Maizula Week 2026

https://maizulaweek.carrd.co/ #maizulaweek2026

[maizulaweek]

Thank you so much to everyone who filled out the Maizula Week Interest Check! We got over 300 responses which is crazy! Genuinely still so blown away. We're genuinely so grateful to everyone! <3 The week will be running from July 27th - Aug 2nd with a different prompt/theme for each day! We've also decided that the week will be SFW only. We're so excited to see what everyone cooks up! We've also updated the carrd with a Rules & FAQ section if you'd like to take a look!

Maizula Week

Maizula Week

[poodpoopsie]

Day 2: Secret A love left unspoken...

[loopy777]

Fanfic: Quantum Kittens

Genre: Gen, Romance, Thriller, Angst Characters: Mai, Azula, Momo, Suki Pairings: Mai/Azula Rating: T for violence Warnings: Fire Nation-typical Homophobia, oblique references to Schrödinger's Cat Event: @maizulaweek

Special Thanks: @privatefire for the inciting idea

Summary: Ten years after Mai thinks she's cut Azula out of her life forever, an astronomically unlikely meeting brings back feelings perhaps better left buried. Also, pirates and quantum entanglement, for a very specific definition of entanglement, yo.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/90293961/chapters/240020151

[poodpoopsie]

Day 1: Childhood | Adulthood Please treasure soft Maizula before I break your hearts tomorrow /j…

[neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd]

inspired by: https://www.reddit.com/r/SuddenlyGay/comments/1c3t5s4/two_girls_kiss_in_front_of_mao_in_tiananmen/ wanted to do some prompts for maizula week but work came out of nowhere and took up all my time, so not a prompt :( hope it's ok to still use the tags tho (tumblr banished picture's resolution and I don't know how to fix that)

[sweetcici-123]

(Maizula Week 2026) Day 4: Role Reversal

(The girls are about 18, just so the 4-year time gap between their last interactions makes sense)

“So… am I your only recruit for this mission, or are you going to get Azula too?” The question cautiously came from Ty Lee, one of the 2 girls Mai would say she was closer to than anyone else once upon a time.

But it had been a few years, and all 3 of them had drifted over time. A part of that was just from growing up; they were no longer in school and they had their own lives… but when it came to Azula and Mai specifically…

Mai let out a sigh before shaking her head. “I plan on getting her too. It would be foolish of me to ignore her talents over a bit of awkwardness.”

At that, Ty Lee stopped and stared at her friend for a moment before giving a nervous smile. “Are you sure Azula sees it that way?”

Mai's brows furrowed as she looked back at her friend. There was a small stutter in her chest that she had ignored until Ty Lee spoke out her own tiny fear.

Mai pursed her lips and continued walking. “This job is too good for anyone to pass up. Especially Azula and how she always wants to prove herself. She'll agree with me; it was a small argument we had, but it's time to move on.”

Ty Lee bit her lip but gave an unsure nod, “If you say so, Mai.”

—-----

Being the eldest and heir of the Fire Nation put a lot of pressure on Mai's shoulders that she never wanted to feel. Honestly, she rarely cared about the responsibilities, because she didn’t ask for them. But what did it matter what she wanted? Her father was the Fire Lord, and to continue this war unopposed, he needed to capture the Avatar. And since none of the other soldiers seemed capable, why not send his very competent daughter? Besides, even if something happened to her, he still had a young son to be heir.

The scowl she wore didn't leave her face as she was guided through the barracks of a well-known military base. The smell was unappealing, and the sight of every soldier bowing as she passed was really annoying her. Yes, she deserved respect as their princess, but she didn’t want to be here, or be around any soldiers that she didn’t have to be around.

That's why she was only going to focus on Ty Lee and Azula. Though their abilities were a huge boon for this mission, Mai mainly wanted to be with the only people she ever saw as her equals. Who treated her the way she wanted to be treated. Who didn’t look at her for her position, but for who she is.

At least she hoped that was still the case as she was finally led outside of a room. 

“And you're sure she's alone in there?” 

“First Lieutenant Azula is extremely close to becoming a Captain. Her skill and renown have more than afforded her her own space.”

Mai hummed before waving a hand to dismiss the man. He bowed lowly and left easily.

The Fire Princess stood in front of the door for a few moments, taking in what she had just heard. Not only was Azula already a First Lieutenant, but she was on her way to becoming a Captain. That was almost unheard of for their age. Then again, Azula was just ridiculously skilled, and it's probably her age and lack of experience holding her back from being any higher already.

Honestly, the longer she stood at the door, the more she doubted her earlier statement of their last talk being easy to get over. Otherwise, why hasn't she even knocked yet? Why was she almost frozen in place, only a few feet away from one of the girls she thought she knew better than anyone else only a few years ago?

It was probably only about 2 minutes of her standing there before the door suddenly opened, and Mai was faced with an extremely unimpressed childhood friend. The expression only lasted a moment before she smoothed it over and stepped aside to let Mai in.

“Fire Princess Mai, welcome. If I had known you wanted to see me, I would've met you in one of our main offices.” She gave a slight bow, and Mai's eyes narrowed as she accepted the invitation into the room.

Azula was always a good liar, so she wasn't sure if she was being honest or not, but Mai hoped she was. It was the chance Azula might’ve rejected meeting with her that led to her request to be guided straight to her room. Despite how informal it was, she was still their Princess, and they went along with it anyway.

“It’s been a while, Azula. I hear you're close to becoming a Captain. Even with my disinterest in all the militant hierarchy, I know that's impressive.”

She gave the other girl a playful smirk, but Azula's expression didn’t change as she dipped her head lightly in acknowledgement of the compliment. “Thank you for the kind words, your highness.”

Mai's scowl returned almost immediately as she rolled her eyes, “Seriously, Azula, stop that. You know how much I hate it.” 

Azula took in a deep breath before letting out a put-upon sigh, “I'm showing you the respect you deserve. I apologize, Princess.” As she said the word, Mai caught the way her face twitched into a slight frown, but it didn't last as she continued, “I'm not sure how else you would want me to respond.”

Mai glared at her before rolling her eyes, “Are you really going to be like this? We haven't seen each other in 4 years. I wasn't expecting you to be jumping for joy like Ty Lee, but this is cold, even for you.”

Azula stayed stock still and didn't respond at all. Her eyes stayed on Mai, and despite how her face gave away nothing, they almost burned through her. Mai looked away first and decided to step back for a moment to gather her thoughts again. She glanced around the mostly bare room before choosing to sit on the bed. Something Azula still didn't react to as she continued to stand quietly.

“Fine, Azula, have it your way. I want to formally request your assistance in my current mission of capturing the Avatar. Does that sound appealing to you?”

Azula couldn't stop her eyebrows from raising in shock at the job, and she stared at Mai for several seconds before her face went blank again. She bowed deeply, missing (but most likely aware of) the frown Mai was giving her.

“It would be my honor, your highness.”

“Stop acting like that. Seriously, I will not be able to tolerate you being all stuffy for however long this takes.”

Azula was quiet for a moment, almost as if deciding to continue being petty, before she let out a scoff. “You won’t be able to tolerate me acting like the soldier I am? Because in case you've forgotten, that's all I am to you.”

Mai's scowl returned, but this time with a fraction of disbelief, “I never said that.”

“I know, but it was something I decided after you rejected me.”

“You decided? What about me? Azula, you're supposed to be my friend. You and Ty Lee are the only people I can call my friends, and you expect me to just pretend that isn't the case with you?” The frustration was palpable in her tone, and Azula didn't lose her composure at all. This was a decision she had made 4 years ago, and it was one she was sticking to.

“I'm still in love with you.” The words came out plainly, and without emotion behind them, but they still made the Fire Princess flinch with widened eyes. Mai wasn't even sure how to respond to such a statement, let alone one said in such a blase tone.

“Azula, stop that, I'm trying to be serious here.”

“No. You're the one who isn't taking me seriously.” She was frowning this time and walked towards the door. “You broke my heart once already, Mai. I'll help you with your mission; I would be a fool not to. But I refuse to have my feelings played with by a princess who picks my brother over me.” She opened the door and gestured for the other to go.

“If that's all, I would like to respectfully ask you to leave.” Her eyes stayed locked onto the floor, her head tilted down in another small bow and also just to avoid seeing anything on Mai's face.

The princess, on the other hand, stared at her (ex-?) friend feeling a heartache she didn’t even feel when she had first rejected Azula. She had thought… it wasn't a big deal; she assumed things might’ve been a bit awkward for a while, but they would overcome it. It wasn’t like she was actually pursuing Zuko either, despite what she had said at the time.

“I don't really think we should. You're a good friend, but you know, your brother can be… nicer? Besides, I think our families would want me to be with him too, with how your dad keeps trying to get us to spend time together.”

“You… like Zuko more than me?”

Mai stared for a moment before she shrugged. “You're my friend, but he's probably the better choice, right? We'd have to get married and have children.”

Azula stared at her for a moment before she nodded. “I understand. I'll be going now.”

At the time, it really didn’t seem that serious. Azula was extremely expressive. Mai had assumed that if the girl was upset, she would've known immediately. But all Azula did was calmly leave. And it wasn't until 4 years later that Mai realized she took their friendship with her.

Mai threw her hands over her eyes and pressed down, hoping the pressure would stop any possible feelings bubbling up, and it worked, but barely. She dropped her hands with a sigh and slowly walked by Azula, who only bowed a bit lower as she passed, but still refused to look at her.

“Azula-”

“Have a nice evening, Princess.” And with that, she closed the door, leaving Mai alone in the hallway. Mai stared for several moments before she turned around and headed back the way she came.

Despite the sudden hole in her chest that she didn’t want to acknowledge, it would be fine. Azula agreed to the mission, meaning Azula agreed to be around her for however long it would take them to capture the Avatar. There would be ample time for her to try and fix their friendship. 

And if she was honest about still being in love with her? Well, these feelings in her chest- the ache, the guilt, all of it; It made her wonder if there was possibly room for her to try and acknowledge Azula's feelings differently than she had before. She wasn’t the same young girl who tried to follow what was expected of her and to do what she was told. Despite how aloof and disinterested she pretended to be at the time, she had still followed after her family’s approval in almost everything she did. Now though, she truly made her own decisions (even when her parents didn’t approve), and she was willing to do whatever it took to make up for how she ignored Azula before. Mai let out a huff to herself just as she finally reached the entrance; the same soldier from before was waiting there and bowed before guiding her off the base entirely.

Honestly, after everything, Mai felt like shit, and she wasn't looking forward to returning to Ty Lee and telling the younger girl she was right.

@maizulaweek

[maizulaweek]

If you're in the mood for some doomed yuri you can check out Sweetcici123's fic for Maizula Week 's Role Reversal AU Prompt ❤️‍🩹

[akihexa]

[iridescentmyths]

Maizula week, day 7: free day

[previouslyonavatar]

The Last Day of Childhood (AO3)

Rating: General Audiences Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender Categories: F/F Relationship: Azula/Mai (Avatar)

"I didn't say anything about you missing me," Azula scoffed. "I was talking about the food." "Well. I did." "Fine. But I won't say I'll miss you." "I didn't expect you to."

Mai and Azula spend a last day together before Mai leaves for the Earth Kingdom.

My (late) entry for @maizulaweek 2026, day 1: Childhood header made by me, images used from screencaps of ATLA

[maizulaweek]

Another adorable fic by previouslyonavatar for Maizula Week that fleshes out more of Mai and Azula's history <3 <3 <3 Please check out their fic!!

[previouslyonavatar]

Scarlet Drops on Metal Blades (AO3)

Rating: General Audiences Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender Categories: F/F Relationship: Azula/Mai (Avatar)

"You know, some people might say this is your comeuppance for taking something that isn't yours." A flash of anger in those golden eyes as Azula straightened up from her crouched position. "What?" Mai smiled mildly, bowing her head a little. "Luckily I would never be that foolish. Let me look at it."

Mai finds Azula wounded from one of her own blades, she helps her heal, but not without some teasing

My (late) entry for @maizulaweek 2026, day 3: Wound / Recovery header made by me, images used from screencaps of ATLA

[poochosa]

I'm late but maizulaweek2026 day 3: wound | recovery

@maizulaweek

this is right after the agni kai!🏃‍♀️‍➡️ (+ the reason by hoobastank)

[sweetcici-123]

(Maizula Week 2026) Day 4: Role Reversal

(The girls are about 18, just so the 4-year time gap between their last interactions makes sense)

“So… am I your only recruit for this mission, or are you going to get Azula too?” The question cautiously came from Ty Lee, one of the 2 girls Mai would say she was closer to than anyone else once upon a time.

But it had been a few years, and all 3 of them had drifted over time. A part of that was just from growing up; they were no longer in school and they had their own lives… but when it came to Azula and Mai specifically…

Mai let out a sigh before shaking her head. “I plan on getting her too. It would be foolish of me to ignore her talents over a bit of awkwardness.”

At that, Ty Lee stopped and stared at her friend for a moment before giving a nervous smile. “Are you sure Azula sees it that way?”

Mai's brows furrowed as she looked back at her friend. There was a small stutter in her chest that she had ignored until Ty Lee spoke out her own tiny fear.

Mai pursed her lips and continued walking. “This job is too good for anyone to pass up. Especially Azula and how she always wants to prove herself. She'll agree with me; it was a small argument we had, but it's time to move on.”

Ty Lee bit her lip but gave an unsure nod, “If you say so, Mai.”

—-----

Being the eldest and heir of the Fire Nation put a lot of pressure on Mai's shoulders that she never wanted to feel. Honestly, she rarely cared about the responsibilities, because she didn’t ask for them. But what did it matter what she wanted? Her father was the Fire Lord, and to continue this war unopposed, he needed to capture the Avatar. And since none of the other soldiers seemed capable, why not send his very competent daughter? Besides, even if something happened to her, he still had a young son to be heir.

The scowl she wore didn't leave her face as she was guided through the barracks of a well-known military base. The smell was unappealing, and the sight of every soldier bowing as she passed was really annoying her. Yes, she deserved respect as their princess, but she didn’t want to be here, or be around any soldiers that she didn’t have to be around.

That's why she was only going to focus on Ty Lee and Azula. Though their abilities were a huge boon for this mission, Mai mainly wanted to be with the only people she ever saw as her equals. Who treated her the way she wanted to be treated. Who didn’t look at her for her position, but for who she is.

At least she hoped that was still the case as she was finally led outside of a room. 

“And you're sure she's alone in there?” 

“First Lieutenant Azula is extremely close to becoming a Captain. Her skill and renown have more than afforded her her own space.”

Mai hummed before waving a hand to dismiss the man. He bowed lowly and left easily.

The Fire Princess stood in front of the door for a few moments, taking in what she had just heard. Not only was Azula already a First Lieutenant, but she was on her way to becoming a Captain. That was almost unheard of for their age. Then again, Azula was just ridiculously skilled, and it's probably her age and lack of experience holding her back from being any higher already.

Honestly, the longer she stood at the door, the more she doubted her earlier statement of their last talk being easy to get over. Otherwise, why hasn't she even knocked yet? Why was she almost frozen in place, only a few feet away from one of the girls she thought she knew better than anyone else only a few years ago?

It was probably only about 2 minutes of her standing there before the door suddenly opened, and Mai was faced with an extremely unimpressed childhood friend. The expression only lasted a moment before she smoothed it over and stepped aside to let Mai in.

“Fire Princess Mai, welcome. If I had known you wanted to see me, I would've met you in one of our main offices.” She gave a slight bow, and Mai's eyes narrowed as she accepted the invitation into the room.

Azula was always a good liar, so she wasn't sure if she was being honest or not, but Mai hoped she was. It was the chance Azula might’ve rejected meeting with her that led to her request to be guided straight to her room. Despite how informal it was, she was still their Princess, and they went along with it anyway.

“It’s been a while, Azula. I hear you're close to becoming a Captain. Even with my disinterest in all the militant hierarchy, I know that's impressive.”

She gave the other girl a playful smirk, but Azula's expression didn’t change as she dipped her head lightly in acknowledgement of the compliment. “Thank you for the kind words, your highness.”

Mai's scowl returned almost immediately as she rolled her eyes, “Seriously, Azula, stop that. You know how much I hate it.” 

Azula took in a deep breath before letting out a put-upon sigh, “I'm showing you the respect you deserve. I apologize, Princess.” As she said the word, Mai caught the way her face twitched into a slight frown, but it didn't last as she continued, “I'm not sure how else you would want me to respond.”

Mai glared at her before rolling her eyes, “Are you really going to be like this? We haven't seen each other in 4 years. I wasn't expecting you to be jumping for joy like Ty Lee, but this is cold, even for you.”

Azula stayed stock still and didn't respond at all. Her eyes stayed on Mai, and despite how her face gave away nothing, they almost burned through her. Mai looked away first and decided to step back for a moment to gather her thoughts again. She glanced around the mostly bare room before choosing to sit on the bed. Something Azula still didn't react to as she continued to stand quietly.

“Fine, Azula, have it your way. I want to formally request your assistance in my current mission of capturing the Avatar. Does that sound appealing to you?”

Azula couldn't stop her eyebrows from raising in shock at the job, and she stared at Mai for several seconds before her face went blank again. She bowed deeply, missing (but most likely aware of) the frown Mai was giving her.

“It would be my honor, your highness.”

“Stop acting like that. Seriously, I will not be able to tolerate you being all stuffy for however long this takes.”

Azula was quiet for a moment, almost as if deciding to continue being petty, before she let out a scoff. “You won’t be able to tolerate me acting like the soldier I am? Because in case you've forgotten, that's all I am to you.”

Mai's scowl returned, but this time with a fraction of disbelief, “I never said that.”

“I know, but it was something I decided after you rejected me.”

“You decided? What about me? Azula, you're supposed to be my friend. You and Ty Lee are the only people I can call my friends, and you expect me to just pretend that isn't the case with you?” The frustration was palpable in her tone, and Azula didn't lose her composure at all. This was a decision she had made 4 years ago, and it was one she was sticking to.

“I'm still in love with you.” The words came out plainly, and without emotion behind them, but they still made the Fire Princess flinch with widened eyes. Mai wasn't even sure how to respond to such a statement, let alone one said in such a blase tone.

“Azula, stop that, I'm trying to be serious here.”

“No. You're the one who isn't taking me seriously.” She was frowning this time and walked towards the door. “You broke my heart once already, Mai. I'll help you with your mission; I would be a fool not to. But I refuse to have my feelings played with by a princess who picks my brother over me.” She opened the door and gestured for the other to go.

“If that's all, I would like to respectfully ask you to leave.” Her eyes stayed locked onto the floor, her head tilted down in another small bow and also just to avoid seeing anything on Mai's face.

The princess, on the other hand, stared at her (ex-?) friend feeling a heartache she didn’t even feel when she had first rejected Azula. She had thought… it wasn't a big deal; she assumed things might’ve been a bit awkward for a while, but they would overcome it. It wasn’t like she was actually pursuing Zuko either, despite what she had said at the time.

“I don't really think we should. You're a good friend, but you know, your brother can be… nicer? Besides, I think our families would want me to be with him too, with how your dad keeps trying to get us to spend time together.”

“You… like Zuko more than me?”

Mai stared for a moment before she shrugged. “You're my friend, but he's probably the better choice, right? We'd have to get married and have children.”

Azula stared at her for a moment before she nodded. “I understand. I'll be going now.”

At the time, it really didn’t seem that serious. Azula was extremely expressive. Mai had assumed that if the girl was upset, she would've known immediately. But all Azula did was calmly leave. And it wasn't until 4 years later that Mai realized she took their friendship with her.

Mai threw her hands over her eyes and pressed down, hoping the pressure would stop any possible feelings bubbling up, and it worked, but barely. She dropped her hands with a sigh and slowly walked by Azula, who only bowed a bit lower as she passed, but still refused to look at her.

“Azula-”

“Have a nice evening, Princess.” And with that, she closed the door, leaving Mai alone in the hallway. Mai stared for several moments before she turned around and headed back the way she came.

Despite the sudden hole in her chest that she didn’t want to acknowledge, it would be fine. Azula agreed to the mission, meaning Azula agreed to be around her for however long it would take them to capture the Avatar. There would be ample time for her to try and fix their friendship. 

And if she was honest about still being in love with her? Well, these feelings in her chest- the ache, the guilt, all of it; It made her wonder if there was possibly room for her to try and acknowledge Azula's feelings differently than she had before. She wasn’t the same young girl who tried to follow what was expected of her and to do what she was told. Despite how aloof and disinterested she pretended to be at the time, she had still followed after her family’s approval in almost everything she did. Now though, she truly made her own decisions (even when her parents didn’t approve), and she was willing to do whatever it took to make up for how she ignored Azula before. Mai let out a huff to herself just as she finally reached the entrance; the same soldier from before was waiting there and bowed before guiding her off the base entirely.

Honestly, after everything, Mai felt like shit, and she wasn't looking forward to returning to Ty Lee and telling the younger girl she was right.

@maizulaweek

[sweetcici-123]

(Maizula Week 2026) Days 2 & 3: Secret and Wounds

“You need to take better care of yourself, Azula.” The frown on Mai's face stood out to the Princess, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she continued to stare off at the door of her bedroom; it wasn't like she asked Mai to be here. In fact, she would much rather the noble's daughter wasn't there at all.

Mai let out a huff, “But of course, you aren't even listening to me anymore.”

At that, Azula's sharp gaze fell back onto the other girl in what could be considered a glare by many, but Mai knew it was the look she used when assessing someone. Which was just great. Who didn’t want to feel analyzed when they were trying to help their friend heal wounds she shouldn't have.

The silent stare-off lasted longer than expected before Azula looked away again. “I'm always listening to you.”

She scoffed, “If you were, then maybe you wouldn't push yourself so hard. What are you going to do if you get nerve damage, or internal bleeding? That won't be something you can hide and attempt to heal on your own.”

“I'm not incompetent or an idiot. I know my limits.” The princess was entirely too dismissive of her point, and Mai was genuinely getting fed up.

She should’ve known that any attempt to reason with the royal was pointless from the start. Azula made it extremely clear she didn’t want anyone to know about her secret sparring outside of the palace, and even after Mai found out, she still wasn't open to talking about it.

Part of Mai wondered if maybe Ty Lee would've had different results. Their mutual friend always seemed to have a way of getting the Fire Princess's attention and keeping it, which Mai was frankly jealous of. Not that Mai didn't also have her attention, but it's not like she was as persuasive as the acrobatic friend could be.

Though at times like this she didn’t want to be persuasive, she just wanted Azula to be less stubborn.

She dropped her hands to her sides and just stared at the discolored patches of skin she was previously applying a salve to.

This time the silence dragged on for over a minute before Azula glanced at her again, and she closed her eyes slowly as she took in what was Mai's attempt at holding back her irritation.

For a girl normally so expressionless, Azula could also tell at a glance when she was close to snapping.

“Did you know your limits before or after you broke a rib?” To emphasize her point, she directly stabbed at a purplish blue area on the princess and got a hiss of pain in return.

“It was a spar. Injuries are to be expected. And I do believe he left in a much worse condition, seeing as he could barely stand, and I was able to travel all the way back here.”

“And if you did get too injured, how would you have gotten back? It's not like anyone else knows that you were in a fighting ring. Would you have just stayed there and let the palace go on a wild search to find the missing princess? And what would you say when they found you in such an unsuitable place? You just wanted to spar.”

The Princess's face twitched as she huffed, “I'm not arguing with you.”

This time Mai purposely moved back and directly into Azula's line of sight, almost daring her to avoid eye contact any longer.

That eye contact lasted several moments while Mai stayed tense as she waited for Azula to say anything else, but as minutes went by with nothing, her shoulders dropped, and she turned towards the door.

“I guess it's my own fault for assuming I could help you with anything. Of course, you have everything under control; you don't need me lecturing you.” Her tone was distinctly self-deprecating, and despite her back facing the princess, she could almost feel her negative reaction to it.

“Mai…” It was a familiar whisper, one that she heard whenever the princess wanted her to feel special. The conspiratorial tone that she used to enjoy hearing breathed lightly into her shoulder when no one was around. When Azula cared less about being the Fire Princess, and more about just being with her.

“Don’t go. I'm-”

Mai stayed facing the door. Waiting on an apology she knew wasn't coming. It always seemed like the one thing she was incapable of doing.

“This is just the price I need to pay to be stronger. There's no one I can easily challenge that could or would put up a fight against me. I understand that it worries you, but I need this.” She was almost pleading, as if begging Mai to understand her point.

She could hear the princess stand up behind her. Maybe if she sounded slower or like it hurt, maybe that would give Mai a feeling of vindication, but clearly after months of acting unbothered by her injuries, she truly didn't make a sound of pain.

“But Mai, I also need you.” She was directly behind her. So close the older girl could feel the small radiation of heat coming from the Princess. Azula always ran hot. “You know when you first found out, and I reacted… badly?”

Badly was one word for it. Azula was almost biting in how defensive she was and how sternly she told Mai to pretend she saw nothing.

“It was because I knew I would get hurt. The same way I knew you wouldn't leave me alone about it. Not-” She let out a sudden noise as she corrected, “Not in a bad way. I just knew you would be worried. It was like I could see all of these future moments. And I knew, I knew I wouldn't know how to deal with that concern. So I would rather not have it at all.”

There was a sudden pressure against the base of her neck, and Mai didn't move. She knew it was Azula leaning her head there, and she let out a shaky breath as she continued listening.

“I was right. I'm terrible at handling this, but I still- but you've still been here. And that matters to me. You always matter to me. Even when you think I'm ignoring you, I'm not. I could never do such a thing. Maybe to anyone else, but not you.”

Mai finally took that moment to turn around, and Azula scoffed before lightly covering her face. “You couldn't let me attempt to keep my dignity?”

Mai couldn't help but roll her eyes. “You lost your right to such a thing when you chose to basically confess instead of apologizing.”

“I have no idea what you're-”

“Stop talking. And sit back down so I can finish putting this stuff on your bruises. I'd rather not be stuck doing this all day. It smells terrible.”

Azula was still for another moment before her hand lowered from her face, and she slowly sat back down. She proceeded to stare at Mai as she carefully plucked a small amount of salve before focusing on one of the few bruises left uncovered.

She watched Mai work until she finished, then she set the jar down and did an overall scan to make sure she had them all.

“Thank you.” It was almost a whisper, but it was clear and even, completely unlike the previous times when she left the room in tense silence.

Mai let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding and nodded before heading for the door. “Next time this happens, just tell me. I won't fuss anymore; I just want to be here.”

Finally, Mai left, leaving the Princess to hopefully rest before she ultimately pushed herself again.

@maizulaweek

[maizulaweek]

Hehe, please check out Sweetcici123's other lovely fic for Maizula Week based on the secret + wound/recovery prompt! <3 <3 <3 AO3 link if anyone so desires: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/MaizulaWeek2026/works/89524221

[poodpoopsie]

Role Reversal AU sketches I did for @maizulaweek 🤧 last 2 images are not consecutive… istg I’ll have the proper piece next week…

[thel3na]

Maizula Week Day 6: Couple Life

(• ε •)

@maizulaweek

[maizulaweek]

For Day 7 the prompt is completely up to you <3 <3 <3 So very excited to see what everyone cooked up for this one and what prompt they decided to go for their own piece! As always please tag your piece with #maizulaweek2026 and feel free to tag us in your post! Late submission are completely welcome and will be open until August 24th!

[maizulaweek]

Everyone please check out JayAnd's fic for the Childhood prompt for Maizula Week ... the characterization is so delicious <3 <3 <3

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