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balanceoflightanddark · 2 years

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The Paradox of Woobifying Ursa

Fire Lady Ursa is...a complicated character. On the one hand, you have the almost saintly, caring mother that was the shining beacon in Zuko's childhood. On the other, she screwed up horrifically with Azula and she did support the imperialistic Fire Nation. She did smile at the thought of Ba Sing Se burning to the ground after all and there's no reason to suggest she was any different. No matter what the comics try to retcon or change, there's no denying the fact that Ursa has a lot of skeletons in the closet.

Here's where I have another issue with the comics. They try so hard to make Ursa a woobie and sweep all her flaws under the rug, maybe trotted out now and again, but always portraying her as a helpless victim of Ozai.

But...here's the irony.

This Ursa is much less sympathetic and interesting than the Ursa we saw in canon.

See, the Ursa in canon had flaws. A lot of them, no doubt. But she was never portrayed as a hapless victim. There was an edge beneath those layers of silk. Aside from supporting the regime, she was the one who was willing to kill the Fire Lord to protect her children. She had an agency in her actions and not just an abused housewife. It's what made her character interesting in the first place. That she was more than just another noblewoman.

The comics stripped that away from her. All of her agency was reduced to virtually nothing. Outside of the bit with the archer, all of her questionable actions were downplayed or given to somebody else. Her character was virtually reduced to "victim" and very little outside of "victim".

Which ironically made her unsympathetic since her nasty qualities like her questionable parenting of Azula is unaddressed and pushed onto Azula herself. She also gets even worse actions like being responsible for making Zuko's life hell with that asinine letter (which was unbelievably stupid on her part), but NOBODY CALLS HER OUT ON IT. Hell, the narrative wants us to feel sorry for her when Kiyi rejects her, when it is absolutely her fault for choosing to forget her children and have a new face. All attempts of sympathy for her fall flat when she's just a whiny piece of cardboard who never learns from her mistakes and all attempts at whitewashing her for Zuko's sake fall utterly since this narrative does. Not. WORK.

Compare this with Canon!Ursa who, again, DID have agency, and wasn't portrayed as being endlessly weepy all the time unable to change her fortunes.

Look, living with Ozai couldn't have been easy. But portraying Ursa as helpless ironically is a disservice to her. Cause now that moral ambiguity and the qualities that makes her fascinating are stripped. And for what? To make her sympathetic or the white sheep? I'm sorry, but whitewashing an imperialist is a disservice to her. Implying she was always good is an insult to the character.

Cause if Ursa doesn't have any flaws, any qualities that makes her human, then what's the point of reading about her to see if she can overcome them?

Change is an integral part of the franchise. So if Ursa was always perfect, how on earth can she change and grow, to overcome her flaws and become stronger as a result?

This is Fire Lady Ursa. Who she should be, anyways. Compassionate. Neglectful. A product of the Fire Nation. A mother willing to suffer the consequences for the sake of her children, even if she was never the best mother. A character with the capacity for both good and evil. A mess of qualities both detestable and admirable.

In other words: human.

#atla ursa #fire lady ursa #atla comics critical #atla critical #anti atla comics #atla ursa meta #atla meta

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psychopyro813 · 2 years

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Reminder that Ozai is the one responsible for the abuse and neglect of both of his children and that Ursa didn't "create a monster" by attempting to undo a narcissistic abusers conditioning and failing.

Don't blame Ursa for Ozai's abuse kthxbye.

#bridie bluhs #Ursa #anti ozai #fire nation royal family #atla #avatar: the last airbender #tw abuse #fire lord ozai #fire lady ursa

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cienie-isengardu · 23 days

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You. I see you. After all the years, I finally see you, Ozai. You're just a small, small man trying with all your might to be big. Your heart is so small, you've no room for your son or your daughter, or your brother... or even yourself. [Avatar The Last Airbender: Smoke and Shadow]

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #lady ursa #uncle iroh #fire lord ozai #more like loser lord #you tell him ursa!#i swear ozai is such a loser compared to all his family #so good ursa had a chance to see him for what he is finally freeing herself from fear #zuko had his chance to call out ozai into face what shitty father he is #now ursa #i hope to see one day azula having a chance to free herself from his influences

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peony-pearl · 1 year

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June was the only woman older than Katara and Suki to show up and help the Gaang in the finale and I think that’s ridiculous. We could have seen Yagoda and the Herbalist in the White Lotus (and Miyuki!! She has a cute miniature lotus collar). Perhaps even Haru’s mom showing up somewhere?? IDK the lack of older ladies as respected guides and teachers is irksome and until further notice I’m headcanoning out of spite that they were there we just didn’t see their scenes but they were there dammit

#atla meta #look I love the old men #they are such blorbos #but Yagoda and Hama as teachers?#they really got the short end of the stick #Yagoda gets forgotten even when Katara becomes a successful healer bc Katara didn't want to go to her class therefore the class sucked #which is ass #and then Hama was a victim of the Fire Nation who began harming citizens and forced Katara to learn a perverse sub-bending ability #don't get me wrong I love the ideas for bloodbending especially the thought of it as a medical aid but the way it was introduced #and forcing Katara to learn it the way she did was traumatic to her #We get barely any lady teachers older than the girls in the Gaang and that's really sad #and this sort of ties into Ursa's lack of complete character and the lack of guiding maternal figures #and how there's hardly any mention of the wives and mothers in the FN royal family and their characters #whoops I'm starting to ramble

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1v31182m5 · 6 months

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I'm going to send shit tons of asks about the lost avatar au so be prepared.

Anyhoo, how old are the gaang? And why did sokka and katara go out to find aang? And what are toph and zuko doing? Is zuko still on thr hunt? Is toph still with her parents, living her double life?

And be prepared to me answering them all cuz I will and I shall >>>>:3💥💥💥

The story is setted up 1,5 years after Aang breaking the ice, so the gaang are one and a half year older, about to finish the second year. I know Sozin's comet came in the first year but in this one it'll come later, about a year or half a year later.

Sokka and Katara going out to find the Avatar is actually quite normal in this universe because just like what Zuko was doing in the OG show, the Avatar is actively hunted because no one thinks he actually vanished and finding the Avatar is like catching the Bludger in Quidditch. Whoever gets him will have him on their side(!)

The same exact things happened to Toph while leaving her house in the AU but this time she was alone in the whole progress. And her meeting with the Gaang will be together with Sokka because they met first in the swamp first XD!!! While Aang and Katara are a duo alone, Sokka and Toph are their own duo on the other side till they meet again💥💥💥

Zuko is hunting the avatar just like in the OG but this time, he has Azula with her. They are not on the same ships or routes but they keep crossing eachother's routes. And in this AU I executed all the family drama for many reasons. First stuff I'm not a fan of family dramas like that and I wanted Azula and Zuko to be comedically rivals on their journey, knowing when to team up or fight eachother just because when given the chance.

Zuko is not on the exile neither is Azula, but going out to world to capture the avatar is a commonly given generational mission to princes and princesses who are not a ruler yet to learn more about the world, explore, and learn so many things along the way of catching their one fast golden ticket the avatar. Ultimate honor

Ursa is still in the castle and doesn't has any issues with Azula neither does Ozai with any of kids and they're pretty chill with eachother aswell, another reason why I threw away their family business is because the focus of this AU is NOT THEM!! The focus are other things and I am pretty much more fond of the nice fire family who is nothing like that OG, this is my AU don't @ me!! I like this so much better this way

Original plot of the Lost Avatar au

#Lost Avatar au #thank you for asking!!!#asks #atla #atla au #avatar au #avatar the last airbender #fire lady ursa #fire lord ozai #azula #zuko #toph #sokka #katara #aang

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dyingroses · 11 months

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Avatar: The Last Airbender + text posts

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justanotherthrowaway1950 · 6 months

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I know this is really belated, it has long been jossed by subsequent material, but I wrote a Tyzula fic that attempted to continue the Avatar comics timeline post-Imbalance while also incorporating the other extended universe material.

It focuses on the Fire Nation and talks about, among other things, the effects of Sozin's criminalization of queer folk, the abusive nature of Fire Nation asylums, and Zuko's struggles to de-Sozinize the Fire Nation. However, it gets really dark at times, and not everyone gets a happy ending.

So if you guys have time, I would be honored if you took a look at it. Thanks!

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writebecauseyoucannotbreathe · 1 year

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Azula: Mother, why did all the books you read to me as a child involve gory implications?

Ursa: I haven't the faintest idea of what you could possibly be referring to.

Azula: Jack and Jill?

Ursa: I didn't write that. That was read to you word by word.

Azula: The original had them falling into a volcano?

Ursa: It never said. I never clarified. One must always be aware of ones surroundings.

Azula: What about all those Fire Nation romances where several people die? I know those you hand-selected.

Ursa: It adds depth. One does not go to theatre for the mundane. Love is passion! Love is fire! Of course someone has to die!

Aang: I would have rather avoided the lightning.

Ursa: You survived didn't you? Sacrifice is necessary lest you want a boring love story.

Azula: Wait, how did you and dad meet?

Ursa: There's a reason why your father never considered another after my banishment, dear. Our love was never mundane.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #azulaang #azula #aang #ursa #incorrect quotes #atla incorrect quotes #aang x azula #ursa x ozai #incorrect atla #zhao doesnt count because tbh I dont think ursa considers him competition like zhao could never be fire lady #zhao also doesnt consider himself competition hes in it for the promotions

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ruisversion · 13 days

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who are you? || burdened with fire (part 1)

disclaimer: pls pretend her eyes are red and her hair is reddish-brown, theres a good reason why she's suddenly in water tribe clothing

word count: 1874

masterlist all parts

"Hello, sweetheart, how did you get here?" a lady asks with a gentle tone, bending down in front of me. "It's okay, I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help you get back to your family."

"My family is gone," I tell her, tears in my eyes.

"Oh. I'm sorry," she apologizes. "Do you trust me?"

"My mommy said not to trust anyone."

"Your mommy is-"

"Was," I correct her.

"Your mommy was smart then. I promise you won't get hurt if you follow me, is that okay?"

"Where are you going to take me?"

"To my home. I can be your new family if you are okay with that," I nod my head and take her hand. "Thank you, Lyra. You did the right thing," she tells the Fire Nation soldier.

"Where will you be taking her, Princess?" the soldier asks, her eyes shifting from the woman to me then back to the woman.

"She will be in safe hands, I can assure you," the Princess tells her. Lyra leads us out of the ship. "May I have your name so I know what to call you? I'm Ursa,"

"Kazumi,"

"Okay, Kazumi. We're going to make some friends first, okay?" I nod my head. She walks me to a boy who was standing in front of a gate to a big place.

"Mom, who's she?" he points at me.

"I'll answer later. But now, we must sneak her into your room without anyone noticing her, okay?" she asks the boy.

"How do we do that, mom?"

"When I say 'go', Zuko, run through the gates and then into the castle grounds into your room, just keep running. Kazumi, chase him. As fast as possible. I'll tell the guards that Zuko has made a new friend," we both acknowledge her instructions. "Okay... go!"

Zuko starts running in, and I chase him into this huge room.

"Woah," I say in awe, looking around the room.

"Here, hide here. Someone is coming," Zuko ushes me into his closet upon hearing footsteps. "Azula," I can hear him say.

"Who were you chasing outside?" she asks.

"I made a new friend. We're playing hide and seek now. Go away,"

"I didn't want to play with your stupid new friend anyway," she scoffs.

"Okay, you're good. You can come out now," he opens the closet door," he opens it out. Soon after, Ursa comes back, but with food.

"Here, you must be starving after your little adventure," she offers me the plate. I take it. "Zuko, can you sit down beside Kazumi so I can tell you two the plan?" Zuko sits down next to me while I still eat.

"What about Azula?" Zuko asks.

"Don't worry about that right now, okay? Kazumi, I am Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation. This is Prince Zuko. But you can call me 'Ursa' and him 'Zuko'."

I will be staying here until Ursa can find me a nice family for me to live with. No one can know I'm here for the duration of my stay. She leaves us moments later to attend something urgent.

"So..." Zuko trails off.

"I'm Kazumi. Where are we?"

"I'm Zuko. And we are in the Royal Palace,"

"You're a prince?" he nods his head. "That's so cool!"

"Sometimes, it is. Not always though," he says sadly. We get to know each other more since we are sharing his huge bed for some time.

Six years later...

I'm 13 now. Ursa disappeared when Zuko and I were 9, and Iroh adopted me, out of a promise he made to Ursa. Now, I'm just watching as Zuko goes to have an Agni Kai with one of the Fire Nation generals.

"That's not one of the Generals," I say to Pa.

"No... that's Ozai,"

"Please, Father. I only had the Fire Nation's best interest at heart. I'm sorry I spoke out of turn," Zuko begs.

"Fight for your honor," Ozai tells him, but Zuko continues begging, his knees and hands now on the ground.

"I meant no disrespect. I'm your loyal son,"

"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!" Ozai walks closer and closer to him.

"I won't fight you," Zuko shakes his head.

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher," Zuko starts crying. I close my eyes, hoping it was all just a dream. Then I hear screams, Zuko's screams.

"You need to go," Pa tells me as we are in my room. "You know why, and you know what to do," I nod my head. "Here, this should last you some time," he gives me a good amount of money then hugs me.

"I'll do you proud, Pa,"

"I know you will, my daughter. Pack your bags and go, don't turn back and go," he pulls away from the hug and leaves me to pack. I put on a cloak to hide my face and allow me to sneak out.

"It's just me," I say softly as I open the door to Zuko's room, then close it behind me.

"What are you wearing? Where are you going?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I just need to leave, but I wanted to see you again," I smile at him.

"So you're leaving me? You're leaving me like everybody does?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay here. The Agni Kai was just a wake-up call that they won't show me mercy once they know of my ancestry," I explain to him.

"What do you mean?"

"I just wanted to thank you for letting me stay in your room when we were younger and playing with me. Hopefully, I will see you soon. Thank you, and goodbye, Zuko," I put my hood back on and sneak out of the palace grounds.

---

"Soon? What does 'soon' even mean? Well, it means 'in or after a short period of time,' but there's no specific timeframe for that. It really depends on your perspective, as for mine. I don't actually know, but I've been looking for the Avatar for 3 years, and it's been a hard time. Currently, I'm staying in the Southern Water Tribe, helping them out any way I can.

"Sokka, seriously. Go easy on them; they're little kids."

"Fine," Sokka crosses his arms. "You guys can have a potty break."

"Thank you, Kaz!" they all run to go to the toilet.

"You're welcome, kids..." I smile. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Well, we're not going to get any food if we just stay here. Katara and I will be going to find food out there. Think you can handle the village while I'm gone?" he asks.

"Yeah, good luck," he leaves, and a few moments later, the kids come back. I teach them a few things, then I let them go back. They're little kids. When Katara and Sokka come back, they brought a little boy with them. Tattoos, tattoos that are all so familiar.

"Where'd you find him?" I ask, rushing to them.

"In an iceberg with the animal. His name is Aang," Katara tells me.

"Let's put him in a tent," I suggest. They help me put him in a tent. Sokka keeps watch.

"Aang, this is the entire village and Kazumi. Entire village and Kazumi, meet Aang," the kids move back to their moms, scared.

"What? What's wrong? Did Appa sneeze on me again?" he asks, worried.

"No, it's just that no one has seen an airbender in over a century; we thought they were all extinct," I tell him.

"That is, until my grandson and granddaughter found you," Kanna, Katara and Sokka's grandmother, adds on.

"Extinct?" Aang asks in disbelief.

"Aang, this is my grandmother," Katara introduces Kanna to Aang.

"Call me Gran-Gran," she tells him. Sokka looks at the staff Aang is holding and snatches it from him.

"What is this? A weapon? You can't stab anything with this!" Sokka says. Aang uses a small air current to get his staff back from Sokka.

"It's not used for stabbing," Aang continues explaining how it works. He opens the staff to make it a glider. The kids awe in fascination.

"Magic trick! Do it again!" one of the little girls claps. He demonstrates how he uses the glider while explaining how it works, then he crashes into Sokka's watchtower. Sokka is obviously upset. Aang and Katara venture off while I help Gran-Gran with other stuff. There's a loud sound, and I go outside to check it. A Fire Nation flare. Soon after, Aang and Katara come back. The kids cheer as Aang is back.

"Who put out the flare?" I ask.

"It was an accident!" Katara says. Sokka and Katara start going back and forth on whether Aang should stay since he was the one who took Katara with him to the ship.

"Okay, both of you, enough," Kanna interrupts them. "Katara, I think it's best if the airbender leaves,"

"No, Gran-Gran!" Katara protests.

"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right," Kanna replies.

"Fine! If he's banished then I'm banished too!" she grabs Aang's arm and starts walking away from us. I leave to hear what happens next, to pack up, and get ready to defend the tribe, plus prepare to escape.

"Where are you hiding him?" I hear Zuko's voice.

"He's not here, Zuko. You need to leave," I tell him from behind the crowd, my voice deeper so it's not so recognizable, and half my face is covered. He throws a wave of fire at us, but I disperse it before it can hurt anyone. Sokka throws a spear at me. I put the tip of the spear at Zuko's throat. I pull down my mask as the soldiers come closer. They all stand down once they realize who I am. I put a ring of fire around them.

"Attack the tribe again, I'll know and I will rain fire on you," I warn them and turn around to the villagers. "Go back to your homes; they'll be on their way soon," one of the little Water Tribe girls runs up to me, and I carry her up.

"Kazumi, what about you?" Fontanna asks.

"I need to protect Aang; he's the Avatar," I whisper to her. Tears start streaming down her face. "Don't worry, I'll be back," I bring her to her mother.

"Bye, Kazumi," she waves at me before the two of them go back into their home. I wave back. I go into my set-up tent and take my things before going to find the rest.

"Come on, Avatar. We need to go,"

"What about-?"

"Hey!" Katara catches up with us.

"We're following," she announces.

"Fine, let's go," we all get on Appa as Aang says the magic words. 'Yip Yip'.

"Woah," Sokka says in amazement.

"Hey, Kaz... the ship is still following us," Katara tells me. I see Zuko and Pa throw a big fireball at us. We all duck, and Aang uses his airbending to push the fireball toward the nearby glacier. The ice falls onto the tip of the ship.

"Good job, Aang," I say.

#fire nation #avatar the last airbender #princess azula #prince zuko #lady ursa #zuko #azula #ursa #ozai #southern water tribe #sokka #katara #avatar aang #aang #atla #atla aang #atla zuko

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