#|| OZAI | HEADCANON | reborn in flame.

[badmusejail]

Shipping Status / Availability

Most people love shipping, right? Here's a quick summary of each muse and their interests! All ships are built on chemistry and while I don't mind you saying you'd be interested upfront, I will not force any muse into a situation that doesn't suit them. The muse ultimately decides what does and doesn't work. Please note that even if it isn't explicitly stated I will not ship adult muses with minors and it's a shame I have to say it.

Gaster: Although Gaster considers himself an aromantic asexual, he'd be happy to engage in such activities for the right partner and, in fact, is quite vulnerable to 'romantic' gestures. The exact type of partner he seeks is unclear, given that he's burdened by a heavy amount of trauma and anxiety and feels wrong sharing that with anyone, but he does appreciate empathetic, loving people that still know when to stand their ground against him. Given the nature of monsters, he's able and willing to carry a child for a loving partner. Shipping with a human isn't impossible but would require a great deal of development. Will not ship with: Frisk, Chara, Asriel, Sans, Papyrus Unlikely to ship with: Toriel, humans Likely to ship with: Asgore, variants of himself

Giovanni: Self-proclaimed as straight but also self-proclaimed as willing to fool around with men if it's entertaining enough. Willing to have both one-night stands and longer relationships and doesn't believe that a long-term relationship should be based solely on sexual attraction. Seems to be attracted to confident, intelligent types that are emotionally independent and respectful of Giovanni's choices and need for space. Will not ship with: Protagonists Unlikely to ship with: Members of villainous teams, including members of Team Rocket Likely to ship with: Professors, neutral parties

Koga: In his younger verse, married. In his older verse, grieving. You're welcome to try, though.

Gaevano: ??? Probably not but I genuinely don't know.

Iroh: Straight; available, but more likely to simply goof around with the ladies rather than engage in any long-term relationship.

Ozai: Generally unavailable. Uninterested even with his canonical partner. It just doesn't end well. Arranged marriages / etc. are possible but don't expect anything other than disdain.

Weird Octopus: No.

Gemuse: Biromantic sex-repulsed asexual. He tends to be extremely skittish in regards to romantic situations (ask his primary ship partner) and shipping can be especially tricky given his job but it can work out in the right situation.

Giothornéc: Maybe?

Quentin / Major: Both are best described as demisexual but also more than willing to just fuck for the sake of it, with impressively low standards. They tend to prefer women but shipping with men isn't impossible. That being said, they're both incredibly traumatized borderline psychopaths, so ... I guess that's your choice. Will not ship with: Peter

[beckytailweaver]

Avatar: The Last Airbender (fic stuff)

Since I’m trying to work on something (ANYTHING!) and I seem to be in an Avatar mood of late, I’ll throw this up here.

These are fics, potential fics, and mostly-concrete ideas that have existed in the back of my closet for a very long time, since the good old days of watching ATLA when it was shiny and new and cool. Most of them are also so old that LOK didn’t exist yet or was in its infancy.

Note: These are mostly gen fic. If pairings come up they are not the central goal of the piece; they will be mainly canon as it existed at the time the fic was outlined. Treat them like the scenery (no ship war drama allowed in my workroom, that’s what stopped me participating in the fandom years ago).

I’d kinda like to put some feelers out and see what folks think would be most interesting to work on.

Read on:

The End of the Circle Post-canon continuation, my oldest ATLA fic, conceived and outlined before comics or LOK existed. Does some headcanon worldbuilding based on what was available at the time of the original series. Dragons and spirits and legends coming to life, oh my!

Status: outlined, some scenes written, firm endpoint, world built.

Summary: Roku warned Aang that he could not die in the Avatar State, or the cycle would end. Azula’s lightning killed Aang in the Avatar State. To their good fortune, Katara’s spirit water was able to bring Aang back to life, but there are Consequences—for the Avatar and for the world.

Wild Fire Canon AU/semi-rewrite. Also born before LOK was a thing so Druk doesn’t exist. It borrows some concepts from the idea of Toph and her badgermole family. It breaks some TLA canon around the edges but it’s all in good fun.

Status: outlined, many scenes, ending fully plotted.

Summary: The young Fire Prince was burned and disowned by the Fire Lord, cast away and abandoned on the hostile shores of the Earth Kingdom before his kindly uncle could aid him. Disfigured, angry, and lost, young Zuko finds solace in the wilderness when he is taken in by a most unusual protector: A dragon.

Phoenix Legacy Not-a-time-travel “time travel” fic. It was born after seeing Season 1 of Avatar LOK and...kinda liking it but not? (I mostly lost interest in LOK after S1.) And wanting to add some more classic feel to the season. No information from subsequent seasons was used to outline it (thus there is no Druk) but recently I have gone back and “fixed” Zuko’s daughter (giving her the correct name and appearance), and added her nameless daughter (Iroh II’s sister) for lulz. Basically a rewrite of LOK Season 1 with a TLA character along for the ride to shake everything up, because at the time I was disappointed that there was only Katara and no other Gaang members out there kicking the new Avatar into shape.

Status: outlined, a few scenes written, ending plotted; not to be a rehash.

Summary: A phoenix cannot die by fire—it can only be reborn. When Ozai claimed the title of Phoenix King, he had no idea what sort of spirit he might be invoking. When he lost his ancestor’s war and his crown, the spirit’s blessings were unknowingly conferred upon his heir: The hapless Fire Lord Zuko, determined to bring his nation to peace. Seventy years later, there’s a tragic explosion in a tea shop in Republic City, and exiled traitor Fire Prince Zuko wakes up to an unfamiliar world full of unfamiliar faces. The last thing he remembers is an Agni Kai under a Comet, catching lightning to protect a friend.

The Prince’s Prisoner Another ficling born before the comics or LOK were really a big deal and/or I didn’t know about them. Basically during TLA S1, rather than fleeing Prince Zuko’s clutches, Aang decides to remain his prisoner. The original reasoning for this was a kind of modified Peggy Sue: Aang effed up his final battle with Ozai for reasons, his soul is sorta sent back in time to do-over from his iceberg wakeup. The problem is that this is not a perfect process and he doesn’t actually remember everything, only some very important faces, feelings, and concepts. The idea of Zuko as a dear friend/teacher/trusted person is one of these things. Thus, in defiance of all visible logic, Aang trusts S1!Zuko with his life and keeps his promise to go with him. In spite of his Water Tribe friends continuously trying to rescue him, Zhao continuously trying to capture him, and Zuko himself continuously trying to avoid being befriended by his ticket home. (”I’m your prisoner, not anyone else’s.”)  Intended to be a funny and heartwarming friendship/journey story taking a different angle at the series.

Status: tentatively outlined with very few scenes skeleton’d out, season 1 definite, endpoint undecided but can continue throughout the series. The premise mechanic is a bit flimsy; it’s less concrete since it’s supposed to be fluff, angst, and friendship.

dragon!Zuko AU fic Everybody has to write one of these, it’s like a law. Here’s mine: Ozai’s cruelty during the Agni Kai with his young son invoked the wrath of Agni, bringing down a magic from a time before memory and no one knows if it’s a blessing or a curse. When Zuko’s face burned, the fire didn’t stop there, and when the flames went out a young dragon was left on the floor of the arena. Uncle Iroh came to his rescue before the rest of Court could gather their wits, and then had to get him on a boat and out of the Fire Nation before Ozai could decide whether to make him into a pet or a trophy. Part 1: Rather than going on a mission to hunt the Avatar, Zuko and Iroh are on a road trip to keep Zuko alive and secret from the world (Ozai wants to usurp his brother’s title of Dragon). Iroh and his crew end up raising this stubborn angsty dragon prince; since he can’t turn back into a human he has to come to terms with being a dragon most of the time (which can’t talk), and he can often be Very Dramatic about it. Part 2: Years later, there’s rumors of the Avatar’s return and Zuko (who has sort of learned to take a human shape again) sees an opportunity to spare his own life and go home by offering his father a bigger prize than a dragon’s head...

Status: very general outline, some scenes conceived and a general plot/endpoint. Part 1 is in the 3 years pre-canon, Part 2 is during canon, including the grumpy dragon hiding out in Ba Sing Se.

Years Gone/Avatar kids AU S1/pre-canon rewrite. Some whim of fate cracks open Aang’s iceberg three years early (a storm, a passing boat, pure chance?) and he tumbles out into the world in the same year that Prince Zuko was banished. Despite befriending some Water Tribe children who would love to go adventuring with him, he’s got to get home to the Southern Air Temple and that’s where he runs into young, angry, raw-wounded Prince Zuko on his first visit. The tiny chase ensues up and down the entire temple. Aang will of course be friendly but escape. And this begins a probably-ill-advised adventure with a lot of kids who are entirely too young to be camping across the world on a bison (but it’s exciting!), chased by another kid entirely too young to be leading a manhunt. The Comet is three years away so there’s plenty of time for adults to tear their hair out over this. Zuko is a tiny ball of determination, rage, and tears. Aang feels bad for him and tries to make with the befriending even as he’s dodging the fire tantrums. Occasionally during adventures Zuko just gets scooped along for the ride in Appa’s saddle, no one’s sure how these weird truces get called, but Iroh sips tea and directs the crew on a new heading and they’ll pick up their prince at the bison’s next stopover most likely after the kid pendulums back the other way and remembers he’s trying to nab the Avatar again. So Zuko spends 50% of the time yelling and chasing the Avatar and 50% of the time sitting in Appa’s saddle learning tentative smiles and being offered berries and seal jerky, all the way from the South Pole to the North. (It’s slightly terrifying to realize that Aang and Zuko are currently the oldest kids in the party and are actually in charge of this terribly irresponsible expedition.)

Status: general outline, a couple of scenes written, particular S1 plot points, no endpoint yet. Possible bonus content: Toph and/or Suki come along for the ride because why not.

The Blacksmith of Ba Sing Se This is a very old Lu Ten Lives! story. Lu Ten always knew Uncle Ozai envied him, but secure in his position he didn’t really care about it until he took an arrow in the back during the final battle of the Siege of Ba Sing Se. With unknown assassins among his own ranks and no safe place to retreat in the melee, the wounded prince decides to fake his own death by hiding in the rubble, and then swapping clothes with a slain Earth Kingdom soldier half crushed in the ruin. At first, it’s only to get to safety until he can get to the bottom of this. But Lu Ten is picked up by the EK medic teams after the surprising withdrawal of the Fire Nation troops, and ends up spirited away into the heart of Ba Sing Se—where he discovers that it’s hard to escape. He also discovers a whole new world, and a whole new perspective, and, keeping out of the authorities’ notice, eventually manages to make a life for himself as Chang the Blacksmith, a humble craftsman with a wife and kids. This...is much nicer than war, death, and Court politics. Years later: refugee Zuko walking home from his job at Pao Family Tea Shop runs across a little boy crying over his broken toy in the dusty street...

Status: nebulous outline with a few particular sketched scenes. Takes place mostly in Ba Sing Se, outcome indeterminate. It could be mixed with the Lineages concept from below.

Lineages / not Ozai’s kid AU Not really a concrete plot so much as a campy idea from long before the Avatar comics blundered through Ursa’s backstory. There was a phase in the fandom (I think the Search comics drew off of that) where it was popular to imagine almost anyone else than Ozai as Zuko’s Secret Real Dad (the boy deserves a better father) and Iroh was often selected as primary candidate. (I know, Iroh is already the real dad and stepped into Ozai’s cold empty shoes like a pro.) Me, deciding that I had to be different, decided to offer up Lu Ten on that altar. Justifications: Iroh and Ozai looked to have a pretty extreme age difference and there was no solid age for Lu Ten at the time of his death, but his picture looks mature enough. Deals with family secrets and the political issues of muddying the lines of inheritance in the middle of a war. Also takes a crack at Ursa having a clever hand with Azulon’s last will and testament on Ozai’s behalf, with provisos.

Status: nothing really more than a vague concept without enough plot to stand on its own. Without a viable framework, it could work better/well folded into The Blacksmith story, above.

I’m open to opinions and/or asks about these. Trying to get a spark going! (I need to be working in a fandom, ANY fandom at this point! ^_^;; )

[badmusejail]

Ozai (and Iroh) AUs

Since I've started writing in them both on here but never formally wrote up information about them, here we go.

First off, in general, Ozai tends to be a little younger in these verses. He's around 40 at the start of ATLA and usually in his early 30s in these verses. Why? Because I find it a more interesting area for development, that's all. He and Ursa are in a tumultuous but mostly stable marriage, Zuko and Azula are rather young and repeating much of the strife Iroh and Ozai themselves have. Usually Lu Ten is already dead but Ozai hasn't (yet) made an attack on his father to claim the throne nor has he scarred and banished zuko (yet).

It makes sense to have Zuko older when Zuko is the main muse, but Zuko isn't my muse and so I shift the narrative a bit earlier to put more focus on my muses.

There's still a 15 year gap between him and Iroh, putting Iroh around his mid-late 40s. Iroh can, and has, been mistaken for Ozai's father, much to the former's amusement and the latter's annoyance.

Most of these AUs feature similar, but milder, events compared to canon. This is also to facilitate Ozai's growth and allow him to develop in ways that were never an option in canon.

He's still a dick, though.

That, and, to make him easier to interact with, as engaging with him in canon is virtually impossible unless you're Zuko, Iroh, or Azula.

He's still a firebender or equivalent in all verses unless explicitly noted.

As usual, most details and plotting are open for discussion! Just shoot me a message.

Modern AU

Azulon serves as the current CEO of Ember Strokes (畫的餘燼) with his sons serving close behind him. Whether this is literal or metaphorical depends on which son you're referring to, as Ozai tends to literally be right behind Azulon in all things he does, while Iroh tends to be halfway across the world, promoting the company as a loveable and relatable figure.

The history of Ember Strokes is unclear, but the most prominent figure was Sozin, who rocketed the company from being a small and mostly local business to country-wide and then international fame. A lot of the history prior to Sozin taking over the company has been lost, and neither Azulon nor Ozai feel inclined to dig deeper into it.

(Iroh may, yes, but not quite yet.)

Nonetheless, the accepted history of the company is that it started in artwork, traced back to a singular artist who used fire to create strange and unique pieces covering a wide variety of topics. Unfortunately, that original technique has been lost, but Ember Strokes still deals heavily in art and the surrounding areas, such as clothing, furniture, jewelry, and others.

The company puts an emphasis on cultural heritage and respecting history, focusing heavily on traditional pieces and techniques that capture the beauty of nature and yes, fire.

Keeping up appearances is important to them, so much so that Azulon and Ozai regularly wear traditional robes and a vast majority of their primary residence doesn't even have electricity, instead relying on fire and the sun and only using technology when strictly necessary.

Azulon's relationship to Ozai and Iroh is arguably more twisted in this verse; as Iroh grew into a teenager, Azulon began to fear that he'd lose control of the boy or that he'd choose to abandon Ember Strokes and leave them without an heir, and so he had Ozai, making sure to have a stronger hold over the boy.

Ozai is oblivious to any other possibilities--as far as he's considered, his life belongs to his father and the company and he's blind to the unhealthy degree of control Azulon has over him, even well into adulthood.

Ozai's hatred of Iroh developed on its own, however; while it's true that Azulon holds some favoritism towards his firstborn, it's not nearly as extreme as Ozai believes it to be. It's simply that the two have different uses and strengths and Azulon puts them to use as efficiently as possible.

He does, essentially, intend for Iroh to be the face of the company while Ozai handles the financial business in the background. In an ideal world, they'd work together well, balancing each other's flaws, but Ozai hates Iroh too much for it to ever work out. He'd much rather Iroh not have a part in the company at all.

As for the children...Lu Ten sadly passed away in an vehicle accident about a year ago. As well as Iroh is holding together, he's still heavy in his grief and noticeably different.

Zuko and Azula are mostly left to their own devices, usually watched by some sort of tutor, babysitter, or servant as Ozai is extremely busy and hardly ever spends time with them, except for the occasional family dinner or sparring.

Ozai finds Zuko far too soft for the business and has no intention of training him to take it over or even letting him be a part of it. Kicking the boy out is unnecessary, but Ozai doesn't think he has any value there. Azula, of course, is the one he's training to support him and one day take over the company.

Although the company is mostly legal...there is some underground shenanigans going on, mostly on Azulon's level that he hasn't yet revealed to the brothers. The arrangement that lead to Ursa's marriage to Ozai was one of them.

Urban Fantasy AU

Much the same as the above, except the family's rule over fire is well known and respected among human mages.

Kings and Knights (Fantasy) AU

Ozai is one of two princes of Lóngdǎo (龍島), an intensely volcanic region. The kingdom is highly aggressive and there's a general belief that the world would be better under their control.

Much like the other AUs, Ozai has not yet seized control of the kingdom and is trying to prove himself a superior heir to Iroh.

Particularly, he's interested in killing a dragon, an extremely respectable and honorable feat to his people...and something his brother has already done. (Or at least has claimed to do.)

Sci-Fi (Space) AU

(to be added)

[badmusejail]

who drops someone in a trust fall on purpose?

🌙 * ― 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 ( a series of question from ‘the voting game’ card game for multimuse blogs. bonus points if you answer the questions with your original characters! )

Quentin, to probably no one's surprise.

Even Giovanni and Ozai, assuming they agreed to the trust fall, would catch someone. The rest would pretty much catch you even if you did it spontaneously, except maybe Geoferd and Gaevano, both of whom may just stare at you depending on their mood.

Bastard.

[badmusejail]

⚔ which muse is the most likely to go to jail/prison 👑 which muse is most likely to take over the world 💎 which muse is the biggest drama queen 👛 which muse is the most frugal 👠 which muse loves shopping sprees

send me a symbol and I will tell you… ⚔ which muse is the most likely to go to jail/prison

Every muse on the blog turns to look at Ozai.

"Hmph."

👑 which muse is most likely to take over the world

"Naturally."

It'd be Gaster, if Gaster had any desire to.

💎 which muse is the biggest drama queen

"That would be me."

👛 which muse is the most frugal

I don't think there's any clear winner for this one. Maybe Gemuse or Surge; as in, they're the muses most likely to not waste money.

👠 which muse loves shopping sprees

Again there's no winner for this one because I as a mun hate shopping and it reflects in most of my muses. Giovanni shops a lot because he's picky about his stuff but I wouldn't say he loves it. Gaster enjoys just looking at the vast offerings in stores, so he might be the closest. Him or Iroh, who enjoys looking at things, and generally wasting a lot of money.

[badmusejail]

Giovanni and Ozai are interesting characters to compare in regards to writing.    Because they do have similarities, they’re both villains that seek control and use others for their own means, but their thought processes and behaviors tend to be so different.  

Ozai tends to feel sloppy compared to Giovanni; I think that’s an unfair word with negative connotation; but for Ozai, it always seems to be a thin veil of diplomacy with the heavy threat of physical violence underneath, whereas Giovanni is very heavy-handed with the diplomacy and flattery.

Or another way to look at is is that Ozai is very self-centered when it comes to manipulation--he knows his strength, he makes sure his enemies and allies knows his strength, and he’s very much a “carry a big stick” type of guy.  On the other hand, Giovanni centers his manipulation around the other guy--a lot of flattery, praise, friendship; making himself the smaller guy and playing to whatever he can, be it pride, or charisma, or friendliness; making them think they’re in control while they’re doing what he wants all along.

(That being said, Giovanni could very easy manipulate Ozai if it wasn’t obvious.)

Another interesting contrast between the characters is that Giovanni is well aware that his actions are for his own selfish interests, but he has compassion and very high empathy, whereas Ozai believes his actions are for the glory of his people and that he’s destined to do them, while generally lacking compassion and having low empathy.  

(I’ve been meaning to write a post about empathy, but it’s important to note that not having empathy isn’t a bad thing and having empathy doesn’t necessarily make you a good person.)

You can also compare them in their followers:  Very few people would willingly follow Ozai (or at least not healthily) whereas Giovanni’s followers are mostly very loyal and have a strong and healthy relationship to him.  

Writing them both is very interesting, as Giovanni gracefully skips from topic to topic as he scopes out his target and appeals to them, making them want to follow him of their own will, whereas Ozai tends to be very clumsy as he jumps from topic to topic, with a very heavy undercurrent of I could just kill you instead.  

That being said, if you have any opinions / observations about the duo, I’d be happy to hear them; talking about characters is really fascinating to me.

[badmusejail]

which of your muses is the pickiest eater?

q’s for a multimuse! 

The octopus.

I was tempted to just leave it there for the meme and it is the technically correct answer. If you give it virtually anything other than fish it'll probably just throw it at you.

Gaster tended to be pickier before his time in the Void; particularly in that he didn't like food touching.

Gemuse is somewhat picky, but that's more out of a medical diet than choice.

Ozai is unlikely to eat anything that doesn't meet his standards.

[badmusejail]

What is the one question people most commonly ask your muse? (ozai)

ASK HARD QUESTIONS

If generic is fine, probably variations of "What can I do?" given his whole business as a Firelord / royalty and the fact that he has a whole lot of people and servants awaiting his orders and ready to do whatever he tells him.

Outside of that? Probably, "What happened to Ursa?"

It's a hot topic.

He despises it.

[badmusejail]

A FIRELORD’S TALE.

(copied from the original blog)

OZAI was born to Firelord Azulon and Illah.  Named after the heritage he was born to proudly carry, the name is also homonymous with fiery disaster, a snide shot at the child that was never meant to exist, only born to handle an extenuating circumstance that would never come to pass.  

This was no secret to the court–the baby born as an afterthought, 15 years after the beloved crown prince and passed off from servant to servant, hardly seeing the family he supposedly belonged to.  

Still, his destiny and honor were quickly imposed upon him.  What an honor, they said, to be born in the royal family.  Ozai adored those words from the moment he was old enough to understand them.  He dreamt of honor and glory, of faithfully serving the Firelord, of being a beloved and noble prince.  He listened to stories of Iroh with barely repressed glee, imitating the older brother and doing everything he could to gain his favor.

But something was wrong.

Even as a child, Ozai wasn’t oblivious to how he wasn’t permitted to be with the brother, quickly ushered off anytime he tried to get close.  Forced to sit down and listen to meaningless lectures and read boring scrolls while the rest of the Nation was learning to fight, preparing to fight for honor and glory.  

Ozai’s frustration spilled over into fits that sent the servants and teachers scattering, and with his family having such little interest in his activities, the behavior went unchecked.  Ozai found that he rather liked having people cowering at his feet, and the servants had no course of action to combat the aggressive child.  

Even so, Ozai’s demands were not met–he was still refused training and forced to sit aside.

When he was finally permitted to attend a small school for nobles, he engaged it with a passion and brutality that scared most of his classmates and even some of the teachers.  Even so, none dared confront the Firelord about it, and so his behavior was allowed to continue, with most people cautiously keeping their distance.  

Ozai didn’t care.  He was a prince.  He was the future of this Nation, and he was the best there was.  They didn’t need to engage with him and it was for the best that they cowered before him, as they would when he was Firelord.  

He was twelve years old when Azulon told him in no uncertain terms that his only purpose was to continue the lineage if Iroh were to pass.

Ozai stood alone in silence in that throne room as his father stalked away, his mother nowhere to be found.  

He doesn’t remember if he cried or not.  But if he was asked, he’d scoff and say of course not.  

It was ridiculous and they all knew it.  Iroh was invincible.  Untouchable, proud–a dragon in human flesh.  

Ozai decided he hated him.

So when he visited the school a short while later, Ozai didn’t look at him, and merely told him to begone from his sight.

The Firelord was the sole source of truth.  His will was unbreakable, his word was law.  If he deemed you useless…

Ozai couldn’t retaliate against him.  No one could, the Firelord was their savior, their hopes andthe one destined to lead the Fire Nation to greatness.  To go against him was to court death, treason of the highest order.  So he suppressed the hatred.  Served Firelord Azulon loyally, taking his pittance and grievances out on Iroh instead, seeking to surpass the untouchable.  

He blamed his problems on the other, refused any attempts at coexistence.  He actively despised Iroh, even outright attacking him at the slightest provocation.

And Iroh too couldn’t help but shy away from that cruel ambition in Ozai’s eyes.  

They mutually agreed, in silence, they were best apart from one another.  

As Ozai grew into a teenager, he expected that Azulon would send him out to fight, just as Iroh did, just as it was his noble duty to do.  He expected to be able to prove himself, to topple Iroh, to gain Azulon’s favor.  

Azulon refused.  

Ozai returned to his studies.

As the celebrations of his sixteenth birthday faded to little more than a dim glow on the horizon, Ozai asked Azulon once more to let him serve alongside his brother and the troops.  Azulon refused.  As he departed, Ozai made a scathing remark about the Firelord, fury blazing through his veins and simmering beneath his words.  Azulon struck him down with a whip of fire for his disrespect.  

Learn from your suffering, you little runt! The words would circle in Ozai’s mind for years to come.

Ozai spent days bedridden from the injury and several weeks recovering and learned to make sure his father was out of earshot next time he wished to speak ill of him.

Over the next several years, the royal family seemed to exist in relative peace. Ozai spent a lot of time observing Iroh–particularly the way he treated his son.  He still didn’t like the brother by any means–especially with how people constantly fawned over him while they cowered or fled from Ozai–but he found himself intrigued by the relationships Iroh had, particularly with his father and son.

Love, they called it.  

He heard the servants whisper of it, he’s heard stories of scandalous things occurring because of it, he’d seen plays and heard songs about it.  

But he didn’t understand.

It wasn’t as if it mattered much anyways, as Azulon demanded his marriage to a woman named Ursa as her bloodline would bring both families great honor.

Neither of them wanted this, but it was their duty to tend to the future of the Fire Nation, so they bowed their heads and exchanged their vows.  Ozai was even less thrilled at the idea of producing heirs–he didn’t like to be touched, and what did it matter when Iroh was the only one of worth anyways?

But, the Firelord’s word is final, his will their guiding light, so produce an heir they did.  

The weakness in the child’s eyes offended Ozai–had the Fire Sages and Ursa not tempered his rage, the child may not have lived past that day.  But live Zuko did, and change the world he would.  

Ozai wondered what he was supposed to do with this tiny menace.  Of all the studies he was forced to endure, babies were not one of them.  Vaguely disgusted by the task, Ozai kept to his duty nonetheless, remembering what he saw of Iroh–the brother, the beloved brother, always better than him.

For the first few years, Ozai emulated his behavior.  He put effort into being… “a good father” that his son could love.  He observed the way Ursa interacted with him.

When his daughter was born, Ozai decided this was pointless.  Acting like he felt in ways he did not was foolish and only going to cause more problems when the deception was realized.  

He did, however, vow to himself that he’d treat his children based on merit and not simply because one was born first.  

The following years were much a repetition of his youth.  He spent much of his time in isolation, studying or training, shooting after a goal he didn’t even comprehend anymore.  He watched Iroh, continuing to grow jealous.  He watched Ursa and Zuko, growing jealous of them as well.  

He threw himself into a borderline self-destructive fervor, taking up every task assigned to him, compared to Iroh who would rather sit around, laugh, have a cup of tea.  

And Azulon still favored him.  

Whether it was his bitterness or Ursa’s own, the duo grew more and more strained.  Ozai held onto his honor, his duty, but more and more it was feeling worthless, unnecessary, and this bitterness seeped through him, the hollowness flowed through his bones and he lashed out at everyone and everything.   They fought, they yelled.  Over every little thing, it seemed–Ozai didn’t hate her and yet here he was, making her hate him.

His father had his wife and Iroh, Iroh had his son, glory, and the support of the people, and Ozai…

Well, Ozai was nothing more than a fiery disaster.  He was a prince with the world at his feet, and yet, everything was crumbling apart.  His presence was entirely unnecessary, unwanted; people shied away from his very gaze and he focused on his duty to his people, his hatred of Iroh to keep going, because if he thought too much about it he’d find he had nothing else.  

The fights continued until the unthinkable happened.  

Iroh returned from the war.  Abandoned the siege on Ba Sing Se.  His son had perished.

Ozai lost all respect for his brother that very day.  

To abandon his purpose, for that?  It made Ozai sick–especially to think that such a weak willed man would inherit the throne.

…Or, would he?

The realization slowly dawned upon Ozai that with Lu Ten gone, Iroh’s bloodline was dead.  With Iroh, being the sentimental fool he was, unlikely to have another child, there was no reason that Azulon should keep him as heir.  

Even with this knowledge, Ozai observed his brother.  He could see the tears, hear the heartbroken brother mumbling some lullaby beneath his breath.

The display was entirely foreign to him, and he approached, entranced.

Why do you mourn, brother? Ozai asked.  He meant no harm.  He knew Azulon saw them as disposable.  He knew he had no attachment to his own children.  

But, Iroh, in his grief, could only see mockery: the inconsiderate little brother who had always hated him.  There was no calm.  There was no explanation.  Only anger.  

But why, brother? Ozai repeated.  How is this any different than any soldier on the battlefield dying?  They have parents, too.

Indeed, Ozai saw no difference between his children dying than any soldier on the battlefield perishing.  

…And, indeed, the horrors of what Iroh had been doing began to fully dawn upon him.

Ozai could tell he was unwanted.  This was nothing new.  As he wandered through the kingdom, he saw how everyone mourned for the fallen prince.

Would they care if I died? He wondered, and knew the answer was no.

Something burning inside him, Ozai gathered his family, made his case, and expected Azulon to name him heir.

Azulon refused.  

Not only this, but Azulon was so incensed by Ozai’s request that he decided to teach the disrespectful, ambitious child a lesson once and for all.  He instructed Ozai to kill his own son, to learn the pain that Iroh suffered.

Ozai left the throne room, only one word on his mind:  Why?  

Father, why?  Why am I worthless to you?

What purpose am I meant to serve?

Is this not what I was born for?

Nonetheless, he had learned–the scar still visible on his back–that the Firelord’s rule is law and to disobey him is treason.  

He retreated to his private quarters to inform Ursa of the news.  Of course, he, as he just covered with his brother, was not bothered by the instruction.  Zuko was lagging behind, likely to never catch up, and would likely only be a shame to the Royal Family.  Really, killing him was a mercy.

He should have expected Ursa to take issue with the instruction.  

He had seen this emotion before.  The look in her eyes.  That deep desperation, sadness.  It was the very same look he saw in Iroh’s, and the very same emotion he himself lacked.  At first he disregarded her words, but she pleaded.  He heard the words, he heard the emotion, and it just frustrated him.  He turned away.  And then…

What you suggest is treason, he informed, words ice as he turned back to her.  

And yet she pleaded, and yet he couldn’t pull away.  The idea haunted him, danced in his mind, stole his breath.  

Kill Azulon.  Take the throne.  Spare Zuko.

It was so deliciously tempting in its simplicity.  And really, the treasonous thoughts continued, wouldn’t it be for the best?  Azulon is endangering the Fire Nation with his attachment to his son.  Iroh is in no condition to rule, nor does he want to.  Zuko will live, as per Ursa’s wishes.  Ursa doesn’t want to be here, you can free her from her obligation.

This is treason.

This is treason.

This is treason.

Those three words repeated in his mind even as he agreed.  

Leave and never return, he commanded her, your children will come to no harm.

She departed.  He tucked the vile vial into his sleeves and met a servant before he entered his father’s room.  He ushered the servant away and dripped the poison into the tea, hiding the vial within his robes.  

The look of distressed grief on his face wasn’t entirely fake but it suited his purpose nonetheless.  

Head hung, Ozai ignored the look of irritation the resting Azulon shot him, straightening, rigid, thoughts running a thousand words a minute as he extended the tray to him.

The deed is done, father, he stated.  

He would never forget the pleased look on Azulon’s face.  

He could have stopped him from drinking the tea.  Perhaps he should have.

You’d order me dead with just as much pleasure, wouldn’t you?

Die, father.

He merely knelt quietly by the bed as his father lectured him about understanding.

I understand nothing, father.  These words went unspoken.

Ozai sat in that room until Azulon passed in his sleep just as Ursa said he would.

He told the servants that his father, heartbroken at Lu Ten’s death, passed away last night, after asking him to inherit the throne in Iroh’s stead.  

He was crowned Firelord that day.

He saw Iroh in the crowd, standing in mute confusion.  

They spoke after the ceremony.  Cordial.  Distant.  Like strangers.  Despite his best effort, he could not discern if Iroh knew.  The two went different ways and hardly spoke.  As much as they claimed it to be because of their duties, there was an insurmountable rift between them, and they both knew it.  

As Firelord Ozai retreated to his quarters, he realized that nothing had changed.  Crown or not, he was still the unwanted, weakling prince, overshadowed by his brother.  

He stumbled into the role woefully unprepared, cursing his father for all the useless lessons he was taught, but managing nonetheless with a contagious confidence and deadset passion for furthering the Fire Nation and the world.  

With Sozin’s Comet a few short years away and one talented heir, Ozai was well-set to become the most famous Firelord in history.   The one to end the war, unite this fractured world …  Like a phoenix, he decided, remembering one random legend he had been required to read.

A Phoenix King, one to burn this world down and rebuild it anew.  

His father didn’t matter.  His wife didn’t matter.  His brother didn’t matter.

What mattered was the Fire Nation and the glory the Firelord would bring it!

And glory he brought.

The populace was wary of him, for a time; he was not their beloved prince, but he proved himself–he was not a military leader and very few military conquests could be attributed to his name, but he brought prosperity to the nation.  

He rerouted transport, he demolished old regulations his father didn’t interact with, he drove innovation and pushed the economy forward, applying upgrade after upgrade to the military–new weapons, new boats, new armor.  Tanks.  Drills.  Airships.  

All lead by the most powerful Firebender in the world.  

He was at the top of the world–or, perhaps, not yet.

But he would be.

And then, he was sitting in on an ordinary meeting–nothing special, a strategic meeting held by his generals–his own strategic ability was lacking.  Bujing, a good companion of Ozai’s–and his father’s–likely one of the pillars that kept Ozai’s reign strong, was talking of their next strategy to overcome Earth Kingdom forces when someone spoke against it.  

Prince Zuko.  

Ozai’s own son.  

Ozai frowned with a low growl.  Of course, he could have settled this the very same way Azulon handled Ozai so many years ago–strike Zuko down where he stood and called it done, but that event, so long ago, still brought bitterness to Ozai.

He would be better than his father.  

Your disrespect will be settled by Agni Kai, Zuko! he commanded.  Of course, Zuko would lose.  He would be publicly humiliated, but the disrespect would be settled and all parties would be satisfied.  He would fight in his general’s place, of course.  No one insulted his generals, not even his own son.  

There was a certain brazenness he appreciated in his son’s outburst.  It was better than the reclusive, childish, soft boy he so commonly was.  If it wasn’t so inappropriately timed, he might have praised him for speaking his mind, for a leader needed to know how to do so, but, this situation was not the right time.  

And Zuko promptly threw that respect away.

On the battlefield, in the sacred trial of Agni Kai, surrounded by their peers, Zuko refused to fight.  

Speaking up in the war room was a childish mistake that needed to be reprimanded.  Refusing to fight an Agni Kai was an inexcusable crime against their very culture.  An insult to your opponent, the ritual itself, and the very nation.

To refuse to fight the Firelord was to ask for death.  

Stand up and fight, Prince Zuko! Ozai warned him.

Stand up and fight for your honor!  Ozai commanded a second time.

Where was that boy that spoke so boldly?  Where was that strength?  Why was there a cowering, snivelling runt before him instead of a prince?  Frustration mounted in Ozai.  Step by step, he watched as Zuko refused to move.

Twice now this boy had narrowly escaped death.  

Had destiny spared him simply to force Ozai’s hand now?  

Suffering will be your teacher.  He brought his hand down upon Zuko’s face.

He was spared once more.

Ozai walked away, not looking back at his fallen son, instructing the servants that as soon as he awoke he was to be banished from this Nation, only to return if he hunted down the Avatar.  

It was an impossible goal.  Utterly cruel, and the only way to settle the debt he incurred by refusing to fight.  

He would never return home, and given his subpar abilities and public humiliation, it was for the best.  

Ozai had a talented heir.  There was no reason to have a worthless one hanging around.  

He was both bothered and pleased to see that the event drove Iroh off as well.  

Ozai refused to think of it.  

He had his daughter.  She was all he needed to ensure the future of the Fire Nation.

Nothing would stand in his way.  

Not even the conveniently timed return of the Avatar.  He promoted Zhao to Admiral, tasking him with doing whatever was necessary to take down the Avatar.  

He failed, thanks to Iroh.  

News of his brother’s treachery made his blood boil with a rage he hadn’t felt for the man in years.  

He knew he should have prohibited him from going with Zuko–no matter how eager he was to have him away from him.  Now, Iroh wasn't only a failure, but a traitor as well.  

Good thing he had an answer for that.  

His daughter, beloved daughter, so much like him in his youth, so eager to please, so eager to be useful, and he, unlike his father, more than willing to give her a chance.  

Bring back your traitorous uncle and your failure brother, he commanded, and she grinned.  

The war raged on.  Failure and success danced around one another–courtesy of his daughter and his son, and not always in the way he predicted.  

When it came right down to it, Azula and Zuko both lied to him, and Zuko betrayed him.

He should have known better than to trust them.

But it was no matter.  The day of the comet was upon them, and he would take the world into his hand.  He would burn it to ash and he would reign upon it and grow a new world of unity from those ashes.  

And who could stop him?

The kid?  

He was almost laughable with his preaching and his weakness.  A leaf compared to a phoenix who would burn with a mere brush against his wings.

And then the leaf was whisked away and in its place was a typhoon.  It’s everything Ozai can do to survive and like most fights in life it took only a single mistake before he's slammed upon the ground; his doom drilling for his face.  

He closed his eyes.

The end did not come.  

The kid comes to the ground–looks away.  Disgust and anger fills Ozai–sparing one's enemies is for the weak–he is not weak and he will not be spared.

He will kill the Avatar or die trying.

An attack.

A counter.

He's restrained and the Avatar is touching him and he hates it and it’s the most unsettling feeling he has ever felt and dragonflies are crawling on him and within him and he sees things and he feels kindness and love for the first time except it isn't him feeling it it’s the avatar-boy and he sees his past and he sees his father and the pain and hatred and the jealousy and the years and years of dedicating himself only to be scorned again and again.

And then he's waking up only to learn that a hundred years has passed and the Fire Nation has declared war on the world and all of his people are dead but kindness and mercy must prevail over all and I cannot kill, I cannot but then he's facing down a helpless child, a child who disobeyed the laws of the land, a child who was too arrogant for his own good, a child who made too many grave mistakes and the smell of flesh is indistinguishable.

He sees his father, a merciless shadow of fire.  He feels the pain of neglect welling beneath him.  The welt of being whipped.  He sees his brother–his back as he walks away.  He sees his mother–only a blur as she ignored him.   He sees his wife, bickering and demonizing him, in love with another, hatred in her eyes.   He sees a kingdom who doesn’t care about the second heir.  He hears the servants complaining about caring for him.  He would scream, but he is physically incapable of doing so.  He sees himself in the mirror, donning the Firelord’s robes and he hears the oath he swears to himself.  He hears him swear to bring honor to his ancestors.

He sees a world of unity under the Fire Nation’s, under the Phoenix King's single rule.

He sees a world of unity under kindness, love, and mutual understanding.  He sees the avatar boy and his friends, having lost so much, but gained, too.  He sees their journeys.  He sees the Water Tribe, he sees the fights with the Fire Nation, he sees the gradual friendship with his failure son.  He sees them journey through the Earth Kingdom, and to the hollowed Air Temples, and he sees them somehow find happiness in all the despair.  

He’s met with the realization that there’s a lot in the world he was deprived of and something in him breaks.  

The world goes cold.

In the distance, something is screaming.  

He collapses.  

Words were said.  He remembers asking what that blasted avatar did to him.  He got an answer that came from a nightmare.  

The cell is cold.

It is, but Ozai would be cold even if he were on fire.  The cell could be described in many ways, but most of them escape Ozai’s notice, as he’s far too focused on the gaping hole inside of his chest.  It doesn’t quite hurt–it’s merely the type of annoyance that’s far too obvious to ignore.  It’s frankly quite surprising when he catches his reflection that there isn’t a literal hole there.  

Contemplation.

Even if his mind feels like sluggish, cooling magma, it isn’t as if he has much else to do.  Pick at his skin.  Claw at his chest.  Snap at whoever comes to look at him as if he’s some sort of circus animal.  Throw the food given to him.  Lay on the pathetic excuse of a blanket.  Cry.  Curl up in an attempt to find any sort of heat.  

Repeat.

The only indication of time passing is the steady decline of his reflection in the cell bars.

He punches it.

Sometimes the guards tend to him.

Sometimes they don’t.

Sometimes they make it worse.

It doesn’t matter to him.

He eats because his stomach won’t stop screaming at him.  It stays down most of the time.  He gets up and walks in circles to try to ease the pain in his joints.  He rubs his eyes to try to ease the strain from staring at darkness.  

He acts tough when visitors arrive, but he knows it’s nothing more than a pretty lie.  He's dead inside and he curses that Avatar for making him live like this.  

But…

He doesn’t know how long it’s been.

He doesn’t care to know.

He finds himself falling back to old habits.  The phoenix calls to him.  He's picked himself up before, he can do it again.  

So he thinks.  As visitors arrive, he sets any seed that may grow into his escape.

Will he pick a fight with Zuko or the Avatar?  No.  Certainly he acts as if that’s his goal–threatens Zuko no shortage of times, but his only goal is to escape.  He lost to the Avatar at his most powerful, he isn't foolish enough to try it again, no matter how tempting the idea of vengence may be.  

(The sight of this cell was more than enough to deter him.)

And so he laughs.  He may be burnt to ash, but, no, no, dear readers, it takes more than that to keep Ozai down.  

–

Notes: From Ozai’s point of view. Don’t be surprised if things are biased.

This is the canon I default to in the absence of other muns. If you write one of the characters mentioned here and don’t agree with their portrayal, we can talk it over.

[badmusejail]

回 ━ what are your top four favorite shows?

◈  ━ share some headcanons that you have for a muse of your choosing

mun related 回 ━ what are your top four favorite shows?

I finally got my cable shut off!!

(They accidentally shut my internet off, too, lmao, so I had to waste an additional three hours calling them back and fixing that.)

But yeah, I mentioned a while ago when this was asked that I don’t really watch too much TV.  Usually mindless entertainment, like adult cartoons, or sometimes game shows.  The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, Wipeout, The Weakest Link, those sorts of things.  

◈  ━ share some headcanons that you have for a muse of your choosing

Well hell I’ve been wanting to write up some stuff about Ozai so here we go.  

Modern and Pokémon Ozai allow him to be something better than his canon self--not a saint, mind you, but not quite as awful.  This is more true in the latter verse than the former.  

Ozai is, unlike most of my characters, a rather simplistic character.  He’s concerned with bringing honor to his family, and not much else.  He’s very straightforward and blunt about his intentions.

That being said, that doesn’t make him dumb--he certainly can be at times, but he can be a very cunning individual, and most of his knowledge involves the day-to-day running of a country, rather than the political ins-and-outs of leadership.  

Whenever Ozai says something, there’s equal chance that it’s genius or the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard.  The worst part is, he always speaks with such confidence that it can be hard to distinguish which one is which.  This is doubly true in Modern verse where second/third languages come into play--the shit he says can sometimes be so ridiculous that it can bring the entire room / scene to a grinding halt. (ex.  the “free-range nipples” incident.)

Really, it’s best to just agree with whatever he says--even if the best course of action is to completely ignore everything he said as soon as you walk away.  Arguing with him is not very fruitful.   

Compared to Giovanni’s noble villain sort of archetype, Ozai is very much an unfair villain type of archetype.  For example, given a situation where either once has promised to spare your life in exchange for X thing, Giovanni sticks to the spirit of the agreement, letting the person go in exchange for the completed agreement.  On the other hand, Ozai will stick to the letter of the agreement--he may very well spare your life but throw you in prison.  

Ozai typically keeps his fire abilities in all verses.

In Pokémon verse, he has a moltres, which he caught by physically wrestling it into submission and earning its respect.  Being fireproof helped majorly in this affair.  

[badmusejail]

5 for ozai?

send me a number for my muse to talk about …  5. someone they’ve forgiven

“My father, mostly.

“Perhaps he did know what he was doing...

“Still, he could have explained a few things instead of whipping me when I got frustrated.”

[badmusejail]

7. What is the longest relationship your muse has been in?

romantic relationship hc q’s: 

Giovanni was married to Ariana for around 7 years before breaking it off. Other than that his relationships have been trivial and short.

Quentin was married for about ten years before the death of his wife.

Ozai is technically still married to Ursa as the marriage was never formally ended; but they were together around 12 years before she was banished.

[badmusejail]

What’s something about your character that you’d like if you had to spend time with them? (ozai?)

What’s something about your character that you wouldn’t like if you had to spend time with them? (mysterio?)

“Mun-Directed Questions About Roleplaying!” What’s something about your character that you’d like if you had to spend time with them? (ozai?)

Ozai has a sense of confidence that borders on arrogance but that can be a really comforting aura to be around--especially for someone prone to anxiety like me. Someone who just knows what they're doing (or pretends like it at least) and goes at everything with the full force of their will can be very comforting and the attitude contagious.

In fact, this is a large part of why he had success as a leader despite limited tactical ability.  Fake it ‘til you make it, basically.  

What’s something about your character that you wouldn’t like if you had to spend time with them? (mysterio?)

He’s a prick.

In fact, that’s part of the reason why I like writing him so much; he’s a hero AU, but that doesn’t mean he’s nice; he’s really almost as much of a dick as his normal variant.  

Now, it’s true that he’s usually just fucking around and doesn’t mean any harm.  He can actually be a lot of fun for people that like his personality type.

I’m not one of them, unfortunately.  

[badmusejail]

What is one thing you are justly proud of? (for Ozai)

Interview the Muse

"...Regardless of one's opinion of some of my more drastic actions, it is undeniable that I worked to revolutionize the Fire Nation, leading them out of a period of stagnation lead by my father and guiding them through a new industrial era full of more prosperity and opportunity than had ever been seen before."

[badmusejail]

Sexuality HCs for Pride Month!  

Weird Octopus:  Ah, what is sexuality to a little creachure that only exists to cause chaos?  Aromantic, but to be fair, if another of his kind did exist he probably would mate with it.  Beyond that, the creature has no concept of sexuality, gender, or societal expectations to speak of.

Gemuse Heinzmann:  Asexual, Biromantic.  Gemuse has always had a shaky relationship with sex, especially through high school where so many other boys felt obsessed with it and he felt ostracized.  To this day he’s gotten more comfortable with his own identity, but still finds the concept of sex nauseating.  That being said he can pretty easily be romanced by the right individual regardless of gender. 

Giothornéc Vannikthull the Vengeance:  Given that he’s a sentient sword, sex is a bit questionable and confusing to him.  Many of his interactions can come off as “flirty” when he’s just trying to be nice.  He doesn’t even know what a date is but it sounds exciting!

Futsuku Keohima:  Straight.  Though he does live in an outdated society where it’s the expectation, so perhaps that’s not surprising.

Geoferd Alder:  Straight.  He has a relatively low sex drive but not enough that he considers himself asexual.  Plus his culture puts a rather heavy demand on having children and continuing the traditions.

The Spirit King:  Straight.  The expectations of royalty make it hard for him to imagine being anything but.

General of the Cross:  Asexual Aromantic.  He’s just not interested.  Unlike Gemuse, he’s not bothered by the idea of sex, he just doesn’t care.

Giovanni Marianelle:  Bisexual.  It took him until relatively late in life to realize and accept this.  In many cases he prefers to seem straight just to keep up appearances--this is especially true in modern verses where the Mafia has been suspected to kill off members that are explicitly homosexual.  

Lieutenant Surge: Straight.  It’s just part of the military shtick he’s based on.

Iroh:  Straight.  Sorry fans, he just loves his women too much for me to imagine him as anything but.  Plus the whole homosexuality being illegal in the Fire Nation--

Ozai:  Asexual Aromantic. Unlike both Gemuse and the General of the Cross, Ozai will have sex for enjoyment but it’s really, really, not his primary interest.

John Wick:  Straight.  

Quentin Beck and Major Beck:  Demisexual.  But they consider themselves straight.  

[badmusejail]

tag dump -- Ozai