Mai And Zuko - Tumblr Posts
THE MAIKO BIBLE
i don’t hate you too :: why maiko works
There’s the common fandom consensus — and misconception — that Zuko and Mai’s relationship is based on apathy or cruelty and that they fuel this apathetic life view in each other. That their relationship is based on shared misery. Most of this critique is directed, whether consciously or not, towards Mai for her aloof, apathetic attitude, or claiming that she is just another abuser in Zuko’s life.
All of this could not be more wrong, and here’s why.
The first thing that needs to be understood is that Mai and Zuko are both survivors of emotional abuse. Mai is abused by both her parents and Azula, and Zuko is abused by his father and Azula. Both Mai and Azula acknowledge the abusive nature of Mai’s parents, who are rather like Toph’s, strict and controlling in an upper class lifestyle. Zuko eventually comes to firm stance against Azula and stands up to his primary abuser, Ozai, while Mai eventually stands up to hers, which is Azula. And how these dynamics affect them, and how Azula effects their relationship, is something I’ll get into earlier, but simply put: if you don’t think that Mai has suffered from emotional abuse, then you don’t understand her character, and you frankly have very little sympathy for female survivors who don’t respond to their abuse in ways that you find acceptable or likeable.
Okay? Okay.
Onto more parallels between them, Mai and Zuko are both are also high ranking nobles in the Fire Nation with a shared base understanding for royal etiquette and expectations. Each character is deeply unhappy as a result of all of these circumstances, and see being taken from the Fire Nation as a cause; Mai is ‘bored’ and unhappy in Omashu, and Zuko is bitter and angry in his banishment, having traversed seemingly most of the Earth Kingdom sea before turning his search to the Southern Water Tribe. Both want a way out; Zuko is presented one by Aang’s appearance and Mai is ‘given’ one by Azula. Each way out is their primary narrative purpose for the first book of each of their characters. However, by the second (Earth for Zuko, and Fire for Mai) their motivations and circumstances have in some ways radically changed.
To a certain degree, they both wear masks to hide their true intentions. Mai hides behind the apathetic nature she’s largely created as a survival tactic, and Zuko hides behind the Blue Spirit, and both masks are thrown away in a moment of truth, in the wake of a Selfless deed. They’re both the older sibling in their families, seemingly less loved than their younger sibling as well, and both wield sharp metal items (Zuko’s dual swords and Mai’s knives) that represent their natures.
And with that all said, let’s begin.
[Warning: this got way longer than expected so just… get prepared for like 10k of meta lmao]
BOOK TWO: EARTH
Return to Omashu written by Elizabeth Welch Ehasz
As this is Mai’s introductory episode I’m mostly going to be talking about her, but I will get more in depth to Zuko as well. This episode develops most of Mai’s primary relationships, including foreshadowing her future one with Zuko, showing that it was in the cards early on.
Keep reading
I better see Lady Fire Mai in the next Avatar movie or I will be on the news
I love childhood sweethearts maiko 😔
Do you think that Maiko were in a relationship* before Zuko was banished? Or atleast were aware of their feelings? The getting together after S2 seems to be approached very casually in a way that a new relationship wouldn't be
* relationship here meaning a silly middle school one where they hold hands and cute stuff like that
OH YES I DEFINITELY THINK SO !!
I actually think their relationship would have been kind of similar to how it is shown in s3, being casual but very supportive and loving too (not without some disagreements and silly arguments though of course) but more awkward and childish. I also think they would have been less guarded and closed off with each other, being younger and it being before Zuko’s banishment and all. I think that’s part of why Zuko is often trying to get Mai to open up and express herself more. He remembers when they trusted each other and would confide in each other a lot as children and wanted that security back. This isn’t to say I think he was unhappy with their relationship in s3 or that Mai or, Zuko for that matter, was ever super open with their feelings. I think Mai is naturally a very closed off person and so is Zuko to an extent. What I mean is I think they would probably be the type to complain about things together in a very dramatic pre-teen and/or early teen way. Very emo/goth and dramatic like “Life is a prison. There is a black void inside me. The world is a dark and miserable place. Wanna write poetry and hold hands about it?”
I think they also seem like the type to play harmless pranks on people but specifically more the type that irritate or confuse people and not the like “bucket of water above the door way” type. I feel like they would do shit like make the guards think there was a ghost in the palace or move Mai’s parents’ belongings to weird places in the house and watch them get annoyed and confused about it. Both of them having an interest in blades is something I always thought would have been something they would share with each other. I can see them both practicing their skills together. There’s probably a tree in the palace garden with lots of long slashes in it from Zuko’s dual swords and deep indentations from Mai’s throwing knives and maybe even their names carved in it (twice because Azula stole Zuko’s knife and scratched it out once out of jealousy).
That’s all I have right now, I could probably spend hours coming up with cute and silly little scenarios of the two of them if I tried. Thank you for the ask I love having an excuse to talk about these two.
this portrait lives in my head rent free
zuko had this portrait of him and mai commissioned when they just started dating…just imagine how magnificent maiko’s wedding portrait is!
They look so cute and tiny here
MAIKO (DARK! AU)