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#ty lee and her sisters
snogards · 2 months
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I think it's insane that after the final Agni Kai, Zuko was able to tank a hyper-powered lightning bolt (I mean, tank in the way he was still moving after getting hit, even if it was just groans of pain and slight twitching). He just got healed by Katara for about 5 seconds and was A-OK afterward.
When Aang got struck by lightning, he was in a coma for like what? Almost a month? And you're telling me Zuko gets struck by lightning, and 5 minutes later, is walking around like it never happened? Sorry, I can't believe that.
But Sno, you say, Aang was in his most fragile state. Of course, he was in a month long coma after he basically died. Okay, and I think that Zuko being hit by a lightning bolt 100x more powerful than the one Aang got hit by would also put Zuko in a coma; especially because Katara doesn't have the spirit water to bring him back to life. Unlike Aang, Zuko only gets regular water, not magic water, to heal him.
"But, but Zuko redirected it," you say. Uh no, Zuko wasn't grounded, so that shit still hit him like a damn truck. He redirected some of it, but not all of it. I would probably say that it burnt him from the inside out. It's a miracle that in LOK, that man is still kicking it and being a badass in his early 90s. He should have serious heart issues, if not have died in his 70s at the absolute latest. The man should not be kicking ass in the poles. He should be on bed rest.
In conclusion, Zuko should have been in a coma for like at least a year (realistically he should be dead, but this is a kids show where the main characters aren't allowed to die, so I'll let it slide) and I will stand by that.
If you wanna read how the creators could have worked with comatose Zuko, read under the cut. If not, then I hope you enjoyed my little rant. This post got longer than I thought.
Here's how the creators could have dealt with comatose Zuko and the potential storylines our other favorites could have had at the end of book 3 and a majority of the potential and nonexistent book 4:
Aang is having to deal with the consequences of Ozai being left alive, as I'm sure the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes would not like that fact. As well as their newest Fire Lord currently being in a comatose state. They barely trusted Zuko. Are you telling me they're gonna trust The Dragon of the West? (More on this at the end) And maybe Aang would actually get some character development, unlike in season 3.
I don't think Sokka, Suki, and Toph would have storylines that center Zuko all that much, but they would also definitely be mourning the semi-loss of Zuko along with whatever storyline they get. Maybe Sokka and Suki can have conflict in their relationship now that the war is over and they might physically have to go their own ways. Toph can probably wonder where she can go from here. Will she try and reconcile with her parents again? Will she travel with Aang once Zuko wakes up? Will she stay in the Fire Nation and help Zuko sniff out traitors with her seismic sense? Needless to say, the 3 of them have endless opportunities.
Katara is now dealing with the guilt of not only having put Zuko in that position in the first place, but also not being able to fully heal him (even though he would have done that for anyone, not just her). And if you're a Zutara shipper, like myself, even realizing potential feelings and the conflict that comes with that. Or if we still wanna go through with the canon ending of Kataang, have her navigate her feelings about Aang properly and not whatever that original canon ending was. And if we wanna go the "Katara doesn't need a man" route (my personal favorite despite my shipping tendencies), she could try and navigate where she goes from here, like Toph. Obviously, she'll go back to the Southern Water Tribe and help out there, but what comes after they've recovered? She's not the type to stand by and settle when there are other people who need her help. Will she go to the Earth Kingdom and help rebuild there? Go to the Fire Nation and help out there? Become an ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe to help better relations with the other nations? (My personal favorite) The possibilities are endless for her.
But you know who would be affected the most? Iroh. Not only did he (kinda) lose his nephew, who was his second son, but he now has to deal with the diplomatic repercussions of his past as a general of the Fire Nation. Like I said before, the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes barely trusted Zuko; no way in hell are they gonna trust the man that laid seige to Ba Sing Se for nearly 2 whole years, regardless if he's the reason the city was freed from Fire Nation control. The pressure Iroh would feel from advisors regarding the fact that his only heir is comatose would increasingly get worse as the months go by. We know that Zuko will wake up, but Iroh and the rest of the cast don't. Iroh is dealing with the fracturing Fire Nation and pressure from the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes, all while his son is in a coma. He could see what he was going to have Zuko face by himself with no support around him. What would he do with Ozai? Would be a major question throughout the season.
Of course, in the end, Zuko wakes up because we want a happy ending for them all. But the turmoil we could have gotten in the end would have been *chefs kiss*
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hyacinths-in-a-storm · 3 months
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Favorite au you’ve made?
Damn this was hard to answer because I love all my AUs, but I would have to say Cannibal Ursa AU, I had a lot of fun making it up and talking about it with my friends. But a close second would definitely be either Twin Azula and Zuko AU and ATLA in LOK Setting (it’s a long story) AU, because in both of those AUs Azula and Zuko have a more complex relationship which I always find fun to write (or at least think of writing). Thanks for the ask anon!
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hybrid-angelic · 8 months
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Okay here me out in this okay- me and my man watch Elemental recently, and like- one of the key point yanno was like “oh yeah temper can be from something you aren’t ready to hear or something you don’t wanna do blah blah blah” right, got it- good….
I’m
Then I realized… there is a specific set in of characters… in a really specific show…That fit this perfectly.
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These three, while they aren’t the only ones. These are perfect examples of it!!!
Katara’s temper was always there, up until she FINALLY came to terms with her Moms death, with Tophs antics, and with her father leaving. When she FINALLY spoke on those issues and worked through them, and finally said what she didn’t want to hear. That violence and revenge wouldn’t fix what happened to her mother, that Toph had just as rough of a time, but in a different way and was coping in her own way too, and that her dad didn’t want to leave, but that he was so proud of who his children had become and wished so badly that he coulda been there. She’s the perfect example of someone who could function with the temper, but didn’t want to face it.
Zuko constantly argued with his uncle, and even when he admitted that his uncle might be right, he did so begrudgingly. All through season 1, he was hotheaded and angry, because he, unbeknownst to him, was fighting for something he didn’t agree with, never taking the time to ask what he wanted. In ba sing se, his temper went away because finally, he could be a kid, he could do casual life stuff, he could relax! But- it came back when he went back home. To where he was expected to live a life he didn’t want. Zuko NEVER wanted to fight on this side of the war, he did so because that’s what his father wanted for him, he did so because that’s what was expected of him. Iroh was right. He did lose his way. And it took a lot of work, but he found it again, and realized the reason he was truly happy after his fever had passed in ba sing se, was cause he did something not just for the good of himself, but for the good of someone who was, in all accounts, innocent. He found his purpose again, and found what he truly wanted. Not his honor, but to be loved, and to love.
Azula though? She’s never got that arc. Her temper came from a very similar place that Zuko’s did, but was groomed and honed at a very young age, drilled and taught that no matter what, she had to do what was expected. She was 14, and already using fear and violence to get what she wanted. But- she was always angry. Even if she didn’t show it. But it didn’t truly take hold until after their vacation to ember island. She was snappy and rude when talking to Ty Lee, but then admitted she was jealous. A lot of people chalk that up to manipulation but, I think that was genuine- she genuinely wanted advice, and even used it with Chen! Chen rejected her after she tried to use fear again though, and she snapped at Zuko shortly after, until she confided in her view on her mom. But then the Boiling Isles happened. When Mai told her she loved Zuko, more than she feared Azula. Azula didn’t want to hear it. She couldn’t fathom that love could beat fear and hate. Because that’s not what she was told her whole life. Because, again, that’s how she thought her own mom thought about her and zuko. So, she started doubting what she wanted- she even seemed hesitant to accept the role as firelord, and became more angry, more unstable. Because she never had that person to bring her back. She was groomed to be a monster at such a young age, so when her world view was challenged, she had no where to go, no support to tell her what she needed to hear. A temper that flared out of control-
I stand by the fact that this show is fucking genius.
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floatyflowers · 3 months
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Dark Platonic! Fire Nation Royal Family x Non-bender Reader
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With Ozai:
At first he didn't accept the fact that you, his youngest child, is a non-bender, and ignored your existence.
That was until he noticed how his older brother, Iroh, spends time with you, Ozai got extremely jealous.
And decided to spend time with you, only to realize that you are his favorite child, and felt like an actual father.
Yes, you can't firebend nor do you even have the ability to protect yourself.
But why would you need to protect yourself when your father is going to be the Phoenix king of the fire nation?
Ozai will burn down the world for you.
"You, my sweet child, will grow up in the presence of a very powerful father"
With Ursa:
When Ursa found out that you couldn't bend, she became overprotective of you to the point of paranoia.
Since childhood, she refused to allow you to play with anyone except Zuko.
One time, one of her handmaidens scolded you harshly for playing outside without your mother's permission which resulted in you bursting into tears.
The next day, that handmaiden was fired and Ursa made sure that she gets no other jobs.
While thinking of escaping, she thought to take you with her.
However, Ozai has forbidden that from happening.
"When you find out the truth, promise to come find me"
With Azulon
While still alive, he made sure you had the best education and guards.
Azulon also made sure to have you believe that the fire nation is without mistakes or faults.
He tried manipulating you into believing that just your loyalty to your people is enough duty.
However, you are kind, too kind.
Yet, he Azulon didn't hate you for it even if he considered a weak trait to have in the royal family.
He also still has the flower crown you made him stored away safely so it doesn't rot.
It is rumored that the last word he muttered was your name.
With Iroh
Uncle Iroh isn't really as possessive as the other characters, but he focuses on advising you from time to time.
You enjoy drinking tea with him and gossiping about everything.
Even though, Ozai has forbidden him from speaking with you, you would sneak behind your father's back to drink tea with him.
After the loss of his son in the war, Lu Ten, Iroh felt depressed.
Yet you managed to comfort him with your cheerfulness and playful attitude.
It reminded him of his son.
"The best quality in a princess is her kindness, something which your sister clearly lacks"
With Zuko
Zuko thought you would be like Azula but you have proven him wrong.
You are kind, gentle, and nurturing just like your and his mother.
That's why Zuko always found himself by your side, being your playmate...being your protecter.
His mother told him that it's his duty to protect you from danger considering that he is your older brother.
Even though Azula has never hurt you, but Zuko was always wary of her, especially after his mother disappeared.
When Ozai challenged him to an Agni Kai, you were the first to cry out and plead with him to let Zuko off, but Ozai felt jealous of your relationship with Zuko and was determined to teach his son a lesson.
However when your brother got banished, Zuko took you with him in secret not wanting you to be left with Azula.
"I know the journey will take long but once I restore my honor we can return home together"
With Azula
Azula was extremely jealous when you were born, thinking that you will take all the attention from here.
But she realized that you deserve all the attention.
You didn't treat her like a monster, you weren't scared of her.
Instead you showed her love and called her 'big sister'
You would cling to her as a toddler, whenever there was lightning, you would secretly sneak to her room and sleep beside her.
"How can you be scared of lightning, we control it, silly"
Mai and Ty Lee saw how Azula softens whenever you are around.
And when Azula discovered that you have left with Zuko, she destroyed everything in her way and burned a few servants.
"She's mine, and only MINE"
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melzula · 2 months
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Hi, i love your stuff! Your writing is AMAZING!
Could you do a sokkaxreader fic, where reader gets majorly hurt saving sokkas life-and she almost dies and super angst but turns sweet/fluff?
-✨anon
a/n: ugh i love angst!!! tysm for requesting this <3
warnings: mentions of blood, injury,
summary: a fight gone wrong leads to an important revelation for you and Sokka
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It all had happened so fast.
One minute your group is enjoying a nice breakfast together and the next you’re fighting off Azula and her minions. They’d ambushed you, catching you in a vulnerable position and striking the moment you least expected them to. You had the advantage of numbers against them, but these girls were immensely skilled, so you didn’t have enough of an edge to completely defend yourselves against their attack.
You were assisting Katara in trying to take down Azula when you happened to catch a glance of Sokka from across the way. His back was turned to you and his focus was set on trying to dodge Ty Lee’s chi blocks, so he wasn’t able to detect the blades that were being aimed in his direction. Your eyes widened with panic as you quickly make your way towards him; you wouldn’t be fast enough to stop Mai from throwing the knives, but you’d at least be fast enough to get in their path and stop them from hitting your friend.
“Sokka, move!” You urged, shoving him out of the way and effectively knocking over Ty Lee in the process as well. You weren’t given the time to process anything else as you immediately felt the blades make contact with your skin, digging themselves deep into your back. You cried out in agony before immediately collapsing to the ground, all while Sokka watched on in horror.
“Y/n!” He screamed before scrambling to your side. The fabric of your top was beginning to turn a deep red, and you could already begin to feel the effects of blood loss take over. Your vision was hazy and your body felt cold, and yet you were still able to make out the features of his face as he stared down at you with tears in his eyes.
“Just hang on, I’m going to get you out of here!” He insisted, some of his tears landing on your face. You couldn’t find the strength to muster up a response, so instead you simply let your eyes close and allowed the cold to consume you whole.
When you regain consciousness again you find yourself in a tent. Everything hurts and your body feels like it’s on fire, and yet you can’t find the strength to move. Blurry faces hover over you and muffled voices fill your ears, but no matter how hard you try you can’t make sense of any of your surroundings.
“-more water. I need more water!”
“Why isn’t it working?!”
A sharp pulse jolts up your spine and this time you do cry out in pain, effectively startling the figures in the tent.
“Y/n!” A voice cries. Sokka’s voice.
He’s beside you in an instant, kneeling before you and taking your hand tightly in his own. You’ve never seen him like this, so distraught and terrified. You wonder what happened when you passed out.
“Try to stay awake, okay? Please stay awake,” he begs you before looking frantically to his sister. “She doesn’t look any better!”
“Sokka, I’m doing everything I can here!” His sister shouts back, equally distressed as she exerts all of her energy into healing you. Progress is there but it’s slow, and she worries that if she isn’t fast enough the damage may be permanent. Why did the blades have to hit your spine so perfectly?
“Sokka…” you murmur quietly, your eyes beginning to feel heavy yet again.
“No, no, no, y/n, look at me! Don’t go back to sleep!”
But his pleas fall on deaf ears, and you’re swept back under.
You’re not sure how much time has passed since you were last conscious, but the lamp beside you must mean that it’s grown dark outside. You feel warm, the sharp pain is gone, and all that is left behind is a sense of exhaustion from your adrenaline inducing day. You try to sit up only to immediately collapse due to the soreness of your back, but at least you’re able to move now.
“Hey, it’s okay, don’t move,” Sokka insists, alerting you of his presence beside you. You feel his palm carefully lift the back of your head towards the bowl of water he holds in his other hand, allowing you to take greedy gulps until you’re satisfied. “Katara says you shouldn’t try to get up yet or you’ll strain yourself. Your body is still adjusting.”
“What happened? How long have I been asleep?” You ask groggily.
“About twelve hours,” he replies sullenly, and it isn’t until this moment that you’re able to detect the exhaustion present on his features. “Those blades dug right through your skin and into your spine. Katara spent hours healing you; for a minute we thought you might not make it or that maybe you’d live but be paralyzed for the rest of your life. Why did you do it?”
“What?”
“Why did you do it?” Sokka says more firmly this time. “How could you do something so stupid like that?! You could’ve died!”
“It’s not stupid to risk my life for someone I love,” you correct him with a faint smile. Your admission takes him by surprise, his face immediately growing hot and his mind actually at a loss for words for once.
“You… you love me?” He asks gently, almost as if he doesn’t believe you.
“I thought it was obvious, dummy.”
“Not to me!” He cries defensively. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know,” you admit with a small shrug. “I guess there’s never really been a good time; there’s always another fight to win or people to save. It just didn’t feel right.”
“I guess you’re right,” he murmurs faintly. “But I’m glad you told me now, and I’m glad you’re alive. Because I can’t stand to lose another person that I love.”
You smile tiredly at his words, a new sense of understanding now being shared between you both. You love each other, and neither of you can stand to lose the other. This is real now, and you’re in it for the long haul.
He presses a kiss to your forehead then and urges you to get some more rest, and so you do. And Sokka stays planted right beside you to keep watch over you in your vulnerable state. In that moment he swears he’ll never let anything like this happen to you again.
And that’s a promise he intends to keep for a lifetime.
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shanastoryteller · 9 months
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Happy pride!! ATLA or Harry Potter? 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈
Zuko knows he's supposed to be surly and bitter about changing schools halfway through high school, but mostly he's so relieved to be on the opposite side of the country as his father that there's no room for any other emotion.
Besides, Azula is surly enough for the both of them.
"You're just starting, lots of people are coming from different places, so they won't all know each other either," he says.
Uncle had started getting that twitch in his eye that bode poorly for their tea pot. Zuko didn't get it, personally. Uncle has always dealt with Zuko's moods with nothing but cheerfulness, but Azula's always put him on edge.
"I don't know why we had to move," she says, laying on her bed and refusing to look at him. "You've already been living with Uncle for years. I shouldn't be here. Father doesn't hate me like he hates you. You should be here alone."
On second thought, it's probably because Azula takes after their father more than either he or Uncle would like, and he's never had much patience for Ozai.
He ignores it, just like he's been ignoring her jibes for years. She thinks she understands the depths of their father's cruelty.
She doesn't know the half of it and he's not going to be the one tell her. She's still his little sister. Protecting her is his responsibility.
"Ty Lee and Mai can visit over the holiday break," he continues. "That's only a couple months away. I'll bet you'll have a ton of new friends by then. You can introduce them."
She curls up on herself and he resists the urge to reach for her, knowing she'll just shrug him off. Azula is charming in the short term and intimidating in the long term and neither of those things lend themselves to making friends worth keeping. Mai and Ty Lee were the only real friends she had, everyone else just being tolerable to amusing. "Whatever. What do you know anyway? You already have a friend at this school."
"I don't know if I'd describe him as a friend," he says, somewhat dreading tomorrow if only because he'd let himself get roped into meeting him at some diner. There are still a couple weeks left of summer and apparently he's not allowed to spend it on his own.
Azula scoffs. "How else would you describe someone after getting lost in the wilderness for two weeks with them, fighting a bear, and rescuing an entire missing hiking group together?"
He'd told Uncle that camping was a bad idea.
"I do my best not to describe him at all," he says honestly.
He's the weirdest person Zuko's ever met, but he supposes being raised by a monk will do that to a kid.
Zuko is really hoping Aang has mellowed out over the past year, but the number of exclamation points he includes in his text messages bodes very poorly on that front.
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veggiesforpresident · 7 months
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thinkin about how aang is zukos first-ever friend.
like hear me out, ty lee and mai are azulas friends primarily. in flashbacks zuko is only ever shown with his mom or his sister and her friends. even when zuko and mai date its like... it feels more like a proximity/being a Good Son thing than anything else, at least on zukos end. and he doesnt really have many meaningful on screen interactions with ty lee?
which i think is why aangs "do you think we couldve been friends?" moment is so impactful for zuko and its when he really starts to doubt what hed been taught growing up, bc this kid who he was supposed to hate and subjugate... is offering him friendship. something hes never had before, except in the weird proximity-friendships of ty lee and mai.
and tbh, i feel like aang never really lost that faith in him or their potential to be friends, even if said faith was shaken a few times.
and then by the end of the series zuko and aang hug and they declare themselves to be friends, and this feels like the first time on-screen we see someone declare zuko belonging to them in some way.
basically their friendship is so beautiful and i cry about it.
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andromeda3116 · 10 months
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i just
i just gotta get on my soapbox for a sec bc like
mai becoming fire lady is like. her worst ending. she's just being stuffed back into the box of nobility! the life that bored her so desperately that she was willing to go with azula just for a fucking change of pace
i will always think of the person on lj who described mai as "spoiled beyond feeling" bc she's been given everything she has ever needed or asked for... except freedom or love
my ending for mai is -- for one, her reply to azula is not "you miscalculated, i love zuko more than i fear you," it's "you miscalculated, i am not afraid of you" as she attacks azula and takes control of her own life
and in the epilogue, zuko actually goes to the boiling rock to free her, only to find a letter -- a letter! thematic consistency! -- from her explaining that she and ty lee are already free (either having escaped on their own or been released by her uncle) and have decided to break out of all their chains and see what the world has to offer (or be made to offer) two dangerous ladies who are stepping out of the gilded cage and coming into their own
so her happy ending is not going back into the nobility and continuing to be spoiled beyond feeling, but choosing to forego the spoiling to find feeling and meaning and freedom
it's also ty lee choosing to forego being part of a matched set or being under someone else's power or thumb and choosing to find out who she is on her own, not the sixth sister or the circus girl or azula's lackey, but ty lee, standing on her feet without any lines or nets to catch her nor any claws or flames to contain her, titling her chin up and capitulating to no one and deciding for herself who she wants to be
like holy shit, the canon endings for them suck so much they both deserve so much better and especially mai who i genuinely fucking love and think is such an interesting character whose endgame ship is just. it's so bad. it's a net-zero for her characterization, she just... goes back to exactly what she left before and... that's it
that's the ending
that's the ending?
mai deserved better
there, i'm saying it: mai deserved fucking better than that
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ihatehomework · 1 month
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imagine atla but zukos a girl. THE POTENTial. shes a moody lil 16 year old. with a half shaved head. and a ponytail. she gets periods (these always fall during the worst times). shes still an amgsty little boi but shes just female. this means that zuko and azula are sisters. THEIR SISTERS. that lowkey just makes their relationship even better cause they can fight over clothes etc. they would get makeovers and spa treatments together. BUT THEIR SISTERS SO THEIR ARGUMENTS ARE TEN TIMES MORE EXPLOSIVE. idk why zuko wouldnt be as good friends with mai and ty lee but the actual potential. and imagine uncle trying to raise a grumpy teenage girl. bro went through it with lu ten pretty ok but zukos more angsty than lu ten was. also iroh probably had to deal with zukos first period like LMAO THATS HILARIOUS HE DOESNT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HIMSELF AND JUST BREWS A CUP OF TEA AND HOPES IT GOES AWAY. also if zuko was a girl everyone would 100% have shipped him (her?) with sokka cause atla came out in the 2000s and heteronormative things were m a j o r (said as someone who is younger than gordon cormier so thats basically an assumption based on my unhealthy amount of time spent on the internet)
inspired my this AWESOME AMAZING NEW FAV FIC: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385173/chapters/61556134
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attackfish · 10 months
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So everybody here knows that I'm notorious for being a massive defender of Ursa, and that I have no patience for the "Ursa was a bad mother, she favored Zuko, and was abusive to Azula and abandoned her kids, and made Ozai abuse Zuko," narrative. That narrative is vile, victim blaming, and deeply stupid on a number of levels.
With that out of the way, I want to talk about some really really bad parenting we see Ursa do during the series. And it is to be clear really really bad.
In the Book Two episode, "Bitter Work", Zuko and Iroh have a conversation:
ZUKO: So Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say, she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her-
IROH: No, she's crazy, and she needs to go down.
This scene is a favorite of a certain type of Azula fan who wants to paint Iroh as a big meanie who didn't wave his magic redemption wand over Azula the way he clearly did over Zuko. See? See? He's writing her off here and calling her crazy.
This of course misses the context of that scene, which is that Zuko is taking care of a severely injured Iroh, who was injured by Azula, in what looked a heck of a lot like a murder attempt. Earlier in Book Two, in the episode, "The Avatar State", Azula unambiguously attempts to murder her brother after failing to capture him, and he is only saved by Iroh's quick reflexes.
But let's leave that argument aside for today because what interests me about this scene in the context of Ursa's parenting, is the line Zuko says right before Iroh's infamous declaration: "I know what you're going to say, she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."
Because in the context of Zuko and Iroh's situation, where Azula has recently attempted to kill Zuko, and just put Iroh into a coma that Zuko had to take care of him during, in which he has only just woken up from, this line from Zuko actually demonstrates some really warped thinking. It is not a healthy response to the situation at all. And his assumption is that a good caring parent figure like Iroh is going to respond to this situation by telling him that Zuko needs to get along with his sister, who is actively trying to hunt him down and capture or kill him.
So why does Zuko think that? What adult reacted that way to Azula's violence toward her brother in the past? It wasn't Ozai. Ozai is not going to use the language of getting along with one's siblings, when he is so bent on setting them against each other. So who was it?
The show answers this a few episodes before this scene, in the Book Two episode, "Zuko Alone." The answer is clear and heartbreaking: It was Ursa.
The scene in which this becomes plain, starts with Zuko and Ursa walking together. Mai spots them and smiles and blushes. Azula notices, and then turns to Ty Lee, and whispers, "Watch this!"
AZULA: Mom, can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game!
ZUKO: I am not cart-wheeling.
AZULA: You won't have to. Cart-wheeling's not a game, dum-dum.
ZUKO: I don't care. I don't want to play with you!
AZULA: We are brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together. Don't you think so, Mom?
URSA: Yes, darling, I think it's a good idea to play with your sister. Go on now, just for a little while.
And then Ursa leaves Zuko alone with Azula and her friends.
There is a lot here that I want to talk about. I have in fact talked about this scene before, and what it tells us about Ursa's eagerness to reinforce Azula's seemingly kind and loving behavior: [Link], and even touched on why this is in fact an example of bad parenting from Ursa: [Link], but I think this deserves its own post, where we examine exactly what went on here, what this tells us about Ursa's parenting, and how this affected Zuko, and to a lesser extent, Azula.
In those previously linked posts, I talk about how this is clearly a pattern, that Azula has learned to predict and manipulate, and because we know it's a pattern, we know that this behavior on Ursa's part is repeated, and something her children have come to expect from her. Zuko and Azula know their mother wants her children to get along with each other, and love each other and have a good sibling relationship with each other so much that if Azula she plays into that, Ursa will force Zuko to spend time with his sister, and worse, that time will be unsupervised.
So, to be clear here, what Ursa is doing is giving Azula unsupervised access to her brother, against his will, as a reward for Azula momentarily acting nice. Or in other words, Ursa forces Zuko to spend time with his abuser against his will because she wants them to get along.
I think we can all see how that is some grade A terrible parenting.
And it does have negative effects on Azula. I think that we can see her learning how to manipulate people, learning how to lie and get what she wants from people, and that Ursa by giving her what she wants here, is showing her that this is a thing she can do to get what she wants. That is not a great lesson to teach your kid. I think it also feeds into Azula's possessiveness of her brother, and sense of entitlement towards him. She has learned that even the people who love and care about her brother, won't protect him from her. And she has learned that no matter what she does to him, he is supposed to try to get along with her.
These are some really terrible lessons, and we see some of the effects of them throughout the course of the show, so why is it that the "Ursa is a terrible mother" crowd never bring this up? I mean of course we know why, it doesn't fit their narrative. Their premise is not simply that Ursa is a bad mother, or even that her bad parenting explains Azula's behavior.
In fact frequently it isn't even about finding someone to blame for Azula's behavior, so that the responsibility isn't Azula's. (Which, to be clear is not how it would work anyway, because even if Ursa were exactly the type of horrible mother they said she was, Azula was still making the choices to do Very Bad Things, in the same way that just because Ozai is an abusive father, this doesn't mean Azula stopped being responsible for her own actions). It's more about proving that she has suffered enough that she deserves all the sympathy, and is allowed to be awful to other people, including Zuko, you know, as a treat.
The narrative that the "Ursa is a terrible mother" crowd are pushing is that Ursa didn't love her daughter, and thought she was a monster, Azula suffered so much, and it's so sad, and this is why she deserves to do very nasty things to everybody else, and no one should ever hold her accountable. Frequently there is some flavor of, "Zuko had a mother who loved him, you guys, unlike Azula, so he doesn't deserve sympathy, not like poor baby Azula!" Which is a deeply warped thought process on many many levels, but we're not going to go into that here.
The point is, that this type of bad parenting that I am pointing out here, doesn't fit this narrative, because this is not the kind of parenting mistake that a mother who doesn't love one of her children, and thinks that child is a monster, is going to make. This is the kind of mistake that a mother who loves her children very much, and wants them to have a good relationship, and doesn't recognize the threat that one of her children poses to the other, is going to make. In fact, the fact that she does it, proves that Ursa does in fact love her daughter and does not think she's a monster. So it does not fit the narrative these people are spinning, so they will never bring it up as an example of how Ursa was a bad mom.
Of course the other reason the "Ursa is a terrible mother" crowd aren't going to bring this part up is because it would mean acknowledging that Zuko deserved to be protected from Azula, and needed to be protected from Azula, when they were both children, which would go against the whole "she's a poor innocent child" thing they like to spin, and also because Azula is getting what she wants here, and Zuko is the one suffering, which is not going to get Azula any sympathy points.
And for the most part, Ursa was an excellent mother, who did the best job she could in horrible circumstances that she had very little control over, but she wasn't perfect, and she did make mistakes, which makes all of this a wonderful example of how even very good parents can make very bad choices that hurt their children and cause serious long-term damage.
I've talked some about the long term damage that Azula faces from this, learning about manipulation, and developing some really nasty entitlement issues with regards to her brother, but Zuko's long-term damage is if anything worse.
When we put this together with Zuko's line from "Bitter Work" quoted earlier, we can see that Zuko learns what Azula learns from the other angle, which is to say that he will not be protected from Azula by anyone, and not only will he not be protected, but he does not deserve to protect himself. Not only can he not defend himself, but he can't even protect himself by avoiding her. That's not allowed either. And in the face of her cruelty and violence towards him, it is still on him to make their relationship work, and to be clear, he should absolutely be making their relationship work. And the adults who love him are going to tell him this, no matter what Azula does to him.
I for one am really glad that Iroh is there to say no, that's a terrible idea, and you do not need to keep trying to get along with your sister who is trying to kill you. And it's significant that throughout Book Two, Iroh consistently protects Zuko from Azula, and teaches him what he needs to fight back.
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mediumgayitalian · 2 months
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What are some of your Will headcanons?
Any angsty ones?
hair style:
will's hair has a Mind Of Its Own. it is impossible. brushing it? keep dreaming. styling it? dude just give up
he can, however, wrangle it into two french braid pigtails. those are fun.
in the august after the giant war, the aphrodite cabin take it upon themselves to 'style' nico, including giving him these little elastics with a skull charm (like this but with skulls), but he doesn't like tying his hair back very much (too tight) so he gives them to will as a joke.
will LOVES them.
he literally wears them almost every day. the next time they go out on a supply run, nico sees these little elastic charms and buys them for will. he can't summon the courage to give them to him face to face but he leaves them on his bed. will adores them, too, and it starts something of a tradition of people giving will charm elastics as a small thank-you.
he has a collection of them and wears them whenever he wears his hair in braids.
his favourites are the skull charms, though.
artistic ability:
will really doesn't have many musical talents. he's hard of hearing and while hephaestus-made hearing aids definitely work better than mortal ones, it's not really something that can be cured, so he has a lot of trouble staying on key/making music himself.
however! apollo is the god of poetry and art in general -- that is more than just visual!!
will is a really good writer, poetry especially. he's very articulate and verbose and writes with startling clarity. he's written a lot of songs and a lot of poems, although he hasn't shown anybody in years.
he used to share them with his older brothers and sisters and sibling, but...well. obviously that's no longer an option.
he's never stopped writing, though. he may keep it to himself, but it's kind of an open secret. he's scribbling in his notebooks all the time -- it's impossible not to notice.
his friends and siblings, however, are the only ones who know that he writes creatively. they've peeked over his shoulder here and there (and also kayla is a huge huge snoop, like, badly, and austin is easily convinced to be complacent in her crimes), and sometimes he says things that are just kind of poetic.
no one else knows, though. he's deliberately obnoxious about it -- every once in a while, at campfire open mics, he'll clear his throat loudly and grin as people groan and recite something so bad apollo might have written it. most people think will's quite bad at writing, actually.
another thing he's really good at is drama, which is a surprise to absolutely no one. although beyond his regular histrionics, chiron had shakespeare as part of his curriculum, and will could play puck like nobody's business. he recited a mercutio so good once lee actually cried with laughter (so did everyone else). on a hauntingly beautiful february in 2004, he played ophelia by the creek so beautifully that it was silent for a good four minutes after he finished.
there are very, very few people at camp who remember that. will hasn't recited anything in a while.
an unexpected bonus of his medical knowledge, actually, is a really good understanding of depth, space, and anatomy.
he's a surprisingly good artist.
it started pretty normal -- he was having trouble articulating a question to michael one time, and in a fit of frustration drew a diagram to try and explain himself. it was really good, even as rushed as it was, so michael used to give him 'homework' that was hand-drawing posters of various body systems to hang in the infirmary.
it was kind of spooky how will could do it without looking it up. just close his eyes and start sketching an accurate nervous system. cool though.
his older sister, cass, encouraged him to branch out of anatomy diagrams and create whatever he liked. she made the unfortunate mistake of giving him several cans of paint and free reigns on blank infirmary walls (they're freaky and boring) to a nerdy eight-year-old -- that's why r2d2 and c3po are chilling on the wall by the mortal medicine cabinet.
he doesn't paint a lot now, 'cause he doesn't have the damn time, but when rachel finds out who painted the infirmary walls she hounds him until he takes a morning to paint with her. they have a lot of fun. they end up with more paint on each other and their clothes than their canvases, predictably.
siblings:
when will was a kid, he had twelve older siblings.
apollo tends to have kids in brackets. he is, as everyone knows, a hoe, so he'll be busy on olympus or with artemis and go a while without having any kids, and then he'll be on earth for like three years and have a litter. so a lot of his kids end up the same age.
before the war, in the same cabin, there was: cass, the oldest, 18, somewhat year-long; diana, 18, year-long; lee, 16, somewhat year-long; michael, 16, somewhat year-long; gabriel, 15, summer-only; leanna, 15, summer-only; mercury, 15, summer-only; kate & phoebe, 14, summer-only; laurel, 13, summer-only; amir, 13, summer-only; melody, 12, summer-only; and will, 8, year-long (for now).
their abilites were pretty vast and well-rounded, and they came from all over the continent.
there was a time when the infirmary wasn't understaffed at all.
will doesn't like to think about it.
style:
on their birthdays, apollo leaves them all a gift on their bunks (or their beds at home, if their birthdays aren't in the summer).
each of them gets a piece of blessed gold jewelry when they're ten. will got a pair of threader earrings with thin blue sapphires that he loves. he can't wear them often because they're a genuine hazard in the infirmary (yes, more than flip-flops) and he doesn't want them ruined. but he wears them on the rare days he has off.
he actually has quite a lot of jewelry! because he is a sappy nerd, he has two watches: a hephaestus-made one, totally waterproof, weatherproof, and monsterproof, because it helps quell the anxiety when so many people are counting on him (he has to know when people will be better and how long he can be away from his patients, also used to tell people to fuck off when he's on break lol); and his mother's much nicer watch that she gave to him when she dropped him off at camp for the first time -- it's not changed for the time zone. he knows what time it is for her, and it makes him feel better about being so far away from her.
he wears both watches on the same wrist, ala chad danforth.
he has a third watch. it was lee's. it's got r2d2 on the face. will got it for him with his own money when he was nine years old, for his birthday. it lives in a box under his bunk. it's cracked and broken and never tells the right time except on 1:52 p.m. on june 30th, although the year gets farther and farther off every time will checks it.
contrary to popular belief, will does not actually wear the same pair of cargo shorts every day.
...because he has seven pairs of the same shorts.
he does have other shorts through. namely swim trunks and a pair of tighter shorts he wears specifically to kick ass in volleyball. he didn't try for this or anything, he got the shorts at the thrift store, but he's pretty sure they might be designer. he gets a lot of compliments from the aphrodite cabin when he wears them.
he also has a collection of nerdy t-shirts (his anakin sand-rant t-shirt is worn to threads), novelty pajama pants, hoodies, and flannel.
he has more than one tattoo. he has several, actually; constellations, lines from freckle to freckle so faint you can barely see them: the seer, the drummer, the archer, the tiny lion, the archangel, the maiden, the lyre, the twins, the boat stern, the hearth, and the singer.
just plain will:
he's slightly red-green colourblind.
when he gets mad, his cheeks puff up and he gets all red in the face before erupting. his older siblings used to call him tinkerbell.
he gets teased for being so dramatic that he was named for the most dramatic apollo kid who ever lived -- shakespeare. but his actual, legal name is just plain will solace. when pregnant, his mom used to mutter 'it's you, me, and sheer fucking force of will, baby' to herself a lot, as a kind of mantra, and then will was born and she thought it would be kind of funny to name him will (she was right). lee invented william andrew solace so he'd have something to yell when will got in trouble lol.
he has the climbing wall record. this is because he climbs a lot of trees. he has no explanation and no one is going to stop him.
when he was a kid, and the whole mythology thing was explained to him, he misnderstood michael's explanation of food sacrifice as one to be done to all theoi/mythical beings. he worked his way to praying through the entire pantheon, a horde of minor gods, hestia, chiron, argus, and half the nymphs before someone caught wind and explained to him properly. it is the main reason all the nymphs and dryads are so endeared by him. he used to go around asking their names and very seriously writing it down in his little notebook to pray to them properly.
he carries around notebooks constantly. at first, diana gave them to him because he was driving everyone bonkers with his endless questions and she needed Five Minutes, Will, Gods, Please of silence, but he really took to it and wrote everything in there. he keeps them all as a sort of diary. kayla reads them any time he has his back turned.
it is really, really hard for him to talk about his siblings. but he knows kayla and austin feel kind of left out and hurt about it, since they didn't get the chance to know them like will did (the kids never met them), so sometimes, late at night, he calls them softly over to his bunk and they curl up, one under each arm, and he tells them stories until his voice goes hoarse and they're long asleep.
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comradekatara · 2 years
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gonna say smth that might be controversial but ykw i need to speak my truth. ideally, for me, kataang is like. bffs to middle school boyfriend girlfriend to amicable exes to friends w benefits to coparents of 2 great kids (bumi doesn’t exist bc he’s annoying) while they’re each in different parts of the world doing their own thing but also they see each other all the time and are always hanging out and traveling and chilling together because at the end of the day they are, fundamentally, best friends who love each other more than anything, and always will be, forever. peace & love & light; mwah <33
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punkeropercyjackson · 2 months
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Trans girl Zuko moments
Her liking pretty things(such as that seashell)because 'girls like that stuff'
Growing out her hair after a buzzcut as visual character development
'The son my father wanted.But i wasn't me'
Being heartbreakingly jealous of her ideallic sister and wishing she could be perfect like her while hating her for it at the same time
And Ozai perfering Azula for living up to standards while Ursa loved and nurtured both of them equally but payed extra attention to Zuko because of all the degradation she faced
Comparing herself to Ty Lee by saying she's not as optimistic or pretty
Misandrist queen(Her instant reaction to a guy getting near Mai was rage at him potentially being a sleaze,her insults to Iroh,her arc culmenating in coming for her abusive dad's entire life including jumping his ass,etc)
Dragon-coded
All her friends pre-Gaang were girls
Her and Aang=Tween dorky boyprotagonist and late teens mean goth older sister who learn to love eachother trope
She's really maternal to him but also in general
Sokka is the Team Dad to her Team Mom and their dynamic is 'Mean hotheaded girl and chill goofy guy start off thinking the other is annoying asf and picking on eachother until they go on an adventure together and now they're sickeingly lovey dovey best friends totally not lovers'
Chose the Kyoshi Warriors as her bodyguards
This panel in general
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But also these that make her look like the second girl mc in a Nickelodeon girl power sitcom
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Jet talks to and treats her the same way he does Katara and he's got Smellerbee on his team so He Knows What She Is(and is being an annoying cocky bisexual about it)
Had TWO secret identities-First one was pretending to be an ordinary boy to hide her royalty status and her first instinct on picking a name was after her childhood best friend who's a girlypop and the second one was a hero persona that included baggy ass clothes that hid her entire figure
Baby butch(Toph)immediately adopted her as her older sister
Got 1 taste of living as a daddy's boy prince praised by everybody for manliness after months of living on the run and interacting with the Gaang and went 'I need to get my ass outta here,i can't fucking live like this,I WAS WRONG BEING A REAL MAN FUCKING SUCKS,AANG WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!!!!'
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scarletwinterxx · 2 months
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fool for you - mark lee dad scenario
a bit late to this but OH MY GOD MARK LEE GIRL DAD😭🥺😭🥺 we already know he's going to be the best dad to his kids in the future🤍🤍
you already know my feels went through the roof after seeing that cli[ so here's another mark dad scenario and can you believe this is the 10th one OMGGGGGG anyways i hope you like it!
part1: day with dad mark lee
part2: another day with dad mark lee
part3: a day with the lee's
part4: (prologue) i don't know how to make eggs
part5: glitter pens and goodnight kisses with the Lee's
part6: first love and kisses
part7: naps and baby kicks
part8: then there was three
part9: just like you
For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series’ you can check them out here.
and if you want, u can buy me coffee(totally optional but any donation is very much appreciated!) thank you🥺💛
All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2024 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.
(gif not mine, credits to rightful owner)
"in my next life, I think I'll become a fool for my daughter"
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"Lovie, can you stay with Minjee? I'm just going to the mall with Minjung to get new shoes and a few other stuff for the baby" you tell your husband who is currently on the sofa resting.
It's around that time again when you're counting down the days until the new baby comes, this time the two of you choose to keep the gender a surprise. You won't find out until you give birth. There's an on going bet in your household whether it'll be a girl or a boy.
"Why don't I come with him? You sure you okay to go out?" he asks, watching you struggle putting on your shoes. He chuckles before walking toward you, kneeling down to put it on for you even double tying the shoelaces just to be sure.
"It's okay, besides the doctor said it's healthy to walk around. And we both know it'll be easier to look after Minjung then Jee" you laugh, your husband agreeing with you
"She's the main character, we're all just living in her world" he says
You smile at Mark, giving him a kiss before getting your purse and keys.
"Call me if you need anything" he tells you
"Minjung, let's go" you shout, your son appears from the staircase ready to go
"You already know, buddy. Take care of mom, okay? Call me if something happens" he gives his son a quick hug before watching the two of you drive away
The two of you finished the errands and is now getting a quick snack before heading home. You like having one on one time with your kids. It helps you keep a closer relationship with them. And even though you know the two siblings get along very well, you still make it a point to spend time with them one by one. And so does Mark.
"Is there anything else you need, buddy?" you ask your son
He shakes his head, taking a bite of his sandwich. You smile watching him, it feels just like yesterday you were sitting in the backseat with newborn Minjung in the baby car seat on your way home from the hospital and now he's 13.
"How do you feel about getting another sibling?"
He looks at you, it's like looking at Mark's eyes. They same round, adorable chocolate eyes you love so much.
"Excited. It'll be cool if it's a boy. I'll teach him to play basketball and bike. It's okay too if it's a girl" he shrugs
"You know mommy and daddy loves you very very much"
"I know, I love you too" he smiles back at you
When you get home, Minjee welcomes you excitedly asking if you got her a cakepop which Minjung hands over to his sister
"Wah thank you, oppa! Dad look oppa got me a pink cakepop!" she screams excitedly, running to wherever Mark is. You and Minjung follow her, Mark in the kitchen getting dinner ready
"Cool, but you can have that after dinner okay? Na uh don't give me that look, missy. I ordered chicken just like you asked" the father-daughter banter continues
The two siblings help set up the table while you stay in the kitchen with Mark, "How did it go?" Mark asks you
"Good, we had fun. You sound like you had fun too" you joked
"I swear she knows how to make me says yes" he mumbles, you walk towards him, giving him a side hug
"You love her" you tell him with a chuckle and a kiss on the jaw
"That I do. I'd do anything for our kids" he says, looking down at you. He kisses you on the nose, eliciting giggles from you before breaking away
"Okay, dinner time!"
After dinner and everyone finished with their night time routines, it's finally time to call it a night.
You lay on your side of the bed, getting the pregnancy pillow ready
"Can I keep that after?" Mark asks, you watch him step out of the shower. Towel hanging on his hips while he dries his hair with another
"No" you tell him with a tight smile, Mark laughs before walking towards the dresser to get clothes
"Oh come on, let me enjoy the view some more"
"Woman, you are already pregnant" he tells you, playfully throwing the towel he was drying his hair with towards you. He puts on his sleeping shorts, leaving the shirt behind. He goes out the room to check all doors before going to bed
He turns towards you, the two of you face to face.
"Just a few more days and it'll be five of us" he whispers. His hand resting on your belly
"I'm calling it, this one will look like you again" you tell him
"You love us"
"That I do, I love you and all versions of you. Especially the little humans we made" you smile at him. He scoots closer to kiss you. Kissing you on the lips then on your cheeks a few time until you were laughing.
"Okay, time to rest. Goodnight, baby. I love you" he tells you
"Love you"
Minjung woke up to something poking his back, groggily looking to see Minjee
"Jee? What?"
The girl hiccups, still crying. This woke Minjung up more, sitting up on his bed and turning the bedside light on,
"Why are you crying? Did you have a bad dream?" he asks
"Will mom and dad not let me live here when the baby comes?" she asks, her tiny voice breaking
"What? of course not" her brother immediately answers. He gets out from under the blanket to hug his sister, wiping a few tears running down her face
"When you were born, I was so excited. Dad took me to the hospital to meet you. You had this big bow on, you were crying a lot too" he tells her
"You were there?" she asks
Minjung smiles "Yea, dad even helped me to carry you. You were really tiny. When the new baby comes, we'll go together to meet them"
"Will you still play with me when they come?"
"Of course I will, we're bestfriends right? You gave me this" he says, showing the beaded bracelet Minjee made for him. Similar to what she's wearing.
"You promise? You'll still get me cakepops?"
"Of course, pinkypromise"
The two siblings lock pinky fingers, the younger one finally smiling.
"Wait here okay?" Minjung says before going out of his room and carefull walking towards his parents bedroom. Knocking lightly before going in.
He walks towards Mark's sleeping figure, tapping him awake
"Huh what wha huh?? Minjung? Are you okay? What's happening?" Mark asks, sitting up immediately
"What time is it?" he asks, looking for his phone to see it's 2am
"Minjee woke up crying, she's in my room now"
Mark stands up carefully, looking over at your sleeping figure before quickly putting on a shirt and walking out with Minjung
"She okay? bad dream?"
"No uh it's about the new baby"
His son didn't need to elaborate anymore, already getting a hint why his babygirl was crying.
When the two walks back to Minjung's room, Jee still sitting there.
"Hey, Jee. Come on, dad will come with you. Goodnight buddy, thank you for being a good brother" Mark tells his eldest, kissing him on the head before stepping out of the room with the younger one
"Do you want warm milk before going back to bed?" Mark asks the 6 year old girl, getting a no from her
When they get to Minjee's room, the two sat on the bed
"Are you sad right now?" Mark asks his daughter
"Will you still love Jee when the baby comes?" Jee asks and Mark crumbles
"Oh my girl, of course I will. I'll love you longer than forever and that's a long long long time. You'll always be my princess. Even after the new baby comes, mom and dad might need to spend more time with them but that doesn't mean we love you and your brother any less" he tucks her hair behind her ear, pinching her cute round cheeks she definitely got from you.
"Can dad have a hug?" he opens his arms, Minjee scooting in her father's embrace
"Always remember, dad loves you so so much. I'd give you the moon and all the stars if you want. If you ever feel sad you can come and talk to me okay?"
He feels the younger one nod. Tucking her in bed, giving her a kiss on the forehead before calling it a night (again)
When he gets back to your room, he slides under the sheets then he feels you search for him
"Min?" you mumble
"Here, baby. Go to sleep" he leans over to give your temple a kiss. He sees a sleepy smile on your lips before your heads goes down on the pillow again.
Just like that everyone was asleep again, but before he fades into dreamland he says a silently thank you to heaven for this life. Ready and excited to face tomorrow with his family.
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floatyflowers · 1 month
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Dark Platonic! Fire Nation Royal Family x Non-bender Reader Part Two
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Part 1
With Ozai
You never imagined returning back to the fire nation, it felt so foreign for you.
But your father was there to receive you with open arms.
Ozai felt pure happiness to have you back home, his favorite child is back under his care.
Yet, you grew up into a young lady who came to realize that Ozai is not kind, but rather manipulative and evil.
Yet like any girl, you missed your father, being in his presence gave you a secure feeling.
You missed how he spoils you, how you get whatever you want with just one signal.
However you don't miss his creepy possessive attitude.
"I will burn the whole world down for you, my sweet child"
With Azula
Azula lied to her father about Zuko killing the avatar all just to have you return home.
Once you are back home, she is overjoyed and tries to spend as much as time with you.
However, when you go to spend vacation on Ember Island, she makes sure to terrorize anyone who comes to speak to you.
When she felt that you and Ty Lee became friends, she made sure to jab at her friend with harsh words.
Sometimes Azula take the overprotective big sister role to an extreme where she burned a guy just for flirting with you.
Zuko helped her with that.
"How dare you say that filth to my dear sister, now you shall rot in the ashes of your despair!"
With Zuko
He regrets returning home when he sees how much time you spend with Azula and Ozai.
One of the main reason why he wished to capture the avatar was so he could prove himself worthy of protecting you.
But now, Zuko feels envious and jealous.
Even during your journey to find the avatar, Zuko couldn't bear the thought of anyone close to you.
His hatred for the Gaang increased when saw Sokka try to become close with you.
Now he came to realize that Sokka is a lesser threat than his father and sister.
The shock that came is when he found that you ran away.
You ran away to help the avatar and his friend.
Which made Zuko take the decision to support you, by helping himself and his uncle to escape.
Despite Ozai and Azula who threatened to murder the avatar and his team just to have you back.
"Don't worry, (Y/n), I will always be by your side and support you"
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melzula · 3 months
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Smoke and Shadow
part two
pairing: Zuko x Princess!reader
notes: final part is here! hope you guys enjoy and thank you for being patient as always
summary: the group is one step closer to finding the missing children and Azula, but that doesn’t mean all of their problems will be solved
~ part of the fire lilies series ~
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“We decided to do some investigating after Zuko kicked Aang out of the throne room,” Suki explains to you as your trio runs after the Avatar and Fire Lord. “We wanted to see if there were any clues left behind from Kiyi’s kidnapping or Azula’s Kemurikage attack on the palace last night.”
“And even though we couldn’t find anything, I realized there was something fishy about the way she was able to escape so quickly!” Ty Lee adds with a keen smile. “When we used to play hide-and-seek as kids, she’d always manage to win by hiding in this secret passage way tucked into the palace walls. It must be how the Kemurikage were able to escape so quickly.”
“Good thinking, Ty Lee. Although, I still can’t believe she kidnapped her own sister,” you note with a disgruntled shake of your head. “That’s low even for her.”
“This is Azula we’re talking about,” Suki reminds you, and that in itself is enough of an explanation for her behavior.
You finally skid to a stop after reaching the palace rooftops where Aang and Zuko land. The Avatar carelessly drops your boyfriend on the tile, and you wince on his behalf before offering Zuko your hand to help him back up onto his feet.
“Did you have fun?” You ask with a teasing smile only for the Fire Lord to scowl.
“Don’t ever do that again!” He scolds Aang whilst dusting off his robes.
“Okay, okay, but look!” the boy insists before pressing down on a loose brick that opens up a hidden doorway.
“A secret passageway! So you think this is how Azula and the other Kemurikage escape? How did you figure this out?”
“They searched for clues after you kicked them out of the throne room,” you tell him with a pointed look that has him shrinking guiltily under your gaze. “I think you owe Aang an apology.”
“You’re right,” he murmurs sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I should have been more open to your ideas.”
“Apology accepted!” Aang chirps happily. “Now what’s our next move?”
“Well… Kiyi could be on the other side.”
“Tom-Tom, too. I’m coming along,” Mai interjects firmly, seemingly forgetting Kei Lo’s presence until he corrects her statement with a “We’re coming along.”
Zuko instructs Suki and Ty Lee to stay back and guard the palace, so you bid your friends goodbye before beginning your descent into the narrow passageway. The hallway is cold and claustrophobic, but Aang and Zuko lead the way with their fire bending, cautioning you to watch your step behind them.
You’re quiet for the most part, mulling over your thoughts and insecurities now that you’re given a moment’s silence to think. You’re still feeling a bit insecure about walking in on him with Mai and about his animosity towards Kei Lo, but you haven’t had the chance to talk to him yet. The long distance has been hard on your relationship, and sometimes it’s hard to keep consistent communication when both of you have duties to tend to and entire nations to run, but you never thought it would be a problem. Now, you’re not so sure.
You recall what Azula had told you during your time in the Forgetful Valley, how you and Zuko were an “unnatural” pair that would never work. You hate to admit it or even think it, but what if she’s right? What if you’re just kidding yourself? Maybe Mai really has been the right girl for him all along. After all, she is Fire Nation, and she certainly is more qualified to be dating the Fire Lord than you are. You wish Suki were here to talk to, surely she’d know just what to say and could stop you from spiraling like you are now, but without her it seems it’s just you and your thoughts for now.
“Hey, I didn’t get to introduce myself earlier,” a voice says, pulling you out of your thoughts. “I’m Kei Lo, Mai’s boyfriend.”
“Yes, I’m sorry, everything’s just been so chaotic. I’m y/n, Zuko’s girlfriend.”
“That’s right, Mai told me. Say, aren’t you a Chief? Should I be calling you Chief y/n instead?”
“Just y/n is perfectly fine,” you correct him with an awkward laugh. Unbeknownst to you, Zuko is listening in on every word. He doesn’t trust Kei Lo, not one bit, and he doesn’t want him roping you into any trouble. He doesn’t care if he really isn’t in cahoots with the Safe Nation Society, if Kei Lo so much as looks at you in a way Zuko doesn’t like he’ll be tossed into a cell immediately.
“So how’s a Chief of a water tribe end up dating the Fire Lord?” He asks with a laugh.
“It’s a very long story.”
“Please spare me the details,” Mai says with a roll of her eyes.
“Yeah, it may not be the best time for that story,” you note with an apprehensive smile.
“You’re probably right. Still, it’s a pretty awkward situation we’ve all found ourselves in.”
“You can say that again.”
After some time group is finally able to reach the end of the passageway, and the only thing standing in your way from the other side is a solid wooden door.
“This must be it,” Zuko announces hopefully. “Behind this door could be Kiyi and Tom-Tom.”
“And Azula,” Aang adds apprehensively before helping the Fire Lord push the heavy wood open. The creak of the old hinges is deafening, echoing in the silent hallway, and you watch with bated breath as the light from the other side slowly begins to seep in. Carefully, you follow the two out the door only to be met with a disappointing site.
There are no missing children and there is no Azula. Instead, you’re faced with a gloomy and desolate graveyard.
“What is this place?” You murmur in awe, your eyes scanning across the expanse of withered headstones. You’ve never seen anything like it.
“I’ve been here before,” Zuko notes thoughtfully, “this is the royal family graveyard.”
“I thought that’s what the Dragonstone catacombs were for,” Aang questions with furrowed brows.
“No, the catacombs are only for Fire Lords. This place is for everyone else. It’s called the Garden of Tranquil Souls.”
“Really? Well, I hate to break it to you, Zuko, but…” the Avatar begins uneasily, and you follow his shifting gaze towards the clouds of smoke that begin to surround the graveyard. Taking a step back, you reach to unclip your water pouch as the dark figures begin to close in on your group. “The souls here don’t seem all that tranquil!”
The group of Kemurikage don’t hesitate to attack, and immediately your group is split apart as you all begin to defend yourselves against their assault. Blasts of fire are shot your way left and right, but you’re able to deflect it every time with your water bending. You manage to take down two of the spirits by encasing them up to their necks in ice, but your progress only seems to make a dent in their ambush. Zuko and Aang are still corned back to back, and Azula has managed to single out Mai and Kei Lo. She holds the boy by the collar of his shirt, eyes full of malice and hand ready to strike him with her blue flames despite Mai’s pleas for her to leave her boyfriend alone.
Before she can harm him, you send a blast of water towards her with an effortful grunt that shoots her across the graveyard and into one of the pillars. The impact is forceful enough to put a crack in the tombstone and disorient Azula momentarily to allow Kei Lo and Mai the chance to escape.
“Are you alright?” You ask him after rushing towards the couple. Mai helps him to his feet before looking to you, her eyes full of gratitude and sincerity.
“Thank you,” she says earnestly, and you give her an appreciative nod in return.
Rising from the ground with a grunt of pain, Azula is filled with rage at your assault on her. How dare you think you can beat her at her own game?
“Helping out your competition? That’s pathetic even for you, dearest,” she insults, irises aflame with fury. “Perhaps you and Zuko are more compatible than I thought.”
“What’s pathetic is the fact that you’re still obsessed with becoming Fire Lord,” you spit back, water cloaking your arms to form tentacle-like limbs for attack.
“Oh, I’m much past that now. I have a new mission,” she notes airily with a passive wave of her hand. Her eyes harden suddenly then and electricity begins to spread across her fingertips. “One that simply won’t work with you in the picture.”
Before she can raise her hands to strike you with her lightening blast, Zuko is quick to send a hail of flames her way to distract her. “Leave her out of this! It’s me you want!”
“Oh, Zuzu, always so dramatic,” she mocks before creating a cloud of smoke to cover her as she runs away.
“You have to go after her!” You exclaim urgently. “I’ll stay back and help Aang handle the rest of the Kemurikage.”
After ensuring you’ll be fine without him, Zuko gives you one final nod before chasing after his sister. You, on the other hand, rush back towards Aang to see if he needs any help. However, it seems he’s been able to manage the assailants just fine on his own.
“Princess! Where’d everybody go?” He asks, perplexed at the sudden disappearance of your group.
“Zuko went after Azula. I’m not sure where Mai and Kei Lo are,” you note as you scan the garden for any sign of them. “What do we do now? We still haven’t found the missing children.”
As if on cue, a shrill voice coming from the passageway calls out for help. You exchange an alarmed glance with Aang before immediately sprinting back into the doorway. A breath of relief leaves you at the sight of Mai’s father with the children in tow, but your ease is short lived at the sight of the two Kemurikage that hold them captive.
“Look!” One of the kids exclaims. “It’s the Avatar and Chief y/n!”
“Hi kids, we’ve been looking all over for you!” Aang says with an overjoyed wave.
“Are you guys alright?!” You call out protectively. “Is anyone hurt?”
“We’re great!” Kiyi calls back prompting you to let out a relieved laugh. You’re so happy to see her and see that she’s okay, but your joyous reunion is quickly cut short by the two spirits who begin to approach the two of you with whips of fire.
“Hang on, kids!” You tell them before beginning to take on the Kemurikage. There’s two of them, so you and Aang each take on one. They’re powerful fighters, but the safety of the children is on the line, so you use all of your might to fight them off as best as you can.
You counter their whip with one of your own, slicing through their weapon each time before it can strike you. While one of your hands controls the water whip, the other sends constant shards of ice hurtling toward the cloaked woman. You can tell she’s beginning to tire, your attacks too much for her to keep up with, but you’re too focused to notice the second figure approaching closely behind you. The Kemurikage’s whip is raised to strike you in the back, but their attack is halted by the blade that slices through the air and pins their hand against the wall.
“What-!” You exhale in surprise, turning just in time to see Mai swoop in and finish the job. The last two spirits have been apprehended, and you’ve been spared a wound that surely could have been fatal.
“Someone had to watch your back,” Mai explains with a faint smile. “You had ours.”
“Thank you,” you utter with a breathless grin. It feels nice to not hate each other for once, and you actually seem to work quite well together.
“Y/n! Y/n!” A voice calls, stealing your attention away from the girl and back to the children. Kiyi sprints towards you with a gleeful smile, and you’re quick to scoop her up into your arms and give her the tightest hug. “You came back!”
“I promised, didn’t I?” You say with a playful smile, carefully pushing back the hair from her face. “I’m so relieved to see you’re okay, and I know Zuko will be too.”
“Guess what? I’m a fire bender now!” She boasts proudly. “I burned a hole through the door so we could escape!”
“That’s incredible!” You praise with a laugh. “Wait until your brother hears this.”
Across the way, Mai cradles her little brother in her arms and watches you speak animatedly with Zuko’s sister. Your interest in Kiyi’s story is completely genuine, and she can see just how much the girl values your opinion. It’s so different from the way Azula used to talk about you, speaking poorly of your character and diminishing you to nothing but a weak Princess. Maybe Mai had judged you too harshly. After all, she might not have been able to get her brother back without your help.
“Thank you again for your help,” she tells you after setting Tom-Tom down to allow him to bid his goodbyes to his new friends. “I was wrong about you, and I shouldn’t have let my resentment cloud my judgement the way I did. I guess I really don’t hate you as much as I thought I did.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” you express with a careful smile. Perhaps things will always be awkward between the two of you, but this is at least a good start.
After making sure all of the children are accounted for, your group exits the passageway just as Zuko emerges from one of the mausoleums. Kiyi is quick to sprint towards her brother, and you watch on with a smile at the way his eyes seem to light up while hugging her close.
“Kiyi! I can’t tell you how worried I was about you.”
“I wasn’t worried at all!” She notes with a grateful smile. “You should’ve seen it, Zuzu! Y/n helped the Avatar take those nasty ladies down!”
“She did, did she?” He asks playfully, glancing over to you with a grateful smile. You simply give him a sheepish shrug in return. “I’ll have to be sure to give her my thanks.”
“And Azula?” You ask him, but his solemn gaze is enough of an answer. “She said she had a new mission, did she tell you what it was?”
“She wasn’t interested in becoming Fire Lord, she was interested in turning me into the type of Fire Lord she would be. The type that rules with fear, ruthlessness. Just like my father. Azula says I can’t escape who I am, and it will only be a matter of time before I’m just like her.”
“You don’t believe that, do you? You’re nothing like Azula,” you say earnestly. “You never will be.”
“I know,” Zuko murmurs softly, but you can see the slightest bit of doubt in his eyes and it saddens to you to know he doesn’t fully believe it to be true. “But either way she escaped. I don’t know where she is or when she’ll return.”
“We’ll be there to help you if she does come back, buddy,” Aang consoles with a comforting hand on the Fire Lord’s shoulder. “For now, let’s just focus on returning these kids back to their families.”
“Good point, Aang. Now,” you say, looking to the children who stare up at you with tired eyes that immediately brighten when you ask, “who’s ready to go home?”
~~~
Peace has been restored in the Fire Nation; the children have been returned safely to their parents, and Zuko has earned the forgiveness of his people for his mishandling of the situation. Everything is almost perfect.
You lean against the balcony of your room for the night and stare up contemplatively at the moon. Yue shines beautifully as always, and you find comfort in her light as you battle against the darkness clouding your thoughts. Your doubts about your relationship still rage on, and you haven’t been able to fight them off no matter how hard you try. You haven’t mentioned anything to Zuko, not wanting to distract him from his duty to his people, but the suffering in silence act you’ve been pulling all day hasn’t been helping your state of mind. Suki had urged you to talk to him, stating you had nothing to worry about because she’s seen firsthand how much he misses you when you’re away, but you were too anxious to follow through. What if you won’t like what you hear when you finally speak to Zuko?
You’re too engrossed in your thoughts to hear your door open or the quiet footsteps that head towards you, and it isn’t until he’s right beside you that you finally feel the familiar warmth that constantly emanates from his body. You don’t have to look to know that it’s Zuko.
“Suki said I should come to talk to you,” he says softly, golden eyes looking to you inquisitively. “Is everything alright?”
“I… I’m not sure,” you admit quietly, nervously fidgeting with your fingers and refusing to meet his gaze.
“What is it?”
His hand sneaks its way in between your own to halt your fidgeting and reassure that he’s right there with you and ready to listen to whatever it is you have to say. Sighing, you finally look to him with uncertainty swimming in your eyes.
“Do you have feelings for Mai?”
He’s stunned to stay the least, eyes widening slightly in surprise at your question. It’s certainly the last thing he expected you to ask him.
“Is this what you were trying to talk to me about earlier?” He presses gently, frowning at the way you slowly nod your head. “I see…”
“Just be honest with me, Zuko,” you plead desperately. “We promised we’d never keep secret from each other anymore, so if there’s something to tell then tell me. I can handle it.”
“I can’t stand here and tell you that it didn’t look bad when you walked in on Mai and I,” Zuko admits with a sigh. “But I can tell you that nothing was going on.”
“I heard you say you care about her.”
“It was out of context. I was trying to make things right for the sake of finding the children- she was obviously still upset over what went down between us, and I was trying to keep the peace so that we could work together to find our siblings. I’ve known her since we were kids, and if it weren’t for her I never would have been able to escape Boiling Rock and come back to you. So in a way I guess I do care for her, but it’s nothing compared to how much I care for you.”
“What about your animosity towards Kei Lo? You seemed… jealous of him.”
“I wasn’t jealous, I just didn’t trust him. I still don’t,” Zuko says adamantly. “I wasn’t exactly thrilled about having to release him because I didn’t want him to try and pull anything. I didn’t want Mai getting hurt, and I especially didn’t want him putting you in any danger.”
“So… so you don’t have feelings for her?” You ask meekly, the slightest bit of doubt still present in your voice.
“I’ve never had feelings for her,” Zuko says earnestly before gently taking your hands in his own. “You’re the only girl for me, y/n. I was stupid enough to let you go once, but I’m never making that mistake again.”
You can’t help but smile at his admission, tears beginning to well in your eyes as you throw your arms around him in a tight embrace that he immediately returns. It feels like a weight has finally been lifted off your shoulders, and all the worry and self doubt you had is finally beginning to melt away.
“I never want you to feel doubtful or insecure about our relationship ever again. I’m going to do everything in my power to do better,” he professes earnestly. “I love you more than you know, and you don’t ever have to worry about someone coming between us again.”
“I love you, Zuko.”
He pulls you in for a kiss, and with the moonlight shining down upon you both, everything is almost perfect.
For neither of you notice the pair of golden eyes that stare down at you from the rooftops with disdain and disgust before disappearing into the shadows.
“Pathetic.”
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