Illusory Woman

No longer an ugly sketch :D

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Here's the thing about this dynamic that lives rent-free in my head: Kakyoin is just as brilliant as Azula, genuinely, effortlessly brilliant. But he has zero interest in competition as he doesn't care to keep score (he's a loner 💔), and I can see that driving Azula crazy cause how dare someone somehow outsmart her!! She was raised to be the best, and it would be interesting to see how she can handle someone who matches her but just doesn't care. 🤔

It's not a rivalry if only one person is playing, but it sure makes it so much worse (better) for her.

Nope, it's as simple as "half of them haven't rewatched the show in years" and the other half just have stan-mind of "I like this character therefore they're good, I don't like that character therefore they're bad."

They're attached to Iroh and Zuko, so they don't even notice that Zuko played as big a role as Azula in supporting war, genocide and imperialism, and that Iroh's actions were worse than both of them combined on the simple basis of "he had more time to be awful." They're not attached to Azula, so they don't notice she has quite a bit of tragedy to her character, just like them.

The Twilight Zone, 1963, dir. David Lowell Rich

Mai and Ty Lee failed to stop the Gaang in four occasions (Return to Omashu, the Chase, the Drill, Crossroads of Destiny) but she just brushes it off and move on, her reaction wasn't even worthy of screen-time. Neither Mai and Ty Lee were even afraid of failure either. Azula went to extremes to assure that loyalty, but only simultaneously kills it by such actions (which she in the mirror scene admitted to be wrong, both practically and morally wrong). Only in the Boiling Rock we see Azula reacts in angry and disappointed way, not only because of Mai's disloyalty but because she puts her into a position where she has no other choice but to enforce. "I never expected this from you. The thing I don't understand is "Why?". Why would you do it? You know the consequences." Azula doesn't understand why someone would be disloyal regardless of their mixed feelings when there are consequences, does not fear keep them in-line? Does fear work? (which is something she suffers from as well)

If Mai didn't push her buttons, I believe Azula would've sent Mai to prison without further drama.

The same thing goes to Zuko, the family screw-up. In fact, it's more obvious there. Zuko's a failure doesn't matter to Azula as long as he's not a traitor, as long as he proves his loyalty. And when he did, Azula found an excuse to bring him home. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle. But Zuko, Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?"

Furthermore, we see that with Governor Ukano and War Minister Qin too, they both failed, had shortcomings, but both are loyal. Azula's disappointed, would keep this in mind, but she doesn't severely punish them.

Azutara Week Day 3: Fire Lord Azula & Water Chief Katara