Chapter 1
***
Azula:
I have always known why they stare.
I guess you can say I'm a people person. I can read their eyes.
When I was young, the servants stared with reverence and awe. (The daughter of the most powerful, influential CEO in the world has that effect.)
When I went to high school, other kids stared with resentment. (It isn't my fault they wish they were me.)
When I strolled into the airport this morning and onto the private jet, they stared with envy. (Who doesn't want to have a net worth of several billion dollars by the time they're 18?)
When I walked through this college campus, studying every person and building I saw behind my sunglasses, they stared with confusion. (Who am I? They'll know soon enough.)
When I entered the dormitory hall, my room already prepared by a woman my father sent ahead last night, the girls stared with curiosity. (Who is this celebrity-looking young woman they get to room in the same building with?)
Now, here, in the suite, there are two girls staring. One with bored eyes, and one with excited eyes. I evaluate.
It didn't matter how influential my father is, this university had a strict policy of no single-rooms for freshmen. My father did manage to get a three-winged room, with three seperate bedrooms, a lounge room in the middle of them, and one bathroom to share between two other girls.
The first girl, with bored eyes, is flipping a black skateboard underneath her feet. In fact, her entire ensemble is black. Her hair tied up in an interesting way, is jet black. Her features, Chinese, I'm guessing, are highlighted by dark eyeliner and dark lipstick. She wears black skinny jeans and a black top with crimson undertones. She regards me with distaste. We'll just have to change that.
The second girl, with excited eyes, is laying on her stomach, her feet kicking behind her. Her hair is in a long braid, and she's wearing a pink crop top and white short shorts, and her eyes are wide.
"Hi! I'm Ty Lee, and that's Mai," the pink girl eagerly introduces herself to me. "Your servant or whoever came by last night. Let me show you around."
"I'm certain I don't need a tour," I sniff, but something inside me tugs my feet towards her. I'm a little worried my intimidating disguise didn't work- all designer clothes, skinny black pants, high heels, and a red silky top- but the other girl, Mai, isn't acting like this girl.
"This is my room," she explains, pulling me into the first one. It looks like your typical "aesthetic* bedroom, with a pink and white theme, a four poster bed, mirrors, and a fluffy white shag rug. However, it looks like somebody took it and vomited- the circus? All over it. I notice pictures of Paris pinned over her bed, and a colorful costume hanging off a rack of designer clothes, and roller blades by the window. There's also a tiny dog sitting on her bed, chewing on a pink ballet slipper.
"The dog is chewing on something," I observe, and she rushes over, tearing it out.
"No! Bad Tom-Tom!" She scolds him lightly, and he scampers out of the room. "That's Tom-Tom. Technically Mai's dog, but he's just so cute I've practically adopted him!" She does a little twirl as she says this. Spirits, she's a child.
"The tour?" I prod her, and she nods fervently.
"Oh, right!" She leads me out and into Mai's room, although we don't actually go in it. Bleh. A black, plain room, with nothing on the walls and no decorations save a skateboard, some textbooks about forensic sciences, and some... knives? Then, she leads me to the bathroom where there's three sinks. They left the middle for me- it's not hard to identify whose is whose. Ty Lee's space is stuffed with all sorts of glittery makeup, fun jewelry, and other products. Mai's has a neat container with several of the same brand of each dark lipstick and eyeliner. Mine is, clearly, empty.
"And this is your bedroom!" She leads me into mine. The servant did a fine job- neatly organized, with all my school supplies and fancy items, and the occasional poster from my dad's business. Very nice.
"Very bleh," Ty Lee says, and I look at her in shock.
"I beg your pardon-?"
"I just mean it doesn't match your aura."
"My aura?" I repeat. The audacity of this girl. "Humor me and tell me exactly what my aura is."
"I don't know," she answers honestly. "But I guess we'll find out. After all, we're roommates! Built-in best friends!" With that, she skips out, coming back only moments later. "One more thing. There's a party tonight, and I got invited so I want you both to come. K?" Without waiting for an answer, she skips out again.
A party. Hm. I've never been invited to a party with peers my own age. It could be informative. At the very least, I'd like to learn more about this mystifying girl. She seems shallow and girly, but I suspect there's something more about her. I don't feel comfortable not being able to read her fully. I'll just have to find a way to.
***
Ty Lee:
"Aw, c'mon Mai, she doesn't look that bad," I whine. Mai just sniffs.
"I liked it better when it was just the two of us," she grumbles, folding her arms and rolling her eyes to the ceiling.
"We knew it wasn't going to last," I remind her, laying down on the couch and setting my head in her lap. "Besides, if she gets too bad you don't have to hang out with her."
"But you still will, won't you?" Mai counters, and I flash her a winning smile. "Let me guess, you already invited her to the party and you're already set on being her best friend?"
"Mayyyyyyybe," I say, winding my hand through my braid.
"Ty Lee, girls like those are just-"
"Just like us?" I guess. "We're daughters of noblemen, she's the daughter of the wealthiest CEO. Not that different."
"There's a world of difference," she sighs. "Sure, our dads paid for college but we still had to work hard to be accepted. She's here practically on a legacy and the fear of her father."
"Nah," I say cheerfully. "Azula's different, I can tell. Plus, I think you're wrong, Mai. Azula seems brilliant."
"Maybe in a cold, calculating way," she says defensively. "But that's it."
"Hm. If you say so." I casually flip over her legs, going into a handstand before standing up and walking to my room. Resisting the urge to pop my head in to see how Azula's doing, I just walk over to the window and sigh, propping my head up with my elbows as I breath in the fresh air.
Mai always criticizes me for not knowing what I want, rather it's boys or friends or just overall decisions I make. I do know what I want here, though. I want to become Azula's friend. I'm just not sure how far I'll have to go to make that happen.
***
Azula:
After maybe an hour or two, when the sun is dipping below the buildings, Ty Lee sticks her tiny annoying face in.
"Are you ready for the party? Do you need help deciding what to wear?" I consider her offer carefully. I've never been to a college party- any "party" like function I could count to experience in this region of socializing would have to be my dad's business galas. Since I'm practically the star of the show there, I assume it wouldn't be different here. However, I didn't bring any of my ball gowns- I was told I couldn't bring my entire department-store-level wardrobe here. Ty Lee certainly looks like she knows what to do, so I decide to take her up on it.
"I'll allow you to help me dress," I say carefully. I can hear Mai scoff from the lounge, and I'm tempted with the urge to stomp out and put her in her disgraceful place, but Ty Lee is dragging me to my closet, throwing it wide with a flourish.
"Your aura is confusing," she says absentmindedly as she rifles through some of my clothes, making me wince. That was a six hundred dollar scarf she just threw aside. "But I think your color is red." I mean, obviously. She pulls out a short black dress, with a halter top and an elaborate black lace back. It doesn't go past my mid-thighs with it's few simple layers. She then pulled out a red hair piece and a pair of red pumps.
"One more thing," she says quickly, nd darts out of the room. I hear Mai say something, then Ty Lee, an unmistakable sigh, and then moments later Ty Lee dashes back in with black fishtail tights. I would never.
"No," I say, but she sticks out her bottom lip a tiny bit and for some reason I hear myself going, "ok, fine. If it makes you stop pouting." She then gives me a winning grin and wraps her arms around me. I give a disgruntled groan but again, for some reason, I do not push her off.
"Now you just have to do your makeup. I'm going to go get ready. You can do your makeup, right?" She asks. I scoff.
"Of course I can."
"Great!" She chirps, and practically disappears. I wonder over to the vanity, neatly organized with the most expensive makeup that I absolutely do not know how to use. The servants have always done that for me- from my makeup to my hair to scrubbing between my toes. I pull out some foundation and one of those funny-looking sponge things. Well. This can't be too hard. The label says "Flawless skin in a bottle!" So I'll just put it all over. I put a glob on the sponge and start to put it everywhere, even my eyelids. When I'm done, my skin is the same tone everywhere. Perfect. Racking my brain for what the servants do next, I take a tiny palette called bronzer. Well, I could use a bit more tanness. Grabbing a brush at random, I splotch it over some random parts of my face. You know, for a "natural" look? Then, lipstick. I'm going to be wearing red- maybe I should have put the clothes on first- so I pick the most vibrant red I have and put it on. I have studied the beauty trends of college students and know that big lips are "in" so I'm quite generous with it, making sure every square centimeter is covered and a little beyond too for good measure. Now mascara, because putting the fake eyelashes on seems terrifying.You're supposed to close your eyes, right? I close them, and just mash the wand against my lashes. When I peel them open, they are certainly covered in black clumps, although there's a bit more on my actual face. Hm.
"You ready?" Ty Lee sings as she hops in my room. I turn around, and I'm stunned at how she looks. She's wearing a short pink, flowing jumper that exposes her shoulders. Her hair is still in the braid, but her makeup is what stuns me. It's flawless, glowing, highlighting every feature of her face. Her eyelids are covered in pink, with tiny gemstones that form a sort of cat's eye, and her eyelashes are long and dark, and her lips are glossy.
She looks... not human. But not in a bad way. Like she's too flawless for this world. Like some sort of miniature goddess. Like a cloud that hovers right in front of you, only to disappear from your grasp. Almost... ethereal.
***
Ty Lee:
Azula looks a wreck.
First of all, why isn't she dressed? This is a very important party and she thought to put makeup on first?
Second of all- good god- her makeup. She looks like a toddler smeared some makeup on a paper plate and then smashed it against her face. It's cakey, practically falling off her face, and splotchy. Her lipstick covers twice the area of her lips. Her mascara is everywhere except her eyelashes. And that foundation...
"Um, do you want me to help you start over?" I offer meekly. She glares, but then turns around to the mirror and sighs.
"Fine," she says breezily. I grab the makeup remover off her desk and get to work as she sits patiently, her eyes never leaving my face. It's a little unnerving, but I just focus on getting it off her fact. It takes about ten minutes- she really did put a lot on, huh? Finally, once it's all gone, I look for some foundation, concealer, and sponges. She used about half a container of foundation on her face. In one setting.
I pour all my makeup skills into this, as I bronze, set, conceal, gloss, and more. I make her cheekbones pop, her nose (which is already stunning, may I say) look perfect, and I do her eyelids in a similar way of mine. I cover them in red, blending them in, but instead of gemstones I apply wicked black eyeliner and false eyelashes. I'm actually pretty proud of myself, because when I step away, Azula looks stunning. Like she could kill anyone who crossed her path. Of course, then I remember Mai's words, that all the power Azula seems to hold is just psychological. Her whole life she's been led to believe she's on top of the world because her dad is.
Then I get confused.
I walk back into the lounge after shoving the clothes in her arm, where Mai is still sitting fiddling with the skateboard. Where did she get that screwdriver?
"Are you coming?" I ask, giving a little twirl as my braid whips behind my head.
"Do I have to?" She sighs, and I nod quickly. "Is- is she coming?" I nod again, slower this time. She sighs again, blowing her bangs up. "Ok. Lemme get dressed."
"Great!" I chirp, and then hear someone else.
"I'm ready," an annoyed voice says, and I turn to see Azula. Oh, spirits. The dress fits her perfectly, the fishnet tights accentuating her long legs. She at least did her hair right- the red pin holds most of it up, with a few face framing pieces highlighting her flawless jawline. And the combination of the makeup?
She doesn't look like the bratty girl that walked in. She looks powerful, intimidating. Like a lightning storm, barely contained in the body of a goddess. She looks surreal, like something dangerously in between a daydream and a nightmare, but so in-focus you could never call her a hazy dream. She looks precise, like if you touched her you would pull away bleeding, but addictive in the way that if you were the right person, you wouldn't be able to stop coming back for more.
She looks ethereal, her golden eyes surveying the room, stopping on me. Her eyes betray nothing, but auras don't lie. And her aura, one of something otherworldly, is as open a book as I am.