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Arsonist's Lullaby: An Azula Timeloop Quest

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Wiggy said:
It seems to be left deliberately ambiguous. Which is a bit of a shame, I'd have loved to see that fight lol.

That Iroh confrontation was everything I'd hoped from a reunion between the two of them. Wonder what butterflied him to show up, just her not going to the air temple let them meet back up with Iroh?
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My own read here is that Iroh was, well, late. By the way the Narrative breaks, it seems almost like the challenge came at the exact moment Azula is returned to the beginning.

[X] Your mother. Zuko is obsessed with her. He won't hear a word against her—won't even think that she's capable of doing wrong. Especially not when you're the one saying it. But Lo and Li have been around since before Zuko was born. They've seen it all. They know it all. They can give you the evidence you need to finally drive home to Zuko only he was ever loved—and prove you right that you were not.
 
Randino Treviani said:
Also, not even an initial exchange?! Tease!!
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Seriously, ascendant lightning master Azula vs Iroh at his peak, both of them amped up on the comet? Jeez, that would be a fight to remember.
The Phoenixian said:
My own read here is that Iroh was, well, late. By the way the Narrative breaks, it seems almost like the challenge came at the exact moment Azula is returned to the beginning.
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Nah, it did the same thing with the fight against Zuko at the end of last loop. She even notes she has about 12 hours left in the chapter.
 
[x] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
Magery said:
"It is Zuko's destiny to guide our country to a future of peace and order." Iroh shakes his head slowly, the white of his mantle stained red by the Comet-torn sky. "We have lived astray too long."
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Also, now Zuko has a destiny? He's not supposed to choose his own? You really are the families biggest hypocrite Iroh.
Wiggy said:
So who exactly is she reminding Iroh of with her attempt to stab him in his grief? Ozai? Azulon?
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Azulon and Zuko. The desire to hurt, to punish hypocrisy by striking as deeply emotionally as possible is all Azulon, but the hurt, the rage, the need to lash out, is all start of the series Zuko.
 
Magery said:
"I never thought I'd see the day." There's no satisfaction in your smile. Just dark amusement. "I'm almost impressed you never put it together, Zuzu. Your ability to repress obvious truths about the world just because they're inconvenient to your worldview is truly admirable."

You carefully ignore Mai's raised eyebrow.
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Oh Azula, you and your brother are more alike than you think :V
[x] Sozin. The visionary. The genius. The conqueror. Every living person in the world must know his name—and for the last hundred years, most of the dead as well. What led him there? What made him decide to burn the world down, a century before you ever thought the same? And at the end… what did he think of it all?
I'm most interested in hearing about Sozin, though Iroh would be fine too considering everything that happened this chapter.
 
[x] Sozin. The visionary. The genius. The conqueror. Every living person in the world must know his name—and for the last hundred years, most of the dead as well. What led him there? What made him decide to burn the world down, a century before you ever thought the same? And at the end… what did he think of it all?
 
[x] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
I have always felt sorry for Azula.

...no. That is a lie. There was a time when I was younger, and I still believed in villains. And I believed Azula was one, but - her shattering of the mirror shattered that idea. But still, there was a time I did not feel sorry for her, and then, shortly after, and for the rest of my days, I did.

I have never known why I felt so strongly that Azula should be redeemed. I have never known why I felt such pity for her. I have never known why the thought of her richly deserved punishment so deeply burned me.

After reading this update, I finally understand why I feel this way.

[x] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
[x] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?

This one makes the most narrative sense, for sure. Also it's just fun in general to see Iroh through Azula's eyes. Or, in this case, Iroh through Lo and Li's eyes?
 
[x] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
[X] Sozin. The visionary. The genius. The conqueror. Every living person in the world must know his name—and for the last hundred years, most of the dead as well. What led him there? What made him decide to burn the world down, a century before you ever thought the same? And at the end… what did he think of it all?
 
[X] Sozin. The visionary. The genius. The conqueror. Every living person in the world must know his name—and for the last hundred years, most of the dead as well. What led him there? What made him decide to burn the world down, a century before you ever thought the same? And at the end… what did he think of it all?

This can help shatter her blind faith In Ozai more than anything else.
 
Wiggy said:
So who exactly is she reminding Iroh of with her attempt to stab him in his grief? Ozai? Azulon?
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Also, the reverence for the position of Firelord is also very Azulon. There is an undertone throughout the story, that were it anyone other than Ozai discarding the title of Firelord, she would very much have a fight to pick with them. There is a respect and reverence for the title I don't think anyone in the family besides her and her namesake have ever held, not even Sozin.
ReignTorrential said:
This one makes the most narrative sense, for sure. Also it's just fun in general to see Iroh through Azula's eyes. Or, in this case, Iroh through Lo and Li's eyes?
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It's fun to imagine the fire nations two oldest gossiping grannies having story time about the series fans favorite old man from when he was in diapers to what rumors reached them of his time on Zuko's ship with a Azula who is very inclined to think the worst of him at the moment.
 
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[x] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
[x] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?

A loop focused on Iroh feels most natural after how the last loop ended.
 
[X] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
I wonder if Azula's hangup about her mom will result in a Revelation like "Ozai didn't like Ursa's influence on Zuko so he made sure Azula would spend less time with her mother."
 
It's interesting to see how even after endless loops honing herself into possibly the greatest firebender alive, Azula is still so utterly cowed and intimidated by her father. She doesn't even consider the possibility that she could surpass or defeat him if she wanted.
 
[x] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
Woohoo update! Fuck you Ozai, for making Azula shy away from fire dancing. I love how deeply the flame touches her very being. Hell yeah Iroh confrontation! Seeing her mostly call him the Dragon of the West and him challenging her to the Agni Kai instead was juicy. I'm gonna enjoy my reread later. Let's keep up the Iroh momentum.

[X] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
Every time Azula tries to do something that Ozai can hurt her for doing, that he learns of, he will use it hurt her at the coronation.
 
[X] Your mother. Zuko is obsessed with her. He won't hear a word against her—won't even think that she's capable of doing wrong. Especially not when you're the one saying it. But Lo and Li have been around since before Zuko was born. They've seen it all. They know it all. They can give you the evidence you need to finally drive home to Zuko only he was ever loved—and prove you right that you were not.

Tbh, Iroh is prolly the better pick, but Azula's mother issues are fascinating and I'm wondering what kind of Ursa we're going to get, because the canonical Ursa from the comics is such a deeply shitty and awful person that basically everyone has to make a new take on her and I want to see the one for this quest.
 
[X] Sozin. The visionary. The genius. The conqueror. Every living person in the world must know his name—and for the last hundred years, most of the dead as well. What led him there? What made him decide to burn the world down, a century before you ever thought the same? And at the end… what did he think of it all?
 
[X] Sozin. The visionary. The genius. The conqueror. Every living person in the world must know his name—and for the last hundred years, most of the dead as well. What led him there? What made him decide to burn the world down, a century before you ever thought the same? And at the end… what did he think of it all?

Sozin's war is the axiom, the foundation of our reasoning and of the modern world. If we believe that we aren't seeing a fundamental truth, starting with the fundamentals is a good idea.
 
[X] Iroh. Coward. General. Prince. Once, he was the favoured heir, a legendary firebender, the greatest hero the Fire Nation had known since Sozin—now he's a pathetic, doddering fool who thinks he can make everything right with tears and tea. How did he fall so far? How can he possibly think he's still able to rise?
 
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