#dai li

[yourhighness6]

I know the zutara fandom has basically accepted the idea that the crystal caves scene story was spread by the dai li, first to their families and close friends and then subsequently to the entirety of Ba Sing Se including the occupying FN forces, but please consider:

Dai Li agent #1: I really can't believe what happened with the fire prince and that waterbender girl

Dai Li agent #2: Yeah its insane, especially considering how they were on opposite sides of the war

Azula, listening in and realizing how embarrassing this could be for her brother: I'm sorry, what happened?

[number1villainstan]

As cool and intriguing and well-done as the Dai Li are, I can't help but feel that 'There is no war in Ba Sing Se' also just so happens to be an excellent method of sidestepping exploring or even considering the effect of Iroh's siege on BSS, at least in a way that makes Iroh look bad

[esmedalma]

Trust is for fools

Inktober 2022 Day 5 - Flame

[goodolreliablejake]

I recently read the Suki Alone comic, and it gave me a thought about the two groups founded by Kyoshi:

The Kyoshi Warriors honored Kyoshi's spirit by betraying her mandate. They were meant to keep Kyoshi Island safe and separate from the rest of the world, but ultimately they could not sit idly by while people were hurt and injustice was perpetrated, exactly like Kyoshi herself.

In contrast, the Dai Li stuck to the letter of the law while becoming everything Kyoshi hated and fought against. They "protect" Ba Sing Se as they were told, but they do so by capturing and victimizing its vulnerable citizens, by keeping a veil of lies over the population, and by amassing corrupt power for themselves, and Kyoshi's mandate enables them to do so. In a way, Jianzhu was the prototypical Dai Li, and their bending style (I'm remembering how in their first conflict, Jianzhu used earth cuffs and a muzzle against Kyoshi) reflects that.

[nco05]

Jet was the instigator of his own doom

Not once: Katara freezing him from the neck down to a tree after he betrayed her, Sokka & Aang's goodwill;

Not twice: Abandoning Smellerbee & Longshot in Ba Sing Se only about a day & a half into their refuge;

Not thrice: Attacking Iroh without clear cut evidence (he saw him & his tea, nothing is stated on paper);

Not four times: Attacking Zuko & trying to get him to firebend. Which Zuko was never going to do in his presence, grasschewer ain't his sister. As well as Jet never having seen Zuko firebend in his life. For all he knew, Zuko could've just been a swordsman;

But five times: Trying to attack the Dai Li. Resulting in him getting handcuffed WITH ROCKS, arrested, eventually brainwashed & ultimately killed (or as Sokka said: it was unclear). Smellerbee & Longshot can only sadly watch on to their friend's fate

He should have thought things through in his plans. He could've been a real threat to Zuko & Iroh, much like Azula & made them sweat a little. But alas, he is too hotheated to be anything like her calculated self

[zuko-always-lies]

The Gaang are normally pretty smart, but it’s pretty noticeable that they completely disregarded the Dai Li, creepy brainwashing police that have been committing treason for decades and are loyal only to themselves, as threats the moment they “arrested” Long Feng. Meanwhile, Azula shows up and within hours she’s figured out that the Dai Li are not actually loyal to Earth King.

[greentrickster]

Look, the whole situation with Jet and the Dai Li is terrible, but it’s also unspeakably hilarious that it’s implied, amidst all the other things they messed with in his head, they apparently decided to break his habit of wandering around with a grass stalk in his mouth. It’s just so incredibly petty and stupid and just... I’m sorry, but I can’t help but laugh at it!

[attackfish]

Could you do some more of the Dai Li brainwashing Azula and Mai?

Continued from: [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link], and [Link].

1. Let's remember, Azula and Mai were not the only parties to be brainwashed by the Dai Li in this AU. Ty Lee was too. She held onto herself in an act of remarkable self-posession and deception, but she only found a way to escape after she had gone through the brainwashing process, and the Dai Li discounted her as a threat. She has found her way to help, and to Katara's waterbending healing, while Azula and Mai are still captive, but she was definitely brainwashed, however unsuccessfully, as well.

2. Her escape has some pretty serious consequences for Mai and Azula. While before, the Dai Li did not view them as capable of escaping, and left them in a cell with a single guard, now they are separated, put into chains, and left in their cells under heavy guard, as if they had never been through the brainwashing process. If one of them escaped, what might her two compatriots be capable of? Not much, but the Dai Li don't know that.

3. Spare a little sympathy for the Dai Li. Yes, they impose crushing authoritarian control on the people of Ba Sing Se, but they're caught up in the same authoritarian system too. And now a couple of guards and the people in charge of brainwashing the fire princess and her companions have really screwed up. This is the second worst screw up in Dai Li history, and these guys are going to be held responsible for it. And as secretive and controlling is the Dai Li are, something tells me that they are not the kind of people to forgive and forget, and the consequences for this kind of thing aren't a nice little firing. Everybody is waiting for Long Feng to return to power, and then shit will go down.

4. The Dai Li have had a really bad week, okay? The Avatar and his group of children, actual children, discovered and broke into their hideout, and they had to trash the place, then these same kids told the Earth King about everything and got Long Feng arrested, and they've been having to sneak him out of his cell, and this all constitutes the worst screw up in Dai Li history, and then this little girl escaped them, and everything is just a nightmare. But maybe, this isn't so bad. They can recapture her. Probably fairly easily. She can't have gone far, and she has to be pretty conspicuous. She doesn't have any allies, anywhere safe to go, and her mind will not be working right. She should be easy to find. They can clean this up before Long Feng ever has to know.

5. Meanwhile of course, Ty Lee has in fact found allies, and while she might currently be sobbing uncontrollably on Zuko's shoulder, her brain is her own again, and she is fully capable of making plans.

[waterbenderkat]

Okay but why does Azula look so damn good in her Earth Kingdom outfits?

Like my goodness, she rocks the color green.

[unicornwithachainsaw83]

I just want to take a minute to talk about this moment in the Lake Laogai episode of Avatar.

There are so many brainwashed women and there’s no way they did this voluntarily. I only thought about it recently, but all those women probably have families somewhere that they don’t even remember. They probably have families looking for them, unless the Dai Li brainwashed they’re family into forgetting about them.

The concept of the Dai Li is a lot more fucked than I initially thought when I first watched this.

[theduckeminence]

I find it odd yet amusing that despite how much of an intriguingly wicked villain Long Feng is — he has quite the smaller fandom in comparison to other antagonist.

I guess he was so effective as an antagonist that people just end up hating him and honestly—I don’t blame anyone if they do.

I love him as a character, but personally I would put him in the meat grinder, blender, AND to hell and back. Maybe major ego death idk—

[waterfire1848]

ATLA AU - Azula’s coup fails in Ba Sing Se and she, Mai and Ty Lee are captured and brainwashed. Long Feng sees this as an opportunity to get his position back so he goes to the king and tells him about the hostages and how they attempted to overtake the city(acting like he and the Dai Li are the heroes). The king believes him but Katara (the only one in the city at the moment) is beyond horrified to see a Joo Dee version of the three.

[ilikepjo24]

Unpopular opinion the Dai Li shouldn’t have joined sides with Azula. It didn’t make any sense.

Agree.

I get why some people think that. A bunch of super secret, super strong men, fearing a little girl to the point they betray their boss and country for her, in their own country, surrounded by their own army, when the only backup she had was her two also little girl friends? The only reason I'm not picking "strongly agree" is because I get that the creators wanted to show that she's good at persuasion and potentially too powerful for them to defeat, especially with the power of Mai and Ty Lee. Still tho, that decision is entirely based on how they wanted to frame Azula's power and character instead of what made sense.

[esmedalma]

The Dai Li would never betray you!

And I'm sure that's just what you told Long Feng before you turned against him and joined me!

When I did the first picture I always planned to draw the Sozin's Comet scene as a parallel. Nearly two years later I finally did, but the colors did not go well together like I had first planned, so I edited them into black and white instead.

[firelords-honour]

@caelum-in-the-avatarverse two excerpts from the vine compilation I’m making, inspired by your fics:

[daisyheadmaizy]

Azula: Anyone want to guess why I gathered you here today?

Dai Li Agent: uh, is it because the war's over and you're sending us home?

Azula: That's exactly it. War's over, we won. Turns out you're the big hero. We're gonna hold a parade in your honor and I get to drive the float!

Dai Li: I'm no stranger to sarcasm, sir.