#but I think Suki really has the chance to bring out the best in Jet

[ssreeder]

Sorry for sending that Jet/Suki ask a while ago. Saw your reblog tags under some chiptrillino art and it sounded like you shipped them. We rarepairists get overeager sometimes. I’ll just leave you alone. 😅

OMG ANON NOOOOO!!!

Please don’t leave me alone!! I’m so sorry! I have been struggling to answer asks for about a week (I’m very behind but I love every single ask I get) & I did post my love for Suki x Jet (jetki? Jetski?? Idk anon idk haha) & I’ve gotten a few asks about my Jet / Suki tags - I have just been trying to find the best way to answer.

You’re not overeager at all, I’m just a slow responder & forgetful. I am sort of showing some of their compatibility in my fic LIAB, but I don’t know if they’ll end up together or just friends (we’ll see… jets gotta live)

But they are one of my favorite ships because I think they have a lot of potential (if you don’t like Jet I’d probably skip this ask)

Jet is passionate, a skilled fighter, cocky, charming, a leader, attractive, cares about people (come on now he took in a bunch of orphans and built them a treehouse I’m not arguing with anyone about this) and has a tragic backstory.

Suki is also passionate, a skilled fighter, charming, a capable and strong leader, cares about people, funny, and a beautiful girl.

I feel like Suki would have the ability to put Jet in his place and have all the skills to back herself up if he challenged her. They would compliment each other in their fighting styles as well as their banter because they both have a sharp tongue and a snarky sense of humor. They both can relate to the pressure of being in a leadership position and depending on how you see Sukis backstory they could also share the pain of losing loved ones.

I think out of everyone, Suki has the best chance at making Jet WANT to be a better person and she could give him a reason to actually fear disappointing another person. Jet would also possibly feel truly loved for the first time since losing his parents so young which might help breakdown his cold exterior and soften him a little.

I’ve always really liked them together, and I have a few fic ideas with them as one of the main ships (haha & one with Zuko third wheeling them with his silly gay self) and all sorts of ideas of how they could grow and what a future together would look like… it’s just hard for me to articulate why I like them together so I hope I did them justice by answering this ask lol.

I’m sorry if I seemed like I was ignoring you, it was never my intention to make you feel like I wasn’t interested in answering… I just don’t know how to make my thoughts make sense sometimes (ignore the fics I’m writing those don’t count) so I hope this made sense!!

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

hi! random question that you’re not obligated to answer (i just love your ka metas): do you think that aang acted like he was entitled to katara’s affection? sorry for the bother if this is a question you’ve gotten before, i’m just curious about your thoughts

Hi anon! It’s always lovely to hear people like my metas 💛 And you’re in luck - I have not gotten this specific question before, though I have answered similar questions, and as such I will probably link those posts throughout.

Forewarning: I use the general you very liberally in this post, so like. It’s not directed at you, anon djhskdjsajs I don’t want you think my sarcasm is in response to your ask (your ask was very lovely!! 💕)

Okay. Let’s get started! The funniest thing about the (nonsensical) claim that Aang acted “entitled” to Katara’s affection is that there is no canon evidence to support it. Opponents more often than not can only bring up one (1) episode as an example of supposed “entitlement” because no other Kataang interactions in the series demonstrate entitlement from either end! Like, wow. Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel. And I’m sure we all know what episode opponents love to propagate, don’t we?

Yep, you guessed it: “The Ember Island Players.”

From the get-go, the fact that people who vigorously oppose Kataang essentially only appeal to the contents of one episode for Aang’s supposed “entitlement” is a major indicator that, in fact, the entitlement is not truly there, and that those opponents are actually misconstruing the entire episode. I mean, if you are trying to make an argument about something but you only have one piece of “evidence” to support your claim, then a) any half-decent teacher/professor would fail you, rip and b) that’s a sign that maybe your claim doesn’t hold water. If you can’t find evidence to support it, then you’re probably looking at your case from the wrong angle. Analysis 101.

As such, I find the “entitlement” claim particularly ridiculous because opponents repeat the same faulty rhetoric over and over! The only people that might be convinced are those with confirmation bias. I’m sure that’s their audience, of course, but it’s still hilarious dfjaksdasks.

Anyways. Here’s the excerpt from the EIP transcript that opponents l o v e to spotlight with their “entitlement” claims:

Aang: Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?

Katara: In where? What are you talking about?

Aang: On stage, when you said I was just like a… brother to you, and you didn’t have feelings for me.

Katara: I didn’t say that. An actor said that.

Aang: But it’s true, isn’t it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we’re not.

Katara: Aang, I don’t know.

Aang: Why don’t you know?

Katara: Because, we’re in the middle of a war, and we have other things to worry about. This isn’t the right time.

Aang: Well, when is the right time?

Katara: Aang, I’m sorry, but right now I’m just a little confused.

Aang tries to kiss Katara.

Katara: I just said I was confused! I’m going inside. [Exits the balcony.]

Aang: Ugh, I’m such an idiot! [Puts down his head on the balcony railing.]

Opponents claim Aang’s behavior is “entitled” here for two reasons:

1) He asks Katara several questions about their relationship status.

2) He kisses her.

Before I get too far into this, we have to consider the context of the episode. Katara and Aang have this conversation after just watching 95% of “The Boy in the Iceberg,” aka Fire Nation propaganda. I have talked about the specifics of the play being imperialist propaganda here, but the gist of it is that this play is meant to demean the Gaang, to portray them as lesser and weaker than the Fire Nation. The fact that the play ends with Ozai’s victory is a stark reminder of this mentality. So: Katara and Aang have just watched this play that preys upon their insecurities and paints them as awful caricatures of their true selves. It is only natural that they would be more tense than usual. The reason I bring this up is solely to inform their conversation on the balcony, however; I don’t think their frustration solely defines what they say/do, but it’s worth keeping in mind, “Hey, they’re stressed and upset, of course this conversation might not go perfectly.”

Now, I have talked about the infamous EIP kiss before and approached all the rhetoric surrounding it like Snopes Fact Checker in this post, lmao. I did discuss in there why the kiss is wrong, which no one has ever argued against, but also why the kiss is simply a mistake: not sexual assault, not entitlement, not an unforgivable decision. I’ve copied and pasted specifically my notes on the “entitlement” claim below regarding the kiss, but if you have time, I definitely recommend the whole post jksdhjasdka (I’m quite proud of it). Anyways! Here’s the excerpt:

Claim: Aang acted entitled to Katara and her affection.

Status: False.

I’ve briefly addressed this already, but Aang backing off when Katara pushed him away is the exact opposite of entitlement. An impromptu kiss is not always indicative of entitlement. It can be, especially if the person being kissed has never expressed any interest in the person kissing them, but Katara and Aang were mutually interested in each other. They’d mutually kissed twice already by that point: in CoTL and during DoBS. The EIP kiss was inappropriate. NO ONE HAS EVER SUGGESTED OTHERWISE. But when you’re 12 and you’re already kind of in this semi-relationship with a girl you’ve been through hell and high water with (who has kissed you twice on the lips and on the cheek multiple times, not to mention it is only you she ever expresses such affection towards), it is not fucking “entitlement” to make a move on her, even when the timing is off. IT’S JUST A MISTAKE. A POOR DECISION. NOT ENTITLEMENT. NOT MANIPULATION. NOT SEXUAL ASSAULT. Full stop.

Also, these EIP people love to call Aang entitled for this kiss, but there isn’t a single peep heard from them about Zuko’s line in TSR where he demands to know what’s “wrong” with Katara, since she hasn’t forgiven him yet when everyone else has. And look. I think Zuko was just frustrated here, and that he, too, made a mistake and is obviously not irredeemable for it, but. If you’re going to argue that Aang was entitled in EIP, you’d better be ready to acknowledge the argument that Zuko was acting entitled in TSR, too. And hell, let’s take it a step further! Call Aang entitled for EIP. Call Zuko entitled for TSR. Call Sokka entitled for choosing to stay at Boiling Rock on the off chance his father would arrive, thus making Suki and Zuko feel obligated to stay behind with him, effectively putting all of them in danger. What an entitled decision, risking his friends’ lives on the 0.01% chance Hakoda would be one of the many, many possible war prisoners arriving at Boiling Rock!

Damn. That sounds ridiculous as fuck, doesn’t it?

And guess what. That’s exactly how the “Aang was entitled” arguments come across. Hate to break it to you. Trust me when I say to do yourself a favor and stop perpetuating that faulty rhetoric!

So that is what I have already assessed, lol.

To be frank, the most frustrating thing I see perpetuated is that the EIP kiss somehow ruined Aang and Katara’s relationship. But when it comes to assessing weighty issues like the notion of “entitlement” in a relationship, the fact of the matter is that you have to look at both the relationship as a whole and the context in which it is situated. Opponents never want to do that, because doing so debunks their entire (baseless) argument, lmao. Katara and Aang are best friends. And by EIP, they have both expressed romantic interest in each other multiple times. (Here is a post explaining the development of Katara’s feelings for Aang, just to put out that fire before anyone sets it lmao.)

So why, why do opponents think Katara would never find it in herself to forgive Aang for a mistaken kiss? Katara is shown over and over again throughout the series to have one of the biggest hearts. She wants to see the good in people. That’s why she gives Jet a second chance (even though a person could argue he did not “deserve” one); that’s why she helps the Fire Nation village in “The Painted Lady”; that’s why she forgives Pakku (once she sees he’s willing to change); that’s why she is the second person in the entire show (excluding Iroh) to offer Zuko a hand of kindness (in CoD)! That’s why she eventually forgives Zuko, even after all he has done to the Gaang (e.g. sending an assassin after them, being complicit in Aang’s death, attacking her and kidnapping Aang at the NWT, manipulating her with her mother’s necklace, to name a few, lmao. bless his heart, but like Jet, someone could easily argue Zuko doesn’t “deserve” another chance - and yet Katara still gave him [and Jet] one. in fact, she gave Zuko multiple).

In other words, Katara is almost always willing to extend friendship and compassion and forgiveness to others - why would she revoke that privilege from Aang after a single error that is comparatively lesser to all the other horrible things she’s experienced in the war? Again, I’m not downplaying how terrible of a decision Aang made. It’s inexcusable. But it’s not the end of the world, and considering the context of the show (e.g. Aang and Katara liked each other and they both knew it), it’s… not some heinous crime. Compared to, oh, how about attempted murder? lmaoo

Even beyond Katara’s innate kindness, Aang is Katara’s best friend. She loves him. The show portrays it as romantic through the seasons, but even if someone isn’t into shipping (which is super valid), Katara and Aang’s connection is one of the primary lynchpins of the show! (The other being Aang and Zuko, the greatest foils of all time.) Katara and Aang epitomize several of A:TLA’s thematics (and aesthetics) because they are complementary: yin and yang, push and pull, Tui and La, moon and ocean, blue and orange, water and air. This gifset and related commentary beautifully demonstrate how even when Katara and Aang disagree, they respect the other’s the decision. So after 60~ episodes depicting Aang and Katara as having mutual respect and love for each other in every form as well as emphasizing Katara’s natural inclination towards kindness/giving people the benefit of the doubt, opponents still think Katara wouldn’t forgive Aang because of one mistimed, inappropriate kiss? What?? Make it make sense, lmao.

In sum, the kiss was a mistake, not an act of entitlement, and it’s absurd to think Katara would hold that against Aang for the rest of his life.

To backtrack a bit, opponents also love to use the fact that Aang asked Katara several questions about their relationship status as examples of his “entitlement.” Just typing that out highlights the ridiculous nature of this assertion, lmao! Let me rephrase it for maximum hilarity:

“Aang was unsure about where their relationship stood? Well, how dare he ask numerous questions to resolve his confusion!”

Like, what was the alternative jskfajksdas if you are in relationship limbo with someone, it is far better to ask them ‘too many’ questions for clarification than to simply assume one way or the other! Kissing Katara was wrong, flat-out, but asking her questions to better understand where they were in their relationship was like. exactly the right decision, lmao. I genuinely don’t see how that could be indicative of entitlement? Especially because, once again, Aang and Katara both like each other and they both know that by this point in the show. That’s why Aang doesn’t ask if Katara likes him - he knows she does. That’s why Katara doesn’t negate her feelings - she knows she’s interested in him, and the blockade between them is not a lack of reciprocation, but the fact that they’re “in the middle of a war” and consequently it’s not “the right time” for them to begin a relationship. Katara has seen Aang die before! She knows he’s facing a near-impossible victory! I can’t blame her for not wanting to start a relationship with him at that point. It would hurt twice as much to lose him again if they were together in a romantic fashion (amatonormativity, am I right?). Again, Aang’s kiss was entirely inappropriate, but him asking her questions about their relationship is a) an example of fostering healthy communication and b) what any therapist would encourage, lol.

Oh, but I’m “forgetting” something, aren’t I? Right. This line:

Katara: Aang, I’m sorry, but right now I’m just a little confused.

If we want to talk about parallels, which I know the A:TLA fandom adores, this line sounds suspiciously like:

Yue: … but I like you [Sokka] too much and it’s too confusing to be around you.

Yue and Katara are actually in similar situations here. Outside forces are interfering with their relationships; for Yue, there is her arranged marriage, and for Katara, it’s the life-or-death nature of the war itself. They aren’t confused about their feelings, as Yue knows she likes Sokka and Katara knows she likes Aang, but they are confused about how to reconcile those feelings with their external circumstances. And can you blame them for that? They are facing impossible decisions (the fate of their nation and the fate of the world respectively). I would be confused, too! So Katara’s response isn’t a reaction to any so-called “entitlement” from Aang; she is experiencing genuine confusion about how to approach her own feelings for him in the midst of a war.

In sum, Aang asking questions about their relationship was a logical step to take resolving his confusion and is in no way related to “entitlement.” Katara’s confusion was not “letting Aang down easy” and interpreting it as such requires disregarding every preceding line of the conversation and its context.

As you can see, Aang’s actions in EIP are not at all “entitled.” His questions were understandable. While his kiss was inappropriate and inexcusable, it was also a mistake, and there is no canon evidence to support the conclusion Katara would never be able to forgive him (her literal best friend!) for it.

Before I end, I’ll touch briefly upon the DotBS kiss, because it is also occasionally used as an example of Aang’s “entitlement” towards Katara’s feelings. Whether you like the trope or not, this moment falls under what is called the “Now or Never Kiss.” TV Tropes actually lists Kataang/DotBS as an example under the Western Animation tab:

“Avatar: The Last Airbender: The fact that he’s finally going to face the dreaded Firelord, and possibility that he might not come back alive from that battle, gives Aang enough motivation to kiss Katara.”

Again, whether you like the trope or not, it involves reciprocation from both parties:

“The Not-A-Couple [i.e. both parties] don’t want to go out without revealing how they [i.e. both parties] really feel. It’s now or never. They kiss.”

Katara and Aang both like each other. When Aang initiates the DotBS kiss, Katara kisses him back. Her lips are still puckered when he pulls away. Furthermore, Katara had initiated a kiss with Aang prior to this incident, in CoTL. Katara was also the one to initiate every cheek kiss with Aang (who is the only character she ever demonstrated such affection towards). So Aang kissing Katara during DotBS follows an established precedent of Katara initiating different kisses, romantically inclined, with Aang. It’s not entitlement; it’s him knowing they mutually like each other and him realizing this might be the last time he ever sees her. Again, you can hate the trope, but don’t blatantly misconstrue its meaning. You’ll sound like Fire Nation propaganda, lmao. (For clarification, jic: the general you. not anon!)

Here is a fantastic post by @imreallyhereforkataang explaining the DotBS kiss in more detail as well as discussing why Kataang’s progression in the second half of Book 3 was, in fact, well-developed, and how Katara and Aang are best friends above all else and know that (which was the core of their relationship from the start).

And a bonus fun fact: in the original storyboard (link takes you to storyboarder Giancarlo Volpe’s DeviantArt with said storyboard), it is noted that Katara smiles after Aang kisses her. Why? Because she likes him as much as he likes her! It was changed by a “higher authority,” according to Volpe, probably to add more realism to the romance (i.e. Katara likes Aang, yes, but as she herself points out in EIP - there’s a war going on, and love is always terrifying to reconcile with war).

(Seriously, though, do read Volpe’s description on the storyboard. Takes you a second to scroll down and maybe a minute to read. Short yet informative, discussing how you can see on the storyboard itself that someone revised the image so Katara isn’t smiling after the kiss.)

Anyways! Opponents’ argument that Katara wasn’t interested in Aang therefore is and has always been entirely inapplicable.

To conclude: the entitlement assertion is laughable. There is no canon evidence to support it. As such, I encourage you to laugh whenever you see it! Pull an Azula, for that matter:

[ID: Gif from “The Beach” episode of A:TLA. Ty Lee, mimicking a guy, asks Azula, “Hey there sweet sugar cakes. How ya likin’ this party?” Azula proceeds to burst into exaggerated laughter, earning stares from everyone else at the party. End ID.]

Thank you for the great ask, anon! Hopefully my response was satisfactory 💛

[daisylovesatla]

very rough draft of the start of a zutara fan fic

AU where Aang and Katara don't end up together cuz it doesn't make sense that it would be written that way but anyway, I wrote some pages about what would happen if Zuko's lightning bolt actually hurt him a lot more than it did...my ADHD brain can't remember where I saw that AU from but when I do I will tag u I promise...anyway it's Katara by herself at the palace healing Zuko and then the rest of the Gaang arrives from the Earth Kingdom, where Aang and Suki and Toph and Sokka were all fighting against the fire nation's ambush, cuz it would take more than like. a week probably to get to the same place as Zuko and Katara. Anyway I hope it makes sense I'm tentatively posting the first chapter in case everyone hates it but it's only 3,000 words I think.

(eta the ao3 link)

Book 4: Reconstruction...:)

Book 4: Reconstruction

I need some fresh air. She sighs to herself, rubbing her sore wrists and rising up from the cushion she was kneeling on. Keeping her eyes closed, afraid of the emotions that would flood through her if she snuck a glance at him while she wasn’t intensely focused on his injury, pouring all of her energy into that one spot, both emotional and physical.

It has been two weeks since the comet, and she has been doing all that she can to support him, to try to do something that could in some small way, return the favor for his sacrifice. As soon as her back is to Zuko’s bed, she opens her eyes, and is confronted suddenly with the bigness of this place. The tall, melodramatic metal doors that weigh way more than they need to, the beds with far away canopies rustling above them. Just the mattresses here are the size of her entire igloo back home, and even though it isn’t the first time she has been surrounded by superfluous opulence like this, something about this place feels particularly daunting.

She can sense his pulse, slow, but steady, consistent, as his blood flows through his veins and with it, water. Even when it isn’t a full moon, Katara is able to feel the water in everything, including the people she is surrounded by. She has yet to decide if it is an advantage, or only makes it harder to navigate through the world.

Her legs feel like lead, and she struggles to ignore the dryness of the room, the fires lit in their mantles 10 feet above them sucking all of the moisture out of this space, the lack of water, of that familiarity, making her feel like she is choking, as her breaths become more and more shallow and her heart continues to beat faster and faster, only worsening whenever the memories of that fateful, final Agni Kai come rushing back to her, making everything feel so much worse.

No, I can’t think about that right now. Katara closes her eyes again, and takes a deep breath, trying to replicate the breathing technique Aang taught her the first time he saw her meditating. In through my nose, out through my mouth, that’s what Aang taught me. She tries not to think much more about Aang than this. Too much has happened. Aang is expecting an answer, she is sure of it, an answer she can’t give him. Yet there is a hope swimming just below the surface in her, that this now or never attitude leading up to his battle with Ozai would no longer be there in him, that fire gone, the flames put out.

I have no answer right now, she decides, as she finally gets her legs to take the final steps towards the door. Yearning for a sense of coolness against her increasingly warm skin, she presses her hand against the door, and lets it ground her as she pushes it open, nearly jumping as it creaks and struggles to with each inch that she can shove it open. What is it with rich people and big doors? She chuckles to herself as she remembers storming Ba Sing Se, when things were so simple and yet not simple at all.

Running her fingers through her thick, curly hair trailing down her back, she sucks in all the air that she can in this hallway with much better circulation, finding it easier to keep her balance and move forward. The war may be over, but she is anticipating many battles are going to be fought in the coming weeks and months, battles over territory, freedom, the right to the throne. She has to heal Zuko so that he can advocate for himself, she determines, as she envisions Ozai’s loyal courtiers’ unfounded complaints with Zuko taking the role of the fire lord. She worries for him and she worries for herself. A water tribe peasant, Azula called her during the Agni Kai. Despite her strong demeanor, her ability to inspire other people to recognize their own worth, it is still difficult for Katara not to internalize this when she knows she is surrounded by enemies, no matter how much Iroh tries to reassure her and the rest of them that this is not the case. She has spent far too much time being attacked and assaulted by members of the Fire Nation to naively assume that with a change in power, a change in attitude amongst the people will quickly follow.

Many citizens are still loyal to Ozai. They still see her and Sokka and the rest of the Water Tribe as peasants, as savages with too much power. They are still afraid of waterbenders altogether, as gossip and rumors spread around the nation about Hama in the weeks following her imprisonment. She feels a pang of guilt for how it turned out with her. A Southern Waterbender, alive after all these years that she feared she was the last one, the only one, the one expected to carry on this legacy all by herself. Finally, somebody who understood her struggles, intrinsically, who had fought for so many years to be free, suddenly imprisoned again by people from the same nation that had stolen her away from her home, because she could not let go of her anger against them, like Jet.

She does not want to think about the revenge Hama tried to take on that people. How misdirected it was. How she never wants to be as full of rage and anger and resentment that she would start to do something as heinous.

It doesn’t change that that is how many people from the Fire Nation see her people. She can’t blame Hama for that, it would be wrong to expect any one person to be a representative for their tribe, their culture. “This is all so complicated,” Katara mutters under her breath, as she struggles to breathe, to let herself be free of these thoughts. Her anger, always there, ready to burst out from inside her in the form of an uncontrollable explosion.

Katara barely notices how far she has walked from Zuko’s room, until suddenly she hears a familiar voice call out to her. Startled, she looks up from the floor where she was mindlessly staring as she strolled and sees Sokka and Suki waving over to her from the other side of the hallway.

“Sokka! Suki!” She cries out, as she runs over to them, as fast as she can. “You’re here! You made it!” As she gets closer, she notices the crutch Sokka is leaning on, and her stomach feels like it is full of sand. “Are you okay? I can try my best to heal it, but I’m pretty worn out right now…” She glances at his bandages on his leg and starts to think up the best method for healing him after so much time has passed since his injury. “I’m sorry, I wish I had gotten to it sooner…” Katara begins, but she is interrupted by Sokka,

“Hey, it’s okay! For most of my life you haven’t been able to heal me when I get hurt, so it’s not like I’m not used to being in pain,” he teases, and then lets go of Suki who he was leaning on, as he goes to embrace Katara.

She can feel hot, somehow still dry, tears flow down her cheeks as she relaxes into this hug. While news had spread quickly from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation about Toph, Sokka, Suki, and Aang’s victory in Ba Sing Se, her stomach had been twisted with worry the entire time they had been apart. A lot of it could have been hearsay, and until she got to hug her friends and brother in person, she could not let go of her unease. Hell, the talk of Caldera City was Zuko’s honorable triumph, but nobody who knew the truth of the aftermath of this battle had let it slip to the public that Zuko was in critical condition right now. Only Iroh, Katara, and some of the servants who were helping take care of meals and other menial tasks knew. It would throw this world into even more chaos if every day citizens knew there was a chance that Zuko wouldn’t…no. I don’t want to think about that future. I simply can’t. The guilt overwhelms Katara, but she pushes these negative feelings away and struggles to focus on the present. Sokka’s voice brings her back to the present, as she can feel his quickening heartbeat against her chest, and his tears dripping onto her robe. “We were so worried about you and Zuko, Katara. I’m glad you’re okay.”

She stammers, as she realizes it’s time to break the news to a few more people, wishing Sokka hadn’t let go of her as quickly as he did. She desperately missed her brother, and they hadn’t ever been apart for this long before, in all their side journeys in the past year, and hunting trips prior to that.

“Yes, I’m ok,” she lets the words spill out of her before she has a chance to choke on them, “But, well. Zuko...Zuko got really hurt.” Immediately, she can see the blood drain from both of their faces, and she grabs their hands, trying to comfort them despite not having the ability to comfort herself. “I’m healing him, but it’s still going to take a while. We have to just wait for him to recover.” She smiles, weakly, and fears it looks more like a grimace. “I’m glad you guys are back, though. It’s just been me and Iroh watching over him since the fight.”

Suki squeezes her hand, and the sadness and sympathy mix together in the look she gives Katara. “I’m really glad you’re okay. We’re here for you guys,” her smile sweet and boring into the deepest parts of Katara as she finishes speaking. Katara is taken aback, as her skin crawls with the thought that Suki understands, already, what happened at that Agni Kai, even if she doesn’t know the full details.

Sokka furrows his brows, and she can feel his warmth and fear as he nods in agreement with Suki. “Toph and Aang are in the courtyard with the Turtleduck pond, can we go see him with them?”

Of course, a practical response from Sokka. She knows better though. He is close with Zuko in different ways than Katara, but this was crushing for him too. She tries her best to smile reassuringly, as she fights back tears that are full of frustration and fear and anger and a deep, hollow grief that she hasn’t felt since Aang was struck by Azula, what feels like years ago but was only 4 months ago. In these four months, so much has changed, including feeling ready to face Aang. That kiss, just up and leaving, wasn’t ok and Katara wasn’t going to accept any excuses about it, just apologies.

He left everyone to go off on their separate missions, never really knowing whether or not those separation missions would be worth the danger they were putting themselves in, and that blind faith she was able to put in him when they first met was starting to get really old.

“So?” Suki chimes, pulling Katara out of her own thoughts.

“Oh, sorry,” she blushes, “I spaced out for a second. Um…” she tries to come up with an excuse for her sudden zoning out. “I’m worried about leaving Zuko by himself for a long time, and it’s been about twenty minutes so, I better get back, but stop by with everyone, sure.”

Suki gives her a quick squeeze of the arm, as they both walk off a few minutes after listening to Katara’s directions. Her chest feels tight, and she turns in the opposite direction as them, going back to Zuko.

They still don’t know how he got hurt. She doesn’t want to tell them, after so many instances of Toph teasing her about Jet and Haru, and well, she doesn’t want to hear it. Especially when Toph can feel her heartbeat. That damn seismic sense, she chuckles to herself, trying to let herself joke around a little bit.

Suddenly she is back in front of the door. She tries to shake off her anxieties and pulls the door open, the cold handle no longer soothing her but sending chills down her spine. This time, she keeps her eyes open as she walks back in, and all of the feelings she had been able to push down while talking to Sokka and Suki started to bubble up to the surface again, her cheeks feeling hot and dry, too dry. She wished she could bend a cloud of mist around herself, but knew that all of her energy had to be devoted to healing Zuko.

His familiar heartbeat suddenly found itself back on her radar, and she tried to hold back her tears and desire to just collapse and give up. But it was her duty to heal him. Her duty to heal him, the Fire Lord, just like it was hers to heal the Avatar. There was no way that any Northern healer would be willing to come down to heal the Fire Lord, nor would they be able to get there in time. So even if there were people more skilled, more capable, she knew that in order to maintain balance, it was her job to keep his heart beating.

[words4bloghere]

ATLA Ships

Because there’s an endless deluge of ship hate going on, I wanted to break up the BS with some lighthearted fun. You know, what fandom is SUPPOSED to be.

So here is my honest, positive take on most ATLA ships:

Aang

x Katara: High school sweethearts, they are each other’s biggest cheerleader, have not called each other by their actual first name since week 2 of dating and now they’ve been married for five years, still thinks they can give dating advice to their friends.

x Sokka: Idiots in love, half of the people they know think they’re just super close, the other half think they’re dating but won’t ask in case they’re somehow wrong, got married for the tax benefits and never got divorced, both still routinely commit tax fraud

x Toph: Sometimes their teasing of each other gets so intense it’s like foreplay, Aang is still shocked someone calls him out because he is obviously a pure cinnamon roll who never does anything wrong????, Toph is still confused that Aang can compliment her and he’s not lying?????, basically summed up by no one can call my bae an idiot except ME

x Suki: late game relationship, neither were looking for a relationship but they ended up working long hours together on a mission kinda thing, Suki keeps him grounded and brings the common sense of a BAMF non-Bender woman, while Aang gets to be the introduction into all the cool crap he knows about the world, tons of fluff, very calm pair

x Zuko: Started with a “hey you know it’d be funny if the Avatar and the Fire Lord kissed” joke, Zuko immediately overthinks and Aang is clueless, miscommunication ABOUNDS, when they ultimately get together Zuko gets the confidence boost of being with the Avatar, no one can say anything because suddenly the Avatar is there wondering why his boyfriend is pissed off.

x Azula: Everyone worries about toxic co-dependency at first because Aang was the healer in the relationship, he just ends up learning the most about her and falls in love with her, he becomes the first person she trusts, Azula actually pushes him away because she doesn’t want to use him, they end up together after Azula goes on an apology tour, Aang waits for her patiently, full of YEARNING

x Ty Lee: this ship embodies the energy of that meme where the girl is smiling with the burning house in the background, no one knows exactly what’s going on but something ends up on fire, they are not allowed entry into fifteen Earth Kingdom cities, Ty Lee proposes and they are engaged for a good amount of time, but end up eloping at the Earth Kingdom equivalent of Las Vegas, they throw the best parties, the couple who never have children but are the wealthy cool aunt and uncle that stir up the holidays

x Mai: EVERYONE HAS QUESTIONS, started off with a bet that Aang couldn’t make her laugh, they ended up in bed together, definitely a secret relationship, full of “we shouldn’t be doing this” kinda messages, both think it’s just the one time, end up together because they bond over the weirdest esoteric novel series, neither of their personalities change over the years, the type of couple that can go to separate events because they trust each other

x Jet: bonded over the mutual ex girlfriend, Aang gets sick of the fame when he’s older and runs around Kyoshi style with Jet’s crowd, bad choices and bad boys make their pulse race, probably not gonna end up together and it’s about how much gets damaged before they break up.

x Yue: Aang was instantly intimidated, she is just so pretty??? and proper???, despite being the Avatar Aang doesn’t think he’s good enough, Yue really likes how funny he is, they bond over spirit stuff, something like her royal duty or whatever makes him think he doesn’t have a chance, he finds out she gets engaged because she thinks he doesn’t like her, they’d have like a Jane Austen kinda story imo

I’ll have to write the others later. I won’t be tagging the ships because I don’t wanna clog up the content. 

Edited to add Yue. How could I forget my lunar princess????

[bellatrixobsessed1]

The Final Agni Kai (A Terrible AU Fanfic that literally no one asked for!)

This was totally going to be the battle between Sie and Zuko in the cabbage fic but I couldn't pass having the fire siblings do this.

Summary: Agni Kai AU where instead of actually fighting the Agni Kai, Zuko and Azula play a monoply-uno hybrid from Hell.

The sky is heavy with smoke and an odor of sulfur. Sozin’s comet paints the mid-afternoon sky a shade of orange-red. Azula, stares up at said sky--she is daydreaming about just leaving everything behind to become a J-pop idol. 

“By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord…” But it is hard to do that when the fire sage keeps blabbing on and on. And it is twice as hard when a wild flying bison swoops into view. Suddenly feeling as though she has run out of time, she turns to the sage and asks, “What are you waiting for? Do it!”

Azula had been rather vague so he isn’t sure what he is supposed to just do. All he knows is that he can’t let his dreams just be dreams. Just do it! Azula’s voice echos in his mind. But in his mind she sounds more motivating than angry. 

Appa lands in the courtyard and Zuko dramatically jumps off of him. “Sorry, but you're not gonna become Fire Lord today. I am.”

Azula laughs, “you're hilarious.”

“And you're going down.” Zuko informs her.

“That was my line.” Katara whispers. 

“Sorry.” Zuko replies. 

The fire sage, recalling Azula’s words--just do it!--begins to ignore the interrupting duo and brings the crown closer to Azula’s messy topknot.

She lifts a hand and then the rest of her body. “Wait!” And then to Zuko she says, “You want to become Fire Lord? Fine. Let’s settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Monopl-uno!” She whips out a game board and a deck of cards and slaps them onto the ground. 

“You're on!” 

“What are you doing? She’s playing you. She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us.”

“I know. But I can take her this time.” Zuko declares. 

“But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula.” Katara protests. Also she does not want to have to wait through a game of Monopoly, that game is boring as hell even if it is mashed together with Uno.

“There's something off about her, I can't explain it but she's slipping.” Zuko rubs his chin as he takes in the disheveled sight of his sister. Her hair is a mess and her eyes are tired. “Hmmm...can’t quite put my finger on it.” She flashes him an uncanny and feral smile. “Nope. No idea.”  He makes his way across the courtyard. 

He and Azula stand on opposite ends of the courtyard, kneeling as you do before beginning a game of monopl-uno. It is always best to start any board, card, or any kind of game by kneeling before your God and asking for protection lest the game transform itself into Jumanji and you find yourself stuck in a jungle forever. 

This is what had happened to Jet. He has been stuck in the Foggy Swamp, which is also a jungle, ever since. He is now a backwater redneck. But this is no surprise being as he already liked to chew on straw prior to being transported into the jungle to live out the rest of his fuqboi existence. 

“I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother.” 

“No you're not.”

But she really is. She actually hates monopl-uno, in her foggy state of mind, she had momentarily forgotten this. But she cannot back out of this now. “I am so.” She whispers quietly.

“Are not.”

“Are too.”

“Are not.”

“Are to.”

“Are…”

Luckily Katara is there to get them back on track. The only thing more boring than Monopoly is reading approximately six pages of ‘are not’, ‘are too’. Even more boring than that is pre-algebra. Thank Raava, that math does not exist here. “Will you two just get on with it!?” She asks.

Azula passes out five uno cards and a fat stack of monopoly cash. For every green card, the player receives $500. For the blues the player gets $100. Yellow cards earn the player $50. And red earns the player $20. 10’s & 5’s are a free for all, Azula and Zuko snatch as many as they can. 1’s are distributed by wiping out a Candyland, whoever draws Queen Frostine gets to steal all of the 5’s. Azula bites Zuko as he reaches for the last one dollar bill. He retracts his hand quickly. 

It settles in that Azula is losing her shit.

If no one draws Queen Frostine by the game’s end then the 1’s burst into flames and are claimed by the void that manifests itself as a third player in the form of a sentient piccolo, that plays truly awful covers of Rammstine’s Du Hast and Smashmouth’s All Star the whole time.

With dread, Azula notes that, “Colonel Mustard has murdered Mrs. Scarlett with a candlestick in the billard room.” 

Zuko grips his head in stress, knowing that this means that Azula has to move her gingerbread man to the next purple square. This ends the game.

No one has drawn Queen Frostine. 

The 1’s burst into flames and a piccolo rises.

The first notes of Du Hast echo through the courtyard, terribly off key.

Katara has a wicked urge to puncture her own earholes just to end the madness.

Why did Colonel Mustard have to murder her with a candlestick. If he would have just used the wrench then they might have had a chance to draw Queen Frostine!

Far, far off in the distance Sokka, Suki, and Toph fight a different kind of battle. They play Battle Ships, but they use actual ships. Except the ships are not water ships but airships and they are in the sky and the bombs are real.

Suki is uncomfortable with this. 

It is Toph’s time to shine. She can use echolocation to cheat. 

Aang and Ozai also fight. But their fight is different. It is a battle of wit. They have chosen several popular debate topics including women’s rights, religion, which economic model to follow, and whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza. 

Pineapple does not belong on pizza. 

Neither does cheese, because cheese is gross. 

In fact, pizza does not belong on pizza because pizza is gross and no matter what Aang is still a vegan and Aang is not sure if a good vegan should be eating pizza. 

Iroh finds himself a tall mountain and yodels atop it until the militia stationed at Ba Sing Se submit. 

But none of this is as important as Azula declaration, “go fish!”

Zuko cusses and picks up a goldfish. He curses again. Drawing a goldfish means that he has to pull a block from the jenga tower and that rickety thing is already very close to collapsing. Azula smirks as he nears an old and vacant house in Capital City. It is the same one that they have been stealing boards from since they were children. 

It is on its last legs. 

A bead of sweat drips down Zuko’s forehead as he tugs at the board. The whole house bobs precuriously. Azula and Katara take several huge steps back. They, in fact, stand approximately one-hundred feet from the building, which is a safe number when practicing social distancing. 

Zuko yanks the board free and the building groans. He clenches his jaw. But the building remains up right. 

“Ha! Take that, Azula!” He says loudly. The building shakes at the sudden noise and it topples. He has done this to himself. Now he has to draw six more uno cards and one more go fish card. 

“So, how have you been?” Zuko makes small talk as they walk back to the coronation courtyard. 

Azula thinks that it is a stupid question, she is obviously in a state of mental torment. “Oh, I’m fine.” She replies nonchalantly. 

“Yeah, me too.” He replies. “I read this really cool book the other day.”

Azula hasn’t, she has been stress eating cherries and pacing around her bedroom. “I read one too.” She lies. 

“Which one.” 

“Oh...you’ve never heard of it. It’s a really underground novel.”

They reach the courtyard, Zuko draws his uno and go fish cards. It is still his turn so he rolls the dice. “Yahtzee!” He declares and Azula flinches. She moves her gingerbread man to an orange square and picks up a trivial pursuit card. She relaxes a little, upon remembering that she is a trivial pursuit expert. 

“What’s the tallest piece on a chessboard?” Katara reads the card.

Azula rolls her eyes, this is an easy one. “It is the King.”

Zuko Googles the answer just to be sure that Azula isn’t lying again. 

Katara winces, “correct.” 

Azula flashes a smug smile as she passes go and collects $200. She is glad that she did not have to answer a Guess Who question. Those always throw her off. 

Zuko stands up, it is his turn. He throws down a green skip. This time Azula curses. He then throws down a green reverse card so it is his turn again. Azula snarls. He realizes that he has no more green cards so he picks up a Go Fish card. It is an angelfish. Angelfish act as substitutes for yellow cards so he is stuck with it. Having none of her own, but having the mindstate of one, Azula literally turns herself into a wildcard and flops down onto the deck. She changes it to blue. 

She always changes it to blue.

She has no blue cards, but she never changes it to anything but blue.

She reclaims her human form and draws a Go Fish card. 

It is a clownfish. 

Which makes sense because she played herself (clownfish substitute red cards only), she is the clown in this situation. 

Zuko smirks and throws down a blue seven. 

Azula is about to throw down a blue three, when Zuko brazanly shouts. “No draw fours today? What’s the matter, afraid I’ll reverse it!?”

“Oh! I’ll show you a draw four!” Azula shouts. She lifts her blue drawfour as well as four scrabble tiles--one for each letter of her name, except she is missing the ‘u’ so instead she has Azla--and powers her draw four up with them. 

A is the first letter of the alphabet so Zuko has to not only draw four cards but another two extra. And since Z is the last letter he also has to draw twenty-six extra cards. By this time the deck has run low so he has to pick up a twelve of spades which amounts to twelve green uno cards.

To figure out what number each represents they must spin the twister spinner and consult the magic eight ball. 

“Nooooo!” Zuko screams as she throws the cards down. 

Katara bites her cheek. She doesn’t like cheating to win, but she is pretty sure that Azula had swapped out her ‘u’ scrabble tile for a ‘z’ while Zuko was messing with the Jenga tower. So she doesn’t think too much of it when she completes Zuko’s Connect Four line. 

“Zuko!” She yells. “You forgot to say, ‘I’ve united the four!’” 

Zuko pumps his fist and says. “I’ve united the four!” This nullifies the power up Azula has used on her draw four. It balances out so he only has to draw four uno cards. 

Azula’s face bunches up in disgust as she gives the twister spinner a flick. 

Right hand on blue. 

She places her right hand on blue and the twister board tells her to move her top hat to the chance square. Katara picks up the chance card and reads “go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.” 

Azula blinks several times. She is trapped, with nowhere to go. She sadly makes her way over to the grate, overwhich they have constructed a jail out of a cardboard box. The word ‘JAIL’ (though Zuko accidentally spelled it ‘JAYL’ at first so that was crossed off and ‘JAIL’ is written beneath it) is written in big red marker. Katara doodled a star under it in pink gel pen. 

Azula sadly lifts the box and sits under it, clutch her knees to her chest as Zuko passes go, collets his $200, and uses it to buy a candyland card. A smile lights up his face, he has drawn Gramma Nut! That means he gets to discard exactly three uno cards. 

He sets them on fire and shouts “uno!” 

He throws his remaining card, a blue five, onto the deck. 

From within her jail cell, Azula shrieks. She sets the jail on fire, marches up to the unused chessboard, flips it over, and throws the pieces at Zuko “I hate this game! This is a stupid fucking  anyways!” 

Zuko and Katara slap each other high five. Unbeknownst to them, Momo swoops down. “But you forgot to play Bop It before saying uno, which means that your victory is null.” 

Zuko slaps his forehead. 

Azula’s eyes grow wide. 

This means only one thing…

One terrible thing…

Azula swallows as she removes Don’t Wake Daddy from the box. The siblings stare at each other. If at any point, daddy wakes up, Ozai will materialize before them and win the game. “Here, you do it!” Zuko says to Azula. She very carefully takes the tweezers and as steady as she can, attempts to extract the wrench representing the funny bone.

But Azula is already shaken from her loss and the stress of losing her friends. She accidently touches the rim and the game buzzes. 

She and Zuko weep as they both take turns pressing the alarm clock. Daddy springs up and Ozai appeared before them to reclaim his Fire Lord crown. In leaving his debate, Aang has automatically won. Ozai’s bending yanks itself from his body, as he had bet it before the debate started. Aang cheers!

Another airship explodes as Toph cackles. 

Ozai begins to weep for he might be the Fire Lord again, but he has no fire. 

Neither Zuko nor Azula are the Fire Lord. They both hug each other and cry as Katara plugs her ears. 

The piccolo still plays Rammstine. 

Ozai also cries because, even though he is Fire Lord in title, no one is going to listen to him since he is a non-bender. The Fire Nation will fall into anarchy unless the siblings can work something out. 

Aang also weeps because her realizes that, Ozai is still the Fire Lord so he is still going to have to defeat him somehow.

Truly, nobody has won here. 

Nobody except Iroh and Toph.

[seyaryminamoto]

Good day talented writer! Another anon dropping by. You mainly write Azula as virgin while Sokka has experiences, good&bad, my question is if it would hold any importance for him if Azula would've been no virgin? In The Reason or in Gladiator. For example if she would engage and get involved with someone to get over him? As a girl this this girl/boy chastity thing annoys me0-o. And while we're at it: Did Ozai get involved with anyone after Ursa's disappereance? Thank you and have a nice day!

Alright, that’s a complicated question to answer, to a fault, for an array of reasons. The answer got WAY too long so… under the cut:

First off, I’ll say Azula is generally a virgin in my stories because canon outright established her as what I like to call a social inept :’D the only romantic interaction she has with anyone, genuinely romantic, is with Chan. And while she successfully manages to sway him briefly, she scares him away moments afterwards. Her conversation with Ty Lee establishes that that’s the general way boys react to her, therefore, she has very little experience in the field of romance.

Meanwhile, Sokka is the entire opposite of that. He’s had at least two relationships in canon, he tries to get into another one with a really unpleasant girl in the Lost Adventures, girls have crushes on him everywhere he goes… therefore, he’s established by canon as someone who is a thousand times more successful in terms of relationships than Azula.

This, then, is part of the characters and, if you ask me, these traits should be preserved in any depictions of them in any canon-based settings. As much as I understand the feeling of unfairness elicited by this unbalanced situation between them, it’s not something I established myself, but something established by core concepts of their characters.

Now then, on to the actual question. Due to Azula’s circumstances in Gladiator, she wasn’t very likely not to be a virgin when she and Sokka meet. If she hadn’t been one, at best it would have meant she had carried out a secret relationship with someone else before Sokka… at worst, she might have been a victim to sexual assault of some sort, an idea that really makes me sick to my stomach and so, for my peace of mind, let’s stick to the first thing. At any rate, Sokka wouldn’t have been likely to resent her for having previous relationships, though he would have probably felt insecure if she truly had held another secret relationship with someone else… not because he would have been angry that she wasn’t “pure and untainted” or any such bullshit, but because he already has a million reasons to fear he’s not good enough for her, and he might have thought any past relationship she’s had might have been with someone better, or at least less inconvenient for her, than him. So he wouldn’t hold it against her, he’d hold it against himself instead because of his frequent insecurities.

Now, of course, Sokka has shown some jealousy in some really silly ways, such as being outraged that Azula had a crush on Zhao when she was a little girl xD but that was always meant to be a humorous thing, since he has no idea what she’d see in him, and he feels the same way about her claim that Jet was handsome. Now, Chan is her only actual romantic experience (just like in canon) before Sokka in Gladiator, and Sokka’s reaction to discovering this is NOT along the lines of “OMG HOW COULD YOU HAVE HAD YOUR FIRST KISS WITH SOMEONE ELSE!” Instead it’s, and I quote directly from chapter 115:

“I can’t think of anything I’ve not told you, honestly. You even know about my first kiss now, so I’d say you know all that needs to be known…” said Azula, shrugging.

“Uh, well, I know what happened but I still don’t know who it was, now I think of it” said Sokka, tapping his chin and eyeing Azula with curiosity “Anyone I knew, by any chance?”

“Eh… no” said Azula, with a grimace “But you know of him. It was… the same jerk I was supposed to marry ages ago”

“Wait, what?!” Sokka asked, his eyes widening as Azula sighed.

“Okay, so now you do know all there was to know about that” she said, with a smirk, as she approached the dresser and closet where Sokka kept his armor and weapons “It’s time to get ready for training, Sokka”

“B-but then… that’s why you didn’t want to marry him, isn’t it?” Sokka asked, blinking blankly “The prick wouldn’t dominate the world with you, so…”

“Yes, yes, well, that’s neither here nor there” said Azula, approaching him with one of his blue shirts in her hand “Come on. Get dressed”

“I’m very sorry you kissed that guy” said Sokka, as she threw the shirt over his shoulders “You certainly deserved better”

As you can see, his reaction isn’t that of a jealous madman, but instead he’s very surprised that the guy she was engaged to when she first hired him was her first kiss. And then he’s sorry she gave her first kiss to him, since he knows all too well that she wanted nothing to do with that guy. He believes she deserved better.

While none of this really may seem to hold a torch to the stuff Azula has to wrap her mind about regarding Sokka’s past “partners” (if they can really be called that, most of them being forced one-night-stands…), I’d like to think that this reaction of Sokka’s would apply just as well in a world where Azula, theoretically, had other romantic partners before him.

Now, though, the second thing you bring up… IF Azula had gotten involved with other people to get over Sokka? In either Gladiator or The Reason?

I’m not sure if you mean Azula finding another love interest halfway through Gladiator Part 1, back when she was sure things between her and Sokka would never work, or if you’re asking about a hypothetical breakup at some point in the future. Likewise, if Azula had found someone else halfway through the Reason because Sokka still had Suki? Or past a future, potential breakup too?

Well, I’ll try to address it all, in any case… Gladiator Azula wouldn’t be likely to find someone else just to get over Sokka, I’d hope the way I’ve depicted Fire Nation society by now should show that engaging in sex out of wedlock is a very risky thing for women to do (Ty Lee’s situation serves as the better example of the consequences of that). Azula only went for it with Sokka because their partnership started to take an unexpected turn and, as they grew to understand each other better, they fell in love. She didn’t love him from the get-go, that’s true, but once she stopped being so impulsive in the earlier chapters of the story, she realized he was “right” to put a stop to their relationship before it really begun because of the potential nefarious consequences she could have faced if they were caught together. So they even struck the deal about not trying to be anything other than a gladiator and a sponsor, and why? Because she wasn’t ready to make a decision that could put her entire future in jeopardy. And if she wasn’t ready to make it with Sokka, she wouldn’t have been likely to make it with anyone else.

Therefore, if in the wider “will-they-won’t-they” part of the story, Azula wouldn’t have risked losing her virginity to the man she was developing feelings for, I don’t think she would have done it for someone casually, just for a fling to “get over Sokka”. She wouldn’t have risked reaching a future marriage without being a virgin because of the repressive way her society treats women.

But alas, in the off-case that somehow she had wanted to do this… Sokka wouldn’t have been pleased for it, but he wouldn’t have been outraged or angry either, since, like I said before, he has more than enough doubts about being good enough for Azula as he is. A glimpse at Azula’s birthday arc should probably help further with showing he wouldn’t have acted like some irrational jealous idiot when he thought he had no right to be one, if she had chosen to be with someone other than him. This time, chapter 69:

“I mean… I kind of had taken for granted that it was going to be the two of us, always. I had forgotten that… that you’ve got a lot of responsibilities and pressures and expectations to uphold. And… I don’t mean to get in the way of that by being a selfish prick. I’ve been selfish when it comes to you enough times by now, I think, so… so I won’t be anymore. I'm… I’m not going to tell you not to marry someone. But… I’m also not going to tell you to get married.”

“Then what are you trying to tell me?” asked Azula, looking at him with mild despair, her hand gripping his leg a little tighter than intended.

“I… I guess I’m saying…” said Sokka, sighing. “That I’ll accept whatever choice you make… I’ll accept whatever man you choose, so long as I know you’ll be happy with him. If you can guarantee you will choose whatever makes you happiest, then I’ll be… I’ll be happy too. That's… that’s all I dare ask of you.”

See? If he had thought there was someone better for her, if he had seen her with someone else, he would have absolutely backed off. Would his heart have broken? Sure! But he wouldn’t have played the territorial dumbass pretending he was entitled to her or anything as gross as that if she had started another relationship, whether a serious one or not.

The same applies to The Reason. Frankly, if she had found someone else halfway through the story, Sokka would have likely stayed with Suki and probably done his best to remain cordial with Azula and her new love interest if possible. He probably would have even tried to encourage Azula in her new relationship, because as you may recall, things between them in the Reason were more than a bit problematic, as he was still with Suki :’D he might have hoped this new love interest of Azula’s would be good for her. And of course, if the relationship was shortlived he would have worried she might be hurt for it, but if it had lasted he would have done his best to be supportive of her, even if on the back of his mind he would have likely always wondered what might have happened if he had tried to be with Azula for real.

And now, in the scenario of “if they break up after their relationship begun”, which is honestly something I scarcely want to even ponder… I’m not sure, frankly, that Azula’s reaction to losing a relationship as valuable and extraordinary as the one she’s had with Sokka in either of these stories would be “I gotta get it on with someone else to get over him”. I know that’s the popular trend in general in fanfiction these days, especially popular with multishippers who like to sprinkle their other interests in fics that are meant to be about one specific couple… but it’s not the road I generally take with stories. It’s not the one I took in my original story when I did break up the main couple (to clarify, there was a love triangle there, and the guy who had been pining after the girl makes a move after she breaks up with the one she loved. She rejects him right away because she’s in no place to have relationships as she is), and I really don’t think I’d want to take it with Sokka and Azula either.

Again, that being said, I don’t think Sokka would hold it against Azula if she ever decided to move on and try her luck in love with new people. If things between them don’t work out, the above quote applies again: he would want her to be happy. If he couldn’t be the one to make her happy, even if he wanted to be, then he’ll be content if she finds that happiness with someone else, in whatever form it might be.

Oof, so that was a lot of explanations, huh? :’D aaanyways, I do want to clarify, I understand the discomfort caused by stories and situations where men are “experienced” and women are meant to be pure and virginal and innocent, because yeah, it’s not fair. It’s stupid that men are heroes for having sex with anyone who’ll have them but women are disgusting if they engage in the same behavior. I agree 100% on that account. Nevertheless, I tend to write both Azula and Sokka as characters who are seeking a deeper emotional connection than just a quick release. If Sokka had no canon relationships, he would have been every bit as much of a virgin in The Reason as Azula was. Now, in Gladiator I had the possibility of keeping him a virgin: I didn’t because on one hand, his situation as a gladiator in Hui Yi enabled me to portray how dark and dreadful things can be for slaves in the lowest levels of the Fire Nation… and on the other hand, what happened between him and June was meant to prove exactly why he can’t have random flings: it doesn’t work for him. It doesn’t cut it. It’s pointless because the one person he wants to be with is Azula. He ended up feeling WORSE after it, not better, despite he was doing it to get over her, exactly as you described it. Therefore, he never even tried again. He has no other flings or one-night-stands after June because it’s useless and he feels worse for it.

At any rate, if you’re bothered by the numerical imbalance of romantic or sexual partners Sokka and Azula have had in those two stories… then I suggest you check out my Modern AU story, It Had To Be You. While I kept Azula as a virgin anyways, because it fit her personal backstory in that AU, she is part of the “popular kids” in school, while Sokka is one of the “nerds”. Azula has had a few love interests in the past, she even recounts the story of her first kiss to Sokka, even if it went even worse than it did in canon… but she was popular, sociable and had a lot more experience in the fields of dating and romance than Sokka did. Sokka’s only kiss before the story begins is also recounted in the story: it was no kiss, it was Aang giving him CPR after he drowned at the beach :’) Therefore, while Azula was still a virgin, she’s the experienced one in terms of romance in that particular story, and Sokka instead is clueless while she teaches him the ropes, once things get started between them.

Another story of mine where I flipped things around (and this might even suit your interests better?) is The White Lotus International Games, where Sokka breaks up with Suki but doesn’t have any rebound romances. He’s Azula’s partner in the White Lotus, they’re both agents for the Order there. And while this is only referenced rather than shown outright, Azula has had many casual flings through their travels while Sokka remains completely chaste and hasn’t had any relationships at all after Suki, especially because he starts developing feelings for his partner that he doesn’t act on (it’s literally Azula who makes the first move). He doesn’t judge her in the least for her flings, she even teases him sometimes and tells him he should have had one-night stands of his own at one point:

“You should have done what I did, though. You didn’t have to stay dry for so long.”

“I didn’t really feel like doing anything else,” said Sokka, shrugging. “And while there might be something fun to having one-night-stands, they’re really not my thing as they were yours, you know.”

“Your loss,” said Azula, smirking.

So, there we go :’) in this particular story, Azula has definitely slept with more people than Sokka xD and Sokka doesn’t hold it against her AT ALL, it doesn’t even occur to him to do so. So, if that’s what you were hoping for in terms of balancing their personal dating histories better, then I suggest you check it out.

Now, as for your last question… did Ozai look for other lovers after Ursa was gone? I’ve answered it before, and Gladiator’s official stance on the matter is an absolute, resolute, undoubtable NOPE. Ozai has very few redeeming qualities as things stand, making him pine for his wife hopelessly for the rest of his life seemed just right to me. Turning him into a womanizer, giving him a harem…? Some people like doing that: I, personally, don’t see the appeal. Ozai is a thousand times more interesting a character with a handful of weaknesses, and his doomed romance with his wife certainly gives the character an interesting dimension that warrants being explored (and I shall certainly explore it further in the story’s future).

Now, as a final addendum, I’d like to say… that original story I mentioned up there? The one with the love triangle? It actually turned into a bit of a love square. Another girl fell in love with the guy who gets rejected, but he’s still hung up on the girl he likes even if it’s unrequited and always will be. He doesn’t move on for AGES and dates absolutely no one for years. Meanwhile, the girl who likes him assumes he’ll never really see her that way, for obvious reasons… and she has about a thousand flings and short-lived relationships while trying to move on from her crush on the guy, who has become her best friend at that point. She often tells him about her experiences and the problems in her dating life, and he always listens, even admires her for it, never judges her for what she does and is 100% supportive of her living her life however she pleases. They’re well into their twenties when they start a relationship of their own: by that point, this guy has only kissed one girl in his entire life and got rejected. Meanwhile, the girl has had tons of relationships. Total different proportions from the stereotypical way relationships are often presented in media, I’d hope… and yet the guy is not turned off by it in the least. He doesn’t find it disgusting, doesn’t think she’s amoral, doesn’t think she’s any lesser for having lived her life in a completely different way than he did.

And while this has nothing to do with how I write stories set in the Avatarverse, it does have something to do with how I write relationships. Like I said above, I hate the tendency of showing men as experienced and women as sluts. I’m tired of it just as much as you are, which results in certain “trope inversions”, you could say, as the one I pulled in what I just explained of my original story. I don’t usually pull it with Sokka and Azula for the reasons I mentioned at the very start of the post (nevertheless, It Had To Be You and The White Lotus International Games INTENTIONALLY switch things around for balance and variety), but it doesn’t mean that I’m on the bandwagon vouching for female purity and male experience. Absolutely not. Part of Gladiator’s eventual purpose is to have Azula stand up against all those expectations and prove her worth goes far and beyond the ridiculous trappings society imposed on her just for being a woman, even if she’s had to abide by those trappings for a very long time (and even then she has defied them subtly, despite it’s not easy and it’s very dangerous, even for someone as powerful as she is).

Aaaand that was really long. I think I’ll shut up now unless you have any follow-up questions :’D Have a nice day too!

[zutaralover94]

How about a mix of number 7 and 45 for zutara? Love your writing btw!

Wow thank you! I loved writing this one. A fake relationship and pretending to hate each other au! It’s so classic! So I hope you enjoy!

“It’s only for a weekend, Kat.” Suki’s voice rand over the cell phone. “Just go meet the last guy. And I swear this one will be perfect for you to bring back home.”

Katara sighed and looked around her. The Jasmine Dragon was slightly busy with customers. Katara sat at one of the lone tables near the window. “I’m only giving him 5 more minutes.”

When Katara lied to her “dying” grandmother four months ago about a serious boyfriend, Katara hadn’t thought Gran Gran would actually make it through the surgery. Don’t get her wrong, she was hoping her grandmother would pull through. But now she had to bring home her boyfriend. The big problem: Katara didn’t actually have a boyfriend.

Now with Gran Gran feeling much better and wanted to see her favorite granddaughter and her boyfriend. Katara was at a lost cause. Instead of telling her grandmother the truth like she knew she should have, she now sat in the Jasmine Dragon on her third blind date set up by her sister in law.

“Tall white chai.” The waiter sat down a large white cup. She smiled and said thank you but listened to Suki talk about the third guy.

“Seriously, he is like this all around good guy.” Suki paused. “Hold on, I think Sokka just dumped out a whole packet of chili powder into the stewed sea slugs.” There was muffled talk on the other end of the phone. “Kat, I got to go your brother…”

Katara sighed, “I get it. Go.”

Katara drummed her fingers on the table top. She picked up the cup and took a large sip. If she wasn’t going to get a date at least she was going to enjoy this delicious drink. She looked around the Jasmine Dragon one last time. Hoping all-around-good-guy-Jet would be there. No such luck.

Katara looked down at her watch again. She was going to be late for her flight if she didn’t leave soon. She drank the last of the latte, before standing and taking the empty cup to the counter. “Thanks.”

“One to go?” The dark haired male stood behind the counter. “On the house.” He shrugged and began to fill out the order without her consent. “You look like you could use it.”

Katara smiled slightly, “I really could.”

“So,” The guy turned his back and pumped in the white chocolate syrup. “How late is he?”

“I’m sorry?” Katara raised an eyebrow at the barista.

“Your date.” He nodded to where she had been sitting.

“Oh,” Katara ran a tongue across her teeth. “Too late…”

“Mmm.” The barista nodded in understanding. “Too bad. Looks like he missed out.”

Katara gave a small laugh, “Yeah, on a paid trip, to the coldest place on earth, to be my fake boyfriend. He sure missed out.”

The man laughed and turned back to her. “Paid? Fake boyfriend? Now that is a story I’m willing to listen to.”

“‘Dying’ grandmother, her favorite granddaughter lying to her, grandmother recovers and pleads for her most honest grandchild to bring home a non existent boyfriend.” Katara laughed at her own antics. She ran a hand down her face. “And I leave in an hour. Without a boyfriend.” The barista added an extra amount of whipped cream on top. “Such a wonderful granddaughter I am.”

Golden eyes crinkled in a smile. The red scar over his left eye only now really catching Katara’s attention. The black shag of his hair and thick rimmed black glasses doing an excellent job of hiding the large scar. Katara let her eyes wander down the clad in black man. He was cute. Coffee shop kind of guy cute. And not real-cubicle-paper buried-accountant grandmother was expecting. Katara bit her lip as the barista slid her drink to her. “Maybe this will give you the boost you need to tell the truth.”

Katara smiled and took a sip of the warm drink, “Thanks.”

“You know,” The guy smiled, “You could tell her that you two broke up?”

Katara’s lips turned down and she sucked air through her teeth, “So that boyfriend… He actually proposed to me…”

The golden eyed man laughed, “And you couldn’t say no to an imaginary boyfriend.”

“Exactly! I would hurt his feelings and he would never stop calling or texting,” Katara smiled and shook her head. “And then he would try to get into contact with my friends trying to figure out what he did wrong. Just a messy breakup all around.”

The guy was now laughing with her. “Poor guy.”

“Poor him? Poor me! I have to explain all of this to my grandmother.” Katara raised a hand to her chest in mock offense. “In all honesty, thank you, for the coffee.”

“Free coffee to anyone who can come up with a good as story as that.” The guy tipped his head and turned to scrub the counter behind him.

Katara nodded and turned to leave. She had her hand on the door, then turned back to the counter. “Are you busy this weekend?”

The barista looked surprised and up to her, “Just the normal 10 hour shifts. You know running this coffee shop.”

Katara sighed in defeat. “And there is no one else who could help you here?”

“My uncle who owns…”

“I’ll pay you triple for what you make here.” Katara interrupted him. The barista opened and closed his mouth a few times. “Please, I’m desperate. And I already have the plan ticket. The whole entire trip is paid. Just bring yourself.”

“I don’t…” Black shag swayed over the glasses as the guy shook his head. “Triple?”

“Would it make you feel better if I gave you half upfront?” Katara bargained

The guy ran a tongue over his bottom lip. He stood there thinking for a few moments, looking between her and the sign on the door. “I’d have to stop and grab a bag or something.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Katara waved it off. “We can buy whatever you need when we land.” The guy looked around one more time. “Please.”

The guy slammed his hands on the counter and turned. He began untying his apron. “Fine. You know what… this is crazy.” Black started to walk away from her and into a back room. Katara followed along until the end of the counter. She could hear him mumbling about how he really shouldn’t do this, but it was an adventure. Plus a few days off won’t kill you.

Katara leaned closer to the door as she heard the guy yell for someone about leaving and the shop was theirs for the next few days. Katara let out a deep sigh and practically melted down the wall.

The guy slammed open the door and pointed to her. “This is damned near insane. Why the hell I have convinced myself to do this…” The guy shook his head and started for the door. He held it open for Katara to walk through.

He continued to grumble all the way to the airport. “It’s Zuko by the way.” The guy, Zuko said, as he flipped his phone over in his hand.

“Katara.” Katara pulled into a parking spot at the airport. She turned and looked at Zuko. “Well Zuko,” She closed her mouth and sucked her lips between her teeth. “If you want out of this. Now is your chance. Seriously, I won’t blame you for getting out of the car and…”

“Katara, no, I’ll do it.” Zuko held out a hand to stop her words. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I could kind of use the extra cash.”

“Oh.” Katara gave a breath of relief. “Good. Okay. Then let’s go.”

Katara and Zuko quickly checked Katara’s bags, went through security and all but ran to the terminal. They stopped just as they began boarding the first passengers. Katara quickly pulled out the tickets for their seats. “Just in time.”

They boarded and sat down, Zuko taking the window seat. “So, maybe we should start about who you are?” Katara pulled out a notebook. “You can read over these notes. It’s just the few things. Things I know I told my grandmother.” Katara buckled in and rummaged through her purse quickly for a pen. “We can write out a few more. You know if you need…”

“An accountant?” Zuko scratched back of his head. “Beach house in Gaoling?” Katara bit her lip and nodded.”How did you not give away a name?”

“Well…” Katara laughed, “We only talked about my boyfriend.. You… a handful of times. You know since she was in the hospital she couldn’t talk long. So details were very vague.” Katara looked down the airplane’s aisle as it began take off.

Zuko laughed and looked over to Katara. “I sound like a take-home-to-your-mother type of guy.”

“Well not mother.” Katara took in a deep breath. “It’s only Dad, Sokka my brother, then there is Suki, Sokka’s wife and my best friend. She is the only one who know the truth.” Katara pulled out her phone as she felt the airplane even out. She pulled up a picture of the last family holiday photo. “Then there is Gran Gran, my grandmother.”

“Ah, the famous grandmother.” Zuko laughed and leaned over to look at the phone. “Well you are all definitely related.”

Katara laughed, “Thank you?”

“So this is it?” Zuko looked down to the scribbled notes in his hand. “Okay. It’s not too bad. Though we might have a problem with the baking. Everything I touch in the kitchen turns to ash.”

Katara laughed at this, “But you work in a coffee shop.”

“Yeah?” Zuko shrugged his shoulders. “I work with coffee. And any pastries we have we buy off the bakery three doors down. All I have to do is microwave them.”

“Well now that explains why I thought that muffin tastes familiar.” Katara joked, elbowing Zuko.

Zuko chuckled, “Ha, sorry to disappoint.” Katara only shook her head. “So, my soon-to-be bride, tell me about you. If I asked to marry you, I had to have a good reason.”

“Picky are you?” Katara’s face was starting to hurt with all of this real smiling. “You mean you don’t walk into a random place and beg for someone to propose to you? Shame.”

Zuko laughed, “Glad I’m marrying someone with a sense of humor.”

Katara blushed slightly at the compliment. She locked down at her grey pencil skirt and brushed out the wrinkles. “Well, I am a psychiatrist. I mainly work with children who have been abused.”

“Wow.” Zuko sobered at that. “That’s kind of surprising.”

“What do you mean?”

“You are so…” Zuko scratched the back of his neck. “You just look like a receptionist or some sort of secretary to a man in a big tower.”

“Oh, no. I used to,” Katara folded her hands in her lap, “But then I got my own practice and i moved on.”

“So why psychology?” Zuko asked now turning some what in his seat to look at Katara.

Katara blew out a breath, “I once knew a kid who was locked in a closet for ten years.” Katara peaked over to the barista. “And his thoughts and the things he did, well they surprised me. I wanted to know more. I guess so much so, I ended up working for him. In a big tower.”

Zuko smiled, “Well, I think I could marry someone who helps others. What else?”

“Um, I’m 26. I live alone. And I give my grandmother reasons to believe that I actually had someone interested in a workaholic.” Katara ticked off the things on her fingers.

“Ah, well, I’m 28. I traveled for quite a while before settling and helping out my uncle. And I have a sister who runs a family business, because my father knew I wasn’t cut out for that type of work.” Zuko mimicked Katara’s motions.

“As an accountant. I’m impressed.” Katara smiled. “So what were you looking for in all of this traveling?”

“An adventure,” Zuko chuckled. “Little did I know, I would just need to work for my uncle a few months to get it.”

Katara laughed at this. “Well thank you. For helping me with all of this. Seriously.”

“How could I say no?” Zuko folded the piece of paper and stuck it into his pocket.

The two talked the rest of the way, constantly bringing up the fake relationship. But they truly got to know each other before they landed. Katara was in slight surprise at how relaxed she was beginning to feel around Zuko.

Zuko called a cab as Katara picked up her bags from the baggage claim. Zuko helped load the cab as they made their way to a supercenter. “Get anything you need. I’ll go find a suitcase for you to put it the stuff in.” Katara pointed in the direction she was going to go, giving him time to himself. Zuko nodded and headed towards the clothing section. Katara called Suki immediately as soon as she was out of hearing distance.

“Judging by the time, are you almost here?” Suki answered on the second ring.

“Not quite.” Katara bit her lip. “We had to stop and buy a few things.”

“Why?” Katara could practically hear the eyebrow raise. “I told him to bring a bag.”

“Right…” Katara smiled. “Jet wasn’t the one to come with me.”

“Oh my gah!” Suki stage whispered in Katara’s ear. “What did you pick up the first male you came across?”

“Kind of?” Katara walked down the aisle of suitcases. “He was the barista. And I just… kind of asked him.” Katara looked around, like mentioning Zuko would make him appear. “He laughed at my misery and well… He came with me.”

Suki was laughing so hard she had snorted. “Oh my gah’d this is actually working.”

“Shut up!” Katara pulled down a plain black suitcase. She tilted her head as she rolled it through the aisle. “I need to go though. Have to make sure my fake fiance didn’t run off.” Katara ended a call to a still laughing Suki.

When Katara found Zuko he had only a handbasket half-full of things. Katara could see a pair of jeans and a few tshirts, a phone charger, toiletries and a few other small items. Katara looked Zuko over. “That’s it?”

Zuko looked down at the basket confused. “Uh yeah. It’s just for two days right?”

“Yes, but…” Katara looked through the basket.

“Then I don’t need very much.” Zuko kept the basket held out to her. He looked down to the suitcase she had picked out. “That’s too much…”

“We can go pick out a different one. I didn’t know you wouldn’t need this much stuff.” Katara bit the side of her lip.

Zuko followed after Katara as they went back and pulled out a duffle bag instead of the suitcase. Zuko grabbed Katara’s hand after he hand thrown the duffle bag strap over his shoulder. “Let’s go find you an engagement ring.”

“Zuko that’s not.” Katara started but he waved her off.

“It’s on me.” Zuko led her to the small jewelry section. “No fake or real fiancee of mine will be walking around ring less.”

Once they both agreed on a small rose gold band with a single topaz jewel. It was simple but Katara loved it. “My grandfather gave my grandmother a necklace he made himself.”

“I’m sure he had a little more time than I did to propose.” Zuko joked as they rang up the items. “Next time I propose to you I’ll make you whatever you want.”

“Mmm… Another one of those white chias?” Katara’s mouth watered thinking of it.

Zuko laughed and nodded. He grabbed all of the bags and they headed out towards the cab. They quickly pulled off price tags off the clothes and stuffed the duffle bag. When they reached the house it was well past midnight but there was movement behind the curtains of the living room.

“This is us.” Katara paid the driver and Zuko began unloading Katara’s bags from the trunk.

“It was only for two days right?” Zuko laughed as he slung the small of the two bags over his other shoulder. He pulled the rolling bag along behind him.

“Yeah?” Katara gave a small grimace. “Thanks for carrying.”

Katara walked up the steps of the small white house. She turned to look over her shoulder to Zuko one last time before she reached and opened the door. “I’m home.” Katara called out.

“Katara!” Suki was the first to stand but Sokka beat Suki to hug Katara.

“Sis! Spirits, I’ve missed you.” Sokka pulled Katara tighter to him. Katara returned the hug. “And who is this?” Katara looked over her shoulder to Zuko who stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Is this the guy?”

Katara smiled and nodded. She bit her lip as Zuko pushed the thick rims farther up his nose. “Sokka this is Zuko my fiance.” Katara purposely showing off her new ring to a bright eyed Suki. “Zuko, this is my brother, Sokka and his wife. Suki.” Katara watched as Zuko gave a small wave.

“Let me show you guys to your room. Gran Gran and dad are already asleep.” Suki pulled Katara away from Sokka. “Honey, why don’t you help Zuko with those bags?” Suki and Katara walked side by side down the hall to the guest room. “Kat, that guy is gorgeous.”

“I know.” Katara whispered back to her sister-in-law. “And he’s cheap. Plus did you get a good look at this ring?” Katara held it out for both to gaze at. “I don’t want to give it back.”

“I wouldn’t be.” Suki giggled, she held onto Katara’s hand tilting it different ways to catch the light. “You guys will have to sleep in the same bed though. Uncle Bumi ended up coming in and crashing in the den.”

“You serious?” Katara wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure it will be fine…” Katara looked over her shoulder to see Sokka knocking arms with Zuko. Zuko only gave a half smile and nodded to whatever her brother was telling him.

“Well, here you are. If you need anything.” Suki opened the guest bedroom door. “Katara can get it for you. And due to an unexpected guest. We have to ask you guys to share a room. Sorry.”

Zuko looked to Katara with a small shrug. “It’s okay. I slept on many floors before.”

“What too cheap, Mr. Accountant?” Sokka jokes.

Zuko looked confused for a half a second before blinking and letting out a quiet chuckle. “Funny. No, I actually traveled a lot before going to university.”

“We’ll see you in the morning.” Suki grabbed her husband and pulled them down the hallway to their room.

“Right.” Katara began opening her bags and laying out items for bed. “The bathroom is the last door on the left down the hall if you’d like to change.”

“Yeah thanks.” Zuko dropped Katara’s other bag by the door and quickly made his way down the hallway.

Katara listened to the creaky boards as he walked and listened for the door to close before changing into a pair of shorts and old tshirt. She slid into the bed and far against the wall giving Zuko plenty of room to slid in next to her.

When Zuko came back wearing a red tshirt they had bought and his black jeans from work. He swayed from foot to foot for a minute before grabbing the pillow next to Katara. Katara was quick to sit up. “Zuko. Just get in the bed. I may be paying you to be here but I’m not paying for your chiropractor bill.” Zuko looked from the space on the bed to the floor beside it. Katara patted the bed twice, before Zuko gave in and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Is it okay if I sleep in my boxers?” Zuko whispered. “I didn’t think to grab…”

Katara blushed and turned towards the wall. “That’s fine.” She listened as Zuko moved around and clicked off the light. Katara felt the bed move slightly as Zuko slid under the covers. And even though Katara’s heart had sped up. She was quick to realize how it seemed to slow and as the warmth of Zuko washed over her, she fell asleep.

The next morning, Katara woke to still feel that warmth. Except now closer. There was a nice weight slung over her waist and warm breath blew on her forehead. Katara briefly contemplated moving or just staying there for the rest of the day. Zuko took a deep breath in and Katara felt the arm over her waist twist slightly and pull her body closer to Zuko’s. When he released his breath, it tickled the baby hairs of her ear.

Katara hadn’t ever remembered a more relaxed morning. She opened her eyes and watched Zuko for a moment. The red scar almost beautiful against the sea foam green sheets. He should really ditch the glasses.  Katara’s heart stuttered as Zuko slowly opened his eyes. Dark gold greeted her. His eyebrow furrowed slightly in confusion. “Morning.”

“Mmm.” Zuko closed his eyes again. Then as if she were fire he pulled back. A chill ran over where his arm had draped over her waist. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. But we should get up.” Katara said as she began to push away the covers.

The two changed quickly, taking turns in the bathroom. They made it to the dining room table hand in hand. The a perfect couple. “Morning!” Suki called from the kitchen.

Katara could smell pancakes and her mouth watered. “Morning.”

Zuko sat down in one of the empty chairs and before Katara could pull away he tugged on her arm. Katara looked down to him confused. Zuko looked slightly confused too. So he let her hand go and shook his head.

“Hey lovebirds!” Sokka called out. “What do you want to drink?”

“Orange juice?” Katara looked to Zuko, who only shrugged. “And make it two!” Katara turned to the newspaper. “Morning, dad.” The newspaper folded down slightly. Her dad nodded and folded the paper back up. Katara leaned in close to whisper to Zuko. “Don’t ever interrupt dad during his morning paper.”

Zuko watched a sneaky smile slide on to Katara’s face. Zuko was surprised at how relaxed the atmosphere was around here. Zuko couldn’t remember the last time he had ever felt home. But here he sat in a stranger’s home, getting paid to be in a fake relationship.

“Where do you plan on taking your beau today, Kitten?” A voice rang out from down the hall. There was a soft shuffling before Zuko saw the older lady.

Katara quickly moved to hug her grandmother. “No idea. Maybe a little bit of everywhere, Gran Gran.”

Katara moved alongside the older lady and helped her into the chair beside Zuko. The lady reached over and patted his hand. “You two should go to the rose dome. It’s beautiful this time of year.”

Katara looked down sadly at her grandmother as she stood beside Zuko. Katara looped an arm over Zuko’s shoulder leaning in to him. “Gran Gran, the rose dome closed.”

“Oh?” Gran Gran blinked and smiled slightly. “You know this old head of mine, it just doesn’t remember like it use to.”

Katara leaned over and kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “I’ll take him to where it use to be. I promise.”

“Breakfast is served.” Sokka called out as Suki and him laid out multiple plates piled with pancakes.

The day went as promised to Gran Gran. Katara took Zuko out to all of the places she loved to visit when she stayed here. Katara was yet again surprised at how easy the conversation flowed between them.

“So,” Katara bumped Zuko’s shoulder with her own. “Not to put a downer on the conversation but…” Katara licked at the blueberry ice cream in her hand. “I was thinking… we could stage a little break up in tonight before we go to bed.”

Zuko’s eyebrows shot up, “What?”

“Yeah,” Katara shrugged. “You know so you don’t have to fake marry me and be here for every holiday for the rest of your life. I figured we could figure out something?”

Zuko nodded and bit into his ice cream. Katara wrinkled her nose at the action. “Okay then… And we are suppose to just sleep in the same bed? Oh gauds… I’ll have to face your brother… and your dad… Can’t we just break up after?”

“No!” Katara shook her head. “Don’t worry about Sokka or my dad. I’ll get them to calm down. As for the bed thing.” Katara reached into her bag and pulled out a credit card. “You can find a hotel and I’ll give you a plane ticket when we get back. You’ll get mad and leave. I’ll cry a few tears. And bang. We are broken up. You’ll be 875 dollars richer and I’ll be back to single.”

Zuko bit into the cone with a hum. “So what do we argue about?”

“Well lucky for us the walls aren’t too thin, so we could argue about how you eat ice cream.” Katara nodded her head in the direction of his half eaten cone.

“What’s wrong with the way I eat my ice cream?” Zuko took another bite of the sugar cone.

“You actually eat it!” Katara licked at a drop of the melting ice cream in her hand. “How do you not get a brain freeze?”

Zuko laughed. Katara joined him. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed this easily with someone. They slowly made their way back to the house. The sun was beginning to set and dinner would soon be on the table.

When they walked in they were surprised to see the others just now sitting down to the table. “Just in time.” Gran Gran called out.

Zuko walked behind Katara with a hand on her lower back. And went behind her as she leaned to give her grandmother a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry, we were out so late. Zuko seemed it really enjoy it.” Katara looked over to him with a smile.

“I did.” Zuko nodded and pulled out the chair next to Gran Gran for Katara to sit. “Maybe I should trade in that beach house for a place around here?”

“Bro, no.” Sokka piped up. “Trust me, keep the beach house.”

Suki slapped her husband playfully on the shoulder. “Zuko, I would love to see more of my sister in law. With her big city practice, we don’t nearly see enough of her.” Suki looked over to Katara.

Katara rolled her eyes and sat down beside Zuko. “Yes, but then we would never have a reason to go the city?”

Zuko automatically reached over and took Katara’s hand. Katara looked down at their joined hands with a small shock. Her eyes finding Zuko’s quickly. He only smiled. “Yes, that big city.” Zuko gave her a look to go along with it and a slight shrug that was almost non-existent.

Katara glared slightly but pulled on a fake smile and took a deep breath. She picked up her glass and whispered, “Don’t push it.”

“Right.” Katara’s dad called out. The dinner started and with a few purposeful bumps in the conversation, the dinner went just as planned.

“Katara can I talk to you…” Zuko said as he wiped off his mouth. “Alone.”

“Alright, we get it. You two don’t have to do dishes…” Sokka started and Hakoda raised an eyebrow at his son.

Katara ran a tongue over her teeth. “Sure. We’ll be back.” Katara pushed back her chair in faked irritation. She grabbed onto Zuko’s arm and tugged him from the dining room. The entered the guest room with smiles. “That went way too well.” Katara closed the door loudly.

“I’m still afraid I’m going to find a shotgun to my forehead when i leave this room.” Zuko laughed quietly. “Something about HOME.”

Katara took the hint, as Zuko shrugged. “You have EVERYTHING?” Katara looked over to the duffle bag Zuko was stuffing. “I have the plane tickets and my card.”

“SO THIS IS HOW IT’S GOING TO GO?!” Zuko lifted his voice as he took the ticket and card. “You sure this is okay?”

“Yes,” Katara looked up to Zuko with a smile. “ZUKO PLEASE, be safe and thank YOU. For doing this. SERIOUSLY saved ME!”

Zuko stepped forward and hugged Katara. “I’M SORRY, that I CAN’T stay longer. This was fun.”

Katara stepped back, something in her chest giving a twinge. A sadness she didn’t know she would feel settled in. “Just shred the card when your DONE!”

Zuko nodded and picked up his bag. “THIS IS IT!” He leaned into whisper to her. “Will I not see you tomorrow?”

“No.” Katara shook her head. “I’ll take an early flight. It’ll be FINE!”

Zuko nodded, “FINE!”

Zuko took his que to leave and stormed out. Katara heard Gran Gran call out for Zuko and ask him what was the matter. Suki was the first to Katara’s door. Her mouth opened but a smile tugging at her lip. Katara winked then burst into tears. Suki took the hint and wrapped Katara in a hug.

Thirty minutes later and many tears later, Katara laid in her bed. The blankets tucked around her and a fresh Gran Gran kiss placed on her head. “Don’t worry too much sweetheart. They come and they go. Look at your grandfather. He was a very stupid man.”

Katara smiled up sadly to her grandmother. “Thanks, Gran Gran.” She turned over and faced the bedroom wall. Katara listened as her grandmother shuffle out. She sighed a turned over in the darkened room. Loneliness setting in.

When Katara woke the next morning, she was cold. Instantly missing the heat of Zuko. She sighed and quickly got up to change. Her plane was to leave at 6 and she still needed to pack since she didn’t last night.

Katara sluggishly got around. She cringed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her reflection looked horrible. Pink puffy eyes and hair falling completely from her top knot. Katara quickly ran through her morning routine and walked into the living room.

Gran Gran was sitting in her arm chair with a small tea cup. “Morning. Early flight?”

Katara gave a small smile, “Yeah, I actually need to be leaving now.”

Katara’s grandmother stood and walked to her favorite grandchild. She pushed Katara’s chin up, “Keep smiling child. Maybe one day he will realize his mistake. Hmm?”

The younger nodded and wrapped Gran Gran in a hug. “I love you. We will talk as soon as I land.”

Her grandmother and a groggy Suki walked her out to the cab. Suki gave her a hug. “Tell Zuko I said hi and that he is welcome back anytime.”

Katara smiled to her sister in law. “Ha, I’m not stepping a foot into that coffee shop ever again.” Katara’s shoulders slumped, “Which is a real shame. That was some of the best coffee.”

Suki laughed and said one last goodbye to Katara. Katara waved to her family as the cab pulled away.

Katara checked her bag into security and walked to the nearest coffee vendor. She pulled out her phone as she sat in one of the seats of her terminal.

“One to go?”

Katara jumped in her seat, nearly spilling the coffee. She turned to see Zuko sitting a few chairs down behind her. Happiness instantly flooded her. “Sadly, I had to pay for this one.”

Zuko laughed and made his way to sit beside her. “So how late do you think this plane will be?”

Katara smiled and looked to Zuko over her cup, “Mmm, at least long enough for you to give a fake proposal.”

The smile never left Zuko’s face as he pulled her left hand to him. Zuko kneeled down in front of her with the fake engagement ring between his fingers. “How about a real proposal? Not for marriage!” Zuko quickly pointed out when midnight blue eyes got wide. “But… A girlfriend proposal.” Katara tilted her head in confusion.

“Katara, I have spent a total of 36 hours with you. And there was never a dull moment.” Zuko chuckled to himself, “I traveled this whole world looking for an adventure. I also hoped to meet someone. Someone who would make me smile and laugh. Someone who would take me on an adventure. Someone who I could take on an adventure. Someone who when I look back in thirty years I’ll instantly remember all the fun we had. And these past few hours have been exactly that.” Zuko took a deep breath in, “So, I am asking, Katara, will you be my girlfriend?”

Katara felt a burst of over excitement in her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes as she started nodding. “For real?”

“Well, we’ve already done the fake relationship.” Zuko smirked and raised the ring to her finger. “So a real one now would be nice. “You know, if you’ll say yes?”

“Yes!” Katara blurted out. Zuko slid on the ring and Katara all but tackled him to the ground in a hug. People around them clapped and a few called out their congratulations.

Zuko slowly helped Katara to her feet. “Is it bad luck that I used the same ring?”

Katara laughed and never in her whole laugh had she ever felt as happy as she did in that moment.

Well until of course their wedding day, when they would re-encounter all of the memories during their vows.

Thanks for the prompt!

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Mutilated Mannequin (Final Part)

Katara doesn’t see much of Azula for the next few weeks. With her lawsuit in full swing, she only gets to see the girl in class and only gets to have real conversations with her during lunch, that is if she is in school at all. A good handful of her court dates seem to take place during school hours. When she does have a day off, she spends it catching up on home and classwork. Katara feels awful for her, she doesn’t seem to have any breaks. Not that it seems to bother her, she has mentioned once or twice that it helps keep her mind off of things to be bogged down with assignments. 

And, for what it’s worth, the trials are going flawlessly. Between her own testimonies and those of her former surgone’s, Katara doubts that Kho has a chance. 

Azula sits down next to her and hands her a brownie. It smells heavenly and looks just as amazing. She has topped it with a strawberry and a zigzag of chocolate syrup. Katara gives it a taste, finding that the flavor is absolutely rich. “I didn’t realize that you were so good at cooking.” 

“I have many talents.” Azula shrugs. “Hidden or otherwise.” She smiles, and this time the smile reaches the right side of her face too. It doesn’t seem to span as wide, but it is reassuring all the same. She can only imagine how thrilling that it must be for Azula. 

She takes Azula’s hand, “is everything still going well with the trials.” 

“Very.” Azula confirms. “We’ll be wrapping them up by the end of the week. And once I win I plan on celebrating with a trip to the mall. I promised that I’d buy TyLee a certain dress. She doesn’t know it yet…”

“Why are you suing him if you can already pay for the damages yourself?” Chan asks upon sitting down.

“Spite.” Mai answers for her. “A good old fashion vendetta. I admire that.”

Yue drops into her chair next. She looks Azula over, “I think that your face looks less fucked up today.” She comments. 

Katara has never seen her girlfriend look less amused. 

“Like, that was a compliment.” Yue says.

“You have a way with words.” Azula grumbles. 

“I’m like one of those old guys that writes poetry. What are they called?”

Katara catches Toph giving her a thumbs up across the table, she can’t imagine why. 

Azula inhales deeply and casts an almost pleading look at Katara. 

“Poets.” Katara replies. “They’re called poets.” 

Yue bursts out laughing. “Oh you guys should see the looks on your faces!” 

“Does that mean that you know what a poet is?” Suki asks.

Yue nods, “Toph said that it would be funny to pretend like I didn’t.” 

“And you thought that it would be a good idea to lead into that by insulting Azula’s face?” Chan asks. 

Azula gives a dismissive wave. “She hurt herself too.” 

“I did not.”

“Yue, you just found out that we all think you really are that airheaded.” Katara pointed out. 

“Oh.” She says softly. “Oh…” 

“Wo-ow” Chan rolls his eyes.

Katara chuckles to herself. She wonders what she would have had to say about this a year prior. She can’t imagine that a younger her would have ever anticipated sitting at a table with this clique--with Yue--muchless, having a pleasant conversation with her. She couldn’t have predicted it any more than she would have guessed than Azula would be giving her little handmade gifts.  Azula, who she had kind of just assumed was just like every other arrogant rich girl in the school. Katara supposes that maybe she had been, at least to a degree…

.oOo.

Katara wears a look, a distant one that Azula has trouble interpreting. “What are you thinking about?” She asks. 

“Just that it’s kind of weird to be sitting here.”

Azula tilts her head but TyLee is the one who poses the question, “what do you mean, you fit in just fine.”

“No, no, I mean…” She pauses, what does she mean? “I just didn’t think that you guys would think that I’m...cool.”

Another burst of laughter from Yue, followed by an, “oh, no, don’t get any of us wrong, you’re still a major dork.” She pauses. “Like that key chain you always carry around with you and that dumb dolphin notebook...dork stuff. All of it. And only nerds like science and outer space.”

Azula opens her mouth. 

“Oh, you were under the impression that we didn’t think you were also a dork this whole time.” She gives it a moment to sink in. “Yeah, even before the surgeries...total…” she jabs her finger against Azula’s forehead. “Geek.”

“I hate you.” Azula grumbles. 

“Tell her, Chan!” Yue exclaims. 

He rubs the back of his head, “yeah, you’re pretty much a dork.” He seems to consider for a moment. “But with style and personality.” 

Azula looks at TyLee who remains quiet. “You think so to don’t you?” 

TyLee nuzzles her cheek against Azula’s. “Yeah, just a little.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asks stiffly. 

“Because you’re kind of scary.” Mai shrugs. Even she laughs, “geez, you look so victimized right now.” 

“I’m just trying to eat my lunch and you’re telling me that I’ve been a nerd this whole time.” Azula replies. 

“Correct.” Yue nods. 

“But you’re a cool nerd.” Toph punches her bicep. 

“This whole time…” Azula whispers to herself. This whole time and yet they had treated her like she belonged. Like she was the leader of their posse. She looks to Katara. 

“They’re your friends.” Katara shrugs. “And they’re all like you.”

“This is what we’ve been trying to tell you.” Chan says. “We didn’t keep you around because you had looks and money. We talk to you because you’re you. I don’t think that I’ve met anyone quite like you before.” 

Suddenly the jesting gives way to something less entertaining. “Is that a good thing?” 

“You get all of these straight A’s but, Jesus, you’re clueless about people.” Mai replies. 

“It’s a good thing.” TyLee smiles. 

Azula’s smile is significantly more sheepish when it comes back, “I suppose that that’s good to know.” 

“Sounds like things are getting deep and gushy over here.” Jet remarks. “Christ, I leave for a few weeks and all of you hop aboard the dweeb train. And you’re trying to make it sound cute and quirky.” 

“Fuck off, Jet.” Chan grumbles. 

“I guess, with a face like that you have to settle for mediocre.” Jet eyes Katara.

“I’m not dating you.” Azula tries to raise a brow, momentarily forgetting that she can no longer do so. Instead she quirks the left one. 

“Yeah, but I bought you a gift anyways.” He drops a doll onto the table and turns it over. The plastic is gashed and beaten; clearly the boy had taken a screwdriver and possibly a hammer to its face. “Just thought I’d give you a doll that looks like you, we’re all about inclusivity here, right lads?” He asks of his new gang. 

Azula takes the mutilated doll, almost feeling sorry for it. 

“So what’s worse?” He asks Smellerbee, “plastic or broken plastic.” 

“It’s all fake, Jet. At least when it’s not broken, it looks good.” Smellerbee shrugs. 

Chan rises, but Azula holds him in place. “I can speak for myself, Chan.”

“Then do it?” Yue says.

“I could.” Azula replies. “I could remind Jet that he used to shove crayons up his own nose when he got mad. I could remind him that I remember every secret he shared when we were kids.” 

He goes tense. 

“And the ones he told me last year.” She turns to Smellerbee. “Has he shown you this picture yet?” She scrolls through her phone and finds the image she’d taken when they had gone to the beach that summer. “My dad had to drive into town and buy him new trunks because he couldn’t seem to find his.” 

Azula thinks that the color in his face is in equal parts anger and humiliation. She digs through her shoulder bag and pulls out a red crayon. She holds it out to him, “you look pretty angry.” 

.oOo.

Toph is still laughing as they wander down the hallway, her face red with it. Occasionally she slaps a locker in delight. Not that Katara isn’t feeling exactly the same. To know that Jet is probably feeling exactly as sick as he made her feel during homecoming. 

She wonders how he had forgotten that he had told Azula so many embarrassing things about himself…

She can’t help but feel somewhat sad. Dreary at the realization that he and Azula had been that close at one point. That they had been friends since they were children young enough to do ridiculous things like shove crayons into their noses in protest. 

“It kind of sucks, doesn’t it?”

“What?” Toph asks.

“That he used to be just another silly kid and now look at him.” 

“Don’t get all sappy on me now, Katara!” Toph declares. “We just had a great victory.” 

“Yeah...I guess.”

“And you’re going to have another one in a few hours!” 

It takes her a moment to realize that Toph is referring to the astronomy club. She spends the next several hours crossing her fingers and shooting silent prayers. She is jittery and antsy when she arrives in the classroom after hours. Azula slips into the chair next to her. “Nervous?”

Katara nods. 

“Don’t be.” 

Katara swallows. But how can she not be. This is her entire future. Her best opportunity to help bring her family out of a tight spot. 

Pathik, awkward as ever stumbles before the whiteboard. He haphazardly lays down an arm full of papers and certificates. “So glad that you can all be here for our last meeting before winter break. This year, has been the most impressive yet. There are more faces here today than I’ve ever seen in this club. It’s wonderful to see so many people enthusiastic about the mysteries of our galaxy.” He pauses. “There have been so many grand achievements this year. We have people who didn’t know a lick about astronomy suddenly passing my class with perfect test scores.” He holds up a slip of paper and a hand held telescope with a painted silver moon. “Improvement like that is just as important as those who had straight A’s from the start.” He makes his way to Yue’s desk and sets the certificate and telescope in front of her. “After I announce the honorable mentions and winners of our NIR-Ex trip and scholarship, we’ll celebrate you achievement by going moon gazing!” 

Yue’s face lights up. 

He leans towards Yue and says quieter, “you and I both know that you have a brilliant mind, you ought to show it to people.” 

He makes his way back to the front of the classroom. “It truly was hard to choose the winner of the scholarship and NIR-Ex trip. I have two pupils who are just as worthy. That is why I pushed for a double prize. NIR-Ex labs has been kind enough to allow two people to attend. Unfortunately, there will be only one recipient of the Lake Laogai scholarship.” 

Katara feels her face grow clammy. “Azula and Katara, I am pleased to tell you that your next date will be at NIR-Ex.” 

Katara rolls her eyes at the smoochy faces Yue and Sneers make as she and Azula walk to the front of the classroom.

“The two of you have been stellar pupils!” Pathik declares. “Absolute stars!” 

Katara can’t even count the number of eye rolls that has earned him. 

“I truly do wish that I could pick both of you.” He pauses. “Congratulations Azula...”

Katara’s stomach reels. She wants to be happy for her girlfriend...she truly does. But she feels sick to her stomach. Nauseous as she smiles at Azula and pulls her into a congratulatory hug. Nauseous as she breaks the news to her mother and father.

She tells them not to be spiteful towards Azula when she brings her over next.

.oOo. 

“Can I talk to you about something?” Azula asks. There is a tension in the air and it makes her uncomfortable. She hasn’t seen Katara since winter break began and it is beginning to eat away at her. “There’s a gazebo in the park if you want to meet there.” She doesn’t tell Katara that she is already sitting there. She just hopes that the other girl will show up. 

Her hands tremble and it is not entirely the fault of the frosty gusts that rattle the gazebo. Azula fidgets with the garland that lines the gazebo railing a shimmer of silver and gold. 

“Hey.” Katara greets. Her eyes look puffy and forlorn. 

Azula adjusts her hat and returns the greeting. 

“What did you want to talk about?”

She pats the spot on the bench next to her and Katara sits. “A few things.” 

“I’m not mad at you.” Katara says quickly. “You worked really hard for that scholarship.” 

“Yes.” Azula replies. “But I can pay the tuition in full…” She trails off. “I can’t give you the scholarship, but I can give you this.”  She slides Katara an envelope. 

“Azula…” She trails off. “I can’t take this.” 

“Then pretend like Kho is paying for it...technically he is.” She shrugs. 

“But this is your compensation.” 

Azula shrugs. “Father takes care of me well enough.” 

Azula has never seen such a wide smile on any one person’s face. That hopeful and excited glimmer in Katara’s eyes as she pulls her into what is probably the tightest hug that she has ever received is a gift. “I was going to wait until Christmas but I didn’t want you to mope around for our entire break. It would have been bothersome.”  

“I love you too, Azula.” Katara chuckles. She wipes at her eye. “What else did you have to tell me?” 

Azula takes a deep breath. “I’m going to get it fixed.” 

Katara cocks her head. 

She gestures to her face. “I talked to my old surgone, he does medical surgeries too. It won’t happen for at least a year, but I’m going to have some reversal surgery.” 

“Azula.” Katara’s brows scrunch. “I thought that you were going to try to…”

“I am trying to accept myself.” Azula replies. “That’s why I’m having him bring my face back, my old face. Before the first surgeries.” She pauses. “It’s not a cosmetic thing this time. It’s…” she thinks for a moment, “it’s like having your face fixed after a bad car accident. He says that correcting some of the damaged facial structures will give me more movement again.” 

Katara nods, seeming to accept the explanation, but she isn’t quite done. “He says that the surgery won’t remove the scars and some of the lumps might still be there. That I can get a cosmetic procedure done to have those fixed…”

“Are you going to?” 

Azula shakes her head. “Just the one that will help me get more movement in my face. I don’t mind the scars.” 

“Or the lumps?” 

“Those bother me.” She confesses. “But I suppose that  I’ll get over it. If Zuzu can get over whatever is going on with his face, I can do the same.” 

“Really?” Katara laughs. “You’re bringing him into this one.”

“I’ll insult him at every opportunity, it’s what the two of us do.” She pauses. “And I have to make the most of it because he’s moving in with mother this summer. He says that his dream college is closer to her home.” 

“Why does he want to go to school so far away?” 

“Uncle teaches there.” She replies. “Culinary arts.” 

Katara nods. 

“Anyways, I’m staying because there has to be at least one ‘wild hormonal teenage nightmare’ to drive father mad...and make sure he keeps going to his therapy appointments.” She pauses. “Oh and there also might be someone else worth sticking around for.” 

“I’m glad that you’re sticking around. I don’t know if I can tolerate Yue without you.” 

“Of course not.” Azula tucks her bangs behind her ears. 

“I guess things are going to be different next year…” Katara gazes up at the ceiling of the gazebo.

“Things are going to be different after winter break.” She shrugs. “Hopefully this time they’ll be a good different. “ Katara leans into her and Azula strokes the top of her head. 

“You’re wearing gloves this time.” Katara notes. “I think that they will be...a good different, I mean.”

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Wan High Weeping (Part 34)

TFW when windows updates completely obliterates your laptops drivers and internal hardware and you’re stuck using your mom’s computer until she needs to take it back.

I present to ya’ll Fanfiction: Speed Round. I had to pump this thing out lightning fast so, apologies if the chapter isn’t as good. There was some stuff I wanted to add more details too but my mom was practically leaning over my shoulder.

It was all so overwhelming, really. TyLee felt almost as disoriented as she had during the party itself. Sure she had helped Katara but she couldn’t help but feel as though what happened had been partially her responsibility. If she would have only found the courage to speak up about her own mishap. Then Jet might have been locked up before he even had the chance to start spreading his sabotaging rumors. She wished that she had told someone, anyone. At least one person. And Katara had almost paid the price for her cowardice. She took a deep breath, she had to think about it different, had to focus on what she had done right, lest she eat herself alive with guilt. She had yelled at Chan, she had recorded enough to prove a case.

She only wished that she had caught Chan wailing on Jet too. Take care of two school terrors in one graceful sweep. But she had stopped recording and hid her phone instead. It was becoming apparent  that she wasn’t much of a risk taker.

 She sat quietly for a long while as the police filled out some paperwork. They let her hang onto her phone but she wasn’t in the mood for texting. She didn’t really have anyone to text. Mai had left her behind again, the girl was on a streak of doing so. Katara was busy in the hospital, probably still out cold. Sokka was in a holding cell, probably next to the one Jet would fill once he got the medical attention that he didn’t deserve. And Suki, she didn’t know her well enough to confide in her.

 The door opened and she braced herself for a stream of uncomfortable questions. The man entered with a clipboard and a pen. He seated himself at the other end of the desk and laid his papers out. “Are you fine with answering some questions for me?”

 TyLee nodded. Better to get things over with.

 “From the beginning, can you describe the incident to the best of your ability tell me what happened last night.”

 TyLee thought for a moment. She just hoped that it wasn’t too late. “Last night wasn’t the beginning.” She took a deep breath. “I’d like to report another incident.”

 The man inclined his head. “And what would that be?”

 “Last year, I was…I was raped during a homecoming party, by the same guy from last night.”

 “And why didn’t you report this?”

 Her face crinkled unpleasantly. “I was scared.”

 The man nodded, “mmhm.” The response of a skeptic. She wished that the police officer assigned to her was female. But he surprised her. “That will complicate things some, but if we can prove him guilty of the most recent assault we can probably get him for past crimes.” He paused. “Did you, by chance, seek any medical attention after your assault?”

 “Sort of.” TyLee mumbled. “I bought a pregnancy test. I also went to have a check up, but I told the doctor that it was consensual.” She wanted to cry, if anything she had set herself up to fail.

 The man nodded. “I’ll see to it that someone looks into that. It is my understanding that you have recorded evidence that will help us with the most recent case—and by extension, your own.”

 “I do.” She replied.

 “May I take a look?”

 She handed him her phone.

 “Sokka isn’t in too much trouble, is he?”

 “He is an adult who had beaten a minor.”

 “He was defending his sister!” She didn’t mean to take her anger out on the man who seemed to be on her side.

 “Yes, this case has a lot of layers and grey areas. Which is why I’m going to need a lot of help here. Is it okay if I pull you out of class, on Monday? Perhaps a few other days as well.”

 “That would be fine.”

“For now, we will bring you in as a witness. After this case is settled, we can talk about bringing you to court as the plaintiff.”

 TyLee nodded, the offer was better than none at all. At least they would humor her.

 .oOo.

 Monday morning was drab and then hectic and then dull again. She drove herself to school, dwelling all too much on what she could have done. Homeroom with Kyoshi was a bore and did little to keep her mind from wandering. Wandering and replaying things that were mercifully fuzzy and then things that were so very painfully vivid. The sight of Katara laying topless and motionless haunted her almost more than the muddled sensory tidbits of her own assault. Time had taken at least some of the edge off of those memories. And an unhealthy dissociation from the event, did the rest. But the more she thought about Katara laying there, the easier it was to plaster her face and body onto the memory. She bit her lip and tried to focus on the autobiography assignment.

The assignment!

She had written all about the Halloween party in that notebook. For a moment she was thrilled, she had a paper copy of her account already written, and nearly right after everything had taken place. Her mind brightened again, because she recalled her diary. The diary she had been keeping since freshmen year. The diary she had written about her own case in.

She had dates.

Dates and times and details.

 She almost wanted to throw her arms around Kyoshi for giving such a practical and useful assignment. Instead, when the bell rang, she settled for a cheerful thank you that aroused a befuddled expression and a very typically stiff Kyoshi-style you’re welcome.

  As promised, she was taken to the office in the middle of fourth hour for more questioning, with any luck, she’d be free to go by fifth hour lunch. She detailed, to the best of her ability, the events that unfolded on Halloween. She watched officer Yu-Ron jot her words down. On occasions he would glance at his watch until eventually he said, “it looks like I’m going to have to send you back to class now, expect to be back for more questioning on Wednesday.” He paused. “Wednesday, we will wrap things up and if we need you for further investigation, we will call.” He pulled out a business card of sorts. “And if you need to call us, feel free.”

 “I have something that could help you with your investigation. It’s a diary and it has dates and stuff.” TyLee informed. “I’ll bring it with me on Wednesday.”

 Yu-Ron smiled. “Anything helps, you’re making this much easier. From the sound of it, this case will go pretty smoothly.”

 At least on her end and Katara’s. She imagined that Sokka wasn’t out of the water and she felt awful for the man who should be back at his university.

 She found her spot by the rest of her poms team. She was still getting used to their lively chatter and company. A struggle, but one that she needed to endure. She was tired of isolating herself. She hoped that some of their perkiness would rub off on her, help her get back to the old TyLee. With more intensity, she hoped that her dour attitude wouldn’t have them pushing her out.

But they bore with her.

They reminded her that she was handling things like a champ until she was beaming from ear to ear. Once again, she found herself glad that she hadn’t dropped the poms team altogether.  

 She did however, drop Mai.

During sixth hour she requested a seat change.

 .oOo.

 It was nice to not have to deal with police and a barrage of questions. She never thought that she would be so eager to see Zhao for math. Okay, so that might have been a stretch, somehow answering Yu-Ron’s questions was easier than answering Zhao’s. At least Yu-Ron didn’t make her feel like an idiot for wrong or insufficient answers. Zhao had well and earned his reputation as Wan High’s most hated teacher.

 When the bell rang she kept an eye out for Katara, but the girl proved to be very elusive. She supposed that she didn’t blame her for not stopping to talk to anyone. She probably didn’t have the energy for it. Hell, TyLee was surprised to see her back in school so soon. But then, it had been easier for TyLee to keep herself busy, and if Wan High was good for anything, it would be that.

 She texted Katara to see if she wanted a ride home. It relieved her to find that, in light of things, Katara’s mother was able to get off of work early to pick her up from school. She texted back, ‘well, if you need a ride to school, let me know.’

 She slipped her phone back into her pocket and headed for the door. She had nearly exited the building when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

 Just the person she didn’t want to see. "Oh, hi Azula." She greeted dryly. The only solace was that she wasn’t speaking to Mai—the very last person she wanted to see. Granted, Azula was only a hair above her on that list.

 Azula was quiet for a long while. A long while that TyLee didn’t have time for. But, by all means, she really did want to hear what the girl had to say. She made no comment, instead opting to ask a question. "Why didn't you tell me?"

 It sent prickles of irritation in TyLee’s belly.  For the first time she considered that Azula had the self-awareness of a rock. "Because, you're you." She muttered. "I saw how you treated Katara and you were close to Jet. Why would you believe me? You didn't even answer your phone. You and Mai…you both left me."

 "I thought that you were ignoring your texts." A real copout answer.

 "You didn't think that something could be wrong!?” TyLee threw her hands up. “You've known me since we were kids and I always replied to your texts right away—because I knew you would get mad if I didn't, by the way.” She paused. Feeling particularly spiteful, she asked, “wo, were you?"

 "What?" Azula returned the question.

 "Were you mad? That night. Were you mad that I didn't text you back right away? Is that why you just left with Mai? Well sorry, I was a little busy."

 Confusion and confliction weren’t emotions that Azula wore openly. So TyLee was surprised to see such a blunt expression of them. "I don't think that I was mad. I just knew that Mai needed a ride home and that her mother would have a meltdown if I didn't get her home."

 TyLee didn’t know how to react to it. There was something wrong about the display. At first she thought that it was because Azula was trying to toy with her again. Trying to lie through her teeth. So she just stared at the other girl. Stared until is started to settle that something was off, because the explanation seemed so sincere.

  "I wouldn't have talked to him if you would have said something. I wish that you would have said something…"

 And she is vexed all over again. Was Azula blaming her? Was she that socially inept? "I wish that you didn't make me feel like I couldn't." She replied with a venom.

 "I also wish that I didn't." Her response was so quiet that it threw TyLee off all over again. There was another drawn out window of silence that almost left TyLee feeling bad for having snapped at her former friend. She could swear that she saw Azula crumbling right before her. Something about the way her eyes dulled. She muttered something and made a retreat.

 TyLee sighed. There was something about her that looked so broken. So defeated. And perhaps that is what coaxed her to rush to the girl’s car and give the window a few knocks. She was half-surprised to hear the door unlock. She slipped into the car. Somehow it felt like home, she had been in it so much. It still smelled like Azula. Like extravagant perfume and a tinge of incense. It put an ache in her belly to think that she hadn’t been in this car since that stupid party. It had to have been at least a year and she wondered if Azula was getting lonely. It was hard to imagine someone like Azula getting lonely.

Perhaps one day they could take a drive together, like old times.

Hell, it almost made her want to reconcile with Mai.

 Lost in nostalgia, she almost didn’t catch Azula softly admit, "I don't want you to be mad at me."

 "I don't want to be mad at you…" TyLee agreed. Maybe she was being a little too hard on her ex-friend. No, not ex, she decided to herself. "I. It's not your fault, you didn't know. If it makes you feel better, I was mad at Mai too for a while." What was she saying, she was still mad at Mai. Still furious? At least Azula was putting in some effort here. She couldn’t say the same for Mai. But then, she didn’t really know Mai to put much effort nor passion into anything that wasn’t fighting with Zuko. "It's Jet's fault. All of this is Jet's fault. I blamed Chan too, but he was just the host."

She hoped that, that at least took a little sting off of Azula. One that she had probably created in the first place. She was putting a lot on Azula.

She was putting a lot on herself.

 She almost cracked a smile, who knew that talking to Azula would help her realize that she wasn’t to blame at all for her own struggling. She was a victim, there were things that she could have done differently, but fear could take away logic. What matters was that she was able to save someone else. Maybe they wouldn’t get Jet for what he did to her. But in getting him locked up for Katara, she could have some resolve regardless.

The last of her resentment towards the girl sitting next to her melted away.

 There is one thing that she still had to confess. "I think that, that's what Jet wanted. He wanted me to blame you guys because…" That was the one remaining thing that she wished that she hadn’t done. "Because that way, I had no one to talk to. The worst part is, it worked. I was so alone…"

 "And then…"

 TyLee rubbed her eyes and let her smile spread in full. "I found Katara."

 "You saved her?"  

 TyLee couldn’t tell if it was a question or a statement so she replied, "I guess you can say that."

 She noticed that Azula was smiling. A very soft, somewhat melancholy smile. But it was there no less. "That counts for something, right? At least you didn't let it happen to someone else." She paused. "From the sound of it you were pretty fierce, glad I was able to teach you something."

 TyLee had to laugh, it was the kind of ending statement that only Azula would make. She didn’t just realize how much she missed the girl and her underlying social-awkwardness.  "I guess so."

 "Do you need a ride home?" Azula asked.

 The offer delighted her. It was the offer she was kind of hoping for and she was ready to take her up on it. Her elated mood dropped at the realization that the school would have her car towed or ticketed if she just left it in the lot. "I would take your offer, but I kinda can't just leave my car here over night." She didn’t want to offend Azula or give her the wrong idea so she quickly added, "but, uh, maybe you can come by tomorrow…if the police to pull me in for more questioning again."

 Azula nodded, looking wholly withdrawn and she knew that the girl had taken it the wrong way. She wondered if she should let Azula take her home and then get someone else to drive her back to pick up her car. Ultimately, she decided to make a promise to herself to get a ride to school and let Azula take her home tomorrow.

 .oOo.

 She was eager to hear how things had gone for Katara. Late in the night, the girl had texted her with a promise to tell her about how the investigation was going. She was itching for an update about Sokka too, supposedly he had gone in for questioning right after her on Monday. Hopefully, Katara had some good news.

 She had the mercy of escaping fourth hour math again. She held her diary close to her chest. As petty as it was, she almost didn’t want to hand it over for fear that she wouldn’t get it back. Maybe she should just tear the useful pages out of it and hand those over, that way she wouldn’t have to give up her precious and happy memories.

 Much of what they talked over was a rehash of the same questions, likely to make sure that her story didn’t change. Yu-Ron then inquired more about Sokka and what she had witnessed. She had to affirm that she had indeed saw him slamming his fist into Jet’s face and then kicking him a few times. But she reiterated that Chan had actually done most of the work.

To be frank, she was afraid of Chan. The man had an eruptive temper. The temper that only Azula could really control. She didn’t know how Azula managed to keep him in check, but then, Azula in her own way was an imposing girl.

 The last half hour, which ended up bleeding into her lunch period, was spent discussing a little further, what happened to her at the homecoming party. At which time she had torn the pages from her diary and handed them over. She also turned over a printed copy of her first draft of Kyoshi’s autobiography assignment.

 Yu-Ron stood and shook her hand. “Thank you, TyLee. You have been very helpful. Between you and Katara, I think that we have a very sturdy case. Believe it or not Chan has helped too.”

 “You questioned him?”

 “I am not allowed to say much, but we had talked to him briefly on the night of the incident.”

 TyLee nodded, she almost regretted asking, now her curiosity was piqued and it wouldn’t be satisfied. She stepped out of the adjoining room and back into the principal’s office. She only had the chance to  her hand on the doorknob when Bumi stopped her.

 “We’re under lockdown.”

 “Lockdown!?” She jolted. “Shouldn’t we be hiding.”

 Bumi shook his head. “Soft lockdown.”

 So a drug bust, she thought to herself. She looked into the parking lot to see flashing red and blue. A line of police cars and ambulances and even one firetruck. “What’s going on?”

 “We have a student who needs hospitalization.” It was then that she realized that Bumi wasn’t being his kooky self.

 “Are they okay?”

 “It doesn’t sound too good.” Bumi mumbled and she knew that, that was all she would be getting out of him. Granted news would probably travel around the school pretty quickly.

 TyLee glanced out the window just in time to see a gurney being hoisted into the ambulance. Some part of her shuddered.

 .oOo.

 She found Katara after class. Katara who somehow managed to look more teary eyed and distraught than usual.

 “Are you okay, Katara?”

 “I…” Katara trailed off. “Too much is happening at once.” Her voice cracked.

 TyLee tilted her head.  “What’s going on?”

 “She killed herself, Ty.” Katara’s voice hitched. And with the hiccup in her voice, she was crying.

 “Who?” TyLee asked. An awful knot welled up in her belly. She knew what she was going to hear before she actually did.

 “Azula.”

 “How do you know!?”

 “Teo and I found her.” She replied quietly. “I…she talked to me before…”

 “She talked to me too.” TyLee replied quietly. Now she had another regret. Another thing she wished that she had done. She should have left her car in the lot and drove home with Azula. “I was going to drive home with her today…” It was hard to speak with tears flowing so freely. “Is she really gone?”

 Katara hugged her. “I’m not sure. It sounded like it, but I don’t know. They wouldn’t tell me anything.”

 “I was going to drive home with her, Katara. We were going to go to my house and I was going to show her my new hamster and we were going to catch up…” Azula didn’t know that, but that’s what they would have done. She wanted to surprise her. She even had a little make-up gift. “We were going to be friends again…”

 .oOo.

 TyLee hugged her pillow close. She was thankful to have Katara. The woman and her mother were so comforting and friendly, and she was lucky that they were so willing to drop her off at home. But her heart ached for Azula. She hugged her pillow even closer. Azula, who she still didn’t have news of. It seemed that Katara had none either and she didn’t know Teo’s number. She’d only ever met him in passing. Despite it all, she texted Azula, trying not to think that she might be texting a dead girl. She thought that it was her turn to ask, ‘why didn’t you tell me?’ Instead she typed, ‘I wanted to surprise you today, because you looked so upset yesterday.’ She didn’t know where she was going with that so she went to backspace it. Instead her trembling fingers hit send. Adds a simple, ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t a good friend.’

 She curled up on her bed and falls to another round of sobs. It was too much, Katara was right. Too much was happening at once.

 She woke to the sound of her phone buzzing.

She looked wearily at the screen and the queasiness in her stomach cleared.

 ‘Can you move your surprise to the hospital?’ The dots appeared again.

‘You weren’t a bad friend…’

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Wan High Weeping (Part 43)

Whad’up bitches, guess who made a new outline!? From the looks of it, we’re getting down to the final 9 chapters, 10 if you include the short epilogue.

Also in terms of specifics on Suki's pregnancy: She got pregnant in May via prom night. As far as I recall, I didn't mention when the baby was conceived so I wanted to put that out there.

Katara hurried to her locker, Suki trailed behind her, struggling to keep pace. Katara slowed herself and let her catch up, it seemed like the girl’s pregnancy was finally putting a bit of a hinder on her physical abilities. But then again, she was nearing the end of her seventh month, it had to have been taking its toll. Heaven knew, Suki had complained over and over again about the onslaught of maternity and labor prep classes that have been consuming almost every hour of her after school life. With a healthy dash of sadness, Katara recalled Suki mentioning that she’d be taking maternity leave starting December. It was probably for the best, she’d have more time for the maternity classes and less anxiety over the possibility of going into labor in the middle of class.

Still, despite the prickles of resentment, she was going to miss having her around at lunch. At least she would have Teo.

“Geez, Kat, you can hold a grudge.” Suki huffed, propping herself up against Azula’s old locker.

“It’s not that.” Katara insisted. “I just forget sometimes. Me holding a grudge is doing things like burning your waffles.”

“You did that on purpose!?”

“Yup.” Katara smirked. “You shouldn’t have let me cook our sleepover breakfast.” She put her textbooks away and slung her backpack over her shoulders. This time she had no books to bring home. Usually she wasn’t one to work on homework in class, but she had to make sure her weekend was completely free so that she could throw her get-together without worry. She was going to have to work on homework in class next Friday too. After that, she promised herself that she would never do it again and go back to being the good, rule-abiding student that the faculty loved so much. “Are you able to take a drive with me up to Sokka’s dorm?”

“Today?”

“Yeah, as soon as I drop my stuff off and say hi to mom.”

“I’d love to, but I have a check up.”

“Another one? You just had one two days ago. Do you mean that you have a maternity class?”

“That too.” Suki grumbled. “Since I’m so young, they’re monitoring me super closely now. It sounds like everything is going good though.”

“Alright.” Katara replied, she tried not to let her annoyance show. Leave me on my own again, it was more or less an intrusive thought. She shook her head, this time was different. It wasn’t like Suki was running off to drink or have sex. She was going to a check up and a class. She was being responsible this time around.

Perhaps Suki had a sense for it because she added, “I’m totally free on Saturday, I made sure of that. I’m gonna got to Sokka’s welcome home party and we’re going to have a blast, I promise. It won’t be anything like Chan’s party.”

“Yeah, because I’m the host.” Katara rolled her eyes.

“Exactly.” Suki beamed. She looked at the clock. “I gotta get going. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“If you want to help with last minute touches, you can come by in the afternoon.”

“I’ll do my best.” Suki replied. “The baby usually has me out until at least 12:00 on the weekends, but I’ll really try.”

Again, Katara found herself fighting off waves of exasperation. She was trying to be understanding, she really was. Suki left her in the middle of a thinning after school rush, thinking about whether or not the girl should be a mom at all. She and Sokka couldn’t watch her at a party and they expected her to believe that they could watch a baby? She startled herself to think about such, but she thought that it might have been tickling the fringes of her mind for quite a while now.

.oOo.

Katara applied a dab of deep blue, shimmery eyeshadow. She smiled at her reflection, she had to say that she looked pretty good for a full-blood nerd.

“You never wear makeup, Kat.” Sokka remarked.

“I used to…” she trailed off. “Before Jet’s rumors.” It was time to reclaim something she liked. If she couldn’t get a handle on her dreamscape, she could at least take back her enjoyment of a touch of mascara and eyeliner. “I want to look nice for your welcome party.”

Sokka smiled. “You already look nice, Kat.”

“I want to make this a special night. And we’ll have an even better one after your trial.” She hoped that she wasn’t jumping the gun. She gave the dorm lounge one last once over; the balloons were in place, the snacks and beverages arranged nicely, and the stereo was ready to play music with meaning. Granted, she would give everyone a chance to play DJ so she might have to put up with some less pleasing musical numbers.

Suki re-entered the dorm. “I know you said to pick up a few more streamers--and I did--but, look, party blowers!”

Katara rolled her eyes.

“Oh, you know how to please a man’s soul!” Sokka exclaimed picking up a silver one.

“Stop messing around and help me hang up these streamers! Our friends will be here any minute now.” Katara said, passing each of them a roll. For herself she took the deep blue, she gave Sokka the silver, and Suki the gold. She eye’d the pink and green balloons. She probably should have told Suki which color streamers to get. This was going to be the least color-coordinated party ever thrown.

Oh well, she thought, this party was for fun not for some suave, high-end dinner party.

“We have a whole hour, Kat.” Sokka replied, taking the roll anyhow.

A few minutes in, Suki climbed down from the stepping stool with a sharp, “oof.” Her hand clutching at her belly. “Okay, no more streamers for me, I think I pulled something.”

Katara’s face softened. Maybe she had been a little too hard on Suki. It was becoming apparent that she wasn’t just making up pregnancy related excuses. “That’s fine, why don’t you just take door duty.”

Suki gave a weak thumbs up. The hand gesture barely had time to settle before Katara heard a knock. “On it.” Suki stood up.

Katara heard the door open and looked up from her work. “You came!” She greeted. “Aaand you’re really early.”

Azula shrugged. “I wasn’t sure how long the drive would take.”

“We’re putting up some last minute streamers.”

“They don’t match.” She noted. “I hope you realize that, that is going to bother me the whole time I am here.”

“That’s why I bought ‘em.” Suki muttered passive-aggressively.

To Katara’s luck, Azula ignored the bait and tugged her coat off.

“There’s a coat rack over there.” Sokka pointed.

Katara stepped down from her stool and gave the room another glance. “That should do.” She remarked to herself. She turned back to Azula who was pulling a pair of gloves off and stuffing them into her pockets. “Is it really that cold out?”

“It is to me.” Azula shrugged, tugging her hat off. Her hair fell over her shoulders.

It looked like she wasn’t the only one who had dyed her hair. Granted, Azula’s choice was much bolder, black bleeding into bright red. It was probably one of the best ombre jobs she had seen in awhile. “You dyed your hair too?”

“I had to get Ikue and Ryoko to quiet down a bit.” Azula rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t let them dye it completely red though.”

“Your friends did that?”

“Ikue wants to be a stylist. But ‘a cool stylist who does edgy haircuts’.” Another, more pronounced,  eye roll.

“It looks nice.”

She watched Azula sweep her hands over her hair. “Thanks.” She paused. “Yours suits you.”

Katara hoped that Suki was making note of the conversation. Katara jumped at the sound of the radio coming to life.

“Sorry, guess I forgot to turn it down.” Sokka muttered, rubbing the back of his head. “My dorm mates and I had a pretty wild one before this whole trial mess.”

With the party yet to officially start, Sokka took it upon himself to give them a grand tour of the dorm. Granted, it was mostly aimed at Azula, who had never been there before. But he took the time to point out the brand new hole in the wall made by one of his drunk dorm-mates taking a hammer to it in an attempt to kill a spider. “It was a huge bastard!” Sokka exclaimed.

He led them back down to dorm lounge where they talked amongst themselves until the rest of Katara’s guests arrived. TyLee was the first to show up she hugged Katara first. “How have you been holding up?

“As good as I can.” Katara replied. “What about you?”

“Same. I think that I’ll do better once all of this is over.” She agreed. Her focus wavered when she caught sight of Azula. Katara watched her dash up to her and throw her arms around her. “Your hair is so pretty!” She ran her fingers through it. Something, Katara was certain that only TyLee could get away with.

Toph, Aang and Haru arrive in a group. “Hey everyone!” Toph announced. “I’d like you all to meet Appa!”

TyLee’s eyes lit up. “Oh my gosh! He’s so cute, I love him.” She was grinning from ear to ear. “Can I pet him?”

Toph let Appa lead her to TyLee. “Go ahead.”

“I didn’t realize you were blind.” Azula remarked.

“And I didn’t realize you were hanging out with us now.”

“It’s a...recent development.”

“Yeah, same.” Toph returned. Appa sniffed TyLee and then Azula before retutrning to Toph.

Teo was the last to arrive, leaving Katara to imagine that his father had helped him out of the car. Azula held the door for him. After he had a chance to get situated Azula leaned down to hug the boy. “When are you going to visit me?” And it occurred to Katara that the pair hadn’t seen each other in awhile. It would explain her last minute decision to come.

“How about next weekend?” He offered.

While she was on the topic of couples. “Suki tells me that you and Haru are together now.”

“We’re testing the waters.” Haru replied as Sokka changed the track on the radio.

“So far it’s going good.” Aang added.

“Better than Moo-Chee would have been.” Katara stated.

Aang’s cheeks colored. “Much better.”

Things progressed rather pleasantly. They played a few rounds of uno, noticing a few rounds in that Toph was just throwing random cards down and hoping for the best. A few more games in and Azula was still the only person to win. Sokka, ever the sore loser, posed a vote to exclude her from the next round. He let her continue with a promise from her to let someone else win. Katara wondered how she would manage that. It humored her to see the girl only utilizing blue cards. She would keep drawing cards until she could throw a blue one down.

Uno turned into truth or dare which Toph mastered splendidly. Katara never imagined that Aang would lick Appa back nor that Teo would agree to a makeover from Toph. Toph dominating truth or dare, the game shifted to twister. Toph and Teo sat that one out, debating over which album should be played next.

After a brief cooldown, Katara offered up slices of cake. Sokka helped himself to a particularly large slice. “They don’t serve this in jail.” He noted. Azula was much the opposite, passing on eating any of it at all. And Katara recalled Teo mentioning her discomfort. She couldn’t imagine that Chan’s party had done her any favors. She did, however, help herself to some of the popcorn.

“I have punch and soda to go with that. I got some water for you, Suki.”

Suki waved her off. “No thanks. Actually, I think I’m gonna go to Sokka’s dorm and lay down for a bit.”

“You okay?” Sokka asked.

Suki nodded. “Just a little woozy. I think that I’ve had too much excitement for one day.”

“Well if you start to feel better, you can join us again.” Sokka offered.

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

.oOo.

Suki climbed onto Sokka’s bed. Her lower back was killing her, the feeling was almost constant these days. And the belly cramps were from hell. She was beginning to think that she should have mentioned that to her doctors. But then, she might just be anxious because this was her first time. She rubs her belly, trying to coax the baby to let up at least a little.

“Come on, don’t do this now.” She whimpered to herself.

She couldn’t help but to think that this was karma for skipping out on Katara at Chan’s party.

She rolled onto her side, hoping to sleep it off.