(no subject)

[princeinexile]

Zuko stands at his uncle's door. Sure, it's the rooms across the hall from his, but still, Zuko is nervous and it shows; he fidgets. Under one arm is tucked a parcel of papers, and in his free hand, he spins a pen.

"Uncle? Are you there? I--" he considers how to phrase things, and settles on formality, "I need your counsel, uncle."

Comments

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

"Come in, come in," Iroh's genial voice came from inside. He was sitting and writing in his journal haiku most likely, with a brush and ink he'd procured from some vague place.

Iroh didn't like those ballpoint pens. No artistry.

[princeinexile]

Thankfully, since Mel could read their writing now, he had kept his journal very well hidden and hadn't written in it in some time.

...which meant both his emo haiku and romantic meanderings about his girlfriend nee wife were still safely secret.

He has, alas, a artless ballpoint pen and paper.

"Uncle," he says. "I want to form a council and step down from-- this awkward leadership. But I need your help."

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

Iroh finished a character and carefully set down his brush.

"Hmm. This will be very difficult, the transfer of power. We must insure that there is balance, ways of keeping any new elected leaders from taking too much power for themselves."

[princeinexile]

"I -- I know, uncle, but..." he approaches to sit down, and lays his things out. "There is just too much... division. This place, I've worked hard, and yet I still have detractors. And unlike father, I can't have Adam seized and his tongue cut from his mouth and nailed to his door," he says dryly.

Though, he admits, the idea has some merit.

"We have a small if vocal opposition to nearly everything I do. Some people antagonize simply for the sake of disruption, ignoring the needs of unity and survival. I think-- maybe if we present too many targets instead of one singular one..." Maybe they'll be less focused in their bitching!

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

"Elected councils instead of a single leader?"

[princeinexile]

"It would be harder to place blame." He snorts softly. "Then again, I'm sure it would all somehow come back to me. Easy target," he says with a slight, cynical grin.

"I've got the following-- ministries, departments, something-- set up. Someone would have to be head, and a group would work for them beneat that making sure things were done."

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

"You need a centralized power, but it would not be wise for a single person to be that power--not everyone can be trusted to use that power to try and better the people."

Not many were as honest and forthright as Zuko.

"Perhaps you should continue on with your idea of committees and have one over-arching elected council governing and making sure those counsels get their jobs done--a triumvirate perhaps, so no one person holds power. There should also be a way of the councils over-riding the triumvirate so they are not all-powerful."

[princeinexile]

"But who would sit on the triumvirate?" Zuko asks. "Who would people trust to lead? More importantly, to function together as a group? We've already seen that people cannot trust me..." He shrugs. "How could they trust three people I chose? Or even who they might chose?"

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

"They should be the ones to choose them--and if those people prove to be untrustworthy, the blame can only lie on those three and one the people for choosing them in the first place," Iroh said.

He knew a surprising bit about democracy for a man who'd been born into lordship, but then, he had traveled many places and learned many things, and the little bookcase in his room was stuffed full of books he'd soldiered on through, with only broken English to help him.

[princeinexile]

"How do we elect them? Who nominates?" He scratches at the back of his neck. "Who takes down nomations, when do we vote? What positions are open? How do we approach them with the change?"

He's very nervous about this, because ... all he does is ask QUESTIONS.

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

Iroh thought. "I would suggest deciding what positions are needed, first of all, then gathering a few you trust, the brightest among us, and asking them for suggestions. Harper, Mel, Angua, Hellboy, a few others. Ask for their council. Then walk amongst the people and talk to them--see how they want to choose their leaders, how leadership works for them back home--if it works well. Then start setting a process in place for nomination and election based on their ideas and the best of your own. After that, the process should be put to a majority vote. If the majority decides it is a fair and balanced process of choosing leadership, it will be put into place, if not, it should be revised until it is acceptable to the majority. Hopefully, it will not take long for everyone to settle on a basic plan."

[princeinexile]

ARGH. So much work involved in saying 'Fuck it, none of you like me, rule your own damn selves'! He doesn't like it, no sir! He does not!

In short, he's made the WAH UNCLE face and then settled back to sulk.

"That'll take time. And if I tell people of my intentions to step down, it'll be blood in the water to certain sharks we have," Zuko points out warily.

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

Taking your toys and going home took lots of hard work when the sandbox was the government of a small society.

"There must be a system in place before you step down, Zuko, or those sharks will be the ones ruling," Iroh pointed out. "If there is none, the second you give up power, your sister will take control, and she is only one of the people who could--and who shouldn't--be allowed to take charge."

[princeinexile]

Perspective, found!

Zuko blinks his eyes, and then imagines Azula making new rules. Quite possibly in bed with Adam, who has leched at anything that might be convinced to not like Zuko much.

THERE is an image that LYE WILL NEVER SCOUR from his MIND'S EYE.

"Alright. I'll start there. I mean, I've discussed with with Mel and Sokka, but.. that's a pretty small start." He supposes Harper would be a good choice, and Lauren seemed to have a lot of ideas on communities like this... Buffy had ideas, too.

So many people to talk to.

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

"If the people know you are trying to give them a choice, and involve them in their government, think you will find that quite a few naysayers will have nothing to speak about," said Iroh.

[princeinexile]

Zuko laughs softly, and then says, "I suppose you're right, uncle."

It was something to consider, anyway. He scratches the back of his neck, then, and looks away.

"Am I doing the right thing?"

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

"You can't catch a cub without going into the tiger's den," Iroh said sagely. "I know you fear that they will make bad choices, but you must not let that fear stop you from doing what is right, and letting them have a choice in the way their lives are governed is right."

Iroh took a deep breath, looking thoughtful. "You are a good leader, Zuko. I know you doubt yourself at times, but even the best leaders have their failures and shortcomings, but the paths set before us are not always straight and no man can always make the right choice every time." A pause, and he said slightly, "Every man has their own Ba Sing se."

"But if you pass your role as leader down to your child, perhaps you can teach them how to rule justly, and perhaps they will do the same for their children, but someday, somewhere down that line, there will be a leader that is too ambitious for the good of their people--and the good of other peoples. Eventually, there will be a Sozen..." Cautiously, he said, "...an Ozai, an Azula...

...And the people of the society you have tried so hard to keep safe and unify will be at their mercies."

[princeinexile]

There is a leap of muscle in Zuko's throat; he knows his son or daughter is not a prince, an heir, no matter-- no matter what once was. Not...

Not unless they go home, they're not. And even then...

But the once-prince nodded, and he says, "Alright, uncle." He knew Iroh would tell him what he needed to hear.