#Iroh is still my favorite after all these years

[wine4thewin]

❤️‍🩹 When Zuko says “I’m tired” with all the brokenness in his soul, exhausted from his own rage, wallowing in the ruination of knowing his father truly doesn’t want him to succeed and how Uncle Iroh just understands and soothingly says, “a man needs his rest.”

Iroh, what a wholesome dude, I love him still.

#avatar the last airbender #Iroh is still my favorite after all these years #honestly I really enjoyed this airbender remake #prince zuko #the last airbender #netflix series #uncle iroh #atla #iroh #zuko #netflix atla #netflix avatar

[the-badger-mole]

How about a prompt with Zutara meeting doing some kind of volunteer work?

"There must be something Dad can do to get us out of this." Zuko rolled his eyes as his sister complained for what had to be the tenth time in as many minutes. He wasn't thrilled, either, but he'd chosen to have a more philosophical attitude towards their court mandated community service. After all, as his uncle always told him, it was good for the soul to give to those in need. That, and he hated talking to his sister and her friends.

"It won't be so bad," Ty Lee, ever the optimist, comforted her friends. "I bet there'll be some interesting people there."

"Doubt it," Mai mumbled. She had said it low enough so Zuko was pretty sure he was the only one who heard her. She met his eye and rolled hers, inviting him to join her in her quiet derision of one of her oldest friends. Zuko managed a half-hearted smirk, but kept his thoughts to himself. At least Ty Lee was trying to make the best of things.

"As if I have nothing better to do with my Saturday then spend it passing out food to people who are too lazy or stupid to feed themselves," Azula snorted. She put her foot up on the back of Zuko's seat.

"Get your foot out of my back!" Zuko snapped. Azula huffed and gave his seat one solid kick before she put her foot back on the floor.

"I don't know why you're complaining so much," Mai said, looking at Azula in the rearview. "It's mostly your fault we're in this mess in the first place." Azula scowled at her.

"I didn't twist your arm to break into that warehouse," Azula reminded her. "I didn't force any of you to come with me. It wasn't my idea to bring booze, either, Mai." Mai just shrugged, keeping her eyes on the road. It was true enough that Mai had been the one to bring the vodka and whiskey she'd stolen from her parents' collection, but the four teens would probably not have been caught if Azula hadn't decided it would be fun to set a fire and burn several boxes of very expensive imported teas. Had the owner of the company not been Zuko and Azula's uncle, they would probably have all been tried for arson, instead of given probation and community service. Zuko shut his eyes and tried to think of anything but the disappointment on Iroh's face when the cops had led Zuko and Azula out of the still smoking building in handcuffs. It had been three weeks since the incident, and aside from a brief appearance to speak at their hearing the week before, Zuko hadn't seen his uncle since.

"We're here," Mai announced. She turned into a parking lot and found a space near the exit. The four piled out of the car and headed reluctantly towards the entrance.

Hama's Haven for Families was a slightly run down brick building that used to be a school. It had been shut down almost two decades earlier and used as surplus storage for the school district for a while. Then eight years earlier, someone had bought the building from the city and converted it into temporary housing for women and families with children. They provided meals, counseling, and for the youngest residents, daycare until the adults could find work and permanent housing. Why this was chosen as their service project, Zuko wasn't sure. It wouldn't have been his first choice of project, and he was certain his companions wouldn't have even put this place on their list. But the judge had given Iroh the right to decide what punishment he thought would fit the crime his family and their friends had committed against him. Zuko figured the least he could do was not whine about it.

"Ugh!" Azula's face contorted in disgust. "I can smell them from here. Don't they get showers?" Zuko gave the air a subtle, experimental sniff. Immediately, he identified the pungent scent his sister was complaining about as manure, probably from the community garden behind the building. It wasn't his favorite smell, but Azula was way overreacting.

Inside the building was bustling with activity. There was a cheerful energy in the air, which shocked Zuko, considering why they were there. A few people wore light blue t-shirts with Hama's Haven across the front in graffiti block. On the backs, the shirts read either Volunteer or Staff. A man stood at the front desk, expectantly. He was tall and muscled in a way that suggested a lot of physical labor, rather than spending hours in the gym. He wore his chin length brown hair half up. He didn't seem to be much older than Zuko and Azula's father, though his dark blue eyes had a weathered look. As if he'd seen a lot and had learned stoicism in the face of it. He looked familiar to Zuko, but he couldn't place the man's face for the life of him.

"I'm Hakoda," he greeted them politely, but not with much warmth. "Are you here for the mandated service?"

"What was your first clue?" Azula snorted. Zuko felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"We are," he said quickly, trying to mask his sister's rudeness. He stepped forward and held his hand out to Hakoda. The older man eyed Zuko's hand hesitantly for a moment, before grasping it in his. Hakoda had a strong, firm hand shake. Zuko could tell he was holding back, but when Hakoda let him go, Zuko felt the blood rush back to his hand with a throb.

"Nice to meet you," he said, turning his attention to the clipboard in his hands. "I see we have you for one hundred and fifty hours. You have to be here once a week for four hours a shift, so that'll take you about nine months. But if you'd like to get through your mandatory hours quicker, you're welcome to contact me for opportunities during the week. We have tutoring and after school activities, along with an upcoming food and clothing drive. We could always use a few more hands.

"Sure," Mai scoffed. If Hakoda heard her, he ignored her. He turned to the desk and reached down on the other side, coming back up with four t-shirts, light blue with the shelter's name on the front. Azula and Mai regarded them distastefully. Despite the instructions to come to their shift in comfortable clothes they didn't mind getting dirty, the two girls had come in the same chic, dark clothing they would wear any other weekend.

"No thanks," Azula said with a sneer. "I'm fine with what I've got on." Hakoda raised an eyebrow at her and Mai.

"I'm afraid it's not optional," he told them. "This is the uniform that staff and volunteers wear. You're expected to be in them for every shift you have with us."

"I'm not wearing this cheap, tacky thing!" Azula insisted.

"Ditto," Mai said, folding her arms across her chest.

"That's fine," Hakoda said with a shrug. "But you won't be permitted to stay and work. You're welcome to take that up with Judge Jeong-Jeong."

"Guys, we won't get the hours we need," Ty Lee whispered nervously to her friends. "The judge said we could still be sent to juvie." Azula and Mai shot Ty Lee the most scathing looks, and Ty Lee shrank back a bit. Zuko turned his head to roll his eyes. He wondered, not for the first time, how someone like Ty Lee had ended up in his sister's inner circle. He took his t-shirt and slipped it on over his clothes. Then he looked at the three girls expectantly. Ty Lee hurried to get hers on over her long-sleeved pink shirt. Hakoda favored them with a smile and approving nod before turning back to Azula and Mai.

"I'm not putting that on." Azula's jaw was set mulishly. Mai didn't say anything, but she fixed Hakoda with a cutting scowl.

"Your choice," Hakoda shrugged. "Either put the shirts on, or get out. I'm sure if you ask really nicely, Judge Jeong-Jeong will get you on highway clean up. Maybe orange jumpers will suit you two better."

"I'll tell my father about this," Azula hissed at him. "He can buy and sell you. He can have this dump turned into a parking lot."

"Do what you've got to do," Hakoda scoffed at her. "In the meantime, you have your two choices. So what's it going to be? I don't have all day." Azula and Mai glowered at Hakoda. But in the end, they didn't have much of a choice. Mai snatched a shirt from Hakoda, and after a moment, Azula took the last one. Hakoda's eyes gleamed smugly as the girls yanked the shirts on over their dark, designer blouses.

"Now that that's over with-"

"Dad!" Hakoda was interrupted by a girl running up to the desk with an exasperated look. Zuko suddenly realized why Hakoda looked so familiar. His daughter bore a striking resemblance. Katara Imiq was in Azula's class, the year below his, but she was in a few of his advanced placement classes. She was also on the track team with Azula, and in drama with Ty Lee. He and Azula both seemed to be in constant competition with the over achieving Katara in some form or another, though Azula was far more antagonistic about it than Zuko was. Beside him, Azula went rigid and shook with quiet rage at the sight of her chief rival for grades, athletics and popularity. Katara, though hadn't even seemed to notice them yet.

"What's up?" Hakoda asked.

"Sokka can't get the dryer to work," Katara explained with an annoyed huff. "It turns on, but it won't heat up. He put the last load in an hour ago and it's still soaking wet!"

"Can you get Bato to handle it?" Hakoda asked.

"He's not here today, remember? His niece's dance recital."

"Right." Hakoda sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm on it. Can you take over for me? These are the new volunteers. They need their assignments." For the first time Katara seemed to realize that there were new people there. She froze when she saw Zuko and Azula, but before she could say anything, Hakoda had passed her his clipboard and jogged off to the laundry room. Katara's jaw clenched, but she took a deep breath and greeted the four with a cordial, if clipped tone.

"Did you get to look at the list of jobs that need to be done?" Katara asked them. She was met with stony silence, but it didn't seem to bother her. "Did you have a preference for where you wanted to work?"

"As far away from these disgusting beggars as possible," Azula said snidely. Katara's mouth pressed into a thin line and she glowered at Azula.

"Fine," she said. "You can sort the recycling."

"What?" Azula gasped.

"The residents also volunteer here," Katara explained with a saccharine smile. "Recycling sorting is the only job where there are no disgusting beggars currently signed up to work."

"I'm not touching garbage," Azula snarled. Katara met her with a feral looking grin of her own.

"You can leave if you want," Katara said. "I'm sure the judge will be happy to give you the poshest cell on the block." The four balked in surprise. Katara smirked smugly, assuring them that she knew exactly why they were there.

"Whatever," Mai snorted.

"Is there anything left in the kitchen?" Ty Lee asked shyly. "I-I'm pretty good at cooking." Katara's face softened a bit and she even smiled a little at Ty Lee.

"We actually have chefs who do the actual cooking, but they could use someone to help prep and wash."

"Perfect!" Ty Lee agreed with alacrity. Then Katara turned to Zuko. Her lip curled as if she smelled the manure from the garden.

"I don't have any preference," he told her. "I'll go wherever." Katara blinked in surprise. She had been expecting the same attitude from him as from Azula. Zuko was glad to have proven her wrong. He bit back a smirk as she went down the line of duties to be done.

"The maintenance crew is painting the stairwells," she told him. "They need another set of hands."

"Fine," Zuko nodded. Katara looked at him appraisingly for a moment. Zuko stood straight under her scrutiny. Azula was determined to make this as unpleasant for the people running the shelter as possible. Zuko was just as determined to prove that not every member of the Kaji family was as obnoxiously snobbish.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

#atla #zutara #ask box prompt #volunteer work au #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!! #this isn't strictly where katara and zuko met #but they don't really know each other so... #count it!

[comradekatara]

Hello! So this is not quite an ask but THANK YOU for doing god's work of injecting some actual nuance, defending bolin (among other things), critiquing the comics, and all the plot holes/things that just don't make sense which become glaringly obvious if one thinks about any aspect for more than two seconds (lol but you know this already duh) and am only annoyed I did not stumble upon this blog sooner, since I am so done with this show (but also I keeping at it like the scabs). Also, your art is delightful! If you still require an ask, do you perchance write fanfic? (it's possible you might have mentioned it but sometimes I can't read lol)

Have a good day!

hello, and thank you! also it’s funny that defending bolin is the first thing you list because I thought I made it pretty clear that I think his character is direly poorly-written and that I do not care for him. but… you’re welcome I guess? but yes obviously critiquing the comics and imbuing nuance and all of that I will definitely gladly take credit for. and thank you for liking my art! i do occasionally write fanfic, but i’ve only ever shown it to my friends and never actually posted it anywhere, so functionally, my answer would be no. i have debated posting it in the past, but idk, i don’t think that would be a good idea. maybe someday i’ll snap tho who knows.

as for your other ask…

Also because I clicked on the ask button before I had a brain fart (so if this would come off a bit deranged for posting an ask right after the first my apologies), I also want to mention the commentary that Iroh being 'everyone's favourite sexist' is gold because we just gloss over that and no one ever seems to mention that scene. Another thing about atla is that the reason given for Zuko's constant internal struggle and conflict is because he's descended from the previous avatar and the fire lord but hello, Azula?? Did Ursa have an affair now?? Isn't she just as worthy of redemption, or the fact she's just as abused anyhoo ok im done

I mean I’m assuming by “that scene” you mean the one with june, but tbh his misogyny isn’t relegated to simply one unpalatable scene. it’s reflected in how he treats azula (versus zuko) across the show. and I know that zuko is softer and more amenable than azula, and he has demonstrated a desire to do good that azula hasn’t, but it’s also quite troubling that iroh just writes off his fourteen year old niece as a lost cause when she is also the sibling who most resembles him. and he somehow just can’t seem to understand that she is worthy of the same empathy and compassion and understanding as zuko is, that playing favorites like this isn’t good or normal. and I actually think that azula has it way worse than iroh, both because she’s a girl and because azulon seemed to love iroh conditionally (despite clearly not feeling the same about ozai), whereas ozai’s love for azula is incredibly conditional and does not exempt her from his violence. but you know. her hysterical wandering womb is outta control she needs to go down she cant be trusted she’s a sickopath!!!! like. ok old man.

as for your next point, I do think that what iroh says about zuko’s ancestry reflecting the ideological battle within him is fully bullshit, but I do reconcile that by interpreting iroh’s claims not as what he truly believes, but as a rhetorical point he thinks might get through to zuko. because he’s really run the gamut of wisdom and guidance, some of it even being contradictory, just in an attempt to pierce through zuko’s thick, stubborn skull. and it does pay off, eventually, but it takes ages to get there. like how much do you wanna bet his first approach was to just straight up be like “your father is an abuser and you shouldn’t adhere to his dogmas.” and then when that didn’t work he started getting creative with it. and like, the reason it gets through to zuko isn’t even because roku was his great grandfather, but because he was ursa’s grandfather. and realizing that he too can be good and stand up for what he believes in, like her, his true role model, is his ultimate takeaway from that lesson. but I really do think by that point iroh’s rhetorical strategy was really to just throw vaguely pertinent metaphors at the wall to see what sticks.

#traegern #asks #iroh #zuko #azula #iroh&zuko #azula&iroh #azula&ozai #ursa&zuko #analysis #also thank u for calling it ‘fanfic’ and not ‘fic’ this is rly a pet peeve of mine #fiction????? just any fiction???????? #(i do also write ‘fic’ in this sense but like. that’s a completely different question)

[atlafan]

Jordan, ik you probably don’t want to have a whole conversation about this but I recently watched Drew Gooden’s video on the live action atla series (it just affirmed that I definitely don’t want to watch it lol) but it did inspire me to do a rewatch of the original and ughhhhhh it’s so incredible😭😭 all the little characterization details are SO rewarding and so good. Zuko’s small acts of kindness, even early on in book 1, just show that he’s always been Ursa’s son and help set up his arc for the rest of the show. Going after the captured Iroh instead of tracking the Gaang in Winter Solstice. Saving his crew in The Storm. It just shows you that at his core he believes in doing the right thing, and that’s a huge part of why his overall arc pays off so well. It’s the same with all of them—seeing Sokka put on his war paint and his battle regalia (in ep 2 or 3 I think) to confront Zuko in the village…it shows you that he takes such pride in the responsibility of being a leader and a warrior, especially in his dad’s absence. Yet when he gets to Kyoshi, we see the humbled side of him, and that he’s devoted to learning and respectful of the masters in their craft (whether it’s the Kyoshi warriors or Piandao or even the mechanist) and wants to learn what they have to teach him. Even Jet, who is always a very complicated character for me, is so compelling and so real. He’s suffered horribly and unfortunately has let that radicalize him. Tbh it reminds me of when anti war groups in the 60s would bomb places and things like that…the mission is “peace” but you’ve let your mission turn you into a violent radical who doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong anymore. I KNOW I don’t have to tell you lol but all the little details of this show, from design to writing to performances, are just incredibleeee and I’m so happy it exists.

GISICKAKAAK what a fun message to wake up to!

Yes I am simply pretending the new series doesn’t exist because I know it’ll just piss me off if I watch it. And I know myself well enough to know I am just not mature enough to separate the original from the new, so yeah I won’t be watching and I doubt I ever will. The one thing I am mature about is that I don’t “hate watch” things anymore lmao

I think this is why zuko is like my favorite character. I feel like he was the first character I was ever like “no, that’s actually my son” when I got older. He is so fucking complicated and so not at all what you think he’s going to be. He’s not just the antagonist, he’s Aang’s foil. They parallel each other in so many different ways. There’s a scene in book 3 where Aang literally says, “I need my honor back”, and it cross fades from one side of his face to the other side of zuko’s!!

All of the characters have incredible arcs. They all learn something about themselves, and they actually use that to grow and get better. Remember, these are literally children who were thrusted into adulthood, forced to grow up way too early. Katara is a nagging mother, but she also remembers how to be a kid and have fun and laugh. Sokka is a sexier idiot, but what teenage boy isn’t? He unlearns so much behavior, and even though he still feels like he’s the leader of the group, and in so many ways he is, he learns that it’s okay to let someone else take the lead, that he doesn’t always have to be right or in charge. Toph learns that she’s loveable for who she is, blindness and shoeless and a badass.

Aang and Zuko obviously have the most difficult arcs. Aang has to come to terms with the fact that he ran away, and a mass genocide of his people ensued. But if he hadn’t left, he would have died along with the rest of them. Like it or not, it was fate that he froze himself. And most avatars get told who they are at 16 and are given all the time in the world to learn the other elements. Aang was 12…and then had to learn the other elements in less than a year. I would argue that he didn’t necessarily master all the elements in that year. I think he learned enough about each to get by, and I’d like to think he took some time afterwards to really master them. He still relied on his air bending a lot. Whereas if we look at Korra, she did a lot of fire bending even though water was her natural element.

And my baby zuko…I could go on for days about him. My tortured emo son. He overcame so much. He cried, he learned to laugh again, he learned how to be young again. He hated being in the slums of ba sing se, but he also went on dates and got closer with his uncle like he never had been. He was such a sweet little boy. The storm always makes me cry. Zuko alone always makes me cry.

I could go on! I always wanna talk about avatar so never be afraid to come to my inbox about it!

#atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #zuko #katara #aang #sokka #toph #uncle iroh #the gaang #gaang #prince zuko #zutara

[proxissima]

Least favorite Ozai take you know (you can also name more if you like too)

Even after taking a thorough break from the ATLA fandom in the past year, that Ozai "isn't the sharpest tool in the shed", that people seem to think that he's the dumbest member in the royal family is the take that came to my mind immediately, and it's the one that I still abhor to this day.

Dishonourable mention goes to Ozai being also the most talentless and/or weakest firebender, which tends to go hand-in-hand with the above-mentioned take.

People who spout this nonsense with such confidence make me wonder if they even watched the same show as the rest of us or if they transferred here from some parallel universe, because what part about Ozai shooting lightning like fireworks during Sozin's comet, what part about him sensing the end of a total eclipse in a bunker deep in the earth, from his inner fire alone (all while regular firebending soldiers hadn't even noticed that their bending was gone in the first place!!), what part about Ozai being the only person that was able to summon lightning from both hands simultaneously (in the OG show tbf), near instantaneously and with just a sliver of the sun (never mind that by this point there were only two other people in the world that were even able to generate lightning and neither were on his level), gave the impression that he's an unskilled or untalented fighter?

And that's just listing his feats regarding his lightning, not even his general technique and bending.

Ozai is both powerful AND capable of extreme precision, something people also just love to ignore when they're forced to admit that Ozai is no chump in the power department.

EOS Azula would absolutely NOT defeat prime Ozai and Iroh would at least have a hard time with him. Jeong Jeong, however, is decisively getting smoked, never mind anyone less than a master; some people need to come down from cloud cuckoo land.

On a side note, I like how in the bottom right picture, it looks like Ozai is bending blue fire when he's unleashing huge lightning bolts in reality.

Another take I despise is the common notion that Ozai wanted to have Zuko dead since his birth, or that he couldn't wait to kill his infant son, which is factually wrong. Even the comics, despite instigating this whole mess, made it clear that Ozai wasn't that bad.

Okay, further tonal whiplash incoming, but there's another topic on my mind. That's your warning.

I also used to hate the notion that Ozai is a rapist and that the relationship between him and Ursa was one of constant abuse. (I think it was a bold move of Bryke and generally everyone to portray Iroh, of all people, as the polar opposite and a demure character, considering his history with women... but Iroh is a whole different can of worms.) Let it be said that I still think the plot of the comics is complete horse-shit in that regard, so my opinion on that hasn't changed.

However, I won't lie and say that there isn't a certain, morbid appeal in Ozai using sex as a weapon to exert control over people.

There was a fic, I think it was called Queens and Consorts that portrayed Ozai's manipulative and subtle side quite well, where each chapter is written from a different woman's perspective that all are either in or have some business with the royal family. Ursa felt unloved, but when it turned out that she was the only one Ozai truly loved? *Chef's kiss*. The fic deals with the inner workings of not just the royal family but also the political intricacies of the royal court in a captivating manner. I remember it being worth a read, but I digress.

Back to my original point though, I do also have to give Dominion credit where it's due, because the particular chapter, chapters? where Ursa departs, written from her POV, were an interesting read that gave insight into Ozai's character and their toxic and abusive relationship. I liked that Ursa was actually in love with him, but turned to despise him all the same. One part that has stuck with me was, paraphrased, how Ozai would sometimes forcefully take her, but she would spread her legs for him willingly on enough other occasions.

The abuse, in general, is a touchy topic and it's a delicate balance to strike, between giving Ozai edges, without taking away from his humanity entirely, and avoiding making it grotesquely obscene, but if done right, it can add a whole lot of complexity to their dynamic. Needless to say, the comics busted it miserably. Like, so thoroughly, a twelve year old could come up with a more cohesive and interesting plot.

I think this type of characterisation of Ozai works best, when it's not just him, but also the rest of the family to be depicted to have extremely dubious morals that serve as a reminder why exactly no one was objecting to perpetuating a century-long war their ancestor started, but also why practically every member of the following generations was either willing to carry out a genocide/mass murders on their own, have successfully done so, or were actively endorsing it. (It's certainly noteworthy that we know nothing about Lu Ten's mother, and that any of Iroh's past in the military has been carefully tiptoed around in all official portrayals post-ATLA.)

All of this being said, I don't get it when Ozai is the one portrayed as this depraved, sadistic rapist, all while characters like Azulon and especially Iroh, out of all people, are treated as the bastion of moral superiority in the meantime, or something, like they'd genuinely be outraged by... (marital) rape and abuse. These two. It's a bold assumption at best.

It's just kind of a pointless endeavour, trying to apply modern-day (western) morals on the setting ATLA takes place in and pretending [favourite] characters would hold those same values and act accordingly, when it's more comparable to the late 19th century. (Yes, there's enough people on stan Twitter and Reddit who actually seem to forget about this)

Obligatory disclaimer that I've got nothing against modern AUs or whatever. I just don't like it when people are genuinely pretending that is how characters would be thinking in canon.

#thoughts #tw sa mention #tw rape mention #inbox #ozai #ursa #iroh #atla

[natlacentral]

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Crown Prince Dallas Liu Had Elliott Smith on his Zuko Playlist

With the Netflix show officially renewed for two more seasons, the actor talks to GQ about his personal style, his cult series PEN15, and bending lightning.

Before he found his calling, Avatar: The Last Airbender star Dallas Liu considered becoming a stuntman. But when Liu was only 12 years old, his soon-to-be manager discovered his competition videos on YouTube and asked him if he'd ever thought about acting. The answer was yes: “Martial arts had definitely inspired me to become an actor, because of the performance aspect of it,” Liu tells GQ from his home in California.

Now, at 22, Liu’s credits include a Gen-Z cult comedy (PEN15) and a high-profile Marvel film (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.) He’s been able to channel his eclectic background to play the complicated villain at the center of the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, Fire Nation royal Prince Zuko.

A few weeks before Netflix announced that Avatar had been renewed for a second and third season, Liu talked to GQ about how playing Prince Zuko changed him, his love of A24 films, and the Pen15 renaissance.

Were there any Avatar scenes that you were really excited to film?

All of the flashbacks. All of episode six was super fun, but specifically the scene between Aang and Zuko in that shed after an escape. And then, when Zuko sort of blows up at Zhao, at the fight at the Northern Water tribe.

The writers had given me a lot of good stuff to work with, and so I was just happy that in our show Zuko gets a character arc. In the first season of the animated series, he’s sort of one-note and quite melodramatic in each scene—he's sort of being repetitive about his motives. [But] he was always my favorite character as a kid. I just loved Zuko. Being able to play him was a dream come true.

I saw in another interview that you said that it was great to humanize him. Was there anything that you kind of discovered about yourself through playing Zuko, because he's such a complicated character?

Yeah, since he’s so complex, playing him opened up my heart while I was off-set. When I had originally arrived in Vancouver to work on the show, I was similar to Zuko in that I was very narrow-minded in what I wanted to do, in terms of how I wanted to be an actor on set. I thought this was my one opportunity in life to prove to the people that I have a spot in this industry.

I was like, I'm focused on my work, do my job, go home, rest, and just take care of myself. And throughout that process, that's what it feels like with Zuko and Iroh. Zuko is like, "I'm just going to capture the Avatar, and then return them to my father and then I get to go home." And we see that that's not the case.

There are so many things that are involved in this journey that Zuko and Iroh go on, and something that I felt was my relationship with the other cast members and with the crew members started to grow. I found myself wanting to open up my heart and share this experience with them, and share all the love that I had inside of me that I had been trying to hold back on.

If you were not playing a character from the Fire Nation, what powers would you want to have personally?

Oh, it still definitely would be fire. It’s the most aesthetically-pleasing one in my opinion. In the world of Avatar, you can start to manipulate other elements once you become a master of that base one, and I think lightning is something that I've always thought would be super cool to bend. I think fire represents me, my heart.

What's your Zodiac sign?

I'm a Leo.

That adds up.

Wait, why?

Leo is a fire sign!

Oh, yeah, that's true!

Have you seen the TikToks about the Pen15 renaissance?

During my time shooting it, Pen15 was still blowing up. It's been on this continuous rise, which I'm so happy because that show—now it's really, really popular. But at the time, it was so underrated. I was still tapping into a younger version of myself on that series. But [for Avatar] I took inspiration from watching Maya and Anna act out as kids, for Zuko being an innocent child himself in the war meetings, in that first scene with Uncle Iroh in episode six.

I mean, you were still a kid. You were 16. That's a child.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I guess it's a lot closer to Zuko, and that he doesn't think he is.

Did you really shave your head for this, or did you do a bald cap?

Given that we were trying to stay faithful to the original and what it represented in the show, I thought it was extremely important for me to shave my head. I had a choice. I won't get into what it represents so much, but you get to see a little bit in some of the Avatar lore that exists outside of our series. But it gets you into character so much because it pisses you off so badly every morning. Waking up on the weekends when I'm not working and I just want to go out, I have to throw on a beanie. But waking up and staring at myself—This is my life now, this is who I am—I think it certainly got me into character very easily.

I really liked your red velvet suit at the premiere. How has your style evolved from your younger years to now?

My mom has always been my biggest fashion influence. She's the one who sort of turned me into this picky critic when it comes to outfits and clothes. Even when I was younger, I wouldn't ever let her pick out my outfits. And because I didn't let that happen, I ended up looking really stupid and goofy a lot of the time.

But I think everyone starts in sneakers—very common, especially for guys. You start with basketball shoes, and then you transition into Jordans, and then you transition into some form of streetwear after that. And at that point, you could go, I think, either into this world of vintage or archive clothing, or obviously, people love designer clothing and mixing up that world of streetwear with that.

But for me, I think I just really elevated basics. My style has just become less about brands, obviously, and more about quality. I'm 22 now, so I'm paying for all of this stuff myself. So I'm like, is this worth it? Am I going to be fine without this? On carpets for the Avatar premiere, I wanted to go all out. When I'm in real life, I just stick to all black and different shades of gray.

Did you make a playlist for Zuko, his character to get into character?

I did, but at some point, I stopped using it just because I sort of found my groove from the character. But some artists that were in there were Elliot Smith and Duster.

Which Elliot Smith songs did you put on there?

“Between the Bars.” And just all of his most popular stuff for sure, because especially “Between the Bars” relates to some part of Zuko's life, whether it was his actual scar banishment or catching the Avatar.

Are there any genres you want to dabble in next?

I honestly love drama so much. Obviously, the new Dune film just came out and I just love Denis [Villeneuve]. Every actor, I feel like can agree with me on [that]—and that we want to do an A24 film. But honestly, I'm still just trying to take any work that I can get, because I do want to show my range as an actor. I'd love to work with Willem Defoe on something, that'd be cool. So, just projects that are grounded, but have a stylistic element that separates it from Hollywood blockbusters.

#natla #atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar netflix #netflix avatar #netflix atla #atla netflix #dallas liu #interview #photoshoot #gq

[attackfish]

the “shifting quagmire of rising and falling states” au (Aang died in the iceberg, but at his canon age.) to zoom in a bit, did katara ever learn water bending and if so who taught her? Alternatively, how did Iroh and zuko’s travels go?

Continued from: [Link].

I don't think Katara remaining perminantly without waterbending training is a tenable situation. She is going to go north at some point. And this becomes even more urgent when she finds out, as we know from the comics, that there are other waterbending children, much younger than she is, in the south, who will also need to learn waterbending. And I think that her journey north will coincide with her reaching adulthood.

Unfortunately, she doesn't know about the swampbenders, so her goal will in fact be the Northern Water Tribe. And once she gets there, especially because there are other young waterbenders in her tribe, and she's going to feel that profound need that she's going to have to teach them, she is going to feel that she has to be all kinds of waterbender to all kinds of people. Just learning healing isn't going to cut it. And the Northern Water Tribe and Master Pakku still aren't any more willing to teach her any other kind of bending than healing. So she goes to a former student of Pakku's and weasles training out of him. They're caught, Pakku wants her kicked out, she fights him, he sees her necklace, he agrees to train her. She becomes the first of the new waterbenders at the South Pole.

Before I talk about Zuko, let's talk about Azula, because Azula is dealing with the reality that no matter what she does, at some point, her father is going to stop seeing her as his favorite child, and start seeing her as a threat. This is true because at some point, hes going to notice that she's separate person from him, with her own opinions, and he is not going to be able to cope with that. But it's all the more so because he, after all, is a man who came to this throne by killing his own father.

And by considering her a threat, and treating her as such, he, of course, makes himself a very real threat to her. This is going to be incredibly painful for her and hard and nasty, and it will shatter her illusions and make her feel scared and alone and miserable, and eventually she will figure out that she needs to deal with him as a threat, and I'm putting my money on Azula, because she is a lot smarter than her father.

So Azula takes the throne the same way her father did, through murdering her own father. But Ozai is not an old man on the verge of death, so Azula has to be that much more careful. She slips a small amount of slow acting poison into something he drinks every day, something he keeps in his room: his tea. Because Ozai might have mocked his brother for decades over his fussy tea drinking ways, but he drinks almost as much tea, and is almost as fussy about it. And Azula slips in the poison right before leaving for a year long tour of duty handling insurgents in the Earth Kingdom.

It takes almost three weeks for Ozai to even begin to feel the effects, and another month to become seriously ill. Azula is called home as she knows she would have been, and as she relied on, because after a certain point, he was going to get too sick to make himself tea. But once she's home, she can keep making it for him.

Azula carefully researched the poison she used, to find one that would mimic the symptoms of a natural intestinal issue, and the physicians are none the wiser, nor is her father. As he grows weaker and weaker, as he lays dying, they reconcile. Hes scared, and he wants his golden child there again, who adores him and believes in him. And it's all very sweet and heartfelt, and Azula feeds him his last dose of poison before he slips away.

Almost as soon as he's dead, she sends for her brother. But who is the Zuko Azula sends for?

Already at sixteen, Zuko is perceptive enough and brave enough to tell Zhao that his father is a fool if he thinks rest of the world will follow him willingly. He's drowning in a whole lot of fear, pain, anger, and self deception, but it's not like he's incapable of perceiving the harm the Fire Nation is doing, and how the rest of the world feels about it. Without the Avatar, and going back to the Fire Nation, and the series of events that happened in canon, it takes him longer to realize what a shit his dad is, and how his dad doesn't love him, or want him home, or think he can find the Avatar, and how about he, Zuko, didn't deserve the way his dad treated him, and how the best thing he can do for the world is work against his father and the Fire Nation's imperialism, but he gets there. He is in fact there for about a decade before his father dies.

His exile is boring. That's the thing, whatever internal changes he has come to, he spends most of his time sailing around, on a perpetual journey, designed to keep him away from his father and the court. Once he comes to the realization that he was never really supposed to find the Avatar, he's left adrift with little purpose. It's almost a blessing that his ancient ship is pretty much always falling to pieces around him, especially after the first five years, and he and his crew are chronically underfunded, so he is forced to find ways to make up the shortfall. At first, this mostly means running errands for various naval officials, but especially after the fall of Ba Sing Se, it means smuggling.

Zuko and his crew actually ran his sister's blockade around some of the cities she is besieging, because they were harboring insurgents, to bring food and supplies, and she was none the wiser.

So when she calls him home, she expects him to be biddable, scared, angry, but desperate for acceptance, love, and family connection. And yeah, when he first comes home, he is pretty biddable. He and Mai, uh, renew their acquantance, (Mai was waiting for Zuko, but not altogether willingly. Once Azula decided that her brother was going to be doing the whole. Making heirs thing instead of her, she quickly decided on Mai as his future wife. When Mai attempted to date a guy when she was nineteen and recently returned from Omashu, Azula shut that down fast, and made it clear to Mai that it would not happen again) and Azula basically ignores him and their uncle while she starts ruling the country.

And here is the part where Azula's pragmatism versus her father's self-aggrandizing stubbornness come to the forefront, because Azula, as mentioned in the previous post, is capable of realizing that she can't hold onto all of the Earth Kingdom. As much time as she has spent in the field, trying to deal with insurgency, she's very well aware of this, but she also has no intention of losing all of the Earth Kingdom colonies, just the ones she has to, just the ones that are much more expensive to keep than they could ever get out of them.

But just because she is being pragmatic, and doing what is the most self-interested thing the Fire Nation can do, that doesn't mean that there aren't people who are going to lose here, or who are afraid they are going to lose here, and the most dangerous time for any autocratic regime is when it's trying to reform. All it takes is one colonial governor afraid that he is about to lose his position, or people who used to live in the new colonies, coming home to the Fire Nation, unhappy about it, for someone to plot and assassination, and Azula might be very good in combat, but there's not a lot she can do about a bomb thrown at her palinquin.

And just like that, a few years into his sister's reign, Zuko, newly married and with the kid his sister wanted to be her heir on the way, takes the throne in the wake of his sister's grisly assassination. Azula is remembered as a martyr for the deconnization that her brother would forge ahead with, much further and faster than she ever would have. Certainly not a fate she ever would have chosen for herself.

#avatar the last airbender #azula #zuko #katara #ozai #posts i created #do you want to ask a question it doesn't have to be a question #azula needs her own warning #noodle lord ozai #zuko is a dweeby little turtleduck #katara is the answer #mai doesn't hate you

[foolofatook001]

hello Internet I turn to you in my desperation

does anyone have a download of (or know what happened to) the Avatar: The Last Airbender fic “Book 3: Fire”? I can’t remember the author, but I know for a fact I had it in my favorites on FFN; I don’t think it was ever on ao3 but I could be mistaken. Anyway it has since disappeared, hence this search

Plot description below the cut; it’s been a couple years since I read it last so it might be shaky in parts lol

It was an imagining of how s3 of avatar would go before the actual season 3 came out, so it would’ve been published some time between Dec 2006 and Sep 2007, and I remember author’s notes indicating that there was very quick turnaround on the chapters; I believe the fic was not finished before the show started airing though

The main pairings were Zutara, Taang, and Sukka; I distinctly remember Jin/Jet as part of a Ba Sing Se subplot as well

Iroh and Zuko join the Gaang almost immediately after the fall of Ba Sing Se when Azula turns on Iroh and tries to have Zuko execute him; Zuko refuses and he and Iroh catch up with the gaang, who are escaping Ba Sing Se through underground tunnels with Toph’s help

Iroh initially starts teaching Aang firebending, but is setting up Zuko for the role due to the fact that he knows he’ll have to leave to do White Lotus Things

They realize the surprise portion of the eclipse attack is ruined, but it’s still their best shot so in the meantime they’re going to drum up support in the Earth Kingdom, etc and also foment rebellion in the Fire Nation, setting up Zuko as a challenger for the throne

(Now we get to the vague-memories-and-disjointed-scenes portion of the description lol)

There was a very strong Spirit World subplot with Roku and Kyoshi; the eventual reveal was that Sozin had made a deal with a Spirit of War (definitely had a more “demonic” angle) and his descendants had continued that deal, which was finally coming due after 100 years.

There was also an episode wherein Zuko and Katara were captured by an insane FN governor and had to gladiator-fight a dragon; they ended up freeing it and it killed the governor. That confrontation with the dragon also started positive rumors about Zuko and helped him gain the FN’s respect as their returning prince

The whole fic was a bit darker than the actual show; I remember Azula actually died (still in a fight with Katara), and I believe it was stated that Ozai just straight-up murdered Ursa and lied about her “banishment”

There’s a lot more to it (I’m pretty sure it was at least 20+ chapters and definitely over 100k words) but that’s all I can restate coherently lol

Anyway if anyone knows anything please let me know 👍

#atla #avatar the last airbender #zutara #fic search #any help would be appreciated!!! #I think the author was xcgirl08???

[shifterglitter]

My Waiting Rooms

The Hord

My first waiting room was inspired by the labyrinth, my love for friendly monsters and my need to live inside of a tree like a pixie.

The reason why I named this "The Hord" is because underneath the roots of my tree house is an elaborate cave system that I can access from my library. In those caves lives a Dragon that hordes all of my memories for current, past, and future lives. That dragon is a reflection of my Higher Self should I need any advice.

Around my tree house is a Labyrinth with serval moon doors, these are magical portals that can take me to any DR that I wish at any time.

Several agreeable monsters also call this waiting room their home and have designated territories.

I do have a non human mental health professional here that fits all my needs.

A few of my favorite parental figure characters of other medias also live here for any needed advice. Like Iroh and Genkai for example.

It has a different biome and mode of travel in each cardinal direction that leads to a different Waiting Room. This is the center of all my experiences and should I die in any of my other realities unexpectedly I would immediately shift here.

To the East there is a horse drawn carriage that goes though grasslands that will take you to Barbie's Mansion. To the south, between two forested mountains, there is a train that will bring you to the Dreamweaver station right outside Haven Village. To the West there is a bioluminescent beach with a yacht that will sail you to a Vacation Resort Island. To the North is a garage with a convertible Jeep prepared for your camping trip into the desert. Should you go far enough you will find yourself stopping at a gas station with strange burritos.

One day I'll post a map of everything.

Barbie's Creepy Dream House

Have any of you been to a Meow Wolf location yet? I have. I am obsessed with this string of immersive art experiences in the American south. I also have a wooden barbie doll house that my uncle made me when I was 8 that I am upcycling into a creepy display piece. This was the inspiration for my second waiting room.

In the fields, meadows, and marsh lands that surround the house I can find apparitions of ancestors and other loving entities on my spiritual team should I wish to speak with them directly.

Because I haven't finished the art project I have not solidified this WR, but I'll get to it in a few years.

The Haven

This inspired by the meditation series by The Honest Guys called Haven and Dreamweaver.

Important people (my core chosen family) in each of the realities I end up in will also be here with our collective memories together. This could be from one life as friends; or multiple, like my siblings. The souls here that have lived multiple lives with me can change their body to appear like any of their DR forms at will.

The soul of my "Kiss Me Again" lover lives here as my spouse in my English cottage with a thatched roof.

I often collaborate with my siblings and lover about who they want to be in my next DR, and who they want me to pull here for them to live an eternity with.

All of my past, present, and future pets live here.

Wii Sport Resort

I use to fucking love the Wii Sports games. SO yeah, I am going to play it forever. With tons of Mountain Dew.

And why not on an island with all my friends from every DR.

My OR biological family will also live here, but they will all be idealized healed versions of themselves.

This will have ALL Wii Sports games among other fun vacation activities, and PC Lounges were we can all play video games too.

Desert Skies

Inspired by a after death fictional audio drama podcast called Desert Skies.

I'm still working on the other details, but this will be a solo adventure of self discovery and processing the loss of each lived life.

*these are all waiting rooms because: they have no plot, are unaffected by time, every living thing is immortal, there are no bugs I dislike, no one ever gets dirty, or experiences any sort of discomfort/harm, we all always smell good, what every your want will appear upon your will of thinking it, you don't need to eat sleep or drink water if you don't want to, there are no ill effects to drugs, you can't get sick, and all of everyone's needs are provided for. There is no suffering of any kind.*

#current reality #desired reality #shift #reality shifter #shiftblr #shifting community #shifting #loa #loa tumblr #law of assumption #waiting room #shifters #reality shift #reality shifting #shifting antis dni #shifting blog #shifting consciousness #shifting motivation #shifting realities #shifttok #quantum jumping #quantum imortality #manifesting #manifesation #the meditation series is the haven playlist by the honest guys on yt

[serpentinearchitect17]

Just a short scene I wrote because Zutara has been occupying about 90% of my thoughts lately 😅

Side Note: This scene diverges from canon after the end of the war because damn it, Zuko and Katara will always end up together in whatever context, scene, or story I write. I’m also still working on my full fledged fanfic! I don’t want to give away too many details, but it is a Modern-Day AU with Lunar New Year celebrations, and an extreme amount of fluff and pining. I can’t wait to finally share it! I’m hoping for a late spring/early summer release on AO3, but that may be optimistic because I write about as fast as a snail-sloth.

Anyway, without further ado…

*****

~Zuko’s Favorite Color~

Three years after the end of the 100 Year War, the Gaang meets on Ember Island to spend the week together. Before leaving, Zuko asked Iroh to take over his Fire Lord duties for the time being, just so he could spend his holiday relaxing and enjoying his time with his friends.

They’re all lounging on the beach at the night, drinking tea around a fire.

After slurping her tea and setting the empty cup aside, Toph turns to the group.

“Let’s play a game,” she suggests. “The rules are simple. All you have to do is guess Sparky’s favorite color. The winner gets to have all of their meals paid for by him tomorrow.” She slaps Zuko, who’s sitting next to her, on the back. With a wicked grin, she continues, “And the loser has to plant one on him tonight, with his consent, of course.”

Zuko chokes on his tea. “Hey, wait a minute! None of that is even remotely fair,” he protests, gesturing wildly. He glares at the world’s greatest Earthbender with a scowl. “Either I have to dole out money or I have to give out a kiss. How does any of that benefit me? And why in Agni’s name would we play a game where you all guess my favorite color? It makes so sense!”

Sokka laughs. “Dude, you’re just afraid I’m gonna win and you’re gonna have buy me food. You’ve seen the way I eat - you’ll be out of money by the end of tomorrow!

Snorting, Zuko shakes his head. “Buddy, I think you’re afraid that you’re gonna lose and have to kiss me.”

“Psh, you’d be lucky to kiss me! I’m a real catch, aren’t I, Suki?”

Suki kisses her boyfriend’s cheek and coos, “You sure are.”

Impatiently, Toph sighs. “Are you in or not, Fire Lord? C’mon, you’re among friends. No one’s gonna hurt you. You can back out if you wanna, but I think it’ll be fun.”

Zuko knows she’s right. It’s all in good fun. These are his friends - the ones he’s trusted time and time again. No one would be cruel. Plus, if he’s being honest, he’s hoping that he’ll get to kiss a certain someone tonight. Someone he’s had a crush on for a long time.

“Fine,” Zuko mutters. “Go ahead.”

Toph gleefully rubs her hands together. “Excellent. Does everyone consent to the rules of the game?”

A chorus of ‘yeahs’, ‘yeses’, and ‘yeps’ goes around.

“Sweet,” Toph says. “I’ll go first. Sparky’s favorite color is…blue.”

Sokka nods sagely. “Yep, it’s 100% blue, no doubt about it.”

Suki chimes in with, “I agree. It’s totally blue.”

Aang hums, stroking his chin. “I think blue would be the correct answer here.”

It’s Katara’s turn. She furrows her brows and frowns. “Why are you all saying blue? His favorite color is obviously red! It’s the color of his homeland, and every article of clothing he owns has some shade of red in it!”

Zuko’s cheeks flush to a deep crimson. He feels himself sinking further into the sand. “Um…” he trails off, scrubbing his hands over his face. He’s not even sure how to respond.

Everyone looks at him expectantly.

Toph smirks. “So, Sparky, what is your favorite color?”

He knows he can’t lie. He’s never been able to, and he doesn’t think he could start now. He decides to give in, resigned to his fate.

Peeking between his fingers, he mumbles, “It’s…um…blue.”

Toph laughs uproariously. “Called it! And we all know why! See, you love blue because everything about it reminds you of Sugar Queen.”

Sokka makes a gagging sound, but offers his own explanation. “Blue is the color of her eyes, which you’re constantly drawn to, by the way. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Suki smiles. “Blue is the color of the clothing that she wears.”

Finally, Aang wraps up the conversation with, “Blue is the color of water, which is the element that she bends.”

Katara has been silent this whole time, her entire face highlighted in a lovely, rosy hue. She only has eyes for Zuko right now.

Quietly, she stands from her spot and crosses over to him, sitting down beside him. “Is any of this true?” she asks him softly, an unreadable expression on her face.

A shaky breath leaves his lips, and he nods. “Yeah, all of it,” he answers honestly, feeling his heart thump wildly.

Then, to his complete dismay, she gives him breathtaking smile.

Her ocean blue eyes never leave his as she murmurs, “Now might be a good time to tell you my favorite two colors.” She pauses, leaning over to brush the hair out of his eyes. “Red and gold because they’ll always be a part of you, Zuko. Every time I see those colors, I immediately think of you.”

His gasp is low, but an enormous grin overtakes his face. “Really?”

“Really.” She turns back to the group, who’s been watching with rapt attention. With a gentle smirk, she shrugs. “Guess I lost the game. And I’m nothing if not a gracious loser.”

Zuko hears Sokka snort, but only focuses on Katara.

“Do you really want to kiss me?” he asks nervously, hands clenching the bottom of his tunic to keep them from shaking. “Because I want to kiss you. Spirits, do I ever want to. But, your comfort comes first to me, always. So, we can forget this whole thing if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“I want to,” she sighs dreamily. “I’ve been waiting three years. Don’t make me wait any more.”

With that, they both lean and their lips touch. Finally.

As they continue to kiss, Zuko vaguely registers the sounds of claps, hollers, and an indignant whine of, “Dude, that’s my sister!” in the background.

Eventually, Katara pulls back to catch her breath, leaving Zuko in a dazed state.

She giggles, presses a light kiss to his scarred cheek, and says, “I think you may need to tap into the Fire Nation’s budget tomorrow. Your personal finances aren’t going to look so good with all of those mouths to feed.”

His eyes widen and dart to his friends, who all wave back at him smugly.

Groaning, he wraps his arm around her waist to pull her closer.

He addresses the group. “You’re all the worst. But…” he trails off to kiss the top of Katara’s head. “This stupid game was worth it.”

#avatar the last airbender #atla #zutara #zuko x katara #zuko and katara #zuko #katara #the gaang #the whole Gaang ships Zutara #fire lord zuko #ambassador katara #ember island

[hello-nichya-here]

Why did Zuko feel compassion towards victims of war (Song, that couple's unborn baby) but Azula hasn't? Because she didn't have her own "Iroh" or because she wasn't as much exposed to the other environment?

Before we even discuss Azula, let's remember that despite Zuko's compassion towards others being very real, we cannot forget a few important aspects of these moments of pre-redemption kindness.

After bonding with Song, who had just helped him and his uncle, he stole her ostrige-horse (which Iroh went along with, though showing much more remorse than Zuko - aka any remorse at all).

Even though he didn't steal from that couple because he saw that the woman was pregnant, he still said "the people should be giving stuff to us" because that's what he was used to as a prince adn robbed plenty of people in the Earth Kingdom, taking both food and money, but also stuff he absolutely did not need to survive - to the point that Iroh tried to make him see that this was wrong, to which Zuko said that they would no longer gain anything by travelling together, as a very clear "I'll do whatever I think I should/am entitled to do."

And, of course, even though Zuko DID eventually feel compassion for all of Earth Kingdom in general (we see proof of it when turns his back on his father and joins the Gaang) we cannot forget that, even after that, he did go back to the very nation that was oppressing and killing them, even when Iroh had made it very clear "It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good" clearly meaning "It's time to leave your old life behind and help stop your father", and only left when he was forced to think of the consequences of his actions as Ozai planned to burn everything to the ground, and Zuko was disgusted at himself for not speaking out against it.

These are important things to keep in mind because they show us that:

1 - Even when one is removed from the environment they grew up in, it still affects their world-view in the long term (Zuko had been banished for three years after all).

2 - Selective compassion is a thing, and it can be a result of "desperate times, desperate measures" (see Iroh stealing the ostrige-horse even he clearly didn't want to do that), of literal indoctrination and pleasant lies to excuse your bad actions (see Sozin starting the war to "share the Fire Nation's great way of life with others", regardless of them wanting it or not), of the classic "This thing I'm doing WOULD be bad in normal circumstances, but it's totally okay right now because it's a war and they are not on my side" justification, and of just thinking your life is way more important than anyone else's so screwing them over without necessity is fine.

3 - Changing one's whole mentality is a long, difficult process, in which is very common for the person to constantly take one step forwards then two steps back for quite some time before fully moving on.

4 - Having a mentor/support system is nice, but at the end of the day people make their own choices, and it doesn't matter if you tell them (gently or sternly) "You're making a huge mistake" because if they don't see it that way, there's nothing you can do to force them to understand where you're coming from.

Now, let's finally discuss Azula. Much like Zuko, she was raised in a deeply dysfunctional family that gave her all the wrong lessons about how relationships are supposed to work, AND said family was also royalty of an imperialist nation that had normalized war and genocide nearly a whole century before she was born. And unlike Zuko, she did not have someone to even try to guide her towards the right path.

To make matters worse, she's also "Ozai's right hand" and his favorite child for most of the show - which in this context means she's the child soldier that has been brainwashed the most AND the kid that is the least likely to recognize she's being taken advantage of because every unfair thing Ozai demans of her (and that often has very serious consequences for others) is framed as her duty both as his daughter and heir, and as a potential way to gain some of the love and validation the bastard is well aware his children crave.

EVEN WORSE, all the stress Azula was put under psychologically destroyed her - and has made her paranoid. Meaning that even if someone were to try and step up to help her now, she would be convinced that they are either secretly ploting to harm her, or at the very least that they are trying to fool her because they need something from her.

For Azula to ever be able to see the error of her ways, she'd need:

1 - To recover from her breakdown and have a support system of people she trusts.

2 - These people would need to push her to see that the war hurt her, the people she loves, the people of the Fire Nation, and the people of the other nations (yes, in that order). They'd also need to be ready to deal with her taking one step forward, two steps back, just like Zuko did, because as I've already explained this is a long, complicated process.

3 - Recovered and willing to admit that the war was a terrible thing that never should have happened, she'd spend sometime with amongst some of the people it affected the most (that can mean anything from "lots of conversations with Aang and the rest of the group when they visit Zuko" all the way to "life-changing field trip with Zuzu to help rebuild the Earth Kingdom/Air Temples/Water Tribe(s), it really just depends on what you'd like to see in a story)

#asks #azula meta #azula deserved better

[phoenixfangs]

tagged by @rizaposting HOLDING UR HAND AND PRESSING MY FOREHEAD AGAINST UR SHOULDER i never get tagged in these so this is fun huehue

are you named after anyone? not technically, ive asked my parents multiple times about How they came up with me and my siblings names, but they just. didnt think very hard about it. fjkdlsjfdlas. but in a way im named after my mom, because me and saturns given names start with the same letter as our moms; my younger siblings names start with the same letter as our dads. i guess me and saturn could also be named for one of my dads uncles?? our names mixed make that uncles name. but idk im not willing to believe my dad cares that much about Anyone in his family to honor their memory through our names lawl

when was the last time you cried? i think the other day watching atla, when zuko and iroh reunite before the final battle. zuko trying to stumble through an apology and thinking iroh must hate him, but iroh just without even saying anything grabbing zuko and pulling him into a tight and tearful hug... man ;_;

do you have kids? HELL NO!!!!! im barely halfway through my 20s i should be at the club. dont want kids, never wanted kids, will never want kids. i will tolerate being my nieces and nephews cool auncle when my siblings start having kids of their own, and No More, thanks

do you use sarcasm a lot? i guess so?? its hard to gauge. i feel like most of the time i speak sincerely, but i will also throw in the occasional sarcastic quip. shrugs

what sports do you play? i dont play any sports anymore, but up until high school i played softball. i was pretty good i think! pitcher and second base. also in middle/high school i was a baton twirler for band and i guess dance competitions (i have Never thought of it as 'dance' but i guess technically i was dancing... blegh), and im gonna count that as a sport. any activity with the possibility and probability of being hit on the head by a metal rod counts as a sport to me

what’s the first thing you notice about people? probably their height. most people are taller than me but i will make an immediate note of people who are Shorter than me

what’s your eye color? grrrreen gray? i spent a few minutes staring at my eyes trying to figure out the color but all i did was strain my eyes jfldks

scary movies or happy endings? hmmmmmm i love both. i like blood and gore and guts and evil, but i also like heartwarming fluff where everything works out. i cant decide!! it just depends on my mood hehe

any special talents? i hesitate to claim i have perfect pitch because it sounds self congratulatory, but im pretty sure i have perfect pitch lmao. i cant Identify notes by name but i can recreate pretty much any note i hear, as long as its in my range. im not a good singer though lawl i dont have the technique. in the same vein, i can recreate other noises i hear pretty well, like i taught myself how to do the perry the platypus clicking sound Thing he does just by listening to it

where were you born? texas born and raised! everyone i knew growing up was a redneck or a 'cowboy church' christian

what are your hobbies? drawing, writing fanfic oneshots or rps with friends, bideo games, rewatching the same handful of tv shows and letsplays and video essays over and over again

do you have any pets? my son, my sweet bubby, apollo :> my stupid little man, hes gonna be 3 this year i think! flame point siamese kitty, dumb as rocks, currently i think hes burrowed in the sheets on my bed taking a nappy

how tall are you? 5'2", but add a couple inches because i almost exclusively wear shoes that add height, like my Big Dyke Boots i wear every day hehe

favorite subject in school? any of my electives probably, like art and music/band. in college my favorite classes i ever took were film appreciation, screenwriting, and theatre directing (which i signed up for thinking it was film directing, but it was still so fun and interesting)

dream job? honestly?? i think anything on the set of a movie or tv show would be awesome. maybe creative consultant, so that i can interject my own ideas into other peoples projects. i tend to feel my most creative when im working Around other peoples ideas tbh. all that, or lead writer/director on my own tv show/movie/video game, if i ever feel like i can handle that pressure

GET TAGGED @applescabs @lizardyeast @cottagegay and anyone else that sees and wants to participate :>

#mine #this is such a classic type of post. u never see people do tag memes anymore i feel like #i hardly ever see them anyway!

[the-badger-mole]

The Other Woman: Part 3

In spite of himself, Zuko laughed when he opened the door to his uncle. Iroh held up a thermos of tea from his shop. Zuko knew it would be his favorite blend. Ginseng and hibiscus.

Iroh didn't immediately ask what was wrong. He strode into Zuko's kitchen as if he were in his own home and pulled down two teacups from the set he'd gifted Zuko years ago. Then he sat across from Zuko at his dining room table and poured them both a serving of the still piping hot tea. Iroh had a ritual when he drank his tea. He would hold the teacup in his fingertips and inhale the steam from the tea, savoring the scent. Then he would take a sip and let it sit on his tongue for a moment before swallowing. Zuko had always found this particular idiosyncrasy of his uncle's a little bizarre, but this time he mimicked his uncle's actions and found that it soothed him a bit. Not completely, but enough to be noticable.

"Aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?" Zuko set his cup down and stared at his uncle. Iroh shrugged and took another sip of tea- normally this time.

"Are you ready to tell me?" he countered. Zuko took a deep breath. He wasn't actually ready to tell Iroh what happened. Saying the words would make it too real. But, Zuko figured, it was better to just say it and get it over with.

"Katara broke up with me," he said. Whatever Iroh had been expecting, that was clearly not it. He froze and his eyes widened in shock.

"But you were so happy just yesterday!" he said. "What on earth happened?" Zuko sighed and ran his hands over his face and told him about the evening. How they'd gone to announce to Ursa and his sisters that they were getting married. How everything had seemed fine until Katara had suddenly left without a word. How he'd followed her home and what she said when she'd given him his ring back. The recounting had left Zuko feeling deflated, and he hunched bonelessly over his tea. Iroh had an odd look on his face, but Zuko wasn't surprised. He'd always had a hard time reading his uncle.

"How do you feel about what Katara said?" Iroh asked. Indignation flared in Zuko's chest.

"I thought she of all people would understand!" He exclaimed. "To lose my mother so young and to be able to connect with her again? I thought Katara understood why our relationship is what it is. I thought she accepted it! But now she thinks she's competing with my mother? My mother!" Zuko's chest was heaving slightly when he was done. He crumpled in on himself and tried to stop shaking. Iroh's face was still carefully blank.

"Zuko, may I be frank?" he broached carefully. That got Zuko's attention. He looked up at his uncle, his brow furrowed in confusion. When had Iroh ever asked permission to speak honestly?

"Yes," Zuko said.

"Nephew," Iroh sighed. "Your relationship with your mother is...unusual. After what you went through as a boy, it's completely understandable why you would cling to Ursa."

"I don't cling," Zuko snarled. Iroh held up his hands placatingly.

"Your relationship with Ursa is unusually close," he pressed. "Particularly at your age." Zuko was 28, but he didn't think his relationship with his mother was so much more unusual than his peers' relationships with their mothers.

"What so wrong with it?" he grumbled. "I thought most women liked it when men have good relationships with their mothers."

"Most women don't like taking second place to their partners' mothers," Iroh countered.

"Katara doesn't-"

"Remember last week when you told me you had to cut your date with Katara short because your mother thought there was a prowler outside of her house?"

"Ikem was out of town!" Zuko protested. "And Mom and Kiyi were alone. Of course I went!"

"What about three weeks ago, when Ursa needed help moving furniture, and you had to miss a work function for Katara's company? The one where she got that award?"

"That was my fault," Zuko said. "I didn't plan well. I thought Mom wanted me to help rearrange her living room. I didn't know she was expecting a delivery of all new furniture." Iroh's mouth pursed disapprovingly.

"And what about all the times that Katara has told you plainly that she has felt disrespected by your mother?" he asked quietly. Zuko felt heat rush to his cheeks.

He and Katara had bumped heads over the course of their relationship, as any couple does, but the only major fights they had ever had were about his mother and things she'd said to Katara. Zuko had at first just said that Katara must have taken something Ursa said out of context, but a few times, he'd heard something his mother had said to his girlfriend, and admitted that Ursa had been out of line. The first few times he acknowledged it, Katara had been relieved, and asked him to talk to his mother about it. More recently, though, Katara had lost her patience for even that. And then that evening...

"Oh no!" Zuko sat up, his face going suddenly pale. Iroh leaned forward, startled and worried.

"What's wrong?"

"I...I," Zuko stammered. The events of the evening replayed in his mind. His conversation with his mother was still fresh in his mind. The things she'd said... if Katara had overheard...

There was no if about it, Zuko scolded himself. Now he understood why Katara had left so abruptly. His mother had been upset, and worried for him. She had said things about Katara that Zuko knew weren't true, but he didn't like fighting with his mother. He would never have let Ursa's words sway him, but he knew that had Katara been listening, she wouldn't have heard him say anything in defense of her or their relationship.

"She has to know," Zuko said, mostly to himself. "She has to know that I wasn't agreeing with Mom." Iroh's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Agreeing about what?" he asked. Zuko froze for a moment, shame darkening his face.

"Mom doesn't think Katara is right for me," he confessed. "She-she thinks I'd be better off marrying someone who wants to be a housewife."

"She said that to Katara?" Iroh gasped.

"Well, no," Zuko shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "She said it to me." Though, now that Zuko thought about it, that wasn't strictly true. Ursa had dropped some non-too-subtle hints in Katara's presence before.

"And what did you say?" Iroh's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Zuko's silence, and his bowed head were answer enough. Iroh leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Zuko."

"She's my mother!" Zuko insisted. "What am I just supposed to tell her to shut up?"

"When it comes to defending the honor of the woman you love?" Iroh slammed his hands on the table. "That's exactly what you say! Poor Katara must have felt as if it were her alone against your mother and you! It's wonder she held out this long! I have seen you stand up for Katara against creeps on the street, against undue rudeness from Azula, against your boss. I've seen you take her side, even when she was in the wrong. Why won't you stand with her against your mother?"

"It's different." Zuko winced. Even to his own ears, that sounded weak. "When I found Mom...I don't know...it didn't feel real for a long time. I guess I was just...just afraid she'd leave again." Zuko's voice trailed off at the end. Iroh sighed and shook his head.

"Ursa leaving wasn't your fault," he said. "She didn't leave because of anything you did. You don't owe it to her to make up for the years she missed. It's wonderful that your mother is back in your life, but she cannot be your life. You had the opportunity to build something new with Katara, but you may have lost that chance forever because you're afraid to have an argument with your mother."

"What do I do now?" Zuko asked. His plaintive voice sounded pathetic, he knew. Iroh stood up and came around to his side. After a moment, he placed his hands on his nephew's shoulders.

"I don't know if you can repair things with Katara," he said. "I hope that you can. She is a wonderful young woman, and I couldn't have picked a better match for you. But whatever happens with her, you have to make a decision about your mother. She won't stop with Katara. No matter who you bring home, she will find reasons not to approve. You need to decide if you're going to allow her to do this again."

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

#atla #zutara #the other woman #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!!

[muqingapologist]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

this is such a hard question because i’ve gone through so many phases of obsessing over pieces of media in my life, and sometimes it’s really hard for me to parse which characters are lasting favorites and which are just part of that phase. but i’ll try! keep in mind, lots of sentimentality ahead…

and this is in no particular order.

1. wei wuxian (the untamed)

ok so this kind of goes along with a previous post i made discussing my feelings of the mdzs book vs. the untamed. when i first watched the untamed at the recommendation of a friend, it was so unlike anything i’d ever seen before. and wei wuxian was so unlike any protagonist i’d ever encountered before. his determination to do what’s right no matter what others do, but also not being above experiencing doubt and uncertainty about his decisions, really touched me. also of course his carefree attitude toward life is something i repeatedly try and fail to achieve myself. it might also have to do with xiao zhan’s acting choices, but he really touched me as a character. it’s hard for me to say if the wwx of the book did the same organically because i read it over a long period of time after watching the show, so im just going to count the untamed version.

2. shizuku tsukishima (whisper of the heart)

this one is probably pretty niche but allow me to give my most heartfelt recommendation of whisper of the heart, my favorite ghibli movie and one of my favorite films of all time. shizuku is the protagonist of the film. she’s a young girl, probably about 14, and so far, her life has been defined by satisfying her imagination by always reading fiction, immersing herself in stories. inspired by the love interest of the film seiji, she decides she wants to try to be a writer. the film is kind of like a slice of life over a few months of this time, and we see shizuku struggle with perfectionism and wanting to follow her dreams and inability to take criticism, etc. i rarely cry over movies but i cried at this one because i had just never felt so seen by a character. everyone please watch whisper of the heart!🙏

3. prince zuko (avatar: the last airbender)

i think 50% of the reason he’s on here is sentimentality since avatar was a show i watched so much throughout my childhood and of course again more recently with its resurgence in popularity, but also what can i say? his character arc is unmatched. i won’t rehash the details. i will say uncle iroh would probably be here instead if we knew any more about his past because he’s off-screen journey is just so fascinating to me.

4. percy jackson (percy jackson & the 12 olympians)

PURE sentimentality but ya know….also im only considering this character how he exists in the original series. he kind of lost me in heroes of olympus. but yeah percy jackson was the first character that really impacted me back when i was 9, and i think i still carry that impact to this day. i also think the original series still holds up reading it as an adult.

5. kim wexler (better call saul)

kim nation!!! reveal yourselves!! i watched better call saul a little over a year ago and damn, it’s so rare to find such interesting, well-developed, flawed within reason female characters in a tv drama like this. her intelligence and her tendency to get carried away with jimmy don’t contradict each other but work together. her emotional journey….UGH!! kim x post-prison jimmy, who else hopes?

6. xie lian (tgcf/heaven official’s blessing)

so this one is new and i’m not completely sure the deep impression will last yet, but i’ll explain. when i first read tgcf about two years ago, i kind of skimmed because it was so long, and the feelings i had toward xie lian were…not super favorable. i was kind of bored by him and….i saw him as a lesser wei wuxian. AND I WAS WRONG!!! because i reread tgcf finally a couple of months ago, no skimming, really thinking about what i was reading and now i love him. his journey from optimistic prince who had never before suffered to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders to nearly collapsing under that weight but despite all odds, pulling through and once again finding that optimism, or at least hope. it touched me so much this time around!!! also i don’t know why i thought he was boring first time around. this guy is funny as hell! anyway, lots of lessons to apply to my own life and whatnot.

7. ninth doctor (doctor who)

guys….hear me out. notice im not saying “the doctor” because i think most of doctor who is just nonsense. but that one season with the ninth doctor (and okay i like the tenth doctor’s seasons well enough, or i did really love them. less so these days…). so much potential. so when i say he’s one of my favorite characters ever, i accept that it’s mostly the version of the doctor that lives in my head and isn’t subject to the bad writing decisions made later in the show. it’s a lot of sentimentality, but i am really fascinated by this traumatized alien guy who just lost his entire people, finding himself devolving into more violent, unforgiving tendencies, but meeting rose, jack, whoever else along the way is able to remind him of not who he was but who he could be. of course doctor who is forever ongoing though so character development can only go too far lol.

8. nozue (old-fashioned cupcake)

this is also brand new so not sure if lasting because i only just read and watched ofc, but man. this guy’s journey from being defeatist about getting older and turning 40, being afraid of trying anything new, to allowing himself to experience new things, one of those things being falling in love! his whole concept of using regret as fuel for happiness, transmitting that idea to togawa who transmits it back to nozue later!! ahhh!! so like my love for this character might actually just be love for the entire story but i can’t not mention it every five seconds rn so….

9. isabel archer (portrait of a lady)

so this is the protagonist of henry james’s portrait of a lady, which i finally finished reading last month. and gosh! well the book itself was amazing, but i was especially touched by isabel’s character, mainly because she just felt so realistic. her motivations, her goals, her shift, her sorrows, they all feel earned, creating an incredibly vivid character that i think most people can find something in there to relate to, especially other women who have always been told they are clever and imaginative and yet find themselves struggling internally to live up to those expectations.

10. natasha rostova (war and peace)

it’s been years since i read war and peace in my university freshman seminar, so it’s hard for me to speak on the details of why exactly this character is here. but also it’s no surprise because this is a character that continues to be the star of russian literature. what i can say, she’s another bright, carefree character (clearly symbolizing aspects of russian culture but even beyond that) who it’s impossible not to feel deeply connected to. she goes through some pretty life-altering stuff in war and peace (everyone listen to the musical called natasha, pierre, and the great comet of 1812 for those details!!) and as the reader, you just really feel for her. idk man she still stands out in my mind, but also this is also much thanks to the musical i just mentioned above.

i kind of came up with these on the spot so like…who knows how accurate this is, but i like to talk about the things i like so sue me. thank you for the question though!!

#the untamed #avatar the last airbender #tgcf #doctor who #ninth doctor #wei wuxian #prince zuko #xie lian #portrait of a lady #isabel archer #war and peace #natasha rostova #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #better call saul #kim wexler #nozue #old fashioned cupcake #shizuku tsukishima #whisper of the heart #rambling #heaven official's blessing #top 10 list #lily posts #ask

[peony-pearl]

(this was part of a discussion from another post that I wanted to move to it’s own post bc this right here is the crux of my emotions for Iroh and Zuko and Azula; it does end kind of abruptly but yeah this is me wordvomiting my feels)

--------

Man the Iroh and Azula relationship in atla breaks my heart because, yes, there is favoritism - but the situations that built up to it are so specific and tragic on both ends (this is more of me rambling bc I have brainworms for this fam oughghghg if you read this thank you)

I do believe that Iroh did what he could to maintain a good relationship with both Zuko and Azula before he left for BSS. Zuko was 8, Azula was 6. That’s YOUNG. I almost wonder if she could remember what he looked like, because after Lu Ten’s death, I think he immediately took that journey before returning to the Fire Nation, thus there could have been another year or two+ until she saw him. She potentially went from ages 6-10 years old without seeing her uncle. Not to mention that even before Ursa left, Azula was already parroting Ozai’s rhetoric. Now with her mother gone, Azula had her father’s full attention and her friends (until the three were separated).

Zuko on the other hand, after his mother’s disappearance, didn’t have any friends from what we saw, nor did he have his father’s approval, and his relationship with Azula? We’re unsure of at this time, but all things considered, he’s had a resentment towards her because of the trauma Ozai is putting him through (which is also trauma to Azula by emotionally excluding her and putting her on a pedestal that he himself will topple). When Iroh returns, Zuko, who is most likely lonely AF, gives his uncle some attention, who then in turn, gives Zuko attention he’s wanted from one of his elders for a long time.

Azula, entrenched in Ozai’s teachings, resents Iroh for abandoning Ba Sing Se, and sees how he overindulges with tea and food to cope with the pain. She won’t be like him; and to even be seen near him by her father is embarrassing. But I’m almost certain she would see the relationship Zuko and Iroh were forging and it HURT. Iroh probably doesn’t force her to talk; that’s not the conversation he wants to have is to force her to spend time with someone she doesn’t want to be around. Besides, to anger Azula could lead to angering his brother, and he’s not at all ready for that mess. He of all people knows the almighty power of the Fire Lord; he was prepared to carry that glorious burden his whole life until it slipped from his fingers.

Ultimately Iroh is fine talking to just Zuko; but no one sees the seeds that are being planted. Iroh doesn’t realize how he’s still playing the game his father embedded in their minds. Iroh leaves Azula to her devices, unaware of how she is living the life that created and destroyed Iroh himself, while he can put his misplaced fatherhood upon Zuko. At this point, Zuko still just sees him as uncle.

And then the Agni Kai. Zuko is burned, and Iroh goes with him. I’m not entirely versed in the manga about Azula getting Zuko his ship, but I think it says a lot that Azula, even when upset that Zuko and Iroh had a relationship, made sure Iroh was part of the team because she knew Iroh could ensure Zuko’s survival. Plus it got him out of the palace so she wouldn’t have to keep seeing him or hearing his dumb laugh, or be invited to Pai Sho games (Which she did want to play but Uncle is SO ugh you know?)

And then three years pass. 3 long years in which Iroh and Zuko may not expect to go home. Iroh probably comes to terms with this; he’s older, jaded, still messed up from losing his son and everything that came with it. Zuko, however, wants his birthright (aka his father’s approval and love). Zuko and Iroh are waging this part of their lives together while Azula and Ozai are holding down the fort; she is becoming stronger and smarter, and has every ounce of her father’s approval.

I have a couple of headcanons as to why Iroh’s demeanor had a bit of a big change once we get to season 2. Nearly losing Zuko to the pirates made him realize how much he saw the boy as his surrogate son. So yes, the favoritism is there; they have endured things together for 3 years that have forged a bond that gives Zuko a father figure (that he didn’t really ask for) and Iroh a surrogate son (that he is more than willing to guide and smother) and this topic alone is enough to make me want to scream and wail because Iroh wanting nothing more than a second chance than to guide a son who wants his actual father who cares nothing for him and yet Iroh CONTINUES to try with Zuko? brain goes BRRRR

(but I also heavily headcanon Iroh’s presence during Yue’s sacrifice to have been a game changer in the way he carries himself and continues to live; but that’s just a headcanon; but the way that he watches a princess from a nation he has waged war upon sacrifice her life for a world she’s never seen when he’s lost his son and he almost lost Zuko and watching her fade away gives him stronger convictions to be a true father figure to Zuko; even if he’s still kind of bad at it for a while, his dedication to Zuko as a son really takes flight in the following season and I think this all ties together)

and then when Azula comes to collect them to take to Ozai and lies to Zuko about the thing he’s been wanting for 3 years. The thing that’s kept him up, ate away at him, the thing that SHOULD be natural - his father’s love. It’s a lie.

And Iroh defends his nephew unflinchingly from his sister - who is also just a pawn and a soldier, just like Iroh was. I personally like to imagine he taught her some of her skillset (but would she have retained it since she was last willing to learn from him around the age of 6? She is very smart after all).

But could Iroh have looked at Azula, realizing it was her that shot that lightning and, after Zuko called him a ‘shallow old man’, gone to Azula and asked what Ozai had put her through over the years? Or did he still revere the power of the Fire Lord, and the magnitude of power Azula holds.

This leads to one big problem with the family - communication. Especially for Iroh. Communication SUCKS in this family. Zuko is so volatile that Iroh often cannot bring himself to really explain things to Zuko in a clear way, which doesn’t help because Zuko NEEDS to be spoken to clearly because he does not get metaphors and proverbs - but is Iroh really even the best person to explain to Zuko that his father is hurting both him and his sister? When Zuko wants so desperately to go home and be loved? And yet hearing that his sister is suffering would enrage him when she’s only been adored by Ozai. And even then, if Iroh acknowledges Azula’s suffering, he doesn’t act to help her. Could he though? He doesn’t give up on Zuko (who struggled for validation) but he never attempts with Azula (who had the Fire Lord’s entire approval).

For Season 2, everything about Zuko and Iroh is the path to stay alive and stay free… which they’re not free. They never will be again because the Fire Nation wants them and in order to stay safe they must seek refuge indefinitely in BSS. Thus, they must avoid Azula, who is willing to enact on her father’s orders (he IS the Fire Lord, after all). Azula has also shot Iroh with fire. Yes, Iroh is much older and Azula is 14; but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a point that Iroh looks at her and sees her traveling with her friends, facing the Avatar, besting Iroh himself in a situation and as he wakes up from his injuries after she attacks him, he goes ‘I’m done.’ He would continue to put all of his efforts on Zuko. There is a very potential life or death situation with them being wanted, and Iroh won’t relive losing a child under his care.

And yet he would know where Azula’s life is eventually going to lead her, because he was once her. But he left the Fire Nation to escort Zuko and to keep him safe. Zuko did everything he could to try and finish his father’s task, and now his efforts have only landed him a wanted poster. Azula has the Fire Lord’s blessing and her crown - Zuko and Iroh are all each other have, and they also have the bounty on their heads. The efforts Azula put through to ensure that Iroh kept Zuko safe have now reversed, and they are actively evading her as enemies. The painful irony.

Had Ozai never sent her out to collect them, I absolutely think Iroh would still remain open to his niece. Unfortunately, Ozai continues to task her with ways to divide her from her family and therefore keep her closer to his will. By entrusting her with their capture, he alienates her from her shamed brother and uncle, and then gives them reason to have grief with her and not want to be in her life as she actively and willingly serves her father, not once hearing them out on their side of the story. They are rushing to find a way to stay out of chains and survive while she flawlessly continues her family’s goals.

What if she was never tasked with capturing them? But was still traveling the Earth Kingdom to broaden the Fire Nation’s reign? What if there had been a point when she wasn’t poised to capture them or attack them? I can still see Zuko naturally being bitter that she’s there. Iroh may still even be wary, as having her around after they have not achieved a goal means failure and capture (which is what I reason their reactions to her showing up in The Avatar State to be; they immediately know something is off because without a letter, without warning, Azula shows up in full armor after they have not achieved their goal of capturing the Avatar; and Iroh heard lightning earlier, and if it wasn’t Ozai and he deduces it was Azula? Oh lord she knows how to conjure lightning now which means they’re in deep sludge); but imagine if she’s just there to start her overseas military career, not to capture them. What if she knew they were wanted? What if they saw her, knowing they’re wanted, and they avoid her until they come face to face with her and she’s even more hurt that they immediately believed she would be cold enough to turn them in? They really thought that low of her? lol okay HEY GUARDS. Or what if she was like ‘Zuzu I made sure you had that ship and crew, you really think I’d turn you in?’ Or the opposite? In which Zuko sees Azula and knows they can trust her, but the more they get help from her the more she worries that Ozai is going to learn that she’s been secretly helping them through their escapades as wanted men? What if it had been Azula that got them their passports to BSS and was like ‘go here and stay out of my hair I am BUSY and I can’t keep risking my neck for you like this’.

#atla #atla meta #Iroh #Azula #Zuko

[battleangelaelita]

Alas, Oedipus

Zuko and Azula obviously have had a very combative relationship, but this idea that Azula is Zuko’s abuser is just utter nonsense and there’s nothing in the show that demonstrates that. In Zuko’s flashbacks, she’s his bratty little sister who annoys him and is the favorite for his father’s attentions, and he’s got a chip on his shoulder because she’s more talented at the things he thinks matter in life.

Very shortly after that, Zuko gets banished and they don’t meet again for three years. When they do, he’s a fugitive, and Azula goes out of her way to try to take Zuko alive and unharmed. Manipulative and deceptive, but it was the way to spare his life by pinning all the blame on Iroh. That’s more or less the what she ends up doing at the end of season 2 anyway.

In the first half of season 3, they’re occasionally at odds, and Azula still doesn’t fully trust him, but she gave him credit for killing the Avatar, and rather than share with her this secret that could harm them both, Zuko tries to quietly take care of it himself. They mostly do what maladjusted brothers and sisters do, until Zuko betrays her.

Yeah sure, Zuko made the right choice, but that’s Zuko for you. He’ll do the right thing in the end, but only after exhausting all other alternatives. Their antagonism is limited to a few fights where they’re on the opposite side of a war. First in Boiling Rock Pt. 2, where Azula at worst just resigns Zuko to being killed by the Warden ordering them to cut the cable. If Azula really were as ruthless as some people believe, she would have cut the cable herself, or lightning bent them.

Only after this results in Mai betraying her, and Ty Lee stopping Azula from doing something she’d regret does Azula actually voice any intention to kill Zuko. Who is not only an active traitor from her perspective, but also induced the two people she trusted most to turn on her. Not a lot of real room for umbrage on Zuko’s part for this, he only just found his moral compass like four episodes prior.

After that is the Last Agni Kai. Azula is poised to be crowned Fire Lord, however diminished that title has become under the pretensions of the self-proclaimed Phoenix King, and Zuko’s come to usurp her. Of course it’s a fight to the death. Azula is the only one who expresses any regret that it’s come to this. She might be lying, she might not be, but Zuko our hero can’t seem to find any sense of the tragedy that their tyrannical father had brought them to this.

From what we saw in the show itself, they’re both abuse victims of their father, and their mother is ultimately unable to really help either of them. I am not so anti-Ursa as some when it comes to Azula. Obviously they didn’t have the best relationship, but it’s very easy to see why with Ursa being forced to leave like that Azula could come to the belief that Ursa didn’t love her or thought she was a monster.

With that settled, let’s talk about where we actually see real abuse. The sequel comics. And it’s not Azula doing the abuse. It’s Gene Yang abusing my patience.

Everything about the asylum, the treatment of Azula and other patients there, how Zuko treats with her years later when he finally lowers himself to visit is Kafka-on-stilts deranged. It’s a nightmarishly abusive, and no one seems to think anything wrong about how anyone is being treated there. I’ll save my gripes about how out-of-schema a 19th/20th century European sanitarium is for the Avatar setting is for another time, but suffice to say this is a world where the supernatural is real and people talk to disembodied spirits, so locking someone up for hearing voices is ridiculous.

Gosh, is it so surprising that Azula, having spent years in a waking nightmare attended by people who make Nurse Ratchet seem a standard of care would have no positive feelings at all towards the man who put her there, and would lash out at him at every given opportunity. But the comics have to rub salt int he wound.

Immediately preceding this, Azula was bouncing in and out of hallucinations chiefly about how she felt unwanted and unloved, and might have even gotten grips on it if Zuko hadn’t violated her trust and taken the letter off her, feeding into her hallucinations. And in the ensuing fight, Zuko goes off on a rant about how she’s done nothing but torment him his entire life while holding her over a cliff.

The only thing interesting about this mess is that in the world of the comics, Zuko is still not ready to deal with the abuse he suffered from his father, and thus all the negative feelings he has for Ozai get transferred to Azula, a safer target for hate than the man he spent so much of his life looking up to and wanting to please. It’s a very human response of course, but the problem is that so many readers, who should know better, take such a Zuko-centric reading of the story that they end up misdirecting the father-son conflict into a brother-sister conflict.

Freudian concepts are obviously of limited utility, but they do hold immense value in the realm of literature, hence the title of this post. Everyone loves a good joke about that motherfucker Oedipus, but people forget often that in both the psychoanalytic concept and the myth it wasn’t even primarily about the son’s relationship with his mother: it’s about the son’s conflict with his father. In psychoanalytic terms it was the sublimation of the conflict with the paternal figure and methods of child rearing that we would pretty universally call abusive, with attachment to the less violent and more caring mother figure. In the myth, Oedipus’ father Laius literally tried to murder his infant son due to a prophecy and thus, as was standard in myth, inadvertently conspired to make it so.

What then is the existence of the Promise and the Search comics but the importation of more of the Oedipal into Avatar, by contriving more reasons for why Ursa was out of their lives permanently, more reasons for her to be a purely put-upon victim, to create a reason for her to not re-emerge once Ozai is overthrown and her son is safely on the throne? More attachment to the mother on the pedestal, so no one stops and thinks about how fucking awful of a father Ozai is.

#atla #Avatar The Last Airbender #azula #zuko #anti Gene Yang #ableism