#zk month 2016

[osrphotography]

ZK-TLE [Boeing 737-300F] seen on finals for 23L. (2020)

This 737F has had a very long history, and as such, I'm going to gloss over some details.

In the early 1990s, the aircraft was leased to TACA International Airlines, El Slavador, and was then subleased to Freedom Air, NZ in 1996.

Registered as SJ312 it arrived at Hamilton Airport (HLZ/NZHN) and served for a year before being re-registered as SJ100 and being flown back to the United States.

After bouncing around South America and Europe, it returned once again to the US and was converted to a freighter in 2011 and was leased, then registered, to Airwork (NZ) Ltd.

It operated as AWK001 (AKL-SYD) until 2016 on behalf of Toll Holdings Ltd. In 2020, a month after I took this photo, it was officially withdrawn and flown to Bucharest by December.

It is seen here sans Toll logos, days before export.

Now, at the time, I was unaware that it was due for export, so I missed its departure.

Upon arrival at Bucharest, it was due to be sold to Olympus Air, who briefly sent a 757F here. Things didn't work out and it was registered OE-IFE.

This also didn't work out and just months after being cancelled from the register it was sold back to Airwork and came back in 2022.

A full history can be found here

[konggodzuko]

It was so unbelievably jarring when it started. I'd joined the fandom some time in late 2015/early 2016. And it was quiet. Sure, people got nasty anons and the occasional jerkoff reblogged a ZK post to argue, but it was rare. Memories and signs of the Old Shipping Wars were fading.

then suddenly ATLA went on Netflix and we were suddenly fucking under attack. Months upon months of Discourse. Got so bad we lost just, so many creatives who couldn't deal with the drama or were actively pushed out.

I'm glad for the new tentative peace but man did the "ATLA Renaissance" do a number on us.

so glad the atla renaissance is over. zutara fans were in the mf trenches in 2020. good riddance to all those mfs who became fans when netflix picked up atla and decided it was now woke to bully anyone who liked zutara, as if they were being activists by harassing people who enjoy a harmless fictional pairing.

and that’s not even touching on the misogyny directed at katara, or their reactions when you, god forbid, had ANY criticism about aang and how the narrative treated him.

they thought they were so goddamn enlightened and progressive but refused to acknowledge how katara was mistreated in the show or how aang never had to take accountability or better himself and was still consistently rewarded by the narrative. in fact they didn’t just not acknowledge all of that, they perpetuated it.

FUCK renaissance fans FUCK their misogyny FUCK their performative activism FUCK their inability to interpret media critically and FUCK their inability to think critically at all.

[araeph]

Defiance, Part 8

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7]

Summary: Katara never thought she’d take shelter from the Water Tribe in the Fire Nation. Zuko never thought he’d build a life with someone he is only supposed to be seeing for fun. And neither one knows just how close their countries are to self-destruction.

[For Zutara month, Day 8, “Spice”] 

Katara prided herself on her swimming skills, but the eelhound certainly would give her a run for her money, even including waterbending. It’s a shame they’re cold-blooded, she thought as her ride zipped across the open water toward the heart of the Fire Nation. Dad would love to speed through the ocean like this!

She clung with her knees, the way she remembered doing as a girl when she was still small enough to ride the penguins. Everything from her waist down was below the water line, but the ocean was so warm here, it would have been enjoyable even if she weren’t inured to the cold. By and by, she sneaked a glance at the Blue Spirit, as he apparently preferred to be called. His attention was fixed on guiding the eelhound, though one hand still lay steady on her waist. They were definitely making good time, but there was no reason for her not to help out a bit.

Bringing her hands out to the sides, she made a scooping motion and plunged them into the water. Every few seconds, she repeated the gesture on either side of her.

A stifled laugh vibrated from the Blue Spirit’s chest. Katara couldn’t blame him; it must look like she was trying to dog paddle her way to the main island.

“Having fun?” he asked.

She splashed him affectionately. “Someone has to.”

“Hey!” He spluttered. “You just had a run-in with pirates, and I narrowly escaped assassination. I’m already overdue back home, and you just lost—” he stopped himself. “I’m sorry.”

“I lost my scroll,” she finished resolutely. “And you know what else? It’s a beautiful sunny day, and I haven’t seen water so blue before, and I’m on the back of a creature I never thought I’d see in my life.” She patted the eelhound, who made a series of soft clicking noises in response. “Just because bad things happen to you doesn’t mean you can’t make a good life. And you are lucky enough to be riding with someone who can cook you the best fried sunfish you’ve ever tasted. Once we get to shore, I’ll get a fire started and then we’ll eat.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, after spending hours fishing. I can’t afford that.”

“Who said anything about hours?” She trailed a handful of dazzling clear drops behind the movement of her hand. “I’m Water Tribe, and there are boatloads of fish in these currents. I wouldn’t be a grown woman if I couldn’t provide a meal for us while we were on the move.” She broke the rhythm of her bending to tuck a hair back from where the breeze had blown it free. “Unless you have to leave right after we make landfall.”

A heavy sigh resonated through him and the arm holding the reins dropped slightly. “Unless you’re the fastest fisher I’ve ever seen, I’m going to have to pass on that.”

Katara turned her head away to hide a smirk. “Sounds like a challenge.”

***

Whatever she had expected the Fire Nation to be, this wasn’t it. Katara had built her dreams on visions of fiery lava spewing forth from volcanoes and a sky choked with ash, the way it had been in her homeland when the Raiders came. This … this was an alien land, but it wasn’t hostile. The sun was sharp and blazed along her skin wherever it touched her, but it was also gentled by the greenery which enclosed the inlet that their tiny sailboat bumped against when they reached the shore.

Katara lifted her face skyward. It was warm out, but also hazy. Water rested, untouched, in the air; water soaked into the clumpy black earth; water dripped from flower to flower in the form of dew and nectar. She was right, too: they’d made good time, and had an hour to spare in order to prepare their dinner.

As soon as his footsteps receded, Katara wrangled the first big fish she saw out of the water—a bright flailing sunfish that startled her with its iridescence. Then she whisked two smaller fish from the waves and dropped them at the eelhound’s feet, whispering to the creature to keep it a secret between them before she secured his harness to a nearby tree.

By the time she’d made it to the clearing he’d picked out, the Blue Spirit had coaxed a fire into life. He held out his hand for the fish, but Katara shook her head and insisted on cleaning it herself.

(“Unless you want your throwing knives to smell?”

“All right, all right!”)

The crackling fire provided more conversation than they did, at first. Between smooth, even strokes of her knife, Katara caught herself stealing looks at his mask, but didn’t know what to say to him. Is this where they parted ways? Thanks for saving me, off I go? There was so much more she wanted to know about him—and about why she had been able to see him, inside and out, with her waterbending under the moon.

Finally he interrupted her thoughts. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“When you were yelling at me this morning. Look, I know my people have done some awful things to you and yours, but it was just so—out of the blue. Did I offend you or something?”

“Well, look who’s talkative all of a sudden,” she said without looking up. The lack of response told her he was still waiting. “It wasn’t you,” she admitted. “Really. It’s just that I’ve been put in a really difficult position lately, and maybe it wouldn’t have happened except that—you know.”

“Except the Fire Nation attacked.” Taking a heated flat stone from the fire, he held out his hand again and Katara slid the fish onto it gingerly. “I’ve heard it before. And we’re trying to make up for it. But it hasn’t been easy when no one will give us a chance.”

“What do you mean, like when?”

He shrugged. “The Earth Kingdom cities won’t let up on their rice tariffs. If we didn’t provide them with coal and oil, there would be mass starvation by now. The Air Nomads are gone, and no one’s been able to find a way to bring them back. Even the Avatar left us by never being reborn.” There was something wistful in his voice and Katara wondered where it had come from. “The Northern Water Tribe won’t stop hammering us for more reparations, and with no political inroads into the South, we have no way of knowing if they’re even reaching their intended recipients.” He scowled. “Maybe you have something to say about that?”

An ice-cold shiver went up her spine. “What reparations? I’ve never heard anything about them.”

“Well, you probably haven’t,” and she could just tell he was eyeing her sun-faded tunic and leggings, “but I hardly think Chief Arnook missed a dozen ironclads bringing gifts to his harbor. Anyway, even if they’re not getting through to the South, we still owe the Northern Water Tribe, too.”

“I’m not from the north.” She rose up and briskly turned the fish over in the fire. “I’m not even part of the delegation.” Before he could ask, she added, “And no, I’m not ready to talk about it.” She motioned to his mask. “You have secrets, and I have mine. But the thing that brought me here … it’s a Water Tribe thing. Not a Fire Nation problem. So you can rest easy, Blue Spirit. I won’t fight you unless you force me to.”

He nodded, refusing to dismiss her fighting skills as quickly as he’d dismissed her manner of dress. He might be a bit snobbish, but he didn’t discount her because she was a woman. It filled her an odd kind of relief, like a band relaxing around her ribcage.

A rustling sound made her whirl around, but it was only the eelhound, its reins a sodden, destroyed mess dragging behind it. It sidled up to Katara, as if trying to curry favor.

“What—what the—” Katara put her hands on her hips. “I tied your knots good and tight, mister!”

“It’s a female,” said the Blue Spirit. “And it probably just climbed the tree and stripped the branches off until it could slip the lead over the trunk. They’re very intelligent; you’re lucky it likes you.” He paused. “I probably should have warned you about that.”

“Who care? It’s amazing,” said Katara, peering into the topaz eyes of the eelhound. “Can I name her?”

“No!”

***

Katara decided to name the eelhound Click-Click, for the sounds it made when she fed it fish scraps after they’d had their dinner. The Blue Spirit vigorously objected, pointing out that they would have to trade her in for something less flamboyant if they wanted to avoid detection in the Caldera. Since they were having this argument atop said eelhound, Katara got to call it Click-Click a few more times before she reluctantly agreed. Still, she made him promise to give Click-Click a nice home and to see if she could come visit sometime. She smirked at the exasperated sound that followed. It was just so entertaining to tease him.

But when she arrived at Caldera City, she slipped off the saddle without a word, mouth open in awe.

I’ve made it. I’ve really made it!

She knew the Fire Nation was more advanced than the Water Tribe, having seen their ships and perused the marketplace on Ember Island, but she’d never have been able to envision the sheer complexity on her own. The citizens of the Caldera swarmed around her, silk of glaring red and muted burgundy hanging impeccably from their tall, wiry frames. Every so often she caught a gleam of gold in the eyes around her, usually from the men and women who were trailed by a retinue of servants.

Katara wiggled her foot across one of the clean-swept bricks in the road. It fit seamlessly in with its brothers and glared white in the mid-afternoon sun. Gold tipped the points on the rooftops and metal dragons stood guard over the doors with buffed, gleaming handles. Every hat she saw was slightly different, with the exception of what seemed to be a regiment of schoolchildren in uniform. They marched passed her, most barely deigning to look her way, although a few of them were too young or to curious to refrain from turning their heads. Katara was oddly reminded of the flock of penguins that had interrupted her walk on her last night at home.

A whiff of something pungent and sweet caught her off-guard.

“Ahh … ahh-choo!” 

Several people stopped to look at her. Katara covered her nose and turned from one highly offended face to the other. She felt her cheeks heat.

“Well, it’s not my fault!” she said. “It’s not as if I ahh ah-CHOO!”

There was the sound of a dozen slippered feet scuttling back. When Katara’s eyes opened again, she felt an odd emptiness to her right. Instinctively, she turned around.

The Blue Spirit was gone! He and the eelhound had vanished as if they’d never been there.

“Hey!” she said indignantly, hands on her hips. “You can’t just ditch me!” Her gaze swung from one bone-white face to the next, seeking the familiarity of the blue mask in a sea of strangeness. “Look, I know you’re here. ANSWER ME!”

More city dwellers began inching away, and Katara had to refrain from sneezing a third time. This time, there was another scent mingling with the first—a sharp, aromatic tang that she couldn’t quite place.

Abruptly, she felt a tug at her elbow. Katara barely caught sight of a scarlet cloak before she was not-so-gently escorted to a side street. She still couldn’t see his face, but his indignant huffs were all she needed to discern the man’s identity.

“I can’t take you anywhere,” the Blue Spirit muttered, now under a hood of red. “I was finding a safe place for the eelhound, like you wanted.”

Another time, she would have taken exception to that; now, her curiosity outweighed her pique at being thought of as an annoyance. “What was that—those strange smells?” She pointed to a building with ornate lattice windows and a heavily embroidered curtain in front of the door. “They were coming from inside there.”

“Cardamom,” said her companion. “And purple pepper, which our ancestors brought over from the Sun Warriors. We use them to season our food.” The Blue Spirit sniffed the air. “Cloves, too. For clearing the air, getting rid of bugs.”

“There are more bugs?” Katara wrinkled her nose. “Back home, we only had a few arctic worms we’d use for bait. But they were difficult to find.”

He snorted. “Get used to it. Mosquito-flies, dung roaches, and spider snakes, not to mention three-tailed scorpions. Which reminds me, make sure to check your shoes before you put them on for the day. The smaller the scorpions are, the nastier, and they love to nest in your boots.”

The hood half-turned in her direction and paused. “Feel like going home yet?”

“Not even a little.” She nudged him. “Not that I’d mind knowing where you’re taking me.”

“Someplace safe. It’s, uh, a little out of the way, though.” Her companion shifted his weight—odd, since he was usually so light on his feet. “Um. How comfortable are you with being not in the most, uh, refined part of town?”

“Okay, look, Spirit. Just because I don’t flaunt the latest fashion—”

“That’s not what I meant!” A pale forearm snaked out to tug the hood down farther. “I meant that the area of town we’re going to isn’t … how do I put this …”

But as they were walking, Katara had taken in the abundance of flashy lanterns, incense and furtive looks of some of the men who hastened through beaded curtain doorways. She knew perfectly well where they were heading. “Isn’t exactly respectable?” she offered with a smirk. “We’re in the red lantern district, aren’t we? At least that’s what they call it in the Earth Kingdom.”

He stiffened and tried to whirl around, but stopped himself halfway through and faced away from her. “How did you know? I, I mean, if you do know, that’s none of my business. I just didn’t think that you, I mean you don’t wear makeup or anything, but you’re certainly beautiful enough … ”

She couldn’t help it; she burst into a fit of laughter.

The billowed cloak only slightly muffled his indignation. “It’s not funny!”

“Oh, yes, it is. And by the way, I was on a pirate ship, Spirit,” she reminded him. “I spent weeks working with lowlifes who visited every pleasure house and seedy tavern that they possibly could.”

He seemed to be tilting his head in contemplation. “But how did you protect yourself? It’s not like you had bodyguards. There are men on these streets who would kidnap you in a heartbeat.”

“I wore a disguise. Kind of like you. It was just some old scraps of fabric, but it protected me.” And other people, too, she added silently. There’d been a mugging or two she’d stopped before the thieves knew what hit them, though she knew all too well how little experience she had in a fight. She’d left the costume on the pirate ship and for a moment wished she hadn’t. 

But Katara was enjoying his discomfiture too much to dwell on her past. She pointed to a wheel of stone pomegranates that decorated the doorway of one of the establishments. “Look, seven. That’s how many men they keep on retainer. And the knotted tassels hanging from that window—”

There was a slight choking sound from beneath the hood. “I don’t want to know.”

“Well, then you shouldn’t have brought me to such an interesting place.” She regarded the scarlet hood thoughtfully. “You seem more weirded out than I am.”

“I don’t go here if I can help it. I mean, these days I have, but not to, uh, stay overnight. More to survey—in preparation for—things.” He sighed. “It’s complicated. I have to investigate beforehand, and fun is the last thing on my mind. See, in the position I’m in, I have to be careful. Who I’m with. When I’m with them. What the consequences are. And even if it’s only temporary, I have to know who I’m dealing with.”

“Hmm.” She surveyed the nearly empty street. “It’s kind of missing the point then, don’t you think?”

“Huh?”

She gestured around her. “This. We don’t have anything like this in the Water Tribe; each family keeps to its own. But from what I hear, these establishments are supposed to be for enjoyment and relaxation.”

“So … ”

“So, Spirit, are you having fun doing your little investigations? Is it relaxing, vetting every single person you come across?” The thought irritated her for some reason. “Why don’t you just get to know the person you’re with, and then go for it? Or at least have a genuine good time with them, like friends.”

He started. “Friends? I can’t go looking for friends!”

“Why, is it against some rigid Fire Nation statute?” She pursed her lips, ignoring the thirst that was beginning to build from the heat of the afternoon. “Look, we can make it simple. When was the last time you had fun? Actual, laugh-out-loud fun?”

“I …” he trailed off. “I don’t remember. Maybe you’re better at it than I am.”

That left Katara at a loss. For a while, she simply leaned against a street corner, watching the passersby. A gentle breeze wafted the air, carrying the last remnants of the foreign aromas. Overhead, a hawk circled into the eye of the sun.

“No,” she said softly at last. “I’m not really good at it. At all. My brother is the goofy one. I always feel like I have to be the parent around him. And my mom—” her voice grew shaky. “My mom wouldn’t have wanted him to grow up all serious, so I had to be. I knew what could happen. My dad used to laugh a lot more than he does now, and, well ... Sokka should stay the way he is.”

He drew closer, so their arms were just pressed together. “When was the last time you had fun, Katara? Actual, genuine fun?”

It had been when she was waterbending, but Katara wasn’t willing to admit it. It was a necessity revealing what she was to the pirates, but alone in the Fire Nation, she wasn’t going to take the risk. “Swimming,” she decided to say instead. It was the truth, sort of. “The waters around my tribe will freeze you to death, but we can still swim if we cover ourselves in animal fat and keep it short. Here, I was able to swim all the way to the dock in my clothes! The water is so lovely and clear … ” she made a sigh of contentment.

“You’d like it,” he said, “back on Ember Island. The water stays warm year-round, and if you rent one of the beach houses, you can fall asleep to the sound of the sea. There are plenty of things to do around town, too—it’s not just markets. There are street performers and a theater that my mom used to take us to.”

“Theater?” Katara turned to face him. “What’s that like? Is that where you got your mask?”

He involuntarily put a hand to the shadows that shrouded his face. “I made my mask, I didn’t buy it. You … you’ve never been to the theater before?”

She shook her head wordlessly.

He reached out and took hold of her arm. “There’s one nearby, about five blocks away.” He cleared his throat. “Wait. Wait, I should—” he relinquished his hold and held out a hand instead. “Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, it would be a great honor for you to accompany me to the theater.” He stiffened. “I mean, for me to accompany you! We’d have to go in disguise, but I think it would be really fun and maybe I could steal a mask for you and come back and pay for it later.”

She nodded, hoping that would put an end to the monologue that she could tell was mortifying him more with each passing second. Sadly, it wasn’t enough.

“We, we can stop and get some food so your stomach doesn’t growl like it was doing earlier?”

She gave him a look.

“R…right…” he trailed off. “Sorry. I’ll just—”

Katara reached out and took his still-outstretched hand. “It’s okay, Spirit,” she said. “You’re right, I’m hungry. Just promise me you can take me someplace where I won’t burn the roof of my mouth off.” She felt a smile begin to form. “And I’d be happy to go to the theater with you.”

“Good. That’s--good. I’ll show you to an inn tonight and pick you up tomorrow afternoon.”

He raised his head, and for just a fraction of a second, she caught a glimpse of a pale chin and a bright golden eye before he retreated back into his cloak. Who was this man she was confiding in? Did he have a sordid past? Was he on the run from the law?

She shook off her doubts. He’d had all the opportunity he needed to try and manipulate her, attack her, deceive her … but he hadn’t. And maybe it was just her imagination, but underneath the mysterious blue and white facade, there lay an almost painful awkwardness. He was human, underneath it all.

It works both ways, Katara decided. If he’s trusting me, I will trust him. At least for now.

***

Five minutes later …

“You promised the food wouldn’t be hot!”

“It isn’t!”

[archergwenwrites]

ZM Day 30 - Pillowtalk

“Hey Zuko,” Katara whispered, rolling over.

He made a vague sound of acknowledgement.

“Zuko,” she whispered again, scooting a little closer. Her fingers ran up his spine to rest on his shoulder. “Are you awake?”

“Mrrrumpphf.”

She tugged on his shoulder. “Zuko?”

Slowly, like an ancient god woken, her husband rolled to face her. Blearily, his eyes blinked open and came to rest on her face. His reply escaped him in one tired breath. “What?”

“I need to show you this cat video.”

[silver-sphere]

Zutara Month 2016, day 10- Bows

Ten years after the end of the war. The Water Tribe ambassador bowed to the Fire Lord- and the Fire Lord bowed back. 

Just quickly cleaned up a doodle in my notebook, ‘cause I really should be studying...

[sithzutara]

Day 26 ~ Sacrifice 

“ No. If I let myself love you, I won’t throw myself in front of [ the person I’m supposed to protect ]. I’ll throw myself in front of you. “

/ / military au / /

[nyangibun]

Zutara: Day 5 - Distance

So this is 1000 years late but I’m determined to do every single prompt so here we go. Better late than never!  This is a continuation of Day 2′s Eve and Day 3′s A New Year. 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Ao3 Link

They aren’t dating. In fact, they aren’t even speaking.

Katara should have known better. One brief passionate kiss on a balcony hardly meant they were going to end up together – yet she had still hoped, still yearned deep into the night that he would sail to the South Pole to beg for her back. He never came though, and the days quickly turned to months as Katara found a bitter sort of acceptance that he didn’t love her anymore. The only thing left to do is move on. Maybe in a few years, Katara would be over the young Fire Lord. Maybe then, she could fall in love with someone more attainable, someone less confusing and infuriating.

Only she has spent nearly three years in love with the man. All efforts at trying to get over him had been pointless. Now that she knows what his lips taste like or how his body feels against hers, how could Katara ever hope to move on?

It’s impossible. It’s absurd. It’s –

“Master Katara?”

Her eyes snap to her right and she blushes furiously when she realises she hasn’t been paying attention to a single thing the council has been saying. Katara bows her head in remorse. “I must apologise. I am simply not feeling… like myself today.”

Chief Arnook nods in understanding and concern. “That is most unfortunate. Why don’t we adjourn for the day? We can reconvene tomorrow and talk about the logistics of this centre then. It has been a long journey and I am sure my men are most eager to eat and rest.”

“Of course,” Katara says, and as the entire council stands, she dutifully falls in line behind her father and Sokka when they exit the tent.

The wind curls deeply around her, nipping at any exposed skin it can find, as soon as the tent door flaps shut behind her. It has been months since the New Year’s party, and although it is July, the frigid temperature seems determined to stay. This isn’t abnormal for the South Pole but it is the coldest summer anyone has faced in a long time. Katara wraps her parka tightly around her body and heads for the cluster of tents in the back where the women are cooking. Although her reputation as a master waterbender has helped open doors for other female waterbenders, deep-rooted tradition and culture is hard to uproot. Most non-bending women are still expected to cook, clean and care for the house as the men deal with everything else. Katara is determined to change that, but she also knows patience is key here.

The walk is thankfully quiet but harder to do against the biting winds. Her braid whips against her face as she tries to trudge on, but when Katara steps on a thin sheen of ice, she loses her footing and nearly goes crashing into the snow. She is saved when a rough hand grabs her forearm and steadies her. Tanned skin and bright crystal blue eyes meet her own as she rights herself back up.

“Are you alright?”

“Um…” Katara breathes out. Every man in the Southern Water Tribe is older than her and usually much older than her. The only one even remotely close to her age is Sokka and he’s her brother. This man staring back at her is certainly not her brother and certainly not middle-aged. “I’m fine. I’m… okay. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” he says with a booming chuckle. “I couldn’t let the legendary Master Katara fall flat on her face. I’d be kicked out of the tribe if I let that happen!”

She chuckles, blushing at his words and hating herself for being so susceptible to a handsome man’s compliment. “I’m not legendary.”

“You beat the Fire Princess and you helped the Avatar save the world. I think that’s pretty legendary,” he tells her seriously, but there’s a twinkle in his eyes that suggests he’s flirting with her. Now that is definitely something she’s not used to. At least not in recent years.

“I… Um, who are you?”

“Oh, where are my manners! I’m Shodo. I came with Chief Arnook,” he says brightly, and offers her his hand.

Katara shakes it and nods. “I see. You’re here to help build the waterbending centre? That must mean you’re a waterbender too.”

“Yes, but I’m sure I’m not quite as good as you are, Master Katara,” Shodo says with a slight bow but the twinkling is still there and she’s beginning to realise these compliments are only there to stroke her ego.

“You wouldn’t be here with Chief Arnook if you weren’t good, Shodo,” Katara says evenly. She may not be used to flirting but she knows better than to fall for false compliments. Besides, Shodo is much too narrow for her taste. Now that she’s really looking, his nose is also too round and his jaw is too wide. He’s not that handsome after all. Definitely not her type.

“I can’t possibly compare to the beautiful –”

Thankfully his words are cut short as shouts are heard from further in the village. Katara doesn’t spare a glance for Shodo before she starts racing towards the noise. The alarm hasn’t been raised so that’s a good sign, but there’s still fear and panic in the eyes of her people, so Katara bends a thin sliver of water to her side just in case.

As she reaches the water’s edge, Katara sees the Fire Nation vessel and skids to a stop. Shodo, who has been running right behind her, stumbles into her back until they’re both sprawled on the snow. Her cheek is resting against the cold ground as she’s kept down by the weight of Shodo on top of her. She tries to move but he’s too heavy. Katara could fling him off with a simple flick of her wrist but that wouldn’t do for the relations between the North and the South.

“Uh, Shodo? Can you please get off of me?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry! Okay, here, let me just…”

Katara feels him shift his body but then he slips and tumbles back on top of her. “Shodo!”

“Sorry, Katara. It’s slippery!”

A pair of black curled toe boots come into view from where she’s lying. Someone coughs roughly before Shodo is being yanked off of her and thrown several feet away. She can tell by the way the snow crunches under his weight and also by the loud yelp of pain as he lands with a thud.

Once back on her feet, Katara glances towards her saviour, ready to thank him, when she jumps away in surprise. “Zuko! What are –”

“Can we talk in private?” he asks, cutting her off.

For a second, all Katara can do is stare. He seems older than when she last saw him. The aristocratic slope of his nose seems more pronounced, his jaw more angular, and that’s when she realises how gaunt he looks. Zuko has lost weight. Even his broad shoulders have slimmed in the past few months. The urge to rest a hand to his scarred cheek and comfort him is overwhelming, but the pained look in his eyes is enough to stop her. Instead, Katara rests both of her hands on either hip and scowls. “Why? So you can kiss me again and leave without a word for seven months? Seven months, Zuko!”

He rubs his face and looks down. “I know. I’m sorry, Katara. I really am but I can explain.”

 “Is that why you’re here? To explain yourself? You know a letter works just as well!”

“Please, Katara, just let me –”

“No, you had seven months to explain yourself! You could’ve written. You could’ve done anything but you let me sit here thinking – well, you know what? It’s too late, Zuko!”

By now, they have gathered quite a crowd and Katara is distantly aware that her father and brother are also somewhere in this crowd. She doesn’t care anymore though. She’s too hurt, too angry to bother with keeping quiet.

“You’re lying,” Zuko points out, as his eyes flicker back to hers. “You still love me.”

“How dare you!” she shouts, incensed by the sheer arrogance of him – even if he is right. “I don’t and I regret ever thinking I was!”

Zuko smirks and takes a step forward. Katara instinctively steps back. This only makes him smirk even wider. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“I don’t care if you don’t believe me. That’s the truth.”

“Katara,” he says as he inches closer. “Do you know how hard it was for me not to jump into that boat with you? Not to commandeer my fastest ship and sail after you?”

“Why didn’t you?” she snaps.

“Because we found another rebel faction,” Zuko explains. “And then I had to go to Ba Sing Se to talk with King Kuei about reparations. Then I had to oversee the creation of another factory mill. Then I had to attend council meetings.” He inhales deeply and shakes his head. “There is so much that comes with being Fire Lord. There is never a moment to myself. I was sleeping three, four hours a night, Katara. I shouldn’t have been able to function as I did. But I suppose I didn’t.

On a routine checkup around one of the poorer districts in the Fire Nation, we were attacked and I was so tired I didn’t see him coming. He had me pinned down in seconds, a knife in my stomach. And as I laid there, bleeding out onto the street, you know what I was thinking?”

When Katara doesn’t respond, Zuko continues with a rueful smile.

“I was thinking about how I should have just gone after you. How it didn’t matter if I made the Fire Nation the most successful nation in the world. At the end of the day, no matter how much I love my country and my people, I love you more.”

There’s a muffled sniffle from behind Katara but she’s too focused on Zuko to really notice. It’s the most she’s ever heard him speak without addressing a room full of diplomats. It’s the most sincere she’s ever seen him. It’s made it hard for her to stay angry. She was so determined to finally push him out of her life once and for all, but Katara should’ve known that she would never have been able to do that. Zuko is as much apart of her as she is apart of him.

“Zuko, I –”

“Oh, kiss him, Katara! If you don’t, I will!”

Zuko’s face flushes a bright red, his eyes going comically wide.

“Sokka, shut up!”

But she doesn’t need to be told twice. In one quick move, Katara has her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and her lips pressed up against his. She pours every roll and swell of her emotions into the kiss and delighting when she feels Zuko reciprocate it in every way. When they finally break apart, Katara notices they are suddenly alone.

“I guess we grossed them out,” she says, blushing.

Zuko touches her cheek with a gentle stroke of his finger. “Nothing gross about what we just did.”

“Probably gross for Sokka though. And my dad!”

“Katara, can we not talk about your family while I’m thinking about all the ways I want to kiss you?” he asks with a roll of his eyes. “It’s really distracting.”

She blushes again. “Okay, um... what other ways do you want kiss me?”

Zuko smirks, and this time, she feels only desire curl in the pit of her stomach instead of anger. “How about you accept my job offer and I’ll show you?”

“What offer?” Katara asks, pulling back slightly from his embrace to look at him. “What kind of job?”

“Come back to the Fire Nation with me. Be an ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe,” Zuko says carefully, golden eyes studying her for her reaction. “Be my trusted advisor.”

“Zuko, you’re asking me to leave my home. My people.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” Zuko acknowledges with a sigh. “But for nearly three years, I’ve wandered around wondering why nothing feels quite right when everything I have ever wanted has happened. I had my honour back, I had friends, I had Mai back, but none of it mattered somehow.”

“Because you still couldn’t help feeling something was missing,” Katara finishes for him. She knows the feeling all too well.

“Yes,” he nods. “I don’t want to be without you again. I need you.”

The answer is on the tip of her tongue. It’s what she wants. It’s what she’s wanted for nearly three years but could she really do it? Could she really leave her home behind for a man? That’s not like her.

“It’s a job offer, Katara,” Zuko reminds her again. “I’m not just asking because I need you. The Fire Nation needs you too. You’ve done more for us than most of my advisors combined. You know how to talk to people. You wouldn’t be going just for me. And think of all you could do for the Southern Water Tribe there too.”

“November.”

“What?”

“I need four months to help finish building the waterbending centre and get everything settled with the new teachers,” Katara says to him firmly. “Four months.”

“Does that mean…”

“I love you, don’t I?” Katara rolls her eyes before she’s throwing herself back into his arms, kissing him as fiercely as she did before. “I’m going wherever you’re going, Fire Lord.”

“Good,” Zuko says between kisses. “Because I love you too.”

[kumatan0720]

Day 12 - Snowed In

Stuck in the house all day.

[carry-the-sky]

zutara month | day 23 | colors 

 you were red, and you liked me because I was blue.

[theloverofdragons]

now i'm not expecting the spanish inquisition (*wink wink*) but given the immense talent in the zutara fandom, i am expecting that there are loads of amazing fics, got any recommendations??? ^.^

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION

But you are very right there anon, there are a lot of amazing fics that this fandom has produced

btw I’ve got more fic recommendations here and here 

Multi-Chap

 didn’t know my heart by @babyfairybaekhyun;And yet, in a matter of days, she has managed to worm her way under his skin, has cracked open his rib cage and has begun to patch up the endless amount of wounds on his heart(i would also 100% recommend Need the Sun to Break)

With Small Steps by @botherkupo;Mistakes once made cannot be undone, nor can consequences be ignored. A newly crowned Fire Lord is no exception.

i’m still here by @owedbetter“You see me.” And somehow, that makes all the difference.

they call you refugee by @akaiikowrites“You are mine. Maybe I didn’t choose you then, but I choose you now. That changes everything.” Zuko goes into exile with a scar, a mission, and a wife. [Canon Divergence AU]part one ; two ; three ; four

Lilacs and Lily Pads by @sadladybugA tale of clumsy courtship and calamitous court weddings, featuring awkward family encounters, floral mishaps, cultural complications, and good old fashioned fluff and conflict. Takes place in the five years following the war’s end. For Zutara Week 2016. A prequel to Bones.

Moonlight and Sunshadow by @grapefruittwostepThe dragon offered Katara a deal: protection for her family and tribe if she lived with it for a year and a day. And she said yes. Because what other way was there to save her people? But there was more to the dragon than Katara bargained for. An “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” retelling.

an unfortunate series of naked mishaps by @emletish-fishKatara and Zuko secretly seeing each other. They just want a little privacy. Is that too much to ask? Fate it would seem, has other ideas. a series of Naked Mishaps follows. Completed! Rated S for silly and N for nudity

Oneshots

Things That Aren’t by misszeldasayreA late evening stargazing with Katara leads to a secret relationship that takes over Zuko’s life: “The sense of hurtling through space, of free falling into the abyss threatens to overwhelm him. His world, once governed by the sun, is now ruled by the moon sprawled out before him.” Follow Zuko and Katara’s relationship through its genesis, implosion, and resolution.

roll the dice by @raisindeatreSome Zutara, some gen, 100% crack (the gaang play Dungeons and Dragons in the Dark and it is fluffy and hilarious and amazing)

mist & mysteries by @gialaxy;She smiled to herself beneath the veil of her hat, turning to look at the familiar figure that prowled stealthily across the rooftop. He was impossibly silent, as he always was, that she sometimes wondered whether or not he was really there, whether he was merely the face of her lonesome dreams, a wisp of smoke in the night air, a ghost wandering the skyline. Or: The Painted Lady wasn’t planning on spending a night at a stuffy party full of other ‘vigilantes’ with the Blue Spirit, but here they are, doing something that strongly resembles gossiping, and she can’t help but wonder who he is beneath the mask.

Ambitious by Foolish_Moon“Icarus.” She whispered when she first laid eyes on him, remembering the tale of the man who flew too close to the sun. Maybe it was the scar, a burnt mark shaped like a lone wing, contrasting against his pale features; or maybe it was his eyes, golden and glaring, like the merciless sun. Zutara Week 2017 Day 4 Entry.

A Lover of the Lights by euphorellaZuko comes to terms with the aftermaths of the war.

PaintedBlue Super-Hero/Villain AU by @fireprunes‘Oh god, I just had a one night stand with a supervillain’ ‘Dear lord, I just fucked a superhero’ (to make the situation especially awkward; they just lost their viginities to each other)

Lunar Leashed by nonsensicallyrics;Zuko’s compromised senses on the night of the full moon lead to Katara having a dog for a month. AU written for iamartemisday for ZK Secret Santa 2013. Based on the prompt werewolf!Zuko

Drabble Series

Zuko Was No Coward by hootowlZuko was many things, but a coward he was not. A collection of Zutara100 prompts. Title may change.

Fate Loves the Fearless by @babyfairybaekhyunCollection of tumblr ask box fics

Zutara Month by @archergwenHe won’t choose another life, not if he can’t spend it with her, watching her, basking in her glow, seeing her grow into someone even more wonderful. She’d climb an old temple of three thousand steps, carrying him the whole way, if it would mean she gets the next seven lives to see him smile. (some chapters have been re-arranged to be in order of prompt date, not date of publication)

Slices of Ocean Kumquat by @sonicciZutara Week 2011. Mask, History, Social Networking, Secret, Awkward, Legendary, Caught. Theme 7: When Zuko is caught in the act of something utterly despicable, will Katara find it in herself to forgive him?

Smut

The Ocean Takes Me In by @babyfairybaekhyunShe swallows hard, releasing a shuddering breath, and nods. “Perfect,” She whispers, and Zuko is sure that his heart is gone now, wrapped up in her hands.

Heat by @elledixKatara was pretty sure that it should be illegal for the Fire Nation to have heat waves, especially in a nation of firebenders who just absorbed all that heat. One-shot.

Hope you have fun reading these (I absolutely did) ^.^

Happy Shipping!

[zukocrownprinceofthefirenation]

Fireplace

                           @officialzutaramonth: Day 4: Fireplace

“Zuko, why are you even bothering to start a fire?” Sure, the iciness of the late fall rain had cut their date short. He’d taken her hand and hurried back to the palace ending their walk in the garden, apparently forgetting —or perhaps, choosing to ignore— the fact that she could stop the drops from falling upon them.

“Zuko, love, why don’t you come lay with me?” Katara flipped the covers over to her side of the bed and gave the mattress a pat. “You keep me warmer than any fire you could get going in there anyway.” She raised an eyebrow wondering why it was taking so long anyway. “Zuko?”

“Okay, you’re right. Can you come here for a second though?” He stood flicking his fingers towards the logs in the fireplace. The movement was followed by a burst of sparks that turned to small flames that licked away at the wood until they’d converged and became large enough to actually be called a fire.

“Zuko?” she squinted as she slid out of bed and straightened the short robe she’d changed into. “Is something wrong?”

“No, no, Kat. I’m just… tired that’s all,” his hands were pressed nervously to the sides of his legs as she approached. “I’m fine, love. Okay?” He assured her, one hand going behind her back to pull her closer and the other went to the front of her waist, messing with the loose knot of cold fabric that kept her robe closed.

Tilting her head, Katara let out a small huff of disbelief, but put a hand on his anyway helping him with the tie. “You’ve been acting weird all day.”

“I have not,” but his attention was now on her body as her robe fell open and his voice wasn’t as convincing.

She looked away from him to the fire, more than a little upset that he wouldn’t tell her what was wrong. They told each other everything. They shared everything with each other.

Zuko misread her gaze, thinking she’d seen something from where she was in the bed earlier. When she looked back at him, he pushed his foot toward one of the bricks, making sure it was in place.

“What was that for?”

“What was what for?” he blinked looking down at her, avoiding looking any lower than her face. Katara dropped down to the floor and started nudging the brick he’d touched. “Katara, stop. It’s nothing.”

She ignored him, noticing the brick was loose and wiggled it until it fell out. “What’s this?” she reached inside the hole the brick was hiding and pulled out something hard wrapped in a small red cloth.

“Don—” but it was too late, she unwrapped the object to reveal a cold crown, much like the one Zuko was currently wearing.

“Zuko, wha—”

The reveal of the object made his plans fall from his mouth, feeling like everything was ruined. “I-I had it made for you. I know it’s probably really dumb, but I didn’t think you’d want the one my mother wore and I was going to give it to you under that tree in the garden. But then it started raining and it ruined everything and… and… I just wanted everything to be perfect when I asked you.” He couldn’t meet her eyes. Surely she thought he was an idiot. Who would plan something like that? And in the garden? They walked in the garden everyday! That’s not special—

“Zuko,” she brought a hand to his chin, so he’d look at her. “It’s not dumb. I love it. …You could ask me now… if you still want to.”

“Now?” his lips were suddenly dry. Of course he still wanted to ask her. “Kat, this was supposed to be perfect.”

“It doesn’t have to be perfect, there’s no such thing as ‘perfect,’ love.” She smiled up at him reassuringly.

“Yes there is because you’re perfect and you deserve this to be done, right.” He sighed, still looking in her eyes because it comforted him.

“Then ask me now. Me and you, in this room, this is perfect to me.”

He let out a ragged breath before taking her hands in his, looking into those perfect azure eyes of hers. He had more he was going to say, but all he could manage to get out was, “Will you marry me, Katara?”

“Yes! Of course! Yes!” she was just as excited as she would have been had she not known of the proposal ahead of time. “I love you, of course, I’ll marry you!” she jumped up when he pulled her in for a hug and kissed him while he held her. “I love you so much, Zuko,” she whispered when the kiss ended.

“I love you, too, Kat,” he smiled touching his forehead to hers.

[araeph]

Defiance, Part 7

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6]

Summary: Katara never thought she’d take shelter from the Water Tribe in the Fire Nation. Zuko never thought he’d build a life with someone he is only supposed to be seeing for fun. And neither one knows just how close their countries are to self-destruction.

[For Zutara month, Day 7, “Unexpected Visits”] 

 Zuko’s eyes fluttered open behind his mask. He could hear the sea ravens competing for their kills against the roaring of the ocean. Beside him, his swords lay untouched in their double sheath, just out of reach of his arm. Voices arguing overhead told him he was not alone.

He felt like he was swimming through a cloud, struggling to remember what happened. He suspected he’d taken a knock to the head during the night. Murky figures were attacking him, he was fighting to stay alive in the surf near Ember Island … moonlight … then, nothing.

“—Belongs to my people!”

“Well it belongs to me, now. And so do you!”

A sudden wave slapped against the underside of the dock. Zuko fought not to flinch as it sprayed him. He forced his eyes open, only to be confronted with a bluish blur that seemed to be clenching its fists.

“Don’t give me that look, water wench. That scroll was my property, and no one who steals from my ship lives to tell the tale! So you can come aboard quietly, or we can drag your carcass down into the brig—it’s up to you.”

The blue smudge coalesced into the figure of a young woman with a mass of brown curls frizzing in the morning heat. Her hands were on her hips as she argued—actually argued—with what was obviously a pirate captain and his two henchmen.

What do you think you’re doing? Zuko wanted to ask, but he knew better than to give away the game. He lay, limp and breathing regularly, going over his options in his head.

“Oh yeah?” the woman shot back. “Try and take me, if you can.”

The man laughed. “Don’t think I can’t tell you’re all in, little miss smart mouth. Too much swimming last night, was it? Or did you have a run-in with your friend over there?” He gestured to Zuko, then cocked his head in interest as he laid eyes on the swords.

“Those are some nice blades,” he muttered. “I wonder who he stole them from. Well, maybe I’ll get more than one present as compensation for this delay.”

The captain’s hand reached out toward his prize. But Zuko was quicker.

Thunk!

A throwing knife embedded itself in the captain’s hand, and he let out a howl of agony. Zuko sat up, pivoting as he rose, and delivered a kick that sent the unlucky scumbag over the dock into the harbor. He continued the motion, regaining his footing, as there was a large splash from behind him. By the time he was fully upright, a second pirate had plunged into the water.

The young woman faced him now, trying her best to look innocent. Had she actually tossed the second man? Zuko raised an eyebrow behind his mask; he wasn’t fooled. Whoever she was, she was trouble.

The one remaining pirate drew his sword and leaped toward the woman, brandishing a wicked curved sword. Zuko made a move to stop him, but the man was too quick; he had the blade to her throat, and worse, saw that Zuko had tried to stop him.

“Walk away. Now!” the pirate threatened, tightening his hold on the furious young lady.

Zuko looked left and right, then shrugged. Where am I going to go, you fool? There was nothing behind him but blue. The pirate, though, was not in the mood.

“Into the water,” he snarled. “Or the girl gets it!”

Zuko looked at her then, her blue eyes wide in alarm though he could see she was trying to be brave. He stepped slowly back toward the water, one sure foot behind the other, until his back leg was hovering over the ocean. With a last nod to the woman, he flipped backwards off the dock—

--and grabbed one of the pilings down below, clinging with his feet for traction against the greenish slime that hugged the wooden post. Below him, the captain still flailed in the water; Zuko took the man’s hat and kicked him back down into the surf. He carefully slid the hat back onto the dock, and a couple of heavy treads above him told him the pirate had taken the bait.

“Need a hand there, sir?” asked the pirate, and then, “Stay still!”, as the woman obviously hadn’t finished fighting. He peered over the side of the dock, while Zuko clambered up the opposite side, and silently laid a hand on his swords.

“Hey,” said the pirate, “where’d you go?” But it was too late. By the time he’d realized the trick, Zuko’s steel had sung from its sheath.

The Blue Spirit wove back and forth, dodging a wild swing from the pirate and pinning the cutlass to the dock with one of his dao. He pulled the woman out of the way and delivered a precise kick to the man’s abdomen, collapsing his breath and bringing him to his knees. While Zuko had the upper hand, he punched, one-two, with the hilts of his swords, and laid the man out cold with a broken jaw.

The woman, rubbing her wrists from where the pirate had grabbed her, looked up as soon as Zuko was done.

“I, um,” she seemed at a loss for words. “Thanks.” Her gaze tried to pierce through the eye holes in his mask. “Whoever you are.”

Zuko merely sheathed his swords and started towards the little winding path by the cliffs. It was a shame, but he didn’t have time to recover his—

“What about your knife? Aren’t you going to go back for it?”

Zuko tensed and looked over his shoulder in irritation. He shook his head and quickened his pace, hoping she would take the hint. He knew his uncle was already worrying, and he couldn’t afford to spend time floundering in the waves instead of heading straight for home.

A pitter-patter of footsteps let him know that the woman wasn’t far behind.

“My father says a weapon is like an extension of your own body,” came her voice. “That each design is unique, and that leaving it behind is like cutting off your own hand in battle. Is it different here than it is in the Water Tribes?”

Zuko let out of a low huff. He whirled around, yanked a duplicate knife out of his sash, and waved it around pointedly before returning it to its hiding place. He had two more on hand, not that he was going to tell her that.

Her mouth formed an o. “Right,” she said. “That makes sense. Um, so what’s your name again?”

Zuko felt like tearing his hair out. He pointed to his mask, about faced, and broke into a run. That would teach her; he could outpace almost anyone on foot, and she’d never be able to track him.

He got half a dozen steps before a sharp pain cut his breath in half. He clutched at his side, letting out an involuntary groan. Whatever had happened the night before, he’d taken a real beating, and now that the adrenaline from his fight with the pirates had worn off, he was starting to feel it. His lower back was sore, and his shoulder was stiff with tension. He had a mild headache, but that was nothing in comparison to his not being able to breathe. If he couldn’t show up to the palace on time …

Tentative footsteps sounded behind him. Zuko gave her a baleful glance.

“Let me help you,” the Water Tribe woman insisted. “Whatever happened to you last night, it looks like you're still healing from it. You shouldn’t strain yourself.” He reluctantly allowed her to run her fingers along his sides, making him shift uncomfortably as he broke out in goosebumps.

“Yep, you’ll be laid up for a couple of days,” she said. “I wish my brother were here. He could make up a good excuse for you ... being out all night, and all that. Unless your family knows this is what you do?” She edged closer, and Zuko felt her lift his left arm over her shoulders as she pressed gently against his uninjured side.

It was inconvenient, even dangerous for her to accompany him back. But he was running low on options, and (with a glance to the side) he didn’t have the heart to shake her off. The morning light was breaking through a low cloud cover, the dewdrops already vanishing from the grass. His companion looked around her, apparently enchanted by the greenery, but all Zuko could see ahead of him was a ticking clock. He was expected back in the Caldera by evening, and trying to stow away on an outbound ship with a set of bruised ribs was going to be tricky. Somehow, he had to convince her to ditch him.

“Look at that, they’re just opening!” She pointed to where a stand of fire lilies was unfurling its vibrant red petals. “Ohh, they’re beautiful. And that, is that a dragonfruit? Dad said he had one once when he raided an enemy supply store.” She broke away and bent down to examine a bright blue beetle that took flight before she could touch it. “It’s so cute! Whoops, sorry.” She darted back to his side and shouldered his arm again. “Okay, where to next?”

The palm of Zuko’s hand met his mask in exasperation. Time to employ drastic measures.

***

Katara (the woman had seen fit to introduce herself, as if they’d be lifelong friends or something) was as amazed by the Ember Island market as she was with the mundane vegetation that poked every now and again out of crevices along the path. It was past breakfast time for most citizens, and the thickness of the crowds gave Zuko a smidgen of comfort, though he knew they still stuck out like a sore thumb. A masked man and a Water Tribe girl? They’d best keep to the lower streets and not try to attract any attention. But he still couldn’t suppress the warmth that crept in as she surveyed the dingy alleyways with childlike wonder.

It was obvious she hadn’t been outside of her homeland before; she’d probably arrived with the delegation from the Northern Water Tribe. He knew from his international studies that the women of the north were sheltered, fiercely protected, and seldom strayed far from home. Had she grown too curious to remain under lock and key? How had she made the journey from the Caldera to Ember Island by herself?

Zuko shook off the questions as Katara threaded her hands through the folds of a bolt of coarse silk, marveling at its shimmer. He was highly tempted to parade his ceremonial robes in front of her just to see what she would say. While he retraced his steps, she chatted amiably with the vendors, who didn’t seem to know quite what to make of her. At first, one or two had tried to swindle her into buying some overpriced porcelain or face powder twenty years out of date, but to his surprise, she didn’t seem to have a taste for shopping. She just wanted to see the sights of the town.

Ah, there it is. 

Patting her gently on the shoulder to get her attention, he gestured to her and then pointed emphatically to the ground.

“You want me to stay where I am?”

He gave a brief nod and was off again. He could manage on his own for a short while, and there was no way he’d let her face a pirate and a smuggler in the same day.

Though, he thought darkly, she’d probably just ask to see the smuggler’s wares, too.

***

When he returned, reeking slightly of animal droppings and with a stolen eelhound in tow, his was displeased to see she had obviously ignored his orders. For one thing, she was panting and out of breath; for another, a small wooden trunk was tucked firmly under the crook of one arm. The wood had seen better days, and the lock looked like someone had tried to pick it more than once; it probably came from the pirates they’d encountered.

Had she seriously risked being dragged back to their ship in order to collect whatever was in that box? Zuko never spoke as the Blue Spirit if he could possibly help it, but he was close to giving this Katara a piece of his mind. Forcibly recalling his uncle’s lectures on patience, he calmed his temper and reminded himself how much he had lucked out so far. Someone had likely tried to kill him last night, and he'd somehow survived with identity intact; it was obvious Katara had no idea who he was. 

Besides, he added to himself as he stroked the eelhound’s sinuous neck, I guess hunting a circus animal smuggler for a month paid off in the end.

She looked up as soon as she approached, and read the displeasure in his stance.

“I’m sorry, all right?” she whispered as soon as she was close enough. The eelhound balked slightly at her approach, but settled down once it had sniffed her and she’d patted its head. “I know it was a risk running off, but I couldn’t let this go. I—I risked my life for a reason.” Her hands rubbed the weather-beaten trunk like it was a good luck charm. “I just hope I can open it once I get somewhere safe.

“You don’t have to babysit me,” she added. “If you have someone else to be … ”

Zuko paused for a moment, considering. He did have somewhere else to be. And he really should be getting back. And this was probably a bad idea.

Twin swords scraped free of their sheath as Zuko brought the razor-sharp blades down hard on the well-worn lock. It gave without a protest, and though a few passersby looked their way at the noise, most quickly found something else to occupy them once they saw his mask.

The treasure chest groaned as Katara pried it open with eager hands. There was some sort of scroll inside, but as Zuko leaned in for a closer look, he saw that the drubbing the chest had taken in the water had cracked its watertight casing. There was half an inch of liquid sitting in the box.

Katara yanked what was left of the scroll out of the box.

“No, no, no!”

“Quiet!” Zuko was forced to whisper. “You’ll draw too much attention.”

“It’s gone! The scroll, it’s—it’s—”

Zuko saw all too well. What had been once elegant paintings were now just purple smudges and unintelligible markings. The scroll itself was heavily wrinkled; whatever was on there had been lost.

Katara unrolled the entire document, searching for something she could salvage. Her face finally crumpled as she reached the scroll’s end. He stretched a hand out in her direction, but she flinched away and turned her back on him, shaking.

“This is all your fault,” came her muffled voice. “Fire Nation. This is all because of you. I was so wrapped up in sightseeing that I took my eyes off what really mattered.” She faced him, only to freeze him with a glare that reminded him of Azula. “If it weren’t for people like you, I wouldn’t have had to take it!”

Now they were definitely attracting too much attention. Zuko caught sight of a city watchman elbowing people out of the way, and some of the merchants were starting to point fingers as the crowd parted for him.

There was nothing else for it. He gritted his teeth and tugged at her arm, hoisting her over his shoulder and placing her atop the eelhound, steadying her so she wouldn’t fall as he mounted up. At first, she was too shocked to struggle; then she tried to elbow him in the side, but a shout from the watchman and a growing murmur from the crowd made her stop.

“You want to get off and walk?” Zuko said sarcastically. “Or do you want to come with me?”

She fastened her arms around the eelhound’s neck while he held her against him with one hand, and with the other, grabbed the reins. 

“I want to go home,” she said, and it was as if she were talking to someone he couldn’t see. “But I can’t.” 

With a lizardlike hiss, the eelhound was urged into a gallop. The shouts from the market rose to a roar, but it didn’t matter; not even the komodo rhinos could keep pace with them now.

Zuko looked back at what remained of the scroll, barely noticeable against the unswept streets as they left it all behind. 

“You made it this far,” he said. “You’ll go home again, Katara, if you want to.” 

[archergwenwrites]

ZM Day 26 - Sacrifice

"Toph, stop making bridges.”

“Listen, if Sugar Queen was watching, she already would have stopped me, though I’d say I’m just helping me. That she hasn’t done so means she dropped Zuko in here to keep him out of the way while she deals with something else. Could be another child wished away.”

“Or my sister,” Zuko chimed in. “She’s probably tried at least once to stage a coup with the goblins.”

The other two looked at him as if he had a second head, but he just shrugged. “We had an atypical childhood education.”

“I dunno,” began Toph, hopping from stone to stone to keep from getting the bog’s stench permanently attached to her. “While a violent take over is certainly not approved of, a more subtle manipulative one would be welcome at either court.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, Aang, but people are people.”

“The Winter Court isn’t all bad. They’re just different.”

“And I didn’t say they were bad.”

While the two bickered, Zuko took the lead now that there was solid ground to walk on. The argument was a pleasant soundtrack in the silence of the swamp, and Zuko hoped it would soon be over. A bridge, a real one, appeared before them, and he started to relax.

Fingers suddenly jabbed into his side. Zuko twisted away, arms moving in a partial block to trap the limbs, sending his green clothed attacker briefly stumbling along with his turn. She wrenched free and took up a defensive stance before the bridge.

“What the hell?” Zuko demanded, Aang and Toph standing silent behind him.

“I am Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors, tasked with guarding this bridge when there is a runner in the Labyrinth. None may pass without my permission.”

Aang, the sweetheart, tried to slip past her.

Suki, however, proved to be good at her job. She slipped around Aang’s reaches, tapping him with her fan to distract him, and just in general outfoxing him, until Aang stepped back with a shrug.

“I told you, none may pass without my permission.”

“Well, can we have it then?” At her quizzical look, Zuko added, “your permission, I mean, ma’am. May we pass?”

A grin split her face. “I don’t know if a runner has ever thought to ask that. Of course you can.” She then fixed Aang with a look. “And you haven’t been doing the drills I gave you. I’d better come along to make sure your rear end is properly kicked.”

Aang looked to Zuko for help, only to hear, “well, you shouldn’t neglect your training.”

In the throne room, things were chaotic.

Katara had summoned a chair for Azula, where she now sat with a pile of books that Katara hoped wouldn’t scar her. There wasn’t time for her to check all the titles, and she had a sneaking suspicion that the girl didn’t want to be gotten rid of, but that was a hurdle for later.

Now, the goblins were running amok, armor clanking, weapons dragging on the ground. Alarms were sounding throughout the kingdom as pressure had been felt on the border wards. It was not immediately clear if it was the dragons or trolls, but Katara would bet her money on the latter. With help, she’d secured a cease-fire with the dragons that she was hoping to turn into a real alliance, and sooner rather than later now that the Winter Court was unstable.

Trolls would be unpleasant, but as they were apologetically in favor of eating Fae flesh, Katara was unafraid to take a scorched earth policy.

Sokka was already adding his magic to the wards - strengthening them and speeding the alarms should they be triggered again. He would pass back through the villages and make sure the local mages were ready to go, just in case. She was tempted to order an evacuation, but if it wasn’t that bad, she’d feel foolish.

There was one bit of magic she needed to do.

Sure Azula was buried in a book, Katara summoned a basin of water. “Aang,” she whispered.

His face appeared in the water, and by the trees and bushes he was out of the Bog. She was likely talking to him in a puddle. “Katara, what’s happening?”

“Potential attack. I’m looking into it, don’t worry. But here.” She reached through, handing what was a crystal on her side but a pomegranate on his. “Give this to Zuko. He needs to eat at least one seed.”

“Will it hurt him?”

“No!” Katara recoiled. “It will just create a distracting dream for him. It will keep him out of the way for a time, an hour at most given his determination, and I need that to make sure everything is in line. I mean, Sokka knows what to do but-”

“-but it’s your people. I know. Call us if it’s bad. We’ll get everyone from the city.”

Katara shook her head. “They’re already in the castle or in other lands. The runner usually has to fight their way in, remember? But if it’s bad, I’ll forfeit in his favor and call in you three. Now go.”

She trailed her fingers over the water, and the image disappeared. 

“I know you think he’s not going to make it,” Azula suddenly spoke, not looking up from her book. “But on year for his birthday, he got a knife as a gift. Etched on the blade is ‘never give up without a fight,’ and he’s never forgotten that.”

Chasing a feeling, Katara asked, “who gave it to him?”

“I...I don’t remember. It’s not important anyway. He still has three hours. You can’t distract him that long.”

“I won’t be.” Katara sent out a flurry of crystals to check her borders with all other domains. “The dream will come from himself, what he desires most.” She cast a look at Azula. “He’s an eighteen year old boy, so I doubt you’ll be pulled into the dream, too.”

“You can pull people into the dream?”

“It’s complicated, but yes. Oh, before I forget, if all this worry turns out to be for naught remind me to check you for tampered memories. Not embarrassing things you’ve deliberately forgotten, but something magic would have erased.”

Azula raised an eyebrow and lowered her book. “Why? Does that mean I could stay even if Zuko wins?”

Katara smiled casually. “Just a precaution. The coup distracted me and I forgot to check when you first arrived.”

Seemingly satisfied, Azula returned to her book as the Goblin Queen began to brood.”

“I’m not saying she’s a bad ruler-”

“No, you are.”

“I’m just critiquing-”

Suki cut him off again. “Look, Zuko, this ‘small part’ is actually her biggest function. This is why she exists, and why the Underground is separate and neutral from the other courts. People are gonna wish away children, and she needs to take care of those under her charge. She is an actual queen. There are small fiefdoms at her borders with lords and ladies who answer to her. Dragons and trolls wait at our borders, so she has to keep up a strong defense. You just heard the warning bells. One of the last two groups just got too close, and Katara now has two powerless humans on top of all her subjects to worry about. And all this at what’s approximately the human eighteen.”

Aang re-appeared. “Not to mention, she’s been Queen since she was a little girl, though her dad helped, so there’s no way she can trick a Court noble of equal rank into marrying her.”

“Trick?”

“Yeah! See, the Underground has to have a ruler. That comes before any fiefdom. With how rare kids are, that means anyone stands to inherit a lordship and marries the Goblin Queen will see their lands swallowed into the Underground or given to a different relative. Border lands have done it before, on both sides, and Lord Hakoda probably wouldn’t have minded joining the Underground. With two kids, though, one inherits each. If things had gone differently, the two would be pretending they hadn’t decided on an inheritance yet.”

“That’s...complicated.”

Suki laughed. “Now imagine the only heir to the Court’s throne dies. A changeling can’t step in there.”

Toph nodded, adding, “you know, I wonder if my parents have replaced me, yet.”

Suki wrapped her arm easily around the shorter girl. “I doubt it. Your parents like image right? They’re probably telling anyone and everyone about how their daughter is a highly sought after companion to the Goblin Queen. You’ll go back to fifty marriage proposals.”

As the two girls continued talking, Zuko turned to Aang. “So where’d you run off to?”

“Thought I saw a butterfly.”

“Makes sense.”

Aang produced a pomegranate. “I did find this. Want to share?”

Zuko raised an eyebrow. “Won’t I be trapped here forever if I eat fairy fruit?”

“Um, no? The whole point of this is to get you out? Why would the Labyrinth try to keep you?”

“You’re right. Besides, the pomegranate is a Greek myth. Here.” He took the fruit from Aang, drawing a knife to remove the top and score it into four pieces like he’d seen his father do. He offered Aang a fourth of the fruit, then gestured to the girls. “Share with them.”

“Great idea!” Aang shoved a handful of seeds into his mouth, then caught up with Toph and Suki.

Zuko, putting away his knife, didn’t see Aang spit out the seeds. He looked up as Aang offered pieces to the two girls, and popped a few seeds between his teeth. The tangy flavor exploded, and Zuko couldn’t help a smile. He’d never really liked the taste of fruit in candies and drinks before, but if this is what they were like in the original form, he’d eat some when he got home.

As he ate a few more, he stumbled, dropping the fruit and catching himself on a tree. The ground sounded very good, and he slowly sank to his knees.

Ahead, Aang fell silent and looked away.

“Twinkletoes, what did you do?”

Zuko’s face hit the dirt, and the dark took over.

[silver-sphere]

Zutara Month, day 9- Ethereal

Tbh I didn’t really know what ‘ethereal’ meant (something like heavenly?) and I misread the prompt as ‘eternal’ first, so... have some older!Zutara :)

[sithzutara]

Day 6 ~ Snowflakes

i was supposed to do distance yesterday and its part one of tomorrows prompt so ill post both of those at the same time ig 

[nyangibun]

Zutara: Day 4 - Fireplace

For @officialzutaramonth :’)  [Ao3 Link]

That’s it. Zuko hates her. He officially hates the waterbending peasant more than he hates the image of his uncle in a hot spring, and if his honour hadn’t dictated him not to, he would’ve left her with those damned pirates two days ago.

“Will you shut up!” he shouts. Since he produced his first flame so many years ago, Zuko has never had problems with something as simple as lighting a fire before, but with her jabbering on and on, he can barely make the fireplace burn enough to provide any warmth. “You are driving me crazy!”

“Because being with you is such a picnic, huh?” she shouts back, equally as angry and frustrated as he is.

“Then leave!”

Zuko is on his feet now, and where he was struggling just moments ago, the fireplace is now roaring with flickering flames nearly as tall as him. He doesn’t miss the startled jump back from the waterbender nor does he miss the way she flinches away from the flames. For that brief second, he’s overcome with shame and guilt. He knows better than anyone the terrifying powers of his element and he didn’t want to scare her. He was – is – just so frustrated with their situation.

“I would…” Katara snaps after recovering from the initial shock. “But I…” Something in her voice changes then and it’s another thing Zuko notices without having to listen too intently. It’s as if two days of travelling through a forest with the waterbender has made him in tune with every nuance of her movements and voice. That is altogether far too unnerving for him to even contemplate, but he watches as she sighs and glances away from him. “I don’t know where my friends are. I don’t even know if I’ll ever see them again.”

This time, Zuko sighs and he cards his fingers through his hair in frustration. “You will.” Blue eyes flicker back to his, a mixture of wariness and hope in conflict with one another. “If you think I want to spend any more time with you then you’re sorely mistaken, waterbender.”

Katara huffs and crosses her arms across her chest. “Jerk.”

“Peasant.”

She looks away again but the fire casts her face in light and he sees the tilt of a smile there that comes unbidden. He turns his own face away when he feels a similar twitch of his lips.

They sit in silence for some time. The ramshackle house is freezing and does nothing to keep the descending temperature out, but at least the four somewhat sturdy walls helps with the whistling wind. It’s the first stroke of luck they’ve had in two days, and just in time for the storm too. Zuko doesn’t know how they would’ve survived it if they hadn’t stumbled upon this abandoned house. Unfortunately, even the one room place is not enough space for the two benders, but at least for now he doesn’t have to speak to her. The only sound coming from either of them is the soft crunching of teeth against the fish Katara captured that day. His pride would be wounded if he isn’t too hungry to properly care. After a while, he watches as Katara sets her discarded meal on the ground and begins to stretch out her limbs. Another wildly unwelcomed thought enters his mind then, and he quietly wonders if she is as soft to touch as she looks.

Of course that won’t do. Zuko can’t think like that about his enemy – and so he races through his own dinner before throwing it into the flames just to distract himself from the thought. He feels her watching him though and that doesn’t seem to help him at all.

“Can you stop that?” he snaps.

“Stop what?”

“Staring at me.” Zuko leaves the kindling alone long enough to look up at her. “It’s annoying.”

She narrows her eyes and grounds her teeth together. “Where else am I supposed to look?”

“Anywhere else, alright? Just stop it.”

Katara makes an irritated noise before she throws her own meal into the flames and turns over so her back is to him. She curls up tightly around herself and uses her arm as a pillow. Zuko grunts with equal amounts of irritation and mirrors her, facing the opposite way. Together in silence, they listen to the wind rattling the windows as rain pounds heavily down on the house. If she wanted to kill him, she could right now. She’s surrounded by her element and he is without the sun to draw power from. Zuko can be easily at her mercy in moments, but as he glances over his shoulder at the waterbender, he notices that she’s already fast asleep. He sighs and rubs his face wearily.

Of all the people he could be stuck with, it has to be her, doesn’t it? The universe has a devious sense of humour.

Zuko tries to fall to sleep but the fire begins to die out. No amount of his bending can keep it alive when there are barely any logs for him to light on fire. The storm is in full swing now, angrily thrashing through the woods outside. Even if there is dry wood there, Zuko isn’t stupid enough to wander blindly through a storm when his bending would be of no use to him, so for the night, they are left without much option. He has his body heat at least to keep warm, and surely the waterbender is used to the cold being that she’s from the South Pole. They’ll survive. Perhaps a little uncomfortably but it’s not the worse condition he’s ever slept through.

He is seconds from sleep when he hears her. At first, Zuko wonders if there’s a small animal caught outside somewhere but the soft whimpering is definitely coming from the waterbender. He turns his body fully so he can look at her. She seems to still be asleep but she’s shivering so forcefully that her whole body is shaking. Every few seconds, she lets out a soft whimper and curls into herself as if she can contain her body heat better that way. Zuko deliberates for a full second but finally, he strips off his tunic, flinching as the cold air hits him, and crawls over to drape it across her body. Katara instantly grabs hold of the cloth and wraps it tightly around herself, nuzzling into the collar of his tunic. Something about that keeps him rooted to the spot. His heart thuds loudly in his chest and Zuko shuffles closer towards the waterbender. He leaves a foot in between them before he lies down and angles his body so it’s curving where she curves, allowing his natural warmth to radiate towards her.

Just as Zuko is about to fall asleep, he becomes aware of her body scooting back towards him until her back is to his chest, and just before darkness fully engulfs him, he carefully wraps an arm around her waist, burying his face against the soft curls of her hair.

He can regret this in the morning.