[June 13] [Avatar TLA] Training
Title: Training
Day/Theme:13. gloomy anthropoid apes
Series:Avatar TLA
Character/Pairing: Zuko
Rating: G
"Firebending is about the breath."
Breathe. Ignore the pain. Ignore the hammering of your heart. The fear and the bloody tears that keep soaking though the eye patch.
What if it doesn't heal.
"The energy goes into the body, flows down the arms and emerges as fire."
Breathe. Focus the energy.
Ignore the memory of fire filling your vision. Of the searing and cracking of flesh and skin. Of the shame when the boy, wanting to fight like a man, ends up curled on the ground, begging his father to stop.
"Thus, to firebend, controlling the breath is essential."
Control the fear that claws at your throat and makes the breath come harsh and quick. That makes the fire bending which was once difficult now vitrually impossible.
"Prince Zuko."
"What do you want?! I can do this. We dont' need to stop."
"We will try another exercise." Iroh's face swims in to focus as he dashes away angry tears. He's holding out a curved horn like instrument and a sheaf of papers.
"I don't need a music class. I need to practice bending."
"To play the Tsungi horn, as with fire bending, one needs breath control. This. Is. Training. Now practice this according to this manual."
As Iroh turns to leave, angry discordant sounds like that of a bull being slaughtered fill the room. Perhaps one day, it will be possible for the horn to be played for pleasure. Maybe after the war.
Day/Theme:13. gloomy anthropoid apes
Series:Avatar TLA
Character/Pairing: Zuko
Rating: G
"Firebending is about the breath."
Breathe. Ignore the pain. Ignore the hammering of your heart. The fear and the bloody tears that keep soaking though the eye patch.
What if it doesn't heal.
"The energy goes into the body, flows down the arms and emerges as fire."
Breathe. Focus the energy.
Ignore the memory of fire filling your vision. Of the searing and cracking of flesh and skin. Of the shame when the boy, wanting to fight like a man, ends up curled on the ground, begging his father to stop.
"Thus, to firebend, controlling the breath is essential."
Control the fear that claws at your throat and makes the breath come harsh and quick. That makes the fire bending which was once difficult now vitrually impossible.
"Prince Zuko."
"What do you want?! I can do this. We dont' need to stop."
"We will try another exercise." Iroh's face swims in to focus as he dashes away angry tears. He's holding out a curved horn like instrument and a sheaf of papers.
"I don't need a music class. I need to practice bending."
"To play the Tsungi horn, as with fire bending, one needs breath control. This. Is. Training. Now practice this according to this manual."
As Iroh turns to leave, angry discordant sounds like that of a bull being slaughtered fill the room. Perhaps one day, it will be possible for the horn to be played for pleasure. Maybe after the war.