#Lu Ten Lives AU

[shipping-all-ships]

Lu Ten: I'm sorry to say this, kiddos, but your father has passed away. Zuko(10): *bursts into tears* Azula(8): *shocked* How...how did father die? Lu Ten: Uhh (Flasback to Lu Ten shoving Ozai out the window) Lu Ten: Assassin. Lu Ten: With more arm strength than he thought he had.

[singswan-springswan]

ficlet under the cut

The crate tipped with a sudden lurch and broke open on the ground. Zuko spilled unceremoniously with the motion. Inelegant. Graceless. Normally his movements held much more regality, but he'd been kidnapped and stuffed in a scratchy box and out of the water for some indeterminable length of days, so cutting himself some slack here felt appropriate.

It wasn't much brighter outside the stupid box. His scales were dry, his head was killing him, and the floor held a pleasant cool against his mounting fever. He really needed water soon. Every part of his body felt... scratchy. Discomfort would escalate into pain, and then asphyxiation. He would suffocate if he dried out. Idly, he wondered how long it would take. The humans seemed to know. They hadn't acted worried yet.

"Our latest bounty." The voice looming over Zuko was muffled in weird places. "I thought it might spark an interest. You collect fire fish, isn't that right?"

Zuko bit down a hazy groan and fumbled to prop himself up. The loss of the tile's cool against his cheek was one he mourned, but there would be time for relaxing when he found a way out of this mess. He could barely think straight. The humans—the pirates who'd ransomed him from the girl in blue—were standing guard around him now. He could see their boots. They were facing all the same direction, same way the voice was talking towards, and Zuko turned to observe.

The surrounding space was large, a room, and very dimly lit. This wouldn't normally be an issue, being that he was a mer, but his headache made his eyes lazy and bad at adjusting to the dark. If he squinted, he could see the ripple of light along the walls. Blue. Weird. In the direction of the pirates' attention, something like the outline of a table was visible—as large and imposing as the room itself. A single shadowy figure occupied a seat on the far side. He looked weird with the backlight. Zuko's vision was getting spotty.

He didn't get much chance to scan the rest of the surrounding space, because the pirate captain decided to be a jerk and grab his hair. It'd long since escaped its neat topknot, now bunching and sliding strangely in dry heat. The pain and the change in angle made Zuko rapidly lose sight of the shadow man.

"This one's quite a specimen." The pirate tilted Zuko's head back, baring his throat—maybe as a joke; it was always hard to tell if humans knew the significance of such a display—and lifted him enough to catch the light. So their potential buyer could get a better view.

Zuko would like to rip the pirate's skin off and feed it to him, but he was weak with dehydration, and his previous struggles against the man's crew had left him exhausted. All he managed was a low hiss. If humans could understand mer speech, he’d be cursing them as soundly as possible. Someone was standing on his tail. Not that it made much difference. He doubted he could have swung it if it wasn't pinned.

"I've seen a lot of the fire mer in my day, but this one's real pretty. Don't feel bad turning the offer down. We'll keep 'im if you won't." His crew laughed. Bastards. Zuko could hear the leer in the pirate's voice. It made him dizzy with anger.

Then a low grind echoed softly, and the humans cut their chatter short. Zuko distantly registered the shadow at the table moving. What made that noise? Was it his chair? He stood, rounded the massive table, and drew closer. All Zuko could see was a dark, unfocused blob. Vaguely humanoid.

"Yeah, don't be shy! Come get a closer look!"

The fist in his hair tightened. His scalp burned. The fins all down his back shuttered, and a stinging ache began to form in his gills. He needed water. He needed to get out of here. He shouldn't have wandered so close to the shore, even if that pretty girl in blue seemed so friendly at first glance. She did sell him out to these pirate scum. He should have known way better.

Even standing an arm's length away, the lighting continued to cast shadow on the pirate's potential client. It could be reasoned, then, that Zuko and the humans around him were washed in the room's best luminance. Certainly his scar could be seen clear as day. Maybe his tail was pretty, but there were parts of him imperfect. Maybe the stranger wouldn't want to buy him for that. Maybe Zuko would be stuck with these idiot pirates forever.

A smooth voice came from the stranger. "Release him."

"Sure, sure."

The pressure on Zuko's scalp vanished. He collapsed to the cool tile with no more grace than before, even further disoriented, and with a worse headache. He grit his teeth in frustration. That bastard was still on his tail.

Cool fingers tilted his chin up before he could lift his head on his own again; he hadn't seen the shadow man crouch down. Startled, Zuko yanked back and hissed a second time. He made sure to reveal far more fang and fan far wider with his fins; he just wanted these stupid humans to stop poking and grabbing him however often they pleased. Was that too much to ask? He wasn't an ornament. And he sure as heck had no intention of being a pet.

The stranger's face was close, and shadowy, and out of focus. Zuko's head was killing him. The room spun.

"The shape of the fins—” The stranger’s voice began.

“Really something, isn’t it? Never seen a mer so fancy before.”

There was a beat of silence, then the cool fingers returned to Zuko’s jaw and held him firmly in place. He growled. It didn’t make a difference. He was exhausted and hot and vulnerable, and everyone could tell. There was no way to stop them from doing as they pleased. 

“There’s a scar.”

“Wasn’t us, mate. Looks like the beast’s had it for a while. I think it adds to the aesthetic, don’t you agree?”

Zuko glared. It was the sort of one-sided remark he’d only accept from Uncle Iroh, though Azula had made attempts to express similar sentiments in that weird way of hers. He’d always hated the scar. At least the monster who put it there was dead now.

The stranger gave no comment. He reached another hand out and pushed Zuko’s hair aside, away from his eyes. Zuko did his best to meet the unfamiliar gaze as steadily as possible, despite the awkward backlight. He was being stared at. He refused to show how unnerved it made him. His trembling and fever didn’t help much in that regard.

Finally, after a dreadful length of scrutiny, the shadow man spoke. “How much do you want for him?”

Zuko could hear teeth in the pirate’s smile. “How much are you willing to pay?”

“Ten-thousand.”

Zuko didn’t know how humans calculated their currency. He’d assumed mer in general to be expensive, but they called him a stupid something fire fish, and it sounded like exotic. Even so, the pirate captain seemed shocked. He let out a high chuckle.

“Well! Show me the gold and you’ve got yourself a deal!”

The stranger waved an uninterested hand over his shoulder, and another grinding sound reverberated through the floor. Zuko couldn’t see the source of the sound with multiple different shadows clouding his vision. Judging by the pirates’ hushed tithering, their payment had been offered.

“Excellent! Pleasure doing business with you, as always.”

“Zaheera will see you out.”

The group broke formation around Zuko and floated away, whispering excitedly. Though they’d been awful to him, he couldn’t help a flicker of fear at their absence. At least with the pirates, he knew they’d avoid causing permanent damage. He knew they’d want to sell him for the highest price possible. Now, he had no idea what to expect. This stranger could have any number of sinister plans in mind; Zuko had certainly heard the horror stories. All young mer were warned about the brutality of humans, and now he was at the mercy of someone who really wanted him. This was bad.

The stranger let him go, and the world tilted as Zuko crumpled. He was very dizzy. And angry. And he really wanted to sink his fangs into human flesh.

But when he turned (against his better judgment) to snap at his new captor, a firm hand was already pushing down the back of his neck. The same way one might handle an unruly pup. Zuko was too tired to be insulted by the gesture. He wasn’t a pup anymore, but a move like that with the human’s advantage was enough to subdue even a full-grown mer.

“Watch out with that one!” The pirate’s faint voice called back. “Quite a monster at full strength. He killed two of my men when we—”

“Get out.”

The heavy thud of the door confirmed their absence, though the human didn’t seem to pay any attention to it. He ducked another snap of Zuko’s teeth, and ignored his crackly snarl, and slid his arms beneath scratchy scales. The world tilted again. Zuko would consider puking if he wasn’t so close to blacking out. The human was carrying him. Impressive. Zuko was heavy outside the water. His fins trailed the floor as they moved, but he was very much in the air, solidly in the man’s grip. Almost cradled, even if he was too big for the pup-hold to have effect a second time. The use of such familiar techniques should have rung a bell in his mind. Zuko’s headache and exhaustion wouldn’t let him dwell on it.

After a dizzying stretch, something wonderful happened. Zuko heard water. The noise was still muffled, and it faltered clarity with every stray tilt of his head, but Zuko knew what water sounded like. He’d been fantasizing about it for the past few days.

There was a splash, and with distant elation, he felt his fins trail. He wasn’t lucid enough to hold back the happy trill.

“I know.” The man huffed, and it rumbled through his chest. “I know—those bastards.”

The water rushed up around him, deliciously cool, salty, clean. It took Zuko up to his gills to realize he’d been lowered into a pool of some kind. It was shallow, but not cramped. He drew a deep breath. That felt very nice. The hands were gone. 

He didn’t bother confirming he was alone before passing out soundly.

<~><><~>

Zuko was alone when he came to, and his headache had finally retreated to the realm of faint discomfort. Incredible what a good long sleep in water could do for one’s health. The pirates hadn’t put him in a tank. They were mad about what a fuss he caused the first time they brought him aboard, and they’d rightly concluded he’d be easier to handle if he was dehydrated and exhausted and dizzy. They’d doused him with lukewarm buckets every few hours, just to keep him from dying. Zuko was relieved to be back in water now. Even if trepidation about the uncertainty of his new circumstances wouldn’t let him relax.

The pool he’d been placed in was shallow; he couldn’t move without some part of his tail skimming the surface. It was still comfortable in spite of that. The edges spanned a decent length, so he could turn with ease, and the basin interior was cut from smooth, white stone. His fins shone stark against it. The pool itself seemed to be laid into the ground, flush.

Zuko scanned his surroundings while he waited for something to happen. He still seemed to be indoors. The walls here weren’t as high as the one from before—from the sale pitch—and most of them were made of a clear material. It shone with sunlight from outside. The rest of the space was occupied by greenery. The taller ones reaching the ceiling had been planted in beds in the ground, surrounded at the base with bushy, leafy shrubs, and brilliant flowers, and crawling vines. The faint sound of water also trickled through the maze, but Zuko couldn’t see the source of it from where he was. It was peaceful. Uncle would love this place.

But Zuko hadn’t forgotten how he ended up here, and he had no illusions about being treated fairly, even if he’d been left undisturbed in such a pleasant area. He had to keep his guard up. He was being held against his will. He was trapped on land with no way to escape or get home. He didn’t have much experience with humans, but so far they’d only beaten him, used him, or treated him like a pretty ornamental object, and he had no reason to believe this behavior would change soon. He had to be prepared for the worst.

In truth, he really wanted to murder someone. The urge had become so intense during his captivity with the pirates, and he hadn’t had a real outlet, being close to dying of dehydration. Now that he was rested, his jaw nearly ached to bite through bone.

He spent the time waiting for an opportunity by pacing around the pool. The space didn’t allow for much more than tight circles. Still, it was better than sitting around stewing in all his problems. 

Mother was probably worried by now. Him being an adult with a life of his own didn’t stop her from worrying that he wasn’t home every day. Azula didn’t feel the same. Azula would kill for him though; she’d done it before.

Eventually, after what seemed like an hour of thinking to himself and going crazy for it, the faintest vibrations thrummed through the water, and Zuko froze. Footsteps. Someone was approaching. 

He lifted his head above the surface. The sound drew closer, brushing through the plants with a practiced gait. Zuko coiled his body. There was deliberation in the person’s movement. They knew he was here. They were coming to see him. The likelihood that he’d be attacking an innocent servant or something alike was low, and that brought him a hint of reassurance.

When the human came into view, bathed in green filtered sunlight, stepping out to the pool’s edge, Zuko took an entire second to appraise the figure. Tall. Male. Dark hair, luxurious silk robes in green and pale yellow. When he spoke, it was the same smooth voice from the shadowy stranger that paid for him.

“Hello.”

Zuko didn’t wait any longer. He launched himself at the human with a vicious snarl. His vision was red. His heart was pounding. How dare they treat him with such contempt? He wasn’t some prized bounty. He wasn’t an ornament for some rich knave’s garden. He wouldn’t take this insult and abuse lying down, and if these humans continued to assume so, they were in for a shock.

To some degree of satisfaction, the man did seem shocked to be bowled over. The air left his lungs in a massive wheeze, and his eyes went very wide. He was also—however—quick. He reflexively shoved Zuko’s head away when Zuko tried to bite, and he managed to lurch free enough to dodge an elbow to the face. 

“Wait!” The man yelped.

But Zuko had a size advantage, and the man was on his back, and Zuko really wanted him dead. He slammed his shoulders into the grass, pinned his legs with his tail, made another attempt to remove the throat with his teeth. This time, the man brought his arm up in a hasty block. Zuko was too busy biting down to be upset he’d missed his target. Blood and the creak of bone filled his mouth.

There was a shout of pain. “Wait wait—Zuko, stop!”

The words pierced his hazy red anger like ice through fresh snow. Zuko froze. Even being slightly feral at the taste of blood and festered indignation, he rapidly came to his senses and dropped the arm. His mind spun. 

How did this man know his name? The pirates didn’t know. The pretty girl in blue didn’t know. And he wouldn’t be able to tell them if he wanted to (which he very much had not). It wasn’t a lucky guess. No one shared his name that he’d ever met. So why—how could a random human—

“Get off!” The human fumbled to shove Zuko’s face away. His sleeve was ruined, and rapidly turning red.

Zuko slowly obliged. The man didn’t seem angry. He only seemed annoyed, even as he bled profusely from an arm that might be broken. There was something unnervingly familiar about the twist of his scowl. He shuffled sideways and sat up.

“Spirits, kid, you’ve got a strong jaw.”

“I’m not—” Zuko cut himself off before he could complete the retort. The human wouldn’t understand him. The human knew he wasn’t a kid. Zuko was very obviously a full grown mer. 

“You could have let me explain myself before trying to kill me.” Why did his scowl look so familiar? The man untied a sash of his fancy outfit and wrapped his arm with clinical efficiency. Then he looked up to meet Zuko’s eye, and his scowl faltered. “Are you okay?”

What.

Zuko stared. Was he seriously… asking if Zuko was okay? There was blood in the grass and in his robes and he might have a concussion and his ribs might be bruised and Zuko would at worst have a sore jaw. He shifted back warily. In his experience, crazy men often did cruel things. 

When he made no move to respond, the man sighed roughly and looked away. “Guess I should have waited on that tea. Zaheera will be by with some shortly.”

“What?”

What on earth was he talking about? Tea? Of all things? How did he know Zuko’s name and why was he so relaxed about the bite on his arm and why did the slope of his nose look so familiar and why was he talking about tea in the blood and the grass?

“You were always more civil with it around.”

Okay, now Zuko was thoroughly weirded out. He wished he had an exit. An escape route. He was stuck on land in an unfamiliar house and the closest thing he had to sanctuary was a fake pool of water barely deep enough to sleep in. This was freaking him out just the slightest.

“You’re nuts.” He said. Just to say it. The man wouldn’t understand the words or the insult in them, but Zuko was sick of just sitting around not saying anything, waiting for stupid humans to come to the right conclusions.

For his effort, he was rewarded with the faintest thaw of the man’s grumpy expression. It looked amused somehow. “And why is that?” He asked.

What.

A trace of alarm made Zuko flinch. “...Because you’re… talking to me.” He probed. Just to see. Humans weren’t supposed to understand.

“Why would that make me crazy? You’re real, aren’t you?” He glanced at his sleeve, now mostly red. “I’m pretty sure you are.”

Zuko blanched. He considered backing away, back into the pool. The safety it offered was purely psychological, but it would be something at least. It’d be better than lying vulnerable on the ground next to a crazy person. His fins twitched.

“What—but—you understand me?”

“Of course.”

“But humans aren’t supposed to understand.” From what he’d heard, humans interpreted mer speech as primitive and animalistic: nothing more than a series of harsh vocalizations strung together. Zuko had demanded an explanation for the phenomenon when he was younger. After all, mer understood human speech just fine. No one was able to give him a satisfactory answer.

“Well, I’m not human.” The human said. “Technically.”

“Then what are you?” Possibly a witch? Zuko had heard of their strange abilities. Or maybe he was a spirit. In which case Zuko was screwed. He probably couldn’t get away with attempted murder on a spirit; he’d totally be cursed or something. It could also be a shapeshifter of sorts, from the myths.

But the man quickly dispelled any outlandish theories. For the first time that Zuko had seen, a flicker of hurt crossed his features. It made him look older than he likely was. Haunted.

“Wow Zuzu, you don’t remember your favorite cousin?”

No.

No, he definitely didn’t mean that. Zuko didn’t have any cousins. Not for eleven years. And there’d only been—one. Just one. Now there weren’t any.

But looking closer, Zuko could see why the scowl looked so familiar. He saw the same face in the mirror. And this man wasn’t human, clearly, even if he had legs in place of a red streaming tail. In place of the gold ribbon fins their family shared—that he must have recognized when he first saw Zuko. 

He knew Zuko’s name. Zuzu. Azula tried to call him that—maybe out of nostalgia—but it belonged to them both, and Zuko hated to hear her say it because there was only one person who tried to bring them together like that, and hearing her say it reminded him of… of… a dead man.

Except he couldn’t be dead. He was right here. His blood tasted very real.

“Lu Ten?”

He looked so much like his father when he smiled. “Yeah.”

Zuko gaped. That felt like the only appropriate thing to do. Maybe the dehydration actually got to him, and this whole series of events was an elaborate hallucination. Maybe Azula spiked his tea with a psychedelic for her weird sense of humor, and he was hallucinating. It was too strange. This didn’t make any sense. Zuko’s cousin was dead, and if he wasn’t, wouldn’t Uncle know? Would Uncle have cried so hard so many private times if this was real? It felt so real.

“How did you get that scar?”

“How are you not dead?” Zuko’s head was spinning, though thankfully not from dehydration. He wasn’t sure if this was worse, actually. “Uncle thinks you’re dead.”

The comment earned him a flinch. “There’s actually a good explanation for that.”

“Which is?”

“I’m cursed.” Lu Ten squinted into the middle distance, looking uncomfortably close to being emotional. “To live as a human. And I can’t… go near the sea. I tried. It almost turned me into sea foam.”

Zuko dropped his head into his hands and groaned.

[shay-does-art-things]

many thoughts about Lu Ten alive and (un)well in Ba Sing Se, reeling from injuries and having a crisis about why he isn't dead yet

Also shout out to @thebxghag for inspiring me to get this out of my drafts 🤝🤝

[stardust948]

I love Lu Ten lives AUs

[sleepyzukka]

I was thinking about an AU where Lu Ten lives and I was wondering if he’d be a bender or not and if so, if he would use weapons. Combustion bow. What if he carried little vials of blasting jelly and just different types of poison, like poison that could kill and paralyze. Coating blasting jelly on the arrows and setting them on fire when they reach their target and BOOM they fucking explode. I just thought it was a good idea especially if he was as good an archer as the yuyan. But yeah, I thought hey, since Zuko has a weapon, maybe other firebenders do too? I don’t know if Lu Ten would be a firebender but it makes sense, no? Sozin was, Azulon was, Ozai and Iroh are, Azula and Zuko are, Iroh ll is a firebender too soo. Chances are Lu Ten would be a bender. But I digress.

[breyito]

(The third one is a bonus since i didnt get to use the spicer images and that was a shame lol)

This is my Lu Ten and boy am I in love with him.

His Mother got sick when he was around 14, leaving him to deal with three cunning, demanding and harsh men on his own. His Father became colder by the day, like preparing himself for the loss of his wife, and it was always better not to cross his uncle Ozai.

Then Aunt Ursa married in, and the Palace got warmer again. She kept his Mother company, and both of them would put on performances to lift her mood sometimes. Even his Father thawed bit by bit, enjoying the company of all three of them. Two months after the wedding, Ozai left, again, to search for the Avatar. Two months after that, the Royal Healers announced Princess Ursa was expecting.

Unfortunately, his Mother never got to meet his baby cousin. She passed away in the night six weeks before the birth. Ozai had still not come back and Father was a wreck, so Lu Ten and Ursa were left alone to deal with their grief and the preparations for the child's arrival.

(Rumours sparked even back then, but Lu Ten was just excited to get a little cousin and payed no mind to the whispers. That would come in later; after Grandfather had pardoned Zuko's life. He heard the healer's aides murmuring that it was completely expected from Prince Ozai to want to kill his wife's bastard as soon as it was born. Horrible, of course, but expected.)

The moment Zuko looked at him with those eyes of molten gold, Lu Ten lost his breath for the first time since he was five and still learning to breathe correctly. A feeling he did not know flooded throught his body, filling every crevice. His heart, for the first time since his Mother's last embrace, felt warm. And then Zuko giggled and Lu Ten cried.

This little boy, all two and a half kilograms of him, had just become the center of his world.

He would raize cities to the ground, face dozens of assassins, to keep him safe. He would remain by his side and make sure his days are filled with joy, and safety and love.

[sfiltron]

Someone knows of any Lu Ten (from atla) Lives fanfiction? I read "Make Ash & Leave the Dust Behind" by LostnThoughtless in Ao3 and I really liked the idea of Zuko essentially having an older brother and I already checked the tag on Ao3 and I think I found all I could like. So, I wanted to know if someone recommends a fic I may have missed in Ao3 or a fic in some other platform.

I'd really like to read more of Lu Ten being alive (and at this point I'm not really picky with recommendations).

Thanks in advance if anyone answers :]

[yellow-faerie]

Does Lu Ten continue in the army or desert?

(Carrying on from this ask a bit)

Honestly, it's kinda both? He doesn't desert at Ba Sing Se, but due to his injuries (and the fact that Ozai would prefer it if he didn't gain any military prestige) he doesn't remain in the army after Ba Sing Se.

He is very much the biggest influence on his cousins during the two years after returning - unlike Iroh, he doesn't go to have a spiritual awakening or anything, so he's there when they lose their mother and are suddenly thrust into the position of the Firelord's children.

He's there to mitigate some of Ozai's worst manipulations, and it is my headcanon that he and Azula are as close as he and Zuko, so he is the best person to influence them to be a lot closer, rather than enemies; because of this, when the Agni Kai happens, Azula tries to intervene, which gets her injured too (in a slightly less conspicuous way).

Zuko is banished and Lu Ten is ordered to go with him, but Azula sneaks aboard the ship and Makei goes with them too because she's a healer. They go straight for the nearest of the colonies where they cut their hair, change clothes and money and names, and try very, very hard to disappear completely. That's where it might be considered desertion.

So you have two nonbenders (except maybe not) and the two quite young firebenders that they've got to somehow train, and a goal to one day take back the fire throne and end the war.

[demaparbat-hp]

When I saw you making For the Spirits art I was so excited, wow, one of my favourite artists is reading this too, how nice!! Then I realised you’re actually the author and I just want to ask, how?? Are you so talented???? I love this fic and I love your art so so much, thank you for sharing it all with us. Can’t wait for the next update!!

Ah, thank you! This is literally so sweet! For the Spirits (adding a link for the curious folks out there!) is my love child. This project owns my heart and soul, and it's truly so rewarding that you like it! I want to sketch so many different scenes, really, but I'm doing my best to give you some quality artwork of my favorite moments in the story. It's a slow process.

As for next chapter—soon! I'm working on some sketches for this particular scene, and I am so excited to share it with everyone! Things start to pick up from here... But, for now, have a (very little) sneak peek ❤️

Zuko stood at the end of the world, surrounded by miles of snow and the resounding echo of his own shallow breaths. He took everything in, closed his eyes to receive Agni’s light, and howled.

Something howled back, and he smiled.

[cooking-with-hailstones]

Oh HELL yes. This is excellent.

Atla au where Iroh dies during the siege of ba sing se, and Lu Ten is seriously injured in a way that makes him unfit for the throne (I have no doubts about the fire nations capacity for ableism), so when Zuko is banished, former Crown Prince Lu Ten steps up to be the bestest cousin ever (and also get away from his terrifying uncle).

I'm throwing this out into the universe for someone to find.

[bluewithpurplepolkadots]

I have the probably deeply unpopular headcanon that if Lu Ten had lived he’d be an Iroh who could never EVER (no matter what he saw or went through) see anyone outside the Fire Nation as people.

If he was around during Atla he’d deeply care for both Zuko and Azula and all (kids, they’re just kids! How could Uncle Ozai do that to them!)

But he would see nothing wrong in killing other kids like Aang/Katara/Sokka/Toph etc: to him they are nothing more than vermin. He was the perfect Fire Nation soldier.

In my headcanon he’d be a smiling monster and Azula in fact far more likely to make a turn around and make other nation friends than he ever would. In my head: He’d be terrifying if he suddenly returned from the dead somehow and Iroh (especially Iroh) and Zuko would feel heart broken and deeply disturbed because they’ve moved on in a direction he’d never be able to follow.

Lu Ten to me would be a distorted and disturbing mirror of how Iroh once was. All with a friendly pat on his younger cousins’ head and a smile towards them as he commits the worst crimes man can commit against others. Like an Iroh laughing about Ba Sing Se being burned to the ground. Frozen in a moment. Never moving on.

In canon perhaps Iroh living in Ba Sing Se, as certain things come to light and looks back, has to contend with the fact whichever Earth Kingdom soldier killed his son perhaps did the right thing.

[shipping-all-ships]

Lu Ten lives au where the resident gay cousin tries to cheer up Zuko by saying that scars on men are SUPER attractive, he would know, only for Azula to cut in and point out every man he's dated has left his ass so maybe he doesn't know what's attractive on men.

[cute-angi]

Okay, so my husband helped me break through my writer’s block by suggesting,

"Hey, why not reignite your old love for the Dai Li and Long Feng?"

So after writing, i ended up diving into everything I could find about them on the internet, and OMG, I stumbled upon these super old stories that, for some reason, I never knew existed despite my years of love for ATLA.

And I’m just like… HOW DID I MISS THESE?

Turns out, I’m so into other people’s OCs and their dynamics, and now I’m totally obsessed.

I wish I’d read all this stuff years ago so I could’ve thanked the authors!

And seriously, if I had a nickel for every time I saw Long Feng with an OC and their perfect dynamic

(Gilded Green: Shirong, I love you, and Pay the Price of Command: Hyo, I love you too)

I’d have two nickels, which isn’t much, but it’s weird that it happened twice!!!

[shay-does-art-things]

"I heard Yoba got himself a new apprentice." "Is that so? It's about time." "And I heard his eyes glow like embers." "Hm, sounds about right. Yoba always did like picking up strays."

the idea of blacksmith!lu ten hit me light a freight train the other night and so I must share this with the world

[stardust948]

~*~

Azula was going to kill that waterbender.

She was gone along with mother. They found signs of a struggle a short distance away, which only meant one thing. Stealing Ursa’s attention away was one thing, but getting her captured was unforgiveable!

“Pirates. I knew it!” Sokka hissed.

“And there’s Katara!” Aang pointed to a tree where she was tied up and guarded. “Prince Lu Ten has her!”

Sokka gripped his club. “I’m going after her.”

“Me too!”

Azula banged their heads together. “Think, you idiots! It’s obviously a trap.”

"Ow!" Aang winced.

“Then what do you suggest?!” Sokka demanded as he rubbed his forming head bump.

Azula studied the field. There were more ground enemies than they were used to facing at once. They were most likely being surrounded even now. An idea struck her.

“We give them what they want.”

~*~

[tangerinetrees]

OK SORRY FOR APPEARING HERE BUT your tags on my lu ten doodles made me squeal because i was lit gonna draw a third addition of lu ten thinking "i have GOT to kill myself" but with azulon talking to him. and when i was kinda mapping out an au of mine it got sidetracked and i was writing from ozais pov (weird i know) and i got to thinking ab how itd be if ozai busts his ass for even a scrap of favor from azulon just for lu ten to be simply born a son of iroh aka azulons favored and get all that HANDED TO HIM??? and then i was like "wouldnt it be funny if lu ten didnt even like azulon all that much and he just puts up with him because hes Literally the firelord and his grandfather". and how that fact would piss ozai off even more like he barely even pretends to like azulon and yet he gets everything ozai doesnt. the potential drives me crazy.

YES YES EXACTLY ozai would hate lu ten SO SO much and he literally can’t do shit about it bc lu ten technically outranks him and azulon likes lu ten better; like what’s ozai going to do?? tell his distant father that his grandson sucks?? azulon would literally Not be listening to that.

and honestly the relationship between iroh azulon and lu ten has such potential drama for me… like father-son relationships are almost always more formal than grandfather-grandchild relationships and the idea of azulon and lu ten being closer than either of them are with iroh is so crazy to me. iroh spends all that time away from the palace like fighting dragons and conquering the continent and shit, and at home azulon (and presumably iroh’s wife?) are raising lu ten, teaching him to fight and do politics. like lu ten might not have liked azulon that much but evil grandpa is p much one person in the family that lu ten can legitimately complain about his dad to with minimal consequences. i imagine that fire nation nobles would go to meetings with the firelord and be met with twin stares of malice from imperialist grandpa and imperialist grandson. awful awful people. lu ten semi-secretly hates azulon for being a shit person but azulon is completely blind to that bc to him lu ten is the Perfect Heir. and iroh is just not there for any of that