What a lot of "power-hungry Azula after the throne" takes miss is that Azula was already securely the heir before the series started. Not only was she Ozai's favorite child, but Zuko had already lost his birthright by being banished. Although throughout Book 1 there is a small chance that Zuko might regain Ozai's favor and his status as Crown Prince by capturing the Avatar, at the end of Book 1 Ozai declares Zuko a traitor and has him hunted as a fugitive. From that point on, Zuko regaining Ozai's favor is extremely unlikely, at least without Azula putting her thumbs on the scale. Iroh also theoretically has a claim to the throne, but he has persistently failed to press it, so any direct threat from his corner also seems unlikely, and of course Ozai would never recognize Iroh as his heir.
With Zuko completely disgraced and Iroh a non-threat, the biggest potential threat to Azula's "right to the throne" actually comes from another quarter. If Ozai remarried or took a concubine, their children might threaten Azula's position, especially if they were male. Ozai might even desire a male heir and favor one over Azula. Azula would still have 14 years and many accomplishments on them, but this would still be more dangerous than "traitor Zuko" making his return to grace. However, since Ozai seems to have shown little interest in having more children in the many years since Ursa left, this is strictly a hypothetical threat.
Without these hypothetical half siblings of Azula, Ozai is essentially stuck with her as his heir. Aside from the disgraced Zuko, Ozai has no one other to choose, even if he wanted. There might be some distant relatives of the royal family available, but they would have weak claims and Ozai would have to be truly desperate to choose them over his own, prodigious daughter.
Azula's status as the next Firelord is thus essentially secure at the beginning of Book 2. All she needs to do is keep breathing, not screw up in an absolutely horrific way, and not get her only potential competitor back into her father's favor. Even if she wants the throne, she already essentially has it in the bag. It doesn't make sense for her to do anything particularly crazy or desperate to secure it, or even really expend much energy or thought on an already "solved" problem.
Meanwhile, Zuko desperately wants to be crown prince again but is literally a traitor marked for death, so him doing something crazy to try to regain his "rightful place" makes perfect sense.
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grian jokes about leaving them for mumbo tho. splayed dramatically across mumbo, who came over and is trying to read his emails on his phone, attempting to ignore the fact grian is rolling around him like he’s a human jungle gym
a note from future Elsa: I started to ramble. None of this is coherent. Thanks for being a vessel to allow me to yap though.
I do actually find it silly to think about eventual cumscarian. maybe more. like the polycule just keeps growing. all of our friends, into the pot. it’s the most monstrous QPR/actual romantic mix you’ve ever seen, none of it is labeled, none of it makes sense, and then BOOM. hermitcraft.
(In an eventual future) anyway Grian probably would do this. And then he’d realize he wasn’t joking. And then they’d all have to have a conversation MDNDNDNDNND. but yeah if mumbo doesn’t want to be treated like a jungle gym maybe he shouldn’t be so tall and lanky and a pushover.
Genuinely though Mumbo has a very interesting dynamic with all three of those losers and I think it would be fun to explore each of their relationships /platonic/ separately from each other because they’re all very different. Idk if this will actually happen or if I will have moved on to something else, but here are my thoughts.
Obviously, Grian and Mumbo are besties. Estranged for a while, but their relationship now is pretty healthy with Mumbo setting very firm boundaries that Grian understands and follows (besides occasional instances of forgetfulness or not thinking, but as time passes and old wounds scab over, it matters less and less). I have zero planned major conflict for these two and I don’t imagine that ever changing. Just a steady, healthy friendship.
Mumbo and Cub are interesting to me as mutual friends of Grian who never quite Clicked despite living together most of their college years. Cub makes Mumbo a little bit nervous because he’s so difficult to read a lot of the time, but I don’t imagine Mumbo has ever really gotten Cub in a place where they can talk about shared interests (of which they have quite a few!), an environment that Cub would have a lot more energy to bring to the table. Cub likes Mumbo, but He Can Tell that Mumbo can’t really relax around him most of the time, and since he’s not a very outgoing person he kinda just. Doesn’t try to do anything about that. He’s very used to being regarded as cold and thinks it’s too much effort to try and change minds. Cub I think also has misinterpreted Mumbo’s perception of him though, probably not realizing that Mumbo would like to be closer, he just doesn’t know how to go about doing it. (Cub often assumes most people would rather not bother with him, not necessarily in a self deprecating way, more neutrally toned) Cub doesn’t know either. They would both feel awkward about it. I think the ideal way to put them together would just be to drop them in an escape room or something. Give them a puzzle. Let them problem solve together. I imagine they’d butt heads a little in their Autistic Fervor to PUZLEPUZZLEPUZLLEPUZZLE SOLVEOLEVSOLVESOLVE BE VERY STIMULATED but in the end they’d appreciate the input of the other person in places they got stuck and really respect each other in that way. From there they could move forward.
Scar and Mumbo is tough here because Scar is a little bit obsessed with him and in that obsession just continuously breaks Mumbo’s boundaries like he’s crashing through drywall and Mumbo is just Tired of him. Scar is a Pest. While Mumbo and Grian could bond initially over their distaste of Scar, I imagine as time went on Grian would start to realize someone needs to pull Scar aside and tell him straight up he’s being an asshole, because Scar doesn’t always Get It. What is to Mumbo and Incredibly Annoying inconvenience is interpreted by Scar as a back and forth fun game, and he doesn’t understand that Mumbo is serious, that the way Scar is acting isn’t fun for him. It would take a bit for Scar to understand. Scar’s outlook and interpretation of the world around him is pretty stubborn and he isn’t the most empathetic person and struggles sometimes to connect that the way He would feel about [blank] isn’t universal to everyone. But he would get there. And when he’d apologize, he’d mean it. Mumbo would know it, and I don’t think this au Mumbo could hold a grudge to save his life. Too much energy. So the turnaround on his and Scar’s friendship would be pretty fast; neither party going out of their way to talk to each other, but with so many mutual friends it’s pretty inevitable. And it would probably be nice. A little weird getting to know each other for the first time after years of (forced) talking, but they’d jive. I bet they’d both be into board games. They could be weird about them together.
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hii! I hope youre doing well ^^ n I have a request!
Fatherhood Gojo, Yuta and Suguru (separate) seeing their daughter have a love interest
let’s say the daughter is like 4-5, just started school with a strong start, one day when they come to pick up their kid— they see a boy that’s also 4-5, giving their daughter flowers or something, how would they react?
(I can imagine mother!reader being delighted at the sight, gojo being dramatic, Yuta being stressed out, and Suguru having a polite smile but yet clenching his fist LMFAO)
“I WILL THROW HANDS AT ANYONE EVEN A KID"
— gojo, sukuna, and suguru seeing their five year old daughter with a love interest (f!reader)
a/n: here you go go <33 i am so sorry bae that I couldn't include yuuta 😭
GOJO SATORU:
your daughter is naturally charismatic.
satoru wholeheartedly believes that it is something she has inherited from him.
you disagree because you can’t remember anybody who remained friends with satoru after actually talking to him, aside from those forced to, of course.
now another thing that satoru believes is that said charisma is a double-edged sword. from one side, his daughter is able to make friends quickly which gives him a piece of mind.
on the other side, the thing that makes his vein pop is the fact that filthy dirt-covered boys approach her.
he thought he had solved that problem when he scared away that last kid during her ballet class , but it seems there are always people who are competing for her heart.
he didn’t expect to run into one today though, especially not one blatantly gifting her a bouquet in front of the school gates.
the kid is a blushing mess as he gives the bouquet to her, and your daughter is nothing less than ecstatic. she jumps around, really happy with her bouquet and squealing about how pretty it is.
the little boy smiles timidly as he fidgets with the hem of his shirt, mumbling something that satoru can’t be bothered to care about.
the only things occupying his mind are two: the kid who dares to even speak to his daughter and you with your cute smile because you’re happy for her.
so, he arranges things as he prioritizes him.
he presses one big smooch to your cheek and squishes you in an ever so love-filled hug.
then he proceeds to make his way to deal with the kid who is making moves on his little baby.
he towers behind the boy, and before his little girl greets him, satoru carries the kid from his scruff and throws him in the ball pit conveniently placed beside him.
the kid screams as he falls into the ball-filled abyss.
hurriedly, he gathers his daughter in his arms and showers her with kisses. he nuzzles his nose into her cheek, “how was your day, honey?”
“it was so nice, papa!” she says happily them gets out the bouquet she was given, “and I even got this bouquet!”
“oh, really?” he hums as he takes the bouquet from her hands into his. he inspects it, distaste filling his expression.
you walk to him with a little pep in your step and place your hand around his shoulder, while you kiss your daughter’s cheek.
she squeals a delightful, “mama!” and throws herself into your arms.
you guys quickly get caught in your own conversations, not noticing satoru quickly releasing his technique blue at the poor bouquet making it effectively disappear from existence.
another day saved.
RYOMEN SUKUNA:
being the daughter of ryomen sukuna had its perks.
people strayed away and kept their distance. however, your daughter was a natural sweetheart—ironic considering her father but anyway.
that meant that little boys around estate had a tiny little crush on her which they would never act upon since they do want to continue living.
of course, there is an exception to the norm.
and that exception came in the form of a little servant boy presenting your daughter with a bunch of flowers that he had plucked himself.
your daughter was taken back, and she got flustered but accepted the flowers, nonetheless. on the other hand, you were watching from the side lines and were cheering both her and the boy on.
it was an innocent little gesture between kids. no harm done, so there was no need for—
“what the hell is this?”
you feel your husband’s menacing aura, before you hear his words. you turn to him and rest your hands on his chest and say, “d/n got flowers! isn’t that cute?”
“I can see that,” he grumbles, pinching your cheek in annoyance then directing his gaze to the kids, “but why the hell is a little good-for-nothing servant approaching my daughter? in fact, these servants should not be allowed to talk to her so casually.”
“sukuna, it’s not that big of a deal. just let them be,” you huff, “it’s not like she will fall in love with him, and he will convince her to overthrow you when they’re older.”
your husband stays quiet for a few moments. the man looks like he is actually considering the scenario that you just suggested.
and judging by him slowly approaching the kids, sukuna is going to go with the “better safe than sorry” approach.
you quickly run after him and jump on his back, “love, love, I was joking! please don’t kill him!”
sukuna groans, “and why should I listen to you?”
“cause you love me, and I love you? and we’re husband and wife, y’know?” you smile nervously, and he sets you down, so he can look you in the eye.
“I don’t love you,” he states.
“so I don’t love you?” you inquire.
he smirks, “no, that’s different. you’re obviously infatuated by me.”
“no, loving you is an effect of you loving me, so according to you,” you turn your back to him, “I don’t love you.”
he is about to retort when he feels something holding onto his leg. he looks down, and he sees his daughter beaming up at him.
she raises the flowers as high as she could and chirps, “dad, I got these flowers!”
sukuna’s eyes snap to where the kid was and finds no one. he fled, and he didn’t get to memorize his face. he slowly turns his face to you, and you stand there smirking at him.
he quirks an eyebrow at you, “oh? well, I will deal with you later tonight.”
GETO SUGURU:
you were busy watching over your daughter playing with her playdate. the little boy was your neighbour’s son, and, in general, he was good company.
the boy was polite and knew how to treat your little girl right. similarly, your little girl cherishes him very much and always rambles about him at dinner.
now, initially, suguru was okay with it.
he thought that maybe she was excited about her playdate and that it would eventually wear off, but then she started talking about him every single day since she met him.
suguru prides himself on being rational and collected. he wouldn’t stoop down to a level that gojo would. gojo was a manchild, but suguru? suguru is a grown man, a husband, and a father.
so, no, he won’t do anything to the boy.
and he certainly isn’t rushing to the playdate location, so he can stop the boy from making his daughter talk about him more.
one of his curses was watching the kids, and said curse picked up on the boy sneaking a flower behind his back. suguru concluded that he was definitely going to give it to her.
your husband finally arrives, handing you your ice cream and kissing the top of your head, “your ice cream, just how you like it, love.”
“aww, thank you, suguru,” you say as you hug him and pepper his face with kisses. suguru gets lost in your affection, forgetting about his supposed mission.
it’s not until that he notices the boy’s parents standing with the two kids that he remembers it.
“how about we go and see what the kids are up to?” he asks you, a bit urgently, and you nod, knowing what your husband is thinking.
it’s lowkey funny.
the boy’s mother takes notice of you two approaching, “oh hello mr and mrs geto!”
“hello miss c/n! are the kids getting along well?” you smile while patting your daughter’s head.
the mother giggles, “more than well, in fact. our little boy has given little d/n a flower today!”
from the corner of your eye, you can see your husband’s smile tighten and his face get stiffer and stiffer by the second.
you take his hand into your own and slowly rub it with your thumb. it does little to calm him down.
he claps his hand lightly and steps in front of the parents and says kindly, “please take your little shi—”
he feels you kick his foot from the back and quickly corrects his wording, “please distance your ki—”
you discreetly stomp on his foot, and he tries his hardest to keep his smile. he sighs defeated and hangs his head low, defeated as he mumbles, “have a nice day.”
you nod in satisfaction, and your daughter giggles.
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On the Evolution of “Happily Ever After” and Why “Nothing Lasts Forever”
A reflection inspired by Good Omens 2
One of my favorite Tumblr posts on the second season of Good Omens 2 was actually not about the series at all, but our reaction to it, primarily the ending. @zehwulf wrote, “I think a lot of us—myself included—got a little too comfortable with assuming [Aziraphale and Crowley would] work on their issues right away post-Armageddon.” We did the work for them through meta, fanfiction, fanart, and building a plethora of headcanons. Who among us AO3-surfing fans didn’t read and love Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm?
In the 4 long years since season one was released, we did more than seek to understand and repair rifts between two fictional beings: we were forced to reckon with ourselves too. We faced a global pandemic, suffered traumatizing losses and isolation, and were forced to really and truly look into the face of our atrocities-ridden and capitalistic world. The mainstream rise of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice work, and our participation in this work, showed us that the systems in place were built to oppress and harm most of us, and they are.
So, what does this have to do with the evolution of “happily ever after”?
My friend put it best in a conversation we had following the season finale, when she pointed out a shift in media focus. The “happy end” in old stories about wars and kingdoms used to be “we killed the evil old king and put a noble young king in his place and now citizens can live in peace” and we’re transitioning into a period of “we tore down the whole fucking monarchy.”
If we look at season one, written to follow the beats of a love story, it comforted us by offering a pretty traditional happy ending pattern: you get your fancy dinner with your special someone, the romantic music plays, and you have a place to call your own. Season one’s finale provided a temporary freedom for Aziraphale and Crowley, the “breathing room,” but it didn't solve the problem that was Heaven and Hell, or the agendas belonging to those systems of oppression.
Is it good enough to keep our heads down, pretend the bad stuff isn’t happening, and live our own personal happy endings until we die? Moral quandaries aside, if you don't die (or if you care about the generations after you), then, like Aziraphale said, it “can’t last forever.” There’s a clear unpleasant end to the “happily ever after” that’s based on ignoring our problems– it’s the destruction of our relationships, and humanity.
Ineffable Bureaucracy can go off into the stars because they do not care about humanity.
You know who does?
Aziraphale.
And Aziraphale knows that Crowley cares about humanity too. (He knows because Crowley was the one who proposed sabotaging Armageddon in the first place, who only invited him to the stars when he thought all was lost, because Crowley would save humanity if he thought it was possible, and Aziraphale knows Crowley has survived losing Everything before, and he will do all in his power so that Crowley does not need to experience that again.)
In season one and two, we see how much they care about humanity, beyond their orders, to the point The Systems begin to frown at them. Aziraphale hears Crowley’s offer to run away together in the final episode of season two, to leave Earth behind, and just like the first time that offer was made in season one, he declines. He knows choosing only “us” is not a choice either of them can live with for the rest of eternity.
I believe season 3 will provide an opportunity to “dismantle the system,” but I don’t know how it will play out. I worry that Aziraphale has put himself in the now-dead trope of the “young noble king.” (I wish Crowley had told him why Gabriel was dismissed from his duties.) I worry that he would martyr himself as a sole agent for change. I worry that he doesn’t actually know how to dismantle anything by himself: because you can’t. He needs Crowley. He DOES. He needs Crowley, and Muriel, and other angels and demons and humans without fixed mindsets to help him. Only by learning to listen and making room at the table for all can they (and we) move past personal satisfaction to collective liberation.
Crowley was right when he said that Aziraphale had discovered his “civic obligations.”
So, I think we will get our modern-day happy ending– and it’s going to involve a lot of pain and discomfort, communication, healing and teamwork– and in the end, it’ll all be okay. There will be a time for rest and a time for “us.”
And most likely a cottage.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- Maya Angelou
Support the SAG-AFTRA strike and other unions. Trust @neil-gaiman. Register to vote if you haven’t yet. Hold yourself and others accountable with compassion. Read books. Keep doing the work. Rest. Then watch Good Omens 2 again.
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