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I posted this over on tumblr too.

So I was reading Shadow of Kyoshi and I found two little things that pertain to the upbringing and social rules of the Fire Nation. The first is, “Avatar Szeto was an ideal for us officials to live up to, and a shining example of Fire Nation values in general. Efficiency, precision, and loyalty.” And the second is, “I Know it sounds frivolous and wasteful but appearances matter in the palace. Fire Nation nobles dress and act to represent their clan affiliation and rank. Our peers notice our smallest choices and assign meaning and intentions to them.”

I think that both of these serve as more proof that Azula is the product of her upbringing and environment. The Fire Nation is a stern and hostile place to be raised in, especially for nobility and royalty. And I think that this is a huge factor in why Azula is the way she is. It’s why I don’t like it when people call her a sociopath. I would argue that she has a very deep understanding of people and societal etiquette but on a very political level. She was so awkward at the party because the lower class operates rather differently than the nobility does.

So I’ll get into the first quote first because I think that there is less to unpack there. I think that Azula embodies Fire Nation ideals just as much as Szeto. But she is what happens when those values are twisted, bastardized, and corrupted. Azula was raised on the aforementioned values but by the time her era of the Fire Nation came about, the corruption was well and festering. For it, she learned to be efficient, precise, and loyal but in a more sinister way. By all means Azula is all of these things; she is dangerously efficient (conquering Ba Sing Se while gaining important intel), she is precise (this has been quoted in canon), and she is loyal. Her loyalty lies with Ozai and her Nation.

This loyalty is what makes her a more grey antagonist. I think that Azula truly thought that she was doing right. And by all means she was doing right by her people as far as she was concerned. The problem is that what was best for the Fire Nation was detrimental to the other Nations, hence why it is perceived as evil. I think that deep down Azula wanted to bring glory and honor to her nation and per her nation’s values, she was doing good.

This loyalty though was also twisted by Ozai. Because, perhaps more than she was to her nation, Azula was loyal to him. His twisted ideals and values were projected onto and ingrained into her until they became her own. And this is what I think lead her to the darker side of things. Ozai was a corrupt lead her and the corruption, via Azula’s loyalty to him, spread to her.

But this wasn’t the only thing that lead to Azula becoming Azula. The second quote is a very good example of exactly why the princess is such a perfectionist. It is noted that appearance is heavily regarded in the Fire Nation, specifically in the palace. The palace where Azula was born and raised. This is why one hair out of place is so devesting to Azula. Ozai isn’t the only one who drilled perfection into her. The Fire Nation as a whole has done this. She was brought up in a place where "peers notice our smallest choices.” Where the teeniest details are scrutinized. Azula was raised in an environment where she constantly had to be aware all the time. She literally could not just be a child. Especially not with a father like Ozai who was hellbent on weaponizing her too. From the start she was groomed for war and politics. And part of this grooming probably included putting a large emphasis on her physical appearance to the point where one hair out of place is means for concern.

Because one hair out of place can indicate weakness (”and assign meaning and intentions to them”). Everything Azula did at public functions and war meetings would be analyzed by potential foes and so every detail needed to be worked out; every action, every clothing article, every hairpiece.

Combining this with the need for precision and efficacy, you have a very dangerous combo. With all of the above in mind two things are apparent for me; that it’s no wonder Azula finally cracked and fell apart and that she isn’t an inherently evil/socially inept person. She is literally an embodiment of her Nation’s values and societal rules. People constantly say that she is an extension of Ozai and his views; I do agree with this. But I think that it goes beyond that; she is an extension of the Fire Nation as a whole and the corruption within it, not just of Ozai.
I nudged Katara and she woke up.
“Aang?” she asked. “Did you have a nightmare?”
“Well, yes,” I said, “but that’s not why I woke you up.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Happy Birthday!” I said, pulling out a card from my pocket. She opened it and it read:

Katara:

I hope your birthday is one of the best days of your life.

Love,
Aang

P.S.: We’re going somewhere special today.

Katara’s face lit up. “Oh, thank you, Aang!” she exclaimed, hugging me.
“Oh, it was no big deal,” I said. “Come on, the others are up. We all planned a party for you, and after that, it’s just you and...
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added by pumpkinqueen
Source: tumblr
After her incident with Jet, Azula has decided to stay away from him. She has been trying to forget him but she couldn't get him out of her head. Her father for weeks has been trying to get rid of him. Each time he's failed. So he summoned Azula because he had a plan. "Princess Azula, as you know I've been trying to get that rebel out of the way. However as you've noticed I've failed at it several times." started Ozai with an emotionless face.

Azula than smiles with slight satisfaction "Well than it looks like you're game is over. This rebel is beating every single curse you throw at him."

Ozai...
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added by samoangirl96
by Tulok the Barbrarian
video
prince
zuko
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added by ThePrincesTale
Source: instagram.com/ildraws/?hl=en
posted by zanhar1
No sooner had he thrown the first fire ball was he tossed to the dirt outside. They had him hugely outnumbered, he couldn't have possibly won. At least that's the excuse he made for himself. Truth be told, the days attending political meetings and signing peace treaties had him pretty out of shape where bending was concerned. It didn't help that there was a chi blocker in the equation.

And so he found himself laying there face down on the ground—unable to pick himself up.

His nose crinkled up as a cricketspider tiptoed its way through the grass. If he could flinch he certainly would. Cricketspiders...
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Ooh, looks like I'm wrapping up the first season. I might do a full review on the season later, actually. But first, why don't I finish reviewing the episodes? Keep in mind this is just my opinion, and we may disagree, so respect my opinion and I will respect yours. Enjoy the article! :)


The Deserter.
Actually, out of all the Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes, it's been the longest since I have seen this one. Nevertheless, I will still review it, because I still remember it pretty well. I like how they get into a topic they haven't yet.. Actually getting ready to learn elements besides...
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A burning sensation danced agonizingly over her body. The day was already humid, suffocating so. But this…
This was something else.
Not only was her head pounding furiously and her lungs straining against the heat, but her skin was smoldering, blistering…but without showing so physically.
The pain wasn’t skin deep it burrowed deeper, to her core. Leaving her bones feeling a mock sensation of melting away.
Her muscles a sense of uselessness.
Her heart aching in such a way that she could swear it was ready to burst…at least that’s what illusion told her.

She buckled to the floor gripping...
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added by avatar_tla_fan
Her feet hit hard on the pavement, kicking up dirt and shredding the grass as she went along.

She had to get away.

Had to make it out of that dreadful place.

She had no clue where she was going, but she had to get there.

She could hear her brother calling to her. He said he wanted to help her. Unfortunately for dear Zu-Zu, Azula didn’t want him to help her. He’d ‘helped’ enough already.

She could have sworn she heard her mother tell him to stop chasing her. But for all Azula knew, that could be some sort of trap, a trick of some kind. She couldn’t take any chances so she just kept...
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added by dustfinger
Credit goes to ChaosWerewolf. Her videos are awesome
video
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added by SylarNight
^^ only pics. made by SylarNight (aka ChaosWerewolf on Youtube)
video
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zuko
the last airbender
amv
Once again, we're very happy for Audrey to have won FOTM- she deserves it by far! I messaged her some questions (most of them I stole from Carolyn o_O), and she answered them (a whole lot quicker than I did last time, too)

Q: What's your favorite song? What's your favorite music genre?
A: Frigga by Corner Stone Cues. Ilike all kinds of music, but I mostly like clasical. 

Q: If you woke up one day to find yourself in the Avatar universe, what would be the very first thing you did? 
A: Ohhh! Hard one... Ummm... I would find Team Avatar and go around helping them. Either that, or I'd steal Aang...
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posted by avatarluver990
After hours of copying each other's answers, and hours of playing video games and eating nothing but junk, Rex went home, and I was left watching television in the living room, while my dad fixed dinner and my little brother was upstairs in his room being loud as ever. My grandfather came downstairs, and smiled when he saw me.
"Couldn't take a nap with little Aniuk making a racket." he chuckled.
I chuckled back. "You can watch T.V. with me, Grandpa."
My grandfather smiled warmly at me, and sat next to me on the couch
"By the way, Anyu, who was that young fellow here earlier?" he asked.
"Oh, that...
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posted by Waterwhip
Yue stared at the note in complete confusion and horror. What kind of sick joke was this? What kind of awful person would pretend to be her brother? Hon was dead, even if she did hate to admit it. The proof was almost as good as seeing it with her own eyes. Though curiousity pricked through her parka. Without hesitiation, she tore open the envelope and held up the letter to the light burning in through the large window. It read:
Dear Yue,
I heard what happened and I am very concerned. More like, more concerned. Please feel better.
Love,
Hon

Yue was even more doubtful when she finished reading...
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posted by greenstergirl
Sydney:

I woke up on the couch. I was shivering even if I had millions of blankets on top of me. The only people in the room were Aang, Toph and Micheal. Aang sat on the other couch unconscious with a bloody bandage around his head. Toph kept feeding him soup and feeling his forehead.

"Micheal?" I asked confused. He nodded and held my hand.

"I'm here. It's 2 a.m. I wasn't going to leave your sight.

"What?" I asked confused while rubbing my aching head.

"A couple months ago I had a dream from Aang. It was before I met you. I'm your protector Sydney. No more said."

I sighed. "Micheal, we have bad...
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posted by greenstergirl
With my eyes glowing blue and a burst of electric power filling every inch of my body I was vulnerable. But I wasn't scared. And anyway, I wasn't about to kill this girl, that would be a bit violent. So instead I froze her in a gigantic block of ice and earth bended it all the to my house's back yard. We needed some questions to be answered.

After I texted Sam to come help me I tried to heal Aang with my water bending. I had always had trouble with water bending. It was my opposite element. I hated it. Ice.....snow.....water....they are such cold forms. They put out fires. They have no life....
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posted by greenstergirl
Sorry it took me A LONG TIME too write this down.

Butterflies danced in the pit of my stomach as I sat on the brown leather couch in the hospital waiting room. Out of all the people in the room, and I knew this for a fact, I was the most nervous and excited for Katara. Her, Zuko, and my mom were in the labor room down the big doors we couldn't go in until the baby was born. Kayla and Kyra each sat on the other couch across from me. They were silent, not a single word left their lips in the past 2 hours.

Kayla, Kyra, Sam, my dad, my mom and me all came to the hospital. My mom was in the room...
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