#but I have too many Amon/Asami prompts

[orangepanic]

Adding some elements from @yellowsalt3's year-end tag game to this post:

Fic Writing Review 2023

Reflection

I guess I wrote a lot?

I think, on reflection, what stands out to me are that I pretty much write three kinds of fics: Good fics, bad fics, and weird fics. Probably the easiest to point out are the bad fics. I don't mean bad in that they're awful, but they're clearly just meh. Forgettable in a hey, that exists sort of way. And overwhelmingly these fics are "supposed-to" fics. They're fics I wrote for prompt challenges, holidays, event weeks I wasn't super into, etc. because I felt like I was supposed to or promised somebody that I would. Often they feel like only half an idea and are lacking any real point. "Fire on Ice" comes to mind. It's cute. Ice skating AU. But it's just kind of there?

What surprised me is that some of my very favorites are the weird fics. These are almost exclusively extreme rarepair fics written for events. I love extreme rarepair events because they push me to do some very strange things with new characters. "Memory Like Fine Sand" is one of the best things I wrote this year not in spite of but because it's fucking whack, and I love that. I'd like to write more weird fics.

Then there are the good fics. These aren't necessarily popular. "Beyond the Painted Hills" comes to mind, for example, with its five little kudos. But to me, these are fics that aren't just putting characters in scenarios, but where I'm trying to convey something. Love. Loss. Desperation. Humor. Hope. Fics like "Disgrace" are probably popular because they have Zuko in them, but also it's 1,400 words of raw teenage angst that pales in comparison to any emotion in "Fire and Ice." “It’s my hair,” said Iroh, “and you can’t make me.” GOD. As if we didn't all have that stage.

I'd like to write more good fics, too.

Words and Fics

16 published WIPs I'm currently working on (getting there I promise)

37 fics completed this year

Top 10 Fics by Kudos

10. Tis the Sea Sun for Love - Iroh II/Asami Sato 9. The Holiday Heist - Lin Beifong/Lightning Bolt Zolt 8. Whiskey Tango Foxcat - Iroh II/Asami Sato 7. Seventeen - Iroh II & Izumi, Iroh II & Izumi & Zuko 6. Hard Bargain - Iroh II, Eska, Prince Wu, Asami Sato, Mako in various combinations 5. Sorry, Right Number - Korra/Mako, Iroh II/Asami Sato 4. Iroh's Dragon - Iroh II/Asami Sato, Iroh II & OC dragon 3. Hotman - Iroh II/Asami Sato 2. Disgrace - Iroh II & Zuko 1. Starvation Paradise - Iroh II/Asami Sato

Fandom Events

Avatar Solstice Gift Exchange

The Holiday Heist (Lin/Zolt)

AU Roulette 2023

To the Brink (Gen, space AU)

ATLA Rare Pair Big Bang and YeeHawgust 2023

After the Uncommon Rains (Iroh II/Asami Sato)

ATLA Rare Pair May Day

Beyond the Painted Hills (June/Col. Mongke)

Avatar WTF Weekend

Kemurikage (Jet/Agni)

Memory Like Fine Sand (Azula/Joo Dee)

She Comes to Me (Bumi II/Yue)

I Don't Like Your Attitude (Korra/Ginger)

You Say You'd Like to See Me Closer (Iroh II/Amon/Asami Sato)

Korra's Christmas

Fire on Ice

Magic Moon Cake

Upcoming Plans for 2024

FINISH MY WIPS DAMMIT.

I mean, really.

I have so many fics that I love that just need one little push. After the Uncommon Rains. Smoke. I Don't Like Your Attitude. Girls' Night. Not if You Were the Last Man on Earth. I'm so close on all of these and I just need to get 'er done.

Then there are the other projects. The never-ending Firestorm rewrite. The Jet/Agni sequel. Yasuko Lives AU. Asami's high school years. Big things like my version of the Equalist trials and my 30-years post-canon AU that I'm too scared to start because I know they're 90k-word monsters waiting to be born. But I can't hold them back forever.

At the same time, I feel like fandom is a ticking clock. With each release of new Avatar content my own interpretations of characters and scenarios and relationships become more and more obscure. How long before there's a Korra movie that makes Korra sami a ship from the start instead of an afterthought? How long before there is a General Iroh spinoff that makes my writing so OOC it's laughable? Ships that ten years ago were fairly popular have already become "ew omg how could anyone ever think that?" Friends that were sharing their passions move on. Rarepair authors and artists with three kudos on something they poured their heart into are starting to say "what's the point?" And it's tiring.

But I'm gonna finish my WIPs dammit.

Fanfic End of Year Roundup 2023

Published words: 363,588 Longest and most popular fic: Starvation Paradise (Iroh II/Asami Sato, 82,965 words, complete) Shortest fic: Goodbye (Hiroshi Sato & Asami Sato, 353 words, complete) First (complete) fic of the year: The Holiday Heist (Lin/Zolt) Last (complete) fic of the year: Exes (Iroh II/Asami Sato) Fluffiest fic: A Day at the Office (Iroh II & his daughter) or Little Fish (Asami Sato & her daughter) Steamiest fic: Six Days in Ba Sing Se (Iroh II/Asami Sato) Angstiest fic: Starvation Paradise Saddest fic: Endgame (Asami Sato) Strangest fic: Uh... four-way tie between Eurydice (Hiroshi Sato/Yasuko Sato), Kemurikage (Jet/Agni), Whiskey Tango Foxcat (Iroh II/Asami Sato) and Memory Like Fine Sand (Azula/Joo Dee). It's been a weird year. Fic you probably didn't read but should: She Comes to Me (Bumi II/Yue) Fic I'm the proudest of for no particular reason: How I Always Loved You (Hiroshi Sato/Yasuko Sato)

Open tags for anyone else who wants to share their year!

[kingwuko]

Wuko in the comics

Welcome to my first post discussing Wuko in the LoK comic books!

This first post will be discussing Turf Wars- which unfortunately does not feature Wu. But there are lots of excellent Mako moments, and there are some major plot points that carry over into the next comic trilogy.

Turf Wars is the first LoK comic trilogy released after the finale. Though it was released two and half years after the finale aired, it picks up right where we left off. While the creators confirmed after the finale aired that Korrasami was canon, the last moments of the animated series were a little ambiguous (on purpose, since this was a time when queer representation was just not considered "acceptable" in children's media-it was truly the only way they could get away with it). The comics definitively remove all ambiguity. Turf Wars features multiple frames of Korra and Asami kissing, holding hands, and coming out to their friends and family. 

The overarching plot of Turf Wars is a conflict over the land upon which the new spirit portal sets. There is also conflict between rival Triad gangs, the Triple Threats and the Creeping Crystals, over turf in Republic City following the chaos of Kuvira's invasion. These two sets of turf wars overlap when a business tycoon hires the Triple Threats to secure the spirit portal for him by driving others off. The new Leader of the Triple Threats, Tokuga, is attacked by a spirit defending the portal, causing him to gain a dragon-like appearance and a new agenda-seizing control of all Republic City. In the midst of all this there is a refugee crisis, a presidential election, and Korra and Asami trying to navigate their new relationship once they return to the real world with all their responsibilities.

Notable plot points and character developments:

Korra and Asami canon is confirmed (repeatedly)-They come out to family and their friends

Business owner Wonyong Keum, who owns the land upon which the new portal sits, demands everyone vacate so he can turn it into a tourist attraction for profit-prompting Korra to enter the Avatar state to temporarily drive him away.

An unhappy spirit requests Korra closes the portal to prevent exploitation of the spirit world.

Bolin joins Mako as his rookie detective partner.

Zhu Li is running efforts to care for refugees who lost their homes during Kuvira’s attack and teams up with Asami to begin rebuilding homes for everyone displaced.

Tokuga is introduced as the leader of the Triple Threats, fighting for control of the streets with Jargala, the leader of the Creeping Crystals.

Kya reveals she is queer and gives us a history lesson on the context of LGBTQ+ history in the world.

Tokuga is attacked by the afore-mentioned spirit and his right arm and half his face become dragon-esque.

Raiko is a colossal idiot. He is way too focused on getting reelected and making his decisions based on what his campaign advisor suggests, rather than just, you know, governing his city. He calls the military to occupy the portal, prompting the Airbenders to peacefully protest.

Zhu Li runs against Raiko for the presidency. She rallies more protesters to protect the spirit portal while her husband films her for his newest project- a “docu-mover” which he presumably uses to influence the election. 

Asami and Keum are kidnapped by Tokuga and forced to make a poison gas device bring the city under Tokuga’s control.

The Krew manages to save the day of course, thanks to Asami’s wit, Korra’s unstoppable stubbornness, and back-up from Bolin and Mako. Except Mako, bless him, says he’ll “take care of Tokuga”, and then promptly loses him.

Tokuga mysteriously disappears into the spirit world.

Zhu Li wins the presidency.

Korra and Asami share a lovely, romantic moment where they exchange their first “I love you”s at the conclusion of the comic.

Mako scenes

There is no Wu in the Turf Wars comics (Unless you count one line of dialogue where it is mentioned that the Earth Kingdom is sending supplies to help the refugee situation) - however, there is plenty of Mako! Mako’s primary role in this series is as a detective trying to find and stop the Triads from waging their turf war in the city.

Our first scenes with Mako shows him back to being a detective- and his brother is his partner. He doesn’t seem super thrilled to be working with Bolin, but I think it’s just because he knows how his brother is- not that he doesn’t want to spend time with him. They are trying to track down the new leader of the triple threats and control gang activity. Mako’s arm is still in a sling, he’s got his usual brooding grumpy facial expression, and his hair is spiky again! He and Bolin arrest two-toed Ping and try to interrogate him. Two-toed Ping is weirdly proud of Mako and Bolin for rising up from being “nobodies” to a couple of “bigtime cops”.

They catch up with Korra and Asami, and the four of them are alerted by Jinora that the Triple threats are attacking the Airbenders that were meditating at the portal. Asami gets hurt in the battle and she and Korra share a kiss in front of everyone:

Look at Opal’s sweet face. She looks like she’s barely containing her excitement and is maybe squealing a bit, and she’s looking directly at Bolin which I think is a sweet moment to show their relationship. Bolin calls dibs on the first double date.

Mako probably needs time to process the information....

Mako and Bolin do some detective work to try and find Tokuga. There is an interesting scene where they are questioning Scoochy (We saw him in the first season, he’s the kid that told Korra and Mako the Bolin went to do some work for the triple threats before getting captured by equalists) Bolin tells Mako they should do “good cop, bad cop”, with Bolin being the good cop. Mako gets annoyed, and Bolin asks if he’s grumpy because his exes are dating. Mako insists he’s cool with it- though he’s got a distressed look on his face. They catch up to Scoochy and Bolin actually loses his temper and is rather menacing. Mako pulls Bolin back and genuinely connects with Scoochy- relating to his past, pushing him to do the right thing and help others. I really liked this moment because it shows how much character growth he’s had when you compare the way he treated Kai in season 3. (They are ultimately unsuccessful and Scoochy’s tip leads them to a room rigged with explosives- but I don’t think Scoochy knew that, I think he was fed false info).

There’s another touching scene, after Asami is kidnapped, where Mako notices how upset Korra seems as everyone is trying to form a plan to stop Tokuga. He steps aside to check in and see how she’s feeling. He comforts her’ empathizes with her, and reassures her that they are going to find Asami. At this point he seems to have fully processed that they are together and seems to fully accept it and is very supportive. Not easy considering the awkward position he’s in as both their exes. In this scene, Mako also informs Korra that he can’t firebend with his injured arm.

Mako and Bolin helps Korra to find Asami by requesting help from Jargala- in spite of the fact that Chief Beifong told them not to… They show up for Korra and Asami even if it means risking their jobs. They team up and fight the bad guys together, just like the old days.

We see many examples of how bad the damage is from Mako’s injury in the Colossus. He can’t bend with his left arm, it’s in a sling almost the whole comic, and he really doesn’t seem to be at the top of his game. He told Bolin he would take care of catching Tokuga, but apparently couldn’t and lost him. Mako’s injury is pretty bad and it’s probably really frustrating.

At the end, Bolin decides to quit the force (surprise. The guy loves to hop from calling to calling!). He makes a big dramatic speech to Mako, talking about how it’s time they go their separate ways. Mako is like “Um I’m going to see you at home in like two hours”, so it sounds like they are living together.

What all this might mean for Wuko

So now I’m going to try to tie things back into how all this affects the potential of Wuko- whether that’s for headcanons or fics or whatever- and just try to give you an idea of what this comic means for Wuko shippers.

Wu is governing in the Earth Kingdom right now. It is mentioned by Zhu Li that the Earth Kingdom sent supplies, so one can assume Wu has taken his place on the throne and the Earth Kingdom is in a stable enough position to be sending supplies to aid another nation. Nothing is mentioned about efforts to transform the Earth Kingdom into a democratic nation (we’ll get to that in the Ruins of the Empire comics).

Mako’s primary relationships that are explored are with his brother and with Korra. His relationship with Bolin is just as it always is. He loves his brother even if he is a little exhausted by his upbeat, enthusiastic attitude. We build up on his final interaction with Korra from the animated series and continue to firmly establish them as friends and amicable exes. Interestingly, we don’t get any meaningful Mako and Asami interactions. When he is comforting Korra, he relates to her by remembering how worried he was when Korra was kidnapped by Amon. He doesn't try to say “Yeah I’m really worried about Asami too”, which, to me is bizarre because he and Asami are friends too, right? I don’t know if we should read too much into it though- most likely it was just a writing choice that we aren’t meant to psycho-analyze- but it could also mean he is being careful with his words so that Korra doesn’t wonder if he still has feelings for Asami. The love triangle is completely resolved and Mako is out of the picture romantically with either of them and has no lingering romantic feelings. In other words, he is 100% ready available for a relationship with someone else.

The scene where Kya gives us a history lesson establishes how LGBTQ+ people are viewed in the world of LoK. In short, Korra and Asami are fully supported by their friends and family, and even their enemies acknowledge their relationship without any homophobic tones. The closest we get to homophobia is Korra's father, who, after expressing his happiness at their relationship, warns Korra to be cautious going forward because not everyone will be as understanding. Kya gives us a quick lesson on how same-gender relationships are viewed across the nations: The water tribe, being a patriarchal culture, expects discretion. The Earth Kingdom is not particularly accepting-Kya says that Avatar Kyoshi was bisexual but couldn't affect "real change" and that the earth kingdom is the slowest to accept change and is also militarily repressive (full disclosure I have not read the Kyoshi comics, maybe there is additional insight in those?). And in the fire nation, Sozin made same-gender relationships illegal when he took power (I hope Zuko undid all that when he became Firelord). The air nation is the only one that seems truly accepting-Kya paints a picture of total acceptance and says that Aang was supportive when she herself came out. Korra is worried that maybe her father was right, but Asami points out that a lot has changed over the years and everyone seems accepting, especially in Republic City. 

I think what we can take away from this as far as Wuko goes- is that in Republic City, same-gender relationships are not much of an issue, while in the Earth Kingdom it could be viewed negatively. One could make a case that Wu might have cause to be closeted, while Mako might not. (Feel free to reject this history canon and substitute your own. I’d just as soon say that no one in the avatar-verse cares if you aren’t cis or het).

In conclusion. Mako is just a guy trying very hard to be a good, supportive friend to his exes who are now dating each other. He loves them (platonically) he loves his brother, he’s kind and has matured a lot, but he still always has a grumpy look on his face so it’s time for him to move on and get together with Wu.

Well, that’s Turf Wars. I did cram the plot of three comic books into one post, so I certainly did not hit all the details. If you feel I missed something crucial, feel free to reblog with your own takes. Next I’ll discuss Ruins of the Empire, in which we get lots of Wu and potential Wuko moments, a sizable helping of angst and even some Wu & Korra friendship! RotE is a really fun comic trilogy and I’ll be breaking it down into multiple posts. Thanks for reading everyone!

Wuko In RotE part 1

Wuko in RotE part 2

[itstittycitybaby]

Let’s Go wlw! (Lin Beifong x fem! reader)

 A/N: I promise this story is more serious than the title makes it out to be lmao. Re watching LOK and seeing Lin and her character makes me go awooga. This is my first LOK fic and I hope you guys enjoy it!

Warnings: some sad thoughts but it gets fluffy!

The light hurt. Its rays blinded you as you fell. The warmth kissed your skin but it sunk its teeth and that’s when it burned. When you dreamt of flying, this wasn’t what you had in mind. A flightless bird soaring through the clouds was the idea. Hell, that’s what everyone thought right? Smoke flew after you; the tendrils leaving your pure white dress. Your hair was burnt as you fell from the sky. You wondered if this was a punishment. Fate and the gods had to be laughing as their angel plummeted to her death. It was a cruel way to die, but it’s what you deserved right?

Katara had tried to help recover your memories. Once you recovered from crashing into the water and almost drowning, you had been brought to her. Apparently the sky had opened up and spat you out. The white dress you wore had been scavenged and hung on the wall next to your hospital bed. It looked weightless; it was strapless and every time you walked it flowed after you. A symbol was embroidered on it. A symbol from the heavens. Though, you couldn’t remember a single thing. Just what was I sent here for?

The fire crackled around the group. Korra and her friends set marshmallows over sticks, cooking them with its flames. The flames felt familiar somehow. Tenzin and his family were there, too. Tonight was a celebration. Amon had escaped but at least the city was safe. For now, anyway. There was a bad feeling in your gut, one you couldn’t shake away. Chief Beifong sat next to you. She looked pleased as she sat there with the rest of you. Her bending was back again thanks to Korra. Chief Beifong wasn’t one to seem pleased let alone happy, but tonight she seemed contempt. The thought made you chuckle. Her gray brow raised in your direction almost as if she were prompting you to speak your mind. For once, she seemed at peace. With herself and the people around you. A vast difference from the first time you met her. 

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” The room you sat in was cold and dark. The table was metal and your wrists were cuffed to it. An older woman stood before you. Her hair was gray and her face strong. Her green eyes were cold as her gaze sharpened into you. There were two small scars on the side of her face. God, she was pretty. Next to her was a man. He was peculiar;a light blue arrow facing downward on his forehead and a brown pointy beard on his chin. He wore orange robes with a red looking shaw pinned over it. He was bald and at first glance looked pretty scary. But compared to the woman’s cold eyes and hard demeanor, there was a soft gaze in his eyes. Patience and kindness radiated from him. “I-I don’t know,” you sputtered, trying not to shrink away from her gaze. You felt like an animal being prodded and examined at. The woman sighed and her lips set into a frown. She seemed tired from the dark circles around her eyes and the paleness of her skin. You had the urge to reach out and touch her. The urge was strong but you didn’t understand. You didn’t know this woman. “I’ll ask again and one more time,” she hissed. You jumped as her palms slammed down onto the table. The woman’s green eyes turned into slits as she glared at you. “Who are you?” You weren’t sure how long you’d been in this dangy dark room. For the past few days you’d been in a hospital bed scared out of your mind. The looks of disgust and the distrustful glares sent your way hurt. Your eyesight started to go blurry. A tear fell from your eye and you sniffled. Lip quivered and the lump in your throat wanted to claw its way out. “Chief Beifong,” a voice said softly. The man beside her finally spoke. The woman’s gaze seemed to soften ever so slightly at your distress. Only for a second before her face turned blank. It was better than a death glare though. “I-I don’t know who I am,” you replied softly. “I’m sorry if I hurt anyone. I don’t remember anything at all. Just t-the light.” They stared at you. The man seemed more concerned while the woman mulled over your answer. “You’re not supposed to be here, are you?” The man’s voice was careful, almost like he was afraid you’d break. You shook your head. Your fists clenched and unclenched as you tried steading yourself. “I think I was supposed to die.”

You felt like an outcast. Tenzin had his family, Korra had Tenzin and her friends. Bolin had Mako and Mako had Asami. It was a circle of one big family, one you didn’t feel a part of. Tenzin tried to make you feel welcome as you worked to recover your memories. You could only gather bits and pieces but never the full picture. Everytime you tried you’d hear chanting and this big bright light. One time, you did see thousands of eyes all different shapes and sizes staring back at you. You woke up in Tenzin’s arms with light shooting out of your body. You stopped trying after that.

Bolin and the kids had sticky marshmallow pieces on their lips. Chief Beifong looked disgusted at the sight. You quietly giggled to yourself. A ghost of a smirk was on her lips at your amusement. Chief Beifong was known for being stern and harsh. Her cold demeanor had struck you at first. After the interrogation, you stayed out of her way. Though, she seemed softer with you than the others. Sure, she was still cold and distant but the little things Chief Beifong did for you didn’t go unnoticed. The soft gazes and the patience she held for you spoke louder. Even though she wasn’t chief anymore it still felt wrong to address her by her first name. You felt like you hadn’t earned it yet. Names have power, especially Chief Beifong’s. Being a respected figure and a good bender helped with the power she held. But it was the way she stayed strong throughout the bad and the good that made you admire her. Chief Beifong didn’t take shit from anybody, not even Tenzin. But, she still cared. She still cared about the city and its people. The past few months had been insane because of Amon but you and Chief Beifong’s relationship seemed stronger. “A budding friendship,” Tenzin remarked one night after the kids were asleep. It was raining that night; you couldn’t sleep from the visions of eyes peering down at you. The both of you shared a pot of tea. If it was a friendship, then what were these new feelings?

Everyone was asleep. The grass crunched softly underneath your sandals as you stood outside. Korra threw a concerned glance at you before she went to bed. You were always timid and well reserved, but she could tell there was something going on. You shook her off and gave her a reassuring smile before you snuck out. The grass felt soft as you sat in it. Your white dress pooled around you and the gold arm bracelets on both of your arms glimmered in the moon. The quiet night felt peaceful and comforting. The feelings you had for the older woman seemed to be getting stronger. Your heart fluttered and your tongue became tied every time you saw Chief Beifong. Sometimes the two of you would run into each other and have a morning chat. But lately, you have been avoiding her. She didn’t seem to care;if she did you knew she would’ve said something by now. “I take it you couldn’t sleep.” Speak of the devil. Chief Beifong stood behind you. She looked tired; the dark bags under her eyes were more prominent now. She wore a white tank top and some black harem pants. It was weird to see Chief Beifong in something so casual. “Something like that,” you replied, softly. The grass spot beside you flattened as she sat down next to you. The pace of your heart quickened. She was sitting so close that her warmth radiated off of her. “Are you alright, Chief Beifong?” She scoffed, “How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Lin.” You froze; she sounded annoyed with you. Dread tore at your gut at the thought of her being upset with you. “Sorry L-lin,” you whispered, eyes down trying to avert her gaze. The woman beside you let out a sigh. “It’s alright. I shouldn’t have sounded so harsh.” Looking up at her, you tilted your head.

 The sight made your heart flutter. The moon’s soft ray’s shone lightly on her skin. Her green eyes twinkled as she sat there. You began to love the moon and its presence more than the sun and under it, Lin looked beautiful. Her eyes moved to the corner of her eye. Your cheeks flushed once she caught you staring. The corner of Lin’s lips quivered a bit, almost as if she were fighting a smile. “It’s alright,” you replied softly. Your hands were folded into your lap. Lin thought the dress always looked great on you but now did you look like an angel. It billowed and laid around you as you kneeled there. “I’m sorry if I offended you, Ch-, Lin,” you said sternly, correcting yourself. “It wasn’t my intention. I felt like I hadn’t earned the sentiment of calling you by your first name.” Lin’s brow arched, out of interest of surprise, she didn’t know. After everything the both of you and the rest of the group had been through, she had thought you knew. You were always soft spoken and rather timid, but she realized now you felt like an outcast. Even with Tenzin, who treated you like his own daughter. Lin had always appreciated your soft nature and your respect to everyone around you. But now, Lin finally understood. You felt just like her. An outcast, the black sheep.“Don’t apologize,” Lin said after collecting your thoughts, “You meant no harm. I appreciate the thought.” Your heart warmed at her words. Lin was a strong woman. She was confrontational which scared the shit out of you but you also admired her for her bravery. Her courage to protect those she cared about. Even now Lin still cared about Tenzin and his family after they split up. The tips of your brows furrowed in irritation and a surge of anger spread through you. The snide looks and sometimes remarks Pema gave Lin had always stood out to you. Lin seemed to brush them off with a stone cold look but you wondered if even she had her breaking points. Even shields break.

“Can I ask you something,” Lin asked as the two of you stared at the moon together. Normally people didn’t come to you for advice or ask anything personal about you but you agreed nonetheless. You were a bit surprised, in fact. “Every time someone asks about your past or the things that you know you dodge the question. You isolate yourself from the rest of the group and put everyone’s weight on your shoulders. Why?” Silence. Lin watched you from her peripheral view. Your brows furrowed together as you mulled over her question. Why? “I’m not sure,” you whispered. The sadness and the loss you felt was evident in your tone. “I don’t know who I am. I still don’t. I have hints and clues but...they’re not a solid answer.” Lin hummed, “So you’ve given up?” Her questions were ones you asked yourself. They taunted you at every corner and their laughter was loud. Sometimes it was too much. The silence. It felt like you had sunken into the depths of the cold water around Republic city again. Every answer tried to scream at you but they were muffled by the water. The slowness of it all made you tired as you tried dragging yourself out of it. “In a way I suppose. Last time I tried I almost hurt Tenzin,” you muttered. “After that I didn’t feel useful anymore. I can’t do anything but put up a force field. The least I can do is try to take on the weight others can’t carry.” 

Your brightness reminded Lin of an angel. Even with her harshness and her steel cutting words you always treated her kindly. An angel sent from heaven. She looked over when she heard you steady yourself from the ground. The tall and strong stance you held never wavered. “It was nice talking to you Lin,” you smiled softly at her. “I hope you can rest soon.” The underlying message made Lin feel calm. Even if she wasn’t strong enough to pull herself out of the powerful tides of her mind you’d be there watching over her. Just like a guardian angel. The thought made her chuckle. Her eyes widened at the soft feeling of your lips on her cheek. Lin’s pale cheeks turned pink and her heart pounded wildly. You smelt like roses and your hand was soft as you steadied yourself on her shoulder. A wave of disappointment washed over her once your soft lips pulled away from her cold cheek. The loving warmth you gave left her quickly and the cold swept over her instead. As quickly as you came, all your warmth left with it. She was up on her feet quickly. Before she could stop herself, her hands encircled your wrist. Lin’s hand tugged, making your figure turn to her. The concern in your eyes wavered as you looked into her strong gaze. The vulnerability in them was bare. You liked her. God, how did she not notice. Lin was sharp and observant but for some reason you fell through the cracks. You had hidden yourself from her view; the shadows of your affections were clever. They hid will and stayed that way. You shifted your feet at her stare. She snapped out of it and pulled you to her. The tips of your ears and cheeks burned red as her chest brushed against yours. Lin felt something she didn’t think she’d feel again. A want, the need to be surrounded by your presence. She ached for your comfort and your love. She wanted you. 

You gulped nervously. Lin’s piercing green eyes searched for something. But what was she searching for? Weren’t your intentions obvious? A little squeak left your lips as her pink ones touched yours. A huff of laughter escaped her lips. Lin was soft; her hands calloused from years of work and bending. You liked them. They were a bit tough but still soft like her. Your eyes fluttered shut as you placed her hands on your shoulder lightly. Lin’s hands were gentle as they cradled your face. Both of your hearts were pounding fast. You sighed, allowing Lin to swipe her tongue gently across yours. A soft smack left both of your lips once she pulled away. Lin smelt like leather and earth. You couldn’t get enough of it.

Lin pulled away quickly. You swallowed nervously and your heart sank. Did I do something wrong? As if reading your thoughts, Lin reached her hand to stroke your cheek. Her thumb brushed across it gently. You nuzzled her palm and gave it a soft kiss. She hummed. “Make sure to be ready by nine,” Lin said, a rare smile gracing her lips. Your brows furrowed, confusion evident on your face. “Do we have a mission?” She chuckled, “No we don’t. Tomorrow I’m taking you out to breakfast.” You lit up, a grin stretched across your face. “Alright,” you responded enthusiastically. Lin laughed, intertwining her hand with yours. Things started to look better. Finally, she had you.

[it-fits-i-ships]

Korrasami Secret Santa 2020

This is my contribution to the Korrasami secret Santa event! I got @korderoo, who requested the fic prompt “Korrasami attends a wedding together and contemplates the direction of their relationship.” Below the read more link is a mini fic I wrote about that very situation! 

I hope you like it! Happy holidays!

Future Vision

Asami slid down Oogi’s massive tail and gratefully accepted Korra’s extended hand, using the leverage to help her stand. She shifted to interlace their fingers as they walked over to join Toph, Katara, Tenzin, Pema, and their stir-crazy band of airbender children, who had started up a spontaneous game of air scooter tag. Asami took in their surroundings. Zaofu was bustling with people carrying flowers, decorations, chairs, musical instruments, and various random objects she couldn’t identify at a glance. Lin Beifong appeared out of the chaos, caught sight of them, took what Asami could only assume was a calming breath, and came to greet them.

“Welcome, everyone,” she said in a deadpan voice, “Su is busy helping Opal so she put me on guest greeting duty.”

“Well don’t sound so happy to see your mother,” Toph said.

“I am happy to see you, Mom,” Lin said, “How was your trip?”

“Oh, just great,” Toph replied sarcastically, “I love being a million feet in the air with no earth to help me see.”

Lin frowned and sighed.

“Come on, Toph,” Katara said, nudging the former Blind Bandit with her elbow, “It’s a special occasion, lay off the sass.”

“Fine,” Toph conceded, “I’ll play nice, but only because I don’t want to ruin Opal’s big day. She’s a sweet kid and she went through a lot to get where she is.”

“On that note,” Lin said, turning to Korra, “Su wanted to talk to you, something about going over your officiant speech and showing you Opal and Bolin’s vows.”

“Sounds important,” Korra said.

“You go talk to Su and I’ll take our stuff to the room and help everyone get settled,” Asami said.

Korra leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

“Thanks, Asami,” she said, giving one of her signature crooked grins and gently squeezing Asami’s hand before letting it go, “See you later!”

Asami waved Korra off and went along with the rest of the group to the designated guest lodging. She helped Pema carry the many bags their family had brought so Tenzin could help Katara and Toph and then it was time to take her own things, along with Korra’s, to their room. 

It was a nice room with a big bed, a couple of chairs, a small bookcase, and a large wardrobe. She opened the double doors of the wardrobe and hung up the dresses they had brought to wear to the wedding, closing the doors again as she turned to set the bags down. She took out her nightgown so she could set it on a chair for later. Should I set out Korra’s pajamas too? she wondered. It wasn’t something Korra normally did but she might appreciate the gesture. Asami reached into Korra’s bag and took out her pajamas, laying them out carefully next to her own. Seeing them side by side felt right somehow.

Not for the first time, Asami thought about what it would be like if she and Korra were married. Even during Korra’s three-year absence, when Asami was first coming to terms with her feelings, she had thought about the kind of future they might have if Korra ended up feeling the same way. At that time it had seemed like pipe dream, one she had not dared to hope much for, but now that they had celebrated their first anniversary as a couple, they lived together full-time, and they were here in Zaofu on the eve of their friends’ wedding it seemed like a significantly more attainable possibility. Wow, she thought, This wedding business is really getting in my head.

She decided then and there to talk it over with Korra when she got the chance. One of Asami’s favorite things about their relationship was how they were able to talk things out. If one of them had something on her mind the other would hear her out and offer support. So why do I feel kind of terrified to bring it up?

 ******************************************************************************

Korra smiled softly as she picked up the pajamas Asami had laid out for her. Asami was always doing sweet little things like that and Korra had long since picked up on the fact that it was one of the main ways Asami showed she cared. Korra finished changing and put her clothes from that day into her bag before joining Asami on the bed.

“Thanks for setting these out,” she said.

“Of course,” Asami said, pausing for a moment, “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”

“A little, but Su made me run through my speech about a million times so I think it’ll be all right,” Korra said.

“I’m sure you’ll do great, and I’m glad you’re able to stay so calm. Bolin is probably freaking out right now,” Asami said.

“Oh, he definitely is. I’m honestly still wrapping my head around the fact that we’re here for Bolin and Opal’s wedding though,” Korra said, “It feels really weird that someone in our age group is old enough to get married. When did that happen?”

Asami laughed, the sound filling Korra with a familiar sense of warmth.

“I know what you mean,” she said, “A lot’s happened in the past few years but it still feels like we were just a bunch of kids not that long ago.”

“Right?”

Asami grew quiet, a nervous expression taking over her face and her eyes shifting down as she thoughtfully ran her thumb over the end of her nightgown’s soft belt. She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and glanced up at Korra.

“Have you ever thought about getting married?”

Korra gave a single shocked laugh that came out more like a cough. She could feel her cheeks growing red as she fumbled for a response in the deafeningly awkward silence that followed.

“Well, uh, yeah,” she managed, “I’ve thought about getting married in the future,” she paused, gathering her thoughts, “But to, tell you truth, after everything with Amon and Unalaq and Zaheer and Kuvira, after having to leave for three years and completely restart my life, I’ve really been enjoying our relationship the way it is.”

Asami reached over and took Korra’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I’ve been enjoying our relationship too,” she said, painting a broad grin across Korra’s face.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” Korra said, “I want to get married some day,” she added, placing her other hand on top of Asami’s, “I love you more than anything. You’re brilliant and badass and kind. You fill my life with so much joy. You always know how to make me laugh. You were there for me when I couldn’t be there for myself and I want to be there for you just as much. I want to support and protect you and I’d love to spend the rest of my life with you, but I tend to rush headfirst into things and I don’t want to do that here. I care about you too much to rush this. I want to take my time and do things right, so is it okay if we just stay like this for a while?”

Asami gave a warm smile that radiated right into Korra’s heart. She reached up her free hand and gently cupped Korra’s cheek.

“Of course,” she said, “It’s not a race. I’m definitely not going anywhere. We can take things at our own pace and enjoy our time together.”

She leaned in and kissed Korra deeply, sending sparks down her spine.

“I love you, Korra,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I love you too,” Korra said, shifting so her forehead was resting against Asami’s.

“Just out of curiosity,” Asami murmured, a mischievous glint in her eye, “When we do get married, what about kids?”

Korra’s cheeks grew hot again.

“Um”

[spudking]

Things That Should Not Be 15: Outsider

http://archiveofourown.org/works/4161795/chapters/22469675

At first Asami had been calm and unconcerned. After a few hours she’d gotten a little annoyed. It wasn’t until it had been nearly two full days that she let herself admit she was starting to really worry. Korra could be a bit haphazard when it came to responding to messages, even when they were mid conversation as they’d been the previous day, but the longer it went the more worried Asami got. Something just felt really off about it, especially when she failed to materialise in class. At first Asami had managed to convince herself that she was worrying about nothing, trying to bury her nerves in a report from Future Industries. The problem was that she knew that she wasn’t worrying about nothing. Korra, wonderful as she was, had a temper, fought with gangsters, and then there were the quieter issues. The perpetual exhaustion, the low moods that she tried to hide. There was plenty to worry about. If Korra had lived anywhere more accessible Asami could have found an excuse to swing past and check in, but as it was she didn’t have many options. She picked up the phone again, the one she’d double checked was functional at the twenty four hour mark, and scrolled through her contacts until she found Opal.

Opal had to step out before she broke some very important Airbender laws about hospitality and non-violence by punching one of the White Lotus. Korra had been missing now for two days and they seemed more interested in blathering about how they’d never wanted Korra in the city than trying to track her down. There was too much yelling as it was, panic and worry and disagreement over how best to go about the search but Opal could have coped with that. It was the way the Order was more concerned with shifting blame than finding their missing Avatar.

The one comfort right now was that they knew Korra was still alive. An Avatar’s passing sent out ripples through the human and spirit world that would have been impossible to miss, especially with Jinora spending every waking moment searching for even a hint of Korra’s spiritual presence. So far she’d had no luck, and none of the explanations for why that might be were reassuring.  The best of them was that Korra was just out of spiritual range, and if that was the case than Korra could be pretty much anywhere in the world by now. Opal was trying not to remember some of the equalist strongholds they’d overturned in the years following Amon’s downfall. She’s not dead, Opal reminded herself, taking a seat on the temple steps, leaning back against the stone. She’s tough. We’ll find her, and she’ll be fine. She’ll be ok.

Opal’s eyes were too watery to make out the name on the screen but she recognised Asami’s voice at once. She sounded nervous, and it took a little while for her to get to the point. “I know I might be overstepping, and maybe I’m just being weird, but well...with everything Korra...do you know if she’s ok? She dropped out mid conversation the other day and normally I’d have heard at least...I’m probably being ridiculous I know, it’s just...” She sighed. “Is Korra ok?” Opal’s mouth felt very dry. They had an excuse worked out. An alibi that was enough for the police to be mildly involved in the search without tipping their hand completely, for anyone that needed to know. It was all lined up and practised in her head. Korra might be a little unhappy with a few of the details but that was a small issue compared with actually getting her back. “Opal?” Asami prompted, a slight waver in her voice. “Is Korra alright?” Opal opened her mouth, readied the lie, and just swallowed hard. “I don’t know.” There was an indistinct noise on the line. “And I suppose...if I asked you where she was...?” Opal didn’t say anything. What was there to say? “...oh.” “She’s done this...” The words stuck in Opal’s throat because that just wasn’t fair, this wasn’t something Korra did, this was something that they had done to her, and she rephrased. “This has happened to her before. Look this isn’t...You couldn’t have stopped this happening, ok? And she’s got all the right people looking for her. It’s going to be ok.” The words sounded hollow, even to Opal. It was hard to convince someone else and yourself at the same time. The silence hung between them. “Are...are you ok?” Asami asked at last, and Opal didn’t know how to reply. “I’m still standing,” She offered. “I think that’s about as good as it’ll get until Korra comes home.” Opal tried to make it sound like the return was a certainty and not a fervent hope. She spotted Bolin stepping out of the temple and gestured that she’d be up in a minute. “Asami, I’m sorry but I’ve got to go. If you, um, if you hear anything, if you see anything...” “Is she in trouble, Opal? With the gangs? The police?” I wish it were that simple. “No, she’s not. Look, even if you think it’s nothing. Let me know, or let my aunt know.” “Of course.” “See you around, Asami.” She hung up, getting heavily to her feet and half walked, half stumbled into Bolin’s arms, tucking her head under his chin. He didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything new he could say.

Asami set the phone down on her desk. It hadn’t been the reassurance she’d been hoping for. In fact it had been the exact opposite. The lack of explanation was a glaring omission on Opal’s part but Asami hadn’t dared push. She wasn’t sure if that was because she was worried about upsetting Opal, or whether she’d been protecting herself. But Opal had admitted this had happened before. Asami tried to imagine what the hell could lead to Korra just bailing out and severing all communication. It couldn’t be anything good. If it had been then Opal wouldn’t have been worrying, wouldn’t have been scared.

Work. That’s what she needed. Something to distract her, the more mind-numbing the better. Anything that stopped her thinking about Korra out there, somewhere, all on her own. She pulled the report back towards her and reopened the file on her laptop, and tried to get to the bottom of the an inquiry that had been sent to her from an old business acquaintance out in the Earth Kingdom, asking why there’d been a shortage in production in Republic City and offering a competitive loaner deal on some of his underused factories. It was very kind, very generous, and a complete mystery to Asami because the last she knew the drop in production after the fire had been minimal.

The sun had long since set by the time Asami swallowed the last unpleasantly cool dregs of coffee. What had seemed like a simple case of confused good will had taken a turn for the alarming. A quick check over the figures hadn’t revealed anything untoward but something hadn’t felt right. After clawing through a veritable mountain of paperwork, both digital and physical, she’d finally tracked down the source of the problem. And it was a big, big problem. There was a massive discrepancy in their production efforts. The old R&D factory that had been repurposed after the fire was producing far below capacity and somebody had fudged the figures to try and conceal it. The numbers the board was seeing and the numbers of units actually coming out of the factory had nothing in common with each other. But why? If anyone had looked over the figures with any diligence (well, a lot of diligence, Asami conceded) it would have come up. How could they possibly have expected to hide it? The second it got to someone higher than the person fudging the numbers it would be revealed, and who would be so foolish...Asami sat up a little straighter in her chair. There really was only one option. Only one person in the company could even hope to get away with this without a superior finding out. “Dad, what the hell are you playing at?”

Asami put the kettle on. This was going to take all night.

Morning dawned on a rather dishevelled Asami. There were dark rings under her eyes, and a small rainforest of paperwork piled on her desk and in an orbit around her chair. She swivelled, grabbing the right sheet and bringing it to the desk to cross reference with another chart. In her free hand the pen spun around her fingers absentmindedly as her brain worked. The money added up. That was the problem. That was why nobody had seen it before her. The shortfall from the drop in production should have been picked up but there wasn’t one, not on paper. So where in the hells was this money coming from? What was it buying? Asami hesitated but no, surely Hiroshi wouldn’t have been stupid enough to be dealing under the table? They’d nearly lost the company to the last disaster and he’d barely survived being voted out by the board over it. But if he’d repurposed the factory to produce something other than their usual products it would explain everything. Somebody was paying in, and they were getting something, but she didn’t have a damn clue what from these records. The manifests looked like they were supposed to, but that obviously couldn’t be right. So what was coming in and out of this factory?

It could, she knew, be legitimate. If there was a security issue with the product then that might explain the secrecy, the concealment. And she wanted it to be legitimate. She wanted to be able to walk up to her father at the breakfast table, ask, and be told that she wasn’t allowed to know about this particular venture. And that would have been it. Future Industries had done work for various security services and militaries before, and Hiroshi had told her as much. But that was the problem. Before now he’d always told her. She’d never had to ask, never mind uncover the information for herself.

Asami forced herself out of the chair, stumbling a little on her way to the kitchen. She paused at the door. Her father was sat in his usual chair, newspaper laid out in front of him, still in his dressing gown, glasses perched on the end of his nose. Asami knew he looked exactly the same as he did yesterday, but she couldn’t shake the feeling, the suspicion. She sank into her usual chair, pouring herself a cup of tea from the pot, and let the silence that never felt so uncomfortable stretch between them.

Hiroshi read on, completely ignorant of his daughter’s discomfort. He finished his breakfast, folded his paper and left with his usual farewell.  

Asami stayed at the table long after he left. She wanted to call someone, to have them tell her that she was being paranoid, that she was just trying to distract herself, but she didn’t have anyone to call. Her first choice was MIA and in spirits only knew what kind of trouble, and the rest had enough to be getting on with that. They didn’t need her dropping another problem on them. No, she was on her own for this one.

Asami waited for her father’s car to pull out of the office car park before she stepped inside, using her pass to access the lift. Her father’s assistant waved her in to Hiroshi’s office, and why wouldn’t she? She’d known Asami for years.

Asami locked the door behind her, crossing to her father’s desk. She sat down and pulled the keyboard towards her. The screen asked for a password, one last chance to turn back. Asami swallowed her nerves and retrieved her father’s diary from its spot in the drawer. Hiroshi Sato was a genius, that much was definitely true, but Asami knew her father had a terrible memory for passwords and he’d long ago let slip where he wrote them down in case his memory failed. Using his trust against him left a sour taste in Asami’s mouth, but she had to know. Forgiveness was easier to get than permission.

It didn’t take her long to find and copy the relevant files. She tucked the memory stick into her pocket and shut the machine down.

Back in the relative privacy of her study Asami examined her haul. She couldn’t make head or tail of the various shipments to the factory; she did mechanical and electrical engineering, not chemical or biological, and so did Future Industries. So what the hell were they doing with all this? Asami let herself flop back against her chair. This was going to take forever to work out, and she was due in a lecture in half an hour.

 Opal turned up to class that afternoon looking more tired than Asami felt.  Asami caught a glimpse of Bolin lurking for a moment in the doorway to the lecture theatre before ducking away. She waved Opal over to a spot near the back, away from any inquisitive ears. “I don’t suppose you have any news?”Asami asked, already knowing the answer but hoping against hope. Opal just slumped into her seat, confirming Asami’s suspicions. “Damn. Opal, not that I’m not glad to see you, but why are you in today? Nobody would blame you for skiving off.” Opal shrugged listlessly. “Fuck all I can do, really. It’s be on the island, trying to keep the kids from hearing everyone yelling at each other, walk around til my feet bleed, or try and distract myself for a couple of hours.” Asami thought back to her late night project. “I know the feeling.”

Bolin was waiting when they came out, and Asami had the sneaking suspicion he’d been waiting out there the entire time, like a guard dog. The thought unnerved Asami because if Korra had taken herself off then what could they possibly be needing guarding from? Guarding suggested something quite different and altogether more concerning. She fought back the urge to ask; she had no doubt that if the danger, if there was any, had extended to her they would have let her know. And pushing on the matter just seemed so cruel. Bolin looked as tired and miserable as Opal, not that that was really surprising given how close the three of them seemed to be, and the slight limp to both of their movements suggested that Opal might not have been speaking hyperbolically when she mentioned searching til her feet bled. Asami again stamped down any thought of bringing the two of them in on whatever fuckery her father was doing with the company. They had enough to be dealing with right now.  But that didn’t mean she had to cut them off entirely. “I don’t know about you two, but I could really do with a drink.”

It wasn’t like their other nights out. It was quite and tense, tucked away in a corner of the bar, the glasses stacking up all too quickly. When Opal managed to miss the table with her elbow and pour beer all down her shirt they decided it was past time to call it a night, rising unsteadily. “Are you two going to get back ok?” Opal nodded, leaning against Bolin. “I’m staying on the island at the moment. We’ll be fine.” “Text me when you get there?” “You too.” On an impulse Asami stepped forward, wrapping her arms around both of them, never mind Opal’s sopping shirt. “I know there’s something going on, ok? Something you’re not telling me, maybe you can’t, but please. If there’s anything I can do...” “We’d ask.” Bolin said, at once. “Trust me. Hell, we’d beg. But right now there’s nothing. And it’s just not our place to share all...this.” He sounded wretched. “But i-when, when we get...she gets back...I think she’s going to need you.” Asami nodded into his broad shoulder.

The next day Asami woke to a stinking headache and an empty house. She crawled out of bed, bleary eyed, and just about managed to negotiate her way to the bathroom to stick her head under the tap. Misery drinking. Never a good idea, no matter what it seemed like at the time.

It was late afternoon before Asami felt up to trying to grapple with the mystery currently plaguing her. Well, the mystery she actually had a chance of solving at least. She cracked her neck and brought up the shipping manifests once more, noting down which orders corresponded to actual orders and which ones were ghost orders. The pattern soon started to emerge. Only certain trucks were used for the fake orders, but the vehicles themselves definitely existed. Well, that was a starting point at least. Asami ran her finger across the list of vehicles and dates, searching for the pattern, and found one. A bulk job, supposedly for a distributor out towards the far edge of the Earth Kingdom, always transferred by a specific truck, early in the evening. Well after the factory would have shut down for the night. And there was another shipment due at the end of the week. Asami rolled her shoulders releasing the tension. That was her window to work out what the hell was going on.

It was almost laughably easy. There were two dozen spy shops in the city that could furnish her with all the covert surveillance gear she could ever want, with a complimentary martini glass for the discerning customer who spent above the minimum threshold. A little bit of electrical know-how and not unreasonable paranoia was enough to disassemble the pieces and obliterate any helpful little marker or serial number that might have helped a resourceful individual trace them back to her should it all go horribly wrong. She’d learned that the hard way when she’d been caught out like that years ago when she’d bugged her father’s office to find out what he was planning on getting her for her birthday. That seemed a long time ago now.

Nobody battered an eyelid when she pulled in at the Future Industries vehicle depot. She parked her car up in the garage, and then she was just another body in work overalls. She kept her head down, but even people that did see her didn’t think anything of it. If they recognised her they didn’t suspect anything; why would they? She was the boss’s daughter and a semi regular fixture about the company. If they saw her kicking the tyres and fussing about a rather nondescript company lorry they weren’t about to jump to any nefarious conclusions.

Asami had expected to feel satisfied on leaving the depot. Instead she just felt sick, her stomach churning with unanswerable questions. Korra was somewhere in some kind of trouble band she couldn’t halp, and her father might be about to torpedo everything she’d worked for and trash their family reputation even more thoroughly than anything that had come before. Asami gripped the wheel. One problem at a time. She had to deal with what was in front of her, and just hope that Korra found her way back to her sooner rather than later. 

[hauntedvelvet]

Tahno/Korra. First meeting as nonbenders.

"You look terrible."

She doesn't say a word, but her face betrays her.

"He got you..." He smiles softly. "It isn't so bad, you know."