#midnight waterbending

[silver-tongues-blog]

believe it or not, the live action avatar show is worse than the live action avatar movie

[undertale-writing-times]

Maybe a little angst to comfort/fluff? but what midnight would do if S/O got a decently bad wound? Like not life threatening unless untreated but not a little scratch?

Thank you for asking for the avatar dudes! I love this AU so much.

Well funnily enough Hydro comes from a healing tribe of waterbenders! So, Midnight would most likely get Hydro to take care of his partner's wound.

He would still hold his partner's hand, giving it a little squeeze while Hydro healed them, and he would rant and rave about it. He tells them that they need to be more careful!

What would he have done if they ended up getting themselves killed? He might be connected to the spirit world a little, but that didn't mean he wanted to have to deal with that just to see his partner...

Once the wound is mostly healed up, a scar going to stay there most likely, Midnight takes you to the place where he was going to be sleeping for the time being and made them take his bedroll. It was very comfortable, and he tells them to rest.

He's going to be nervous about them getting hurt for a bit longer...

[discordiansamba]

Life in the North Pole is stifling.

Being born blind and a girl was apparently the best combination of traits you could ask for if you wanted to spend a lifetime of doing nothing. Her parents wouldn't let her out of the house without a guard to escort her, and they wouldn't even let her learn a drop of waterbending- not even healing, like all the other girls.

Maybe she should consider herself lucky. Most waterbenders didn't get to stay with their families- but the Fire Nation took one look at her, and decided she was just as useless as her parents said she was. She got to stay.

It had happened when she was still really young, so she barely remembered it. Master Pakku- their tribe's best waterbender- had valiantly fought off the invasion, but they'd been smart. They'd arrived during the midnight sun. With waterbending weakened and firebending at its strongest, their forces had only been able to hold out for so long.

After Master Pakku died, Chief Arnook had chosen to surrender.

Prince Ozai had handed control of the city over to Admiral Zhao, who became the governor of what quickly became the Fire Nation's winter playground. For his valor, Fire Lord Azulon gave his throne to his son, who would go on and lead the charge against the Earth Kingdom. Omashu and Ba Sing Se soon fell after.

But Toph didn't care about all that.

She cared about learning to bend anyways. She didn't care if it was dangerous- she just knew her freedom lay on the other side of it. So she taught herself to bend, little by little. She began to understand that there was water everywhere- in everything. Once she did, it was like her whole world opened up.

(It wasn't as good, some part of her thought- only she had no idea what she was comparing it to.)

She taught herself everything she could. Some of it came to her easily- the shifting movement of the water whip felt like she'd 'seen' it done hundreds of times before. Others she struggled with- water was an elusive element, all push and pull. It didn't stay still- it moved on its own. Healing was... a challenge, but at least she had the basics down.

It wasn't important as kicking ass, anyways.

...unfortunately, mastering waterbending didn't make life in the North Pole anymore interesting. The two intruders who snuck into her window one night, however...

...finally, she thought, something interesting.

...but how did they know her name?

[gathering0gloom]

An Azutara fic idea that I had at midnight.

Things proceed like in canon until 95AG Ozai seizes power and becomes Fire Lord. In this story, Iroh is slightly more bitter and vengeful about it. He comes back to the Fire Nation capital with his army and there's a battle between his troops and Ozai's supporters. The battle ends with Ozai disappearing and Zuko and Azula in Iroh's custody. Since Iroh is still grieving Lu Ten and massively projects his son onto Zuko, he names Zuko his heir and starts shaping him into a new Lu Ten; since Iroh projects Ozai on Azula, he throws Azula in prison.

In 99AG, a few weeks or months before Katara awakens Aang in canon, she is captured by the Fire Nation (Iroh maybe has a 'friend' in the Spirit World who tipped him off that there's one more Waterbender left in the South Pole) and taken to the Fire Nation capital. She's thrown in a cell close to - you guessed it - Azula's.

Back in the South Pole, Sokka (injured by the Fire Nation attack so he couldn't immediately go after Katara) somehow awakens Aang. Aang agrees to help rescue Katara and that leads to them going through some Book 1 events with just the two of them and Sokka

Azula and Katara help each other escape prison. Azula wants revenge on her brother and uncle and is in denial that her father abandoned her to rot in prison for almost five years, and Katara wants to end the war and find her brother. They start off as allies, then friends, then girlfriends (Azutara story, what else could happen?). They have run-ins with Zuko, maybe Combustion Man, and definitely Hama.

Here are a few lines I've come up with

Azula when she's first put in prison:

Azula: Release me at once! I am a member of the Royal Family, and I order you to release me! When my father comes for me, you are going to pay! Let me out! (the guard leaves and Azula starts to cry) Please.

Azula to Iroh and Zuko when they see Katara in prison

Azula: Why don't you leave her alone? Oh, wait, I forgot, picking on little girls in prison is the only way you two can feel powerful.

Azula and Katara after they've escaped and gotten new clothes.

Azula: Thanks for saying what you said earlier.

Katara: What?

Azula: You know, the thing you said to me.

Katara: You're welcome, but I said a lot of things.

Azula: That I was pretty, you said I looked pretty in my new clothes. It's been a long time since I felt pretty.

Azula to Ozai:

Azula: Do you know how long I spent, waiting for you to come back for me? I was so sure that you would. I barely slept in those first few weeks, because I didn't want to miss you arriving.

[fistfuloflightning]

Waterbender Jiang Cheng for @midnight-tourmaline 😉

[thepublishingpress]

A Civil Conversation

(Alt. title: Midnight Talks)

Zuko was feeling rather proud of himself. He had done it. He had managed to convince the Avatar to let Zuko teach him firebending. They had given Zuko a chance. Zuko absently poked at the fire with a stick. Though, not everything was ‘sunshines and rainbows’, as his mother would put it. He shuddered when he remembered the Southern Water Tribe girl’s threat. 

Hm. Perhaps betraying her was not the best idea.

He’s broken out of his thoughts when he hears footsteps. Zuko tenses; he’s ready to defend himself if Katara has come to deliver on her threat. 

“Um… Hi?”

Definitely not waterbender girl. “Hi.” Zuko narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. “Are you coming to make threats at me?”

Water Tribe boy chuckled. “Nah. I think my sister’s already taken care of that, don’t you think?”

“How…?”

“I saw her walking out of your room with a grin, and when I asked her what she did, she said the whole story. So, no, I’m not gonna bother you with threats of extreme bodily harm.”

“Um. Thanks…?” Zuko said hesitantly. The boy gave a shrug in response. “May I ask why you have come to visit me?”

“Wow, so formal,” The non-bender snorted, “I just wanted to ask you some things, since, you know, I didn’t have much time before.”

“Alright,” Zuko said, nodding, “Ask away.”

The other boy plopped down beside Zuko. “You’re the Blue Spirit?”

“I-uh…” Zuko blinked in surprise. Out of all the questions the non-bender could’ve asked, Zuko was not expecting this. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Oh! Cool!” Exclaimed the younger boy. “We’ve seen the Blue Spirit in posters and whispers around Fire Nation towns, you know.”

Zuko bowed his head. “Thanks, I guess, but how did you know?”

“Aang told us.”

The Avatar. His name was Aang. Zuko filed away the 12 year old’s name for later use. “Oh. I see.”

“So…” The boy in blue swung his feet like a child. “If it’s, um, not too personal, why’d you leave?”

“I…” Zuko paused, thinking about his answer. “Something felt wrong, I suppose. There was something missing that I knew the palace, my home could not provide. I felt discontent. But now…” Zuko trailed off.

“Now…?” Water Tribe boy pressed, curious.

“I feel more complete.”

The fifteen year old boy smiled. “Good for you, then.”

“Thanks.”

“So!” The non-bender said, clapping his hands together. “About you joining the team…”

“I won’t betray you, I promise,” Zuko blurted, “I know I betrayed you before, but I was unstable, but now–”

“Ah, ah, ah,”  The blue eyed boy shushed him, “It’s not about that. I think we can trust you, for the most part. What I am saying, though, is that if you are to join this group, you need to know about the members, hmm?”

“Oh. Right.”

The boy beside Zuko offered him a grin. “Let’s start with me! You know I’m from the Southern Water Tribe, and I’m fifteen!”

“You’re a year younger than me.” Zuko noted.

“Mhm!” The boy continued chattering, talking about his life in the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko eventually relaxed and they fell into a conversation, comparing each others lives, searching for similarities to bond over.

Finally, the Water Tribe boy glanced at the sky. “I should go to bed now…” He said quietly. He smiled. “It was nice talking to you, Zuko.”

“You too, um…” Zuko mentally smacked himself for not asking for the boy’s name. He had always called the members of the Avatar's group certain names in his head, such as Waterbender, The Avatar, Blind Earthbender, and Boomerang Boy. Said boy, however, laughed it off.

“Sokka,” He told Zuko, “It’s Sokka.”

“Good night, Sokka.” 

“Good night, Zuko.”

Yes, joining Avatar Aang's group was a wonderful idea. 

~*~

lol happy (early?) new year everyone!! finally got out of my writer's block and artist's block (if that's a thing ofc) just in time hehe hope you have a great 2024! <3 - basil dela cruz

(P.S: i love the idea that zuko has no idea what the gaang's real names are, so he made up nicknames. it's so silly and i simply adore it <3333)

[kakasaku-week-2023]

Thank you everyone for participating in this year’s KakaSaku Week and making it such a success! Don’t forget to reblog all the art, and of course co scream at the authors in their comments on AO3. Hopefully we’ll see everyone next year!

For future events and more KakaSaku goodness, be sure to give us a follow at @scarecrowsandcherryblossoms!

Here’s the 2023 Master List, under the read more!

Day 1: Historic AU

Trapped in a Small Space—Innocent—"Never cruel or cowardly."

Art 🎨

a barmaid and a pirate by @mayskalih Innocence, the language of flowers by @aerie-skysinger historic au by @this-is-my-canon WWII trapped historic au by @xenea-aesthetic

Fics 📝

Shield by @tsume-inuzuka Undone by xylazine Salvation and Slaughter by @petriikore My Fate is in Your Hands by fusionblitz28 Hey Princess, Let’s Go by kaoruhana08 Ruination Be Damned by @sakuradeservedbetter91

Never cruel or cowardly by Crystalina The Lady and The Coward by @alittlewooy Midnight Stranger by FeralSaturday My Cruel Lady, My Cowardly Samurai by Fountain_pen Sharp Tongues and Foolish Daydreams by @twofortea Stuck in the Middle with Pakkun by @mrssakurahatake (every chapter is a different prompt of the week, still in progress!)

Day 2: Someone Else’s Show

Domesticity—Wingman/Wingwoman—"Should I stay or should I go?"

Art 🎨

an earthbender and a waterbender by @mayskalih someone else's show-bleach by @aerie-skysinger pretty woman by @this-is-my-canon

Fics 📝

My Cruel Lady, My Cowardly Samurai by Fountain_pen The Battle in the Underground by @goldfishlover73 What Trembles Underfoot by @twofortea The Intricacies of Pokémon Breeding by Fusionblitz28 Healed with a Kiss by heartensoul Stay by @alittlewooy

Day 3: Modern AU

3 A.M.—Missed Connections—"You have my sword."

Art 🎨

assassins modern au by @mayskalih 3 A.M. missed connections by @aerie-skysinger

Fics 📝

When I Saw You Standing There by @tipsyraconteur Kill for Me by @this-is-my-canon An Ocean Away, A Moment Away by Fusionblitz28 Like To Get To Know You by @twofortea Morning Fix by xylazine Pretext/Postscript by @ax31s2 Missed Connections by @alittlewooy A Four Week Class in Flirting, Seduction, and Bagel Making by @goldfishlover73 the booty call that wasn’t by @sakuradeservedbetter91

Day 4: Fantasy AU

Hot Springs—Seduction—"I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."

Art 🎨

seduction fantasy au by @aerie-skysinger

Fics 📝

My Cruel Lady, My Cowardly Samurai by Fountain_pen Say What You Wish by @twofortea What The Sea Wants, The Sea Shall Have by @rosebrided Lady of Dreams by @alittlewooy

Day 5: Swap AU

Booty call vs. Butt dial—Beach—"Oops."

Art 🎨

oops by @aerie-skysinger swapped, beach by @this-is-my-canon office hours by @twofortea gender swap by @princessxgarbage

Fics 📝

One Long Mission by @goldfishlover73 Office Hours by @twofortea In Between My Legs by Fusionblitz28

Day 6: Mythology AU

Soulmate—Morning After—"Not if you were the last person on Earth."

Art 🎨

soulmate by @aerie-skysinger

Fics 📝

through violence by @this-is-my-canon On Wings like Wakinyan by by Fusionblitz28 Death and the Maiden by @twofortea

Day 7: Canon Divergence

Pakkun Makes a Startling Discovery—Arranged Marriage—"Why are you in my house?"

Art 🎨

Pakkun Makes a Startling Discovery by @aerie-skysinger married by @this-is-my-canon

Fics 📝

Dwindling Dreams and Infinite Nightmares by Fusionblitz28 What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You) by @twofortea a scent of floral by @goldfishlover73 From the Imperfect Start to the Finish Line by heartensoul

[soulc-hilde]

Kids in the Iceberg

Series: The Lost Waterbender / Ch. 01

Pairing: Sokka x OC! Ikkara

Words: 1.1k

Divider by: @khaer

Synopsis: Sent off from her homeland in order to fulfill her duty, a young waterbender takes on the responsibility to teach the Avatar. Forced to abandon her people just like Aang was force to abandon his childhood, the two bond over their desire to be freed. Rushing off into the night, the duo are swept off in the midst of a rain storm. Waking in her homeland, Ikkara is left confused and 100 years behind the present.

With a pained groan, I open my eyes and wince at the unexpectant glare of light. Blinking a few more times, I could feel my vision adjust and what I thought was blue skies were blue eyes.

They stare down at me with curiosity and wariness. Sitting up as slow as my body would allow me to, I take note of him standing protectively in front of a girl who was practically his twin. Am I... Am I back home? 

Careful of the ice, I stand to my feet when a small hand grips onto my bicep. I look over to see the concerned, wide gray eyes that belong to the young airbender I was traveling with. 

"Ikkara, you're okay," he belts with joy, forcing his small form into my torso. As he nuzzles into my parka, I lightly pat my gloved hand on his bald head with a chuckle. 

"Of course, are you?" I ask, leaning him back in order to trail my eyes across his body. The boy behind him screeches, "who are you!" 

Before we could answer, a loud groan catches our attention. "Appa," Aang and I call out. Leaping over the slope of ice, we land on the white furry bison. Aang continuously swipes at his companion, fighting the animal's sleep while I simply patted the side of his head. Following after us, the siblings watch in horror. 

"What is that?!" The boy screams once again. Finally awaking, Appa nudges his head against me before licking Aang's backside. 

The airbender laughs, "this is Appa, my flying bison." The boy deadpans, gesturing to the girl, "and this is Katara, my flying sister." 

The large bison freezes, face twitching. "Oh-oh," I wince, ducking to avoid the ball of snot that had hit the teenage boy. With a scream of disgust, he flops around in the snow in hopes to wipe it off. 

"That's okay, it'll wash out," Aang laughs. I look around with slight familiarity, "are-are we in the south pole, by chance?" Aang nods, "do you guys live around here?" 

Immediately, the boy steps in front of Katara, pointing his spear at Aang and I. "Don't answer that, Katara. Did you see that bolt of light? They were probably trying to signal the Fire Navy."

Katara nudges him back, gesturing at us in annoyance, "oh yeah, I'm sure they're spies for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that evil look in their eyes, besides she's wearing Water Tribe clothes."

"Could be a disguise," the boy creates his own explanation. Cute, but paranoid... seems like my type

Katara gestures towards him, "the paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. What are your names?" I give her a small bow, "I'm Ikkara."

"And I'm A-a-a-a-a-aachoo!" Aang sneezes, shooting into the sky. Sliding down the icy walls and back onto his feet, he bows in greeting, "Aang." 

Sokka points at us, "you just sneezed and flew 10 feet in the air!" Aang and I shrug, "I thought/felt it was higher than that." 

"You're an Airbender!" Katara realizes with awe. She turns to me, "and are you one, too?" I shake my head, "afraid not. I'm a waterbender." 

If it was possible, her eyes seem to widen even more. "I'm a waterbender, too!" She nearly squeals. Sokka groans, "giant light beams, flying bison, airbenders, waterbenders... I think I got midnight sun madness," he walks off.

"I'm going home to where stuff makes sense," he scoffs. Pausing for a moment, Sokka realizes that he was in fact stranded on the glacier with the rest of us. I chuckle in my gloved palm, not wanting to come off as rude. 

"If you guys are stuck, Ikkara, Appa, and I can give you a lift!" Aang suggests, using his bending to flip onto the top of Appa's head. 

Katara smiles, "thanks!" I turn around and with a stiff stomp, a set of ice carved stairs form beside the bison. The younger waterbender gasps in awe, "whoa."

She joins my side in the saddle which left the three of us to watch Sokka mildly panic. "Oh no," he scoffs, "I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster."

"Well Sokka," I lightly tsk, "I don't see any boats around here for miles. Do you, Katara?" The girl smirks, shaking her head, "nope. Unless you're hoping some other kind of monster will give a ride home, you know, before you freeze to death?"

The stubborn teen sighs, climbing the icy stairs and hopping into the saddle. He shuffles in the very back, nearly digging the edges into his lower back. Aang doesn't mind though as he laughs away. 

"Okay, first time fliers, hold on tight!" He shouts, gripping the reigns, "Appa, yip-yip!" The bison releases a growl and launches himself in the air, all six legs fan out, before belly-flopping into the water.

"Wow," Sokka drags on, "that was truly amazing." I send him a quick side-eye, not appreciating the tone. Aang chimes, "Appa's just a little tired. After some rest, he'll be soaring through the sky!"

Katara shuffles to the front of the saddle while Aang watches her with a grin. She raises an eyebrow, "why are you smiling at me like that?"

"Oh," he stutters, "I was smiling?" I laugh, shaking my head as Sokka groans in mock disgust. As we drift onwards through the water, the evening turned to night. 

--- pov shift ---

Despite her long winded nap in the iceberg,  Ikkara felt the need to sleep attack her body once more. Curling into a ball beside Sokka, the boy couldn't evade his eyes as the moon glares down on her face. She was a masterpiece. 

Brown skin darker than his own, her short mane of curls danced playfully in the wind. Her pink lips hold a slight smile as the quiet ripples of the ocean and Appa's heartbeat soothes her to sleep. 

Get a grip, Sokka sighs, she's a possible threat to the tribe. 

Hearing someone cough, he turns to meet eyes with a humored Katara. Before he could say a word to defend his gaze, she wiggles her eyebrows before laying down for her own nap. Left grumbling to himself, the teen stares on into the night. 

Series Masterlist

Taglist: I am open to doing a taglist for this series. If you wish to join, just simply comment or inbox me and I'll happily add you on!

[mysticwolfshadows]

Taken - Zutara - Part 25

First / Previous / Next / Masterpost

Katara is optimistic about their chances of success.

They couldn't risk leaving Aang exposed, not even for a moment, so Katara and Sokka paced around the pond. Yue, being a noncombatant, would remain hidden with Zuko, who Zhao apparently believed was dead. That story was one she would have to shake out of him later.

For now, it was a waiting game.

They were there for hours. Night turned to day, and day faded to night once more. She and Sokka slept in short shifts, though they didn't get much sleep. It was near midnight, the moon high above them, that Aang stirred. The glowing faded, Aang stood.

"The koi fish!" Aang shouted. "We need to protect them!"

Katara opened her mouth, only to jump back. A wave of fire rushed past her. Zhao had arrived, flanked by two guards and trailed by Iroh. Aang and Sokka jumped into fighting position, Katara sliding into her own fighting form.

"I see the Avatar is here as well." Zhao hummed, his eyes turning to Katara. "And the Fire Lord's waterbender. Not as charcoal as believed."

She had met Zhao before. He had gotten a good sized gash across his back while in the Earth Kingdom, seemingly from some kind of talons, but larger than any bird Katara knew up. He'd only been a lieutenant then, but General Shu had seen promise in Zhao, and wasn't willing to let the potential be lost.

Sokka was gritting his teeth, his arm lifting, but Katara held up a hand to stop him. She was sure Zuko was just as angry, and they couldn't risk a fight just yet. Who knew how many soldiers were behind them.

"Katara," Aang said, shifting slightly. "He's after the moon spirit."

"I know," she said, raking her eyes over the four men. Iroh was undoubtedly on their side, as Zuko had put it. The two soldiers couldn't be identified with their masked helmets. "Zhao, you know what will happen if you kill the moon spirit, don't you?"

"I'll become a legend," the man said with a twisted grin. "I'll be 'Zhao the Conquer', 'the moon slayer'! And your worthless tribe will loose all of its bending."

"Tui is La's beloved," she said. "The ocean spirit. You would really let your wrath blind you? You're a naval admiral, last I heard. Out on the seas, you would be left to La's mercy. Not even Agni will be able to save you."

"Nonsense," Zhao said, stepping closer. "I don't have time to listen to you. You're out numbered. Move."

It was Iroh that moved first. Fighting roared up around them. Iroh quickly went blow for blow with Zhao, while Katara, Sokka, and Aang worked on the two soldiers. Zuko rushed to join the fray, causing more outraged cries from Zhao.

They were subdued with shocking ease, Zhao being held down by Zuko. The two soldiers were frozen to a nearby wall.

"That's it?" Sokka asked. "I thought it would be harder."

Katara whirled on her brother. "Did you really just say that?"

They stopped, listening, waiting. Normally, when Sokka brought up that something was to easy, things got a lot more difficult. Now, though...

"Huh..." Turning to Zuko and their captive, Katara frowned. "I... guess we take him to Chief Arnook. Uncle, as the next highest rank, could you order a retreat?"

Iroh hummed. "That seems like a wise decision. After all..." His gaze, cold as a waterbenders ice, turned to Zhao. "The admiral has failed to heed my advice and gotten himself captured."

She watched him go, Sokka and Yue following him out.

"You're brother's right," Zuko said, after a moment. "That was to easy."

A second later, Chief Arnook, Pakku, and a plethora of warriors rush in. Immediately, the chief orders the enemy Fire Nation to be taken captive. And, despite repeatedly saying otherwise, they slapped Zuko in chains alongside Zhao.

"You just had to say something," Katara grit out, standing in front of the bars of Zuko's cell. Down the hall, she could hear Zhao ranting in fury. "'To easy', you said. Now look where you are."

"I'm sorry," he said, sitting against the wall. He wasn't looking at her, keeping his head down.

"It's just a superstition..."

"That's... not what I meant."

She frowned. "Then what are you sorry for?"

He gave a slow breath of fire, keeping himself warm. "I never told you that my hunt for the Avatar had changed. I... hadn't thought I had to, when I agreed to help your father. But my mistake led us on a wild goose chase around the world, caused us to waste time. We could have been traveling in secret, out of sight and out of danger. So I'm sorry, for not telling you exactly what I was doing."

Katara shook her head. "Honestly... I should be the one apologizing. I expected the worst from you. After everything we've been through, everything you've done for us, I shouldn't have."

It was then that Zuko looked up. His gaze was intense. "So you forgive me?"

She met his gaze head on. "There's nothing to forgive, Zuko."

First / Previous / Next / Masterpost

[rashimen]

I See The Light - A Zutara fan fiction

Every year a festival would be held in the fire nation, one that celebrates the culture of the fellow citizens and this year Katara got to experience it for the first time ever since Zuko became the firelord of the esteemed nation. The festival was held in the city and every year once it reached midnight, fireworks would be released into the sky and so would lanterns. It was a yearly tradition for the fire nation, using their own firebending to light these lanterns and release them into the sky. And for the first time in Zuko’s years of reign he could not, disappointingly, could not attend said festival.

The papers continuously piling up on his office desk everyday was exhausting as it is and he refused to procrastinate as he was afraid his people and the other nations’ leaders would view him as a “lazy” leader. So he continued his night on a date with his brush as he signed the papers. 

He suddenly heard a knock on the door which had caused his ears to perk up, “come in” but he immediately turned his eyes back onto the sheet of paper in front of him, not noticing the guest come in. “Sorry, am i disturbing you” he instantly recognized the voice and he turned his head up at once and found himself staring at the waterbender in front of him, wearing her traditional watertribe clothes and in her usual down up hairstyle that always had him staring. She looked beautiful. The moon illuminated her features perfectly as she slowly walked inside the room and gently closed the door behind her. It took him a while to finally find the words but the only thing that came out of his lips was her name. “Katara” she looked up from the door knob and raised a brow at him with a smile “Hm?” her gaze was suffocating so he decided to look at the wall behind her.

“What are you doing here?” 

“To visit you of course. I heard a festival was happening here so I wanted to come and see and maybe even invite you…” she trailed off, a nervous smile etched into her face as she fidgeted with her fingers, a blush plastered onto her face but not evident due to the darkness of the room. Only the window and the few candle lights around the room being the only source of the light. “But you seem busy so if you don’t want to, it's fine i can just go on my own-” “I’ll accompany you” he said almost instantly that it jolted Katara. Even Zuko, too, was blushing as ferociously as her. He had realized what had just happened and embarrassment started creeping into him. He gently rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the wooden floor below them. The awkward tension got even worse as seconds (but it felt like minutes to both of them) passed by. “Okay…Let’s go then?” Katara said as she broke the silence, “Y-yeah. I’ll just change for a sec”. Zuko then thought maybe he’ll choose to procrastinate just this once.

Zuko then changed into citizen clothing and wore a black cloak to hide his identity from his people to avoid any crowds around them. For tonight, he simply wanted to be just Zuko. 

He then went out to call Katara for they will be exiting through his balcony, the palace is too guarded and it would simply be just stupid to exit from the front gates. He found her staring at the portrait of him that was hung in his bedroom. It was a painting of him on the day of his coronation, his hair was still shorter then. Katara felt a surge of nostalgia hitting her, it had been 4 years since then and she found herself looking at it in awe, feeling proud of him for being able to make it this far with the fire nation. She had not noticed his presence from across the room until he finally spoke up to make her aware of his existence. “Can’t believe it's been 4 years” Katara jumped at the sound of his voice. He was standing right beside her, maybe a bit too close. She looked at him for a bit and noticed his slight smile. She rarely ever sees him smile, it makes her heart skip a bit. She then quickly looked away. “I can’t believe it either” she then peeked at him from her peripheral vision then reached out to put his hood down and Zuko then looked at her in curiosity. His eyes followed the movement of her hand, touching the grown locks of his hair. It wasn’t as long as Ozai’s, well, not yet but it was long enough that it touched his neck. “Did you cut your hair?” she asked subconsciously, her hand still on his hair. “Just a trim, i plan to grow it out but i kind of liked my short hair” I was afraid you wouldn’t recognize me, the words left unsaid. He seemed nervous, she noticed, so she removed her hand but she did not seem to see the slight disappointment on Zuko’s face. He quickly missed her warmth. It was silent for a bit but the noise of the festival overpowered it.

 Katara then glanced at the balcony. She looked at all the bright lights then remembered why she went to visit in the first place. She grabbed Zuko’s wrist which had brought him back to his consciousness. “Let’s go! We’re going to miss all the action!” she said with a smile. Looking at her smile made him want to smile too. Before Zuko could say anything, Katara had already pulled him towards the balcony. “Woah, Katara!” he yelped. She then let go of his wrist to stand on the edge of the balcony and started her climb towards the rooftop. “Wait, stop! I have a better idea” he called from below her. “You should've said so earlier then” she jumped down from her position and dusted the invisible dust from her skirt. “What exactly is this idea of yours?” she placed her hands on her hips and raised a brow at him. “Do you trust me?” her expression then changed into one of confusion until she was suddenly picked up by him in bridal style. She squealed at the sudden change in position and quickly wrapped her arms around Zuko’s neck. “What exactly are you doing?!” Zuko simply smirked at her under his hood. “Taking you to the festival” he then jumped up and swiftly landed on the roof then began to run as fast as he could. Jumping from roof to roof so they could arrive at the venue much faster. 

Katara just grabbed onto him like her life depended on it, afraid she would fall from how fast he was going and closed her eyes shut. She could feel the wind hitting her face so she buried her face onto Zuko’s shoulder. He smiled at her antics.

After a few minutes, Zuko jumped down in an alley and gently put Katara down. “What did you think of the ride Master Katara?” he joked. “0 out of 10.” she scowled. 

He then directed his gaze towards the bustling crowd and grabbed her wrist, an action that they seemingly kept on doing over and over again the entire time yet neither of them had felt the warmth of each other's fingers.  Like it was some forbidden rule. He then brought her out of the dark alley and into the bright light that revealed the wonders of the festival.

 Katara stood still like her feet were glued onto the ground. She gasped in amazement. The traditional fire nation music was being played by citizens with bongos while others danced to the music. Food stalls with all their cultural food, spicy and red. People were all dressed up, she had seemed to be the only foreigner attending the festival despite Katara wearing fire nation clothing, everyone could tell she was not from here. Joy was written on everyone's faces.

“Come on!” Zuko called out from next to her, waking her up from her daze. “Let’s explore the place” he held out his arm for her to hold and so she did with the biggest smile on her face as they strolled around the capital. 

They both explored each stall and checked out each and every one of them.

“Katara look! This one sells fire flakes!” Zuko pointed to one of the stalls. “I did not like those,” she grumbled.  Zuko then cocked an eyebrow at her and a smirk plastered on his face, “What’s this? Can’t handle a bit of spice?” Katara’s scowl deepened. “Are you challenging me?” “Maybe, unless you really just have such a low spice tolerance” he shrugged, simply adding fuel to the fire. “I’ll take you in on it!”, she eventually lived to regret her decision. 

Zuko immediately then bought the fire flakes, with one piece of both of their hands. “In the count of three, two, and one...” The moment he stopped counting they both tossed the piece of fire flake onto their mouths. Zuko ate it with ease while Katara’s face started flaming from how hot the flake was. The vendor quickly gave her water to which she gladly drank. Earning a chuckle from both Zuko and the vendor. “Fine. You win this one” she crossed her arms on her chest with a scowl. 

They had eventually found a stall that was selling souvenirs, the vendor was an old man but he seemed quite peaceful. Both of them were picking out souvenirs to take home with them. One that will remind them of a memory that would last a lifetime. As they were picking out which one they were going to buy, Katara felt someone tugging on her skirt. She looked down to see a child staring right at her. She smiled at the little boy then bent down so they could meet face to face. “Hello, little one” she says in that soft voice of hers. “Hi…” the boy squeaked out. Zuko peeked from behind Katara and saw the boy fidgeting on his spot and seemingly nervous and blushing, he could tell the young man was acting like this because of Katara (he’s just saying this because he’s like this too). “Is something the matter?” Katara asks but the boy shakes his head. “I want to show you something” he tugged on her finger as if to lead her somewhere. She glanced at Zuko to excuse herself and he simply waved at her. 

The little boy then eventually took her to another stall that was just across the one they were at. It had seemed that the stall belonged to the boys’ family as the boy went behind it to grab something. He eventually came out with what seemed to be water in a container. The boy then offered it to her, which she took in curiosity. “It’s supposed to be an ice sculpture that I got from when we visited the water tribe but it had melted,” he said with sadness laced onto his voice. Katara then felt bad for the little one. “It reminded me of you” the young one continued, Katara looked at him with surprise but was eventually replaced by a gentle smile. “I can help you. What did the sculpture originally look like?” the boy's eyes shimmered in excitement after hearing her offer to help. “Tui and La.” He simply said then Katara immediately got to work.

She held the container in one hand as she worked her magic in the other. With a few movements from her hand the water eventually transformed into the ice sculpture the boy had described. “Woah!! You’re a waterbender!” he shouted with glee as his face lit up from how amazed he was. Katara smiled at the little boy. “Do you want to see more tricks?” and he nodded without hesitation. 

From afar, there too, was someone looking at her with admiration. Zuko was watching her the entire time. He watched in adoration as Katara continued to show the boy some tricks to entertain them until she eventually attracted a crowd of children. His eyes showed softness, affection, and love. “Is she your girlfriend?” Zuko looked at the source of the voice, it was the old man that was selling the souvenirs. “No…” there was a pause, “She isn’t.” His expression is unreadable. “But you love her don’t you?” It was silent. Love? Does he love Katara? He turned his gaze towards her, he then looked at her stunning blue eyes and her sweet smile and he found himself catching his breath. She was the most beautiful woman he has ever met and the only woman to ever make him feel this way. Feel this vulnerable. Feel this weak. They were always so close but never touching like the sun and the moon. Always bounded by a boundary that refuses to let them be. His stares always linger a little too long to say that they were friends and always quickly looking away so he won’t lose all the willpower he had left. So to answer the old man, yes, he loves her. He loves her so much he thinks he would die without her but he feels that it is a crime to have such a goddess like her so he decides to tell him, “She doesn’t love me anyway” he says as starts to get the money from his pocket to pay for the souvenirs. “It never hurts to try. Here take this, they’re going to be releasing the lanterns soon.” he then thought about it for a bit. She’ll be leaving to go back to her homeland soon, what’s there to lose? “Yeah” he nods. He then takes the souvenirs and stuffs it into his pocket then hides the lantern inside his cloak. “Thank you sir” he then starts to run towards Katara as the kids were starting to leave one by one, getting picked up by their parents to go watch the fireworks. “Anytime, firelord” the old man whispers but Zuko did not hear him.

“Katara” he calls out to her as he walks towards her, a container on her hand that held the ice sculpture from earlier. “Oh, Zuko!” she turns her head towards him. “They’re going to be releasing the lanterns soon, and I know a spot” she looked at him with glee but her smile turned into a frown when she realized what he meant. “Are we going up again?” but before her question could be answered, Zuko had carried her once again “Hold on tight!” He jumped up once again and hopped from rooftop to rooftop until he found the spot he was referring to. 

Once they had arrived, Katara hopped down and admired the view from where they were. Zuko then followed right behind her, he then removed the hood of his cloak. He tapped her on her shoulder, “Here” on his hand was the souvenir from earlier, the logo of the fire nation. “Thank you” she breathed out, she hid it inside her pocket. Katara rested her arms on the railing and gazed down at the noise below her.

 Zuko found himself staring at her again and opened his mouth to say something to break the silence but shut his lips to search for the right words to say. He then looked down at his arms that were resting on the same railing. Their elbows lightly brushing each other. “You look beautiful by the way” his voice a little above a whisper but Katara heard it loud and clear, she could feel her cheeks turning red. “Oh! Um…thank you. You look good too” Katara mentally cursed at herself at her choice of words. No one spoke for a bit, the constant silence was always so suffocating. 

Zuko closed his eyes and breathed in and out, he turned to Katara, “I-” they said in unison. “No, you first!” they said at the same time. “No, you” Katara beated him to it, leaving Zuko no choice but to say what he was planning to say first. “I…” he trailed but before he could continue he was cut off by the loud footsteps of the people below them who seemed to be running towards the area where the lanterns were going to be released into the sky. Both of them looked down to find families and couples who seemed to be gathering with a lantern in hand. One by one each of them lit up their lanterns and released them into the sky, the beautiful lanterns’ bright light that seemed to stand out in the night sky.

Zuko was reminded about the lantern that the old man gave him earlier and he decided to take a peek inside his cloak to see if it was still there, he sighed in relief as it still was in his cloak and intact. 

He turned his gaze towards Katara and saw that she was staring into the brightly lit night sky with the shiniest eyes and the brightest smile, bright enough to beat the lit up lanterns. He held his stare on her, hoping she wouldn’t notice the way he was looking at her. It was at that moment he realized, if he was never firelord he would not hesitate to take his chances with her. He would court her and if she would accept him, he would go anywhere she wants to go. He wouldn’t have minded a simple life with her. Maybe a small house in a small village somewhere. She was worth every sacrifice. He unconsciously touched his chest, the scar that has now forever embedded him ever since that day. He curled his fingers onto the robe. Maybe in another universe, but for now this’ll just have to make do. 

He took the lantern from his cloak as he faced Katara completely with the lantern at hand. She had seemed to notice him coming closer and turned to face him, she saw his eyes drop down and saw the unlit lantern. “Zuko?” He slightly extended his arms to offer it to her and she took it from him, their hands lightly brushing. He put up his index finger and lit up a small fire and placed it on the candle inside the lantern. He placed a hand at one side of the lantern then turned to her. “Ready?” he asks, and her lips form into a smile. 

They released the lantern together, the now lit up lantern joined the crowd as it flew into the night sky. Katara’s eyes never wavered from their lantern but Zuko’s did, his eyes now looking at her once again. He then looked down onto his hand and flexed it as he closed his eyes. He then opened his eyes once again with a glint of determination evident on it. He hesitated but eventually he placed a hand on Katara’s hand, his thumb brushing her palm. Katara looked at him due to the sudden contact and found him looking at her with those golden brown eyes that held something deeper, an emotion that she could not identify. She turned her body towards him as they locked eyes, a language that only both of them knew of.

Zuko intertwined his fingers with hers and took a small step closer, lips so close that there was barely any air between them left, so close that they could feel the warmth of each other's breaths. Zuko brought up his free hand and caressed Katara’s cheek. She leaned towards his touch, resting her cheek on his hand. As fireworks blew into the sky, the cheers of the people began to fade away. It was as if it was only the two of them in the universe at the moment as Zuko slowly leaned closer to close the distance between them. His lips brushing hers, still so hesitant to kiss her, waiting for her to make any movement that would be a sign that she didn’t want to do this. But she didn’t. So he didn’t hold back. His lips landed on hers as they kissed for what felt like an eternity. His fiery passion combined with her sweet kindness. They only pulled away to catch their breath as they were starting to run out of oxygen. Zuko rested his forehead on hers. They closed their eyes to savor the moment. They both open their eyes and their gaze locked onto each other once again.

“I love you” he whispered but because of their close proximity it was loud enough for Katara to hear.

“I love you too” they both smile as they allow themselves to get lost in the moment.

It was the night that started many beginnings for them, many arguments and complications but they always found each other in the end. No matter what challenges they faced in life they always faced them together. Together as Zuko and Katara.

All at once, everything is different

Now that i see you

Word count: 3k

[wickedcriminal]

*Clears throat*

Fumikage Tokoyami and Dark Shadow are MHA's equivalent to Pride and his shadows, Himiko Toga is similar to Envy, and Eijiro Kirishima's Quirk works a lot like Greed's Ultimate Shield (and they both even have shark teeth).

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk

WAITWAITWAIT YOU'RE ONTO SOMETHING HERE

WE MAY BE ABLE TO MATCH ALL THE SINS TO A QUIRK USER

I was going to suggest Midnight as Lust, but it occurred to me that Moonfish can extend his blade teeth exactly like how Lust makes her fingers extended blades, so MOONFISH LUST

There are two versions of Sloth depending on which version of fma were looking at, so if we go with Brotherhood then, being both the fastest and strongest of the homunculi, I think the best candidate is actually All Might??? If we go with '03, Sloth can turn herself into water and waterbend her own body, so I'm thinking either Kurioro with Dark or Snatch with Sand, I can't remember any other hero able to turn themselves into water

Wrath, too, is different depending on the version of fma, so if we're going with Brotherhood then Wrath is just really really good at swords and has his Ultimate Eyeball, so maybe Snipe would fit? For '03 Wrath, he can meld his body into anything he touches, so I'm thinking maybe Mimic from the Shie Hassaikai?

Now for Gluttony! Tabe Soramitsu from the Eight Bullets fits best I think, with his quirk Food allowing him to eat Everything. If we wanted to spice Gluttony up a little then maybe Amajiki could fit too!

As for Father, All For One seems like a pretty good candidate I think 😂

[creampuffqueen]

okay done with homework time for more avatar oc lore!!!!

- avatar lusa’s name means ‘midnight’. you’ll never guess what time she was born at

- being from the southern water tribe, which has always been a bit more lax on letting women learn waterbending, she did learn how to fight. sort of. mostly defensive moves, though

- she was brought to the northern water tribe to learn healing

- her healing teacher was a woman named panninguaq, the chief’s eldest daughter

- the chief of the tribe also had twin sons, paruk and panuk

- the twins have a different mom. panninguaq’s mother gave birth to her and then was unable to conceive again. the tribe elders insisted the chief take another wife in order to produce a male heir. they rejoiced when she had two

- panuk is close with his older sister, paruk is not. paruk is the eldest by a few minutes, making him the heir. panuk and panninguaq both feel shirked by him, and so their relationship with him is best described as frosty. lol

- paruk is a decent guy though, and does his best to live up to his duties to the tribe. lusa finds this very admirable, hence why she started falling for him

- to learn earthbending, she was sent to ba sing se to live with the royals while she trained

- lusa kinda sucked at bending tbh. she found it really difficult and was also very hard on herself

- prince haoyu, a nonbender, helped her with her overall confidence, and also was always there to take her mind off bending with something intellectual, like reading or pai sho

- and oopsies he fell in love with her too

- lusa headed to the fire nation to learn firebending from the crown princess, nyzah

- hearing about the avatar’s… warm welcome in the other nations, the firelord’s only instruction to his daughter was: don’t fall in love with her

- nyzah, two weeks later: dad i fell in love with the avatar

- anyway lol

- lusa heads off to the eastern air temple to learn airbending. she meets with chesa, who is one of the youngest spiritual gurus the air nation has seen

- chesa sees that crooked avatar grin and knows she’s done for

- they’re all very funny to me

- so yeah that’s how avatar lusa got her politically complicated polycule

- as for the future

- lusa ends up officially marrying 3/4 of her partners

- people are like ‘can she do that?’ ‘i mean she’s the avatar i guess she can do what she wants’

- the only one she doesn’t marry is nyzah, simply due to the fact that nyzah is an only child and therefore must produce an heir for her country

- nyzah marries a very chill fire nation guy who’s a nice person and a good father, and they remain very friendly even if there’s no romantic love between them

- fun fact: asami and mako and bolin’s mothers can both trace their lineage back to firelord nyzah

- nyzah had a son who became the next firelord, and two younger daughters. one daughter is an ancestor of naoki, one daughter is an ancestor of yasuko

- not that this matters at all, or that they’d ever be able to trace their ancestry back that far. this is like ~1000 years before canon

- but it’s fun

- as for paruk and haoyu’s lines

- lusa did have a few kids

- but all were barred from the lines of succession because there was no accurate way to confirm who their father was. and no royalty was gonna put someone on the throne who they weren’t absolutely sure was supposed to be there

- so paruk’s siblings did in fact sort of get to rule, because one of their heirs got the throne after he died. who’s laughing now

- and haoyu had a younger brother whose kid took the throne. he and his brother were closer though, so he wasn’t nearly as bothered lol

overall though they all lived pretty chill and happy lives

so there you have it 👍

[coolcoolcoolbutwtf]

spirit blessed (derogatory) - Chapter 1 - BlackSwanna - Avatar: The Last Airbender [Archive of Our Own]

This fic * slams table* I love it!

• It has white hair Zuko

• forced Waterbender Zuko

Boy went from fire => water and is not having a good time.

• All the angst that comes from that and more! ( Ain't gonna spoil that you'll want to read it for yourself)

Read the summary below and get hooked!

Zuko fell to his knees, hands digging into the cold midnight sand and clenching as much as he could—Azula had the power to turn sand into crystal. Yet, with his movement, he created a path around him with the water. A cave of water that refused to touch him.

“No, no, no…”

He could feel the tug and push of the water before him. He could feel the soaked sand underneath his feet where the ground absorbed the ocean in its roots.

Yet not a single flame, spark. No smoke or heat.

 

(Or: After Zuko falls into the sea, Agni makes a deal with Tui and La to save his child. At a cost, of course.)

Bitch this fic so good it got me making Au's of my own.

[midnightanxietytm]

ATLA- A role swap AU

Water.

Earth.

Fire.

Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony, but everything changed when the Water Tribes united and attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements; only he could stop the ruthless waterbenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

or

ATLA but it was the Water Tribes that became imperialists. Featuring Zuko and Azula as the kids who find a boy trapped inside a magmatic geode, and Katara as the Princess of her nation who was banished and now has to look for the Avatar.

Hello, Midnight here!

I have talked about this fic in here once or twice but never linked it because im a little dum dum. Anyways im sorta proud of it and think i might actually finish it for once yk.

Anyways if ya wanna like... read it... and discuss it with me..... id be happy or whatever 🙄

[triscribeaucollection]

Sleight of Hand

From the latest chapter of my fic Where You End Is Not Where You Start

---

That night, after sunset, as Lu Ten worked through his final few stretches before falling into bed, he received a visitor.

The door creaked open, and one hand immediately shot out for the knife always kept close at hand. He might not have actually dealt with any would-be assassins since the failed attempt at Ba Sing Se, but never let it be said Lu Ten didn’t prepare for them.

The figure who slid into his chamber didn’t wield any weapon of their own, however. Lu Ten stilled at the sight of a pai sho tile, the white lotus, held up like a shield before the guard wearing ill-fitting armor. “The dragonbird calls...”

“And the volcano answers.” Lu Ten set his knife back down with a huff. “You sure took a chance, sneaking in here. Katsuko didn’t tell me there were any other agents aboard.”

“I just transferred over today from another ship,” the stranger replied, voice muffled by their helmet’s faceplate. “...how are you?”

Blinking, Lu Ten gave his visitor a sidelong look. Normally, the spies and secret couriers he interacted with didn’t ask such a question; their work took precedence over any individual’s well-being. “I’m well enough. I’d be doing better if I could figure out Zhao’s endgame for this invasion.”

The mystery agent shrugged, and something about the gesture niggled at the back of Lu Ten’s mind. “He wants to hit the waterbenders where it hurts.”

“I’m going to need more in the way of actual details if I’m going to stop him,” the young man replied dryly. “Don’t suppose you’ve been posted to work anywhere near the upper officers quarters, have you?”

“No. Mostly midnight patrols on the lower decks.”

Yeah, that tracked. The best way to get transferred between Fire Navy vessels, especially upward transfers to bigger and shinier ships, was to lean into being willing to take on the dullest and dreariest of work assignments upon one’s arrival. The staff sergeants never minded getting fresh meat to handle the worst tasks, after all, and it tended to improve morale in the soldiers already stationed aboard when they no longer needed to handle such things.

Still. Would’ve been awfully convenient if his new ally had gotten assigned to a patrol that, oh, for example, took him past Zhao’s quarters in the middle of the day, when they’d be empty and ripe for snooping. But- no. Better an unobtrusive, out of the way post, where fewer interactions with others meant a better chance of avoiding suspicion. Lu Ten couldn’t fault that tactic, considering he’d been living it for the past five years, even if their current situation felt dire enough to call for haste over caution.

Any back-up was better than none at all.

“Okay. Sit tight for now; if you stumble across anything worth reporting you can bring it here, but otherwise wait for Katsuko to pass along my orders from the kitchen. Do you have any sabotage experience?”

The agent nodded. “I sank my first ship when I was thirteen.”

...that sounded a little young, but Lu Ten tried to avoid casting judgment on any of the people he worked with. War made soldiers out of children very quickly, after all. “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but make sure you have at least two escape routes ready just in case. I’m carrying a purple flare with me at all times; if you see it go off at any point, get yourself out first, and worry about the mission second.”

“What about you?” That really deserved a skeptical look, because all agents of the White Lotus knew their order of priorities when things went wrong: stay alive, keep moving, watch for others who might have also made it out as a secondary matter. “I know you don’t swim anymore; if this ship goes down and you aren’t on another, you’ll drown.”

Lu Ten just- stared. He could count on one hand all the people aware of how much it hurt just for him to tread water, let alone properly swim-

Wait.

His visitor reached up to tug off their helmet, and just like that, Lu Ten felt as if he were drowning already. “Zuko?”

The teenager shuffled a little awkwardly. “Um. Hi.”

A strangled laugh clawed its way out of Lu Ten’s throat; he lurched forward to grab his baby cousin in a hug. “You little weasel-fox, what are you doing here?”

Zuko hugged back, after setting aside his helmet. “I heard you were going with the invasion fleet- and the others at the tea shop said the Grand Lotus wanted a few more volunteers to infiltrate it, so-”

“I ought to strangle your handlers,” Lu Ten grumbled, squeezing tighter. The whole point of making sure his cousin got taken in by a Lotus cell far removed from the war’s bigger battlefields was so Zuko could avoid getting dragged into conflict. But here he stood! On a Fire Navy flagship! About to attack the Northern Water Tribe!

...on a Fire Navy ship, about to attack the Water Tribe on the night of a full moon- with! As a bonus! One of the few Admirals who would definitely not hesitate to throw Zuko into a cell or outright execute him for treason if the kid got caught!

“Scratch that, I ought to strangle you,” Lu Ten said in a hiss, pushing back to grasp Zuko’s shoulders and give him a shake. But then he paused, and looked the teen up and down. “Did you get taller than me?”

To his credit, Zuko instantly slumped in place. “No?”

“You did-” Delight and dismay and half a dozen other emotions all tangled together, and the best Lu Ten could do was let loose a hysterical laugh, shaking his cousin again, before pulling the boy into a second tight embrace.

[jasmine-tea-latte]

Trick or Treat (⁠๑⁠•⁠﹏⁠•⁠)

(You're the best :)

Thank you!! 🎃🥹 Here’s a snippet from the next chapter of “delicate.” Minor spoilers below but nothing too big. The final version may also be slightly different once it goes through the final editing process.

After the others had disappeared down the lantern-lit walkway back inside the palace, the youngest Fire Prince found himself at a loss for words, staring blankly at the older man standing across from him beneath the covered pavilion.

The sound of rain was deafening, falling steadily in the dark night all around them.

“You’re Iroh’s nephew, then,” Master Pakku said after a long pause, arching his brow. “I’m an old colleague of his. It’s been some years since I’ve seen him, but he always spoke highly of you.”

The prince nodded, wondering why his uncle had never mentioned this acquaintance before.

Zuko cleared his throat, racking his brain to come up with something to say that wouldn’t sound completely stupid.

“So you’re the Avatar’s waterbending master?”

Idiot.

He’d literally just watched the pair of them practicing in the midnight rain mere minutes ago, and that was the best he could come up with?

Thankfully, Pakku simply nodded in wry amusement.

“I am,” the older man replied. “I’ve also been teaching Miss Katara during our travels since we set out from Ba Sing Se. I’m guessing that you both are familiar with one another, that there’s some intimate history between you two?”

The prince’s spine stiffened.

“… you could say that,” he said cautiously, hating himself for the way his next words seemed to blurt themselves out. “Why, has she ever mentioned anything about me? Or has Sokka, or the Avatar, or…”

The waterbending master shook his head.

“No,” Pakku replied. “She’s never spoken of you, but she hasn’t needed to. Because I figured it out for myself. I saw the expression on your face watching her run off earlier this afternoon, the way you looked at her before that.”

The older man smiled ruefully, turning his gaze out at the rain still falling all around them outside of the covered pavilion.

“If anything, I’m willing to bet it was no different from the look on my face seeing her grandmother again for the first time in sixty-five years…”

🎃 Ask me a question! 🎃