jaredstrout

[jaredstrout]

Fireballs - Zuko doesn´t break

After being reminded of the first episode and how Zuko rammed his ship straight through the ice and into the village of the watertribespeople, I could not help but imagine a 'We break for nobody' sign on the back of the ship.

And actually...it would fit for the entire Fire Nation, put it on all navy vessels, the tanks, maybe even the airships ;) And then imagine Zhao with an oversized helmet...or Ozai during the DoBS with a can of Perri-Air in his hand rather than tea.

[jaredstrout]

When shall we three meet again? - Azula and theater

I just remembered how Azula seemed to enjoy her theatrical greeting in the Day of Black Sun when Aang faces her instead of Ozai and I wondered, what if Azula escaped the asylum to become an actress. Even more so, playing herself.

"Hey...is that the princess?" "Yes, five times a week, occasionally she also plays Lady Ma Beath in Sha Kespire´s great play."

Happy with a live in some distant town Azula has a life of her own, till Zuko comes for her, giving her an unpleasant flashback to when she came to Ty Lee´s humble life to take it...just that Zuko isn´t even asking and he doesn´t want her help, just put her back into the nuthouse that makes people nuts.

[jaredstrout]

I´d go for getting away from the crazy house that is the royal family. I like the idea that she and Aang get along and she accompanies him when he goes around the world to heal the wounds of the war so Azula can also see the world and actually find her own way, not one made up by the expectations of others.

Obviously the actions of other characters could influence this a lot, but just vote based on what the most likely scenario in your head is.

And if you vote, please reblog!

[jaredstrout]

Southern Raiders - a Toph block

"Is he finally gone?" Sokka asked as Suki slid into his tent. His girlfriend nodded. "Let´s hope he got from you what he wanted?" Suki half told half asked Sokka, but then didn´t wait for an answer as she grabbed Sokka with both arms, pulled him close and finally gave him the kiss he had earned for getting her out of prison.

The two were quite busy hugging and kissing that they didn´t notice how the tent was approached once more, till Toph pushed her head in. "Would you mind getting some wooden planks?" With shriek Sokka jumped up and tried to cover up his half naked body, till he remembered that Toph was blind...and then got reminded by her how limited that handicap actually was.

"You´re on earth here...I can see absolutely everything you two are doing here...think of others, damnit!"

Now seriously, what did Toph do when Suki and Sokka spend the night in the same tent? After all her seneses should make it impossible for her not to know what was going on there...and I think she would not want that.

Did she put on shoes like earplugs for her earth sense? Did she get herself some wooden floor or so to sleep on? How did she avoid getting all the things going on around her, not just on that occasion, but her senses would mean she gets a lot of things she does not necessarily want to know...how does she deal with it?

[jaredstrout]

father and mother - royalty and commoner

I just thought about how the crew on Zuko´s ships was shocked by Iroh´s tale in The Storm about how Ozai had burned and banished his son in the Agni Kai.

When we look at the flashback where Iroh looked away we can say that he might not be a reliable narrator and the scene is not showing what happened, but how Iroh remembered and imagined things he could not see.

But there´s still Zhao in the observers and he does not seem to think Ozai did anything wrong when he and Zuko meet for the first time, so I think we can wonder...does the Fire Nation have two different cultures of violence?

When the nobility is who witnessed the Agni Kai and nobody had a problem with it, Ozai probably acted within the rule system for his class within the Fire Nation and Azula during the show clashes with Zuko and by extension the viewer for upholding her father´s side of the family standards.

Ursa then again, while a grandaughter of the Avatar was probably a commoner, a class that seems to be devoid of the ritualized violence of the Agni Kai and the stric rule system that we can assume is applied to the upper crust of Fire Nation society. We might even wonder, if Agni Kais are completely exclusive for the higher ups and the common citizen does not really know about the details of such duels and maybe not even their rules, similar to how the viewer doesn´t know the rules.

Now Zuko was closer to his mother, who then brought her view of the world and moral up and imprinted on him, while Azula the one closer to Ozai got his idea of right and wrong, so the conflict we see fom early childhood, both between Azula and zuko and also Azula and Ursa steems from the difference in morals of their parents, making their conflict just an extension of the class system of the Fire Nation and the tragedy it brought a product of such stark contrasts in how the different people within the nation judged the use of violence and power.

[jaredstrout]

The good, the bad, no ugly - sibling envy

Not much to say here, just that I think that both Zuko and Azula are more or less secretly full of envy for the sibling relationship Sokka and Katara have. I mean sure the two get on each other´s nerves, Katara is also not known to have an airbender´s patience, so both Zuko and Sokka know their sisters´s bending from a painful pov...but with Katara things never get bad and Sokka is also not shy to retaliate without his bending...so I kinda feel Azula would love to grab Sokka and push Zuko into Katara with a "No backsies!"

[jaredstrout]

Answering does not work, maybe reblogging does.

I said that Zuko probably threatened the old man, hurt him and/or other villagers and burned some of the rest of the village, till the old man betrayed the Avatar, mere hours after he had saved said village.

Hi, I tried to answer you about "Seen the Avatar lately?" but I can´t asnwer it seems. Everything I write disappears the moment I refresh the page.

Oh. That's so weird. Maybe you can reply to this post and it will work that time.

[jaredstrout]

I remember how Suki shooting something that looks a lot like fire was seen as a hint, that Sokka secretly has a thing for Azula.

While I like the idea, what if Sokka did let something slip, but not about Azula? The Kyoshi Warriors in their first appearance ambush the Gaang, quickly subdue them all and get them into their village, not question who they are, no demand to follow them or surrender.

The warriors have been compared to Samurai, but their approach to combat, at least the begin of it, is more like I´d expect from Ninjas, surprise attack the enemy and have them out of the fight before it even begins.

They were also quite nervous about Fire Nation spies, despite them claiming the island kept out of the war.

What if that was a lie?

Now when it comes to the Southern Watertribe I think the village is a bit small, too small to survive, but Ithink maybe there are more spread out in the hostile cold, so the food soruces are not exhausted.

For Kyoshi Island on the other hand the only way to avoid the unpleasant problem of people being a bit too closely related to everyone on the island would be fresh blood from else where.

Now take the warrior´s stealth attacks and their fear of spies...what if the Kyoshi Warriors did attack Fire Nation outposts, ships or supply convois? And then imagine some of the men being captured by them, but the Fire Nation wondered why even high ranking officers were freed after the attack, while young recruits were missing.

Now the idea is, that Suki´s father was captured among other young men and became an inhabitant of the island and Suki is either a firebender without training, or at least connected to one like her father and Suki told Sokka about that, but also to keep quiet about it.

After all imagine a bunch of hardcore Fire Nation supremacists finding one of their family is not only still alive years after he disappeared, but married a damn Earth Kingdom warrior woman...and their daughter Suki was an important figure in the final battle at the day of the comet...lots of fainted people to deal with ;)

It might also play into the whole thing about hiring the warriors to guard Zuko...they have a connection and quietly check their father´s homeland.

[jaredstrout]

captured Sokka - fed up?

I remember a piece of artwork, that in itself looked funny with Azula having Sokka thrown over her shoulder to carry him like a bag, shackles in her other hand as indication he´s being captured/kidnapped by her.

Now both had incredibly bored expressions as the artist complained about how every fanfic is about Azula taking Sokka as captive.

Did you notice anything like that? I certainly don´t remember more than 2 fics like that ever...well there is a third, but that one is the reason I stopped using AO3...urgh...well if these stories are written by the 'Azula murdered hundrets of people and enjoys to make them suffer first' faction...then it´s no miracle I never saw these stories and for the better.

But did I miss something or why is there the idea it´s all about captive Sokka?

[jaredstrout]

Mommylord - cake attack

"Young lady...I am very disappointed in you."

Even though he did not face the burning gaze of the Firelord, Aang shrunk as he heard her words. Azula on the other hand merely rose an eyebrow.

"What have I done?" she asked her mother calmly and Ursa shook her head. "If you insist...five of our most esteemed generals were hit after todays´s council meeting...with fruit cake. And I know you are behind this." Again Azula didn´t show much reaction, she just shrugged. Aang shivered...then babbled out "It was me...I made these cakes." Firelord Ursa looked at Aang who shrank even more under her gaze. "It is nice that you try to protect your sister, but I already knew that. The recipe was clearly foreign and also contained all your favorite fruits...I assume you had a few for yourself while preparing this attack, hm?" The Firelord asked Aang who blushed and shyly nodded.

"Also hitting five moving targets in the small time window from above the palace main tower, that is either a sharpshooter cake thrower...or an airbender at work." She stepped to the other side of Azula to the third member of the Terrible Trio...Ty Lee.

"I´m not an airbender." She quietly said but lowered her eyes under the strict gaze of the woman ruling half of the world.

"Maybe, but you are fast enough to one...I heard how several ingredients disappeared out of the royal kitchen yesterday...and the cook swears he never left the door unattended...so either he is lying...or someone managed to climb five stories on the palace outside, get a bag full of ingredients for...fruit cake and be out before anyone could catch out lightfooted burglar...and all while Aang was conveniently demonstrating his singing 'skills' to me. " The Firelord smiled coldly at Ty Lee.

But then she walked back to her daughter. Aang had noticed how Azula got more tense each moment as her mother expertly deduced each detail of their little scheme. "Now to the head of the operation. I assume you had to prepare your own oven to bake your cakes in privacy...and avoid smoke that would easily cause attention by the guards...a perfect job for a firebender, but I assume hard to give the oven the right temperature...you´d have to be a true prodigy to keep a flame focused and stable just at the right intensity not to burn the cakes...and of course someone would have to plan the whole thing, have the cakes all ready and still warm despite the meetings being pretty random in length...and only strike at a day when five of Firelord Azulon´s most favored generals arrived together...and planned to leave the same way so you could hit them all."

Aang suddenly noticed how Azula relaxed, even though her mother had seen through it all. Aang had never met Ursa´s husband, given that he was dead and all...but he knew that Azula did not inherit her wits from him. And now Azula was suddenly...pretty calm.

"Well then, time to punish you accordingly to the crime. " Ursa said and walked back to the throne and sat down, looking at the three delinquents. And with a stern voice she declared

"Go to Azula´s room and play something harmless till dinner!"

Ty Lee and Aang were speechless...Azula smirked and bowed...then she suddenly ran for the door. "Who´s first in my room!" she shouted...only for Ty Lee to follow her after only a moment of surprise...Aang summoned an airscooter and then took the lead with a laugh...only to make big eyes as Azula flew over him and Ty Lee on a jet of orange flames, landed on the floor and rolled elegantly and was back on her feet ahead of them. "Hey!" Ty Lee shouted, more surprised about that trick than anything.

Ursa watched the three kids leave and heard their laughter through the hallways. It was good to hear that in this place instead of the less happy atmosphere that usually filled the palace. And then, after long hours she finally allowed herself to chuckle. She had wanted to do that the moment she had seen the five old dinosaurs covered in cake and angry as if they were about to explode, shouting and demanding punishments for whoever did this, af if they had almost been killed.

In Azula´s room the three played with cards for now, as the Firelord har ordered a harmless game...and even Azula could not turn that into something dangerous...or? "Azula...why did you calm down...you know...when mom said that stuff about the generals?" Aang finally asked her. His new sister grinned at her adopted brother. "Mom and Azulon didn´t get along...I think she hated grandfather." She said and looked back at her cards. "So if he liked these generals...then they probably hate her...and try to undermine her authority."

"Can´t she just...kick them out then?" Aang asked and Azula nodded. "Sure she can...but that won´t make them go away. They would take all their knowledge with them, all the men in our military who trust them would still take orders from them in vertain cases...and they´d have a lot more time to wander around and do dangerous stuff...and last but not least...a general is bound by way more rules than a civillian...and an angry man is way more likely to make a mistake." Azula said with a predatory grin.

In her office Firelord Ursa looked at the report from her spies who just delivered her another piece of evidence about 'her' generals. Another rock for the pile...and as the people of the Fire Nation often liked to forget...landslides could be deadly. Her smile left no doubt that she was Azula´s mother in that moment.

[jaredstrout]

Firelord Ursa - mothering a nation

I wondered how the world would look if in the night Ursa poisoned Azulon and left instead both Azulon and Ozai died and Ursa took power? After careful preparation Ursa had the entire staff of the palace on her side. The servants made sure she knew everything that went down, the guards were a bit less in her pocket, but clearly would not stop her if they could pretend to have missed her, maybe some even would have taken up arms against Ozai or even Azulon in the worst case.

But when Both men died one night her contacts to the home guard and city guard ensured, that nobody questioned the official lie, that assassins had slain both Azulon and Ozai. The inoffical lie being that Oazai had tried a coup himself and died after murdering his father appeased most of the people who saw through the official version.

And when Iroh returned home finally he found Ursa in power, willing to listen to him, but unwilling to let anyone take the throne from her.

A world where Zuko never got burned, maybe the raids against the watertribe stopped in time to save Kya.

Both sibling duos grow up in better conditions and while Azula never gets as close to her mother as Zuko, things get better, even if she has to spend much time with the Fire Nation and the still ongoing war.

But the armies of the Fire Nation, while not recalled, are slowed down by orders to avoid casualites among the civillians, the fighting slows and an undeclared armistice brings a resemblance of something most people have never seen in their lifetime.

Peace

And then the army drags a young boy with tattoos in, claiming that he is the Avatar...and Firelord Ursa is absolutely unwilling to lock a little boy in some dark cell...and instead she now looks after the Fire Nation and three kids.

I love the idea that Azula is first very unpleasant with Aang...till the more open Ty Lee finds out how much the boys likes to pranks people and the trio now haunts the palace, much to the chagrin of Zuko, who is often on the receiving end...but also several of the grumpy old generals, who fall victim to a precise airstrike of fruit cakes.

I like this version, plus points for a giggling Firelord Ursa, who allows herself to enjoy the prank her daugther and adopted son played on these old militarists, who always try to undermine her authority...of course only after strictly reprimanding the culprits. "Get to your room, both of you and play something harmless till dinner"

[jaredstrout]

Fireballs - Knock!

Katara and Zuko lay on the floor, arms slightly stretched out to their sides, unmoving and staring with empty eyes at the ceiling. A similar standing Sokka faced Azula.

"Now prince Sokka, at last I have you in my clutches to have my way with you." Azula said without moving.

"Oh nonono I hate you and I am already with Suki...although I find you strangely attractive." He said with a strangely high, artificially deepened voice.

Azula slid closer to him, after he hovered away from her first.

"Of course you do. Watertribesman are often drawn to power and great talent and I have both...now kiss me!" She said and pushed against Sokka, who was held in place. "Nono yes....no...yeeess...you have such intense...blue fire...ohhh" Sokka gasped.

Behind her suddenly the door slammed open and in a swift motion Azula´s arm swept all the dolls off the table.

"Azula...the Firelord demands your presence immideately." Ty Lee shouted from the door.

"Knock next time! Azula shouted back...then, the dolls hidden in her arms she added. "Did you see anything?"

Ty Lee managed to hide a grin.

"No I did not see you play out your obvious desire for that handsome savage with these dolls you let the Dai Li brainwash that carpenter in Ba Sing Se for."

Azula nodded. "Good."

[jaredstrout]

Ember Island - the holiday conspiracy

Remember how Ozai ordered his children and their friends to a holiday island, so he could meet with his generals without them? Why would he need to send them away for that? Also Ozai does not seem like the kind of guy who´d even think about sending anyone to a nice place, his own children clearly included...so how did they end up there? Let us first look at the beginning of season 2. Azula is alone with Ozai (poor girl) as Zuko is banished and seen as traitor, Mai is with her parents in Omashu and Ty Lee ran away with the circus.

At the beginning of season 3 Zuko is the crown prince again, Mai and Ty Lee are home with him and Azula...and Azula is the one who got them all there, together with her, so I think she wanted these three around her.

Then they are send on a holiday together, something a person who wants these three around would want to do as well. Also Azula doesn´t complain about Lo and Li´s house...because it was her idea? And when Chan invites Mai and Ty Lee Azula asks for herself...and Zuko to come as well. So he shall not be left out.

My idea now is, that Azula wanted a holiday with friends and her brother and knew they´d never agree to that, at least Zuko would not say yes to a proposal from his sister, so she had to get daddy to do it. She probably knew he didn´t want them at the war council for a while and made remarks how that might undermine the authority of the prince and princess...but if they were on vacation...well then it would not raise any questions why they were not at the meetings.

I can imagine Ozai being like ‘Ok you have a point...whatever’ then he signed an order as he would not take the time to tell Zuko...and before they know it the teens are on a vacation and Azula can wash her hands in innocence, not her idea...now let´s have time together before I risk my life at the Day of Black Sun.

[jaredstrout]

You don´t wanne be part of it - some cheap smut

“Ugh!” With a grunt zuko went down after he was hit by someone. His scarred face formed a frown as he saw the watertribesman his sister had smuggled into the palace. He frown deepened as he saw what the other boy was wearing...not much. He had a piece of fur wrapped around his hips and apart from that only some red and blue paint drawn in lines over his naked chest and belly to cover his dark, toned body. 

His face was also covered in some strange black, white and blue warpaint, that made Zuko want to grab and shake that idiot, who was...strangely paniced.

“What the hell?” zuko groaned at Sokka, who flinched. 

“Sorry...but Azula and Ty Lee...they would not listen to me and painted me like that...you´d freeze to death at the pole, but all Azula said was ‘well we´re not at the pole’ and then they painted me like that” The blue eyes boy lamented and looked over his shoulder. “And now I have to find my clothes...before they find me!” he added and helped Zuko back on his feet. Zuko´s bad mood lifted, but only for a moment as he heard Ty Lee “Hey Azula...I heard him here!” Sokka´s eyes went wide. “Shit!” he shouted and before Zuko knew what happened he was pushed into the nearby hallway, where he was caught by Ty Lee, who smiled at him. “Oh hi Zuko...have you seen...oh never mind..HE´S HERE!” she shouted and dropped Zuko to the floor and ran after Sokka.

Cursing his family and the entire Watertribe Zuko got bak up, only to feel himself pulled into a room. His resistance stopped the moment he saw Mai. “Shhh...Ty Lee bought some cheap smut about the Watertribe at that shop at the harbor...and I saw Azula stalk the hallway with a rope...whatever Ty Lee brought up, you don´t wanna be part of it.” she told her boyfriend, who suddenly could see his siter run past the still open door, indeed armed with a rope that was shaped into a lasso. 

“Thank you...for the first time I feel for that poor savage from the South” he said to Mai who just shrugged.

[jaredstrout]

We Arrrr Pirates! - little Azula

I had that idea of what games Azula played when she was small and had that picture of her dressing up as some historical pirate queen with Mai and Ty Lee as her trusted crew and going on raids in the palace. With Lu Ten being a more playful, but often abscent play mate Zuko was often the victim of these raids, getting all his stuff stolen from his room, leaving only a mysterious map for him to regain his ‘treasures’.

And then Azula and her crew often ambushed the dump Admiral Chao (yes Hahn knew about the story and had his ‘knowledge’ of the Fire Navy from the tales of the Seafire Witch and her encounters with the less than competent admiral) when he tried to do so. Zuko spent a lot of time then tied in a wardrobe, or getting drowned by buckets of water and whatever traps Azula could think of.

Ozai ended these silly games once he became aware of it (a loong time after it started as he didn´t give a shit and rarely spend time with his children) but Azula always had that old pirate costume hidden and dreamed of the good old days.

Also Azula could become a new version of the Seafire Witch after the end of the series and become famous for stealing ships without killing anyone, no matter how injured some soldier´s pride maybe once she emptied the ship´s storage.

[jaredstrout]

weird flirting - Sokkla

I just thought that Sokka grew up in a small village at the North Pole, with only much older or younger girls and his sister around him.

Then I thought about Azula trying to flirt with Chan and her strange idea of brining in military themes to compliment him.

The two are pretty much on the same level and I love the idea of them trying to flirt with each other...and it works as they´re equals in their lack of knowledge and experience and thus don´t really mind when the other one is acting weird.

Plus Sokka´s first girlfriend had him tied to a pole and threatened to feed him to a monster, so if Azula gets scary...she probably is just his type ;)

[jaredstrout]

love in Ba Sing Se - here we are all sexy

Azula watches Sokka fight Ty Lee in the Earth King´s throne room. “Okay...he is skilled...and rather cute.” Then Ty Lee grabs Sokka´s robes and manages to pull them off to reveal half naked Sokka to Azula with a grin towards her hideout. “Oh....kay...he´s hot.” After the fight Sokka is not brought to a cell with Toph but to Ty Lee and Azula´s room to be interrogated, still wearing nothing but his pants. “Okay Ty Lee...what is this about? You tell me how cute this boy is, you make me agree and now I spend two hours with him, he finds my jokes funny...I find him funny and I even can talk about military stuff with him...why do you try to get me together with him? I don´t really know about...boy stuff.” Azula said to Ty Lee in a corner of the room, only to get a kiss from her suddenly. “Because then I can be there for both of you and make sure we all have our fun.” And this is why the Black Sun invasion was a success, even without Sokka to lead it.