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Working on (yet another) ATLA wip in which during the invasion Azula helps Zuko escape and goes with him (because her beloved dumbass of a brother clearly has not been paying attention to all her subtle warnings on how not to get dead and clearly needs a more direct approach at keeping him alive and mostly in one piece). And in the process of getting the fuck out of dodge, Bato who's been separated from everyone else ends up accidentally crashing their escape party along with Toph and the four of them end up on the run together.

Toph gets along with the two runaway royals who are as suspicious and untrusting if Bato as he is them...at least until the fire siblings unintentionally trauma dump about their fucked up childhood and Bato decides "I'm dad now" and adopts them against their will.

Eventually Azula and Zuko just give up on fighting it and are like "okay cool, you're gonna be Firelord after we kill Ozai and then we can just chill for like, five god damn seconds"

And anyway eventually they all meet up with the Gaang and Hakoda and co and it's just like...

Hakoda:

This is my daughter Katara: Master Water Bender, Teacher of the Avatar, brave and true of heart.

And my son Sokka: genius inventor, master strategist, unmatched in his fierceness and loyalty.

Bato:

This is my new daughter Azula. She'll sell your soul to satan for a fire flake and then use that fire flake to take over hell.

And this is my new son Zuko. He's faral and will probably bite you. Don't leave him alone too long or he'll probably end up trying to fight god again.

And this is Toph... I don't know if I've adopted her or if I'm being held hostage but either way I've started saving up for the next time I have to bail her out of jail.

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Azula: That’s what family is. People who hate you but can’t kill you because they’re the first ones questioned.

Everyone:

Katara: Therapy.

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there’s no way

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some fandom needs to hear this. but i just cANt remember which one ……

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Fire Lord Azula by Gurihiru, official artist of Avatar The Last Airbender first comics

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ur government assigned gender for the day is the first thing u get when u click this link to a randomised wikipedia article. NO REROLLS . i am the  trollsteineggje mountain in norway

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💙🐶 🛴

I finally have some time to draw again ^^

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If we (rightly) completely discard what happens in the comics, what do you think should’ve happened to Azula after the war ended? How do you envision her getting redeemed? Do you see her getting the help and support she needs from Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, etc., or do you think it’s something she could do on her own? Like, maybe she gets her own “Azula Alone��� story.

Hello anon!

Firstly, after the war ended, Azula should have gotten proper support. Meaning, she needed someone to help guide her away from the extremely awful mindset that Ozai instilled in her. Since we are disregarding the comics, I think that Ursa would have been the best person to do that. In this version, Ursa did not have her memories erased and would have come out of hiding as soon as she heard that Ozai was defeated, because Ozai had been trying to have her killed for years. At first, Azula would be resistant but then let Ursa comfort her, because the thing Azula’s wanted most of all is for her mother to love her and be there for her. Ursa would admit that she made mistakes as Azula’s mother and tell her that she loves her so that Azula finally is 100% sure that her mother does love her.

Azula would be given back her rooms in the palace. I do believe that Zuko and Ty Lee would want to help her get better. Zuko did look sad after Azula was defeated in the final Agni Kai and I do believe that he loved his sister. I don’t think Mai would be automatically inclined to help her. Although I do believe that Mai did like Azula and viewed her as friend, when she had to make a choice between Zuko and Azula, she did choose Zuko, and since the writers made it look like Zuko was the most important thing to Mai, I can’t envision her quickly getting over the fact that Azula had been willing to let Zuko die in the Boiling Rock, which is what forced Mai to betray Azula to save Zuko, in the first place.

I think the easiest part of Azula’s redemption would be unlearning the fear based philosophy that Ozai taught her, because she would now know for sure that she has her mother’s love, and experience that a parent’s love is unconditional and not at all like what Ozai taught her it was like. I think the hardest part in her redemption would be her unlearning the imperialist indoctrination. One of Azula’s primary character traits is that she is extremely loyal. So I think that Azula would learn along with the rest of the Fire Nation, over time, due to Zuko’s reforming of the Fire Nation, that fire is not superior to the other elements and that all elements are equal and serve their purpose. I think what would also help her unlearn imperialism is to see how the war was harming her own people, and how many of her own people had been sacrificed for a selfish war.

After Azula has unlearned the imperialist indoctrination, that’s when she would realize that what she did to Team Avatar was wrong, and apologize to them. She might enjoy helping them rebuild the parts of the world that were destroyed by the Fire Nation, as well as helping Zuko rule the Fire Nation. Helping Team Avatar rebuild places that were destroyed by the Fire Nation could be the way that she makes up for chasing them and for trying to kill Katara and Aang. It would show them that she truly feels bad for what she did by helping them restore parts of their culture that was destroyed by her nation.

So basically, I think that Azula’s healing & redemption should go in this order:

Ursa comes back to Caldera, supports her, and helps Azula unlearn Ozai’s teachings

Zuko and Ty Lee help in her healing

After Azula has unlearned Ozai’s teachings she starts to unlearn imperialist ideology through different ways

After she has unlearned that, she can now see that what she did to Team Avatar was wrong and makes up for it by helping them rebuild their homes that were destroyed by the Fire Nation, like for example, the Southern Water Tribe, she would go on trips with them, much like how Zuko did, and bond with them

Azula becomes true friends with members of Team Avatar, particularly Katara and Toph, and also repairs her friendship with Ty Lee

So that is how I would write her healing and redemption. Although an Azula Alone episode would be interesting, I think that Azula would best be redeemed with the help of others. She would need a lot of support. So that is how I would write her redemption, but if anyone has any other ideas, please do tell! Thanks for the ask, this was so fun to think about and write!

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a thing inspired by joined ideas of @acezukos and @what-would-azula-do 

(this post to be precise)

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That tweet about Tricia Lockwood’s cat is going around tumblr again as a sort of semimeme and I wanted to commemorate it. Had to look up a bunch of pics of her for ref

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You know you're from the land down unda when the wildlife is in the library

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also it helps me walk or whatever

[ID: a digitally drawn two-panel comic. / Image 1: Text reads: “How I expected using a cane would feel:” Panel depicts a miserable person in tattered clothes, hunched over a cane and shaking as she walks. / Image 2: Text reads: “How it actually feels:” Panel depicts the same person, now standing tall and wearing flowing wizard robes and a long white beard. Her cane is at her side, glowing with magic, and she looks confident and powerful. /End ID]

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Avatar!Suki

Wanted to mess around with story ideas if other atla characters were the avatar, so I plugged some into a spin wheel and got Suki, so here's my take on if Suki were the Avatar!

Fair warning, this was meant to be a short what-if but I was having so much fun tossing plot points in the air and rearranging them that it got a lot longer than I planned. Also if you have any thoughts please share! I'd love to hear them.

Earth

To set the scene, let's say the air avatar (not Aang) initially survived and went into hiding, only to be found and killed around 30AG. With the first southern raids starting before 40AG, the new water avatar would've been a child when captured, and lived out their life in prison without reaching their full potential or even realising they're the avatar. This brings us around to the earth avatar, Suki.

Suki's animal companion is a pygmy puma named Gyaki. Gyaki was being transported on a trading ship that temporarily docked on Kyoshi Island and escaped, becoming a minor nuisance until Suki befriended her.

She discovered she could earthbend when she was tiny, and started learning under the only other earthbender on the island, but he passed away before she could finish her training. She realised she was the avatar when she nearly drowned but waterbent herself to shore, and told nobody but her family, who've kept the entire thing firmly under wraps to keep her safe.

Our inciting incident is when the unagi spits up an airbender and picks a fight with a flying bison. During the comet, Aang was travelling to visit a friend that lived on Kyoshi, and was the most convenient master airbender around. Raava did some sneaky interference and had him and Appa timelocked beneath Kyoshi Island so future avatars could learn airbending. Because of Raava's influence, there's still that dramatic beam of light when he's freed.

While he was timelocked, Aang dreamt. He can't remember anything, but he gets the strong sense that he needs to find the avatar. His plan is to go back to his temple and find the air avatar, his buddy Tenzin. Appa still can't fly, so he's stuck on Kyoshi until then. He's determined to find that friend he was planning to visit, and drags Suki along to help.

With that dramatic beam of light, it caught the attention of three key people: Zhao, Katara and Sokka. Zhao sets off for Kyoshi Island to investigate the suspiciously avatar-y shenanigans. Katara and Sokka were already about to leave for the Northern Water Tribe, but Katara decides that light looks a lot like it might be the avatar, and convinces Sokka to check, so they divert.

Because of the time crunch caused by the elemental cycle, I'm switching up Zuko's origins a bit, so that's why Zhao is chasing them instead. I also really liked the show following multiple groups around, so I'm trying to preserve that.

Zhao lands on Kyoshi Island and demands the avatar. Suki surrenders herself to protect her island, and leaves with him. Aang hosts a rescue mission with Appa and Gyaki and struggles to believe that Suki is the avatar, since that means something happened to Tenzin and the water avatar. They save Kyoshi from Zhao after he went back for revenge and fly off to lead him away. The journey begins!

After visiting the Southern Temple, Suki and Aang travel the Earth Kingdom looking for a new earthbending master, and find Toph the same way they do in the show. So our dynamic main trio is Suki, Aang and Toph instead of Aang, Katara and Sokka.

The next plan is to go to Ba Sing Se to speak with the King, and hopefully get help, leading to shenanigans as everyone traverses the Earth Kingdom. Katara and Sokka are of course having their own journey and the two groups keep just missing each other while dodging Zhao. They finally meet up when crossing Serpant's Pass and arrive in Ba Sing Se together. Ba Sing Se stuff happens, and there's the fall of Ba Sing Se, except it seems to be led by Zhao until we see him answering to Azula.

Fire

Suki needs a firebending teacher quicker than Aang did and we don't have enough time for the entire redemption arc so some has already happened offscreen. I present to you: Sun Warrior Zuko.

The banishment etc is all the same, except Iroh grabbed Zuko and legged it back to the Sun Warriors, and they've been there since. There's still possibility for emotional turmoil, since Zuko has basically set his issues and trauma aside instead of actually overcoming them, and has been very sheltered. Going straight from the palace to a society not actively involved in the war means he hasn't seen any of the consequences.

The gang flees Ba Sing Se and are now on the run through the Earth Kingdom. Both fire siblings are properly introduced, with Iroh sending Zuko out into the big wide world with the intent of teaching the avatar, and Azula gathering her girl gang and doing some actual chasing. One of Azula's early attacks splits everyone up into their original groups again. Katara and Sokka end up travelling to the Fire Nation, hoping to find the rest of the group there since the last plan was to find Suki a firebending master.

Katara finally learns waterbending from a master, Hama, and Sokka studies under Piandao. I feel seeing the Fire Nation from the inside was really important to the show, so this is where that can happens.

Meanwhile, Suki, Aang and Toph and still being chased by Azula, Mai and Ty Lee, desperately hoping to find a firebending master or at least Jeong Jeong again. Whenever they get into a tight situation, the Blue Spirit always seems to pop out of nowhere and mess up Azula's plans.

As said, Zuko keeps running into the avatar group but can never seem to actually keep up or talk to them for an extended amount of time. This period is similar to when he was a refugee, seeing firsthand the effects of the Fire Nation and the war and starting to overcome the last of his doubts.

Azula, Mai and Ty Lee are travelling around the Earth Kingdom during this period, chasing the avatar and squashing resistance. Ty Lee meets and helps Earth Kingdom families where she can, seeing how they're being treated by the military.

Back in the Fire Nation, Piandao uses his White Lotus connections to point Katara and Sokka to Iroh & the Sun Warriors. They finally realise the weird masked dude is actually a firebender trying to help. They're obviously skeptical, but they've spent so much time within the Fire Nation that they've come to terms with the fact that all firebenders aren't a faceless army.

Druk flies Katara and Sokka back to the Earth Kingdom mainland, where they find Zuko and they become another terrible trio ricocheting around the continent. Everyone finally reunites, and Zuko can start teaching Suki firebending.

Finale is a confrontation with Azula, Mai and Ty Lee in Omashu. Suki is hit by lightning but fortunately Zuko already taught her lightning redirection so she's mostly fine, but she certainly looks dead so we still get the whole 'the avatar is dead hrnbrlugh!'. This is also when Azula finally recognises the Blue Spirit as her brother, which really throws her off since she thought Zuko was dead.

Air

The gang retreats to lick their wounds at an air temple Aang leads them to. This is when training gets super intense, because Suki finally has all four masters and can really get down to business. This is also where she learns about controlling the avatar state.

Azula, Mai and Ty Lee are back in the Fire Nation as the heroes responsible for conquering the Earth Kingdom and ending the Avatar's uprising. As we know, things are never perfect, and without Zuko around Azula takes full credit for Suki's 'death'. That gives her the motivation to hire Combustion Man instead, though I'm not sure how she would know Suki's alive. She wouldn't recognise lightning redirection. Let's say the paranoia is kicking in, helped by Zuko's appearance as the Blue Spirit.

I remember reading that Suki's running across people's heads in Boiling Rock was meant to reference Kyoshi's duststepping, so I imagine there are plenty of other techniques used by the Kyoshi Warriors that can be translated into bending.

They journey back into the Fire Nation, chased by Combustion Man, with Katara and Sokka guiding them. There's more time for Fire Nation shenanigans, like the Ember Island Players and Aang going to school.

The invasion fails spectacularly in this universe too, with the group being split up. Zuko faces his father and overcomes his trauma instead of burying it. Suki and Katara face Azula, while Sokka, Aang and Toph face Mai and Ty Lee. They meet-up for the escape, and are cornered but Ty Lee breaks rank and the surprise lets them get away. Everyone except Zuko and Sokka escape on Appa; those two stay behind as a distraction then escape in a war balloon.

Water

It's time to head back to where it all started. They hide out on Kyoshi Island and wait as allies that escaped the Invasion slowly gather, except for Zuko and Sokka, who stay behind in the Fire Nation.

Suki reunites with her warriors, and Katara teaches her bloodbending, calling it a last resort if she needs it. Suki also travels with Aang and Katara to the South Pole to connect with the previous avatar. Aang's tagging along because he's the most spiritual and it's Katara's home turf.

Zuko and Sokka break into Boiling Rock and rescue Hakoda and Ty Lee, with Mai betraying Azula to let them escape. Ty Lee tells them about the plans at the palace. She tells them that Ozai will be leading an air fleet to destroy the Earth Kingdom, Zhao will be leading the navy against the Southern Water Tribe, and Azula will be the new Fire Lord, all timed with the comet.

Sokka, Hakoda and Ty Lee leave the Fire Nation for Kyoshi Island. Zuko stays behind, lurking in Fire Nation villages, so he can challenge Azula for the throne when it's time.

As soon as the three of them arrive back, Sokka, Katara and Hakoda leave for the Northern Water Tribe to warn them. Once they arrive, Sokka meets Yue.

Suki makes a last spiritual trip before the comet and finds the lionturtle, learning energybending.

Let's run through what actually happens in the comet.

Suki fights Ozai, defeating him and taking his bending.

Aang, Toph and Ty Lee take down the airships together.

Zuko challenges Azula to an Agni Kai for the throne. With no bystander, Azula fires her lightning at Zuko when provoked. He redirects it, and incapacitates Azula. When his back is turned, she goes to attack him, but breaks down again.

In the Northern Water Tribe, Zhao kills Tui and Yue sacrifices herself. Yue possesses Sokka and La possesses Katara, creating monstrous forms ala season 1 Aang & La and wrecking the Fire Nation navy.

Post-war, Suki organises the White Lotus Talks to figure out those peace treaties, Zuko is crowned Fire Lord, Toph starts teaching metalbending, and Azula gets the help she absolutely deserves.

Closing Thoughts

Katara never learns healing, since her main teacher is Hama and I imagine Hama is more focused on destruction over healing

Suki's gonna have such wild bending compared to everyone else, with a combination of Kyoshi & Toph's unique earthbending, whatever Hama uses, Sun Warrior bending and, well, airbending is extraordinary in its rarity

It was very hard trying to fit the North Pole and Yue in since water is the last element Suki needs to learn, and the way the North Pole visit is structured, it's very much an initial, lower-stakes conflict while still being finale worthy. How to make it still feel dangerous after the fall of Ba Sing Se? Easiest solution seemed to be to bump it all the way back and combine it with the comet, then deal with the consequences of rejigging character positions

With not having enough time for Zuko's full redemption, planning this felt like running three kinda-redemptions parallel, since Azula deserves better and I still needed someone to have information about the Fire Nation's comet plans, hence Ty Lee getting a redemption arc. Plus with everyone spread thinner during the comet, having an extra set of hands was very useful

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Reblog this post if you’ve never anonymously harassed someone over their opinions on a fictional character.

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