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Arsonist's Lullaby: An Azula Timeloop Quest

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[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.
 
[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?

One of my favorite things is the parallels between Iroh and Azula, that the show barely explores but are there to pick up on if you look, both the golden child favored by their fathers and exploited for their skills, both have noted strategic acumen and are extremely skilled firebenders (nevermind the connection through Ba Sing Se), and I think a big portion of why Iroh never reached out to or sought to understand Azula in the way he did Zuko is subconsciously he sees his younger self in Azula and Iroh hates his younger self. Just utterly disassociates from what he did prior to Lu Ten's death.
 
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[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.
 
Crilltic said:
[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?

One of my favorite things is the parallels between Iroh and Azula, that the show barely explores but are there to pick up on if you look, both the golden child favored by their fathers and exploited for their skills, both have noted strategic acumen and are extremely firebenders (nevermind the connection through Ba Sing Se), and I think a big portion of why Iroh never reached out to or sought to understand Azula in the way he did Zuko is subconsciously he sees his younger self in Azula and Iroh hates his younger self. Just utterly disassociates from what he did prior to Lu Ten's death.
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this is a really good point that I had not noticed before and makes me all the more interested in choosing the iroh vote option
 
Holy shit Iroh came in! What an emotional moment!
Magery said:
The Dragon of the West, straightening up from his crouch, considers it with cold, unsmiling focus.
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And oh damn Iroh is here!
Magery said:
"—Iroh, uncle of Zuko, uncle of Azula, son of Azulon, brother of Ozai, and I challenge you, Princess Azula, to an Agni Kai."
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And double damn Iroh is going to be the one to fight and kill her! The guilt and regret he'll face for that must be massive.
Magery said:
"If you wanted me to listen to a word you've said, Uncle," you say, hurling the Fire Lord's cloak to the side as easily as your Father hurled it to you, "then maybe—"

(—he shouldn't have been so late.)
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Yeah that must sting only at the end does he finally reach out to Azula and even then it's only to fight her.
Magery said:
You're just going to save them because, after everything, they're still your friends.
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Yay look progress she's mentally calling them friends and needs no reason beyond that to save them I'm so happy for her!

[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 feel fitting after what just happened.
 
I think we should look at what would set us up to investigate our father. Basically, things that would cause us to lose faith in him.

My guess is Ursa does that, though maybe Iroh.

[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] 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.
 
[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.
 
[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?
 
[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?
 
[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?

so many good options
 
Well... I think it depends on what we want and what each options liable to open...

Iroh, will give his story, what happened to him and possibly reveal his connections/ the white lotus and the location of the dragons... Also gives Azula more family drama (which I love to see given how dumped on Azula has been by canon)

Sozins... Do we want to see her try to comprehend why Sozin acted (ambition and fear of roku), discover her relation to Avatar Roku and possibly shake her belief in the fire nations necessity to massacre everyone (I mean... The air temple massacre will probably be in the records and the reality of it that wasn't so heavily censored)

Do we want to have her grow as a person and move past her family trauma? Or Traumatise her moral?

Same with Ursa as a ith Iroh regarding family trauma, though without the bending/lotus... And maybe slowly learning she's not a monster/was failed by her family...


I'm personally interested in seeing her pedestal crumble after learning her bloodlines history.


[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?
 
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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?

I mean we just fought him and we had a revelation because of him. Why not make some more revelations?
 
[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.
 
[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?
 
Ah, character growth. We love to see it!

[ 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'm fine with any of the options, but I think I like this one best.
 
Magery said:
—and one by one, they begin to burn blue.
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Many words were said about everything else in this chapter — but this moment was beautiful. Thank you for writing this, @Magery .

Magery said:
he says eventually, quiet the way the battlefield is, once only corpses remain
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Can I steal this turn of phrase, please?

Magery said:
crowd who are all intensely fixated on the three of you—the four, when Ty Lee skids to a stop on your other side
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I think it should be "four" and "five."
 
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