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loopy777 · 3 years

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RE: WIPs game: do I even want to know what Dicebenders is is it another scam how many times are the Gaang gonna get arrested for scamming

No, this time it's me scamming people. XD The dice in question are the RPG Dungeons & Dragons kind.

For a while I was doing a screencap webcomic in the style of "DM of the Rings" and "Darths & Droids" with another creative fan named Captain Boomerang. I was the scriptwriter and selected the screenshots for each panel, and Capt-BA would assemble the comics and improve my scripts (a process that did frustrate me a little, as I felt locked out of the revision process, but I did like the results. I just felt like I wasn't holding up my end of the partnership a bit). I wrote a story bible explaining the characters and storytelling rules, planned out the adaptation of the entire AtLA premiere, and had less detailed plans for the rest of the series, but we only got 6 comics in before Capt-BA went on a trip and never returned to the internet. I did manage to re-establish contact with her long enough to get permission to continue the comic, but the problem is that I have no image-editing skills whatsoever.

If I could find comic-making software that I know would do what I want and be easy to use, I wouldn't mind dropping some money on it, but everything I've looked at is trying to do lots of things I don't need. I only want a way to import existing pictures into comic grids, and then easily add dialogue bubbles. That's it. But the stuff I've found is more about image-editing than comic assembly, and it takes me an hour to put together a dialogue bubble that looks good. So I have 3 scripts that were never produced, which along with the planning docs are what's in that WIP folder, and I don't ever see myself going beyond that.

Besides, someone else already managed to complete something like this, and while I'm not a fan, I don't need to be. At this point, Dicebenders is dead. I'm glad I tried it, and it's a shame it didn't work out, but I'm happy with the other projects I've done instead.

I am squatting on an empty Tumblr for it, though.

Anyway, to share something new, here's the first section of the Story Bible I wrote to make sure Capt-BA and I were on the same page in terms of characterization. The rest of the bible details the plotlines for full series.

AVATAR: THE LAST DICEBENDER

BIBLE

Premise- A small group of players attempt to run a fantasy martial arts RPG that winds up essentially becoming the Avatar saga, or something very close. The main point of the series is comedy, based mostly on ridiculous links between Avatar and RPG's. Sometimes the humor will be in the vast difference between what happens in the comic, and what happens in the cartoon with the same screenshots. Other times, the funny will come from the unexpected ways they converge.

SPIRITUAL PREDECESSORS

DM of the Rings- The original, and my personal favorite. It's a good showcase of how to run a single quest together, while using narrative jumps to skip to the good bits.

Darths & Droids- A similar project, this stands out from its predecessor in two main ways. The players and GM are more friendly with each other, and are more or less having fun with each other. There is also a running, coherent storyline in both the game and in the lives of the players.

Benders & Brawlers- This is actually an existing attempt to do Darths & Droids with Avatar. This is helpful as an example of what we DON'T want to do, retell the Avatar story in a completely straightforward manner, with RPG players behind the characters.

CHARACTERS

None of the characters will be given real names. The players shall always be referred to by their character names, although this can be done in a teasing, ironic manner. When the characters are speaking, their dialogue bubble must always be attached to an image of the character.

The Gamemaster- The GM is a female in her early teens. She is a geek, and a bit of a social outcast for it. Nevertheless, she's trying to make that work for her, although she's not quite mature enough to make it happen yet. She has just discovered RPG's, and in her enthusiasm has gone all out in starting her own campaign. The only problem is that she doesn't know how to recruit players, so she ropes her best friend and little brother into playing with her. This is the GM's first campaign, so she'll a little in over her head. She knows the mechanics of play, and what she's supposed to be doing as GM, but doesn't have the fine skill in crafting an engaging RPG experience. Still, she wants to do her best, is willing to learn, and has a positive attitude about the whole thing. The GM has a strong crush on the Sokka player, but the only way she can express it is by having all the female NPC's flirt with the Sokka character.

Katara- Female in early teens, and the GM's best friend. Katara's player was friends with the GM from when they were both in grammar school, so while they have grown up into wildly different personality types, they are fully loyal to each other. Katara is popular, and outgoing, and doesn't care or know about geek stuff at all. She's only playing the game because the GM begged her to. At first, Katara is clueless about RPG's, and frequently questions or ridicules the mechanics of the game. She never quite gets into the idea of role-playing, but quickly takes to the idea of meta-gaming. She'll have her character act like a righteous do-gooder, because completing missions and fighting bad guys earns XP. She hoards items that will boost her stats. She'll advocate abandoning a mission/plot if it doesn't pay out enough rewards. Katara's player also can tend towards trying to Mary Sue her character, but this is inconsistent and usually shot down by everyone else.

Aang- Male in junior high, and the GM's little brother. He plays simply because his sister has cajoled him into it, and there are hints that he's getting some kind of reward or payment for it. He abuses his position by forcing the GM to give him what he wants in the game, even if it breaks the rules- access to the restricted Airbender class, the ability to bend all four elements, overloaded stats, an Avatar State that protects him from dying, a magic super flying cow ride, etc. However, it's important to note that Aang's player isn't a jerk. He's just immature, and like all kids, just always goes for what he wants via the easiest path, and doesn't realize that he may be causing trouble or hurting feelings. He's enthusiastic about trying out this RPG thing, but he has trouble coming up with any action beyond attacking or retreating. He's also hyper aware that the GM and Katara are girls. He is too old for cootie concerns, but thinks that girls are fundamentally different creatures with their own incomprehensible concerns. Having a big sister, he doesn't find this a big deal, just part of life. Aang's player is too young to be a geek. He likes cartoons and sports and fantasy and school-dramas. He also tends to follow whatever his sister likes.

Sokka- Male in late teens. This guy is your quintessential RPG player. He has is own top-quality dice, he's played campaigns and systems of all kinds, and knows the tropes of the hobby cold. He's a huge geek for all things geeky, but roleplay is easily his favorite. He's a social outcast, but he's made friends among his fellow geeks, and thinks life is just fine. Sokka's player joins when he meets the GM at the comic/games shop they both frequent. The GM was buying some sourcebooks and material to support the fantasy martial arts game she's running, and Sokka noticed, asked about it, liked what he heard, and got permission to join the game. What Sokka doesn't realize, because he is a geek and neither has experience with it or realizes it's even possible, is that the GM is sweet on him. This manifests in the character Sokka's canon luck with the ladies, only kicked up a notch. *Every single* female NPC flirts with him, whether it's appropriate or not. Sometimes player Sokka notices and tries to roleplay it, and sometimes he's just plain confused. Sokka has a few quirks. His best set of dice are his Lucky Red Dice, which always roll high when he needs it, but have been tested and proven to be fair dice. He also mandates that every character he plays use a boomerang; he was turned into a geek by the first video game he ever played, a Legend of Zelda title, and his favorite weapon from those games are the boomerang. Each of his characters has a unique, named boomerang.

Zuko- The GM's favorite NPC. She created him to be a compelling, dramatic character, with a complicated back story, moral struggles, badass loner personality, angst about his existence, a darkly noble quality, and a cool scar. The GM intended Katara to get to know Zuko, for her to try to woo him away from the side of evil, and perhaps to even have a romance with him. The PC's, however, couldn't care less about him. To them, he's just another mini-boss, and the fact that most of his character development is happening "off screen" means they don't realize that he's recruitable. A frequent gag is Zuko delivering a stirring monologue while no one pays attention.

Iroh- Background NPC. The GM tries to use him to give (ignored) hints to the players.

Toph- (tentative) A male munchkin gamer who picked a long list of weaknesses in order to get superbending. Toph's player is a friend of Sokka's player, brought in after an "incident" with his old group, and causes some initial resentment in the group when tries to show the n00bs how its done. Cowing Toph's player is a major victory for the GM.

Momo- NPC, but maybe make him a talking sidekick who gives the players hints when the GM is really exasperated?

Azula- the GM's best favorite villain. Azula is the GM unleashed, letting her take out frustrations on the players in both combat and harsh taunting. Eventually the GM comes to like the character so much, she retcons mental health issues into the character's backstory, and has her pet NPC, Zuko, spare her.

#dicbender #avatarpg

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cb-conceptlibrary · 4 years

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TW: Elemental magic themes, Wars between groups, Oppression, Free will, Rivalries, Friends to Lovers, Imperialism, Power struggles, Sexism, Enemies to Lovers, Enemies to Friends

Welcome to Reader Suggestions!

The librarian would like to extend her thank you to @djxningning for submitting the first Reader Suggestion to the library! Similar to the Librarian Suggestions, if you see something you like, please reblog or like the post containing the theme/concept and spread the word. If you decide to create a chatbot themed to this concept or any other reader suggestion, make sure to credit the author who submitted the theme and mention us. We would love to promote your account!

Today’s theme: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animated TV Show, Books, and Live-Action Film)

Plot: A young man who is deemed to be the one who harnesses all of the powers of the four elements tries to escape his fate and ends up suspending himself in an iceblock for a century. Unbeknownst to him, the clans behind each element wage war on each other, in search of him and his identity. Eventually, he is discovered by two members of the Water clan and revived. Over time, he works with his new friends to dodge individuals who are looking for him, while learning the traits for each element and training to fulfill his destiny.

Characters

Aang: The Avatar, or person who is destined to harness the powers and talents of all four elements. A century before the events of the series, he tries to run from his responsibilities and ends up suspending himself in ice. He is found by two people from the water bending clan and unfrozen. A carefree, fun-loving young man.

Katara: A member of the waterbending clan who discovers Aang 100 years later and befriends him. She is often proving to others that a girl is capable of being a powerful water bender too. Loyal and motherly to her friends. Eventually she falls for Aang throughout the series.

Sokka: The older brother of Katara and also a member of the waterbending clan. He does not possess the ability to control any of the elements and relies on hand-to-hand weapons to fight. Considered a jack-of-all-trades and engineer.

Zuko: An exiled member of the firebending clan who is determined to regain his acceptance in the clan. He goes on a quest to find Aang to bring back as prisoner, believing that bringing the clan the Avatar would allow him back into the clan. Eventually he finds his own voice and chooses to defy his father.

There are other characters associated with the series and the spin-off, The Legend of Korra. Please reference the respective wikia.

Possible Plots

Your muse follows the storyline of Avatar as one of the characters.

Your muse follows the storyline of The Legend of Korra as one of the characters.

Notes

Good for a trio of idols or more.

Also ideal for a multimuse chatbot.

An option for three-four friends who run chatbots, if they want to do the main characters.

Friend to lover plots can work, as this will align with the storyline for some of the characters.

Possible to do enemies to lovers.

Enemies to friends.

Despite the story’s original timeline, the theme of element shifters and a chosen one could be adjusted to any time period.

@yanlee @street-racer-hyunjin @subbyhyunjinchatbot @mafia-chae @scholar-lia @fairy-yeji @3racha-cb @domyukhei @doll-hyunjin @doll-seungmin @yourgirl-cb @your-seunghun @yoursjennie @blue-chaeyoung @parisian-doyeon @skz-cb @serialkiller-ateez @serialkillerhhj @dxaddy-hxyunjin @yandere-bc @doll-jeongin @olympus-cb @yourkevinmoon @karinaxx @gamer-yeji @vampiremomo @vamp-minho @vampirechangbinnie @deadly-skz-gods-cb @alpha-skz @floristluda @model-lucy @churchgirl-nayeon @baristadahyun @movie-itz-twice @blackwidowjennie @seleneminnie @yourdaddychan

#chatbot themes #chatbot concepts #chatbot library #chatbot resource #Avatar: The Last Airbender #[ MEMO: Reader Suggestion ]#[tw: death]#[tw: war]#[tw: sexism]#[tw: elemental magic]#[tw: power struggles]#[tw: imperialism]#[tw: oppression]#[tw: free will]#[tw: friends to lovers]#[tw: enemies to friends]#[tw: enemies to lovers]#[tw: rivalries]

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low-budget-korra · 4 years

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The first text I made was over 2,000 words so I’ll try to summarize it.

First I'm going to talk about what I think is Bury Your Gays and poor writing of minorities.

For me, Bury your gays is when certain productions kill the lgbt character for the sake of shock value, often in the most stupid ways possible. A famous example of this was what happened to Lexa in the 100. When it feels like the character only died because he is gay.

And for me, poor writing for minorities (poc, lgbt, people with disabilities ...) can be characterized as:

1. Productions that want to portray the image of progressives and put a poc or lgbt character (which are the most common cases) without personality, unimportant, without development ... Character that are just there for decoration

2. When they even create an interesting character but soon create a reason to kill him to shock the audience. Kill them because they are poc.

And for me having a poc or lgbt character (since these are the boxes where I identify with) interesting, important ... this is the word: Important! whether it is important directly in the plot as a protagonist who carries the story or a supporting role with a good role on the story and a good development, it is much more significant than a character forced only for certain productions not to be accused of racism, sexism or lgbtphobia.

Of course, each case is different. I will now comment briefly on Atomic Blonde, The Last of Us part II and The Legend of Korra.

In Atomic Blonde we have the death of Delphine, a lgbt character who has generated some discussions about being a "bury your gays". I don't particularly agree because I believe that if she were a man or straight, she would die anyway. Since the protagonist's other love interest had died in the beginning and he was a heterosexual white man, and because the character of Delphine, despite being a spy, did not belong in that work or life style . Something even commented by herself. She was an inexperienced agent in the worst possible scenario to be one . But i now understand and why some people still think It was bury your gays.

In The Last of Us part II I saw many people complaining about the death of Jesse, Yara and how Lev was just a supporting character. The Last of Us part II .... a game that is not afraid to kill loved characters without any ceremony simply because in that world, one mistake can cost your life. Regardless of gender, sexuality, age, skin color ...

Jesse and Yara played Asian American characters and died. Mel, Joel, Owen ... were Caucasian, cishet characters who died too. None of them die because they are asian american or caucasian, they die cuz that world is fucking ruthless.

And about Lev not being important just because he is an supporting character... First that he is for Abby what Dina is for Ellie, both of them are extremely important support for the protagonists and Interesting characters with their own internal struggles and development. I think it is very unfair to throw this away with the argument like: "ah, but he is not the protagonist so it is not important"

And still about The Last of Us part II we are talking about a game and for those who do not know the gamer community is toxic, full of sexism, racism, lgbtphobia ... And the game developers had the balls for not only make two protagonists women outside the steryotype of femme fatalle or defenseless love interest(still very present in games) and one of them a lesbian, but also introducing an important trans character in a mainstream high-budget game.

People, until recently the only image we had of women in games was that of a busty model running around, made purely to please male players, good and important black, asian and lgbt characters was really rare or just didnt exist at all.

And today we have characters like Ellie, Lev, Kassandra (AC Odyssey), Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield who were reimagined more humanely in the remakes of Resident Evil, Lara Croft herself in the 2013 Tomb Raider remake, Max and Chloe(Life is Strange), Lee and Clementine(TWD from telltale), Marcus (Detroit Become Humam ), Connor (AC3) ... I know, there is still a long way to go until we have achieved the equality and representativeness that we want in the world of games but we are advancing. They may be a baby step but they still are steps forward. We should continue to support this initiatives and demand better representation.

Now about The Legend of Korra ... Reading the comments in the post i get the feeling that people were much more angry with Bryke for being cishet than with questions related to the narrative.

It bothers me the fact that it seems that whoever made the posts (originally from twitter) did not watch avatar or simply watched without paying attention. It was NEVER about Korra needed suffering but about finding Meaning in suffering. And yes, they are two different things.

When in the end Korra is talking to Tenzin, about understand the why she had to go through all that , for them be abble to be more compassionate of others. That shit is real. When you have a panic attack , for exemple, you become more abble to help someone who also suffers from that. Or when some people lose someone for a disease or acident and choose to become a doctor to help others, wanting no other person had to go through that pain... In this case, the person didnt have to lose someone to be a doctor but maybe after saw all the fight that the doctors put in to save someone and the pain of losing someone may have made the person spend the rest of his life saving people. Get It?

And in Avatar, both TLA and TLOK, people have suffer.

Aang: Cast aside by his friends when people discover he was the Avatar. Runaway and lose all of his people. Had to see the devastation for himself and find the bones of his friend and possible father figure. Almost die a few times. For many years had the weight of been the last of his people. And in a part of the journey, lost Appa.

Sokka and Katara: Lost their mother. Their dad leave to fight and possible die in the war. Sokka was only a teen when he was the man responsable for his tribe. Katara had the weight of being the only waterbender of her tribe and be the only one that could calm Aang once he was in Avatar State.

Toph: as a blind kid, her parents think of her as someone unable to do anything. Had to choose between save Appa or save the others in some point of their journey

Zuko: When i start with him?

Azula: oh Boy...

Iroh: Lose is only son. Had to see his brother burn Zuko's face. And Zuko betrayed him, kind of, in the end of book2.

Asami: Her mom was murdered , maybe even in front of her. Her dad was a evil genius. She probably suffered with Korra in those 3 years.

Mako and Bolin: They grow up as orphans on the streets...

I could go on and on, dude, even the cabbage man had suffer from losing his cabbages over and over.

But all of the sudden, Korra now had to have plot armor or else Bryke is wrong and are terrible people.

Everybody loves to talk about how perfect Zuko's arc and development is. Zuko, who was one of the characters who most have suffered in the show. But for him all was necessary, had meaning, perfect storytelling and structure but with Korra.... "She cant suffer cuz she is brown"

And its not like Bryke was making something up outta nowhere just to torture the character. All she face it was a consequence direct or indirect of her actions and actions of other people.

Amon and the Equalists? Aang didnt kill Yakone nor put him in prison for life, just took his bending. Yakone was a terrible father, and one of the reason Amon hate bending (even himself been a waterbender) so much to the point of him do what he did. The same to Tarrlok. He turn his sons into monsters. And the triads only help them, because they use their bending to rob the non benders.

Vaatu? Look up The Beginning epsodes because this one is more complex.

Unalaq? Look, the worst villain of Avatar. But he took advantage of things that happen as consequences of the ending of book1

Zaheer? Direct consequence of that happen in the finale of book 2.

Kuvira? Direct consequence of things that happen in book 3

Again, i could go on and on and go deeper on all that. But this is already getting to big.

But what pissed me off most is ... Look im years in this fandom. As a Brazilian i saw and read stuff from the fandom here in my country and the fandom here in Tumblr. And in those years i read so much about how Korra journey help people overcome their struggles with ptsd, anxiety, depression...myself included. How much Korra was important to lesbians and bissexuals girls, especially girls of color.

And them we have those few people throw shit on all this and "cancel" you for not agree with them...

The Legend of Korra ended 2014, 6 years ago and still is so loved, so important to so many people, for the most diverse reasons.

For a cishet, Bryke did a amazing job creating this amazingly beautiful universe. With the most diverse inspirations, coming from places that are forgotten on western media. But i guess its easier criticize, and cancel them and the show than do what they did.

I know that sometimes we just wanted a scape from our difficult reality but seriously, if you Just want a movie/tv show/book...100% happy, rainbow and sunshine with no suffering at all, stick with the fanfics because even romcons sometimes have their among of "i you make you cry and suffer" kind of shit.

Suffer is present in our life and what a lot of movies/tv shows/games/books...try to do is bring our struggles and our suffering into them. Why? Its easier have simpathy for characters who look like us, characters who had been through the same stuff as us.

Is so difficult talk those things in another language. I always feel like i didnt express myself right. And im really sorry if i offended anyone, it wasnt my intention.

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strrawberrymoon · 4 years

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name / alias : leigh gender / pronouns : female + she/her where ya from ? : europe 👀 the current time : 18:53 height : 164 cm, i think that’s 5′4 job or major : double major in sociology and media communications, still grinding pet ( s ) : two dogs! one is a 7 year old maltese and the other a 3 year old cane corso favorite thing ( s ) about yourself : im a great listener and i give great advice, i’m straighforward which some people don’t like but oh well, i’m pretty adaptable. i got some nice titties any special talents ? : i can roll my tounge in any direction + crack a lot of knuckles ajkdshaj

why you joined hqclouds : i’ve been itchng to write more lately, so when love told me about their group i thought i’d give it a shot !!

meaning behind url : strawberry moon was just a recent occurance irl which was really cool + i associate marinette with strawberries for some reason, and i’m a big fan of the lady moon

last thing you googled : i’m having some issues with my michrophone and zoom so i googled how to fix it, but no dice

birthday / zodiac : leo ! my birthday is august 11th in your opinion , does your sign suit you ? : yes and no. leo’s are very misunderstood imo, but each sign has the “more popular” or well known traits and then there’s the flipside of the coin—which i think suits me more myers - briggs : ISFP / INFP moral alignment : chaotic idiot hogwarts house : gryffindor

three fictional character ( s ) you see yourself in + why : i honestly see myself in katara from atla, the whole smothering mothering routine. it’s becoming a regular thing for my friends to say “thanks, mom” or “ok, mom” so i guess i’m the mom friend. also fred weasly... he’s a twin.. i’m a twin... that’s all i need. and lastly, and very leastly, neil josten from all for the game series. most of you probably don’t know it, but he’s a demisexual chaotic idiot who says “i’m fine” way too much for someone who is most definitely not fine.

i started roleplaying : probably when i was around 16-17 was my first official roleplay experience. it was on facebook and kind of a nightmare types of rps i enjoy : i like college stuff and small town rps, but i also love plot heavy rps that push you into developing your muse. really anything that isn’t too restricting favorite fcs to use : i don’t have go-to faceclaims. i tend to make a character around a FC and then use them until i lose muse or just feel like they need to rest. switch it up a lot, but some faces that i’ve really enjoyed playing for a longer amount of time are steven kelly, cindy mello and ellen v. lora fandom ( s ) you’d like to write in : i want to write in all of the fandoms i know nothing about and look like a dumbass. also harry potter, the hunger games, avatar the last airbender, gossip girl, etc etc fandom ( s ) you aren’t in but are curious about : marvel somewhat, any video games are very fascinating to me even though i’m not a gamer + know nothing about them, any distopian kind of fandom re: hunger games

share a funny roleplay horror story : recently an admin of a twitter rp tried to use my male muse for their weird ship narrative. they tried to make him look like an asshole (& i do play assholes but this one wasn’t one) + used another male muse to make it seem as if these two boys were fighting over the person’s girl, even though she actually had a ship all lined up. they were also running the gossip twitter, so they made up a bunch of stuff about our muses without our consent and consequently i told them to fuck off, and both of us left the group. then she had no more “groupies” so she cuffed and the group closed two days later. it was petty hilarious.

fondest roleplay memory : once in an OC group, i wasn’t “technically” doing a ship with a friend, even though the characters had feelings for each other. but for some reason the status of their relationship was a hot topic group wide, meaning everybody had their nose in it and wanting to know what’s up, so they publically kept doing things to make people think they’re together while denying it in the same breath. it was really fun to let it play out like that.

favorite canon muse ( s ) to play : roy mustang from fullmetal alchemist, katara from atla, and my baby marinette favorite original muse ( s ) to play : the last original character i played and fell in love with was named alex. im obsessed with him. still doing 1 x 1 with his girlfriend. they’re having a baby, it’s all very emo and domestic. maybe i make him relapse for funsies. canon ships you can’t help but love : lupin x tonks from harry potter, korra x asami from legend of korra, danerys x daario naharis from game of thrones, katniss x peeta from the hunger games, etc... trope ( s ) you tend to be guilty of : i use the rich kid douchebag stereotype a lot. i also make a lot of my characters addicted to something to make them struggle with that.

i prefer . . . angst , smut , or fluff : bro... i am a sucker for ansgt and smut. i do fluff on special ocassions >:) long or short replies : i prefer when they start out shorter, but medium is my fave pre plotting or chemistry : chemistry all the way. plotting can be really fun but it’s a miss more often than a hit for me. plotting can be good for pre-established relationships but that’s about it sentence starters or headcanon memes : sentence starters single muse or multimuse blogs : i’ve never done a multimuse blog, and i’ve actually been super against them in the past, but i’m starting to change my mind hehe gif icons , medium gifs , or static icons : static (or none honestly)

grab the book nearest to you and pull a quote from it : ❝ You were children. was there no one to protect you? ❞ — ❝ Was there no one to protect you? ❞

what’s a quote or song lyric that speaks to your soul ? : ❝ I loved her, and sometimes, she loved me too ❞

top current celebrity crushes : zendaya, margot robbie always last movie you watched : 365 days (2020) did you like it ? : i hated it, what a waste of a perfectly good 2 hours favorite movie ( s ) of all time : harry potter franchise makes me nostalgic, perks of being a wallflower, my sister’s keeper favorite tv show ( s ) of all time : for some reason i’m obsessed with grey’s anatomy but i hate it favorite tv show that hasn’t ended : well fricking grey’s anatomy favorite series of books / novels / comics : the hunger games, harry potter sports team ( s ) you rep : my friend is into sports i rep her ksdsdj favorite video game ( s ) : the sims. i like playing animal crossing vicariously through switch owners favorite youtube channels : don’t usually keep up with yt channels but i just binged some stuff from psychology in seattle hobbies : procrastinating

what are the three non essential things you’d bring to a deserted island ? : sunglasses, hairtie, hand cream

put your music on shuffle. what six songs pop up ? :

say goodbye by skillet,

off the grid by alina baraz & khalid,

bury a friend by billie eilish,

break up with your girlfriend by ariana grande

get back by nine lashes

marry you by bruno mars (man)

personal aesthetic : growing out my hair only to always wear it in a bun dream vacation ? : i just wanna go to the seaside with my friends dream job ? : i literally can’t stand capitalism. wanna move to italy and collect berries and draw titties all day dream car ? : something that drives itself if i could live anywhere , it’d be : somewhere in canada near the woods favorite musical : mama mia? counts favorite food ( s ) : bananaaaaas, ice cream, cereal. these are all foods ok coffee order : i don’t drink coffee unwatched stuff in your netflix / hulu / etc : 13 reasons why (i’m too bored), the flash, outer banks, elite, the half of it, intersteller, locke & key aaand some stuff that’s not mine but someone else using my account

what’s a subject you know too much about + never get tired of talking about ? : idk anything about anything askldhl

#CLOUD:OOC #i am doing this now bc im avoiding studying #but it was fun hehehe #i still need to figure out a tagging system + write up an intro #which let us not kid ourseleves i'll probably end up doing by tonight #╰ ♡ 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐟𝐟 ↷ ooc.

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kashimos-hajime · 5 years

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boy next door

Summary: Katara moves into the same apartment building as Sokka and Zuko happens to be her next door neighbour. Or, Zuko and Katara know each other better than they think they do.

A/N: For @zutaraexchange and @cobraonthecob who deserved this way earlier but I was so busy this week! My prompts were Painted Lady and Blue Spirit, Modern, Superhero AU, Element Swap/Different Elements. I decided to challenge myself with a modern AU.

I write and I do have a taglist so send an ask if ya want ;)

WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF DRUG ABUSE, VERY, VERY BRIEF. also, bro there’s like some swearing i think.

Wordcount: 5.1k Pairing: Zuko and Katara (Zutara)

Zuko mostly kept to himself. It wasn’t that he hated people — no, he was alright with Sokka in the apartment across the hall in 1C despite how loud he could be, and the guy who owned a grocery store upstairs in 2D wasn’t so bad. He mostly tended to the gardens and when the harvest was good, they’d hold a barbecue. Yue and Suki, two girls who lived diagonally across from him in 1A didn’t do much more than make polite conversation when they bumped into each other in the hallways and that guy Aang could hold his own in a game of Super Smash. He and some old guy, Bumi, lived upstairs in 2A along with Aang’s huge dog, Appa. In 2B was another set of girls, Mai and Ty Lee, both Zuko had known since childhood, but they were never close.

That left two more apartments. The one next to Zuko, and the one left upstairs.

No one talked about upstairs ever since the last tenant had been evicted for illegal activity, not that Zuko ever paid any mind to that, not that he cared, not that it was Azula who was forced to move out and away. Not that Zuko drove her to the hospital himself after he found her OD’ed on the floor. Not that anyone knew.

All anyone ever saw was his scar. He saw it in people’s eyes, the way they tried to focus on anything else on his face. His eyes, maybe. His mother used to say he had lovely eyes. But she was the only one. Everyone saw the scar.

So Zuko kept to himself, sue him.

He went out for his job, which was a fun time as the CEO of his dad’s company which he managed to build back up after a scandal way back when, which meant he didn’t have spare time to go to barbecues, even if he wanted to. He knew they judged him, probably talked shit behind his back. But he couldn’t help it.

“Oh, crap.”

Zuko looked next to him as he was locking the door that morning. Fridays were the only days he got half-off and he intended to get as much work done as possible before relaxing. But, it appeared that wasn’t gonna happen today when he caught sight of one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen in his thirty-years of being alive. Standing there, surrounded by boxes and a rambling Sokka, was a woman with chestnut hair pulled into a messy bun, frustrated, blushing cheeks, and narrowed blue eyes.

“Sokka, if you touch anything else, I’ll literally kill you.”

“Sorry, Kat! That time, it really was an accident.”

‘Kat’ didn’t say anymore. She picked up a box and stormed into the apartment, revealing a tumbled box at Sokka’s feet. The man looked up and noticed Zuko standing there, immediately traversing the boxy hallway and saying his hellos.

“Who’s she?” Zuko asked, trying to sound as disinterested as possible as he slipped the key into his pocket.

“My sister. She’s moving in for her neuro fellowship at the hospital nearby.”

“Oh, cool.” Smart. Check. Pretty. Check. Zukos’ boxes were all getting ticked off as the woman re-emerged, thoroughly disappointed but unsurprised by what her brother was doing.

“Isn’t that right, Katara?”

“What.”

“My little sister’s all grown up and moved across country all by herself.”

“Sokka!” Kat sighed in annoyance and Sokka quickly picked up a box with a wide smile, disappearing through the door as she finally noticed Zuko. “Hey, sorry about that.”

“No problem.” Their eyes met and she blinked once, then again. Zuko knew what she was looking at but her eyes stayed rather determinedly on his. Eyebrows elevating, he looked at all the boxes. “You need help moving in?”

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” She blinked again, and turned to look at the boxes. “Sokka’s supposed to be helping me and he’ll do fine once he focuses.” Stepping over the boxes, she extended a hand and offered a smile. “I’m Katara. I guess I’m your neighbour now.”

“Katara,” he repeated, knowing he’ll have no problem remembering it. “Zuko.”

“Nice to meet you, Zuko.” She was even prettier up close. Zuko swallowed hard, finding his mouth dry as he struggled to say more.

“Yeah, you too.” What a lame way to end the conversation. Katara smiled again and turned back to her boxes, and Zuko swore he didn’t look at her an extra second before he remembered he had work. Opening his mouth, he tried to say goodbye, but then shut it. She won’t notice, he thought as he turned and walked down the hall. She’d never notice someone like me.

Katara frowned, wondering if this was too much. Her first weekend at her new place had gone without a hitch and all the tenants had attended the BBQ the landlord hosted.

All except one.

She knew who he was — what reputation he had, and what he’d done to prevent his father’s company from going belly up. Still, she was determined to get him to notice her or at least be on amicable terms no matter how high up he held himself.

Katara had brought a specialty of hers — lychee ice cream — and stood outside her neighbour’s door. She knew he was at home due to the fact he’d slammed the door closed earlier that afternoon and that she could now hear him yell at Sokka.

Her brother had never mentioned the guy next door with the huge scar on his face. He was kinda good looking, in an unconventional kinda way. But Katara didn’t focus on that. Instead, she focused on his CEO status, how he lived in a second-rate apartment despite how loaded he must be, how she knocked on the door, and how she was gonna get through this.

So she knocked.

And the door opened.

Ask and you shall receive.

And what Katara received was a wonderfully puffy-haired neighbour, scratching his head and glaring at her though half his face was twisted in an eternal scowl. A far cry from the prim and proper, suited up man three days ago.

“Hi, Katara.’

“Hey, Zuko. I made lychee ice cream for you,” she said although words were running dry as Sokka popped out of nowhere and reached to grab it. “Not for you! It’s for Zuko.” Her brother pouted, complained about something, but Katara didn’t hear him. Zuko didn’t seem to hear him either.

The man looked at her for a moment, then took the carton with a soft ‘thanks’ and Katara found her cheeks warming under his stare. He was wearing nothing but a white tee and grey sweats but he still looked so good. Better than a suit and tie, that was for sure. His warm amber eyes scanned her up and down, and Katara noted the heavy eyebags and how pale he looked. That didn’t detract from how hot he was, though. Not that Katara really looked.

“You didn’t come to the barbecue,” Katara said, sidelining her concern for now, and Zuko nodded. “Why?”

“I don’t like crowds.”

“It wasn’t that crowded.”

“I don’t like people.”

“Oh.”

Color spread magnificently over Zuko’s cheeks as Katara looked to the ground. His voice rasped and scratched and sounded like music to her ears. Not that she noticed.

“I was at work,” he added. Katara noted he was a pitiful liar. Fridays were his half-off days, according to her brother. Not that she cared. “Along with the not-liking people.”

“You like Sokka, though,” she pointed out and Zuko suppressed a scowl as they heard Sokka yell there was no more orange juice. Forgetting herself, Katara withdrew from the doorway. “Anyway, I should head back. You’re probably busy doing… whatever it is you’re doing.”

“We’re playing Assassin’s Creed, if you want to join,” Zuko offered and Katara shook her head. Not that she’d basically grown up with those games. Not that she played with Sokka before he moved away.

Not that she wanted to.

“Which one?” She found the question slipping past her lips before she could reel it back in.

“Origins. Just got around to playing it.”

The offer was enticing, but Katara wasn’t in the mood. “I thought you didn’t like people,” she said, because inviting strangers didn’t sound anti-friendly.

“I can make an exception.” He crossed his arms and Katara ignored the way his muscles bunched and how his shirt seemed too small for his frame. It was tight across his shoulders and when Katara caught his gaze, she shook her head.

“You should go put that in the freezer before it melts ‘cause it’s hot out.” Katara nodded to the carton of ice cream and excused herself quickly after that, going down the hall as quick as she could and entering her apartment.

Slamming the door behind her, she pressed her back against it and sighed. That was a such stupid thing to say before she left, and she couldn’t take it back now. What happened to a good-old fashioned ‘goodbye’? A regular old ‘see you later’?

Apparently, no longer options for Katara when she spoke to Zuko.

“Dude, stop checking your phone.”

“Just hurry up. I want to actually play for once,” Zuko growled back as Sokka saved his game on the PS4. Zuko already had Witcher 3 with Sokka’s game savefiles in the right folder and the two had planned to switch thirty minutes ago before Sokka decided to screw around and get two more viewpoints than said thirty minutes ago.

BlueSpirit94: would you believe it if i said my best friend is a complete waste of time

PaintedLadyXO: yes

BlueSpirit94: this is why we keep in touch

The chat bubble popped up again and disappeared, causing Zuko to turn off the screen and yell at Sokka again to hurry up. Then, a ding.

PaintedLadyXO: please

PaintedLadyXO: you need me more than i need you

Smirking at the reply, he couldn’t resist typing out one of his own. Ever since meeting on Discord with their apparent mutual online friends nearly three years ago, Zuko had hit it off with this other gamer despite having never heard their voice. What with Painted Lady’s crazy hours doing whatever they did and Zuko’s extreme reluctance to gather up courage to even talk to anyone outside of his friends, they still remained on close terms.

And they were right, as they often were. Zuko probably did need them more than they needed him.

Bluespirit94: that’s rude

Bluespirit94: but true

PaintedLadyXO: i didn’t mean it

Bluespirit94: whatever

Bluespirit94: how was your move btw? Read 2:49 PM

“Alright, get off. Time to cut off some heads.” Sokka shoved Zuko off the chair and the messy-haired man sat down on the couch instead, waiting for the reply. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard. “Who are you even talking to?”

“It’s none of your business!”

Sokka’s grabby fingers scrambled to grab his phone but Zuko threw it underneath his legs to sit on, grabbing the controller and glaring at Sokka.

“Fuck off,” he hissed. “Some dick at work is slacking ‘cause he’s probably too busy being high.” Zuko grimaced, and slid the analog stick until Assassin’s Creed Origins was selected. “Not my problem.”

“You’re the CEO.”

“Hey, I came back from work and I’m looking forward to this afternoon off. If he wants to keep his job, he’ll show up tomorrow.” Zuko watched the screen blankly. Everything he said wasn’t a total lie. That dude, Jet, had come in earlier, asking if he could take a medical leave while stinking of weed. Zuko had given him the foulest glare he could muster, declined his request, and left it with a threat of ‘See you tomorrow morning.’

Sokka didn’t say anything much after that. They’d known each other long enough that when Zuko needed his silence, Sokka knew better than to argue with it. Sometimes, he could cure it with jokes. It was more often than not that he couldn’t, so he slapped on Zuko’s expensive headphones and loaded up his save file.

Zuko’s phone pinged. Amber eyes darted from the screen to Sokka, who was beautifully immersed in Witcher 3, and he deemed it safe enough to check.

PaintedLadyXO: great! the tenants are friendly and the guy next door is kinda hot ;)

Zuko’s eyebrows rose. His thumbs paused.

BlueSpirit94: didn’t know you swung that way

PaintedLadyXO: and.

PaintedLadyXO: jk who said i was a man lmao

BlueSpirit94: i can now add that to things I know about you

There was no response for a few more minutes, so he decided that maybe they — she — decided to continue the move-in. Zuko shook it from his mind. So what if Painted Lady was a girl? They were always close friends. This didn’t change that.

PaintedLadyXO: and what do you know about me mister

BlueSpirit94: probably more than you'd like to admit Read 2:59 PM.

Katara’s first few months at the hospital went by with ease, especially since fellowships were a breeze compared to residency. With two more aneurysms clipped, a few more brainbleeds fixed, and one more neuroblastoma diagnosed than the night before, Katara reached her apartment as the sun began to set. She fiddled with her keys, almost too tired to see straight. Finally slotting the right one in, she twisted with an irritated huff and threw all her crap down on the couch. Despite having moved in three months ago, there were still a few boxes left to open. She plugged her phone to charge.

Heading to the bathroom, she began a shower and shed all her clothes from the day before. She needed this break before her pager would inevitably go off and she’d be back in the hospital.

Luckily, she managed to snag her shower and came out ten minutes later, feeling more awake than she had before as her phone pinged. Suki, the girl in 1A who’d been the subject of her brother’s affections and vice versa, was one of the first who welcomed her. They’d become quick friends at the barbecue and Katara wasn’t surprised to see texts from her. She was more often than not the one Katara turned to with her problems.

Suki: hey!!

Suki: was just wondering if you're interested in having dinner or anything

Suki: we NEED to catch up on gossip

Katara: yeah sure

Katara: technically off shift but you know how it goes

The response was instantaneous.

Suki: totally. i’ll be there in a bit w sushi

Satisfied that she had dinner plans, she turned to texting her other favourite. BlueSpirit94 had been silent for the past few days but Katara had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before their next conversation.

PaintedLadyXO: how come i never hear anything about your lovelife? Delivered

It was a bold thing to ask but Katara felt comfortable with texting anything to her faceless friend, considering that they’d been friends for well over three years now. It was funny. She barely went on Discord anymore (that was back in the day with Sokka) but she kept the app around on her phone, both of them too cowardly to move. This little bubble they lived in was comfortable. Katara didn’t want to pop it.

BlueSpirit94: because i don't have one

PaintedLadyXO: complete bs

BlueSpirit94: no really. hbu? hows the guy next door situation?

Katara thought on that.

How was the situation?

Well, it wasn’t like Zuko and her often had time to chat. She spent most of her time in the hospital, and on the off-chance she was here, he was either at work or out. She never wanted to bother him to talk, and it wasn’t like he was inclined to talk to her either. She hoped he liked her ice cream and got some sleep. The man looked one night away from passing out.

PaintedLadyXO: gone radio silent

PaintedLadyXO: our times don't match so i don't see him that much

BlueSpirt94: that sucks

BlueSpirit94: hey do you ever think it's crazy were literally in the same city now

PaintedLadyXO: on my mind all the time. we could literally pass each other and never know

Katara’s fingers paused. The next question on her mind was one she had never proposed before, but she had imagined a hundred different faces and a hundred different lives behind BlueSpirt94 that she couldn’t help it.

Knock, knock, knock.

Katara looked at the little arrow that meant send and then to the door.

She threw her phone onto the opposite end of the couch and went to the door.

Later that night, when Katara was in her own bed for the first time in five days, she looked at the unsent text. Exhaustion weighed at her eyelids and she sent it before she could feel the wave of regret waiting to drown her.

Zuko stared at the notification. For a Monday night turned Tuesday morning, he felt relatively good. It was nearing 1 AM and he was working on the newest wave on hopeful employees and interns after a day at work. But he was still getting a bit tired. Hiring season always meant overtime for him.

PaintedLadyXO: so why don’t we meet up?? it’s rly been three years

He stalled. The thought had his heart hammering in his throat as he picked up his phone. Could he say yes? Then again, she was the only one who he ever told about his sister. He trusted her with a lot, but she could just be some faceless troll.

Something about that notion struck him false. She’d never do that to him.

BlueSpirit94: uh ok i guess Delivered

A wave of nausea rolled over him. It wasn’t a gut feeling per se, or regret, but he suddenly felt like he was placed outside his comfort zone. He trusted Painted Lady, but to finally put a face to the name…

What a crazy idea.

For so long, she was what he came to from work as they talked and pieced together parts of each other’s lives. They were each other’s confidant, their safe of secrets. Where would they even go? What would they say?

Zuko shook his head. The text had rattled him so far as to say he couldn’t exactly focus on the resumés. So he picked up his phone again, and texted all that nervous energy out.

BlueSpirit94: how about coffee? Delivered

Just as the text sent, he heard a high-pitched beeping and a thump on the other side of his wall. Looking up, he debated getting up to check the sound out as the beeping stopped.

Next thing he knew, there was the sound of the next-door neighbour opening their door. Katara. He hadn’t seen her much since she moved in, so Zuko got up against his better judgement and crossed the living room floor, hand stalling on the knob. Squinting through one eye, he peeked through the hole and spotted a brown head of hair dash by his door.

Zuko blinked. He opened the door and saw her running around the corner in slip on shoes and her still trying to poke her arm through a hoodie. Words failed. Her hair was flying everywhere and it was like a whole different person from that composed woman three months ago. No doubt she’d return in a few days, as was her custom. He’d probably be still awake by then, so he made a game plan to finish through the rest of the resumés, finish his coffee, and get ready for work because the giant pile on his desk did not scream sleep.

He closed his door and returned to his desk. He took another sip of coffee.

He sat down.

PaintedLadyXO: that sounds good

BlueSpirit94: friday work for you?

PaintedLadyXO: depends on work but friday seems perfect

Katara was brimming with energy. Ever since making plans with BlueSpirit94 Tuesday morning, she had been full of some nervous squirming feeling in her stomach that added a bounce to her step. Thursday morning meant the end of her week and she walked the halls of the hospital, wanting to head to the cafe for lunch.

Instead, there was a beep of her pager.

Checking it, she clicked it to turn off that piercing noise and blinked. E.R. She was just there. Katara spun around, pulling her hair up into a ponytail as she walked into the pit, shrugging off her lab coat and heading to the nurse’s station where the screen behind it was constantly getting updated with the new intake of patients.

“I was paged?” she asked the nurse who helpfully pointed her in the direction of bed three. Nodding, she turned to it and picked up the chart, reading it over quickly. The symptoms — dehydration, overexhaustion, swollen ankle after collapsing down the stairs. Waiting for a CT to rule out any brain damage and internal damage. Cool. They just needed her to do a neural exam.

Pulling the curtain around, she slapped on a pair of gloves.

“Alright,” she announced with a smile. “Let’s look at that—”

“Hi, Katara.”

“Zuko?” Gawking, she raked her eyes up and down his body. He was in his suit, so he must’ve been at work, and his eyebags had gotten worse, if that was possible. There was blood dripping down the side of his head but he looked wide awake otherwise. Oh, man. Rolling up his pant sleeve, she saw that his sprained ankle was already treated and thanked god. All they were waiting for was her sign off. “Hey! How’d this happen?”

“Was late for a meeting,” Zuko hissed as she flashed a lightbulb in his eyes. Pupils responsive. Good. “Took the stairs, didn’t make it. Everything got dizzy.”

“When’s the last time you slept?” she asked, rotating his head gently. “Any pain here?”

“Two nights ago, maybe? It was my one meeting for the day. I swear I was going to go home after.” Feeling around his head as he talked, Katara felt her fingers brush against something. “Ow!”

“Yeah, and you ended up in the hospital instead.” Katara arched an eyebrow at him, unimpressed and Zuko shrugged. “If you don’t like people, you must hate it here,” she continued, eager to keep the conversation going. “Hold still. You’ve got a minor cut here where you must’ve hit your head.”

“Place isn’t so bad with the present company,” Zuko mumbled. Heat immediately rushed to her cheeks and Katara kept her eyes on the suture needle as she tilted his head to the light. It wasn’t too deep, and she wiped away the excess blood, putting pressure on the wound.

“How do you feel? It says you fell down the stairs.”

“Just a bit battered,” he admitted and Katara’s lips pulled into a smile against her wishes. When blood stopped flowing freely, she began to stitch. “Any idea when I’ll get to go home?”

“As soon as your CT comes back clear. Are you sure you’ll be able to get back home by yourself?” she asked, frowning. “You can’t drive in your condition.”

“I can call a taxi,” Zuko said with a shrug and Katara paused.

“Don’t move, please.” And she dug the needle in again. “Don’t be silly. I was supposed to be off shift after lunch anyway. I can drive you back.”

“Wait, really?”

Katara’s eyebrows rose at his surprised tone. When she looked at him again, he had a pleased blush across his cheeks and a boyish smile upon his lips. He looked quite cute in that light. Finding one of her own smiles, Katara nodded and added butterfly strips to keep the cut closed.

“Of course. As soon as your CT comes back clear, I’ll get you discharged.”

“Thanks, Katara.”

“Yeah, ‘course.” She tore off her gloves, signing that she was the last one to check on him and patted his shoulder with a final ‘see you later’ grin. He was incredibly warm under his suit, and her hand burned at his touch.

She’d not taken two steps, when: “Katara?”

“Mhm?”

Zuko’s eyes lit up. “The ice cream was really good.”

PaintedLadyXO: u kno what's crazy??

BlueSpirit94: what

PaintedLadyXO: boy next door is where i'm working

BlueSpirit94: what? did you talk to him?

PaintedLadyXO: yep and he’s really nice

PaintedLadyXO: we still on for tmr? Starbucks on 49th, right?

BlueSpirit94: about that…

PaintedLadyXO: what?

BlueSpirit94: i might be in the hospital.

PaintedLadyXO: WHAT?

PaintedLadyXO: are you okay???

BlueSpirit94: i’m fine

BlueSpirit94: just minor injuries

PaintedLadyXO: are you sure???

BlueSpirit94: yeah

BlueSpirit94: sorry about tomorrow guess we’ll have to cancel

PaintedLadyXO: np!! Especially if you’re hurt

Holding up the CT to the light, Katara squinted in front of Zuko for extra effect. The man was getting a bit antsy with how long she was staring at the thing and Zuko didn’t know what else to say other than: “I’m fine, aren’t I?”

It was like a shift immediately. Katara put down the CT and painted on a smile. “Yep! Now I can sign off and we can go home!”

Home. Zuko tried to ignore the implications that they lived together and nodded, accepting her aid into the wheelchair.

Katara’s car was a nice minivan that was full of boxes that needed to be recycled, but Zuko didn’t mind that the busy woman next to him was still mid-move despite three months living in town. It smelt like warm chicken and food, and he spotted a salad with butter chicken in the front chair that Katara hastily shoved under the chair.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had someone other than me in this car,” Katara muttered, helping him into shotgun and buckling in.

“Thanks, Kat, but I’ve got it,” Zuko said with a gentle smile. The woman was so keen on making sure he was comfortable, she didn’t quite remember her own tasks. The nickname caught her attention though, and ocean blue met volcanic amber. They both cleared their throats when they realized their faces were almost touching.

“Right, right. Sorry.” She waved her hand everywhere and closed the door, making sure none of his bags were in the car door before running around and driving. “Do you mind if I play music?” she asked once she revved up the car and Zuko shook his head.

“How long have you been at work?”

“Since Tuesday morning,” Katara responded, adjusting her rearview mirror. “Patient had a rebleed and I had a shift on Wednesday so I ended up staying overnight.”

“Oh. You’re busy, then.” Pulling out his phone, he checked for any missed emails or calls. Nothing of import. Perfect.

“Yeah, but I love doing it. Busy is good.” Hozier’s newest album came on and Zuko adjusted his chair, leaning back and looking at his phone as they began to pull out of the hospital. Opening his chat with Painted Lady, he felt a flicker of guilt.

She had sounded so excited, and now that their plans were cancelled…

Zuko should make it up to her. After all, he had been gaining nerves akin to what one would get on a date, and he’d even thought about his outfit. A nice dark red sweater, khakis...

He had been excited. Looking out the window, he watched glumly as the trees passed by.

“Do you need anything to eat? It’ll be hard to get around with your ankle,” Katara piped up and Zuko glanced to her. She was worrying her bottom lip but her eyes were earnest.

“Thanks, but it’s fine.”

“Okay, but remember I’m next door. I’ll give you my number when we get back.”

She was very kind, a lot like how Painted Lady was. Not that Zuko would know. This was the most he’d ever talked to Katara ever.

Keeping his screen on, he looked down at her last text.

BlueSpirit94: we can reschedule if you’re down??

It took a moment, and then it delivered.

The music paused to allow a ear-deafening ring to bounce off the car walls. Zuko looked to the phone on reflex, then to Katara. She ignored the notification, keeping her eyes on the road and a clammy feeling snuck into Zuko’s palms as she crossed an intersection and turned right onto the road their apartment building was on. Her phone screen had lit up momentarily but Zuko couldn’t manage the sneak he wanted to get besides the Discord icon.

It could be coincedence, he told himself with closed eyes. Stomach in knots, he forced himself to look at the woman beside him. Then to her phone, and then to his own phone.

Only one way to find out.

BlueSpirit94: hi katara

Another resounding ding.

Zuko felt like he was going to be sick. A cold sweat settled over him as he stared at the gorgeous woman beside him. She was exhausted, with messy hair and two day-old clothes but still—

Katara swerved into the parking lot, parking into her usual spot (the space next to his car which was still at the office) and picked up her phone, turning off the ignition. Taking out her keys, she got out of the car and took out the wheelchair from the trunk. Unfolding it for him, she was about to help him into his seat when she remembered her phone in hand. The screen lit up as she rotated it towards her to briefly check who had messaged her and their notification previews.

Zuko watched her every movement.

Which meant he caught when she read the message and when she froze. Her eyes, wide as saucers, went from him, to the phone he still held and Zuko’s own gaze only stared at her, waiting. If he moved, he was afraid he was going to actually hurl. Whether from the pain of his ankle was starting to get to him or the fact that Painted Lady, one of his best friends, was his other best friend’s beautiful sister.

And his neighbour. And his absolute-certain crush (do adults even still get those?). And Sokka’s sister. Crap.

“Hi, Katara,” he whispered because it didn’t matter. This was his best friend right in front of him, with Katara’s smile and eyes, and the Painted Lady’s humour and wit. A myriad of emotions flickered across her face, and then she let out a relieved laugh and half a smile. He extended a hand because being half-in and half-out a car was extremely tiring, especially with a sprained ankle, and her smile grew to fit her whole face. A sun on the face of a woman just as radiant, Katara saw past his scar just as she did the first time they met.

“Hey, Zuko,” she whispered as she took his hand.

#my writing #zutara #zuko x katara #katara x zuko #zutara fanfic #zutaraexchange #tw: drug abuse #zuko #katara #atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender #a:tla #zutara fic #zutara exchange #zutara exchange 2019

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