Azula is no longer under the influence of Ozai, anymore. She is still a perfectionist, still wickedly deadly, and yet… she starts to see that maybe there is SOMETHING in her brother’s words. She’s not going to turn good overnight or anything. The most immediate effect that this assassination attempt has on Azula is the fact that it strikes her that if SHE were to become Fire Lord, people would probably send assassins after HER too. Especially if she looked like a weak child monarch, like Zuzu. And it occurred to her that she wouldn’t have to worry about such things if she wasn’t the Fire Lord. So essentially, she decides to rule from the shadows, as the perfect princess and sister to the Fire Lord. That way, Zuko would take any flak or criticism for her actions (and be the target of what would otherwise be HER assassination attempts!), while she still had all of the power. Perfect. Her brother was a pushover, anyway, and probably wouldn’t notice, at least not for YEARS, not unless someone told him.
Zuko is treated by the court physician, and he formally thanks the three “Dangerous Ladies” with a feast of some sort a week later, his arm still in an elegant sling.
Another result of this assassination attempt? It makes Mai – and by extension, Ty Lee – extremely protective of Zuko. They become informal bodyguards, of a sort. Azula tags along (as much as Azula can tag along with ANYBODY), mainly because on some level, she likes the praise she gets when she saves her idiot brother’s life once again. The three girls view Zuko in a vaguely condescending but benevolent light – he can’t protect himself, so they have to do it for him. Mai does try to teach Zuko how to use knives properly (Zuko always keeps that Earth Kingdom blade his uncle gave him on his person at all times, even though it clashes with everything else. He needs the reminder, even if it’s tucked away, unseen, up the voluminous sleeves of his formal robes).
---Also, there's this random line that I really liked but I have no idea what to do with. Someone - possibly Aang? - commented on how impractical the Fire Lord's formal robes are ---
“My robes may impede my movement, but there is a practical reason that I wear them. People look at me, in them, and see the Fire Lord. Without them, I’m just a skinny teenager with a big scar.”
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Re: Child on the Dragon Throne
Date: 2011-02-20 05:09 pm (UTC)She’s not going to turn good overnight or anything. The most immediate effect that this assassination attempt has on Azula is the fact that it strikes her that if SHE were to become Fire Lord, people would probably send assassins after HER too. Especially if she looked like a weak child monarch, like Zuzu. And it occurred to her that she wouldn’t have to worry about such things if she wasn’t the Fire Lord. So essentially, she decides to rule from the shadows, as the perfect princess and sister to the Fire Lord. That way, Zuko would take any flak or criticism for her actions (and be the target of what would otherwise be HER assassination attempts!), while she still had all of the power. Perfect. Her brother was a pushover, anyway, and probably wouldn’t notice, at least not for YEARS, not unless someone told him.
Zuko is treated by the court physician, and he formally thanks the three “Dangerous Ladies” with a feast of some sort a week later, his arm still in an elegant sling.
Another result of this assassination attempt? It makes Mai – and by extension, Ty Lee – extremely protective of Zuko. They become informal bodyguards, of a sort. Azula tags along (as much as Azula can tag along with ANYBODY), mainly because on some level, she likes the praise she gets when she saves her idiot brother’s life once again. The three girls view Zuko in a vaguely condescending but benevolent light – he can’t protect himself, so they have to do it for him. Mai does try to teach Zuko how to use knives properly (Zuko always keeps that Earth Kingdom blade his uncle gave him on his person at all times, even though it clashes with everything else. He needs the reminder, even if it’s tucked away, unseen, up the voluminous sleeves of his formal robes).
---Also, there's this random line that I really liked but I have no idea what to do with. Someone - possibly Aang? - commented on how impractical the Fire Lord's formal robes are ---
“My robes may impede my movement, but there is a practical reason that I wear them. People look at me, in them, and see the Fire Lord. Without them, I’m just a skinny teenager with a big scar.”