His new master doesn't seem displeased with him so far. Zuko hadn't honestly thought he would be, especially not someone who was a friend of Iroh's, but there's a driving pressure inside him to succeed. He knows searching for approval is another sign of unhealthy attachment, but while he's still learning, how else is he supposed to know if he's doing well? And it's never shameful to accept input from those with more experience than him.
He nods shortly, almost curt, at the directive that Obi-Wan has Council business here. Zuko doesn't think that the relative celebrity status of his new master and his formar Padawan is impacting him unduly-- his nerves have nothing to do with that. He'd be nervous no matter what, he's sure. Nothing seems totally real yet; he keeps catching himself acting as if Master Iroh is just waiting for him back in their quarters, or like he's taken a week long vacation to a hot spring and left him behind... And then the gruesome violence of his death flickers behind his eyes again, or Zuko has to turn his head to the left to compensate for his reduced peripheral vision, and it hits him like a solid blow all over again.
Nerves about his new assignment is normal. Healthy. His master had never taken him to ask for things like that... even though his emotions are Zuko's weakest point.
Questions for him are much easier than trying to figure out what he can ask, even wants to ask, that doesn't embarrass himself. "My master--" He swallows, pushes himself past it. "My master preferred Makashi. He always just smiled at people who told him it was outdated." Idiot, he probably knows that. And stop reminiscing -- it hurts. "I'm more naturally inclined to Ataru and more aggressive forms, and..." Zuko hesitates again. "Master Iroh said I great potential in combat applications of the Force, but he never judged me ready to begin training it. He said it was the last thing I should learn before the Trials. I have a lot of meditating to do before then," he finishes with a more natural, frustrated sigh.
It was a roadblock that he sometimes rebelled against, and he'd had more than one snide argument with Iroh about it (snide on his part, longsuffering on Iroh's), but in the wake of his death Zuko is unwilling to question his judgement again. Plus, he knows he's right. If there's ever a time Zuko's emotional control isn't adequate to learning violent applications of the Force, it's right now.
no subject
He nods shortly, almost curt, at the directive that Obi-Wan has Council business here. Zuko doesn't think that the relative celebrity status of his new master and his formar Padawan is impacting him unduly-- his nerves have nothing to do with that. He'd be nervous no matter what, he's sure. Nothing seems totally real yet; he keeps catching himself acting as if Master Iroh is just waiting for him back in their quarters, or like he's taken a week long vacation to a hot spring and left him behind... And then the gruesome violence of his death flickers behind his eyes again, or Zuko has to turn his head to the left to compensate for his reduced peripheral vision, and it hits him like a solid blow all over again.
Nerves about his new assignment is normal. Healthy. His master had never taken him to ask for things like that... even though his emotions are Zuko's weakest point.
Questions for him are much easier than trying to figure out what he can ask, even wants to ask, that doesn't embarrass himself. "My master--" He swallows, pushes himself past it. "My master preferred Makashi. He always just smiled at people who told him it was outdated." Idiot, he probably knows that. And stop reminiscing -- it hurts. "I'm more naturally inclined to Ataru and more aggressive forms, and..." Zuko hesitates again. "Master Iroh said I great potential in combat applications of the Force, but he never judged me ready to begin training it. He said it was the last thing I should learn before the Trials. I have a lot of meditating to do before then," he finishes with a more natural, frustrated sigh.
It was a roadblock that he sometimes rebelled against, and he'd had more than one snide argument with Iroh about it (snide on his part, longsuffering on Iroh's), but in the wake of his death Zuko is unwilling to question his judgement again. Plus, he knows he's right. If there's ever a time Zuko's emotional control isn't adequate to learning violent applications of the Force, it's right now.