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#I wonder how the gaang would react to it
luriuan · 1 month
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I love how whenever ATLA recognizes Sokka is smart enough to solve a problem but it’d be too fast they just stick him in some kind of situation. Like he COULD’VE stopped jet from drowning a town so they tied him up and dumped him in a forest. He COULD’VE figured out what that spirits deal was so they lost him in the spirit world for 24 hours.
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nickeverdeen · 2 months
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The ATLA gaang reacting to reader having a nightmare
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Request: “Hello!
I was wondering if you could do an imagine (kidna like the bug one) on how the Gaang would react to gn reader having nightmares. Have a lovely evening,
- V”
Requested by: @verybadatwriting
(The person meant preferences so you wouldn’t get confused)
Aang
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Aang sits quietly beside you, offering silent support during your nightmares
Aang wraps you in a gentle embrace, providing a sense of security and comfort
He listens attentively as you share your nightmares, offering empathy and understanding
Whispers words of reassurance, reminding you that you are safe and loved
Guides you through calming breaths to help ease your racing heart
Aang strokes your hair or rubs your back, offering physical comfort
Suggests simple activities like stargazing or cloud-watching to shift your focus away from your nightmares
He establishes comforting bedtime routines, like reading a favorite book or sharing a cup of tea
Praises your courage and resilience, highlighting your inner strength
Aang expresses his love for you, promising unwavering support through your struggles
He ensures the bedroom is a peaceful sanctuary, free from distractions or triggers
Aang gently suggests seeking professional help or trying relaxation techniques to manage nightmares
(The professional help would be Katara, though)
Shows patience and understanding, earning your trust over time
Reminds you that you are not alone, standing by your side through the darkest nights
“I’m here for you. You’re safe with me. You’re not alone in this. I’m right here beside you, Y/N”
Zuko
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Zuko wakes up immediately upon sensing your distress, his instincts kicking in to soothe you
He pulls you close, wrapping his arms protectively around you and whispering reassurances
Zuko gently strokes your hair or back, offering comfort through his touch
Listens attentively if you want to talk about your nightmare, offering understanding and empathy
Just like Aang Zuko suggests techniques like deep breathing or visualization to help calm your racing thoughts
He stays awake for a while after the nightmare, keeping a watchful eye on you to ensure you feel safe
He shares stories from his own past struggles and how he overcame them, offering hope and encouragement
He offers to stay up with you until you’ll fall back asleep, providing a sense of security
Zuko surprises you with your favorite comforting food or drink to help them relax
He makes a mental note to be extra attentive to your emotional well-being in the days following the nightmare, showing them extra affection and support
Zuko softly sings or hums a calming tune to help lull you back to sleep
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now, I’m right here. I’m here to protect you, always. You don’t have to face this alone.”
Sokka
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Sokka suggests having a late-night snack together, whipping up some of his favorite comfort foods like savory meat pies or sweet fruit tarts to help lift your spirits
He offers to tell you a humorous story or joke to help lighten the mood
And to distract you from your troubling thoughts, using his quick wit and playful humor to bring a smile to your face
Sokka suggests going for a moonlit walk together, strolling along the beach or through the quiet streets of their village as they share stories and enjoy each other’s company under the night sky
He encourages you to express your feelings through creative writing
Or journaling providing you with a safe outlet to process your emotions and reflect on your experiences
Sokka suggests practicing some basic self-defense techniques together
Just teaching you simple moves and strategies to help you feel empowered and capable of protecting yourself
He offers to build a makeshift fort with you using blankets and pillows
And that creates a cozy and comforting space where they can relax and feel safe from their nightmares
He suggests engaging in a friendly competition or game together
It can be a board game, card game, or sparring match, to help distract you and boost your mood with some lighthearted fun
Sokka uses his storytelling skills to craft an original bedtime tale for you, weaving together elements of adventure, humor, and inspiration to captivate your imagination and ease your troubled mind
He ends the night by simply being there for you, offering you a reassuring hug or comforting presence as you drift off to sleep, knowing that you are not alone and that he will always be there to support you
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe here with me. It was just a bad dream.”
Katara
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When you have a nightmare, Katara would immediately notice your distress and offer her support
She’s the group’s mom so she’s kidna used to it
Plus she had tons of nightmares when Aang almost died numerous times
And later when he did…
Anyway
Katara would sit beside you, gently placing a hand on your shoulder or back to offer comfort and reassurance
She would encourage you to share your feelings and thoughts about the nightmare
Assures you that you can trust her with your emotions
Katara would offer words of reassurance, reminding you that you are safe and that the nightmare was not real
She might suggest calming techniques
Like deep breathing or visualization to help you relax and ease your anxiety
Katara would offer physical comfort by hugging you if you’re comfortable with it
And providing a sense of warmth and safety
She might create a soothing atmosphere by dimming the lights, playing soft music, or offering a warm cup of tea to help you relax
Katara would offer affirmations to help you feel empowered and supported
Remindes you of your strength and resilience
Katara would stay with you until you feel calm and ready to go back to sleep
She’s ensuring that you don’t have to face your fears alone
In the morning, Katara would encourage you to engage in self-care activities that help you feel grounded and at peace after experiencing a nightmare
Throughout the day, Katara would check in on you to see how you’re feeling and offer continued support and encouragement
“I know it can be scary, but nightmares aren’t real. You’re strong enough to overcome them. I’m here for you. You don’t have to face this alone.”
Toph
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Toph’s first instinct might be to offer some tough love
Like telling you to toughen up and not let the nightmare get to you
Toph might offer practical advice
Suggesting techniques like grounding exercises or focusing on your breathing to calm down
Despite her tough exterior, Toph is fiercely protective of her friends
She might offer to stay with you until you fall asleep again, ensuring you feel safe
Toph is known for her blunt honesty
So she might reassure you that nightmares are just tricks of the mind and not something to be afraid of
Toph might suggest distracting activities to take your mind off the nightmare
Like practicing bending moves or sharing stories of past adventures
Toph might share her own experiences with nightmares
Just letting you know that you’re not alone and that everyone struggles with bad dreams sometimes
Toph often uses humor to lighten the mood
So she might crack a joke or make a sarcastic comment to help you feel better
Despite her tough exterior, Toph can also be surprisingly gentle when it comes to comforting others
She might offer a reassuring pat on the back or a comforting hug if you are open to it
Toph might use her unique perspective as someone who has faced her own challenges to empathize with you and offer understanding and support
Toph’s approach to comforting you might be more straightforward and direct, reflecting her no-nonsense attitude
“Quit your whining. It’s just a stupid dream. Focus on something real. Like the feel of the ground beneath your feet.”
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firenaition · 7 months
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What if this happened? At the Western Air Temple, right after Katara catches Zuko from falling he says "She's not gonna make it." Aang notices her falling, and out of very strong compassion or foolishness, he jumps off Appa, glides toward her, catches her, puts her back on the ground, saves her, and immediately heads back to Appa without saying a word and the gaang fly off.
How differently would things play out? How would she react? How would the gaang react?
this would have changed everything i think :'( genuinely believe all it would have taken for azula to change was for her to find someone who genuinely cared whether she lived or died, and nothing would have hit her like a ton of bricks more than forgiveness as pure as aang's. the gaang would have been flabbergasted (zuko most of all, after everything he had to do to gain their forgiveness literally only a day before) but aang is aang. like in his head yeah! azula killed him not that long ago and she's zuko's evil lil sister but she needed someone in that moment - of course it had to be him!!!
meanwhile azula thinks about it forever. she never stops wondering why the avatar of all people decided to spare her. she's kinda annoyed - like did he not think i could survive that fall? i definitely could have survived that fall. but she's mostly staggered at the fact that she didn't have to do the lone surviving she usually does ... and that would've catalyzed everything imo
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burst-of-iridescent · 9 months
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Hi there! So I follow your blog even though I don’t ship Zutara (I don’t ship anything cuz I prefer to focus on friendship but I can definitely see why you and others love Zutara) but I really like your meta and analysis. I especially like your takes on Katara as a character. For some time now I’ve been wanting to get into fic writing specifically for atla and was wondering if you had any advice for me.
I have this idea in my mind of like post season 2 pre the awakening canon divergence where Katara is on the boat worried about Aang and if he’s ever going to wake up. And slowly realizing that she’s placed all this hope and responsibility for the world on this child. I always found it interesting how you’ve pointed out that Katara idealizes Aang a bit and wanted to do something where that gets shattered. So Katara starts to realize that it’s not fair of her to put all of that on Aang. That she herself was kind of pushed and partly volunteered to take up the role of her mother for her brother and father and now her friends.
I want this to lead to Katara taking a step back and kind of soul searching and attempt to establish herself outside of this role, to get some help and a support system of her own from her friends who realize how much she needs it. Because I was always sad Katara gave so much of herself to others and rarely got it back, not even from her own brother. Only really ever seeming to get support from Zuko. And then Bryke basically made it even worse in the comics, Katara having no character outside of being there for Aang. So I would like to fix that in a fic but I’ve never done anything like that and obviously this change in her character would have a large impact on the canon events of book three. Do you have any thoughts and advice for me on how to write such a fic?
just from the way you’ve talked about katara here, it seems to me like you already have an excellent grasp of her character and the arc she should have had in book 3 (and that bry.ke robbed us of 🙄) so i’ll say you’re off to a really good start!
i also really like the turning point you’ve picked for katara to get over her idealisation of aang, because i think the book 2 finale is exactly where it should have been brought home to her how fallible the avatar — this mythical, near-divine being she’s pinned all her hopes on — actually is. i don’t think katara ever reconciles aang the avatar, the object of her worship, with aang the boy, flawed as he is, and that’s why she’s the only one in the gaang who is unable to ever meaningfully challenge him, or even admit that he’s wrong, or might fail. she can’t, because somewhat paradoxically, she’s cast herself in the role of both his mother and his greatest devotee, and that makes her faith in him almost naively unbreakable — to both their detriments.
i think it would be helpful for you to think about some of the major moments coming up for a.ang and katara in book 3, and conceptualize how katara’s newfound realization might change these moments. how would their interactions on the day of black sun change, for instance? or looking at the southern raiders, is katara now more willing to challenge aang instead of simply standing her ground? does the EIP kiss still happen, and if so, how would both of their reactions to it change? would katara react differently to aang running away during sozin’s comet? how would katara’s loss of blind faith affect aang’s reaction to the comet in the first place? how would each of these events change their interactions with other characters?
mapping out the significant aspects of each of their arcs, and the places where they intersect, can be a good starting point for you to decide how you’d like both characters — and their relationship — to change over the season. and after that, just start writing! remember it’s always easier to edit what’s already on the page rather than working with nothing at all, so just have fun and don’t worry about making it perfect :)
good luck anon, and don’t forget to drop the link when you’re done! i’d love to read it ❤️
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mugentakeda · 1 month
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Bro I love Anchali and Jiro omiGOSH ♡´・ᴗ・`♡
Anchali is so insane and crazy for Ursa it’s both so weird/freaky and lowkey cute with how highly she’s devoted herself to Ursa I need to study her under a microscope.
And Jiro is so slimey and greasy i love them gay slimey men who are also shady as hell <33
Speaking of, I was wondering— how would Jiro react to the news of Lu Ten’s death (regardless of whether its canon or Dai Li Lu Ten AU)? How would he react if he saw Dai Li Lu Ten?
ok im so sorry for taking this long to answer this but my braincells always stop working when it comes to dai li lu ten au for some reason. like i quite literally just figured out how to put what lu tens issue is in a simple sentence Today and ive had this au for months. please forgive me.
TO BE HONEST. jiro was concerned about why lu ten was so stiff about going to bss, but he thought it was just like... over family drama. because lu ten never let his complicated feelings about the war leave the pages of his journal. not even to jiro, who lu ten knew probably wouldn't have cared (because jiro casually breaks at least 10 laws per day at minimum. he makes it a daily goal for himself) anyway.
but jiro didn't even consider the idea that lu ten would die at bss? cus like. lu ten passed his officer classes with flying colors, so he was fit to lead a group of men on the battlefield. he knew all the do's and do not's of war strategy. he was the youngest lightning bender in fire nation history at the time (until azula ofc). but. he was also a prince. so jiro was (correctly) under the impression that iroh wouldn't let lu ten even see the real heat of the battle. he was thinking that lu ten was just being sent there last minute so he could say he was there at least when iroh succeeded.
when the news about lu ten reaches the capital on top of the news of irohs retreat, jiro doesnt immediately believe it. cus he just bid lu ten goodbye like lu ten was leaving for an 8am meeting that he was dreading. like a tender just go get it over with real quick and then come on home, we can go back to bed for the rest of the day and then i'll take you out for dinner. there's national mourning, then firelord azulon dies and ozai is crowned and it's like jiro's world has a muted sheet thrown over it. it takes iroh's army coming home for it to sink in fully.
and jiro mourns kinda like how a flower quietly wilts overnight? he didnt throw a fit or demand answers or whatever. he just pulled himself away from politics and just focused on work. but he keeps that place at his side that lu ten filled for the brightest year of jiro's life open because jiro can't make himself act like it never happened either. so the second chair by jiro's balcony table stays, the hair ribbon pile lu ten forgot on the nightstand stays, the extra printed pelt blanket on his bed that only lu ten used (because he hated sharing blankets) stays.
AND THEN. in the dai li au. i did say a while back that jiro ends up becoming one of azulas guys. but she ends up calling him to bss asap because hes the only person in the fn that she knows for sure that she can trust with knowing about lu tens continued existence lol. its a very strange time for her cus she found out through long feng that her dad was at fault for the whole thing. and shes still figuring out what exactly shes gonna do about that but for now shes gonna be utilizing jiro's flimsy loyalty to the fire nation to protect her cousin until she has everything in order lol. and i haven't made up my mind about where lu ten will go from there but im kinda leaning on iroh taking lu ten with him to the order while zuko goes with the gaang
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balanceoflightanddark · 11 months
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What if this happened? At the western air temple, right after Katara catches Zuko from falling and he says "she's not gonna make it." Aang notices her falling, and out of very strong compassion or foolishness, he jumps off Appa, glides toward her, catches her, puts her back on the ground, saving her, and heads back to Appa and the gaang to fly off.
How differently would things play out? How would she react? How would the gaang react?
I don't imagine she'd be instantly grateful.
Well...she wouldn't be grateful. That's for certain. I mean, you don't just become grateful to the enemy you've been raised to hate for all your life over a single action. And I don't think things in the short term will change all that much. I mean, Aang wasn't there to stop Azula during Sozin's Comet so it's not like his rescue will have any bearing. Hell, Zuko still considering the Avatar his quarry even after Aang saved his ass a couple of times.
That being said, I could see her being a bit confused as to why the Avatar, hated enemy of the Fire Nation, sinker of Admiral Zhao's Fleet, would save her of all people. The girl who almost killed him. Somebody who views herself as an unlovable monster. This could begin to sow the roots for something further down the line. Maybe she'll start questioning things about her worldview a bit earlier than in canon, perhaps adding something to her breakdown (which was triggered by having her whole sense of self and how the world worked being shattered into a million pieces). After all, if she believes herself to be an irredeemable monster, why the hell would an enemy save her?
The Gaang would have a much more different reaction, which might affect their dynamics. Toph would probably be the most indifferent since she barely had any connection to Azula, just wondering why Aang would risk himself for an enemy. Katara...she'd blow a gasket over Aang doing something that stupid, especially to the girl that almost killed him. Sokka probably wouldn't understand Aang's actions at all, probably reaming him out for being that reckless. Suki's reaction might be a bit similar to Sokka, but less overblown since she doesn't have much of a grudge against Azula if the Boiling Rock is any indication.
Zuko...Zuko would've demanded why Aang didn't let Azula fall to her death.
And Aang's response?
Aang: Same reason I didn't let you freeze to death. Why can't you see that?
In short, while I don't see any immediate difference in how things will play out, long term I could see Azula being more open to change than she already was. Especially since she has less reason to see the Avatar as the hated enemy if he chooses to save those that tried to kill him.
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concernedbrownbread · 2 months
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I am wondering how the gaang are going to react if or when Azula felt comfortable enough to tell them how Zuko was like before she left.
It would be hard for them to believe considering how determined to view him as a monster.
I remember you mentioning about Zuko interacting with people during the healing arc, is he going to interact with the Gaang? If so, are their perspectives going to change and understand how Azula could still him as her brother?
OMG I TOOK FOREVER TO REPLY TO THIS!!! Sorry!
Oh gosh, the gaang has such complicated feelings about Zuko, especially because I kind of want to write them finding out about Zuko's scar. I'm still working out the healing arc but I definately want them all to meet and though they won't all be friends, I want them to be civil.
Honestly, the Gaang are kids and they have every capacity to see past Zuko's "monster" exterior and find sympathy for him. I know for SURE Zuko and Sokka are going to be friends though I can't not make them friends. And anyway, Sokka to me has always been the guy who was terrible at holding grudges, while Katara is brilliant at it.
TLDR; the Gaang is definitely going to change perspectives of him ... eventually.
Sorry again for the late reply!! But thank you for the ask, I really appreciate it.
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lovelyelbowleech · 1 year
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Hello! I'm a major War Crimes/Games fan, and a you fan in general. I am currently working on a fic and have run into a couple problems and I wondered if it would be alright if I asked you some questions? I just really love your writing—I think your pacing and handling of heavy/big topics is done soooo well and I would love any tips you've got to share.
How do you approach/handle pacing and timelines in a story? I always struggle with the balance of taking my time and not rushing to the point but also not taking too long and becoming boring or redundant. In War Crimes, especially while they're on the boat, I love the pacing of everything and would appreciate any tips you have.
I am also writing about a story that deals with a lot of further trauma for the Gaang and healing. I'm just wondering how you kind of decided on the events that were going to happen? I have multiple paths that tempt me but can't decide because I'm too scared of minimising trauma by zooming through it, while also being too scared of delving too deeply and having it turn into "trauma porn" or something like that.
So sorry for this crazy long question/ramble piece of shit, but I've been stuck on these problems for a while and thought I'd ask you since I admire your writing so much. Also apologies for any errors I am shit at proofreading (aka. I don't). Also no pressure if you don't answer these lol.
ANYWHO, thank you and love your stories!
Questions are always welcome! (although it might take me a while to answer while I think my way through 😂) Sorry for the delay, been a busy few days.
I am glad you are enjoying my fic! I am not a trained writer or anything, so I’m not sure how good my advice would be, but I can tell you about how I worked on those points in my own stuff.
1. Timelines and pacing
Because my fic is kind of running parallel to canon, and some things that happen in the show, still happen in the fic, I use that as a base for my timeline. Then I work everything out on a week to week basis, so I know where everyone needs to be (geographically as well as plot wise) at the end of each week.
I knew that War Crimes was going to take place over one aprox month, so I divided it into four weeks, and made sure all the major 'events' I needed to happen fit into those chunks - or that the passage of time was mentioned so it didn't seem like it was happening over too short a period.
War Games is far bigger and more complicated as there are so many people, but I still mark out each week, so at least I know what's happening in that chunk of time. There are still some canon events that need to match up (Day of Black Sun for example) so I have a rough idea of how long I have to make things happen before we get to that point.
The pacing (both good and bad) just comes from that and the occasional cliffhanger.😅
2. Trauma
When I started plotting War Crimes, I knew what I wanted the impact for the characters to be by the end of the fic. I knew what was going to happen to Zuko, and that what happens to Sokka was going to be very bad, but I had not really decided what those things were. I did a fair bit of research to make sure everything was actually survivable given their circumstances (although I will also use poetic licence where necessary) then I went with what I needed for plot and for the impact on Sokka's character I needed for it.
I had some stuff 'on screen' but deliberately chose to have the more detailed parts from the POV of a person not actually experiencing them (Taiji POV when Sokka is caned, for example.) Those parts that were from the POV of the person being hurt were more brief.
I guess my overall advice for writing trauma would be to consider how you think this character would react to the traumatic event, both generally and given the situation they are in and what you need from them to further your plot.
There is no right or wrong answer, everyone responds differently to trauma and grief (although some research helps give some scope). But you would need to consider the situation they are in and what you want to show of it. For example, in War Crimes, Zuko suffers a massive trauma that could be debilitating. It's the sort of thing that could cause a person to become overwhelmed and not be able to function, but if he did that in this instance, he would end up being killed there. The way I chose to write it was that the need to survive supersedes anything else for him and he represses and moves forward. They are constantly in dangerous situations, which means he doesn't really get a chance to just fall apart. (although this would also be a reasonable reaction to write, if that is what you want to show.)
Then you need to write the person dealing with what has happened, or begining the road to healing (or not, as you please) The way I chose to write this is to not make the trauma the sole characteristic for the person. It has an impact, and influences a person's behaviour and even outward personality (Like Zuko pre and post scar) but it doesn't have to be the only thing that they think/talk about.
The other thing I try to do when I write, is include some lighter moments and humour along with the dark. It's what I like reading, so made sense to write the same way 😂
Not sure if that actually answered your questions or not, I think I went off on a bit of a tangent, sorry for the waffling!
Overall I would say just write it and see what happens!
Thank you for the ask!
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awanderingmuse-ficrec · 11 months
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Culture Shock (Series)
Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender
Author: constellayetion
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Suicide, Self-Harm, Violence, Child Abuse
Word Count:  34.337
Characters: Zuko, Sokka, Aang, Toph Beifong, Katara
Tags: iroh is mentioned in flashbacks, Culture exploration, Cultural norms, Light Angst, mentions of suicidal ideation, Mentions of self-harm, which is accidental and one-time but still, Child Abuse, Ozai's A+ Parenting, The Fire Nation's A+ Training Regiment, Slight Canon Divergence, set between The Firebending Masters and The Boiling Rock Part 1, Apologies, meant as a way of bringing about justice/sacrifice, as a cultural norm, Hurt/Comfort, Scars, Zuko's Scar, Sokka Hurt/Comfort, zuko comforting sokka bc he deserves it
Fire Nation Training
The Fire Nation has some weird cultural norms. When Zuko gets added to the group, they find a fun role for him to play. Fire Nation Fact Checker!
(Basically meaning, I wanted to explore the conversations the gaang would have about their separate societies, traditions, and worldviews)
Chapter One: The Gaang wonders, what does a Training Accident even mean? And why do so many Fire Nation recruits seem to have the mark of one?
Chapter Two: Sokka worries about what training methods Zuko will use with Aang and finding out the Fire Nation's way of 'training' the previous night. He didn't realize what kind of training Zuko was referring to though, and actual discipline is very different than he thought.
Chapter Three: Zuko reflects on what Aang said. Control...versus intent... How does one even not have ill intent?
Chapter Four: Zuko teaches Aang the new trick he learned: How to NOT burn things.
Chapter Five: Sokka sees Zuko practicing his new skill. He does not react...well.
Retribution & Reparations
Continuation of Fire Nation Training, looking at how to...fix something works in the nations. Chapter One: All Zuko wanted to do was apologize… however… the ways everyone does it is...a little different from how he was taught. Chapter Two: Toph & Sokka take Zuko hunting. When injuries happen there’s some disagreement over whether or not that’s suppose to happen. Chapter Three: Toph tries to fix things, Sokka tries to fix things, scars just make everything worse. But, maybe that's just for Sokka. Chapter Four: Post Boiling Rock: Sokka knows that Zuko's upset. He just doesn't know how to fix it and that's worse than anything else. He just...needs him to be okay. He just needs everyone to be okay.
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bigfan-fanfic · 11 months
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Re: The Avatar being Zuko's age
I fully love the idea of them instead having older sibling/caretaker energy over the rest of the Gaang. Katara and Sokka wanting to leave the South Pole to help train the avatar, and them immediately being like "Fuck... I didn't have to take care of siblings at the Air Temples! I'm not prepared!" and just immediately defaulting into acting like one of the older nomads to take care of them. Actually, kinda makes me wonder how Toph would react to leaving her controlling family, only to find out the Avatar she's meant to be training also treats her a bit like a kid (Although, probably nowhere near as much infantilizing)
The interesting thing is that it gives the Avatar still an arc about attachment and love, only this time he is desperate to keep these kids safe and not exposing them to more danger.
We have this Avatar trying his best to help raise them, since I feel like the Air Nomads would generally communally raise the children. He'd be a little more in control, and maybe instead of aang's arc of not having ever wanted to be the avatar, this avatar is just more having to learn to let others carry the burden because he feels responsible for everything.
Ironically, while the avatar acts like a parent and treats the others like kids, it's not in the way you might think. The air nomads tended to treat their children with respect and care. Teaching them how to reason and treat others with respect. So Toph would be kinda weirded out by the fact that she does feel like the Avatar is acting parental, but it's not in a way she recognizes at all.
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akiizayoi4869 · 2 months
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Just read chapter 16!!! I think you're doing a really good job of slowly introducing Azula's backstory. Nothing is thrown on the Gaang in the span of a single chapter, it's spread out throughout the fic and it makes sense that this is a chapter where they'd start to learn more and more sense since Ursa is in it. Speaking of whom, wow. This is gonna be horrible for Azula to know her mom is mind controlled and living in Ba Sing Se. I wonder how Zuko will react when he finds out.
I'm glad that you liked it, anon! And thanks! I honestly haven't put that much thought into when and how I want the group to learn more and more about Azula's past, to be honest with you. I just add it in whenever I get an idea for it. Glad to see that it's working well so far though😂. Ah yes, Joo Dee Ursa. I was so excited to finally get up to this part of the story, because I knew that it would throw you guys for a loop, lol. I can only recall maybe one or two fics doing this with Ursa's character, and it's an idea that I like a lot, so I'm excited to dive into it some more. I hope you and everyone else who reads my story will like what I have planned!
As for Zuko, I'm still trying to think of a way for him to find out about all this, as well as how he reacts and what he eventually does. Since this is Zuko we're talking about, it's not going to be pretty xD.
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marginal-notes · 2 months
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Hi, me again. I want to gush about No Such Thing as Heaven. I’m really interested to see what you do with Zuko’s current crisis with his name. In the show Zuko’s sense of self also changed, but it was still incredibly connected to who he was before. But in your story, since revealing his history would get him killed, and because his status changed so quickly and definitively, and he couldn’t speak of or think about his name, “Zuko” Prince of the Fire Nation was completely divorced from who he became while in exile. They might as well be different people. I can see why the Gaang using it would him him the ick. I wonder how he would react to Azula or Mai using it? Will becoming fire Lord even be a consideration like in the show? wonder how this will be resolved…
Aaauuuggh see, this is why I always feel bad about how my hate feud with BnHA has me in such a strong chokehold. I swear to god there is so much I still want to do with ATLA when I’m not being distracted by trashy men. Or raving about terrible unintended consequences from public policy law enforcement decisions that have proven disastrous in real life and should have similarly horrible impacts on BnHA’s society and characters. I really want to finish the “no heaven” series within the decade - yes, I’m starting to get alarmed about this possibility given how slow I’m writing - along with the bonkers ghost!zuko and the Yue & Zuko fic I’ve hinted at here on the blog.
Something that I hope I articulate in the “no heaven” series is that even if Zuko hadn’t been tricked into losing his name to the spirits, the identity of Prince Zuko couldn’t and wouldn’t have survived this version of his exile. Without Iroh to protect him from the worst of the war and its consequences, with how Ozai threw him out to die without any hope of redemption in the Fire Nation’s eyes, the things Zuko witnesses and experiences in the Earth Kingdom would have ground his old identity to dust. Even from the very first scene, where Zuko observes a child half his age receiving a limb amputation, the experiences he’s put through wouldn’t have let him hold onto who he used to be.
The Zuko of now, after the spirits and after being forced into the Blue Spirit’s name, is completely different from the Zuko of then.
Not that the kid fully realizes that fact at the current moment of what’s been published, which partially feeds into his issues around his name. Partially. There’s, uuuhhh, other nefarious things going on that you’ll see soon in the next few chapters.
And as for the Fire Lord thing… you’ll see lol
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nickeverdeen · 3 months
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Hello!
I was wondering if you could do an imagine (kinda like the bug one) on how the Gaang would react to a gn reader having nightmares.
Have a lovely evening,
-V
Hey, I’m not sure which Gaang you mean and what the “bug” imagine is.
Could you please explain?
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atlabeth · 3 years
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hey! i love your zuko fics so much and was wondering if you’d like to write this, because the idea just popped up: maybe a zuko x reader fluff that takes place before/during LOK? maybe they’re reminiscing about their past adventures w the Gaang while helping out the new Team Avatar? idk it’s just that every time I see old zuko it makes me soft and emotional 🥲🔥❤️ anyways, much love! (and don’t feel pressured to do this at all, I was just thinking abt who I could submit this request to, and obvi my first choice was you 💕)
reminiscence - zuko x fem!reader
summary: just because you and your husband are retired doesn’t mean you don’t have amazing advice for the new team avatar.
a/n: this is so cute omg!! thank you so much for requesting this and thank you for much for your kind words i'm honored <33 im so sorry this took so long
sorry im posting so much lately im trying to stop slacking and publish things that have been wips for over a month sdkjfh
wc: 1.3k
warning(s): none bc i choose to ignore the news of zaheer’s plan right after this scene
-
Retirement was… nice.
You had spent your childhood fighting with the Avatar to end the Hundred Year War, a feat that was only made more difficult with your Fire Nation roots and connection to the banished prince. But all that’s well ends well, and you ended up getting your happy ending together — you had to fight hard for it, though.
You married Zuko at nineteen, three years after he ascended to the throne, and spent the subsequent years balancing your duties as Fire Lady and taking care of your daughter. Ruling the Fire Nation was a lot, but you knew you could get through anything with your husband at your side.
When he told you his plans to abdicate the throne, you were more than supportive. One of Zuko’s biggest fears was becoming his father, and by giving up his position willingly to Izumi, it guaranteed that he wouldn’t fall victim to the power-obsessed ways of his ancestors. It also gave him a well-deserved break after decades of being Fire Lord, and you were more than ready to get out of the world of Fire Nation politics. You had sat through enough meetings to fill multiple lifetimes.
But just because the two of you weren’t as involved in every day affairs of the world didn’t mean that you were completely out of it. No, that was far from the truth. You and Zuko were still some of the most important people in all of the nations, which meant it wasn’t a rare occurrence for your husband to be called off on some sort of mission.
One such mission was stopping the Order of the Red Lotus for the second time; Zuko had been part of the team that stopped them from kidnapping Avatar Korra as a child, so it was no surprise that he had been called to help for a second time. You knew even in his old age that your husband was powerful, but you couldn’t help but feel concerned about everything he was doing.
This concern was ultimately what led you to join Zuko on his trip to meet with Chief Beifong and Chief Tonraq in the Misty Palms Oasis. He had originally been against your involvement, claiming that the Red Lotus was far too dangerous, and he didn’t want to risk you getting injured in any way. You, of course, weren’t having it. “The Avatar’s in trouble, and I’d like to think I know a few things about getting out of trouble.”
One thing was certain after you arrived — it had been far too long since you had ridden on the back of a dragon. You truly adored Druk, and you felt bad for everyone that would never have the opportunity.
After conversing with Lin and Tonraq inside, you all exited to greet the new Team Avatar. If what you were told was true, then they had been through quite a lot since leaving Zaofu. For as long as you had been involved in foreign affairs, you had never met Avatar Korra nor her friends, so you didn’t know what to expect — an awestruck boy that could barely speak wasn’t at the top of your list though.
“Oh my gosh. It’s Lord Zuko and Lady Y/N. I can’t believe it!” He stared at the two of you with wide eyes, his voice getting higher and higher as he whimpered. He looked like he was going to fall over until another black-haired boy pulled him out of the way, his tone apologetic.
“Uh, forgive my brother,” he said as he put his fist against his open palm, his brother following suit. “We’re just really honored to meet you both.”
“It’s no problem,” you smiled as you and Zuko returned the greeting. It had been years since someone had reacted that way towards you, and you would be lying if you said it didn’t amuse you. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”
The two boys straightened again as the taller one gestured to them each in turn. “I’m Mako, and this is Bolin. We’re Korra’s friends.”
“Ah, she’s got her own Team Avatar?” You inquired with a twinkle in your eye. “You know, I traveled with Avatar Aang years back along with my husband.”
“Of course I know!” Bolin exclaimed. “Oh, I’ve heard so many stories about your adventures, they’re all so amazing!” His eyes widened and you actually thought that he was going to fall over. “Oh, oh, could you tell us about some of the things you went through?”
“Bolin, we really shouldn’t bother them—” Mako started, but you laughed and waved it off.
“I assure you, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s not often I get to relive my journeys to such avid listeners. What would you like to hear about?”
He thought for a couple seconds then shot back up again. “What was it like when you escaped the Boiling Rock together? You guys were the first people to ever break out, right? That had to be amazing!”
You and Zuko both laughed as you shot him a look. “It was… interesting,” he said.
“By interesting, he means it was a complete disaster,” you corrected. “Everywhere something could’ve gone wrong, it went wrong. They had originally come there to rescue Sokka’s dad, but instead they found Suki and I. Then Zuko got found out and thrown into prison, our first escape plan failed, Sokka almost got found out, Azula showed up… it was honestly a miracle we made it out at all.”
“It wasn’t that bad!” he protested. “Getting thrown into prison was part of the plan, we wouldn’t have been able to get the cooler out if I hadn’t been found out.”
“I guess I can’t complain,” you chuckled. “I did get to punch you a couple times.”
“They are so cool,” Bolin whispered as the two of you went on in the background. He elbowed Mako in the shoulder and gestured towards the couple with his head. “Come on, ask them something! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”
“I’m not going to ask them something, Bolin—”
“Excuse me, my brother has something he wants to ask too!” Mako shot him a dirty look which quickly disappeared when you and Zuko turned to him attentively.  
“Oh, um…” He coughed and scratched his head. “I guess.. is there any advice you have for us? With this whole Team Avatar thing, I mean.” You smiled at Mako and took Zuko’s hand.
“The friendships you forge during your journey are the most important thing — they’re the things that will keep you going during your darkest moments, and they will last a lifetime. There will be mountains and valleys, ebbs and flows, but no matter what, you will hold an unbreakable bond.”
You felt Zuko squeeze your hand and turned your smile on him as you returned the sentiment then nodded for him to continue. “Never take anything for granted, and trust in fate. You’re where you are for a reason — everything will end up working out in the end.”
You grinned and kissed him on the cheek, humming in agreement. “It did, didn’t it?”
-
After a few more minutes of talking with the two brothers, they went off to join the rest of their group. It was strange being on the outside of it all after how intense your childhood was, but it was… refreshing not to have the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore.
“The world’s in good hands with them,” you murmured as you leaned your head on Zuko’s shoulder.
“They all have that same fire you had when I first met you,” Zuko chuckled. You watched the four of them conversing and a smile graced your lips.
“Oh? Then I think the world’s in very good hands.”
-
perm tag list: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin
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sokkastyles · 2 years
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I have many thoughts about the scene where Zuko burns Toph and how the show parallels it with Aang burning Katara, and how this is used as set up for Zuko becoming Aang's firebending teacher and them both bonding over learning the true meaning of fire in The Firebending Masters, which is great, and I've posted before about how Zuko works as someone who can teach Aang how to deal with the dangers of fire because he's both hurt others and been hurt by fire, but also I'm thinking about how those two very different situations show Zuko and Aang's differing relationship with fire - which of course is a metaphor for their relationship with violence.
I've also written before on this in relation to Aang treating firebending as a game early on in the series, and I think the show kind of muddles this by treating Zuko accidentally burning Toph as the result of recklessness. Which it is, and Zuko, especially early Zuko, was reckless with his firebending (particularly when he burned Suki's village) - but it's not the same kind of recklessness as Aang accidentally burning Katara because he isn't mindful enough of the danger.
Zuko knows very well the pain that fire can cause. But villain Zuko lashes out at others because he's in pain. The way he reacts to Toph when she comes upon him alone in The Western Air Temple is very similar to the way he reacts to Katara offering to help after Iroh is burned in The Chase, or even when Aang asks him if he thinks they might have been friends in The Blue Spirit, with a mindless blast of fire, an alarm to stay back. It's very obviously a defensive reaction. It's "hurt them before they hurt me," which is also very clearly a trauma reaction to his father burning him.
Zuko wonders after Toph runs away why he's so bad at being good, but the reason here is not because he doesn't know how to be good, it's because he's scared and he doesn't know how to trust and be vulnerable with others. Which also makes it difficult to deal with other people's vulnerability. He reacts to accidentally hurting Toph because he was scared by yelling at her, which scares her and ends in them both being scared and hurt.
Zuko isn't the only person who has to learn to trust here, though, because the gaang also has to learn to trust Zuko. Toph initially does not want to tell the gaang that Zuko was the one who burned her because she does trust him but doesn't trust them to believe it was an accident. Sokka and Aang are immediately distrustful of Zuko but then, interestingly, it's Katara who casts doubt on the idea that Zuko is really as devious as they think he is:
Sokka: Yeah, get him to come back and say he'll be our prisoner, then we'll jump him and really make him our prisoner. He'll never suspect it! [Aang and Sokka carry Toph away.]
Katara: [Following. Sarcastically.] You are a master of surprise, Sokka ...
Sokka's plan is inherently ridiculous, but the humor comes mostly from dramatic irony. We know that Zuko was being sincere when he offered himself as a prisoner, and we also know that he didn't mean to burn Toph. So Katara's sarcastic reaction to Sokka implies that on some level, she knows that Zuko was being sincere, too. Which follows from how she's the first to react angrily to Zuko when he offers himself before. She doesn't want to trust Zuko, but a surrendering Zuko is someone who is putting himself in a position of trust, and because Katara did trust Zuko once, she knows that he is sincere but worries that he can't be trusted to stick to that sincerity.
There's a lot here from both sides about how it's easier to react defensively than to put your trust in others, which is making yourself vulnerable to hurt. Aang says he hates to resort to violence but Zuko is too dangerous to leave alone. A story less interested in redemption would have validated this reaction and made this a catalyst for Zuko to slide back into villainy as the heroes conclude that he can't be trusted with rehabilitation. Atla does something really unique and nuanced here that I've rarely seen done before by letting the characters talk it out and acknowledge where their hurt is coming from, but not in a way that comes across as naive or preachy.
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wazzupmrstark · 3 years
Text
instead of you [part fifteen]
pairing: [best friend’s brother] tom holland x college!reader
summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either.
warnings: swearing, alcohol consumption
word count: 1.7k
series masterlist
Don’t tell Sam. Sam. SAM.
“Shit.”
You had to fix this in a matter of seconds. Should you slap him? Act like nothing happened? Pretend you were drunker than you actually were and play dumb?
“Wait, you’re not Sam?” you squinted your eyes like you were trying to see who was in front of you, acting like you were too drunk to remember who you were with. “Oh my god.”
“Y/n, I’m so sorry,” Tom tried. 
“I-” you didn’t know how to respond. “Why did you do that?”
He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “I don’t know, it didn’t mean anything!” You’d be lying if you told yourself that didn’t sting a little. If he didn’t have any sort of feelings for you, why would he kiss you? “I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “Please don’t tell my brother.”
“You want me to lie to my boyfriend?”
“I mean, is it lying if you just don’t mention it?”
“It’s a lie of omission- are you really going to debate me about philosophy right now?”
“Then yes, I do want you to lie to your boyfriend because if he finds out he’ll never speak to me again.”
“You realize what kind of position that puts me in?”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes.”
You couldn’t even think straight. Feelings of confusion, panic, anger, and regret fought for control of your conscience. “What if someone had seen us? Taken a picture of us? You’re a public fucking figure, Tom. That could’ve put your career at risk.” “Don’t you think I know that?” he growled. “I don’t need you to lecture me on how stupid it was.”
“You’re an asshole,” you scoffed.
“I know.”
You stood from the table to leave, hoping he wouldn’t follow you, but he called after you, your name echoing in your ears like a warning. Reluctantly, you turned back to face him with a bitter taste on your tongue.
“You won’t tell him, right?”
You stared him down for a moment, watching nerves etch themselves onto his features before answering. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
It was a promise you didn’t want to make, but you felt like you had no other choice. You hadn’t just broken the ‘no flirting’ rule, you’d blown straight past it into completely uncharted territory. And technically Tom had been the one to initiate, you hadn’t kissed him back, but you couldn’t say you hadn’t felt something when he did. 
You had never lied to Sam before- at least not on this scale. You felt sick to your stomach, and it had nothing to do with the alcohol. 
You almost didn’t want to go back to your room. You urged the elevator to go as slow as possible as you checked your appearance in the reflective wall. The tarnished gold was smudged with handprints, but you were still able to make out your ruined lipstick. You weren’t sure it had been messed up sometime during dinner, or if it was Tom’s doing but you couldn’t take a chance. You used your thumb to wipe away the evidence as the intercom on the elevator let out a ding to let you know you’d reached your floor.
With a shaky breath you pushed yourself into the hallway and forced yourself to put one foot in front of the other to walk to your room. You didn’t have a key, so you had to knock. You half-hoped Sam was already asleep, even if it meant you’d have to spend the night in the hallway. 
But as luck would have it he was still up and he opened the door seconds later. He was definitely out of it, blinking at you to put you in focus. 
“There you are,” he said tiredly, rubbing one of his eyes with his hand. “I was wondering when you’d come up.”
“I hope I didn’t keep you up,” you apologized as you breezed past him into the room. 
“Nah, I was just messing around.”
A lie, you knew, but you let it slide knowing you were keeping a much bigger secret. He was already dressed for bed in his boxers and one of your t-shirts and his hair was wet from a shower. 
“Are you okay?” he asked, noticing your anxious energy.
You nodded. “I had too much to drink.”
“Ah, me too, I think. Come take a shower. It’ll help.” 
You took his advice and tried to sober up in the shower, letting the cold water run over your bare skin until you were shivering. When it didn’t make you feel any better you turned off the faucet completely and dried off, wrapping a towel around your body and sitting on the edge of the tub. 
“Y/n?” came Sam’s muffled voice from the other side of the door. 
“Yeah?”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” 
You sighed. Why did he have to know you better than you knew yourself? You pushed yourself up from the tub and opened the door. 
“I had like three more shots after you left,” you mumbled.
The color drained from his face as he took in this additional information and he frowned. “Jesus, I thought I was drunk. Do you feel sick?”
“Not yet.”
“Okay, well let’s go to bed,” he urged. His accent was always thicker when he was drunk, and in a funny way it sounded like home, like all of those Friday nights back on campus. 
Sam gave you space to change into your clothes for bed and crawled under the covers to wait for you. You dressed yourself, hung your towel in the bathroom, and shut off the main light before feeling your way through the darkness over to the bed. 
You managed to get your drunk ass in bed without tripping which you considered to be a miracle. Sam slung his arm across your stomach as soon as you settled on the mattress and pulled you against his hip. You tensed underneath his touch, but he didn’t seem to notice. 
You couldn’t relax no matter how hard you tried, and sleep taunted you for hours, hovering just out of your reach. 
Sam’s alarm woke you from restless dreaming some hours later, when the sun had barely brushed the horizon. 
You groaned and rolled over onto your stomach, burying your face in your pillow. Your head was pounding and you didn’t even want to think about facing Tom. The simple motion of rolling over had made you nauseous and you knew that standing up was going to be a whole nother ordeal. 
“Come on, love,” Sam said, nudging you with his knee. He was already sitting up, rolling the tension out of his neck from a night on the stiff mattress. “We gotta be downstairs in a few minutes.”
Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes and you felt pathetic. You didn’t have the strength to be around Tom today, especially with Sam right there.
“Don’t feel good,” you moaned.
“We’re all hungover,” Sam sighed. “We’re not even doing that much walking today.”
You turned your head enough for him to see the tears running down your cheeks and he pursed his lips, expression turning worried. 
“Oh.”
“Can you make something up?” you pleaded. 
He nodded. “I’ll tell them you have a fever or something.”
You swallowed your shame and squeezed your eyes shut, whispering thanks into his shirt. Sam kissed your forehead and then got up. You vaguely heard him moving around the room getting ready, but drifted in and out of sleep as he did. 
Once he was dressed he softly told you goodbye, that he hoped you felt better, and that he’d bring you back some food later on. 
The door clicked shut and you let your guilt continue eating you alive. 
You wondered how Tom would react when Sam told his family you weren’t feeling well, if his face would give anything away. He was an actor, he should be able to handle it. But you also wondered what he was feeling, if he felt as guilty as you did- or even more so. Or maybe he wouldn’t even care. You never knew when it came to him.
You rolled onto your back and propped yourself up on a pillow, using the free time to respond to some messages from friends and family. It was the middle of the night back in the States, but at least they’d wake up knowing you weren’t dead. To be fair, everyone knew your communication skills weren’t the best so they probably weren’t expecting anything from you anyway, but you still wanted to put in the effort. 
The rest of the day passed by quicker than you would’ve liked. You spent it in bed, tossing and turning as you desperately tried to fall back asleep. You kept pushing the blankets off of you, then burying yourself beneath them again, flipping between hot and cold. Maybe you really did have a fever. Your clothes were suffocating you so you ended up stripping and dropping them on the floor by the bed. 
By the mercy of some higher power you were able to nap for a couple of hours scattered throughout the afternoon, but by dinner time you were wide awake again and passed the time by watching Avatar: The Last Airbender in Italian on the hotel tv. 
It was playing an earlier episode, the one where the gaang visited Kyoshi Island. You couldn’t understand any of the dialogue, obviously, but you still found comfort in the familiar scenes. 
There was a knock on the door suddenly, startling you out of your focus. You jerked your head towards the sound and scrambled from the bed. You slipped back into your t-shirt, but didn’t bother putting on pants before opening the door because you figured it was just Sam. And it was. He looked exhausted, but in the best kind of way and was holding a styrofoam container of food that was presumably for you.
“Forgot the key,” he said sheepishly, offering you the food. You smiled and took it from him, stepping aside to let him in. 
He didn’t take your cue, instead he stayed where he was standing in the doorway awkwardly. It was then that you realized he wasn’t alone, that his older brother had been standing behind him the entire time.
Sam offered no explanation, only shrugged like he didn’t know why he was there either.
“Tom?” you asked, awaiting an explanation for yourself.
“Can we talk?” 
ik tags haven’t been working idk why i’m sorry!!! but lmk what you think i always appreciate feedback!!
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