#but ofc ozai fucking ruined that

[byfulcrums]

Seeing so many people putting Azula and Zuko against each other bothers me a lot, because that's literally what Ozai did. How can you guys not see that? It's canon

Azula and Zuko were both terrible to eachother in multiple occasions (edit: actually, Azula was terrible to Zuko, but I didn't wanna get jumped by Azula stans so I made it seem like they were both bad. Sorry about that and thanks for correcting me), but they're both traumatized children fighting a war that started before they were even born. The war made them that way. Ozai made them that way

Azula was horrible to Zuko for most of his life, and that's canon. You can't deny it. But at the same time, it MOSTLY wasn't her fault

So, we know how Ozai clearly liked Azula more than Zuko did. But why is this? Zuko may not be as good as Azula in terms of bending, but he's not a bad bender. Ozai likes Azula more (not loves; likes) because she acts the way he wants her to act. She's cold, mean, calculating, manipulative and supports the Fire Nation. Zuko is nice, he asks too many questions, struggles with his emotions and can't seem to stfu (I know I sound mean saying that but that's literally canon. That boy cannot, for the love of god, shut his fucking mouth up)

Ozai made Azula be more like him. Zuko gets his kindness from his mother

And on the topic of Ursa, she canonically loves both of her children, even if she prefers Zuko due to him being less like their abuser. We never see her calling Azula a monster, besides of the scene where she says “What is wrong with that child?” OUTSIDE OF HEARING RANGE and right after Azula did something Bad™ (forgot what it was sorry). This is why I believe that Ursa never directly told Azula she feared her: Ozai told her she did. Ozai spent a lot more time with Azula than he did with Zuko, which was very easily an opportunity to poison her mind even more. And how did he do this?

By telling her everyone hated her.

He isolated her, made her cold and unforgiving, so that she wouldn't have any “weaknesses” like Zuko did. He used her as a means to abuse Zuko. He told her Zuko and Ursa were weak and that they both feared and hated her

Zuko would be right to be angry at Azula for treating him the way she did,but he still should know (and he DOES know, it was literally the main theme of his redemption arc; realizing that his abuser was the one at fault and not him) that the one at fault was Ozai. Same with Azula; it wasn't Zuko's fault nor Ursa's, Ozai is the one that willingly chose to destroy so many people's lives because he wanted power

And I'm pretty sure Zuko and Azula don't hate eachother like many people believe them to do. No, they love eachother, but ofc Ozai fucking ruined their relationship bc he ruins EVERYTHING

Zuko is sad that their relationship turned out to be that way. Zuko wants them to be better, to do better. Zuko wants them to be happy. But Zuko has also grown up with a version of Azula that could never make mistakes and that was mean af. Zuko won't be able to have a perfectly healthy relationship with his sister ever because of how he was made to think of Azula as perfect, and because Azula was made to think of him as weak

So, please, don't pit them against eachother. Don't compare the abuse they went through (seriously. Doing that is disgusting). Don't bring one of them down to make the other look like a little angel that does nothing wrong. They already suffer because of that enough in canon. Leave my babies alone

[sparkles-and-trash]

The Gaang are Roommates AU ~

note: this is a rewrite and repost of my old roommates au, there was some stuff I wanted to change, and I wanted to make the parts a little longer, so yeah, ta-dah! 

- think modern setting in the canon universe, bending is still a thing 

- the Gaang are all in going to Ba Sing Se University 

- I’m gonna change the ages a bit to make it easier for myself, sorry 

- Zuko, Sokka, Suki and Mai are 20, Katara, Ty Lee and Azula are 19, Aang, Toph and Yue are 18

- so, Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Aang and Toph end up living together in a big loft type apartment 

- Sokka and Aang are old best friends, they met Toph in Middle School, and Katara is a natural part of the group 

- until now Sokka and Katara have both been living in the dorms, and they both hate it intensely 

- but now that Aang and Toph are also in uni, they all decide to move in together!

- …but the only problem is that the only place they find that they like is just out of their price rage (Toph’s parents aren’t supportive of her major so they’re not helping out much)

- enter: ~ Zuko ~

- so, Zuko has been living with his uncle Iroh since his Father, who’s a high up in some big and important company the Fire Nation, disowned him for speaking up against the company’s shifty treatment of workers and ruining a lot of sacred land etc 

- they’re still firebenders and the scar still happened, not in an Agni Kai, but it happened 

- but after Zuko started uni, Iroh really tried to push him to meet some people his own age and make some friends

- the only people Zuko talks to on the regular besides Iroh is Azula, Ty Lee and Mai, and Mai is the only one who is like, his friend yanno?

- the last year the deal was that if Zuko didn’t branch out, Iroh would have him live one year with other students

- it’s his idea of tough love 

- Zuko tried to do some random kid’s homework to have them pretend to be his new friend in front of Iroh so he wouldn’t have to, but Iroh can tell he’s lying so easily 

- so, Zuko ends up hearing about the Gaang through Mai, who heard from Ty Lee, who plays field hockey, Suki, who’s best friends with Sokka

- so, he goes to meet them, and it’s so awkward mY GOD

- Katara is a B I G environmental activist and HATES Ozai and his company, with good reason

- she eases up a tad when Zuko admits to being turned away from as a teen, but she is still suspicious

- Aang loves him right away, ofc, and that makes Katara even more suspicious because she’s pretty protective of Aang

- she claims it’s because he’s so kind and believes everyone but she totally liikeees hiiiim

- Toph is just like, sure, as long as he pays his rent idgaf

- Sokka is weirdly quiet, because he’s had a huge crush on Zuko forever, and the only one who knows is Aang (and Toph but she ain’t no snitch)

- so, ya boy makes the cut, and before they know it, it’s move-in day!

- but, the idiots didn’t think through the facts that it’s only three bedrooms oops

- and Toph is NOT afraid to pull the “I’m blind and I need my space” card

- and nobody’s up to fight her on it, so 

- let’s just say there is A LOT of back and forth, but with Katara refusing to room with her brother again, and Zuko being rightfully scared of Katara, it ends up with Zuko and Sokka sharing a bedroom, and Katara and Aang

- they have separate beds ofc

- but still, tension, man, so much tension

- it takes a while, but the dynamics starts working out really well

- Zuko is good at grocery shopping and likes to clean, and Aang is always happy to help him out

- Sokka loves cooking, so he does that a lot

- Katara is always on top of the others with schoolwork and making sure everyone is okay, and she usually does it in genius, sneaky ways so people doesn’t even notice that she does it

- Toph is clearing the air off bullshit

- like, she will call a bitch out

- but because she cares about said bitch

- so, Aang knows that Sokka has a crush on Zuko because Sokka told him in a weak moment, and Toph knows because she just knows

- Aang is a good friend tho, and he tries to like, ease them together

- but he is so awkward about it, the poor thing, and Zuko doesn’t understand AT ALL

- Toph is just sitting back and sighing a lot

- Katara doesn’t understand either but she just stays out of it (smart girl)

- but okay, we know how oblivious Zuko can be right?

- Sokka can give him googly eyes and blush and stutter around him so much and he still has no clue at all

- Zuko starts thinking Sokka just doesn’t like him at all

- but then one night Zuko has this really intense nightmare

- okay and quick addition, his scar is… handshaped? Like, you can clearly tell what happened to him

- but nobody talks about it, yet

- but then he’s having a terrible nightmare and is talking and begging and pleading in his sleep

- so much that Sokka wakes up

- and he catches on pretty fast, but had no idea what to do

- so he just shuffles over to Zuko’s side of the room and starts tapping his shoulder rapidly

- but nothing happens

- so he just… gently and awkwardly pats his head until Zuko wakes up

- and Zuko is like… wat u doin there bro

- and Sokka is like… just patting ur head to wake you from a nightmare bro

- and they awkwardly just mumble and go back to their beds

- but Zuko is smiling a lot because someone who’s not his family or a family friend really cares about him

- after that, Zuko slowly starts opening up to all of them, but Sokka especially 

- he never really tells them about being cast out and burned tho

- until one day he kinda casually slings it into a convo all fast and awkwardly

- it’s just Toph, Aang and Sokka there

- Toph yells so WHAATTT so loudly and just metalbends the whole fridge into a clump in rage

- Aang cries lmao but he tries to hide to and be supportive and not awkward

- Sokka is kinda quiet, but he carefully asks about it that night when they’re in their beds, and they talk a little about it

- Aang tells Katara (with permission) and she awkwardly, but wholeheartedly tells him that he can always talk to her

- they do that «awkward sibling hug» from Gravity Falls after

- *hugs stiffly* «pat, pat»

- but okay, Toph and metalbending when angry, it happens quite a lot 

- this was the first time it was the fridge, but the toaster, the microwave, and several other appliances have met the same fate

- everyone is kinda used to it now, and she always replaces it

- except Zuko, who’s still kinda new to them all

- but what are you supposed to say when your new friends is so outraged by the abuse you went through that they crush a whole ass fridge?

- it actually reminds him that he’s cared for here, by these people who owe him nothing, and is not related to him, and it makes him a little dizzy to have people care this way

- he casually mentions it to his Uncle Iroh the time he’s in at work, that his new friend is a metalbender and squashed their whole fridge when she was pissed on his behalf

- Iroh is thrilled

- to the point of offering Toph a job lmao

- Toph, desperate to cut of as much ties with her family and be as self-sufficient as possible, agrees

- and now Iroh have two formerly rich kids with no clue about any sort of customer service and basic stuff like that working for him

- Toph is a hard worker tho, and she and Zuko work surprisingly well together

- Katara is a little relived, because the more those two work, the less are the chances of either of them trying to cook or do too many chores around their apartment

- they mean well, or, Zuko does, but he does so much dumb shit when trying to help lmao

- Sokka starts spending a lot of time over at The Jasmine Drago too

- Aang is still trying to keep the fact that Sokka likes Zuko a secret, but he is having trouble

- Katara is his biggest weakness, and now they’re suddenly alone with her a lot

- someone else who could always read Sokka really well is Suki

. whom he used date in high school, but they parted as friends and everything s cool

- but Sokka is a little taken aback when she comes into The Jasmine Dragon one day, hand in hand with Sokka’s childhood crush obsession, Yue

- for the first time in man’s memory, Sokka is a little speechless

- and Suki’s like “lmao dude I haven’t seen you like this since the first time you saw Zu-”

- cue Zuko popping out behind them like “WELCOME TO THE JASMINE DRAGON FRIENDS OF SOKKA :D”

- Sokka is so fucking red, poor boy is just about having an aneurism at this point

- but luckily something happens and Zuko gets distracted

- Suki is having the time of her life tho, Sokka always used to tease her for her crushes before and after they dated, and suddenly, here they are

- at the apartment, Aang decides they need some apartment traditions

- they’ve been living there for almost three months, after all

- so he decides that weekly movie nights are mandatory

- so are pillowforts

- Katara is actually really excited for it, she loves all things cozy and fall-like

- also… she is weak for Aang, y’all, and she loves seeing him all excited

- Zuko barely knows what a pillowfort is, he didn’t think real people actually made it

- but imagine these dorks in a pillowfort with hot chocolate and lot’s of pillows

- Toph claims that she thinks it’s soo dumb, but she will always make sit in the middle of the group all wrapped in her blanket and laughing when the others jump and get spooked from the horror movies Sokka always wants to watch

- and she will make sure the fort is right and perfect lmao

- Zuko is a little awkward about it at first, but he likes it too

- Sokka always manages to plop in next to Zuko lmao

- they haven’t talked about the head patting incident yet, but Zuko is def starting to feel the butterflies

- one time after a movie night Sokka falls asleep on Zuko’s shoulder, after the others have left for the night

- Zuko can’t resist waking him up with awkward head pats similar to the one Sokka used on him

- Sokka thinks he died and went to heaven lmao

- but then he fully wakes and sees Zuko’s shit eating grin and can’t help but laugh at the whole thing

- and Zuko has his “oh no he’s hot beautiful and I really adore him” moment

[princess-of-the-corner]

Since she's kind of been more in the background of most of the asks do you have any fun Mai headcanons/scenes for avatar Ty Lee AU?

I feel bad because Mai gets like. The least screentime in the AU and I know this because she's.

I love her but I don't always know /what to do/ with her. I think in general I haven't entirely decided what her arc should be? Everyone else kinda has one. I know some of it will be vibing with Toph in how they were raised and breaking out of that while having mixed feelings on their family, but I don't want to repeat that because everyone kinda gets their own arcs.

I am aware of this problem and I am working on fixing it. I just don't know how yet.

Until then! Have some of my favorite scenes from my notes:

Mai in 'The Fortune Teller' is fun. When Sokka doesn't believe in Fortune Telling she deadpans 'You got dragged into the Spirit World two weeks ago." Aang actually goes to her for romance advice instead. And also Mai later low-key pokes at Katara's Fortune of marrying a powerful bender.

I already mentioned her ideas for killing Ozai. Knives. Kinves on fire.

She is badass during the Seige of the North. Let's just say that Zhao gets fucked up before the Ocean Spirit drags him off.

On the flipside of the Fortune Teller episode, during 'the Cave of Two Lovers', Mai is stuck with Aang and Katara and keeps accidentally ruining their 'moments' by giving occasional comments just in time to remind them that 'oh yeah we're not alone....'.

I mentioned the whole thing with running into her family in 'Return to Omashu' but just. The weird feeling of finding out you have a little brother that you never knew existed. Her debating for a while about kidnapping him for real because she knows what her parents are like, but knowing that bringing a toddler with them is bad.

Speaking of that, when we get to 'The Swamp', Mai's vision is of her little brother. Considering the visions are 'who you miss most'.....

After visiting the Spirit Library, Mai also drinks the cactus juice. Her visions are just as wild, but she explains them in such a mater of fact tone.

While it's not her main arc, one of her smaller arcs is having learned to open up and trust people more. This is contemplated on during the 'Tales of Ba Sing Sae' episode when she realizes she has this large group of friends that she will be honest with.

I mentioned this before, but near the end of Book 2 when Toph gets that fake letter from her mom, Mai offers to go with her for the trip and doesn't take no for an answer. Because she already had her 'confront a kinda shitty parent' scene and she knows that as strong as someone may be, it is still nice to have support. Ofc she gets kidnapped with Toph but they kick ass on the way out.

I don't have this far in my notes plotted out yet, but the entire Boiling Rock thing is a little different and Mai kinda hinges on that. They're talking about people who got captured during the Eclipse and she brings up the prison. Then she also just kinda. Waltzes in because her uncle is the warden who is not up to date on where she's been so she just plays the 'oh I wanted to say hi!' ruse until boom takeover the whole place lmao.

[sugawara--san]

so I saw this post comparing catra to azula from atla and now I can’t stop thinking ab this whole comparison (and nO this does not mean I think the characters/relationships are the exact same in every way, I just think there are some similarities there):

Catra & Azula

like I said, the post compared catra in s3 to azula towards the finale, in the way that they are both slipping, spiraling, going pretty crazy and irrational to “win” and seek power/acceptance.

I mean, HELLA same vibes here. additionally:

they are both more favored by a father figure (hordak/ozai) than their mother figure (shadow weaver/ursa). while I wouldn’t say hordak exactly FAVORS catra, not like ozai favors azula anyways, when adora joins the rebellion and is seen as a traitor, he does give her the opportunity to take adora’s former rank as force captain and prove herself, like how azula became crown princess after zuko’s change of sides and was appointed to be fire lord when ozai declared himself phoenix king (though ozai had probably never not intended for azula to take power).

and SW had always loved adora far more than catra, which caused catra to become desperate for SW’s approval and affection later on. similarly, ursa clearly favored zuko over azula (though ursa loved azula more than SW did catra), and towards the end & in the comics, it was shown that azula was greatly scarred because she didn’t receive the same love and acceptance her mother gave zuko. they were given attention from those who didn’t really know how to care, rather than from the one they needed it most, which is partially why they turned out the way they did.

Adora & Zuko

which brings me to compare adora and zuko. they both originally believed that they and their people were doing the right thing because they were raised into it and didn’t know anything else, and even on the “bad” side they still had morals. adora was always taught that princesses were evil so she didn’t know otherwise, and she honestly thought that the horde would never do something as terrible as destroy a village. zuko thought the fire nation was just trying to spread their prosperity to the rest of the world and was quick to speak out against a general who wanted to sacrifice a whole division of soldiers and betray their patriotism for their country.

however, they both realized what the horde/fire nation were doing was wrong and decided to join the other side and fight against their origins to help the world yayayay.

and in relation to catra/azula. adora definitely holds onto the friendship she had with catra more and for longer, but ultimately, adora and zuko hold a soft spot for catra and azula because they’re family even if things between them got v fucked up.

and sure they have a lot of personality differences but the most important similarity: they’re my hilariously awkward children (they’re like, the people who don’t understand memes, change my mind).

Scorpia & Ty Lee

part of a trio. pretty badass despite being generally very happy and upbeat. scorpia/ty lee admire but fear catra/azula. scorpia thinks catra’s amazing and values their friendship more than anything, but catra has still threatened her and has shown that she won’t hesitate to take her friends out. scorpia’s starting to see catra growing darker. ty lee calls azula the “most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world” (though this is probably because azula just likes to be worshipped and ty lee’s afraid of her lol) and once regarded azula as her friend, but azula too has proven that she will take down anyone who opposes her. ty lee eventually betrays her to save mai...js 👀

Entrapta & Mai

iconic hair last part of the trio. ik they have very different personalities. but mai was zuko’s girlfriend, and entrapta was first loyal to adora & the princesses. they both felt betrayed by these people because zuko abandoned their relationship to leave and help the avatar, and entrapta was abandoned when everyone thought she was killed. mai was loyal to azula and their elite trio team, and entrapta remained in catra’s trio to help her. but again, eventually, mai betrays azula because she loves and is more loyal to zuko. honestly, entrapta doesn’t seem to understand alignment, just science exploration. but in season three, she realized their plans could ruin the whole world and sides with adora that they can’t go through with it. catra attacks entrapta and azula almost attacks mai, had it not been for ty lee.

just a thought but entrapta, mayyybe scorpia, will join the other side upon seeing that catra’s going a lil psycho and too far, which would ofc make her even more crazy and untrusting, like azula.

anyways, this was all just a thought and these were some similarities I couldn’t stop thinking about. ik everyone’s out there hoping for catra’s zuko redemption arc, but she seems like she’ll end up more like azula. ‘course, just cuz she mirrors azula doesn’t mean they have to give her the same ending. yknoww we’ll see.

(also a lot of this was probably a stretch i’m soRRY)