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[phoukanamedpookie]

Yes, and...

You can also read it as lil' Zuko, used to having all the attention and affection for himself, being jealous of the new baby and insecure about her destroying what's his (attention, affection, etc.)

For me it's crazy how Zuko was always afraid of Azula, as young as probably 4y old? While Azula was like... 2?

Azula was really born and everyone already taking their prejudice on her cuz Ozai decided that was her favorite cuz she was born with the spark while the kid was still on diapers, are you kidding me? No wonder she's the way she is 😭

No matter how badly they write her in some comics, I could never hate on that kid. Literally the entire world is against her and the fact her mental health have gone worse and NO ONE decided that maybe those institutions are bullshit makes me want for her to just go her own way and never ever again go back to her family.

Girl fuck ur family and supposed friends, get urself a cat, a nice therapist and some bad bitch as ur gf, the rest will come alone

[phoukanamedpookie]

This is the money Marge. Reblog for good fortune

[phoukanamedpookie]

Just listen to Meshuggah's "Bleed" or the YouTube video of Morgan Agren playing "Sol Niger Within."

Tell me Azula wouldn't have the time of her life doing that.

What musical instrument do you think Azula would be playing best? Fiddle? Piano?

@phoukanamedpookie said she would be a drummer, and I see no reason to argue. I think she might have a lot of fun with that.

[phoukanamedpookie]

if you say "this cosplayer is literally better than azula's actress in the live action!!" and then show me a white woman i will personally set fire to your house

[phoukanamedpookie]

Azula's Strong Emotional Empathy Skills

Often times, people assume that Azula is bad at empathy, or at least emotional empathy. However, I would dispute that, and argue that her compassionate empathy skills in particular are actually extremely strong and off the chart, at least when it involves someone she cares about.

ATLA gives several examples of Azula showing off her empathy skills. The first comes in "The Crossroads of Destiny":

Azula: We've done it, Zuko. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se. Zuko: I betrayed Uncle. Azula: No, he betrayed you. [She stands up from the throne.] Zuko, when you return home, Father will welcome you as a war hero. Zuko: But I don't have the Avatar. What if Father doesn't restore my honor? Azula: He doesn't need to, Zuko. [She puts a hand on Zuko's shoulder.] Today, you restored your own honor.

She notices Zuko is uneasy, and does a pretty good, if not entirely successful job trying to reassure him and make him feel better.

Next we come to "The Awakening":

[Meanwhile, back at the Fire Nation Capital, Zuko feeds turtle ducks in a lake with some bread. Azula joins him.] Azula: You seem so downcast. Has Mai gotten to you already? Though actually, Mai has been in a strangely good mood lately. Zuko: I haven't seen Dad yet. I haven't seen him in three years, since I was banished. Azula: So what? Zuko: So, I didn't capture the Avatar. Azula: Who cares? The Avatar is dead … [Zuko looks away.] unless you think he somehow miraculously survived.

It's easy to miss out on this with where the scene ends up going, but what's actually the inciting reason for the scene to happen in the first place is that Azula knows Zuko is out of sorts, and wants to reassure him. She knows exactly where he is likely to go when he's sad or anxious, the turtleduck ponds which reminds him of Ursa, and easily finds him there. However, in her attempts to reassure him, she begins to suspect that he's hiding something from her, and the scene gets derailed.

Next up is "The Beach":

Zuko: [Cut to closer view of Zuko and Mai. Angrily.] Doing nothing is a waste of time. [Rises from his seat next to Mai.] We're being sent away on a forced vacation. [Walks over and grips the railing of the boat.] I feel like a child. Azula: [Frontal view.] Lighten up. So Dad wants to meet with his advisors alone, without anyone else around. Don't take it personally.

Azula instantly tries to reassure Zuko here, although she's less skillful about it than in some other cases.

Next up is the famous "Azula apologizes to Ty Lee" scene. As I've argued elsewhere, Azula is very skillful in comforting Ty Lee there. She knows exactly what she needs to say and do to make Ty Lee feel better.

Then, after Zuko gets kicked out of the party, we get this scene

Azula: I thought I'd find you here. Zuko: [Side-view.] Those summers we spent here seem so long ago. So much has changed. Azula: Come down to the beach with me. Come on. This place is depressing.

Azula's empathy is really impressive here. She apparently not only realized that Zuko would end up in a bad funk and cared enough to do something about it, but she also knew exactly where he would go in his depressed emotional state.

We then have the famous "fireside" scene. Azula isn't always the nicest person here, but her ability to understand the emotions of others is on full display:

Zuko: [Turning around.] For so long I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. I'm back home now, my dad talks to me. Ha! He even thinks I'm a hero. [Close-up of Azula, who smiles.] Everything should be perfect, right? [Aerial view of campsite.] I should be happy now, but I'm not. [Turning back to the others.] I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why!

Azula:[Frontal view.] There's a simple question you need to answer, then. Who are you angry at? Zuko: [Close-up.] No one. I'm just angry. Mai [Side-view of the three girls.] Yeah, who are you angry at, Zuko? Zuko: [Close-up.] Everyone. I don't know. [Becoming frustrated.] Azula: [Frontal view.] Is it Dad? Zuko: [Close-up.] No, no. Ty Lee: [Frontal view.] Your uncle? Azula: Me? Zuko: [Close-up.] No, no, n-no, no! Mai: [Close-up.] Then who? Who are you angry at? Azula: [Camera pans left, past Ty Lee, to Azula.] Answer the question, Zuko. Ty Lee: [Close-up.] Talk to us. Mai: [Extreme close-up.] Come on, answer the question. Azula: Come on, answer it.

Finally, we have this scene from Nightmares and Daydreams:

Azula: Hello, Zuzu. If you've come for a royal hair-combing, I'm afraid you'll have to wait. Zuko: So I guess there's a big war meeting coming up, huh? And apparently I'm not welcome there. Azula: What do you mean? Of course you're welcome there! Zuko: Oh, yeah?! I guess that's why no one bothered to tell me about it! Azula: Oh, Zuko. Don't be so dramatic. I'm certain Dad wants you there. You probably just weren't invited because it's so obvious you're supposed to be there. Zuko: Well, were you invited? Azula: Of course! I'm the princess. Zuko: And I'm the prince! Azula: Exactly, so stop acting like a paranoid child! Just go to the meeting. Zuko: Forget it! I'm not going!

Although Azula instantly moves to try to comfort Zuko, this is in many ways her least successful scene. She struggles to contain her frustration with Zuko's behavior.

Still, overall Azula displays an impressive record, and shows very strong compassionate empathy skills. However, it's only toward the people she's close to, as she has no reason to display them toward enemies.

[phoukanamedpookie]

Azula would be the type of girlfriend who'd never do PDA or even say, "I love you," but will have every single aspect of your entire life memorized to the last detail, which she uses to insult people who don't realze that minor incident from your childhood (which you never told her so how does she even know that?) is the reason why you love/hate this or that thing. Also, everyone who's ever wronged you would suddenly disappear under mysterious circumstances.

[phoukanamedpookie]

*reads the poll and the comments*

*despairs jewishly because the vast majority are mostly wrong as hell*

[phoukanamedpookie]

[phoukanamedpookie]

Support me on Patreon!

So I made a post about this before, but from what I can remember it really didn't gain enough traction (probably my fault since I don't remember saying much on it) but anyway. I've been trying to find a job for a while now. Something that, as you all know, isn't easy. A few of my mutuals convinced me to start my own Patreon to make some kind of money that way until I finally get a job. What I'll be posting on their is basically my writing. You guys will be able to sneak peaks of the next chapters of my current WIPS, A Child For A Monarch. I may do polls to see what you guys would like to see next. Haven't really decided about commissions yet, but I'm considering it. Also, this goes without saying, but please don't feel pressured to do this. If you can't support me, that's fine. No hard feelings.

Edit: I also have a ko-fi if that's preferable instead.

[phoukanamedpookie]

this from the guy who wrote the sting pain index, a scale he constructed after letting himself be stung by insects

[phoukanamedpookie]

The only difference between Zuko's "metamorphosis" (weird word Iroh!) and Azula's breakdown is that Zuko's conflict between his mind and body happened because someone that cared for him straight up told him that he can change himself by doing something. Azula's conflict interestingly happenes because of her own subconscious straight up telling her(because she doesn't have someone that cares about her on her side that's willing to stay with her and guide her) that she's miserable and keeps losing people she cares about because she's been taught only one way and it's bad. In a single scene we discover Azula's massive capability of self reflection, her own subconscious against her conscious despite the very essence of Ozai's parenting on her being the erasure of herself, emotions and moral agency.

Will always love the mirror scene

[phoukanamedpookie]

I think the reason a lot of leftists struggle with disability justice is that they haven't moved past the concept that discrimination isn't bad because it's objectively "wrong." yes, sexists are objectively wrong when they try to claim women are dumber than men. yes, antisemites are objectively wrong that jewish people are inherently greedy and run the state. yes, racists are wrong when they try to claim that white people are the superior race. and so on.

but then with disabled people, there are a lot of objective truths to the discrimination we face. people with IDs/LDs do fall behind and struggle with certain concepts. physically disabled people are often weaker and less capable of performing demanding tasks than able bodied people. many of us with mental illnesses are more reckless and less responsible. a lot of us are dependent on others and do not contribute much "worth".

and guess what? disabled people still deserve a place in the world. disabled people still deserve the supports they need. because they are people, and that should be enough to support them and believe they deserve a place at the table.

if your only rebuttal against discrimination is its objective inaccuracies, you are meeting bigots where they are at. you are validating the very concept that if and when people are truly incapable of being equal to the majority, that means they are worth less. this causes some leftists to then try to deny the objective realities of disabled people and/or become ableist themselves.

your rallying behind marginalized groups should start and end with the fact that people are completely worthy of life and equity, because they are fellow human beings and that should, frankly, be enough.

[phoukanamedpookie]

I don't think goyim understand how the memory of Yisrael works and I don't think they feel understand or realize the ramifications that their responses to Simchat Torah pogrom has.

The collective memory of our people is a long one and we do not forget. We hold onto all that happens. The good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the joyful and the sorrowful.

It is not a matter of grudges or slights, but a matter of the importance of history, memory, and learning.

So we do not forget, but a time will come, soon, where goyim will forget how they responded to Simchat Torah pogrom and in turn expect us to forget as well.

But we won't because we don't and so they will surprised. Just as they always expect us to forget and are always surprised when we have not.

We carry long memories. We do it for those amongst who can not, for those who are no longer with us, and we do for the future generations.

So many of us have pulled away and/or back from places and people because we no longer feel safe and many of us will not return even those places and people forget.

What we have seen and heard has deeply scarred us and added more scarring and trauma to scars and trauma we already carry.

Trust that is so easily broken is not so easily restored and that trust is gone.

There are many ramifications to what happened on Oct 7, 2023 and we will see those ripple out for long time even when we are the only who remember.

[phoukanamedpookie]

Ok another thing that stands out to me in ATLA is the s3 episode The Beach. Zuko is sitting on the porch of their family’s vacation home. Azula invites him down to the beach. He responds, holding a childhood memento, that their vacations there feel so long ago. Azula responds by repeating her invitation and saying: “come on. This place is depressing.”

Like. Pretty much up until that point, the audience has never considered her human side. She agrees with her father and follows his every command. Why would memories of him be “depressing?” This moment makes the viewer realize: she grew up in that house, too. She grew up in that palace, too. On some level, just for a moment, she knows how fucked up it is.

That moment fucks me up because it’s the first time they’ve actually felt like siblings. Like, siblings that went through the same horrible abuse at the hands of the same person. There’s no twist to her invitation down to the beach to get away from the memories. That might be the only time in the entire show she does something genuinely nice to him, for no ulterior self-serving purpose.

For a brief moment Azula can admit what the viewer, what Zuko has known all along. All those memories of their family’s happiest times are collecting dust in an abandoned home that now is only meaningful as firewood:

Is fucking depressing.

[phoukanamedpookie]

OKAY; We need to talk about this TyZula scene:

this scene has been talked about a LOT. specifically by anti-tyzula/azula fans. but for this "rant" im looking at it through the lens of just azulas character.

it is DETRIMENTAL to azula as a character. this will be a slightly indepth review i guess. im sure someone already talked about this and what im going to say, but i just want to bring it to light considering some of the anti-azula/tyzula stuff i've been seeing recently

Part 1: Azulas reaction to the way Ty Lee approaches her

the way ty lee approached azula is really important here. you might just think, "oh leo it's just Azula being jealous!" but when ty lee walks up to azula saying, "thank goodness you're here!" (i didn't get this part in the clip cuz im a fool and didn't record it on time but whatever go watch the clip on youtube) this qoute is really impactful. it possibly made azula feel less than ty lee. here is the qoute again, "Thank goodness you're here", i feel like azula would take this very personally.

even just the single first sentence. "Thank goodness" is obviously ty lee thanking azula, but for what? you might say, "well yeah for being there" but i genuinely believe azula would interpret this along the lines of, "she only wants me when she needs me" or something like that.

Part 2: Azula's jealously towards Ty Lee

i think a lot of people solely think she's jealous over the boys liking ty lee more than her. but it's not just that. i genuinely find that azula is not only jealous of the boys, but also social interaction in general. specifically with ty lee having that skill and her not.

we don't have much information as to mai, ty lee, and azulas experience in the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, but im assuming azula didn't need much social skills to succeed there. she had two close friends to deal with people speaking to her, and was literally a crown princess of the FIRE NATION. if she couldn't get what she wanted whether mai or ty lee were there- she could always use her royalty as her advantage. i also can see her threatening those in school who opposed her (without using her royalty as a reason). there is a key moment we see during a flashback where azula and ty lee are playing. azula did her best to preform a cartwheel and failed while ty lee succeeded. because of this azula actually pushes ty lee down!

keep in mind that this is one of azulas closest friends other than mai. we can only IMAGINE what azula would do to a student who got in the way of something she wanted.

so yes; azula is jealous of ty lee getting attention from boys, but it's not solely that. it's her social skills that she's also jealous of.

Part 3: The Conflict

azula gets defensive after her reaction to the previous plot point. she verbally attacks ty lee because of it. azula says to ty lee, "those boys only like you because you make it so easy for them! you're not a challenge, you're a tease."

yes azula is "critiquing" the "way" ty lee attracts men. azula is saying she'd do the exact opposite. but the opposite is all she knows. she grew up learning the power of being the best, being perfect, and fear mongering. she genuinely sees that as the way to handle ANY social situation.

as far as, "it's not like they actually care who you are." qoute goes; azula sees this as another flaw in her interactions with men.

example is when she tries to convince chan to to maybe (?) have a relationship or farther; she uses (not exactly royality) but her skills as a skilled bender for a reason to stay with her. considering she has no social skills, her only option (in her mind) is to use her higher power. ty lee doesn't use her high rank in nobility (along with her chi blocking abilities) to what azula would call an advantage.

im not defending azulas verbal assault on ty lee. im solely explaining (imo) the feelings behind it.

Part 4: Ty Lee's reaction

This one is simple. ty lee is hurt by azulas words. obviously.

Part 5: Azula's redemption for this scene

it already baffles me when people say azula is (pure evil) just based on her actions between others. but this scene shows a side of azula we haven't been able to see so far through the series. an apology. not only did she apologize to ty lee but admitted her mistake and explained why she said what she did. i think it's insane that people solely walk past this scene and only see it as azula bullying ty lee. if anything it's the opposite. yes she makes a rude remark, but after seeing ty lee's reaction she IMMEDIATELY takes her comment back an apologizes.

this is so human and shows a side we hardly ever got to see. especially when it's specifically between her and ty lee. their relationship is so important as far as azulas character goes. (not to get too deep into it but,) even in "Azula and the Spirit Temple" ty lee is one of the illusions that the spirit attempts to make her happy with. azula obviously has a strong connection to ty lee in a loving and caring way that most people look past. whether it's from these scene or that specific comic. obviously their relationship has unhealthy flaws but what relationship doesn't?

Part 6: A quick resolution

so there you go. basically an essay on a single 36 second clip i just wanted to give azula some light because people ALWAYS paint her as "crazy" or "evil" but that's simply not true. same goes for TyZula. yes there is a power imbalance, but azula does admit her mistakes and apologizes for hurting ty lee's feelings.

Anyway thanks for reading!!

[phoukanamedpookie]

People don't seem to register that Azula is being sincere in this moment.

(Does that also mean that "betrayed Zuko" is one of the reasons why Azula holds Iroh in utter contempt?)

Azula: We've done it, Zuko. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se. Zuko: I betrayed Uncle. Azula: No, he betrayed you. [She stands up from the throne.] Zuko, when you return home, Father will welcome you as a war hero. Zuko: But I don't have the Avatar. What if Father doesn't restore my honor? Azula: He doesn't need to, Zuko. [She puts a hand on Zuko's shoulder.] Today, you restored your own honor.

Azula would be so loyal to Zuko if he ever showed the slightest loyalty toward her.

[phoukanamedpookie]

characters in their 30's and older exploring their sexuality and discovering themselves beyond their teens and twenties is so important and beautiful and worth telling