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A cease fire
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Have decided to accept Subject's proposal. I will try to be less hostile to Subject if he is helpful and does chores and doesn't hurt us. I have put a lot of thought into making a long list of chores for Subject to accomplish to earn my grudging tolerance of his presence (it is a step up from open hostility.) Some of these chores really need doing and I cannot do them on my own, some of them require much heavy lifting and some of them I threw in just for shiggles and are a bit ridiculous.
The real test will be if Subject does these ridiculous tasks just to earn my grudging tolerance.
I found Subject training Aang and watched until they had finished their session and Aang was exhausted and wanted a nap. Aang is not opposed to naps. For Subject, the idea of sleeping when the sun is up is abhorrent. Subject does not approve of Aang's naps. There have been a few mild arguments… most arguments are mild with Aang.
When Aang had gone, I announced to Subject that I would accept his proposal. Subject was quite confused at first. Subject in fact completely misinterpreted what I was saying and got a bit panicked.
I explained the chores=grudging tolerance proposal of a few days ago and present Subject with the list. Subject took the list and set about completing it with gusto. Subject is definitely a hard worker. Subject started moving everything in the kitchen about so that I no longer have to climb these ridiculous ladders to get things.
Air benders are ridiculous. Who builds cupboards you have to fly to get to? What kind of storage system is that? Anyway most of the tasks related to a drastic remodeling of the kitchen area to make it non-airbender friendly. I just haven't had the time or the help to accomplish this task until today. Subject was most helpful and was pleasant to observe. All sweaty and doing housework. Hhhhmmmm.
Subject made a few awkward attempts at conversation and eventually we got talking about nothing much. I started thinking about Toph and what she said about voices and really listening to people. I will allow her that Subject's voice is not at all unpleasant. It is actually quite nice to listen too. All I can tell from listening to Subject's voice is that his voice has definitely broken, but none of the other myriad of things that Toph can sense from a voice. I will admit I was slightly bothered by their conversation that I overheard but cannot mention, because I am not meant to eavesdrop. I have so many questions. I am bothered by the fact Subject thinks I will hate him forever when I don't actually hate him at all. I just mistrust him. There is a difference.
I think we've reached grudging tolerance today. After the kitchen, Subject set off to accomplish the ridiculous tasks I had set and I was strangely touched. I mean I never actually expected him to pick me that purple flower. I will be less hostile to Subject in the future. This does not mean I like him, only that he is useful.
Things I learned about Subject:
Subject deals much better with being set a task to smooth over relationships, rather than talking it out.
Subject likes lists and order.
Subject judging from the gusto with which he attacked the list, likes tasks, in list form, to smooth over relationships.
Subject picked me that really pretty flower on top of the very highest tree in the orchard for no reason other than because it was on my list.
Subject is helpful in the kitchen.
Subject, when sweaty and doing housework, is extremely distracting. I could hardly alphabetize the spices with him in the room. How does subject do this? I have never felt this level of distraction before and I put it down to Subject's sneaky powers. I had to keep glancing at him to make sure he wasn't doing anything sneaky.
Subject is glad that we are no longer hostile.
-!-
Now that we have ceased hostilities, Subject talks to me more. About training Aang mostly, because this is what weighs heaviest on Subject's mind at present. Subject's training style is very different to me and Toph's. Subject is quite militant and organized in his approach to training Aang. Aang must learn A before he can pass on to B and Aang has to hurry up and learn A because they still have the rest of the alphabet to get through and very little time to do it and Aang has to concentrate and drop and do twenty swivel fire kicks! Now! He praises Aang infrequently, but you can tell when he is really pleased with Aang's progress because he cannot contain his delight when Aang does a form perfectly.
Subject called a meeting over Aang's progress. Aang lacks aggression, which is crucial to firebending according to Subject. Subject, Toph and I had a chat about teaching Aang. I feel my suggestions were not quite as helpful because Aang never struggled with waterbending the same way that he struggles with Earth and Fire. I maintain that gentle encouragement works best with Aang and is the best way to teach. Both Toph and Subject made a face at me. Subject pointed out that gentle encouragement does not increase aggression. Subject claimed that he was never encouraged as a child and he learned much better because of it. ? Never encouraged?
Toph suggested Subject get creative with how he teaches. She just threw rocks at Aang until he threw a rock back. (metaphorically speaking.) Subject is considering this approach now that Aang has mastered all the blocking techniques. Subject told us he had a teacher who did something similar with fire and just threw fireballs at him until he learnt to fight back. ? Toph asked him if it worked with fire and Subject admitted that he got injured a fair bit at the beginning. I do not feel that this is a helpful teaching method. Oh my god! Is that how Subject got his scar? Is that why Subject is so worried about Aang knowing all the blocks?
Subject is a bit worried because he wants to be able to teach Aang the more aggressive fighting styles before he fights his father. I quote Subject here: "Fire is the most complex of all the elements and I have to teach him eight years of training in two months." Toph and I took great exception to the claim that fire is the most complex element. I claimed that Waterbending is extremely complicated and is way more useful than either firebending or earthbending because I could heal things. A small three way argument broke out about which element is superior. Toph was most adamant that she could kick both our arses, so we could superior that.
The meeting broke up in favour of a three way duel. That resulted in all three of us exceptionally muddy and a sort of 'stacks on Subject' pile with Toph sitting at the top. Both Subject and I were content to call it a draw and Toph reluctantly agreed. (Toph had definitely won, but her ego is large enough as it is.)
Things I learned about Subject:
Subject really does care about teaching Aang and puts and extreme amount of thought into his lessons and feels very pressured by the lack to time to teach Aang.
Subject has had many training injuries in the past. Is his scar one of them? I dare not ask. He is so touchy about it.
Subject likes order and discipline in his training with Aang. Aang does not like order and discipline. New teaching methods are being explored.
Subject may have possibly lied about being raise in a palace. No encouragement and someone throwing fireballs at you all day. ? I am beginning to suspect that Subject was raised in some sort of hellish fire filled place of hellishness. With no encouragement and fireballs.
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Very unusual day.
Subject confuses me.
There was much ado about firebending practice in the morning. Aang finally perfected the basic forms and the blocks. Subject took Toph's advice and they started sparring. Subject just started randomly throwing fireballs at Aang. Subject was not expecting Aang to pick it up so quickly, obviously, because Aang was able to take him by surprise and blast him into the far wall with a large fire blast. Aang was initially elated with his Fireblast of Doom, but Subject stayed down for what could have only been two seconds. That was all it took for Aang to become most concerned and fretful and worried over the possibility of hurting Subject.
Subject is not a delicate china doll! He can take a few blows. I have thrown Subject against many a wall in our previous fights and it hasn't done him any harm or slowed him down. I told Aang this and Subject AGREED with me and said he was fine and that Aang had done really well and he was very proud of him. And then Aang hugged him. It was all too much for me. People thinking Subject is kinda cool! People hugging Subject! What is wrong with the world? I stalked off but I noticed that Subject was making a weird face as Aang hugged him.
Then after lunch, Subject said he needed a nap and that Aang should work on his earth bending with Toph. This was most unusual behavior for Subject. Subject never naps! Subject is all go-go-go- all-day-everyday. It is most annoying. Subject was also walking without his usual grace. After lunch, I went in search of Subject to see what sneaky deed this change in behavior portended. Not at all because I was worried about him.
Subject was in his room. Shirtless! Oh my! And trying to wrap a bandage with a hot poultice around his ribs. Subject had been injured.
"What are you doing (Subject)!" I demanded from the door. Subject made a hushing motion at me, which made me a little cross. I will not be shushed by Subject! I stomped in and got all up in Subject's personal space. Subject gulped.
"Why didn't you say you were hurt?" I demanded of Subject.
"Because of Aang. I didn't want to set him back."
"How would this set him back? You said he did it perfectly this morning."
"It's the first time he's Firebended with some aggression and Aang's not very aggressive normally. He doesn't like to hurt people and if he knew he got me, he wouldn't want to fire bend again for ages and we'd be back to where we started ... And stop looking at me like that." I was staring at him oddly because Subject was making sense! For once! It was like watching Appa recite haikus.
"Why didn't you come to me then? I could have healed this for you in a heart beat." I said, because really, Why not? Did he think I wouldn't heal him out of spite?
"I didn't think you'd want to, what with…I mean we're only just at grudging tolerance now " Subject gestured between us. Oh. He did think I wouldn't heal him out of spite. Perhaps Toph is right. Perhaps I have been a little too hostile to Subject.
"Well I would have done it, if you'd just told me." I said a bit defensively because I am not that much of a jerk and am a bit offended that Subject would think so. Then to prove it and partially because I didn't know what else to do I uncorked my water skin. I got some bending water and ran my healing hands over Subject's chest. Subject had cracked three ribs. They are simple enough if a bit time consuming to heal. Subject's heart was beating really fast and the whole time we had to stand really close. At one point I looked up at the exact moment that Subject was looking down at me and we just stood looking at each other and it had been weird. Really, really weird.
"You can come to me with things like this. I'll heal you. I might think you're an arrogant jerkbender but I'll heal you. Are we clear?" I said to break the weird moment tension that had sprung up from our weird moment.
"Yes" Subject said quietly. Then he added "Thank you, Katara." He said really sincerely and smiled, ever so slightly. It was a shy smile. Only there for the blink of an eye. But it was nice.
Things I learned about subject.
Subject is very warm to touch. Are all firebenders like this?
Subject smells very nice. Not that this has any bearing on my feelings towards Subject.
Subject understands Aang and would rather suffer in silence than throw off Aang's progress.
Subject has Smiled at me. It is a nice smile, even if I almost never see it.
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Author's note: hello lovely readers! I'm not sure if 'Stacks on' is an aussie thing or if other people do this, or maybe it is just my friends? Either way, here's a brief explanation: at a shindig of some description someone may yell out 'stacks on X!' (There is usually alcohol involved at this point) and we all jump on top of X to form a big human stack of awkward. It sucks to be the person on the bottom of a 'stacks on!' Toph is naturally at the top of the stack because she is made of awesome.
I do think Zuko had a pretty hard job teaching Aang because he had the shortest amount of time and Aang had all these mixed feelings about fire bending in general. I think he would have looked to Katara and Toph for teaching advice when he hit a wall with Aang. Katara would have offered her advice anyway- she does that.
Big thank you to all of you reviewers! You guys are awesome!