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tarisilmarwen · 5 years

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Tari’s Top Twenty OTPs - #6

OTP: Zuko/Mai

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Zuko: Firstborn son of Fire Lord Ozai and prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko was cast out and banished from his home after speaking out in a war meeting in defense of Fire Nation soldiers going to be callously sacrificed on the front lines, his father challenging him to a duel and then burning off half his face in punishment. Ozai charged the young prince with an impossible task–find the Avatar and bring him back in chains–as the only way to regain his honor and his place on the throne. Zuko is relentless in pursuing his goal, his desperation and need for his father’s approval driving him to determinedly chase Aang across the world. Over time, however, through his experiences and the good influence of his uncle Iroh, Zuko comes to the realization that everything he’s ever known is a lie, starts to overcome the abuse his father put on him, grow humbler and wiser, still retaining his noble core. Zuko breaks out of the roles set for him in order to define and shape his own destiny, and joins the Avatar to help bring peace and stability to a world at war.

Mai: Zuko’s friend and childhood sweetheart, Mai is a stoic, cynical girl who hides her emotions beneath a veneer of indifference. Years of emotional neglect and abuse from her own parents have left her without the ability to express herself or stand up for what she wants, and she passively follows along with Azula on their journey to capture Iroh and Zuko. Through her adventures, however, and especially after her reunion with Zuko, Mai starts to come alive, starts to express her feelings and break free from the walls and false shells she’d put up for herself. She becomes happier and more assertive, and eventually also rejects the propaganda of the Fire Nation to side with Zuko and help him escape.

Together: Despite or maybe even because of the emotional abuse both of them have suffered, Zuko and Mai are pretty much the only things that make each other genuinely happy. They were sweet on each other for a long time, and it doesn’t take long for them to reconnect when Zuko chooses to side with Azula in Ba Sing Se and come home to the Fire Nation. They can be prickly and fumbling with each other at times, but also help each other grow and influence each other in positive ways. Zuko helps Mai let her guard down, helps her learn to express herself and be open with her feelings. Mai becomes a trusted confidant for Zuko, encouraging and comforting him when he’s down, and being happy for him when things go well for him. They are immensely comfortable with each other, and can often be found snuggling together in absolute contentment.

How I Got Into The Fandom: See Aang/Katara’s entry.

When I Started Shipping Them: I sort of multishipped Zuko for a bit following Season Two with pretty much all the girls he’d had significant interaction with. (Minus Katara lol.) Zuko/Mai I’d always thought was pretty cute, because of their little kid crushes on each other, and then when Season Three came out and Mai and Zuko were an established couple, I was absolutely giddy. That, plus a helping dose of spite due to the hate they were getting from a certain unnamed group of fanon shippers, quickly made me into something of a Maiko stan, and I just rooted for them harder and harder the more of them being a couple we got to see.

Why I Love Them: You’d think with Zuko being an overdramatic angry angst machine and Mai being so emotionally stunted she doesn’t even recognize her abuse as abuse the two would be a complete disaster together, and they aren’t always perfect in how they relate to each other at first, but it is still an absolute joy to watch them figure out how to have a happy, healthy, wholesome relationship in spite of their issues. They mutually care about each other so, so much. Mai tries so hard to be a comfort to him. She’s the only thing Zuko regrets leaving when he defects. They trust each other enough to respect each other’s decisions, even when they seemingly don’t make sense. Mai is very “Starfire”ish in how she relates to him, bolstering him up and combating his intense self-hate with words of encouragement. And I’ve always kind of had a thing for childhood crushes growing up and getting together. I’m a sap, what can I say.

Three Favorite Moments:

1. Finale reunion.

The world is saved. Things are at peace. Zuko struggles alone by himself in his room, trying to get his robes on. From the door, a familiar sultry voice pipes up. The surprise and then joy and relief on Zuko’s face is adorable as he turns to see a smiling happy Mai leaning up against the wall. She comes over and–in a very domestic, married-like way–helps him put on his clothes, while making coy remarks about Zuko’s new royal station. Zuko, still very much regretting having broken her heart and left her when he defected, posits for reassurance that she doesn’t hate him. Mai gets an adorable blush and says, “I actually kind of like you.”

Which of course is the understated Mai-way of telling him she loves him and forgives him.

The two kiss, passionately, deeply, then break apart with adoring looks. Mai jabs a finger in his chest and warns him, “But don’t ever break up with me again!”, to which he gives a sheepish smile before they relax again and embrace, a moment of pure contentment and bliss as the morning breaks and a new age dawns.

2. “I love Zuko more than I fear you.”

Azula has always prided herself on being a “people person”, on being able to manipulate and predict people’s actions. Which makes it immeasurably satisfying when she’s caught completely off guard by Mai’s betrayal.

Mai is supposed to be the passive one. The one who keeps her head down and goes along with orders quietly. The one who doesn’t make waves. And oh boy does she make them at the Boiling Rock. Even though she’s angry and hurt by Zuko’s leaving her, even though he left her, deserted her, dishonored her, even though she doesn’t completely understand his actions or why he would betray the Fire Nation, she still loves him enough and trusts him enough to stand up for him and save him. And finds herself brave enough to confront one of her long-time abusers and tell her completely off.

Zuko inspires her to make her own Heel Face Turn, and it starts a chain reaction of events that lead directly to Azula’s breakdown and downfall. Epic with a capital ‘E’.

3. Couch snuggles.

“Nightmare and Daydreams” was an absolute gift of an episode I tell you. Aside from the adorable Aang/Katara interactions in the main portion, the episode featured a cute little B-plot (which would later turn out to be absolutely crucial to the plot and Zuko’s character development), with Zuko choosing to spend the whole day and well into the night canoodling with Mai. At her house. Alone. And for a good portion unsupervised. XD

They snuggle on the couch together, Mai leaning into him comfortably and Zuko gleefully throwing around his royal authority to spoil her. When Mai mentions there’s a war meeting coming, to which Zuko has apparently not been invited, the mood sours, however, and the rest of the night and most of the following two days become about Mai trying her hardest to lift Zuko out of his funk. She does her best, but Zuko refuses to be comforted and just sort of sulks around at her house being moody, still not leaving her presence even if she can’t do anything to help him.

He only snaps out of it when he’s sent for and invited to the meeting, upon which both he and Mai brighten, because she’s happy when he’s happy and down when he’s down, and she loves him so much and wants the best for him always.

#maiko #Zuko #Mai #avatar: the last airbender #shipping #talking bout ships #meta rambling #tari's top twenty otps

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