tampered | (no subject)

Current Location: Xanadu

(no subject)

Who: Greed

andincendiary
What: After a small talk, Greed decides to tell Azula just how much her people really have to learn.
When: April 12, Afternoon
Where: Xanadu
Rating: PG-13
Log:

Greed had been leaning against a tree in the center of the garden for the past ten minutes. He was never one to be patient, so he had left the house ahead of time. At least that allowed him to set up what he needed to. A small drop cloth had been laid out under the tree, with a few seating cushions and a pot of hot tea. The breeze was cool against his skin as he slumped downward, seating his rear at the base of the tree as he awaited his guest.

"Oi, Azula, I know you're out there," he said, opening one eye, "I can smell you."

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"One substance into another?" She paused over her tea, gaze intent. "Now that sounds useful."

Apparently she thought knowing the composition of the human body was useful, too, because she took the paper as well and studied it for a moment before looking up and smiling. "Do go on."

"Hm...I guess I'll do some Q and A. You've gotta' have questions. Ask about the natural world, or anything, really. I'll answer whatever I can."

She tapped thoughtfully on her teacup for a moment. Then she asked, "If all things are made up of smaller things, down to these atoms you speak of...then they must have weaknesses we know nothing of. Tell me, is there a way to separate this...oxygen and hydrogen in water, so that it dries up? A way to turn earth into bits of metal instead? It's a shame removing the air would hurt everyone."

"Well, nothing is ever destroyed, it just changes form. You heat water, it evaporates. The hydrogen and oxygen doesn't disappear, it just changes into a gaseous form because the intense heat destroys the bonds between the hydrogen and oxygen. You can break things down on a molecular level, though. Most things fall apart under a strong enough acid or intense, prolonged heat."

"You'd have to be more specific on the other part, as earths and minerals can be altered in many ways, depending on what kind."

"Hmm. Yes, I've seen waterbenders use steam and ice, and I know they're just different forms of water. And earthbenders can use both stone and soil. It sounds like airbenders have quite the advantage, if they can manipulate this mix of all those gases. Good thing we wiped them out."

"Whoa, genocide? What is it with you humans and that? I swear, you guys don't know anything about how to get along. You don't seem to realize the cultural and genetic dead end you're headin' toward when you take out variety. New influences are what makes progress spur forward. Homogeneity only leads to stagnation, ya' know."

She made a dismissive little gesture with her nearly empty tea cup. "Relax, we know all that. We assimilate most people we conquer, after all; they're more useful alive than dead. The airbenders were an exception because Fire Lord Sozin knew the next Avatar would be born to them."

And here Azula made a face. "It's just unfortunate he didn't succeed in wiping him out."

Greed blinked once and scratched his chin. He hated words he wasn't familiar with. Always so damned troublesome, the way they ate at his mind.

"Okay, what the hell's an avatar?"

Ah, and now it was her turn to teach...even if she was more of a fighter than a teacher.

Azula smirked. "A nuisance, but not as much of one as he believed himself to be. Someone who can control all four elements and thinks it's their job to bring balance to the world."

Her voice dripped sarcasm.

"...Wouldn't that be incredibly useful? That's better as a subordinate, than a corpse. You have to use resources as they come. More importantly, why can't everyone learn all four?"

"It would be. That's why Fire Lord Sozin tried to get Avatar Roku to help him. He wouldn't. And Sozin quickly realized that it wasn't just Roku--it was Avatars in general."

Azula frowned at the question. "That's just the way it is. Only the Avatar can learn all four elements. Everyone else can only learn one, if any at all. It's just something you're born with."

"What was the reason he wouldn't help him, then?"

She rolled her eyes. "Something about balance. About how things should stay the way they were."

"Which is, I take it, the opposite of what you guys want?"

"Exactly. We wanted to show everyone how much better the Fire Nation's way of doing things was."

"How do ya' know it's better? Gimme' your pitch. Sell me on the Fire Nation's greatness."

"Our pitch?" She stared blankly for a moment. "We don't need a pitch. We invade, we conquer. Isn't that good enough?"

"Raw strength is nice, but it never works long term. People age, they die, generations become more and more unhappy. Unless you have more than strength to keep them in check, you'll never rule a large territory. I've seen empires rise and fall, babe."

And she smiled. "But we'll rule it long enough for me, and that's all that matters."

"Even if your empire falls after? Maybe you're not much of a leader, then. A leader wants to make an empire that lasts forever. One that people WANT to keep going."

Her smile barely faltered. "What makes you think I need you to tell me if I'm a good leader? Your opinion doesn't matter. Mine does."

He grinned and crossed his legs, laying back on the cloth.

"I think you guys might be more lucky than anything else. Earthbenders have the better element."

That only made her smile shift to a smirk. "Maybe it's a matter of preference. But we certainly know how to use our element better."

"There are so many variables in war, it's hard to really say. I'd have to see it for myself."

He stood for a moment and cracked his neck, then popped a few joints.

"Howsabout you show me some of your moves, then?"

"Certainly."

And she gave him no more warning than that. She didn't even rise to her feet before lifting a hand--and the tree branch right above Greed's head burst into flames, snapped off, and plummeted towards him.