I... WOW. This is my new head canon. This story deserves so much more love. I just found out there are several other stories to go with this one, and I can’t wait to read them. My new favorite Zutara story!

Idk, I always thought the scar was cute...

“What’s better than Zuko in the prison shirt? Zuko with no shirt at all." Same, Katara. Same.

Reading this for the second time now and must say the characters are on spot! You can make that much out just by looking at the gifts!

So basically air nomad culture is just one big Alabama party. Oh boy... I’m surprised aang is a functioning person lmao

ooooh this chapter is filled with fluffy goodness! great work

You're an awesome writer and I loved your sense of humour but I have to say this has been torturous to my need for a happy ending. Every time I was given a bit of hope it was ripped away and my frustration is off the charts. There are so many good things about this fic but personally (and I honestly believe it's probably just me) I'm in pain, I can't handle this constant lead up with no satisfaction.

About Iroh I had forgotten to mention the other big double-standard, so we have Iroh the most loyal servant of Azulon - the king who ordered the capture and death of every waterbenders of the South Pole - acting like he is all clean and Ozaï was the one who had started the war. How convenient of him that no one was there to remind him of his best days. Anyway Sozin is the one who led the slaughtering of the Air bender starting that 100-year war. Ozaï is a perpetuator who while a great bender didn't have enough common sense to keep his best men (and women) out of megalomonia. He was the perfect villain for lucky 12-year kid, I doubt Sozin or Azulon would have made as many mistakes (like treating your most efficient soldier -Azula- like shit).

Concerning Aang, I definitely think he got off too easily with they way everything was handed to him in the finale and if we look at it, I can't remember ever apologizing for his mistakes and entitled attitude ? He was the pet-character of the creators (a good reason for me to dislike his S3 version) and as such got away with everything. I think like the moment he attacked Zuko screaming that Katara was his (in your fiction) while in character was the most troubling. In the end, Katara allowed that and whole Toph soft call out was cool it was up to Katara to set things straight and put his entitled ass down once for all. I suspect the kid would have potentially went full depressed and endangered the world.

By the way, Bato's line is quite telling, he sees his niece lashing out at her FRIEND and his first reaction is to point out that she is upsetting the AVATAR. The guy has his head shoved so deep inside Aang's ass that he doesn't even see a dispute between two friends but a teenager he's seen growing upsetting some sort of deity -to him. No wonder why Aang can't understand the idea that Katara could be mad at him, kissing his ass is the rule. Seriously I loved that scene.

I have to admit that Aang getting his comeuppance for his self-centered and entitled attitude in your fictions is my guilty pleasure.
I'm so impatient to reach the EIP in S3 of 'the worst prisoner', with Zuko and Katara being already a couple and Aang's lack of understanding of boundaries the dynamic will be even more entertaining.

Now the big cat is chained the mice can dance - Hakoda and the others can have a go at Ozaï safely now he is chained and powerless. Still while a big fan of the fire siblings Zuko/Azula, it always amazed me how glorified the character of Iroh is.

The guy was supposed to great military figure who retained respect among soldiers, yet I don't see how it is even possible. His only known military achievement consist in pushing Ba Sing Se farther than anyone one had even done and suddenly leaving the battlefield making useless all the losses that had occured on both sides because one person die, his son. Sure it would have been a terrible loss to him as a father but as the Prince and Great General he owed his men (including Lu Ten) who had died during that 600-day siege the victory.
Based on this, his popularity in the Fire Nation makes no sense to me, I can only assume he is appreciated because of Ozaï lack of common sense because otherwise any citizen or soldier who lost a son/brother/friend/husband for nothing would want to have a go at him.

Also, I also never understood how that man could be popular in the other nations, the guy has more blood in his hands that Azula could ever hope yet you see him taking that holier-than-thou stance as though he was as white as a newborn. Is he really legitimate to judge soldiers of the Fire Nation, him who was once their leader ? His redemption allowed him to have his own tea shop at Ba Sing Se ? In that case anyone can be redempted and forgiven.

As a firebender he is quite inconsistent being easily taken down by Azula in "the chase" while being portrayed as the only one who could face Ozaï. Yet the showrunner confirmed that Ozaï was the strongest firebender in the serie making me wonder if this isn't the reason why Iroh didn't have it in him to fight that guy he loathed so much (in your fiction because in the show sadly there wasn't any scene between the two). And we know the hate took place long before Azulon's death since Iroh potentially had an affair with his sister-in-law. Perhaps he didn't have the courage to openly defy him and prefered subtles backstabbing (Ursa, Zuko).
It makes his ruthlessness towards Azula more understandable here, the daddy's daugther he could never hope to sway, prodigious bender that will soon surpass him and military genius who has already achieved more than he did.

Uncle Iroh strikes me as hypocritical here.

As for Aang's compassion, we know where it stops and apparently Zuko preventing Katara from killing his men was worse than what Ozaï ever did (referring to the Promise comic... Hardly saw such a character assassination)

How could Ursa's origins be a mystery, Sozin was the best man at her grandparents marriage, Azulon would have surely known the lineage of the woman his son was marrying. From the description of Ursa in the show she was a noble woman raised as such considering to be a perfect match for Ozaï. I can't see how Azulon would have missed that especially as there were not a lot of generation between Sozin/Roku and Ozaï/Ursa (even though it makes no sense mathematically).

I read a lot of ATLA fanfiction recently so I tend to mix the authors sometimes, but I think I have already seen the "naked-Zuko" shenanigans with the same protagonist on top of all. You like your Suki getting a nice shot

Did you imply that Iroh would have an affair with his own brother's wife ? Damn the old man is worse than I thought, looks all gentle spouting his some bit of wisdom for his 'dear' nephew when he is as malicious as his brother, a real snake. Never underestimate a guy who can laugh about burning a whole city...

Oh my gosh I love your writing. This and The Worst Prisoner are so hilarious and heartwarming. But you don’t fall back on the lazy tropes of selective hardcore Zutarians of demeaning Mai or Aang. I really love the way you write Aang cause I’m reality there is a huge maturity gap between him and Katara.

no clue if you're still active here but this is the only fic i ever come back to for, it was that impactful to me. your authors notes especially convey such a deep understanding and love for these characters, its amazing to read this piece of writing. i sincerely love this series of yours so much.

wherever you are now, i hope you're doing well!

I'm currently on Chapter 37, and I've really been enjoying the story thus far. Sure, there are a whole lot of typos and grammatical errors all over the place, but I can look past that to enjoy a GOOD story. :) (which this had been.)

The only thing I can't get passed though, is how much Katara goes off on a tangent about how horrible Ozai is, and how he deserves to die.
Regardless of how true either of those statements are, with how much she loves Zuko, she would realize that horrible or not, this is her crushes FATHER. And you don't just nonchalantly go about saying how your loved ones Father deserves to die, especially not right in front of him.
And if you do, at some point Zuko himself would have done some stomping away. I know he understands it must be done. But it's still hard. It's still his Father. Nothing about that decision can be easy or just dismissed like it means nothing.

All in all, I just very much disagree that Katara would have been ok bashing Ozai all the time in front of Zuko. I feel she would have had much more compassion than that & would not have done it.

Aside from that, I still very much enjoy this story.

That was a great chapter to end it on, and brought up a lot of important points.

I think Hadoka giving Zuko leadership advice was my favorite moment

I think Ty Lee and Aang make a lot of sense as friends. And its good for him to have someone on his level, and fresh to talk to, when everyone else is mad at him. Sometimes, a kind stranger who listens helps, and she was more then that.

I feel that Zuko shouldn't have had to be argued into taking the fire lord position. But Zuko just does not get a break from responsibilities it seems.