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Adventures in New America Episode 1 - The End Transcript

I'm so miffed there aren't any transcripts for this series, so I made it myself. Some words I couldn't catch so there might be some errors. Please let me know if there's any so I can edit and fix it.

Adventures in New America

Episode 1 - The End

[Intro song jingle]

Narrator : Hello, and welcome to Adventures in New America. Where each week we bring you new tales from the tragic American After.

This week, the first episode of Tetchy Terrorist Vampire Zombies will be coming to you in stereo right after these words from our sponsors.

[End intro jingle]

[Ad jingle, sounds of coins depositing into a jar]

Character 1 : Heya Jim, whatchu doing?

Character 2 : Oh, hey Tom. I’m just throwing away these pennies.

C1: Throwing away money?

C2: I mean what’s the point? Citizens are throwing away money every day when they don’t separate the pre-1982 pennies from the rest of their change.

C1: It’s that bad?

C2: Sure! With inflation the way it is, a 1982 penny is worth three times its face value, but people just keep using them at the stores. Maybe I should be like them and throw away my money.

C1: Stop! There’s a better alternative. Send your change to Clico Metal Retrieval.

C2: Clico Metal Retrieval?

C1: Clico Metal Retrieval. It just makes good sense.

For more information, call us at KL-56120 or write to Clico Care Of: P.O. Box 247, Old New York, New York, 10038.

[Ad’s end jingle]

[Organ’s opening song]

Narrator: If you grew weary of this life and were to leave your dwelling, you would’ve eventually find bumper to bumper traffic, and past all that traffic, past the buildings and the houses, and the farms, you would find a rocky shore, a budding and expansive waters so immense that even disappearing into the horizon, would take the better part of your day.

Beyond the shore, and the great water, there’s a new land. Whose early settlers christened New America in memory of a fabled Land of Plenty.

This land is as large as the great water is deep and as varied as the acidic snowflakes that pelt its mountain ranges. There are people living in deserts and in swamps, in backwater retreats and in cities built on faults that mark where massive tectonic plates meet.

Wind roams across the heartlands, shaping the landscapes, along its people.

It is an accident and a mystery.

Man 1: It’s no good. I’m moist.

Man 2: You’ve got too many layers.

Narrator: Over the coming twelve episodes, our program will focus on the denizens of a cluster of islands on New America’s eastern coast, where a large amount of this nation’s wealth and poverty are concentrated.

These islands are turtles made of stone and on their weary backs rest the hopes and nightmares of a population ravaged by fear.

Man 1: I know I got too many layers. I take it off and what do I do with it huh?

Man 2: Shut up. Can’t we just repaste these posters?

Narrator: Fear has gone hand in hand with New America ever since its final invaders first took a stroll through its virgin forests.

But today, the people are scared of a new peril. Monsters in human form that stalked the night looking for their next meal. A myth for some, and a menace for others.

By day, the city is yours, at night, these streets are owned by the Terrorist Tetchy Vampire Zombies from outer space.

[Woman singing]

Woman: [Singing] As far as I can see, see, they all see me and I’m gone gone gone. See ya fellas.

[Microphone feedbacks]

Woman: Alright, see y’all later.

[The woman laughing and walking and then singing]

Woman: Ooh, a cold one tonight.

[Sound of the men pasting posters]

Man 2: Maybe you can take off your jacket.

Man 1 : I’m taking off my jacket. I’m taking off my jacket. (Said annoyingly)

Man 2: Quiet! You hear that?

Man 3: That’s just the sound of wheat pacing.

Man 2: No, listen.

[Woman singing]

Man 2: A fire in the night. Let’s fly.

Man 1 : Come on, not too fast, I have a fungus on my toes and I can’t cut them. It’s terrible.

[Sound of wings flapping]

[The woman suddenly stopped mid-singing]

Man 2: No, don’t stop. Let that cute little soul of yours rise.

Woman: Excuse me? Man? Sir?

Man 1 : How is it that you people have such big black souls, twice as filling as a white soul, yet look at you, society’s trash.

Woman: Trash?

Man 1: I can already taste the indigestion.

When we eat you, we’ll do the world a favor.

Woman: Eat me? No, no, wait a minute. You sound tetchy.

Man 2: You’ve heard of us then?

Man 1 : Did you hear good things?

Man 3: They always got it wrong.

Woman: Yeah, my momma warned me about you. My poppa did too. See, you never bathed in the light. You’ll never be free. Sugar-free sweet Moses, I can’t let you monsters prey upon good people. I gotta warn them. Tell them you’re real. You boy, stay away from me.

[Sound of bones crunching, the woman groans in pain]

Woman: What’re doing? Get off me. Let me go.

Man 2: Eat the extremities first so that she can live longer. So she could watch.

[The woman is struggling against them, sound of munching]

Men :

-Keep singing.

-Hey, give me back my share of the thigh bone.

[The woman groans and shouts in pain till her last breath]

Narrator : She screams her last softly. A New American dies.

[Sound of a rooster crowing]

Narrator : By day, the horrors of the dark are replaced, swept away by the more ordinary nightmares of our day to day lives. On a different island, the next morning, Ian Alseed (?) Olivier stands astride the busy sidewalk, dressed in his ill-fitting beige guayabera shirt, cargo shorts combo like a party barge that has run out of beer. Tall, but out of shape, overweight, defeated, old beyond his years. He steals a dragon fruit from a sidewalk produce vendor, and tries for the fifth time this week to get arrested.

Vendor : You like that dragon fruit? 3 dollars.

I.A. : I don’t think so. I’m a thief and I’m stealing this dragon fruit and you should call the police.

Vendor: [Laughs] What are you talking about?

I.A. : I’m stealing from you. Look, I’m walking away. Call the police.

Vendor: You paying? You put it back.

I.A. : I told you, I won’t pay. I’m a criminal. I’m a black man.

Vendor: Oh. I see. Are you hungry? Look, just take some fruit, hun.

I.A. : No, no, see, I’m not hungry, I'm a thief. I’m gonna smash all these fruits with my feet. I’m gonna steal your apples, I’m gonna steal your durians if you don’t call the police.

Vendor: Come here honey. That’s right. [The vendor hugs I.A.] Oh, that’s alright, I’m just hugging you, baby.

I.A.: Let go of me. No, I don’t want a hug. I’m a thief. I’m a thief.

Vendor: That's right. 1,2,3. Good boy. That’s right. That’s right.

[Scene changes. I.A. on a stage, talking to the audience]

I.A. : Lights. Hey, what’s up? It’s your boy, I.A. Olivier, and I’m embarrassed to say that was me not too long ago. Couldn’t get arrested to save my life, literally. I can say it now, I was lost. Lost, until the day I met Simon Carr. I can see some of you already know Simon, but if you didn’t clap when I said her name, don’t worry about it. As we all know, ‘clapping is not mandatory’. [Audience repeats this slogan] That’s right, oh yeah.

Now, I want to tell you how I came to Simon.

Back then, I would’ve said my life is a mess, without even realizing that I wasn't truly alive. Crazy, right? I was still trying to get arrested and I thought, I thought this one would work. I wore a sandwich board that said ‘Marijuana & Narcotics 4 Sale Here’ with the numeral 4 as opposed to the word. Carried a bullhorn, went down to the court at Nassau and Liberty street and well, let me just show you.

Lights.

[I.A. on a bullhorn]

Attention society, I am selling illegal marijuana for a fairly decent price and an assortment of other narcotics available for your immediate illicit consumption. Ask me how to take advantage of this splendid offer.

Policeman: Sir, could you take off the sign?

I.A. : Hello, officer. Yes, yes I will. [I.A. turns off his bullhorn]

Policeman: Could you empty your pockets?

I.A. : Yes.

Policeman: Keys and a phone? You don’t have any narcotics do you, sir?

I.A. : No. I am prepared to be arrested. Take me away.

Policeman: Arrested?

[The cop takes away I.A.’s bullhorn and smashes it]

I.A. : Hey, my bullhorn.

Policeman: So you can tell them this dumb shit is some kind of art about Wall Street or whatever? Waste my time again and they won’t find you.

I.A.: I’m sorry.

Policeman: You understand me, professor? They won't find you.

I.A.: I understand.

Policeman: Excellent, have a nice day.

I.A.: Oh, what am I gonna do? If I don’t get arrested soon. I’m gonna die.

[Wheels screeching]

Simon: Move, move, move, move. Watch out!

[I.A. screams]

Man: Damn, they ran right into each other.

Cop?: Stay right there, buddy.

Simon: I’m not resisting.

Old man: That’s him, that stole the console. That little shit. Stole it from my store.

Cop: There are two little shits here, sir. Can you be more specific?

Old man: The fat one did nothing. It was the black girl.

Simon: Hey, nah, nah, nah, nah.

I.A.: I stole it! I stole this... this Playstation. Arrest me.

Cop: You telling me how to do my job?

I.A. : No, I just… See, I was the lookout. And my friend and I-

Simon : I do not know this person.

Old man: He’s lying. The black girl stole it. This fat fuck was just standing there.

Cop: Fat? You think he’s fat?

I.A. : I am a little husky.

Cop: Husky. I would say husky.

Old man: It doesn’t matter how fat he is. Arrest him!

Cop : Hey, you already got one down with that fat remark, keep telling me what to do and I’m gonna arrest you. Got that?

Old man: Always the same. Give them a pat in the back and a participation trophy. Fucking millennials.

Cop: Millennial? I’m Italian you racist fuck!

Old man: What I need to give you for you to do your job, man? Money?

Cop: That’s it. We’re going back to your store to have a discussion about manners.

I.A. : He’s under arrest? But I-

Simon: Officer, sir, can my friend and I go? Do you need us?

[Old man arguing with the cop, resisting]

Cop: No, I got all I need.

Simon: Come on friend, let’s be other wheres.

I.A. : Other wheres? Leave me alone.

Simon : The sun isn’t good for your skin.

Cop: Oh hey, kid.

I.A. : Yeah?

Cop: You're not fat. Alright? You’re fine just the way you are.

I.A.: [To Simon] Hey, let go.

Simon: Use your feet, fool. Bye.

[End scene instrument plays]

Narrator: We’ll be back with more Adventures in New America on the Night Vale Presents Network after these words from our sponsors.

[Ads jingle, coins dropping in a jar]

Father: Well hello there Billy, whatcha doing?

Son: I’m counting all my coins, dad. I want to take Suzy to the VidFlex this Friday.

Father: How much do you think you have?

Son: Oh, about 20 dollars.

Father: Are you sure? Did you check the dates on those coins?

Son: Dates? Why, no, pop. What do you mean?

Father: Look at this cent piece. It’s from before 1982. That’s when they change the metal composition of coins.

Son: And?

Father: And? Why, the metal in this cent piece is worth three times the face value.

Son: Gee, how do I cash it in? Should I melt it?

Father: [Laughs heartily] Oh, no, son, it is a federal offense to melt coins that are still usable as a currency.

Son: Looks like I’m back to 20 dollars.

Father: Not at all. Send your coins to Clico Metal Retrieval and they’ll pay you dollars on the pound for your old currency.

Son: Clico Metal Retrieval?

Father: Clico Metal Retrieval. It just makes good... ‘cents’.

For more information call us at KL56120 or write to Clico Care Of P.O. Box 247 Old New York, New York 10038.

[End of ads jingle]

[Ads jingle]

Mr. Deeds: Hello, are you hungry for something good? Come to the Ambrosia Diner in Red Hook. Want a burger? We have burgers. Grilled cheese, chicken salad, bagels, we have it all. And, while you’re here, why not buy some raffle tickets? They're only a dollar each. And the prizes are out of this world. 200 Coffey Street in Brooklyn by the east river. Can’t make it to the diner? Buy your tickets online on our website ambrosiadiner.net. We can’t send you a slice of

Miss Trixie’s birthday cake online but you can’t have it all. Or can you?

At the Ambrosia Diner.

[Ads end]

Ad notifier: The following is a paid for advertisement from the Church of Children of the Apocalypse.

Man: Are you afraid to walk the streets at night? Do you know someone who has gone missing?

We all do. The police blame recent events on gang violence but more of us are waking up to the truth. Terrorist tetchy vampire zombies. People have witnessed them feeding. There’s evidence at crime scenes. The vampire zombies are real, and the police refused to do anything about it. How long must our children suffer, locked inside our houses? Losing their moms and dads. When will our spineless mayor take action?

These fiends don’t just rob and kill, they destroy the very soul of our city. They drain its life, blood, they eat its brain, they carve and kill and despoil and destroy and what’s worse? They do it with a complete lack of sartorial style.

If you care about the future, join us, The Children of the Apocalypse. Services daily at 106 7th Avenue and remember…

[Ads end]

Narrator: Hello, and welcome to act 2 of tonight’s episode of Adventures in New America.

I.A. and Simon Carr have just met and escaped the law together for the first time.

I.A, wants to go home. But Simon Carr has convinced him to tarry in a Poke Bowl restaurant.

[Simon laughing]

Simon: Okay, I don’t know how you did it. But all I know is I am not under arrest. So, cheers. You saved my life back there.

I.A.: That’s not my fault. I was trying to get arrested.

Simon: How, how's that?

I.A. : I’ve tried everything. I’ve stolen, I’ve rode a motorized bike on the subway. And when I do get caught, nothing comes to it.

Simon: That’s why lunch is on me. I’m hanging with you for the rest of my life. You my good luck charm. The only black man in America who can’t get arrested.

My name is Simon. Simon Carr. Your friendly nebro-hood sociable sociopath. Shake on it, whitey.

I.A. : Whitey? [Coughs] What’re you talking about? I’m not white, I’m black. I mean I’m half white on my father’s side. Creole.

Simon : But in this world, you are whatever color the cops think you are. But cops see you as nothing. Hell, seems everybody sees you as nothing.

I.A. : Excuse me?

Simon: It’s not about race, though. It’s your face. You’re so unremarkable and nondescript. Your presence so anodyne. Your spirit so-

I.A. : Uh, drab?

Simon: Yes, drab. Good word.

Now, I can peep you in size, I know you contain multitudes, but

surface, let’s face it, if you’re a shower, we can nay-nay all day and you ain’t never get wet.

I.A. : Whatever, look, I’m not into meeting new people right now, alright?

Simon: Simmer down. Here comes the waiter.

Waiter: Hello, what can I get you?

I.A. : You, you have burgers?

Waiter: We have poke bowls.

I.A. : What’s a poke bowl?

Waiter: Uh, it’s kind of like sushi but with kale and hotdogs and shit.

I.A. : Yikes.

Simon: We’ll have two poke bowls.

Waiter: What kind?

Simon: Whatever the main one is. The Mario.

Waiter: Great.

I.A. : The Mario?

[The waiter leaves]

Simon: The Italian stereotype from the video games. Big moustache.

I.A.: Yeah.

Simon: The Mario is the first option, the most regular. It’s not Wario, way out there with pineapples and spam. It’s Mario. Straight up the most normal.

I.A.: I hate sushi.

Simon: Okay, let’s try something else. How about, what’s your name?

I.A.: Uh..I.A.

Simon: I.A.? Like initials? What’s that stand for?

I.A. : Just call me I.A..

Simon: I’m gonna call you L.C. (?)

I.A.: [Sighs]

Simon: What’s wrong with you?

I.A.: Nothing. So, you steal things often?

Simon: All the time. That’s my job. I’m a sneakthief. It’s a gas.

I.A.: Well, not for me.

Simon: But you keep stealing anyway.

I.A.: And etcetera.

Simon: To get arrested. Why?

I.A.: [Sighs]

Simon: I gotta go to the room where people go to throw up. While I’m gone, why don’t you sit there and think of what superhero origin story you gonna tell me.

And then we’ll eat our Marios.

Don't leave.

[I.A. listening to the other customers conversation]

Customer 1: I don’t feel like going.

Customer 2: You never feel like going anywhere. What is it? Are you afraid to spend time with me in public?

Customer 1: We’re in public now.

Customer 2: You know what I mean.

Customer 1: This is my only day off. I just want to relax and maybe play video games.

Customer 2: There you go. You'd rather spend time with that Playstation than with me.

Customer 1: It’s an Xbox! You see why I get uncomfortable? You don't know anything about me. I'm just some placeholder husband you could project a life onto.

Simon: Hello?

I.A.: Oh, sorry, sorry. I was eavesdropping on that couple over there.

Simon: Wow, you’re always in the audience.

I.A.: Ugh, what are you talking about?

Simon: You got any friends? You single? Never married? When you meet someone new, do you start making your breakup playlist?

I.A.: Please, stop.

Simon: Cheer up! No escape from me. Tell me what this is all about.

I.A.: Okay. [Clears his throat] I got fired.

[Scene change music]

[In an office]

I.A.: Mr. Chambers, did you move my desk?

Mr. Chambers: I.A. Please, come in.

[Door closes]

As you know, all employees must now belong to our new Focus First Health Care Plan.

I.A.: I opted in for that plan.

Mr. Chambers: Quiet right. They called and you have been deemed ineligible for health care coverage due to a preexisting condition.

I.A.: What preexisting condition? I’m totally fit. I am a little pudgy.

Mr. Chambers: It’s not really my place to discuss your health deficits with you. What your doctor tells me is privileged information. It’s his job to tell you about your cancer. It’s mine to say; since we cannot provide you with health care insurance, we also can no longer employ you. You’re fired.

I.A.: I’m losing my job? I don’t understand. Did you say cancer?

Mr. Chambers: You really should talk to the doctor. Thanks for all your work here. You enjoy the time you have left.

[At the doctor’s office]

I.A.: But doctor, I feel fine. Tired maybe but uh-

Doctor: Yeah, that’s the cancer eating you slow. Fortunately it is a relatively easy tumor to remove if we act fast. It’s not so much a challenging tumor, as expensive. Your insurance will take care of it.

I.A.: I had insurance through my job, which I lost because your screening revealed my tumor.

Doctor: Oh, that’s no problem. We take cash. Should be about 300,000.

I.A.: Dollars? I thought this was a free clinic.

Doctor: Okay. We should operate soon though. You have about six months.

I.A.: I have…[looking through his wallet] 85 dollars.

Doctor: Oh no, I don’t handle the money. I’m the doctor. That would be weird.

I.A.: What happens if I don’t have 300,000 dollars?

Doctor: I would have a stiff drink and figure out how to get it.

[End of doctor’s office scene]

[I.A. sighs]

I.A.: Excuse me, is this a bar?

Bartender: No, it’s the subway platform for the 23. All aboard.

Man: Sherl, turn up the tv.

I.A.: Scotch and water, Neat. No ice.

Bartender: Neat means no ice.

I.A.: I really don’t want ice.

Man: Sherl.

Bartender: I’m coming.

Man: Sherl.

Bartender: I’m coming!

Man: You see this motherfucker on his way to Club Med? And when I die, what, where’s my kid going?

Man 2: You can’t think like that, Charlie.

News reporter: Johnsson was convicted in May of defrauding investors to the tune of 3.7 billion dollars.

Man 1: This prick. He’s gonna get full cable, free gym access and better healthcare for free than what I pay for.

Man 2 : Come on, Charlie, it can’t be that sweet.

Man 1: You know that Polish kid, Carl’s his name. He got two years for beating up his girlfriend’s old man. So, he’s eating one day in the mess and all of the sudden, he’s wigging out, shaking, can’t control his body, collapses on the floor. Turns out he’s got a brain tumor.

Man 2 : I hope he’s okay.

Man 1: He IS okay. Son of a bitch took it out. Free surgery paid for in full by Johnny Taxpayer. Fucker didn't even have any debt. Spends more money at the OTB than I do on rent.

Brain tumor cured, just like that. For free.

Bartender: 10.50, sugar.

[Echoing words: Brain tumor cured, just like that. For free. 10.50, sugar. Tumor cured. For free. For FREE.]

[End scene jingle, then back at the diner]

I.A.: So now, I'm trying to get arrested.

Simon: For free healthcare?

I.A.: Yeah. [While chewing] This poke thing is not that bad.

Simon: That is quite possibly the worst idea I've ever heard ever. How are you gonna get a big enough jail sentence for a long term care pretending you stole a Playstation?

Besides, you will be in prison where you will be a punching bag for some incarcerated monster, fucking your ass and-

I.A.: Please.

Simon: Sucking your titties.

I.A.: Please!

Simon: Look, I’m in a dire straits. Jail is the only place in New America with mandatory healthcare.

Simon: Not all the time, dammit. You gotta advocate for your rights inside. You expect a major jail sentence as a pretend petty thief? Wanna get REAL arrested? Why not get a gun and bankrob a bank?

I.A.: Because I'm against violence. I couldn't, I wouldn’t want to injure someone or cause terror. Maybe I can burn a flag.

Simon: [Gasp] You better not!

I.A.: Why? It’s just some piece of fabric.

Simon: Piece of fabric? How many forefathers and foremommas died, laboring for that piece of fabric? You’re a terrorist. No. Worst, a pacifist. I.A., do you hate New America?

I.A.: No, I do not.

Simon: Say I love New America!

New America.

I.A.: Sit down. Quite.

Simon: Love it or loathe it, you can never lose it or leave it. Embrace what makes New America great, man.

I.A.: Oh, my god. SIt down. You’re embarrassing me.

Simon: You should be embarrassed. Exploit your freedom, homie. You sittin’ on your ass is like watching Superman not fly. A gift gone wasted. How do you do that, bro? Is it a half-white thing?

I.A.: I wasn’t good at getting arrested. Maybe there’s things some people just can’t do.

Simon: That’s true. I know a dude totally incapable of getting laid. You could stick a splint on his dick, put a write-in (?) and a girl would evaporate as such, so long as it didn’t happen.

I.A.: I, I can get laid.

Simon: But you can’t get arrested.Like a biological immunity. Look at it from the other side. Why stay in your lane? Use your gift.

I.A.: Not being able to get arrested is not the same thing as being good at crime.

Simon: Cards on the table. You saved mine. I save yours. I will raise your 300 grand. All you have to do is follow my lead.

I.A.: Fuck you. You can’t do that.

Simon: No. But together we can. You’re the invincible black man to the cops. That’s the most important position on the team right now. And me? Anything I put my mind to, I can achieve. I just never had a reason to go big before. You’re my reason, I.A..

I.A.: Once again, fuck you.

Simon: That’s no way to say goodbye.

I.A.: I have serious problems, I don’t need this.

Simon: I’m not joking. I’ve got a good feeling about us.

I.A.: Us? Look, I appreciate the offer, but I got a plan. I’ll stick to it.

Simon: Your plan is dumb.

I.A.: But, it’s mine.

Simon: You’ll come around. Let me see your keys.

I.A.: My keys? Why?

[Gunshot]

I.A.: Woah, what the-

Serena: You won’t listen to me? Listen to my big noise. This is a stickup!

Simon: Oh, her.

I.A.: Wait, you know her?

Simon: That’s Serena.

[End jingle]

Narrator: Friends, we’ve reached the end of this week’s Adventure in New America. Will I.A. find a cure for his cancer? Will Simon succeed in exploiting I.A.? And who is Serena?

#adventures in new america #ia #simon carr #ia olivier #night vale presents #episode 1 #transcript #adventuresinnewamerica #the end #episode 1 the end #afro futurist #afrofuturistic #afrofuturist #stephen winter #transcripts

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damgoodjob · 3 years ago

Text

Because I’m tired of people being raggedy

A long one…

…I’ve been resting…but I saw a status that poked me a bit.

I can say this now…and I say it without apology or holding my tongue.

First, I acknowledge and pay respect to the individuals who lost their lives in Kabul. It’s hard to see families break down when their loved ones are brought home with American flags draped over their coffins. I hope to never have to experience that. Ever.

I saw a status that called people who don’t stand for the flag a “disgrace”, and I hope to share some perspective.

A few years ago, a friend of mine who had fought for this country came into my inbox and basically told me that unless I laced my boots up and fought for this country, I had no right to ever criticize America…that’s where I struggle…I struggle with veterans who think that they have the right to tell me how to think, act, stand or speak with regards to this country because of a decision they made in serving this country as military personnel.

I will always do my best to support the decisions of friends who choose to go into the military. I support my younger brother who is a Marine.

What I find the most disconcerting is that people will mourn the death of individuals who have lost their lives in combat overseas, but remain silent when Black people are unjustly killed right here on American soil by police officers and racist bigots…and then have so much to say in opposition to movements like Black Lives Matter (which shouldn’t be a movement, but rather an understanding) when a Black person is killed in a city like Chicago.

You did not grieve for Atatiana…you backed the Blue.

You did not grieve for Tamir…you backed the Blue.

You did not grieve for Sweet Aiyana…you backed the Blue.

You did not grieve for Akai…you backed the Blue.

You did not grieve for Elijah…sweet Elijah…you backed the blue.

You did not grieve for Beautiful Breonna…you backed the Blue.

You. Did. Not. GRIEVE for George Floyd…you waited for every piece of evidence to come out about him that would justify him no longer existing on this earth, and you backed the Blue.

With footage of Derek Chauvin’s KNEE on his neck for almost ten minutes…you watched that man die, having not resisted…you contributed to Derek’s bail, you prayed for his family, and you backed the Blue.

When Black people are murdered because of the color of their skin…are their killers a disgrace?

When our Forefathers…some of whom owned Blacks as slaves, would maim, rape, and kill enslaved Black people…were they a disgrace? They had statues erected in their honor…so certainly their good outweighed their bad, right? If a few Negro heads had to roll for democracy and the birth of this great nation, so be it.

When fire hoses and dogs were turned on Black people who protested and marched for equality…were those officers a disgrace?

In the eyes of so many Americans, a disgrace is anything that would dare to challenge the status quo…and the reason why racism no longer exists, never existed, or no longer has any bearing in the eyes of the average American citizen is because RACISM IS the status quo. Racism IS business as usual. RACISM doesn’t exist because RACISM has proven to BE the American way for so many.

So what if a few Blacks can’t afford healthcare?

So what if COVID 19 affects the Black community at larger rates?

So what if the number of Black people who die from COVID 19 is significantly larger than any other group in certain areas?

So what if a few Black people get shot by the police?

The response to Black Lives Matter is All Lives Matter…followed by Blue Lives Matter…but no one who Backs the Blue or drives around with that Blue painters tape on their car, or adorns decals of the American Flag with that blue line in the stripes would ever agree that just like their lives matter, the life of an unarmed Black person matters…creating Blue Lives Matter as a response is saying directly to Black people…if you die, you die.

It broke my heart to see a mother kneel down as she met her son’s flag draped coffin as his body was returned home…

…but I realize that so many of you who would call someone who doesn’t stand for the flag a “disgrace”, would never shed a tear seeing Elijah McClain’s mother break down after taking Elijah off life support…

Seeing Emmett Till’s mutilated body wouldn’t move you after he was murdered for whistling at a White woman…and his murderers were acquitted.

He was a kid. A kid.

Tamir Rice was a kid.

Trayvon was a kid.

Aiyana was a kid.

The story of 4 little girls from Birmingham, Alabama who were murdered after a church was bombed by an angry White mob doesn’t move you to tears.

A white man walking into a church and murdering Black worshippers doesn’t move you…the decedent’s family’s forgiveness moves you.

Botham Jean being murdered in his own apartment doesn’t move you…his brother’s forgiveness of Botham’s murderer moves you.

A difference in perspective is what caused me and a lifelong friend to never reconcile, and unfortunately I will never ever get the chance to…but even in our difference of opinion, I would never call him a disgrace because I care more about the message of equity and unity than calling him anything other than “brother” or “friend”.

People become strangely patriotic when Americans die in combat overseas, but say nothing when Americans die at the hands of domestic terrorists.

I was shamed and made to believe that I feed into the liberal trash being broadcasted by the media and that I’m a race-baiter who is the lowest of the low for spreading divisive rhetoric…but to me, the lowest of the low are people who claim to love this country, but do nothing to speak out against injustices just because the hue of another person’s skin must obviously warrant some of that treatment.

If you ask me, THAT isn’t very patriotic at all. If America stands for liberty and justice for ALL…you better start offering up that same energy at the dinner table and at your churches because I guarantee you…the hatred that so many accuse me and others of spreading is a lot closer to your homes than you even realize.

…but I’m not so naive to the fact that many of you actually know that.

Why is it sadder and more appropriate to mourn the death of someone who gave their all for this country than someone who did their best to just stay alive IN this country?

Stories of fathers-to-be tug at heartstrings…but what about Elijah? He wanted to be somebody. Aiyana wanted to be somebody?

Tamir…he wanted to be somebody.

Trayvon could’ve been somebody.

Addie May wanted to be somebody.

Little Carol wanted to be somebody.

Little Cynthia wanted to be somebody.

Little Carole wanted to be somebody.

Emmett wanted to be somebody.

They all had dreams…didn’t they? Didn’t they dream the dream you quote “MLK” for dreaming?

Or is his dream only relevant when combatting people fighting for equity?

If you’re going to call someone who sit or kneels during the Pledge of Allegiance a disgrace…

You’d better offer that same energy to those who disgrace their badge and uniform when they take another Black life without flinching.

Why isn’t Brian Encina a disgrace? A man couldn’t control his ego long enough to just give Sandra Bland a ticket and keep it moving…he had to exercise his dominance and put her in her place…now she no longer exists.

…but he’s human just like us, right?

So what was Sandra Bland?

The officer who murdered Philando Castile, a licensed gun owner in the car with his partner and child made a simple mistake, right? Sometimes it just happens….but Eric Garner panicking and struggling to breathe was resisting arrest. He wasn’t only human. Mike Brown wasn’t only human. Walter Scott wasn’t only human. Ahmaud Arbery wasn’t only human.

Chiiiile…y’all out here being situationally patriotic. You might stand for the flag, but you got your back turned on your fellow citizens who were trying to do every day things like run to the corner store, leave from their brand new job, lay down in their bed and rest, walk around in their apartment, walk around in their home, BE A KID, BE A KID, BE A KID…

#blacklivesmatter #black creators #blackcreatives #ahmaudarbery #trayvonmartin #atatiana jefferson #justice for breona taylor #breonnataylor #tamir rice #elijahmcclain

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sokkastyles · 4 years ago

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I’ve talked about this before, but I need to emphasize that Zuko working in the tea shop is a huge part of his arc and development. It wasn’t just something that lasted only a few episodes that he hated and then moved on from, it’s something that is threaded throughout his arc and into the finale.

Of course he’s not happy for a large part of the time he’s working there in book two. He’s a traumatized teenager who is desperately trying to achieve the approval of his father so that he can go back to the home he was banished from. Iroh tries to make the best of things in part because Iroh genuinely enjoys it and making the best of a bad situation is just who he is, but he also wants Zuko to be happy and wants to make the best life for his nephew that he can, and he knows that Zuko needs positivity and security in his life, as well as tries to nurture in Zuko an appreciation for the small things in life and an attitude of service. It is hardly surprising that Zuko is resistant to this, though.

Zuko complains even more when he and Iroh are presented with new opportunities, because he doesn’t want to accept the possibility of growth in this new life.

Iroh: Did you hear, nephew? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the Upper Ring of the city!

Quon: That's right, young man, your life is about to change for the better!

Zuko: [Sarcastically.] I'll try to contain my joy. [Walks outside, slams door shut.]

Zuko spends seven episodes working in the tea shop in a twenty episode season. It runs through his entire Ba Sing Se arc. He grumbles, groans, and complains through most of it.

Iroh: So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it.

Zuko: [Shows Iroh the flyer.] The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se and he's lost his bison.

Iroh: [Grabs the flyer.] We have a chance for a new life here. [Cut to Zuko looking out a window.] If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us.

Zuko: [Turns to Iroh.] Good things that are happening for you! Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?

Iroh: There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life and why.

Zuko: I want my destiny.

Iroh: What that means is up to you.

Zuko’s time in the tea shop is part of his arc of discovering that he can choose his own destiny, and although he didn’t choose to live as a refugee, he can choose what he makes of it, which is what Iroh is trying to teach him here. Part of that is choosing to accept Iroh’s love, choosing to appreciate the good things instead of wishing for something that he doesn’t have, and we know that Zuko’s desire to go back to being the prince of the Fire Nation and earn his father’s affection is ultimately empty, and part of a life where he was abused, as well as where he was a part of a system that was oppressing others.

Then Zuko refuses Iroh’s advice about accepting a simple life in favor of pursuing Appa as the Blue Spirit - an identity that represents Zuko’s internal conflict between his fractured self image, which in book two involves him using the Blue Spirit identity to steal, to get back a part of the old life which he’s lost. It is extremely painful for him to admit that trying to get back to who he was before his banishment is causing him to engage in self-destructive behaviors that are stagnating his growth. Iroh just wants him to be safe and happy but he also knows that Zuko has to confront this conflict within himself.

That’s why, after he frees Appa, he must throw away the Blue Spirit mask once and for all, symbolically letting go of his desire to go back to the Fire Nation.

Iroh: You did the right thing, nephew. Leave it behind.

Giving up the past is never easy. Especially giving up the ideas he’s held onto for so long, the idea of what he can one day get back that, as Iroh said in book one, had kept Zuko going through his banishment, that gave him hope. But part of creating your own destiny is realizing that you can find hope in places you didn’t think you could find it. Zuko has to find something else to put his hope in and that’s represented physically by the sickness he suffers after freeing Appa. His entire sense of self has been shaken to the core, because change, real change, is hard.

Iroh: You should know that this is not a natural sickness, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea.

Zuko: What's happening?

Iroh: Your critical decision. What you did beneath that lake. It was in such conflict with our image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body.

Zuko: What's that mean?

Iroh: You are going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be.

Tea even makes an appearance during Zuko’s “metamorphosis,” because the tea is symbolic, y’all. Then when Zuko wakes up from his sickness, we see an immediate change in him.

Iroh: Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow.

Zuko: [Optimistically.] It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop. Things are looking up, Uncle.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Zuko has suddenly decided that he loves serving tea and working customer service, but the change he’s experienced is about choosing to find the good, to accept change into his life, to accept humility, and love. And this is the most happy we’ve ever seen Zuko be. We also see him emotionally supporting Iroh and working on his relationship with his uncle because he knows that seeing Zuko happy makes Iroh happy. Before, Zuko made a big show of his unhappiness, slamming doors and frowning and shouting and generally acting like a spoiled teenager with major authority issues, which made Iroh visibly upset. Iroh constantly tries to get Zuko to change his attitude but in the end it’s something that Zuko has to choose himself.

Iroh: Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop? Follow your passion, Zuko, and life will reward you.

Zuko: Congratulations, Uncle.

Iroh: I am very thankful.

Zuko: You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city.

Iroh: No. I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know.

Zuko: Now let's make these people some tea!

This is more than just Zuko being happy for Iroh or trying to be happy because Iroh wants him to be happy. We see the idea repeated here that you can choose your own destiny, and that those who do are rewarded by life. This is also echoed in Zuko’s conversation with Katara in which he tells her that lately he has realized that he is free to choose what he makes of the scars of his past, and his future. We also see him practicing what Iroh told him, he lets go of shame by letting go of pride. Instead of talking about what he thinks he deserves, he talks about what Iroh deserves. The dialogue also indicates that Zuko chose to be there.

This development is emphasized when Zuko and Iroh are invited to serve tea to the Earth King.

Iroh: I ... I can't believe it!

Zuko: What is it, Uncle?

Iroh: Great news! We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!

Zuko goes from “step aside, filth!” and complaining about doing work to smiling about serving tea to the king of a rival nation. That’s character development. And as I said before, it was essential to Zuko’s development in becoming the kind of Fire Lord that he is supposed to be.

The dramatic irony of Katara finding them and unintentionally ratting them out to Azula is that when Katara enters the tea shop, she finds not only a Zuko in a tea apron, but a happy one enthusiastically taking people’s orders.

Zuko: Uncle! I need two jasmine, one green, and one lychee!

Iroh: I'm brewing as fast as I can!

I love this scene so much because it’s like, imagine that you decide to go to Panera Bread and you find Kylo Ren working at the counter, cheerfully asking you if you want chips or an apple with that. It’s also hilarious that Katara’s immediate thought is they’re infiltrating the city when she knows that there’s an evil force of brainwashing government agents lurking about.

That Zuko genuinely found peace with his life in Ba Sing Se is narratively important because it makes what happens next even harder for him. “The Crossroads of Destiny” is a true crossroads because he’s fought hard to find happiness and hope in his new life, but then it’s all ripped away and he’s put to the test. That he fails it this time just emphasizes how hard it is to break free of old destructive habits.

This is why when he does go back to the Fire Nation, we’re shown his doubts, and how uncomfortable he is. He tries to be happy and to accept his role as prince, but he already knows that this is not the destiny he wants for himself. The excessive opulence of the Fire Nation is meant to show this. We see this in scenes like Zuko constantly being unhappy during the beach episode and becoming angry when he is told to relax and do nothing, and his insecurity at the party in a room full of rich kids.

In particular, we see him being uncomfortable being waited on by servants in “Nightmares and Daydreams”:

Servant #1: Fresh fruit, Prince Zuko?

Zuko puts out his hand and shakes his head respectfully.

Servant #2: May I wash your feet, sir?

Zuko respectfully puts his hand out and shakes his head again.

Servant #1: Head massage?

Zuko shakes his head again.

Servant #2: Hot towel?

Zuko looks at the towels for a moment and takes one. He is seen wiping his forehead before walking out of the room. The two servants bow behind him. Zuko walks out the palace gates, with Fire Nation citizens waiting for him.

Servant #1: Prince Zuko, is something wrong? You didn't take the palanquin.

Zuko: I'm just going to Mai's house. It's not far.

Servant #1: It's not a prince's place to walk anywhere, sir.

Zuko looks to the distance, walks over, and gets into the palanquin.

We see him trying to fit in with Mai because he’s a sixteen year old who has a girlfriend for the first time in his life and he wants to impress her, but what this scene actually shows is their differing values.

Zuko: Tell me, if you could have anything you want right now, what would it be?

Mai: Hm ... A big fancy fruit tart, with rose petals on top.

Zuko: You know, being a prince and all, I might just be able to make that happen.

Mai: That would be impressive.

Zuko: [To the servants.] Do you think you could find a fresh fruit tart for the lady, with rose petals on top?

Servant: Excellent choice, sir.

Mai: I guess there's some nice perks that come with being royalty. [Pushing Zuko to lay down with her.] Though there's annoying stuff, too. Like that all-day war meeting coming up.

Zuko: [Sitting up, followed by Mai.] War meeting? What are you talking about?

Mai: Azula mentioned something. I-I assumed you were going, too.

Zuko: I guess I wasn't invited.

The two look away from each other.

Zuko asks Mai what she would want if she could have anything and what she comes up with is fruit tarts. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Mai is shallow, but what it does mean is that she’s never had to worry about what she wants in terms of the big picture.

“Who are you, and what do you want?”

She’s also never had to go hungry like Zuko has, and never had to serve others like Zuko has.

And then she brings up the war meeting, which to her is only an annoyance. Zuko doesn’t care about fruit tarts and palanquin rides, but this is something he cares about. It’s also funny to me that Mai is like “make out time,” and let’s be real, nobody would fault Zuko, a sixteen year old boy, for enjoying a little hanky panky, but Zuko is like “no, anxiety time!” Which shows how much he’s changed and how much he is struggling to be happy despite all the fruit tarts and hot towels and having a girlfriend who is all over him.

It is NOT a coincidence that when Zuko joins the gaang, we see him genuinely happy and among friends and making and serving tea.

Zuko had to go back to the Fire Nation to really understand how much he had changed and to really be able to choose his own destiny, but we know which one he chooses, between a life of empty riches and a life helping others. Even when we see him addressing the people as Fire Lord, his speech is all about service and humility. When the crowd cheers for him, he does this:

Zuko: Please. The real hero is the Avatar.

Which shows how far he’s come from the boy who so desperately wanted recognition, who was repulsed by the idea of serving others or lowering himself to the status of a “peasant,” who only thought of himself and what he deserved. His last scene is not his coronation, not his triumphant moment of standing in front of a crowd as Fire Lord, or even confronting his father, but a quiet moment, serving tea to his friends.

#zuko #atla #atla meta #iroh #mai #the blue spirit #the tea is symbolic

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tiktoks-i-love · 4 years ago

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Transcript:

Random Fire Nation Citizen: So how did y’all get together?

Zuko: um...

Sokka: Well it’s actually a very funny and interesting story...

*Flashback*

Sokka: Um, question, if I marry the Fire Lord, I get diplomatic immunity, right?

Zuko: ...what did you do.

Sokka: Wedding now, questions later.

Zuko: Fuck it, I ain’t got nothing better to do anyway.

#zukka #atla #avatar the last airbender #tiktok

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parcai · 4 years ago

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zuko gets all of your sympathy, IROH gets all your sympathy, and what does azula get? your disrespect.

azula’s biggest crimes: she nearly killed aang and took over ba sing se.

zuko: sent an assassin after aang, almost destroyed kyoshi island, attacked the southern water tribe, and played a major role in aang’s injury.

iroh: nearly burned ba sing se to the ground.

but because azula’s an abused and broken girl, not part of your fetishized zukka or ungodly love for zutara, she gets squat. in fact, y’all continue to perpetuate the idea that she’s a villain, despite the fact that her abuse growing up was just as bad, if not worse than zuko, because while zuko had iroh to guide him to love and redemption once more, she had nothing, and on top of all of that, azula is FOURTEEN. zuko is sixteen, and he gets off scot-free? but iroh gets no backlash for all the shit he’s done, too, and just gets written off as a lovable sage?? azula was abandoned by the only man whose respect she tried so hard to earn. azula was put through more torture than even most fire nation citizens can imagine.

i love how y’all don’t even try to hide your hate of women of color, of women in fandom.

#azula #atla #avatar the last airbender #zuko #iroh #fire nation #fire nation siblings #aang #i want to say so much more but i just do not have the energy rn #ozai

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army-of-mai-lovers · 4 years ago

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So I know everyone says that Jet and Toph would instantly become best buddies bc crime, and while I do think that Jet and Toph would become best buddies eventually, y’all, it would be a journey. Both of them would struggle to understand each other because of Toph’s privilege and Jet’s lack thereof. Toph may not be Fire Nation, but her family stayed out of the war because they were rich, and highkey Jet has a lot of reason to beef with rich EK citizens who did nothing to help with the war effort. Jet suffered immediately from the war via the FN burning down his village, and spent the rest of his life struggling to not only survive, but take care of other orphans of war and fight back against the nation that took his home and family away from him. Meanwhile, Toph willingly left her family, and only joined in the war effort because she felt trapped in her home circumstances. Post-war Toph would probably be a lot more receptive to the idea that her immense privilege helped her out a lot in life (especially when three of her best friends are victims of genocide) and post-war Jet is probably a little more mellow, but they’d still have a hard time understanding where the other is coming from.

In spite of this, though, I think they would be friends, eventually. Perhaps Suki or Haru would convince both of them that they would really get along if only they tried a little harder, or perhaps they’d go on a mission together to take down the Dai Li. Perhaps friendship for them happens slowly, over a matter of years, until Toph surprises herself by thinking of Jet as a surrogate older brother, or when Jet talks about Toph as a little sister without even noticing. While they may have started out life in very different places, they end up having really similar core values, and when the group discusses politics, they’re usually the ones pushing the more chaotic, radical options. Toph’s one of the few people who can make Jet really laugh, and even when they’re both grown up he’ll carry her piggyback style through the streets, the both of them laughing hysterically. When they fight, it’s brutal, but at some point they’ll forget what they’re arguing about and decide to let bygones be bygones. Things may have started out difficult between them, but now, even when they don’t understand each other, they have each other’s backs, every step of the way.

#jet #toph #why am i crying #they're such good friends guys #it's so complicated but that makes it even better #italics #genocide ment

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jaceyneedsabetterusername · 4 years ago

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Can’t Lose You

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Summary: Y/N, a servant in the palace, and Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation, never should have been allowed to be friends growing up but after three years, things have changed for the both of them.

Warnings: Descriptions of burns/ injuries (the scene where Ozai burns Zuko)

Word Count: 7300 (it’s a long one y’all)

A/N: I know that they never once mention cards in A:TLA but I had a hard time figuring out how to do the scene with Azula with something like Pai Sho pieces.

Part 2 out now! Can’t Get Rid Of Me

________________________________

It was a beautiful day on Ember Island, with the sun shining brightly, the waves crashing in beautiful roars, and the lizard-birds cawing overhead. The sun warmed your skin as you carried your basket full of blown glass beaded jewelry into the marketplace, small glass orbs of every color swishing around like liquid almost in the woven basket. The normal crowd bustled around you in three categories: 1) The Rich Kids: These were the teenagers whose parents were generals or socialites in the Fire Nation military. They were either here on vacation or enjoyed living in an exotic place. Their lives revolved around partying, shopping, and drinking. 2) The Merchants and Artisans: Another set of locals, just much less affluent than the former group. These were the people who lived on Ember Island full time and were the only reason things ran. They provided services from cooking to clothing to furniture. 3) The Tourists: These were the citizens from the mainland that came to Ember Island to take in the sights and relax. You were a part of the second of these categories.

Creating glass beads was never something you saw yourself doing. Especially not several years ago. Artisanal work was something that seemed so far out of anything you could do. See, you’d grown up in the palace… sort of. Your parents had been servants in the palace prior to your birth which led you to a life of servitude yourself.

It was a miserable life no matter how much your parents insisted it was better than living in one of the poorer villages outside of the palace, where people were treated like they were from other nations. Every day from the age of eleven, you’d been bossed around by anyone who had a title. “Get me water!” “Get me food!” “Wash my clothes!” “Make my bed!” You were nothing. Most of the time, they didn’t even use your name. Most of them didn’t even know your name. But that wasn’t even the worst of it because there was always Azula.

The sun shone brightly in the little courtyard full of flowers and the little pond with turtle ducks that you and Zuko loved to play with. Zuko had been your best friend since his mother had allowed you to play with the royal children. Both of your parents were servants in the palace and, in the early years of your life, you were too young to work around the castle when you weren't in school. When Ursa found out, she insisted that you play with Zuko, Azusa, Mai, and Ty Lee, despite Ozai's insistence that his children should not associate with people below them. It was the one debate that Ursa ever seemed to win.

Despite her victory though, it didn't mean that your 'play dates' were much fun. At first, you gravitated towards Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai, as they were the girls and who Ursa first introduced you to with the assumption you guys would be friends. While Mai and Ty Lee both loved you and treated you well, Azula took after her father and treated you like scum. She'd feign niceties and then turn on you and do horrible things. She treated Zuko very similarly so the two of you bonded over your mutual dislike of his sister.

The two of you became best friends and did everything together. You ran around the halls of the palace but always made sure to hide away from Ozai, fearing he'd do something to you or your parents if he found you with his son. Although nothing was outright romantic between the two of you, Ursa saw the little sparks between you two when she was with you. She noticed the way your guys' little cheeks would burn red if your hands accidentally touched or saw the way your gazes would linger a little longer on each other when the other looked away. Unlike her husband, she had no problem with your little unspoken crushes. Thankfully, Ozai was never involved in his children's personal lives much anyways so he didn't notice but it wasn't long until Azula caught on.

She would corner you and pretend to want to have "girl talk" about boys and crushes. It was never long until she brought up her brother. "I know you like Zuko. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I think it's cute that you think you have a chance. But you know he's a prince right? And even though you get to play royals with us, he could never marry someone of such low class." Even at ten years old, her words stung. You'd always had little fantasies that maybe he'd sweep you away from your predestined life of servitude one day. He didn't even have to sweep you away to a life of royalty, you just wanted him to sweep you away to anywhere. But maybe Azula was right. Zuko was royalty and you were far from it.

So your friendship continued for the next several years until his banishment. In secret, he taught you firebending from a young age. As a servant, it didn't matter much if you were a firebender, you didn't get training because your parents neither had the money or the time nor were either benders. He taught you the basic moves and, though he wasn't as skilled as his sister, you were greatly appreciative of his teaching and actually knew almost as much as he did.

One day, just days after your eleventh birthday, you and Zuko sat at the edge of the pond, trying to oure turtle ducklings to you with pieces of bread. "I've almost got him!" Zuko whispered excitedly, the baby duck only two or three feet away.

You couldn't wait to pet him! They were so soft when they were ducklings!

"Hey, Y/N! Come here!" Azula called from across the grass field. You stood up and looked cautiously at her, already distrusting all of her motives.

"Why?" You asked skeptically.

Her eyebrows furrowed, "My mother may let you play with us but I am still a princess and you obey me! Besides, it's just a card trick." Azula's personality switched quickly, which scared you as a young child, but after a quick look of fear to Zuko, you walked over.

Mai and Ty Lee stood back, both watching as you came over to their group and leaned down to look at the cards Azula lied on the rock. "What's the trick?" You asked, hoping she really did just have a magic trick.

She sprawled them out, "Pick one and look at it but don't show me. You can show them though." She waved her hand to her other friends as if they didn't actually matter. Without much thought, you picked one that was buried slightly and looked at it. 8 of diamonds.

"Now put it anywhere in the deck." You did as she instructed and handed her back the deck. She closed her eyes tightly and threw all the cards up in the air before swinging her arms in controlled movements, ropes of fire coming from her hands. One rope singed a single card from midair while the other wrapped around your calves, sending a searing hot white flash of pain through your body.

"Y/N!" Zuko yelled when he saw the flames wrap their way up your legs and he ran towards you. You crumpled to the ground, tears falling freely as you cried in pain. Mai and Ty Lee gasped at what their friend had just done but didn't say anything out of pure terror of what she'd do if they did.

Azula reached down and picked up the single singed card, a hole burnt straight through it. She inspected the card, "Eight of diamonds. Was this your card?" She asked as if you weren't on the ground, sobbing in pain with blisters forming up your legs from something she'd done.

"Mom!" Zuko called out as he sat there beside your crying form, unsure of what to do or say, anger flaming up within him.

"Oh calm down, Zuzu," Azula rolled her eyes, "Your girlfriend is fine. It's a second-degree burn at most."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Zuko hissed, throwing a fireball at his sister that she easily dodged, "You're a monster!"

Ursa came running out quickly at her son's plea for help, "What on earth is going on here?!" She crouched next to you and could see the skin on your legs already boiling up from between the seared tears in your pants, "Azula, what have you done!?" Ursa was furious as she picked you up.

Azula scoffed, "We were only playing, mother. It was an accident."

"No it wasn't! Azula hurt her on purpose!" Zuko defended you, jumping up to stand beside his mother.

Ursa looked at Ty Lee and Mai who looked terrified and didn't even make a move but the look in their eyes confirmed what Zuko said. Ursa held you close to her body before gripping her daughter's wrist roughly, "You have no idea how much trouble you're in."

And she did. Azula had never gotten in so much trouble in her life, though, of course it did nothing but fuel her hatred for her mother and you and make her side further with her father She blamed you entirely and had harbored resentment against you for having the nerve to return the next day (something you did only because Zuko had begged you to since he wasn't allowed at your house.) Since that day, you never feared her again. You hated her. You didn't think it was possible to hold so much resentment for some as you did for her but you swore one day you'd get your shot to firebend her ass into a pile of ashes without receiving capital punishment, the only thing that kept you even remotely professional over the years.

You shuttered at the thought. The scars that crawled up your calves like vines tingled whenever you thought about that day. It was far from the last time that Azula was ever mean to you but it was the worst thing she’d ever done to you physically. Mentally, well that was another story.

That was why you’d run away to Ember Island. Even though you too were a fire bender, you could never retaliate against Azula, who took a sick pleasure in torturing you. At one point, you thought it would be worth the inevitable death or imprisonment that was sure to come with retaliation but when you got close, so close that Azula could sense that you were about to fire at her, she brought up your parents, and what she could do to them. It was enough to make you stop that day but it was that night that you left the castle, leaving only a note for your parents to briefly explain before disappearing. With the impending war and attacks, Ember Island seemed like a good enough place to set up. It was far enough away from Azula to be safe but vacationing didn’t seem high on anyone’s priorities list.

So this was your new life and you loved it.

The trip to the market was a quick one. You only had to drop off the beads to the artisans who made jewelry from them- you were only the bead maker. The rest of the day was open for you. As you walked back, you came to a split in the road. One, you knew led directly back to the house you were staying at. The other, you couldn’t recall having ever taken in all your time here.

“Let’s see what’s down here.” You hummed to yourself, looking for a little something to change up your routine. This was what you loved about no longer being a maid in the palace. Freedom. Freedom to go where you want, when you want, with who you want, to do whatever you want. The road itself was dirt with the occasional rocks around. It was lined with the large tropical plants found all around the island. At first, there were scattered stores which began to mix with houses before becoming entirely residential. These houses were quite a bit nicer than the houses in the residential area you lived in. Fire Nation flags hung from many of them. “Generals?” You questioned aloud to nobody but yourself.

Down the road just a bit further, maybe a quarter mile down, the dirt road became much less maintained but there was still a path. After a while of walking, you saw that it led up a small hill to a large house that seemed hidden away from almost the entire island. It was large and beautiful, with traditional architecture built up in red tiles. The walls were practically windows, which you figured would be fantastic considering the wonderful view of the ocean from here.

The road dead ended into this one home so you knew you should turn around now but the curiosity was killing you. This house looked luxurious but abandoned. The windows, though not broken, were dusty and looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in years. You couldn’t imagine anyone who owned such a magnificent vacation home allowing it to get so dirty unless it hadn't been used in a long time.

Figuring you probably wouldn't get caught, you decided to check out the house and walked around the building. Heck, if it were abandoned, maybe you could even move in and fix it up. That wouldn’t count as stealing right?

You wandered around the house until suddenly-

“Guys, someone’s coming!” A girl’s voice exclaimed from the side of the house that faced the beach. Your heart stopped and before you could even jump to hide in a bush, there were running footsteps coming towards you. Within seconds, a group of people about your age were staring at you.

Your hands flew up in defense, “I am so sorry. I thought the house was abandoned and-” As you spoke, your eyes scanned across the faces until you noticed one in particular that made everything stop, “Z-zuko?” You couldn’t believe your eyes. Your best friend in the world, even after all this time, stood ahead of you, looking so different than you remembered but also exactly the same. His hair that you’d always known to be tied up to perfection and his royal clothing always neatly pressed, a desperate attempt to be as perfect as he could for his father, was now ragged and relaxed. His hair was down, grown long and dangling over his eyes in some spots. His clothing was that of commoners instead of royalty but you couldn’t help but notice the taut muscles and small scars that he’d acquired over the time of his exile.

“Y/N? Is that really you?” Zuko’s eyes were wide with total shock and his skin paled as if he’d seen a ghost. He honestly never thought he’d see you again but there you stood, looking more beautiful than ever. He almost didn’t even recognize you. All throughout your childhoods, you’d always looked the same, day in and day out. Your hair was always down with the exception of the signature Fire Nation bun and you wore off-red servant’s garbs. But now, now you looked exquisite. Your hair was similar to how it was, still flowing down with the bun on top, save for the two small braids that framed your face. Instead of robes, you now wore a crimson crop top that crossed around your neck with an asymmetrical skirt of the same color over black capris. But the thing he noticed most of all was the gold arm band around your bicep that he’d given you for your birthday the year before he was banished.

You nodded fervently and almost ran towards him but your knees nearly buckled when you collided. Thankfully, Zuko had his arms wrapped tightly around you, hugging you so tightly he lifted you to your toes anyways. You couldn’t help the overwhelming surge of emotions. Somewhere between relief and love and fear and confusion. When Zuko was banished, you were terrified you’d never see him again.

“How is this possible? Azula told me you were dead.” Zuko finally set you down and looked into your eyes.

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What? No… I’m-” You struggled to figure out where to start, “After you were banished, I stayed for another two years but without yours or your mother’s defense, she just got worse and worse. One day, I just- I almost snapped. I could feel the warmth in my hands. I almost attacked her but she began to threaten my parents. Deep down, I knew I couldn’t beat her. I haven’t had a teacher since you left. I didn’t hurt her but I ran away that night. After a while of wandering, I ended up here. I don’t know why she told you I was dead but it sounds like something she would do.”

Zuko looked away angrily, “She’s always been a monster to you. To both of us. When I went back to the palace, I asked about you and she told me that you’d gotten sick and died shortly after I left. She only said it because she knew I’d be devastated and I fell right into the trap.”

A part of your heart twinged from the feeling of being loved. Even after all this time apart, in which you were scared he’d forget about you, he just admitted to being devastated when he’d thought you’d died.

You were unsure of how to respond to the look on Zuko’s face, a strange mixture of anger and relief. Pure bitterness for Azula. After a brief moment, you reached out for him and pulled him in for another hug, again holding onto him like you’d never let him go again. The very thought of losing Zuko another time made your heart jump to your throat in the worst of ways. “I’m here now though. No matter her threats or lies, here we are.”

“You know her?” A young bald boy with arrows on his head asked from back with the rest of the group. You’d forgotten there were more people there but when you looked back, you noticed the rest of the group.

Zuko turned to face the group but kept his hand placed on the small of your back, keeping you close to him, “This is Y/N. She was my best friend back at the palace. Y/N, this is Suki, Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Aang. Aang is the avatar.”

The boy named Sokka looked suddenly distressed, “You’re just going to tell a friend from the Fire Nation palace that Aang’s the avatar?! What if she tries to kill him?”

You shook your head at the accusation, your eyebrows raised in a desperate attempt to convince them that you were being truthful, “Oh no! I’ve never agreed with the Fire Nation’s goals! If you’re the avatar, you need to stop Ozai.”

“I can vouch for her. Even when we were kids, she told me in secret that she didn’t believe that there was any superior element and that the Fire Nation shouldn’t be invading the other nations. Even when I did….” Zuko’s face fell with guilt for what his past self believed, “But I promise, if anyone from the Fire Nation would be on our side, it’s her.”

Suki stepped forward, her face kind and curious, “You said you ran away from the palace? Are you royalty too?”

You snorted and Zuko actually cracked a small humorous smile as well, “Oh no. A servant actually.”

“A servant?” Katara questioned, “I don’t mean to be rude but if you’re a servant and Zuko was a prince, how were you friends?”

Zuko stiffened up a little bit while you tried to hide the sadness you felt revolving around the circumstances, “My parents were the only royal servants to have a child. Zuko’s mother saw that I didn’t have any friends in the palace and allowed me to play with Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.” The memories of Ursa were all fond. Aside from Zuko, she was the only member of the royal family who treated you with any kindness. When she disappeared, you and Zuko mourned your loss of her together, even though you never did find out the truth about what happened to her that night.

“You were forced to play with Azula? That must have been traumatizing.” Toph chimed, genuine apology in her sarcastic tone.

You shifted awkwardly from side to side, one hand shooting up to rub your opposite bicep as those scars that snaked up your calves seemed to burn with awareness, “Yeah, it kind of was.” Your voice was lower than it had been, as the incident had been somewhat of a sore spot for you.

Katara followed Zuko’s inconspicuously downcast gaze to where your legs were visible beneath your tight black pants that you wore beneath your asymmetrical red skirt. She was automatically hit with a pang of guilt when she saw the ever so slightly raised red vine-like scars that trailed up your legs and disappeared beneath the pants and immediately had an idea of how you’d acquired them. “I’m so sorry. We didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know,” You insisted sincerely, “Besides, they don’t bother me much anymore.”

Eager to shift the topic, Aang jumped into the conversation, “Well I don’t know if you’ve got a home here or anything but you're welcome to stay with us.” He offered cheerily. Everyone else seemed in agreement, or at least didn't outright object, and how could you possibly say no to getting to spend time with Zuko again?

"I'd love to. Thank you."

Later that night, you and Zuko left the group by the campfire to disappear into the house. "So, this is the infamous summer house you'd always leave me for." You chuckled in remembrance, memories of having to watch your best friend disappear for weeks at a time while having to pretend you didn't care for the sake of keeping your friendship 'appropriate', especially after Ursa disappeared.

"I always wanted to take you here. It's so much different now. Everything's different…" he trailed off, coming to a stop in the middle of a large, mostly empty room. The moonlight streaming from the windows cast a nostalgic shadow on the room and you couldn't help but remember the last time you saw each other.

It was sickening. The entire arena was filled to the brim with people, mostly Fire Nation elite, all surrounding the main floor. Servants weren't supposed to be permitted but Iroh had snuck you in. Iron had taken you in as much as he could, seeing how important to Zuko you were. In a way, you too felt like he was your uncle. When you'd gone to him, begging him to stop the Agni Kai, he insisted that he'd tried to talk sense into his brother but was unsuccessful and that the most he could do to help was sneak you into the audience.

So there you stood, surrounded by hundreds of animals who cheered for the murder of their thirteen year old prince by a well experienced war general, all because Zuko thought it wasn’t right to sacrifice hundreds of soldiers. “I’m not afraid to face the general,” Zuko had told you as he practiced his firebending with you all day before the Agni Kai, “I meant no disrespect, but I refuse to take back what I said. If this is what it takes, then this is what I’ll do.”

When Zuko walked out into the open arena, the room went silent. Nobody would dare boo their prince but you were sure that if he were anyone else, they would have. He knelt down, facing away from where his opponent would take his place, staring at the ground. Your heart was in your throat with fear for your best friend. Although Zuko was your secret firebending teacher and much better than you, he had a tendency to crack under the gaze of people he was desperate to impress. The general he was supposed to fight was definitely not someone you’d imagine was one to take it easy on a kid, even if he was the prince.

Zuko’s opponent came out in the shadows and shadowed his kneel, facing away from Zuko. When it was time, they both stood up and stepped towards each other. When they did, everyone gasped. Where the general was expected to be stood Ozai himself. An audible gasp and murmur ran through the crowd.

“Oh no-” You stopped breathing entirely, “What’s happening?” Even from your obscured seat, you could see Zuko’s eyes widen in shock and panic. Confliction was written all over his face.

The man beside you chuckled sadistically, “By speaking out in the Fire Lord’s war room, he has not only disrespected the general but the Fire Lord himself. This should be good.” You turned away from the man in utter disbelief that someone could say something like that about a literal child about to be harmed by his father.

Ozai stepped forward, hands up and ready to deflect any attacks from his son but the way he moved showed that he didn’t expect his son to make any move. He was testing him and Zuko had failed to impress. Zuko fell onto his knees, shaking in fear. He hung his head low, “Please, father! I only had the Fire Nation’s best interest at heart. I’m sorry I spoke out of turn.”

“You will fight for your honor.” Ozai continued to step towards him, an unyielding expression on his face.

“I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son.” Zuko begged, laying all of his dignity on the line in front of the nation’s most influential people.

Ozai wanted no part of it, “Rise and fight, Prince Zuko.”

Zuko’s forehead laid on the ground as Ozai came to stand above him, “I won’t fight you.”

His father stood tall and loomed over his small child, “You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.”

When Zuko looked up, tears streamed down his cheeks, knowing that his father had no consideration of mercy. All you could hear were Zuko’s screams and the roar of flames leaving Ozai’s fist as you watched your friend be brutally burned. Your tears were unstoppable and unconsolable as you genuinely thought he killed Zuko. When the flames stopped, he was on the ground, holding his face and sobbing in pain. Ozai turned his back, something between pride for winning and embarrassment for the way his son reacted to the duel on his face.

“The way you have behaved during this Agni Kai was more disgraceful than speaking out of turn. You have brought shame on yourself and the royal family. The punishment is banishment. Unless you can capture the Avatar, you are no longer welcome in the Fire Nation.” You gasped at what Ozai had said before he turned away and left, head straight and lips tight.

You began to run and push your way through the crowd, thanking goodness for your smaller stature compared to the adults all around. You had to find Zuko and make sure he was okay. You didn’t care if you’d get caught or in trouble, you just needed to find him. Being a servant had its perks in knowing the palace inside and out. It became obvious that nobody was going to help the prince until, while on your way through the halls, you ran into Iroh who too was looking to help the boy.

Finally, you’d made your way to him and Iroh carried him to a washroom. You quickly ran over and retrieved a bowl of cool water while Iroh leaned him back. “Pour the water on the burn.” He instructed.

“Close your eyes.” You told Zuko, although his eyes were already shut tight in pain. The cool water flowed from the bowl and onto his face, which looked red and blistered already. This was by far the worst burn you’d ever seen. Zuko struggled slightly against the liquid but stopped crying and calmed down when the water became soothing.

Iroh had located bandages and began to bandage his nephew’s face.

“I-I can’t believe what happened.” Zuko stuttered out, “He banished me.” You weren’t sure you’d ever seen him so pale. “Where do I go, Uncle? What do I do?” He began to work himself up again as the weight of the last hour really settled.

Iroh turned to put down the gauze, “You must leave the Fire Nation, Prince Zuko,” He began and Zuko looked panicked again, “But I will go with you.”

You both turned to Iroh, “Uncle, no! You’re whole life is here.”

“The world is no place for a boy to wander alone. And there is not much here for me in the Fire Nation palace anyways.” You all knew he was referring to the rumors of him being the weaker brother, the disgraced general. “I will accompany you.”

Zuko placed his hands on his knees and braced himself as he thought through the situation, “I must find the Avatar. It’s the only way to regain my honor.”

Both you and Iroh looked apprehensive but you were much more vocal, “Zuko, what your father did you today was not what fathers are supposed to do. Someone behaved shamefully today but it was not you.” You insisted, heart aching for him.

“I need his respect. My honor is the most important thing. I’m going to find the Avatar and when I do, my honor will be restored and I will regain my rightful spot as prince.” Zuko looked pained and troubled. It was clear he knew what he wanted to do but had no idea how he would do it, not that he’d let that stop him though.

You got quiet, looking down at where his knuckles were turning white from the tight grip on his own knees. Gently, you placed your hand on his and waited for him to look up just enough for you to make eye contact, “I’m going with you then.” You said finally.

Zuko’s uncovered amber eye met yours before he shook his head, “I can’t let you do that. Your parents are here.”

“I hate it here.” You insisted desperately, “I’ll come back for them some day but I can’t leave you. You’re the only person that cares about me here.”

Iroh placed his hand caringly on your shoulder, “Zuko is right, Y/N. This is his journey but I do not think it’s yours. It’s best if you stay.”

“But… but…” The tears were threatening to spill over as you managed to choke out, “I can’t lose you.”

There was barely a moment between when the words left your mouth and when Zuko’s lips met yours. At first, you were taken off guard and almost pulled back but when your brain registered what happened, you leaned into the innocent kiss. Your brain ran wild. Was this heat of the moment or had he really felt the same way you did? When he pulled away, you felt cold, “I’ll come back for you one day. I promise.”

“So, speaking of different, you sure look like a different Zuko than the one I knew. Last I heard around the palace, you were super intense and obsessive about finding the avatar.” You asked, teasing towards the end.

Zuko inhaled awkwardly, his hand coming to rub behind his neck, “Yeah… I was. Until I realized that my father was a monster and that the Fire Nation had caused nothing but harm and destruction. It took a lot of convincing but they actually let me join them and become Aang’s firebending teacher.” He gestured back to the group who was all laughing, most likely at something Sokka said.

“Well, he’s got the best teacher around.” You giggled, hitting his arm gently.

Zuko turned to look at you, “What about you? Things look pretty different for you too.”

A boulder sat just ahead of you, perfect for the two of you to use as a seat. You leaned back against the stone and Zuko did the same beside you. “Well, when I left the palace, I didn’t know where to go. But then I remembered you telling me about Ember Island and figured that it was far enough away to get me away from Azula but still in the Fire Nation so I wouldn’t have to create a whole new identity. When I got here, I saw an old lady struggling to make it to the market and asked if she needed help. Turns out she’d been making glass beads for years and needed an apprentice. After spending the day together, we ended up striking up a deal. She’d teach me how to make the beads in exchange for room and board. So this is where I’ve been for the last year.”

Zuko sighed, “I really did mean to come back for you.”

You exhaled heavily. It had been a sore point for you for a while. You waited for him for two years, over which Azula told you lies about him being killed or disappearing. It was just another fuel for her mental abuse. “I honestly was really angry about it for a long time. But-”

“No, you had every right to be. But believe me when I tell you it was probably best that you didn’t come. Searching for the Avatar made me someone I didn’t recognize. I became a monster.” He looked away from you, most of the last three years worth of misdoings coming back to haunt him.

You squeezed his hand, “I doubt you were as bad as you think you were and I’m sure Iroh would tell you the same. Where is Iroh anyways?”

He sank even deeper, “Another one of my many mistakes.”

Your heart immediately dropped, “Is he…?

Zuko shook his head, “No, no. He’s alive. I’m just sure he hates me.”

“Zuko, I don’t think you could do anything that would actually make your uncle genuinely hate you. That man holds so much love and respect for you.” Iroh’s love and devotion to Zuko was undeniable and you weren’t lying when you said that there was probably nothing that would make Iroh’s feelings change.

“I hope you’re right.” Zuko looked off into the distance before looking back at you, “But for what it’s all worth, I’m really glad to see you again.”

A smile blossomed on your face, “I’m really glad to see you too. I missed you so much.” Even after all the years, it felt as if no time had passed. He was still your Zuko.

You hadn’t realized that the gap between your bodies had closed to just a mere inch or two until you found yourself leaning your head onto his shoulder without thinking about it. Zuko stiffened up a little bit at the contact, looking around paranoid. He knew logically that there was nothing saying you two couldn’t be friends - or more - anymore. But his gut reaction was to be on his guard, just like when you were children, trying to hide your frowned upon friendship.

Zuko had always looked back fondly on those memories while he was banished and not one day went by when he didn’t think about you.

Iroh walked onto the deck of the large ship to see his nephew standing against the railing and staring into the distance over the ocean. It was like he had the sixth sense for his nephew, always able to see what was going on in his head better than Zuko did. Iroh approached the prince and stood just behind his shoulder, “You’re thinking about Y/N again?” He asked, though it really was more of a statement.

Zuko looked back over his shoulder towards his uncle, “I just wish I knew she was okay. She’s stuck there with Azula and you already know what she’s done to her! But now I can’t protect her. I should have let her come so I’d know she’s safe.” He looked away angrily, hanging his head, upset with how he’d handled everything.

“You care for her, Prince Zuko.” Iroh began before getting interrupted by the eager and emotional prince.

“Of course, I care for her! She’s my best friend.” Zuko had never really had any other real friends. Sure, Mai and Ty Lee were cool when they weren’t around his sister but none of them were you.

Iroh could see the conflict in the boy’s eyes, “But you care for her as more than that, don’t you?”

Zuko’s eyes widened. It shouldn’t have come as a shock to him but hearing his secret feelings spoken aloud finally felt like it was actually real. With anyone else in the world, he would have denied it but Iroh was different. “We can never be together.” Zuko confessed, heartbroken all over again. This was why he didn’t admit it to himself.

“Why’s that?” Iroh asked, as if the answer weren’t obvious like it was to you and Zuko.

His face scrunched with distress, “Because I’m a prince and… well she’s not even the daughter of a general. I don’t care about her wealth or status but it’s not allowed.”

“Well, lucky for you, for once, you’re banished. I don’t think anyone would care much if you were to be with her now.” Iroh pointed out.

Zuko groaned, “I’m not even allowed into Fire Nation territory let alone the palace. I’d never be able to take her away like this. I need to find the Avatar, have my honor restored, and then I’ll find her again and I’ll never let her go.”

“True love will find a way, Prince Zuko. Remember that happiness and love is more important in this world than titles.”

Now, you were beside him, your head unashamedly laying on his shoulder and was it his imagination or was your leg touching his now? Zuko cleared his throat, “Y’know, I can’t help but think about how we left things off three years ago,” You shifted to look up at him when he spoke.

You knew he was talking about the kiss - that one forbidden kiss that had haunted your lips since he left. It had consumed many of your nights as well. “I think about it too. A lot.” You confessed, much less embarrassed than you ever would have imagined.

Zuko tried to hide the little jump in his chest when he heard the way you agreed, like it wasn’t a bad memory but far from it. “You do?”

You nodded with a warm smile on your face (or maybe it was just your cheeks burning from the confessions), “I liked you for so long, of course it was something to remember.”

“Liked?” Zuko questioned nervously, “As in past tense?”

“Yeah, as in past tense.” You began and Zuko’s heart dropped.

“Oh…”

“‘Cause now… I think- I think I fell in love with you a long time ago.” You looked up directly into his eyes, heart in your throat as you waited for a response.

Zuko’s jaw dropped in disbelief and he stuttered over his words, “There wasn’t a single day I didn’t want to come back and take you away so we could be together.”

You and Zuko stared into each other’s eyes as the weight of what was being said sunk in. Everything felt heightened right now, like else in the world mattered but Zuko. All you could see and hear and feel was him from his scent of woody spices and smoke to the way the moonlight reflected off his perfect skin - scar included. You could literally feel the warmth radiating from his body, a warmth you had a feeling hadn’t been there in a long time.

“What’s there to stop us from being together now?” In all the futures you’d imagined with Zuko, this wasn’t really a scenario you’d thought of. The two of you sitting on a rock at Zuko’s family summer house after years of not seeing each other- Zuko, a banished and disgraced prince and you, a former servant runaway- but now seeing each other without the shroud of all the barriers of titles and statuses.

Your lips had already been dangerously close when you were talking, making the ever so slight move inwards to close the gap feel effortless. The question you’d posed was responded to with a long, deep kiss. Zuko’s lips had changed so much since the last time you’d kissed them. The smooth soft lips that had lingered in your memory were now rougher and slightly chapped, weathered from years of hard work like the rest of him, though still soft enough to be familiar.

Zuko’s hand came up to rest on the point where your jaw met your neck to guide your lips to his just ever so slightly deeper. He was lost in you, in your lips, in your scent, in your tase, in your touch. This moment was everything he’d dreamed about almost every night on his quest for the Avatar. Like everything else, this felt so different yet so familiar.

Finally, you pulled away and this time you didn’t feel guilty or immediately look over your shoulder. You got to just be with Zuko. It was as if you were entranced by him, unable to take your eyes away. If you could’ve picked one moment to last forever, this would be it.

That was until Zuko sighed and turned his face away, “There’s a war.”

“So we’ll fight together.” Your hand that was still on his squeezed tightly.

Zuko turned back to you and gripped your other hand, holding them close to his body, “Losing you the first time was hard enough. I can’t lose you again, Y/N.”

You swallowed hard, “I know I’m not the most skilled Fire Bender in the world but that doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own. I don’t plan on dying in this war and you better not be planning on it either.”

“That’s not what I mean. I just… I love you Y/N,” He confessed, his typical Zuko-esque flusteredness creeping into his tone, “But now after knowing you feel the same way and knowing what we could be, I just don’t know if I could handle risking losing my best friend and the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Your breath abandoned you when those three words left his lips, I love you. They were the three words you’d dreamed of hearing him tell you for years. But now he was using them as an excuse to not be with you. “I love you too, Zuko. I’ve loved you for so long. But what difference does it make if we fight this war as a couple or as friends? If we love each other, the pain of losing the other would be the same.”

Zuko’s gaze fell to where your fingers were interlaced and he brought them up to his chest, looking at the contrast of his larger calloused hands to your smaller, slightly softer ones. “I can’t lose you.” He repeated, closing his eyes, but this time it sounded like a final decision.

You pulled your body closer to his, your intertwined hands pressed between your chests, as you looked up at him, “Then don’t push me away.” Your plea was low, barely above a whisper, but by the way Zuko looked, you could tell it had some affect. “Please, let us do this together.”

Zuko found it difficult to argue with you because it was like arguing with himself. You were the vocalization of everything he wanted deep down. “Okay,” He answered finally, “But only if you help me rebuild the Fire Nation when it's all over. Together.”

#zuko #zuko x reader #zuko fanfic #zuko imagine #Avatar The Last Airbender #atla #atla imagines #can't lose you #can't get rid of me

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catsandstrawberries · 4 years ago

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Rogue Firebender 2

Pairing: Firebending! Jeon Jungkook x Firebending! Fem! Reader (slight Jimin x Taehyung)

Summary: The order has given you a mission to take down the firebird but when Jungkook gets involved your plan might take a turn for the worst.

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, death, blood, talk of consent, oral sex (m rec.), rimming, swear words, switch! reader, switch! Jungkook, as always Jungkook is a bit of an asshole.

Word Count: 6.5K

A/N: Damn I went off on this one, hope y’all like it.

Based on Avatar the Last Airbender

Part 1

A hard shove pushes me to the ground. The skin of my knees collide against the hard concrete, and I feel my skin rip and warmblood ooze from my joints. With my wrists tied behind my back, a gag around my mouth, and my feet tied together, there really was no escape. Fire nation guards and citizens around me openly gasp as they stand in the courtyard in front of the palace, surprise paint across each of there faces at the sight of me, captured. I was caught.

Jungkook places a rough hand on my shoulder as he stands directly behind me, his voice lifting above the crowd.

"I have caught the rogue firebender, she is now a convict of the fire nation."

Jungkook pulls me to my feet and roughly drags me forward by my bindings. I turn my head slightly and make eye contact with him. The red and gold specks in his eyes darkening as he catches my stare on the black and purple bruise I gave him under his left eye. A smirk lifts my lips and he pinches my ribs in a warning, he's a good actor.

"The rogue firebender is now a prisoner of Fire Lord Ozai."

Confusing? How did I, the rogue firebender who refused to go anywhere near the fire nation, suddenly get dragged in as a prisoner? Let me start from the beginning.

My feet softly hit the ground of the marbled palace floors, insignias of a single flame hanging from banners of red and black. The bleak sky of midnight shielded me from the rotating guards and as quietly as I could I sneaked into the corridors, passing room after room until finally reaching him. I slowly lifted the pane of his window, slipping my body through and surveying the room. There wasn't a lot between the four walls, a mattress was pushed in the corner with a nightstand next to it, a bowl of water sitting on the wood. A lump laid on the mattress, covered in a pile of wool blankets. His body splayed out in a starfish manner and drool poured out of his mouth, his nose scrunching up as he rolled his head to the side. I grumbled in annoyance at the sight in front of me, how is he still annoying in his sleep?

I quietly stepped towards him, and then with a solid jump hopped onto his sleeping body, my hand covering his mouth before he could scream and my other hand holding his left wrist down before he could firebend. My legs tightened around his waist so he couldn't throw me off. His once closed eyes now screamed in confusion and hints of anger. I didn't blame him. The last time he saw me he thought I would willingly turn myself in, oh how the tides have changed.

A wet muscle slid against the skin of my hand and I pulled away in disgust,

"what the fuck Jung, did you just lick me?!"

He glared at me,

"What are you doing in the fire nation (y/n)." I shrugged and wiped my hand against Jungkook's chest, avoiding his scowl and the way his solid chest felt underneath me.

"I need a favor."

He laughed, his shoulders shaking while his lips lifted manically.

"Are you kidding? You have sex with me, run, and then you expect me to do you a favor? I don't think so little rogue."

I frowned and roughly pushed against his chest with both hands,

"No. I don't think you understand little boy." Jungkook snarled at the hit while I got off of his chest.

"Everyone in the four nations thinks I'm dead because you told the fire nation you pushed me off a cliff, I've stayed hidden for your sake because I knew what Ozai would do to you if he found out I was alive."

I examined my nails calmy before looking back at him, he sat at the edge of his bed, his legs spread open and his eyes glaring daggers at me.

"You're going to catch me, and bring me to the fire lord as a prisoner." Jungkook's eyes suddenly widened, and he was in front of me in a second.

"I don't know what game you're play-"

"No games. I'm just blackmailing you."

Jungkook opened and closed his mouth, an inner fight of right and wrong expanding in his eyes.

"Think about it, and meet me in the woods north of the castle tomorrow at midnight."

Jungkook stepped forward to stop me, grab at my arm, but I was too quick and I sent a flame at the bowl of water by his nightstand. Smoke filled the air and provided the perfect cover as I escaped through the open window.

My legs swung back and forth as I sat atop the tree branch connecting to the oak. The oak tree is one of the hundreds that littered the western woods, and under normal circumstances, I would despise sitting 60 feet high in the air, but it gave me the best cover if I needed to make a quick escape or hide from benders.

Every time I come in contact with Jungkook heights have to be involved. First a cliff, now tall tress, great.

I whipped my head to the left at the sound of a cracking branch, my eyes examining the ground for any sign of life.

A minute passed and nothing emerged from the path, my shoulders slumped in defeat at the thought of him not coming.

"Great hiding spot."

A short scream escaped my mouth as my body fell backward and almost fell to the ground if not for the hand that wrapped around my wrist.

"Hey, little rebel."

"You're a fucking idiot Jung."

"I could drop you right now."

"I could burn that pretty little face of yours."

"Aww, you think I'm pretty."

"Does little boy like being complimented?"

Jungkook pulled me up with a grunt and I clung to a different sturdy branch next to the one he was sitting on.

"Stop calling me that, you know I'm not little."

I smirked in pride, despite the blush spreading on my face from thinking about him, down there. "If you would rather compare penis sizes than focus on the task at hand, go ahead."

Before Jungkook could answer I started climbing down the tree, stepping from branch to branch while Jungkook followed me down.

"What exactly do you hope to accomplish (y/n)?"

Once my feet hit the solid ground I let out a sigh of relief, twisting my feet in the dirt and watching as it morphed under my weight.

"Well, I am a war criminal. So, you are going to tie me up, bring me to the palace, and give me to Ozai as a gift."

I crossed my arms over my chest while he took a step closer.

"You had me at tying you up, but what if we do that in private." Jungkook pulled me closer by a loop on my pants.

"Jungkook, think about it. I can't stay gone forever. If you bring me in now you won't get in trouble."

Jungkook looked at the ground, his flirting aura melting as his tongue prodded at the inside of his cheek.

"He's going to kill you. At least tell me you have a plan."

I did. But I still couldn't trust Jungkook. His loyalties were still to the fire lord.

"Don't worry about it."

"I don't want you to die." His answer was automatic, his eyes pleading as he made eye contact with me.

"Is that a yes?" His hand softly pressed against my right cheek, his thumb stroking the skin under my right eye.

He leaned forward and I tilted my head up, our lips meeting halfway in a mold of warmth. That was the only way to describe it, warmth. I forgot how safe it felt, being held in Jungkooks arms with the distraction of his lips that tasted like strawberries on a summer's day.

He pulled back slightly and muttered barely above a whisper,

"yes." Both of his hands cradled my face and I tugged on the fabric at his chest, pulling the two of us closer. Our tongues collided in a brutal battle of dominance and I held back the whine threatening to escape my lips at the way he groped my ass.

I pulled away and shoved him to the ground. Dust sprouting around him while I climbed on top of his lap,

"I'm gonna punch you now."

"WHAT!" Jungkoook suddenly flinched away while a chuckle left my throat.

"If you're going to bring me in it needs to look believable. I would never go in without a fight."

Jungkook tried to pull away from me but I grabbed at his chin, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth as I searched for the perfect spot. Jungkook let out a low whine and I whispered into his ear,

"don't worry, I'll be gentle."

"no, No, NO! (y/n)!!"

Jungkook grumbled while he cradled his face, a blue and purple bruise blossoming like a flower in spring.

"I can't believe you punched me."

"I can't believe you expected me not too." Jungkook pulled the rope tighter at my words and I winced while he sarcastically replied,

"sorry." Daylight was currently breaking and Jungkook was working on binding my wrists.

We sat in calm silence, the wind and chirping of the creatures of the woods lighting our ears.

"Why did you leave that night?" I tensed at the question and glared daggers at him,

"how do you still not get it?" I seethed. Jungkook glared back and pulled me closer by the bindings,

"if you wanted to escape so bad, why come here now? You know he's going to kill you, you should've come back with me when you had the chance."

"Oh, so you could flaunt about how you caught the Rogue Firebender" I mocked, "well good for you, the outcome is still the same."

"You're an idiot who doesn't think things through," Jungkook grumbled as he moved to tie my ankles. "You're clearly desperate if you have to ask me for help, and won't even tell me what you're planning," I swore my face burned red with anger, but there was nothing I could do. I bit my tongue to hold back the remarks and secrets that were screaming to come out. Not today.

"Remember when I spit on your face?" Jungkook scowled at the memory, "yeah it was disgusting."

I fought down the smile quirking its way up my lips.

"That was the best moment of my life."

Well, now you're all caught up. Here I am, being publicly dragged towards the nation's capital, surely about to die.

Not today.

Jungkook staggered in his steps as a fire nation general approached us. Blonde hair swept across his head and an expressionless emotion painted on his face like a canvas.

"What are you doing Tae?"

General Kim Taehyung was critically acclaimed for being the strongest lightning bender in history. He rose in ranks quickly due to his ability to redirect and cast lightning as if it was as easy as breathing.

"I was ordered to bring the rebel to the dungeons while you explain the situation to the fire lord."

Jungkook barely flinched beside me, but I could tell he was nervous. The way his grip on my arm tightened for barely a millisecond.

Tae placed a hand on Jungkook's shoulder, his eyes glowing as if a lightning storm was trapped inside them.

"Remember, I outrank you, Kook. Get going."

The door to my prison cell slammed shut behind us. The metal walls trapping us from the view of any passerby's.

"I'm going to kill you." Tae stalked towards me, pulling out a knife from behind him,

and cutting my ties.

"You go to Jungkook?! The plan is already unstable as it is, any mistakes and we're dead." Taehyung lectured, my ties and gag falling to the ground.

"When do we attack?" I asked, rubbing at the sore skin of my wrists.

"The invasion happens tomorrow." My eyes widened in panic and I strained my voice in a silent shout.

"Tomorrow! I thought I had at least a week to do recon?!"

Tae shrugged and flipped the knife in his hand.

"The air benders have agreed to aid in the invasion and the order feels if we don't strike now they will pull out in fear of fighting." My eyes widened in shock at the news,

"the air benders joined? That's incredible! I thought they were still in hiding?"

Tae shrugged, his eyes falling to the ground and a fond smile spread on his face,

"not all of them." His smile quickly vanished while he turned his sight back to me.

"Are you ready, for tomorrow?"

I opened my mouth to respond but Tae cuts in-

"I know we can beat him, but I'm worried about him. (Y/n), Jungkooks the second in command, he's young and loyal to a fault. We might have to fight Jungkook too."

A shattered breath escaped my lungs, this was a thought I had refused to believe. Maybe that's why I went to Jungkook instead of Taehyung to capture me.

"I know there's good in him, he just needs to see the truth first."

Tae nodded and then held up his forearm, my own tapping his.

"Tomorrow." He spoke,

"We kill the Firelord."

Meditation was not my strong suit. Sitting in silence with nothing but my thoughts to entertain my mind was basically the equivalence to jumping off a plane into a shark-infested active volcano.

But, I felt the occasion called for some 'inner-peace.'

Especially since my mind was running wild. My plans had made a complete u-turn, and the order hadn't even told me directly. I bit my tongue in annoyance, my eyes still squeezed shut as I sat criss-cross on the hard floor. The order was made up of a group of all benders, willing to restore a balance where all benders could live in harmony and equality.

Tae and I were given the task of taking down the fire lord, and in a few hours, we were going to kill him.

"Hey, little rebel."

A frown tugged my lips down but I kept my eyes closed,

"what do you want?" Jungkook chuckled at my question and I heard shuffling around me,

"can I not visit my favorite girl who just so happens to be my prisoner?"

I snorted at his words, "first of, not your girl. Secondly, how did you get in here without getting caught."

He hummed and I felt him get closer to me,

"Namjoons a buddy of mine."

Kim Namjoon. In charge of all prisoners and executions. Lucky for me he just so happened to be apart of the rebellion, if only Ozai knew how many of us were within his palace. Hidden within his ranks preparing to strike.

"You seem to have friends in high places."

He didn't respond verbally and I used the silence to bask in the meditation headspace, releasing a breath that relaxed my shoulders and eased my mind.

My eyes suddenly blinked open as my senses felt him, and the sight was something to be seen.

Jungkook sat directly in front of me, his warm breath coating my face as he sat in nothing but a pair of loose pants, shirtless.

"Why aren't you wearing a fucking shirt?" I growled in annoyance attempting to hide the blush threatening to curl onto my cheeks.

"I think the better question is" Jungkook leaned forward, whispering into my ear before tugging the lobe between his teeth, "why are you wearing still wearing yours?"

I fell back and glared at him as I leaned on my elbows,

"What makes you think I'd ever fuck you again?"

He shrugged and I glared at him, hating the wave of confidence that poured down him in waves.

"Because you might never get to fuck me again after tonight, and I'm willing to make it worth your while."

Before I could protest Jungkook was crawling on top of me, his forearms supporting his weight while he grinned down. My heart was ready to explode out of my chest, this all felt odd, It felt wrong. Maybe because my conscious was acting up and I knew I was going to betray him.

Instead of kissing me his lips started to attack my neck, his lips fluttering against the sensitive skin, sucking and biting wherever he could. His lips met the skin under my ear, sucking it while a broken moan left my mouth. "So sensitive baby."

His hands trailed down my body and he rid me of my shirt and pants, biting his lip while my body was exposed.

"You're so intoxicating, fuck." He groaned, his lips meeting mine in a swirl of passion, hot breaths colliding with one another. When his tongue finally met mine it was no longer a dance but a brutal battle that I was losing. His tongue practically invading my mouth and exploring every nook and cranny.

"I bet Taehyung didn't touch you like this." It took me a moment for his words to register in my brain, but when they did I practically fumed with annoyance at his jealousy.

"Are you fucking kiddi-ah." My head fell back as two of his finger speared through my vagina, twisting and turning with the help of my slick until reaching the spot that made my toes curl and my vision blur.

"Don't think I didn't see him walk out of here princess."

I glared at him while his eyes sparkled with mischief, "hands and knees baby."

I tempted telling him no, telling him that being jealous of Taehyung was ridiculous (I'm pretty sure Tae had a thing going with an Airbender anyways) and that I was going to hurt him in the end.

At my hesitance, Jungkook eyes darkened and he forcefully moved me into a hands and knees position, pushing down at the curve of my back so my ass would stick higher in the air.

"You're so fucking annoying." He growled, his fingers twisting inside me, pulling out only to push all the way back in.

I leaned my face on my hands, unbashful noises escaping from my lips. His fingers suddenly pulled out of my pussy and dragged backward, circling the rim of my hole that no one had ever touched.

"Jungkook" I whined at the new feeling my but wincing away from the newfound feeling until a harsh smack from his other hand hit my left cheek.

"Stop moving." He growled, while my mind stuttered in a haze as he started to grope the spot where I could feel the burn of a handprint. His long thick fingers clouding my brain while his thumb swirled my rim.

"Do you want me to eat your ass baby?" I nodded wordlessly, whines escaping my mouth at the way Jungkook's voice had dropped an octave.

"Beg for it."

My mouth processed before my brain could,

"please Jungkook I want it so bad. I want you to make me cum until I see stars. Please please." Tears started to form in the corner of my eyes and my body shook at the lack of pleasure.

"Good fucking girl." I heard him whisper just as a warm wet muscle circled and invaded my hole.

Feral noises escaped me as my ass grinded back into his mouth, his tongue getting even warmer as he practically made out with my ass. Sticking his tongue in and out, fucking me as if I wasn't being pushed to my limits. As if his tongue wasn't overwhelming enough he started to fuck me with his fingers. Three digits sticking inside and pulsing in and out, curling and making v like motions.

"Fuck!" I shouted, gasping while his thumb started to circle my clit, roughly bringing me to my release.

"Kook, fuck, I'm so close" I muttered between pants as his ministrations doubled until I was creaming around his fingers, my eyes squeezing shut-in the bliss of my orgasm.

I took a few steadying breaths to ground me to reality, but at the sound of his pants falling to the floor and the feeling of his dick probing my vagina my mind snapped back to reality.

"Wait!" I wince as I turn to him, my eyes wide and panicked while he stares at me strangely.

"I don't want to."

I meant for it to come out firm but it comes out soft, and unsure. Jungkook's eyes soften and he's nodding, working on pulling his pants back up.

"I'm-"

"It's okay." Jungkook chimes in a gentle smile lifting his face and despite the fact he's butt naked he looks so genuine and soft. "No means no."

A breath of relief escapes my lips, and determination suddenly sparks in me as I eye his very hard friend. My hands fall to his wrists and I stop him before he can lift his pants up.

"Let me help you."

His big doe eyes widen in shock as my fingernails trail lower and leave gentle scratches in its wake.

To be honest, I stopped Jungkook because I knew I would have to face the Firelord, and I knew how rough Jungkook could be. I didn't want to fall victim to being unable to walk.

But that didn't mean I couldn't help him.

On shaky legs I lean up on my knees, pushing his hips down until he gets the hint I want him to sit. His eyes are hooded as he watches me eye his dick. It's just as I remember, long and curved, and it seems to throb under my ministrations. I grab at the shaft, twisting my hand and raising it up and down while my other hand cups his balls, pinching and groping at the skin.

"Stop teasing" Jungkook groans roughly, his voice cracking with pleasure.

"Beg for it." I mock, repeating the same words he had used earlier. I smirk at the way Kook gawks, his eyebrows raising then furrowing in frustration.

"No" as soon as the snarl leaves his lips my hands are off him. "(Y/n)," he whines in protest, and my shit-eating grin just won't stop growing. "Only good little boys get what they want." Jungkook throws his head back with a whine and it would be a lie to say that wasn't the hottest thing I've ever seen. The way his adam apple bulges as he breaths, the sweat pouring down his thick neck.

"(y/n)," he whines and my eyes snap back to his own that are wide and teary. "I want you so bad, you're mouth, hand anything." I smirk in satisfaction but pause when he keeps going, "I want you to call me a little slut and to suck my balls. I want you to keep going after I cum and punish me when I'm all sensitive, I want you to make me feel good."

...

My jaw drops, completely unprepared for the spew of words from him. My expression must have been apparent because Jungkooks teary-eyed face suddenly quirks up in a smirk,

that little fucker.

My hand wraps firmly around the tip of Jungkooks penis and he recoils back with a cry, my fingers twisting and turning as the squelching sound fills the room.

"Good because you're going to be sobbing when I'm done with you," I state firmly, my eyes never leaving his as I open my mouth and fit as much of him inside me. One of his hands cards through my hair, pushing my locks to the side but not tugging and pulling in a controlling manner. I glare up at him while I start to suck, moving my mouth up and down despite the fact my gag reflex starts to work up.

My fingers start to rub at the spot my mouth can't fit, playing with his balls, and a sudden determination fills me when he makes a high pitched sound I've never heard before.

Taking a breath through my nose I started to sink lower and lower until my nose is pressed flush against his pubes. Jungkook's whine is a drug, pure novocaine that excites me and leaves me wanting more.

But I can't stay there long because my head is starting to spin from the lack of air, and with a final suck I pull back, my mouth focusing on his tip, my tongue dragging a long strip from the base to his head.

"Don't stop I'm close." He pants, sweat pouring down his chiseled chests while my nails mark crescents into whatever skin I can find. Mutters of praise pass through his lips but I'm too focused on sucking his dick as if it was my last to hear him.

With a broken gasp his hand tightens on my hair, my mouth pressing tighter against his skin as ropes of cum string down my throat.

I gulp it down as best as I can but some still escape from the corner of my mouth, when the bursts stop I pull away and take a grounding breath.

"You're amazing" Jungkook whispers as he pulls me closer to him, his eyes drooping shut-in exhaustion while he bear hugs my naked body to his. Sweat and the smell of cum infuses the air and we lay in silence with nothing but the sound of our ragged breathing.

Jungkooks fingers start to trace comforting circles on my stomach and my body melts into the floor like putty. His gentle humming fills the room and suddenly his fingers are ghosting over my burn on my abdomen,

"I won't let him hurt you."

Those are the last words I hear before my mind drifts and my body falls asleep.

When I wake up the entire world feels dizzy, my eyes are shaking and my hands struggling to hold myself up. For a minute I think I'm dreaming because my legs feel so unsteady and the world won't stop spinning. That's when I realize something,

the ground is literally shaking. I get dressed quickly, anticipation, and fear running through my veins as I imagine what is to come. It isn't until after I'm dressed when I notice Jungkook is gone and I barely have a moment to think about him before the door to my cell is being opened.

Kim Namjoon peaks his head in and gives me a firm nod which I return, and then he's gone. Running down the hallway to release more prisoners wrongfully jailed by the fire nation.

I take off running, ignoring the sound of explosions that erupt in the distance. My feet carry me towards the exit to examine the damage of the palace, and when I finally hit the light I'm startled that I don't fall to the ground in shock.

The city that the palace overlooks is being overwhelmed by benders, flames, and earth and water spiking in different directions as the faint scream echos in the back of my ears. The palace guards are nowhere in sight, most likely occupied with the invaders of the rebellion. What shocks me the most is the people flying in the air with gliders, benders who I've never seen in my life. Ever since I was born Airbenders have been in hiding, and now to be fighting alongside them brings a smile to my face.

Speaking of airbenders, ones flying straight towards me.

In a panic I look down at my fire nation clothes and hold my hands up in surrender, "I'm on your side, I'm apart of the rebellion." A boy who looks my age lands in front of me, the air bending underneath him with a whoosh as he closes his orange and brown glider. His robes of yellow and orange sway in the wind and he steps forward, light on his feet as if he was the embodiment of a feather.

"Are you (y/n)?" He sounds too young for this war.

I nod and the boy takes a step forward, "I'm Jimin. Tae sent me. He's caught up helping a group of earthbenders, he refused to come with me until they were safe." Jimin starts to grumble near the end, talking as if he was annoyed at a child, and I suddenly know this is the Airbender Tae was talking about earlier.

"You should go help them," I speak up and Jimin gives me a nod,

"I will, but he wanted me to give you a message. Don't face the Firelord alone, wait for Tae." At those final words, Jimin turns swiftly as the airlifts him, his glider opening as he soars back towards the city.

In a feeble attempt to rid my anxiety I shout out the first thing that comes to mind, which just so happens to be the stupidest.

"Don't die!"

Guilt pours through my body in waves and I clutch my chest to stop the rapid beating of my heart. Tae is like a brother to me, but I can't listen to him. I can't wait, like I said, doing nothing was never my strong suit.

I race back inside the palace, my feet guiding me to the throne room where Ozai resides.

I'm about to turn the corner to the entrance of the throne room when I spot soldiers, I count quickly in my head, 6. Taking them on headfirst wouldn't be a smart option. I rack my brain for an answer, my eyes whipping from left to right, and then I look up.

The rafters.

Because the fire nation palace was inhabited by fire benders, the air was a crucial component to being spread evenly through the floors. The more air the easier it was to bend. If I could fit in the rafters I would be able to crawl into the throne room undetected.

"You never listen, huh?" I whip my head around to find Taehyung panting from running. His lip is bleeding and he holds his side in pain, but the worst part is he looks exhausted. The physical isn't the problem, we're all trained to push past our limits, but it's the mental that tears at my heart. The way his eyes darken from all the death he's seen, my breath catches in my throat,

"is Jimin-"

"He's okay, thank God." Tae leaves it at that, peaking his head around the corner to assess the situation. "I'm surprised you didn't run in there hell blazing. Do you have a plan?" He muses, and I scoff. "Actually I do. But I need a distraction." Taehyung clicks his tongue then gives me a look,

"I'll be back, don't die." He mutters and I watch in confusion as he runs out in the open.

"Quick, airbenders are attacking the front and we need to fortify the palace." The soldiers hesitantly follow Taehyung, and I grumble under my breath when I remember he's still in a fire nation clothes, he's still seen as a general.

I jump up and haul my upper body into the rafts, using my bending to help lift me up. Once I'm safely in the crisscrossed pattern, I start to crawl forward past the hall and into the throne room. I stay as silent as possible, watching as the room fades into pitch blackness, the only light illuminating the room coming from a wall of fire behind the throne.

And there on the chair of bones and tears sits the most hated man in the four nations, fire lord Ozai. He looks the same as when I remember him, lifeless eyes peering into breakable souls, ready to tear and rip at any insecurities. He leans back in his chair as if his nation isn't being invaded and I bite my tongue in frustration at the confidence that oozes from him. I want to kill him.

Without looking down, I jump to the ground. A glare on my face as I land 6 feet away.

"Rogue fire bender." He says in amusement and I frown, his voice has changed. A long time ago when I was still a general, his words held fear over me, as if his mouth spewed weapons that I couldn't overcome.

But now, he was nothing but a power-hungry man.

"Your reign as fire lord is over Ozai. Your city is overrun with the rebellion, your soldiers are dying in the streets or converting to overthrowing you. Step down now." My eyes narrow and my voice lowers, "or I'll kill you."

A moment of silence falls between us, and then Ozai's head is falling backward's, his long braided black hair swinging as he cackles, laughing and snorting while I stand my ground.

"As long as I am alive, people will always follow me, because fear wins."

I take a steadying breath and my stance changes from a powerful gaze to a fighting stance, my heart no longer beating out of fear but out of determination.

"Then I'll have to kill you." Ozai looks at me with amusement,

"you underestimate me, rogue. Kings always have pawns in their corner." The world seems to stop as Jungkook emerges from the shadows, his eyes downcast, and his hair blocking his face from me. "Jungkook, kill her."

Jungkook hesitates, and just when I think he's realizing the truth, a flame is sent straight towards my face. I jump out of the way quickly, my hands burning with a need to fight, to bend, but nothing comes out.

"Jungkook stop!" I shout, evading the attacks and dissipating the fire sent at me. He attacks with ferocity, playing on the offensive while I do nothing but defend.

I don't know why it's so hard. Maybe its because this is the exact room where I got my scar, and imaging hurting Jungkook the same way Ozai hurt me doesn't sit well.

I jump forward, gaining ground as I evade the flames and slide under his bending until I'm face to face with him, the two of us blocking and throwing punches at each other.

"I am not the enemy," I growl out, and then I see it. The good in his eyes begging to come out and be revealed to the surface, "Jungkook?" I mutter. Then a burning pain erupts through my body as his foot connects with my stomach, right on my scar.

I'm sent flying across the room, my frame rolling until I hit the wall with a smack. My body immediately curls in on itself from the pain and a broken sob escapes my throat as I struggle to breathe.

"Very good." Jungkook stands a few feet away from me, and I watch as Ozai stands behind him, his shadow overcoming the boy.

"You've always been like a son to me Jungkook. Because of that, I will allow you the honor of killing her."

Jungkooks answer has my blood boiling with rage,

"Kill her?"

Ozai shrugs, "kill her, burn her, cut off her head and hang it outside the walls for all I care. She is the sign of the rebellion, her death marks the end of this silly revolt."

I hate him, but he's right. My life is meaningless except for one thing, I have one task. I need to kill Ozai. I can't die like this. I struggle to sit up, my arms shaking with my body weight as my dry mouth opens, and my voice cracks.

"Kill me if you want, but you will never kill us. There will always be people who stand up against injustice, your reign is ending Ozai, with or without me."

Ozai's face screwed up in a snarl, "my patience is waiving Jungkook." Jungkook turned towards me, the same doe eyes I had met so many times before, "you know what the right thing to do is." I muttered, unsure of whether or not he heard me. Jungkook looked torn, standing there. Why is he so fucking useless when I need him the most?

"Fuck you, Jeon!" I jump to my feet, ignoring the way my body screams in protest and fire a flame at Ozai. He snapped towards me, rage burning in his eyes as he deflected the attack.

The robes around his shoulders fell, now shirtless he pulled back and harshly punched the air, large balls of flame flying my way. I swirled my arm in a circle and the flame evaporated in front of me.

Jungkook suddenly runs in front of me, his arms outstretched as tears threaten to fall in his eyes.

"if you ever cared about me you won't hurt her!"

Ozai sighs and holds his head down, his nose scrunching up in disappointment, "I had so much faith in you Jungkook. Now it looks like the King will have to kill off some of his players."

Jungkook pushed me behind him and suddenly the fire was spewing from him, kicks and punches all thrown in aim of Ozai.

I needed a plan, and fast. If only Tae were here he could electrocute Ozai, but I'm sure Ozai knows how to redirect lightning.

Kook suddenly got blasted and skidded backward towards me,

"get up I have a plan." I pulled Jungkook to his feet, the two of us standing back to back while Ozai stalked forward.

"Do you mind sharing this one?" He asked, his voice gruff while I side-eyed him,

"remember the fire whips the man used the day we went into the village, I need you to subdue his arms and legs, but be careful of his mouth he can still breathe fire."

"What are you going to do?" His question irked me and I growled out annoyed. "don't worry about it." I shot a flame at Ozai, the two of us turning so we were shoulder to shoulder.

"I hate you," I mumbled, while Jungkook sighed dreamily,

"I love you." My eyes widened in shock and I turned to Jungkook but he was gone, running off with fire whips forming in his hands. My heart stuttered, but I ran back into action, distracting Ozai by sending a wave of an inferno at him. Red and orange flames lighting our skin. Once Jungkook had trapped the first hand, I got closer, kicking Ozai in the jaw and burning the skin on his arm.

I held my hand close to my chest, feeling the surge of energy spike as Ozai struggled and fought his bindings. Blue sparks started to emerge from my hand and overcome by the power, I looked at Ozai, red no longer highlighting us but electric blue.

"You might be a King Ozai, but I'm a fucking Queen." I pushed the palm of my hand against his bare chest, the sparks burning his ribs and causing his skin to smoke.

Once Ozai slumped to the ground, his body pale and not breathing, I felt myself collapse. The power-draining my life energy and my ability to stand. Jungkook caught me before I hit the floor, his warm hands brushing the hair out of my face,

"that was one hell of a plan." He chuckled and I smiled at the humor.

"(y/n)!" The door suddenly flew open and Tae ran in, his eyes scouring the area. First settling on Ozai, then rushing to my side.

"You did it." He said in amazement and I nodded in pride and exhaustion, we did it.

"Jungkoo-"

"I'm so sorry." Jungkook held me close to his chest, his eyes burning with pain. "I hurt you, and I'm an asshole, and I should have listened to you from the beginning."

"All of that is true." I joked, a gentle smile working its way up my face. We did it.

Jungkook stood outside the tent, pacing back and forth and I watched in amusement as he had yet to notice my presence. With a clearing of my thought, Jungkook suddenly whipped his head towards me, "what did the order say?! Did they approve of you killing Ozai?" It seemed so odd, it had only been two days after his death and everything was moving so fast.

"They asked me to be the new fire lord," I said in barely a breath, my own brain struggling to process my words. Jungkooks' face immediately broke out in a smile, his arms circling me in a hug and spinning me around in a circle with a laugh. "That's incredible! You have to say yes!"

I nervously looked at the floor as he put me down, "really?" He smiled softly and gently stroked my check,

"I couldn't imagine anyone else (y/n)." I leaned into his hand and let out a blissful sigh.

"Aww, my little rogue isn't so little anymore." Jungkook placed a sloppy kiss on my cheek and then laid his head in the crook of my neck."Queen (y/n) doesn't have a bad ring to it." His hand suddenly grabbed my ass and pulled me close, but with a giggle and a gentle shove I pushed him off.

"C'mon Jungkook. We still have to meet with Jimin and Tae." Jungkook shrugged, his hand interlacing with mine,

"they should just fuck already."

"Agreed." I hummed while a coy smirk played on the boy's lips,

"you know who else should fuck?"

"Jungkook!"

Taglist: @rebeccawoodrow @gee-nee @koochiekoo @justzeera @ggukkieland @plsky@busansgloss @justinseagoll @topthis808

#rogue firebender #atla fanfic #bts avatar #bts atla au #BTS jungkook #jung jungkook #JEON JUNGKOOOOOK #jungkook smut #jungkook x reader #bts #bts x reader #bts x you #bts x reader soft #bts x reader smut #bts x reader fluff #jimin x taehyung #Smut #bts smut

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firelxdykatara · 4 years ago

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lmao just because you’re brown doesn’t mean you can speak on indigenous issues why would katara want to rule the nation that colonized her and her people

the ambassador katara hc is right there and doesn’t perpetuate harmful tropes

good grief

to start off: while i’m white, and have never pretended to be anything else, this isn’t me speaking on ‘indigenous issues’. these are discussions about shipping. while it’s absolutely possible for indigenous issues to be discussed (for example, the discussions that went on over non-inuit artists drawing traditional tattoos on katara/sokka/other water tribe characters) as it relates to the water tribes, as far as shipping the characters go, there is no meaningful connection between east asia, specifically japan (which is primarily where the fire nation draws its inspiration) and indigenous populations of north america. this isn’t a pocahontas/john smith situation, and it’d be great if yall would stop pretending like it is. (nevermind the fact that pocahontas was a real person whose story was twisted against her will and propagated after her death, while katara is entirely a fictional character.)

onto the rest of your ask...

first of all, you can’t ‘colonize’ a single person. that’s not how it works or what the word means. secondly, katara’s people were never colonized. the earth kingdom was, although that doesn’t seem to stop people from shipping jetko (which should be the superior m/m ship in this fandom, but i digress), jinko, or toko (though the latter two are much more rare). what the fire nation did to the southern water tribe (specifically the SWT, because the north withdrew behind its own walls and was able to protect itself until the invasion at the end of book 1) was a slow cultural genocide, and that’s absolutely a horrific crime! however, the existence of this genocide hasn’t stopped anyone from shipping zukka--nor has the complete genocide of the air nomads (which actually can be likened to a real world historical event, considering that the AN are based on tibetan monks and there’s a history of genocide and oppression there, specifically by the chinese, from which the FN also drew elements) kept zukaang from gaining popularity.

which makes it start to sound like the real issue y’all have is katara, and, hmm, that’s really not a great look.

as to the ‘why’, gee, i don’t know? why would katara want to help a village full of fire nation citizens who’d done nothing for her and would probably have turned her and her friends over to the fn soldiers without a second thought, considering the way they turned on her towards the end of the episode? why would katara care what happens to the seat of power in the nation that had maintained war against the rest of the world for a century?

yes, ambassador katara is right there (regardless of how often zukka shippers would like to give that role to sokka instead, even though he’s the one who would choose pragmatism over compassion every single time, and was not one to exert himself to help others who weren’t in his immediate circle), and what do you know? most of us headcanon katara as being the SWT ambassador to the fire nation for years following the war! but we also headcanon that she and zuko fall in love, and something that people often do when they fall in love is get married.

if you think that public opinion (which, i’d argue, katara would change with sheer strength of will and righteous fury as she defends the common fn citizens from the nobles and ex-generals who would be reluctant to give up their wartime power) or potential political snaggles would be enough to keep katara from marrying the man she loves, i really don’t think you know katara very well.

#atla #zutara #katara #zuko #anyway like i've had this url for two years and it's not changing sorry #asked #Anonymous #atla fandom salt #salt for ts

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dianapocalypse · 3 years ago

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Alright y’all, with the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, it’s time for me to share my playlist for the entire trilogy.

I’ve refined this over like six years so scientifically speaking it’s probably good right. oh also it’s four hours long. so if you have a road trip or a boring job, this one’s for you. disclaimer, it’s entirely possible I have garbage taste in music. I also missed some characters and moments because there’s 65 songs here and I am merely human.

If you don’t have the patience for four hours, I recommend starting at track 45 and listening to the end, as the Mass Effect 3 portion is the strongest in my opinion.

UNDER THE CUT FOR DESCRIPTIONS WE GO!

FIRST MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 1

1. Atlas - Coldplay Eden Prime

“Sometimes the wire Must tense for the note Caught in the fire, say oh We're about to explode“

I really like the atmosphere of this song. It’s ominous, but also somehow hopeful, and makes me feel like Something Huge Is Coming.

2. I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song - Constantines Paragon Shepard

“But I was also born and raised To always speak and listen clear To know the last sound that I make Could be the last sound that I hear“

OK, listen, I think this song is about vampires, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a metaphor or not. But I think this is a great song about controlling one’s temper, about knowing that you have to Rise Above the parts of you that want to lash out sometimes to get things done and have peace. Seeing as how paragon Shepard, to me, always seems like they’re three deep breaths away from snapping, but manage to keep it in check, it fits them to a T.

And also maybe they’re a vampire.

3. Hard to Kill - Beth Crowley Renegade Shepard

“So I let the rumors Turn me into a legend 'Cause I'm only human But a good myth is hard to kill”

This one’s a recent addition, but holy cow, I love it for Renegade Shep, particularly an Earthborn or Ruthless, but it works for any of them.

4. We Own the Skies - Five Iron Frenzy Joker

“My hands are bleeding where they often crack The stars will sometimes burn with longing Through the choking black Of night shifts piling each against the next”

This really vibes with Joker’s backstory for me, his super driven serious self in flight school, contrasted with who he is when he can fly a ship. He’s the best pilot in the goddamn fleet and I love him.

5. I Just Wanna See - Smash Mouth Kaidan Alenko

“Mister moon checkin' on how y'all livin' The stars all winkin' at the day that's dimmin' I just wanna see”

This song fits into his reactions to first showing up at the Citadel and his former romanticism about living in space. Ironically, it’s a song about Earth, but I feel like it works well for him. Also, Smash Mouth absolutely sounds like the kind of music Kaidan would listen to, no I will not be taking questions or constructive criticism.

6. Don’t Give Up - Noisettes Ashley Williams

“She's got a talented face and a suitcase Ain't got no desire to go no place In her case she's got no desire with her hand in the flame say's she don't feel the fire “

The energy of this song is just perfect for Ashley’s no-nonsense chip on her shoulder attitude.

7. About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All - Dan Mangan The Council

“I was thrown in the boat/Cast out to sea Friendly with waves/There were sharks below Hungry for me/So I dangled my leg”

I mean, the title says it all.

8. The Captain - Guster Anderson

“Courageous, just like the captain Marching forward with no doubt in his head”

I have adored this song ever since my friend played it for me, and it’s the ultimate mentor-protégé jam for me.

9. Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers Garrus Vakarian

“Here's a man who leads a life of danger To everyone he meets he stays a stranger Oh, with every move he makes another chance he takes The odds are he won't live to see tomorrow”

I have to poke a little fun at Garrus and how seriously he takes himself in Mass Effect 1. I romanced him across four playthrus, I’m allowed!

10. I’m Getting Too Old For This Shit - Kill Lincoln Urdnot Wrex

“This random apathy/I swear it's killing me But I guess it's all the same, till the devil knows my name”

I don’t know ANYTHING about this band, but this song fits Wrex’s disillusionment with the Krogan well, plus, like. The title. (And also, that he secretly DOES care what happens to the Krogan.)

11. Bird Song - Juniper Vale Tali’zorah nar Rayya

“I want to dance on the horizon line But there is something I am caged behind I have a heart made for take flight But I'm low, so low”

I adore this song and the sound of Juniper Vale in general. The etherealness of this one, combined with the youthful optimism, feels very Tali. The line about ‘something I am caged behind’ works well for the suits, too. This one’s especially good if you’re a Talimancer!

12. 11. Green Garden - Laura Mvula Liara T’Soni

“And I’ll fly on the wings of a butterfly High as a tree top and down again Putting my bag down, taking my shoes off Walk on the carpet of green velvet”

I really like this song’s vibes and I feel like Liara fits it well, particularly in ME1, before all her youthful optimism is stripped from her. The scenery descriptions feel very Thessia, too.

13. Feed Me (Git It) - Little Shop of Horrors The Thorian

“The guy sure looks like plant food to me!”

Do you get it. Do you get my joke. It’s because the Thorian is a plant that eats people. (I’m not funny)

14. Blindness - Metric Matriarch Benezia

“I was a blind fool, never complained All the survivors singing in the rain “

I don’t love the use of blind here as a negative, albeit metaphorical, descriptor, but I think this song fits Benezia’s indoctrination and death well. If you have suggestions for another, though, let me know!

15. Technologic - Daft Punk Saren

“Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it”

I just think it’s Neat

16. Watershed - Vienna Teng The Reapers

“ While you were building your empires I was still sleeping”

I think this is the song that inspired the entire playlist. Vienna Teng sat down and decided to write a song from the perspective of a natural disaster, and it’s so ominous and gut-wrenching.

17. Hourglass - The Hush Sound Virmire

“This is how it ends We believe every lie and say we'll be friends How long will it last? Before we scratch all the scripts and we rework the cast “

hahahahah rework the cast get it because you have to pick who DIES

Seriously tho I really like this song for Virmire and that moment of choice that feels like it lasts 100 years on some playthroughts.

18. Pompeii - Bastille The Siege of the Citadel

“ And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love”

Throwback to when this song was on the radio like three times an hour. Which is around the time I made the first draft of this playlist, incidentally! It’s such a good Final Battle Jam for the Citadel, and the part about “if you close your eyes/does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all” I think work really well for Shepard in this sequence. Shepard knew the Reapers were coming, had been fighting them all along; this attack on the Citadel is just retreading familiar territory for them, as horrifying as the war being brought to their doorstep is for the Citadel’s citizens and the council. James Vega has some good dialogue about that kind of thing in ME3.

INTERLUDE THE FIRST

19. Starships - Nicki Minaj The Normandy Crew

Starships were meant to fly Hands up and touch the sky

I like to have a little fun OK

20. Gravity - Yoko Kanno The Death of Commander Shepard

“Am I alone? is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet still the road keeps on telling me to go on”

Welcome to mood whiplash, it’s my specialty! This is the part where you die. I think it also works for her coma very well, when she’s just drifting between life and death, not sure what’s going on, but something keeps trying to pull her back to the world.

SECOND MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 2

21. The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy The Lazarus Project

“Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix Then I'll raise you like a phoenix “

this song has no right to go as hard as it does and if you think it’s melodramatic shut up

22. My Body Is A Cage - Peter Gabriel Commander Shepard

“I'm living in an age Whose name I don't know Though the fear keeps me moving Still my heart beats so slow “

This works particularly well if you romanced The Virmire Survivor, but this song captures the energy of Shepard freaking out bc they are trapped with Cerberus, because Cerberus rebuilt their body from the ground up. That jarring, caged feeling is so palpable in ME2 that when they gave me back Joker the first time I played, I BURST INTO SOBS from relief.

23. The Lady is a Vamp - The Spice Girls Miranda Lawson

“That's all in the past, legends built to last But she's got something new”

Listen. She’s a bond babe. Handbags, heels and pistols rock. She’s got class. This is a song about Miranda. That is all.

24. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down Jacob Taylor

“ I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon After all I knew, it had to be something to do with you “

This one’s about the Vibes for me. Also can apply to his past relationship with Miranda. I’m also super showing my age on this song, oof haha.

25. Stable Song - Death Cab For Cutie Colony Abduction

“Rows of deserted houses all Our stable mates highway bound “

I really like the mood of this one for showing up on the very first abducted colony, the eerieness and sadness of it all and Shepard’s resolve to do something about it.

26. Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn Kasumi Goto

“I'm so very hot that when I rob your mansion You ain't call the cops, you call the fire station”

THAT COUPLET ALONE MAKES THE ENTIRE SONG. I love how playful and cheeky it is.

27. Seven Nation Army Glitch Mob Remix - The White Stripes, Glitch Mob Zaeed Massani

“And I'm talking to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette”

Pretty sure we all had this on some playlist or another when it came out, and it’s the perfect Badass With A Grudge song.

28. Science is Real - They Might Be Giants Mordin Solus

“ And when a theory emerges Consistent with the facts The proof is with science The truth is with science “

This one actually got added by my wife to replace a song that wasn’t on Spotify, but that has the same energy; Hank Green’s “I Fucking Love Science”. I get more into the emotional side of Mordin in the ME3 section, but I also really just love his Hamster On Coffee energy and this song captures it really well.

29. Prove Yourself - Radiohead Garrus Vakarian

“I can't afford to breathe in this town Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand Hooked back up to the cathode ray

I'm better off dead “

The absolute rock bottom mental state Garrus is in when you get back to him in ME2 is so heartwrenching. Might not always agree with my boy’s methods, but he’s one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

30. Rat a Tat - Fallout Boy Feat. Courtney Love Jack

“We are professional ashes of roses, this kerosene's live You settled your score, this is where you come to beg”

It helps that Courtney Love sounds exactly like Jack to me, NGL.

31. Defeat You - Smash Mouth Grunt

“Hey I know what you've done It makes it that much better to defeat you “

Only I am brave enough to put two songs by Smash Mouth on the same playlist, to be shared in 2021

32. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot - Brand New Horizon/The Virmire Survivor

“If it makes you less sad I will die by your hand Hope you find out what you want Already know what I am “

Hits harder if you romanced the Virmire Survivor. Mostly from Shep’s perspective. This is a Shep that feels Bad after that encounter rather than Mad, so Your Mileage May Vary.

33. Violet Stars Happy Hunting! - Janelle Monae Tali’zorah vas Neema

“I'm an alien from outer space I'm a cyber-girl without a face a heart or a mind”

I just like the vibes of this one for Tali! I know it’s more about an actual AI but...IDK. I like it. So there.

34. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd Thane Krios

“There is no pain you are receding A distant ship smoke on the horizon”

This song works both on a Literal level with his Kepral’s syndrome struggles, but also Metaphorical re: his Battle Sleep. Plus, Thane is a dad, so he gets Dad Rock.

35. My Medea - Vienna Teng Samara

“For I have made her prison be Her every step away from me And this child I would destroy If you tried to set her free “

Mom of the year award, here

36. Toxic - Britney Spears Morinth

“There's no escape, I can't wait I need a hit, baby, give me it You're dangerous, I'm loving it”

If Morinth weren’t so under-utilized after recruitment and didn’t get killed off in the background of ME3 I’d probably actually recruit her sometimes. I almost did on my most recent playthru bc that Shepard just HATES SPACE COPS. Anyway the song explains itself

37. Turn me On - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj EDI/The Collector Attack

“My body needs a hero Come and save me Something tells me you know how to save me”

I know this song is a metaphor but also it works really well both literally and metaphorically for Joker saving EDI

38. Robots - Dan Mangan Legion

“Robots need love too They want to be loved by you “

The Geth just want to live peacefullyyyyyy

39. Be Still - The Killers Love Interest Theme

“Be still / someday you’ll leave fearlessness on your sleeve”

This song works so well for the night before Omega-4. If you had an ME2 love interest, anyway. Also “fearlessness on your sleeve” is one of my favorite set of words ever written.

40. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire The Omega-4 Relay

“We know a place no spaceships go We know a place where no subs go “

This one’s pretty literal.

41. Rocketman - Elton John Suicide Mission

“ And I think it's gonna be a long, long time 'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home “

I like sneaking some Classics onto my playlists, and I think this is how I generally approach Shepard’s mindset during the Suicide Mission, mostly the chorus. I’m also a sucker for ballads during action sequences. This one isn’t a perfect 1:1 but the Vibes check out.

42. Blast Off - David Guetta feat. Kaz James The Normandy Crew

“Got all my people with me And none of us give a fuck So put dem hands up higher Let's smash this party up”

You have to imagine they partied HARD after recovering from Suicide Mission, but before Shep got arrested, right??? This is the Starships for ME2.

INTERLUDE THE SECOND

43. I’m Not Your Hero - Tegan and Sara Liara T’soni

“ Feeling like I am now lighting up the hall I was used to standing in the shadow of a damaged heart Learning all I know now, losing all I did I never used to feel like I'd be standing so far ahead “

This feels like a good coming of age moment for Liara, as she copes with the choices she made in the 2 years of Shepard’s death (giving them to Cerberus), losing Feron, etc. This is her coming into her own as the Shadow Broker. She’s not meant to be an uncomplicated Big Damn Hero, but she can do good from this position.

44. The Well and the Lighthouse - Arcade Fire The Alpha Relay Incident

“I'm serving time All for a crime I did commit You want the truth? You know I'd do it all again“

These opening lines I feel capture the Alpha Relay Incident really well, and how Shepard did what they HAD to do there, and would do it again, but it still feels like shit. I always wished there was more choice on that mission, but also, having something like that happen without player agency is interesting. Shepard is at their most interesting, I think, in times where we DON’T have a say in what happens to them.

45. Reignite - Malukah Commander Shepard

“Crush my heart into embers, and I will reignite”

Is it cheating to use a Mass Effect fan song on my playlist? I certainly don’t think so, and this is the best Mass Effect fan song ever written.

THIRD MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 3

46. This Is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars Leaving Earth

“It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie The moment to live and the moment to die The moment to fight, the moment to fight To fight, to fight, to fight “

It feels Too Easy to use this here but I’m gonna anyway. You’ve seen AMVs of this set to everything. It’s the ending song of DA:O. It’s the quintessential World At War song.

47. Battleborn - The Killers James Vega

“Up against the wall There's something dying on the street When they knock you down You're gonna get back on your feet”

James Vega is massively underrated and I will love him til I’m cold in the ground. Aro icon.

48. Handlebars - Flobots The Illusive Man

“I can hand out a million vaccinations Or let 'em all die of exasperation Have 'em all healed of their lacerations Have 'em all killed by assassination”

The way this song escalates fits TIM and Cerberus’s fall back into being Just Full On Evil really well. Perfect song for a power trip.

49. Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists The Virmire Survivor

“And I am nothing of a builder But here I dreamt I was an architect And I built this balustrade To keep you home, to keep you safe From the outside world”

I like this song for how the Virmire Survivor feels about their survivor’s guilt and also about Shepard. I honestly wish they were both more heavily utilized in ME2 and 3, but I realize it’s hard to write a ton of content for characters who just aren’t in half of all peoples’ playthrus.

50. Heaven Knows - The Pretty Reckless Grisson Academy

“One, two, three and four, the devil's knocking at your door Caught in the eye of a dead man's lie Show your life with your head held high“

This song is so perfect for Jack and her biotic kids that she’s one of the only returning characters that gets her own song on this playlist

51. The Great Fire - OK Go Javik

“But when the flames die down, and everything is gone, Will there be fire under the ashes still?”

Self explanatory. Javik is the fire remaining under the ashes.

52. Bring the Hammer Down - Paragon Priority: Tuchanka/Kalros

“ Hammer strikes the anvil A rage that breaks the chain Strikes down like a lightening In our ranks “

KALROOOOOS

53. Wake Up - Arcade Fire Curing The Genophage/Mordin Solus

“If the children don't grow up, Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up. We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turnin' every good thing to Rust I guess we'll just have to adjust”

I just really love this song as an image of Mordin’s spirit looking out over Tuchanka as the genophage cure is dispersed, and watching over future generations. If you didn’t cure the genophage, how dare you. No song for you.

Anyway started tearing up listening to this one while writing the description don’t look at me

54. Ballad of a Politician - Regina Spektor Councillor Udina/Priority Citadel 2

“A man inside a room is shaking hands with other men This is how it happens/Our carefully laid plans”

traitor

55. Cyborgs vs. Robots - Ludo The Geth-Quarian War

“But your iron fist will never knock me down 'Cause I'm powered By a conscious right to conduct my life without fear.”

This is probably a bit silly for this awful war. But also. It does fit. You can’t tell me it doesn’t. Just save them both at the end and you can feel fine having some fun with it!

56. Artificial Heart - Jonathan Coulton The Geth

“It's not a real heart It is a real artificial heart”

Just a little fun with the Geth! This works best with Reaper Upgrades.

57. With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Anderson, Jim Sturgess The Citadel DLC

“What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you, but I know it's mine

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”

I happen to prefer this version to any other because of how much fun it sounds like they’re having

58. Dark In Here - The Mountain Goats Priority: Earth

“Steal away at sundown, pick a place to hide Check for signs of ambush, hunker down inside Tired of running, tired of never standing still Hear them riding up the hill“

You know I had to get the Goats in here. Would it be a fan playlist if there wasn’t one?

59. Adieu - Yoko Kanno Leaving your Love Interest/Shepard and the Beam

“My love for you burns deep inside me / So strong Embers of times we had And now, here I stand / Lost in a memory I see your face, and smile”

...do I need to say more than that?

60. My Way (Minor Key) - Chase Holfelder The Indoctrination of The Illusive Man

“Regrets, I've had a few/But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do/I saw it through, without exemption“

This cover takes this song from something I tolerate when I hear it to one of my FAVORITE songs. The frenzied way he sings the “through it all” verse is PEAK Indoctrinated TIM.

61. I’m Alive - Disturbed Refusal

“There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice To change myself, I'd rather die/Though they will not understand”

Honestly I didn’t “get” the Refusal ending until I heard this song, then I was like, OH, I SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY NOW. This is my favorite in-universe Shepard take on the Refusal ending. I always got it from the player’s perspective of being dissatisfied with the options, but this one puts it into the world for me. This is a Shepard who does not trust the Starchild. This is a Shepard that chooses to end things on their own terms rather than submit to their designs.

62. Machine - Regina Spektor Control

“I collect my moments Into a correspondence With a mightier power Who just lacks my perspective And who lacks my organics And who covets my defects “

I used to have Adieu here, actually, because like Refusal, I didn’t used to GET the Control ending. Now, I do, in part thanks to hearing this song. I mean, just go look at the full lyrics. If this song hadn’t been written years before the end of Mass Effect 3, I’d swear it was a fan song for it.

63. Maybe Tomorrow - Yuki Kajiura Destroy

“The moon is gone And the night is still so dark I'm a little bit afraid of tomorrow“

I’m a Destroy Ending person, I won’t lie. Full on “the starchild is a liar and my synthetic friends are FINE” indoctrination theory level destroy ending. But this song is not about that. It’s about the canonical destroy ending, and if you prefer a Shep that survives it, this song’s for you.

This song captures the exhaustion and melancholy of the end of a long journey so well. Shepard is afraid of what comes next, the collateral damage resulting from their actions. But they know that, at least, it’s over now. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

64. Waiting For the End - Linkin Park Synthesis

“ I know what it takes to move on I know how it feels to lie All I wanna do is trade this life for something new Holding on to what I haven't got”

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. The hardest part of ending is starting again. Oof. Gets me every single time. Shepard finding the resolve to sacrifice themself for the hope of something better, of things not going how they planned, ever, of learning to make peace with that and the people who loved them learning to carry on without them? OOF.

65. Shine - Vienna Teng Epilogue

“Shine with all the untold Hold the light given unto you Find the love to unfold In this broken world we choose“

Vienna Teng is a master of capturing life’s softer emotions, and this fits perfectly with the epilogue scene for me. Tell me again about the Shepard.

“Find the love to unfold in this broken world we choose” has to be one of the greatest lines about the human experience ever written.

#mass effect #mass effect legendary edition #no one's gonna listen to this #but i need the world to know it exists #it took me as long as the playlist is to put this together

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phantompearlsalt · 4 years ago

Text

Sour Cherry, Chapter 15

We’re taking a break from the smut this week, folks! This update I bring you more soft Kuvira, specifically moments where our favorite girl needs some extra loving. We don’t see Kuvira as feeling much of anything in the show but I think we can all imagine she feels deeply and intensely so...that’s what this is kind of. She just has someone to love on her and reassure her ❤️ As always, I love to read your comments so feel free to drop some on AO3 or leave me some messages in my inbox! LOVE Y’ALL!

Ba Sing Se

It’s not unlike Kuvira to fall asleep at her desk these days.

You’ve been in the Earth Kingdom capital for some time now, and although the worst of the violence has since subsided, the imminent work of bureaucratization poses an overwhelming task.

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Kuvira will fully restore Ba Sing Se to its former glory — even improve it. Given Suyin’s decision to remain complacent in the face of such chaos, Kuvira symbolized the steady hand that would guide a city in disarray into an era of peace and unity.

From the moment she took it upon herself to oversee this venture, she proved time and time again that few people—if any—could assume such an undertaking and carry it to completion. She managed to instill a persistent flame of hope in everyone, even beyond her army. There was a reason her popularity grew so rapidly among the local residents.

She was the beacon of light no one had expected to find but now relied on as a means of getting through this period of such great distress.

But at the end of the day, Kuvira is still human.

Despite having initiated a new kind of relationship with her, you’re ashamed to say that sometimes even you forget this simple fact. Kuvira is many things: above all else, she is a strategist. Of course, this mentality shapes every move and decision she makes in Ba Sing Se and this extends far beyond politics.

She’s methodical in her approach to life, modulating her demeanor in a way that allows her to easily adapt to constantly shifting environments, people, and interactions. In doing so, she often becomes a force of pure energy, steady and obstinate. After all, one doesn’t become the Great Uniter by projecting any degree of weakness. The Earth Kingdom needed somebody who embodied strength, fearlessness, and hope. They needed to reclaim that sense of certainty that had been shattered the moment all structure—however precarious it was—vanished upon the Earth Queen’s death.

So when you walk into your makeshift quarters, lit up only by the dwindling flame of her desk lantern, it’s a sharp reminder that even Kuvira reaches her limits.

You walk over to her slowly, paying extra attention to the weight of your feet against the floor. When you reach her, you kneel down and carefully drift your fingers towards her arm. She has them folded beneath her cheek, her lips parted just enough for a faint whistle to travel between her teeth. You touch Kuvira’s shoulder and stay still, not wanting to rouse her from slumber too brusquely.

She sniffles once and the sound makes something in your chest twinge so you press your fingertips into her uniform just enough for Kuvira to feel the pressure of your hand more surely. “Kuvira,” you whisper. “It’s me.”

Upon hearing your voice, her eyelids snap open and even through the dusty orange glow of the room you can see just how bleary-eyed she looks. You wonder if anyone has ever seen her like this, walls down and vulnerable, but the answer comes to you before you dwell on it too long.

“I’m sorry,” she says, flattening out her back so she’s leaning into her chair. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me…”

“I think I do,” you respond, inching forward until your lips softly press against her cheekbone. “Come on, let’s get you out of this stuff.”

Never having been the recipient of such doting, it takes Kuvira a few moments to respond but she eventually stands and walks over to your shared bed. You pull away the sheets of metal along her shoulders and forearms, carefully setting them aside while Kuvira pushes the breastplate off her torso and lets it clatter to the ground.

Once she’s cloaked only in her dark green uniform, she collapses onto the bed and looks just about ready to pass out. There’s one more thing left for you to do though.

You quickly kiss the crown of her head before crawling onto the mattress and finding a position along her back, your knees positioned around her hips. Kuvira’s braid is barely a braid anymore, mostly a disheveled rope of hair with some vague semblance of pleated folds.

You make quick work of it, dragging your fingers through the thick strands and undoing the knots you encounter. Once it feels loose and heavy, you reach for the brush on your nightstand and start guiding it from the roots to the tips along her back.

It’s a choreography you unknowingly crafted at some point when you could finally call Kuvira your lover but it’s one that you fall into so easily it’s as though you learned it another lifetime. Your fingers know exactly how to glide through the silk-like texture of her hair, how to hold the contours of the brush so your movements stay slow and gentle. Kuvira lets herself fall against your palm and you imagine this might be how a moonflower preens beneath the glow of a stainless night sky.

You aren’t sure how long you brush her hair but eventually her breathing evens out again and can’t tell if she’s fallen asleep. She starts inching forward and it’s sufficient indication that you’ve done your part.

With a loving smile, you set the brush aside and guide her onto the pillow. Leaning down, you let your lips hover over her temple before finally pressing them against the soft skin. Though you attribute it to a trick of the light, you fall asleep to the image of Kuvira’s cheek twitching against your touch.

---

Republic City

In the context of all that was to come, three years seemed like such an insignificant period of time. There was so much left to do to consummate the burgeoning Empire. The vast majority of the former Earth Kingdom now fell under Kuvira’s rule but there was still the matter of Zaofu. The United Republic of Nations.

Although Kuvira had successfully wrested the authority to rule from the young prince, the Earth Empire army knew it was only the beginning of a much larger mission. The past three years hadn’t been easy by any means but there was something unusually intimidating about annexing Zaofu and the United Republic.

Perhaps because it felt much more personal. Of course, you felt the connection of a common background with all Earth Kingdom inhabitants but Zaofu was your home. You grew up there...Spirits, you probably still had loved ones there.

And Republic City? Maybe it was the way people and communities hailed from all nations and found ways to live in relative peace after the horrific events led by Amon and then Unalaq. But even then, all of it seemed precarious when compared to the vision Kuvira was putting forth.

As you drive away from the Four Elements hotel, Kuvira’s hand wrapped tightly around yours, you think back to Zaofu once more but this time you aren’t met with images of your old library or the bright green fields that lay beyond the metal walls.

No, you think of Suyin. She was the last person Kuvira spoke to before you left Republic City. You had waited in the shadows of the hotel patio after the failed coronation, hoping it would shroud you enough to avoid being seen by any of the world leaders.

Just when you were about to make your way upstairs Kuvira stepped out of the elevator, flanked by her guards. “Everything has been packed,” she said coldly. “We’re leaving. Immediately.”

She didn’t wait for you to respond, instead charging forward without a second glance at her surroundings. The interaction left you stunned before you finally came to your senses and scurried close behind her.

The first few seconds in the Satomobile were almost tangibly uncomfortable. You wanted to ask how she was doing, to soothe whatever venom Suyin had undoubtedly said. There was a dark shadow cast over Kuvira’s face, one that you hadn’t seen since you first left Zaofu all those years ago.

Instead you stayed quiet, folding your hands over your lap and looking at the cityscape zooming by. Eventually, Kuvira’s gloved hand slid over yours, twisting between your fingers until your palms met in that familiar embrace you could distinguish even without first knowing it was her.

As the train comes back into view, you squeeze Kuvira’s hand, hoping the sentiment translates all the same despite your inability to verbalize them. The tension in her body doesn’t loosen up but she closes her eyes momentarily and lets out a slow, even breath through her nose.

For now, it’s all you can ask for.

---

The State of Yi

The meeting with Yi’s governor ended poorly. Even without Kuvira’s report, the smattering of ink dripping from the metal table was indication enough.

After exchanging a few curt words with the young airbending boy, she makes her way back into the train and calls an impromptu Inner Circle meeting. Bolin reluctantly leaves Opal’s side while Baatar joins without hesitation.

The conversation is awkward at best, deeply uncomfortable above all else. Kuvira keeps it together quite well for someone who had been shunned away mere moments ago but you’re certain no one else can see the fire of indignation in her eyes.

“There has to be another way to help them, right?” Bolin insists. “Can’t we just stay another day? If we bring Opal and Kai on board, I bet we could come up with another plan to help these people.”

“You more than anyone should know we cannot afford to waste our time on fruitless negotiations,” Kuvira snaps. “I will not sacrifice the wellbeing of our fellow citizens who are willing to accept our aid for a single governor who refuses to acknowledge the suffering of his people.”

Varrick, Bolin, and Baatar end up falling into a chaotic exchange of potential solutions that very quickly wears Kuvira’s patience thin.

“Enough!” she commands. You watch in silence as everyone freezes and slowly submits to her exasperation. “I have made myself clear. We will wait one day — not an hour earlier or later. If the Governor would rather see his people perish, I will not be held responsible. This meeting is adjourned and I expect no one to leave this train unless expressly informed to do so.”

Everyone nods and promptly makes their way out of the room. You make a move to join them but wait for everyone to get ahead first before sliding the door closed and pivoting back towards Kuvira.

She’s silently fuming — a vein sticks out from over her collar and her hands are woven tightly together behind her back. You imagine she might look composed to others who don’t notice those details but you’ve learned to see past the iron facade she forges around herself.

You fold your hands over Kuvira’s and feel the tension her fists carry, the way it courses all along her arms and bleeds into the rest of her body. Kuvira isn’t known for being a very relaxed person — she’s all hard lines and perfect posture, angled features and unyielding brow.

But this rigidity is different because it’s fueled by ire. Kuvira doesn’t take refusal well and with most of the Empire united, the Governor’s reluctance proves especially inconvenient.

However, she softens into your touch and you start to see her for what she really is, for what she only allows you to see. A woman on the brink of burnout. A leader nonetheless, so close to securing all she has worked towards, but which she has sacrificed too much to achieve.

She unfolds her hands and weaves her fingers into yours, letting her shoulders drop just enough for you to know this is helping to some extent.

And even though it lasts no more than a minute, because suddenly you’re interrupted by the voices of her guards requesting her immediate presence, when she looks at you there’s a softness along the corners of her eyes that hadn’t been there before.

---

Zaofu

The army is stationed immediately outside the Zaofu metal domes. Kuvira had left with Bolin and Baatar moments ago to meet with Suyin and hopefully come to an agreement that would eliminate the need for outright combat.

You insisted on joining her, afraid of what she might be subjected to and unable to accept that potential reality. You never knew the Beifong matriarch to resort to violent tactics but her response to Kuvira’s actions led you to believe anything was possible at this point.

Nevertheless, Kuvira had none of it. “I’ll be with Bolin and Baatar — I’ll be safe. I know Suyin. She knows better than to try anything of that nature with our army posted just outside her gates. I promise you I’ll return, unharmed,” she reassured, kissing you once before making her way outside.

You pressed your hands against the window, watching as the three of them grew into small green dots that eventually disappeared past the metal lotus structures. Kuvira was smart, you didn’t doubt that. She could absolutely hold her own. Yet despite her attempts to sway you otherwise, you still found it difficult to accept that Suyin wouldn’t try anything.

So you paced back and forth, sitting and standing, fiddling with your hands and carelessly flipping through papers on your desk until you heard guards murmuring and saw Kuvira’s silhouette making its way toward the tent.

She returns with Bolin and Baatar at her side again and you notice the former appears rather grim. Nevertheless, you’re instantly hit with the searing desire to throw yourself around her, to feel the heat of her blood beneath her skin and the bends of muscle and bone pressing against yours.

She’s here. Obviously she’s okay. But you can’t shake the need to confirm it by feeling her and knowing she’s uninjured.

Bolin starts talking, a nervous edge in every word, asking too many questions that ultimately set Kuvira off. She towers over Bolin, questioning his loyalty to the Empire, to her, and you stand in your corner silently. Baatar watches with an almost smug look on his face and it makes you scowl.

“Both of you are dismissed,” Kuvira says when she steps back. Still thoroughly shaken by the encounter, Bolin stays frozen for a moment before Baatar coughs and they step out of the tent in tense silence.

Kuvira sits down and leans forward so her fingers press against her temples. She sighs frustratedly and tightens her jaw. Even with all that transpired in the past ten minutes, that instinct to hold her close and just feel her doesn’t waver but you know better than to cave into it right now.

She does look up at you and her face has grown haggard with frustration in the span of seconds. It startles you how easily she conceals this side of herself, doing so in a manner that seems so effortless that she has everyone convinced that she really is impenetrable.

Right now, she lets the veneer crumble until all that’s left is an expression so openly cumbered with fatigue it seems to draw you in with arms of its own, tugging you forward until you’re at Kuvira’s side and she’s still looking up at you.

Every possible gesture seems inappropriate. What could you tell her that would offer that reassurance she needs? How can you be sure that’s what she needs at all? She’s being faced with the increasingly likely reality of using brute force to take that which once served as her home.

You don’t know when Kuvira’s cheek presses into your belly but when it does, your arms wrap around her head of their own accord.

Kuvira’s body speaks to yours in a language of gentle touches and unspoken pleas. Naturally, you have come to understand the meaning of each movement and your body responds as such. You hold her close to your body, feeling her head dip into the soft flesh, and smooth her hair over her scalp.

You aren’t sure what’s going to happen next. The Avatar is still gone. Despite Kuvira’s threat, you know Suyin will not acquiesce and there is still the possibility that she will try something horrible to stop Kuvira. And even if you manage to successfully take Zaofu for the Empire, that leaves Republic City.

But with Kuvira’s head cradled in your arms, her cheek dipping into your torso, all of that stops meaning something if only for a moment. Right now you have each other. Most importantly, Kuvira has you. And you’ll figure everything out as you go.

#sour cherry #kuvira/reader #kuvira x reader #kuvira legend of korra #kuvira lok #avatar lok #x reader #reader insert #soft #fluff #soft kuvira #anywayssssss I just wanna love n comfort her ugh

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