ATLA/LOK Fem Imagines

Heart Of Mine - Ty Lee/Azula/Mai

For context, the story takes place in an alternate universe where Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are all in college. Throughout their academic careers, they garnered affection for their classmate, Junko. Their luck allows Junko to follow them throughout their many different schools, including their university. Despite competing for Junko's adoration, the trio contains a more substantial relationship than one would expect.

Azula rolls her eyes, moving a stray strand of hair away from her face with the back of her pointer finger. She stands tall, squaring her shoulders as she stands before her subordinates. They gaze up at her concentratedly from their seats in Ty Lee's dorm. The two rest upon the soft material of the acrobat's twin-sized mattress. Mai slouches, using the support of her arms to steady herself in her drawn-back position while her counterpart takes a more rigid and upright approach.

"I will only say this once." The Princess warns, shifting her eyes between both noble girls.

Ty Lee and Mai nod in sync with each other to prove their understanding of Azula's words.

"Dare to lay an intimate hand upon my future Fire Lady again, and I will bring you to your permanent doom." She threatens, keeping her tone calm yet dripping with a dark,
sweet poison.

Mai rolls her eyes in response while resting farther back upon the bed, partly because she knows her friend will never actually cause harm to them.

"Oh, please. Junko's not yours. You don't own her, Azula. You can't own a person." She comments with a gentle rasp coating her throat.

Azula whips her head towards the stoic girl, eyes wide and pupils contracted as her friend challenges her mercy. Azula stares for a moment before softening her threatening gaze. Though she hates to admit it, her friend makes a great point. Junko is far too noble of a woman to claim ownership over. Besides, women of this age do not seem to enjoy the concept of being owned anymore.

"Regardless, my point still stands." The firebender reinforces, her hand regally raised despite comprehending her friend's point.

Ty Lee sits up from her bed, voicing reasonably, "That's not very pink if you, Azula. What if she doesn't like you?"

The Princess spins on her heels, tilting her chin up towards the acrobat with flared nostrils and crazed eyes. Her armored chest falls and rises rapidly in her rage.

"Are you a fool? Of course, she likes me. I'm Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. I'll have pretty little Junko wrapped around my royal finger in no time." She exclaims, flattening her palm to unleash the mighty glow of her blue flames.

Her ruby lips thin into a malicious grin as she dares her friends to defy her again, and they do. Ty Lee sucks on her lower lip for a second, glancing away to the red, plain wall beside her.

"Well, you see, Azula, some girls don't like to be controlled or manipulated. You have to make her like you without scaring her." She advises once again with a pointer finger scratching the side of her face.

Mai hums in agreement, fluttering her eyes shut as she lays back upon the bed.

"Yup. You see, Junko was the one who came onto me. All I did was help her with some of her schoolwork from the classes we share, and she kissed me..." The markswoman confesses, eyes still clamped together in bliss as she remembers the pleasant sensation of soft, warm lips against her own.

A cold silence sweeps across the room. Bright golden eyes swell in rage and squint together to form the most irate glare made by man. The blue fire, shimmering and swaying at the palm of Azula's hand, skyrockets towards the ceiling. Her powerful flame illuminates her face with a blue tint, and her shoulders raise in shock. The strands of blue continue to grow as she processes the statement, inching closer to her friends' faces and shining their skin with a layer of warmth. After a few seconds caught in her rage, Azula clenches her hand into a tight fist to extinguish the flame hovering over her subordinates. Both non-benders tense under her gaze, hunching their soldiers to appear smaller than their actual size.

"She did what!" She hollers.

Both subordinates raise their hands to the sides of their head and plug their ears with their pointer fingers. They wince, ducking their heads as Azula's chest rises and falls with more vigor.

"To be fair! She kissed me too- before she kissed Mai." Ty Lee reassures frantically, leaping from her bed with her hands stretched out towards Azula.

"How! How did you get her to kiss you? How were you two imbeciles able to receive such a precious gift?" She question, lowering her fists to her side.

"Simple. We spend more time with Junko, and we listen to her when she talks to us." Mai explains, rolling her eyes at Azula's obliviousness.

"I spend plenty of time with Junko! Just the other day, the two of us ate lunch together in the courtyard." The firebender scoffs.

"And you spent the whole hour with her talking about your bending..." Mai rasps while waving her knife around carelessly.

Azula flutters her eyes shut, sighing softly through her nose as she tilts her chin up. She unclenches her fingers and allows her hands to relax at her sides. Observing pairs of eyes follow her movement to ensure the firebender won't lash out at them with another flame.

Steam emits from her nostrils as Azula calms herself and submits her wrongings. She can attempt to boss her friends around all she wants. But at the end of the day, she will always listen to them. She saw where ignoring their opinions can lead, once before, and she refuses to make a simple mistake like that again.

As her ego crumble, Azula's powerful stance falters. Her shoulders hunch together, and her gaze begins to lower from her friend's faces to the wooden floor.

"I know, but I don't know what else to say to her. I'm trying my best, but I'm not as good at social things as you are. When I attempt to say something outside of my comfort, I lock up and say what I know best. Her round bright eyes blind me, and her soothing voice clouds my brain." She expresses with her head bowed and eyes locked to the tips of her boots.

Ty Lee coos, launching herself towards Azula. Luckily, the Princess catches her, holding loosely at Ty Lee's waist while Ty Lee hangs off Azula's neck. The firebender tucks her chin onto her friend's shoulder and hugs her close.

"I don't know what to do to make her like me. I've been enamored Junko since our childhood years, and she still won't notice me." She confesses once again, open to her friend's judgment and advice.

Her eyes flutter shut in an attempt to bat away the tears threatening to slither down her lushes lashes.

"Oh, Azula. She likes you just as she likes us, but she's afraid you'll do something awful to her. The talk of your skill full bending only instills more fear no matter how undeniably impressive it is." Ty Lee explains with the knowledge of her many talks with Junko one-on-one.

"Exactly. Just tell Junko how you feel. You're Princess Azula. You take on much worse than talking to a pretty girl. I'm sure once you clear everything up, you'll get your kiss too." Mai encourages as her friends pull away from their snuggled embrace.

"You're right. Thank you guys for helping me. I know I can be a bit harsh sometimes, so thank you for bearing with me." Azula bows towards her friends with her fist pressed into her palm respectfully.

The three have come a long way in their journey of friendship. Fourteen-year-old Azula would most definitely not have acted so kindly, though, twenty-four-year-old Azula still harbors plenty of room for growth.