I don't think Iroh actually understands women at all, and especially not women like Azula who are very big on not being dismissed for their gender. (Notice the total lack of women in the Order of the White Lotus!) I think Azula might actually be a bit frightening to him, because he's used to women who are Ursa-scary (sweet but potentially vicious) or Toph-scary (very much 'one of the guys') or maybe even sexy-scary like June; he's not used to women who are straight-out Ozai-style terrifying.
And to Azula he's one of those people like her mother, who shower her failure of a brother with love and affection while she's working hard to be perfect and getting the occasional appreciative word from Ozai.
Okay, now I REALLY want to put Azula and Iroh together! You're absolutely right (thank you!), and the dynamic you've laid out here would be really fun to read/play with. *ponders some more*
Someone (I think it was Vathara?) said something about Azula having mental disorder X b/c children see dolls as miniature people, etc, and I thought, well, NO, THAT IS THE NATURAL REACTION OF SOMEONE TIRED OF RECEIVING SHITTY SEXIST GIFTS.
Oh, for Pete's sake. I'm sure lighting the doll on fire was supposed to be disturbing, but still. Totally understandable reaction to a horrible gift. Especially in a culture where lighting things on fire isn't unusual.
(Incidentally, I spend entirely too much time wondering about Azula's relationship with Lu Ten. In all probability there wasn't much of one, him being a soldier and all, but I like to imagine that he kind of enjoyed watching her beat everyone at everything, and she wanted to set him on fire for being Zuko's favorite relative. Also possibly he was planning to send her razor-sharp hair sticks or some other very feminine-looking deadly weapon, an ironic reflection of Iroh's impersonal & impractical gift, and then he died before he could find just the right one.)
OMG THAT IS AMAZING. I would read the *heck* out of Azula & Lu Ten, to be honest. Although, now I want a story where spirit!Lu Ten appears to Azula (I don't know if he's trying to do his dad's job or not...he'd do it very differently if he were), but by that point she's used to family members appearing randomly so she ignores him/makes snarky comments at him. Would they have lots of arguments? Azula could probably use Lu Ten as a weapon against Iroh...
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branchandroot
...And I quoted your whole comment back at you?
Date: 2012-01-09 10:15 pm (UTC)And to Azula he's one of those people like her mother, who shower her failure of a brother with love and affection while she's working hard to be perfect and getting the occasional appreciative word from Ozai.
Okay, now I REALLY want to put Azula and Iroh together! You're absolutely right (thank you!), and the dynamic you've laid out here would be really fun to read/play with. *ponders some more*
Someone (I think it was Vathara?) said something about Azula having mental disorder X b/c children see dolls as miniature people, etc, and I thought, well, NO, THAT IS THE NATURAL REACTION OF SOMEONE TIRED OF RECEIVING SHITTY SEXIST GIFTS.
Oh, for Pete's sake. I'm sure lighting the doll on fire was supposed to be disturbing, but still. Totally understandable reaction to a horrible gift. Especially in a culture where lighting things on fire isn't unusual.
(Incidentally, I spend entirely too much time wondering about Azula's relationship with Lu Ten. In all probability there wasn't much of one, him being a soldier and all, but I like to imagine that he kind of enjoyed watching her beat everyone at everything, and she wanted to set him on fire for being Zuko's favorite relative. Also possibly he was planning to send her razor-sharp hair sticks or some other very feminine-looking deadly weapon, an ironic reflection of Iroh's impersonal & impractical gift, and then he died before he could find just the right one.)
OMG THAT IS AMAZING. I would read the *heck* out of Azula & Lu Ten, to be honest. Although, now I want a story where spirit!Lu Ten appears to Azula (I don't know if he's trying to do his dad's job or not...he'd do it very differently if he were), but by that point she's used to family members appearing randomly so she ignores him/makes snarky comments at him. Would they have lots of arguments? Azula could probably use Lu Ten as a weapon against Iroh...