#general iroh imagine

[melzula]

REQUESTS ARE OPEN !!!!! okay this has been a long time coming for me but would you be open to doing a general iroh and kya’s daughter wedding piece ? i feel like that’s the only part of their relationship we haven’t seen !

a/n: was so excited to get this request bc i love these two so much!!!

~ based off of these headcanons ~

“You look beautiful.”

“I think I’m going to puke,” you utter with a nervous laugh, anxiously fidgeting with the ceremonial pins in your hair that you just can’t seem to get straight.

Sighing, Kya carefully pushes your hands away before adjusting the pins herself. The golden ornate pieces had been a gift from Zuko, said to have belonged to his late wife and worn on their own wedding day, and though you were grateful for the thoughtful gift you also felt that an immense amount of pressure came with them. Marrying Iroh meant you’d officially be part of the royal family now, and a part of you was worried you wouldn’t be able to live up to the expectations that came with that.

“It’s normal to be nervous,” your mother consoles, stepping back to admire her work once the pins are set. “Today is an important day and the start of another adventure for you, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.”

“I don’t feel like a real bride,” you admit in an almost defeated tone. You stare at your reflection in the mirror and find yourself carefully brushing your fingers against the crescent moon hanging from your neck. The coolness of the stone against your fingertips brings a sense of comfort to you, but it doesn’t relieve you of your nerves.

“Are you having second thoughts?” Kya asks with a worried furrow of her brows.

“Of course not!” You’re quick to interject. “I love Iroh, I can’t imagine a life without him anymore.”

“But?” Your mother prods.

“But… What if I’m not good at being a wife? What if I’m just not… not good at all. He’s the General and the son of the Fire Lord. What can I give him that he doesn’t already have or that he couldn’t get from a Fire Nation woman here?”

Smiling faintly, Kya gently takes your hands in her own and gives them a comforting squeeze. “That boy loves you more than you could ever know. I see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice when he speaks about you. I wouldn’t have given him my blessing if I wasn’t one hundred percent sure of this. Don’t compare yourself or waste your time wondering about all the what ifs. All you have to do today is focus on Iroh, and everything else will take care of itself.”

You let out a shaky breath and blink back your tears before throwing your arms around your mother in a tight hug. You know she speaks the truth, and her comforting words greatly ease your anxiety. You’d fallen in love with the boy from your childhood, and he’d fallen just as hard for you if not harder. Despite being apart for so many years you’d found your way back to each other and helped one another find the missing piece in your lives. You and Iroh are simply meant to be, and your wedding will be proof that.

A gentle knock on the door has you parting from your mother, and as Bumi sticks his head in the doorway you smile.

“It’s almost time, kiddo,” he says with a grin. “The general’s going to get his socks knocked off when he sees you.”

“Thank you, Uncle Bumi,” you laugh tearfully before allowing him to hug you tight. You don’t know this, but Bumi has always felt a sort of paternal love for you. He was the closest thing you had to a father growing up and you were the closest thing he had to a child, and like your mother he felt so much pride and love at seeing you so happy. He knew you were in good hands, and that was more than enough for him.

“Are you ready?” Kya asks with an encouraging smile. Sucking in one final nervous breath, you nod before taking her arm and beginning your walk to the palace gardens.

In the courtyard a handful of chairs are set up for your intimate ceremony. Only close friends and family are invited, neither you nor Iroh wanted to make a grand spectacle of your marriage, so you decided to hold your wedding in the gardens with his mother Izumi as your officiant.

At the end of the makeshift isle, Iroh stands in his uniform with a fire lily delicately pinned to his lapel. He shifts anxiously from one foot to the other eagerly awaiting for your arrival. He’s been looking forward to this day ever since he proposed to you, and he can’t wait to finally make you his wife after all this time.

“You make a handsome husband, son,” Izumi compliments from her place beside him. “It brings me great joy to see you so happy.”

“Thank you for agreeing to officiate the wedding, mother,” Iroh expresses gratefully.

“I knew it was a matter of time before you two fell in love,” she notes with a careful smile. “I know she’ll make a wonderful wife.”

Beaming with pride, Iroh’s gaze falls upon the garden gates where you finally emerge. Arm linked with Kya’s and with a bouquet of flowers in the other hand, you make the most radiant bride Iroh has ever seen. Your gown flows elegantly behind you as you walk, your hair sparkles from the sunlight hitting the pins, and your smile is enough to take his breath away. He can feel himself beginning to tear up, and it takes everything in him not to rush towards you and take you in his arms himself.

Kya hugs you tight once you reach the end of the isle, doing her best to keep her tears at bay before letting you go. Carefully tucking a stray strand of hair away from your face, she smiles before handing you off to Iroh.

“Take good care of my daughter,” she whispers before chastely kissing his cheek.

The butterflies in your stomach are quieted when you finally reach Iroh. Nothing else but him matters in that moment, and as his golden irises stare into your own you find yourself falling in love all over again.

“You look so beautiful,” he whispers with a tearful laugh.

“So do you,” you smile, carefully wiping your tears so as to not ruin your makeup.

Your ceremony goes without a hitch, and when Izumi officially proclaims you as husband and wife Iroh gracefully dips you before giving you the most passionate kiss you’ve ever experienced. Your family and friends cheer and applaud, but it all fades into the background as you grip his sleeves and melt into his touch.

“I can’t wait to spend forever with you,” he professes earnestly after parting from your kiss.

“Forever and always,” you agree breathlessly before pulling him down by his collar for another kiss.

| atla tags: @nataliahaslosthershit @sirkekselord @chronic-daydreamer @niktwazny303

#iroh ll #general iroh #tlok #iroh ll x reader #iroh ll imagine #iroh x reader #iroh imagine #general iroh x reader #general iroh imagine #tlok x reader #tlok imagine #au

[tropiyas]

I'm so so so happy that we'll likely get to the hippogrif chapters in dungeon meshi. that senshi backstory was one of the highlights of the entire story for me

#you know how people like uncle iroh for being like le funny old man #imagine that but the tragic backstory is more relatable/accessible than ''regretful war general''

[orobeori]

Just started watching the Netflix ATLA live action (currently on the third ep!) and I especially love the lil hat Iroh got to wear, decided to draw them with the og art designs :]]

Also really loved the scene with the woman who defends Aang by scolding Zuko mid-fight 😭 She’s the realest auntie

I just try to imagine the whole live action as a super high budget ATLA au. My sister does a better job at it though lmao. BUT it is entertaining! The dialogue is so funny sometimes with how odd it sounds, and Aang’s actor is so adorable.

My thoughts are blasting at random so do bear with me. While watching I was telling my sister that it’s a fun live action but as much as I try not to compare it too much to the og show, I just don’t enjoy live actions very much in general. I will admit that “real gritty dark” live actions do tend to attract more people, so if anything I’m glad that at least it will invite people to the wonderful story that is ATLA, and maybe even get them to watch the original :]

Would love to hear your thoughts though because from what I’m seeing its a very defined 50-50 split between people who loved and it people who absolutely despise it 💀

#atla #atla fanart #atla live action #atla netflix #atla zuko #atla aang #uncle iroh #aang #zuko #prince zuko #avatar the last airbender #netflix atla #natla #seeing so many mixed reviews lol but i be enjoying it regardless #anything for more atla content #waiting on the future animations to come from avatar studios #so excited #my atla art

[blluespirit]

i wish that there was more time between the day of black sun and sozin's comet bc zuko's official desertion from the fire nation would have the most insane ripple effects (and it would be nice to see the gaang interacting a bit more than we got but hey i'll take what i can get)

zuko's desertion would have been essentially impossible for the fire nation to bury since it was such a big deal that he returned at all. so i imagine the smear campaign against zuko would have been craaazy. i think it would have been interesting for the gaang to try and deal with that when navigating the FN. zuko would be very recognisable i think at this point, and it would have made staying hidden much harder. would they still have chosen ember island? maybe the kids didn't recognise zuko and azula during The Beach , but with the prince of the fire nation committing treason would there be more wanted posters? would there be more talk around the island? would zuko have to remain hidden while the rest go out and get food?

i wonder if zuko deserting and very meaningly committing his loyalty to the avatar influenced other soldiers in the FN to also desert? or would it have had the opposite effect and made people feel more patriotic since zuko was banished, returned under the guise of having killed the avatar, and then left when aang announced his survival to world during the failed invasion?

SPEAKING OF THAT!! the rumours around this would be INSANE. we know what really happened, but the public don't. did zuko and the avatar plan this so that there would be an inside man during the invasion and then zuko used that chaos to escape? what really happened in ba sing se if zuko didn't kill aang, but azula thought that he did? (again: we, the audience know the truth, but the general public don't). if zuko and the avatar where working together... for how long? was iroh involved somehow since he also disappeared the same time that zuko did? did iroh get captured on purpose to be close to zuko to possibly help him if needed? did zuko break iroh out of jail or did one of the guards or was iroh alone? you could spiral on this as just an average person in the avatar world for years like. if youtube existed in atla imagine the video essays breaking down all the conspiracies

its a kids show so obviously Nothing Bad Happened BUT in the Boiling Rock, zuko getting found out as not only an imposter (already, a very bad situation), a traitor (extremely bad), AND the traitorous (ex) prince of the fire nation (devastatingly terrible) would have been... incredibly dangerous for zuko. in zuko and iroh's original wanted poster, the official translation says “Permission is granted to kill them on sight” and this was before zuko has gone right ahead and committed Treason On Purpose. the warden is not going to be nice. when the warden visits zuko in his cell he literally tells him "If these criminals found out who you are, the traitor prince who let his nation down, why they'd tear you to shreds." the boiling rock would be hell trying to survive. it also puts a lot more weight on zuko refusing to leave sokka in their first escape attempt. also ozai obviously knew that he has his son was in prison bc he... broke in to the prison bc azula was there but then zuko manages to escape with sokka (another imposter) and suki and hakoda (POWs) and chit sang (a prisoner) and two of azula's trusted friends end up in prison for treason as well i just. that is literally insane for the average person to hear about. again, THE CONSPIRACIES!!

when zuko eventually does take the throne there's a lot of conjecture around what zuko did while he was banished and moreso, what he did the second time he left, this time voluntarily. i think zuko's loyalty would be questioned a lot; by other world leaders who are understandably wary about the fire nation and its motivations, but also by its own people - some who believe that zuko is a traitor to his country and is trying to sabotage it since he helped end the war.

idk these are all just me rambling but it would been so interesting to explore the implications of zuko leaving the fire nation and how that would have impacted the gaang and how they interacted with others in their travels. there are so many fic where zuko joins the gaang early, but neither myself with the aus that I have written, nor many that ive read have explored this very much or at all.

#this is basically a thought stream #zuko #sokka #aang #katara #toph #the gaang #book 3 #i think that like.... zuko leaving would have been crazy. it should be the talk of the town! #the gossip mill would have been on OVERDRIVE #it also makes it so hard bc no one knows what the truth actually is #one day in court as fire lord one of the foreign dignitaries is like ummm fire lord is it true that you systematically #robbed upper class earth kingdom citizens to help fund local militia groups to take back land occupied by the fire nation #and like zuko is just sitting there like WHAT #zuko: yes i did rob people. #the foreign dignitary: 👁️👄👁️ #avatar the last airbender #atla #the boiling rock #the day of black sun #the firebending masters

[starlettechild]

Okay but imagine the good hearted, goes with the flow Halsin running into a “bad girl” vibe tav.

Halsin who accepts everyone for who they are, even Astarion-struggling when it comes to this tav. She owes the group some money, instead of paying when they come to collect from the bar she’s at, she yells out that drinks are on her- just to see if she can get a rise out of Halsin.

When he didnt even flinch they become frustrated and start trying to get him to lose his cool every time they run into each-other.

Then it becomes a game : “What will make the great daddy Halsin snap?”

She wants to be at the receiving end of him finally breaking his 200 year streak of never losing his calm.

I almost imagine Uncle Iroh and June feel from Avatar the last air bender.

Anon, this is a wonderful idea! I love this sort of dynamic. I especially think it gets difficult for Halsin to keep his cool, especially since he has feelings for Tav and admires what they’ve done, despite their attitude.

Halsin travelling with a Tav who wants to see him snap (nsfw & sfw thoughts/head-cannons!)

SFW & GENERAL HCs

• Firstly, Halsin is an old elf. He’s seen a lot and been through a lot. It takes a long time for him to snap. Getting him mildly frustrated is even difficult. In general, it just takes an extreme to get this man angry, even for Tav.

• When Tav tries to strike his nerves, Halsin will make subtle “Hms.” in response to them, his gaze trailing off.

• He will flex the muscles in his arms when they do something that makes him tick. He’ll lock his jaw, too. He knows what Tav is doing. Only a fool wouldn’t know, but when they begin to learn him like the back of their hand and push every button, be can’t help but tense up and feel a need to put them back in their place rise up.

• When they get hurt in combat, he’ll bandage them a slightly rougher, or his magic will sting instead of soothe.

• When he sees them acting carelessly in a bar, especially in-front of their companions, Halsin has to shake his head to resist the druidly urge to just carry them away from the scene and scold them. Luckily, Astarion is there to have some words with them, even though he’s the exact same way.

• Nature can be untamed sometimes, and Halsin knows that means it can be difficult to deal with. He’s more of the kind to scold, I mean we all saw him with Kagha. But even his knowledge and druidly-patience doesn’t mean he’s immune to Tav, and sometimes his scolds come with a bit more bite in his words.

• When they’re all around the campfire settling down after a long day and Tav shoots a remark towards Halsin with a pointed smile, he’ll just stare back with a bit of a glare in his eyes. If Tav wants to test the waters, then they can do so. But he won’t lose his temper in public.

NSFW HCs

• There is gonna be that one night where Halsin just lets something slip. Tav’s gonna say one thing after an especially long day for him that’s just gonna make him give in to their game.

• When the Archdruid is full of their teasing and insolence, he’s gonna drag them and pin them against the nearest tree, a fire in those usually calm eyes.

• The sheer size of this man is already intimidating, but when he’s fired up and angry, you’re gonna realize how truly intimidating he is.

• I feel like when this happens, he’s only gonna make a frustrated and loud low growl before he starts doing what he’s wanted to do the second Tav started with their game. Holding them roughly up against a tree, his large hands on their waist - bruises will surely form after he’s done.

• He’s definitely gonna bite them. Everywhere. Hard. There are gonna be bite marks. One for each time they said something to him. His teeth sinking into them, almost to the point of drawing blood.

• Halsin already has a difficult time when it comes to restraining his wild urges, so when he realizes that this is what Tav wanted to see, he’s going all out and giving in fully. Gripping. Biting. Groaning. Breathing heavily. Anything to show Tav how frustrated they make him, and how badly he’s been wanting to put them into place

• He’s probably going to edge Tav with his fingers or his tongue. He’s gonna keep at it until he’s sure they won’t act out of line again. This man is EXPERIENCED. He knows all the ways to make someone fold under his touch, so he’s pulling his best cards with Tav. They’re gonna be in tears and a begging mess before Halsin finally, finally, gives them what they want.

• If Tav ever tries to rile Halsin up again, he’s gonna throw them a narrowed glare, pulling them into an alleyway and reminding them what he turned them into last time. He doesn’t have anymore patience.

#bg3 writing #bg3 smut #halsin #halsin bg3 #halsin smut #halsin x tav #halsin x reader

[muffinlance]

Can you imagine the idea of Sushi in Salvage, she latches onto Zuko when he falls over board and then the SWT finds both Zuko and this random cursed cat thing, now Hakoda has to deal w a feral teen AND said teens cryptid horror of a cat

“WHAT IS THAT?” asks Sokka, moments after stepping foot on the ship.

“That,” winces the chief, his father, the traitorous Zuko-adopter, “is--”

---

“What,” Bato says, as he’s distracted from the Fire Prince aboard their wooden ship by the tentacles writhing out of the glaring teenager’s shirt collar.

Hakoda, his best friend, the competent idiot Bato clearly left alone for too long, drags a hand down down his face. “That’s--”

---

On the second day, General Fong’s representative refuses to step foot aboard Hakoda’s ship for negotiations. In light of yesterday, Hakoda finds that fair.

“To be clear,” the man says, “we are only negotiating for the prince. Not his... pet.”

“...What will you give me to make sure it doesn’t follow?”

The man huffs. “Come now, Chief, I was only jesting.”

“It can swim,” Hakoda says. “As fast as our ship.” 

Which, he does not have to point out, is faster than the ship in which the man is proposing to haul away their princely problem.

The man’s laughter is nervous, and not at all in jest. 

---

“So,” Panuk says, leaning against the rail next to Hakoda with the casualness of a man living a spirit tale. One that doesn’t end well for the humans. “The thing can camouflage itself. Almost perfectly. And crawl across ceilings. Also, the prince is on some kind of hunger strike, though he’s fine with letting it eat.” 

Across the deck, the prince was, indeed, glaring at the platter of food directly in front of him. The food that was... moving independent of any visible hands. And disappearing, into the air, with noises Hakoda was glad he could only vaguely hear from here.

---

“It’s medicinal,” said Healer Kustaa, his lips twitching under his beard. 

Hakoda stared down at the young soldier he was supposed to hug. With only a non-dramatic sigh, he settled under the covers to do so. 

Kustaa kept watching. So did Aake. Hakoda wrapped his arms around the ice cube of a boy, eyeing the two of them with all due distrust. 

Eight arms rose from the tangle of blankets to hug him back.

---

“--Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. Kill me if you can, you cowards, but if you touch my cat I’ll kill you.”

“Your what?” Hakoda asked.

Which was when the thing emerged over their railing, dripping water and madness from its tenta-paws, flashing blue rings of deadly warning across its pelt. And plucked the sword right out of Aake’s hand, and dropped it into the prince’s waiting one, as if this were a practiced thing.

---

In the tumult after the prince went overboard, Sushi’s departure went unnoticed for hours.

In the coming days, weeks, months, this would be a great comfort to Iroh. Catopi were submersible in a way that nephews were not. Perhaps, just perhaps...

(Treason was a great comfort, as well.)

#Toklo: wow Zuko your cat looks just like the Blue Spirit's! #Panuk: wow fancy that #(Panuk buys Miyuki's wanted poster) #(to complete their Cats Wanted By The Fire Nation collection) #Azula is pleased when her Leopardopus kitten is immediately treated with the respect and fear it rightfully deserves #Avatar The Last Airbender #atla #Zuko #Salvage #Sushi Salvage #ficlet

[comradekatara]

Any fun Aang facts/ headcanons/ thoughts?

i don’t know if this is exactly fun but i think a lot about aang coping the first couple years after the end of the war. like i think on a spectrum of “the war is over and im so happy!!” to “suddenly thrust into a leadership position that is uniquely isolating and horrible,” aang perhaps isn’t struggling as much as the new firelord, but it’s a close thing.

i think katara would be the one who is happiest out of all of the gaang, since the war being over relieves this huge weight off her shoulders and she also gets to do the fulfilling work of rebuilding her tribe and finally being able to live up the potential she’s always imagined for herself, being able to preserve and pass on her heritage to a hopeful new generation. (that isn’t to say that she isn’t traveling the world with aang, trying to mitigate the damage caused by the war, but she would go back home as soon as possible. she needs to see gran gran!!!) there’s a sense of pride and satisfaction and joy to her role in this world that cannot be denied. 

suki is in a similar position, where as the leader of the kyoshi warriors, her reunion with her sisters and their return to kyoshi island would be triumphant and joyous, and she gets to participate in the process of teaching a new generation of warriors, passing on her traditions and using her skillset to help people elsewhere. but then there’s also the lingering, nagging memory of being alone in a maximum security prison, and that trauma isn’t something one just gets over… 

i see toph, more than anyone, spending the most time with zuko in the fire nation. she understands what it’s like to be alone, and she’d rather be with her family than her biological parents. i think she does visit them, but it doesn’t go well. toph may be incredibly sharp and mature for her age, but she is still just a kid, and the fact that her father will continue to reject her his entire life is a great wound, as much as she could flippantly deny it. but zuko understands what that’s like more than anyone, so being able to help him helps her through her own pain. even if zuko is a dick about it (although i think she stubbornly forces him to acknowledge her pain at some point instead of just outright dismissing her like he did on ember island), it’s a symbiotic relationship in its own way. i mean, he could definitely use a human lie detector. 

sokka is like all over the place. i don’t know man he’s too complicated to sum up in one little paragraph. but yeah let’s just say the war ending doesn’t automatically Heal him and Solve his copious Issues. because it does solve some things but it also causes other problems. new problems even. but i already sort of talk about that here so let’s just move that for now. 

and then of course zuko being crowned boy king of racist nation is like… not great. it works for thematic/symbolic/narrative reasons, of course, but realistically. it's a struggle! so, like i said, i think toph would stick by his side, and i think aang spends a lot of time in fire nation as well, and sokka as much as possible (NOT because he loves zuko, but because he thinks zuko is very stupid and he’s the world’s biggest control freak so if he doesn’t micromanage everything he’ll feel like it’s his fault if anything goes wrong). but iroh is…. not there. his best friend katara (i said what i said) is in the south pole or traveling the world or anywhere but Here. azula is. broken?? the world?? is broken?? and he (famously a fuck-up) is supposed to fix it???? poor kid. 

anyway. this is all preamble to contextualize what can only be described as The Worst Puberty Anyone’s Ever Had. okay here’s a bonus fun headcanon: aang is born in october! i say this because he’s the most libra to ever do it (i don’t know shit about astrology but i do know that). so for the entire run of the show (from winter to summer) he is twelve years old. i don’t know if you’ve been around any twelve year old boys recently (not to brag, but i have), but they are Going Through It. and that’s the average twelve year old, not even including the shocking temporal displacement and being the sole survivor of a genocide and shouldering the burden of the whole fucking world and knowing that an entire country full of people want you dead. 

the fact that aang maintains his childlike wonder and sweetness for the most part means that it’s going to hit him like a truck once the war ends and he finally has a chance to focus on himself. we see the early stages of puberty affecting him in terms of how he behaves around katara, the change between his book one kiddie crush and his book three confusion and intensity. but it’s more than just burgeoning sexuality. he wakes up, is informed that he’s been stuck in an iceberg for a century, that everyone he ever knew with the exception of appa and bumi are dead due to a genocide, and that it’s his responsibility to end the war. and the rest of the show is him trying to step into that duty and finally becoming the kind of person the world needs him to be. and now… it’s over.  

on one hand, there’s that overwhelming sense of relief. he did it. he successfully prevented yet another genocide, stopped the war, and did it all without compromising his values. his new friends (his new family) are all alive and safe and now can rebuild the world together. they can rest and have fun and be kids. and that’s what aang is celebrating in the finale when he looks at all of them and smiles, when he hugs katara in acknowledgement of how far they’ve come. aang is incredibly strong and resilient, and it’s a strength that comes from a place of genuine love and understanding. he was taught good values as a kid, values that have guided him through the most unimaginable of tragedies. but he’s not perfect. no one is. 

no one can prevent the oncoming swirl of hormones and trauma and second-guessing that is about to hit aang once it finally occurs to him that the purpose he has been fighting for ever since his entire life changed is now over, basically, and he has to figure out what it means to be alive outside of one sole, defining goal. as anne carson said in red doc>, “to live past the end of your myth is a perilous thing.” as jp sartre said in la nausée, “i outlive myself” (specifically, anny says it to roquentin). what is aang doing if not ouliving himself? had he lived a normal lifespan that hadn’t been disrupted by a spiritually imposed stasis, he probably would’ve been dead by now (long dead, if we can assume that his death in lok is by natural causes). and his myth, his grand destiny of stopping the war and once more carving out a space for his people in this brave new world? well, he did it. accomplished it with flying colors. now it’s over. now he is a perilous thing. 

as i alluded to before, i think the only person who can really truly empathize with aang’s situation is sokka. sokka, too, has survived beyond any point he imagined. he has built his entire identity around being a shield, and now that the war is over, his ability to protect others from immediate threats and sacrifice himself for a cause has been ripped away from him. he now has to forge an identity beyond reducing himself to a soldier, in a fundamentally unfamiliar world. sokka was shaped by war, and yet he lived past it, past the end of his myth. aang’s world is now also unfamiliar, not solely because the war is over, but because the war is over and yet he is still alone. he did it, he saved the day, and yet what is his reward? he saved a lot of people, but none of his people. he can never go home again. 

aang and sokka’s role as foils is something i want to write about more because i do find it truly fascinating, but in these terms i think we can also read their psychological states postwar as a sort of reciprocal dynamic. i’ve spoken in the past about how in a postwar reconstruction landscape, sokka would do a lot of the administrative work that aang cannot. not only because aang is literally twelve, but because aang cannot focus all his attention on this world when he is also its only real tether to the past. so sokka would make room for aang to focus on being the last airbender by sort of taking on the mantle of pseudo-avatar. solely in the most bureaucratic sense of the title, of course, but that would be the role that sustains and (somewhat) fulfills him after the war. and i think aang would be grateful for that, but he’d also be somewhat resentful?? not of sokka (aang is too emotionally mature for that, plus he respects sokka too much), but he’d definitely resent himself. think about how guilty and shameful he feels whenever he feels like he’s let the world down due to factors beyond his control. and so the fact that sokka is doing so much of what aang himself should be doing because he’s too busy being defined by his status as a genocide survivor… well, it might make him angry. he might lash out. and we’ve seen him frustrated, volatile, and emotionally confused. it’s not pretty. 

i know that we all only want the best for aang and want him to be happy and thriving after the war because he’s such a perfect kid who deserves the world, but realistically, i do think there would be a period where he’s kind of hard to be around. not only because that’s just something that happens to all adorable baby boys once they turn thirteen (i, for one, learned this lesson extremely painfully), but because he’s dealing with a lot and the only person who even remotely understands what he’s going through is also the most emotionally repressed guy he knows. 

throughout atla, he never allows himself a moment to just stop and feel, because the depth of his grief is actually scary and incredibly difficult to confront. but i think if he did ever allow himself to feel, he might never stop. he might, in fact, spend a month or so curled up in blankets in bed eating nothing but bean curd puffs and shutting out everyone but momo. i actually think that’s more realistic than him immediately entering a perfect relationship with katara and being highschool sweethearts and popping out three kids. and frankly, i think going through that kind of depression now that he no longer has any pressing responsibilities also happens to be something he’s earned. he’s been pushing down his grief, ignoring it, distracting himself from it, this whole time. it’s time he finally lets himself feel. 

on a happier note, i like thinking about aang and suki getting closer after the war (or even being close offscreen during the show, like on ember island). i like to think that suki can act as a sort of cool big sister figure to aang, who has suffered just enough that she can empathize with his pain, but isn’t too close to the situation (like fellow genocide survivors katara and sokka, or genocide perperators’ direct descendants, like zuko) that she can still discuss it with him without bringing her own baggage into the fore. she’s very good at giving direct, no-bullshit advice in a nonetheless kind and compassionate way, and she’s also very good at joking around and knowing how to let loose and have fun in a way aang appreciates. she also really admires and highly values the role of the avatar in the world, and she also admires and cherishes aang as a person, so i think she could give him that kind of measured encouragement that aang really needs to hear. 

obviously katara has done this for aang a lot in the past, and i’m not saying she wouldn’t also continue to be a shoulder for aang to lean on, because no matter how much he may try to push her away, she will always be there for him, but i think suki also sort of provides a necessary detachment where he isn’t bogged down by any romantic feelings for her and she isn’t bogged down by her own all too similar trauma the way katara is. suki has people to help her work through her own trauma (sokka, her sisters, etc.) so aang doesn’t need to reciprocate. she’s just happy to be there for her surrogate baby bro who needs her. she’ll serve the avatar in any way she can, whether by becoming a kyoshi warrior, by sacrificing herself to free his bison, or by just chilling with him in bed while he rants about his impossible situation and cries on her shoulder.

#TO LIVE PAST THE END OF YOUR MYTH IS A PERILOUS THING!!!!!! #EVERYONE CLAP AND CHEER FOR TO LIVE PAST THE END OF YOUR MYTH IS PERILOUS THING!!!!! #grow and decay #asks #postwargaang #aang #katara #suki #sokka #zuko #toph #aang&sokka #aang&suki #aang&katara #toph&zuko #FINALLY FINISHED WRITING THIS YAYYY #it's been my goal this past week to answer as many unfinished asks as i possibly can #i have so many drafts i just never bothered polishing up #like this one! #considered putting it under a cut but then i was like. nah #lmk if i should tho #in case youre like. on the fence abt reblogging it but would if it was somehow shorter #bc then i will #i like this one :) #spreading that aang depression aang & suki bffs agenda

[overtail]

hii can i request you weite zuko x chubby/plus sized reader? specifically just general dating headcanons (and possibly some smut hcs if you feel like writing that). id prefer a gender neutral reader but im not very picky about that type of thing. i love ur writing btw!!

ONG TY FOR THAT! Exposing myself here but I'm actually a chubby person (lore drop im not a girl) so this is very heartwarming for me :33

...

Zuko Headcannons - Dating a Chubby/Plus-Sized Reader

this is not meant to romanticize eating disorders

meeting you ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

-when you walked into the tea shop, he thought you were the most beautiful person hes ever seen

-'hey uncle, i can serve them'

-immediately wanted to talk to you

-he was extremely nervous, acting like a lost turtleduck

-'what? jas..jasmine tea! oh yeah.'

-gave you an extra cookie

-always waves to you when you come in

-was excited when iroh told him that you asked where Zuko was when he was sick at home

-you're his favorite customer

-'Lee. My name's Lee.'

knowing you ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

-after a while, Iroh hired you at the Jasmine Dragon when he got the shop

-you and zuko became very close

-you two had sleepovers at his and iroh's shared apartment

-iroh would make you guys sleep in the livingroom

-loved the way your waiter uniform hugged your curves

-would make you food all the time, even when you insisted you werent hungry

-protective whenever you served boys your age

-you came with him and iroh to serve tea at the palace to the king

-'zuko? you're the prince of the fire nation?'

-you werent as angry as he thought you would be

-you were locked up with him and katara in the catacombs

-came with him when he chose to fight alongside azula

dating him (royalty) ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

-when zuko started living in the palace again, he immediately offered for you to live with him

-a week later, he confessed

-he told you how you were the most gorgeous person he's ever seen

-how you looked like a painting from the renaissance

-held you close at night when you two slept

-assigned a special place in the palace for your special interests

-noticed when you stopped eating much

-tried to offer you as much food as possible

-was confused when he saw you throwing up after dinner

-'(y/n)? did you get food poisoning?'

-consoled you when you started crying about your body

-'it's the one i imagined in my dreams.'

-🔞kissed your arms, your neck, your stomach and your thighs

-he loved seeing your stretch marks

-🔞seeing you naked for the first time was a dream come true

dating him (redemption) ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

-you refused to let him go work with the avatar without you

-was there when he told ozai about wanting to be better

-comforted him when he learned the truth about his mom

-helped him create his introduction to the gaang

-'hello, zuko here!' *you laugh*

-fully defended him when nobody trusted him

-got angry when katara called you a traitor too

-cooked you lots of food while camping out

-always worshipping your body whenever alone

dating him (firelord) ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

-immediately proposed to you after his coronation

-🔞got busy as soon as you guys got in your room on your wedding night

-loved getting clothes that hugged your body

-you were always there with him

-'what do mean they shouldn't be in this meeting?

-did anything to make you happy

-got you an extra cookie whenever you wanted a meal to remind you of when you guys first met

-very possesive of you

-beat the shit out of a soldier that made a rude comment about your body

#avatar the last airbender #fandom #fanfic #fluff #sokka #katara #aang #smut #zuko x reader #prince zuko #atla zuko #zuko #chubby

[sokkastyles]

I don't know if it's just me but I never liked the idea of Uncle Iroh being pretty much the same before Lu Ten's death and his enlightenment journey through the spirit world. It feels like it cheapens the whole thing. What would the point be if Iroh was the same joyful person but he just happens to wear a t-shirt that says "imperialism and world conquest are only for the ꓘool Kids"? Also his relationship with Ozai reeks (atleast to me) of him not just being Azulon's favourite child but also the Fire Nation's favourite prince and war hero while Ozai was the scapegoat and pariah.

The point is that you can consider yourself a good person and still do evil. The point is that even someone who is otherwise kind and appreciative of other cultures can be swept up in the lure of fascism. That's all but textual, with Iroh stating that he believed he had a great destiny and that's why, despite him being a kind person, he was able to also believe that he had a right to conquer.

It's also historically accurate, as many conquering nations buy into the myth of benevolent imperialism and use it to justify themselves. Zuko repeats the same thing to Ozai, that he was taught that the Fire Nation's conquest was their way of "sharing their greatness with the world" something that is also repeated by Sozin to Roku. The idea that, in fact, as a "superior" nation, it is their duty to conquer.

I also think Iroh being Azulon's favorite is what allowed him to retain the recognizable parts of the character we see in the series while still being successful and respected as a conqueror. We know that even before his redemption, Iroh was regarded as "kooky." The specific use of this word implies that any behavior he exhibits that is outside of Fire Nation norms, like being more fond of drinking tea and playing games than winning battles, is just an odd quirk and can be forgiven because he also keeps winning those battles.

I think that's also why Ozai resented him so much, because Ozai was the scapegoat who could never do anything right, and here was Iroh who had so many traits that would normally be considered flaws in the Fire Nation, yet Azulon kept praising him. That also informs why Ozai became the hyper-militaristic, ruthless person he became, perhaps in an attempt to show his father that it was he who deserved to be the golden child, the star general, the crown prince.

I like this interpretation of Iroh and to me, it makes his redemption, happening too late, all the more poignant. Tragic, but also all the more important because it was overdue. Because Iroh did know better, but chose to maintain the status quo. And that affected not just his life (I've talked about how I think Iroh could have been a very different person if he was raised differently, and there's a part of him that probably would have loved to have a doll himself if that were allowed him) but his son's life. Iroh was able to get away with his own "kookiness," but maybe not so for Lu Ten. Maybe Iroh thought that if he had to stuff down that part of himself for the regime, then perhaps he enforced that in how he raised Lu Ten.

I think that also tracks with how Iroh's fondest memories of Lu Ten seem to be him as a young, soft child. Not the hardened military man he would have become. And it reflect on how he is with Zuko, too. How he works to teach Zuko that empathy and kindness are what really makes a man. And I like to imagine that in doing this, Iroh also learns that that part of himself was never something he should have had to hide or repress to begin with.

That also vibes with how hard Ozai tried to repress it in Zuko. I know the popular interpretation is that Ozai saw his own flaws in Zuko, and I don't disagree with that interpretation, but I think a part of him also saw and hated the things he resented in Iroh, the things Iroh got away with while he was so criticized by his father. Think about how Ozai speaks about and treats Iroh, and about how he usurps Iroh to prove that he is strong and Iroh is weak the first chance he gets.

The irony is that in the end, Ozai loses to Iroh yet again, when his own son chooses Iroh over him as a father. But that's what happens when you treat your kids like mirrors to reflect your own glory instead of people. The cyclical nature of the Fire Nation royal family's dysfunction is fascinating to me.

#iroh #ozai #zuko

[melzula]

Hii :D since requests are open could u do a piece between iroh ii and kya's daughter? But this time maybe ab the first argument they had as husband and wife? Like what would they argue ab and who would apologize first!!

a/n: idk why but i struggled so much with this prompt LOL but i hope you enjoy! this is really the only argument i could see them having

summary: an important day for your marriage turns sour when your husband confuses his days

~ based off these hcs ~

You check the clock with a sigh for what feels like the hundredth time before rising from your seat and blowing out the candles on the table. The food you’d spent hours meticulously preparing has now grown cold, but you don’t feel much like eating anymore anyway. Your bottom lip trembles but you’re too prideful to allow your tears to fall, so instead you resort to cleaning away the mess before retiring to your bedroom for the night.

It should have been a beautiful evening; you’d planned everything so perfectly so that nothing could go wrong. But you never thought it possible for your own husband to forget his wedding anniversary, and this was a detail you hadn’t accounted for when putting together the romantic dinner.

You knew Iroh was a busy man what with being a General and one of President Raiko’s best men, but you didn’t think he’d find himself to be too busy on a day that was meant to be sacred for you both. A year ago today you’d married the love of your life in the palace gardens in front of your closest family and friends, and a year later you now find yourself alone in your bedroom wiping away the rest of your makeup and removing all of your jewelry.

Your hand stops at your betrothal necklace, and you stare back at your sullen reflection in the vanity mirror as you clutch onto the crescent shaped stone. You haven’t seen or heard from Iroh all day, and your feelings are severely crushed by his abandonment. Were you a fool for thinking your marriage would hold priority over his duties as General?

You’re too engrossed in your sulking to hear his footsteps, and it isn’t until your bedroom door begins to creak open slowly that you’re alerted of his return home. You say nothing to him, acting as if he isn’t even there as you brush out your hair.

“Darling, I wasn’t expecting you to still be awake,” he notes with a fond smile, oblivious to your hurt. “I’m sorry I missed dinner, but I had to stay back and discuss my next assignment with Raiko.”

“Dinner isn’t the only thing you missed,” you mutter coldly much to his surprise. It’s only then that he notices the anger in your features, your furrowed brows and pursed lips and hardened eyes.

“I don’t understand?” Iroh says wearily, taken aback by your demeanor. He’d never seen you behave in such a way and it worried him.

“I don’t expect you to,” you bite back impatiently. “It’s not like we share the same values or put the same amount of importance on things.”

“Whoa, hold on. Why are you speaking this way? What’s upsetting you?” He urges gently, kneeling before you and attempting to hold your hand only for you to pull it away. “Talk to me.”

“How could you miss our anniversary?!” You finally cry out in frustration, startling your poor husband. “Did you not see it to be important enough to take a day off from being the General? Do I not matter to you?”

“Of course you do!” Iroh exclaims, clearly offended at the idea that he could ever see his wife as unimportant. “Y/n, I didn’t forget our anniversary. Our anniversary is tomorrow, and I made sure to clear my schedule so I could spend the entire day with you.”

“Our anniversary was today!”

“My wife, our anniversary is on the 6th. Today is the 5th,” Iroh tries to argue, but this only seems to infuriate you further.

“Iroh, today is the 6th!” You say exasperated. His brows furrow at your words, but after a moment you see his features begin to fall at the realization of his mistake.

“Today is our anniversary,” he murmurs quietly, almost ashamed to voice it out loud. “I completely missed it.”

“You left me alone the entire day. An entire dinner I cooked for us was left to grow cold because you didn’t come home,” you tell him sullenly, a fresh wave of tears beginning to form. “I spent our first wedding anniversary without my husband.”

“My love, I am so sorry and ashamed,” Iroh professes sincerely, and this time when he takes your hands in his own you don’t pull away. His own eyes are glossy with tears and full of regret, and the sight only makes you want to cry more. “You know I’d never forget our anniversary, I couldn’t. Marrying you was the greatest day of my life. I’ve just been so busy that I lost track of the days, and that isn’t fair to you. You deserve my attention and my time more than anyone else does, and I’m sorry to have failed you as your husband.”

“I’m sorry for being so cruel. I was just so worried that our marriage wasn’t important enough to you,” you confess with a sniffle. “I worry that being a husband is not as exciting for you as being a General or a traveler or-“

“Being your husband is the greatest honor I could ever have,” he interrupts you. “I mean this, and I’m going to make it up to you. We’ll leave tomorrow for Ember Island and have a vacation, just the two of us. We’ll have the beach house to ourselves and I’ll spend every minute making sure you feel valued and appreciated. Does that sound okay?”

“It’s perfect,” you nod with a watery smile, melting into his touch when he cups your face in his hands and pulls you in for a tender kiss.

Mistakes were made, but you know Iroh would never hurt you. He worships the ground you walk on. And in the end, he’ll always go out of his way to be the husband you deserve.

Because you are more than he could ever ask for.

#iroh #general iroh #iroh ll #kya’s daughter!reader #general iroh x reader #general iroh imagine #iroh x reader #iroh imagine #iroh ll x reader #iroh ll imagine #tlok #tlok x reader #tlok imagine

[wilcze-kudly]

DEVASTATED that we didn't get more interactions between the gaang's grandkids. Like I wanna know what their relationships are. Do they know each other? Are they friends? Or is it more of a ' our grandparents kinda saved and fundamentally reshaped the world together and forged indestructible bonds in the fire of war and trauma so it would be really awkward if we weren't at least nice to each other' type thing?

I want a scene of them all hanging out, man.... so bad...

Like imagine mixing the unbridled chaos that are the Airkids, the absolute feral energy of the Beifong babies with poor general Iroh the Spineless having to somehow keep them all in check.

Send them all on a life changing fieldtrip i say!

#the comedy potential is unparalleled #its like toph and aang and zuko but on crack and split into components l #airkids #jinora #ikki #meelo #rohan #baatar jr #baatar #huan beifong #opal beifong #wing & wei #wing beifong #wei beifong #iroh ii #general iroh #legend of korra #tlok #the legend of korra #avatar #avatar the legend of korra #atlok

[natlacentral]

For ‘Avatar’s’ Dallas Liu and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Zuko and Iroh’s relationship ‘was the most important thing’

One of the most emotional callbacks in Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is in the music.

The fourth episode of the series, “Into the Dark,” features a flashback to a funeral. As young Prince Zuko offers his condolences to his Uncle Iroh on the death of his son Lu Ten, the score transitions into an orchestral version of the familiar melody, “Leaves From the Vine.” The song, first heard in the animated “Avatar” series, has long been associated with the Fire Nation general’s grief.

“That wrecked me,” said Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who portrays Iroh in the new live-action adaptation, now streaming.

“I only just heard the [new] song in December,” added Dallas Liu, who plays Zuko. “I started imagining our scene and [it] killed me.”

The live-action “Avatar” co-stars were in high spirits as they discussed the show and their characters’ relationship over coffee at a West Hollywood hotel earlier this month. (This reporter borrowed a page from Iroh’s book on the joys of spending time with fascinating strangers and opted for tea.) 

Both actors say they are big fans of the animated series, which originally aired from 2005 to 2008 on Nickelodeon. More than once they mentioned the high bar set by the original show and the responsibility they felt to honor its spirit (a previous attempt was not well received), especially because everybody else on set loved the show, too.

“Not even just me and Paul,” Liu said. “Our cast members, our writers, even our transportation and craft [services] team.”

“Avatar” is set in a world inspired by Asian and Indigenous cultures, where certain people have the power to manipulate elements through a martial arts-infused ability known as bending. The original series was the rare children’s cartoon that touched on weighty topics such as war, genocide and imperialism within a fantasy coming-of-age story of a young hero destined to save the world.

“Zuko is a character that I’ve always loved since my childhood,” said Liu of the exiled Fire Nation prince. He is desperately searching for the Avatar — a special bender reincarnated into every generation tasked with maintaining harmony in the world — in order to win his father’s approval and a way back home.

Accompanying Zuko on his mission is Iroh, a renowned general and former heir to the crown who’d spent years at the front lines of the Fire Nation’s ongoing war to conquer the other nations.

Iroh “seems very jovial, but you know there is way more to him than that,” Lee said. “He carries a profound sense of sadness and loss.”

Working within a franchise with a passionate fanbase is nothing new for Lee, who has appeared as New Republic pilot Captain Carson Tevain several recent “Star Wars” series including “Ahsoka” and “The Mandalorian.” But getting cast as Iroh has offered the “Kim’s Convenience” actor a chance to take on the challenge of portraying a character that is already well-loved.

For Lee, Zuko and Iroh’s relationship “was the most important thing to get right.”

“It’s such a backbone to [Zuko’s] story arc,” Lee said. “To his pursuit and where he starts and where he ends.”

Because while “Avatar” is a story that follows Aang (Gordon Cormier), the world’s last airbender, as he figures out how to embrace his destiny and become the hero he is meant to be, it’s also a story about the teens in Aang’s orbit carving out their own paths.

Knowing this, Liu appreciated that their “Avatar” explores Zuko and Iroh’s past a earlier than it was revealed in the animated show. While there are some hints, it’s not until the second season that the animation digs into the Fire Nation royal family’s (dysfunctional) backstory. And some flashback scenes, like Lu Ten’s funeral, are original to the adaptation.

“I was excited because there was no expectation for it already,” Liu said. “I think there are scenes and dialogue [from the animated show] that people are going to look for with a certain level of expectation. But for everything that is new for Zuko on our show, it allowed me to be an artist and be creative.”

These moments were blank canvases Liu relished. He explained that to prepare for the younger version of Zuko in these flashbacks, he took hints from what he learned from his time on “PEN15” watching creators Maya Erskine and Anna Conkle portray middle-school versions of themselves.

“I think I got to tap into that younger side of my own self because I do see similarities between myself and Zuko,” said Liu. “Especially 14-year-old Zuko because there’s no ounce of evil in him.”

Iroh is despondent at Lu Ten’s funeral, as a procession of guests stop by to express their sympathies for the death of his only child. When it’s his turn, Zuko only offers the sentiments that are expected of him at first. But then he shares more heartfelt words as he tries to console his uncle. It’s one of the show’s earliest looks at Zuko’s humanity and capacity for love.

“Dallas does some really, really beautiful work at that funeral scene,” Lee said. “That speech that he delivers is just so heartbreakingly beautiful and comforting. He does all the heavy lifting. I just needed to react to what he was giving me.”

Not for the first time, Liu is quick to respond to the compliment by expressing his own appreciation for everything he learned from Paul during their time together on set. 

“Especially that scene, and in a lot of our other emotional scenes, I can’t stress how much I actually relied on Paul,” Liu said. “He was always there every day to support me with honestly all of our scenes.”

Equally charming was when Liu tried to credit Iroh’s influence as the reason why Zuko is able to open up, for one brief moment, with Aang during another episode. Lee is quick to point out that Zuko’s compassion was something already within him from when he was younger, as seen in the flashback scenes. 

Lee is aware that “Avatar” fans have wondered whether he would sing “Leaves From the Vine” on the series. It was first featured in Season 2 of the animated “Avatar” in an episode that shows Iroh singing the song through tears after he sets up a small memorial for Lu Ten on his birthday. (That segment was dedicated to Mako, Iroh’s original voice actor, who had died before the episode aired.)

“I didn’t want to spoil anything … but I knew that one scene was coming up,” Lee said. It’s one of the reveals that leads to “everybody look[ing] at Zuko differently. I love that. This adaptation, it really is about subtext, past experiences, traumas, success, failures, all of that stuff.”

Both Liu and Lee hope that their Zuko and Iroh will get to continue on their journey.

“What I love about their relationship is, Iroh is there to give advice, but he never tells [Zuko] what to do,” Lee said. Zuko’s “got to find his own way, and he supports him. … I really do wish [we get] to do more [seasons], because I want to see that relationship flourish even more.”

#natla #atla #netflix avatar #netflix atla #atla netflix #avatar netflix #avatar the last airbender #la times #article #dallas liu #paul sun hyung lee #interview

[anonymous-gambito]

In the comics Zuko turns to Ozai for advice and now I'm kinda thinking of a scenario where he turns to Azula instead.

Like, imagine he found himself in a situation where all of his friends and people he cares about left for one reason or another, he's suffered multiple assassination attempts, he was left in a position he was not prepared for as Fire Lord, he doesn't trust anyone around him and generally he feels like he's losing his mind, so he goes to seek a friend in one person he thinks will understand.

I don't really know what happens from here, got just some hazy ideas. Wherever Azula is staying at is not horribly abusive like that asylum in the comics tho. I don't know how Zuko convinces her to become his ally, really my mind just skipped straight to the image of two chaotic mentally ill teenagers trying to run a country unsupervised, getting into shenanigans and mildly to severely unnerving everyone around them.

Also imagining that the Gaang and Iroh (who were not warned about Azula being back at the palace) visit several months later only to immediately bear wittiness first hand to Zuko and Azula doing some dumb shit like having an aggressive pillow fight or a who-can-handle-more-spice competition

#atla au #fire siblings #atla #zuko #azula

[givemea-dam-break]

heart's fury - prologue

book one: hope "prologue"

in which a story begins.

pairing: zuko x (fem) reader

a/n: hey guys! first part of my big zuko x reader, which was originally post on ao3 here! this is a brain baby created by my return to the atla fandom (first time properly being in the fandom since i first watched this as a child rip) and a need to write something for it which woooo! big moment since i had been in the biggest writing slump i've ever had before i wrote this. i hope you all enjoy the first part, and the following chapters, because i have so enjoyed writing this and continue to enjoy it! love u all <3

warnings: none

words: 838 heart's fury masterlist

There was something so idyllic about the southern seas in the early morning. The way the sun’s fiery light reflected atop the soft blue waves; the smell of salt and cold air mixing together; the distinctly freezing southern air that, somehow, could not permeate (y/n)’s thick jacket. She felt strangely warm standing at the bow of the ship, staring at the towering icebergs that the ship easily slipped between. She wondered how anything could become so large, so imposing, but she supposed it was part of the southern charm. The last she had heard, the Southern Water Tribe had dwindled in numbers. Fire Nation soldiers imprisoned their waterbenders decades ago and, though they were accustomed to the cold, not every child could survive in such extreme conditions. No outsiders, including the Fire Nation, had set foot in Southern Water Tribe territory in years. (y/n) could only imagine how sparse their population was. But they were persistent, these Southerners, like the icebergs. They had not let the Fire Nation get the best of them. 

“What are you doing out at this time?” a voice asked from behind. “It is far too cold and early.”

“Catching some peace,” she said simply. “My gut is telling me that today is going to be different.”

A hand came to rest on the railing beside her, old and weathered and gentle, but still admirably strong. Connected to the hand was, well, perhaps the only Fire Nation nobility she had been able to tolerate in years. 

General Iroh, now retired, had a kind face and a soft smile that she was sure would alone keep her warm if she had not been wearing her jacket. The crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, the wrinkles in his forehead, and the deepness of his smile lines did not age him but, rather, did the opposite. He reminded her of a mischievous - yet remarkably wise - child; one that could not be trusted alone with a basket of sweet treats. He shivered in his red robes, but he kept a firm grip on the icy metal railing.

“And why do you say that?”

(y/n) turned her gaze back on the icy path ahead of them. She had always trusted her intuition, knowing that it was a better weapon than her knives or even her bending, but she often couldn’t explain the reasons why she felt things. Maybe it stemmed from her childhood, some sixth sense she had developed by guessing what her mother would make for breakfast or which way her father would take her on his ostrich-horse to get to the Royal Palace in the mornings. Perhaps it was some semblance of a spiritual connection - one of Iroh’s stories that had taken root and given her a strong mind.

She wasn’t sure what her answer to his question should be.

“Just a feeling,” she said. She always said.

It seemed to be enough to appease Iroh. “We are nearing the south pole. I fear that my nephew will be let down once more.”

It was a justified concern. The reason they both stood on this ship, thousands of miles away from home, was a fruitless hunt, bred from punishment, shame, and a terrible lust for honour and, ever a self-centred royal, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation was determined to get what he wanted.

The Avatar.

Two and a half years the three, and a handful of Fire Nation soldiers, had been hunting the living legend down. It was a futile search - Fire Lord Ozai was aware of this when he had banished his son - but Prince Zuko was adamant. He had ordered them around the world in search of a man who had not been seen in a hundred years, and thrown a princely fit every time they did not find him. 

Iroh was right to worry. Prince Zuko’s sole ambition was to find the Avatar and restore his honour, taking back his rightful place as heir to the title of Fire Lord, but it made one wonder what would happen if he were to accept that the Avatar was unreachable.

Not that he would ever accept it.

“This isn’t the right path for him,” Iroh murmured. Despite there being nobody else on deck, he kept his voice low, leaning closer. “Capturing the Avatar is not the correct decision.”

He cast her a meaningful look, something in the wise, dark eyes sparkling as he turned and walked away, likely to make himself a cup of tea.

(y/n) breathed a sigh, watching the misty breath hover in front of her before dissipating. This was not the first time Iroh had hinted at the secret she kept close to her chest, clutched in iron fingers. If anyone else were to know, she would likely be dead by now. But Iroh shared her cause.

If they ever found the Avatar, wherever they were, she would fight tooth and nail to ensure Prince Zuko could never take them back to the Fire Nation.

<-masterlist chapter one ->

#givemea-dam-break #zuko x reader #prince zuko x reader #atla x reader #avatar the last airbender x reader #prince zuko #zuko #atla zuko #zuko fanfiction #atla zuko fanfiction #atla fanfiction #avatar the last airbender fanfiction #avatar the last airbender #x reader #fanfiction

[muffinlance]

Baby Zuko (13 year old) being babysat by the Gaang straight after rescue (kidnapping) off the Wani?

Going with “only Zuko is aged down” and, to avoid just writing Little Zuko v the World again, “instead of Uncle Iroh, he sails out under the auspices of Uncle Zhao <3”

- - -

Fire Nation jail cells were everything Sokka ever imagined, if by ‘imagined’ he meant ‘had nightmares of’. And it was really inappropriate, and not a thought he’d ever share with Katara, but the longer they were down here the more his thoughts kept roaming back around to I’m glad mom was never in one of these.

There was rust, but not in any strategically important, make-it-easier-to-break-out places. Water dripping, but not in his cell where he would have been getting really close to wanting to lick it off a wall. Guards, but at the far end of the cell block, where they refused to interact with his witty banter and/or attempts to lure them into grappling-through-the-bars range. The only one who ever got close enough to grab was the tiny semi-feverish child who, given the huge fresh sorta oozy burn wound over half his face, Sokka was going to go ahead and classify as not the best hostage material. 

Unlike the son of Chief Hakoda, his waterbending daughter, and—

“How’s Appa?” Aang, who was another tiny child, who was the Avatar, who was arguably the reason Sokka and his little sister were in this mess but Sokka was still wrapping his head around the Avatar part, said. Said after wooshing towards the bars, and then wooshing again in a way that made him not hit the bars, and then he was holding them and leaning as far as he could through which was almost but not quite enough for him to slip through entirely.

“Fine,” the kid who’d gotten on the bad side of his own country croaked. Sokka did not get the impression he was allowed to talk much, outside of the prisoner block. The kid’s face was twisted into even more of a scowl than just the burned-on one. “He’s too fast for the catapult operators. Zhao said he’s going to keelhaul them if they keep missing, but when I yelled at him about it—”

The kid stopped mid-sentence in that sort of horrifying way he did sometimes. And then he set down his tray and gave them all their slop, which they got once a day, and which contained all the water they were getting, too. Something about Katara’s extremely ineffective waterbending had the big bad Fire Nation spooked. 

“Thank you,” his little sister said, her own voice a rasp-croak that pained Sokka a lot more than the random Fire Nation brat’s. 

The kid scowled harder, which was his general reaction to any gratitude from them. 

“So,” Sokka croaked his own croak. “About helping us with that escape…”

“I’M NOT,” the kid shouted, and then the guards turned to look at them all, and then he hunched in on himself and re-evaluated his volume decisions. “I’m not helping you escape.”

“Why not?” asked Aang, bless him.

“Because,” the kid said, which is usually as much of a reply as they get before he stormed off. But today he added, even if it was really hard to hear: “Because I want to go home.”

“So,” Sokka said, “did you get that on the ship or at home?” And he waved at his own face, like the subtle genius he was. 

Ah. There was the storming away.

“You forgot our bowls!” Sokka called after him.

“Keep them,” the kid shouted back, and left Sokka alone with a metal spoon and a Fire Nation lock.

- - - 

The lock was a bad idea, actually. It would have taken way too long to file the spoon down against the floor so it would fit, not to mention made way too much noise. Also: Sokka did not actually know how to pick a lock.

The screw slots on the hinges, on the other hand…

- - -

“What?” the kid got out, all sleepy-confused, before Sokka was shoving a literal sock in his mouth and tossing him over a shoulder and running as quickly and quietly as he could with a very angry sack of potatoes bouncing on his back. 

“Go go go go,” Sokka said, as he vaulted the rail into the saddle waiting below.

“Yip yip!” said Aang.

The catapult didn’t even come close to hitting them, in the darkness. Sokka kind of really felt bad for the operator team and their future date with the hull, but there was only so much saddle space, and there was an upper age limit on the Fire Nation soldiers he was willing to pardon no-questions-asked.

“Let me go!” shouted their squirmy new friend, as Katara held him around the middle, because otherwise he’d have thrown himself into the ocean an alarming number of times by now. 

“Nu-huh,” Sokka said, patting the kid’s angry little head, right on its ridiculous little ponytail. Which was nothing at all like his own extremely masculine wolf tail. “You’re our prisoner. Relax, and enjoy the improved living conditions.”

“My father isn’t going to pay for me,” the kid said back, with a glower. 

“...Please, please don’t tell me that Zhao guy was your dad.”

“What? No,” the kid said. 

And then he opened his mouth again, and Sokka’s world got both way more complicated and way more simple.

#so to return to an earlier question #did you get that scar on the ship or at home? #I see I see #and you need the Avatar to go home #yes yes #so hypothetically speaking #I could put you and the Avatar at the head of a fleet #and we could just… sail into your nation’s capital? #noted #avatar the last airbender #atla #Zuko #ficlet

[phoenix-king-ozai]

I don't think Ozai was like inherently evil but Iwhen imagine how he was as a child, I imagine he very competitive, very stubborn child and when he thinks he's gonna lose...well um..it doesn't go well. Even in a happier AU like the one listened below, this becomes a problem as Hakoda and Kya demonstrate.

I believe that when Ozai was young he was kind, caring, and compassionate like young Zuko was as well. I believe Ozai's ruthlessness, brutality, and cruelty were taught and instilled by the nature of imperialistic propaganda brainwashing along with child abuse and neglect by Fire Lord Azulon. My personal headcanon is that Fire Lady Ilah died in a disastrous childbirth accident and Fire Lord Azulon resented Ozai because of that. Making the poor boy more aloof, cold, ruthless, and cunning compared to his older brother Iroh who had the love, affection, and compassion of their father and especially their mother’s love. Ozai as a child probably was extremely sweet, kind, and well-mannered. However, became aloof, distant, cold, and vicious later into his teenage years. If the Hundred Year War, Fire Lady’s Ilah death, along with Fire Lord Azulon’s child abuse and neglect didn't happen. Ozai probably would be a happy and good child if these circumstances didn't happen. Child abuse & neglect along with fascistic imperialism is a horrible combo…

I personally don't believe that children can be born a naturally cruel and evil monster. Sure, Azula can be mean-spirited and tormenting in her teasing of Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee. However, she genuinely cares about and values her time with her friends and her brother. This is why she also brought him back to the Fire Nation as a hero as well albeit with Zuko taking the pressure of slaying the Avatar possibly being a failure and unknowing lie.

Regarding your comic. Ozai attitude towards Hakoda and Kya depends if the HYW happened or not. If HYW happen as in canon then Ozai would probably view Water Tribes as inferior savages and enemies of his father and nation. Ozai would not be friends and would despise Hakoda and Kya without even knowing them based on his imperialist brainwashing and fire supremacy superiority complex. If the HYW didn’t happen in an AU. Then Ozai would probably be pretty kind, charming, and friendly with Hakoda and Kya especially with Fire Lady Ilah being alive. If for some reason Fire Lord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah brought Ozai to the Southern Water Tribe. Fire Prince Ozai would probably become fast friends with Hakoda and Kya despite the cultural differences.

However, honestly, I would ABSOLUTELY ADORE a Fire Nation Royal Family & Hundred Year War Prequel covering Sozin, Azulon, Ilah, Iroh, Ozai, and new characters complex and dark characters that serve as allies and foes to our two main "protagonists" Iroh and Ozai. Iroh as Grand General of the Fire Nation Army slowly becomes disillusioned and changed due to the cruelty, violence, and death surrounding the HYW whereas Ozai as Commander of the Southern Raiders and later Fleet Admiral of Fire Nation becomes consumed by the hatred, violence, suffering, and death surrounding him in his teenage years. Iroh is 30 and Ozai is 15 whereas Azulon is 55.

#atla #avatar #sozin #azulon #ilah #iroh #ozai #ursa #lu ten #zuko #azula #fire nation royal family #fire family #fire fam #fire hazard siblings #royal fire family #fire nation imperialism #fire nation child abuse #avatar: the last airbender #avatar: the legend of aang #atla fanart #kya #avatar: tla #hakoda