#I hate Ursa so much

[some-weebs-posts]

You ever liked a character, maybe even related to or simped for them, but then you read so many fanfics or weird "after-the-show" facts that it starts to warp how you see them and now they're Public Enemy Number 1 and you low-key start to hate their fictional guts and miss the good ol days when you liked this character?

#atla #the witcher #rise of the guardians #I hate Ursa so much #plus MiM can suck it #I've had enough with you Geralt and Yennefer. I can't believe you bullied my favorite bard like that #specifically Netflix witcher #and I started to hate JJ and Gideon like fr leave Reid alone. you can't keep playing with his emotions like that #criminal minds

[lookstairs]

Alright one thing I will never stand for is the Ursa hate

So many people (especially Azula fans) will write her off as an awful mother who favored Zuko and was abusive to Azula.

WHEN THAT COULDNT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH

She was a young woman who had to leave her life behind and was forced to marry a monster

She was a victim of both Ozai and Firelord Azulons quest for power. In spite of that she tried to be there for her children

BOTH OF HER CHILDREN

And before anyone starts with “She abandoned her children” or “She didn’t even try to be there for Azula” I’m just gonna say SHE DIDNT HAVE A CHOICE

If she didn’t listen to Ozai then Zuko would’ve been killed. Ozai has made it very clear that he sees Zuko as a failure and would have no problem getting rid of him.

And as for Azula SHE NEVER SAID SHE DIDN’T LOVE HER. Ozai was the one who played favorites, he’s the one taking Azula for extra training and filling her mind with all these harmful thoughts. Ursa was trapped in that palace with absolutely no power, if he said he favored Azula there was nothing she could do about it.

Now I admit she may have gone about things the wrong way and she did inadvertently make problems for her children BUT she was in a horrible situation. She had no friends, no family, and no way out. Oh and I doubt Ozai even considered asking for her consent at all during their marriage.

Yes, she wasn’t perfect but she tried to be the best mother she could.

So if you wanna hate anyone maybe we should hate the ABUSIVE ASSHOLE WHO WAS THE CAUSE OF ALMOST EVERY CHARACTERS TRAUMA

#this was inspired by someone on TikTok talking about how Ursa was an abusive mother #and somehow it was her abuse that lead to Azulas breakdown #like sure yeah it was Ursa who lead to that breakdown #not the evil dictator of a father that she had #and let’s be honest little Azula had issues but Ozai did not help her mental state at all #i hate him so much #the more I learn about him the more my hate grows #ofc not every Azula fan is like this but I’ve seen enough people try and use her breakdown as proof that she was a bad mom #atla ursa #ursa #avatar #avatar the last airbender #fire lord ozai

[hyacinths-in-a-storm]

Random modern AU headcannon I have, but when Azula was a kid she would skip out on school multiple times a week by pretending she was sick. Ursa knew every-time but still pretended to go along with it.

#i’ll say it again #I cannot have an modern day au without it being the fluffiest shit you ever did see #there’s already enough whump fics that make me cry my eyes out #I’m sorry but ursa and azula need to have a good relationship for my sake #this also based on the fact that I hated daycare so much that I would constantly call home saying my stomach hurt #ursa #azula #headcanon #atla #avatar the last airbender

[ask-ursa-tonypeter]

[fic: double blind] If there's not too many AU questions yet, the AU from one of the previous asks lives in my head rent free - the one where somehow (magic? probably magic) extremis!Tony and cured!Tony exist at the same time and the former realizes that Peter very much prefers the latter. So if it's ok, question for that extremis!Tony:

So what are you planning to do now, how will you go about "winning Peter back", so to speak? Will you do anything about the non-extremis-enhanced version of yourself? Will you still try to continue with your plans, or will this development cancel them/put them on hold? I'm so incredibly curious xD

I will… have to try to understand him. He doesn't… see the world the same way, and… if he can't accept my plans, in the end-- he has to come first. I… none of this is worth anything without him.

I need him to-- trust me, that I want the best for him, and… if he doesn't want what I'm offering, I'll have to-- give him what he does want instead. I can do that for him. Easily. Easily.

And when I've re-earned his trust we can revisit my plans, and I can make them new with his input-- it will be better that way. It will work. I can make it work.

#fic: double blind #au: double blind double dads #double blind: tony #ursa interlude: #he can't address the cured!Tony part because it makes him apoplectic with rage #he hates cured!Tony SO. MUCH. #but this whole AU only works if they can't kill each other because they deffo would otherwise #my thoughts are like... because the Endo-Sym suit has a psionic bond with SIM #it goes on the fritz when his brain starts to change as a result of the curing process #and then that and the curing process itself interface bizarrely/horrifically with Extremis's healing factor #trying to “fix” the “damage” that's happening #and that combo makes his body just like. reject the cured!Tony DNA and split off this whole other body. like a budding plant. #(or like that animorphs book where rachel has to expel the crocodile dna lmao) #(Peter staring in disgust/horror like. well that's not what I expected it to do) #but then anyway after that they're like same-pole magnets and can't touch each other but they still have some bullshit connection #where if one of them gets hurt it affects the other one too #so: NO FIGHTING. NO SHOOTING. NO THROWING SHARP OBJECTS #the opposite of a get-along shirt but with the same intended outcome.

[avisisisis]

Seeing so many people putting Azula and Zuko against each other bothers me a lot, because that's literally what Ozai did. How can you guys not see that? It's canon

Azula and Zuko were both terrible to eachother in multiple occasions (edit: actually, Azula was terrible to Zuko, but I didn't wanna get jumped by Azula stans so I made it seem like they were both bad. Sorry about that and thanks for correcting me), but they're both traumatized children fighting a war that started before they were even born. The war made them that way. Ozai made them that way

Azula was horrible to Zuko for most of his life, and that's canon. You can't deny it. But at the same time, it MOSTLY wasn't her fault

So, we know how Ozai clearly liked Azula more than Zuko did. But why is this? Zuko may not be as good as Azula in terms of bending, but he's not a bad bender. Ozai likes Azula more (not loves; likes) because she acts the way he wants her to act. She's cold, mean, calculating, manipulative and supports the Fire Nation. Zuko is nice, he asks too many questions, struggles with his emotions and can't seem to stfu (I know I sound mean saying that but that's literally canon. That boy cannot, for the love of god, shut his fucking mouth up)

Ozai made Azula be more like him. Zuko gets his kindness from his mother

And on the topic of Ursa, she canonically loves both of her children, even if she prefers Zuko due to him being less like their abuser. We never see her calling Azula a monster, besides of the scene where she says “What is wrong with that child?” OUTSIDE OF HEARING RANGE and right after Azula did something Bad™ (forgot what it was sorry). This is why I believe that Ursa never directly told Azula she feared her: Ozai told her she did. Ozai spent a lot more time with Azula than he did with Zuko, which was very easily an opportunity to poison her mind even more. And how did he do this?

By telling her everyone hated her.

He isolated her, made her cold and unforgiving, so that she wouldn't have any “weaknesses” like Zuko did. He used her as a means to abuse Zuko. He told her Zuko and Ursa were weak and that they both feared and hated her

Zuko would be right to be angry at Azula for treating him the way she did,but he still should know (and he DOES know, it was literally the main theme of his redemption arc; realizing that his abuser was the one at fault and not him) that the one at fault was Ozai. Same with Azula; it wasn't Zuko's fault nor Ursa's, Ozai is the one that willingly chose to destroy so many people's lives because he wanted power

And I'm pretty sure Zuko and Azula don't hate eachother like many people believe them to do. No, they love eachother, but ofc Ozai fucking ruined their relationship bc he ruins EVERYTHING

Zuko is sad that their relationship turned out to be that way. Zuko wants them to be better, to do better. Zuko wants them to be happy. But Zuko has also grown up with a version of Azula that could never make mistakes and that was mean af. Zuko won't be able to have a perfectly healthy relationship with his sister ever because of how he was made to think of Azula as perfect, and because Azula was made to think of him as weak

So, please, don't pit them against eachother. Don't compare the abuse they went through (seriously. Doing that is disgusting). Don't bring one of them down to make the other look like a little angel that does nothing wrong. They already suffer because of that enough in canon. Leave my babies alone

#but really. the only person that was actually abusive in the fire family was ozai #ozai used his daughter to torment zuko and ursa; ruining her life and mental health in the process #and ursa wasn't the greatest mother but c'mon. she was trapped with a man she was forced to marry #she was literally taken away from her home and most likely SAd by him multiple times so they could have heirs #and YES it was SA. ursa did NOT want to go with him. she didn't want to marry him #and she definitely didn't want to have children with him #but she still loved her children so much #she did all she could. especially considering her poor mental health at the moment #she tried #so don't come to me with any of your “ursa didn't love azula and she was a terrible mother” bullshit #ursa loved BOTH OF HER CHILDREN #she showed favoritism over zuko because azula was mimicking her worst abuser's actions #and yet she still tried to show azula love and appreciation #but ofc ozai fucking ruined that #ursa never directly told azula that she feared her #i 100% believe that ozai told azula ursa hated her to isolate her even further #also azula wouldn't be in the wrong to be angry at zuko for leaving #the first time? yes she'd be wrong because he didn't leave he was kicked out #the second time? well. she is a 14 year old girl #she probably saw Zuko's betrayal as something more personal #AND AGAIN!! #azula is allowed to be angry. she's allowed to have feelings #but she needs to know and understand that her miserable life wasn't zuko's (or ursa's) fault #in the comics (yes i know they're terrible don't come at me) it's shown how she blames everyone but herself and ozai #she says ursa was the one at fault. she antagonizes zuko and attempts to make him more like ozai #she also antagonizes kiyi (her half sister) #she antagonized a lot of people #atla #oh and abt what i said before. azula WAS abusive. it was Ozai's fault but she really was abusive #sorry if i made it look like i was denying it

[seyaryminamoto]

On the other hand, Sokka’s family dynamic is adorable and it’s very nice to see Kya alive and very much in love with her husband, being excited about Christmas and embarrassing Katara. I feel for Azula when she couldn’t help but compare it to her own family. Ozai would really be the kind of parent that is cold and emotionally distant to his children and tries to compensate it with material things, huh?

Haha, I talked about it in the other ask but anyway, yep, I absolutely agree that keeping Kya alive, and letting her be a perfectly wholesome wife to her very wholesome husband, is a wonderful highlight of this AU. Writing that whole scene with Hakoda being ridiculously cute with the mistletoe, as well as their dancing... Katara's second-hand embarrassment was very relatable, but those two being the happiest married couple is just everything I could want for them. Any setting where I can get away with keeping Kya alive is a good setting xD

And yeah, that's 100% how I was trying to write Ozai here. He focused so much on business and ensuring to build a successful economic foundation for his family that he purposefully neglected his wife and kids. Which drives the wife to do some reeeeally stupid things, which then causes serious rifts in the marriage and the family life altogether. There's a lot of wrong on both sides in terms of how they act, it's very difficult to argue that Ursa's choice is justified even when Ozai isn't 100% blameless either... even she doesn't think she's justified xD hence why she acts as she does, constantly riddled by guilt and bleakness, virtually unable to talk to her daughter (who of course doesn't want to talk to her either) or her husband. The guilt really has been consuming her for many years: this sudden opportunity to rebuild this family is a wake-up call of a sort for her.

Meanwhile, Ozai is a lot more stable now and he's succeeded at his business ventures... which means it's about time he's more available and ready to be part of the family. But it also means he has spent about 15-ish years being pretty distant, increasingly distant even, to the point where narrowing that distance between himself and his family is just not easy. There's a lot of damage on all sides, even in what I do consider a pretty positive AU, but Ozai and Ursa would start making efforts to change things for the better... and that's basically the plot of the sequel x'D Oh, I really should get to it...

#anon #ihtby #I hate how interesting Urzai can be once you don't stick to Yang's concepts #because damn they end up being fun to write #their scene together in the sequel is maaaaybe the first time I personally wrote them interacting? #maybe I'd already written them somewhere else but I don't remember #anyway #the point is #... it was funny as fuck #which it shouldn't have been #but Ozai is just such a weirdo ffs #Ursa's reactions to him being a rich moron who phonecalls the school director #to confirm Sokka never got detention in school and has good grades #before approving of his relationship with Azula (approval which is still pending ofc) #they're just priceless damn #and I don't even wanna get STARTED #with the fun I've had writing Urzai in certain other settings so #I'm just gonna scream internally about how I hate their potential #because I don't wanna enjoy them as much as I do but they can be so damn interesting when you let 'em...

[kiki-strike]

Oh how I wish I could draw because I have such a yearning for atla characters snuggling and I need it to be outside of my brain.

#I think about baby Zuko and Azula cuddling so much #because you know both of them have nightmares and I think at least when she was younger Azula would go to Zuko for comfort #and Azula didn’t like Ursa (wheather or not ursa liked her) #NOT ZUCEST TO BE CLEAR. hate that I have to say that #I so love nightmare snuggles and They Would Too

[fearbend]

i’ve been thinking a lot about the juxtaposition between azula being both a firebending prodigy who commands attention from a young age, yet at the same time, a child who is lithe and stealthy, being able to easily slip away unnoticed. given what we see in the flashbacks from the zuko alone episode, i’d say it’s safe to assume that this behaviour is not new by any means, as at that point she clearly knows the palace inside out, with all of its secret hallways and hiding spots. this got me imagining what sort of things she would’ve seen or heard while sneaking around. it could be something really insignificant, like listening in on the whispered gossiping of lo and li or eavesdropping on conversations between the servants or the royal guards; little pockets of knowledge stored away for later, inevitably used as ammunition for tearing people down.

on the other hand, the fact that her and zuko managed to hide behind the curtains of the throne room and remain undetected without any difficulty indicates that she would’ve likely also been privy to more classified information such as talks and strategies discussed during war meetings or even gatherings her father would’ve no doubt held with members of his private counsel, close allies and associates, people who would’ve gladly plotted against the current firelord alongside him (not to go on a tangent about this, but i’m not convinced at all that ozai’s scheming only started when lu ten passed away           these plans must’ve been in the works for a few years if not longer. he was just waiting for the right opportunity to act on them).

i’ve always wondered how azula got the idea of ozai becoming firelord whilst azulon was still alive. one could argue that her father could’ve confided in her personally, but despite her being his ‘favourite’, i find it quite improbable that he would’ve entrusted his young daughter with a confession that is treacherous and seditious at its core. hence why i’m inclined to believe that this is something she most likely overheard. knowing how susceptible and malleable children can be, particularly when it comes to taking after their parents, it really is no surprise that she begins parroting her father’s ideologies even before fully grasping what they entail, emulating every aspect of his conduct and attitude, from his speech pattern to his appetite for destruction. whilst most of this would’ve been directly taught and instilled into her, a good portion of it is things that she’s seen or heard in secret and has just sort of adopted as her own. once ozai becomes firelord, these behaviours worsen significantly, by virtue of witnessing the true scope of her father’s cruelty           she’s more or less bombarded with messages that say a leader is someone who inspires fear in both their subjects and enemies, that kindness is a weakness which will earn you mockery, rather than respect. and so in her desperate need for validation, for remaining in her father’s good graces, this is what she begins aspiring for; a clear purpose in life.

#headcanon tbt ; #this is so rambly lol i just word vomited #another thing i didn't mention in this #bc dv is sth i've been through so i didn't want to get into it too much #is that she would've also most likely witnessed the emotional/physical abuse that ursa went through #but was obviously too young to really make sense of it #probably thought of it like oh mom is just really weak so that's why #i need to not be like that safdagfg #zuko would've probably never learnt of it since ursa was always able to put on a strong front for him #i hate it here #anyway ozai sucks and i hate him #war mention tw #long post cw

[iminaworldofpureimagination]

im glad bojack has a small fandom oh what a big fandom would do to the boy they ruin him .. /demonize diane/pc even more.. small fandoms are so more chill

#bojack horseman #talking about the atla fandom cause it is the worse and i hate it #i think of how they woobify zuzo/azuls and demonize aang/iroh/ursa/mai and it sucks #i mean maybe reddit bj is worse than here which is bascially a ghost town but im a tumblr person #so all i see is mostly here and ive mainly found good reddit posts so istand by bj fandom being so much nicer cause its smaller #also helps its not run by shipping wars and we all respect eachothers ships

[ursa-arrowbreaker]

The finance world really said "I'm going to make a a second language that is so unintelligible" and I hate them for that

#talking bear #Absolutely loving studying for my series 7 #And by loving I mean 'hating so much I'm going to strangle a ceo' #Starting a new tag called #Ursa sells out to capitalism

[comradekatara]

these lines provide some of the most telling insight into azula’s character throughout the whole show. while she claims she “doesn’t actally care” that ursa “always preferred zuko,” that her “own mother thought [she] was a monster,” it’s clear she does care, deeply, that she’s belying a core truth about her psychological landscape that is ultimately revealed by the mirror scene in the finale. these lines are the closest she ever gets to being honest with herself before her breakdown. so let’s actually take the time to unpack them.

my own mother thought I was a monster.

much ink has been spilled on whether or not ursa was a good mother to azula, whether she actually thought azula was a monster or whether ozai simply convinced azula that she did to further isolate her. personally, i think it’s something of both. ozai isolated her and molded azula into an extension of himself; thus, he made both azula and ursa see her that way, until ursa was not only afraid for azula, but also afraid of azula. ursa thought that ozai was a monster, so azula, as a projection of ozai, became regarded as a monster as well, even if logically ursa knew that azula was an abused child and not simply an extension of her husband in any ontological sense. ursa had no choice but to let ozai mold their daughter to his image, as she could not disentangle her daughter from her father without also facing his wrath. she was faced with an impossible situation, and she hurt azula as a fellow victim of ozai’s abuse, regardless of whether or not that was ever her intention.

she was right of course.

however, an aspect of these lines that I think gets overlooked and misunderstood is the fact that azula readily admits that she sees herself as a monster. flippantly, even. “she was right, of course.” most people assume that azula is simply acknowledging that she’s the villain of the story. “of course she must know she’s the villain, she clearly relishes in being evil.” but people neglect to acknowledge that azula truly believes that the fire nation is right. azula has been indoctrinated into this ideology since birth; she has no reason to think that she might be on the wrong side of history. when azula admits that she thinks herself a monster, it is not because she thinks that she was wrong to conquer ba sing se, wrong to capture the kyoshi warriors, wrong to kill the avatar. no, azula thinks that she is a monster for the same reason ursa did: because she is like ozai.

but it still hurt.

let’s say, for argument’s sake, that azula did know that the fire nation was evil, that she did bad things for a bad cause. would that actually change anything? no, azula would continue down her path of imperialist conquest, never entertaining the notion that she even had another choice. like zuko, azula is angry at herself. and as we have just seen, she is not just angry; azula hates herself, despises herself, considers herself loathsome, ghastly, monstrous. because as much as she projects an image of supreme power and confidence, wherein she is at liberty to do whatever she wants at all times, azula is ozai’s obedient servant. and azula is paralyzed by the fear of leaving one hair out of place, of straying even a millimeter from his path.

azula was shaped in ozai’s image, with no iroh or ursa or anyone else for that matter to present her with new paths, with ways of escaping her abuse. even zuko, who did receive support and other options, took years to unlearn ozai’s conditioning. azula had no other options, no real support system, nothing to define her identity besides her abuser’s dictums. she has seen what happened to her mother and brother when ozai perceived their treasonous inclinations (i.e., contradicting his narcissism by expressing loyalty to other human beings besides solely himself) and she is paralyzed by fear that the same could happen to her. she rationalizes ozai’s violence by convincing herself that his victims deserved it for being “weak,” but deep down, she knows that she is also weak, that she is also a victim, even if she cannot fully admit it to herself.

so she sees herself as a monster, for being ozai’s shadow, for being the servant of the man who destroyed her family. her proximity to monstrosity appalls her, even as she tries to convince herself that it is proximity to godhood, that she is not an extension of abject violence but a messenger of the divine. zuko can only recognize ozai’s abuse for what it is once he deconstructs ozai’s imperialist ideology, but azula still buys into that ideology, so she cannot put a name to his abuse. but it’s clear she still fears it, still feels disgusted with herself for being victim to it, still feels like a monster even as she tries to convince herself that she is an angel.

in fact, she has to tell herself that she’s a monster, because if she’s not a monster, then she’s a victim, weak like her mother who got what she deserved. if she’s a victim then that means she and ursa (and zuko) were all destroyed by the senseless cruelty of an egomaniac’s petty whims, that all the love she has ever known was ruined for nothing. so she has to be a monster, because at least then she has power, at least then she has agency. ozai shaped her in his image, and she has to be proud of that fact, because otherwise she’d shatter.

and when that realization overtakes her, she does. when she takes inventory of all the love she’s lost, of all the people who cannot look her in the eye, of all the ways in which she has been perverted by her father’s abuse, she is disgusted by herself, for being both monstrous and weak, feared and afraid, victim and perpetrator. and it hurts.

#id in alt text #azula #ozai #ursa #zuko #azula&ursa #azula&ozai #analysis #something that gets me about this too is the fact that she just brushes it off as if she's joking. as if she doesn't even mean it #when we know from the finale that this tension and fear and despair consumes her #azula !!!! always !!!!! lies !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #babygrill……

[m1ckeyb3rry]

── THE GLASS PRINCESS // FIVE

Series Synopsis: You wake up in a strange room with no memories, broken glass at your bedside, and a prince named Zuko as your only chance at figuring out who you really are.

Chapter Synopsis: You visit Ember Island with Jia-Li and grow closer with her and her brother. Everything comes to a head, though, when a party on the island goes wrong.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Chapter Word Count: 7.4k

Content Warnings: complicated relationships (strangers to friends to lovers to enemies to strangers to lovers to enemies to lovers), amnesia, alternate universe, lots of secrets and lying and mystery

A/N: would you guys believe if i said i thought we’d already know reader’s real identity this many words into the fic?? anyways enjoy the fun times while they last folks because trust it will be getting angsty at some point probably

Dear Zuko,

I’m sorry for whatever I did that made you angry with me. Please forgive me. I don’t want you to be upset.

Sincerely, Ursa

P.S. Destroying Chan’s house was wrong, but since it was him, I won’t chide you. Jia-Li and I also participated a bit, so it would be hypocritical, anyways.

P.P.S. I’m not friends with Ruon-Jian anymore. 

Though you had been at sea for quite a bit of time now, you still had not grown bored of staring at the ocean. Jia-Li had sat back down under the shade of the silk canopy a while ago, eating a bowl full of ice cream and watching you in amusement as you stood at the prow and peered down into the water.

“It’s so beautiful,” you said.

“You’ve said that like a hundred times,” Jia-Li teased you.

“I know, I just…I just can't get over it. I’ve never seen anything quite so blue,” you said, though this was somewhat a lie. That blue from your memories, it resembled this water in depth, though not in texture — the water was clear and lucid, whereas the blue you remembered was harsh and matte.

“I guess I should be glad that you’re enjoying yourself already! Just think about it — you haven’t even gotten to Ember Island yet, and you’re having so much fun. Imagine how much better it’ll be once you’re there!” Jia-Li said.

“I can’t wait,” you said dreamily. “As long as we can go swimming, I’ll be happy.”

“Of course,” she said. “We’ll swim every day! My brother wrote to me, he said that the tides have been forgiving this season. Maybe I can convince him to teach you how to ride the flying dolphin fish. He always shoos me away whenever I ask, but it’s impossible to hate you, Ursa, so he’ll definitely say yes.”

You had been growing accustomed to that name. It still felt like an alias at times, but it was a familiar one, said around you so often that you barely even hesitated before responding to it.

“It’s fine if he doesn’t,” you said. “Though it would be nice to learn something like that…”

“Maybe you should ask him!” Jia-Li said. “There’s no way he can refuse then!”

“I wouldn’t want to be imposing,” you said immediately, shaking your head. “He shouldn’t have to do something just because he’s too guilty to say no.”

“No, I was more thinking along the lines of ‘you’re pretty and he doesn’t say no to pretty girls’, actually,” she said. “He’ll be happy to oblige you, but if it’s a request from his little sister, he’s likely to say no just to be contrary.”

“We’ll see,” you said after ruminating on it for a second. “Also, thank you for the compliment.”

“It’s just the truth,” Jia-Li said. “But since we’re on the subject — I know you don’t have memories, so you can’t answer about your past life, but what about recently? Have you had a crush on someone before?”

“A crush?” you said.

“Yeah! I mean, have you ever liked anyone?” she said.

“I like a lot of people,” you said. “For example, you and Ty Lee.”

“No, silly, not in that way. I mean liking someone romantically,” Jia-Li elaborated. “I know a few of the boys in the Royal Fire Academy for Boys have been talking about you, so I was just curious.”

“Oh!” you said, covering your face with your hands so that she could not see the embarrassment blooming on it. “I didn’t know that they were.”

“Sure, of course they are! They talk about a lot of us, so it makes sense, and anyways I wasn’t lying when I said you’re pretty. They’re all too scared to actually talk to you, but I’m sure that if you went to the market alone and met one of them, they’d propose on the spot,” she said.

The academies for girls and boys had separate campuses, but they were run conjointly, so that your breaks aligned and your events were held in tandem. Though you tended to avoid attending sporting matches, you had gone to one or two in your time as a student, so you supposed that must’ve been when you had become a viable prospect for whatever nonsense Jia-Li was spouting.

“I don’t talk to any boys,” you pointed out. “Even if any of them like me, I don’t know them, so I can’t say I like them back.”

“You talk to the prince a lot,” she said.

“What?” you said.

“Did you really think I didn’t notice how often you send letters to him via Bian?” she chided. You coughed uncomfortably.

“Um, well, he is my benefactor, so I have to keep him updated with my day-to-day activities,” you said. “It’s, er, part of my scholarship, you know.”

It was not, but Jia-Li seemed to buy the lie readily enough, nodding sagely, though not without a dramatic pout.

“That does check out, but it’s not nearly as exciting as a secret love affair or letters written out of pining and sent with longing, stamped with your heart’s greatest desire for a man that can never be your own!” she said.

“Sorry?” you said. “I don’t think any of that fits the situation, though.”

She sighed. “It’s okay.”

“What about you? Do you have any crushes?” you said, recognizing that this was the logical next step in the conversation. Jia-Li blushed and looked at the wooden paneling of the deck, using her fingers to twirl the hair which escaped her ponytail to frame her face.

“Yes,” she said. “Kind of. But it’s someone who I shouldn’t like, and who would never like me back, so I’ve never said anything.”

“Who?” you said. “Your family is pretty influential, isn’t it? I can’t imagine most anyone rejecting you. Unless you like Prince Zuko and are projecting your ‘heart’s greatest desire for a man that can never be your own’ onto me?”

“No way!” Jia-Li said. “It’s more complicated than him being of a higher ranking than me.”

“Then what is it?” you said.

“He’s my brother’s best friend!” she said, all in a rush, her entire face in flames at the confession.

“Oh,” you said, cringing in empathy. “I see. He would not approve?”

“Definitely not,” she said. “But there’s something worse than him not approving: marrying this boy would mean having Kaho as a sister-in-law!”

“Oh, Agni,” you said, slapping your palm against your forehead. How had you forgotten? It was the only reason Jia-Li was somewhat exempt from Kaho’s reign of terror, despite her association with you: her brother and Kaho’s were best friends. But if she liked Kaho’s brother, then what would that mean?

“That’s the scenario,” she said. “And to top it all off, he’s notoriously popular with girls. He probably wouldn’t even look at me twice. I’ll always just be Ruon-Jian’s annoying little sister to him.”

“I doubt that that’s true,” you said as you approached the docks. “Really, Jia-Li, I don’t think that's the case. You said his family will be on Ember Island at the same time as us?”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Although Kaho mentioned not being able to come — something about volunteering as a scribe for some official meeting that the Fire Lord will be hosting over the weekend.”

“Perfect! That’ll be our goal, then,” you said.

“Huh?” she said.

“We’re going to get you noticed by your crush! Who cares about the consequences? Kaho and your brother can just deal with it, and if they have something to say, then they can talk to me,” you said.

“That’s nice of you to offer, but what would you even do?” Jia-Li said.

“I don’t know,” you said. “Talk to them, I guess. Kaho already doesn’t like me, so it’s not a tragedy if she hates me more, and I don’t know your brother that well, so if he and I don’t get along after that kind of conversation, it won’t be a great loss.”

“Do you really think we can do something like that?” she said.

“We have to try,” you said. “You deserve it, Jia-Li.”

“Thank you,” she said, swallowing. “You’re a really good friend, Ursa. If you ever change your mind and decide you do like Prince Zuko after all, just let me know—”

“Jia-Li!” you warned her, though the threat fell flat, as she only laughed in return.

Jia-Li’s home on Ember Island was close to the docks, and it was right on the water. She told you as you walked up the seashell-lined path that that stretch of sand was actually a private beach that belonged to her family, so you wouldn’t have to worry about anyone bothering you while you were there.

“Sometimes my brother goes to the bigger beach a little ways away, though,” she said. “They like seeing other people our age and hanging out with them and whatnot.”

“Maybe when I’m a little more confident, we can try it,” you said. “For now, I’m just glad we have our own space where I don’t have to be worried about embarrassing myself in case I drown or something.”

“I wouldn’t let you drown,” Jia-Li said. “But I’m fine with that plan. It’s not like I have some huge desire to be on a massively crowded beach with the others, so it’s not heartbreaking for me if we just stay here the whole time.”

“Now, now, not the whole time,” you said. “We have to leave the house at some point so we can meet this guy you like!”

“I’m still not so sure about that,” she said, pulling out a key from her pocket and using it to unlock the front door. “Now hush, I don’t need my brother overhearing us. We can talk more later tonight or something.”

“On it,” you said, pretending to seal your lips shut. She rolled her eyes before motioning you after her. Carefully, you stepped into the grand foyer, scuffing your shoes on the welcome mat to rid them of the sand. Jia-Li smiled in approval, presumably at your politeness, and you smiled back at her.

“Mother, father!” Jia-Li shouted. “Ruon-Jian! Ursa and I are here!”

Jia-Li’s mother peeked her head around the corner, nodding demurely at the two of you, though it was deeper and more reverent when it came to you. She looked exactly like Jia-Li, only a little older, her features aged, the cut of her face sharper.

“It is good to meet you,” she said. Her voice was musical and quiet, carefully controlled — it was the culmination of years of training as the wife of a high-ranking Fire Nation official. It was what you and Jia-Li and Kaho and Ty Lee would one day sound like, once you had graduated from the academy and were ready to enter society properly.

“And you as well, madam,” you said, clasping your hands, bowing your head slightly. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home. It is greatly appreciated.”

“You are so polite,” Jia-Li’s mother said, the slightest traces of happiness flickering over her face. “I am glad Jia-Li has such an exemplary friend to look up to.”

“Nice to see you, too, mother,” Jia-Li said. Her mother laughed, opening her arms.

“Come here, then,” she said. Jia-Li brightened, racing into her mother’s arms and hugging her. You looked away, feeling like you were intruding on the moment and wishing you had your own mother to embrace like that.

“Where’s father?” Jia-Li said. Her mother sighed.

“He and Admiral Chan were called back to the palace for some important meeting, so they’re not on the island for the moment,” she said.

“It must be the meeting Kaho is scribing for,” you said.

“Most likely,” Jia-Li said. “Do you think he’ll be able to come back before I leave for the academy again? I haven’t seen him in so long.”

“I’m not sure, darling,” her mother said. “If he is still in the capital by the time your boat leaves the docks, I will send him a message to stay in the capital and receive you before he returns.”

“Thank you,” she said. “What about Ruon-Jian? Where is he?”

“Oh, that boy, he’s being as troublesome as ever. I believe he’s locked in his room at the moment. Ruon-Jian! Please come downstairs and say hello to your sister and her friend!” her mother said. It was strange — even yelling, she sounded soft and polite, which should not have made sense but somehow did.

“Why?” a deep, grumbling voice said. There were heavy footsteps on the stairs, evidence that Jia-Li’s brother was on his way but wasn’t exactly happy about it. “I don’t wanna meet Jia-Li and her stupid friend — woah.”

Her brother was tall and willowy, with shaggy brown hair that fell into his face, giving him an effortlessly cool appearance. His eyes were the same color as Jia-Li’s, but that was about where their similarities ended. If you had seen him outside, without introduction, you wouldn’t have been able to guess that they were siblings in the first place.

“This is Ruon-Jian,” Jia-Li said when it became obvious that her brother wasn’t going to introduce himself. He was far too busy staring at something, his jaw dropped and his eyebrows raised, though when Jia-Li spoke, he was able to pull himself together, running his hand through his hair and then smirking.

“That’s right,” he said. “The name’s Ruon-Jian.”

“That’s what I just said,” Jia-Li said.

“What about you?” he said. You looked from side to side, wondering who he was talking to, and then you realized it was you, which meant that the thing he had been staring at was also…

“Ursa,” you said. “I’m Ursa.”

You weren’t sure how you felt about the attention. Maybe you liked it, or maybe you didn’t. It was strange and fluttering and unfamiliar in the pit of your stomach, and behind your back, you wrung your hands nervously.

“Ursa,” he said. “Great name. It’s as pretty as you are.”

“Um, I guess if I knew who my parents were, I’d pass along the compliment,” you said.

“Wicked,” he said. “So, what are you doing on Ember Island?”

“She’s my friend, idiot. My roommate from the academy,” Jia-Li said.

“Shh, Jia-Li, I’m trying to get to know her better! Stop talking and interrupting her,” Ruon-Jian said. You exchanged bewildered looks with Jia-Li’s mother, while at your side, Jia-Li fumed, the air shimmering from the heat she gave off as a Firebender.

“She’s right,” you said. “I’m her roommate back at school. She’s one of my greatest friends.”

“Sick,” he said.

“I don’t think I am,” you said, puzzled.

“It’s slang,” Jia-Li said.

“I understand,” you said, although you didn’t, not fully. This way of speaking was entirely foreign to you, but you figured that if you had Jia-Li with you to translate, you’d probably be alright.

“Who’s your family, Ursa?” Ruon-Jian said.

“I don’t have one,” you said.

“Word?” he said.

“He’s asking if that’s the truth,” Jia-Li whispered. “It’s like saying ‘really?’”

“It is the truth,” you said. “I have no memories. I am the girl that the royal family sponsored to study at the academy after I was rescued from the Earth Kingdom.”

“No way!” Ruon-Jian said. “That’s so cool!”

“Not really,” Jia-Li said. “She doesn’t remember anything. Including her family. Idiot.”

“If I could forget you, I’d do so in a heartbeat,” Ruon-Jian said.

“Well, I’d do the same!” Jia-Li snapped. You cleared your throat.

“I’m just grateful to Prince Zuko for saving me and ensuring my future,” you said. “He, and the rest of the royal family, are likely the reason I’m still alive and standing before you today.”

“Word,” Ruon-Jian said.

“I am not lying this time, either,” you affirmed.

“No, that was more of an expression of agreement,” Jia-Li said.

“I am a little confused,” you said. “But I shall trust you on this one, Jia-Li.”

“Do you have plans for the week?” Ruon-Jian said.

“Jia-Li is going to teach me to swim,” you said, beaming at Jia-Li, who gave you a high-five in return. “Beyond that, no, not really.”

“We were going to ask you if you could teach her to ride the flying dolphin fish,” Jia-Li said. “I know you’d never teach me, but—”

“Definitely!” Ruon-Jian said, cutting Jia-Li off. “I’ll teach you anything you want, Ursa.”

Heat rushed into your face, and you bit your lower lip, shifting from foot to foot nervously. Glancing at Jia-Li, who shrugged, you trained your attention on the ground instead of looking at Ruon-Jian when you responded.

“I think that that would be fun,” you said.

“We’ll get started tomorrow,” he said.

“Ruon-Jian, usually I’m joking when I say it, but you really are an idiot! How can you teach her to ride flying dolphin fish if she doesn’t even know how to swim?” Jia-Li said.

“The day after tomorrow, then!” Ruon-Jian declared. “See you around, Ursa!”

With that, he bounded back upstairs, taking the steps two at a time, leaving you, Jia-Li, and her mother standing in the foyer, somehow even more confused than before.

The next day was somehow sunnier and brighter than the previous, which was a relief, as it was the day you were supposed to learn to swim. At present, you were wearing one of Jia-Li’s sets of swimming clothes, your towel spread out on the sand as you looked at the ocean with furrowed brows.

“You ready?” Jia-Li said.

“I think so,” you said.

“Let’s go!” she said. Without waiting for you, she charged into the water, flopping onto her stomach once it was deep enough for her to do so. Not even taking a second to think, you sprinted in after her, and when the water rose to the level of your thighs, you didn’t second-guess yourself. Using your legs to push off, you dove into the water, jetting through it, forcing your eyes open and laughing soundlessly as you wove amongst the flowing bubbles and colorful fish that decorated the ocean.

It was many seconds later that you pushed your way to the surface, taking a deep breath, your legs churning the water so that you stayed afloat. Some ways away, Jia-Li had done the same, though she was busily scanning the shore for where you might be.

“Jia-Li!” you called out. “Over here!”

“Ursa!” she said, clapping her hands in delight. “I guess you do know how to swim!”

“I guess so!” you said, overcome with a rush of euphoria at the weightless feeling the water afforded you. Jia-Li paddled over to where you were treading, doing the same beside you so that you two could talk.

“That means you can learn to ride the flying dolphin fish sooner rather than later,” she said slyly. You lowered your eyes.

“Maybe,” you said.

“I knew it!” she squealed. “You have a crush on my brother!”

“No!” you said, far too quickly to sound convincing. “I mean. No.”

“You do!” Jia-Li said. “I can’t understand why you’d ever have a crush on him, but I guess there’s really someone out there for everyone.”

“I don’t even know him,” you said. “Sure, he’s cool and all, but I don’t know the first thing about who he is as a person. How can I say for certain that I have a crush or anything?”

“That’s why you have to get to know him,” Jia-Li said, poking you in the forehead. “Right?”

“True,” you said. “Then I can tell you for certain how I feel. What about you, though?”

“What about me?” she said innocently.

“When will I get to meet this mysterious crush of yours? You can hardly expect to pursue him if you never even go to see him!” you said. She splashed you with water.

“I’m not about to just go visit his house for no reason! It would be weird,” she said.

“Maybe a little bit,” you said. “But there has to be a way for you to accidentally run into him! And when I say accidentally, of course it won’t be an accident at all, but it’ll appear to be one.”

“Just forget about it,” Jia-Li said. “It’s not a big deal. If it’s meant to be, something will come up.”

“If that’s what you want,” you said. “But you have to promise me that if something comes up, as you say it will, you’ll really try your hardest.”

“Okay,” Jia-Li said in determination. “If there is some opportunity for me to talk to him, I’ll do it.”

“That’s the way!” you said. “Now, let’s race. I want to see how fast I am, too.”

“First one to that bit of driftwood wins?” Jia-Li said, pointing at a smoothed-over log floating in the distance.

“You’re on,” you said. “Three, two — hey, I didn’t say go yet! Jia-Li!”

You could not remember ever having as much fun as you did during that time on Ember Island. You and Jia-Li spent hours lazing around on the beach or swimming in the water, eating whatever her family’s chef prepared for you, drinking fruit juice that was sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, oftentimes both. At night, you would stay up until the moon was high in the sky, giggling and exchanging secrets and stories, making fun of your classmates and the boys in the Royal Academy for Boys.

“You know, one of them has a shrine dedicated to Kaho,” Jia-Li told you one night. You howled with laughter.

“No!” you said.

“Yes, he really does! He found a portrait of her and leaves money and food in front of it every week,” she said.

“You’re making that up,” you said.

“Nope, I found out during one of the sporting matches,” she said. “I was a little disgusted, but now that I see the humor in it, I confess I’m entirely amused by the entire thing.”

You would sleep late into the day, sometimes missing the morning entirely and only waking up for the afternoons. Jia-Li’s mother never scolded you two for it, saying that she was happy you were catching up on your rest, since dark circles were not comely on a woman or something along those lines.

Sometimes, Ruon-Jian would spend a few minutes with you both, but for the most part, he was off with Chan, his best friend and Kaho’s older brother. When he was with you, he was usually sitting at your side, making fun of his sister and complimenting you all at once. And even though you barely knew him, you had to admit that it was nice to have someone paying such close attention to you for once, treating you as if you were worthy of his time and entirely normal, the way he was, instead of tiptoeing around you and your lost memories.

“You ready, Ursa?” Ruon-Jian said, plopping down on the bench beside you as you and Jia-Li ate breakfast — or was it lunch, at this point?

“For what, Ruon-Jian?” you said, batting your eyelashes at him. From across the table, Jia-Li pretended to gag.

He elbowed you in the side. “To learn to ride flying dolphin fish, of course!”

“Yes!” you said, shooting to your feet. “I thought you’d forgotten!”

“How could I forget about you?” he said. “The currents just haven’t been right for a beginner recently. You should’ve seen how badly Chan wiped out the other day!”

You glanced at Jia-Li. She mimed falling over, and you gave her a discreet thumbs up.

“You didn’t fall, though, did you?” you said. Ruon-Jian beamed and flexed his arms.

“’Course not. I’m way better than Chan,” he bragged.

“Very impressive. Then there must be no one in the Fire Nation more equipped to teach me,” you said.

“Not a single person,” he agreed.

“I can’t bear to watch any more of this,” Jia-Li muttered to no one in particular. “You guys have fun. I’m going to collect our clothes so that they can get washed, Ursa.”

She left without another word, though as she walked away, you thought you caught her saying something about how you could do better. Ignoring it, you followed after Ruon-Jian towards the beach behind his house, struggling to keep up with his brisk stride.

“There’s a pod of flying dolphin fish that visits our beach pretty regularly,” he said. “We should be able to catch a ride there.”

“Okay,” you said. “Is it safe?”

“We’ll ride the same one, so I can look after you, but on the whole, flying dolphin fish are very docile, so as long as the waves are gentle, it’s fine,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been waiting to take you out.”

“That sounds good,” you said. He whistled.

“That’s how we call them. Now, we just have to wait until they come,” he said, pulling you forward to stand beside him.

“Then what?” you said.

“It’s a surprise,” he said. “Just kidding! Then we swim out and find the friendliest one and get on.”

It took a few minutes, but eventually, in the distance, there were splashes. Ruon-Jian whooped in delight, grabbing your hand and dragging you after him before you could protest.

“They were fast today!” he said. “Let’s go before they decide to leave again!”

Ruon-Jian was a little faster than you at swimming, though you had been faster than Jia-Li. You didn’t feel insulted, though; he spent much of his time in the ocean, so it was to be expected that he was better than both you and his sister alike. The end result was that he reached the flying dolphin fish before you, and had already mounted one by the time you swam up to its side.

“How do I get on?” you said.

“You don’t,” he said, using his legs to hold onto the body of the flying dolphin fish and then bending over to pull you out of the water and set you in front of him.

“Thanks,” you said, suddenly very aware of how close he was to you, how he held onto your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder.

“Just rest your hands on its head,” he said. “Like that. Good job! I’ll do all the steering and stuff with my legs, so don’t worry about that for now. All you have to do is focus on your balance.”

“Got it,” you said.

“Then let’s get going!” he said, clicking at the flying dolphin fish, which took off with a push of its powerful tail, propelling itself through the water. Its speed was breathtaking, and as the wind rushed against your face, tears gathered in your eyes, tears of joy and freedom and also of regret. When was the last time you had felt like this? When was the last time you had been so happy? Why didn’t you endeavor to be so more often?

Suddenly, the flying dolphin fish took off into the air, and then you were soaring. Everything faded away, the rest of the world and Ruon-Jian and the flying dolphin fish and even you. It was all nothing. You were all nothing. There was only the sky and the sea and the smell of salt on the wind, blue taking over your vision and almost, for a second, reminding you of something else.

Then you were slamming back into the water, the flying dolphin fish not even slowing its pace as it went from air to ocean. The spray that hit your face from the impact was enough to wake you up from the daze, and you were reminded of where you were and who you were and what you were doing.

“That was so fun,” you said as you and Ruon-Jian re-entered the house, still dripping with saltwater despite the towels wrapped around you both.

“It’s sick, right? I knew you’d like it,” Ruon-Jian said. “Speaking of things you might like…my friend Chan is holding a party later tonight. You wanna come?”

You perked up at the name Chan, knowing he was none other than the object of Jia-Li’s affections.

“Yes, but only if Jia-Li can come, too,” you said.

“Aw, no way! Chan never leaves her alone, and I don’t want my best friend bothering my little sister. It’s so odd!” he said.

“It’ll be really lonely for me to be at a party where I don’t even know anyone,” you said with a small frown.

“That’s fair,” he said.

“And she’s my friend, so it’ll be more fun for me if she’s there,” you continued. “That’s why I’ll only go if she can, too.”

“Okay, okay,” Ruon-Jian said. “Fine. She can come, too.”

“Yay! Thank you so much!” you said, clapping. “It’s going to be so much fun.”

“Sure will be,” he said. “You should go get ready, though. There’ll be a lot of influential people there, so you should try to look your best.”

“Of course,” you said. “See you soon!”

Luckily, Jia-Li had been right in assuming that you and her would be the same size. You had been wearing her clothes for the entire vacation, and tonight was no different, as she picked out something nice for you to put on for the party.

“Ursa, I’m convinced you’re a miracle worker,” Jia-Li said, shaking her head. “Seriously! How is it that you managed to get us invited to one of Chan’s parties? They’re super selective.”

“Simple. Your brother invited me, and I told him I’d only go if you could, too. He was initially a bit reluctant, since he seemed to think Chan wouldn’t leave you alone, but he came around,” you said.

“You’re the best,” she said.

“I honestly might’ve just said no from the get go, but I heard that Chan was hosting, and I knew we had to attend. This is literally the sign you were waiting for!” you said. “What are the odds that your brother would invite me to a party hosted by the man of your dreams?”

“Pretty high, considering he thinks you’re really attractive and the so-called man of my dreams is his best friend,” Jia-Li said. “But I know what you’re saying, and I agree. Enough about that, though. The only thing left is for us to do our best to look amazing!”

Because Ruon-Jian and Chan were best friends, you arrived at the party before anyone else so that you could help Chan set up. His house was enormous, according to Ruon-Jian, and he had said it would be greatly appreciated if you all could lend a hand. With a meaningful look at Jia-Li, you had accepted.

“I made sure that Chan knew what food you like, Ursa, so that he could serve it,” Ruon-Jian said, his arm tossed around your shoulders. “I want you to have the best time!”

“Aren’t you so romantic, brother?” Jia-Li said dryly.

“Thank you, Ruon-Jian,” you said.

“Anytime,” he said with a smirk.

“Ruon-Jian!” a tall, muscular boy said as he opened the door to the mansion. “I thought you’d never get here.”

“Jia-Li took forever getting ready, dude,” Ruon-Jian said. “By the way, Chan, this is Ursa. And Ursa, this is Chan.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” you said.

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Chan said. “Did you say Jia-Li? Is she here?”

“I am,” Jia-Li from where she was hiding behind you and Ruon-Jian. “Hi, Chan.”

“Jia-Li! It’s been ages since I saw you last. How have you been?” Chan said, yanking her by the arm and into the house.

“Quit flirting with my sister!” Ruon-Jian shouted, though he went ignored by both Chan and Jia-Li. You patted him on the arm.

“It’s okay,” you said. “She doesn’t seem upset about it, so you shouldn’t be, either.”

“It’s just so freaky,” he said with a shudder. “Jia-Li’s my baby sister. She shouldn’t have guys interested in her, let alone guys that have been my best friend since I could count.”

“She’s grown up now,” you said. “She can make her own decisions. You should just support her.”

“If you think that’s what’s best,” he said reluctantly. “You’re pretty mature, you know.”

“It’s funny, I feel like I’ve heard that before, though I don’t quite recall who might’ve said such a thing,” you said. “It doesn’t matter; either way, thank you.”

Jia-Li and Chan were too busy talking with each other, and Ruon-Jian was too busy fixing his hair in the mirror, so the brunt of the party set up fell to you. You didn’t mind, though, liking the act of working, and you were so efficient that everything was ready right around dusk.

“The place looks great, Ursa,” Ruon-Jian said when you rejoined him in front of the mirror.

“Your hair does, too, so you can stop fiddling with it,” you said. He pulled you in by the waist, flashing a peace sign in the mirror.

“Don’t we look so good together?” he said. “It’s like…like you were meant to stand beside me.”

“I suppose so,” you said, though you weren’t sure if you would go so far as to say all that. Still, it was nice to know that someone thought you belonged with them, so when he began to lean in, you did not move away.

Right when his lips were about to brush against yours, there was a knock on the door. He drew back in irritation.

“Who is here this early?” he said. “Whatever. Where were we again?”

The moment was ruined, though, so you pretended to be preoccupied with straightening your clothes, your head tilted downwards so that he could not even catch your eye.

“These are some really punctual party guests,” you said. “No one else is here yet.”

“Yeah, punctual’s one word for it,” Ruon-Jian said, clearly taking the hint you had given him and hopefully not being too miffed about it. “Wait, it’s that group we invited when we were on the beach earlier! Should’ve known they’d be the type.”

“On the — Ty Lee?” you said.

The first one to enter, Ty Lee turned in search of whoever had said her name. When she noticed you standing beside Ruon-Jian, one of his arms still around your waist, your posture clearly still set towards him, her jaw dropped.

“Ursa?” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I feel like that’s a question I should be asking you,” you said as she cartwheeled over to drag you away from Ruon-Jian and into a hug so tight you temporarily stopped breathing.

“We were just hanging out on the beach when we got invited to come by Chan and Ruon-Jian!” she said. “I can’t believe you’re here, too.”

“Ruon-Jian is Jia-Li’s older brother, and he’s best friends with Chan, so I think that my presence is a little more explicable than yours,” you said. “When you say we, though, who do you mean?”

“Me, Mai, Azula, and Zuko!” Ty Lee said, pointing at each of them in turn. Mai was sitting by a painting, glaring whenever someone tried to approach her, and the girl who must’ve been the infamous Princess Azula was talking to Chan while Jia-Li stood behind her, ostensibly shoved out of the way so that the princess could have her turn talking to the host.

As for Zuko, he was still awkwardly standing by the doorframe, though when he glanced over at you, his eyes widened. At first, relief filled them, but when he noticed your proximity to Ruon-Jian, a strange sort of malcontent settled over his expression.

“Zuko!” you said as he stormed over to you. Ty Lee looked at him and then back at you before promptly dashing over to Mai’s side, the only one who didn’t get glared at for daring to go near her. “What are you—?”

“Who is he?” he said.

“The name’s Ruon-Jian, dude,” Ruon-Jian said, holding out his hand for Zuko to shake. Zuko looked at it disdainfully before scoffing and then returning his gaze to you.

“He’s Jia-Li’s older brother,” you said.

“Right,” Zuko said sardonically. “That’s why the two of you are so close.”

“I’ve been staying at his house the whole time I’ve been on Ember Island, so yeah, it’s probably a contributing factor,” you said.

“I’m gonna go get some food, Ursa. There are some freaky vibes here right now that I don’t really approve of,” Ruon-Jian said, inching away.

“Do you like him?” Zuko said. You blinked, taken aback by the direct question. In his letters, he was so kind and tactful, so you had come to associate him with that sort of language. The elegance with which he wrote, the careful concern he always showed for whatever you said — all of it had caused a fondness for him to grow in you.

“He’s just my friend’s older brother,” you said. The way he was speaking now was as if he was accusing you and you had to defend yourself or face judgment, but what crime had you even committed in the first place? “He taught me to ride flying dolphin fish and invited me to the party. That’s all.”

“Of course,” he said. “He’s so cool, with his dumb hair and clothes and flying dolphin fish, so of course you like him. No surprise there.”

“Are you angry?” you said. “Why?”

“Am I angry?” he said. “No!”

“You sound a little angry,” you said meekly. “I just wanted to make sure.”

“Why would it even matter to you?” he said.

“I don’t know?” you said. “I was only asking.”

“Don’t ask questions for no reason, especially when you don’t care about the answer in the first place,” he said.

“But that’s not the case. I did care about the answer, or else I wouldn’t have asked,” you said.

“Well, next time, just ask that boyfriend of yours,” he said.

“Ruon-Jian?” you said.

“Yes?” Ruon-Jian said, appearing out of nowhere. “Here, this is for you.”

“You have such horrible timing,” you said under your breath, accepting the plate he handed you. “Zuko, have you eaten anything yet? There’s a lot of really good food out. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

“It’s all Ursa’s favorites!” Ruon-Jian said. “I made sure of it myself.”

“Oh, yeah?” Zuko said with a sneer. “What the hell do you know about her, anyways?”

“Yo, chill, dude,” Ruon-Jian said, holding his hands in the air. “Who even are you? I probably know more than you! Her and I are really close, you see.”

It was probably the worst thing he could’ve said. Zuko’s face darkened, and then, before any of you knew it, he was grabbing Ruon-Jian by the collar and throwing him into a nearby vase. You jumped at the noise before rushing over to help Ruon-Jian stand.

“I’m fine,” Ruon-Jian said, waving you off as he staggered to his feet. “What is your problem, dude?”

“Stay away from her,” Zuko said.

“Who are you to say that?” you said. “My benefactor? That doesn’t mean you get to control my life, Zuko! Why does it matter to you who I’m hanging out with? He’s from a perfectly respectable family, so it’s not like it’ll reflect badly on you. I don’t get what the big deal is!”

“Seriously?” Zuko said. “You think I care what family he’s from? Do what you want! It doesn’t matter to me. It’s what you’ll do anyways, so why should I try to stop you?”

“What happened?” you said. “Why has your opinion of me lowered so thoroughly? What have I done to offend you so greatly? I know that you are angry, and I know it is because of me, but I cannot understand why!”

“There’s a lot of things you can’t understand,” he said.

“I heard a crash, is everyone — who broke my nana’s vase?” Chan shrieked as he came back into the main room. Ruon-Jian pointed at Zuko. “You! I’ve had enough of you, alright? Get out of my party!”

“I was just leaving,” Zuko said, though not without one last glare at all of you.

“See you around, loser!” Ruon-Jian said.

“Jia-Li’s right,” you said as Mai, Ty Lee, and Princess Azula excused themselves as well. “You really are an idiot. Do you know who that was?”

“Some jealous loser?” Ruon-Jian said. You opened your mouth to argue before deflating, knowing that there was no point.

“Just forget about it. Let’s try to enjoy ourselves for the rest of the party,” you said.

Some time later, there was a knock on the door. Chan opened it, and then his face fell.

“Hello, Chan,” a voice that could only be Princess Azula’s said. “Thanks for inviting us earlier, but I have some unfortunate news to share.”

“The party’s over,” Zuko said, and then all four of them were in the room, sending bursts of fire everywhere, kicking the tables in half, swinging from the chandeliers and slicing up the paintings.

“What is going on?” Jia-Li shouted, covering her head with her hands.

“I have no idea,” you said. “Hey, what are you guys doing?”

Chan screamed as Mai threw a set of knives into a pair of antique paintings on the walls and the chandelier came crashing to the ground under Ty Lee’s weight. Jia-Li pulled you out of the way of a stray lick of blue fire from Azula, and you buried your face in your hands.

“This was a pretty terrible party,” Ty Lee said, dropping lightly to her feet in front of you. “You could say we’re showing our appreciation as guests!”

“By destroying his house?” you said as Zuko kicked an entire pillar in half.

“Yep! Wanna join?” Ty Lee said.

“No!” you and Jia-Li said in unison.

“To each their own!” Ty Lee said before springing away.

“Well…” Jia-Li said. “It would feel nice.”

“What? Why?” you said.

“I thought Chan was confessing to me on the balcony earlier, but it turns out that even though he does like me, he wants to live a free and unburdened life, without the commitment of having a girlfriend. He told me that the best he could offer me is a long-term arrangement in which he does what he wants and then spends some time with me whenever I’m on the island,” Jia-Li said.

“That’s horrible,” you said.

“And while I was out there, he told me that Ruon-Jian invited Mai and Ty Lee because he thought they were hot and he wanted a chance with them,” she continued. “So there’s that.”

You scowled, and even though you hadn’t been betrayed, it felt as if you had been. Naturally, you held no claim on Ruon-Jian, but the entire reason you had grown close to him in the first place was because you liked being someone’s priority. If you weren’t even that, then what was the point?

“Jia-Li,” you said. “Since it’s the prince and princess in charge of the destruction, you could consider it a royal order.”

“You could,” Jia-Li said, a grin creeping onto her face.

“And as students of the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, we are duty-bound to follow all royal orders,” you said.

“That we are,” she said.

“I think that means we have to participate,” you said.

“I think you’re right, Ursa,” she said.

“Of course, it’s not because we’re angry at Ruon-Jian or Chan or anything,” you said.

“Definitely not,” she agreed. “We’re just following in the prince and princess’s example.”

“That’s exactly correct,” you said. “After all, what are we but their humble and obedient servants?”

“Nothing, indeed!” Jia-Li said brightly. “All hail the royal family!”

With that, she ignited her hands and placed them right on a portrait of Chan as a child. You cheered before taking a steak knife and using it to cut up the curtains, tossing them into the fire she had started as kindling.

“I’m glad we’re friends, Ursa,” Jia-Li said.

“Yeah, I’m glad we’re friends, too.”

Ursa,

It wasn’t anything you did. I’m sorry; I was upset about something unrelated and took it out on you. You have no need to ask for my forgiveness — if anyone should be doing that, it’s me. Please, please forgive me for being so angry. I promise that I will make it up to you the next time we meet.

Yours, Zuko

P.S. I did not think that you and Jia-Li would join in, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed.

P.P.S. Ruon-Jian is ugly and his hair is terrible. You don’t need to be friends with him, anyways.

#zuko x reader #zuko x y/n #zuko x you #zuko #avatar the last airbender #atla #reader insert #canon au #the glass princess #m1ckeyb3rry writes

[sokkastyles]

Blaming Ursa for Azula's downfall just misses so much of what is going on in the narrative, and another aspect of that is related to how the story comes to a climax in the final agni kai and what I have been referring to as the Zuko - Azula - Katara narrative triangle. Another reason why Katara defeating Azula to save Zuko is so meaningful is because of how Katara and Zuko bonded over the loss of their mothers. Azula, by contrast, says she doesn't care about her mother and calls Zuko pathetic for caring. Zuko and Katara saving each other from Azula is a reaffirmation that their mothers' sacrifice for them is important, and that they are not wrong for caring. Azula represents not only the destructive force of the Fire Nation but also the ways that force is cannibalistic, and Azula hating her mother and denying that she cares about her loss is another example of that, while upholding the imperial system that took mothers away from their children and destroyed cultures. Trying to blame Ursa for how Azula turned out completely ignores all of that subtext.

#zuko #katara #azula #ursa #the final agni kai #zutara

[andillneverbethesame]

Omg so I’m currently obsessed with James but I’ve also been listening to ‘You are in Love’ by Taylor ofc, so I was wondering if you could do a fic based that, please and thank you! No rush ofc!❤️🥹

𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆.

❥ pairings: james potter x fem!reader

❥ summary: short story about you & james falling in love.

❥ warnings: muggle au, a tiny little bit smut

❥ word count: 1,2k

❥ a/n: based off you are in love by the music industry

you noticed james looking at you from the other side of the room as you engaged in a conversation with your friend remus who just happened to get married to his boyfriend sirius.

you locked your eyes with james as you asked, "who is that?"

remus looked to his friend's direction. "oh, that's my close friend, james." he glanced back at you. "i'm gonna be honest with you. he already asked me about you so i'm pretty sure he will ask you out soon."

"really?" you raised an eyebrow and smiled, making james blush.

"yeah. will you say yes?"

you turned to face him and shrugged. "maybe. is he nice?"

remus nodded. "the nicest person i've ever met. a heart of gold he has. don't tell that to sirius, though."

you smiled and mimicked locking your lips.

you are in love you are in love you are in love you are in love you are in love

it didn't take james more than a second to convince you to go on a date with him as you agreed as soon as he asked you.

you two spend an entire afternoon and evening together and it was getting close to midnight but none of you seemed to want this day to end.

talking to james was so easy. you completed each other. it felt like you two knew each other forever. you loved and hated feeling excited about seeing him again when the date you were on didn't even end yet.

not to mention the fact how beautiful he was. with his dark hair falling down his face over his eyes that gave you a look which made you blush and you only thanked that it was dark so he couldn't tease you.

"are you tired?" he asked when he stopped on the traffic lights. you glanced at the digital clock in his car. it was 11:51pm but you were nowhere near tired.

"no, not at all?" you answered. "you?"

he shook his head. "me neither. you want to grab a coffee?"

you looked at him as if he was crazy and chuckled. "coffee at midnight?"

he nodded. "why not?"

"okay. yeah, why not?"

james quickly found a late-night café nearby and got you two coffees. then, you enjoyed them underneath the night sky. the street lights reflected the chain on your neck.

"look up," he said and when you did, you could feel your shoulders brush. "that's ursa major constellation," he was pointing at the constellation that represented a great bear. "it was one of the forty-eight constellations listed by the second century ad astronomer ptolemy." his finger then pointed to another one. "and that's leo."

"are you interested in stars?" you question and he looked at you, staying quiet for a bit before chuckling and shaking his head.

"not much," he admitted. "but remus told me you do so i just tried to remember everything sirius told me about stars to impress you."

"well," you smiled up at him. "it did impress me."

when you got into his car and he drove you home, comfortable silence prevailed between you two. you could hear it, though.

you were going to fall in love.

you are in love you are in love you are in love you are in love you are in love

about a month and a half later, you spent the night at james's for the first time. i mean, you spend the night at his place already but this time it was different. you two made love.

you wanted to take things slowly at first but something clicked inside you the night before. you were so attracted to him. not only because of his appearance but because of his personality too. he was so lovely and, god, so bloody beautiful.

the morning after, you woke up in an empty bed. you looked around the room, eyebrows furrowed. you could smell something burnt. after you rubbed your eyes and stretched, you reached for a piece of clothing thrown on the floor and the memories of the night before came into your mind, making you bite your lip and blush. you put on james's white shirt and your underwear before making your way to the kitchen.

you found james sitting on one of the chairs by he table with his head in his hands.

worry was written all over your face as you walked over to him and squeezing his shoulder. "what's going on,?"

he looked up at you with puppy eyes and pointed at the kitchen counter. "wanted to make you toasts for breakfast and i burnt them."

"oh," you tried to stop yourself from laughing. he was so adorable. "well, that's okay, i can make them."

he nodded and as you wanted to go and make the toasts, he wrapped his strong arms around your waist and brought you closer. you smiled and ran your hand through his hair, making it even messier as if that was even possible. flashbacks from last night appeared in front of your eyes. how you pulled at his hair when he went down on you and the whimpers he let out because of that.

you made enough toasts for both of you and you ate them in silence, just enjoying each other's presence. james held your hand and played with the ring on your finger.

after breakfast and a short make out session, you, unfortunately, had to get ready for work. james watched you getting undressed with a grin on his face that you rolled your eyes at with a smile.

"keep it," he said when you wanted to give him back his shirt.

"huh?"

"keep it. it looks so much better on you," he spoke before giving your cheek a kiss.

"you sure?"

"yeah, of course."

"okay," you breathed out and paused. "well, i have to go. . ."

"okay," james nodded. "i'll call you later, yeah?"

"yeah," you agreed. and with a last peck on his lips, you unwillingly left to work.

you are in love you are in love you are in love you are in love you are in love

three months into the relationship and you were happier than ever. james might seem a bit boyish but in reality he is the most mature boyfriend you've ever had. when you two fought, he wouldn't be rude to you, he wouldn't ignore you. instead of that, he would sit you down and you both would talk about how you felt.

but of course, you two wouldn't fight often. if there was anything bothering you, you learnt that it's best to talk about it rather than let it bubble inside of you and then explode, causing a fight.

there was a moment after a certain argument that you will hold close to your heart forever.

you two were lying in bed at james's place, not talking much for the entire evening. you had to admit it was your fault. you were a bit to stubborn to talk things through.

it could be a bit past midnight, about an hour since your and james's heads hit the pillows, when you felt his arm wrapping around your waist. you didn't pull away or anything like that. it was hours since you felt the warmth of his body.

you felt james's lips on the back of your head. you turned around to face him and touched his face. he leaned into your hand.

you heard him take a deep breath and then he said, "you're my best friend."

and you knew what it was.

he is in love.

#harry potter #harry potter imagine #marauders #marauders imagine #moony wormtail padfoot and prongs #harry potter x reader #james potter x reader #james potter fluff #james potter imagine #james potter smut

[vanilladrizzlequeen]

i’m sorry but AITST Ozai is kinda hilarious

why’s he look so dumb 😭

never in a billion years did i think i would say Ozai looks like a good dad but I’m sorry him and Ursa and Azula are kinda really adorable together

and honestly that’s the sad part- this is what it looked like to Azula; to her, at least as a child, he wasn’t the horrible evil man Zuko saw- he was her dad and he loved her. It’s made clear to us viewers that it’s her power he loved, not her, but how was little Azula supposed to see that? It was for her hard to see how much he manipulated her emotions, and that even shows plenty when she’s her normal age in the show. Even after the betrayal from Ty and Mai, she still falls for what might have looked like a simple lie, but was her truth: when Ozai kicks her off of the trip to conquer the world, and tells her that guarding the fire nation is a “very important job” and that he’s making her the fire lord. Obviously the title of firelord means absolutely nothing when Phoenix King Ozai’s ruling the world, but she couldn’t see that, because he raised her in a world of lies.

Ok damn i did NOT mean to turn this into an Ozai rant my bad-

back to previously scheduled programming

like i personally love this art style on him but it’s kinda hard to look at him and go “wow phoenix king so powerful so abusive” (disclaimer I know he was an absolutely awful character and as an Azula stan i hate his guts but this is a joke post lol)

#avatar #avatar the last airbender #atla ozai #fire lord ozai #azula in the spirit temple

[howlingday]

I think Jaune might a Breaking Base Character. I have seen people really like and really dislike him. At this point I don't know if I can find a source that fairly tells me the fandoms overall opinion on him. I mean shippers just do what ever and harem. Why does Jaune have a Bully Arc? I feel like that's kinda dumb and focus should have been else were.

Okay, so...

A Base-Breaking Character is "a character in a series that is loved by one section of the fanbase and hated by the other."

By this logic, I deduce the FNDM is divided into the two sides of people who hate Jaune and people who love him. People who love him are then divided into the two sides of people who write him as a soggy piece of wet toast and the side who write Jaune as a gigachad harem god. On the other side, we have people who hate Jaune because they see him as a self-insert of his voice-actor, Miles Luna, or because he "takes too much screentime" in a show that's supposed to be about girls. This is the best I can figure out from FNDM descriptions, and to be honest, I think the people who cry about Jaune being a self-insert are just as bad as the people who make Jaune into a gigachad harem god.

Jaune having a bully arc sets us up to Jaune's past, present, and future in the show. Monty Oum clearly had a plan for him, though I can't exactly ask him what his plan was for having these episodes in Volume 1 because, well, he's kinda been dead for the past ten years. Jaune's past is explained when he explains how he got into Beacon, with his present shown through his constant bullying by Cardin and by his standing up to him to help Velvet, and his future is presented in two-fold by his aura protecting him from Cardin's attack and by his assisted decapitation of the large Ursa. The point of Jaunedice was to help us better understand Jaune's role as a protagonist, main character, deuteragonist, and or other role in the show.

If Jaune didn't have these episodes, his character would probably been flanderized to being... Steve Urkel, Milhouse Van Houten, and or some other character that serves no other purpose than to be the comedic relief whipping boy. Instead, we have Jaune Arc as the John Everyman character who helps us with the human element of the situation, kind of like... Sokka, Krillin, and or Commissioner Gordon.

I'm just one guy, though, so these are obviously my opinions and everything I say should be dismissed. Because I am an idiot. Thank you and good night.

#rwby #jaune arc #character analysis #my thoughts #my answer #my answers