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sokkastyles · 3 years

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Zutara Month Day 10: Oma and Shu

I’ve seen some people point out that Zutara doesn’t necessarily fit Oma and Shu because the Oma and Shu myth is more Romeo and Juliet than enemies to lovers, and those people are not necessarily wrong. Romeo and Juliet, just like Oma and Shu, were never themselves enemies. They did nothing but love each other, but were forbidden from being together because of the feud. Zutara, in most interpretations, is less a “forbidden” romance and more a transition from enemies to friends to lovers. Most people imagine them growing to love each other after becoming friends, often after Zuko’s redemption and the end of the war. Nonetheless, the Oma and Shu story does share several parallels with Zutara that many fans have picked up on. What I want to do is examine some of these parallels from a meta angle, to look at the Oma and Shu story as it appears in the series and other similar stories that appear in ATLA, and to also compare them to similar stories in the real world, and analyze a bit the popularity of these various tales of forbidden love, why they are popular, and what their purpose is, as well as how Zutara fits into all this.

In universe, the Oma and Shu story, in addition to being a love story, is also an origin myth of sorts for the Earth Kingdom. It explains the creation of the city of Omashu, as well as telling the story of some of the first humans to learn earthbending. The message of the story, in addition to being a tale about love thriving between two unlikely people, and a cautionary tale about what happens when love is prevented from flourishing, is also a message about love being an act of creation and a force of transformation.

Love is brightest in the dark.

This sentence is a paradox, but it fits with the theme of balance that the show comes back to again and again, of breaking down barriers and deconstructing dichotomies to create something new, something more whole than the original. Something mirroring the harmony of yin and yang.

The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same. We are all one people, but we live as if divided.

The above quote by Guru Pathik is also similar to Iroh’s philosophy, which he tries to teach Zuko.

It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole.

Iroh also says something in “The Crossroads of Destiny” that echoes the Oma and Shu story.

Iroh: Perfection and power are overrated. I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love.

Aang: What happens if we can't save anyone and beat Azula? Without the Avatar State, what if I'm not powerful enough?

Iroh: I don't know the answer. Sometimes, life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, [Aang earthbends the rocks away one last time. Iroh's fire blows out. He smiles.] you will come to a better place.

Iroh says that Aang is wise to choose love over power, while walking through a dark tunnel, and advises Aang to trust in the darkness to bring him to the light. Meanwhile, Zuko and Katara, two people on opposite sides of a war, share a moment of unlikely tenderness in a cave lit by glowing crystals.

Zuko in the crystal catacombs does what Iroh has been trying to teach him to do, to let go of pride and the need for power, and to instead embrace compassion and humility. Which is what he does when he apologizes to Katara. This is also part of what stories like Romeo and Juliet teach us, that pride and petty grievances are destructive, and that only by embracing love do we become whole.

I know the prompt is Oma and Shu, but thinking about that story and its place in the narrative made me think about other mythic stories that appear in the series, so let’s look at another one that has significance for zutara: Love Amongst the Dragons, Ursa’s favorite play that she took young Zuko and Azula to see every year.

The actual story of Love Amongst the Dragons, according to the ATLA wiki, is this:

The play features the Dragon Emperor, bound to mortal form by the Dark Water Spirit, and forced to adopt the alias of Noren. The humble experience results in Noren falling in love with a mortal, and through this love he is able to break free of his curse. The play concludes with Noren defeating the Dark Water Spirit and embracing his mortal girlfriend, revealed to be the Dragon Empress.

What struck me when I found this description was that this is, with some slight changes, pretty much the Chinese myth of the marriage between Dragon and Phoenix, a representation for yin and yang and harmony in marriage, and which I compared in a meta to zutara as well.

Like the Oma and Shu story, it is a story about unlikely love, and about crossing divisions. It also has a lot of similarities with various myths involving shapeshifting love-interests, often referred to as “animal bride/husband” myths (which beauty and the beast is a subset of).

The symbolism of the tale in-universe is in its connection to Ursa, and thus Zuko’s connection to his mother. Zuko’s connection to his mother is contrasted with his connection to his father, which is representative of Zuko’s destructive side. When Zuko was trying to capture the Avatar, he was searching for his father’s approval, to become someone that would earn his father’s love. Ursa, meanwhile, taught Zuko kindness and compassion, and told him that it didn’t matter that he wasn’t the most powerful or strong. That Ursa took Zuko to see this particular play is significant, a play about a godlike being, the Dragon Emperor, being humbled and learning to love.

Only with your glory hidden in false form could you recognize my devotion.

Though different, and originating in a different nation, this is another tale about love shining through the dark, about letting go of pride and choosing compassion. Animal bride/husband myths are often about seeing past what is hidden to see the truth. They are stories of transformation, and like the Oma and Shu story, are about the transformative power of love.

It’s also from this play that Zuko gets his Blue Spirit alter ego, which Zuko uses as an exploration of his own identity apart from being the Fire Nation prince. In this story the same mask is worn by the villainous Dark Water Spirit. It is very interesting that Zuko uses an identity associated with water for this purpose. Also, like the Blue Spirit, the Dark Water Spirit seems to be a bit on the morally ambiguous side. Even though the spirit is defeated at the end of the story, its motivation for transforming the Dragon Emperor seems to be to teach him humility, and this is a message the play seems to promote.

Zuko and Azula’s dialogue from the above comic pages is interesting because it expands on what we already know about both characters. Zuko complains about always having to play the villain, just as he was made a scapegoat by his father and sister, and his adapting of the Blue Spirit identity is essentially him reclaiming that identity that was forced on him while trying to figure out who he really is. Azula sees herself as the Dragon Emperor, but she misunderstands the message of the story completely, and it’s not a coincidence that she talks over the love scene in the comic above and responds angrily and pridefully to the man who tries to shush her. Similar to Ozai when he names himself the Phoenix King, ironically misinterpreting the actual myth. I also think there’s something interesting to say about gender here, as this post points out. Not only does Ozai associate himself with a female figure, but Azula associates herself with the male Dragon Emperor, while Zuko is associated with the more feminine water spirit (water being a feminine element.) However, by the end of the series, Zuko embodies the transformed Dragon Emperor, while Katara I associated before with the Phoenix/Dragon Empress, as she is associated with healing and rebirth. Also notice the red and blue color coding in the comic page above, both with the Water Spirit and Dragon Emperor and in the coloring of the two lovers.

This also brings me to another play present in the series, the play that the gaang goes to see performed by the Ember Island Players. The same players that Zuko says his mother took him to see. The play we see them put on in the series is a Fire Nation propaganda play, promoting Ozai and the war. I actually can’t imagine that Love Amongst the Dragons, a play about a Dragon Emperor learning humility, was very popular during Ozai’s reign. We hear about it being performed before Ozai became Fire Lord, but we can assume that those visits to the theatre stopped after Ursa’s disappearance. The only other time we hear about that particular play being performed is after the end of the war. This leads me to imagine that it was necessary for the Ember Island Players to find a different play to perform while Ozai was in charge. While the play is not necessarily subverting Fire Nation superiority (the villain is a water spirit, after all), it is confrontational enough that I can imagine Ozai’s brand of narcissism seeing it as a challenge to his authority. Ozai who disdained love in favor of power and control.

“The Boy in the Iceberg” contains another love story between two people from opposite sides in their depiction of Zuko and Katara in the crystal catacombs. I wrote before about how I’ve seen interpretations of this that say that the Fire Nation was trying to portray zutara as an “inferior” Water Tribe woman falling for a “superior” Fire Nation man - essentially saying that the play is in favor of zutara as a piece of Fire Nation pro-colonization propaganda - but the problem with this is that that isn’t how zutara is depicted in the play. The play mocks zutara by portraying Zuko as submissive and subservient to Aang, and Zuko is later killed, as he is currently a traitor and threat to the Fire Nation. Thus, the “romance” between Zuko and Katara is not being depicted as supporting the superior masculinity of Fire Nation men, but rather portraying Zuko, who willingly chose to dissasociate himself with the Fire Nation, as emasculated and submissive to other, “lesser” men and aggressive “foreign” women.

This is a complete mockery of the real connection that Zuko and Katara had in the catacombs, the kind of love that is inherently subversive because it requires Zuko humbling himself in front of Katara and admitting that he was wrong, and working for her forgiveness. It is the kind of love that the Fire Nation under Ozai’s rule rejects. The kind of love that is truly transformative, revelatory, and brings light to the darkness. The kind of love that creates rather than destroys, that unifies rather than divides. That is humble and not prideful. That’s the appeal of zutara.

#zutara #zuko #katara #zutara month 2021 #atla meta #the cave of two lovers #the crossroads of destiny #the ember island players #oma and shu #love amongst the dragons

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staliaqueen · 2 years

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I have a weird question you can totally ignore but I wanted to ask you because you make lgbt+ Narnia content… do you think it’s ok for straight fans to reblog that stuff? I don’t really headcanon much about the characters sexualities besides I think Lucy is ace/aro and I like Caspeter, but I ask because I don’t want to over step any bounds. Like, I don’t want to seem like I’m inserting myself into a community I know I’m not apart of. like I thought your post of Lucy that said “but at least you’re gay” was funny but as a straight girl, I can’t relate and I don’t want people to think that I think I can relate to the lgbt+ experience when I have no idea what it’s like… if that makes sense. I’m probably overthinking things but I don’t want to upset anyone.

It's not a weird question at all and I'm glad that you asked me! I'm totally okay with straight people interacting with my queer stuff.

I totally understand where you're coming from with this, and I love that you are aware of your lack of knowledge and want to be respectful, that's totally the right mindset, but I'm actually of the opinion that staying out of other communities like that is more harmful than helpful. If I say "only queer people can interact with my queer content" what I'm doing is basically just separating us further. A huge step towards eradicating bigotry is the get rid of these invisible lines separating us and realise that we're all just people, and also interacting with people different from us (just gonna throw in an uncle Iroh quote here: "It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale."). Sure, there are probably queer people out their who don't want cishets to interact with their content, and you have to respect that, but I think that's unproductive.

Because not just does that confirm one of the ideas queerphobia is built on, but what it also does is exclude closeted people or people who just hasn't realized that they're queer yet. Not saying that's your situation, but it does happen a lot. I've seen countless of times people talk about how they've watched this trans youtuber for years or something and they thought they were cis but now they've come out as trans, in large part thanks to that youtuber. So if the youtuber had said "no, only trans people can consume my content" that person would've never gotten that help. Or, the other scenario: there are a lot of closeted people out there who probably feel safer approaching queer communities as an ally first before they come out, and if they do that and get shunned then it's just gonna push them further into the closet. Cause why would they come out if they have to deal with discrimination and don't even feel safe in queer communities?

Now, there are of course times, when you as an ally, should step back. If serious topics of discrimination are discussed you should let the people who experience it and know what they're talking about speak up. But, in those cases you also need to listen and spread their word, and reblogging helps with this! (again, just don't add anything) Because we actually need help from allies to get our words to reach people they usually wouldn't. Cishets have a voice in a way queer people don't, just like I, as a white person, have a voice in a way people of color don't, and this is how we can use our privilege for good. Not by speaking for them, but by giving them space to speak for themselves.

I'm glad you like caspeter and I totally get the ace/aro Lucy thing, it's a great headcanon and totally makes sense. I am always starving for reblogs so some more would be great. 🥰

#queer issues #homphobia #queerphobia #transphobia #queer comminity #queer comminties #queer ally #queer allies #gay #lesbian #bi #bisexual #trans #asexual #aromantic #narnia #mal answers

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libertarian-druid-in-greater-vt · 3 years

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So, this is something I’ve wanted to say for awhile, but I’ve been avoiding it because I didn’t want to get involved in fandom discourse. Anyone regularly involved in that will know exactly why.

But this has to do with Avatar:The Last Airbender. If you haven’t watched it, then be aware, there’s some serious spoilers ahead for a show that came out when I was a kid.

A lot of people here, when the show first popped up on Netflix, were huge fans of it. And between the setting, characters, and almost everything about it, isn’t hard to see why they would be. But unfortunately, many people also missed a huge theme of the show’s arc and realistically every characters arc. It all has to do with collectivization.

Hear me out here, because this is going to be a long one.

At the start of the show, we see Sokka in the South Pole. He’s kind of an idiot, he’s xenophobic, he’s sexist, and treats anyone that isn’t from his tribe as an enemy, including Aang at first. As the show progresses, he begins to see his mistakes, first with Aang, making it clear that not every outsider is a threat. Then with the Kyoshi warriors, which prove that women don’t have to be weak and “girly” in the traditional sense. And eventually, that even the nation that has been directly harming his people isn’t made up of all selfish and entitled psychopaths.

But that was how he originally saw those groups, outsiders as threats, women as weak, and fire nation people as psychopaths.

Likewise, Zuko has a similar view, but from what most of us would see as being a supremacist point of view. Only the Fire Nation is good, only the Fire Nation is strong, only the Fire Nation is worthy. When Zuko fights Commander Zhao, he sees that not all of the Fire Nation has a sense of honor and therefore not all of them are good. He sees Fire Nation soldiers become weak and lazy, meaning that not all of them are strong (in his sense of strong but that’s a whole other post). He also sees that his own, royal family is not worthy of ruling even just the Fire Nation.

People who say they are fans seem to miss that point. They group all men together as bad, they group all white people as bad, they group all cisgender people as bad, and they group all straight people as bad.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find the full quote as an image, so you’ll need to settle for part of the quote in image form and part in text.

“It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place it become rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, the other nations, will help you become whole.”

By demonizing any group as a whole, we lose the ability to see any good that may come from the members of those groups.

I’ll use myself as an example here. Three years ago, I was hating every Christian group that existed. I collectivized them and hated them. If one tried to talk to me, I would ignore them or be outright hostile towards them with very few exceptions. Once I was away from the group I was a part of, and was really able to see and think for myself, was I able to see that I was wrong. I thought of them as hateful assholes that wanted my faith dead. I see now that while that may be the case for some, it isn’t all Christians who want that.

Now, I’m not saying to just blindly listen to everyone right off the bat. But I am saying that having a simple conversation with the people you’ve decided are worthy of collective punishment can be enlightening in ways you would never expect. We are all individuals, we all have our own thoughts and feelings, we all go through life in different ways. Making any group a collective can be harmful for not only you or them, but to so many more people.

That’s how I became open to the idea of universal, single payer healthcare. And by showing these people who collectivize groups some compassion and care, you get people like Daryl Davis, a black man who got dozens of neonazis out of that ideology. Treat them as individuals, not necessarily good individuals, but just not as a collective hive mind.

Have a civil conversation with a communist as a libertarian, sit down for coffee with a neonazi as an lgbt person, just try to be civil with groups we’ve labeled as the villains. It will take effort, and probably a good deal of time, but you may change their minds about the hateful parts of their ideologies. And it won’t always work, the times I’ve done this sort of thing, I’ve generally been lucky and been able to steer them from their hateful thoughts and rhetoric.

It will be uncomfortable at first. It may leave you angry. And it won’t always work. But when it does, even if it fails 9/10 times, that one will make it feel worth it to you. We have to show compassion to these people.

And I’m going to end this with one more quote to hopefully inspire some of you.

“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time, more wisely.” Iroh.

#ATLA #yeah I take a lot of inspiration from Iroh #avatar the last airbender #philosphy

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mylifeinchapters · 3 years

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Chapter 3

Woof so last night was a something. Nothing too special but it was the 2nd day of jam-packed activity and it left me very tired. After work I went back to my apartment because it is easier to do my online therapy with Jane from my apartment then from my parent’s house. I got there and started to prep dinner when I got a knock at the door and surprise. It was the landlord telling me he had not gotten to my bathroom yet. (sarcastic yay) So he told me that Thursday will be the day it will get done and again I was like “OK but the mold” which he seemed to brush off. The mold is bad, but it stopped smelling as bad, I guess. Still bad and still bad enough for me to sleep at my parents. After he left I jumped online to talk with Jane. We just went over the course of the week. It’s weird that I don’t recognize that my life is stressful until some is like “yeah I can understand your anxiety you’ve been experiencing a lot of change lately” and then I reflect on that and I go “yeah you’re right how did I miss that” I feel a bit dumb because it so obvious.

Then came the rough part Rainbow Circle. I truly don’t know what to do with this group. I want it to keep going but people keep not showing up. I also don’t have topics to really talk about. Pause for a second. Rainbow Circle is an LGBTQ+ Christian group that I facilitate. I’m not the leader I just sorta get people together but I also feel like I’m kind of the leader and it is fizzling. The only people who showed up were John and Maryann. Suzanne bailed at the last second and I was so upset because I wanted to chat with her and also because she would be some who would talk. I am not a talker. I am a reactor. I add to the conversation and add insight and quips, but I am not good at generating conversation. Thankfully John is a talker, so we mostly talked about John’s problems/questions.

Maryann is confusing. I don’t think she wants to be at Rainbow Circle. I think she feels obligated to go for some reason, but she doesn’t like a lot of the people there and I don’t think she likes me anymore and I know people don’t like her and are avoiding RC because she is there. It’s annoying to know that if I kicked out Maryann maybe 2 people who I do like would come back. But that’s not the Christian thing to do.

But the way I have been treated by Christians I don’t know if I would even consider myself a Christian anymore. I’m very burned out by Christianity and its rules that say I am not good enough because I am gay. I’ve lived with that way thinking all my life and it is bullshit! I hate it and I hate the people think less of the LGBTQ+ Christians. So why do a facilitate a Christian group. I don’t know anymore. The rules of being a good Christian that I grew up with are wrong. God has not changed, I still think God loves me as I am, a HOMOSEXUSAL!!!! but I have grown past the teachings of my childhood, I understand more. To quote the Tilda Swinton from Doctor Strange, “You’re a man looking at the world through a keyhole. You’ve spent your whole life trying to widen that keyhole, to see more, to know more. And now, on hearing that it can be widened in ways you can’t imagine, you reject the possibility.” Unlike Benedict Cumberbatch I have not rejected the possibility that God is bigger than the doctrine I was taught and that looking at the keyhole (AKA religion or God or faith) from a different perspective has given me a bigger idea of who God is. Not being stuck in rigid teaching has shown me more about myself and God. To quote Iroh from Avatar the Last Airbender, “It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale.” (honestly there are a ton of Iroh quotes. Maybe I’ll do post on them).

Then in what still feels like blasphemy I said out loud to people that I think other religions still lead to the same God and I know the 2009 version of me would have had a heart attack and would be very concerned for the 2021 version of me’s soul. I’m OK and I don’t know if that’s where I exactly land but it doesn’t feel completely wrong either so I am sitting with it for now. What started and as a conversation about John letting his son participate in communion transformed into a theological discussion on merits of institutionalized doctrine that goes against our understanding of who God is. In hindsight it was a good conversation and presents be me with a lot to chew. Like If the church is wrong about LGBTQ+ matters what else are they wrong about? How much of the teaching I learned as kid do I keep and what do I throw away? Can I even throw away aspects of a religion? If I do, aren’t I just created a new religion? That’s why we have some many Christian denominations right? I think this is why I am still in the group even if it was just me and John talking. It challenges me and my views of God and I still, deep down, I want to be connected to a Christina group. I still like God and I still frame myself in relationship to God…even when it’s negative thoughts. It’s ingrained in me and I don’t think that is a bad thing. I closed out the night in prayer and I rushed to the gym.

I weighed myself before the Gym and I am still 190. Yeah, I have made some poor food choices since being at my parents but in no way has it been detrimental to my diet. I’ve been to the gym every day, and I have been eating within my calorie range…probably. I don’t eat all day and then I eat a ton of food at night and when I mean a ton of food let’s take last night as an example. Dinner was asparagus and salmon, very low calorie so I upped my calories by eating pumpkin seeds, then I ate some wild rice, but the big mistake was eating a giant frosted cookie the size of a CD. It was good but I also don’t know how many calories I ate. I had 1800 calories to play with so I should be fine…right?

I went to the gym and nothing crazy happened. I did back and 1 chest exercise. I avoided the personal trainer who is “helping me lose weight” because I have a session with him the next day. But man, personal trainer sessions are a rip off. They are so dumb. I am paying someone to be my spotter. Its dumb and I have not lost any weight. But I do like how I look. I’m giving off muscle bear vibes which is a look I really like. So I’m happy with how I look, I just want to lose some of the fat. I think I just want to define the chest more and sort of smooth out the gut. If I could look like the below picture I’d be happy.

After the gym I shopped for pumpkin seeds and grabbed popcorn and chips. Popcorn just in case I got hungry and chips for the podcast. I won’t eat the chips until Monday. Then I went to my parents. At this point it’s 9pm and my mom is curiously still up milling around. She just wanted to watch TV with me I guess but I felt weird having her watch people explain the Dragonball Fighterz update patch so I decided to test my mom. I put on ContraPoints video essay about Envy. Would mom be bothered by a socialist transwoman talking about 1 of the 7 deadly sins? Since Natalie didn’t overtly say she was trans or a socialist it wasn’t a good test, but it was a good video even if it did put mom to sleep. I think we made it halfway through before I stopped it and she went to bed. I never got her feedback on the video and I don’t think I will ask. Is it weird that I am recounting the previous day in my journal entries….hmmmmm probably.

Work is boring and I just want the day to be over.

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dem-obscure-imagines · 5 years

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The Time-Traveler’s Daughter

Prince Zuko x Reader Summary: You are where history and prophecy collide, the daughter of a time traveler and a witch, and this has done nothing but cause problems...But maybe getting stuck in another dimension isn’t the worst thing to happen to you. Note: I will probably use this reader again. I don’t know, I just really like this concept. Warnings: None? I’m a hoe for Zuko as usual lmao. (I went way overboard. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this is the longest one-shot I’ve ever written for this blog) Word Count: 6k

Being the child of a dimension-hopping time traveler and a witch who knew better had given you quite possibly the strangest childhood you could have ever asked for. Your father’s friends from all over history and the universe were always popping in for a visit, and your mother’s ancestry granted you an education at a magical boarding school.

It was the summer just after your graduation, and so each of your parents had decided to give you a gift. Your mother’s gift was her own coming of age necklace, a powerful amulet that had been passed down from woman to woman, all the way down her side of the family. Your father, as always, had invented something of his own for you, a watch.

This was no ordinary watch, however. The large steel device allowed the wearer to time travel or travel through dimensions as they pleased. It harnessed the same technology his metal glove did. Your mother was a bit on the fence about this gift, but your father insisted that it was time for you to explore and have your own adventures. After all, if he hadn’t gone out to explore the universe, he would have never met your mother.

So, she relented and let you try it out. That was, perhaps, why you were blacked out in a dimension that wasn’t your own. Your head hurt something fierce, and by the time you started to open your eyes, there were two familiar strangers hovering over you. The first was older, his friendly features obscured by a white beard. The second was around your age, shaggy dark brown hair partially hiding his fierce amber eyes. A scar stretched across the right side of his face.

“Oh my God…” You groaned, struggling to sit up.

“I’ll get you some tea. Please be careful.” The first stranger, someone you recognized as Iroh from your years of watching Avatar as a child, told you. “You’ve been asleep for a long while.”

“You’re...Iroh and Zuko…” You mumbled, looking at each of them for a moment. Zuko’s eyes widened and he looked to his uncle for some clue about what to do. Depending on when in their timeline you’d found them, that might have not been the best thing to say. “I’m...I’m not from around here. I don’t know how I got HERE of all places…”

“I thought you were dressed a little strange.” Iroh noted, chuckling to himself. He didn’t seem bothered about your comment, nor the fact that you knew who they were while they were pretending to be simple refugees as opposed to powerful fire-benders. “I’ve never seen clothes like those before.”

In most dimensions, your gray hoodie, black t-shirt, and ripped jeans would have been more than normal. Of course you found yourself in the one where they weren’t. And then there was the matter of your watch, which upon further inspection was broken, sparking and jolting when you rushed to take it off. “Shit!”

“What’s wrong?” Zuko jolted at your sudden outburst.

“It’s broken! Oh my God, my mom’s gonna kill me! I...” You took a deep breath, trying to center yourself. “I can’t get home without it. It’s broken, so I’m...stuck here.”

“What do you mean you’re stuck here? It’s just a bracelet. I’m sure if you explained to your mom--”

“You don’t understand, Zuko. That watch is...the reason I’m here. It’s like a portal. And without it, I can’t get home.” You looked to Iroh. “I, uh...wasn’t kidding when I said I wasn’t from around here…”

“You’re from another world, then…” Iroh thought about it for a long moment, passing a warm cup of tea to you. “That is quite the pickle. Well, you’re more than welcome to stay with us until you find a way home. Zuko, find our guest something...suitable to wear. Wouldn’t want to draw attention.”

“Thank you.” You were still floored that this was your reality. Your whole childhood, you’d looked up to Iroh. His wisdom and kindness were values you’d appreciated forever. And Zuko...well, it wouldn’t be too far off to say he’d been one of your first crushes, despite the fact that he was animated. Of course, now he was in the flesh in front of you, and it was...different. You couldn’t deny the fact that the prince was handsome.

Zuko left to go to the market and get you something that wouldn’t make you stand out in Ba Sing Se. Meanwhile, Iroh asked about where you’d come from.

“My father is like me. A dimension-hopper. He made my watch as a graduation present. Where I’m from, you and Zuko...you’re fictional.”

“Fictional, you say? Very interesting…” He took a sip from his tea. “So how did you come to know about us, then, if we’re fictional in your universe?”

“Well, you two are characters in one of my favorite cartoons growing up.” You thought for a second. This world you’d found yourself in was very technologically behind the one you’d come from. “Cartoons are like...drawings that move. And they have sound. It’s...hard to explain, I’m sorry.”

“Cartoons sound incredible! It must be such an interesting world, where you’re from.”

“It is, yeah. Where I’m from, the only people with powers are witches like my mom. Like...me. I always thought benders were so cool. The idea that you can just control the elements is so cool.”

“You have magic?!” The old man’s features lit up. “Would it be out of the question to see some?”

“Of course not, um…” You thought for a moment before letting go of your tea cup and letting it float in front of you. When you did it, the amulet around your neck glowed. “I can’t do much. My staff is back home, but without it, I can do some little things. If I had it, I could just...fix my watch. Without it, though, I guess I’ll just have to figure it out.”

“Zuko could probably take you to the market tomorrow to look for parts. Someone around here must have something that could help.”

“What about me?” Zuko entered the house, closing the door behind him. He had a bundle of clothes tucked under his arm. He handed it to you. “I wasn’t sure what size you are, but I think those should fit.”

“Thank you.”

“We were just discussing the matter of (Y/N)’s broken watch.” Iroh explained, motioning to the device that was still sparking every few seconds. “She needs some parts to fix it. I wondered if maybe you could take her to the market tomorrow to get some spare parts for it.”

“Sure.” He shrugged, sitting between you and his uncle. Your heart lurched, and so, you stood up to go to the spare room and change into these new garments. Zuko had found you some naturally colored undergarments with a green dress that went over top. You used some clips to pull your hair back and folded your clothes from home before returning to where Zuko and Iroh were sitting.

The way they both stopped talking and looked up at you when you returned made it obvious what they had been talking about. Well, that, and Zuko’s interested statement, “You’re a witch, too?”

“I’m a lot of things.” You laughed, tucking your folded clothes into the corner of the room with your backpack. “Did Iroh tell you the other thing?”

“That we don’t exist? Yeah, he did.” Zuko looked uncertain as he said it.

“It’s not that you don’t exist.” You walked back to the table and sat down next to him. “My dad explained it to me when I was young like this: there are a lot of dimensions in our universe, and sometimes they leak into each other. Sure, you don’t exist in MY world, but you do exist here. If we’re being technical, most of my dad’s friends technically don’t exist where I’m from, my mother included.”

“Really?”

“Hell, I technically went to school in a whole dimension that isn’t supposed to exist.”

“Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better.” He laughed and shook his head, smiling softly. “It must be weird to...meet the villain from your favorite childhood thing.”

“You’re not the villain.” You told him with an amused chuckle.

He looked genuinely surprised. “I’m...I’m not?”

“Not even close.”

Iroh smiled to himself, going to the other room to get some sleep while you talked with his nephew.

“So...If I’m not the villain, then who is?”

“Your dad.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” He nodded. “So I’m, what, I’m some minor villain then?”

“In season one you were. Kind of. Although that’s arguable, even.” You shook your head, taking in his face in the quiet. There were crickets chirping outside. “I mean, sure, you’ve done some questionable things, but...honestly, you have one of the best redemption arcs in history.”

“Redemption arc?” He laughed. “Me? Really? Me?”

“Really. You’re a fan favorite.”

“People like me?”

“People more than ‘like’ you.” Your cheeks flushed, thinking about it. That you were sitting on the floor next to the love of your seven-year-old life.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Goodnight, Zuko.” You got up and walked to the bedroom, settling into the bedroll Iroh had set up for you.

“Night…” He watched you go, a surprised smirk settling onto his handsome features. Maybe he’d have to investigate that some more…

***

The next morning, Zuko decided to make breakfast for you and Iroh, which judging from the slight burning smell coming from the pan, you learned was not a usual thing.

“I’m really sorry. I tried.”

“Thank you, Zuko.” You laughed, eating it anyway. It wasn’t great, but it was edible, and that was really all that mattered. “It’s actually pretty alright.”

“Thanks. Just, uh, trying to get that redemption arc on a roll.”

“What’s this about a redemption arc?” Iroh asked, amused, as he drank his tea.

“Nothing, Uncle. After breakfast, I’m taking (Y/N) to the marketplace.”

And so, he did. The prince of the Fire Nation led you through the rows of stalls, and you diligently searched for any merchant that might have a little box full of gears and metal bits. Zuko watched you as you went, an unsure expression on his face. How was it that this stranger had wandered into his life and changed so much? Good, changes, sure, but changes no less.

Your face lit up as you approached the stall of an inventor. Among his wares, there was a box filled with itty bitty gears and pieces, exactly what you were looking for.

“Sir, how much for the...box of gears?” Zuko asked, his hand on your shoulder, essentially claiming you in front of the locals.

“Oh, those? Couldn’t find a use for them, I’m afraid. My eyesight went years ago, so I don’t have the patience to deal with such small parts. If they make the girl happy, then take them. They’ll do you more good than they ever have me.”

“Thank you so much, sir. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course.” The kind old man handed you the box and winked at Zuko. “She’s a keeper, that one. You’ve got yourself an inventor on your hands, boy. Be careful not to lose her.”

“Believe me, sir, I will.” He smiled and the two of you turned, faces flushed, as you walked back home. “Thank you. For playing along.” He said once the market was far enough away.

“Gotta blend in somehow.” You nodded. Of course. Of course that was what had happened. The two of you were just blending in. The love of your childhood life had certainly not just claimed you as his sweetheart in front of an entire market full of people.

When you got back to the house, Iroh was reading, his cup steaming with a fresh cup of tea. You moved your watch to the table and set the box of gears down. In your backpack, you had a pair of tweezers and some goggles, so you put them on and set to work, carefully pulling out the broken pieces and searching the box for suitable replacements.

Zuko watched as you worked, amazed that someone could know how to manipulate such tiny pieces. “How did you...learn how to do that?”

“Many years of practice. My dad is kind of the best inventor ever. He taught me everything I know.”

“Mmm…” Zuko nodded. He wondered what it was like to have a loving relationship with your father. After all, he’d never really gotten that. His mother had been one of the kindest people he knew, but once she’d exited his life, he was left with Ozai, and...well, the rest was history.

“Speaking of parents...there’s a moon in this dimension, right?” You asked. “That’s a dumb question, of course there’s a moon here.”

“There is. Why?” Iroh asked.

“Well, I have to contact my mom. You know, tell her I’m alright. She was worried about this whole dimension hopping thing.”

“Ah, I see.” Iroh nodded. “Well, I’m sure we can help you if you need it.”

“Thank you. Seriously, thank you both. You’ve done so much for me.”

“Well, showing you some basic kindness is the least we can do. I can’t imagine what would have happened to you if someone else had found you.” Iroh lamented on it, humming to himself.

“Me either.”

You tinkered away for a few more minutes before finally finishing. “I think I did it.” You sat up straighter, wrapping the watch around your wrist and looking it over.

“You’re done?” Zuko asked, watching as you stood and started to gather your things. “That was...quick.” You pretended not to notice the disappointment on his face.

“Yeah, I don’t think it was as broken as I thought it was. Well...here goes. Thank you for everything. I’ll come visit if I can.”

“You’re welcome here any time.” Iroh promised.

You let your eyes linger on each of them for a second longer before adjusting the settings and pressing the button on the watch. For a few moments, it whirred the way it was supposed to. And then...everything went wrong. The metal started to get hot. Really hot. The device groaned, pieces grinding against each other. You ripped it off of your wrist and threw it out the window, just in time too, because only a moment later, you heard a loud BOOM and then a cry of “MY CABBAGES!”

“Maybe my...calculations were off.”

“Maybe.” Zuko nodded, looking out the window and then back at you. There was some little piece in him that couldn’t help but be glad you weren’t leaving just yet…

***

When dark fell, Zuko took you beyond the city walls. It was a clear night. The stars reflected off of the little pond, and inside the crystal waters was the image of the crescent moon. You walked over and knelt beside it, reaching out to skim your fingertips along the surface, letting the waters ripple out from you.

When the image cleared again, your reflection was replaced with your mother’s. She looked at you with concern.

“Are you alright? Did something happen?”

“I’m fine, mom. I just thought I’d check in, let you know where I landed. I’m in the Avatar universe. My watch broke on impact.”

“BROKE?!”

You winced at her outburst of panic. “It’s fine, though. Dad said I’d have to learn how to fix it, so why not now?”

She wasn’t listening to you, though. “That’s it, I’m sending your father to pick you up right now—”

“Mom, you don’t even have to. Seriously, it’s fine. Don’t send Dad. I need to figure this out on my own.”

She looked at you, tilting her head in that way that she did when she was deciding to be angry or proud of you. Eventually, she caved. “Fine. I’m not sending your father. But…you call me if you can’t figure it out and I’ll send him in a heartbeat. You don’t have to do everything alone, you know.”

You looked to Zuko, smiling softly when he looked at you with those sharp golden eyes. “Believe me, Mom. I’m not alone.”

You talked with her for a few more minutes before finally dismissing her aura and standing up again. Zuko stood up beside you, looking down at you, waiting for one of you to break the silence somehow.

“You’re taller than I expected you to be.” You told him.

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s weird that…you know, you knew who I was before. Maybe not weird, just…you know.”

“No, it’s definitely weird. I used to watch your cartoon every single day before school. They used to play reruns in the mornings while I was eating breakfast. My parents had to basically drag me away so I could actually catch the bus.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah.” You nodded, and the two of you began the long walk back to the safety of the city walls. But not before running into a bit of trouble first.

“What have we got here? The fire prince and his little damsel in distress? I wonder how much we could get for the two of you…” A group of bandits had formed around the two of you. You looked up at Zuko, his eyes blown wide with panic before melting into the confidence he so often had. Flames tickled his palms before igniting in his hands.

You didn’t have any weapons, no watch, no swords of any kind. You were lucky, though, that the two of you were standing back to back beneath the branches of a great tree. You reached a hand up and the tree seemed to kneel under your control, one of the limbs dipping down, down, down until the wood was gripped tight in your hand. The end of the thin branch snapped off, leaves flying off as the new staff formed, twisting and bending to your will.

“What kind of bending is THAT?” One of the bandits’ very panicked voice asked.

“Oh, I’m not a bender.” You replied, fingers tightening around your staff while the tree stood itself upright again. “But you’re going to wish I was.”

And then the battle broke out. Zuko’s flames blazed any of the bandits that dared to get close to him, punching fireballs at anyone who got too close to you. Meanwhile, you were using your staff, which was nowhere near as powerful as the one you had at home, to send the bandits back with waves of sheer power. Needless to say, they hadn’t ever seen anything quite like the two of you.

A few minutes later, all that was left was a scorched field, a panting fire bender, a tired witch, and a trail of bandits making a run for the woods.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?!” Zuko turned to you excitedly.

You rested your staff against the ground and looked up at him. “My mom.”

“Figures.” He chuckled. “You’re good. And you’ll have to be if you’re going to stay with us until we get your bracelet fixed. Uncle Iroh and I…”

“I know. You’re in a bit of trouble. Maybe you need someone like me looking out for you, huh?”

“Yeah, just maybe…”

***

It didn’t take long for you to fall into a rhythm. In the mornings, Iroh would make tea while you helped teach Zuko how to cook breakfast. After that, Zuko ran the store they were using as a front with his uncle and you helped tidy up a bit. It was only at night that you tinkered with your watch some more. Well, that, or Zuko would take you out to the field to practice fighting. After all, you had a staff to break in.

Fight practice led you to be caught in some precarious positions. Only a few nights ago, you’d wound up pinned beneath him, his breath warm across your cheeks, his shaggy bangs hanging in your face. Something in you lurched, your heart doing a backflip. Never had you imagined, despite your unusual childhood, that you’d ever end up there, your wrists pinned down by rough, warm hands, breaths shallow, lips aching for his. But neither of you acted on it.

Your magic was getting stronger by the day as you became less dependent on your primary staff and learned how to use this new one. Every time you cast a spell, Zuko noticed, the amulet around your neck would glow, as would your eyes. You would meditate on sunny afternoons, and when you did, your form would hover a few feet above the ground. It was mesmerizing to watch, and he often did, only caught by you a few times, causing him to leave the room red-faced, babbling some excuse about going to find his uncle.

Zuko wasn’t sure what it was about you, but he trusted you. He supposed he had to, since you were living in their house after all. Given that he and his uncle were wanted fugitives, trust was a thing they had to be careful with. Yet, the longer you stayed, the less he wanted you to leave…and the less YOU wanted to leave.

In all of your days there, you had yet to see Aang or Katara of Sokka or any other members of the main cast. Just Zuko and Iroh. Not that you were complaining. The fire prince and his uncle were more than fine with you and they had been nothing if not welcoming.

It had been a few weeks since you’d woken up in this place. You were sitting by the window, looking out at the starry sky. Zuko walked in so quietly you didn’t hear him and he sat down beside you, watching the way your features flickered in the light of the lantern.

“Would it be awful…if I said I didn’t want you to leave?” Zuko asked quietly, his voice soft and his expression softer.

“I’d love to stay, Zuko, but…you have a destiny. One that doesn’t involve me, I’m afraid.”

“Mmm.” He nodded. “Right. You know everything that happens, then.”

“Just about.”

“And this…your visit?”

“Not part of the plan.”

“But a pleasant addition.” He amended, reaching out to rest his hand on top of yours. He was so warm, endlessly warm, a result of the flames raging inside him. How someone so broken could be so soft, you weren’t sure, but he was. You were certain you’d never met anyone with a kinder soul. “I could just…go with you.”

“They wouldn’t win the war without you.” You whispered, shaking your head. You looked away from him and instead locked your eyes on the sky. “They need you, Zuko. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph…they all need you.”

“Please don’t leave me.” He pleaded. “Please…”

“Zuko, what am I supposed to do? If I stay here, I’m putting you in danger. I’m putting your whole WORLD in danger! You’re so important to this place. So, so important…”

“So are you!”

“No I’m not!”

“You’re important to me!” Zuko shouted. It was the first time you’d heard him raise his voice the whole time you’d been there. Sure, he’d had little spats with his uncle here and there, but never like this. There were flames flickering in the golden irises you’d come to love. His expression softened when he saw how tense you were. He reached out with a gentle hand and stroked your cheek. “You’re important to me…”

“I can’t be. I’m not supposed to be. I’m not even supposed to exist…”

“But you do. You’re here and so am I. Why can’t you just—”

“You’re supposed to end up with Mai.” You interrupted. He went quiet for a moment. You could have cut the tension with a knife. “She’s your endgame. Not me. You’re going to end up with her and forget all about me.”

“I don’t want Mai anymore.”

“What do you mean you don’t—”

“I want YOU.” Zuko leaned closer. “I don’t want Mai. I want you. Don’t you feel the same?”

“It’s not about my feelings, Zuko, it’s about your future.” You fought the tears that were welling in your eyes, blurring his face.

He was quiet for a long time, thinking. “You can leave this place. You can go home. But once we win the war, I’m going to come find you. I don’t care what it takes.”

***

You could only stall on your watch for so long without letting it be noticeable, but you knew the longer you stayed, the more it would hurt when you finally left. So, after a few tests and the aid of your growing magic, you decided you were finally ready to go back.

“You know you’re welcome here any time. We could use a witch around the house.” Iroh told you, pulling you into a tight hug.

“I know I’ll see you again. I’ll be sure to come visit sometime.”

“You better. I’ll miss you if you don’t.”

Zuko stood there quietly for a moment, waiting for his moment with you. Once Iroh had said goodbye, he left the two of you alone, and it was silent for a little while. Then, Zuko took a step closer, hesitating before reaching out to take your hand. Zuko let out a long sigh.

“You…don’t have to leave, you know. You could stay a little longer.”

“If I stay any longer, it’s just going to hurt both of us more.”

“Yeah…” He was quiet, tilting your chin up so you were looking at him, into those fierce golden eyes one last time. Zuko let his eyes drift shut as he closed the distance between you, his lips pressing against yours for the first and last time. Then, he murmured softly. “I’m going to find you after the war. I don’t know how or where, but I will. I promise.”

“I hope you do.” You whispered back, tears welling in your eyes as you kissed him one more time. And then another. And then one last kiss for the road, and then before you knew it, you were activating your watch. There was a flash of light and then you were standing in your backyard, knees trembling until you fell to the ground, finally letting your tears flow as you realized that he was gone. You’d never see Zuko again.

***

It was quiet in the house without you. Dark. Empty. Zuko missed you. He missed your glowing eyes, your fierce energy, the sight of you floating in the sunlight streaming through the window. This place was so different now. He thought he’d be ready for it, but he wasn’t. He never could have been.

“You miss her.” Iroh noted, watering one of his plants. Zuko only nodded. “So do I.”

It was then that there was a bright flash of light. The same kind that had happened when you’d left him. Zuko sat upright, preparing himself for whatever or whoever was standing there, but to his disappointment, it wasn’t you. However, the stranger standing there did resemble you a bit.

“Are you Zuko?” The man asked, looking over the fire prince. Scar, check. Shaggy dark hair, check. Forlorn look in his fiery eyes, check. This had to be the outcast prince you were so heartbroken over.

“Y-yes, sir. Who are you?”

“I’m (Y/N)’s dad.” He offered the teenager his hand, and he shook it, unsure. “She doesn’t know I’m here, before you ask, and no, I’m not here to take you to her.”

“Oh.” Zuko deflated slightly, listening for what else the dimension-hopper had to say.

“I came to give you this.” He pressed a small metal token into Zuko’s palm. “After the war, use this, and it will take you to her. You’ll know what to do.”

“But how do I—” Before Zuko could finish his question, the inventor was gone as fast as he’d come, leaving him standing there wide-eyed, gripping the disc tightly in his hand. He couldn’t lose this. It was his only chance.

***

For the summer solstice, as you had every year since you were young, you helped your mother prepare the back yard, put up tables, string up streamers, tape balloons into place. You helped her cook food and make punch and make sure everything was just right for when all of her witch friends came over to celebrate.

You were wearing your nicest summer gown. It was yellow, knee-length, and the fabric was covered in butterflies, a crown of enchanted flowers sitting in the curls of your hair. Everything was perfect. Well, everything except for one thing. You’d gotten home from the Avatar dimension about a month ago, and still, you were stuck in a post-Zuko gloom. You didn’t think it was possible to miss someone so much.

You weren’t sure why it was, exactly, that the fire prince had captured your heart. You hadn’t stayed with Zuko and his uncle for all that long. You had only kissed the one time before you left. And yet, you couldn’t help running through all of the memories: that day in the market, your first fight side by side, practicing combat with him in the field outside the city once the sun had gone down, and it was just you, the prince, and the stars. You thought of every meal you shared, every stolen glance, every flicker in the golden amber of his eyes.

There had been a time, once, when Zuko had gotten a cut on his face. Some squabble with some man in the market had resulted in the prince being on the receiving end of a knife. He’d come to you, a little blood dripping from the wound, claiming it to be nothing. The cut had been just above the top of his scar, something you knew he was sensitive about.

“Can I?” You’d asked gently, and he’d nodded, leading your hands up to the spot. Your fingers brushed against his reddened skin as you used your magic to heal him, reducing the bleeding gash to nothing more than a faint white scar.

That was the first time the two of you had been that physically close before, face to face, his lips only a step away. The next was the sparring match near the woods that had led to him pinning you down in the grass. Your heart raced, remembering how it felt to have him. And God, it still hurt.

Liking Zuko had been so much simpler when you were seven and he was a cartoon.

“It gets easier.” Your mother whispered, embracing you from behind. She kissed your cheek tenderly before letting go of you. “I know it hurts now, but it will get easier. You have a universe of possibilities at your fingertips. There’s no need to get tangled up in one boy.”

And you knew she was right. What you were, both halves of what you were, gave you quite the variety of opportunities. But it still hurt.

One flick of her wrist sent the gate at the front of the yard flying open, and minutes later, your mother’s witchiest friends started filing in, mingling with each other under the sun’s bright light. Your father was bouncing around, too, chit-chatting. Some of his friends from other dimensions had shown up, as had some of your school friends, who were dying to hear about your experiences dimension-hopping.

“So uh, have you ever…you remember that cartoon Avatar?”

“The one with the blue people?” One of your friends, Jacob, asked.

You laughed and shook your head as your friend Amber corrected him. “Avatar with the blue people wasn’t a cartoon. She means the one with the four elements and the little bald kid with the arrow on his forehead.”

“Yeah, that one.”

“What about it?” Jay asked, watching your expression. Usually when one of you brought up a childhood show, it was met with waves of nostalgia, not…whatever look you had on your face. “Oh my God, is that where you went?”

“It’s kind of a long story, but yeah.”

“Oh my God, is Sokka as handsome as I remember him being?” Amber gasped.

“Wait, wait, wait, you had a crush on SOKKA? Not Mr. Fine-Ass Firebending Prince of my Heart?” Jade held her heart like she’d just been shot. “Zuko is so hot. No pun intended.”

“And that look has to be for something…” Jacob studied your face when the topic had changed.

“No way, you met Zuko?” Amber’s expression softened.

“I…yeah, you could say that.” Before anyone could ask anything else, you grabbed Jade’s hand and dashed over to the dancefloor, pushing all of the thoughts out of your head and instead giving into the beat of the music. Time didn’t exist anymore, which was evident by just how fast the sun seemed to set, igniting the sky with orange.

Eventually, you wandered to the edge of the dancefloor, where Amber and Jade were. You could tell they were curious, and you couldn’t hide from the questions forever, so in the reds and pinks of the setting sun and the flickering lights of the candles on the tables, you decided to surrender to their inquiries.

“So…what exactly happened between you? You don’t have to answer—”

“I kissed him.”

“You AAAAAAH! Oh my God! Tell us everything!!!” Amber squealed.

“You kissed Zuko.” Jade stated, dumbstruck. “You Kissed him. With your lips.”

“Yeah.” You giggled, shrugging. “I kissed a prince.”

“You kissed a prince.”

“So…are you going to bippity boppity boo yourself back to him?”

“I can’t.” You shook your head. “When I got to him, he and his uncle were still pretending to be refugees. The war hadn’t ended yet, and by the time it does, he’ll probably be in love with Mai. I’m…I’m never going to see him again…”

“Now, why would you say that?”

Your eyes widened, and you traced Jade and Amber’s gazes to a spot behind you. Your racing heart had prevented you from noticing the bright flash of light.

“Holy shit…” Jade murmured, covering her mouth. You were almost too afraid to look.

“Zuko…” You whispered, voice catching in your throat. You felt a large, warm hand on your shoulder. As much as you wanted to turn around to look at him, you couldn’t move. You were paralyzed, frozen by the fear that if you looked, he wouldn’t be there.

Footsteps trailed through the grass, walking around you until he was standing in front of you, as real as you remembered him. His hair was a bit longer now, shaggier, almost hiding his gorgeous amber eyes from you. But his smile was still there, as rare and precious as his smiles tended to be.

His voice was soft and gentle, as gentle as the large hand that rose to stroke your cheek. “We won the war, princess. I told you I’d come find you.”

Instead of replying, you launched yourself into his arms, causing him to let out a soft ‘oof’, his strong arms fastening tight around you. “H-how are you here? H-how did y-you--?”

“Aww, don’t cry,” he cooed, stroking your hair as he teased, “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“I missed you s-so much…” You cried, shaking as he held you like you were the only thing in all of the worlds that mattered. “I t-think I love you, Zuko.”

“I know you do.” He chuckled. “I love you, too. Took us long enough to say it, huh?”

You pulled your face out of the crook of his neck and stroked his cheek, turning his face towards yours. He smiled softly before leaning closer and closing the distance between you. The crowd of people in your backyard cheered when they saw you and the prince of the Fire Nation locked into an embrace.

“Oh my god, she’s dating Zuko.” Jade whispered to Amber. After only seeing the prince in cartoon form, it was strange to see him here, living and breathing, and as real as you were.

“She’s done what every cartoon-loving little girl has ever wanted to.” Amber agreed.

“I can’t believe you’re here…” You whispered, brushing the bangs out of his face. His hair was a bit longer than when you’d last seen him. You wondered how much time had passed since you left.

“But that’s a good thing, right?”

“A really, really good thing.” You nodded, stroking his cheek as you studied his features, his arms still tight around your waist.

“Good. Because I don’t plan on leaving you any time soon.”

You pecked his lips. “Good.”

Tagged: @rikersgirl22

#zuko #zuko x reader #zuko imagine #atla #prince zuko x reader #prince zuko imagine #atla imagine

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zuko-cinnamonroll-drama-queen · 4 years

Note

Sorry if I keep bothering you, but yoru like one of the few avtar exclusive blogs I follow to bounce questions off of, So quick question: aside from the whole "It's a kid show" thing, can you think of any reason why Avatar does not have firearms? they have the explosives (fireworks/blasting jelly), and the metal working knowledge (fire nation inventions), so can you think why, (in universe because out of universe we know why) they do not have them? I can't think of a good watsonian reason.

You’re not a bother at all! I am honored by your interest in my blog.

When I first read your question I was thinking you were talking about literal Fire Arms. You know, like Ming-Hua from LoK. The only reason I could think that there aren’t any ‘Fire-Arms’ in ATLA is that it might be hard not to catch your clothes on fire, or something. LOL

In regard to your actual question, I think the answer is relatively nuanced and complex. I think one could easily make arguments for why the world should have had firearms and why it wouldn’t. I’ll try to break down my perspective (the only thing I can really give you) with these concepts: Innovation, and Military Tactics

Innovation “It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole.” -Iroh

Firearms would be a pretty significant innovation in the world so what circumstances would make it more likely for this type of innovation to happen? In this world innovation is driven by the collaboration between cultures. The earth kingdom refugees are able to learn about flight by living in the Air Nomad’s temple, and then they are able to innovate even more with the experiences Sokka brings them from his life. LoK exemplifies how quickly innovation happens when people from all backgrounds and perspectives are able to work side by side toward similar goals. During the 100 years before ATLA the Fire Nation is able to develop so many advancements, in part because their aggressive colonial imperialism exposes them to new resources (like coal) and technologies. However the Fire Nation’s ability to innovate is limited significantly by the fact that it does not respect any other source of inspiration. To truly learn and grow from other sources of inspiration one needs the humility to accept that their way is not the only or best way, but this is not how the Fire Nation thinks (by in large) at the time we meet them in ATLA. When would an influential member of the Fire Nation (Piandao being a possible exception) ever decide that creating a machine to throw earth, not fire, at great speeds, would be beneficial? Similarly, members of the Earth Kingdom would have little respect for a fire propelled machine that can do what their earth benders could do much less effectively? Simply put, the two most likely nations to develop this technology would likely not have had the humility or inspiration to invent firearms. Military Tactics Let's refresh on the first firearms for a moment. The first guns were painfully slow and ineffective, unwieldy, and resource intensive both to make and maintain. Yes, they become even more powerful later on but there still needs to be a good reason to get past the uncomfortable growth and development period of a new technology. Guns were hand held cannons, not necessarily extraordinarily accurate or deadly, and most useful against lines of marching men (essentially). Granted, we don’t see many of the battles that happened during the 100 years of war, the battles that we do see during ATLA are precision attacks or siege warfare, not a lot of traditional infantry warfare. In these specialized attacks non-benders are not as holistically outmatched on the battlefield as benders because they are able to contribute to the stealth, or support tactics most often used. As we can see a number of times in ALTA, non-benders are not limited in their abilities to contribute, so while firearms may be most useful for non-benders they likely don’t feel a particular need for a heavy weapon that would slow them down, and take forever to reload. Obviously, if firearms became more mainstream Military Tactics would adjust to implement this deadly tool, but in the meantime firearms don’t seem to fill as critical of a niche in the Avatar world as they do on our own.

I hope this provides something to think about! I’d love to know what you think?

#avatarthelastairbender #avatar the last airbender #atla #fire arms #firearms #ask #innovation

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themoonandhersun · 3 years

Text

i’m thinking

about

zuko living, poor, in the fire nation colonies, being raised by herbalist healer ursa and her family, never knowing he’s royalty—until ursa dies while giving birth to azula, and ozai comes to his home after he’s firelord, because he needs heirs if he’s gonna be the firelord and zuko is his son. zuko refuses to leave without azula and ozai agrees because he doesn’t care that much as long as zuko comes. (also he forbids zuko from talking to ursa’s family, because he would. he’s an asshole like that.)

he’s ten when ursa dies from childbirth, and he’s twelve when he’s banished for being compassionate like he taught to be by ursa. he takes azula with him and ozai doesn’t protest (azula is two when zuko is banished, so ozai doesn’t even know that she’s a firebender). ozai thinks he can just get another heir just like that, so he doesn’t really care (because he’s a bastard and i hate him) but the fire sages urge him to act differently (he doesn’t).

(ozai only got zuko because the fire sages were pressuring him to get married and have a heir. he got annoyed and was like, “you want a heir? i’ll go get him.” basically he did it because he wanted to get the fire sages off his back. he didn’t genuinely want zuko or azula.)

when zuko’s uncle iroh joins him and azula, zuko isn’t sure what to say. he doesn’t know uncle iroh that well in this au, and he thinks that maybe—maybe uncle iroh is like ozai. but then uncle iroh talks about tea very passionately... and zuko is like: okay, yeah—he isn’t like ozai at all.

in this au—zuko doesn’t care about his father or what he thinks as much. because he only spent, what? two years with him, max. besides—he has azula to think of. (but the fact that ozai burned him will stick with him, like it does in canon.) he wants to be a good big brother to her. sure, uncle iroh helps him with azula a lot, but zuko is the main caretaker because he wants to be. at twelve, he is all two year old azula knows, and he wants to stay with her. he plans to tell azula all about ursa and the things she taught him.

since he was raised in the colonies and was poor, ursa’s family could not afford to get zuko a firebending master. but when he got to the palace, he struggled with the anger and aggression that firebending supposedly required. this obviously made ozai very upset and it would make zuko feel bad—because he’s a kid and he always thought that, if he ever had a dad, that he would be nice. ozai is not nice.

uncle iroh is patient, though. he teaches zuko the right way to firebend—fire is life—and while zuko still struggled with it, knowing that fire is life helps him a lot. over the years, he progresses well, and is a pretty good, versatile firebender because iroh taught him to draw wisdom from different places. zuko still gets taught how to be a sword fighter from piando, because he thinks it’s cool... and he’s naturally good at being stealthy and is graceful with his feet, so he definitely likes it a lot (yes, he’s still the blue spirit in this au).

(yes, iroh teaches him the truth about the fire nation in this au. the education in the colonies was full of propaganda, but wasn’t that good.)

azula is a firebender too, obviously, and also learns that fire is life. she is a natural at firebending, and has a happy life with zuko and iroh on the ship. she gets along with the ship’s crew pretty well and is smart and quick witted like she is in canon.

i can imagine that the three of them will often take trips together (iroh insists that it’s good to experience the world, and the fire siblings are always up for an adventure). they’re at the fortune teller’s village (aunt wu is a part of the white lotus, i just know it) the same time the gaang is. they’re all dressed in earth kindgom clothes because it’s just what they prefer. well iroh prefers fire nation clothes but he can’t really wear it on earth kingdom grounds. he warns the fire nation siblings to never firebend in the earth kingdom. they listen because zuko had to save iroh like getting his hands crushed like in canon.

azula runs off the first chance she gets, and who does she bump into?

yep—katara.

zuko is sixteen and is frantic and worrying, and iroh went off to see the fortune teller, so he’s searching for azula alone. he hears azula yell, “there’s my brother! come meet him, katara!” and he turns around, seeing azula lead a girl around his age to him. and he sees katara and immediately apologizes about azula.

azula gets a gentle, yet stern scolding from zuko and katara is thinking: “oh, so he’s cute, earth kingdom, tall, and cares about his family a lot? interesting...but is he a bender?” she just got her fortune told, by the way.

then, later on, the volcano starts to erupt and zuko knows he has to help, even if it means exposing his firebending in an earth kingdom village. he makes azula stay with iroh while the villagers evacuates, and joins katara, aang, and sokka on appa. he uses heat redirection (like sozin did with that one volcano, but we don’t talk about sozin because he’s the worst person ever).

(also aang still makes that airbending move he did in the show.)

katara definitely thinks about sokka calling both zuko and aang powerful benders.

buuuuttt... katara would be salty with zuko after he reveals himself to be a firebender with his heat redirection. “you told me you were an earthbender!” she would huff while they all fly down back to the village on appa.

(i highly doubt any of the villagers would have seen zuko use heat redirection. they were all too far away—so that’s why they don’t want zuko’s hands to be crushed.)

...then, when they land, zuko points out that she asked if he was a bender, he never said what kind, and that she just assumed he was an earth bender.

she gets more salty with him even though he’s right. sokka is cackling and is like, “yeah, i’m sure we will get along just fine, zucchini.”

katara corrects him before zuko does. “his name is zuko—and he won’t be traveling with us. he has a sister to take care of.”

“and an uncle,” zuko adds. then he realizes he has no idea where they are—he can’t see them in the village—so he frowns and says he has to go find his family.

katara, sokka, and aang all say goodbye to him and they part ways.

and they all meet again. a lot.

because of course they do.

(katara gets captured by the pirates because she still decides to steal the waterbending scroll, and zuko and his uncle come to help her. iroh says a weird proverb about destiny, and zuko just smiles at her warmly, and says, “don’t worry—we’ll save you from the pirates, katara.” aang and sokka come and fight the pirates, too. azula is cheering for them in the background, and is eating fireflakes while everyone fight the pirates.)

plus katara and zuko always use the ‘funny seeing you here’ joke with each other, and laugh at it each time they cross each other’s paths. everyone else is tired of them, even lil azula is like, “please shut up zuzu.” while iroh? iroh ships zutara. you know he would.

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phoukanamedpookie · 4 years

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Bringing Azula into balance

There’s so much fic and meta out there that presents Azula as a person who’s broken and needs to be fixed. That never sat well with me. I find it dehumanizing to talk about people as if they’re damaged goods or a malfunctioning widget. Even with fictional characters, I shy away from doing that because I don’t want to fall into the trap of normalizing talking about real life people that way.

Which brings me to Azula and what recovery could look like for her.

I’m not a therapist, so I’m not going to approach this from that angle. Instead, I want to take a broader, thematic perspective and apply it to Azula’s situation.

On the show, the biggest overarching theme is balance. Balance is the purpose the Avatar has in the world. Balance is what makes Team Avatar function so well. Balance keeps chi flowing freely through the chakras. Balance is what allows life to thrive.

In fact, in every dysfunctional situation, there’s a lack of balance at its core. In ba Sing Se, the lack of balance turns order and stability into stifling repression. With the Fire Nation, the lack of balance turns drive and willpower into aggression and domination. On the North Pole, a lack of balance awakened the wrath of the Ocean Spirit. Even among the Air Nomads, a lack of balance turns healthy detachment from material things into a callous disregard for human connections.

This theme of balance doesn’t just apply to the macro level. We see it on the micro level too, when Iroh talks about the Four Nations and their elements.

And here is the crux of how recovery can work for Azula.

I originally had a much better transition in mind for this part, but I forgot it, so fuck it. I’m not interested in a recovery story that aims to fix Azula’s mind. I’m thirsty for a recovery story that aims at balancing Azula’s spirit. My personal preference is an extended journey into the Spirit World triggered by her whole world falling apart.

I’m not interested in a story that reduces Azula to psychosis or to her issues with her family. Yes, those relationships are important, but I think it’s more important for her to figure herself out and get a grip on herself. As a matter of fact, it would probably do her a world of good to put distance between her and her family until she’s ready to deal with them.

Furthermore, as much as fic and meta tends to keep things confined to the characters we're intimately familiar with, I believe that the character who can help Azula the most has not been written yet. Or, if they have, we haven’t seen much of them. Guru Pathik, for instance.

Regardless of how that plays out, I see firebending being an integral part of her development. She can lose her firebending and seek to regain it. She can try to abstain from firebending because she believes it only brings out the worst in her. Of course, she’d also have to learn that firebending is part of who she is, and that what needs to change is her perspective on is and how she uses it.

I also want her to learn deep secrets from a giant lion-turtle.

#azula #atla meta #azula meta #post war atla

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 4 years

Text

A Flame For A Cabbage (Part 13)

Azula pushes her stall down the vacant streets. She is the only one outside, she is the only one with the sense not to panic buy toilet paper. What she does not know is that the toilet paper has served its purpose. The streets are vacant because the void has taken its annual sacrifices and those who had not been possessed and driven to leaping into its swirling depths are not yet awake because it is 3:15 in the morning. This is when Azula starts her day. It is not when normal people start their day. No less, Azula finds that she is more productive when she rises at 3:15. Her mother had once said that it is another sign that she is ‘literally Satan but with a top knot and cute clothes.’

She finds herself what she believes is an optimal place to set up her stall. It is a shady spot nestled between a cafe and an inn with a lovely maple tree. She picks out a cabbage and smiles. Today will be different, she will have her sales.

She spies her first customer and holds out a cabbage. “Has your toilet paper saved you?” She begins.

The man shakes his head.

“I didn’t think so.” She replies. “See, I tried to tell you, but you did not listen. Luckily for you, I am a generous person. I am still going to allow you to buy a medicinal cabbage.”

The man seems to recoil but he reaches for his pocket. She thinks that he is going to draw out a few copper pieces. Instead he draws a single square of toilet paper and wipes his nose. “No thanks.”

“Good morning.” Azula greets a woman. She thinks that it is the soldier who had abolished her cabbage stand the morning before so abruptly drops her sales pitch. She is not usually one to run, but she is also not one to carelessly put herself into a losing situation. She hustles to pack away her stall. She thinks that she will have better success elsewhere anyhow.

“Halt!” The soldier shouts. “Merchant! Get back here!” The woman is waving something at her. She picks up her pace.

.oOo.

“Father, I have important news.” Sie begins.

“Sie, I am trying to organize my rock garden, you know that I always organize my rock garden at exactly 5:30 in the morning.” He picks up a plastic flamingo, this one is electric blue in color. He strokes it lovingly, the shade reminds him of something important to him. Something that he has lost long ago. Tenderly, he sits it by the rest of the blue flamingos. He moves onto the next one, a standard pink lawn flamingo. This one he puts at the center, for it is the flamingo of the day. This is how he organizes his rock garden. There are no rocks in his rock garden. There is no war in Ba Sing Se. There is no God in the Fire Nation.

There are only flamingos in Ozai’s rock garden. There is only the false illusion of safety in Ba Sing Se. There is only Iroh’s unwavering wrath in the Fire Nation.

As Ozai picks up a flamboyant green flamingo with sunglasses, the Pterodactyl of the West screeches in his cell.

Sie does not get to inform his father of the news.

.oOo.

With her stall once again erect in a new, slightly less comfortable location, Azula decides that she is going to have to take a more direct approach. She looks at the charred body next to her and recalls that this is not normal for the Fire Nation. She also notes that it is, in fact, bad for business to have a body laying around so she quickly pushes her cabbage stall over it.

That ought to fix it. If you push it under the bed or shove it in to the closet then you cannot see it. And if you cannot see it then the mess is gone. No one can see the corpse. So the corpse is not there. It can fade from existence as though it had never been a part of it all. Such is the nature of things. Object permanence is meaningless. It is like time which is also meaningless. Time is not only meaningless, but also a social construct which is why Azula does not have a problem being awake at 3:15 in the morning, because it is actually 5:30 (which is still questionable early). But not for Azula, because Azula believes that it is 3:15 and therefor it is 3:15. Now if you were to ask Ozai, he would say that it is 5:30. And if you asked Zuko, he might say that it is 1:00 in the morning and ask you why you are waking him so early. If you asked Iroh what time it is, he would tell you that he is in a jail cell so time is twice as meaningless as it was before and so he does not know what time it is. So you are best not asking the time at all because, really, how are you to know who is correct? Just who has decided what time to go with anyways?

While the unimportance of time as it pertains to a person was being discussed, several customers have came and went. Each of them hilariously rejecting the socially inept cabbage merchant’s offers.

Azula grows increasingly frustrated. “You are going to buy a cabbage.” She informs the first person she sees. “It is not debatable. You are going to…” the man walks away from her as though she is nothing and no one at all. She is left to ball her fist and wave it at him in a silent display of frustration.

Jet’s words echo in her mind. And maybe he is right, maybe her business will crumble... It could be that the height of her luck had been on the wall all of those days ago. Azula wanders back to her stall, picks out her favorite cabbage of the day, and hugs it to her chest.

She isn’t feeling so well. It is not the illness that plagues the Fire Nation streets. Nor is it the virus that is currently making a mess of a different dimension entirely. It isn’t the black plague either. It could be seasonal allergies--yes, she thinks that it is seasonal allergies. But it is also something else. Something… Emotional.

She is feeling sad. The merchant isn’t sure that she has ever felt sad before. Has she ever felt anything save for pride and determination, and more recently, angry and frustration?

Azula pulls her keens up to her chest and hugs the cabbage closer. A single tear escapes and slips down her cheek. The wind stirs up her hair and rustles the leaves of her cabbages. She can practically hear them whispering, “it’s going to be okay, Azula.”

She is skeptical. But there might be hope yet. She takes a deep breath, she has never done this before. Never.

She puts a, ‘out for lunch, back in 15’ sign on her cabbage stall and heads for the Fire Nation prison.

.oOo.

“Father, I still have news.” Sie tries again. This time Mai and TyLee are standing behind him because they need some screen time. But they aren’t going to do anything particularly important.

“Not now.” Ozai says. “I have important things to do.” Such important business consists of inspecting his toothbrush, bristle by bristle. This is something he routinely does after he organizes his rock garden.

“But father, this is important.” Sie speaks. He can wait, for Ozai is on the last three bristles. But upon that task’s completion he sits upon his throne and seems to stare directly into the flames around it. Sie knows not to interrupt Ozai when he is peering into the flames, seeking out divine wisdom. Mostly the fire simply crackles and shrieks incoherently like a thousand voices from the ninth ring of hell as fires tend to do. But occasionally the fire will crackle and tell Ozai that his beard is pretty. This makes Ozai blush but in a very manly way.

Mai, growing impatient ages up a year. And then one more after that.

Sokka remains the same age though. As do June, Toph, Aang, Katara, Zhao, Haru, Azula, Jet, Ozai, Zuko, and Lo. But Li. Li is not exactly 83 while her sister is only 82. Teo, in his wheelchair also ages a year. And Earth Kingdom Azula is suddenly 8 years old again and her adoptive mother weeps in despair. We cannot be sure of TyLee’s age. Even TyLee doesn’t know TyLee’s age.

“Father?” Sie coughs.

The man only narrows his eyes and concentrates harder on the fire as a good Fire Lord does. Sie shakes his head sadly. Things have been weird between he and his father these days. Ever since he got home. He thinks that his father resents him for some reason but that does not make sense for he has been the perfect daughter. “Father the Earth Kingdom is planning an invasion.”

“Hmmm…” Ozai says taking a sip of his coffee. “Nope.”

“Wh-what do you mean, nope?”

Ozai turns away from the fire but only for a moment. “Nope, there will be no invasion.”

“But there is going to be an eclipse.”

Ozai shakes his head.

“Yes.” Sie inists. “The Earth King…”

Ozai plugs his ears and says, “la la la la, I can’t hear you.”

“Father…”

“There won’t be an invasion because I forbid it.”

“Father,” TyLee starts.

“He’s my father, not yours.”

“Ooohhh, I thought that his name was father.”

Sie shakes his head.

“Sie’s father, TyLee begins again, “we were told that…”

The Fire Lord raises a silencing hand. “If you speak without permission even once more, I will teach you the same lesson that I taught my son.”

Sie shudders violently, not a day goes by where Zuko doesn’t talk about the horrors of calculus derivatives and trigonometry. His face still bears the scar given to him with The Math itself punished him for his wrong answer. Not that Ozai hadn’t summoned The Math in the first place.

“Please no.” TyLee squeaks.

“But father, we should be making preparations…”

“Preparations for what?”

“The invasion.”

“What invasion!” Ozai roars, and with his rage the fire flares. “There is no invasion. I already said ‘la la la’.”

Sie, fearing punishment and The Math, backs down. He clenches his teeth and hopes that he is wrong about the eclipse. “Come on, TyLee. Mai.” He beckons for them to follow. Boredom satisfied, Mai ages down a year again. The others do not.

“Ozai!” Greets a chipper and cheerful high-pitched voice. “Did you trim your beard!? It looks hella fine!”

Ozai smiles. It is the only time that is black and vile soul sees even a faint pin-prick of light and goodness.

#Avatar #Azula #Cabbage Man #Ozai #Mai #TyLee #Fanfiction

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emletish-fish · 5 years

Text

Worst Prisoner Swamp notes:

ff.net

ao3

Notes:

This chapter covers the swamp to the start of the blind bandit.

So the swamp shows you people you love, irrespective of time (ie Aang seeing Toph in the swamp before meeting her. Hands down, I thought they were foreshadowing eventual Taang and I was so pleased. Much older Toph and Aang could actually be so good for each other. Aang needs grounding and Toph needs someone to help smooth those super abrasive and defensive edges and brave enough to climb over her defensive walls.)

Katara and Zuko first bonded about their mothers and I wanted to elaborate on a conversation about that, but I couldn't really find a place for it in book one. I felt like it would be perfect here as a flashback. Mostly because the swamp brings up a lot of issues for Katara, but also because by this point, I missed writing my drama llamas together. Just look at them, they are beautiful together.

Zuko's mum: So I think Ursa tried. However, I think she would have enjoyed Zuko's company more. Hands down that woman loved both those kids, but one of them was infinitely easier to be around than the other. She probably concentrated on teaching Zuko more, because he was receptive. Whereas I think Azula got more scoldings from her mother.

The flipside of this, and goodness have I seen it countless times, is that when there are two or more children, and one is very challenging – the “good one” is put under enormous pressure to always be “good”, because the adults don't want to deal with two difficult ones. I think that Ursa would have been quick to correct any behaviour Zuko showed that she didn't like. She would have done this lovingly, but she would have still done it, because she needed one “good” and “manageable” kid.

I am not at all with the Azula apologists who blame Ursa for 'withholding affection' and that's why Azula is the way she is. In the flashback we see Ursa scolding Azula a lot and that is because Azula's behaviour is deserving of a scolding. Ursa is trying to set boundaries. Azula is not an easy kid to raise right, but lordy is that woman trying. Azula is a product of her environment while also being responsible for herself and her choices.

I think Azula loves Zuko and her mother, deep down, in one big, hellish tangled ball of complicated feelings – which I will delve into when we get to it. Katara sees them as complete opposites, because in her mind Zuko = good, friend and Azula = evil gremlin. She doesn't want to see any similarity between them – but those two have more than a nose in common.

I can see Ursa trying to give them a more rounded knowledge of the world and an appreciation of the things she loved, like music. I chose tacky dramatic plays – because my goodness, both Zuko and Azula are ridiculously dramatic. I hate the comics and pretend they don't exist. I think rather than Ursa being a common actress, she was a noblewoman who was just really into the theatre. Zuko and Azula both learned that being super dramatic got their mother's attention and brought her amusement.

I also think the Ember Island Players were always that terrible.

Anyway, Zuko can remember a lot more fine detail about his mother, purely by virtue of being older before she vanished. Katara was young when her mother died. She was what? Seven? How much can the average person remember from when they were seven? I think this is why Katara couldn't interact with the vision of her mother more completely and why there was no sound/dialogue between them. She doesn't exactly remember what her mother's voice sounded like.

It's also really clear to me that Katara and Sokka don't really talk about her together. Katara brings her mother up will all and sundry random dudes, but Sokka looks really taken aback whenever she brings up Kya around him. I can't even say it's because it's old grief, as Katara is still hurting. My best guess is that as Katara assumed a more motherly role in Sokka's life, they talked about Kya less. Tragically, I think th thing Katara remembers the most clearly about her mother is how her mother died, because it was traumatically burned on her memory. Poor girl.

So the shared dream – give me this tacky trope lovely readers. I know, I know. It is tacky. But ATLA had gifted me a magic “everything is connected” tree and I am going to use it. That's why I had Zuko explicitly mention that he was sleeping under an banyan tree last chapter – because the trees are connected and...the trees know they miss each other and give them a dream hook-up, and...spiritual mumbo-jumbo, etc. Just give me this tacky, romantic trope.

So Zuko has given up/lost nearly everything. He's had to completely give up his identity, and his quest and everything he defined himself by. It just makes sense that his bending would be affected. So I have brought his season three storyline forward. Iroh's wisdom from under lake Lagoai is also brought forward. So Zuko will be on a quest to find what really matters. You go, you soft little bean. I’m sure it will be fun for you.

The thieving vigilante bit: I think this was an important milestone for Zuko, and while he didn't steal Song's ostrich horse in the last chapter, I still think he needs to get his vigilante on and explore some of his lower impulses. He's low-key ashamed of it (because his mama raised him better than to be a common thief, and that is why he is always lying to Iroh), but he is learning a lot about himself through it.

So swamps typically symbolise low points in character's journeys and places where a hard truth is learned, or properly understood. Poor Zuko is getting pretty close to rock bottom at this point. I think it would make sense that he would resist his Uncle's hopeful musings – because he has no hope and he thinks there is no point in being optimistic. There really isn’t much more left for him to lose. Soon we will see Zuko beginning to build himself back up, from scratch, away from his abusive environment and discovering things that really matter to him. He'll regain his sense of identity and purpose away from the terrible influence of his father and sister.

Honest Confession time: I think Yang Chen and Kyoshi were the bomb, and also infinitely better at being the Avatar than Roku and Kuruk. Both those women were so competent.

Look at her! Look at what she did!

If Aang can commune with his past lives, Kyoshi and Yang Chen would serve him much better as mentors. Because, hands down, Roku could have made life, the universe and everything one thousand times easier for Aang if he had just had the gonads to do his duty. Aang is very different from Kyoshi, but goodness does she have wisdom for him.

I think Kyoshi and Yang Chen had the best wisdom for Aang. I didn't like how he dismissed her in Sozin's comet. I thought it was a bit disrespectful to be honest. I don’t think Aang means to, but it has cornered himself into favouring letting a tyrant live and thousands of others die, because he doesn’t want to do his duty for personal reasons (just like Roku).

If Aany only draws wisdom from one source (Roku) it becomes rigid and stale. Aang needs to learn from his other past lives. I wanted Aang and Kyoshi to have a conversation, and get to hash out their differences and come to understand each other better. I wanted Aang to see the human side of Kyoshi, and her to thaw a little towards Aang and give him a break and encourage him.

When Aang confesses he didn't want to be the Avatar, I think Kyoshi would have known exactly how that feels. It's a pretty mixed blessing being the avatar. Anyway, I've always wanted to write a more philosophical conversation between those two, and so I am indulging myself a bit here, but I hope you enjoyed it.

Next Chapter: TOPH!!! (she needs the caps).

#the worst prisoner #Emletish rants #emletish writes #emletish fic #Azula #Zuko #Katara #Zutara #Sokka #Aang #Toph #taang #Iroh #Kyoshi

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fictionalenneagrambti-blog · 7 years

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Avatar: The Last Airbender | Iroh [INFP] [9w8]

Steady | Idealistic | Receptive | Confident (x)

INFPs are imaginative idealists, guided by their own core values and beliefs. To INFPs, possibilities are paramount; the realism of the moment is only of passing concern. They see potential for a better future, and pursue truth and meaning with their own individual flair. INFPs are deeply concerned with the personal growth of themselves and others. (x)

Fi [Introverted Feeling]: Iroh serves as the moral compass of the show. He is understanding and nonjudgmental, and believes everyone should follow their own path in life, understanding that this path may be different from his own. Rather than moralize, he simply tells Zuko to reevaluate his choices, gently guiding him toward a different decision through his advice: “It’s time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions: Who are you and what do you want?” (“Lake Laogai”). He believes Zuko should be himself, not what his father wants him to be: “Is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?” (“Lake Laogai”). Iroh also rarely talks about his feelings, instead displaying them through his loyalty and staying by Zuko’s side no matter what, as well as paying his respects to his son on his own rather than sharing his pain with someone else (“The Tales of Ba Sing Se”). He retreated inward after his son died, and his devastation made him reevaluate his entire worldview and his allegiances once he realized that they did not align with his personal values. Iroh then joined the exiled Zuko in his quest, not caring how shameful this was, nor how it would affect his reputation.

Ne [Extroverted Intuition]: Iroh is able to perceive the underlying connections between concepts, having a deep understanding of how abstract ideas coalesce. An example of this is when he teaches Zuko about how all the four nations and types of bending are actually connected: “It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it become rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations, will help you become whole” (“Bitter Work”). Iroh can identify how the meaning of something may be perceived in terms of the bigger picture, such as when he tells Zuko that he [Iroh] should not be the one to defeat the Firelord, because “history would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power” (“The Old Masters”). Iroh also likes to use metaphors and proverbs to convey meaning: “Sometimes, life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel. But if you just keep moving... you will come to a better place” (“The Crossroads of Destiny”). He is fine with not knowing what is coming in the future because he believes it will all work out in the end. Iroh is very open-minded and is able to see the potential good in everyone, including his misguided nephew and a man who tries to mug him (“The Tales of Ba Sing Se”), both of whom he inspires to pursue a different path in life.

Si [Introverted Sensing]: Iroh can sometimes neglect details, leading him to make mistakes. For instance, he can’t tell the difference between edible and poisonous plants that look alike and ends up harming himself (“The Cave of Two Lovers”). Iroh sometimes bases his judgments on his previous experiences as a general of the Fire Nation, such as when he advises Zuko to be wary of what Azula says about Zuko’s father because he has “never known [his] brother to regret anything” (“The Avatar State”), or when he tells Zuko that searching for the Avatar may be a waste of time because none of Zuko’s ancestors have been able to find him in the past (“The Boy in the Iceberg”). Iroh takes the time to understand the mistakes of his family’s past and how to fix them: “What happened generations ago can be resolved now, by you. Because of your legacy, you alone can cleanse the sins of our family, and the Fire Nation” (“The Avatar and the Firelord”). Iroh is content with a life serving tea with little to no change or surprises.

Te [Extroverted Thinking]: Although he does not do it often, Iroh knows when to put his foot down and be assertive. He yells at Zuko and demands that he reevaluate his actions when he plans to kidnap Appa (“Lake Laogai”). Before leaving the Fire Nation, Iroh was an esteemed war general able to command an army, and he assumes this role once again during Sozin’s Comet, this time to recapture Ba Sing Se for the Earth Kingdom (“Into the Inferno”).

Enneagram [9w8]: Iroh feels best when he is at peace with himself and his environment. He is perfectly content living a humble life running his tea shop: “There’s nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity” (“Lake Laogai”). He is able to generate lightning because he has excellent control over his emotions: “Lightning is a pure expression of firebending without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. ... To perform the technique requires peace of mind” (“Bitter Work”). Iroh’s 8-wing makes him assertive and willing to fight back when someone disturbs the peace, such as when Zhao attempts to destroy the Moon Spirit (“The Siege of the North, Part II”), or when Azula tries to kill the Avatar (“Bitter Work”, “The Crossroads of Destiny”).

✘✘✘ Given all the negative INFP stereotypes, I want to highlight that none of them describe Iroh, so much so that he doesn’t really even look like an INFP until you examine the functions. Iroh is by far the healthiest and most mature fictional INFP I know of, and also probably one of the best characters of any type overall.

I suspect this one may be a little controversial. I see Iroh typed as an xNFJ everywhere. But he isn’t. Elaboration on that is under the cut, since it’s a little lengthy.

Iroh doesn’t care about group harmony, nor does he care about collective morals. You never see Iroh mobilizing a group into action by engendering feelings of togetherness, and you never seem him sugarcoating things so as to not hurt people’s feelings. Does that means he’s rude? Nope. It just means he has a different approach than an Fe-user. Look at Katara. When she sees something that’s “wrong” by the group’s standards, she wastes no time jumping in to criticize it (Toph’s behavior when she first joins the group, for instance). But Iroh sees people as individuals rather than as part of the collective. He doesn’t step in to lecture Zuko on morals the minute he begins to pursue the Avatar, despite the fact that Iroh believes this is the wrong idea in the long run. He wants Zuko to make mistakes and complete his journey so that he can realize on his own what it is that he truly wants. Even when Iroh believes Zuko has crossed the line by yet again trying to kidnap Appa, all he asks is for Zuko to reflect on what he wants and believes in rather than telling him what the right thing to do would be. Although Zuko’s quest may ultimately be harmful to the Fire Nation, his crew, etc., it is what’s right for Zuko, and that is what matters most to Iroh.

#avatar the last airbender #iroh #mbti #enneagram #infp #9w8 #char: infp #char: 9w8

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spirit-science-blog · 3 years

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Hey there, welcome back! Today we’re going to talk about everyone’s favorite Saturday morning Grandpa...or I guess Uncle would be more accurate...that’s right..we’re finally going to dive into the Sagely Wisdom of Uncle Iroh and the immense spiritual knowledge that he teaches the main characters….and us in the process...so sit back, grab a Tsungi horn, heat some Jasmine Tea, and one more thing before we get started, on the subject of Wisdom - we do a live event every full moon, every month called the Wisdom Moons. The next one is coming up soon! Use the link below to see how you can join our live event. I hope to see you there!

For those of you who haven’t seen the show, Iroh is the oldest main character that we follow actively through the series.... and is pretty much your Lao Tzu or Mystical Buddha kind of guy. He was a general of the Fire Nation and one of its greatest warriors, having the title “The Dragon of the West,” laying siege to the Earth Capital, but retired after his son Lu Ten was killed in action, and he became disillusioned with the war effort. When we first meet him though, Iroh is introduced as the uncle of Zuko, and acts as a father figure to him, as well as a moral compass, giving him great advice -which Zuko often ignores…..and accompanies him on his hunt for the Avatar, slowly teaching him to accept his true nature and become more in balance with himself.

Despite his fire nation origin, though.. he’s not a bad guy...in fact, he’s probably one of the beating moral hearts of the show, who -in stark contrast to Zuko, is easygoing, friendly, and dryly good-humored….let’s face it, aside from Sokka, he’s probably at the top of the list for most peoples favorite characters growing up. Exceptionally… when I’m old and grey, I want to be just like Iroh… and Gandalf… and Dumbledoor anyways right from episode 1, we see Iroh’s greatest virtue and wisdom...patience. Iroh doesn’t have it easy on the show, for, in the beginning, Zuko treats him pretty poorly, ignoring his advice and shouting at him a fair bit. Yet Iroh is there for him, no matter what, as he understands the importance of family and being there for the people who matter, undoubtedly coming from his son's loss.

As the series progressed and he got more screen time, we started to see his actions' real wisdom, but season 1 set his groundwork up as embodying patience, serenity, and mindfulness. Unlike most of the fire nation, he’s a man who sees beauty in the most superficial aspects of life, treating his self-imposed exile almost like an extended vacation to see the world. As Colin Mchannan points out...Iroh is a great man, sure, but what makes him truly wise and believable is his journey. He didn’t start as a mystical Buddha with life all figured out. He was broken….having lost the thing that mattered most to him -his child, and it defined him. The best part, though, and the ultimate lesson, is that Iroh let it define him in the best way. He could have been bitter and angry, but he instead chose to live the remainder of his life to the fullest in an attempt to avoid the mistakes and regrets from his earlier life….

In fact, in "Tales of Ba Sing Se" (one of the best episodes ever…), it’s suggested in that section where he sings Little Soldier Boy that some of that great optimism and generosity that he’s known so well for are a form of post-traumatic growth coming from the loss of his son. Like the waterbenders, he embraces the concept of flow and learns to move with the tide of life rather than stay stagnant and bitter.

Speaking of Waterbenders, this brings us to some of his best attributes that countless people have learned from…..his quotes...of everything, he’s probably best known for his words of wisdom as he freely advises most of the characters throughout the series. One passage, in particular, is often brought up as one of his best. When teaching Zuko in season 2 about lightning bending, Iroh explains that “It’s important to draw wisdom from many places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale.” Adhering to this philosophy eventually led him to develop a lightning bending -a technique never before seen, by studying the push and pull of water bending. Equally, he tries to convince Zuko that understanding Earth bending is just as important when he's fire turning to develop a real understanding of the element...which amazingly, Zuko then carries on to Aang during his training later on..

One of the best parts of Season 3 is when we learn that Iroh lied about killing the last Dragon to protect the ancient Dragon Masters Ren and Shaw, and even be their student. Through his compassion, he drove his firebending powers from vitality, heart, and life force rather than from rage as most of his contemporary firebenders did, thereby gaining a power none of them had.

For us, wisdom is essentially the same when applied to any aspect of life. Suppose you learn about something from only one source. In that case, you’ll pick up all the biases and influences from that source and never form your own opinion...but if instead, you look in different places for the inherent wisdom, you’ll end up a much more whole and balanced individual. I think Iroh’s insight here stems from his understanding of the four nations as balancers of each other. See, his nature and the course of his life have brought him to a philosophy that embraces peacefulness, harmony, and mutual understanding rather than conflict….but what’s more, it seems like he would much rather see the four nations live in mutual peace as opposed to single fire nation rule, as each one brings something unique to the table

While people often compare him to a Budhha like figure, I think a much better comparison is Budhai, the Chinese monk who’s often depicted as the fat or laughing Buddha, rather than Sidhurtta himself. Ironically, despite his carefree and detached attitude, he is something of a hedonist in his old age. He likes subtle pleasures, fancy tea, and seems to focus his life much more on relaxation and fun than he does on helping Zuko find Aang or engage in his nation’s nationalistic war. He often flirts with loads of girls in the series and is called handsome a couple of times! And he loves it….maybe he watched our recent episode on materialism and took it to heart…. Or maybe it’s a natural result of his earlier years conquesting, his soul is liberated from war, and all he wants now is to be jolly.

Ironically though, despite his focus on pleasure and relaxation, he does remark in season 1 that “the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup,” implying that it’s what’s nurtured inside that truly matters…..but he does accidentally poison himself with a flower in that episode too...sooo...you win some and lose some I guess.

The point is, like the kids of Avatar, he doesn’t take himself too seriously and takes the time to take “moments of quiet” in the face of a decision…..I was joking last time about him being a big kid. Still, the more I look at him, he kind of is…..and it’s excellent...while many of the series' notable characters were maturing throughout the show. Of course, there’s the 14-year-old warlord to boot, Iroh was already a "changed man" who already suffered tremendous loss and "matured" through that it…reminding us that “Failure is simply a chance to start over anew, this time only wiser.” Even when opening his tea shop, he points out that “There’s nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity,” advising Zuko to abandon his quest for honor….but even then, he never forces him because it has to be Zuko's decision to understand that on his own

Speaking of starting things, remember earlier how we explained that Iroh liked to draw wisdom from all the elements rather than just fire? A couple of fans have pointed out that his attitude towards tea is the perfect example of this. While Iroh’s love of tea is often played for laughs, there’s an underlying meaning and purpose -and to some extent, lesson, behind his passion for jasmine and ginseng tea that’s not often talked about.

To make an outstanding cuppa tea, all four of the bending elements are required. You need clay for the teapots and cups or the leaves from the ground, the water for the substance, Fire to heat the Tea, and the air to blow on the hot tea to cool it so you can drink it (even if you leave it out to cool naturally, it would get cold and taste worse). If you take one element out, the tea is either impossible to make or worse without it.. Iroh knew this, just as he knew that the only way to defeat the Fire Nation was for all four elements to work together. When on the boat to Ba Sing Se, Iroh gets a cold cup of tea and heats it with fire breath to the perfect temperature -all the while accidentally revealing to Jet that he’s a fire bender…

Iroh learned several things by watching other bending tribes. He knew that understanding others was the only way to be whole. Tea, then, is a physical manifestation of these teachings. On the surface, Iroh’s love of tea could be viewed as nothing more than a simple character trait, but it also serves as a representation of his spirituality and calming nature. In the context of achieving harmony and balance among the four nations, it's a lesson on the value of tolerance, balance, and listening that Uncle Iroh passed on to Zuko. And while this theory is just Reddit headcanon, it's a deep and meaningful way to look at Iroh's love of tea in a new light….he didn’t enjoy any old cup, only one that was truly and fully balanced with all the elements working together in unison

But the beautiful thing about Iroh is that he also can stand for the intensity of the fiery element and knows precisely how and when to use it. He rarely exhibits such power; one example is when he yells at Zuko under Lake Laogai.

Play clip: It's time for you to look inward and start asking yourself the big question: who are you, and what do YOU want?!

And that’s when he’s delivering compassionate wisdom with intensity! He also liberates all of Ba Sing Se at the very end of the series, after a getting ripped in jail montage, and shows exactly why they called him the Dragon of the West. All in all, Iroh’s philosophy of flow is undoubtedly inspired by Taoist values and helps to bring profound spiritual wisdom to a younger audience. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would recommend wholeheartedly going and checking out the series...even just for him alone….I could have written this entire video made up of just his quotes, and it would be equally as great...so I think Iroh is a modern-day ascended master. Even his bending forms are influenced by Southern Shaolin, Dragon, and Form-intention styles of Kung-Fu, all of which match his personality pretty well.

Interestingly, Kaci Ferrell pointed out in reviews that after the season 2 episode of Legend of Korra where Iroh appeared to her in the spirit world, Korra became a much more likable character with the fans because she took Iroh’s wisdom on board…..even in death he’s bringing the fandom together! So with that, thanks so much for watching! We’ll leave a link to some of Iroh’s best quotes and snippets of wisdom below so you can check them out, but otherwise, totally go and watch ATLA cause there’s so much more wisdom hidden inside it...and always remember, above all else…….that being sick of tea is like being sick of breathing. Toodles!

Sources:

The Lost Scrolls: Fire, page 159 of The Lost Scrolls Collection.

Director: Ethan Spaulding; Writer: Elizabeth Welch Ehasz (April 7, 2006). "Return to Omashu." Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 3

Ferrell, Kaci (November 9, 2013). "The Legend of Korra season 2 episode 10 review: A New Spiritual Age". Den of Geek.

McMahon, Colin (March 28, 2014). "The Wisdom to Be Learned from Uncle Iroh." The Red Rings of Redemption.

Director: Giancarlo Volpe; Writers: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (2006-09-15). "The Drill." Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 13. Nickelodeon.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/gtuca1/avatar_the_last_airbender_irohs_love_for_making/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

#spirituality #science #ascenscion #mystery school #spirit science

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