Ozai Mini-Meme

[beckyh2112]

I am in a mood to write Ozai. One request per person, two requests for my usual people. If I'm not interested in your request, I'm just going to ignore it.

MEME IS CLOSED.

Comments

[the-little-lion.livejournal.com]

Ozai and Iroh: You hear, but you don't listen.

Ozai and Iroh; You hear, but you don't listen.

[beckyh2112.livejournal.com]

His younger brother is adorable, Iroh thinks when he finds the six-year-old playing the game every child Iroh has met plays at least once: the floor is made of LAVA.

He smiles indulgently and watches Ozai cross the hall on the shoulders of equally indulgent Imperial Firebenders. "Hello, little prince."

"Iroh!" Ozai's smile is dazzling. "Are you back from the War? Did we win?"

"Not yet," he says with a laugh. "Not for years yet."

"So there's still time for me to fight?"

"Of course, Ozai," he says indulgently. "Now why don't you join me for dinner?"

***

"I don't want to be a sage," the thirteen-year-old prince sulks. "I want to be a soldier like you."

"A sage is a useful thing to be," Iroh says, patting his brother's shoulder consolingly. "Besides, there's still time for you to learn to be a soldier. This isn't forever."

That brightens Ozai's mood, for which Iroh is thankful. He hates it when Ozai gets cross.

***

"Will you speak with Father?" the seventeen-year-old prince asks, clutching his hand. "Please, Iroh, he won't listen to me, but he'll listen to you-"

Iroh sighs. "Ozai, he's right. Having both his heirs off fighting in the War is too dangerous for the Fire Nation."

"I'm not his heir," Ozai snaps, eyes flashing, heat flaring in his hands.

"You are," Iroh says firmly. "Perhaps moreso than me. I could die tomorrow or three weeks from now by a stray arrow. The Fire Nation needs a prince at the court more than it needs another officer in the army."

Ozai's lips thin, but he doesn't argue. Good. Iroh does not want to upset his brother, but Ozai needs to accept that there are very good reasons he can't be a soldier.

***

"You said that to him?" Jeong Jeong asks, setting his tea down with exaggerated care.

"Of course! He's an intelligent young man, he understands these things when people bother to explain them."

Jeong Jeong frowns. "You've been encouraging him to be a soldier for years, Iroh. I can't imagine that boy taking your refusal to stand up for him well."

Iroh stares in confusion at his dear friend. "I have not! When did I ever do such a thing?"

Re: Ozai and Iroh; You hear, but you don't listen.

[the-little-lion.livejournal.com]

First of all, seeing this in my inbox made my awful sick day a whole lot better. Thanks so much :)

"The floor is made of LAVA" caused me to grin like a maniac. Imagining little!Ozai playing that game is just so cute ^-^

I liked Ozai's progression. It was interesting to watch him grow angrier over time. Seeing some obliviousness from Iroh was refreshing. I guess he just didn't understand the mixed signals he was sending. Trying to keep your brother happy and showing him reason are two very different things XD