#hey defend him in the western air temple

[the-badger-mole]

the way you cope is insane when aang canonically is kind and respects culture, he wouldn’t even marry a water bender if he was that uptight y’all need to heal it’s been almost two decades making salty headcanons is just insane n don’t help when u can easily be proven wrong😭

HE RESPECTS CULTURE???? 😆🤣😆🤣😆🤣😆 Thank you! I needed that belly laugh. What a way to start my day. Bless your heart.

[reinerispretty]

rotations. (zuko x f!reader) pt12

hi!! sorry i’m posting so late, i had a super busy day today! but i’m here now and i hope you guys are all having a wonderful time :) thank you so much for reading and being so supportive!! pls share if you can 💕

pt 1

pt 11

pt 13

Every time she saw him, the memories of all of their fights and the times he had made her cry over him came flooding back. But she also felt relief in knowing that he was safe and seeing that he was trying to make a change. Needless to say, (Y/N) spent most of her time avoiding Zuko, because her head spun every time she was around him.

To say that (Y/N) was happy to be back with her friends was an understatement. She was absolutely ecstatic. As they flew away from the Fire Nation and to the Western Air Temple, they caught her up on all the adventures they had had while she had been in prison.  

“We were hunted by this guy that can shoot, like, supersonic beams from his head,” Toph informed her. 

“I call him Combustion Man!” Sokka cut in. 

“Toph and I got thrown into jail!” Katara said. 

“And I went to Fire Nation school!” Aang called back as he steered Appa. 

“I learned to swordfight from the best Master in the Fire Nation,” Sokka said, flexing his bicep. “Pretty impressive, huh?” 

“Oh, you met Piandao? He’s so nice! He came to my birthday parties every year when I was younger.” Sokka pouted and leaned back into the side of Appa’s saddle. 

“I forget that you lived in the Fire Nation.” 

It took days until they reached the temple. As much as she loved Appa, (Y/N) was so thankful to be back on solid ground. She hadn’t worn real shoes in weeks and it was so nice to feel the stone and grass beneath her feet. 

This Air Temple was just as breathtaking as the first one she had seen, back when she and her friends had traveled to the North Pole. It was built into the mountain, making it virtually inaccessible from any other way except airbending. It extended across the mountain range. The temples themselves looked as if they had been built upside down. 

While her friends set up camp on the main level of the temple, (Y/N) had decided to walk down to the woods where she had seen a river as they flown over. They hadn’t been allowed to shower in their area of the prison, so she had weeks worth of grime and dirt caked onto her skin. She was surprised her friends had held her so tight when she reunited with them. She smelled horrible. 

Sokka was hesitant to let her go by herself. “I’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “I can protect myself.” 

“I know, but...” He let his sentence trail off, but he didn’t have to finish it. The last time Sokka had left her alone, she had been captured by the Fire Nation and tossed into a prison. He hadn’t been sure if she was alive for weeks. She understood his worry. 

She kissed him quickly before smiling. “If I’m not back in an hour, then you can unleash you fury,” she said with a wink, walking away. 

She sat in the river for a long time, just scrubbing her skin and combing her fingers through her matted hair. The water felt so nice on her skin. If she could, she would stay in there forever. But she knew Sokka would seriously come swinging down the hill with a sword if she was late, so she dried herself off and put on the Fire Nation clothes that Katara had given her. 

(Y/N) slipped on a red, long-sleeved cropped shirt and matching flowy pants. The whole outfit felt light and airy and she couldn’t wait to firebend in it. Kneeling down at the edge of the river, she stared at her reflection as she put her hair into a traditional Fire Nation top knot, but this time with the flame bobby pin she had worn in her old life. She had kept it wrapped in fabric, tucked away in the bottom of Katara’s clothing bag. She hadn’t worn it for almost an entire year, but as soon as she stuck it into place, she felt whole again. There were some parts of her that would always be Fire Nation, and that was okay. 

She traveled back up the hill, her hair still wet, but decided she’d just ask Aang to dry it for her. She hoped that Sokka had caught something for them to eat because it had been weeks since she’d had an actual good meal. Fish, rice, and maybe some mashed berries for dessert if they could find some? Her mouth watered at the thought. (Y/N) laughed at herself for a moment. Her palette had drastically changed since she had been traveling with her friends. 

Instead of a nice, hot meal, (Y/N) walked back into the Western Air Temple to find all of her friends looking ready to attack. Confused, she turned her head and there he was. The boy she wanted to see least at the moment. 

“(Y/N)!” Zuko exclaimed, running over to her. He grabbed her hands in his. “I’m glad you’re okay. I went back to the prison to break you out when I left, but you were gone by the time I got there.” 

She pulled her hands out of his as Sokka walked up and shoved Zuko away. “Hey, don’t touch her!” He said, his voice low and threatening. 

“Watch it!” Zuko snapped back. He looked at (Y/N) confusedly and she hated that she could still tell exactly what he was thinking at that moment. What’s going on here? He seemed to silently ask, and she averted her gaze as quickly as possible. 

“You can’t just show up here and ask for forgiveness after everything you’ve done,” Katara snapped. (Y/N) looked up at Sokka. 

“What’s happening?” She asked. 

“He wants to join us,” he said, his eyes still narrowed at Zuko. 

“I’ve changed,” Zuko said, but this time he directed his words at (Y/N). She tried hard to avoid his gaze. 

“Are you crazy? You’ve tried to kill us, multiple times!” Sokka yelled at him. 

“And capture Aang!” Katara pointed out. 

“Please,” Zuko said. “I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done. I’m sorry for trying to capture you, I’m sorry for trying to kill you, I’m sorry for sending that bounty hunter after you--” 

“You sent Combustion Man after us?” Toph questioned. 

“I mean, that’s not his name, but yes.” 

“The answer is no, Zuko,” Aang said decidedly. “There’s no way that we can trust you.” 

“(Y/N)...” Zuko said to her quietly. She crossed her arms and walked away from him. 

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

“I think you guys are just holding grudges against Zuko,” Toph said that night at dinner. “Aang needs a firebending teacher.” 

“You don’t understand, Toph. You weren’t there for all the destruction he caused,” Katara said as she sipped on her soup. “He betrayed me in Ba Sing Se and he’s hurt (Y/N) more times than I can count.” 

“Besides,” Sokka cut in. “(Y/N) can teach Aang firebending!” She shook her head quicky. 

“I’m too much out of practice. My family wouldn’t let me get training while we stayed in the Earth Kingdom. I know a couple advanced moves, but definitely not enough to help Aang beat the Fire Lord.” She smiled at Aang apologetically. 

“On the one hand, it’s hard to forget everything that Zuko has done to us. But the monks taught me that everyone deserves a second chance,” Aang said. 

“And a third and a fourth?” Sokka muttered. 

“What do you think, (Y/N)?” Toph asked. “You were pretty quiet when he was here today.” 

She stared into her soup to avoid everyone’s gaze. “The truth it, I don’t know how I feel about it. He’s done some pretty awful things. But you need a firebending teacher, Aang. A good one. And as much as I hate to say it, Zuko’s good.” 

Sokka stood, his bowl clattering to the ground as he stormed off toward the bedrooms. Katara moved to go after him, but (Y/N) put her hand up. “I’ll do it,” she sighed, setting her bowl down. She walked briskly down the hall to Sokka’s room, where a sliver of light filtered through the door. She slid it open. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked. He looked at her, his brows furrowed in anger. 

“What’s wrong? You’re out there defending him!” 

“I wasn’t defending him, Sokka.” 

“Well that’s what it sounded like! After everything he’s done to you, you still want to just forgive him by letting him into our group?” 

“Letting him in the group doesn’t mean that I forgive him! It just means that I’m willing to push past my own emotions so that Aang has a chance at beating the Fire Lord!” 

“He can do it without firebending.” 

“We both know that’s not true.” Sokka sighed and turned away from her. 

“I don’t want to constantly be around the reason that I didn’t know whether you were alive or not.” She smiled sadly at him. She walked to his side and intertwined their fingers. 

“Technically, Azula’s the reason I got thrown in jail.” She smiled at him until a small smile formed on his own lips. “We don’t have to like him, but we can put up with him for a few weeks until Aang beats Ozai.”

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

Once Zuko had defeated Combustion Man, the four friends begrudgingly let him join their group. It was a difficult decision for everyone, especially Katara, because she still held on to the memory of Zuko betraying her in the underground palace of Ba Sing Se. (Y/N) was also very uncomfortable with Zuko joining their group. Every time she saw him, the memories of all of their fights and the times he had made her cry over him came flooding back. But she also felt relief in knowing that he was safe and seeing that he was trying to make a change. Needless to say, (Y/N) spent most of her time avoiding Zuko, because her head spun every time she was around him. 

She had been laying out the sleeping bags for the night when Zuko approached her. They were completely alone, so there was no one she could run towards as a distraction. She knew he was there but refused to look up at him. He cleared his throat to get her attention. 

“I wanted to thank you,” he said. “For letting me join your group.” She raised her eyebrow at him.

“It was Toph’s idea,” she said simply as she unfurled Katara’s sleeping bag.

“I also wanted to say that I’m really sorry for everything I’ve done to you. I didn’t say that when you came to the shop in Ba Sing Se, but I wanted to. And I wanted to apologize for everything else that happened there.” 

“Like betraying both me and your uncle after we both had thought you changed? Like letting me rot in prison while you played house with your family?” She saw him physically wince from her tone. “You’re here to teach Aang, Zuko. I have no interest in being your friend.” She laid out the last sleeping bag and walked away in search of literally anyone else. 

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

It took Zuko a while to actually start teaching Aang firebending. Because he had lost the anger he had toward the Avatar, he lost the source of his bending. (Y/N) laughed as she watched Zuko create little puffs of fire with his hands. 

“How do you do it, (Y/N)?” Aang asked. She shrugged. 

“My firebending teachers always told me that I was very headstrong and determined. I guess that’s where I get the source of my bending from.” She walked away from the conversation just as Zuko opened his mouth to say something else. 

He and Aang traveled to the Sun Warrior civilization and (Y/N) would be lying if she said she wasn’t glad to have him gone. Not being around him gave her room to breathe. Every moment he was there, she was thinking of what quip she would give when he tried to talk to her, or the nearest way she could escape if he roped her into a conversation. It was nice to be able to walk around freely without having to worry if Zuko was around. 

When Aang and Zuko returned, they both excitedly told the group of their discovery of the two last dragons in existence. (Y/N) was shocked to learn this because in school she had always learned that Iroh had killed the last dragon. She wasn’t surprised to discover that he had done it to protect them. Iroh was conscientious about things like that. 

Slowly but surely, Zuko’s relationship with everyone in their group (except (Y/N) and Katara) was starting to improve. Toph had never had anything against him and quickly forgave him for accidentally burning her feet. Zuko was incredibly rough around the edges, but Aang learned to like him during their time with the Sun Warriors. Even Sokka would take Zuko down to the river sometimes and fish with him. They did it mostly in silence, but it was still an improvement from their previous interactions. 

Every time Zuko tried to talk to Katara, she shut him down with a harsh comment. (Y/N) either did the same or completely avoided him altogether. He cared about becoming Katara’s friend as well, but it tore him apart inside whenever (Y/N) brushed him off like he didn’t exist. Every night, he lay in bed and thought of the good times they had had together. He thought about building sand castles with her at Ember Island, about attending boring etiquette classes and making silly faces at each other from across the room, and about sneaking into the kitchens on his tenth birthday and stealing fruit tarts for her. 

He knew he had caused her a lot of pain, which is why he was trying his best to be patient. But every morning he woke up wanting to talk to her and when she wouldn’t let him, it was like a painful jab to his heart. Whenever he saw her toss her head back and laugh loudly at something one of her friends said, his heart swelled because he loved the noise and sank because he wasn’t the one making her laugh. 

Zuko watched from the bank of the river as (Y/N) and Sokka wrestled each other in the water. They couldn’t stop laughing and sometimes Toph would create mounds of earth to come up and knock one of them off of their feet, furthering their laughing fit. He watched as Sokka wrapped his arms around her waist and tossed her into the water. 

“So...” Zuko said slowly, his eyes cutting to Aang. The young Avatar sat on the ground beside him, feeding Momo berries and rubbing his belly. “Sokka and (Y/N) are together.” It was phrased as more of a direct statement, but he hoped that Aang would provide him with more information. 

“Yeah!” Aang said as he scratched between Momo’s ears. “They’ve been going out for a few weeks now. About time, if you ask me.” 

Zuko felt the anger growing inside of him and took three deep breaths to calm himself down. He had had a feeling that the two were more than just friends for a while now. They sat closer together at dinner and if one of them was alone, they always found the other. They acted the way (Y/N) and Zuko had, long before all of this had happened. He had known it at the back of his mind, but refused to believe it. Hearing Aang confirm it just made him angry. Aang must have sensed this, because he turned to him. 

“Everything okay?” 

“Yeah!” Zuko said, just a bit too forcefully. “It’s just very different being around her now.” 

“You mean how she doesn’t want to talk to you at all or have anything to do with you?” 

Zuko narrowed his eyes at Aang, who gave a sheepish smile. 

“I guess you’re not wrong,” Zuko admitted. Sokka had lifted her over his shoulder and tossed her into the water. She resurfaced giggling and threw herself into him to knock him over. 

“When she first joined us,” Aang said quietly. “We could all tell that she missed someone a lot. It wasn’t until after Sokka rescued her from your ship that we realized the person she was missing was you. I think she really cares about you, Zuko, which makes this a lot harder for her than the rest of us.” 

Zuko smiled softly at his friend. “Thanks, Aang.” 

“No problem!” 

---

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[scarletemeterio-thesecond]

Hey, sorry if I'm bothering you, but I wanted to ask if you could do a part two of Heartbreak and Betrayal. I really like the story, but it's sad that it ended that way 🥺,maybe a fluffy ending for the second part(?). 🌻 Btw english it's not my first language, sorry if I made mistakes! Have a nice day!🥺💕

Omg, thank you for being so sweet, and you're definitely not bothering me! Don't worry, english is not my first language either! Hope you have a nice day too! <3

Thank you so much for requesting a part 2! I actually had a few ideas to continue that imagine but I wasn't sure if anyone would want to read it. It's literally the longest thing I've ever written, I hope you like it!

•••

Making Things Right (Zuko x Reader)

Warnings: Mention of toes, mentions of scars

Genre: Fluff

Fandom: Avatar, The Last Airbender

Summary: Zuko and reader meet up again after the events at Ba Sing Se

Word Count: 4389

part 1

Joining the Avatar was one of the best things that have ever happened to me. I didn't only find amazing friends, I found a new family. I haven't been with them for long but we've already had a lot of adventures.

Right now, we were at the Western Air Temple since our plans for the invasion didn't work very well. We tried to talk to Aang about defeating the Fire Lord, but he didn't pay much attention. We needed to find a firebending teacher for him before the comet, and we had no idea where to look for one. We decided to follow Aang since we needed to find a solution to this problem. Once we all were back on land, Toph spoke, and we soon realized we had company. He was here, in front of us. The person I thought -and wished- I'd never see again, right there a few meters away from us.

He said he wanted to join us and even started talking about how much he had changed; I didn't believe anything he said. I hated to admit it, but the opportunity to let a potential firebending teacher go was kind of stupid but we were talking about Zuko here, the guy who had betrayed us; and he even said he sent that assassin after us! Apparently, I wasn't the only one who didn't want him here so we kicked him out.

"Why would he try to fool us like that?" asked Katara.

"Obviously, he wants to lead us into some kind of trap" said Sokka.

"This is just like when we were in prison together in Ba Sing Se" started saying the waterbender.

I wanted to agree with them, to say that I didn't believe any word he said but I just couldn't. I wanted to hate him, but a part of me knew we needed him, so I just stayed silent while they continued talking, with Aang joining them.

"He wasn't lying" said Toph, snapping me out of my thoughts. "And I'm just saying that considering his messed-up family and how he was raised, he could've turned out a lot worse".

"You're right, Toph. Let's go find him and give him a medal. The 'not as much of a jerk as you could've been' award" said Katara, clearly starting to get annoyed.

"All I know is that while he was talking to us, he was sincere. Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings to keep you from thinking clearly. Well, all except (Y/N), not a single bad word about him has left your mouth" she commented and I immediately wanted to kill her for pointing that out.

"Why would you even try to defend him, Toph?"

"Because, Katara, you're all ignoring one crucial fact: Aang needs a firebending teacher. We can't think of a single person in the world to do the job. Now one shows up on a silver platter and you won't even think about it?"

"I'm not having Zuko as my teacher" said Aang.

"Ugh, I'm beginning to wonder who's really the blind one around here" and after saying that, she left.

There was an awkward silence in the air, and I knew they would practically hate me for what I was about to say.

"She's right".

"No way, (Y/N)! The guy literally broke your heart and you're still defending him?"

"I'm not defending him, Sokka! I'm just saying that we should consider him as Aang's firebending teacher. Where would we find another person willing to do it?"

"You're just saying that just because somehow you still love him" said Katara in an angry tone.

"You have no idea how I feel" I said immediately. "And I thought I made myself very clear when I said I didn't want to talk about any of that the moment I joined you. Toph is right, you're all blind here".

After saying that, I started walking away. Once I got to a quiet place in the Temple, I sat down with my back against the wall, and as soon as my body touched the floor, I started crying. I didn’t know why, but I felt so frustrated, I was angry, sad, and even though I hated to admit it, I missed him so much. I often wondered what would’ve happened if things had been different and it only made me feel worse because I knew it made no sense to wish for something impossible, but sometimes I just wanted him by my side. I realized that Toph was approaching me and I quickly tried to get rid of my tears.

"Are you okay?" she asked me as she sat next to me. I loved how good of a friend she was and how much she cared about all of us, even if she didn’t show it all the time. "I know you were crying and I can imagine what happened but I’ll let you tell me about it if you want, yeah?" I nodded.

"I just told them you were right, about Aang needing a firebending teacher and… well, here I am. I know that he did bad things in the past, I personally experienced some of them, but we can���t let this opportunity go to waste and Katara started telling me that I was just saying that because I still loved him".

"Well, she’s not wrong, (Y/N)".

"I know, it’s just that- It made me feel even worse than I already feel because I know that I shouldn’t have feelings for him after everything that happened but I just can’t help it". I could feel the tears running down my face again. "I’m just so hurt, Toph. And I’ve even dreamt of seeing him again and exchanging a conversation with him but at the same time I feel like it’s not worth it; like he was just pretending with me the whole time".

"You have every right to feel like that" she started saying.

"But?"

"But maybe talking to him wouldn’t be such a bad idea" I knew she was right but deep down I tried to convince myself that she wasn’t. "I’m not saying you have to do it, not if you don’t want to. Maybe if he ends up joining us, you could take some baby steps, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess that doesn’t sound so bad" I admitted out loud. She smiled briefly and then she punched my arm and I couldn’t help but smile at her action. Toph was just so Toph sometimes. She got up and left, leaving me by myself, now a lot more at peace with my thoughts than before. I stayed there for a while and finally decided to go back to the others since it was getting late and it was my turn to make dinner.

We all ate in silence, there was a slightly uncomfortable silence, which was broken by my voice, asking if anyone had seen the little earthbender. Everyone said that they hadn’t seen or heard of her since earlier today and I found that pretty unusual.

"I’m sorry for reacting the way I did today" I said.

"No, (Y/N), I’m sorry for talking to you like that. I shouldn’t have told you what I did" said Katara, grabbing my hand and smiling at me. "We know you meant no harm, and we shouldn’t have been that mean to you". I accepted her apology, but I knew she still didn’t like the idea of Zuko joining us. After dinner, we all went to bed and it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep.

I woke up with the sun hitting my face. I stayed in my room for a few minutes and I finally decided to get up and go outside. Everyone was already up, which didn’t surprise me at all since I was extremely tired last night, so it made sense that I was the last to wake up. It was Katara’s turn to make lunch, but I decided to help her; I wanted to do something and I also wanted to spend some time with her. We shared some much-needed laughs and I felt so grateful to have a friend like her in my life; we had our fights, but at the end of the day, we were always there for each other and I loved that about our friendship. When we were done, we quickly started serving the food and she began to wonder where Toph was.

"I haven’t seen her since she stormed off yesterday" said Sokka.

"Maybe she’s just exploring the Air Temple" commented Haru. "There are some pretty fun spots to practice earthbending".

"I think we should go look for her".

"Oh, let her have fun with her rocks. I’m in no rush to have her yelling at us again".

"I don’t know, I think Katara is right. I haven’t seen her for a while and I’m starting to get worried" I said.

Then, we heard a loud noise and everything moved around us, and Toph fell from a little pile of rocks.

"Toph, what happened?"

"My feet got burned" she answered and Katara quickly started healing her feet.

"Oh, no, what happened?" she asked worriedly again.

"I just told you, my feet got burned".

"I meant how".

"Well, I kind of went to see Zuko last night".

"What?" I asked as the others reacted surprised too.

"I just thought he could be helpful to us and if I talked to him, maybe we could work something out".

"So he attacked you?" asked Sokka, also worried.

"Well, he did and he didn’t" said Toph before saying that it had been an accident.

"See, you trusted Zuko and you got burned… literally" said Sokka. "And it’s not the first time this happens, we can’t trust him".

As he said that, I immediately touched my arm, which now had a scar thanks to everything that had happened back in Ba Sing Se. They all kept talking but I didn’t pay any attention to them, I was concentrated on my thoughts. I didn’t think much about my scar but when I did, it just took me back to the catacombs. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion and we tried to hide as soon as possible. Just before doing that, we saw Zuko telling Combustion Man to stop hunting Aang, but he paid no attention and continued anyways. We tried to fight back since we had to do something if we didn’t want anything bad to happen to us. Thankfully, Sokka had the amazing idea of using his boomerang, which literally saved us. Well, along with Zuko. He was climbing from a root, trying not to fall and he didn’t.

"I can’t believe I’m saying this but thanks, Zuko" said Aang.

"Listen, I know I didn’t explain myself very well yesterday. I’ve been through a lot in the past years, and it’s been hard. But I’m realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth." He looked at me while saying that and it didn’t take me long to break the eye contact between us. "I thought I had lost my honor and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It’s something you earn for yourself by choosing to do what’s right. And all I want now is to play my part in ending this war, I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world".

I could see that Aang’s expression was a lot softer now as Zuko kept talking, and I realized mine was too.

"I’m sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident." He said to Toph. "Fire can be dangerous and wild. So as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending so I don’t hurt people unintentionally".

"I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher" said Aang. "When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara. And after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love" I lifted my head at his words, feeling the young Avatar’s eyes on me and I quickly looked at Zuko before looking away once more. "I’d like you to teach me".

"Thank you. I’m so happy you’ve accepted me into your group".

"Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it’s okay with them" he then proceeded to ask every single one of us our opinion on the matter, and I felt my heart beating fast when he said my name.

"You need a firebending teacher, it would be dumb of us to refuse his offer" I said, and that made it official: Zuko was now part of our group.

Having him around was a bit weird at first, but as the days went by, I got used to his presence. I hated to admit it but having him around wasn’t so bad after all. We were now having dinner, and we were glad Zuko and Katara were fine after their trip together. It was weird to be camping, but I liked to be outdoors, so it didn’t bother me; well, except for the cold, of course. We stayed around the fire for a while after we finished eating, but we finally decided to go to bed since we had to get up early in order to go to Ember Island. Everyone had gone to their tents but I stayed outside for a while, drawing whatever went through my mind.

"Here" I heard a voice say. I looked up and I was met up with Zuko’s face, and he was offering me his robe. I looked at him confused and he sat by my side. "You’re cold, I can tell because you’re curling your toes" he said.

"Thanks" I said, grabbing his robe and putting it on. He stayed there beside me and asked me what I was drawing. "Just Momo sleeping". As I said that I gestured with my head to show him where the lemur was, and he let out a smile.

"I know I said this a couple of times already but I’m glad to see you again and I-" he said, but I interrupted him.

"Please, Zuko, I don’t want to talk about it now. It’s late, I’m tired, and I’d very much rather have this conversation at any other moment; not now, please". I begged, not wanting to deal with this right now. He nodded and told me he understood, but that we would have to talk sooner or later. "I know, I’m still very confused. Give me some time to figure out my feelings, please".

"I will, I promise".

We stayed there in silence for a few minutes while I finished my drawing. Once I was done, I started getting up to go to my tent, and when I was going to give Zuko back his robe, he told me to keep it. I smiled at him and started walking away, but I turned around and walked back to him.

"Here, I want you to have it" I said while giving him my drawing. He smiled and thanked me. We stood there, looking at each other for a few seconds until he said it was late and that we both should go to bed.

"Good night, (Y/N)". Right before walking away, he gave me a quick kiss on my cheek and I was glad it was dark enough for him to not see that I was blushing. I went to my tent and tried to be as silent as possible since I thought Katara would be already asleep.

"Did you guys kiss?" I heard her ask.

"Spirits, Katara, you scared me!" I yelled in a whisper.

"I'm sorry. Did you, though?"

"No, nothing happened" I said, hoping she'd believe me. I took off Zuko's robe and started getting inside my sleeping bag as Katara spoke again.

"Then why do you have his robe?"

"I was cold and he gave it to me, okay?" I looked at her and I realized she wouldn't leave me alone unless I told her everything, so I did. "I'm just so confused" I said after telling her, letting out a sigh.

"I think you're just scared of him hurting you again" she said. "And I get it, he really hurt you and you have every right to be mad, but I see the way he looks at you, (Y/N)".

"That's the thing, I don't even think I'm mad anymore. I guess you're right and I'm probably just scared, but I don't want to be".

"You still need some time".

"How much?" I asked. "Because if I'm being honest I miss him a lot and I just want to be with him, and it's already been a while since he joined us. It's like I'm just a tiny little step away from being ready".

"As much as you need, (Y/N). You'll know when you're ready, trust me". She grabbed my hand in order to reassure me and I smiled at her. "Maybe you're ready and you just don't want to admit it to yourself" she whispered.

She then proceeded to say good night and quickly fell asleep. I was tired, but I just wasn't able to stop thinking about my shared moment with Zuko and what Katara said to me. Maybe she was right and I was ready; maybe I was just scared of being ready, of getting hurt again. I could feel my head starting to hurt a little, but still I thankfully managed to fall asleep, which was actually a blessing since I didn't want to be tired for our trip.

Being at Ember Island felt extremely weird, but it was the best place we had to hide until the comet. Aang and Zuko were training, and Katara, Toph, and I were sitting in the corner. We were all talking when suddenly Sokka and Suki told us about a play that, supposedly, told our story.

"We were just in town and we found this poster" said Suki and then Sokka showed us said poster.

"Listen to this. The Boy In The Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Puan Tin, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar" he started saying, reading what was on the poster.

"Do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about us?" asked Katara.

"Oh, come on. A day at the theater? This is the kind of time-wasting nonsense I've been missing" said her brother. And so we decided to go that night. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but we honestly needed to take a break.

The day went by pretty quick, and soon we had to get ready to go.

"I think that maybe you should take of that shirt" said Katara, looking at the one I was wearing under my fire nation attire. "We don't want people to suspect we're not from the Fire Nation, and your shirt is blue".

I sighed in frustration but I knew she was right. However, I didn't want to take it out, mainly because I was a bit self-conscious about my scar; it was the only reason I used my long sleeve shirt.

"Could you come and help me?" I asked the waterbender. "I can't put this top back on my by myself". She nodded and we went inside for a moment. I had taken off my blue shirt and when she was helping me with my red one, she noticed something was wrong.

"I can stay here with you if you don't feel comfortable going out without covering it" she said, talking about my scar. I honestly considered accepting her offer for a moment. I wasn't that self-conscious about my scar anymore, but covering it was easier: I didn't have to worry about people looking at me, or things like that. But tonight I didn't really care about what anyone could think, so I refused.

"It's nothing, Katara. We should go, we don't want to be late" I said right before she finished helping me with my top. I thanked her and we went back outside to meet the others. We were all ready and so we left.

When we got to the theater, we quickly went to our sits since the play was about to begin. I sat between Zuko and Katara, with Aang and Toph at each end of the bench.

Everything up till the intermission was kind of weird; the guys have told me some things that happened before I joined them, but seeing some actors recreating that was extremely funny.

"Look guys, I know it must hurt but what you're seeing up there is the truth" said Toph before going back to our sits.

When it was Toph's moment to appear in the play, she got excited. She was played by some guy and she actually found that extremely funny, and so did I; maybe coming here hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

Or maybe it was. I wasn't in the play, and when they were acting the whole catacombs situation, they made it seem like Katara and Zuko liked each other. I knew they didn't, but it still made me feel weird and I could tell they felt the same. Suddenly, Aang got up and left and a few moments later, I decided to do the same. I sat on the floor with my back against the wall, waiting for the next intermission. It wasn't long till everyone got out, and Toph, Zuko and I stayed there while Katara went to look for Aang and Sokka went backstage with Suki.

"Geez, everyone's getting so upset about their characters. Even you seem more down than usual, and that's saying something" said the earthbender to Zuko.

"At least you guys are in the play, they didn't even mention me" I said under my breath.

"You don't get it, Toph. You get a muscly version of yourself taking down ten bad guys at once and making sassy remarks".

"Yeah, that's pretty great" said the little girl.

"But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life and shoves them back in my face. Even the ones they don't talk about!" After hearing that, I didn't even think before acting, I just grabbed his hand and started caressing it. He kept talking about his uncle but I didn't say anything; I just stayed there in silence, letting them talk.

We went back in for the last part of the play. To be honest, I was a little bored and just wanted to head back to the house. I could tell I wasn't the only one, and there was a weird tension in the air. We all were a bit shocked at the end of the play, and on the way back to the house we all talked about how bad it actually was. Once we got there, everyone quickly went to bed, and when I was leaving, Zuko told me to stop.

"Is now a good time to talk?" he asked and I slowly nodded. We sat near the fountain, next to each other. "I don't know what the playwright was thinking, but that thing with Katara never happened at the catacombs" he said after a while.

"I know" I whispered. "It was just a play" I reassured him. He nodded and let out a sigh before talking again.

"I have so many things to say but I don't know where to begin with I-" he took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "I just want to make things right".

"I'm not mad at you anymore, Zuko" I said. "I used to be so angry and sad, I guess I needed some time".

"I understand. I'm so sorry for everything that happened, I feel so guilty for betraying you and for hurting you" he said the last part while looking briefly at my arm. "If I could go back to that day, I… I don't know what I would do, honestly".

"We can't change the past, Zuko" I said. "I just have one question and I need you to answer me with the truth. Did you ever feel something for me? Or were you just faking the whole time?" I could tell my heart was beating fast, and I even had some tears that threatened to fall down my cheeks.

"Every single moment with you was true" he said. "I really loved you, and I regret never saying it out loud because I know that it's too late now".

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking at him in the eyes.

"I never stopped loving you, (Y/N). Yes, I came here to help Aang, but also because I wanted to see you again. But after being around you for a while I realized that maybe you're better off without me".

"Don't say that" I whispered, preparing myself for what I was about to say, but before he words could leave my mouth he started talking again.

"But it's true. And I know deep down that I'll always love you, but I can't make you love me back if you don't and I-" I cut him off by grabbing his neck in order to press my lips against his.

"I do love you, Zuko. I never stopped loving you" he looked at me surprised, and I didn't know if it was because of what I just said or the kiss. Nevertheless, I kissed him again, and this time he kissed me back; the kiss was sweet and at the same time kind of desperate, and when I backed off a bit, I could tell he had a little smile on his face.

"I missed kissing you so much" he said, cupping my face to then give me a quick kiss on my nose. "I missed you so much" he whispered.

"I missed you too" I said right before hugging him and placing my head on his chest. He kissed my forehead and suddenly, right here with his arms around me, I felt at home.

[craftypeaceturtle]

Folk Stories

Summary: Hakoda has been rescued from Boiling Rock and now has joined the little family his children have created. What a better way to warm everyone up than to tell a folk story he heard while he was in the prison?

Note: This is my first ATLA fic so feedback is crucial!!! I tried to get a grasp on the culture presented in the show but I’m not entirely sure I got everything. So please feel free to give feedback!!! A bog standard Gaang finds out about the scar fic!

Slight discussion around child abuse, no depiction but still be careful. 

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Arriving at the Western Air Temple was bizarre. That was the only way to describe it. The air was chilling with a constant gust. It felt somehow both fresh but also deadened. Like it wasn’t a new wind but rather the same old air forever cycling through the walls. The Temple itself was crumbling to pieces. The place felt… haunted. Not that that was a very sensitive thing to say. But despite the eight children running about and claiming it as home for a couple of weeks now, the place just felt wrong. Like it was wrong to even be standing here. He couldn’t imagine what Aang felt. Maybe it only felt so bizarre because it was the exact opposite of the modern spacious war ship with his very hyperactive chatty son who remained glued to his side.

Not that Hakoda could really complain. Sokka walked away once halfway through to relieve himself and he felt like he had lost a limb.

He walked off the ship as casually as he could and stiffly walked forward to the rest of the group. Immediately, he was knocked over with Katara. He tried to laugh it off but he clutched her just as tight. It still felt weird to be able to stand and hug her rather than ducking down. Her hair was wildly wispy over his face. She smelled of the campfire smoke that was cracking nearby. That was what was probably bringing tears to his eyes. After a heartful clinging hug, he finally noticed the rest of them looking at him. Right. Other people. He sat down with a welcoming smile and beckoned them all. They all sat and chatted.

 What was made instantly clear was that all these kids were close. Like family close. Really, he should’ve saw this coming. Like when he tried to subtly ask Sokka on the warship if he was really sure he wanted to hang out with someone like Zuko and he was immediately met with a stern lecture. It almost made him laugh. His kids had the bad habit of just seeing a potential friend and deciding they would defend them to their deaths. Must have got that from their mother… probably.

 He didn’t really mean to but he was so glad he was taking the time to sit with them all. While it did feel a little awkward, it made his chest glow to finally have the chance to actually know who his kids were hanging out with.  

 Toph seemed a lot, honestly. She was firm and extremely confident in her actions and morals. Which sounds like the exact thing the group needed. A firmer hand to guide them to their goal. Someone to help point Sokka’s genius. Someone to stop Katara and Aang from getting too emotional and getting them out of bad situations. Only problem was that she was a twelve-year-old girl. Her confidence in her actions was her being absolutely certain that punching was definitely an affectionate gesture and that crime should be allowed if it’s fun. But Hakoda found himself laughing along with her so he couldn’t complain much.

Haru seemed the closest thing to an actual responsible adult the group had. But he was very quiet. Very polite. But he seemed content to live his own life and try to get back to some form of normal. He was willing to fight and help the group survive but it was clear he was never going to be involved in helping Aang defeat the Firelord. Maybe that’s a good thing. Destiny wasn’t something he tried to understand but it was obvious that Aang should be the one alone to face him.

The Duke was a child. He was very fun to joke with but then again, every now and then, he would say something make it clear he was a child who had seen the very worse parts of war. He was a child who had never experienced a moment of childhood. His heart hurt for him, but he wasn’t an idiot to say that out loud.

Teo seemed so bright and cheerful compared to the deadened temple. Even compared to his usually bright loud kids. They were so stupidly excited at his arrival, but they still seemed dimmed in comparison to the little boy who was zipping about the place and chattering about potential inventions. He seemed like Sokka but younger.

Zuko… was also a lot. He was biased against him, so it was hard to judge an opinion. Zuko was mostly silent. Sokka would occasionally joke with him and force him into the conversation and Zuko seemed like any other average awkward teenager. But mostly the others let him keep quiet and he focused on what looked like some form of meditating at the campfire.

 It was getting late. But no one dared stated this. Zuko only let the fire burn brighter or occasionally forced Aang to make the fire larger to light the room as a form of practise. Katara stood up at one point, “I’m grabbing my blanket, I’m getting cold. Does anyone else what theirs now I’m up?”

“Ooh! Me!” Aang whipped round with a sleepily excited smile.

“I’m good,” Sokka and everyone else mumbled without even turning, “So, dad, did you hear anything around the prison?”

“Hear anything?” Hakoda chuckled off but everyone turned serious. Sokka sighed and awkwardly fiddled his hands.

“Uh I mean any Fire Nation gossip? Any Firelord plans or propaganda? Anything that could help…”

Hakoda tried chuckling again but Zuko remained completely focused on the campfire. His chest slowly expanding with the flames. He didn’t even flinch. Maybe he could believe that Zuko truly wanted to help them but there was no way he’d appreciate the tiny whispers he heard about his nation. “I didn’t hear anything really useful. I heard some folk stories and a lot of twisted propaganda.”

“Hey, I’m still up for some Fire Nation camp stories!” Toph shrugged. Katara had now returned and flung Aang his blanket and draped another on Zuko’s shoulders. He finally opened his eyes and awkwardly nodded at her. Katara also stiltedly nodded back.

“It’s not a nice story…” Hakoda tried very much to hint as he looked directly at The Duke. Thankfully Haru took his hint.

“That’s fair, we should be heading to bed anyway. I’m exhausted!” He stood and pulled a half sleeping The Duke up as well. They all waved them goodnight. Their footsteps echoed across the empty stone hall as they disappeared into a room.

 “Right. Now the babies are gone. Tell us the Fire Nation horror stories!” Toph chanted way too loudly for how late it was.

“It’s not a very happy story but I guess a story is a story,” Hakoda sighed. Being honest, while it wasn’t nice, it also didn’t sound at all real. But at least it would be a good way to wind down the emotional day.

 “There’s this story about the Firelord and his sons. The younger son had grown jealous of his older sibling learning how to become a rightful heir to the nation.” Hakoda began, despite the fact he couldn’t really recall if it was the older or younger son. It made more sense if it was the younger son. But everyone was immediately clinging to his words. So, he continued, “Eventually he begged his father to attend an important meeting to gain experience and prove he could be responsible. The Firelord, well… the guard who told this story worded it that the Firelord was so gracious and kind to allow his son into the meeting but obviously… That doesn’t seem right.”

“The Firelord let him into the meeting despite knowing his son was not ready. The younger son was very immature and spoiled. He was rude to everyone, even the fellow royals…. That was something that I found odd. The guard worded it as fellow royals rather than family...”

“Hmm,” Zuko spoke, striking lightning through the atmosphere with just that hum. Hakoda now felt awkward. While it was clear the folk story wasn’t talking about his father, how wise was it truly to retell a story based on his family. “The Fire Nation places significance in respecting your elders but there’s also significance in following your own determination.”

“What, so you don’t care for your family,” Katara frowned.

“No… Respecting and bringing pride to your elders is a huge deal but… honestly, I think the Fire Lord wanted to still get people to report any rebelling ideals that family members might have. It’s… complicated.”

“Well, either way the son was a pain in the ass by the sounds of it and he was let into the meeting under the one rule, not to talk out of order. He explained that the councillors were sensitive and easy to anger and wanted to protect his son from harm. Of course, the son then immediately talks over a general in the meeting to suggest his own plan despite having no experience and no idea of the politics.”

 At this, Zuko now frowned. Hakoda spoke slowly, fully expecting to be interrupted (maybe Zuko had heard this as well and he was telling it wrong), but he didn’t say a word. He just merely tensed his shoulders and stayed sat, frowning intensely.

 “The general was furious and the Firelord tried to calm him, but he knew there was no way words would be enough to stop this. A duel was ordered. The son agreed without pausing to think this through. The Firelord tried to explain what would happen but the son brushed him off and interrupted him from explaining what would happen. The day of the duel arrived and the son stood to face his opponent only to find his father, the Firelord, at the other side of the court.”

 Zuko’s eyes opened now. But he was now frozen facing the campfire. Hakoda paused again to let him talk but he said nothing.

 “The son then proceeded to beg for mercy. But the Firelord had enough. The son was greedy, stupid and lazy. And now here he was begging after proposing an aggressive military strategy over an experienced military general. He offered to explain how the duel would work and protect him from it but he ignored him. The Firelord then gave him a chance to fight before declaring that the son was no longer part of the royal family for his disgrace. To try and teach his son one last lesson, the Firelord battled the duel to try and teach him how to fight. But the son didn’t even try, didn’t even stand up to face him. The son walked away that day with a hardy battle scar and no family.”

 The silence in the temple felt like a presence around the campfire as well.

“Well!” Toph leaned back, “You were right. That was kinda a downer.”

“Yeah…” Aang mumbled.

“I think the point of the story is how forgiving and firm the Firelord is and how amazing he must be,” Hakoda grimaced, “But all who overheard it just thought it was more proof that the Firelord and his whole family are evil.”

“Who was it even based off?” Sokka asked.

“Two sons so maybe Firelord Azulon? But didn’t uncle Iroh leave by himself. Like he wasn’t kicked out or anything, was he?” Toph tilted her head to Zuko but he never reacted.

“Zuko?” Aang placed his hand on Zuko’s shoulder. He shot up. Like he was electrocuted.

“I am needing to go to bed.” Zuko scampered backwards. His eyes stuck on the flames. Sokka stood as well but he hovered awkwardly.

“Are you sure? Was it the story-“ Sokka tried to ask but he was immediately ignored. Zuko walked off to his room.

 But he turned just as he was about to disappear from their view, “You should never repeat that story. It’s… not good.”

 The night was just as awkward as the temple after that. A moment silently passed.

 “Maybe we should all call it a night. It’s certainly been an emotional day,” Teo explained, tilting his chair towards the rooms behind where they were all sitting. Everyone agreed and stood as well. Aang was the last to stand and took a couple of breaths before finally manipulating the campfire to fizzle out completely.

“I’ll stand guard first,” Aang said, facing away from them.

“I’ll take over for the morning half,” Sokka volunteered. Hakoda walked away with the others.

 The morning was a little better. If there was one more thing Hakoda could criticise the temple of, it was the fact that there was no way the sun could reach them on the underside of a cliff. He woke up and stretched his back, wincing at the horrible click, and stood and walked out of the room. Toph and Katara were half-heartedly arguing about how to cut some vegetables. He smiled at the quiet normalcy. You never realise how much you miss normal life until you hear people arguing about veg rather than battle strategies. “Morning everyone. The others still sleeping?”

“Hey dad! Aang is practising with Zuko, the others usually all crowd round to watch,” Katara answered, “Feel free to go watch too. It might be another twenty minutes or so for breakfast.”

“I’d go if I was you,” Toph interrupted, “It is so cool to see firebending up close without being in actual danger. And if you ever tell Sparky that then I’ll attack Sokka.”

“Yeah?” Hakoda asked, quietly ignoring the threat to his son.

“Oh yeah. The fire and the colours. It’s just mesmorising. A real sight to behold.”

“Toph,” Katara scolded and now Hakoda felt his face heat up. Right, she was joking. She was blind. “But she is right. It is impressive to see.”

 After bothering Katara by asking if she needs any help, Hakoda followed the sounds of blasts of fires to a courtyard like space. Aang was standing proudly in the middle, his chest puffed out powerfully as he took deep even breaths. His arms twirled around, almost like waterbending, with a solid stance and footing, like earthbending, with powerful flames licking along his movements. Sweeps of orange. Katara really wasn’t joking. He stopped dead in his tracks.

 Zuko was standing to the side with his fingers tapping along his chin. Aang finished whatever exercise he was doing and looked over with the proudest most childish grin ever. Hakoda found himself grinning too. Zuko stood slowly. To Hakoda, it looked flawless.

 “How’d I do Sifu!” Aang chirped.

“Your fire is steady and strong. But I really do think you need to stop puffing out your chest like that and actually breathe normally. You don’t have to puff out like an aggressive pig-chicken. Just… breathe normally! You don’t need to complete the kata strictly chest first.”

“But you said the power should come from my chest!” Aang whined.

“Yes and ever since saying that you only moved chest first! You look stupid! Like a pig-chicken!” Zuko burst out.

“But my firebending is good enough! So it doesn’t even matter!”

“Yeah Zuko, you never know, maybe his stance will throw off the Firelord,” Sokka laughed despite Aang withering glare. Zuko only sighed and approached the middle of the courtyard and quickly snapped to another stance.

“Careful Aang, you’re starting to sound like the son in Hakoda’s story. Zuko knows best. You can’t talk over him!” The Duke yelled over with a point.

 Now it felt like the atmosphere was ruined. Aang snapped to face the boy. Zuko stumbled but stepped back into position hesitatingly.

  “Uh, the Duke, h-how’d you even overhear any of that?”

“Because Haru couldn’t be more obvious if he tried!” The Duke gasped, “It wasn’t even that bad. Like what was the scary part? The scar? He didn’t even explain what it looked like!”

“The story wasn’t even accurate. Let’s move on,” Zuko snapped.

“What? He didn’t tell it properly? Well, what is it actually?” The Duke asked.

“It doesn’t matter!” Zuko shouted, his voice echoed along the walls. Hakoda finally walked forward, approaching Sokka.

“Everything okay here guys?” Hakoda put on his best dad voice and walked forward confidently. Only Sokka looked at him though.

“Why? It’s just some stupid Fire Nation story! What? You offended, Ashmaker!” The Duke screamed.

“Woah, okay now!” Hakoda raised his voice louder.

“Because it’s not some folk story. It was a real thing! You can’t just say shit like that casually!” Zuko didn’t bare Hakoda and his obvious dad attempt at taking control any attention.

“Oh boo hoo! One of your precious Fire Lords once beat up his own son to prove some stupid point! Oh no, your family is filled with abusive dicks!” Haru was now even trying to pull The Duke aside as Hakoda walked to Zuko. He placed his hands firmly on his shoulders and steered him away.

 He didn’t shout anything else but he did unleash a roar of fire before stomping just ahead of him. Sokka and Aang took one moment to swap looks before both running after Zuko. Not that he was paying any attention. Hakoda awkwardly paused, unsure which room to led Zuko to so he could obviously let out some steam, but thankfully Sokka caught up to them and led the way down the hall to the right, into the first room they found.

 It was barren and already had blackened scorches across the walls and ceilings. Hakoda didn’t at all focus on that though. Maybe they were old or maybe it was from some previous Zuko tantrums.

Zuko punched the wall with all the might of his firebending. Sokka and Aang only winced at how obviously painful that was going to be but didn’t seem at all afraid of him. So Hakoda tried to follow their lead despite his racing heart.

 “Everything okay, Sifu Hotman?” Aang joked but he toned himself down. He was only slightly a ball of blinding sunshine of happiness. Zuko tried to match his smile but it was too wobbly and fragile.

“Sorry. That story hit close to home.”

“We figured. If you want to talk about it, do you know what upset you about it?” Sokka knelt down and crossed his legs. They all followed, including Hakoda. One tiny whisper frowned at how much he was following his son’s lead. He remembered trying to convince a baby Sokka not to charge out of the tent completely naked and failing miserably as his son gave an impassioned speech about how it’ll be fun. It was that same boy that he was now following. Zuko fell to the floor deliberately harshly.

“I… I guess I hate- I don’t like what you all took from the story…” He stumbled through. Hakoda went to talk but Sokka placed a hand on his knee. A moment passed and Zuko finally found some more words, “You all took that the Fire Lord was cruel to do that. And you don’t even know the full story. Like, just the Fire Lord fighting his son was enough to mark him cruel. Even if the son was ‘a pain in the ass’?”

“Yeah,” Aang spoke unsurely but he continued saying each word carefully, “I mean, we don’t know a lot of the details about the son but I personally can’t think of any reason where I’d then fight my own son. Especially if he was a child or something!”

“Yeah, like if your son’s dismissive or rude or whatever, then you make more effort to talk to him! What would fighting him even do? It’s just more cruel than what’s needed.” Zuko looked up at Sokka as he spoke.

“It is cruel, isn’t it.”

It wasn’t a question but Hakoda tilted his head and answered, “Of course it’s cruel. I can’t imagine people hearing that and thinking the Fire Lord was in the right. As a certified dad, I don’t think there’s anything that could push me to fight Sokka. I can’t speak for the guards but… I think the reason the folk story didn’t go into any detail about the fight was so it’s easier to agree with the Fire Lord. I’m sure if the injuries were described then the guards would speak differently.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m honestly surprised the story didn’t go into any detail about the fight. That’s the most infamous part…”

“So what’s the actual story?” Sokka asked.

 Zuko looked around nervously and bit harshly on his thumb.

 “There… The son of the Fire Lord wanted to prove himself and attend a war meeting. The Fire Lord’s brother let him in but warned him that he shouldn’t talk. The generals were easy to anger. In the meeting, a general proposed the most… it was an awful plan. I uh… The son got too angry and shouted at the meeting. It was really disrespectful. It was an awful plan but, like, maybe things wouldn’t have been so bad if he just spoke normally. Or maybe his uncle would’ve spoken out anyway. A-anyway, an Agni Kai was ordered. T-that’s like a duel between two firebenders, usually it ends with either one of the people surrendering or getting injured to the point of being unable to fight. The son thought he was to fight the old general who proposed the plan. And really the plan was horrible. It was awful. So he went to fight him as I could so take him in a fight!”

 Sokka and Aang shared an uncertain look. That all seemed to align… But it was clear that this was hitting too close to Zuko. He was refusing to look at them as he spoke. His anger flared again and each word was practically growled out.

 “So the day of the fight came and the boy turned to face his opponent and instead saw father down the court. I… uh… I then fell to my knees and begged. I knew there was no use fighting. I’m not a very talented firebender, even less so at thirteen! So I thought the best thing would be to just… surrender. The Firelord usually prefers if you just surrender and admit your wrong than to fight. He liked when you made him feel… anyway I… well I fell to the floor and begged while crying. I-I can’t imagine what that must’ve looked like to the audience-“

“Wait, there were people watching!” Sokka exclaimed. Hakoda only then remembered the rest of the room. The story was too cold for him to notice anything else. Aang looked just as horrified, shifting on the spot clearly dying to launch himself at Zuko as a comfort. Zuko looked just as caught off.

“Um yeah? Like nobles and the other royal family members.”

“So Uncle was there?” Aang’s timid small voice ripped through the angry shocked words.

“Well yes. Also, he’s not your uncle!”

“He didn’t do anything?”

“No. I don’t think he could’ve.” Zuko fiddled with his hands.

 There was a beat of silence.

 “So your dad beat you up in front of everyone and then banished you? You were upset because we all saw that as cruel while you blamed yourself for that,” Sokka started strong before then realising just how insensitive he was being. Way to rub it in his face.

“He didn’t beat me up. He just burnt me,” Zuko casually motioned his to warped face and perpetually squinting eye to which everyone else in the room stopped breathing, “but yeah he then banished me. I-I… It’s… Three years is a long time to pass. I don’t really remember pretty much anything from that day really. Uncle never talked about it so I don’t know exactly what happened. I thought I got over it by now. I know it was cruel. It was wrong. But… I guess I just thought that was me making excuses… It’s weird to think other people actually think it’s wrong and cruel.”

 The dead air of the temple never felt more gross. Like a panting stranger leaning over your shoulder leering over you. A presence in the room listening in. The room looked empty even with them all sitting there. The story somehow filled the room and now it was finished. Hakoda gulped.

 “I’m so sorry Zuko,” Aang breathed out before gradually reaching over. Zuko blocked his hands from hugging him but did grip his hands instead.

“No dad should ever do that Zuko. And a journey into recovery will never have a nice easy end. But if you already know it was wrong then you’ve already made it so far. You should be proud of yourself,” Hakoda smiled warmly. Zuko still didn’t meet his eyes.

 It would probably be a while before Zuko would truly believe that it was cruel and wrong, and clearly the entire family here was willing to wait and teach that. Hakoda kept his mind from thinking how long it took for Zuko to even convince himself that maybe it was cruel and wrong. Right now, he focused on the warm, forgiving, loving family formed in the ruins of a cold temple.

[sakiye]

It was calm and quiet in the forest. The birds were chirping high above, the sky was starting to brighten, and two boys were standing in the middle of a small clearing. The taller one was holding two swords and talking to the other boy, who was just listening, watching intensely.

"You have to hold these firmly. You don't want to lose your grip.", Jet instructed, holding his arms out, and feeling Haru's eyes on him as he moved.

If Jet was being totally honest, he wasn't sure why Haru had asked him to help train him with swords. While he would consider them friends, especially since they both started camping at the Western Air temple, Jet was sure that he would ask Sokka or someone but him. He didn't not like helping him, it was just that, he had not expected being this close to him, at least not this early, when his brain and mouth wasn't fully in sync yet.

Haru silently watched him demonstrate some moves, not wanting to break Jet's rhythm. It was interesting, watching him move. He moved with a grace that he had only seen in some benders and he was curious to learn more.

"Hey, why don't you come here?", Haru heard Jet ask, and so he took his eyes off of the swords, definitely off the swords, and got up.

He walked over to Jet and gently took his swords before standing in the same position Jet was in.

Jet stood behind him, watching the swords. When he saw that his arms were slightly drooping, he stepped forward and placed his hands under Haru's arms, gently pushing it up. He could feel Haru's hands stiffen suddenly before relaxing.

He started moving Haru's hands around, showing him the various positions.

Haru let Jet move his arms, staying silent. He could feel his cheeks heat up as Jet did so. This did not get better when Jet softly said, "You need to make sure you stay firm but also, you need to be flexible.". Haru could practically feel him saying that, and it really didn't help.

Jet stopped talking as he continued moving Haru's arms. They moved like that in silence and Haru tried to focus on the movements and not who was moving him.

Jet, on the other hand, tried to focus on helping a friend out, definitely a friend. And so, he continued to help the best he can.

They continued practicing, with Jet slowly moving his arms and Haru following along.

They both were so focused on the other, they didn’t realize just how quiet it had gotten in the forest.

Soon, Jet moved away from Haru and took out another pair of swords. “Let’s try sparring for a bit. I’ll go easy on you, don’t worry.”, he said, with a slight smirk.

Haru raised an eyebrow before holding out his swords.

Jet slowly advanced, giving a small smile as Haru blocked it, before blocking Haru’s sword as he moved closer.

They continued to spar, slowly getting faster as they did so.

They moved around the clearing, attacking and defending when necessary.

They soon ended up close to each other, too close. They stood there, breathing slightly harsh, as they looked into each others eyes.

1 minute passed.

2 minutes passed.

And they stood there, silent, even as the birds chirped loud and clear, even as the sun rose high, until Haru looked at Jet, and with a small smirk, said, “This was nice, but I knew how to use swords already.”.

Jet’s jaw dropped as he looked back. “What?”. 

“You heard me.”

Jet looked at him, before giving him a small smile, “Why ask then?”.

Haru gave a shrug before giving him a grin. “You know why.”

Jet laughed softly as he looked at Haru, “Well then. Same time tomorrow?”, he asked, with raised eyebrows. 

“Sure”, Haru answered before leaning in to peck Jet on the cheek before walking away. 

Jet stood there for a minute, before laughing and walking back. 

[ketsuyuki-hibana-typed]

Excuse me what.

Maeda, you fucking owe me Ohagi for this pervert writing. This really looks like some ecchi shits going on. But we all know that Sanemi is also drunk on that respect women juice.

As you can see or know, there are no bras used by women in Taishou Era unless those who live in big city like Tokyo (after Western influences). They used some sort of bandages to cover their breast.

You know what's coming.

Shinazugawa Sanemi x Pillar! s/o (NSFWish Warning: Explicit words)

After some incident, you are injured and Sanemi brought you to small village for temporary treatments. He couldn't reach out Kakushi because your crows and Sanemi's are both injured.

Like always, when you woke up, Sanemi will scold you with loud voice and the person who treat you, were too afraid to make him calm down.

"Sanemi, lower your voice. It's not just us here."

Both of you planned to leave in the morning, considering the demons were hiding and it's great opportunity to take a breath.

"It's a new type demon which attacked you yesterday. We had to go back to headquarters as fast as we can and report this to Oyakata-sama."

"You could leave me, I'll catch up."

"No. I won't. Beside, you are the one who recklessly encountered that demon. You should be the one who report it to Oyakata-sama."

Sanemi, the thick bull-headed, will never say that he didn't want to leave because the male villagers were eyeing on you.

When you got better, you asked about your swords and uniform.

Your sword was fine but your uniform is another story. It torn up and was really in havoc. You saw it with your own eyes. With all of these shreds on your uniform and the pants, it's miracle you still alive until now. You couldn't distinguish between mere fabrics or Demon Slayer Uniform.

Which is really bad.

This village was poor. You wanted to buy their clothes, and that's the problem. The women here only have one or two kimono at the moment. But luckily, there was one girl who let you buy her kimono. It's pink and not really in good shape but at least you could wear it. Of course, you willingly to pay her.

"What you are talking about? Buying their kimono? How did you defend yourself from the demons' scratches?" Sanemi scoffed. He pulled something from his bag. "I got one spare."

"You do? Is it yours?"

"No, Maeda gave me. I don't know why but that woman just shoved this too me. 'In emergency case for (y/n)', she said."

"But still, I need kimono to disguise myself. We are going to across the town. My haori was ripped too."

The morning comes, and you get ready for your trip back to headquarters. You started with your clothings. You wrapped around the bandages, covering your breast.

Sansmi already gave you the uniform, so you just grabbed it out from the table, and started to wear it.

"...it's not pants? This is a skirt?" You frowned. "Whatever."

Sanemi was waiting outside the room, crossing his arms while sitting on the engawa.

"Hey, are you done?!" He shouted to you, impatient.

"Wait a minute."

You maybe sounded calm but you literally sweating over the uniform you wear.

The skirt was short. It's not even reaching under knees, and only covered half of your thighs. But more importantly,

"Hmmnngghhh!!!"

You tried your best to button your upper front uniform. You held your breath, deflated your chest. You pulled the button, and reached the hole on the other side.

But you make it worst. The button snapped from its place and fell down onto the floor. Your peevish head became angry and tried with another buttons.

Until there are no buttons left. It all fell down and you just stared at them in defeat.

For fuck sake, (y/n), you're so fucking dumb

"IT'S USELESS!!" You stood with your knees and palm, feeling super tired from just an attempt to button your front. How should I cover my chest when the battle start?! Maeda you siiiiiick!! If you really wanted to help me, then at least make the bigger size. I'm not Sanemi or Mitsuri!!

"Hey, what are you complaining about?! If you didn't out in 1 minute, I'll leave you!"

"Wa- Wait! Aaah..." There are no time left to fix the buttons, so you just let it be showing your bandaged cleavage and wear your kimono as double.

It's actually worst than Mitsuri. Mitsuri's still buttoned her highest and lowest part of the uniform. But you? All of the buttons didn't compromise to your luck today. It showed more skins than you thought.

Maeda, curse you.

You opened the door. Sanemi was so mad the irk mark on his forehead appeared.

"I- I'm sorry. Hahaha...." You felt so uncomfortable under your kimono, but you did your best to hid it.

"Tsk. Nevermind. Come on, we're losing time."

You leave the village along with Sanemi. Your crows resting on your shoulder. You patted its little head.

Of course, it didn't always go well like you predicted.

When night comes, the same type of that demon attacking both of you again. You still put your kimono on. It limited your movements.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHY DID YOU KEEP YOUR KIMONO?!" Sanemi shouted towards you, still busy dodging the attacks.

'I will just being a burden if-'

You gripped your sword, panicking. Should I? Should I put out my kimono?

"AAAHHHH SCREW IT!!" You put off your kimono, throwing it out to nowhere.

He stopped for a moment, mouth opened.

The demon slapped him out, make him flew away and hit the tree.

"Wha- WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR UNIFORM?!" He screamed.

"Huh?!!! I don't know, it didn't fit to me!!"

You finally revealed your front-opened button bandaged cleavage, and your short skirt. You kept your distance while shouting 'Quick, it will attack again!' to Sanemi.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! THE FRONT BUTTON?!" He propped his feet on the ground.

"I broke them all!!" You spinned around, almost got clawed but it managed to reach your bandage.

It ripped out.

Ah shit, here we go again.

"I HATE THIS AAHHHH!!!" You screamed in embarrassment, starting to think that this demon is a pervert.

Sanemi tried to not too distracted by your chest, attacking from the other direction. But he can't, he simply can't.

"THE ENEMY IS IN FRONT OF YOU SANEMI, NOT ON MY CHEST!"

"SHIT, I KNOW!"

You crunched your knees to the ground, making brake motion so your body wasn't bounce back.

But that's not the only who visibly bouncing right now.

"Sanemi, we should destroy the middle core first." You panted. He couldn't focus, he couldn't focus at all while looking at your bare breast, making up down motion. "Hey, Sanemi!!"

"FUCK!" He jumped first. "Cover your chest!"

"Wait, it doesn't have to do with my chest?!"

He didn't know what to do anymore, it was like BOOM. His mind couldn't be clear, he can't concentrate on his next move.

The demon was easily swinging its claw and spinning its hand around. It resulted with Sanemi injured on his forehead while you got crossed wounds on your chest.

"(y/n)!!!"

"Don't mind me!!" You landed on the tree, panted for a while before jumped again towards that demon.

"Breath of Wind, second form!"

"Third form!" It finally worked out, it's finally annihilated.

You huffed, gasped for more air. You put your hand on your chest, fresh blood from the cuts was flowing out.

"It seems that the injury wasn't that deep." Sanemi approached you. He wiped the red liquid on his temple carelessly. "Why don't you say that the uniform didn't fit for you?"

"We're in hurry, remember?"

"So, you walked around the town... With that."

"Look, I don't want this, but I have no choice, okay? Besides- Ow."

The sharp pain came again, you held your wounded chest.

"Nevermind that, come here. I'll stop the bleeding."

He found an abandoned post in that forest. Ordering you to sit down, he started to prepare the emergency treatment.

It's not just a mere flush, his face was burning when he sutured your breasts. Focus, Sanemi, you're the one who offering her help, are you?

"What are you blushing at? We've done 'that' for many-"

"Shut up! It's different!"

Well, it's actually embarrassing though, you bite your lips, averting your eyes to somewhere else.

"Nnh..."

"Hey, don't let out weird sound."

"It hurts..."

"Hold it." He tried, tried so hard to keep focusing on your wounds. His heart throbbed, it was like asking him to let it out from his ribcage.

He had to admit that you looked enthralling in this shape, torn uniform, some scars on your skins that never make him bothered, you shivering under his gentle touch while trying to maintain your preposition.

It's all perfect that he had to hush his bulge under his pants to calm down.

"Done." He stood up. You opened your eyes, letting out relieved breathe. "Could you walk? Or should we stay here for awhile? If it's still hurt, I could bring you to Butterfly Estate."

"No, you're injured too. Let's rest here together."

It's your turn to take care of his wounds. He sat down on the wooden board. Your knees propped you up, making creak sound on that board. You kneeled in front of him, wiping the blood out of his temple. You disentangled the bandage on your hand, starting to wrapped his injuries on the head.

Didn't realize that Sanemi kept staring on your chest, really close to his face. Your breast was jiggling lightly, following your movements while busy bandaging him.

Hold it, hold it, Sanemi. Not now.

His half-lidded eyes were hazy. Unconsciously, he moved his head towards, kissing your wounded chest.

You jolted a bit and looked down, the sting pain and his soft lips were mixed on your skin, making tingling sensation.

"Sa- Sanemi? Ow..."

"You're lucky that it's not poisoned." He hugged your under breast, still kissing your tender skin lightly.

"I- I guess." You made ribbon shape like on his head, pushed him slowly with your hands on his shoulder. "I- I think we should inform the Kakushi, about... The uniform and maybe better treatments. My crow has healed and could fly again."

"Right." You send message thorough your crow and after some flapping test, your crow flew away from your place.

Sanemi put his haori and uniform off, he's only wearing the white shirt now.

"Get some rest." You nodded, laying down and sleep sideways. He covered your with his uniform and your lower part with his haori. "I'll guard this area."

"With this thin clothes, you'll get cold." You pulled his shirt, shyly. "Would you mind sharing?"

"What sharing?"

You guided his hand, made him sleeping beside you. You lifted his uniform and covering both of you.

"Now, this is fair." You hide under his chin, putting your face in front of his chest. "We could share warmth together."

"I didn't mean to sleep. Who will prot- "

"Morning will come soon anyway. Just 1 hour rest."

"Argh, fine!" He pushed your back head, bringing him closer to his chest. He put his chin under your head, hiding his red flush because he could feel your breast against his bare chest.

Both of you eventually fell asleep while hugging each otherz with legs slipped into each other.

"Hey, wake up." After some time, he slowly shook your body. You rubbed your eyes and propped your weight with your elbow. "Here's the new change."

"Hm? Where did you get this?"

"Maeda came here."

"She did? Where is-"

"Yeah. Don't worry about her. Now, change. Quick."

"O-Okay." You started to put off your rotten uniform in front of him.

"You even didn't mind to say 'Turned around.' to me." He said that but still not averted his eyes off from your slow movements.

"Why? You always saw me naked after all."

"Ugh, just change."

No matter how many times he looked at it, that gorgeous body of yours will be always be his weakness.

Omake:

"Guys, did you see Maeda?"

"No."

"Nope."

"I wonder where is- wait, who is that floating on the river."

[lady-tortilla-chip]

I'm not OP and I'm not a Zuko anti per say, but I always wondered why "Zuko Alone" was thought necessary and there was no "Aang Alone" esp since in LOK we get "Korra Alone." Also Zuko never apologized for being racist to Aang and at the Western Air Temple. he was all "Hey, he saw me be good once so you guys have to accept me!" Frankly, Zuko should have died as redemption. When they made that Jet's arc, I knew that Zuko was going to be forgiven and I was surprised he didn't get Katara too.

.....I don’t think Jet got redeemed with his death first and foremost. His death wasn’t supposed to be redeeming either. It was a tragedy and it was written as such, at least that’s how I’ve always perceived it.

I do agree that an Aang alone ep would’ve been awesome and it would’ve been an opportunity for them to tell us what happened immediately after he ran away and before going into the ice! But it wasn’t necessary. Zuko’s ep was important for helping flesh out his character though. It gave the audience a deeper perspective of his past (and to some extent, Azula’s) and his family dynamics. Whereas Korra Alone was a summary of what she’d been up to and dealing with during the three years spent away from Republic City.

As for Zuko’s behavior in the western air temple, I think there’s quite a bit to dissect in that ep. Particularly the attempted apology and I’m going to try and do that for you, lol. But this is MOSTLY speculation on my part. XD

SO, I think it’s important to remember that this guy was trying really hard in the attempted apology scene. But that doesn’t mean that effort would lead to success. Because of that, because he was consciously aware of how hard he was trying, he acts defensively when the truth of what he’s saying is questioned. Because that’s who he is. He’s someone who never goes down without a fight (even when it’s more harmful to keep going). And when he realizes the error of trying to prove he’s good by sharing the one thing he did right he backs off and turns his attention to Aang. Because he knows without a shadow of a doubt that Aang is the only one who might give him a chance. In fact, I think he decides he doesn’t care what Katara, Sokka, or Toph think. So he turns to the only person that he’s actually there for, who had once extended his hand through a single question.

Then, when Aang rejects him he doesn’t get angry again. He doesn’t try to fight. He deflates. You’re right that he acts entitled to the group’s acceptance at first. But once it’s clear none of them, not even Aang, are going to take what he has to say at face value he makes an (in my opinion, dumb and very much rooted in the FN belief system) offer to be their prisoner. Then finally, he leaves when Katara makes it clear he’s not wanted.

The way he acts in that ep, from defending himself from the Gaang’s scrutiny and doubt to just ignoring them and looking to Aang to finally being accepted by Aang and assuming that means he’d been accepted into their group is a reflection of how he initially viewed their group dynamic. He doesn’t realize they’re a family, he doesn’t realize they actually care about what the others want or think. He saw Aang as a leader with Katara, Sokka, and Toph as his followers. Once he realizes how they function as a team he tries harder to gain their approval not just their reluctant acceptance. This is part of why he acts the way he does in eps like The Boiling Rock pt1&2 and The Southern Raiders.

Now that leads me to this — Zuko’s rude as all hell comments. Yeah, what he said to Aang was fucked up and there is no “but” to follow. That’s it. What Zuko said to him was cruel. There are several reasons why he said it (and if you are at all interested I can go into my thoughts on that), but it ultimately comes down to the ideologies he was raised to believe. Which by the end of the show he’s still trying to unlearn. But you can’t change a mindset you were indoctrinated into having since birth over night and to me, one of the more realistic and well handled details in the show is how Zuko’s changing of sides and shifting of perspective doesn’t mean he’s got it all figured out — or that he’s completely shunned the FN mindset. Which is that everything the Air Nomads embodied and believed, is weak. Thereby making Aang’s beliefs weak to him even though said beliefs are what helped save him. There is a lot of cognitive dissonance there for him actually, because he doesn’t take into consideration how said beliefs effected his own life or how lowly he thinks of Aang’s entire culture because it differs so severely from his.

That is part of why Zuko couldn’t die to be redeemed. He had to take more action than that because it was his family that started the war by annihilating the Air Nomads, therefore making it his responsibility to help Aang, the LAST Air Nomad, bring back the balance the FN destroyed.

Ah, anyway anon, that was long winded and I’m not 100% sure it even made sense. But these are my thoughts! I’m sorry it took me a couple days to answer you! I got busy. XD

[artoodeeblue]

i’d love to hear how your atla dw au ends. i’m obsessed!

Hey! I’m so flattered that you like this AU!! 💕I’m also really sorry for what’s to come, but Ten’s story in canon is so tragic and dramatic, it felt unrealistic to have a happy, fluffy ending to his legend. Also, I assume you mean how does the Tenth Avatar’s arc end? Cause otherwise this AU can last as long as the show does xD

So at this point, Martha has left the group, and so has Jack - both of them have recognized they needed to move on. Theta and Rose are travelling on their own, continuing to wander despite the looming threat of the war between Fire Nation and Northern Water Tribe. They help the Earth Kingdom, who has been dealing with a string of earthquakes coming from the mountain range that borders the kingdom.

Koschei has made an alliance with Ushas, and they have both taken power as leaders of the Fire Nation. Which is why Theta is VERY reluctant to intervene. Also, the last time an Avatar meddled in a war, the whole world suffered the consequences.

But Koschei knows Theta, and he knows how to get his attention better than anyone. And so he sends Fire Nation guards to capture Rose. And they succeed.

Theta has no choice but to agree to meet Koschei. On his way to the rendez-vous point (which is on top of a freaking volcano, because how can these two ignore an opportunity to be absolutely Extra™), Theta gets himself trapped in an ambush, and is saved by Donna, who lives in the mountains next to the volcano. She agrees to lead Theta to his destination, and they become best friends.

When Theta finally reaches the volcano, Koschei is already here with Rose, whom he immediately lets go once he sees Theta.

Koschei asks Theta to join him, and of course the latter refuses. They fight over the volcano, and somehow end up inside a cave that leads down to the heart. What’s more, the volcano’s about to explode, and Theta quickly has to deal with trying to keep it stable as well as defending himself against Koschei’s relentless attacks.

He barely has the time to make Donna promise to take herself and Rose to safety, before the entrance breaks into rubble and traps both he and Koschei inside the volcano.

Koschei becomes more and more desperate in his attacks, while Theta is quickly losing strength trying to keep the eruption at bay. Finally, the Avatar collapses to his knees, hands still outreached towards the earth, but vulnerable to Koschei.

For a second, it looks like he’s about to deliver the killing blow. But his hand stays there, shaking, and finally he lowers it, and slumps down next to his former best friend, lover, and enemy. Theta asks him for help, and after a long silence, Koschei gets up and offers his hand to him. Koschei manages to bend the lava, and between his efforts and Theta’s, now in the Avatar State, they manage to contain the explosion to a small perimeter around the volcano. Not enough to save either of them, but enough to save everyone else. Enough to save Donna and Rose.

And Theta will take this above anything else.

His hand finds Koschei’s, and their fingers interlock the moment the pressure becomes to much, and his vision turns to flame.

He closes his eyes.

At the same moment, high up in the sky, in the Western Air Temple where the clouds don’t reach, the Eleventh Avatar is born.

[courtneytincher]

Thomas Jefferson Blasted Despotism. Trump’s Holding a Parade for It.

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Alamy/GettySo Thomas Jefferson said to John Adams hey, why don’t you take a crack at a first draft? Adams was older, had more seniority as it were. But he said no, and the following exchange ensued, writes Merrill D. Peterson in Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation:“Why will you not? You ought to do it.”“I will not.”“Why?”“Reasons enough.”“What can be your reasons?”“Reason first—you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second—I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third—you can write ten times better than I can.”And that’s how it came to pass that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. He sat in his little study in Philadelphia toiling over drafts until he was pleased. The text needed to do two or three different kinds of work. It needed to announce bold principles to the world in a way that would stand the test of time. It needed to rally the citizenry.But most of all, it needed to make a case to the world that the colonists’ cause was justified. That was the main thing, and the main way it did that was in its series of indictments against King George III. The bulk of the text consists of 27 bullet points, as we’d say today, alleging this and that act of infamy and tyranny on the king’s part. His only interest in the people of the colonies, Jefferson wrote, was “to reduce them under absolute despotism.” That was the point of the document: A brief against despotism.Trump Gets Ready to Ruin the Fourth of JulyAnd now, here we are, 243 years later, with a man sitting in the Oval Office who yearns to be a despot. You think he’s ever read the Declaration of Independence? He may have started it once or twice. But finished it? Actually, we’d better hope not, because the only lesson he’d take away from those 27 bullet points would be that he ought to try a few of them out (one of them, incidentally, notes that King George “has obstructed the administration of justice”).We laugh at Trump. We have to laugh at him to stay sane. This military parade is a joke. This speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Is he kidding? Where Martin Luther King summoned our best angels, that buffoon is going to stand there and give a semi-literate lecture about things he knows nothing about? Maybe he’ll mention “Western liberalism” again, which is clearly to blame for all those junkies in L.A. he told Tucker Carlson about.We laugh, but we also know that this is not very funny at all. The situation is without precedent and it is terrifying. A president who has no personal morality and nothing but contempt for democracy. A Senate Republican leader who cares only about party power. A congressional GOP that will disagree with the president here and there, on tariffs, but on the fundamental crimes he commits on a weekly basis—his abuse of power, his destruction of norms, his bending and breaking of the law—not only turns a blind eye but actively cheers him on.The parade is a joke—but it’s not. Who else has parades? Yes, France. Hilarious, don’t you think, that conservatives now cite France of all places to defend their actions? The Bastille Day Parade dates to 1880, around the dawn of the rise of Social Darwinism, and when France was still licking its wounds from the Franco-Prussian War and the calamities of the Commune. The Third Republic was on shaky ground. So, voila, a military parade!So France—but among civilized democratic nations, basically only France. Other than France, guess where?The number of military parades has increased dramatically in China under Xi Jinping. Of course it has! He named himself president for life. For a big parade in 2015, nearby factories were shut to ensure that the air would be clear. Dogs, falcons, and monkeys were deployed to scare away birds.Who else loves parades? Vladimir Putin. Obviously. The biggest one every year is held on May 9 to celebrate the victory over the Nazis. The biggest one ever was held in 2015, with 200 armored vehicles and 150 planes and helicopters.Finally, Trump’s buddy in North Korea. Loves parades! See a pattern here?Let’s just say it. Big military parades are totalitarian. Small-d democrats don’t have them. Small-d democrats don’t freeze airplane travel in and out of National Airport for two hours to accommodate flyovers and extended fireworks. The only people who think of these things are people with inferiority complexes who don’t know that democracy requires humility. Jimmy Breslin once memorably called Rudy Giuliani a “small man in search of a balcony.” Twenty years later, Giuliani’s client is a bloated man in search of a rally grounds. He thinks he has found one, in front of the Lincoln Memorial. So: On our most sacred national day, a day that honors the battle against despotism, in front of the majestic temple built to pay tribute to the man who saved the republic—a temple, by the way, that was expressly designed on the idea that a memorial built “to a man who defended democracy should be based on a structure found in the birthplace of democracy” (Greece)—our despot despoils that site and everything it stands for by  turning the holiday into a celebration of himself.The event will pass. The crimes will not. In 243 years, maybe we’ve built up enough defenses to save us from this despot. We know for sure that we’re going to find out in this next year and a half if we have. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Alamy/GettySo Thomas Jefferson said to John Adams hey, why don’t you take a crack at a first draft? Adams was older, had more seniority as it were. But he said no, and the following exchange ensued, writes Merrill D. Peterson in Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation:“Why will you not? You ought to do it.”“I will not.”“Why?”“Reasons enough.”“What can be your reasons?”“Reason first—you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second—I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third—you can write ten times better than I can.”And that’s how it came to pass that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. He sat in his little study in Philadelphia toiling over drafts until he was pleased. The text needed to do two or three different kinds of work. It needed to announce bold principles to the world in a way that would stand the test of time. It needed to rally the citizenry.But most of all, it needed to make a case to the world that the colonists’ cause was justified. That was the main thing, and the main way it did that was in its series of indictments against King George III. The bulk of the text consists of 27 bullet points, as we’d say today, alleging this and that act of infamy and tyranny on the king’s part. His only interest in the people of the colonies, Jefferson wrote, was “to reduce them under absolute despotism.” That was the point of the document: A brief against despotism.Trump Gets Ready to Ruin the Fourth of JulyAnd now, here we are, 243 years later, with a man sitting in the Oval Office who yearns to be a despot. You think he’s ever read the Declaration of Independence? He may have started it once or twice. But finished it? Actually, we’d better hope not, because the only lesson he’d take away from those 27 bullet points would be that he ought to try a few of them out (one of them, incidentally, notes that King George “has obstructed the administration of justice”).We laugh at Trump. We have to laugh at him to stay sane. This military parade is a joke. This speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Is he kidding? Where Martin Luther King summoned our best angels, that buffoon is going to stand there and give a semi-literate lecture about things he knows nothing about? Maybe he’ll mention “Western liberalism” again, which is clearly to blame for all those junkies in L.A. he told Tucker Carlson about.We laugh, but we also know that this is not very funny at all. The situation is without precedent and it is terrifying. A president who has no personal morality and nothing but contempt for democracy. A Senate Republican leader who cares only about party power. A congressional GOP that will disagree with the president here and there, on tariffs, but on the fundamental crimes he commits on a weekly basis—his abuse of power, his destruction of norms, his bending and breaking of the law—not only turns a blind eye but actively cheers him on.The parade is a joke—but it’s not. Who else has parades? Yes, France. Hilarious, don’t you think, that conservatives now cite France of all places to defend their actions? The Bastille Day Parade dates to 1880, around the dawn of the rise of Social Darwinism, and when France was still licking its wounds from the Franco-Prussian War and the calamities of the Commune. The Third Republic was on shaky ground. So, voila, a military parade!So France—but among civilized democratic nations, basically only France. Other than France, guess where?The number of military parades has increased dramatically in China under Xi Jinping. Of course it has! He named himself president for life. For a big parade in 2015, nearby factories were shut to ensure that the air would be clear. Dogs, falcons, and monkeys were deployed to scare away birds.Who else loves parades? Vladimir Putin. Obviously. The biggest one every year is held on May 9 to celebrate the victory over the Nazis. The biggest one ever was held in 2015, with 200 armored vehicles and 150 planes and helicopters.Finally, Trump’s buddy in North Korea. Loves parades! See a pattern here?Let’s just say it. Big military parades are totalitarian. Small-d democrats don’t have them. Small-d democrats don’t freeze airplane travel in and out of National Airport for two hours to accommodate flyovers and extended fireworks. The only people who think of these things are people with inferiority complexes who don’t know that democracy requires humility. Jimmy Breslin once memorably called Rudy Giuliani a “small man in search of a balcony.” Twenty years later, Giuliani’s client is a bloated man in search of a rally grounds. He thinks he has found one, in front of the Lincoln Memorial. So: On our most sacred national day, a day that honors the battle against despotism, in front of the majestic temple built to pay tribute to the man who saved the republic—a temple, by the way, that was expressly designed on the idea that a memorial built “to a man who defended democracy should be based on a structure found in the birthplace of democracy” (Greece)—our despot despoils that site and everything it stands for by  turning the holiday into a celebration of himself.The event will pass. The crimes will not. In 243 years, maybe we’ve built up enough defenses to save us from this despot. We know for sure that we’re going to find out in this next year and a half if we have. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

July 04, 2019 at 10:44AM via IFTTT