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zuko-always-lies · 3 years

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What if Azula had a much better and closer relationship with Mai and Ty Lee?

So I've seen many, many AU fanfics where the basic premise is that Zuko and Azula have a much better relationship than canon, and these usually end up involving conspicuous amounts of patricide. I have my issues with this premise, but it can be interesting or entertaining if done well. What I've never seen done is an AU where the point of divergence is that Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee have a much better relationship than canon. You could do this by having the Dangerous Ladies meet and bond much younger than they did in canon(I'm talking as toddlers here, since I'm guessing they became friends somewhere between the ages of 4 and 6 in canon. Mai's a year older than Azula). You could have so that at some critical moment in Azula's life, she really opened up and unloaded her trauma upon them, and they supported her and in turn unloaded their traumas to her. You could have any number of points of divergences. But the ultimate point would be that, at some level, Azula loves her friends more than she loves anything else in the world. More than her father who is more always so demanding of her. More than her mother who abandoned her and always favored Zuko anyways. More than her entitled, jealous brother who can't stand that Azula's better than him. Quite possibly more than she loves her nation, her duty, and her status as princess. And, at some level, Mai and Ty Lee reciprocate and love each other and Azula very, very deeply. In fact, for a canon divergence the simplest thing to do would be to have Mai and Ty Lee never leave Caldera(after Zuko's banishment). Let's say Mai's father never receives a post outside the capital, so she never moves away. By that point, Azula is very much consumed with her duties as heir to throne and isn't spending as much time with her friends as she used to, but with Mai still around Ty Lee doesn't feel the desire to pull the trigger and run off and join the circus. Azula never has her friends "abandon" her. So the three Dangerous Ladies are together during a particularly difficult time in their lives, with Azula being trapped alone in an abusive household with the pressure turning up all the time and Mai and Ty Lee also having absolutely awful family lives where they're getting badly neglected. And at critical moments they start leaning on each other(potentially in some pretty unhealthy ways) and open up about their issues, leading to them forming very strong bonds. This doesn't mean that they understand how abusive their situations are(because awful family dynamics are normalized for them). And the thing is that their friendship can still be very unhealthy in some ways. Ty Lee can still be leaning on her friends, particularly Azula, for the positive attention and approval she doesn't get elsewhere in her life. Ty Lee can still prize her relationship with Azula as something which makes Ty Lee be unique among her siblings. Mai can still rely on Azula to inject her life with excitement and freedom from her family's suffocating expectations. Azula can still rely on her friends for the love, affection, and support she should be getting from parental figures. There's still a serious power discrepancy in the friendship which is unhealthy. Azula can even still order her friends around in combat situations, something that Mai resents. Fundamentally, the Dangerous Ladies are still three teenagers raised in an awful home environment at the top of a toxic, imperial system who end up getting thrust into a war zone to act as child soldiers, and that influences their friendship dynamics. At some level, Azula can still be terrified that her friends will abandon her or be forced to abandon her. The other thing is that having a very strong friendship between the three of them does not automatically turn any of them, particularly Azula, into better people. Mai and Ty Lee are raised at the top of Fire Nation society and indoctrinated into Fire imperialist ideology, so, just like in canon, they don't see anything wrong with the majority of Azula's actions. Violently imposing Fire imperialism is a good thing for them, and they have little issue with most of Ozai's actions. So, while Azula would absolutely listen to her friends if they actively tried to lead her toward a better path, they aren't trying. If the Dangerous Ladies come to reject Ozai or Fire imperialism, it will be because their experiences cause them to or because events force them to. Anyways, in Book 1 nothing really changes. In Book 2, there could be major changes due to the butterfly effect, but there doesn't have to be. Maybe Azula recruits her friends when she is first given the mission to kill or capture Zuko and Iroh, and she still fails to capture her brother and uncle at the resort. Maybe, like canon, she doesn't recruit her friends (via letter?) until she failed the first time. In either case, Mai and Ty Lee both come 100% voluntarily. Mai, like canon, is bored with her life and sees this as a way to get some excitement, while Ty Lee, without having run away to the circus, has nothing better to do and sees it as a chance to have some fun and help her friends. Besides, with both Mai and Azula out of town, she'd be alone with her "awful" family. There really doesn't have to be much change in Book 2, with the caveat that just about nothing which happens in "Return to Omashu" happens. You can still leave the other big Dangerous Ladies moments("The Chase," capturing Suki, taking Ba Sing Se) intact if you want to. Azula being a much better friend doesn't necessarily change much. Where things potentially change a lot are in Book 3. There are a lot of directions it could go there. Zuko could have a different dynamic with each of the Dangerous Ladies if/when he comes back, which could lead to different actions on his part. On the other hand, if you wanted, not much could change until the Boiling Rock, where things potentially go very differently. Azula could end having to choose, with her friends and her brother on one side and her father and her nation on the other. Also, the Dangerous Ladies could confront Zuko together, rather than Mai talking to him alone, potentially leading to interesting results. Anyways, these are my thoughts on this AU idea. Again, I think it would be interesting to explore and I've never seen it done.

#Azula #Mai #Ty Lee #Zuko #Ozai #atla #ATLA au #Dangerous Ladies #Being a better sister would not make Azula a better person #Throwing ideas out there #friends #Dangerous Ladies as great friends AU

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captnxmarvel · 7 years

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SWAN QUEEN FICRECS

FOREVER FAVORITE

1. The Secret's in the Telling by pyrophoric Summary: "It's the sixth of October. A pivotal moment in Storybrooke's history and the turning point in Regina Mills' life. And it all began with a spell, a Sheriff, and a thief." Reaction: WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF!!!!!!!!!!!! (I know it is a slow start but give it a try and it’s all worth it.)

2. The Worlds You Never See by writetherest Summary: The lives I'll never lead / Couldn't make me sing / Could they? Could they? Could they? ** As soon as she had stepped through the doorway, the door closed tightly. And only then, with Regina inside, did the lines, curves, and swirls shift and move, assembling themselves into words within the heart. The Road You Didn't Take Reaction: *cry emoji*

3. The Art of Being Extraordinary by purplehershey Summary: AU. Henry, age 23, decides to give the crowd what they want, what they really want. A story. So he tells them the only one he knows: the greatest love story of all time, and it just so happens, that this love story is his mothers'. Henry's on and off POV. WARNING: VERY ANGSTY MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAIN A CHARACTER DEATH Reaction: I cried.

4. Shadow Haven by Delirious_Comfort Summary: Emma Swan is a PR agent who is sent on a holiday by her boss. Regina Mills is the owner of a private island named Shadow Haven. There is more to Regina than initially meets the eye. This story dips heavily into the BDSM subculture. Swan Queen romance / BDSM story. Emma was silent for a long time. Truth be told, she had no idea if she wanted to stay here. She desperately wanted the break, but didn't want to spend her time with some stranger who had been hostile from the moment she had laid eyes on her. Hostility that had been replaced by semi-friendliness as soon as money had been added into the equation, and Emma wasn't sure how she felt about that. "I don't know," Emma finally said. "Give it one week, Miss Swan. If you are not enjoying yourself here on Shadow Haven at the end of that time, we will look into the possibilities of returning you home," Regina offered as she stood up from her spot on the couch and made her way over to Emma. She held out her hand to the younger woman when she reluctantly gave the gorgeous brunette a nod, "It is nice to meet you Miss Swan. My name is Regina Mills. Welcome to Shadow Haven, I do hope you will enjoy your time here." Reaction: Definitely NSFW, This story is not just hot but I also love the development of Emma and Regina’s relationship.

5. Bait and Switch by JuiceCup Summary: Henry Mills is sick and tired of his mothers skating around the truth and not realizing that they are perfect for each other and that they belong together. So he has a plan to bring them together and convinces his grandmother to help.Robin and Marian had never left. The story starts out with MILD Outlaw Queen but there is NO KISSING and NO SEX, so NO WORRIES! THIS is a Swan Queen story with major Swan Queen feels already in the first chapter! Reaction: DO NOT READ THIS WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO SLEEP! IT WILL KEEP YOU UP DUE TO MAJOR SWAN QUEEN FEELS!!!

6. I'm Not A Writer I Just Drink A Lot About It by Exquisiteliltart Summary: Regina decides to write her own happy ending and Emma helps. Reaction: So much feels!!! Fluff and Swan-Mills Family *sighs and watch them live happily ever after*

·Don't Let Me Die In Florida by Exquisiteliltart Emma works as a brokerage administrator at a commerical real estate firm in Florida. Regina is a wealthy client who likes to take a 'hands on' approach to business.

·The Big Uneasy by SkinnyProcrastinator Emma Swan loves her carefree life in New Orleans but becomes exasperated when she constantly starts bumping into Regina Mills, a haughty and rude business woman on an enforced vacation in The Big Easy.

·Deliver Me by wistfulwatcher Bike messenger AU, in which Regina is a CEO that enjoys messing with Emma, and Emma does not back down. For the sake of her job, of course, and not because of the way Regina eyes light up when she's angry.

·lattes & lace by AnaG Regina's a successful, focused businesswoman running a burgeoning lingerie line that is just starting to gain international attention. Until one winter, an irritating woman opens up a coffee shop next to her studio... and generates constant distractions. But not all of the distractions are a complete disaster. Only few.

·Teacher's Pet by RegalChromaggia69 [NSFW] Emma Swan is starting her senior year this year and she's got a pretty easy schedule. But as her friends tell her about the Creative Writing teacher and how no one has passed her class with an A, what will she do? And who exactly is this 'bitch' as they claim her to be? Swan Queen-Student/Teacher AU. M for language and eventual smut.

·Butterfly Effect by misscanteloupe In her final year of college, Emma finds she has more to account for than the extra credits she needs in order to graduate. Only... she doesn't expect it to come in the form of her newest instructor, Professor Regina Mills.

·Teaching Miss Mills by HelveticaBrown Teacher AU: Emma is a gym teacher, who moves to Storybrooke Academy after becoming disenchanted with her job back in Boston. Regina Mills is the Head of English who Emma somehow seems to keep having run-ins with, despite the best of intentions. Along the way, Emma adjusts to life in a small town, gets her teaching mojo back, and gradually grows closer to Regina.

·5 Times Regina Almost Froze and One Time She Got Fucked 5 Times: A Super Festive Swan Queen Christmas Story by Exquisiteliltart College AU, Swan Queen. Regina relies on Emma to get her home in time for Christmas.

·I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) by writetherest Emma Swan doesn't consider herself a star, but she finds herself thrust into the spotlight and competing as a celebrity dancer on Dancing with the Stars. Over the course of ten weeks, she'll struggle to learn to dance with her professional partner - Regina Mills - and may just end up dancing with somebody who loves her.

·step into my office, baby by foxbones This is what you get for doing the nice thing, Emma thinks. You do that whole Pay It Forward bullshit - you buy a lady some coffee and you pretend like it isn’t totally motivated by how she looks in a pencil skirt - and she goes and insults your business card and turns out to be your company’s new Executive Director. Real fucking cute.From now on, she is drinking tea. or, the one where they're in an office.

FLUFF

·Incoming Messages by hunnyfresh Ruby makes Emma a dating profile. The only catch is that she's listed as a guy. That wouldn't be such a problem if Emma hadn't found Regina's profile and begins communicating with the Mayor

·Your Hands Are My Castle, Your Heart Is My Sky by Exquisiteliltart 5 times Regina and Emma share a bed.

·Through a Rose-Coloured Camera Lens by aurorstorm Henry has to make a video presentation to his class about his family, which forces Regina and Emma to interact. Undoubtedly, cute bickering and fluffy moments make their way onto film. The resulting presentation might just cause Regina and Emma to finally realise their true feelings and begin to appreciate their quaint little family.

ANGST

·Bruises by starsthatburn AU: Henry is ill in hospital, and so when the time comes for Henry to know his birth mom, Regina is the one who seeks her out. However, when she arrives in Boston, Regina finds that Emma now has a family of her own. Trigger warnings for domestic violence.

·always known by deceptivelycomplex3925 "Tell me the truth."And Emma whirls around and Regina's standing in the doorway, eyes glittering with unshed tears, and she looks like she knows. Knows exactly why Emma got shit-faced last night. Knows exactly why she broke up with Hook. Knows exactly why she said those words a few moments ago.

·she's already ruined her makeup by deceptivelycomplex3925 "Emma," Regina breathes, a warning. Don't do this, it says. She can hear it in her head, the husky lilt of Regina's voice."I'm late with it, I know. I'm about five years too late with it but when have I ever been good with punctuality?"She gets a laugh out of that, something like a sharp exhale, something choked and small and laden with fondness, and brown eyes start to glisten with forming tears. Emma hates that she's the cause for this. She'll ruin her makeup.On her wedding day. This is her wedding day.

·An Ill Wind by neverenough04 Regina and Emma have gone from enemies to frenemies to friends to...something else. But the something else takes a backseat to their busy lives and their "true loves"...until it doesn't.A rare Tornado Warning has been issued for Storybrooke, and the women seek safety together in the basement of the police station. Their time together lasts a lot longer than they had envisioned when they find themselves trapped in the dark cellar.

·If The Blazer Fits by FlyYouFools (MK47) Emma decides to dress up like Regina for a Halloween party at The Rabbit Hole, a seemingly innocent decision that surprisingly leads to a relationship. The romance is openly feared by some and secretly despised by an unlikely source, who plots to end it.

CANON DIVERGENCE

·truths you have to grow into by celaenos Set during 4b. Emma avoids her parents expectations and Gold's manipulations by crashing on Regina's couch. A former villain protecting a hero from falling into her own fate; a messily ever after. And then, they lived.

·imagine me and you by bayloriffic After they return from Neverland, Henry decides to set a parent trap for Emma and Regina. By the time Emma realizes what he’s up to, she’s already half in love with Regina and it’s pretty much too late to do anything about it.

·our hearts will make a fire by bayloriffic Of course Emma would end up trapped in Rumpelstiltskin’s enchanted log cabin with the Evil Queen. Because that’s just how her life is these days.

·we'll make our home on the water by bayloriffic For some reason, Emma thought they’d pass through the portal and end up right at Neverland. Instead, they spend weeks aboard the Jolly Roger, sailing the vast blue-green oceans with no land in sight, the water seeming to stretch on forever all around them.

·A Christmas Getaway by SwanQueen4tw Set after 4x12. Henry doesn't find the library but Robin does leave. Starts after Emma and Regina become drinking buddies. Henry sees how sad his mother is so he plans a trip to NYC and suckers Emma into going along with it.

ONE-SHOTS

·A Sorta Fairytale (aka: Gay for a Day) by Exquisiteliltart Young Regina realizes something is missing in her life, so when her friend suggests courting a woman, she decides to try, but believes she is unlikely to meet anyone… but she does. Regina unwittingly saves Princess Emma from a harrowing accident, and grapples with the strange feelings that begin to develop between the pair.

·It's in the Genes by hunnyfresh In which Emma's brother Neal has a massive crush on Regina which spurs Emma into acting on her feelings - Future Fic

·Rubbers by hunnyfresh In which Emma sucks at trash bin basketball and spends her time as Sheriff doing something more entertaining

·Oddish Little Thing Called Love by coalitiongirl Our Pokémon gym. It’s not quite our son, but it still makes Emma’s heart flutter a tiny bit.

·Someone has already claimed that username by coalitiongirl Written for Meet-Cute AU day of Swan Queen Week. Emma meme-ifies Regina, so Regina hoards her urls. Swan Queen, as told through far too many memes and a whole lot of Tumblr text posts. Canon-compliant through 4a.

·in the right place by forgottendialect "From the other side of the reception station, a nurse who has apparently been eavesdropping pipes up. “Well, she is engaged, though.” “Auntie Zelena isn’t engaged.” The nurse blinks. “Yes, she is.” She points, suddenly, over at Emma. “Her fiancé is right over there.” "Emma Swan saves a woman's life, is wrongly identified as her fiancé, accidentally falls in love with her sister, and finds herself a home.

·by the light of the moon by bayloriffic “What are you doing?” Regina demands, but she's staring at Emma's mouth and her chest is actually heaving, like some kind of romance novel cliché, her skin flushed dark in the bright light of the moon. She puts her hands on Emma’s shoulders like she’s going to push her away, but she curls her fingers around Emma’s arms instead, clutching her instead of shoving her away. “Miss Swan?”

·Love Me Rex by JuiceCup Regina Mills is a busy woman. At least that’s what she tries to tell her sister when the frantic woman calls needing her help with a very important Christmas gift matter. Her sister forgot to get her niece’s gift from Santa this year! Persuaded to brave the bad weather and the crowds the day before Christmas Eve, Regina considers herself lucky to have managed to snag the last Love Me Rex Dinosaur on the shelf! That is, until she glances up and finds herself in a toy-tug-of-war with a beautiful blonde!All Emma Swan wanted for Christmas was to get her six-year-old son the hottest toy that was selling out all over the country! He’d been talking about the darn thing for days. This was the last Love Me Rex in the store and she was darned if she was going to let this one go. However, what she hadn’t counted on was meeting the stunningly gorgeous and enigmatic Regina Mills.Swan Queen Alternative Universe. There’s no magic and no curse. This is Emma and Regina in completely different roles. You may find a couple of your other favorite characters as well.

FAKE RELATIONSHIP

·I Can Almost Hear Your Harmony by swansaloft (orphan_account) Regina and Emma decide to engage in a short-term pretend relationship (for Very Important Reasons, obviously), but what should be a simple arrangement becomes complicated when a sprig of everyone's favorite kiss-inducing plant is thrown (literally) into the mix.

MAGICAL ACCIDENTS

·Second Time Around by RowArk Emma magically reverts herself to a toddler, with her adult memories, but is unable to communicate and no one knows who she is. Regina takes in the lost baby girl and bonds with her, eventually telling her personal things, having no idea she's actually talking to Miss Swan, who is hearing everything, and it changes how she sees Regina (in a good way).

#sq ff #swan queen #swan queen fanfiction #sq fics #sq fanfic #sq ficrec #swan queen fanfic

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