#dragon!lu ten

[waterfire1848]

Perhaps grace us with a few fire family dragon headcanons? 🙏🏼 (as in, all of them have their own respective dragon forms)

Hello, @kibutsulove !!! I’m gonna assume you just mean headcanons-headcanons and not headcanons for an AU (if I’m wrong correct me so that I may write more headcanons for a dragon!Fire family au)

1. There’s a game Lu Ten used to play with Zuko and Azula when they were really young where he would let them try and tackle his tail to practice pouncing. It was always so cute to watch them try and be so sneaky before jumping. When Zuko jumping on his tail and dug his claws in and when Azula actually surprised him with one of her pounces was when Lu Ten knew they’d outgrown the game.

2. Azula loves having her claws out. Human or dragon form, her claws are always out on display. Mostly she doesn’t this for firebending in her human form and show in her dragon form. Ursa is the same way and will usually do so when talking to a noble woman who is getting on her nerves (just casually reaching for a drink and showing off claws that could tear someone open). Ozai has his claws out as a dragon but not while human, same for Iroh and Lu Ten. Zuko never has his claws out and only starts doing so after his banishment. Azulon is the only one who shows off his claws exclusively in human form.

3. Dragons are vulnerable to catnip. It makes them more cuddly and loopy. Sokka bought catnip during their trip in the Earth Kingdom. (I’ll let you make of that what you will)

4. Zuko (post redemption) and Appa fly together a lot. Zuko never really did a lot of flying after his mom left and really didn’t when traveling so getting the chance to stretch his wings and fly with Appa is a big deal for him. When Azula is better, she joins them in their flights and takes the opportunity to finally feel free again. Races, different moves, games, etc, all occur.

5. While he was on his spirit journey, Iroh took a year and lived solely as a dragon who was sometimes a human as opposed to the reverse. He took up residence in a mountain cave and the locals swore there was a dragon living up there but none of the soldiers believed them. Iroh would occasionally show off his horns or eyes to the kids and wink at them which sparked a lot of stories about the old dragon man living in the mountains that continues to this day.

6. By the time Azulon comes around, it’s a well established fact that the Royal Fire Nation Family has this ability and they’ve grown used to raising children that are also part dragon. For the life of him though, Azulon could never figure out why Ozai was losing so many of his baby teeth in human and dragon form. Even when he died he didn’t know. (Ozai was trying to fly with Iroh and kept slamming down against the ground because he wasn’t ready to yet)

7. Ursa once broke her wing and landed in the middle of the forest. She blames Ozai for it because he’s the one who was so sure the storm would pass and they wouldn’t have to fly through it (spoiler alert: they had to fly through it)

8. After the war, a joke ran through the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe that the members of the royal family came from/laid eggs (being dragons and all). When Zuko and Azula joined the team, they spent days listening to those jokes until the Gaang finally ran out of them.

[demaparbat-hp]

Izumi (steambaby) sketches.

[loreandletters]

WarTrophy!Sokka Snippet 2

introducing: a vague attempt at politics by my child self ya'll. polished it up, but I couldn't save it from the on-the-nose palace intrigue. D:

this is a flash back, and from what I can grasp, Sokka's POV from when he was 'bought.' Also, Sokka also doesn't realize who he's with.

fic | snippet 1

-

“So this is the kid, huh?” When the man looked at him, Sokka felt his resolve wilt and he began to tremble. Desperate to stop it, he hugged his knees tighter, hoping it hid his pathetic shaking.

“News travels fast.” The lady (the man had called her Ursa, right?) sounded stern again, that softness gone as quick as snow on hot coals.

“It does when you decide to buy a savage in the middle of a Victor party,” the man snorted, crossing his arms. He sat comfortably, his powerful frame taking up what felt like half the carriage. He could beat Sokka dead if he wanted. Sokka hadn’t ever seen someone die before he left home, but that had changed, and he knew now what it looked like if someone was hit too much.

He didn’t want to end up like that.

“Is that why you're here?” Ursa’s tone dropped to a hiss, “this can wait.” 

“It can’t actually,” the man, Lu Ten, shook his head and turned to her. “And if you're worried about eavesdroppers, don't be. The driver is one of mine. You can be free with your words.”

Her eyes darted to Sokka, and Lu Ten snorted again, dismissive of him as all Fire Nation Soldier were. Sokka held back a sneer, and decided right then to hate him the most. (No surprise there, he hated everyone in the Fire Nation). 

“It deserves to hear this.”

“He’s just a child.” 

“It’s a savage child,” the man corrected, leveraging a hard look on Sokka. His golden eyes seemed to glow in the lamplight and Sokka gulped thickly. “A freshly beaten one at that. And is, if you've forgotten, your newest scandal.”

“Stop it.” Ursa snapped. “Why are you here? If it’s just to tell me what I already know, then get out.”

“I should,” Lu Ten said, his voice harsh, and Sokka, if possible, compressed himself tighter. Maybe if he stayed quiet enough, they would forget he was here. Lu Ten continued, saying, “fortunately for it, I just can’t stand back and watch you get it killed.”

Sokka took in a deep breath, lip wobbling. He buried his head into his arms, giving up on trying to look at this man and his new owner. He was too scared, too weak. His body ached, his head spun - this was too much. Sokka wanted his mom to come and save him. If she was here, she’d wave her hand and wash all them away. Then they could go home, and everything would be alright.

“Don’t call him that, Lu Ten,” her voice trembled, but not in fear like he was used too. It shook with suppressed anger - coiled tightly, a fish-snake ready to strike. “He’s a person, not a thing.”

“Is he?” Lu Ten’s head cocked to the side, a flat expression on his face. “Because that’s not what you just showed. You don’t buy people, Ursa, it’s against the law. You still did it though, which means this kid over here just went from being a prisoner to being a pet.”

Ursa remained silent, the air in the small carriage thick tension. Pet. Pet. Sokka buried his face deeper, comforted by the cage of his arms. He already knew this, but hearing it said out loud felt worse then being beat. He was the son of a chief. Shame swelled up under his ribs, displacing the anger and Sokka bit into his arm, trying to stifle his urge to scream. Was he going to have to sleep in a cage? Forced to eat food on the floor? Wear a collar?

“I didn’t…that’s not what I intended.” She eventually said, now quiet and soft again

The soldier sighed. “I know, Ursa. That much was obvious.” He went quiet for a moment.“What exactly were you thinking of accomplishing?”

“Zuko has been having trouble making friends, and Azula might benefit from having another boy around. Someone else to focus on other than her brother. What good is my status if I can’t even do this?” Sokka hated the hesitation in her voice. What did this mean for him? He didn’t understand. There was a rustle of clothing and he felt more tears leak out. Who was Zuko? Another water tribe boy, captured in an earlier raid? Sokka didn’t know anyone else in their tribe with that name. 

“Ursa….you couldn’t possibly have thought Oazi was just going to let a savage run amok around his children, did you?” Lu Ten’s voice had softened, in a way that sounded chastising and suddenly he understood. She had bought him without permission - this wasn't just a meeting, it was a dressing down.

[roseride01-blog]

“Uncle?”

The light knock came at the door to the Jasmine Dragon’s office,set back away from the dining room. The teashop had been closed for about an hour now, and Iroh had been working on paperwork in the back room. The setting sun streams through his window, and his seat was comfortable and his tea was hot.

He hadn’t expected anyone to still be in the restaurant- so he startled a little at the voice, until not only the voice but the word registered.

His heart fluttered a little, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He was happy in Ba Sing Se, he was, but every day his heart ached a little for his nephew, wanting to be with him.

The door cracked open, and Iroh stood up to greet his nephew. The young man sensed permission to come in, and the smile in his eyes nearly brought tears to Iroh’s.

Before Iroh was able to get out of his seat, Zuko had already crossed the room, placing a brightly colored package on the desk. “It’s good to see you, Uncle. I know you weren’t expecting me, I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

Just the thought of Zuko interrupting anything seemed outlandish to Iroh, as Zuko was more important than anything in his life. “No, no, of course not, nephew. But what brings you here? Surely the throne is keeping you busy.” Iroh hoped there was no bad news.

In response, Zuko gestured to the package he had brought in, smiling, “I brought you something.”

Iroh looked down. The package was long and rectangular, like a book. It was wrapped neatly in thick red paper, a simple golden bow was elegantly wrapped around it.

He picked up the package, looking up at Zuko, who gestured for him to open it. Iroh slowly pulled at the ribbon, undoing the bow. The red paper was easily unwrapped, and Iroh was truly shocked at what laid in his hands.

Mounted in wood and glass, was a painting. In a delicate hand, black ink stretched across parchment, both smooth and jagged lines curving into the roots and branches of a tree.

It was beautiful, and must have cost a fortune, as he surveyed the details in the background behind the tree, the small and low buildings making a bustling market. Intricate blades of grass dotted the landscape, the sky and clouds painted so lightly they almost weren’t there. The skyline met a wall, that stretched across the back of the city…

Iroh stared. The details slowly began to click into place, and before he could even attempt to stop them, tears sprang to Iroh’s eyes.

“Zuko, this…this is…”

“I thought that, since he’s there, the tree should be immortalized in someway. To preserve the memory.”

Iroh was staring at a painting of the tree in Ba Sing Se, the tree his son was buried under.

His smile wobbled, and he looked up at his nephew, who had a light smile on his face— Zuko seemed hesitant to say more, as if he wasn’t sure if his uncle’s tears were of joy or not.

But his uncle immediately moved around the desk towards his nephew. Zuko was a fair bit taller than him now, at least a good 6 inches, so Iroh’s hug ran around Zuko’s waist, putting his head on his nephew’s chest. He squeezed tight, tears slipping from his eyes.

“Thank you. Thank you, Zuko. I love it. I love it.”

“I’m glad you do— I was a little worried it would be…too painful.”

Iroh shook his head against his nephew. “No, no. I miss Lu Ten, every day, but… I also have you.”

Iroh could just make out the faint beat of Zuko’s heart against his cheek, his second son, wonderfully alive.

“Whenever it becomes too much, I think of you. You are what gets me through the bad days. I love you.”

“I love you too, Uncle,” there was a smile in Zuko’s voice, “Happy Father’s Day.”

[palaceofmuses]

Any man who stands between a father and his vengeance asks for death!

Had Lord Karstark done as Iroh did when his sons died, the North would have prevailed longer and had a better chance at surviving the Red Wedding

Had Iroh done as Karstark did when his son died, Ba Sing Se would have been doomed

[discordiansamba]

It would take place after Lu Ten was killed- which some tiny part of Zuko is grateful for. At least one member of his family doesn't have to see him like this... and yet at the same time, part of him longs to see his cousin again. He would treat him just like Uncle, he knows it.

(Uncle is the only one who loves him now, he thinks. He's chased everyone else away.)

When he is eleven, Uncle tells Zuko the news he has been waiting to hear all this time.

Father will be visiting.

The rest of the morning is spent in a frenzy- father apparently sent the messenger hawk ahead of his departure, so they don't have much time. He has ordered Iroh to make him presentable, so the villa servants scrub every inch of him and forgo his usual braid for a proper topknot, combing his hair until not a single strand is out of place.

He doesn't realize what the bandages are for until they start binding his wings.

His uncle does not look at him, so he cannot see the anger in the old man's eyes. His father has requested this. Presentable means 'as normal as possible'. It means hiding his wings, binding them to his back and donning clothes that cramp them even further. Zuko can barely stand upright when they're done. Uncle has to help him walk, his balance entirely thrown off.

It's worth it, he tells himself. Father is coming. There can only be one reason for that- he's letting him come home.

(The dragon laughs at him. He grits his teeth and ignores it.)

His wings are aching by the time father arrives. He greets him properly- he is out of practice, but Uncle helped brush up on his lessons as they waited. His father hums in consideration, then turns to his uncle. He had received his letter, but it would seem the news of the prince's recovery was true after all.

His uncle bows, deep and respectful. He is not free of the spirit, but he has learned to live with it. He has shown exceptional progress.

His father looks at him- and he feels the dragon bristle underneath the man's gaze. Zuko keeps his head bowed, biting back the low, rumbling growl the dragon wants to produce. Father wants him to be normal. Zuko desperately wants that too. He can accept Azula being his father's heir instead of him, if he can just go home.

"And the... physical changes?"

"Irreversible, I am afraid," Iroh confesses, "-but unlikely to worsen further."

"Then perhaps," his father begins, "-we can cut the wings and horns off."

Zuko makes the mistake of looking up at his father. There is disgust in his eyes, as if he is looking at an insect he crushed underneath his shoe. His father looks at him, brushing a hand over the cluster of scales on the left half of his face.

His touch is not warm. It is not kind.

"Yes," his father says to himself, "-we could burn off the scales too."

Zuko looks up at his father, terrified.

Iroh intervenes. They cannot do that. These things are a part of Zuko now- removing them would be the same as crippling him for life. The dragon is a part of him- he must accept this, if he is ever to find peace within himself. His father frowns, stroking his beard in thought.

"Very well," Ozai said, "-then he is to remain here, on Ember Island."

What happens next is a blur. Zuko remembers begging. No, please- he'll do anything if it means coming home. You can cut off his wings and his horns. You can burn his face. You can even take his hands if you need to. Please, father. He wants to come home. He wants to see mother-

"Your mother?" Ozai sneers. "Your mother is gone. She left because of you."

He remembers slumping to the ground, defeated.

(It was only after his father left, that the anger came. He was never going home. He was going to be stuck here forever. His father didn't even look at him like he was a person.

He tears free of his own bindings and lets himself rage. He tears tapestries, smashes valuables and furniture alike, and spits fire at anyone who dares come close. When he is done, he curls up into a corner and sobs until his Uncle comes to find him. He holds him close and apologizes.

It will not be this way forever, my nephew, he says, I promise.)

[late-draft]

I am fully convinced that Azulon really did order Ozai to kill Zuko.

Azulon's characterization was concise but very precise in the short time that he had on screen - he seems slow to move but very very sharp and cruel in anger, trapped in his own mind. He adored Iroh, additionally because Iroh embodied all of Azulon's desires for what his heir should be - powerful, clever, cunning, gifted in his understanding of rhythm in war and combat. Never showing all of his cards. "Slayer of the last dragon." (Unfortunately for Azulon, he didn't predict that Iroh would later aid in the dismantling of their imperialistic construct!)

Azulon was old. Clearly very old. I can easily see how he would not be viewing reality as clearly as someone younger would. He was already floating mentally among stories of legends and legacies, and in his mind it was Iroh who was going to be fully successful after him. When Lu Ten died, all that mattered was Iroh's pain. Azulon would absolutely order the death of his younger son's first born son, to punish him for what Ozai was attempting to take from Iroh. Azulon didn't much care for the little show Ozai was having his children perform for their grandad, regardless of how talented little Azula was anyway. If push comes to shove, Azulon probably believed Iroh would either have more descendants, or Ozai would have more descendants. One of those would inherit the throne later on - or at least Azula, in case of the opposite.

[aanglican]

uncle iroh is treated very much like a paragon of virtue in the series. yes we know he has had a violent past, that he has done terrible things, committed atrocities in the service of the fire nation— but we don’t really feel it because all of that had happened off screen and prior to the series. instead, he comes to us as a more perfect being and one deified with secret good deeds revealed throughout the story: uncle iroh is the keeper of the dragons and an important member of the white lotus, he is just that awesome.

uncle iroh is so divorced from his immediate past that we don’t see him haunted by any of it unless it’s by lu ten— which begs the question: did he really turn his back on the fire nation due to a moral awakening or was it only/mostly for his own good? he certainly doesn’t behave in a manner you’d expect from a repentant ex-imperialist: he’s not too worried about walking the streets of ba singe se, let alone actually staying there after the war ended. (the same war he participated in on the side of the aggressors, mind you.) he is shameless enough to be living there while hiding away and was unscrupulous in accepting hospitality from earth kingdom folks who were made refugees by the fire nation, i.e., song’s family. does he not feel guilty or at least uncomfortable with his circumstances, especially since it has only been 5 or so years since the siege at ba sing se and thus still very fresh in the grand scheme of things? is iroh just that Enlightened and At Peace with his past that it doesn’t color his every movement? or is his lack of a moral hangover just a writing oversight? were they scared to make their most lovable character in a rated TV-Y7 cartoon a tad more polarizing?

while uncle iroh does his job well for the story— that is, to act as zuko’s guiding light— i do wish he were knocked off his pedestal a bit more. uncle iroh is, after all, the proto-zuko to ozai’s proto-azula. i wish to see him at least slightly paranoid about people recognizing him from his military days and vice versa. i wish to see him uneasy about being in the earth kingdom (out of guilt? as opposed to zuko’s superiority complex and anger). i wish to see him meet another person who also has visible burn scars, one that has nothing to do with zuko/his family, and still look away in shame or disgust by the implications. et cetera et cetera. anything to indicate he feels something more about himself and other people that isn’t just Wise Old Man.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Valentine's Day Prompts 2025 Masterlist

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER Zuko and the Dragon, Part 25 Modern ATLA AU, Part 5 Lu Ten and Zuko, Part 24 Modern ATLA AU, Part 6 Lu Ten and Zuko, Part 25

AVENGERS F is for Frankenstein, Part 4 Three Faced Goddess, Part 6

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA No Mercy

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES Dead Boy Detectives

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Bartender AU, Part 12 Xerxes AU, Part 10 What They Expect, Part 13 Bartender AU, Part 13

GODS AND MONSTERS Dionysus

HARRY POTTER Mermaid Draco, Part 22 A Slytherin Wife, Part 4 Marauders Era Wolfstar SIAT Percy and Tonks

HOUSE MD Wood Ducks, Part 4

MERLIN Ygraine, Part 9 Lord Arthur de Bois, Part 12 Prince Merlin, Part 2

NARUTO Hokage’s Daughter, Part 16 Orochimaru Adopts Naruto, Part 15

PERCY JACKSON Rinse and Repeat, Part 13 Rinse and Repeat, Part 14 Rinse and Repeat, Part 15

PSYCH Try Hard, Part 2 Taiji, Part 2

STAR TREK May December

SUPERNATURAL Souliloquy john never goes missing, Part 2

UNTAMED Wangxian Time Travel, Part 11 Marriage Assassin WQ, Part 16 Figure Skating AU, Part 6 Jiang Cheng Time Travel, Part 17 Girl Wei Wuxian, Part 18 First Disciple Wei Wuxian, Part 16 WWX and JYL Run Away, Part 22 Jiang Cheng Time Travel, Part 18 Girl Wei Wuxian, Part 19 Identity Porn AU, Part 13

Google Doc for All Prompts

[waterfire1848]

More of these because this is my new hyper fixation for the week apparently. No promises that this is the last additon.

Ursa learned how to clean scales for her children when they were toddlers.

Toph hates when Zuko and Azula go into the dragon forms because she can't see them.

Katara and Sokka grew up with stories that dragons were horrifying monsters that burned anyone and anything. When Zuko joined their team they were shocked to learn that, aside from the firebreathing, dragons are really just big cats.

Zuko and Azula fought as dragons during the Southern Raiders episode and Zuko broke one of Azula's wings.

Azula always had a better handle on her dragon form and shifting than Zuko did, but as she started to get worse and worse in season 3, her dragon form became more and more unstable.

Mai and Ty Lee used to get free dragon rides form Azula and Zuko before Zuko’s banishment.

Lu Ten is used to, whenever there is a storm, finding two tiny dragons curled up in his bed. When Lu Ten isn’t there, it’s Zuko’s job to protect Azula from the storms.

Azula loves her claws and will have them out 90% of the time.

Iroh rarely uses his dragon form after Lu Ten died but when he does it’s terrifying.

Azula shifted during the Ba Sing Se battle against Katara and instantly regretted it because Katara almost completely froze her.

In an AU of this AU, Ursa also has a dragon form and it isn't uncommon to see her laying in the garden in her dragon form with Azula and Zuko hiding under her wing. She is also the first dragon that the turtleducks aren’t afraid of (the next is Zuko).

Zuko is taller than Azula so he puts stuff on the top shelf when he's mad at her but Azula is a stronger flyer than Zuko and will put stuff on the ceiling when she'd annoyed with him.

Aang flies with Zuko and, later, Azula.

Lu Ten, Zuko and Azula all first fully shifted when they were 2. It made things very hard on their parents because they were tiny noodles that could fit into just about anything and loved to hide.

When Zuko was burned, he lost the ability to shift for a year.

All the dragon members of the Royal Family have servants that handle their human forms and servants to handle their dragon ones.

Azula's fire as a dragon is blue and so was Azulon's.

Sozin was the first one in the family to gain a dragon form.

I've been thinking about doing a dragon AU kind of fic so I made some dragon Fire Nation family headcanons

Ursa is the only one with no dragon form. By the time Azula comes into the picture she knows exactly how to survive with a family of dragons though.

Azula, Zuko and Lu Ten destroy everything. Almost every object in their room either has burn marks, teeth marks or claw marks.

Just as kittens use their claws for everything so do baby dragons. The only difference is that kitten claws are retractable and dragon claws are not. So many servants, Ursa and the Gaang find this out the hard way.

Both Zuko and Azula agree horns are the worst part of being part dragon.

When they were younger and had trouble walking and staying close to Lu Ten, Azula and Zuko would grab his tail and use it to stay close to him.

Dragons can’t fly until they’re at least six years old. Azula was so determined though that she attempted to launch herself off the roof when she was four only to be caught by her mom.

Sokka was the first person to invent a device that helps with broken dragon wings.

During the final Agni Kai, Zuko went between his human and dragon form with ease while Azula was caught in between the two unable to commit to one or the other.

Zuko’s burn isn’t as noticeable when he’s a dragon cause he has red scales.

Dragons are fully grown when a person is in their late teens or early twenties. Fully grown dragons are the size of Raw and Shaw, teenage dragons are about the size of a sky bison, kid dragons about the size of a tiger and baby dragons about the size of Momo. Appa is a little bigger than both Zuko and Azula and totally has fun with this.

[theofficialpresidentofmars]

thinking about how avatar legends implies that Lu Ten was on his way to figuring out that the Fire Nation were the bad guys pre unfortunate demise, so naturally here’s an AU where Lu Ten gets it together sometime before he dies during the siege of Ba Sing Se, does something about it, consequently survives, and how it would affect the rest of the world.

Lu Ten had always been a people person, a skill which served him well as the future crown prince and made him a favourite in the court, and a skill that led to him realising that the way that the Fire Nation treated other people as a whole was not something he could stand to be a part of anymore. He’d always been sheltered from the brunt of it, he suspected in part due to his duty as a prince not being one that involves seeing the worst of what your nation has to offer, and just as equally due to his own father trying to preserve his innocence at best, and trying to deliberately avoid sparking his natural curiosity at worst. He’d worked his way up in the military by his own hand as a result, in order to get his answers on the frontlines himself- and what he’d found wasn’t pretty. The Siege of Ba Sing Se has torn families apart, seen cultural history razed to ashes, and has in no way done anything to spread the peace and prosperity of his nation with the innocent people of the Earth Kingdom. It had confirmed all his worst fears about the Fire Nation, and about his own father. Lu Ten knew there was truth to be found, and truth he did find- a truth he could not stand by and idly ignore.

And so Lu Ten challenged his father, on the five hundred and fiftieth day of the siege. It was not a rallying call for action, or a public spectacle, rather a series of raised concerns in the enclosed space of a tented war meeting. But it was a challenge in the eyes of the seated officers, it was a challenge by Fire Nation law- he had undermined his own father’s authority, challenged his honour, and there was only one way to settle these sorts of things. If Iroh wanted to keep the respect of his men, he would have to fight his own son, and win, in Agni Kai.

Neither of them wanted this. Iroh offered Lu Ten the first strike. Lu Ten refused, and when Iroh persisted, refused to fight at all. Although Lu Ten would not surrender, it would be the easiest victory in Fire Nation history.

Iroh could not bring himself to harm his son, but if he let Lu Ten go without any punishment, he would lose the respect of his men. He asked, then commanded Lu Ten to surrender, to accept that his father was right. But Lu Ten simply refused, over and over. An hour went by without a single flame. Eventually, Iroh realised that even in stalling, he was losing. He did not like what he had to do, but his son was grown. He had forced his hand, and he could not be allowed to think that he was exempt from his duty as a citizen due to his status.

Iroh sent out a burst of flame. It would have been ridiculously easy to avoid, or to block, and then Lu Ten would have fought back enough for his defeat to not ridicule Iroh.

But Lu Ten simply let it wash over him, let it touch upon and burn his skin. It hurt, but it reinforced a further truth within his mind- his father would choose his nation over his own son. That was the last thing he’d needed to know.

Iroh was able to call a defeat there and then, a punishment enacted, a warning that Lu Ten would be further reprimanded later. But when he reached his son’s tent hours after, he found it only empty- of both the firebender and his belongings. Lu Ten had disappeared, and as the next morning made evidently clear, deserted.

…

Only days later, Iroh returned to the Fire Nation in disgrace. The Siege of Ba Sing Se had been on a downwards slide, but the Agni Kai had damaged morale, and had publicly humiliated the Dragon of the West, causing the Fire Lord to order a strategic retreat. The once-great General had been made an example of by his traitorous son, and had brought shame upon their entire bloodline as a result.

When Iroh’s younger brother suggested a change in the order of succession not long after, Fire Lord Azulon was a little more open to the possibility. Ozai was made the Crown Prince, and Ursa was there to see it. Iroh did not grieve his son, nor chase him over the world in a spiritually enlightening journey of self-discovery. Instead, he closed off and hardened up after his failure, much to the dismay of Ursa and the young prince Zuko.

Lu Ten became the Fire Nation’s most wanted criminal, but seemed to disappear off the face of the planet entirely. No one could catch him, no one could ever seem to see him. Some joked he’d gone and found the Avatar. But it was made clear that he no longer had a home to return to.

…

Sozin’s Comet was close approaching, and it was time for a new era. A new Fire Lord was crowned, after the old one perished peacefully in his sleep. The Fire Lady went missing, although not many noticed, as she’d appeared in the public eye less and less.

The new crown prince of the Fire Nation found himself in a war meeting, and as some things never change, was unable to stop himself from standing up for what he believed in.

Zuko consequently found himself in an Agni Kai arena, facing his father. Under different circumstances this might have gone some other way, but Zuko had heard about his cousin. He’d heard what had happened, how even though his father had tried not to hurt him, he’d come away burned, disgraced, and had almost toppled the entire royal family as a result. He’d heard how Lu Ten had refused to fight, and how his own nation wanted him dead for it.

Zuko knew he was not as widely beloved as Lu Ten, and he knew that his father was not afraid to hurt him, not if it taught him a lesson. So even though everything inside him screamed this is wrong, this is cruel, this is unfair, don’t fight him, don’t let yourself become a part of this, Zuko did not back down. He knew that his father could not and did not expect him to win. He knew that his father wanted to publicly demonstrate that his will as the Fire Lord was correct, and as such, he would receive the least punishment if he helped to show this. Defeating a child who did not fight- that was not a display of strength. Zuko was expected to fight for his honour, and he was expected to lose, but the honour was in the act of fighting, not winning.

Zuko rose, and accepted his opponent. He swallowed his every instinct, and took the first strike, a weak and pitiful thing. Zuko fought, and some part deep within himself was irrevocably changed as a result.

He lost, but his father did not banish him, did not brand him. He was dishonoured, but he was allowed to stay, allowed to learn from his ‘mistake’ in the sanctity of the palace walls, surrounded by tutors and teachers appointed by the Fire Lord.

Zuko did in fact learn something. He learnt to sit down, and shut up.

It didn’t matter what he thought. He was too young to understand the scale that the Fire Nation operated at, too inexperienced to understand the weight of the sacrifices his people made for him. And he was clearly alone in whatever he’d thought before, as no one had stood up for him in the arena, no one had offered to take his place, or spoken up for him. That was just how things were done, and Zuko was alone.

His father had been angry with him after the battle: not that he’d fought, but that he’d fought weakly. That was going to have to be the first thing remedied. If Zuko were to be the crown prince, it would not do to have Agni’s chosen be outshined by even his own younger sister.

His mother was not there to protect him. His uncle was busy with his own things. His cousin had left him, had run away, never to return.

The new firebending teachers were ruthless, painful, and effective. If he disappointed them even slightly, the price to pay was high.

Zuko learnt how to suppress his emotions, and in turn, himself. It worked.

…

Lu Ten had learnt how to fend for himself during his time in the military, and had been able to live off the land, travelling from Earth Kingdom village to village for the better part of three years, before he heard of the Avatar’s re-emergence.

Wasn’t that something.

He’d spent much of his time helping people, both through hands on work that his youth, strength, and fitness allowed him to take on beyond most people in needs’ own capabilities, and through very small scale political and charity work where his charm managed to set things right. Nothing that could draw too much attention to himself though, as he knew the bounty on his head was high. He’d been working his way down through the continent, and had managed to avoid any dangerous confrontation with his homeland so far.

Then the Avatar arrived, and Lu Ten was no longer the Fire Nation’s most wanted. Lu Ten himself was greatly pleased at the news, and hoped that it might herald the end of the war. He also hoped to one day meet the spirit, but had no plans of his own to seek him out.

That was, until he heard the word of his capture, by none other than the newly-promoted Admiral Zhao. The Avatar had been apprehended, and was being held in Pohuai Stronghold.

Pohuai Stronghold? That’s not too far from here.

And so it happened that armed with a single sword, an Earth Kingdom theatre mask he’d spontaneously picked up from a street vendor after being reminded of a game his young cousins used to play that involved sneaking around (Zuko, although you’d probably disagree with me for doing this, this one’s for you), and a dream, the former prince of the Fire Nation met the Avatar in the highest cell of the fortress, and then again properly after a successful escape.

…

“Ha. Azula, come have a look at this.”

His sister walked up to him and snatched the letter out of his hands. “This is a correspondence from Admiral Zhao saying that the Avatar is no longer in holding at Pohuai Stronghold. What’s funny about that?”

“Read the details. He was broken out by a single man wearing a Dark Water Spirit mask. Can you imagine?”

Azula sighed. “I can, actually. That sounds like just the kind of stupid thing that you would do. In fact, if it weren’t impossible for you to have traveled that distance in the time since it happened, you would be my first suspect.”

He laughed again. “I’m flattered, although I’m not stupid enough to break into a highly armoured Fire Nation prison with only a sword.”

The eye roll of serious doubt he received in response was almost audible.

“I would have brought two swords.”

“Idiot.” Azula read the rest of the letter. “Either way, this isn’t something to laugh about. We’ve lost the Avatar, who if you’ve forgotten, could bring an end to our whole civilisation.”

That did sort of kill the mood a little bit. She was right, as always.

“… But it’s a little funny that it happened to Zhao, of all people.”

“That guy is such a kiss-ass.”

“Trying to get in the Fire Lord’s good graces when he can’t even defend a fortress from a single lowly peasant in a play-mask?”

“They’ll make anyone an admiral these days,” Zuko agreed, and they both smiled, united by their hatred of a common enemy.

There was a moment of quiet that followed, and they both took turns reading the letter again.

“I should hope our ground forces in the area are at least competent enough to find and apprehend the criminal shortly,” Azula decided.

“Yeah.”

“Maybe we should push for an execution. It would send a message to those would-be ‘heroes’ looking to harbour the Avatar.”

Zuko sighed. “Probably for the best.”

…

this is only just the beginning. I have more planned. Lu Ten bonding with team Avatar, Iroh having a later-in-life come around to being wrong. Azula and Zuko being sent on missions together, and Zuko WILL be forcibly kidnapped, separated, and taken under someone’s wing whether he likes it or not (he won’t). Silly things happen, but at the end of the day, it’s all towards the same goal.

And even in this different universe, some things won’t change. And some things that seem to have changed already will right themselves with time.

[likeabxrdinflight]

I want to talk more about the way the characters have been adapted for the live action adaptation, because character writing is the thing I care about the most and as a psychologist it's probably the aspect of any story that I'm most invested in. I can get around pretty much any plot contrivance or weird maguffin or even shitty pacing if the characters of a story are engaging enough. This is my bread and butter, so to speak.

And I want to start with Iroh, because I think he is by far the best adapted character from the original. But I suspect I think this for different reasons than other people might, because the beloved Saint Iroh from the animated show this man is not.

See the thing with animated Iroh is that he's just...a bit too perfect. We know he's been complicit in the war in the past. We know he laid siege to Ba Sing Se, we know he had a complicated past. But we never really see it, we only barely hear about it, and more often than not there are other aspects of Iroh's past that serve to further deify him. He was a general in the war, but then he goes on to protect the last dragons and learn the true meaning of firebending. He led a 600-day siege and lost his son but he came out of that experience Enlightened, having journeyed to and from the spirit world. He joins up with the White Lotus (at some point) and becomes the wise old sage we know and love.

Except most of that is revealed in later seasons and is inconsistent with his actions alongside Zuko in season one. Season one animated Iroh is kind of a passive character, largely existing for comic relief and as a support to Zuko. But there's very little to suggest he's disloyal to the Fire Nation or their cause. He says it himself- "I'm no traitor, Zhao!" Now you can certainly interpret that line in several different ways, but I suppose that's the point- there's a lot left up to interpretation with animated Iroh. We get a sense of who he is in relation to Zuko, but his own development largely happens off-screen. And because to Zuko he's a wise, caring uncle and mentor, that's largely how we, the audience, see Iroh. We love him because Zuko loves him. And that's fine for what it is, and clearly it was effective- Uncle Iroh is almost universally beloved. But it does leave a lot of questions about him up in the air.

Live action Iroh is a very different character. This Iroh is a deeply broken man who was been profoundly impacted by the war and what he has lost because of it. I do not get the sense that the loss of Lu Ten has led to any spiritual enlightenment for this Iroh- there's no indication that he can see spirits, for example, or that he has ever traveled to the spirit world himself (he does still oppose the killing the moon thing, though.)

Right out the gate, we get the sense that this Iroh has lost faith in what the Fire Nation is trying to achieve with the war. He explains to Aang fairly early on what the Fire Nation's goal and perspective is, and can rattle off this dogma quite easily. But when questioned by Aang if these beliefs are also his beliefs, he dodges them rather un-deftly. So you know immediately that this Iroh doesn't really support the war. Later you see him somewhat bluntly telling Zuko that the throne may not be all it's cracked up to be, and he's fairly openly critical of Ozai in other moments. So you know from the jump that Iroh's not really on Team Fire Nation.

And yet this is also not a truly repentant man. When he is captured in Omashu, Iroh gets another brief scene with Aang while they are both imprisoned there (this is before Aang meets with Bumi). And in this scene, Aang tries to convince Iroh to help Zuko stop being The Bad Guy. And Iroh defends Zuko to Aang and stresses the point that it is not Zuko who owes him any great debt, but he who owes Zuko. Later, when he is confronted (and hit several times) by an Earth Kingdom soldier who lost his brother during the siege, Iroh does not apologize. He does not flinch at the man's accusations, nor does he deny them. He defends himself, albeit weakly, by stating he was a soldier, and it was a war. He has the audacity to accuse this soldier (somewhat obliquely) of having been made dishonorable by the effects of war. It's kinda messed up, honestly.

But then this man accuses Iroh of knowing nothing of loss. He leaves the shot, and we saw Iroh's face just crumble, and the scene cuts directly to Lu Ten's funeral, where Zuko chooses to sit with his uncle and support him through what must have been the darkest moment of his life. Back in the present, it is only later, after Zuko has come to rescue Iroh, that he speaks more honestly to the Earth Kingdom soldier- he shows mercy and states that they've all "seen enough death."

So what we have here is an Iroh who is deeply disenchanted by the war and does not support it or the goals of the Fire Nation, but who has continued to stand alongside Zuko and support him in his goals. We have a man who doesn't necessarily regret his actions as a soldier in the war but who very much does regret what those actions have cost. We see a man who is profoundly impacted by loss and grief and has become emotionally reliant on his nephew as a source of support. Not that he's parentifying Zuko or anything, he's very much not, but he is rather obviously channeling all the love he once felt for his son into Zuko instead. Zuko is his lifeline, he needs Zuko and you get the sense that without him, Iroh would truly fall apart. I mean the man is on the verge of tears more often than not when Zuko is in even the slightest bit of danger in a way that animated Iroh was not.

This is what I think is different here. Animated Iroh seemed to turn against the war because it was morally wrong, it had thrown the world out of balance, and imperialism is bad. Live action Iroh seems against the war because it wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth the cost, or the death, or the grief. He couldn't see that until he lost Lu Ten, but now he sees it everywhere. I get the sense that this Iroh just wants it all to stop, and I'm not sure he cares how that happens.

The White Lotus is definitely hinted at, but I suspect that was his motivation for joining it. It's not about restoring balance to the world for this Iroh. It's about restoring peace, so that he won't have to lose Zuko like he lost Lu Ten. So that the death and destruction stops. So he can just live a quiet life and put the past behind him.

It's a different take. And it's not that he doesn't still have a lot of wisdom to him, that he's not still a gentle, caring person. But he's a much sadder person, and he's lost that sense of "enlightenment" that his animated counterpart had. There's a selfishness you can read into to this version of his character that's much more apparent than the animated version.

I think a lot of people are gonna hate this, because it's a darker take on a much loved character. But I love it. This Iroh is human, this Iroh is flawed, and this Iroh has a lot more growing left to do. And that's awesome. If we get to actually see more of a character arc for him too, if we get to see him also growing and changing alongside Zuko? Please. It's not like he needs a total redemption arc, per se, but if in his journey with Zuko throughout the Earth Kingdom we can see Iroh gain some of his fortitude back, we can see when he decides he needs to push Zuko down a certain path, to take a side in the war, to see that it's not just the death and destruction that makes it wrong? God there's so much potential with that.

Now, maybe this isn't what will happen with seasons two and three. Maybe they'll back track and try to make him more similar to the animated version. I don't know. But for now? Live action Iroh is fantastic, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is giving a hell of a performance. He's warm and tender when he needs to be, fierce when he has to, and just profoundly sad throughout it all. And I love him so much more for that.

I'll be controversial here and say it. So far, live action Iroh is a better character than animated Iroh.

[purrincesskittens]

Me trying to write: almost done this chapter then on to working on Golden Writing

Lu Ten: diverting the whole ending of the chapter by starting an argument with the Water Tribe in regards to custody of Zuko

Me: okay just a little more and I can end it after this split custody or shared custody will work

Lu Ten: starts new argument with Bato after baby dragon cousin wanders off and doesn't come back

Me: Lu Ten stop it this is already twice as long as what I planned.

Baby Dragon Zuko: Finds trouble or trouble finds him

La: how mad would Agni be if I don't give this child of his back?

[longing-for-rain]

I really like the idea that a big reason why Iroh seems to resent Azula in Book 2 is not because she’s different from him, but because of how similar they are.

I think Iroh was likely very similar in terms of his ambition and dedication to serving his father in his Dragon of the West days, and it probably disturbs him to see those traits in Azula. It’s a reflection of his former self that he’s trying to run away from.

Meanwhile I honestly don’t think Iroh and Zuko have a lot in common personality wise. I think Iroh is attached to Zuko because he’s afraid of failing him like he believes he failed Lu Ten. After Lu Ten’s death, Iroh’s ambition shifts to fixing his past mistakes and one aspect is saving Zuko like he couldn’t save his own son.

Not getting my hopes up that the comics will actually explore this, but I think detangling this complicated dynamic between these three characters would be important in Azula’s journey towards healing.

[discordiansamba]

rotating an AU idea that I like to call "zuko and toph and do terrorism while rookie avatar aang feels like he's getting in over his head already" in which the hundred year war never happened because roku chose not to spare sozin, only to die shortly thereafter. the air nomads continue to thrive, but the air avatar dies of an illness in their childhood.

avatar korra guides the four nations into a time of prosperity, fueled by technological revolutions from the fire nation, agricultural innovations from the earth kingdom, seafaring knowledge from the water tribes, and diplomacy from the air nomads. she dies under mysterious circumstances, followed shortly thereafter by the loss of the earth kingdom and fire nation avatars- so the white lotus has a vested interest in the survival of the young air nomad avatar, Aang.

he grows up with his mentor, monk gyatso- but is also taught the four elements much earlier than previous avatars. he befriends the children of the southern water tribe's chieftain, the daughter of which is taught waterbending alongside him by his masters hama and pakku (who never see eye to eye). when he is fifteen, gyatso decides it would be a good chance for aang to see the world with his friends-

-starting with the newly formed republic city.

(or: it's an era swap without being a true era swap.)

aang is hopeful that his time as the avatar will be as peaceful as korra's was (you know. aside from the 'died under mysterious circumstances' thing). this may be wishful thinking given the recent unrest in the fire nation- mysterious assailants invaded the palace in the dead of night, resulting in the death of fire lord iroh and his heir, prince lu ten, and the disappearance of the young prince zuko.

the case was never closed.

iroh's brother, ozai, ascended to the throne in his place. his reign has been plagued by trouble ever since- in the form of a pair of masked terrorists known collectively as The Blue Spirit. as the Avatar, it's Aang's duty to stop the pair- which is a lot harder than it should be, given that nobody knows who they are.

at least he has the peaceful refuge of the Jasmine Dragon, run by old man Mushi and his nephew, Lee. the heiress of the Beifong family, Toph Beifong, and the princess of the Northern Water Tribe, Yue, are almost always there as well during their breaks from the Republic City Academy for Fine Young Ladies. even the bodyguard the White Lotus sent to Republic City with him opens up and just acts like a normal person while they're at the Jasmine Dragon.

(her name is Suki. she's a Kyoshi Warrior. Aang and Katara are pretty sure Sokka's in love with both her and Yue.)

...now if he could only figure out how The Blue Spirit always manages to have a leg up on them.

[calderacitylovers]

Zutara SlowBurn FanFiction: Personal Favs, part II

·        DESTINY IS A FUNNY THING by Megara Pike | Published: 2020-08-21 | 198K Words | 45 Chapters

ATLA Season 3 rewrite, fills in a lot of blanks between canon scenes. From the Southern Raiders to Sozin's Comet through coronation and aftermath. Growing friendships, bonding, being there for each other, a carnival & a cave, epic spirits' appearance on the Ember island, sparring, nightmares, assassination attempts, political ruses, and covert operations. Lovely, sweet. Exciting plot.

 ·        ATLA Book 4: Ashes by elayne_cypher | Published: 2018-10-27 | 306K words | 34 Chapters

This action-packed story picks up right after Ember Island Players and continues well after the war. Zuko is facing many challenges as a new Fire Lord. Romance, tough decisions, rebels, traitors, out-of-body experiences, secret headquarters, angst, teamwork, fire jets. The story has a bunch of OCs.

 ·        Refraction by caroes3725  | Published: 2020-09-09 | 215K Words | 37 Chapters

After breaking up with Aang, Katara needs to figure out her place and role in the patriarchal world. As determined Katara stubbornly bulldozes her way through Fire Nation political scene, her feelings for Zuko grow. Diplomatic visits, Gaang reunion, bonding with Kanna, insights into the life of Caldera city, stuffy politicians, cute correspondence, tropical storm, women supporting women, assassination attempts, personal boundaries. A sweet well-written coming-of-age story with a healthy measure of slow-burn and mutual pining. Katara and Zuko are both POVs, but the story mostly follows Katara. Bonus: Mai is NOT a clingy resentful idiot, but a smart person and a good friend. Some explicit language here and there, a bit of mild smut.

 ·        I Asked You First by halfhoursonearth | Published: 2020-10-03 | 142K words | 22/? Chapters

Ongoing, incomplete. Post Southern Raiders ATLAS3 rewrite. Mostly canon-compliant with blanks filled in between familiar scenes. Zuko and Katara develop a close friendship built on trust and sharing each other’s fears and hopes. Includes mentions of implied child abuse, Lu Ten’s diaries, exploring Avatar Roku’s legacy, sharing a balcony, heart-to-hearts, a hot spring under the stars, an actual date, and artbending. It’s incomplete, but what we have is bliss. Slowburn, mutual pining. Zutara-centric, but also explores the personalities of Team Avatar and their relationships.

 ·        Katara Alone by cablesscutie | Published: 2020-05-31 | 21K words

Katara is not an “unnecessary accessory to a more powerful man”. After the war, she is willing to forge her own path as she turns to people who need her the most on her journey of self-discovery. Features character exploration, correspondence, exploring outback villages of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, sweet reunions, and new firebending skills.

 ·        THE PHOENIX AND THE DRAGON - THE COMPLETE SERIES by JasmineTeaLatte | Published: 2021-06-11 | 100K words | 31 Chapters

This story picks up after The Ember Island Players. Zuko and Katara get to know each other during a late-night conversation by the campfire. In this story, you will find healthy boundaries, protective Sokka, a dash of Taang, sparring, funny banter & lots of flirting.

·        HESITATE by tiffaniesblews | Published: 2020-07-11 | 22K Words | 12 Chapters

This story picks up right after Zuko's coronation and spans two years afterwards. Zuko & Katara talk, share a few beautiful moments, write to each other, and reunite for the 2nd anniversary of the war ending. Very sweet, fluffy story about two sweethearts figuring out their feelings for each other.

·        LIKE WE'RE MADE OF STARLIGHT by Naladot | Published: 2021-11-28 | 5K Words

Katara leaves her post as the ambassador to the Fire Nation to take up a new one as the ambassador to the Northern Water Tribe. Her absence makes Zuko realize that he's got an unfortunate crush, which he is determined to keep secret. Unfortunately for him, subtly has never been one of his strengths—especially when he arrives in the Northern Water Tribe and she keeps taking him on what seem to be dates.

·        FIGURE IT OUT by clearascountryair | Published: 2021-12-20 | 35K words | 13 Chapters

After choosing not to kill Yon Rha, Katara rethinks her sense of self and others' perceptions of her. Or,    In which Katara learns that there’s a really big difference between being kissed when you don’t want to be and being kissed when you do. Aged-up 3B/Ember Island AU.

-  I FOUND YOU by that_turtleduck | Published: 2020-11-01 Completed: 2024-02-24 Words: 157,541 Chapters: 28/28

After divorcing Aang, Katara uproots her family and travels to Caldera. There she finds comfort, kindness and support from an old friend. Katara tries to find her footing as an independent political figure. Great story & relationship dynamic of Momtara & Dadko in their early 30s (Ember island, diplomatic meeting, dancing, turtleduck pond, letters). Delicious slow burn with rewarding spicy resolution in the end (explicit open door). Titters on the side of Anti-Aang.

Here’s a link to Part I of my personal favorites.

Here’s a link to Wholesome Zutara Short Stories.