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#okay he was a support system for zuko
forevermore05 · 19 days
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Okay, so I have seen some discourse about being a Zutara shipper and their feelings about Aang and Mai. And I'm not here to be a moral police officer. However, I want to provide a perspective that maybe other people have but cannot vocalize. I love Aang, when NATLA Aang asked Sokka where Appa was I think I was about to cry because it was cute. I could never hate Aang. You could never make me hate Aang. If you notice in past posts I do not flame(o) Aang. I DO CRITICIZE HIM. However, what the writers did to Aang is not cool. Using the device of an unconsented kiss is disgusting and sad. My argument is that Kataang could have been written so well but I don't ship them so I don't care to think about that aspect. If you do want some nuance in my perspective of that ship. However, it is my idea that we shouldn't write romances for 12-year-olds. They're just simply too young for that. However, I criticize Aang when it comes to time to do so. For example, the unconsented kiss with Katara and that problematic Charkra arc. Though my criticism is never hateful but filled with frustration with the writers.
This is how I view Aang.... I see him as the Avatar being the equivalent of a child prodigy, whether that be in music or sports. However, a child prodigy still needs their parents regardless of how skillful they are. And that's how I see Aang. No matter how wise or good he is at bending or being the avatar in general. He needs adults in his life to be his support system and be able to raise him.
I like Aang but for me, he is not above criticism and he is not a perfect character there are a lot of things that need to be addressed in terms of this specific character because I feel that there is not enough criticism for him and I feel that I'm not upset with the character himself. I'm upset with the writer's thought it was cool to do certain things. And I'm allowed to respectfully criticize some of his ideologies seeing that some of them came at the expense of demeaning a religion.
As for Mai, I think she's a treat to watch by herself, but with Zuko it's just draining and sad. They both harm each other and that's just depressing. But honestly, I have not looked too deeply into her character to speak about her.
My conclusion is you can still ship Zutara while liking Aang and Mai but it is also fair be critical of their characters.
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bluespiritshonour · 2 days
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Another thing I've been muling over: a complain I've seen about Maiko is that she keeps him from going on the right path—and... I agree.
For Mai, Zuko's well-being is her sole concern and the rest of the world could crash and burn and that's... Okay?
Realistically speaking, your support system should NOT be one person. One thing I love about ATLA is that (despite romance writing not being one of it's strong points) the lack of ships that follow the tropes.
Kataang is not an archetype. Neither is Sukka or Maiko.
Having your support system be just your romantic partner isn't healthy (for them or for you) or realistic. But most romances do that and until I watched ATLA it didn't occurred to me that that's not a good thing.
ATLA and Maiko are very realistic in that Zuko needs both the Gaang and Mai. He needs the Gaang to hold him accountable for every shitty little thing he did—and he needs Mai there to keep from spiraling and self-destruction.
Zuko and his uncle were de facto conquerors, so they had to do much more to redeem themselves than Mai and Ty Lee (mere soldiers, but NOT innocent) had to.
Zuko had to work hard to earn the Gaang's forgiveness (personal opinion: he should've grovelled more and he should've been called out on his racism against Aang) and Uncle Iroh reconquered Ba Sing Se in the name of it's people.
They both did reparations to the very people they hurt. And their crimes were much more direct and vicious compared to Mai and Ty Lee’s.
As someone not as responsible as them, Mai and Ty Lee's redeeming themselves was at the Boiling Rock.
And well, when Zuko is Firelord right after the war—he would be paying for the crimes of his ancestors. He needs the Gaang there to keep from acting like he did with Katara pre-Southern Raiders (everyone else seems to have forgiven me!) and he needs Mai to keep himself from actually spiralling into self-destruction and undeserved guilt (Sozin's and Ozai's faults aren't his even if he's paying for it and someone needs to remind him that)
So, yeah. He needs them both for different things.
As for Mai, her conflict was that she was never allowed to express herself. And loving Zuko made up for that—she finally stands up for something she believes in (not in the cause, but in Zuko) and Zuko didn't even have to do anything beside exist. He didn't “fix her.”
Although, again I do have the the complain that Mai has to do a lot of emotional labour for him and if you really are gonna shit on Maiko: it's Zuko who needs to step up, not Mai—well, Mai tried to “fix him” and she couldn't!
That's so important to me!—I’m tired of girl fixes boy narrative. And she couldn't fix him because only he could fix himself and Mai herself is used to making the best out of a situation and being selfish/passive/choosing the path of least resistance. She tried to do to Zuko what worked for her (or maybe didn't, considering she was coping)—and well—later when Zuko's Firelord it'll be Mai who keeps him from harming himself.
Zuko needs both to be balanced out.
He needs multiple people to act as support system and that's both healthy and realistic. Mai isn't everything and neither should she be.
I know what the comics did; don't bring them up here. It's not about the comics.
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thegaybluejay · 15 days
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Okay hi I’m back with another ramble-y ATLA character analysis since this is low key my brand on here lmao-
Today I want to talk about Zuko from the lens of someone who also had to deconstruct. This will be long, but please bear with me!
I was raised in a very white conservative evangelical Christian bubble where literally EVERYONE I knew for the majority of my childhood and teenage years thought mostly the same way. There was a lot of othering and shaming of anyone who thought too differently. Even if it was sometimes said more passively than cruelly, there was always that underlying tone. “The others/the people outside of our group/the worldly ones are lost and need our help because we’re better than them!”
While I strived to not be cruel, my beliefs were still harmful. I lost a few friends when I got to my mid-late teenage years because I didn’t yet know how to challenge what I’d been taught.
I see so much of myself in Zuko.
Zuko was surrounded by propaganda his entire life. He was steeped in it - steeped in the blood of those that the system he supported/represented had hurt and killed.
Anger is a huge part of all of this. While my anger was never quite as outward as Zuko’s (I hid it fairly well and was always known as the “pretty good kid”), I can still so heavily relate to his anger. His anger at always falling just short of being good enough or perfect enough. His later anger at himself for not understanding how fucked up the system was sooner. His anger at the people that failed and hurt him. His anger at realizing how he failed and hurt other people. All of it.
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I also understand his backslides in Book 2 and early Book 3. When you begin tackling the first layers of harmful shit you’ve been taught, it can quickly become so tempting to just call it quits and go back. You almost start to romanticize the simplicity of life before you began this journey. The rules and goals were so straightforward back then, and deconstructing is messy as hell. Even if you were deeply hurting in your old life, at least you weren’t so damn confused. You used to know your next steps, but now everything is in disarray and you don’t have a direction to rebuild in yet. Going back almost feels like it would be a survival tactic, a way to have a sense of control again. Zuko definitely 100% needed to atone for what he did in Ba Sing Se because it hurt others, and while I’d like to think I would’ve made a different choice in his shoes, I also get it on some level. The confusion stage sucks, and it’s not always linear either.
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But then.
One day, something just clicks. You eventually deconstruct enough that you truly come to full terms with how fucked up it all is. And you realize that you don’t belong there anymore, and the version of you that DID belong was just a facade. The blinders fully come off, they’re never going back on, and a spark lights in you that prompts you to make a big change. The deeper you go, the more urgent this deconstruction becomes in your mind because holy fuck I have to do something about this. I want this shit out of my brain for good and I want to help make things better. I want to learn who I am and finally live that out.
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THAT is one of the most pivotal points in the journey, and I loved seeing it within Zuko’s arc when he comes to this realization after the war meeting in Book 3 and leaves to join the Gaang. I also loved that they didn’t trust him the first time he came to them - both he as an individual and the system that he had once supported/represented had hurt these people, and it took some real apologies and some time to build up trust. It also wasn’t done with half assed centrism either - it was “I acknowledge that this system is completely broken and wrong and I will do everything in my power to help gut it from the top-down and restore it with love”.
This leads to another pivotal point in the journey - instead of being motivated by fear like you were when you were deep in the indoctrination or by the raw anger you first felt as you initially left, you start to be motivated by love. And it’s the most freeing thing.
It was so cool to see Zuko learn that, while his anger was a helpful tool (ie: the confrontation with his father and his overall anger at the corruption he saw in his nation), he couldn’t be fueled by it any longer. He had to find another motivation to keep going, and he was then taught by the Sun Warriors and the dragons how to be motivated by light and life and love and also how to use those alongside an anger that was finally righteous.
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And with this, he was ready to fight. To fight for a cause he knew to be good. To fight arm in arm with his newly acquired family. To fight to fix what his nation had done to the world and to itself. To fight for love and peace instead of division and hate and destruction.
And wow is it a beautiful journey.
TL;DR - Zuko’s story is so powerful to those who are deconstructing and I love him so much! I also just enjoy doing character analysis hehe.
(I really love talking about ATLA, so if y’all want me to analyze other characters or even plotlines through a specific lens, feel free to submit an Ask and I will happily do so!!!)
(Also, quick ending note - this is just my personal experience with deconstruction! Other people’s retelling of their own deconstructions may be different from mine, and that’s totally okay!!)
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the-badger-mole · 1 year
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AU Bot Plots
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Okay, so Katara is the teacher here, but I can't decide if the troubled middle schooler is Kiyi or Izumi. I love the idea of both for different reasons, so I'll give an overview of both situations. Sorry, no story snippets this time, but the overviews are long enough that I decided to make this a two-parter. I'll post the second part next week.
Kiyi
After the unexpected death of his estranged mother, Zuko finds himself the guardian of his 12 year old sister, who he didn't know existed until the social worker contacted him. The transition has been difficult for both siblings. Kiyi lost her mother, and then because her surprise older brother lived across the country, she lost her home and her friends too.
Zuko has a complicated relationship with his family. He hadn't heard from his mother in over a decade since she left his abusive father in the middle of the night, leaving her two children behind. After an attack that left Zuko permanently scarred, his father is imprisoned, Zuko goes to live with his uncle. His sister, Azula, blames him for them losing their father, the only other parent they had left. She ends up going to stay with two aging aunts who had a clear preference for her over Zuko. After graduating from college, the two siblings are very, very low contact. Zuko's uncle is, as far as he knows, the only family he has left. Then he is contacted by the social worker and finds out simultaneously that his mother is dead, and he has another sister, who has no other family to turn to. (I haven't decided if Kiyi is Ozai's or if Ursa was having an affair, but either way, she was already pregnant when she left). Zuko is reeling from all the information at once, and now he has to deal with his own emotional turmoil, and the emotional turmoil of a 12 year old girl who he's now responsible for, all while scrambling to find a two bedroom apartment.
Kiyi is enrolled in school almost immediately, but she has a hard time adjusting. She doesn't make friends, and hardly even speaks. When she does, she says things that get her in trouble. One teacher, though, sees that Kiyi is acting out from grief, and instead of punishing her, Katara Imiq tries to get Kiyi to open up. Eventually, she has to set up a meeting with her brother to get help come up with a plan to help Kiyi, and Katara sees that Zuko's struggling, too. Some plot happens, and Zuko ends up signing Kiyi up for martial arts classes with Suki, and he gets pulled into Katara's circle of friends. Through their newfound support system, Zuko and Kiyi start to heal and learn how to live with each other. Azula may or may not pop up once or twice, at least hinting at a potential reconciliation between the three siblings.
At some point in the story, Kiyi will start hinting to Zuko that he needs a date, and her teacher is single.
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hello-nichya-here · 8 months
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Why did Zuko feel compassion towards victims of war (Song, that couple's unborn baby) but Azula hasn't? Because she didn't have her own "Iroh" or because she wasn't as much exposed to the other environment?
Before we even discuss Azula, let's remember that despite Zuko's compassion towards others being very real, we cannot forget a few important aspects of these moments of pre-redemption kindness.
After bonding with Song, who had just helped him and his uncle, he stole her ostrige-horse (which Iroh went along with, though showing much more remorse than Zuko - aka any remorse at all).
Even though he didn't steal from that couple because he saw that the woman was pregnant, he still said "the people should be giving stuff to us" because that's what he was used to as a prince adn robbed plenty of people in the Earth Kingdom, taking both food and money, but also stuff he absolutely did not need to survive - to the point that Iroh tried to make him see that this was wrong, to which Zuko said that they would no longer gain anything by travelling together, as a very clear "I'll do whatever I think I should/am entitled to do."
And, of course, even though Zuko DID eventually feel compassion for all of Earth Kingdom in general (we see proof of it when turns his back on his father and joins the Gaang) we cannot forget that, even after that, he did go back to the very nation that was oppressing and killing them, even when Iroh had made it very clear "It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good" clearly meaning "It's time to leave your old life behind and help stop your father", and only left when he was forced to think of the consequences of his actions as Ozai planned to burn everything to the ground, and Zuko was disgusted at himself for not speaking out against it.
These are important things to keep in mind because they show us that:
1 - Even when one is removed from the environment they grew up in, it still affects their world-view in the long term (Zuko had been banished for three years after all).
2 - Selective compassion is a thing, and it can be a result of "desperate times, desperate measures" (see Iroh stealing the ostrige-horse even he clearly didn't want to do that), of literal indoctrination and pleasant lies to excuse your bad actions (see Sozin starting the war to "share the Fire Nation's great way of life with others", regardless of them wanting it or not), of the classic "This thing I'm doing WOULD be bad in normal circumstances, but it's totally okay right now because it's a war and they are not on my side" justification, and of just thinking your life is way more important than anyone else's so screwing them over without necessity is fine.
3 - Changing one's whole mentality is a long, difficult process, in which is very common for the person to constantly take one step forwards then two steps back for quite some time before fully moving on.
4 - Having a mentor/support system is nice, but at the end of the day people make their own choices, and it doesn't matter if you tell them (gently or sternly) "You're making a huge mistake" because if they don't see it that way, there's nothing you can do to force them to understand where you're coming from.
Now, let's finally discuss Azula. Much like Zuko, she was raised in a deeply dysfunctional family that gave her all the wrong lessons about how relationships are supposed to work, AND said family was also royalty of an imperialist nation that had normalized war and genocide nearly a whole century before she was born. And unlike Zuko, she did not have someone to even try to guide her towards the right path.
To make matters worse, she's also "Ozai's right hand" and his favorite child for most of the show - which in this context means she's the child soldier that has been brainwashed the most AND the kid that is the least likely to recognize she's being taken advantage of because every unfair thing Ozai demans of her (and that often has very serious consequences for others) is framed as her duty both as his daughter and heir, and as a potential way to gain some of the love and validation the bastard is well aware his children crave.
EVEN WORSE, all the stress Azula was put under psychologically destroyed her - and has made her paranoid. Meaning that even if someone were to try and step up to help her now, she would be convinced that they are either secretly ploting to harm her, or at the very least that they are trying to fool her because they need something from her.
For Azula to ever be able to see the error of her ways, she'd need:
1 - To recover from her breakdown and have a support system of people she trusts.
2 - These people would need to push her to see that the war hurt her, the people she loves, the people of the Fire Nation, and the people of the other nations (yes, in that order). They'd also need to be ready to deal with her taking one step forward, two steps back, just like Zuko did, because as I've already explained this is a long, complicated process.
3 - Recovered and willing to admit that the war was a terrible thing that never should have happened, she'd spend sometime with amongst some of the people it affected the most (that can mean anything from "lots of conversations with Aang and the rest of the group when they visit Zuko" all the way to "life-changing field trip with Zuzu to help rebuild the Earth Kingdom/Air Temples/Water Tribe(s), it really just depends on what you'd like to see in a story)
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Admittedly I do not know any of your OCs but here's our chance to fix that!! 7, 9, 17, 21, and 32 for whichever two of them sound like the most fun to talk about!
asdfghjkl okay cool cool so I'll go with two from my favorite og work called Giant Flying Lizard Thing. Laura and Kaixon are long-lost dragon shapeshifter siblings
7. What fictional character do you think most influenced them, or is most like them (intentionally or not)?
Laura is actually pretty original. she's very dry and closed off and at face value her personality is almost apathetic and I've often struggled with her characterization because I haven't encountered many good references in the media I typically consume. I can't think of a character off the top of my head that really inspired her. That being said, the whole story did start out as a parody to the Mark of the Dragonfly book that I read a loooong time ago (10/10 would recommend, though it is geared towards young audiences) which has dragon-shapeshifter adjacents.
Kaixon is on the other end of the scale. He's super jaded, but he runs it through with chaotic humor and unhinged criminal activity. He's got a good heart but like. you know. it's buried under about fifteen layers of trauma, self-hate, pessimism, loneliness, etc. Think Kanan pre-Hera. Kanan wasn't a base for his character, however, which is ironic because the more I think about it the more similarities I can point out. I did make Kaixon before I even knew Kanan existed okay I swear. Kaixon was probably more inspired by guys like Keefe Sencen from KOTLC or Han Solo.
9. Pick a quote from Avatar: The Last Airbender that describes them.
Oh shoot this is a hard one. give me a second while I pull up a list of atla quotes.
okay here's Laura's: “Step aside, filth.” —Zuko, Episode 1.15, “Bato of the Water Tribe” She's not super creative, but when she does express emotion it's very intense and often violent. This quote is blunt and to the point, and quite possibly the most generous warning she could ever give the scum bag she's about to beat up. Usually she just jumps them (Shane is proud of her for using her words).
This one is for Kaixon: “You sound like my nephew, always thinking you need to do things on your own without anyone’s support. There is nothing wrong with letting the people who love you help you.” —Iroh, Episode 2.08, “The Chase” He's very non-trusting and pushes people away every chance he gets. While it's kind of a thing to be a lone gunslinger in his career as a professional criminal, he has accumulated a few close friends against his better judgement, which he seemed frustratingly unaware of.
17. How healthy are their familial relationships?
HAHAHAHA oh boy
So everything was great at the start of course. Kaixon ("Drayce" at the time. he changed his name when he became a bounty hunter) was Laura's beloved protective older brother and everyone doted on her because she was baby and cute and full of life. then their parents were brutally murdered by slavers and they were separated and they both assumed the other was dead. Eventually Laura was adopted much later by a really nice lil family clan who were very accommodating of her traumatic past and triggers. they help her feel like a person again which is super great we love to see it. She does have a bit of a rivalry with her adoptive cousin Hally but only because Hally is super competitive and Laura totally forgot how to be nice. Kaixon never got adopted lol read: doesn't trust anyone. by the time his parents were killed he was old enough to make it on his own so he never put much effort into finding new people. He does get forcefully adopted by a few of his friends, but they're not super consistent relationships because he forces himself to work alone most of the time. They're trying. it's okay, it'll work out eventually.
21. What is their love language?
Laura expresses love by committing acts of service. This stems a lot from her sense of inadequacy, and growing up in a system of merit where she was rewarded or punished based on the quality of her performance. While she knows in her head that the people who love her would never hold her to the standards she was conditioned with in her formative years, it's knee-jerk instinct at this point. She always wants to prove that she's a valuable asset. On the flip side, she feels love by spending quality time with her family. Her family and the people she values most are what she hoards as a dragon cryptid, so being near them and spending time with them and doing fun things with them and knowing they're safe makes her feel really happy and fulfilled.
Kaixon is also a mix of the two. He won't go out of his way to spend time with people he loves since it's habit for him to isolate himself, but he deeply appreciates surprise visits from his friends (especially that friend if you know what I mean 😉). He uses his actions to show he cares about something or someone. no feat is too small. this boy will go above and beyond to any length necessary to prove his devotion and commitment. He'll do anything. seriously he will do anything <3
32. Rate on a scale of 1 to 10 how likely they are to commit a crime.
Okay this is funny. First of all, I need to establish that the government in this story is hella corrupt so a lot of the actual good things are considered crimes and a lot of the bad things are fully legal (read: active slave trade).
Laura is suuuuper unhinged and has poor impulse control especially when it comes to Shane. She has definitely eaten people for insulting him before. no one touch her precious little sunshine man. Also she's just super opinionated, and because she's not human she has a few physical advantages over most public offenders and is a lot more likely to get away with doing illegal stuff. I'll give her a 6/10.
Kaixon is the most wanted man in the kingdom. Doing crimes is literally his profession. 10/10.
Thank you super duper much @kanerallels for the ask! I always love going off about my oc babies my children my beloved muffins! They are so dear to me and I will NEVER tire of talking about them! I hope you enjoyed Laura and Kaixon feel free to keep the asks coming
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lovelyelbowleech · 1 year
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HELLO hair anon here with a twofer ask!!! i came to talk about how much i love your newest chapter and saw you’re talking about languages in atla and got REALLY excited bc that’s a pet passion of mine!!! ajdjsjd so here we go with part one >:)
holy fuck ZUKO. ZUKO AHHHHHHH. i can’t even be mad at him for what he did because What The Fuck but also hhhhhhh. i don’t even have words. SUPER not feeling whatever the fuck wei is plotting. like supeerrrrrrrr not feeling it. i honestly don’t even know what to say bc i’m really anxious about what’s going to happen next LMAO. like it definitely wasn’t as bad as i was fearing when i read the chapter description but like holy shit. i am VERY anxiously awaiting the next chapter lol. but again thank you so much for this—i always love the way you write all the characters but i REALLY loved the way you wrote sokka this chapter. he needs way more (consensual) hugs than he’s getting. 😭 he needs to reunite with katara soon!! and so does zuko with iroh although haha Fuck that one has a lot of things that can go wrong with it!!! To Say The Least!!! anyways i’m rambling as always akdksk thank you so much for sharing this chapter with us; i always love your writing and am so super excited for the next one 💖💖💖
and hehe okay LANGUAGES. so i have a whole theory (not really but kind of lol) and language on atla and it comes from the following things We Know To Be True from the show(s), comics, and novels (thank you fc yee):
- they’re very clearly not speaking english. i specify english because it was the language both shows were written and originally recorded in. there’s lots of evidence to support this and i don’t need to go into all of them but as a few faves: the writing system, the ba sing se/na sing se joke, and momo’s name joke
- they all understand each other. this doesn’t mean they’re speaking the same language, necessarily, but everyone in the shows who have spoken have understood each other. importantly, this includes the part in legend of korra when wan meets the first air nomads and even though those cultures had (as far as we know) never had contact before then they still speak to each other and understand each other clearly.
- BUT there’s still linguistic change and variety!!! there’s an almost offhand comment in the first chapter of rise of kyoshi where jianzhu thinks about the fact that a remote province in the northern(?) earth kingdom had become so isolated in the wake of kuruk’s death that they had almost developed their own dialect. which is HUGE imo because i’m a nerd lol.
but ANYWAYS from these we can extrapolate that:
- it’s possible that each nation/region/however it would be divided speaks its own language. however there’s no evidence for this that i can think of for that. it’s not impossible though! more on that in a sec.
- it seems most likely they’re speaking a universal language of some sort, which is evidenced by the fact that there’s never any difficulty communicating between characters (even between characters from cultures who have never had contact before). however there’s still variation in this hypothetical universal language, which makes sense as it’s a living language. however the fact that over the x many thousands of years this language has been around it hasn’t evolved much (as far as we can tell) into different dialects is…. interesting, but it’s a fantasy show and therefore i’m willing to cut them some slack akdksk (also it’s canonically a smaller world than ours so it makes sense there would be at least a little bit less linguistic and geographic variety). the origins of such a universal language is also something that would be very fascinating to know because traditional modes of language formation would probably have not all been at play in order to develop one (1) universal language that managed to stay the same for untold millennia
- it’s Also possible they’re all speaking different languages but something (presumably a spirit or something along those lines lol) allows them to understand each other. which there’s not really any evidence supporting but there’s also no evidence against, so…?
given all this, my theory is this: some spirit keeps the people in the atlaverse able to communicate, whether it be via a (relatively) unchanging universal language or acting as a translator for every person in the world all the time lol. personally i think it could potentially be raava; my only evidence for this thought is the fact that she’s the spirit of balance (and i could see there being an argument made in-universe for all the nations being able to speak the same tongue being a very important form of keeping balance; hell there’s regularly arguments for that in our world, and semi-regular attempts to rectify it [sometimes via conlang lol]), and the throwaway line i mentioned where the avatar’s lack of an active presence in the world was causing that one province to almost develop their own dialect. however it could be anything or anyone! or i could be missing vital information! (Please other people let me know if i’m missing vital information lol.) or the creators could retcon something and prove all of this extrapolation on my end pointless! and if anyone has any other theories i’d love to hear them :)
anyways sorry for the essay in your inbox 😬 i hope it isn’t too much and i’m sorry if it is!! i hope you’re having a good day and thank you once again :) 💖
Glad the chapter was not as horrifying as you anticipated (although of course there is another half to go!) And as my poor beta reader has been busy, the document was still there on the shared google-doc.. so it has now grown another POV and extra 3k... and possibly another, even more unpleasant interlude - so there is that to look forward to as well 😂)
I love all this! The idea of a spirit making people understand each other's language (like a spirity babel fish 😂) would make for a fascinating fic - it would be a really fun theory to explore. Either in discovering that was the case and they are all actually speaking different languages and dialects - or if it just suddenly stopped doing what it was doing and the impact that would have on pretty much everything! 
Long interesting theories in my inbox are never too much, they are a treat 😁
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prodogg · 2 years
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Opinion on Ozai?
Ohhhh okay, here we go: Ozai definitely is the villain in atla no questions asked and he is the bad guy of the show not without a reason, I mean he was willing to burn his way to Ba Sing Se and if he could burn the whole EK down during Sozin's Comet (which wouldnt be possibly due to him not having enough air ships and time). So, I think Ozai is the strongest fire bender we see in the show and no one could have beaten him except Aang during the comet. Furthermore I think Ozai was abused as as child and didn't have a Support system like Zuko had with Iroh. Also, I think Ozai and Iroh weren’t close siblings due to the age difference and Azulon's constantly using Iroh to demean Ozai (hc). About Ozai's parenting, well I think he didn’t abuse his kids maliciously rather more important for his abuse was how he thought how parenting works. His father was his only reference material for parenting and Azulon detested him for "killing" his mother during childbirth(hc). Also him burning Zuko was the first time he got physical in his abuse. Soooo his relationship with Ursa, I can see it from two PoV's one is from my Urzai shipper glasses that and the other one is when not considering Urzai, all in all I don't think Ozai would try to make Ursa his enemy because she would be way better as a ally in court, treating her bad just doesn't make sense for me since I think Ursa is really good at court due to her acting(hc). I also love that what happened to Ozai is kinda like what happened in Macbeth. I just see him as man who got worse over time and losing himself to his ambition and hunger for power, his hunger did cost him his son, daughter and wife. Can Ozai become "better"? yes I think so because I saw how Endeavor developed in My Hero Academia and that gave me some inspiration, it just would be a difficult road for him. Like I said in my previous answer to a different ask. I want the fire fam to be like in that one fanart I really like. Of course there are people who make really complicated stuff with Ozai and how he abused his kids and how redemptions should look but I try to keep it simple like atla kept it simple. In addition the hill I will die on is that Ozai is Zuko just without support system. Of course y'all can disagree with my opinion on him and before somebody thinks Im to nice to him, I'm not he is a big asshole I didn't forget it. :) Edit: Maybe I did forget some stuff I wanted to mention. I wrote this with a big time gap in between.
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lillian-nator · 3 years
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Everything below was made by Me, Eye, and Ethan over the course of like 3 days
Thank you (with additions from sleepy my beloved)
Like
Okay
So
Wilbur isn’t the oldest
Techno is
But it’s a war run empire, they take pride in their troops and armies and triumphs
The soldiers come first
So Techno is the commander in chief , the general
Wilbur, second born
Is heir to the throne
To the diplomatic side of the empire
and Tommy Gets shit
He doesn’t even understand why Phil had another kid
Of course there is the situation where Techno or Wilbur dies, or one of them steps down, but it won’t happen
Was he really born to be the understudy
he was born as a backup
Tommy was an accident but they’re not gonna let the public know that
like he's the Zuko
Phil doesn't really pay attention to him so his mother picks up the slack
Wilbur is 21
Techno’s 23
Tommy’s 17
However I have a really good idea for prince Tommy, just like what if he doesn’t like the way that people treat him? Like he doesn’t want all these yes men he wants to be he wants to be told now, he want somebody to tell him he that’s against the rules he just wants him like structure he just want someone to hate him he want someone to not like him and say no and tell him that he’s stupid which is why he does all of the stupid shit that he does
Ever since he was like 4
Everyone has said yes
He wants to defy them
He wants to just do something to make someone say no
That and he lowkey
He wants ~~Phil~~ Wilbur to pay attention to him
Is a Little Shit who causes so many problems on purpose to try and find someone who will push back against him
He wants someone to give him structure and discipline but overall he just wants his family’s attention
He’s broken shit, thrown temper tantrums, he’s started fights and he’ll he’s even snuck out and stole things
He’s never been stopped
People consider him snobby and spoiled
He's a brat
He gets everything he wants, but he doesn’t really want it, he just asks to see if they’ll tell him no
Tubbo = Stable Boy
Ranboo = Prince of another country (probably the americas)
Ranboo could definitely fit the role of an overseas royal prince who Tommy sees as a regal, spoiled, uppity little shit. Like Tubbo, who Tommy sneaks everywhere, has met Ranboo and likes him. Tommy can't possibly see why, he's unbearable.
Bench Trio = Best freinds
I think that Tommy and his brothers were always very very close
they just have jobs and shit
They took over Phil's shit
they probably drift apart as they get older, Wilbur and techno have duties and Tommy starts his quest for attention, they grow apart from their little brother without realizing it
Tommy and his mother (kristin) are always and have continued to be close
she definitely chides him, and tells him quietly to not do things for all of his "misbehaviors"
but there is only so much that she can do, because she has the duty to not make a scene
that and she's not who he's looking for attention from
You may be asking "How is crime recognized, identified, discussed, and atoned for?" more specifically, "Is it a 'you stole my bread so without asking anyone I'm cutting your hand off' or is it the US court system" ~~You may also be Ethan~~
The answer is:
like the UKs
But more like
Okay so the Supreme Judicial system, but Phil (and then Wilbur) has teh final say
Court system, but with Phil overseeing everything
instead of a judge
HOWEVER, that's in the national level
in smaller villages, its more of the cut your hand off system
because the judicial system isn't regulated
So bonus questions:
Punishments and the identification of whether a crime counts as a crime?
soldiers can call crimes out, and citizens can file reports
Phil's not really shit, he just doesn't show Tommy any attention because he's busy with the other two
Just honestly doesn't even care about most shit Tommy does
Like, doesn't pay attention to it until it affects him, he's busy running a country and training the boys to running a country
I don’t think they (the brothers) realize how badly everything is affecting Tommy
The only one who knows anything about the full extent would be his mom, and she’s in a similar boat to Tommy
Phil doenst really see her much either
Not like she could “Make a Scene” trying to get Phil to pay attention to his youngest, to actually love his child, he’s barely around
Kristin and Phil spend time together at night, but during the day everything is for the cameras
its like the UK royals, how they do shit just for the people
And Phil doenst want to hear about the kids at night, he wants to spend time with his wife
Tommy has stolen a car and will do it again
Just fucking hopped in and took a joyride
With Absolutely No Repercussions
Do you think Phil ever tries to hire like, a nanny or something? In the aftermath of the Car Incident? Yes, and it never worked
Tommy, like 15 at the time, pissed as hell as a random ass woman tries to tell him to go to bed at 8:30 pm
Tommy wants somebody to tell him no but not somebody hired to tell him no mannn
Tommy goes to like parties - like ragers
he has a network of really famous friends like young actors and shit
dude is a party animal, underage drinking, rumors of drugs, he’s the PR Teams worst nightmare, but they’re not going to say anything
The press makes up SO MUCH SHIT
The press once said that he had done cocaine when it was really one of his friends
Tommy adopts two dogs (hello Betty and Walter) without asking either of his parents
Betty is short for Elizabeth
He brings them in off the street
Literal abandoned street dogs and he goes, mine now
He like, walks down the street with sunglasses on, and just doesn't look at anyone as he walks the dogs, who have like black nice leather leashes
The paparazzi always finds him walking the dogs
like a modern celebrity
Mans can and will call the paparazzi on himself - because he is a drama queen ETHAN Tommy voice "hello pa pa. I have hired two new staff, pa pa." "Huh?" "they have found work in this palace as emotional support animals, pa pa." "....ok." tommy voice "he didn't even blink, elizabeth the fourteenth" END OF ETHAN MAKING FUN OF THE BRITISH
By the way just to clear things up with you all, Tommy addresses Phil as "Father"
most of the paparazzi's pictures of Tommy are him flipping the camera off
He poses for them
just sees a camera and fucking sticks his tongue out and flips them off
He’s wearing some atrocious outfit while walking his dogs and he just has a full on fashion photshoot of poses for them
If his dad won’t give him attention at least they will
Tommy befriends some of the staff
he hates a lot of the butlers tbh
thinks they're stuck up
but likes to gossip with the maids, and sit in the kitchen as the chefs cook lunch "Heyyyy, chef!" "Your highness, what is it, are you hungry?" "Can't a man just talk to his chef? Befriend his castle staff?" "Ah."
that and the kitchen gives betty and walter treats
Top ten Prince Thomas microaggressions
Number One: he calls Phil "your highness"
For context, kings are referred to as Your Majesty
He calls Wilbur Your Majesty
It was a joke when they were younger, a habit from then on, but now it’s to spite Phil
Tommy spends an ridiculous amount of money on clothes all at once, purely to see if Phil would yell at him for using the family debit card for it
He never wears the clothes
He doesn’t particularly like any of them anyways
Instead he donate them all anonymously
Tommy may be a brat but he isn’t wasteful
By the time Tommy’s 12 he’s started acting up, and it escalates slowly until he hits 15 where things just start snowballing and he gets worse and worse
he's definitely nicknamed by the press as some sort of party animal or fratboy
a spoiled brat
He’s 16, and he knows his place in the family, he is forgotten and glossed over, but he won’t be ignored, not if he can help it
The Public gives him the attention he wishes his father would give him, he walks his dogs with the paparazzi tailing after him, just hoping that maybe one scandal or one horrible picture will eventually be enough to make his dad actually See him
he'll tell the paparazzi what they want to hear
and give every magazine a story to tell
they notice him
he just wants somebody to tell him no, somebody tell this boy no without being paid to please
Tommy probably has like, pierced his ears or smth. Gotten tattoos.
he has holes in his face yes.
he pierced his ears and his nose
He has a tattoo on the inside of his finger that matches with Tubbo and Ranboo
Maybe the picture of him plastered from last weekend will make his dad reprimand him
Maybe the weed found in his backseat will get his Dad to ground him
Maybe the bottle of fucking pills he was “holding for a friend” but got caught with Will get some sort of reaction
and its not like he's only doing it for attention
he starts it for attention, but he loves it he does
he has fun, he loves his friends, he likes the parties and the air
but, he also loves the attention, he's not gonna lie
Tommy who took adderall at a party once but it didn’t do anything for him, he seemed to function a little better actually
Tommy who knows Techno has adhd and takes adderall for it, Tommy who puts two and two together Bc he’s not fucking dumb
Tommy realizing his dad never cared to even get him diagnosed or treated
and Techno does notice, he does figure it out, but he does either a "hey..." or a "m8 I'll just get you your own if its helpin you focus" and tommy is furious
Tommy's life here is just
'trying to be yelled at HARD MODE'
Just wants to be screamed at, lowkey
I think, Wilbur avoids the tabloids
And the press
And the news
However, his advisors often read him the shit about Tommy - or anything about him
But they never see the pictures
They don’t see the picture of Tommy drunk on a strangers balcony
They don't see how bad it is
Tommy however? LOVES reading what the press has to say about him
Phil sees it however,
And he’s so disappointed
He gives Tommy so many talks but it never works
Because it doesn’t get him to love Tommy, to care about what Tommy does
Not like their mother
And he never makes a scene, not in the way Tommy wants to
It's all about "YOUR RUINING OUR IMAGE"
not: "YOUR RUINING YOUR LIFE"
He never asks if Tommy is ok
He never asks if he’s safe
Tommy's mum however, SO MANY AWKWARD "STAY SAFE" TALKS
He doesn't just fucking jump off shit because of her, he's slightly less reckless so that he can come home alive to her
I just think that Wilbur, no matter how busy, would find time to concerned yell at his baby brother if he were to find out about the pills
Weed and alcohol? Not great but ok.
Pills though?? He is full blown concerned Wilbro there
His brothers care. Their father is busy. He's a jerk sometimes too.
Wilbur does put out the fire a bit
He’s glad Wilbur had his best interest in mind
But man
The news headlines
They do him dirty
Shit like “Prince Tommy Caught Doing Cocaine at Frat Party” really fuck him over
They really just try their best to make him look like shit 95% of the time
Tommy loves it, just a little
Bad press is still press
He laughs at the headline Bc he knows he wasn’t doing cocaine, but Phil doesn’t, wilbur and techno don’t know that
It’s a tense week after that headline is released
His mom doesn’t even know if Tommy would have actually done cocaine
They just don’t know
Kristin asks him
She’s the only one who believes him
I think Wilbur wants to believe him, Techno too
But it’s hard to, especially when you’re not even sure you know your own brother anymore
Wilbur says something along the lines of being disappointed in Tommy, if he thought Tommy was trying to be better
Tommy scoffs and says he is trying, but that it’s real rich of Wilbur to be or entering to care now
This isn’t even the worse headline
One time a blonde kid got picked up from the same party Tommy was at on a stretcher, he had had an allergic reaction
Some shitty journalist saw and automatically assumed it was Tommy
They ran with the story that the prince had fucking overdosed for at least a week
The things they say are close to the truth but not quite
The PR Team tries their best to help but
They don’t even know what’s true or not
Tommy goes on a bender for a week, and walks into their office with coffee and pastries to apologize
They all know that presents mean a rough week of damage control
But Tommy imports them these Bomb ass donuts so
Fair trade really
Also heaven forbid tommy gets seen with a girl
It’s the worst shit
Tommy gets caught, drunk off his ass, pushing a couch out a window
(To be fair the people were moving soon anyways, they didn’t need the couch, it was a going away party)
And the next morning, recalling what he did
He orders up those pastries and calls the coffee place
Swings by to pick up the coffee and picks up the pastries all within the next two hours and delivers them on the third with an apology note
It’s fucking DAMAGE control
Thinking about Tubbo and Ranboo being Tommy’s DDs when they can
They are
When Tommy’s handler isn’t around
Them doing wild shit together but not Wild Shit
Tommy teaches them how to do burnouts and donuts in a fucking lambos in an empty mall parking lot
Ranboo goes everywhere incognito, Tommy practically flaunts his rank, Tubbo is considered a nobody and doesn't have to do anything but show up in casual clothes. He has a uniform for stablework.
Ranboo's parents are approving of his friendship with the fledging prince, as they hope he can wrangle Tommy to regality and he's building positive relations between the two kingdoms.
Phil is disapproving, worried Tommy will taint Ranboo and his rep and cause a tense air between the two kingdoms. Tommy loves Phil's worry, he practically bathes in it, it's the attention he so craves.
Tommy definitely will hold Tubbo's hand when he walks with him, because the headlines all scream Tommy is the gay?? and while he's very incredibly straight, he finds this hysterical.
Ranboo isn't always in Tommy's kingdom and rather spends most of his time at home. He might be second to heir or the crown prince himself, but he does have to spend time in his own country. Tommy face calls him a lot and he and Tubbo are ecstatic when he announces he's going to visit
I imagine he's second to the throne because that means he can focus on building relations instead of training to be king.
Older sibling Fundy, gets chronic illness, and Ranboo has to take over the throne for a bit
One of Tommy's worst stunts was hitching a ride to the Americas/Ranboo's kingdom without telling anyone.
Whether by boat or plane, he was gonna go visit his young king friend no matter what.
I say "young king" but he's still a prince. Just filling in for fundy
But all eyes turn to Ranboo and Ranboo is stumbling with attention he'd never known. Tommy has to help, doesn't he?
He expects such a punishment for stowing away to visit, but the headlines are... positive. Prince Tommy's friendship with Princr Ranboo becomes.... legendary, practically. Tubbo is always excluded from the news, even when he comes with.
Never too fantastical for classism
But no, the headlines see Tommy's visit not as the young, rebellious prince stowing away, but as a young boy risking his skin to visit his stressed friend.
Tommy is appalled.
And Tommy just groans and shows him the phone
And Ranboo laughs and goes
“There there Tommy, I’m sure dragging me to a frat party will be enough to ruin the good press.”
“Maybe get a dui, you’ll have diplomatic immunity so no jail time?”
“Boo, I wouldn’t get jail time even if I wasn’t em-mune, I am simply too poggers.”
“Sure man, let’s go with that.”
Tommy’s like “maybe I need to actually start doing hard drugs”
Ranboos just like “no -“ just “Please god no, your brothers will kill both of us.”
The Boo is terrified of Techno and Wilbur
Not as royals though, simply as Tommy’s older brothers
Like he knows about Tommy’s issues with validation and feeling unloved, he knows his Brothers are often very busy
But he also sees the way they look at Tommy, and the way they look when people talk bad about Tommy
He knows if something were to happen and he was to cause harm to Tommy or cause Tommy to cause harm to himself
It probably wouldn’t end well for him
Wilbur and techno try as hard as they can
But they’re SO busy
That they can’t do much especially when Tommy’s so persistent on doing his shit
Tubbo is great with the horses he tends to, and Tommy adores them. Ranboo is an excellent, regal rider and Tommy and Tubbo are more rough and ballsy, so races are fair and fastpaced.
Ranboo once got bucked by a royal stallion and Tommy and Tubbo never let him live it down.
I imagine Tubbo lives on the property, as some servants do. He either doesn't have a family, has a bad one, or his family doesn't live close to the palace.
So Tommy 10/10 sneaks to the servants' quarters and he and Tubbo sneak out to ride the horses.
I feel like Wilbur makes more of an effort after the pills and cocaine incident, he tries to ask Tommy about the headlines
Purples is Tommy’s friend
Rich family, old money
Throws a lot of the parties Tommy goes to
Purpled and punz :handshake: Tommy
Frat Boys
I think you guys are underestimating the time that Tommy spends at the castle
Like he still has school, and usually 3 days out of the week he follows around his brothers like an endearing little shit
But those 4 days where he’s gone (which includes weekends) plus nights, he’s doing shit
Also, yiu know Pongo right
101 Dalmatians
That’s how Tommy walks Betty and Walter
They are like standing completely proper and walks straight
ah yes, the royal bitches and also betty and walter are there too
the paparazzi taking pictures of Tommy and the dogs
and Tommy turns, taking his sunglasses off, and smiles big and wide "They have names you know? You should stop callin' them 'the royal dogs'."
One of the guys, he's familiar with the prince turns on his camera and asks "what're their names Prince Tommy?"
"Betty and Walter. Give them some respect."
Tommy visits Ranboo sometimes. Ranboo was looking for him one day and just found him standing in a long hall, staring at a portrait.
It's Ranboo, just barely younger, hands folded behind his back, the perfect picture of regality.
Tommy is staring at it because he knows that at home, there is a portrait of Wilbur looking like that, and one of Techno, and one of Phil and Kristen, and one of himself.
But somehow this image of Ranboo is.. haunting
Not because it doesn't match with the Ranboo he knows, but because it does.
It haunts him because he can stare at his portrait for hours and never see himself, but this is so plainly Ranboo that it's chilling.
Ranboo stands beside him, hands folded behind his back as they always are when he is in nice clothes and his eyes are visible. Tommy glances over and Ranboo is facing him, but staring up at the picture. It's still him.
The clothes are different and his hair is longer now, but Tommy can't tell the difference past that.
He knows that Ranboo is what his family wants him to be
He knows that Ranboo is him if he hadn't strayed, the same past
Ranboo knows exactly what’s going through his head right now
And he knows exactly what he needs too
They get fucking piss ass drunk in Ranboo’s room order takeout and FaceTime Tubbo
They can party tomorrow, Tommy doesn’t need to be in public right now
ANywyas
Tommy and his mother have a wonderful relationship
she teaches him literacy and history, they have a tutor teach him maths
they eat breakfast together every morning
the whole family does
but his mum tries to eat lunch with him at least 3 times a week
he goes out for lunch the days he doesn't eat with his brothers or mom, out to some resturant, sometimes, they trash it or party, sometimes he just brings Tubbo, no big group, and they just chill
With Ranboo in line for kingship (the way royalty works is that if the ruler dies, it will always go to the next in line of blood, never by marriage. Even if every heir was dead, it would still not go to the ruler consort but instead to a family member of the late ruler), rep is so much more important
he can't really be seen with Tommy sometimes
not on the bad weeks
not when Tommy just destroyed a bnb or set off fireworks with his friends, or was caught throwing chairs into his friend's pool
Tommy likes sport cars
big car guys
He has an exorbitant amount of fancy cars
its truly like
disgusting
how many cars he owns
Wilbur makes fun of it Bc the kid is just now legally old to drive
But Wilbur has so many expensive instruments
Some of which he doesn’t even know how to play yet
to be fair
Wilbur doesnt go breaking his instraments
Techno, techno has swords, which makes sense Bc he’s a general
But the amount swords he has just hanging on his wall
Never meant to be used
It’s so many
I feel like Tommy has a few cars that he doesn’t even let get scratched tho much
His babies
he has his expensive cars that he wrecks
and then his expensive cars that he treats like gold
They’re named
Clementine is this horrendous orange car that he absolutely loves
Its a bright orange ferrari
(He loves it Bc it was a gift from Phil, one of the first cars in his collection)
(Tommy doesn’t know that the idea was his mother’s, his father didn’t know what to get him)
all of his cars have padding in the back for his dogs
Tommy hates purse dogs, the girls with them are always fake and horrible
but he wishes his dogs were that small
Easy to transport
but they got all gangly limbs like him
and stand up to his hip
Henry is his sleek black classic mustang convertable
its what he drives when he doesn't want to be followed by the papp
It’s what he drives when he takes The BT to lunch
its not that the paparazzi doesn't know its him
they know
but he's not in one of his bright fucking obscene cars
The press and Tommy have a weird sort of understanding
He creates their headlines and they let him have moments to himself
If someone breaches that
They risk getting blacklisted
that car was what he drove to his grandmother's funeral in
im not naming his grandmother, but all royals live like forever
Clementine barely sees the road I think
She’s kept in top condition
By Tommy’s own hands
But she probably doesn’t get driven to the parties
Or the brunches
Or the clubs
She's used pretty much exclusively for black tie events
Tubbo is his driver for those Bc he trusts no one else with the car
And he has to exit her before she’s parked
So Tubbo valets and then meets him inside
It’s also how Tubbo gets into the black tie events
so its modern right
so its like thousand-dollar suits instead of capes
so, Tommy just refuses to wear blazers and suit jackets
he always wears his button-ups rolled to his elbows
Maybe, maybe you’ll get him in a vest
But most of the time it’s a button up, rolled up sleeves, and the tie is most likely incorrect or untied
The only reason it’s correct half the time, is because Wilbur makes him let him tie it
Tommy won't wear the jacket because he prefers to roll his sleeves up - he's able to do anything, party or just like rough housing with his brothers, or helping out the staff
Wilbur won't wear a tie, or a button up most days, opting for a high-end sweater and loads of jewelry; its just much more his style.
Techno won't wear a vest because it restricts the places he can hid weapons, and he almost never keeps his tie tied.
Tommy trying to walk past Wilbur to leave with and untied tie
“Wait! You know you can’t leave like that, come here.”
Tommy’s groans and slumps over but walks over to Wil anyways
“I’m just gonna untie it halfway through the party, you know i will.”
“Well, I’m not letting my little brother walk a red carpet with an untied tie, you know I won’t”
The second half said in a mocking tone of voice, very clearly mimicking Tommy’s whining
It’s a soft moment, they stand there together, brothers
And as Wilbur’s pat the finished tie, they make eye contact and both of them have undeniably fond looks on their faces, damn they’re brothers n shit
“Thanks Wil.”
It’s quiet, it’s soft, it’s Tommy
“Of course.”
Just as soft, just as quiet, wholly Wilbur
Wilbur clears his throat breaking the soft atmosphere of the room
“Now go, you gremlin. Don’t be late”
Wilbur ruffles Tommy’s hair, careful not to mess it up too much
Tommy rolls his eyes And quickly heads for the door “Bye Wil! Love you! Don’t wait up!” Wilbur quickly yells after him
“Love you too! Don’t do anything stupid!”
“Oh Wil you know I can’t promise that!” Wilbur just rolls his eyes and returns to his book
Yeah Tommy stays away from tobacco I think
Just weed
and I wouldn't be surprised if like hits peoples vapes sometimes, but doesn't smoke cigs
for sure, its stressful
Wilbur smokes cigarettes though
and he can't act out like Tommy can
and Phil loves him..
Techno and Wilbur watching Tommy rebel in the ways they never got to
They feel kinda sad, that they never got to be kids like that, sad that Tommy feels like he has to act out for attention
he gets to do shit
like he gets to be a real teen
the whole, dumb rich 17 year old experience
like yachts, and expensive hotel rooms, and sport cars
And sure they probably wouldn’t have been going to frat parties or crashing brunch places, but they see him with BT
See him have actual friends
And they’re happy for him
But it hurts a bit
And Tommy's hurting too
It's a lot
but its like
even if Phil wasn't shit
its a lot of attention
like everyone is watching them at all times
Techno and Wilbur have to stay refined in the eyes of the press
Tommy gets to put on a show for them
Yeah yeah
Do you know how much a drunk picture of Prince Tommy is worth?
Too much
Some random guy on his first paparazzi job, gets a pic of Tommy, shirt mostly unbuttoned, tie tied around his head, drinking out of a beer bottle, and flipping off the camera while stumbling out of the most expensive hotel in the UK
The guy never has to work again
Purpled son of some billionaire, and Ranboo a literal prince is with him
They are both laughing at him
Tommy swung on a chandelier that night
A picture of that ends up online, some socialites Twitter
The amount of people in her dms for that picture?
Ludicrous
Like just the random pictures from Snapchat stories
Magazines pay thousands
Yeah the amount of double takes people have done going through their friends Snapchat stories like
Just tapping through
“WAIT WAS THAT PRINCE THOMAS????”
So, Dessert Drinks
It’s alcoholic beverages that have like chocolate or gram crackers or maybe candy in them
That are meant to taste like a dessert
So there’s chocolate cake margaritas, or like s’mores drinks
They’re Tommy’s favorite things in the world
Everyone thinks that he’d like the like strong, burning, whiskey esk stuff
But no
He wants the sweetest thing you got
Like he’ll drink straught vodka, but not if he doesn’t have too y’know?
He also like wine strangely enough
The like really expensive wine
Bc it reminds him of Wil
They have it down in the cellar
Techno is the whiskey dude
Or like 1942
Which is just a really bougie tequila
He just likes the shit that burns
Tubbo will drink literally anything
He’ll eat anything too
It definitely comes from the spot that he didn’t have that many choices like Tommy, but he genuinely just likes anything
Which is why Tommy really likes to treat him out to fancy fucking restaurants
One of Tommy’s favorite past times is spoiling his loved one
Fucking loves giving presents n shit
It's his love language
Ranboo doesn’t pay for anything when he’s visiting
Tommy insists on paying
Tommy has millions from the throne, he will use it
Plus he uses his daddy’s card so like, Phil can afford to spend the money
Oh he has one of those black cards doesn’t he
And by he I mean Phil
But you know, Daddy’s card
Black amex all the way
Boujie motherfuckers
Tommy's drunk like persona is different depending on the environment
When its Wilbur and Techno having to deal with Drunk Tommy
He’s like an excitable puppy, he would switch from rowdy to sappy real quick for his brothers
So they’re trying to get a drunk Tommy to bed but Tommy’s 100% clinging to them
Just full of affection
Techno tries to leave to go study and drunk Tommy just looks so fucking sad
Kicked puppy
He’s very much turning on the little brother charm, full scale pouting, whining, nicknames and all
making grabby hands, sitting on thr ground, fluffed up hair, shirt all wrinkled
"Fucking - fine. What are you gonna do without me, hm?"
He’s a god damned puppy and it’s hard to believe this is the same kid who got in a bar fight last week
he hangs off the chandeliers of boogie hotels
he also trashes his friend's rentals
on the other hand, he hugs his brothers
and steals Wilbur's crown
when he wears Will's crown it goes over his eyes
Still does after all these years
He’s grown but Wils head is simply too big
Tommy has his own crown of course
he just doesn't wear it as often as Wilbru does
Wilbur wears his all of the time
Tommy wears his when
A. he's drunk and with friends
B. at formal or royal events
he likes wearing it when he's partying
still thinking about drunk Tommy and his brothers having to deal with him
He makes techno give him a piggy back ride
He can walk fine, he just wants a piggy back ride man
Can you blame him?
They all really miss being little
They miss being able to be kids n shit
when their mother took care of them
and their father did all the king shit
And when Techno would give Tommy piggyback rides in the garden
When Wilbur had all the time in the world to learn how to play guitar
Even if it comes from Tommy getting drunk off his ass they’re glad they can still find the childish joy that they once had y’know?
Techno gives Tommy a piggy back ride to his room, and Tommy steals Wilbur’s crown and they talk and it’s nice
And as everything winds down Wilbur plays his guitar
And it’s so similar to when they were younger man
...
but then,,, Wilbur gets called down for an emergency meeting
and Techno has to make sure the guards are doing their rounds
and Tommy's left all alone in The Prince's Chambers
and people wonder why Tommy likes partying
fills the time, doesn't it?
He wakes up cold and alone and hungover
And he calls Tubbo and they just fucking day drink man
It’s a bad two days
Yeha but basically after this night he and Tubbo get fucking drunk as hell and they don’t come back to the castle for two days
And Tommy is barely sober during those two days
After those type of days happen Tommy always goes completely straightedge for a week
He doenst need to develop an addiction y’know?
Plus the chaos doesn’t have to happen drunk
He’s pretty irrational sober anywyas
half of the parties he's at he's not even drunk
sometimes he'll get high
but he just likes the adrenaline
and just hanging and being fucking assholes with his mates
POV you are an emotionally wrecked prince who is hanging onto this present as proof that your dad knows who you are at least in the slightest and you find out it’s not actually a gift from him but something your mother told him to get you
He didn’t even think twice just called the dealership and asked for the car, didn’t even know which one it was
mmmmm Tommy wrecks Clem that night
It’s not a good night for anyone
Got drunk as hell man
No dd
Car crash
I don’t think Clem is totaled
And Tommy is ok
But she’s scratched and dented and it’s just a representation of how Tommy feels
Something about Clementine being symbolic of hope and the idea that his father knew him
And with that crashing down
Clementine was bound to crash too
Tommy gets out with some bruises and Clementine can be fixed
But it happens on a public street so it’s everywhere
Tommy wrecks Clem
Then fucking goes on a bender
just destroys shit
parties so he doesn't think about it
and then he fucking crashes
Wilbur and Techno and Kristin all know what the car meant to him, what it symbolized to him
So when there’s a headline and a picture of Tommy staring at a wrecked Clem, they don’t know how to feel
maybe he mentioned something about upgrading Clem to Phil, or offhandedly at family dinner
And Phil asks something like “Right and when did you get this one?” Very rudely y’know
And Tommy’s like, it’s the one you got me for my birthday last year, and Phil just says something about how he has to be more specific because he doesn’t even know which one that is
And Tommy feels everything crumble around him and he just tensely says, “never mind...” and goes back to his food
The other three watch the whole exchange like, “fuuuuuuuuuck”
And then as soon as dinners over Tommy’s out the door man
He’s gone
he doesn't take the dogs, which means he's causing damage
He doenst even take Tubbo
they can hear the handler hand Tommy the keys
Tubbo comes to Wil to ask if he knew where Tommy was and that’s when they realize Tommy’s going out to cause real damage
And Tommy’s phone is turned off
They can’t contact him
Tommy gets handcuffed
he won't get arrested, but he'll get brought back in a police car
he fucking like crashed into a poll on purpose
like it was less on purpose and more like he definitely wasn’t not trying to hit something
And then they fucking breathalyzer him and he’s drunk as balls
Straight vodka type night
there's a bottle in the cupholder
He gets out when he wrecks and you just see him dead eyed staring at the scratches on her hood
The dent in her door
The cracks in the windshield
And he just takes a swig of the bottle
He lets the police take the bottle and handcuff him, taking him back to the palace
Clem is towed back too
He doenst care man
this is bigger than party to distract Bc it’s all he’s thinking about even drunk n shit
So I feel like he’s absolutely crushed
he spends like a week or two in a depressive episode won't leave his room, won't talk to his dad
and then he asks his mom "why didn't you tell me?"
and she just purses her lips and and shakes her head
and he's out
he needs to leave
he doesn't need her pity
and he just goes to Purp's and parties
because he just wants to have fun for one night before he learns that everything is a lie
His brothers are there as much as he lets them be
Tubbo too
Ranboo would try to make it over after seeing the headlines
he gets on a jet
and goes as soon as he sees the news
cause Clem was Tommy's baby
He loved that fucking car man
And then
Boom
One dinner is all it took to ruin everything
Phil's just left like "what'd I do?"
Techno is straight faced
Wilbur rolls his eyes at Phil
And Kristin just looks stressed
She’s still staring the the door Tommy all but ran out of
none of them finish dinner, Kristin waves the butlers over to clear the plates
They don’t, and Phil is just so confused and frustrated and he doesn’t know what happened
Top 10 Prince Tommy Headlines: 10. Mourning or Disrespectful: Prince Thomas caught smoking outside grandmother's funeral 9. New Connections? Prince Thomas and Prince Ranboo seen outside Palace walking Royal Dogs 8. Protective Older Brother; Crown Prince William shielding Prince Thomas from cameras while walking down London streets 7. When Will He Stop? Prince Thomas continues his week-long bender 6. Another Frat Party: Prince Thomas found stumbling drunk after rowdy night at The Ritz London 5. Boy Crazy? Prince Thomas and Mystery Boy seen dancing at Crown Prince William's Birthday Ball 4. Is Prince Thomas's Rampage Over? The Prince seen hungover, nursing a coffee at London Branch Costa Coffee 3. Time to stop; Prince Thomas caught doing cocaine at socialites party 2. A good friend - Prince Thomas flew to the United States to help Prince Ranboo with new responsibilities
1. When is enough, enough? Prince Thomas crashes after driving drunk, arrested.
10 Tommy doesn’t smoke cigs so mans was just getting high at his grandmas funeral
he was real close with his granny, it was a sad day
It was because his father said something like “oh, I didn’t know you were coming Tommy”
It was his fucking grandmother Phil
Tommy just puts his sun glasses on, and sits as far away as he can
Number 5, the boy is Tubbo, Tubbo thinks it’s fucking hilarious, Tommy is pissed
Some of those headlines seem like they’re from the car month
Obviously number one is
But then the bender headline
Then the coffee one
And then the Wilbur one
They seem like a series of events
big month for the press
Tommys hungover and he calls Wil asking for him to pick him up
And Wilbur drops everything Bc he’s just glad Tommy’s coming back home
wilbur fucking glares at the cameras
Tommy's used to it
And then the press tries to mob them and Wilbur Almost breaks decorum
Like almost fucking yells at someone who gets too close
and Wilbur never does that
he's so in-line
he never breaks the rules
but goddamn if they take one step closer -
He’s been especially stressed, and all he wants is to get his baby brother home man
He’s been smoking a lot more since the wreck
He just wishes he could make everything better
Tommy relishes in talking to the press
Wilbur will clart someone who gets to close to his baby brother
The press who’s never seen Wilbur as anything other than composed and charming suddenly being faced with a very angry older brother who smells slightly like cigarette smoke
Wilbur in the Pogtopia coat but it’s some designer piece that’s expensive as hell
It’s his smoking coat
And it’s what he picks Tommy up in
So he smells like smoke
And not the tasteful cologne he usually wears in public
just like a dark overcoat
really expensive wool
Wilbur using it to cover them from the cameras
when they were younger, like 16 and 12, Wilbur would hide Tommy
like no one got a picture of Tommy until he was 14 or 15
Kristin really hid the boys when they were kids too
Tommy trying to peak out and make faces at the camera
it was illegal to get pictures of them younger than 10
like immediate blacklist
And also maybe some legal issues
Wilbur pulls Tommy's hood up over Tommy's head
And it’s very older brother of him too, he pulls it over to protect his face but then cinches the strings to be a little shit
Those Wilbur and Tommy brother moments comps exists in the universe too
But it’s just shit like that
Tommy has a great support system
He really does
His brothers love him
His mom loves him
He has two amazing friends and a bunch of other great friends as well
And sometimes he feels like a brat for throwing all these fits over his dad y’know?
Wilbur always tries to like, keep an arm around him when they're doing red carpets
And keeps Tommy sitting next to him at Royal events
but also like, steals food off his plate
and ruffles his hair
Tommy whispers the fucking worst jokes about the dignitaries and nobles and Wilbur has to keep a straight face
god thats tommys favorite thing to do
he tries so hard to get Wilbur to laugh and lose his shit
The fucking big boobs bit
But it’s Tommy whispering it to Wilbur completely out of context and randomly at a gala
ALSO
THE WHOLE EXTENDED FAMILY BULLSHIT
TOMMY HATES IT
LIKE WHO THE FUCK IS THIS LIKE AUNT TO HIM?
HE DOESNT KNOW HER
But Royal Families are always big on that shiit
They try to hug him n shit
And Tommy depending on how Brave n shit he’s feeling (how fed up he is) will either politely excuse himself or straight up say no and step back with a glare
he's honestly uncomfortable around the strangers
who say they're family
like he's too sober for this
He needs a god damned drink
But he’s in a vest and a nice tie and his crown is sat proper on his head
And he can’t have a drink
god he's like a little doll, he plays by Phil's rules
the crown comes on and he's the proper prince
He fucking hates it
he sips on Wilbur's wine, and does the whole "tequila for water" thing sometimes
Flask in his sleeve
Techno catches him with the flask once and is just impressed
god is that a look on Techno's face
He sees Tommy slip it from his sleeve and somehow sleight off hand take a drink
And it’s just a raised eyebrow and a head nod that says
Good for you
Bc techno also needs a drink during these events
Sometimes Tommy will spike his and Techno's drinks
as Wilbur regally sips on wine
Wilbur fucking also secretly wishing he had a flask during the drier events
Wine drink just isn’t enough sometimes
Wilbur puts on his best face
and pretends he wants to be there
and gives out a warm smile, and raises a glass
god he fucking hates it sometimes
and sometimes he loves it
but man, does he hate it sometimes
Tommy complains and Phil makes a passive aggressive comment about how
“Oh but don’t you love parties Tommy.”
Wilbur sits between them
The table goes
Techno Kristin Phil Wilbur Tommy
Tommy just sneaks another sip of the flask
he doesn't have time to deal with his dads shit
Slumps back in the seat
He probably wouldn’t even try to hide it after that
Not like Phil is actually looking at him
He can let the press have it
He doenst care
just like leaves the flask next to him
under teh table
and jsut takes large swigs from it
Tommy maybe having a group of his friends crash one of the stuffy events
Not an important one
So fucking dedication ceremony to some inane building
He just invites a wild group of socialites
It’s nice
It’s not as wild as a normal Tommy Innit party
But it’s not a stuffy fucking boring ass royal meeting
they just bring some fucking whiskey into the back room and chat shit
Tommy fucking has a group of friends crash this gathering
It’s not wild
But it’s not stuffy
It’s nice
Tommy even drags Wilbur back for at least a little
and that takes a whole lot of work
It really does, Wilbur isn’t even a little tipsy off the wine, and Phil been by him the whole time and it’s just been hell, he can’t get wiobur away from the “socializing” hes doing
but when Wilbur is a bit tipsy he just becomes more charasmatic
truly a king
Less someone putting on a mask for their father
A little bit more authentic
he's a natural, sipping wine with one hand, and shaking hands with the other, crown propped beautifully on his head, million dollar suits hanging off his frame
It’s nice to see his brother in his element
its a bit sad
but its nice
A little yeah, Wilbur’s
Wilbur’s leaving him, not really but
Wilbur being king is-
It’s going to be hard
Different
More than it is already
Wilbur will always love him
But eventually he’ll be too busy for Tommy
Just like Phil is
And it hurts
But that thought is what makes Tommy take a drink of his flask and drag Wilbur to the back room
Wilbur doesn’t have to forget him yet
Tommy looks real regal too
Wilbur wishes that Tommy could see what he sees
But he knows that Tommy’s self worth issues would take more than a nice hug and some warm words to fix
Tommy looks regal, and the gold crown really fits with the whole golden boy aesthetic
and he laughs, and makes conversation with everyome
and everyone eases up around him
Wilbur wishes that Tommy saw what he sees
also
Tommy and Ranboo's texts have been leaked once
Wow so many dog pictures dude
but also
:sparkles:state secrets:sparkles:
That was hell to clean up
it fucking was
it used petnames (which the public is never supposed to know about the nickanmes of royals fun fact)
and said shit about Phil
and detailed Fundy's illness which isn't public
and talked about meetings that Wilbur forced Tommy to attend
Tommy was terrified
Ranboo too
He was so scared someone would be angry at him for it
He doesn’t think he could handle be yelled at for this thing that wasn’t even his fault
like of course he could've not said it over text
but one of his best friends lives an ocean away
and his life is just all about secrets
dont make this something too
:sparkles: hackers :sparkles:
if someone god a hold of Tommy's IP, or Phone, or Phone number
or
dms
they could be using instagram, twitter, or snapchat to have some of these converstaions
dms can get leaked real easily
Mmmm you ever think about Crime Bous
Because all I can think about is when Wilbur does get out of the house, and just like every event they go to
Tommy isn’t a fucking party boy then, he’s just Prince Thomas, Crown Prince William’s baby brother
And they always get photographed and shit
But they have a great time
They’re always smiling when they’re together
Sans Wilbur being a really protective older brother, and when their grandmother died
It’s nice to just go get lunch together at that one specific cafe they’ve been going to for years
Or just walk the dogs together
Just hang out and be brothers
They sit at the same table every time, and Tommy has gotten a Raspberry Lemonade since he was 8
When they walk the dogs, Wilbur holds Walter and Tommy holds Betty
Sunglasses on, big wool overcoats, and pants that were sewn just for them
And they’re seen walking out on the streets during big events a lot too
To like take a breather
Tommy has made a habit of allowing the press to ask him questions whenever they find him
Wilbur on the other hand always knows exactly what to say to press that come up to them
He always shoos them off with a polite “we won’t be answering any question right now thank you” and a blinding smile
And Tommy’s making a face at the press from over his shoulder
Either like sticking his tongue out or making some sort of face at Wilbur
As he gets older, he stops doing it as much because it gets a bit tiring, everything is tiring
But he does it every once in a while, usually a sharp grin over Wilbur’s shoulder accompanied by a middle finger
when like press sees that Wilbur smokes like a lot
hm
big thin
and I feel like Wilbur would straight up be like "its not a big deal, its completely legal"
and hes like smoking 8 cigs a day, but its fine
He doesn’t have an issue
It’s just a little stress relief
King at 21 is a lot to handle
and maybe the stress is so much that it becomes a problem
but hey its his relief
its legal
he's fine
That’s Wilbur’s mantra most of the time
he falls asleep in Tommys bed a lot, waiting for the teen to come home
wilbur does
he finishes a pack, and sighs, rubbing his eyes
The empire is on the brink of war, it always is
He looks in Tommy's room, its empty
And he sits on the bed, waiting
10 minutes later he's asleep
The sheets don’t smell like Wilbur, and Wil thinks that’s what makes it’s so comforting
They don’t stink of nicotine or Wilbur cologne
The smell like Tommy
and while that smell like expensive booze, and coconut shampoo
its perfect
and the dogs are in Tommy's room too
he's a little less alone
Betty is the cuddler
She’ll come up and sleep next to Wil
but she wont do it to just anyone
its a bond, its trust
its the fact that Tommy likes Wilbur
she growls at Phil
she nudges at Kristin, LOVES kristin
anyways
its lonely and sad
because Tommy usually doesnt come back
Tommy snakes back in early in the morning and tucks Wilbur in
Though most times Wilbur falls asleep in Tommys bed
Uncovered
Completely dressed
He’s lucky bettys fur is sleek otherwise his very expensive clothes would be covered
I think Wilbur more often then not will wake up with Tommy in his arms, and that makes him very happy
like, Tommy comes it at 5am, and just snuggles next to Wilbur
It’s makes Tommy sad to know his brother is waiting up for him to never come
But at the same time he’s always so happy to see him when he gets home
I imagine sometimes butlers come to get Wilbur for work, and Tommy makes them leave so that Wilbur can sleep in "Hello your highness, we came to fetch King Wilbur for his morning briefing" "He's sleeping." "Well, I can see that Your Highness -" "So let him sleep." "Prince Thomas -" "Let. Him. Sleep. Okay?" "Yes, Your Highness."
I've decided that Tommy is the big spoon
in these vulranable moments, when Wilbur is weak, Tommy kind of holds him
like obviously there are a lot of tims, where Wilbur wants to hold his baby brother
however, Tommy kind of holds Wilbur, like wraps himself around Wilbur, and puts Wilbur's head in the crook of his neck
this happens when Tommy comes home to find Wilbur in his bed
either this, or Tommy curls into a ball and rests his head against wilburs chest
Tommy has daddy issues
Wilbur has the weiht of the world
Techno has ptsd
Phil: fuck you my kids are completely fine!
Wilbur’s nicotine addiction
Tommys abandonment issues
Technos fucking PTSD
Once, when the empires war was getting really, really bad, and Wilbur had to decide life or death shit
He smoked a whole pack in a day
And then just kept going
His hands wouldn’t stop shaking
why wouldn't they stop fucking shaking
Tommy stopped partying that week, he isn’t ignorant, nor a fucking dick
He was Wilbur’s right hand for as long as he needed him
Despite how badly he wanted to party until he could see straight
His brother needed him
His king needed him
And he will gladly serve Wilbur as long as he would have him
He stood right behind Wilbur
Every decision
He was right behind him
Even if it meant constant decorum and constant royal dress, Tommy was there
And that was a grounding fact
If Tommy hadn’t been there Wilbur thinks he may have lost it that week
Sometimes the only thing that kept Wilbur’s hands from shaking terribly was holding Tommy’s hands
When the advisors and court had left
Tommy would take Wilbur hands and make him do breathing exercises
Wilbur wasn’t allowed to look anywhere other than Tommy’s eyes
They would get through this
Together
They would, Tommy would make sure of it
Tommy in the room also made everyone a bit nervous and loosen up around Wilbur though
Because sometimes they act like they can boss Will around
And Tommy is stone faced, and has the media wrapped around his finger
The court knows that all it would take is one “scandalous statement” from Prince Thomas to end their careers
Wilbur could fire them, but he’s stressed
Any other day, he’s a fucking FORCE to recon with
But Tommy? He’s here to ensure the best or their careers would end
And you know that Tommy has at least 3 sources in the biggest news outlets in the empire
He could get ANYTHING out there
Wilbur’s throne is the biggest in the middle
Two thrones smaller aside him
Within the like office / study / planning room
Tommy's hasn't been used until just then
Tommy finds it quite uncomfy
But he can deal
Also Tommy drops the nicknames for the week or so
No “Big Man”
It was “Will” and “William”
Your Majesty at one or two points
But that felt a little too formal for both of them
Too alienating
Tommy learned a whole fucking lot of fucking politics that week
Not that he didnt listen in his lessons it’s just that
Well
He can’t not listen if he’s not there
It’s different IRL too
Seeing all the decisions
It’s terrifying
And he’s exhausted
Dressing nicely and talking for 12 hours a day about politics
And life / death decisions
So many cuddles dude
Just permanently cuddling if they’re not presently working or “coping”
And I think
That although Wilbur is the one who’s going through it
When they cuddle, Wilbur likes to hold Tommy
Just in the sense that Tommy’s here and safe
In the midst of all the death around Wilbur
He needs to know that his person, his kid is alright
Plus having this one thing this one routine helps him feel a little on control during this out of hand time
:sparkles: Prince Tommy PR leak :sparkles:
I talked about how Tommy was close to his grandmother
and how he was smoking outside of her funeral
maybe it was during that time in his life
really dark place in his mind
smoked and drank every day
Wilbur smoked a lot during that time yet
they probably drank together a few times
like straight up vodka
Just they’re so young and so tired
and so its like, pictures of Wilbur and Tommy (and just Tommy) drinking in the parlor, and in the like, bar area of their private living area, dark eye bags, red eyes, just straight from the bottle
Both of their ties were undone, no jackets, sleeves rolled up to their elbows, Wilbur's top 3 buttons are undone, they're both like manspreading
like they're just at their lowest, particularly Tommy, but Wilbur was having an adjacent bad time
Tommy's hair is a fuckin' mess
HOWEVER, they're both still clean shaven, neither of their shorts or trousers are wrinkled or stained
They may be going through it, but the royal image waits for no one
How does the castle react? Immediate lock down.
Interrogations or some shit
none of the princes are allowed to leave
they have to do clean up
they write scripts essentially for Tommy and Wilbur to adress the press
they need to send out a memo that they don't agree with underage drinking
its all structured, scripted, and written by advisors (and their father)
major damage control
which is just not what Tommy needs right now, because he's like trying to work through his grief
and Wilbur has a fucking fight with his father about that
Phil does not care
They fucked up
Someone else fucked up
And now they’re going to be big boys and fix it Like Phil's going to Tommy's room to get him to look over what his quick press tour and Wilbur jsut stops him in front of the door "He's fucking grieving - Let him have a moment will you? Don't you know how close he was with Gran?" "You messed up. He messed up. Now you're gonna be big boys and fix it." “You’re horrible sometimes you know that?” “I am your father” “Then act like it, your majesty”
meanwhile Tommy: in bed, hasn't slept, major depressive spiral, cuddling Betty, Walter standing guard at his door, holding onto a blanket that his grandmother gave him
just - can't even cry anymore
just empty
Literally just despondent
Staring at the ceiling as Betty noses his face
like good luck getting to get up, let alone read shit
He hasn’t showered in days
He is very much not presentable
like it's only been a week or two since his grandmother's death
and he still is processing
He is no where near done grieving
170 notes · View notes
sokkastyles · 3 years
Note
In your last post you talked a lot about how Zuko respects Iroh. Could you give some examples of that? Because I'm feeling like Zuko doesn't really respect anyone, he (understandably) has an ego and thinks he's above everyone, even if he's working on
It is such a shame that Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) was cancelled after two episodes.
Lol, now that I've got that out of my system, I'm gonna assume you aren't just a troll and treat this like you actually want a serious answer, because it gives me an opportunity to meta about Zuko and Iroh's relationship.
I would say that the Zuko we are introduced to has a pretty big ego, yeah, and thinks he's above everyone else. He's incredibly disrespectful to most everyone he meets, including his long-suffering uncle. When I started the show I knew through cultural osmosis that Zuko would get redeemed, and from the first episode I was like "alright, I'm ready to see how the show is gonna make me like this asshole." I especially did have a negative reaction to the way he treats Iroh in the beginning, because Iroh is one of the first characters I loved. I also was sympathetic to Iroh because I'm an adult, and an adult who works with kids. If any of my students said to me some of the stuff that Zuko says to Iroh I'd be like, yeah, okay, detention for you young man.
It's also pretty clear from early on though that Zuko's ego comes from a deep insecurity and low self-esteem. That doesn't make the things he does any better, and yes he is incredibly disrespectful to Iroh, especially when Iroh contradicts him about his mission. That's also related to his deep insecurity and trauma surrounding his father, of course, because Zuko needs to believe that he can win back his father's acceptance to cope with what his father did to him, but that doesn't excuse it.
He says some incredibly nasty things to Iroh. In the first episode we see him respond angrily when Iroh won't teach him more advanced firebending, and Zuko responds, as he does several times, by trying to imitate his father's brand of coercion and intimidation. Iroh is like, not impressed, and he puts up with a lot of crap from Zuko but he also doesn't let it get to him because he's a responsible adult and he wants to support Zuko in the way he can. Which also means telling him off sometimes because dude.
Zuko thinks Iroh is lazy and a failure, and resents the fact that Iroh is keeping him from what he says he is "more than ready" for, and tries to bully Iroh when he doesn't get his way, but then we see in the third episode, "The Southern Air Temple," Zuko's fight with Zhao. We see that for all Zuko's complaining about Iroh's teaching, he does what Iroh taught him to do, he sticks to his basics, and he wins. Iroh says that Zuko is honorable and we see that Zuko appreciates Iroh's support. It's also implied by the way Zhao mentions humiliating Zuko in front of his uncle that Zuko wants Iroh to be proud of him, that it's obvious to Zhao how close they are.
Another example of the show letting us know that Zuko cares more about his uncle than he lets on is when he threatens to leave Iroh behind in "Winter Solstice" but then comes back for him to find him gone, and goes out of his way to search for him, even setting aside his hunt for Aang. Zuko fights the earthbenders to save Iroh and Iroh compliments his form, to which Zuko says Iroh taught him well. This episode does a lot to develop Zuko as a character and his relationship with Iroh because not only do we see that Zuko cares for his uncle, but that, contrary to his rudeness and dismissiveness in episode one, Zuko does respect Iroh as a teacher and a bender.
There's a lot of examples like this where Zuko says one thing but does another, because Zuko is a character who, at the beginning of the story, carries a lot of cognitive dissonance and guards his real feelings about things. His relationship with Iroh is an example. This isn't very surprising because it's pretty common in child psychology. Especially with kids who have been abused, they will rebel against an authority figure and push back in any way they can to see if they can find a breaking point. Iroh's endlessly patient and supportive but solid and firm presence is something Zuko is not used to and doesn't know how to deal with. But it's very clear that Zuko relies on Iroh as a father and mentor, even when Zuko doesn't realize it yet.
"The Avatar State" in another episode that shows how much Zuko relies on Iroh. At the beginning of the episode Zuko is sitting apart and it's implied that he's not happy with Iroh relaxing and getting a massage, but Zuko also opens up to Iroh about his feelings about his father. Zuko also is dismissive and rude to Iroh again in this episode, criticizing Iroh for collecting shells and also insulting Iroh when Iroh contradicts him about going with Azula, but then Zuko is happy when Iroh goes with him to Azula's ship, and we get that flash of the image of Ozai with his hand on Zuko's shoulder. This tells us that Zuko sees Iroh as the kind of mentor figure that he wishes his father were, even if, again, Zuko doesn't quite realize this yet. There are many other examples like this where Zuko is frustrated by not getting Iroh's approval on something because he wants Iroh to be proud of him. Like when he steals the teapot and gives it to Iroh and Iroh is not interested in stolen items. Zuko's clearly hurt by not having Iroh's approval, which is a big part of why he left Iroh, and Iroh knows that Zuko is struggling to find himself but also still needs his support.
Then you have "Bitter Work," the lightning bending, and Zuko's look of total admiration when Iroh is bending lightning and teaching Zuko a move that he invented himself. Like I said before, it's clear that Zuko respects Iroh as a powerful bender. This is also echoed in that scene in the book two finale when Iroh is about to breathe fire and Zuko has this look of "wow my uncle is going to beat you so bad this is going to be great!"
There's also a lot of little stuff in the Ba Sing Se arc that show that Zuko respects Iroh and values him as a mentor figure. He lets Iroh do his hair for his date with Jin! It looks terrible! Zuko has no idea how to behave on a date so he's like um, uncle said to give you this coupon! Look how smart my uncle is! Of course the culmination of that arc is Zuko's fever and his awakening which gives him a renewed respect for Iroh, and he actually makes an effort to show Iroh how much he values him. He still betrays Iroh in Ba Sing Se but it's not the "I hate you and you smell!" thing that the play portrays it as. One of the reasons Zuko was so confused there was because he felt like his uncle was telling him contradictory things, and he couldn't reconcile his uncle's wisdom with what he'd been taught to believe by Ozai.
But it's finally losing Iroh as that pillar of support that makes Zuko truly realize how much he does value his uncle. It still takes him a while to get there, and he again pushes back against Iroh when Iroh won't talk to him in prison and blames him for his own internal turmoil. But when he does finally get there, it's such a slap in the face to Ozai that Zuko on the Day of Black Sun tells him to his face that Iroh is his real father, that Zuko is going to fall to his knees and beg for Iroh's forgiveness, because Zuko has realized that Iroh is the one who really deserves his respect. Not only does Zuko tell Ozai that he, in fact, did not teach him anything about respect, but the respect Ozai tried to get from his son through cruelty and control is something Zuko will freely give to Iroh.
Then Zuko spends the next several episodes constantly talking about how great Iroh is, how much he misses him, how good he is at making tea and telling jokes, how wise he is, and what an ass he, Zuko, had been to him. He follows Iroh's advice and humbles himself because Iroh always said he didn't think things through enough, he works hard to make himself into someone his uncle would be proud of. Then when he does meet Iroh again he asks for forgiveness, but he says that even if Iroh won't forgive him he would try to make it up to him. He's completely humbled himself and it's so satisfying because it's the fulfilment of their relationship arc, and you can feel the love and respect that these two characters have for each other. And it's directly meant to contrast with what Ozai said about respect, because Ozai is full of shit.
And then Zuko just like automatically assumes that Iroh will be the Fire Lord and Iroh's like "Zuko did you forget that you are the crown prince?" And Zuko, bless his heart, is like "but I made so many mistakes."
I'm sorry, but if you're gonna keep arguing that Zuko, at this point, still "thinks he's above everyone else" then you are just being willfully obtuse.
Not to mention the fact that Zuko's crowning moment as Fire Lord is him giving a speech about how he wants to serve others, to heal the world, and even the applause and praise that he, in the beginning, wanted from others is something he doesn't accept. He tells everyone that Aang is the real hero. And Aang is a hero but like, Zuko is a hero, too, by showing heroic qualities like being selfless and humble and caring towards others. And then his last scene is not him as Fire Lord, but serving tea to everyone dressed in Earth Kingdom clothes.
And who does he serve tea to first? Uncle.
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Love of My Life
It was then Katara’s turn to stare up at the fiery sky, the multitude of clouds glowing in red and orange glory. “Aang,” she murmured, his name falling from her lips like a prayer. “Please.”
After the final battle, Katara and Aang reunite.
(Written for Day 3 of Kataang Week 2021: Missing Scenes/Post-Canon, hosted by @kataang-week. Read here on AO3, or continue reading below.)
Azula was taken away at some point, maybe by the Fire Sages, but her bloodcurdling screams and broken sobs were hardly a pinprick at the back of Katara’s mind as she kept her attention trained to the lightning wound blasted across Zuko’s solar plexus. Her hands glowed with the water she was continuously pulling from the now-burst piping system in the courtyard around them. She had no enhanced spirit water as with Aang, but fortunately Zuko’s injury was less severe and—thanks to her quick defeat of Azula—no longer life-threatening.
Zuko winced, and guilt flashed through Katara’s stomach for silently dismissing his pain. “Sorry.” She moved the water further upward on his chest, over a spot where the skin was more blistered. “Better?”
A low hiss escaped Zuko’s lips as the cool liquid skimmed the wound, and he managed a weak nod. “Thanks.” His voice was raspier than usual. To be expected. “For this, and for… and for stopping Azula.”
The urge to laugh rose in Katara’s throat, which she immediately suppressed because Tui and La, what was wrong with her? How was now an appropriate time for laughter? “Well, you’re welcome,” she said instead, giving him a weary smile, “but next time, how about you don’t taunt her about the lack of lightning, hmm?”
Zuko grimaced, and Katara knew that particular reaction had nothing to do with the wound across his chest. “Let’s just hope there will never be a next time.”
Katara couldn’t argue with that.
The following minutes were quiet as Katara slowly moved the water up, down, and around Zuko’s injury, her hands themselves hovering less than an inch above his chest. While she knew it was only a figment of her imagination, Katara could’ve sworn there was still blue lightning—Azula’s lightning—flickering across the wound, sparking at her fingertips and prickling across her skin.
Maybe, then, it was this lingering remnant of the Avatar’s slayer that had Katara so on edge. Maybe that was the reason why tension still thrummed through her body despite that she and Zuko were safe now, despite that they’d won.
“He’s going to come back.”
Zuko’s words broke the heavy silence, startling Katara so badly her concentration flew out the figurative window. The water around her hands lost its glow and splattered across Zuko’s chest like she’d emptied a full bucket on top of him. Frantic apologies spilled from her lips as she bent the water off his upper body with similar haste, but Zuko—wincing—pushed himself into a sitting position before she could begin the healing process again.
“Zuko, what are you—”
“Aang is going to come back,” he repeated, staring at Katara with an intensity that probably shouldn’t have been possible for someone in his grievously injured state. A testament to her healing skills, truly, and also to Zuko’s general stubbornness.
“I know he will,” Katara said after a pause, bending the water she’d again collected around her hands into the leather waterskin that hung at her hip. “If memory serves, I was the one telling you that on our way here.”
Zuko chuckled. “I know. Sorry. You just seemed like…” His eyes flickered across her face, searching for vulnerability Katara refused to bare. “Like you needed the reminder.”
Katara sighed, not meeting his gaze. “Look. I know Aang will come back. I know he’ll win.” Spirits, maybe he had won already. “I mean, he’s the only one who can. But I guess I’m still—” Katara cut herself off with another sigh, blinking back exhausted tears. “Fine, you’re right. I guess I’m still worried.”
Aang would return victorious, yes, there was no doubt in her mind. But at what cost? What price would he have been forced to pay? Sacrificing his body through the loss of a limb? Sacrificing his soul through the loss of that which his people valued above all else? Katara knew, she knew that if anyone could stop Ozai without killing him, it was Aang. But what she didn’t know was—was how.
Spirits, Katara wouldn’t be able to handle it if Aang returned to her broken in a way she couldn’t heal. She’d already witnessed him die once, watched his body go limp as life left it. She wasn’t ready to watch his spirit disappear, wasn’t ready to watch hope leave his heart, too.
Zuko opened his mouth, presumably to offer more words of comfort to her, but he was interrupted by Appa’s body stiffening—the sky bison was so large it was impossible not to notice the reaction. He’d originally been standing guard, for all intents and purposes, while Katara healed Zuko, but now his eyes were glued to the sky as he released a bellow that shook the stone of the courtyard beneath them.
Katara grabbed Zuko’s arm to keep him from toppling over, but instead of resettling himself, Zuko tried to stand up, as if the giant wound on his chest was nothing more than a mere papercut.
“It’s Aang!” was the only explanation he gave as Katara relented with a huff and helped him to his feet. “It has to be. What else would get Appa acting like this?”
Privately, Katara agreed with him. Hope beat in her heart so rapidly it ached. But since Zuko had wildly, unexpectedly, completely out of the blue transformed into an optimist—seriously, had the lightning gone through his brain?—well, that meant she had to be the one to temper his optimism with a little realism.
“It could be a threat,” she responded honestly, not releasing Zuko’s arm until she was certain he’d gathered his balance.
Zuko shot her a doubtful look. “You sure?” He pointed at Appa, whose tail had started shaking—okay, yes, probably with excitement, Katara would admit that much.
It was then her turn to stare up at the fiery sky, the multitude of clouds glowing in red and orange glory. “Aang,” she murmured, his name falling from her lips like a prayer. “Please.”
Seconds later, those otherworldly clouds split open to reveal a Fire Nation airship, and on the exterior Katara could see flashes of blue and green fabric—Sokka and Toph, it had to be. Spirits knew she probably should have been concerned about who was steering the balloon, but once it was clear the ship was heading steadily towards the ground and wouldn’t face a disastrous crash, Katara’s mind returned to its previous mantra.
Aang. Aang. Aang.
“Remember to breathe, Katara.”
Katara shot Zuko a mild glare at his wry tone, but exhaled, because he was right—she’d been holding her breath. In fact, she was still holding far more tension in her body than could be considered healthy, but Katara knew that overwhelming stiffness wasn’t going to ease until she saw her friends alive and well, until she felt Aang’s heartbeat in sync against her own.
Katara’s breath hitched as the airship came to a stop far from herself and Zuko, hovering above the stone ground of the courtyard. It was much larger up close—no wonder it couldn’t land properly. There was a deep rattle as a metal plank, of sorts, some kind of steel pathway lowered from the ship and scraped across the ground with an earsplitting screech. Onto it stepped—
“They’re alive!” Katara gasped, blinking back elated tears as Sokka, Aang, Toph, and Suki—and Momo atop Suki’s left shoulder—stepped out onto the platform. One of Sokka’s legs was in a splint and he had to lean onto Suki’s side for support as he hobbled along, but— “They’re all alive!”
Aang was alive.
They’d done it. A little bruised, a little broken, maybe all around worse for wear, but—
They’d done it.
“Come on,” Zuko urged, taking an unsteady step forward and immediately wincing. He didn’t let the pain stop him, though, powering another foot ahead. “Let’s meet them halfway.”
Katara rolled her eyes, ducking under Zuko’s arm to brace him against her side, careful to avoid his injury. “Idiot.” Standing on his own was one thing, but walking by himself was an entirely different matter. She could already tell Zuko was the kind of person who made a terrible patient.
But Katara walked with him all the same, slow and steady. As they got closer, she could better see the physical state her friends were in. Toph had only a few scrapes across her arms and face. Same for Suki. Sokka had clearly done a number on his leg, as he was hardly putting any weight on it despite the well-made split, and not to mention that Suki continued to brace him while he walked. Aang was—
“Appa!”
Well, Aang was getting smothered by Appa, Katara noted with silent amusement as the sky bison practically tackled Aang to the ground, nuzzling and licking him with unabashed eagerness.
“Buddy, I’m okay!” Aang managed to wheeze out amidst his laughter, giving Appa a tight hug. “I’m okay, I promise.”
He seemed to be telling the truth, at least based on what Katara could discern from afar. His orange robes were torn to oblivion, with only his Fire Nation pants remaining. She could see minor burns across his chest and one area on the left side of his ribs that looked to her like it would become a painful bruise, but overall—
“If you guys are here with no Azula,” Sokka joked as they all came to a stop, snapping Katara’s attention away from Aang, “does that mean Zuko finally gets to rule the Fire Nation?”
Katara allowed Zuko to keep some of his weight on her even as they stood still. He laughed at her brother’s comment. “Katara’s the one who technically defeated her in the Agni Kai. Maybe that makes her the Fire Lord.”
Katara groaned and rolled her eyes, ignoring the amused snickers of her friends. “Tui and La, no. I refuse. I resign. I—I abdicate. The throne is all yours, Zuko.”
She turned her attention to her brother’s injured leg as Suki began recounting the details of their battle in the air, including how they’d managed to pilfer an airship of their own. Up close, Katara was relieved to see that no bone had broken through the skin in Sokka’s shin or thigh—that would have made it much harder for her to heal. She made sure Zuko was stable on his feet before stepping away to study the injury further. But as she crouched at Sokka’s side and went to bend water out her flask for the preliminary healing process—
“Hey. That can wait.”
Katara blinked, staring up at Sokka in utter confusion. “Excuse me?” His leg was broken, she couldn’t just—
Sokka jerked his head towards Aang, who was busy freeing himself from beneath Appa’s weight. “Go greet the hero of the hour. My leg will still be here when you get back.”
Toph snorted. “Of the hour?” She shook her head. “Give him credit, Sokka—Twinkle Toes is the hero of the century.” Momo chirped before jumping from Suki’s shoulder onto Toph’s, as if agreeing with her.
Katara turned to look at Aang, her mind tuning out the rest of her friend’s teasing banter that followed. He was—Aang was more than the hero of the century, at least to her. More than the Avatar, more than an airbender, more than—
Aang must have felt her eyes on him, because he paused in petting Appa to turn around and give her a shy grin. “Hi, Katara.”
With those two words, the dam burst, and Katara sprinted over to Aang with all the speed of a roaring wave. Her arms crashed around his bare shoulders like water beating against the shore, and Aang wrapped his arms around her waist in return. Katara could only squeeze him tighter, his face pressing into her shoulder.
“You stopped him,” Katara whispered. Her words were shaky, or—spirits, maybe it was her entire body that was quivering. “Ozai. You stopped him.”
Aang nodded into her shoulder, and Katara slackened her grip just enough so he could lean back and reply. “Yep.”
Katara’s right hand instinctively rose to cup his face. She could see it in his eyes—tired, yes, but still so full of hope, the warm gray as rich as the shimmering moon. “You found another way, didn’t you?”
Aang smiled at her, laugh lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes, and spirits if that wasn’t an image Katara wanted traced into her memory for the rest of time. “Ozai is alive. But he can’t hurt anyone ever again.”
Katara had a million questions, the first being the obvious How? How did you do it? But no query fell from her lips despite her overwhelming curiosity. Instead, all she could do was stare at Aang, tears of relief sliding down her cheeks as she smiled and smiled and smiled and—
“I am so proud of you,” Katara said, the words halfway to a sob as she pulled Aang into another crushing hug, marvelling at how perfectly his body fit against hers. “I knew you would do it, Aang, I knew it. Only you could.”
Aang laughed. “Must’ve been your belief that got me through it.” His arms tightened around her, as if he, too, needed the unspoken reassurance that Katara was there, that she was real, that they had won, the same way she needed such comfort from him. “At one point, I’m not even sure I believed I’d succeed.”
“It’s a good thing I never doubted you, then,” Katara whispered, and Aang laughed again.
“Yes. Thank you.”
Katara wasn’t quite sure what Aang was thanking her for—her faith then, her presence now?—and in truth, she had a feeling Aang didn’t precisely know, either. But what did precision matter? They were here, together, alive. Beaten and bruised but not broken beyond all repair. Neither of them had lost what they couldn’t live without.
For Aang, the vestiges of his peaceful people. And for her…
Aang.
Katara hadn’t lost Aang. Not like she had before, not like she couldn’t bear to ever lose him again.
“Alright, lovebirds! That’s enough time spent hugging the life out of each other. Come tend to the wounded, please.”
Katara rolled her eyes at her brother’s obnoxious interruption, but she released Aang after a final tight squeeze. She really did want to take a look at Sokka’s leg. Besides—she and Aang now had all the time in the world. All the time in a peaceful world, at that.
Aang followed her back to the rest of their friends, and Katara had just knelt down to examine Sokka’s injury when Aang burst out into loud, unprovoked laughter. The sudden sound made her jump, and it was only thanks to some quick thinking—and inelegant bending—that she avoided spilling the water from her waterskin all over the stone courtyard for the second time in the past ten minutes.
“What’s so funny?” Zuko asked, the apparent reason for Aang’s laughter. “What did I do?”
“No—you didn’t—” Aang cut himself off with a wheeze, and Katara couldn’t stop herself from glancing behind her to see what on Earth had him in stitches.
Aang pointed at Zuko’s chest, biting down hard on his bottom lip in a clear attempt to withhold further laughter. “That. Azula shot you with lightning, right?” When Zuko nodded, he said, “And Katara healed you?”
“I did,” Katara confirmed. Sokka gave her a disapproving look, probably because she was yet to begin healing his leg, but—well, this time Katara had no real excuse beyond her own intrigue. Whoops. But it wasn’t as if his splint wasn’t holding up perfectly. The expertise with which it was secured suggested Suki had been the one to fashion it, and that meant Sokka would be fine for a quick moment longer.
Aang’s laughter returned in full force, one arm wrapped around his stomach while his free hand gestured wildly behind him. “We—We match!” He turned around, and—
“Oh, for Agni’s sake,” Zuko groaned, and Katara found herself unable to contain her laughter. In a matter of seconds, they were all laughing at Aang’s revelation. Even Zuko, once he’d gotten over himself.
Tui and La. Katara loved her friends, she loved her life, she loved being alive with her friends by her side and—
Aang.
She loved Aang.
Oh, spirits.
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bluespiritshonour · 2 months
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IDK why Azula stans hate acknowledging the fact that Azula is both abused and an abuser? Do you know why?
Okay. I gotta make one thing clear: I really like Azula. Is she terrible? Yeah. Is she iconic? Uh... Also yeah.
I really like Azula and I have no problem acknowledging that she's a terrible, terrible person. And a villain.
This is not aimed at you for asking the question, anon. I just wanted to clarify that I absolutely love both Azula and Zuko. 😅
And for that I've often had people come at me for posts that slightly favoured one over the other like—guys, I like them both? They both also have flaws? They both also did horrible things and committed war crimes?
The only difference is that Zuko got a redemption arc while Azula didn't. But... Pointing out one's mistakes in one post doesn't mean I'm trashing them.
Azula did abuse Zuko. She was also abused by Ozai. She and Zuko were both abused by Ozai and in some ways, Zuko had a support system that she didn't.
They both also suffered. But in different ways. Azula had her father's approval but never his love. Her abuse was psychological. While Zuko's was physical and psychological. They're both children abused by a terrible father.
After Zuko breaks free of his need for his father's approval you see that he doesn't hate Azula anymore. Pre-redemption Zuko would've rejoiced winning an Agni Kai against her.
(Which he would've never won because pre-redemption Zuko would also never have accepted Katara's help and she's technically the one who defeated Azula).
But Zuko that has matured simply feels bad for her because no one knows better than him what growing up with their father is like.
Azula looks out for him too. Like, when she knows he's visiting Iroh in prison and doesn't rat him out. She warns him to be careful. She's a lot more brainwashed than he is—but she's also younger!
It's just... complicated.
As someone who loved Azula because she was efficient—and who also loves Zuko because of everything!—like, damn that kid faced the consequences of his actions, didn't he?—well, it doesn't have to be a fight?
To answer your question, I've seen both Azula stans and Zuko stans that do not want any sort of nuance.
I think it has to do with internet extremism and purity culture. People no longer think “I don't like it”—they have to put a “this is morally wrong” spin on it.
I like Azula and she's a terrible person. Doesn't mean she's irredeemable though. I'd love to see an Azula-redemption arc. Since she's a kid and she deserves to heal.
But I can also say that Azula and her war crimes are fictional, I think she's cool. What she does is wrong. People forget that you're allowed to like villains. You're allowed to like grey characters. And most of all, people really need to learn to distinguish between fiction and reality and where what is acceptable.
Which is why a present day piece of media can never pull off a redemption arc like Zuko's. Because of internet purity culture. Like, fuck it, people can barely handle Taigen!
It's okay to like Azula. You don't have to justify her actions for it. You're not a coloniser sympathiser for liking her as long as you realise what she did was wrong and accept it.
—Yours Sincerely,
A citizen of a formerly colonised country who's very painfully aware of the harms of imperialism.
Trying to use her abuse as an excuse isn't the way to go. Same for Zuko! I love ATLA because when Zuko apologies to the gaang, he doesn't once bring up his tragic past. It's not an excuse!
Anyways, anon. Thanks for the ask. I really needed to rant. Sorry it became this behemoth though. Haha.
TLDR: the reason is internet purity culture. People feel guilty for liking a villain. Trust me, liking a fictional bad guy—or a morally grey—or complicated guy—does not make you a bad guy. People need to learn to distinguish between fiction and reality.
And even then, in real life you need to learn what makes criminals if you're to stop crime. For example: how poverty leads to crime and eliminating poverty would go a long way in stopping crime than incarceration does. Like, how probably education and societal change where rape is as unthinkable as cannibalism would do more to prevent rapes than purity culture would. If you get what I mean.
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algumaideia · 3 years
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Octavian and Azula
So, recently I had an epiphany and realized the similarities between Octavian and Azula. They are both smart and competent villains who finished their story having a psychotic event. Then I realized that while Azula wasn’t written in an ableist way, Octavian was and I wanna talk about it.
However, I’m neither mentally ill nor disabled, so if you noticed that I said something ableist/inaccurate please tell me. I’m gonna talk about it anyway because just like in the acotar fandom there aren’t that many discussions about the ableism in the books.
Before I start, I recommend you to check out this and this post about Octavian, this one about Azula and the video the Psychology of Azula.
Edit: The posts linked were written by @ocdjason , @holyfunnyhistoryherring and @likeabxrdinflight .
Okay, so in this analysis I’ll talk about what led Octavian and Azula to their mental breakdown, how it was treated and how the narrative linked Octavian’s evil to his mental illness. 
Feel free to disagree with me, those are my opinions and my interpretention of the characters. 
(more) Spoilers ahead
Azula’s backstory
Azula grew up in an dysfunctional family. Since his father mistreated her brother so much, her mom would spend a lot of time with him to compensate it. That made Azula think her mom didn’t love her as much as she loved Zuko. Not only that but by being a firebender prodigy Ozai had a lot of interest in her, he would try to make her be his perfect weapon. Other point to be made is that his father would encourage a behavior her mother didn’t like, so while she would be complimented by him she would recieve a speech by her mother. This led to her be more attached to her abusive father. One interisting thing is in that moment she didn’t had a bad relationship with Zuko, I’m pretty sure you can see them playing in the background in one of the flashbacks, and yes she stole his knive and did that thing with Mai, but are you really a sibling if you don’t tease your sibling? Their relationship wasn’t awesome, but it was okay. Then Ursa went away, all Zuko and Azula had were Ozai. Except not, because Iroh was there, however since he and Azula didn’t get along at all I think I can safely say he gave more of his attention to Zuko. So again he was the one receiving good advices and support. When Zuko was banished, Iroh went away too. So Ozai was alone with Azula. He didn’t have to split his attention with Zuko anymore, it was only her. She had no one. Only the emotional, psychological and problaby phisical abuse of her father. She took it alone for 2 years. I think it is important to say that just like Katara, Azula didn’t process the death of her mother. She just ignored any feelings she had about it.
Now a little about Azula personality before we continue. She is perfectionist, and gets angry very easily, however her anger is a cold and manipulative one. She is incapable of having meaninful relationships because she cannot really connect to people. She is smart, and most of the time she doesn’t trust in things, she is not paranoic but really suspicious. She is really confident about herself, she thinks she is the best, better than everyone. 
All those traits are the reason Mai and Ty Lee’s betrayal led to her mental breakdown, plus years of emotinal and psychological abuse that really damaged her mental health of course. The thing is that Mai and Ty Lee is the closest thing to a support system Azula has, they are also the people she most trust. Their friendship is important to her, it is not a healthy relationsihp, it is based on fear, control and imbalance of power, but it is important to her. So, as I said Azula is really competent and perfectionist, but she needs to be that. She cannot fail, not like Zuko, if she does that her father will turn his back on her. Mai and Ty Lee’s betrayal is a failure. A big failure. If she wasn’t able to properly control them, so imagine the other people. If they were capable of betraying her, everyone is. Before Azula was a very suspicious, now she is paranoic. She cannot fail again.
 And then she breaks.
Azula’s mental breakdown and how it was handled
In that last episodes Azula was different. She had black eyes, she wasn’t sleeping well which didn’t help her at all. Her hair that was so organized, now it is all messy and assimetric. She wasn’t cold and controled anymore.
But the show excels itself in the way it framed the last agni kai.
It is the battle between our good guys and one of the main antagonist of the show. But a sad music is played during this fight, because the show recognizes the tragedy of that duel. Two sibling fighting a problaby mortal battle. “Just you and me brother. The showdown that was always meant to be: Agni Kai!” Two siblings that were raised to think they needed to compete with each other to have love and affection. “My father said she was born lucky. He said I was lucky to be born”;  “You mean it's not obvious yet? I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child! ” Two siblings, one that had a support system. “- Your Uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he? - Yes, he has “ And one who didn’t. “Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again and let them rot.” Two siblings. One who knew there was people who loved him. “You once said you thought we could be friends.” And one who didn’t. “My own mother thought I was a monster” Two siblings. One that recognized the abuse he suffered. “You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn. My father, who challenged me, a 13-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai. How can you possibly justify a duel with a child?” And one who didn’t. “ You can't treat me like this! You can't treat me like Zuko!” It is a tragedy.
Not only that but the show also puts Azula in a sympathetic light, we shouldn’t be happy because she lost. It is horrible, it is horrible that a child passed through everything she did. It is horrible that a child is having a mental breakdown like this. It is horrible that a child suffered so much. 
Octavian’s backstory
We don’t know that much about Octavian’s life, but I think that with what we got from the books we can deduce somethings. So what do we know? Octavian comes from a really rich and powerful family and he can always count with the privilege and money his family has. He is a decedent of Apollo and an augere, he feels very proud about it. No one likes him and this isn’t something new. He is really smart and manipulative. He really wants to be the hero. We also know he’s been at camp jupiter for quite sometime. 
And finally he is anemic and mentally ill. Are you saying Octavian is anemic just because that Will comment? No. A lot of times through the series Octavian is described as being pale, really thin, having a not bright hair, looking sick or not healthy. He is described the same way Nico was in House of Hades, and I would like to remember y’all that in that book Nico had barely eaten for days, he had just been rescueded and spent days uncounscious without getting sun, water, or basically everything. About the mentally ill part, he is often described as crazy. I read the books in Portuguese so I don’t know what were the exaactly words used to describe him in English. But he is said to have madness in the eyes, a weird/creepy smile, an insane laugh. He is said to gaze people in an intense and dangerous way. He is described as obsessed by the sybilline books (btw no one gave him credit but he was right in end). The way he is described by other characters remembers me how SJM wrote Jurian. 
So, let’s give this guy a backstory.
Octavian isn’t afraid of having consequences for his actions, which is weird because his family lives right there in New Rome, it is almost like his parents don’t really care about what he does, about him. He also talkes his privilege and family’s money as guaranteed. With that I think it is safe to deduce he is a neglected child who recieves money from his parents instead of love, affection and attention. Other point, no one likes him. I don’t know why but Octavian gives me Megamind vibes. And by that I mean that he tried to make friends but realized no one would like him so decided to be a bad guy. Hazel said that half of the camp HATES Octavian, and the other is only his friend because he bought them. And I think Octavian wants to be liked. Yes, he wants power, he wants to be a preator and everything else. But what he desperely wants, desires, wishes it to be Rome’s hero. He did all that things to be Rome’s hero, not to be the most powerful person in Camp Jupiter. 
I also think it is important to know that Octavian spent all this tween and teen years in Camp Jupiter, that is not a great place to a child grow. I mean, they value violence, there are fights and deaths all the time. They get severly hurt all time, not only in missions but in camp games. It is wild. And since they value violence and hand to hand combats, they also value physical strentgh. And it seems this is more important than any other thing.  And Octavian lacks it, he is anemic as I said. So, no one likes him and he is not valued at all. Octavian is smart, but he needs to be. He isn’t capable of being physically strong so he needs to find something else. And then he needs to make himself important. So he is manipulative, he buys people, he threatens them. He is also very proud to be the augere, it is an important position, a position of power, but he is also needed by the campus. Octavian is a lonely pshycally and mentally ill child, that wants to do not be lonely anymore. Don’t get me wrong, he is a bad person. But he is also not bad just because. He also gives me some Loki vibes. What Loki wants is to be loved and to be seem as important as Thor, he didn’t get this by his family so tried to fill the void with power. 
Maybe all of it is headcanons. But none of those things are technically lies. I think it is all very plausible, but you people can disagree with me of course.
Octavian’s mental breakdown and how it was handled
I’ll try to put all the events that happened in Heroes of Olympus throught Octavian’s eye, so then we will see what led to his mental breakdown. Remember that just like Azula his mental health wasn’t the best. But I would like to say that I’m not a very good writer, my posts are always messy and not well written, and this is my first time writing from a already existent character perspective and in the second person. So I apologize for my bad writing. 
One of your preator have been missing for quite sometime. The first clue you have about it is a graecus, your long-time enemy, that is welcome by not any godness, but the Queen of the gods. After that one of your most important gods tell that this guy is important. This all seems very suspicious. Then this guy who have no respect to the gods, after just some days in Camp Jupiter, becomes a preator, something that you’ve been working hard to become for some time. And he says that the romans must work with the greeks to deafeat Gaea, why you should trust this guy? He is a greacus, they have been romans’ enemies for so long. This doesn’t seem right. But your preator let the greeks come to your camp, you are very suspicious of course. And they attack New Rome. You see it with your eyes. They betrayed you, you can’t just let things that way. You were right, the greeks are the enemy. Camp Jupiter needs to fight back. But your preator doesn’t want to do that, not only that but your long missing preator that appeared again goes with the greeks. This situation is not right!
At some point Apollo appears to you and says you are gonna be Rome’s hero, your dream will be true!!! However your special talent, your prophetic power is gone. You know you are gonna be a hero but you have no guidance. 
Times pass and your mental healty is getting worse, you are also becoming more and more certain that the greeks are working with Gaea and you need to stop them. 
Then your preator decides to listen to the greeks and goes to the forbidden lands to help the greeks. With two preators far away someone needs to leads the camp, and this person is you. That must be how you are going to be a hero, by leading your camp to the victory upon the greeks. And that makes sense, both preators disobeyed sacred rules going to the forbidden lands, and you never liked them much actually.
Now you need to make sure Rome will win, you cannot fail, you need to be the hero. So, you start calling some people that were banished by the old preators, maybe they are not the best people but they are useful, besides they were banished by two fools who knew nothing. You also make deals with monsters, no way the greeks will be able to win you in that case. 
You discover that the ex-preator is coming with the Athena Partenos in that day, you need to stop her. You cannot let her help the greeks, you cannot let her take away your chance of being a hero. So you assign the person you most trust to do the job, plus some fools that don’t seem that loyal. 
After sometime you see that someone is messing up with your camp, you find di Angelo and other greeks. Then you purpose di Angelo to stay with Camp Jupter, he might be a graecus but you know what is like to be put aside, to do not be treated well, so you offer him a place in your camp. He refuses, but who cares? What a fool graecus knows about anything? You are about to end this bullshit when you see Reyna with the Athena Partenos in camp half-blood, Reyna is also there saying no to the war. And you see your plain go to hell. 
After some minutes Gaea appears and everything is a mess. Greeks and Romans are fighting side to side, but this isn’t right. Greeks are the enemy, they are with Gaea. You need to end this, you need to be a hero. 
You go to an onaguros, you are stumbling a lot and not thinking that well. You are nervous and ansious, you need to be fast before someone shows and interrups you. And then di Angelo and that son of Apollo appear saying you need to stop. How dare them? You are not going to stop, you are going to be Rome’s hero. However you don’t need to worry because Michael is there. You tell him to protect you and to do not let those dumb greeks get in your away. He asks if you are sure, and what does he mean by that? Of course you are sure. You are going to be Rome’s hero. He asks again and you get angry, why is he asking it? He just needs to do what you said. Then he finally obeys you and you can relax. You know that now everything is gonna be alright, you are going to save Rome without interruptions. You know that, you can trust Michael. He is the person you most trust, the only person you told about your problems with seeing the future, the only person that was at your side all the time. He is your friend, your only friend. Everything is gonna be fine. You are ready to lunch the onagro, you are finally going to be Rome’s hero. But then you start screaming because you are also being lunch to the skies. And you die.
Now let’s analyze how it was written in the book.
Octavian was said to laugh in a insane way. He was stumbling and obviously lost his touch with reality. It was written that he didn’t realize his golden things were in fire. I’ve seen some people say Octavian sacrificed himself to save New Rome, but he didn’t. He didn’t know his clothes were attached to the onagro. 
Other thing is that his death was put as inevitable. Which is bullshit. Michael was there, as we arealdy know, Octavian trusts him. He could have warned Octavian about his situation, but he didn’t which is horrible. His death wasn’t inevitable, it wasn’t something that would happen doesn’t matter what you did. Michael chose to do nothing. Nico chose to do nothing and stopped Will when he was trying to do something.
And finally his death was seen as a relief. Nico was happy that Octavian died. When it was talked about it later it said he died as a hero. But the feeling is that people were happy with his death, they were happy for not having to deal with an annoying, creepy and crazy guy anymore. And this is horrible. He wasn’t offeared any sympath. Luke is cannonically in the Elysium, but Octavian doesn’t even deserve an understanding from anyone.
And one of worst parts is that Nico is one of the people that are happy with Octavian’s death. The boy who knows what is like to be in a vulnerable state mentally and do bad decisions about it. And he has no empath towards Octavian. He is happy to know he is dead. Everyone is.
Avatar recognized the tragedy of Azula’s story, but Octavian wasn’t treated with the same kindness. Don’t get me wrong, being mentally ill is not the end of the world. But the fact that instead of being in a stable place they both experienced really stressful situations who led them into mental breakdowns without receiving any help is tragic. 
Other point is how Octavian is estabilished as an antagonist because he has madness in his eyes, how he is dangerous because of his creepy smile and how his insane laugh makes people know he is gonna do something bad.
Octavian deserved to be treated better by the narrative, by other characters, by the fandom, by the author.
And I hope you can see it.
Best regards, 
Me.
Ps. The way May Castellan was written was also ableist
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authorjoydragon · 3 years
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Have you ever told me your steambaby/bladebaby headcanons? You should tell me your steambaby/bladebaby headcanons.
Oof I don’t have solid headcanons but I’ll make some up for u. Actually I remembered I made some up here, so I’ll build off that and maybe tweak a few details bc as I said my hcs are not consistent LMAO
Sokka and Suki got married about 4 years after the war. It took some time for them to get their careers sorted out and help restore their respective towns before they could really live together and settle down. But they were still together through that time, and just the other’s biggest supporter. Soon enough within a year Suki was pregnant with their first, a boy they named Malek. He’s not a bender but he sure as hell is a troublemaker. As he gets older he is model-worthy handsome and handy with a sword, and incredibly smart. Basically his dad’s mini me. They have another child about two years after Malek. A girl they name Kina (sometimes I make her name Kya bc I think Sokka would also want to honor his mother), who turns out to be a water bender. She likes to visit her Auntie Katara in the springtime to train. She’s pretty hopeless at healing, but she gets pretty good at plant bending. Malek and Kina get along really well, they’re like two peas in a pod. The small family live on Kyoshi Island but visit the SWT frequently. The kids love their Grandpa Hakoda, he’s so fun and always teaching them good skills to have and giving them candy. They love to show off their fighting skills to him.
Katara doesn’t stay so close to home. Once her and Zuko finally figure out that oh actually we’re in love and we’re the last ones to realize that, she moves to the Fire Nation shortly after Sokka’s wedding. She actually quite likes the warmth and the flowers, and she’s happy to work as a healer and help Zuko set up a true health care system for the FN. Eventually she becomes the ambassador for her tribe, so she can help more people as she loves to do. Her relationship with the Fire Lord isn’t exactly a secret, but they are discrete so it doesn’t interfere with their professionalism. Of course, she becomes very invaluable to the FN, and everyone is actually relieved when Zuko proposes to her just after a year of her being there. (It was quick, but they knew what they wanted.) Their wedding was quite the occasion, as expected- it seemed like the whole world was there in attendance.
Katara got pregnant about a year and a half later, and just so happened to be pregnant at the same time as Suki! They both had girls. Kina came a few months before Izumi, but besides their darker skin, the cousins look nothing alike! Kina looks more like her mother whereas Izumi looks much like her father. Izumi may have golden eyes and an inner fire, but she is much like her mother. A total sassy spitfire who is ready to fight always. Only a year or so after Izumi comes a non bending boy they name Ryukyu who is very clumsy and awkward and would rather read than fight. He is sensitive but surprisingly quietly hilarious- his sarcasm is unmatched. He thinks Izumi is bossy and mean, so he gets along a lot better with his younger sister even though she’s about four years younger than him. Kya is the sweetest angel and she loves animals. She gets the gift of healing passed down from her mother. She doesn’t want to fight much, she’d rather heal a sprain on an ostrich horse.
Lmao okay this is enough rambling I will end it here.
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hello-nichya-here · 2 years
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Has Azula ever killed anyone besides Aang? Also her 'war crimes' in her villains wiki are so far-fetched and ridiculous
No, she has not. And since we're talking about her "crimes." 
Murder - Iroh was a general for decades, no way he didn't kill anyone this whole time. Ursa killed Azulon. Zuko sent an assassin after Aang.
Attempted mass murder - Again, Iroh tried to take over Ba Sing Se, and Zuko threatened to kill everyone left in the Southern Water Tribe.
Fraud - Mai and Ty Lee also commited identity fraud, so did Zuko and Iroh, and even the Gaang when they were undercover on the Fire Nation.
Kidnapping - Zuko's goal for the longest time was kidnapping Aang, and he did try it MANY times.
Theft - Katara stole that waterbending scroll, Zuko and Iroh robbed Song's ostrige-horse, Zuko robbed a bunch of people after The Swamp, and "The Runnaway" was basically the Gaang scheming and eventually robbing people for an entire episode.
Terrorism - Zuko burned Suki's village, Aang and Katara blew up a factory, and the Gaang's actions in Ba Sing Se would probably fall under terrorism under that city's legal system.
Torture - Azula is literally never shown torturing anybody. We saw her stopping a torture session for fuck's sake.
Animal cruelty - She threw bread at turtleducks, and so did Zuko - who didn't see anything wrong with it until Ursa was horrified. Why is it only wrong and unacceptable even for a child when SHE does it?
Attempted fratricide - Zuko tried to kill Azula too. They were opposing sides of a war, people. It's fair when one of them does it, it's also fair when the other does it too.
Abuse of power - That one is correct. Random question: remember in The Swamp when Zuko said "These people should just give stuff to us? Doesn't that just scream "Kind, just prince"?
Treason - Azula never betrayed her nation or her ruler, and the coup in Ba Sing Se involved Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee. Ursa helped Ozai murder Azulon and then forged his will so Ozai could rise to power. Also, Zuko, Iroh, Mai, Ty Lee, Jeong-Jeong and Piandao all commited treason by changing sides- the Fire Nation laws are unjust, but they're still laws. Treason isn't always bad.
Aiding and abetting - Iroh, Ursa, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Aang, Sokka, Toph, and Katara are all guilty of this as well since they've all helped other people commit and/or hide their crimes.
Unlawful imprisonment - Again, Zuko's whole thing for a long time was taking Aang prisoner, so why is Azula the devil for imprisoning the Kyoshi Warriors and Iroh (the later being someone Zuko also helped imprison)? As for Mai and Ty Lee, remember: just because it happened to the characters we liked, doesn't mean it was unlawful. They broke Fire Nation law, and Azula had them arrested. Plain and simple.
Psychological abuse - She did cross that line a few times, I'll give the Azula haters that. Oh, random question: remember when Zuko would yell at Iroh for the smallest of things, betrayed him, had him imprisoned, and then said "You're crazy! And if you weren't in prison, you'd be sleeping in a gutter!" when Iroh refused to help him while Zuko's knife was still firmly on his back? Also, remember Iroh being totally okay with Zuko acting completely unlike himself because it gave him the son he always wanted? Also remember Ozai emotionally abusing BOTH of his kids for years, not just good boy Zuzu, but also the "evil" Azula?
Crimes against humanity - Yall remember Zuko supporting the Fire Nation just as much as she did, thretened to kill everyone left at the South Pole, burned Suki's village, and sent an assassin after the sole survivor of a genocide, right? And that Iroh sieged Ba Sing Se for 600 days, and that was just ONE of his missions during his time as a general? And that Mai and Ty Lee helped her with the coup at Ba Sing Se? That was all kind of a big deal?
Vandalism - Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee did it too, and were just as pleased with themselves as she was. Toph destroyed a wall of their home in Ba Sing Se just for the lols. Aang and Katara blew up a factory.
Corruption - ??????????????????? QUE? I'm assuming this is refering to the whole Ba Sing Se thing, and once again, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee are just as guilty of this.
Endangerment - It's a war, that's kind of important. Also, Hakoda and all the parents involved in the attempted invasion of the Fire Nation would fit the definition too even though they didn't really have a choice, and Iroh sent his 16-year-old nephew to a battle to the death with his 14-year-old sister - which reminds me: AZULA IS A CHILD SOLDIER! Ozai (and Iroh) endangered her (and Zuko). There isn't a single adult in the show that doesn't fall into this category at some point for fuck's sake!
Usurpation - Again, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee helped with Ba Sing Se, Mai's father was rulling Omashu without having any right to do so, and even Ursa is guilty of that by helping Ozai kill Azulon and forge his will.
BONUS - Things that were not on that list, but that I've heard other people in the fandom saying are part of her list of "crimes":
False surrender - Aang pretend to surrender to Zuko in the second episode and then proceeded to wreck his shit.
Disguising herself as the enemy and not taking off the enemies' uniform during battle - That was part of the plan of the Northern Water Tribe in book 1's finale, and the Gaang also did this in the beginning of book 3.
Using child soldiers in battle - Again, SHE'S A CHILD SOLDIER TOO! Are Aang, Sokka and Katara criminals for fighting alongside Suki, Toph and Zuko? Were Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee criminals for fighting alongside Azula? Are all the adults in Kyoshi Island criminals since all the Kyoshi Warriors are teenagers? When exactly did Iroh have Lu Ten first join him in battles? Oh, wait, we don't need to know that one since, again, he sent a 16-year-old to kill a 14-year-old, so he's already guilty anyway.
WHY ARE THINGS ONLY WRONG AND "WAR CRIMES" WHEN AZULA DOES THEM? EVEN WHEN BY THE VERY DEFINITION OF HOW WAR CRIMES WORK SHE GETS A PASS SINCE SHE'S A LITERAL CHILD SOLDIER?
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azenkii · 4 years
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i was just struck by the idea of post-series zuko adopting a messenger hawk from a shelter to give to azula as a support animal and like?? imagine azula bonding with this badass red hawk with a few missing feathers on its right wing and a scar on its leg. azula and her hawk developing a whistle system. azula and her hawk just standing behind zuko and glaring at visiting dignitaries,,,
(the hawk’s name is flufferson the second. he wont respond to anything else because it’s what the shelter called him for years so now azula’s forced to be like ‘if you hurt my brother i WILL hunt you down. flufferson the second has been trained to spot targets from half a continent away’ and whoever she’s threatening is like mmhmm okay you do you)
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