Always Read the Fine Print on Spirit Deals [7/?] - insert that gif of the guy walking in with pizza

[thispatternismine]

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Relationship(s): Ozai/Ursa, Ozai & his family, Ozai & his issues

Summary: This fic is about two things:

1) Treating Ozai as an actual character with motivations beyond simply Being Evil For The Sake Of Evilness, & dealing with his relationship with his family.
2) Making him suffer.

OR:

Ozai makes a deal with a spirit. It does not go well for him.

Chapter 1: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Chapter 2: Things Go Very Wrong

Chapter 3: Ozai Cries in This One

Chapter 4: Azula Gets to Bully Her Father (As a Treat)

Chapter 5: Ozai Gives His Son A Hug (Out of SPITE, But Still...)

Chapter 6: Azulon's A+ Grandparenting

Chapter 7: [insert that gif of the guy walking in with pizza & there's fire everywhere, but it's Iroh]

Extract:

Iroh gave him an unimpressed look. "You know women are good for more than just that one thing? You can make conversation."

He snorted. "That's rich, coming from you. And she hardly liked conversing with me."

This got him another Look. "I wonder why."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

A sigh. "Tell me, brother. Does anyone seek out your company when they have nothing to gain from it, or because of your station?"

He opened his mouth to answer... Only to be unable to come up with a single name. He'd always socialised a lot with courtiers, and more than a few women had tried to gain his attention before his marriage (though he'd always carefully kept them at arm's length, holding out such favour as a prize). But all of them had sought favours or political alliances, or simply wished to bask in being part of a prince's social circle.

Nobody sought out his company now. Except...

"Zuko! Zuko does!"

An eyebrow raised. "And nobody else?"

"You?" It wasn't meant to come out as a question, but it did, and he hated himself for it.

"So that's two."

(That absolutely was not relief that he was experiencing at that implied confirmation.)

"Now tell me, why do you think it might be that people avoid you?"

"They're fools," he snapped.

"Is that your only guess?"

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