First of all, ehhhhh

Zuko gets adopted by [insert character here]

I rewatched both shows at the same time, of course this was gonna happen

 (i know Ed’s leg is in the opposite side shh)

I have had to block a few people for responding to my Ursa post with all the ways Azula really isn’t at fault for her actions, and Ursa is awful. Hilariously, one of the people writing this also wrote that there was no point in writing meta asserting Azula’s culpability for her actions, because everybody thinks she is. Okay.

Anyway, other than Azula’s supposed blamelessness, there is a common theme to these reblogs, and that is the idea that Ursa and Iroh focused on Zuko, and if they had given Azula equal effort she could have been saved like her brother.

Iroh obviously did focus his efforts on Zuko. He went into exile with him after all. But the show and a little logic makes the reason for this apparent. Before Iroh even arrives home from the front, Azula makes it clear that she does not respect him, in fact she scorns him and is happy at the prospect of his death:

Azula is even crueler after Lu Ten’s death:

This is of course Ozai’s influence. Azula hasn’t seen her uncle since she was six. However, it does go to show that Azula is not receptive to any overture Iroh might make upon his return, while Zuko is. Ozai has done an excellent job of isolating Azula from his brother’s potential influence, and ensuring that she will listen to her father, and dismiss any advice or affection Iroh might give as worthless. The only way Iroh would have any real hope of building the kind of relationship with Azula he would need to be able to help her, would be to extract her from her father’s influence and power for a very long time, something he does not have the power to do. Iroh focuses on Zuko because Zuko lets him in. Zuko isn’t getting the glut of affirmation from Ozai that Azula is, so Iroh has something to offer him that he wants desperately. And then Ozai banishes Zuko, giving Iroh exactly the opportunity he would never get with Azula.

Ursa meanwhile does not in fact focus all her attention on Zuko. We actually see her trying to curtail Azula’s cruelty, and just as importantly, trying to reinforce pro-social behavior and healthy interaction with her brother:

Critically, before Azula approaches, her mother, she says to Ty Lee, “Watch this.” This shows Ursa’s attempt to encourage her daughter’s good behavior is not a one off. It’s a pattern that Azula can predict and manipulate.

However, Ursa is unable to overcome Ozai’s influence because he is always there to praise Azula and tell her how unjust her mother is every time Ursa tries to stop her cruel behavior, and because she had no access at all to Azula, or for that matter Zuko, after she turned eight.

The idea that Iroh and Ursa are responsible for Azula’s choices and emotional problems, and that they unfairly favored Zuko over her, and this is why Azula and Zuko turned out the way they did, presupposes the two of them having magical healing abilities that they used on Zuko and not on Azula, instead of acknowledging the ways in which Ozai’s power and favoritism shut off any opportunities they had to help Azula as a child.

AU where the war ends for (reasons), Fire Lord Azulon is still on the throne, and the Southern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation are struggling to broker a truce. So the Fire Nation decides that the best way to foster peace is with an arranged marriage.

Hakoda would never force any of his people to go through with this, so as the chief, he steps up and agrees to marry, no matter how much his heart still aches for Kya. Katara and Sokka are furious on their dad’s behalf, and agree to make things difficult for their future “”””step-parent”””

But Fire Lord Azulon has Ozai whispering in his ear, so the person he sends to the Southern Water Tribe is 16yo Prince Zuko. The least useful royal.

The Fire Nation ship arrives. No one had high hopes for this political marriage, but everyone is horrified when a terrified teenager steps onto the ice and introduces himself as Hakoda’s future spouse.

Zuko is quietly freaking out, but trying to hide it. Azula and other people at the palace have been whispering about how dangerous and violent and savage the Water Tribe Chief is. Hakoda seems polite, but he’s so much bigger than Zuko and the same age as his father, and Zuko has no choice but to marry him for the sake of his nation. 

Except Hakoda isn’t having any of that. There’s no way he’s marrying a scared kid the same age as his son. The deal is off. How can he keep negotiating with the Fire Lord, who sent his terrified grandson to the other side of the world to marry a man twice his age?? No fucking way.

Cue Zuko being adopted into the Water Tribe family. And who knows, maybe Katara and Sokka will take Zuko out in a canoe to work off some steam, and they’ll accidentally discover a certain frozen monk that helps them bring about real peace.

@lrainia2 tags: #cue Prince Iroh - dragon of the west - decorated war hero of the fire nation#stepping off the boat behind zuko like#‘hi yes i am here and no i will NOT leave’#‘and also f you dare touch my precious nephew please remember i literally breath fire’#for once iroh skips all the polite dottering old man act#or wait even better#no one else at the palae knew until zuko was gone#and also lu ten lives au#so poor scared zuko shows up at the SWT#and then a week later Lu Ten shows up#‘wait there has been a mistake *I* will marry you instead’#and then a week after THAT Iroh shows up#‘no *I* will marry the water tribe cheif’#and the entire SWT is very suddenly thinking#‘okay how do we get *these* guys on the throne instead’

Hakoda doesn’t want to marry anyone, but suddenly there’s three Fire Nation royals demanding that THEY’RE going to be the one to marry him. 

Bato thinks it’s both horrifying and hilarious. 

a modern Zukka coffee shop AU where Sokka is a barista and the only tension in their relationship is Zuko being too afraid to tell Iroh about his coffee addiction

coming out as gay to Iroh was a breeze, ozai never hated zuko for being gay after all, that’s just another part of who he is, ozai hated zuko for other reasons, because he’s an asshole

coming out to iroh as a coffee addict? the most difficult, cue mental breakdown, sweating, fainting, la dramatique

iroh is equally dramatic about this: how could a member of my own family betray me like this

iroh: *sees sokka* oh i see you are dating my nephew that’s very nice

iroh: BUT COFFEE? HOW COULD YOU?! I PRACTICALLY RAISED YOU *sobs into zuko’s shoulder*

Better still if Sokka was working at like… Generic Coffee Chain, its not even good coffee, its just coffee Zuko has progressed passed any point of needing good, he and Sokka only even started talking when Sokka expressed concern about the ‘black with four shots of espresso’ order three times in one day.

Zuko: Uncle please, it’s just hot water with leaves in it, I know you love tea-

Iroh: Coffee is just beans! You would rather drink beans?!

Zuko: I KNEW YOU’D ACT LIKE THIS!

Iroh: You LOVE my jasmine tea!

Zuko: I lied!

Iroh, sobbing: HOW COULD YOU?!

Sokka, sitting silently between them, absolutely flabbergasted, 👉🏽👈🏽😬

I just want a scene where Zuko, who still works at Iroh’s tea shop, is sweeping the floor, and gazing with extreme pining, at the coffee shop opposite them 

Everyone thinks it’s because he has this huge unrequited crush on the barista who works there, but it’s actually because it’s been two hours since he got his caffeine fix

As for the barista, they’re in a solid committed relationship that’s going super well, that’s not why Zuko is being a drama queen about ‘what i can’t have’ and whining to Mai over text about ‘chances not taken’

its about the hot bean juice

its about the hot bean juice 👌🤯

Zuko writing poems about forbidden desires, everyone who reads it like ‘whoa’, but it’s just about coffee. Local prestigious tea shop vs. generic megachain coffee and his heart is torn between what is familiar and what he cannot have. Zuko gazes longingly at every coffee shop he sees and like nine different barists in town all think he’s in love with him, Sokka is the first one to actually act on it and Zuko is thrown back but like…. cute guy (who may have an employee discount???) he’s in.

Iroh, glaring at Sokka, “So you’re a coffee man too, then?”

Sokka, thinking back to his car full of empty energy drink cans, “I don’t know if you’re in the right place emotionally to hear about me.”

Iroh, post Zuko ‘coming out’ about coffee: I miss my nephew so much *sniffs*

Zuko: IM RIGHT HERE

Iroh: sometimes, it is as if I can still hear his voice

Sokka, mid-making out with Zuko, at his apartment: wait, you did order all of that coffee cause you were trying to get an excuse to talk to me right?

Zuko: ok so first you have to promise not to get mad

their first real relationship crisis happens when Zuko stops visiting the coffee shop all the time because he finally caved and got a Keurig

in summary, Zuko and Sokka share one braincell and it’s usually out of commission due to a caffeine crash

Zuko: Uncle, you can’t stay mad at me forever.

Iroh: One is not mad at the ocean for changing the shape of the shore but may still mourn for the loss of what they once remembered.

Sokka: …again, we are just talking about COFFEE!

Sokka one day proposes with writing ‘Marry Me?’ on an Espresso maker and leaving it in the kitchen with a bow. Zuko takes one look at it and swoons, “Yes, I will marry you EspressMaker3000.”

Sokka, behind him with flowers, “Uh, you mean me, right?”

Zuko, jumping out of his skin, “Sokka?! You’re here???”

ten years later 

zuko: uncle, im so sorry for what i did *cries*

iroh: *pulls him into a hug*

zuko: how can you forgive me so easily?

iroh: i was never upset with you, i thought you had lost your way

zuko: i did lose my way

(sokka in the background just CANNOT anymore with his husband and uncle-in-law)

iroh: but you found it again, and you did it by yourself

(sokka in the background, lying on the floor: WHY)

zuko’s redemption arc was weaning himself off coffee to set a good example for izumi and that’s how he found tea once again

zuko, in bed with sokka one night: i know im not the person you fell in love with

sokka: if this is about coffee im filing for divorce, GO TO BED

A very short comic I made for @muffinlance​ ‘s “Zuko get’s offered a job with Ba Sing Se’s lower ring law enforcement following his fight with Jet in the tea shop AU” Original post about the idea can be found here.

It’s a shame that Zuko spent about half of Book 2 working in customer service and we never got a chance to see how on he’d deal with That Customer™ You know the one.

realized a little too late that I made a rookie mistake on the shot-reverse shot on page 3

Enjoy!

Can we just take a moment to talk about the adorably oversized bow Zuko just tied for his apron? That is some anime-magical-girl level of bow-mastery. I can’t even.

Also the dialogue and expressions here are so perfect, especially Uncle’s quip about his nephew’s discretion. <3

Also also: *Uncle lets Zuko make that customer’s tea* *Zuko literally comes back with a cup of boiled water, sets it down so hard it sloshes* *that customer is super sad when Zuko quits, because no one else makes tea quite like him*

Zuko: “The secret ingredient is complete distain.”

yo.... when jet breaks in the tea shop and accuses zuko and iroh of beinh firebenders....

do you think any of the patrons looked at zukos scarred face - obviously done by a firebender - and immediately think jet was an asshole? like

jet: hes a firebender!!!!

patrons, thinking about the backstory they concocted for zuko and iroh where their home was invaded by firebenders and they barely survived with their lifes so they could come and have a peaceful life selling tea in a city the war doesnt touch:

Everybody watched the Dai Li drag Jet off and was like, you two okay? You need a hug? Here let me help clean up all this furniture and tip heavily.

Then a few months later the old man is breathing fire in the streets and a week after that they see a picture of the new Firelord.

Their brains be all like

I keep seeing great posts about zuko and iroh in ba sing se, please never stop

ok but if bruce wayne somehow came upon zuko fresh out of banishment he would lose his mind.

black hair? check. bad parent(s)? check. trauma? double check.

bruce: how’d you get your scar?

zuko: my dad got mad at me for saying that killing people is wrong so he lit my face on fire and banished me.

bruce, vibrating with excitement, already pulling adoption papers from his utilility: that’s terrible. how do you feel about capes.

also this

Ok so..... My hand did a thing...

@sohotthateveryonedied​

i keep crying every time i look at his face

im going to say it: I’m actually so proud of this meme, like you know how difficult it was to find a season 1 scene where Zuko does the two emotions I needed him to convey to make this meme?

Iroh: Why do you need to know?

Zuko: I need to regain it!

Iroh: No, nephew. We’ve been planning this tea shop for three months!

Zuko: My future is in danger!

Iroh: Your safety is in danger!

Zuko: This is for the greater good!

Iroh: Greater good?! Look deep inside yourself, Zuko! What path you choose will decide the outcome. It may be one of ruin, or it may be one for the better of yourself and others- one of the greatest goods you’ll ever receive.

doing the obligatory atla rewatch rn, and so far the main rewatch-value takeaway has been Uncle POV Unlocked 

big thoughts about the little apartment where zuko learned how to be happy

everybody’s heard “lee from the jasmine dragon is the firelord??!!” but may i propose another: “i tried to mug the DRAGON OF THE WEST?!” and then he made me tea?

Still and always thinking about modern slightly more real worldish Avatar AUs where Aang is from the 1920’s.

Aang: So are you going to bitch

Iroh, exactly old and well-read enough to know that this was slang for ‘make tea’ Aang could have conceivably picked up from someone Gyatso’s age: YES, I LOVE TO BITCH.

Zuko: wtf

Sokka: So that was like, gangster time, right? Did you ever break any laws

Aang: Not important ones.

Hey, I wanna talk about a piece of fridge brilliance (pun intended) in The Boiling Rock.

Specifically, about the Coolers. And about Zuko.

The Coolers are, first and foremost, a means of firebender suppression. They are invoked as a punishment against unsanctioned firebending. They are designed, specifically, to shut down firebenders who have toed out of line. Like the metal prison in Imprisoned, like the suspended cages in The Puppet Master, these are prison facilities designed with a specific sort of bender in mind.

So then - Zuko.

Why throw Zuko in the Cooler as part of the escape plan? He should be EXACTLY the sort of person the Cooler is designed to work most devastatingly against. It would almost make more sense to try to get Sokka thrown into the cooler - he’s from the South Pole at least. Or maybe Suki, who’s not a bender at all. But they choose Zuko. And he’s successful. Subjected to the most severe form of firebender suppression in the Fire Nation’s most high-profile prison, Zuko is able to dismantle the Cooler and walk away smiling.

Why? 

I want to walk you through some facts:

In a tidbit of behind-the-scenes trivia, it was revealed that airbenders can regulate their body temperature with their breath alone. This is why Aang is so weirdly comfortable traveling around the South and North Pole (and really any climate in the series) in his normal monk garb. Everyone else changes outfits to reflect the changing climate, but not Aang, his breath has that covered.

It would be quite useful if a technique like that could be adapted to another style of bending. The same way that a waterbender’s redirection of their opponent’s energy could be adapted to the redirection of a firebender’s lightning. I bet the man who invented lightning redirection by studying waterbending would have some brilliant insight into using the breath for warmth by studying airbending.

In fact, that exact man tells Zuko “Remember your breath of fire. It could save your life out there.” back in Siege of the North. We see Zuko use his breath to warm himself that very episode, per his uncle’s instructions.

And we see Zuko use his breath of fire in one other case:

To endure the cooler.

I’m willing to bet - Breath of Fire, as a means to keep oneself warm, is not a native firebending technique. If it was, the whole concept of the Cooler would be laughable. Any prisoner would just Breath-o-Fire himself warm in there, and the prison guards would all collectively say “oh wow, the Cooler was a stupid idea, time for a new plan.”

But we know a traditional firebender would be sapped so cold in the Cooler that his firebending becomes unusable. If Zuko were relying on traditional firebending techniques, the same would happen to him. But he’s not.

Zuko’s Breath of Fire is an airbending technique. 

One that Iroh taught him. One the Fire Nation has no precedent for. One which lets Zuko ward off the freezing effects of the Cooler like it’s nothing, and allows him to dismantle it from the inside and come away smiling, unhindered, unaffected, warm to his core. 

It’s another case of Iroh’s brilliance. And I’m betting he and Zuko may be the only two firebenders in the world who could pull this off.

Ever since I lost my son…I think of you as my own.

Because I am having so many Zuko feels since his older version was released. I can’t even. I just. Just can’t *_*

So I had to draw some Iroh-Zuko, since it’s one of my all time favourite relationships ever. And I know, Iroh is so so so proud<3

And I kind of have this headcanon in which Zuko and Iroh haven’t seen each other in a while, considering Zuko is busy with his Fire Lord duties, and Iroh is far away in the Earth Kingdom..I bet Zuko came for some calming jasmine tea.<3