#ones a canon one about zuko getting sick and not knowing how to trust the gaang | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

vickyvicarious · 4 years

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do u have any atla fic recs? all time faves? can be shippy or not

Fun fact, I am incapable of holding back on reclists. In other words: brace yourself, anon. There’s a reason I put most of this behind a cut.

First off, these are almost all Zuko-centric, because I shamelessly play favorites. I’ll sort them by author rec, gen, shippy, and then by other characters because honestly the numbers break down well that way. Within those categories it’ll be more just as I think of it, so no special meaning to the order. I’m not always good about bookmarking even my faves, so some excellent stuff will no doubt be missing, especially since I haven’t read a lot of the more recent stuff yet/forgot some really old stuff, but this will definitely still give you plenty of fic to enjoy.

There’s a good number of FFN links on here so apologies to people who dislike it, but a lot of great stuff is still on there so give it a chance.

Author recs

Everything by @awesomeavocadolove Such hits as Another Brother (Zuko adopted by Hakoda pre-S1), and currently has a Zukka soulmate fic I’ve been meaning to start reading, as well as Unchained Melody, one of my favorite Zukka fics ever. Always quality, you can’t go wrong.

Everything by KimberlyT. I do not kid. She’s written a variety of ATLA fic ranging from Zutara/other romance to gen, seriously emotional to cracky cabbagebending. I think my favorite is probably Mismatched (S1 Zuko adopts a baby) but honestly just go read it all.

Everything by @emletish-fish. She has a very fun writing style and honestly her end-of-chapter notes on why she’s made the choices she has are fun minimetas worthwhile in their own right. Some of her top fics are the Stalking Zuko series (S3 suspicious Katara to Zutara) and The Worst Prisoner (the Gaang kidnaps Zuko in S1 and can’t get rid of him). I think there’s still a good amount of her fic that can only be found on FFN so check there too.

Everything by @botherkupo. Especially her Undying Fire series (healer!Zuko) but also just literally everything she writes, it is all so great. Tends toward Zutara but strong gen fics as well sometimes and a lot of fun. Check it all out!

Everything by @muffinlance. Loves to toy with her readers’ emotions in the best of ways. Tons of fantastic gen Zuko-centric AUs, I have adored every single fic I’ve ever read by her, can’t praise them enough. Very productive as well, her tumblr is a hub for the ATLA renaissance and her fics inspire lots of others. Has also organized a fanmade ATLA coloring book for charity so get that once it’s out. In the meantime read everything she’s written.

Everything by Haicrescendo. My favorite is What We’re Given (the series where Zuko finds more air bisons and raises them), but there’s a lot of good Zukka fic too. I tend to steer away from explicit works in this fandom unless it’s a smaller part of a much longer plot-centric fic, so there are a number I haven’t read, but I really like the Pokemon!AU Zukka.

Everything by @gaycinema. I really love the EK fight club series (Zuko fights in Rumbles/etc.) but all of it is a good read. Some Jetko, mostly a lot of introspective or emotional oneshots. Which isn’t really a great depiction of how good they tend to be, you’ll just have to read them and find out. You won’t regret it, trust me.

Everything by @captainkirkk. So far eight stellar fics, starting with kind Fire Lord Zuko and ranging to Floating Tea Shop!Zuko who doesn’t want to hunt the Avatar. I love her style and have laughed out loud at multiple of these.

Gen Zuko fic

Bringing Out the Blue by maguena1. [unfinished, long] Definitely worth the read. The first ATLA fic I ever got really sucked into. The Blue Spirit never gets knocked out so Aang doesn’t know his true identity; he joins the Gaang on a recurring basis, while Zuko attempts to tell himself this is only for information on how to catch them, they definitely aren’t his friends.

It’s Impossible by Sandra Phillips. [abandoned, long] One of the earliest Avatar!Zuko fics (sort of) and a really interesting take on some spirit stuff.

Embers by Vathara. [complete, long] A landmark fic in the fandom, and for good reason. I didn’t love everything about this fic, but it is very well-written and an absorbing read certainly worth the praise.

the art of description by incandescens. [oneshot, short] Five descriptions of Zuko and Toph’s field trip from various perspectives. Short, sweet, and funny.

Breaking Point by Kryal. [oneshot, short] Zuko isn’t banished but instead sent to serve in the Home Guard. I love Zuko loving his people, and alternate canon explorations, and this is exactly that.

The Alternative by Lunatique. [oneshot, short] The reason Zuko is so determined is because he fears what will happen if he isn’t the next Fire Lord. An idea I support in canon, to a degree, written well.

Hands and Knees by gigerisgod. [oneshot, short] Zuko reflects on the choices he’s made, and experiences he’s had, when joining the Gaang. A nice introspective fic.

Relative Misery by peroxidepest17. [oneshot, short] Toph complains about her family and Zuko takes her on a field trip. Not a fic I take too seriously, but funny in a sad way.

Second Nature by lazyartisan. [possibly abandoned, long] An AU stemming from Zuko’s capture at the North Pole. Well-written and characterized, an old favorite that I actually find needing to reread to give you more detail, but I can promise it’s good.

Year One by peroxidepest17. [oneshot, short] Lessons Zuko learns in his first year being Fire Lord. I really like explorations of Zuko’s journey as Fire Lord and this is a lovely little window into that.

Soft by PenPistola. [oneshot, short] Zuko and Toph bonding after the Ember Island Players. Short and sweet.

The New Phoenix King by JoeMerl. [oneshot, short] Fire Lord Zuko is overthrown, and no one but him is bothered at all. In fact they help. Hilarious crack.

First Name Basis by JoeMerl. [oneshot, short] There’s some popular posts going around Tumblr lately about Zuko not knowing the Gaang’s names, but this fic did it first back in 2008. As amusing as you’d expect.

Male Bonding by glamaphonic. [oneshot, short] The original ‘Zuko and Sokka bond and are also dumb idiot boys’ fic. Katara is permanently rolling her eyes.

it’s not the waking, it’s the rising by isamagicdragon, thegracious [ongoing, series, medium] Azulon tells Ozai to kill Azula instead of Zuko, which leads to heartwrenching fire sibs adventure. I haven’t caught up on the last chapter yet but god is it fantastic and also just a really interesting and new perspective on what could have happened.

Doe-Eyed by Anonymous. [complete, medium] Zuko is a baby, Azula is a loving big sister. More fire sibs and a great exploration on Azula’s POV of turning against Ozai.

kintsugi by discordiansamba. [ongoing, series, long] Zuko doesn’t have Iroh after being banished, and winds up hired as a guard to protect the frail Beifong daughter. Fantastic preseries Zuko+Toph found family fic.

Legacies by WildInkling. [ongoing, medium] Far in the future, a historian studies the journal of Fire Lord Zuko. Also, he was secretly a famous author but no one knows. A funny and poignant outsider POV.

#UndercoverZuko series by naggeluide. [complete, series, short] A completely cracky concept written straight enough to be actually quite touching in parts, but also just really funny. Zuko goes Undercover Boss on his ship pre-series.

Avatar Ficlets by JaggedCliffs. [series, oneshots, short] An ongoing series of disconnected oneshots, mostly post-canon and mostly Zuko-centric. Some a pretty fun, one is a great view on Zuko and lightningbending, all worth the read (and follow for when more come out).

The Blind Leading the Blue by BrusselsSprout. [ongoing, medium] An epic Zuko and Toph field trip set in S2. I love them and this.

half in the shadows, half burned in flames by r_astra. [oneshot, short] Iroh dies, Zuko gets caught on the Day of Black Sun, everything ends up all right but damn does it hurt getting there.

A Tale of Earth and Fire by chiiyo86. [complete, medium] Zuko and Toph are married for Politics in a FN Wins AU, and follows them slowly bonding as friends to beginning a revolution. They’re married but it’s not romantic, just some good friendship.

Eight Principles of Yong by psocoptera. [oneshot, short] An exploration of immediate post-show FN politics (sort of), calligraphy, and Zuko. Also has some lovely non-fighting firebending; I always love when people explore other uses of bending.

Healing Properties of Cinder Sage by Dawen. [oneshot, short] Zuko gets very sick in the Western Air Temple. Some good interaction when he’s new to the Gaang, and Toph+Zuko friendship.

We Ourselves Must Walk The Path by WinterSky101. [complete, medium] The Gaang agrees to make Zuko their prisoner in the WAT. Speaking of new-to-the-Gaang, tension, this fic has plenty of it, and also features some good Toph and Zuko.

Frozen by Aris Merquoni. [oneshot, medium] Zuko is captured in the NWT. Some politics, lots of angst, and eventually, healing. Also actually makes me somewhat like Hahn? Incredibly enough.

Reluctant Hero by PAW_07. [ongoing, long] Avatar!Zuko fic. I got to beta it way back when for a little while before I got too busy, and have always been a huge fan of this fic. Great concept, one of the best executions of it I’ve seen, and also one of the first. Definitely read this.

Morality Chain by Pureauthor. [abandoned, long] Azula and Zuko were always on each other’s side; how this changes canon. I love this concept and would happily read a lot more fics with it (please guys, I need more fire sibs).

A viper-lizard’s tales series by Yumi_Take. [ongoing, long] The world needs more of Zuko adopting pets and small children, and those are just facts. This only has one of the two, but it’s a EK baby! Jet plays a big role in this fic as well, a weird kind of uncle-ish to the baby/friend/murderer Zuko needs to watch closely and hold back kind of thing.

(life happens) wherever you are by howlikeagod. [ongoing, long] Katara doesn’t find Zuko and Iroh in the teashop, and canon takes a sharp left turn. Excellent Gaang fic.

The Best Path series by EudociaCovert. [series, ongoing, long] Zuko meets Jet in ‘Zuko Alone’ and winds up getting claimed as theirs by the remaining Freedom Fighters. Really really well-written, I got quite emotional over some scenes.

Shippy Zuko fic

Balm by Thyme In Her Eyes. [Maiko, oneshot, short] A sweet little fic about Mai’s thoughts on Zuko’s lightning scar.

The Black Games by Mrs. Pettyfer. [Zutara, complete, long] Hunger Games-esque AU. It’s the first in a series, and I lost interest after this one but I remember enjoying the fic and it was more personal preference rather than a drop in quality that had me leaving.

Lie To Me by Inkcharm. [Toko, oneshot, short] I’m not actually a fan of this pairing romatically (at least until years down the line), but this little fic of Toph and Zuko bonding through lying to one another is sweet. I choose to ignore the more shippy parts and enjoyed it.

Zutara? What the heck is that? by Ryxl. [Zutara, oneshot, short] Complete crack, have a good sense of humor and I think you will enjoy. Just the mental image of the Gaang finding a Zutara propaganda flyer had me chuckling.

The Three Chores series (1, 2, 3) by Fandomme. [Zutara, threeshot, short] Zuko and Katara slowly bond as he helps with chores. I will admit it’s been years and I barely remember this, but what I do recall is lovely and I always appreciate people lightening Katara’s load.

read the inscription by suzukiblu. [Zuko/Song, complete, series, medium] When Zuko is banished, he is left alone in the Earth Kingdom to fend for himself. Very touching, and I love Song in this.

Hooked by TGP. [Jetko, complete, long] A classic ‘Jet didn’t see Iroh warming his tea’ fic. They’re almost all this premise but so many well-written and very long ones.

Something To Hold Onto by Wildgoosery. [Jetko, complete, long] The EK fell and Li stayed to fight with the Freedom Fighters to protect the city during its foreign rule. Jet didn’t see the tea fic that goes very AU from canon.

Foxfire by Rahar_Moonfire. [Jetko, ongoing, long] Zuko loses his memories Jetko fic, but with heavy spirit influence and lovable EK OCs, both of which I adore and should be in far more fics.

Once Upon A Teashop by anaer. [Zukka, Jetko, ongoing, long] Cracky Ba Sing Se AU that gets gradually more and more serious. Jet hits on Zuko a lot and Sokka gets a job in the teashop to keep an eye on both of them. Endgame Zukka but heavy Jetko, and both pairings are handled pretty well, not a love triangle that makes me too mad, although as always bear in mind Jet’s messed up.

Names by TGP. [Jetko, complete, long] I feel like I’m forgetting some more excellent Amnesia!Zuko fics, but this is one I do know of. To be honest I don’t remember it super well because it may be mixed up with other Jetko/amnesia fics in my mind, but I think it was really good. I’ll have to reread myself.

Epistles by Lady_of_the_Flowers. [Zukka, ongoing, long] I love epistolary fic and I love Zuko and Sokka bonding earlier in canon. I will be honest I haven’t read this in a long time and been updating all the while, but the premise alone (Zuko and Sokka become messenger-hawk-pals in S1 and then fall in love) is fantastic.

Ozymandias, King of Kings by Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought. [Zukka, ongoing, long] Zuko rebels earlier and actually is sent to the mines, until he is ‘rescued’ by the Water Tribe. Dark but getting lighter over time, and more reluctant-to-rule Zuko which always wrenches my heartstrings. I prefer super loyal and dutiful to his people Zuko but this trope always makes me feel things.

Crossovers

Fallen Drops of Fire by Chasmfiend. [Fullmetal Alchemist, ongoing] Young Azula and Zuko somehow appear in Amestris, and encounter Roy Mustang. I adore the fire sibs, and their relationship in this strange situation is the star of this fic for me, but it’s also fun seeing the FMA perspective of these two.

The Dragon-King’s Temple by Kryal. [Stargate SG-1, long, complete] The best crossover fic out there. Zuko and Toph get stranded on the other side of a Stargate. I don’t know anything about SG-1 but it didn’t matter, the fic was fantastic, they were badasses, it explored language and culture from an outside perspective, and it was just a ton of fun. Must-read.

Other character fic

Loyalty by Julia451. [oneshot, short] The ship captain didn’t misspeak when he called Iroh and Zuko “prisoners” in the start of S2. A lovely look at a nameless character, giving depth to a small moment and humanity to a FN soldier which I always love.

The Only One by HarlowR. [oneshot, short] An excellent exploration of Azula’s mindset regarding Zuko, her desperate need to be loved and jealousy of him matching his own. I think Azula was one of the greatest tragedies of the show, and this fic makes me feel it.

Blood by theAsh0. [oneshot, short] Katara-centric thinkpiece on bloodbending and healing. Dark but really interesting.

Touch and Go by Cadence. [oneshot, short] After Iroh’s struck by lightning, Toph doesn’t let Zuko drive them all away. A momentary alliance and the seeds of friendship. More Toph-focused but still heavy on the whole Gaang.

Shortcomings by Menamebephil. [oneshot, short] Iroh thoughts during his imprisonment, on the theme of mistakes. I love this man and don’t understand why I am so drawn to fic about him that makes me sad.

Watch And Review, Please by Becca Stareyes. [oneshot, short] The Ember Island Players receive some constructive criticism... sort of. Funny and quick.

Azula Redemption Trilogy (1, 2, 3) by Mistress of Sarcasm. [threeshot, short] Second person and deeply introspective, three short little fics delving into Azula’s head and bringing her closer to redemption.

Echoing Refrains by catie_writes_things. [oneshot, short] I really like nuanced explorations of the whole FN royal family. It’s perfectly fine to write Ozai as pure evil bastard, but exploring what might have been or how he got there, or even as in this fic his talent for music being inherited by Zuko is really interesting too. Iroh-centric.

our curse by ohmygodwhy, and the last dragon by thesometimeswarrior. [twoshot, complete, short] Stay away if you don’t like to cry. In the first Zuko learns Ozai is executing Iroh, and isn’t able to stop it; the second is even worse because it’s Iroh’s POV. I put this in the other characters section because honestly I adore the second fic even more than the first, but they are both fantastically written and will hurt you a very great deal.

Finally, I’m not quite bold enough to put my own fic on a reclist, but just shameless enough to mention I’ve written a few Avatar fics I quite like if anyone feels the desire to check them out on my AO3. ;) But seriously give love to all the rest of these, they deserve it. (And as I said, there’s lots more excellent stuff, this fandom is so prolific and well-written!)

#atla #atla fic #fic rec #reclist #replies #anonymous #i'm haunted by the feeling i've forgotten a lot of stuff #but honestly i need to stop this is huge already #enjoy anon #Anonymous

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hello-nichya-here · 3 years

Text

Why Ozula Makes Sense & Why It Should Be Canonized

Note: Massive Trigger Warning

Note: Yes, I already know's Nichya's opinion on Ozula. But I want to see her specific thoughts in regards to my post.

In a fan base filled with split opinions, two of the few universally held truths are that Ozai is a horrible parent and that Azula has a lot of issues. But there is a lack of consensus on whether Ozai even abused Azula and even more of a lack of consensus on the nature of his abuse if he did abuse her.

And for the record, I personally believe that at bare minimum Ozai did emotionally abuse Azula (“Trust is for fools, fear is the only reliable way” did not come out of nowhere). Not to mention turning Azula into a child soldier is obviously abuse.

But is what we see, or what is heavily implied, enough to explain everything about the Ozai-Azula relationship?

In other words, does the abuse we see, or is heavily implied, enough to explain why Azula was utterly loyal to Ozai to the point she would gleefully risk her life for him while he sat in a bunk, despite Azula being utterly pragmatic in the other aspects of her life?

Does it truly explain why Azula utterly broke after he left to burn the Earth Kingdom despite being made Fire Lord and becoming the presumptive heir to the Phoenix throne?

Moreover, where did Azula learn to flirt and/or why does she come off as sexually charged with nearly everyone she encounters (ex. Ty Lee, Sokka, Zuko) when it is canon that she has no life experience outside of being a soldier or a princess in court?

Other people have come up with headcanons and theories involving, among other things, historical context and meta-textual evidence to explain the questions that I brought up, but what if there was a more sinister answer to all of them?

What if Ozula was a thing?

Yes, I know, there is very little evidence or subtext to support this but I think that if it did occur in canon, it would not only explain a lot about Azula’s character and/or issues, but also shed some much needed light on the Ozai-Azula relationship and even Ozai himself. Especially since, despite all the extended universe material we have gotten in the decade plus since ATLA the show ended, we still don’t know that much about their relationship, or Ozai himself.

So, what is my personal take on how a canon version of Ozula?

I think that Ozai sexually abused Azula in part to replace Ursa once he “had” to banish Ursa and also in part to prepare her to produce super powerful heirs like herself in addition to using as a tool to keep her under his thumb by making her more attached to him than before he started coming on to her.

In regards to the first reason, Azula is a dead ringer for Ursa and most people would agree Ursa is one of the attractive women in the ATLA-verse. Thus, considering Ozai’s canonical entitlement issues, it must have been hard to no longer rape have sex with Ursa...that is unless he copulates with Ursa’s mini-me.

This ties into the second reason, which is the desire to produce more superpowered heirs.

Thanks to The Search, we know that Ozai married Ursa in order to fulfill a prophecy that said would have produced exceptionally powerful benders. And that prophecy was mostly proven right since Azula is the GOAT Firebender as of current canon and Zuko has surpassed, or is close to surpassing, his father while still in his late teens or very early twenties.

For most people, being the father to such prodigies would make them content in life, proud that they could call themselves father to such talented people.

But Ozai isn’t like most people for, as Ursa aptly put it, Ozai is a small man trying to appear bigger than he is, which is obviously proven by Ozai’s ambitions and desires over the years.

It was not enough that he was a prince of the most powerful nation in the world, so he must become Fire Lord at all costs. And once he achieves that by ripping his family apart and traumatizing the remaining members was enough that he was Firelord?

No! He must become the Phoenix King and build his new empire on the ashes of The Earth Kingdom despite already having it under his rule.

And it was not enough that he had a cult of personality, for Ozai commissioned larger than life statues with his package being accentuated to the point of absurdity.

So is it crazy to believe that he believes that not only is he entitled to the most beautiful woman he knows of (and if he can’t have her then he’ll have the closest thing to her even if it is his own daughter) but the most powerful heirs he could possibly have? Especially considering Ozai is a narcissist who made Azula his golden child because of his daddy issues caused by being the unfavored son of Azulon.

In other words, would it have been out of character for Ozai to fuck "himself" aka the person he thinks he would have been if Azulon recognized his “superiority” over Iroh? Especially when he can make more prodigies like himself Azula?

And in regards to the third reason, did you see how needy Azula was in regards to Ozai when they had their short little talk before Ozai crowned him as the Phoenix King?

I think Ozai, more than anyone, realized that Azula would soon quickly surpass everyone who was not a fully realized Avatar and wanted to ensure that Azula wouldn’t do the pragmatic thing and off him once she realized that she didn’t need daddy anymore. Especially after he offered his own father and betrayed his brother to take the throne.

For if he was paranoid enough to banish Ursa for her ability to make that OP poison, what makes you think he never had similar paranoid thoughts about either of his children? Especially Azula considering how strongly she takes after him and how he has been molding her in his image and ideologies ever since it was apparent she was a prodigy?

So by sleeping with her, and therefore bonding with her, he would ensure that Azula would have no motive to ever overthrow him.

And how would this work in practice?

The same way he praised her for her firebending and ruthlessness. He would likely tell that he needed her; that she was a much better (pseudo) Fire Lady than Ursa could ever be (the old nick site said Azula was renowned in court and it is plausible that she did the duties that Ursa would have done as Fire Lady); that it was one more thing that Zuko could never do better than Azula and more proof that she deserved to be his perfect tool by his side; etc.

And for the most part I think that Azula “responded” really well to Ozai’s false praise by further latching on to him, convinced more than ever that Ozai does love her and would never leave her. Especially since Ursa is gone, Iroh and Zuko are both gone at this point due to Zuko’s banishment, and Mai and Ty Lee are also already gone, or going to leave soon, leaving Azula with only Ozai as the only family and/or friend who hasn’t “abandoned” her.

Ok, so I know what you guys are going to ask next; “cool theory but how does it explain anything other than your sick fetish?”

Well, I think canon Ozula would explain a lot of things about Azula’s and Ozai’s behavior that really isn’t explained by canon or is, currently, only lightly implied.

For example, why did Ozai never remarry or produce more heirs in the five years he ruled despite putting his real heir, Azula, in constant mortal danger and spending most of that time either disowning Zuko or hunting him down as a traitor? Especially considering that he was only able to ascend since his brother was a dumbass and only had one kid himself? Not to mention the fact that Ozai is likely has a very high sex drive (have you seen his body?) yet we never see any concubines in the palace.

Well because he wanted to produce heirs with Azula and so waited until she was of age to marry her and then have his new heirs.

Why did Azula collapsed after being told to say behind despite getting the title she always desired, Ozai having a logical reason to leave her behind (people would try to invade the Fire Nation..which is what happened with Zuko and Katara), and Azula eventually getting to inherit the Phoenix Empire?

Well, Ozai leaving her behind shows that Ozai thinks all Azula is worth after her numerous failures is producing heirs, making Azula realize that his bedroom talk was all lies and that he never loved her, only saw her as a tool. Moreover, all his words about her being a better Fire Lady than Ursa are lies since they both ended up in the same spot in life; only existing as Ozai’s (unwilling) broodmares.

Why does Azula hate and hallucinate Ursa despite Ursa being by all accounts a loving mother? And why does Azula avoid and hate reflective surfaces?

Well, because Azula’s subconscious wishes that Ursa was there to protect her from the abuse and also subconsciously reckoning with the long buried knowledge that part of the reason why Ozai came onto her is because she looks like a clone of her very beautiful mother.

Moreover, it would explain why Azula thinks Ursa thought of Azula as a monster when Ursa never said anything like that or gave any indications of seeing Azula like that.

For Azula would likely think, subconsciously, why would my mother leave me with a monster unless I am a monster?

It would also explain, partially, why Azula goes from someone who is a bully, but loves & plays with her bro at 8, to someone who smiles when Zuko is burned at 13.

This is because Azula would think that all Zuko has to do to be in Ozai’s good graces is be a good firebender, a ruthless leader, and follow Ozai commands perfectly & without any hesitation.

Yet Zuko can’t even do any of that while she, in addition to previous requirements, has to give her mind, body, and soul to Ozai.

It would also explain why Azula is so frantically loyal to Ozai (and even loves him) even when it is obvious to everyone that Ozai only cares for himself (he literally groomed her); why someone could be so fucked up and go insane at the age of 14 (victims of child sex abuse end up suffering from mental illness thanks to their trauma; and also explain why Azula has such sexual mannerisms (ex. her interaction with Sokka on DoBs) and voice acting while also being the only main female character to constantly wear makeup that is quite similar to her mother’s (she is trying to appear much older than she is while also trying to “replace” her mother for her father’s sake and maybe even for her own sake as well).

Finally, it would contextualize that infamous bedroom scene, or more generally the subtle incest vibe between her and Zuko, by explaining her behavior towards him as attempt to unnerve him and/or an attempt to pass on her abuse to another person (which is very common).

So the next thing you guys are likely going to say,” Ok then. Maybe Ozula might explain a lot of things but how would you explain the fact that Azula has never shown any indication that her father touched her like that? Moreover, what would be the benefit of introducing such a dark topic into the franchise.”

Well to the first question, Azula would never bring it up because of some combo of: it is shameful as hell, she doesn't think it is wrong because it is all she knows, she still loves Ozai deep down, and/or thinks it her fault just like it was Zuko's fault for getting burned by Ozai and banished for talking out in the war council and/or not fighting back at the Agni Kai.

And as to the second question, well there would be a lot of benefits.

For example, imagine the lore/story potential we could get out of a canon Ozula, as outlined in the headcanon down below?

One of the reasons why the places like Yu Duo became quickly filled with mixed families was due to a mix of sex slaves and families selling their daughters to their wealthy colonziers.

Also the Fire Nation had an extensive sex trackiffing network to service wealthy nobles and the Firelord; Ozai was in charge of this network and was able to blackmail people like Mai's father into supporting him in court and eventually his regime, especially in the early days when it looked like Iroh might challenge Ozai.

The reason why Zhao kept getting promotions despite his incompetence was because he was the best at capturing girls/women to keep the supply running high and Ozai had to keep him happy or else Zhao would spill the beans.

The reason why Ukano supported the NOS despite Zuko offering him a job and most likely becoming his father-in-law is because he was part of the network and it was a matter of time before Zuko found out and exposed him.

Azula helped procure women for Ozai during the 3 years Zuko/Iroh were away and this is part of the reason why Ty Lee and Mai distanced themselves from her (they thought they were next even though Azula would never do that to them) & why they followed her despite loathing her until someone they cared about was going to die (they thought Azula would punish them by making them into sex slaves though Azula “cares” about them too much to ever do that to them).

Azula was also abused by Ozai in those 3 years as raping women and girls weren't enough for him anymore and needed a new kink, incest, especially since Azula looks like her mom, who is one of the most attractive women in ATLA and Ursa was long gone.

And even disregarding the lore potential, there is the potential (positive) real world impact a seriously written Ozula could have.

For it one of the best things about the Avatar franchise is its ability to deal with complex & sensitive topics such as child & spousal abuse (The Fire Nation Royal Family; Yakone’s family; Toph’s family), abusive/toxic friendships (The Dangerous Ladies), sexism (S1 Sokka & Pakku), PTSD (Korra), genocide (Airbender genocide & Southern Water Bender Genocide), propaganda/brainwashing (The Fire Nation schools & the Dai Li), and imperialism (Post-Sozin to the start of FL Zuko’s reign Fire Nation) with the respect they deserve while making it palpable to kids.

And considering the post-MeToo world we live in, what better dark and taboo topic to tackle than sexual abuse?

Especially considering that most people aren’t really aware that most victims of sexual abuse where abused by someone close to them, that most people don’t seem to recognize when such grooming occurs or that it is a bad thing until it is too late (ex. Drake Bell, Kyle Massey, Drake (The Rapper), R. Kelly, etc.), and most victims don’t react to their abuse the way most people think they should (ex. Fight back or tell others).

Thus, couldn’t Ozula be used to educate people on the signs of such grooming and/or abuse and how to properly help such victims?

I also think that seeing Azula overcome the effects of a canon Ozula could also provide healing for someone who played a pivotal role in bringing Azula to life: Grey DeLise.

It was a shock for me to find out, but Grey DeLise has repeatedly said that she got abused by people her mother let into their home and that her mother did nothing despite obviously knowing what was going on.

Considering that DeLise heavily projects onto Azula (including Azula’s relationship with Ursa), has a history of sexualizing Azula (she explicitly said she voiced the bedroom scene with Zucest in mind), and went to really dark place to record Azula’s breakdown, is it crazy to say that DeLise had Ozula as her one of personal headcanons and that it affected her Azula performance?

That is why, in combination with everything else I have said, I think Ozula has the potential to have a real impact how sexual abuse victims are treated and viewed.

Imagine Ozai plotting to remove Ursa, Azulon, Iroh, and Zuko from the palace so he could "play" with Azula unimpeded after almost being caught several different times while also taking things to the next “level”?

Imagine the goading of Azulon/Ursa's banishment and Zuko's burning/banishment all part of this plot?

Imagine Azula making inappropriate jokes about fathers breaking in their daughters to Mai & Ty Lee, causing them to be unnerved while Azula wonders what was wrong with her apt description of father-daughter relationships?

Imagine Ozai spending the next three years molding Azula to not only be his perfect pet weapon but also his future consort once she is of age.?

Imagine his anger when Azula comes home with her childhood friends and Zuko, cutting down on their alone time?

Imagine his horror when he finds out that Azula non-ironically enjoys her time with them more than him despite the fact Ozai had groomed her from a young age to only love him?

Imagine his happiness when Zuko leaves and Mai and Ty Lee are later jailed, allowing him unlimited time with Azula again, despite the hardships Azula’s lapses in judgment regarding her friends & brother. Not to mention Ozai thinking that he once again gets to be the sole attention of Azula's affections?

Imagine Ozai finding out Azula non-ironically misses her brother and friends and so he leaves her behind during Sozin's Comet as punishment for her conflicted emotions & past failures?

Imagine Ozai defeated coming home to see Azula chained, physically and mentally broken, screaming for her bitch of a mother. Only then realizing, for a fleeting moment, the damage he did to his daughter, only to go back to feeling rage at her humiliating loss & even more humiliating loss of sanity?

Imagine Ozai patiently waiting to be reunited with his pet heir and once they meet in his jail cell, convincing Azula that they can be together again if Azula can get a hold of that accursed letter and kill Ursa, the only person who could possibly refute it?

Imagine Ozai hearing that Azula failed in her mission due to being unable to kill her mother despite having Ursa literally in her hands, marking the first time Azula ever disobeyed him? Moreover, imagine his rage once he hears how she disowned him and basically dismantled from within an organization trying to reinstate him on the throne?

Imagine Ozai confronting Ursa, Iroh, and Zuko once they find out about his abuse of Azula, thinking he has once again found a way to manipulate them? Only to find out that they are through with him for good and that they will help Azula heal from his abuse.

Imagine Azula finally going through a healing arc, where with the help of well-trained healers and her mother (who she bonds with over both being victims of Ozai), she learns that what Ozai did to her was wrong, how healthy relationships actually work, & how her abuse never justified her abuse of others?

Imagine Azula then undergoing an atonement arc, where, among other things, she becomes a leading advocate for mental health issues and sexual abuse victims, eventually working with Zuko & Aang to to create shelters & a proto-CPS in addition to radically changing the Fire Nations views on sex & consent?

Imagine Azula eventually finding a loving partner and engaging in a mutually loving relationship, eventually having her own child who she raises in the exact opposite fashion that Ozai raised her while also being a loving aunt to Izumi?

Imagine Ozai thinking that Azula will one day return to him, thinking that he has irreversibly molded her to need him the same way a baby needs its pacifier. Only for him to die never being visited by Azula again, who has long stopped caring for Ozai and hasn’t spared him a thought for a long time & will never do so again?

Therefore, in sum, Ozula has the potential to do to victims of sexual abuse what the depiction of the Ozai-Zuko relationship, and Zuko eventually realizing his father is abusive & disowning, did for victims of abuse while also maybe giving DeLise some form of catharsis.

Thus, in the long list of bad things Ozai did (abuse his wife/son/daughter, kill his father/ruler, illegally urusp his bro, attempt a genocide of a continent, attempt to kill a 12 year old, turn Azula into a child solider/general, etc.) is molesting Azula the worst thing he could have done?

Or I am crazy with a need to go to a therapist for my many unresolved issues?

More Notes:

https://youtu.be/UjLzX1xPW1U?t=316

Grey: they're like 'why are you sexualizing everything?" because i do that in my whole life, my whole life is sexualized Olivia: same. that’s why Grey and I get along Grey: we've... got... abusive childhoods Olivia: uhhh Grey: uh... well I do Olivia: I don't, I just like sex! Grey: depending on who i'm doing it with... then yeah. Olivia: visibly uncomfortable Grey: I've not liked it a lot as much as I've liked it. Olivia: 0_0 Brad is like what... the hell.. is happening

Grey also talks about her abuse in an interview with Mental Illness Happy Hour where she details how her mother abandoned her to people she knew were raping her. And Grey has repeated her story in multiple interviews over the years.

----

Looooong-ass post ahead! You're not crazy, and there is subtext for Ozula... just like there is for Maizula, something I actually like but that I personally believe didn't happen - and if anyone reading this has not yet seen my first answer to why I don't think Ozai sexually abused Azula, I recommend you do so: https://hello-nichya-here.tumblr.com/post/650918965929000960/trigger-warning-i-know-you-talk-a-lot-about-how

While I see the merit of any good story, and I have read good stories that interpret Ozai and Azula's relationship as having involved sexual assault at some point, it is far more likely that in the actual canon (be it just in the show or also taking into account the comics) that simply neved happened, and I'll explain why.

About Ozai never remarrying

It would be very strange for Ozai to never try to have more heirs, and constantly endanger the ones he does have... until we remember that the only noble family in Avatar that has more than two kids is Ty Lee's, and that there are people like Kyoshi who literally over two centuries old when she died. Avatar is a very mature kid's show, but it is still a kid's show, with characters who control the elements and don't get a single scratch on them in situations that would severely injure or kill a normal human being, and the writers likely didn't want to add more characters to an already complicated, political plot like the Fire Nation Royal Family - which is why Iroh never remarried, Azulon's wife was already dead, there were no Lu Ten flashbacks, etc. If they went to such lengths to avoid creating too many characters, it makes sense that Zuko and Azula have no step-mother and no half-siblings in the show. Furthermore, the show clearly wanted to push Azula and Zuko's rivalry - adding another sibling would force their attention (and ours) to shift to said sibling, which is why Kiyi only was created in the comics that were focusing on the royal family, after Zuko became Fire Lord, and even then she is Ursa's daughter but not Ozai's, meaning Azula is still the only real "rival" Zuko has.

Ozai's supposed obsession with Ursa

Despite the radical change in the story of their marriage, I'd say that Ozai was NOT obsessed with Ursa, be it in the show where she consented to marry him, or in the comics where she kidnapped and raped. Princes were expected to marry and have heirs, and the war meant they'd need to have powerful heirs. He married Ursa (against her will or otherwise depending on the version of the story), had two kids with her (the standard in their universe), and encouraged said kids to be ruthless, punishing them when didn't meet his expectations (the Agni Kai and Zuko's banishment were cruel, but they were the type of behavior the Fire Nation rewarded). We need to remember that Ozai's only real problem with the hierarchy and expectations of his nation was when he had to see his brother be Fire Lord instead of him, because Ozai's only real obsession was the crown.

Yet he didn't kill his father until Ursa came up with a plan to do it so she could save Zuko, didn't kill Iroh, smiled in disdain when Zuko said he would help the Avatar defeat him, and constantly endangered Zuko and Azula despite having no other heirs. That behavior might seem strange, until you realize Ozai did truly respect the autority of Fire Lord at one point, but after he managed to steal the crown, he felt like he won absolutely everything - and to prove that he became the Phoenix King, showing he was above even that. He didn't need Ursa, Azula, or any other woman to give strong heirs, because Azula was already filling that role. There is no evidence he was obsessed with Ursa because he only married her because it was the norm (same logic applies to the possible sexual abuse she suffered - she was supposed to give her husband heirs, so Ozai forcing himself on her could easily just be him doing what was expected of him), and then once she was no longer needed and he would actually be in a more favorable position if she disappeared he CHOSE to banish her - the law said he had to punish her for killing Azulon, but the law also said he shouldn't have let her kill his father in the first place. And in the comics he threated to kill both their kids if she came back. If he was obsessed with her, he would have used their kid's lives to force her to stay and never say a word about what happened to his father. But didn't do that, because he didn't want Ursa around.

Could he be obsessed with Azula herself instead of thinking of her as a replacement for Ursa?

I personally don't think so, mostly because of his actions towards both his kids and because of the intentions the writers had. During The Beach, Ozai sends Azula away for a little while with Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee. On the meeting before the eclipse, he had Zuko at his right hand. On their last scene together, Ozai looks annoyed that Azula is around, stabs her in the back, lies to her face, and then leaves her. Finally, when he is last seen on screen, he doesn't ask Zuko what happened to her, if she is in prison, if she lost her bending too, if she is dead... nothing.

Ozai's behavior towards Azula is much more similar to his treatment of Zuko than most people realize. He shuts them both down when try to be anything other useful weapons - be it when they are showing "weakness", failing on their missions, trying to betray him, or trying to be equals to him. His reaction to Zuko's "All I ever wanted was for you to love me" was basically the same he had to Azula's "I thought we were going to do this together/This was my idea/I deserve to be by your side/You can't treat me like Zuko". He instantly told them both to shut the fuck up. He has no affection for them - for Azula - be it a normal one or a twisted one. They might as well not exist when they're not winning him battles.

On top of all that, comics!Ozai full on said he'd kill Zuko and Azula if Ursa didn't stay away, and considering how little regard he showed to anyone and how easy it would be for him to find a new wife if he had to, it is very clear he meant it. And a plot-line that was originally going to happen in book 3 but was cut (likely due to there not being enough time to explore it) had Ozai planning an arranged marriage for Azula - if he wanted her for himself, why was he more than ready to give her away to some rando the second she was old enough to marry?

Intention of the writers VS Intention of the actors

Assuming Grey did want there to have, at the very least, subtext for Ozula, we still run into a different problem: her intention goes against what is presented in canon. With something like Zucest or Tyzula, it is easier to make it work despite the pairings not being canon - they are meant to be complicated, unhealthy dynamics in which the characters involved have both negative and positive feelings for each other. So you could say Zuko and Azula were attracted to each other AND were still rivals. You could say Azula was in love with Ty Lee, and the feeling was mutual, but Ty Lee still chose to save Mai at the boiling rock regardless because it was the right thing to do for her friend.

With Ozula, however, it'd lead to a Zutara-esque situation (again, assuming Grey really did want that subtext to exist, since she didn't specify if that was what she meant when she said she went into a dark place while acting Azula's scenes in the finale). Dante Basco, aka Zuko, is the capitain of the Zutara ship, so any scene between Zuko and Katara gets at least a bit of subtext (and Zutara actually had full on ship-bait moments)... but the show also made it clear that the characters were NOT interested in each other like that, and they both ended up with different people. That means Zutara has some base for it, but it is still NOT CANON. Ozula is on even less solid ground since the overwhelming majority of the text activelly goes against it - again, Ozai seemed uniterested in both his wife and his daugheter, and activelly tried to distance himself from them.

How Azula flirts VS how she acts around Ozai

If we assume all of Azula's behaviors towards people like Zuko and Sokka was indeed intentional, we need to ask ourselves: was it really flirting or an attempt to unnerve them?

With that assumption in mind, I mostly see her actions towards Sokka as having been based on a display of power instead of flirting, but I can understand if people disagree. I fully believe she was attracted to Zuko and wanted both to intimidate him and flirt with him, and even discussed it at length on the link bellow (and offered another possible explanation of why she might not have been interested in Sokka after all) https://hello-nichya-here.tumblr.com/post/654197363889635328/zucest-is-it-really-flirting

When we take that behavior into account, regardless of motivation, and then compare it to her actually trying to flirt with Chan, we see that Azula has different styles of flirting, both of which are based on warpped perceptions of how normal interactions work - one having a predator/prey vibe with open ridicule, and the other with awkward/false flattery that is accidentally insulting and/or scary.

However, if we look at how she acts with Ozai, we see that she acts like a completely different person. She is very respectful and very distant - sort of how servants and guards act around her. That shows that despite her love for her father being actual canon (unlike any attraction she possibly felt for any character) their relationship is VERY formal. Azula doesn't take any liberties with her father, making it very unlikely that she learned her more "inapropriate" behaviors from him.

Azula's trauma

Azula was neglected by her mother and turned into a child soldier by her father. In Zuko Alone, we see Ursa spending a lot of time with Zuko but not with Azula, harshly reprimanding her without trying to understand her motives (like when she asked Zuko why he hurt the turtle-ducks), and even asking "What is wrong with that child?". Add in the over the top neglect she faced in the comics, the obvious guilt Azula was starting to feel for her actions in book 3, as well as the fact that a parent suddenly leaving like Ursa did can severely affect their child's mental health (which was likely to have been fragile in the first place considering Azula's more distressing behavior as a kid, as well as the psychological torment and hallucinations she dealt with in the finale) it makes perfect sense for Azula to believe her mother saw her as monster. Her claim that their mother liked Zuko more and her reaction to Mai's "I love Zuko more than I fear you" shows that her problems with her mother come believing she was not loved while her brother was - could she have also wanted Ursa to be there to protect her from sexual abuse? Sure. She could have simply wanted her mother to procted her from literally anything, or just be by her side and be proud of her.

This trauma also explains her freaking out as Ozai left her in the finale. She had recently lost Zuko, Ty Lee and Mai - the later of the three having accidentally touched an old, open wound of hers. Ozai was all she had left, and he turned his back on her after all she did for him. That was the last straw, and finally broke. You can add sexual assault or literally any kind of abuse to the story to explore a new theme/possibility, but it not existing in canon is not a plot-hole because the story works perfectly without it.

Imagine...

"Imagine Ozai killed Azulon and banished Ursa and Zuko so he could have Azula to himself, abused her, and then was mad when she brought Zuko home, with Mai and Ty Lee coming along"

I can imagine it. What I cannot is remember it. It can be a good, important, cathartic story, but is not the story we saw in the show. In the show we saw Ursa planning Azulon's death, not Ozai. We saw how his abuse was 99% purely psychological. We saw Ozai banish Zuko years after he supposedly got rid of the other two impediments of his abuse to Azula. We saw him not giving a damn about Mai and Ty Lee being around, welcoming Zuko home and rewarding him for "killing the Avatar", and then making Azula leave with them. And above all, we saw him shut Azula down the second she tried to have any kind of relationship with him that involved being anything more than a killing-machine.

Ozula can be an interesting plot, but said plot exists solely in theory and fanfics, not in the actual canon.

#submission #azula #ozai #azula meta #ozula #abuse #rape #ursa #long post #ridiculously long post

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comradekatara · 4 years

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Maybe an odd question but do you have thoughts on post-canon gaang (and mai and ty lee) + why/under what circumstances would they hang out with azula?

not an odd question at all! I’ve actually written about this (extensively) here. but i’m also gonna use this as an excuse to talk about how the gaang feels about azula once she’s been “redeemed,” and how she, in turn, feels about them.

aang and azula have a perfectly civil relationship, and are able to collaborate diplomatically when they need to. but azula never wants to impose on aang, because she will never stop feeling guilty about the fact that she all but murdered him, and aang is too polite to bring it up, which means they’re at an impasse. she admires him from afar, though. aang just thinks azula could stand to go penguin sledding.

katara and azula will never not have beef, but eventually it stops being over real issues and their feud becomes a lot more petty. katara likes to rub in azula’s face that she’s a better sister to zuko, that she is the stronger bender, and lowest of all, that she has better hair. they’re never really friends, but they do exchange snarky letters back and forth every week without fail, for reasons even they cannot explain.

toph and azula are really good friends, actually. toph is probably the first real friend azula ever makes, and it’s toph’s keen perceptiveness and capacity for empathy that allows this. she never takes shit from azula, but she’s also incredibly patient with her, and since azula has never experienced either those things, it all but serves as a paradigm shift. she is endlessly grateful to toph, and toph genuinely, deeply enjoys her company.

azula really admires suki, which is kind of sad because suki maintains that azula is a demon. eventually, she starts to pity, and maybe even sympathize with her, but suki also spent a very long time in the boiling rock occupying herself by thinking up fun lists of ways to murder azula next time she sees her, and if sokka knows this, he has just enough tact never to inform azula of this fact, because it would crush her.

azula admitting that sokka is smarter than she is is a bit of a double edged sword, because on one hand, that signifies a lot of growth, but on the other, she is never not going to sokka for advice. sokka actually likes her fine, because she’s pretty witty (he admires her pun game), but he’s also sick of azula barging into his study seeking his council. after too many encounters of this kind, he puts up a schedule outside his door delineating office hours. azula’s just like “damn....... that’s brilliant.”

zuko and azula will never not have a complicated relationship. it takes a really, really long time for him to trust her, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love her. he’s very patient with her, but she also crosses a lot of lines that she doesn’t understand are lines, just because they’re so subtle. even zuko doesn’t fully understand why one minute they can be having a pleasant conversation and the next he just. gets up and leaves, trying not to slam the door in his wake. but over time, that gets better too.

mai knows that toph and sokka are legitimate friends with azula, and she gets why and doesn’t begrudge them for it, but she also refuses to talk to azula unless she absolutely has to. they do have one really long conversation at one point, which is refreshingly honest and vulnerable, and azula even cries a little, but after that, they pretend it never happened because ew....

ty lee never sees any reason to speak to azula again, and when she does, she’s very cold. it pierces azula to the bone, but she understands why, and though it hurts, it’s something she just has to contend with. eventually they both get over it entirely.

#azula #asks #milfritafarr #happy to expand on any of these points if need be #the gaang and #postwargaang

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stitch1830 · 3 years

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You have a ton of headcanons for Taang and the dunebabies - which I love - and lately you've been talking a lot about Kantoph - which I also love but kind of feel sad about and my heart JUST SHATTERED BY THE RING HC. Now onto my actual question haha: do you have any hc for Azulaang? Like how they got together, their family and friends' reaction to them dating (and let's just throw the world's reaction for good measure) and their children, and overall everything about their lives?

Hi Anon, thank you for the ask! Oh goodness I know I'm sure everyone's sick of all my headcanons haha! That's always been my favorite part about fanon, though. I just make up a little scenario and sometimes it evolves into a whole story. Those stories then have added layers for meaning and boom. Headcanon accepted in my book lol. I'm glad you like them, though, and I'm very grateful people are curious about my opinions on different ships, especially my OTP Taang. I've spent months thinking of dunebaby characterizations because I had nothing better to do, and now I can't write stories fast enough to tell you all about them, so Tumblr asks is a good route to go! :)

Also glad you like the Kantoph HC's! They are now my absolute favorite canon ship for no other reason than the AU that I've been creating LOL. But yeah the ring HC... that's a rough one. And I made it worse by writing about it. That's my b LOL. Anyway! There's a LOT we could unpack with this ask and I've rambled for too long. Let's go!

I’m thinking maybe Zuko asks if Aang will take Azula with him to help rebuild and restore some fallen EK villages. Just providing aide and things and being helpful. She’s still recovering from her breakdown and trauma, and Aang’s calm spirit will probably help her go down the right path. At first she’s not having it, she abhors all the work and help they have to do. But she finds that complaining about the work is not accomplishing anything, and she’s a woman that likes results. Aang’s company becomes less and less annoying and more endearing. They admit their feelings to each other when they were ambushed one day (that happens a bit) and one of them almost gets hurt. After, they argue and one of them silences the other by kissing them and they just…. Don’t stop LOL.

Their friends are very perplexed by the relationship. They’re worried that Azula is using him and that Aang doesn’t realize what she did to him when he was a kid, and they’re really worried this will affect Azula’s mental health recovery. But Azula and Aang know each other after years of travel and trust each other. Eventually, their friends are on board and realize that the two are good for each other, so they slowly but surely become supportive! The world finds the relationship strange, yet intriguing. The Avatar and his Enemy’s daughter together… a little poetic and the world loves to speculate that’s for sure.

Azula is a very formal woman, so they do end up married (because she asks him), and they have proper FN and AN wedding ceremonies. They have two kids, I believe I named them Seiki and Kelsang, an airbender and Firebender respectively (personalities yet to be made, but I imagine Seiki gets her matter-of -factly way of speaking from her mother).

The only nickname Azula really uses for Aang is dearest. Aang typically calls her darling, but he has a plethora of nicknames he can use for her as well.

They butt heads a lot on their different cultures, but they appreciate that the other is so passionate about their upbringing, so the argument is never long.

The family sometimes travels because of Aang’s job, but they settle in the FN so they can be close to Uncle ZuZu. And the familiarity is comforting for Azula.

Hmmm that’s all I can think of for now! Hope this answers some of your questions :) Thank you again for the question, and hope you have a nice day!

#azulaang #atla #Azula #Aang #headcanons #my asks #thanks for the ask!#I’ve asked this before but #what would the kids names be?#fire tornado babies??#idk

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cruelangelstheses · 4 years

Text

a simple misunderstanding

fandom: avatar: the last airbender rating: G characters: sokka/zuko, katara words: 2k additional tags: canon compliant, fluff description: zuko and katara start hanging out, just the two of them. sokka gets suspicious and decides to investigate. a/n: hi!! this was written for the @lgbtqshipszine and i can post it now! i love my silly boys

read it on ao3

—

Sokka is a good older brother—he thinks so, at least. He does his best to look out for Katara and give her advice when she needs it, but he also tries to give her some space and let her make her own decisions. They are only a year apart, after all, and she’s grown up a lot since they first found Aang in the iceberg.

So when Sokka notices that Katara has been spending more time alone with Zuko, he holds himself back from immediately confronting her about it. They could be doing anything, talking about anything. He’s trusted her to be alone with guys before; he’s even teased Aang for his long-standing crush on Katara. Besides, they clearly bonded in some way when they went to search for the man who killed Sokka and Katara’s mother, even when it didn’t turn out the way they’d expected. He should be happy that they’re getting along now.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust Zuko, and it’s certainly not that he doesn’t trust Katara. He doesn’t think Zuko would do anything to hurt her—or, well, not on purpose—and he pities the fool who would even try, because hell hath no fury like a Katara scorned. So, really, it shouldn’t be any of his business what Zuko and Katara talk about in whispers on the shores of Ember Island or in the courtyard of Ozai’s beach house. At least, that’s what he tells himself.

Unfortunately, try as he might, Sokka just can’t shake the slightly sick feeling he gets in his stomach whenever he sees them talking, even if it’s only a word or two about what they’re having for dinner. He watches their interactions for any indication of romance, but if they do feel that way about each other, they’re doing a damn good job of hiding it. They don’t hold hands—in fact, they barely touch at all, except for when necessary—and they don’t usually sit next to each other during meals. Zuko does sit next to her when they go to see the Ember Island Players, but it seems completely platonic, and Sokka doesn’t miss the way they slowly scooch away from each other during the “romantic” scene between their actor selves. They still talk, though, and sometimes, Katara says something to Zuko that makes him blush furiously. Talk about mixed signals.

So Sokka makes little to no progress on his theory, which is really less of a theory and more of a sneaking suspicion that there’s something fishy going on. Zuko has been acting strange around Sokka for a little while, occasionally stuttering or spacing out in the middle of a conversation, and it might have to do with this whole business with Katara. If Zuko’s had a crush on her for some time, then it would make sense that he’d be nervous about Sokka’s reaction. (Sokka, for his part, feels weird around Zuko sometimes too, but that’s probably just because Zuko hasn’t been with them for very long, and maybe a small part of Sokka is still nervous around the guy who used to try to capture or kill them all on a regular basis.) Eventually, he decides he’ll just have to take the initiative and talk to Katara himself, or else the wondering is going to drive him crazy.

He corners her one evening after dinner, when everyone else has dispersed and Katara is starting to clean up in the kitchen. She looks up from the sink when she hears his footsteps and raises an eyebrow.

“I’m guessing you’re not here to help me clean up,” she says.

Sokka leans up against the nearby wall in an attempt to look casual. “Katara,” he starts out, “you know you can trust me, right? With anything?”

Katara frowns in confusion. “Yeah, of course. You’re my brother.”

Sokka nods and crosses his arms over his chest. “Good! Good.” He clears his throat awkwardly as he searches for the right words. “Because I realize that you can make your own decisions and that you don’t need me protecting you all the time, and so you know that if, say, you were to start dating some angsty firebender who used to try to kill us all the time, you could tell me that, right?”

Katara nearly drops the bowl she’s washing and shuts off the water. “What?”

Sokka can feel his face heating up. Apparently rambling tactlessly is still one of his strong suits. “Just, you know, theoretically,” he adds pathetically.

Katara just stares at him incredulously. “Zuko?” she says with a laugh. “You think I’m dating Zuko?”

Sokka shrugs. “Well, what else was I supposed to think with you two always running off to talk privately? Zuko hasn’t been able to look me in the eye since the Boiling Rock. I thought maybe he was nervous around me because he was afraid of how I’d react if I knew he had a crush on you or something.”

Katara laughs again. “Well, you don’t need to worry about that. I’m not particularly interested in him, and I’m positive he’s not interested in me.”

Sokka narrows his eyes. “Well, then, what have you two been talking about?”

Katara’s cheeks turn pink. “Us? Uh, nothing. Nothing important. What, two people aren’t allowed to just talk to each other alone?”

Sokka snorts. Like brother, like sister. “Well, that’s not suspicious.”

Katara sighs. “Look, if you really wanna know, you’re better off talking to Zuko.”

“He’s been acting weird around me for weeks now,” Sokka says, trying not to let the hurt seep into his voice. “What makes you think he’d tell me anything?”

“He will,” Katara replies cryptically, and with that, she returns to washing the dishes.

Clearly Sokka isn’t going to be getting a solid answer out of this conversation, so he turns around and heads down the hall to find Zuko.

It doesn’t take long to locate him, out in the courtyard practicing firebending with Aang. Zuko’s been training him in a frenzy; it feels like that’s all they do sometimes. They just ate, and they’re already back at it again, likely at Zuko’s direction. The least they could do is take a few breaks.

Sokka waltzes down the couple of steps outside and into the courtyard. As they’re both practicing the same forms, Aang moving his body in sync with Zuko’s, neither of them notice him approaching. Sokka waits until they seem like they’re at a good stopping point, assuming a final fighting stance and then relaxing their postures, to call out, “Hey, Zuko? I need to talk to you.”

Zuko nearly jumps at the sound of his voice and whirls around. “Okay,” he says, attempting to act calm, but very obviously failing. The sweat rolling down his temples doesn’t help matters, either. “What is it?”

Sokka awkwardly glances over at Aang. “Uh, can we talk in private, actually?”

Zuko narrows his eyes, but nods silently and waves a hand in Aang’s direction, dismissing him. Once he’s out of earshot, Sokka sits down on one of the steps. Zuko, however, remains standing.

Sokka decides to just get straight to the point. “So. You and Katara.”

Zuko raises an eyebrow. “What about me and Katara?”

“You’ve been talking a lot recently,” Sokka says. “Alone.”

Zuko’s face heats up, though it was already a little flushed from training. “So?”

“I asked Katara about it, but I didn’t get much out of her. I thought maybe you two were dating or something, but she said that wasn’t it. She wouldn’t tell me anything else, though.” Sokka shrugs. “She told me to ask you instead.”

Zuko folds his arms over his chest. “What gives you the right to know about two people’s private business?” He really sounds like a prince there, and it looks like he knows it.

“Well, number one, something’s telling me this ‘business’ was hidden pretty specifically from me, and I’d like to know why,” Sokka replies. “And number two, I’d appreciate some sort of heads-up if my sister ends up dating the crown prince of the Fire Nation, who spent the better part of a year actively trying to capture us.” That last part comes out sounding more hostile than he means for it to.

Zuko scowls and throws his hands out. “What are you saying? That after all this time, after everything, you still don’t trust me?”

Sokka holds his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “No, no, I didn’t mean—”

“Save it.” Zuko scoffs, but there isn’t any venom in it, just hurt. “And here I was starting to think we—”

He bites his lip and stops talking, just stands and stares with his hands balled up into fists at his sides and his eyes glinting with something Sokka can’t quite decipher.

“What?” Sokka asks. “Starting to think we what?”

Zuko shakes his head, looks away. His body relaxes, and he opens his hands back up, using one of them to rub at his scarred eye. Finally, he walks over to the steps and sits down next to Sokka, resting his arms on his knees as he thinks about his response. After a long moment of silence, he speaks.

“When we were together at the Boiling Rock, I...realized something. I decided to talk to Katara about it later, and then she started giving me some advice.”

Sokka narrows his eyes in confusion. “Why her specifically?”

Zuko sighs. “Because she knows you best.”

Sokka shakes his head. He really, truly has no idea what’s going on here. “What does this have to do with me?”

Zuko is quiet for a long time. Finally, he says with a small laugh, “You got it all mixed up, Sokka. I’m not interested in your sister. I’m interested in you.”

Sokka almost doesn’t believe that he’s hearing correctly. His heart is full of so many somethings, things like relief and shock and hope and desire and an overwhelming feeling of duh.

“Me?” he sputters, because he realizes that he hasn’t said anything yet, and Zuko is looking at him like he expects Sokka to slap him. “I—me?”

Zuko smiles wryly. “I know; I was surprised, too.”

For a moment, they just look at each other. Then they both start laughing, so awkwardly and so stupidly. They laugh so hard that Sokka’s stomach starts to hurt. They laugh so hard that they have to hold onto each other to catch their breath, and that’s when Sokka leans in.

It’s short and soft, an apology, a beginning. He tastes like fire and what they had for dinner, but Sokka doesn’t mind. When they kiss, it feels like something clicks inside of him.

Zuko pulls away first, guilt written all over his face. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I was just afraid—I didn’t know how you’d—”

“No, no, I get it,” Sokka assures him. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I didn’t mean to imply that I don’t trust you, because I do, Zuko. I do.”

Zuko’s lips curl up into the faintest smile. “I wanted to ask Katara for her blessing. And then I just ended up coming to her for advice on how to...well. Court you, I guess.”

Sokka snorts. “Just be yourself. That’s enough for me. Just don’t go making me jealous.”

Zuko giggles—he actually straight-up giggles. Sokka thinks he could listen to it forever. “Jealous? Of who, Katara?”

“Well, yeah. I assumed you two had a thing.”

Zuko shrugs, his cheeks bright red. “I never said it was a good plan. But it worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

Sokka smiles to himself and laces his fingers with Zuko’s. His heart feels like it might take off and fly away at any moment. “Yeah,” he says softly. “I suppose it did.”

(Katara finds them kissing again a few minutes later, and the only thing she says is “Finally.”)

#atla #zukka #zuko #sokka #avatar: the last airbender #zuko x sokka #sokka x zuko #my fics #ITS HERE

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seyaryminamoto · 4 years

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Hi Seyary! First of all, I wanted to let you know that I am really enjoying Gladiator. And because I'm bored and a sucker for angst in ff, here's a hypothetical question - how would the following characters react to an (almost successful) assassination attempt on Azula - Sokka, Ozai, Zuko, Mai, ty lee and toph? (sorry if the list is too long lol, the first two reactions would be most interesting anyway I presume) thank you!

Hypothetical, huh...? <.<

*innocent whistling* *hides her future plans under her bed*

XD alright, nothing I have in mind is quite as literal as what you’ve described... but I will say there’s going to be a similar situation coming up in the final arcs of Part 2. So, um... if you’d like angst, stick around because we’ll have plenty in the future :’D

So! How would they react...:

Sokka: kills the culprit. Outright. Immediately. If he can do it before the assassin even reaches her, better yet! Still, Sokka would be willing to discard his “no killing” policy for Azula without the slightest hesitation. He has already gone quite far to protect her, as he did in Gladiator Brawl... after that arc, he has determined he won’t hold back and will do whatever is needed to save Azula. He’ll pay the price eventually, if there’s a price to be paid... but he won’t hesitate to do whatever it takes for her. Emotionally, however? Sokka would be absolutely devastated and panicking horribly if Azula is ever in mortal danger. He’ll most likely blame himself (even if it’s not his fault), he’ll be restless and desperate to do anything to help... basically spiraling just as badly as Azula was in 126 when she nearly lost him. It would take a long time for him to calm down, and even then, the latent fear of not being strong enough to protect her will probably never fade away. Even though he hasn’t had the well-known canon-based trauma caused by Yue’s death, Sokka won’t get over a potential near-death-experience of Azula’s easily, and he’ll be even more frantic about making sure she’s fine, healthy and happy than he already is, barely leaving her side because he feels anxious if he’s not close enough to protect her of any dangers, big or small or insigificant as they may be. He’s always been an instinctive protector of everyone he loves, so I imagine he’d train himself harder yet after this happens, hoping to polish his skills to the utmost, so nothing like this can ever happen again.

Ozai: we already saw a glimpse of this (if just a small one) in the White Lotus Attack arc, where he was completely blown away upon finding out his daughter had been in danger of kidnapping + was badly sick. The combination of factors triggered an unusually emotional response from Ozai... unusual because it wasn’t rage, of course. That’s basically the only emotion Ozai experienced for years, until that scene with sickly Azula happened. That his daughter was in such danger, that he didn’t know about it until it was too late... it actually worried him, badly. Enough that, despite his disbelief at Azula’s claims that Sokka saved her and fixed everything, he offered to repay Sokka for saving his daughter, and he actually followed through with Sokka’s requests. An assassination attempt, then, would see Ozai reacting similarly. Unlike Sokka, who would immediately kill the assassin, I think Ozai would prefer capturing it and then executing it as painfully as possible, probably after a severe torture session :’D he won’t let anyone who tries to harm his daughter get away with it unharmed, despite he doesn’t entirely understand the source of his wrath towards anyone who could hurt her. He would likely recommend Azula never lowers her guard again, perhaps even lightly scolding her for letting someone come that close to killing her... yet he’s more concerned for her than he wants to admit, and he’ll even ease up his pressures on her, frequently checking on Azula to ensure she’s recovering properly. If there’s one aspect in which Ozai displays any fatherly instincts, it’s when when Azula is in danger. Tbh, it’s probably the only aspect where he does, all things considered...

Zuko: unlike the other two, I don’t think Zuko would have such a violent reaction to Azula being the victim of an assassination attempt. He would definitely be shocked, and he would worry about Azula, but he’d assume there’s no assassin or anything in the world strong enough to overcome his sister. So he’d probably calm himself down by basically trusting she’s too extraordinary to be beaten... and it’d allow him to stay level-headed, to a fault. If he’s around during the assassination attempt, Zuko would want to join in defending his sister (though I don’t think he’d likely go as far as killing the assassin unless he has no choice). If he only hears about it a long time afterwards, he’ll likely want to go see her, and he’ll worry about how bad the damage was. Still, not quite as passionate a reaction as either Sokka or Ozai’s.

Mai: I think Mai would have an interesting reaction, actually? She probably takes Azula for granted just as much as Zuko does, in the sense of assuming Azula is unbeatable and no one would ever lay a finger on her... so that there’s a close call so close that someone actually nearly kills her? It’d probably mess her up quite a bit. Mai cares about her friends, even if she doesn’t show it overtly, so she’d likely focus on Azula rather than on weird pursuits of revenge against the culprit or anything like that. If there’s other people to watch over Azula, she’ll just visit her often as she recovers... if there were no one else, she’d likely stay by her bedside until Azula is all better. There’d be a lot of sass back and forth, too, which would likely help Azula’s mood a lot while she recovers. Still, Mai would likely be very shaken up by the notion of Azula being killed since she can’t really imagine Azula dying... like, altogether xD but she’d swallow her feelings and see to Azula’s recovery rather than letting her worries overwhelm her.

Ty Lee: ... I guess she’s the polar opposite of Mai in a thousand ways, so why not this one too? :’D Ty Lee probably reacts very explosively and panicky, wearing her feelings on her sleeve, as expected from her. I doubt she’d be much help while Azula recovers, but I’ll give her credit and say that, if she were present during the assassination attempt, canon suggests Ty Lee can hold her own in chaotic situations better than expected. She might help subdue the enemies, but once the danger is gone she’ll flip over to panic mode as she waits eagerly to know if Azula will recover.

Toph: Toph won’t want to believe it happened, tbh. She’d assume Azula is unbreakable too, and she’d be pissed as heck if anyone genuinely hurts her. I can see Toph taking a more vengeful approach to the problem, but she’ll be freaking out until she can talk to Azula herself and be sure she’s out of danger. She might take a playful approach to the matter later, messing with Azula such as offering her services as a bodyguard and such, with Azula rebuffing that she might end up being the one saving Toph’s butt instead, but deep down she’d be worried until Azula is out and about again. She’d be sure Azula won’t let that happen again, though... so I think, within this list, Toph might be the one who moves on the fastest. As long as Azula is okay, she’ll relax, to a fault.

Alright, I hope those answers were interesting enough for you xD (but you were right, I think the most important ones really are Sokka and Ozai’s...)

#anon #gladiator #some people have really interesting questions :'D #very wise of you to wonder (?)#... but you'll get some thorough answers within the story in time #you'll see (?)#this ain't really spoilers but I'm just sayin'...#as OP as Azula is #sometimes being OP isn't enough (?)

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whirlybirdwhat · 4 years

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wait what’s up with uncle iroh’s well meaning manipulation?? when was that?

*cracks knuckles and rolls neck* are you sure you want me to write this out?

Too late!

Anyway, the question for everyone else is referring to a line I put in my Accidental Family Man Head canons about Jinbe so uh, self promotion real quick but now to get to the good stuff.

Iroh, first and foremost, is a general. A General, who for the longest time, lived in a court under his father’s hand, and in general, problably had a lot of scheming in his life.

Flash forward to present time, when he’s retired, a Grand Lotus, with a nephew hell bent on capturing the one hope Iroh believes the world has to succeed.

Perhaps it is time to nudge him in the right direction a little.

The concept of Iroh the manipulator is something that I've seen grow in the Atlantic fandom for a while now, and as they point out facts in canon, its become less Fanon and definitely just a just realized thing. Vathara’s absolutely amazing fic Embers does an awesome job of show casing this, and im pretty sure muffinlance has several works that feature it as well.

For canon, here are a few examples that I can think off the top of my head.

All of Ba Sing Se and Iroh’s imprisonment, as well as the few teachings we see him give Zuko.

Note: None of this is malicious, I believe, in Iroh’s part, but it does take advantage of the fact that Zuko does implicitly trust Iroh.

So one 1)

THIS SCENE. Introducing the fact that the four elements (The Avatar’s whole shebang, what the Fire nation is against) can live in harmony, and can be advantageous (lightning bending.) Very small, but enough to start a shift in Zuko’s ideology in that fire= all thats good.

2) Iroh heating the tea in Ba Sing Se.

He sees his nephew with a man that likes to foster hate in everything he sees. Hm. Time to be the tea loving uncle and heat up some tea to get his nephew away from that man.

(Shameless plug for my fic recognition right here where Jet recognizes Zuko and does jack shit about it)

3) Encouraging Zuko to find life in the city, to forget the Avatar.

I don’t have a picture of this but the whole Spiritual Sickness thing, the way he pushed for his Zuko to be himself without the avatar - and how later, post sickness, that himself turned out to be a tea-loving nephew.

Suspicious? I don't know exactly how to read it but it sure is something.

4) Literally everything to do with the White Lotus.

Iroh breaking out, Iroh showing Zuko the Pai Sho tile constantly in prior seasons, telling Zuko that hey, perhaps the silent treatment might get it into your head that you fucked up and that maybe im right, and maybe we will meet up in the spot I planned hmmmm.

5) Iroh not being Aang’s teacher and providing the oppurtunity for Zuko to be the one despite having a thousand other fire bending masters in the white lotus lmao. that ones just a hunch but uhhhhh yikes.

Anyway, yeah. Its not obvious at all, and it does for the majority of it have Zuko’s best interest at heart but... Iroh’s for balance. Iroh’s for the world being saved. If he has to nudged his nephew around a bit to do that, then so be it. His nephew could use it after all.

Also im very sure you could find a thousand better essays about this topic then my scrambled reasonings but I hope that explains what I saw! Its been a year since I last rewatched the series so Im sure I missed a lot lol.

But yeah Iroh = well meaning manipulations that in general help everybody but maybe stop seeing your nephew as a pat sho tile to nudge around hmm?

#im definitely forgetting things oh well #I hope that answers your question anon!#atla #iroh #zuko #jet #Avatar The Last Airbender #whirlyrambles #oooh haven't used that tag in a while #whirlywhat #manipulation #analysis #meta #??

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honeyveins · 4 years

Photo

——— ❛ ISN’T WHAT I WANT BLOOD ON MY LIP ? ❜

( triggers : neglect , abuse , death )

— quick stats :

full name : zuko sozin wang nicknames : zu - zu age : twenty - four ( 24 ) gender & pronouns : cisgender man / he & him birthday : march 31st ( 03 / 31 / 1996 ) zodiac : aries romantic / sexual orientation : biromantic & bisexual fandom : avatar : the last airbender occupation : unemployed / heir to his father’s company

( SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR PLOTTING IDEAS ! )

— memory ( not his last canon memory ) :

❛ — - the smell of ash and soot stung your perfect, greek nose as you saw and felt your fingers begin to burn. though, the scent of flesh on fire was nowhere to be found. as the song of the firelord, this was only to be expected and to get bending this powerful ( and before your sister, no less ) ; the semblance of a smile split your warm lips. watching the flame dance between your digits, the slight blue tip on the end of each lighter tipped print, each blaze of a fire simply begging for the smallest inhale of oxygen. the blaze turned into something larger ; something no longer for the fun of trying out how the heat felt on your palm. dropping small petal of red and orange light on the floor only to watch it fizzle out. ❛ — - with the anger brewing in his chest, swirls of heat around his ribs, cracking the exposed bone and cooking the marrow that lay dormant inside the white shell. his younger sister, azula, was bound to get her bending sooner or later. though, while zuko was still showing his mother the swirling embers he was so proud to create, his sister was committing arson in the garden. not only that ; she was getting praise for it, as well. golden eyes began to turn dark, rusty, as he yearned for the kind of praise and applause from his father. silently begging as he showed of something azula had learned months before. love was never something shared between himself and his father, but god was that a damn blow to the chest.

❛ — - I WILL BE BETTER THAN AZULA, FATHER. ❜

— earth, fire nation , ( 83 AG - 167 AG ) :

— - lucky to be born, his father called him. thinking he was a non - bender from birth, he was simply lucky that his father was swayed by his wife to give zuko a chance to slowly learn that his fire - bending came from the anger he held inside. the resentment that had slowly grown over time the further his father praised his younger sister and reprimanded zuko from the lack of techniques he knew. though, he’d grown up in such a cruel household, that came to a screeching halt when the young prince had become banished.

— - speaking out in the presence of his father was cause for death, thought this being his son, banishment seemed good enough. his father, FIRELORD OZAI, reigned over the fire nation, only to rule all of the four kingdoms. and the moment zuko decided to speak out during a council meeting, his father dealt with him later on.

— - marking zuko with a large burn across his left eye, inevitably blinding him and leaving him with a unfavorable scar, he stripped the prince of his birthright and banished the prince from the fire kingdom. with just made the fire in chest burn bright and harder. his path now became about pleasing his father ; getting back what he deserved. even if the young prince called it a pursuit of finding his honor. nothing more and nothing less. this is how he’d keep it.

— - find the avatar, find the avatar that’d been missing for the past one - hundred years. the year was 100 AG and a sixteen year old zuko knew that if he could just find the old avatar, his father would finally praise him, give him back his birthright as the heir to the throne and have the honor he deserved back.

— - the pressure of getting this done before his father planned to attack the other nations on the night of sozin’s comet was far too much for him to handle. soon breaking his mean streak and realizing his father’s wrong - doing and soon after only team avatar, helping to defeat his father, defeat his sister and finally claim his birthright. ruling the fire nation for sixty - seven year and ruling in harmony with the other four nations.

( so this was really bad, really short. to read more about him, i highly suggest skimming his wiki HERE. they do a much better job. this was just a very fast synopsis, spoiler free of how he became zuko and a short redemption arc. )

— alucard, pennsylvania , present day :

— - if the name zuko wang sounded familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of his father. a rich man with a lot of power in his hands, power that would later be handed down to his first - born. something that had been in the works for twenty - four years, teaching and trainer the young boy into a respectable businessman. charming women into working for him or working with him, persuading men with whatever they desired if they paid him the money he needed to turn the company into something even more powerful that it already was. it seemed like the dream, taking over your father’s place, getting all the money you could fathom, women wanting you and men fearing you. unfortunately, this is something zuko didn’t want. he never wanted this, as cliché as it was, he just wanted attention from his father. and unfortunately, all of his attention was either on his baby sister or his company.

— - since his sister was born, zuko became obsolete almost. he’d become the next in line to inherit a monopoly made by his father and that was it. zuko wasn’t seen as his first - born, his first ( and only ) son. something that caused a domino effect, a ripple, between his father and himself. there was almost a war inside of his house between his father and himself. the constant yelling, zuko leaving in the middle of the night to get a drink, smoke a cigarette and crash at his friends place. while his sister stayed in and played the perfect daughter. almost as if zuko had banished himself from their home ; staying out turned into a constant thing. rarely ever going home. only to say hello to his mother, give her a hug and leave before his father even knew he was home. if even cared enough to ask.

— - years passed with this routine becoming more and more common, until he heard about his mother. something terminal and something that zuko couldn’t stomach knowing more about. although, it didn’t last long as he’d say goodbye to her and wake up to the lack of a maternal figure in his life. his uncle would come over, pour him some tea, and swear that he could trust him. the comfort that came with the word trust would mean more to him that he could ever thank him for.

— - now twenty - four, zuko doesn’t know when he’s at home and when he’s anywhere else. feeling like the world is working against him, only to make the world he’s living in feel heavy, not being able to share the weight. though, he isn’t, zuko knows that whatever was planned for him, wouldn’t be his endgame. even if meant cutting himself out of the picture completely. then again, hadn’t he done that already ?

— plot ideas ! :

001. please give zuko some support and love, he needs it ! maybe someone ( or a few people ) that support him literally everything he does. the fact that he doesn’t want to become some boring businessman and end up like his father. please tell him it’s okay and that it’s totally valid. 002. mayhaps a past relationship. it was probably a little toxic and very much on an off. could probably still be a thing, because zuko hates being alone. he likes having a warm body to sleep beside. that would be sick, lost of angst which we know i love !!! 003. MAYHAPS someone could be a father figure to him and teach him what a real dad is supposed to be like. just someone who supports him but as a dad. if that makes sense, someone he trust and can completely vent to

#duality.intro #look who finally finished !!!!!#pls enjoy this rushed intro . would suggest it's read from his alucard life and on.#anyways !!!!!

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snake-house · 6 years

Text

Zuko X Male!Reader - through time.

Zuko X Male!Reader warnings: angst, mentions of homophobia, time skips ***spoilers for the ending of the series ah he/him pronouns used for reader *set during the episode 'the fire bending masters' in book fire [season 3] and later**DOES NOT go with canon, duh, it's fanfiction ___ requested by an anon!!!

word count: 7,020

(i was fixing the ending and ended up changing the whole thing and added 300+ more words ahhh)

___

It was still a shock to how it all happened. You were set on tracking down the avatar and bringing him back to the fire nation to finally earn your place among the military, where you belonged. Because that's who you were, that's what was meant to become of you, the groomed weapon and son of the highest ranked General in the Fire Nation Military. That's all you knew until you stumbled upon the avatar and his firebending master. One moment you were ready to see the end of the avatar, the next you were in awe of what he was capable of. You didn't think you've seen anything as beautiful as watching the two dance with dragons, it was amazing. The avatar and his master seemed so in tune with their firebending, and for such a stereotypically nasty and violent element, it was so serene and made you stop and really think about what you were doing.

What were you doing? You were here on a mission to trail the avatar and if all else failed, kill him, if the timing seemed fit. But why were you doing this? You slowly slunk away from the display back to where you set up camp deep in the forest to really think about what you were doing. This was horrible and you felt sick to your stomach. This was not what you wanted from your life. Through the fighting and training, it was all you knew, it was all you had since you were barely five years old. But, you didn't want this anymore. It was a blessing that you realized this was no longer the life you nor the one you wanted to live anymore. You knew now that the avatar was humanity's only hope from the Fire Nation's destruction. Before the two saw the two perform the Dancing Dragon, you had listened to the little group and the fog that clouded your judgment had been lifted. You always thought the destruction of the Southern Water Tribe and the take over of the Earth Kingdom were good things, proof of how powerful and wonderful the Fire Nation was, but you were wrong. Everything you once knew was wrong. All those events just showed how disgustingly evil the Fire Lord was. It wasn't until the next day you approached the group with your guard down. You needed to be open with them if you wanted them to trust you. As soon as you were spotted, the female waterbender froze your feet where you stood. You held your hands up in surrender, "I just want to talk," You stated quietly. The male with the ponytail was the first to approach you and crossed his arms, "How can we trust someone decked out in official Fire Nation clothing?" "Because I want to explain myself," You flinched with a pained expression as you noticed the curious eyes of the avatar. "Maybe you should let him talk," he stated but ponytail held his ground, "I mean, it wouldn't hurt anything. We gave Zuko here a chance, why not give him the same chance?" Eventually, you were unfrozen and allowed to explain yourself, "I am from the Fire Nation, I was sent by the Fire Lord to trail the avatar," there was a loud commotion from the male Water Tribesman of 'See! I told you so,' "I was sent to trail you and your friends, and if the time seemed right- to kill." All hands were raised in defense to fight and your feet were frozen once again, "But I have changed my mind. I was raised as a child prodigy seeing I was the son of General Bujing. I've been raised under the propaganda that the Fire Nation instills in all of the citizens. I-I've been following you all since you arrived at the Air Nomad Temple, and I've been able to hear what the Fire Nation has really done around our world. I thought they were doing good, but I know now that all they have done is kill too many innocent lives and instilled fear into the rest of our world." You bowed your head in shame, "I'm sorry for what I have done, but I know there can be no forgiveness for helping in the tyranny across the nations. But, I would like to make up for it, I can help you all," You looked on now with hopeful eyes, "I've been in those high ranking strategy rooms, I can tell you what they are planning and I am a master in hand-to-hand combat and various other self-defense techniques." The group was silent for a while, they seemed to be speaking with each other merely through their facial expressions. It was a sight to see, people close enough to be able to communicate like that. You haven't had a real friend since you were a child. A cough brought you out of your thoughts. "So, you said you know what they're planning?" The firebender said with a small grin and your feet were unfrozen for the second time. You let a bright smile surface on your face at the fact they were going to give you a chance, "I do, but it will take some time to explain," your smile fell as your grimaced, "This will not be pretty." -- The days leading up to the final battle Aang was destined to be in, you helped the 'Gaang' in every way that you could. You told them everything you knew about what the Fire Lord was planning, you showed them their moves so they could be ready to fight. You taught them all you knew about combat to strengthen their skills. They may have been benders, save Suki and Sokka, but you can't depend on just that. When they went to break into the Boiling Rock Prison, you were there to give them extra credentials and the mission went by flawlessly. Well, of course, there were a few kinks, but for the most part, it was flawless. Everything was great, you really thought you found friends in each of the teenagers, even the rowdy and loud earthbender. It wasn't until you all watched that horrid play did something finally click. "Y-You're Zuko- the Zuko? As in the crown prince of the Fire Nation?!" You squeaked and went ridged at his narrowed stared. Zuko clamped his hand over your mouth and tugged you around the corner and out of sight of all the island citizens. "Yes? I thought you knew this," He hissed quietly and folded his arms over his chest, "What's the big deal anyway? You were fine with me before, what changed?" He said in a softer voice, eyes now full of concern. You took a deep breath and couldn't help the blush surfacing to your face, "I'm [Name], the son of General Bujing, w-we used to be friends, before you and Mai started going out and before I was sent to train night and day. I was at first a disgrace to my father for being a non-bender, I couldn't refuse or else I would disgrace his name even further, do you remember?" You paused and darted your eyes away, "I didn't recognize you, I never saw you after you got scarred." Zuko eyed you for a while, straightening his back at your explanation. He was going to deny what you said, but then a flurry of memories surfaced. A memory of him playing with a little [hair-color] boy by the pond, and how the boy was just as excited about the turtleducks as he was. That was you. "[Name]..." He said softly and made you meet his eyes again, "I never knew what happened to you, I-I was told you didn't want to play with me every time I asked my father or yours." You smiled slightly at him and nodded, "I was told the same, my father told me you were a distraction from my training and that my training should be more important than childish things." The two of you chatted like the excitable teenagers you were as you caught back up with the rest of the 'Gaang'. That night, the two of you were inseparable and everyone took notice of it. Aang seemed a bit confused until Katara caught on and explained what was going on to him with a sly look in her eyes that unsettled you. "How have you and Mai been? I knew you had a huge crush on her when we were younger, did you guys ever end up dating?" You asked casually and took a drink of your water. "Uh, yeah, we dated for a while actually. But we've broken up multiple times so I don't know if we are still a thing or not right now. War kind of gets in the way of these things you know," Zuko said with an uncomfortable shrug of his shoulders. You smiled and nodded, "That's nice, I mean I guess it is." You looked down at your crossed legs, "You're right though, war changes things. I never had a girlfriend," You averted your eyes, "-or a first kiss or date," You pulled your knees up to your chest and laid your head on them, "We're just kids and here we are stuck in a war we didn't start." "Never?" Sokka cut in obviously wanting to veer away from the topic of war for right now, "Not even a little peck on the cheek?" He added sounding shocked. "Nope, not even a peck on the cheek," You laughed in response, "But it's ok, romantic relationships are a luxury only few can afford." "I beg to differ," Katara said in an offended voice, "Everyone deserves love and relationships no matter in they're romantic or platonic," She gave you a sad smile, "What did the military do to you to think like that?" You shrugged, "Took away my innocence I suppose." There was only silence after that. You were right, they just didn't want to believe it quite yet. -- Watching Zuko be crowned as the new Fire Lord made tears come to your eyes. It may have just been the beginning, there was chaos still reining throughout the nations, but everything could only get better from here on out. "I'm so proud of you," You said once you and Zuko were alone in the throne room, aside from Iroh, "I know you will make a wonderful Fire Lord." Zuko flushed at your praise, "Thank you, that means a lot." Iroh placed a heavy hand on his nephew's shoulder and beamed at him, "He's right, you'll do great I'm sure of it." "I know I will if you mentor me in all the political stuff," Zuko said back with a grin, "And if you, [Name], could help with getting our military back to a respectable organization, I would really appreciate it." "Of course," You said quickly, "I am more than happy to help rebuild the Fire Nation." "As am I," Iroh agreed before changing the topic and turning to you, "I know my nephew has Mai but don't you have a special someone to come back to?" You grimaced and shook your head, "No sir, I didn't have time for such things nor do I ever believe I will." Iroh ignored his nephew as he turned to speak to the members of the 'Gaang' as they walked in, "Why do you say that?" Now he sounded concerned. "Because you could say I bat for the same team," You whispered with a flush, "and I don't want anyone to know- I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable or anything. I just want to be normal for once and not in my Father's shadow like I have been for all of my life." Iroh nodded in understanding, pulling you into a hug without a second's thought, "I'm sure you'll find someone out there for you, everyone has someone." You glanced at Zuko over Iroh's shoulder and shook your head, "If you say so, General." "Please call me Iroh, I thought I have told you this before." He chastised with a warm smile radiating over his features. With a laugh, you nodded and went over to greet the rest of the crew seeing you didn't have much time to speak with them before the coronation. -- Months later, it became too much. Even with the happiness of the Hundred Year War being over, there was a looming sadness that you couldn't shake any longer. With a deep breath, you walked up to Zuko in his office and stood before his desk where he sat, "May I speak with you?" The dark-haired male looked up and grinned before dropping the papers he was looking over and leaned back in his chair, "Isn't that what you're doing right now?" He teased. You smiled sadly at his words, now worrying the other, "I suppose. I was going to ask for some time off, seeing as you are my boss." Zuko looked at you quizzically, "What do you mean by that?" "I need a break... I-I just need a break that's all. I thought I'd travel a little around." You stated with a sigh. The Fire Lord furrowed his brow in confusion, "A break? What's been troubling you? I mean, you can take off all the time you need, but if you want to talk about it I'm here." "I'd rather not," You said immediately, "But thank you. I'll write while I am away." With that, you left to go pack. Zuko was still confused by your sudden change in behavior as this was not the first time you have been like this with him, so... formal. He quickly shuffled away from his paperwork and went to find the one person who could probably answer his questions about you, his uncle. You have developed a strong relationship with his uncle as Zuko had with him. He was your mentor and friend and taught you the things a father was supposed to, seeing as your own father only saw you as a weapon. "Ah Zuko," Iroh beamed as he saw the boy walk into the garden, "To what do I owe the pleasure? Or are you just early for our afternoon tea?" Zuko smiled and sat down beside the older male, "I wanted to ask you about something." He quirked a grey eyebrow, "Oh? And what is it?" "Do you know what is wrong with [Name] lately? He hasn't really seemed like himself at all and just asked for some time off like I'm his boss or whatever." "You are his boss," Iroh deadpanned. "But we were friends first," Zuko sighed, "And he's never addressed me as his boss like this before too." Iroh hummed in acknowledgment, "Is that all you have noticed has changed about him?" Zuko looked at the older man in confusion before turning his eyes to the greenery in front of him and thought about the question, "He doesn't seem too ready to spend time alone with me anymore, as before we would often mediate together before the others woke up and so on," He trailed off, not really sure where his uncle was going with this, "He's uncomfortable around Mai, which is completely understandable, Mai gives off that vibe, but it does seem rather unusual now that I think about it." "Is that all you can think of?" Iroh prompted. "I guess overall he seems uncomfortable and... sad. Detached almost." Zuko said slowly. Why didn't he notice all of this before? He was supposed to be your friend. They two stood in silence for a while, simply taking in the beauty of the garden he fell in love with as a child. "You said he was leaving?" Iroh hummed with a thoughtful look. "Yes, I assume he went to pack after he finished talking to me," Zuko replied. When Iroh chuckled, the Firelord snapped his head towards the man, "Do you know what's wrong?" Iroh shrugged nonchalantly, "I just suppose it became too painful to watch someone you love with another." He said cryptically. "If that is all, there are some things I need to attend to before our afternoon tea." Zuko let his uncle walk off with a look and air of confusion about him. He didn't have a clue on what his uncle was trying to say. - "[Name]." You turned away from your bag towards the voice from your doorway, "Yes?" You said, smiling when you noticed it was Iroh. "Are you sure this is what you wish to do?" He asked with a well hidden pained look. "Yes," You repeated as your face fell, quickly turning to your bag to see if you needed anything else before the boat you were taking left in an hour. "I think it's time. Every day I see him so happy and vibrant with someone else, and even though I love him, I can't continue to torture myself. I've tried going on dates-" "But only with women." Iroh interrupted with an unimpressed look. "But I can't make myself have feelings towards anyone else," You trailed off with a sigh. "Maybe if you came out, you'd be surprised how open people are about homosexuality," Iroh said placing a hand on your shoulder, stopping your movements, "You can't expect yourself to find love elsewhere when you're not being true to yourself." You bit your lip, "I know this. I do. But I can't lose him or my friends if they don't agree. I just need some time away to forget about these stupid feelings and emotions," You laughed bitterly as you furiously wiped away your tears, "My father was right about one thing, emotions are useless and only hinder your performance, and that is exactly what's wrong with me." "[Name]," Iroh said softly as he pulled you into a warm hug, "You know that is not true. I wish there was more I could do for you." You held tightly onto the older man. Savoring the warmth of the hug. "Could you make me forget about him?" "I would if I could, but I know that's not what you want," Iroh chuckled, holding you out at arm's length, "How about this. I have a tea shop in the Earth Kingdom that I have neglected these past months, would you be willing to run it for me for a few more months until Zuko is back on his feet?" You smiled warmly at the offer and nodded, "I would like that. It will be a nice change of pace for me, I think." Iroh beamed at you and brought you back into another crushing hug, "It's settled then. I will send you with a letter of my wishes. Sounds good? And I will see you off when you leave," He said as he headed out of your room, pausing in the doorway, "Which is when?" "In an hour," You mumble and bit sheepishly. "You are very ready to leave then," Iroh sighed affectionately. "I will meet you at the harbor then." "Thank you, Iroh, for everything." The man simply smiled and waved off your thanks like he did every time. - Iroh was the only one to see you off. He beamed as he handed you the letter about the tea shop, he was acting as if you were taking over the family business and you found it very endearing. He gave you a map of where it was and a brief rundown over the fact people still hold judgment towards you because you were of the Fire Nation. Even though the war was over, it would take some time to heal the wounds in the other nations. The older man eagerly waved you goodbye as you boarded the ship, even as you the ship drifted away and towards the Earth Kingdom. You didn't deserve his kindness, and yet here you were. You would never be able to thank him enough for all that he has done for you and his influence on your life. - - Life working at the tea shop was amazing. You weren't sure how you would adjust to it, or if you would even like it at all. But you fell in love with everything about it. The locals surprisingly welcomed you with open arms. The two girls that had been running it in Iroh's absence happily taught you everything you needed to know, from transactions to how to make the tea. Their names were Qin and Mina, and they were the sweetest. They were cousins that looked more like sisters than anything. Qin was the younger of the two at 19 and Mina was 22. They both had curly sandy blonde hair that they kept short and long respectively, and light brown eyes, though Mina's looked more like an amber than Qin's warm honey brown. You grew close to them, and after a few months of getting to know them and being friends, they were the first people besides Iroh you told about being gay. It surprised you that they laughed when you told them. "Oh no, don't get it wrong," Mina had said as she brought you into a warm hug, "Everything just makes so much more sense now!" "What does that mean?" You said nervously, even if you were relieved that they accepted you. "It means we have been trying to set you up for months but you have not been receptive at all!" Qin exclaimed as she ruffled your hair affectionately, "Have you really not noticed?" You blushed and shook your head, "N-No, I haven't..." They shared more laughs at your expense, not that you blamed them, you supposed you were more obvious about your sexuality than you thought. "That just means we have to start in on guys with you and all will be good!" "Oh no!" You said as you frantically waved your hands in front of yourself, "Please don't do that. I'll just embarrass myself." "Awe you poor thing," Mina said with a slight pout to her lip, "So obviously naive when it comes to romance, which means you need experience! And let us provide that for you with expendable boys to give you some experience." You groaned in self-pity and hoped you could fend for yourself as they tried to play matchmaker. - - It didn't let up one bit when Iroh finally arrived back in the Earth Kingdom to take over his tea shop again four months after you arrived. The older man found it incredibly amusing to watch you flounder in front of the guys Mina and Qin tried to set you up with. "How have you been adjusting?" Iroh asked as the two of you were cleaning up the cafe after closing. "Wonderfully," You admitted with a smile, "I like the simplicity of this life. Everyone is so kind here and so open. Even... Even with me being attracted to men, no one has batted an eye at the fact, it's amazing." You gushed as you went to the next table to wipe. Iroh smiled at your enthusiasm, glad you were happy at least right now. "I'm glad," He said with his own smile, "You are more than welcome to stay and to continue working with me here," He started, "You don't have to go back." You smiled as you looked up to the man, "Thank you, I would like that. I wish to return, but not right now and not anytime soon. The Fire Nation will always be my home, and people tend to always find their way back to their homes." "Until that time, you have a home here too." - - You were twenty-five when you returned home to your nation. During your time spent in the Earth Kingdom, you kept you regular letters with your lost childhood friend. If Zuko ever found out why you needed to leave the Fire Nation in the first place, he never alluded to in his letters. It was actually a letter from Zuko that sent you sailing back to your home. It was an emergency express telegram that was from a mere two days before. The letter stated that Mai had died shortly after giving birth to their daughter and that he really needed you and Iroh back home. He didn't say so, but you knew he was asking for emotional support and help. You and Iroh were on the next boat out to the Fire Nation. When the two of you arrived as soon as you could, about five days later (it was the quickest boat they could get on such short notice), you found Zuko secluded in his room with his newborn daughter Izumi. His eyes were worn and bloodshot from both the stress and lack of sleep. And you were sure from crying as well. You greeted your old friend briefly, offering to take the little girl as he caught up with his uncle and father figure. He gratefully accepted the help and you left the room with a slightly fussy baby in your arms. You didn't have a proper reunion with Zuko until a few weeks after Mai's funeral, as he was still in his mourning period for a while. Your reunion with the man was different than what you expected it to be. You expected it to be stiff and uncomfortable, even if you both kept in touch over the years, but it wasn't. He acted as if time hadn't passed and the two of you were still those teenagers who helped save the world and grew closer through those experiences. Izumi stayed with you mostly as Zuko went through his mourning. You simply inserted yourself as her caregiver as your friends went through the motions of grief. Even though she was just a baby, as the weeks and months went by, it seemed like the little girl attached herself to you. Besides her father, she seemed to favor you over the nannies and her wet nurse. And this did not go unnoticed by everyone. Iroh would give you a sweet and slightly mischevious smile every time he stumbled upon you and Izumi. Zuko, however, was harder to read when he watched you interact with his daughter. The firebender would watch your interactions with her very closely as if he was analyzing you. At first, you thought it was because he was protective of his daughter, but since he always left you with a soft smile, you weren't sure why he was acting like that. - Eight months passed and Izumi was crawling very good and starting to get into everything and anything she could find. She was a little terror and kept everyone on their toes. You didn't know when it happened, but somehow you managed to make yourself Izumi's full-time nanny if that would be what you called it. You took care of her the majority of the day while Zuko worked, as simple as that. Zuko didn't pressure you into your old position all those years ago, nor did he with you helping take care of his daughter. But being with Izumi felt right, and where you were supposed to be. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you for all that you've done to help me with her," Zuko said as you both crept out of her room after putting the fussy girl down for her nap. You smiled at him and shook your head fondly, "I don't need any thanks at all, I love Izumi and I'm happy to have a part in her life." Zuko hummed in thought, neither of you knew where you were walking to, just simply walking to be in each other's presence. "I'm glad you're back," Zuko says as you enter the garden, "It's been lonely all these years without you." You couldn't help the blush that surfaced at his kind words, and you supposed that old flame never truly died. "I'm glad to be back, I never realized how much I missed my home." "You still consider the Fire Nation your home?" He asked curiously, stopping at the edge of the pond. "I always did," You nodded, crouching down to get a better look at the turtleducks and their spring hatchlings, "After everything, this will always be my home. I loved the Earth Kingdom and the tea shop, but I knew that one day I would return. It was simply at your calling did that time come." There was a beat of silence before Zuko uttered those words that you feared. "I'm sorry I never realized," He started quietly, "And I'm sorry I pushed you away." "I-I don't know what you're talking about," You denied. Even if you didn't look up at Zuko, you would picture the sharp look that would cut through your lie. "You are my friend, one of my closest friends," He corrected himself and sat down on the grass beside you, "I should have realized that, for one, that you weren't interested in women- I mean, looking back at it, it was so obvious," He teased, making you blushed harder. "And for two, that you were in love with me." He sighed and ran a hand through his loose hair, "With how uncomfortable you were with me and Mai, I just thought it was because she was a little rough around the edges, but I was wrong. I pushed you away without realizing your feelings, even if I didn't feel the same." "Zuko-" "No, this needs to be said," Zuko said swiftly, "I'm not saying I regret basically choosing Mai over you, she gave me Izumi after all, but I shouldn't have pushed you aside and ignore you completely." "Zuko," You repeated, looking up at the firebender, the boy you watched take the throne at 17 years old wasn't so little anymore, "It's ok, it's in the past and I've moved on," You said averting your eyes back to the pond, "I don't blame you for anything of the past. You didn't push me away, I left. It wasn't your fault or Mai's fault that I hurt when I saw you together. I was glad you were happy, but I needed some distance, to get over myself and recognize your feelings." "Don't think of it like that," Zuko said a bit sadly, "Your feelings, I should have taken yours more seriously like you did mine. You thought of me and my happiness before your own, and that's where I went wrong. I was supposed to be your friend." You smiled at his words and nodded, "It's ok. I hold no resentment or bad feelings about that. I've buried that a long time ago." The two of you sat in silence for a while, gazing at the water, watching the fish and turtleducks swim in peace. You missed his company, you realized then. All these years and you never realized how alone you felt without Zuko in your life. "Can I ask when you knew you loved me?" You started at his question and Zuko blushed at his own forwardness, "I mean, you don't have to tell me-" You laugh cut him off. "The day we saw the play about the Avatar on Ember Island when I realized who you were. You were more worried I would treat you different when I realized you were the crown prince than anything. I mean, I didn't realize until the next day when I really thought about it, but that was when." You blushed at your childishness, "I admired the fact you wanted to know for you, not your title, and with everything else, I knew my crush wasn't so little anymore." Zuko nodded to your words, his stomach fluttering at your flattery. "So you had a crush on me before that?" You scoffed and shoved the man next to you, hitting his arm as your face lighting up with a blush, "Don't make fun of me!" Zuko laughed at your antics, knowing you weren't serious about hurting him because you were a trained assassin, you would be able to kill him with only four of your fingers. "Hey, I was just curious. But judging by your reaction, you must have," He added slyly, grinning as your blushed harder and buried your face in your hands. Once you got yourself under control, you peeked at the male through your fingers and sighed, "I did," You said, "I found your emo, bad-boy kind of look very cute so of course I had a tiny crush on you. But then you just so happened to have a heart of gold behind those looks and I was done for." "With all this flattery, you'd think you still loved me," Zuko said with a teasing grin, only to have it fall when you tensed, "I didn't mean to insinuate anything-" "I know," You said, now avoiding his gaze again, "I just think that old flame wasn't completely snuffed out," You added in a whisper. Zuko was silent for a while, making you squirm uncomfortably and for a moment, you thought you completely ruined the relationship you had with Zuko. "Does that mean I have a chance if I were to ask you on a date? Like a real one?" Zuko eventually said, looking too bashful to be on the face of the Firelord. Your head snapped towards Zuko. Your mouth fell open to speak, but nothing came out. Was he being serious? "I know it seems kind of sudden, especially because of where the conversation started," Zuko started in explanation, "But when you came back when Izumi was born and stepped in as if you've been here for much longer, you were my savior. And the way you are with Izumi, I mean, I'm convinced half the time she loves you more than me and sees you more as her dad than me." You flushed at his observation, but you knew this all too. You fell in too easy, and you supposed this was why. "When I walked in on you bathing Izumi and blowing bubbles at her and her giggles bouncing off the walls of the bathroom, I think that's when I started to fall for you," Zuko said unprompted, "You just fit, you fit better with me than Mai ever did. I loved her and she will always hold a place in my heart, but the way you work with and around me and Izumi, it's so easy." "I'd love to," You blurted, "I mean, I'd like to start with a date, to see where things go," You mused trying to not seem too eager. "Great," Zuko beamed a bit too eagerly on his part, "How about this weekend sometime? I'll see if Ty Lee would be interested in babysitting, I know she'll get a kick out of this," He added with a faint shudder. He knew he will be cornered for all the details when he asked the girl. "That sounds good," You said standing up, "Want to grab something to eat before the princess wakes up?" Zuko nodded and took your offered hand to stand as well. As the two of you headed towards the kitchens, you talked about anything and everything. The both of you were hyper-aware of how close you were standing next to each other, your hands brushed as you walked and it would have been so easy just to grab ahold of his. But not yet. You needed this to move slow, for your sake and his. - - That first date ended up being the first of many. Everything progressed smoothly and you loved every minute of it. You were right in the fact that the old flame you had for the firebender was never fully out. You may have let yourself date in the Earth Kingdom, (men this time), but it was always Zuko in the back of your head you held a piece of your heart. Your date nights were every other Saturday, with either Zuko's personal maid or Iroh, when he was in town, babysitting little Izumi. Officially, the two of you dated for four months until you guys made it official, which was rather pointless because everyone knew you were together and exclusive. Iroh had a field day when he came to visit before the two of you were 'official' and called it as soon as he walked off the boat. "I knew the two of you would find each other," Iroh had said patting both of your shoulders before whisking Izumi from your arms, "Eventually that is." Because of Izumi, you didn't move into Zuko's chambers until she was almost a year and a half old. (10 months after your first date and 6 months after you became official). Even though ten months is a long time, you were worried you were moving too fast. You were worried about what people would think, because of how Zuko and Mai's relationship ended, you didn't want anyone to think that you had taken advantage of Zuko in a vulnerable state. Thankfully, Zuko quickly shut you up when you christened the bed with a passionate night and morning. He reminded you that he was taken as much advantage of you as you were him, but in all the good ways. That was when you knew you <i>loved</i> Zuko more than anything. Well, Izumi was neck and neck with Zuko. - - "Mai never believed in weddings," Zuko said as he adjusted your ceremonial robes, "But I always wanted to have one." "Really?" You asked, looking over your appearance in the mirror. "Of course, I remember all the talk of how wonderful my parent's wedding was, despite the circumstances, and I wanted something like that for me. But Mai was Mai." You giggled at that, "When I disappeared and we broke up, she was worried her parents were going to marry her off to the next best bachelor, so the whole thing left a sour note in her mouth." "I can understand that," You said as you turned to Zuko and picked an imaginary piece of lint from his shoulder, "But I'm glad you're finally getting one." Zuko beamed and brought you into a breathtaking kiss, humming and licking his lips when you pulled away slightly flushed, "I am too, and I'm glad it's with you." You smiled at the sweet sentiment, "I'm glad you're going to be my husband, but I am not loving having to wear women's ceremonial robes," You grumbled as you looked at yourself in the mirror one last time. "I am sorry about that, but it's the traditional robes for the soon-to-be spouse of the Firelord, and well, there's never been a man in your place before." Zuko said with a laugh, "They do make your ass look very good though," He added with a pinch to said assets. You squeaked at the pinch and huffed, and started walking towards the doors exiting your shared chambers, "At least that is a good thing," You said with a grin, "Does that mean you'll have fun taking them off after the reception?" You asked innocently as you left the room to see how Izumi was holding up to all the papering of being the Crown Princess. Zuko growled at your coyness and followed you out of the room. - Zuko proposed to you on your birthday when Izumi was four. You had been together for just over three years by then, but Zuko always liked to say you've been together since Izumi was born. You were always unsure of the idea of marrying, because Zuko was the Firelord, and there was still animosity out there for same-sex couples. You didn't want to damage Zuko's image just as he has made himself a name as the Firelord. But Zuko was having none of that. He proposed to you after he threw you a far larger birthday party than you anticipated. He had the entire throne room decked out for the occasion and invited many many people you knew and didn't know. Then he proposed to you at the end of the night after you opened all your presents. You instantly started crying and looked around to see if there was any sign of trouble. But all you saw was support from your friends, and the people you didn't know. "I know you're scared, but I would love nothing more to declare to the world that you're mine," Zuko had said as soon as you turned back to him, "I love you [Name], and nothing is going to make me ashamed of that or you. Will you-" "Yes," You breathed before he could finish, "I'm sorry I was ever scared. I will, I love you too, so much." You beamed and if it wasn't for Zuko's strength and height he would have toppled over at the sheer force of your hug. Your wedding was the next spring when all the flowering plants were in bloom. Many diplomats attended the wedding, not that you cared or paid attention to that. You were, however, beyond happy to see Mina and Qin in the crowd as you stood beside Zuko. This day was to be filled with happiness and love, and you were glad to see them, along with the rest of the GAang, and all your other friends from all over the place. The ceremony was very traditional and some would even call it boring, but you loved every second of it. "I love you," You whispered to Zuko as you walked to the throne room for the reception, "Thank you for making my heart whole." Zuko smiled softly at you, pressing a kiss to your temple, "I love you too, and I should be thanking you for everything. You are my everything and have changed my life for the better, in more ways than one." They say if you love something, let it free. You did let Zuko free when you left long ago, but you found your way back. Through everything, you found your way back to your heart and found a greater love than you would ever imagine having. All it took was time.

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applecherry108 · 5 years

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first of all hooooooooolyyyy shiitttt

FUCK tungle. it took like 30 tries to log in on desktop. admittedly, i was using the wrong password at first, BUT, even when i remembered the right one it kept giving me shit. This is what i get for being L337 i guess... -_-

anyways, im only on desktop so i can add a readmore to say:

i just,,,,,hate voltron. okay? It sucked. it fucking sucked. i watched the first season and it was like, okay yeah, this has potential. and then s2 was like, okay yeah not as good but maybe s3 will pick up...

s3 didn’t pick up. it was just one long death spiral by the same idiots who fucked up the atla sequel. i hate their writing, i hate their story plots, i hate how they butcher any good ideas they have, and i especially hate their inability to have good character AND plot development happen at the same time.

I got swept up in storm of klance and that’s about it. i have soft spots for other ships but at the end of the day i don’t care. i just don.t fucking,,, care???

the fandom is a mess, the crew was a mess, everything was a fucking mess from the get go.

Like who tf is this show written for?? it has to be for like, 8-10 year olds. It has to be. Everything is just so....stupid. Nothing is ever properly explained, motivations never really given, everyone is just a 2 dimensional cardboard cutout of a trope. And that pisses me off so much bc like??? other shows aimed at young kids can still have great world building. they can have good world building and characters and overall story and still be cheesy and a lil dumb. cheesy and a lil dumb is completely fine!! but voltron is just so...godammn... BORING!! it’s like i WANT to like the characters but its just so goddamn hard when everybody is so fucking flat. by all rights, i should want to marry allura. shes everything i loved when i was little, from her color pallet to her princesshood to her white fucking hair!! i should LOVE allura but i don’t!! i kind of hate her. why?? i don’t know!! shes so...boring! and flat! and fucking PASSIVE! everything in this show lands so fucking flat holy shit.

pidge at matts “grave”? yikes, that was second hand hard to watch for like.... “oooh this is so serious!” but the buildup wasnt there...it was kind of funny tbh... and HELLA awkward...

don’t get me started on lance and hunk. bolin was my favorite look character for the first few episodes and then he got knocked to Comic Relief and had maybe two (2) importantish moments. he/they may be part of the main cast but they’re not main characters. they feel like background props to the Actual Main characters.

which brings me to keith.

FUCK keith.

that’s my reaction after every! new! season!! is just,, FUCK keith. god the show functioned SO WELL without him. he’s just so...idk. i also don’t care. what was his character arc anyway? it SHOULD have been about learning to love and trust others but we only get that in lip service and speed run character development (i hate the quantum abyss...so much... like yeah, who cares about SHOWING our characters mature, let’s just tell that it happened in afucking montage.) if keith were a properly developed character he shouldve remained PASSIONATE and idk, run support?? that boy SHOULD have piloted red, end of story. period. keith doesn’t need to lead he needs to learn to TRUST others and that insludes trusting other WITH HIS LIFE. i won’t rant about how we should have had black paladin lance, but keith should have never ever been black paladin. even after he “matures” he still sucks at. he’s this awful,,little,, Shiro 2.0. and I hate it. i ahte it and i hate shiro just a little bit. even though he was arguably the most likeable character, he shouldve stayed dead. or missing. or whatever. he didn’t need to come back and they didnt need to make keith a little offbrand clone of him. i ESPECIALLY hate that they aged keith up 2 years for no goddamn reason other than to make him the Adult (tm). keith’s dedication to others was gre4at, but it should have, and im failing for this word here so forgive me, climaxed? cresscendo’d? whatever. /resulted/ in him playing support. not leader. lone wolf keith doesn’t need how to lead his pack, he needed to learn to HELP his pack. to be a TEAM PLAYER. he didn’t want the responsibility of leading bc guess what?? some people hate leading!! there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be support! keith’s entire arc is a huge mess of missed opportunities and a grand illustration that he is lm’s and jds’ favorite, just like fucking mako.

i won’t rant about mako, but just know i fucking hate him and the special treatment he gets, and good LORD does keith take over mako. keith isn’t space zuko he’s space mako and it fucking SHOWS.

okay, i’m losing steam here, but like.... so apple, why tf where u voltron 24/7 if you hated it so much? because homestuck was over and i needed a new hyperfixation. and i really had to force it for vld tbh. and at the end of the day, it wasn’t so much about the show itself as the potential of klance (or sheith, up until s3). between the interviews, the coding, the fucking EVERYTHING--it really felt like it could be canon. i knew in my heart it was queer baiting but i had HOPE dammit. hope that this could be killer representation, hope that these characters would delvelopment into something incredible. again, there was so much POTENTIAL. and all of it was wasted. everything really came to a head during the fucking game show episode. it was like lm and lds giving everyone who likes lance the middle finger, really driving home that “no no, he IS just stupid. he’s the comic releif. there’s nothing deeper about him and no one will stand up for him bc they all think of him as such.” and that just....broke my heart. we were so...SO close to lance actually mattering but nope! bolin’d again! and what was his purpose in s8? why to be an accessory to allura of course!

i’ve seen a lot of people really divorce themselves from canon and live solely for fanon, esp fanon klance but like.... i can’t. i just can’t. it’s so fucking hard to work with these cardboard characters. you can only draw so much depth onto them, you know? until the very last moments they had potential, but then it all got snuffed out. but who cares about canon? why bother with it? because! we don’t have a solid consistent fanon version of them! no one sat down and delivered the ten commandments of “here’s what we agree k and l are actually like” it’s stupid and it sucks because everyone has their own little differences and its so so tiring to basically be interacting with minutely different ocs all the goddamn time. canon matters bc it gives everyone the same base to work with. like a cooking showing with the same basket ingredients, but now it’s like.... ya’ll don’t wanna use the mandatory ingredients (and why would you? those canon ingredients are like, a century egg and spoiled sardines, they’re awful.)

okay, and im at work and just came back to this and dont remember my train of thought so like... what really threw all this into sharp clarity was the recent steven universe episodes. they were so...GOOD. so fucking good. so much plot and foreshadowing coming to a head. it was such a wonderfully satisfying payoff that it made me remember what a GOOD show is like, how vld is so very very /bad/. the difference is fucking striking. where one is an intricately woven tale with excellent character development and clear story AND character arcs, that can progress AT THE SAME TIME, one is a hacked together flaming dumpster firing that constantly falls flat and doesn’t know where its going or why. and it s so BORING! like fight scenes can be amazing! they can be well coreographed and tense! and we as the audience can be anxious about the outcome! and vld just wasn’t that! it was boring repetetive action in the least exciting way. and where su set up a lot of potential, holy shit they DELIVERED on that potential. not just for rep, but for characters! for story! for plain ol simple character interactions! and then, again, two dimensional cardboard cutouts.

and now with this difference in good vs bad show so very clearly highlighted for me, i just.... i can’t, anymore, with vld. it sucks. it sucked and i can’t pretend or force a fixation with it that just isn’t there, and truthfully, probably never was. maybe that’s why i’ve been struggling to finish my fic, struggling ever since i posted the last chapter, ever since s7, which, again, that game show was really the nail in the coffin as far as holding onto any hope that this tire fire would ever pick up. like a physically feel ill trying to finishing this stupid fic bc i don’t care so hard. i don’t care and i just... really want to be over it. im sick of seeing it everywhere, im sick of the drama, of the Discourse. like all fandoms have their issues, but hold fuck does vld fandom have a massive Purity problem. like, god, let people ship whatever. who cares. die mad about it.

like homestuck, idk if i’ll ever fully ween myself off vld but i want to move on. i want to enjoy Other Things without having this lackluster weight on my shoulders. and more than anything, i want to stop feeling like im obligated to like the same shit as i did two years ago, or last year, or hell, last week! feel free to unfollow, but yeah i just.... really needed to let this out in a proper post and not in the misc tags somewhere.

#behold my loathe letter to vld #if you actually enjoyed the show and don't wanna read all my bitching then like...probably pass this post up lmao #apple talks #to the tune of spam

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