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Simon really said “fuck the monarchy” and Wille went “you can if you want to”

If ANYONE sees this: I’m aware we all want to know what happens with Adult Team Avatar, but there seems to be no fics for it... so what if I wrote it? It would be LONG with politics, relationships, etc, but would you read it?👀

#atla #avatar the last airbender #atla fanfic

oakaiarts

welcome to ba sing se!

littlemisspipebomb

We all making jokes about Zuko working at the tea shop as firelord, and how humble he is towards his servants. But what if a diplomat from the earth kingdom shows up one day and catches Zuko in a more casual outfit while being ushered through the palace. The diplomat mentions something about how Lee must be very good at making tea if he was sent all the way to the fire nation and asks to be served during the meeting. Not one to turn down an offer Zuko obliges and disappears off into the kitchen. The diplomat sits down at the meeting table, awaiting the arrival of the firelord when his tea arrives. He pours a cup for everyone sat around the table including the firelord. The diplomat inquiries when the firelord will be joining, to which Zuko responds by sitting in the throne at the head of the table.

beif0ngs

Azula really was THAT b⒤tch

ionlylikemycat

how long does it take zuko to convince his staff that he isn’t gonna slap, punch, beat, banish, or otherwise assault them?

that they aren’t about to lose their job (or life) over a spilled cup or broken vase?

that he’s not trying to trick them when he says they can relax the ornate and complex flattery each time they leave the room?

that he means it when he bans corporal punishment in the palace (and out of it) and that they really can come to him if someone forgets that rule?

that they haven’t upset him or wronged him when he asks to take his meal without the full serving staff of twenty watching him?

zuko is sensitive, even when he tries not to be, and watching these people be so afraid of him would break his heart. but that also means we gets to see it when they begin to open up to him.

firelord zuko who’s feeding the turtleduks when a toddler comes running over. she almost topples into the water but zuko sweeps her up before she’s in any danger. he holds her in his lap and shows her how to feed them gently. when the mother comes careening out screaming for her child she stops short at the sight of zuko and collapses into a bow, head to the floor. she begs forgiveness but zuko shakes his head, and offers his hand for her to stand. he hands over her daughter, asks the girl’s name. his guard calls him back into meetings so he leaves with a smile and a bow to both of them. it’s the first time a child hasn’t been afraid of zuko here in the fire nation, and he smiles all week

firelord zuko who spends months trying to win over the kitchen staff enough the let him make his own tea. they refuse at first (as much as one is allowed to) and stand on principle. but zuko is patient, so patient, so he begins to visit the kitchens once a week. he tells the head chef he’s going to come, it’s not a surprise. and he just thanks the staff, asks their names, maybe mentions an earth nation dish he had that’s native to a region who’s dignitaries are coming. once he’s been a few times he asks about their lives. simple things, never much more than yes or no answers; he doesn’t want to force them into speaking more than they’re comfortable just because he is their firelord. but 10 months in, and he finally convinces the guards, tasters, and head chef he can make his own tea. the head chef still insists on checking the tea as it comes in (special shipment from the jasmine dragon of course) because he’s been working in the palace for a long time and he’s seen many leaders but zuko is the first firelord he’s actually wanted to serve. and he’s seen this 18 year old kid trying so damn hard to help the palace and nation heal, tying so hard to win favor with his dishwashers, that he wants to keep safe. he may not prepare the tea, but not a leaf gets to the firelord that isn’t personally checked by him.

and in a couple years, the permeating sense of fear and dread begins to leech out of the palace. maybe the maids start humming in the corridors, maybe the washer women laugh and talk as they go about their business, maybe the royal dressers don’t flinch at the scars all across their young leaders skin anymore

maybe the country is being run by a smart, kind, genuine young man who works tirelessly to restore their honor as people of the fire nation. zuko brings music, art, poetry, dancing and life back to the fire nation. he teaches the wisdom he learned from the sun warriors and old masters: fire isn’t just hate and death. it can be life, light, a sun blazing inside you and he fosters that light in his people. so they can shed the last 100 years of hatred together and foster a new nation of peace

missbrelove

fuckysuckybrigade

We’re talking about Firelord Zuko being a gentle young sweetheart when he takes the throne now:

Zuko banning corporal punishment first and foremost, but even then the workers are rarely fully at ease until he’s in his mid twenties or something. It’s not because of lack of trying on Zuko’s part, just them recovering from many decades of tolerating Ozai’s abuse.

18 y/o Zuko sheepishly starting up a tradition to go to the poor areas of the Fire Nation weekly and give money. He doesn’t ask anyone’s stories or pry, he just hands a little silk drawstring bag to everyone with an open hat on the ground. For the first week or so the poorer crowds are talking to each other and they’re like “craziest thing man, someone gave me a lot of money today and when I got a glimpse of their face he looked like the Fire Lord. Funny, huh?” “wait that happened to me too” “and me. I saw his entire face. It was him”

Zuko gets VERY uncomfortable when people fall all over him with gratitude bc to him he’s just doing his job. He always goes in disguise for this reason. He learns to handle getting recognized by smiling, touching his finger to his lips to indicate they should play it cool, and shaking the person’s hand as kind of a silent deal that neither of them will cause a stir.

He also donates to local charities, which has always been a formal practice to keep up appearances, but he doubles the amount. Zuko just realizing they have too much fucking money and it’s ridiculous because it’s always coming in and he couldn’t spend all of this in ten lifetimes. So instead he just talks to his banker and makes room in the budget for giving.

Zuko at 17 overhears his staff talking about bills stacking up and he takes another look at their pay rate and is like “why in the absolute FUCK are they barely making more than Iroh and I when we were tea servers?” and changes that so their salaries are extra cushy because these people deserve it after so many years of being criminally underpaid.

Zuko getting into a tax reform frenzy as soon as he’s able to (it takes him three years fighting the advisors in his meetings, but by the time he turns 20 he passes the law and is so happy about it.

Things get awkward when he buys Aang and Katara a house as a wedding gift but Katara has the sense to say thank you and accept it before Aang can decline the gift like the selfless sweetie he is. (Katara is the one sane person that realizes avatars don’t get paid and they’re gonna end up needing it).

When Sokka and Suki’s wedding come around he makes adjustments. They already have a house they’re managing payments on just fine, so instead Zuko gives their twin boys each a giant ass trust fund. This is when they learn that Zuko will literally never stop pushing that royal money away and giving it to other people.

Toph complains every year when zuko’s letters go around about how much she’s “roughing it” and Zuko fully knows she is not roughing it but sends the money anyway because he loves her so much

Zuko literally going around and asking the more marginalized members of the Fire Nation what he can do as far as changing laws to help them. Eager, young Zuko hanging out in queer bars and the streets and anywhere he can just to ask his people how he can help because that’s all he wants to do: make the Fire Nation an easier and better place to live in than it was when he was a child

hollypunkers

kind of obsessed with the idea of the rest of the gaang leaving Toph and Zuko to watch over some cooking food and when they come back its burned and Katara starts fuming but Toph and Zuko are like “we’ve never stepped inside a kitchen in our lives and only have one eye between us, if anything it’s your fault”

marauders4evr

Okay, so I just got shampoo in my eye (luckily my blind eye; it could have been a lot worse) and as I was grabbing said part of my face in complete agony, it hit me…that’s exactly how Zuko got his scar. Not the ‘shampoo’ bit, the ‘grabbing the face’ bit. Ozai put his hand to Zuko’s face is what I’m getting at.

I guess part of me always knew that, because his scar does look a lot like a handprint:

But still, whenever I thought about the agni kai, I’d imagine Ozai standing over his thirteen-year-old son and firing haphazardly like:

But no, I think he brings his hand right up to Zuko’s face.

Which would explain, you know, this:

At first, I thought that he backhanded Zuko, like Azula does here.

But when I looked up these photos, it hit me (no pun intended) that we’ve probably seen the exact move that Ozai made:

Just at a different angle, because I imagine that he was standing over Zuko, due to the whole symbolism of height differences.

Still, I think he slowly brought his fire-encased hand up to Zuko’s face and held it there, burning him, just like he was about to do with Aang. The difference being that Aang is able to deflect the attack: