#c. azula

[luffys]

Azula: I can see your whole history in your eyes. You were born with nothing so you had to struggle and connive and claw your way to power. But true power, the divine right to rule, is something you're born with. The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne and which one is going to be bowing down. But I know, and you know. Well?

Long Feng: You've beaten me at my own game.

[antispopausandstuff]

Adora's Underwritten Psyche

.

list of unexplored, underdeveloped opportunities granted that the writers didn't take for their main ( keyword - main ) protagonist:

being the next poster child of the Horde, desiring Shadow Weaver and Hordak's approval.

Shadow Weaver putting not only the responsibility, but the life of another child ( a volatile one, at that ) in her hands when Adora herself was, at most, 10 years old.

her promotion of Force Captain, which would mean she would be responsible for more lives, while she herself is still a child.

being different from her peers for unknown reasons, and being antagonized for it from a young age ( by Catra ).

constantly having to cater to Catra's person, often including her mood swings and sadism, to either avoid conflict or to make Catra happier.

not only her entire world being turned upside down, but having to fight the only people she knew as family.

being so incredibly sheltered and manipulated that she doesn't even know what an aunt or a party is, showing she was completely unable to have even a modicum of an actual childhood.

not knowing her own culture, home planet, people, biological family, if they ever wanted her, and being given away.

Mara. Mara.

Catra's repeated, increasingly violent betrayals, her hypocrisies, manipulations, etc. after abandoning Adora, while claiming she was the one who was abandoned.

likely feeling even more responsible for Glimmer, Bow, and Angella's lives, a part of it out of immense guilt.

being repeatedly harassed // stalked and assaulted by Catra.

being repeatedly harassed // stalked by Shadow Weaver.

Entrapta's "death". and her betrayal.

being drugged, kidnapped, and essentially nearly "leashed" by Catra.

the Portal. Corrupted Catra. everything.

Angella's sacrifice. with her Atlas complex, there's no way Adora should've been as stable as she was after seeing someone, quite literally, for all she knew, die for her.

Glimmer blaming her. i get it, but it felt like the show quickly made it so that Adora was more upset about not being enough for her than the fact that, y'know, she was the only one blamed for someone's, let alone Angella's, death.

the Heart of Etheria.

Horde Prime's invasion. you cannot convince me she wouldn't feel at least somewhat responsible for that.

Horde Prime telling her, to her face, that Eternia was gone.

Catra being back in her life.

Chipped Catra. no, not for shipping angst reasons.

Catra antagonizing her again, for literally no reason.

Melog being the last of their kind, Adora being the last of hers. maybe not psyche-related, but it certainly should've affected her way more than it did ( which was p much not at all ).

Shadow Weaver. oh, wait, sorry, i forgot that only Catra has trauma related to Shadow Weaver /s.

the Failsafe.

Catra antagonizing her for the umpteenth time, for no reason.

Catra abandoning her, for no reason.

the Failsafe.

but she's just a dumb jock lesbian who's in love with Catra, right? that's alllll that matters. /s.

[jubilantmedusa]

Untitled Zukka Hurt/Comfort Ficlet #1 (because practicing drawing means I need to write little mini fics I guess...)

“You’re sick.” Sokka’s voice was as calm as the surface of water on a still night. Not a hint of accusation or contempt. No softness, no sting. Only observation. Reflection.

Zuko took a breath, deep to sooth his limbs that were threatening to shake. “I’m fine.”

Sokka frowned, and Zuko felt a knot form instantly in his stomach. His shivered, vision swimming as he saw the flash of another frown, superimposed. A different frown. Harsh. Sharp.

Sokka’s movements were calm. Fluid. Gentle as he raised his hand to Zuko’s forehead and pressed with just the right amount of pressure. “You have a fever.” Zuko felt his heartbeat pick up as Sokka’s lip began to curl, but as his expression settled Zuko realized that Sokka wasn’t angry, just concerned.

Zuko breathed deeply, pinning his arms to his sides before the other boy could notice that he was shaking now. Only, he must not have been fast enough because Sokka dropped his hand from Zuko’s forehead to grab Zuko’s trembling fingers. 

“Your hands are freezing.” Sokka hand tightened around Zuko’s as he pulled it upwards, pressing it against his mouth. Zuko couldn’t stop his hands from shaking even harder as Sokka’s breath warmed his skin.

—

“I can do that.” Zuko reached to grab his sleeping bag. “I’m fine.” Sokka lifted it over his head like they were kids playing keep away. Zuko huffed, crossing his arms, but let Sokka keep it.

“You’re not fine.” Sokka spread of the blanket. “How long have you been feeling sick?”

“Ugg.” Sokka paused. He looked up, holding  Zuko’s gaze until Zuko finally drawled, two days? maybe three.”

“Three days?!” Zuko felt his pulse quickening again, his shoulders bracing. “Why didn’t you say anything!” Even though Sokka’s voice voice was high he didn’t sound angry. In fact… Sokka’s eyebrows were scrunched, lips pressed thin. “You were training Aang this morning. Zuko, you shouldn’t be bending like that if you’re sick “ Sokka was worried.

“I’m fine.” How many times had Zuko said that now? “It’s just a fever. It’ll go away.”

“I mean, sure it will, if you rest. Can you, uh…” He gestured towards the sleeping bag, laid out and waiting.

“Oh.” It felt awkward to lower himself down when his legs felt so much like jelly, Zuko was sure it wasn’t graceful. But Sokka didn’t say anything, just stood there, eyebrow raised. Waiting. Zuko realized, then, that he was supposed to lay all the way down. So he did, somehow feeling boneless now that he wasn’t holding himself up. 

He blinked as Sokka settled a blanket over to his shoulders. It took Zuko and absurd number of seconds to realize that it was a blue blanket, one of Sokka’s own. Woven. Thick. Soft.

“Comfortable?” Sokka asked. When Zuko met his eyes he smiled.

It was nice, seeing Sokka smile. Zuko wanted to smile back, but he… there was a quivering in his stomach. Not sickness, just… waiting. “I’m fine,” Zukp said. When Sokka raised an eyebrow, he added, “I… feel fine.”

“I doubt that,” Sokka said.

“I do,” Zuko insisted. Yes, his body felt suddenly heavy. And his skin buzzed strange sensitivity that made event he gentlest touch feel like a scratch. But he was lying on his side, on something soft, and he was warm. “I… thank you.”

Sokka shrugged. “I didn’t do much,” he said. “Do you need anything else?”

Zuko thought for a moment. “Water?” He croaked.

“Coming right up, bud.”

Zuko let his eyes close for a moment, just listening to the sound of Sokka’s footsteps as he went back to the packs, the rustling of fabric as he was digging through something. Then there was a feeling, something hard brushing his fingers. Zuko opened his eyes to see a small, green glass. “A Ba Sing Se souvenir cup?”

“It was on sale,” Sokka said, chuckling. “Drink it. It’s medicine.”

“For what?” Zuko asked.

“The fever?” Sokka reminded him. “Do they… umm… not treat fevers in the Fire Nation or something?”

“Of course they do.” Zuko propped himself up just enough to tip the bitter liquid into his mouth before settling down again.

More sounds of shuffling as Sokka lowered himself, and then Zuko felt weight on his back as Sokka pressed into him, a hand settling itself onto his arm. Sokka’s touch was firm, but quiet. Soft. Sweet. “But not yours?” Sokka sounded sad.

Zuko swallowed. He remembered that feeling, tossing and turning as his skin crawled and his stomach churned. Waking up with a sweat drenched face but father still expected Zuko to do his katas. Run through his katas, go to school, sit up straight. There was punishment for slouching, even if he only slouched because he was shivering so hard he couldn’t mind his posture. “We were being trained to rule, Azula and I. Countries don’t stop because you have a cold.”

Sokka didn’t say anything, just started rubbing his arm. 

“You can rest now,” Sokka said after a while. “I can take care of you.”

Take care of him? Zuko tried to remember the last time someone had taken care of him. His Uncle had tried, of course, but Zuko had always pushed him away. He couldn’t let himself be seen that way - weak, sick. So he ignored the quiver in his Uncle’s voice when Iroh spoke to him from the other side of a metal door. And before that… before that his mother would, when father would let her. When Zuko was so sick that she’d block his bed with her body to keep father away, even if it cost her. Then sit with him and fuss his hair back with slender fingers.

“I’ll take good care of you,” Sokka said.

Zuko took a deep breath in. Not a sigh, just a breath, one to fill him up. He could feel his heart starting to race again, but... nicer this time, with Sokka so warm and solid against his back. He let the breath out. Slow. Controlled. Eyes still closed, he whispered, “Okay.”

[witchmajestygod]

No One Mourns The Wicked

[waterfire1848]

Azula: Hey, mom. I'm just working on a school project about family stories, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. Ursa: Of course. Azula: First question is: "How did you and dad feel the day I was born?" Ursa: Oh, that was a great day. One of the happiest of our lives. As soon as we came home from the orphanage with you bundled in our arms... Azula: Wait, wait, wait. Mom, did you just say "orphanage"? Ursa: Oh, it's not what you think. Your father and I were visiting the Fire Nation orphanages, and I went into labor and had you there. Azula: Ohhhh. Ursa: But, as soon as we left, we knew we had to treat you as our own. Azula: MOM! Am I not your own!? Ursa: You didn't let me finish. We had to treat you as our own daughter. Because we thought we were going to have a son. As soon as we got you, we knew we had to change our thinking. Azula: Okay, let's just wrap this up. Ursa: Well, as soon as we got home, we immediately decided to thank your previous family. Azula: Mother who may not be my mother! It really sounds like you adopted me! Ursa: We did! We adopted you into our lives. Azula: Forget it! Forget it!

[inamindfarfaraway]

Do you ever think about Azula after Zuko's banishment and before she was sent on her mission? About the time it was just her and Ozai? Because I do.

Her worst fear is being what Zuko is to their father. It's easy to look at her smirking while she watches Ozai light Zuko’s face on fire and think that she enjoys her brother’s suffering, but from the day she was born, Zuko has been the bad example. The scapegoat. The failure she exists to surpass. Where he is disrespectful, she will be obedient. Where he is weak, she will be strong. She will make Ozai proud. She will be perfect. She has to be. Because if she isn’t -

well, in that moment she sees that for herself. Iroh looks away, but she doesn’t. This eleven-year-old child watches the whole gory scene that her experienced general uncle can’t stomach, because this is a lesson for her as well, that’s why Father had her be here, and so she must not let herself tremble or cry or flinch or scream. Zuko is. That means she can’t. Instead she will do the exact opposite, smile with a princess’s proper posture.

Then Zuko is banished. He will most likely never return - most likely die young. He isn’t around to be the foil under her jewel anymore, making her shine brighter simply by contrast. (Or to play with her or comb her hair. But it isn’t useful or becoming to miss those moments. She isn’t a child anymore; her childhood was burned through like Zuko’s skin.) All Ozai’s attention is on her. All her people’s hope in the next generation of royalty is pinned her. If she doesn’t hold her shoulders back and her head high, she will collapse under the weight of her nation’s future. Zuko got what he deserved. Just as whatever happens to her, she deserves it too.

How many nightmares does she have? How many times does she flinch or shake when her father touch her? Or force herself not to? How many times does she smell burning hair and flesh and hear her brother’s agony when she spoke her own opinion in a war meeting? How much does she secretly grieve him, and scold herself for it?

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

why is my favourite genre of character “abused child who presents with non typical coping mechanisms and heavily implied or explicit disability (physical and or mental) who the fandom either treats as a poor little uwu baby that’s essentially a decorative sad pet or an evil demon who deserved worse abuse actually”

[windwaver]

updated my sasuke playlist today its pretty much an album now

[appendingfic]

I forgot that the only thing more annoying than Azula haters are Azula stans

[rivalsunraveled]

" in my defense, i simply do not vibe with the law. " to azula

"Oh, well, in that case..." She rolls her eyes, a few blue sparks at her fingernails as she holds up a hand. "Unfortunately for you, it doesn't matter what you vibe with or don't."

[galaxydrcaming]

@virtuousouls​​

azula knew about the library and heard many people say a their lives were recorded in some kind of way, so this information from mare didn’t shock her as much as it should. “i won’t do that. learn about your life in such an invasive way,” azula said. her voice was nonchalant but the words were caring. a rare thing for azula, but in the implanted memories of a life here, she was a whole different person and did care about mare. “fine, but we could always torture him a little? a little mental torture never hurt anyone,” she half jested. “the answer to why zuko is my enemy is very long and complicated. but he hates me and i hate him. it’s the way it’s meant to be.” or the way their father wanted it to be. “okay well that is… a weird coincidence. do you feel any threat from her at all? any ill intent?”

Mare tilts her head to the side for a moment at her sister’s words, a small smile flickering on her lips before she looks down. “I am both pleasantly surprised and appreciative of that, so thank you.” Mare admits and makes a face at the suggestion. “Considering him, he’d probably have a little fun with that and his entire life is based on mental torture from his mother so it’d be a normal day.” She remarks, internally cringing both at the thought and even thinking about Elara. “If you ever want to talk about it, I’m here and who says it has to be that way?” She asks and furrows her eyebrows together. “No, I want to protect her.”

[nxtaconcept]

@hclfgoddess asked: Why fall in love, just so you can watch it go away? (Azula to Ty Lee)

Ty Lee kicked her legs back down from her headstand and crossed her legs. "You don't know that it will. You can't avoid everything to avoid being hurt, Azula, you'll just hurt yourself. And I think that's worse than being hurt by someone else." Sure, she had run away and joined the circus, but that was because it made her happy, not because she was avoiding her family. Not one bit.

[waterfire1848]

Kuei to Hakoda: You have children? That's great. [ Sokka runs by. ] Kuei: Is that one of them? He's adorable. [ Katara runs by. ] Kuei: Oh, look another one. [ All of them run past. ] Kuei: Many. Oh my. You are definitely not related to that one. What's happening? How many children do you have? Hakoda: Nine. Half are benders and all of them have very little regard for the law.

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

it's hilarious when people say stuff like “you're worse than us because you like shadow weaver” girlie i like shadow weaver precisely because she didn't get a shitty redemption arc. no one excused her actions, no one forgave her because of pretty privilege, she did not get a happy ending at the cost of her victims' happiness. i like shadow weaver as a character, not as a person.

you like villains who automatically get a redemption arc and forgiveness as soon as they reveal that they're just a traumatized baby. i like villains who are unapologetically terrible and whose actions are not condoned by any of the other characters, regardless of what their motivations are. we are not the same.

[allthatglxtters]

@signcfthetiimes || "are you always this articulate?" azula and any

"I wouldn't say I was inarticulate, I.." Robb sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose a little. Obviously he wasn't explaining well, and this conversation wasn't going to go anywhere. "You know what, nevermind. Not really important enough to waste this much effort on. Apologies miss."

[ipomoealba]

looking back spop really sucked because although the character designs were lovely - it had a really hard time keeping track of its characters and forgave Catra too much. Like, way too much. The girl needed some actual repercussions and instead she's forgiven by the cast because, uh, it's ok? kitty didn't mean it?