do y’all… ever think about… uncle iroh going with zuko when he was banished? 

so iroh is a powerful figure. dragon of the west, war hero, member of the royal family- he must’ve had a lot of influence in the fire nation, a lot of friends in high places. and then the firelord- his brother- hurts a child. hurts his own child, horrifically and publicly, for speaking out in a private council. 

and iroh can do nothing to stop it. all his power, and he looks away and listens to his nephew scream. 

but then ozai banishes zuko. and iroh stands up and does something. in a government like the fire nation, speaking out gets you killed. ozais word is law. but iroh can do one thing. he hasnt been banished. he has a life in the fire nation- he has friends, allies, work to do- but he abandons it. he gives it all up. because hurting a child was wrong, and he couldnt do anything to stop that, but he can do something. he can stand with this child. he can step in and show kindness. he can teach this angry, broken child that hate isnt right. 

and that public act of dissent against the word of the firelord from his own flesh and blood, from a hero, from a Dragon- wouldntve gone unnoticed. 

fucking uncle iroh man. what a dude.