#is going to be a key to giving Zuko a chance to break free from the exact spiral he's falling into
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From what I remember in your story, even taking Iroh's initial biases into account I thought part of his intense hostility leading up to his report to Ozai was that he was truly convinced that Azula's true nature was either no better or even significantly worse than Ozai's due to the Iroh's suspicions arc. Azula herself told Sokka she was worried that by throwing him of the trail of their relationship that she may have brought the worst out of him. Honestly this was probably my favorite exploration of their conflict, because if they were truly able to trust each other and talk they could have avoided so much pain and trouble, but both of them over the course of the story had developed genuine and/or biased reasons not to trust one another and viewed themselves as doing the right thing despite their actions ultimately resulting in the worst outcome. Azula was trying to prevent a known adversary from having ammunition to ruin their lives and future plans, and Iroh believed that he was essentially hindering the fire nation by turning what he thought were essentially two Evil Ozais with a good relationship with one another into enemies. I can't lie that I'm not slightly disappointed that in the latest chapter that this aspect of their conflict wasn't brought up more explicitly in the conversation with Zuko when Iroh was talking about his biases. Was I personally thinking that the dynamic was more significant than it actually was or is that dynamic being saved for a future conversation Iroh may have with Sokka and Azula?
Uuuuuh, as for the last question... I don't really know if I'll bring it up some more since I do think I've had Iroh acknowledge why and how he fucked up in that respect in the past + exteriorized that if Azula had acted differently he might just have done it too? Am I crazy for thinking so? Did I write that or didn't I? That's a complicated game to play when you're almost at 5 million words of a story... 🤣
Azula and Iroh miiiight have one more conversation in the future and maybe this will come up there, but I haven't written it yet so I won't make any promises on that front. Admittedly, I don't expect their future encounter to be particularly fruitful. Iroh is 100% genuine in what he has understood and learned, though, that can't be denied and I always have hoped to portray him not as a super wicked villain but as a character who thinks he understands far more than he actually does, with motivations that push him into making mistakes he very much comes to regret.
This being said, the Azula-Iroh and Zuko-Ozai parallels in this story are and always have been 100% intentional. Those two tugs-of-war have been going on forever, and the crux of them was very much the fact that Azula and Iroh distrusted and second-guessed and suspected each other soooo much... because they have similar natures, similar thought processes, and they're both intellectual, suspicious, hiding what's REALLY going on underneath the surface, and immediately wary when they recognize all those traits in each other too. Likewise, Zuko and Ozai have some REALLY ugly parallels and one of those parallels, already given away by the chapter you sent this ask over, is going to be the driving force of the conflict between those two, much as a similar thing was the driving force between Iroh and Azula, in its own way: the more they fight to push the other away, the harder they reject the other, the more they end up embodying the flaws they see in that other person, to an extent where they could do absolutely TERRIBLE things just out of wanting to push the other one as far away as possible.
So yeah, the point was never for Iroh to feel like some sadistic mustache-twirling villain who wanted Azula to suffer just for shits and giggles. He had his reasons to do what he did. Doesn't mean he was right. Doesn't mean he should've done it. What it means is it made sense in his head due to his biases, the information he had at hand at the moment, and the particularly awful relationship he had with Azula. Likewise, Azula's rejection of Iroh back in "Iroh's suspicions" caused her uncertainty and anguish because she KNEW she had taken it too far. She was afraid of the consequences. A part of her KNEW that if she acted differently, there was a chance, however slim, that Iroh might not have made the choice he did. And that's why this is such a messed up situation! :')
Ultimately, I want my characters to have motivations that just... add up. That can be traced. That, upon looking at their actions and choices, anyone can go "oh yeah, this is why they did whatever they did". This is good when it comes to establishing ultimate goals, and it's also good when you want to put characters to the test: how far are they willing to go, what are they ready to do to achieve whatever they're trying to achieve? How much are they willing to sacrifice for it? And the answers to those questions can be VERY extreme and painful. Just so, we can find characters who decide to back down and simply surrender over their goals when they realize that there are other things that matter more. But it's a manner of game a writer plays when it comes to gauging and figuring out what a character wants vs. needs, what a character will fight for and what it will take for them to surrender, and so on. Fundamentally, that's how I built up Iroh and Azula's chaotic dynamic. Whatever comes from that in the future, ultimately, their biggest problem may just be that they were just too smart for their own good, tried to outsmart each other a little too much, and never allowed themselves to just... accept each other properly. They came close to it once, yes! But... they failed. And it's depressing as hell, but complicated characters will always be challenging this way...
#anon#gladiator#those two parallels will never stop making my brain go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr#the Zuko-Ozai one though#is just so damn good#I can't wait to get there#because my god you guys#the KEY to breaking the FN royal family cycle of toxicity#is actually in that specific parallel and how I'll deal with it#I never thought it would be until I realized that's where it was#one thing#just the one thing#is going to be a key to giving Zuko a chance to break free from the exact spiral he's falling into#and of course Zuko is a better person than Ozai and of course he hasn't been anywhere near as powerhungry as his father#... but that doesn't change the very dark truths that Ozai and Zuko very much mirror each other#every bit as much and every bit as painfully as Azula and Iroh do#there's not as much of a salvation aspect for those two unfortunately#at least I haven't unraveled it yet#there may be one regard in which they could maybe grow some mutual respect but#I can't see that going too far#so unfortunately zero promises of reconciliations here#Ursa is one thing Iroh is a whole other rodeo#even though Ursa has also done some very fucked up things but...#... fucked up things Azula actually can accept a lot more than the fucked up ones Iroh did so...#it is what it is
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Don’t Call Me Princess Part 1- Zuko x Reader
Summary: Reader and Zuko can’t stand each other, so when they are forced to share a room, chaos ensues. Lots of angst and fluff! (GIF Not mine!! Please someone tag me in some Zuko gifs I’m struggling to find them) masterlist
Words: 2,470 Requested: Yes. I combined the requests for enemies to lovers and bedsharing
Don’t Call Me Princess- Part 1
You were exhausted. The past three days had been hell for you. The Gaang had gone to try and free a village from Fire Nation occupation, but it hadn’t gone half as smoothly as you’d planned. You’d been kidnapped halfway through, but luckily you were rescued before any harm came to you. It was who rescued you that was the problem.
Ever since he had switched sides and joined forces with Aang, Prince Zuko had been a thorn in your side. He was moody, antagonistic, and you were always fighting with him. He was so infuriating and always trying to get a rise out of you. Zuko had been the one to save you, and he hadn’t let you forget it.
“You know if you wanted my attention Princess, you didn’t have to go and get yourself kidnapped. Coulda just said so.” He had smirked when he’d found you. You would’ve decked him if you could’ve, but of course he made sure to mess with you when you were tied up.
“Get me out of here Zuko.” You’d demanded.
“I don’t know... I kinda like where you are.” You hated how the look he gave you made your stomach flip. Obviously it was your body trying to vomit.
“Get. Me. Out.” You had gritted your teeth.
“Sure thing princess.”
“Don’t. Call. Me. PRINCESS!” You had shrieked.
Zuko had called you princess from the moment he joined the team. He was always degrading you like that, and it made you want to throttle him.
You and Zuko managed to get out safely, and the Gaang freed the village. What should have been a victory for you was tainted by Zuko, who hadn’t shut up about saving you since it happened.
Currently, you were discussing where to go from there. None of you particularly wanted to camp after this experience. It was Katara who brought up the idea of taking a break. Toph had managed to scam you guys some money, and you had just enough to afford to stay somewhere and relax for a few days.
“Like a vacation?” Sokka asks excitedly, Toph nodding in agreement.
“Yeah, I think it could do us all some good.” Katara says, fingers combing through her thick dark hair.
Everyone sits digesting this idea for a while.
“So where do we go?” Aang asks. It surprises you that Aang actually wants to take a few days off. In the beginning he had acted his age, but the longer you all had spent on the road, the more dedicated to the cause Aang had become.
“We’re close enough to Hépíng.” Zuko says. “It’s a city of peace and relaxation. Maybe princess can avoid trouble there.”
“Shut up Zuko!” You snap before you can control yourself. You know this is what he wants, but you can’t help it when he goads you like that.
“I get it ok? You saved me. What do you want from me?” You cry.
“How about some gratitude?” He snapped back. “I’m always having to save your ass from something, and all you do is sit around and pout.”
“What?!” You demand. White hot rage flows through you. If you were a firebender you knew you’d be on fire.
“Just last week the Sea Monster knocked you off the boat, and I had to go get you. Then a few weeks before that, you were being nice to that man who tried to take you. Had to get you out of that one. And then there was that time-“ Zuko counts on his fingers.
“Enough!” You cut him off. He’s made you so mad that you’re shaking. “Newsflash Zuko, I didn’t need your help any of those times! I had them all handled. It’s not my fault you decide to prematurely step in!” You screech.
“Didn’t need my help?!” He says back. His amber eyes flash defiantly, and he balls his hands into fists. “Princess, please tell me what you would have done if I hadn’t stepped in any of those times!”
“What do you want an essay detailing my plans? I would have thought of something, you just never give me the chance!” You seethe.
“Right. Ok, sure.” Zuko says.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” You’re heaving now. Your fingers itch to slap him, maybe strangle him. You think that would feel really cathartic.
“You want to know what I mean? You really want to know?” He snaps.
So far everyone else has remained silent. They had learned early on to just let you and Zuko fight it out. If your fights were deadly against each other, you were even worse when you teamed up against one of them. Now they look uncomfortable, eyes darting between you two.
“Guy, maybe you shouldn’t....” Aang starts.
“No, let him say it Aang! I want to hear it.” You cross your arms and jut out your chin in defiance.
“Guys really...”
“Stay out of this Aang!” You both snap at the same time.
Zuko whips his head angrily back at you, locks of raven hair falling into his eyes.
“You know what I really think? I think you’re the most incapable person here!” Zuko snaps. “You’re always making stupid decisions that jeopardize not only yourself, but every one else on this team!”
His words hurt a lot more than they should. You and Zuko had fought every day, but never before had he said something so cruel to you. Angry tears well up in your eyes.
“You know what? Fine, maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m incapable and incompetent, but at least I’ve never intentionally done anything to harm this team. At least my nation isn’t destroying everything it touches, and oh yeah, at least my father isn’t behind it all!”
You’ve never said something so cruel either. You almost regret saying it, when you see hurt flash on Zuko’s face. Your eyes linger on his scar, the brutal reminder of his monster of a father. Zuko’s face falls, but then it solidifies into an even angrier expression. He opens his mouth to say something even worse, before Aang cuts him off.
“ENOUGH!” He yells. “All you guys do is fight and I’ve had it! You guys are so unnecessarily mean to each other it’s ridiculous! We’re a team. We only work when we’re supporting each other. What is wrong with you two?!”
Aang’s face is red and his chest is heaving. You’ve only ever seen him so torn up once. You clench your jaw and look away as you blink back the tears.
“We’re taking a much needed break, ok? Can’t you guys just be civil for a few days. Please?” Aang pleads.
Neither you nor Zuko says anything, and the silence hangs heavy for several moments. It feels like another challenge to see who folds first. Finally, you decide to be the mature one since Zuko clearly won’t
“Fine.” You say. “I’ll be civil. As long as he says the hell away from me!” You stand up and stomp off to the furthest corner of Appa’s saddle.
“Couldn’t agree more.” You hear him snark back.
You hear Aang heave a long sigh, and Katara mutter something to him. Slowly, they resume a conversation about travel plans while you sit and mope.
Zuko somehow always knew your biggest insecurities, and knew exactly how to strike at them. You had always felt like a burden to the team. You weren’t a bender, and truthfully you weren’t a skilled fighter either. You didn’t really know why they kept you around, and it haunted you enough without Zuko reminding you every five seconds.
Subtly, you turn your head and watch the team interact. Even Zuko had rejoined the conversation. They were fine without you, you noted sadly. Maybe Zuko was right.
——————————————-
Hépíng is a gorgeous city. It lives up to its reputation of peace. The city is flooded with tourists, and it makes it easier for you all to blend in. Zuko is vaguely familiar with this place, and leads you to the strip of land where all of the Inns are.
Sokka and you are the least recognizable of the group, so you briefly play rock, paper, scissors to determine who has to go book your rooms. You know Sokka always picks rock, so you go with paper. Sokka grumbles all the way into the Inn.
It takes him what feels like hours to come back out. He looks grim, and you feel your heart drop. You had just gotten excited about having a break from Zuko, you didn’t want to have to jump right back into saving the world.
“Ok so here’s the thing.” Sokka says, “I got us rooms, but there can only be two people in a room. So we’re going to have to split up.”
“Ok so what?” You ask, shrugging. You didn’t get why this was such a big deal.
“Because one of us is going to be unfortunate enough to share a room with you.” Zuko says, rolling his eyes. “Princess.” He narrows his amber eyes and smirks.
“That’s it!”
You’re about to start throwing punches when Sokka ends it.
“You know what?” He says. “I’ve made up my mind. Aang and I will share, and Katara and Toph will share. You two” he says pointing between you and Zuko, “are going to work out your problems. Now is the perfect time to do it.”
You can feel the color draining from your face.
“What?” Zuko asks at the same time you give an emphatic “No!”
“Does anyone object to that arrangement?” Sokka asks.
You and Zuko both raise your hands, but nobody else does.
“Come on guys it’ll be good for you.” Katara says. “You all have never gotten to properly bond, and the fighting has got to stop.”
“This is absolutely ridiculous!” You say, stamping your foot.
“You think you got the bad deal, Princess?” Zuko huffs. “If you’re so miserable go sleep on Appa.”
“Shut the fu-“
“Alright!” Sokka says, slapping his hands over Aang’s ears. “Let’s go find our rooms.”
——————————————-
The inn is nice and cozy inside, with a warm fire in the fire place. You used to love fire before you associated it with Zuko. Of course he had to ruin that for you.
Sokka leads you past the tavern, and into a back hallway with five rooms. Katara and Toph take the first one. You manage to get a peek of the inside, a spacious room with two beds and what appeared to be a chair and tables. The room next to their is occupied, so Sokka leads you and Zuko to the end of the hall.
“Our room is across from yours.” Sokka says, handing Zuko the key to your room. “Please don’t get us kicked out of here. We all need this.”
“This was your brilliant idea, chief.” You snark at him, flipping your hair over your shoulder. “Any casualties are on you.”
Zuko snatches the key and nods his agreement.
“You’ve brought this on yourself, buddy.” Zuko says.
Sokka slumps against the door frame as Aang throws open the door to their room.
“Sokka look! These beds are great for jumping!” Aang says, using his bending to propel himself higher.
Sokka’s face falls even further.
“Gotta go.” He says, and slams the door behind him.
You and Zuko are left standing in the hallway in tense silence.
“Well? Aren’t you going to let us in?” You huff.
Zuko rolls his eyes but unlocks the door. You purposely knock into his shoulder as you enter the room, causing him to stumble. You smile vindictively to yourself as you walk inside until you notice something’s wrong.
“Um Zuko?” You say slowly. “Now is the only time I’ll tolerate you calling me dense. Am I hallucinating?” You say taking in the room.
Zuko stiffens beside you as he also examines the room.
“I really, really wish I could say yes.” He says.
There’s a notable difference between your room and the others’ rooms. Where they had two beds, you only have one large bed.
It takes a moment for either one of you to say something. Your horror is reflected on Zuko’s face as you turn to look at each other.
“Sokka!” You yell, going over to pound on his door.
“Sokka open up right now or Zuko is going to fry your ass!” You yell.
“I’ll do it, Sokka.” Zuko threatens. It sounds more dangerous coming out of his mouth than yours.
A bleary-eyed Sokka pushes open the door.
“What are you guys-“ but before he can finish his sentence, you and Zuko are hauling him to your room to show him the offending bed.
“Oh.” He says when he sees the bed. “They didn’t tell me that.”
“You and Aang have to switch us!” You beg. “We can’t do it Sokka. You’re asking way too much.”
“Yeah what kind of vacation is this?” Zuko demands. “Just let us switch rooms, we’ll get over sharing if we have our own beds.”
“Yeah! You won’t hear a peep out of us the rest of the week.” You add on.
Sokka shakes his head.
“Nuh uh. No way. You’re just going to have to deal with it. Share it, sleep on the floor, I don’t really care. I don’t want to hear from either of you for the rest of the day.” He says. He turns to leave and then stops.
“How about we make a deal?” Sokka says turning completely back around.
“Anything!” You beg.
“Sokka please man.” Zuko says.
A huge grin splits Sokka’s face nearly in two. You don’t like the expression on his face one bit.
“Aang and I will switch you rooms, if you can go the first three days without fighting.” You open your mouth to protest, before Sokka shushes you. “Not one fight. You’re going to spend three days together. You are going to work out your issues, and then, if you manage to do that, Aang and I will switch for the remainder of our vacation. Can you do that?”
You make eye contact with Zuko, and try to read his expression. Sokka is asking for a lot. Three whole days of dealing with Zuko just to have four days of your own bed. Zuko’s eyes narrow at the challenge, and you find yourself mirroring him,
“Deal.”
A/N: Welcome to my new series;) I hope you all enjoy it. I think I got everyone who asked on my taglist, but if I missed you please let me know!
Taglist: @galacticamidala @a-random-queer-kid @taeeemin @realimbo @samsmultifandomblogs @fire1ordzuzu @shortmexicangirl @wingeddemonclub @mangoberry34 @marvel-ing-at-it-all
#slythergirlimagines#zuko x y/n#zuko x reader#prince zuko x reader#prince zuko x you#zuko x you#aang#zuko#katara#toph#sokka#enemies to lovers#bed sharing#atla#avatar the last airbender#atla fanfic
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I'm gonna pick "Sokkla Makeout," just to learn if it actually is what it sounds like.
I'm not going to give away the game, but since it's already complete, I might as well post the whole thing.
Keep in mind this was written in response to a discussion on ASN, which was (surprise!) centered on Sokkla. I forget the full details, but it touched on the possibilities of Sokka and Azula being secret agents together and falling in love. Secret Agent Sokka was a thing in fandom, for a while, and is partially what prompted me to put him in a 'Bond Girl' role for the story where I wrote Mai as 007. (Zuko was the Bad Bond Girl, although not actually bad in any way. It's all about the dynamic in the story formula.) As alwasy, I couldn't avoid putting in my own thoughts of an Azula 'Redemption.'
Also keep in mind that I typically dashed these things off without trying to make them good. Looking at it now, I'm not satisfied with Sokka's characterization.
Anyway, here you go:
Torture is Kind of Like Pranking, Right?
He should have been enjoying his first chance to ride in the new Drake-class Rapid Transport Zeppelin (that he helped design, thank you very much).
If not, then he should have enjoyed being trapped in a tiny passenger cabin with a spectacularly hot girl.
If not, then he should have at least been able to get some sleep, considering that he was on his way to another dangerous mission to preserve world peace or stabilize the price of rice or something.
Instead, he was scared out of his mind for his life.
Azula shifted her gaze away from the small porthole to look at Sokka with those darned-perfect eyebrows raised. "You're shaking. Are you cold? I can heat the cabin a little, if it would make you more comfortable."
Sokka tried to scoot away from her, but since he was already pressed into the wall on the far side of the bench they shared, all this accomplished was to squeeze him further up the metal barrier. Azula was literally driving him up the wall. "No Firebending," he growled. "I see one flame, red or blue, and I'm having this thing turned around and telling Zuko that you tried to kill me."
Azula's brow scrunched up, perhaps in irritation but more likely in evil murderous rage. "I'm trying to be nice; the Socialization classes my dear brother is paying for taught me that the first step in forging bonds with people is investing in the well-being of others. Since we will be working together on this mission, it would be most efficient for us to find a way to 'get along,' and something akin to a working friendship would be the ideal solution."
Sokka's eyes narrowed. "What does that all mean?"
"It means," she hissed, "that there isn't a single reason for me to do anything bad to you, so would you take your accusations and keep them to yourself?!"
There was the gaze- that scary Azula Gaze, the one that said she was about to destroy the entire world just for the joy of watching good people suffer. Sokka tensed and readied for an attack, but it didn't come. Azula just huffed a breath -- a warm one -- and turned to look out the porthole again. There was nothing but clear skies and rolling green plains to gaze at.
Sokka continued to eye Azula, just in case. She was a little different since she got out of the crazy house, but Sokka thought that Zuko deserved to take over her old room there for actually putting his former attempted-murderer to work. Zuko was far too trusting, and relied too much on logic, when it came to his sister. Normally, Sokka was a fan of logic, but Azula was Evil, and Evil is never logical.
Still, she was different, no denying that. She had completed five of these dangerous, off-the-books missions for Zuko, and seemed to be loyal to him, for now. Right here in this cabin, she was wearing a simple red and black tunic, and hadn't put her crownpiece in her hair. The old Azula liked the fancy robes of Fire Nation royalty, and even when she wasn't wearing her crownpiece, she was still wearing it in spirit.
That Azula was different now just meant she had gotten more sneaky.
"Why are you so convinced that I'm out to kill you?"
Sokka's jaw dropped, He hadn't thought she was paying any attention to him. "Maybe because you've done it before, every single time we met? And don't tell me you're a different person now. I've seen Zuko do that whole Evil To Good thing, and you're not working any of that magic."
She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't invest much into the concepts of Good and Evil. Back when I tried to kill you, I served my father, and by extension the nation he ruled. Of course, that drove me to... my bout of weariness. In the time it took me to... return home, Zuko had taken over the Fire Nation, ended the war, and began transitioning our country into peacetime. The only way to make myself useful is to serve him, now."
"And it never occurred to you," Sokka barked with a laugh, "to kill him and make yourself Fire Lord?"
Azula looked at him like he was a spiderfly in the process of defecating in her dessert. "What kind of an absurd notion is that? I'm one of the most reviled people alive, both in the Fire Nation and especially abroad. Even if I could somehow oust Zuko and take over, he's completely reversed our economy and state of readiness. If I tried to restart a war for conquest, I'd be defeated inside of a week, and the Fire Nation would suffer for it. That would be the height of pointlessness. Better to let Zuko rule, since he's trusted, and do what I can to make sure he has a stable reign so that the Fire Nation can prosper. Dear Zuzu has decided that I'm most useful on these covert anti-terrorist missions, so that's what I'm doing to prove my reliability. Maybe one day he'll let me function as an adviser."
Sokka could only stare at her through the whole tirade. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"
"I honestly couldn't care less. You're the one who's been staring at me the whole trip. Either you're a paranoid moron, or you're 'checking me out' as the expression goes."
Sokka snorted in indignation, which cleared his sinuses too quickly and set him coughing. As soon as he recovered, he croaked out, "No! I'm scouting the enemy!"
Azula tapped a finger to her chin. "Well, you've misidentified the enemy, but scouting isn't a bad concept. Actionable intelligence is the key to a successful operation, and it's good to know as much about your allies as you can. Perhaps even more important than knowing your enemies. Especially considering the mission that's planned for us."
She said it so nonchalantly that Sokka was immediately suspicious. "What do you mean?"
"Didn't they give you the extended briefing? We're going undercover as lovers in order to infiltrate enemy territory. I was given a wardrobe that even Ty Lee would consider daring. I hope they taught you how to brush your teeth back in the Water Tribes, because we'll probably be exchanging quite a bit of saliva."
Sokka couldn't speak. He couldn't even breathe. He was getting up the energy for a good scream when Azula leaned over him with a predatory expression on her face. "Might as well practice, hm?" Then she grabbed him and kissed him.
Then again, 'kissed' was probably the wrong term for it. Sure, their mouths were connected, and probably their tongues, too, but the degree to which Azula was pressing her body against his, limbs entangling, definitely pushed things beyond kissing. Maybe it was even a few notches above making out, depending on your definition. It certainly had its own power, which is why Sokka failed to even try to break free. If he had to classify it, he might file it under those Magnetik Energies the Mechanist was currently playing with.
Whatever it was, it was heating the room like crazy.
Of course, everyone needs air -- even Firebenders -- so the Way More Than a Kiss ended with stereo panting as the two of them eased back to their respective sides of the bench. Sokka found his voice first. "What- you- we- I... I don't care how great that was, no way am I pretending to be your lover! You're evil!"
Azula sighed. "Relax. I was just joking. My Socialization class that says humor is a very effective way to lighten moods and create superficial connections between people who are otherwise having trouble bonding. I guess I'm no good at pranks yet. Perhaps I'll ask Zuzu for an additional tutor." She turned to stare out the porthole again, leaning her chin on her hands.
Sokka watched her very carefully for the rest of the silent, awkward trip. And it totally wasn't because he was checking her out.
END
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I was happy to discover you are in ATLA fandom too. Could you please share your thoughts on Azula? I like your analyses
Hello anon!
Thank you very much for the nice words and for this ask! I love Azula!
I think Azula’s character explores the idea of control:
In The Avatar State, she is shown training to master “lightening”. There, it is shown how losing control of even a small detail, like a lock of hair, is enough to make Azula angry.
It is not by chance that such a scene occurs in an episode focused on the Avatar State. As a matter of fact the Avatar State and the lightening can (partially) be compared when it comes to Aang and Zuko’s stories in book two. This book opens up with Aang trying to enter the Avatar State and with the lightening being introduced thanks to Azula’s character. What is more, both Aang and Zuko try to get a hold of the two different techniques throughout the season. Finally, both skills need for the user to “let go” of their feelings.
In particular, when it comes to the lightening, there are two different ways to interpret this:
Iroh: There is energy all around us. The energy is both Ying and Yang. Positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and, in the moment the positive and negative energy come pressing back together, you provide release and guidance...creating lightening. (...) Remember, once you separate the energy you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide.”
Iroh: “Lightening is a pure expression of fire-bending without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightening the cold blooded fire. It is precise precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind.”
On one hand Iroh’s description is interesting because it is as if creating lightening is a process of synthesis. You separate opposites and have them come back together, so that they can gain a new form. So it makes sense that, thematically, this new synthesis can happen only if the character overcomes their inner turmoil. This is also why Zuko is not able to learn the skill:
Iroh: “You will not be able to master lightening until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you.”
Zuko: “What turmoil!?”
Iroh: “Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away.”
In order to acquire it, he should let go of his shame, but he can’t do it. The fact that “shame” is what stops Zuko from making progress is interesting. As explained by Guru Pathick, thus, the fire chakra is the chakra of will and it is polluted by shame.
On the other hand the lightening is called cold-blooded firebending because it can be realized only by benders whose emotions are kept in check. I would argue that this is the reason why Azula is able to use this skill. It is not that she has reached a level of emotional maturity which lets her become a “humble guide” to the energy. It is just that she constantly represses her feelings. This repression gives the idea that she is in perfect control, but this impression is a superficial one and it is proven wrong towards the end of the story.
In short, Zuko is not able to use lightening because of his explosive emotions, while Azula is able to because she restricts her feelings. Let’s highlight that this difference between the two siblings comes up again in a key episode aka The Beach:
Once again Zuko’s emotions are in full display. He is angry and nervous. He might not know why, but he is. Moreover he is finally able to express himself thanks to a confrontation with the other members of the group. Finally he does so while a giant fire erupts to highlight the catharsis of the moment. When it comes to Azula, she too opens up a little. In particular, she lets this slip:
Azula: I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit here and complain how our mom like Zuko more than me. But I don't really care. My own mother... thought I was a monster... She was right of course, but it still hurt.
Azula thinks that Ursa saw her as a monster. It is clear that the unsolved issues with her mother have left a sign on her. However, when she has the chance to truly let it all out, she does not. She changes the tone of the conversation and immediately leaves the topic. However, this does not mean that she is not troubled. If anything, her emotions keep burning behind a cold exterior, exactly like the fire, which burns under the ashes. Almost invisible, but still there.
About this, let’s consider two things.
1) In The Beach episode, Azula does something similar here:
Azula: “Come down to the beach with me. Come on! This place is depressing.”
Zuko starts talking about their past and their family, but Azula does not engage in the conversation and tells him to leave.
2) When Azula opens up, the others do not challenge her. They do not ask her what she meant nor they try to contradict what she said. This is different from what they have just done with each other. All in all, Zuko openly provokes Ty Lee and Ty Lee, Zuko and Azula all provoke May, until she shouts. Finally, all the girls keep asking Zuko who he is really angry with, until he is finally able to answer.
These two considerations can be linked to more general ideas.
a) Azula is a person who needs to always be in control. This has two consequences. The first is that she never lets herself be vulnerable. She is always on guard and closed up to others. The second is that she is like a fish out of water when there is nothing to control.
This is made clear in the episode The Beach:
Zuko: “Doing nothing is a waste of time. We are being sent a way in a force vacation. I feel like a child.”
In this episode, Azula and the others are given a break. However, Azula, just like Zuko, is not really able to take a break.
She is on an island and should relax, but the only way she manages to do so is by finding new enemies:
She must continually challenge herself and must change everything in a competition (and win it) in order not to face how empty she feels. This is why, in the end, her solution to the insecurities the beach re-awakens in her is to trash a party. She can’t fit in a group of pampered teenagers, so she ruins their evening. However, what Azula should really do is to try to understand why she does not fit.
The episode shows that Azula is ignorant when it comes to casual relationships:
Azula: “I am so used to people worshipping us”.
Ty Lee: “They should!”
Azula: “I know and I love it. But for once I just wanna see how people would react to us if they did not know who we were.”
She says so directly. She has been worshipped all her life. However, this means she does not know how people react to her outside of her role as a princess and a military leader.
The military aspect is especially interesting because, even if she does not disclose her identity as a royal, her attempts to bond are all centered around military topics:
Azula: “That's a sharp outfit, Chan. Careful, you could puncture the hull of an empire-class Fire Nation battle ship, leaving thousands to drown at sea. Because... it's so sharp.”
Azula: “Together you and I will be... THE STRONGEST COUPLE IN THE WHOLE WORLD! We will dominate the Earth!”
Her life has been a long training session for war, so she does not really know anything else. This is obvious both in how she can’t talk about other things and in how she sees others not like people, but like enemies/rivals.
This is also why the vacation in Amber Island could have been very important if Azula had been able to properly capitalize on it. All in all, The Beach is the episode where Azula is shown the most vulnerable (not counting the finale where she has a complete break-down).
She tries to change her approach to go along with others:
Azula: “Well that sounds really shallow and stupid...Let’s try it!
She openly apologizes and shows her insecurities:
“Look...maybe I just said it because I was a little...jealous.”
However, all of this is not enough to change the trajectory of her arc. Why is that so? This has to do with another aspect of Azula’s controlling tendencies. As a matter of fact not only does she controls herself, but also others.
b) Azula is presented since the beginning as a highly manipulative character. Manipulation is at the root of all her major relationships:
Zuko:You lied to me!
Azula: Like I've never done that before.
She lies to Zuko to catch him and forces Ty Lee to join her through manipulation. Moreover most of her plans rely on manipulation and lies. However, if you try to control and manipulate others you are unable to build healthy relationships.
This is what happens to Azula. As stated above, nobody replies to Azula when she opens up. Zuko could have very easily told her Ursa loved them both. May and Ty Lee could have tried to comfort her somehow. However, nobody does. And nobody does because they are all scared of Azula. In her attempt to control everybody, Azula has negated herself the chance to have a relationship among equals.
What is more, it is clear that it is impossible to fully control others. The Beach starts to show this through Azula’s attempts to flirt. Without her status as a princess, her peers do not behave like she wants. She might be able to hook up with a guy by rehearsing and applying a strategy. However, building a relationship is not a military operation. It is not something that can be done through control, but only through respect and trust.
Azula fails to do so and this is why she is left behind by others. She is left behind by Zuko who breaks free from their father. She is left behind by Mai and Ty Lee who choose healthier relationships over the one they have with her. After she loses them, Azula starts spiralling out of control and burns everything around her.
In short, I would say that Azula’s main flaw is “control”. She wants to control everyone, herself included. So in the end she is betrayed and left behind by people and she herself loses control:
Ursa: I think you're confused. All your life you've used fear to control people. Like your friends Mai and Ty Lee.
Azula:Well what choice do I have? Trust is for fools! Fear is the only reliable way. Even you fear me.
This is especially tragic because it is clear that Azula’s behaviour is her answer to an environment where a clear line was drawn between winners and losers. Azula has always been Ozai’s favourite, but Ozai has never loved her. He loves Azula’s talent, so Azula cultivates those qualities which make her accepted by her father. What is more, Ozai is not a character who values feelings or emotions, so Azula represses these aspects of herself.
In conclusion, I think Azula is a very tragic character and that her spiral was very well written and realistic. I also think that in the series itself she has shown the potential to change for the better, but this possibility has not been explored. I mean, if she had no guilt nor regrets about her behaviour, she would not have seen the hallucination of her mother calling her out.
These are more or less my major thoughts on Azula. There are probably many other things to add, but as far as my generic impressions of her go, this is what I have to say. Feel free to make more specific questions! I love her!
Thank you for the ask!
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Her short fuse- Zutara Week Day 3
Working on a virtual musical eats up a lot of your time, so I decided to delay working on @zutaraweek until I could again. I’m mostly free, so hopefully I can keep this up. Anyway, I know it’s short, but I was looking at otp dynamics and ones about the tall silent one and the short loud one. I forgot that Katara actually gets angry pretty quickly and could hold a grudge. I mean she did it to Zuko, so I guess that goes without saying. Insults aren’t my forte, can you tell I avoid confrontation?
Fuse
Zuko knew what people saw when they looked at him: the definition of a bad boy. Ripped jeans, didn’t talk to people, burn scar surrounding his eye and very good fighting skills. He knew people raised eyebrows when they met his girlfriend, Katara. Sweet, put together, was working to be a doctor, stubborn for the right reason, mostly.
Of course, people didn’t know something about Katara. If you pissed her off, you’d better wish that you could teleport. His own sister Azula – though she’d rather die than admit that – was a living fact of that little thing.
Zuko didn’t talk because conversing and making friends wasn’t his strong suit. It was mostly thanks to his cousin Aang he had the friends he did now. He wasn’t a bad boy by choice.
Katara has a short fuse when it comes to getting angry. Very short. Like Toph at her max level short. Not that it was ever turn on her friends and family. Her fuse for them was much longer. Everyone else though, yeah, not so much.
It was actually kinda funny to those who didn’t know Katara. She seemed so sweet and innocent. She could give sarcastic comments to her brother’s bad jokes but be a rude asshole and well…you were asking for what you got.
Scathing comments that made his sister proud and fear a little would come from the blue-eyed girl’s mouth. His favourite was when she called Jet ‘a weak spined ken doll with an inferiority complex and the grace of a drunk hippo’. He flirted with her in front of Zuko.
Inviting her over to his house filled him with such worry. His father was, not like his uncle and very much the same as Azula but worse. It was nights he would spend at his uncle’s that got him through the time until he turned 18, his inheritance from his mother was unlocked and he could leave. Katara was coming over after her rhythmic gymnastics practise for their only free time date. Before he could even shuttle her up the stairs and into his room with a lock no one had the keys to, his father appeared, looking down his nose at one of the few good things at his life.
“Zuko, aren’t you going to introduce us?”
No. he didn’t want to. “This is my girlfriend, Katara.”
“Girlfriend? What about that lovely girl Mai?”
Down and moody mixed with his personality? He didn’t like hurting her but breaking up with Mai was better for his mental health.
“We broke up.”
“Shame. She was such a prefect girl.” He said, his words underlying what he thought about Katara.
“Really? I think she’s a lot like you, a soul sucking zombie who acts like their reflection is the only good thing in the world.”
His father looked insulted and he took the chance to drag her up to his room, listening to her mutter angerly under her breath. She didn’t seem sorry and even though he was scared about what would happen, as she cuddled into him, loudly complaining about how she didn’t like his father, he felt kinda happy her short fuse would be turned to other people.
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The Jasmine Dragon
What’s this? More Avatar the Last Airbender fic?
Yeah, I like Iroh too much. Shout to my fude @phrogballz for inspiring this mess. Here is part one!!
Rating: This one is maybe teenish?
Triggers: Awkward flirting? Otherwise none.
The Jasmine Dragon had quickly become your new favorite place to relax after work. Within a few weeks, you had become a regular, stopping by every afternoon to indulge in a cup or two of the various teas and just to enjoy the atmosphere.
Tea shops in the middle ring usually had a very… haughty atmosphere. Stern and stiff with dress codes and who they allowed in. Yet not the Jasmine Dragon. Its atmosphere was far more relaxed as people happily chatting over tea, kids allowed to laugh and giggle while their parents caught up with the day's gossip.
Never mind the tea was far better than any other tea shop. You weren't exactly a tea connoisseur but you could still deduce Mushi certainly was.
Which was the other reason you frequented: Mushi. He was not a typical man that the other ladies enjoyed fawning over, but to you…
Well. You were in deep. Heads over heels deep, which made you feel rather guilty because he was certainly older than you, and he also had to be married. You may have never seen his wife or heard either of them mention her, but there was little doubt in your mind that there was a missus in the back. Perhaps a high-class lady that was shy and demure. After all, something about the way Lee carried himself told you he was definitely high-class, even if Mushi didn't quite act it.
And here you were, unmarried, overworked, and in love with a man that was completely out of reach.
---
"There she is," Mushi greeted as you entered the tea shop, your name rolling off his tongue as you blushed at the wide smile on his face. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't be joining us today!"
"And miss your handsome face?" You replied without thinking because it had been the first thing to pop into your head. It was his turn to look surprised; a faint blush crossing his cheeks before he laughed your slip of the tongue away as if it had been a joke.
Which, it hadn't. It had actually been your main thought as you were forced to stay late at work because another employee had walked out and you had too much integrity to leave your co-workers to work short.
Thankfully someone else had shown up, allowing you to leave and rush to the tea shop before they closed.
"Take a seat, my dear!" Mushi waved toward your usual table, breaking your train of thought. "Lee will be with you shortly."
He turned back to the group he had been talking to and you slinked to the table and slid into your seat while wishing you would just melt into the floor.
"Nice," Lee commented dryly as he appeared a moment later. "Very subtle."
"I feel so embarrassed," you whined pitifully as he poured your usual order.
"As you should." Lee was often dry with you once he started to feel comfortable in your presence. Yet a’;t the same time, he seemed to actually care, going as far as patting your shoulders awkwardly as you tried to hide your face.
"It just…" you gestured the word popping from your mouth. "Every time. Whatever thought is at the front of my mind just pops out."
He was quiet for a moment, "...He likes it," he muttered quietly, almost sounding embarrassed as well. When you glanced towards him, he was looking away with a very put-upon expression. "When you...flirt with him."
When Lee looked back, you were fairly sure your face expressed your delight and hope, judging by his own soured expression. Yet after a second, your mood started downwards again as you caught sight of Mushi. "I bet your aunt isn't as happy."
"Aunt?" His expression morphed into confusion as he quirked his eyebrow. "What aunt?”
You paused as you looked to him, hope once more blooming in your chest despite yourself. "Isn't Mushi married?"
"No, well…. A long time ago, but she died before I was born."
It was bittersweet hurting in sympathy for Mushi, yet also having butterflies as you realized you might actually have a slight chance. You weren't crushing on a married man.
Just one that was more than just a few years older and thought you were just being playful when you shyly flirted with him.
"He hasn't said anything about being interested in anyone in particular, has he?" You asked as you played with your hair, your eyes drifting to the man in question as he bid the other customers farewell and disappeared into the back.
The odd noise from Lee made your attention snap back to the young man. His face was somehow both green and red at the same time, his expression truly horrified. "Don't give me that look!" You balked, feeling embarrassed yourself. "And don't tell him I asked! Omashu," you buried your face in your hands. Why was it things just popped out of your mouth when it came to Mushi? This time around Lee nevertheless.
"I just...I can't. I just can't." Lee shook his head and marched back towards the kitchens.
And okay, you could kind of sympathize with the poor boy. You could imagine what it would be like to have someone fawn over your older uncle in front of you.
You sighed and sipped at your tea, watching the sunset out the window as lights started to flicker to life. You weren't sure if today was a good day or a bad day. Or maybe just a day.
He wasn't married.
He was still twice your age.
He noticed you weren't there. You smiled to yourself as you remembered his bright smile when you entered. His deep laugh turning your stomach into butterflies.
But he thought you were teasing.
You sighed as you took another sip. How could you convince him you weren't just bantering. That you did look forward to seeing him every day. He may not be a strapping young Dai Li agent that looked as if Oma and Shu had granted life to a statue, but there was something to be found attractive in his shorter and rounder appearance.
He'd be a lot more comfortable to hug, for one. To he wrapped in his arms, resting against his full-frame and drifting off to sleep….
--
"What with that look, nephew?" Iroh asked as Zuko entered the kitchen sans teapot. Instead of answering right, the teenager groaned and rested his head against the wall. "Did someone leave you another love note?" He chuckled at the thought. A lot of the young women would leave notes ranging from simple /you're cute!/ To poems using flowery prose to describe his unique gold eyes and black hair.
"I wished," Zuko muttered, opening his bad eye to look at his uncle.
"Well, did our favorite customer say why she looked so frazzled this evening?' Iroh gently pried as he busied himself with dirty dishes. "It's not like her to be so late."
"I guess I didn't ask…"
"Oh? Then what were you two talking about? She seemed rather flustered."
Of course, he would notice that. Because just as he had to listen to you try to deny and admit your crush in the same sentence, Zuko knew his uncle enough to know his flirting with you was different that the attention he gave other women.
He never talked about them. But he would talk about you. Small comments here and there that had caught the prince's attention.
"She thought you were married," he blurted out with the finesse of a komodo rhino. To his credit, Iroh didn't drop the cup he had been washing, though it was a close call. It was actually comical the way his eyes widened.
"She what?"
"I told her that my aunt died a long time ago," Zuko shrugged, trying to act indifferent when he really enjoyed seeing his uncle flustered for once, though the older man was trying to hide it as he continued. "She then made me promise not to tell you that she asked if you were interested in anyone."
The clay teacup shattered in Iroh's hands, though he barely seemed to care, judging by the smile forming on his face.
Zuko expected his uncle to burst into the cafe and do something over the top and embarrassing. Instead, he turned his attention back to the broken cup, though still smiling widely as he hummed to himself, picking up the fragments.
"Wait...aren't you going to do anything?" Zuko asked after a moment.
"When it comes to matters of the heart, dear nephew, you cannot rush. Patience is key. One must allow a fruit to ripen before harvesting."
"What is there to ripen?!" Zuko groaned after a long moment of trying to understand his uncle's words. "She likes you, and you like her, right? Right?" He stressed as Iroh just continued to hum to himself, which sounded a lot like the girls of Ba Sing Se.
---
The next day you had a feeling something had changed when you entered the tea shop.
"Welcome, my beautiful firelily," Mushi greeted as soon as he saw you, smiling widely as ever though you swear there was more of a glint in his exotic golden eyes.
"Thank you, my handsome tea master," you blurted back without thinking. You enjoyed the shocked but pleased expression as he chuckled but returned to his customer he was pouring tea for.
You once more slinked to your usual free table. You expect Lee to appear and give you grief once more. Or express his usual dismay at your flirting.
Instead Mushi slid up next to you, setting a cup before you and pouring the tea gracefully despite your jump of surprise. "I know you prefer my Jasmine Chamomile with honey after a long day of work," he started lowly, making a shiver trace down your spine at the huskiness of his voice. "But I think you will enjoy this blend as well. It's a sultry full-bodied tea, aged so it's slightly smoky yet sweet. Something I believe you're fond of."
You were fairly sure your face was as warm as the steaming tea in the innocent cup. You shifted slightly in your seat, rather ashamed of the shivers and warmth pooling in your abdomen from his voice and words alone.
Then his free hand rested lightly on your lower back, and you swore his hand was hot as the teapot, which felt like heaven on your sore muscles. You looked from the dark tea up to him, able to notice the flecks of dark amber and gold in his eyes as he smiled down at you. "Enjoy my dear," he continued as he pulled away slowly. "I hope you find this brew as pleasing and fulfilling as I expect."
You were going to die and melt in a puddle right there. You couldn't even think of a single word, let alone say anything as he went to tend to the other customers, once more his usual bright and cheerful self, no hint of…
Of…
What exactly was that? You wheezed as you turned back to your tea, cupping the warm porcelain with your slightly trembling hands. That was not Mushi's typical banter and light flirting that left you with butterflies but smiling ear to ear.
That was... sensuous. Sultry. Seductive.
You brought the cup to your lips to hide your smile, closing your eyes to enjoy the subtle scent of the tea. As he said, you caught a whiff of slight smokiness mixed in with deeper earthy tones.
Full-bodied indeed, you thought pleasantly as you took a sip, letting the tea ease the feeling of cotton mouth Mushi had left. Intense warming flavor that you couldn't describe, but certainly addictive.
With speed you were rather ashamed of, given how you liked to savor your tea, the cup was emptied of its last drop. You traced the delicately painted flower around the porcelain of the cup, chest warmed both by the tea and the emotions stirring in your chest. His words, his tone, repeated itself over in your head, your back still tingling where he touched you.
You needed more.
Tea. You needed more tea, you thought rather embarrassed at the feeling settling in your lower regions. Being attracted to Mushi was one thing, but it was something quite different to imagine him….
"You look flustered, my little flower," Mushi reappeared as if summoned by your thoughts, making you squeak. He had a secretive smile on his face as his hand reached around your back and settled on your opposite shoulder, subtly bringing you closer to his frame. "Was the tea too strong for you?"
"No, I-I loved it," you answered honestly, dangerously being bold enough to look up at him. "And your right, I do enjoy aged full-bodied...teas."
The pause was barely noticeable, and you hadn't fully intended it, but you were proud to see surprise flash across his face, followed by a faint flush on his cheeks as he smiled, rubbing your shoulder slightly.
"Good, good," he chuckled lowly. "I am glad I know my favorite customer so well. It would be a great shame if I misjudged what you were interested in."
You were fairly sure he was meaning more than what he was saying. Your stomach twisted and your heart fluttered as you were caught up in his amber eyes. "No, I think you've figured out exactly what I like. But, um, maybe we could still take some time to, uh, get to know each other better," you finished in a rush, realizing what exactly you were saying. Asking.
A date. You were asking him out on a date. Out loud.
The blush on his face deepened but it was a look of happy surprise on his face. "I quite agree. Perhaps at the festival next week?"
"Yes!" You agreed instantly, breaking into a smile. "I...! Yes,I would love to, Master Mushi."
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ZM - Feb 10 - Fake Dating
@zutaramonth
“I still don’t see why I have to go.”
Sokka frowned at the Switch in his hand from the comfy chair. “It’s simple, Katara. Dad’s a teacher; at least half his coworkers will be there-” The console beeped sadly as Suki’s beeped triumphantly. “-and he’ll be disappointed in you if you don’t show up so he can brag about you.” He turned to look at Suki whose lap on which he was reclining. “How to you keep doing that, woman?”
Suki stuck her tongue out at him before replying, “get gud.”
“Rematch,” he said, kissing her nose. “Anyway, Katara, just go to your five year reunion. Who cares if you’re going solo? No one’s gonna care about high school drama.”
Both Katara and Suki snorted in derision at the same time. “Fine, think poorly of your classmates. But I bet that-”
The door to Sokka’s apartment slammed open and then closed as his roommate returned. He tossed his keys into the bowl on the kitchen island, effortlessly turned it into an exhausted wave, and practically floated through their small living room gathering and down the hall. Another door slammed, presumably his room, and the three in the living room all exchanged amused glances as the muffled sounds of rustling still drifted back up the hall. A creak announced a door opening again, and Zuko emerged from the hall. He collapsed into the couch next to Katara, making her bounce slightly with his force on the fluff.
“How is everyone?”
“I’m doing-” Suki’s switch beeped merrily again. “Oh come on!”
“Give it up, Boomerang,” Zuko drawled, leaning his head back on the couch to stare at the ceiling, exposing his long, pale neck. “Your girlfriend is unbeatable.”
“Damn right I am!”
“Stop victory dancing under me! This is very unsettling!”
Chuckling, Katara returned her gaze to Zuko’s neck – since his face was currently unavailable. “We’re fine. How are you?”
His low groan was somewhat lost in the din of Sokka and Suki’s playful argument. “I’m alright. I’m just, tired of dealing with people, both at work in Uncle’s shop and with the city council.”
“Well I think you’re doing an amazing job.”
He lifted his head to give her a big smile just as Sokka turned to them from where he was now upside down on the chair. “Hey Zuko, go with Katara to her high school reunion. She needs a fake boyfriend to stave off all the terrible gossip remaining from high school.”
“Oh that’s not-”
“Sure, what night is it? Uncle will happily give me the night off.”
“Um, next Saturday. Doors open at 4:30 with dinner starting at 5:30. We don’t have to stay the whole time.”
He gave her a cheeky eyebrow raise. “I’m prepared to stay as long as it takes. I’ll save you from the gossips.”
“Careful, Zuko,” Sokka said teasingly before Suki shoved him onto the floor with a thwump. “Katara was quite the heartbreaker in high school. You’ll have to beat them off you with a stick.”
*
Katara was clenching the steering so hard she thought she might snap it off. “We should probably go over our story before we go in.”
Zuko gave her an amused glance. “Our story?”
“Yeah. How long have we been fake dating?”
“How long ago was your last relationship?”
She thought for a moment back to college. “Three years.”
“Year and a half then. Taking it slow because we started when you were in your final semester of college, about to do study-abroad; I was just elected to the city council but didn’t want you to get away so to speak without taking a chance, so we’ve only been dating in the same city on equal life footing for eight months, but it’s been long enough that it’s not too early in the relationship to bring me to a reunion and have it be desperate.”
“Yeah that makes-” She blanched. “That’s very good but my dad will be in there.”
“So tell him your plot.”
“What!” Zuko shrugged. “He’s Sokka’s dad, too. You think he wouldn’t like a good prank?”
“It’s not a prank,” she replied, exhaling as she released the steering well. “It’s winning the relationships.”
“That’s healthy,” he quipped, getting out of the car. She laughed as she slipped out of the car.
“Really? You of all people are gonna say that when you would date your private school girlfriend no matter what crap she’d put you through?”
Zuko shrugged, throwing an arm over her shoulders as the moved towards the door to the gymnasium. “Takes one to know one, princess.”
“Gross. No nicknames.”
“Oh, Sugar Queen? A memorandum on nicknames?”
“Knock it off, Prince Ponytail.”
Zuko laughed, and from the other side of the gym Hakoda caught his daughter’s eyes. “Whatever you say, Sweetness.”
In front of the check-in table and the innocent Earth Kingdom girls who’d volunteered for this, Katara punched Zuko with a quick jab into his side closest to her before turning to them. “Hi, Katara Sweetwater and guest.”
Zuko took her nametag from the nice volunteer and stepped close to Katara so he could affix it to her blouse. She blushed at the attention. He tapped her nose with a finger just as her dad’s hand landed on her shoulder.
“Katara. Quick question. I’ll bring her right back Zuko.”
“Nice to see you, Hakoda, sir.”
The older man gave a smiling nod before pulling his daughter to the side out of earshot of others. “You brought Zuko?”
“Before you start, it was Sokka’s idea.”
*
Zuko leaned against the wall blocking access to the small alcove where Katara and Hakoda were clearly hashing something out. Somehow, that must have given a guy with even scruffier hair and leather pants permission to lean against the wall next to him. Zuko just raised an eyebrow, but waited in silence for the stranger to explain himself.
“One of the downsides of being the teacher’s daughter. Always pulled off to get private lectures.”
“I’m not sure; the man has a fine touch with the grill. I’d almost consider him a perk.”
The stranger offered a hand. “Jet.” Ah yes. The one from end of senior year into college. The teenage rebellion one. The “only brought home once to unmitigated disaster” one.
Zuko took his hand and gave a firm shake. “Zuko.”
Jet’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t remember such a name in our graduating class.”
“Oh no, I didn’t go to this school. I’m Katara’s date though. Hence the hanging back. I’d much rather navigate this with her.”
“Interesting. We used to date; did she tell you that?”
“No, sorry. It must have slipped her mind.”
Jet scoffed a little. “Typical. Well, here’s some free advice, since you’re obviously new to this relationship. Whatever Mr. Sweetwater says, goes. She won’t even question how high if dear daddy tells her to jump or to break up with some guy. So I wouldn’t get too attached. If Mr. Sweetwater decides you’re done? You’re done.”
Zuko raised a dismissive eyebrow. “If you think Hakoda could make Katara do anything she didn’t want to do, I’d say you’re a fool.”
“That’s what I thought. But just you wait. Or you could always bail. I mean, it’s a little weird to be coming to a school reunion this early on, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know,” an older voice cut in. “A year and a half sounds about reasonable to me. Katara, thanks for updating me on Sokka. I appreciate it.” Katara, now standing next to Zuko and away from Jet, smiled at her father as he stood in front of the three of them. “Zuko, always a pleasure to see you.” He pulled the younger man into a brief hug. “Good to see you, too, Hakoda.” The teacher turned to the third member, voice and face notably colder. “Jet. Enjoy the party, all of you.” And he waded into the loose crowd.
Zuko offered a hand to Katara. “Well, care to introduce me to some of your classmates?”
“Of course,” she replied, placing her palm in his. “Nice to see you, Jet.”
“Uh, yeah. Same to you.”
Zuko gave him a jaunty two-finger salute from the forehead. “Nice talking with you, buddy. Enjoy the party.”
Jet just glared, and Zuko had to keep him from laughing. He leaned down to Katara’s ear. “Please tell me you have more ex-boyfriends I can annoy.”
She turned, her face so close to his, as she replied, “Unfortunately, no. There are, of course, multiple hearts I broke, but most of them were actually nice.”
“Then why break the pattern with Jet, of all people.”
Katara shrugged. “You don’t always see a mistake before you make it.”
Gently bumping her shoulder with his, he replied. “Fair enough.”
*
Katara tried not to panic as the dinner ended and spun into dancing. Zuko was too good at this. She knew that both his jobs required him to charm people, but she didn’t know when he had gotten good at it. Well, not good like a politician is good at charming. It all felt so real, the way he was genuinely interested in Haru’s moustache care or how he listened to Jin talk about her full classrooms of adorable kids. He still stumbled over words - he was still Zuko - but no one seemed to care, least of all him.
When he asked her dance for a slow song, she regretted having asked him to come the way she did, but it was too late now.
“This is nice.”
He only hummed in reply, the note vibrating in his chest. With her ear pressed against his sternum, she could swear she could feel it.
“You were so charming. How do you manage it? It can’t be just all that council practice; I see you enough times when you come home from a session.”
He chuckled, another pleasant vibration against her face. “I just comfort myself with the knowledge that, given how few of them I met before tonight, even just as your friend, I don’t have to see these people for another five to ten years, whenever they schedule the next reunion. It makes it a lot easier to let the mistakes roll off my back, because they’ll have forgotten by then.”
Katara pulled back. “You would come to another of these with me?”
“Of course, Katara.”
She leaned close, still swaying to the music. “Real or for tonight?”
His eyes widened, but he didn’t immediately say anything. Disappointed, and shocked she was so disappointed, she tucked her head back on his sternum. “I’m sorry. That was, unfair, of me to ask.”
“No, it just, surprised me. I didn’t expect you, well.” He paused. “Do you want it to be fake? Because if not, we can ditch this popsicle stand and get some real ice cream and get talking in peace.”
“Getting ice cream sounds nice.”
“You gotta remember to take it slow though; don’t want to get hurt going to fast in trying something new.”
“Of course. It’s the best way to appreciate what you chose.”
As the song ended, Zuko pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Then, Sugar Queen, lets go get you some super chocolate fudge.”
“Aww, you remembered!”
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The Art Of Remembrance (Part 32)
Azula cringes as she pulls her foot up. It comes free with a wet slurp and some of the sludge splashes onto her face.
“Gross.” Zuko comments. He is more caked in mud than she, likely because each time his foot gets stuck he cusses and flails about until Katara waterbends him free.
“You have to stop that, Zuzu.” She comments. “It only makes things worse.”
“I didn’t realize that you were worried about me.”
“I’m not.” She shrugs. “I am worried about the amount of mud you are slinging into my hair.” She picks out a dried chunk for emphasis.
“Sorry.” He mutters with a slight blush.
“So, swamp or tundra?” Toph asks.
“Death by platypus-bear mauling.” Azula grumbles.
“Ugg…” Mai wanders up, “I’ll take one platypus-bear mauling too.”
“You guys have no appreciation for the good things.” Toph comments with an exaggerated satisfied sigh. “This is the life.” She flops herself down, arms tucked behind her head, into a puddle of silt.
Azula’s nose bunches up. Sokka bursts out laughing. “Toph, you should see their faces right now! Even TyLee is horrified.”
“Please tell me that we’re getting close. I think that I have a pentapus stuck to the back of my leg.” Katara winces.
Azula shakes her head. “You’d know if we were.” She isn’t the type to shout gleefully, but she can almost see herself doing so upon getting out of this putrid, stagnant water.
“Hey guys, check this out!” Aang exclaims.
“What the hell is that?” Zuko asks.
“I don’t like it.” Azula frowns.
“I think that it’s kinda cute.” Aang says. In his arms he cradles one of the petapus that have been harassing Katara. But this one has a sixth tentacle and rather vicious looking teeth.
“Maybe if you’re the sort of guy who thinks that piranha-eels are cute.” Mai comments.
“They kind of are…” Aang trails off.
Azula can’t help but feel faintly unnerved. Perhaps it is mere coincidence but she can’t help but wonder if the Vine Research Facility has been conducting research on the swamp’s wildlife. She rises back to her full height and clears her throat. With everyone’s attention back on her she speaks, “There are several compounds located throughout this swamp. I am not certain that all of them are directly linked with myself and the deaths of Jeon Jeong and Chan.” She takes pause to let it sink in. “I believe that we should break off into groups; Mai, TyLee and Zuko in the first group. Aang, Katara, and Toph in the second. Sokka and I will be in a third group…” she notices him cringe.
She doesn’t let the frown she is feeling work its way onto her face. No matter, there are things that she wishes to discuss with him in private and this may be the only chance she can buy herself for a while. She would rather not enter any compounds with other matter cluttering her mind.
“We will each take a team of imperial firebenders. But I recommend leaving them to wait while you check the facilities. Stealth is key.” As an after thought she adds, “does anyone have a problem with this plan?”
Sokka clears his throat and she feels her heart sinking. “Aang, Katara, and I have been in this place before, so we know what to expect. I think that Katara should go with Zuko and Mai and that Tylee should go with Aang and Toph. That way everyone has someone who knows what to expect.”
The nervous jitters subside. “Yes, that is a good point, thank you Sokka. Are there any other problems?”
“Sounds like a sturdy plan to me.” Toph shrugs.
“Wonderful.” Azula replies. “If you find your facility today, the goal is to enter it and determine the type of research that takes place within it without being seen and then report back. We will only begin storming the place and making arrests after all three compounds have been found.” She holds her hands on her hips as she glances from one person to the next. “We will meet back at camp during the night to discuss findings. Having set up in the heart of the swamp, this shouldn’t be too difficult.” She pauses once more, “Katara mentioned a tribe that lives in this swamp, apparently they like to migrate around a lot. If you should come by them, see if they know anything of the compounds.”
Though Azula is hesitant to ask anything of them after Katara noted that they have rather...primitive lifestyles and speak rather illiterately.
.oOo.
“I don’t know what I did this time.” Sokka mutters. “Actually, I sort of do, I was talking to Katara about it.”
“You Katara about that!?”
“I needed advice. I figured that your a woman and she’s a women...” he trails off. “But then I remembered that you’re...really different.”
“And what did she say?” Azula inquires.
“That I should have just answered your question.”
“Yes, you should have.” She replies. “I would rather just have you tell me no than…” She gives a soft grunt as she yanks her foot out of the sludge.
“I wouldn’t.” Sokka says.
Azula crinkles her brows. “Of course you wouldn’t. You like to sugar coat things and ‘spare my feelings’. Everyone likes to…”
His expression is curiously kind. “I wish you would trust me.”
“I’m not good at that.” She mutters.
He brings their walking to a halt. “Ask me again.”
“Ask you again?”
He nods.
She isn’t sure that she enjoys this game and almost wishes that she had chosen to put Zuko in their party. Reluctantly she asks, “do you love me.” It is harder the second time, much more awkward and much less natural.
He brushes her bangs out of the way, she hadn’t even realized that the swamp has plastered it to her face. His right hand cups her cheek and his left tilts her head up. He presses a gentle and drawn out kiss to her lips.
He pulls back and smiles at her. “Do you want a vocal answer too or was that good enough?”
She coughs, “that will do just fine.”
She admires him for being able to kiss her lips for so long even with them being musky with swamp water. She supposes that, that alone is proof enough for her.
“Good.” He smiles and gives her damp hair a ruffle.
“That’s so cute.” One if the imperial firebenders remarks.
She cuts them a glare and then looks back to Sokka. “We’ll continue this conversation on our own time.”
He takes his hand in hers. Suddenly, walking through the swamp is much more bearable. Though the mosquito-flies still make a morsel of her and the fetid waters still soaks her clothes, she begins to feel more at ease.
It no longer goes around and around in her head, the possibility that she has lost Sokka. Even if he hadn’t kissed her she wouldn’t have wanted to lose him as a friend.
She inhales—taking it a potent whiff of bog water and fish—she can enter the compound with a clear head and nothing else on her mind.
“So what am I to expect from this swamp?”
“Anything honestly. It manifests fears and things you desire.”
“Of course it does.” It is just what she needs before entering a place where her fears truly reside.
She is that much more thankful that she won’t be alone. She tightens her hold on his hand.
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Can we please not tear ships down or character bash because of our agendas?
This somehow became super long...sorry.
Wanna know what Mai and Aang have in common?
They are normally the two biggest recipients of, honestly, really stupid accusations.
Aang is apparently abusive in that he kissed Katara once while she wasn't very consenting to it at the time.
He's 12 and does stupid things but please hold him accountable for all time despite how disappointed in himself he looked right after. He didn't even pursue her after she stepped back. He saw his error and pulled away.
He apparently doesn't care about Katara? Despite literally giving up his chance to take full control of his avatar state just to go save her from a vision that may or may not have been real. I mean he could have just been like...ok...meh...Idc. Avatar state yip yip!
Then in LOK he just used her as a baby maker...never mind that apparently Katara had enough power or sway to outlaw bloodbending. Plus...guys...she's old when we see her in that series and has always been more family centered.
Not saying she became just a regular housewife after she married Aang but as stated before, she old! She's been through enough and if she wants some peace and solitude after dealing with the loss of her Friends, her Brother, and her Husband than...let the woman be pls. Even Toph didn't really want to fight anymore since old age had finally cought up with her and she's younger than Katara! If she doesn't want to fight but instead heal, let her do as she pleases. Plus you all sound like being a housewife and taking care of your children is a death sentance. Not all fighters are in the battle all the time.
Somehow Aang is also depicted as only seeing Katara as a trophy...Honestly I don't see how this got so convoluted but anyone who saw the series can say he doesn't think or her that way. He loves her, sees her as his best friend, and as probably one of the best masters to ever teach him. He's shown her tremendous respect as a friend, pupil, and love interest. He's listened to her and has grown from her wisdom.
Its also just crapping all over Katara as a character when people have this line of thinking. She's stronger than that, and would never be a prize to anyone, not even the avatar. If she wants to be with him she will. Kinda like how in the last episode when Aang walks out, she follows and is the one to kiss him.
I've always seen them as opposites, not in elements but in personalities. Also their similarites tend to correlate too!
Katara is at times a stick in the mud and Aang helps her have a childhood with the fun he brings her. She's had to grow up fast and undertake a lot of chores around her village. She's strong and outspoken, at times very loudly. She's passionate, even in the face of supposed peril, where there is no way she can prevail. She's strong and cares for others, almost to a fault since she took up precious days till the eclipse to help firenation people she didnt know.
Aang is a playful soul that hates being tied down. He'd rather have fun, and has been raised to seek leisure instead of responsibility. Its because of this that makes him so childish, until he meets her and is shown that his destiny is to bring balance to the world. He may not be physically strong but like Katara he isn't weak willed. He's passionate about protecting people and bringing harmony back to the four nations. While his passion isn't quite so loud, he can inspire people.
She's helped curb his childishness, and has helped instill in him responsibility. She won't let him shirk things off or procrastinate. She even was willing to let Aang learn waterbending without her because it was for the greater good.
Through these actions she's helped Aang embrace his old soul vibe and have it feel justified. He sees through her that what he does now will have an impact on the world and he best be getting to it.
I've always seen them as a couple that is silly, cute, and can get things done. I can see them being older and being more familiar with each other and it can lead to them having very intense intimate energy. I mean in the series, they're kids so...not really into thinking about them that way at that age. They can communate well so, there will be less fights and a lot of understanding. Definitely not boring.
As for Mai well...apparently people just don't understand her sense of humor and personality. She's got dry humor and is very direct in a lot of things. She doesn't sugar coat things and shys away from expression a lot of times.It somehow comes off as abusive?
Her telling Zuko to never break up with her again is supposed to be a joke, seeing as the last time he did, she literally had to save his bum from being boiled alive...
Then you have the infamous scene where they were together again after season 2 and while Zuko angsts, Mai tries to redirect his thoughts from such dark depths. Honestly, what do you say to that? Should you say its going to be ok? Because that just seems empty amd shallow.
Plus Mai, being emotionally stunted, doesn't really know how to navigate emotional waters. You also have to keep in mind that they finally get to have a conversation after all these years so obviously they aren't going to really know one another and how to communicate well.
So her not coddling and not letting him angst over things neither of them can know or deal with till it actually happens is dismissive of his abuse? I don't thinks so. Its honestly saying we will have to wait and see how things have changed once you are actually back home, so lets not dwell on them so much.
Of course, then you have her bringing up what happened last time Zuko was in a war meeting which is somehow abusive too. You know, its the same thing Iroh brought up in season 1 Ep. 3. So Iroh is abusive too now. It feels like people are saying don't bring up someone's abuse, ever, even if its to help them from potentially repeating the same pain.
She's trying to stop him caring and in her very direct way says that its not worth the pain of what could happen again if he attends. She's genuinely worried about him and doesn't want him hurt more physically or emotionally.
Then they like to say Mai doesn't care about Zuko really and that she just likes his status. They also say she's abusive with how she doesn't like anything he does for her. The biggest scene used is from the Beach showing Mai non-plussed by him giving her a shell and ice cream.
For one, Zuko wasn't acting like Zuko at all that first bit of the episode. He didn't take into account what Mai liked as apposed to what other girls liked. I mean while Ty Lee may like the shell, does that mean every girl has to like it otherwise they're a complete bish? Also...who here likes having ice cream fall on them? Honestly Mai could have made a huge deal about getting it on her but chose to crack a wry, but as always, dry joke about it.
Also please note that in this same episode Mai deals with an abusive S/O very correctly. Zuko's been acting off and it culminates with him pushing a guy back who happened to be talking to her. He makes a scene and insults her in front of everyone once she calls him out on his actions. Does she get even and call him worse? Nope. She simply says that their relationship is over and thats it. Though she looks conflicted by this, she stands firm despite Zuko trying to get handsy with her twice later in the episode. She holds him accountable but says she still loves him. I'd have an issue with this if they didnt have Zuko tell her and everyone whats been eating at him so long.
If she didnt know whats been making him act so hostile and crazy then how can she know that Zuko's not just an abusive jerk showing his true colors after all this time. Not saying that it made his actions right, but I feel her knowing the why instead of leaving it a mystery helped Mai reason through forgiving him.
As for her just wanting the power of his position, thats just really, really, really, lazy. She's from a noble family and is friends with the firenation princess...or as I like to say, unfortunately trapped in Azula's orbit. She'd be well off as it is if she kept her connection to Azula, but she didn't. She chose to go against a firebending prodigy, essentially turning her back on the firenation and her family to save the jerk who dumped her by letter.
Nope! Mai doesn't give a Flamio about Zuko himself. She just wants his title.
Opposites seem to attract and in this case its definitely with personalities since...ya know...Mai can't bend elements.
Zuko is passionately driven to a scary degree. He's hyper focused on finding the avatar despite the 100 years no one's seen them. He can be hot tempered and easily set off. He cares for people even to the point he'd rather starve than rob pregnant couple for food. He's brash, and doesn't think things through.
Mai is quietly, but strongly passionate for Zuko, even if its detrimental to her as with challenging Azula. She has learned to keep her temper and other emotions under lock and key, and is not easily set off. She cares about those she's put time and energy into. She's fairly classy, choosing her words wisely and she's definitely done a lot of thinking about what she wants or needs to do as far as her actions.
Zuko's shown that its ok to be expressive, and that its ok for her to do so. He wants to see her free of her parents emotional abuse so that she won't be so guarded.
Through Mai's personality, she's helped temper....Zuko's temper. He won't be so quick to flip his lid and do things without thinking them through. Like fire to a knife Zuko's helped make Mai burn bright and she's given him a sheith for his wild emotions.
I've always seen them as the quiet but intense love kinda couple. They may not have the best communication skills and this could lead to a lot of arguments but their love for one another is stronger. Eventually the sands of time will smooth them, break down walls and allow them to understand one another better.
I'm all for pretty much any ship in atla, and I love how fanfiction can actually help strengthen my love for it more than the actual show. The creativity and OOC that some writers pull off can be amazing and help you really like a character in a certain way or open your eyes to a new pairing.
However, if you wanna like ships, like them because you can, but don't go and take obviously innocent things and blow them out of proportion.
Here is convoluted, misconstrued, out of context information to say person X is evil and shouldnt be with person Y. W shouldn't be with person Z....therefore, Person Z and Person Y should be together because their partners are obviously abusive.
The...What? Three to maybe five episodes of screentime together as begrudgingly budding friends is enough to show exactly how they will be if they got together. Which these episodes can bring about interestingly creative ideas, however people act like that this is the definitive reason Z/Y should be together and any other pairing with the other two is completely abusive.
Just to be clear...if you like Zutara, thats great, I do too. I can imagine them in any number of ways. Them being enemies to lovers, or knowing each other before becoming star crossed lovers, or everythings all good in the univers and they love each other so so much!
However, in none of these headcannons do I see the need to bash Aang or Mai. I don't need to come up with stupid reasonings for Zuko and Katara to be together. If I want them to be together in a story or piece of art, I'll do it and be classy about it. I won't have Katara say Aang assaulted her and fly into Zuko's arms, pushing Mai down saying she's a manipulative bish. Because...she and Aang aren't.
At all.
Im just tired of the mental gymnastics shippers go through to spread hate for one ship so they can have another. Half the time its not even true facts but just people seeing it from an angle that aligns with their agenda.
If you like something, you like it, but don't crap on other ships or characters wrongly to justify it.
Sorry if this is a mess but god, seeing most of these accusations against Aang had me honestly cringing. I thought it was mainly against Mai because...she got Zuko and isn't bubbly, motherly, and...well Katara. So when Anti-Kataang reasons somehow showed up on the old dash, I felt my faith in humanity plummet.
Like...I hope you guys can sleep well at night knowing you've literally slandered a cinnamon roll who's in touch with his feelings, something most of you would protect if it where for any other ship. Like people just starting the series potentially arent going to be too keen on Aang himself at all simply because of this misinformation. But no...just to have one ship you equated this kid to a sexually abusive monster. Good job. 10/10. Slow 👏 for you guys. Be proud.
#zutara#maiko#kataang#anti-zutara#anti-maiko#anti-kataang#atla#a small rant at stupid reasons.#so done with charcter bashing#ship what you want#but dont be an ass about it
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[ a/n: alright, this is my last entry for @klangst-week. thanks everybody for all the likes and reblogs! it keeps me writing, and it’s just nice to see people enjoying what i’m putting out! also, the works everyone’s created have just been amazing, so keep it up, y’all! ]
title: impulse control
words: 3,547
prompt: secrets/betrayal
rating/genre: T for language, modern au, college au, angst & hurt/comfort with a tinge of humor
trigger warning(s): mental illness (implied depression and anxiety), depersonalization, mentions of injury (bruises and blood)
extra notes: keith and shiro are adoptive brothers (it’s mentioned very briefly), klance is established
Yes, he works in the most hipster coffee shop within a twenty mile radius of campus. And yes, he loves it. Sure, The Underground sounds more like a sketchy bar you’d find in an alleyway that may or may not host fight clubs every other night, and yeah, it kinda smells like pencil shavings even after he mops the floors three times at opening, but at least it has character. Most people would roll their eyes at the always pretentious shop-goer in their thrift store clothing and knit hats, but Lance can’t help but find them interesting. Not that it surprises anyone.
Lance became famous around campus after only one year of being a— totally amazing, if he may say so himself— residence hall assistant. Almost anyone who lived in Levine Hall found a friend in Lance McClain. Eager to please and even more eager to befriend, it’s no secret that he falls in love with almost every social interaction he can muster up.
So he really doesn’t mind if a customer wants to discuss their latest film project, and he’s always happy to adhere to any non-dairy milk preference. Though he doesn’t have a septum ring to match his coworkers’ and he’s a bit too smiley for the spoken poetry nights they host on the stage in the back, that doesn’t stop anyone from placing a dollar in the tip jar after he compliments their tattoos or ends a pleasant conversation with a smile and a wink.
The night shift is easy enough to work. People stop entering the cafe sometime after ten, staying their welcome to study on the couches and leaving before closing. Lance’s manager insists Lance work the front while Floyd takes on the side work. So the remainder of Lance’s shift is spent leaning his elbow against the counter and letting his fingers fall one-by-one against his cheek. He tells leaving customers to enjoy the rest of their night as they leave behind a buzz of idle chatter and a ding of the door. Once the cafe clears out, all that’s left is the sounds of Floyd sweeping the floors and an acoustic song from some band that Lance thinks should have never left their basement.
“Am I free to go, bossman?” Lance asks, drumming his hands against the counter, wiggling his hips in time with the beat as his eyes dart between Floyd and the analog clock on the wall.
“You’re good to go,” Floyd nods, sliding Lance’s wallet across the countertop.
With a happy sigh, Lance punches a few buttons on the register, pulling the drawer out and placing it in the office in the back before clocking himself out and grabbing his keys from the hook. The second he does, his phone rings from its spot in his jacket pocket. Slipping it into his palm, he drags his thumb across the screen and cradles it between his ear and his shoulder. “Perfect timing! How’s it hangin’, Pidgeotto?”
“Lance! Hey, um…” The way Pidge says ‘Lance’, high pitched and cracking, tells him he’s about to get bad news. Before he can stop her, Pidge is already stringing together a plethora of subject changers that just seem ridiculous given that the two of them weren’t on a particular subject to begin with.
“Pidge,” Lance interrupts partway through some bullshit commentary having to do with the ‘crazy weather we’ve been having.’ Lance knows that no one has to explain climate change to Pidge, given its something she rants about at least twice a day. “What’s going on?”
“Yeah, okay… Um, we’re at Black Spot… And, uh— Hunk… Hunk, would you— No, grab him! Jesus… “
“What happened?” His sigh is heavy as he closes the door behind him after giving Floyd a curt wave, already headed toward his car. The Black Spot never means anything good, ever. Why his boyfriend so loves the town’s shadiest bar is beyond Lance; he doesn’t exactly find peeling paint and stained floor boards charming. And the muscled biker guys that do nothing but take up space at the bar to glower at the assorted whiskeys along the wall and ramble about their Navy days— or something like that— don’t exactly put Lance in the partying mood.
“Lotor happened.”
“Oh, God…” Lance drags a hand down his face before pinching the bridge of his nose.
He doesn’t need context. Any instance in which Lance’s current boyfriend and Lance’s ex-boyfriend are in the same room usually results in disaster. And a night in the E.R. And, lo and behold, by some cruel twist of fate, these disasters are becoming more and more frequent in recent months. Lance is half convinced that they’re destined to kill each other, like Lotor is Tybalt and Keith is a far less flamboyant Mercutio. Lance refuses to be the Benvolio in this situation. “Just stay put. I’ll be there in a sec.”
A near collision and a half-assed parallel parking job later, Lance walks himself outside the bar, feeling exceptionally underdressed as the Winter weather dusts over his arms. He has to push himself through a crowd of people waiting to be let in by the bouncer before he sees a head of familiar wild hair. In her NASA sweatshirt and minimalist alien hat, Pidge looks like she belongs at a performance art showcase rather than a night out on the town, but Lance is too exhausted to comment on his friends’ poor fashion decisions. Even if that Hawaiian shirt is so not Hunk’s color.
Instead, his focus shifts onto his leather-clad boyfriend, and rather than point out the fact he looks like a Danny Zuko knock-off with a red beanie and black baby gauges in his ears, he steps forward with his arms crossed instead.
“Hey, Lance,” Pidge sighs, sounding somewhat relieved. Hunk is a bit busy grabbing at Keith’s shoulder every time he tries to take a step toward the street. Handling a Drunk Keith is like— as Keith would say in True Texan Spirit— herding cats.
“Hey,” Lance says briskly, marching passed Pidge to strap a hand on the collar of Keith’s jacket. “Lemme see.”
Keith huffs and turns his head, looking utterly indifferent as Lance’s eyes widen.
“Shit, Keith…” He squints a little, scanning over his boyfriend’s busted lip and the fresh patch of bruises, purples, blues, and reds bleeding from underneath one eye, across the bridge of his nose, and all the way under his other eye.
“It’s not that bad,” Keith slurs, holding up a wavering hand.
“Not that—!” Lance has to close his eyes and suck in a breath through his nose, counting to ten just like Mama McClain taught him, before he can open his eyes again. But his glare doesn’t disappear.
“Sorry, man,” Hunk all but mewls beside him, rubbing at the back of his neck in a flustered fashion. “I tried to pull them off of each other as soon as I could.”
“It’s not your fault, big guy,” Lance assures, turning to his best friend with a soft smile before glaring right back at his boyfriend. “It’s yours.”
“Why is it that all of a sudden—” Keith starts, but Lance knows better than to let him divert Lance’s attention.
“There’s no way Lotor with his pretty boy hands was the only culprit. Who the hell were you picking a fight with this time?”
Keith chews at the inside of his cheek, opting to take out his pent up anger on the ground as he fixes it with a fiery glare.
Pidge steps in for him then, pushing her circle glasses further up her nose. “The usual suspects.”
“Great,” Lance grumbles, never breaking his staring contest with Keith’s profile. “So now you wanna take on Lotor and his frat buddies. All of whom are very rich… And can hire very. Good. Attorneys.”
“Lance.” Hunk sets a hand on Lance’s back, offering a sympathetic look that makes Lance’s hunched shoulders deflate. “I know you’re mad, but do you really wanna do this out here?”
It’s then that Lance realizes he’s making a scene, the crowd of people on the street gawking in their direction. And he also realizes that it’s making Keith antsy. That’s apparent in the way he starts shifting his shoulders in every which way and pales a little in the face.
“We’re the ones who let your boyfriend off his leash,” Pidge admits, saying “your boyfriend” like he’s now completely Lance’s responsibility. Saying it like she hasn’t been Keith’s best friend since the fifth grade.
Lance fishes his car keys from his back pocket, still trying to cool off from the anger burning something fierce in his chest. “You guys enjoy the rest of your night, okay? I’m gonna take Keith back to the apartment.”
“Are you sure? We can come with you,” Hunk offers, the concern never leaving his eyes for a moment.
“No, seriously, it’s fine. Besides, I thought I saw a familiar little curly girly named Shay head into that other bar a couple blocks from here.”
Hunk reddens just a little, but nods in agreement as Pidge makes some complaint about being a third wheel. In a mess of goodbyes and repeatedly reaching for Keith’s hand— his opposition to PDA is counterproductive given that he can’t walk by himself without stumbling— Lance finally gets the chance to unlock his car and slide into the driver’s seat. Keith flops down into the passenger’s seat next to him, pulling one leg up to rest his foot on the polyester as he plays absently with the laces on his high tops.
The drive home is silent, mostly because Lance can’t think of a decent lecture that won’t end in a two-way silent treatment, something that’s proven to be agonizing given they’re the only two living in a one-bedroom apartment. After Lance parks, helps Keith climb the stairs, and fumbles with the key in the lock, Keith finds a spot in their too small kitchen, sliding down the lower cabinets to sit cross-legged on the floor. Because apparently he’s a household pet.
Lance rifles through the freezer, snagging a bag of whatever’s packaged and frozen before all but chucking it onto one of Keith’s thighs. Keith seems to get the message, picking it up and hesitantly pressing it to his multi-colored face. Lance finds the place on the floor across from his boyfriend and sits back on his thighs, staring. For a long while, the only sounds in the room are the hum of the refrigerator and their neighbor’s dog yipping through the walls.
“Are we gonna talk about this?” Lance says it more rhetorically than anything.
Keith swallows hard, trying to cover up half of his face with vegetable medley. His voice is muffled by the plastic when he says, “About what?”
Lance rolls his eyes, shaking his head. He has half the mind to storm off into the bedroom and leave Keith to tend to his own wounds. But being a middle sibling of six has taught him patience if nothing else, so he counts to ten again. “About why your face looks like a Goya painting,” he deadpans.
Keith fidgets under Lance’s gaze. His knuckles would be white if they weren’t bruised too. “You know how your asshole ex is.”
“Keith, you have got to pull your head out of the Middle Ages! I’m not some damsel in distress whose honor you have to defend.” Though Lance would admit it was hot the first time… But seeing Keith beat up with dried blood caked all over his features every other weekend is starting to look less suave and James Deany and more thoughtless.
Keith drops the bag of frozen vegetables. Then his nose twitches. To the untrained eye, it would go unnoticed, but Lance has been dating him for two years and three months. And a nose twitch means that Keith’s hiding something.
“But this has nothing to do with that, does it?”
“Lance, would you just let it go—”
“Okay, fine. You want me to let this one go? Then we can talk about last week. Or the week before that. Or the week before that.”
Keith tries for a glare then, a practiced stare that looks like flames are licking at his irises, but Lance is immune from prolonged exposure.
“And I know you’re not that drunk, so let’s not act like this was impulse alone.”
When Keith shrugs off his jacket and tosses it across the room, Lance sees that the bruises aren’t just on his face. His heart jumps up to his throat as the sound of the ice machine crunches in the background.
“Would you just tell me why you’re being more of a brooding edgelord than usual? Why do you have to be so emotionally constipated?” He places either hand on Keith’s shoulders, looking him dead in the eye. “Let me be your laxative.”
“You really have a knack for making up the world’s most disgusting metaphors.”
“It’s a gift. I’m thinking of turning it into a career path.”
“Stick to astrophysics.”
“Stop changing the subject.” It’s clear that neither of them is budging, so Lance just arches a brow and asks, “Do I have to call Shiro?”
Keith slams his back further into the cabinets with a groan. The older brother card is always the trump card. “Do not tell Shiro about this, please. I’m still getting lectures about my stupid cafeteria fights in high school.”
“Then tell me what’s going on! I thought when we said we were gonna be more open with each other, it was gonna be a two-way street. Correct me if I’m wrong.”
“Nothing’s going on, Lance, okay? I hate your ex-boyfriend and his stupid frat bro sidekicks, and I shouldn’t have had that last shot of moonshine, alright?”
While it is incredibly tempting to comment on the moonshine bit, Lance holds off. Because something else catches his eye. Crossing his arms over his chest, he refuses to break eye contact, giving Keith just a few more moments to tell him the truth. The clock ticks away, and there’s nothing. “You’re biting your lip,” he says finally.
“So?”
“So, one, stop it; it’s busted and you’re gonna hurt yourself. And two, that means you’re not telling me something.”
“Would you quit psychoanalyzing me!?”
Patience be damned. Something in Lance snaps then, something that makes his teeth grind and heat bubble in his chest. His fists tremble a little before he throws his hands out to his sides and starts getting to his feet. “Fine, you know what? Fine. Forget I asked. God forbid someone try to care about you, Keith, damn.”
He steps to leave, but as soon as he does, Keith clasps a hand onto his wrist and pulls just a little. The moment Lance turns his head, eyes sharp with ice and prickling rage, he feels his heart jump. The anger slowly trickles out of his system, sending a shiver down his spine. Keith looks a little broken, shoulders squared and eyes pleading in a way that’s so unlike him it makes something in the back of Lance’s head scream.
“I’m sorry, okay? I just… You’re gonna think I’m bat-shit.”
Lance exhales low and deep, turning fully and sitting back down across from Keith. He sets a gentle hand on Keith’s knee, trying to get him to make eye contact. “Try me.”
Keith’s mental illness has been the elephant in the room, always noticed but never talked about. Because Keith refused to talk about it. It took a full year’s convincing, mostly on Shiro’s end, just to get him to start seeing help. Some days he was a mess of the emotions he never learned how to process, and Lance would try his best to be there for him. Other days were better. Other days he was just silent and spacey and tried not to cry.
“No one knows this, okay? Not even Shiro, not even my goddamn shrink, so you can’t…” He trails off, and Lance tries to squeeze his knee in support.
“Keith… Keith, look at me…” When Keith looks up, his eyes are growing misty, pink rings already apparent on the brims of his eyes. “You know you can tell me anything.”
Offering a weak nod, Keith takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he forces himself to speak. “I just… I thought that maybe… Y’know how sometimes people… I don’t know, I thought if I was… Fuck.” He holds up his hands before Lance can say anything, blinking away whatever tears form in his eyes before he lets out a breath and continues. “I thought if I could feel, I don’t know, pain… If I could feel anything I’d stop feeling like…” Keith clamps his teeth down on his lower lip again. Whatever tears he blinks away only come back.
Lance sighs, reaching out his thumb to slip Keith’s lip from his teeth’s grasp. “Keith, you can cry—”
“No, I can’t,” Keith starts, though his voice trembles despite himself. “Because if I start I won’t stop. And I just— Fuck, I just need to say it.” Lance can practically feel the frustration radiating off of the other in waves. With a steady breath, he takes a hand in Keith’s, holding it to his chest and letting Keith know he has Lance’s full attention. Keith hisses in another breath and tries again. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me… Lately, it’s just like, like nothing is fucking real, and I can talk and hear and touch things, but it’s like I’m not really there. Like I’m in some weird dream world, and I’m just watching myself or something. Or like everything’s not really there, or maybe it is, and I’m just not a part of it… I don’t know, it feels like I’m going insane.”
“Keith…” Lance doesn’t know where to go from there, watching his boyfriend struggle around his words with a pain sinking into Lance’s chest.
“Sometimes I don’t think I even sound like me… Like when I talk, it’s some kind of automated computer message, y’know? And I went home for Christmas. And I thought… I don’t know, I thought being home and in my own bed might make me feel normal again. But it didn’t. And nothing feels normal, nothing feels… Damn it, I’m going insane.” That���s when Keith’s face twists, twists into something that’s a punch to Lance’s gut. And Keith is squinting his eyes closed, sniffling loudly before a sob emits from his throat.
“You know… You don’t have to be so strong all the time…” Lance says in a whisper, tucking a strand of Keith’s hair behind his ear.
Keith looks up at him, eyes watery as he sobs again, pressing his face into Lance’s chest. Lance wraps his arms around him instinctively, feeling Keith shake, choking and whimpering against him. Lance can only hold him closer, shushing him tenderly as Keith claws at the back of Lance’s shirt, gripping onto the fabric like he’ll disappear if he doesn’t. Each broken little noise that leaves Keith is another twist in Lance’s heart, and he doesn’t dare let go.
“It’s okay, you’re okay…” Lance coos, pressing tender kisses on the top of Keith’s hair. “You’re okay, baby… You’re okay…”
Keith doesn’t stop weeping, not until his throat is raw and all he can do is let silent tears roll down his cheeks as he snivels and tries to breathe normally again.
By the time he leans back, sniffling and rubbing under his eyes with the back of his palm, there’s a wet patch on Lance’s T-shirt. Lance doesn’t mind, too busy trying to read Keith’s expression, setting a hand on the back of his neck.
“Do you feel any better?” Lance asks softly, ducking his head into Keith’s line of sight.
Keith nods his head slowly, wiping his nose with the white cotton of his T-shirt with another wet snivel. “Sorry about your shirt.”
Lance snorts, rolling his eyes just a little. “I have other shirts.”
“Yeah.” Keith’s breath shudders once more as he collects himself and blinks the wetness from his puffy eyes, tears caught on his eyelashes. “I’m just sorry I—”
“No. No… We agreed no more apologizing about this.”
“No, you said ‘Keith, stop apologizing every time you cry.’”
“Okay, smartass.” Lance rises to his feet, offering his hands and pulling Keith up along with him. With a steady breath, he places a gentle kiss on the corner of Keith’s lips, mindful to avoid the forming scab. “Thank you… For sharing that with me.”
Keith nods solemnly, probably thinking something snarky about how Lance is talking like his therapist. So Lance goes for a subject change, placing his hands at the base of Keith’s neck.
“How about you wash your face and pick out a movie, alright?”
They spend the rest of the night tangled up in each other, Lance refusing to move his arms from Keith’s waist even as Keith awkwardly holds an icepack to his face. Eventually, they drift to sleep, heart beats pumping in time while Lance tries his best to whisper words of comfort.
“I love you… And you’re here. Even if your mind’s playing tricks on you. You’re here, and you’re with me. And I love you…”
#klangstweek2017#mental illness tw#depersonalisation tw#klangst#klance#voltron#my writing#look at me not abusing italics this time!!
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How much was azula and zuko blinded of the propaganda?I have seen someone say that" azula knew the propaganda was a lie and there evidence was the fire nation were willingly to burn ba sing sa to the ground so azula should have known better"
O_o um, no offense intended to that person but... where’s the evidence that Azula ever had any doubts about the Fire Nation’s supremacist views?
I can outright point at a key dialogue where Zuko blatantly proves he’s not blinded by his father’s propaganda: Book 1, episode 3. Zuko directly tells Zhao: “If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool!”, quoted right out of the wikia. So... heh. Zuko seems to be critical of his father, of his conquest, of his colonialist pursuits...
... And yet he proceeds to continue chasing the Avatar, fighting against him, outright committing treason against his own nation by releasing Aang but ONLY so he could be the one to turn him in personally, still saying things like “My honor, my throne, my country, I'm about to lose them all.” (Book 1, episode 13), telling Iroh “I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless.” (Book 2, episode 1), introducing himself in this manner: “My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne.” (Book 2, episode 7), and the list goes on :’) basically, insert everything nefarious or gray Zuko does through the three seasons, and factor in that Zuko has proven he doesn’t believe his father’s propaganda since early Book 1... you get the picture.
So... what that line in “The Southern Air Temple” ends up telling us is that all his actions are self-serving! :’D Which takes away from Zuko’s big speech to Ozai, namely when he says that the argument about the war spreading the Fire Nation’s greatness was an “amazing lie”. No, it wasn’t an amazing lie, and no, he didn’t believe it, at least he didn’t ever since the show began, as far as we saw. Therefore... I give no free passes to Zuko over any arguments that he was doing Ozai’s bidding or acting in his behalf. No one who says “my father is a fool” with such conviction in the show’s very THIRD EPISODE can pretend he was completely unaware of how wrong the Fire Nation’s direction was until he finally had his change of heart and awakening to the goodness of the world. He knew it was wrong. He did everything he did because it didn’t matter to him that it was, his throne and honor mattered more.
And considering I could quote at least three different instances where he talks about the throne as his own, or meant to be his own, I think it’s damn clear it was constantly on his mind. The only occasion when he says anything about wanting to do right by the Fire Nation itself is with Mai in the Boiling Rock... and by then he’s “redeemed”. Ergo, he’s supposed to know better at last. Before redemption? Zero signs that Zuko believes the Fire Nation needs new guidance and that he realizes the problem is Ozai’s propaganda and ideological indoctrination. That line in episode 3 suggests he KNOWS his father can and should be questioned, but later on he doesn’t betray any interest in doing so until he outright confronts him in The Eclipse. And that’s the thing: Zuko knows Ozai is bullshitting everyone, but it’s not his problem. That’s not why he’s doing what he’s doing. He’s not here to further spread Ozai’s gospel, he’s here to get the Avatar and earn his ticket back home, and he’ll do ANYTHING to achieve that.
Meanwhile, Azula... anyone can say she’s not blind to the horrors the Fire Nation has committed, that she’s an active participant of the war, that she’s her father’s enabler too... sure. But I don’t think ANYONE can say with any degree of certainty that Azula had broken out of the Fire Nation indoctrination on any level by the time we meet her in the show. Azula, as far as I’ve always seen her, is a product of her upbringing: she is sheltered, troubled, capable of dismissing any moral dilemmas in the face of any mission, absolutely unwilling to fail at anything she ever does. But really... where’s the evidence that she KNOWS the Fire Nation isn’t inherently superior to the others? Where’s the evidence that she knows Sozin’s doctrines are just excuses? I’m not saying she’s not smart enough to figure it out, I certainly write her that way myself... but I don’t think there’s anything you can point to in the show, the way there IS, objectively, with Zuko, to say “Yeah she’s 100% aware that the Fire Nation supremacist ideals are BS and she just follows fit with them because she wants a throne for herself.”
In contrast: how many times does Azula say the word “throne” in the show?:
“The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne, and which one is going to be bowing down.” (Book 2, Episode 20) -- not the Fire Nation throne, but Ba Sing Se’s. Ergo, a throne she took via strategic prowess... that she then abandoned and left in Joo Dee’s hands SOMEHOW (why... Azula, just... why?? xD) before returning to the Fire Nation instead of merely relishing in having obtained MORE POWER!
... That’s literally it.
Where Zuko constantly talks about “his throne”, Azula only displays genuine, overt, blatant interest in becoming Fire Lord when Ozai directly offers her the position. She doesn’t shy away from it at all, of course, but when she’s seen talking about her alleged future as Fire Lord, her wording is... curiously different from Zuko’s:
“My father asked you to come here and talk to me, didn't he? He thinks I can't handle the responsibility of being Fire Lord. But I will be the greatest leader in Fire Nation history.” (Book 3, Episode 20)
This isn’t even fully healthy Azula, so using her behavior here as representative for her genuine views is a tricky thing to do. And yet... she says she will be the greatest LEADER? She’s not looking at the throne as something she is owed, she’s looking at it as a challenge she needs to prove herself worthy of. She’s not looking at a crown or a throne exclusively: she’s looking at LEADERSHIP. She’s ambitious enough to think BEYOND obtaining the power, and instead she’s already thinking of how she’ll use it.
This is a fundamental difference between both Zuko and Azula. Azula’s motivation wasn’t the throne, or a crown, or anything like that until the finale. If she’d wanted more political power, like I always say, she would’ve stayed in the Earth Kingdom and ruled over Ba Sing Se herself, getting high on the thrill of finally controlling a nation of her own. She’s the main artificer of the take-over, the Dai Li literally answer to her, and yet she didn’t stick around: she left the city for other people to deal with rather than going wild over her newly acquired power. Doesn’t this speak lengths about Azula’s priorities? And once she’s finally being offered the throne she does value, her troubled mind is set on LEADERSHIP. And while of course someone can argue she’s just vain and wants to be remembered forever, kind of like Zhao did, the question of what kind of leadership Azula has in mind is still worth asking: if she didn’t want the Earth Kingdom throne, it suggests she actually cherishes the Fire Nation above all else, and another nation’s throne doesn’t suffice or particularly prove fulfilling for her beyond the initial conquest. Prioritizing the Fire Nation, WITHOUT being Fire Lord yet, above Ba Sing Se’s throne... strongly suggests a belief that the Fire Nation matters more than anything else. And that’s basically what the Ozai propaganda impresses upon his people.
For further evidence... I present to you the Fire Nation Oath:
“My life I give to my country, with my hands I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our forefathers before him. With my mind I seek ways to better my country, and with my feet may our March of Civilization continue.” (Book 3, Episode 2)
Just one reading of this oath explains Azula’s actions and motivations immediately. Recapping her actions throughout the show:
She finds Iroh and Zuko under Ozai’s orders, attempts to take them home peacefully, then they rebel, she fights them and regards them as traitors, loses, still intends to continue chasing them after her defeat.
Gathers new allies for her quest, comes across the Avatar, decides to take him down, fails, decides she has two targets now.
Chases the Avatar, fights both him and Zuko, narrowly escapes before being defeated, all be it to fight another day.
Helps in the Drill’s operations in Ba Sing Se, nearly stops Team Avatar’s scheme, fails again once Aang finishes their plan perfectly.
Follows Appa, fights and defeats the Kyoshi Warriors, takes their uniforms, impersonates them and breaks into Ba Sing Se while no one’s the wiser.
Acquires crucial information about the enemies’ plans to attack her nation on the day of the Eclipse.
Acquires the support of the Dai Li, captures Katara, Zuko and Iroh, overthrows Kuei.
Offers Zuko one more chance to fight by her side, attempts to fight Aang and Katara by herself, then is shown willing to fight Zuko as well as those two until she joins forces safely with Zuko and they defeat Aang and Katara.
Takes Zuko home as a hero, he hides crucial information about the Avatar, Azula attempts to set up a trap so Zuko takes the fall if the Avatar isn’t dead.
Offers Zuko advice about not visiting Iroh so he stays out of trouble, which he disregards to no consequences.
Goes on a chaotic vacation with her friends.
Gives Zuko a history lesson with more than a few harsh burns.
Tells Zuko he should go to a war meeting, which he attends later to no consequences, and she was right to say he was expected to be in it.
Intervenes in the war meeting and cuts off Zuko before he says the wrong thing, Ozai extrapolates Azula’s suggestion into his perfect, megalomaniac villain plan, and she’s shown perfectly satisfied with supplying her father an idea he values.
Organizes and leads the resistance against the invasion, stalls the Avatar’s group, keeps her father safe.
Visits the Boiling Rock, presumably upon finding out her brother infiltrated the prison, and in all likelihood suspecting he didn’t do it alone, considering that she immediately barges into the interrogations about the escape attempts rather than appearing at Zuko’s holding cell.
Fights Sokka and Zuko, nearly dies when the Warden decides to cut the line but saves herself by flying off, loses her shit when Mai betrays her, gets chi-blocked, sends her friends to prison.
Attacks Team Avatar in the Western Air Temple, takes a near-fatal plummet but still manages to survive and return home while the enemies escape.
Intends to go with Ozai to set fire to the Earth Kingdom, loses her temper, Ozai loses his, he offers her the role of Fire Lord and becomes Phoenix King.
Loses herself to paranoia gradually, hallucinates her mother, pushes everyone away, agrees to fight an Agni Kai with Zuko instead of merely commanding to be crowned disregarding Zuko’s intrusion.
Loses the fight against Katara, is sent to an asylum.
I think there’s quite a lot in here that suggests Azula’s actions are meant to uphold the values and beliefs of the Fire Nation Oath. She gave herself completely to her missions, to the point of even facing deadly peril more than once. She fought many battles, lost a LOT of them, and yet she never backed down. She is by far the most strategic character in the Fire Nation side of the story, switching her tactics constantly while the show progresses... and what is she after? Victories. For whom? Herself? Why... again, if it were just for herself, why abandon Ba Sing Se, the crown jewel of the Earth Kingdom’s Ultimate Conqueror? Why allow Zuko to share in that big achievement, too, instead of merely locking him up someplace and taking all the credit for herself?
There’s seriously zero reason to believe Azula DOESN’T live by the Fire Nation Oath. I, personally, don’t see how any of her actions indicate she’s questioned her nation’s indoctrinated creed in any way. Do I think she’s smart enough to know that the war wasn’t about spreading “greatness”? Sure. Does this automatically mean she was doing everything she ever did for herself, and not for the Fire Nation AND her father? Absolutely not. And that’s where Zuko and Azula are crucially, fundamentally different: Zuko’s concerns are PERSONAL. Zuko’s battles are PERSONAL. Zuko wants HIS honor, HIS throne: Azula never says any similar words in the entire show. Azula’s biggest display of ambition is claiming she wants to be the Fire Nation’s greatest leader. Ambitious, yes, BUT... an ambition that is perfectly in line with the oath, again, especiall with this line: “may our march of civilization continue”. Whereas Zuko’s words and actions throughout the show honestly don’t strike any legitimate chords with the Oath, as far as I can tell?
And I’m relying on the Oath because it’s literally the only solid evidence we have of actual creed and speeches the Fire Nation people are taught. While we can make plenty of guesses as to what else their education includes, by judging Fire Nation people’s actions and behavior, the only solid things we have are the misinformation the teacher attempts to give the children in Aang’s classroom and the Oath she makes the children recite. I think it’s safe to guess most Fire Nation people would know that Oath by heart, and probably attempt to live by it, too.
But like I said, where Azula’s actions can easily be interpreted as morally awful ways of displaying the “values” present in the Fire Nation Oath, I don’t see how Zuko’s actions EVER had anything to do with those values. They plain didn’t. And that isn’t a bad thing, objectively speaking: it means Zuko wasn’t insanely attached to the Fire Nation to the point of valuing it above his own life, after all. And yet, it puts a spin on Zuko’s actions and behavior that definitely doesn’t do his character any favors: no, his actions aren’t motivated by the Fire Nation Oath or any similar creed, they’re motivated, above all else, by the hopes that his father will return his birthright and honor to him. And his redemption is, of course, coded as him realizing that Ozai doesn’t get to decide whether he has honor or not! Which... again... is a blatant way of saying that Zuko’s true motivation wasn’t “doing Ozai’s bidding and advancing the Fire Nation’s war”, it was his honor, his throne, and everything to do with what he’d lost after his banishment. The whole show is full of obvious signs that Zuko’s not motivated by any beliefs greater than this -- such as the fact that he returns home as a hero and it feels WRONG to him. It’s not only because his father now respects him under the false pretenses that he killed the Avatar, but also because he plain feels out of place and isn’t happy at all! Why? Because he “got everything back”, and it feels off. Why is it off? Because he wants honor and he doesn’t feel like he regained it at all in the first half of Book 3. Then he turns his back on his father and chooses a whole different path and he’s finally at peace with himself, so much he can’t even bend anymore :’D but the point is, simply, that there’s no evidence anywhere within the show that Zuko honest to gods was acting out of anything but his own, personal needs rather than a constant pursuit for the Fire Nation’s advancement.
And like I said before, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It probably makes his redemption “easier”, to a fault, since there’s less to address. Do I like it? No. Do I think Zuko is fundamentally a better human being than Azula because he questioned Ozai and she didn’t? Considering how many awful things he still did while proving he could question his father, not a chance. Do I think Azula is fundamentally a better human being than Zuko since her actions do seem to follow fit with what Fire Nation indoctrination looks like? Considering what that indoctrination entails, and the deeds she proves capable of to uphold it, the answer would once again be “not a chance”.
In short: neither buying the Fire Nation indoctrination or questioning it makes either Azula or Zuko objectively better people. Both are capable of amoral deeds and actions that should never be supported, encouraged or excused :’D and while I absolutely will impress that they have different motivations, which codify their actions, I don’t think Azula’s deeds would be objectively any worse if someone SOMEHOW finds solid evidence that she truly didn’t believe in any of these doctrines, just as I don’t think Zuko’s would be any better if it’s proven (though... I’d be pretty sure it can’t be) that he’s just as brainwashed as everyone else in the Fire Nation.
On a final note, directly answering your final concern there: both Zuko and Azula are shown reacting to the notion of Ba Sing Se being burned to the ground. Heck, Ursa is shown reacting to it too. If we need a refresher...
If this is somehow proof that Azula “understands” the FIre Nation is evil (How? She’s laughing like it’s a perfectly happy revelation? So is her mother? So is her brother? How does someone watch this scene and interpret this as “this messed up family KNOWS they’re the BAD GUYS!”, rather than “this messed up family thinks burning a city down is GOOD?!”), then it’s also proof Zuko and Ursa do. And they still laugh just as she does.
If the person in question was talking about Azula’s intervention in the war meeting? Zuko’s reaction shows he thinks burning down a continent is evil. Zuko’s betrayal of the Fire Nation shows he didn’t want anything to do with that (his reluctance to share this information with Team Avatar, however, is highly illogical?). Azula’s behavior doesn’t suggest at all that she thinks burning an enemy nation is anything but a sign of superiority, something both Ursa and Zuko are totally fine with in the scene above, and her suggestion, yet again, is something that is perfectly in line with the Fire Nation’s morally reprehensible values. As such, it’s not something that proves Azula somehow was acting of her own accord and is immune to Fire Nation indoctrination and propaganda, by any means.
So.
I’d think that answers that. :’)
#thea-here#yikes this got long#but#hopefully as it's so late#it won't bother anyone's dashboards#if it does let me know#and I'll read-more it#:'D#but really#why do people try to make arguments that can be deflated in a heartbeat#like...#I rambled on and on because I love to?#but man#there's zero substance in that theory#zero logic#zero analysis#*shrug*#just the truth
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