#since zuko and toph's idea of a plan is 'arrive. break things. leave'

[discordiansamba]

rotating an AU idea that I like to call "zuko and toph and do terrorism while rookie avatar aang feels like he's getting in over his head already" in which the hundred year war never happened because roku chose not to spare sozin, only to die shortly thereafter. the air nomads continue to thrive, but the air avatar dies of an illness in their childhood.

avatar korra guides the four nations into a time of prosperity, fueled by technological revolutions from the fire nation, agricultural innovations from the earth kingdom, seafaring knowledge from the water tribes, and diplomacy from the air nomads. she dies under mysterious circumstances, followed shortly thereafter by the loss of the earth kingdom and fire nation avatars- so the white lotus has a vested interest in the survival of the young air nomad avatar, Aang.

he grows up with his mentor, monk gyatso- but is also taught the four elements much earlier than previous avatars. he befriends the children of the southern water tribe's chieftain, the daughter of which is taught waterbending alongside him by his masters hama and pakku (who never see eye to eye). when he is fifteen, gyatso decides it would be a good chance for aang to see the world with his friends-

-starting with the newly formed republic city.

(or: it's an era swap without being a true era swap.)

aang is hopeful that his time as the avatar will be as peaceful as korra's was (you know. aside from the 'died under mysterious circumstances' thing). this may be wishful thinking given the recent unrest in the fire nation- mysterious assailants invaded the palace in the dead of night, resulting in the death of fire lord iroh and his heir, prince lu ten, and the disappearance of the young prince zuko.

the case was never closed.

iroh's brother, ozai, ascended to the throne in his place. his reign has been plagued by trouble ever since- in the form of a pair of masked terrorists known collectively as The Blue Spirit. as the Avatar, it's Aang's duty to stop the pair- which is a lot harder than it should be, given that nobody knows who they are.

at least he has the peaceful refuge of the Jasmine Dragon, run by old man Mushi and his nephew, Lee. the heiress of the Beifong family, Toph Beifong, and the princess of the Northern Water Tribe, Yue, are almost always there as well during their breaks from the Republic City Academy for Fine Young Ladies. even the bodyguard the White Lotus sent to Republic City with him opens up and just acts like a normal person while they're at the Jasmine Dragon.

(her name is Suki. she's a Kyoshi Warrior. Aang and Katara are pretty sure Sokka's in love with both her and Yue.)

...now if he could only figure out how The Blue Spirit always manages to have a leg up on them.

[ninacytosis]

For the time lost

Summary: Zuko wants to erase every reminder of his past mistakes, and Katara will take him on a journey to, quite literally, heal both of their scarrings.

Contains: Angst, Fluff, Katara has burns scars from Aang's first attempts to firebend, Katara tries to get over her resentment towards the FN, Zuko doesn't hate Azula.

Dear reader: I hope you enjoy it! <3 Let me know if you want me to continue posting

Find chapter one here and chapter three here.

┊┊┊┊☆┊*🌙*┊☆┊┊┊┊

Chapter Two

Katara thought about her students while folding clothes. A decent amount of people decided to move to the Southern Water Tribe after the war ended, and she knew a lot of families took this as a chance to start over. For now, she was in charge of nurturing the minds of the young benders that arrived. Even though she loved this new job, it was time for her to take a break.

“Hey, what’s with the sunglasses?” her dad asked, taking them off the nightstand and putting them on. “I know it’s summer but we’re still in the South Pole, kid”

Katara smiled. “I’m just packing them for tomorrow”.

His dad offered to help her, but she was almost done when he arrived, so she thought of two plans for her trip instead. Plan A, she would eat at the first rotisserie that appeared on her way to Zuko’s fancy royal mansion/palace/casa. Then, she would go to his house and even though she insisted on staying in a hotel nearby, she would eventually agree to stay. She would get a Fire Nation royalty-style spa day, Zuko’s treat (it’s important to clarify that, at least half of this plan was stolen on Toph’s visits to the Fire Nation. Though it is quite obvious). After all of that, she would ask him (preferably during a beach day) why he is visiting the North Tribe so much. And right before leaving, she would spend a day at Iroh’s shop.

However, it seemed like she had to go with plan B. Sure, it wasn’t a bad plan B, but it definitely involved fewer massages and face masks than the original, and Katara was just a girl who wanted a little self-care. Can anyone blame her?

“I like what you’ve done to the place” Katara stared at the wooden panels on the wall. She was too shy to confess her feelings about fire hazards, she didn’t even know if it was offensive for him.

“I tried to make it a bit retro, you know?” Iroh explained. “Everything is changing so fast, I’m afraid the world forgets its roots. But I guess that’s not a big preoccupation for younger folks”.

The words of Iroh resonated in her head on most occasions, especially since she was aware that he was Azulon’s firstborn. Even if he had spent more than a decade fixing his past actions, it was still weird for her to share the same table as a guy he had resented from the moment she gained consciousness. It’s hard to get used to this new era, and it’s probably the reason she barely went to the Fire Nation, even if it meant fewer hangouts with Zuko. In the last months, Aang helped her a lot to channel her antipathy into different, less draining emotions. Today’s emotion is: curiosity.

“I think I know why you are here, Katara” he offered her a cup.

“Well, we both needed a vacation”, she said. ”Zuko’s told me how busy these last weeks have been for him… plus I missed swimming without the risk of dying of hypothermia”.

“Then you’re certainly going to love the beaches down on Chaisee’s island” Iroh gave her a warm laugh. “Oh, the times I had there when I was your age!”

Katara took a sip on the cup and smiled.

“But be careful, Zuko’s skin might be sensitive after last week”, Katara cautiously nodded, “as a water bender yourself, you know how the healing procedures work”.

Healing procedures? Katara nodded again. Could Iroh tell she was nervous?

“Yeah…. I totally forgot. It’s such a sensitive procedure!” she said, having no idea about this healing thing. “And I wouldn’t want to hurt a Fire Lord, they have a history of heated arguments don’t they?” Apparently, it was impossible for Katara to shut her mouth. “Anyways, promise I won’t interfere in the treatment. Don’t know how I forgot, Zuko told me all about it on my way here… I mean, on a letter of course. He wasn’t on the ship. I guess you know that” shut up shut up shut up.

Iroh widened his eyes and made a frown that immediately told Katara that her attempts to sound unbothered and casual failed, as usual.

“Did I say something I shouldn’t?” Iroh covered his mouth his hand.

Katara tried to comfort him. “Well, he technically told me about his trips to the North Tribe, so it was a matter of time until I figured out what was going on”, honestly, she never even considered the idea of him wanting to get rid of his scar. He hadn't mentioned since he was sixteen. “I have a few questions now, though”

“Maybe you should ask him directly, I’m sure you’re going to notice the change once he arrives. A healing process is slow, and you know Zuko: he wants everything fast”, Iroh sighed, “but in his last letter he told me that this healing session was quite intense”.

He poured the water into two cups.

“The thing is,” he cleared his voice, “Zuko doesn’t understand that there are some parts of a wound that can only be healed by him.”

[firelxdykatara]

You’re doing a LoK rewrite, correct? Would be really interested in hearing how you plan on fixing Suyin’s character and the Lin-Suyin conflict because……. oh boy. Man there’s a lot to unpack there. This is what happens when we don’t let Toph just raise her fucking kids for the sake of pushing a stupid as hell narrative about working women and single motherhood.

I am indeed!

In... you know, the way I'm doing most of my big potential projects, in that I have a folder with some documents that have plot notes and... some day I may actually get full, finished fics out of them (h2o AU is in there, as is my voltron!atla fusion AU, and uhhhh my book 3 atla rewrite, and a few other things), so... but I will say that the docs I have for my LoK rewrite so far amount to roughly 4.2k words of just Plot and Character Notes, which may some day turn into words of Story, hopefully.

ANYWAY, POINT IS: yes, this exists, and I have Many Many Thoughts.

Including how the Gaang kids would shake out! Cause I know I'm doing Zutara, and maybe Tokka???? Although I don't wanna just leave Suki out either... maybe a throuple??? Or Sukka having an amicable breakup before Sokka and Toph get together--maybe she already has Lin by then, and Sokka helps support her through the grief of losing Kanto???? Idk honestly, I haven't actually figured any of that out definitively yet except that Aang was perfectly happy to settle down with an Air Acolyte from one of the rebuilt temples because he grew up and out of his crush on Katara pretty easily once he hit puberty and matured a bit.

UHHH none of which is actually an answer to your question, because it's a valid one! Which is why I've been sitting on this a while (10 days I'm so sorry) bc I haven't made any solid decisions but I've been letting it percolate around my head a bit. And the more I think about it, the more I really like the Sukka -> Tokka idea (and I don't want to kill off Suki since the kids all deserve their awesome Kyoshi warrior auntie in their lives, and also I want a Sukka kid to be besties with Iara [zuko and katara's youngest] so maybe she gets with someone else after she and Sokka split? I could be talked into Ty Lee/Suki actually, the more I think about it....), but obviously having a stable father figure and a Toph who is... not what LoK made her out to be will dramatically change the Beifong family dynamic.

That said, I think I actually have a solution. (I'm so sorry for what I'm about to do.) Toph has Lin with Kanto--and he passes away when Lin is two or three, which is why she has very few memories of her father. (Although none of this 'she doesn't even know his name until she's 50+ cause Toph didn't tell her daughters about their fathers' bullshit.) Sokka is there for her through it all (all of the gaang is, of course, but you know that it sometimes just hits different when it's someone you're also starting to fall in love with, especially when there are older and much more deeply buried feelings there that are now resurfacing, because at least in my version Toph was deeply in love with Sokka when they were teenagers, but he was in love with Suki and she also loved Suki so she didn't want to mess up anything about their family or the group dynamics by making her feelings anyone else's problem), they fall in love, get married and have Suyin.

(Sokka may jokingly refer to it as a shotgun wedding, but the truth is he wanted to propose well before he found out she was pregnant, his attempts just kept getting messed up in increasingly comedic fashion.)

Throughout all of this, Republic City has been established, Sokka is Chancellor, Toph is something of a defacto police chief--mostly because, at the time, no one else was willing to volunteer, and she jokingly offered to whip the law enforcement, but unfortunately everyone else at the meeting took her seriously. However, she is also the founder of the probending league, and basically her feelings about law enforcement are complicated and she actively discouraged her kids from joining the force which is part of why Lin did. How else do you have a teen rebel phase with a parent like Toph? (Which, in this instance, means tough and firm but fair, with a 'you break it, it's up to you to fix it' attitude and very little desire to actually control her daughters and their behavior.)

Ah, but here's the rub.

Suyin is ten years old when Sokka dies, and Lin is sixteen. I'm not sure how he's killed--maybe by Yakone, to tie it into my plans for Amon and book 1. (Note that I'm not sure when the Yakone bloodbending trial happened in canon, but it doesn't matter. The timeline I'm gonna build will be completely different post-comet, and I'll eventually write it all down so that I can keep things straight.) Which would incidentally provide excellent means of having Katara have a very personal stake in the Amon conflict, and perhaps color the fight between him and Iara, but I'm getting off track. And I think Sokka being killed by Yakone, and Toph being unable to protect or save him, or deliver her own brand of justice to avenge him (because Aang is there to stop her and.... shit probably got ugly, I suspect she didn't talk to Aang for at least twenty years after Sokka's death--and this isn't to say I think Toph is particularly violent or murderous, but in that moment, she absolutely wanted to kill the man with her bare hands, and however much she may have regretted it afterwards, she took a very long time to forgive Aang for stopping her in the first place), is what results in Toph stepping down as police chief.

She didn't withdraw from her daughters or fuck off into the swamp or anything (words cannot express how much I hate that part of her canon history), but she did grieve for a very long time. Lin, meanwhile, felt like it was up to her to keep her family together, while also feeling a desperate need to... prove herself, I think. And because her mother was so adamant that she not join the police force, that's exactly what she does. I think Lin completely misread Toph's intentions, too, and believed that the discouragement was because her mother didn't think she had what it takes, when in reality I think Toph was scared of Lin losing herself in the job like she herself had begun to, and eventually coming up on something she couldn't change or fix and making the same mistakes she had.

(I think Toph and Lin have communication issues largely because they are both headstrong and willful, but where Toph thought she was giving her daughters the room they would need to make their own way, what Lin desperately craved was direction and she felt like that was something her mother simply couldn't understand.)

Suyin, on the other hand, fell in with a bad crowd like in canon. I think that what she desperately needed was attention, similar to Lin craving direction, and Toph was trying so hard not to be her own parents that she went a little too far in the other direction and Suyin began to feel like it didn't matter what she did, her mom wouldn't care, or get angry, or discipline her, or anything. Lin and Suyin butted heads a lot growing up, too, especially after Sokka's death, because Lin tried to rein in her sister's behavior and this was met with resistance and derision because Suyin felt like Lin was trying to be both mom and dad and she was neither but her big sister would never admit to being just as lost as she was and it made her furious.

So when Suyin is sixteen, and Lin is twenty-two and new to the force, The Big Rift happens. Lin catches Suyin and her gang, tries to apprehend her, gets a scar on her face in the ensuing conflict. But instead of abusing her power and sending her problem child off to her mother before fucking off to the swamp to avoid the consequences of her actions, Toph tries to actually fix things. Suyin cools her heels in prison for a while, because she was paralyzed by guilt at the time when she hurt her sister (a few inches lower and she could have slit her throat), and was still there when Lin's backup arrived.

Uhhhhhhhhhhh..... I'm so sorry I rambled for so long, BUT THE UPSHOT IS: I think Suyin learned a bit about culpability and taking responsibility for her own actions, Toph realized that her daughters had different needs than she did at their age (and I think a lot of the problem was that grief clouded her own ability to connect with her daughters, and in trying to not be her own parents she lost sight of how to be the parent her own daughters needed), and Lin, I think, had to realize that she had never fully processed the loss of not one but two fathers and had turned to her job in order to avoid actually confronting the grief that had overshadowed her childhood.

However, she did not forgive Suyin, at least not right away--and she wasn't forced or expected to. Suyin understood that she crossed a serious line, she took her lumps and did her time, and no one shamed Lin for her anger. I think, as a result, she had less reason to hold onto that bitterness, and perhaps by the time the story actually begins, she and Suyin are on much better terms, though I haven't worked it out exactly yet.

UHHH yeah I went on for days lmao. All of this is subject to change, too, depending on the needs of the story whenever I get around to actually writing it all down, BUT these are my initial thoughts, at least.

[stitch1830]

Walls

What's this? Oh, this is my angsty Kantoph agenda :)

...............

“How are you feeling?” he whispered.

“That’s the fifth time you’ve asked me in 20 minutes. And you know the answer.”

Kanto quietly chuckled. “I know, I know. I just worry.”

Toph smiled. She knew he worried. But there was no need for that, now. Things were good. They were so good.

An indignant cry filled the air, and the two froze in the bed when Lin squirmed in Toph’s arms, worried that they had woken her up. But when she settled back into place, Kanto remarked, “She’s so tiny.”

“You didn’t have to push her out of your vagina,” she scoffed.

“I know that, but she’s just… this is the smallest she’ll ever be, you know?”

“Did you want a bigger kid to rip through me or something?”

“What’s with all the snark?” he quietly teased. “I’m trying to have a moment with you and our daughter.”

Toph chuckled. “Sorry, I cried way too much today, just trying to make up for it.”

He said nothing in response, just kissed her temple as he gently held onto Lin’s fingers. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, soaking in the realization that they were an actual family now. For months, they tried to wrap their heads around the prospect of it and what it would mean when their baby arrived. But the actual moment itself was an entirely separate and unique experience from the mental preparation, something that one could only understand once they went through it themselves.

And to think only hours ago their plans for the day were completely different than this. Toph found herself smiling at the thought. Just a few hours earlier, she had been restless and running around the house, trying to induce labor, and subsequently freaking out when she forgot his birthday. It wasn’t until she actually sat down with him to try to relax that Lin decided she was ready to enter the world. Some birthday, Toph thought.

She broke the silence with a silly comment. “Sorry for ruining your birthday.”

Kanto shook his head quickly. “Don’t say that. This was the best birthday of my entire life. Lin was the best gift ever.”

“You’re not even mad that I forgot earlier today?” she teased.

He shrugged. “At least you’ll never forget it again.”

“Yeah, now I have to plan two birthdays. Fuck.”

“Language.”

“Yes, ‘fuck’ is a word.”

Kanto lovingly sighed at Toph’s antics, then said, “Perhaps it’s time for a nap.”

“Maybe in a bit, I just wanna sit here for a little longer with her.”

“Okay,” he whispered, resting his chin on Toph’s shoulder. “So, what do you think we’ll do for our birthday next year?”

“What?”

“Well, I just don’t see how you’re gonna top this. I mean, you gave me the most perfect baby girl in the world, just not sure how you’ll beat this gift.”

“Who says I have to?” she demanded.

“Societal norms. Me,” he joked. “You know, another perfect baby would probably—”

“Don’t even fucking joke about that!” she laughed. “I just gave birth to this melon head, and you’re already talking about another??”

He shrugged. “Lin would be a great big sister. I can feel it.”

“Yeah, well. Keep dreaming, Hotshot.”

“My reality is better than any dream I could think up.”

“Wow, that was pretty cheesy.”

“Yeah, but it made your heart melt, didn’t it?”

Toph paused in her retort, because it did melt her heart. He was right; their reality was better than any dream, and their future as a family together was going to be absolutely amazing. For now, though, she enjoyed the present moment: Lin in her arms, and Kanto’s wrapped around her. The first moments they shared as a family, and it was absolutely perfect.

He seemed to have forgotten that he was waiting for a comeback from Toph, for he quietly cooed at their baby, “Happy birthday, Linny. I can’t wait to celebrate our birthdays together next year. Hopefully Mama won’t forget,” he teased, then bent down to kiss Lin’s tiny fingers in his hand. When he sat up, he turned Toph’s head toward his and kissed her on the lips, and after, they let out a content sigh for the perfect moment they were living.

~~~

Toph let out a dreaded sigh, exhausted from living in her nightmare of a life. She couldn’t bring herself to face her friends or even her daughter right now, but they were all gathered at the Fire Nation palace to celebrate Lin’s very first birthday. An occasion that should have filled her heart with immense joy, but she couldn’t bear to even crack a smile, because her mind always drifted to that conversation she had with him just a year prior. So, for the start of the party, Toph hid from the world, trying to pull her shit together and put on a stoic face for all her worrisome friends. It always took longer than she expected to do so, and timed inhales and exhales did nothing to dissipate the creeping wave of grief that threatened to spill out.

She sighed again. How time had changed so quickly. What she would give to escape to her dreams to leave this shitty reality.

But she couldn’t. She had to soldier on and put on a brave face for her friends. For her daughter.

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, and she shut them quickly and dug her nails into the palm of her hands. No, she couldn’t cry, because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop. She swallowed the lump that formed in the back of her throat and she took one shaky breath before it was time for the ‘celebration’ to begin.

……

Katara held onto the birthday girl as she smashed chocolate cake in her hands and up to her face, smiling despite tension in the air. She couldn’t believe Lin was already one! It felt like yesterday that Toph told her she was pregnant, and was shocked at the fact that a year had passed since she helped deliver Lin into the world. Time really did fly by, and she could only hope Toph noticed some of those happy moments in time. Even if most were tainted.

She looked over at Toph, who sat on the opposite end of the room with a glass of water in her hand, mindlessly nodding to whatever Aang had to say to her. Toph’s tired eyes, slouched posture, and her ever-so-slightly trembling hands made Katara’s heart break for her friend. Toph put on such a brave face for the world after Kanto’s death, but Katara never would’ve thought she’d have to do that around friends, too.

Her focus for the rest of the evening fell between Lin and Toph, switching every so often to detect any change in Toph’s demeanor and to Lin whenever she became restless in Katara’s arms. But the waterbender found herself mostly glancing over at Toph, trying to think of something that could lift her spirits. There wasn’t much that could brighten up the somber undertone of the party, if anything at all.

Perhaps… Perhaps it wasn’t about fixing the grief today. Perhaps the best thing for Toph wasn’t to cover up the conflicting feelings of joy and sadness, but to learn to accept both. They had been trying to distract her from those emotions, but the walls in her heart had cracks in the foundation, and it was only a matter of time before they might break.

And Katara knew what had to be done.

It wasn’t until Zuko asked for some “Lin time” that Katara had an opening to speak with Toph. But when she stood up to meet her, Toph had quietly snuck away out of the party room, likely to find some place where she could be alone.

Despite knowing Toph’s desire for solitude, Katara had other ideas. She cut a small piece of cake that remained and ventured out into the vast halls of her home to find her friend. It didn’t take long, considering Katara knew most of the hiding places, but Toph wasn’t even hiding. The earthbender simply made a quick turn around the corner and fell to the floor, quietly sobbing into her knees.

Katara fought off the tears that pricked at her eyes as she sat down next to her. They said nothing, but let the quiet sniffles and cries fill the silence. When Toph settled for a moment, Katara decided to speak. “Lin’s perfectly happy with her aunt and uncles in the other room.”

Toph said nothing, but her blind gaze pierced the wall across from them as she bit her quivering lip and waited for Katara to continue her speech. So, she said, “I know today’s about Linny, but I brought us some cake to share for someone else’s birthday.”

Her friend choked out a breath, instinctively reaching for Katara’s hand. She gladly gave it to Toph, and Toph continued to point her gaze straight ahead as she clung to Katara’s hand, squeezing the life out of it.

He should’ve been there, but the world had other plans. Instead, Toph and Katara sat on the old, worn carpet of the palace halls, grieving the loss of a partner and a friend. And he was a dear friend to Katara. His crooked grin never failed to make Katara smile, and her heart warmed every time she caught him glancing at Toph as if she was the only person in the world. And whenever he entered a room and Toph noticed, she would smile so warmly at him that Katara knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was in love with the man. Katara recalled a time when those thoughts gave her happiness and joy, to know that her best friend found a man and a partner that would love her and treat her right for the rest of her life.

She didn’t realize he would only do those things for the rest of his short life.

Katara didn’t fight back her tears, anymore. There was no point. And with a quiet, shaky breath, she whispered, “Happy birthday, Kanto.” The first of many birthdays he was supposed to share with his daughter, but wouldn’t.

Toph cried out at the mention of his name, hugged Katara fiercely, and sobbed into her shoulder as they sat there. Over their cries, Katara faintly heard the quiet commotion of the birthday celebration occurring in the other room.

[lynnsfics]

No Time For Regret

Pairing: Sokka x Reader

Request: Can you do prompts 18 and 33 with Sokka, from list #1

Prompts: “You’re freezing, Jesus!” and "Sometimes I just want to cuddle, okay? Is that so bad?”

Word Count: Approx. 1.6k

~~~

Sitting on the bank of the river, you sighed wearily. It was your turn to keep an eye out for the Fire Nation Navy and there had been no activity so far. You knew your job was important in keeping the others safe, but it became so tedious after a while. 

Absentmindedly, you began playing with some pebbles that were laying on the shore. Using your earthbending, you tossed them up and watched them careen back to the ground. It wasn’t much, but it helped to pass the time. As you sat there, you began to think back on the last few months. 

When you started travelling with the group, you never expected to become this close with all of them. Least of all a certain water tribe boy who you couldn’t seem to keep out of your thoughts. You knew you couldn’t say anything about it, all that would do is create needless drama. Besides, even if he felt the same way, starting a relationship during a war wasn’t exactly the best idea. Losing a friend would be hard enough, losing a partner was enough to break someone.

Shaking the thoughts away, you returned to your task. Standing up, you walked along the embankment, looking for the tell-tale signs of smoke. When you were satisfied there was no threat, you turned and walked back towards camp. 

The others were still busy with their tasks when you arrived. Sokka was helping Katara prepare dinner while Toph went over training routines with Aang. Walking over to the fire, you warmed your hands. Night was setting quickly and it was growing chilly. 

Sokka joined you, smiling as he sat down. “Any news from your watch?”

“Well there were two intruders,” you replied seriously.

He leaned forward, waiting to hear about the threat. “What did you do? Were they Fire Nation?”

“No,” you said shaking your head, “I don’t believe they were with them. And all I did was give them some bread.”

“Why would you give intruders bread,” he exclaimed.

You finally cracked a grin, “They were just turtleducks,” you said with a laugh. 

“Oh very funny,” Sokka replied, rolling his eyes.

“I mean, it is kind of funny,” Katara said, joining you next to the fire. She turned towards Aang, who was now reaching the fire with Toph following close behind. “So, how was training?”

“It’s going well,” Aang answered. “I’m still learning, but I’m doing a lot better than before.”

“That’s great,” you replied encouragingly. “I patrolled the river today, no sign of Fire Nation troops.”

“We still need to be on the lookout for land patrol,” Sokka reminded you. “They could always launch a sneak attack against us.”

“Right,” Katara answered sarcastically, “I’m sure the Fire Nation is going to hike through the dense forest to track us down.”

“Well, you’ve seen the lengths Zuko has gone to,” you pointed out, “so I don’t think it’s that unlikely.” 

“See, I’m not paranoid. I just want to be cautious,” Sokka said with a smug smirk.

Katara shook her head, “Alright, well let’s hope these determined soldiers don’t interrupt us during dinner.” Using her waterbending, she poured soup into each of your bowls. 

Toph took a slurp from her dish. “Are we planning to stay here? Or are we moving on in the morning?”

“I think we could stay one more night,” Aang shrugged. “It would be difficult to travel tomorrow anyways.” He looked up at the clouds gathering overhead. “We could always waterbend the rain, but if there’s lightning it would be too dangerous.” 

“Although I hate to stay in one place for too long, Aang has a point.” Sokka glanced around at the group, his gaze lingering on you for a second before looking back at the fire. “Flying during a storm is risky, and nobody is getting hurt on my watch.”  

Once dinner was finished you helped set up the tents. The plan had been to sleep under the stars, but the impending storm ruled that option out. As you put the tarp over your tent, you sensed someone walk up behind you. 

Turning, you saw Sokka leaning against a tree waiting to talk to you. “What’s up?”

“Well,” he began, “I have this bad feeling. I can’t explain it, but I feel like something bad is about to happen. I know you patrolled the river earlier, but it’s been a while since then. The navy could have shown up since then.”

“Do you want me to go check it out with you? That way we’ll know for sure.”

He looked relieved, “You don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Besides, it isn’t safe to go alone at night. Let’s head out.” 

Walking along the muddy shore, you shivered. The night kept growing colder, and standing near the river did nothing to help. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” you answered with a shaky smile. “Just a bit cold is all.” 

He reached out to touch your exposed arm and immediately recoiled his hand. “You’re freezing, Jesus!” Shrugging off his jacket, he handed it to you. “Here, put this on, it’ll warm you up.”

“No,” you shook your head, “you keep it. You need it more.”

“I grew up in the South Pole,” he said with a smile. “Trust me, I’m used to the cold.”

Finally accepting the jacket, you smiled. “Thank you.” A strong gust of wind almost knocked you over, and you began to lose your footing, sliding towards the river. Sokka reached out, grabbing your hand and pulling you towards him. You fell into his arms and blushed as his arms wrapped around your waist to steady you. 

“Sorry,” you blushed, “I’m such a mess.” you said with a laugh.” Making an effort to smooth out your hair, you glanced over at him. “Does my hair look okay? It always gets so unruly.”

“It looks fine. Besides, you always look beautiful.” He paused, having a moment of realization. “I mean, you know, you’re um, very cute and,” he stuttered, trying to gloss over what he just said. “You’re very pretty.”

“Oh,” you replied. You weren’t sure if it was possible to die from blushing too much, but you were sure you were about to find out. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” he said, not looking in your direction. Instead he pretended to be very interested in the nearby trees.

Before you had a chance to say anything, Toph ran up behind you. “There’s heavy vibrations coming from the forest,” she explained breathlessly. “It’s the army.” 

You ran back towards camp, lungs burning, Katara greeted you, “We already have everything packed up, all we have to do now is leave.”

Aang was saddling up Appa, and you all stood nervously, ready for takeoff. A loud crash came from the forest and you glanced over, seeing a group of Fire Nation soldiers burst through the treeline. 

Stomping your foot, you sent a wave of rocks hurling towards the enemy. It gave you just enough time to climb on Appa’s back. With a quick “Yip Yip,” you were off. 

As you climbed in altitude rain began to fall. A boom of thunder shook the skies and you stiffened. “Oh no,” you whispered. “This is bad. Very bad.” Something bright caught your eye and you glanced over to see a fireball fly past. “They’re firing at us,” you called to Aang.

“I noticed,” he responded. “Everyone hold on, we’re going to have to do a zig zag to dodge them.” As he turned, a loud cracking sound startled you. Turning to look, a bolt of lightning struck right next to Appa’s head. The sky bison turned abruptly to avoid it, causing you to lose your gripping. 

You cried out as you plummeted towards the ground. Someone called your name and you could barely make out Sokka leaning over the edge of the saddle, hand outreached as if to catch you. But it seemed he was too late this time. 

It seemed as if time slowed. The ground was growing ever closer. Fifty feet away. You took a deep breath, letting a tear slip out of the corner of your eye. Forty feet. You braced for impact, knowing it wouldn’t matter anyways. Thirty feet. You tried to bend the ground so it would be softer, but to no avail. Instead, you whispered a silent prayer to the spirits. Twenty feet. You whispered a farewell to the others and closed your eyes. But instead of falling, you felt someone grab your wrist. 

Your eyes shot open, and you saw Sokka latched onto your wrist. He yanked you up over the saddle and pulled you into a hug. “I thought I lost you,” he whispered. You could tell he was crying, and you curled into him, your own tears falling. 

“It’s alright, I’m here. I’m here.” You looked into his eyes, now rimmed red from the tears, and knew it was now or never. Not being in a relationship didn’t stop any of the pain, it just caused more. You leaned in and pressed your lips to his.

He was shocked for only a second before kissing you back. When you finally broke apart he smiled. “I never knew you felt the same way.”

“I have for a while now, but I never wanted to say anything. I always thought that being in a relationship would make fighting this war harder. But when I almost died just now, I realized that regret is what causes the most pain.”

With that, he pulled you closer for another kiss. You wiped the tears from his cheek and smiled. Fear had held you back, but you were done being controlled by it. Life had no time for regret, and as you kissed Sokka you knew, regret was the furthest thing from your mind. 

Toph cleared her throat, “Look guys, I know you’re having a moment, but it’s a bit awkward for the rest of us.”

You chuckled and Sokka shook his head, “Sometimes I just want to cuddle, okay? Is that so bad?”

Laughing, Toph answered, “When the rest of us have to be present for it, yes.Yes it is.”

~~~

Requested By: anon

A:TLA Taglist:

@coldlilheart

@samsmultifandomblogs

Do I have a headache? Yes. Is it because I wanted to relive my childhood and stayed up until 3 AM watching Barbie movies? Maybe. Let me know if you want to be added to my taglist and as always, likes and reblogs are appreciated! Love you all! <3

[kawaiichibiart]

Princess and the Pauper AU for ATLA. With Yueki, Zukka and Kataang.

Annaliese is Yue (who has brown hair and a crescent moon birthmark to represent her connection to the moon spirit)

Erika is Katara

Julian is Suki

King Dominick is Zuko

Preminger is Zhao

Madam Carpe is Hama

I'll figure out the other roles later, and I'm basing this off the Barbie movie because that's the version I know best.

But the idea goes as follow:

Yue and Katara look strikingly similar. Yue is a princess, while Katara has no royal status and works for Master Hama at her inn.

Yue is supposed to marry Prince Zuko, the Crown Heir of the Fire Nation. Unlike the movie, they have met, however, Zuko already has a partner in one of her personal guards, Sokka. And Yue is inlove with her other personal guard, Suki.

Suki takes Yue out to get her mind off the arranged marriage that was unwanted by both parties. It's there she sees Katara waterbending and creating beautiful ice sculptures. She's trying to both gain a bit more money and see if anyone would notice she was a capable bender who could be taught to fight.

Of course, Hama sees this and doesn't like it, she's been trying to teach Katara to bloodbend on a regular basis every full moon, but Katara has used it to ensure she didn't have to continue doing it. So, she just takes the money and thanks Katara for helping the inn, knowing she was trying to get it for herself so she could leave.

Yue and Katara realize that they look so much a like and have some fun together, leaving as best friends.

Later on, when Yue is kidnapped by Zhao, Suki goes to Katara so she can take over as Yue temporarily. And Katara has to learn so much about being royalty in less than a day. She does her best and Suki promises to help her.

So, the day comes that Zuko arrives and meets "Yue." He tells her how happy he is to see his bride to be. How he missed her. And Katara returns the sentiments. But she doesn't know he and Sokka are together, so when they're in the Oasis, alone, and she goes in for a kiss, he stops her and asks if she was okay, if she forgot he and Sokka were dating. She didn't, but Yue did, so she tells him that with their marriage, she was nervous about letting others see that she didn't want it. About how she didn't want them to think she wasn't doing her duty.

Katara and Zuko spend a lot of time together. And who shows up with Sokka a few days later? Aang.

Katara had never met the Avatar, but he was one of the nicest benders she had ever met. He let her have fun, told her her bending was incredible and how he would like to learn bending with her. He was still learning and improving his bending, so having someone he could call a friend with him would be better. After all, he did go to the Fire Nation to learn with Zuko, who was his friend apparently. And to the Earth Kingdom to learn from his friend King Bumi and to have sparring sessions with another friend of his, a blind girl named Toph Beifong.

So, then comes the day that Zuko is supposed to present Yue with her bethrotel necklace. But as he's about to put it on her, Zhao storms in and orders her arrest. To prove his claims, he has someone check her shoulders for the crescent moon birthmark. It wasn't there, and upon closer look, Sokka recognizes his younger sister and is shocked about everything. He wants to say something. Anything. But he can't. He's rooted where he stands as his sister is taken away to be locked in prison.

Meanwhile, back with Yue, she had escaped and was on her way back, only to be captured by Master Hama, who took her back to her inn, so she could continue working. Yue wasn't sure about it, until another person in the inn called her Katara. Yue had to then explain to this person who she actually was. And thus, her second imprisonment.

Things seems to go better though, when someone comes for her, having received a message from someone that the princess was at the inn. However, he quickly leads her into a different prison, one where Suki is at, trapping them both in. They escape and had confessed their feelings while doing so. And they head back to the Yue's home, hopefully to stop the wedding and to clear the airs and give Katara her freedom (which they didn't know was an added detail to their list of things to do).

I'm very tempted to have Hahn as a second Preminger. Like, the Chief of the NWT has chosen him as the next in line, and since Yue isn't there and the wedding has to take off (the whole point, which I haven't mentioned, was for the watertribes and fire nation to have a union between two heirs as a way to show they were coming to peace after the Hundred Year War), Zuko has to marry Hahn instead, which was worse, because at least Yue was his friend and that would make the marriage somewhat bearable. But Hahn? Hahn was a bitch in his eyes. And as Zuko is about to say no, he would wait for Yue, Zhao opens his mouth and says the sooner the two were married, the better.

Sokka and Aang sneak into the prison cells and run into Katara, who managed to use her own sweat to break out. Sokka wants to yell at her. For risking her own life, for not telling him. But that could wait. They had a wedding to stop.

And as they make their way there, they hear someone yell "STOP!" and everyone turns to see Princess Yue and Suki. Zuko lights up upon seeing them. And Zhao tries to claim that Katara had escaped, only for Yue to reveal her birthmark, and telling her father that Zhao was the one behind everything. Zhao tries to escape but Sokka, Aang and Zuko manage to catch him. He isn't arrested though, as the ocean spirit ends up taking him.

Yue's father is happy to have her back, safe and sound, and Yue takes the time to tell him she doesn't want to marry Prince Zuko. She gestures towards him and Sokka, the two happy to be have a moment together, not knowing what Yue is doing. And she tells her father that if the watertribe and fire nation were to have a wedding that day, it might as well be for the couple.

The Chief is unsure about this, but Yue keeps on insisting, telling him how she had already fell inlove with Suki. The Chief relents and agrees, calling for everyone to take their seats. They had a wedding to continue. Hahn is taken away from the altar, and Zuko stays there, waiting for Yue to take her place. Sokka sticks by Katara, Aang and Suki. All of them waiting.

And Sokka is surprised, when Yue walks over to him and pulls him over to Zuko, shocking not only the couple but everyone in attendance. Princess Yue wasn't marrying Prince Zuko. Her guard, Sokka of the SWT was.

It's not the way the two thought they'd get married, and honestly, they wouldn't be surprised if they planned a second, more personal, wedding for just friends and family. But the two get married.

After the wedding, Katara walks onto a Fire Nation ship that was heading to the SWT, she wanted some time back home. Her family, aside from Sokka, was waiting there. Aang finds her and asks her to stay with him, to continue their waterbending lessons together. But she misses her home. And Aang understands. And he gives her a necklace. So she can remember him.

And she keeps it on her at all times.

The next time she's at the NWT is for Yue's and Suki's wedding. A lot had changed since her last visit. She sees her brother and his husband and waves to them, they're still happy. She sees Toph, who she had met when she visited Sokka at the Fire Nation, and smiles despite knowing the earthbender can't see it. And then she sees Aang, who waves to her and she waves back. She sits next to him, and his smile gets bigger when he notices she's wearing the necklace he made her rather than her mother's, which was still on her person. She rarely changed the necklace, and she wasn't sure why she chose today of all days to do so, but maybe it was okay.

Eventually, she and Aang get together. The two would practice bending together and would travel to different nations in order to help them. They get married a lot later, but Katara is happy to help Sokka and Zuko with their second wedding, which was simpler than the extravagant one that was their first wedding.

.

.

.

.

I'm still going to refine this a bit. I want to work on the characters some more. Like, I want to expand on Hama's role, I'm still not sure about Hahn, like, do I make him a second Preminger, wanting to become Chief to gain power even if it means he has to marry Zuko, or do I make him and Zhao partners in crime. Zhao would get rid of Zuko and Hahn would gain power. I want to include Toph some more. Like, there's a lot I wanna do with this. Will I write it? No. Will I draw it? Very tempted to, so maybe some illustrations???

[muertawrites]

Two Halves - Chapter Seven (Zuko x Reader)

Part Six

Word Count: 3,000 (really? it seemed longer...)

Author’s Note: I decided to make this one cute because it’s been a hella weird week (year) and I needed some sweet Zuko lovin’ in my life. The only downside is that now I’m piney as fuck, but it’s fine because I’ve got spaghetti from my favorite Italian place in the fridge and comfort food fixes everything. I’d also like to use this time to admit that I’ve always thought King Kuei was cute, because clearly I have a thing for adorable dumbasses who live their lives in denial (shout out to Mark, my ex, fuck you and I hope you miss me every fucking day because we both know you loved me as much as I loved you but were too weak to just own up to your feelings because you’re a punkass little bitch boy ♥). King Kuei and reader are BFFs and that’s canon. 

I hope you’re all holding out okay and staying safe - PSA to wear a mask whenever you go out, make sure it covers both your mouth and nose at all times, wash your hands after being out in public, and stay the hell away from people outside your household. Do something nice for yourself today, you deserve it. I wish you all find a love someday who makes you feel as fluttery inside as these fics make me feel, and that they love you endlessly and fearlessly. I need to stop writing now, I’ve put myself in my feels. 

~ Muerta

Much to the dismay of the international affairs advisors, their opportunities for stalking you about your daily life are drastically cut short when Iroh announces he wants to return to Ba Sing Se. 

“I've been away from the Jasmine Dragon for too long,” he explains, breaking the news over dinner. “I miss her dearly and would like to be with her again.” 

“I should go back to the Earth Kingdom, too,” Toph speaks up. “The metal bending program will probably have to be rebuilt - the idiots I left in charge of it can barely bend rocks.” 

You and Zuko exchange amused looks, though the idea of being left totally alone with him - without the comfort of your mutual friends - makes you lightheaded. Having to go toe to toe with Advisor Qiang and his sketchy, passive aggressive behavior while also navigating a potentially deadly political climate? No sweat. Having to face your husband every day without the distraction of your friends and family to break the awkward tension? Horrifying, but in an exciting, slightly panicky way. 

“It would be a good idea to visit,” Zuko muses, “see how the city is rebuilding. Aang’s coming back in a week or two on his way to the Northern Air Temple, and I bet he’d give us a lift.” 

“Do the international affairs advisors have to come, too?” you ask. “I'm tired of their assistants taking notes on how I prefer to pour my own tea in the morning.” 

Zuko smirks, shaking his head. 

“I'm sending them to the Southern Tribe,” he tells you. “Hakoda’s hosting a summit for them to celebrate our union.” 

“You're finally getting your life changing field trip with Hothead!” Toph cheers, playfully jabbing her elbow into your arm. “Now we can start a club - Sokka really wants to get jackets.” 

As Appa glides through the air, you lean over the edge of his saddle, gazing out at the clouds as they pass. It’s your first time flying, and everything about it amazes and terrifies you - the miniscule landscape below, the shift of Appa’s massive body under his movement and breathing, the cold breeze kissing your cheeks and running its fingers through your hair, the way the sky is so much more vast than you ever could have imagined - it’s like you’ve fallen into a different world entirely. 

You reach down and stroke at Appa’s fur, earning an appreciative grunt from the bison. Aang turns back from his place at the reins to grin at you, much more excited about your first time in the air than you are. 

“What do you think?” he wonders cheerfully. 

“It's like sailing, but in a dream,” you reply. “The clouds remind me of glaciers back home.” 

“Makes you wish you were an air bender, doesn't it?” Aang chuckles. 

You laugh nervously, shaking your head. 

“No! I can't stop thinking about how long the fall is from up here!” 

Aang tosses his head back with laughter, the sound of his voice carried on the wind filling you with the feeling of walking through the threshold of the cottage you shared with Sokka and Katara as a child; neither of them are present, but having Aang nearby feels just as much like home. 

Across the saddle, Zuko smiles at you. You’re a few feet away from him, yet you still feel the warmth from his body as his eyes meet yours; his gaze is different somehow, as if he's seeing you for the first time. You blush, bashfully returning his grin. 

“Are you okay?” Toph asks beside you. She's clutching your hand, neither of you very fond of your height off the ground. “Your heart rate jumped.” 

“I'm fine,” you tell her. “I just looked down.” 

Ba Sing Se is larger than you ever thought a city could be. As you approach, you stare in awe at the epic sprawl of the place, each district looking like its own little country within a quilt of a continent. You've been to the North Pole before, having spent a year there after the war, but even the shock of seeing their massive skyline pales in comparison to just how huge the Earth Kingdom is. Zuko smirks at you, his arm wrapping around your shoulders. 

“Wait until you see it from the ground,” he teases. 

You’re even more amazed by the city as you view it from the palace. It sprawls in every direction, some of its buildings reaching as high as Appa can float; Iroh explains that it's a new concept designed by the most renowned Earth Kingdom architects, some of them planning towers that stretch one hundred stories. Everything about the place seems impossible. 

Inside the palace, King Kuei meets you in the entry hall, greeting Aang with a warm hug and Zuko with a firm handshake. 

“It's so good to see you all!” he exclaims. “It's been far too long. Tonight we’re having a party to celebrate your arrival, and to congratulate the newlyweds!” 

You smile, bowing low at the waist as you thank him. 

“My husband has told me of your hospitality,” you say. “It’s an honor to be celebrated by you.” 

When you straighten up, Kuei takes your hand and politely places his lips to the back of your palm, closing his other hand atop it. 

“And I've been told about your exquisite nerve,” he replies, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. “Your bravery deserves to be celebrated.” 

After a tour of the palace, you and Zuko are led to your suite. The windows in both the sitting room and bedroom look out over an incredible view of the city, in which you can almost see as far as the eastern wall; you can hardly pull yourself away, leaving Zuko the task of inspecting the rooms to ensure everything is in order. 

“We have a problem,” he says, stepping out to where you perch by the sitting room window. “There's only one bed.” 

You snap your head to attention, fixing him with a quizzical expression. 

“... I mean, I guess that's normal,” you reply, piecing the situation together in your head. “We are married.” 

“Do you want me to request another room for myself?” Zuko asks. “I could get one of the bedrolls from Appa’s pack and sleep on the floor.”

You shake your head, pacing over to where he stands. 

“I trust you,” you tell him. “We have to get comfortable with each other at some point.” 

Zuko nods, blushing and unable to hold your gaze. 

“You're right,” he agrees. “I trust you, too.” 

You gently take his hand, causing him to shift his eyes back to yours; you smile, giving his palm a light squeeze. 

“Zuko, it’s okay,” you assure him. “Really. I’m okay with it.” 

Zuko nods again, reaching absently to brush a stray lock of hair behind your ear. 

“I just want you to feel safe,” he admits. “You’ve already got enough to worry about without… all of this.” 

You scoff, rolling your eyes as you smile at him. 

“All you’ve done since the day we met is protect me,” you remind him. “Sleeping with you is the last thing that could possibly worry me.” 

Zuko chuckles, leaning to press a chaste kiss to your forehead. 

“Don’t laugh at me,” he playfully scolds. “Or I’ll make you sleep on the bed roll.” 

You gasp, giggling as you push his shoulder. 

“I can’t believe my own husband would make me sleep on the floor,” you tease. “And in a strange city, no less! You’re so awful to me.” 

Zuko rolls his eyes, smirking as he bends and hooks his arms under your bum, lifting you up over his shoulder. You squeal, laughing as he carries you into the bedroom and flops you down on the mattress, jestfully smacking a pillow into your face. 

“Get changed, Queenie” he tells you, retreating into the sitting room before you can launch a counterattack. “The party’s in an hour.”

In the ballroom of the Earth King’s palace, it seems everyone in the city has turned out to celebrate your arrival. 

You sit in a throne beside Kuei’s, Zuko to your left and Aang to the Earth King’s right. Dignitaries from Kuei’s cabinet as well as various parts of the kingdom come to give their regards, all greeting you much more fondly than many of the guests at your wedding; Kuei is excited to introduce you to everyone, giving fervent, detailed descriptions of what each person does and launching you into long conversations with them. You don’t mind his enthusiasm, finding it endearing that he cares so much and so openly about the people who serve him. 

“Ah, here’s a very special guest!” Kuei announces, cheerfully clapping his hands. 

A woman approaches the throne, leading a large, furry animal up the steps towards you; its long claws and massive stature send a chill through you, but once you look into its beady little eyes and notice its round ears and bumbling demeanor, you’re enamored. 

“Is that a bear?” you ask, excitedly gripping Kuei’s sleeve. 

“Yes!” he cheers. “His name is Bosco; he’s a close friend of mine.” 

Bosco lets out a soft growl as Kuei scratches him under the chin, pulling the fuzzy giant into a tight hug. 

“He loves cuddles and blackberries,” Kuei tells you. “Don’t let his claws scare you - he’s a big softy.” 

One of the servers appears with a bowl of fresh fruit, setting it into your lap for you to share with your newest party guest. You carefully take a blackberry into your palm, holding it out for Bosco to sniff; his nose hovers above your fingers, letting out a few warm huffs of breath onto your skin before licking the berry up into his mouth. You turn to Kuei and give him a wide smile, gathering more berries into your hand for Bosco to eat. 

“I love him,” you tell your host. “He might be coming back to the Fire Nation with me.” 

Kuei laughs, giving Bosco a loving pat on the head as you continue to fatten him up, switching between feeding him and running your fingers through his thick coat, giggling when his tongue flops out to lick your cheek; you never expected an animal fabled to be so fearsome to turn out so sweet. 

Once the bowl of fruit is empty, Bosco settles onto the floor at the foot of Kuei’s throne, letting out a heavy yawn. Kuei reaches to scratch behind his ears, then stands, offering you his hand. 

“Would you like to dance?” he asks. “I heard you and the Avatar made quite the display at your wedding.” 

“We did!” Aang chimes in, also getting to his feet and sweeping Toph (who stands just to the side of the thrones, having declined the royal treatment for the evening) into his arms. “We were taught a few Earth Kingdom dances by your advisors, too!” 

Toph laughs as you’re both led onto the dancefloor, taking her position beside Aang. 

“And that’s why I call him Twinkle Toes,” she jokes. 

Kuei chuckles, taking you by the waist and starting the dance, twirling with you in an interlaced circle between Toph and Aang. You each pass from partner to partner, raising your hands to meet them together and spinning gracefully around each other before returning to the escort you  started with. Kuei’s arm skillfully finds your waist when he takes you back in, each of you facing the opposite direction with your sides pressed together, turning in a clockwise motion. He grins at you, and you can’t help but smile back. 

“You’re a natural!” he praises you. “I’m sorry I have two left feet.” 

You laugh, shaking your head. 

“Back home, they consider me clumsy,” you confess. “I used to step on my brother and sister’s toes when they tried to teach me to dance - I still do sometimes!” 

Kuei chortles, taking your hand in his and repeating the sequence of steps you just completed. You recite the ritual five times before the dance is over, ending with each of you bowing to each other with cheerful, elated smiles. Someone behind Kuei clears his throat, and he turns to find Zuko, his hand outstretched toward you. 

“You promised to teach me to dance,” he reminds you. 

You nod, a burning heat pinkening your cheeks as you take his hand. 

“I did,” you echo. “Thank you for the wonderful dance, your majesty.” 

Kuei smirks knowingly between the two of you, bowing before taking his leave. 

“The pleasure was all mine, my lady,” he says in parting. “It’s rare that I have such an excellent partner.” 

Zuko’s arm locks around your waist, skirting you to the edge of the dance floor where he stands stiffly, holding you in place in front of him. You let out a soft giggle, resting your hands on his chest. 

“I thought you didn’t want to learn how to dance with an audience?” you prod, starting to sway in time with the music. Zuko does the same, his body drifting along in sync with yours. 

“I wouldn’t enjoy the party if I sat through it,” he explains, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. You quirk a brow, grinning teasingly at him. 

“Sure,” you say. “It definitely didn’t have anything to do with me dancing so close with another man.” 

“Not at all,” Zuko replies. His hand at the small of your back clutches you a little tighter, giving himself away. “It looked like fun and I wanted to join in.” 

You roll your eyes, smirking as you take a step back from him, lacing your fingers with his. 

“Let’s find Aang,” you suggest. “He can help me teach you the dance we did at our wedding.” 

For the rest of the evening, you, Aang, Toph, and Zuko occupy a small corner of the dance floor, guiding the Firelord with the steps of your favorite traditional Water Tribe dance. He’s nervous, moving with rigid gestures and clearly unsure of what his body is supposed to do when set to music, but he tries, watching every move you make with rapt attention. By the end of the night he has the dance memorized, and you twirl in time with him as Aang cheers him on, Toph laughing beside him at the ridiculousness of the scene; Kuei even joins in, rousing Bosco from his nap and dancing with the bear on his two hind legs, sending the entire ballroom into gleeful fits. 

“You’re better at this than you think, you know,” you tell Zuko when you’re left alone, dancing with him much the same way you danced with the king earlier in the night. “I noticed at our wedding that you have great rhythm.” 

Zuko blushes, his lips curling into a timid smile. 

“I’m a fighter, not a dancer,” he says. 

“They’re not that different,” you shrug. “From what I’ve seen of fire bending, it’s a lot like dancing.” 

Zuko hums, gently turning you so that your chest is pressed against his, his hand resting firmly at your waist. 

“Maybe it’s the music lessons my mother forced me to take when I was a kid,” he muses. “Uncle still keeps asking me to play the tsungi horn for him when we’re together.” 

“You play the tsungi horn?” you exclaim, eyebrows raising in excitement. “You should play for both of us sometime!” 

Zuko groans, immediately switching the dance so he can pass you off to Aang. 

You lean against the sitting room in your guest suite, watching the lights of Ba Sing Se as they flicker with the movement of its people. The world looks dreamlike from where you sit, as if it's been turned upside down; a black expanse of sky hangs above a sea of stars, and you float between the two, dizzy with the surrealism. 

Zuko emerges from the bedroom, having changed into his pajamas after giving you the chance to do the same. He crosses the room to where you sit, resting a hand on your shoulder. 

“You coming to bed?” he asks. You nod, standing and following him back into the bedroom. 

Zuko allows you to slip between she sheets before him, giving you a few moments to get comfortable before crawling in beside you, keeping to his side of the bed. Even though the mattress is large enough to fit another couple between you, you can still feel the warmth of his skin spreading across the fabric below, feel the weight of his body sharing the same space as yours. Your heart flutters against your ribs, making your breathing shallow. 

“I had fun tonight,” Zuko whispers into the darkness around you. “Thank you for teaching me how to dance.” 

“I had fun, too,” you reply. “I can teach you the dance people do for Water Tribe weddings; I wish we could’ve done it at ours.” 

“I’d like that. I’m sorry we didn’t have much Water Tribe tradition when we got married… We should go back and have a ceremony there. I’d like to see you in a Water Tribe wedding gown.” 

A shiver runs through your veins, heating your skin as if a fire has been lit beneath it. You roll over to face him, making out his silhouette against the rest of the shadows in the room. 

“I’m glad you asked me to marry you,” you admit to him, the manic jitters in your chest rising to your throat. “I don’t think anyone else could treat me better.” 

Zuko reaches his hand towards you, finding yours beneath the blankets and curling his fingers with yours. For a moment you forget that your relationship was arranged, feeling as if you’re lovers instead of leaders, tasked with repairing a world that’s been shattered since long before you were born. 

“I’m glad you agreed,” Zuko answers. “I was afraid you’d hate my guts because I stalked your brother and sister for six months when we were teenagers.” 

You release a breath of laughter, the pressure in your body unraveling with it. Zuko’s thumb runs tenderly across your knuckles, and you forget that anyone else in the world exists except for the two of you. 

“Goodnight, Zuko,” you murmur. 

“Goodnight,” he hums back to you. “Sleep well.” 

You wake early in the morning with his arm draped over your waist, your head tucked under his chin with your cheek pressed to his chest. You drift back to sleep to his quiet, blissful snores, his heartbeat pulsing in time with your own.

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[thepeanutbutterwizard]

Ninjago/Avatar au Pt6

The second half of Book 2 (hopefully)

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)

So Garm finally reads the letter from Wu. It starts off as a normal pseudo-journal entry, but after it mentions finding the Garms old armor, but no body, it turns into more of a normal letter. Wu says that he’s missed his brother since he was banished, and that he hopes that they’ll be able to see eachother again soon if Garm is alive, and ends with Wu saying that he normally burns the letters he writes to Garm, so that no-one else finds them, but that he feels hopeful that this one could actually get to him. It’s touching stuff.

Lloyd picks up earthbending almost immediately, unlike Aang. The element Lloyd is going to struggle to learn is fire (if you don’t count his airbending being self-taught. He picked up airbending really, really fast, but bc he’s been making stuff up and trying to do what Maya did with her waterbending [Maya’s had decades to hone her style tho, not just three-ish years, but he’s like someone learning ballet only from YouTube, for only a couple of months] since there are no more airbenders [or so they think, bc none of them saw Morro airbend at the North Pole]), and I’ll get into why that is when it comes up. They haven’t had Garm start to teach Lloyd any firebending bc they’re trying to go in the order as much as they can, but Garm has finally convinced Kai to learn more than just the basics, and he picks it up really quickly.

Meanwhile, Morro is taking care of an injured Wu (and accidentally making him suffer through poorly-made tea). Now, Morro is onboard with Wu wanting to leave the Fire Nation behind; unlike Zuko, Morro isn’t trying to win back the favor of some distant parent, the only family he’s ever known is Wu, and he’s not about to abandon Wu for a bunch of people who would probably kill him as soon as they could no matter what he did for them, and Harumi made it clear that no-one in the Fire Nation is going to be extending them any mercy.

Once Wu wakes up, Morro does yell at him for doing something as stupid as taking a hit from a well-trained firebender to protect a stranger (Wu hadn’t gotten around to telling Morro ‘hey, you know that guy with the big burn scar who’s traveling with the Avatar? That’s my dead-but-not-really-dead older brother. Pls stop trying to stab him’, and Morro wasn’t there when Garm revealed his identity in the North Pole), until Wu tells him that Garm is his brother. This leads to Morro yelling out ‘You mean to tell me that the Avatar is my cousin?!?!’ And that how Wu learns that Lloyd is Garms son (’wait, what?’ ‘Have you really gone this long without noticing that the Avatar calls your brother his dad?’ ‘I’ve had a lot on my mind, give me a break!’), and now he thinks that Garm and Maya are married with three kids, one of whom is the Avatar.

They make their way to Ba Sing Se, with the help of the White Lotus. Wu isn’t the leader of them (he isn’t super old in this au, imagine what he looked like in S9, with the mustache), but he is a fairly respected member. I still haven’t come up with a Jet character who would work, and I am open to suggestions. If I do find a good character, they will definitely throw hands with Morro (mb Shade? Just cut out the romance subplot in S1 and pick a couple of EM’s to be the other freedom fighters?). And yes, Wu does get his tea shop in the upper ring (Steep Wisdom), and Morro tries to be happy and supportive, but even though he is fine leaving the Fire Nation with Wu, it does still feel like he wasted years of his life, both in chasing the Avatar and just trying to prove himself to everyone back in the Palace, so he’s pretty grumpy.

Now back to Team Avatar: at Maya and Garms insistence the kids have been picking out their little mini-vacations. They know that they only have a limited amount of time before the comet arrives, but Garm and Maya want these kids to be able to be, y’know, kids, at least a little bit, in spite of the fact that they’re growing up in a war-torn world. Kai want’s to check out that glacier-spring place by the desert, it’s kinda underwhelming, but they get fruity drinks out of it. This whole time Kai and Cole have been getting closer to each other. Kai feels a little guilty, like he’s betraying Zane’s memory, but talking to Maya and Garm about it does help him start to feel better, and it helps his over-protectiveness start to abate a little.

Jay wants to pick a really cool mini-vacation to impress Nya, and he asks the people who are in the glacier place if there’s any place around those parts, and ends up learning that about a year ago some lady showed up saying something about a huge spirit library in the desert that she was looking for. They never saw her again after that, and figure that she must have died out in the desert. When pressed (and payed) one of the artistically inclined staff members roughly recreated the sketch of the library, and vaguely remembered the area on the map she said she was going to search, and with that Jay has his mini-vacation picked out.

They set off and find the library. Cole chooses to stay outside with Ultra (who can’t fit inside) bc he thinks they’ll be safer if the only earthbender stays outside incase something goes wrong, and if they need to get out of there fast he’d only slow them down with his legs. Everybody else heads into the library and meet Wan Chi Tong (did I spell that right? I’m too lazy to check), who agrees to let them use the library if they 1) don’t intend to use the contents of the library against anyone else and 2) contribute something to his library.

Lloyd and Nya both use their wanted posters (they both thought they were awesome [Lloyd bc he’s 13 and Nya bc you can’t convince me that Nya wouldn’t be thrilled to have a wanted poster bc she’s been fucking with a tyrannical regime] and incredibly accurate considering the art had to have been done by someone using other people’s descriptions, and they totally intend on framing and hanging at least a few of their posters up in their rooms when all this is over), Kai has a copy of a poem that Zane wrote for him, Garm has his brothers letter (he doesn’t want to give it up, but he has nothing else), Jay has a blueprint from one of his inventions, and Maya has a copy of a story in a series that Koko had brought back to the South Pole over the years. Wan Chi Tong comments that about a year ago a researcher had arrived and had offered him another part of the the same series. He mentions that they should be careful, as she never left, and has been primarily researching the Avatar.

Everyone has an idea of who this mysterious researcher could be (except Jay), but they decide to be cautious all the same, just incase she isn’t who they think she is. They all start discreetly searching for anything that could be used to help them fight the Fire Nation, and they end up finding and empty placard saying something about ‘the Darkest Day in Fire Nation History’, but when they go to check part of the section on Fire Nation (that library was enormous, y’all cannot tell me that Zhao was able to destroy absolutely everything that the library had on the Fire Nation. It could only have been the last few decades/mb centuries of Fire Nation history), as well as a campsite that was full of scrolls having to do with the Avatar and different bending techniques (and a few misc scrolls about random things like cooking, engineering, etc). As they’re poking around the campsite, who else comes around the corner but Koko!

She has her nose buried in a scroll as she’s walking, so she doesn’t notice them all until Lloyd happily calls out ‘Mom!’, and goes in for a hug. Koko drops the scroll and has a happy reunion with her son and husband, as well as with Maya, Kai, and Nya, and she and Jay are introduced to each other. Koko explains that she’s been able to stay in the library so long was bc she managed to get the fox assistants to like her enough to start bringing her food and water. She also explains that she’s been doing nonstop research into the Avatar State, the Air Nomads and airbending, and the Fire Nation (though she’s really quiet about that part so they don’t catch Wan Chi Tongs attention and ire) and shows them that planetarium thing and that she discovered the eclipse. (How did she make it out to the library without a flying companion or something? SHe’s just that much of a badass.)

Koko had been saving up supplies and charting a course out of the desert, and planning to leave the library as soon as she could, but now that they’ve showed up with Ultra she can just grab her things and go. Someone, probably Jay, gets a little too vocal about how they have a chance to beat the Fire Nation, and cue Wan Chi Tong sinking the library and trying to add them to his ‘collection of specimen’. Garm and Koko are a dynamic duo, with Garm distraction the angry spirit while Koko gathers all of her scrolls and supplies together while Maya gets the kids to the exit.

Meanwhile, Cole is holding up the library, and trying to help Ultra fend off the sandbenders that showed up to capture and sell the dragon. Cole is able to put up a bit more of a fight than Toph was (meaning that he was able to get one or two good hits in) bc being in the desert doesn’t impair his vision (the sand does tank his mobility just as much as it would anyone with prosthetic legs tho), but he isn’t able to stop them or even hold them off long enough for everyone else to get out. Cole, despite being initially afraid of the large dragon, had quickly grown to be one of Ultras favorite people in their group (like, third favorite. Kai will never admit that he’s jealous), and is pretty upset that he wasn’t able to save him. More on Ultra later.

So Lloyd is really upset about losing his companion, just as much as Aang was. He doesn’t act out (for lack of a better word) as intensely as Aang, since Ultra wasn’t the last thing he had left of his people like Appa was for Aang, but Lloyd is still rightfully pissed off. He takes off shakily on his glider, leaving everyone behind before trying to search for Ultra and the sandbenders, ignoring his families protests. Koko starts working on getting them out of the desert using the route she had plotted out (using the sun and shadows to orient them and get started in the right direction), and starts planing out how long her food and water (she had the good sense to bring those from the library) will last between all of them. The answer is: not long enough.

Kai (and mb Jay too) is the one who has the bright idea to drink the cactus juice, bc while Kai, like Sokka, (and Jay tbh) is smart enough to know that drinking a strange liquid out of an unfamiliar plant is a bad idea,but the fact that it is a stupid idea doesn’t stop him. Wait, y’know what? Jay definitely tries the cactus juice, but instead of acting as out-of-it and inebriated as Kai does, he acts like he does in S9, weirdly chill and disconnected from reality. He’s still tripping balls, but he’s reacting to it differently from Kai. Cole just ends up carrying Kai piggy-back, even though the sand makes it harder for him to move (he’s crushing, and he’s the only one [adults included] whose physically strong enough to carry him for long periods of time) (also Kai awkwardly and drunkenly flirts with him. Everyone pretends not to notice for Coles sake) and everyone else takes turns holding onto Jays wrist and leading him through the desert or else he would have wandered off and died.

Lloyd gets back to them, landing hard in the sand, holding back tears bc even though he’s upset and could use a good cry he knows that they need to conserve as much water as they can. He’s got his family there to comfort him (even if Kai and Jay are kinda incapacitated atm), which does help him a bit, but he’s still rightfully upset. They find the abandoned sandbender skipper thing, find the vulturewasp hive, and come across the sandbenders. Cole is able to pinpoint the sandbender (no idea who this guy would be, Ninjago character wise) who lead the others to take Ultra via his voice bc Cole a) was trained in a myriad of performing arts thanks to his father, primarily singing b) has perfect pitch and c) never forgets a voice bc of that.

Lloyd goes full Avatar State, but is comforted and calmed down by his parents while everyone else books it. The sandbenders tell them that they sold Ultra to some guys who were going to take him to Ba Sing Se, and then they take them out of the desert (with the sandbenders getting the Death Glare from all of Team Avatar the whole way. Koko totally punches the sandbender who lead the others to steal Ultra once they’re out of the desert.)

They make their way to Ba Sing Se on foot, with Lloyd trying to get a handle on his emotions (and worrying everyone in the process), and they run into a family with an expecting mother/wife (I am also taking suggestions for who these characters could be. I’m pretty tired while typing this so I can’t think of anyone) and try and get on a ferry to Ba Sing Se. Cole, whose father is well known and wealthy, uses that fact, his double amputee status (he ‘accidentally’ slips out of one of his prosthetics. Kai catches him before he hits the ground), and his acting skills to get them tickets without passports.

And we get best girl Pixal back! She helps Team Avatar help the pregnant family go through the Serpents Pass, and it goes pretty similar to cannon, except instead of a situation where Sokka is overprotective of Suki, Jay picks up on how much Pixal likes Nya, and sees that Nya, his crush, reciprocates those feelings, and gets a bit passive-aggressive w/everyone, but Pixal especially. It doesn’t last long, bc Jay is a hormonal teenager who realizes he’s being a dick fairly quickly, but it does help fizzle his crush on Nya a bit (sorry again to any hardcore Jaya shippers who were hoping for that in this au, but it’s really not my cup of tea).

They also help deliver the couples baby, but Maya and Koko are the ones helping take care of that. Team Avatar get to the outer wall, just to see a huge Fire Nation drill heading closer and closer to the wall, ready to start tearing through it...

[the-yellowturtle]

The Curious Case of Master Katara (Pt.3)

Summary:  In the sixth year of Fire Lord Zuko’s reign, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe is assassinated. (OR: Katara Becomes the Painted Lady! AU)

Chapter Summary: Sokka reacts to Katara’s passing. 

Part 1 (Toph), Part 2 (Toph & Gran Gran), AO3 Story Link, & special thanks to @levitatingbiscuits for enabling this :)

The Surprising Origins of the Squiggle Meme

Xin Jizhe

Omashu Times News Reporter

You’ve seen it. Your mom has seen it. Spirits, even your pet fire-ferret has probably seen it! The latest comparison meme that’s often paired with the caption, “Ink Brush Painting is My Passion” is everywhere! However, the origins of the painting are much more heartfelt than you could have ever imagined.

The physical copy of the painting is currently hosted in the Caldera City Art Museum as part of the “Heroes of the Hundred Year War” collection. According to the museum’s website, it was painted by Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe as an outline for the paintings that would appear in his picture book about his younger sister, Master Katara, who had been assassinated by extremists in 106 AG. The paintings used in the published copy of the story are also available for viewing in the Caldera City Art Museum.

(Fun Fact: The official versions were painted by his wife, Suki of Kyoshi Island. Yes! That Suki! The one and only President Suki that fought for Kyoshi Island’s right to self-determination, and became the third president!).

Anyway, back to the matter at hand! Sokka reportedly decided to publish the picture book about his sister as a reaction to the growing popularity of a woodblock print that depicted Master Katara in her last moments. Sokka wanted the world to remember his sister as she was living, not a romanticized image of her death.

Try to see this touching meme in real life before the collection ends this spring.

___

When Sokka hears from one of the shaken villagers that after being shot Katara vanished into thin air, he gets an inkling about where she really is. When another local presents the pendant of Katara’s necklace to him, the sinking feeling in his gut tells him that his suspicions may be correct. And when he gazes up at the full moon later that night, he knows for certain.

Katara is gone.

He doesn’t need to travel to the Spirit World to know this. It has happened before. Before his very own eyes and between his very own arms. Some people are not destined to rejoin the earth; some are destined to be among the Spirits. He can only hope that she didn’t suffer too much in her last moments; that it was quick.

When he looks up at the moon, up at Yue, he pleads, “Please take care of her for me.”

Yue is probably far too busy being a beautiful celestial goddess to listen every time he talks to her, but he thinks she’s listening this time. She has to be.

___

Sokka was in the Southern Water Tribe on break from his studies in Ba Sing Se when word came that something had happened to Katara in the Fire Nation. Something that had warranted a personal letter from the Fire Lord, and had turned Zuko’s normally pristine penmanship into a barely decipherable mess. Katara was missing.

Truthfully, at the beginning of the letter Sokka was not worried at all. Zuko had a knack for worrying and exaggerating, and Sokka was certain that Katara would be back from wherever she had wandered off to before he could even set sail for the Fire Nation. Katara had probably found some wayward child or koala-sheep that needed assistance along the way, and she was so caught up in being benevolent that she forgot to hawk Zuko.

But then his dad and him had gotten to the part of the letter that informed them eyewitnesses were claiming that Katara had been attacked. That someone had shot her with an arrow. That they had watched her be struck, fall back into the river, and never rise again. That Katara was missing. That Katara might be dead.

It took more than one person to restrain him from immediately running off to the Fire Nation. Not that dad was any help, frozen, rereading the words over and over and over again. Katara might be dead .

When preparing to depart from the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka had promised his family that he would bring Katara home safely. That he would find out what happened.

He only manages to keep one of his promises. And it’s the one he cared for the least. When his dad and Gran Gran meet him at port, red-eyed and bags heavy, they know with one glance at Sokka’s face.

“She’s gone,” Gran Gran states, gripping his arm.

Sokka presses the carved pendant into his father’s hand. “She is.”

___

At first, it’s easy to pretend. With all the international guests and foreign dignitaries flocking to the Southern Water Tribe to personally pay their respects, it’s easy to slip into the role of being just Sokka. There are people to accommodate and details to smooth over. The South needs a planner, so Sokka becomes the mastermind.

It becomes a mask he slips on and off. One moment he is only Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, the next he is Katara’s brother. When it becomes too much, one of their friends is there to comfort him or one of the guests is there to exasperate him. It’s easy at first; ignoring that nothing is ever going to be the same.

All things must come to an end, however, and the funeral is the same. The world must continue onwards, and gradually all of their friends return to where they are needed. When it’s only Gran Gran, dad, and him left, that's when the cracks begin to show.

It’s in the way that Gran Gran accidentally burns the sea prunes because she thought someone would be watching them when she was turned away. It’s in the way that dad leaves official correspondence from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom off to the side of his desk because he thought someone else would be looking over them. It’s in the way that Sokka reaches into his pocket and is surprised to find a necklace pendant because sometimes he still thinks that she’s somewhere out there wearing it.

Their family already had cracks, but now they no longer had the glue as well. After their mom passed away, Katara had taken it upon herself to be what everyone had needed. An eight-year old had done everything she possibly could have to fill the gaping hole their mom had left. At twenty-two years old, Sokka still has no idea how she found the strength to do that. But Katara is gone now, and the cracks in their family have transformed into an unmeasurable crevasse.

___

Sokka quickly learns the crevasse encompasses the entire Southern Water Tribe. This becomes abundantly clear one afternoon when three of Katara’s students confront him at the docks.

Akia, the shortest of the three and a refugee from the Northern Water Tribe, speaks first, “Sokka, we have a request.”

“Sure, what’s up?” he responds, setting down his catch.

The three young women exchange glances before Aqpik, from one of the interior clans, says, “We were wondering if you would allow us to enter Master Katara’s private study.”

Sokka freezes. No one in their family has been in there since her passing. “Why would you need to do that?”

“Spring is coming, and that means so are the seasonal waterbending students. We need to be prepared for when they arrive, and Master Katara always kept the lesson plans and personal scrolls in her study,” Akia pleads.

He begins to respond before he’s abruptly cut off by Mirae, a mixed waterbender of Water and Earth descent. “Master Katara fought long and hard to revitalize Southern bending, we can’t let it die with her. We were all so close to being declared masters, and we can continue the tradition in her stead. We need to do this.”

Meeting her determined gaze, Sokka knows immediately that this conversation was only for propriety’s sake; Mirae would most definitely break in if his answer was anything but the one she wanted. It’s a look he had seen so many times on Katara’s very own face. He had been so caught up in remembering Katara as his sister that he had forgotten that she was so much more than that to the South. She was the one who had painstakingly travelled the world to bring back the South’s stolen heritage, and Sokka would never be able to live with himself if he was part of the reason her efforts became in vain.

“Of course, you can,��� he replies, “But first there’s something I need to do.”

___

In the Southern Water Tribe, when someone passes away you offer them to the sea along with an assortment of their earthly possessions. The objects that would feel wrong for any other to use are submerged with them, and the objects that would be a shame to waste are passed on to those who need it most. There is no fear surrounding the usage of things the deceased have touched; to use one of their belongings is to honor their memory.

This ceremony is an essential step in the mourning process of the South, but the most important by far is the telling of stories. For it is through stories that a person’s life is truly seen and celebrated. It is through stories that they are remembered and may continue to be remembered generations after they are gone.

Sokka has a feeling that the stories about Katara will be told for so long it will become impossible to discern myth from truth. A part of him is satisfied knowing that others will appreciate the person she was long after he is gone, however, they will never have the privilege of actually knowing Katara. Future generations will hear about the Hundred Year War, the Avatar, and the restoration of Southern Bending, but they will never learn about the time she broke her wrist penguin sledding as an adult . They will remember Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, but they won’t remember Katara.

No, remembering Katara is up to them. It’s up to Sokka and Gran Gran and dad and the rest of the gang to remember who she was. This is why the night after his conversation with the waterbenders, Sokka brings Gran Gran and dad with him to go through Katara’s study. Katara may have been the glue of the family, but this does not mean that Sokka can’t be the rope.

At first, it’s quiet as they work together to sort through the rest of her belongings. Unsurprisingly, she had meticulously organized everything. The waterbending scrolls are divided by style and skill level, the letters by country of origin and sender, even the hanging art is suspended according to the changing of the seasons. Sokka feels antsy just looking at how neat it is.

Dad is the one to break the silence. “She’s always been like this,” he comments, looking around the room, “Even as a toddler, she was extremely insistent on things being returned to their proper place.”

Gran Gran chuckles. “I wouldn’t say always , Hakoda. She could get pretty messy at times.”

“I’m gonna have to disagree, Gran Gran. Even as kids, Katara would only get messy if she had a statement to make. Didn’t like the way I folded my clothes? Then she would throw them about. Didn’t want to go to bed? Then she would refuse to get washed.”

“Ahhh bath time, that was always such an adventure with you two,” Dad smiles.

Sokka scoffs, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I was the best bather! Katara was the one who would get water all over the place”

“Sokka,” Gran Gran grins, patting his shoulder, “You would run around naked and we would have to catch you. In Winter . Thank the Spirits, you never attempted to go outside.”

The conversation goes on like this for hours; the waterbending scrolls forgotten. They laugh and cry and tease and debate. They remember.

When the embers are low and the sun is on the horizon again, Sokka reaches into his pocket and freezes. The pendant.

He hesitates before slowly pulling it out and tracing the carved waves with his finger. “Gran Gran? Dad? Do you think we should have submerged this, too?”

It was often a thin line between deciding what objects were inseparable from the deceased, and what objects the living could not bear to part from. When the time had come to select the belongings for Katara’s funeral, Sokka had found himself unwilling to hand over the necklace. There was no object more symbolic of who Katara was as a person, Sokka was well aware of that. However, for as long as he could remember, Katara had always been there. Even when they were far apart with her scouring the world for Southern waterbending scrolls and him in Ba Sing Se furthering his engineering studies, they had written constantly and made frequent trips to visit each other.

Katara was his sister; she would always be his sister. He knows she is gone, probably gallivanting about the Spirit World with Yue and telling Spirits how to do their jobs, but he needs to hold onto this piece of her. Just for a little bit.

“No,” Gran Gran finally answers, “We shouldn’t have.”  Sokka meets her unwavering gaze. “That necklace has always been worn by women with the conviction to do what was right. Surely, Katara will not be the last.”

___

Gran Gran , Sokka thinks to himself as he watches his daughter from afar flip one of the Northern boys over her shoulder, really was always right. Some parents would probably be concerned that their child is getting into fights during the Winter Solstice celebration, but if Sokka may say so himself, he and Suki are excellent parents and that boy most definitely deserved it.

Sokka’s instincts are proven to be correct when Senna comes to join him and Suki where they are waiting to watch the waterbending performance.

“That was a good throw, sweety. Great form,” Suki compliments, hugging their daughter to her side.

Senna huffs at the reminder of the event and promptly launches into what happened. “Those little tiger-seal shit eaters were saying Yuki shouldn’t have been given the main role because apparently it’s only for girls ,” she rolls her eyes, “So I informed them that eating snow is only for narrow-minded, sexist boys, those fucking iceholes.”

Being interested in architecture and mathematics, people often assume that Senna mostly takes after him in looks and personality. But the focus, fighting and cussing? That was all Suki. And the ferociousness for justice? That was most definitely from Katara.

He likes to think that she would be immensely proud of his daughter, the new owner of her necklace, for never backing down. Sokka certainly was. He’s sure that she would also be overjoyed to know that the storybending performances she had revived were flourishing and that her nephew had worked his butt off to earn one of the main roles. Funnily enough, the role of Katara.

Yuki had been nervous, going over his routine again and again these past few days to make sure it was perfect. He had only managed to calm down when Suki had given him her protective amulet for good luck, and Sokka had reassured him that Aunt Katara would be honored by his performance no matter what.

When the storybending officially begins, Sokka can only beam with pride as he watches his son flawlessly reenact the freeing of the earthbenders. Yuki has certainly come a long way from accidentally splashing his sister to manipulating a stream of water to look like coal soaring through the air. He wishes Katara was alive to see it, but a part of him gets the feeling that she knows.

Sokka is aware that the Painted Lady is out there somewhere running around trying to help those in need, but on nights like this when the moon is bright and the sky is full of lights, he gets this feeling . Even if he can no longer meet her, sometimes it feels like she’s still there.

So when the performance is over, and the kids are finally off to bed, he takes a moment to gaze up at the full moon. “I’m happy, I hope you are, too.”

[zutaradreams]

Day 24: You’re in love with her

The final part of this month’s All Along series. 

@zutaramonth

Tea always tastes better when Uncle makes it. He’s halfway through a cup of ginger tea during his lunch break. Sokka is all too happy to interrupt this break. Not that he doesn’t want to see Sokka; he just thought he’d be able to have a minute to think to himself. 

“So how was the concert?” Sokka asks. 

“It was good.”

“Katara called me raving last night. Told me about how much fun she had.” 

He smiles. “Good. I’m glad she did.”

“I didn’t know you bought both tickets,” mentions Sokka with a quirk of an eyebrow. 

Zuko tenses. “It was my idea anyways. I thought it was only right to pay.” 

Sokka laughs. “Yeah, ‘it was only right.’ As soon as she told me that, it all made sense to me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about all the times you stuck up for her when we were kids. I’m talking about that play you hated doing, how you went to our prom together, all those late night chats when we were in college, the parties, the family dinners, and I can’t believe I didn’t realize it until this damn concert. You’re in love with my sister!” 

Zuko chokes on his sip of tea. “What?” 

“You are!” 

“You’re crazy.” 

“I’m not. Then I talked to Suki about it, and she told me Katara’s been in love with you even longer.”

“She had a crush on me when we were kids,” he corrects. She isn’t interested in him like that anymore. Internally, he’s panicking. Are his feelings becoming so obvious?  

“No, no, it’s more than a crush, and it’s still going on. You guys have even gone all flirty face in front of me, but I thought there was nothing to it! I can’t believe it took me this long to piece it all together.” 

“There’s nothing to piece together!” Zuko argues. 

But Sokka shakes his head and smiles. “So when are you seeing her again?” 

“Goodbye, Sokka. I’ll be finishing my break somewhere else.” 

Behind him, he can faintly hear Sokka calling him back and insisting it’s not a big deal, but to Zuko, the thought of pursuing his feelings for Katara, the accusation that he’s in love with Katara. Then there’s the even more outlandish thought of Katara being in love with him...does he even have reason to be hopeful? 

He reaches for his phone and calls her immediately. “Katara, it’s Zuko.”

She laughs. “I know, silly.” 

“Um, do you have plans tonight?” 

“I was going to study-”

“Oh, well, then nevermind.”

“No, Zuko, it’s okay. What did you want to do?”

“I was thinking we could have dinner.” 

She squeals delightedly. “Oooh, where?”

“Um, does Ba Sing Se sound okay?”

“Ba Sing Se?” He can hear the surprise in her voice and hopes it doesn’t mean she’ll turn him down. “Isn’t that kinda upscale?”

“A little, I think.�� 

“A little? Zuko, that place is black tie only. It’s really expensive too.”

“Don’t worry about the cost.”

“Are you sure? What’s the occasion?” 

I’m going to put my entire heart out in front of you, so I might as well get a really good meal out of it. “I just think it’ll be fun to go out.” 

“We went out last night,” she reminds him, with a lilt in her voice that makes him think she’s smiling. 

“And wasn’t it fun?” 

“Yeah, it was. I’ll see you tonight, Zuko.” 

“See you tonight.” 

xxx

Katara arrives before Zuko does. It makes her even more nervous. She looks down at the time on her phone and inhales sharply. Is she really that early? 

She heads over to the restaurant’s bar and slaps her pale blue clutch against the bar’s crystal counter. Since Zuko called her, she has spent the entire day getting ready, to the point that her roommate kicked her out of their dorm, saying, “just go on your date already.”

Is that what this is, she wonders. Two friends attending a crowded concert is one thing, but an intimate dinner in the city’s most romantic restaurant? 

A hand taps her shoulder. She spins around to find Zuko smiling at her. His hair has gel in it, and his suit looks freshly pressed. She catches a scent of his delicious-smelling cologne. 

“You’re early,” she says. 

“So are you.” He glances at the empty spot beside her. “Can I join you?” 

“Of course. You look so handsome, by the way.” 

He takes the chance to look at her head to toe, from her loose curls to the makeup she spent half an hour perfecting, to her off-the-shoulder blue-grey dress she recycled from prom with Toph and Aang. 

“You look beautiful. Drink?” 

“Please. I’d love a sidecar.” 

He signals to the bartender, who had not been able to get to Katara yet before Zuko arrived. “Can we have a sidecar and an old fashioned, please?”  

“Yes, sir.” 

A violinist plays in the background. After a minute, she realizes she recognizes the song. “This is Yangchen’s Sonata,” she tells him. 

He looks down at his hands, folded together on the counter. “You love the arts.” 

“Yeah,” she says quizzically, wondering why he finds it worth mentioning. 

“I do too, begrudgingly. My mom ingrained it in me.”

“I know you do.” 

“And you are so strong-willed. You’re also the kindest person I’ve ever met. You’re always involved in some new volunteer project.” 

Their drinks arrive. They both take sips of them before Katara asks, “Zuko, what are you doing?” 

“I’m listing the things I love about you.”

She feels like she’s going to faint. He looks a little weary himself. “Why?” 

“Do you want me to answer that before or after dinner?”

“What does it matter?”

“The answer may affect whether or not you want to stay. You might never want to speak to me again.”

She shakes her head. “Just answer.”

“I’m listing all of the things I love about you, so it’s less of a shock when I tell you I have feelings for you.”

They pause for a beat, frozen in time. 

“Do you still want to have dinner?” 

She nods enthusiastically, feeling her whole face break out into an unabashed smile. “Yes.”

They both smile as they sip their drinks. For a minute, things remain casual between them to the point that Katara just has to make her own confession. 

“You’re the hardest worker I’ve ever met. You don’t even need to be. Your family could give you anything you want, but you don’t let yourself rely on them. You’re smart, and you’re kind. You are so talented, and I have had feelings for you off and on since I was thirteen years old. I tried to stop because I decided it was never going to happen between us, but then we became such good friends again that I started to think that maybe there was a chance.”

She feels her voice waver with emotion as she speaks. This is the most vulnerable she’s ever felt in her entire life. It is the hardest, yet most natural, confession as she observes the adorable bewilderment in Zuko’s golden eyes. 

Then he kisses her. It’s reserved, too reserved for her liking. Of course Zuko is conscious that they’re in public. When he pulls away, she’s already desperate to have him back. 

“You were my first kiss,” she says, just to say something. She hates these uncertain pauses, though that kiss leaves nothing to interpretation. 

“I know. You were mine.” 

Her eyes widen. “You never told me that.” 

“I was embarrassed.”

“You shouldn’t have been.”

“And that time you kissed me at prom had me so confused that I couldn’t take Mai back when she asked me. I wanted to before then.”

“That’s when I tried to give you up,” she admits. She squeezes his hand. “Tried being the operative word. I couldn’t.” 

“I don’t want you to.” 

They finish their drinks holding each other’s hands. He checks the time and realizes it’s close enough to the time of their reservation. 

“Are you ready for dinner?” 

“Yeah.” 

And after this meal, she plans to kiss him absolutely senseless, this boy loves her, who she’s loved all along. 

[double--plus--good]

I Still Love You - Chpt. 2; A Zutara Fic

Thank you to those who liked my first chapter! I was happy to see that some people liked it!

Here’s chapter two! So far everything’s just kind of setting up to the actual adventure so I’m sorry it’s taking forever but hey, the anticipation is half the fun, right?

Chapter Two

The next day, true to his words, Zuko was sitting out in the sand gardens, meditating just before the sun began to rise.

He heard some footsteps approaching him from behind and he prepared to hear Aang’s voice greet him. However, to his surprise, it wasn’t Aang.

“Good morning, Zuko”

Katara took a seat next to Zuko, crossing her legs and placing her wrists gently at her knees. Zuko peeked an eye to watch her and shut them immediately when she looked at him, smiling.

“Good morning.” he greeted in a hushed voice. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Katara laughed softly and turned her head up slightly, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“Aang got a letter early this morning. An earth kingdom village got into it with one of the trading villages on the river just outside the Earth Kingdom training base.” She shook her head. “He left with Toph shortly after but they’ll be back in time for lunch. He goes there at least three times a year. It’s kind of exhausting”

Zuko took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking at the colors slowly changing in the sky.

“Yea, I know the exact village. He’s told me a lot about the small fights he’s had to put out and Toph can’t get enough about complaining how they’re a distraction to her trainees. I’m surprised they’re not dragged into arguing about it too.”

The two shared a small laugh.

“Who knows? They probably have it out everytime they go to subdue the masses.” Katara managed between her giggles.

“That’s probably how they get everyone to calm down. Cause a bigger ruckus that needs to be broken up that people forget about their own differences.” Zuko joked, laughing a little to himself then shut his eyes again and took in a deep breath.

Katara gave Zuko a smug smile. “Looks like Sokka and Aang have trained you in the fine arts of banter-bending. It’s an interesting look for you.”

Zuko opened an eye to look at her, raising his brow. “Well, I told you I’m not stiff and humorless.”

He shut his eye again and let out one final deep breath before laying down in the sand, staring up at the sky that was now light by the sun. 

Katara laid back too, folding her arms over her chest and chuckled softly to herself. “Not entirely at least.”

Laid in silence, staring up at the sky and taking in the gentle breeze that brushed sand against them.

“It’s beautiful out here so early.” she remarked in a soft voice. “You watch the sunrise everyday?”

“Almost.” He ran his hands through the heated sand. “Sometimes I go in early or meditate a little later in the morning. But I try to watch it as often as I can. I can feel it’s energy grow as it rises. It almost feels like it’s helping my body charge and prepare for the day.”

“I understand that feeling. It’s how I feel when the moon comes out. It’s like they’re giving you their strength.”

Zuko sat up and looked over to Katara, smiling warmly. “Yeah” was all he could manage to say.

Katara met Zuko’s gaze and smiled back at him.

They sat in a comfortable silence for the remainder of the sun rise before jumping to their feet and patting sand off of their clothes. 

“I guess we should go see if Suki and Sokka are awake.” Katara suggested, letting her hair out of its ponytail and fluffing it out some. She ran her fingers through the tangles and began to make a braid.

Zuko looked around the garden for a moment, hiding his disappointment [miserably] and sighed softly to himself. “Sure.”

Katara looked up at Zuko, stopping her braiding and crossing her arms over her chest. “What?” she asked sternly.

Zuko looked over to her. “What?” he repeated back, genuine confusion in his expression now.

They maintained unbroken eye contact for a while but before either one of them could say another word, Sokka greeted them from the gate of the garden between yawns.

“Looks like they’re awake.” Zuko stated plainly, making his way towards Sokka with a small wave and nod.

Katara furrowed her brows a bit and watched somewhat sourly as Zuko and Sokka began to make conversation. She pulled her hair out of her braid and tied it back again, sighing to herself.

‘Come on Zuko. I know you better than that.’ she thought to herself, making her way to the gate. ‘Just say it.’

The three of them made their way to the dining hall, catching up with Suki on the way and spoke over tea and breakfast. Sokka did most of the eating and talking of course, waving his arms excitedly and making noises for added effect. Suki and Katara laughed along and made sure to poke plenty of fun at home plot holes in Sokka’s retellings. Zuko mostly sat with his tea in his hand, nodding politely during conversations but not engaging too much.

“So, Zuko” Sokka managed between bites of his bread and custard, “Since Mai’s gone, do you have any plans on bringing in a new Fire Nation princess? Or prince? We’re not judging you know”

Sokka flashed Zuko a suggestive eye wiggle which did not amuse Zuko in the least.

“I haven’t really thought about it.” Zuko admitted, setting his tea down and looking down at the reflection in it. “I’ve been so busy with other stuff. I don’t know how I would even go about it.”

“Well, couldn’t your advisors put up a wanted ad and interview them? I mean, at this point, speed dating the Fire Lord seems intimidating” Sokka laughed loudly at his own banter and wiped a tear from his eye.

Katara and Suki laughed to themselves and looked over to Zuko who remained unamused with his arms crossed.

“I honestly doubt my advisors would go out of their way to find me someone to join the throne. It’s not as if I’m required to have a suitor to be Fire Lord. It’s a waste of time.”

Just then, a line of advisors made their way to Zuko’s side, smiles across their faces as they greeted everyone.

“Good morning your lordship. We have a matter that needs to be discussed in private if you would follow us to the study?” Said the eldest advisor, Sota, as he placed his ancient and cold hands gently on Zuko’s shoulder.

Zuko nodded and stood from his seat. “If you’ll excuse me. Feel free to roam the palace and village. Once Aang and Toph arrive, we can join at the square if you’d like for a show.”

Everyone nodded and watched as they hastily swept Zuko away. 

Katara had difficulty hiding her disappointment which Sokka so kindly pointed out, poking her cheek. 

“So, are we going to ignore the fact that you haven’t taken your eyes off of him or are we going to sit here and admit a few dark things?”

Katara swatted Sokka’s hand away and began to sip at her tea. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sokka.” she muttered as she pressed her lips to the rim of the cup and stared at the table with a pensive look on her face.

Sokka and Suki looked at one another and frowned a bit.

--

Zuko sat at the head of the table in the study with Sato at his side and watched as each advisor took their seat. Once everyone was settled, Sato turned to face Zuko, holding his hands together as he spoke.

“My lord, we have entered a time of peace among the nations. You and the Avatar and your friends have all brought us a new era in our world and for that we are all grateful to you.” he turned his attention to the other advisors for a moment then back at Zuko, who seemed to be growing impatient already. “However we cannot ignore the possibility of something happening to both you and our nation. It is because of this that  we believe it’s the right time for you to be considering the search for a companion. You’re going to be 22 soon and this is usually the time the Fire Lord or their heir begin preparations for marriage so that a new heir can be made.”

Zuko’s impatient face morphed now into one of disbelief and bewilderment as his cheeks started to become rosy in embarrassment. He was left speechless with his mouth slightly agape at the very idea so another advisor, Yuto, spoke.

“My lord, we know this may be a shock, but the nation needs to see that they will have an heir in case of your untimely death or if war were to break out. A princess could be a sign of hope and at the very least, if you aren’t able to procreate an heir, the princess can assume the throne as Fire Lord until one is found or made. There is a lot to consider especially with your closest living relative within age and ability is locked away and unable to assume the throne.”

Zuko stood immediately and slammed his hands on the table, speaking with fury at the table of advisors. 

“How dare you even conceive the idea of another war! How dare you speak ill against me and the work the Avatar and our team has done! Our nations have worked tirelessly together so that we can maintain peace amongst ourselves and it had nothing to do with political marriages and rightful heirs. It has only been six years since the fall of Ozai and we are still in the midst of rebuilding and healing and yet you come in with the notion that we’ll be facing such a tragedy so soon? I won’t have it.”

Sota stood up immediately after Zuko and placed a hand on his shoulder. “My lord, we may be at peace with the world, but that is no reason to let our guard down. We must be prepared for anything that may happen. There will always be evil in the world and our nation and even the world depends on everyone to make sure they have a plan. We must secure the throne before someone else might.”

Zuko brushed Sota’s hand off his shoulder and shook his head, unable to respond.

Yuto stood as well, looking among the other advisors before turning to Zuko.

“If you are unable to find a suitor yourself, preferably one of high position, we will make the decision for you. We have a list of wealthy and powerful men and women who would make excellent partners in-”

“Leave me immediately.” Zuko interrupted between gritted teeth. “What you have suggested has put me in a foul disposition and I won’t hear it. Whether I look for a suitor or not is my decision and mine alone. We don’t need an heir to bring people at ease, we need action which we have taken. If I feel the need arises that we do, I will discuss it then. But I plan to rule alone for a very long time and feel no shame in doing so.”

The advisors looked amongst themselves again before bowing their heads and, one by one, exited the study. 

Sota allowed everyone to leave the study before saying one final thing to Zuko, whose head was bowed as he tried to calm his breathing.

“My lord, we meant no disrespect. You are doing an excellent job especially for such a young ruler. But we are concerned that you are beginning to isolate yourself too much. The whole heir business aside, we want to ensure you are happy and that you don’t live out your days punishing yourself for actions of the past.” He placed a firm grip onto Zuko’s shoulder. “I have watched you grow for a very long time, sire. Seeing you slowly fall into a lonely void worries me.”

Zuko gave no response and Sota sighed, walking towards the door without looking back.

Before shutting it, he spoke over his shoulder “The Avatar and General Beifong have returned. I’ll see to it that they are prepared for the tour of the kingdom.”

“No” Zuko responded in a softer tone. “Just keep them in the dining hall with the rest. I’ll join them shortly and take them myself. I don’t want any guards or advisors with us.”

Sota sighed and nodded, gently shutting the door behind him.

Zuko lifted his head up and sighed. “Ridiculous.” he muttered to himself as he traced the intricate gold embellishments on the ceiling with his eyes. “I’m not isolating myself.”

--

In the dining hall, Aang and Toph joined the others at the table and picked out the remaining breads and fruits to snack on while they waited for Zuko.

Katara placed a gentle kiss onto Aang’s cheek and rested her hands on his shoulder. “How’d it go?” she asked both him and Toph.

Toph groaned and lifted her bare feet onto the table, biting into one of her custard breads. “Annoying as ever. It’s the same crap every time.” She wiped her mouth and gulped some tea. “Oh, the army boys always leave a mess; oh the river traders are never fair; oh the villagers are cheapskates; oh me oh my” she mocked.

Aang sighed and leaned against Katara’s touch, lifting his tea cup and warming it up himself in his hand. “Honestly, I hate to agree with Toph but she’s right. They bicker over the smallest problems and it lasts for days, maybe even weeks. The river traders refuse to trade with the village and the village refuses to serve the military men and the military men harass the river traders. Every year it’s the same nonsense. I don’t understand why they need us to break apart something so childish and yet when they have to respond to something larger like a natural disaster, it’s as if they forget their animosity towards one another.”

Sokka shrugged his shoulders and laid down on Suki’s lap, picking out bread from his teeth. “You clearly suffer from only child syndrome, Aang. This is exactly how they act. It’s not surprising they keep calling on you to fix it for them. You and Toph go every time, at this point it’s a natural response. You’re both basically their parents.” He made eye contact with Katara and laughed a little. “Every time one sibling gets special treatment, the other is going to whine until they get special or better treatment. It’s a vicious cycle and some people don’t grow out of that need and self important attitude. Plus, add on top of all this, the small space they’re working with, the rebuilding process, and all of the other factors affecting them as individual communities and they’re going to take it out on one another. There’s probably an underline problem they don’t really comprehend that’s beyond themselves or one another.”

Aang and Toph both groaned loudly. Aang pinched the bridge of his nose and Toph held her head in her hands.

“Nope, I think they’re just brats.” Toph scoffed.

“I’m going to have to agree with Toph on this one,” Aang responded as he gently brushed Katara’s hands off of his shoulders and leaned back against his hands. “There were a lot of restrictions lifted for each of them and land expansions. At this point, they’ll either have to up and move or create borders and if we’re being honest, none of those things are going to happen.” 

Sokka shrugged again. “I don’t know, it sounds to me like they’re aggressive about something beyond land occupation and taxes.”

Just then, Zuko made his way to the table and motioned for everyone to follow him out of the palace.

“Are you guys ready to tour the kingdom?” he asked, mostly rhrtorically but also knowing Sokka would probably need to run to the little boy’s room before going.

The team nodded and all stood up, stretching their bodies in preparation for a lot of walking and possibly climbing. And, as he had predicted, Zuko pointed out the nearest relief area for Sokka and told him where to meet the rest of the team when he was finished.

He led the rest of the group toward the entrance of the palace, walking alongside Aang as the others walked a little slower behind them, catching up with one another.

Aang stepped a little closer to Zuko and leaned over to whisper into his ear, asking for a private place for them to have a talk.

Zuko nodded and left the girls at the entrance of the palace before leading Aang to a nearby, empty hall where they could talk.

“Is everything alright?” Zuko asked as they paced slowly down the heavily decorated hall.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Aang reassured him with a smile. “I just wanted to ask you for a favor.”

He stopped walking and began to rummage in his robe while Zuko watched patiently with some anxiety in the back of his mind which he didn’t really understand.

Then, when Aang pulled out the item in search, Zuko’s eyes widened just slightly as he realized why he was so anxious.

In Aang’s hand was a beautifully carved, moon shaped stone necklace with intricate waves depicting air flowing through the moon, strapped freely onto a velvet navy choker. The Avatar’s cheeks burned red and he began to rub his neck nervously. Zuko’s eyes soften slightly but the grip he held in his fist without realizing tightened so much, his knuckles turned white.

“I’m going to ask Katara to marry me and I’d like to find the right spot. We got together at the end of the war here in the Fire Nation after your coronation. I thought it was only fitting that I gave it to her here as well.” Aang looked at Zuko, pretending not to take notice in the Fire Lord’s sudden tension building in his body. “Would you help me plan something amazing? I’m useless when it comes to these kinds of things honestly. The necklace itself took me almost 100 tries to get right. Not to mention having to work up the courage to ask both her father and Sokka for their blessing. It was a mess.”

Zuko stared intensely at the necklace, allowing for a long pause of silence as feelings of sharpness and cold raced through his body. His thoughts wouldn’t be quiet enough. It was a lot to process for him.

Aang frowned and waved a hand in front of Zuko’s face. “Uh….Zuko? Did I say something?” He gasped. “Is the necklace bad? Ugh, I knew I should have done a round stone!” Aang smacked his own forehead, groaning. The noise snapped Zuko out of his trance and the tension began to subside.

He smiled small and shook his head. “No, the necklace is beautiful” he said between a gritted, tense smile. 

‘Not beautiful enough for her. It’s not my idea of a betrothal necklace.’ he thought to himself, bitterly. 

“I’ll help you how I can. Maybe we can plan a surprise somewhere along the shore or in one of our gardens at the edge of the village.” he said, placing a warm [literally] hand on Aang’s shoulder.

Aang perked up and cheered, hopping up and down like a child on a sugar high. “Oh thank you, thank you Zuko! I want it to be absolutely perfect!” He took one big leap, spinning through the air cheering one last time before floating gently back down, a large grin on his face. “She’s going to be so surprised.”

Zuko smiled an awkward smile and chuckled without much humor. Then, they turned back towards the entrance to meet up with the rest of the group just in time to beat Sokka to the front. 

Sokka and Suki took the lead in leaving, followed by Toph who walked close behind them, then Katara and Aang.

Zuko watched as Aang took Katara’s hand firmly and kissed her cheek, lingering near her ear when he was done and whispering something into it that made her blush. 

He watched as Katara smiled softly at Aang and hugged his arm, giggling lovingly as he pulled her close. 

He watched them walk ahead of him, leaving him alone at the entrance of his empty and quiet castle burdened by feelings he thought he had overcome long ago.

[wiseabsol]

WA Reviews “Dominion” by Aurelia le, Chapter 11: The Chase

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6383825/11/Dominion

Summary: For the Fire Nation royal siblings, love has always warred with hate. But neither the outward accomplishment of peace nor Azula’s defeat have brought the respite Zuko expected. Will his sister’s plans answer this, or only destroy them both?

Content Warnings: This story contains discussions and depictions of child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and incest. This story also explores the idea that Zuko’s redemption arc (and his unlearning of abuse) is not as complete as the show suggested, and that Azula is not a sociopath (with the story having a lot of sympathy for her). If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, I would strongly recommend steering clear of this story and my reviews of it.  

Note: Because these were originally posted as chapter reviews/commentaries, I will often be talking to the author in them (though sometimes I will also snarkily address the characters). While I’ve also tried not to spoil later events in the story in these reviews, I would strongly recommend reading through chapter 28 before reading these, just to be safe.

Now on to chapter 11!

CHAPTER 11: THE CHASE

Alright, so on to chapter eleven, “The Chase.” I think I know why I stalled on this one, besides life getting in the way: there’s a game in this chapter, in which the readers are challenged to find all of the trope names that Aurelia has snuck into Sokka’s POV sections. And, despite being one of the betas for this story (which renders the reward for finding all of the tropes meaningless), I still want to win. So let’s put on ATLA’s soundtrack and get cracking!

 We start with the Gaang arriving at the Royal Palace. Toph still has a crush on Sokka, which both Sokka and Suki are aware of. He describes Katara and Aang as “Sickening Sweethearts” for the first trope. I like that Aang has a “gusty” laugh here—it’s a nice pun. Aang is in such a good mood and I’m like, “Oh buddy, you just wait, the angst is imminent.” Sokka thinks that it’s been two weeks since they last visited, which might be a hyperbole on his part, but if so, boy have things changed quickly.

 “Little lump of baby fat who was heir to the Burning Throne” is a great description, though I have my doubts that Lu Ten is going to sit on that throne, given that there’s a chance that he’s a non-bender (which, along with the sexism that has made it so that they’ve never had a woman ruler before, is something the Fire Nation will need to get over at some point, since it could be seen as a fantasy equivalent to ableism).

 “Having gotten to know Zuko a little better since then, he concluded it would probably actually suck to be royalty.” Yes and no, Sokka. Definitely don’t doubt how sweet—okay, to interject for a second, “Leaves on the Vine” just came on and it hurts my heart—but anyway, Sokka, don’t doubt how sweet being royal is. There is a reason that people fight for that title. Being a responsible ruler, on the other hand—one who works their butt off to serve the people—yeah, that can be rough, because you need to go to those meetings and listen to those complaints. Doing so is, hopefully, also rewarding to the soul, but in Zuko’s case…hard to say. I think he prefers to be directly involved in making things better, rather than being in a managerial position. I think I’ve mentioned before how he should have been sent on rebuilding and reparations missions, with someone like Iroh doing the governance side of things…though putting Iroh in charge might have been scandalous after the Siege of Ba Sing Se. There were no good choices there.

 “Missing Mom” for the second trope. “He found himself wondering if dysfunction was some kind of prerequisite for royal families.” No, though I can’t imagine that the pressures of living in the public eye, making decisions that affect an entire land and its people, and trying to build a legacy helps. Doing that for a few years is probably fine, but not for your entire life.

 Sokka makes an amusing fish pun in this section. “First Love,” “Manly Tears,” and “Vengeful Spirit” for the third, fourth, and fifth tropes.

 The Gaang arrives at the throne room, where Zuko and Iroh are arguing. Zuko mentions something about selling Azula to someone, which must be the Earth Kingdom, since he had a tense conversation with them last chapter. Zuko is in a foul mood, snapping at his friends as they walk in.

 “Visual Pun” and “Clean Cut” for a sixth and seventh trope. The Gaang and Zuko then start talking, with Katara quickly catching on to the fact that Zuko was in a fight with Azula. Zuko explains that Azula slashed his face with a pin, and almost mentions that he and Azula slept together, before cutting himself off and blushing. Sokka notices the blush and is confused by it.

 “Aang breezed up to him”—I see your pun, Aurelia.

 Toph asks where Mai is, and Zuko tells them that Mai and Lu Ten are staying with Mai’s family. You know what, totally fair, Mai. I’d want space too. Zuko goes over Azula’s escape and mentions that they fought, and Sokka points out that Zuko should have been able to track her afterwards, since he’s a ��Scarily Competent Tracker” (for an eighth trope). Zuko lies and says that Azula knocked him out, which Toph notices.

 “I’m kinda starting to doubt her resolve,” Sokka says about Azula killing Zuko. This is both funny and sad, because, well, Azula and Zuko are siblings. No one should have to worry about one of them legitimately wanting to kill the other, even in the games of thrones. It doesn’t even occur to Sokka that Azula might care for Zuko. And why would it? As far as he knows, she tried to kill Zuko during their Agni Kai, and before that sounded excited about the prospect of becoming an only child.

 Sokka is annoyed that things aren’t adding up in this conversation, and Zuko bursts out that he doesn’t know why Azula does the things that she does, which is another lie. Toph catches on to that one, too, but isn’t sure what it means. What’s notable here, though, is that Zuko is so used to calling Azula crazy that he says this as an outburst, even though he knows better. It’s a kneejerk reaction for him.

 Zuko tells them that the Earth Kingdom is planning to execute Azula if they catch her, which offends Aang, since the tribunal agreed that life in prison would be Azula’s maximum sentence. Zuko explains that the politics around her case got dirty, shocker. Aang matured a lot during the show, but in some ways, he’s still rather naive.

 “‘I gave them everything they ever asked!’ Zuko raged helplessly, glaring at the black stone floor. ‘Why can’t they just give me my sister?’”—This is sweet, though I think that Azula would be offended by the idea of anyone giving her to someone else.

 “Mismatched Eyes” for a ninth trope. Toph tells Zuko that he’s just going to have to find a way around the Earth Kingdom’s sentence, which Iroh and Zuko agree with her on. Zuko mentions that they’re having their lawyers look into the court case, and then turns on Suki, asking how Azula got slapped with a torture charge.

 Sokka says that Zuko is out of line for accusing Suki here, but honestly? Getting slapped with a torture charge is huge, especially when there’s no evidence that the accused did it. It’s slanderous and I’m not surprised that Zuko is reacting poorly to it. The implication here is that Suki’s comrades lied about the torture out of spite, or, if they were tortured, that it wasn’t on Azula’s orders. The Fire Nation absolutely did torture people, namely the Southern Water Tribe’s benders…but so did the Earth Kingdom, since they psychologically tortured and brainwashed their own civilians in Ba Sing Se. One crime doesn’t negate the other—they both need to be held accountable for their actions—but there is definitely some hypocrisy here from the Earth Kingdom.

 Suki seems to think that her comrades were tortured, or at least she didn’t want them to “lie on [Azula’s] behalf.” But Suki, do you know for a fact that it happened? Obviously, I think that you should believe your comrades, since it’s better to believe the victims than not. But if it happened, who tortured them? Has the person who gave those orders been brought to justice? Because letting Azula be scapegoated for someone else’s crimes isn’t justice, it’s vindictiveness, and it means that somewhere out there, an actual torturer went free.

 “Ridiculous accusations”—no, Sokka, this is a fair accusation, and it’s something that should have been brought to Zuko’s attention during the court case, or at least to the attention of Azula’s lawyers. They have the right to know what their client is being accused of and the evidence against them. That is, in fact, how the law is supposed to work. Mind you, I’m speaking of modern law practices, but it seems like their law practices are analogous.

 Sokka says that Azula getting beheaded would be a favor for everyone, and Zuko snaps. He lunges at him—Sokka gets his boomerang out—and Iroh steps between them. Iroh scolds Zuko for being so aggressive with his friends, which is fair. He’s lashing out a lot during this conversation. Zuko then breaks down, with Suki and Katara hugging him in response. Toph sighs in a “Surrounded by Idiots” way for a tenth trope.

 Sokka feels guilty over making Zuko cry. “He guessed that even if she was a crazy bitch, she was his sister, too. Of course that was what Zuko would think of, when it looked like she was going to die. Zuko had got this way when she starved herself too, Sokka recalled, and thought that he should have remember that sooner.”—Yeah, no kidding, Sokka. A little empathy and tact would have served you much better in this conversation.

 Sokka apologizes shortly after this and Zuko apologizes in return. Katara promises that they’ll always help Zuko, and I wonder if that would still be true if they knew that he’d raped Azula (which he definitely did, even if he didn’t realize it at the time, since Azula wasn’t able to consent).

 Sokka “wondered idly why [Katara] couldn’t forgive him that quickly when he said something tactless.” While Sokka assumes that it’s because Zuko is crying, I’m pretty sure that it’s because Katara has an unacknowledged crush on Zuko, so she’s more inclined to cut him some slack.

 “It would be like Toph shoe-shopping. No one would buy it.”—This is very funny.

 “Sokka reflected again on the idiocy of investing this much time, emotion, and debate into someone as damaged and dangerous as Zuko’s psycho little sister.”—I see what you’re doing here, Aurelia.

 Sokka asks what they should do if Azula tries to kill them, and Zuko says, “She’s crazy. And scared, and alone.” And on the one hand, that’s true, but on the other hand, he shouldn’t be infantilizing her.

 “‘Please just—remember that, if she does anything too desperate, or,’ he practically choked on his words, ‘says anything too desperate.’” This is a bad look for Zuko, since he is, essentially, trying to give himself a cushion against any accusations that Azula levels at him. He is trying to plant a seed of doubt so they’re less inclined to believe her about the rape. But I think that this will backfire on him, because he’s priming them to pay attention to what she says instead. The cold truth is, if he hadn’t done this, I don’t think they would have believed her. They’d think she was trying to slander him, because A.) They like and respect him and want to believe that he’s fully redeemed and would never do such a thing, B.) They believe that she’s a lying villain who wants to take him down, and C.) Many people don’t believe sexual assault victims anyway, regardless of the evidence they have to support their claims. But now he’s drawing arrows to her accusations, and a few of them will probably remember that, and how weird he was acting during this conversation. They’ll wonder why he said that they should dismiss what she says, which would have normally been a given for them.

 The conversation wraps up as the Gaang goes to their rooms, and Zuko and Iroh continue to talk offscreen. We shift over to Azula’s POV. She’s riding an ostrich horse past an abandoned mill. She’s being rather nasty to her mount, using her fire whip to make it do what she wants. It seems like she hasn’t grown out of being cruel to animals yet (though I just re-watched the introduction to June in ATLA, and she liberally uses her whip on her mount, so I’m not sure that this is an uncommon treatment of animals in this world, just distasteful).

 Azula didn’t stop to grab provisions, which is a surprising mistake, coming from her. Granted, she had to escape quickly in the last chapter, and was probably scattered from a fresh dose of trauma. She fantasizes about eating Rai’s potato and leek stew, rather than some of her favorite foods from the palace. To be fair, if that was my most recent, tasty meal, I’d probably be doing the same. But also, I think the kindness of that meal has probably gotten under Azula’s skin.

 “She had been discovered. She knew how that would end. So why did she stay? She had asked herself that a dozen times since the cook betrayed her, and now thought she knew. Not for Rai’s company, certainly. Azula ought to have her traitor’s tongue out just for the presumption she showed.”—Okay, Hot Stuff, have you ever actually ordered for someone to have their tongue taken out, or are you just repeating something nasty Ozai that threatened to do? Because I’m betting it’s the latter. Also, I bet you stayed because you liked being shown some basic human kindness.

 “No, worse still, it was to eat food that didn’t taste the same every day, and lay her head on a pillow at night, and take a bath—an actual bath—without unwelcome supervision…”—You mean the things that every human being should have? Especially the unsupervised baths part? I understand why Azula was watched, since she might have tried to hurt herself if she was left alone in the asylum, but still, that’s terrible.

 “If she let such base considerations drive her, she would be no better than her hedonist uncle. Far better she had been betrayed now and so incompetently, then continue that way. It was that kind of complacency that would get her captured, or killed.”—Oh good, you’re going to deny yourself basic human comforts to get the job done, that’s healthy for you, Azula. You want to know who I bet never did something remotely similar to that? Ozai. I bet he’s always slept with a pillow and always had a cook on hand and was always able to bath in private. Good lord, child.

 “Her father was counting on her. Her country was counting on her. She could not make these kind of mistakes.”—That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, my dear. Sadly, I think that the Fire Nation might have forgotten about her, since no one tried to break her out.

 Azula unloads her mount of supplies and sends it running in another direction—with more fire whips, shame on her (though is she hurting it or just scaring it? That isn’t clear)—to leave a false trail for anyone who might be pursuing her. She then thinks, “It was too bad about losing the ostrich horse though, especially after Mother gave her so much grief—" So she’s still seeing Ursa. To be specific, Ursa was chiding her about stealing the ostrich horse. There are a couple of things of note about this. One is that Azula is committing the same crime that Zuko did in the show, and will probably get more flack for it. The other is that the voice of her mother, in this moment, seems to be her conscience—meaning that Azula feels guilty about stealing.

 “They never did anything for me either . . . So what do you imagine I owe them?”—Azula shuts down her guilt by saying something that sounds suspiciously like something Ozai would say. That because someone wasn’t kind to her, that gives her the right to be cruel to them. Which…really isn’t how you should treat people.

 “She didn’t talk to it. Wasn’t that her rule?”—Does that help you, Azula?

 “How could she expect to rule anyone when she couldn’t even rule herself….”—Another thing that I’m certain Ozai said to her at some point.

 “She had a mission. Everything else was immaterial. This was her one chance. No room for mistakes. No room for distractions. She had to focus. She had to get better. She would not be as effective as she could be, until she was whole again.”—Again, that’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, Azula. Sadly, you might be right, though. The Earth Kingdom isn’t going to give you a second chance to find your mother. They don’t even want to give you this one.

 Azula then burns down the mill and escapes by boat, hopefully widening the distance between herself and those searching for her.

 Back to the Gaang! Toph and Aang are practicing earthbending, while Sokka preps the war balloon and inwardly gripes about them not helping. Aang and Katara are searching for Azula on Team Appa, while Suki, Sokka, and Toph are on Team War Balloon (which has been dyed black for the occasion).

 Sokka makes a basket case pun about the balloon as he and Suki argue over how he treated Zuko the previous day. Suki points out that he missed the fact that Mai left Zuko, which Katara is peeved about. Katara, you don’t know and don’t want to know the full story there, trust me. Suki agrees with me. Katara reveals that she tried to talk to Mai, which Suki is horrified about, because good lord is it none of Katara’s business. Tact does not run in this family.

 Zuko comes charging in, upset by this. Zuko and Katara argue, and Suki, hilariously, “looked to Sokka in clear disbelief that this much tactlessness could be contained in one family.” I knew that Suki and I were on the same page.

 “Since when does she need to cool off? She shows all the emotion of an ice cube.”—Hey, Katara? This is super rude. Just because you don’t like Mai and are lowkey jealous of her relationship with Zuko does not give you the right to insult her.

 “‘She had every reason!’ Zuko hotly defended, and implicated himself by saying so.”—Whoops, Zuko. Good job. “I brought you here to find my sister, not play marriage councilor! So why don’t you just stay out of problems that don’t concern you?”—Ho boy, so he shouldn’t have said this as hotly as he did, but he’s also not wrong? Focus on the problem that he’s asked for help with, Katara. His marital problems are none of your concern.

 Katara responds equally hotly to this, but she’s in the wrong here, even if it will probably take her some time to realize that. What she’s most upset about is Zuko acting like he summoned them to his side, rather than them coming because they’re friends, and like…I can see why that would be insulting, but you also just tried to interfere with his marriage, Katara. I think you messed up worse in this fight.

 Katara and Aang head out, or in Katara’s case, storms out. Team War Balloon leaves soon afterwards, with Sokka thinking that he’d rather deal with Flaky Aang over Angry Jerk any day, which is fair. Zuko and Katara were both poorly behaved here.

 “He guessed they’d all be happier once Azula was back in her straightjacket. But first he had to make it happen. Right. No problem.”—I doubt that you’re going to make it happen, Sokka, and I think that you doubt it too.

 And that’s the end of chapter eleven! Next up is chapter twelve, “The Seal,” which is my favorite chapter in this fic so far. I’m excited! As always, thank you for the read, Aurelia.

 Sincerely,

WiseAbsol    

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Swift As Karma (Part 42)

Ice came easier than water once Azula got past the obstacle of actually drawing it up and to her hands and the tedious process of separating the water into little droplets. It was an exercise in patience, control, and determination, but those were things that Azula had a generous amount of. But once she had the droplets held in the air, cooling them to the point of freezing had been an easy feat; much easier than anticipated.

She supposed that it helped that Katara wasn't bickering with her throughout this time. 

Though Azula's own mind provided a distraction of its own to makeup for Katara's lack of one. She pondered upon whether or not she should confess that the avatar state was lost to her; that it was never in her possession at all.

For the time, she pushed the thought aside. 

Her brow creased in concentration as she lifted her arms, and with them the hail balls. She swept her arms down and found herself thankful that she hadn't mastered sharpening g them into darts, for they pelted the back of her own head and neck. And from the sound of Katara's wince, the waterbender had been in the line of fire as well.

Azula cringed.

If she hadn’t had the attention of nearly everyone in the invasion party before, she did now. She very much wanted to call it quits, but the invasion was only a week away. A little over a week away and she had made little progress on her waterbending and none at all on airbending. 

Azula inhaled deeply and lifted the water once more, visibly straining to do so. 

“Do you need to take a break?” Katara asked lightly.

“No.” Azula replied, taking extra care to not let her voice betray her frustration. 

“I think that you need a break, Sparky.” Toph commented. 

“I didn’t ask for your thoughts.” Azula snapped. 

“She’s just trying to help.” Sokka stepped in. 

“And I’m just trying to learn basic waterbending so I can fight my father and keep everyone from dying!” The water fell around her, her breathing made somewhat heavy by her own outburst. “I killed him. Now I have to fix it…” She was fairly certain that this was the first time she had admitted as much out loud.

“And you’ll be able to do that a lot better if you don’t push yourself.” Katara noted. 

Azula took another sharp breath. Grueling work and training until she was ready collapse had been so deeply ingrained in her that it was still hard to train in a more leisurely fashion. 

“Why don’t you firebend for a while instead? Or earthbend?” Katara asked. 

“I might as well…” Azula grumbled. “It doesn’t really matter anyways.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I can’t get into the avatar state.” Explaining that was difficult and intailed discussing what little she knew about Raava as well. It left her feeling drained and offered a dismal sense of solidity having shared the news. She found that her shoulders were slumped. Frankly, she was just tired. 

Katara dropped herself down next to Azula. “Aang always said the same thing, that he couldn’t get into the avatar state and it made him feel like he wasn’t a true avatar.” 

“He was. I’m not.” Azula replied. 

“What’s that?” Haru asked.

Azula followed the length of his extended arm, before realizing that he was pointing at the sky and her effort to answer his question would be futile. 

“A messenger hawk.” Sokka leapt to his feet. 

The avian landed upon Haru’s outstretched arm and came into Azula’s sight. Sokka unravel the scroll that had been clenched within the animal’s claws. “It doesn’t say who its from…”

“Then it’s probably Zuzu.” Azula replied, thankful to be pulled away from discussing her own fears. “Read the letter to me.” 

.oOo.

Azula had to admit that she was impressed; her brother’s letter had been brimming with information about invasion defense plans and, according to Hakoda, a crude drawing that detailed layout of Ozai’s secret bunker. If she had to guess, she’d say that Mai had drawn it. 

At least one small portion of Azula was relieved; they’d no longer have to fuss over finding Ozai’s hiding place. It would just be a matter of breaching security measures and getting there.

She stood in front a crowd of soldiers with her arms crossed. She also had to admit that she was impressed by the amount of them. She had been expecting a small gaggle of friends that the original team avatar had picked up throughout their journey. 

Sure, that much was true enough. But since their arrival on this hidden beach, more and more ships were filing through. Ships with weapons and opportunities. And enough men to perhaps hold off Ozai’s army long enough for she and the new team avatar to infiltrate the bunker. 

Azula was still utterly exhausted. She had helped Hakoda and Sokka make an inventory of their artillery and then devise a plan as to what it would be used for. 

She listened to the rustle of parchment as Sokka pinned up a map. He coughed nervously, and Azula wondered if it was a good idea to let him explain their plans. He had been twitchy with nerves all day. But she had permitted Hakoda to give the boy encouraging pep talks, rather she hadn’t intervened. 

Still, Sokka’s delivery proved to be shaky. “We’ll line our ships up here.” He pointed to somewhere on the map, Azula couldn’t say if he was pointing to the right spot. “And...and we have this plan called stink and sink…”

Azula resisted the urge to slap her own forehead, she had very specifically told him not to call it that.

“And well...umm...we’re going to use mist to sneak up on the Fire Nation, they won’t know what hit ‘em…”  he paused, “we also have these armoured tanks…”

She almost felt bad for the boy, he was giving off enough vibrations to cloud her vision. 

“Alright Sokka,” Hakoda put a hand on his shoulder. “I can take over from here.” 

She heard him give a glum sigh. 

“Myself, my son, and avatar Azula have come up with a plan…” 

The title sent an unpleasant jolt resounding through her. “Why don’t we leave your dad to it?” Azula asked Sokka, suddenly feeling as nauseous as he probably did. He nodded quietly and followed her off of the platform. 

She waited in the crowd, silently listening to Hakoda cover the points of their plan, where each team would be stationed, and who would fill what role. He went over their back up plan--a thing that was too loose for Azula’s liking but it was the best that they could do for the time being. 

“Is there anything that you’d like to add?” A pause. He must have been looking at her because he apologized and repeated, “is there anything you’d like to add, Azula?”

She thought for a moment and frowned. It would seem that they would have to do some re-planning. Their initial plan didn’t involve the submarines. But it looked like they would have to work them in afterall.  “There’s an alarm system set up at the Gates Of Azulon. Even with the fog coverage, we will be detected.” She clasped her hands behind her back. “We will carry on with the original plan, to sail in by ship. We, however, won’t be aboard any of the ships. We will be on the submarines. By the time that the…the enemy realizes that the ships are empty, we will be well on our way.”

.oOo.

“I really messed it up.” Sokka mumbled while sheepishly rubbing his arms. “I helped make the plan I should have been able to explain it better.” 

“Making plans is one thing, discussing them in front of a crowd is another.” Azula shrugged. 

“I take it that you’re not good at public speeches either?” 

Azula laughed. “I’m extremely good at them, you should have heard the speech that I gave to the Dai Li…” She trailed off, thinking again of the possibility that her father was going to make use of them. She was counting on her father handing them all to Zuko under the assumption that he couldn’t take care of himself. She tried not to dwell on that too much, it was nearly out of her hands. “It’s casual conversation and small talk that I have a problem with.” 

“No kidding, Sparky.” Toph agreed with a dismissive hand wave. 

“I think that you did great.” Katara smiled. 

“Thanks, Katara. But you’re not very good at lying.” 

“I am.” Azula declared. 

“Oh yeah, prove it.” Toph replied. 

“I am a four-hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings.” 

“Okay, I admit it, you’re good.” Toph laughed. “Now tell Sokka that he didn’t totally flop that speech.” 

“He didn’t totally ruin it.”

“Wow, that sounded really genuine!” Toph declared.

“It was genuine.” Azula insisted. 

“You really are good at lying.” Sokka spoke.

“I wasn’t lying that time. You didn’t totally ruin the speech, just...mostly.”

“Gee, thanks, you’re reassuring.” He rolled his eyes. 

“Why are you smiling if you’re offended?” Katara asked. 

“Because, she has no social skills and it’s kind of funny.” 

Azula folded her arms over her chest, but she couldn’t exactly counter him. She had already admitted that she lacked mundane conversational elegance. She had to admit that the commentary was slightly entertaining. It was somehow reliving to be able to make mildly self deprecating jokes. To be able to put insecurity aside just long enough to do so. “Really, it wasn’t the worst public speech that I’ve ever heard. Zuzu has given some pretty dreadful ones.

[lykegenia]

Zutara Week Day 3: Steamy

Another year, another Zutara Week, another set of oneshots for my ZKWeek story A Life, Together, which you can find in its entirety here.

@zutaraweek

ZKWeek Day 3: Steamy Words: 2345 Summary: Katara has her first ‘oh no, he’s hot’ moment Read it on AO3

“Ta-da!”

Sokka stood in front of the rest of their group, his hands held out in an expansive gesture of presentation, with a grin on his face so wide it crinkled his eyes and showed every one of his teeth. Behind him stood a circular construction in mismatched stone – likely scrounged from the Western Air Temple’s crumbling masonry – which had a conical roof made of bamboo struts, overlaid with the tarp that used to form the roof of their shelter when they were still camping in the wilderness. Holes in the masonry were plugged with bunches of grass, and the whole thing looked like it would struggle to withstand even the smallest puff of air.

At least it explained his strange behaviour that morning.

“Well?” he demanded. “What do you think?”

“Uh…” Zuko glanced at the others, rubbing the back of his neck. “What is it?”

“It’s a shack,” Toph said. “Even I can see that.”

Sokka gave a disgusted squawk and threw his hands in the air. “It is not a shack!” he protested. “It’s a steam house. It’s a Water Tribe tradition!”

“I’ve heard of these!” Aang chimed in excitedly. “You sit in them and sweat out all the toxins in your body.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Twinkle toes, but we’re all already pretty sweaty. This humidity is going to kill me.”

“It’s meant to be very good for reaching the spirit world,” Aang replied with a shrug.

“Oh no,” Sokka groaned. “We aren’t doing that again. I was weirded out enough the first time, or don’t you remember what happened to me in Hei Bai Forest? No.” He held up a hand and began to count off on his fingers. “First, we are going to sit in there. Second, we’re going to relax and forget for an afternoon that we’re going to have to beat the Fire Lord. Third, we’re going to emerge refreshed and ready to get back to work.” He turned to Katara, the only one of the circle who had yet to speak. “Does that sound like a good plan?”

“Well, you are our go-to plan guy,” she replied, smiling. Despite the improvised construction, the roundhouse really did look like one of the steam huts they had had back in the village, before the soldiers went to war and the struggle for survival meant they had to do away with such luxuries.

“Do you have the camel moss?” she asked. The sweet-smelling lichen was added to the water to add fragrance to the steam, often along with other, more relaxing herbs.

Sokka beamed. “Bato gave me some before the invasion,” he said, and offered her a blue-patterned pouch filled to the brim with feathery, greyish moss. “It’s the real deal.”

“It is!” she cried, inhaling the sweet scent of the bag’s contents. “But… how are you planning to power this?”

“How do you think? We have one master waterbender –” he pointed to her – “One jerkbender –” to Zuko – “And one avatar who can do both. All we need to do is get the coals going and it’ll stay hot for hours.”

Katara glanced at Zuko and found him watching her warily. They had been in a cool stalemate ever since his return from the Sun Warriors with Aang, which had proved once and for all that whatever his reasons, the Fire Prince was no longer out to capture Aang. That made him an ally, and as the others became more accepting of his presence among them, her open hostility became harder to justify. Aang was especially good at throwing her pleading looks that made her feel guilty for being suspicious.

But how else could she act? Down in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, she had let her guard down, and she was all too well aware how that had turned out. She couldn’t afford to trust him again, if only for Aang’s sake, but being so wired all the time was beginning to exhaust her.

And it was especially hard since Zuko was nothing like she expected him to be, day to day. She wanted him to be a stuck-up prince who left mess and expected others to clear up after him, but if anything, he was more considerate than the others.

“Don’t think I don’t see through this little act,” she had spat when he offered to clean the dishes after breakfast the previous week. “Why on earth would you want to?”

He had shrugged. “It’s not fair that you do everything.”

“Says the prince who’s never done a day of hard work in his life.”

For a beat, he had said nothing, clearly working out the best way to answer – he had taken to not addressing her hostility directly, having learned from Aang that sometimes it was better to circle and let your opponent do the work. That was frustrating, too.

“Believe what you want,” he had told her eventually. “But I lived in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se for months, and there weren’t any servants there.” And he had walked away.

The words had bothered her all day. She realised that between leaving him in the snow at the North Pole and finding him again in a tea shop in the Earth Kingdom, she had no idea what had happened to him. Thinking it might not all have been sunshine and daisies for him rankled, but then so did the fact that his offer to help had seemed genuine, and she had only snarled at him on reflex. Nobody else ever even noticed that she did most of the chores, let alone offered to help.

The next day, she had asked him, quietly, if he could sew. When he had answered, quietly, that he wasn’t very good but could mend basic tears, she knew he understood her sort-of apology, and walked away with a curious kind of twisting in the pit of her stomach. They hadn’t spoken since.

Now, Katara found herself shepherded into the steam house with everyone else. Inside it was snug, the light dimmed by the thick canvas of the roof, and it was very warm. A bucket of water stood on the floor next to a fire pit, the camel moss already steeping, waiting only for someone to ladle it out over the cluster of glowing coals. Sokka already sprawled across one of the benches, his arms and lanky legs spread out in a decent imitation of a starfish.

“Budge up,” she huffed, nudging one of his legs with her foot. “This is great.”

Her brother cracked open an eye to look at her. “You work hard, Katara. You deserve a break every now and then.”

She frowned, unsure how to respond to such an unprecedented acknowledgement of how she took care of them, but before she could dwell on it too much, Toph barged through the entrance, closely followed by Aang, and Katara had to sit down or risk stepping in the fire. Even with just four of them, the circular hut was rather squashed, and she felt an elbow dig uncomfortably into her side as she tried to get comfortable. And then Zuko arrived. Without his shirt.

It shouldn’t have bothered her so much – Aang and Sokka were topless, too, after all, though they were family so that didn’t really count. And neither of them looked like Zuko. In the muted light, the glow of the coals highlighted the fine tone of his physique, and the low ceiling only emphasised how tall he was. How had she never noticed that before? Suddenly self-conscious of how much skin she was exposing, sat there only in bindings and shorts, she tucked her legs up under the bench and brought her arms to rest in her lap, not quite hugging around her stomach. A chill ran up the back of her neck where the skin was exposed to the air.

“You okay, Sweetness?”

She glanced at Toph. “Fine.”

“Yeah, sure.” The younger girl grinned like a cat-monkey with cream, which did nothing to ease the new tension in Katara’s muscles.

And of course the only free space in the steam house was exactly opposite her. Zuko sat down, apparently unconscious of her irritation, and leaned back against the stone wall of the hut. His unruly hair skimmed the roof. Frowning, Katara supposed she should be grateful he was so far away, because otherwise he would have no doubt been next to her. She wouldn’t have been able to see him unless she looked – and she did not want to look, she had no interest in looking – but he would have been pressed against her side in the tight space, all that lean muscle and warmth and the dry muskiness of his scent.

“So how about some steam?” she asked, to distract herself from the shudder that tickled across her shoulders. She wanted to blame it on revulsion, but her heart wasn’t quite in it.

“Allow me, milady,” Aang said with his goofiest smile before she could raise her hand to bend the water. She grinned back at him, and seconds later the hut was filled with a cloud of thick, fragrant steam.

Katara allowed herself to drift, and the others did, too. In the silence, she sank into the soothing aroma of the camel moss, letting it take her back to a time when she was very young and the elders would gather round the long-fire in the big house to tell stories about the spirits. She amused herself by bending the steam into the shapes of fish and great whales, and the lithe, sinuous form of the dragon who was meant to bring thunderstorms in summer. Feeling the corner of her mouth quirk up, she flicked her fingers and the dragon breathed a tiny puff of steam where it circled above her head.

The smile faded when she caught a pair of golden eyes watching her from across the coals. Zuko glanced away, but the look made something itch beneath her skin, so she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, determined to block him from her mind completely.

When she opened her eyes again some while later, everyone else had already left. Most of the steam had escaped through the cracks in the walls, and all that was left was a dry, clean heat that raised prickles of sweat along her skin. Rubbing her tiredness out of her eyes, Katara stood and shuffled to the entrance, a slight headache throbbing behind her eyes brought on by dehydration. The fountain in the nearby courtyard ran with cool water, a perfect substitute for the ice pool traditionally used to clear away the sticky heat of the steam house.

As she walked through the surprisingly cool air of the temple halls, Katara wondered where the others had gone, why nobody had woken her when they left. The sun was low on the horizon, which meant it was almost dinner, and she had done none of the preparations she had meant to do. The worries that just a few minutes before had seemed trivial crowded round her, twining back into her limbs like the vines around the Air Temple itself, and with a sigh she bent the sweat off her body without waiting for the pool and hurried the familiar route back to the hall they used as their main shared space.

What she found left her open-mouthed.

The living space, usually scattered about with spare bedrolls, scrolls, and plans, was neatly tidied with a stack of firewood piled in one corner and their food supplies in another. She could smell dinner cooking, and noticed Sokka frowning over the stewpot. Occasionally, he muttered to himself and gave the fire below a prod with a long, forked stick, while Toph bent the dust out of the cracks in the floor so that the mosaic there gleamed.

“What is all this?” she asked.

The pair froze as if caught doing something they should be guilty for.

“Katara!” It was Aang, sliding to a stop behind her, out of breath.

“Aw man, Twinkle Toes,” Toph complained. “You were meant to keep her busy.”

“I had to feed Appa,” protested Aang, before turning to Katara. “It was meant to be a surprise,” he explained, blushing. “You do so much for all of us, and, well… we thought you deserved a break.”

Katara felt the same suspicion as earlier sneak over her. “Aang, this wasn’t… Zuko’s idea, was it?” she asked. The Fire Prince was nowhere to be seen.

“No!” Aang cried, hurt. “It was mine. Though I was training with him when I had the idea,” he added.

At that moment, Zuko himself emerged from deeper within the temple, carrying a small bag with him. He handed it over to Sokka, who sniffed dubiously before pulling out several small jars of what looked like spices. Katara watched as Zuko gave instructions about which to add to the food already bubbling on the fire, the slight stain of colour on his cheeks the only indicator that he knew she was there. Could he have masterminded this?

Aang was still talking.

“… so we decided to give you a day off, and Sokka said we should make your favourite, so it’s a good thing Zuko said he brought Fire Nation ingredients with him when he came after us. What do you think of it?”

She glanced down into Aang’s grinning face, the grey eyes eager for her approval, and found her thoughts still whirling. She still didn’t trust Zuko, she couldn’t bring herself to forget what he did in Ba Sing Se. There had been too many times when she thought the best of the world and the consequences of her good nature snaked back to bite her in the arm. But still… If her suspicions were correct, then he had done all of this for her, just to be nice, without any desire for his efforts to be recognised.

Her chest constricted.

“Well?” Aang prompted. “Isn’t it amazing?”

“Yes,” she agreed. “It is.”

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Swift As Karma (Part 38)

It hit her harder than she realized it would, to not hear Azula fussing over how she hated sleeping on the ground like a peasant. She had grown used to the former princess being around and it was disorienting to not have that presence. It didn’t help to hear TyLee crying herself to sleep. She bunched herself up at Appa’s paws, listening to him snore. She clutched Momo to her chest, despite the little guy trying to wiggle free. 

It hurt her in double knowing that she has lost Aang a second time. Should Ozai actually kill Azula, there would be no trace of Aang left at all and almost no hope to save the world. 

There was already no hope to save the world. 

She missed Aang more furiously than ever. 

Katara wanted to talk to her father; she could tell that her father had been eager to ask since arriving by the group only to find one missing. Yet she can’t bring herself to tell him yet. She still hated saying it out loud. And just how the hell was she supposed to explain to him that she is working with the very person who’d taken him out. Worse still, that she was actually rather worried about that person. 

Katara rolled over and Momo used the opening to fly away and perch himself atop Sokka’s head, screeching loudly into his ear until he bolted upright with a, “no! Bad lemur, go bug Appa. It’s Sokka sleeptime.”

He met Katara’s eyes and she crawled over to him. “Oh, Sokka, what am I going to tell dad? He liked Aang.” 

“The truth?” Sokka asked. He sighed, “do you want me to tell him?” 

Katara nodded, “please.”

.oOo.

Toph kicked a rock aside, what an awful day it was turning out to be. Katara just reunited with her dad, it was supposed to be a happy day. But not one person was smiling. She listened to Sokka break the hard news to Hakoda, noticed the way his demeanor changed--his posture going from upright to slouched, as Aang’s whereabouts were mentioned. 

“So we have no avatar?” Hakoda asked. 

“For a while we still did.” Sokka noted. “We lost her to the Boiling Rock.” 

“The princess?” Hakoda asked. 

Sokka nodded, “Aang’s spirit and powers transferred over to her. She has been working with us. It’s hard to get used to but she’s been...mostly okay to be around.” 

Toph lost track of that conversation when TyLee sniffling grew louder. She had buried herself deep within Appa’s fur. Toph herself could use a bit of the bison’s fluff; she missed chucking rocks at Sparky and listening to her complain about how earthbending was still a pain in the ass and how water was an element from hell. Sparky brought some personality to the group. 

“What are we going to do now?” Katara asked. “We’re back to where we started, an invasion plan and no avatar to help us get through it.”

Toph shrugged. 

“It’s like I’ve lost him a second time…” She paused. “What’s that?” 

“What’s what?” 

Silence was her answer for a moment, “I think that they found us.” Katara noted bleakly as Sokka declared, “dad, isn’t that a war balloon?”

Toph got to her feet, whoever they were, they were going to pay. She listened for the balloon to land. Not that she had to, the vibrations of it landing were jarringly intense. Toph stomped up to it with Katara in tow. She could sense Sokka readying his boomerang. Her own fair sized boulder hovered in the air. 

The hatch opened and Toph sent the rock flying with a mischievous smirk. It hit the girl in the stomach and she winced. “Welcome back, Sparky! That was for getting everyone all upset.”

Azula hardly had a chance to recover before TyLee slung her arms around her. “I was worried about you.” 

Azula offered TyLee’s back two awkward pats. 

“You’re okay.” Katara said. 

“I think so.” Azula replied. 

“How’d you manage to steal that?” Sokka asked. 

“I didn’t.” Azula replied. Apparently that was the cue for Zuko and Mai to step forward. 

“I won’t be going home to father.” Zuko declared. “I’m done letting him control my life.”

“Great.” Toph mumbled. “Now I’m going to have to come up with another nickname.” 

.oOo.

She never thought that it would be such a relief to be back with this group. Even less, did she expect to find herself actually happy to be there. TyLee continued to cuddle her and she didn’t have the heart to push the girl away. 

“Need me to rescue you from her?” Mai asked. 

Azula shook her head. “I’m fine.” 

Mai shrugged. 

“You’re not angry, are you?” Katara asked. 

“Hmm?” 

“That we left you behind.” 

“I would have been angry if you stayed behind and got yourselves captured. My plan would have been for nothing if you had.” Azula replied. 

“It doesn’t bother you at all?”

“Not really.” She replied. Though it had stung a little, she couldn’t imagine that anyone but TyLee would truly miss her or worry for her. Katara only cared as far as getting her small piece of Aang back. And yet, Sokka wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and Katara began healing the scab on her lip.

“Believe it or not, I’m glad that you’re okay.” Katara noted. 

“You are?”

Katara nodded, “thanks for helping us get our dad back.” 

“You’re welcome.” She replied quietly, she hadn’t expected a thank you. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but she found herself wondering if learning to waterbend would become an easier process now. Azula squeezed TyLee’s hand and the girl propped her head upon the firebender’s shoulder. 

Katara’s smile was so warm. It left her feeling awful for leaving the girl’s friend behind and worse still, for hiding that she had seen the Kyoshi warrior at all. But Suki had almost cost them everything. The girl had almost gotten her killed. 

Katara was finally warming up to her, as though she deserved acceptance. She was still a liar. She was still a bad person. 

This wouldn’t have bothered her in the slightest some months ago; Azula hated that she was going so soft. 

She felt TyLee nuzzle her head into her neck and Katara offered her something to drink. They were going to find out eventually so she might as well get the girl mad again before she could get used to feeling like a part of the group. “It was Suki’s fault.” 

“Huh?” Sokka asked. 

“The Warden promised her freedom for giving my identity up.” Azula answered. “So I left her at the Boiling Rock.”

“We didn’t have time to go back for her.” Zuko added. On a normal day, she would have snapped at him for the interruption, but it was probably going to do her a favor in the long run. 

“I figured that she would have a better shot at freedom if we all didn’t get captured. Zuzu...his alliance with father is fragile.” It wasn’t a complete lie, it was a detail that made it even easier to leave the Kyoshi Warrior behind.

And easier to leave Juno behind. 

“Well he doesn’t have to worry about that with us!” Sokka snapped. 

“He won’t be staying with us.” Azula replied. 

“What do you mean!?” Zuko shouted. 

“Just how TyLee, Mai, and I took over Ba Sing Se, you have a chance to take father down from the inside.” Azula paused. She stood up and took a deep breath before slugging Zuko in the face, “you’re going to tell father that you had me and that,” she smirked, “as per usual, I proved to be the better firebender and combatant, and managed to escape.” 

“Do you know what he’ll do to me if I come home empty handed?” 

“The same thing he always did to me when I returned to him with news of you evading me.” Azula replied. “Which is why you’ll be bringing TyLee with you.”

With that her mouth fell agape, Azula didn’t give the girl time to ask questions. “Tell him that you took her because you know that I’ll come for her. I know father, he won’t kill her or hurt her because she’s more useful in one piece.” She tried to speak matter-of-factly, it helped that she was already feeling hollower. 

“Azula!” TyLee cried. 

“TyLee, you’re our best chance at having someone...three people sabotaging father from the inside. You’ll have Zuko and Mai, you’ll be fine.” For as reassuring as she was trying to sound, she felt as though she were going to fall apart. It had been TyLee who’d been keeping her together this whole time. Now she was going to have to trust that the others would treat her well. 

“You really think that this is a good idea?” Zuko asked. 

“Yes, now have an agni kai with me.” She said. “We need to make this look real. TyLee, you’re going to need some bruises too.” 

.oOo.

Azula hadn’t spoken since the war balloon faded to a speck on the horizon. She denied comfort and company, instead bunching herself up and leaning against a tree. She was decorated in bruises and nursing a sprained ankle. Katara thought that she and Zuko had overdone it, but according to the former princess, her brother was a dreadful liar. In order for him to be able to tell Ozai that Azula had been hurt in the fight, she actually needed to feel pain. She was rather insistent that it was only fair for him to rough her up just as much as she him. Katara was almost certain that it had more to do with punishing herself for gambling TyLee.

“Come by the fire, it’s kind of cold tonight.” Katara offered. 

Azula shook her head. 

“She’s going to be fine and so are you.” Katara tried. Azula remained quiet. “It’s hard to lose someone that you...love? But she’s coming back…” 

Azula goes rigid. 

“I’m not saying that to make you feel bad. I just want you to know that I know how it feels.” 

Still, she said nothing. 

“Anyways, I don’t feel like I’ve completely lost Aang. He’s still here.” She took Azula’s hand. “I know that he is because I sort of see him in you a little.” 

Azula lifted her head from her knees. Before Katara realized what she was doing, she had her arms around the new avatar.

And around the old avatar.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

I’ll Meet You At The Bottom Part 32

Since my birthday is tomorrow I may or may not put another chapter out that day. Like Imma try, but I make no promises. 

Azula had to laugh, at least to herself. She had left the Ash Pit with intentions to never go back and there she was brining it home with her. Fair was fair though, she had to deal with Sokka’s stupid friends now he’d have to deal with her sketchy companions. “Just pick one already.” She sighed at Bo-Rem.

 “I don’t like any of them.” The girl grumbled. “And the one’s I do are too small.” She held up another shirt that had no room to accommodate her muscles. “Ya know what, I’m just going to check the men’s section.”

 “What’re we doin’ here?” Yoko barked as he gestured about the marketplace. “Taeyul needs help ‘n you need to fix yer priorities.”  

 “I do have my priorities straight.” Azula argued. “If you actually want to make it into the palace, you all are going to have to looked respectable.” She looked at the sorry lot. “Or at least, presentable.” Azula entertained herself by picking through a few articles of clothing. She looked up from it to see Yoko still loitering about. “The sooner you pick something, the sooner we can leave. He plucked something from a hanger without looking and handed it to her. “Are you sure that you want that one?”

 Without looking at it he nodded.

 “Alright, fine.” She rolled her eyes. Whether he liked it or not, he would be wearing it. It was the most childish looking dress attire she’d ever seen in the men’s section. Boryuk found something remotely quick, while Yoona was off in the back fumbling with a particularly elaborate, multipiece kimono. The girl had no idea how to wear it properly and was lost in a forest of fine fabric. “How about we try something a little easier.” Azula suggested, leading her over to the once piece dresses.

 “Why don’t Taeyul have to do this?” Yoko complained.

 Azula blinked, this question she wouldn’t dignify with a response. Instead she turned to Kohza. He, unlike the rest of them, seemed to be relishing in the experience. This was part of the higher life he had been longing to part take in and was eagerly sifting through each robe he could spy. He seemed to love each and every one for a different reason. Which was almost as bad as detesting them all. He was taking just as long as Bo-Rem but for a completely opposite reason.

 Chan, unaspiringly, picked out something with ease and took to glaring at Sokka who glared back; an unbreakable display of no-contact testosterone. Azula had an unweaving suspicion that Sokka had started this ridiculous staring contest. She made a point of directly standing in the incorporeal line their strong eye contact was creating. She could practically feel the tension beaming through her soul, but it was worth it to have ended their little pissing contest. “Chan, go help Kohza pick his favorite.”

 He shoved himself off of the shelf he had been leaning on and sulked over to Kohza.

 “What about me, what do I get to do?” Sokka asked.

 “You can keep an eye on Taeyul or go help Bo-Rem, your pick.”

 “Is, ‘keep standing right over here’ an option?” Sokka replied.

 “It was until you asked for something to do.” Azula shrugged.

 She watched him—equally as cross as his newfound rival—make his way towards Taeyul. That left her, was there ever any doubt, to Bo-Rem. It took much longer than it should have, but at last Azula found something that Bo-Rem could tolerate.  From there it was remotely easy. Despite so, the princess found herself growing antsy; she was itching to finally get back to her training. Bo-Rem’s prior commentary might have hit a little closer to home than she was willing to admit. Even without, Azula missed going through the rigorous motions of firebending. With Zuko well on his way to Ember Island—she didn’t believe that he actually would until the boat was actually on its way with him in it—there would be no hassle at all in getting the group into the palace. She was, after all, their temporary Fire Lord, if she wanted to bring in a bunch of shady ruffians, they’d have to let her. “Now, if everybody except Chan and Khoza keeps quiet, everything should go smoothly. Azula settled her gaze on Yoona and her constant stream of almost intangible babble. She went blissfully undaunted by Azula’s stare.

 “See that tree, Chan?” Sokka asked as he pointed to the dragon maple. “That’s our spot, mine and Azula’s. It has been for a while now.”

 “Good to finally be informed.” Azula muttered.

 “So?” Chan asked.

 “So, you can’t go under it.”

 “I don’t want to go under your stupid tree!” Chan threw his hands up. “I don’t even like trees!”

 “Who doesn’t like trees?” Sokka shouted. This was more pointless than any argument Azula had ever tried to start with him.  She made sure to stomp it out before they finished crossing the courtyard. Once inside the palace they were greeted by Aang. It didn’t take long for the other two to appear.

 “Idiots of Sokka, meet my, probably bigger, idiots.” Azula introduced. “I’ll let you all get to know each other.”

 “I like her.” Toph pointed at Bo-Rem.

 “Wait, where are you going?” Sokka asked.

 “I have to work on my firebending. I’m sure Chan can handle…”

 “No he can’t.” Sokka whispered.

 “You’re right, he doesn’t know who to ask.” Azula resigned to wasting another few moments. “Katara, that’s Taeyul. You can help him, yes?”

 “I think that I can.” She nodded. And after inspecting him for a few moments, backtracked some. “I hope that I can. He’s…he’s not in good shape.”

 “If you can help me, I’m sure you can help him.” Azula assured.

 “Azula, you were never that close to death.”

 Azula shuddered at the possibility that she was close at all and wondered exactly which time that had been.

 “I’ll see what I can do.”

 “Mind if I come train with you?” Chan asked.

 The idea of him watching her when her skills were so rusty…so neglected sent a new kind of dread radiating through her. He was one of the few who still had a mostly polished, untainted version of her. No, she planned on training alone—her firebending was one area where everyone still had a pristine impression. If not, they had high expectations; not quite at the altitude of her own, but still high. “I train alone.”

 “Since when?” He asked.

 Since you asked, the retort was on the tip of her tongue. “Since I decided that I need to focus.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Besides, you have some bonding to do.”

 Chan looked reluctantly at the gang.

 It didn’t take long, not at all. In fact, she had taken only a few steps into the adjoining hall when she heard footsteps padding along behind her. Sokka had a very distinct step sound, heavy but in a soft sort of way that she couldn’t explain with certainty. It might have been that he still liked to wear fur boots that suffocated the brunt of the noise. She knew it would drive Chan up the wall, but she let him tag along. Somehow she didn’t really mind if he watched her fail miserably, he already has multiple times. “You can come along, but don’t do anything distracting.” She tossed back at him.

 “I was just gonna grab my canvas and paint while you do you your fire thing.” Sokka replied.

 “I’ll meet you there.” She replied. While he split off to fetch his supplies from his room, she stopped for a change of clothes. Something with a lesser excess of sleeves. Something a little easier to move in and a little less flammable.

 Azula began before Sokka arrived, a quick warmup that went relatively smoothly. She also worked through the first set of stances in her normal routine. A task that proved to her that her skills had been so horribly neglected. She supposed that she should be thankful; even at her lowest she could still probably get the better of the average firebender. But that wasn’t good enough, not at all. The one thing she had prided herself for, she no longer had complete mastery over. She was slower, slightly off balance, her muscles weaker from such a prolonged lack of use. She was nearly frustrated to tears, these things should be coming naturally to her. But they weren’t, she knew that she shouldn’t have expected them too. And so it was that Sokka’s sudden presence was once again uncomfortable and unwelcomed, no matter how much he’d already seen. She didn’t want him to see her stumble, not at this.

 “Why do you go paint outside?” She asked.

 “I always paint outside.” Sokka shrugged. “Besides, I want to watch you firebend. It always looked so…powerful. It’ll be nice to see it without you trying to kill me while doing it.”

 “Say the wrong thing and I will definitely kill you, Sokka.” Azula promised.

 “Are you stalling?”

 “What? No. I’m taking a break.”

 “Already?”

 She sent a tiny bolt of lightning at his feet and he lifted his arms in surrender. “That’s a good start, now keep that up.” He grinned stupidly. Azula hated that goofy grin. She waited until he began fishing out his paints to resume her own task. At first, the firebender mostly dabbled with her lightning, she’d never truly lost her touch there. It brought a sense of comfort to know so. By the time she decided to go back to bending fire, Sokka was mostly engrossed in his art. Enough so that Azula felt less observed as she conjured up a whirling pinwheel of fire. This earned her a sharp, “hey careful, working with delicate material here.”

 “I’m sure your ego will hold up.” Azula rolled her eyes. “Besides, it wasn’t even close to you.”

 She moved onto something more elaborate, a form that involved a rapid barrage of fire and a few midair kicks. The first few went smoothly but she was tiring much faster than she would have liked. She paused for a minute or two and then resumed. In due time she found herself decently satisfied with that set and threw in something new; an old favorite technique. Something that required a bit of a running start. A running start that burst into a jump and brining her leg down in an arc of fire and then a repetition of the motion but instead of an arc she would go for a somersault of fire. This didn’t go quite so smoothly. Her first arc was rather impressive, but the somersault ended with a harsh thud. One loud enough to catch Sokka’s attention and add the first tinge of pink to her cheeks. She blew her bangs from her face and tried a second time. And a third, each seemed to be progressively getting worse. She found herself growing increasingly more embarrassed, and therefore, irritated with every blunder. She looked ridiculous. She tried for another somersault of flames, but she had put too much force into it, bringing her down without a scrap of grace. Azula stumbled to keep her balance. She could practically see her father leering at her. She tried it a third time, that one ending more tragically than the time before it. That time she hadn’t even landed on her feet. Sokka’s eyes seemed practically glued to her by then and she was making a fool of herself. By then her face was completely flushed with both humiliation and simmering agitation. She went for it once more, this time not even succeeding with the first arc.

 “Hey, hey, calm down.” Sokka spoke gently, he put his brush down. “You bend better when you’re not angry. Isn’t that why you were so good at firebending before? Because you were so calm.”

 Azula brushed her hair out of her face; when had it gotten so long? He had a solid point, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel anything but exasperation, not when this should be coming so naturally to her.

 “Here.” He came to stand behind her, first massaging the tension out of her shoulders and then out of her back. After doing so, he lifted her arm and extended it, mimicking the stances he’d so often seen her utilize. Some time into it she took the lead and let him follow her through the motions. His hold restricted her from producing any fire at all. Though it was about structure at that point, structure and stance. She could incorporate fire again later. For the time being, Azula was content with the intimacy. Content with his interest in bending with her, even if he could ever hope to produce a spark. She could feel his muscles rippling and contorting against her back. Could smell the tinge of sea-salt on his body. He must have recently taken a saltwater bath. He borrowed her pine soap, from the smell of it. His aroma soothed her some. And then he let go, his touch lingering only for one more brief moment.

 .oOo.

 Upon leaving her side, Azula added fire to the movements that they had just worked through. Her movements were simpler, less bold than he recalled. Speed seemed to be sidelined for perfecting the motions themselves. But she was as elegant as he was used to, despite the occasional falter. She was frighteningly powerful as ever and he hoped that she knew that. He watched slid from one stance to the next in fluid motions. She seemed more relaxed. Sokka couldn’t bring himself to pick up the brush again, he’d rather watch the real Azula.

 Perhaps he would join her some time, his swordsmanship was getting a bit rusty and he wouldn’t mind making a few slashes and slices, especially after spying some of the expensive training equipment scattered about the room.

 After some time had gone by, she tried for the somersaults again, her landings were still shaky or on her back altogether. He feared that she was hurting herself and wondered how many bruises would line the length of her back. She seemed undaunted by that though. By the end of it all, she was a little red faced and breathing hard.

He had to admire her dedication.

 .oOo.

 Sokka extended a hand and pulled her up. “You’ve been at this for hours now, I think it’s time to call it a night.”

 Azula wanted to protest, but even she knew there was no sense in draining herself on the first day. She hadn’t even trained that relentlessly during her prime. Hesitantly she let him lead her back to the springs so she could freshen herself up. She was a bit of a wreck but she didn’t need to look the part.

 A quick sweep of the dinner table confirmed that everyone still had yet to warm up to one another. Toph and Bo-Rem were the oddities, they connected right away. Not that Azula hadn’t predicted such. Bo-Rem was speaking fondly of The Rumble and Toph was insisting that she should part take. Listening to all of the awkward and forced conversation, Azula couldn’t wait to add dear Zu-Zu to the mix. The look on his face would be precious.

 This became a sort of routine. In between checking on Teayul and keeping tabs on both groups of idiots, the princess would retreat to go through her techniques. Eventually her touch would have come back to her, she supposed that she just needed to get used to going through the motions again. Sokka was always there working on either the painting of her. Eventually that came to a halt, in a fit of annoyance—during a particularly taxing firebending form—Azula carelessly kicked a ball of sapphire flame in Sokka’s direction. It both had him facedown on the ground after a spectacularly dramatic dive and nearly scorched the canvas. After dusting himself off Sokka cradled his portrait as if it were some precious gem. After that he wouldn’t let her near it at all claiming that such dangerous activities did not create a safe and healthy environment for a growing portrait. He no longer brought that canvas into the training room, instead he would bring a simple brush and ink and would create careless doodles. Sometimes she would pause her own training and watch him draw until she felt ready to begin again.

The days had a new sense of normalcy to them.

And on most of them the Ruby Tears hadn’t crossed her mind.