#aang fic

[wileycap]

Selected Excerpts From The Fire Nation Royal Palace Servants' (Unofficial) Handbook

Or: Revisions To Normal Protocol After The Ascension Of Agni's Exalted Flame, The Dragon Of The Sun, et cetera, Fire Lord Zuko

1. Agni's Exalted Flame, The Dragon Of The Sun, et cetera, Fire Lord Zuko should not be referred to by his full titles and styles, no matter the context. This appears to annoy him. "Fire Lord Zuko" and "Lord Zuko" are acceptable, as well as "your majesty" and "my Lord".

1.1 "Lord Hotman", however, is unacceptable.

1.2. Even if the Avatar specifically requests you to address Fire Lord Zuko as that.

1.3. In fact, any attempts by the Avatar, the Lady Beifong, the honorable Tribesman Sokka or even Master Katara to get you to address Fire Lord Zuko by anything other than his proper title should be disregarded.

1.4. Referring to Ozai of the Fire Nation (titles rmvd, dishon.) as "The Loser Lord", however, is acceptable.

2. Fire Lord Zuko is aware of the concept of mortality, but does not seem to understand how it relates to His Majesty. Following activities should be discouraged: Free climbing, glider usage, contact with exotic animals larger than a turtleduck (or smaller, if the animal is known to be venomous), amateur theatre productions, cooking, sailing, spelunking, botany, please see full list in the Matron's office.

2.1. It should be noted that His Majesty's belief that mortality does not apply to him does not appear to be completely unfounded. After several "close calls", it has been decided that upon his demise, Fire Lord Zuko should lie in state for at least two weeks.

2.1.1. We do not want another incident.

3. The turtleducks in the Western Pond do not need to be fed by the servants any more.

3.1. However, the turtleducks should be rotated out at regular intervals in order to prevent overfeeding.

4. At any official social functions, at least three servants should be vigilant in case His Majesty tries to tell a joke.

4.1. It should be noted that there is no concern for His Majesty's jokes being offensive, crass or otherwise contrary to good taste. They are simply very bad. His Majesty always ends up embarrassed.

5. Any children left unattended in the Royal Palace for more than 15 degrees can be retrieved from the Fire Lord's office.

6. Should His Majesty go missing, the following places should be searched: roofs and any high places, cellars and secret passages, the fur of the Avatar's sky bison (which is surprisingly deep), and every place that an ordinary five-year-old would think to hide in during a game of "Hide and Explode."

6.1. All of the Imperial Firebenders as well as any soldier who wears a mask during the course of their duties should be questioned.

6.1.1. Important note: Some of the soldiers who are especially close to His Majesty can perform a passable imitation of him. Efforts should be made to prevent an uneducated soldier from, say, conducting a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture.

6.2. After the recent incident, that list is expanded to include the Kyoshi Warriors and any other groups that might wear concealing full face paint.

6.3. If all of these measures prove ineffective, a letter should be sent to The Dragon of the West, Prince Iroh, asking His Highness to return His Majesty.

6.4. If a ransom note is delivered, it should be immediately checked against the handwriting samples from the honorable Tribesman Sokka as well as Avatar Aang, before any other actions are taken.

6.4.1. Replying "Good luck, he's your problem now" to a ransom note is absolutely unacceptable.

6.4.1.1. To further drive home the point, the Royal Archives are required by law to preserve every single piece of royal correspondence. That thing will end up in a museum.

This handbook will be updated should it prove necessary.

[tossawary]

Listening to someone else watch the original ATLA again, just starting season 3, and there's this line where Aang suggests that it didn't just look like he died, but he DID actually die and Katara brought him back. And look, I don't know much about the lore introduced by TLOK, but this sounds like a really fun place to start an AU inspired by "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"'s take on the temporary death and resurrection of a cyclical chosen one: Aang is brought back to life and is STILL the Avatar, but his temporary death still also causes another Avatar to be born into the Southern Water Tribe (or Swamp People or refugees on some southern island, whatever).

Like, I know the Avatar is a reincarnation thing, but weird things can happen with spirits! Maybe this glitch in the cycle causes the spiritual equivalent of mitosis to happen to the Avatar and the spirit attached to them, so there's just two of them now! Maybe having two Avatars has some spiritual downsides, maybe not, it's up to whatever path you choose to explore in this AU.

I just think it would be really funny for post-canon 20-something Aang (and the Gaang and the White Lotus and all the spiritual / religious orders on the planet) to suddenly be confronted with a 10yo water tribe kid who is ALSO the Avatar.

A water tribe couple shuffle awkwardly up to Sokka, like, "Sooooo... we think our 10 year old daughter might be the Avatar...? She can, uh, bend all the elements and all that. Look at this shit." And Sokka is like, "Fuck, Aang is dead?!" Before he's like, "Wait, I saw Aang last week, this kid is way too old?!" And he has to hastily contact Aang like, "Hey, buddy, you're still alive, right?" And Aang can only reply, "Uhhh, last I checked, yes?!?!"

It's probably Sokka and Katara who put the pieces of the timeline together and figure out what caused this, because all of the other Avatars are probably initially like, "Yeah, I have no idea what's happening here. I'm you and you're me, but I'm also her and she's also me, and you and her are kind of the same person, but you're obviously different people now? Wow! Good luck figuring all that out, kid! You're really going places none of us have gone before! A real groundbreaker!"

Aang, through gritted teeth, "I am really not TRYING to do that, thank you!"

[frost-queen]

My mortal flaw (Reader x Zuko)

Requested by: Anon Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22, @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve, @queen-of-books, @glimmering-darling-dolly @denkisclown, @wildieflower, @meyocoko, @bubblybrianna, @justanothercoco, @subjecta13-thefangirl, @m-rae23, @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr, @swampthing07, @melsunshine, @panhoeofmanyfandoms, @venomsvl, @the-uncoordinated-house-cat, @rosecentury,  @imagines-by-her,  @evilcr0ne, @vviolynn, @iixchloee, @cherrysxuya

Summary: Reader is a watertribe princess, intended to marry Prince Zuko as an offering of peace between the nations. Zuko never wanted you as his wife and finds you a weakness. A weakness he never saw coming. Upon the discovery of the Avatar, you try to sneak away, only to be discovered by Zuko leading to an arguement. At Kyoshi island you find an escape with Sokka and Katara which makes Zuko derranged and furious. Doing anything in his power to get you back. Finally realizing he might love you. [series]

There were loud knocks on the door to your cabin. It made you lift your head up. You didn’t respond immediate as the next following knocks turned into banging. – “Gentle, gentle.” – you heard a muffled voice speak from the other side. There was a deep sigh, followed by a gentle knock. Almost too gentle. – “Yes.” – you responded having kind of clue of who was at the other side.

“Are you done staying inside?” – It was Prince Zuko speaking at the other end. – “No.” – you responded hearing Zuko barely loose his temper on the other end. – “Calm, calm now nephew.” – you recognized it was Iroh’s voice, soothing the prince’s temper.

You heard some movements till Zuko’s temper took over. – “Then perish inside!” – he yelled at the door as you saw the light of flames through the cracks. Jumping up you went up to the door. – “I will!” – you shouted back in frustration. There was a loud groan with a hard stomp against your door. Startling you away from the door.

Footsteps died out It made you near the door again, holding your ear against it. Once the storm had passed, you exhaled deep. You knew you couldn’t stay in your cabin. It wasn’t deliberately, but you sometimes wanted to avoid Zuko.

Almost at every occasion were you forced together in close proximity. The waterbending princess promised to him. A peace treaty between nations. Honestly you didn’t know what possessed Fire lord Ozai to accept your father’s proposition of simply handing you over on a silver platter to his son.

Being on Zuko’s ship for almost four years now, you had a bit of a clue. Perhaps the fire lord accepted it, to taunt Zuko more. A way of shaming him further against his nation. Water and fire weren’t meant to be together. It was an extra nudge to keep Zuko out of the fire nation. If he wasn’t so bad tempered you might feel sympathy for him.

Opening the door, you decided to head out. Probably the first in days. You missed the ocean breeze, the salty water, the cold, the moon. You missed everything that felt close to you. Looking cautiously around for Zuko, you snuck your way up to the deck. Feeling the breeze on your skin, you inhaled deep. Composed you went to the railing, holding tight to it. Feeling the rocking of the ship on the water, you leaned back to take it in.

With a satisfying breath, you looked up to the moon. The deck was mostly empty. Most soldiers below deck. Playing some cards or drinking. It was a bit too quiet as you missed the buzzing life of your village. Leaning with your chin on your arms by the railing, you stared into the water. Wondering how your tribe was doing without your presence.

“What are you doing here?” – A loud voice raged. You jumped up, startled to bone. Turning your posture a bit, you saw Zuko braising as he came your way. You rolled your eyes at him. – “Make up your mind where you want me.” – you replied raising your voice a bit as well. Zuko puffed up his chest with anger, standing face to face with you. His hands radiating heat. His gaze scanning yours. He hated how vulnerable your gaze was. Soft and mesmerizing as the moon.

A wind picked up from the east as it made you shiver. Zuko noticed it, observing you. – “Fetch the princess a blanket!” – he yelled without a glance away from you. From behind Zuko at the other side, you saw a soldier rush to get you a blanket. You tilted your head a bit. – “Your uncle isn’t looking.” – you told him.

Knowing he only showed kindness when his uncle forced him to be civil. – “I know.” – Zuko responded with a soft glare. The soldier returned with a blanket as Zuko snatched it from his hands. He rose his hands, intending to place the blanket over your shoulders as he stopped himself. He caught himself being nice. Showing a weakness, he couldn’t afford.

He brought his hands back to his chest, throwing the blanket at you. You caught it when it hit your chest. – “How gentle of you.” – you said sarcastic, putting the blanket over your shoulders. Zuko huffed loud as he staid in your presence. Close as it made you uncertain at this point. What was he still doing around you? He never staid this long around you. Not if it wasn’t forced on him.

There was a rumble in the sky followed by a strong gush of air. It knocked you right against Zuko’s chest. His hand subtle on your back as the wind kept blazing through. Zuko’s eyes lit up, lowering his hand on you. From the corner of your eye, you saw a bright blue light.

Making you turn around to bestow upon the beam of light in the sky. – “What is that?” – you asked a bit nervous and frightened. Unconsciously you leaned back, coming in touch with Zuko’s chest. Zuko stepped back as you felt the loss of touch. He started ordering commands to his crew to set coarse to the beam of light. It might be a clue for his search for the Avatar.

The ship neared the village of the southern water tribe. It cracked the ice open when it steered frontal through it. The village nearing. Zuko stood on deck. Uncle Iroh a step behind him to the side. You stood beside Zuko, your fiancé. With worry, you looked up to him. – “Stay on the ship.” – he said firm, keeping his hands behind his back. – “but…” – you started. – “Stay here!” – Zuko yelled at you, making you gulp nervously. – “Zuko!” – Iroh called out.

“Show the princess some kindness.” – he told him with a soft glare. Zuko breathed with a scoff. He lowered himself a bit to speak to you like a he would do to a little child. – “That’s an order from your prince.” – he made clear. Something you caught in his eyes, made you see a smidge of desperation in him. Did he perhaps think you’d stay here with the people of your own kind?

That once you left the ship, they’d see you as a prisoner and claim you as theirs? Before you could think of it more, had Zuko turned away. Zuko accepted his helmet from one of his men, following them. Iroh came joining your side as you watched Zuko and his men descend onto the ice. – “Best to stay out of a fight, princess.” – he said to you.

Being on the ship was boring. You hardly had any sight of what was happening down at the village. You saw flashes of fire as you hoped Zuko wouldn’t burn down the village. It was small. Smaller than any village you had known. You had lost sight of Iroh. He was probably up on the high deck to overlook the happening. A gush of wind made you bring your hands up to protect your face. – “An airbender?” – you questioned.

Hadn’t they gone instinct? For over a hundred years there haven’t been an airbender. – “The Avatar!” – you heard the soldiers shout in unison. – “The Avatar.” – you gasped in shock. Looking up, you knew Iroh’s eye was on Zuko. As it always was. You duck down, rushing to the railing. Below the ice had cracked where the ship had broken through.

Grabbing the railing, you jumped over it, swaying your hand up. A trail of water spiralled up, flowing around you as it slowed your descend. Your feet hit the ice as the water splashed on the ice. Ignoring Zuko’s order, you needed to see it for yourself.  Keeping yourself low to avoid Iroh spotting you, you snuck up in haste to the village.  

You neared the entrance of the village, eyes wide with shock of what you saw. People running around. The soldiers causing fires to scare them into handing over the Avatar. You snuck into the village trying to look for the Avatar. A deranged fire blast went your way as it hit an igloo near you. The impact made you duck down, receiving some exploded ice on your back.

“It isn’t save here!” – A boy called out, taking your hand as he pulled you away from the burning igloo. He came to a stop, taking a moment to fully look at you. – “Who are you?” – he asked, still holding your hand. You panicked pulling your hand out of his and taking a run for it. – “Hey!” – the boy called out coming after you.

He knew everyone from his village, yet you were unfamiliar. He got stopped in his tracks by fire. Looking over his shoulder, he saw his sister. – “Katara hide!” – he shouted with a wave of his arm. You came to a stop seeing the Avatar in the air. Never did you think you’d see the Avatar.

Your gaze got pulled away by a hard pull on your wrist. Forcing you to look another way. Zuko’s way. – “You ignored my order!” – Zuko shouted at you, tugging hard on your wrist. You tried pulling your wrist out of his grip as he held it tight. – “I’m not your soldier!” – you yelled back at him. Zuko glared at you. – “Get back to the ship!” – he ordered with anger. – “I will stay!” – you stood your ground, not wanting to leave. – “Y/n! Get. To. The. Ship.” – he repeated trying to compose himself.

Feeling himself boil with anger over you. Angry that you deliberately ignored his order. You pulled your wrist out of his grip with force. – “I didn’t sign up for this!” – you replied with fury. – “For what?” – Zuko fired back. – “These are my people Zuko!” – you told him. – “I just want the Avatar!” – he responded. In the corner of his eye, he saw a spear heading your way. Zuko tensed his jaw, grabbing you as he tackled you to the ground. Rolling over in the snow as the spear flew over your heads.

You laid in the snow, feeling Zuko half on top of you. His hand protective on your head. He pulled you up as he created fire, bending it towards the tribe member who threw the spear at you. – “Zuko!” – you called out, pushing his arm down. – “The ship now!” – Zuko yelled with a rage unlike you had ever seen. Before you knew it, grabbed two of his men you by the arms. Dragging you out of the village back to the ship.

**

“Stay with the princess!” – Zuko ordered one of his men. They bowed as a response. – “Don’t let her out of your sight.” – he added tracking up the hill. Iroh right behind him. You followed in line as Zuko lead the expedition to capture the Avatar. Having been spotted on Kyoshi island. – “The Avatar is mine.” – Zuko said out loud.

Up on the hill was a bright blue light shining. Hinting the Avatar was up there. Up ahead you saw a water tribe girl take a stand as defence. She let her arms sway, letting a whip of water splash at Zuko’s feet. Zuko stopped, pulling his foot up to see the wetness on his shoes. – “Pathetic.” – he called out.

The girl furrowed her brows at the sight of you. – “Stand aside girl.” – Zuko ordered. The girl moved her hands up. – “You’ll have to go through me.” – she replied. Zuko laughed. – “That won’t be a problem.” – he answered preparing himself. He fired at her as she fell backwards onto the grass. A sudden gush of wind made you all look away. Zuko’s eyes widened when Avatar Kyoshi landed in front of them. With one wave of her fan, were you all pushed back by air. Falling back.

“Protect the princess!” – Zuko shouted as he tried to get back up. The soldier enlisted to keep you save, pulled you up by your arm. Dragging you away from the others. He led you down the hill through the woods. You had little time to stand still and think about what was happening. Soon you neared the town as the soldier kept a grip on you, looking constantly over his shoulder. You froze when a fan flashed at him, hitting him in the head. It knocked him down.

Your gaze met up with a young girl looking a lot like Avatar Kyoshi with her make-up. The same boy from the water tribe at her side. – “Hey I know you!” – he said with a confused point at you. – “You were at my tribe too.” – he stated with furrowed brows. You turned around taking a run for it. – “Hey wait!” – Sokka called out, coming after you with Suki. You stopped, brought your hands up your face, then you pushed them forwards. The crackling of ice sounding. Sokka and Suki looked down, their feet slippery on ice.

“She can bend.” – Suki told Sokka out of breath. Suki grabbed Sokka by his shirt, pulling him off the ice. They went back in pursuit. In the woods, you couldn’t tell the direction apart. Not knowing where it might lead you. – “Hey wait!” – Sokka shouted to get your attention. Panting you tried to stay ahead of them. You screamed when you nearly bumped into the girl that came out of nowhere. You fell back, caught off guard. – “Katara get her.” – Sokka called out, out of breath.

Katara took a stand, ready to whip you with water if you dared to move. – “Why are you with the fire nation?” – she asked rudely. Suki extended her hand to you as you accepted it, letting her help you up. – “Are you their prisoner?” – Sokka questioned as you remained silent. – “There’s no need to be scared.” – Suki spoke rubbing her hand on your back, soothingly. – “We’ll save you.” – Sokka responded proudly. Before you knew it, were you dragged along with them.

Zuko was panting, taking a look around. – “Where is the princess?” – he asked loud. All his men looked at each other uncertain. Zuko felt himself grow angrier. – “Where is Y/n!” – he shouted unleashing fire from his fists. – “Don’t worry Zuko, we’ll find her.” – Iroh said to sooth him. – “Find her!” – Zuko ordered to his men. – “Burn this entire island down if you must to find her!” – he moved his fist forward, a blast of fire hitting a tree as it set it on fire. His men scattered away in search of you. – “We’ll find her Zuko…” – Iroh spoke placing a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko brushed his hand harshly off. He was panting. Braising with anger that he had lost sight of you.

If this would’ve happened years ago, he would just leave, being glad to be rid of you. Now, he felt like he couldn’t. You weren’t around him for a few moments and he already missed the argues with you. He missed your presence, more than he would ever admit. It wasn’t easy being forced on this mission with someone you were signed up to marry. Yet you were there. Day in and out. You were there at every step of the way. The water tribe princess he learned to admire… in secret.

Admitting it to himself that he actually… cared was scary. You were a weakness. You still are a weakness to him. One he didn’t intended on. Zuko called it out, burning the trees nearby. A tree’s trunk cracked. The top bush falling to the side. Zuko narrowed his eyes when he saw something familiar blue trotting up the hill. Instead of one, he recognized three. Taking in deep breaths, he bald his hands into fists.

He called it out as the fire coming out of him startled Iroh. It was blazing hot. Iroh saw it now as well, swallowing nervously. – “Zuko…” – he started moving his hand forwards. Before he could reach Zuko, had Zuko ran off. Huffing and puffing with anger to get you back. The grass catching fire from where he passed. His wrath waiting to be unleashed.

“So why were you with the fire nation?” – Katara asked as she pushed you up the hill. – “It’s complicated.” – you answered. – “How is it complicated?” – Sokka asked scratching the back of his head. – “It’s…” – you started cut off by loud shouting. You leaped aside when a fire blast went your way. Looking back at the trail, you saw Zuko panting with anger. His fist out where the fire blast had come from.

“He’s back!” – Sokka called out, helping his sister back up. Sokka then rushed over to you, helping you up. – “We have to go.” – he told you. Zuko fired once more, preventing them from going further up the hill. – “You are not going anywhere with her!” – he made clear. Sokka pulled you behind him. – “She’s not your prisoner!” – Sokka shouted at Zuko.

“No.” – Zuko replied composing himself a bit. – “She’s my intended.” – he said out loud making Sokka’s jaw drop, gawking at Zuko. – “Now hands off before I burn you!” – Zuko threatened. Sokka immediately pulled his hands off you, having no intention to die. Zuko’s gaze met up with yours, softening as he extending his hand to you. – “Please…” – he asked.

The sincereness from him made you realize he’d truly cared for you. For long you didn’t think it was possible. But here he was burning bridges to get to you. You took a deep breath, making the intention to reach your hand out to him when a gush of wind knocked him back. The Avatar landed soundless between Zuko and you. – “Leave my friends alone!” – Aang called out.

Zuko pressed his fist into the ground, groaning in anger. He got up firing at Aang. Aang deflected his fire with a defence of his own. Aang swayed his stick, knocking Zuko further back down the hill. Zuko got back up, going with all his might against Aang. Using all his power against the Avatar in order to get you back. – “Wait!” – you called out loud. Aang and Zuko stopped.

Aang looking confused at you. – “Don’t hurt him.” – you told Aang. Aang stared dumbfound  at you. Zuko slowly got up as you ran up to him. Slamming yourself against his chest when he had gotten up. Your arms around him. Zuko moved his arms around you as well, lowering his head on your shoulder to feel your embrace deeper.

“I need you Y/n.” – Zuko whispered to you. You hugged him tighter as a response. – “Can someone explain to me what is happening?” – Aang said out loud, looking back at his friends. Sokka and Katara could only stare in shock at the two of you. – “They’re intended.” – Sokka said finding it hard to believe and finding it odd that he was saying it out loud. – “Huh?” – Aang responded.

“We should probably leave.” – Katara whispered to her brother. – “Good idea.” – he whispered back, slowly backing away. The three of them ran off. Zuko and you stopped embracing. He smiled at you, touching your cheek. You brought his hand down, keeping it in yours. Holding hands, you went back down the hill with Zuko.

-------------------------------------

Read more of my fics on my Masterlists!

[chaichai-draws]

It’s okay Aang, eventually (right,,,?🔪)

Ahahaha,,, hahaha,,, sorry @lovelyelbowleech I know there’s more to take away from the last two chapter of War Games but mmmm aaaah hmmm uhhhh

[kukya]

Towards the Sun spoilers (I guess?)

So I've just (read: a few days ago but I was procrastinating on art) finished reading the prologue of Towards the Sun by @muffinlance (if you are unfamiliar with this ff, go read it and traumatize yourself, I recommend it :D). Even though I felt like drawing the Agni Kai, cause, like. Wow. I ended up drawing this silly one which plays off an old joke instead :D

[biconickyoshi]

okay… I’m SEVERAL days late with this one lmfao. But this is my entry for @zukaangweek Day 5: Captured/Safe 🫂

I decided to make a comic of the tundra cave scene from my longfic The Avatar and the Fire Prince, an AU in which Zuko discovers Aang in the iceberg right after he’s banished at age 13 in 96 AG. So Zuko and Iroh are the first members of the Gaang, Zuko gets an early redemption arc, and Zuko and Aang are only a year apart in age 😇

This is from the finale chapter of Book 2: Water, wherein Zuko and Iroh have been missing for a couple weeks after they were kidnapped by some unknown Agna Qel’ans. However, just as Zuko finally makes it back to the Gaang, Zhao’s soldiers ambush the Spirit Oasis, and Zuko is forced to take Aang’s body and flee into the tundra to keep him safe. Aang is 13 and Zuko is 14 at this point in the story.

TAatFP fans, I know this is one of your favorite scenes, and it’s one of my favorites too, so I thought it would be perfect for this day’s prompt. Unfortunately it took me WAYYY longer to finish than I had initially thought, because for some reason I decided to do watercolors for the whole thing 😬 I literally started this on the actual prompt day and only just finished it last night lol.

I’m really happy with how it turned out though. I actually used a Lumity scene as a reference for the last part - TOH fans will probably know which one ☺️

edit: whoops I accidentally kept Zuko’s mittens on his hands when he pulls the hood over Aang’s head lmao just ignore that

[splosh-crime]

ATLA AU - Zuko Can See Ghosts

Dead people in ATLA either reincarnate or stay as ghosts until they’re ready to do so. There is no afterlife just as there are no gods. The closest thing to gods ATLA has is spirits but if the Spirit World was the afterlife, I think there would be a lot more humans around when Avatars visit. Iroh’s only there because he went in before he died.

Zuko knows why his mother left because Grandfather Azulon is still there as a ghost to tell him Ursa poisoned him to save Zuko’s life. He was going to haunt Ursa until he realized Zuko could see him and haunted him instead. Surprise, surprise, the guy who ordered the death of his grandson is a dick.

There are many servants dead by Ozai’s wrath in the palace. Their ghosts teach Zuko to stay quiet and fade into the background where it’s safe.

When Lu Ten dies, he regrets that he wasn’t able to save his young cousins from Ozai. Lu Ten stays a ghost and mentors Zuko in combat, bending, and strategy.

When the 41st Division die despite Zuko’s protests, and Zuko himself is burned and banished, the 41st Division find out Zuko defended them and stay ghosts to teach him all they can.

Zuko’s able to escape before the pirates hired by Zhao blow up his ship because the ghosts haunting the pirates warn him. This doesn’t change the plot, but it does save Zuko some pain.

Aang is followed/haunted by Monk Gyatso while Sokka & Katara are followed/haunted by Kya.

[linkspooky]

Burn This City, Burn This City Down Title Page

Months after the search took place, Azula shows up in the Fire Nation royal court surprisingly sane, with a surprise announcement: she's engaged. Zuko has to grapple with the sudden reappearance of his sister, her fake engagement to a family of his political rivals, and determining whose side she's really on. An Azula redemptoin story, and Azulaang and Zutara fanfic!

                                  commission by @oakyvii

[muffinlance]

EDIT: The switchover from "Wani" to "Wanyi" has begun! Salvage should be switched; if anyone's re-reading, let me know if I missed any or accidentally borked any formatting during the change.

All crew names will be left the same, because they are Real People Names and I already had different personalities.

Thanks to everyone who helped me decide!

---Ye original post:---

Debating removing the various hat-tips to Embers in my fics due to attempting to re-read that story and finding it far less enamoring than when it was the second fic I'd ever read.

So anyways now soliciting potential new names for the Wani (Zuko's ship), Crewman Teruko, and Helmsman Kyo.

Update: Seems people (at least on this blog) associate those characters with my stories, not Embers. And the personalities are different, and they're legit real world names... So I'll likely leave those two alone.

Still tempted to change the Wani's name, though. My current top contender is Wanyi, which was @tuktukpodfics 's adorable change when they were podficcing Salvage, which I shall just quote here:

Wànyī (萬一): One in ten thousand, Perchance. I realize now that MuffinLance got the name Wani for Zuko’s ship from the author Vathara and it means "alligator" in another language. But when I was reading Salvage, I always imagined it was "wànyī," which literally means "one in ten thousand" and is used grammatically to mean "what if" or "just in case." I think a ship called "The Perchance" is perfect for a boy clinging to false hope.

I think that is a lot cooler and more meaningful than "Alligator". <3

[c0nfessions-of-a-writing-freak]

Scarred Beauty

Pairing: Zuko x Fem!Reader

Word count: 809

Summary: It had almost become a tradition for you and Zuko to talk after the sun had gone down, leaving the both of you wrapped in a blanket of secrecy. But after Zuko falls asleep a little too early, it leaves you to wonder.

Bingo: @eclipsingbingo with 'Tracing Scars'

When you first met Zuko, you honestly thought he was trying to kill you. The way his lip would curl up upon laying his eyes on you, or how he would single you out in a fight so he could make sure he was the only one who had a shot at you, it all made every moment between the two of you dreadful and when he decided to join your 'team' you could only think of the worst case scenario.

But now, now that you've got to know Zuko without the usual heat that came with his arrival or the scornful glare that he had to keep up, he was starting to grow on you.

It hadn't been instant, you, but probably Katara, took the longest to warm up to him. It was hard to look past all the times he had tried to capture you, burn you alive, hunt you down and even sell you out, but once you had tried, you felt your efforts rewarded tenfold as Zuko did his best to get to know you.

His mannerisms have changed a lot since the first time you met him. Instead of the brash, whiny and impatient prince who needed to get his way, you were met with a gentle, intelligent and peaceful warrior who had joined the fight against the Fire Nation.

He had grown more protective, making sure no one got hurt and always seeking you out first to check for injuries. He offered his guidance to both Aang and whoever else would take it, leading to the two of you bending together. Whenever the two of you would, due to your clashing elements, it always put on quite the show for the others as they watched fire try to wash away water.

It was how you believed you ended up here, lying beneath a sea of stars. The two of you were side by side, the others quite a distance away as they slept peacefully, getting ready for a day of adventure. Not the two of you though. You both had grown accustomed to the late-night talks that you weren't sure who had first started them.

It was such a regular occurrence that if one of you noticed the other one waiting out, you would rush the night along, getting into positions like you were currently in. Even the rest of the gang had grown used to this and wouldn't question it if the two of you went off together or when they awoke they found you both laying next to each other somewhere.

The topics that you would speak about were vast, never being a copy of the night before. You had spoken about what it had been like growing up and how your childhoods had varied, though you both found comfort in one another for a feeling of isolation. Talk of tradition and training, even gossip that the other would have a hard time following along with. Whatever could be spoken about had been.

Except for the large scar that took up a good chunk of Zuko's face. You had never felt the need to ask, even now, as you had turned away from the stars above to face Zuko, the older boy asleep far too early than he would've liked to be, you couldn't bring yourself to ever ask. If it was something that Zuko would ever want to talk about, then he would bring it up himself. But since that was yet to happen, you kept any topic of conversation far from it.

That didn't stop you from staring at it now. Even in the darkness, it was a large contrast from the rest of his face. For so long you had only ever allowed your eyes to briefly linger on the scar, only ever allowed your eyes to trace the corners of it and take it in. But now, a delicate hand reached forward and with a feather-light tip of your finger, your skin came in contact with his scared.

Where others may have seen brutality or felt disgust and pity at the sight, you couldn't help but wonder how such a large portion of his face seemed to bring so much life to Zuko's being, how though it may hide the beauty that may have once been there, a new beauty bloomed with it.

Only when you were satisfied did you draw your hand away. You had done enough looking for tonight. Instead, you curled in on yourself, trying to store as much heat as you could for the night, not wanting to leave Zuko's side.

And when the others found the two of you wrapped around one another in the morning, they turned a blind eye and allowed the both of you to come to your own senses and figure out the mess you were both slowly creating.

[wileycap]

Crackfic Idea:

30-year-old Zuko gets randomly flung back in time to his 16-year-old self. For a couple of hours at a time. At the most random times imaginable. Imagine the potential.

Zuko assumes that it's a dream or a vision, but definitely not real. He tries not to freak everybody out too badly, but he's also fully enjoying himself and seeing all of his friends as their young selves.

ZUKO, as he and Aang circle each other at the South Pole: I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating. You're just a [Spirit Shwoop Sound] ... baby Aang!

AANG, confused: Well, more like preteen Aang. How do you know my name?

ZUKO, looking around: Wait, where are we?

AANG: Um... this is the-

SOKKA: Don't answer him! He's trying to get information out of you. You can't give away our location!

KATARA: Sokka, he's standing in the middle of our village. I think he knows.

ZUKO: We're here? This is so weird. I was just here for the Annual Penguin Race.

AANG: THERE'S AN ANNUAL PENGUIN RACE?!

ZUKO: Well, yeah, it was your idea... you gave a whole speech about cross-cultural cooperation and friendship, but I know you just wanted to go penguin sledding with a bunch of people...

AANG: Well, I-

SOKKA: Stop giving him more information! He already knows about the penguins!

Everybody else is confused, bewildered and even befuddled except for Iroh, who assumes that it's Spirit Shenanigans™️ and just fully accepts that his nephew likes tea and hugs and Pai Sho sometimes while being his usual shouty surly traumaball self at others.

ZUKO, stepping into the cabin: Hi, Uncle. I brought you some ginseng. How about a game of Pai Sho?

IROH, tearing up a little: I would love that, my nephew.

ZUKO: I wish we could do this more often, but you live so far away...

IROH, mentally calculating that he lives exactly three doors away from Zuko, and nodding sagely: The rat-viper may never climb the mountain that a hog-monkey can, but the monkey does not know what lies underneath it.

ZUKO, sighing sadly: I know, Uncle. I do appreciate my position in life, even if it has disadvantages.

IROH: Hmm. Your move, nephew.

The crew of Zuko's ship is terrified by the fact that whenever it happens, Zuko is somehow even more hyper-competent, seems to be weirdly calm about everything, and most unnervingly of all, he's polite.

SOLDIER: Here is a report on the best teahouses within three days travel of our current location, Sir. And, uh, Commander Zhao sent a messenger hawk.

ZUKO: Excellent. Thank you very much, Sergeant. I think we can ignore whatever Zhao has to say. In reply, I want you to send him a list of the most famous officers in Fire Nation history, and point out that none of them had sideburns. I want to see if he shaves them.

SOLDIER, sweating nervously: O-of course, Sir.

As a matter of fact, the whole fic could just be Zuko trolling Zhao. It would be glorious.

[justaz]

realistic zukka: zuko is swamped with being firelord and righting everything wrong w the fire nation that he has No Time for visitors or personal letters, sokka is busy as chief of the swt and building all his little inventions to speed the rebuilding efforts along. zukka doesn’t speak for weeks bc they simply don’t have the time or mental space to think about that.

that is, until zuko wakes up in the middle of the night to a face over his, grinning like a madman. zuko’s instinct is to fight bc there has been five assassins this week and it’s only monday. sokka is screeching like a banshee bc if zuko breaks his invention-

the guards burst in and light up the room to find chief sokka of the swt desperately scratching at the ground to get away from a half awake firelord zuko who is currently beating him with the first thing he could get his hands on: sokka’s invention.

they don’t speak for weeks bc sokka is Upset

[frost-queen]

Elements in Harmony (Reader x Sokka)

Requested by: Anon Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22, @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve, @queen-of-books, @glimmering-darling-dolly @denkisclown, @wildieflower, @meyocoko, @bubblybrianna, @justanothercoco, @subjecta13-thefangirl, @m-rae23, @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr, @swampthing07, @melsunshine, @panhoeofmanyfandoms, @venomsvl, @the-uncoordinated-house-cat, @rosecentury,  @imagines-by-her,  @evilcr0ne, @vviolynn, @iixchloee

Summary: Reader is Zuko's sister. You and Sokka always argue and fight. You keep infuriating Sokka as you won't leave his head, something he can't stand. Certainly not from a fire nation girl. When one encounter leads to an almost kiss. It draws a line when some guy starts flirting with you, leading to Sokka to show you just how infuriating you are to him.

Appa roared deep, flapping his tail up. Aang petted his furred friend as Momo sat on his shoulder. Katara was poking in the fire to keep it going. Sokka arrived with new wood. His gaze fell upon you from afar. Near the cliff were you practising. Performing graceful moves without actually bending. Your performances calm and at peace. Anything but what Sokka was used to seeing a fire bender do.

Mostly their sequences were brutal and hard. Their fire filled with anger. You seemed odd among them. Anger wasn’t what filled your bending. It was a combination of being soft and tough at the same time. Something your uncle Iroh taught you when you were younger.

Sokka threw the wood on the ground, startling Katara. – “Hey.” – she called out annoyed.  – “Sure let us prepare the fire while princess fire nation over there is just dancing.” – Sokka outed gesturing at you. Katara sighed loud. – “Can you only ever complain?”

Sokka grumpily sat down on a log. Glaring your way. Aang approached them holding a bag open. – “We’ll need to stock more food.” – he held the bag upside down. A fruit fell out as Momo immediately jumped for it. Sokka shooed Momo away, picking up the last fruit. – “And that isn’t for you!” – he called out to Momo who flew above his head. Katara got up holding her hand out to Aang. – “I’ll go see if a town is nearby.” – she suggested.

“No, no.” – Sokka answered getting up as well. – “Let fire girl over there do something.” – he pointed at you from afar. – “Her name is Y/n.” – Katara answered crossing her arms. Sokka came closer to her. – “and I don’t care.” – he outed with a sarcastic smile. Sokka whistled loud catching your attention.

You stopped your practise, making your way over. Sokka snatched the bag from Aang’s hand, tossing it at you. You caught it  as he was aiming for your face. – “We need supplies.” – he said bothered. – “Please.” – you responded wanting him to ask nicely.

Sokka puffed loud. – “I didn’t know you had manners.” – Sokka answered. – “Unlike you I wasn’t raised in an igloo.” – you responded loud. – “Yet I’m not the one banished.” – Sokka fired back. – “Sokka!” – Katara called out, shocked at his rudeness. As a response you threw the empty bag at Sokka. It bumped against his chest as he moved his head back to not get hit in the face.

“Apologize right now!” – Katara insisted with a sisterly scowl. Sokka looked back to you, seeing how his words made you feel. Somehow he felt a bit guilty for being so cruel. Yet he didn’t act upon it. He took the bag in his hand. – “I’ll just go by myself.”  - he spoke turning away. Momo flew on top of Sokka’s head making him stop with a deep sigh. – “We’ll all go.” – Aang spoke to maintain the peace.

The four of you entered the woods in search for food, hoping you’d come by a village soon. You were walking behind Aang and Katara when you noticed Sokka falling in step with you. – “No bending.” – he simply said to you. You mimicked his words like a child, teasing him. – “Oh real mature princess.” – he responded.

 “I’m just lowering myself to your standards.” – you answered with a smile. Sokka stepped in front of you, making you stop all of the sudden. He was brazing, glaring down at you. Your words annoying him. Sokka was glaring at your eyes, his face inches away from yours. His gaze fell down to your lips. He caught himself stare at them, making him turn away.

You gasped breathlessly, slouching back as if you were about to pass out. Sokka caught up with his sister, wanting to be as far away from you as he could. Looking briefly over his shoulder to you, falling in line. Grunting soft, he hated how much you messed with his head. Your presence consuming his mind as if you never wanted to leave. No matter how many times he casted you out. It infuriated him.

You were from the fire nation. Zuko’s sister, the one chasing Aang. The one who caused his village pain. – “You know you can just be nice to her.” – Katara spoke looking briefly at her brother. Sokka sighed loud. – “She’s from the…” – he outed as Katara finished his words in a voice that mimicked his. – “fire nation.” – she then giggled at her own imitation of her brother.

“Not funny.” – Sokka said annoyed as it made Katara just giggle more. Sokka looked over his shoulder again, seeing you chat with Aang.

Katara nudged him hard in the side. Sokka tore his gaze away from you. Some twigs snapped underneath his shoes. – “Aang needs her.” – she told him. – “I know, I know.” – Sokka sighed out. – “Then…” – Katara began as Sokka shushed her. She glared at him a bit for cutting her off. – “Don’t shush me.” – she said annoyed, moving her hands to her hips. – “Stop talking.” – Sokka told her, his focus elsewhere.

Katara groaned loud as he covered up her mouth. It was the only thing he thought would shut her up. – “Why have we stopped?” – Aang asked confused. Sokka was looking at every direction, listening in to nature. His eyes widened when he saw a fireblast fly their way. It hit a tree trunk close to them. – “Fire nation!” – he yelled out. The four of you started to run as more fire benders came from out of the bushes. – “It’s an ambush.” – Katara outed, puffing loud. – “You think?” – Sokka responded to her sarcastically.

Aang swayed his stick across, sending an air blast at some fire benders.  Katara stopped a moment to bend some water out of a puddle nearby. Letting it whip against a fire bender. Sokka grunted as they couldn’t outrun them. They needed to stand and fight. He pulled out his weapon, standing ready.

A fire bender was coming your way as you deflected his fire blast by ducking down. You then kicked at him. He stumbled back making you punch his stomach a few times. Sokka ducked down a punching arm, punching the man in his stomach. He then pressed the back of his weapon on his back. The man dropped to his stomach with a loud oof. He saw fire blasts coming your way as you kept avoiding them with just manoeuvring.

“What are you doing?” – Sokka called out to you. You looked back at him confused. – “Bend!” – he outed, stating the obvious. You kicked a guy away from you. – “You told me not to bend!” – you shouted back at him. Sokka jumped back from a blast. – “Just do it!” – he insisted upon annoyed. Suddenly you smiled with a new set off attitude.

Performing a sequence you conjured fire, attacking your fellow fire nation soldiers. Aang jumped above your head, landing in front of you as he flashed a blast of air at them. You moved back assisting Katara. – “I got it.” – she breathed out. You nodded at her. Looking over your shoulder, you saw Sokka getting cornered.

You ran over to him just as a blast of fire was coming his way. Sokka’s eyes widened seeing the blast come his way from his side. You jumped in front of him, arms forwards, palms pressed together as you split the blast in two. The fire flared beside Sokka and you. Sokka blinked stunned at you. You then attacked with fire of your own. Sokka was staring at you, admiring you despite his infuriation with you.

He was so caught up with you, that he hardly saw the punching fist come his way. He jumped back, avoiding the hit just in time. He was about to knock the soldier on his head with his weapon as a blast of fire pushed him away. Sokka looked confused, till he turned his head. Seeing you in a position, one fist out, panting. You had once again protected him. Sokka smiled admiring at you till his expression turned to shock. You were hit by a blast, sending you rolling on the ground. – “Y/n!” – Sokka called out.

You came to a stop, panting loud. Forcing yourself to get back up. Just as you almost stood up straight, were you hit with another surprise blast. It was if the soldiers were turning their anger towards you. One of their own fighting against them. You got hit as the blast pushed you back.

You screamed when you felt a loss of ground under your feet. An in-sinking in the ground made you slide down the hill. Tumbling and rolling down, you met with the ground hard and fast. – “Y/n?” – Sokka called out concerned. He threw his boomerang at the soldier, hitting him in the head. His boomerang returned as he caught it. Running up to the way where he lost sight of you. – “Y/n?” – he panted out nearing where you last where.

Sokka felt the ground underneath his feet crumble away. A scream caught in his throat as he slid down, arms swaying around. On the ground, you groaned in pain. Slowly pulling yourself up by your elbows. Your eyes widened seeing Sokka slide down. At the bottom, he came to a sudden stop, his chest falling forwards. He fell forwards falling hard against your chest as your back smacked the ground again.

Sokka groaned soft when he set his hands beside you, trying to pull himself up. He lifted his head up, his gaze catching yours as he paused. Paused as his face was inches away from yours. Heart pounding loudly as you were captivated in his gaze. Sokka’s gaze went down to your lips  as it made you feel shy. He neared his head a bit as you sensed he had an urge to kiss you. Your gaze flashed up and down from his eyes to his lips and back. If Sokka was about to kiss you, you wouldn’t protest. Sokka felt himself fall deeper, drawing closer to you. What if he wanted to kiss you in this moment. Would it be that bad?

You were bringing your chin closer to him to decrease the distance. Sokka slowly closed his eyes, feeling his lips tingle with the urge. A gush of wind caught him off guard. His eyes flashed back open, suddenly aware of what he was doing. He rolled over, away from you just before Aang landed down. – “So here you are.” – Aang said. You were staring at the sky, panting loud. Feeling extremely hot that Sokka was this close to kissing you.

Katara had climbed down joining Aang. Sokka had gotten up, dusting some dirt off him. Aang decided to head back to Appa and search a town from above. All of you agreed, walking back to Appa. You climbed on Appa, sitting at the back. Avoiding eye contact with Sokka. Sokka was staring down at his own hands.

Katara looked from you to Sokka. – “Is something going on between the two of you?” – she asked. – “No.” – Sokka answered loud. You lowered your head on Appa’s saddle, watching the scenery you were leaving behind. Momo came landing on your head, laying himself down.

Appa roared loud as he descended. Aang had spotted a town. A small village at the edge of the earth kingdom. Appa landed as all of you climbed down. You held the empty bag following Aang into the village. There were many curious heads turning at your friends. They certainly stand out with their watertribe attire and air nomad clothing. You didn’t receive that much attention as you were earth kingdom clothing.

You had left your fire nation clothing long behind. The moment your father banished you after Zuko’s banishment, you gave them up. There was no hope in finding a new home when you wore enemy clothing. Zuko had been given an ultimatum to return. You never did. Not acceding his expectations and questioning the flaming fist of his way of ruling led to your banishment.

The youngest of your siblings, apart by just one year with your sister Azula. You saw more to fire bending then power and anger. Fire could be beautiful if one found a balance between them. Harmony. Your father found that a weakness. Soft. Not something he could have in his daughter.

You went over to a stall where they sold fruits. Sokka’s eyes fell upon a different stall, making his way over to it, without his friends knowing. You bargained with the owner for some of his best fruit. Katara wondered where her brother was, spotting him at a stall that sold herbs. She furrowed her brows, watching her brother buy a patch of leaves. He turned around holding a little patch as he suddenly noticed his sister watching.

Sokka cleared his throat from afar, moving the patch behind his back. It made Katara quirk her eyebrow up. He joined the others once more letting his sister know to stop staring to weirdly at him. – “Look Y/n a herb stall!” – Aang pointed out. You turned your head to look as well. – “You can make that delicious tea of yours again.” – Aang said pushing you towards it.

“Actually…” – Sokka started feeling the patch in his hand. No one heard him as Aang was too enthusiastic to show you the herbs. Aang pulled you to a stop after having pushed you all the way over. – “Anything you like?” – the owner asked as you looked at his products.

“Do you have any jasmine leaves?” – Aang asked for you. – “I certainly do boy.” – the owner answered. – “Actually I…” – Sokka began wanting to let you know he already bought the jasmine leaves. The owner presented Aang with a patch of jasmine leaves. Aang nudged you to accept them. – “Aang we really don’t need them.”  - you told him. – “Of course we do, you love jasmine tea.” – he encouraged you to take them.

“Your uncle taught you to make it.” – Aang added with a smile. – “Y/n I…” – Sokka spoke wanting to place a hand on your shoulder and reveal his patch to you. A new pair of hands grabbed the patch from the owner. – “I’ll pay for her.” – all of you turned your head to a boy. He smirked flashing a wink at you.

His wink baffled you as you weren’t used to that kind of attention. The boy tossed some coins in the owner’s hand. Sokka got shoved aside as the boy wanted to be closer to you. He held the patch up for you to accept. – “You really don’t have to…” – you said feeling a bit embarrassed someone paid for you.

“Nonsense.” – he grabbed your hand, facing your palm up, placing the patch in your hand. – “Anything should be paid for a pretty girl like you.” – he finished. Sokka puffed with a roll of his eyes. The boy slid his arm over your shoulder, moving you away from your friends. – “You look like a girl who likes tea.” – he spoke as Aang followed behind him. – “How does he know.” – he asked happily astonished that he had guessed. – “We literally stood by a herb cart.” – Sokka answered bothered.

The guy was leading you to a tea shop. His arm was still around you as Sokka found himself glaring at it. Katara and Aang clearly unbothered with Sokka’s concerns. – “Has anyone told you, your smile is like a blossom on a spring day?” – he said. It made you touch your lips shy. – “No.” – you answered. Sokka tensed his jaw. You were about to enter the tea shop when a pull on your wrist pulled you to a stop.

You slowly turned as Sokka had taken a hold of your wrist. Aang, Katara and the guy walked further in. – “Something wrong Sokka?” – you asked confused. – “Are you seriously following a guy like him? Just because he flashes a smile at you and gives you a compliment, you girls fall hard.”

You smiled teasingly. – “What’s so funny?” – Sokka expressed loud. – “Nothing.” – you answered with a shake of your head. – “You are cute when you are so worked up.” – you patted his cheek teasingly. The guy came standing behind you. – “Are you coming sugar?” – he asked placing a hand on your hip. Sokka saw it almost making him lose his mind. – “She’s not!” – Sokka stated clear, grabbing you by your wrist. – “Hey!” – the guy called out when Sokka dragged you away. – “Sokka… Sokka.” – you breathed out as he kept pulling you away.

He went into an alleyway, pushing you against the wall. Sokka groaned loud as you could only stare confused at him. He turned around, grabbing you by the waist as he pressed his lips on yours. Eyes wide with shock, you blinked startled at the touch of his lips on yours. He pulled away half angered at himself for kissing you.  – “Why are you so infuriating.” – he outed. Sokka noticed you were still holding his patch with herbs so he slapped them out of your hands.

“Hey!” – you called out as Sokka gave you his with some roughness. – “I bought these because I knew you liked them.” – he told you. – “I don’t know why I bought you them, because I shouldn’t. Certainly not for a fire nation girl!” – he went on. – “So why do I care for you. Why can’t I get you out of my head, and why did it bother me that, that guy was hitting on you!”

You smiled coming up to Sokka. – “Oh hush.” – you told him, grabbing him to kiss him. Sokka gladly accepted your kiss, holding you by your waist. – “You are cute when you get worked up over things.” – you told him, making him smile sheepishly. Sokka held you again, kissing you once more just because he could. Certainly now when he made peace with himself and simply let himself fall for you.

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Read more of my fics on my Masterlists!

[chaichai-draws]

“Katara,” he said. “Spirits, I missed you.” His arms were tight to the point of hurting, holding her so powerfully. She held on and just breathed.

I wanted to wait to color these before posting them but,,, I just can’t. The Gaang reunion made me SOB I love them so much :’((((

Once again thank you @lovelyelbowleech for War Games I owe you my life

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine having to hide your relationship with Zuko to secure his reign but him growing more and more tired not being able to announce your relationship

You and Zuko had been dating for around 9 months. It all started when he came to the water tribe and Sokka introduced the two of you. Sokka claims he knew the two of you would hit it off but you both knew that was a blatant lie. For you, it was how endearingly awkward Zuko was for royalty, not to mention the armour and hair were very pleasing to the eye. For Zuko he liked how refreshing your personality was and how strong a waterbender you were. He saw you smash a drunken guy who was trying to grab you into a snow pile and knew he wanted to get to know you more. The rest was history and the two of you were very happy together. 

However Zuko’s rule hadn’t been quite as easy. Many citizens were angry when he took the throne and wanted Ozai back. The upper classes in particular didn’t like Zuko’s forward-thinking policies and saw the equality he was aiming for as a loss for them rather than a gain for everyone else. Then Azula broke out of her facility and started a rebellion. She timed it perfectly and stepped right into the unrest, promptly making it worse. Zuko was already the youngest Firelord in history and also one of the most controversial. That’s why it was decided your relationship had to be a secret. As you were from the Water Tribe, Fire Nation citizens would undoubtedly see your relationship as a threat to the throne, not even taking into account how your own tribe would react. While some now liked Zuko many still didn’t trust the fire nation, so to “lose” one of their own to the Firelord himself...it could cause trouble to say the least. 

The reactions of both your nations could be the thing that toppled Zuko from the throne and you wanted no part of that. So, it was agreed, until the nation stabilised and Zuko had been on the throne for a while longer you’d keep it between the two of you. Of course your close friends and family knew but other than that it was top secret.

The secret routine you developed worked rather well. The Fire Nation was big on privacy so you could sneak around fairly easily and once you were within the palace you were safe from prying eyes. For yourself, you hung around with Aang anyway so going away to the Fire Nation every month didn’t seem odd. It would have been perfect if you were just two individuals not expected to make formal public appearances but you weren’t. Zuko was the Firelord and you a prominent member of your tribe. You both had expectations on your shoulders and at formal events you were expected to be in attendance. 

Zuko’s POV

The Fire Nation threw a lot of parties but apparently more were needed. It was suggested Zuko throw one to mark the anniversary of his coronation a year ago to show strength and unquestionable leadership in the face of the ever-prevalent rebellions. It made sense so Zuko agreed. The upside was he could invite all his friends and you. The downside was he couldn’t admit you were more than that. He’d have to watch all night as other people got to talk to you and more annoyingly as other men tried their luck with you. The few times you’d been here officially before, you’d had quite a bit of attention and Zuko hadn’t coped very well with that (he may or may not have fired a general he saw checking you out inappropriately). Zuko figured it would be better this time as all your tribe was coming too so you should stand out less. Still Zuko wanted to ensure there would be a barrier between any Fire Nation men and yourself, so he asked Sokka to bring you to the ball. Better a friend he trusted than some nobel likely to propose before dinner was even finished. 

It wasn’t that Zuko didn’t trust you to fend off any and all proposals it was more he was worried you’d see the attraction in a straightforward relationship as opposed to your current chess level strategy based relationship. Zuko felt he was always cancelling plans due to a disaster or rearranging you to fit into his life as opposed to making time for you. He worried you’d see the non-complicated options available to you and leave him. So he tried desperately to use his power and influence to keep this from happening and luckily Sokka was game to help. 

Sokka had agreed to go to the party with you and to aid the two of you in gaining some alone time. Zuko thought it was a rather brilliant plan and your entrance boosted his already high mood. You looked beautiful and always took Zuko’s breath away when he first saw you. You were wearing a formal water tribe dress that matched your bluey green eyes perfectly. Your long dark hair hung loose and it seemed to shine in the firelight. It took Zuko a few seconds to realise Sokka was beside you but when he did, it didn’t feel great. Through planning or accident the two of you were perfectly matching. You looked like a water tribe couple and Zuko’s eyes drifted from your entwined arms to the other people in the room. It seems he’d overlooked a problem. You and Sokka were of similar ages, from the same tribe, had a close relationship and looked very good beside one another. The oversight began to dawn on Zuko and panic began to blossom in his head. Would this be interpreted as more than a friendship? Zuko searched the room and sure enough others were watching the two of you. Zuko noticed members of the Water Tribe in particular staring. Many of them smiling widely and whispering to one another, no doubt expecting the two of you were finally dating. Zuko even saw several people giving Hakoda knowing smiles and whispering congratulations to him. Hakoda tried to get to stop it from being so obvious, brushing away their comments but their meaning was painfully clear, everyone thought the two of you were a couple and they were thrilled. Zuko felt his temper nipping at him and had to look away from the scene.

It wasn’t that he was possessive and wanted everyone to know you were ”his”, it was more the opposite. He wanted everyone to know you, y/n of the water tribe liked him. Zuko had never been good at the whole flirting thing and he was still amazed he’d managed to ask you out and somehow end up dating you. He was very proud of that victory and wanted everyone to know you thought he was good enough. Of all the men you could’ve dated you chose him. Zuko. But he wasn’t just Zuko, he was also the Firelord which is why the pesky secrecy was needed. His country had to come first. 

Sighing Zuko disappeared behind a curtain where he knew he could hide for a while before Suki came to find him. As Firelord he could have small absences but nothing big, still he took every five-minute break when he could and he had a feeling he’d need them after tonight. He was brooding for only a few minutes when he was discovered but not by who he expected. 

"Are you okay?" a voice asked and Zuko needed no time distinguishing whose it was, he’d know your voice anywhere. You must have noticed him storm away and followed, discreetly of course. You’d gotten good at sneaking around and following him into corners but now Zuko was annoyed that you had to do that. He wanted everyone to see you two together, to recognise you were one another's. "Zuko?" you asked concerned when he didn’t answer and he sighed "i’m fine". He turned to see your worried expression and felt guilty. "Are you sure?" you asked "because if not you can tell me". "I just hate this" he admitted "it’s not fair to have to act like this”. You nodded "i know it must be hard being nice to the people you know helped Azula. But don’t worry you just need a bit more influence and then you won’t have to rely on them as much...". Zuko paused at your misunderstanding. You thought Zuko meant the brewing rebellion. In this situation the rebellion was almost comical to him, he was far more concerned with losing you than his crown. "I wasn’t talking about that i meant us" he said and saw your worry grow "us?". "I know it was my idea but i don’t like Sokka attending this with you, seeing you enter with him, stay by his side while your whole tribe grins like it’s christmas....I so want to show them it’s not true, to just announce how you’re not dating Sokka but me! I’m the lucky one not him! I’m the one who you'll be leaving with not him! But i can’t" he sighed. "I’ll be leaving with you will i?" you asked trying to ease the mood but even your smile couldn’t take Zuko’s mind off his frustrations. You realised and frowned "Zuko...it’s okay". "No it’s not" he told you "it’s not fair on you". "It is" you said softly "i get you’re the Firelord Zuko i went into this with that abundantly clear" you smiled "so i get that while your rule is still precarious we have to be careful, i’d never want you to lose all this just because we were careless, i can wait as long as you need me to" you finished and patted his arm softly before heading back to Sokka so your absence wouldn’t be noted. Zuko let out the sigh he’d been holding. He knew you were perfect, your response was exactly what he should’ve wanted, it should have relaxed him hearing you say that but it didn’t. Zuko didn’t want you to have to make do. He didn’t want to sneak moments with you and hide away. He wanted everyone to know the greatest woman in the Water Tribe was dating him. He was beyond caring about the Fire Nation at this point so Zuko decided to do something about it. Tomorrow night would not be like this. 

The next night

Zuko had officially been Firelord a year today but that wasn’t his proudest achievement. That was reserved for having you on his arm. 

You entered the ballroom together and the event was in full swing. Zuko saw lots of people do double-takes to see you beside one another and he struggled to stop a smug smile from appearing on his face. He knew he should always act dignified but the reality was he was grinning like an idiot. Your tribesmen stared and Zuko couldn’t tell if it was because you were with him or because of what you were both wearing. For one night only you’d traded your nation’s colours which was fairly unheard of but the results were excellent in Zuko’s opinion. He wasn’t too sure about the blue on him but the traditional Fire Nation red made your dark skin so warm and inviting, the red looked so at home on you and Zuko had to keep reminding himself not to stare. 

You reached the bottom of the staircase and the whole room seemed to be holding its breath. Several of your friends smiled and Zuko nodded to them all, other people jumped away from his gaze when he caught them staring. Zuko saw you looking down unsure how to act and glanced at you. "Would you like to dance?" he asked. You looked at him surprised "but you hate dancing". "I’m the Firelord i think they expect me to, plus it’s something we can get away with as a formality". You smiled and nodded “lead the way”. Zuko took your hand smiling like the happiest man in the world. 

Your POV

You could see people watching you, hear them whispering and tried to ignore them and just focus on Zuko. It was hard at first but then you got caught in the enjoyment of it with Zuko and when the set ended you were disappointed. Zuko led you away from the floor and the mutters followed. People looked away as you approached but you could feel their eyes on you the second you passed. Zuko led you towards Aang and the others and Sokka appeared beside you "you're aware you guys are the centre of attention, right?". Zuko swallowed but nodded “yes”. You could hear the anxiety in his voice and gave him a worried look. He'd seemed so confident but of course he had to act like that even when he wasn't. "Was it really bad?" you asked and Sokka frowned. "No of course it wasn’t" Katara smiled "you both look lovely and you were just dancing!". "Yeah screw everyone else" Toph cried and you laughed. "I have to leave my advisor is calling me over" Zuko sighed "i’ll be back" he told you and moved away.

You watched Zuko go feeling rather anxious and tried to breathe. You hadn’t done anything wrong and the world wasn’t going to end. Everything would be okay! Then you noticed a tribe elder making a beeline for you and Sokka. You tried to make a break for it but Sokka caught your arm “no come on, if you get through this then that will be the worst of it”. You tried to fight him off but Sokka had an iron grip and swung you round to come face to face with the elder. 

In your tribe a lot of emphasis was put on elders meaning whoever was older than you, regardless of if they were actually a good person, “deserved” your respect and could talk to you however they wanted without any repercussions.  So you smiled thinly and nodded your head to them. “Sarnaq” Sokka smiled “how are you enjoying the party?”. The man smiled at Sokka “very well thank you or atleast I was” and he turned to you. "I must say, your actions tonight were not good young lady" Sarnaq said in place of a greeting and despite the fact you and Zuko were both legally adults. That was another annoying elder tradition, everyone younger than them or just not married was still a child in their eyes. "You have gotten cocky haven’t you, woman always do" Sarnaq muttered to himself. "Cocky?" you asked a slight edge to your voice. The man narrowed his eyes "yes, just because you are of value in our tribe does not mean we will excuse scandalous behaviour, even if he is with the Firelord. Your loyalty is to your own people first, you would do well to remember that". "I was just dancing with Firelord Zuko" you retorted and Sarnaq glared. "Don’t talk back, I am trying to teach you the wisdom you clearly lack. You have nobody to blame but yourself for your bad behaviour, what did you expect wearing a fire nation dress? You were purposefully encouraging the Firelord and so his behaviour can be explained, yours on the otherhand cannot be". Sokka could see you slipping and frowned. "So by me wearing red i was inviting Fire Nation men to me?" you asked angrily "that’s what me choosing a colour means?". "It’s their colour" the man said partronisingly "of course covering yourself in it gives them ideas". You scoffed "well maybe you should all stop imagining everything i do is to send a message to men, maybe i just wanted to wear red". The man rolled his eyes "don’t be naive you know men pick up these signals in a woman, there’s no use denying you wore that dress to entice the firelord". You temper burst.  "i did not!” you cried “I do not have to entice the Firelord because he already likes me!" you snapped. Sokka grabbed your arm eyes wide but you didn’t care. The man only shook his head "it’s worse than i thought. I’m sure he tells you that but he doesn’t care about you, why would he? Now the only way to correct this is to go change, clean up the mess you’ve made and stay in your place from now on. I won’t hear any arguments" and with that Sarnaq walked away. You went to go follow him when Sokka grabbed you "no y/n don’t, he's not worth it!". Sokka dragged you outside where you could yell and you did. A lot of it.

How dare this man talk to you like that. He had no idea about your relationship with Zuko and who was he to give you orders. “What a sexist old fashioned sack of wrinkles” you cried “I hate how wrong our tribe is. The Fire Nation basically had a dictator for a hundred years and still they’re more progressive than us! No wonder I like Zuko, he treats me like a person not a little woman to be bossed around”. Sokka nodded unsure what to say and just a tad scared you’d direct your anger at him. “I’d love to leave and just see all their faces, they think they can tell me what to do and boss me around? They’ve got another thing coming. I don’t have to take it and I won’t. I’m going to show them all!”. Sokka frowned “wait y/n what are you planning?”. You smiled “wait and see” and marched back into the room. 

You scanned the party and spotted Sarnaq actually talking with Zuko. You glared to see him clearly sucking up to the man he’d just bad mouthed. Your anger rose again and you thought about what Zuko had said earlier and strode towards him. Sarnaq spotted your approach and frowned. "Y/n" he said stiffly "i assume you’re here to apologise, we can do that later". "Actually i’m not here for you" you said pointedly "my business is with the Firelord". The man seemed panicked "Firelord please excuse her rudeness she is just infatuated with you". You rolled your eyes "you have no idea" and yanked Zuko to you, kissing him in front of the whole ballroom. 

You heard everyone go quiet as they noticed and some people even gasped. Zuko was of course shocked but kissed you back instinctively and seemed to understand you wanted a show so he happily obliged. When you finally separated you smirked to see Sarnaq with his jaw wide open. "Firelord...see what i mean? She is desperate, i am so sorry you are not to blame". "No i am" Zuko said loudly "because i was the one who asked Y/n out 9 months ago and we’ve been dating ever since" he said loudly "Y/n and I are together so she will be spending a lot more time in the Fire nation with me". Your heart skipped at that and you grinned as Zuko took your hand. "But she’s a member of the Water Tribe...." Sarnaq babbled and Zuko nodded "yes she’s a member not a slave, so you cannot control her or tell her what to do, understand?". Zuko took a step closer to the man who paled rapidly. "Yes Firelord i am sorry". "Apologise to her" Zuko barked and Sarnaq turned to you "i am sorry Y/n". You nodded and stared at Zuko in awe. "Good" Zuko said coldly "now leave us". The man scurried away and you tried not to grin as Zuko kept his angry face on for the room. "I hope it was okay i did that" he said and you smiled "are you kidding? That was the hottest thing i’ve ever seen" you laughed your smile turning into a smirk. "I will definitely need you to act it out again for me". Zuko blushed and a small smile made it onto his angry face "well he disrespected you it had to be done...as for a repeat i am more than happy to cooperate". You grinned and tried to calm yourself. "So everyone knows" you said sobering up "i’m sorry for just kissing you but i was so sick of it". "No i’m glad you did" Zuko smiled raised your hands to his chest "this feels amazing, being here with you". "But aren’t you worried about what your people will say?" you asked not quite ready to celebrate but Zuko just smirked. "They’re angry at me no matter what i do, atleast this way i’ll be happy because you’re with me and i don’t have to hide it, that will make it all worth it". You blushed and let Zuko pull you into his arms. After a while he seperated “now...are you ready to make you debut? I want to introduce you to everyone. I mean what I said, you’ll be here as often as you like so they should get used to seeing your face”. You blushed but nodded taking his hand “let’s do this”. 

[biconickyoshi]

Kuzon to the rescue 🔥

Yesterday I had a random urge to draw Fire Nation Zukaang from my AU The Avatar and the Fire Prince (so Aang is 15yo and Zuko is 16yo here). I also kinda just wanted an excuse to draw Aang with hair :) he kinda looks like Mako now that I think about it lmao... Meanwhile Zuko's giving me major Xie Lian (from Heaven Official's Blessing) vibes for some reason? Maybe it's his long flowing hair...

This isn't from any particular upcoming scene in my fic or anything (though maybe I will write it in when I get to that point, who knows). I imagine the context is they're undercover in the FN and some asshole is trying to punch Zuko - of course Aang is NOT having it. Maybe the puncher is Hide (the bully) from The Headband episode? idk lol

I do also have a version of this where Aang is classic bald Aang, so let me know if y'all wanna see that and I'll add it in the reblogs or somethin :)

btw if any of y'all recognize or can guess what the pose reference for this is from, you get a gold star (hint: it's gay)!