#or: the au in which zuko is the uncle and iroh is the nephew. but they still (look) the same age

[discordiansamba]

that said the idea of Zuko being the spirits go to guy for problem solving is so funny to me. something something AU in which Zuko was born a hundred years ago and when Aang vanishes the spirits are just like. gee. we need a temporary bridge between worlds until he gets back so they just make a beeline for zuko. yeah you'll do. we're going to slap you with immortality. go forth and problem solve for us.

zuko: do I have the option to unsubscribe.

spirits: no.

local immortal firebender doomed to wander the earth doing whatever the spirits want of him. they promise they'll release him if the Avatar ever returns. Zuko is increasingly suspicious that won't happen. he doesn't have any cool spirit powers- he just doesn't die. or grow. he would have appreciated not being perpetually sixteen actually.

he can't prevent the war from happening. that's not what the spirits want from him. but he watches it all unfold- and he tries to help whenever he gets the chance. he somehow still manages to forge vague connections to the rest of the world. it's not why he's there, but he helps a young woman from the northern water tribe escape her unwanted marriage by fleeing to the south. he hates going to omashu because that bumi kid won't leave him alone- what do you mean he's king now.

he watches the war get worse. he watches the dai li grow increasingly corrupt. there's so much he wants to do, but the spirits usually won't let him intervene in mortal affairs. he belongs to them. just when he starts to believe that he'll never be free, the spirits tell him he has only one last task left. go to the south pole. escort the three children there to the north pole.

it's a weird request, but zuko literally cannot refuse, so he goes. kanna greets him. she's gotten older again since the last time he saw her. her son is off to war. her oldest grandchild is almost his physical age. they went out fishing and haven't returned. when they do, they arrive on a sky bison- and there's an airbender with them.

it's the fucking avatar.

after a hundred years, the avatar has returned... and instead of instantly releasing him from his contract, the spirits want him to be his babysitter. what did he do to deserve this.

(well. his father being fire lord sozin probably didn't help.)

[demaparbat-hp]

So I gotta ask since in the Spitfire Au zuko is traveling with Lu Ten ll does he end up meeting that earthnation couple and if yes does he ask them for food to feed Lu Ten?

The way you have read my mind.

I've been thinking about the Zuko Alone counterpart in the Spitfire AU for a while now, and it's so enthralling to me.

Uncle Iroh returned to the Fire Nation after the Siege of the North to do some damage control and protect his nephews from the inside. Sometimes he sends direct help via White Lotus agents (which is how Zuko and Ten Ten are able to reach Ba Sing Se!) but most of the time the siblings need to fend for themselves.

Zuko is going through one of the most difficult and unforgiving times in his life, but he pushes forward and does anything it takes to protect his little brother. He starves more than once just so that Lu Ten II doesn't go to bed hungry, and he resorts to stealing the essentials if that means his kid won't have to suffer as much.

Lu Ten II grows up a lot. He's smart kid. Way smarter than he should be. He knows things aren't good. He knows that his big brother is struggling. So he tries to help in any way he can.

When Zuko and Ten Ten come across that pregnant couple, the woman offers them what little food they have to share. She's kind, and gentle, and caring. She'll be a good mother.

Ten Ten refuses the food.

"We'll be okay, don't worry about us," he says brightly. "Your baby needs it more!"

(Zuko wants to cry, but he doesn't.)

[gay-dorito-dust]

pls more modern!au zuko x reader🥹

Probably has a pet lizard that he called Iroh Jr -adorably nicknamed little dragon- because his uncle is the person who gifted him the lizard, and zuko felt it fitting to name it after the man who had practically raised him while spoiling it rotten all the time.

Has perfected your favourite drink right down to a science. He knows he’s not great a brewing tea like Iroh, despite how much his uncle tried to save his feelings after taking the first sip, Zuko didn’t need much else to tell him that his brewing abilities could use some work.

He’s a determined boy who doesn’t give up so easily. Yeah he’d naturally get annoyed and feel as though he’d have a better time giving up than go ahead with another failed attempt. However uncle Iroh saw this determination and encouraged his nephew in his endeavours and remained calm and patient when Zuko grew agitated and annoyed by the lack of progress.

Zuko did get there soon enough and now whenever you came to the tea shop, Zuko could finally make your drink a hell of a lot better than most tea shops could. He’s proud of this fact and will unironically puff his chest like a proud bird when you praised his tea brewing skills, noting just how better they’ve gotten overtime.

Another date idea would be tea brewing with his uncle, while it might not sound like a date but trust me it very much is after Iroh decides to leave Zuko to teach you how to brew tea, which ends in you two coming up with silly, stupid names for your brews that ultimately ends in tears due to how hard you’ve laughed.

Oh Zuko defiantly introduced you to Iroh jr and needless to say it’s become a running joke that you only come to his house just to see his pet lizard, who is equally as attached to you as you are to him. Zuko will pout and huff like a little child at the fact that he didn’t have your undivided attention, but loves the bond you’ve made with Iroh jr nonetheless and finds it’s adorable.

Am I insinuating that’s he got pictures of your interactions? Oh yes indeed I am.

Zuko has probably been to an arcade once and never again because he got bested by a little kid at the claw machine, who had won the plush that he wanted to win for you easily. It was hilarious to bear witness to it all, but you were stuck with a sulking Zuko, who needed a lot of praise and comfort afterwards that you were more than willing to give him.

You: you tried your best babe.

Zuko: but it wasn’t enough, you had your eye on that plush and I failed to get it.

You: it’s okay because I’ve got the perfect alternative.

Zuko: and what’s that?

*You then proceed to hug him tightly and kiss his cheek as steam practically emitted from him and smile* I’ve got you.

Zuko: o-okay!

[stardust948]

Fire Family in Castlevania Nocturne AU

Azula was Head Priestess of the Sun Warriors in charge tending to the great Sun Spirit Agni's mortal form, a huge dragon. After he died, his hearts were stolen by vampire raiders before Azula could finish the ceremony. The surviving Sun Warriors left the city to settle down elsewhere, including her children, but Azula chose to stay behind. She eventually killed a vampire and drank his blood to become one herself. Azula embarked on a new journey to revive Agni and enact her revenge.

A few hundred years later, Azula broke into the dungeons under the Fire Palace to meet the Ex-Firelord Ozai; the world's cruelest Firelord. Under his reign, the Air Nomads were genocide, Water Tribes nearly wiped out, and Earth Kingdom thrown into chaos; all in the name of the strongest element Fire. Ozai was recently overthrown by his son Zuko and was awaiting execution. Azula was impressed by his accomplishments but not surprise since Ozai was one of her descendants. She offered him a chance he couldn't refuse.

To become a god.

After drinking Agni's blood, Ozai turned into a vampire and reclaimed his throne. Zuko sacrificed himself to give his family time to escape. The Fire Nation is thrown into a Civil War as people rebel against the self-proclaim Vampire Messiah but with Azula's help, the rebellions are squashed and influence spread.

Zuko's family formed a Vampire hunting clan called the White Lotus. They were the strongest vampire hunters with the most powerful firebending. They also had their special heirloom weapon, dual sword wielded by Firelord Zuko himself. But over the years they were picked off by Ozai and Azula's army until only a few remained; Iroh and his family.

Iroh and Ursa are siblings in this AU. They were orphaned at a young age, so Iroh raised Ursa and taught her everything he knew. They were an unstoppable team until Iroh's son Lu Ten was captured and turned into a vampire. Iroh killed him out of mercy and fell into a deep depression afterwards. But Iroh never told Ursa what happened so from her perspective it looked like he just gave up. They split over this.

Ursa took the dual swords and left the Fire Nation. She eventually had a son and named after Firelord Zuko. Ursa trained him how to fight vampires and firebend also.

Things get very dangerous in the Earth Kingdom as people rebel against their vampire masters. Ursa planned to send Zuko to a small village in the Fire Nation where their distant cousin clan, the Beifongs, live. Zuko wanted to stay with Ursa and help with the rebellions but on their way to the boats, they're attacked by no other than Ozai himself. He heard rumors of his son's decedents still alive and came to kill them personally.

Ursa hid Zuko then fights Ozai. It's a close battle until Zuko stepped in to aid his mother. This distracted Ursa which gave Ozai the upper hand. He cruelly killed Ursa and drank her blood in front of Zuko, who was too frozen with fear to move. Ozai was amused to learn the boy was named after his own traitorous son. So instead of outright killing Zuko, Ozai branded his face then told him they will meet again. Distraught, Zuko takes the dual swords from his mother's corpse then ran to the boat heading towards the Fire Nation.

A decade later, he does run into Ozai again. Zuko froze up like the first time as Ozai taunted him. Katara saved him then scolded him for freezing like that. They fight and Zuko ran off to clear his head. He found himself in a tea shop and watched the owner take out a couple of vampires like it was nothing. Zuko was amazed and struck up a conversation with him. It's eventually revived the owner was Zuko's Uncle Iroh who had been hiding out here for years. After some tension, he decided to rejoin the fight alongside his nephew.

With Katara, Toph, and a Vampire Family friend (I still haven't decided who yet), they take on Ozai and Azula and finally defeat them for good.

[king-bumis-armpit]

A Dirty Chai and a Black Tea with Cardamom, Part 2

A Maiko Modern AU

Summary: Aang, Katara, and Iroh have all decided that Mai and Zuko should be together. But will Mai and Zuko be able to overcome their own insecurities and pursue a relationship?

Link to Part 1 here.

Author’s note: I wrote the last section of this in a coffee shop and someone ordered a dirty chai. I think it’s a sign that this fic is approved by the universe XD XD

As I said in the last chapter, this idea was gifted to me by the absolutely amazing @cowpoopies ! Thank you again!! And– again– thank you to whoever’s reading this. Lurkers, likers, commenters, I love you all and I hope you have an awesome day <3

This one is a bit more unhinged than the previous installment I think. It’s super long for no reason and I fear it may be more ooc and self-indulgent than I originally intended. But I had a good time, so I won’t apologize, lol. I hope you all enjoy it regardless. <3 <3

TW: Curse words.

WC: 5,809

The tea shop was nestled serenely between the neighboring businesses, neither of which were open at this hour. Cars drove by occasionally, but the only other sound in the building was the hum of electricity through the many appliances. The green tables reflected onto the walls, creating a soothing effect.

Despite the calm, Zuko despised early morning shifts. He would never understand how Sokka managed to be so alive and cheerful at that hour of the day or what Uncle saw as the benefit of early rising. Yearning to walk up to his apartment and crawl back into bed, he slumped into the seat by the register and let his head rest on his palm. The ritual was almost meditative at this point, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

The bells on the door jingled, and pulled him back from the brink of slumber. Mai walked in with her friend, and Zuko straightened. His morning was instantly improved. He just hoped she didn’t catch him dozing off again.

The friend– Ly Chee or something– stopped to admire one of the pictures on the wall, and Mai approached the counter. She bit her lip, almost nervously, and Zuko suddenly became very aware that he was looking at her mouth. “Hey,” she greeted him. “Can you make me a black tea with cardamom, again?”

Zuko felt giddy. “Of course, you liked it?”

Mai blushed. “I didn’t hate it.” 

As she handed him her credit card, Zuko asked, “How’d the exam go?”

“I think it went really well. You’ll have to help me with my final too.” Mai gave a small smirk and shot him a wink. Zuko’s heart beat faster. Maybe Katara and Aang were right. He did have a chance!

Sokka materialized, drink in hand, and said, “Here you go, lovely lady.” Zuko frowned. He must have made the drink while Mai paid. It really wasn’t a big deal, but–

Mai sighed. Zuko went rigid. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

“It’s stupid. I was actually kind of hoping you would make it for me.” Her eyes met Zuko’s, and he was transfixed. She extended the cup to him, and he folded his hands around hers. “Will you take this back, and make me one of yours?”

He felt sparks where their skin met. “Baby, I’d brew your tea every day for the rest of our lives.”

“Really?” Mai gave him a rare smile and leaned across the counter. She was going to kiss him! Zuko closed his eyes, and leaned forward.

And forward. 

And forward, until he was falling. His face collided with the counter with a resounding bang. Uncle rushed out of the back room.

“Nephew! Are you okay?”

Zuko looked up, dazed. There was no Mai. Or Ly Chee. Or Sokka. It was just him and the old man. He pinched the bridge of his nose. It was sore but nothing felt broken, and he’d gotten in enough fights as a teen to know. “I’m fine. I just… dozed off.”

Iroh sighed and examined his face. “I know I don’t normally advocate for this, but maybe you should have a coffee to wake yourself up today.”

Zuko nodded. “I think maybe I should.” Uncle clasped a hand on his shoulder in a silent gesture of affection before returning to the back room. Zuko actually decided to make himself a chai with a shot of espresso. It was what Mai had ordered for himself on her first visit, and he’d never tried one.

She stopped by the shop almost daily now, sometimes with her friend, but she never lingered. Sokka would occasionally make small talk with her, in a way that Zuko envied but couldn’t quite replicate. His attempts always felt stilted and awkward. He knew that it was ridiculous to feel jealous of those mundane interactions when he hardly knew Mai, but he felt drawn to her. It had been a long time, maybe since Jet, that he had crushed so hard. A small dark part of him hoped that Mai was already in a relationship, so that he wouldn’t have to open himself up to potential rejection. 

He was so lost in thought and the making of his own drink, that he missed it when Mai actually walked in. She was standing by the register, observing him, when he finally noticed her.

“Oh! Mai, sorry, I didn’t see you.” He rushed over, but her face didn’t change. He would pay any amount of money for a window into her thoughts just then.

“No problem. I was debating what I should order.” She brushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear, and Zuko realized he hadn’t seen her with her hair down before. As expected, it looked really good.

“Well, you already know my favorite thing on the menu,” Zuko replied. Then he remembered his dream and felt a blush tint his skin. He prayed it wasn’t noticeable. 

“That’s right, but I never found out your Uncle’s.” She smiled teasingly. “I’m guessing Jasmine.”

Zuko’s jaw dropped. “How’d you know?”

Mai blinked, like she didn’t know what to say. “Are you… kidding? Your shop is called The Jasmine Dragon.”

At that moment, Zuko wouldn’t have minded if a chasm opened up beneath him and reclaimed him for the earth. The shop had always been called The Jasmine Dragon for as long as he was alive. He knew logically that his Uncle was the founder, but he had never pondered the implications before. His cheeks were now burning with twice the intensity and he knew it was definitely visible.

“I’d… never thought about it,” he croaked out.

Mai laughed, and– even though it was at his expense– it helped ease the tension in his chest. As far as he could recall, Sokka had never made Mai laugh. 

“Well, in honor of your Uncle, I’ll take a Jasmine tea.” Mai pulled out her wallet and Zuko rang her up. 

“Are you sure that will be enough caffeine to keep you going? We use a green tea base.” Zuko teased. Normally Mai ordered black tea or coffee, and she often added espresso shots. 

“It should be fine,” Mai replied. “My midterms are finally over so I’ve actually been getting sleep. What about you? Do you have any exams left?”

“Nope, a lot of my professors went with papers or projects this year instead, but I turned in my last one yesterday. So I’m really looking forward to going out this weekend.” Zuko decided to do some reconnaissance. Katara felt confident that Mai was single since she hadn’t mentioned anyone, but Zuko wanted to be sure. “Aang and Katara are really chill, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you wanted to bring someone.”

Mai rubbed her arm, “Oh, well… Ty Lee is going out with her new girlfriend this weekend.”

Zuko looked at her blankly until he realized that Ty Lee was Ly Chee’s real name. Then, he smiled, “I see. Is that why you’ve been flying solo? She doesn’t need to stare at Sokka for eye candy anymore.”

Mai’s eyes widened. “You all knew about her crush? I’m so embarrassed.” She ran a hand through her hair and Zuko tried not to be mesmerized.

He chuckled. “We didn’t know for sure, but Toph had a hunch. And for the record, I don’t think it’s embarrassing. Maybe a bit for Ty Lee, but not for you. You were just a bystander.”

Mai shook her head. “Toph’s hunches are always right. Anyway, I hope you're not expecting me to stop coming in. I’m officially hooked.”

Mai was never this talkative, and it filled Zuko with confidence. Maybe he could borrow a line from his subconscious. “I’ll brew your tea any day. You’re way more interesting than most of our customers.”

It was Mai’s turn to blush. “I– oh– thank you.”

And then Zuko realized he had not, in fact, started brewing her tea. As he fetched the tea leaves, he kept up his conversation with Mai. “How was Philosophy of Law?”

Mai sighed. “It was just as awful as expected. But I think I did okay. Jeong Jeong takes forever to post his grades so God only knows.”

Zuko hummed sympathetically. His concentration was on pouring hot water into the small personal kettle. Mai leaned over the counter, and watched with interest. “I’m impressed. I was lowkey expecting a tea bag.”

Zuko laughed. “Oh no! Uncle prefers loose leaf. He’s also especially particular with Jasmine, since flowers are involved. And don’t get him started on brewing times. When you hand people a to-go cup with a tea bag, they leave it in there all day. If you over-steep, it gets bitter and–” Zuko stopped. “I sound like him, don’t I?”

Mai smiled. “You really do. But that’s not a bad thing. There are worse people to emulate.”

Zuko smiled and went to grab a paper cup for the tea. The store had a few different branded designs, but he always gave Mai the red dragon one, since it was his favorite. Soon enough, the tea was done steeping and he poured it and snapped the lid into place. When he turned back to Mai she was fiddling with a small piece of paper. 

“Here you are,” he extended the cup and she offered him the paper in exchange.

“Thanks. Umm. I thought you should have my number. In case anything comes up before we hang out on Saturday.”

Zuko accepted the paper and forced his voice to stay casual. “Thanks. You’ll have to let me know how you like the tea.”

“Of course.” Maybe he was imagining it, but Mai’s cheeks seemed pink as she made her way to the door. 

Against his better judgment, Zuko felt hopeful.

— — 

Zuko: Zuko here :)

Mai: Hey. I liked the jasmine

Black w/ cardamom was better though

Zuko: Yes! I can’t wait to tell Uncle

He’ll say I brewed it wrong, but that’s bs

Mai: Don’t get too big of a head. He’s still my fav barista

Wait, actually it’s Sokka, lol

Zuko: -_- 

Talk about a big head. Don’t tell him you said that

Mai: Jk jk. You’re pretty cool ig

You did help me get an A on a JJ exam

Zuko: NO WAY 

The grades are in? Congrats! 

Mai: It’s all thanks to you and Katara. Seriously.

Zuko: I’m always happy to help

You know where to find me

— — 

Mai leaned against the wall of her dorm, waiting for Aang to pick her up. He offered to be the designated driver for the evening. Mai wasn’t going to drink, but she was more than happy to not have to deal with parking in the city.

She wondered if Zuko would be riding with them. Oh Zuko. She’d thought about him much more than was normal to think about your barista/tutor. She read and re-read their text exchanges, looking for evidence of flirting. Every time he messaged her, Ty Lee could immediately tell from her face, which was not good. Mai and Ty Lee had known each other since childhood, and yet the other girl had never known what she was thinking. Until now. 

And Mai, who considered herself decent at reading people, had no idea where to begin with Zuko. Most days when she went to the shop, Sokka and Uncle Iroh were the talkative ones. On the day she gave Zuko her number, he seemed much more open. But he had also asked her if she wanted to bring another person to the hangout, and that could only mean Ty Lee. Mai couldn’t shake the feeling he had a crush on the pretty gymnast. 

Then again, he seemed to know about her feelings for Sokka. And he called Mai interesting. And offered to brew her tea anytime.

But brewing tea was his job. He was constantly offering to brew people tea. And what if he saw Mai as an opportunity to get closer to Ty Lee? It wouldn’t be the first time, but normally Mai could sense such buffoonery before the guy even opened his mouth. Maybe Zuko's hotness was blinding her to his ill intent. 

She was over-thinking in circles. Maybe Zuko was normal and didn’t like anyone in particular. Or maybe he had a partner.

Mai ran a hand along the brick building. A memory came to her mind, unbidden. Her and her parents here at accepted students weekend. Her mom pulling her aside. Giving her one of her talks. 

“Mai, you really should be making more of an effort to smile. You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

Mai rolled her eyes. “You made me change out of my skirt this morning because it was too short. I thought I wasn't supposed to be catching flies.”

Michi stood imperiously, not even glancing in her daughter's direction as she spoke. “You don't want that kind of a man, darling. You want a husband.”

Mai wanted neither in that moment, and couldn’t quite tell the difference between the two. “I’m going to this university for a reason. So I won't need a husband.”

Michi arched her brow. “This is not the caliber of institution your father and I imagined for you.” Mai knew that well. It was part of the appeal. “Besides, you said you want to study philosophy? You’ll need a husband.” With that, Michi decided the conversation was over and went to walk through the dorm open house.

Mai contemplated staying at the side of the building and moping, but that would only hurt her and not her mother. She could point out that Political Science would be her primary major, and philosophy her secondary course of study. But her mother wouldn't remember no matter how many times she said it. Mai sighed. She donned disinterest and trailed after her parents at a distance. 

Here she still was. A college sophomore with a decent GPA, one close friend, and no self-esteem. She didn’t want a husband, but she wanted… something. Something that she had lacked in her previous relationship with Kei Lo. And she didn’t know how to untangle those desires from the pre-programmed path her parents wanted her to follow. 

Aang’s car pulled up– just five minutes shy of saving her from an existential crisis– and Mai saw Katara in the passenger seat and Zuko in the back. The thought of sitting next to him now made her slightly nauseous, but she had decided to be social today.

She composed herself and marched to the car. Aang greeted her as she sat and clicked her seatbelt. “Hey! It’s really nice to see you again.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s really nice to see you too. Thanks for inviting me out.” 

Aang gave her a winning smile. “Don’t even mention it.” He knocked on the dash twice. “Yip yip!”

Mai opened her mouth to ask, but Katara explained: “It’s for good luck. Aang’s car is like a hundred years old, so it breaks down sometimes. I’ve been telling him to just get a new one–���

“Aww,” Aang cooed. “Don’t listen to her, buddy. I’d never replace you.”

Mai found herself somewhat taken in by the bald man. He was quirky, but in a charming way. She could see why Katara liked him.

Zuko cleared his throat from the seat beside her. “Umm… hi. Uncle wanted me to give you this.” He extended a hand and offered her a small paper.

Mai noticed it was a voucher for a free drink. “What’s the occasion?” 

“Oh!” Zuko scratched the back of his neck. “I might have mentioned that you got an A on the exam and he said you should celebrate.”

Mai accepted the paper hesitantly. “Aren’t we… celebrating now? With dinner?” Zuko shrugged. “Okay, well, thanks.”

Mai didn’t want to appear ungrateful, but now that the exam was over it didn’t seem so monumental. Maybe Zuko did like her after all and it was an excuse to get her to come back to the shop! No, that was reading too much into it. Besides, she went to the shop everyday now, so his uncle was probably just being kind to a loyal customer. Her crush was clouding her mind an almost concerning amount. Maybe she should take a break from seeing Zuko after this.

Silence filled the car for just long enough to be awkward, and Aang turned on the radio for the rest of the ride. 

They had settled on a Mexican restaurant that Aang and his friends apparently went to quite a bit. The server recognized the group, and led them to a booth in the back.The location was quieter than the tables, but it was directly under a vent. Mai cursed herself for not bringing a jacket. Aang and Katara sat together, naturally, which left Mai next to Zuko. She was hyper aware of his proximity, but not unpleasantly so. In fact, with the chill she wished she could slide closer.

The server took their orders almost immediately since everyone else knew the menu. Mai– not wanting to make everyone wait– copied Zuko’s order and hoped for the best. And there were chips and salsa if Zuko secretly had terrible taste. 

Aang piped up, “You’re in your second year, right Mai?”

“Yeah. Same as Katara,” she replied. “What year are you?”

“I’m a Freshman.”

Mai was surprised. She could have sworn she’d seen Aang around last year. “Does that mean you all just met in the fall?”

“Oh no,” Katara said, leaning into Aang’s side casually. He wrapped an arm around her, smiling. Mai felt her singleness acutely. “Aang went to high school with Sokka, and I. And he’s been living with us for a few years.”

“And Sokka’s a junior?” Mai asked.

“Sokka and I are both juniors,” Zuko explained. “I met everyone when he started working at the shop.”

Mai nodded, trying to absorb all the new information.

“How did you meet Ty Lee?” Aang asked.

Mai took a moment to consider the question. “I honestly don’t remember. Our parents were friends, so we’ve known each other since we were really little.”

“Aww! And after all this time you’re still friends and you decided to go to the same college? That’s really sweet,” Katara said.

Mai hummed noncommittally. “I’m glad Ty Lee decided to stay close but I think the reason she chose to go where I wanted is because she doesn’t care about college at all. If she had her way, she’d run off and join the circus.” Aang laughed, but Mai’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m serious. When we were little we made this whole plan. She would be an acrobat, and I would be a knife thrower.”

“That makes sense since Ty Lee’s into gymnastics. But why did you choose knife-throwing?” Katara asked.

“What do you mean?” Zuko interrupted. “Knife-throwing is like the most badass part of the circus. What else would she do? Juggle?”

Mai laughed. “No, Katara’s right. I actually do have a reason. I’ve been taking knife-throwing lessons since I was seven.”

Everyone at the table stared at her, until Zuko burst out: “That’s so fucking cool!”

Katara agreed, “That’s– like– amazing, can you teach me?”

“Wait a minute,” Aang held up his hand. “That’s awesome, but why did you start taking knife-throwing lessons?” Zuko made to speak and Aang pointed at him, “Other than generally badassery.” 

Mai blushed. She was always slightly embarrassed to tell this part of the story. “I loved this comic series as a kid, and the main female character was a knife thrower. I hated school, so my parents made a deal with me that if I got good grades I could keep going to my knife-throwing lessons.”

“Hang on,” Zuko grabbed her arm. “Are you talking about Nanami from The Adventures of Piandao?”

“Yes, wait, you know the series?” Mai asked.

Zuko smiled. “It was my favorite as a kid! My sister and I used to have fake sword fights all the time. But nobody I’ve met has ever read it.”

Mai sympathized. “I know! I tried for ages to make Ty Lee read the first volume but she never would. I think it’s the art style. I should check it out from the library and give it a re-read.”

Zuko looked smug, and Mai raised an eyebrow. “What if I told you that I had the whole collection and you could borrow whichever ones you want?”

“Then maybe you would be my favorite barista,” Mai smirked. 

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Nevermind,” he teased. “Anyway, I think you should start your reread with the blue spirit arc. It’s the best one.”

“You have got to be joking!” Mai noticed that Katara and Aang had grown bored of the conversation and were having their own. “Nanami is the best character and so the best arc is the Lady of a Thousand Blades, where she’s introduced.”

“But she has that whole fight scene with the blue spirit!”

Mai rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and he wins because her dart holsters jam. Then, Piandao has to rescue her. Like that would ever happen. The author is a coward and a misogynist.”

“Oooooooooor she actually lost because her focus was compromised…”

Mai groaned. “You ship the Blue Spirit and Nanami? Who even are you?”

Zuko’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean? Of course I ship the masked vigilante and the knife-throwing warrior. They would be such a power couple.”

“This is why Sokka–”

“If you say Sokka’s your favorite barista again I’m gonna scream.”

Mai laughed. “I overplayed the joke? I’m sorry.” She felt a cold rush of air from the vent and shivered.

“Are you cold?” Zuko asked, sounding slightly concerned.

She rubbed her arms. “It’s fine, I just normally wear long sleeves.”

Zuko took off his zip hoodie and extended it to her. “Here, take this.”

Mai accepted it, but made no move to put it on. The fabric was softer than she had imagined, and still radiated Zuko’s warmth. “Are you sure?” she asked. The gesture felt momentous somehow.

“Of course,” Zuko assured her. “I run hot.” 

“Oh really?” she deadpanned. “I’d like to see that.”

Zuko nudged her lightly. “Shut up and accept my kindness.”

Mai snorted. “You are a true gentleman. I can see the influence of Master Piandao within you.” She slid the hoodie on. Their food arrived shortly after. While Zuko was distracted, Mai discreetly inhaled the scent of the garment. It smelled a little bit like the tea shop, a little bit like the library, and strongly of Irish Spring soap. She liked it. A lot. 

— — 

Mai: I still have your hoodie

Zuko: That’s okay. I have others

You can bring it to the shop sometime

Mai: Ok. I’ll probably come in later today

I can’t study without tea now

Zuko: If you need a break from studying, you can borrow a Piandao comic

I’m not working today, but I’ll be in the building

Mai: I don’t want to bother you on your day off

Zuko: You’re not a bother. You’re my friend

Mai: I’m friends with a Blue Spirit x Nanami shipper :0

Zuko: Guess so :P 

I only lend books to friends

Mai: Valid. Acquaintances can’t be trusted

Anyway, I think I’ll take you up on your offer

Zuko: Great! Text me when you get here

— — 

Zuko paced his room, occasionally reorganizing the knick-knacks on his desk. Yesterday’s “double-date” had gone better than he imagined. Mainly because he kept imagining worst-case scenarios. But thankfully, none of them had come to fruition. Instead, he and Mai had talked the whole night, about their favorite comic series, their shared major, awful professor stories, and favorite foods. He fell asleep replaying the conversations in his head. 

He needed to ask her out soon, before he lost his nerve. 

And it seemed would get his opportunity when she came for the comic. 

He scanned his room for the nth time, hoping that it looked presentable. He kept the space neat, but it was fairly small. When he leaned back far enough in his desk chair, he hit the edge of his bed. On the wall in between the two, he wedged a secondhand bookcase, home of the aforementioned comics and his other favorites. He purposely stored his school books in a bin at the bottom of his cramped closet so he wouldn’t have to look at them unless he needed to. 

He used to have a much larger room when he lived with his father, but… well… this was preferable by far. He had some family pictures on a shelf above his desk but none of them featured that man. 

His phone buzzed.

Mai: I’m here

Save me. Sokka’s making a joke about boomerangs

Zuko laughed, and made his way down the stairs and through the back room. By the time he arrived on the scene, however, Mai was speaking with Uncle instead of Sokka. 

“-- and he had the cutest little fascination with ducks. He used to beg me to take him to the park to feed them. He named them all too!”

She laughed demurely, and Zuko’s cheeks flamed.

“UNCLE!” he ran up to them. “Do you have to tell everyone that story?”

“What?” Uncle put on his best impression of innocence. “I think it’s cute.”

“That’s not–” Zuko’s voice cracked. “That’s not the point.”

Mai, still smiling, came to the old man’s defense. “It is kind of cute.” Zuko noticed she was holding his hoodie with both arms crossed around it in a form of embrace.

“I-I guess so, yeah,” He found himself agreeing impotently. 

Uncle chuckled. “You two have fun!” Zuko could see the gleam of mischief in the tea-maker’s eye. If embarrassment were lethal, he would be in critical condition. 

He escorted Mai behind the counter and back to the safety of his room. “Sorry about Uncle. He’s…”

“He’s lovely,” Mai cut in. “You don’t have to apologize.” Zuko felt himself fall a little bit harder.

Mai took in the small room for a rather long time, expression impassive, and Zuko worried that it had failed her test. She looked at him with expectation, and he realized she was waiting for him to take the lead. “Feel free to sit anywhere.” He gestured awkwardly at the chair and the bed. She opted for the chair, so he sat criss-cross on his sheets. 

She tossed his hoodie at him and it landed in his lap. “Thanks for letting me borrow that.”

He recalled how she looked wearing it, and he swallowed. “Oh, yeah, anytime.”

She swiveled the chair to face the bookcase. “So this is your collection? I’m jealous.”

Zuko smiled, “Well, I’m giving you unrestricted access, so don’t knife me down.”

Mai chuckled. “I’m pretty sure the term is stabbing. And I don’t stab my friends.”

“Good policy.” Zuko watched her run her fingers over the spines before choosing a volume to flip through. He had referred to them as friends earlier in the day, but the word felt like an obstacle now. 

Mai turned her scrutiny to the shelf above the comics, and Zuko bit his lip. It felt strangely intimate to be sharing the contents of his personal library so openly. Mai selected one and Zuko recognized it immediately as Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. “Did you read this for Prof. Pakku’s Mass Incarceration class?”

“No, actually,” he replied. “I read it in high school. It’s actually part of the reason I chose to study political science.”

Mai nodded. “It’s very inspiring. Do you want to work as a defense attorney?”

“I think so. I’ve always thought about going into law because my dad is a lawyer. But when I read this book, I realized that he has never once used the power he has to help people.” Zuko could taste the bitterness in his own voice. His scar itched. “When I discovered that there was a different way of doing things, it kind of frightened me at first. I truly didn’t know that kindness was an option. God, that probably sounds so fucked up.” He winced and looked away.

But Mai reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. “No… it’s more relatable than you think.” Her touch was light and she removed her hand too soon. 

As she put the book back on the shelf, Zuko cleared his throat. “Anyway, why did you choose poli sci and philosophy?”

She sighed. “Honestly, my high school guidance counselor told me I had an aptitude for philosophy. And political science sounded like the kind of thing that my parents would approve of.” She rested her chin in her hand, and she looked like the sculpture by Rodin. “I know it’s callous, but my parents are more into image than impact.”

Zuko shook his head. “I promise you, I understand that completely. But maybe we can do something better, right? Ever since moving in with my uncle, I’ve seen the amount of good that actually exists in the world.” 

Mai smiled. “You sound like a hero. Seriously, you sound like you could be in a Piandao comic or something. I think you, and Katara, and Aang are all going to do amazing things one day.��

“What about you?” he asked.

Her expression returned to calculated calm. “I’ll probably be drinking tea somewhere.”

“All right then.” He nudged her foot with his own. “I’ll brew your tea while you write groundbreaking legislation… or philosophical treaties.”

Mai chuckled, and reached for another comic.

— — 

Ty Lee: Are you still alive?

Mai: Yes?

Ty Lee: Again, but with confidence

Mai: Yes! I’m alive

Ty Lee: Good

I was starting to think Zuko murdered you

Do you even know what time it is?

Mai: Oh shit

I actually didn’t

Leaving soon

Ty Lee: Take your time ;)

— —

Mai swore that time passed differently in Zuko’s room. She felt like she was only there for an hour at most but she checked her phone and realized it was 8:30 and the tea shop was closed for the day. So much for her homework.

Her conversation with Zuko about the future had deeply affected her. He and his friends had such a passion for the world. It was a skill she was only just learning about for herself. A dull blade in her arsenal. For so long, she had walked through life with numbness and composure, believing it was enough. 

She didn’t want that anymore. Could she do something useful? Like write ground-breaking legislation?

Maybe being around Zuko and his friends would… help.

Zuko let her choose a few of her favorite Piandao volumes, and before they went downstairs he tried to offer her his hoodie once more. “It’s probably cold outside now that the sun is setting.”

She’d been lying if she said she wasn’t tempted. “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of my returning it today?”

Zuko shrugged. “You can just bring it back with the books. Like I said, I have others.”

Mai accepted it after some consideration. “I’m starting to think you just like seeing me.”

“Yeah, yeah, come on,” Zuko blustered as he led her down the stairs and out into the empty shop. Iroh was the only person who remained, as cleaned the machines and tidied up for the night. 

Mai paused at the counter. “Thank you for inviting me over. I’ll see you both soon.”

“Of course, enjoy the comics–”

“Wait!” Uncle Iroh held up a hand. Mai jumped, not expecting an outburst from the sweet old man. “Aren't you going to walk her home, Zuko?”

Zuko’s face reddened. “I– Umm– Well– Uh–”

Mai came to his rescue. The poor guy had just spent all day with her, and he was probably done. “That’s okay. I’m trained in self-defense, I don’t need an escort.”

Iroh nodded, “That’s great! I’m glad my nephew will be safe with you. But honestly, I wasn’t thinking about practicality.”

Mai tilted her head in confusion, and she was going to ask what he meant when Zuko sprang into action. He grabbed her hand and led her to the door. They moved so quickly that the familiar tables became a green blur. “You’re right, Uncle, we’ll be going now.” The bells rang loudly as he swung the door open and let it slam behind them. 

He marched her out of the shop and all the way to the end of the street before releasing her hand. He looked away and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about that. Uncle, isn’t exactly… subtle.”

Mai pulled Zuko’s hoodie tightly around herself. It was cold and Mai was glad she accepted it once more. “Don’t mention it. And you don’t have to walk me all the way to my dorm. I know it’s late and you probably don’t want to be out here in the cold…” She caught herself rambling, an unfortunate habit that she believed to be a relic of her youth.

Zuko looked at her and narrowed his eyes. “Do you really not know?”

“About what?”

He took a deep breath, like he was steeling himself for something. “I like you.” Mai blinked. “I have a crush on you.” Mai blinked again. “But, uh, you probably don’t feel the same way and I totally get that. You can keep the books and the hoodie and I can get you the schedule for when I work so you can avoid me but still go to the shop–”

Mai snapped out of it. “I like you too.” 

“Really?” Zuko asked in a small voice. Beautiful Zuko. The hot barista. The brilliant upperclassman. The boy who wanted to change the world. He liked her. And he was looking at her with such joy on his face.

Mai felt giddy. She laughed. “Yes, of course.”

“Wow,” Zuko breathed. “You're so cool, and so hot, and so smart. I thought I never stood a chance.”

“Shut up and kiss me right now.”

He obliged, caressing her cheek and leaning in. It was awkward at first. Mai’s hands were full of books, and Zuko’s nose brushed against hers. But when their lips fit together, it felt right. It tasted like black tea, and espresso, and the spices in chai.

They pulled apart, reluctant and shy once more. Zuko, still leaning close, whispered, “You’re just so out of my league. How do you not see that?”

Mai felt her pulse flutter. “Hey, that line only works once.” Zuko blushed and Mai laughed. “Besides, don’t sell yourself short. You’re really kind to your uncle and you’re good with school. And, as I said, you’ll be a hero one day,” she teased him lightly.

Zuko smiled at her. “Oh please. If anything, I’m your sidekick. The butler to your Piandao.”

Mai laughed. “Okay then. How about we ride off into the sunset now?”

Zuko wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Gladly.”

[sawpaingsheadband]

The very personal ramblings about an AtlA AU by yours truly: A thread.

Look, listen. I am not making up a plot, because this is more like "which one is a bender/non-bender and what element were they bending if they were in an AtlA Universe".

That's all I have.

I am gonna take into consideration mainly AtlA. Feel free to suggest/discuss in comments, reblogs and replies <3

I am gonna insert a cut bc I assume it's gonna be long. Also, it's probably going to be several posts, sorry about this. It's gonna be 4-5 characters per post.

PREMISE

I am going to base my ramblings off the quote Uncle Iroh says to Zuko when he starts training again his nephew in S2, most notably the following:

[Drawing the Fire Nation symbol in the dirt] Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. [Drawing the Earth Kingdom symbol] Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. [Drawing the Air Nomad symbol] Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns, and they found peace and freedom. [pause] And they apparently had great senses of humor. [Drawing the Water Tribe symbol] Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything.

I am going to also consider my gut feeling, the characters personalities and all variables.

I am not taking into consideration LoK just because there are a lot of things that conflict directly with AtlA and also I am not trying to swing a bat towards a nest of particularly nasty wasps.

That said, here I am with the first part of my ramblings.

THE FIGHTERS

I am starting with them just because it's easier.

Tokita Ohma: I think he would be a waterbender. The water kata in the Niko style comes to my mind, I think the whole redirection speaks a lot of waterbending. He also like gains friends and gets along with everyone. He relies a lot on their support, starting from Yamashita Kazuo and then all of the other fighters. His approach is a "go with the flow" kind and overall I think it'd be perfect for a waterbender. Would he be the Avatar? Eh. Meh. Boring. I kind of am thinking of Koga as the Avatar, but I will discuss this later.

Kiryu Setsuna: I am having a lot to deliberate about him. Do I want him to be a bender? Nah. He would be Fire Nation, but in the way Mai is Fire Nation. He'd be a deadly hand-to-hand fighter, that's sure, he probably has practiced a lot, but I don't think he would be a bender at all. The man wants to NOT be flashy and firebending would really go against his "keeping a low profile" kind of schtik. Now, would he be a POISONS master? Hell yeah. He knows his herbs and will use them to harm, opposite to Dr. Hanafusa, who has the same skillset, but a different ethic around using that.

Gaolang Wongsawat: now, I think he would be a perfect Earthbender (tiger style). Enduring, solid, facing stuff head on, etc. I have also seen the punches and the kicks this man lands, they are as solid as the crust of the earth. I don't think he is good with changes and he needs something really big for him to do stuff differently. He is a very good earthbending master and he probably does the earthbending tournaments too. Hope he has not fought the Blind Bandit yet lol.

Hatsumi Sen: now, here is another easy one. He would be an airbender. Would he be an ORTHODOX airbender? Oh absolutely not. He'd be a nightmare, but his techniques are flawless and he has got the spirit of an airbender. And also a very good sense of humour lol, though Shino would not find it amusing. He technically is a master, practically he was never formally recognized due to the whole being unorthodox and lax following of the rules.

Yoroizuka Saw Paing: now, here I am very undecided, but I think that based on his backstory I can concoct something. Now, I fully believe he is a firebender all the way, but because his dad and his older brother died, then I think he would have been taken by the in-universe equivalent of Kiyoshi Island (Village of the Dawn?), and so the community and the village made him change. He may or may not be an honorary member of the Kiyoshi warriors, firebending and all.

---

Thoughts? Comments? Who should I do next?

[attackfish]

What are your headcanons for an AU in which Mai is Iroh's daughter?

1. So the first thing I have to do when constructing an au like this is determine what would be the default that this AU is deviating from, and from anon we know very little about Iroh's family. We know he has a son, lieuten, who is roughly 10 years older than his brother's oldest child, Zuko, and we can surmise from this that he must have had a female companion at some point. Since we don't ever see ozai questioning his nephew's legitimacy, and we all know he would, we can surmise that Lu Ten's mother was Iroh's wife. We also know that she has vanished before Zuko was around ten, and probably in fact disappeared before he was born, or at least while he was a very young child.

My sort of pet theory is that both Ozai and Lu Ten's births resulted in their mother's deaths, and I have in fact had some fun exploring how this particular parallel, and how Ozai, being the unfavorite because his father holds him responsible for killing a much-loved wife, might have feelings about Lu Ten, growing up the apple of his father's eye. But anyway, that can't really happen in this AU, or it could but it would involve a lot of extra complication of Iroh remarrying, and who would his new wife be. So instead, that place is taken by Mai. Mai's birth results in her mother's death. And much like Ozai, she is the younger child, with a significant gap whose birth killed her mother.

2. Mai is born the younger child of Iroh, crown prince of the Fire Nation. The pregnancy had been a surprise, after many years of they're only ever having been Lu Ten. Iroh and his wife went from shock to joy to anticipation, to relieve and joy at Mai's birth, and then a few days after the birth, fear, as the wife of the Crown Prince grew sick with childbed fever, and then, when her death left him alone, Iroh mourned. But Iroh is not alone in his grief. His father went through the same thing many years ago, and of course his eleven year old son grieves for his mother. But Iroh feels almost guilty for how little he mourns. His wife was a good wife and a good woman, but their match was arranged and they were always more friends and partners than lovers, and he misses her, but the grief never threatens to overwhelm him as it did his father all those years ago. And he loves his daughter very much.

3. Little Princess Mai grows up with a father and brother who love her very much, a grandfather who ignores her, an uncle whose lip curls whenever he sees her, and an aunt who warmly welcomes her to play with her own children, the other little prince and princess. It's a warm little jewel of a childhood, safe and happy. But then one day her father goes off to war and takes her brother with him. She is seven years old, and though she doesn't quite realize it yet, nothing will ever be the same again. She has seen her older brother for the last time, and when her father comes back he will be a different man.

4. Iroh held off going to war again after his daughter was born, but she's old enough now to go to school, to the Royal Fire Nation Academy for Girls, and her cousin is going with her, and the time has come he thinks, to go to war. So he leaves his daughter in the care of his father and his brother and his brother's wife, and her teachers and her friends, and goes off to conquer Ba Sing Se. And at first, Mai thinks that this might be okay. The first thing that happens when she goes to school, is that she meets another girl and makes friends with her. This is the first friend she's ever made.

5. But without Iroh there, with Azulon paying no attention to his Royal grandchildren at court, with only Ozai and Ursa watching over them, Azula starts to come into her own, and Mai soon finds her new friend stolen away from her.

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

ok meds are making me eepy so before I go sleep the idea for the au that incidentally also came from a dream last night (this happens to me a lot idk why) was basically that benders bear physical marks from the animals and spirits they learnt bending from (so like the moon and ocean for waterbenders badgermoles for earthbenders). idk why but it was a dream and looked cool.

but anyway the thing was that like obviously kataras backstory went different bc she could visibly be identified as a waterbender from birth. so like instead of kya protecting her by saying she was the last waterbender she was captured at a very young age (kya was still killed trying to protect her but even a bunch of fire nation soldiers weren’t going to kill like a fucking five year old like i don’t even think they were necessarily the southern raiders) but she managed to escape after years of being in the same awful conditions of like hama. she didn’t figure out bloodbending tho they did prepare for that (by making sure there were no vermin for her to study on) she figured out the sweat thing and also that humans are mostly water in a. much more bloody and traumatic way. she was eleven it was very scarring to have to do that.

so she like snuck on a ship after escaping in like the desperate hope that they’d go near home and she could escape but she ends up being discovered pretty easily bc she’s eleven and shit at being a stowaway. but like again she was eleven and we all know what would have happened at that point in the timeline so she has the luck of being on like zuko's exile failure ship and she’s found by uncle iroh so she’s like. fine. so that’s how her and zuko ended up being like friends (reluctantly on his end bc he's still kind of an elitist prick but he is also thirteen and like any contact with someone relatively his age is kind of hard to angst ur way out of). she’s there for a few months-ish before like they’re close enough to her tribe that she can peace out and go home but like she still remembers them as like “that one weirdly nice fire nation guy and his nephew who was cool and we stayed up late talking about trauma once that was cathartic”. which of course means the dynamic when she’s like 14 and the events of the series happen are way funnier bc this is like the kid she was hanging out with for a few months and how do you handle that when he wants to kidnap ur other friend like.

[the-badger-mole]

AU Bot Plots:

I've already done this prompt, but I have more I want to share now. This was an opening I was considering for this office romance AU I've been poking at for a few years now. I don't know if it will make it into the final cut (or if there will even be a final cut), but I thought it was cute. Enjoy!

Zuko had- for lack of a better word- inherited his new assistant when his uncle semi-retired. Zuko vaguely remembered Katara from her days as an intern at Dragon Tea Company, back when he had been assisting Iroh while he worked on his business masters. He noticed her across the office a few times because she was cute, but despite his uncle’s encouragement that he ask her out, Zuko never said more than a few words to her. She didn’t seem all that interested in speaking to him either, though, so Zuko didn’t feel that bad about it. Then Zuko had finished school, and tried to work at Sozin with his father. It had not gone well, and both men decided that it would be better if they didn’t work at the same company. That was the story the public was told, anyway.

Iroh offered his nephew a job at his company instead, which later became him instating his nephew as the corporate head of the multinational, billion dollar cafe chain. Katara at this point had been Iroh’s assistant for a bit over a year, hired by the aging CEO right out of undergrad. In a bit of parting advice, Iroh recommended that Zuko keep Katara on as his assistant.

“I would have offered her your job,” Iroh confessed, “but she’s still working on her masters.” Zuko agreed, not really caring one way or another. He figured he could always fire her later if it turned out his uncle was exaggerating.

He was not exaggerating.

Katara worked with an efficiency that was almost frightening. There were times when he thought that she could read his mind. Her name would barely be on his lips before she appeared with a file or phone number or lunch he had only just thought to ask for. A few times he asked her how she could have possibly known what he was going to say. She would just smirk and reply cryptically.

“I’m the Avatar,” she told him once.

On another occasion she said, “Oh, I have this entire building wire tapped.”

“Yes, Zuko,” she said once with an unnerving gleam in her ocean blue eyes, “I can read your mind.”

[masterghandalf]

MG Reads Embers: Chapter One

Note: This is a continuation of my reread and commentary of Embers by Vathara, originally posted last fall and winter on my Dreamwidth account.

Chapter One NOTE: This is the first chapter of Embers proper, and per FF.net was first published a few months after “Theft Absolute.”

This chapter opens with an author note: Anything Avatar, not mine. (Like anyone had any doubts.) Timeline, starts within a day or two after "Theft Absolute", but before they meet up with the idiot whose dao the Blue Spirit steals. Fair warning, in this AU Iroh is less of the Martyr for Love and much more Retired Badass. No good general, no matter how peacefully retired, is going to let an officer in training get away without having some sense knocked into him. Plus, dragons get a lot more involved in the story, and the whole "fire is life" bit gets a��lot more play. The chapter itself begins as Zuko snaps awake, initially fearing an ambush before realizing that he was just startled by Iroh’s snoring. We learn that Zuko is still aching from some of the wounds he sustained during Zhao’s assassination attempt on him, and that he feels Iroh must be doing even worse (though he’s reminded of what happened the last time on their journey when Iroh tried to take a relaxing soak). Zuko thinks about how he’s never been able to sleep well since his mother disappeared, and a moment later Iroh also wakes up, complaining of his old bones but saying he’ll be able to manage until the next town. Zuko has him turn over, forcing heat – but not fire – into his hands, and starts massaging his uncle’s back muscles.

Iroh compliments Zuko on his “interesting adaptation” of firebending, and Zuko claims it wasn’t an adaptation, while flashing back to Ursa’s disappearance. He says it’s based on something his mother used to do whenever he hurt himself in training, trying to keep up with Azula. Finishing up, he asks Iroh if they can get going now; Iroh is a bit bemused by the idea of eating on the road but assures Zuko he’ll be fine; Zuko is just glad he didn’t want to talk about Ursa more. We’re suddenly in Iroh’s perspective, as he wishes he’d had more time to talk with Ursa before Azulon died and she vanished. He then has a flashback to when he was awakened by a servant on the night of Zuko’s birth; it seems that Zuko was born at midnight, an ill-omened time for the Fire Nation, and was sickly and considered unlikely to live, so Ozai had already left the room when Iroh arrived. Ursa had thrown all of the servants and physicians out and called for firewood. When Iroh arrived, he saw Ursa sitting by the fire, and holding flames of all colors in her hands – and as the flames flickered, the healthier Zuko seemed to become. Iroh realized that he was witnessing firebending healing, and when it seemed the crisis was passed, he told Ursa she needed to rest. She was shocked to realize he’d seen, but Iroh considered it to be a mother caring for her son, no more. Ursa introduced Iroh to his infant nephew, Zuko… and as Iroh looked into the baby’s eyes, he was stunned to see they weren’t blue, but were already solid gold! Ursa explained that she was also born like this, and Ozai, who hates things he doesn’t understand and can’t control, mustn’t know. Iroh assured her that he would only tell Ozai he saw Ursa caring for her son, and asks if he could learn the technique, which he was able to do to only a limited degree, enough to perform basic battlefield first aid on himself. He never learned where Ursa learned it, but he knew enough to understand that the multicolored flames were dragon fire.

Back in the present, Iroh thinks about how he’d thought Zuko had never learned the technique, but he’s starting to realize that he was wrong, and is stunned by the implications of a healer as the Fire Lord’s heir. Iroh thinks back to Azula’s attempt to capture them in “The Avatar State” and how she’d never dare do such a thing without Ozai’s approval, and how Zuko’s death would guarantee her own position as heir. All of which means that, as things stand now, they can’t ever go home, though Zuko hasn’t realized it yet. He then asks Zuko about how they should go about getting a warm bed; Zuko says that they’re royalty and should be able to get what they want, but Iroh reminds him that the Earth Kingdom has no reason to respect that. However, they might be able to trade if they had something valuable, like polished stones. Zuko is nonplussed by the idea, but he’s been educated about things like the products of the Fire Nation’s mines, and Iroh has already spotted some likely-looking stones on what must be a dry streambed. Zuko complains that this will never work, but he nonetheless helps Iroh start hunting for rocks, as iroh reflects that he’s at least willing to try and the scene ends.

MG’s Thoughts We really have two main plotlines in this chapter – Zuko and Iroh’s traveling in the present, and Iroh’s flashback to Ursa and Zuko’s birth. The present-day story is pretty innocuous here, once again, mostly focusing on Zuko and Iroh’s dynamic as the two of them travel together. In that respect it’s pretty low-key, like “Theft Absolute” and a lot of Embers’ first arc, and like them it’s really remarkable in hindsight to see the huge fic that this became originating from something so straightforward. The biggest event in the present is Zuko’s tapping into fire-healing in a minor way, which ties into Iroh’s flashback in a much bigger way. Now, fire-healing is one of the fic’s biggest concepts, especially early on, and while I’ve sometimes seen the idea criticized… I’m fine with it. Fire and water are the two elements that seem the most likely to have healing powers (water because the body is mostly made up of it, and fire because of its associations with energy and life) and in a way it eventually made it into canon (in the frame story of “Beginnings” in Korra). I’ve used fire-healing myself in some of my own fics (and made Ursa a firebender, for that matter – both my own fics and Embers predating “The Search” by years, so canon!Ursa was still a blank slate at the time). However, together with the revelation of Zuko being born with his gold eyes (and Iroh automatically assuming gold eyes are the mark of a firebender rather than just a common eye color in the Fire Nation) we also get the first hint at Vathara’s determination to make Zuko *special*. Fire-healing alone would have been enough to build a fic around, but IMO Vathara makes it only one of about four ways Zuko is marked as *special* and it gets a bit excessive (and, again IMO, ends up diluting a lot of what makes canon!Zuko a compelling character… but more on that later). On its own merits, though, this chapter is pretty straightforward, has some good Zuko-Iroh interactions and lays some interesting foreshadowing down.

I do have some quibbles with Vathara’s AN, before we go. First off, I never got the impression that Iroh considered Zuko to be a young officer under his command or treated him that way (indeed, from the way Iroh almost always addresses Zuko as “Prince Zuko,” I’m pretty sure it’s Zuko who outranks Iroh in the Fire Nation’s hierarchy, presumably because even banished he’s still the sitting Fire Lord’s son, while Iroh’s position in the line of succession was revoked when Azulon died). Their relationship is always framed as familiar, or in some contexts as a master martial artist instructing his student. But I do think this is the start of a trend in the fic, where Vathara really likes soldiers and the military and seems to have a thing for Hard Men (and sometimes Hard Women) making Hard But Necessary Choices. But again, more on that later. And, considering what’s coming later in the fic, the offhand reference to dragons being “more involved” is just sort of… lol, that’s one way to put it. But again, like with “Theft Absolute” most of these issues are things that are really only noticeable in hindsight, in light of where the fic is ultimately going.

[shortstrawberry]

An azutara arranged marriage au because no one else is doing it

Where Azula and Katara bickered a lot, decided the other is not so bad, found a long-lost mother, found dragons, rebuild two nations and finally fell in love

The building blocks - Azula

Azula is still very much a self-centered, cunning and magnificent bastard. But this time her pragmatism and survival instinct very much overrides her need for fatherly approval.

Azula is someone who demands excellence. She is herself perfection incarnate. She is hailed as a prodigy for a reason, in both her tactical acumen and her bending skills.

In comparison, Ozai is all brute force and no finesse. And Azula notices this. She sees how she is really better than her father in every way possible at the mere age of fourteen. And if that wasn't enough, her father being a power hungry self-destructive maniac makes Azula sure her father will burn down the whole country. The Avatar appearing again doesn't help either.

So when she sees her daddy dearest burn off half the face of Zuko, she knows she is living on borrowed time. If she ever disappoints her crazy father, she'll be next on the burning block.

And so she plans. She smuggles Zuko out safely. Not because she is particularly fond of her brother, no. She does it because she needs to get him to the Avatar. There is only one way to save the country she loves so much, and she needs that bald air-kid for it.

She sends the Avatar team occasional pointers with the help of her pet hawk. The hawk's name is Vishu btw. She is a beautiful thing. Katara especially loves her and regularly gives her treats. This will be important down the line. It’s too bad that besides Zuko, no one really knows just how nauseatingly nice Azula is being. 

Azula meanwhile also tries her best at boot licking her father. She does need to keep her face safe until the Avatar arrives. Daresay, Azula makes one fantastic villain. She hopes Zuko will clear her name later, so she can become the Fire Lord and save her nation from imploding on itself. 

All in all, it ends well for Azula. Ozai is behind bars and without firebending. Zuko lets her take the throne, despite the many protests from Avatar and that water-peasant. Uncle Iroh surprisingly stays quiet. She guessed that even he knows his dear nephew is not exactly Fire Lord material. 

Now she just needs to make sure that bald kid does not take away her bending. Which means she needs to be on her best behavior. Sigh. 

The building blocks - Katara

If someone told Katara that the crazy fire-breathing banshee would one day be a competent Fire Lord, she would have laughed in their face so hard the sky would start raining. But the new Fire Lord whom everybody doubted did become the reason her tribe finally saw peace after a century of war.  

It was not peaceful all the time, though. There was still plenty of bad blood between the two nations. Not a month goes by when some stray rogue Firebender does not try to burn their igloos. It was tempting to believe that Azula was behind it all, but the Fire Lord sending compensation and apology for every single attack told her otherwise.

Meanwhile, things in her personal life were not all’s well either. Aang and her finally broke up after her seventeenth birthday. Something she did see coming. Aang wanted marriage and babymaking to rebuild the air nomads. And Katara was just not ready for it.

The upheaval in her life all came to a head when an Emperor Class Fire Nation frigate rammed into the South Pole. Her igloo almost got destroyed and in retaliation she promptly sunk the ship. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt in her tribe. But she knew then that her life would never be the same.

It thankfully didn't come to a war as she expected. Azula personally came down to the South Pole to make amends. Katara noticed that she finally got rid of those God awful clawlike nails. She also had to grudgingly admit that an adult Azula is rather easy on the eyes. 

Katara wished she had clawlike nails to claw off Azula’s face when she proposed a marriage with her to seal the peace agreement. She understands that this is the best way to shut the complaining xenophobics, but surely there is another way?!

“Is this even necessary? Can’t you just do your thing and burn those Ozai loyalists?”

“I am trying to not be my father. Did you not notice that in the last four years?”

It was this that finally made Katara say yes. They were married in three days and immediately set sail for the Fire Nation soon after. What joy. 

Part II will cover the rest.

Want to make your headcannon real? Send them my way and I will write them for you!

[discordiansamba]

another boiling rock au idea is an au where instead of being banished, ozai sends zuko to the boiling rock after his agni kai and claims the prince died in the night due to an infection. by the time zuko's aware of what's going on around him, he's already confined to a cell at the boiling rock. his father doesn't want him. he's a shame to his nation. he doesn't think he can get any lower.

or: zuko grows up at the boiling rock.

very few people there even know that he's the former crown prince, but what they do see is a thirteen year old kid with half his head swathed in bandages, his hair freshly shorn, who has been thrown into the highest security prison in the fire nation. which is pretty fucked up!! zuko goes from pampered prince fed only propaganda all his life, to being surrounded by war prisoners and other assorted political prisoners- as well as just your run of the mill convicts.

it's an eye-opening experience, to say the least!

(zuko's escape attempts are like, a once every two month occurrence. none of them ever work, but he's gotten father than anyone else ever has. this is because no one else is as insane as the kid who was basically raised for part of his life here.)

years later, when the war is over and iroh is sitting on the fire lord's throne, he begins the long process of freeing the countless prisoners of war that the fire nation has imprisoned- as well as the political prisoners. it's a long process- and he decides to begin with the boiling rock, where he knows the chief of the southern water tribe was sent after the failed invasion.

there's no records of zuko at the boiling rock, of course.

or: iroh finds out that his nephew isn't dead. he's been at the boiling rock this entire time. suddenly the fire nation has an heir apparent.

(zuko returns to the caldera for the first time in years, very much not the same person he was when he left- and is unsure how much he can actually trust his uncle.)

[sockendrache]

AU in which Zuko is painfully aware that his dad is an asshole and decides to vibe on his ship rather than chasing Aang-

rewatching ALTA rn (cough quarantine really do be like that) and- I cant help but laugh when watching Zuko act like a spoiled brat with heavy daddy-issues throughout the first season, knowing how awkward he’ll become later on (”Zuko here” is all I’m gonna say rip-)

now, instead of waiting for uncle Iroh to spill the tea (no pun intended) about his scar and chasing the avatar without telling his crew a word about wHY he’s so hellbent on steering his ship all over the fucking world to chase a ghost... Zuko’s just aware of why exactly he was put on this ship and decides “well, might as well enjoy the ride”

One of the first things he does after boarding the ship (after waiting for his injury to heal rip) is ask Iroh or Lieutenant Jee to cut his hair for him, since,,,, well he’s a banished prince that was sent out to chase a ghost,,, no real reason to cling onto the illusion of royality any longer, is there? so off with the hair-knot

*cue tiny, 13 year old Zuko with a bandaged eye and freshly shorn head walking up to the ship-railing and chucking his hair overboard. he waves the severed hair-knot goodbye, Uncle Iroh just brews himself another cup of calming tea-*

He knows his dad’s not expecting him to come back, or... even wants him back, for that matter.

“Sir, where is our next course leading?”

“Idk, you decide.”

Either spends his time holed up in his private quarters or fucks around on the ports whenever the ship needs to stop for supplies. Instead of spending his ‘pocket money’ on anything that could help him find the avatar he just buys whatever crap would unnerve the crew the most. (last time they let him run off on his own he came back with 67 tiny, wooden sky-bison figurines and has hidden them all over the ship. It’s been 3 years and the crew is still finding bisons hidden in their belongings.)

If it weren’t for the nasty scar you’d just assume he’s the bastard-child of one of his crew-members they’re letting tag along, not, y’know, the crown-prince of the fire-nation.

He still trains a lot- just not to capture the avatar. Just because there’s literally nothing else to do on the ship-

Because he doesn’t have such a nasty temper, the crew doesn’t wanna throw him overboard all the fucking time. Instead they just all collectively decided that they’re adopting the brat- no one’s sure how Iroh feels about suddenly having to share his nephew with 20-something sailors, but no one caught him complaining so far.

Zuko can and will take advantage of that. Watch him yell “Uncle!” on the main bridge and grin like a demon as he sees 5 old sailors’ head snap around and give him a concerned look.

His dad may be an asshole but at the very least he got 20 new uncles-

People tend to recognoze him, because... uh. Well. When he was freshly banished he easily took offense when he was recognized as the banished prince of the firenation, even in the middle of bumfuck-nowhere.... as he grew older Zuko just came up with creative ways to change the topic.

“Nah, his scar’s on the other side.”

“Oh, no, I was just seeing a firenation-girl for a while and learned the hard way why you shouldn’t get them too excited in bed.”

“A scar? What scar- OH MY GOD UNCLE WHY CAN’T I SEE???”

When he eventually stumbles into team avatar, he *could* technically capture the avatar and bring him to the firelord to restore his honor and reclaim his throne... but he’d rather fuck with his old man for a bit.

Cue him inviting them onboard to play Pai sho with uncle. Zuko and Sokka going around, terrorizing the locals with Sokka’s terrible humor and Zuko’s scar. Toph and Zuko befriending each other, using the excuse “We only have one eye between the two of us.” whenever they end up in deadly situations together-

He sleeps in the rhino-pen. No real reason behind it, it just terrifies Lieutenant Jee and if anything brings Zuko joy, it’s terrorizing his crew by endangering himself in the most creative ways

[fungalhazard]

following off of the previous au idea, an au where something goes funky while aang is in the iceberg with the avatar state and it doesn't change much, except when he comes out of the ice berg and sneezes, he doesn't air bend but firebend and like, oh boy is this kid definitely not admitting to being the avatar, and he doesn't know about the war so in a moment of panic and confusion is just like ‘oh yeah i'm a firebender h a h a h a totally not the avatar or an air bender pfft what are you talking about why would you think that?’ and besides, there's nothing wrong with firebenders,,,

right?

except sokka and katara immediately go on edge, but because katara has the brain cell that Doesn't Crave As Much Violence as Sokka, they still take him back to their village because he's a confused kid that was in an iceberg with a giant flying bison?? and so that kind of just goes the way it went in canon except with a fair bit more caution and suspicion, and maybe aang's having trouble controlling the element he's supposed to be using, and maybe even after processing things and realising the villagers would be less caution if he just came out and said he was the avatar, except he's decidedly Not Thinking About That and Still Very Confused, and then the abandoned fire nation ship happens and oh boy he should really, really tell katara but also a war?? a hundred years?? he is not processing

and then he gets kicked out of the village, and zuko shows up looking for the avatar and then suddenly there's this kid there who's dressed in air temple clothes but bending fire really, really poorly, and isn't the avatar supposed to be over a hundred years old?? master of all elements?? an air bender???

and maybe he's projecting a bit because this kid can't be him, then he thinks about that time he visited the southern air temple, and how it really isn't

far from here, is it, and he thinks about his own banishment, and the ease his father did it, which he tries not to do but really, this kid is so painfully a kid even to him, and then he puts two and two together, takes a dive into the metaphorical math trash for the biggest number he can catch and latches onto that with his stubborn, traumatised fists

and he comes to the conclusion that maybe this kid was banished too, left behind by a ship passing by and spent his days surviving alone surrounded by the remains of a culture, and he wonders how young the kid would have been, to pick up the scraps of that culture and make it his own despite the fire nation upbringing, how he seems to have based his bending forms off of the air nomads- the tattoos, even, how did the kid manage to do that?! and how did the kid even wind up in the southern water tribe? (later he'll see appa and that'll just add more questions)

so he sees this kid who's a fire bender as far away from home as himself, and sure a lot of things don't make sense about his train of thought but zuko is nothing but stubborn, and he can't leave this kid here can he? even with the avatar hunt? he really wishes he could ask uncle what to do but he's pretty sure iroh is taking a nap somewhere and he really doesn't want to disturb him, and really, he needs to find the avatar, but this kid- he's imagined himself like that before, what would have happened to him if uncle hadn't been there? would he have been that alone?

so he makes the split second decision to take the kid in and teach him proper fire bending and culture- the avatar is obviously not in this village anymore- what kind of avatar makes a bunch of kids fight a warship anyway? and so starts the travels of aang, who has no idea what mental gymnastics zuko just did but is a bit too friendly to just flee for his life, katara and sokka, who i haven't quite figured out why they're there but can't separate the gaang

and are just Very Confused, zuko, who can't do math and is perhaps a little too stuborn, and iroh, who can absolutely do math but deems seeing his nephew making friends for possibly the first time in his life far more important than reminding zuko that two plus two generally equals four

[hedgiwithapen]

for @pink-lightsabre Prompt “Zuko and gaang+ “That was ONE Time.” (following last year's au HERE, but not directly) (really not as much Zuko as intended sorry) Being a prisoner of the Fire Nation was weird, Sokka had settled on.  Not that they were, officially, since it turned out the Prince was banished. Zuko didn't actually have much authority except on this particular boat, but he and his sister and the weird bald kid that they'd pulled out of the ice after said boat had crashed into a glacier were very much on the boat. So, as much as Katara and Aang--who was apparently the actual avatar, somehow Katara had known!-- were trying to pretend this was an adventure, Sokka did not let himself forget.  No matter how nice the old guy who kept making them tea was. Still, it was hard to be as terrified when General Iroh had kept promising him that no one was going to=separate them. It could all have been an act, though if it was, that didn't explain why no one had questioned him about Water Tribe locations or defenses. Not that they had any defenses, anymore. Sokka knew it was up to him, just like his dad had said. Get Katara out of this mess and back to the village. Protect her, and her secret.  The soldiers on board had followed the General's lead when it came to the three prisoners, which mostly meant leaving them alone and only really paying attention if it looked like they were trying to go somewhere like the captain's quarters, or the armory, or above deck, which still left a whole dining area, halls, and a couple of storage rooms. It meant that Sokka had managed to map pretty much the whole boat out in his head, and had gotten some real sailor gossip alongside.  They'd been 'invited' to eat the night meal with Prince Zuko and his uncle again. Well, Sokka was pretty sure they could have refused, but didn't want to push it until they'd figured out a solid escape plan, which was going poorly. Aang was convinced that the whole war could be ended just as soon as he had a Talk with the Firelord. Sokka was not eager to see that chat.  The food was good, steaming hot and spiced. Aang poked through his bowl of noodles as Sokka wolfed down the fish in his bowl. "I told the cook to make yours without fish," the General answered an unspoken question. "I should have known sooner that you wouldn't have enjoyed last night's supper. It was not very hospitable of me." "Oh," Aang said brightly. "Thank you." He nudged Katara, who was still wary of all this, even if she was more optimistic than Sokka was about how this was all going to end, eventually.  "See? The Fire nation can respect other beliefs." Sokka noticed how the General shifted a bit on his knees at that, lifting his cup of tea. He noticed how the Fire Prince scowled at his own plate. "Avatar Aang," Iroh said. "I think, perhaps you should guard your hopes. My brother does not listen to me." "You're his family," Aang said, frowning when the prince glared.  "The Firelord does not obey the whims of family. And the Fire Nation does not have to bow to --" he started, the candles shifting with his rising voice. "Easy, Nephew," Iroh said. "Now is perhaps a better time for discussions like this, but not the best."  "Then when?" Zuko asked. "I am bringing my father the Avatar. This isn't a Social visit for you." Sokka flinched. There went what little freedoms they'd had. In the corner of his eye, he saw Katara flick her fingers, back and forth, and saw the broth in the bowls move. Oh, no. He couldn't let her attempt at waterbending be noticed. They'd kill her, like his mother. "Maybe it should be," he said, bringing all the attention squarely on himself. "We could be allies." He did not want to ally himself with anyone on this boat, no matter how friendly the General seemed to be, but it was only fair to fight trickery with trickery. He lead with the only bit of gossip he'd heard that might have proved legitimately useful "I've heard, you spoke out against Fire Nation cruelty before."   "That was one time." Zuko spat, rising. His robes, shot through with gold, caught the candlight. "I will not make that mistake again. " Katara put her hand to her necklace. Aang stared up at Zuko from the eating mat, his gray eyes soft. He spoke quietly. "I don’t think standing up for your people is a mistake. I don't think you think so either.”

[muffinlance]

AU where the best firebenders, only the ones most in touch with Agni and their inner fire, are capable of photosynthesis, not needing to eat human sustenance unless they choose to. Except there hasn’t been a recorded case of this since before sozins time. Not even azula or ozai or iroh can. Which is why zuko is so surprised when he just randomly stops feeling hungry one day (please muffin, I’m begging you. I just want to redeem myself after accidentally helping to spawn Kindling AU)

Are you... are you daring me to make photosynthetic Zuko give you feels? Because that's how you get Zuko first starting to realize this while on that raft after the North Pole. That's how you get his hunger waning, and he's reasonably sure that maybe he's dying because he should feel hungry, shouldn't he? Not feeling hungry at all is probably not... not...

But. But Uncle is older than him and already suffering so much from the lack of water, it's been two days since the last rain fall, so when Zuko manages to catch a fish while Uncle was sleeping

(Sleeping or unconscious and he couldn't cross the few feet between them to check because what if this was the time that Uncle didn't wake up when Zuko shook him--)

when he catches the stupid fish he tells Uncle he actually caught two, he already ate his, stupid lazy old man just take it Zuko isn't hungry, no he will not eat half.

(Uncle's stomach can still growl.)

And somehow they make it to the colonies and neither of them are dead. Zuko... still isn't hungry.

He isn't hungry when he's traveling alone, and he meets a boy named Lee and (badly) fixes a roof and accepts only the bare minimum of food at their table, because it's clear that they're hungry.

Other travelers wear layers to keep off the burning sun; he sheds his until he's down to a thin sleeveless robe, and basks.

He isn't hungry again until Ba Sing Se. Until shifts at Pao's tea shop, stuck inside from sunup to sundown, and Uncle finds him out back hunched over his stomach and promises that things will get better, here, have the other half of his lunch, you've barely been eating nephew--

(Zuko hadn't recognized that he was hungry until there was food in his hand, and then he was ravenous.)

When he goes to free the Avatar's bison (how did the Avatar lose a bison) (how did the Avatar not realize the Dai Li were behind every disappearance in this city), when he sees it down in that lightless cave, growling and backing away as far as its chains allow, the revulsion hits him like hunger pains, the kind that stab and twist. How dare they lock it away in this too-small stagnant hole with the darkness pressing down--

He's already freeing it when Uncle shows up, how did Uncle get in here, well good because it's not like he can free a bison and not free all of the actual human beings trapped down in this awful place, if Uncle is here he can help.

(Nephew when I said you were not thinking this through and questioned where you would store a bison, that also applied to all of these people--)

And then they run into the Avatar and his gaggle of combat prodigies including Jet--

Could we not. Try to stab each other. For five minutes?

Anyway, he's done prison breaks with the Avatar before. And Long Feng can drop all the rocks he wants, they have the Dragon of the West with them. Turns out selective parts of Lake Laogai, namely the ones that were never supposed to be there, are highly flammable. With the application of enough fire.

(Most things are.)

Zuko is starving by the time they get out. He doesn't really remember getting ushered on the bison by his Uncle, or the glares and/or bewilderment the Avatar's people shoot at him. (Or the extra toothy smile Uncle has for Jet, who looks away with a grumbled knew you were firebenders.)

"Thank you, Miss Katara," Uncle smiles later, in a much different way, and brings a bowl of rice out to his nephew in the courtyard next to their house.

The Avatar's children (plus some Freedom Fighters) stare out the window as Nephew Grumpy And Mildly Incoherent rolls away from his Uncle's attempts to coax him into eating, sprawling out in a patch of sun.

"Is someone going to explain why Prince Zuko is shirtless in our courtyard?" Sokka asks, because someone has to. "Did Long Feng get him in the head?"

Appa lumbers over for licks and cuddles. Inexplicably Shirtless Prince shoves his giant head away, grumbling about six-ton furballs blocking his light.

"Oh," Aang says, like something just clicked. "He's a Fire Lily!"

"...A what now."

"He gets his energy right from the sun!" There is something both delighted and vaguely threatening in the Avatar's expression when he states, with no regard for the consent of the person he's speaking on behalf of: "He's my firebending teacher."