Entry tags:
pairing information
Character Name: Azula
Character Journal:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sears
Status: Inmate
Pairing Information:
Azula desperately needs to learn some chill. Yes, the most obvious big-picture issues are that her feelings of Fire Nation supremacy, contributions to oppressive colonialism, and overarching goals of world domination are no bueno, but she's not going to learn any of that from someone lecturing her about Being A Better Person and Treating People As She Would Want To Be Treated. Tackling things like her extreme perfectionism (both as it pertains to others as well as to herself), her cruel treatment of those close to her, and her various complicated relationships with her family members will need to come first, and extrapolation can start to happen from there. A graduated Azula could take several forms, but there are a few things that will probably be essential: the development of a more healthy attitude towards both herself and those close to her; at least somewhat better treatment of people in general, including underlings and servants; and accepting the inevitable loss of the war, as well as the loss of her presumed right to the throne.
Above all, Azula would do best with a warden that she could respect from the get-go. That's a bar that she sets pretty high, but it's not unattainable by any means, especially considering the larger-than-life people that the Barge tends to attract. Someone who has experience with being in leadership positions would be a big, big plus, especially if they were particularly successful and effective in that role; she equates being a strong leader as synonymous with ruling with an iron fist, and so it would be beneficial to have it proven to her that anything less than complete authoritarianism doesn't necessarily always lead to weakness and failure. But at the same time, someone bursting with compassion and sparkles and light would not necessarily be the best thing for her, either: if she couldn't relate to her warden and/or their leadership style, it would be difficult for her to see any of their ideas as a valid alternative to that way that she does things.
One initial hurdle that a warden will encounter is how to navigate her social standing. As a royal princess, she both expects and demands a huge amount of concession from the people around her. A warden who played into this to some extent would find her a much more willing participant in their partnership right out of the gate, but one who more openly insisted on treating her like they would anybody else would be challenging her in a way that she pretty much never has been in her life. This would be a delicate balance to strike. Patting her butt the way that she's used to would go a long way towards keeping her from grating too much against the warden/inmate power dynamic, as well as giving her warden a shortcut to a good relationship with her (something that will, in all likelihood, be instrumental to her graduation). On the other hand, taking it too far might very well cause her to mentally slot them into the "servant" category, which would lead to an instant loss of respect, as well as an explosive reaction when they inevitably encountered a situation where they'd need to stand up to her. Overall, there's going to be a lot of this delicate line-walking with her, so a warden who could adjust well to that and develop a good sense of which approach fits a given situation would be a must.
Character Journal:
searsStatus: Inmate
Pairing Information:
Azula desperately needs to learn some chill. Yes, the most obvious big-picture issues are that her feelings of Fire Nation supremacy, contributions to oppressive colonialism, and overarching goals of world domination are no bueno, but she's not going to learn any of that from someone lecturing her about Being A Better Person and Treating People As She Would Want To Be Treated. Tackling things like her extreme perfectionism (both as it pertains to others as well as to herself), her cruel treatment of those close to her, and her various complicated relationships with her family members will need to come first, and extrapolation can start to happen from there. A graduated Azula could take several forms, but there are a few things that will probably be essential: the development of a more healthy attitude towards both herself and those close to her; at least somewhat better treatment of people in general, including underlings and servants; and accepting the inevitable loss of the war, as well as the loss of her presumed right to the throne.
Above all, Azula would do best with a warden that she could respect from the get-go. That's a bar that she sets pretty high, but it's not unattainable by any means, especially considering the larger-than-life people that the Barge tends to attract. Someone who has experience with being in leadership positions would be a big, big plus, especially if they were particularly successful and effective in that role; she equates being a strong leader as synonymous with ruling with an iron fist, and so it would be beneficial to have it proven to her that anything less than complete authoritarianism doesn't necessarily always lead to weakness and failure. But at the same time, someone bursting with compassion and sparkles and light would not necessarily be the best thing for her, either: if she couldn't relate to her warden and/or their leadership style, it would be difficult for her to see any of their ideas as a valid alternative to that way that she does things.
One initial hurdle that a warden will encounter is how to navigate her social standing. As a royal princess, she both expects and demands a huge amount of concession from the people around her. A warden who played into this to some extent would find her a much more willing participant in their partnership right out of the gate, but one who more openly insisted on treating her like they would anybody else would be challenging her in a way that she pretty much never has been in her life. This would be a delicate balance to strike. Patting her butt the way that she's used to would go a long way towards keeping her from grating too much against the warden/inmate power dynamic, as well as giving her warden a shortcut to a good relationship with her (something that will, in all likelihood, be instrumental to her graduation). On the other hand, taking it too far might very well cause her to mentally slot them into the "servant" category, which would lead to an instant loss of respect, as well as an explosive reaction when they inevitably encountered a situation where they'd need to stand up to her. Overall, there's going to be a lot of this delicate line-walking with her, so a warden who could adjust well to that and develop a good sense of which approach fits a given situation would be a must.