#sokka trying to do very serious warrior training with the village kids and zuko just falls asleep standing up

[discordiansamba]

I love Time Travel fix-its and I'm having a ball reading all of your snippets of the Zuko Time Travel AU. Just a small question for when Zuko/Li is first with the water tribe. Considering that he lives there during the months of darkness and can't feel the sun for a very long time, is that gonna affect him at all?

Oh yeah, it definitely effects him! Not only is his firebending weaker, he's much more lethargic during the polar night, and often has to be dragged out of bed. It also takes him a lot longer to actually wake up properly once he's awake which is something Sokka finds very funny (and something Katara totally doesn't take advantage of to play with Zuko's hair).

During the midnight sun, he has the opposite problem- his firebending is stronger, but also he's awake like, all the time. Gran-Gran has to give him some medicated herbal tea to help him sleep, otherwise he would be awake until he literally collapses. He's getting the feeling that the Poles weren't really meant for firebenders, which explains why his tutors always taught him that there were a strict number of months in which action could be taken against the Water Tribes.

(When Aang is out of his mind with lack of sleep before the invasion, Zuko produces some of that same medicinal tea. Katara and Sokka are mystified as to how he's kept hold of that this entire time, with everything they've gone through. Unfortunately it doesn't work as well for Aang.)

[purrincesskittens]

Some pure indulgent fluff in my dragons atla universe slightly inspired by @muffinlance Scaled Over writing out how Bato comes into the possession of a little scaly Zuko still but I just had to get this fluff out first. Sorry for tagging you so often muffin you have inspired me to write again and actually finish something for once.

Zuko's scar isn't as bad over his eye it's larger though it covers more of the left side of his face and down his neck and across his shoulder. It's not as bad though it's second to third degree and will scar but not nearly as bad as it looks in canon like this but on a small child

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Bato was drifting between wakefulness and sleep wanting to go back to sleep unsure as to what woke him. His hammock rocked with the ship he was comfortable under his furs and blankets. They were almost home and just in time to beat the late season storm coming their way. He was almost asleep again when the baby in his arms sat up on his chest. After a moment of squirming little hands patted his face gently and cautiously to wake him. Giving a yawn and stretch Bato opened his eyes to look at the little one he held.

"Sorry." The 3 year old little boy whispers so softly Bato wouldn't have heard if he hadn't been holding the little one so close. "What's wrong buddy?" Bato asks as the kid squirmed again. "Umm." The little one grabbed at his front as he squirms in a matter Bato recognizes from Sokka who had just started potty training. "Need to go?" Bato sat up holding the boy to his chest as he did before unburrying them so he could swing his legs out of the hammock and set the boy down.

He knew what woke him now. The boy had been squirming for a while before waking Bato. The child was still very cautious about everything he did which angered Bato. The boy was barely 3 and was surprisingly very good about potty breaks although he did have accidents that caused him to break down in tears. Bato would love to murder the child's father. Not only was the man responsible for the large burn that covered the left side of the child's face and down his neck and shoulder but the man didn't seem to understand children. Didn't want the child to make loud noises and apparently yelled at every little thing the boy did.

Bato wasn't even a father but he was a damn proud uncle to Hakoda's kids and understood children were noisy and messy. He didn't have a high opinion of any servants hired to care for the boy either. None seemed to have had the patience for a young child struggling to be more mature then their age while still being a toddler. Standing up he guided the kid to use the bathroom yawning as he did. The boy finished with only a slight mishap at first not a big deal, he watched Sokka for Hakoda and Kya before he knew this could happen.

The boy looked at him like he expected to be hit or yelled at. "I missed." The boy whispered looking down at his bare feet. "Sorry." Bato had to close his eyes and count to ten silently so as not to show he was upset. Not at the little one but at the man the boy calls father. Kneeling he hugs the tiny thing to him before murmuring reassuringly. "It's okay accidents happen. You'll get better with time." He stood cleaning up the mess and then cleaned the child and himself up, using a clean wet cloth to whipe the boys face after to remove snot and tears.

Scooping him up he nuzzled the child's soft black hair with his nose. "Let's get a snack and then back to bed okay?" He got a nod in response as the little one tucked his head against his neck. Hakoda intercepted them after they had grabbed a few sea prunes yawning as he ruffled the child's hair causing the boy to squeak and hide his face against Bato's skin. "Midnight snack?" He questions his friend nodding to the half eaten prune in the toddlers hand. "Bathrrom visit first then snack as a reward for doing so good now back to bed." Bato explains bouncing the child in his arms gently to reassure him.

"I missed." Came the response from the half asleep bundle in the tribesman's arms. "That's okay Sokka, my son, misses alot too. It happens." The chief reassures the tiny thing who peaks at him with sleepy gold eyes. They eventually got back to bed with Bato settling the toddler in his arms under the furs and blankets.

The next day brought them into colder waters and icebergs appeared. The child stared with wide eyes from his place at the railing of the ship under the watchful eyes of the crew. As they traveled further south the more the ice grew bigger. It was early spring so the waters were barely safe enough to traverse meaning they had to slow down and take it easy. This also meant the icebergs appeared to be closer to the ship. Almost within touching distance it would seem. Or at least it seemed so to a tiny tot who had never seen icebergs before. One second he was standing by the railing, the next he's climbed up on the railing, and the second after that a little black dragon is launching himself across the distance little wings incapable of true flight, beating the air in an attempt at keeping him alight.

The ship lurched and a large blue dragon is grabbing the baby dragon in his teeth scuffing them and hauling them back on board the ship ignoring their whines of protest despite being a limp noodle hanging from Bato's jaws as he settles back in the middle of the deck depositing the little creature in front of them caging him with his claws so the little one can't scamper off.

The rest of the day is spent with a shaky noodle hiding in Bato's parka half because he got scolded for trying to jump off the ship to touch an iceberg half because he was cold. Aake's mutter suggestion about wing breaking had been overheard and the little one was terrified of him now. Bato hadn't liked that suggestion even if Aake wasn't completely serious.

"You need a name boy." Kustaa informs the child as he changes the bandages that cover half the boys face, neck and shoulder. "He has a name." Bato comments as he holds the boy still. "But he hasn't said what it is yet now has he? If he is staying he needs a name. We can't keep calling him boy now can we?" Cool salve is applied to the burn with gentle steady hands. Bato hums in response but thinks on what the healer said.

"If you don't want to tell me your name that's fine but since your starting a new life with us how about a proper water tribe name?" Bato asks the child as he carefully runs a brush through the boys hair. The little one practically purred in his lap as he pulled the brush through his thick black hair. "What do you think of Kanut? It means white polar bear goose." The boy scrunched up his nose and shook his head. "Yeah polar bear goose doesn’t suit you does it? Hmm how about Nanook?"

A little sneeze greeted this suggestion drawing a chuckle from the man. "No? Let's see then something that would suit you." Bato ran the brush once more through the toddlers hair before tying it up in a warriors wolf tail. "I know how about Tulugaq? For your raven hair." This last name earned a bright eye look. "Tulugaq it is then." Bato chuckles wrapping his arms around the newly dubbed Tulugaq giving him a hug.

Kustaa held Tulugaq in his arms as the crew ran around getting the ship ready as they drew closer to the South Pole and their village. Once they docked the ships would be unloaded and sleds packed up with supplies to be distributed among the various tribes and villages that made up the Southern Water Tribe enough to last the tribes to the summer when the traders came. Tulugaq only liked Kustaa and Bato primarily although he was growing used to the chief. Hakoda had been spending time with Bato while the little one hide under Bato's clothes or clung to him.

Bato had been named the boys guardian and new dad in everything but name. It had been agreed upon that if his mother came looking for him and proved to be trust worthy she would be welcomed by the tribe or allowed to take her son, the boys father would never get him back and would never lay another hand on the boy. Finally Bato came over scooping his new son up into his arms. "Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe, Tulugaq."

[zoeology31]

A:TLA Book 1 Reactions

I started watching Avatar: The Last Airbender at the beginning of the summer and I’ve just finished Book 1! It’s really, really good, and I love all the characters but mostly Zuko. For those of you who went through this experience 10+ years ago, maybe you’ll enjoy my first-time reactions with only fuzzy memories of the movie, a little Wikipedia knowledge, and a handful of Tumblr analysis posts for spoilers.

The Boy in the Iceberg: Oh, so that’s how you pronounce Sokka’s name. They really hit the ground running with “Yeah, there’s a war and people are dying.” That’s impressive for a kid’s show.

The Avatar Returns: I can see with this opening scene why people compare Zuko to Kylo Ren, but the main difference is Zuko doesn’t, y’know, kill anyone. This show has some quality fight scenes, wow. And Zuko is really persistent, I mean, Aang knocks him down like five times and he just keeps coming back.

The Southern Air Temple: This is one of the scenes I remember from the movie. Katara is going to be Aang’s emotional support this whole time, isn’t she? And Zuko is now honor dueling a guy, that escalated quickly. I didn’t realize they would be showing so much of Zuko so early.

The Warriors of Kyoshi: Why... is Aang like this. It’s pretty cool that Sokka apologized and asked Suki to train him, that shows a lot of respect. And wait, Suki likes him? What?

The King of Omashu: This episode gives off an indescribable aura of preteen boy insanity.

Imprisoned: Yeah, you go Katara! She’s so sincere and she tries so hard, I love her. This felt like the most realistic/serious episode so far; the village is stuck under Fire Nation occupation and the earthbenders have given up hope of escaping. This is the episode that made me decide to watch the show all the way through.

Winter Solstice, Part 1: So the spirit is called “Black White”, real creative there. It’s interesting seeing the Earth Kingdom soldiers acting as antagonists in Zuko’s subplot. Also, Roku’s dragon is awesome.

Winter Solstice, Part 2: A Zuko vs. Zhao rivalry, this’ll certainly make things interesting! I loved Aang’s conversation with Roku and the explanation of why the sages switched sides. So the entire rest of the show takes place in eight months?

The Waterbending Scroll: I am consistently finding Katara more relatable than Aang. This one has a lot more humor than the last few, and I feel like the entire fight sequence is just Zuko regretting his decisions.

Jet: This feels like an episode that split the fandom, but I like the discussion of extremism and how being justified doesn’t make you right. Sokka is really good in this one, I wish we could’ve seen the part where he convinces the village to evacuate.

The Great Divide: I know this show doesn't really have filler, but this feels like filler. I like the different art styles for each version of the story.

The Storm: ZUKO BACKSTORY ZUKO BACKSTORY ZUKO BACKSTORY and Aang backstory too I guess. I knew “Zuko’s dad the Fire Lord burned him in an Agni Kai for speaking out of turn,” but it’s even worse? He was trying to save the soldiers from being killed? And when he had to face Ozai, he was on his knees begging for mercy? No wonder he’s like this? And then in the storm he saves the helmsman and chooses the safety of the crew over capturing Aang, I love this ep.

The Blue Spirit: I already knew Zuko was the Blue Spirit, but no way would I have guessed it, because he moves and acts so differently. He’s a really skilled fighter even without his firebending. Even if it was an Enemy Mine situation, it’s really cool to see Aang and Zuko working together, and the ending scene when Aang tells Zuko about his old Fire Nation friend is really good. This episode and the last one cemented Zuko as my absolute favorite character on the show.

The Fortuneteller: Another filler-ish episode, and I’m not a huge fan of the ship teasing, but the bending they do to protect the village from the lava is pretty cool.

Bato of the Water Tribe: It’s cool to see Katara and Sokka reconnect with someone familiar with their culture and their dad. The ice dodging sequence is really good, it shows how competent Sokka really is. The bounty hunter lady’s okay, but the herbalist’s cat is the real scene stealer.

The Deserter: So the Earth Kingdom is mostly China, but the Fire Nation seems like a mix of China and Japan. This is a good episode philosophy-wise, and I loved Aang’s fight against Zhao.

The Northern Air Temple: I like the moral complexity in this one: using abandoned resources to help your people vs. destroying places of cultural significance. Also this is the show’s first large-scale battle, and it’s really cool to watch.

The Waterbending Master: That master dude’s a jerk, I’m surprised he changes his mind at all, but good for Katara for standing up for herself. I can’t believe they let 2005 audiences think Zuko might be dead for a full six minutes. Also, why do they pronounce Yue’s name like that?

Siege of the North, Part 1: Katara has so many good fight scenes in this, I’m so proud of her! I know Zuko’s still the bad guy, but I’m totally rooting for him as he’s sneaking into the city. Also, “I think of you as my own,” are the writers trying to kill me? And poor Sokka, he’s in a forbidden romance and the other guy’s an idiot.

Siege of the North, Part 2: Zuko tries so hard, but he’s really bad at capturing the Avatar. Iroh’s very insistent on not harming the moon spirit, I wonder what’s up with that? The sequence where Aang wrecks the entire Fire Nation force with the ocean spirit is really well done, I loved how it passed over the Water Tribe fighters when they bowed down to it. And Yue sacrificing herself to restore the moon is the other part I remember from the movie, but with good acting this time. Again, poor Sokka. It’s interesting that Zuko’s willing to save Zhao from the ocean spirit, even though he just attacked Zhao for trying to have him killed. And the ending... Azula’s coming!