I've watched ATLA in 2020 and I didn't cling onto it due to the mental issues I had. A really beautiful and flawed show didn't fully get through my head back then - which is suprising! Because nowdays, everytime I re-watch the show, the lines are so well done and hits me to the core every time. I became a better person because of the show! I still have issues but they're somewhat mangable.
I've became such a huge fan of Roku around late 2023 due to a popular creator named Kyoshist and he's definitely one of the characters of all time. At least, to me. He's so interesting that I would jump out of my chair every time he appears fully on-screen. "The Avatar and The Fire Lord" episode really had me on chokehold as well, as it explores Roku's character even more alongside with Sozin.
While, yes, Book 1 tends to be forgettable because it is the start of the show - Sozin is actually merely mentioned, given the fact that he named the comet after him. He is reffered as "Fire Lord Sozin" by Roku and then later in Book 3, he is reffered as "Prince Sozin," "My Best Friend" and "Best Man."
In comics, Sozin is called as a "brother" to which I deemed it uncanon because the writing in the comics really made me believe that's where Roku is getting the hatred from because he is kinda.. out of character? He seems agressive and insistent which is nothing like Roku at all, while I appreciate the warming hug between Aang and Roku - I'm still infuriated with what they even wrote about Roku.
Moving on, Rozin is also a ship that just goes hard. So hard that there's at least I made various different alternate universes about them, whether it be the good, the bad, and "whatever the hell is this." There's this Castlevania [Netflix] AU, where Sozin is Dracula and Roku as Lisa Tepes.
When they first both met, Roku comes to Sozin as he was researching to improve medicine and wanted to become a doctor. Initially, Sozin threatened him due to his distrust of humans. It surprises Sozin that Roku showed no fear towards him, and instead encourages him to travel like an ordinary person to see that the world is constantly changing. Roku showed him some worthiness in humanity and influenced Sozin. Finding a man he knew for a little somehow manages to enter his heart, he welcomed Roku to his home while bowing to him.
Eventually, they get married and had a son together named Azulon. To his husband's requirement, Sozin traveled across the world to learn more about people and mankind. During his travels, he met and befriended two people that become his allies. However, the joyous days between the family comes to an end. Roku was accused and arrested for "witchcraft," their little home burned to the ground as he is been dragged to the town square, where a bishop had him burned alive at the stake. Even though fire burned around Roku, he pleaded to Sozin not to take vengeance upon on the people, for they do not know what they were doing.
Unfortunately, Sozin did not hear him.
Shortly after Roku's execution, Sozin discovered their little home no longer a home but burnt to ashes. He learned from the woman who was a client of Roku, who told him about his execution while laying down the flowers as she couldn't bare to watch him turned into a charred corpse. Furious, Sozin ultimately left his human identity and warned the woman to take her family with her to leave this place before teleporting away in a pillar of fire, It is to honor his love for the man who had tried to teach him to care for humanity. Soon after, Sozin's visage appeared to where Roku is reduced to nothing but flames. He judged all humanity, promising them that he'll wipe them all for their crimes while granting them make peace with God/Agni (?) within one year. Upon learning that Sozin had begun summoning an army from 'Hell,' 19-year old Azulon begged him not to kill the innocent people for retribution, Sozin did not listen. Azulon fought him but was swiftly triumph over, leaving him with a nasty, huge scar across his chest and was allowed to leave afterwards.
I put this in "what the hell is this" category of AU's because I have not watched Castlevania for a year and I'm planning to re-watch it while also beating myself up internally that I also need to watch Nocturne as well! I kind of just copy-paste from the wiki while also do a little synthesis and try to made it from my own writing. I'm really into the word-building, the characters, the religious themes, It's so.. AAAAAAA. Like, I want to talk about this to anyone but I am also the same person who'd put ATLA characters in an aussie cartoon called "Bluey" or play dressing games so that I could make them all, like, okay..
..I have no idea what I'm even rambling about and I probably got you guys also confused as well. So, to end this ridiculously long confession about my obsession with the Rozin ship that somehow found me, Trans (FTM) Roku rules because I'm Trans and oomfs if you know me, you don't! I am a coward!
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