#historian zuko

[muffinlance]

druk gets into zukos coffee supply

"Uncle."

Uncle raised his tea cup to his lips.

"Uncle, how did he get in."

Uncle took the most delicate of sips.

"Uncle I am not turning another storeroom into tea storage."

"How unfortunate to waste the space," said Uncle. "After all, it is quite hard to keep a dragon out once they have acquired the taste!"

"Uncle."

[fanfic-gremlin-ft-trauma]

I HAVE BEEN INFORMED VERY LATE THAT IT IS THE PRINCE AND THE FOOL ANNIVERSARY. (school has been kicking my ass I am a bit behind 😭) how people saw this and STILL think zukka is an ‘out of the ass’ and ‘nonsensical’ ship is amazing to me

anyway is that all you and sokka were, or were to one another?

no, i think not

iroh said:

[captainkirkk]

Social media fics are fun, but future historical accounts and opinions about our characters (especially if our main characters are kings or important societal figures) about how influential and much-loved said characters become?? That shit makes me go feral every time

[wileycap]

Things that definitely happened Post-War in ATLA a.k.a. assorted headcanons that really boil down to "wouldn't it be neat/funny if...":

Zuko fought an inordinate amount of Agni Kais, to the point that some of the junior officials ended up thinking that it's custom to fight the Fire Lord every once in a while. He was notable for both never losing, and never seriously injuring his opponent.

Aang and Katara helped with the reformation of Ba Sing Se. They became friends with Joo Dee. Katara helped her regain her own memories, and her own name. Some of the women formerly known as 'Joo Dee' formed a theatre troupe, which produced highly subversive counterculture plays. Their anti-authoritarian nonconformist plays became a huge cultural movement, though they did face a fair amount of criticism from the more traditional groups. Aang loved them, and the patronage of the Avatar definitely helped them grow. They also produced a play on the history of the Air Nomads, at the request of Aang. Aang, of course, helped write it.

Sokka once hit his thumb with a hammer. This led to the invention of the nail gun, powered by pressurized air. Aang spent over four days bending air into canisters and pressurizing them. The invention never saw widespread use. The day after it was complete, Sokka drove a nail through his thumb.

That one old guy who ratted out Haru for being an earthbender stubbed his toe every single day for the rest of his life.

Lieutenant Jee resigned his commission. He requested that Zuko accept his resignation in person, and Zuko was happy to oblige. The moment his resignation was official, he went on a 45-minute tirade attacking the Fire Lord, which was never written down in its' entirety, but was described as "extremely vulgar, even for a sailor" by attendees, and mostly had to do with their time on Zuko's ship.

Toph actually ended up having a great relationship with her mom after a long and harrowing process. She competed in a couple more Earth Rumbles, and her mother was in the audience, cheering. She never really got along with her father, after the whole "hire two guys to kidnap her by any means necessary"-thing.

Momo started several diplomatic incidents. Future historians would forever puzzled by the many mentions of this mysterious 'Momo' in official documents, with the theory that Momo was the Avatar's pet being dismissed by the leading historians. Clearly, Momo was some sort of rebel leader - perhaps a Water Tribe extremist?

[lphoenixspiritl]

I cannot for the life of me find the post that inspired this 😥

After much debate and none to few threats to his council Zuko threw open the doors to the vaults and hunted down every prize brought back to his forefathers as trinkets of conquest. 

Jewels and swords and gold, the accountants and historians spent days identifying items that had sat forgotten in the dust and the dark for nearly a century. Piece after piece was meticulously researched and documented over the next weeks and months as each one found their way home. 

It was the right thing to do after all, right? 

To apologize, right his father's wrongs and build faith in the new brow that bore the crown. 

It was a task he was proud to take on until they found it, nearly forgotten at the bottom of a chest, that dusty glint they almost missed. That small unassuming knife is what broke him. A strange curved blade set in bone carved with the moon set amongst the waves, if anyone would know it would be the ambassador.

Bursting through her door nearly breathless he set it in her hands. Eyes wide her fingertips brushed along the worn bone settling into the grooves as if they were made for her. The ulu fit in her palm melting into the shape of her grip. Then the tears began to fall and with it came the weight of the sins of the father's before him.

He could do nothing but hold her as she wept for those that were taken from her and those she would never meet, the parts of her she would never know. The sins of the father could not be undone but like that blade forged in fires neither of them would ever know, he could forge a promise that this would never happen again, that he would breathe his last breath before he ever committed the same sins as his forefathers.

[ash-and-starlight]

Would you have any thoughts about the Gaang in a modern au (either with or without bending), especially jobs? I legit love how there’s never been a consensus of how they’d live, especially job wise, in the fandom — except for Katara, she is absolutely a doctor, surgeon, ER badass. Personally, I love the thought of Zuko as a child protective agent, and Sokka as a high school teacher, not just for the dramatic Zukka potential lol haha either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

aaa ok i love and adore to see how their roles get translated in modern au’s in such clever ways, i loveee your ideas for zukka workplace drama that’s so 🥺 ok i’ll list some of my faves but feel free to add

-doctor katara SO TRUE and activist katara also so true either way she’s helping people and giving all she’s got

-aang also activist monk-turned *insert job that has to do with flying?? or meteorology??* AND i love the silly little headcanon he and zuko are lion dance partners dkfjdj

-toph wwe champion. without question

- jet could also work with kids tbh as either a child protective agent too or teaching martial arts classes for kids as some sort of social program he zuko and toph have an underground fight club every tuesday he and iroh have a wholesome breaking bad situationship going on with banger edibles

- zuko the guy with 294737 job options tbh either as jasmine dragon clerk, firefighter, historian / khon expert and standing authority on the ramakien, parkour guy, sword guy, guy who goes to business school just to learn how to efficiently dismantle dad’s financial empire, and i am extremely partial on muai thay champion-instructor zuko who has like a post-injury gym program just for the zukka of it all of him helping sokka with his leg during rehab 😌

- sokka also guy that can do anything tbh wether working as inventor or in tech/mechanic fixing things, working at a science museum (hi robin), marine biologist (hi kath) working as an astronomer or at the planetarium bc he’s always been fascinated by the night sky and the moon, artist, poet, mythbuster, sword guy as well, all of these at once. most importantly he has an insanely popular food blog on the side

- suki kendo captain of an all-girl club

- florist mai. (specifically ikebana artist) which is comic canon and in context made little sense but i love it it’s beautiful bc it brings me to

- tattoo artist ty-lee 💕

- and azula uhhh nepobaby electrician

[sunjaesol]

i sincerely hope that future pop culture historians and archaeologists will find documents from people all over the world, upset that a certain 'zuko' and 'katara' never ended up together

[babieshowclown]

Thinking about plays in the atla and i think somewhere down the line there should be a play about ursa. Like in the universe of atla there would be a historical play about how the wives of the fire nation royal family during the 100 year war and ursa being the star because she helped kicked off the beginning of the end of the war, she was constanly fighting with ozai trying to protect her children and also SHE KILLED THE FIRE LORD. I imagian that zuko kept the information about his mother under very tight lock and key so once he stepped down (or hell maybe even died since jinora was asking about ursa in korra) that a nosy historian found all the secrets about ursa and it because a huge public thing and they end up making a play about her. I just dont know if the play run time would last from her childhood to her banishment or like all the way till she was found in the search, they would prob have to add a bunch of zuko context despite zuko being a huge historical figure already and having most of his life public knowlage already. idk i just think ursa deserves an in universe stage play

[yikes-kachowski]

Hey Yikes! I hope you're doing well!

What's the world like by the time Sakari ascends to the throne?

Hello friend! This is long and detailed so, settle in, get some water, maybe a snack. I consulted my esteemed colleague and co-writer/lore master to make the most comprehensive post possible since I've got a lot of ideas. If you have any further questions you can ask either of us :)

Here goes:

They are primarily working through economic and parliamentary reform. While they’ve been slowly liberalizing and democratizing, officially getting a parliament eight years after the war, the Fire Nation under Fire Lord Zuko is still fundamentally an autocracy (Zuko will later be known as an ‘enlightened despot’ by future historians, as will King Kuei), a Parliament works to delegate certain tasks to, and field research. All laws and reforms are still ultimately up to the Fire Lord, though Zuko has been putting in place laws that have been slowly decreasing monarchic power and influence in the Fire Nation.

The Parliament (and other official positions) are appointed through an examination process, which is completely free, and open to anyone in the country who chooses to try it. The examinees are numbered, so there can be no bias when grading, or when they are brought to officials to be appointed into whatever roles they may qualify for. Local officials—like mayors—are elected, but there is rigorous oversight in the election process, because elections are still pretty new to the Fire Nation, and a lot of people don’t see the point in voting. The oversight is to try and mitigate local lords/landowners from pitting elections to be in their favor. Elections will expand under Sakari, though democratization is a decidedly slow process in the Fire Nation.

The Fire Nation has traditionally been a command economy, since the times of Fire Lord Yozor. Currently, they are trying to find a balance between privatization and socialization. Either way, the Fire Nation invests most of its resources into infrastructural development and social services. A big recent push has been outreaches to the Outer Islands, that have been traditionally overlooked by the monarchy, and tended to get far less funding than they needed, even under Zuko. Sakari is looking into simplifying they’re bureaucratic and bloated social service programs, and simplifying (some of them) into a universal basic income.

They’re also working on reforming their tax system into a far more simple land value tax. The dividends made with this system will be used for a universal basic income.

They are converting to a decimal monetary system, since they’re current system is incredibly complicated, and much harder to do international trade with.

Sakari will probably be remembered as having strong environmental protections, which will be somewhat of a roadblock to economic development in the industrial sphere, and for Cultural Demilitarization. Meaning, kids aren’t expected to go to military schools from the ages of 11 through 16.

True democratization won’t be implemented until the next Fire Lord.

And coronation sketches that I probably won't finish but never say never

[bellatrixobsessed1]

I Am Blackened Bones (Part 30)

It is strange to see her again. The real Azula. The Azula that he has always known.

It is stranger still to talk to her again. Without the spirit to intervene. 

And strangest yet to see the Azula that he has always known with her rigid, stiff posture and her well-articulated speaking patterns. But at the same time see someone else, with a more welcoming aura and a twinkle of curiosity in her eye—he can see it every time she spots one of the Fire Nation’s newer innovations, a building with a different material make, a new type of machine, newer forms of firebending…

“What do you think?”

Azula gives the street another up and down glance. “It’s different.” She replies. “That building wasn’t there before. And those statutes.” 

He wonders if it stings at all for her to see that there isn’t one of her standing near the other golden likenesses of he and his friends. If it does she makes no mention of it. “I can probably have them make one of you…”

“Huh?” 

“The statues. I could have one made…”

“What for?” 

“What do you mean? To commemorate your memory…”

“I’m still alive.”

“Your legacy.” He corrects. 

“I’m still making that?” She tilts her head. 

He almost laughs. He can’t believe that enough time has passed for him to forget that she has such a blunt manner of speaking. That she thinks so differently than the way he does. He holds that laugh back lest she get the wrong idea. 

“At any rate, statues are creepy. I don’t understand the appeal.”

“How so?”

“Why do people enjoy staring at their own faces so much? It’s uncanny. That barely even looks like you.” She pauses. “Well it does but there is something off about it. Something that isn’t quite right. That doesn’t bother you?”

Zuko shakes his head. “I never really saw it that way. I think that it’s a nice gesture of respect. A way to remember my accomplishments.”

“You can’t just remember them in your own brain?” She pauses. Before he can speak she adds, “I suppose that I am the wrong person to speak about remembering things that are important.” She pauses again. “From a historical standpoint I suppose that means of commemoration are useful.” She nods more to herself than him. “I’d rather just have a my accomplishments inscribed and then that scroll can hang in a pretty little frame on a wall somewhere.”

“What about portraits?” He asks. “You never minded those.”

“As far as you were aware. I don’t like having to sit for them; there are better uses for my time. Especially since I don’t look at them often.” She sighs. “But it would be quite bizarre if there isn’t a face to put to inscribed stories. I should probably go for an updated portrait, lest future historians think that I died as a child.”

“But no statues?”

“If you erect a statue of me I will personally see to it that it is taken down. If I want to look at my face I will do so in a reflection in a pond as nature had intended.” 

“You have a mirror at home… you’re joking right now.” He states. “You made a joke?”

“I am capable of doing that now and again, yes.” She replies. “I was not, however, joking about getting rid of any statute that resembles me.” 

This isn’t the way that he imagined that his first conversation with her since her arrival would go. Frankly he had imagined stress. He had imagined shouting and scowls and maybe tears. He hadn’t imagined jokes and laughing. He hadn’t imagined feeling a flutter of joy upon seeing her curiously observing the town that she had been deprived of for too long.

And he realizes that he doesn't need an apology just yet. Not vocally, anyways. She has her own way about apologizing. A way that makes her feel safe and he supposes that he shouldn’t push her to do it his way.

It is rather nice talking to her now that father isn’t whispering in her ear.

Now that father isn’t whispering in his ear.

Now that she has had at least a little bit of time to become Azula instead of just an extension of their father. He supposes that he should share this with Mai. Ask her to be patient with Azula. She’ll find the words eventually. Right now, her ability to joke with him and speak mundanely is good enough.

“Are you ready for your homecoming ceremony tonight?” He asks. “I figured that while we were here we can find something new for you to wear.” 

Azula shrugs. “It’s just a homecoming ceremony, there isn’t too much to worry about.” 

He knows that she is lying. If only because his homecoming after three years had been one of the most stressful moments of his life. He puts a hand on her shoulder. “I saw this one hair piece that I thought that you’d like.”

“Alright.” 

.oOo.

Azula smooths her hand down the front of her silks. And she is decorated under layers and layers of it. Pretty red and gold fabrics in varying patterns that drape her arms and flow out and voluminously from beneath the golden sash a her hip. A large ruby with a gold filigree frame pins it in place. 

She hadn’t realized just how long her hair had grown until a team of servants, mostly new faces but one or two that she recognizes, begin pilling it up and fixing it in place with ribbons and hair sticks. The style is quite elaborate, more so than she is used to. And they assure her that they will have it styled twice as elegantly—with hair sticks with dangling crystals and dragon accents and golden hair combs—when it comes time to reinstate her title and place a crown back on her head. She can only imagine what the robes will look like then. There will probably be enough layers and components to make walking a challenge. 

They promise the same of her makeup. Of which they currently tint her lips with. The look is quite simple, they wing her eyeliner the way that she likes and add a touch of red to make it pop. The pat color onto her cheeks. They insist that she has grown quite pale since her trip to the Water Tribe and that they need to add some sunlight back to her complexion. 

It is more lavish than she had been dressed in a very long time, she had forgotten that these dresses make her feel uncomfortable. As terribly as she had missed her spa and the pampering that came with it, she very much does not enjoy the heavy robes. 

It shouldn’t be so hard, Lo and Li will do the talking for her. All she has to do is stand and look poised and presentable. Has to make it look as though she had been through nothing extraordinary.

It is a rather dull affair in spite of the pomp. Lo and Li are enthusiastic and speak with life in their voices but tend to draw speeches out just long enough for the excitement to start to wane. Azula looks down upon the crowd. It is more colorful with a dotting of blue and green with a field of red. It isn’t just her own people that welcome her back home. And maybe some people in the crows are also being welcomed home, for some of them this very well could be their first time standing in Royal Plaza. Their first time seeing Fire Nation royalty in person. 

Everything is so different now. She has been gone for so long. 

But she thinks that she is finally ready to be back. 

Yes, looking down upon the crowd, she thinks that she is. 

If an entire nation can change and change so beautifully then so can she. 

Lo and Li fall silent and revel fills the plaza. Cheers. Claps. Lively chatter. 

Her nation welcomes her with more warmth than the Fire Nation had ever had in the past. She finds herself smiling if only slightly. 

“Welcome home, Azula.” Zuko drapes his arm around her neck. 

“Thank you.” 

He holds his arms out and she sighs. “Fine. Once. Just this once.” He gives her a small squeeze. Just a quick little hug. She supposes that she didn’t hate it. The crowd certainly didn’t. Their claps begin a new. And that is how she knows the long time citizens from the newcomers; a good many of them had probably been waiting for a good long while to see the royal family whole and undivided. 

Whole and undivided like herself. 

.oOo.

“How do I look, Katara?”

“I told you that…”

“I look great.” Azula finishes. “But are you just saying that to get me to relax and move on or do you actually mean it. I don’t enjoy it when people say things just to spare my feelings.” Maybe it is comparison that does her in; she had been dressed so lavishly the night before that the outfit that she has picked for herself feels frumpy and dull. Her hair, loose and unstyled save for the brush she had let Katara run through it, falls to her hips. At least it looks nice.

“While I am very much hoping that we can move on with this, I also actually do mean it. You’ve always been really good at dressing yourself and taking care of yourself.”

“But I was in a jungle for years.” Moreover she was crawling around on all fours, covered in fire for a good portion of those years. She imagines that at least one or two crucial details about Caldera city fashion, she certainly isn’t up to date on the latest styles in Caldera City. Frankly she thinks that she has stuck too rigidly to the way that she used to dress. 

Katara pulls her in and kisses her on the cheek. “We’re having a double date with Zuko and Mai, you’re not making a big speech.”

Azula grimaces. “Not yet.” She is almost angry that she is so nervous. She has never had a problem with speeches and public appearances in the past. 

She had always been so deeply integrated in societies norms, had always been prepped and coached on exactly what to say, what people wanted to hear. Her words were seldom her own and now they want her to, in a sense, speak from the heart. 

Katara massages her shoulders. “You’re getting really tense again; don’t think about that right now.”

“But this speech is going to be a very pivotal one. It is going to shape how everyone views me going forward.” And she is going to need one mighty eloquent, competent, and pretty speech if she is going to undo the damage done to her reputation on the day of the comet.

“They seemed perfectly happy with you during your homecoming ceremony. And besides you have two whole weeks to prepare. One thing at a time, okay.” She offers Azula’s shoulders a firm squeeze. “Tonight let’s get through dinner and making up with Mai.”

Azula cringes.

Making up with Mai…

The prospect is thrice as intimidating as the prospect of making a re-coronation speech. At least she has some framework for what a good speech will sound like.

“You’re going to do fine. Tonight and during your coronation speech.” Katara promises. “Now let’s head out. I know that you like to be punctual.” In a grumble she adds. “And by that you usually mean at least an hour early.”

She does indeed. “I would like to leave ample time in case I see something that catches my eye. Caldera has changed so much.” 

“Are you admitting that you might get distracted?”

“I am admitting that it would only be proper to adequate re-familiarize myself with the city that I rule over…but yes perhaps there might be one or two things that I simply find fascinating.”

Katara flashes her a smile. “Alright then. Fair enough.”

They will probably still arrive an hour early. She had accounted for that.

.oOo.

She hasn’t been to this restaurant since she was a child. It had been her favorite at some point or another. It was always a delight when they handed her the ingredients and let her do some of the cooking. Not that she was particularly good at it. Mostly she liked watching the flames dance. Zuzu’s meals alway came out burnt. Hers did too…probably worse. And so it was up to mother and father to make an edible meal. Most of the time father burned his food too and they were one torched chunk of hippo-cow meat away from calling their chef back to do all of the work.

Mother was good at cooking…

Azula wraps her arms around herself. She is starting to wish that she and Katara hadn’t arrived first. Starting to wish that she had let herself get more distracted. Or that the two of them should have joined Mai and Zuko at the botanical garden but she needed the time to get dressed. Needed time to prepare herself to see her former friend. It is admittedly overwhelming to do, having just gone through her homecoming ceremony and the accompanying dinner the night before. Not that she isn’t pleased to be having plenty of fine Fire Nation cuisine again with all of the spices and all of the richer flavors. It tastes like home. It tastes like normalcy. It is nice to have at least a touch of that after so very long.

Just when Azula is getting comfortable, the figures of Mai and Zuko appear in the doorway. Azula finds herself relieved to know that Mai hasn’t changed all that much. Her hair is longer but she hasn’t changed the way that she puts it up and her bangs are cut exactly the same way. She still has the same somewhat downcast gaze. But she is taller now, much taller. Taller than Zuko even. And she wears dark lipstick. She stands with her hands in her pockets and her lips pressed together. 

“So you got yourself turned into some type of spirit.” Mai says in a way of a greeting. Azula swears that there is a hint of humor in her voice. “That must be quite a story.” 

Azula thinks for a moment. “I don’t remember it all too well.” She thinks that she may never recall all of the details. And maybe that is for the best. Maybe she isn’t supposed to know exactly who or what had put the spirit curse on her. She can’t imagine that the memory would be all too friendly. “Just that it had been storming one night and I came by this old, abandoned temple. It had a spirit protecting it…or it could be that the temple was made for that spirit. Either which way it wanted an offering of some sort for intruding in its temple. I didn’t have anything to give…” She trails off. 

“And…?”

Azula shrugs. “And then a blank space where a memory should be. I think that I had argued with the Spirit. Possibly.” 

Zuko pulls out a chair. “How was your walk?”

“I found this shop that sells little handmade dragon egg sculptures…”

“I thought that you said that you didn’t like…”

“Statutes, Zuzu. Those are unsettling. Sculptures are fine. Especially the egg shaped ones that would make for a very lovely homecoming gift.” She reaches for her tongs as their server places raw ingredients on the table. At its center is a somewhat large pit full of coals. “I understand that you enjoy honor…”

“I do not talk about honor that much.”

“...So I invite you to do the honor of lighting our cooking fire.”

“I haven’t seen you firebend in ages, you can light the fire, the blue would create a nice ambiance.”

“Yes. About that…” 

“Your fire is orange now?” Mai frowns slightly. 

Azula ignites the coals in a brillant flare of white.

“When did that happen?” Mai asks. 

“When I merged with the fire spirit.” This, of course requires a lengthy explanation that she gives while the four of them fight to make an at least semi-appetizing looking meal.

“I think that your fire is too hot, Azula.” Katara frowns. 

“That or you aren’t a good chef.”

“I have never burnt a single meal in my life! Not until now!” She insists. 

Azula rolls her eyes. “Alright, fine.” She snuffs her own flames and gestures for Zuko to set the pit ablaze once more. “But don’t blame the spices when you still can’t create a good meal.”

“Some of these Fire Nation dishes are more complicated then what I’m used to cooking.” Katara insists. 

“We’re going to be eating poorly tonight, aren’t we?” Zuko grumbles.  

“So, why Katara?” Mai asks. “I never imagined that the two of you would get on so well.” 

“Katara can tell you that one. My throat is growing sore. Unlike Katara’s brother, sometimes I get tired of talking.” By the end of Katara’s recanting of their adventure, she finds herself picking at her plate with slightly pinkened cheeks. 

Zuko’s mouth hangs agape so it is up to Mai to confirm, “so the two of you are…dating?

Azula nods. 

“Good luck.” Mai mutters. 

“Who are you wishing luck to, Mai? And why would Katara need it?”

“And good luck to you, Mai. That whole family is a handful.”

“Trust me. I know.” 

They are laughing. All four of them are laughing. She had never imagined that she would be laughing with Mai again. With Mai and Zuzu. To be frank, there had been a time when she didn’t think that she would be able to laugh or smile again. Let alone, mostly untroubled. Maybe next time TyLee will be sitting with them too. Katara cups her hand over Azula’s.

They never do make an edible looking meal.

[theavatarandthefirelord]

Happy FFWF! Tell me about a zukaang moment you wish to write.

Happy FFWF a few days late!

Ah yes...this would be the scene in the museum AU I've talked to you about...it is THE zukaang scene I want to write!

Basically, Aang and Zuko are reincarnated hundreds of years into the future, so the "present day" part of the fic occurs in a modern era. It's told from future!Zuko's POV, and he has dreams about his past life with Aang in the post-ATLA years, which will follow canon (and therefore has Kataang and Maiko), and they were closer friends than historians dared to report...

As for the scene, their reincarnated selves find themselves drawn to a museum exhibit commemorating the Avatar and Fire Lord, who ended the Hundred Year War and rebuilt the world together centuries ago....and they meet. The scene I have in mind is inspired by this fe3h fan comic and this Zukka fanart. And who would fit the reincarnation museum AU perfectly but zukaang???

I know it's been a while since we've talked about this fic idea, but I have a lot of notes written already and I'm still obsessed with it, and it's the zukaang story I want to tell the most!!

[attackfish]

Speaking of really old AUs, do you have anything more from the lightning strike AU?

Universe tag: #lightning strike universe

It's important to give credit where it's due. Zuko has spent his reign frail, and usually tired. He hasn't had much time or energy for the public relations side of being Firelord. And so the role falls to Mai. She isn't naturaly suited to the role, and she spends most of Zuko's reign just as exhausted as he is, first worrying about him and taking care of him, and then nearly constantly pregnant. But Zuko is running the country. So while he runs the country, Mai makes the country love him. And her. And their children.

And it's important that the Fire Nation love her and the children, because if Zuko dies soon, as the doctors keep insisting he will, it will be Mai ruling, as regent for their children.

If she isn't suited to the role of royal PR manager, she is even less suited to the specific caricature of herself she has been forced to sell to the public, that of duitiful wife and fertile mother of the nation. She is a dour woman with a fondness for knives. And yet she does love Zuko and worry for him and take care of him, and she is the mother of a large and ever growing brood of children, and she is almost always pregnant, so it's the most palatable image of herself that she can sell to her people.

And for all she isn't naturally gifted at wooing the public, she does it beautifully.

And someday, in a hundred years or so, some enterprising historian we'll go through her letters and papers, and write the explosive biography of the woman behind the image, that she deserves.

[ao3feed-zukka]

i still worship the flame

Read now on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/8TvZxdm by sketchbonked Zuko and his pirate crew are helping out the Southern Water Tribe, since the Southern Raiders have been making appearances in their waters. (It might have something to do with Princess Azula's oath to find the Avatar, but who knows?) Zuko is forced to work with the annoyingly cute son of the Southern chief, and they stumble upon some strange kid in an iceberg while on a scouting mission. Now the former Prince of the Fire Nation is stuck on a global road trip on the back of some flying cow with his historian-dictated 'best friend', a Water Tribe girl who hates his guts, and an overpowered twelve-year-old. What could possibly go wrong? Words: 2205, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Zuko's Crew (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Aang (Avatar), The Gaang (Avatar), Toph Beifong, Iroh (Avatar), Azula (Avatar), Appa (Avatar), Momo (Avatar) Relationships: The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Zuko & Zuko's Crew (Avatar) Additional Tags: POV Zuko (Avatar), Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Pirate Zuko (Avatar), Title from a Hozier Song Read it on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/8TvZxdm

[hrodvitnon]

If you haven't thought of avatar, the last airbender yet, here's a headcanon for you that I love to bits (source tumblr user captainkirkk). After the war ends, Zuko becomes a writer under the pseudonym Dante Basco as a way of dealing with post-war trauma and almost single-handedly starts a literary renaissance. He writes everything from action/adventure, political dramas, and romance to blue spirit short stories, and finally, children's books to read to Izumi. No one finds out he's Dante Basco until after he abdicated the throne just to troll people. Uncle would be so proud of him, and historians would go bananas.

Oh, that's a fun one!

[luxbub]

tell me you love me.

nae. 18. scorpio. aspiring historian. peter parker’s very real girlfriend. miguel o’hara’s housewife. toji fushiguro’s personal slut. remus lupin’s cuddling toy. zuko’s waterbender. certified lover girl.

this blog contains mostly +18 stuff, so dont complain about my content, cause you’re responsible for your own media consumption!

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[russenoire]

i'm now about halfway through avatar: the last airbender s2 (and halfway through the entire series). and i have thoughts.

i regret missing out on this while it was airing. chest deep in anime at the time, i'd largely turned my back on american TV animation and was in the midst of wrapping up a bachelor's degree. A:TLA would probably have won me over then too. it holds its own as a story so well even now, i don't mind being two decades late to the party.

A:TLA takes place in a constructed world largely based on ancient china, with recognizable chunks from many, many other east asian peoples and subarctic indigenous nations stirred in. american fantasy worlds rooted in real-world places often tend towards this kind of racist pan-cultural stew (black panther—my deep abiding love for it otherwise—is another example) and A:TLA, a dish that manages to be both deeply honorable and kinda disrespectful, is no exception.

for every display of cultural respect:

all the chinese text in the show is real, supervised and/or translated by ming dynasty historian, research scientist and calligrapher dr. siu-leung lee.

the selection process for the avatar closely mirrors that for the actual dalai lama, right down to the search for a child born around the time of the previous lama’s death who picks his relics out of a collection of possible playthings.

the elemental bending techniques and fight choreography are derived from real chinese martial art forms. 5th gen northern shaolin master sifu kisu, the series' main martial arts consultant, chose a form for each element based on its movements and/or philosophy. the water tribes use t'ai chi; earthbenders use the hung gar style of kung fu (and the blind earthbender toph fights with her own aggressive and rare style, chow gar kung fu); the fire nation use northern shaolin kung fu; and the air nomads use ba gua zhang, a style characterized by spinning and other circular motions.

aang sits with a guru who teaches him how to unlock his chakras at one point, and his explanation respects both aang's level of maturity and the complexity of the concept as laid out in hinduism.

avatar roku’s fire temple contains a lotus-petal shaped flame motif common in thai art and architecture; ty lee and katara wear split skirts that resemble those worn by thai performers of a ballet retelling of the hindu epic ramayana (it’s called ramakien in thailand). thai (and burmese!) traditional dance/theatre costume and armor show up everywhere in the fire nation, especially in the military garb. even zuko’s topknot is a traditional thai hairstyle (for children).

there are perhaps two or three of ignorance or apathy.

names in mandarin chinese, korean, tibetan, sanskrit or japanese are mostly butchered; mandarin sees the worst abuse because it's used most often. A:TLA was released at a time when it was still not uncommon for US anime distributors to change japanese names outright in localizations; producers figured 'american-sounding' names would go down easier with audiences. given this, i'm not surprised a mid-2000s american production inspired by anime wouldn't give a toss about names in other asian languages: most americans don't care. (personally i find the mispronounced names far harder to stomach than the dollops of buddhist-daoist-hindu philosophy purée: while A:TLA’s painstaking worldbuilding, tight plot and excellent voice acting make the show's faults stand out all the more, its spiritual aspects aren't a major focus.)

someone thought it would be a good idea to give a group of swamp dwellers vaguely cajun accents. whyyyyy.

the blending (read: conflation) of cultures ignores existing tensions and centuries of cross-pollination in ways that can be offensive. there are many, many other nods to thai (and vietnamese! and burmese! and...) culture in clothing, setting and architecture across the series, but the showrunners made no effort to educate viewers on the provenance of any of these smaller influences. people of non-chinese east asian ancestries already get mistaken for chinese by americans who assume they’re all the same.

and yet. while looking to cartoons for cultural sensitivity may be a fool's errand, A:TLA gets a lot right, particularly when it comes to its characters.

more about the people of A:TLA to follow in a subsequent post.