#i need more zuko and appa fanfic

[agnisleftpec]

thinking about appa and zuko's relationship and how appa is almost symbolic of zuko's temptation

like appa is literally the one that zuko chases most of the time, cuz that's where aang is! so following appa is symbolic for trying to capture the avatar, for trying to restore his honor.

he doesn't see aang in ba sing se until the very end, but he does see posters for appa. im losing it over the narrative circle of zuko suddenly using his appa hunting skills for good, because appa is missing, and if there's anyone in the world who knows how to find that bison, it's zuko. and he does, within fuckjng days of learning that appa is missing, zuko's found him. he's fucking good at avatar hunting. he's good at APPA hunting. and the thematic implications of letting appa go after hunting him down, even if that hadn't been his intent, that the first step in his allegiance shift is to let APPA go. not aang, not anyone else in the group, but appa, the one he uses to track down the avatar. im crying, it's so good

and then after the invasion, he follows appa again, chasing his honor, this time for the right reasons.

there's something so fuckin good about appa being the first one of the gaang to be chill with zuko. like, THAT'S the first step, that's the bit that catches aang and the others off guard. that's what gets zuko's foot in the door.

appa was the first of them zuko proved himself to, so appa returned the favor and bought him time to plead his case. that lick at the temple was appa vouching for him and i love it

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Weird thing probably, but I want to give it a try.

An hommage to all "I, personally, think Zuko is hotter than Aang, so Katara obviously would think the same" that's been said ever because if they think they can do something like it, so can I.

I moved to the other country for studies and for work several years ago, leaving all my family and friends (got new ones, good ones, but still). And I like a lot of things here, some of them are better than in my homeland. Some things I don't like, they are worse, or just "not for me". And whenever I read a zutara fic, when I still had enough hope to do it, I thought about Katara's experience with moving to the Fire Nation, which is a pretty common thing there. First, there are no things she does not like. Some social unjustice - well, of course, she must confront the nobility and have saintZuko supporting her to show the readers how perfect and amazing he is - but the cuisine, the climate, the customs, the holidays, all this stuff? She's completely fine, she likes everything and gets used to heat and spices very quickly if she even needs to get used to it at all (I still have problems with both these things here).

I can come visit my homeland one or two times a year. Guess Katara would have been in a similar situation, because zutara insist that Fire Ladies have a lot of responsibilities with internal affairs - your rules, guys, she cannot leave very often in this case.

I can contact my family and friends any day - write to them and see if they are online and read it, and get immediate answer, or call them and hear their voices, or make a video call and see their faces and the stuff they want to show me, or exchange photos and videos. Katara would not have such luxury, the messenger hawks don't fly that fast, and she can only write or wait until her friends come around (good thing Aang has Appa, and the Fire Nation has these balloons, but it's still slower and more rare that a video call through internet, and ships are even slower).

I am lucky enough to have some people of the same origin as me here - not a diaspora, but there are many of them, I often hear people speaking my mother tongue on the streets, I can find some products that I remember since childhood, I have someones to share cultural practices with, etc. Katara is often completely alone in the fics, she doesn't have many (if any) Water People to talk to, and the only Water Tribe things around her are the ones she took with herself while moving. And, not going to pretend, I am not as devoted to my culture as Katara is (partly because I am not the last waterbender and my homeland was not raided for decades I guess) - I love it, but she obviously loves hers more; it just means more to her.

I chat with my sibling almost constantly, about every little thing, we only stop if we're really busy or asleep (and we still miss each other). Katara also has people whom she's super close to. She does not have my luxury.

Granted, I do not have a romantic partner to be crazy in love with, but even if I had, they would not replace my friends and relatives, and all the things that I miss. If anything, I would be sad sometimes because being in love, being happy with someone is another wonderful experience I cannot share immediately with the people who are dear to me.

And we're down to the bottom line - who of us misses their homeland and all the stuff that made it "home", their family, their friends? Me, who has internet connection to talk any moment to any person I want; who has a company talking the same language, watching the same catoons when they were little, walking the same streets as me while growing up; who can just come and buy some food exactly like in the supermarket next to my family's apartment back home? Or Katara in zutara fanfics, living in the Fire Nation, having much stronger connection to her home than I do and much less options to be close to it in any way?

Judging by my experience with zutara fanfiction, the answer is always me. Not once have I read about Katara's experience with moving to Fire Nation and think "yes, that's how you feel leaving your home, even if you have a good reason, even if you are in a good place". More often it was like "okay, you're saying, for example, that Katara missed Sokka - where exactly did she do it, again? He wasn't mentioned once before that line". Why every time I read a zutara fanfic I felt like I miss my home more than Katara does in this fic? Much, much more! Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't it be at least the same? Like, okay, not everyone has this experience to describe it realistically, with all small details - but the authors are not even trying! They write Katara as not caring about the home she left, and I don't get it! Isn't her devotion to save her culture, to learn waterbending, best from a real southern waterbender, one of important, core, traits in her personality?

So, my take is: "I, personally, miss my home a lot, despite being happy in the place that I chose and not regretting my decision, and, comparing our sutuations, if Katara moved to the Fire Nation, she would have missed hers at least as much as I miss mine". Just as valid as their takes about preferring Zuko over Aang, I'll take no criticism.

She never does. She never actually misses anything. Even if the South Pole in the fic is told to be a fine place with good memories for Katara and not some misogynic oppressive hell.

They screwed up her character, big time, and it pained me every time I saw it.

I looooooooove using zutarians' weird "my experiences are universal, actually, so Katara MUST feel the same" against them, so congrats anon, you did it perfectly.

"Granted, I do not have a romantic partner to be crazy in love with" What a coincidence since, in these Fire Lady Katara fics, neither does Katara - after all, she never loved Zuko.

[blackbullet99]

Not to be petty, but I’m bringing this up again…

I already brought up how stupid and objectively wrong this take is. If you want to see it it’s down here:

But this loser also thinks that apparently because Katara never had to calm down Zuko, that means “oh Zuko is such a better match for Katara he’s oh so mature, not like that evil bald kid, blah blah blah”.

I love Zuko, I really do, toxic genocide deniers sucking his metaphorical d**k and b***s could never make me hate him. But Katara never even attempted to comfort or help Zuko when he was angry because they were enemies, he was a dangerous threat to them for a good chunk of the show. Not to mention, unlike Aang in The Avatar State, Zuko was angry of his own volition and was angry and prone to violent tantrums much more frequently, it usually fell upon Uncle Iroh to comfort Zuko and stop him from making bad choices. Expecting Katara to comfort the guy trying to burn her is ridiculous.

Scratch that, one time Katara did try to comfort a distressed Zuko after The Gaang and the dynamic duo were forced to work together to confront Azula who shot fire at Iroh. Katara actually offers to help them both and Zuko blasts fire at them, yelling at them to LEAVE!!

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why Zuko was distressed, his uncle was shot at with fire, but it don’t make it right for him to shoot fire at the people trying to help him, just like I understand Aang grieving over losing Appa, but it wasn’t right for him to lash out at the people trying to help him. But Zuko was much more intentionally aggressive and Katara made the right decision to get away from him, because she knew Zuko was an active threat at the time.

The point being, not only is longing-for-rain’s trashy post ridiculous stupid, but her statement is flat out wrong on so many levels. But what do you expect people like her are the scum of this fandom and are too stupid and obsessed with a dusty @$$ ship to even comprehend or understand this show. These people need to leave this fandom and stick to middle-school Wattpad fanfics instead of making their lack of media-literacy everyone else’s problem.

[azure-firecracker]

ATLA Live Action Stream of Consciousness (Episode 1, Part 3).

How does Gran Gran know all of this (how does she know that Aang is the avatar?)

I AM SORRY ANIMATED KATARA WOULD NOT GO HIDE BECAUSE SOKKA TOLD HER TO! Yeah character reinterpretation is a thing but no.

Okay Katara’s monologue to Sokka I see her character there she is! And confirmed the problem was the directing because Kiawentiio acted the hell out of that. Now do more of it! I have also seen her energy in interviews and I know she can bring the power if they just…let her.

“Lord of snow and ice” lmao

Zuko continues to be a reckless idiot that’s good (don’t fall for it-proceeds to fall for it)

I wonder if the substitution of “glory” for “honor” has any deeper connotations because those words don’t mean the same thing.

I know the Water Tribe being SO unprepared for war was a key point in the original but I did like the moment with the village kids I thought it was sweet.

Okay Zuko is the one instance so far where I liked someone saying “burn it all down” because I’ve seen all the comments about him being soft and this reminded me that no, he’s still a bad guy for now.

Who told Kiawentiio to stop moving the second Ian Ousley touched her? That struggle (when she’s trying to stop Aang from turning himself in) doesn’t look realistic at all I’ve seen better stage directions in my high school theater productions. Somebody hire new directors.

I know the Aang and Iroh scene is fanservice and I don’t care.

This Iroh is more overtly conflict averse and I like that we may be exploring that some more. I love Iroh but I’m also glad for the chance to get to see some of his flaws.

The transition onto the Water Siblings flying on Appa was awesome and very reminiscent of the cartoon. I don’t personally need this to resemble the cartoon too much in terms of energy because I can tell it’s so different, but those moments are nice.

God Zuko’s room looks like an emo theater kid’s room too.

He has a fucking detective wall it’s my murder mystery fanfic! Wish fulfillment! (Also self plug here’s the only fanfic I’ve ever finished I’m fond of it and you should check it out).

There’s some good old Zuko yelling.

Katara waterbending moment! Nice!

How are there 15 minutes left in the episode?

They’re fitting…another episode in here? Okay.

I’ve seen people say that it doesn’t make sense to have Aang go into the Avatar State when he sees Gyatso’s skeleton since he already knew about the genocide. I think it passes since seeing something is different than hearing about it. I do, however, think that we didn’t need to see the genocide, have Gran Gran tell Aang about the genocide, and see Aang react to Gyatso’s skeleton. One of those (probably the middle one) could have easily been removed to make time for some more character moments or something.

I miss Katara pulling Aang out of the Avatar state. The vision is nice but having it be Katara emphasized the power of friendship and family which they literally did…so why couldn’t they do it in a way that made Katara more useful? Because book 1 Katara already veers in the damsel in distress direction (ish-more so than in later books) without them taking away when she does important things. I did love the Katara/Aang hug though.

THE TRANSITION TO ZUKO WHEN AANG WAS LIKE “THIS WAS MY HOME AND NOW IT’S GONE” NARRATIVE FOILS MY BELOVED!

[teashoptiramisu]

Fluffy fanfic rec list

On one of my Discord servers people were talking about how people seem more likely to recommend angsty fic, so I decided to put together a fluff rec list, just for fun! This is gonna be a variety of fandoms, wordcount length, genres, etc. -- the common factor is I like ‘em and they turned up when I search “fluff” in my bookmarks. I’ll point out if any are nsfw

ATLA

see your son rising at last by aloneintherain --  ATLA -- 6.5k words -- Iroh & Zuko 5+1 things fic  

North by ryfkah -- ATLA -- 300 words -- short & sweet Appa POV fic

definitely not suspicious at all in the least by presumenothing -- ATLA -- 1k words -- post-canon Gaang shenanigans

All The Gentle Creatures by Haicrescendo -- ATLA -- 10k words -- animals love Zuko, he’s basically a Disney Princess

Yuri!!! On Ice

see you next level by verity -- YoI -- 1.5k words -- Yuuri, Viktor & Phichit get drunk & watch TV, Yuuri & Viktor continue to be the most adorably sappy couple

Friendship!!! Is Magic by afrai -- YoI & OHSHC -- 10k words -- Yuuri & Haurhi meet at a conference and become friends. Viktor & Tamaki make fools of themselves (but what else is new)

Howl’s Moving Castle (mostly bookverse)

Second Time Lucky by labellementeuse -- HMC -- 5.5k words -- Howl & Sophie plan their wedding (lol i spelled that “weeding” on the first try... also accurate). As you might expect for these two it doesn’t go without some hiccups.

Could it be magic? by SpiritedYoungLady -- HMC -- 500 words -- Howls comes back from night with the rugby club, and Sophie is unamused

Fulllmetal Alchemist (mostly bhood/manga)

All That Describes a Joyful Heart by anthrop  -- FMA -- 3k words -- Hohenheim & Trisha cook together during a winter storm & they are simply TOO ADORABLE. Features some Xerxian cultural headcanons inspired by Nowruz (Persian New Year) traditions!

And They Were ROOMMATES by Turbulent_Muse -- FMA -- 30k words -- Modern AU in which college student!Ling moves into a haunted house, but since the rent is too good to pass up, he decides to try and befriend the demon. Greedling friendship & adventure fic.

Science for People Who Hate Science by Tierfal -- FMA -- 66k words -- Royed Modern AU, but even if you dislike that ship you might want to give this one a chance; it’s really more of an origfic about two characters losely inspired by Roy & Ed. They run a goofy educational youtube channel and are two dorks in love. Al shows up to make fun of them sometimes. It’s a good time!

The Sleeping Horror of Whiskerford by Eltea -- FMA -- 3.5k words -- another modern AU, in which the gang (Ed, Al, Winry, Riza, Roy, Hughes) plays D&D. Worth it for Ed’s character sheet alone, but overall just a hilarious & fun time.

A Clowder of Cats by Batsutousai -- FMA -- 4k words -- post-canon (a more-or-less canon universe fic for once!), Al settles down and adopts a bunch of cats (AS HE DESERVES)

Teen Wolf

the butt is a gift by lazulisong -- Teen Wolf -- 1.5k words -- Stiles is pinned to the couch by cats. I think this is part of a larger AU but tbh I don’t care: Stiles, cats, relatable dilemmas, what more do I need?

When the Bough Breaks by The Feels Whale (miscellea) -- Teen Wolf -- 12k words -- A bit of a weird one, but sometimes I like my TW fic weird. post-canon-ish/canon-divergence with endgame Sterek; Stiles is on the outs with Derek’s pack until they learn that he’s adopted a baby, and then they’re suddenly all over to dote on her. I actually really mostly liked this for Stiles’ single parent struggles and (platonic) relationship with the baby’s birth mother, the werewolf stuff & romance was cute but mostly incidental.

Misc fandoms

it's a new craze by attheborder -- Good Omens -- 5k words -- Crowley & Aziraphale start an advice podcast

Hot Springs and New Beginnings by CorundumBleu -- Hollow Knight -- 3k words -- in a good ending universe, Quirrel, the Knight, and The Last Stag relax at a hot springs and discuss hopes for the future. I recommend looking through CorundumBleu’s other HK fics as well -- there’s a couple other good fluff fics in there and some most angsty but still amazing stories! (I’m biased: CB is my sister & I helped edit these, but still, I think they’re great!)

Sufficient by atheilen -- The Goblin Emperor -- 2k words -- deaged!Maia; in which everyone and particularly Beshelar shows how much they care for and cherish Maia.

Sick Day by avg (AnxiousEspada) -- The Murderbot Diaries -- 4k words -- Overse & Arada are sick; Ratthi and later Murderbot visit to help them out. “To everyone’s surprise, a feverish Overse is SecUnit approved humor-fuel.” (P.S. if you like this fic consider checking out my sequel to it!)

Thrilling Night! Romantic Adventure at the Video Rental Store! by Masu_Trout --  Undertale -- 2.5k words -- wonderful Outsider POV of an employee at a video rental store who gets the admittedly uncertain priviledge of helping Alphys and Undyne pick out a movie to rent for their date night. I’m still not over the movie they end up picking, OMG.

Gonna add a reblog with BNHA, Natsuyu, Gravity Falls, and maybe some HP recs tomorrow.

Also, if you like these fics and know of more like them, feel free to let me know! I’m always taking fic recs (I’m slow to get around to them but I WILL save your recs for later) :P

[cabbageslost]

Live Reacting Live Action AtLA - ep 1

Okay, fair warning to y'all, I'm not going to be worrying about keeping this a spoiler-free zone, so scroll on by if you're needing to keep it unsullied for you.

..

That said, I actually kept myself awake to watch the first episode on Netflix when it drops. Watching now, and planning on writing down my (admittedly sleep-deprived) thoughts as it goes on. I'm heading into this pretending it's like a (high budget lol) "fanfic" with good special effects, so that I can allow myself to more easily move past any alterations. Let's goooo..

..

Loving the intense music of the very first scene and... omg are those pigeon-rats? LOL

Okay, this earth-bending is already better than in the little teaser-clip where Zuko/Iroh fight the guards.

Oof, Sozin. Much wicked. Already hate him. Aang. So precious. Already love him.

The Air Temple. Oh my word, I love this. It's so alive. <3 I'm gonna have to take a moment before the "and then the fire nation attacked" bit.

Gyatso telling Aang "always remember who you are." Wonder if Zuko's mom will tell him the same later on like in the animated series.

Awww, we love an Appa-the-goodest-good-boy moment.

Wait, so they just like fire jet up there? To the temple that can only be reached by a flying mount? Lame. I was expecting maybe dragons (since the animated Aang didn't seem to think they were that uncommon), or some climb-y machine. Not a fan of the "firebending = jet propulsion for all" idea. Maybe it's just a comet thing.

Hold up, did he crispy up Gyatso? Gyatso who in the animated series was fairly un-singed and literally surrounded by fire soldiers? I'm not sure I like that either. (And my brain is blocking the obvious fact of all the tiny airbenders in the corner bc *sob*.. though that was a thing that was true from the first one too.)

Awww, baby waterbending! What was she in? Oooh, "whole village" is a bit bigger, and has a name too. I dig it.

Hmmm, no waterbending his iceberg up. Slight disappoint there. Maybe later? Wait, ask and ye shall receive. And the first Zuko scene.

"I hate this, bringing him back is unsafe and dumb." *tosses a fur on top to keep him warm* Very Sokka-ish.

You guys, you guys! We get to hear Katara's Gran Gran telling us the stories of when the fire nation attacked. If someone besides Katara had to deliver those lines, she'd be the next pick. I'm down.

"We're only friends with our own kind." Ah, a nice setup for what will be the stark contrast of the eventual Team Avatar having friends from all 4 nations. <3

Hmm, Iroh doesn't have Zuko drilling basic forms anymore. Instead he has "never been sharper." Clear that this version is leaning towards all things fire being strong. I wonder what it'll mean for his duel with Zhao though.. it was a nice reminder in the original to see how important the basics are vs flashy stuff.

Small moment of sadness for no penguin sledding moment. Ah well. Let's see the new Zuko/Sokka showdown. ;)

Larger moment of sadness for no absolute sass of "I bet I could take you with my hands tied behind my back" moment.

Okay, but Katara gets a bigger moment, so it helps a bit.

Southern Air Temple was quite rushed feeling. Maybe there's more in the next episode? And I hope they do also touch on Aang being excited to learn waterbending alongside Katara. That was important in the first one, I felt like.

..

Overall, I think I'll enjoy this live-action. It's not going to replace the animation for sure, but I'm intrigued at least.

[innocentimouto]

Anytime someone suggests what Jet would be doing if he lived: will need some years to heal from the trauma, live peacefully with his friends, take care of orphans, maybe later open an orphanage or---

Someone, every single time: Make him a waiter at the Jasmine Dragon! Make him work for Iroh! Make him apologize to Iroh, make Iroh teach him to be a better person, have Zuko teach him to let go of anger, make Iroh and Zuko---

Yeah, let’s make Jet work for Iroh. He can easily learn to take responsibility for his actions from the man who was supposed to be the Fire Lord and let Ozai rule without any resistance. And Jet could learn to care about others who’ve unjustly harmed them too, just like how Iroh was never concerned with what happened to Jet after the Dai Li took him, or Zuko who found Appa immediately but forgot about Jet.

Jet can also learn so much more about women! I’m sure Smellerbee would love what Iroh has to say about girls.

And then we can have Iroh’s friends come over, like Mongke and the Rough Rhinos. And Jet can serve them! Isn’t that poetic? Isn’t that beautiful? The oppressed serving the oppressor? Maybe for added bonus we can have Jet apologize to them for still hating them for killing his parents and burning down his village.

I tell myself that many people are casual fans, and seeing as Jet is a side character, most overlook him. But a whole lot of this fandom writes numerous fanfics, headcanons, theories, AUs, and dissects so many of the characters that you really cannot be excused for thinking Jet had no right to hate the Fire Nation or that he would heal under someone who actively participated in the war for years.

I really don’t care if you stan Iroh and think he’s a saint. What’s canon is that he did fight for the Fire Nation for years and was happy doing it, and what’s also canon is that Jet has lost so many people to the Fire Nation and he’s a child.

Those two alone should be enough to make it clear Jet being around Iroh would only be traumatizing.

[loopy777]

What do you think Sokka wanted to borrow Momo for?

Personally, I like the mystery of it, because no explanation will ever be as bizarre as the question itself. However! I can certainly speculate on the various possibilities....

1. Nothing! He's just asserting privileges and ownership, since Katara took Appa. This one is probably the most boring answer, that Sokka doesn't really have any use for Momo, but since Aang just let Katara borrow Appa, he wants to make sure they both have equal access to endangered Air Nomad animals. I mean, I'm sure Sokka could come up with something if Aang said yes, but in this case we're taking his shrug literally.

2. Ghost-Training Remember how Sokka had a plan for infiltrating the Earth Palace that involved dressing Momo like a ghost to distract the guards? Well, there may not be any pressing need for that plan by the time they flee the Western Air Temple, but making sure that Momo is ready the next time they need a distracting ghost is a good use of the downtime. What else is he supposed to do? Make out with the girlfriend he just sprung from jail?

3. Back-Scratcher It's better than a regular back-scratcher; this one runs by itself. And if the Air Nomads can train lemurs to fetch their staffs, I think it's doable to train a lemur to come over and scratch your back whenver you whistle.

4. Dinner Well, maybe more of a light snack. There's not much meat on Momo's bones. However, that raises of the question of how Sokka is only borrowing Momo and lt's move on shall we?

5. Gift for Suki For all we know, on Kyoshi Island when you want to ask someone to marry you, you don't give them a ring; you give them a lemur. Sailing to the Southern Air Temple, catching a lemur, and bringing it back to your love could be a traditional thing that proves your worthiness as a spouse. The patterns on the fur might even foretell the nature and/or fruitfulness of the marriage. Actually, now that I typed this nonsense out, I kind of want to use it in a fanfic somehow.

6. Sacrifice to Some Dark God Hey, Sokka tried it once already with the Serpent in the pass. But, once again, it's unclear how exactly he intends to return Aang's lemur when this is done. Perhaps he's going to buy the insurance policy, too. And as for which dark god Sokka is soliciting and why, I'm not sure of the specifics, but there has to be something strange going on with how every girl he's not related to has their eye on him.

7. Science Experiment Hey, with Appa gone, there's not a lot of fur around with which to generate static electricity. Sokka's going to have to make a little fur do a lot of work.

8. Spy-Lemur Because Sokka is a good big brother, he intends to immediately send Momo after Katara to watch over her. Granted, there's not a lot a little flying lemur can do when Katara is picking fights with ships full of Firebenders, but at least if Zuko gets handsy, Momo can bite his face off.

[writebecauseyoucannotbreathe]

Ultimate Ship Meme: Azulaang

Rate the Ship -  

Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - Until I say so. I can see them being together after death as spirits.

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - Ooooh boy. Azula struggles to understand friendship. I think she'd fall in love fast and hard but take the longest to realize. Aang wouldn't let himself get attached at first because Azula is unapologetic and one of the things I like about Azulaang is how it would push Aang to deals with the nitty gritty gray, not in a The Fire Nation was right all along way but in how even Kyoshi and Roku's conflict resolution let to disagreements. I think it would take Aang longer to fall in but once they reach a semblance of common ground he'd be well aware he's falling in love and would enjoy the ride.

How was their first kiss? - Let's see my fanfics. In Blue it was awkward. In Weightless it was sweet. In Smut it was horny and hate filled. In canon I think their first kiss would be very passionate and then they snap back to reality and Aang would evade while Azula denies so they wouldn't talk about it but they'd for sure be thinking about the kiss.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Technically Azula. As soon as Aang hears about a Fire Nation wedding, either his friends or he learns about Ozai and Ursa's wedding, his mind would be set on a wedding. He wouldn't say anything but he'd squirrel away relevant wedding information like he'd hear a song and go "I want that instrument to play at my wedding." But Azula would have her life planned out by other people and there'd be a set date where Ozai now Zuko are supposed to comb through suitor requests (it was probably Ursa's role. If she's there she'd talk to Azula directly instead of Lo and Li. I don't think Lo and Li are high enough rank to determine the suitor but I think it would be customary/expected for their input to be asked). Azula would tell Aang something along the lines of "I should be wed." and he'd agree and then Azula will spend an abnormally long time wondering if he married her because he liked her or because it's his duty until she asks him while he's discussing potential baby room colors pre wedding.

Who is the best man/men? - Sokka and Toph. Azula was going to pick Momo but he made a better flower girl. Yes she did this to annoy Zuko (and because Toph didnt want to wear the bridesmaid outfit) it's okay though Fire Lord Zuko was the guest of honor.

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Katara, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee. Mai pretends she hates the outfit but she's secretly pleased.

Who did the most planning? - Aang did the most thinking but Azula did the most planning.

Who stressed the most? - Externally Aang. Internally Azula.

How fancy was the ceremony? -

Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

100% Azula's fault. Aang has no clue what Fire Nation weddings are supposed to be like.

Aang: Wow I can't believe all weddings in your Nation are this big.

Azula: They're not. It's because I'm Royalty and you're the Avatar.

Though I hc that Aang wants to get married in all the different Nations and Azula secretly wants to experience a small wedding so they get married 3 more times with one of them being a very small Air Nation wedding.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Hmmm I'm not sure. On one hand, Ozai redemption. On the other hand, Ozai death.

Sex:

Who is on top? - Aang. Azula thinks she wants to be on top but she'd rather be pampered and Aang is more comfortable communicating and attending to needs. Aang has no strong preference either way and they do switch but this is their usual dynamic.

Who is the one to instigate things? - Azula but she denies it.

How healthy is their sex life? -

Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

I think it's up to the reader's preference but I can see them being very private (Azula) and naturally talented (Aang) to the point where they assume every couple has sex daily. Hc that Aang and Suki talk about sex freely (ex: When I do __ should I __ or do girls prefer ___? I can never tell with Azula. Why do guys do ___ after ____ ? I've tried asking Sokka but he doesn't give me a straight answer.) Much to the fear of Sokka and Azula.

How kinky are they? -

Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

Again up to the reader. They both like learning new things and are prodigies so I think they'd end up reading about things to try in bed (Azula) and would try things out to see what they like (Aang) until they learn what they and each other generally like/dislike.

How long do they normally last? - 

Does the Avatar State remove your refractory period? >;3c

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - No. Aang likes overstimulating.

How rough are they in bed? -

Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

Neither can dirty talk. Azula is rougher. Aang likes to take it slow. She sets the pace in the beginning but he decides when it ends.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? -

No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Azula refuses to cuddle in public but in return they cuddle all night.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - hc them having twin boys at first with one firebender and one airbender because poetry. But Azula really wants a girl so they have a third child she is an airbender with Aang's charm and knack for getting in trouble and Azula's ruthlessness. Amon kidnaps her and instead of easily escaping (Aang's genes) she instead viciously mocks him the way only a preteen can (Azula's genes.) It's traumatic enough for Amon even before the parents show up. Then Aang wants another one and Azula wants another firebender so they do the do and surprise triplets! (maybe it has to do with ejaculatimg in the Avatar State lol) So 6 in total and lets say its 3 boys 3 girls with 3 airbenders 3 firebenders.

How many children will they adopt? - None. Azula is wary of motherhood and I know people like to hc Aang as adopting and while I can see him acting as a father figure to several kids I think he'd greatly prefer biological kids especially airbenders. It's a flaw that was barely touched upon and def not handled well in Legend of Korra.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Servants or Aang. After a kid or two Azula would be comfortable enough to change the diapers but it would still be mostly Aang.

Who is the stricter parent? - Depends on the kid. Aang is more lenient with airbenders and Azula with firebenders or girls. I can see Azula being strict with training & studies but not with sharing whereas Aang would have less rules but they'd be more heavily enforced (ex: no airgliding without supervision until you've mastered the safety course)

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Azula. She's pretty lenient with the term dangerous esp. when it comes to firebending as long as basic safety measures are applied (ex: you can pracrice lightning as long as it's not pointed towards yourself aka dont be Zuzu) but Aang is of the mindset "How are you gonna learn airbending without dangerous stunts?" And after the first few incidents she started stepping in.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Azula but Aang cooks them.

Who is the more loved parent? - Appa

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Azula. When Aang attends the teachers shower him and his kids with compliments ("You're doing so well teaching your kids the values of the Air Nomads. It must be so hard being The Last Airbender"). They do the same with Azula but unlike Aang she sees through it and manages to get an accurate assessment of how their kids are doing.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Aang was more happy than sad. Azula cried before and after.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Aang. He is a notorious lawbreaker. Azula would bail the kids and she could do so quicker than Aang in a few cases because of her connections but she'd be mad so their kids would rather call Aang or break themselves out.

Cooking: 

Who does the most cooking? - Tied. Aang at first but then Azula wants to learn and after Aang teaches her since she has less experience she finds more enjoyment in cooking.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - 

Technically Aang since he's a vegetarian. Azula hasn't tried as many foods and she's used to not making a fuss at the family dinner table to the point of which Aang notices.

Who does the grocery shopping? - Both. Aang has a better eye for vegetables/fruits and Azula is better with prices (it's not about the cost it's about the value).

How often do they bake desserts? - Aang bakes them when he can/weekly. They're fruit based so if Azula doesn't want dessert he gives it to Momo or flings it at a target.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Gee I wonder. Aang eats salad Azula eats meat.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Aang but Azula tends to figures it out. Azula is more likely to plan a dinner but she wouldn't make it a surprise.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Aang but Azula is a close second. It would be a tie if it wasn't for the bathhouse.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Accidentally? Aang. On purpose? Azula.

Who cleans the room? - Servants or Aang.

Chores: 

Who is really against chores? - Azula hates cleaning up but she's neater.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Aang.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Aang.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Azula.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Aang.

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Azula. In the Fire Nation Palace Aang has taken to chatting with Azula in the Royal Spa while he feeds her (and mostly himself) cherries.

Misc:

Who takes the dog Appa out for a walk? - Aang

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Never. Once they like the room they like the room. If its an event they'll go to a different location for it or leave the Air Temple as is.

What are their goals for the relationship? -

To stay together.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? -

Aang slept for a hundred years so I'll give it to him.

Who plays the most pranks? - Tie. They've both pulled elaborate pranks as kids.

[crashingmeteorz]

the ba sing se bimbos (jinjetsongko): in which ba sing se is a city of secrets and jin knows ALL OF THEM

credit for this amazing au goes to @azenkii

jin knows that the avatar is in ba sing se before anyone else. a friend of a friend of a friend mentioned something about it, and she casually asks the others what they know about aang and his friends.

“they’re goofy but pretty badass,” jet says at the same time that zuko says “they’re so ANNOYING,” and everyone goes kinda quiet.

“you’ve met them?” jet asks zuko curiously. “YOUVE met the them?” zuko asks jet, absolutely flabbergasted.

“yeah,” jet says, and then addressing jin and song, “aang - he’s, like, a kid. but also the avatar, so, you know. him and his waterbender friend katara kicked my ass.”

“why’d they kick your ass?” jin asks with a shit-eating grin. song is lowkey freaking out because the avatar and his friends are legendary and everyone’s acting like it’s normal.

“cause i tried to destroy a village,” jet says casually. zuko nods, because yeah, shit happens. jin has long ago decided that thinking too hard about anything any of these people say will cause her to lose her mind so she just rolls her eyes, because, yeah, of course he did.

“you tried to do WHAT?” song whisper-yells, because WHAT THE FUCK, JET

“why don’t you like the avatar?” jin asks zuko, while song and jet argue (“well, technically i did destroy it, but everyone evacuated because of stupid sokka. probably for the best.” “WHY would you DO that? now the avatar probably HATES you!” “people make mistakes, song! do i have to remind you what happened the first night i met you?” “WE SWORE NEVER TO SPEAK OF THAT.”)

zuko, meanwhile, is panicking searching for an answer and finally just blurts out “he sucks on frogs and it’s weird”

“like...for the flavor?” jin asks at the same time that jet says “i thought he was a vegetarian” and song says “oh, did he have mountain fever?”

“i didn’t ask!” zuko says, crossing his arms and pouting. but mountain fever would explain why he visited that herbalist...

“well, you should,” jin says. “and you,” she says, pointing at jet, “can ask for a rematch. the avatar’s in ba sing se.”

“where???” they all ask in unison. song looks giddy, jet looks uncomfortable, and zuko looks downright murderous.

“how am i supposed to know?” jin says innocently, and then grins. “oh, right, i’m a genius. he’s somewhere in the upper ring. he and his friends are looking for the avatar’s bison. big taboo, apparently.”

“i have to go,” zuko says dramatically, and he quickly gets up to leave the tea shop. his friends give him about a three second head start before running after him.

“what’s your deal?” jet asks. “you’re break’s about to end!” song says. “is it because of the frogs?” jin says.

“i can’t explain it, but i need to find the avatar’s bison,” zuko says seriously. “and i need to do it alone.”

“here we go,” jet says. jin puts on a mock-deep voice and says “look at me, i’m lee, i think i’m a cool loner and i have to find a bison for honor or something,”

“i never took you for the kind to steal livestock, lee,” song says icily, and her stare roots him to the spot.

“okay, look, okay, it’s just,” zuko flounders. “i just need the bison, okay?”

“to do what, exactly?” jet asks. “what are you gonna do, chop it up and eat it?” jin asks. song smacks her. “don’t talk about the bison that way!” she says.

“what are you four talking about?” says iroh, interrupting their brewing argument. he looks very serious, which was not something they knew iroh was capable of doing.

“oh, hi mushi!” jin says nervously. “we were just saying - the avatar’s in ba sing se! isn’t that interesting?”

iroh nods. “it is, jin,” he says gently. and then, more seriously. “i hope you don’t mind, but i need to speak with my nephew.”

they do not need to be told twice.

“it’s getting late! mother’s probably worried about us, jin,” song says. “right!” jin says. “we’re supposed to help with dinner!”

“you know what, it’s dark, let me walk you girls home,” says jet, inching away.

zuko is glaring at jet, because if anyone in ba sing se needs protection, it’s definitely not jin and song, but jet just shrugs.

“oh, we’ll be alright,” song says, still mad about the destroying-a-village thing.

“i insist,” jet says through his teeth, and they leave zuko to whatever weird conversation he’s about to have.

when they get back to jin’s and song’s, they sit around wondering what the heck that whole thing was about.

“i bet the dai li have appa,” jet says. “i bet that’s why lee wants him, to free him.”

“maybe he wants to expose the dai li to the avatar?” song says. “so that he knows he can’t trust them.”

they sit there, thinking.

“i bet i could find out where he’s hidden, if he’s in the city,” jin says oh-so-casually.

“if i could get my hands on some of their uniforms, i bet lee and i could sneak into their base of operations,” jet says.

“if i can get close enough, drugging them shouldn’t be a problem. we could question them, and they probably wouldn’t even remember what happened,” song says.

they look at one another and nod in silent agreement.

“lee’s lucky to have us. otherwise, he’d probably do something stupid.” they all think sagely, as they prepare to take on the ba sing se secret police with some crappy weapons and some funky juice, which is definitely not stupid at all.

thank you to everyone who has liked and reblogged these posts. i’m new to contributing to the fandom (unless you include an abandoned self-insert/zuko fanfic from when i was 12 lol), so support from you all mean a lot! also, hello to my new followers and thanks for the follow! i hope you enjoy my stuff/reblogs!

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  masterpost

[hello-nichya-here]

So imma break what seems to be the typical trend with these asks and not just tell you a head-cannon lol. What is your opinion on taking a good character and making them "bad-guys".

Warning - this part is long lol.

For example, I'm playing around with the idea of writing a story where Katara was kidnapped by the Southern Raiders at the age of 4 or 5. She was brought before Azulon who, upon seeing her age, decides to introduce her to Azula. His plan is basically to curb a bit of Ozai's influence on her. (For reference, Azulon is still an ass. Just not to his family and he has a respect for the power the other elements have.) So alongside that, he goes and collects everything he can on waterbending, and takes it upon himself to teach her (I'm having Azulon be the one that gave Iroh that speech about the elements being connected which he later told to Zuko. Just roll with it lol.) So Azula and Katara grow close over the years, Katara eventually not remembering her original home (when I say that, I mean emotionally. She feels no connection nor desire to go back because she was taken at a young age). As she's learning, Katara is quickly found out to be a bending prodigy, despite not having a real master. At age 8 she goes to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls with Azula, where they meet Mai and Ty Lee. While there she learns about different places water can be found, such as the water cycle and eventually the composition of the human body. (I feel like having Hama teach her is to predictable and it's counter intuitive to where I want the story to go lol.) So she begins experimenting. First with the water vapor in the air, then with the water within plants, moving on to her own blood and eventually other students. As she practices, and spends time with Azula teasing other kids, she becomes increasingly cruel. This trend continues and influences Azula as well, bringing out the worst in her (Hey she has a healthy respect for the other elements though. So Azulon didn't completely fail.) This trend continues until the girls are ten. Katara by this point isn't very outspoken. She finds the act of internally injuring someone fascinating, listening to how they scream differently depending on what's damaged. Azula is more outspoken, similar to how she is in canon only much more likely to actually do the threats she makes or even sometimes act first then give the order to someone else. At this age both girls are essentially bending masters (completely believable to me considering Katara became a master in just a couple months in canon). This is also the age when Azulon passes away.

Ursa leaves and not long after Iroh returns. That's when he does the unthinkable. He gives Katara a drug rendering her unconscious before taking her from the palace. He has her put on a boat and sent to the Southern watertribe. She hates it there, her body not adapted to the frozen wasteland of the tundra. She views Sokka as an idiot, but she does like Gran-gran. Her soft demeanor reminded her of how Azulon treated her. Unable to leave, she has no choice but to wait, choosing to hide her current bending skill. Things proceed as they did in canon until they find Aang. When Zuko arrives he does the same thing he did in canon. Aang reveals himself to be the Avatar. When he tries to turn himself over, Katara reveals herself. (I'm thinking of having her say "Hello Zuzu" in a condescending voice lol. Not 100% on how that particular scene would play out.) Zuko immediately recognizes (and fears) her. She proceeds to use her bending to throw him back on the ship before taking off with Aang, leading them away. Canon proceeds as normal, certain scenes like the waterbending scroll not happening because she's already a master bender. She focuses on learning Healing while in the NWT until the invasion. She kills Zhao when he threatens the moon spirit (her ability to bend. I wanna make this scene rather gruesome. She does it with subtle bloodbending so the others don't know it was her).

As they are escaping the earth kingdom fort, Katara has pretty much reached her limit with traveling with the group. She had hoped he would be the quickest way back into the nation, hoping Azula would be sent after him. She had every intention of ditching them at Omashu when she finally sees Azula. Katara pulls Azula out of the fight, into a secluded area where they have thier reunion (I am having them be soft with each other, and only each other.) Katara wants to join Azula but Azula instead wants her to act as a double agent. Seeing Appa flying in, Katara quickly pulls Azula in, stealing a kiss before running back and flying away.

Canon proceeds as normal clear up until the crossroads of destiny. Katara of course is happy to find Azula in the throne room. She willingly hands over the invasion plans before they spend the day together, eventually setting a trap in the Catacombs (Zuko is still going to be there). When Aang breaks in, she asks why he's with Iroh. Aang tells her about Iroh saying he saved her from the firenation before. Katara realizes what he means. She takes being on Aang's side eventually using her bloodbending during the fight to immobilize him, leading to Azula getting a clean hit with her lightning. Iroh tries to interfere as Sokka and Toph arrive. Katara goes off about her kidnaping her before preventing his blood from reaching his heart, killing him. Zuko trust to attack her in anger while Sokka and Toph grab Aang and flee. Zuko is captured and taken back to the firenation in chains.

*takes deep breath*

I went through ALL of that because my questions start at this point. I could have Ozai order Azula to kill Katara, leading to them fleeing and joining the Gaang, leading to a nicer ending. Alternatively, I could have the same thing happen and have Katara and Azula kill Ozai instead, with them systematically killing the members of the Gaang leading to fire nation victory. Or I could find some kind of middle ground, where the Gaang doesn't die but the fire nation doesn't give up the colonies as a condition of ending the war.

Which of these makes the most sense to you. Are these darker stories something you like? Should I make Katara and Azula's relationship co-dependent! On a scale of 1 to yes, how kinky should I have Katara get with bloodbending Azula lol? Overall, what are your thoughts? Hopefully this isn't way to much when it comes to an ask. I know that was a lot of set up for just a few questions but I felt the context was important. If nothing else, I hope you found that incredibly rough outline I came up with off the top of my head pretty interesting lol. I never actually wrote any of that down. I probably should at some point.

Holy shit, this was one hell of a wild ride. And yeah, you should write it at some point. Your story is interesting and from what I know about Azutara, that ship needs more content.

I really like dark, grim stories... but I live for happy endings. However, this is YOUR story. The advantage of fanfic is that it can be as self-indulgent as your heart needs it to be. Go with whichever ending you like the most.

Some sweet, sweet codependency is perfect for darker stories. Also you made me very curious with the bloodbending thing.

To sum it up: DO IT! JUST DO IT!

[milkypompon]

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙 | 𝔻𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 Zuko x Reader

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒 ℍ𝕠𝕥 𝕊𝕚𝕗𝕦 ℍ𝕠𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕟 

ℤ𝕦𝕜𝕠 𝕩 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣

< ℙℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕆𝕌𝕊 || ℕ𝔼𝕏𝕋 >

𝕄𝔸𝕊𝕋𝔼ℝ𝕃𝕀𝕊𝕋 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝕀𝕊 𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂

𝕀𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕖 | Aang and Y/N are siblings who share powers, but Y/N was hidden from the Four Nation’s eyes to avoid the possibility of their separation. Then, Zuko meets the flamboyant and flirtatious Y/N for the first time at the Western Air Temple where he attempts to join the tight-knit Gaang. 

𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣'𝕤 ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕖 | Do I regret titling this fic “Extra Hot Sifu Hotman”? ABSOLUTELY… Not. Anyways, enjoy part 2 because some people requested for it! (Don’t tell anyone this, but I was gonna write it even if no one wanted it. That’s just the power of a writer.)

In this chapter, we encounter more interactions with Sokka and Y/N! As well as a small slice of Aang and Y/N’s life back in the Southern Air Temple a hundered years ago.

𝔼ℕ𝕁𝕆𝕐

The crescent moon dimly lit each of the rooms at the Western Air Temple. There was nothing special about the bedrooms, Y/N and Aang were used to the minimalistic architecture of their home, so this was nothing new. Only a musty bed pushed along the concrete wall with a blanket that frayed on the edges could be seen. 

Despite the thick layer of dust that coated the room, Sokka slept soundly in bed. He faced the wall, arm bent and tucked underneath his head to act as a makeshift pillow. Every so often, a creak of the bed’s wooden frame could be heard from the hallways, as he shifted. 

“Sokka… are you sleeping?” Y/N knelt onto their knees and breathed on Sokka’s neck. He was a heavy sleeper, only ever reacting if he was in real danger. His body knew, Y/N knew this too, so they licked their index finger and probed Sokka’s ear. 

Sokka squealed like a runt, “Ahh-”

“Shut the fuck up! You’ll wake up the dead Air Nomads,” Y/N hissed and clasped Sokka’s mouth with their hand.

He licked their hand without hesitation.

“Okay, I’m not even gonna act disgusted for myself because you don’t even know where this hand has been,” Y/N quipped, wiping it on his cheek. 

“What are you doing here at an UNGODLY HOUR, not to mention, violating and probing my virgin ear,” Sokka spat, but keeping his voice low.

“Oh sorry, that was your first time getting Wet-Willied? Well, I’m honored to be your first, babe,” Y/N rolled their eyes.

Sokka slowly sat up, planting his feet on the ground. He swiveled his neck in circles to relieve it from knots and aches. Patting the spot next to him, Y/N sat on the creaking bed.

“But, seriously, what’s going on?” There was a genuine look of concern in his eyes, one that never failed to cause Y/N to blush slightly. Since the siblings released Aang and Y/N from the iceberg, Sokka and Y/N developed an unusual bond that curated overtime thanks to cheap jokes and being the duo who was the comic-relief of the team.

“Thank goodness it’s nighttime,” Y/N thought to themself shyly.

Y/N craned their neck down, their hands on their lap with thumbs dwindling around. “I… uh, couldn’t sleep? Despite everything going on, shouldn’t I be thankful that we finally have the time to drop dead and shut our eyes?” There was obviously something more, but for now they just needed help to at least take a nap. 

Sokka offered them a small smile, “I’ll bet you my boomerang that you’re not the only one who visited a friend in the middle of the night.” He took their hand and together, they walked down the hallway.

Just as Sokka implied, the flickering light of a warm fire danced near the snuggling bodies of Aang and Katara. Toph slept, mouth agape, with her head leaning back against the fluff of Appa. Her hand laid on Momo’s head that rested on her leg. Momo’s ear twitched as the pair neared the almost laughable sight. Even when there were decent bedrooms not too far away, they always managed to sleep like this. But there was one person who preferred to be secluded away from the rest of them… 

Sokka released Y/N’s hand and walked towards two sleeping mattresses that sat a few feet apart (which the Gaang probably set up for them). He motioned for them to lay back and take as much shut eye as they could before the sun rose up to another dreadful, anxiety-filled day.

Y/N sauntered and plopped their back onto the mattress with an arm slung over their eyes to cover the bright orange and yellow flames. The fire vaguely reminded them of the new pair of eyes they met just this morning. They couldn’t quite put their finger on it, but there was a deep, hole that one couldn’t simply  climb out of if you looked into it for too long. 

Was it emptiness? Longing? Regret?

There wasn’t a single person in this fractured family that hadn’t felt those feelings at least once. Y/N sure as hell knew these emotions all too well, maybe even beyond them, but for once they were dumbfounded for what the supposed “evil Prince of the Fire Nation” felt. 

Maybe Zuko felt all three? 

“Zuko regrets his past doings because he knew he would feel emptiness if he succeeded in capturing the Avatar, well now Avatars…  Now he longs for what we have…” Y/N came to a profound realization. They made a mental note to give themself a high five tomorrow morning for using all three words. 

It was an unspoken truth that each of them felt empty without the presence of another friend, whether they were wide awake or fast asleep. Y/N too needed the assurance of someone being able to pull them back if they were about to do something heroic, bluntly said, downright stupid. 

Decades ago, the monks repeated to Y/N and Aang more than to any of the other Air Nomads to detach oneself from worldly desires and relations, even the familial ones. At night, when Monk Gyatso would visit the siblings he’d dismiss the other monks’ lectures.

He’d whisper, “You two were created by bones of a warrior’s fire, the heart of mother nature, the clear eyes of the ocean.” Monk Gyatso paused and leaned into the faces of the children, “And most importantly… the mind of a reckless Air Nomad!” The three giggled quietly.

A small smile emerged from Y/N’s mouth as they reminisced on their last memory of the siblings’ father-like figure before the pair escaped out of anger as they were threatened to be taken away from him, due to Avatar duties.

𝔼𝕟𝕕𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕖 | Thank you for all the positive comments on the last chapter! Please take it easy one me bc this is my first time writing a series, or what I’d like to call, a book! Let me know how I’m doing and how to make the characters feel more lively!!

【ℝ𝔼ℚ𝕌𝔼𝕊𝕋 𝕋𝕆 𝔹𝔼 𝕆ℕ 𝔸 𝕋𝔸𝔾𝕃𝕀𝕊𝕋 𝕋ℍℝ𝕌 𝕄𝕐 𝕀ℕ𝔹𝕆𝕏】

(If you don’t see yourself, please message me again! I’m sorry, I’m new to the whole fanfic writing + Tumblr stuff hahaha!)

@haylaansmi @lizzyumi @ruinedlies @anime-simp​ @akariblue​ @uber-scooter​ @celamoon​ ​@rhodeisland101 @flloooooopppa @mackandcheese24 @samschaoticblogs​ @ilovespideyyy @kisskissshutmydoor​ @og-disaster-bi @emogril​ @vlovers-world @samsmultifandomblogs @plutaars @kinismanditory @shephard17895 @eridanuswave @iguessthefloorislava @a-hopeless-fan @mybnkjj @mahleeyuh @elammd

[firelord-boomerang]

Any fanfic recs?

And also have a funky fantastic day!

Sorry for the late reply, I wanted to switch to desktop to properly rec anywho here’s ao3 bookmarks:

Zukka fics

The Shame Basement series by All_About_That_Ace

Rated T

Description: Zuko might have maybe made out with Sokka in Ba Sing Se and also kind of started sort of dating him (he doesn't know how that happened, honestly) and Sokka might be a little bit enamored with Zuko (he’s so attractive?? how dare???) and this information might maybe a little bit be making their life slightly hectic.

In the best way, of course.

Diplomatic Negotiations by thelightwitch

Rated T

Over the past six years, Zuko has perfected the art of playing the cool, collected Fire Lord, the opposite of his hotheaded father in every way. He’s cultivated the even gaze, the regal tone, the way he can make Sokka feel like he doesn’t even recognize him, when Sokka knows he is just as desperate to get him alone so they can get their hands on each other. But inevitably, Zuko will slip and look at him, and his eyes will be the eyes of Zuko, the man Sokka loves, instead of Zuko the Fire Lord. Sokka just has to be vigilant enough to catch it.

--

Sokka returns from a six-month-long diplomatic mission and Zuko is too worked up to look him in the eye during the public ceremony. Misunderstandings ensue.

Boys & Swords by hikuni

Rated T

Sokka is full of bad ideas, and challenging to Zuko to a sword duel is one of them. Quick banter, angry arguing, and pent up feelings abound, culminating in a final swordbending match - if Sokka wins, then maybe he has a shot of being more than just a friend with Zuko.

and this one is like all time faves a gen zuko-centric:

Sleep Your Troubles Away by Thealmostrhetoricalquestion

Rated Gen

Five Times Zuko Was Caught Sleeping On Appa (And One Time He Did The Catching).

“Not to be rude, but you probably shouldn’t be here. It’s not sensible to walk into your enemy’s camp.” Zuko stares directly into Appa’s eyes, and then throws his hands out, suddenly panicked. “Not that I’m your enemy anymore! I was telling the truth, you know. I need the Avatar to see that I’ve changed…”

Appa doesn't respond. But he does lick the side of Zuko’s face with his huge, flat wet tongue again, almost lifting him off the ground.

[guiltysecretpasttime]

Adversity - 13-A

Fanfic update

I’ve decided to utilize this tumblr space to put in WIPs/partial chapters/unedited stories from my end. Then I’ll post it somewhere in Ao3 or FF.net. Maybe.

 In the meantime, here’s an installment of Adversity (the chapters here in tumblr aren’t updated – it would make much more sense if you check it out on Ao3 first before coming back here). In essence this is part of Chapter 13.

Keen to hear what you think about this portion :)

-

Adversity details

Multi-chapter, work in progress, AU, pre-LoK,

Latest status: up to Chapter 12 uploaded in A03

Blurb: Lin and Tenzin are both at the height of their respective     careers – she with the Metalbending Police and he with the Air Nation.     Questions about their future begin to arise and things come to a head when     Lin responded to an emergency call. Would her job take them from each     other forever? Eventual happy ending. Alternatively: The one where Lin and     Tenzin had to go through adversity like Lin’s dangerous job, a near-death     experience, temporary separation and memory loss, unplanned pregnancy and     Tenzin’s responsibilities before they end up with a family.

Tumblr chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Ao3 link |   Ff.net link

---

Adversity – 13-A

 Tenzin clutches a warm towel and wipes it across her forehead. He did not know why and if it would help but he thought it might make her feel better.

Her chest rose and fell with each breath, no longer laborious or irregular. Nonetheless, he kept vigil and held one of her hands. It reminded him of incidents in the past years where he kept watch over her – that night in the Fire Nation Royal Compound when they first found her alive, those nights after missions that might have gone fatally wrong…

The day had started promising. But as always with the two of them, it never was easy…

Once he had the cabana in his view, he should have known that Izumi would have pulled something like this.

---

Tenzin received a message from one of the staff that the princess requested for lunch to be served at one of the beach cabanas. He did not think much about it; it has happened before and figured that maybe Izumi was being a good host.

There was only one person else in the cabana – Lin, who was looking puzzled and was frowning at something on the table.

His feet hit the sand and the earthbender turned to him. “Oh, it’s you.” She looked at him incredulously.

“Sorry to disappoint.” He deadpanned, seating across her. He did not ask questions, assuming that she was led to the cabana using the same ruse.

"I had no idea that you were the man that Izumi said that I'll be meeting for lunch." Lin flicked a note towards him. “Why is she doing this? I found that upon arriving here.”

He caught the paper that slid on the table.

It was in Izumi’s handwriting – informing Lin to please consider (consider – the word was underlined heavily, the insinuation not lost to the reader) this man that she has invited for her. And that they would be left to their own devices as the princess has taken the entire family off for a scenic tour of the island on Druk, Appa and Oogi.

Trust that Izumi would have connived with the rest of the family to pull something like this off.

Tenzin felt the need to apologize for their meddling family and did just that.

Lin shrugged, seemingly uninterested. “Is this supposed to be a test?”

“A test?” What does she mean?

“For me – or for you?” Lin asked back.

“Like for your memory?” To the airbender, it seemed like they were having a different conversation.

The earthbender looked vaguely uncomfortable now, hand lightly patting her belly. “Um no – I mean, for you – is Izumi…?” She trailed off.

For the life of him, Tenzin could not think of what the continuation was.

“Your partner?” Lin finally asked.

What.

“No!” Tenzin’s voice rose, surprised by the question that he did not even consider that the response might have sounded rude. “Of course not!”

“Don’t you protest too much?” Lin was amused. “It’s fine really – or is it a matter of security?” She was being nonchalant about it though Tenzin could have sworn there was a tiny bit of relief in her voice.

“What. No – it’s not like that.” Tenzin had to disabuse her of this ludicrous idea she had. “They’re all just meddling – they mean well – look, Izumi – she’s not my type -!”

Now you just sounded like a whiny teenager.

He cleared his throat and tugged at his collar. “Well, seems like they’re setting us up.”

“Whatever for,” She rolled her eyes then grinned. “Let’s not waste the food then.”

He found himself chuckling at that as Lin proceeded to scoop some food on her plate. “Joke’s on them though.”

Lin’s only response was a raised eyebrow.

“I actually intend to ask you out for dinner today.”

She paused and left her chopstick hanging in the air. “Dinner.”

He wet his dry lips. “Yes.”

“I take it you haven’t told them yet?” Lin examined the other dishes available to them. “What time do we need to get ready or we don’t know yet, depending on how soon they get back?”

Tenzin held the back of his neck as the heat crept up. “I mean, dinner – just us, you and me?”

As much as he did not want to admit, maybe Bumi was right – he did not have game.

Lin’s face was unreadable.

He was able to back-pedal when he heard it.

“Okay.”

 ---

The rest of their lunch went a smoother.

They talked about the mundane things – he talked about Republic City, she talked about the Fire Nation. She asked about what he does in the council and how the RCPD was when they left. He was more than happy to oblige and took the time to answer her questions in great detail.

Before long, when she declared that she felt too full for dessert, he invited her to walk along the shore. He pointed out a cluster of rock formations at the edge of the island.

Lin looked intrigued and they set forth.

He explained that Lord Zuko had told them when they were children that the rocks were formed when the volcano used to be active. It made for an impressive sight, tall and a bit forbidding.

That did not stop them though, Tenzin shared, as they would keep going back there to play when they were younger.

They stood beside the rocks, sandals soaked by the sea, small waves lapping at their legs.

He was in the middle of a retelling of the time Bumi had dared Su to race him to the top (not knowing that the kid can earthbend really well by then) when rather large wave crashed against the rock formation, spraying and drenching them with salt water.

He was laughing, saying he probably should have warned that that usually happens. His eyes alighted on her and was caught mid-laugh.

Lin stood stiffly, her eyes wild. One hand on her cheek (her scars), another on her chest - breathing erratically gulping air.

“Lin!” He immediately held her by the shoulders; she was shaking. “Lin!”

A panic attack.

Each breath rattled against chest as she started blankly, unseeing. Lin was insensible to her surroundings.

Tenzin scooped her up and ran as it all clicked.

Captain Tomasu did say that they had found Lin in the water.

Damn.

The minutes it took him to the rest house felt like hours. With the family away on whatever excursion Izumi and Iroh planned, he had to rely on the staff to come to their aid. Fortunately, the in-house healer was at hand.

The rest was a blur.

 He felt the moment she regained consciousness. Her breathing shifted yet her eyes remained close.

Tenzin continued to run his fingers on her knuckles, whether to comfort her or himself was unclear.

Lin blinked slowly, her breathing sped up. Her hand quickly slapped to her cheek, tracing the scar with shaking fingers.

The airbender could hear her murmuring softly.

“My name is Lin. I’m in Ember Island. I’m okay. I’m safe. We’re -.” Her eyes focused and saw Tenzin at the periphery. “The baby?”

Tenzin leaned forward, grasping both of her hands and placing them on her stomach. “Is okay. You’re both okay – I had you both checked. You just had a little panic attack.”

There was no use alarming her.

“Panic attack…” She whispered to herself. “I used to black out before…”

“I’m sorry,” Tenzin said quietly. “I should have paid more attention to you.”

“You couldn’t have known.” Lin said in an equally soft tone. To his astonishment, she pulled his hand up to her cheek and leaned on it. “You couldn’t have done anything.”

He extended his fingers, gingerly touching her cheek. There were still times in the past weeks when he could not believe that she was here and she was alive. Little touches like these were rare and he savored the moments to remind himself that she was truly there.

“The rice granary,” Lin began, staring at the ceiling, actively avoiding Tenzin’s gaze. “It exploded, you know, the man – the firebender –.”

The airbender waited, this was in the papers and the reports that he was very familiar with.

“He knew what he was doing,” Lin held on his fingers tightly. “He saw me and he set fire – I fell to the water. I felt like drowning – maybe I did.” Tenzin gripped her hand back. “It was really hot and there was a lot of metal scraps. I remember sinking and maybe removing my armor…” Her face scrunched, obviously thinking. “The current was fast, rapidly swept me away – it was so cold. I thought I was going to die.” She resolutely focused on the ceiling when she heard Tenzin’s gasp. “I don’t know how long it was – it was dark, then there was light. My lungs – they burned so bad. Next thing I knew – I was aboard Captain Tomasu’s ship.”

Tenzin’s own breath caught.

Could it be… her memories have returned?

“Don’t force it.” He rubbed her wrist back and forth, hoping to sooth her.

“It’s still blank.” Her face was troubled and eyes were shiny with unshed tears. “I don’t remember what happened before the explosion.”

Feeling her get distressed, Tenzin moved closer to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m Lin Beifong, my mother is Toph – we grew up together in Republic City.” She now turned to him. “I live in Republic City now…”

His stomach churned. “What’s the last thing you remember from before?” He asked cautiously, afraid of triggering something.

“I’m deputy chief, I think.” She racked her brains. “There’s this small apartment. I think I live there.”

Tenzin swallowed. This was from a time before they lived together, when they were still exploring their relationship.

“I’m not losing it, am I? That really happened?” Her green eyes wide, seeing reassurance.

He nodded, still silently contemplating what this meant.

“After that – it’s blank.” She released a breath. “Did something significant happen during that missing period?”

“You got promoted to Chief of Police.”

“Maybe that’s it…something to do with work.” Lin guessed absentmindedly, biting her lip.

He added tentatively. “We’ve also decided to move in together.”

The way she looked at him now – it was as if she was seeing him for the first time.

“You’re the father.” She stated it so plaintively with a hint of caution.

“That’s the first time you’ve told me that.” Tenzin attempted to downplay the significance of the revelation. “Don’t worry about it – you probably didn’t know you were pregnant back then before –.” He waved a hand around, at a loss for words on how to explain the situation.

“You’re not even questioning it?” Her voice was tight and her posture tense.

“Not at all.”

She finally let tears flow.

 ---

He embraced her, murmuring reassurances that he will be there for her and the child. He will be involved.

But somehow – there was still that gap in her memory. She was missing something crucial, she can feel it - it was about the Air Nation. The gut feel was of hesitation and wariness. What was it about?

She had talked to Aang the previous days and there were no mentions of issues with the Air Nation.

Maybe it had something to do with crime? With her promotion as Chief of Police?

If only her mother were around… Maybe she could help her piece her memory together.

Lin pulled back from the airbender, who suddenly looked at her with apprehension.

“What happens now – what if I don’t remember?” Now that she had part of her memories back – she hated the feeling of uncertainty.

“We’ll take it one day at a time.” Tenzin inched closer to her, gently cupping her face in his hands, wiping her tears. “Just know that you’re never alone.”

The sincerity in his eyes was enough for her. She did not even need to employ her seismic sense to know he was telling the truth.

She closed her eyes as he moved. She felt his lips on her forehead.

The airbender sat back down, a soft smile on his face.

She looked at their entwined fingers.

She will take this chance.

This was for her child. All for their child. And it will be enough.

[tehfabbooty]

Jealous Part 1

My first attempt at a Zuko X Reader and an ATLA fanfic. I just love the idea of a jealous dom Zuko. 😍

*Takes place book 3 after Zuko gains their trust, made up an island*

........

"Sokka you literally ate twenty minutes ago."

You looked over to where Katara and Sokka sat, Sokka leaning over the saddle on Appa's back, grumbling about being hungry and glaring into the sky.

"Well I'm sorry, but can't a growing boy have needs?"he demanded, turning around to glare at his sister.

"Sokka, you almost ate the food meant for Momo and Appa,"Katara argued back.

"Ugh, chill out waterboy, before I make you a special kind of food,"Toph threatened.

Sokka perked up joyfully. His eyes were huge as he excitedly asked, "Really?? What is it?"

The blind earthbender grinned. "A nice, tasty delicacy I make for people all the time called a ROCK CAKE!"

You burst into giggles from your corner of the saddle while Sokka's face went from drooping in disappointment to a quick glare in your direction.

You didn't know this, but Zuko was smiling to himself as he steered the bison next to Aang. He had a huge thing for you, and hearing you laugh was one of his favorite sounds. So when he got to hear it, he revelled in it, letting your music-like laugh be the only thing he focused on. Secretly.

Which was a good thing he wasn't the only pilot considering you laughed often. Otherwise they all would have been completely lost.

Which is also why Aang usually offered to sit with him. He knew of his crush on you, no matter how hard Zuko tried to hide it. Aang noticed the signs real quick, considering Aang was going through the same thing with Katara. But he didn't dare tease him for it just yet. He didn't feel like falling off Appa anytime today. But he did plan on talking to Zuko about it later, just to try to give him some advice.

It was evening by the time the group arrived at a place called Kuidaore Island. Apparently, according to Sokka's research, Kuidaore Island was said to be one of the finer islands in all of the nations. The city was known to have anything and everything you could want, from clothing to goods to food to pets. So of course Sokka begged to take a small vacation there.

Softly landing Appa on a nice flat area of grass a few miles outside city limits, the gaang slid off of Appa's back and unpacked their things, setting up camp for the night.

As you wrestled to get your sleeping bag unhooked off the saddle, your foot started to slip and you started to fall off the bison's back.

"Shit!"you cursed, thinking you did so under your breath.

But Zuko was in earshot. He ran over from his spot around the campfire and caught you just as you let go of the sleeping bag, landing bridal style in his arms.

It knocked the wind out of you for a second. But just as you were about to say thanks, you lost your breath again when you realized who had caught you and was still holding you.

And staring into your gorgeous e/c eyes with his own golden ones.

Thank God it's getting dark, you thought as your face blushed furiously.

"T-thanks, Zuko,"you stammered as he slowly set you to your feet.

He didn't say anything. He was still staring at you.

And you didn't mind at all.

You stared back into his eyes, but before more could happen, Sokka shouted angrily, "MOMO! DID YOU EAT MY LEFTOVER BLUEBERRIES I SAVED FOR TONIGHT??"

Startled, you tore your eyes away to watch Sokka holding an empty bag upside down in front of the animal while glaring down at him, one hand on his hip like he was a scolding parent.

Giggling, you watched Momo chirp and rush off to hide in Appa's fur while Sokka groaned frutratedly.

"Well I guess we need to go find some food then,"you giggled, not noticing the death glare Zuko was shooting at Sokka.

Zuko softened his face before turning to you and saying, "Oh, uh, yeah. Would you like some, uh, company?"

You smiled st him, laughter still etched into your features. "Of course. I love your company."

Zuko smirked back, the green-eyed monster inside him relaxing a little, loving your words and your smile at him.

Later, after dinner, the gaang huddled around the fire again to discuss the next day's plans.

"Okay,"Sokka began. "To go proper food hunting - sorry Zuko and Y/N, but a few squirrels isn't going to cut it - we need to start here. This is where all their best food is made from what I have read." He pointed to a spot on the map he had found awhile ago.

Katara scoffed and rolled her eyes while crossing her arms, a smirk on her mouth. "Can't you think of anything but food, dear brother? It's like right after helping Aang defeat the fire lord, your second priority is finding something to fill your stomach."

Sokka opened his mouth to retort, but quickly closed it again, knowing she was right.

Aang piped up then. "Why don't we all split up and explore certain parts of this place?"

"I don't know, Aang. We are still sort of wanted by the Fire Nation...,"Katara said worriedly.

"Then we can find disguises. I think there are some houses outside the city we can scavenge,"Toph suggested.

"True. But isn't Kuidaore more of an earthbender's city? You'd be fine Toph with your clothes. But we would definitely have to change your hair and take out the hairband,"you replied.

"What? What's wrong with my hair?"Toph demanded, offended.

"Nothing! Just that if those guys are still hunting you, you need to not be so recognizable. Maybe change some things,"you said quickly.

As the group discussed tactics and how to make Toph unrecognizable, Zuko zoned out of it altogether as he watched you talking animatedly in the conversation. He loved the way your hair flowed down your back, how your nose and eyebrows scrunched up in thought. He loved the way the sunset threw lighting in all the right places, making your gorgeous eyes sparkle.

Meanwhile, across the fire, Aang noticed Zuko watching you and grinned to himself. He loved seeing his now-best friend being himself and finding happiness. Even if that happiness hasn't completely occurred yet. But in time it will, Aang will make sure of it.

Finally, the conversation started to end as the light of the sun faded away. You stood up and stretched, yawning.

"Well I think I'm gonna call it a night. Goodnight guys. See you in the morning,"you announced as you walked back to your sleeping bag, which laid next to Appa.

Finally, Aang thought. He jumped to his feet as everyone dispersed to their beds. He watched Zuko head off towards a tree to lay down, and followed him

"Hey buddy. Can I talk to you for a minute?"Aang asked as innocently as possible.

Zuko groaned to himself. He was so tired. He needed sleep.

But he turned himself to face the avatar, allowing a polite smile to adorn his face. "Uh, sure. What's up?"

"Uhh, come with me. So the others can't hear."

Zuko followed Aang away from the campsite and more towards the trees. As soon as Aang deemed it safe, he turned to his firebending teacher.

"So uh, I noticed you're madly in love with Y/N,"Aang began awkwardly. He was so terrible at starting conversations about awkward topics.

Zuko's eyes bulged out of his head. "Uhh, what? I-I-I don't know what you're, uh, talking about,"he lied, face going pale as the moon.

Aang laughed, earning himself a glare. He held his hands up in surrender. "Relax. I'm not going to tell her, I swear. I just wanted to, uh, kinda give you advice on a few things."

Zuko's eyebrow shot up. Aang, a twelve year old boy, - granted, he was born a hundred years ago - giving Zuko, a sixteen year old, advice on dating?

He chuckled. "Yeah, like what?"he asked, his arms crossed while smirking.

"I'm serious! I really do have some tips!"Aang shot back. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, you're going through the same thing I am right now and that's why I noticed and no one else did."

The fire prince's eyes squinted in confusion."You are? With who?"he asked curiously, his arms falling to his sides.

Aang nervously scratched the back of his neck. "That's, uh, not important -"he began, but Zuko snorted.

"Oh so you can pry into my love life and I can't do the same to you?"

Aang groaned. Running a hand down his face, he admitted, "Katara. I love Katara. Happy?"

Grinning, Zuko answered in his smartass tone, "I never am."

Aang laughed, then wiggled his eyebrows at him, saying, "But you are now, aren't you? I see the way you look at her."

His face reddened. "Y-yeah, she makes me happy. I really love her, Aang."

Aang smiled. "See? Not that hard to say out loud. But you want to be careful."

Zuko's golden eyes shot back to Aang's. "With what?"

Aang sighed before looking away. "Make sure it's the right time. And by that I mean, don't push her into anything, like making a decision. Your best bet is probably after the war, since our focus is on defeating your father. You don't want to confuse her and distract her from the task at hand, which could ultimately get her, you, or all of us killed."

Zuko nodded in understanding. "You, uh, wanna talk about it?"he asked awkwardly.

Aang shook his head. "Nah. I'm okay. Just remember what I said though."

The fire prince bowed in respect to the avatar. "Thank you, Aang."

Aang started to turn back, but spun around quickly again to add, "Oh by the way though. I'm 99% positive she's into you too." He winked and skipped away, leaving a blushing firebender to stare after him.

[cupofchiya]

A convo btw Katara and Sokka after the Southern Raiders

its a convo after the Southern Raiders btw Sokka and Katara. tSR is one of my fav things to exist like, ever, but i always kinda wished there was a talk btw the two at the end where katara apoligizes for "you didnt love her the way i did!" as much as i think it speaks volumes that sokka doesnt need her to apoligize bc he understands shes coming from a place of pain, i wished they had talked. pls pls pls criticize, i whipped this up really quickly and would love to improve!

//fanfic

It was gone. The sizzle of hot fire, of anger everytime she looked at Zuko’s scar and was reminded of his betrayal was gone. Her anger had fused, replaced by a steady glow she felt around everyone she cared about. Around Toph. Around Aang. Around Appa.     Around Sokka.     Sokka. She remembered then, what she had said to him back at the confrontation. For a single second, a single frame, all she saw was the hurt on his face when she told him that he didn’t love her mom, their mom, the way she did. And then she forgot about it. She got her closure, found justice, but Sokka? Katara didn’t even know what Sokka knew about the trip.     She slowly made her way back to the campsite, trying to steady herself with deep breaths like Aang taught her. Even from here, she could smell him roasting, of course, meat, and what was usually such a comforting smell only made her more panicky.      “Katara!” Sokka had spotted her first. She had no choice but to run over.      “Sokka!” She called back, trying to sound gleeful. Scanning his face and his voice, there were no signs of anger, of sadness, of pain. Was it him hiding it, was Katara seeing what she wanted to see?     It was when she sat down on the log by the campfire, she could see it. A mix of relief, pain, and concern. She turned her head to look at the fire. Sokka busied himself with the roast.     Finally, he put his tools down, sat up, and looked at her.   “What happened?” His voice was hushed and serious. Katara looked back at him in surprise. “No one told you yet?”  “No, Zuko told me what he saw. But, I kinda wanna hear it from you too, if you’re okay with it.” “Really?” “Yeah. He’s not exactly his uncle when it comes to storytelling. Pretty sure he almost peed his pants talking about you...well...” he skimmed the horizon nervously. “Bloodbending.” She sat straighter too. “I can explain.” “You don’t have to.” “No, I want to. I saw his face, saw his insignia and it didn’t even matter that he looked nothing like my memories. I just needed...just this sense of control. My whole life, it's been shaped by mom dying, by my waterbending, by cracking open the iceberg. It's always just felt so...wildly out of my own hands. Just this one time, it felt like I finally had control over my own destiny.” “But you didn’t bloodbend Yon Rha?” Katara looked away. “I said the guy on the navy port looked nothing like the guy who killed my mom, but he looked like someone who would. Burly, angry, filled with Fire Nation rage. I figured it must be him anyway. But Yon Rha….Yon Rha was pathetic. Just a pathetic empty shell of misery. When I was about to kill him, he offered up his mother. How could you do that? How could you do that to your own mom, someone who loves you and protects you and….” She trailed off, realizing how loud her voice had gotten. Sokka put his hand on her shoulder.  “It must’ve hurt seeing me like that. And what I said to you….” “It did hurt seeing you like that. I hated seeing you in that much pain. But what hurt even more,” Sokka started working on the meat again. “Was that you’ve always been in that much pain, and you never got the chance to let it out until now.” It took a couple seconds for Katara to realize that her eyes were welling up with tears.  “Sokka…” Sokka took Katara into his embrace. “You don’t have to apologize. I know you didn’t mean it.” “I love you, Sokka.”     “I love you too, Katara. I hope you know that AGH! THE MEAT” They separated. “I hope you know that agh, the meat?” “THE MEAT IS BURNED, KATARA! IT'S BURNED TO A CRISP!” Sokka looked at her pointedly. Katara crossed her arms, defensive. “Well waterbending’s not gonna do anything now, unless you want dinner to be burned and soggy.” “Alright, alright.” Sokka sighed. “We’re gonna have to pretend Zuko’s tea is good for the third night in a row, aren’t we?” Katara stiffened a giggle as she cocked her head in the other direction, where Zuko and Aang were coming. Sokka sat straight up and did the my lips are sealed motion as they walked to the pier to meet up with the rest of the Gaang.