#where’s iroh?

[gascreates]

when teenaged rebellion goes too far

#iroh has no idea where he went wrong #zuko drinking coffee as a statement #no he doesnt want any fucking TEA #and iroh trying to support the one thing his nephew has expressed any interest in in the past 3 years that isnt the avatar #but fuck he hates that damn bean water #atla #zuko #iroh

[petricorah]

which zuko hairstyle is your fave? [id in alt]

#zuko #zuko fanart #zuko atla #zuko avatar the last airbender #avatar the last airbender #atla fanart #avatar the last airbender fanart #avatar fanart #myart #this all started with me drawing short haired sokka but i got distracted and drew zuko's short hair and then it was all over #it was fun drawing them all. i wanna draw shorthaired zuko more #also drawing the one where iroh did his hairstyle was actually fun #not sure im gonna finish short haired sokka i feel like it only looks like him if it's beside his long hair version

[nerdpoe]

Little Zuko and little Azula love Lu Ten. They love Lu Ten so much, they successfully smuggled themselves into Lu Ten's baggage when Lu Ten left to go fight.

Lu Ten, meanwhile, finds out that his little cousins snuck along for the ride way too late.

He knows they're gonna lose the fight.

He isn't about to let a couple of little kids die like that, murdered by Ba Sing Se soldiers too hyped up by war.

He may have been prepared to put his own life on the line, but he's not sacrificing Zuko or Azula's. But he also knows that if he flees the field with them, then Ozai will absolutely use that as an excuse to "punish" his own children.

Lu Ten does not want to know what that punishment entails. He is, in fact, more terrified by whatever it may be than the literal war raging outside his tent.

So.

So.

He swallows his pride for his country, his love for his father, and his dreams of being a successful general.

He grabs the kids, fakes his death, and runs.

#atla au #atla #lu ten #azula #zuko #zuko and azula raised by a stressed and trying lu ten #iroh still grieves #but during his journeys he realizes that lu ten probably isn't dead #but he steers clear of where he thinks lu ten went because he doesn't want to lead ozai to him #he has the order watch over them from afar #ozai still had his father killed #but his meeting was interrupted by ursa instead #so he challenged her to agni kai #and scarred her #and ursa is the one banished from the fire nation in search of the avatar #iroh went along with her #but she intends to help the avatar destroy the fire nation #since it is the one that took her son and daughter #story prompt

[hyacinths-in-a-storm]

I love how Azula was “I’m gonna take over Ba Sing Se but I’m gonna do it with culturally accurate clothing”

#also where did she get it from? #did she go shopping with mai and ty lee? #where’s that tale of ba sing se??? #where’s azula ty lee and mai avoiding the gaang zuko & iroh and the da li agents in increasingly comical ways?? #I would’ve ate that up fr #azula #ty lee #mai #tyzula #maizula #mailee #maizulee #atla #avatar the last airbender

[allgremlinart]

Iroh was really fucking lucky he was right about his whole "you should know this is not a natural sickness" thing like what if he just had the mumps

#atla #au where Zuko dies in book 2 cus Iroh is antivax

[purpleisnotacolor]

It's so weird how many people just don't understand forgiveness, redemption, or penitence/penance, at all.

Like you explain that a person or character did something bad but then became penitent and was forgiven and/or redeemed of it, and people will say "OH SO THAT MAKES IT OKAY??" like.... that's not....... the point??????

#yes this is about that discord screenshot where they implied Ucle Iroh was problematic #how dare a fandom do this to him

[sabellart]

pov you’re watching them gossip during a boring ambassador trip

#sabeldraws #my art #they’d be besties and you know that #au where iroh overthrows ozai after the agni kai and ends the war #atla #zuko #prince zuko #yue #princess yue #avatar the last airbender #avatar #atla fanart #zukka

[mugentakeda]

modern au holiday cheer in the fire family household

#based on a tweet i saw that i found really funny #also if youre wondering where ozai is he was visited by three spirits of christmas in the night and they decided to kill him with hammers #zuko #azula #lu ten #ursa #iroh #atla #avatar the last airbender #alicias art

[muffinlance]

Prompt: Aang didn't know Zuko was raising a baby dragon

Aang tilts his head. He doesn’t lower his staff, because—because Zuko, but he doesn’t try hitting him again, either. At least, not anywhere near his chestplate, which the other boy is very suddenly defending like there’s a second Avatar inside.

“Do you… have something in there?” Aang asks.

“NO!” shouts Zuko, who definitely has something inside his armor. It makes a kind of scrabbly-paws-on-metal sound and then—

“Do you have a dragon in there?” Aang squeals. 

And maybe in retrospect he should have thought more before bouncing towards the fiery teenager, but in Aang’s defense there is the cutest, tiniest, fluffiest little maned dragon head he’s ever seen trying to peek out of Zuko’s neckline. And anyway, the other boy is way too busy backpedaling and trying to push the dragon’s snout back inside to Capture the Avatar, so. So Aang absolutely shoves a hand at the dragon’s nose for it to smell him, because that’s how you greet them—

—Or is that praying mantis-dogs?—

And then there is a Fire Prince squawking and shoving him away, which is definitely not a bending move, but not before a little lizard tongue tickles Aang’s hand which is so cute.

“Uh,” says Sokka, lowering his club. “I. I am not actually sure how I’m supposed to be reacting, here.”

“We’re fighting,” snarls Zuko, who is cupping protective hands over the dragon, and definitely not fighting. The dragon has wormed one stubby little leg and an adorably oversized wing out, and seems enthusiastically set on more. 

Which is the point where Zuko’s uncle finally catches up to them, at his usual leisurely pace. If he wasn’t with Zuko, Aang would maybe think that the older man wasn’t all that invested in catching him.

“Nephew, do you…” And then he catches sight of the dragon.

Zuko pales.

“Hello, Uncle Backup,” says Sokka, grabbing Aang and Katara’s arms. “And that’s our cue to go go go.”

Zuko chases them. Because he’s Zuko.

Zuko… gets ahead of them. Which is not very chase-y?

Zuko vaults into Appa’s saddle ahead of them and holds his hands up as Katara threatens him with a hovering stream of water. He… doesn’t seem to be leaving, or attacking, and his uncle is running after them way faster than Aang is used to, so. Yip-yip?

Katara and Sokka sit down, once Zuko’s uncle looks very small under them. Zuko keeps his hands up. The baby dragon is flapping its free wing appreciatively in the rushing air. And chirruping really cutely.

“So,” says Sokka, slowly. “You… needed a ride?”

“I don’t—” Zuko starts to shout, before lowering his volume, even if his tone is exactly the same. “I don’t need a ride.”

“Uh-huh,” says Sokka, even more slowly. 

Zuko continues to keep his hands up. His dragon is trying to squirm the rest of the way free, and has decided that gnawing at his chest plate is the way to do this. It’s making pretty good progress against the black and red paint. The metal, not so much.

Aang keeps glancing back from Appa’s head. “You, um,” he says, suddenly realizing that You seemed scared will probably just lead to more shouting. And fire. Which there has been a really noticeable lack of, and Aang kind of wants to encourage that. 

“Did your uncle not know about the dragon?” he asks, instead.

“Uncle is the Dragon of the West,” Zuko says, more quietly than Aang has ever heard him say anything. And also like it’s a full explanation. But judging by the equally confused looks on Katara and Sokka’s faces, this isn’t just another thing he’s missed during the past hundred years. 

The baby dragon huffs at its lack of progress. And flops, like an over-cooked and very dejected noodle, against Zuko’s chest. 

Zuko swallows. And stops glaring at any of them, because he’s no longer meeting their eyes. He lowers his hands, slowly, and works a shoulder strap free. It’s enough for the dragon to puddle limply down into his lap, where it curls into a very alert spring. 

“Do you know how someone gets the title dragon?” Zuko says. “By killing a dragon. Uncle thought he killed the last two. And father was—he was so mad, not that uncle killed the last, but that he killed two. That he didn’t leave some glory for the rest of our family.”

Sokka clears his throat, after the obligatory awkward silence. “Your family is… kind of messed up, huh?” 

“What was your first clue,” says the Fire Prince, his scarred face deadpan.

His very prominently scarred face.

Oh. 

Katara crosses her arms. Which makes her look grumpier, but she’s not able to bend as quickly like that, so Aang knows she’s feeling less going-to-waterwhip-you grumpy and more prove-me-wrong grumpy. 

“If killing it would be so glorious,” she asks, “why haven’t you?”

“It— She— She’s just a child. It wouldn’t be honorable,” Zuko says, straightening his back.

“Uh-huh,” says Sokka.

But Aang. Aang grins. “Hey! I’m a child, too!”

The Fire Prince groans, and drops his face into his knees. His dragon climbs up onto his head and, using his ponytail approximately like a tree branch, stretches both her wings out, and lifts her little nose to the wind.

(You can also read this and other prompts on AO3.)

#Sokka: no but really why are you in this saddle #what is the plan here #Zuko: groaning intensifies #the AU where Zuko joins the Gaang early because he needs to put his dragon into Avatar-protected daycare #also the AU where Uncle keeps trying to get close enough to explain but Zuko is Really Good at hustling the Gaang into the saddle #they make GREAT time to the North Pole #Uncle: I JUST WANT TO TALK #Toph: COME BACK WITH A WARRANT #did she join the Gaang early too? #who knows! not me! #Avatar The Last Airbender #atla #Zuko #Aang #Sokka #Katara #Iroh #ficlet

[comradekatara]

there are a lot of bad takes in the atla fandom (like, atla fandom may as well be a bad take generator) but something that has really been pissing me off lately is the assumption that you can categorize the fire nation royal family into good guys and bad guys. first of all, obviously, they're all bad guys. they are imperialists. but the idea that "sozin ozai azula bad" and "iroh lu ten ursa zuko azulon(?!) good" is actually insane.

lu ten died attempting to conquer the earth kingdom. lu ten was there because his father, iroh, was leading the siege. ursa laughed when iroh joked about burning ba sing se to the ground. zuko laughed too, mirroring his dear mother who taught him about the wonders of imperialism. and the fact that some people think that azulon was a good guy because he favored iroh is crazy. he favored iroh because iroh was the better imperialist, was more charming and tactically savvy as he bent the world to his will. people who think that azulon didn't like ozai because ozai was cruel literally have it backwards. ozai was cruel because azulon didn't like him. sozin shaped azulon, and azulon shaped iroh and ozai. azulon reigned for most of the war, and he was responsible for decimating the southern water tribe and colonizing the earth kingdom.

iroh only realizes the error of his ways well into middle age, after spending a majority of his life colonizing the world. he only stops to reconsider once he experiences the adverse effects of war for himself through the loss of his son. likewise, zuko can only gain empathy for the victims of the war by being one himself, as a refugee in the earth kingdom, and bonding with people who have been hurt by the fire nation. azula doesn't get that chance. ozai doesn't get that chance. azulon, lu ten, and ursa are dead, so they will never get that chance. but it's not like there is some ontological moral divide separating azula from zuko. zuko was a sensitive child whereas azula was better at embodying fire nation values of power and cunning. zuko was punished for his outbursts whereas azula knew how to keep her mouth shut. therefore, zuko experienced circumstances that led him to disavow fire nation imperialism.

but that doesn't mean that azula is ontologically evil. azula was the iroh of her generation to zuko's ozai, and iroh (eventually) disavowed conquest as well. there is no inherent divide between good and bad, monster and human. ursa was a warm and loving mother to zuko, just as iroh was a warm and loving father to lu ten, but they both laughed at others' suffering. their values were shaped by their circumstances and experiences. their ideologies do not make them less human, or less capable of change, just as their interpersonal behaviors do not negate their abhorrent ideologies.

#just because they're cartoon villains doesn't mean they're. yknow. cartoon villains #i think a lot of people just don't really understand iroh at all #and that's where a lot of these biases stem from #because if you think 'iroh good' then the next step is to assume that anyone iroh likes is good and anyone iroh doesn't like is bad #even though iroh is heavily biased and incredibly complicated #analysis #sort of #this is like. analysis for babies #taking you all back to preschool #so we can learn that fascists are human too #azula #zuko #iroh #ozai #azulon #ursa #lu ten #the evil gang's all here!

[kyoshi-lesbians]

aang when he says "the monks taught us" katara when she says "my grandmother used to tell me" sokka when he says "my dad" zuko when he says "my uncle" toph when. the badgermoles.

#like they all have heros & lineages that they are aiming to follow in tbe footsteps of #including when those footsteps are bucking against the lineage (iroh / zuko) #the tradgedy is that their world has been so devastated that these kids cant 'go back' #they are the masters of a new turning point #aang & katara carrying this burden the most #and then there's toph. who bucks against her family to assert her agency and establishes #a name(s) (blind bandit. the runaway) for herself . as disconcerted from her prominent lineage as she can be #in this way. her starting a metal bending school - creating a lineage of students - fits so well #i feel like if you asked older toph about where she came from #she'd tell you. a cave in a mountain with her teachers the badger moles. ykwim? #r.post

[petricorah]

🍃 couldn't decide on which of jin's hairstyles i liked best so i combined them [id in alt]

#zuko #zuko fanart #atla fanart #avatar the last airbender fanart #avatar the last airbender #avatar fanart #atla #jin avatar #zuko x jin #look yall know i love zukka and i love mai and zuko but jin will always have a soft spot in my heart #i never read the comics and have no intention of doing so but heard that mai broke up with him? and if he can't be with mai i do think it #would be endearing to have him be with jin. and b funny for her to suddenly have the firelord show up at her door step asking for a date #and that he could have a connection to where iroh spends his time and split time between there and the fire nation capital #she continues to call him lee #edit: in the show she wears her hair in braids one time and the a ponytail the second time and i combined them for this

[captainkirkk]

Concept: Druk keeps stealing Izumi's favourite turtle-duck stuffie because it's soft and smells like family, and it makes baby Izumi FURIOUS. Zuko refuses to get between a toddler and dragon's argument, so he buys Druk his own turtle-duck stuffie.

Zuko explains to her that Druk was stealing her toy because he was jealous and sad he didn't have his own stuffie, not because he was being mean. Izumi's toddler brain equates lack of stuffies with sadness, and now she's terrified that her dad will be lonely because he doesn't have a stuffie :((( Zuko is one of the most powerful people on the planet, but he knows he has no hope of winning an argument with a toddler.

And that's how the Fire Lord and his dragon ends up with matching turtle duck stuffies

#how long until grandpa iroh and aunt azula also have turtle duck stuffies #avatar #atla #my posts #i have no idea where this image came from but i'm obsessed with it #atla headcanons

[bluespiritshonour]

Maiko Week Day 5: rivals

I know I'm super late; exams just got over and I sort of scribbled this. Honestly should post it over at the junkyard.

#avatar the last airbender #atla #zuko #mai #atla mai #atla maiko #maikoweek2024 #ink blot #artists on tumblr #fanart #au where zuko and mai are pai sho rivals #iroh's tea shop is renowned for pai sho matches and they're cut throat #iroh just hopes they get together

[prodogg]

”Read this and tell me what you think should be done, Azula“

#live action atla #azula #ozai #I read that there will be Azula and Ouai centric perspectives which I think is really cool #the animated show gave us 3 scenes where these two characters were in the same proximity #so I hope to see how the father daughter relationship between Ozai and Azula is #also they’ll give us surely an Iroh and Ozai scene together #pd talks #avatar the last airbender #atla #fire lord ozai

[lazyveran]

the absolute funniest thing about the fire nation royals is that they canonically fall into a coma when they do one (1) nice thing

#where is iroh's coma story where he decides not to commit war criminals and his body nearly kills him for it #oh no evil?? IMMUNE SYSTEM GET THIS FOOL #its HYSTERICAL #azula #iroh #zuko #fire siblings #atla #veran speaks