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soopersara · 8 months

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For reasons that have everything and nothing to do with the most recent chapters of I&S, I've been thinking a lot about a time travel AU that I will absolutely never write.

Specifically, I want a time travel AU where little-kid!Zuko (age 9-10) travels forward in time and meets angry-teen!Zuko (we're talking like... the Book 1 egghead version of angry-teen!Zuko here). I know that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but the way I envision this playing out is:

Teen!Zuko and kid!Zuko meet, and after a healthy amount of confusion, figure out that they're two different versions of the same person. Kid!Zuko is... not thrilled to be stuck on a rickety old ship with a much grumpier version of himself, but hey! Uncle Iroh is here, and he's got lots of board games and even more free time, so it could be worse. Teen!Zuko, meanwhile, is having a bit of a crisis as he gets slapped in the face with several realizations all at once.

Realization #1: A warship is not a good place for a 9-10 year old boy to live, but there's literally nowhere else in the world where kid!Zuko will be safe. For as long as kid!Zuko is stuck in this timeline, teen!Zuko has to look after him.

Realization #2: Oh, shit. No one has seriously fucked up kid!Zuko yet. His life obviously hasn't been perfect, but this is pretty much the peak of kid!Zuko's sweet-and-innocent phase.

Realization #3: ... as fucked up as teen!Zuko's life has been, he desperately doesn't want to be the person who fucks up kid!Zuko's life.

Cue teen!Zuko scrambling to get his shit together so that he can be a reasonably healthy and stable guardian/big brother figure for his younger self. He starts working on his temper and trying to take Iroh's advice more seriously, and while things don't always go smoothly (kid!Zuko definitely picks up some vigilante tendencies from teen!Zuko. There may or may not be sightings of a tiny Blue Spirit causing trouble up and down the Earth Kingdom coast), teen!Zuko eventually figures out what he's doing. He puts in the work to become a decent role model, he deals with some of his own shit (and his outlook on life improves), he grows to see kid!Zuko as the little brother he never had, and he generally doesn't fuck anything up too badly.

Basically, looking after kid!Zuko teaches teen!Zuko self love (but with extra steps! I don't think grumpy-teen!Zuko could ever learn anything the simple way 😂)

All of that growth makes it harder and harder for teen!Zuko to ever envision himself returning to the Fire Nation. After all, if he wouldn't put his younger self through the pain of going back there and dealing with Ozai, why should he put his present self through that? And on a related note, kid!Zuko definitely has questions about teen!Zuko's scar and banishment. When teen!Zuko reaches a point where he's able to think about the Agni Kai, he can't imagine anything that kid!Zuko could ever do to deserve that kind of treatment, which leads teen!Zuko to question whether he deserved it. And as teen!Zuko starts to come to grips with the fact that he's probably never going back home - certainly not if it would mean putting kid!Zuko through the same pain that teen!Zuko experienced there - he has to start considering what other options he has for the future.

Kid!Zuko may or may not accelerate teen!Zuko's redemption arc even more by befriending various members of the Gaang and dragging his 'big brother' along to meet his new friends/disappearing for a few hours with his new friends only to be 'rescued' by teen!Zuko who is... very surprised and very awkward about it when he realizes who kid!Zuko is hanging out with.

There are obviously lots of time travel AUs out there already, but apparently this one is just going to live in my brain for the forseeable future 😂 As much as I love the standard "post-redemption!Zuko meets Book 1 Zuko and mentors his younger self to accelerate his own redemption/drags himself kicking and screaming toward redemption" time travel AUs that I see around the fandom, I think I'm just hungry for a time travel AU where pre-redemption!Zuko doesn't know what his future could look like. To me, there's just something really appealing about the idea of a time travel AU where his redemption gets accelerated not because he knows his life will get better if he becomes a better person, but because he wants to be someone who his younger self can be proud of.

#atla headcanons #zuko #zuko headcanons #time travel au #now it's time for me to go back to daydreaming #about the Zutara variant of this AU #where either Katara finds kid!Zuko first and has to find him a permanent guardian #which can only be teen!Zuko or Iroh #and since she's bonded with kid!Zuko by the time that she finds teen!Zuko and Iroh #she can't get herself to just drop off kid!Zuko and run #so they all strike an uneasy alliance #OR the other version #where kid!Zuko and teen!Zuko are traveling together from the beginning #and when Katara comes into the Ba Sing Se teashop #kid!Zuko starts playing with Momo #then teen!Zuko tries to get his 'little brother' to stop bothering the customers #Katara sees teen!Zuko #and Zutara-flavored teashop shenanigans ensue #zutara

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bard-llama · 9 months

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DRAGONS! AKA Zuko and his crew get dragon eggs

So in Chapters 32-33 of A Second Chance at Family, a couple of our cast members get their very own dragons! This post is literally just to talk about them lol

So in my headcanon, dragons can change their size as will. They’re a little more noodly than these models, but we work with what we have. (Dragons designed using this tool)

Zuko’s Dragon: Enya

Enya is a born flyer and she’s much more mobile than the other baby dragons. She likes to curl up either in Zuko’s hair or around his neck. Her name is Irish for fire, little seed, kernel.

Iroh’s dragon: Matcha

Matcha (named for the tea) likes to burrow into the earth, especially the soil around a bonsai tree Iroh raises. She also gains a habit of soaking in hot tea - which Iroh was initially horrified by, because she would curl up in his teapot. Eventually, he compromised by pouring her her own cup of tea to soak in - and leave the rest so that he could drink it. She also mimics Zuko and calls Iroh “Uncle”. Iroh loves it.

Engineer Nasam’s dragon: Ember

Ember likes to hang out in the furnace in the engine room on the ship while Nasam works. In general, she likes fire and detests being cold. As a dragon, she’s technically capable of telepathic communication - but she rarely speaks and when she does, it’s usually to tell someone to fuck off. (She’s a good match for Nasam’s personality and he adores her.)

Crewman Jaiza’s dragon: Uryu

Uryu is a little unusual in that she loooooves water. Her name means rain dragon in Japanese and she needed rain to help her hatch. She’ll often swim alongside the ship as it travels and is very good at using her wings to propel her through the ocean.

#atla #my fics #dragons!#time travel #because it's for the time travel fic that has gone so wildly AU that I can't even explain #fic planning

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ghostly-squid · 7 months

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Time travel fix-it? No. Time travel worse-it.

#time travel #specifically have brainworms about atla #Azula getting thrown back in time mid-meltdown into her toddler body #and the first thing she sees is Ursa smiling at her #and she Flips Her Shit #and what would you do? if your baby started screaming about how she knows you don't love her because she's a monster #just like her father. how she knows she only loves Zuko- who was so weak it's his fault father hurt him?#azula casually says a Whole Bunch of stuff that paints a terrifying picture that is very clearly All Ozai's Fault #Ursa made mistakes as a parent but this level of Total Meltdown coming from a daughter saying things she should have no concept of- well.#aka I want an au where Ursa kills her husband and father in law and has to write Iroh 'oh it's so sad boo hoo but as regent #I am saying everything is CANCELED so Get Your Ass Back Here My Babies Are Melting'

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shrinkthisviolet · 4 months

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"you're amazing, you know that?" for Zuko & Izumi, please!

- folk melody

Gladly, I adore them! This is in the context of my time travel AU, but all you really have to know is that Izumi and Bumi are in the past together, part of the Gaang, and this is during Book 2 while the Gaang is in Ba Sing Se. Izumi is going by the alias “Shui” as she lets herself befriend Zuko…because she really misses her dad but doesn’t wanna destroy the timeline too much:

"You're amazing, you know that?"

Izumi shrugged, a little taken aback at Zuko's forthrightness. Her dad was like that, but...Zuko wasn't her dad. Not yet, anyway. "I'm alright, I guess."

"You're more than just alright! Shui, you're incredible!" Zuko was smiling so brightly that his eyes shone, and the force of it dazzled Izumi. She'd never seen this young version of her father smile so...effusively.

And to think, he doesn't even know that I'm...well, it's better that way anyhow. Maybe the knowledge of my lie would chase the smile from his face. The thought made her shoulders droop.

Zuko frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." Izumi smiled, trying to match his brightness...or at least, trying to bring his back. She wasn't sure what she'd done to bring it out in the first place, but...she missed it, missed her father's bright gentleness, even in this younger version who was so reserved and abrasive usually. "Come on, the day's still young! Let's have some fun before your uncle calls you back, huh? Or before Bumi finds me."

"Hmm." Zuko smiled, though not as brightly as before. "Fine. Race you to the top of that hill!" But he was already off before finishing his sentence.

"Zuko!" Izumi huffed, chasing after him and his laughter...and pushing away her homesickness.

There was no point in it now. It could only slow her down...and possibly jeopardize her friendship with Zuko.

And Izumi wasn't sure her heart could take that.

prompt list!

#avatar the last airbender #atla #zuko #izumi #izumi & zuko #lavi’s prompt fills #bumizumi time travel au

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burglar-bird · 2 years

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ATLA Bill & Ted AU

Zuko S. Hou and Aang Feng (Esquire) have been best friends since forever, but they're at a horrifically unbodacious crossroads. If Zuko flunks his history exam Ozai is sending him off to military school!

Realizing neither of them has the braincell in their duo, both teens literally and metaphorically bang their heads against the wall at the local Cabbage Mart.

Luckily the universe isn't ready for them to part ways. Princess Yue, an emissary from 1000 years in the future, arrives in APPA, an automated telephone booth that can travel through time. With her help, Zuko and Aang might just be able to pass their exam, stay friends, and create a utopia in the future (???). All it takes is kidnapping a few historical figures (the past avatars are a good start), meeting a pair of highly attractive water tribe siblings in the past-south-pole, and operating a last minute jail break!

Starring:

Sokka and Katara as "the princesses"

Aang's randomly assigned adoptive parent (complete with young social climber wife)

Special OPs Yue

Avatar Kyoshi

Avatar Kuruk

Avatar Roku

...you get the picture

#zuko #atla au #atla zuko #atla aang #bill & ted au #bill & ted's excellent adventure #i don't even know where this came from dudes #but it's living in my head rent free now #and it'll all your problem to deal with hahahaha #fanfic idea #atla fanfic #atla #gaang #time travel #ozai is an asshole

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triscribeaucollection · 1 year

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Where You End - Update

(I am STILL trying to finish the fifth and final chapter of this AtLA fic, but here’s what I’ve got so far:)

Something seemed... off, with Princess Yue.

Yagoda couldn’t quite put her finger on it - there were, of course, the obvious symptoms of the princess becoming quieter than usual, and more frequently appearing in the Healing Halls to provide an extra pair of hands, but the underlying source remained elusive to diagnose. Several times, she attempted to draw the girl into conversation with gentle, leading questions, only for Yue to smile serenely and leave before divulging anything resembling so much as a clue, let alone an answer.

They reached a point, after a few weeks, of Chief Arnook coming personally to the Healing Halls, with a request for Yagoda to look into the matter of his daughter’s health. She at least managed to reassure him that Yue remained physically well, but the man still appeared worried when he left. After all, they’d both seen how mental and spiritual ailments could take their toll just as harshly as any ailment of the body.

So, when not teaching her classes or minding the younger benders on duty, Yagoda took up a habit of lingering in the palace to keep an eye on Yue personally. And, admittedly, she couldn’t help but be impressed.

In addition to assisting healers in their work, the princess spent an hour every morning exercising in one of the smaller courtyards, moving at a steady pace and building up her muscle tone. No weapons to practice with, of course, but Yagoda thought she recognized at least a few waterbending forms in the girl’s movements.

Intriguing, considering Yue wasn’t a bender.

Once finished, the princess cleaned herself up and dressed properly before moving on to her official duties, which were few and posed no true difficulty... except, she’d apparently gone and taken more tasks onto herself, work that Chief Arnook normally put off until he’d dealt with other, more pressing matters. Yagoda observed Yue go down to personally inventory the food their hunters put aside for hard times: dried jerky, salted fish, whale-tiger blubber that could be burned for light or added to meals in a pinch. The girl also fetched an easily cowed young man who worked under the master waterbenders responsible for maintaining their city’s defensive measures, and made him guide her on a complete tour, one that noted all potential points of weakness as well as their traditional strengths. From there Yue crossed back and forth across Agna Qel’a, covering different sections of the city each day, speaking with any citizen who caught her eye.

From what Yagoda picked up, their princess genuinely wanted to get to know her people, to ask about their cares and concerns, taking in their opinions with a quietly earnest air. And from there, she spent her evenings murmuring in Arnook’s ear, making him aware of small matters that might otherwise have gone unnoticed by all other members of his Council of Elders.

Yagoda felt very, very impressed.

And yet, she still didn’t have any idea where the change came from. One day, Princess Yue seemed content in her sheltered lifestyle, helping out with a few token duties and spending her free time being rowed through the prettier canals of the city. The next, she’d rolled up her sleeves and gotten to work.

Aside from their princess suddenly becoming much more invested in the responsibilities of her rank, life for the people of Agna Qel’a went on as normal... until the Avatar and his companions arrived.

#atla #time travel au #the one where ALL the important kids come back to the start #and immediately set about changing the whole course of the plot #wip

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celestialvoyeur · 6 months

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💛💙SPIRK FIC REC - MY FAVOURITES💙💛

As a follow up to my recent post about how few fics make it to my favourites list, and how special they are to achieve that distinction, I decided to share my current list.

I’ve shared some of these individually in the past but here you’ll have them all together.

If you've read any of these already then I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether you loved them as much as I did! 🥰

(NB: these are not listed in any order of preference. Mostly it’s the reverse order in which I read them)

Leave No Soul Behind by whochick Words: 258,951

AOS, AU Canon-Divergence. Spock, Kirk and the other valiant members of the Emergency Personnel Ambulance Service fight to save lives and turn the tide of the ongoing war against Nero and his fleet before it’s too late. Such a beautiful slow burn for Spock and Kirk.

Atlas by distractedKat Words: 135,529

AOS. Follow on from 2009, Kirk, Spock and the rest deal with the aftermath of Nero’s attack and rebuilding after the decimation of the ‘Fleet and Academy. An exciting tale with twists and turns involving black ops, bad-mirals, action, love and fierce loyalty.

The Lotus Eaters by aldora89 Words: 93,594

AOS. Stranded on a planet together, with multiple dangers and very little hope of rescue, Jim and Spock have no choice but to rely on each other to survive. Spectacular plot, amazing world building, fabulous original character and an epic slow burn Spirk love story!

With Your Feet on the Air and Your Head on the Ground by flippyspoon Words: 39,188 @flippyspoon

SNW. A phenomenal Spirk fic in which Kirk is stuck in Spock's mind while the crew work to find a way to retrieve his body. A wonderful getting to know you/falling for you hard tale. Wonderfully written and highly entertaining.

Evolution by Rhaegal (RhaegalKS) Words: 149,293

AOS. Covering the first year of their 5 year mission, this is totally flawless. The character voices are perfection, the prose spectacular. The whole thing plays like an AOS movie. It’s phenomenal.

Emotions by LadyRa Words: 35,569

TOS. Spock gets drugged on a shore leave and is overwhelmed with its effects. Kirk tries to pick up the pieces. A beautiful, and wonderfully grounded, story of realising how much they mean to each other.

And When the Bond Breaks by LadyRa Words: 24,631

TOS. Spock takes out a shuttle to investigate an anomaly and returns to an Enterprise that’s not his own. Time travel shenanigans with such emotional depth that it will traumatise you in the best way. Stunningly good!

All Our Tomorrows Come Today by flippyspoon Words: 18,156 @flippyspoon

SNW. A newly introduced Jim and Spock accidentally get a glimpse into the future and see what they’re going to be to each other (a.k.a. Spirk’s Greatest Hits). A stunningly told story about finding the great love of your life.

I Won't Make That Mistake Again by Moreta1848 Words: 69,402 @jennelikejennay

SNW/TOS. An epic story detailing Spock and Kirk’s love throughout their lives, beginning from their meeting on Pike’s Enterprise (SNW) and continuing on to an eventual Generations fix-it happy ending. Wonderful!

No Going Back, No Before by spirkme Words: 78,486 @spirkme915

SNW/TOS. Timeline shenanigans, spies, twists & turns, pining, angst, sacrifice and so so much love!

The 1,000 Hour Sleep by spqr Words: 27,227

SNW. Jim’s been infected with a pathogen that means he can’t sleep, but it he doesn’t he’ll die. Cue Spock and his Vulcan telepathy helping Jim to achieve the sleep he needs, while they get to know each other within their shared mindscapes. A sweet and exciting story about falling in love and overcoming your own inner demons.

First Best Destiny by Ophelia_j Words: 387,733

TOS/TNG. Such a very special fic. Epic in its scope, it covers the entire timeline of Spirk from their very first meeting through to a clever and satisfying Generations fix-it ending. It provides extra scenes, additional dialogue and internal monologues to expand on existing canon in a really compelling and effective way. Truly this is my new TOS canon.

The Steadfastness of Stars by itsnatalie Words: 61,566

AOS. After Beyond, The crew investigate sudden climate change on a frozen planet and find more than they bargained for. The perfect mix of great plot, fun original characters, action, mystery, world building and deep deep love.

Let Forever Be by gunstreet Words: 43,446 @gunstreet

TOS. A really compelling character study of James T. Kirk. An excellent companion piece to City on the Edge of Forever. Exploring what Jim and Spock got up to, and all they had to overcome, while trying to find Bones and their way back home.

Time After Time by spaceisgay (ChancellorGriffin) Words: 138,921

SNW. Kirk spends a 6 month rotation on the Enterprise as part of his command training. OK, if there’s a favourite of my favourites then this may be it. It’s such a stunning version of their love story, with a beautifully constructed plot. It runs the emotional gamut from moments that will have you laughing out loud to moments that will have you in floods of tears.

milk and honey by spaceisgay (ChancellorGriffin) Words: 28,651

SNW. Kirk and Spock meet for the first time when they wake up in a prison cell together. A really fun, and extremely clever, version of the ‘aliens made them do it’ trope. It’s intriguing and funny with a real depth of feeling throughout.

The Promised Land by gunstreet Words: 58,260 @gunstreet

TOS. A story that explores the time Jim and Spock spent apart between the end of the 5 year mission and TMP. It’s a beautiful story of reunion and renewal of love. Sometimes achingly sad, but it’s worth it for the happy ending.

Again, if you've read any of these already then I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether you loved them as much as I did! 🥰

#star trek #spirk #k/s #kirk/spock #spock #james t kirk #k/s fanfic #fan fiction #fanfic #fan fic rec #star trek tos #star trek aos #star trek snw #aos spirk #tos spirk #snw spirk

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lightdancer1 · 1 year

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I also intend to enjoy the fundamental irony of the Good and Bad forks of the AU:

In the Bad AU the scenario the good one fears actually did happen and nobody hates Dream of the Endless for it except the figure lied into believing she's something she wasn't......and who gradually begins to realize the natures of Dreams and Reality are permeable enough that things become a lot more complicated that way before it all comes crashing down in an apocalyptic fashion.

In the Good AU people think it happened and it didn't and thus hinges the entire bit here. The other Endless start off the story furious with Dream for what they believe is the murder and replacement of their sister. And then it turns out that she took the same path Destruction did for very good reasons (this version of Death is by far the most powerful I've written in a lot of ways for reasons that will be explained in story) and that their collective sense of grievance and takes on things is wrong.

#death as a dream au #the irony in this is that the one scenario that sounds like the obvious candidate for 'bad' is good and 'good' is bad #this is also a test drive for a concept I intend to do with an ATLA story involving time travel as well

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blingblong55 · 7 months

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Under the moon -John "Soap" MacTavish NSFW

Based on a requests: -Your local Johnny slut requests thee a oneshot or longfic (however you choose) for 23 + 5 for Kinktober: Monster AU and Breeding because we all know and love that Johnny's a fucking werewolf. You can sprinkle a bit of pet play and praise here and there. Please and thank you for your consideration 😘 -Idk how to request for the kinktober, but I would like to request Fem Reader x Soap for no.15 & no.23, please? Tq!! --- F!reader, smut, MDNI, 18+, P-in-V, unprotected!sex, praise, pet play, breeding, monster au, werewolf au, established!relationship, doggy style ----

Ever since he told you that he is a werewolf, he has been loving to fuck your tight pussy when he knows it's time to rub his scent on you again. He knows so much about your body with just one sniff, he can feel when you are about to start ovulating, which makes him feral, and he turns into his werewolf self for it. You are cooking in the kitchen? He walks behind you and dry humps you until you turn around and that's when he tears your clothes apart, revealing your perfect pussy lips to him.

His cock is already hard from just watching you whimper. "Johnny-" You want to stop it but it is too good to be stopped. His hand travel all over your thighs, he sits you on the countertop and fucks his fingers into you. Wants to open your pretty cunt up for his massive cock. The veiny and throbbing length is already eager to fill you with his seed. He spreads your legs open and kisses your neck, you're wet and aching cunt fucking yourself into his fingers. He growls, "Don't move," he demands. You pout and he grins, cupping your chin and bringing your lips closer to his. His spit well into your mouth.

When the moon is full, he can't resist, all day he stays home and tries to fuck you atlas a few times. He is so horny he begins to whimper and get needy when you don't touch him or don't acknowledge him. "My love, I've been a good boy, why can't you just touch me?" His hand caressing your thighs and ass. "I promise to make you come more," he pouts and kisses your lips, trying to convince you with his big blue eyes. "All I want is to fuck you," he kisses your neck.

And once you finally give in, he has you bending over the sofa, panties to the side as he licks his slick-coated fingers. "You are the sweetest little thing ever, my love," he pulls his trousers down and tubs the tip of his cock on your entrance. He lets out a moan. He wanted to tease you until you begged for it but he, himself needed to be buried deep inside your pussy. Making you into the perfect toy for him. His beast-like hands gripping your hips, you squirm and he growls. This was the perfect position to have you in. His fat cock barely fits inside your small cunt.

He growls anytime you whimper and does care for your pleasure but his. Your back arches and he grins, your hands holding onto the edges as he pounds himself deep inside of you. You let out a gasp when he bites your shoulder from behind, he grunts and chuckles deeply. "fuck, fuck...J-...shit," you say between moans. "J-johnny!....fuck," he leaves trails of bite marks on your back. "You're my good girl, such a pretty good girl," he whispers and kisses the bite marks. "I love you," he says and rubs his hands on your bare ass and thighs, his cock still being thrust into you.

He stops, "can I fill you up? Please, Bonnie, I want to fuck my pups into your pussy. Fill you to the brim." His thrusts are rare but slow, and he caresses your back. "Fill me, Johnny," you answer and he smirks. His veiny cock reaches orgasm as your tight pussy milks him for all he's worth. He moans, head thrown back, his mohawk brushed back as he grows excited. You roll your eyes back, and loud moans escape your lips. His drool-soaked fingers fucking your tight ass. "Tell me, darling, who's my good girl," he kisses your back. His cum soon leaks inside of you. His seed filling you full, your body taking a good reaction to this.

You pull on the leash that held his collar, "I'm your good girl~" you whimper. His cum falls down so gracefully and then he turns you over. "That's right, you're my good girl, no one else's." He looks at his leash and smirks. "If my mam saw me like this, her little boy leashed like the animal he is," he chuckles, "oh she'd be disappointed." he kisses your neck. "But so as long as I'm your good pup, huh, my love," he kisses your lips so carefully. His big arms embrace you warmly, and he rubs his scent on you again this way. You know it and he does too.

"Say you love me, R/N," he whispers as his head is buried in your breasts. "I love you, Johnny," you whisper back and scratch the back of his head. He smiles, "I love you too," he kisses your chest and takes in your intoxicating scent.

Tags :@anonymuslydumb @liyanahelena @vampsquerade @sevvygirl1995 @sleepydang @amygaster004 @alxexhearts

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aangarchy · 2 years

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Every atla AU is like "aang was found later" or "aang was found earlier" or "aang died and someone else became the next avatar" or "aang never got encased in ice and died 100yrs later and yue became the next avatar" but what about an AU where Aang never got found at all and remained encased in ice forever?

The world would have to accept that the avatar will never be reborn. No one knows what happened to the cycle. Even spiritual experts are absolutely baffled bc by all measures, the cycle shouldn't have stopped at all. People assume the young airbender would have been killed during the fire nation raids, while in the avatar state. But there would have been reports of that. People couldn't have missed a glowing kid? And if the cycle is supposedly gone, why do we still feel Raava's presence?

All contact with the spirit world eventually ceased. Even spiritual elders like Iroh eventually aren't able to meditate into the spirit world anymore. The Fire Nation's drill plan would have succeeded. They would have conquered the Earth Kingdom fully. The only true free nation remaining would be the Northern Watertribe, who remain in their ice fortress locked away from the rest of the world forever. Airbenders remain extinct.

Zuko gives up on his search for the Avatar after 4 years. At this point the 17yr old realizes he was sent on a fool's errand. It was his father's intention for him to never return. Him and Iroh abandon the ship, and make it to Ba Sing Se, where they settle and become Earth Kingdom citizens. Sokka and Katara leave the Southern tribe around the same time, in search of Hakoda. With Katara's limited waterbending skills they make it to Whale Tale island and catch a boat from there. Then they travel the Earth Kingdom with the limited information they have to find their dad. Toph eventually runs away from home to go to Earth Rumble competitions all over the Earth Kingdom. Her goal is to become the world champion. Suki's ambition to help refugees and fight in the war would cause her to take a troop of Kyoshi warriors and leave Kyoshi Island.

These people were destined to meet, with or without Aang. Their paths would cross one way or the other. A banished prince, the son and daughter of the Southern Watertribe chief, the leader of the Kyoshi warriors, and the only heir to the Bei Fong estate, they would make a team and devise a plan to stop the war. But they would always feel like something is missing. And that something is beneath the ice, in a deep eternal slumber. Would they even succeed?

#it's a bleak AU but a very interesting one #avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar #zuko #prince zuko #atla au #sokka #katara #suki #toph bei fong #toph beifong

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pichirobi · 3 months

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fire, air, water, earth.

prince xie lian is one of the most promising up-and-coming avatars the world has yet to see. that is, until disaster strikes his home earth kingdom of xianle. when his people die out at the hands of a plague spirit, bai wuxiang, the nations blame the avatar. with his reputation destroyed, xie lian joins the air nomads for 20 years and travels the world as a scrap-collector. although he has lost the respect of the people he is destined to protect, the spirit world is thrown into chaos without his guidance. xie lian works thanklessly to maintain global balance all on his own. but unbeknownst to him, there's one person, upon the throne of the fire nation, who still believes in the avatar.

welcome to my tgcf x atla au!

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STORY

xie lian is born to the king and queen of an earth kingdom city-state, xianle, and is quickly discovered to be the avatar. a wildly talented one, at that. he learns firebending second, and waterbending third. still young and pampered, xie lian struggles with the humility associated with airbending principles.

at just the age of 17 he begins to travel the world to master the four elements and [katara narrator voice] to restore peace and balance in the world. he acquires a servant (firebender mu qing) and a bodyguard (earthbender & childhood best friend feng xin). it's during this time that he tours the fire nation, meeting with political figures and impoverished citizens alike, gaining a positive reputation for his determination and skills. to celebrate the summer solstice, xie lian is the face of a festival in which he proves his elegance, combative strength, and firebending prowess. during the ceremony, he controversially interrupts it to save the life of a 10-year-old urchin boy.

the lines between the spirit and mortal worlds bleed together during solstices. it's xie lian's festival which attracts a particularly violent spirit to emerge into the mortal world: bai wuxiang. the white-clothed calamity.

xie lian's life is filled with promise until he turns 22. he catches word of a disaster taking place in his home kingdom. he puts a pause on his tour of the nations to return to xianle. there, he finds that a strange and highly contagious disease has begun plaguing his people. its symptoms are unnatural; the work of an angry spirit. xie lian works himself to the bone trying to save his common people. he fails.

when xianle falls to plague, to chaos, to fear, its people blame the avatar. he is dubbed the avatar of misfortune. a failure. xie lian's reputation crumbles to dust and he is helpless to restore his people's faith in him. when the rest of the world learns of how xianle came to ruin, the avatar becomes not a figure of peace to be revered, but a bad omen.

having lost his two companions, his parents, his kingdom, and the global adoration he's come to rely on for his self-worth, xie lian runs away. he disowns his past identity and seeks to start a new life. he finds himself in the northern air temples, where the air nomads pay him no mind, although xie lian is a bit of an oddball. (xie lian might look rougher and jaded but they certainly recognize the avatar. they pretend to not know him—the nomads keep to themselves and as long as xie lian doesn't cause trouble, he is welcome.) he eventually befriends a monk named shi qingxuan.

xie lian seeks enlightenment. he incorporates himself into the monks' way of life, releasing all ties to material possessions and worldly indulgences. he abstains from sex, alcohol, anger, and, hardest of all, grief. he goes on to live 20 years as a scrap collector, practicing what he was taught by his teacher and guide, monk wu yong. xie lian knows it's time to leave the temples when he finally masters airbending.

humbled, xie lian rekindles his fighting spirit. the common people loathe the avatar, but he forgives them. he will save them.

as xie lian wanders the nations, he learns that during his darkest years, literature, art, and scholarly works of the avatar have been destroyed. most people don't even remember what he looks like and much less have the means to learn anything about him. (hua cheng carving xl's face into the side of a mountain: HOLD MY BEER)

meanwhile, there is a fire nation urchin boy who has grown into someone powerful enough to be feared. through his unmatched wit and charisma, he has worked his way up the capital's political hierarchy. a city governor who calls himself hua cheng, is the first aristocrat to challenge the firelord to an agni kai. he is also the first to win. he delegitimizes the royal bloodline and single-handedly reshapes a generation's idea of a competent ruler. bonus points for the previous firelord being xie lian's indecent cousin, qi rong.

now 35 years old, the new firelord, terrifying yet respected by all, leads his people to prosperity and vanquishes every enemy. peculiarly, he seems somewhat uninterested in his position of power. instead, he enjoys turning his attention towards erecting a shrine, a palace, in honor of avatar xie lian.

HUALIAN'S BACKSTORY

the avatar preceding xie lian, jun wu, oversaw great conflicts between the four nations. it is during one of these wars that a seemingly insignificant teenager dies. his soul drifts aimlessly in the spirit world, vulnerable, alone. he encounters the trickster spirit koh who steals his face. time is hard to account for in this realm, and the once-a-teenager forgets his past life, his own identity, simply choosing to refer to himself as wu ming: nameless. many years later, the avatar cycle begins anew with the birth of xie lian.

at 7 years old, prince xie lian and his best friend feng xin are outdoors playing with swords. feng xin takes a break, as he is called inside by the king of xianle, leaving xie lian outside and unsupervised. (feng xin will shortly be told that xie lian is not only his friend, but now his responsibility.) meanwhile, xie lian is left without a sparring partner. until a ghostly silver butterfly flits in front of him. it playfully weaves around the flourishes of the blade. xie lian chases it, away from the palace grounds, across the fields and into the brush, where he falls head-first through a burrow. when he stands up, his sword has disappeared, but not the butterfly. it pulls his attention upward, where he takes in his surroundings: the spirit world.

xie lian continues to play and greet spirits, who are all pleased to meet the new avatar, eventually finding a sad, dissipating ghost fire. the ghost introduces itself as wu ming. xie lian works very hard to cheer it up, promising they'll be friends in this lifetime and the next. wu ming brightens and confesses that koh has stolen its face. xie lian fails to tolerate this news: if he's to be the avatar, he must protect the innocent and slay monsters. with wu ming's warnings, he marches to koh's den to demand his friend's face back.

xie lian succeeds. wu ming doesn't remember much these days, but he's sure that no one has ever showed him such incredible kindness. when wu ming expresses his desire to disappear, xie lian gives him a mantra: "live for me."

xie lian has to leave, to return to a very worried feng xin (who is scared he's already failed his new bodyguard job on day one), but wu ming is invigorated with life like never before. his soul persists, stubbornly, for the avatar. he is reborn back into the mortal world as a fire nation boy. although, the encounter with koh would leave a mark on his body: the sclera of his right eye would be an unsettling blood red. the people of his village would know him as hong hong-er.

elsewhere in the spirit world, the ghost of avatar jun wu senses young xie lian's presence. he also senses the persistence of the ghost fire—a soul reborn. could he, too, return to the mortal world? jun wu entertains a simple but horrifying thought: by swapping places with xie lian, could he achieve immortality as the world's last avatar? thus, jun wu hatches a plan. he strikes a deal with bai wuxiang, the white-clothed calamity, a malevolent plague spirit. bai wuxiang would possess the body of jun wu to eliminate the new avatar. to kill xie lian, and to be reborn.

the plan doesn't go—well, according to plan. the people of xianle are wiped out before he can get his hands on xie lian, and the destruction of a people leaves behind a universal distrust of the avatar. jun wu realizes he would be unable to seize power in such an environment. his new strategy must involve controlling young xie lian, manipulating him into a puppet. it takes a while to pin him down, but jun wu eventually finds him settled in the northern air temple, at his most emotionally vulnerable. jun wu will impersonate a monk teacher, changing his name to wu yong. he will bide his time and play his cards until the world is ready for his return.

EXTRAS

hualian are middle-aged men in this au because it makes sense timeline-wise, but also because sexy silver fox xie lian is what i see every time i close my eyes.

narratively, i'm torn between hua cheng loving the avatar, or hua cheng loving xie lian. thinking about this timeless lovestory, "you, not the state of you," i can see it both ways. hua cheng might love the avatar, xie lian and all of his reincarnations regardless of their body. or, he might love xie lian, regardless of the "avatar" title. ("avatar" may also be this world's equivalent to hua cheng respectfully calling xie lian "dianxia".)

firelord hua cheng presents himself at what he believes is his ugliest, most intimidating form: exposing his burned right eye. as san lang, however, he is at first ashamed to reveal such a vulnerable part of him in front of his love; he covers it with an eyepatch. (the people of the fire nation are like: "a platypus?" [san lang takes off his eyepatch] "PERRY THE PLATYPUS?!?!")

hua cheng teaches xie lian how to bend lightning. they easily trade bolts back and forth to each other in a cute and intimate way. feng xin and mu qing are horrified when they first see this in action.

hualian's first kiss happens when they're battling a sea monster underwater and xie lian loses his concentration enough to accidentally pop hua cheng's air bubble. a little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation will do the trick until they can float back up to the surface.

ruoye = xl's spiritual serpent guide (kind of like roku's dragon)

e'ming = hc's super clingy fire ferret

#hualian atla au #tgcf au #atla au #xie lian #hua cheng #hualian #hualian au #jun wu #tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #mxtx #my art

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