What if We Take Out the Childhood Factor?

[greedyslayer]

This a more fic-related question looking for others' opinions: I've been wondering for a while, how would Maiko be in an AU situation where they were never childhood friends, and 1st met when at current's shows ages, when they were young adults? There would be no childhood background, they're just completely new to each other, with the possible

Comments

[jill_rg]

It would be slower. They'd still be attracted to each other -- Zuko loves Mai's gloominess and drollness no matter how much he claimed he hates it ("You're so beautiful when you hate the world.", "That gloomy girl who sighs a lot?"/"Yeah...") -- but people like them who distance themselves so much from the rest of the world need time to warm up to somebody. If, say, they first met after Zuko joined Azula, they wouldn't be making out in "The Awakening" and "The Headband," but they would spend time with each other, enjoying the peace and quiet, hiding from all the other insanity in the world. Their chemistry would still be there - her placid demeanor calming his troubled one down, his fury stirring her up. They would just need more time to get as close as they are in the series... especially by "Nightmares and Daydreams," if you know what I mean.

I never understood why people do AU, so I can't help you with how their relationship would work out in an AU.

[greedyslayer]

That's what I feel; without that background, things would've gone slower since they need to get to know each other first.

I like AU, but how to explain my interest...something clearly new. It's intersting if you make one change in canon, and see how things would change. Sometimes for a purely different setting. AU becomes even more like playing with others' established characters to set up your own story.

[jill_rg]

There's changing one thing, and then there's putting characters from an ancient Oriental fantasy setting in a Wild West setting. It's the latter I avoid.

No offense to anyone!!

[ruebroadway]

I think the build of the relationship might be slower, but not by much. As previously mentioned, Zuko would be attracted to Mai's gloominess and apathy of the world. And I don't think he'd think on it too hard before making a move. He'd just have to get over his awkwardness.

In my opinion, the slowness would come with Mai's attraction to Zuko's fierceness and trying to figure why she can't control it like her other emotions. But once she accepts that Zuko has stolen her heart and there is nothing she can do about it, then they will be progress :o)

Did any of that make sense?!

[peri_peteia]

If I'm understanding your question right, I imagine there are a few different ways to go about it. But the core issue would essentially be Mai being drawn to whatever the AU manifestation of Zuko's earnestness and passion would be. And Zuko would be drawn to Mai's dry humor, badassery (whatever its AU form), AND, I think, without the childhood experience, the mystery and the hint of more emotion beneath the veneer. I also think a big part of the initial connection would be the similarities in their disposition. (Both sort of antisocial, direct, take-no-crap kind of people.) Of course, there is also the obvious strong sexual attraction, but neither of them is actually the sort of person who would ever act on just that.

Once you got the initial connection out of the way, I think given the extremely organic way that they fit together as people (calling each other on their crap, pulling each other away from extremes and into a middle-ground) would develop easily from there.