Wow. I love the complexity of emotions here, and the depth of Ty Lee's hurt that makes it hard for her to settle anywhere. The themes hinted at in the Ty Lee/Suki ficlet you wrote for me are more fully explored here, and I like how it turned out.
I'm also impressed on a personal level that you wrote about Ty Lee and Azula's past, since it couldn't have been easy for you. It's a particular moment of clarity when Ty Lee realizes she might have been reenacting Azula's power over her in her own relationship with Toph.
That tangled nature of guilt and innocence, abuse and victimhood comes across well in Ty Lee and Toph's interactions as it's revealed that the trembling, wide-eyed Ty Lee is the one who inflicted a lot of pain while the abrasive, straightforward Toph has every reason to be wary.
I was actually creeped out that Ty Lee wanted to meet Toph's daughter right away--because that's great if you're in a stable relationship and planning a future together, or if you're good long-term friends (whether sex is involved or not), but she comes back unannounced after years and one of the first things she wants to do is see the daughter? Though I'm sure she meant well in her own bumbling way, to me it felt like she was seeking more power over the relationship, the power to hurt. It really does raise the sad question whether Azula recreated herself in Ty Lee.
And yet, because nothing is ever simple Toph still wants this unstable woman in her bed and her life. Part of me says this cannot possibly end well, but heck, humans have a near-infinite capacity for both hope and stupidity. I wonder if you mean for Ty Lee's presence in RC to build up toward chi-blocking as a technique practiced there?
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2013-03-30 10:32 am (UTC)I'm also impressed on a personal level that you wrote about Ty Lee and Azula's past, since it couldn't have been easy for you. It's a particular moment of clarity when Ty Lee realizes she might have been reenacting Azula's power over her in her own relationship with Toph.
That tangled nature of guilt and innocence, abuse and victimhood comes across well in Ty Lee and Toph's interactions as it's revealed that the trembling, wide-eyed Ty Lee is the one who inflicted a lot of pain while the abrasive, straightforward Toph has every reason to be wary.
I was actually creeped out that Ty Lee wanted to meet Toph's daughter right away--because that's great if you're in a stable relationship and planning a future together, or if you're good long-term friends (whether sex is involved or not), but she comes back unannounced after years and one of the first things she wants to do is see the daughter? Though I'm sure she meant well in her own bumbling way, to me it felt like she was seeking more power over the relationship, the power to hurt. It really does raise the sad question whether Azula recreated herself in Ty Lee.
And yet, because nothing is ever simple Toph still wants this unstable woman in her bed and her life. Part of me says this cannot possibly end well, but heck, humans have a near-infinite capacity for both hope and stupidity. I wonder if you mean for Ty Lee's presence in RC to build up toward chi-blocking as a technique practiced there?