* HONOR

I really really REALLY hate to be this person, I don’t like asking for money or help like this, but I am running out of options: I’m Zim, your local Bisexual, 20 year old, Transmasc Demiboy. I am in the process of switching jobs to one that is mentally better for me, since I was working as a Patient Assistant at a hospital, but after my little brother’s sudden death in March, I have not been able to function well in the high stress of the hospital. I have serious PTSD from my brother’s death (and other things) and working there only triggers it further. I do not have enough money for therapy right now, so im stuck dealing with this on my own. 

I was working PRN at the hospital, which gave me a bit of breaktime to destress at home. Unfortunately, that also meant the hospital had the option to CALL ME OFF on days I was scheduled if they “did not need me”. Due to this I worked very little, even though I was scheduled for full time hours. I am living on my own, with my fiancé ( @/hivebreed ) in our apartment. The amount I pay for rent will leave me with very little until my next paycheck, which would only cushion so much. And at my new job that I start in a week, I will be making slightly less than I already was. 

I have a DEPOP shop, that has many varying items on it for sale. Collectables (some rare!), Shirts, pins, comics, etc! I am trying to put more items up as we speak. I am trying to make prices that are reasonable but also helpful for me. I AM ALSO OPEN TO HELP MAKE GRAPHICS OR ICONS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE RP BLOGS IN NEED OF SUCH THINGS! PRICES BEING PAY WHAT YOU CAN! I would love to get money in a way that also  gives something to you back, but if anyone here would be UP TO donating, my my PayPal is sugarhicccup and my is Venmo is dooom 

My and my partner’s blog @fireclaim​ are slightly canon divergent in that we follow the plot point presented in the comics where Ursa explains to her lover, Ikem, that Zuko is his son. 

Whereas the comics don’t follow through, I think this contrast between them would make sense given what we are told about Zuko. From an early age, it was doubtful whether or not he would be a bender. His skills were weak compared to Azula’s and while Ozai favoured his sister, Ursa overtly favoured Zuko, to the point of neglecting Azula. This is because he reminds her of the man she was supposed to marry before Ozai stole her from her village, while Azula, unfortunately, reminded her of the man she hated. 

Ozai discovered Zuko’s illegitimacy in an intercepted letter from Ursa. Azula knew, as well, but decided to keep this knowledge from Zuko until she was older. Despite appearances, she wanted to hold onto the illusion that their family was whole. 

Azula had a rather sheltered childhood that understandably stunted her emotional maturity. She was raised by tutors, royal advisors Lo and Li, and her father. She had limited contact with individuals her age, and her isolation only grew when Zuko was banished at the age of 12. When that occurred, Ozai pulled her out of the firebending academy for girls so that he could personally oversee her training and groom her as the rightful heir to the throne. When she sees Mai and Ty Lee in the show, that is the first time she’s seen them in four years. You can see examples of her stunted growth especially in “The Beach” episode. She wanted to see what it was like to be a normal teenaged girl and she became frustrated and jealous when she scared everyone away because that was all she learned in the palace– how to dominate and rule out of fear like her father. 

While we can see in the show that the fire nation has far more social mobility than the Earth kingdom, and more gender inclusion as both males and females are in the armed forces, arranged marriages are still common amongst noblewomen. Men are allowed to pay bride prices to other families for illegible wives in order to advance politically, and princesses are expected to enter these marriages to strengthen their nation. Ozai was a bit untraditional in that he never advocated for Azula to enter an arranged marriage, which most girls would have by the time they were 16. However, rather than doing this out of any sincere love for Azula (she would have had to get married eventually to continue the “pure royal bloodline”), he merely held off in order to prepare her for her role as fire lord– another anomaly. The fire nation monarchy is male-dominated; however, as Zuko was illegitimate and a weak bender, Ozai’s natural choice was to name Azula his successor. She was the first female fire lord. 

Instead of being locked in an “asylum” like in the comics, Azula was placed in prison for nearly a year. It was fully furbished, and she was given access to the gardens and foods fit for a princess, but she experienced harsh treatment at the hands of her guards. After one incident where she was knocked unconscious and assaulted by her keepers, Zuko defied his council and moved Azula back into the palace under house arrest. 

Due to her childhood trauma, she struggled with psychotic episodes, generalised anxiety, and depression until her death.