#mostly just Zuko's thoughts during that Agni Kai

[pethfics]

ZUTARA WEEK 2021 (Catch-up), Day Three: Glowing

Title: No Fire Could Burn as Bright Summary: Fire was the element of light, but whenever Zuko remembered what shone through his darkest moments, it wasn’t his element that came to mind. Read on FF.net

[late-draft]

Animation thoughts I

I'm just a tiny bit sorry but I think the last agni kai fight was kinda mid. It was pretty meh in terms of choreography and if we ignore the size of flames, it's mostly just Azula sliding left and right, and Zuko doing that one breakdance move. Of course there are a couple of scenes that are animated amazingly, but most are framed in a way that has the characters looking tiny on screen.

This is what I mean. Compare this to stuff from season 1 for example:

And this fight animation was clearly referenced from real life choreography (not rotoscoped; referenced, I believe). One could make the argument that while S1 was small scale fights, the last agni kai was a bass boosted last fight; this does sound like a plausible argument, but I give you a counter-argument: I believe it is perfectly possible show the immense power of the firebending during Sozin's comet without sacrificing the amount of screen the actual martial arts actions take up:

Check out the size of negative space in this frame in S1. You can easily show the scale of the fire blasts here, especially if you lower the horizon line and have tall buildings in the background. Or, the last frame from the first image I posted, it could have easily been boarded from Zuko's point of view. You'd have a scene looking downwards from high above the ground.

But then again I did notice that the animation quality in S3 dropped in many areas. Who knows what kind of crunches there were.

Just some cool fight scenes:

[an-aspiring-jester]

Hi I have a question and want to hear your thoughts! A lot of anti-Maiko arguments claim that Mai was completely unaware/does not align with Zuko’s moral codes and mission, for example in stopping the fire nations imperialism. This therefore means that they don’t work in a relationship. I want to hear your thoughts, specifically if you choose to debunk this claim! Thank you!

Hi! Thanks for the ask! I don't know if you're the same anon as before but I love seeing (and talking to!) other maiko fans on this site! <3

To start off, I don't think the show gives us any concrete evidence of Mai's political views, so my response consists mostly of canon-compliant headcanons that I think make sense for her character.

Mai's main problem is her passivity. So frankly, I think she never questioned Fire Nation's imperialism because she had no reason to! (Or even the opportunity - remember that everyone in the Fire Nation is spoon-fed the propaganda since early childhood, and the only time she went out she was traveling with Azula) But, judging from her apathy in Omashu, her view can be summed up as something like "why bother conquering other nations, we already have everything we need in the capital, it's more trouble than it's worth/it's boring." What she does have strong opinions about (I think) is the absolute power of the Firelord - the guy branded and banished his own son for speaking out of turn - what can a regular citizen do? I talked about it before - she views maintaining the status quo and playing by the Firelord's rules as a way to keep Zuko (and herself) safe. Add her own stifling upbringing where she was forbidden to express her opinions, and you see why she never speaks against the regime. Even talking about it with Zuko can be potentially dangerous - the walls have ears, after all.

(Purely headcanon territory: I think one of the reasons she fell for Zuko in the first place was his earnestness in speaking up against mistreatment of others - be it the fountain incident, or opposing the slaughtering of young Fire Nation soldiers. And she saw how that turned out for him. I believe the Agni Kai trauma made her even more reluctant to stand up for anything.)

And now the turning point - the Boiling Rock. Mai's whole arc is about overcoming her apathy and passivity and finally finding the courage and the drive to stand up and FIGHT for what's important to her. And let's not kid ourselves, she didn't do it for any political agenda, but for ZUKO. But it doesn't make it any less impactful. It's just the first step for her! I see no reason why she wouldn't become a supporting and politically-aware queen by Zuko's side? It's not like she threw a fit over keeping Fire Nations colonies or insisted on staying spoiled and unbothered in Caldera - we see her in Earth Kingdom clothes, peacefully interacting with Zuko's friends!!! She has time to learn about the world and different cultures now that the danger is over, and there's no Azula's shadow looming over her, ready to report any perceived treachery if her opinions stray from the universally accepted.

I'll give antis that - maiko probably WOULDN'T work out long-term if Mai stayed her uninterested, apathetic self. This (among other things) is why they had communication problems during the show. But the whole POINT is that she grows as a person and will CONTINUE to do so after the show! It's never too late to change! Mai didn't have to actively help Zuko stop the war (though saving his life was a pretty important step for that!), it's enough that she'll help him shape a better future for the Fire Nation and the world!

There's a long way still ahead of them but what we are shown in the finale makes me very optimistic about these two. :)

I don't know if you're satisfied with my answer but that's basically my opinion on the matter. I'm really glad you reached out! (And kinda flattered you wanted to hear MY thoughts XD I'm just a nobody chilling in my corner XD)

[princess-of-the-corner]

Okay so, I've been thinking about this for a while: what are your plans for "The Firebending Masters" in the Avatar!Ty Lee AU?

Okay so this was the furthest I got in my notes from way back but I did have an idea for where this would go.

It's officially time to teach Ty Lee how to Firebend. She learned /some/ in the past few years but mostly just enough to control when her bending reacts to her emotions.

However, this brings up a theme from throughout the series which is everyone thinking of Fire as something destructive. Yes, each Element can be dangerous. But even in its more 'useful' forms, it's still just one step away from harm.

Zuko and Azula are hit hard by this because they know firsthand how destructive Fire can be. Whether it's the Fire Nation waging a war, or their father's abuse, or even natural things like volcanoes. It's all horrible.

So their skill and connection to their Element drops out of... not exactly 'fear' or a 'lack of anger' but just. They want to be something good. They want to be something better. How can they do that still steeped in something that has caused nothing but pain?

Like in Canon, we get Toph suggesting finding the 'Original Firebenders' and this time it's just these two seeking out the Sun Warriors.

During the journey, they talk about a lot of things. Some of their past that they just.... haven't entirely addressed. On how differently they were treated by Ozai, but both ways were still horrible. Azula confessing that, up until facing Ozai during the Eclipse, she had always been terrified of what would happen if she went against him and even more terrified that she might betray their group to avoid his wrath. (She didn't betray them. She stood her ground and fought. She knows that she can fight back, and that even if she couldn't she'd rather stay by them than bow to him ever again.)

They also talk about the future. What they'll do with the Fire Nation after the war. Zuko kinda jokes 'Well the terms of the banishment was 'find the Avatar and bring them back to the Fire Nation', so legally I'm not banished anymore which puts me back as next in line for the throne!" Azula is like "You are also considered a traitor and enemy of the country so I don't think that counts.' Zuko: "Not legally because someone skipped over that as they consider me still banished."

But while he's joking, it does bring up the idea. Of him taking the throne after they get rid of Ozai and end the war.

Zuko debates about it. When he was a kid, he wanted to help the Fire Nation. He had thought they were doing good. And of course when Ozai became Fire Lord and Zuko was, by default, next in line for the throne, Zuko had wanted that. He thought he could lead them to greatness. The entire Agni Kai/Banishment thing had started because he begged to go into the War Room, wanting desperately to learn how to be the Fire Lord and lead them once he took over.

As they've traveled and seen both other countries and even the parts of the Fire Nation that are suffering, his thoughts haven't entirely changed. He wants to help people. Wants to make things better. And he does have ideas for that.

Plus, a lot of Zuko's arc throughout the series is about him being in leadership roles. Either put into it, him taking the lead, or even people asking his ideas.

They kinda realize that 'oh shit, Zuko taking over as Fire Lord is actually a really good idea what the fuck?'.

Though Zuko does say he's not going to sideline Azula entirely. After all, there's more assholes in the Fire Nation than just Ozai. They'll probably need to replace most of the council and politicians that work under the Fire Lord.

Anyway!

That aside, meeting the Sun Warriors goes about the same as Canon for these two. And as does the whole meeting the Dragons thing.

And yeah like in Canon, it's a lesson that Fire is not just death and destruction. It's life and creation, it's a warm hearth, it's a forge. It's everything all at once.

Just like anything, or anyone, it's capable of help and harm. But they are the ones who choose to use it the way they want.

[princecosmosanon]

Secondhand Hearts - A Zukka Omegaverse AU

In my post about other fic ideas, I originally described this one as “Omegaverse fic where Zuko is banished like in the show, but Ozai also gives him away to Zhao” which, I admit, is pretty vague and says jackshit about the actual goings on in the fic. But I’ve actually thought a lot about this AU, and it’s one I’ve had in my head for the longest time.

This is also kinda the completely opposite of the Piandao/Zuko fic I’m currently writing, Heaven Sent/Hellbent.

Before anyone gets too far ahead of themselves diving into my notes here, I do want to stress that in this fic Zhao is an evil, awful, irredeemably terrible person. Do not think that I in any way condone what I have him do in my fics. With that being said, please mind the following warning.

Warnings for this one include: physical/mental/emotional abuse, rape/non-con, child marriage, arranged/forced marriage/mating, mentioned pedophilia, traumatic pregnancy/childbirth, racism/classism, and slutshaming towards Omega. If any of these topics are triggering for you, please do not continue any further.

Background: As I mentioned before, this story begins with the premise of Zuko being shipped away from home after his father burns him in the Agni Kai, but with a sick twist. Zuko was also given to Zhao, as he had been recently presented as an Omega, and Ozai thought, what better way to curb Zuko’s “rebellion” then by putting him under the thumb of one of his most trusted loyalists? Zhao is an Alpha already shown to be cut from the same cloth as Ozai, and with Zuko married off Ozai could focus his efforts more fully in the war and bringing Azula up as he wished.

Zhao was just as harsh and demanding of Zuko as Ozai expected. While recovering from the burn, Zuko could do little about Zhao’s advances. Zuko already had a mating bite on his neck by the time he finally was able to remove the bandages from his face, and any time he might have tried to escape, Zhao merely had to Alpha Command Zuko to stand down. Once Zuko managed to convince one of the Alpha crew of Zhao’s ship to help him escape but the plan was discovered, the Alpha was executed, and Zuko was commanded to never speak when an Alpha or Beta could hear him again. (Of course, this meant Zuko could only talk to other Omega, but that was more of a cruel joke of Zhao’s because there are no Omega on his or any other Fire Nation ship, and Omega are rare enough it was unlikely Zuko would ever encounter an Omega without another Alpha or Beta around.) This was when Zuko had barely turned 14.

Years passed like this, Zuko practically chained to Zhao’s bed, but something strange happened when Zuko turned 19, which is where the Story Begins: Despite having waged war against the Earth Kingdom and won many battles, suddenly the letters from home stopped. Not that Zuko received letters but he recognized the seal of the Fire Lord, and Zhao had stopped receiving orders for several months.

Zhao then got it in his head to return home but only after taking another prize for the Fire Nation as a gift for the Fire Lord. He decided to invade the Norther Water Tribe, which had mostly managed to stay neutral during the war by keeping its borders closed. Zhao pleaded with them to allow his boat to dock and relieve his crew’s exhaustion, but the real clencher for their sympathy was Zuko, who at this point was very heavily pregnant. It wouldn’t be safe for him to give birth on the open sea without more than a naval surgeon to see to him, or at least, that was the story.

As it was, Zuko really was pregnant but he could see an evil plan from Zhao a mile away. Desperate to actually do something to stop his mate from destroying a beautiful, thriving community, Zuko chose to play the perfect, demure Omega while there (not far off from how he normally acted at this point, considering he so rarely had the freedom to take matters into his own hands) and waited to gain enough trust to be left alone with only his “escort,” a Water Tribe Alpha sent to basically spy on Zuko’s and Zhao’s chambers on the premise he was there to “guard” a precious, pregnant Omega.

This Alpha was Sokka, who had been living with the Northern tribe for several years at this point. He and Katara had revived the once-lost Avatar from a block of ice as children, but being encased in ice had some dire effects on the last living Airbender. Aang needed more help than the Southern tribe could provide, but leaving meant abandoning their last remaining families, which wasn’t ideal either. It was eventually decided that everyone remaining of the South Tribe would pack the rest of their meager belongings and plead to return to the North. It was a treacherous journey, but they managed to make it mostly unscathed.

With Aang still recovering and remembering himself, the tribe rallied around the young man and helped to hide him amongst themselves. Sokka had been training more to be a warrior, and Katara had been training secretly to learn how to fight as a waterbender. Yue, at this point already mated to Hahn, is also pregnant with her second child. And it’s with these players in place that the Fire Nation infiltrate the Northern Tribe for Zuko’s last month of pregnancy. It’s not going to be easy to win over a mistrustful, foreign Alpha, especially when Zuko can’t talk, but through Sokka he hopes to stop another genocide by undermining his own Alpha’s plans, while still not fully understanding them himself.

This story is going to take a LOT of planning, I’m really going to have to hammer down my timelines in this fic before I even attempt to write it, but it would entail some interesting interactions. Zuko is at a huge disadvantage, but he’s the only person who can save them.

I also really like the idea of also giving Zuko a stutter and some selective mutism even when he doesn’t have to worry about Betas and Alphas around him. Just throw in another wrench into the works, see how he can overcome the odds stacked against him. The story would also have an aftermath part, where Sokka, Katara, Zuko and Aang leave the Northern Water Tribe eventually, but I have little thought out into all of that.

Anyway, that’s it for now.

[zuko-always-lies]

Let’s imagine Sozin and Azulon never existed and it’s Ozai who started the war, he was once pals with avatar Roku, he wiped out the air nomads, and he managed to remain fire lord the whole 100 years.

How this is done is he did whatever it is Bumi and Kyoshi had to do to live to 100-230 years. Ozai’s level of firebending and fire lord experience are at the levels of Ozai, Azulon and Sozin combined as one.

Iroh is Ozai’s son instead of his older brother, Lu Ten will be Iroh’s younger brother instead of his son and its Lu Ten who’s the father of Zuko and Azula. Yep, Ozai is Zuko and Azula's longeval grandfather. Iroh and Lu Ten's relationship is still the same and he still dies in battle.

The series still plays out the same but I imagine Zhao kills both moon and ocean spirit and is forced to serve as the new ocean spirit after he was drowned by the new moon spirit Yue. Season 3 ends with Zuko, Azula and Katara with there epic agni kai but the comet, or in this case, Ozai's comet, does not show until the end of fall, aka, the series finale of book 4: air. What happens in book 4 can vary but it mostly consists of tying up every single loose end until there's absolutely nothing left but Aang and Ozai's confrontation during the comet's arrival.

How Aang defeats Ozai is Aang combined all elements, energybending and spiritbending, used them to absolve and heal Ozai, and open all of his chakras for him at once, permanently. Roku emerges from within Aang and tells Ozai the time for senseless slaughter is over. Finally accepting that he has lost, Ozai succumbs to his aging, but is supported by Roku before he collapses. Roku asks his old friend if he is ready, and Ozai assents. The two finally depart for the spirit world together.

Thoughts?

I just had a change of ideas form my ask to you earlier. Iroh is Ursa's older brother instead of Ozai's but Ozai still marries Ursa and the family is still the same.

Well, you certainly put a lot thought into this. The ending seems kind of American to be me, for some reason.

[hello-nichya-here]

Could you go more in-depth about the Zucest Arranged Marriage after they return from Ba Sing Se? Or at least that's what I think it was you mentioned.

I've mentioned the possibility a few times because I do love that scenario, so HELL YEAH, I can go into some more detail

The basics of this idea is that Ozai was very impressed by his kids’ accomplishments (conquering Ba Sing Se, killing the Avatar, essentially ending the war, capturing Iroh, finding out about the invasion that will happen during the eclipse) and comes to the conclusion that it is in his best interest for Zuko and Azula to always work as a team. He decides that marriage will be the best way for this since it practically forces them to work together, assures there’ll be no treason after an heir is chosen since this will have then both as his heirs in a way, and guarantees that no overly ambitious noble-men or woman will be able to marry into royalty and kill the actual royals after having an heir or two. 

He starts considering that possibility as soon as he hears about Ba Sing Se, and by the time they’re home it won’t be long before the wedding takes place, whether they agree to it or not. That leads to a few possibilities:

If they’re already in love and their family has a history of incest

This is, ironically, the one that is gonna end up pissing Ozai off the most, despite being the one that allows his plan to play out as smoothly as possible (at first). With no drama that could stop or delay their marriage, they’d just enjoy finally being happy and loved for once, and they’d be very protective of/loyal to each other - to the point that when Zuko decides to leave the Fire Nation, he doesn’t hesitate to tell his sister-wife, who will go with him, leaving Ozai humiliated, without heirs, and knowing that his prodigy daughter will be helping the Avatar with firebending.

The Gaang doesn’t really know how to feel about the whole incest thing, but these two weird royals are their only real chance of winning the war, so they’ll put up with it, and be surprised to find that they actually like the two walking fire hazards. They help Aang as much as possible, and once he defeats their father, they’ll rule their nation side by side, their reign being suported by pretty much everyone both in and out of the Fire Nation because they’re just they know to create that ballance between “Scary, powerful rulers of a scary, powerful nation” and “The honorable, merciful King and Queen that are key to keeping the peace”

If they’re not in love yet, but their family has a history of incest

They're gonna be a little surprised by their father's decision... but not that much, and mostly just because they didn't expect Zuko to be on his good graces so fast. Despite not having feelings for each other yet, I don't see either of them objecting - Zuko proved himself worthy Azula, she is the reason he is home, and due to their family's history they grew up knowing that was a possibility. They're still gonna bicker and have second thoughts every now and again, but mostly they'll be getting along just fine, and it won't take long for them to start falling for each other.

Once Zuko leaves the Fire Nation, either Azula is going with him like in the first scenario, or The Last Agni Kai will be him trying to convince her to give up on Ozai and be his queen. Even if she refuses and he has to defeat her, he will not want to end their marriage, and it will be only a matter of time for her to go back home with him.

If they’re already in love, but their family has no history of incest

This is pure CHAOS. For them, for Ozai, for the Fire Nation, for the Gaang - everyone. Their father basically gave them the green light to go “Fuck tradition, fuck morality, fuck compromise, fuck anything that is trying to get on the way of our love.” They’re incredibly commited to that idea of “We’re the only two people that matter” and everyone in the Fire Nation is scared - scared enough that they know not to openly oppose their union. Ozai only didn’t give up on the plan because, well, you kind of can’t do that after you just randomly decided to force everyone to accept an incestuous marriage and threatened to kill anyone who tried to ruin your plans. You especially cannot let it show that your two children low-key terrify you. He’s actually relieved when they both change sides, and once he is in prison he can at least rest assured that those dumbasses are the Avatar’s problem now, not his.  

Speaking of the Avatar, the Gaang sees the fire siblings less like friends (despite liking them) and more like the almost completely unhinged incestuous couple that just happens to be on their side and whose help they accepted out of sheer desperation. They help end the war, but they’re a fucking manace the second anyone so much as gives them a minimally disgusted look. They’ll “find out” about Azula’s pregnancy on the day of Sozin’s comet, and say it was a blessing and a sign that they ARE meant to rule the Fire Nation (either Azula found out about it a little before that day, or they started trying to concieve around that time, be it before of after the actual day, so no one can prove anything anyway). The whole world is SOOOOO glad Aang managed to teach them some pacifist ideals because otherwise they would have likely started a new war against anyone who they so much as imagined could be against their love.

If they’re not in love yet and their family has no history of incest

By far the one that has things playing out a bit more simmilar to canon. They're both gonna be furious and miserable, but there's nothing they can do. Disobeying their father is not an option, and nobody is going to say no to the Fire Lord, no matter how obviously out of his mind he is. Life at the palace is going to be hell until the wedding night. After that they're gonna be having hate sex every night, so they'll be more chill.

Zuko is going to leave by himself on the day of the eclipse, and they'll have a battle "to the death" like in the show, but Zuko will try to help her recuperate after her breakdown, and eventually they'll end up realizing that there's just no one for them but each other.

[phatphrog]

Zuko would be a Gryffindor and no, you can’t change my mind.

helloooo tumblr. I’m back from my lil hiatus- for now ;) but most importantly, I offer you this as I crawl out of my cave:

so, brief intro. This is based off of my original comments on Pinterest (pictured above), but hopefully written to be a bit more coherent. That comment section had some intense debates, but it was fun seeing everyone’s takes, so I thought I’d bring it over here. I saw lot of people on the Zuko=Slytherin side but, as you can see, I have some strong opinions to the contrary. You guys don’t know this about me but I was obsessed with Harry Potter for a longgg time. I may not be as actively into it now, but once a Potterhead always a Potterhead. That being said- this is all for fun! Reblog/comment your thoughts. What do you think the characters houses would be- let me know :)

Mm yes delicious literary parallels- the stories and characters of Zuko and Sirius Black mirror each other in a lot of ways. That shared angst? Family trauma? Yessir. (And bonus points for being considered heartthrobs haha) If we’re translating Zuko’s story to the HP universe, him having a similar situation to Sirius would make total sense from a literary standpoint. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Sirius Black is from a long prestigious line of pure bloods. (All wizard ancestry). His family is well off and highly respected, in *certain* circles. Most notably though, they’re all Slytherins. It’s a huge part of their identity- they pride themselves heavily on carrying on the tradition of both being a Slytherin and more or less being part of the bad guys. No one really can choose otherwise. Sirius however, gets sorted into Gryffindor, and allies with people that stand for the complete opposite of what his family believes in. He ends up fighting against his own family in order to help defeat Voldemort. Sirius is literally burned off of the family tree tapestry- he’s an outcast, a disgrace to his own family. Sound familiar? Zuko being sorted into Gryffindor while his whole family had always been Slytherins (Azula would 100% be top off her class in Slytherin), having to grow from their bigotry, struggling with his identity and being shunned from his family, and eventually joining the good guys? Yeah, that adds up. Take out the Hogwarts houses and that’s basically his story already. 

Honor!!! Okay, this ones pretty short. Basically, Zuko’s actions mostly come from a place of wanting to do the right thing and honor. (Granted, what he did in Seasons 1-2 wasn’t the right thing, but he thought it was at the time). Just the idea of being obsessed with honor (again, the Fire Nations idea of honor is warped but let’s think of it as it’s neutral meaning here- think of chivalry, good reputation, respect, etc) of is more of a Gryffindor thing to me, and again, trying to do the right thing is very much a Gryffindor trait.

Determination aka one of the main Gryffindor traits. Bravery, determination, passion, all define a Gryffindor. Passion is pretty self explanatory, Zuko’s a passionate person, period. Bravery we’ll get to in the next bullet. You cannot tell me my man Zuko is not determined. Some argue that much of his actions were out of ambition, which I’ll get to later, but the way he goes about all of his tasks (capturing the avatar, joining the Gaang, getting Katara to forgive him) is very much Gryffindor. He simply does not give up. He keeps going forward, no matter what- no matter the difficulties, Zuko will keep going. He’s determined, always.

Brave, brash, and a not so small sprinkle of self-sacrifice In their constant efforts to do the right thing, Gryffindors often act recklessly, simply crashing forward in earnestness to do the right thing, to save the day, etc. This is very much Zuko. I love him, but let’s be honest, he can be a bit dumb at times. He’s very brash and can get caught up in the moment. He tends to just run ahead, often acting without thinking, except maybe about his end goal. Not to mention, he’s incredibly brave. I could use countless examples, but the first ones that come to the mind are the Agni Kai with Azula, and leaving to join the Gaang during the eclipse. Zuko literally throws himself in front of lightning for someone. Without a second thought, he sacrifices his own life for someone else. Now if that isn’t reckless Gryffindor bravery in its purest form, I don’t know what is. Zuko leaves behind his throne, his family, girlfriend, honor, home, everything, with the very real possibility of never returning, to join the Gaang. He leaves it all behind, to do the right thing. That is most definitely not a Slytherin move. Maybe he could act as a double agent, giving information to the Gaang while retaining his throne, if he was Slytherin, but that blind all or nothing sacrifice for the greater good is simply out of character for a Slytherin. Not to say they’re evil by any means, but they’re cunning. Your average Slytherin just wants to ensure their well being, and is clever about doing so.

Ambition & Cunning (or not really) One of the most popular arguments for Zuko being a Slytherin is that his quest to capture Aang, was done out of ambition. I would argue that yes, he was ambitious in pursuit of the Avatar, but ultimately his actions were not fueled out of self interest, but for acceptance from his father. He wants to be welcomed back home, he wants love and acceptance. Secondly, Zuko really isn’t that cunning. See all of the above points for more evidence, but he’s simply not. He thunders ahead without a second thought. He doesn’t achieve his goals through meticulous planning, or manipulation and deceitful actions, he just goes for it. Let’s look at Azula, who I think we can all agree is a Slytherin through and through. Many of her most valued traits by Ozai, what makes her so formidable, and what Zuko tries again and again to be more like, are in turn her most Slytherin-esque traits. Azula is the definition of cunning and calculated. She plans every step. She analyzes her enemies weaknesses, their strengths. She’s incredibly powerful, but she doesn’t go full force all the time, she’s meticulous in when and how to use that power. Try as he might, Zuko can never be like her. It just isn’t in his nature. He’s not calculating or manipulative, he’s painfully brash, passionate, and straight forward. Take season 2 episode 8, “The Chase.” While Aang is fighting with Azula and Zuko, he gets to the second story of a building via airbending that doesn’t have a floor. In pursuit of him, Azula almost falls through, but quickly realizes and deftly jumps off to the side. Shortly after, Zuko runs through with a determined yell, but doesn’t notice and crashes straight down. This, is the perfect example of them as characters and their dynamic. Azula, always on guard and calculating, Zuko, full steam ahead, all passion and bravery, no hesitation.

Not everyone’s a hero! A common misconception is that Slytherins are the bad guys while Gryffindors are the good guys. I’ve seen this argument as evidence for Zuko being a Slytherin- he wasn’t a hero for most of the story, so he can’t possibly be a Gryffindor. First of all, Zuko has never truly been evil. He’s constantly had the conflicting ideas of good and evil, i.e- Roku and Sozin, within in him; it just takes a long and difficult journey to become a hero. And again, his actions were fueled not by selfish intent, but by a need for acceptance, and that’s all he knew. By merely going through that incredibly painful journey of growth, he ultimately proves his bravery even more, and his determination. He went through all that hardship, but kept going, kept fighting, and came out a good person in the end. I want to stress this point though- not all Gryffindors are these dashing heroes, especially not straight away. Look at Colin Creevey or Neville Longbottom- both Gryffindors, and both untraditional heroes. Sure, they were never ‘evil’, but they did start off unassuming, anxious, and awkward. Many, including themselves, doubted their status as Gryffindors, but by the end of the series through their growth and hard work, ended up proving themselves as the heroes they always had been, even if they didn’t know it. Heroism comes in many different forms and from many different places.

I could probably go on, but I’m sure you get the idea. Let me know what you think! I’m very much team Zuko=Gryffindor obviously, but I’m not sure about the other characters. I’d love to hear everyone’s ideas or takes on my argument :)

[radishaur]

May I request a female reader x zuko where both the reader and zuko have burn scars on their faces and the gaang asks about it? the reader has the scar because she tried to jump in front of zuko and protect him when he faced his father but he still got scarred anyways. Then ozai decides she should face the same fate so she ends up getting burned as well? (Also can the reader be a firebender and zuko and her have been dating since childhood??) sorry if it’s a lot I’ve had this idea for a while

For sure! I hope you like the concept. I know it’s probably very different than you were expecting but I hope you like it nonetheless.

- Zoe

•••

Scars of Love (Zuko x Reader)

Warnings: Burn imagery

Genre: Fluff

Part: 1/2

Summary: See request

•••

The temple was silent as we both stared as each side stared at each other. Y/N stood slightly behind me as I introduced myself. The tension in the air was thick as I spoke.

“Hello, Zuko here,” I said, giving a small wave to the group.

I began to explain why I was here as the group held their defensive positions. Y/N stood awkwardly by my side, but I could tell she was trying her best to keep her head up high. She had always been shy around new people. Now that she no longer had her black mask, which covered her burn scar, she was even more so.

The Gaang dropped their positions slightly upon hearing my intent, but then immediately got back into position again. They only spoke once or twice to argue against what I was saying. When I finally finished, I waited eagerly for a response.

They eyed me cautiously before turning their attention to Y/N. She shuffled slightly closer to me and gave a small wave. I realized I hadn’t actually introduced her before. I smiled reassuringly at her before turning to face the others.

“This is Y/N. She’s the girl you’ve probably seen by my side when...I was tracking you. And also my girlfriend,” I said sheepishly.

The Gaang was surprised to know I had a girlfriend, but they didn’t question it. Instead, they began to question why she hadn’t spoken yet.

“Why hasn’t she said anything? Isn’t she gonna try and convince us of your change of heart?” Katara asked, her voice filled with venom.

Y/N shuffled uncomfortably before looking at me. She began signing to me and I saw the Gaang watch in shock out of the corner of my eye.

“What’s happening?” Toph asked, not understanding what was going on.

I gave Y/N a small smile as she finished and began repeating what she said to them.

“Y/N is mute. She says she’s sorry for chasing you all and that she would also like to teach you firebending,” I translated, looking at them all as they stood still in shock.

“I always wondered why she never spoke,” Sokka mumbled quietly, mostly to himself.

The Gaang looked to Aang to see what to do. Y/N grabbed onto my sleeve out of nervousness. I watched Aang as he looked at me.

“You both want to be my firebending teachers?” he asked cautiously.

“Y/N and I are some of the best firebenders in the Fire Nation. We both want to help you defeat my father,” I explained.

I saw Aang look over at the group to see what they would say. Katara and Toph were too busy watching us to notice, but Sokka gave his a small shake of his head to say no. His gaze hardened when he turned back to us and told us to go.

We obeyed and only got to join the group once we saved them from the assassin. Both Y/N and I thanked them and we began to grow closer to them as time passed. Y/N accompanied me on all of the, as the Gaang called them, life changing field trips and they all warmed up to her much quicker than me.

Technically, most of the things they endured during our chase of them was from me. Y/N was usually not the one to actually capture them and was usually only there as my support. She wasn’t the one to instigate anything, so they forgave her quicker.

She, in turn, became more comfortable around them as well. She taught them some basic signs so that they could understand her and the Gaang tried their best to understand what she was saying. Most of the time, I ended up having to translate for her but when they did happen to understand, Y/N never looked happier.

I knew it weighed on her heavily that she couldn’t speak like everyone else did. Like she used to be able to. I bore a large amount of guilt for that fact. After all, it was my own mistake that caused her to get the scar on her face and loose her ability to talk.

We never discussed it, but I knew we would have to sooner than later. The Gaang always looked at our scars when they thought we weren’t looking, not out of disgust but curiousity. My scar was not as easily hidden as Y/N’s was, but her’s was much more intense. Her’s covered the entire bottom right side of her face, from her cheekbone to her neck. It went entirely over her right ear and the corner of her lips as well. It was much bigger and noticeable than my own, which was why she usually wore her mask.

I knew the Gaang was curious as to how we had both gotten scarred, so when we were all sitting around the campfire one night getting to know each other better at the Ember Island house, I wasn’t surprised when one of them finally asked.

“So,” Sokka began, clearly nervous about approaching the topic, “How did you guys get your scars?”

Y/N clutched my hand harder and looked at me confidently. She always hated having to hear the story again, but I could tell she didn’t want to lie to them. Usually, we just lied and said we had aquired them in a training exercise. But Y/N’s expression told me that she wanted them to know the truth.

I sighed, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before turning to the group. They were all waited patiently for me to explain. Y/N squeezed my hand reassuringly and I took a deep breath. I would have to start at the beginning.

“Y/N and I have known each other since we were kids. Her father was a high ranking General in my Father’s military and her family would be at the Palace almost every day. We grew to be friends fairly quickly and were even engaged when we were only 10,” I started, bracing myself for the harder parts of the story.

“You guys were engaged at 10?” Aang asked in shock.

“Fire Nation children usually get married as soon as they’re of age, but especially when you’re a part of the Royal Family. They want to ensure that the throne will be passed down, which usually means your significant other is chosen from a young age,” I explained, looking over at Y/N before adding softly, “Very few are lucky enough to be engaged to someone they actually love.”

Y/N smiled at me and pressed a small kiss to my shoulder before encouraging me to continue. Toph was making fake gagging noises while the rest of the Gaang watched with happy smiles. I blushed slightly before continuing.

“Y/N and I had been dating for a few years before my father aquired the throne. My grandfather passed away and my Uncle, who was supposed to inherit the throne, didn’t have any kids so my father got it instead. Learning I was going to be Fire Lord someday made me want to start learning everything as soon as possible,” I continued, the feeling of dread growing in my stomach as I explained, “I begged my Uncle to let me into a war meeting when I was 13. He warned me not to speak out, but I didn’t listen. I criticized an old general’s plan and in doing so, disrespected him.”

Y/N scooted closer to me and gave my hand another supportive squeeze. I could tell she was just as nervous as I was for me to continue, but she was being strong for me. It was something I always loved about her.

“I was challenged to an Agni Kai. It’s a firebending duel that ends when someone gets burned,” I spoke, noticing them beginning to connect the dots as I continued, “I thought I would be fighting the General, but...I turned to face my opponent and saw my father instead.”

The faces of the Gaang immediately filled with horror. Y/N had tears brimming her eyes as she remembered the fateful day. She and I both remembered what had happened like it was yesterday.

“I refused to fight him. I begged for his forgiveness instead. He insisted that I get up and fight, but I didn’t. He was just about to burn me when Y/N stopped him. She jumped into the ring and stood in front of me, screaming about how what he was doing was wrong and that he wouldn’t let him hurt me,” I said, my voice cracking slightly as I finished explaining, “My father burned her for her disobedience and then burned me for my dishonorable refusal to fight. He banished both of us, only allowing us to return when I captured the Avatar.”

The group was silent as they let my words sink in. I had a small stream of guilty tears threatening to fall from my eyes and pulled Y/N close to me. I still felt so guilty about everything that had happened. I felt Y/N wipe her tears away before encouraging me to continue. I took a shaky breath before explaining the last part of the story.

“Both of the burns scarred, but Y/N’s burn was worse as added punishment. In the Fire Nation, your country comes before everything else. Feelings are seen as weak, especially those of love. Since she had put her love for me above what was “best for the nation”, she got a worse burn. When she was screaming...,” I trailed off, not trusting my voice to actually produce any sounds if I continued.

Y/N hugged me closer and then pulled away from me to face the group. She began signing and waited expectantly for me to translate. She always knew it was easier for me to translate her own words than to speak my own, especially when I was emotional.

“The fire managed to make its way into her mouth and throat. It burned her vocal chords and caused her to loose her ability to talk. She went mute as soon as the fire hit her throat,” I managed to say, my voice wavering as I spoke.

The guilt of her injuries was enough to crush me from the inside out. If I hadn’t of spoken out at the meeting, none of this would have happened to her. She could have lived a normal life. One without a scar and a disability. I would never forgive myself for it.

Y/N must have seen what I was thinking because she smacked my arm and began signing furiously. I barely had time to read what she was saying.

“Don’t blame yourself. I chose to stand up for you. I don’t regret it, even for a second,” she signed, her caring gaze empty of any signs of hate.

I smiled weakly at her before kissing her forehead once more and pulling her in for a hug. She signed I love you onto my back and I couldn’t help but laugh slightly before signing it on her back as well.

I almost forgot the group was there until I heard Aang speak.

“I knew the Fire Lord was evil, but I never thought he could do something like that,” he said quietly.

“I’m gonna kick his ass next time I see him,” Toph exclaimed, punching her own palm.

“Seriously, Aang if you don’t kill him then I will,” Sokka added, wiping a stray tear of his own.

“I guess that explains why you were so set on capturing Aang,” Suki said softly.

Y/N began to sign once more and the Gaang did their best to translate it. I could see them struggling so I just decided to translate it for them.

“She says that the reason I wanted to capture the Avatar so bad was because I felt guilty about causing her so much pain,” I said, smiling at her as she nodded to me in thanks.

“You guys are lucky. I don’t know a lot of people who love each other like you guys do,” Katara said, a small smile on her face.

“Yea. I’m the luckiest man in the world,” I whispered, my attention returning to the beautiful woman beside me.

The rest of the group escaped my consciousness as I pulled Y/N into a kiss. Her lips were soft besides a small rough patch from her scar. I didn’t mind though. I would kiss her again and again and again for the rest of my life. She truly made me feel like the luckiest man in the world.

I would love her until the end of time.

[droplet-dread-cat]

Okay, so... idk why that came to my mind but I’ll roll with it.

Also there are surely some discrepancies in timelines and such but it’s an AU and I don’t really look for accuracy here

WifeSwap!AU 

- The chief of the Southern Water Tribe is like “Oh shit, we have only like seven benders left. We can’t afford another attack of the Fire Nation” and he meets up with Fire Lord Azulon to propose a peace treaty. Only Azulon’s an asshat and he’s like “Peace and no further attacks on you? Well, you can have that, no problem, but for that we’ll need tokens. You can still have your benders but we will trade nonbending people between our two cultures... sort of a slave trade deal. You can do whatever you want with the people we send you and we can do whatever we want with those you send us. Oh! And of course, the Southern Water Tribe will raise our flag additionally to yours and, before I forget it, you’re obligated to send us Water Tribe specialities as our nobility finds them quite... interesting.”

And the chief is overwhelmed and can’t quite understand why the slave trade thing has to happen (it’s because Azulon’s eager to see if he can manipulate the genetics into his favours so that they’ll end up building a waterbending force additionally to a firebending one (which they can use as healers if they have that gift), firebenders born into the Southern Water Tribe also are sort of lifetime test subjects who show whether they can remain in such conditions or not (also if they can be trained to withstand the cold and become better benders that way) and most of his war council consists of those creepy old men who are weirdly obsessed with “exotic” features) but he has no other choice but to agree because he knows another (last) attack is on the horizon. It’s better to essentially become a Fire Nation colony than to lose all of their benders for good, he thinks.

- Fast forward a couple of years. Azulon has managed to gain forty waterbenders by mostly trading men from the Water Tribe for women from the Fire Nation. As you know men can um... make a lot more children in a short period of time than women. The Southerners aren’t really treated as people and more as concubines while the Fire Nation people in the south are treated as equals (and become enamoured with the culture - because they’ve always known only the strictness of the Fire Nation.) and they bring equality for men and women because now there are more women than men => leads to a fighting force consisting of men and women.

- One day Ozai really pisses off his father. It’s a minor thing, really, but it leads to his fiancé getting shipped off to the Southern Water Tribe and he gets the most fierce nonbending warrior woman of the Water Tribe as his wife instead - Kya. She is straight up able to make him eat dirt and refuses to be treated as a slave. Hakoda gets Ursa - this meek, shy girl who refuses to raise her voice or look him in the eyes. There’s a whole subplot for Hakoda and Ursa slowly getting together while Kya dominates the shit out of Ozai because she wants kids and has no hope of ever returning to Hakoda (her true love). She sort of takes over the Fire Nation after Azulon’s... unfortunate death.

=> Kya and Ozai’s children are Zuko and Katara while Ursa and Hakoda’s are Sokka and Azula (who Ursa names after the man who essentially set her free)

- just. think. of. the. implications. 

- Zuko is allowed to be a soft boi and because Kya all but overtakes the government, there’s never an Agni Kai between Ozai and Zuko. Also Ozai’s forced to love his children. Kya won’t take a no.

- Kya loves her two children equally. She doesn’t mind that Zuko’s a firebender. It’s just the way things are.

- When Ozai foolishly asks his father if he can have the throne after Prince Lu Ten’s death and Azulon asks for Zuko to die Kya fucking explodes and stealthily poisons the Fire Lord but with such a slow acting poison that nobody can trace it. => Ozai’s like “DAmn wife, poisoning my dad?? Kinda hot ngl...” 

- So, like, Ozai’s more and more showing his human side because Kya just yeets the throne out of his hand (”No, someone unstable like you is not going to reign a freaking country, what the hell? Gimme those documents, husband.”) and after being manhandled into caring for his kids he has those little moments in which he shows that he can, in fact, love but it’s burrowed under layers upon layers of jealousy, hatred, anger and manipulative demeanour. Kya’s not one to turn down a challenge, though.

=> so. many. trips. to. ember island.

- Katara’s a fierce thing. She loves her brother, feels conflicted on her country and gives like a speech a day to the personnel who cowered under Azulon. Her waterbending is treated as something desirable by Ozai who, in turn, makes sure she gets teachers but he’ll also imitate Iroh (only this once, of course, and he’d never say he saw a merit in an idea his brother of all people had) by also teaching her firebending forms. Katara’s so dangerous but she’s still herself. In this AU, her healing abilities come when Zuko falls from a roof and breaks his leg.

- Ursa and Hakoda take things slowly. Initially, there’s a major heartbreak on Hakoda’s side, of course, because he really loved Kya wholeheartedly but slowly (and I’m talking real slow - like slow burn times 3) he starts warming up to Ursa who doesn’t know how to act in this new society she’s been thrown into. Hakoda shows her how to fight... ugh, that’s so cute I CAN’T and then she someday is gifted a bethrotal necklace but it’s dark red and omg utreghuigheguhenffberfievbhue

- Sokka and Azula are siblings. This is interesting on different levels because for one, Sokka’s a nonbender. Meaning that he only can impress with his boomerang and intelligence while his little sister’s a goddamn firebending prodigy who can?? Shoot lightning??? Wtf???

- Hakoda is Best Dad and instantly sees Azula’s unhealthy desire of perfectionism early on and sends her to the tribe’s psychiatrist. She still has anger outbursts but she is a lot more stable than in canon. Also, she’s obsessed with Sokka learning new fighting styles. She won’t stop arguing about the merits of him learning the sword or him learning the bow or him learning the art of chi blocking or him learning... basically, it’s Azula’s form of care but it annoys Sokka to no end (even though he loves his little sister too, obviously).

- There is not an ounce of sexism in Sokka because... um... have you seen his sister?!

- So, one day, there’s a letter from the Fire Nation. To Hakoda. Saying “Hey, what’s up, my old fiancé? I took over the Fire Nation - how about we meet up some time for a renewed peace treaty and to show off our kids?” And Hakoda’s like “Omg, Kya. What the hell?” but he grins the whole time and is so glad that his almost-wife is thriving. He wouldn’t have thought she’d give in easily but to hear the good news lifts a rock off his heart. Ursa’s a little bit hesitant but Hakoda tells her that she’s his wife now and a meeting between the two couples won’t change that.

- They all meet up when Sokka & Zuko are 14 and Katara & Azula 12-ish; surprisingly, it goes super well? Oh, well... apart from the fact that Katara and Azula begin arguing like crazy when they’re on Southern Water Tribe territory and accidentally free the Avatar.

- So now they have the Avatar.

- But Aang’s kinda not needed all that much because Ozai sure as hell won’t do anything to capture him - not when Kya’s been stopping a war that he slowly begins to see was totally f-ed up

- Aang grows up with Katara, Sokka, Zuko and Azula at his side. They then later on stumble upon a lemur, a Kyoshi warrior and Toph during one of their trips (which they can do only when they’re at least 14 because Kya isn’t going to let her kids roam around when they barely hit puberty yet.)

- Sozin’s Comet comes and goes. Ozai guesses he could have technically taken out the Earth Kingdom but who the hell does that kinda stuff? He’s not a villain in some theatrical play or something.

- The war ends for sure when Ozai finally gives in and signs the peace treaty between the different remaining nations (and Aang as the last airbender). It’s not like everything’s alright now that they’re not attacking but it’s a lot better than before. 

[latraviesascott]

What kind of dreams (or nightmares) do you think the Avatar characters have? Obviously Aang's got some wild ones and Sokka dreams about food eating people xD but what do you think The rest of the gaang and the Fire Nation kids dream about?

Okay so this is just my opinion but, even if Aang's dreams and nightmares in Season 3 were funny, they all came from the fear of failing that Aang had. So if the dreams/nightmares are influenced by the character's feelings/ insecurities then this is what i imagine each of them would dream about:

Katara- even though the fandom jokes about it a lot, she does mention/talk a lot about her mom in the series, and that is completely understandable considering the fact that she's dealing with that trauma since she was a kid. The North and South comics begin with Katara dreaming of her mom back in the SWT, and the dream was both happy and sad for her. She even woke up feeling nostalgic. Therefore i feel like Katara's more significant dreams consist of memories of her mom , and the good times she had in the water tribe before the Fire Nation altered that forever. Her nightmares could be heavily influenced by the amount of stress she has with being the "mom" of the group. She truly does act motherly with her friends, but it's all because she cares and she's has been doing so with Sokka since she was a kid. The idea of not being able to protect them probably haunts her dreams..

Sokka- i sometimes feel so bad for Sokka. Many people often overlook the fact that he was also a child personally affected by the war. In Season 1 we see that he feels this big responsibility to protect his tribe. After all, he is the oldest "man" left. That's a huge responsibility! He also has this need to prove himself as a warrior to Hakoda. Not only that, in the episode "Sokka's Master" we see that he also has this issue with being a non-bender in a group of powerful benders. This doesn't come from him being selfish, but he feels bad when he sees that he can't help people as much as the rest of the gaang does. So if you add that to his usual easy going, fun personality his dreams could honestly range from silly things like him being eaten by food, and him being awesome with Suki, to more serious nightmares that involve him not being/doing enough to protect those that depend on him.

Toph- out of all of the Ember Island players i feel like Toph's representation is most accurate 😭 that kid is tough as nails. The many statues she makes of herself in both Imbalance and later on in Legend of Korra make me think her dreams mostly consist of her being awesome in super badass scenarios! Or her being MELONLORD!!! Her nightmares however are the complete opposite. In "The Blind Bandit" she says she hasn't had a single friend in the 12 years of her life! like omgg bby let me give you a hug!!! And I thought it was super interesting how vulnerable she looks in the episode "The Avatar and the Firelord" when she asks if its truly possible for friendships to last more than one lifetime. She found more than friendships, she found a family with the gaang. In The Rift, her own father denied knowing her, which proves that family is not defined by blood ties. So letting go/ losing those friendships is a concept that seems to scare her. I feel like this is something she might have nightmares about.

Suki- because Suki is part of the gaang!!! She does have her own group with the Kyoshi warriors, not trying to erase that, but i consider her to be a part of the gaang too! With that being said we really do not know much about this queen, and i am so glad that she's getting her own comic! Hopefully we learn more about her! But from what we know, she began training since she was 8 years old! She is a brave warrior and a great friend. I feel like she takes her job as a Kyoshi warrior super seriously and is honored to be their fearless leader. I imagine that her happy dreams consist of her meeting Kyoshi herself. As for her nightmares, we do not get a lot of her (unfortunately) to really perceive her fears, but if Azula's taunting in "The Day of Black Sun Pt.2" are true, then Suki has been waiting on Sokka to rescue her for some time now. Seeing that time passed must have been hard for her. Her nightmares might have been influenced by her feeling abandoned, or her worry about the other Kyoshi warriors. (Also i love Azula, but Suki probably also dreamed of dragging Azula's big head on the ground.)

Zuko- omggg where do i even begin with this boy?! I feel like the Fire Nation teens are just so angsty! But when one's father burns off half of your face then that's the way it is igs. So I feel like the show was pretty in detail when it came to Zuko's character and his personality. Throughout the show, we see how he sometimes gets this flashbacks whenever he's feeling a specific way or when he's reminded of something. This was seen most in "The Beach". Despite being this angsty, emotional guy he is always remembering his early childhood very fondly despite being part of the most dysfunctional family in the Fire Nation. During his fever, we see his nightmares being this representation of the constant fight between good and evil inside him. Therefore i think this is what Zuko most likely sees when he has nightmares. (It is quite interesting how the "evil" blue dragon in his nightmare seems to represent Azula and the "good" red dragon is Iroh. That kind of made me wonder why Zuko seemed to associate the evil aspect with Azula rather than Ozai🤔). But back to the point. If the flashbacks he has are any indication, then his dreams most likely involve the good times he had with his mother and family during their vacations on ember island. (And because of his trauma, he might also relive the Agni Kai with Ozai in his nightmares.)

Azula- i could write essays on this girl. Her character is just so complex! And literally nothing in this world is gonna convince me that she didn't deserve better. Im gonna try to keep it as short as possible with her because quite honestly i could go on forever. But im having a hard time figuring out what a happy dream might be for Azula. Conquering Ba Sing Se?? Mastering Firebending at a young age?? Oh right she did do that! She wasn't like Zuko, in the way that she could look back on the past and remember it fondly. Quite the opposite actually, she refers to their beach house as "depressing". Then, later on in the bonfire, she treats everyone's emotions and confessions as a "performance". It's quite interesting to think that truly the only one who was trying to perform was her. Everyone else was very honest and open with their insecurities even if they didn't realize it. The fact that she thinks showing emotion is a performance of some sort makes it clear that everything she does is a perfectly put-together performance. Her nightmares could consist that facade falling apart, and her status as the perfect daughter being reduced to nothing along with her many achievements. The difference with Azula is that just as she became everything she dreamed of, she also ended up being everything her nightmares doomed her to be. ( I also have this hc that she dreamt of having a cat with ty lee and just living together at Ember Island after she got help and just lived their happy gay life of wtvvvv)

omggg this post is gonna be super long, but i had so much fun answering this! thank you for that! it was a nice surprise 🥰 i can do ty lee and mai later if you'd like just lmk! im just giving my thumbs a lil rest rn. hope this sorta answered the question😌

[withered-tears]

I've had a pretty shitty case of the writer's block lately, so I've decided to at least properly organize my WIPs and my completed works.

So here they are:

Completed one shots:

Warm thoughts. Original work, based on/inspired by the tumblr post "candles are how we keep fire as pets" 628 words.

Sword bound. Original work, rpg fantasy inspired. 2114 words.

The Mute King. The legend of zelda AU, Link remembers his past lives. 1000 words.

Not yet completed multi-chapters:

It's the will of the fire. Avatar the last Airbender AU, Agni manifest during Ozai and Zuko's Agni Kai, and he's pissed. 3383 words so far. Chapters 3/?

The Boogeyman and the tin soldiers. Rise of the guardians x Five nights at Freddy's crossover, Pitch Black stumbles across the animatronics. 12.256 words so far. Chapters 8/?

Tanzanite, accidental free will. Steven Universe, OC-Sona centric, with some minor interaction of canon characters, a gem scout ends up stranded in an uninhabited planet and develops a sense of self. 32.342 words so far. Chapters 20/?

Not yet published WIPs:

Untitled Batman angst-hurt/comfort one shot, the Joker finally did it, he pushed Bats too far.

Untitled Justice League friendship/found family fic, the League gets a scary reminder that Batman is in fact, quite human, and become slightly over protective of him.

Untitled My hero academia friendship/humor/wholesome fic, the Deku protection squad gains a lot new members, that happen to be villains, no one is quite certain how this happened.

Untitled (look, I suck at tittles ok?? I avoid them until the last minute nfafjsk) Transformers x Portal crossover, on Megatron's orders, Soundwave investigates an intriguing piece of human technology, and ends up connecting to Aperture, both him and GLaDOS find this interesting.

Untitled Avengers x Bionicle crossover, the Kanohi Ignika, the mask of life, makes it way to earth, and the Iron man suit reacts quite strongly to it, or more accurately, Jarvis does.

Untitled Silent Hill, Silent Hill inspired x My little Pony fic, that I started literally years ago but never finished it.

And a few more that are mostly just vague ideas, I'll add them later if I ever expand on them.

[stardust948]

Crashing Waves

Zutara Drabble December 2020 Day 19 

@zkdrabbledecember 

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28160901 

Summary:  Zuko can’t go onto the beach during the day anymore because of his burn. Katara notices. They go for a midnight swim instead. 

Inspired by @sokkastyles post  

Katara has always been an observant person. She could easily pick up on other's emotions and whether they were comfortable or not. It was simply a part of her empathic nature.

After the Last Agni Kai, she paid close attention to Zuko. Mainly because she was his healer and she owed him her life. Also, because he was more stubborn than a goat-donkey. It was infuriating to get a straight answer from him about his pain, so Katara had to play most of it by ear.

A couple of months after the war ended, the Gaang finally convinced Zuko to take a break and go to Ember Island with them. And by convince, they canceled all his Firelord meetings and practically kidnapped him. Nonetheless, Zuko loosen up and started enjoying himself. Or at least he seemed to be.

Katara noticed Zuko mostly stayed in the beach house watching them from the porch. When he did come down to the beach, it was at night or hunkered down under an umbrella. It was strange behavior for a firebender, especially one who's only good memories of his family were at the beach. Katara worried if being on Ember Island unsettled Zuko, now that he didn't have to spend all his time training Aang. Did they make a mistake to bring Zuko here in the first place? Early on the last day, Katara finally decided to confront him about the matter.

"Zuko, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Zuko paused from stirring tea and turned to face her, giving her his full attention. "What is it, Katara?"

"You've talked about how many good memories Ember Island holds for you but you've barely been to the beach all throughout this trip. I was wondering, well since this is the first time you're back after everything that's happened..." Katara paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to word it.

"What are you asking?"

Katara leaned over and grabbed his hand. "Are you alright?"

Zuko looked surprised, eyes shining with heavy emotion. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them with a weary smile.

"I'm getting there. It was being here at first, but you and the others fill the place with so much light and life, it feels like home again."

Katara breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad it's getting better."

"Yeah. I just wish I could join you on the beach. I miss being out there."

"Don't push yourself. Wait until things are better."

"That's just it. This is the one thing that won't get better." Zuko said somberly as he touched his scar. Katara's heart dropped as she remembered her fleeting attempt to heal it in Ba Sing Se a lifetime ago. "The burn makes my skin sensitive to the sun. I can push through it during training, but its kind of makes it hard to relax." It was ironic on more than one level.

Katara threw her arms around Zuko and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Zuko."

"It's okay." he whispered as he hugged her back.

"No, it's not! This is your vacation! You deserve to enjoy it. What do you miss most?"

Zuko was silent for a moment as his mind drifted back. One of his favorite memories was of Lu Ten teaching him how to him then him trying to teach Azula. They both accidently went out too far and Lu Ten had to drag them back on a piece of driftwood.

"Swimming."

"Then that settles it." Katara broke away from the hug and looked Zuko square in the face. "Tonight, we're going on a midnight swim."

~*~

Zuko did not know what he expected. He had snuck out in the dead of night more than he would care to admit, but this time felt different.

This time he was not searching for food to survive, or breaking into a fortress, or even trying to avoid anyone who would maim on sight.

This time was for the pure joy of it.

Zuko and Katara waited until the others were asleep then silently crept out. It was a starry night and the strong ocean breeze made the atmosphere feel electric. Katara suddenly broke out into a sprint, urging Zuko to follow her. He raced her to the water’s edge, neither slowing down as they crashed into the icy waters. Zuko and Katara swam until the beach house was just a distance speck. The stars reflected off the ocean, making it hard to tell where the sky ended and ocean began.

“This is incredible!” Katara beamed as she floated on her back.

Zuko watched her flourish in her element. Sometimes he finds it hard to believe it was the same girl who accidently froze her brother instead of the soldiers on his warship so long ago.

“Yeah, it is.”

Zuko inhaled deeply then exhaled a small jet of fire, warming his insides.

“What was that?”

“Breath of Fire, a trick Uncle taught me to keep my temperature up in the cold. It’s how I survived the Cooler on the Boiling Rock.”

“Huh. I thought Sokka made that up.” Katara said mostly to herself.

Zuko laughed and Katara splashed him.

“I’m serious! You know how he exaggerates when he tells stories!”

Zuko splashed her back playfully. He soon learned the hard way not to challenge waterbenders to a splash war at night.

“You just love fighting people in their natural elements, don’t you?”

“How was I suppose to know snow is made of water?!”

Katara bended a handful of water into snow then threw it at his face.

“I know that now ‘Tara!” Zuko laughed as he brushed the snow off.

“You seriously didn’t earlier?” she asked smiling.

Zuko simply shrugged as he swam in circles around her. He paused and looked at the horizon.

“It’ll be morning soon. We better start swimming back if we want to make it to the house before the others wake up.”

“Leave it to me!”

Katara bended a flat piece of ice and hopped on. Zuko got on in front of her and held on to the edges as Katara summoned a large wave to carry them back to shore.

“Hurry we’re gonna be late!” The sky was already starting to lighten up.

Zuko grabbed a still laughing Katara’s hand as they raced back to the beach house.

[living-on-kyoshi]

reunited

anon: hi! i hope you're doing well! can i request a mai x f!reader where the reader is her childhood friend but ends up being part of the gaang, and during the last agni kai the reader get hits by azula's lightning and mai nurses the reader back to health? thank you!

pairings: mai x f!reader

warnings: reader has a wound but that’s all, mostly just sweet ol’ fluff and friendship hehe

a/n: tysm anon for this request! i’ve never written mai before so i hope i did her justice! she’s such an underrated character and this request was so nice because i headcanon her to be extremely gentle and caring. like i’d imagine no mattter how odd or painful the injury she’d know exactly how to take care of you and what to do without making you feel pain. so yeah haha i hope you enjoy reading this!

Y/N groaned as she opened her eyes and regained consciousness. Where am I? What happened? She looked around and observed her surroundings. The large room was ordained with traditional Fire Nation decorations and had ornate furniture. I’m at the palace? She rubbed her head as she began to sit up. She winced and held her stomach, suddenly remembering the lightning she took to it.

“No lightning today? What’s the matter? Afraid I’ll redirect it?!” Zuko shouted to Azula. 

“Oh, I’ll show you lightning!” Azula shouted back as she began to form lightning between her fingertips. Thunder clapped in the sky as Zuko prepared himself for the attack. Y/N and Katara stood back on each side of him, watching the showdown between the siblings. Blue lightning glowed from Azula as she began to fire her lightning. Azula eyed Y/N, Katara and Zuko, then shot the bolt, aiming for Y/N. Zuko began to run to take the attack, jumping in between the lightning and Y/N. Y/N froze as the electricity headed towards her, her life flashing before her eyes. 

Despite growing up in the Fire Nation, Y/N hated it and the war. Her father was a high ranking official in the Fire Nation army, so she held a high status throughout the nation. To her, the only good thing that came from this was her friendship with Mai. They met through their parents and instantly clicked. Through Mai, Y/N met Azula, Ty Lee, and Zuko. Mai and Y/N understood what it was like to be shut down simply to maintain the status of their families. When Mai’s father was sent to Omashu due to Fire Lord Ozai’s orders, Y/N saw this as an opportunity to leave the Fire Nation for good. With her best friend no longer there, Y/N felt like nothing was there for her at the Fire Nation. So she ran off to Ba Sing Sei, where she met Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph. Joining them gave her a sense of purpose in her life, something she felt she lost when Mai had to leave the Fire Nation Capital.

And now she was back at the Fire Nation Palace, watching two of her childhood friends battle against each other. All she wanted was to see Mai again one last time.

Zuko watched the lightning barely pass him, following it with his eyes as it headed directly to Y/N. The lightning hit straight in Y/N’s stomach, causing her to fall back. She shouted in pain as the lightning surged through her. She fell on her back, fading in and out of consciousness. Zuko and Katara ran over to her. Zuko knelt next to her, propping her head up.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry. Please stay with us, you’re gonna be okay.” Zuko cried in frustration and sadness. He pulled Y/N’s head into his chest, watching Katara fight his sister. Y/N groaned and pulled herself back, keeping her head in Zuko’s hands.

“Just please take care of Mai,” Y/N said, her voice shaky. Zuko was like an older brother to Y/N, and she saw how much he had changed since his banishment. She knew how much Mai loved Zuko, and Y/N trusted Zuko. With that, Y/N’s eyes shut. The last thing she saw was Zuko, begging her to remain conscious. 

Y/N looked down at the wound on her stomach. It was bandaged up now, but the bandages looked old since her scar was peeking through the folds of her wrapping. She traced her fingers over it, opening the bandaids to reveal the giant scar.

“I don’t think you should be doing that,” a voice said. Y/N instantly recognized the voice, looking up at the doorway in relief. Mai leaned against the frame of the door, smiling. Y/N relaxed at the sight of her best friend, almost forgetting the pain in her stomach. 

“Mai!” Y/N replied as she tried to get up to greet Mai. Wincing at the pain, she held her stomach as Mai came over and sat at the end of the bed to help her sit properly. Mai adjusted the pillows behind Y/N, guiding her to lean back comfortably. Y/N embraced her, Mai returning the hug. She pulled back to observe the wound.

“She hurt you pretty badly, didn’t she?” Mai said, sighing at her friend’s injury. Mai traced her fingers lightly over the bandages, careful not to put any pressure. Y/N shrugged her shoulders. 

“You know Azula,” Y/N replied, pressing her lips together. Mai got up and brought the aid kit from the dresser and sat at the bed. She began removing the old bandaging. The two sat together in a comfortable silence. Y/N had so much she wanted to say to Mai, it had been so long since the two had seen each other. But in that moment, she just wanted to revel in the company of being with her best friend.

“Do you know what’s going to happen to her?” Y/N asked quietly as Mai finished removing the old bandage. Regardless of all the pain Azula had caused Mai and Y/N, there was somehow still a smidge of concern for what would happen to her. Mai shook her head in response, looking up at Y/N.

“It doesn’t matter right now, I’m just glad you’re okay.” Mai replied, “I thought I’d never see you again. I missed you.” Y/N smiled at Mai.

“I missed you too, Mai.” Y/N said, resting her hand on Mai’s. They both looked down at the wound on Y/N’s stomach. “It looks a lot better than I thought.” 

“Katara used her water bending to heal it as much as she could, but it’s still going to leave a scar.” Mai replied as she began applying cream to it. “She said this cream would help too.” Mai continued to apply the cream, keeping her movements as gentle as she could. Once she finished, she began wrapping a new bandage on the wound.

“Thank you, Mai.” Y/N said, as she hugged her again this time tighter. Mai was caught off guard, but still returned the hug. 

“Of course, Y/N.” Mai replied as they broke the hug. Mai smiled at Y/N. “I’m just glad to be reunited with my best friend.”

“Me too.” Y/N said. She sighed in relief and joy, the war had finally ended and she had her best friend back. 

thank you for reading!

[tsukikoayanosuke]

Behind the Fic: TW:OPT - Chapter 130 & 131

Two-part overblot battle! i   s u r v i v e d !

WARNING: This will contain a bit of spoiler for the newest chapters of my fanfiction, Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure.

Apply for both chapters:

Let's start from the beginning. These chapters' title are from the 2019 version of Arabian Night.

Originally this supposed to be one long chapter. However, my brain can't handle writing more than 2k battle scene.

Regarding the rescue squad's scenes (ADeuce arrival at the port and Crowley at the NRC main street). I originally want to give more scene of them, with ADeuce travelling with Crowley. But I haven't find a good way for the methods. The first idea is to have them travel through the sea (which was reference in Chapter 130) during a storm, which is why ADeuce arrived first before Crowley. The second idea is to have them travel through a secret way which connect to the Diasomnia dorm which was used by Diasomnia Squad for quick escape (and a short explanation of how Lilia could go back to NRC quickly to give the letter from Malleus to MC).

This overblot battle, not only long, but maybe the as bloody, or even more than Savanaclaw final battle. I mean... So many people got hurt in this battle.

All of the battle here is inspired from Avatar the Last Airbender, mostly versus Azula

Also, dude-in-distress Jonah, because I'm a sucker for that mc whumping and being vulnerable. As if he's not suffering enough in this two recent arc XD

Chapter 130: The Power Your Wishing Commands!

Okay. Writing Jamil-Jonah dialogue was both fun and hard. Jonah's speech in particular. How do you make a dialogue that doesn't sound out of place but make sense at the same time. I know what the speech will be about, and yet to make Jamil's dialog to connect them is the challenge.

Kalim challenging Jamil is actually happen in canon, but they never really do the actual duel, which is slightly disappointing. Thus, the duel is created.

The duel can also be a nice callback to the duel way back in Heartslabyul Arc.

The Kalim vs Jamil is inspired by Zuko vs Azul final agni kai. You can see some references in the dialogues.

Okay. There's actually a bit of a problem in the positioning. I have to admit it was slightly awkward with Jonah being held by the genie shadow while the others battle in the courtyard

I had a thought that the battle should happen on the lounge so Jonah's fall would be easier. But that would make it risky with the tight space.

'Extra Large Tempest' is a callback to the thing Ace did back in the prologue.

Chapter 131: Well, Your Destiny Lies in Your Hands!

The summary is supposed to be in the combined chapter idea, but it was moved to the second half

The Crowley scene is one of the reason why I had to cut this chapter in half. Crowley scene is way better in the beginning of the chapter. But if I put it in the previous chapter, it will destroy the pacing even just slightly and everyone will wonder what take Crowley so long if he arrived before the duel.

The battle of Ramshackle + Octavinelle + Heartslabyul Brain Cell vs Jamil is inspired by Aang and Zuko vs Azula

I don't know how gravity works, so Ace's power might be confusing.

Again, this battle has a large cast, so there might be some who doesn't get many screen times (I am so sorry Leech Twins)

Now. As you know, I really want to make a JonAzul falling scene, which is why the fountain-platform is made. They need to be on the higher ground

JonAzul fall scene go brrr

Okay. The actual idea for the fall scene, related to how the battle might should've happen in the lounge, wasn't supposed to be this bloody. Originally Jonah would be pushed down off the balcony and Azul ran after him. There would be another drowning scene. Whoever, all those changed when I made that fountain and bird cage, so Jamil needed that much power to break metal. Which is why the idea drowning scene was scrapped because Jonah was already half dead.

Crowley is canonically a keyblade weilder in this fic!

Crowley vs Jamil is inspired by Aang vs Azula on the drill

Once again, Jamil's dialogues are hard to write. Sorry if it sounds awkward.

Originally, I want Crowley to deal with the final blow, but after a second thought, it was changed to Kalim because I just feel it's way more fitting

JonAzul crying scene go brrr

[aristotles-denial]

character glossary pt 1

glossary of characters for my atla fic  is it my fault the fallen embers burn to help clarify things (and so i can keep my own facts straight)

pt 1: canon characters (especially their changes/additions to canon). pt 2: my ocs

“sob story” means their backstory lmao

all of this is as of chapter 7 - skills will develop throughout the fic, the description of zuko’s scar is Not there yet, and azula & zuko grow throughout (chai son grows a bit too)

warning: spoilers ahead!! go read my fic first!!

Azula

general description:

3 years younger than zuko, born ~2 months later in year than him

9 yr.s old by time of Agni Kai;  she turns 10 in chap. 7

she & Zuko have the same eye color & shape as Ursa

straight black hair (she gets that from Ozai)

scattered freckles! mostly on her face & neck, she doesn’t have a ton

an actual baby.  shortest of everyone on the Kage (for now at least), average height of 10 yr. old girl (~4’7”)

has yet to wear makeup

generally looks more like Ursa than Ozai

skills/jobs:

mastered blue fire by the time she was 8

hasn’t bent lightning… yet…

has Mai’s dagger but has yet to figure out what to do w/ it

Certified Genius

being a lil shit

sob story wheeeeeee:

forced to watch Ozai abuse Zuko

on Top of that^^, that abuse was threatened against her

Ozai hit her one (1) time  (Zuko put a stop to that)

though their relationship is a bit better in canon (or maybe not? idk haven’t thought deeply abt. it yet), Ursa still neglected her & favored Zuko

believed there was a chance Ursa was still alive (mostly so she didn’t have to face fact that she never got to say goodbye to Ursa)

had to watch Zuko burn during the Agni Kai  (she put out the fire)

general pressure & shittiness from Ozai (slightly lesser extent than in-canon though b/c she’s younger & loves Zuko more than Ozai)

Iroh

general description:

same appearance as in the show

2nd shortest   (once Azula has grown more, he’s the shortest)

kinda yucky toward women

skills/jobs:

firebending

ignoring when Zuko & Azula show signs of trauma & abuse

tea making

sob story wheeeeeee:

Lu Ten was practically butchered in Ba Sing Se (his arm was cut off & he was gutted)

not only is it sad that his son died, but Iroh had to see him on his deathbed

saw Zuko be burned in the Agni Kai

Jee

general description:

it’s accepted by everyone that he’s 2nd tallest, but he & Chai Son are actually the same height (~6’-6’1”)

same appearance as show

at any given point in time if you take a look at what is going on in his mind it’s just the sentence “i hate it here” on repeat

skills/jobs:

firebending

lieutenant

master tactician

loyalty (even if he hates it)

sob story wheeeeeee:

bet against the Fire Nation b/c he was like what we’re doing sucks -> that was seen as treason

after being discharged (??) or whatever, came home to his house burning down w/ his wife & 3 kids inside

admitted to himself that going along w/ the system is the only way b/c if he spoke out against war, ppl. he cared abt. would get hurt

that’s why he’s like Ultra Patriotic & jumped at the opportunity to serve his country again to try to make things right -> was put on the Kage and immediately regrets it lmao

he misses his family :(

Zuko

general description:

3 years older than Azula, born ~2 months earlier in year than her

turned 13 about a month prior to the Agni Kai

doesn’t have to shave his head after Agni Kai (yaaaaaayyyy full phoenixtail)

his hair curls a bit in the humidity (he gets that from Ursa)

he & Azula have the same eye color & shape as Ursa

scattered freckles! his are all over his body, no concentrated in one area

4th shortest on the Kage @ first (he keeps growing); starts off as only slightly shorter than Mikazuki, average height of 13 yr. old boy (~5’2”)

generally looks more like Ozai than Ursa

as of chap 7, still has bandages on his left arm, hand, & shoulder, and left sides of his face, neck, & torso

yes he’s like 5’3” by the time he’s 16 in canon but i Don't Care. he grows to be like 5’10”   (that height comes from Ursa’s side (Roku was like 6’7”); Ozai was an anomaly b/c the rest of his family (Sozin, Iroh) is short)

skills/jobs:

dragon’s fire (aka golden flames, but he has yet to get all those colors (pssst he’s gay))

shadow-bending

heat sense

Yes these^^ are all cool as hell but he’s still not as technically great of a bender as Azula

trained w/ dao swords

making me cry

sob story wheeeeeee:

yknow, the usual (Ozai trying to kill him when he was born, the Agni Kai, etc) PLUS:

saw Azulon’s dead body, saw Ozai stab Ursa, watched Ursa die

abused verbally & physically by Ozai (this heightened after Ursa died)

i literally can’t keep track of my own fic there’s Probably more