#zuko wanted a nickname too

[stardust948]

Dragon AU Headcanon

It's Phoenix Clan tradition to name children after a male ancestor in hopes they'll become great dragon hunters. This is why Ozai still names Azula after his father despite trying to separate himself from both Azulon and the Phoenix Clan. Maybe it was out of irony or Ozai was still more ingrained than he thought. He never truly figured that out.

Ozai wished he had enough courage to break the tradition and name Azula after his late mother, but what's done is done.

This is also why Ozai never calls Azula by her full name. It's always Dear or Blueberry or even Lala but never Azula.

[punkeropercyjackson]

The Spiderband in my vision

The full lineup is Miles,Gwen,Peni,Hobie,Margo,Pavitr,Gayatri,Ganke and Miles G

Miles is a dreadhead,Gwen is a lightskin half white afro-dominicana with black hair and brown eyes who went through an implied hair journey(straight hair in Itsv > locs in Atsv),Peni is wasian with her dad having been a Peter Parker,Hobie is jamaican-ugandan,Margo is haitian and Gayatri is Sikh

Miles is transmascfem catkin,Gwen is a xenogender trans girl,Peni is a transbian,Hobie is transmasc unlabeled(nonbinary,boy and girl),Margo is transmasc genderfluid and so femme she dosen't want t or surgeries,Pavitr is transhet,Gayatri is a bi nonbinary trans girl,Ganke is a gay trans boy and Miles G is a catkin bi trans boy

And all of them are Triple A's(adhd,autism and anxiety)and punk as Hobie radicalized them(Miles is afrosolarpunk and pastel punk,so is Gwen,Gayatri is another solarpunk,Peni is goth punk,Miles G is afrogothpunk,Pavitr is skapunk,Margo is glampunk and Ganke is crustpunk)

Miles,Gwen,Hobie and Margo are the Spidey Core Four as Gwen's best friendship with Hobie and Margo led to them sneaking out too as they noticed she was gone and were worried sick for her so they went to find her and so they joined the mcs faction

Gayatri is a Spiderwoman Variant like Gwen since it breaks Canon even better if she is and her nickname is 'Spiderladdoo' after her favorite indian food(don't worry,unlike the Pavitr chai jokes,this was inspired by my indian friend giving me approval on my headcanon of her loving laddoo specifically in the tags but is never turned into a gag except to tease her for how cutesy it is and is meant to be a positive replacement for them).She's pretty much a y2k girlpower cartoon protagonist considering her school life in contrast to it-Popular perfect girl at school,cringeswag Spiderwoman after class lets out

Miles G's redemption arc in Beyond is Zuko level in excecution i.e more of a healing arc/atonement arc than anything else and Uncle Aaron being there for him despite appearing to only want to be a bad influence(even through at it all,Uncle Aaron only wants the best for Miles in every universe)

Gwen dosen't go back to George and her 'only half of who i am' line is a triple meaning(Ghostspider,trans and biracial)as a reflection on how he forced her to detach from her blackness out of racism as a cop and she kicks his ass when he hands her Hobie's Watch for her before he even explains himself and she feels bad for just a twinge of a second before realizing she dosen't owe it to him to care since he never spared her that.She then gets adopted by Jessica and her husband as they already think of eachother as mom and daughter so it was an easy solution

Gamke per his wishes isn't their Guy In The Chair,he's their Silly Little Guy(civillian friend who hangs out with them and helps out with the superhero junk directly and not staying on the sidelines but given help to make it easier for him on and off the field)

Margo is a bullied friendless outcast who's too often too nice for her own good thanks to growing up with parents who'd fight nonstop leaving her with an aversion to conflict for her own peace and the rest of the Spiderband teach her how to stand up for herself and do it themselves when she's not brave enough to,which encourages her to get even tougher so she dosen't feel like she's burdening them(she isn't of course,they love her too much)

They don't really go on patrol/missions with anyone except eachother out of trauma :( They have trust issues outside of their lil tightly knit together friend group but as they grow older they heal from it

Hobie is the Team Dad but the proper found family definition,not nuclear family toxicity and this includes adressing he acts the part pretty largely out of adultification trauma and he opens up about it eventually but way even before that,they all pitch in to help him with caretaking and that's what gave him the courage to do so.He ended up breaking down in both sadness and mushy love for them and they comforted him with showers of both verbal and physical affection

Peni is everybody's little sister and it dosen't feel infantalizing to her but helps her heal and feel safe and at home yet as strong as she needs to be and more with how much confidence they express in her nonstop to the point it actually ends up embarrassing her and she demands they stop(they only go harder in response)

Pavitr uses his 'sunshine boy' image to be a bitch(affectionate)so often it's concluded that's just what he's like the whole time counting how authentic and earnest he is in either side and mood

They do alllllll the fun teenage things together-Skateboarding,graffiti,reading books,dying their hair unnatural colors,eating bad for you food,meme challenges and shitpost videos,gaming,watching anime,playing with legos,diy sessions,petty crime sprees,etc

They dimension hop on the reg to be together too,no matter who or what tries to stop them

If Miles and Gwen are sunflowers,Margo and Hobie are moonflowers,Pavitr and Gayatri are lillies,Peni is a rose,Miles G is a wilted sunflower and Ganke is a daisy

Cat cafes are special to them so they go to them often and try to find new ones in each dimension they find

Built their own base unafiliated to Spider Society a la Codename:Kids Next Door.They call it 'The Homeweb' and they also have their own group chat titled 'Websters Declassified'

Trans girl!Miles',Pavitr's and Miles G's names would be Mirasol,Lavanya and Mari

Wether Flowerbyte or Prowlerbyte happens(Margo has the Morales brothers down BAD),Rio insists Margo move in with her and her fam as a future in-laws thing as she can't stand how miserable living with her parents clearly makes her and she agrees almost instantly,once she gets over her shock and squee's in girlish joy,happily hugging Rio and jumping up and down in joy,to Rio's frizzlement

They all really like X-Ray Spex,Lo-Fi Chiptunes,Meet Me @ The Altar and weird ass concept asmr's

And the biggest reason they love eachother and are real best friends unlike the posers they had to deal with is they weren't even meant to meet,much less feel like they're only a team out of obligation-'Soulmates are stupid,i love you on purpose','You dreamnt of me?/No,i thought of you' and 'It's too bad we're not soulmates.It's too good to give up on you' typa beat is the Spiderband beat

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Thoughts I had during TGCF S2 Ep 6

Previously on TGCF…

This is gonna be epic!!!

Cw: Past homicide

-That’s Yong’An in its heyday 

-Sparrows

-Fang Xin

-It’s Qianqiu’s assistant from Eps 1-2!

-Young Qianqiu is literally me in my Freshman year of High School during the first semester

-His butterfly shaped mask

-Writing the Laozi 10 times has the energy of making a kid stay in class and write a sentence over and over on the chalkboard till they’ve learned their lesson (Literally every Simpsons opening)

-He doubled it

-Imagine if Piandao talked to Sokka like that when beginning his sword training

-Man wonder who voices Young!Qianqiu?

-I mean the move could also get you hurt if you’re careless

-This is the Ancient Chinese version of the trolley problem, same analogy though

-I like to think this advice was taught to Zuko and Sokka when they were learning swordsmanship

-See, trolley problem esque

-Good advice to not intervene

-More dead bodies

-Oh no and that was his Dad

-That’s when the survivor’s guilt set in

-I can see why Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are perfect for each other, they both have a freaking high kill count

-Just like when Bruce Wayne lost his parents

-What did he say?

-He’s not a monster

-That was during his second ascenscion

-That’s gonna be a bad outcome

-“I wish to be stripped of my divinity” Literally every fangirl’s brain drifted to something else when he said that.  Just look at Kictor and Stitch

-Doesn’t seem like he earned it at all

-He just wants to get out of the drama

-If there was a modern AU, you know Shi Qingxuan would make an awesome and wealthy defense attorney

-There’s the Amongus quote

-Dang no answer

-There’s Prosecutor Pei Ming, that’s a good nickname.

-He made a solid point

-That’s the result of the Fang Xin trial with XL on house arrest and a restraining order from Taihua

-He made another enemy

-Aaaa pickle jar, better believe it Qingxuan

-How is she going to get air???

-That upset Qingxuan, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing

-The interior looks hollow in Xie Lian’s palace

-That’s coming out of Qingxuan’s pockets

-He deserves the apology hun

-He’s doing it, he’s doing the iconic old time Put your head between your arms against a flat surface like a Disney Princess!

-He still has the dice

-It’s snake eyes!

-Hi Mu Qing

-Stick it to Jun Wu, Mu Qing

-I know right, it did NOT seem like a healing spell at all

-Wonder if I can conceptualize a similar healing potion for TOH MTC…?

-You just had to ask him that didn’t you?

-Hi Feng Xin

-A guest who invited himself inside

-Welp he really was honest

-Seriously, Mu Qing you couldn’t have felt bad for his house arrest

-Xie Lian’s trying to mediate again

-Mu Qing’s response had bite to it

-One Punch!!!

-Fist Fight!  Fist Fight!

-“You’re a hypocrite, you’ve always looked down on me, but you’re not better than I am!!!”  Oh my gods, Lucien Dodge freaking delivered!!!

-“Enough…” Oh man, Xie Lian’s emotions

-The Junior Officials witnessing the Generals fisticuffs:

Feng Xin!  Feng Xin!  Feng Xin!

Mu Qing!  Mu Qing!  Mu Qing!

-“Did it really have to come to violence?” Yeah it pretty much did. - Iroh, dragon of the West, the Waterbending scroll

-Mu Qing: Fine I’ll break your face

Feng Xin: Not if I break yours first!  It’s too late to beg for mercy!  

That’s what I translated to the best of my skills during Xie Lian’s internal monologue

-He’s like a parent that’s disappointed with his two kids constantly at odd

-Don’t worry, hon what’s really gonna help them is Couples’ therapy, and I’d hate to be that therapist

-A dramatic sound effect!

-I can’t wait to write the Gaang’s reaction to the Wraith Butterflies

-That was a cool shield spell

-I love how the butterflies are easily dodging Xie Lian, but are charging toward Mu Qing and Feng Xin to scare the sh*t outta them

-He’s gonna hold one of the butterflies, he’s holding one of the butterflies, yeah too late man AND HE’S NUZZLING THE WINGTIPS WITH HIS NOSE Cue keyboard smash! WAE TESDHGFYFJ. RYGJ GUFTDRSSDFAEGRRESVGTGTRS DFGSTRWG EIEEEIIIIIIIEEEEEE!!! I always love this joke, no matter how old it’s gonna get in my reaction posts.

-Yeah he’s just going

-The real reason this episode took so long to air last year was that the animators had to get the waist snatch scene past censorship to spite their censor companies for not having Xie Lian fall into Hua Cheng’s lap in Eps 4-5.

-Xie Lian: Hello Again, Literally me: HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! (This is the same noise Eleanor Shellstrop made when she was gifted a Shrimp Dispenser in The Good Place)

-They’re just backing up

-You two had one job!  Looking at you Feng Xin and Mu Qing!  I see ya

-He’s just tugging his sleeve as they’re walking

-Man, it’s like Hua Cheng took Little John’s advice from Robin Hood 1973 to “Climb the palace walls.  *Tosses out Gross Carrot* Sweep him off his feet, carry him off in style.” - Little John, Disney Robin Hood (1973) (Best Disney film hands down, freaking fight me if you dare)

-That must’ve hurt his ears

-Y’all had one job

-Feng Xin is just worried

-*Hua Cheng has entered the chat*  Like a goat!

-The subtle eye contact and expression he shared with Xie Lian!

-Some of the 33 gods he defeated are also in the chat

-That shook the veils

-Won’t that be pain in his mind?

-Looks like he saved you yeah

-A flashback from Ep 5!

-Touchstarved!  Touchstarved!  (Try prying this headcanon from my cold dead grip!)

-And here you’re about to see Howard Wang’s best performance in the series so far

-Best apology I’ve ever heard in media

-It healed that fast

-Petition to have James Cheek voice an iconic lead character in a Shakespeare play?

-Aw, they were actually both at fault for what happened

-You can actually feel Hua Cheng’s Shame

-E Ming: Noooo…. You hurt him!  I hurt him!  We hurt him! AAAHHH!  *sobs*

Season 2 has fed us once more!  I’m still busy with writing the Scrap Immortal and the Avatar.  For writing inspiration, I’ll be busy rewatching Avatar:  The Last Airbender

[crowentity233]

The Dragon's Keep (part 1)

*Finished*

Fire Lord Zuko x (Fem!) Reader

Part 2

Summary: You are a firebender named Ayushi, who has been accepted to guard over the royal family as a kyoshi warrior. You end up guarding Zuko through his travels to visit the sun warriors. The mission, protecting the newest dragons, begins.

You stood in the hallway of the palace. Your armor clung to your body. The moon took over the night sky. The windows were open, letting in the cool breeze from the summer night. Pitter patters of feet down the hall jerked your attention back to reality.

"Princess kiyi." You called out running after the footsteps. You caught up to the girl. "Princess, you should be asleep. What's wrong?" You kneeled down next to her.

"I'm scared. I can't sleep." She mumbles, then hugs into your body, pulling you in to comfort her. You immediately wrap your arms around her and hold her.

"What are you scared of?" You asked gently to the girl. You picked her up and walked back to her room.

"I had a bad dream about a dark spirit." She whines into your shoulder. Her tears were starting to roll.

"It was just a dream, Princess Kiyi. You don't have to be scared. How about I sit with you and tell you a story?" You smiled brightly as the girl wiped away her tears nodding her head.

You laid her down on her bed and tucked her back in. You sat and told the story of the little dragon named Kioko. He was a very adventurous little dragon who learned he had to rely on others for aid. He couldn't do everything by himself. It was a firenation tale you heard many times from your parents.

She had fallen asleep, and you pet her hair before slipping back out into the hallway.

The next morning, Ursa was tending to the very energetic girl. She had retold the dragon story to her mother. "Where did you hear this story from?" Her mother giggled at the girl as she continued to almost the end, but kiyi didn't know how it ended because she had fallen asleep.

"Ayushi told me! I was going to get ZuZu up to scare away the spirits, but Ayushi told me a good story, and the spirits went away." The girl smiled proudly.

Zuko ate the breakfast in front of him, not paying too much attention until his nickname was said. "You were scared last night?"

"Yes, but Ayushi made it better. Mommy, I want Ayushi to tell me the rest of the story tonight. Can she please?" She spoke up to her mother.

"You can ask her before dinner tonight." Her mother smiled pleased that one of the kyoshi warriors was being so kind to her daughter and not just being a fire nation guard that was heartless like the old days.

You woke up getting ready for the night shift. You had been guarding at night. It was a long shift, but it was important to look after the royal family. You had stopped your fair share of criminals from getting to them.

Your job was about to become more interesting. "Ayushi, dear, will you come here, please? Kiyi has a question to ask you." Ursa's voice sounded through the hall out from the throne room.

You entered the room and bowed to the firelord and to the royal family.

Kiyi ran up to you. You kneeled down, sitting on your knees to face her. Your face brightened as she laughed energetically.

"Can you tell me another bedtime story tonight?" She said as she got to you.

You nodded. "Of course, Princess Kiyi. I would love to."

The girl jumped in glee. She wrapped her arms around you with a smile. You hugged her back, and then she ran back to her mother happily.

"Ayushi, I asked Suki if it was okay for you to take a daytime shift so you could tell Kiyi a bedtime story every night before your shift ends so you could sleep during the night." Ursa politely spoke.

"Yes, of course. What times work for you, work for me." Your voice is calm and respectful.

"You can have the next two nights off to readjust to daytime." She offered happily.

"Yes, Lady Ursa, thank you." You bowed, and you were dismissed.

The bedtime came quickly. You changed out of your uniform into a casual yet presentable outfit for the royal palace. You walked to Princess Kiyi's room, but it was empty. You looked around the nearby halls. The young girl poked her head out of the fire lords chambers. "Ayushi, come in here. I want Zuzu to have a bedtime story, too." You hesitantly followed her into the room. It was fit for a ruler. The room was huge. The walls were a darker color, very comforting and cozy. The fire lit torches flickered, a fireplace warming the room to a comfortable temperature to your skin. Fire Lord Zuko laid in the bed he was in silk sleep wear. His hair was down and messy. It was a stark difference from the times you've seen him. He seemed to be much more relaxed.

"Zuzu, she is here. Are you excited about the story?" Lord Zuko chuckled. Yes, much more relaxed than you've ever seen him.

"Yes, I'm excited." He said as kiyi got into the bed and tossed the covers over herself.

You bowed when your eyes met Zuko's. "Lord Zuko, I'm happy to tell you a bedtime story with Princess Kiyi." You giggled softly at the situation at hand. You leveled your body back up. His lips were turned into a grin. "Thank you, Ayushi." His eyes were a gorgeous golden brown. Your cheeks brighten ever so slightly seeing the Fire Lord in such a casual place. You were one of the new kyoshi warriors. You had never been in contact with Zuko before he became the Fire Lord.

"You can come in and sit. What story are you telling us tonight?" He seemed so welcoming.

"I was going to tell the story of the princess and dragon beast." You sat at the edge of the bed.

"Is it about a princess like me?" Kiyi gasped.

"Yes, it is her name is Bealin. She falls in love with a prince."

She laid down and held onto a stuffed flying bison Avatar Aang had given her from the air temple that was being rebuilt.

You started telling the story to the young girl. You were at the part where the princess was having fun with the dragon beast playing in the snow when Zuko leaned over, checking his sister. She was fast asleep. "She's out." He said quietly.

"I can take her to her room." You started to get up. Zuko shook his head, "That's alright. I can take her." He paused. "This reminds me of when I was little. My mom told that story a lot to us when we were little."

"My mother told me it a lot too, but my favorite was sleeping beauty. I always thought I would be rescued by a prince with a dragon from the dark spirit." You giggled at your own naivete.

"I've seen dragons they are as incredible in person as they sounded in the story." He trailed remembering the time with the sun warriors.

"But they went extinct..." Your face fell into shock.

"No, I am bound in a secret of their location, but I assure you they are very much alive." He stood up, and you stood as he walked past you.

"That stays between us." He trails quietly.

"Yes, Lord Zuko. Can you tell me more about the dragons?" You ask softly, making sure no walls could hear your conversation. You felt such a connection to dragons since you were a child. You just brushed it off to just being a firebender, but your connection seemed higher than the rest of your classmates.

"Wait here." He spoke softly, picking up his sister and then disappearing out into the hall.

You sat back down on his bed. Your hand ran across the silk. It was so luxurious and soft against your skin. His bed was so comfortable. It was better than yours back in the kyoshi housing.

Zuko returned to his room, and he pulled off the top robe. His silk bottoms were loose fitting. Your eyes stole glances at his fit figure. He didn't seem to notice. He slipped back into the bed and sat down across from you.

"The dragons are huge. They towered over me. It was so humbling facing them. There is a sacred firebending form. That started from the first firebenders that learned from the dragons. The ones I saw were red and blue. They breathed the most amazing flames that were every color you could think of." He explained the dragons to you, cautious of the secrets he had to keep specifically the where.

"I am so jealous. My dream is to see dragons. That is all I could think about as a child." You sat comfortably talking with the Fire Lord. It was the first real casual conversation.

"Maybe one day I can take you to see them. You've been very kind to my sister, and you've dedicated your life to serving the kingdom. You've put your life on the line. I will need a personal body guard when I return to them. Consider it a gift." Zuko leaned back against the headboard. His body is on even more display. Your mind didn't notice as your dreams were coming to life. His body had no place in your mind at the moment. Your eyes widened at the thought of meeting real dragons.

"Lord Zuko, you would do that for me?" You leaned forward in complete awe that he would take you to see them. He nodded, chuckling at your reaction.

"Can you teach me the form? I would be honored to learn it." Your eyes were still full of wonder.

"Yes, I can show you tomorrow. Kiyi is going to want to hear the rest of the story. I can teach you tomorrow after she falls asleep." Zuko offered to you.

"Thank you so much, Lord Zuko." You bowed respectfully. "I don't think I could ever repay you..." You trailed.

"You don't have to. It's a gift, and showing you the form is a right to all traditional fire benders." He stretched and wrapped his hands behind his head.

Your eyes then took in the scenery. The pillows, the bed frame, Zuko in less than appropriate attire for a woman to be in his bed even if you were just sitting on top of the sheets a distance away from him.

"Thank you, Lord Zuko." You bow respectfully. You stood up and made your way to the door.

"Good night, Ayushi." Zuko called out to you as you opened the door.

"Good night, Lord Zuko." You exited into the hall to go back to your housing unit with the other warriors joining the others that completed their day guarding.

Let me know if you would like to be tagged. 🥰

[atla-confessions]

Z/Ks really leave the impression they like minorities in fiction but hate them irl.Y'all prattle on and on about the feminism and supposed interracial rep and oh think of the children !!But when a poc or queer person or minor regardless of gender hates your ship you quit the nice routine and attack us and then cry wolf over how 'Kataangers are puritans who can't even handle constructive critisism' and y'all're willing to throw the minority(pun intended)of good Z/ks under the bus as 'posers' for acting like normal people instead of shiprotted basement dwellers.I've gotten like 10+ anons misgendering me and an obsessive one saying exactly what i said is wrong to say who did a weird mock aave-y nickname of me and even called me 'Mx' but also she instead of he and pussy'd out when i put them on blast that i baited them into sending me anon hate so i could block.Z/Ks harrassed my baby brother too,including ageist comments and so many other wlwoc and moc and trans people in the Atla fandom have spoken about how they were fine with Z/K and even shipped it but the negativity and entitlement and close-mindedness of Zutradras completely ruined the ship for them.It's not us,it's you.And because i want really hammer this in in all my anti Z/K asks from now on:Your crush on Zuko was always and would always be one-sided.You're not good enough for him or Katara and y'all real bold thinking a guy like Aang would be into you or that you're like Katara when her punk(subculture)ass had more emotional intellegence and decency at 14 than y'all do as even older than me

X

[thepublishingpress]

A Civil Conversation

(Alt. title: Midnight Talks)

Zuko was feeling rather proud of himself. He had done it. He had managed to convince the Avatar to let Zuko teach him firebending. They had given Zuko a chance. Zuko absently poked at the fire with a stick. Though, not everything was ‘sunshines and rainbows’, as his mother would put it. He shuddered when he remembered the Southern Water Tribe girl’s threat. 

Hm. Perhaps betraying her was not the best idea.

He’s broken out of his thoughts when he hears footsteps. Zuko tenses; he’s ready to defend himself if Katara has come to deliver on her threat. 

“Um… Hi?”

Definitely not waterbender girl. “Hi.” Zuko narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. “Are you coming to make threats at me?”

Water Tribe boy chuckled. “Nah. I think my sister’s already taken care of that, don’t you think?”

“How…?”

“I saw her walking out of your room with a grin, and when I asked her what she did, she said the whole story. So, no, I’m not gonna bother you with threats of extreme bodily harm.”

“Um. Thanks…?” Zuko said hesitantly. The boy gave a shrug in response. “May I ask why you have come to visit me?”

“Wow, so formal,” The non-bender snorted, “I just wanted to ask you some things, since, you know, I didn’t have much time before.”

“Alright,” Zuko said, nodding, “Ask away.”

The other boy plopped down beside Zuko. “You’re the Blue Spirit?”

“I-uh…” Zuko blinked in surprise. Out of all the questions the non-bender could’ve asked, Zuko was not expecting this. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Oh! Cool!” Exclaimed the younger boy. “We’ve seen the Blue Spirit in posters and whispers around Fire Nation towns, you know.”

Zuko bowed his head. “Thanks, I guess, but how did you know?”

“Aang told us.”

The Avatar. His name was Aang. Zuko filed away the 12 year old’s name for later use. “Oh. I see.”

“So…” The boy in blue swung his feet like a child. “If it’s, um, not too personal, why’d you leave?”

“I…” Zuko paused, thinking about his answer. “Something felt wrong, I suppose. There was something missing that I knew the palace, my home could not provide. I felt discontent. But now…” Zuko trailed off.

“Now…?” Water Tribe boy pressed, curious.

“I feel more complete.”

The fifteen year old boy smiled. “Good for you, then.”

“Thanks.”

“So!” The non-bender said, clapping his hands together. “About you joining the team…”

“I won’t betray you, I promise,” Zuko blurted, “I know I betrayed you before, but I was unstable, but now–”

“Ah, ah, ah,”  The blue eyed boy shushed him, “It’s not about that. I think we can trust you, for the most part. What I am saying, though, is that if you are to join this group, you need to know about the members, hmm?”

“Oh. Right.”

The boy beside Zuko offered him a grin. “Let’s start with me! You know I’m from the Southern Water Tribe, and I’m fifteen!”

“You’re a year younger than me.” Zuko noted.

“Mhm!” The boy continued chattering, talking about his life in the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko eventually relaxed and they fell into a conversation, comparing each others lives, searching for similarities to bond over.

Finally, the Water Tribe boy glanced at the sky. “I should go to bed now…” He said quietly. He smiled. “It was nice talking to you, Zuko.”

“You too, um…” Zuko mentally smacked himself for not asking for the boy’s name. He had always called the members of the Avatar's group certain names in his head, such as Waterbender, The Avatar, Blind Earthbender, and Boomerang Boy. Said boy, however, laughed it off.

“Sokka,” He told Zuko, “It’s Sokka.”

“Good night, Sokka.” 

“Good night, Zuko.”

Yes, joining Avatar Aang's group was a wonderful idea. 

~*~

lol happy (early?) new year everyone!! finally got out of my writer's block and artist's block (if that's a thing ofc) just in time hehe hope you have a great 2024! <3 - basil dela cruz

(P.S: i love the idea that zuko has no idea what the gaang's real names are, so he made up nicknames. it's so silly and i simply adore it <3333)

[mania-sama]

If you don't mind me asking, who are your top 5 (or top 7) favorite (fictional) characters ever from any media? Why love them?

thanks so much for the ask!! i always love your questions <3

God, this is a hard one. Because I've consumed and fallen in love with so many pieces of media in my life, it's hard for me to tell who exactly my favorite characters are. The pool is just too big to choose from! But I'll try my best regardless!

Also an important note that as I grow older, this list could very well become out-dated very fast. Who knows what I will see or what medias I will consume that will alter my perception of reality?

In no particular order:

Bakugou Katsuki [My Hero Academia] -> THE OG. I REPEAT. THE OG ONLINE OBSESSION. My history with My Hero Academia goes way back on my online persona, when I was a wee lad and experiencing my first online hyperfixation (Warrior Cats not included). I had him as online nickname and profile picture on multiple accounts and instances. I look back and cringe on this era of my life, but I still will not stand for slander on this character. I obsessed over him because he is an incredibly well-written character, with faults, passions, interesting qualities, and an insane amount of character growth that, arguably, rivals Zuko. His character motivations still stand out to me to this day. I quit reading/watching BNHA around the war arc, like right when it finished and Midoriya fled the scene. No particular reason for quitting, I think; I just moved on from that part of my life. But, Bakugou will always stick with me just a little. AND YOU KNOW WHAT. I liked him when everyone else still hated him. I liked him before it was cool to like him. Shout out to 2020-2021 me for being an OG. I'm still a "Ground Zero" truther to this very day.

Percy Jackson [Percy Jackson and the Olympians] -> Anyone that has read the PJO and/or the following series will not be surprised to find him here. He's like Spiderman but better, which is saying a lot because I really, really like Spiderman. Percy Jackson is there for every kid who has ever felt out of place in this world; for every kid who has struggled in succeeding in any aspect of their life; for every kid who grew up in a household different from their peers; for every kid who behaves in ways that other people don't seem to understand. Spiderman was a character created to represent the reader of superhero comics: a teenage white boy. Of course, later iterations of Spiderman come to represent more individuals, but that is not who he was originally. Percy Jackson is a character that comes from a place of necessity. He is a character that represents the reader of PJO: a kid who doesn't quite fit in with the rest, for one reason or another. Percy is funny, ultra-overpowered, relatable, and still gets his happy ending. Nothing more to want in a character, really.

Robbie White | Axe Boy [Identity V] -> My hunter main for Identity V. I don't really know how to explain why I love him so much, and how he has become a character I get emotional over very fast. I seem to find one random character from a game and attach myself to them like a jellyfish. Not only is his backstory devastatingly heartbreaking, he is adorable in all of his animations, standby motions, emotes, etc.. He has carried me to many victories, and he will continue to carry me in every match I play. I literally forced myself to download IDV on my laptop and play a few matches just so I could get his Little Nightmares crossover skin. No matter how far he falls from meta, they can never make me hate you Robbie.

Kugisaki Nobara [Jujutsu Kaisen] -> I had a LOT of internal debate over this. I guess I can't confirm until I leave the fandom, but for right now, she's definitely one of my top favorite characters of all time. I'm considering writing an analysis on her because she is just so good. I have never seen a female character in a piece of media that isn't explicitly feminine embody femininity so well. It actually impresses me to a degree I cannot reasonably tell you. She's just perfect. Everything about her is everything that I want to be as a woman. She's comfortable in her own skin, confident not in a man-ish way, but in a distinctly feminine way. What gives that she wants to feel pretty and strong in a physical way? Who is saying that she can't have both? Not to mention that she's also extremely strategically smart. I love her. I really, really do. Sometimes, I imagine strangling Gege's avatar and it makes me very happy.

Oikawa Tooru [Haikyuu] -> I honest-to-God cannot believe he made it here. I tried so hard to find a character to replace him. I did not want him here out of SPITE. But here he is, somehow, and not replaced by Miles Morales (who, upon reflection, would only be here because I did not want Oikawa to be here. Miles didn't even make my honorable mentions. That is proof enough, I suppose, that Oikawa somehow deserves his spot). I've talked about it before, but I'll reiterate it here: Oikawa is a character that is very, very easy to toy around with. He is THE teenager, and THE adult. You can project pretty much any anxiety or worry onto him and it'll make sense because he's got so many self-worth issues it's laughable. I don't want to spend more time talking about him than he deserves. I am as disappointed as you are that he made this list.

Honorable Mentions:

Razor & Xiao [Genshin Impact] -> They would've made the list if I could've put one above the other for real. Silly whimsical attachment with immense appreciation for the character writing vs serious love for the writing and development of the character beyond words. Simply an impossible choice.

Akabane Karma [Assassination Classroom] -> He was my favorite character of all time at one point in history and is still the inspiration behind my Tiktok nickname (that I may change one day). Unfortunately, it's been a long time since I've watched the anime and I can't remember much of what drew me to Karma in the first place that isn't already achieved in other of my favorite characters. Still, I thought I'd honor him here.

[garfield-milk]

pspspsps. transfem zuko headcanons? im all ears please tell me

you have no idea how much I've waited for the day someone asks me about this...

ok so I want to start about how I think her childhood was like. pretty much everything happened the same as in canon but!!! ursa realized that there was something going on with zuko (she was showing her feminity) she didn't know exactly what, but she neither wanted to dig too deep. she just went "oh wow my kid is a queer, I personally don't care but I don't want to see him get hurt" so she let zuko try some jewelry and do femenine things with her but letting her know that it was seen as something "bad". HC that zuko secretly loves (both in canon and in this au) when azula calls her zuzu bc it's not a masculine nickname. anyways stuff happen, zuko started hiding that part of herself and then Ursa leaves and the agni Kai happens and she had to cut her hair (ouch). she didn't let it grow back or have it united bc she felt ashamed about everything about her !!!!! (I know I'm making this up myself but IM GOING TO CRY UGHHHH). there's more under the cut, I just don't want to make this too long lmao

ok so 3 years go by she gets really depressed and angry and blah blah blah your average zuko angry but with more flavour. then she a iroh have to flee from de FN and she cuts her hair!!!!! and lets it grow longer (it grows really fast ok?) which feels great for her and when they get to BBS and trans stuff start to happen. I have this idea (idk if this works well with canon but idc) that, meanwhile in the FN lee is a masc name in the EK the only name similar is Li (a femenine name) so one time iroh is talking to a costumer and calls "lee" to help him and the consumer just says something like "oh I didn't know you had a daughter" and iroh doesn't correct them (old man suspects a few things) and neither does zuko so iroh looks at her with that knowing smile but let's it be hehehehehe.

also I have a feeling that in BBS they arent really lgbt friendly but they let queer people live their lifes freely bc they want everyone to be "happy", so there's a ton of LGBT paces. zuko just happens to stumble in one and there's a lot of queer people and when zuko tells them that her name is Li they share a look and go "li girl come here, let us give you a makeover" and they dress her and put make up and jewelry on her. zuko starts coming over and meets a bunch of trans people and realizes that there's nothing wrong with her (after this is by the time she catches that 'im becoming good' fever, because she's also redeeming herself). she doesn't tell iron but!! she start wearing a bit more femenine clothes and some jewelry and pretty much everyone in the tea shop calls her iroh's niece/daughter so...

oh!!!! and zuko and jet have a thing bc jet didn't realize that she was a firebender until after the ferry. so one time zuko takes the courage to tell him that she's a girl (first person she actually came out to) and jet is completely fine with it bc why wouldn't he?? and then he finds out she's a firebender and tries to kill her (jet is a dumbass, he doesn't die and 5 years later they find each other and jet sees her and is like wow I shouldn't have tried to kill her but Zuko doesn't want to know anything about jet bc #girl boss). also the blue spirit is believed to be a girl and when zuko first heard someone say "oh wow do you not know about the blue spirit? she's like the coolest folk hero ever..." she got really fucking happy but attached it to the fact that that way people wouldn't associate the blue spirit with her (lie).

and this is without going too much into what would happen after she joins the gang (not really sure when that would happen, if in the bbs catacombs or like in canon after going to the FN) but she and Katara would be absolutely besties after the firsts weeks and Katara would be GLAD, even if she tries to not show it, to finally have someone to be girls with (no, she insists that toph doesn't count because she's just as nasty, if not more, as the boys) and Katara would say stuff like omg im going to teach you how to be the perfect girl, and even though it might sound weird bc katara wtym perfect girl, but they are both excited asf and loving the concept so it doesn't matter (they are doing each others hair while shit talking about people)

i would love to know your opinions about what would she change her name to bc, yeah she prefers li over zuko but it's still very much a masculine name to her fire nation ears. so I have a few opinion but in not really sure witch one I like the best: suzume, sao, sakda or kuniko. but I'm open to hear any suggestions tho! and about head canons too, and pretty much anything related to transfem zuko!!!!!

[princess-of-the-corner]

In regards to Miraculous Gaang animals:

-Sokka: I was thinking just Captain Beetle, especially since it sounds vaguely close to Captain Boomerang, which is an appropriate title for Sokka but also not because it's also the name of a DC villain who killed Tim Drake's dad (and it doesn't have ladybug theming). I definitely think use Captain though, because I am now attached to Sokka having Cap as a nickname.

-Katara: So there are actually several species of big cats that like and excel in the water. One of them is the jaguar, and black jaguars do exist. Jaguars also have lots of night and water symbolism associated with them. I'm not the best with names, but I think Midnight Jaguar, Black Jaguar, Painted Jaguar, or maybe Inky Jaguar could all work for her. (Also, look up fishing cats. They're useless for this au because they don't come in black, but they're a cross between otters and bobcats and they're insane).

-Suki: ML got it right here actually because very many species of vipers are blue or teal, so I'd stick with that. For some reason my brain is getting stuck on Viperious (instead of imperious), but some other half baked options could he Velvet Viper, Silk Viper, or Vypertime (instead of hypertime),

-Zuko: Seriyu is the blue dragon spirit of Japan that represents the east and springtime. Spring represents new beginnings which is fitting for Zuko, and could provide a fun connection/contrast with Iroh's whole Dragon of the West thing. Otherwise I got nothing.

-Toph: I like the Blind Tiger too much to come up with anything else, lol. My brain said "yup that's perfect the naming machine is now off for her." Sorry if you were hoping for more options.

-Azula: I think her blue flames are significant, so I think basing her off an arctic fox, a silver fox, a blue morph fox, or maybe even a cross fox. Actually, yeah screw it, cross fox Azula. Duality, being split between red and dark gray/blue coloring as she's conflicted with her loyalty to Ozai/the fire nation and her own unique individual wants and needs. Being part blue connects her to Blue Dragon!Zuko too. I'm thinking that her costume is similar to the one in the show but if it was more flowy and elegant and less armory and intimidating. So like, the layered panels thing she has going on can stay, but more thick cloth traveling layers and less rigid armor. Instead of the big leather flaps she has like a poncho or a shawl. She's already got the cross fox coloring motif of big black middle panel and red side panels, and we obviously have to add her skirt tunic being pulled back into a coat tail. Keep the loose pants and the pointed boots for the theatre vibes. I'm thinking her mask is sort of like a masquerade/theatrical fox mask that covers the whole top half of her face and has fox ears but leaves the bottom open. Names. . .uh? Yeah I'm bad with these. Vixen?

-Yue: Also nothing, so sorry.

-Jin: Homegirl appears in one episode, we can go hog wild with her (pun intended) and do whatever we want. I'm thinking basing her off a wild boar and not a farm pig. I want her whole "chipper jubilant" hero thing to be more "Feral joy that one gets from running through an open windy feild at night and screaming at the top of their lungs." I like the idea of keeping her spiky, messy, wild hair in her costume. Like, let that go nuts. Pigella also has ballet inspo, so I think Jin should get, like, festival revelry dancing inspired costume and makeup, but also in more muted earthy tones. Names. . .maybe Babirusa? Type of Indonesian wild boar. My only other ideas are just straight up using Wild Hog or Hogwild.

-Ty Lee: I like the idea of her costume being very circus themed. Like, she looks like a trapeze artist. Lots of glitter and "look at me" kind of details on her costume. Tight, but with just enough loose flowing bits to look cool when it moves around. You could even keep the crown thing because my girl is a queen after all. I think we name her something like Sticky Sweet, Sweet Stinger, or Honey Stinger. Something that emphasizes the "looks like a cinnamon roll, could kill you" thing she has.

-Mai: Hear me out---rat instead of mouse. Mai is always down to pick a fight and is a lot meaner than your average mouse, and this way, her costume could have, like bandit/thug inspiration and she could just look so menacing. The only names that come to mind are Rat-Attack-Tat, which doesn't exactly roll of the tongue or Swarm, which brings more bug than rat.

Also. Eagle!Jet because Freedom Fighters and also Jet with guns sounds like a dangerous and amazing combination. That's it.

Anyway, I gotta go find everything on the Avatar!Ty Lee AU now because I didn't know you had that and HELL YEAH!

Oh! Okay so!

I love the Captain name for Sokka. Also I am double laughing at the Captain Boomerang reference because I have heard him called 'discount Sokka' once before. May have to hammer out the exact ladybug reference with it. A previous ask mentioned Harmonia and Harlequin.

Jaguar is perfect for Katara. I think I gotta go with Painted Jaguar because gotta love the reference.

Something viper themed is good, but I'm not sure exactly what. Vipertime makes me laugh but idk if it fits.

Seiryu is great actually.

Blind Tiger is also perfect lmao.

Okay so Azula! So like. Technically this is a no Bending au. Or else there'd be too much going on to have both atla's plots and the au's. So there's no reason to have a fire theme. BUT. I can't resist bringing back the wordplay that is Vulpyro.

rip Yue I got nothing either.

'looks like a cinnamon roll but will kill you' is the best description of Ty Lee. So yeah one of those Honey Stinger ones is great!

Rat time!! I like it. No idea on names.

Jet with the Eagle is a terrifying but perfect combination. Not sure what his plot will be in this au considering how different the plot is? Like obvs I want to parrallel ATLA's plots but I think a lot of him is hard to translate.

[marriedzukka]

can i interest anyone in a retgmt16 snippet on this fine evening

Zuko gently rubs Sokka’s left calf where it’s draped over his lap, watching curiously as Sokka untangles the wires of a TENS unit. It’s kind of a bitch to set up with all of its wires and electrode patches and buttons, but he’s become fond of it lately in lieu of his heating pad during the hotter summer months. Then again, because he’s Sokka, he loves any excuse to play with a gadget of some kind, even if it’s at his own expense. The TENS doesn’t have a stupid nickname yet, but Zuko figures it’s only a matter of time. 

Sokka scrunches forward to unwrap his knee, methodically placing the sticky sides of the TENS patches around it instead. Easy as anything, he catches Zuko studying him, and a smile pulls at his lips. “Looks weird, I know.” 

Zuko’s thumb moves softly over the faded surgery scar just below his knee. “But it helps?”

His eyes soften as he places another patch. “Yeah, Sunshine. It helps. Usually.”

“Can I do the next one?”

"I got it," he shrugs, slowly peeling a bit of plastic film off of the last patch. “It’s not rocket science.” 

“So even I can do it, then.” 

There. Zuko likes it when something he says makes Sokka smile. He should do that more often.  

“Fine." Sokka places the last patch in his outstretched hand and lies back against the couch. “Don’t fuck it up.” 

“Or what?”

“Or it won’t help.” 

The patch is weird and sticky, suddenly awkward to hold as he hovers it over Sokka’s knee and tries to find the right spot. There are wires everywhere, more patches and scars and knobby knees. It may not be rocket science but there’s definitely a method to this madness, and Zuko suddenly realizes that he doesn’t actually know how to interpret it at all. The last thing he wants to do is be the reason it doesn’t work, or cause Sokka any more pain than he’s already in. Maybe this was a bad idea. 

“Where the fuck am I supposed to put it?”

Like the sun on the side of his face, Sokka's eyes are on him, watching this all go down with unbridled fondness. 

“What?!” Zuko snaps.

“Nothing. Just love you.” 

His smile is utterly disarming. Zuko can feel the blush creeping up his neck. “Love you too.” 

“You’re so cute.”

“Shut up and tell me where to put this.” 

“Can’t do both at the same time.” 

“Sokka.” 

He laughs and leans forward, using his finger to draw invisible lines from one patch to another in an X shape over his knee. “See here? The channels are crossed like this, so it covers more surface area. So that patch needs to go opposite this one. There’s other ways to do it, and it could change depending on what part of the body you’re trying to work with, but that’s basically it.”

Zuko follows his direction, carefully placing the last patch in its designated spot and gently smoothing it down. “Now what?”

“The fun part.” Sokka lies back again, grabbing the handheld machine on the other end of the wires and fiddling with the dials. “I usually start at level two, and work my way up to a five or six if it’s really bad. Can’t go much higher than that though or it might make it worse.”

Zuko listens intently, making several mental notes. Something fierce and protective washes over him; so often, he feels helpless when it comes to easing his partner’s pain, but he’ll do whatever he can, whenever Sokka will let him. And sure, Sokka could do stuff like this himself if he really wanted to, but he doesn't have to. Not anymore. They're in this together now.

“How bad is it?” 

Sokka hums, considering. “I'm only on level three. At least for now.” 

It’s a small relief. He rarely goes a day without pain anymore, or maybe more accurately, he’s been more honest about how often it’s bothering him. To think that there were probably countless times when he was hurting and said nothing makes Zuko’s stomach twist with guilt. All that pain and still, Sokka kept showing up for them. 

He doesn’t see how amazing he is, but Zuko does, every day. It’s hard to ignore something that bright.

[mfelewzi]

From this interesting fanfiction written in AO3.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16136357/chapters/37701404

Clearly, It isn't Perfect and It would be problematic for a lot of people cause It's very dark, with a sad and lone Aang, with a lot of the characters that continues to blash the other for their mistakes (and nobody is full innocent), but man if some elements of this story could be canon, like this Wonderful description of the meeting between Azula and Ursa!

This story was better than The Search and Smoke and Weed.

@akiizayoi4869 @missaccuracy and @stardust948 , I think that It could be interesting for you and for your works.

ENJOY

She smiled slightly, something sad and wistful. "Your father was so impressed and delighted by my lineage. And Azulon was, too. To be descended from an Avatar, nonetheless from Roku, who was best friends with Sozin himself, is a daunting but promising honor."

Zuko felt something dark lock onto his spine. "Were you forced to marry him?"

His mother's sudden laugh was shocking. "Of course not. I wanted to marry him; I was in love with him, and he with me. We were young, and Azulon welcomed the union. [...] If I would have been forced to marry someone to strengthen Sozin's line, it would have been Iroh. Azulon would have forced him to remarry. [...] When the Fire Lord orders, you obey."

Zuko nodded in agreement. [...] His mother stared at him, eyes heavy with shame and sadness as they roamed his scar, and Zuko wanted to turn away, but he didn't. "I heard whispers of what happened to you, and I always prayed it was a vicious rumor propagated by one of your enemies at Court." Zuko felt grief and looked at the portrait, memorizing his younger self's smooth, innocent face. "I'm sorry I'm not the boy you remember, the boy you loved." His mother's eyes watered, and she sniffed, wiping them away. "Never apologize for who you are, Zuko. It is I who am sorry���for not being the mother you remember and loved. [...] I think if I were there, you would have been easy. But Azula, I always thought differently." Something vulnerable and panicked crossed her face. "How is she?"

Zuko said nothing for several moments, thinking furiously, before he offered his hand. "Come and see yourself." [...] She quickly demanded to see Azula, and Zuko considered revising his final testament before taking her, fearing an explosive, violent, and deadly confrontation. Despite wanting Azula and their mother to reconnect, he held no doubts about the conclusion of such a meeting.

He loved Azula and visited her every day, except for the days he was so swamped with work that he couldn't, for, no matter what she had done as their father's enforcer, she was his sister, and he loved her. It took a long time, but he eventually found kinship with her, and they almost as close as they had been as young children—before Azula bent her first flame at three when everything changed, except Zuko's inability to bend. [...] Zuko feared, though, that his mother and sister would fail to reach an agreement over anything[...] and that didn't even involve Azula's reaction. [...] Zuko didn't want to ruin her progress by taking his mother to see her, but part of him knew it was necessary. Azula could only heal by confrontation, and his mother could only have the answers she needed by confrontation. Zuko didn't want to be part of the confrontation, but he knew he had to. [...]

"Zuko, what am I going to see?" his mother asked quietly when he was done, and the door began to open.Zuko felt heavy and ashamed that he hadn't been able to help Azula further. "The truth." He walked into the room, his mother followed behind, and he prepared himself. [...] Azula's voice greeted him upon entering. "You already visited me today, Zuzu." He felt his mother tense behind him at the sound of her voice and the nickname. "Do you miss me that much?" He clenched his jaw; he was going to ruin her good mood. "I brought someone here to see you," he said, spacing his words due to his wariness. His sister raised a brow, and intrigue overtook her features. "The royal seamstress? Finally. I thought you forgot." Zuko blinked as he realized he had forgotten his promise to bring someone to decorate her cell better. Before he could correct her, Azula continued: "Do you think I could wear something different, as well? This robe is comfortable, but I find its novelty has worn off after so long."

Zuko pinched the rim of his nose and sighed heavily. "I found her, Azula."

Immediately, his sister stilled unnaturally; she knew who he meant, for he had often tried to talk about his quest in searching for her. Azula's eyes were wide, composure gone, lips parted in shock. "Zuzu, you jest," she accused desperately.

"Azula?"

His sister stiffened painfully, face draining of blood, and she snapped her head away as Zuko stepped to the side to reveal their mother, who had been hidden behind his larger frame. He wanted to intervene, to apologize to both of them, but he knew he couldn't. Instead, he observed, feeling awkward and tense.

Both women stood silently, one staring desperately and the other ignoring desperately. The silence was so immense and thick that Zuko half-expected it to remain that way forever.

Finally, his mother swallowed. "I know you probably hate me, Azula, and- "

"What do you know, Mother?" Azula said, voice eerily calm, still looking away; it was clearly the calm before the storm. "What possible knowledge could you have obtained when you were elsewhere? Oh, I know—you were a whore, weren't you? How else could you have obtained such knowledge unless you were a whore seducing men for their knowledge? I bet you are an excellent whore, Mother. You possess a masterful ability to depart unseen and without saying goodbye. Now I know where Zuzu gets his instinct for dalliances; he always was your boy."

[...] "I understand such a perception- "

Azula interrupted again, voice wavering from control. "Admit your whoring ways, Mother. Did you not demand always that I confess my errors? Do not deny it; admit it."

His mother stood still for several moments before shaking her head, though Azula didn't see it. "No, I shall not admit to something so foul. But I will always confess my errors. It was wrong to leave you- "

"Of course, it was wrong!" Azula erupted, golden eyes blazing like Sozin's Comet, glaring with full intensity at their mother, and Zuko had to restrain himself from intervening. "As was your treason that same night!"

Zuko's eyes shut at the near whimper that escaped his mother. "You know about- " "Do you think Zuzu and I those brats you smothered?" his sister hissed. "We are mature and intelligent, not the weak brats you raised! Of course, we figured it out! We always knew." [...]

"You murdered Grandfather to save Zuzu, and you absconded into the night like the whore you are!" Azula's hands blazed with sapphire flames, alighting the room, revealing the frayed, manic expression on her face. Zuko stiffened, feeling panic and dread war inside him. He should have never agreed to this! "You left us; you abandoned us; you shamed us."

His mother shook her head. "No. It was to protect you."

"From whom?" Azula demanded, and the heat increased drastically in the cell. "From whom did we need protecting? Grandfather?"

[...] Zuko frowned and looked at his mother in surprise, who looked faint, like a gust of wind would break her. "We're done here," he cut in, but Azula shrieked.

"No! See what has become of you, Zuzu, now that she has infiltrated our lives? You are back to that milquetoast you were!"

"And you're back to your insanity!" he snapped but immediately regretted it. His mother reacted, face horrified. "Insanity?" Azula's smile was terrible. "Did Zuzu fail to mention that, Mother? How remiss of him. I shall inform you completely. I lost my sanity after Father's increasing pressure and disregard, and there was no one there to help. Those two conniving whores, Mai and Ty Lee, betrayed me, and Zuzu was too busy planning to seize the Dragon's Throne and end Sozin's glory because he impossibly befriended The Avatar and the Water Tribe peasant-bitch."

No matter how many times he rationalized it, he still felt guilty that he wasn't there at the beginning when Azula's mind broke, only at the end.

"You understand the truth, Mother," Azula continued, "and you always have. We never needed protection from Grandfather; we needed protection from Father—and you surrendered us to him."

Zuko rubbed his chest over his scar and glared at her, anger growing. "Grandfather told Father to kill me. I remember, and so do you. You should be thankful that Mom did what she did! If Father had killed me, all his attention would have been on you, and it would be your face, which you value so much, that looks like scorched meat!"

Azula gnashed her teeth and rolled her eyes. "Zuzu, Zuzu—as dull as ever! You miss the point. Mother knew the truth and ignored it; she was—is—weak."

He felt the flames lick at his fingertips. "She managed to kill Grandfather! We know how powerful he was- "

"Again, you miss the point," Azula snapped. "This is a different kind of weakness, one not physical but mental and emotional."

"Then that's where you got it from, isn't it? You're like Mom both outwardly and inwardly!"

Azula's golden eyes widened in shock before narrowing dangerously, and Zuko prepared himself for fireballs. "And you are like Father both outwardly and inwardly, Fire Lord!"

Zuko hissed between his teeth and whirled around, stomping toward the door; his control was lost and so was the confrontation. "Mom, come on." His mother didn't respond. He glanced back and saw his mother in the same position she was, frozen in place, face stricken with horror. "Mom, come on," he said gently. "We need to leave."

"Is that similar to what she said to you on the night she realized her potential as a whore?" Azula wondered, voice biting and sardonic. Zuko glared at her. "Enough, Azula- " Azula glared back. "What will you do to stop me, Zuzu?"

His fists began to smoke. "Remember who put you here in the first place."

"The Water Tribe peasant-bitch."

Zuko felt old wounds rumble to life. "Only a bitch could judge a bitch, and you've always been quite the bitch. Remember, during the Agni Kai, you broke the rules and forfeited! I was beating you, and we both knew it. It was the knowledge that I was better than you—finally, after so many years—that broke your mind!"

A wave of blue fire roared at him, but he was ready, smashing through it. Azula's eyes were on fire just as her fists were, and she resembled the girl from the Great War, and Zuko summoned a whip of fire, prepared to entrap her—and there would be no restraint on his part!

But a large, long plume of brilliant fire shot between them, connecting with the wall to leave an awful scorch mark. Zuko turned in shock toward his mother, who's hands held fire, and they all stared at each other, eyes roaming to and fro.

Azula laughed as she released her hold on her flames, but there was nothing amusing in it. "Quite the family you failed to raise, right, Mother?"

His mother's eyes were misty, but she stood tall—a true Fire Lady. "I know all your judgments, Azula. I hold myself accountable for my numerous failures—as Mother, Wife, and Subject."

"Really?" his sister hissed. "You hold yourself accountable for my suffering under Father's twisted hands? You hold yourself accountable for Zuzu's scar?"

"Yes."

Azula grew angrier. "But you see his! He is not the only one with scars, Mother! Do you hold yourself accountable for my scars?" His mother sucked in a breath and her face wavered as emotions—too many to name, nonetheless recognize—flashed over her. "I should have taken you with me, my daughter—you above all."

Zuko's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "What?" [...] He ignored her and stared at his mother. "What are you saying?" he demanded quietly. "The truth," she responded, sad eyes roaming his face. "You both needed me, but she needed me more. Look at the result of my absence."

"You are looking at it!" he roared, raising a rigid finger up to his scorched face while Azula only laughed, sounding free and tranquil. His mother flinched but she shook her head. "No. You are Fire Lord and such a strong man, the man I always knew you could be—and it was all without me. You rose to grandeur because of my folly; your sister was reduced to ruin because of my folly. She needed me more than you ever did. You have always been so strong and stayed strong; she could not."

Zuko digested those words and stepped away in consideration as Azula's smile vanished, to be replaced by something dark and odious. "I am not weak, Mother, not like you. Fuck you and your flawed reasoning!"

His mother looked tragic but serene; he had no idea how it was possible. "I take accountability for my actions. I committed heinous crimes, but you are not free from guilt, are you, Azula?"

"You know nothing!" Azula snapped. "You left us with a monster! Everything is your fault!"

"Does your father hold no blame?"

"Not as much as you."

His mother's face pinched, and Zuko had no idea what to expect; clearly, his expectations were as impossible as Sozin's. "Am I to blame for your crimes?"

"My crimes have their source in your crimes!"

"Am I why you tried to murder The Avatar in Ba Sing Se?"

[...] Azula rolled her eyes, but her fists were clenched painfully. "How arrogant you are, Mother, presuming everything is to do with you. How conceited."

"You said Zuko befriended The Avatar. [...] But why did you not join him?" his mother wondered.

"I would never betray Father and his pursuit for Sozin's glory!" His mother looked so sad. "But your father betrayed you first, Azula."

"You betrayed me first! At least I had the strength to stay and not flee like a whore!"

"Strength to stay, or fear to leave?"

His mother raised a brow as tears fell down her cheeks. "Such 'strength' caused your mind to break, my precious daughter."

"You were not there to prevent it."

"I was not," she agreed, looking worn. "But I am not the only one to blame, Azula."

His sister smiled coldly. "Aren't you?" [...]

"You have been unable to conceal your hurt, pain, distrust, and anger since you knew I was here."

"And you have been unable to conceal your despair."

His mother's resulting smile was frayed. "Then we are both failures, yes?"

Azula's hands alighted again. "I am no failure."

"Why are you here if not for failure?"

"I am here because of your failure."

More tears spilled down his mother's cheeks. "I should have taken you with me. Even though we would have been caught, I should have done so, but I was weak.[...]" Azula's flames had become hotter, glowing brighter. "And yet, you found the time to say goodbye to Zuko!" He had winced and rubbed his heart, as if physically wounded, which is what it had felt like. He had never known that Azula knew about that, and he didn't know that she had been envious, although it made sense.

"I did not think you wanted a goodbye." Azula's face expressed the shock that Zuko felt. [...]

"Spare me," she dismissed. "But you refuse to spare me!" his mother snapped. "I am not the only one to blame! Did you ever give me a reason to think that you would miss me or cherish a goodbye after you rejected me time and time again in favor of your father? You wanted nothing to do with me, and it was never more apparent than those last two years before that night. Yes, I should have cast aside my feelings and said goodbye, but- "

"You thought I was a monster!"

"I thought you were troubled and walking down a dangerous path," his mother corrected gently, beginning to approach Azula, slowly like she was a Dragon. "What was I supposed to think, Azula? You wanted nothing to do with me—because you were too much like me. You were drawn to your father just as I was, just as Zuko, who bears so many similarities with his father, was drawn to me, just as Ozai was. I tried to help you, but you refused to listen to me. You were too clever for your own good—still are."

"Get out!" Azula screeched, face wild and panicked; the candles in the room exploded with sapphire flames. "You are nothing but a cheap, lazy whore!"

Zuko adjusted his stance in preparation as his mother ignored Azula's warning, approaching still, getting closer and closer. "You are mine, Azula, and you always will be."

Azula shook her head, breathing heavily; her golden eyes were misty. "No. You never wanted me."

"I never wanted a daughter so prideful and a son so angry, but you are still mine. I want you, all of you, even the absurd and insane—because you are mine."

His sister's squeezed her eyes shut and her breathing stuttered, trying to force away the sobs. "No."

"Yes."

Before he could react, his mother lunged toward Azula and pulled her into her chest for an embrace. Zuko could scarcely move, unable to even draw breath into his airways. He wondered if an unforeseen Airbender was reaping vengeance on him for Sozin's crimes, stealing the air from his lungs. [...]

Sorry, but I have to stop here. If you are interested, READ IT! Yes, It isn't Gladiator by Seyari Minamoto, nor A Distorted Reality, but man It's original for the writing style, the story and the plot! Cause It's easy take the tag "dark themes" Just because the characters curses or there is a more precise description of How they make babies, but to be real mature?

Well, this is just my view, and how I said I approve a lot of this but not everything.

[sokkastyles]

When Our Family Was Actually Happy

"Zuzu!" the little girl in the tiny topknot toddled drunkenly through the sandhills, holding her arms out as she ran after him. "Zuzu!"

Zuko, at three and a half, was faster than his sister, yet he still paused to allow her to catch up, his toes curling in the sand as he looked back. When Azula almost reached him, her chubby outstretched fingers snatching for his torso, he took off, dancing away and looking back again. 

His baby sister giggled and hurried after, only stumbling a little. When he finally stopped long enough to allow himself to be caught, she tumbled headfirst into him and they both fell together into the sand, laughing.

"Zuzu!" Azula exclaimed happily, tugging on his ponytail.

"It's Zuko," he said, with annoyance that was only partially feigned, poking her in her chubby stomach with each syllable.

"She'll get it right eventually," said mother. "She's a fast learner."

Zuko poked his sister's belly again, this time in real annoyance, but she only laughed. A fast learner. Dad said that about Azula, too, all the time. He always said the opposite about him.

She didn't get his name right, though, not for years, even though she learned everything else fast. Soon she was running faster than him, too, leaving him behind in the sand. Another time, while fleeing from the incoming tide, he'd turned his ankle stepping into a hole and fell, and Azula looked back at him and laughed.

"Clumsy Zuzu!"

"I do expect better of her," father said to mother, as if the children weren't even there, although Zuko could feel his father's eyes on him even though he wasn't looking in his direction or even speaking about him. He stood up and brushed sand off his legs quickly. "She should have her pronunciation mastered by now."

Azula was watching too, a few feet away, standing very still.

Mai and Azula laughed together as they pushed sand around Ty Lee, buried neck deep and grinning widely. "We need water to make it stay," her disembodied head said helpfully. They were several yards up the beach from where the tide was gently rolling in.

Zuko was a few feet away from the girls, purposefully ignoring them.

"I'm not going," Mai announced. "I don't want to get wet."

"You should do it, Zuzu," Azula called to him, even though he wasn't part of their game, didn't want to be.

"That's stupid," he said, busying his fingers with digging out a shell that was half stuck in the sand.

"You're stupid," Azula shot back. "Dad thinks so."

"He does not!" Zuko was shouting, but something niggled at the back of his mind, and his voice wavered. Their parents were farther down the beach and Uncle was busy catching crabs with cousin Lu Ten.

"Stupid Zuzu!"

"Stop calling me that!"

He only vaguely now remembered a time when he'd almost liked it, when she'd used the nickname. She could say his name now, she just chose not to, a fact which she made obnoxiously clear, especially when their father was around. He remembered when she used to chase after him. He used to worry that she wouldn’t catch up. Then, for a while, when Ozai was watching, it had felt like relief.

She didn't chase after him anymore.

[ohheyitsjustbear]

bear i have things that i want to know. about u.

1. what’s ur favorite season and what do u love about it.

2. what’s something that makes u excited right now in life but also like what would make u excited i think we should talk about it hihihi

3. have u ever had a pet or do u think u would get a pet in the future? if so what kind of pet and what do u think it should be called?

okay muah muah byeee <33

Hiiiiiii Fantasieees omg I need to give you a nickname! 😱 I will think of one!

1. I think probably spring 🥰 and not just cos that's my birthday season 🤭 I like it cos it's not too hot and it's all about new starts and life beginning, all the flowers and baby animals everywhere 🥹

2. Umm there's nothing really right now that does 😅 but hopefully I'll be able to save enough to take a lil trip to Copenhagen in February! 🥳 and that's exciting cos I've never been before

3. I have! I've had 3 cats, 2 bunnies, numerous goldfish, my first pup Alfie (🥺 I miss him soso much he was the bestest doggo 🥺) and currently have a youngish cocker spaniel Zuko 🥰 he's lovely but noisy and also only has about 3 braincells 🤭🤭 I'd love to have an Irish wolfhound one day just cos they seem like such good dogs, gentle giants every one I've met 😊 annddd I think I'd call him... actually I'm undecided on a name 😅

Thank youuuuu for the askkkkkk MWAH ily! 💜

[brionysea]

the clash of toph giving the gaang nicknames/stage names because being known as the blind bandit was the first time she felt free and respected and she wants to give her new friends that too vs iroh always calling zuko prince zuko with only a handful of exceptions throughout the whole show because he's like the one person who respected him for a long time and wanted him to know that SOMEONE did. hence why zuko didn't get a toph nickname and why he got shouty about aang calling him sifu hotman (he's too angry for a nickname lmao) and why he always got so mad about azula calling him zuzu. nicknames activate the cain instinct. that difference in how they see being addressed as respect or familiarity shakes up the group dynamic again like when toph joined and i like that toph went from being the new friend to being the one going aw :( no new friend? :( on the worst field trip ever like the others were in toph's first group episode when they weren't used to each other yet

[tyunni]

10 QUESTIONS FOR U - valentines edition

favorite color of roses?

favorite flowers?

you can send a love letter to anyone. fictional/idols/celebs. who?

which idols have the best rizz?

most rizzful mutual?

favorite petnames/nicknames? giving or recieving?

fictional characters you're in love with?

have you ever had an online crush?

songs that you want to play at your wedding?

fav breakup songs?

fav love-themed kpop song?

mutual with beautiful themes?

pink vs red ? coquette vs old money / preppy?

favorite sweets?

DRINK WATER + YOU ARE LOVED <3

HAAYYYYY ok lemme do this rq cuz im barely active IM TRYINGGG

Probably white idk theyre pretty

SUNFLOWERS 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻 i love sunflowers sm

Im sending mine to riki 😭😭 i love him sm

Me personally i think jake has the best rizz heeseung comes close second but he's a bit more on the loser side

@atrirose i think cuz she's always in ppls inboxes saying theyre dating

Errmm i dont have many nicknames but lola gave me the nickname mayjay so its stuck with me its like a combo of mj and may 🥰🥰🥰🥰🫶🫶🫶 petnames i will Not share to the world because im embarrassed SORRY. I like giving nicknames a lot tho i have a lot for a lot of people

Zuko 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 zuko😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍😍😍 zuko 🙊🙊🙊🥰🥰🙀🙀🙀

Yes i have i dont wanna tlak abt it it was embarrassing

I genuinely have no idea 😭

WHAT IS CLASSIFIED AS A BREAKUP SONG... im not too sure..?

Criminal love ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

Girl i wish i could tag every moot im just gonna tag a few I LOVE ALL OF UR THEMES ITS JUST THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO MIND RN @odxrilove (i love ur theme rn doripie) @wonryllis @okwonyo @atrirose @boyfhee @goldenhypen @hittoki

I like both but probably pink more than red... And coquette more than preppy?? I guess? Idk neither of them r my thing tho

I LOVE sweets so much i love everything sweet honestly i dont have a favorite you give me something sweet and i start tweaking (in a good way)

THANK U FOR THE REMINDER 🫶

[hello-nichya-here]

Ever time I read a sad fic with Zuko and Azula, and they are talking and Zuko calls her name (the name by itself or the name, along with a question) and Azula doesn't answer, either because she doesn't want to or because she can't (is hurt/dead), and Zuko's first reaction is to try again but this time with "'zula" instead of her actual name I immediately start crying.

Like, it ridiculous, I could be completely unaffected, cheeks none dry, face blank, and then as soon as this happens I start bawling. I'm not even exaggerating, it's like I have some kind of switch. Whenever Zuko's emotionally vulnerable and calls Azula (who is equally emotionally vulnerable) by that nickname, a piece of me dies and I grief fot it as if it was the meaning of life

Yup, that gets me right my soul too. Another thing that has the same effect is Zuko calling himself "Zuzu" or liking it when Azula calls him that. It KILLS ME! I just can't resist it when these two are soft with each other.