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."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

He was surprised by the initial flash, but saw the branch coming, casually stepping to the side.

"Nice, but not that effective. Try somethin' a little more impressive."

Still smiling widely, she stepped back and reached out simultaneously, and blue flames erupted from both hands, arcing around in an attempt to surround Greed in a pincer movement.

"I'm just getting warmed up."

Greed stood his ground, wary of the ever encroaching flames.

"Ah, blue flame. Hotter than normal, then."

A little snort of disdain:

"Most firebenders can only use red flame. Really, there are failures for every element."

And as her last shots died down, she twisted again, gesturing fluidly--and another burst of fire raced at Greed. The catch was that this time, the power was put less into the pure heat of the flames and more into the concussive blast ahead of them.

"But can you make a white flame? That's supposed to be the hottest kind. Very difficult to maintain."

Greed shielded his body and stepped forward through the blast, making a grab for her collar.

Her eyes widened as she was grabbed, but that was the only sign of dismay she let herself betray. Then she narrowed them and met Greed's gaze unflinchingly.

"Not yet. But we all need goals to aspire to, don't we?"

"But here you see the fatal flaw in firebending," he chided, lifting her higher into the air, "You just need the right defense to deal with fire. Fire isn't a wall. Fire isn't solid. Fire needs too many things to be maintain, because it's a reaction."

He set her down gently and stepped back a few feet.

"Toph captured me, on the other hand. Packed earth is strong and utilized correctly it robs you of your leverage, negating strength. If fire benders and earth benders fought in equal numbers, the earth benders would have an advantage. They could simply swallow the fire benders up in the earth."

She glared up at him, saying nothing for a long moment. Taking his words in; grudgingly making note of them.

"It's true," she finally said, "that it took us far longer than it should have to capture the Earth Kingdom's stronghold." For now, she did not add that, as far as she was concerned, this was because General Iroh was a failure. Let Greed underestimate her and all firebenders if he wanted to. "Maybe this is something I should think about."

She made a rueful face, accepting her defeat, and held out a hand to acknowledge her loss and offer a friendly shake on it.

Or so was the impression she gave, anyway.