#Mai and Ty Lee just want to confess to Azula but she always finds ways to make it more dramatic. 😮‍💨 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

juniperhillpatient · 1 year

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The Beach Re-Watch

This is going to be a short post (compared to my other re-watch posts) because every single scene of this episode is worthy of its own dissertation BUT it's also therefore already been analyzed to death by Azulablr.

Honestly, I probably could've made this post without even officially re-watching it because I've seen this episode so many times I practically have it memorized. So, like...I don't have anything revolutionary to say lol - just what we already know: This is the best episode of the whole show. We get a beach episode but only for the villains, we get Azula exploration, we get soft fire siblings moments, & we learn a lot about Ty Lee & Mai's interiority, like...It's just a fucking fantastic episode. Oh yeah, & there's an assassin trying to kill Aang, or whatever.

[ID: Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, & Zuko with their arms around each other & fire raging in the background. end ID]

The main takeaway from this episode for first-time viewers is probably that Zuko is unhappy with his life in the palace. He's angry at himself. Once you re-watch though, this is obvious & has been spelled out heavily so the more interesting parts to analyze upon re-watch have to do with the Dangerous Ladies. This isn't a dunk on Zuko, I just don't have anything new to say about him - we all know how his arc goes, & this is an important moment in it as he realizes & confesses to his friends & sister that he's unhappy.

Since Azula & Zuko in this episode have been analyzed so thoroughly & discussed so heavily by the fandom - I'll ramble about Mai & Ty Lee in this post.

Ty Lee's confession that she doesn't like to be part of a matched set is interesting & all, but something that I think gets...either overlooked or taken to an extreme in interpreting her character is the way that she interacts with the boys - & with Azula. Ty Lee comes across as perky & sweet, but she's dangerous. Possibly the most dangerous character in the show, with her ability to take away bending. Also though, her interpersonal interactions are so interesting. She's manipulating the people around her with her sweetness constantly, but she can be quite sharp when she wants to. I'm not saying she's not actually sweet at all, but a lot of it is a show. This is an aspect of her character that I find very intriguing.

Mai's confession got to me a lot more during this re-watch than it has in the past. I've always found her story sad, but something about the way her voice almost breaks as she's talking with so much bitterness about the expectations she's facing just hurts. I think it got to me more this time because I've been putting a lot more thought into her character than I have in the past. Mai has so much pain & bitterness in her life that she buries it under a veneer of not caring. It’s actually really depressing.

That's all I have to say for this post. Iconic behavior points: All the Fire Teens are getting +1000 for burning down Chan's house. Azula gets an extra +500 for leading the Fire Teens to victory at volleyball & defeating the other team for all time. She gets another +500 for her manner of flirting.

Have I mentioned lately that I'm obsessed with the Fire Teens? Okay, that's all.

#the beach #atla re watch #atla book 3 #obviously i could say a lot more but like #we've all discussed this episode a LOT

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zuko-always-lies · 2 years

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Parallel Between Mai and Toph

“The Awakening”:

Mai: (walking onscreen) Aren't you cold? Zuko: I've got a lot on my mind. It's been so long. Over three years since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed. Mai: (sighs)I just asked if you were cold. I didn't ask for your whole life story. (smiles and wrapsher arms around Zuko) Stop worrying.

“The Ember Island Players”:

Toph: Jeez. Everyone's getting so upset about their characters. Even you seem more down than usual and that's saying something. Zuko: You don't get it. (He looks up at Toph who leans against the wall smiling to herself) It's different for you. You get a muscley version of yourself taking down 10 bad guys at once and making sassy remarks. Toph: Yeah, that's pretty great. Zuko: (Cut to a close up of Zuko whose face is full of regret) But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life and shove them back in my face. (Cut to behind a pillar in front of them as the camera slowly pans to the right to show the 2 of them) My Uncle. He's always been on my side even when things were bad. He was there for me. He taught me so much and how do I repay him? (Cut to the side view of Zuko's unscarred side) With a knife in his back. It's my greatest regret (lowers his head, ashamed) and I may never get to redeem myself. Toph: (Camera pans to the right slightly as Toph sits down) You have redeemed yourself to your Uncle. (Cut to a frontal shot of the two) You don't realize it but you already have. Zuko: How do you know? Toph: Because I once had a long conversation with the guy and all he would talk about was you. (Zuko lowers his hood and smiles) Zuko: Really? Toph: Yeah, and it was kind of annoying. Zuko: Oh, sorry. Toph: But it was also very sweet. (Cut to an area above Toph's head as the camera slowly zooms in on a smiling and happy Zuko) All your Uncle wanted was for you to find your own path and see the light. Now you're here with us. ( Cut back to a frontal shot of them again) He'd be proud. (Toph proceeds to give him a punch on the shoulder) Zuko: Ow. (rubs his arm) What was that for? Toph: (Cut to Toph who smiles) That's how I show affection.

“The Beach”:

Mai: Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you. (Cut to over-head shot of the four teens. Zuko walks closer to the fire and Mai.) Zuko: I'm sorry, too. I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once, (Close shot of Mai looking away and Zuko standing over her) instead of keeping all your feelings bottled up inside. She just called your aura dingy. Are you gonna take that? Mai: (Cut to wide shot of the four of them. Mai lays back carelessly on the rock she is sitting on) What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. (close shot of Mai) I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted. As long as I behaved...(cut to shot of the clouds above) and sat still...and didn't speak unless spoken to. (cut to shot of Zuko listening) My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. (Cut to wide shot of the four of them around the fire) We had my Dad's political career to think about. Azula: Well, that's it, then. (close-up shot on Azula) You had a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself. Mai: (close shot of Mai) You want me to express myself? (she stands and yells) Leave me alone! (The camera pans right, over the four teens. Cut to shot of Mai's face angry in the foreground and Zuko in the background) Zuko: I like it when you express yourself. (he reaches for her, but she backs away) Mai: (yelling)Don't touch me. I'm still mad at you. Zuko: My life hasn't been that easy, either, Mai. (Mai interrupts him) Mai: Whatever- that doesn't excuse the way you've been acting. Ty Lee: Calm down, you guys. (cut to Ty Lee and Azula sitting behind her) This much negative energy is bad for your skin. You'll totally break out. Zuko: (angrily) Bad skin? (Ty Lee cringes. Cut to shot of Zuko looking toward her) Normal teenagers worry about bad skin. I don't have that luxury. My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson on my face. (Zuko points toward his scar)

“Sozin’s Comet, Part 1″:

Toph: (Cut to some beach houses and camera pans down to Toph in her Fire Nation outfit & Zuko walking around) And then when I was nine, I ran away again. Zuko: Uh-huh. Toph: I know I shouldn't complain, (Closes her eyes and opens her hands to the side. Zuko appears disinterested and looks away.) my parents gave me everything that I ever asked for. But they never gave me the one thing that I really wanted. Their love. You know what I mean? (Zuko drops his head and sighs audibly) Zuko: (Cut back to Zuko who turns around and looks at her) Look, I know you had a rough childhood but we should really focus on finding Aang. (Cut to the top view of the scene with 2 white birds feeding on a branch. Zuko walks on.) Toph: (Cut back to Toph who looks disappointed) This is the worst fieldtrip ever.

Zuko freely dumps his problems on both Mai and Toph(and receives comfort from them), but has zero interest in their problems when they bring them up.

#Mai #Toph

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milf-harrington · 3 years

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hello Theo my beloved:) for the 101 ways to say ily… how about sixty-two with some platonic mai and sokka? <3

hello corey <3 i am as obsessed with ace!mai as you are with ace!yue so here you go:

"You look like something's bothering you... You can talk to me if you need to."

Mai was lounging on a deck chair a safe distance from the pool, red sarong draped over it to avoid making contact with anything possibly unpleasant, and a beach umbrella faithfully protecting her from the sun. She looked every bit the regal and wealthy girl he'd first met as she lifted her smoothie glass and sipped from the straw.

(It was twisted into the word 'bitch' because Sokka had given it to her on the premise that it would be funny and Mai had just wanted to drink her smoothie.)

When Sokka dropped into the chair next to her, dripping water everywhere and breathing a little hard after his splash fight with Katara, she didn't react, eyes hidden behind her sunglasses.

"You okay?" He asked, watching her critically. Mai paused for barely half a second before putting her cup down on the fold-able table Sokka had brought.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, an added rasp to her voice that made Sokka's eyebrows draw together.

"You look like something's bothering you." He commented, taking note of the rigid set to her shoulders and down turned lips. She sighed but didn't respond, still not looking at him as she surveyed the pool.

Sokka looked over to where Zuko and Azula were having some sort of aggressive water-based wrestling match that would most likely end in a lifeguard being needed, Toph sitting on the edge of the pool and goading them on despite not knowing who was winning. It was loud and lively, a mix of shrieking and laughter and definitely un-kid friendly language.

Beside him, Mai was quiet and still, still looking as regal as she always did, but lacking the presence.

"You can talk to me if you need to." He finally added on, turning back to look at her profile so she knew he was being serious. She held firm for another minute, her face blank, before something in her seemed to sag and her shoulders relaxed back against the chair.

"I think there's something wrong with me." She confessed. Sokka shot her a look, suddenly confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I've never really understood the whole 'ogling' thing before." Mai started, crossing one of her legs over the other, the only physical sign that she was bothered. "You know- girls giggling about licking abs or how good someone would be in bed. I thought it was all just movie-stuff, exaggerated for entertainment. It was unrealistic."

Sokka thought back to a conversation with Yue, years ago, when she still bleached her hair and didn't wear a black ring around her middle finger.

Mai pushed her sunglasses up, eyebrows furrowed in thought and eyeliner still artfully intact.

"And then Ty Lee was always talking about boys and to boys and making flirty comments about their bodies, and I thought it was all just a performance. She's always performing for crowds.

"But then it would just be us in my room, watching some movie from the 2000's, and she'd nudge me and make those same sly comments about bodies and sex, just like the characters in those movies always seemed to and I started realising that maybe it is normal. It's not just movie stuff." She pulled her knees up to her chest and Sokka wanted to wrap her in his arms.

Mai was quiet for a bit, looking down at her toes and picking at the black polish on them. Sokka stayed silent, waiting for her to keep going.

"I figured I'd ignore it. It wasn't really anything anyway, so what if it wasn't movie stuff? I didn't really care either way. But..."

"But?" He encouraged, briefly wishing he'd dried off a bit as a breeze chilled the water on his shoulders. And then he felt guilty for thinking about towels while Mai was having a possible sexuality crisis.

"But then today, it's been non stop. Azula and Ty Lee were talking about a lifeguards legs for 20 minutes. 20 minutes Sokka!" She turned to him then, eyes wide with exasperation.

Under normal circumstances he might have been fond of the obvious display of emotion, but he kept it to himself.

"I just- I don't get it." She muttered. "I know human bodies are cool and I've studied more than enough of them in my classes, but I don't get what makes them drool or blush worthy. I've seen four people look at you like you're something to be eaten just in this conversation alone, but when I look at you you're just -" she gestured to him weakly. "- Sokka.

"People talk about sexual attraction like it's expected, like everyone just gets it but I don't. And I always figured that was fine, because I didn't care but now- What if there is something wrong with me Sokka? I mean, I don't feel broken or-or wrong-"

"Mai there's nothing wrong with you." Sokka promised, internally deciding 'fuck it' and reaching out to grab her wrist, gently holding her hand. She looked at him warily.

"Okay, surprisingly I've had this conversation before! Well- not this conversation, it was a bit different, but it was essentially the same conversation but with someone else who has different experiences but ultimately I think it'll be the same conclusion."

Mai raised an eyebrow, appearing both unimpressed and intrigued. He sighed and reorganised his thoughts.

"You know Yue? She's asexual. Openly so, so I'm not betraying her trust or anything by telling you, so please don't stab me for that." He hurriedly added on when her hand had tightened it's hold on his.

"Asexual?" Mai repeated, turning her head to find Yue, who was balancing on Suki's shoulders. Apparently Zuko and Azula's wrestling match had turned into a chicken fight.

"Yeah. I could go get her if you want? I mean, I could explain it but it'd probably be better coming from her."

Mai thought about it, her hand still safely held in his while she stared across the pool, before nodding.

A bit later, when Sokka was trying to convince Zuko to reenact the lake scene from Dirty Dancing with him, he saw Yue pull Mai into a hug and smiled, waving off his boyfriends questioning gaze.

When they left, Mai rode shotgun in Sokka's car, the two of them discussing the uses of body farms as he drove her home while Katara grimaced and turned her music up to block them out.

#asks #that-was-anticlimactic #mutuals #mai #sokka #mai / sokka friendship #ace mai #asexual mai #ace yue #asexual yue #im so sorry if the ending is shit i couldn't figure out how i wanted to finish it sdjfs

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maipreciation · 4 years

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hello, hoping you don't take this the wrong way but why do you like Mai so much?

Hi anon! I’m never gonna take the chance to talk about one of my favorite characters the wrong way :)

My biggest (and most personal) reason is that Mai happens to be a character I found super relatable upon first watch of the series. From the moment she’s introduced, we see a young woman who feels stifled by her surroundings and controlled by parents who don’t really seem to see her as a person or recognize her individual wants. She hides her emotions behind a mask because emotions = vulnerability; she keeps her thoughts to herself because she’s seen the horrible things that happen when you speak out of turn to the wrong person. She’s bored with what life has given her thus far, and I think underneath that facade, she’s also terribly lonely.

And eight-year-old me absolutely ate that up. For lack of a better word, I felt seen. This stoic girl reminded me of myself, so much so that the first time I watched the Beach ep I actually cried at the bonfire conversation between the Fire Nation teens- not at Ty Lee’s emotional confession about her sisters or Zuko’s anger/ internal moral conflict or even Azula’s heart wrenching line about her mother- but at Mai’s flat admission of “I was a rich, only child who got everything I wanted. So long as I behaved, and sat still, and didn’t speak unless spoken to…”

That line cut me deep, because out of all the characters in atla, I felt like I knew exactly what Mai was going through. (And when you’re a kid consuming any kind of media, finding a character you identify with is one of the top priorities- at least it was for me lol) I couldn’t relate much to Katara- idealistic, nurturing, unafraid to shed tears. I didn’t have Ty Lee’s bubbly outlook or Azula’s calculating mind and razor-edged charisma. I wasn’t a competent leader like Suki or a strong-willed tomboy/ deep down softie like Toph. But I felt like I knew Mai.

Obviously a lot of time has passed since my first watch of avatar. I’ve grown up- and along the way, worked through a lot of the emotional blocks that drew me to Mai in the first place. But I still love her character because of what she meant to me at the time, and the hope she gave me back then for my future self. Mai’s reunion with Zuko in the series finale will always have a place in my heart- I see it as a new beginning not just for them as a couple, but also (or maybe even more so?) as a new beginning for Mai as an individual who feels safe and loved enough to be more open with those around her- while at the same time, not having to completely change who she is as a person in order to be in a relationship/ get a happy ending.

My other reasons are a lot less in depth but no less important imo. I admire Mai’s skill with knives, her sarcastic one-liners, her super shiny hair. I appreciate how she called Zuko out for his erratic behavior and point blank said that even though he’d been through bad things, that wasn’t an excuse for him lashing out at others. I like the dynamic she Ty Lee present as two incredibly different young women both walking the very dangerous line of being ‘friends’ with Azula. I like how she would rebel in little ways, like when she refused to chase Sokka and Katara into the slurry pipeline during The Drill, or how she gave Azula the side eye after her date with Zuko was interrupted in early season 3. I like the final confrontation at the Boiling Rock and Mai’s decision to stand up for the sake of someone she believed in. And honestly, if I’ve made anything clear in this response, it’s that I just like Mai.

I hope I answered your question! I got a little carried away with the length of this response, but I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to voice how I feel. Ty for the question!!

#yikes this got long #i just have a lot of feelings about mai ok #one of the most underrated/ unfairly disliked characters in the series if you ask me #if there is a mai defense squad #count this as my official application #also where my url originated from: mai + appreciation = maipreciation #mai #atla meta #atla character analysis #maiko #my posts #ashlei's answers

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flameo-firelord-hotman · 3 years

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Part 1

Pairing: Zuko x Fem!Reader

Genre: angst

Warnings: none

Words: 2.1

Summary: to everyone she knew, [y/n] was a peasant, destined to be a servant just like her parents. To Zuko, however, she was his best friend. After losing his agni kai and being exiled, [y/n] was devastated. She thought she would never see him again. Three years later, she almost wished he never came back.

A/N: it’s finally here! So sorry for putting it off for so long. I felt unmotivated and like this wasn’t very good? But I’m posting it now, so there’s no going back lol. Enjoy! And please give me feedback :)

Part 1 -> Part 2

Series | Masterlist

Despite being a lower class citizen, [y/n] was very familiar with the halls of the Fire Nation Royal Palace. Her parents had been working as servants for the royal family since she was a little girl. Her mom was a housemaid. Her dad was a groundskeeper. To be a servant for the royal family was an honor, and [y/n]'s parents instilled this in her. Sometimes they brought her to work to teach her the skills she would need to become one as well.

Yes, her parents fully expected her to become a servant. Doing so was typical for citizens of her status. Specifically, though, her parents expected her to follow in their path and work for the royal family. Perhaps that would change when she met Zuko.

"Hi! My name's Zuko! What's yours?" A bubbly boy asked [y/n] one day. He was eight years old, the same age as [y/n]. His dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and he had bright, amber eyes. Back and forth he rocked on his feet, anxiously waiting for her answer.

It was rare for [y/n] to see the royal family, and it was unheard of for one of them to speak to her…until that day.

"M-my name is [y/n]. It's an honor to meet you, Prince Zuko," [y/n] replied bashfully. She bowed carefully to show her respect for the Firelord's grandson, as her parents had taught her to do.

"You don't need to bow to me. You're my friend now!"

[Y/n] quickly straightened up. "But, but--"

"Will you play with me?" Zuko asked eagerly. [Y/n] turned to her mom, who was washing linens. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to.

Her mom quietly said to her, "if the Prince wants you to play with him, then it's okay." [Y/n] turned back to the young boy and nodded.

From that day on, they became best friends. Previously, [y/n] never looked forward to coming to work with her parents. It was boring, and the palace and everyone in it seemed so intimidating. Since meeting Zuko, it became the one thing she looked forward to.

They often played games in the palace gardens, or played hide-and-seek inside the palace with Zuko's mom, Lady Ursa. On occasion, they would play with his sister Azula and her friends Mai and Ty Lee (but only when the princess let her).

Eventually, instead of waiting for [y/n]'s parents to bring her to work, he would invite her over for playdates. Even as they approached their teen years, Zuko continued to invite [y/n] to hang out. As they matured, they grew closer. [Y/n] didn't realize it at first, but gradually she realized: she had feelings for Zuko.

Then one day, the invitations abruptly stopped. [Y/n] could never forget. The last words Zuko spoke to her on that day would echo in her mind: I'll be fine, [y/n]. Don't worry. I've been training for years. I'm sure I can take on this guy!

She didn’t get to watch the agni kai, and she was glad she didn't. She overheard all the palace staff whispering haunting rumors about it afterward. If only she could've been there for him. [Y/n] begged the guards outside of the infirmary to let her see Zuko, but they wouldn't.

Then, the next day, he was gone. And so [y/n] grieved the loss of her best friend and crush, so sure she would never see Zuko again.

"Momma! Papa! I'm home!" [Y/n] called as she walked into their apartment, returning home from a long day of work.

Three years had passed since that fateful day. During that time, [y/n] slowly adjusted to her new life: one without Zuko, as well as one as a housemaid. At thirteen, she began working for one of the Fire Nation's many rich, noble families. Soon she would gain the experience and expertise to become a servant for the royal family…though she was not fond of the idea of working for the family that Zuko was no longer a part of and in the home that Zuko no longer lived in. The thought of it was dreadful.

"Oh, [y/n]!" Her mom cheered as she jogged up to her. "You will not believe what I heard at the palace today!"

"Momma, please, you need to get a new hobby," [y/n] said.

Her mom was always eavesdropping and gossiping with the other servants about the royal family. [Y/n] couldn't blame her though; it was the only fun thing to do at work.

"Oh, this isn't a rumor, [y/n]. It's real," her dad chimed in as walked into the room.

[Y/n] chuckled. "Well, if dad says so, then I'm curious. What is it?"

Her parents looked at each other and grinned before turning back to [y/n]. "Prince Zuko is coming home!" They exclaimed.

[Y/n]'s jaw dropped. She was speechless. No way. They're not joking, right? They wouldn't. That would be a cruel prank. But still, Zuko was given an impossible task. That can only mean…

"Sweetie? Aren't you excited?" Her mom asked with concern. "Are you okay?"

[Y/n] nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah. I just don't believe it. It's too good to be true, you know?"

Her mom clasped [y/n]'s hands in hers. "Well, sweetie, it is true. Please tell her, honey, so she believes me!" She turned to her husband and laughed.

"We had a large staff meeting about it today," her dad explained. "We were told that he and his sister, Princess Azula will be here in about three days."

"Wow…this is really happening, isn't it?" [Y/n] asked.

"Mhm. Now, your mother and I are going to be working hard to welcome them home for the next few days. Don't be surprised if we return home late, okay?"

"Okay, papa," [y/n] smiled, trying to contain her excitement.

"And don't worry, we'll make sure you get to see him when he comes home." Her mother winked, making [y/n] giggle.

Over the next few days, [y/n] prepared for her reunion with Zuko. First, she made sure to have the day off. Second, she used her savings to buy a nice outfit. Third, she gave her hair a trim. Finally, she rehearsed everything she was going to say to him: that she missed him so much, how sorry she was for not being there for him, that she wished she could've gone with him, and that she was beyond excited to be with him again…perhaps she would confess her feelings for the prince too.

And when he returned, [y/n] was ready. She wore her new outfit: a short, rose colored tunic and sash over a long, maroon skirt. Her [h/c] hair was styled half-up, half-down with a top knot. It was a simple look, but she thought her best friend would like it.

A massive crowd gathered outside of the palace. Just about everyone living in Royal Caldera City was there. [Y/n] and her parents got as close as they could, which was unfortunately quite far away. They could barely see or hear Li and Lo speaking from the balcony…something about Azula invading Ba Sing Se and taking down the Avatar with Zuko.

"Now, the heroes have returned home! Your princess, Azula," shouted the two old women. Right on cue, the princess strutted out to the edge of the balcony. [Y/n] squinted her eyes to see her. Everyone around her cheered and clapped.

"And after three long years," they continued, "your prince has returned…"

This was it. This was the moment [y/n] had been waiting for. Her heart pounded in her chest, her jaw tightened, clenching her teeth, and her palms began sweating. The anticipation was killing her.

"Zuko!" Their voices boomed over the crowd.

And there he was: the banished prince, approaching the balcony's edge. [Y/n] stared in amazement. It really was true. Zuko came home! She jumped and cheered and clapped with the rest of the crowd.

After the public announcement, [y/n]'s parents brought her into the palace "to help with housekeeping." Yes, it was lie, but the palace guards believed it. They were very familiar with [y/n] and her family after all. Quickly, she strode through the halls of the palace, going to the one place she knew she would find him.

The hall opened to a large garden behind the palace. Beautiful flowers and bushes surrounded the area. Stone steps and tōrōs led to a large weeping willow next to a pond. The willow's long branches draped over the edge of the pond, the tips of its leaves tickling the water's surface. Beneath it sat the boy she was looking for. He was feeding small chunks of bread to a family of turtleducks.

It was like a dream. For the first time in three years, [y/n] was looking at Zuko's face. A large, patch of rough, red skin covered the left side…a remnant of his agni kai. It was shocking yet saddening. However, Zuko was still very handsome. His dark hair was pulled back into a top knot and decorated with a regal hairpiece. He had grown taller, his jawline was more defined and he had become more muscular. Zuko was no longer that little boy [y/n] remembered, which begged the question: did he remember her?

As [y/n] approached the prince, Zuko noticed her and made eye contact. His body froze and eyes widened.

"Hi, Zuko," [y/n] greeted him anxiously.

He immediately stood up and dropped all the bread chunks. The turtleducks took advantage and gobbled up every last crumb. "[Y/n]? Is that you?"

"Yeah! You remembered me."

Zuko beamed and opened his arms to [y/n]. They hugged each other tightly. [Y/n] felt three years of stress and tension in her body dissipate as she relaxed into his embrace. Not only was she seeing Zuko again, she was hearing his voice (which had deepened), she was feeling his warmth, and she was remembering what he smelled like.

"Of course I remember you," Zuko said, "how could I forget my best friend?"

"It's silly, I know…but it's been so long," [y/n] replied. They separated and looked at each other. Those amber eyes still shined just as they did when she first met him. [Y/n] felt her cheeks turn rosy.

"You're right. I'm really glad to see you again. I've missed you."

[Y/n] smiled. "I've missed you too. I have the day off if you want to hang out and catch up!"

"I'd love to," Zuko started, "but I can't. I'm going out with Mai today."

[Y/n]'s smile faded. "M-Mai?"

"Yep, he's taking me on a date today," a familiar voice from behind [y/n] said.

[Y/n] turned to see Mai approaching them. She gave Zuko a sweet smile, which Zuko reciprocated. Then, she clasped her hand in his and wrapped her other hand around his bicep. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked at [y/n]. [Y/n] felt her heart drop to her stomach.

Mai was as gorgeous as ever, not to mention she was wealthy and noble. Of course, Zuko would date her. [Y/n] suddenly felt stupid for even considering telling Zuko about her feelings. Why would a prince go out with a commoner? Why would a prince fall for one in the first place? Why did she think she had a chance?

"It's about time, if you ask me," another familiar voice interrupted [y/n]'s thoughts.

Azula, someone else she hadn't seen in years, strutted into the garden with a hand on her hip. As a child she was quite bossy and intimidating. From the rumors [y/n]'s mom told her, she never grew out of that behavior. Even now, she was giving [y/n] a dirty look.

"Oh please, Azula. It's been three years, and I just got here," Zuko scowled at his sister.

The princess scoffed. "Everyone knew Mai had a crush on you. Well, everyone but my idiot brother." Mai blushed and gave Azula a look, while Zuko groaned and rolled his eyes.

[Y/n] felt very out of place and uncomfortable. She wanted to leave. She wanted to run away. She wanted to go home. She wanted to lay in her bed and curse herself for thinking this was a good idea. Sure, [y/n] was beyond happy to see Zuko again, but she was also crushed knowing that his heart belonged to someone else. Moreover, being in the presence of Azula made her feel threatened. [Y/n] knew the princess despised her.

"Well, um, I'll leave you all to it. Have fun today…" [y/n] quietly said, smiling weakly.

"Okay, it was great seeing you again, [y/n]!" He said cheerfully.

"Yeah, it was good to see you too."

No…no, it wasn't.

#zuko x reader #zuko imagine #zuko #atla #atla zuko #avatar the last airbender #atla fanfic #prince zuko #firelord zuko #zuko x you #zuko x y/n #atla x reader #atla x y/n #atla x you #my fic #ffh writes

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the-firebender-girl · 4 years

Text

I See the Light (Zuko x Reader)

Inspired by that one scene from “Tangled”

Note: This is my very first fic soo I do apologize in advance if it’s still bad and for the grammar mistakes which I could’ve made somewhere along the story since English is not my mother tongue. Feedbacks are appreciated and I hope you enjoy it♥️

-> In which Y/N is a part of Azula’s gang and also Zuko’s long lost childhood bestfriend who has had a crush on him since they were little.

The infamous banished crown prince is now back, up and running alongside his father and sister again. This news spread like wildfire all over the capital of the Fire Nation, both pleased and opposing reactions equal in numbers but alas everyone can see that Prince Zuko is now back in the Fire Lord’s good graces.

The noble families are preparing a ‘welcoming back’ celebration in his honor. Surely it was just another act to suck up and earn his favor, but whose to say that he can’t still enjoy it and bask in the festivities? after all he deserves this right? no matter what the means and motives behind it.

It was the morning of the day of the festival and Zuko is just about to begin his day after getting prim and pampered into his Crown Prince’s attire when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

“Who is it?” He raised the tone of his voice a bit so the person behind it could hear.

“Why don’t you take a guess?”Is what he heard back, a voice that he hasn’t heard for far too long of a time answered.

Not waiting a second longer the person behind it swung his ornate door open and entered the room.

Y/N stood in all her glory wearing the finest of red silk traditional garment, hair neatly weaved into a braided bun. Her (Y/E/C) eyes twinkled with mischief as a small smile tugs the corner of her lips up.

She hums and take a good look at the grown boy in front of her, whatever journey that he’s been through surely did him good.

“You look good”

“Well I sure hope so, after all it’s my first day back as the crown prince isn’t it?” He replied sheepishly, cheeks tinted red at her compliment.

“If the verdict comes from me then it’s safe to say you’re ready to dazzle the whole kingdom and have all the maidens fawning all over you Prince Zuko” She said as she grinned a cheshire cat smile.

“Ughh stop with the compliments Y/N, I can’t even tell whether you’re teasing me or not anymore” He replied back as he rolls his eyes.

“It’s been a while since I saw you” All mirth lost from her tone as she whispers this out.

“Yeah.... way too long for my liking” His eyes softens as he stares back at her.

Their little moment was broken as Azula poked her head from behind the half-opened door and decided to join the party.

“Whatever is taking sooo long? you’re even worse than us girls when it comes to vanity, Zuzu” The princess said as she saunters in all cat like, movement smooth and calculated.

“I was done a while ago Azula, me and Y/N was just catching up” Zuko grumbled.

“Well do the catching up later then, we need to grace this festival with our presents”

“Fine by me, off we go now Y/N” Zuko said as he beckoned for Y/N to follow him.

Y/N falls in line besides Zuko and they exited his bedroom with Azula trailing not too far behind them.

———————————————————————

Despite it still being bright and early, the festival is already in full swing. Unlit lanterns decorated the streets, carts selling fire flakes, extra spicy fire noodles and various other traditional food can be seen here and there, the sound of singing and various musical instruments reverberated through the air.

Y/N walks side by side with Ty Lee, meanwhile Zuko chooses to position himself beside Mai in the back, Azula’s leading the pack all by herself in the very front.

The bubbly girl leans in to whisper in her ear, “Soo did the two of you get to talk?” Ty Lee asked curiously.

Y/N sigh, “No we didn’t, I was just about to when Azula decided to ruined the moment”

Y/N sneak a discrete look to the couple behind them who’s too busy basking in each other’s presence to notice, “And now he decided to spend the whole day with Mai instead” Letting a bit of annoyance and hurt creeps into her voice.

Ty Lee looks at her dejected bestfriend encouragingly, putting her small hand on one fo her shoulders and give it a few taps, “There there... i’m sure he’ll come around, this festival is gonna go on for a while, at some point he’ll be alone”

But she was wrong. Zuko was never alone, not even for the smallest of moment. He was always dotting on Mai, looking at her with this sparkle in his eyes. I guess even time sometimes can’t change some things.

———————————————————————

Night rolls around as the sky darkens and the streets are lit with the red and gold glow emited from the lanterns.

It’s now time for the finale and the highlight of this celebration that people have been waiting for the whole day. A boat ride across the small lake in the capital to watch the release of lampions into the sky.

Here they are now standing on the wooden dock and about to enter their respective boats when Ty Lee decided to do a little sprint towards Mai and weave herself right into her arm.

“I’m tagging Mai and it’s final! I miss her, I never got the chance to do any of the activities together earlier” She said, feet stumping like a child, lips pouting.

“Uugh fine do whatever you want, Ty Lee just stop with the antics” Azula said as she looks at her judgingly, “You won’t mind, would you brother?” A hit of teasing malice evident in her tone as she challenged him to say something back.

“No, of course not. I’ll take the boat with Y/N” He replied flatly, trying hard to maintain the tone of his voice and not give into her trap.

Azula claps her hands, “Well great then, that solves the problem, off you all kids go now”

“Wait you’re not going with us?” Y/N asked incrediously.

And to this the princess raised one of her perfectly groomed eyebrow, “And what in the world makes you think I would participate in such..... frivolous activity?” She bites back.

“Come on Y/N let’s just go, she has no fun bones in her” Zuko said as he gently tug at her elbow to stop what could be an escalating argument.

And so the prince and his childhood bestfriend make way to their boat. He goes in first then extend a hand out for her to take, to steady her.

“Thanks Zuko” She said gratefuly, after stepping into the boat and taking a sit.

“Couldn’t let you fall now could I?” He replied teasingly.

The two of them takes the paddles and row their boat towards the middle of the lake, trying to secure the best spot, which is left empty anyway once the people saw who’s currently on this boat. Some giving a small bow of their heads in respect as they passed.

“It’s peaceful out here” She started, slumping a bit in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position.

Zuko sees her constantly shifting into different position asks, “You okay there?”

“Yeah it’s just that my body is kinda aching from the day activities and walking, I couldn’t really sit still upright now” She confessed a bit embarassed.

Zuko lets out a low chuckle and beckons for her, “Come here”

She throws him a questioning glance, to which he gives a nod.

Y/N gets up and wobble a bit towards Zuko, rocking their boat, and she almost took a tumble when his arms wraps itself over her waist.

“I got you,” He said, making her took a sharp breath as her cheeks flooded with warmth.

Zuko then guides her into a seating position in front of him, half cuddling her into his chest. Her head settling in the crook of his neck as he lazily drapes his arms on her side.

“Comfortable enough for you, your highness?”

She rolled her eyes and hit his chest playfully.

“As a matter of fact, I am very comfortable right now”

The both of them look at each other and share a smile.

“You must regret not being in the boat with Mai instead, this setting is a bit too romantic for two childhood friends isn’t it?” She asked, testing the water, head tilting a bit to look at him properly and try to gauge out a reaction.

“Well I already spent the whole day with her anyway so that’s fine, i’m usually not into this whole romantic boat ride thingy but I guess if it’s with you then i’ll just bear with it” He replied back in good humor.

She just hums back in respond and decided to let the comfortable silence envelops them.

The sound of pipa (琵琶) a four-stringed musical instrument with frets like those on a guitar could be heard through the air, followed by other instruments, and soft singing voices of the hired singers on a boat not too far from them.

All those days watching from the windows

All those years outside looking in

All that time never even knowing

Just how blind I've been

A melodious voice sings the first few lyrics out.

“I’ve never heard this song before, it’s lovely” Y/N said quietly.

“Yeah... me too” came his reply.

Now I'm here blinking in the starlight

Now I'm here suddenly I see

Standing here it's all so clear

I'm where I'm meant to be

Y/N takes a glance at Zuko, watching his features looking content and relaxed for the first time in a while. This boy doesn’t realize just how handsome he is, does he? how much power he actually has over her.

And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And it's warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

As the first light from the lampions started to illuminate the night sky, awed gasps can be heard from all around them.

Lampions are released to fly into the sky, bright golden glows surrounds the boat everywhere, it’s like the sun itself is here, in the middle of the night.

All those days chasing down a daydream

All those years living in a blur

All that time never truly seeing

Things, the way they were

Now she's here shining in the starlight

Now she's here suddenly I know

If she's here it's crystal clear

I'm where I'm meant to go

Zuko had spent a huge portion of his life wandering aimlessly. Yes of course he has the whole ‘chasing the avatar’ thing on his agenda and yet it never felt quite right.

But being here, with her, someone who probably knows him best of all the person in the world besides his uncle, for the first time he finally feels like he belong.

And it's warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

All at once everything is different

Now that I see you

Zuko watches every emotion flickers across her face, it’s beautiful, she’s like a living art.

“Is this how uncle feels when it comes to his tea?” He wondered to himself.

He always knows that he loves her as a friend, he’d do anything for this girl, but could there possibly be something more between them? especially with this weird feelings that he now has in his stomach while looking at her, and the tightening of his chest, and how he felt warm watching her happiness at such simple things.

Now that I see you

“Stop looking at me Zuko, you’re staring at the wrong thing” She said embarrassedly, trying to hide her face into his chest.

“Nahh i’m mighty sure i’m looking at the right thing, what’s more worthy of seeing anyway” He whispers back to her.

She raised her face so fast she almost got a whiplash, about to retort something witty back when she sees the honesty in his face. How he actually means what he says.

“I see you too you know.... I always have, not the composed prince, just you, just Zuko”

Zuko raised one hand hesitantly, stopping it mid air to ask for permission and when she shows no sign of wanting to stop him, he lets his hand cup her cheek gently.

“I know... that’s why i’m scared to lose you, I thought by keeping this all to myself, I wouldn’t ruin whatever we have right now”

“Just let me in Zuko, that’s all I ask” Y/N said as she rubs a comforting touches on his arm.

“But what about Mai?” She starts again, “I thought you like her”

“I thought I did too, but it would never have worked out anyway between me and her, we both want and crave different things, and I was too scared to admit to myself that you’re what i’m looking for all this time”

“Soooo?” She asked, drawling out the O’s while looking at him expectantly.

“Sooo?” He said back, grinning at her clear frustration.

“Stop being coy with me! so where do we go from here?”

He takes both of her hands in his and clasp it firmly, looking straight into her eyes.

“We go forward, together.”

“Always?” She asked again, vulnerabilty evident in her voice, asking for his devotion.

“Always. Until the very end” He said in a final tone, giving her his promise.

And so the both of them shared their very first kiss, under the light of a thousand lanterns, and the moon in the distance as the witness of their everlasting promise to each other.

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willsimpforazula · 3 years

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Sokkla Month Day 2: Confession

Not exactly a literary masterpiece and highly self-indulgent, but it be like it do.

"I love you."

Three simple words. Yet to Azula, it was the hardest sentence for her to speak into existence, despite her actions proving time and time again it was anything but. After all, one had to be deaf, dumb and blind in order to not notice how she and Sokka were stuck to each other whenever they met up.

Yet, they chose to keep their distance, always coming close to actually confessing, but never actually doing it. Every time she told herself, this was it. Every time, for some reason or another, the perfect moment never came.

Until today.

Three days ago….

A short trip, one or two nights in Shu Jing at his old master's place. At first, she wouldn't budge, citing workload problems as while Zuko was a competent ruler, sorting out the nitty gritty day to day operations weren't his forte.

"That's...what secretaries and ministers are for, Azula. At this rate, you're gonna get a bunch of gray hairs and wrinkles before you turn twenty-five."

"But-"

"It's just a short trip, two nights only. Besides, I'm sure Master Piandao wouldn't mind if I bring a plus one."

"Ugh, fine. But I get to bring my work with me."

"The point of a vacation is so you don't have to think about work, Zu."

"I'm a princess, Sokka, I can't just decide to take a vacation whenever I want. That's being irresponsible."

"Okay fine, you get to bring some of your paperwork on the airship. But as soon as we touch down, that's staying in the airship. Deal?"

"Deal. Now shoo, I've got reports to read!"

"Don't look at me like that, how was I supposed to know it was going to rain?"

"In case you forgot, it's the rainy season right now Sokka, of course it's gonna rain."

"Then I guess we're stuck in this shelter then until the rain stops."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

"N-n-no, no it's not! I like spending time with you!"

"Really?"

"Why else do you think the first person I look for whenever I visit is you? Zuko and Mai are too emo and serious to have fun with, while Ty Lee is...well...her incessant cheerfulness creeps me out sometimes."

"But I'm just, me?"

"I-well-I don't know how else to say this, but every moment I spend with you I find myself falling harder and harder for you and well, I-um…"

Hearing him say that, her heart did little backflips that someone would be willing to look past her intimidating exterior shell for who she really was. Seeing as there wasn't anyone to judge her actions, she cut him off mid-thought and kissed him chastely.

"Sokka, I-I-I feel the same way when-whenever we spend time together and I just-I love you Sokka." she mumbled and stammered, hiding her rapidly blushing face behind her hands.

Holding her hands in his, Sokka looked deeply into her eyes and replied "I'm glad to know that we both feel the same way about each other. I love you Azula."

"Azula?" he asked after a long silence.

"Yes?"

"Could you, um, share some of your body heat with me?"

"And here I thought Water Tribesmen don't get cold."

"Please?"

"Fine." she sighed. "Just..don't get any ideas. I love you and all, but don't try anything stupid, I will crispify you.", she warned, climbing into Sokka's lap, where he wrapped his arms around her waist possessively as her heat radiated off her and warmed him up. Resting his chin on her head as she tucked herself into the crook of his neck, both of them dozed off, content and happy to be in each other's arms.

#sokkla month #day 2 #let's be honest sokka had to have used azula like a human space heater at one point #sokka x azula #sokkla

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thelucyaddams · 4 years

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Azula x fem!reader

Two childhood friends talking for a bit.

Hurt and sadness was present in (Y/N)'s eyes when she looked at her childhood friend who was chained to the earthen wall by Toph.

They both met when they were not older than four for the first time and their friendship was a huge secret by that time. But it was close and deep and probably the only real friendship the firenation princess ever had.

Azula tried to act cool and like it wouldn't affect her at all to see her (Y/N) together with the enemy. But deep down it hurt her as well.

Another person that betrayed her. First by vanishing years ago till she appears again by the Avatars side.

Though this betrayal hurt the most. More than Mai and Ty Lee's. Of course she'd never admit it.

"You should go and try to find Ozai. I can handle her.", (Y/N) said.

Aang and Sokka looked at their friend with worry in their expressions. Even the earthbender seemed a bit unsure about that.

When (Y/N) became friends with them she opened up to them about her past with the princess. They knew how hard this must be for her.

They knew she actually loved the cruel firebender. She fell in love long ago and that never changed even after everything that happened.

Azula chuckled.

"Can you now? I'm a formidable fighter even without my bending.", the princess said with the typical playfulness in her voice.

(Y/N) looked into her golden eyes and felt her heart drop. She always tried to avoid fighting her directly. But if there was no other way like now then she'd do it.

"I'm not bad myself you know. Remember that one time I actually beat you."

Azula laughed.

"How old were we again? Six? Seven? It was only one time and it wasn't a real fight either. I mean you sneaked up on me when I didn't expected it... In fact I was looking for you all night and was worried you got caught by the royal guards or someone else. But no you just hid because you thought it was funny to tease me in that very moment. ", the princess said and actually seemed to look back at it with some nostalgia.

"I scared the hell out of you and managed to throw you to the ground.", (Y/N) teased.

Some of the tension between the both girls eased and it was almost like they were thrown back to that specific time again when their eyes met once again.

"I could do it again.", (Y/N) added playfully slightly forgetting the situation they were in.

"Oh no, you couldn't. I learned from that you know. There's no one that could sneak up on me now or ever again.", the princess replied.

Team Avatar watched them interacting in awe. They've never seen or heard Azula talk to someone like that. Like she was actually showing some affection and honesty.

It was a weird scene to watch after knowing only her cunning and playful side.

"But I must admit... I do miss those times. You... You were a good friend.", Azula confessed in a short show of compassion and affection.

(Y/N) felt her heart skip a beat.

Maybe their friendship wasn't lost like she thought long ago. Maybe they still had a chance. She could help her. Help Azula to change or at least to show her her father is wrong about this war...

But it would be a long way to go...

"Didn't you want to look for father? Hm, guess you just distracted yourself. Time's up.", Azula said with her usual playfulness again as she freed herself all of the sudden and attacked.

Yes, it would definitely be a challenge. But if (Y/N) could safe her somehow then she'd accept the challenge.

#avatar azula #avatar the last airbender #atla fanfic #azula x reader #azula x fem!reader #i love azula

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zukoszukhoes · 3 years

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Things Unsaid- Mai/Ty Lee

This is an atla secret Santa gift for @tophbeifong . hope you enjoy!

summary: mai has liked ty lee for a long time. it’s not until ty lee gets a new girlfriend that mai decides it’s time to say something.

warnings: none

"Well? How was it?" Azula grinned wickedly.

"It was... wet. She was sort of crying.” Ty Lee answered sheepishly. “Lin has had a rough week.”

Azula snorted and exchanged looks with Zuko and me. "You'd think a bit of kissing would do her some good,"

"Well, you can't possibly imagine what she must be feeling right now," Zuko defended Lin with a small snort.

That makes two of us, I thought bitterly.

"She probably feels guilty for kissing Ty Lee, since she just broke up with Chan. Also, with the weight of our final exams and her mum being banished she has a lot going on right now!" Zuko explained, raising his eyebrows.

"You people and your feelings. It must be so crowded in your tiny brains." Azula sighed.

"Well, just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean all of us do," I chimed in, cocking an eyebrow.

I met Ty Lee's eyes. She cracked a grin, and even though I didn't feel like it, I smiled back. Zuko joined in, and soon we were all laughing like it was all fine- which, to them, it was.

"Mai,"

I didn't respond.

"Mai!"

"What?" I jumped slightly, the voice disturbing me from my memory.

"Are you alright? Everyone else's left." Ty Lee remarked. It was true; the room was empty except for Ty Lee and me. Her face shone with concern and her hand vaguely reached for me, but she withdrew before her hand could touch my skin. My chest seemed to burn. For months, she’d been making me nervous- making my knee weak, making my throat close up, and making me wish more than anything that I could pull her close to me and never let go. I didn’t understand it; I didn’t feel anything. And yet, with Ty Lee… she made me feel everything.

I couldn't bear to look at her. I turned away, facing my reflection in a speckled mirror. "I'm fine," I replied curtly, squaring my jaw.

"You don't really seem fine," she frowned, her large brown eyes looking at me imploringly.

I glared at her, but it lacked my usual icy malice. “I’m always fine.”

"You know you can talk to me, Mai." Ty Lee moved to stand beside me, staring at me intently. I refused to turn my head to face her.

My chest tightened unbearably. It was pointless to tell her. She had Lin now- she didn’t need me. She didn’t want me.

“Just go away.” I said softly.

She looked at me for a few seconds more, then seemed to decide that I wasn't going to tell her anything. She walked away, and with each footstep echoing on the metal floor I couldn't help but want her more.

I wanted her to come back and make me talk. I wanted her to say that Lin meant nothing. I wanted her to say she cared about me. I wanted her.

Ty Lee's footsteps stopped briefly. "Mai... if you really don't want to talk then I guess I understand, but, just... just know I'm here for you. And I'm not going to judge you." She said softly.

I wrapped my arms around my chest, feeling small and selfish and hopeless. Honestly, the feeling was foreign. I was so used to pushing down the way I felt; now, everything was rushing forward uncontrollably. With Ty Lee, I just couldn’t seem to stop my emotions.

It made me want to throw up.

"I..." I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "I like someone."

"Really?” Ty Lee’s face broke out into a delighted smile. “Who is it?”

"I can’t really tell you." I started, choosing my words carefully so as not to reveal my true feelings. Ty Lee looked shocked, but said nothing. "They like someone else. It would ruin everything if I told them."

I glanced at the mirror. Ty Lee's confused face stared back. "Is it Zuko? Because he and Ami aren’t really that serious-”

My stomach lurched. “No!” I cried. “No, it’s not Zuko. Just... forget it," I muttered. "It's nothing. I'll forget about it soon."

Ty Lee put a hand on my shoulder and gently turned me to face her, though I kept my face hidden as much as I could.

"I don't really understand what's going on," She put her other hand on my other shoulder comfortingly. "But I want to help."

I couldn’t help but smile. Typical Ty Lee.

I took a few deep breaths, keeping my eyes trained on my reflection in the mirror. After a few moments, when I felt calm, I turned my head to face Ty Lee.

"Are you and Lin together?"

Ty Lee blanched. "What?"

"Do you like her? Really? Because it sounds like she just… well, kissed you."

Ty Lee's hands dropped to her sides. She looked conflicted. "Well... yeah, I guess," she admitted.

My heart sank like a stone in my chest. "Oh, well, I'm glad.” I forced my voice to sound unbothered. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t have anything… or anyone… you know what I mean."

"I don't really know." Ty Lee gave me a confused but amused look. "Are you... are you asking if I like someone else?"

My cheeks flushed furiously. I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I guess so.”

I met Ty Lee's gaze once more, and was surprised to find she was just as red as I was.

"Well, I like Lin, but not really like… well, the way she likes me." Ty Lee confessed, averting her gaze from mine for the first time. She seemed… strangely uncomfortable.

I nodded. An awkward tension hung in the air.

"But, I did like someone else before... to be totally honest, when I imagined kissing a girl under the mistletoe it wasn't Lin," Ty Lee laughed awkwardly.

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow.

Ty Lee cleared her throat and thought for a moment, as if steeling herself for what she was about to say, then continued with a sharp intake of air: "I never knew if she, the girl, liked me. There were times where I was almost sure, but I couldn't help but think that she was only interested in being my friend. I'd liked her for a while, and when I told her I'd kissed Lin it really seemed like she didn't feel the same. She seemed... fine, when she found out. So I guessed she really wasn't interested, even if I wished she was." She ended the sentence very quietly.

My eyes widened. "Ty Lee..."

Ty Lee smiled, taking my hand. "Everyone thinks it's Lin. Or Azula, or some other girl I don't even know. But it isn't them." She took a deep breath. "It's you."

I sucked in my breath. My head was swimming with rising happiness. "Ty Lee..."

"I couldn't have liked Lin, anyways.” Ty Lee grinned. “I have a hard time not thinking about you." Her smile faltered slightly. "Do you.. do you feel the same?"

I took a breath and met Ty Lee's eyes with a smile on my face. "You know that thing I wanted?" She nodded. I placed a hand on Ty Lee's cheek. "It was you."

Then, I leaned in, and the one thing I had wanted for so long had come to pass: Ty Lee's lips on mine.

Bonus playlist:

1. Honey- Kehlani

2. Sunny- Boney M

3. Sensitive- Serena Isioma

4. Oh, Maker- Janelle Monae

5. Freak- Doja Cat

Bonus song bc I think mai would like this song: BOYSHIT- Madison Beer

#mai x ty lee #ty lee #mai #mai lee #mailee #atla secret santa

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avatarstories · 4 years

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izumi’s birthday pt 1: bad memories

AN: I had to split Izumi’s birthday up a bit. trying to fit it all in one chapter would have been just stupidly long. I will say this starts sad, and the second chapter is also sad, though more angsty than sad, but part three will be much happier and have a good resolution.

TW: character death in childbirth (in past, but mentioned), noblewomen being sucky to Izumi.

Izumi was never particularly excited to celebrate her birthday. It was a day of mixed emotions knowing that while her family celebrated her coming into this world, they were reminded of the sharp pang of losing her mother on that day as well. Nonetheless, her grandfather Iroh had insisted on throwing a party to celebrate her 17th birthday. Nobles from the outlying islands, diplomats from the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes, and of course her father’s friends and their families who were essentially her extended family. The palace, usually quiet and peaceful (as she and her father preferred) was bustling with guests. Her father had been so busy greeting guests and addressing some Republic City business with Sokka and Aang that she had barely seen him that day. So, she decided to take a walk to his office after she knew he had finished meeting with Sokka and Avatar Aang.

As she walked down the hallway, she overheard two of the noblewomen, a governor’s wife and her daughter, visiting for her birthday festivities talking with each other in the portrait gallery.

“I just hope she won’t be like her forefathers, with the Fire Lady curse,” the mother says.

“Fire Lady curse?” the daughter questions.

“Haven’t you noticed, dear, that all of the Fire Ladies who gave birth to bad Fire Lords have died in childbirth,” the mother answers. “Fire Lord Sozin’s mother died when he was born, as did Azulon’s. Lady Ilah died when she gave birth to Ozai. General Iroh’s wife died when Prince Lu Ten came. Princess Ursa barely made it through Princess Azula’s birth, and of course you know that Lady Mai died when the Crown Princess was born.”

“It seems the spirits had it out for the Fire Ladies that brought bad men into the world,” the daughter replies.

“Indeed,” the mother says “For our sake, let’s pray it’s not an omen about our next Fire Lord.”

Izumi’s breath hitches. The mother turns and sees her. Izumi recognizes her as Lady Niko and her daughter Ichika.

“Your highness, I hope you are well,” Lady Niko says with a bow. Izumi clenches her fists. What an asshole she thinks to herself.

“Good evening,” she says bitterly.

“We were just off to retire,” Lady Niko states. If she has any suspicion that Izumi overheard their conversation, she does not show it. Izumi says nothing. “Well, good evening then.” The women bow again before walking down the hallway.

Izumi is left alone in the portrait gallery. Her father had the portraits of the imperial Fire Lords removed long ago, before she was born. Instead, they were replaced with paintings of more favorable parts of Fire Nation history. There was one of Avatar Roku, one of her grandfather taking back Ba Sing Se, of her father redirecting lightning, and most recently of her Aunt Azula discovering the true nature of fire and being gifted a dragon egg. Even still, there were not enough new paintings to replace the old, and black curtains hung in their place.

Izumi finds herself reaching out to touch the heavy dark fabric and remembers the first time asking about them when she was maybe 8 years old.

"Why are there dark curtains on the walls in the portrait gallery?” Izumi had asked at dinner

“There used to be paintings there, but I had them taken down,” Zuko explained.

“Why were they taken down?” Izumi asked.

“They were of bad men, and I did not want them on display,” Zuko explained. “I didn’t need the reminder of their poor examples. And I did not need them setting an example for you to aspire to,” he answered.

“Well, I will not be bad. Girls are not bad like boys are,” Izumi said cheerfully.

“Girls can be bad, Izumi,” Azula says.

“But I’m a girl and I’m not bad. And so are Aunt Kiyi, and Aunt Katara. They are all very nice,” Izumi states, somewhat defensively. “You are not bad.”

“I used to be bad, very bad,” Azula responds.

Zuko looks at her across the table. “You don’t have to now-”

“She’s going to have to know sooner or later” Azula cuts him off. Azula didn’t talk much about her past, and for Izumi, Azula had always been one to chastise her for being mean. Izumi could not imagine Azula as anything other her stern and wise aunt.

Azula and Zuko are having a conversation with just looks, like only people with secrets can. Izumi looks between the two of them. “Know what?”

“Izumi, I know we have not taught you much about the war yet, but during the war, I was a bad person,” Azula starts. “I hunted down your father and grandfather to try to bring them back to the Fire Nation as prisoners, I chased Bumi and Kya’s mom and dad, Sokka, and Toph across the earth kingdom, I burned Uncle, I put Suki in prison, I tried to drill a whole in the walls of Ba Sing Se, then I actually took over Ba Sing Se, I killed the Avatar, well briefly, I had your mom and Ty Lee locked in the Boiling Rock, and then when my dad tried to take over the world and told me I could be Fire Lord, I tried to kill Zuko and your Aunt Katara when they tried to stop me. Even before the war, I was never nice,” Azula finishes. She sighs “Don’t believe anything is the way it is about you because you’re a girl, Izumi. Anyone is capable of destruction.”

Izumi is quiet. She looks at her aunt, her fire bending teacher, her fiercest protector, the woman who walks her home from school every day, who brushes her hair every morning, who tucks her in at night when her dad has too much paperwork to do, who is the closet thing this motherless child has to a mother. She cannot reconcile Azula’s confession.

“Dad is that true?” Izumi asks.

“Izumi, where else would he have gotten the scar on his chest? That was from when I tried to kill him,” Azula responds before Zuko can.

Izumi does not want to believe these things about Azula. “Well, if you were so bad, then how did the family pass the People’s Approval every year?”

“We did not have People’s Approval before me. That was something I created,” Zuko explains.

“So there used to just be uncontrollably bad Fire Lords and Fire Families?”

“Yes” Azula and Zuko say in unison.

“But we’re different, we learned from their misdeeds,” Zuko finishes. Izumi pulls her hand back from dark velvet. A door opening down the hall pulls her from her thoughts, and she starts towards her father’s office. As she walks down the hallway, she cannot shake the thought that she might be predestined for destruction.

“Is he with anyone?” She asks the guard at the door when she arrives.

“No, your highness. Master Katara, Councilman Sokka, and Avatar Aang just left. Would you like me to announce you?”

“Thank you, but no need. It’s just me,” she tells him.

“Of course, your highness,” he says with a polite nod.

When she walks in her father is staring, with a wistful but melancholic look, at a small ink portrait of himself and Mai that was commissioned shortly after they were married. Her entrance pulls him from whatever thought or memory he was lost in. The thought of him sitting in here alone and thinking of her mother only augments her anger and unease, and it quickly settles in her as sadness.

“Hey, turtleduck,” he says softly and with a smile when he sees her.

“Hi,” she replies, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Sorry, I missed dinner. Sokka, Aang, and I were working on something. And then Katara came in here to tell us off for working too late.”

“That’s ok,” she says, trying to cover the sadness in her tone but Zuko notices.

“What’s wrong, turtleduck?” he says walking over to her.

“I’m almost 17, don’t you think I’m a little old for that?”

“I don’t care how old you are, you’ll always be my little turtleduck.”

Izumi smiles softly. Zuko was sweet father. “You were looking at that painting of mom when I walked in.”

“I was, yes.” He pauses, "I was thinking about what I would tell her about you if I could.”

“What would you tell her?” a few tears well up in Izumi’s eyes, and she tries hard to keep them in.

“Well, I think she’d be happy to know you look just like her,” he starts. “And that you like to read and learn, and there’s nothing that you can’t teach yourself how to do. She’d be amazed that you can make your Aunt Azula laugh. And,” he says tipping her chin up so that she has to look into his eyes, “she’d want me to tell you that you could confide in your father with anything just like she did.”

“I don’t want to celebrate my birthday,” she whispers. A tear rolls down her cheek, and Zuko wipes it away.

“Why not?”

“It makes me feel guilty,” she barely manages to get out. She leans forward, and Zuko pulls her into an embrace.

“Zumi, sweetheart, we’ve talked about this. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“What if I just haven’t done the thing I’ll feel guilty about yet?” she strains.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Zumi?”

She doesn’t want to talk about what the noblewomen were discussing in the portrait gallery, and she diverts from her last question.

“I took your wife from you. You’ve been lonely for a long time because I came into the world.”

He holds her tighter against him. “That’s not true, Izumi,” he says firmly.

“Yes, it is.”

“Sit down, Izumi.” He guides her to the red and gold couch in his office and kneels in front of her. He takes one of her hands in her lap between his own, her gaze fixed downwards.

“Look at me,” he says softly.

She swallows and looks up, a tear rolls down her cheek.

“It has been, and still is, the greatest privilege of my life to be your father. The first time I ever saw you, I didn’t think I could ever love anyone more. I would have rather died than see you get hurt.” He pauses and wipes a tear off his cheek with his sleeve, and then does the same for Izumi. “And you’re right, I am lonely sometimes, but it’s not your fault, Izumi. In fact, when I see you smile or do something that brings you joy, I wonder how I could ever have wanted anything else. So don’t you ever think that you took anything away from me because you are the greatest joy of my life.”

She cannot stop the tears at his admission. She wraps her arms around his neck and he hugs her tightly to him. He doesn’t seem to mind that his robes are getting wet from her tears. Let’s pray it’s not an omen about our next Fire Lord plays again in her mind, and now with her father’s words, she only cries harder. He had so much faith in her, and she hadn’t proven anything yet about her ability to lead.

A few minutes later when she had stopped crying, Zuko loosens his embrace.

“I hate when my little girl is upset. You know Azula used to laugh at me because I’d cry when you got hurt or when you were sick. Then one time while I was in a meeting and Azula interrupted it clearly distraught because she found out someone had picked on you at school and she wanted the swiftest punishment imaginable, and I told her, 'now you know how it feels.'”

Izumi lets out a little laugh against his robes.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Want me to make some tea?”

“You’re turning into grandfather,” she quips, pulling out of the hug.

“I’d consider that a very nice compliment, Zumi,” Zuko jokes.

A short while later they are in the kitchens, each with a cup of tea in hand, but a darkness still sits heavy in Izumi’s heart. She knows she won’t be able to shake it off anytime soon.

AN: I love soft Dadko and protective Aunt Azula. I think it’s cool to explore Izumi’s understanding of her family and their past, especially in a way that it mixes with her own insecurities and fears. Next chapter, we get Bumi (who is actually of my favorite of the Gaang Kids, even though I tend to harp on Izumi.)

#avatarstories #fire nation royal family #izumi #zuko #azula

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thisbluewind · 3 years

Text

fall between the cracks

Pairing: Azula & Katara, background Zutara

Wordcount: 1998

Summary: Azula has a nightmare, and calls Katara. Modern AU

Other notes: so, I wrote this for a gift exchange for a server i’m in, but my giftee asked not to be tagged if i posted it outside the server, so here it is!

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28480725

Azula shot upright, eyes wide and gasping for air. It was just a dream; you don’t need to get so upset over it, she berated herself, trying to steady her racing pulse. She could still see it in her mind, her father standing in front of her, the hateful lies he’d insisted were true echoing in her head.

You should have been better. You failed. You didn’t do your duty. And the worst of them all: You're just as bad as Zuko. For all her life, ‘Zuko’ had been Ozai’s synonym for disappointment, worthless, weak, and everything else she wasn’t supposed to be. She knew that her brother was none of those things, but the opinions she’d had drilled into her head for her entire childhood wouldn’t let go. You weren’t good enough. It hadn’t been her fault. If you had been better, this wouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t her fault. You could have stopped this. It couldn’t have been her fault-

She dove for her phone, and dialed the first number that came to mind.

“Azula?” Katara’s tired voice filled her ears. “It’s three in the morning.”

“I apologize for waking you. I wasn’t thinking.” Her voice sounded small and empty. Exactly the way she felt. “I will call back in the morning.” She moved to hang up, but Katara spoke first.

“Wait. What’s wrong?” the other girl asked.

“I… I had a nightmare.” It sounded foolish once she said it out loud, and Azula opened her mouth to take the words back, to lie and convince Katara it was nothing. But once again, her friend answered before she could.

“About your father?”

“Yes,” Azula admitted. “I understand it’s ridiculous to still be thinking about something that happened in college now, but-”

“I’ll be right over,” Katara promised, and the line went dead in Azula’s hand. She stared at it uncomprehendingly. Katara cares about you, she reminded herself. She cares.

In what seemed like forever and no time at all, a quiet knock sounded at her apartment door. Azula swung her legs over the edge of her bed, and stood up quickly- too quickly, it seemed, as the motion set her head spinning. She waited for the dizziness to pass, and walked to the front door. When she opened it, Katara gave her a quick hug. Azula stepped back awkwardly, wordlessly inviting her friend to come in.

Seeing her uncertainty, Katara took her arm, and led her to the kitchen. Once they were there, Azula moved with stiff and practiced efficiency, selecting ingredients and placing them on the countertop. In barely two minutes, there were two warm cups of tea on the table. Jasmine, Uncle and Zuko’s favorite.

Once they were both settled, and sipping at their tea, Katara looked at Azula expectantly.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, obviously concerned.

“High school,” Azula said, bitterly. “Was a series of unrealistic and harmful expectations piled on top of me, one after another, with consequences when those impossibilities were not met. College was the result of those three years of buildup exploding in my father’s face, and by extension, mine.”

Katara nodded, clearly struggling to keep any signs of pity off her face.

“I was the envy of the entire school. Popular, intelligent, powerful. And then Iroh helped Zuko come forward about what had happened and when the news broke-” Azula snapped her fingers “-nobody wanted anything to do with the true failure, me. Just like that. Even Ty Lee and Mai abandoned me. I went from the most liked to most hated, in a matter of hours.” She grimaced. “I didn’t come to school for two weeks, but I heard the rumors. She was in on it, he hired someone to fake her success, and all the rest. I never stopped hearing it, not for the rest of my life. Every interview, I’m asked what my role was in what happened to Zuko. If I attempt to befriend someone, they inevitably demand to know what really happened. And if I don’t give the answer they want...” She stared at her feet. “I keep wondering if it’s worth trying again.”

“I didn’t know that it still affected your career.” Katara looked down at her feet. “If you want, I can pull some strings, get you a comfortable position in my company-”

“Thank you, but no.” Azula stopped her. “If I succeed, I have to do it on my own. Otherwise, I’ll just be proving what they all said about me. That my successes will always come from other people’s generosity. Not to mention what it would do to your reputation.”

“Alright,” Katara nodded, knowing exactly what Azula meant. After all, she had gone through the same thing rising to the top of her company, despite Pakku and the others on the Board of Executives doing their best to stop her. “But you need to know that having help doesn’t diminish your accomplishments. There is nothing wrong with needing help sometimes.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re talking about more than jobs?”

Katara shifted in her seat. “I know you didn’t want to when Zuko first brought it up, but I was wondering if you were still so against going to therapy.” Azula flinched from the word, bringing her hands together to rest in her lap. She straightened her posture, feeling like she had to hide all signs of the emotional turmoil inside her.

“My answer remains the same as it did then.” Azula spoke slowly, her words measured and careful.

“Are you sure? I know it helped your brother,” Katara pressed. “Or if you’re uncomfortable with that, maybe you could try talking to Zuko instead-”

“What happened to Zuko and what happened to me are completely different things,” Azula snapped. “We may have both been hurt by our fathe- Ozai, but our experiences were fundamentally different on every other level. He was the hero, Katara. I was just something for my father to brag about. Zuko faded into slightly positive-tinged obscurity after he exposed Phoenix Industries, and I have been vilified by mainstream news reports and my past defines everything I do. He had help and support from Iroh, and I was left to fall through the cracks. Do not insinuate that we went through the same thing in the end.” Katara seemed surprised by the ruthlessness and efficiency with which Azula delivered her argument. And why shouldn’t she be? I’m sure Zuko doesn’t dwell on this as much as I do. But still, Katara had clearly been hurt by her harsh words. “I-I’m sorry.”

“I get it. You’re not thinking straight right now.”

“You’re right, I’m not.” Azula stared down at her hands, screaming at herself internally for testing Katara’s patience at- she checked her watch- three-thirty in the morning. She was a fool for bringing Katara into this, a fool for telling her everything, and a fool for never being strong enough to handle anything on her own. Pathetic. Weak. Worthless.

Blinking back tears, she avoided Katara’s gaze. “I apologize for inconveniencing you. I will most likely be fine in the morning.” Most likely, you’ll be calling in sick to work and sobbing in bed for two hours in the morning. Bad enough that you’re lying again, you don’t even sound convincing.

“Azula, look me in the eyes and tell me that again.”

She forced herself to maintain eye contact, and forced her voice to remain steady as she spoke. “I will be fine in the morning.” Liar. Liar. Liar. That’s all you do, isn’t it? All you can even do anymore.

“Do you even hear yourself right now?” Katara slammed her cup down on the table with surprising force. “Do you have any idea how unconvincing you sound?”

“I’m fin-”

“No! Don’t say you’re fine. You’re not fine, and anyone with a single brain cell can see that!” Katara waved her hands as if hitting the air would make Azula listen to her. “I’m completely sick of watching you run yourself into the ground again and again! You take extra shifts at both your jobs and stay up late trying to find a job where you can use what you learned at that fancy law school, and then you burn yourself out trying to be everything you’re supposed to be, while still holding fast to your nothing-to-do-with-Ozai policy! You take a day off to recover, and start the whole cycle again the next day! I hate watching you do this to yourself!” Katara continued her diatribe, but it blurred together in Azula’s ears. Burned out. That sounded about right. But what was the other part? Could it be that Katara couldn’t stand Azula’s method of being a functioning adult? Or perhaps that Katara felt responsible for her, as Azula’s closest (and only) friend? It didn’t seem that way, from the passionate tirade alone.

“Why are you doing this?”

Katara blinked, interrupted mid-rant. “You mean why am I trying to make you take care of yourself?”

“Yes. Why are you trying to make me take care of myself, and offering me assistance in life? The system I currently have is working fine, and doesn’t affect you in any way. I can’t make sense of it. The only possible explanation that I can think of is that Zuko or Ursa put you up to it.”

“Didn’t you say your mother wanted nothing to do with you?”

“You’re avoiding the question. Why?” Azula barely managed to disguise her wince at the mention of her mother. It was her own fault, she supposed, for bringing Ursa into it.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Katara blinked. “You’re my friend, and I want what’s best for you. What, did you think I hated you?”

“Well, at first, yes,” Azula confessed, shocked. “I assumed you were spending time around me for Zuko’s sake, and mistook your… forceful personality for hatred of me.”

Katara shook her head and started to laugh. “I’ve gotta say, between dating Zuko and having Sokka for a brother, I’ve heard a lot of things like that, but what you just said takes the cake.”

“Hmph.” Azula tried to frown, but wound up smiling instead

“It’s true,” Katara teased lightheartedly. “I don’t know how you got it into your head that my way of showing complete and utter contempt was showing up at your door with cupcakes on your birthday, or inviting you over for dinner, or coming to your house at three in the morning because you had a nightmare.” She grinned. “Of course, they could have been poisoned cupcakes.”

Azula laughed. “Oh yes, they were definitely poisoned, that’s why they probably had more sugar in them then most desserts.”

“Toph gave me the recipe, you know she has a sweet tooth.”

“Have Mai and Ty Lee finally realized that their pining isn’t one-sided yet?”

“Surprisingly, yes,” Katara gave a half-smile. “It seemed like they never would, but it finally happened.”

“I’m happy for them.” Azula smiled. “It’s unlikely that either of them will ever want to speak to me again, but I wish them the best.”

They both lapsed into comfortable silence, sipping their tea and relaxing in each others’ company. After a while, Katara had to leave, as she had work the next day.

“Be brave, okay?” She hugged Azula.

“I’ll try.” Azula hugged back.

The next morning, when her alarm went off, Azula rolled out of bed and stared at the next law firm in her notebook. She pulled up the website on her phone, and was immediately drawn to the sentence in the description that they specialized in dealing with corrupt employers and large megacorporations. In a perfect world, where she wasn’t Ozai’s daughter, it would have been an excellent fit for her. Azula typed the number into her phone, and hovered her finger over the call button. Would they turn her away upon finding out who she was? Be brave, Azula. Katara’s voice echoed in her head.

Azula made the call.

#platonic azutara #zutara #azula #katara #avatar the last airbender fic #avatar the last airbender #atla #atla fic #misty writes

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femmedplume · 4 years

Note

Don't mind me! Dropping in from the atla tag! I read your thoughts on the whole Azula going crazy after realizing she has no friends and I was wondering... The creators of the show wanted to have another season where they would work on a redemption arc for Azula, cause let's face it she did some horrible stuff but she was just as much of a victim as Zuko. And she was still basically a kid. What do you think a redemption for her would have been like? And what do you think she would be like after?

Ooh great question!

Hmm. 🤔Well, I definitely think she could have a cool redemption arc, because the ATLA writers have already proved they can write one hell of a redemption arc lol. I think if they did do a redemption arc for Azula, it would be a longer road than Zuko’s -- and I would love it if they explored her abuse trauma like they did with him.

She’s definitely a victim of her terrifyingly abusive dad. So maybe part of her redemption arc could be her being taken in by a loving family and being actually nurtured and cared for. Not that she never had anyone to try to tell her how to be better, but she never really listened to Uncle Iroh; I don’t think they clicked the same way he clicked with Zuko-- which was in part Iroh’s fault. At the same time, even as a child she was dismissive/disrespectful of him, so it’s clear he probably wouldn’t be the one to get through to her.

So maybe an Earth Nation family? Like remember that one time she was gloating over how their father was going to murder Zuko, and she taunted him about finding a “nice Earth Nation family” to adopt him? So that would be a great callback/little narrative irony, if she found a family there. This would be after her arc in the comics so far, of course (where she leans into the insanity and villainy for a while)--

--So maybe an Earth Nation family, who lost their only daughter to the war, takes her in after she’s injured somehow and cares for her. They have a farm, and she ends up working on it with them while she heals up.

Maybe they have a son, a couple of years younger, fiery and full of hope, who follows Azula around and gives her the admiration she craves so much. She can’t teach him bending, but she can teach him regular combat skills. He introduces her to his friend group, and because she can’t firebend or Princess them into submission, she has to learn how to-- gasp!-- interact like a normal person!

Hilarity ensues, but she figures it out slowly.

And maybe when she acts all high-handed and threatening, her Host Family makes it clear that she can’t force them to do what she wants and that they won’t stand for “tantrums”-- which would probably be the first time anyone put her behavior into that perspective.

At first, she’d probably say hurtful things, sneer at them, be ungrateful for their help; because like I said before, Azula has NO tools for emotional expression, and has never had to be grateful for anything. But the Earth family would lead by example, and eventually she’d start trying to be better. She’d also have to re-examine what she’d been taught about kindness being weakness and such.

She’d probably also be having extreme PTSD reactions to failure because of her past-- but the Earth family would give her understanding and gentle care, and help her understand that she doesn’t have to be perfect to earn validation or kindness.

Meanwhile, she’s living in this Earth Nation village, and learning the same way that Zuko did about the atrocities that the Fire Nation has committed from the victims’ perspectives. Maybe she finds out that she herself is directly responsible for the death of her Host Family’s daughter, and that’s the moment that finally gets through to her--

--because Azula’s biggest flaw is her inability to take responsibility for her behavior. Zuko (eventually) apologizes, tries to make amends, all that, but Azula never gets to that point. So all this time she’s been acting out that Might Makes Right™ Fire Nation MO; but learning that she personally broke the hearts of people she cares about finally breaks through that cultural and personal arrogance and forces her to face her crimes and mistakes.

AND THEN.

Then the redemption arc can really begin!

GUILT!

REMORSE!

THE DRIVE TO REGAIN HER HONOR!

Azula, too ashamed to face her Host Family, flees the Earth Nation village and wanders from place to place, trying to outrun her guilt. As she travels, she meets people; and for the first time, tries to help those she comes across instead of harming. Tries to make up for the past. Because she is strong, and smart, and capable and determined, she would definitely be successful in helping to rebuild the Earth Nation. Maybe she starts to gain a bit of a reputation-- a good one-- and people learn they can turn to “The Red Pilgrim” (because of her cloak; she still likes Fire Nation red,) in their hour of need.

But! Because the Earth Nation is so mistrustful of firebenders (and she’s keeping a low profile,) Azula can’t use her bending when she’s helping; which forces her to find other ways to make things happen. She draws on what she’s learned from Mai’s cleverness, and Ty Lee’s friendliness, and even Zuko’s strict code of honor-- and ends up discovering that being (relatively) nice and trustworthy gets her the friends and loyalty she’s always wanted in a way that her terrifying powers can’t.

One of the people she ends up helping is a kid whose parent is super abusive, and surprise! The Abusive!Parent is someone Azula befriended earlier; someone who flattered her and agreed with her and liked to laugh at other people’s humiliation like her. A friend who behaves like Azula used to behave, which is super seductive.

Then she sees Parent!Friend verbally/emotionally abuse their kid, which brings up Azula’s own unexplored daddy issues. Finally, finally Azula realizes that Ozai is a bully, and that by emulating him, she’s been a bully her whole life too. In standing up for the kid to Parent!Friend, Azula says all the things that she never even knew she needed to tell Ozai-- and she tells Abused!Kid some things that someone ought to have told Zuko and herself.

So from there she could return to Host Family and confess her crimes and beg forgiveness, and/or go back to Zuko and try to rebuild their familial relationship. The Host Family might not forgive her, and that would be reasonable--

--but maybe some of the friends she’s made in the village do. Maybe they understand that she’s trying to be better, and give her what encouragement they can.

Zuko would definitely forgive her; their relationship is fraught and tense, but he knows what it’s like to be trying to regain one’s honor. The most obvious step from there would be for her to try and find a place in the new Fire Nation government, but what I’d love to see is her becoming a teacher... and maybe a priest! Joining a Fire Sage temple, using her experience to help teach new firebenders the right way. Maybe finally finding someone to fall in love with (I low-key ship her with Mai or Ty Lee lol.)

Growing up, growing old and wise.

Letting go of her anger.

Doing her best to balance the bad she’s done with good.

Becoming Grand Master Azula, the greatest firebending teacher of her generation, thus fulfilling her ambition of being The Best™ at something.

Making up with Mai and Ty Lee, (although I’m betting Suki and Sokka are not going to be inviting her over lol.)

Actually getting to know Aang, and realizing Oh My God I Almost Killed This Sunshine Child Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me??

Visiting her Earth Kingdom family regularly, or sending them gifts and letters. Visiting Zuko on holidays. Learning not to be jealous of his Firelord-ishness. Learning to be proud of her big brother for all he’s accomplished. Being Best Woman at his wedding, and Auntie Zula to his kids. Taking a Family Trip to the beach every summer--

--calling him ZuZu in front of Very Important Ambassadors and such, because lol.

REDEMPTION!

#avatar: the last airbender meta #azula #stitch answers an ask #redemption arc #thevalkyriewarrior

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attackfish · 4 years

Note

I'm sorry, you have a Chicago Speakeasy AU ??? That sounds amazing ???

Hahahaha, you fell into my carefully constructed trap, my trap to get you to request this universe, a trap I constructed by... Telling you this universe existed. Continued from: [Link], [Link], and [Link].

Modern Woman

The one good thing about working nights was that her days were her own, or at least they were as much as any time could be when she worked for Azula. The morning sun was just high enough to pour into the narrow street as she wound her way to the address she had wheedled out of Lee, her roommate, who worked as Azula's social secretary.

"Don't tell Azula," she had begged.

"Azula will find out," Lee had warned her. "But she won't find out from me."

Which really was all she could ask for.

The teashop was open, but there were few customers. Once it had been a place to meet, to conduct business, to play games and gamble small amounts on cards, and for old men to complain together about how much harder it had been when they were young, and these young people today were so spoiled. But no one had the money for a drink that wouldn't fill their bellies or take away their sorrows. So Iroh did his best with cheap food and good manners.

And help from his brother, in exchange for Zuko's freedom.

Mai sat down and when Iroh made his waddling way over to her, she ordered a pot of tea. She was lucky. Crime always paid, even, especially, in times like these.

She wondered what she looked like to him, Chinese blouse over an American skirt, silk and stiff cotton, hair in curls and a bun, hands folded in her lap. She fit in and yet she didn't, but either way, she looked nothing like the dark and alluring singer in a mobbed up high class underground bar. She wondered if she was anything like what he imagined when Zuko had told him about her. Certainly he couldn't guess who she was.

He order surprised him, she could tell. She did her best to smile. "When you have a moment, I would like to speak to you. I'm Tsong Mai."

His eyebrows went up as thr rest of his head went down in a nod. "I will be right back."

She watched him talk with the other patrons and fetch them bowls of rice and pickled radishes, and then watched him disappear into the kitchen and reappear with a teapot and cups. He sat himself across from her and poured them each a cup of tea. When Mai brought it to her lips, she found it wasn't the chun mee she had ordered, but instead a much finer jasmine than she had any right to drink.

"Are you here to ask my permission to marry my nephew?" Iroh smiled at her kindly, but knowingly. It would have been easier to bear if she knew what he thought he knew. "That's not how they do things, even in America."

"No, I am not asking your permission." She let the words sink in.

"I hope you don't feel insulted if I tell you I think you are making a terrible mistake."

"I'm not." She sipped her tea. "I'm also not marrying your nephew."

"That is not what my nephew tells me."

Mai did her best to keep the shock off her face. "Someday. I want to marry him. We have talked about it, when things get better, but neither Zuko nor I... Someday."

Iroh nodded, like he understood. She hoped be did. She hoped somebody did.

"I don't want to be the one to tie him to his father or Azula."

"That is very wise." He looked tired as he drank his own tea, and weighed down.

"Don't think I'm being selfless. I don't want to be tied to Ozai or Azula either."

He smiled. It only made him look more tired. "It's only selfish if it comes at somebody else's expense, Miss Tsong. Can I call you Mai?"

"Always."

He reached over and patted her hand. "I know it must be hard for you, Mai, and for my nephew, but I think you are being very wise, and very brave."

Her cup was empty. Iroh refilled it for her. "Thank you."

"Did my nephew send you down here to speak to me?"

"No," Mai confessed. "He doesn't know I'm here. I got the addreess from Ty Lee. She's my roommate. She's Azula's social secretary."

"Ah." He picked up his cup. "I remember when she and her sisters were born. It was in the papers, seven identical girls, born to a family in Chicago's Chinatown. My father did not like that. Mr. Ty worked for him. He thought it would bring too much attention."

Mai wondered what Iroh and Ozai's father would have thought about the Blue Dragon night club, or his son's wife's death. It seemed like all Ozai and Azula ever did was draw attention.

"I wonder what Mr. Ty thinks about his daughters working for Azula," Iroh sighed. "I don't think this is the life he wanted for them."

"I don't know too much about the others," Mai said, as reassuringly as she was capable of. "Azula doesn't keep them close, which is a good thing at least, but Lee is much smarter than she pretends she is. She'll make it out of this okay."

"I'm sure you will too." He put his hand over hers. "And someday, I hope I can call you my daughter-in-law."

"I'm marrying your nephew, not your son."

"Oh, aren't you?" He winked at her.

#avatar the last airbender #atla mai #atla maiko #zumai #uncle iroh #posts i created #do you want to ask a question it doesn't have to be a question #mai doesn't hate you #i ship iroh/tea #everything changed when fish's fic attacked

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comradekatara · 5 years

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The good place is kind of eh in practice but I really like the concept so.... gaang and fire lesbians reactions to a good place scenario?

upon being told they’re in the good place, katara, aang & suki are like, “oh, sweet,” ty lee and zuko are like, “what??? i am???” toph and mai are like, “oops i’m here by mistake,” sokka’s like, “theres. theres a points system. thats bullshit this is bullshit,” and azula’s just like *has a panic attack*

everyone gets a soulmate!!!!! yay!!!!! katara, meet zuko. sokka, meet toph. mai, meet azula. ty lee, meet suki (this one backfires because they actually do fall in love). oh, and aang, since you’re a monk, you don’t have a soulmate i guess! but you don’t mind that, right? haha no, of course not! aang keeps having to pretend like he’s fine being the only one without a soulmate, and mai’s just like “oh u can have my soulmate if u want” and aang’s like “oh....no.......that’s okay........ but thanks”

sokka is told that he’s about to meet his soulmate, and he’s like “ok this will be fun” because at this point he’s just decided to go along with it until ashton kutcher jumps out from behind a pot plant or smth. he doesn’t know whether he can trust toph yet, so when she says, “you’ll stand by me no matter what, right?” he’s like “oh of course.” and then she tells him she was sent here by mistake, and she doesn’t know what to do. he’s like, “who forking knows what to do right now this is. this is objectively insane, right????” and she’s like “well, objectively speaking, yes, but it’s also a bit presumptuous of you to assume that an afterlife that measured morality on a points basis didn’t exist just because it sounds silly as fuck when you say it out loud.” and he’s like. “no. we’re definitely being punk’d.” and she’s like “did you just say fork? lmao loser”

ty lee is all “but it doesn’t really make sense that i’m here” and suki’s like “why not? you’re nice and you smell good” and ty lee’s like “but i’m.....super sketchy.......... i’ve committed like......actual felonies???” and suki’s like “ok but who fucking cares tho” and ty lee’s like “ykw GREAT point” and then they kind of just take advantage of the fact that they’re in a magical truman show because that’s the kind of shit you do when you figure out what’s actually going on, duh. michael thinks they hate each other because every time he goes to check in on them they are literally fighting each other??? he’s like oh wait......is this maybe........too far??? but he doesn’t know what to do about that other than maybe recommend some couple’s therapy and they go for laughs and ty lee sobs dramatically and suki wails various bits and pieces of a made up backstory that gets more and more absurd and incongruous every week.

mai and azula are perfect for each other! they have so much in common! for one thing, they both have no idea what the fuck they’re doing here. for another, they do not trust the other as far as they can throw them, and so they are both suffering silently and alone as they try to piece together why they’re here. they live right next door to toph and sokka, so they’re always running into each other, until eventually they are thrown into enough weirdly coincidental situations together that they just become friends. mai actually thinks toph is pretty cool. they kind of just get each other, yknow? what if there was, like, a mixup and.... *gasp* and then azula gets beaten in pai sho once and that’s all it takes for her to become obsessed with sokka and convinced that they are the real soulmates. sokka didn’t account for this happening because he assumed that pai sho is a meaningless game and nothing would happen if he won. he kicks himself for this later.

mai and azula both agree to tell toph and sokka that there’s been a mistake, and they try to inform them of this theory as directly as possible. toph and sokka are like “what are you talking about?? the system would never do such a thing??? the system doesnt make mistakes!!!” and they even threaten to tell michael about this before mai and azula are like “ok ok !!! maybe we were wrong. just an idea” and sokka’s like “ok well maybe we shouldn’t be questioning this perfect world, how’s that for an idea. oh and im in love with toph” and mai and azula leave deeply heartbroken. sokka and toph are like “whew that was close” because there is no fucking way they are splitting up after they’ve spent who knows how long perfectly camouflaging under surveillance and pretending to be having sex while actually doing very long and complicated math and reading through everything every moral philosopher ever wrote up until the day they died and throwing out more and more implausible theories just for sokka to have to pretend to be attracted to azula. toph’s like “i kinda like mai tho” and sokka’s like “yeah mai’s chill”

at first, zuko and katara get along great! they love doing dumb shit together that no one else they knew on earth ever found fun. they have such deep, profound conversations all the time. they’re always cuddling while watching movies and they’re like yeah we real cute. for the first time in both their lives they’re like, wow!! maybe soulmates are real!! all their friends are like “awww you two are so perfect together. and you always have your hands all over each other. you guys must be forkin like crazy” and they’re like “haha! ..........yep!” it’s only just occurred to them that it’s been six months and they still haven’t even kissed. and katara’s like “okay clearly we just....forgot! and we should just do that now, because we’re in ....love? unless..... you don’t want to....” and zuko’s like “HAHA WHAT WHY WOULDNT I WANT TO” the next morning they both are like “well that was great!” and are terrified to tell the other that they currently feel dead inside. after that, they stop having deep conversations. they stop cuddling on the couch. mainly, they just lie to each other so often that the smallest thing will leave them boiling over in a ginormous fight. and when they fight, the entire city knows it, because they are so. goddamn. loud. but then when people ask them how they’re doing katara’s just like “oh we couldnt be more in love :) .....why do you ask?”

after aang’s house gets destroyed in a fire zuko may or may not have started, he feels so guilty he lets aang move into their gaudy mansion with a billion spare bedrooms. aang promises he’ll only be there until they’re done with renovations to his old home, but none of them bother to question why they need to be doing renovations in the good place anyway. zuko is constantly doubting his place in this world, and whether he even is katara’s soulmate. the people around him keep telling him he’s a good person, but then something horrible will happen that he’s certain was his fault, and he’s like “aah im a fraud!” plus, aang seems to understand katara so much better, and they have a really strong bond... if he can be here, he doesn’t understand why aang and katara can’t be true soulmates. and aang agrees.

azula’s breakdowns get worse and worse each time, and she feels so alone. she knows that mai doesn’t love her. she knows that sokka doesn’t love her. her mom didn’t even love her! of course she wouldn’t get a soulmate –– what a childish, naive, foolish, idiotic notion!!!! so she decides to do the right thing, and confess: she was put here by mistake. she is the problem with the neighborhood. she’s not supposed to be here. sokka’s like “okay well fork. why did i ever ever beat her in pai sho” (and he’s right to think that, frankly.) there are proceedings in which azula must admit to michael that she was never a human rights lawyer, but she was an attorney. mainly she got people prosecuted for drug possession. it’s a living! ha ha...! they go through a whole bunch of bullshirt, but it all comes to a head when they’re fighting over who should take azula and zuko’s places (he confesses too, obvs) when it occurs to zuko that they can’t go to the bad place. because they’re already in the bad place.

sokka’s like “whaaaaaaat???? no...........thats ... thats impossible! why would you..............say that.................. you........forking...................idiot...............” (so much work. so much work wasted. fuck this dude. if he weren’t already dead sokka would kill him.) but michael’s already like “wow someone finally figured it out. i thought you’d never get it.” and then goes on to explain his great master plan that was actually a lot less complex than sokka’s current working theory. he leaves the room to talk to sean, and sokka’s like “okay show of hands who knew” so turns out ty lee and suki knew as well. good to know. with double the people with brains, maybe they can devise a plan to escape. and leave the rest to die or whatever. mainly zuko though. especially zuko. sokka writes down a note to find toph, ty lee, suki, and mai in the next reboot and under it, the sentence: “stay calm; you’re in the bad place.”

and then nbc cancels it because they have the foresight to know that the concept won’t sustain itself :)

#this was really fun to write omg #the gaang and #asks #anon #sitnematic universe

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loopy777 · 5 years

Text

‘Retroactive’ Planning Doc

Copy+Paste straight out of my original planning document, including links to where the original concept came from, my outline, and various free-writing summaries of the plot.

http://forums.avatarspirit.net/index.php?topic=18938.msg1980740#msg1980740

“AU. There wasn't always a Suki. When Firelord Zuko needed to hide/rid himself of the crazed contender to his throne, he had the mindbenders of Ba Sing Se work with Aang's energybending to strip Azula of her firebending... and her memories. Thus was born Suki, a girl with a fresh start on life -- and no greater ambition than to live on backwater Kyoshi Island. (What, you though Ty Lee moved there for the good weather? She's totally a watchdog.) And Sokka's attraction to 'Suki' is drawing more than a little disapproval from his friends and family."

http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/03/misinformation-effect/ Elizabeth Loftus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation_effect

1) Start 2) Ozai talks to the hypnotist, Suki talks with Ty Lee and raids a bar. 3) Ozai arrives and reveals everything to Suki. She kills him and goes after Ty Lee, then escapes. 4) The gAang discusses everything. They want to go after her, but only Sokka and Ty Lee both think she might be good. 5) Suki is confronted by a faux-Azula. Sokka does something? 6) Suki is brought before Long Feng. 7) Suki infiltrates the Earth Palace, and is forced to kill the Earth King. 8) Suki tries to escape, but is confronted by Sokka. She defeats him and goes after Long Feng. 9) Long Feng makes his play to be made leader of one or more of the independent colonies. The gAang can't stop him. 10) Suki arrives in the colony looking to go after Long Feng. He unleashes the faux-Azulas after her. 11) The final battle. Suki vesus Long Feng with Sokka trying to save the woman he loves. 12) Epilogue

Suki doesn't exist. Azula has been brainwashed and made to think that she's a Kyoshi Warrior named Suki. For our purposes, "Suki" and "Azula" will be used interchangeably to reflect which identity the girl herself is claiming at the given point in time. (Notes in parentheses are background information that the narration will have to leave out, since most of it is from Suki's perspective.)

Suki is living on Kyoshi Island. She's fitting in, and if she notices that anything is wrong or feels weird, she finds herself compelled to shrug it off. However, she has two major problems on her mind. She's being plagued by vivid nightmares about "Princess Azula," her old enemy from the war, which are actively leaving her sleep-deprived. Also, her boyfriend Sokka is spending a lot of time traveling on goodwill missions, and can't seem to make the time to visit her. Both issues are addressed when Sokka manages a one-day visit, and in his company Suki is nightmare-free.

(Ty Lee wrote to Sokka, and helped arrange his visit. The others in the gAang+ are trying to discourage the relationship, and Sokka himself is conflicted about it, in a heart-versus-mind kind of way.)

The next night, alone again, the nightmares return. Suki enlists Ty Lee's active help, and the acrobat tries a mix of herbal remedies (carefully chosen not to affect memories) and exercise. The fix isn't 100%, but Suki gets enough good nights to avoid sleep-deprivation-related health problems. Feeling a little better, Suki begins thinking about her problem with Sokka, and begins to wonder if he's either avoiding her or being pressured away from her. She deduces Ty Lee's role, and plans to confront her friend. It occurs to Suki that she could lure Ty Lee into a deadly trap, and make the girl tell her the truth in exchange for her life, but Suki quickly dismisses this very odd thought. Instead, she directly confronts Ty Lee, bombards her with a mix of facts and circumstantial evidence, and gets a halfhearted confession: Sokka's friends and family don't approve of their love, and they're actively discouraging even a visit. Suki is stunned, and can't imagine why anyone has a problem with it.

She fires off a series of letters to her newfound enemies, and makes plans to leave Kyoshi Island in search of Sokka, intending to travel with him for a while. However, she gets home one day to find ex-Fire Lord Ozai sitting in her house. He calls her "Azula," and insists that she's his daughter, that he escaped and went into debt to new allies to find her and save her (or end her life as a mercy). Suki resists the idea, of course, but he offers himself as her captive, and tries to actively convince her. He knows all the details of her life, details even she's fuzzy on, and his explanation makes a weird kind of sense, given how she's being treated. Then he goes into details about the daughter he knew, and Suki finds that she has memories of such a life. She starts to panic, have a breakdown episode.

That's when Ty Lee shows up with Suki's nightly herbal remedy. She can immediately tell, when Suki answers the door, that Azula's old aura is back, and her panicked expression gives the game away. Suki gets angry, accuses her of being her jailer, and attacks with Firebending (but not up to her old strength, because the brainwashing has messed up her style and combat instincts). A fight ensues, and Suki wins, burning Ty Lee. The other Kyoshi Warriors arrive, the Firebending have drawn attention in the night sky, and Suki flees. Ozai attempts to as well, but is subdued by the Warriors and captured. (Killed?) The Kyoshi Warriors try to find Suki, but she evades them and escapes to the mainland, via a smuggler and his sons and daughter. The kids are Firebenders, and Azula realizes that she doesn't remember any of her old moves.

Feeling betrayed, she decides that Suki never existed, and that it's time for Azula to pursue her own life and happiness. (She's going by her own memories of Azula, which don't necessarily match the truth of the matter. The cartoon events are more or less the revised history meant to go with the creation of the "Suki" identity, but the truth was that Azula was less of a monster, hence her chance for redemption here. She did terrible things, but Ozai pushed her to do them, and she made the choice to do some merciful things, too. Doctors theorized that creating a separate identity could be the key to curing her mental afflictions, and so all the good was excised from Suki's memories of Azula's life and attributed to Suki instead. The Dai Li brainwasher only got the details of what he needed to do based on this, and so doesn't know that the gAang aren't just turning her into their own little doll.)

When Sokka gets the news, he begins seeking her in turn. Of course, he isn't the only one. The full gAang+ are on the case. They all descend on Iroh's teashop to discuss what to do. Iroh stays out of the discussion, for the most part. Mai is leading the faction that considers the Suki Experiment a failure, and advocates taking her down hard. Ty Lee is reluctantly on the same side, Toph not so reluctantly. Aang never liked the Suki Experiment in the first place, so he's on this side as well, although advocating recapturing Azula and locking her up. Katara is leading the side for retrying the experiment or getting her some other kind of therapy, with Zuko and Sokka supporting her. The only problem is that the Dai Li doctor has gone missing (Ozai got him!), and they don't have any other ideas or options.

Meanwhile, Azula tracks down her mother's grave. She tries to remember her, and the feelings associated with her, but it's all confused in her head, and she finds she can't trust them. She gets upset that she's not even the real Azula, she's a watered down version, and decides that she needs a challenge to get back on her game. It's what the real Azula would have done, after all, based on her memories. (These memories are pretty much the Evil Azula created by the separation of the Suki persona.)

In Ba Sing Se, Azula has come looking for the man who arranged Ozai's release and informed him of Azula's fate- Long Feng! The former Dai Li admin had gone into hiding, and has emerged and returned to Ba Sing Se to enact a daring plan to make the best of Azula's return. (In truth, Long Feng knows that the real Azula has been hopelessly corrupted. He hopes to use her intelligence and reputation to make her into a figurehead, while he controls this more docile version of his old rival.) He encourages her to announce her return, and get revenge against those who wronged her, with a daring display- assassinating the Earth King! She reluctantly agrees, although she doesn't entirely trust Long Feng, and begins making plans.

When she infiltrates the palace, though, she sneaks into the Earth King's chambers, and requests sanctuary and an alliance. He freaks out, and calls the guards down on her.

-UPDATE- Or, scratch the last two paragraphs, and see what I do with another idea I had. If Long Feng is masterminding everything, why wouldn't he have access to all the data about Azula used to turn her into Suki? Perhaps he can make his own faux-Azula's, all inferior to the real thing by a longshot of course, and that's what Azula finds when she gets to Ba Sing Se. But, aside from knowing that she's going to kill them all at some point, what do I do with that?

Azula lands on the Earth Kingdom coast, and is met by a Copy-Azula. Long Feng was expecting her, and sent a green-eyed copy to meet her and bring her to his hideout. Long Feng has been using the copies to create chaos across the colonies. He's been sending each one into a trouble spot to disrupt things in Azula's uniquely intelligent and effective way. He wants to send the real Azula to Ba Sing Se. Long Feng offers Suki-Azula all her old memories back, and gives her a preliminary "treatment" before she is dispatched to the Impenetrable City. Azula thinks she is playing Long Feng, and decides that her best chance at double-crossing him is to meet with the Earth King and offer a deal: Long Feng, in exchange for all his brainwashing tech and info, as well as the means to get her old personality restored.

Azula infiltrates Ba Sing Se with the fake passport that Long Feng gave her. She seeks out Jin as her guide, because both Suki and Azula know only the Upper Ring. When she meets Jin, she asks if Jin sees the resemblance, then covers her eye, pinches her expression, and says in a deep voice, "When I was with the circus, I used to juggle!" (She heard the tale from Sokka and Ty Lee.) Jin finds Azula a place to stay and lets her know where to eat and such, and gives her the latest news. When Azula is ready, she has Jin guide her to the Upper Ring.

She infiltrates the Earth King's palace, and Kuei's personal chambers. Once she sees him, though, she is compelled to kill him. Long Feng had added a hypnotic suggestion when Azula got her first "treatment," which both put the suggestion in her head that she should meet with the Earth King, and then compelled her to kill him. It also tries to force her to commit suicide.

Azula has a metaphysical fight with herself, and manages to keep herself from killing herself. She emerges from that mental-plane as an Azula-Suki fusion. Let's now call her Azuki.

Azuki escapes the palace, and makes her way back to Jin. She is racked with guilt, and Jin gives her a talk about letting the past go and living for the future.

Long Feng, meanwhile, appears in the colonies, peddling order and sovereignty. As he tries to take control of the colony from "The Promise," Azuki arrives with the gAang hot on her heals. There's a confrontation, Azuki kills Long Feng and most or all of her copies. She has a standoff with the gAang, but Sokka talks her down and reveals that the real Azula wasn't irredeemable, just damaged, so that's why they made "Suki." Azuki gives herself up. Publicly, one of the Copy-Azulas is blamed for the Earth King's death. The real one is given a new identity on Ember Island, in Li and Lo's care, where she's visited by Sokka.

I’m not feeling that. Alternatively...

During the big confrontation with Long Feng, Sokka meets up with Azula and reminds her of all the good things about her, like when she protected the Kyoshi Warriors, fought with Long Feng to keep their coup bloodless instead of killing the King and Council of Five, when she forgave Mai and Ty Lee their lives. Azula realizes that she isn't the monster she thought, but is mad that all those memories are gone. The gang killed that person, all the good and bad about her and replaced her with a lie. Then she goes to kill Long Feng and fake her death. Half a year later, Sokka gets a message and follows it to a remote Fire Nation island, where a young woman of extraordinary Firebending ability has is a rising voice in local politics and teaches self-defense.

The End!

-UPDATE DURING WRITING PHASE- So Azula wants to disrupt Long Feng's plans, steal his organization for herself (or at least the public part that is pushing for freedom in the colonies), and save the fake Azula's. The latter is actually her first priority, so she starts by returning to the colonies.

She confronts Toru, and forgives him unconditionally. Then she asks for his help in hurting Long Feng. He reveals who his contact was, a former Dai Li who had contacted Toru out of the blue and conveyed Long Feng's instructions and intimidation tactics. Azula, Meisai, and the Rough Rhinos go after this guy, and find him serving in a similar capacity to Shingyung in one of the colony cities. This city is a newer one, with lots of Earth Kingdom culture yet, and it's basically the Gaoling of the West, with lots of money and sprawling estates. The Dai Li guy is organizing loans and investments to industrial businesses all around the colonies. He's also running several "terrorist" cells, each led by a fake Azula. He's still waiting for their arrival when the real Azula shows up and demands information. The Rough Rhinos play bad cop and Azula plays good cop? She gets the information, meets up with the fake Azula's in the Dai Li's stead and tries to break their programming, but she's unsuccessful and they eventually have to take the girls captive and hide them on the Hidden Gem. (Although, Azula is savvy enough that she manages to keep them from stabbing themselves per their suicide programming.)

From there, they use the Dai Li guy's written timetables to intercept another attack on a refugee convoy to be led by another of the Azula's. Azula recruits the "terrorists" who had been following the two fake Azula's and consolidate them into an army. They join up with the refugee convoy, and spring their trap when the third fake Azula. Azula knows that the truth didn't help the other two, so she pretends to be a fake herself, and tells the other Azula that there's a conspiracy to exploit her yadda yadda, and gets the location of Dong Min!

Dong Min is holed up a cave in Cave Country, guarded by Earthbender and Firebender minions of Long Feng. There are also several fake Azula's on hand receiving programming. Azula leads an assault on the place with her growing army, and successfully captures the base and Dong Min. She and Dong Min have a long chat, in which she convinces him to surrender. He reveals all the locations of the reprogrammed Azula's, as well as the control phrases for putting them into a passive state (although they'll need extensive therapy like the Joo Dees to completely undo the programming and allow them to live normal lives).

Then he and Azula have a long chat about her, seguing from the admission that the old identities of the fake Azula's are lost forever to the revelation that Azula herself has lost her old life and no amount of therapy can get it back. Dong Min also reveals Sokka's true part in things. In the end, Azula notes that Dong Min is guilty of treason against the Earth King and directly aided in his assassination. He couldn't hide from Long Feng, before. The Avatar will scour the Earth for him now. Dong Min has nothing but execution or a life in jail to look forward to, at best, or reprisal or recapture from Long Feng at worst. The knowledge in his head makes him to dangerous to be allowed to go free. Dong Min thinks that Azula is going to kill him, but then she reveals that she's actually offering him the option of a painless suicide. After some dithering, he accepts, but first he warns Azula that Shingyung is after her with June's Shirshu.

Azula sets the trap for Shingyung. She sends her army to recover the fake Azulas, with one member of the Rough Rhinos commanding each division and armed with the Dai Li control phrases. She and Meisai head to Yang City alone to fight Shingyung.

#writing

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