Anon asked: I thought about writing my own zucest fic and was wondering if you have any tips on how to write Azula & Zuko, and the way they interact with one another? Sometimes I struggle with getting Azula just like in the show. I need your Analytic magic if you're so kind :)
In my opinion, there's three things anyone who wants to write a story about these two, be it Zucest or not, has to keep in mind:
1 - While Azula can be cruel sometimes, the main reasons behind her "evil" actions are pragmatism and a legit inability to understand why her actions are wrong. She does what she thinks works best for herself and, sometimes, to the few people she likes. The problem is she was raised by Ozai, so she has a warped idea of what being a "proper" daughter, sister, friend and princess means. She also believes she's fundamentally unlovable, which makes it harder for her to want to change, since she believes she'd still not be loved if she did.
2 - Zuko can be very smart and kind… he's also impulsive and can be cruel every now and again, and he didn't really learn how to control his worst side until he truly accepted that the Fire Nation and his family were wrong on their "Fuck you, got mine" mentality.
3 - While these two do have some negative feelings towards each other, their rivalry is 90% Ozai's doing, and they can actually get along well without even realizing it.
Hope it helps!