Fic: Mindscrewbender

[c3childs]

YSummary: Aang took his Firebending. What he should have taken was his Mindscrewbending.
A/N: One of a possible series where Ozai screws with people's heads.

Ozai grinned at his visitor.“No walls have ever been graced by fairer form or face."

"Perhaps quoting 'Love Amongst the Dragons' calmed my anger before, Ozai,” She did not return the smile. “Not so much anymore."
"I didn't actually expect it to. Although, some part of me is touched that you remember that little fact."
"I remember everything about you."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Believe what you will then. You always have."

“You know what I do believe? I believe you’ve come here to tell me how horrible and pathetic you think I am. Am I close?”

“I’d planned to use much more colorful phrasing, but you do have the general idea, yes.”

“And yet despite it all, you still love me.”

Here, she did smile.
"On the contrary. Whatever love I once had for you has long since died. There's only hate. You mean nothing to me."
"You contradict yourself, my dear."
"I am not your anything."
He didn't even acknowledge that she'd spoken.
"Even with hate, there's a certain amount of emotional investment and quite a bit of thought. How many nights have you lain in bed, thinking of me...wanting to touch me?"
"If only to strangle you."
"Ah, but that's it. You wanted me. You thought of me, and it warms this cold, cold heart."
"Then I'll just have to resolve to never give you another thought."
"Impossible. Every time you look at your precious son, you'll think of me and curse my name. And truthfully, I don't care what you think about me just as long as you think about me."
"You and your pride."
"It's all I have at this point, isn't it?"
"Yes, and if you'd given it up years ago, you'd have had so much more."
"Like you?"
"Me. Your children. A family who loved you. There was a time I would have died for you. But now? All you have are pride, fleeting thoughts, and a prison cell.”

“I’m pretty sure this cot has some form of ant-lice.”

“There really is no hope for you.”

“Was there ever, Ursa?” he mocked her.

“Once, perhaps…very long ago. If you had been a better man –“

“Oh, give me a break. I might as well say if you’d been a better wife. You were the mother of my children and a courtier. You stopped being my wife long before I changed.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Right. Now say it like you mean it.”

“This has been a waste of time.”

She stood to go.

“Why did you even come?”

“A moment of insanity. It won’t happen again.”

“Ursa?”

She paused and turned to see his eyes roving over her. The smile, that had never left his face, was now more of a smirk.

“You look good.”

“I know.”

Then she was gone. He laughed, the sound echoing after her.

“I knew there was a reason I loved you.”