#ursa singing verdi is something that can actually be so personal

[mostly-mundane-atla]

Modern au where Ursa was a dramatic soprano before Ozai and his family uprooted her life. She didn't really get a chance to start a carreer as it all happened when she was still in college, but she was told she had so much potential. It was noted how she truly seemed to just "step into" the rolls, shifting her expressions and behaviors in such a way that she was unrecognizable as herself rather than her character. She was quoted saying, "if it were just about sounding good, then we would only do concerts. Opera tells a story and I want to do what I can to help tell it."

And one night Zuko messes with a vcr and Azula wakes up to him hissing "come on, work!" at it and blue light from the tv screen.

Still half asleep she goes and asks him ehat he's doing.

Having finally got the old home video to play he points to the screen asking "Did you know Mom was an opera singer?"

It's hard to tell at first because the footage is grainy and the woman on screen is much younger than either of them ever remembering their mother to be, but that's her nose, her lips and jawline, her hands. It's undeniably her, but at the same time, how could it be? How could their quiet, reserved, measured-out mother have a voice so big, so flowing, so silvery, dipping and soaring through the notes like it's all she knew? There's a handful of musicians behind her, not a full orchestra but enough for accompanyment, and she's wearing a very basic version of a costume that would probably be added onto over her own clothes with nothing done with hair or makeup. Azula thought she recognized the music as Verdi though Zuko said the tape was unmarked so they wouldn't know for sure.

There's something genuine behind the emotion and theatrics. Everything that made it feel so fake seemed to melt away. The musicians seemed a wall and the prop bottle seemed to be real glass to them. The shimmery eyeshadow and red lipstick she wore to rehearsal didn't matter, nor did the beginnings of a historical gown over her off-the-rack blouse and slacks. It was so jarring to hear applause from what seemed to be a mix of friends and fellow cast members. Seeing her snap out of the role, cracking a smile at the praise and giving a frivolous curtsy was like seeing a ghost leave her body.

And they both had to wonder if being a wife and mother was another role for her.

#see i also have self-indulgent AUs #atla #avatar the last airbender #atla au #modern au #mundane au #fire nation royal family #ursa singing verdi is something that can actually be so personal #she would make a legendary Leonora in Il Trovatore #writing