I don’t like how fans make Azula out to be this over-sexualized, femme fatale, master seductress like did y’all not see the way sis was STRUGGLING to talk to Chan? I wanna read posts and fanfics of her being the social awkward teenager that she is. Also, I wanna read some Dangerous Ladies content that’s not just “big bad Azula is torturing poor Mai and Ty Lee and they hate her”. Positive Dangerous ladies content (AU or not) where they’re the center of the story and their friendship is the focus in a positive light? Top tier. Positive dangerous ladies content where they’re all lowkey assholes, don’t be fooled by Ty Lee the girl’s a dick at times, but still manage to be lovable is immaculate. Positive dangerous ladies content where they’re all lovable and lowkey assholes AND Azula is socially awkward AND they show affection for each other in their own ways? ✨Exquisite✨ I love to see it.

Azula: Unfortunately, due to several experiences in my youth, I cannot just 'walk up and join a circle of my peers talking', but it does sound lovely, thank you.

This is correct and no I will not take criticism atla style pt 1

Zuko: *just existing next to his sister*

Azula: why do you have to be so fucking ugly?

Ty Lee: she doesn’t mean that

Azula: yes I do

Ty Lee: *sighs* omg

Zuko: I’m sorry you know dad burned my face and there’s nothing I can do about it!

Azula: no no no I wasn’t talking about that

Zuko: then what were you talking about

Azula: your whole face. Zuzu you’ve always been ugly

Mai: *rubbing Zuko’s back*

Azula: we can cover you up in makeup. Lots and lots of makeup

Legacy of fire

Zuko breaks. Simple as that. After a few easily avoided assassination atempts and being left alone in the castle by his friends - the war won't stop itself - he just. Breaks. Starts banishing staff from the castle, or imprisoning them for the smallest things, claiming they were with Ozai and wanted to kill him. Mai gives up trying to reason with him, they break up. She writes for the gaang to tell hem what's happening, and sends a search for Iroh.

Azula is being treated in her room, and hears nothing of anyone for a long time. She is still shaky after the breakdown, but doing better. In one night, Zuko invades her room and looks in shock to see her calmly laying on her bed. He babbles about her having to stop going into his room to taunt him. She hadn't been doing that. Azula frowns, and deduces what's happening. She teases him saying if she wanted the throne back she would just challenge him again, but she didn't. Zuko calms down, but is still restless. They bond over being left behind with the crown by who they love.

Things start to get better in the palace, the staff being able to hold their jobs for longer than a week before being sent away for 'attempted treason'. Azula is seen outside often now, either training or spending time with the firelord (aka convincing him that no, those gardeners are not going to use the scissors to try and assassinate him). They feed the turtleducks and talk about mom and dad, and how it wasn't fair. Azula talks about how Iroh leaving Zuko must feel the same as father leaving her in the day of the black sun, and Zuko has a meltdown after finally breaking through denial. Azula admits she accepted that Ozai never loved her after that day, and had the same reaction. They joke that at least he wouldn't be challenged to an agni kai in his own meltdown, and he apologizes.

Azula never allows Mai to tag allong in their bonding moments, but sometimes allows Ty Lee. Mai is livid, but won't admit. Ty Lee is just glad to have her friend back.

It's in the middle of a meeting when Zuko truly breaks down. He panics and attacks his advisors, screaming, breathing and kicking fire. Azula takes him down and when Ty Lee chi blocks him, Zuko goes limp. Azula is crowned as temporary fire lord and follows through with the plan to end the war since she doesn't really minds it anyways. She isn't following orders anymore. She does keeps some of their colonies though, and there comes the issue.

Aang couldn't stop what he was doing to go back at the fire nation because, quote, 'Zuko wasn't feeling well' as per Mai's words, but when the colony issue arrived, he changed his schedule and went to grab his friends to solve the problem. What a surprise when they see it's Azula giving orders, not Zuko. Ty Lee explains the situation and is supported by the Kyoshi warriors, but Aang demands to see Zuko. Katara is tense. Azula too. She denies them claiming her brother being too tired to be visited. Aang finds it fishy and keeps guard at night to try and contact Zuko by breaking in through his window (maybe Azula is holding him prisioner right?). Zuko is not only crazy and terrified, but also hallucinating apparently, and fights Aang until his eventual collapse, and Azula comes out of nowhere to help.

Azula: Can't get him to eat anything. Three of the last 6 attempts involved food, he hasn't had much since.

Aang:

Aang: pardon?

Azula: My brother is weak, avatar, would you leave us alone so he can keep at least a piece of his dignity?

Aang becomes number one member of the "let's give azula a chance" club. They all realize that it was deffinetly NOT a good choice to leave Zuko alone in the palace, and that Azula shouldn't be burdened with it either (and maybe, just MAYBE, they were a little too rough in the judgement of her). He calls Bumi and Azula agrees to let him help keep things in order until they decide what to do, but declines to have her position revoked.

I remember I had a vision with this but it was too long ago and I am currently working on another AU. I might come back for this one latter, though.

"The show often focuses on how young Zuko is to get sympathy for him."

Fine. Zuko's real age is mentioned only once when Iroh says: "In all the sixteen years of your life, this is your stupidest act, Prince Zuko!" is definitely an empathic context. In book 2 we learn that he has been in exile for 3 years, not a word about his age. After conducting brief mathematical calculations, we can come to the conclusion that: 16-3=13. Great. Was it mentioned in the show? Mm, no. To be fair, Zuko mentions this when confronting Ozai in "Day of the Black Sun". But to hear from people pritenzii on this score... It's disgusting. Zuko realizes for the first time that it's not his fault that his father burned his face. Simply... The victim understands that she is not to blame for what happened to her, and declares it, but it should sound disgusting. Are you all right? In your opinion, should Zuko not have understood this, or does he not deserve sympathy on this score? Oh, of course, this moment makes us sympathize with the terrible evil colonizer Zuko! They tell us his tearful story, the whole plot! How could I forget? To be honest, I have nothing to say about this. Or rather, a lot of things, but most of them will be obscene. People have either read a lot of fan fiction, or they have problems with their heads. Besides, over the past few years, I've hardly seen people pay so much attention to Zuko's sadness. On the contrary, I notice it in large quantities in another character (a sideways glance in the direction of Azula Stans). Either way, it was disgusting. Really, people make me wonder if I've watched another Atla?

Zuko: Dude! Katara is giving you a lifeline right now and you need to take it. Because you suck!

Azula: You suck!

Zuko: I know!

The Fire Babies'Saga présents:

The Lollipop

For my Friend @hello-nichya-here

Corrected!

I saw a post that went like this:

Anon asks about Azula's behaviour as a child and claims she was an evilspawn. OP answers the ask contextualizing said behaviour and explaining 'How children Work 101' and ends post with "therefore that's why Azula's behaviour as a child was dangerous, but doesn't make her irredeemable or evil".

A tumblr user, my homies will know who is it because of course it would be him/her. He reblogs and the text starts with "I agree that was childlike behaviour but to say it doesn't make her irredeemable and evil is a stretch-"

I stopped reading and unfollowed. Oh my God, now I understand why Azula fans tend to hate Zuko. His fandom sucks.

Zuko’s Agency in His Fights with Azula

This is going to be a long post, but it has a simple point: Zuko consistently wants to engage with physical combat with Azula.  He wants to fight her and to defeat her, to “put her in her place,” to prove that’s he better than her, to show his superiority.  This is a motivation which Zuko clearly demonstrates from the beginning of Book 2 to the end of Book 3.  He usually has the opportunity to avoid fighting with her but always chooses to do so anyways, even though fighting against superior firebenders with orders to kill or capture you is really, really dumb.

Before we get into this, some might wonder why Zuko wants to fight with his sister. What could his motives be? I think this post gives a good explanation. And to be clear, I’m not holding Azula blameless in this conflict; I merely want to illustrate Zuko’s desire to fight and inflict violence on his sister.

Zuko and Azula have six different fights in the show.  I’ll go through them, fight be fight.

1) The first fight: “The Avatar State”

Captain: (to the other men) You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners ho— (stops abruptly, realizing his mistake) (Zuko and Iroh stop, looking surprised. Cut to Azula, who looks enraged. Cut back to the captain, his eyes wide.) Captain: (mortified) Your Highness... I... (Cut to Zuko, his eyes widening. Cut to Iroh, who looks to his left, then spins around, backhanding a guard off of the ship and kicking another down the incline. Another guard approaches from his left. He elbows him off the incline. He punches another that approaches from his right and grabs another, spinning him around and tossing him.) (Cut to Zuko. He grabs one guard, throwing him off the incline and into the water. He stalks up the incline, furious.) Zuko: You lied to me! (Cut to Azula, who appears confident.) Azula: (smugly) Like I've never done that before. (She turns and walks away, and two guards launch fire at the camera. Zuko brushes the fire aside and charges forward, screaming.)

and 

(Cut to Azula's ship. Zuko leaps on board, knocking two guards on either side out of the way with flames shooting from his arm and leg. Cut to a profile of the deck of the ship. Zuko takes up a fighting stance at the left while Azula remains motionless, her back to her brother. Cut to in front of Azula. She glances to her left and grins evilly. Cut to behind Zuko, who brings his arms down, fire daggers appearing in his fists. ) (Cut to Iroh, who is fighting soldiers on the path leading to the ship. A soldier launches a kick at him, but a blast of fire from Iroh sends him flying. Two other soldiers approach from each side, and Iroh sends two blasts of fire at them, knocking them from the path. Another guard launches a fireball at Iroh's face, but he avoids it, grabbing the soldier's arm and putting a hand on his neck. Holding the guard, he turns toward the ship.) Iroh: Zuko! Let's go! (He tosses the guard off the side of the path. Another approaches, throwing fire at the screen, but Iroh steps to the side and pushes him away with a palm to the face.) (Cut to the deck of the ship and Zuko. He swings his fire daggers at the camera ferociously. He swings his daggers at Azula repeatedly, but she simply avoid them. She grabs his arm and spins him around. Zuko is breathing hard.) Azula: You know Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. (o.c.) Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him? (Zuko brings out his fire daggers again and leaps at Azula, throwing a flaming kick at her head. She leaps back, nimbly dodging his blows. She swipes at his face with her fingernails. Zuko staggers back, revealing three cuts on his forehead. He charges forward and screams, swiping his daggers at Azula. She blocks his blows effortlessly and the fight continues up the stairs toward the cabin of the ship. She kicks Zuko, knocking him down the stairs a bit. He recovers quickly and charges back toward Azula. She blocks his fist and grabs his arm, bringing it down harmlessly. She glares at him, and Zuko's eyes widen. She tosses a blue flame at his head, sending him tumbling down the incline. He lands with a thud and pulls himself up, looking back at the incline. Cut to Zuko's point of view. His vision is blurry and shaky as he tries to locate Azula. She is standing at the top of the incline and begins to swing her arms in arcs around, lightning arcing around her. It is the same maneuver she was practicing earlier. She aims her fingers at Zuko and a lightning bolt shoots toward him.) (Cut to Iroh, who suddenly appears and grabs Azula's fingers in his hand. He channels the electricity through his body and shoots it from his other hand, letting it explode harmlessly into the cliffside. He turns back to Azula and kicks her, sending her flying overboard. She splashes into the water. Cut to Iroh and Zuko, who are running down the path from the ship.)

The sequence of events is pretty simple: 1) Zuko and Iroh find out that the entire thing was a ploy to capture them 2) Zuko yells at Azula for lying to him. 3) The guards try to capture Zuko and Iroh. 4) Azula turns her back and withdraws from the conflict. 5) Zuko deliberately pursues her and repeatedly tries to stab her with fire daggers. 6) Iroh yells at Zuko to escape rather than pointlessly attack Azula 7) Azula mocks him(likely a ploy to keep him off balance) 8) Zuko keeps trying to stab Azula. 9) Azula eventually retaliates 10) Iroh saves Zuko.

 Again, Azula had turned her back and had withdrawn from the situation. She wasn’t trying to personally prevent Zuko and Iroh from escaping. She wasn’t taunting Zuko with the words she would use later (”Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?”) to try to get him to go after her. I think it’s too much to say she was deliberately letting Zuko and Iroh escape, but, given how incapable the guards were compared to them, this was a likely outcome, and Azula wasn’t intervening to prevent it.

Zuko could have easily exercised his agency and avoided fighting with Azula. In fact, it was the rational thing to do here.  Yet instead he choose to attack her and continued doing so even when Iroh yelled at him to stop and escape.

2) The Fight in “The Chase:”

Azula: Do you really want to fight me? (Suddenly Zuko bursts into the frame from an alley between the Avatar and Azula. He tumbles off the ostrich horse he is riding, and lands in a crouching position.) Zuko: Yes, (he stands and throws his straw coolie hat away) I really do. Aang: Zuko! Azula: I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu. Aang: (laughs a bit) Zuzu?

In the show, I think it’s a little ambiguous what exactly Zuko’s intentions were in tracking down Azula here.  WoG and supplemental material suggests he was tracking her down because he wanted to fight and defeat her to prove his superiority. In any case, Zuko clearly declares his desire to fight Azula once he arrives in the town. Azula probably had no idea he was within a hundred miles. And of course, later Zuko and Iroh deliberately trap and corner Azula, something which gets Iroh burned.

2a) “Bitter Work”

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.

Given that the reason that Zuko had fought Azula the previous episode is because he had tracked her down with apparent intentions of fighting her, this line takes on new meaning.

3) “The Crossroads of Destiny”:

Cut to a shot of a wall on the outside, second story of the house. A bolt of lightning breaks through the wall, and a moment after, Iroh jumps out, giving a small shout as he falls on top of a hedge bush in the shape of a bear, destroying it. Iroh grunts in pain and puts a hand to his head before looking up and calling to Zuko.) Iroh: Come on. You'll be fine. Zuko: No. I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Azula! (Zuko turns around and walks back towards the Dai Li and Azula. Iroh slaps his head in frustration and makes his escape. Cut to Zuko, who is cornered by Azula and the Dai Li.) Azula: You're so dramatic. What, are you going to do, challenge me to an Agni Kai? Zuko: (angry and determined) Yes! I challenge you! Azula: (smiling mockingly) No thanks. (Zuko raises both hands, summoning a large ball of flame, leans forward and pushes it at his sister. Azula watches calmly as two Dai Li step between her and the attack and raise a large, rectangular tile from the floor, blocking the fire blast. Both agents fling their stone gloves at Zuko's feet, trapping him to the floor. Zuko stumbles and places a hand on the floor, which is pinned down by another glove. Zuko struggles in vain to pull himself free. Cut to a shot of Azula as she turns her back and walks away. Two more Dai Li agents step forward and shoot their gloves toward the camera.

I think this is pretty unambiguous. Zuko has an easy escape, but instead chooses to try to fight Azula, even though that’s an idiotic idea. Incidentally, it’s entirely possible that “The Crossroads of Destiny” is the first time Azula has seriously tried to track down Zuko and Iroh since “Return to Omashu,” the third episode in the season.

4) “Boiling Rock, Part II”:

Cut to Azula fists as she firebends a huge jet of blue fire. Cut to an over head shot of Azula as she propels herself from the ground into the air. Cut to the line as the handcuff locks around it. Cut to the side view of Azula as she places on arm and a leg behind her and firebends another huge jet of fire. The force slides her across the line. Cut to an overhead shot of Ty Lee running on the upper line as Azula comes into screen on the lower line. Cut back to Suki and Zuko inside the gondola.) Suki: This is a rematch I've been waiting for. Zuko: Me too.

Zuko doesn’t have a way to avoid fighting with Azula, but he makes it clear he doesn’t care, as he’s eager to fight with and beat her anyways.

5) “The Southern Raiders”

I think this is the most ambiguous case, but I included this anyways.

Zuko: (Camera zooms out to show Zuko isn't evacuating) Go ahead, I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit. (Zuko runs towards the air ships.) Aang: (Cut back to Aang who looks on, stunned) Zuko, no!

Zuko trying to “hold off” the airships doesn’t necessarily make much logical sense, I don’t think he really necessarily manages to do it in any case(how do you hold off an airship when you’re one firebender?), Azula hardly could have dismounted from the airship and fight the whole of Team Avatar by herself, and the Gaang kind of need Zuko alive and with them for Aang to learn firebending. Still, I think there is something to his desire to try to protect his new friends. On the other hand, I think the “family visit” phrase suggests his desire to fight Azula. In any case, that exchange leads into this, where Zuko is so eager to close with and fight Azula in close combat, so eager to get his hands on her, that he jumps off a cliff and almost falls to his death. Still, I think this is by far the most ambiguous piece of evidence.

6) The Final Agni Kai

Obviously Zuko’s agency in this situation is pretty clear: he deliberately traveled halfway across the world to fight Azula, and once there, displays no reluctance in fighting her and makes no attempt to avoid having to do so.

Zuko: Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today. (jumps off Appa) I am. Azula: (laughs) You're hilarious. Katara: (standing beside Zuko) And you're going down. (The fire sage motions to crown Azula, but she raises her hand, signalling him to stop.) Azula: Wait. You want to be Fire Lord Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai! Zuko: You're on.

and

Azula: I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother. Zuko: (in his stance) No, you're not.

He even deliberately provokes her to use lightning so he can flex on her when she’s mentally ill:

Zuko: No lightning, today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll re-direct it?

And of course I think this exchange perfectly encapsulates Zuko’s eagerness to fight Azula the way the no other scene does:  

Iroh: Yes. (Katara turns her head back to Iroh) Zuko, (return back to a close up of Iroh addressing Zuko again) you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. (Cut to a close up of an attentive Zuko) But Azula will be there, waiting (Zuko frowns) for you. Zuko: (confidently) I can handle Azula. Iroh: (off screen) Not alone. (Zuko appears startled) You'll need help. Zuko: You're right. (He looks up) Katara, (Cut to an area behind Zuko looking at Katara as she raises her head up) how would you like to help me put Azula in her place? Katara: (smiles) It would be my pleasure.

Zuko wants to violently “put Azula in her place,” just like he’s wanted to do so the entire series. Why? That’s another post for another time. 

Reasons for Fire Lord Azulon to dislike/overlook Azula:

1. She's a second-born.

This is obvious from the way he worded Iroh's claim, "do you ask me to betray Iroh, my first born" and punishing Ozai by using the pain of losing a "firstborn". The fact he harshly responded to Ozai's reasonable request; playing blatant double standards between the two brothers is most likely not stem only from Ozai's lack of tact/audacity but from the brothers' birth order essentially.

2. She's a girl.

Azulon gives zero interest in Azula's skills (calling it a waste of time), it may not necessarily be because of gender but the way he's still hold Zuko as a worthier sacrifice despite being the less trained and skilled gives no other indicator than he doesn't think less of Zuko because he's a first-born son and that alone is a huge privilege (for Ozai to lose).

3. She's Ozai’s ally.

The Palace Azulon lived in for 9 decades has eyes and ears everywhere, it would be easy to report to Azulon about Azula's comments i.e how Ozai would be better fit for the throne than Iroh, how Azulon is no longer strong enough to rule...est. Azulon would know this is a kid his ambitious second-born trained and groomed for his benefit, therefore Azula is not an heir he can like or trust because of her loyalty to Ozai.

Zuko Should Not Help Azula, Firelord Zuko Is Obligated to Help Azula

Note: This Tweet Chain by Aaron Ehasz Details His Thoughts for an Azula Redemption Arc if ATLA Had Gotten a Fourth Season.

Note: This Link Has Screenshots From the Canon TRPG That Confirms That All the Fire Warriors Came From Asylums and That They Were Broken Out by Azula.

Note: The extended Gaang here means the Gaang plus Mai and Ty Lee.

Yes, I know my title is highly confusing, for why would one make the distinction between Zuko and Firelord Zuko, let alone say that Zuko should not help Azula while Firelord Zuko is obligated to do so?

For there is no separating Zuko from his title, and so is it not impossible for Zuko to simultaneously not help Azula while also upholding his obligation to help her?

However, my title is not meant to be taken literally, but instead is meant to be a framing tool for how I hope Zuko (in-universe) and the writers (out-of-universe) deal with the ongoing issue of Azula delusionally thinking it is her true destiny to turn Zuko into Ozai 2.0.

For in regards to the first part of my title, “Zuko Should Not Help Azula”, besides the fact that it is not the job of the abused to help their abusers get better, Zuko is no shape to help Azula considering he blames her from making his life hard from the moment she was born, like it wasn't Azulon and Ozai's faults.

“But shouldn’t Zuko do it because it is the right thing to do? Especially since it would be a good way for Zuko to pay it forward in regards to the help he got from Iroh to escape Ozai’s abuse and the indoctrination he was subjected to as a kid?"

“But what about me, I forgave my abusers, and if I saw they needed help today, I would help them?”

Well, my response to these arguments is that the difference between you and Zuko is that you have had the time to reflect on your abuse before willingly forgiving them and deciding that you want to help them because it is the right thing to do. Whereas Zuko clearly hasn't given himself the necessary time to heal and reflect, and therefore is only trying to "help" Azula due to political considerations*.

(*Zuko realized during the beginning of The Search that the sorry state of his nuclear family reflects badly on him and the message is trying to send to his subjects, and thus tried to “fix” it.)

Like how is a man that still hasn't gotten over his abusive father and is struggling to find his footing as a leader supposed to give guidance to his equally troubled, if not more, younger sister?

That is why, in my opinion, Zuko helping Azula would at best just be a case of the blind leading the blind, and at worst would end with a lot of casualties and/or both of them seriously hurt or dead. Especially considering Azula thinks it is her destiny to turn Zuko into Ozai 2.0 and is the second strongest person in the world behind Aang as of current canon.

“But Zuko’s redemption arc would be incomplete if he didn’t help his foil/the person who represented everything he once wanted.” 

“Zuko helping his sister would not only bring his redemption arc full circle, but also show that he is a better man than Iroh by not only breaking the cycle of sibling hatred, but also helping the one person who Iroh himself never saw worthy of being saved in the first place.”

Well, my response to these types of arguments is that I don't think Zuko's redemption arc would be incomplete if he didn't help Azula since I don’t think Zuko becoming a good person is contingent on him being a “good” brother to a sibling that has repeatedly hurt him. Especially if being a “good” brother requires Zuko to extend the metaphorical olive branch instead of Azula.

For was it not one of the main messages of the TV show that just because someone is family does not mean that you are obligated to stick by them, especially when all they do hurt you?

However, and this is getting to the second part of my title, “Firelord Zuko Is Obligated to Help Azula”, I do think Zuko’s arc as Fire Lord would fall flat if he never found about the abusive nature of the asylums and never got Azula proper help.

And this is because Zuko is the absolute monarch of the Fire Nation, and therefore is responsible for the well-being of all his subjects, including Azula. Especially since the asylums are terrorist breeding grounds, for apparently all the Fire Warriors came from mental institutions, and not just Zirin and Azula.

Not to mention he was Azula's legal guardian/jailer, and not only selfishly agreed to Azula's terms in regard to the search for Ursa so he could more easily/quickly find his beloved mother, but also failed to give chase when Azula ran into the Forgetful Valley even though she was in the middle of a psychotic episode.

And before anyone says that I am contradicting my earlier assertion that it is wrong to ask the abused to help their abuser, there are also political reasons for my line of thought. 

For imagine the political fallout if the Fire Warriors do something irredeemable and their origin story becomes public knowledge?

Like why would the average Fire Nation citizen have any reason to believe that Zuko would be able, or willing, to look out for their best interests? Especially after he caused the Fire Nation to lose the war, forced them to pay reparations, didn't stick up for the colonists in the oldest colonies until he almost lost his head, and almost had a civil war occur under his nose if not for the Fire Warriors hijacking the New Ozai Society for their own purposes?

Because from the Fire Nation’s POV, he selfishly let Azula go on the search for Ursa unbound and with “dignity”, lost custody of her, and, after Azula managed to break several girls out of asylums for her terrorist cell without anyone finding out, failed to capture her due to his own weakness and incompetence. 

And so why should his people not hate a foolhardy, selfish leader who can not protect his own subjects, or exercise any control over the asylum system? Especially when the Fire Warriors, in their reckless desire to turn Zuko into Ozai 2.0, are liable to do something truly irreversibly evil?

“But why are you essentially saying that Zuko should help Azula due to political considerations? Don’t you know that Aaron Ehasz fully intended Azula to be redeemed by Zuko acting as her Uncle Iroh?”

Well, besides the fact that Aaron Ehasz is busy on The Dragon Prince and will likely be unable to write the conclusion to Azula’s arc in a future Avatar Studios work, I think Ehasz’s idea falls into the same pitfalls of the abused helping their abuser and the blind leading the blind when it comes emotional maturity.

And all l am saying is that while Zuko has no whatsoever obligation to help Azula, Fire Lord Zuko does have an obligation to help the Fire Warriors. But if he, after he heals and has time to reflect, wants to help Azula because it is the right thing and/or because she is his sister, that is fine.

Because what happens in the comics, where Zuko during the climax of The Search essentially says he wants to help Azula because she is his sister, but in reality is still too damaged, and lacks the wisdom, to actually help Azula, does no one any favors. In fact, it makes Zuko look dangerously naive, ineffectual, and incompetent as hell. 

For example, do you think Iroh would have been effective in helping Zuko if he hadn't completed his redemption arc and healed, for the most part, from Azulon's abuse?

(Yes, being raised to be a callous, genocidal warlord is abusive parenting, full stop.)

“But wasn’t Iroh naive towards Zuko, not to mention that he gave Zuko a million chances after Zuko had figuratively burned him to the point that most people would have disavowed themselves of Zuko? So why shouldn’t Zuko repay it forward?”

Iroh was a middle aged man who knew what he was getting into when he decided to join Zuko during his banishment and attempted to take him under his wing, and even then, Iroh did give up on Zuko several times.

For did Iroh not shun Zuko during the pre-DoBS portion of S3 before he consciously decided to start helping the obviously troubled Zuko again by urging him to educate himself on his great-grandfathers?

And did Iroh not break out of Fire Nation prison system without saying good-bye to Zuko, presumably because he assumed that Zuko was still under Ozai’s thrall, before reconciling with Zuko only after Zuko apologized to him and he had learned of Zuko’s defection to the Avatar?

Not to mention, Iroh admitted to Zhao, in addition to outright telling Zuko in the Legacy of the Fire Nation scrapbook, that he saw Zuko not only as a surrogate son, but also as a chance to make up for not guiding Ozai down a better path. Motivations that Zuko, for obvious reasons, does not have in regards to Azula.

Also, another key difference is that Zuko was never really a threat to Iroh while Azula is a massive threat to not only Zuko, but also the post-war order that Zuko is supposed to protect.

For Iroh during the events of ATLA the show could always easily defeat Zuko in a fight, in addition to the fact that, even at Zuko’s worse, Zuko never actively sought Iroh’s death.

Not to mention, Zuko alone could not change the tide of the war. 

For while Zuko defecting to the Gaang and telling them of Ozai’s plan to burn the Earth Kingdom, as well as teaching Aang firebending and lightning redirection, was critical to their victory, it took the combined efforts of the Gaang to win the war, and anything less would have resulted in either in their deaths or a way more rougher transition to peacetime.

And while Zuko joining Azula’s coup did help her put a lightning bolt in Aang’s back, Azula did not need Zuko’s help to complete her coup. For she could have let Aang and Katara go and then hunt them down later on after consolidating control of Ba Sing Se, or stalled the duo long enough for the Dai Li reinforcements to help her arrest them like what happened in canon.

Though I admit stalling for reinforcements would have been a lot harder for Azula without Zuko’s help.

Meanwhile, not only did Azula attempt to kill Zuko several times during the events of the TV show, but also almost killed several of Zuko’s loved ones numerous times on top of stalemating the Gaang at several points and achieving the coup of Ba Sing Se with just three people on her side. 

And things get even worse in the comics, for not did Azula repeated try to kill Zuko and friends during the events of The Search, but also formed a child-kidnapping terrorist cell out of asylum inmates that she broke out that not only successful manipulated a reactionary, pro-Ozai group, but also would have succeeded in killing most of the extended Gaang en route to restarting the Hundred Year War if not for the fact that she needs Zuko alive and (relatively) mentally stable so he can be her puppet ruler.

Or in other words, at worst, Iroh’s naivety towards Zuko ended up with him in prison and Ba Sing Se colonized with only one casualty. Meanwhile, Zuko showing naivety towards Azula, especially after the events of the comics, is liable to not only end with him, his friends, and family all dead, but also cause the world to suffer the pains of war once again.

So to sum up considering I have rambled on long enough, Zuko doesn't have any obligation to help his sister Azula. But, Fire Lord Zuko does have an obligation to make sure that his subject, Azula, does get proper medical treatment since she is his responsibility, as well as due to the potential political fallout if he doesn't.

And that I think this the best writing path to take since anything else will make Zuko look incompetent as hell, reduce Azula and the Fire Warriors to “uwu soft babies” who did nothing wrong but be abused, perpetuate harmful stereotypes about the mentally ill (ex. the mentally ill are for the most part dangerously violent, or that they deserved to be abused), or some combination of these outcomes that are ableist and/or reduce the complexity and competence of beloved characters.

PRINCE ZUKO AAAAAAA ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ

This is correct no I will not take criticism pt 5 ATLA style

Azula: *walking around the palace as usual*

Zuko: AZULA!

Azula: why do you keep yelling my name?

Zuko: WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR ARM?! *stressed asf as per usual*

Azula: oh this? *points to her brand new heart tattoo that says inside Daddy’s Girl on her left shoulder*

Zuko: YES THAT!

Azula: what’s the problem?

Zuko: OMG MOM!

*bonus*

Ty Lee; that’s nice that you got that tattoo

Mai: your dad doesn’t even love you

Ty Lee: MAI

Mai: what?

Ty Lee: Omg

"azula abused zuko" has got to be the most idiotic take I have ever seen

y'all are so blind by your hard-on for zuzu that you are completely missing the fact that zuko abuses azula!!!

Incest tw: the thing is with the fic trope that writes Ozai as incestuous rapist, you're right that it's often being written with Azula but the point is; it's not being written as a ship but as a sexual abuse and this type of abuse often being referenced to and is rarely or ever being depicted explicitly. Meanwhile, there's a bigger number of Zuko/Ozai fics that do write it as an abusive ship with explicit content, but rarely being referenced to.

At least from my experience as a fic reader.

I don't know how often Ozula appears untagged but gets referenced in fics, as you meant, but those that are in the tag are mostly fetish material, based on the premise that, obviously, Ozai must've have abused his one daughter in that way. It's written as sexual abuse and as a ship, where the preceding sexual abuse leading up to it is implicit.

But you've got me thinking about Zuko, and you're definitely right that it's rather rare to stumble upon a story with him where any CSA in his past remains in the realm of "just implied"... at least from what I've encountered. I guess the fandom is content enough with the canon amount of trauma Zuko received from Ozai because it's getting milked it for what it's worth more than enough.

how about "please" or "wait" for the wip ask game? <3

With a confident step forward, she taps against the wooden surface. She clears her throat. “Are there any rooms available?”

The man slowly raises his head. He gives her a look, gesturing at the metal rack behind him, several keys hanging from it. “Look for yourself.”

“Can I rent one for one night?” The man raises an eyebrow at her. Isn’t that what she’s supposed to say? “Uh…please?”

-azula/jinzula wip