While I was reading about the ATLA LA creators butchering Sokka's character arc and the Kyoshi Warriors' plot it suddenly hit me
In 2x05 "Avatar's Day" Aang wears full Avatar Kyoshi gear at his trial that Sokka and Katara brought from the Kyoshi island including accurately done makeup
They didn't bring the sensei and Aang couldn't go with them as he was imprisoned, obviously
There's exactly one person in the team who spend the most time with the Kyoshi Warriors
Sokka wore AND learned how to do the Kyoshi makeup, and used his new skill to help Aang months later
And by omitting this "unnecessary" tidbit of him being introduced to the Kyoshi outfit in S1 the LA creators caused a plothole way farther down the line
(unless they're planning on removing the Avatar's Day plot altogether, which is quite big on worldbuilding, should I say)
Like, the og show plot is very condensed while not appearing to be as such, that is until one tries to get rid of the "extra" "not-needed" scenes and nothing makes sense anymore.
hello! i love ur work and i was wondering if u could do some live action zuko angst (that makes ur heart sink) and then it progresses to fluff (that makes ur heart swell) please? HAHA idk if it makes sense but i rlly love ur work!! hope ure doing well n no pressure!!!
🐉・ HEARTBURN
summ. Fresh from his banishment, Zuko faces the aftermath of his punishment in both his dreams and his waking hours.
pairing. Zuko x f!reader (established relationship)
w.count. 1k.
a/n. A bit abstract on this one, but just typical dream logic. A glimpse at Zuko’s descent into madness, almost? Sorry anon if this is mostly angst than fluff! 🧎🏻♀️
Zuko’s dreams manifest at the scent of burnt flesh and the sound of his own screaming.
He feels the molten sting of a melting crown upon his skin and the fantastical beast that is his father; something monstrous— something scaled, fanged, clawed, and too large an appetite, with a touch and breath of fire that lights the skies in a blaze.
( He wakes up with his voice hoarse from screaming. The 41st Division will eventually learn early on not to mention it. They just leave a hot pot of tea ready for him come the mornings, by General Iroh's orders. )
Sometimes, it transgresses. Sometimes, it’s his mother who burns while he watches from the sidelines of the Agni Kai; Or Azula. Their shrieks mix with his when he wakes.
Sometimes, it’s Iroh who scalds him. Great Dragon of the West, jasmine-white with razor teeth and a flame that burns as hot as the sun; serpent eyes a shining gold and a sharper tongue that spoke of his disappointment for his nephew.
Sometimes, it begins with you.
Please, you beg, at the foot of a winged beast. It speaks in the voice of his father; damning, all-encompassing. It warns the Prince the price of compassion, of mercies, and of weaknesses. Eliminate her, or I will.
Rarely does Zuko ever move. He’d plead in your name, to spare your life. It never happens; he just wakes to the smell of smoke and the sound of your screaming.
( There are dreams he doesn’t speak at all to defend you. The shame devours him whole. )
“I’ve killed you over a hundred times, in my sleep.”
In the aftermath of another nightmare, you turn to face Zuko. You’re not quite sure what to say.
“Other nights, it’s the 41st, or Uncle,” he says, quietly. “Even mom, or Azula.”
You turn back to the small medical chest on the desk. The infirmary is quieter at times like these; the soldiers of the 41st know not to visit the usual haunts of their Prince. Tonight, Zuko will have to replace the bandages of his scar, and there are only two people on this ship he’d ever trust in his life to lay a hand on it.
You’re shifting towards where he’s sitting on one of the cots. “May I?”
( You ask. You always ask. Even when you’ve done this nearly fifty times, you ask. Zuko is glad; there’s a comfort in agency, especially when he’s gotten so used to losing it every time he sleeps. )
He nods, and you make quick work to unravel the bandages. When the layers come away, you observe the way his left eye shuts and opens as he blinks, remaining half-closed into a permanent expression of pain. He looks away, downcast.
The skin around is stretched taut, some areas rawer than others, marred with growing scar tissue that knots in twisting valleys. ( Zuko has only seen the scar once. He’s covered the mirrors in his room ever since; avoids glancing at his own passing reflections. )
The wound is still fresh; the memories fresher.
You don’t flinch at the sight or recoil like the other soldiers or dignitaries.
He finds… solace in that.
( Something roils in his mind. It uncurls and hisses and growls. )
“Tilt your head for me,” you say, ready to replace the cotton on his eye with a new one.
He stops your wrist just as you do.
Your heart jumps at the contact. His hands are warm.
“Why?” he blurts.
You blink in confusion.
“Why’d you come with me?”
The reply is instant, and unintentionally drowned in affection. “Where else would I have belonged?”
Zuko almost answers instinctively: With me. By my side. He shakes his head.
“You should have never come,” he says, instead. He’d grown fond of you over the years. Too fond; over some Firenation colonel’s daughter, a force to be reckoned with and yet a childhood friend who he’d played and studied and fought with countless times. Fond enough that he’d been foolish to let you step foot into the ship of the 41st Division the day he’d been banished; fond enough to be foolish enough to allow you to put yourself in harm’s way. “You could’ve had a better future back home.”
“But a miserable one,” you counter.
His nostrils flare as he sighs. You watch the way his brows weave to a frown, the way they always did whenever he’s tamping down his frustration. "Nothing is more miserable than being banished from home. Yet here you are walking away from it.”
“You and I both know the palace was never a home for me,” you say. “I’ve been by your side my entire life. I’m not about to break that streak over some punishment. You matter to me.”
Zuko’s heart stifles.
( Compassion, he hears the wings of the blood-red dragon in his dreams unfurl. Compassion is a sign of weakness. )
“It was a stupid move,” he blurts, letting go of you. He had wanted it to be emotionless, but it comes out as distinctively bitter: “Sooner or later you’ll come to regret your decision. Then, you’ll see I was right all along.”
“Maybe,” you say, just to appease him. “But I doubt it.”
( Lies, jeers the serpent. You have only yourself to rely on in this world, Zuko. )
For the sake of conversation, you don’t provoke him further. You continue, instead, with replacing the dressings around his eye. He’s angry enough as is with the world— with you. For being stubborn. And strong. And steadfast. And loyal. And—
Zuko glances at your face in focus, your hands so careful in binding the gauze it’s nearly featherlight. “Tell me if it hurts,” you say, with gentle authority.
The ire leaves his body. Zuko’s gaze softens at a realisation:
“Not once have you ever hurt me. Not even in my dreams.”
It’s a statement so frighteningly vulnerable that it has you stilling. Your breath staggers. Something swells in your chest. You let your hand rest on his cheek, thumb below his scar. The touch is reassuring. Zuko wants to lean into it.
“I don’t think I ever could,” you answer, honestly.
( She can, sings the beast. She will. And once she does, know that it will burn tenfold than what I've done. )
Zuko's hand settles on top of yours.
“You can hurt me,” he concedes, solemn, voice barely above a whisper. “You can if you must. I command it.”
( The dragon in his head hisses. For now, it retreats. )
First of all, thank you for stopping by and paying attention to this. I always loved avatar (especially neteyam) and those wonderful writers out there inspired me to start writing. I hope you will have a good time here! ツ
Below will be listed important pages of my blog that you must see!
🌆 — 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭
🎆 — 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬
🌌 — 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐈 𝐚𝐦
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 :
ask game
How I see Neteyam, Lo’ak and Aonung in the modern au
There could be a LOT they mean by Azula getting screentime in the first season of the live action adaptation comes from them knowing a lot more about where the story goes for her.
And yes. Gonna let myself be dissapointed and have a glimmer of hope that yea, they lay the foundation to talk about the stuff with how Azula has her issies rooting in Ozai's abuse just as much as Zuko does. I hope they mention Ursa. I hope they start to set up that Azula feels unlovable and lables herself a monster, whitch leads to her falling in line to what Ozai teaches her: that fear is the only reliable thing to keep people around.
I don't expect them to lay this all out in season one, of course. But starting to lay those threads and building a foundation for all that? Yes please. I'll take that happlily.
The thing about this series is yes. There is a LOT of room to go into extra stuff with the time a TV Series allows. And starting Azulas story ahead of where it is in the animated series tells me they want more time to do OTHER things with her later on. Probabbly a lot of it.
And I want to hope that means something good for how I am gonna like Azula in the live action show.
Disclaimer: I don't speak Chinese, I copied and pasted from an official Chinese translation of the Bible. It's Luke 15:32.
Luke 15:11-24
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Give me now the part of your property that I am supposed to receive someday.’ So the father divided his wealth between his two sons.
“A few days later the younger son gathered up all that he had and left. He traveled far away to another country, and there he wasted his money living like a fool. After he spent everything he had, there was a terrible famine throughout the country. He was hungry and needed money. So he went and got a job with one of the people who lived there. The man sent him into the fields to feed pigs. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything.
“The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All my father’s hired workers have plenty of food. But here I am, almost dead because I have nothing to eat. I will leave and go to my father. I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But let me be like one of your hired workers.’ So he left and went to his father.
The Younger Son Returns
“While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming and felt sorry for him. So he ran to him and hugged and kissed him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and good sandals on his feet. And bring our best calf and kill it so that we can celebrate with plenty to eat. My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to have a party.
First time he's ever seen the show but he knows some things.
1 "aangs a cute kid" , My dad really likes fun characters so the avatar will probably be his favorite.
2 "If they get together imma be mad" -In reference to Zuko touching Katara's scarf- He's already a firm Kataang shipper. Him sneering at Jet was hilarious.
3 "Well that was quick....I guess one of them die... or they just never see eachother again?" -in reference to suki giving Sokka her fan, though I can tell he was appeased with their chemistry -