Except that there are Imperial Firebenders in earshot. "Training accident" only works as an excuse until Ozai yells for the guards to arrest Iroh and Akane. They would have only seconds to land a fatal blow against Ozai and throw the chain of command into confusion, and I doubt Ozai would make that easy.
Deep Red (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Thread starter kosm
- Start date
Pandemonious Ivy
Panties, Revolution. Big Drawers. Parachute.
Provides a valid lie for why Iroh and Akane went to see Ozai shortly before he died, too. Lightning training with the patriarchs could explain a lot of things. Much more convenient than waiting on a table, at least
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
On Akane's relationship with Zuko, I personally love the fact Akane is unintentionally mirroring her mother's relationship with her.
I don't believe Akane is currently capable of acknowledging that, much less confronting it and all its implications, nor if she ever will be.
But, it makes for some great subtext.
I don't believe Akane is currently capable of acknowledging that, much less confronting it and all its implications, nor if she ever will be.
But, it makes for some great subtext.
- Location
- in the trash
Yeah, rereading the first chapter Ozai is... waaay less unbalanced. The contrast between the Ozai who comforted and supported his daughter and the insane, angry, ranting Ozai of the latest chapter is stark.
Seriously, can you imagine Ozai, as he is now, laughing? Something in him broke between the prologue and chapter 1 and he's only been getting worse since then.
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It's why I've been saying to kill him with Lightning. Hilariously lethal, his only defense is to dodge it and he can't dodge it if he doesn't get any warning because it's just too fast, so a good distraction basically guarantees a lethal hit.
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Three points of possible failure: Ozai knowing the redirection technique that Akane learned about just hours ago, Ozai dodging/Akane missing, or Ozai surviving the initial attack. The first is unlikely, but possible. The second is a serious issue since Akane caring for family is one of her defining character traits. The third is also an issue since Ozai is himself an absurdly powerful bender. Lighting can be lethal, but it is far from a sure thing. Especially since Ozai is already focused on Akane and preparing to do something.
FFS, Akane just told Ozai that he reminds her of Azulon. Akane's track record of murdering Fire Lords is absolutely in the front of Ozai's mind right now.
Dark Abstraction
Infrequent Participant
- Location
- United States
That's really not what actually happened. Akane denies the existence of the scar because it is a lightning scar; something that only a handful of people are capable of, most of them members of the royal family. It is a direct link between Akane and Azulon's death. Recognizing its existence is recognition of proof that she played a decisive role in the killing of the previous firelord. That's why Akane was so insistent that "there was no scar" on her arm.
Anyway, update was fabulous and I loved everything about it. Akane holding to her principles and citing Ozai's own statement as justifying it was wonderful to see. And the bit about Azulon was simply perfection; the most enraging thing is probably that on some level Ozai can't even dispute it. And he knows what happened to Azulon, and why. Magnificent.
Well of course it's not going to happen now. The moment was when Ozai was telling Akane to burn Azula, since Akane could have gone 'never do an enemy a small injury', pretended she was going to kill Azula and then changed her target at the last second. Now it's too late. Another moment could have been during the spar proper, pretend to be pulling a bluff with lightning and then shoot it at the one person who probably wasn't expecting to have it shot at them right then. But we had no particular reason to murder him at the time.
Really, this whole experience just goes to show that you should be proactive when it comes to murder. None of it would have happened if we'd slit the man's throat in his sleep last week. Don't wait for things like reasons or opportunities, make your own.
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- Location
- Oblivion
Was he less imbalanced? Or was he just better at hiding it because there were still people around he had to answer too?
- Location
- Heaven
We'll agree to disagree here. This chapter alone has Akane irritated by her hair in four separate instances for one reason. It's a mess, it looks frizzy, it's singed and she can't pull it to a topknot. We know from Mitsuko's interlude that issues Akane finds in her appearance really isn't that evident to other people. With how much she fusses over it, a scar being something abhorrent on her body is completely in line with how her character has been been portrayed.
The explanation of it being recognizing it as a proof that she killed Azulon doesn't really match up with her actions. She knows she killed Azulon and she very well knows she may end up killing Ozai right before the chapter ended itself. She has never regretted killing Azulon and I find your explanation extremely unlikely.
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Nix's Warden
Welcome to Hades
- Location
- United States
Whewwwwwwwww man that was exciting. The reactions of Azula, Iroh, Zuko, and Mitsuko after this, regardless of Akane's condition, will be magical.
rdc30
While you learned to write, I studied the blade.
Going to shill for Kosm's patreon, since we're only $15 away from 3 sessions a week instead of the current 2. Hopefully we can get an Azula interlude soon.
Edit: Just $6 now
Edit: Just $6 now
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- Location
- France
Learning she may be a bastard daughter, and not even one can could conceivably be legitimate if there were no other heirs since she's the queen's bastard and not the Firelord's, is probably also triggering her perfection issues. Another thing Akane will repress as hard as she can.
Also, I think instead of banishing Akane, Ozai would force her to go ahead with the marriage, with the understanding that she would fall with the merchant family she just married into once he puts his plan into action. That seems like and Ozai move to do.
Also, I think instead of banishing Akane, Ozai would force her to go ahead with the marriage, with the understanding that she would fall with the merchant family she just married into once he puts his plan into action. That seems like and Ozai move to do.
I hope we can bring that up to his face in the future. How much he seems to have changed, and where did the Ozai that seemed capable of positive emotions that weren't at the expense of others go.
- Location
- ...
And do you know what the best part is? Akane just stole his dirt on her.
I wonder would he check on it after Akane threaten him?
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- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Well that was pretty awesome. Quite liked the refusal too, standing up to the Firelord (again), how's that for all appearance and no substance? Though reminding him of his father's death probably wasn't the way to deescalate the situation, I quite love seeing Akane snapping like that.
I really question Ozai's assumption that she can retaliate by exposing 'his' assassination of Azulon since Akane as the one who killed Azulon would come out, that would end any idea of her taking the throne plus kinslayer in the eye of people, military and nobles.
Ozai is already firelord so retaliation useless after this event unless he revealed before or directly after his coronation since he would be weak due to Azulon's loyalists in power with the ability to challenge him.
No one knows just how decrepit Azulon was, so they'd never believe Akane could do it. I mean, even then Akane couldn't do it, it was the table.
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He was able to shoot lightning. If he'd been sane we'd have been toast.
Firedon
Lazy Sleepy Cat
- Location
- Germany
Yeah. Even as insane as he was, we only survived because he cared more about killing us than his own survival.
And that's the sort of thing nobody gets to know about the Firelord.
- Location
- The Library
I feel for Ozai, he's trying to be a good master, but he can't reach Akane, she's just too obsessed with being perfect.
Also Akane is insane, Ozai and Azulon were insane, but she killed her firelord/grandfather when she could have run the other way. She's batshit. But we made her that way so it's familiar.
Also Akane is insane, Ozai and Azulon were insane, but she killed her firelord/grandfather when she could have run the other way. She's batshit. But we made her that way so it's familiar.
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Thank you all so much for reading!! <3 My patreon just hit its next milestone so I'm going up to three live sessions per week for my quests! This coming week, Deep Red will run Monday and Friday and my other quest will run Wednesday, and then I'll alternate which quest goes twice on a week-to-week basis. Thank you all so much for supporting me and just reading in general, it really means the world to me!
I just want to clarify that I have never called Azula a sociopath, because that's not how I interpret her character.
I just want to clarify that I have never called Azula a sociopath, because that's not how I interpret her character.