#Azula deserved to heal

[bemnie]

ATLA POLYWEB!!! OH YEA

[coralpaperthoughts]

I will never understand ppl who hate/anti ANY of the members of the Gaang, or even any of the other kids. coz they are just kids. in the middle of a fucking war. of course they're gonna fuck up and make mistakes and be little shits, THEY ARE 12-16 !! ALL OF THE GAANG (including Zuko but excluding Suki) HAVEN'T HAD PROPER SOCIALISATION WITH OTHER KIDS THEIR AGE UNTIL THEY MET EACH OTHER !!

and yes, you could argue that Katara and Sokka had each other, but that's siblings and siblings are not the same as friends, and also Sokka was the only teen boy left in the tribe and I think Katara was the only teen girl too (might be wrong there tho)

you could also argue that Aang had friends before he got stuck in the iceberg so he did actually have that socialisation, but bro is fucking 12 and he was stuck in an iceberg for a hundred fucking years and had the whole avatar thing weighing down on his shoulders, cut the boy some slack ???

Toph and Zuko were both Rich Noble Kids™ so they automatically did not get proper socialisation with other kids their age. Toph was sheltered from the outside world because she's blind and a young girl, but yes she did go to that underground boxing ring but that was mainly adults, I highly doubt she was hanging about with kids there and definitely not in normal circumstances.

And although Mai and Ty Lee were there, they were Azula's "companions" (not originally meant to be friends but may have ended up as so after the war) and they weren't there for Zuko, they were there for Azula only. I'm pretty sure Zuko spent most of his time with tutors or with his mother before she left, he didn't get any socialisation with normal kids and he definitely did not get a normal childhood.

None of them got a normal childhood, so can you really blame any of them for being manipulative or assholes or doing dumb shit, whilst still being a kid/teen !!! and then being bad parents too, when they literally have no good role model to go off of (love Hakoda but bro was not there for his kids for a good couple of years and that does a lot to a kid)

edit: also Azula deserved a redemption/healing arc because she was a victim of abuse as much as Zuko was. she was in fact just a child, as much as the rest of them were, and deserved better. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk 🙏

edit 2: Jet also deserved a chance at healing. like bro watched his village burn and was the sole survivor, he probably has mega survivor's guilt that isn't touched upon in the show, like his hate for the fire nation is pretty rational and his actions (to an extent) are justified. all I'm saying is that if he had anybody else in his corner, that wasn't more angsty, out-for-revenge teens or kids, he could have had a much nicer life. one that didn't lead him to his downfall.

[themoons-ex]

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[sharlmbracta]

@did-we-imagine *grabs you by the collar* YOU. GET OVER HERE

Homestead

Here is the fic in it’s entirety without all the readmores; thanks again to everyone who kept up with this! This fic wasn’t meant to happen at all and was all written from the top of my head the moment I included Niwa and the kids lmao, so if anything consider this a rough draft for Ozai and Niwa’s story. It’s not perfect and there are some inconsistencies but I’ll tend to those as the main story begins to develop more ^^

****

A healed Azula having her first violent outburst in years after finding Ozai in his hiding spot in the Earth Kingdom. She has him pinned, aiming her hand that is popping with charged lightning right at his heart.

‘Beg for my forgiveness.’ She seethes as Zuko panics behind her.

Ozai remains calm.

Years have passed, long enough to realize what he did to them.

He does not deserve to even beg. He closes his eyes.

Azula’s own eyes are overcome with tears. The lightning is at its zenith.

But she is not her father. She releases the lighting into the air with a curse.

Keep reading

[burst-of-iridescent]

the thing with zuko and azula that people, specifically azula stans, seem to forget is that they are intentionally and specifically characterised in opposition to each other.

i keep seeing discourse about how azula deserves a redemption arc & even leaving aside the fact that a) saying someone “deserves” a redemption defeats the purpose of what redemption is and b) there was no space in the original show for azula to redeem herself anyway, azula could not have been redeemed because part of her narrative purpose is to be a foil to zuko.

zuko and azula are each the metric against which the other’s evolution (or devolution) is measured, and it’s the striking disparity between their character arcs that makes said arcs as impactful as they are: the child who swallowed the poison vs the child who spat it out. the fire nation royal who perpetuated the cycle of violence vs the fire nation royal who broke it. the abuse victim who became an abuser vs the abuse victim who became a protector.

would zuko’s redemption have felt as satisfying and hard-won if we hadn’t seen in azula the alternate path he might have so easily gone down? would azula’s downfall have been as terrible and saddening if we hadn’t seen the possibility of a better future embodied in zuko?

thematically speaking as well, the fire nation royal family exists as a microcosm of the fire nation itself — the generational trauma and violence passed down from sozin to azulon to ozai to azula and zuko is symbolic of how the fire nation’s warmongering has turned inwards, back on itself, a self-inflicted wound that grows and festers and rots until they’ve destroyed themselves just as much as they’ve destroyed the world. but where zuko represents a way out — hope for healing, for peace, for an end to the self-destructive nature of war — azula represents the cost of that war, the damage that can never be undone, the danger of remaining mired in an ouroboros, forever the snake that bites its own tail.

a version of the show where both zuko and azula redeem themselves together would have lost the grave, sobering impact of that message: that getting out as zuko did is the exception, not the norm, because the system in which they exist is built to be a trap. and even when that system is dismantled, the destruction it’s wrought cannot be fully erased.

the point of zuko and azula’s story lies in its inherent juxtaposition: there was never going to be room for both of them to rise or even fall together, not in the world in which they were raised and the virtues it extolled. and it’s because zuko exists as who azula could have been and azula exists as who zuko might have been, that their individual arcs are so powerfully poignant, and their relationship so infinitely tragic.



[camcat1320]

The Fortune-Teller does not deserve the hate it has received. It's actually a great episode that people misunderstand. Let me explain.

Kataangers love the episode for it says Katara is destined to be with Aang. Zutarians hate the episode for this reason along with forcing Katara into a pigeon hole. I stand between these warring tribes and say that they are both wrong.

To be clear, I am a Zutarian. If we would've had a Book 4 like the head writer had intended, this episode would've been integral for that book.

"But the 3-act story structure!" some may argue. A 3-act story structure is just a 4-act story structure in disguise.

Anyways, let's continue.

The destiny that Aunt Wu foretells does not give names and is vague in nature. She tells Katara that she is to be married to a powerful bender. She didn't say the most powerful nor did she say bender of all four elements. One doesn't have to be the Avatar to be a powerful bender.

Come Aang's fortune, she foretold of a great battle between good and evil that will determine the fate of the world. We immediately think of Aang battling Firelord Ozai to end the 100 year war. However, this fortune is vague and could foretell another battle after Ozai has fallen.

When Aunt Wu learns that Aang wants to learn about his future about love, she cheers him up by giving him a vague, seemingly harmless white lie to satisfy him. "Follow your heart and you will be with the one you love." Since Aang is 12, he can easily misconstrue infatuation for love.

I believe The Fortune-Teller is a giant red herring that many people in both Zutara and Kataang sectors have fallen for. But wait, what is a red herring?

In literature, a red herring is a device to throw the characters and the audience off the scent of future events. It's meant to distract and deceive.

At the end of The Fortune-Teller, Katara believes she is destined to be with Aang and Aang believes it as well. Throughout the remainder of the series, Katara's emotional bond with Aang is challenged. Then by The Ember Island Players, Katara is confused, unsure about her feelings, unsure about her destiny.

What other character struggled with his perception of his destiny?

For the majority of the series, Zuko falsely believed that his destiny was to hunt down the Avatar and regain his honor. We know that this destiny was forced upon him by his father, Ozai.

But as Iroh has said, "Destiny is a funny thing." Iroh had believed he would have been in Ba Sing Se as a conqueror but instead, he had liberated Ba Sing Se from Fire Nation occupation.

Zuko had turned against his father and his supposed destiny and set out to aid the Avatar instead. After this, Zuko's new belief is that it is his destiny to help Aang in defeating Ozai instead. Truly, destiny is funny that way.

But why is this only applied to Zuko? Why isn't this the same message given to Katara's arc? Is she truly destined to be with Aang and she cannot fight against this fate? Is this strong female character destined to be reduced to servitude?

The same girl that inspired imprisoned earthbenders to fight back? The same girl that fought against gender roles in her own culture? The same girl that didn't give into despair and led her crew out of the desert? The same girl that aided in healing a Fire Nation village? The same girl that rose above her mentor and used bloodbending to save her loved ones? The same girl that went toe to toe with Azula and won?

I SAY NAY!

Imagine, if you will, what Katara's continued arc could've been like in Book 4. Katara would've defied the destiny that was forced upon her and determined her destiny for herself. But in the end, destiny is a funny thing for this action only plays into fate. Zuko is a powerful bender after all. 👀

Now, I must depart before I give too many spoilers for my writing. Fare thee well, until we meet again!

[lady-iskra]

The Southern Raiders: so, demon Zuko brought out the worst in poor, innocent Katara…

What did Zuko do to deserve this accusation coming from some people among the fanbase? I rewatched The Southern Raiders the other day and spend close attention to catch up on what they could possibly mean.

So, what does Zuko do to Katara after the Gaang flees from Azula?

He looks after her and is holding an appropriate distance while asking her, calmly, why she still can’t trust him.

After her response he realizes: Oh yeah, I wronged her the most. Followed by asking how he can make it up to her and understanding what she needs, even though she is giving sarcastic answers.

He offers Katara a chance to face the killer of her mother, so she will be finally able to receive closure and begin the process of healing. This is an exact parallel of Zuko facing Ozai on The day of the black sun. He could’ve just left and join the Gaang, but instead he chose to face his father first: because he needed this.

(Furthermore, he spared Ozai, the same way he spared Zhao even back in S1; that goes against the frequently used argument that he definitely expected Katara to kill Yon Rha coming from some people.)

As I mentioned before, I paid close attention during my rewatch

At no point is Zuko pushing Katara to do anything she doesn’t want, nor does he do anything else to release her dark side.

Am I the only one picturing an incubus-like Zuko whispering in Katara’s ear, every time someone claims that?

On the opposite: He is listening to her and is offering support while facing her biggest trauma. The same goes for the actual field trip: he is nothing but supportive, doesn’t push her to do anything and is standing aside, so that Katara can receive closure under her own conditions—which she did, and she forgave Zuko because of it. Not only that, she even gives him a tight hug out of deep gratitude. Would a person act like this towards somebody who brought out the worst in them? I highly doubt it.

But then why is Katara showing a dark side, some might even say, she is OOC?

I genuinely don’t get the OOC-part... She is very in-character, and her dark side has nothing to do with Zuko. It’s Katara being presented as an actual human being with feelings. Imagine that...

Why is Aang allowed to show a dark side? I never heard anyone complain about him in those specific situations. But Katara, despite raising her voice before and showing her rage in many situations during the show, is suddenly acting OOC when it comes to The Southern Raiders.

She is about to face her trauma and to meet her mother’s killer, of course she won’t be the happiest person in the world, more nervous and angry, lashing out if someone tries to stop her. Yeah, and even going as far as to use bloodbending when finally meeting the (wrong) man.

Doesn’t mean her feelings aren’t justified, and it wasn’t Zuko who brought them up, but the situation alone.

That’s all this is

A person facing her trauma, thus showing very natural darker feelings in this situation, after suppressing them for years. Of course, it was hard for Katara, but she agreed on this trip because she knew she needed it. It was the right thing for her to do—and Zuko is the one who gave her a chance on this, nothing more, nothing less.

[liliennacht]

of course it is!!! SOO MANY FANS GET HER SOO WRONG AND VILIFY HER SO MUCH.

aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

When people talk about a character like they are an irredemeable monster who deserves to die a thousand slow death and you look the character up and they are a 14y/o kid who had a horrible childhood where they were treated as monsters and never got a change to heal.

Bonus point if people talk like the xharacter was born a monster and thus undeserving of any kind of chance or betterment vecause they are just evil.

[hadesisqueer]

After rewatching The Crossroads of Destiny, I still believe that the people who criticized Katara over her being "too mean" to Zuko after he finally joined Team Avatar in Book 3 are the dumbest people who ever walked on Earth.

Zuko searched for Team Avatar and by the end of the episode, Aang and Toph thought he'd proven himself to be worth giving a chance —they weren't friends though, that took a bit more time and it's clear— Sokka was like 'well, of you must' and gives him a chance as well and later he'd end up warming up to him along with the others.

But Katara kept being a meanie to him oh why. Well, maybe because while everyone was giving Zuko a chance, Katara had already done so before? Dear God, Katara herself explains it several times. They opened up to each other in The Crossroads of Destiny, she felt bad for him and she offered to use the Spirit Oasis water to heal his scar and started believing he'd changed-- only for him to join Azula and help her five minutes later, betraying his own uncle that had gone to rescue him. She was ready to give him a chance and it ended up with him proving in her eyes that he didn't deserve it, with Aang barely surviving and with Ba Sing Se captured by the Fire Nation. Katara was right, what's assuring her that he won't end up doing the same thing and hurting her friends again?

Listen, I love Zuko, he's one of my favorite characters overall. But yeah, Katara had every right not to trust him and dislike him and to be furious at him, most of all when you remember that this was the second chance she was giving him, not the first like the others. Anyone who thinks otherwise and only empathizes with Zuko but never with Katara-- well.

[beifong-brainrot]

I think the reason I'm a bit iffy about most zutara shippers who call themesleves "pro Katara" (and lets be honest the tags pro katara/katara deserved better are mainly people building themselves a moral highground of "if you disagree with me, you clearly dilslike Katara and want her to suffer") is just the hypocrisy of it all.

Katara's consent was violated by Aang, yes. But Zuko threatening her and being a fucking creep in the "I'll save you from the pirates" scene was sexy and not at all the nightmare of any sane woman.

Katara's role as a healer is treated as her acting subservient and her loosing her feminist icon status. Unless she's healing/offering to heal Zuko.

Aang is immature and childish. But we will handily ignore Zuko, a whole ass 16 year old who's heir to a country throwing a temper tantrum because his girlfriend dared to speak to another man. [Frankly, in my opinion, Zuko isn't really ready for a serious romantic relationship, but yall arent ready for that conversation]

Aang is supposedly misogynistic, but Zuko's many instances of actual misogyny are swept under the rug. Aang is shown in canon to be incredibly supportive of Katara defying the patriarchy.

Supposedly Aang makes Katara do all the housework. Despite there being evidence to the contrary. Zuko has just recently learnt to brew tea.

Katara being the Avatar's wife is supposedly degrading. But if she were Zuko's wife, I'm sure she wouldn't be just a baby maker. (What a horribke thing to call a woman btw. Tall call your own mothers baby makers too???) Despite the fact that Izumi's mother hasn't even been mentioned by name in tlok. But yeah. She'd be afforded the respect she deserves I'm certain.

Aang is, on most accounts, supportive and respectful of Katara's opinions, even when he disagrees with them. Zuko openly mocks people who oppose him. I am going to make a longer post on the Southern Raiders episodes and how all of you watched that episode blindfolded or smth.

Aang comparing Appa being kidnapped (his last connection to his genocided people, the last vestige of his happy past) to Katara's anger over her mother is bad. But Zuko comparing mommy leaving his ass to Katara's mother getting brutally slaughtered in front of her ? Silence.

Aang supposedly needs Katara to mother him and that's a bad thing. But Azula, Mai and Ty Lee having to gentle parent Zuko almost everytime they interact is never talked about, despite the uncalled for verbal abuse that trio goes through from him.

Aang and Katara's 2 year age gap is creepy. But Zuko and Katara's 2 year age gap is fine. My bigest gripe with Zutara lovers is them completely erasing Katara's childishness and immaturity, in order for her and Zuko to have this mature, sexy relationship. She's 14, guys. 14.

This post really isn't meant to decry Zutara. I just want people who ship Zutara to get off their high horse of feminism and to accept that they're no better than the rest of us ship loving freaks. Wanting the main girl to bump uglies with the broody emo twink doesn't make you a modern day suffragette. Disliking a main canon pairing isn't a measure of your love for a female character.

Grow up.

Enjoy your ship like a normal person.

[starless-nightz]

Ooooo i love your Azula X reader post please could you write some Azula x female reader hcs where reader is the only one whos helping azula heal after she ran away? (Comics)

Azula with a fem! S/O whos helping her heal

note -> I love Azula so much she deserves so much better.

warnings -> mentions of past abuse.

content includes -> fluff, angst.

At first, Azula was extremely wary of your intentions, even if you are her girlfriend, not trusting you as much as she used to before the war was over

She was so used to people wanting something from her or trying to manipulate her, using her for their own gain and selfish reasons, that she pulled you away, thinking they’re just another person trying to control her

Azula is unable to trust you, at least fully, and shes lucky that you are so patient with her, proving over and over that you aren’t going anywhere, and eventually, Azula begins to trust you

She often wakes up from nightmares, haunted by her past, you are always there to comfort her, holding her close and reminding her that she’s safe now

With you support, she begins to truly work on herself, she isnt ready to face her family, she might never be truly ready, but its okay, she is healing and its all that matters to you

[sokkastyles]

If Bryke were not cowards, and if the ATLA writers had been allowed to do this (and also if they had the inclination to do this, I’m not gonna entirely blame Bryce for this one), I’m pretty sure that we would gotten flashback scenes during all of Zuko’s dates with Mai where he cannot help but remember Jin. We also would have gotten more scenes where Zuko was alone and he found himself thinking of Katara. Unfortunately Bryke are cowards so we don’t get to have nice things.

No one can tell me that Zuko didn't once think about what would have happened if Katara had healed his scar, if she hadn't left that cave, if he hadn't sided with Azula. Even just platonically, the show already creates a context where Zuko has an intimate moment with Katara that makes Azula correctly guess that he's keeping secrets that compromise what side he's on. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch to add romance to the mid.

As for Jin, imagine if she had acted as vindictive as Mai because Zuko ran away from her. She knows he's a firebender, she could put his life in danger if she wants to, decide he deserves it for spurning her. Or she could have decided she didn't want to deal with Zuko's obvious baggage, because, you know, it's just soooo much trouble to bother to pretend to like the person you're dating and only a paid therapist would love Zuko, which is what a lot of maiko/Mai stans seem to think.

Like damn, do you think Zuko ever thought about what would have happened if he had stayed in that tea shop, if he hadn't run away from Jin, if he had let himself be loved simply and honestly? Because I do. I don't think he would have wanted to continue to lie to Jin but to trade that for the lie that he's living in early book three, is that any better?

[zukosdualdao]

i'm literally insane about the last agni kai and the lightning scene(s). i swear i've rewatched it 10+ times since my last rewatch of the show (which was my first watch in years) and like. azula sees katara come into view from behind. zuko doesn't. he follows azula's gaze and sees katara and is immediately horrified. he doesn't even think or hesitate because he doesn't have time and for once he doesn't have to look back at azula to figure out what she's doing because he knows what she's doing and he won't let it happen. time dwindling into slow motion as a haunting score plays? and zuko literally yelling out "no!" because that lightning absolutely cannot hit katara. as soon as he sees it there's no chance of that ever happening. and then katara watching in horror as the lightning flashes against features in what is probably one of the most hauntingly beautiful animated moments of the show? zuko hitting the ground still convulsing with lightning and katara crying out "zuko!" and immediately trying to run to him before azula attacks again? and the next scene we cut back to with them, zuko is groaning weakly and trying to lift himself up, and we see katara literally gasp in surprise as she realizes he's still alive (i'm sobbing because i do quite literally think she thought he was dead) and immediately tries to run to him again, nevermind that she knows azula is still there, and the hand katara uses for healing is already doused in water as she reaches for him. but then azula starts attacking again. and zuko, despite literally being in so much pain that he can't stand and can barely even move at all without whimpering, still tries to reach for the spot where he can see azula attacking katara. katara is forced to hide from azula's attacks. and as azula is mocking "zuzu, you don't look so good" down to zuko, the perspective shot is such that you can SEE that katara is also looking at where he lies prone in the distance, surrounded by flame (probably wondering how much time they have before it really is too late) before looking back up at azula and realizing she needs to defeat her as quickly and handily as possible so katara can get to zuko. obviously katara would have done this anyway (the whole reason they were THERE was to halt the continued cycle of the imperialist regime of the fire nation), but the scene is specifically framed as katara trying to figure out how to stop azula so the obstacle to her getting to zuko is no longer in the way. katara's defeat of azula was epic and deserves its own post. but then after making sure azula is securely chained, she runs to zuko, looks at him with such immense sadness and horror and fear as she hears him in so much pain, tenderly turns him over so she can get a good look at the wound. and she cups his head? briefly but so gently? so that he won't hit it as she turns him over? and when she tries to heal him you can tell she is so genuinely unsure if it will even work, and so relieved that she starts crying tears of joy when she sees it has (at least enough to keep him alive and somewhat lessen his pain.) they thank each other (and you can tell it's still really hard for zuko to talk and his eyes are barely open but he thanks her anyways i'm.) and she thanks him back and!!! when he starts to try to sit up she makes a little surprised face and then immediately helps him to do so (and puts a tender hand to his chest while she does!!!) and obviously that last shot of them standing together is also one of emotional support, but katara's hand on his back is also partly because i still think (and certainly katara still thinks) trying to walk/stand on his own would be a bad idea, so it's definitely not happening.

[demaparbat-hp]

It occurs to me that maybe the dragon scales weren't just used for coloration but perhaps to harden the scars to make them harder to reopen. Kinda like a broken bone healing stronger along the fracture line. Hence with less dragons the art of Kintsugi became saved for special occasions among the Sun Warriors rather than every single scar(obviously no one but royals was doing this anyways but it became more of consideration if a scar was worthy of being sealed after) since one of the main purposes can't be fulfilled with a half made mixture that still comes out red and helps with the healing (which also begs the question if the way kintsugi is made was/is used to figure out healing ointments), but doesn't harden the skin in the same way. Or would they still seal the other scars and those ones just look... flatter than the proper ones?

It would also be interesting if different color scales give different sheens to the kintsugi so a blue dragon's scales might still look mainly red due to other ingredients, but there's a blue ting/reflection to the scar. Did sharing a sheen with family or your dragon used to be a sign of pride? Was having a red dragon's sheen seen as basic?

I think Zuko wouldn't ask for it, but I can see the Sun Warriors deciding to give him a small amount of the full powder, and instructions for how to mix it. Zuko debating if he should refuse it, given his ancestors, but Aang is the one to convince him to keep it. Even though the only body modification air nomads practiced were the tattoos, he still sees the beauty and significance of such a gift (later Zuko is thankful he convinced him).

Mixing Kintsugi with the assassination post you re blogged, it'd be funny if the reason Zuko ends up with bronze is due to an attempt while he's traveling for negotiations and the healer is grumbling about stupid teenagers always refusing to stay away from fights (a healee who has had to deal with gaang or Kyoshi warriors in the past... or even jet lol) and seals his wounds, without even thinking about the fact he's FN and not one of his Kyoshi guards, given the size of it and how well he fought. The warriors on duty think it's hilarious and no one ever mentions it to the healer in question. Suki immediately rats him out at the next gaang meet up.

While I do think that Toph probably wouldn't end up with any, at least not pre series (although the idea of her goading Katara into healing a future scar with silver in the future is funny especially since she can't tell the difference by color(but maybe by texture/weight???) does rotate in my head), I do think that Suki probably has one or two wounds sealed in bronze before the show. Sokka is both jealous (since I believed you mentioned his fishhooks didn't seal properly) and enthralled by her scars given they're probably the first ones he sees not sealed in the water tribe fashion (at least on a ally). Suki in the FN would kind of be a reflection of Zuko's path in this au given I'm sure she ends up with the opportunity to have a wound sealed in gold given how often she has to defend Zuko's life. I assume at that point the healers have different kinds in the med wing so she could choose bronze or none at all, but she's given the choice given her job is seen as sacred to the FN.

Azula definitely has all scars up til her breakdown sealed that way, but it'd be fascinating to know if she got injured and refused it during the Agni Kai. Would she refuse the dragon ruby at that time? Would Zuko offer the small amount he has to be split? After finding Ursa (if she's still alive) and healing that part of her past, does she accept it for her next wound? Would she follow in Zuko's footsteps and mix the different colors on her scars? Would she be too worried in being a copycat, or does she argue she deserves to have scars as widely traveled as she is? Or does she stick with the color of the spirit she's trying to live up to?

On the idea of different patterns and colors I do think that ruby, gold, bronze and silver probably stay the traditional colors to their respective cultures, but I do think it would be funny for a duo like Ty Lee and Sokka to accidentally on purpose create pink Kintsugi and Mai deadpans that he has to figure out obsidian now. While some embrace the different colors, I imagine some find the toying around with the Art form disrespectful (Zuko would like to stop being interviewed about this, he has enough on his plate with his mountains of paper work and he doesn't have an answer) and others say that it's the nature of healing and art to change over time.

I know you didn't mention parents in your tags but I can't help thinking about the parents/mentors of the gaang. Gyatso, Poppy and Lao would likely not spring for any form of Kintsugi, with Gyatso having much different reasons than the other two but still arriving to the same conclusion. Ozai had every wound sealed with it up to a ridiculous degree even for royalty, until he was imprisoned and after that I doubt anyone would be sealing his wounds given he scarred their teenage Fire Lord.

Iroh probably had every wound up to Lu Ten died sealed, but would he refuse it after that? Or what about Zuko's scarring? Does he ever accept it again after he helps liberate Ba Sing Se? Or does he see his former path as a shame he has to work the rest of his life to undo? Or is it him being influenced by other nations philosophies in a different way than Zuko is. Was he offered the powder from the Sun Warriors? So many questions swirl around him.

Ursa... oh poor Ursa. Up until her forced marriage I doubt her family had the money to participate in Kintsugi, and beyond that I doubt she had any scars that were that major. After her marriage... well then comes the question of if she wanted to. Or did Ozai force her to? Did he forbid her from sealing any scars she had gotten from him (mirroring his treatment of Zuko) and only allow sealing of scars caused from other sources? Was she looked down upon for not having sealed scars in court or did it make her seem more human to lower nobles? After her banishment if she chose to keep her memories does she ever seal another scar? Or does she choose to forget and worry at the few scars that were sealed, both confused and distressed by them? Does she lie to Kiyi or not even discuss them. And what does she do when Zuko returns, both more and less like the boy she remembers (if she even remembers) than she could of guessed? Ursa is just such compelling character, I think about her all the time. She just spins in my head non stop.

Moving to Kya, while we aren't shown her as being a warrior, the fact Hakoda sealed his daughter's scar makes me think that it's not that rare for women to have silver kintsugi, especially if the scar was received in defense of their family or during a raid. The men likely have more in general just given that they're more likely to receive scars by the time canon rolls around and all the water benders are gone including a good chunk of their women warriors, if not all of them. All of that to say I think the idea of Katara and Sokka tracing a scar Kya had sealed, and then that being reflected in Katara holding her own scar close as a memory of the women in her family and their strength is just... so good.

Hakoda definitely has the silver form, but it'd be interesting if he ever ends up in a situation where he's offered another form of kintsugi after the war ends. Was Bato offered the bronze form at the Abbey (they don't seem rich, but they also seem to run a successful business enough to support their healing efforts and the Abbey's needs so it's possible they could offer a small amount)? Did the southern warriors have their own silver form among their supplies? It'd be fascinating if Bato was one of the first in the story to have mixed kintsugi with some of his wound being bronze to fill in around the gaps the silver left (given how massive his wound is I doubt they'd have enough among the southern fleet supplies). The SWT really reflect the adaptability of water and so it wouldn't surprise me if they wouldn't balk at receiving the bronze form of kintsugi given they're allied with the EK.

On that note of adaptability, the idea of Sokka presenting a tired Zuko to Hakoda and being like "Katara adopted him no take backs I guess" while motioning at his chest scar and Katara scowls him in the background, being the first thing he does upon reuniting with his dad after the war makes me crack up. Hakoda just sighs and accepts this as his life now (and he wouldn't change it no matter how tiring all three (four?) of his kids are).

-kintsugi anon

My love, you have absolutely no idea of how much this means to me. Seriously. You don't.

I love your ideas so much!

I like to think that the Sun Warriors' philosophy relies a lot on balance and duality, given the very nature of fire itself. Kintsugi being used only for very important and significant scars (perhaps even a coming of age ritual of sorts?) is such an amazing fit because celebrating bravery and honor while also respecting natural scars feels like something they'd believe in.

Kintsugi color varying depending on the dragon each scale comes from is also beautiful! Would they believe that gaining a scar from a specific dragon creates a connection between the human and the beast? That some of the dragon's power and personality will carry over to the Warrior?

Are Kintsugi scars even more precious between a bonded pair of human and dragon? Imagining Zuko sealing some of his scars with Druk's shed scales makes shivers run down my spine.

And talking about Zuko—I'm in love with the idea of the Kyoshi Warriors giving him bronze Kintsugi after a particularly nasty assassination attempt.

I think bronze Kintsugi powder/mixture is something Suki would keep near at all times, given how battle-ready and honour-bound the Kyoshi Warriors are. She'd appreciate her scars but not fret whenever she can't seal a wound with Kintsugi—the scar-sealing rage comes mostly from the Fire Nation, and Suki's too pragmatic to care about natural scarring.

As for Toph, she'd probably find Kintsugi fascinating. Much like rebelling and running away from home, Kintsugi becomes another way to escape her parents' views and hold on her life. It would be so cute if she'd insist on getting most of her wounds sealed by all kinds of Kintsugi after she meets the Gaang.

It becomes her way of bonding with them, since she loves to feel the different textures and weight of material. Other than Zuko, she's the first member of the Gaang to start collecting Kintsugi scars in all sizes, colors, and shapes.

As for Azula—what if instead of refusing Kintsugi after the Agni Kai, there's a medical reason she can't get them? Most of her injuries are internal anyway, and this impossibility of healing as she was used to (no longer beautiful, no longer perfect) could be another factor that contributes to her breakdown.

I like to think that Azula would actually be the one character who has less scars, other than Never-Have-I-Ever-Gone-Into-The-Frontlines Fire Lord Ozai. While having plenty of scars sealed with gold is a sign of status in the Fire Nation, having little to no scars just serves to flaunt her own status as a prodigy.

The Perfect Princess.

I don't think she'd ever stray from gold, even post-redemption. Instead she'd learn to accept natural scars as part of her, as something that doesn't make her broken or imperfect—just human.

Ty Lee, Mai, and Sokka figuring out how to color Kintsugi is so precious! They'd be absolutely insufferable once they make a breakthrough, baffling everyone with their multi-colored scars.

As for Iroh...oh, boy, that hurts.

Perhaps he swears off Kintsugi after Lu Ten's death, and while he accepts his mistakes and has worked to be better by the end of canon, I don't know if he'd still wish to accept Kintsugi. But, to be honest, Iroh is such a deeply complex character that any option would fit him. What do you think? What's the best choice for him?

Ozai forbidding Ursa from sealing any scar with Kintsugi is manipulative, psychologically abusive, demeaning, and absolutely something he'd do. I love that backstory for her so much because—may Agni forgive me—angst is my lifeblood.

If that's the case, then she'd probably get her first Kintsugi scar with Zuko right by her side.

But I digress.

I. LOVE. THAT. FOR. THE. WOMEN. OF. THE. SOUTH!!!

It's literally so amazing and fitting and right.

No words. Absolute perfection.

In conclusion: Bato is definitely the first character presented to us who has mixed Kintsugi, that scene with Zuko and Hakoda has now invaded my mind, and I am bowing before you in awe.

Thank you so much for the time, interest, and love!!! ❤️

[discordiansamba]

some more fun facts about the suki zuko bodyswap au

suki kind of weirds out everyone who knows zuko, because they can't shake the feeling that this girl they've never met in their lives is somehow incredibly familiar to them. except for ozai. ozai doesn't pay enough attention to zuko to even notice.

suki: aang can I beat ozai up just a little bit?

aang: ...okay just a little.

suki, smiling as she cracks her knuckles. she has a childhood of neglect to pay back to his ugly face.

when they reunite after the finale, one moment suki is on the airship looking down at the fire nation courtyard... and the next she's clutching at her chest like. OW. what did he DO?

katara: hi suki. zuko took lightning for me.

suki: ow. this sucks.

(she kicks zuko for it later)

zuko: i deserved that, but you just kicked your own body.

suki: worth it.

(the lightning scar club gains an unofficial third member)

suki is really good at pretending to be zuko when she's in his body. it's second nature to her. it's a little harder to break the habit when the secret's out in the open and she can just act like herself anymore. this leads to a situation where zuko is acting like himself in suki's body but suki is still acting like zuko. two zukos for the price of one.

they will later realize how funny this is and do it on purpose sometimes. they will also occasionally pretend to swap without actually swapping and see how long it takes anyone to notice.

(iroh will always play along)

toph will eventually get the hang of telling them apart no matter what... and immediately also decides to play along.

toph: it's easy to tell them apart, actually. suki's always cooler than zuko.

zuko: HEY

sokka goes to give his girlfriend a good morning kiss and she just shoves him away. oh. hey zuko.

zuko: hey.

iroh looking between his 'nephew' and the kyoshi warrior at the north pole and finally understanding just who it is that his nephew has been swapping bodies with this entire time.

(...should he make more accommodations for a young lady? no, she seems entirely unbothered.)

'suki' pulls 'zuko' aside while they're all resting after facing azula in the events of the chase. what are you doing? you can't just join us! we'll have to stay like this the whole time!

suki just kind of panicked. iroh was injured, and she knew katara would be able to heal him. everything else just kind of snowballed from there. it'll be fine though, right? you already considered this back with aang after you escaped pohuai.

zuko just sighs like. yeah okay. you've got a point.

[i-dont-actualy-like-oatmeal]

i love azula and i've definitely yelled to my friends about her a lot but i really think she deserves-not necessarily a redemption arc-but healing. she was fourteen i don't even care about all the fucked up crap she did, she was severely emotionally manipulated and isolated by her father, i don't think she could ever fully get over that, but god she needs help.