#zuko u can only resist for so long.

[fireprince-zuko]

Zuko swiped the scroll from Sokka's fingers and placed it on the correct shelf (at least, he was pretty sure it was the correct shelf).

"That's close," he said. "See if you can find a map of the volcanoes in the Fire Nation. I think we'll need one."

His fingers were going dry from sifting through all the parchment and dust; his eyes were getting blurry— he could barely focus his left eye at all. By the time they'd found a scroll on spiritual activity and the warlord era each and managed to put all of the other scrolls back where they belonged, Zuko'd had to relight the torches twice.

Something like satisfaction settled in Zuko's mind. It was a nostalgic feeling, having a lead to chase. He ignored the warmer feeling of Sokka's presence beside him. No distractions, he chided himself.

"Alright," he barked, standing up and clapping his hands, "let's take these up to my rooms. I have a study we can work in."

"Ack! That's good, but... owch." Sokka rubbed his knee, the scroll having unfortunately sailed right onto one of his stretched nerves. He continued with, "I thought I wouldn't need my knee braces for this," and other such mutterings.

But Zuko seemed as far away as Aang in his Avatar statd on the ancient large-scale of things, halfway into the Spirit World already.

Should it worry him? Sokka didn't know. He did know Zuko was much more easygoing when he had other people to help with whichever insurmountable task he was on. He knew he liked to see him smile, unguarded, pleased, more than he liked seeing him all scary-like.

"Volcano map," Sokka announced, and put the scroll on his lap next to the one who had attacked him. "Volcano... geology. I guess this was the volcano shelf. Oh, wow. Magma goes right to the center of the planet! That's crazy. I wonder how it stays so hot. Tec... nic plates. Ookay. I guess this was next to the silverware shelf. Or something."

[tsunodaradio]

only exception ⛐ 𝐋𝐍𝟒

there are things lando doesn’t like to do, but he supposes he can make some exceptions.

ꔮ starring: lando norris x girlfriend!reader. ꔮ word count: 2.7k. ꔮ includes: tooth-rotting fluff, romance. profanity. established relationship. ꔮ commentary box: first 1-2 finish of the year, babyyy! my co-driver @norrisradio wrote an oscar version of this here ‹𝟹 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

♫ the only exception, paramore. more time, alfie jukes. loverboy, young friend. c u girl, steve lacy. white ferrari, frank ocean. everyone adores you (at least i do), matt maltese.

LANDO DOESN’T LIKE WATCHING CARTOONS.

Or, at least, he doesn’t like watching them anymore. He’s in his mid-twenties, he’ll tell everyone. He has no reason to tune into things like The Simpsons or Wallace and Gromit. Lando thinks he has much more refined tastes nowadays, thank you very much. 

It’s why he had grumbled and kicked up a fuss the first time you tried to get him to sit down for something. Your yearly rewatch of Avatar: The Last Airbender, you’d said.

He was initially resistant. It didn’t matter how many kisses you promised him, how many hours you vowed to let him game uninterrupted. He just couldn’t bring himself to care about the first couple of episodes, and you let him go with a roll of your eyes. 

But then the stupid flying bison went missing, and Lando couldn’t help himself. 

You liked to watch in his living room, where you could sprawl out on the couch with a bowl of crisps. That made it so much easier for him to move from one room to the other, his eyes flitting a little too long on the television screen as he refilled his water bottle or came home from a quick jog. 

Lando hadn’t really tuned in for the first season— or Book 1, as you so often like to correct him— so he’s a little bit lost, but he picks up the necessary context clues. You’re so invested in it, too, despite this being your nth rewatch of your self-proclaimed comfort series. 

Every now and then, Lando will linger by the door. He’ll even throw in a comment or two. A mumbled “that Ba Sing Se shit is creepy” or an offhand “fucking Zuko,” and you would respond with small sounds of approval or dissent. 

And then he graduates to standing behind you on the couch, his hand on his hip and his gaze fixed firmly on the episode playing. He’s too stubborn to concede just yet that he’s invested, so you settle with this weird getup where Lando kind of just hovers until you call him out. 

By the time the Fire Nation’s prince joins Team Avatar, Lando has given up on feigning disinterest.

“You’re telling me she ends up with baldie?” Lando grunts disapprovingly, his arms tightening around you.

He’s referring to Katara and Aang. You had tried to keep your teasing to the minimum, not wanting to have him revert back to his whole too-cool-for-cartoons shtick. Still, you can’t help the way your lips twitch upward as you lean into Lando’s side. 

“She does,” you say absentmindedly. The Ember Island Players episode is playing, depicting some bastardized version of the main characters’ love lives. “There’s a sequel to this one where they talk about their married life a bit.” 

“There’s a sequel?” Oh, you love it— Lando’s voice pitching slightly higher with enthusiasm, then his attempt to hide it by clearing his throat and repeating, voice suddenly deeper, “I mean, there’s more?”

“Mhm,” you hum. “We can binge The Legend of Korra after this one.” 

Lando doesn’t say anything more. He locks right back into the Avatar episode, but you can feel that excitement thrumming through him like a current. 

Alright, so— maybe Lando likes to watch some cartoons. 

LANDO DOESN’T SET MORNING ALARMS. 

Being jolted awake is the worst feeling in the world for him. His years of conditioning had made it easier for him to adapt his body clock to whatever he needed it to be, without the help of a phone blaring some grating tune. 

He knows how to wake up at any given time. It’s one of the things you’ve teased him about, being the heavy sleeper that you are. 

Nowadays, though, Lando sets two alarms. 

You don’t know about them. How could you? He’s always up before you, hoping to get a run in before the sun has risen, or needing to jet off for work at absurd hours. You’re used to waking up to his empty side of the bed. 

When he remembers, he leaves something. A crude doodle on a scrap of paper with a dozen x’s and o’s. A misshapen attempt at a towel animal, inspired by whichever country he had been in last. 

For the most part, though, it’s the indent of his body in the mattress and the lingering scent of him in the sheets. 

Here’s what you don’t know— 

The first alarm is set 15 minutes before he actually has to get up. It’s set on a low vibrate, just enough to rouse Lando to consciousness. 

Half-asleep, he’ll reach over to find your sleeping form. The two of you tended to toss and turn in your sleep, making it so that he’d sometimes wake up to you on the far end of the bed or facing away from him. 

Whatever it is, Lando holds you. He spends the aftermath of that first alarm cuddling into you, whether it’s his chest to your back or his head buried in the top of your head. Nowadays, it’s become a habit; enough that he sometimes finds himself doing it to hotel room pillows whenever he’s off at races. 

Sometimes, he spends the fifteen-minute gap waking up. Most times, he drifts back into sleep, but with the knowledge that his touch is a little more intentional now. 

When his second alarm goes off, he’ll press a kiss to your forehead and peel away— facing the morning with the knowledge that he has you for one more day. 

LANDO DOESN’T LOSE. 

He has spent his entire life competing, so it’s practically instinct at this point. When a challenge is laid out before him, he has to win. No ifs, no buts, no second-place podiums. It’s the kind of thing that bleeds into every aspect of his life— from serious things like his career, to absolutely ridiculous things like who can brush teeth faster in the morning.

“No need to pout, baby. What are you so mad about?” Lando taunts as he leans back against the couch. The Mario Kart results screen is still flashing on the television, bright and damning.

His name in first place; yours, a distant fourth.

“I’m mad because you’re a cheat,” you accuse with a dejected sniffle, your grip tightening on the controller. 

Lando gasps and presses a hand to his chest. “I would never.” 

“You so did.” As he expected, you’re already slamming buttons to bring the two of you back to the selection screen. “One more round.” 

He purses his lips, attempting to hide the shit-eating grin threatening to break on his face. “You sure you wanna lose again?” he asks innocently. 

You don’t dignify him with an answer, already selecting your character with newfound determination. Lando, for his part, grins like an absolute menace. He spins his joystick as if he’s warming up for battle, his attention divided between you and the game. 

Lando doesn’t lose. But sometimes, he lets you win.

Not in a way that makes it obvious, because his ego is much too big for that. He plays it smart. He’ll take the lead for most of the race, just enough to keep you engaged, to keep your frustration bubbling. Then, right at the last second, he’ll “accidentally” mistime a drift. Maybe he’ll take a turn just a little too wide, letting you zoom past him in a blur of victory.

He does it because he likes the look on your face when you win— the way your eyes light up, the way you throw your hands in the air like you’ve just conquered the world. It’s the same way you look at him after a good race weekend when he’s standing on the podium, champagne dripping from his curls.

It’s a look he wants to keep earning, over and over again.

So when you finally cross the finish line ahead of him, when the words 1st Place appear over your character, Lando groans in exaggerated frustration, dragging a hand down his face.

“Nooo,” he whines. “I had that in the bag.” 

He’s not about to earn any Oscars for his performance. He knows that much. You’re gracefully oblivious, though, and you’re grinning like this is some grand prix instead of a lazy Saturday afternoon. 

“In your face, loser!” you cry, launching yourself at him in celebration. 

Lando lets out an oof as you land half on his lap, half on the couch. Your arms fling around his neck. He laughs, warm and fond, and presses a quick kiss to your shoulder. “Don’t get too cocky,” he warns. “Best two out of three, twerp.” 

He’ll actually try this time, he swears. But he’ll keep throwing every other match if it means seeing you smile like the game isn’t the only thing you’ve won. 

LANDO DIDN’T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE MUSIC HE LISTENED TO. 

His brief stint picking up DJ-ing as a hobby had proved that he cared mostly for house music, the kind of pulsing beats that made for a good night out. Other genres, though? He never really gave them much thought. He was content shuffling through whatever was trending, never attaching any particular emotion to the songs he played.

That is, until you gifted him a Spotify playlist for when he was away.

It had been a simple thing. Just a shared link and a text message that read: For long flights and hotel rooms. So you don’t forget home.

He hadn’t expected much. But then he found himself listening to it across a dozen different countries. 

Your playlist became his soundtrack while stretching at the gym in Bahrain, watching the rain streak down his hotel window in Japan, lying awake with jet lag in Miami. The songs you chose weren’t just good; they were you. A mix of things he recognized from car rides with you, songs you’d hum absentmindedly while doing the dishes, melodies that reminded him of mornings tangled in bed.

And so Lando gets an idea. 

He’ll make you a playlist, too.

He thinks he’s absolutely rubbish at it, thoughts. He agonizes over every song choice, wondering if it fits, if you’ll like it, if it says enough without saying too much. His Notes app is filled with half-written ideas— Do I put that one song from our first road trip? Too cheesy? What about the song that’d played at the café of our first date? Which one was that, even? 

He changes the order a dozen times before finally forcing himself to stop, heart hammering as he prepares to give it to you. 

It’s stupid. He’s being stupid. This isn’t some wedding proposal or anything; it’s literally just a collection of songs. He half-expects you to laugh when he presents it to you, shoving his phone into your hands with a muttered, "Made you something. It’s probably shit."

But you don’t laugh.

You scroll through the playlist slowly, taking in each title. Then, to Lando’s surprise, your eyes well up, and you blink rapidly to keep the tears at bay.

“Hey— hey, what’s wrong?” he panics, immediately regretting everything. “Is it that bad?” 

Damn it, he’s thinking. Probably should’ve booted that one Post Malone song. 

You shake your head, pressing your lips together to keep them from wobbling. “No, it’s just…” You sniffle, smiling up at him with something so unbearably soft that it makes his chest ache. “You made me a playlist.”

Lando exhales. “Well, yeah. You made me one first.”

“You made me a playlist.” You repeat the words like they mean something more, something bigger. And maybe they do.

He shifts, rubbing the back of his neck. “Dunno. Guess I kinda like music now,” he says, suddenly a bit shy. 

You’re on him in the next minute, the force of your kiss sending him reeling. He laughs against your mouth even as you mumble something like shutupshutupshutup. He holds your face in his hands, his thumbs wiping away your happy tears, and he resolves to make you a dozen more of these little collections. 

Somewhere, his phone screen is still lit, the title of the playlist staring up at the ceiling.

For when I’m home.

LANDO NEVER SAW THE APPEAL IN JOURNALS. 

Pen and paper never really meant much to him. He wasn’t the type to jot things down, wasn’t one for sentimental scribbles. Nobody else probably expected it of him, either.

Which is why the media nearly combusts when, during a post-race broadcast, the camera catches Lando hunched over a spiral wirebound in the garage. He’s seen scribbling something with uncharacteristic focus, and then he’s tucking the notebook away like it’d never happened. 

People on Twitter are quick to speculate. One viral tweet claims it’s Lando’s Death Note, where he’s listing the names of all the drivers he decimated at the day’s qualifying session. 

By the time media obligations roll around, it becomes part of Sky Sports’ list of queries. Once the usual stuff is all ran through, the interviewer pounces on the opportunity for a more lighthearted, humanizing angle. “So, Lando, what’s in the notebook?” the reporter asks, shoving her microphone a little closer to the driver. 

The Brit stiffens.

All around the world, people see the open surprise on Lando’s expression. The oh, shit moment where he seems to realize his ‘private’ moment had been put on full blast. 

He recovers quickly. Tries to evade by dodging the question with a joke. It’s obvious that the media isn’t going to give in, though, so by the time it’s a beIN SPORTS journalist posing the question, Lando can only sigh in defeat. 

“It’s a gratitude journal,” he admits, half-grinning. 

There’s a pause. A beat of disbelief before the interviewer laughs. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, inspired by my girlfriend waiting at home.” Lando winks straight at the camera and waves exaggeratedly. “Hi, baby!”

(You don’t find out until much later, when the clip has gone viral on TikTok. The comments are all to be expected— calling Lando a simp, claiming he’s down bad and absolutely gone. It’s equal parts amusing and mortifying.) 

The interviewer chuckles. “Well, given today’s pole position, I’m guessing that’s your number one?”

Lando’s eyebrows raise. “No,” he says, his voice tinged with disbelief. As if it’s unimaginable. “I mean, pole’s great and all, but I always have the same thing at the top of my list.” 

“Which is?” 

“Her name.” 

LANDO DOESN’T ‘GO SLOW’. 

He’s not built for it. 

It’s just not in his nature. Not when he spent his entire life learning how to push the limit, trim down lap times, find milliseconds where nobody else could. He thrives in speed, in the way his pulse thrums when he’s threading a car through corners, the rush of adrenaline when he crosses a finish line. He isn’t known for patience, either, or waiting, or any of those things that require taking his foot off the gas.

And yet. 

And yet. 

“Lando,” you say amusedly, glancing at the speedometer. “Are you seriously driving below the speed limit?”

Lando doesn’t look at you. He just shrugs, fingers tapping against the steering wheel. “Just being safe, baby.”

Your lips twitch, suspicious. You’re onto him, because of course you are. It’s embarrassing how obvious he’s become. In his defense, he never used to do this. Never used to ease into turns, never used to take the long route home, never used to pray for red lights and stop signs if it meant keeping you in his passenger seat a little longer.

But nowadays, he does.

“Baby,” you sing-song. “You do realize I live with you, right? It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

“Mm,” he hums, noncommittal.

You shake your head, but the look on your face is fond. “God, you’re ridiculous.”

Lando risks a glance at you then. His heart stumbles at the sight. 

You’re curled up in the passenger seat, eyes shining, hair mussed from where he’d flicked at it earlier. You look so impossibly soft in the glow of the streetlights, and he’s struck with the kind of certainty that rattles him down to the bone— that this, right here, is his favorite kind of drive.

His hand tightens over your thigh. “Guess you’re right,” he says with a laugh. “I am pretty ridiculous.”

Lando still lingers at the next red light. ⛐

[sparkles-and-trash]

The Gaang are Roommates AU ~

note: this is a rewrite and repost of my old roommates au, there was some stuff I wanted to change, and I wanted to make the parts a little longer, so yeah, ta-dah! 

- think modern setting in the canon universe, bending is still a thing 

- the Gaang are all in going to Ba Sing Se University 

- I’m gonna change the ages a bit to make it easier for myself, sorry 

- Zuko, Sokka, Suki and Mai are 20, Katara, Ty Lee and Azula are 19, Aang, Toph and Yue are 18

- so, Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Aang and Toph end up living together in a big loft type apartment 

- Sokka and Aang are old best friends, they met Toph in Middle School, and Katara is a natural part of the group 

- until now Sokka and Katara have both been living in the dorms, and they both hate it intensely 

- but now that Aang and Toph are also in uni, they all decide to move in together!

- …but the only problem is that the only place they find that they like is just out of their price rage (Toph’s parents aren’t supportive of her major so they’re not helping out much)

- enter: ~ Zuko ~

- so, Zuko has been living with his uncle Iroh since his Father, who’s a high up in some big and important company the Fire Nation, disowned him for speaking up against the company’s shifty treatment of workers and ruining a lot of sacred land etc 

- they’re still firebenders and the scar still happened, not in an Agni Kai, but it happened 

- but after Zuko started uni, Iroh really tried to push him to meet some people his own age and make some friends

- the only people Zuko talks to on the regular besides Iroh is Azula, Ty Lee and Mai, and Mai is the only one who is like, his friend yanno?

- the last year the deal was that if Zuko didn’t branch out, Iroh would have him live one year with other students

- it’s his idea of tough love 

- Zuko tried to do some random kid’s homework to have them pretend to be his new friend in front of Iroh so he wouldn’t have to, but Iroh can tell he’s lying so easily 

- so, Zuko ends up hearing about the Gaang through Mai, who heard from Ty Lee, who plays field hockey, Suki, who’s best friends with Sokka

- so, he goes to meet them, and it’s so awkward mY GOD

- Katara is a B I G environmental activist and HATES Ozai and his company, with good reason

- she eases up a tad when Zuko admits to being turned away from as a teen, but she is still suspicious

- Aang loves him right away, ofc, and that makes Katara even more suspicious because she’s pretty protective of Aang

- she claims it’s because he’s so kind and believes everyone but she totally liikeees hiiiim

- Toph is just like, sure, as long as he pays his rent idgaf

- Sokka is weirdly quiet, because he’s had a huge crush on Zuko forever, and the only one who knows is Aang (and Toph but she ain’t no snitch)

- so, ya boy makes the cut, and before they know it, it’s move-in day!

- but, the idiots didn’t think through the facts that it’s only three bedrooms oops

- and Toph is NOT afraid to pull the “I’m blind and I need my space” card

- and nobody’s up to fight her on it, so 

- let’s just say there is A LOT of back and forth, but with Katara refusing to room with her brother again, and Zuko being rightfully scared of Katara, it ends up with Zuko and Sokka sharing a bedroom, and Katara and Aang

- they have separate beds ofc

- but still, tension, man, so much tension

- it takes a while, but the dynamics starts working out really well

- Zuko is good at grocery shopping and likes to clean, and Aang is always happy to help him out

- Sokka loves cooking, so he does that a lot

- Katara is always on top of the others with schoolwork and making sure everyone is okay, and she usually does it in genius, sneaky ways so people doesn’t even notice that she does it

- Toph is clearing the air off bullshit

- like, she will call a bitch out

- but because she cares about said bitch

- so, Aang knows that Sokka has a crush on Zuko because Sokka told him in a weak moment, and Toph knows because she just knows

- Aang is a good friend tho, and he tries to like, ease them together

- but he is so awkward about it, the poor thing, and Zuko doesn’t understand AT ALL

- Toph is just sitting back and sighing a lot

- Katara doesn’t understand either but she just stays out of it (smart girl)

- but okay, we know how oblivious Zuko can be right?

- Sokka can give him googly eyes and blush and stutter around him so much and he still has no clue at all

- Zuko starts thinking Sokka just doesn’t like him at all

- but then one night Zuko has this really intense nightmare

- okay and quick addition, his scar is… handshaped? Like, you can clearly tell what happened to him

- but nobody talks about it, yet

- but then he’s having a terrible nightmare and is talking and begging and pleading in his sleep

- so much that Sokka wakes up

- and he catches on pretty fast, but had no idea what to do

- so he just shuffles over to Zuko’s side of the room and starts tapping his shoulder rapidly

- but nothing happens

- so he just… gently and awkwardly pats his head until Zuko wakes up

- and Zuko is like… wat u doin there bro

- and Sokka is like… just patting ur head to wake you from a nightmare bro

- and they awkwardly just mumble and go back to their beds

- but Zuko is smiling a lot because someone who’s not his family or a family friend really cares about him

- after that, Zuko slowly starts opening up to all of them, but Sokka especially 

- he never really tells them about being cast out and burned tho

- until one day he kinda casually slings it into a convo all fast and awkwardly

- it’s just Toph, Aang and Sokka there

- Toph yells so WHAATTT so loudly and just metalbends the whole fridge into a clump in rage

- Aang cries lmao but he tries to hide to and be supportive and not awkward

- Sokka is kinda quiet, but he carefully asks about it that night when they’re in their beds, and they talk a little about it

- Aang tells Katara (with permission) and she awkwardly, but wholeheartedly tells him that he can always talk to her

- they do that «awkward sibling hug» from Gravity Falls after

- *hugs stiffly* «pat, pat»

- but okay, Toph and metalbending when angry, it happens quite a lot 

- this was the first time it was the fridge, but the toaster, the microwave, and several other appliances have met the same fate

- everyone is kinda used to it now, and she always replaces it

- except Zuko, who’s still kinda new to them all

- but what are you supposed to say when your new friends is so outraged by the abuse you went through that they crush a whole ass fridge?

- it actually reminds him that he’s cared for here, by these people who owe him nothing, and is not related to him, and it makes him a little dizzy to have people care this way

- he casually mentions it to his Uncle Iroh the time he’s in at work, that his new friend is a metalbender and squashed their whole fridge when she was pissed on his behalf

- Iroh is thrilled

- to the point of offering Toph a job lmao

- Toph, desperate to cut of as much ties with her family and be as self-sufficient as possible, agrees

- and now Iroh have two formerly rich kids with no clue about any sort of customer service and basic stuff like that working for him

- Toph is a hard worker tho, and she and Zuko work surprisingly well together

- Katara is a little relived, because the more those two work, the less are the chances of either of them trying to cook or do too many chores around their apartment

- they mean well, or, Zuko does, but he does so much dumb shit when trying to help lmao

- Sokka starts spending a lot of time over at The Jasmine Drago too

- Aang is still trying to keep the fact that Sokka likes Zuko a secret, but he is having trouble

- Katara is his biggest weakness, and now they’re suddenly alone with her a lot

- someone else who could always read Sokka really well is Suki

. whom he used date in high school, but they parted as friends and everything s cool

- but Sokka is a little taken aback when she comes into The Jasmine Dragon one day, hand in hand with Sokka’s childhood crush obsession, Yue

- for the first time in man’s memory, Sokka is a little speechless

- and Suki’s like “lmao dude I haven’t seen you like this since the first time you saw Zu-”

- cue Zuko popping out behind them like “WELCOME TO THE JASMINE DRAGON FRIENDS OF SOKKA :D”

- Sokka is so fucking red, poor boy is just about having an aneurism at this point

- but luckily something happens and Zuko gets distracted

- Suki is having the time of her life tho, Sokka always used to tease her for her crushes before and after they dated, and suddenly, here they are

- at the apartment, Aang decides they need some apartment traditions

- they’ve been living there for almost three months, after all

- so he decides that weekly movie nights are mandatory

- so are pillowforts

- Katara is actually really excited for it, she loves all things cozy and fall-like

- also… she is weak for Aang, y’all, and she loves seeing him all excited

- Zuko barely knows what a pillowfort is, he didn’t think real people actually made it

- but imagine these dorks in a pillowfort with hot chocolate and lot’s of pillows

- Toph claims that she thinks it’s soo dumb, but she will always make sit in the middle of the group all wrapped in her blanket and laughing when the others jump and get spooked from the horror movies Sokka always wants to watch

- and she will make sure the fort is right and perfect lmao

- Zuko is a little awkward about it at first, but he likes it too

- Sokka always manages to plop in next to Zuko lmao

- they haven’t talked about the head patting incident yet, but Zuko is def starting to feel the butterflies

- one time after a movie night Sokka falls asleep on Zuko’s shoulder, after the others have left for the night

- Zuko can’t resist waking him up with awkward head pats similar to the one Sokka used on him

- Sokka thinks he died and went to heaven lmao

- but then he fully wakes and sees Zuko’s shit eating grin and can’t help but laugh at the whole thing

- and Zuko has his “oh no he’s hot beautiful and I really adore him” moment

[adelaidedrubman]

a, k , q, s, u for the fanfic ask meme? <3

aaaaah thank you mika you are spoiling me!!

A: How did you come up with the title to [insert fic]?

i answered for wildfire here so since most of my oneshots don’t really get proper names i’ll answer for my little hallmark christmas movie au! the working title for a while had been A Christmas to Remember from the (thematically on point) dolly parton christmas song about a ski resort vacation meetcute, but i watched some cheesy hallmark style movies for inspo and was particularly inspired by Single All the Way to just think of the worst, cringiest pun imaginable instead. so after a little workshopping i ultimately ended up picking Rome for the Holidays as a pun on “home for the holidays” referencing the rome, georgia setting. (and the fact jessie just sorta roams in.)

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

i mean, i doubt i’ll ever write it but i have naturally considered the possibility of max biblical accuracy full samson ending for jessie, in which she would end up captured, blinded, and fully enslaved by eden’s gate (probably via some form of jacob’s conditioning working a little better) before ultimately destroying them all and herself in a last laugh burst of renewed strength. maybe i’ll sneak it in to her canon happy enough ending and end up just blinding her in one eye (so she can still have her woodworking business unimpeded).

drained of black comedy and slapstick i’d say jestiny’s game canon joseph bunker ending au is also pretty angsty. i make light of it but grief stricken woman bonds with local ritualistic murderer partially as a facet of a complicated bereavement and eventually finds genuine love with him only for him to die as well in a mass apocalypse she feels responsible for while she is held hostage by his brother in a bunker and becomes psychotic with grief to the point of constantly hallucinating her dead love, still eventually breaking free to turn the tables on her captor and feeling torn between killing him out of revenge and clinging to him as her sole company and last tie to her beloved as the only other person around with affectionate memories of him, ultimately reconciling these conflicting wants by becoming a more and more cruel captor herself then finally leaving him completely imprisoned alone to rot as she returns to society a broken woman is probably... less inherent comedy gold than i spin it into?

Q: Do you have any discarded scenes/storylines/projects?

answered here!

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

you know i’m a sucker for a good domestication arc! like, full vegeta style bad guy does not at any point atone, apologize, or even moralize over past evil, they just inexplicably start hanging around the “good” guys and are eventually exposed to enough “okay buddy tone it down” eye rolls from the group that they just sorta adapt to the mundane and do less war crimes out of peer pressure. i don’t really mind more traditional villain redemption or hero corruption arcs as long as they’re well done and not cliché, but outside of like, actual children’s media (zuko and catra are great but not every blorbo can nor should be zuko or catra) i get bored with narratives that make outcome too dependent on morality, life doesn’t work that way. it’s much more fun when there’s no “fixing” the war criminals just end up at the PTA meeting.

U: A pairing you might like to write for, but haven’t tried yet.

answered here!

[whattheheehaw]

Hi! I’m sorry you’re getting shitty anons about this and you’re probably sick of it so I apologise for asking this but I’m genuinely curious what made you start actively disliking zutara? Like, considering how much excellent and insightful content/meta you yourself used to make/write? I get that interests change over time and you’re totally valid!! the anons sending you hate over it are really dumb, but if you’d be ok with sharing, I’d be really interested in hearing why you’ve done almost a complete 180 on the ship? Was is just burnout/end of a hyper-obsession? Or was it some of us in the rest of the fandom that turned you off? Or was it even something about the ship/characters themselves that you changed your mind about? xx

In short, it was a combination of burnout, dissatisfaction with fandom, and disappointment in myself that caused my disinterest for Zvtara.

I got asks similar to this one a couple of times before, but I never gave a comprehensive answer, mainly because I didn't know how to articulate my reasons why I don't like it anymore. But now that I've been out of ZK fandom for a month and have had some time to reflect, I think I can give a much more thorough response. Beware, this is long and I heavily critique the Zvtara fandom, so if you're a ZK shipper, keep reading at your own risk.

My first minor annoyance with Zvtara is that the fandom has a tendency to idolize certain fics and creators. And while there’s certainly nothing inherently wrong about that, I feel like the Zvtara fandom does it to such an extent that it influences the type of content that content creators make in order to get recognition. And to illustrate my point, I’m going to talk about one of the most famous Zvtara fics of all time: Once Around The Sun by eleventy7.

Don’t get me wrong, I love OATS. I think it’s a great fanfic and I think the author devoted a lot of time and effort to make it such an excellent fic. The plot, the development of the characters and their relationships to one other, and the messages about family and love were all brilliantly written. I mean, there is a reason why it’s regarded as the “Zvtara Bible”. This one fanfic had such a profound impact upon the ZK fandom, and I think the biggest impact that came from it is the dramatic influx of post-war Zvtara AU fanfiction. 

Because so many people kept reading OATS and recommending it to others, I think there was an overall interest in ZK fics that take place in a post-war setting. And I think that all of the high praise towards OATS made more fic writers start to write post-war fanfics because of this demand for post-war AU.* I normally wouldn't complain about it because more content is more content, but in my opinion, 99% of ZK post-war fics are the same fic but in different fonts.

Like, there's at least 3 of these elements in every ZK post-war fanfic:

Ambassador Katara

An assassination attempt (usually on Zuko's life)

A healing scene between Zuko and Katara (usually Katara heals Zuko)

Aang and/or Mai is pushed to the side or vilified to some extent in order to make ZK happen

A private journey between Zuko and Katara to facilitate #6

S L O W B U R N (that's not really slowburn and more like "I love you and I very much want to be vocal about my feelings but #7 is in this fic" but the love story takes up like 30 chapters so I guess it's a slowburn?)

Zuko's advisers don't want him to get married to Katara because ✨racism✨

Ursa is found

Azula is in the fic because a) she's going to get a healing arc ft. Zuko and Katara and thereby helps them get together or b) she's the villain and thereby helps them get together

ZK wedding happens in the FN

After reading multiple post-war fics back to back, I could tell that the format was pretty much the same across the board, which isn't very interesting for me to read. My only other fic options in the Zvtara tag on AO3 are canon divergence fics which almost always take place during The Crossroads of Destiny or after The Southern Raiders. And to some extent, those stories are pretty much the same too. There's nothing really new or creative going on in the ZK fandom fic-wise, and because of that, my interest in ZK fandom started to dwindle.

My second issue with Zvtara is that it's a very old ship from a very old show. Because there's been 10+ years since the end of A:TLA, every nuanced point about shipping and the show itself have been talked to death.** There's just nothing new to say. It's the same arguments being rehashed over and over again in the tag because there's no other interpretation one can come up with.

For example, there's so many people who talk about why Zvtara as depicted in The Southern Raiders is not toxic and that's great and all, but I (and most likely many others) have read those same points about five times already. And for some reason, each time this happens, people act like someone just discovered the lost city of Atlantis when they bring up their new-but-not-new argument in defense of Zvtara. Honestly, I'm ashamed to say that I'm not exempt from being part of the group of people that reiterate old arguments. I've done it with one of my posts about The Southern Raiders and I've done it again with my Zutara/Omashu parallels post.

There's no new content to really dissect and analyze (especially considering Zuko and Katara are rarely in the same panel in any of the post-war comics), and because of this, people are just restating points that someone else made several years ago.*** And even if someone did have a different interpretation of an episode, their ideas would most likely be shut down because for the past several years, the same interpretation has been recycled through the fandom repeatedly and people are resistant to new perspectives.

This brings me to the third thing that I dislike about Zvtara: the insistence that there can only be one way to interpret The Southern Raiders. For the longest time, I've read take after take that said if Katara decided to kill Yon Rha, it would be ok because that's her grief to deal with and if she thinks that's the best way to mete out justice, then good for her. And again, I'm ashamed to say that I perpetuated that idea in a few of my own posts. I have always thought that "Katara killing Yon Rha is ok" is just a bad take in general, but I didn't want to vocalize that opinion when so many people—so many of the nice mutuals that I made—all shared that same opinion. Taking down a popular opinion of your own ship is completely different from taking down a popular opinion of a ship that you dislike. The Zvtara fandom is the first fandom that I was actually active in and I wanted to fit in so badly with everyone else that I just parroted whatever other people said, even if I didn't agree with those sentiments.

This leads me to my final reason why I don't want to be a part of ZK fandom anymore. I think I established myself as a "meta" person pretty early on and because of that, I constantly felt pressured to come up with new takes on the ship. And when people started flooding my ask box with stuff like "Can you write a meta about your thoughts on the idea that 'Zuko only took Katara on that field trip in TSR because he wanted her to forgive him'?" and "What are your thoughts about antis saying Zuko and Katara are toxic because of TSR?", I realized that I don't need to come up with new takes. People just want me to paraphrase something that 10 other people said about the same exact topic, because if I said what I actually thought about the subject (i.e. there is some truth in what antis say about TSR and it's not as much of a "Zvtara episode" that most people make it out to be), I'd probably get ZK shippers in the replies telling me that I'm wrong because x, y, and z or "you shouldn't tag this as Zvtara".

And that was pretty much how my love for ZK turned into disinterest. I was and still am disappointed that I didn't stick to my personal opinions. For as much as I talk about herd mentality on Twitter, I certainly don't practice what I preach. In all honesty, the only reason why I held on so long to ZK fandom was because I had so many nice mutuals there and we all shared this collective distaste for antis. I think I started to become more anti-Zvkka and anti-Kataang than pro-Zvtara, which isn't what I wanted to do when I made this Tumblr blog.

The thing that made me joke about becoming anti-Zvtara was the fact that some ZK shippers just like to send shitty anons to people whom they've reblogged countless different metas from. Sending shitty anons to people in the first place is wrong, but sending them to people who tagged their posts correctly and did nothing wrong is just disgusting.

*I'm not a fic writer and can't speak for fic writers, but it definitely feels like a lot of ZK fic authors are pushing themselves to write the next OATS, and by doing so, they are proliferating the tag with post-war fics that have very similar aspects to OATS.

**I think that as more people point out the same nuanced points about Zvtara, it diminishes the actual significance of those points. Like, it's hard to explain but the more people talk about the subtleties of the ship, the more those parts become glaringly obvious and I become numb to their actual impact on the characters and the show.

***At this point, if someone wanted to make a new argument about Zvtara, I think they would have to look very closely at every little detail in every single one of their scenes together to find a crumb of new meta material. And speaking from experience, it's not very fun trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Whenever I post a "meta" like that, I feel like I'm reaching to make a point that doesn't exist.

[hesther-mcg]

i loved your zuko hcs! can u do hcs for being sokka’s s/o?

pairing: sokka x reader

warnings: none, other than it may be poorly written 

a/n: thank you anon! i’m glad that quite a few people seem to like the zuko hc’s, and i hope you like these as well! again, i’ve never written sokka before, so i hope this lives up to your standards 

I think we all can agree that Sokka is a King

And when he saw you, his whole world flipped upside down 

Your eyes were sharp as you sat with your sister at the dining table, sensing the blind girl’s muscles tensing when the Avatar and his friends were announced 

The Beifongs were oh so delighted to have them over for dinner, at least, Lao and Poppy were

Toph seemed to be annoyed, and her and Aang bickered the entire time

This sent off bells of distrust in your head, and you’d stared the group down ever since they’d arrived 

Sokka wanted to stare at you, and eyes drifted without intention from time to time, but when he caught your gaze his cheeks burned and he shrunk in his seat

The confident guy he pretended to be was long gone, you’d reduced him to blushes and shy smiles 

After they were kicked out of the home, they continued to pester your younger sister, therefore pestering you 

They had no need for you, actually, because you weren’t a bender. That was the only reason they needed Toph to come with them, but you knew your parents would never let either of you go

Though a small part of you yearned for the freedom the three people in front of you experienced every day

It would be nice to have friends 

In the end, Toph had made the decision to accompany the Gaang and teach the Avatar earthbending, and there was no way you were just going to let your little sister go by herself

You’d felt slightly weird about leaving your parents, but you knew this was the only way 

As time passed in your journey, you and Sokka opened up to one another at a steady pace 

The blushed and shy smiles didn’t cease, but the hard stares had 

You’d even begun to blush whenever he sent you a dorky smile

Sokka was funny, and smart, and he made you feel better about being a nonbender

Sometimes insecurities creeped in, your sister was one of the most powerful earthbenders in the world, and you couldn’t even fight 

Sokka had these same thoughts about himself, and together you eased the other’s worries

He taught you how to fight

And how to use his boomerang 

Things were easy with Sokka, your heart opened to him with no resistance and the feeling of his lips on yours was met with reciprocation 

He was sweet to you

He respected you 

He made you laugh, and when you were sad he was there to hold you and speak with you 

He listened to you 

He was everything you could have ever wanted in a boyfriend

The times were hard, and he was the light that kept you going

This little family you had formed was forever, and so was your love for Sokka

After everything with Ozai and Azula was over, and Zuko was settled as the new Fire Lord, Sokka asked you to come back to the Southern Water Tribe with him and Katara 

You’d agreed, despite your sister choosing to go elsewhere

Hakoda and Kanna welcomed you with open arms, and you fit right in 

Your life with Sokka was sweet, and full of love and laughter 

[luckyricochet]

I want you to answer A-Z on the fandom asks so I can peer into your psyche 👀

Wow I love you. This actually took around three hours since I wanted to think about the answers. See them under the cut!

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

From Hanyou no Yashahime — Sesshomaru and Rin

From The Mandalorian — The Mandomera’s been creeping up a little bit. 

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

Honestly can’t think of one. I’m very set in my ships. 

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

From Naruto — SasuSaku. Sasuke was cute as a kid so I get Sakura having a crush on him then, but I think she would have gotten over it when he became a homicidal clown who abandoned the village and tried to kill her and her teammates multiple times.

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

From Harry Potter — Ron x Hermione. I’ve always thought their personalities didn’t match and not in the good “opposites attract” kind of way.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

I only know how to write angst, drama, and introspective musings so no. 

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

Over fifteen years in the Harry Potter fandom, but I’ve had to separate that from JKR herself in the recent years. 

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

“Have I ever had an OTP”? *laughs from shipping hell* 

From The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare — Nat and Kit were my first OTP. Read this book in fifth grade and was immediately loved them. Boy literally risks banishment from the colony to help prove she’s not a witch. 

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

I love visual media, so TV, anime, and film

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

I’m not going to let tumblr dot com put me off of a particular show/book/etc. itself, but it has definitely made me think less of certain types of fans who are in a fandom. 

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

The...period drama fandom? More widely, the history fandom. They both create some of the most beautiful edits celebrating history and I love it. 

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

 From Avatar: The Last Airbender — It’s gotta be Prince Zuko

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

From Harry Potter — I think Ginny is a Mary Sue but I loved when she stood up for herself in Half-Blood Prince when Ron was trying to slut-shame her. 

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

From Parks and Recreation — Leslie Knope. Unending positive affirmations, thoughtfulness, and support!

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

I don’t really have a main fandom but I haven’t mentioned Free! yet so let’s go with it for this one. 

1. Less Nitori because I can’t stand him.

2. More female characters! I get half the appeal is the boys, but I’d love to see a girls swim team in some capacity. 

3. More Haru and his family dynamics! Doesn’t have to be a ton, but I want to know what his relationship with his parents like, especially as an adult.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

Salt and the Sea - The Lumineers. “From the destruction, out of the flame. You need a villain, give me a name.” Such an Odesta song. (Finnick x Annie from the Hunger Games)

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

For The Mandalorian — A historical AU set in early 1900s New York City where Mando’s just some government agent sent to “report” on slum conditions to satisfy some housing law. He goes meaning to write up a generic report but then finds the orphaned Baby Yoda abandoned in one of the tenements. Shocked by the conditions of the slums, Mando goes from being an apathetic, middling-level bureaucrat to being an anonymous investigative journalist reporting on the corruption in the government that allows for the city’s most vulnerable citizens to live in squalor, leading the government on a search to find who within their ranks is exposing them. 

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

Sherlock, because it just took so long for the third series to come out. I had moved on to other fandoms by the time it did. Still have fond memories of when I was active in it, though. 

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

From Lord of the Rings — Aragorn and Legolas. This is played up a lot more in the films but I love it. 

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

For Lord of the Rings — Boromir definitely taught Faramir swordplay when they were little kids since their father didn’t want to. 

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

From Hanyou no Yashahime — Rin made the first move. Sesshomaru would be way too clueless to even know how to go about it. 

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

From Pirates of the Caribbean — James Norrington: Commodore in the Royal Navy during the 18th century, must I explain any further? Cool, calm, and collected on the job while looking v good while he does it but a nervous wreck in front of the woman he fancies. Tell me that’s not straight out of Austen.

From Star Wars (OT) — Luke Skywalker: An unapologetically good person in a crapsack world, doing his best to bring light into the world. A classic hero archetype who grows out of his naïveté to become a cunning—but still benevolent—Jedi. 

From Prince of Tennis — Yukimura Seiichi: His duality is *chef’s kiss*. Super scary and in charge on the court, gentle sweet boy who loves art and culture off the court. He struggled for so long but was able to overcome it all through his hard work and willpower.

Bonus favorite, because I couldn’t resist...

From Band of Brothers — Doc Roe: He’s doing the MOST for his guys but he really just needs a hug. Plus he’s got the accent.

V - Which character do you relate to most?

From Little Women — Jo March, especially as portrayed by Saoirse Ronan in the 2019 adaptation. Writer, holds grudges, opinionated, stubborn, eschewed “girliness” in her youth but is more open to it and romanticism as an adult. 

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

I’ve gotten to the point where even the hint of a love triangle tests my patience.

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

It’s about the yearning: Longing Look

Also will definitely always ship the Brooding Boy and the Gentle Girl

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

Anything in the MCU or general superhero content.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

I love fandom so much. I’m sort of facetious about being obsessed with people who aren’t real on my other social media accounts, but in all seriousness, being able to escape the real world to get excited over characters and relationships that face their own struggles, triumphs, and emotions is such a gift. So often they speak so powerfully on the human experience—How can you read, or watch, any of Tolkien’s work and not be moved by what he has to say about humanity and the power of good? Even if the stories are fictional, the messages they impart about life aren’t, which is what I love so much about them.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Speak No Evil (Part 4)

It is only when she can bear the loneliness no more that Azula finally makes her way out of bed. Her lethargy is now less pain related and more so the product of mood. She can smell eggs and steamed rice as she nears the dining room. Zuko, TyLee, and Mai are well into their breakfast. They don’t notice her until she slips into her chair. She gestures for a bowl and Zuko passes it to her.

She thinks that she would be eating in silence even if she didn’t have to. Her gaze is fixed upon the bowl in front of her as though she can read the answers to her problems in the residue at the bottom of her bowl. Uncle mentioned that tea leaves could be used for divination, she wonders if she can foresee her life in a bowl of steamed rice. It is absurd to think about, but infinitely less painful than everything else.

They don’t attempt to engage her in conversation and she begins to wonder if she feels more or less lonely when she is physically alone. She thinks that it is somehow worse to be around everyone and ignored. Soon the bowl of rice and the steam that rises from it are distant to her own inner thoughts.

She hadn’t realized that she hasn’t actually taken a bite yet until Zuko softly asks, “are you going to eat?”

She nods and forces herself to take a bite or two but she finds that she isn’t all too hungry. She pushes her barely touched bowl to the side, rises, and pushes her chair in. “Azula, wait.” Zuko calls just as gently. She pauses but doesn’t look back. “Come sit back down.”

Azula hesitates before sitting down again.

“Are you doing better?”

She shakes her head.

“You look tired.” TyLee notes.

At this Azula nods. She can’t express just how tired she is. But resting her arms on the table and burying her head in her arms is a good start. She feels a hand rubbing her back, Zuko’s most likely.

“You still can’t talk?” She hears TyLee ask.

She lifts her head and gives it another shake, her expression dimming further. TyLee offers her a sympathetic frown and takes the princess’ hand. She could cry and this time the tears would be born of relief. TyLee rubs the back of her hand and squeezes. Azula reaches for her steamed rice and forces herself to eat at least half before pushing it to the side again. Her stomach is still queasy as she clutches TyLee’s hand back. She stands and gives the woman’s hand a soft tug. She could use some fresh air. More than that, she could use some alone time with TyLee.

“Azula, where are we going? I’m not done eating.”

Azula lets go and waits for her to finish. She thinks that the atmosphere might be less tense now. She chances to think that they aren’t as furious with her as she had thought. At least TyLee and Zuko aren’t. She can feel Mai’s piercing stare. It isn’t the first time. In fact, every time she falls back into old mannerisms, Mai treats her with a coldness that equals her own.

But this time is different. She can feel that it is. She thinks that she has messed up too many times now. That Mai’s patience and trust have run out. It is different because she can’t find the energy to spit venom back. Maybe that is a good thing. She only garners deeper resentment when she does. Maybe it truly is better if she never speaks another word. That she has done herself a favor in making it so.

“Do you want to go to your room, Azula?”

She shakes her head and points to the window.

“The garden?”

Azula nods.

“For a walk or do you just want to sit by the pond?”

Azula makes a walking gesture with her pointer and middle fingers. She stands up again and this time TyLee follows.

“You’re really going to do this?” Mai sighs.

“It’s just a walk, Mai.”

“It’s always just a walk.” Mai scoffs. “Remember the last time you went on a walk. She spent it yelling at you for causing her to relapse. She got mad at you for making her mad at you.”

“I don’t think that she’s going to do much yelling.” Zuko remarks. Her stomach lurches.

.oOo.

The garden is particularly verdant today, the scents of the flora it teems with his lush and refreshing and makes Azula feel as though things might be okay after all. She reaches for TyLee’s hand and her hope crumbles like a dead petal. “Not yet, Azula.” It is in her tone, she is still angry. Unusually so and Azula is under the impression that she has only agreed to this walk so that they may, in some manner or another, converse in private.

She feels a flicker of agitation that dies away when she recalls that, that is what she had in mind as well. They walk side by side not attempting any sort of conversation at all for the longest time. Finally TyLee asks, “why do you always treat me like that?”

Azula tilts her head.

“You say that you love me and whenever I do something wrong…” she trails off. “You only love me when do everything right. You want me to be perfect…”

Azula holds a finger to her lips.

“No, Azula. It’s not fair.”

Azula presses that same finger to TyLee’s lips. She doesn’t find it endearing in the slightest. “Even when you can’t talk, you interrupt me. Do you even care what I have to say?”

She flinches and nods.

“Then listen to me.” She frowns. “You want me to be perfect…” Azula resists the urge to shake her head. “But I can’t be. And I’m tired of trying. I arrange a nice picnic for you and there’s still a problem.”

Azula shakes her head.

“Yes, there is a problem, there always is with you.”

She shakes her head again, that isn’t what she means. She means that the problem wasn’t TyLee. It never was. It usually isn’t. But then she gives an affirmative nod; the problem is with her.

TyLee furrows her brows. Azula looks around for something to write with. She doesn’t think that the gardeners would take well to her burning an entire conversation into the grass, and she certainly doesn’t want it to be this one.

She settles for something simple. She reaches for TyLee’s hand and mouths a sorry. She finds that it is easier to apologize when she doesn’t actually have to bring the words out of her mouth. TyLee still pulls her hand away.

Azula swallows. Her belly burns with sorrow and rage. She doesn’t know which takes precedence. She yearns to ask TyLee what she can do. Or perhaps longs to be able to speak her mind fully, that she doesn’t want TyLee to be afraid of her. That she had been feeling doubtful on the day of their picnic and had expressed it exactly how her doctors advised against. And in doing so, she proved that TyLee was right to be afraid and mistrustful of her. That she knows it, she is aware and wants to fix it. She can only grasp at her hand once more and mouth another apology.

TyLee looks no less angry and continues to walk. Azula doesn’t follow, she doesn’t see the point. She finds herself wandering in the opposite direction, towards the pond where she has a seat and stares into the water. It is so still, crystalline and pure. She tears her eyes away from the water and stares at her palms. She plucks a flower and twirls it between her fingers. And an idea comes to her. TyLee likes flowers. Sometimes she sees Zuko bringing Mai flowers after a fight. She only has the one but if TyLee likes it, she can gather more. She hustles to catch up with her girlfriend and taps her on the shoulder.

“Oh, so you decided that you still want to hear me out?”

Azula presses her lips firmly together and holds out the flower. When TyLee doesn’t take it, she gives her hand another small thrust. TyLee’s face softens and she takes the flower. Azula smiles and TyLee sighs, “I guess that’s a good start.”

Azula smiles again. She thinks that maybe she understands love more than she thought she did. Perhaps not very well, but enough for it to mean something. “Are you still mad?” She mouths.

When TyLee’s look of confusion doesn’t subside Azula steps back and makes a fiery ‘R’ and then a ‘U’. And finally, ‘M-A-D’.

TyLee exahles again. “A little, yes.”

Azula’s face falls. She looks around, unsure of what else to do.

“Can we keep walking, Azula?” She asks. “I think that, that might help.”

“Okay.” Azula mouths. Her hand feels so empty. She eyes TyLee’s. She lets the woman take the lead. They are back to walking quietly and it leaves the princess feeling abysmal and pessimistic. Absently, she finds herself slowing her pace. TyLee notices before she does. They simply stand again, quietly. Azula with her fists clenched and teeth gritted, eyes misty. She knows what’s going to happen. She is going to be alone again. Alone and left behind. Just like the first time she relapsed. She is going to end up in the institution again and no one is going to visit her. They aren’t going to speak to her until she comes home with a hollow and distant look on her face. She is slipping. This time she notices it. Recognition has no worth when there is nothing to be done.

She feels TyLee’s arms come around her and she chokes back her tears. “Do you want to go back inside?”

Azula nods. She would very much like that. And to go to bed.

“We can also sit in the garden if you want.” TyLee offers. “I’d like to find more of these.” She holds up the flower.

Azula takes a deep and shaky breath. And then another. TyLee waits for the princess’ moment to pass. She nods again and walks with TyLee to the bench by the rose bushes. She grips the edge of the bench until her knuckles go white.

“You’re going to be fine, Azula.”

She nods. But only because TyLee has given her a break. She wonders if she really should have been cleared at all. She isn’t stable. She isn’t sure that she’ll ever find stability again. She looks at TyLee. The woman gives a cheerful smile. She has found stability. She just isn’t sure that she can keep it.

[pseudowoodo]

M, T, and U for the fic asks?

thanks! this got really long so i put the second two under the read more. questions are from here

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

lol so many. here’s my list of wips

dair

a prequel/dan pov to my ues dan/brooklyn blair fic

libeled lady au

gentlemen prefer blondes au

sabrina au

the 100 au (s1 only lol)

seblaine

got a few chapters left of my s3 mckinley au and then i’ll probably do more little s4 one shots. i’ve got part of a glease one written

i have like 8000 words of a roman holiday au?? i think it was for one of the seblaine week promps last year but i didn’t finish in time. it needs a lot of work and i haven’t decided whether to stay true to the movie ending or not

a fuller version of post-series seblaine at nyu together

other

i know i’ve already written a room with a view au for dair but i also have one for jess/rory lol. it’s a modern au though, set between s4 and 5 when rory goes to europe with emily. the big difference from canon is that luke moved to nyc to help take care of jess when his dad skipped out so neither of them know the gilmores when they run into rory in italy

a zutara fic where aang doesn’t reappear to defeat the firelord so zuko and katara, who beat azula as planned, are now stuck in the middle of the fire nation cut off from the rest of the resistance. high stress fake dating ensues.

i’d forgotten about half of these so let me know which sound interesting! i can do the wip meme thing of posting an excerpt

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

not really? the only thing that’s an automatic no for me is first person fic. i’m also generally not a fan of arranged marriage/imprinting/soulmate au stuff, all those tropes that skip over the getting together part and make it mandatory. that said, i have liked fics with each of those so it’s not a dealbreaker.

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

i mean, margottenenbaum’s gossip girl fics are like half the reason i still devote any thought to gossip girl. they’re so incisive and perfectly capture who these characters are, or who they could have been, and there’s always at least one line that just knocks you out. shout out to according to keats and fitzgerald, the fic that made me love serena, and without a key, the fic that made me love nate and was one of the things that inspired my own s1 role swap au.

similarly, i think xsaturated’s glee fics are most of the reason i’m into seblaine at all. i originally quit glee after s2 and wasn’t part of the fandom so these fics were what made me fall in love with blaine and sebastian, both the characters and the ship. shout out to a caution to the birds, the first glee fic i ever read and still my favorite, and this blaine/jesse friendship fic, which is a delight.

another favorite is chash, who is so unbelievably prolific i still can’t wrap my mind around it. there was a several year period where there would be at least one new chash bellarke fic a week and they would always brighten my day. they’ve got a hallmark movie like comfort to them and honestly, the further divorced they are from the show the better.