#not crying after aang saying if he and zuko would have been friends.....

[hauntingblue]

One thing I am going to keep about this atla live action is more iroh and zuko scenes but it's sad that's probably the only thing I will keep

[melzula]

Ok hear me out. Reader and Zuko go on a run for supplies .Reader makes a mistakes and almost gets seriously hurt/ near death experience. Zuko gets pissed at reader, maybe yells at her. Reader laughs it off and acts like she doesn’t gaf. Zuko later finds reader all shaken up and crying by herself. Love if you don’t, love if you do!

a/n: ty for requesting and hope you enjoy anon !

summary: zuko apologizes and receives something in return

What was meant to be a simple trip into town for supplies had quickly turned into a disaster, and Zuko believed it was your recklessness to blame.

You’d been too preoccupied in admiring a local merchant’s vast collection of sea shells to notice the Fire Nation soldier creeping up behind you, and if not for Zuko shoving you out of the way to take on the man himself you surely would have been burnt alive. Your failure to stay aware of your surroundings and lackadaisical attitude had almost gotten you killed, and the Prince made sure to point this out to you afterward.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” He scolds you after dragging you out of the marketplace by the arm and back towards camp.

“I was looking at shells, actually, before you so rudely interrupted,” you correct with an impatient roll of your eyes, but the act only seems to annoy him further.

“This isn’t a game, y/n! We didn’t come here to mess around, we came to quickly get more food and go, and we couldn’t even do that because you were too busy looking at stupid shells to notice your surroundings! You could have been hurt or worse!”

“Relax, ‘your highness,’” you dismiss him defensively, harshly yanking your arm away from his grasp. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not dead. I’m fine. You need to stop overreacting and leave me alone!”

Zuko watches with a scowl as you stomp away from him and towards your tent, ignoring the quizzical looks your friends send your way as you shut the flaps closed.

“What’s her problem?” Toph asks with a raised brow from her spot beside the campfire.

“What did you do?” Katara snaps at the boy with an accusatory glare.

“I didn’t do anything!” Zuko exclaims defensively. “As a matter of fact, I just saved her life and now she’s mad at me!”

“Saved her life? What happened out there?” Aang questions with a worried frown. “Was anyone hurt?”

“A Fire Nation soldier snuck up on her while she was distracted and was about to strike before I pushed y/n out of the way and fought him myself.”

“So… what you’re saying is you guys didn’t get any food?” Sokka notes dejectedly only to receive a scolding smack upside the head from his sister.

“If you saved her life, then why is she so upset?”

“I may have been a bit harsh with her after,” Zuko admits reluctantly, awkwardly grasping at the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to snap at her, but I was just frustrated that she wasn’t taking her own safety seriously.”

“Look, that’s just how y/n is sometimes. She’s too trusting of her surroundings sometimes, but you have to gently remind her to be careful,” Sokka explains to his friend. “Maybe if you hadn’t yelled at her she would have taken you seriously.”

“Just give her some time to cool off and apologize later,” Katara advises the fire bender. “She just needs her space.”

Frustrated, Zuko lets out a long sigh before ultimately relenting. Katara is right. He just needs to give you some space to process before bothering you again.

By nightfall the moon has risen in the sky and the rest of your group has called it a day, retreating to their tents to sleep and rest for whatever tomorrow may bring. You still haven’t set foot out of yours since Zuko yelled at you, and the Prince has spent the better half of his day groveling outside waiting for you to emerge. He’s beginning to grow impatient, but he’s also extremely worried. You missed dinner, and no one has been able to get you to come out.

Deciding enough is enough, Zuko takes it upon himself to barge into your tent and check on you. Better you be mad at him for invading your space without permission than for something to be wrong with you without anyone knowing.

When he enters your tent the last thing he expects to find is your figure curled up in your sleeping bag crying. Your body trembles under the blankets and your quiet sniffles are the only sound in the space. If you notice his presence you don’t acknowledge it, and Zuko hesitates before carefully sitting himself beside you.

“Y/n?” He calls out softly, gently pulling the covers back to get a look at your face. Water marks line across your cheeks from tears that had managed to dry off your skin, and it takes you a moment to finally meet his gaze.

“I’m sorry for making you mad,” you whisper meekly, voice cracking with effort after hours of minimal use.

“No, you don’t have to apologize. I should be apologizing for how I acted,” he assures you sincerely, carefully wiping away your remaining tears. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I was just worried about your safety- I’m not sure what I would have done if something bad had happened to you.”

“You really mean that?” You sniffle, looking up at him with doubt clear in your eyes.

“Of course I do. I know it probably didn’t seem that way when I was yelling at you, but I’ve come to care a lot for you, and I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

“I didn’t know…” you murmur quietly as you carefully sit up from your sleeping bag to reach eye level with the Prince. “I always figured you just saw me as some annoying girl you had to babysit.”

“Well, maybe at first,” he admits with a sheepish chuckle only to immediately stop when he catches your unamused glare, “but now I look forward to being sent to the market with you. I enjoy your company even if it means having to be more vigilant of our surroundings on your behalf. Can you just promise me that next time you’ll be a little more careful?”

“I promise,” you nod earnestly and, much to Zuko’s surprise, pull him in for a tight hug. He stiffens at first, unsure how to react to the close contact, but eventually he’s able to allow himself a chance to enjoy your warmth and reciprocate your embrace.

Only you could have the grumpy Prince wrapped so tightly around your finger.

| zuko tags: @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @taeeemin @livelaughlovekuni @lovialy

[abilouwrites]

Hihi I was hoping I could request enemies to lovers Zuko x fem!reader?

The reader is a traitor to the fire nation and can bend fire (also a street peformer before she joined the gaang? 👀) 💕💕

Omg getting a request just made my day I love these!!!

I hope you like it 🫶🫶🫶

YOURE STILL A TRAITOR

Id like to say that my life is good, that I’m happy where I am but I’m not. I’m upset and frustrated; but most of all I’m living on the street, preforming stupid acrobatic tricks just to feed myself. I’ve left everything behind. My family and wealth but most importantly someone I never wanted to live without.

I’m upside down when I see them; soft flames coming from the soles of my bare feet. Resting on my forearms and twisting and contorting my body.

“You.” A teenaged girl approaches me and I turn right side up, “you’re a fire bender aren’t you!” She says, “what’s your name?”

“Uh” I stare at her and smile nervously, “y/n Huǒ” I repeat slowly, and quietly. People of the fire nation know the traitor I’ve become outside the walls of the fire nation. Meeting the avatar, going against my friends for his life. All because I believed in something greater than all of this.

“I know you” a boy says, bandana around his forehead, “your grandpa, Yújìn. I know- or knew him” He says

“Oh.” Realization hits my face, “you’re the avatar!” A short girl slaps me.

“Wow way to tell everyone!” She retorts, god are little kids sassy.

“You could teach Aang firebending” Katara says, it’s hard not to know someone’s name when there’s wanted posters all over town.

“I’m good at fire bending but I’m no master” I say, “I thought Prince Zuko abandoned the throne to teach you” I ask

“Well he’s uh.. learning a new way to firebend” Toph laughs a little and I smile awkwardly.

“I don’t bend very traditionally” I reply, “but if it will get me off the streets I guess why not” I stand up straighter and brush my hair out of my face.

“You brought that back?!” Zuko shouts, we’ve had a long history. One that includes a betrothal, and a knife to the gut. He looks at me with disgust which I’m not surprised at.

“I’m a girl. Not a thing!” I cry out, “the only reason I’m here is because Aang needs a firebending teacher because you suck!” I scoff out at him, there’s fire burning in his hands but I never raise mine.

He groans at me, “you’ve always been like this! Even when”

“Zuko I don’t want to talk about that” I warn, there’s a plea in my voice but he accepts that, “it was a long time ago”

“Yeah like it was that long ago” he sasses and I roll my eyes.

“Zuko!”

It doesn’t take long for things to settle down; I’m essentially useless now that Zuko has gotten his bending back. Even if he did it how I told him to do it all along but whatever.

The bickering still happens, and I want to throw a knife at him but part of me still loves him. I didn’t hate being betrothed to him as much as I thought I did.

“Did you ever miss us?” I ask him, “after you were banished. I refused to Azula to give away your location and then the Avatars when you wrote me” I confess, “so I left”

“I think. At first I did, but I don’t— I don’t think we would’ve worked together. We fight all the time. I hated you at first. And you hated me” He admits, looking down slightly. He sighs heavily

“Yeah. I guess. But I didn’t really hate- hate you” I admit, “I missed you. I liked knowing you”

He nods, “I did like knowing you too, you’ve changed so much. I mean your fire it’s pink” he laughs

“Maybe it’s from my bubbly personality” I tease, he laughs

“You. Have a bubbly personality!” He laughs and it’s so good to hear, “you were so shy, like if I sneezed too hard I would scare you”

I smile softly, “I’ve changed so much sense I was twelve” my hair falls around my face and he tucks the loose strand around my ear

“What now that you’re fourteen?” He teases softly, his hand lingers behind my ear. But he removes himself quickly.

“Zuko. Im fifteen” I remind him, it’s embarrassing when he says he knows how my heart flutters and I feel weak in the knees.

“I remember, once you turned eighteen we would’ve” he looks away with a blush on his cheeks

“Yeah. Gotten married” I laugh, and I keep laughing because the thought of getting married feels so small and childish to the war we’re supposed to be preparing for.

He laughs; rolling laughs that make me keep laughing. My laughs turn short and wheezy before his face straightens, “are you ok? Can you breathe?” His face turns to me and he smiles seeing my smile. It’s a smile that makes my cheeks hurt and heart race.

“As the Prince of the fire nation. I’m supposed to hate you. Because you’ve betrayed our nation. But as Zuko. As your Zuko. In this moment I don’t feel anything but hate. I feel love for you. A fire that I never want to put out” he tells me, scooting closer to me. I let him cradle my face, “I never hated you”

“I never hated you either” a weak laugh escapes me but he kisses me before it truly develops. It’s a kiss that devours me whole, wrapping itself into my heart and soul.

“If we make it through this. Let’s make good on that betrothal”

[sapphic-agent]

So, a Kataang fan made a post about a week ago "asking" (rhetorically, of course) why it's a bad thing Katara acts like Aang's mom. And I just-

First of all, isn't that something that Kataang shippers have been trying to actively dispute for almost two decades at this point? That Katara doesn't treat Aang as a younger brother/son? There's literally an entire post about it from The Headband that's made its rounds on almost every single social media platform.

So which is it, besties? Does Katara act motherly towards Aang or not?

(The answer is yes of course, as The Runaway outright confirms it multiple times. The whole premise of that episode is that Katata acts as a mother to Toph, Sokka, and Aang)

Now, why is it a problem? The fact that I have to explain this is telling for how little a lot of Kataang shippers understand Katara.

Katara was parentified. She took care of Sokka (by his own admission) as well as her entire village after Hakoda left. Even before then really, as she says in the very first episode that she's been doing all the chores around the village since their mother died which was years before that. She was delivering literal babies while basically being a baby herself.

Traveling- and being- with Aang is supposed to represent her freedom and childhood, right? That's what the first episode shows us and what Kataang is built on. But if anything, it has the opposite effect.

Book 1 wasn't terrible. Katara was very free-spirited and joyful in addition to being caring and empathetic. Her and Aang could still goof off together, even if she was doing her best to support him emotionally. You could easily see that as her being a good friend.

But somewhere between Books 2 and 3, that changed. Katara went from being his supportive friend to being his emotional crutch. During The Desert, she bears the brunt of him lashing out (he does yell at Toph once, but he's the most volatile with Katara). He also gets frustrated with her during Sozin's Comet, even though Zuko and Sokka were the ones pushing him. It's always Katara who has to bring him back when he loses control of the Avatar State, risking her own safety.

(This isn't emotional, but it was Katara who healed Aang after Azula's attack. She was the one who stayed by his side, staying awake for hours to make sure he would be okay. I like to look at it as a physical representation of their relationship. Aang's wellbeing is always put on her shoulders. If she isn't there to lift him up, he'll fall. And if he falls, the world falls. No 14 year old should be responsible for that. But it's so easy for the show- and y'all- to shove it onto her because this part of her character is never addressed. It's just used as a testament to her caring nature)

Even without Katara's parentification, this causes a major imbalance in their relationship. It puts Katara in charge of managing Aang's pain and being emotionally unsupported in return. The Southern Raiders is proof that Katara can't depend on Aang emotionally the way he does her. She's been his shoulder to cry on through everything and the one time the tables turned, she couldn't even get that from him.

And the saddest thing about this? Katara says to him, "I knew you wouldn't understand." She never expected Aang to support her. She's become so accustomed to being there for others that she's never once expected anyone to do the same for her, least of all Aang.

(But Zuko does. He's the only one who recognized Katara's pain- admittedly, mostly because it was directed at him- and tried to help her. Without being prompted. I gotta give this one to the Zutara folks)

In what world is this dynamic healthy for a romantic relationship?

[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.

[kigozula]

As Long As We’re Together - Sokkla Saturdays 2024

Day 7: Part Two

FF.net & AO3

Sequel of my last week's entry. Part One.

Sokka insisted on eating some food. He took them to a restaurant. Despite herself, Azula accepted Sokka's treat. She was hungry. They sat outside and kept staring at each other questioningly after ordering their food.

"Well, are you going to explain what's going on?" Sokka finally asked.

"Are you going to explain what's going on with you?" Azula asked back.

"I asked first. Besides, why would the Fire Nation Princess cry alone on creepy streets in a completely different nation form Hers, wearing an apron?"

Azula actually smiled a little at that. He was right. Her situation was in fact weirder. Sokka couldn't help but smile back at her.

"I escaped. Zuko arranged a marriage for me behind my back." she told him blatantly.

"He what?! Is he out of his mind?" Sokka said leaning slightly over the table, clearly taken aback.

"Yeah, I thought so too." Azula said.

"How did you learn of this?"

"I heard Uncle Iroh telling him, it was about time Zuko finally told me that he planned to marry me off. Before he could do that I ran away. We have been on good terms with my brother since the war ended, but his bond with our uncle is worrisome in my eyes." Azula explained. She looked down sadly.

Sokka felt a surge of anger. Zuko had his flaws, but he has been motivated to be a good brother Azula. He asked Sokka for advice on that once. How did it come to that? It was clearly Iroh’s doing but Zuko still shouldn’t accept that. Azula was right, Iroh was too much influence on Zuko.

But saying this wouldn’t help the situation. Sokka needed to reassure her that he would stand by her side. Surely helping someone you know was natural. But he felt his protectiveness more than just that. He wouldn't allow Azula to feel alone. She didn't have an easy life either.

He slid his hand toward hers on the table and took her fingers gently in his palm. It was Azula's turn to be taken aback now.

"I will do anything in my power to help you and protect you Azula. I'm with you, as long as you allow me to. You can trust me."

His eyes were blazing with honesty.

Before she could say anything, the waiter brought their food, and the pleasant touch of their fingers ended.

"Your turn now." Azula said when they started eating.

"Why would a warrior like you, who is best friend with the Avatar walk on creepy streets with an apron on himself?" Her voice slightly teasing.

Sokka huffed.

"I lost a bet."

Azula broke into laughter. Sokka would have gotten mad if it hadn’t been the first time he saw her laugh. Her laughter made him blush instead of angry.

"How did that happen?" she asked forcing her laughter to stop.

"We made a bet with my sister. I might have gone a little overboard and told her she would never be able to beat me at a "boomerang race". She said if I lost, I'd work in this teashop for a week. "

Azula broke into a stronger laughter this time.

"I tripped and fell down Azula! Otherwise, there is no way she could have beaten me!" Sokka squeaked.

Still, she couldn't stop laughing. Sokka looked rather cute while he explained his story.

"Glad I could improve your mood princess."

"I'm sorry Sokka, I just can't..." she tried to say in between laughter.

Sokka joined her laughter soon enough.

They ate, laughed, and talked leisurely. It felt genuinely nice to be in each other's company.

Working in the teashop didn't feel horrible anymore. They joked around. From the outside it looked like they were glad to be in this situation. After their shift ended they would hang out in a restaurant and go for a walk.

Until their good mood shifted, when certain people entered the teashop right before it was closing time. It was the third day for Azula in Ba Sing Se.

Zuko arrived with Katara, Aang and Toph next to him. He left his soldiers outside the teashop.

Her brother looked worried, she had to give him that.

“Azula, what is that? I barely slept for days in worry something might have happened!” he said roughly.

Azula gave her brother a harsh glare, but before she could say anything Sokka gave her a short reassuring look and rushed toward Zuko. Anger pouring off him.

"Are you out of your mind? How can you do something like this to your sister Zuko?!" Sokka yelled.

"Calm down Sokka." Zuko replied furrowing his eyebrows.

"You can't force her to do anything you hear me?" Sokka told him.

Zuko found his explosion a little too much but responded anyway. He tried to at least. Because Katara burst into laughter.

All eyes turned to her.

"Hey Sokka, can you give us some tea." she said.

"Oh, nice apron Sokka." Aang began laughing too.

"I am sure Azula's apron looks much better." Toph teased now. She knew the Princess was working here too.

Sokka just growled.

Zuko's eyes landed on his sister.

"Azula, I was never going to force you to anything. You are my sister, and I really wish you trust me." Zuko actually looked sad.

"I heard Iroh talking to you about how you should tell me that you plan a marriage for me." Azula said.

"Did you hear the rest of it?" Zuko asked. He looked at Sokka and then at Azula again. An interesting situation was happening.

"I told uncle that I never planned such a thing. Then he asked me if he could make you a suggestion. But before that I wanted to talk to you of course."

"Isn't this just perfect?" Toph said smirking.

"What?" Azula and Sokka asked in unison.

Katara started laughing again.

"What's so funny now huh?" Sokka asked annoyed.

"The person Uncle Iroh suggested you marry Azula..." Zuko started.

He paused, closing his eyes. Maybe this whole thing was a sign.

"Uncle believes you guys would match very good together." Zuko said.

Time seemed to stand still. Azula looked at her brother, then at Sokka who looked just as stunned as her. Katara and Toph smirked and Aang winked at her, looking happy.

"My brother and you." Katara interrupted.

Azula and Sokka were standing side by side, but their heads turned to the side so they could see each other's eyes.

"Well, I spied on you guys and sensed your feelings for one another flourishing." Toph whispered to herself. For she could feel how happy they were in each other's company.

[galaxythreads]

The live action ATLA is amazing. 9.5/10. I didn't love everything about it, but there are so so so so many good parts and I'm so glad that Netflix decided to make this. I've seen a lot of weird criticism from long time fans and maybe I just haven't been in the fandom long enough, but. I absolutely think it's worth giving a watch if you go in with a semi blank slate. The Netlfix series is not trying to be an exact scene by scene remake of the show.

The thing about it that you have to remember when you go in is that they said they were going to change the tone of the show, and they did, and it works! It's not the same. It's not a comedy. It's funny, but it's not a comedy. Character motivations were changed to fit the darker theme. It's using Avatar as source material and intends to be an adaption, not a reconstruction of the series.

Katara is much more traumatized about her mom's death, which made sense! She was murdered in front of her. She's afraid to take on a maternal role because of that. She's quieter and softer because she's afraid and she's healing from her mother's murder. Katara in the series made sense, too, but I feel like someone looked at her and went! Wait. Smol child is maybe...not okay??? I have faith they will build her up as the seasons progress if they continue.

Hakoda is disappointed in Sokka barely passing his trial. Makes sense! They're at war! Sokka has to take care of the village, of course Hakoda has high expectations for him. And the thing is--Hakoda still trusted Sokka with the responsibility of the village anyway, so his disappointment in Sokka's trial didn't stop his faith in his son. And honestly, I think it's fine that Hakoda is not a perfect parent who never makes mistakes. Parents rant about their kids to their friends all the time. It's healthy because they're not doing it in front of, or to, their kid. Hakoda didn't know Sokka was listening. So. Idk. Sokka doesn't go through his misogyny is bad actually arc, and while I missed it, I thought he functioned really well in this story without it. And for the record!!!! Sokka STILL makes stupid jokes the entire season. He didn't lose his sense of humor.

Aang feeling so much guilt about leaving? Yep! I can vibe with that. I missed his innocence and playfulness, but I feel like this wasn't a bad take on the character either. He was still playful, but in the world they live in, it would make sense that he feels terrible for leaving. And everyone they encounter takes it upon them to rub it in his face so why wouldn't he feel bad or out of place?? Especially after Bumi. Everyone says he needs to face this alone, and Aang learning that he doesn't have to?? Powerful!! Is it the same arc as s1 of the show? No! It's not supposed to be!

Zuko's actor was perfectly cast. That boy IS Zuko. The scence at the end of e6 made me cry because it was so powerful with the 41st, and that felt so EARNED after episodes of watching Zuko's crew despise him to suddenly realizing the only reason they're alive is because of him and realizing it's an honor to shelter him. Zuko drawing Aang to pin him on his disaster wall was amazing. Him getting hit by some random woman for attacking Aang? Amazing. Him sitting next to Iroh during Lu Ten's funeral? So soft. The Agni Kai really rubbed people the wrong way, but I think it was interesting that they decided to have Zuko showing compassion be the root of Ozai's anger. He showed compassion to the 41st, he shows compassion to his father, and when Ozai has defeated him, he has him on the ground and could walk away, and he chooses to burn his face. It's not exactly the same as the show, but again, it's not intending to be.

Azula being here was interesting. I don't know if I loved Zhao being incapable of doing anything without her, but it works for what it is. Zhao is intended to be annoying and he was! So. 10/10. She cried when Zuko got his scar! Ozai playing the long hand of terrible abusive tactics made me want to bite him. Because Ozai doesn't care about Zuko. He uh. Made that pretty clear when he banished him and then at the end when he's explicitly told Zuko might have died at Agna Qel'a and he's like ????????? Am I supposed to care??? We've gotten rid of weakness. So??? Like he used Zuko to force Azula to become more ruthless. He used Zuko to shape her. I do hope we get more exploration of Ty Lee and Mai so they aren't Faceless Blorb Friends, but I just don't think there was really time in s1.

The parts they chose to remove and add into the story was interesting. You got to explore the story for the first time again. I definitely think both versions have merit and are deeply enjoyable, I just don't think you should go in expecting it to be exactly the same thing? I was happy to see a new take on the story, but that might be because I knew that it was going to be darker and the characters would adapt to that. I do hope we can get more of the vibe of the show's humor in season 2 if we get season 2, and Katara feels little more like her show-counter part because I missed her, but honestly, I do recommend to a friend.

Or at the very least, if you absolutely refuse to watch it, PLEASE go watch the last 1/2 of episode 6 with Zuko and the 41st because I CANNOT.

+THEY ACTUALLY PRONOUCED EVERYONE'S NAMES CORRECTLY #bareMinimumAward

[yukaro353]

🌜[Breaking favorite toys]🌛

🌃

This is a one shot I made a while ago, you can find it on AO3 although it's in Spanish, and that's it, I hope you like it(?)

“Adult life was already hard enough, but a breakup ended up pushing Kya into the worst possible situation, one where she falls for the most unlikely girl and, in an unexpected twist, breaks her”.

(Take the ages as Kya is in her 20's and Lin is just approaching 18, more or less like that.)

🌃

When the sun began to set Kya threw her hopes to the ground.

She had spent almost four years traveling the world discovering herself, seeing other cultures up close and learning from them, all of that had gone into decline thanks to a strong breakup with the girl she came to consider the love of her life. Who had that girl been? None other than the fabulous princess of the Fire Nation, Izumi.

Kya had approached the princess through Bumi, who still had the title of the princess's best friend, and who also worked in the United Forces fleets that practiced in the waters of the Fire Nation, they remained so close that Kya came to fear that there was something cooking in his hands, however their bond was merely friendly, like foster brothers, a new version of Aang and Zuko, less bombastic but equally significant... Perhaps that was why Kya was not surprised that her brother gave the princess his side when they both broke up, she could even remember when she met him furtively in a port taking advantage of the chance of their closeness to tell him about their relationship at the beginning, Bumi had looked at him more stupefied than happy and had put a hand on his shoulder.

— She's a princess, Kya, only child, sole heir. This might not have much of a future, keep that in mind.

That was what he had said and it had completely ruined Kya's mood, she was clinging to the idea that Izumi would always have her in her heart, the distance seemed not to affect them, she could go back and forth from the Fire Lands and still receive countless letters with the sweetest words from her princess, words so bright and loving that when the future regent summoned her to her palace Kya did not see the breakup coming. Izumi waited for her in the inner gardens, next to the lake that she adored so much, Kya had fondly remembered that first time she saw her, when her father took them all to that same place and they both played with the turtle ducks until it was time for dinner, that warm memory was clouded by Izumi's cold expression.

— The time we have spent together is invaluable, I will never forget it, however my responsibilities can no longer wait for me, I owe my father and my country everything I am and I must repay them.

Izumi dropped that bomb on her and prevented her from saying anything, gave her one last gift and sent her back on her endless journey, Kya uncovered that exquisite red dress and cried seas, she cried so much that she thought she would wash out the garment, she sank into alcohol to such an extent that her own father took time out of his schedule to go look for her, finding her lying in some bar, taking her on Appa's back back to Republic City so that her heart could heal in the safety of home, surrounded by her family... Those that remained, of course.

Although everyone was unaware of her affair with Izumi, they suspected that there was some heartbreak in her gaze. Her beloved mother was the one who had dedicated the most time to her, cradling her in her arms as if she were still her little girl, making her favorite foods and letting her flow, without pressuring her to give explanations of what had happened. Her father had taken it for granted after bringing her and had left on another tour of the Air Temples accompanied by Tenzin, who was in search of his tattoos. Kya was impressed to see him so grown up. That crying child who hid behind the others had disappeared to give way to a man of ambitions who sought at all costs to be face to face with his father… Kya envied him a little. She wanted that resolution in her life, for someone to take her by the shoulders and tell her “You have a destiny!” and for her task to be only to pursue it, but no.

She and Bumi were in a different bag.

And yet Bumi was several steps above her, climbing the ranks of the United Forces through sheer effort, carving his name in the ranks, not “Son of the Avatar”, “Son of the Great Master”, no, Bumi, future General of the United Forces, who had taken his life into his hands and had resolved to make it great and meaningful. How did he do it? How did he not lose his way halfway through? She could only watch them from behind, stumbling as she chasing on their shadows…

Her sadness slowly grew, so worrying that her mother had decided to call for reinforcements, the one indicated for that job: Uncle Sokka.

He had arrived one morning with a big smile and a box of candy from the Southern Tribe that made Kya crawl out of her room, once she caught that she threw her strongest card: Lin Beifong.

Kya's face was not exactly a poem when her uncle asked her to visit the firstborn of the Beifong, she had had some esteem for Lin in the past, she was a daily visitor to the island, of course, another member of the family, like Izumi or Aunt Suki, but it was not a visit for her, it was a visit for Tenzin, because his parents had agreed that it was dangerous to let him socialize in the city like ordinary children and they had decided to bring the children to him, the acolytes had been a first option but they all treated Tenzin with devotion, unable to see him as a simple brat to get to know and support, they saw their future leader and that would definitely affect the perception of the minor. The solution to that? It was Lin, Toph came with her wide smile and put her daughter on the board and that was it, Tenzin got a best friend and the matter was settled.

With that context, why would she be excited to have “quality” time with the aforementioned? The bossy and aggressive brat who threw rocks at him when he bothered her brother could not have become someone fun or interesting, but Sokka did not let her refuse the offer.

— Linlin needs some extra hands, and your hands, my dear, are just the right ones, I will pay you for the favor so I expect your commitment, do you understand me?

— What the hell are you getting me into, man? I don’t want to end up in some scam or something like that.

— Your aunt Toph may have her slip-ups but Linlin is pretty proper, it will be fun, maybe you can even show it off in the future.

Kya rolled her eyes and accepted in exchange for a dress, she loved collecting them and her uncle was the best of all when it came to buying them, he always accommodated the taste of others, and he used it to his advantage, the subject was settled with a handshake.

That was what brought Kya to the situation she was in, she was in one of her evening dresses sitting at a bar with a delicious cocktail in her hand staring into nothingness, the ornaments in her hair made her curls stand out and the red ribbon necklace with a golden sun hanging in the middle gave her a juicy touch, some men looked at her as if wondering how bad things must be going for a committed beauty to be there... And she would be delighted to give them the gossip if it weren't for the fact that her eyes kept wandering from side to side looking for Beifong, they were supposed to meet there for... The mission? The task? That they had designated for her, but the aforementioned just didn't show up, Kya pursed her lips and finished her cocktail, if she had had the possibility of being stood up in mind she would have taken out the most revealing dress from her closet and started hunting for beauties, Republic City had no shortage of beautiful women and she needed some treacherous butterfly to play with her feelings to feel something that wasn't related to Izumi.

Taking off the necklace that she had given her would surely be a great first step but she wasn't ready for it yet.

Kya asked for another drink and changed seats, being able to see through the stained glass the silhouettes of the passersby, for a moment her head took her to that getaway in Ba Sing Se where she taught Izumi to dance in a nice bar where nobody knew them, a single sigh left her lips when a hand settled on her shoulder and brought her back to reality, Kya turned and found a surprise.

A rather pleasant one.

Those round cheeks that were always pouting had given way to an angular face with defined cheekbones, those round green eyes had sharpened and that messy black hair that looked like a stormy cloud was gathered into an elegant hairstyle, Lin no longer reached her waist, now she was face to face wrapped in a black coat with several buttons.

Puberty had hit her at the right point at the exact moment.

— Linlin!?

— Lower your voice – the aforementioned ordered her immediately, a little uncomfortable by the looks they had attracted, she no longer sounded like an angry rodent, it was the tone of a firm and self-assured woman, one of those who would use you as a carpet if she didn't find you useful... And Kya felt very embarrassed by that thought.

— Sorry... H-how are you? It's been... a long time, you look so different. How have you been?

— Fine – Lin answered as she sat next to Kya, rejecting the bartender's offers – Sorry for the delay, something came up at work.

— Work?

The question seemed to surprise Lin, her face was still very expressive… And angry – I'm a police officer.

— Since when!? – Kya snapped, being scolded by Lin again for raising her voice – I mean… It was obvious that you would do it at some point, "Badger mole daughter comes out striped", but, you know… I thought it would take you longer.

— I got promoted at the academy so I cut back.

— Wow… That's admirable, congratulations Lin –Kya looked at her cocktail feeling a bucket of cold water fall on her, even the billionaire brat who had been born with her whole life figured out and a legacy to continue was accumulating achievements in her field while Kya was blackmailed by her uncle and mother to only take one step away from home… She was so pathetic.

— Thanks… It wasn't a big deal either, I had an advantage.

That answer surprised Kya – Advantage?

— Many come to the academy without knowing metalbending or without knowledge of laws, I… Well, I'm the founder's daughter, I had all that figured out.

— Still it's admirable, as if you'd been studying it much more than the others.

— I had the opportunity to learn it before the others, it's a privilege and I must recognize it or I'll fall into superfluous flattery… I must give twice as much as the others to validate those advantages.

Well, Kya didn't expect social awareness or anything from a Beifong, Toph herself bragged about all her accomplishments without fear, she was the damn queen and the others just had to accept it or they would face her power... Maybe that was what had led her to raise a child who constantly questioned herself.

Interesting.

— So, my esteemed Republic City police officer, what brings you here today?

— You.

By all means, that woman was trying to destabilize her or something, she was going down the line of “tough woman with sensible words” and Kya was weak of that, she had to keep a cool head. She had seen how they changed her diapers! – Come on, flirt, did you miss me that much?

One of Lin's eyebrows rose strangely – No… Well, I was curious, I hadn't seen you in a long time, but I didn't know you were back, Uncle Sokka was the one who told me.

—You already know him, he's a big mouth, he knew I was resting peacefully and decided he couldn't go on like that.

— Did he get you a job? He's a part-time job connoisseur – Lin pointed out, finally accepting something from the bartender… Although the glass of water wasn't exactly what the guy wanted to sell her.

— I think so, you're the one who'll tell me.

— Me?

— Yes, he said you needed a pair of hands for something “very proper”.

Lin looked at her, looked around, and looked at her again – He said you wanted to see me because you had no one to get you off the island.

Kya's reputation as a Sociable and Unattainable Diva had just taken a hit from which she would surely not recover. What the hell was going through that old man's head!? Kya had to laugh to hide her embarrassment – That's what he said? For heaven's sake, that old man… It seems he's back to his old ways of matching up friends, how awkward…

Lin shrugged and drank some of her water – I'm used to it.

– Does he do this to you often?

— I'm the only one left in the city, I pay for four.

— I respect you a little more.

That drew a laugh from Lin, one of those spontaneous and short ones, that would surely conquer the unsuspecting, that lady must have been a resounding popular in her social circle, Kya suddenly wanted to see her in her uniform, just to corroborate her point – Okay, I like helping the community.

—And what is life like as a police officer? The last time we saw each other you were just taking your entrance exams for the academy.

—Do you remember that?

—Of course! Tenzin was on the verge of collapse because mom wouldn't let him bring you to the island, “Linlin is busy with something very important, you must learn to give her space” and then he would throw a tantrum everywhere.

— Yeah? Wow… I didn't know that part.

— Understand, he was little and did not know any beauty other than yours, naturally he couldn't stand the abstinence.

— You are exaggerated –Lin finished her water, she seemed to want to sound funny but her mood seemed to have soured with the last thing, Kya always used Tenzin's humiliation as a point of conversation and she usually succeeded, this was new.

— Did they fight?

— Who?

— Tenzin and you, I mean… Normally you'd try not to laugh and defend him or something… Or do they not talk to each other anymore? I haven't talked to him in ages and I don't know how things are in his life.

— Mmm, yeah… It's a bit complicated.

A shifty look, pursed lips and a small sigh… Kya's head went through all the options and came up with two possible scenarios: Tenzin had made one of his stupid shows about the importance of his cultural heritage to downplay some concern of Lin's, ruining their friendship forever or Tenzin had obtained the ultimate level of insanity and cornered by his hormones and distorted perception of reality had bet everything on a confession and had ruined his friendship with Lin forever.

Now she had to figure out which one it was.

—I'm a good listener, and an excellent keeper of secrets.

Lin seemed to think about it, looking around and then at her glass – Well… We were dating and so, things didn’t end well and no… We’re talking.

Congratulations! It was the route to romance! If there was something that Kya valued above all else it was gossip of personal tendency. And on top of that with Tenzin? The sanctimonious man with perfect morals would finally have a dose of his own medicine when they see each other again and he wanted to criticize her for her romantic decisions – Really? Wow… Like… Babe, I didn’t see it coming, I always thought that Tenzin would die alone and a virgin, I mean, he still deserves it anyway. How the hell did he get you to give him a chance? If I didn't know I could die.

– You don’t even hide it, huh? Well… We’ve known each other for… All our lives? We wanted to try… Since it was those things and we said “Since we’re here”, it’s not like I had much to choose from either.

– Aren’t there any good options in the police? And I was thinking of enlisting…

— It's not that... I'm hard to deal with, I can't be demanding.

Kya laughed and patted Lin on the back with the confidence she would make sure to build up – If you need an expert opinion you have me, I've traveled the world and you, sweetheart, are the ones who choose first at the buffet.

That had a good effect, Lin's cheeks took on some color and her tone became less formal, the tough girl image seemed to hide something else and Kya would discover it that night – Whatever you say... I only accepted when he proposed it and I gave... I gave everything? It's not like I was an expert either but... Well, it didn't happen, that's it.

The cute expression faded again and Kya caught the intention behind that meeting, her stupid little brother had broken Lin's heart and her uncle had decided that two scorned girls would be better than one and he had gathered them together so that they would curse or something like that, negative and negative to give a positive, some strange old man's logic. That guy was so bold! Kya would forgive him that time just because she liked the new version of Lin – It didn't happen and that's it? Linda, forgive me for butting in but something tells me that that fool didn't measure up and I leave all the responsibility to you.

— You yourself said that you don't talk to him, you don't know anything about the subject.

There was the old Lin, the one who brought out her claws when they touched her idiot – Look Linlin, I'm his older sister, I changed his diapers and wiped his drool for years, if anyone has some knowledge over him it's me, I won't tell you that I have the last word but... If you allow me I can take some weight off your shoulders, the situation seems to have you tense.

The eldest Beifong snorted and rolled her eyes, they were closing, Kya couldn't allow it – Tense about what? I just don't want to talk about it, we're not friends or anything.

— My memory betrays me, I perfectly remember that you made me a flower crown.

— I was like six years old, it's not relevant.

— Denied. It's totally valid proof that you like me.

— That's all, prosecutor? My witnesses haven't seen you at the scene for at least five years, your point is untenable.

— Your witnesses are bought, I have a receipt for a book sent seven months ago that should rest in the hands of your client.

— “Modern recipes from the lower Earth bowl”? I thought it was a paperweight.

— Hey… Your mother said you liked to cook.

— I don't dislike it, but it's more of an obligation than a hobby.

— You don't have employees? I can't imagine your mother doing housework.

— She did, but she got rid of them when I learned to walk.

— Damn, that's taking “savings” too seriously. Do you get paid properly for it?

— Me? A faithful servant of the community? You offend me.

Kya shook her head dramatically and handed her a cocktail, they were once again friendly – You know, life gave you the power to be the eldest, you should use it and enslave Sulin.

– It's Suyin… And she's a small wild animal, putting a leash on her would already be an achievement.

– Damn, mine also arrived defective. Don't you have any contact to request a refund?

– There is one, but it's not exactly legal.

Laughter. The conversation began to dance between sibling taunts and mothers' complaints, anecdotes about travel and police matters. Kya was very entertained listening to the daily life of a security agent and found joy in Lin's genuine interest in her adventures. Seeing a girl with determination and a career validating her experiences fed her ego. She needed it so much! Perhaps to feel less inferior to her brothers who saw her as a chronic slacker.

The love theme was barely touched upon, as if it were a honeycomb that neither of them wanted to stir up and Kya respected it. At some point she stopped caring about what her brother had done and began to be urged to discover more about Lin, a mostly reserved girl who dedicated a lot of time to her work because she wanted to validate the image of a prodigious daughter of a prodigious mother, who deep down seemed not to know if she really wanted to be a police officer but it was all she knew and she wouldn't back down, with problems dealing with others without getting rigid, who liked to eat wherever she went and had a secret love for flying bison and who, given the opportunity, wouldn't hesitate to steal Oogie, had a strange sense of humor, sometimes very dry and other times very pedagogical, who spoke of her younger sister as if she were her daughter and of her mother as a problematic roommate that she deified.

Lin was quite a character and Kya liked her.

The years that separated them and the childhood that had made them enemies vanished into thin air after three hours of tough talk. Lin would leave there knowing Kya's whole life or she would take her name away. She even managed to convince her to drink, because apparently she wasn't in the habit and well, Kya wouldn't let her leave that meeting without both of them throwing the house out the window.

The cocktails were piling up on the bill and the conversation began to become more clumsy and transparent, Kya found herself talking about her previous girlfriends like a radio ranking and Lin was burning Tenzin as if it were an Olympic sport, that if the girls from the Northern tribe were too dramatic and wanted to get married within a week or that if the youngest bald guy was a pain in the ass dancing and ruined the parties, that if Katara was very lax with her advice and secretly hated not having a more normal daughter or if Toph was crazy and hid it behind physical achievements, none of them seemed to have a brake until it was Izumi's turn, Kya felt a twist in her stomach just thinking about bringing her up in the conversation, that demonic princess who had her crawling on the floor while playing husband and wife with some idiot of the nobility. Well no! She wouldn't give him the pleasure of living in her tongue that night. Kya stood up from the bar and offered her hand to Lin, who had already accumulated so much alcohol that her jacket was gone.

– Come on, let’s dance.

Lin shook her head slightly, in her simple but elegant olive green outfit, Kya didn't accept that answer and made her stand up, the belt accentuated her figure and the small heels crowned the outfit, Kya was beginning to not know what filter she was seeing Lin with... And she wouldn't beat around the bush, that moment was dance time. She took her to the dance floor and told her where to put her hands, discovering her obedient she began a gentle swing, the earthbender didn't take long to coordinate, she quickly retained the instructions and seemed flexible.

Flexible.

Kya was losing the horizon.

They both found their rhythm, Kya put Lin's hands on her waist and hers on her shoulders, looking for her gaze and her knowing smile, thinking about how pretty she would look when she mastered that, confidence gave a seductive air to those features that Lin had to learn to master, Kya could see all that potential, she could see it so well that she refused to let go of her for the rest of the night, song after song they enjoyed it in each other's arms, with sporadic comments and small pauses to drink more or to stagger to the bathroom, when the place closed they were both thrown out. Did they care? Not much, they were dying of laughter and their energy seemed to never go down, Lin kept emphasizing how pretty Kya was and Kya kept getting lost in Lin, in her eyes, in her lips, in her curly hair that was starting to escape from her hairstyle.

Maybe it was the effect of the alcohol but the waterbender had found a little gem and would take care of polishing it to her liking.

Somehow they made it to the port and then to the island, sneaking in so as not to be dragged away by Katara, the good thing about it being so big was that there was no way to keep track of everything. Kya led her new friend through the halls of the east wing straight to her room, Lin apologetically giggling, trying her best to keep her voice down as she flopped onto the bed, her coat had ended up on Kya's shoulders and it didn't look like she was going to get it back.

The waterbender approached the bed and placed a hand on Lin's chest, pushing her to lay her down completely so she could climb on top of her. Lin seemed bewildered for a few seconds, dazzled by the blue eyes of her companion. There were a couple of questions that got stuck in her throat because Kya kissed her, softly and with a touch of tenderness. The hand on her chest slid down to her belt to loosen it, which she was able to do easily with one hand. Kya loved how easy the zippers and clasps were for her, being able to slip her hand into Lin's shirt, discovering a firm abdomen and soft skin. The sigh that caress drew from Lin's lips allowed Kya to introduce her tongue. She wanted to taste her carefully, to treasure the moment as it should be.

Her hands began to work together to bare her chest, it was a good size, enough to fit in her palms, Kya refused to let go of her mouth so she refrained from looking at her breasts a little longer, caressing them with care, finally releasing Lin's mouth only to plant kisses on her neck, the way her skin took color so quickly turned her on more, she wanted to fill her with bites and marks that she would then have to hide under her uniform, but she tried to contain herself, she couldn't be so terrifying the first time. Kya's kisses went down between her breasts to her navel while her fingers grabbed the waistband of her pants and slid them down, just before discovering her mount of Venus Lin was finally able to articulate a word.

The worst of all.

“Tenzin”

The pleasant heat bubbling through Kya's body suddenly cooled, stopping her hands and looking up, those green eyes seemed hazy and lost in the shadows, the alcohol had taken her beyond reality and the waterbender had ignored it, of course a brat who was just discovering adulthood wouldn't know how to master a drink she didn't usually consume. Kya adjusted Lin's pants and got out of bed feeling uncomfortable and annoyed, she had fallen so low that she almost fucked a drunk of questionable age who surely hadn't consented to anything of that nature with another woman before, and on top of that, her younger brother's ex. How the hell did that put her in the existential plane of things? She was any opportunistic man and that made her nauseous.

Kya ended up vomiting in the first bathroom she found, alerting one of the acolytes who was around there. Fortunately, no one seemed to see her enter with Lin, so she let herself be scolded and cared for by her father's students, who managed to dissipate her drunkenness with some strange concoction. The girls didn't let her go until the sun was out, with the promise that they would throw her into the water with Katara for disrespecting the temple like that. Kya slipped out of their hands and went in search of her "almost victim?" She had to apologize and take her home. She was the oldest of the two, she had to redeem herself at all costs. However, when she got to the room, Lin was not there. Her coat was there, but she was not.

Kya felt panic in her stomach and held back the renewed urge to vomit, starting to walk through the halls nervously, avoiding anyone who wanted to get close to her, she didn't want anyone else to intercept Lin, much less her mother, her life could be doomed if that happened. In the end she gave up on the interior and went out in search of the port, she also tended to run away when she woke up in strange places, however she didn't get very far when a familiar bison snorted at her, it wasn't Appa at least, but Oogie.

The flying bug was dozing, blocking one of the paths that led to the grove surrounding the building. Kya slipped into the trees, pulled by an unknown force, until she got a wider view. Her brother, her beloved brother Tenzin, was next to one of the fountains, wiping Lin's face with a handkerchief. The girl was sitting on the edge of the well, looking feverish. Kya felt it like a punch to the stomach. The way that idiot was touching her skin, with an alien affection, seemed so adult, so responsible. Lin stopped him and said something that only he could hear. His response? Taking her by the chin and planting a kiss on her lips, a real kiss, reciprocated with all the lucidity that his hangover would allow him.

Kya turned away not wanting to see more, she needed to get her stomach back up somewhere or she would get sick, but when she came out from between the trees it was no longer just Oogie who was waiting for her but Katara, with her arms crossed and a frown.

— Where were you?

— Over there…

— Over there? Does this look like a hostel to you? We don't live alone, Kya, we owe respect to those who help us and you're not giving it to them.

The young bender rolled her eyes and wanted to run away, remembering why she didn't like spending time in that place, everything was so restrictive and… Annoying, on her trips she only owed respect to herself, without unnecessary scolding – No… It won't happen again.

— Of course not, you'll return to the South Pole with your uncle.

— Excuse me?

— I spoke to him, he'll have a couple of meetings there and you need something to occupy yourself, free time isn't helping you… Tenzin?

Kya felt her stomach worsen, turning around she saw the aforementioned with a frown even more than her mother, leaning under his arm was Lin, pale and with an affected face, she looked so bad that Kya felt that the guilt would never leave her body, her shirt was buttoned so no one would see the marks of her sin… And that was suspicious, Lin couldn't have done so well in his condition. Would Tenzin have done it?

— You – Tenzin began pointing at his sister as if she were a criminal – What the hell is going through your head? – The aforementioned felt her body shudder. Would Lin have given her away? Of course she would, her reputation would be buried with her that day and no one would ever remember the loser in the middle – Just because you don't know how to spend time without being high on alcohol doesn't mean you force others to follow you. Aren't you ashamed?

— I don't… I thought that… It would be fun.

The answer turned Tenzin's expression into one of displeasure, that unhappy brat who now had a budding beard and nomad height looked at her as if she were a bug, crowned by his long-awaited tattoos was a bad reflection of Aang, Kya did not want him, of all people, to be the one to judge her - I would appreciate it if you kept your customs away from my girlfriend.

And he would have said more, Kya knew he wanted to say more, but Lin faded away and everyone ran to take her inside, she was almost two days under Katara's care because her body could not tolerate the amount of alcohol she ingested the night before, Sokka put Kya up to the limit with the sermon he gave her, forbidding her to approach the eldest of the Beifong until she controlled her problem with drinking and reluctantly took her to the South Pole, Kya spent all that time feeling that karma had come into her life with a whip and would not let her go until she had removed all her skin.

Once the cold of the poles began to chill her bones, a letter from Lin reached her hands, triggering anxiety in her. She knew that everything was just a prelude, her head still had to be claimed.

“For Kya.

I must admit that I didn't expect everything that happened, I thought I would see you and we would put up with each other for a few minutes before it was too much for us and we would pretend to have an engagement each to never see each other again, it was fun and new, I hadn't done anything like that with someone before, now I understand why people love being with you. You are charismatic.

I regret how it all ended, I should have recognized my limits and stopped in time, I put you all in a predicament because of my carelessness, I don't know how but I will apologize properly, thank you for taking care of me and not leaving me stranded on the street, if you ever need a hand in Republic City keep me in mind, I will not fail you.

Sincerely, Lin Beifong”.

Kya reread the letter over and over, ignoring meetings with her uncle and old friends who tried to intercept it, like a detective with a key piece in her hands she analyzed the words and their meaning, in the end her conclusion was bittersweet: Lin remembered nothing.

What had happened in the room lived only in her memory.

And for her sake, she would die there.

🌃

(I didn't want to make Lin look like a little girl lost in the world, so she tries to balance her inexperience with her mastery. It's meant to be a one-shot, but I feel like in the end I'm going to spend more chapters, at least one more where karma ends up dragging Kya down.)

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

A popular move in zutara fics: to bring Katara (with or without Zuko, it doesn’t matter) to the South Pole at some point to show that she doesn’t feel at home there anymore.

I know the fanfics’ authors just want to convince the readers that Katara will not suffer missing her home while living constantly in the FN, but for me… it just feels more sad. Like the authors themselves took Katara’s home away from her and then turn to us smiling: “Don’t worry, she’s be fine, it’s not a big deal, actually!”.

IMAGINE constantly saying shit like "Zutara fans are the only ones who are genuine Katara fans" and "Aang doesn't respect/understand Katara's culture and would demand her to leave it behind for his sake, something Zuko would never do" and then pulling something like this. Self-awareness whomst? And let me guess, some of these also use "The water tribe is sexist" as a way to justify why Katara no longer feels at home there?

Katara's connection to her culture remained strong through literally THE ENTIRE SHOW - and that elements of her culture that were "lost" to her were a direct result OF THE WAR ZUKO'S FAMILY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR!

In the first episode, we see that she wants to properly learn waterbending - something she can't do in her own tribe, because, again, Azulon, Zuko's grand-father, had every waterbender captured (and eventually started just killing them - leading to the death of Kya). Those raids also made her dad end up leaving to fight against the Fire Nation, something Katara understands, but will later be revealed to be deeply hurt by because she wants her family to stay together, and she couldn't help but resent her father a little/lot for leaving their home.

Still, with that much having been taken away from her, when Aang is banished and she says that if he leaves, she's leaving too, the very second Sokka asks if she's really gonna choose someone over her own tribe and family, Katara is visibly shaken and it's clear she wants to take back what she just said (but she doesn't have to, because Aang does it for her, because surprise surprise, Aang never expects her to make such a huge sacrifice for him). Only when his identity as the Avatar is revealed and Katara would be allowed to leave with him for a while, and come back home later, does she look 100% ready for this mission - mission that is to teach them BOTH waterbending, as Aang explicitly says "We can learn it together!"

During her talk with Haru, he mentions how earthbending makes him feel close to his father again - and it's pretty clear the same goes for Katara. And what's the point of that entire episode? Katara helping people be able to use their bending again and come back home after being captured by the Fire Nation.

When Aang is a better waterbender then her (at first), Katara is visibly jealous. When she meets Jet, she relates to him because of how the Fire Nation took his family from him, and in the end of the episode she's deeply ashamed of herself because she trusted this stranger more than Sokka, her own sibling and part of her tribe. She is about to cry when she thinks Jet might have hurt or killed him.

When the Gaang runs into Bato, it's clear that Sokka and Katara are thrilled to be around someone they knew their whole lives. Aang however feels left out, as that is not his culture, he doesn't have a connection to it, and now he fears that his friends, the only family has left, will give up on their mission. So, he hides the map to their father - only to then feel like shit because the others find a way to include him in what is very much a water tribe thing, and so admits what he did. And both Sokka AND KATARA are heartbroken and furious, and decide to leave Aang because they don't accept anyone or anything preventing them from being with their family.

They then get captured by Zuko - who is taunting Katara with Kya's necklace, the last thing she has of her mom, in the hopes that this will make her reveal where Aang is. Naturally, Katara doesn't like that one bit. Aang then, of course, shows up, the trio defeats Zuko yet again, and once they are all on good terms as they believe Aang learned his lesson, he gives Katara the necklace back, without expecting anything in exchange.

Sometime after that, they finally get to the North Pole, where Katara shows she's absolutely ready to throw hands with Pakku for trying to say she can only be a healer, not a fighter. We then find out Gran-Gran moved to the Southern Water Tribe because it was NOT sexist like the North, Pakku stops being a dick, and when he decides to go help the South Pole recover from all the damage the Fire Nation did, Katara is unbelievably happy.

Another moment that makes her very happy is in season 3, when she meets Hama and says it would be an honor to learn about her culture from someone who lived in the South Pole before the Fire Nation destroyed it. There's also her reuinion with her dad after Sokka rescues him from the Boiling Rock, and then in the finale when he says Kya would be proud of her.

There's also "little things" like, you know, her ditching the Fire Nation clothes the zutara fandom loves to see her in, and going back to her blue clothes and having hair-loopies in her hair, because whenever she doesn't have to be undercover anymore, she makes damn sure anyone who sees her know which culture she belongs to.

She has been through a ton of trauma, was at odds with her dad for a while, spent months away from the South Pole, has literally crossed the entire world, and met people with very different cultures, and she STILL thinks of the SWT as her home and wants nothing more than to be allowed to be with her family again.

Plus, let's mention the obvious since Zutarians love ignoring it: In "The Swamp", she has a vision of her mother and is overjoyed when she thinks that, against all odds, Kya is still alive - and is heartbroken as she's reminded of what she lost. And who does she say took Kya away from her during her talk with Zuko in Ba Sing Se? Oh yeah, the Fire Nation. She echoes that sentiment again, in The Southern Raiders, when Azula attacks the group, who then decides to split because the writers didn't know what to do with that many characters, as Katara straight up says to her dad that THE FIRE NATION CAN'T SEPARATE THEIR FAMILY AGAIN!

Back to Ba Sing Se for a moment. During that talk with Zuko, she also says that, for the longest time, when she thought of "the enemy", she pictured HIS face. Fitting considering he attacked her tribe, threatened to burn people if he didn't get the Avatar, and was constantly hunting her, Sokka and Aang (who she considers family) down. He then proves she was right to think of him that way, as he helps the Fire Nation basically win the war AND allows Azula to kill Aang.

All of that makes her hate Zuko's guts, hence her very clearly threatening to kill him in book 3 if he ever stepped out of line again, and being very antagonistic to him in some scenes, and telling him that if he wants her forgiveness he should find a way to bring her mother back - not because she's unfairly "projecting her anger at her mom's murderer onto him" like Zuko said - but because she sees him, his family and his nation as the cause of everything that went wrong in her life AND SHE'S RIGHT! Then becoming genuine friends later doesn't change that.

But SOMEHOW Zutarians see ALL OF THAT and conclude that Katara would no longer feel a connection to her tribe once the war was over, and would instead want to move to the FIRE NATION and would actually feel at home there?

If THEY are the real Katara fans, I don't even wanna know what a Katara hater would look like.

[harrowscore]

*rubs hands* hehehe, off to a new ship game (¬‿¬): Zu//toph, Azu//aang, Iru//chani, Stilgar//Jessica, Historia//Ymir, Ere//min

oh, these are all good choices! let's see:

zutoph: i kinda ship it ngl. not nearly as much as i ship zutara but it's cute. i've never really thought/cared about it but... i can see it. toph and zuko's personalities mix in a very interesting way!

azulaang: SHIP IT. okay i have a confession to make: this is my atla otp, literally zutara whomst lmao. it's got the optimistic ray of sunshine but with a badass side hero + evil bastard sadcore villain, except now the stereotypical gender roles are inverted. finally some juicy stuff for a female villain! also, i love azula - she's by far my favorite atla character.

iruchani: kinda ship it, yes. i can totally see it - the wife & the other woman, but chani is the real wife in all but name while irulan stands doll-like by paul's side, aware she's being used and moved like a chess piece wherever he wants. so with paul being... you know. paul (i love him but lmao), i think she deserves some hot lesbian sex. like, good for them both tbh

stilgar/jessica: okay, this is just hot. maybe it's the javier bardem+rebecca ferguson combo that makes it so. maybe it's the reverend mother/unhinged follower of her dark messiah-like son dynamic. maybe because she needs to have good nasty sex after leto's death. but yeah - as i said, hot.

yumihisu: MY BABIES. seemingly opposites who can see their own reflections and pain in each other's eyes + monster romance (kinda; they certainly gave off some beauty&thebeast vibes when ymir was in her titan form) + the queen & her knight/protector... delicious, delicious dynamic. unironically yams' best canon romance lmao. i also like erehisu, but i do prefer her with ymir. the tragedy just adds to the pair imo.

eremin: OH MY GOD. my second snk otp!!! what can i say... childhood friends to enemies to friends again + soulmateism + eren's view of the world (that is going to shape the entirety of the plot) changes through armin's influence/he literally turns into a titan for the first time to save armin & is so ridiculously physical in his affection for him + opposites who are also complements + "i would burn the whole world for you" vibes. god they make me insane. one good thing about the anime ending was the final scene between them - i mean, the hug. tenderly holding each other in a literal sea of blood. "i will burn in hell with you" anyone?? HELLO????? also: my hot take is that they are vastly superior to e.reri (that i always thought as overrated) and only e.ruri can compare among the snk slash pairings... maybe. AH! and that eren should have been in love with armin, nothing about that ~i realized i'm in luuuurv with the girl who lives and breaths just for me only after i had a titan vision of the future from god~ nonsense, it was so badly written it makes me cry onion-style whenever i think about it.

thanks a lot for the ask, dear ❤️

[attackfish]

Part two of that post where Nonny asked:

I think I might have an au you don't have yet — what if Zuko or Azula had been sent back to Aang's time when they were young because of spirit non-sense, and had ended up in the iceberg with him?

This time it's Zuko's turn. Part One: [Link]

Let's say Zuko is a toddler. Azula isn't even born yet when her brother disappears. The shock of the disappearence sends Ursa into labor. The child, Azula, is full term, but it makes her birthday a day of pain and rememberence for her parents. Both her parents are relentlessly protective of her, even smothering. It's the only thing they ever agreed on. Without another child to soak up all his displeasure, Ozai is always unpredictable. Is his daughter the perfect child, a demonstration of his greatness as a father, or an unworthy child, who should be doing more?

Ursa tries to shield her daughter from the worst of her husband's capriciousness, but even though her mother is safer, and kinder, sometimes Azula just needs some time on her own, and neither of her parents will ever give her that. Lonely and isolated, constantly with her parents, she has an imaginary friend, her older brother, her parents' missing child. Sometimes he's two years older, and sometimes he's frozen at the age he was when he vanished.

Let's say Aang is lost in a storm, when suddenly he hears a child crying. There's a little boy, all dressed in royal Fire Nation red, sobbing his eyes out in Appa's saddle. Is this real? Is he sleeping? he tries to stear out of the storm, but the winds and waves drag them both down.

Or let's say Zuko grows up in the Southern Air Temple, one of several foundling children. He grows up an anxious young man, who tries to take responsibility for everyone, so when he spots the young Avatar running away, he slips out after him.

Le's say instead that Zuko is ten, and his grandfather ordered his death mere days earlier. His mother vanished, and now he is whisked away to this strange place, full of people who claim to be Air Nomads. He knows that's not true. He has to have been kidnapped by enemies of the Fire Nation. But surely his father will rescue him or ransom him right? Won't he? That gnawing, ever-present fear that his father won't, that his father just doesn't care enough, is proven right when the Air Nomads contact the Fire Nation government, and they get back word that nobody has ever heard of a Prince Zuko.

Azula is no dummy, and more important for this, though she doesn't understand that, she's around her father, and he doesn't shut her out, so she has the context for her mother's disappearance, so just like her father, she assumes her mother kidnapped her brother. He always was her favorite.

As Ozai sends search her after searcher, assassin after assassin, to find his wayward wife, and as they each come up empty-handed, as if the person they were hunting didn't exist, Azula lies in her bed at night afraid her mother will come for her next, to steal her away from her father, to steal her away from being the Fire Nation princess. But she's even more afraid, although she'll never admit it to herself, that her mother will never come, that her mother only ever cared about Zuko, that she really does think Azula is a monster.

Let's say Zuko is thirteen and newly banished when he vanishes without a trace. Nobody notices. Except Iroh. After weeks of fruitless searching, he is forced to contact Ozai, to let him know and ask him to look for his son. But Ozai's only, all too predictable response to his own child's disappearance is, "good." And Iroh can't help but think his brother made Zuko disappear, that he might have banished his own son so that nobody would notice when he did.

In the air temples, Zuko is a menace, convinced they are a secret group of Air Nomads hiding the Avatar, who he will find, and capture, and bring home to his father. He is difficult, and dangerous, and his psyche is a bleeding wound. The Air Nomads care for him as best they can. In return, he accidentally lets slip enough for the Air Nomads to know what's coming, to plan for Sozin's Comet. And when Aang runs, Zuko runs after him, convinced this is his great chance to capture the Avatar.

Let's say Zuko is sixteen and has just seen a light burst forth into the sky. As he stares at it, the world dissolves around him, and he is in the Southern Air Temple. He has found the Avatar in a way he never imagined. And when the Avatar runs, he gives chase. Hunted and hunter are lost in a storm together and dragged down to the depths.

Iroh barely has time to start looking for his nephew before he's out of the ice and causing him heartache again.

Let's say Zuko is an old man. One morning he wakes up at the Southern Air Temple over a hundred and eighty ears ago. Enough extremely strange things have happened to him over the years, first hunting in avatar, then becoming his friend, then traveling the world to help another Avatar, and along the way tangling with a whole bunch of spirit related shenaniganery, that this might as well happen too. He doesn't know if he has time traveled, or if this is the afterlife, but either way, this might as well happen too.

He tells the Air Nomads what to expect from Sozin's Comet, and after, the tactics the Fire Nation plans to use against any survivors. He claims he's a defector, that he heard the plans, and couldn't go through with them. And he graciously accepts a place to stay for the night. That night, unrelated to the news he brought because the boy knows nothing of it, the young Avatar runs. Zuko follows. He gets to Appa first, hides under a blanket, and it's not until they're in the air that Zuko pops out to scare Aang half to death.

He talks to Aang, asks him what's bothering him, tries to help navigate him to the Southern Water Tribe to find a waterbender, but Aang understandably doesn't trust him, and steers them straight into a storm. As the wind in the waves drag them under, Zuko thinks he might have miscalculated.

But then the two of them saw out together, and teenage Zuko shows up, and now as far as the gaang is concerned, there's cool old man Zuko, and annoying teenage Zuko both running around at the same time.

[bard-llama]

WiP Wednesday: Angst set in the A Second Chance at Family universe

When I say "set in the time travel Zuko universe", I mean that actually, it's set in the canon 'verse timeline that Zuko left because of the time travel. AKA it's set in canon (except it's a canon where Zuko never got a chance to reconcile with Iroh ) but when Zuko gets hit by Azula's lightning he, as far as anyone in this world can tell, dies.

This is the POV of an Iroh who never got to hold his boy after Ba Sing Se and who now finds out that Zuko did make the right choice - and died for it.

--

As Grand Lotus of the Order of the White Lotus, Iroh was plenty busy in the aftermath of their liberation of Ba Sing Se. When Bumi entered, face troubled, all Iroh was really thinking about was how to find the rightful Earth King, who had apparently wandered off into the unknown. 

“Brace yourself,” Bumi said in greeting. 

Immediately filled with dread, Iroh asked, “what happened?”

Bumi hesitated, choosing his words with more care than he’d ever shown before. That just made Iroh more worried.

“Aang was triumphant,” Bumi began, though he didn’t sound happy about it. “Fire Lord Ozai has been defeated.”

They’d kind of already known that, but Iroh supposed confirmation was good. “But?”

“While Aang and part of his group went to stop the Fire Nation’s army, two of them split off to go claim the Dragon Throne.”

Iroh’s brow knit. Why on earth would the Avatar’s friends think they had a right to make such a claim?

“Your nephew,” Bumi said softly. “He joined the Avatar.”

Iroh inhaled sharply in surprise, pride and longing rising in his chest. He missed his Nephew more than anything – and to learn that he had finally made the right choice–!

“He died,” Bumi said so bluntly that it took a moment for the words to process.

Iroh’s thoughts stopped in their tracks. “What?” he asked through lips that were suddenly numb.

“According to Aang’s note, your nephew challenged the Princess. They fought, but the Princess aimed for Katara, who had accompanied him. He – he protected her.”

Iroh shook his head, pressing a hand to his mouth. No. It couldn’t be true. Zuko couldn’t be gone. He couldn’t. 

Iroh hadn’t noticed that he was swaying until Bumi bended a chair under him and he was quite abruptly sitting. It was good, too, because his legs seemed incapable of working and he had felt grief too many times not to recognize the shock that was settling over him.

His last memory of Zuko was in the cell Ozai had stuck Iroh in, having to turn away from his nephew’s anger, hurt lancing through his heart. 

You brought this on yourself, you know. Zuko had said. We could have returned together. You could have been a hero! 

It had taken all of Iroh’s determination to ignore his nephew’s words.

You have no right to judge me, Uncle. I did what I had to do in Ba Sing Se, and you're a fool for not joining me. 

Iroh had remained silent. 

You're not going to say anything? Zuko lashed out, destroying a stool with firebending. You're a crazy old man! You're crazy! And if you weren't in jail, you'd be sleeping in a gutter!

Iroh had been relieved when Zuko had left and he hated himself for it. Zuko’s words hurt – but not as much as the knowledge that he’d failed another son. Zuko had taken the wrong path, and there was nothing Iroh could do about it now except try to protect his heart from further damage.

But somehow Zuko had chosen good! He’d figured it out and Iroh was so, so proud of him – and all the more grieved for it, because now he would never be able to show Zuko that. He would never have the chance to reconcile with his boy, because he was gone. 

Iroh was openly crying now and the look on Bumi’s face was worried and apologetic. “Aang wrote asking for advice. Right now, Princess Azula is set to become the next Fire Lord.”

Azula. His niece, who followed her father faithfully. His niece, who had murdered his nephew for the throne. 

The rage rising in Iroh’s throat scared him, though he wasn’t wholly sure of its target. Some of it was certainly directed at Azula, who had killed Zuko. But there was a good portion of that anger that was definitely aimed closer to home.

If he’d stepped up to become Fire Lord six years ago instead of letting Ozai claim the throne, things would be different. If he’d stopped the Agni Kai three years ago and challenged Ozai, Zuko might still be here.

Zuko was his son in all but name – and he had failed his son in a way that could never be remedied, because Zuko was gone.

Iroh’s breath hitched with sobs and his nose was clogged and he wanted nothing more than to break down and give in to his grief – but Bumi’s presence reminded him that he had responsibilities beyond himself, and if he’d just remembered that before, then maybe Zuko would still be alive.

But he wasn’t, and Iroh would forever have to live with the knowledge that he’d failed both his sons. They’d both died without knowing how proud he was of them and how much he loved them, and it was unforgivable.

His sons were forever out of reach and it was his fault and if he’d just manned up and taken on the responsibilities he was afraid of sooner, then maybe this never would’ve happened.

“Iroh,” Bumi began, voice uncharacteristically soft.

Iroh bowed his head, lip trembling as tears streamed down his face. Nonetheless, he attempted to pull himself together, because his boy had died fighting to end the war and overthrow Ozai, and that could only happen if someone else took the Dragon Throne.

“I will do what I must,” Iroh managed to say.

“I know,” Bumi said simply, reaching out to clasp his shoulder. Perhaps Bumi could tell that all Iroh needed space right now, because after a moment, he said, “You need time to process and mourn. I will respond to Aang. Tomorrow, the Order can bring you to the Fire Nation Capital once more.”

Iroh’s head jerked in a nod, cheeks wet once more. “Thank you,” he got out, voice hoarse.

Bumi nodded and left, giving him the opportunity to breakdown properly, crying out for all this world had taken from him and all the ways he’d failed his sons.

[the-air-nomad]

Our duty (part 2)

 part 1: https://www.tumblr.com/the-air-nomad/719043967998656512/our-duty-part-1?source=share

Sokka POV:

 After learning the wonderful news, my life underwent a 180-degree turn. First, I had to break up with Suki through a letter. At least now she will have a topic of conversation with Mai. Do I need to mention that Zuko already sent me a message in which he made fun of me with all the subtlety of a lion moose?! I think not! Then I had to witness Katara's argument with father about the fact that arranging the marriage of his own son does not help to prove to the new people from the North that arranged marriages are wrong and that children should be left to choose their own partners. At least Aang had the decency to console me and grieve for me. It would have been much better if he hadn't given a related monologue about how his life would end if Katara was no longer with him. OOGIES! I also received some encouragement from Toph, who advised me to stop crying like a baby koala sheep and to move on like the big boy that I am. Did you think that was the worst part? Nooo! Gran-Gran decided this would be a great time to spend some quality time with my new grandpa. So I had to learn to make an engagement necklace from master Pakku. I don't care what Katara and Aang say, that guy doesn't know how to teach at all. I received more than a dozen slaps on the back of the neck because I have no respect for tradition and for my future wife. In the name of Tui and La, I am a warrior not a jeweler! I hope that Yue is luckier than me and that she doesn't have to go through such torture!

Yue POV:

I can't believe that my father could do such a thing! I will die of shame! The worst thing was that he expected me to be happy! Yes, I really loved Sokka and I still love him, but even though his decision to leave me broke my heart, I had to accept his decision! I know that I also broke his heart when I confessed to him that I was engaged. I can't even think about the fact that he already had a girlfriend. I still remember the moment I found out about his new conquest. A messenger from the Earth Kingdom had come to the palace to announce the end of the war. I was so happy to learn that my friends had succeeded and so proud that they had become extraordinary heroes. Then the messenger started to tell some adventures of the avatar team. To be honest, I still hoped that now that Sokka had become a true hero, and also a prince, he would return to the North to shame all those who had doubted him and to ask for my hand in marriage. I had noticed that my father was thinking the same thing as me when he asked the earthbender more about the Water Tribe warrior. Our hearts dropped at the same time when we heard how Sokka snuck into the best guarded prison in the world alongside the fire prince, all to save his red-haired girlfriend and his father. Tears started to fall almost instantly and I ran as fast as I could to my room. It seems that my prince was already living a fairy tale with another girl.I don't even know how much time I spent crying. At some point I came to terms with the idea that Sokka couldn't have loved a boring woman like me. I'm just a little girl protected from the world, I don't have extraordinary intelligence or beauty and I can't fight. But my father was not reconciled to the idea that his princess was rejected in favor of a scumbag from the Earth Kingdom. He immediately contacted Master Pakku and they tried to do all kinds of things to facilitate a future marriage to unite our tribes. It seems that Master Pakku had not completely given up his old ideas and that he considered the fighter Kyoshi totally unsuitable for his new grandson. He even tried to convince the rest of the family members of this but was unsuccessful and had to give up in order not to sabotage his marriage. Although 5 years have passed in which my father tried to marry me without success, as soon as the problem of the independence of the South appeared, he did not hesitate to take advantage.Tui and La, please forgive me for taking part in such a dishonorable act and give me the chance to get revenge on Sokka and his family. 

Although I do not own the characters from avatar the last airbender, this work belongs to me! I sincerely hope you liked it and please rate it and leave a comment! follow me to see the continuation and to see my next posts! 💖💖💨

You can buy me a coffe if you want:  buymeacoffee.com/TheAirNomad

[discordiansamba]

lee's tiny flame sputters and dies.

in spite of herself, katara feels for him. his visible eye is wide in the kind of horror she's only ever seen on zuko's face once- when they'd both witnessed aang go into the avatar state for the first time. he clutches his head, and instantly she's by his side, crouching next to him. she never thought she'd care this much about zuko, after what he did in ba sing se.

she doubts he'd ever make the same choice now.

"lee," she says, "-I know this is hard to take, but-"

"out," lee says, "-get out."

she exchanges a glance with sokka and mai, and they both nod. katara gives lee's shoulders a reassuring squeeze, before she leaves with them. they need to give him space to process this. she thanks mai for her help, which is a strange feeling. it couldn't have been easy to come here. i mean, you're azula's friend, right?

mai scoffs. yeah. she was. but the choice wasn't hard- she just should have made it way sooner, back in ba sing se. katara's brow furrows, and she asks what she means. mai looks at her and tells her that she and ty lee didn't even know what azula was having done to zuko until she had him paraded before them, with an entirely new identity forced upon him.

"she made him serve us tea," mai says, "-she told us she was doing him a kindness. his father would never accept him back without the avatar. at least this way, he would be out of the way and happy, instead of permanently suffering in exile."

mai huffs after she says that. because yeah- anyone can see that azula was right about the happy part. lee had been happy. mai told her that she didn't realize at the time just how much of himself he was going to lose in the process of becoming happy. that she'd been too afraid of azula to do anything in the moment.

after all- if she could do that to her own brother, what was stopping her from doing it to them?

lee doesn't emerge from his room until the next day, drawn out by hunger. katara finds him in the kitchen, just staring at the ingredients in front of him like he doesn't know what to do with them. she calls out to him, and he turns his head to look at her. his eyes are puffy and red. he's definitely been crying.

"...do you want something?"

katara opens her mouth to say something, but instead she just nods. she'd already eaten an hour ago, but she sits at the table and lets lee cook for her. it seems to calm him down, at least. he makes them both tea, and sits across from her. he stares down into his cup, looking at the image reflected back in it.

"i can't think of myself as him," lee says quietly, "-i've been trying, but i just can't. i'm lee, katara. i've always been lee."

he swallows, gripping his tea cup a little harder. he looks up at her. there's fear in his visible eye. he asks what his father did to him- and then stares hard at the table. he's... not really my father, right? i know that. i know that, but I can't stop thinking of him that way. spirits. he hates this. he just wants to go home.

...ba sing se was never his home, was it?

lee doesn't know what to think.

he doesn't understand why lady mai is here. he wants to say that katara manipulated her in the same way she wants to manipulate him- except. katara's been here the entire time. he knows that for a fact. another waterbender, then?

but lady mai had said they couldn't even do that.

he didn't understand. lady mai was one of princess azula's close friends, but according to her, the princess had been lying to him. and katara... katara was telling the truth. he closes his eyes, thinking back to the way lady mai would always watch him out of the corner of her eyes. to their occasional morning tea sessions together. if lady ty lee had always been friendlier to him than someone of his lowly station deserved, then lady mai had always been aloof and proper.

and sometimes, lee realized, she looked at him with pity.

he doesn't understand. it doesn't make sense. if princess azula was lying to him, if what katara and lady mai say is true, then...

...no. it can't be true. it doesn't feel true. katara says his father was the one who brainwashed him, but lee loves his father. his father loves him. he's always been proud of him. that feeling can't be fake, can it? it feels real. he closes his eyes for a moment. tries to imagine himself being prince zuko, the banished prince of the fire nation.

he can't.

there's a knock on his door. he doesn't know why he opens it, but they're all standing out there. he stares at them, wondering what they see then they look at him. who they see. when he looks at himself in the mirror, the only person he's ever seen reflected back at him is himself- is lee. but have they ever seen him that way?

"sit down," lady mai instructs, "-I'm going to prove everything to you right now."

lee moves, almost mechanically. the way he expects a brainwashed person would move. he doesn't move that way. he sits on the ground, cross-legged like lady mai tells him to. she tells him to close his eyes and hold out his hands. to time his breathing with hers. he asks what they're doing.

she tells him he's going to firebend.

"this is the way they test for it in the fire nation," lady mai says, "-close your eyes. focus inward. find your inner flame and bring it out."

this is stupid, lee thinks. he's not a firebender. but if he does what she says and can't firebend, then he'll know they're all lying to him. that he's not some fire nation prince. that he's lee. maybe once he proves that to them, they'll let him go home.

he wants to go back to ba sing se so badly.

lee draws in and lets out a deep breath. he concentrates inwards. he has no idea what an inner flame is even supposed to be. he's always felt a warmth in his chest, though. he concentrates on that, and then... how would he even bring it out?

he hears katara and sokka suck in a breath.

lee's eyes flutter open. there's a tiny flame flickering in his palms.

"congratulations," lady mai says, "-you're a firebender, zuko."

lee barely hears her. he can only stare at the flame in horror. he's a nonbender. he's earth kingdom. he shouldn't be able to firebend. this is impossible. this has to be a trick, his mind whispers to him. you know who you are. you're lee, son of lan-wei and yuna. you're from ba sing se. you're a tea server.

...was he?

[randomfandomimagine]

They React To Seeing You Cry (ATLA Preference)

Characters: Zuko, Sokka, Aang, Toph, Katara

Requested by @mermaid-lost-in-a-sea-of-fandoms: i was wondering if you would mind writing an ATLA preference including at least Zuko, Sokka, Toph and Katara reacting to the reader crying out of nowhere cause she's been stressed and tired for a while

A/N: I added Aang because he also deserves some love, and because I’m so excited to write something for ATLA again, it had been a while! I’m so sorry that this happened to you, lovely, but I hope this preference helps and that you’re feeling better now!

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Want to send a request? Read my rules first, please!

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Zuko

When you camped during the night, you started to grow anxious. An emptiness had settled in your chest, and you found yourself crying all of a sudden, in front of everyone. They were all very confused, but Zuko was the first one to speak up. He felt a lot of empathy for you and wanted to help you somehow. Even if he’s a bit awkward about it, he listened to you vent about how you had been very stressed and worried, and he stayed with you all night until you feel better. “What’s wrong, Y/N? Want to talk about it?”

Sokka

When you burst out crying unexpectedly, Sokka is a bit shocked at first, he doesn’t really know what to do. He clumsily pats your back as he hears you babble about how tired you are and how you’re constantly worried about your friends. In the end, though, he will start cracking jokes to hopefully get you to laugh, or at least to smile. Once you feel better, you feel good enough to laugh a little and it’s all the more heartwarming when his face light up after yours does. “It was Zuko, wasn’t he? What did he say to you, Y/N, want me to kick his ass?” “Stop, Sokka...” “See, but you laughed”

Aang

Aang doesn’t really know what to do or say, how to help you and comfort you. He’s a great listener, though, so he’ll intently hear you until you have emptied your mind and your heart and you start feeling better once that weight is lighted off your shoulders. After that, Aang would try to cheer you up by being his usual optimistic self, reminding you of the good things. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better, Y/N. Tomorrow will be better, you’ll see!”

Toph

Toph... isn’t very helpful at first. She kind of lectures you, telling you to step up and forget about all those things and to just get back on your feet already. It was her way of trying to inspire you, but it had the opposite effect. In the end, she would playfully punch you in the arm and tell you that it’s okay to cry, she just wants to remind you how strong you are and how you can get back up. “You can face this and anything that is thrown at you, Y/N, you’re badass”

Katara

Katara would probably be the best at comforting you out of everyone. She is warm, understanding and is a great listener. She’s a fixer, though, so at first it was a bit overwhelming how she’s constantly throwing solutions at you when all you need is for her to listen. Realizing this, she grows quiet and nods her head as you speak, and only once you’re done she would tell you about how things can improve. “Feeling better? Glad to hear it. Talk to us next time, Y/N, we’re here for you whenever you need us”

Reblogs and comments are appreciated!! // Masterlist

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[linnoya-writes]

Zutara modern pregnancy AU

Katara and Zuko would be the last ones to hop on the parenting wagon, the two of them having met well into adulthood and enjoying this quality time with their best friend, the someone who finally understands their deepest and fullest selves.  

When they decide they’re ready to tackle parenthood, they’re the ones who’d spend that Saturday morning cuddling under the covers, gazing at the little “plus” sign on the pregnancy test, laughing with joy and a little nervousness.  They’d wait until the 25th week to fully announce it to family and friends, not just because of the risks but because it just feels so nice keeping this little news to themselves, as a couple, as something special they’re making together while the world continues to spin.  

Zuko would not hesitate to creep up behind Katara and kiss her temple before they leave for work... hands to her belly... saying how gorgeous she is and knowing how often she looks at herself, the baby-weight popping up in her face, her arms, her thighs. When he spoons her at night, in their bed...  his voice warmly whispering how beautiful and amazing she is… Katara has never felt so adored and protected.  

They would be the couple who would join a young-parents-to-be group in the neighborhood, and Katara would encourage Zuko to shop for a baby things with her, and Zuko would be happy to let Katara join in on assembling the crib, and would be adamant in testing the crib with a honeydew melon for at least a week to ensure that it is stable. He would keep track of Katara’s sleeping patterns and the pregnancy cravings as a reference for the baby’s sleep cycle and the foods the baby might eventually like.  He makes a point to stock up on Katara’s food cravings at home -- especially during the third trimester, when the cravings come anytime and in full steam ahead. 

Zuko would secretly be anxious at work, thinking about Katara and what she’s doing at home once she officially goes on her maternity leave.  He would check his phone every minute on the week of her due date, until she texts him one early morning with “Get ready, papa bear.  :)” 

And Zuko would head straight out of his office, excusing himself from whatever presentation or meeting he might’ve been currently in.  He would sprint to the hospital with Sokka, Suki and Hakoda already there in the lobby, offering him coffee and a pastry before he goes into the appointed room to see Katara getting prepped for delivery.  Aang and Toph would show up an hour later, with gender-neutral yellow balloons and a flying bison stuffed animal... but when Sokka says the baby hasn’t arrived yet... Aang slouches sadly, and Toph growls: (”SugarQueen and Sir Hotman are the most punctual kids on the planet.  You’re telling me their kid’s gonna take their sweet time showing up?  Nuh Uh.  Both my kids made it in the hour and we got WWE tickets tonight.  Let me in there....”  “Toph!”)

Katara’s calm and collected the first few hours, but as it becomes clear this labor will be dragging much longer... Katara’s patience and nerves wear thin, and Zuko is there as she starts to really sense the first signs of doubt, that feeling that things might not turn out perfect.  Zuko’s there with her after Toph and Aang leave for the WWE match, after Sokka and Suki say their goodbyes that afternoon, after Hakoda says his goodbye in the evening... as the labor drags on and on... as the contractions become more painful and more frequent.  Zuko holds her hand tightly as Katara begins to cry, cursing certain things to Zuko that she’d probably forget but he’d very much remember fondly (and would only refer back to years and years from now, if Katara ever chose to proclaim to people that she’s never once lost her cool -- and yet even then, Zuko would only use that information as a tease, never a weapon).  

Zuko would calm her with his voice, his words, his reassurance that he is there for anything that Katara needs... but he doesn’t ignore his own teary eyes.  Because he is scared, too.  

When the doctor advises Zuko to hand-deliver the baby himself -- a calming mechanism for his distressed wife in labor -- Zuko hesitates, but then agrees. Katara smiles and cries and breathes into a rhythm. The doctor instructs Zuko as he feels the sweat roll down his temples, and Zuko eventually coaches Katara himself on the pushing.  Katara grits her teeth between her cries, patiently telling the baby: It’s alright, sweetheart.  Don’t be scared.  It’s going to be okay.  Your father is here.  He’s waiting.  He wants to meet you... and the couple who made this yet-to-be-seen miracle together watch themselves become a team, all over again. 

And finally, after so many hours in the hospital room.... Katara delivers a screaming baby girl into the world, and Zuko almost loses his balance from the shock of holding this girl... seeing this amazing little thing so loud, and alive, and squirming in his hands.  When the nurse carefully asks for the girl from him, Zuko feels the first signs of fatherly protection pass through his system... something that’s been stirring in him perhaps longer than he’s realized... but as quickly as they come, they pass... and Zuko sees Katara next to him, and he remembers where he is.  He obliges with a smile, and then takes Katara’s hand.

When the nurses clean and bring the bundled baby to Katara, Zuko has never seen his wife more beautiful, despite her exhausted self... or more radiant, despite her puffy face, tired smile, baggy eyes.  

He is in love, all over again. 

When Katara sees Zuko taking the baby’s little hand, watching his face change as the little girl curls her fingers around her father’s thumb… Katara feels herself falling in love with her husband all over again, too.  

They spend the night in that hospital room, the three of them cuddled together. 

And when Katara whispers to Zuko that it would be a nice tradition... to have him help hand-deliver all of their future babies... Zuko can only smile his agreement.  Zuko lifts his arm to find Katara’s back, caressing it softly, and bringing his family closer to his heart.