Here’s something I’d love to see you write:
Aang & Katara taking their child/children to the southern air temple so they can learn more about that side of their heritage.
Old Halls, New Life (rated G)
The air was eerily still as they climbed down off of Appa, setting foot on the stone balcony of the Southern Air Temple for the first time since the war. Katara hardly dared to breathe, lest she disturb the quiet. Aang’s face was unreadable. He stood still as the statue of Gyatso that she knew was just out of sight, staring blankly ahead. Katara bent the sweat off her palms and wondered if he was trying to mentally prepare himself for the carnage that was still to come. She wasn’t sure either of them would ever be ready.
A lifetime later, Aang finally turned his face to her, and her heart broke at the sadness and guilt that were heavy in his eyes. He offered a small smile and held his hand out to her. She took it, walking towards the front door of the temple, hoping he couldn’t feel her own nerves. He had put off his own healing for so long, for the sake of healing the whole world. He needed her to be the strong one, right now.
The moment seemed too heavy for words, so she squeezed his hand as they approached Gyatso’s statue. He returned the squeeze just before releasing her hand to bow to his old master. Katara mirrored his action, offering her own respects to the man who had been Aang’s biggest support in his old life. When he moved forward to airbend the lock and pushed open the heavy wooden door, it looked just like it had the last time they were there.
Katara had always felt a sense of awe at the Avatar, but now, knowing Aang the way she did, having spent the better part of a year fighting a war alongside him and another year trying to restore peace… Now the Hall of Avatars hit her even harder. Each of these men and women had had a life. They had loved, and been loved. They had fought battles and kept the balance of the world, but they had also been human and felt the full depth of that human experience. They had laughed and felt loss and suffered illness…
Thinking of Aang’s statue in this very hall—sometime hopefully long, long in the future—she wondered what future generations would say about him. She wondered who had loved and lost these Avatars of old. How they had reconciled the Avatar’s humanity and their Spiritual duty.
After a moment of respect, and, Katara suspected, seeking wisdom from his past lives, Aang led Katara through the curtains he had found Gyatso’s body behind the first time they were there. She struggled not to gasp at the number of Fire Nation skeletons that littered the ground around Gyatso, shocking red armor still firmly in place, and she squeezed Aang’s hand again to remind him that he wasn’t alone. No matter how hard the task that lay ahead of them, she was always and forever by his side.
She saw Aang press his eyes shut. He squeezed her hand back in thanks, but tears still leaked down his cheeks and his chin was trembling. A year or two ago, she might have feared him slipping into the Avatar State, but now she just pulled him into a hug and they fell to their knees on the ground together.
“I miss them,” Aang croaked out some time later, once the wracking sobs subsided. “I miss them so much.”
Katara rubbed his back and kissed the tip of the arrow on his head, completely lost for words. What could she even say? She knew how deep the pain of missing her mother was, and she was just one person. Aang had lost everyone and everything.
“Thank you for coming here with me,” he mumbled into her shoulder. “I don’t know if I could have done this alone. The temple is so full of memories.”
“Share them with me?” she asked, hesitant but hopeful. Aang had shared many things about his people, but they were all more general ideals, histories, ceremonies, and occasional anecdotes. He didn’t often share his personal memories. It was like talking about them would force him to remember. That they had been real—that they had lived and that they had died horrible, unfair deaths.
But this time, Aang did share. Over the next days and weeks as he and Katara cleaned the temple to prepare it for the Acolytes, he shared many memories. When they carefully removed the skeletons near the airball court, he told Katara about a particularly competitive game of airball which had caused multiple injuries to him and his friends. When they cleaned the kitchens, he told her about the time he and his friends had stolen a bunch of fruit pies and hid them in the elder monk’s beds, earning them all extra chores for a month. When they scrubbed ash stains out of the classrooms, he told her how hard it had been to be the youngest in his levels; how he missed his friends when they’d advanced him over and over again.
As they carried skeleton after skeleton out of the tallest towers, he told her how bittersweet his tattoo ceremony had been. How excited he was to see his parents and his friends from the other temples and how proud he had been, but also how different he felt and how it was the beginning of him being ostracized from his friends. How much weight he already felt on his shoulders after that ceremony. How much heavier it had gotten since.
Aang shared his memories, and it brought so much life back to these empty halls. Katara smiled every time she walked into the kitchen now, picturing a small gaggle of seven-year-old boys sneaking out with their arms full of pie when the bakers weren’t looking.
“I know they’d be proud of you,” she said one morning while she was cooking breakfast. Aang had been silently chopping up moonpeaches beside her to make a pie of his own, still trying to perfect the “gooey center” Gyatso was always so good at. He looked up at her, startled, and almost dropped the knife.
“I know I’ve told you before,” she went on, “but the way you were able to end the war without taking Ozai’s life, and the way you’ve been bringing peace to all the nations over the years since the war ended… sharing your culture with the Air Acolytes and helping the world restore balance… I just know they would be so proud of you.”
Aang smiled sadly.
“I know you’ll always miss them too, but… they’re not gone. They live on in your stories. In this place. In the mischief you and Toph and Sokka get into all the time…” Aang looked affronted and she shoved his shoulder playfully. “Yes, I know you’re not just ‘going to the market’ when the three of you are gone for hours and only come home with a handful of vegetables and some mysterious sacks that clank.”
Aang full-on laughed then, possibly his first real laugh since they had arrived at the temple. He set the knife down and hid his face sheepishly behind his hands, leaning on his elbows on the counter.
“And one day,” Katara continued, blushing vibrantly, “they’ll live on in the next generation. In our kids. In the lessons you’ll teach them and the trouble you’ll get into together and the values you instill. Your people aren’t gone forever, Aang. I promise you that.”
Aang’s head snapped up to look at her so fast, and his face was filled with so many different emotions, but before she could truly look at him and figure out what he was thinking, he surged forward and kissed her.
Kissing Aang had always been one of her favorite things to do, but she had held back from kissing him on this trip, unsure of whether he wanted that sort of intimacy during such a difficult time. She had offered many kisses to his head or his cheek, and innumerable hugs where she had clung to him, and he to her, but hadn’t kissed his lips since before they left Cranefish Town.
Now, though, as his lips moved fervently against hers, it seemed obvious that this was exactly what he needed, and she melted into him. He wove his hands into her hair—it always made her smile that he seemed to love her hair so much when he had none—and she clung to his back, eliciting a happy sigh from him.
The smell of their breakfast beginning to burn to the bottom of the pot startled them away from each other. Katara nervously tucked her hair back behind her ears as she stirred the rice mixture, but she could feel Aang still staring at her. When she scooped their breakfast into bowls and offered one to him, he was grinning besottedly. She couldn’t help but smile back.
“Thank you, Katara,” he said, pecking her on the cheek. “Thank you for helping me keep my people alive, and for reminding me that they never really left. I know their love lives on, but now their memory will, too, every time I tell their story.”
“I love you, Aang,” she said. “I hope that wasn’t too much… I just…”
“It was perfect,” Aang interrupted, placing a warm hand on hers and smiling. “It was exactly what I needed to hear.”
Read more on ao3
So, this turned out to be a doozy. What you see here is just the first of four ficlets which I combined into one fic, because I couldn't help myself. And this doesn't even cover what you actually asked for yet haha, but the rest will :) It's too long for tumblr so you can read the whole thing on ao3. I didn't do as much research as I probably should have for this, but there's a lot packed in here. I hope you enjoy the parenting segments, friend!
21 notes
·
View notes
lemonade mouth/band au! more notes under the cut
lemonade as in like the disney movie! so there are a couple like clear comparisons but mostly it's the bad kids get stuck in detention together except they form a band instead of an adventuring party
fabian > no equivalent (olivia vibes)
the most popular kid at school who is both in dance and on the football team. somehow gets decent grades as well. no close friends, but a lot of people who know him and want to get on his good side. kind of depressed, and his dad's currently in prison. he started playing the guitar as a way to show off and then genuinely started enjoying it
adaine > mo
she's a concert violist (playing the viola) always an accompaniment for her sister and is striking it out on her own for the first time. her family is very upset about this, and consistently puts her down so she'll go along with they want her to do. also she recently transitioned to going to public school for the first time, making her the new girl.
kristen > no equivalent
she's recently ex mormon, got out of her parents house (currently living in her car) and without all of her former friends stuck in a student president position that she got when she was still with the religion. questioning her sexuality after one too many encounters with the soccer team captain, tracker. used to be on the church choir, was a bit too enthusiastic about it.
gorgug > no equivalent (charlie vibes)
he's got like one or two kinda friends (mainly fig). extremely busy with his classes and with marching band and self isolating as a result. he's stressed out about living up to his parent's name (they run a very successful electric engineering company). signed up to work as a sound tech for the theatre department bc one of the female stage managers is very cute (zelda) and then discovered that he rlly like it.
riz > no equivalent
no friends! (other than maybe the AV club + penny) too used to burying himself in work at both his part time gig and with his insane amount of extracurriculars. started playing the piano bc he heard it helps with memory retention and overall cognitive ability.
fig > stella/wen
she's the cool loner skater kid who is the floater friend mostly? she's got a maybe relationship with ayda, who she loves to annoy at the school library. very interested in making her own music not very interested in school. freaking out over her parents getting remarried. her mom enrolled her in music lessons when she was younger, and it's one of the only things she can talk about with her mom these days.
573 notes
·
View notes
RealAgeAU Drabble - First Birthday
I am back at it again! :D The no chill train continues and I want to enjoy the thing that I like so here we go! @spotaus get in here friend :D
First Drabble/Prompt
Prev Drabble
Next Drabble
We are here to win and winning is having fun! :D
*--------------------*
Cross nods his thanks to Ellie as he takes the box with a very nice looking cake over "You two really didn't need to."
Dani snorts "Are you crazy? Of course we do! Also don't forget his presents." and she rises three boxes.
Cross takes them with care and puts them under in the bag before putting the cake carefully on top.
Cross still feels bad "You really didn't need to. I am sorry we didn't invite you two and stuff but we are just worried it gets too much for him and-"
Eliie giggles and waves it off "We get it! First birthdays are a big deal especially with you guys getting him back not even a year ago!"
Cross nods before frowning and shooting the two a look "What... do you mean?"
Ellie looks shocked before smiling guilty and looking away. Dani smiles "We don't know know... mostly because you guys don't relaly tell anyone details and we aren't going to search for answers that could mean trouble... but well... how you guys act and how Nightmare acts tell a lot about the story you guys are not sharing... you know?"
Cross looks away and tries to push down the annoyance. This is good. Their backstory is being believed and people are coming to the conclusions they want. Yet Cross is still was immediantly afraid they figured out more for some reason even if that isn't possible...
Cross is getting lost in his own skull again.
Ellie looks sad as she rubs her hands together "Sorry... we didn't mean to make you feel bad or unsure or anything... We just wanted to reassure you that we get it and understand why you guys are private about stuff! And that we aren't hurt about not getting invited!"
Cross gives aslow nod and mutters "It is fine just... worried... about what people know and talk about and stuff... in case the wrong people hear the right things you know?" that is the best way he can explain.
Dani nods and looks determined "We know. and know that if you ever need a place to hide, either you guys or just a place to hide Nightmare, you can always come to us. We have a large place and can easily find somewhere to tug you guys away untill stuff blows over."
Ellie nods and grins widely "You can count on us!" then she nudges him, whihc really does nothing to make him move but it doesn't seem to bother ellie "Now do to your boyfriends and kid and have fun with your party!"
Cross sputters as he knows he is blushing "We aren't! No wait we are but it is new and-" both girls giggle and cross glares at them "Stop it!"
Dani grins "Sorry sorry. and relax cross. You guys will be fine."
Ellie nods and gives him the thumbs up "Exactly! Relax and enjoy your time together!"
Cross mutters and mumbles his goodbye and quickly makes his escape. He rushes back to their car and gets in before lying his skull on the wheel. trying to will the blush away.
After his moment he puts the car into reverse and gets back to the road. It is easy enough to ride to town and pick up the last few groceries.
Cross takes a moment to mentally check his list before checking it on his phone as well. Then he starts their truck again and goes home.
They only one they hadn't told that today was Ngihtmare's birthday and party was Error. But that is on Error. If that guy wants to learn stuff he can ask them instead of creeping on them like the antisocial outcode he is.
He returns home to see Killer and Horror moving around the living room as Cross carries the last few things in. He checks around before speaking "Dust and Nightmare?"
Killer grins "Garden! They are checking the grapes as we speak. Nightmare knows we are setting up so he doesn't have to be nervous or stressed."
Cross nods and relaxes "That is good." he places the cake the Danielle's made on their table and smiles. It is little skull decorations in bright pink and cherries all along the top.
Killer whistles as he leans on his shoudlers "cake looks good." then Killer grins widely at him "Not as good as you though" and he winks.
Cross blushes and rubs his cheek. fighting the need to hide at the compliment and obvious flirt. Ever since they admitted their feelings for each other and they started dating Killer had cranked up his flirting and compliments to eleven. Cross didn't even think Killer could flirt more yet he was proven wrong.
Horror leaves the kitchen and snorts at Killer "Back to decorating." then he places more snacks on the table.
Cross smiles and waits "What can I help with?"
Horror thinks for a while as he looks around "Can you get the presents?"
Cross nods as he leaves the food wiht nightmare and rushes up to their attic. quickly finding the presents and he carries them down carefully.
By the time he returns Killer had finished with the decorations and putting books and things away. Horror has food in the oven and put six candles on the birthday cake.
Right with Ngihtmare not ageing they just decided to keep calling him six until he recovered enough to truly start growing. Just to make sure that Nightmare didn't feel worse about the fact he hadn't grown yet. Their baby had had enough stress abotu not being good enough or being wrong. They will not add more to it!
That is another thing that changed since the kidnaping. Cross just gets to call Ngihtmare their baby now! Obviously before they also did it but it also felt dishonest in some way. Not anymore luckily as Nightmare also called them dads!
Cross snorts to himself. if his past self could only see him now. Cross remembers how unsure he was about even taking care of NIghtmare. Look at him now!
Killer rushes off to change as Horror quickly cleans himself up for the party. Cross looks around the living room and smiles. All ready! Cross goes to the door and shouts for Dust that everything is ready.
They wait with excitement as Dust brings Nightmare inside. nightmare glances around at all the decorations and the small pile of presents and the snack table. sockets wide and eye lights so so bright.
Killer grins as he opens his arms wide "Happy Birthday!"
Cross quickly joins in "Happy birthday nighty."
horror nuzzles their babybones and mutters "Happy birthday."
Nightmare looks between them all and looks down with a tiny blush. Shyly he mutters "didn't need to be big and stuff."
Killer grins and waves it off "pppfffft of course we make it a party! How could we not for our little baby~" Killer taps his teeth against the tiny skull in a kiss before skipping over to the cake "come! lets start with the cake before it becomes a fire hazard! Dani and Ellie made it for you and they both wished you a great day as well!"
Cross watches as Dsut brings nightmare over to the cake and nuzzles his skull. Cross listens clsoely as Dust mutters "make a wish Nightmare." and he helps him stay stable to enable him to blow out the candles.
Nightmare glances around befor elooking at the cake. He leans closer, trusting Dust to keep him steady, and blows out the six candles.
they go out together and Killer cheers loudly which Cross joins. Dust just nuzzles Nightmare as horror gives a few claps. It is great and amazing and-
he is crying.
Cross feels terrible and is by Dust and Ngihtmare right away as he gently cleans the small face "It is oaky nighty. deep rbeaths. what is wrong?" did they go too far? trauma response?Bad flashback? Cross tries to think of more reasons but Nightmare sniffles again and shakes his tiny skull.
Dust frowns but it is Killer who knows what to say as he leans close "Hey it is okay. what is wrong? Too much noise? Too many scents? Too bright or something?" They are doing this in the middle of the day but maybe the combination of the bright fire of the candles and the natural sunlight was too much for his sensitive sockets.
Another shakes of the skull.
Cross and Killer share a look as they both clearly try to think of more posible problems.
Dust however watches Nightmare and pulls him closer "big feelings?"
a moment of silence before a tiny nod.
Dust nods himself as if that makes sense and he mutters again "Sad feelings?"
Nightmare clearly thinks for a moment before shaking his skull.
Dust hums and nuzzles him "very big happy feelins then?"
another nod.
Cross isn't sure how any of that makes sense and looks helplessly at Dust for an explanation.
Dust see sthe obvious confusion as he speaks "It is... hard to explain..." he looks at Ngihtmare and Ngihtmare clearly has the same issue.
horror however steps closer and gentle rubs the tiny skull. Horror is always so careful with Nightmare and even when is is so big and strong clearly always knows how to move to never harm Ngihtmare. Cross respects him so much for that.
Horror speaks softly "It is new. and the happy feelings you are feeling are very strong aren't they?"
Ngihtamre glances at him and nods.
Horror smiles as he continues rubbing the tiny skull "and before... before it was easy. You had powers to help you filter emotions and feel it all. Now it is you and all yours."
Ngihtmare relaxes a bit and sniffles before speaking "no... no one really..." he rubs his socket with a sniff "No one was ever... happy i was there... Well dream was but dream was happy anyway... i doubt it would have mattered if i was there... but now.. instead of it being for him... it is for me and i never... no one ever..." another sniff as he looks helpless at them.
horror smiles and rubs his skull "You are happy and relieved but it is a lot and you aren't used to it. it is okay. a birthday can be overwhelming."
Ngihtmare nods again adn relaxes. Cross smiles at him and rubs the tiny cheek "Hey it is okay. the first time these guys threw a party for me I also dind't know what to do or say or how to act. Just relax okay? This is to show we are happy you are with us." and that he exists and is with them and that they love their tiny grumpy child.
Ngihtmare relaxes more into the hold and nods.
Killer grins and cheers "There we go! Ready to try the cake Dani and Ellie made?"
Nightmare gives another nod adn they give him a tiny piece. just to make sure his magic handles it alright but from the looks of it they had nothing to worry about. Cross tastes it and gets why immediantly. the cake is light and fluffy and while sweet it isn't overpowering so. Clearly the ladies tried their best to make something that wouldn't be too heavy or powerful for the babybones.
After the cake they sit in the nest and let Ngihtmare open his presents. The first on he opens is the sets of Dani and Ellie and it are lego sets.
The next present is from Crop and Straw and after opening it they find some art supplies. the present also holds a note that says that while they know Ink is a sensitive spot they both believe that this should not stop Nightmare from the ability to get to draw and play with these type of things.
Cross needed a moment to think about it but he found himself agreeing. Yes Ink is a very sensitive matter but they are right. There are so many things that you can do with art and drawing and just ahving fun and to not have nightmare explore these things as a child just because one asshole they knew was an artist seemed stupid. No pressure of course but the options is there now.
Then it is time for their presents and Cross is a bit more nervous. Nightmare looks curiously at the presents and Dust mutters that these are from all of them combined. Ngihtmare opens the first one and it is a new book set of a very popular book series for thise universe. Nightmare looks excited at the nice cover and Cross relaxes. it took them ages to hunt down the limited edition art cover boxset but it was clearly worth it.
Next present is opened and it is an empty journal and a pack full of colourful pens, with bats on them obviously. Dust nuzzles Nightmare and explains that it would maybe be nice for Nightmare to be able to keep a journal. Just to help himself wiht his thoughts and feelings and what he learns. To be able to write down the thoughts or memories haunting him. To get i tout of his system and mind.
Killer reassures him that while they are all nosy they all already agreed they would not read his journal. that is his for his private thoughts and secrets. That they will obviously listen to whatever worries him but Nightmare gets to decide what to share.
Cross had found Dust's idea perfect. With how close they all where it gave Nightmare very little privacy. This was a way to give Nightmare some privacy and to give him his own personal space to do with whatever he wanted. To reteach him that it is okay to have private thoughts and things that were only for him.
The nest present is another book. a large history book of the country they live in now. As expected Nightmare immediantly opens it and scans a few of the pages before smiling brightly. Clearly it was a hit!
Their last present is a movie. a documentary on bats and Nightmare looks shocked at it. Killer grins and winks "I figured that after the presents we can get comfy and watch this movie together?" Nightmare nods and looks excited at the movie.
And as they said it they got comfortable in their nest and put on the movie. Nightmare hugs his bat plushie close as he watches the movie.
They watch for quite a while until Horror tells them it is time to have a breka and eat a bit before they continue. They stretch out and roll their shoulders. only to turn around and find another present and a card on top.
Ngihtmare blinks and takes the card before grinning widely. Cross looks over his shoulder and rolls his eyes. Error writes how he is annoyed they didn't leave him a message about the party but that he wishes Nightmare a happy and healthy first birthday and that the present is for him.
Nightmare opens the present and grins at the giant knitted blanket with a cave motive and bats in there. He nuzzles the blanket and purrs up a storm.
Cross grins and wraps their baby up in the blanket before carrying him towards the table to eat a brithday dinner.
*--------------------*
First Drabble/Prompt
Prev Drabble
Next Drabble
68 notes
·
View notes