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dahliax · 4 years

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Goddess of the Sun

Photo credit: Daniel Kordan - “Synchronous fireflies, Kyushu island.”

Description : Zuko x oc Dahila, Goddess of the Sun who was sent by the spirits crosses paths with Ursa, who changes her life forever.

Note : I started this fanfic for fun but now I like it. I haven’t posted fanfic in years but I thought it would be fun to start again. It’s obviously not amazing but I’m hoping to improve with practice. I’m also open to requests in my ask box preferably just Female!Reader x Zuko and some Sokka atm so I don’t overwhelm myself with too many characters (fluff, smut, oneshots, and headcannons are welcome). I will never specify skin color (so everyone can enjoy it) in my writing but occasionally specify hair color or eye color (at random) when it comes up. Let me know what you think so far and what you think might happen next! 🌸 (im real soft so pls try not to be too mean)

Warnings : fluff, angst, eventual smut (in aged up chapters).

꧁𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑂𝑛𝑒꧂

꧁𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑇𝑤𝑜꧂

The night was cold and Ursa didn’t have much time to waste. The only guard she trusted trailed behind her making sure they weren’t being followed. Trees lined the way to the witches house with fireflies illuminating the pathway. Ursa could tell she was in a spirtual place, letting her guard down.

The leaves crunched beneath their feet as they neared closer to the ominous looking cottage. Ursa looked to the stars but the storm clouds approching covered their beauty. She took her gaze to the moon shining a brilliant red, confirming the lunar eclipse blood moon. Her nerves were absolutely shot from dealing with Ozai all day. She didn’t know what had drawn her to see the witch again but she knew she was there for a reason even if she didn’t know why.

Seconds before she knocks on the door an infants crying echoed through the forest making Ursa jump out of her own skin. She looked to her left towards the sound. The baby wasn’t far. Her heart pumped fast as she dashed to find where the noise was coming from. Ursa didn’t care how loud she was now, she had to find this poor baby.

Not far from the cottage was a small river stopping Ursa in her tracks. She looked up the stream to see a basket cascading down the flowing water. Sure enough the baby was inside with a single dahlia flower and a note. Ursa frantically opened the note.

“𝑊𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟. 𝑊𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠. “

The baby cried once more and Ursa took her into her arms looking into the baby’s beautiful dark eyes. Ursa’s heart sank realizing she had no idea what to do. Maybe the witch had some answers. She walked back to the familar door and knocked. Footsteps shuffled to the door and opened it creaking creepily as Ursa’s anxiety got higher the longer she held the mysterious baby. The witches eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of the baby.

“Your highness” the witch says while bowing, turning to let Ursa in. “That’s not Zuko, is it?” the witch questioned. “No. I just found her. I don’t know what to do” Ursa explained. “Hm let me see. Set her on the table.” This was no ordinary witch to Ursa. She was more like a friendly spiritual guide. The witch had a gift of telling fortunes and Ursa was her most prioritized customer. Anytime day or night the older witch would be there for the young woman.

Ursa set the basket on the low table taking a better look at the infant with the witch by her side. “She’s beautiful,” the witch said amazed. “She is. But what’s this?” the witch looked down at the baby’s hand. A small flower that looked almost like a tattoo was placed perfectly on the top of the babys right hand. “Emilia, who would tattoo a baby?” Ursa said mortified. A sigh left the witches mouth as she brushed her finger over the marking. “She was born with it. Tell me, where did you find her?” Emilia’s tone suddenly changed.

“The river not too far from here” Ursa replied. The witches jaw dropped with a realization coming to her brain. “It can’t be” she whispered. “Can’t be what?!” Ursa was alarmed. Quickly, Emilia ran to her book case searching for the right book muttering under her breath “oh my god, oh my god, oh my god”. Ursa was ready to explode as the day was weighing on her and now there were even more problems with this mysterious baby.

Emilia places the book on the table frantically flipping through the pages. She found the section she was looking for and read very carefully. Slowly she placed her glasses on the table and wrapped the babies hand around her pinky finger. “Is it safe to do a reading on an infant?” Ursa asked. The witch grimaced, “If she is who I think she is, she will be fine” as soon as she said that her eyes closed and she was pulled into the spirit world. Ursa was absolutely shocked at the sight. The babies tattoo shined in the dim lighting of the cottage. Now all Ursa could do was wait.

Emilia smiled at the spirit in front of her. “Spirit Shin, it is a honor” she bowed gratefully to the woman. “Spirit Guide Emilia, Ive heard many wonderful things about you” the ghostly lady replied. Emilia stayed quiet knowing small talk wasn’t the reason she was brought here. “Congratulations, you’ve found the Goddess of the Sun” and before she could say more she was back in the cottage with Ursa.

“What happened?!” Ursa shrieked but Emilia raised a calming hand to her friends shoulders. “No worries darling. We’ve found the Goddess of the Sun” Ursa’s heart dropped, how was this possible? “I thought there was no more living gods and goddesses? I thought they were all spirits” she questioned. “Something tells me the spirits sent her here and that you were meant to find her” the witch says.

“It’s mysterious to me. You have to protect her” she starts again looking at Ursa seriously. “How am I suppose to protect her? How-how will I tell Ozai?” Ursa said stumbling over her words and tears pooling in her eyes. The day had finally got the best of her. “Child. You are stronger than you know, this baby is special and there is no other being like her. And you are in a position of power to protect her”

“But what about Ozai? If he knows she’s a goddess he’ll just weaponize her and throw her into war!” Ursa cried and Emilia thought deeply about what she was going to say next. “Tell him she was left on the palace door steps and witnesses seen you take her. The public would be enraged if the royal family rejected the baby...”

“Do you think it could work Leo?” Ursa says turning to her guard behind her. “Permission to speak freely?” He asked “Always”

“Truthfully, I’m not sure. But it’s worth a try as to not upset the spirits” he said quietly. Ursa thought for a moment. She didn’t even think of the consequences of the spirits if they didn’t protect the baby. Ursa now knew in her heart she had to help the baby “I feel that we have no choice. What should we name her?” She said as she scanned her eyes across the beautiful basket the baby laid in, eying the flower the baby was grabbing in her tiny hands. “What about Dahlia? Looks like she’s fond of them.” Leo spoke up surprising Ursa. Regret filling his chest for speaking so casually to the royal.

“What a wonderful idea Leo. It’s the perfect name.” Ursa said picking up the baby and cooing to her in her arms. “I’m afraid you must be on your way darling. It’s late and you still have to talk to Ozai” the concerned witch said. Without hesitation Ursa collected her things and started her way to the door. “Wait!” Emilia said “Give her this when she’s old enough” placing a beautiful bracelet adorned with pink diamonds into Ursa’s hand.

ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

Ursa walked up the steps soaking wet with Leo trailing behind her. It had started to rain halfway home. She couldn’t stop thinking about what she was going to say to Ozai. They had a fight before she left about who would eventually take Azulon’s place on the throne. But what Ursa didn’t know was that Ozai was planning to apologize.

She met Ozai’s gaze in the grand foyer of the palace swallowing her fear and standing tall. “I was looking for you. Who’s this?” He said softly which rarely happened. “I found her crying outside. A few locals seen I didn’t want anyone to hurt her..” she lied through her teeth. But Ozai was distracted by the baby’s face. She was adorable.

“We could change the course of her life forever Ozai..” Ursa trailed on. Ozai thought for a minute that a little good publicity wouldn’t hurt but he knew he could use this as leverage to get something he wanted. And then an idea popped in his head. “You can keep her if you give me another heir.” He said flatly. Ursa didn’t understand why Ozai was so hell bent on having a ‘spare’ even though he wasn’t next in line for the throne. But Ursa knew this would be the only way.

“Okay. I will do it” she said softly. “And if she’s a bender she could be a suitable match for Prince Zuko.” he said her heart dropped. She wanted her children to marry for love not for political gain. From that moment on she decided that Dahlia’s gifts would be kept secret to protect Dahlia and Zuko.

ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

The whispers around the palace were getting to Ursa and the babies were a beautiful distraction. A soft knock came to her door, “Come in” she said softly. Iroh smiled as he opened the door. “I hear we have a new blessing in the palace” he said and Ursa sighed, “The council would disagree with you”.

Iroh came to sit on the bed next to Ursa to see the baby. “She’s beautiful!” he said as he grabbed her tiny right hand noticing the flower. “Is there something you’re not telling me Ursa?” He smiles brighter than before, “You know I have a connection to the spirits,” he added. Ursa threw her hands up in defeat, “Alright you caught me. But if I tell you, you must keep it a secret for Zuko’s safety” Iroh simply nodded amazed by the two babies before him.

“She’s the Goddess of the Sun. I have to protect her for the spirits. I know I found her for a reason,” Ursa blurted out. Iroh tried not to laugh at her outburst and said “Your secret is safe with me. I vow to protect Zuko and Dahlia for as long as I’m alive. I’m aware there’s not many trustworthy souls roaming the palace and I’m honored you’ve decided to share this secret with me. If you are ever in any trouble you know where to find me.” Tears welled up in Ursa’s eyes. Not many people were kind to her in the palace. Iroh pulled her into a hug “Don’t you cry little dove. You have to have strength for these children, they will be lost without you” tears starting to pool in his own eyes.

They pulled away to look at the peacefully sleeping babies. “Do you think they’ll be friends?” Ursa asked. “Absolutely. Think of all the adventures they’ll go on together.” Iroh said making her laugh for the first time in a long time. “You know keeping her here came with a price...” Ursa said quietly. Iroh looked to her for an answer, “He wants another heir,”

Please let me know what you think 💗

#zuko fluff #prince zuko smut #zuko x y/n #prince zuko fanfic #fire lord zuko #avatar fanfiction #prince zuko #zuko smut #zuko imagine #zuko fanfic #atla sokka #sokka x reader #zuko x you #atla x reader #atla zuko #zuko x reader #zuko drabble

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inkedstarlight · 4 years

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Bittersweet: Chapter One

Summary: Nesta up and moved the minute she graduated high school. Now, seven years later, her father has died. After years of separation, Nesta is now living in the same city as her sisters, with Elain as her roommate. Feyre introduces Elain and Nesta to the Inner Circle. But they're missing a certain member... Cassian returns to the Marine Corps to find two new members of the Inner Circle. He pushes Nesta's buttons more than anyone ever has. Cue heavy angst, mutual pining, and a very, very slow burn. Note: So I’m reposting this because I made a lot of changes to the fic and just wanted to start fresh. I had deleted the last things I posted for it, but now it’s officially here! I also just uploaded it on AO3 too, and you can read chapter one here! Warnings: heavy angst Bittersweet Masterlist

June

Nesta was accepted into graduate school today, and she didn’t know whether to cry or smile.

To throw a pity party or a celebration.

To be or not to be.

She was trifling through her mail this morning when she saw the large envelope with the words ‘Prythian University’ printed front and center. She wasted no time ripping it open, and a gasp left her mouth when she read the first sentence.

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Master’s program of English at Prythian University.

She had grabbed her phone to tell someone about the news, but her smile quickly faded when she realized she had no one to call, no one to celebrate with. No one to tell her, “I’m proud of you.”

Nesta had scrolled through her contact list, which consisted of only fourteen people. Fourteen people and not one of them close enough with her to warrant such a text. Heart sinking in her chest, Nesta slammed her phone on the coffee table and fell on the couch. A lump formed in her throat, but she refused to let a single tear shed.

But she was in no position to complain. Nesta chose to move away. She chose to be alone. She was the only person to blame for her own unhappiness.

Nesta had lived in the dreary state of Massachusetts since she graduated high school, leaving her family behind in Maine. The place that conjured nightmares, that was teeming with ghosts. Every corner she turned in her hometown, she was met face to face with her past – the one she so desperately tried to forget. Her family had lived there since Nesta was born. They didn’t have the funds to move to a better town or a bigger house. Up to this point, Nesta’s entire life happened in that horrible town.

Her younger sister, Elain, cried when Nesta announced her decision to move to Massachusetts for college. Feyre’s eyes remained dry, but she wished Nesta good luck.

Nesta and her two sisters had been close as little girls. Sure, they were wildly different from each other – Elain was intelligent and soft-spoken, Feyre creative and stubborn, Nesta hot-headed and brash. They argued. They resented each other in ways sisters did. But they looked out for each other. Since Nesta was just five years old, she did everything she could to protect her sisters, whether they knew it or not.

When Nesta was just fourteen years old, their mother left them. She walked out of the door forever, and everything changed. Elain was crushed but she continued to look out for their father, whose depression worsened when his wife left without saying goodbye. Feyre took her absence the hardest. She had the closest relationship with their mother as the baby of the family, relying on her more than her other sisters. Feyre was the last one to see her. Apparently, their mother made her promise to look out for the rest of the family. She said Feyre was the only one who could do it. And because Feyre was stubborn to a fault, she kept that promise every damned day.

And Nesta? Nesta was relieved and confused and angry and heartbroken. She still was.

So, when Nesta left for college, she promised that she would keep in touch with Elain and Feyre. They all promised. However, they inevitably got busy with their own lives and grew apart. When Elain graduated high school just two years after Nesta, she chose to remain in Maine to tend to their sick father. She attended community college, even though she’d dreamed of being a pediatrician since she was just nine years old. She sacrificed her opportunity for a higher education, and Nesta admired her for that. At the same time, however, she also wanted more for her sister. She had a habit of being too selfless. Always giving, never receiving.

Just a year later, Feyre became the last to graduate. She too flew from the nest, heading west to Colorado. Nesta wasn’t the only one who had a distaste for their hometown. Feyre was born an adventurer. She wants to explore, create, travel. More importantly, Feyre was doing something for herself. Feyre had assumed the role of provider when their mother left them in their youth. At only thirteen, she managed to find a job, and continued to do so until she was eighteen. Feyre had grand plans to visit every New England state during her high school career. She wouldn’t shut up about the places she would see, the people she would meet.

Feyre didn’t stepped foot outside of Maine until she graduated.

The only person Nesta completely cut loose was her father. Elain and Feyre had tried to rationalize with her about this many times, but Nesta put an end to every discussion.

Elain was very close with their father. Feyre was neutral. Nesta resented him. She knew they judged her for that, even if it wasn’t explicitly said. She also understood their reasoning.

They just didn’t understand hers.

Last Nesta heard, Feyre had found her niche at college. Back when they called more often, she had gushed about her new friends and latest conquest. His name was Rhysand (to which Nesta sniggered – who named their child that?), and the pair had recently begun dating after a year of pining for one another. Nesta told her that their love story sounded like the kind of fanfiction she (shamefully) loved. From what Feyre told her, it sounded like she was head over heels, despite her sarcastic deflections.

That was two years ago.

Of course, Nesta had spoken to both her sisters since then. It was rare for them to call, but they would share occasional text conversations. Just last month, Nesta texted Feyre to congratulate her on graduating Summa Cum Laude. It didn’t go much beyond that, though.

Nesta and Elain’s text message history was quite sad to look through. Once a month, Elain would send her an update on their father’s wellbeing. Nesta would not respond. The next month, she would receive another update. No response.

It never angered Nesta to see those texts; it only saddened her.

Elain wore her heart on her sleeve, ever the peacemaker in the family. Her intentions were pure, but she didn’t know the story of Nesta and their father’s relationship. She’d asked, but Nesta was always quick to shut her down.

Despite their one-sided texting, Elain called Nesta every couple of months. It was awkward, but it warmed Nesta’s heart to hear her sister’s voice. Their calls never lasted more than ten minutes, Nesta the one to end the conversation. When they hung up, however, guilt crushed her. Nesta was slowly losing everyone she loved, and it was entirely her fault.

After Nesta had gotten her undergraduate degree in Massachusetts, she worked at two minimum wage jobs for three years to save up enough money to pay for grad school (along with several loans). Her first choice, Prythian University, happened to be just outside of Boulder, the town where Feyre was living. It was also one of the best graduate schools for an English degree in the country.

Nesta considered telling Feyre her news. Obviously, she had to share it at some point. But anxiety crept into her chest whenever she picked up her phone to tell her. What if Feyre wasn’t happy about it? What if she didn’t want Nesta living near her? She had created her own life in a new state. Nesta couldn’t just interrupt after years of shutting her out.

After spending the entire day overthinking, Nesta decided to venture downtown in the evening for a small, lonesome celebration. She would treat herself to a drink (or two), go home, and read a romance novel or two while Iroh, her black, grumpy cat, snuggled in her lap.

So, there she was. Sitting at the local bar, legs crossed as she people watched. Nesta had even dressed up for the occasion. She wore a dress that fell to her ankles, the forest green color complimenting her golden-brown hair. Her arm sleeve tattoo was on full display, and her other ink that disappeared beneath her dress. Dark kohl coated her eyes with a smokey finish.

The bar itself was a welcoming environment. String lights latticed the ceiling, the bulbs providing dim lighting for those who had secrets to keep. Wooden tables faced a small stage at the opposite end of the building – presumably where they held open mic nights. Dark oak walls were plastered with photographs, license plates, and other décor.

It being a Tuesday night, there weren’t many people out. Nesta noticed a couple middle-aged men drinking beers together, an older couple sitting close in a booth, and a small group of what looked like college aged women. Smiles were etched on all their faces. Nesta lifted her hand to touch the frown she wore. It only deepened.

Just be happy for once, Nesta thought to herself.

As the bartender refilled her gin and tonic, someone approached the barstool to her left. Nesta glanced sideway to discover a young man with a hard face. He looked about her age with dark hair and a tanned complexion. He was handsome in a rugged kind of way. Removing his leather jacket, he revealed the fitted shirt he wore, which clung a body that screamed “I go to the gym every day.” Before he sat next to her, the man dropped a duffle bag on the floor with a loud thud.

He didn’t seem to notice her as he flagged down the bartender and ordered a drink. His voice was low, tired. She recognized the sound. It was the sound of someone who was exhausted, and not just in the physical sense.

“Running away from home?” Nesta asked. The man turned his head to find her gesturing to his oversized bag.

Why did I just say that? she asked herself. Nesta rarely made conversation, much less with some stranger at a bar. It was abundantly clear that she had certainly drunk enough alcohol to wash away any and all inhibitions.

He chuckled. “Something like that.” The man peered at her closer. His hazel eyes twinkled in the dim lights as he inspected her. “Bad day?”

“Care to elaborate?”

A sober Nesta would have shut him down before he had the chance to even ask. A sober Nesta wouldn’t have even made conversation with this dark, handsome man.

Alas, she was three drinks down and had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

“I got into my dream school,” she started. “It has a really great grad program. When I read the letter, I reached for my phone to tell someone. Only, I realized I had no one to call. I… I realized that I’m all on my own.”

He stared at her for a moment. “That’s quite a feat. You should be proud.”

Nesta shrugged, uncomfortable with the man’s genuine tone. She never figured out how to tolerate a compliment, much less accept it.

They fell silent before he spoke again.

“I’m about to be on my own, too,” he confessed, focusing his attention on his calloused hands that rested on the counter. “And I don’t know how to feel either.”

No wonder he looks so exhausted, Nesta thought. She could see the conflict in his body language, his tone. War was waging in the stranger’s eyes, and it didn’t seem like the first time he’d gone to battle.

She wanted to ask where he was going. What was in his bag. Who he was leaving behind. But Nesta only nodded with understanding.

I see you.

In that moment, they formed some sort of kinship. They weren’t just two strangers at the bar. It was longing, Nesta realized. Longing for a connection, a companionship. To escape from the perpetual loneliness.

They stared at each other until the man broke his gaze when he checked his watch. He cursed.

“I have to leave now if I want to catch the bus,” he explained. Nesta watched him down the rest of his drink and stand up.

“Good luck,” Nesta said feebly as he shrugged on his jacket.

She wanted to say more. He seemed to need it… and so did she. “Whenever you get lonely, just remember that strange girl at the bar. She’ll be thinking about you.”

His face softened. “Good luck,” he whispered.

#nessian #bittersweet #nesta archeron #cassian #acomaf #acotar #acowar #acosf #a court of mist and fury #a court of thorns and roses #a court of silver flames #my writing #fanfiction #angst #fic

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zukoshotleafjuice · 4 years

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You want a distraction? Then let's talk gaang (grand)kids again! I think Bumi was probably one of the uncles who played most with Iroh II, but he also has a lot of wild energy which got Izumi worried a little bit. Just that he would take it too far, they already burnt down 2 separate parts of the palace on accident... And also, please imagine Iroh II playing with the airbender kids. Meelo is shown to be very un-airbender-like into military stuff and I bet it's bc of uncles Bumi and Iroh II

THIS IS SO CUTE I LOVEE and also the grandkids are so adorable

I love the idea of Bumi playing with Iroh II a lot as a baby and then that baby turns around and becomes the youngest general in Bumi’s army and Bumi’s just like 👁👄👁

and yes I’m Sure that meelo’s obsession with the military comes directly from Bumi skdjksjs

#your distraction is amazing and i appreciate you iroh jr anon #i’ve decided you’re iroh ii anon now #asks

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asamisaht0 · 5 years

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A Series of Firsts

Here’s my piece for the Zutara Exchange! @zutaraexchange

My giftee is @beealexageek I hope you like it! I combined “pregnant”, “first kiss”, and a tiny bit of “wedding” for the prompts.

Wordcount: 2k

Pairing: Zuko/Katara

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18808570

The first time Zuko kissed Katara -or, technically, Katara kissed him- they were in an alley behind some seedy Earth Kingdom bar. They were tipsy, too close, and still teenagers. Katara still held her cup in her hand, though she had long since lost interest in its contents. Zuko was just beginning to realize the full weight of being Fire Lord and he had desperately needed a break. Uncle Iroh, in typical Uncle Iroh fashion, had conveniently (almost too conveniently) invited the whole gang back to the earth kingdom for the grand re-opening of the Jasmine Dragon the week later. Something about a brand new tea recipe. Whatever. They managed to escape the group and ended up at a bar, watching the Earth Kingdom locals entertain themselves now that they were free of Fire Nation rule. They each had had a drink, maybe two, and Katara suddenly decided the bar was too stuffy. “I can’t breathe in here. Let’s go outside?” she had said. Something along those lines. They decided to loiter in the alley behind the bar, because it was close but secluded.

Katara took one more sip of her drink, mostly because Zuko had paid for it and she didn’t want to waste his money. He seemed to sense that, and scoffed. “Don’t worry about it. The Fire Nation has more money than we’ll ever need.” His words seemed a little more slurred than usual. Maybe it was just the background noise. “Still. I appreciate it, Zuko. Thanks for everything.” She didn’t quite know what she meant by that. What did “everything” encompass? Thanks for helping Aang save the world? Thanks for turning the Fire Nation back into a respectable entity? Thanks for taking a literal lightning bolt to the chest for her? Somehow, “thanks” just didn’t seem like enough. He smiled. Their eyes met. He looked back down. Zuko sighed and brushed his hand through his hair. Katara was confused. “What’s wrong?”

Zuko looked back up at her, then frowned at the contents of his cup. “I just- um. I really want to kiss you right now.” She blinked. “So….what’s stopping you?” she meant to think, but somehow ended up saying it out loud. Oh well. His eyes shot back up. His head kind of tilted, like when a dog hears a noise they don’t quite understand. Katara’s brain took about .002 seconds to make up its mind. She lifted up on her toes and kissed Zuko before either of them could change their minds. Later, she’d say something poetic like “he tasted like smoke and spices” or whatever. But right now? He tasted like the bottom of whatever barrell their drinks came out of.

The first time Zuko realized he was in love with Katara, she was teaching him how to pack snow into the holes of his igloo to help keep the warmth in. “No, Zuko,” she had said. “You can’t just start a fire inside a house made of ice that’s literally the opposite of productive right now,” she had said. They were in the Southern Water Tribe, solidifying arrangements for Katara to be the official ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe and hold a seat on Zuko’s council.

Honestly, Zuko would have done anything if it meant he got to see Katara every day. The idea of her actually living in the palace made him downright giddy. Giddy enough that he was willing to spend nights in a house made of literal ice in order to ensure he got to spend more time with Karara.

She turned around to make sure he was comprehending her lessons. Spoiler alert: he wasn’t. “Zuko, what did I just say?” she asked, but her tone was way less condescending than her words. He coughed to buy time. “You, um. You said I can’t make a fire here.” She chuckled. “You realize you’re going to freeze tonight if you don’t make this work?” Zuko had not, in fact, realized that yet. He ran a hand through his hair. “So I’m just supposed to survive for an extended period of time in here by myself? Without my bending?” He hoped he sounded as incredulous as he felt. Apparently not, because she was laughing even harder now. "You wouldn't have to fight to survive if you'd just listen to me. Here, do it yourself." She gave him a handful of snow. He took it, and it immediately melted.

He wrinkled his nose.

“I think I might die if I have to stay in here alone tonight.”

“You know what?” she said, freezing the snow back. “I think you’re right. I’ll stay in here with you,”

Zuko’s breath hitched.

“-Just to make sure you survive the night. Would that be alright?” He could hear her smile in her voice. Of course that would be alright. That would be amazing. That would be-

“Perfect! Please! Yes- I.” he stumbled. “I don’t want to die tonight.” He still wasn’t completely convinced that he wouldn’t die, but if he did, he wanted to make sure it was by her side.

The first time Zuko told Katara he loved her, they were watching the fireworks on the first anniversary of the war’s ending. There was a huge festival in their honor, and it was the first time Katara had been surrounded by all of her closest friends in a very long time. The sun had just set, and the cool summer night was a relief from the sweltering heat Katara had endured for most of the day. She supposed she should start getting used to the heat. Just in case. They were alone for the first time that day, atop some hill Zuko knew about that awarded them the best view in the city, he’d said. She’d never admit it, but he was right. They could see the city capital for miles and miles. She could see each individual light from each house. The Fire Nation looked nothing less than gorgeous. The fireworks were just starting, and Zuko took it upon himself to name every type and how they were made. Katara honestly couldn’t care less, but she was happy just to hear him talk about something he enjoyed.

A particularly large firework burst, and spread beautiful orange lights over the sky. They could hear the crowd’s reaction far below them. Katara really, really wished this moment would last forever.

“Zuko, this is amazing. I love it!”

His hand found hers in the dark. He squeezed it.

“I love you, Katara.”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “I love you, too Zuko.”

The first time (yes, there were multiples) Zuko asked Katara to marry him, they were out by the turtleduck pond, watching the new baby turtleducks learn how to swim. It was a spring morning, and the breeze brought with it the scent of freshly-bloomed fire lilies. Katara was playing with the turtleducks, giving them gentle waves to splash in. Zuko had been drowning in work just a half hour before, Katara had had to drag him out of his office for a much-needed break. Zuko was leaning against the big tree in the garden, and Katara was leaning against him.

She was a well-seasoned ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe, and had managed to negotiate peace and trade not only between the Fire Nation and her tribe, but the Northern Water Tribe as well. She had carved out a place for herself on the Fire Nation council, and Zuko supported her through it all. She, honestly, felt at home here.

“I could honestly stay here forever,” she mused aloud.

Zuko grabbed her hand, stroking the back of it idly with his thumb.

“How would you like to?” he almost whispered.

She craned her neck to look at him. “What do you mean? I live here already.”

“No, like... forever forever. How would you like a permanent home in the palace?”

Katara narrowed her eyes. “Zuko, are- are you asking me-”

“Yes! I mean, yeah, I suppose so.”

“You suppose you’re proposing to me.” she deadpanned.

He cleared his throat. “Katara, I’ve loved you for years. I wish I could say I’ve loved you since we met but we both know that isn’t the case.” Katara chuckled.

He took another deep breath. “It would be my honor to ask you to be my wife.”

Katara felt her heart fill, and couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face.

“Yes, Zuko. I’ll marry you. But you know your mother will be upset that she missed the proposal.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I guess we’ll have to make sure she’s here next time.”

The first time Zuko and Katara kissed on their wedding day- way, way before they were supposed to- they were giggling like children, hiding from the prying eyes of the fire sages and Katara's ladies in waiting. It was still early morning; the sun hadn't risen yet. The palace was already bustling with servants preparing for the ceremony. Zuko should have been tired, but he wasn't. He was too excited. They met up in Zuko’s office, having judged it the last place anyone would look for them today of all days. Zuko got there first, and sat on his desk, idly playing with his hands. There were so, so many things that could go wrong today. He ran through a mental checklist of everything he needed to do. He was on his third run-through when the doorknob jiggled slightly, and Katara slipped in the door as quietly as she could.

They met eyes, and burst into quiet laughter. “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Zuko said.

“I’m sneaking around my own palace.” He felt like a teenager all over again.

“You know the fire sages wouldn’t approve. It gOeS AgAinSt TrAdiTiOn” she said, mocking the ancient Fire Sages’ voices. That only made them both laugh even harder.

“Everything about this goes against tradition!” He grabbed her waist as he said that, bringing them closer. “That’s part of what makes it so great.”

He tilted her chin up for a kiss. The first of many, on this special day. They locked eyes for a moment.

“Honestly, you’ve been my wife for a long, long time. This just makes it official.”

She snorted. “It was official to me when you took that lightning all those years ago.”

The first time Katara realized she was pregnant, she was sitting at a long, long dinner table in between her husband and an old Fire Nation nobleman with a long, silver beard. She remembered his beard specifically, because the sight of a small crumb that had gotten trapped in the wispy hairs suddenly made Katara very, very nauseous. She excused herself politely, the picture of an ever-graceful Fire Lady. Ursa taught her well. Katara held her posture perfectly all the way until she rounded the corner and was out of eyesight- then she all but sprinted to the bathroom. Her handmaids shared a look with each other.

After Katara cleaned herself up, she looked at herself in the mirror for a long, long time. She thinks, deep down, she’s known for a while now. Being a healer, she had become very in tune with the details of her own body. She’s been noticing a change for weeks, at least. But she guessed it was finally time to acknowledge it. She knew her handmaids were probably wondering why she hadn’t asked for her monthly supplies yet. She’d better tell Zuko before the rumor spread faster than any of his flames would.

She waited until the night. They were in bed, but not asleep. Zuko was writing something down on a scroll, and the small candle he lit cast his face in a warm glow.

“So what are you writing? Is it names?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Names? What? No, it’s-”

“Well you should start.”

“Start what?”

She smirked. “Start thinking about names.” “Names for what? Katara, I don’t un-” his mouth closed. Then opened again. Then closed.

She smiled. “I’m pregnant, Zuko.”

His face lit up. Zuko flung his arms around his wife, and she swears she hadn’t seen him smile this wide since their wedding day.

Katara took everything in, reveling in just how she ended up here. If you had told her at 14 that she’d be the Fire Lady, and carry the Fire Lord’s child, she would have definitely written them off as insane. But right now, in this moment, she couldn’t be happier with how her life turned out.

#zutara #zutara exchange #zutaraexchange #beealexageek #my writing #fanfic #a:tla

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witch-of-tempests · 5 years

Text

Of Roses and Spring, of Dying and falling things.

Drabble below.

[[MORE]]

The house of stars was full of laughter and joy at the beginning of spring. It would be a revel tonight, after the children went to sleep.

He had known this day was coming, it had been on his mind for a long time. With his extra armor though, it was hard to tell when.

But he was captain of the royal guard, a sun solider, the halo of the crown as the common folk liked to call him when the Royal consort and him visited the sea side cottage every now and again.

The captain of the guard is dressed in his finest armor, and as it is a celebration, he knows he is expected to dance once or twice, then resume his place by his charges.

It seemed unfortunately, that the little princess of stars wanted to be his charge tonight.

He loved the child, with her wildness and little smile that wasn’t innocent, but wasn’t too mischievous either. She was only four years old, and already was a force of nature.

He is sitting what might’ve been a broom closet when the little princess finds him.

He was wearing his bright armor, red and gold and white, rubbing his face wearily as he could feel the change that was to happen tonight. Or maybe tomorrow he wasn’t sure.

She’d peeked in, her twin brother, who shared his strong nose, giggling with her as they spotted him.

He looked up at the two, a matching set of mischief. And grinned.

“ Hello there troublemakers.” He says, sitting up straighter despite the pain of it.

They giggle again and rush him. Though only toddlers, he’s insisted on teaching them combat maneuvers.

The princess is always the tougher of the two, and launches herself up at him like a tiny bomb of Crinoline and silk, while her brother just hugs his leg.

“ Mamas looking bad.” She says. Her face falling into worry.

“ Very Mad.” Says her brother.

The captain grimaces. Not entirely from catching the royal heir in his arms.

“ That’s normal. She’s a bit on the stuffy side.”

Their mother, the Empress. The tyrant of the house of stars. He shudders thinking about what’s made her mad this time.

“ How about.” He says, scooping up the other twin, even though it sends a small jolt of pain through him. “ We do a raid on the confectionary table?”

The twins burst into gasps and chanting about doing said raid.

He rolls his eyes, neither of them are good at keeping a low profile but. He can work with that.

By the time however he gets to the table, almost ready for the bigger confections, he’s gathered four more of the royal children. The twins on his shoulders, The oldest prince following behind him, their two cousins trailing happily and the second prince holding onto his arms.

“ Themis, can you see any guards?” He asks the oldest of the group.

Themis, despite being only a few years older than the twins. Had a scary seriousness about her. He often chalked it up to her being born the way she was.

Sometimes the image of her with the bundle that was celestial waiting in the rain on the palace steps haunted him. The way her face had been so still. How she’d cling onto the squirming bundle. How haunted she looked, when he tried to offer her a mug of hot chocolate.

He was thankful for the older prince. Who had been the first to get a word out of Themis. Who’d simply wrapped a blanket around them both, and tried to steal the steaming mug from her hand.

Thunder was a clever boy, and usually the defacto defuser of the kids. His name was fitting in that way. Distraction from the real problem, but a comfort none the less.

Celestial nearly dove out of his arms and into the table when she spotted the cotton candy creatures, something that would’ve alarmed him had it been one of the twins or Little Wen. Who was always so even tempered.

But celestial simply went through the table, and popped out from under it. Grinning

“ I scared you!” She says, her mismatched eyes hopeful.

He chuckles “ yes. Yes you did.” And gently patted her head. She was always so cold, so so cold.

“ Celestial.” Said a voice that made his heart race. A voice that was honey, and caramel, and spun sugar on a Croquembouche and the little pastries within. A voice that always answered with a ‘yes’ whenever he asked to stay the night. A voice he knew his heart would turn to ashes without its warm and gentle sound.

The captain of the guard turns to face the owner of such a wonderful voice. Royalty did even begin to define what this sublime creature was. He grins, a lopsided but bright thing. “ Sorry. I worked them up.”

Gentle eyes turn to him, and he wishes his heart wasn’t made of buttery things. Because it melted, every time.

The crown wearing ethereal being smiles anyway, and nods. “ I see.”

Celestial toddles her way out of the table and grins up “ We’re raiding!”

The princess of stars pipes up “ You looked mad!” She reminds everyone.

The ruler chuckles softly and reaches up to pluck her from the massive shoulders of the Guard. “ Oh I was. You never sit still long enough to let me fix you up.”

His heart is a puddle as he watches the other nuzzle the little princess. Soft almost gold eyes narrow at him. “ And you, are supposed to have the night off.”

The captain flushed. Less from embarrassment and more from having those eyes on him.

“ Well I was gonna get up and come anyway so...I figured to be in uniform for it.”

A shake of a head, and a gentle hand touching his cheek. “ You are too hard working for your own good.”

How badly, his hand itches to hold the others there. To keep that warmth and love close forever.

They both suddenly feel..solemn. Reminded of what tonight will be.

His gentle, beloved ruler says softly “ You’ll be able to hold her. Before and after.” He’s reminded.

He does not feel like a royal halo. He feels like a man who might be freezing to death.

He cannot stop the way his eyes water. “ I know.” He says. Voice rough with grief.

The children largely, don’t notice the pain on the faces of the adults before them. Their focus is on the paper kites and lanterns being ushered into the grand ball room. But the princess, cradled in the arms of her mother, notices.

It is much later, when the captain is again, standing at a attention. A tiny floating cradle following behind him with a fussy newborn inside. Before him walks the Empress of stars, her crown shard of black glass that reflect to him his sadness. Her hair is pale gold, and her dress, designed to look more maternal, is the only sound besides the gurgles of the baby.

The newborn is beautiful. Tiny in her size, but beautiful. Her nursemaid, whos skin always seems a bit grey, had suggested her name. A beautiful name, that would surely buy the Empresses good graces.

The Consort of the house of stars is waiting for them when they arrive at the balcony overlooking the Palaces front lawn. Where the party goers were waiting to be let into the splendor of the house of stars.

The Empress steps up to the edge, and makes her announcement, her voice sharp.

“ My fellow starborn loves, I have a exciting announcement to make.”

The captain of the guard looks down at the tiny basket, where the little baby is looking back at him with sweet hazel eyes. But more green, like the sea she was born by. She’s barely is more than a day old. But she’s trying still, to look at the world. Her little lip quivers, and he reaches to gently give his hand to her. It’s so much bigger, so much he’s afraid to hurt her.

But she takes his finger, and squeezes hard.

He is glad for his visor, as it keeps his tears from being seen. He’s so proud of her. He is so in love with the tiny being.

He listens as the Empress explains the mother’s before have gifted them with something grand.

He scoops up the baby. Out of sight still. But he gets to hold her none the less.

He kisses her tiny head, gently rocking her. The hours apart where the nurses and maidens were getting the little one ready in the Queens room was heartbreaking for him.

The Empress of stars, scoops up the princess.

“ I have given you, my stars, My daughter. The heir to my throne, Cassiopeia.” She says. And the crowd roars with glee at seeing the princess.

“ And now my folk. I give you, another daughter. Captain of the guard, Iroh. “ she says, turning those sharp grey eyes to him.

“ Bring forth our newest addition.”

Iroh steps forward, handing over the bundle, as Cassiopeia, is given to him.

The Empress raises up the baby, his baby. His precious newborn. Who after today, he could never again claim was his.

He hugs Cassiopeia as he steps back. She too, he’s had to give to the Empress.

The consort of stars comes and joins the Empress, the honeyed eyes that meet his soothe him. That the consort will not allow the Empress to throw the little bundle off the balcony.

“ We, the house of stars, the crown and light that guides you. Give you our newest daughter.” The Empress says.

Cassiopeia looks, her eyes, as green as the ocean are worried.

Iroh listens as the name he’s picked, will at least always be his piece his baby will have.

“ We give you Artemisia Selene! Daughter of spring and Roses!”

#oc #artemisia selene kingstrom #drabbles

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emletish-fish · 6 years

Text

Worst Prisoner: Omahsu notes.

ff.net

Ao3

Notes: In these rambles I will mention

Aang and the mind-fuck passage of time.

Zuko has too many feelings and none of them are good.

My theory about the White Lotus

So I'd like to ramble about Aang and the passage of time. He woke up from a nap one hundred years later.

The only person alive from Aang's past used to be the same age as him and is now ancient! That is brain wrinkling. I always thought seeing Bumi as such an old guy would have really thrown Aang for a massive loop and I wanted to explore his feelings a little bit.

I'm still sticking to my theory that Zuko is re-incarnated Kuzon. I think it explains a lot, such as why Aang really gravitated towards Zuko, and his first instinct, even despite everything that had happened was 'lets be friends'. Also the timeline fits better, their names are practically anagrams, we were going to have an episode about Kuzon. But for re-incarnation to happen Kuzon had to die. Sorry mate.

The line “if life is a race, she beat me to the finish – but if it is a boxing match, I'm the last man standing” - is from Woman in Gold, a movie that I really enjoyed, even if critics didn't like it much. I also thought it would fit what I imagine would have been a very loving, but very belligerent friendship between Kuzon and Bumi after Aang. - Gosh I have so many head canons for what those two got up too after Aang.

I'm going to drop one on you now. My Theory is: The White Lotus isn't an ancient organisation. It's a fairly new secret society/spy/resistance network that was initially created by Bumi and Kuzon and monk Pasang (one of the survivors from Aang's temple) against Firelord Sozin, to help hide and protect surviving air nomads and be a nuisance to the Fire Nation's military plans.

The White Lotus is all about 'maintaining balance'. There is no greater way of maintaining balance than ensuring the survival of a crucial quarter of the four elements. I think as teens/young adults Bumi and Kuzon got up to shenanigans trying to smuggle, hide and protect survivors of the genocide - and there would have been survivors – the Air Nomads are nomadic people, who's gut instinct is to run away and avoid conflict, with forewarning that the Fire Nation is planning some nasty stuff.

Totalitarian regimes never jump straight to genocide normally. There is a propaganda period, where smaller injustices become 'acceptable' – such as forbidding hosting Air Benders at home. Sozin would probably trump up some reason for this – health most likely. Say the Air Nomads had a plague and you're endangering everyone if you let it spread to the Fire Nation. The Young Sozin Society is my ATLA version of the Hitler Youth.

So Bumi and Kuzon would make fake identities, help move the air benders, and set up little enclaves of survivors. There would have been the need for utmost secrecy, obviously. They would have been very sneaky. Maybe this trait from his past life is where Zuko gets his affinity for being a sneaky ninja.

But I think there would have been other sympathetic people out there, and they would have become members and branches would have rapidly grown. They would have communicated through 'Pai Sho' strategies, because it would have been an easy way to relay complex information. I think Bumi would have been the first 'Grand Lotus' as it would have been easier for him to liaise with all the cells in the EK, but he would have handed this responsibility over after a period.

Why is Tom Tom so ridiculously the favourite as per Mai's tacked on tragic backstory? I mean there had to be a reason. I feel like the most logical reason for him being doted on more is a combination of being a later in life baby and a bender. So he is.

It also let me include a scene that was inspired by one of my lovely reviewers. Someone (sorry I can't remember who, but shout out to you for this great observation!) said that the way people treated Zuko in book 1 was really unfair, because he was just a fairly innocent kid and he wasn’t even doing anything bad. They compared it to ganging up on a baby.

I kind of wanted to hammer that point home with Tom Tom. I wanted to show how deep the prejudice the nations feel for each other is, because those soldiers do hate that baby for being a firebender as a result of all the evil done to them by firebenders – but it also highlights how far Sokka and Katara have come in their attitude towards the Fire Nation. They aren't governed by blind hatred and can clearly recognize it in their 'allies'.

So, I also included a little Aang jealousy here. I think Aang gets maternal and romantic love mixed up (and isn't it a shame that he never gets to learn the difference either). Aang was raised by mostly celibate monks, and never really hung out with girls before the iceberg. Katara has a whole lot of maternal loving for him. He has a crush on her and so he reads her attention as romantic. Seeing her display similar affection to Tom Tom would have made him a little jealous, but he is nowhere near understanding why or labelling it as that. Without being anti-Aang, because I love him, I just wanted to make it clear that the Kataang dynamic is beautiful as a familiar relationship, but unhealthy as all get-out romantically.

Here’s another yikes gif.

Katara calling the baby 'sweetie' is a deliberate dig at the comics, because I have petty moments too, okay. Also I consider sweetie a maternal term of endearment and use it with children when I momentarily blank their name.

So Zuko is at a very low point at the moment, even lower than in the show, because he doesn't even have the vague, nebulous goal of 'regaining his honour' and going home to devote his energy and brain-power too. No, he's sitting on his butt all day. He'd be bored out of his mind. Also Zuko was never really idle, I don't think he knows what to do with himself if he doesn't have a goal to work towards. Nope, all he's got at the moment are maudlin thoughts and beating up bullies. He’s a little sad ball.

I actually think that after all the things he suffered, it would make sense that his season three storyline, of his firebending getting weaker because of a loss of driving motivation, would happen a lot earlier. At least he'll have Iroh to help him through it this time – if he talks to his Uncle and stops sassing him about the flower friends that is. This would be his face whenever Iroh brings up the flower friends.

Lastly, Mai recognised that knife. She knows who it belongs too. She also thinks Zuko got eaten but the Water Tribes, so Katara is not her favourite person at all. Azula hasn't told Mai that he is alive and they are also hunting him along with Iroh. Azula has her reasons, trust me. But Mai being so cheerful about hunting Zuko was something I just couldn't get behind, even for them being friends, let alone paired romantically. The 'love interest' is happy that she has to hunt down someone she supposedly cares about – blargh to that! So it doesn't happen in my story. Mai will retain her deadpan awesome, but I don’t want her to be a sociopath.

Next up – The swamp shows us people we love, people we lost. Katara remembers happier times in the north. Aang and Avatar Kyoshi have an enlightening conversation.

Til then.

#the worst prisoner #worst prisoner #Emletish rants #emletish fic #emletish writes #zutara #Zuko #Katara #Sokka #Aang #Azula #Bumi #Iroh #Uncle Iroh

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caelum-in-the-avatarverse · 7 years

Text

How the Dai Li are NOT Actually One-Dimensional Traitorous Idiots, They’re Totally Two-Dimensional I Swear

Despite being partially-faceless mooks with cool hats, the Dai Li are honestly ATLA’s most interesting villains. You wouldn’t think we’d be getting any bad guys on the Earth Kingdom side - and yet, here we are! Just as surely as we have good guys from the Fire Nation! Shades of gray for everyone! the concept, not the godawful book.

And wow, the Dai Li sure did turn out to be bad guys! Conspiratory secret police, corrupt law enforcement, political puppeteers, brainwashers, DIRTY ROTTEN BISON THIEVES AND JET-MURDERERS.

But everyone considers themselves the hero in their own story, so...how do the Dai Li think they’re the heroes, exactly? Well, they’ve got Avatar Kyoshi’s blessing, their orders are to protect, and the city is a major mess with all those refugees constantly pouring in and the Fire Nation hammering away outside... Sure, they’ve got a long list of crimes, and even they probably know that they don’t do Good Things...but they probably rationalize their actions as being worth doing if it maintains order and protects their city.

A city which they then go ahead and hand over to the Fire Nation on a silver platter, because Azula is just that impressive, the Dai Li are just that power-hungry, and Long Feng is just that foolish.

Or are they?

(Okay yeah Azula really is that impressive. But that’s the only true part of that statement.)

So here’s the thing - unlike Book 1 villain Zhao and his troops, who were motivated by a desire for conquest and glory, Book 2 villain Long Feng and his agents are motivated by the need to maintain the control they already have.

It goes without saying that they have a lot of control, but let’s just, like, review. Long Feng has files on every citizen in the city. There’s enough agents that they’re apparently able to provide security at a palace banquet AND patrol the Lower Ring AND have special details keeping an eye on persons of interest, like the Avatar. Joo Dee may look like a brainwashed ditz, but there’s apparently a small army of her, and each one is a warning and a reminder and an effective spy, capable of frightening citizens with a brilliant smile and a shake of her head. Long Feng is not only Head of the Dai Li and the Minister of Culture but ALSO the Grand Secretariat and King Kuei’s most trusted advisor.

(btw Grand Secretariat is......not an actual title for a human being in Real World History, I think, but it was a governmental agency in Ming Dynasty China that was meant to keep the Six Ministries coordinated with each other, and the Six Grand Secretaries who made up the Grand Secretariat, while technically lower-ranked than the Ministers, actually wound up being more powerful than them because they controlled everything. Huh, that sounds familiar.)

Oh, and to cement Long Feng’s power even further - King Kuei is 25, and it’s heavily implied he was crowned at a very young age. They’ve been working together for a very long time.

Look, I really doubt that the There Is No War In Ba Sing Se policy is as old as the war. For one thing, Long Feng flat-out says that he thought sky bison were extinct, and Kuei didn’t seem surprised, so I’m guessing Kuei has been told that the Airbenders were wiped out a century ago because vague handwave, not important. But clearly people know there was a conflict at some point, it’s just that, since Long Feng took over, no one’s heard anything about it. Heck, in the Upper Ring’s case, they were probably more than happy to forget about it and go back to partying. I do think Long Feng coming to power was the turning point in the policy on talking about the war, and that before him, it wasn’t a secret.

There was an Earth King before Kuei, and that Earth King would’ve been an adult who wasn’t raised to believe he should only handle cultural matters and leave all the important and powerful parts of his job to someone else so he could be a pretty ceremonial figurehead. “But Caelum, what if all Earth Kings are so busy turning their palace into such a dream world of art that they just don’t give a shit about running the country?” Okay look I’m pretty sure that that actually is true for most of Ba Sing Se’s nobility, but at the same time, have you ever met a Chinese emperor? They aren’t stupid. They know that letting someone else control all the people with swords is a bad idea and liable to get you killed when that person realizes they’re way better than you at your job.

Kuei is young and not exactly world savvy due to his sheltered upbringing that is partially an upper class privilege issue and partially a Long Feng issue, and also probably thinks that leaving Long Feng in charge of the army is fine because he trusts Long Feng not to stab him in the back. And Kuei probably trusts Long Feng that much for a reason.

Because even though Long Feng is a power-hungry schemer, here’s the thing - child monarchs don’t tend to have a long life expectancy, historically speaking. When things go so far south that a baby gets crowned, people are going to take advantage of that kind of chaos. Historically, child monarchs that survive childhood usually have someone in their corner - usually their mother - backing them up, consolidating power, and fending off assassination attempts and political coups.

Long Feng totally saved little Kuei’s life on at least one occasion and kept the government from floundering, is what I’m getting at here.

We don’t know what went down to cause Kuei to get crowned king at around age five, but it was about twenty-years pre-series, and Long Feng would have been in his 30s. Probably already in the Dai Li, probably with an already-impressive political career, probably already a minister and in charge of the Dai Li, probably not considering doing anything too dastardly to gain more power for himself - as insidious as the man is, he’s more opportunistic than offensive, and I don’t think he’d flat-out assassinate his ruler on the off chance it might get him farther in life.

But if someone else assassinated his ruler and probably a good chunk of the royal family as well, leaving a suddenly-orphaned young prince without a familial support system to ascend the throne? Oh, yes, I can see Long Feng taking advantage of that situation pretty easily, and rationalizing it as being for the good of the city to do so. Don’t worry, your majesty, you just focus on growing up and getting an education and taking care of the simpler, ceremonial duties of your station, I’ll handle the hard stuff.

Yeah, Long Feng is a power-hungry jerk, but he’s an intelligent power-hungry jerk, and he knows that keeping Kuei alive and on the throne will keep down the number of people who think someone else should be on the throne. He keeps Kuei in the limelight while he operates in the shadows. He doesn’t need to fight off usurpers, he gets to act the righteous underling dedicated to the rightful monarch, and he gets in good with the new king. It’s a more efficient way to power.

So Long Feng is super powerful - the most powerful person in the entire Earth Kingdom, unofficially. He doesn’t need more power. He just wants to maintain the power he does have, because I guess micromanaging an entire city is just as good as world domination. When that city is as enormous as Ba Sing Se, it probably is.

And because their leader is so powerful, the Dai Li are also super powerful. Sure, most individual agents are probably not living in mansions or making major governmental decisions, but like any corrupt police officers I’m sure they’re pretty pleased with the sway they hold over the general populace, the privilege of being able to do whatever they want, and the ability to pound on their neighbor’s door and say Oma-and-Shu damn it, Lee, if you don’t stop playing your badgermole-forsaken tsungi horn while I’m trying to get my kid to go to sleep I will have you arrested and brainwashed into forgetting what a tsungi horn even is.

And while I believe the Dai Li have only been the super-corrupt secret police we know and love/hate since Long Feng took over, I’m sure that before his administration the Dai Li still held plenty of power. Avatar Kyoshi created them to preserve and protect the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se, after all.

“Yeah, okay, but Caelum the phrase ‘cultural heritage’ is really vague so what exactly were they - ”

Look, Kyoshi created the Dai Li in direct response to a peasant revolt, and while the kid-friendly Escape From the Spirit World short makes it sound like the “cultural heritage” that was destroyed in said revolt was a bunch of shattered ancient vases, I am pretty sure it is actually code for “the peasants straight-up murdered a bunch of nobles”. The only way Kyoshi could get the Earth King to listen to the peasants was by promising to protect the nobles who said peasants were revolting against. Because as we all know, the rich and powerful need to be protected from the poor and oppressed, and the best way to do that is to organize a bunch of earthbenders into an elite fighting force that will cater exclusively to the upper class. I’m sure THAT power won’t be abused AT ALL!

So the Dai Li have always been tied to the upper echelons of society and have always been kinda-corrupt, and then Long Feng amped it up to eleven when he realized he could extend the organization’s reach to ALL the rings.

And THAT was a logical thing to do upon taking control, because - well, jeez, this war has been going on for 80 years now, the refugees keep pouring in because the Fire Nation is attacking a new province every other year, that asshole Fire Lord Azulon doesn’t know when to stop and his son Prince Iroh is having a grand old time whittling away at Earth Kingdom territory. The refugees are getting the populace panicked, the poverty and crime rates are skyrocketing, the Royal Family just go assassinated (probably not even by the Fire Nation, probably by angry refugees), there’s a baby on the throne, and the rest of the upper class just want to stop worrying about this crap and go back to their parties. Solution? Well that Long Feng guy says he can take care of it all by just silencing all talk of the war, so let’s go ahead and let him take control of everything and that way we won’t miss that banquet next week.

So the Dai Li is the most powerful organization in Ba Sing Se, founded by an Avatar, made up of highly-trained earthbenders, with a political reach spanning all levels of the city. Its members are powerful beyond belief, politically, socially, and personally.

So with all this power...why would they give it all up for a fourteen-year-old foreign princess? Because that move is definitely a sacrifice of power - under the Earth Kingdom’s rule, they’re the most powerful people in the city, but under the Fire Nation’s? A triumphant army eager to make sure their newly-conquered subjects know who’s boss? A new government that, despite the Dai Li’s allegiance, would likely consider anyone Earth Kingdom as second-class citizens at best?

It makes no logical sense that the Dai Li would just follow Azula because she’s....terrifying and inspiring and powerful. I mean, Azula believes that the Dai Li simply follow whoever the most powerful person in the room is, but A) That is a STUPID assumption to make of anyone, ever, and I’m 99% sure that’s Azula’s Fire Nation Supremacy and Propaganda-driven brain getting the best of her, and B) following Azula won’t actually give the Dai Li any more power than they already have, and might even actually downgrade them. Why would the Dai Li give that up?

So here’s the theory - they didn’t.

I didn’t come up with this by myself, by the way. The original creators of this theory are Dark Puck and Rebecca Hb, who were active Dai Li fans back in the fandom’s heyday. They’ve since moved on along the currents of Fandom Drift, but they left behind a fantastic world of fanfics, OCs, and headcanons. If you want to see this theory in fic form, check out One’s For Sorrow.

The Dai Li are earthbenders, and right at the beginning of Book 2 we learn that earthbenders are known for neutral jing. They wait and listen, patiently, until the right moment to strike. We see it with King Bumi, we see it with Toph...and we see it with Long Feng and the Dai Li.

From the moment we meet him, Long Feng watches and waits - he knows exactly who Katara and Toph are at that party, and instead of making a scene, he escorts them in and watches and waits until he has the entire Gaang in his office and explains, at which point he lays out the situation very plainly. And then he watches and waits until the Lake Laogai episode.

The Gaang spend maybe a month in Ba Sing Se, getting up to shenanigans like crashing royal parties, drenching nobles’ daughters in rivers, spontaneously repurposing farmland for a zoo, harassing Joo Dee, partially demolishing their house, and stirring up talk about the war and the black market while searching for Appa, among probably thousands of other hijinx I haven’t had time to think up for fanfiction fodder yet. They probably generate reams of paperwork and gave many Dai Li agents hand cramps from the number of reports they had to write out. And yet, instead of flat-out banishing a bunch of kids from his city, Long Feng watches and waits until he is certain that the thing to do is send them on a goose chase and get them far, far away from Ba Sing Se.

And sure, everything kinda falls apart after that, and Long Feng is apparently not good at being put on the spot when it comes to covering up a stolen sky bison, but to be fair I doubt anyone could really stand up to a bunch of Main Characters Team Avatar on a mission.

But Long Feng is patient and Long Feng is intelligent, okay? You don’t keep a city in your micromanaging grasp by being stupid. Or by plotting in the short-term. Let’s just establish that as fact.

And there’s one other thing that Long Feng (and the Earth Kingdom in general) have been watching and waiting on - the comet.

Comets are a predictable phenomenon, and the Chinese have always paid attention to the stars, so it’s no stretch to imagine that the Earth Kingdom does too. Somewhere in Ba Sing Se’s court, the Royal Astronomer has been flailing her arms and shouting about how that damn comet is due back in a decade five years one year A FEW MONTHS and Long Feng and the army have been low-key like DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS??? for a while now. Not enough to panic the Earth King and the nobles, of course, but seriously - anyone?

Talk of the war may be forbidden, but people still know their history, especially the Dai Li, who are probably all giant history buffs what with the “cultural heritage” thing. The last time that comet passed by, the Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads. An entire nation gone, in less than a day.

Who’s to say they won’t do the same thing to Ba Sing Se?

Because this impossible feat is what the Fire Nation managed to do without the comet:

Imagine what they might do with the comet.

I’m gonna assume that the Earth Army had a bunch of plans and contingency plans and supplies and weapons and evacuation routes and whatever else they could scramble together, because I refuse to consider they were not thinking that far ahead, but honestly - would it even help? Would fighting that much firepower really do anything? The Air Nomads could fly away, and they were still wiped out. For comet-enhanced firebenders, taking out Ba Sing Se would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

These have to be the thoughts that plagued Long Feng and General How - will the city survive the comet, and if so, how many people will die? But earth is the element of substance, it endures, it survives, and they can’t allow themselves to be blocked by fear. I’m going to assume they had plans.

Though, here’s a thought - Long Feng, why the HELL did you not just put the Gaang in touch with General How and wave them off like “have fun planning an invasion, kids.” You wouldn’t even need to explain that you were in charge - just be like “yo, the king’s busy, but here’s the generals, go ahead and knock yourselves out.” Seriously. That would’ve been SMART. The Gaang would be none the wiser, Long Feng could make himself their ally and steer them away from his business, and they could still get their invasion plans going.

But of course that didn’t happen.

So Long Feng gets arrested, and the Dai Li watch and wait to see what happens next. The government is in flux - the guy who runs everything just got locked up, and the Earth King is extremely inexperienced. Long Feng sits in his jail cell, watching and waiting for the opportune moment to take back what’s his.

And then one of his agents whispers that the Kyoshi Warriors who recently came to the palace are actually Fire Nation spies, and Princess Azula is among them.

And suddenly, after just a few days in prison, after a few decades of worry, Long Feng feels a plan falling into place.

The Fire Nation wants Ba Sing Se. Long Feng wants his power back. The comet is coming. Princess Azula is in the city.

Long Feng is an earthbender and an opportunist, and he plots in the long term. Getting his power back...he can watch and wait for that opportunity for a little longer, at this point. But the comet? That’s a more pressing concern. He can’t get his power back if the entire city is in ashes, after all. How to stop the Fire Nation from burning the city to the ground?

By giving it to them.

Because no matter what plans hey had to protect Ba Sing Se, it would be better if they just...didn’t have to protect it at all. The city would be safer if the Fire Nation already held it.

The comet lasts for 24 hours. Not even. After that, the Earth Kingdom has a whole 100 years to fight off the Fire Nation again. And Long Feng, of course, would be able to swoop back in and take charge of recapturing the city himself. Reputation restored.

Earth is patient. They can watch and wait.

So Long Feng has Princess Azula brought to his cell in the dead of night, and they play each other like the skilled politicians they are. Long Feng is impressed by her scheming - fourteen years old and plotting a coup. Amazing. But of course he knows her plans, because ever since they realized there were Fire Nation spies in the palace, the Dai Li have been lurking on the rooftop over the guest room.

Princess Azula is a force to be reckoned with, and her political maneuvering is something to behold - she will be a terrifying rival as an adult - but here’s the thing. She’s so chock-full of Fire Nation nationalism and beliefs in her own nation’s supremacy that she’s just a little blinded to the fact that it’s a little weird that the Dai Li are just.....going along with her orders and betraying their own nation. She assumes it’s her due, because she’s so much more powerful, and she knows they know it.

Azula says it herself - whoever controls the Dai Li controls Ba Sing Se.

So here’s the thing - who controls the Dai Li? Azula? Long Feng? NO! THE DAI LI ARE PEOPLE. I KNOW IT’S HARD TO REMEMBER, BUT VILLAINOUS MOOKS ARE PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE CONTROL THEMSELVES. THE DAI LI CHOSE LONG FENG OVER THE EARTH KING. THE DAI LI (allegedly) CHOSE AZULA OVER LONG FENG. THE DAI LI CONTROL THE DAI LI. WHY would people suddenly HEEL-FACE TURN because they saw someone MORE POWERFUL THAN THEIR CURRENT LEADER? WHAT IS THIS, MINIONS???

They know exactly what Azula is up to, and they are more than willing to play into her hand. It will keep the city safe. They’ve already made their own king a figurehead, brainwashed a significant fraction of the populace, stood against the Avatar, kidnapped a sky bison, and done all sorts of other unspeakable things to protect their city. What’s a little treason on top of all that?

And of course, they have to sell her on their loyalty. They have to sell her on the fact that the city is safely in her grasp, that there will be little to no rebellion, that it will be absolutely unnecessary to crispy-fry Ba Sing Se when the comet comes.

So this happens.

Long Feng is a 50-something-year-old member of an organization of elite earthbenders who we’ve seen take down a sky bison with a cool floor-flipping trip and who has no compunctions about killing teenagers, and he is surrounded by stone. I don’t care how much of a prodigy Azula is - it is very hard to bend lightning when the floor just swallowed you.

So why didn’t it?

Because Long Feng and the Dai Li want Azula to think she’s won.

And it works. Not to diminish Azula here - she’s fantastic, and you were never even a player is an amazing line, and I do think that in that moment Long Feng really was respectfully terrified of her. But I also think she was thoroughly played herself, in a much longer game she didn’t realize they were playing.

The Fire Nation gets the city without a single citizen dying. The Dai Li bring down the wall and welcome their new overlords and travel with Azula to the Fire Nation, possibly to keep an eye on her and take her out when the moment presents itself.

It’s still a major risk. The Fire Nation is going to enter Ba Sing Se. Long Feng is likely taken into custody, and he and the Council of Five and the Earth King are in danger of execution (maybe there were arrangements made for them to “miraculously escape”). The Fire Nation is brutal, and it’s still likely that Ba Sing Se citizens will die over the course of the occupation.

But it’s far more likely that the majority of them will live past the comet.

And at that point, it will be easy for Long Feng to take back control. Especially from Kuei. Because what will people say about this whole turn of events? “Holy cow, King Kuei ousted Long Feng for one day and the city fell to the Fire Nation. Clearly Long Feng should be in charge!”

And even if Long Feng doesn’t survive all of this...

Look, he’s a power-hungry schemer and definitely not a good person, but in all honesty, I think he’s still very dedicated to his city and his country. Not in a good way, but he is. Grabbing power for himself is a goal.......but so is protecting Ba Sing Se. If he doesn’t survive, I think he’d prefer to know he went out ensuring his city’s survival, at least.

Earth is patient, earth is enduring, earth will watch and wait for the opportune moment to strike.

And now that the city is safely in Fire Nation control, Long Feng and the Dai Li just need to wait for the firebenders to tire themselves out with superpowered fireballs that they make for fun, not to actually fight anyone. And once they’re all exhausted from playing with superfireballs and the comet is gone for another century, then they’ll take their city back.

Just.....no one attack during the comet, that will entirely defeat the point of this plan.

spirits-damn it you meddling old men

(okay fine to be fair maybe the Fire Nation was gonna kill everyone in the city anyway because they’re evil and the OWL went and stopped that from happening. maybe that’s why they decided to attack at the Fire Nation’s most powerful moment. there’s probably a reasonable explanation. if I can reasonably explain the Dai Li I can reasonably explain this dumb strategy.)

So there you have it - Long Feng sold out the city not because he and the Dai Li are TOTALLY EVIL, but because it was the most logical way to keep everyone from getting flambeed come the end of summer. And also because they are totally evil. But efficiently evil! Like they aren’t one-dimensional idiots I stg they have two dimensions at least.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

(Credit to Dark Puck and Rebecca Hb for originating this theory, and to piandao.org for being the best ATLA screenshot archive ever)

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar the last airbender #dai li agents #long feng #azula #Caelum's headcanon #caelum rambles #my creations

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zutarawasrobbed · 4 years

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Chief Katara and house husband, stay at home dad Zuko has a nice ring to it don’t you think?

Zuko would want to give all his love to his babies and his time. His dad was never there for him.

Imagine their babies growing up in the snow as warriors firebenders and waterbenders.

Zuko calling his babies his precious snowflakes because they’re one of a kind.

Seasonal trips to the fire nation where fire lord Iroh gets to see his grand babies after taking back the destiny Ozai stole from him.

Zuko eventually becoming Fire Lord after Iroh passes or is ready to retire and becoming joint rulers with Katara at his side as both chief of the southern water tribe and queen of the fire nation before their oldest firebender takes the throne when they’re ready.

Katara eventually being named Lady of the Moon to have a better fitting title for the woman who rules two lands.

Katara has two hands, she can rule two lands.

Zuko was too young to take the throne in canon, and he and Katara should be allowed to explore their lives together without the responsibilities of leadership for a few years and just do as they please. Let themselves be young and dumb for a bit.

#zutara #zuko #katara #Katara has two hands she can rule two lands.

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zutaraverse · 7 years

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Chapter 7 Part 2: Springing From The Earth

MATURE audiences only.. In both good and bad ways. R rated ok. Trigger warnings for torture, rape, murder, swearing, sex.

She was suddenly very aware of the proximity of his still-shirtless body. He tentatively reached a hand up, as he had before, and cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer. She stiffened momentarily out of habit, but then relaxed into the touch. This was a lifetime away from the last man who touched her. There was no similarity at all.

He felt relief at her subtle encouragement; she moved towards him instead of away when he had entwined his hand in her hair. Maybe he could place one behind her back? Would that be going too far?

Katara broke the kiss and placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

“Zuko, stop hesitating. If you do something I don’t like, I will tell you - believe me.” She looked serious, although there was a sparkle in her expression that made Zuko’s stomach tighten in anticipation. He grinned.

He placed both his hands on her waist and lifted her onto his lap. She brushed away a strand of raven black hair that had fallen in front of his face and leaned forward into him.

This time Zuko could feel her body against his; the bulge of her breasts underneath her wrappings, her hips against his - but he was shocked when he came in contact with her exposed midriff. Her naked skin against his sent a buzz through his whole body and he found himself regarding the rest of her clothes bitterly.

Katara mentally groaned as his sculpted body came in contact with hers. The hardness of his muscles that encompassed her were rather distracting - and the fact he was being so gentle with her, his movements flowing like she had taught him to treat water, thrilled her even more.

Without warning, Zuko froze. Katara pulled away from him, worried, and noticed that he was blushing a shade of deep crimson. He awkwardly shifted his legs under her and gently lifted her back onto the ground next to him, away from his body. Katara pouted in protest, but then registered the bulge straining against his training trousers. Her breath hitched in her throat - a little voice in the back of her head was secretly impressed. But she felt torn between an intense desire and a gut wrenching fear for what was contained underneath that deep red fabric. Her heart swelled at the realisation that he had anticipated her reaction and moved her away so as to not frighten her completely.

He changed position so as to be less obvious and looked away in embarrassment.

“I… eh … sorry about that - I guess I got a little… um… over excited,” he mumbled, fixing a point to her left and trying to calm himself down. Baby steps he thought! He had already decided that he needed to build her up to it - if it was ever going to happen. Which he really, really hoped it would. He was mentally berating himself for having ruined such a perfect moment. It has been a while though, he reasoned to himself.

Katara took his hand from where it was nervously rubbing the back of his neck and squeezed it.

“Don’t apologise Zuko. Please. I… I will get over this. It will take time….” He nodded, still staring at the air beside Katara. “I appreciate it though,” she added with a lopsided, sheepish grin, trying to lighten the mood.

Zuko glanced at her in confusion, then took in her expression and glanced down at himself, his face reddening even more. He was flattered but had never been complimented before! He had no idea how to react.

Katara giggled at his apparent nervousness, leaned in, and kissed him again.

Their day of private respite from the pressures of the nation was far too short. After their moments on the grass they retreated to their separate rooms to bathe and dress for the day - although it was already almost lunch time, and the weather had soured, granting them one of the last rain storms of the season. They decided to spend the rest of the day in Zuko’s grand sitting room with some tea and a game of Pai Sho. However, the game hardly started before the two were rather distracted by one another’s lips.

It felt as if now that the first barrier was down a whole flood of emotions were pouring out of the two. Although they did nothing but kiss, neither had felt so passionate in their entire lives.

The sitting room was a wide open space with three large windows reaching from floor to ceiling on one side. The walls had recently been redecorated into ornate orange swirls on a cream background, reminiscent of a fire-dancer’s moves. The floor was littered with intricately embroidered pillows of many colours, one more large and comfortable than the next. The cushions were loosely scattered around low wooden tables, each with a unique tea set ready to be used - no doubt Uncle Iroh’s influence! The light, inoffensive colour scheme and the vast view of the grounds made it the best room to feel at ease in the entire palace.

And here the two teenagers were attempting to remember the rules Uncle Iroh had taught them about Pai Sho. Katara bit her bottom lip and she considered which of three paths to take to create the next harmony. No matter what she did she would lose a tile, but it was about weighing up which was least important to her. Glancing up at Zuko, she noticed how his eyes were not trained on the board, but instead were calmly observing her lips. She felt her heart beat quicken and an idea came to her.

She carefully let her bottom lip slide away from her teeth and smiled. Apparently spontaneously, she leaned across the table and kissed Zuko. He was surprised, but closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, resentful that she pulled away.

Katara sighed.

“Come on, lets finish this game!” she said, making her move. Zuko gave her one last longing look before returning to the game.

He frowned.

He could have sworn that he had her cornered - that no matter what she did he would take her tile! Wait… didn’t he have a tile on the left of…

Katara stifled a giggle at his confusion. He looked up to her barely concealed grin and narrowed his eyes.

“You took my tile!” he accused in mock anger.

“Which tile is that? Do you mean this one?” she asked innocently, holding it up between her thumb in forefinger.

“Precisely! Give it back,” he growled, trying to snatch it back just as she pulled it out of his reach. Katara raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know… I kind of like it. But I guess if you really want it, you could always come and get it?” she said, as seductively as she could manage without laughing at herself. Zuko looked at her shocked, but loved the thrill of adrenaline spreading through his body, and reverted to his blue spirit persona as he leaped over the table to Katara and pinned her down against one of the cushions, holding her hands in his and kneeling either side of her. However, the tile was not there!

Katara giggled and half lifted herself so she could kiss him again. Suddenly the tile was extremely unimportant, and Katara’s body under Zuko’s was all he knew about the room. He let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, lowering himself down so he was on top of her but not crushing her. She wriggled under him and he realised she wanted him to turn onto his back. In doing so, though, he pulled her on top of him - which she seemed to enjoy as she pressed herself onto him even more. This time he let his hands roam all over her back, pleased by her small shivers as he did so. Somehow she was straddling him, their hips and lips pressed together mirroring the other.

“Katara,” groaned Zuko, slowing their movement and trying to push her off him. He was far too excited again.

“I don’t care, Zuko,” she whispered, holding onto him more tightly and nibbling playfully at his ear, “I like it.”

Something snapped inside Zuko at her words, and he gave in to instinct, moving with her, letting his hands rove over her bottom and pulling her closer. Her little gasps of pleasure against his lips and the way she tugged lightly at his hair sent him close to the edge already. He flipped them over so he was on top again, leaning on his elbows either side of her face as her legs wound around his hips and pulled him down closer. Both their hips seemed to follow a natural rhythm that made their muscles shake; that made his erection grow to a full strength in a way that felt completely new with Katara; that created a dampness between her legs Katara had forgotten the sensation of.

There was an urgent knock at the door. Neither acknowledged its presence, too absorbed in the small world they were creating on the cushions.

The knock came again, instantly shattering their bliss. Zuko groaned.

“What is it?” he called, bitterly.

“Fire Prince Zuko, an urgent message has just arrived from Fire Lord Iroh,” called an uncertain voice from the other side of the door. Zuko shut his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Put it in my study. I will be there in five minutes.”

“Yes, Fire Prince Zuko,” called the voice, and they heard footsteps rushing away down the corridor.

Katara’s lips were playfully kissing his neck in a tantalisingly slow way. Zuko leaned his head back so as to expose more of his neck to her caresses.

“I’ve changed my mind,” he moaned, “Uncle’s message can wait.” However, Katara removed her legs from around him and gently brushed some of his hair away from his face. She reached under the cushion she was sitting on an pulled out the White Lotus tile she had stolen, placing it in his hand and wrapping his fingers around it.

“You know Iroh wouldn’t write if it wasn’t important,” she chided gently, although she was dangerously close to agreeing with him.

Zuko sighed and buried his head in the crook of her neck as she played with his hair. He tried to calm himself down enough to be presentable and slowly lifted himself to his feet, looking down at Katara who was still lying on the floor, her soft wavy hair spread out on the cushions. He couldn’t resist kneeling down and planting one last kiss on her lips before brushing out the creases in his clothes and leaving without a word.

Katara stayed where she lay for a long time, enjoying the warmth that still surrounded her, his scent left on the cushions around her. However, as time drew on it all faded and she was left to her thoughts. There was a strange fear in the pit of her stomach, entwined with a fierce pleasure and longing; what was this thing they had? She told herself it was a fling - it had all happened today after all! Tomorrow was a new day, maybe things would not feel the same. Even as she told herself this she knew it had been coming much longer than a day and that it was already much more than just a fling.

Her imagination ran away with her and pictured herself as Fire Lady - would she even be allowed? Would they accept her? They already let her into important decisions - so it couldn’t be that far from everybody’s minds! Or would they insist he marry a fire nation noblewoman? Would he want to keep her as a whore?

No. She would never be that. She was a jealous person, thinking that he was sleeping with somebody else as well as her would hurt far too much.

Wait, when had she decided to sleep with him? What did she even want to happen?

Katara groaned, clutching her head and went to bed early without any dinner.

The next day they meditated in silence as usual and made their way to their training area stealing calculating glances at one another but saying nothing. Both had been tormented with thoughts for the future and had tried to reassure themselves that it was nothing. Seeing one another again, though, was a complete contradiction to their self-assurances.

The metal door clanged shut behind them and Zuko removed his shirt as he always did, kicking it into a corner. When he turned around, Katara was already in a stance and sent a water whip his way. She wanted to fight, she wanted to let out her frustration with herself and the situation even though she already knew she could do nothing to change the way she felt.

He intercepted it easily and returned it in the form of ice spikes. She ducked out of the way and caught them before they could reach the ground, melting them into steam that filled the room. She sent the vapour to Zuko surrounding him and liquidised it simultaneously, drenching him in water.

Zuko couldn’t help but joining in Katara’s laugh as he stood spluttering in the middle of the arena before bending the water out of his clothes and hair.

“Wait Katara! Stop! I’ve had a thought… could you go outside and get a few sticks?” said Zuko, calming his breath and sporting a strange thoughtful look.

“Eh… sure?” she left to track down some bits of wood.

When she returned, her arms full of sticks of various sizes, he had not moved at all, and stood with his eyes closed in deep concentration.

“Right, lets hear this idea then?” she said, smiling and letting the wood clatter to the floor, kicking the door shut behind her. Zuko turned to regard her, looking slightly embarrassed.

“I’m not sure if this will work… but with water there are different things you can do; you can make mist, water or ice… and you can pull moisture from things around you all the time right? So basically you are concentrating all the water from the surroundings in one place - its like you are redistributing it. Water and fire - we know - are not as different as we thought they were, so what if I can do the same thing with fire? If mist or moisture can be condensed to create water, then can heat be condensed to create fire? One of the main problems with fire bending is that the fire we create runs out of fuel, so to hold anything stationary we have to continually feed it…”

Katara frowned. This was all important, but she wasn’t sure where this was going.

“So I’m going to try and create an area of intense heat… and when I tell you to, could you throw some wood into the space?” Katara raised her eyebrows but nodded.

Zuko turned his back to her and concentrated once more, sinking into a low, stable stance and spreading his arms wide. He then slowly brought them in, rotating them as if compressing a ball in front of him. Katara felt the air around her grow very cold and started shivering. She tried to create some fire to warm herself up but swallowed a cry of surprise when she was unable to do so.

“Now Katara,” called Zuko in a strained voice.

Shivering, Katara picked up a stick and threw it to the area of space in front of him. As soon as it made contact with the shimmering mass of heat in the centre of the arena it burst into flames, completely ash before even reaching the ground.

Katara forgot about the cold and threw more and more sticks into the heat until all that was left was a heap of ash on the floor. Zuko relaxed his stance and spread his arms out. Katara could feel the warmth coming back to her, flowing around her like a stream of water would. It gave her power and she instinctively produced a small flame in the palm of her hand, relieved she could do so again. They observed one another. Zuko frowned.

“Katara, your lips are blue!” he exclaimed, pinpointing what seemed off with her.

“You kind of took away all the heat in the room, Zuko,” she said, shrugging. His eyes widened and he hurried over to her, instinctually hugging her in apology.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t think this through!” he murmured into her hair.

The feel of his arms surrounding her once again made Katara decide then and there that she wouldn’t resist temptation anymore. The consequences would rear their ugly head eventually, but for now she had gone through too much sorrow to deny herself this.

As Zuko pulled away he noticed a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“It was really horrible,” she said in a mock hurt tone, looking up at him with large, innocent eyes, “the least you could do is warm my lips up for me…”

A grin spread across Zuko’s face, as he leaned down to obediently press his lips against hers.

Like the day before, the contact triggered something within both of them. Suddenly her arms were wrapped around his neck, her hands playing in his hair, while his held her waist tightly against him. Without thinking, he let his hands drop so they tugged at the back of her thighs, and sensing what he wanted, Katara jumped up and wrapped her legs just above his waist, feeling him growing beneath her. His strong arms held her weight easily, and her new position gave him access to her neck where he trailed kisses up and down.

“Maybe I should do this more often,” he mumbled into the hollow underneath her ear.

Suddenly there was a deafening scraping sound and light flooded into the arena, before a matching sound and the light returning to normal. Zuko turned, still clutching Katara, towards the noise and was shocked to see Toph standing inside the arena, having just metal bent her way into it. Zuko’s jaw dropped, and his face started burning in embarrassment as he lowered Katara gently to the floor.

As soon as her feet reached the ground, Toph’s eyebrows raised inquisitively, then her eyes widened in realisation.

“Oh wow! Were you two just… do you even have clothes on? Might want to calm yourself down there Fire Prince - I might not be able to see, but I sure know what that kind of heartbeat means!”

#zutaraverse #zutara #blood chi and full moons #zuko #katara #toph

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kimtotes · 8 years

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2, 9, 10, 11, 12

2. Top 3 villains/antagonists

june stahl (sons of anarchy) - the best sons of anarchy villain, in my personal opinion. back when sutter actually a genious and not a fucking fanservicing sell out.

trinity aka arthur mitchell (dexter) - once again the best big bad in dexter. never thought john lithcow would scare the living shit out of me, but he manged to do it in the very first episode. although i still don’t fully buy the fact that trinity killed rita morgan ( i believe it was someone else, mostly the neighbor next door), he still was an amazing villain and did some horrible shit. watching him and dexter go one on one was more then entertaining and i honestly thing this is the only villain that was truly dexter’s worthy advisary

honestly it’s sort of a copout, but azula (avatar the last airbender) and all four legend of korra antagonists - if there’s one thing i absolutely love is a complex villain and both azula and the four legend of korra villains are more than complex. azula is the definition of a tragic villian. she has mommy issues, abandonment issues, trust issues, was basically raised to be a weapon, feels unloved by her mother, doesn’t know how to handle failure, suffers from mental illness, and fell from a very high pedistal at the end of the atla. even the scene with her demise wasn’t something celebrated, it was sad. two of the legend of korra villains also fit this category, amon and kuvira. amon lived in an abusive relationship with his father, who was extremely hard on him and his brother during their waterbending sessions. he made the blood bend animals and each other and eventually amon ran off and grew up hating all benders. He saw how benders could take advantage of non benders. He wanted to take away everyone’s bending in order to make things equal. His methods were wrong, but what he stood for was more than understandable. Kuvira also had a sad past, filled with abandonment and mommy issues. When the earth kingdom fell into utter chaos, she jumped in to help when no one else would. She initially wanted to help the earth nation, but she became more controling. Kuvira is an incredibly sympathetic villain. The other two villains may not have had as tragic as a past, but they all stood for something that they really thought would help the world. Unalaq wanted to reunite the spirits with the natural world, but power eventually got to his head. The Red Lotus wanted the world to have true freedom, which got out of control when they started killing world leaders (who honestly deserved it *cough cough* earth queen) and tried to rid the world of the avatar

9. Top 3 fictional siblings

zuko and azula (avatar the airbender) - honestly my favorite dynamic in the entire avatar universe. sibling dynamics always get, especially the love/hate ones. they’re mean to each other, but there’s still love there. i just want them to be friends.

the fisher siblings (six feet under) - the fisher siblings are my heart. the scenes between nate, david, and claire are either hysterical or heart breaking. i mean they cover for each other when they’re high at family dinners and support each other when life is fucking hard. love them

the gallaghers (shameless) - i may dislike a few of them, but i absolutely love their dynamic. especially fiona’s relationship with carl and ian. they’re basically her children, her babies.

10. Top 3 child characters (this one was hard because i generally don’t like kids, so i couldn’t think of any kids in tv shows. my mind kinda went blank)

toph beifong (avatar the last airbender) - my baby. little badass and earth bending prodigy. literally invented medal bending

carl gallagher (shameless) - okay i used to hate carl when i first started watching this show, but now i fucking love him. he’s honestly my favorite.

abel teller (sons of anarchy) - although he only had like 5 lines, abel teller was the only character i actually like in the end of soa. he was the only one that cared about tara and he still refused to see anyone but tara as his mother. i cry when i think about tara and abel’s relationship. they both chose each other. and like the mother/son dynamic was already precious, just think about what it could have been if tara lived.

11. Top 3 elderly characters

uncle iroh (avatar the last airbender) - honestly if more people were like iroh, the world would be a better place. comical, insightful, badass, and an overall gem. honestly one of the best characters in the avatar universe.

lady olenna (game of thrones) - i’m so far behind, but lady olenna still slays

rick sanchez (rick and morty) - problematic grandpa sometimes, but i fucking love him. he’s funny and he loves his grand kids.

12. Top 3 fictional animals/pets

badgermoles (avatar/legend of korra) - i want one so bad

kyubey (madoka magica) - even though he’s basically satan

the direwolves (game of thrones) - i absolutely love wolves in general and i love how they are with the stark kids

#sorry for the delay #i was watching hairspray so i was away from my laptop for awhile #detectiveangievega

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