and I don't know what to do. Not to mention I have no idea how to deal with Raijin and this Agni-damned arranged marriage!" Azula finished heatedly. She and Ty lee were both sitting in comfortable chairs in Ty Lee's tent. It seemed either the circus was very successful, or there were advantages to being of noble blood, even in a circus.
"Azula, I've known you since we were kids. You have always figured things out. This is just another problem for you to solve, even if it is crazy ridiculous. You're Azula the crown princess. You're. A. Bad. Bitch. Besides Raijin can always have a life-threatening accident or something right?" Ty Lee spoke with a hint of a smile spreading across her face.
"Ty Lee?! I knew you had a little killer in you somewhere!" Azula gasped at her friend and looked at her in an entirely new light. Ty Lee was right. She was Azula of the sapphire flame. She would conquer this problem like all others before it. But what about Percy? Suddenly all her confidence evaporated leaving her worried and nervous. She began fiddling with the cup of tea Ty Lee had given to her.
"Have you tried talking to Percy since your fight?" Ty Lee asked her friend when she sunk back into the chair and stared at the tea like it might grow legs and runoff.
"Well... no. Not exactly. But he's been so distant and cold since the fight I assumed he didn't want to speak with me." Azula responded to the question.
"Well... if you don't try how will you know?" Ty Lee brought her cup of tea up to her face and inhaled the rich scent before taking a sip.
"What would I even say to him, Ty Lee? 'Hey, sorry I tried to murder your friend then brought up how your entire family is dead.' Somehow I don't think that's going to go over well." Azula started with dry sarcasm.
"Well, you could start with the truth. Explain why you did it and why you got so mad at him. Percy likes to talk Azula you know that, you just gotta jump into it" Ty Lee answered calmly.
There is no way I'm doing that. Azula thought to herself. She didn't want to go into her messy childhood with Percy, and she didn't want to talk about the occasional voice in her head. But if opening up to him (even if only a little) is what it took to get him back, she would do it. Percy was her best friend, he made everything better when he was around. The last few days of him acting like she didn't exist had been utterly miserable. Percy was worth showing some vulnerability.
"Thanks, Ty Lee." Azula took a sip of her cooling tea before setting the cup on the ground beside her. "I'm gonna try that now." She said gratefully.
"But my show is about to start! Can't you talk to him after? Please? For me?" Ty Lee pleaded. Her massive grey eyes begging Azula to say yes.
She hesitated before agreeing. She did owe Ty Lee for sitting down and letting her vent after all. "Alright, I'll stay" And she picked up the tea again.
( - )
Azula was walking out of the main tent heading towards her bodyguard who seemed to be talking with one of the circus folk about one of the animals. She wished she could say she enjoyed Ty Lee's performance, but honestly, she hadn't been paying attention. She was too busy thinking about how her conversation with Percy would go. She should have been doing whatever she needed to ensure Ty Lee would join them on her mission, but she just couldn't focus on that. Not with Percy still mad at her.
She took a deep breath before walking towards him. "Percy, can we talk?" Azula cursed herself for sounding so weak.
Percy stiffened for a moment before letting out a deep breath. "Look Azula I don't know if now is the right time-"
"Please."
Azula never said please. She was the crown princess. She didn't ask for anything. She got whatever she wanted and gave commands. Percy knew this, his eyes widened a bit before continuing.
