Still pretty good

As the door to my office opened once more I looked over to what Azula considered a day-to-day outfit. She had changed into black jeans and a dark green blouse. This however surprised me a little, as I had expected her to stick to her red motif.

"Green?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Well" she told me as she once more laid on the sofa "Seeing how I'm still in the earth kingdom I figured I would try not to draw any unnecessary attention to myself."

It wasn't like the outfit didn't suit her, it was just a bit unusual.

"Am I back to looking ridiculous?" She asked me with a smirk.

"If you go such lengths to make me eat my words as before I might just call you that." I retorted. She gave me a smile but quickly hid her face behind her newest book. A quick glance at the clock told me it was just after 12. It was friday, so I wouldn't feel too bad about quitting early today, so over the next hour I brought my weekly work to a finish.

"Well, time to start the weekend." I said as I stood up. Azula's eyes followed me as I walked towards the door.

"So, what do you plan to do then?" She asked, slowly getting up and following me.

"I think it's time I showed you the perhaps greatest invention of the earth kingdom. The television." I said dramatically. We went down to the living room and sat on our usual seats. I picked up the remote and held it up to Azula. "And this is how you control it".

I pressed the ON button and the screen came on with commercials. She didn't move and stared intently at the TV, which currently showed the newest trend in kitchen knives.

"But there is more. You see, if you don't like what you're seeing you can switch channels and watch something else with these keys." I pressed the button and the TV switched to a drama series. I looked over to Azula, who leaned back and squinted her eyes.

"Soo..." she slowly asked "does it show something that is currently happening, or something that happened before?"

"Both is possible. Most shows are something that was recorded, but if there are recent events they might show the live." I explained. "Actually... it is also possible to show things that never happened in the first place."

"You mean, events from the future?" She asked with audible excitement.

"No, more like really advanced stage effects, so to say." I thought about how I could better explain it. "So, for example you could make it seem like there is a monster or ghosts, even though they never existed in real life."

"Hmm." Azula seemed deeply in thought.

I got up and took a kneel in front of Azula, putting the remote on my outstretched hand in front of her, like it was an ancient relic of unimaginable power. "I will give you this, but remember that with great power comes great responsibility." She rolled her eyes, but her lips were curled up to an amused smile. She took the remote and pressed the channel switch button. A nature documentary came on, another push and it was commercials again.

"Something to drink?" I asked while making my way to the kitchen.

"Water." came the shouted reply. As I came back with a cognac and a water Azula was already stuck on a channel which showed Top Gun, something she seemed utterly fascinated with.

"Do you only use this television for entertainment?"

"Hmm. Mostly entertainment and news. I guess some educational programs. And lots of commercials."

She stared at the screen for a long time before answering. "And does every citizen have one?" she slowly asked.

"More or less. At least 95% I assume." I told her, not quite understanding what she was getting at.

"This would make the perfect propaganda tool." Her eyes were almost shining at the prospect. "Show nationalistic plays all around the clock. And in between recruitment adds for the army and navy. You could even show executions of traitors, or show the front line in real time. And if these stage props are so believable like this one, where they are flying in tanks, you could even use it to scare the enemy. We would be undefeatable with this tool. And the earth kingdom has had it all this time, but instead of using it to it's full extend you show... this." She held her hand out to the screen which had switched to a commercial for diapers."

"Ah well. There is definitely propaganda on the TV but it's a bit more subtle these days." I carefully explained.

"How? Can you show me an example?" She asked excitedly, throwing me the remote. I pressed the number for MSNBC, which we watched for a bit.

"But they're only talking about internal politics." Azula complained after a while.

"Well, since we're not currently at war, at least officially, it would seem a bit weird to drum up recruitment adds, wouldn't it?" Maybe she preferred FOX News? But all I got was an unsatisfied sound of disapproval.

I went for another drink. Just as I was pouring myself a glass, Azula announced that she had found some program that was to her liking. I almost dreaded to find out what it was.