#mini azula too

[wlwsakura]

women

[cienie-isengardu]

Zuko and Azula in "The Beach"

Lately I think a lot about "The Beach" episode [x], especially about this small detail of great teamwork Zuko and Azula have during the game.

Zuko is looking ahead, directly facing their rivals (who had the control of the ball at this moment) but his body is clearly lowered to the ground, left hand most likely touching the ground, legs bent and widely spaced - a clear contrast to Mai standing near and how he stood before on two separate occasions

which is why I think Zuko willingly create an opportunity for Azula, so she could jump higher - something she definitely used to their team’s advantage. If Azula simply jumped on her brother’s back when he wasn’t expecting it or wasn’t ready, he would probably just fall face down from the impact but as the scene shows, he had no such problem nor was angry about it in the following scenes.

During the game sequences there was no dialogue shown between our protagonists, so it is hard to determine if Azula in advance called Zuko to give her a “lift” or Zuko offered on his own, or did they were that much in sync they just acted without thinking. Regardless I like this few seconds long interaction, because for me it implies how they trusted each other despite all the rivalry and bitterness from previous episodes. Like Zuko trusted Azula won’t use that moment to hurt/humiliate him by overuse of force, the same as Azula trusted in Zuko’s strength and that he won’t mess up by losing his balance. It is a small thing but no less sweet to see them working well together when fighting for the same goal - what reminds me a bit their teamwork from the previous season finale.

Interestingly, it was also the second time Zuko assisted Azula in scoring against their rivals while not scoring himself any point on screen. The first time happened almost right at the beggining of the game (second from total five sequences)

while each girl have the solo sequence of winning a point:

Azula's first attack,

later Ty Lee landing on the net

and Mai kicking the ball (and presumably scoring)

while Zuko’s two actions are shared only with his younger sister while there is no sense of competition between the siblings, something contrasting a lot with some previous and later episodes.

Azula is bossy and competitive through most of the episode and her brother lets her be that without a complaint. Azula and Zuko get along pretty well and A) do not argue (with the exception of the campfire scene and then they argue not even for the whole scene itself) and B) don't get on each nerves the way they do in the palace, with Ozai's presence looming in the back of their mind. I absolutely adore this episode, as it humanizes all our Fire Nation characters by showing them as teenagers outside the war zone but also giving us a bit of insight into what Azula and Zuko could be if Ozai didn't pit them against each other. And they could be a great team!

[poptartmochi]

joy of getting my first substitute paycheck vs the :( of seeing my mom had to use all of it for bills...

[shortprince-cos]

A list of my ATLA AUs so far!

Hidden Masks

Zuko wears a mask since he got his scar, so no one from the gaang recognizes him, causing him to infiltrate the group to try and catch the Avatar

Just a Man

Zuko is kidnapped by Hakoda as a baby on vacation at Ember Island. Hakoda raises him as his own.

Jet Sucks (name wip)

Jet kidnaps Zuko and Sokka, causing them to become reluctant allies that escape together.

Of Pirated Princes

Zuko gets kidnapped by pirates and is sold to Hakoda and crew, though they don't believe that he is actually Prince Zuko. They offer to take him home and end up keeping him while they look for his uncle with him.

A Flame Snuffed Out

Zuko gets amnesia after hitting his head too hard in the North Pole. The Gaang convince him that he was planning on teaching Aang firebending and take him with them for book two.

Salvage/TAOB w/Sokka (name wip)

Zuko gets purposefully captured by the Southern Water Tribe in order to get information about their war efforts, only to bond with Chief Hakoda and his son Sokka.

The Blue Spirit of Ba Sing Se

Zuko is permanently banished from the Fire Nation, so his uncle takes him to Ba Sing Se to live as war refugees. Zuko eventually becomes the vigilante known as the Blue Spirit.

Lying with Honor

Azula stands up to Ozai after he burns Zuko and ends up banished in her brother's place.

Moon Spirit Sokka

Sokka and Yue are swapped. Zuko is tasked with taking down the Northern Water Tribe and ends up falling in love with their prince.

Its a Long, Long Way to Ba Sing Se

After Katara decides to take her mini vacation away from the gang while they go to a library, she runs into Zuko in the Misty Palms Oasis. Before long, they both get chased by two random men (were those Toph's teachers?) and have to team up and travel to Ba Sing Se together.

[king-bumis-armpit]

Separation Anxiety

Written for Maiko Week 2024 - Separation

Summary: Mai takes Izumi to her family’s reunion, and Zuko stays home. It's a horrible time for both of them.

Author’s Note: I really thought I was going to stick to the prompt this time, but then the first part sort of got away from me. And I really had to hold back because my inner Kataang was about to unleash. I was about to write a whole mini-fic about them inside of this one, but I exercised restraint. I did not however exercise restraint on my thoughts about Mai’s upbringing. As a result, this is way longer than I intended. Oh well… I hope you enjoy! :)

TW: Anxiety about being parents and misogyny from Mai’s family members. I made Michi kind of awful. But there’s a happy ending, I promise!

WC: 4,276

Zuko took a deep breath and stared at his large empty bed. It had been a long while since he had to sleep alone. He sat down slowly, as if the bed might vanish at the last second before he made contact. He leaned back and tried to get comfortable, but he ended up tossing and turning until his memories overtook him.

— — 

When he and Mai were newlyweds, they agreed never to spend more than a week apart at a time. Sometimes the obligations of royalty made this vow difficult to keep, but they had managed. In fact, Zuko had been in Yu Dao when Mai found out that she was pregnant. They had been trying for some time, so Mai was ecstatic when she told him. 

Her excitement was contagious, but anxiety quickly infected him as well. He couldn’t stop thinking about what could have happened to her while he was away. What if she had fallen ill? Or what if an Ozai loyalist cell re-emerged and attacked her? Thankfully, most of the organized movements had died down after Azula had willingly turned herself in. But that was another consideration, what if Azula tried to get revenge on Mai while he was gone? He knew that Mai was more than capable of protecting herself, and normally that was enough to allay his fears, but the new worry for their child fractured his restraint. 

Zuko doubled Mai’s guard and silently promised himself to stay by her side for the rest of her pregnancy. He knew that his actions would probably annoy his wife, but surprisingly she was not the first to complain.

“Zuko, she’s pregnant, not helpless,” his mother chided him. She had cornered him in one of the hallways about a week after his return from Yu Dao. “There are always going to be circumstances beyond your control, but Mai is fully competent to go about her daily life without a small army. You need to give her space to breathe. Give your baby space to grow.”

Zuko relented and recalled the extra guards he had assigned, but then he added a pair of covert guards to keep watch without being stifling. For her part, Mai found the incident somewhat amusing. 

As they ate dinner together, she commented on the change: “Yesterday, I had a whole coterie. Today all I get are a few extra shadows.”

Zuko sighed. “Mom told me I was being overbearing. But I’m worried about you. What if something happens? You’re my whole world Mai.”

Mai turned red. “I’m impressed that anything you say can still make me blush after you impregnated me, but here we are.” Zuko chuckled, and Mai continued, “Normally I wouldn’t be cool with extra guards out of nowhere. I’m your wife and your equal, so I would like to be included in the conversation the next time you think about changing up my security detail.” 

She gave him a pointed look, and Zuko took her hand. “I’m sorry. I should have asked you first. We can ditch the elite guards if you want.

Mai’s eyes softened and she brought his hand to her cheek. “No, it’s okay. I’m not angry this time, I just want you to talk to me about things like this in the future.” She kissed his palm and set their hands on the table.

Zuko smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I didn’t want to upset you. I’ve never seen you so happy. And I’m happy too! I’m just…”

“Zuko, I’m scared too. I really want this baby to come out healthy. I’ve been carrying this list of foods I can’t have anymore, and I read it at least five times before I eat anything,” she admitted sheepishly. Mai produced said scroll from one of her dart holsters of all places. Zuko felt himself fall even more in love. The whole thing was just so Mai.

After that conversation, the pair discussed their concerns much more openly. In the worst moments, they both feared that they would take on the worst qualities of their parents. Zuko started to feel phantom pains in his scar that hadn’t plagued him since he was a teenager. They made pact after pact to hold each other accountable and to love the baby no matter what and to keep them safe. 

But even talking about their fears in the open helped to lift the burden. The anxiety didn’t dissipate, but it became easier to bear. Zuko loved talking to Mai’s bump when she began to show. Mai teased him for being silly, but he knew she secretly loved it. They redecorated the palace nursery to be less austere and more inviting. And Aang and Katara often visited with their son Bumi. 

When Mai went into labor, Katara helped her through the whole process until Princess Izumi had safely arrived. Aang was on babysitting duty. Not for Bumi, who Aang considered to be his full time sidekick, but for Zuko, who could only watch his wife’s agony for so long until he needed a dad to dad pep talk. 

Thankfully, Zuko managed to collect himself in time to meet his baby girl in her first moments. Mai had suggested the name Izumi, and Zuko immediately knew that it was right when he saw her tiny red face. She captivated his heart from her first breath and– after a brief embrace from Mai– Zuko was the first person to truly hold her. When the nurses took her for her health check, Zuko almost refused. Looking at her perfect little face, he realized that he could never become his father. He swore to himself on that day to always be by her side when she needed him.

— — 

Zuko gave up on trying to sleep and began to pace in his room. Without Mai, his bed was too cold and too big. Michi, his mother in-law, had insisted that she and Izumi attend her family reunion. Zuko had been invited, but his advisors had already scheduled the large annual conference of the provincial governors for the same weekend. He didn’t want to sabotage Mai’s opportunity to see her family, but he had desperately wanted her to stay.

And little Izumi was only four. Would she be sad when he wasn’t there to wake up with her at sunrise as he had been for the past four years? Since his job and his nature as fire-bender necessitated early mornings, when Izzy was a baby they decided that Mai would be in charge of bed time and night-time feedings and Zuko would take over in the wee hours of the morning. This arrangement worked surprisingly well, and continued long after Izzy started eating solid food. Zuko loved that he always had a few hours with his daughter. In the early days, he had a crib installed in his office so he could get a start on the his work after she fell back asleep. Now she was big enough to run through his forms with him. Zuko didn’t want to put any pressure on her to be bender or not, so he would alternate between Firebending forms and other martial arts. Would she practice them without him? She didn’t have any of them committed to memory but she would often try to show off to Mai with gusto. He smiled at the thought.

But he quickly frowned again, knowing he wouldn’t be there to see. “Ugh!” he grabbed his hair and berated himself: “Don’t be such a coward! You’ve slept on the road with nothing but a stolen ostrich horse. You can handle two nights with them.”

He walked over to Mai’s vanity and sat. He picked up a book that she recently finished reading and thumbed through the pages. Then, he picked up her jar of perfume and sprayed it experimentally. He inhaled her signature scent and sighed. 

Truthfully, he was worried about her well-being away from him too. He wasn’t arrogant enough to assume that she couldn’t go-on without his presence for a few measly days, but he knew how her mother and grandparents could be. Even when she was little, he recalled how Michi would nitpick at her posture or her expression or her word choice. He was ashamed that it took him so long to realize just how conditional her parental affection was. 

In retrospect, it made sense why she loved her uncle just as much as he loved his. When he first met the Warden of the Boiling Rock, he didn’t quite see the appeal. The man was terrifying and brutish and he had a nasty power-complex. But it all fit into place when he saw them together at the wedding. Michi had been chiding Mai for getting her wedding slippers dusty during their first dance, and Zuko was about to ask her to leave. He couldn’t believe that she chose that moment to undercut her daughter, but the Warden stepped in. “Oh knock it off! This is her palace, not a prison yard. How about you go get a drink while I dance with my niece.” And just like that, Mai’s super traditional and stuck-up uncle led her in the camelephant strut. They were both a bit clumsy, especially Mai since her robes were constantly in the way, but their rare and radiant smiles made the moment perfect.

Aunt Mura was another advocate for Mai, but her support was more quiet and diplomatic. A hand on the shoulder here, and words of encouragement there. Mura was so much more gentle and less acerbic than Michi, that it was easy to forget that she had been raised with the same unfair expectations. She approached her sister with more empathy than Zuko was willing to extend.

Zuko hoped that the pair of them would keep Michi in line. Unfortunately, from his limited contact he knew that Mai’s grandparents might also pose a problem. He had a sudden and unpleasant vision of Mai’s grandmother and Michi making comments about Izumi’s behavior. He gritted his teeth. He knew Mai wouldn’t stand for it, but it set him on edge. 

Mai had really come into her own as a Fire Lady. She was always very calm in a crisis, but she spoke passionately about the issues that moved her. She would let her excitement show when her projects came to fruition. She learned how to be vulnerable in order to build trust with their citizens.

His biggest fear was that she would return, and, after their separation, some of that precious progress would be undone. And that Izumi’s light would shine a little dimmer in turn.

He stood from the vanity and shook his head, as if he could dislodge the poisonous thoughts. Normally when something caused him to worry, he would talk about it with his wife. Now he was at a loss. Maybe a nice walk in the cool night air would clear his mind. He could visit Druk in the stables. He muttered to himself as he made his way, “She’s an adult. She doesn’t need you breathing down her neck.” 

— — 

Mai was on the verge of tears. She needed Zuko desperately. 

They had left early that morning in an airship for the Southern region of the Fire Nation where her grandparents lived, and Mai was cautiously optimistic. Since she woke up so early, Izzy slept for the two hours of travel time to the house. It was a lovely opportunity to talk to Tom-Tom, who– at the age of 17– was often busy with school these days.

But everything changed when they landed. Her grandparents greeted her formally, but more warmly than they ever had. And she soon discovered why: this was her first visit to their hometown as the Fire Lady. When she entered their home, she was dismayed to find a throne and a receiving line! Thankfully, Tom-Tom offered to watch Izumi and get her some food, while Mai was forced to meet the Mayor and all of her grandparents' friends. After an hour of accepting well-wishes, backhanded compliments, and personal requests, he uncle arrived. He walked up to her confidently and insisted that she and Izumi take tea with him and Mura. Apparently being the Warden of the Boiling Rock gave him the authority to terminate her indentured servitude.

Tea was a brief affair. However she re-entered the gaggle of distant relatives and vaguely important people with her uncle on her arm, and Tom-Tom again stepped in to watch Izumi as she played with the other children. Mai loved her little brother to bits, but this experience made her appreciate him all the more. She was thirteen when he was born, so she felt fiercely protective of him when he was little. And he was thirteen when Izzy was born, and she could see him return all of that love and shower it on her. The thought made her emotional. 

Dinner came late, well past Izumi’s normal bedtime, but it was a blessedly private affair. Her grandparents; her mother, aunt, and uncle; and herself, Tom-Tom, and Izumi. Oh, and the Mayor, but he spent a significant portion of the night wooing Aunt Mura so he was easy enough to tune out. Uncle showed Izzy magic tricks with his napkin, and Mai smiled. She had nearly forgotten how he used to do the same for her. He would have been a good father if he hadn’t chosen such a demanding profession. She regretted that she had only seen him a handful of times since her wedding.

Mai’s grandparents kept her in conversation. To her surprise, they praised Zuko and his reforms highly. At first she was pleased, but then her mood began to sour. 

“I don’t know how you pulled a match like that. You were always so sullen as a girl,” her grandfather remarked.

Mai felt her mother’s keen stare and tried to laugh it off. “Well… he always said he liked how I hated the world.”

Her grandfather frowned and she worried she misspoke, but her grandmother interjected, “Oh happiness is overrated. True contentment comes with status. You did well to act in a manner pleasing to him.”

Mai felt her stomach turn. She never acted differently for Zuko. He challenged her preconceived notions sometimes and helped her see different points of view, but she didn’t blindly follow him like an animal. Was that how she appeared? Izumi wasn’t hearing this was she? She looked at her daughter, but, no, Uncle was telling her a story about a prison riot. Somehow, that was probably a healthier message for her impressionable child.

Michi joined the conversation, “Oh mother, it’s all thanks to you! I took your advice and got her into the palace early. Her friendship with Princess Azula was most beneficial. She was the natural choice to be Zuko’s consort.”

Mai felt suddenly nauseous. Her friendship with Azula was strained in a lot of ways, but it was built on a genuine foundation. They had both loved sparring as girls, along with Ty Lee of course. They would sneak from the stuffy functions her mother dragged her to. Michi couldn’t take credit for any of that, and she certainly couldn't take credit for her love with Zuko.

Mai gripped the edge of the table, prepared to tell her off. “Actually!” she began confidently, and all of the eyes in the room turned toward her. Apparently her Uncle had finished his story and Mura had politely rebuffed the Mayor. But it was the full and undivided attention of her grandparents that got to her. She remembered why silence and falsity were her friends. Mai quickly thought of an excuse for her outburst. “Zuko wanted me to tell you how sorry he is that he couldn’t make it. He sends his love.” 

“Darling, told us that before.” her grandmother replied. “He is the Fire Lord, you should not expect him to attend your family affairs.”

Mai wilted. “Of course, grandmother. But he asked me to tell you, so I wanted to relay his words.”

Her grandfather smiled, “Yes, a good wife echoes her husband.” 

Mai snuck another look at Izumi, praying that she was not listening. Luck seemed to be on her side, as the little princess was absorbed and– covered in– the noodles on her plate. 

Mai got them out of there as quickly as she deemed socially acceptable  and washed the noodles off of her little girl.. She cursed herself for her cowardice. She was the Fire Lady! She could have left whenever she damn well pleased, but she turned into a child the second she entered that house. 

To make matters worse, as soon as she and Izumi entered their chambers the little girl began having a meltdown.

It started innocently enough: “Where’s dada?”

Mai pursed her lips. She had tried explaining to Izumi before they left that daddy couldn’t come with them this time, but the thought was unimaginable to her. They had always traveled as a family, and she had never had to sleep without a goodnight kiss from daddy before Mai began the bedtime routine.

Mai tried again to explain, “I’m sorry turtleduck, but he’s not here right now. He had to stay at the palace and run the country. We’ll see him in two more sleeps.”

Izumi teared up. “Not here?”

Mai held her, “No. He’s not here, but he’s safe and so are we. You’ll see him soon.”

Then the wailing began in earnest and it did not stop for what felt like hours but was probably minutes. Mai tried to be soothing, but firm. For better or worse, she couldn’t capitulate to her daughter’s request this time. No airships or secure transports were running at this hour. And Zuko would probably spontaneously combust if she rented an animal and attempted the overnight journey alone. 

Mai felt the tears prick in her eyes too. Since her parents were so strict, she had no gauge for how to react to this situation. Was she being too indulgent by letting her daughter cry? How could she stop it? What could she say to make her happy again? All at once, the floodgates of self-loathing had opened. She was the co-ruler of a country, why did she let her grandparents walk all over her in front of her daughter? And how could she foist Izumi on to her baby brother all day? It was his family reunion too. 

She needed Zuko. He would calm Izzy down. Spirits, he would calm her down. 

There was a knock at the door. Shit! Their rooms were in the farthest part of the manor to give the Fire Lady privacy, but someone had obviously overheard and complained. There would be rumors all over the town about how bad of a parent she was. Or it was her guards checking in. The poor guys probably wanted to make sure she was okay. She tucked Izumi behind her, and palmed a knife– just to be safe– and opened the door.

For a second, she thought her brain was deceiving her into seeing what she wanted to see.

“DADA!” Izumi screamed happily.

She ran around Mai and jumped into his arms. “Hello turtleduck.” He laughed and kissed her head as he made his way into the room. “I hope I’m not intruding on girl time.” He smiled at Mai.

She took a deep breath to try to compose herself and smiled back at her husband. “Of course, not. Our princess was just demanding your presence.” 

“Oh!” Zuko seemed genuinely surprised. “Well then, I’m glad I arrived just in time.” He tucked Izumi into her bed, across the room from Mai’s– and now Zuko’s– larger one. She must have been exhausted from her early travels, because, as soon as she knew that both of her parents were in the room, she fell asleep. Mai marveled at her instant calm.

Zuko stroked her hair a few times and then turned his attention to his wife. He walked over to her and delicately pulled her into an embrace. “I’m such a loser,” he whispered, face buried in her neck, and it felt so out-of-the-blue that she nearly snorted.

“What on earth are you talking about? I need more information to know if I disagree,” she retorted.

“Hey!” he protested quietly, and pinched her arm, but she could feel his smile on her skin. His breath tickled as he spoke: “I couldn’t handle one night away from you both. Let alone two.”

Mai caressed his cheek, and guided his face so they were looking into each other's eyes. “Then I must be a loser too because I was about to cry before you got here. Izumi was sobbing because she missed you so much and my family–” she stopped abruptly.

Zuko took hold of her hands and she could feel the fire in his eyes. “What did they say?”

Mai slumped her shoulders and allowed herself to lean against him. “It’s not important.” That dreaded touch of apathy colored her voice, but then, but a glimmer of broke through. “It’s really not important because you’re here now.”

Zuko wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. He finally pulled away, “At least give me a list of names.”

Mai chuckled quietly, she didn’t want to wake their daughter. “The usual suspects.”

That told Zuko all he needed to know. The pair went about their nightly routines, before climbing into bed. Zuko longed to kiss her more, and fill her with reassurance, but he was prevented by the presence of their daughter. He settled for wrapping his arms tightly around Mai and burying his face in her hair.

But suddenly she broke away and sat up. Zuko pouted up at her.

“Wait! Wait a minute! How did you get here?” she looked at him in awe. 

He smiled cheekily. “You know I’ve been practicing flying with Druk.”

Mai crossed her arms. “You did not fly him all the way here from the Caldera! His previous flights were twenty minutes at most. My poor baby is probably exhausted.”

Zuko laughed. Druk may have been bonded to him by the sacred fire, but the dragon was bonded to Mai by something else. The two were so protective of each other that it was almost comical. 

“Oh don’t worry,” Zuko reassured her, and pulled her back into his arms. “Your big old baby loved it, and your family’s servants gave him the best room in their stables.”

Mai huffed. “Okay, but if he’s sore tomorrow, then I’m using you as a pin cushion.”

“It would be my greatest honor.”

Mai rolled her eyes, but she snuggled in closer.

— — 

The next day, Mai checked on Druk first thing. To her own surprise, she was the first member of her immediate family awake. She left Zuko a note. (Her notes always began, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m leaving,” even if she was just taking the five-minute trip to her favorite fire flakes stand. It had become an inside joke between them.) 

Druk truly was in a great mood. Mai’s family ordered the finest cuts from the butcher as a special treat. If there was one thing she could count on her grandparents to do, it was suck up to royalty.

She stopped by the kitchens and put in a special request, and then she made her way to the airship service. By the time she arrived back at the house, breakfast had begun. She slowly took her seat, allowing her mother's glare to linger.

“Young lady,” he grandfather began. “It is bad form to arrive late to a meal. “Especially when royalty is present.”

Mai pretended to be chastened. “Oh, I’m so sorry grandfather. But I wanted to put on a surprise for my dearest husband.” She strongly emphasized the word. “As you and Grandmother were saying, such a visitation to my family is quite beneath him actually.” Zuko whipped his head to his in-laws. Mai could tell he was seething, but this was her moment to reclaim power. She knew he would follow her lead, and so she continued, “As such, I thought it would be a lovely surprise if we all took a trip to the nearby southern beaches.”

Mai’s grandmother scoffed. “Those aren’t nearby. You’d have to take an airship to get there.”

Mai nodded, “Yes and I chartered one. Unfortunately, it’s quite small. They only had ten open seats.”

Mai’s mother tried to cut the tension. “Oh well… That’s still enough for all of us, and we can even bring the Mayor. Perhaps the day can be salvaged, but you really should have asked your grandparents before doing this.” 

Michi didn’t want to look bad in front of her parents, and Mai almost regretted what she was about to do. She replied: “You’re not taking into account the guards. We’ll need four to be safe I would say. I’m so very sorry. I assumed that grandfather and grandmother would be too weary to travel so far, so I didn’t list them on the tickets. And Uncle and Auntie have so few opportunities to see Izumi. I hope you understand, Mother.”

Michi flushed red, but she wouldn’t dare have a dramatic and drawn out argument with Mai so publicly. The Warden chuckled to himself, “Now this is an escape plan I can get behind.”

Zuko looked at his wife with a newfound admiration. He knew there would come a time when they were separated again, but he did not want to dwell on it. In this moment, they were together. And they were stronger because of it.

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

Possibly unpopular opinion (Or perhaps not idk): I love what they have done with Zuko and Ozai's relationship in the live action Netflix Avatar show.

In the cartoon we never get the ~vibes~ that Zuko has a complicated relationship with his father, only that it is abusive and one-sided in the sense only Zuko craves Ozai's approval, while Ozai straight up hates him, wants him dead or has no problem with him dying (Why doesn't he kill him if he has Azula? We don't know, plot has to happen, he sent Zuko to find the avatar in order to get rid of him, probably, or actually canon idk or remember), clearly prefers Azula to him as successor, etc, etc, etc (+ later the comics literally overkilled this trend "she was born lucky while..." omg stfu). Zuko is basically the perfect character to prove the fire nation is not all evil (Oh look, they hate him too, he is inherently their victim too from the very beginning).

So when Zuko switches sides in the cartoon, what I see as an adult rewatching is someone giving up on luxory, physical safety and... that is pretty much it. Sure it is a big deal to give up on those things to do what is right (Few would) and still awesome that he did the right thing in the end, but if you really think about it, he is not giving up that much, he is not giving up anything truly valuable to him. Respect? Honor? Sure he is said to have received it back after Azula "killed" Aang, but we never truly see it. For all intents and purposes his sister has that and wayyy more of it. His father's love and acceptance? Never had it, so he didn't truly "loose it" when he spoke up for those soldiers, got the scar and was banished, it is not really shown to have suddenly popped into existence when he was said to have killed the avatar. He literally had nothing in the fire nation, literally nothing. This could only make "doing the right thing" a lot easier for him, and for the adult audience (At least for me), his arc is just him realizing what is almost irritatingly obvious for us: That no one in the fire nation truly loves and respects him so might as well switch sides (Basically if we weren't also shown that Zuko is compassionate and does care about the horrible things the fire nation is doing, Ember Island Players would have gotten a bit of truth in it).

Now, in the live action, where do I even start? It has been so good so far when it comes to Ozai and Zuko. That man, if he hated Zuko in a cartoonishly evil way almost from birth, he sure doesn't show it. Don't get me wrong, he is just as abusive (Creepily so in many scenes, made me feel so protective of Zuko and Azula), but he is also shown to "care" about Zuko as in having some hope left that he can mold him into another powerful genocidal mini me. Is Azula winning by far? Ofc, she is still the prodigy, I am sure I am going to see flashbacks of favoritism later on. But Ozai doesn't yet seem to favor her in a way that makes Zuko's craving for his approval (Or even Ozai's hope in him as heir) hopeless. It seems, from his scenes with Azula, that Ozai foments the rivalry and competition between the two siblings not only because he personally thinks Azula is the best (Which he also might in this version), but also as a way of control through fear (Especially for prodigy Azula), and to make them (Especially comparatively weaker Zuko) "better", something this version of Ozai appears to think is possible EVEN when he banishes Zuko. Now, he might have done this "to get rid of him" as in the original, but in the live action he seems super open to and genuinely believe the idea that the exile could make Zuko stronger and better, not to mention worthy of the throne if he succeeds. Ozai treats Zuko like the heir despite favoring Azula is all I am saying. Zuko's actions are therefore almost impossible, yes, but not hopeless or even naive. And if this trend of Ozai's respect and "love" (Super on quotes) being achievable continues, Zuko's eventual turn to the good side will be much more powerful. He will have to give up much more after spending a summer with his abusive parent love bombing him for "killing" the avatar. Zuko's choice will be solely based on his findings about the horrors the fire nation has committed and not wanting to be the cause of more suffering even though he could have it all. Even though it was his fate to be his father's "mini me"-> Something terrifyingly likely and not so quickly discarded by the narrative itself as it was in the animated series.

I think the best part about this subtle change in the father-son dynamic (If it was the intention of the writers, I am aware it could have been unintended) is that the scar tm was a direct result of Zuko's compassion for those soldiers and not just the excuse Ozai used to banish him or "final straw" because he preferred Azula sooo much more, as it is pretty much implied later on in the animated series and comics by focusing so much on how much of a perfect victim Zuko was pretty much from birth. The addition of the 41st surviving because of Zuko was also pretty nice, and so is Zuko's relationship with them, he will need fire nation allies when he gets to the throne and this is a good start, something the animated series never touched upon much.

I am on episode 6 btw so my opinion might change. I will edit this post if that is the case. BUT my thoughts on these first scenes doesn't change, they are good imho

EDIT (And spoilers): I just watched Zhao’s revelation where he tells Zuko that Ozai would never let him return and he just wanted to use him to motivate Azula. It does change things and invalidates most of what I said, but taking out just this one scene, as I said, the Ozai-Zuko dynamic is great in this show, and also, Zhao is obviously not the most reliable source, because he was allied to Azula and obviously wanted to hurt Zuko, as he was losing the fight with him. There is also the fact that Azula wasn't watching Ozai and Zuko when Ozai told his son that he was being banished and that it was in part so he could get stronger etc, that was all for Zuko and had little way of serving as motivation for Azula (Unlike the scenes where Ozai praises Zuko in front of her, those could have totally been him bullshitting his daughter to motivate her to work even harder). So all in all this scene doesn't ruin the overall impression I had of the Ozai-Zuko father-son dynamic in the life action show. In fact, it could be taken to confirm one of my impressions which was that Ozai likes pitying his children against each other to push them harder.

EDIT 2: Ozai's reaction to Zuko's possible death is further proof imo that his “test” was very much real (even if almost impossible) and everything I said earlier still stands. He wouldn't mind that much if he died, it would just prove his “weakness”, and he is very pleased with Azula, but he didn't look happy or even indifferent when he learned the news.

[ur-frndly-neighborhood-memer1]

DOES AZULA LOOK LIKE URSA?

I've seen most people in fandom be like "OMG, Azula is a carbon copy of Ursa!" or "Wow, she's the spitting image of her mother!"

I mean yeah, Azula sure looks very much like her mother, indeed

Yep! They sure are related

However, I wouldn't say she looks "exactly" like her mother. Because Azula also looks very much like Ozai too. She has the features of both her parents.

You can see the family resemblance, right?

Azula obviously has her narrow face, pointy chin and straight nose from her mother...

And she also has her father's widow's peak, hard angled eyebrows, and sharp eyes that could puncture a hull of an empire-class Fire Nation battle ship and leaving thousands to drown at sea...

Joke aside, I like how Azula doesn't look like a mini Ursa but has the features of both Ursa and Ozai, just like how it happens in real life.

Eh, father-daughter...

And it's the same case for Zuko. He looks very much like Ozai.

Genetics is crazy, isn't it?

But still, you can see the Ursa's features in Zuko too. The narrow face, straight nose, comparatively softer features...

And not surprisingly, Azula without make-up and Zuko without scar also look very alike

Also, I love how Azula without her make-up and from side profile looks gender-neutral. Reminds me of the fact that she's only 14. It makes more sense for 14 year olds to look more androgynous than looking absurdly feminine. Nice touch!

[waterfire1848]

Azutara #36 please

Hello, anon!! Thanks for the ask!

#36 - living in a society where their love is taboo AU

Thanks to @ragzonacamrencruise for helping me come up with a taboo idea for this mini fic.

Opposite elements didn’t mix.

It was a simple rule and one that had been around since before anyone could remember. Fire and Water didn’t mix and earth and air didn’t mix. Because of this, it was frowned upon, illegal in some areas, for those belonging to opposite elements to be in a relationship together. Some limited their views to only benders, but others were very vocal about their believe that if someone was born in the Earth Kingdom they should have no romantic relation with someone in from the Air Temples.

Fire Lords before Zuko all seemed to share this belief as well, advocating that no one in the Fire Nation should have any partner from the Water Tribe. Zuko had never cared much about the law, seeing as how his partner was from the Fire Nation, and he assumed Azula didn’t care either.

Yeah. He was wrong about that one. Zuko just wished he didn’t have to find out by accidentally seeing his sister and friend meeting up in secret in the garden.

It wasn’t uncommon for Zuko to move around the palace on the roofs. Sue him. He liked having the small bit of time to himself and to move freely instead of having at least five guards around him and two servants by his side. Those quiet and beautiful nights were some of the most peaceful moments he got. Then, one night, he heard Azula’s voice and, naturally, made his way towards her to see what she was doing out so late.

“If you keep talking you’re going to get us discovered.” Azula warned.

“Says the one who’s talking right now.” Another voice, a woman, added, laughing a little, “You’re sure no one is around?”

“Positive. Zuko’s asleep, the servants and guards have been dismissed and no one patrols the garden this late.” Azula promised, “We’re completely alone except for the turtleducks.”

Zuko’s eyes grew when he saw Katara step into his view, “They can stay. I don’t think they’ll tell anyone about us.” The waterbender smiled and wrapped her arms around Azula, kissing the princess passionately.

“Have I told you recently how absolutely amazing it is having you as my girlfriend?” Azula asked.

“Yes, but I always love hearing it more.” Katara leaned her forehead against Azula’s, “I love you, Azula.” Her voice was soft but Zuko definitely heard that.

“I…lo…I mean-“ Katara only giggled, kissing Azula again.

“I know what you mean.” That was too quiet for Zuko to hear but he decided to hide himself when their kissing showed no sign of stopping.

Zuko instantly hide himself from sight. His brain going a hundred miles an hour. Azula and Katara???? He would never have guessed. But…but Azula knew that was against the law. Fire Nationals weren’t allowed to be in relationships with people from the Water Tribe. Not that Zuko was about to go down there and bust them, but he was curious about what could have caused Azula to go against the law.

He’d have to talk to her tomorrow if he really wanted answers.

—————————————

“Azula?” Zuko asked.

Azula turned from her seat at her desk, where she was working on some papers he has asked her to fill out, and looked up at him, giving her brother her full attention, “You okay, Zuko? You look nervous.”

Zuko shut the door behind him, “I am nervous.”

“Why?” Azula’s eyes narrowed.

“I saw you yesterday.”

“….Okay?” Azula was either playing dumb or he wasn’t being clear enough, “I saw you yesterday too. Did you hit your head, Zuzu? You know there is such a thing as too many hits to the head.”

“Azula, I saw you with Katara in the garden and heard you.” Zuko watched as Azula’s eyes grew only for half a second then returned to unmoved. Her face slipped, if only for less than half a second, and that was all Zuko needed for confirmation, “You and Katara???”

“Don’t say it so loud.” Azula snapped, grabbing him and dragging him out to the balcony where no one would hear them, “Do you want me banished?”

“What?! No! Why would I want that?!”

“I just assumed based on you announcing to the world that I’m in a relationship with someone from the Water Tribe.” Azula growled. Right. The punishment for breaking the law was banishment.

“Azula, I…”

“Think I’m a freak? Think there’s something wrong with me that I would choose a partner from my opposite element?” Azula asked. Her tone made it seem like she expected him to hate her now. All that did was make Zuko’s face drop.

“No. No, I don’t think that at all. I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing. You know how people will react if they find out-“

“No one will find out. Katara and I are careful. We only meet at night, away from everyone and, when we do meet up during the day, we’re incredibly careful to not be suspected.” Azula explained, “We both know the risk, Zuzu. The Southern Water Tribe isn’t as strict with this law as we are, but Katara is still facing banishment if people find out about us. Especially because it’s me.”

“What do you mean?” Zuko asked.

“If Katara had just met some random Fire Nation peasant girl on her travels and got together with her, the tribe wouldn’t have been pleased and she might have faced social isolation but they wouldn’t kick her out of the tribe or keep her from participating in activities. Since she’s dating the Princess of the Fire Nation, Katara not only has betrayed her element by being with me but all the people who lost their lives to the Fire Nation.” Azula leaned over the balcony, letting the wind gently hit her hair to calm her down.

“Katara can’t blame you-“

“Katara blames me for nothing. It’s the older warriors in the tribe, who have done nothing but fight their whole lives, who would advocate for her banishment.” Azula told him, “We’re careful, Zuko, and we know the risks.”

“Good. I just wanted to tell you that and…that you do have a friend now.” Zuko smiled at Azula, “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you, Zuzu.” After the two broke apart from their hug, Zuko took the opportunity for some fun.

“Now here’s my big question. How did you get Katara? Did you hit her over the head or bribe her or…”

“Ha-Ha. Hilarious.” Even with the joke being at her expense, Azula cracked a smile at her older brother’s antics.

“You must tell me your secret, Lala.” Zuko laughed, “You somehow got a girlfriend whose previous partner was the Avatar.”

“I happen to think I’m a better catch than the Avatar. Thank you very much.” Zuko winced and shook his hand back and forth, earning him a hit in the shoulder, "What happened to the friendly sibling relationship you promised the therapist you'd try at?"

"I'm no expert but I think this is a nice, normal sibling relationship. At least it's better than the days when you used to try and kill me."

"Hey! I never tried to kill you. I tried to capture you. There's a difference."

"Ah, yes, my mistake." Zuko chuckled, leaning against the railing and letting out a breath, "I'm really happy for you, Zula. You and Katara."

"Thank you."

------------------------------

"What do you mean Zuko knows?" Katara asked.

"Exactly that. Zuko knows we're dating." Azula repeated.

"What now? Do we have to break up? Do you have to leave the Fire Nation?" Azula shook her head, sitting down on her bed next to her girlfriend.

"No. He's actually okay with it."

"Really?” True Katara hadn’t expected Zuko to blow up at Azula and demand she leave—her asking before has really been a worst case scenario fear—but he was really completely okay with it?

“I was just as surprised as you are, but he really doesn’t have any problem with us dating. We just have to keep it secret.”

“So basically what we’ve been doing?”

“Pretty much except maybe a little more secret since Zuko did find out.”

Katara rolled her eyes, “Zuko is the Blue Spirit. I don’t think we have to worry about servants or nobles on the roof whenever we want a romantic night in the garden.”

“You mean you haven’t heard about how our servants travel on the roof all the time?” Azula asked, very clearly joking.

“I guess I missed that fact, but seriously, are we okay?” Katara asked, “I don’t want you to risk banishment for me, Azula.” Azula gave Katara a weak smile when her girlfriend moved her face away from Azula’s.

“I told you when we started dating. I’m okay with that risk.” Azula said, “I want to be with you. No matter what the possible penalty is.” She gently pushed Katara’s chin so that she was looking at her and kissed her girlfriend, “I…I lo…”

“I know.” Katara whispered, “I love you too, Azula, so, so much.” The collided in another kiss, sinking into the bed while the rest of the palace, even the guards outside, were none the wiser.

————————————

Two months passed after Zuko discovered them and nothing changed. Katara and Azula kept a low profile. In fact, many were sure the two hated one another which made Zuko almost laugh but he forced his laughter down. Eventually, the two decided to tell Mai, Ty Lee and Sokka about their relationship.

“You and you?!?” Sokka yelled, pointing between Katara and Azula, “Kat, you…you do know she’s-“

“I know she’s Fire Nation and I’m Water Tribe and I don’t care. I love her, Sokka.” Katara’s use of the word love made both Mai and Ty Lee’s eyes grow.

“Wow.” Sokka whispered, “So, how long have you two been together?”

“A year now.” Katara told him, “We got together shortly after the war when I went over to the palace to help heal her.” Azula took Katara’s hand in hers, “We both got to talking and realized we had a lot in common. Then, one night, Azula threw her face at mine and we kissed-

“I tripped!” Azula snapped, “You’re very messy sometimes, Tara.”

“You tripped? You tripped while we were both sitting on your bed?” Katara asked.

“I had gotten up to get something, came back, tripped and fell on Katara and, by accident, our lips touched.” Azula explained.

“Okay. Who were believes my story that Azula just stopped caring for long enough to kiss me?” Katara asked.

Everyone raised their hands.

“You’re all traitors.” Azula grumbled.

“But I’m very happy you did that, Zula. I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to make the first move.” Katara said, nuzzling Azula’s neck and making Azula practically melt.

“You certainly weren’t with Aang.” Sokka whispered, earning a hit of water right to the face.

“So, who all knows?” Mai asked.

“Just you guys but we’re trying to tell more people.” Katara admitted, “We just want to make sure we’re telling people we can trust first.”

“That’s a good idea.” Sokka nodded, “I don’t know how much dad could protect you if people found out about you and Azula.”

“Thanks for the confidence, Sokka.” Katara mumbled, “Don’t worry. Azula and I are careful not to be noticed. We made it a year and no one knew.”

“That’s impressive.” Ty Lee admitted, “How did you hide it for so long? I was sure you two hated each other.”

“We always just kept everything behind closed doors and, when we needed to fake an argument, we just found something random to argue about.” Azula shrugged, “And since Katara and myself are amazing actresses, no one ever suspect us.”

“You guys fooled me.” Ty Lee said.

“And me.”

“And me.”

“Not me.” Everyone looked at Mai.

“We fooled you.” Azula argued, “You just don’t want to admit it.”

“I’ve known for the past nine months that you two have been dating. I couldn’t sleep one night so I went for a walk and found you and Katara sneaking into the garden with food then you started kissing.”

“If you knew then why didn’t you say anything?” Azula demanded.

“Not my place.” Mai shrugged, “Plus, you two seemed really happy keeping it secret. I thought you’d be more comfortable if you kept believing that no one knew.” She calmly explained.

“Thank you, Mai.” Katara whispered.

“See, Zuzu? This is how you should have handled discovering our relationship.” Azula said.

“Not said a word and hope you two don’t get caught?” Zuko asked.

“Exactly!”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“A ridiculous person who can still kick your butt whenever I want.” Azula grinned.

“That’s not what the crown says.” Zuko said, standing up.

“The crown you only got because of Katara.”

“You fired at her!”

“You brought her!”

By this point in their relationship, no one was really all that scared when the two started arguing about the Agni Kai. They knew Zuko and Azula mostly did it for laughs and never really meant any harm when they started arguing about it. Over a year in therapy together really did do wonders.

“Let’s go. This could go on a while.” Sokka sighed.

“You guys feel like pig-cow for dinner?” Ty Lee asked.

“Oh! Yes! I know this great place in town!”

If only the group had noticed a pair of eyes that had been watching them during their entire conversation.

—————————————

Azula’s eyes slowly opened, allowing her to take in the sight of her room covered in the morning light. Thanks to Katara, she wasn’t really waking up at dawn anymore but still got up early. That morning, like most mornings, she could feel her girlfriend’s arm around her body.

“Katara.” Azula whispered, “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Katara yawned and stretched her body, “We should have a lazy day. Just you and me.”

“That would be perfect but you know I have meetings.” Azula said.

“Why do you have to be princess and Zuko’s advisor?” Katara asked, resting her head on Azula’s chest.

“I don’t know, but I do know that I have to get up. What will you do this morning?”

“Probably a walk around town, then I need to send letters to me father and-“

The doors suddenly slammed open. Katara and Azula, thanks to years at war, sat up quickly and got fire and water ready to use against the attackers but there were no attackers. Just Hakoda, who did not look happy.

“Katara?” Hakoda asked.

“Dad?” Katara quickly realized she wasn’t really wearing a lot of clothes and grabbed a blanket to cover herself with. Hakoda took his own light jacket off, which he always had with him, and wrapped it around his daughter, “Dad. What are you doing here?”

“I was told my daughter had something to tell me. I think I can guess what it is.” Hakoda growled, looking at Azula, who was also now pretty embarrassed to be caught in a situation like this but especially so wearing only the barest of clothing.

“Sir, we-“

Hakoda cut Azula off, “You stay away from my daughter! I don’t want you anywhere near her or I will throw you into the ocean!” Azula wasn't all that afraid of Hakoda but having a grown man yell at her did remind her a lot of Ozai. Involuntarily, she winced and backed up, flames dancing on her finger tips in case she had to defend herself.

“Dad! Don’t talk to Azula like that!” Katara yelled, “I love her!”

“No, you don’t. You’re confused and attaching yourself to the first person you could find after Aang. A few months in the South Pole will-“

Katara's face twisted into disgust at her father's words, “No!” Katara yelled, going to Azula’s side, “I’m not confused and I’m not just dating Azula because of connivence. I. Love. Her!”

“Katara, sweetie,” Hakoda’s voice changed to one that sounded more calm and understanding, “I came here because word has already spread to the Water Tribe that you and Azula are together."

"What!? How do they know?" Katara asked.

Hakoda only shrugged. It didn't matter how they knew now. All that mattered was that this did know, "The council is very upset by your choice to date the Princess of the Fire Nation and-

"Let me guess. They want me banished." Hakoda could only nod.

“I’d rather be banished than not stay with Azula.” Katara’s declaration made the room go quiet, but Katara continued and turned towards her girlfriend, “Azula, you don’t have to feel the same way. You can say whatever you need to to-"

“I love you.” Azula whispered, “I want to stay with you too. No matter what.” Tears of joy filled Katara's eyes when she went to kiss Azula.

"So what now?" Katara asked.

"Now you two should leave." Hakoda sighed, "Zuko is doing every he can, but it will probably be best if you both disappear for a while." The two nodded.

"You won't try and stop us?" Katara asked.

"I came because I thought there was a way to keep you in the Southern Water Tribe, a way to make this all go away, but...but you clearly love Azula. I know that when I lost Kya I never forgave the person who took her away from me. I'd hate myself if I was the person who took you away from Azula." Katara offered her dad a hug, feeling his arms wrap tightly around her.

"We'll send a letter when we find a safe place."

"Good. I'll tell Zuko about what you two decided to do. Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise."

Hakoda then turned his head towards Azula, "And promise me you'll protect her."

"I will." Azula nodded.

An hour later, Azula and Katara had snuck out of the palace and were on their way to the docks with hoods over their heads to avoid being recognized.

"Regret dating me yet?" Katara asked.

Azula only offered her girlfriend a smirk and a kiss on the lips, "Not for a second."

[sokkastyles]

"It's about Ozai's psychological need for control and need to hurt his son to feel powerful."

hmmmm I mean Ozai was pretty straight forward when he said to Zuko "it was to teach you respect" it doesn't make the situation any less fucked up but he's not lying about his motivation. Also Zuko and Azula aren't the only ones who try and act as a mini version of their father. Ozai reacts to Zuko's pragmatism in the war council the same way Azulon reacted to Ozai's suggetion of becoming the heir to the throne after Lu Ten's death.

I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but this is something I'm gonna need everyone to understand real quick.

Whatever Ozai might say, it is not about respect.

In fact, the show has Zuko call this out, when Ozai tells Zuko it was to teach him respect in "The Day of Black Sun," and Zuko says, "It was cruel, and it was wrong!"

I believe that Ozai believes it's about respect, but Ozai is an abuser and abusers are notoriously good at lying to themselves.

Abuse is always, always, always about power.

And actually, Azulon's treatment of Ozai is a big part of why I think Azulon was an abuser, too.

First we need to understand this one rule, that abuse is always about power, and that whatever excuse the abuser gives is always going to be wrong (even if the abuser is able to convince themselves that it's true).

But also, if we really break down the idea that Ozai was trying to teach Zuko respect, does that even hold up?

Did Zuko learn respect by being burned?

Think about Zuko at the beginning of the series. Is this a teenager that has learned how to be respectful? Would you use that adjective to describe Zuko, age sixteen, circa book one, episode one?

Zuko, as we are introduced to him, is angry, rude, hateful, and full of rage. And he became that way through abuse. Abuse did not teach him respect. It never does. It didn't teach Ozai, and it didn't teach Zuko. It's a vicious cycle and if Zuko hadn't learned better, far from learning respect, he would have actually learned how to become just like Ozai, an angry, hateful person doling out cruelty because he never got the "respect" he thought he deserved and not understanding that respect is actually earned through giving it.

Also, consider that Ozai has another child, who he thinks is so much better than Zuko, who he heaps praise upon and thinks very highly of. If you look at the way Ozai interacts with Azula vs how he interacts with Zuko, the idea that his treatment of Zuko was about "respect" becomes the obvious lie that it is, because we see Azula act incredibly rude and disrespectful to basically every person around her, including Ozai, and he continues to praise her for it. Azula isn't any more respectful than Zuko, Ozai just has this idea in his head of what his kids are like and treats them accordingly. That's kinda the thing with the golden child / scapegoat dynamic.

Zuko isn't even respectful to Ozai at the beginning of the series. He fears Ozai, but as Zhao remarks, what Ozai did didn't teach Zuko anything about speaking respectfully, because it had nothing to do with that.

Because you can't teach someone respect by disrespecting them, especially a child. What children learn from this is that the way to be powerful is to disrespect others. They learn to fear others, and they learn that fear will earn them a facsimile of respect, but, like Azula at the end of the series, they are left wondering why their lives still feel empty.

Do you know who actually taught Zuko respect?

Iroh did.

Iroh taught Zuko respect by treating him with respect, even when Zuko was disrespectful to him. Iroh taught Zuko that Zuko deserved respect, and that also meant he didn't deserve what his father did to him.

The irony of Ozai's statement about respect is like, the entire point. Ozai has no authority to talk about respect while he's raising a hand to a terrified child. Someone who knows anything about respect would not need to terrorize children to try to get it.

Abuse is always about power, and always about the abuser, and never about the victim.

[lennons-lemonade]

I have thoughts….. about the live action ATLA series

we as a fandom have been talking about the changes made to katara (rightfully so, they were INSANE). but when are we as a fandom going to talk about the differences in Zuko’s character? because what do you mean he fought his father and WON?!?!?? maybe this was a fanon thing, but i never thought he was meant to be a very good firebender? ESPECIALLY at the start of the series!!! Like- he spends time learning, he has a breakdown during a lightning storm trying to improve!! so much of the live action made him seem more powerful than i ever thought he was meant to be???? ALSO why was his scar so TINY????! my parents seriously thought he had a birthmark or something!

because i love certain changes they made but it also kind of feels like everyone has been mischaracterized??? katara lost all of her edge, sokka lost his mini-arc of self improvement, zuko lost the base of his inferiority complex (inadequacy) and aang lost his discipline (What do you MEAN he hasn’t been training with katara during their trip??? they would have thought of that!)

BESIDES THAT! If I were azula and my brother who was supposed to be a loser, beat our dad, THE FIRELORD, in an agni kai, only to be the bigger person and not hurt him??? yeah man, i’d be insecure and afraid i’d be losing my position with my father too!!!! i would have been afraid the moment ozai ended up on the ground!

and then Ozai keeps acting like he wants Zuko back??? and like cares about his return???? and that soooooo threw me off. whenever they point out that zuko’s hunt was a wild goose chase and then show a scene of his dad being invested in his return??? like???

Idk. i liked a lot of aspects of the show, but i think some of their changes were definitely strange & they could have done way better

[princessmotif]

out of curiosity, what would it mean to you for fiction to replicate the maizula dynamic? like what features are most salient?

the heart of their relationship i think is replicable to an extent in that it's this sort of rotted love where you have known each other so long and so well that you couldn't not love each other but you have known each other so long and so well that you couldn't not hate each other as well. so that integral piece is absolutely something we can find in other relationship dynamics. like the rich girl/weird friend dynamic absolutely exists.

the sibling love triangle aspect with maiko's existence is also a hugely important and compelling aspect of maizula! this is techniaclly replicable in theory in terms of you can absolutely do love triangles where two members are related, but also it's so hard to duplicate the maizula-maiko triangle because mai is supposed to love zuko, and you can interpret her as actually loving him, and he feels like he's supposed to love her too, but they don't work fundamentally because he doesn't want to understand the worst parts of her, doesn't even want to admit that they exist, and she is so horribly caught up in azula who makes her feel so alive by acknowledging and knowing and seeing all these parts of her and bringing them out even more that she could say she chooses zuko because it's the right thing to do in terms of both heteronormativity and what choosing zuko represents, but i don't think realistically mai can actually turn away from azula and everything she's ever known and hated and loved and wanted to leave her alone and not known how to live without. not without regrets.

i think it's also so hard to replicate the way that their individual characters are and come together in the ship as a whole. like azula being a prodigious princess with such an insane relationship with gender and having such a tragic domestic origin and mai being a noblegirl who is so sullen and depressed and dead inside and has such an awful domestic life as well and who has to obey azula's orders but also absolutely doesn't do that because the power dynamic of their relationship is so complex by complete accident that while azula is higher ranking than mai socially and financially and in the military sense, mai absolutely has more power on an interpersonal level. that's something that you see a lot in lesser degrees in media with toxic female friendships sure, but never to the extent that one of the parties can literally have the other executed if she wants to, but she chooses not to do so even when she imprisons her former friend.

i wrote a mini essay on this here, but the way in which they play with the rich girl/weird friend dynamic is also INSANE on a level i have yet to see anyone else touch really except maybe rhaenicent.

speaking of other posts i've made abt their dynamic being so fascinating, this one about the "i love zuko more than i fear you" line vs what atla's show canon actually demonstrates is something i think is vital to understanding what makes them so insane. and i do think it's unique, if only because of what the narrative wants to tell you vs what it actually shows you.

also, one of the most important things which i touched a little on earlier is just... the politics of atla as a setting for their relationship. that makes it 10x more compelling that azula is this tragic figure who is on the completely wrong side of history, a child soldier who fights for imperialism and racism and xenophobia because she has been indoctrinated and abused and made into a weapon, and mai is someone who fought alongside with her until it inconvenienced her to do so, then switched sides in the name of love without ever actually analyzing or critiquing her own beliefs about what her country was doing. mai chooses the good and moral side by choosing zuko (who also doesn't actually reflect internally and... gets to kind of just keep doing a friendlier imperialism when we look at the comics and lok, but that's another topic), but does she actually want that? does she actually believe in that? has she actually let azula go? the comics can try to whitewash her morality more by pretending she cares abt tom-tom and she's totally reformed, but the show doesn't actually support that, and with no material in-between to show us mai's redemption beyond her betraying azula, not because she cares abt what's good and right but because she cares abt zuko, we as an audience have no real reason to believe that.

so yeah, maizula is endlessly fascinating to me, and i wish a ship would be more interesting than them

[seyaryminamoto]

Fic-to-Art #25: A decade-long journey with Sokka and Azula

Yep. I can't believe it's been a full decade either, but here we are. Ten years later and it feels like it was yesterday, almost.

On this month on Patreon, I figured I'd just make a larger sort of tribute to my long journey as a fic writer. I've had ups and downs, big moments and small, but ultimately, that I've had the chance to be here for as many years as I have is certainly a privilege, and one I don't take for granted.

I've met lots of great people because of my participation in this fandom, particularly in the Sokkla community. I've honestly made some of the best friends I've ever known through the past ten years. I've graduated from university, I've grown in many ways as a person, artist and writer, something that kid right out of high school would have never imagined possible when she first set out on this journey with zero clue of how far it would take her, and how important this would be for her in the years to follow.

After all this time, it feels like the red string of fate from The Reason has woven itself through all my stories afterwards, resulting in a very curious relationship between all these stories and the one that started it all. I mean, technically it was OoPB that started everything X'D but The Reason is by far the flagship of that particular setting. I haven't even revisited those stories in forever, but I really am glad that I did it for this particular purpose.

Alright then, if you would like the specifics regarding which story is being referenced (in case you don't know), keep reading!

The Reason, the source of the red string that then spills down into the rest of the artworks!

Gladiator Part 1, the handshake that started it all.

It Had To Be You, their unintentional first date!

Gladiator Part 2... this is honestly just a general thematic Sokkla make-out session, which as we know they were very likely to do throughout Part 2 x'D

The Love Advisor, reading a book together for the first time.

The White Lotus International Games, their rejoicing after they rushed their finals to watch each other winning at their competitions.

Matching Heartbeats... I picked the Yakuza AU as a reference to this one because people really missed it this year. But DAMN did those tattoos kick my ass to kingdom come, most difficult part of this entire mini project x'D

Underneath Starlit Skies, I picked the final scene of the Happy Family prompt because I couldn't decide on a better scene from any of the other prompts that year hahaha.

Leap of Faith, here I chose my personal favorite story from this year, Toph matchmaking Sokka and Azula, with Sokka in his councilman outfit and Azula in her ambassador attire.

Gladiator Part 3... spoilersssssss!

Alas, it was crazy to work on a project like this one on relatively short notice and pull it off regardless. I did know I wanted to do something like this, should the chance arise, and it kinda did? So I'm really glad I could finish it, maybe not exactly on time (two days late actually), but still within this month, haha.

I really hope you guys enjoy this massive piece, thank you to everyone who has been supporting me for the last decade, whether those who have been here all along, those who have only come by my work recently, as well as those who come and go. That my stories have touched anyone's lives is a miracle to me, and one I won't ever stop cherishing.

Thank you for ten years of Sokka and Azula <3

(... and as ever, feel free to join my Patreon too if you would like to do so...)

[nexstage]

Trigger Warnings: mentions of abuse in the marriage and child abuse

Something that got my interest about Ursa’s relationship with Zuko and Azula is the level of difference in how she adapted to raising her children in a warmongering family and being the wife of a monstrous man.

While she had an easy time dealing with Zuko, she was incredibly maladaptive with Azula. Her neglectfulness and shortcomings aren’t excusable because she had a duty as a parent to be there for both children but instead she went only for Zuko’s aid leaving Azula with the idea that she was a monster to her mother and therefore unlovable. Of course, Ursa isn’t blame-filled 100% because she was forced into a loveless, political, and abusive marriage and Ozai took advantage of her mistakes to deepen the wedge between Azula and her.

Now talking about maladaptive parenting, it all comes down to two things: projection and evasion. The first one is to projecting her fears and trauma caused by Ozai into Azula as seeing her as a mini him. Sure, those worries might be farfetched or overthinking things but the question “What’s wrong with that child?” might hide the terror Ursa felt of a future where Azula has emulated her father to the point of being Ozai 2.0. To the point of being too dangerous to be around which can be extremely triggering.

It is like what happened with Shoto’s mother in My Hero Academia if any has watched the anime. His mother was so on edge due to Endeavor’s abuse of the family, that she snapped after watching Shoto’s face thinking his eyes were Endeavor’s, and threw a kettle full of boiling water, scarring him physically and emotionally.

The next one is evasion, it is more explicit than projection because it hides behind an act Ursa resorts to too often: reprimands. But if she was reprimanding Azula, how can that be evasion? Easy, a parent scolding their child if they misbehave or do something that isn't right is an important aspect of raising children because it creates structure and guides them to be better. However, Ursa’s scolding ran hollow as she never explained to Azula why what she was doing was wrong, how was it wrong, and the importance of changing that behavior. She evaded her responsibility with “spit and glue” AKA angry reprimands to spend less time with Azula and checking on Zuko.

And this is where it gets more complex, her whole focus on Zuko for being the “safe to be around” kid, the easy and predictable one, the no-triggering one, her refusal or poor attempts (if there ever were some) to find common ground between her and Azula and separate her Ozai-based trauma and her daughter’s identity led her to expand that trauma on Azula as she got closer to Ozai and let him twist her more and more with the sole purpose of getting some attention and validation.

[ssreeder]

THE NEW CHAPTER WAS AMAZING!! :D

I was checking tumblr in class and when I saw that the chapter was coming out that night I was having like a mini happiness panic attack and just like smiling at a wall for 10 minutes straight. Anyways

It’s crazy how like Zuko’s closest person besides Sokka is Iroh and he just barely talks at him and glares at him funny. Ik it’s probably cause he doesn’t want to go explain to him everything that’s happened to him cause he’s not going to tell anyone shit unless you pry it out of him like Sokka did.

I love azula as much as the next girl but I’m so scared for her to show up. I just want Zukka and everyone to have peace. But remembering what’s happened in this fic I’m just waiting for someone to die and I don’t even want to think about Ara finding out Shen died.

I can’t wait for the kyoshi warriors to have like a little gossip session like “who tf did sokka leave Suki for?!” And like Kovi just sees Zuko and Sokka making eye contact and her Gaydar just immediately starts ringing.

Anyways Thanks for the Chapter! :)

It makes me so giddy to hear you like my fic so much a new chapter makes you smile! I love it!!

Zuko’s relationship with iroh wasn’t built on strong communication BEFORE Zuko stopped talking to people & now that he is hiding so much it’s hard to even know what to say. He knows his uncle knows too… so I don’t think that’s helping at all.

Yeeeahhhh the beginning of azulas liab journey kicks off to a full start next chapter and there is an established timeline before she arrives so we still have room for cuddles hehe but yeah she’s coming with an army at her back… ugh. (Also I love writing the chaos and fighting so I’m looking forward to it haha)

YOU WANT GOSSIP?! you’re gunna GET gossip haha I’m excited for the tea sesh next chapter. Thanks for the ask

[the-power-of-stuff]

Just sat through the first three NATLA live els and have so many thoughts - the first thing I did was come straight over to your blog because why wouldn’t I?!?

A part of me LOVES Suki’s awkwardness. In fact, none of the gripes I have with Suki and Sokka aren’t about Suki and Sokka and their characterisation themselves, but rather just the execution.

But anyways — the vibe I’m getting is that Season 2 (Book 1? I’m not sure if they’re going by seasons or books) is laying down the groundwork for some of the characters. We know they’re doing that with Azula (and the Fire Lord fam as a whole), but it seems like they’re sort of doing the same with Katara, where they’re starting off with her being a traumatised, almost-shy 14 year old girl who comes into her own as the season progresses.

While I haven’t watched the show in it’s entirety — I probably should have before sending this ask in — I’m assuming this is all leading up to her confrontation with Pakku and role in defending the Northern Water Tribe towards the end of the season. And then that new found confidence in herself and her waterbending carries though to season 2, where we’ll (presumably) find a more fiery, outspoken Katara after I’m guessing a somewhat lengthy time jump?

Anyway — back to Suki. My question to you is, if I’m right in my theory about Katara (and all the others, tbh… I feel like what I said for K can apply to pretty much any of the gaang at this point), do you think the same could be said for Suki and her own development?

We see Suki at the start of ep 2 as a fierce yet slightly socially awkward, sheltered warrior who wants to leave her village and aid in the fight against the Fire Nation and travel the world. As it goes, she does leave her village, and perhaps becomes the confident and sassy (and awful at puns) girl we all know and love, all through her experiences aiding in the war and travelling the world?

Of course, this would mean that her development would largely happen off-screen… but even still, Suki was more familiar towards the end of the episode. She was the one who initiated the kiss, she made her feelings and mostly gratitude known to Sokka by giving him her fan, she told the gaang they had to leave.

It feels like that’s the route Albert Kim is going. He’s made it clear that it’s a re imagination and not a 1:1 adaptation. He clearly wants the show to have its own identity to some extent (e.g. the genocide actually being shown and basically being a mini prologue to the series) and this is his way of doing so through characterisation.

I’ve written way more than I intended, so sorry for this long winded tangent. But what I mean to ask is, do you think in season 2 we’ll see a Suki more similar to the og (while of course still being her own).

I’d love to know what you think! x

Ahh, this makes me so happy!! Thank you so much for enjoying this blog, and for sharing your thoughts and sending this ask! <3 (And absolutely no need to apologize for writing so much, either! Goodness knows I could go on forever about this stuff.)

I think you make a really good point about characterization in the LA, and the potential for certain traits (like Katara's fieriness) to develop more over time. And I've been thinking about it in terms of what we already know about LA Suki that could get built upon in later seasons.

I definitely think it would make sense for us to see Suki come out of her shell a bit more in season 2, although there are some things in the LA that make it hard for me to imagine Suki being quite as sassy as her animated counterpart, just because of the sort of foundation it gives us for her personality.

For one, there's Suki's interactions with her mother. If anyone were going to be on the receiving end of a teenage daughter's sass, even if that sass is buried too deep in shyness to come out around said daughter's crush, it would be her mother. And while we kinda sorta see Suki get a little petulant with Yukari (her delivery of "I'm not too young, I just haven't seen the world" is kind of a swipe? but is really very heartfelt), she overall seems like a well-behaved, obedient daughter. This isn't a King Triton/Ariel situation where you get the impression they've had this conversation a million times before and Yukari is exasperated by Suki always questioning her authority. In fact, it feels like the first time Yukari's even considered that Suki might want something more, and she seems pretty amenable to it, if the fact that she didn't storm into the dojo to break up Sokka and Suki's near-makeout session is any indication. So, even in these private moments where you'd assume Suki is more herself, there isn't much sass to be seen.

(Somewhat related to this, I had a funny sort of "Huh!" reaction to Yukari's, "Such a fierce warrior. And yet such a kind heart." Not that I don't think Suki is kind! It's just not one of the first words I would use to describe her. And not that I would've expected Yukari to say, "Such a fierce warrior. And yet also kind of a pill because you're always giving me lip." But that bit of dialogue is there for the audience's benefit; it was a choice the writers made to tell us what they think is important for us to know about Suki's character. So I had a moment of, "Oh, that's the takeaway we're supposed to have? Interesting...")

And then there's Suki's later interactions with Sokka. On the one hand, when they're training together, the romantic tension is through the roof; it's all very new and interesting for them and it makes sense that they'd still be a little shy about it. On the other hand, Suki gets comfortable enough around Sokka at this point to 1) remove her makeup, 2) have a deep conversation with him, and 3) touch him on the chest. We don't see her show the same awkwardness from earlier in the episode, but she also continues to be very serious. When Sokka pins her, and then she flips them over while he's mid-celebration, she follows up with a useful tip about fighting, and it's delivered completely straight (if a little breathless). No little jokes or jabs. No "Don't get cocky" or knowing smirks.

However, we are not completely without sass! There are a couple moments in particular that I feel have some of that familiar Suki flair.

First...

Lookit her smirky little "come at me, bro" face! That face 100% says, "C'mon then, let's see it, if you're so tough." There's a playfulness here, too, which we know is very much a part of her relationship with Sokka in the animated show. (This Suki up here? I could easily see this Suki saying, "😠I'm an elite warrior who's trained for many years in the art of stealth... I think I could get you backstage!😁")

And then...

The thing I love about this is that she's all, "Nuh uh, I don't think so" (her little head wiggle!), but a fraction of a second ago she was staring blatantly at that boy's mouth. Nice try, sweetheart, but you ain't foolin' anybody. (This Suki is the Suki who smacks her forehead when her boyfriend tells terrible puns to actor-Sokka but who later gazes at him adoringly when he absolutely loses his shit because actor-Sokka actually said "rocky relationship" on stage.)

So...I guess the tl;dr answer to your question is, kind of? I can't see LA Suki getting to "Sorry, Warden, you're my prisoner now" levels of sass, but that's not really the tone the LA is going for anyway. I think we'll see her being very bold (a la taking the initiative to kiss Sokka) and very compassionate (saving Appa—I hope!!), and it makes total sense that, next time we see her, she'll be way more confident than the girl who could barely say a single word to Sokka before attempting to strangle him by way of flirtation. I also hope we'll get to see more of her playfulness! Maybe even some successful flirting? Probably not as forward as "Look at you, sleeveless guy...been workin' out?" but I'd settle for a sly head tilt and a cheeky little grin. And based on what we know of her so far, I don't think that's too much to ask. ;)

[trivial-writing]

Ever since watching voltron, my bf and I have been having our little neurodivergent rants about it. Like, for example, the queer baiting. Shiro was gay. What do you mean? Give us sustenance people. Give us food. Shiro married a blank slate. How about you don’t kill off Adam. Hm? How about you don’t make Shiro marry a blank ass slate. Like, seriously, who was Curtis? Making Shiro gay isn’t representation to me. That’s lying to your audience and virtue signaling. You make Adam such a big deal, but he dies thirty seconds after. That’s terrible representation..

My boyfriend and I both agree that Shieo should’ve been asexual instead. I mean the black lion uses purple. So much so that I call it the purple lion instead. And, as aces ourselves, we think that would be excellent lgbtq+ representation.

I’m not done with my lgbtq+ representation thoguh. We, as the audience, got baited into Klance. I’m pretty sure there were some tweets talking about how they, the creators, knew Klance would be popular. They give us gay-coded scenes, but they aren’t gay enough. That’s the problem. The creators play it too safe. They shouldn’t care about what other people think. Pushing against stupid “criticism” is the first step to being a good writer. (Also, they give us two dead lesbians. Why?)

We also talked about the lions. The lions don’t show how the Paladins fit them. Allura just says, “oh, you fit because pfft.” Awakening Blue was amazing because of the setup. The rest weren’t given the same amount of gravitas Blue had. Pidge literally jumped in the vines, and that’s it. She pilots the Green Lion now. Hunk gets sort of the same gravitas as Lance, but still, it kinda sucks. Why doesn’t Blue go to the other Lions, then go to the other Lions? Why am I the only one who thought of this? Oh wait, my boyfriend made a fanfic about it nvm.

My boyfriend had a fanfic idea that was just a fix-it fic. If he wants to, I’ll post it. I think his ideas were really good. If you want to read some of his ideas, let me know.

My bf really liked the setup for Lotor, and I did too. He liked the fact that Lotor wanted a different way to expand the Galra Empire. He was like Azula and Zuko mixed together. If you look at one of my older posts, you’ll see my little mini rant about Lotor’s redemption arc. I want Lotor to be a Zuko-like. He’s an interesting character who deserves a redemption arc. Btw, my boyfriend wanted the fem!Keith member of Lotor’s group to be Krolia’s(am I spelling her name right?) daughter. We both wanted Lotor’s team to be redeemed too. More me because I actually watched Avatar, and I want an Azula redemption arc badly.

So… I didn’t know where season three ended and season four started. I just watched. The whole switching the Lions was weird. If the Lions choose certain characteristics for their pilots, then how come Lance got the Red Lion? Lance didn’t develop into a Keith-like person. If Red is stubborn and hard to tame (or something like that), how come Red doesn’t show that. You can’t say something and do nothing to affirm what was just said. SHOW Keith having trouble controlling Red, and Red disagreeing with him. SHOW Hunk being reliable. SHOW Pidge’s requirements for Green.

I felt the introduction to Zarkon was weird. I like how Avatar set up Ozai. Avatar showed Zuko being a bad person. Zuko was just the Banished Prince. Then Azula showed up. My boyfriend exclaimed, “This is Azula!? She’s only his daughter?! Wtf, Zhing?” Give us two or three seasons with Zendak, then have Shiro die, then fight Zarkon, then fight Lotor, then fight Zarkon again. This way better. How come no one thought about this? Oh, wait, my bf wrote a fix it fic.

Anyways, that’s enough writing for me. This is a long post. I’m gonna sleep.