#we need more representation for the idiots like me and lin whose comfort zone is when you're miserable

[beifong-brainrot]

The Zafou arc for Lin is so funny once you remove the emotional context. Woman is fully on break in one of, if not the nicest estates in the Earth Kingdom, if not the world, and still mad as hell. Lin is a S-tier hater,lowkey. 30+ years of holding a grudge is diabolical work. I don't even think Azula's hate for Zuko was this intense (and she was fully ready to kill him). If there was a tier list of Avatar characters who are just bonafide haters, Lin would be pretty high up.

Like........relax. Have a drink (I'm sure Su's alcohol cabinet is stocked). Put your feet up. Talk to the niece and nephews you probably haven't seen in years (or ever, now that I think about it). Hell, talk to your sister. It's been 30 years. Or her husband or Aiwei or somebody if that's asking too much. Baatar Sr seems pretty chill, I'm sure he wouldn't care.

It genuinely is. Because the estate is big and Lin has free rein of it and literally everyone she's interacted with was being pleasant. But Lin was actively looking for flaws in the place and picking it apart, even outside of being mad at Su. A pair of random guards are as good a target. Which is actually an interesting character moment for Lin, because it genuinely kinda feels like she's just pissed that Su has a good life.

Lin: What do you two think you're doing?! Get back to work! [Groans uncomfortably and puts her hand on her face.] Aiwei : Is everything all right here? Lin: The Avatar is in danger, and these two knuckleheads are just standing around chit-chatting. Aiwei : Don't worry, Zaofu is the most secure city in the world. Lin: I'll be the judge of that. I'm going to check every inch of this place. [Tries to walk away, but Aiwei blocks her path.]

Like I joke about how everyone is having fun with the weird metal hippies and Lin is like wearing a tinfoil hat in the corner convinced Su is Evil™️ but it's kinda the truth? Because she genuinely sounds kinda like a conspiracy theorist if you take away any context lol

Lin: You think that just because you live in a big, fancy house, and have a chef who cooks you fancy food, that you're a different person? Maybe you could fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. I see right through you.

And honestly, even with the context, this weird vindictiveness and assuredness that Su is trying to 'fool' everyone and that she hasn't changed at in the last two decades still doesn't fully make sense. Because Su makes no secret of her sordid past, and of the fact that she struggled to get where she is. She isn't hiding her past. If Lin is accusing Su of any general shiftiness, she has literally no evidence of this, but it feels like she's just deeply convinced Su is the same

Lin isn't exactly making sense here, and I feel like its because she is grasping at straws in order to find any flaw in Suyin and Suyin's current life. Scrutinising Zaofu's security, criticising Suyin's motherhood, etc. She needs to dig in somehow.

And it's probably because if Lin acknowledges that Su has moved on, to some extent, from their shared childhood trauma, then Lin is kinda left alone in the self imposed trenches. As I harp on Constantly, Lin's character is all about stagnation and self isolation. Lin has, from what we see, barely changed from when the flashbacks happened. Hell, she picked a career seemingly purely because she thought it would please her mother and stayed in it for like 25+ years. And when anything comes around to challenge her comfortable, but unhealthy, system, she digs her heels in.

These are old roots, formed through a traumayic childhood. A childhood she has shared with Su. Yes, they seemed to have a tumultuous relationship, but there was most likely a sense of stability there for Lin too. They both had their defined roles, and that was comfortable and it made sense, in Lin's eyes at least.

And clearly, even after their estrangement, Lin stayed in her assigned role.

But Su didn't. Su turned her life around and worked out at least some of her issues. And that might feel like a betrayal, of sorts. Like Lin has been stubbornly maintaining the antagonism of their relationship, because that's familiar, that's safe. And here comes Su trying to, what, fix it? Redefine it? Just completely reset all the anger and resentment they're had for each other?

And it also probably feels unfair to Lin. Because, hey, Lin is the one who worked So Hard upholding their mother's legacy (the fact that toph seems to resent her time as a cop is itrelevant here), Lin is the one who did everything 'right', Lin is the dutiful daughter. Why does Su get happiness and peace in life, when, in Lin's eyes, Su is the one who did Everything Wrong.

Therefore, Su hasn't changed. It's fake, a trick. Because if she indeed has, it means Lin and Suyin's relationship needs to be restructured. And Lin was... comfortable with what they had previously. Probably not happy, but comfortable.

Suyin: Ease out, Lin. Sure Varrick's made a few mistakes in his past, but that doesn't mean he should pay for it for the rest of his life. My chef was a pirate, but now he's a culinary master. People change. Lin: [Points her finger accusingly.] You haven't.

So she insists that Su hasn't changed because its easier and safer that way.

But it is worth it to make that breakthrough and step out of your comfort zone, as we see with Lin being genuinely happy once she chooses to accept and embrace the fact that Su has changed, instead of clinging to the security animosity gave her.

Side note; I wouldn't even say Azula hated Zuko, at least not until the last Agni Kai, and even then I don't really see her hating him, just percieving him as an obstacle. Whenever Azula was trying to kill Zuko, pre Agni Kai, she approached her fights against him very clinically. She isolated whatever positive emotions she had towards him (and we know she had At Least some affection for him) because when Azula was trying to capture or kill Zuko, she was essentially doing the job Ozai had appointed her. It didn't feel personal. Which is why it was do easy for her to flip the switch when Zuko returned to her side.

Arguably Zuko had more disdain for Azula outwardly, be it justified or not. There's certainly much more emotion in his and Azula's relationship from his side. But that's neither here or there