#Ty Lee is the girl from Mai's poems.

[the-genius-az]

What is something special that Azula does only for Mai? Ty Lee? What does Mai do only for Azula? Etc. Could be something sweet or spicy

Thanks for the question, Amor!

Azula learned to make knives for Mai, she could easily buy them, but she decided to give more meaning to her gifts.

Azula wrote songs and sang for Ty Lee, after the girl admitted to loving her voice after a music class.

Mai wrote her daily life to Azula when the princess was too busy to be there.

Mai wrote poems for Ty Lee, she did it even more when she ran away to the circus.

Ty Lee painted Azula in all her paintings, the princess was her beautiful muse.

Ty Lee danced just for Mai, she taught her all the dances she learned.

#Azula #Mai #Ty Lee #Maizulee #Maizula #Tyzula #Mailee #atla #avatar the last airbender #Azula learned to make knives just for Mai. #Azula took extra music lessons for Ty Lee. #Mai wants to keep Azula informed about her life. #Ty Lee is the girl from Mai's poems. #Ty Lee can't help but paint only Azula. #Ty Lee only allows Mai to watch her dances. #This is so sweet! I'm proud. #I didn't want to make it spicy because I always wanted to talk about it in a sweet way! #They don't even allow each other to do the same thing that makes it special for the other.

[attackfish]

As a variation of that post someone tossed your way about Mai being a standup comedian: Mai takes to writing cutting anonymous poems and stories mocking various court officials, and quite by accident ends up creating the Four Nations' equivalent of Punch Magazine or a similar satirical periodical.

Continued from here: [Link].

This is a state secret, or at least it has to be made one very quickly.

It all starts when Ty Lee goes to Kyoshi Island, and accidentally leaves some of her correspondence behind. Her sister finds it. And, like all good sisters do, she sticks her nose in where it does not belong, and reads them. They're from Mai, and they are a scream. Ty Lum can barely breathe, she's laughing so hard. And so of course, like all good sisters, she shares them with the rest of the sisters.

They find them just as funny as Ty Lum did, though Ty Woo is put out, because the insults are all so much better than anything she could ever come up with. And there the letters stay. The sisters go back to the circus to tour, and occasionally read the letters when they need a laugh. And those laughs are all the more welcome because the Ty sisters are now just a little disreputable. When they spend too much time in the capital, many of the same people being mocked so viciously in Mai's letters look down their noses at them and shake there heads at how much of a shame it is that these fine blue blooded girls have turned out this way.

Not that they didn't know it was coming. They watched how all the aristocratic matrons and noble lords spoke about Ty Lee when she ran away.

And the letters certainly are vicious. They're the kind of nasty that two very good friends might share, and Mai does not mince words, puncturing the pretentions of courtiers, ministers, high ranking military officers, and various officials. And then there are the verses she writes for various former officials and officers, tried for crimes committed in the war, and later, her views on the New Ozai society. They're wry, sardonic, and absolutely spot on.

Is it that surprising that the girls eventually decide to commandeer the printing press used for creating circus flyers, and instead print a pamphlet full of some of their favorite snippets of Mai's letters? They title it: "From the Correspondence of one Fair and Gentle Flower of Fire Nation Nobility to Another".

The first printing, of a hundred pamphlets, which gets them fired from the circus, sells out in three days. They are stuck in a miserable little town, and they use their profits to pay for a ticket back to the capital, and for another print run, of a thousand. Once in the capital, they sell them all in hours. Ty Liu remarks that she thinks people might be buying them because they think it's smut, but they sell and sell well, and soon people are writing letters to the printshop address they gave in the back of the pamphlet for copies.

The first problems arise when one of the aristocratic figures of scorn featured, gets her hands on the pamphlet. She threatens to have the printshop closed down and the printer arrested. He's scared enough he no longer wants to print any more of the pamphlets, no matter how much they offer. But he'll sell them his shop and head with his wife and kids back to his home island. The girls say yes. Now they are the proud owners of a print shop, and no idea how to run it, except for the cursory lessons the printer gave them as they loitered around his shop. But once they get it up and running, they put together a new pamphlet, part two of the "Correspondences of Gentle Flowers".

That sells even better than the first, and the girls realize they have a problem. They only have so many letters. So to stretch them out, Ty Woo takes up a new hobby in place of insulting people: art. She makes caricatures and comics to illustrate Mai's poems and vignettes, which lets them use half the material per issue. It doesn't fix the problem, but it does make it better. In this third issue, the first with Ty Woo's illustrations, the title has been shortened to "Gentle Flowers."

Ty Lee is on Kyoshi Island, unaware of any of this. But Mai is working in a flower shop not far from the Ty Sisters' new venture. Issues of "Gentle Flowers" are everywhere. And one day, Mai picks one up.

#avatar the last airbender #ty lee #atla mai #posts i created #do you want to ask a question it doesn't have to be a question #circus freak is a compliment #mai doesn't hate you

[comradekatara]

what are the modern gaangs fave books?

aang loves dense theological texts, absurdist satires, long & poignant memoirs about grief, and those beautifully illustrated picture books about the power of friendship that make him long for his youth. 

katara reads complex feminist & political theory by women of color and tropey ya fantasy romances in equal measure. she knows, from having read all that feminist theory, that these models of simplistic and shallow love narratives are bad for women, but she still likes it when the girl heroine and the hot boy kiss. 

sokka likes non-fiction, whether it be science or history or criticism, but he also likes reading all kinds of poetry. the only poetry he disapproves of is poetry that feels “lazy.” he also takes it upon himself to read every major religious text, and then underline in red every sentence he believes does not make sense. no one knows what he thought he’d gain from this endeavor, but sokka insisted on doing it anyway.

toph claims books are for idiots and suckers who don’t have better things to do than read a bunch of words written by some guy you’ve never met. of course, she doesn’t really believe this, because she is too smart to. it makes katara mad though, which is a plus. she lets sokka read aloud to her as long as he promises not to tell anyone, and it’s an activity they both greatly enjoy. 

zuko loves epic poems and sad poetry and melodramatic plays and tragic novels with flowery prose and everything anne carson has ever touched. out of everyone in the gaang, he probably reads the most, but as sokka helpfully points out, this is because he didn’t have any friends growing up.

suki’s favorite literary genre is books about misguided assholes who bring about their own ruination through their smugly-maintained myopia. she claims it is the height of comedy.

azula likes books about how to be ruthless and crush your enemies, sometimes not understanding that they are decidedly works of satire. not always (ayn rand is just like that, you see), but... often.   

mai’s tastes are a combination of suki’s, zuko’s, and sokka’s. she bounces from non-fiction to lyric poetry to satirical novels to modernist plays. she’s really into the romantics, but refuses to admit it because she likes to claim “nature is corny and overrated.” 

ty lee only likes books that other people usually say are impossible to read. your joyce, your proust, your margaret cavendish. but five minutes into your run-of-the-mill contemporary novel and she’s like “i just couldn’t follow the prose!” 

#the gaang and #modern au #i suppose #asks #sinxaschwarz

[loopy777]

RE: WIPs game: Actress Mai. what is she acting in? besides her ongoing starring role as Repressed Perfect Child?

Ah, "Actress Mai." This is a headcanon I keep chipping away at in the hopes that I'll eventually have something I want to publish. I have a whole host of little ideas and scene concepts, but only one actual WIP.

It started with the idea that Zuko and Ursa are theater snobs. Sure, Ursa apparently attended Ember Island Player performances, which Zuko disdained, but my thought is that she took what she could get in terms of live theater with her family even if she agreed with his criticisms. However, I like to headcanon that Mai loves the Ember Island Players, hates classical theater, and generally is the type of person who thinks that Michael Bay movies are great and more people should just turn off their brains and allow themselves to be entertained.

Why?

Well, because character conflict is what makes stories interesting. Zuko gritting his teeth through Mai's praise of how the EIPs finally made "Love Amongst the Dragons" interesting? Gold! Ursa and Mai getting into heated drunken arguments about theater styles? Gold! Mai convincing Kiyi of the good points of the controversial 'Love Amongst the Dragons II: Love Harder' (which is canon to at least two of my Maiko fics) while Zuko and Ursa grit their teeth? Solid gold!

This fun little conflict turned into something more, though. If Ursa and Mai are dark mirrors of each other in terms of theater tastes, then it felt like Mai needed a little acting history to parallel Ursa's own. But Ursa could be a publicly known actress because she was a peasant; such a profession was okay for her. Mai is a noble, though, and an acting job would be seen as beneath her, especially as a woman, as Polite Fire Society knows (or thinks it knows) that 'actress' is really just a polite term for prostitute. This is a takeoff from some real-life history stuff that I first learned of through Sherlock Holmes stories. Apparently, Irene Adler being an 'opera singer' was a thing British readers would recognize as being of a sordid nature.

So I decided that Mai did some secret, illicit acting anonymously during her childhood and teenage years. She stumbled across an opportunity, gave it a try, and found it fulfilling despite the social stigma. She liked being able to project emotions of all kinds in public, while at the same time shielded by masks or makeup or costumes or whatever. She liked being other people, people who find love with their heroes or die tragically to teach everyone a point or villainously ruin everything around them as a force of vengeful nature. It was the only opportunity for expression that she had, as well as a quiet form of rebellion. So for years she snuck out of the capital, down to Harbor City, and acted in all kinds of plays for a troupe that accepted not paying her as a fair trade for keeping her anonymous.

Naturally, moving to Omashu put a crimp on that, and so it ended.

So the idea is that Ursa eventually learns this about Mai after years of their butting heads over theater opinions, sees the parallels and perpendiculars in their lives, and grudgingly comes to respect Mai's completely wrong opinions about theater as at least being informed. And Mai, who is good at acting and does know the classics and would be wasted in the Ember Island Players, helps Ursa out with some plays she writes (still anonymous, although Zuko and Ursa know) even though Mai privately thinks the dialogue is too stilted and the stories kind of cliched.

But I have had trouble beating all of this into a proper story. I want to do flashbacks to Mai on stage, I want to show her conflict with Ursa, I want to reveal how Ty Lee found out and used that to get Mai to accept running away to the circus, I want Zuko's reaction to finding that his wife can recite soliloquies from all the major classics, I want Kiyi becoming an Ember Island Players groupie, etc. It's just missing a plot to hang it all on.

So here's a snippet of one of my attempts to construct something:

Noren grimaced. "Honestly, I was impressed we got enough people to fill out all the parts, never mind understudies. This play-"

"-is important," Ursa finished for him.

He hesitated just a moment before nodding. "And it's important for the same reasons that it was tough to get actors. I'm sure once Zuko sees it and can give it his official approval-"

"But he can't see anything without a Rinzen." Ursa thought about her son out there in the audience, anonymous amidst the 'peasants' of Hira'a. Zuko didn't mind mixing with his people, despite being their Lord, but the only reason he was here, tonight, was because Ursa herself had written the play, and he was a good son who would always support his mother.

Zuko had even brought his friends, including the Avatar. Aang was a delightful young man, and always very nice to Ursa, but she couldn't help but feel trepidation at his presence. After all, Avatar Roku, Ursa's grandfather and Aang's previous life, was a major character in this play, and while the story was based on real events, it was Ursa's hand that had shaped his dialogue and actions. She was putting her thoughts and philosophies, her very heart, out on the stage for public assessment, and this was tricky material. Would it do right by history?

Plus the lead actress was sick, and going by her complaints and the smell of the privy, perhaps dying.

Ursa had to tell herself that her audience, her friends and family and neighbors, wouldn't enjoy this play becoming a disaster. None of them were that bad. This wasn't the Capital. And she wasn't a princess. Not anymore.

So why had she taken it on herself to write this play, to positively dramatize a story of an ancestor who a few years ago was considered a heretic and traitor, to will into being a performance right here in the Fire Nation of a play that featured a heroic Air Nomad character whose actress was currently trapped in the privy?

Because her nation had hurt the world, and she wouldn't leave it to her son alone to do all the work of helping to fix that. That's why.

"Maybe," she ventured, "I could play the part."

Noren frowned. "You? But you're playing the Lady of Glass, and the characters share several scenes."

But Ursa was already analyzing the copy of the script that existed in her mind. "Rinzen has a lot more lines than the glass spirit, and I'm the only one who knows them. And playing a spirit is a lot easier than playing an Air Nomad. A spirit is just a voice, a costume, and some special effects. An Air Nomad character is a performance, and we're fresh out of actresses."

Noren's head tilted from side to side. "We could ask Kiyi. She knows the play by heart. She's a bit young for the part, yes, but-"

"No," Ursa cut him off. "She'd say yes if we asked her, but she hates being on stage. I'm not going to do that to her. I'd rather call off the play and see if our Rinzen is feeling better tomorrow."

Noren blanched at the very thought and made a gesture of good luck. "Well, maybe we can find a new Lady of Glass. And adjust the Rinzen costume. So are you thinking we'll just go on stage and ask the crowd who wants to join the cast, or maybe-"

And then there was a shift behind Noren, the red curtain over the office's doorway being pulled aside to reveal a living shadow. It seemed to Ursa that a chill had entered the room.

Lady Mai, Intended to Fire Lord Zuko, had arrived.

Ursa stiffened as Mai stepped into the office and let the curtain fall back into place. Time and familiarity had not made it any easier to be in a room with her son's lover. She had no real doubts about Mai, no resentment over the early difficulties Zuko that had apparently been overcome, but it was hard to reconcile Azula's shy and dour childhood companion with what existed now. Mai walked around covered with knives, watching everything; she never spoke unless there was an explicit need, but her gaze was always focused and her eyes missed nothing.

And it was in Mai's kind of silent, watchful abyss that Judgement grew. Ursa did not have a good feeling about how Mai likely judged her. How could a child of the Fire Nation's capital, someone who had become strong alongside Azula, a world-class warrior whose last stand for the life of her lover was already the subject of at least one popular poem, have any empathy for Ursa's life or the mistakes she had made?

Mai looked at her with dull eyes. "Is everything okay? The crowd is getting restless, and Zuko was worried. I told him I'd check on things so that he wouldn't miss the beginning of the play."

Ursa hesitated against that flat, low voice, and Noren stepped in to answer, "Our lead actress is sick. Ursa and I were just discussing options. There- uh, there aren't a lot of them."

Mai might as well have been told that dinner was planned to include green sprouts, but they were all out and so the yellow ones would be substituted. "Which part?"

Ursa swallowed. "The Air Nomad girl, Rinzen."

Mai quirked an eyebrow. "The heroine." She was still and silent for a long moment, and then sighed. "Zuko's really been looking forward to this. I guess I can help out. All right, I'll be your Rinzen."

Ursa wasn't quite sure she had heard that right. "You- you want to take the part? But-" Her voice faltered, as all the possible objections swirled through her mind. Mai was, to put it simply, completely lacking in charisma and non-threatening presence. She spoke without emotion. She moved so efficiently that no one in the back of the audience would even notice her. And she was so disinterested in everything that she'd probably nod off in the middle of the performance.

Noren offered a troubled smile. "Thank you for the offer, but acting is harder than it looks. It's not just about going on stage and reciting lines. An actress needs-"

"It's Nomad part, right?" Mai shrugged. "So we want a high, bright voice. Circular gestures. A bounce in all the movements. Here, like this." She stretched out her arms, shook her head, and then-

-and then-

-and then Mai was no longer there. The woman in red and black looked like her, but there was a wide mischievous smile on her face, and her eyes were big and bright. She stepped towards Ursa- no, they weren't mere steps. She kicked her heels high with each one, and the way she shifted her weight flirted with almost being a dance. She held her arms up at her side as she moved, and then when she reached Ursa, swung them dramatically to bring her hands together into a sign of respect.

She bowed, and in a voice that positively rang and filled the room, said, "Are you not the Firebender Avatar, Roku? What a fortunate wind blows to lay my path upon your own!" She rose again, and trotted in a circle around Ursa. "I say, you are taller than I expected, and must be quite heavy. Are you sure you're keeping up with your Airbending, young Avatar?" She raised a hand and held it out to the side.

Noren recovered before Ursa did, realizing what was going on, and quickly found a rag and placed in the waiting hand.

Mai's eyes never left Ursa the whole time, and as soon as the rag was in her grip, she moved again, taking a stance that had clearly been modeled on Avatar Aang's own style, and held the rag out in front of her, dangling it from her fingers and bouncing it in the air.

Mai gave a laugh that was echoed through the little room. "Your beard flutters in my breeze! Come, young Avatar, let's have a spar!"

There was a beat, and Ursa was tempted to deliver Roku's next line in response, but then all at once the younger woman slumped, letting the grandness leak out of her limbs. When she straightened, Mai was back, standing like a blade made of shadow, her face blank and her eyes dull.

Ursa blinked. What had she just witnessed? So many questions swirled in her mind, and she decided to ask the most important of them: "You know all the lines?"

#avatar mai #mai #ursa #avatar ursa

[aureshadow]

Hi!!

I'm Aure (she/her) and this is my main! I'm Asian, neurodivergent, and bi :) I do image descriptions and try reblog other people's IDs whenever possible!

(here's why image descriptions are important for accessibility.)

I spend more effort on my sideblogs:

My mental health/positivity sideblog: @you-deserve-to-love-yourself

My FMA sideblog: @envythepalmtree

I'm aureshadow on AO3.

My fics:

'Cause I could never set you free (complete)

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Words: 1,692

And suddenly Ty Lee was clinging to her and Mai held her as her sobs slowly subsisted. Mother wouldn’t like this, Mai thought. At least for this moment, Ty Lee has fallen out of favor. The smart thing would be to side with the Princess, to take advantage of my competitor’s misfortune and help the Princess against her.

(Mai was eight.)

~~~

Princess Azula chooses Mai and Ty Lee as her friends when they're six. They're not supposed to like each other - they're supposed to compete. Mai's family is new money, and competes with Ty Lee's family for the Fire Lord's favor. Ty Lee's father distrusts Mai's father, descended from the Saowon clan which fell from grace many years ago.

Written for Winter ATLA Femslash Week Day 4 - Childhood Friends

caught in the undertow (complete)

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Words: 816

“For me, Azula will always be both a friend and the Fire Princess,” Mai said. “But Zuko isn’t the prince to me. He’s that clumsy boy who confides in me about how hard he tries, how he feels like he’ll never be good enough. He’s the one person other than you that I can trust.”

Written for Maiko Week Day 1: Childhood

Fires and Fountains (complete)

Fandoms: Avatar, The Last Airbender, Avatar: Legend of Korra

Words: 394

A boy and a girl grew up with a fountain and fell in love. They had a daughter and named her after the fountain, a source of water. They were scarred, but water heals.

Dumplings (complete)

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Kyoshi Novels

Words: 500

"Koko would have better. Koko had two mothers who loved her, who cared about her, who would protect her from anything. Koko had two mothers who loved each other. Koko would grow up happy and safe and cared for. Kyoshi and Rangi would make sure of it." ~~~ Kyoshi and Rangi teach their five-year-old daughter Koko how to make dumplings.

wove between himself like a waterfall (complete)

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types

Blackout poem from Marelle by SiryyGray!

so I throw stones at walls I'll never climb (complete)

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist - Brotherhood & Manga

Words: 2,553

Envy used to have debates like that with Lust. An absurd picture popped into Envy’s head of having a pseudo-angry conversation like that with someone who wasn’t a sibling. A human. Having someone look at them like that couple looked at each other. Something in their chest contracted. “Pride’s really driving me crazy now, huh,” they muttered. “Imagine me, Envy, stooping down to the level of those worms.” Their eyes watered a little - they hadn’t slept too much. ~~~ Mrs. Bradley wants her son to make friends, and Pride enlists Envy to be a fake friend. Envy isn’t good at acting - not like Pride is. Not like Lust was. But they’ll try their best, and they’ll make Father happy. If it’s unpleasant, they’ll use memories of inflicting horrors of humans to cheer themself up. An exploration of Envy’s relationship with Pride, grief over Lust, and resentment towards humans for the unconditional love that Envy never had.

(ok to rb!)

#aure speaks #pinned post #atla fic #fma fic

[cosmic-hearts]

castles in the air | lee donghyuck | three

lee donghyuck x female reader

genre; enemies-to-lovers, friendship, romance, fluff, angst

warnings; none

foreword; in which you might be a real-life princess with a prince promised to you right from the start, but you won’t be getting your happy ever after. 

<< previous chapter | next chapter >>

Over the next couple of dates, it’s like a switch has been flicked in your relationship with Donghyuck. You could finally say with confidence that he’s a friend, and you’re grateful for this time with him; it feels like you’re both catching up on all the lost years. 

Sure, he made fun of you constantly for that obnoxious heart-shaped Prada Odette Heart Bag you always carried around with you for casual dates, and for wearing Dior sneakers on the rare days you weren’t in heels. God, that bag looks like it’s for a twelve-year old. And who the hell wears Dior sneakers? I didn’t even know freaking Dior sold sneakers. You tried explaining to him that it was an AF1xDior collaboration special but that didn’t soften his judgement in any way, so you settled for calling him an uncultured jerk. And there was the time he got gravy on your prized pink bag and you nearly stabbed him with your butter knife.

But there were sweeter times too. When he was feeling generous and perhaps more than a little sentimental, he sang you songs as you two sat on the hood of his car, soaking up the moonlight. These days were rare and therefore exceedingly precious, and though you’d never tell him, you cherished them deeply. His voice whisked you away from this sublunary world, to a place filled with the breath of angels and flights of fancy, a place where you could build castles in the air and wonder what it would be like if what you had with Donghyuck was real. 

You love every second with him. 

That said, you’re already regretting your decision to go with Donghyuck to his senior high prom. Even your coveted Sadek Majed Summer Spring Couture gown (literally woven with all the blessings of spring) isn’t enough to keep anxiety from clawing its way through the perfectly fitted waistline. It might have something to do with the fact that you’ve never actually been to a prom before. 

It doesn’t get any better when you step into his school and all eyes are on you. Perhaps it’s your gown; you had a feeling you’d overdone it this time. You knew it from the moment you got into Donghyuck’s car and his jaw literally dropped. When you asked him what was wrong, he looked away, cleared his throat and gripped the steering wheel unnecessarily hard without bothering to reply. You knew maybe you’d taken it a little too far, but you didn’t think you looked that bad. 

Donghyuck brings you to the auditorium, then promptly abandons you in search of Jaemin. You’d expected as much—Lee Donghyuck may have the voice of an angel, but he most certainly isn’t one. 

You sip your glass of punch, and when you set it down you see someone’s come to sit opposite you. 

“Hi,” she says, eyes curving into crescents, “I think we’ve met before.”

You take a good look at the girl; she’s dressed in a baby blue rafaela dress, obsidian locks tumbling across her shoulders, a sharp contrast to her alabaster complexion. 

“Oh, that’s right,” you say, eyes widening in recognition, “Sohui, right? Donghyuck’s girlfriend?”

“Yup,” she says, “I just wanted to say thank you for that day. When you spoke up for me… I really appreciated it.”

You smile. “It’s no problem. Don’t worry about it.”

Sohui scoots over to sit next to you. “I absolutely love your dress. It’s so pretty.”

“Thanks. I really like yours too.”

Silence ensues for a moment, then she says, “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Sure, what is it?” “It’s about Donghyuck.” 

Your grip on your glass tightens just the slightest. Of course it would be about Donghyuck. 

“I just wanted to ask, when will this whole fake dating thing end? I know I might seem like a really jealous girlfriend right now, but… I’m actually asking for Donghyuck.”

For Donghyuck? “I’m not sure,” you reply truthfully, “but I can try to speed things up. I’m sorry about having to hog him like this; I know it’s not easy for you both.”

Her perfect face almost melts with relief. “Thank you,” she says, “that would be great. Donghyuck’s just been really stressed lately and I’m worried about him.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why has he been stressed? Did he say something?”

Sohui sighs, her shoulders falling into a slump. “I’m not sure if I should tell you this.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to him if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Okay then. I don’t know how to put this any other way, but… it might be because of you.”

And then she tells you. She finally tells you the reason why Donghyuck had spent the majority of his life hating you. 

Your expression never once falters, not even a bit. Not even when Donghyuck returns and you witness his face light up at the sight of his real girlfriend.

You will not falter. 

—

“Hey,” Donghyuck says, his voice filling the silence that had been permeating the car all the way back. “You’re being unusually quiet today.” 

You fiddle with the embroidered flowers sewn into your dress, iridescent in the shaft of moonlight streaming through the car window. Tonight, even the beautiful artistry of fashion fails to make you smile.

“I’m just tired.”

Donghyuck laughs. “I didn’t ever think you could run out of energy at events like these. You always looked so perfectly put together at every single social function. Unlike me. God, I always found it all so tiring. I could never understand how you did it.”

You didn’t know me, you bite back the urge to say, just like how I still don’t know you. 

It seems like years pass before he reaches your house, and for once, you can’t wait to bolt out of the car, to run as far away from him as possible.

“By the way, I wanted to tell you something.”

You respond with a questioning glance. Donghyuck’s gaze darts away from you and he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“When I first saw you just now… I didn’t think you looked bad at all. Really.”

Your heart stills for a moment. 

“I thought you looked... really pretty. I mean, you still look… really pretty, of course.”

You give him a polite smile, say thank you and goodnight, step out of the car and walk away until you hear the sound of the engine revving. 

It is then that you finally fall apart. 

“His hatred for you… it’s because he feels that you’re tying him down. Holding him back from all the things he wants to achieve. He told me that he hated you because he was made to marry you from the start and he viewed this marriage as a prison. He feels that you’re taking his freedom away from him.”

Your head spins.

“So you can probably see… having to spend all this time with you… it’s taking a toll on him. I think for his sake, you should end it soon.”

You let out a bitter chuckle at your own hypocrisy—you wanted to help him reach for the stars, but you’re the one who’s chaining him to the ground. 

Your house stands before you like a castle gleaming in the starlight. You sigh, a soft sound that escapes immediately into the darkness.

All this time, you were merely building castles in the air. How naive of you to believe that what you and Donghyuck had could ever be real. 

But you’re strong and you don’t need anyone, you tell yourself. You close your eyes, imagining the moonlight washing away the pain, the starlight making you new and whole again. You’ll be ready to make things right; it’s the least you can do for Donghyuck.

And you? You’ll be okay. You always are. 

—

“Darling, you look absolutely fabulous.”

You won’t demur or say otherwise, not when you actually do think you look ready to rule the goddamn universe tonight. 

You decided on a dress from POEM Couture’s autumn-winter collection, and you really do think you look like a dream, ethereal almost. Your hair is put up in a low tendril twist bun with curled wisps escaping from the knot, framing the sides of your face. 

You’re about to head downstairs to check in on the decorations when your phone screen lights up with a message. 

From: hyuck

happy birthday, see u later ;) mayhaps i got u a present

Jaw tightening, you put your phone facedown on your desk.

Don’t ruin your makeup, you say sternly to yourself, swallowing harshly to get rid of the sudden thickness in your throat. 

You just need to get through this night and everything will be okay again. 

—

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for being here to celebrate my daughter’s 18th birthday with us today.”

Donghyuck looks out at the sea of people in stiff suits and designer dresses, and pulls uncomfortably at his necktie. How many of these people do you actually know, he wonders? They’re probably your parents’ colleagues, friends, rivals, people they wanted to show you off to. They’re milling about at your birthday celebration, making polite, small talk and pretending like they actually want to be here. 

“Y/N has always been the most perfect child,” your mother coos into the mic, “and we’re so lucky to have her as our daughter. Today is a very special day; our daughter has grown up into a beautiful young lady, with a beautiful mind of her own. And I’m so happy that she has finally found the one for her to blossom through her eighteenth year with.” She sends a wink in Donghyuck’s direction, and he offers back a weak smile while his own parents look proudly on. 

He wonders where you are, and why you haven’t replied to his text. Then again, he imagines that you must be absolutely swamped with preparations for today. He makes a mental note to go find you later so he can pass you your present in private. 

“All right, I won’t delay this anymore. After all, this is my daughter’s night, not mine. Everyone, I present to you, Y/N!”

Like magic, you appear from the shadows of the upper wing and all goes quiet. 

Donghyuck’s eyes widen. 

He doesn’t know much about fashion, but it doesn’t take much to realize that you’re dressed to kill tonight. The midnight purple bodice of your gown fades out into a lush pink in a glorious ombre, like twilight melding with a rosy sunrise. Your hair is delicately tied in a low bun, curly wisps gently kissing the sides of your face. Under the luminous light of the chandelier above, your skin is aglow with radiance, eyes aflame with a sparkle that takes his breath away. 

As you descend the grand staircase, a hand on the gold rail, a regal aura is composed around you and time seems to stop. Donghyuck swears he can hear several sharp intakes of breath.

You look just like a princess. 

You look like you have the blood of a royal running through your veins. If Donghyuck has the ability to command and captivate with his voice, you too have that same ability, but with your mere presence. 

“Oh, my darling daughter,” your mother gushes, arms extended towards you. She raises a hand towards Donghyuck, signalling him to come over. 

“I’m so glad you two are finally together. I mean, we knew it would happen all along, but now that it’s finalized, I can rest assured,” she announces, and Donghyuck finds that he can scarcely lift his eyes to meet yours; you’re simply too dazzling.

The crowd erupts into applause, and at first it is low, quiet him, but it soon morphs into a collective cheer, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

You cast a despairing glance at your mother, trying to convey to her the sheer impropriety of such a notion, but she merely winks at you and whispers, “Don’t worry, we’re not all that old-fashioned.”

Unconsciously, you grab a fistful of your dress as your heart begins to race. You simply cannot kiss Donghyuck, that would literally be the end of you. Donghyuck would hate it with every fibre of his being, and you don’t want to force him into doing this; he would hate you even more than he already does. You absolutely cannot bear the thought of tasting the disgust on his lips—

A warm hand closes around yours, the one that’s nervously clutching onto the folds of your dress. Your fist uncurls and your relaxes as Donghyuck threads his fingers through yours, his grip firm but gentle. He places his other hand on your cheek and whispers so softly that you know it is meant for your ears alone,

“Can I kiss you?”

You look up into his eyes, expecting to find reluctance and discomfort, but instead, his eyes are burning with a sort of—you wouldn’t call it desire, not exactly, but more of determination to see this moment through, because he too knows that there’s no way out of this. 

So you let your eyelids flutter shut to indicate your assent; you might as well get this done and over with, it’s all meaningless anyway and Donghyuck knows it too. 

But the moment his lips meet yours, a shower of sparks explodes in your chest and you can feel your heart sing. Your grip on his hand tightens as you attempt to hold him close and you will this moment to last forever so that you can memorize the sweet taste of his lips on yours, the heat of his hand against your cheek, handling you with such gentleness and care you almost believe this charade you’re both playing is real. He presses his lips against yours just a little deeper, draws you closer to him ever so slightly, thumb stroking your flushed cheek, and a shiver of electricity jolts through your veins, sending a chill down your spine—maybe the castles you’d been building in the air can be real after all. 

But this isn’t a fairytale, and your happy ever after won’t come by so easily.

Donghyuck’s lips leave yours. As quickly as it had begun, it was over, and the castles crumble right before you. You can’t hear the whoops and cheers arising from all around—in that moment, all you are aware of is Lee Donghyuck, gazing down at you with the darkness of midnight in his eyes and stardust streaked across his face. 

You’re suddenly transported back to a cramped, dimly-lit closet, where a boy huddled so close to you you could feel his breath on the shell of your ear and see the beauty spots that speckled his skin. Like stardust.

“... if I kiss you, you might just fall in love with me. Can’t risk that now, can we?” 

How right he is. You almost let out a sardonic laugh right then and there. 

You’re royally screwed, and all it took was a single kiss. 

—

You gaze out at the cityscape below you, breathing in the cool night air on the balcony and watching the twinkling nightlife of the rest of the world. You hope the chilly winds will cool the warmth in your cheeks and restore your former composure, so you won’t look like you’ve just been wrecked apart with the mere sensation of Donghyuck’s lips on yours. 

That would be too humiliating. 

You’re about to turn around and go back to the party, back to where you should be, when you feel a soft tug on your bun. Your hair escapes free from its tight hold and falls down your back, a long and lustrous stream illuminated by moonlight. 

You turn to the side and see Donghyuck, eyes gleaming with mischief. The familiarity of this action makes your heart swell; it’s like he’s reminding you of the memories he made with you. It’s like he’s deliberately making this so damn difficult for you.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten that you haven’t returned me my Scrunchie,” you say, and Donghyuck lets out a loud guffaw. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it back soon.”

Then his gaze suddenly drops away from yours, towards the floor. He rubs the back of his neck, cheeks blazing. “About just now—,”

“Thank you for that. I really appreciated it, and I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“N-No,” Donghyuck says, a little too quickly, “it was fine for me.. Really. I was actually wondering if you were okay with it.”

Oh, he had no idea.

“We did what we had to do, and that’s all that matters,” you reply, turning away from him to face the night. 

You two stand in silence for a moment, your heart hammering in your chest as you gather up the courage let Donghyuck go. 

Now. 

“Y/N,” Donghyuck starts, right at the exact moment you say, “I think it’s time.”

Donghyuck tilts his head to the side, eyes focused on you. “You go first.”

You take a deep breath and plough forth. No turning back now. “I think it’s time to stop this. Tomorrow I’ll tell my parents that I want to cancel the engagement.” 

Donghyuck freezes, eyes wide, and for a moment you think you saw a glimpse of hurt flash across his eyes. But you must be deluding yourself. 

“Why?” 

You raise an eyebrow in feigned incredulity. “What do you mean why? We were supposed to end all of this after we tried it out for a while, just to show our parents that we were putting in the effort. I’ll let them know tomorrow that I want to break up with you. I think we’ve fake dated for long enough and it should be enough to convince our parents. It’s time we both moved on, don’t you think?” you say, doing your best to keep your tone light while twirling a lock of hair around your finger and hoping you were a picture-perfect portrait of absolute indifference. And not a shaking mess. 

Donghyuck’s eyes are glassy, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think he looked crushed.

“I just have one question,” he says, eyes boring into you, “well, two, actually.”

You lift your chin to meet his gaze, a defiant shine in your eyes and a coy smile on your lips. “Go ahead.”

“Did you feel anything when we kissed?”

It is your turn to freeze. Why would he ask this? And how can you possibly tell him that when he kissed you it was like a thousand angels were singing in unison, and you felt your heart soaring to places it had never been before? That if you could, you would grab his collar, pull him towards you and claim his lips just once more—

“Are you drunk right now, Lee Donghyuck? That’s literally the craziest thing to ask. Of course I didn’t.”

His eyes harden. “Great. Just… one more question then.” 

You cross your arms over your chest because your hands are shaking visibly and you’re unable to stop them. 

“Is this what you really want?”

Again, you’re assaulted by a wave of deja-vu—the same cold, starlit night on a different balcony, where he’d asked you the same question in all earnestness. Previously you weren’t sure if he really cared what you wanted, but now that you know he truly cares, it makes it all the more painful. 

“I don’t want a model answer, Y/N. I’m asking you what you really want.”

You bite down hard on your lip, suppressing the wildness in you that screams no. 

“Again, that’s a stupid question. Of course it’s what I want. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s what we both want, isn’t it? You wanted so much to break our marriage contract because you hate me. That’s why we’re doing all this in the first place.”

A film descends over his eyes at that moment and your heart breaks. 

“You’re right,” he says after what seems like an eternity, voice barely above a whisper, “we should have ended this long ago. I’m sorry. For wasting your time.” 

Your heart breaks at his words, even though you’d seen them coming from a mile away and you really don’t have the right to expect anything else. Your heart breaks at the way he’s already slipping away from you. 

Even though he was never yours to begin with. 

He steps closer to you and takes your wrist. You feel a prickle of electricity course through your bones, but he merely hands you a large shopping bag.

“Happy birthday, Y/N,” he says, with a smile that appears forced and yet genuine all at once. Like he really wants to smile at you but he can’t bring himself to. 

And with that, he turns and leaves. You grip tightly onto the bag, fingernails digging into the skin of your palm as his silhouette fades back into the glow of the ballroom. 

You don’t even have it in you to cry, to regret, to yell for him to come back. 

Because the moment he left a gaping hole tore through you and now you are just too filled up with empty to feel anything.

— 

Hey Y/N,

Happy birthday! I can’t believe it’s been so long since we started hanging out. Honestly, I’d long forgotten about our contract, and now that I think about it, it’s actually so stupid—how did we even come up with that bullshit? Then again, I guess I’m glad we did, because it gave us the opportunity to hang out and without it, I would never have known what a great person you are. 

Here’s your Scrunchie (did you really think I wouldn’t give it back lol) and your birthday present, because I’m sorry I got gravy on your ugly ass Prada bag. Don’t worry, this one’s also from Prada, and I think it’s SO much nicer—my mum helped me get it custom made. I personally chose all the colors and the design, and it has your name inscribed inside so you’d better not lose it. Don’t you dare get gravy on this one or else I’ll literally come for your ass. 

All right, now that that’s out of the way, it’s confession time. You’re right, I did hate you before (and it’s not because I hate pink, I swear), but I realized that it wasn’t personal. I just hated having to marry you, not because of you, but I just didn’t want to be in an arranged marriage. I thought that would take all my freedom away and I really didn’t want that. I’m sorry for hating you so much—that was just plain stupid of me. 

But in a funny way, even though I saw you as killing my freedom, you were the one who gave it back to me—you were the one who rekindled my love for singing at a time when everyone around me was telling me I should give it up. I can’t believe you still remembered that I sing, by the way. I didn’t even know that you knew, so that was pretty cool of you. So yeah, I just wanted to say thank you for that, you have no idea how much it meant to me. How important it was to me. If you look inside the Prada bag you’ll find a USB drive. I’d actually been working on a song for you for a couple months just to say thank you. It’s called “Beautiful Time”, and I really hope you’ll like it.

I hope that whatever happens next, we’ll always be friends, because you’re seriously one of the coolest and strongest people I know. Sometimes I wish I had your strength; I don’t know if you know this, but you’re so strong it makes me jealous sometimes. It’s crazy how we’re the same age but you’re just so much more mature and stronger. You’re just… so amazing sometimes.

All right, before I puke writing this, let’s just end it here. Here’s to many more memories and great times, have a great birthday  Y/N <3

Love, Donghyuck

#lee donghyuck #lee donghyuck imagines #lee donghyuck scenarios #lee donghyuck fluff #lee donghyuck angst #haechan scenarios #haechan nct #haechan fluff #haechan fanfic #haechan imagines #nct scenarios #nct haechan #nct donghyuck #nct dream #nct 127 scenarios #nct 127 imagines #nct 127 soft hours #nct dream scenarios #nct dream fanfiction #nct dream imagines

[entity9silvergen]

He Is Mild And He Is Meek (ATLA Fanfiction)

Summary:  

He is mild and he is meek, he is Momo and he is what I seek.

Suki always wanted three things in life. One was to become a professional soccer player. The second was to live in a cute apartment filled with succulents. The third was to get a cat.

Momo probably wasn’t anyone’s first pick as a pet but Suki was determined to get this cat to love her as much as she loved him. If only he’d accept he had a home now.

Fandom: Avatar The Last Airbender

Characters: Suki, Momo, Sokka, Aang

Relationships: Suki & Momo, Suki & Sokka, Momo & Aang, Mentioned Aang/ Katara, Past Suki/ Toph

Other Tags: AroWriMo, Oneshot, Modern Setting, Modern AU, Transgender Character, Aromantic Character, Trans Suki, Aromantic Suki, Lesbian Suki, Aro Trans Lesbian Suki, Trans Aang, Bi Sokka, Queer Toph, Cat Momo, Dog Appa, Pet Adoption 

Warnings: Brief Mentions of Sex, Minor Swearing

Word Count: 6.7K

Chapter Count: 1 (Oneshot)

Author’s Note: I was working on my third AroWriMo story and was about to take a break when this idea hit me. I know it’s kind of out there but I like trying different stuff so here we are.

This is very out of my comfort zone. It’s a Modern/ Real World AU story with a sapphic aromantic transfem Suki adopting a cat. I am an achillean aroace trans man with a dog. I also don’t play soccer or work in tech and I’m writing about that a lot here. I am writing about so many things I don’t know about so feel free to call me out if things aren’t quite accurate. The main focus is on Suki and Momo becoming friends so hopefully it won’t be an issue.

The title comes from the poem The Lamb by William Blake.

This fits with the prompt for Week 4, non-romantic relationships. Because pets count, guys. Originally I was going to write a fic about Lin figuring out she’s aro and coming out but I like this better.

Also read it here on Ao3.

======

As long as Suki could remember, she’d always had three goals in life.

Goal number one had always been to play professionally for a women’s soccer team. 

Unfortunately, biology was not in her favor and she couldn’t even play on her college soccer team. For either sex. What kind of bull was that? If they were going to misgender her, they could at least do it by letting her play for the men’s team. Not that she would if she was offered. There were some things she wouldn’t compromise on. 

It was upsetting but she tried not to let it get her down. She’d come this far and she wasn’t going to let this stop her. She ended up on her school’s girl’s ice hockey team for all four years. It was just because they were short on players and they needed six to compete. Apparently not a lot of girls were interested in ice hockey? Suki actually really enjoyed it, even if the other teams always called her a man when they lost. 

Maybe it was for the better because once she’d graduated, one of her teammates introduced her to the Kyoshi Warriors. They weren’t professionals but they competed in organized tournaments. All women's organized tournaments. It wasn’t what Suki had dreamed of but soccer was still a part of her life. Maybe one day the sports industry would be more accepting but for now, this was enough.

Goal number two had always been to live in a cozy apartment with a crapton of succulents. 

She was a cottagecore lesbian who couldn’t keep a plant alive for the life of her, okay? And succulents were cute. Don’t judge. This one was a much easier goal to accomplish. She and her buddy Sokka had scored a job in webdev for this big gaming company right after they graduated from college. They were stuck coding for a smaller, newer game but popularity had surged and she and Sokka were making decent coin now. Enough that they no longer had to crash at Toph’s place. Well, Suki didn’t have to. Sokka stuck around for a bit. Suki was pretty sure they tried dating and it didn’t work out. That was probably a good thing because Suki really didn’t want to tell Sokka she’d been hooking up with Toph when they’d moved it. How awkward would that conversation be? Like, hey Sokka. You know you’re dating my ex-fuck buddy? Well now you do. Bleh.

But the point was that Suki had it good now. She wasn’t rolling in dough or anything- she’d painted most of the artwork around the apartment and all her succulents she’d grown herself from cuttings because she still couldn’t really afford to do anything else- but she was doing well. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to stay here forever but she might.

The third and final goal was to get a cat.

Because who needed a girlfriend? Or boyfriend? Or enbyfriend? Wives, husbands, any kind of spouse wasn’t the life for her. No, she wanted to live with a cat in a house filled with plants, damn it. Would the cat try to eat her succulents? Probably. Would that stop her? No. No, it would not.

So that led to right now. With her ideal home secured and a place on a soccer team, Suki decided it was time to get a cat.

She’d spent awhile looking online. Like, years. Years of research. She didn’t have much experience with cats. She had a pair of cats as a kid, sisters actually, but they’d died when she was pretty young. Not because her family was filled with terrible pet owners or anything. No, the cats had just gotten old. Her parents just decided to get a lot of pets as “practice” or whatever before having kids. She’d found out later in life that it’d taken a long time for her mother to get pregnant with her big sister Ty Lee so maybe they’d thought they just weren’t going to have kids or something.

Ty Lee’s friend Mai had a cat growing up, a kitten, so most of Suki’s cat experiences came from that. The cat’s name was Azula and she was a mean thing. Suki had gotten countless scratches on her arms from her but they were worth it to have those brief moments of sheer, unfiltered acceptance only an animal could have before the little jerk unleashed hell on her hands. Azula somewhat grew out of it when she reached adulthood but she never stopped being a terror.

Mai moved away at some point when Suki was around nine or ten and she took Azula with her. Which made sense, Azula was a cat, but Suki still missed having her around. Since then, the only cat she’d interacted with was this tortoiseshell she’d seen on a walk in high school. She’d been having a pretty day- er, week- and she thought a walk to the elementary school down the block would clear her head. She’d spotted the cat across the street and hurriedly crossed in hope she could get a better look. It’d been a pleasant surprise that the cat seemed equally delighted to see her and approached her as well, demanding pets for a good half hour before Suki realized she had to be getting home. She came back the next week, hoping to see the cat again, but she never did. It was too bad, she’d never met a cat who did anything like that.

So the years of research were necessary. She was only experienced with, what, four cats? Wait actually, her extended family members had some cats but they didn’t count. They were assholes. But four to seven, give or take? Not a lot.

Constantly googling stuff about cat care made stuff about cat adoption show up on her brower a lot which was kind of annoying in college since she couldn’t have a cat in her dorm but she let herself indulge once in a while. She had to know what kind of cat she wanted, right? Well, she thought so. Turns out she was a bit off center. Cats weren’t really bred like dogs. With dogs, you had a ton of options. There were labs, german shepherds, huskies, dobermans, dalmatians, sheep dogs, collies, and countless other breeds. With cats, you had orange, white, black, brown and grey. You also had stripes, patches, and plain but that was pretty much it. It was more important where the cat came from than what kind.

It took Suki awhile to realize most of the advertisements she saw were from cat mills. Turns out there are a lot of weirdos out there who bred their cats to pump out kittens to sell. On one hand, gross and she knew she shouldn’t further support those kinds of businesses but on the other, they needed good homes. These people had no morals, who knew where those little kittens were going to go? Not the sellers, that’s for sure.

It was hard to tear herself away from those sites but she was glad she did.

There were a lot of family cats who’d gotten pregnant by accident and the owners needed someone to take the kittens off them. They sold cheap but the cats were usually well taken care of and the sellers made sure the new owners weren’t, like, animal abusers are anything. The bar was kind of low but it was a lot better than kitten mills.

Then there were shelters.

Suki’s family, as much as they loved animals, never got pets from shelters. They had too many issues, they said. It’s easier to train a younger animal, they said. You have no idea where they’re from, they said. Ty Lee always pointed out the animals needed homes. Suki always asked if the animals who were there for too long got euthanized. Neither sister could really remember what their parents’ responses were but neither of them ever tried to buy pets from shelters, even as adults.

Until now.

Looking on the shelters’ websites swayed Suki a bit. A lot of shelters didn’t euthanize but usually pets would go to different shelters if they were at one for too long and sometimes those new shelters did. There was a wide variety in the policies at the different shelters. Some of them really prioritized the animals’ wellbeing but some… really… didn’t.

She decided on visiting a small volunteer-run animal shelter. They were having a… a sale? What’s it called when places with animals just stuck a bunch of animals outside and let people wander around and look at them? A farmer’s market? No, wait, that was food. An open house? Gosh, she should know this. She didn’t though and she was going anyway.

It was a Sunday the day she decided to go. It was the only day on the shelter’s calendar that lined up with her schedule for the next month or so. After throwing on her lucky green blouse, applying some light makeup, and firing off a quick text to Sokka letting her know she wouldn’t be around today, she headed out.

“Hey there!” a bright boy in a blinding orange t-shirt greeted as she approached the shop the kennels were set up. “I love your necklace! Where’d you get it?”

Suki tried her best not to finger the necklace she had on but quickly relaxed when she noticed the dog tags around the boy’s neck. The pronoun dog tags. This guy was trans too. Or an ally at least. He probably recognized her programmer socks from a distance and her white ring up close. It was a massive relief. She hated getting questions about her name when she signed paperwork. And knowing her, there was a pretty good chance she’d be signing some adoption papers today.

“Oh, um, I made it,” Suki said, feeling a bit proud at the way the boy’s eyes bugged out of his head.

“Really? That’s so cool! I’ve looked for pronoun necklaces online but they’re just so chunky. That’s why I like my dog tags! My dog Appa has some too!” the boy rambled excitedly. “Anyway, anything I can help you with? You are here to look at animals, right? If you’re not, I’d totally apologize for just yelling at you out of nowhere but it’s kind of my job.”

Suki laughed and decided she liked the guy. “No, don’t worry. I’m here to look at cats, actually.”

“Oh that’s great! I love cats but I’m allergic,” the boy- Aang, according to his name tag- said. He jangled something in his pocket, presumably allergy pills, and began leading her to the tables where lighter animals’ kennels were placed on. “We’ve got some good ones here today! Who should we visit first? You looking for a boy cat or a girl cat?”

“Gender is a social construct,” Suki responded, amused by Aang’s delight at her response. “Surprise me.”

“Okay, um, let’s see. Oh here’s Haru! He’s a good boy,” Aang said, leading him over to a wire exercise pen with three cats inside. “See, Haru’s the brown one. Teo and Duke are the other brown ones.”

One of the cats meowed loudly at the sound of his name, startling the other two awake.  One of them lifted his head with a dazed look in his eye and a long piece of lint stuck to his face. Suki couldn’t help but snort at the sight of it.

“Classic Haru,” Aang chuckled. Suki still wasn’t quite sure which cat he was talking about but he was already moving along. “Um, okay, so over here we’ve got three more. This is Lu Ten and- Jet! Stop trying to eat Kuei’s ear! Wait, no. I’m sorry. Don’t look at me like that! You brought this upon yourself!”

Suki’s attention drifted down the table as Aang bickered with the cats. They were funny but she was too distracted by the lone crate at the end of the table for her to notice. She lifted a finger, drawing Aang’s attention to it. “Is there anyone in there?”

Aang looked up, Jet in one hand and Kuei in the other. “Oh that? Oh yeah, that’s Momo.”

“Can I see him?”

Aang put Jet and Kuei down, looking kind of hesitant. “There’s a reason Momo’s all alone.”

“Is he aggressive?”

“What? No. No, he’s like the total opposite of aggressive. Really shy actually. He’s a rescue. My girlfriend found him on the streets a couple weeks after this hoarder got evicted. The guy had, like, sixty cats who all got sent to shelters around the state but some of them got loose. We think Momo was one of them. He gets kind of scared around other cats,” Aang said, scratching the back of his head with one hand. “I don’t think he’s scared of humans, exactly, but I don’t think he’s going to get adopted anytime soon. I’d take him but, you know, allergies. I thought it might do him some good to get used to being out here though. Took me forever to convince my boss.”

“Can I see him?”

“O-okay. I don’t see why not. Just try to stay quiet. I don’t want to scare him too much.”

Suki nodded and Aang led her down the table. The crate was facing away from the rest of the animals and Aang made sure to move slowly when he moved into sight. “Hey, buddy. It’s me. Aang. You remember me? Yeah, you do. I brought Suki! She’s just going to say hi, alright?”

Aang nodded to Suki and she shifted so she was within view of the wire mesh that was the crate’s door. She crouched down a bit, trying to get into view, and was immediately met with two wide, green eyes.

“Hey, Momo,” she cooed. “Is this alright?”

She slowly put her hand near the door. Momo stared at it for a few moments from his place curled up at the back of his crate before stretching his neck a bit to sniff. She glanced at Aang, trying to see if what she was doing was alright. He looked absolutely mystified. Taking that as a good sign, she put her hand against the door. To her surprise, Momo got up and nuzzled her hand through the wire.

“Wow, he never does that,” Aang commented. “Hopefully that means he’s getting better. Or that you have cat magic!”

“Can I adopt him?” Suki asked before she knew what she was saying.

“I don’t literally mean you have cat magic.”

“Wha- Yes. I know I don’t have cat magic, Aang,” Suki sighed and ducked her head a bit to look into Momo’s cage. He was a cute little guy. Maybe a year old. If he was from a hoarding house like Aang thought he was, he’d probably been born there. Poor boy probably didn’t know what it felt like to have a real home. “I think… I’d like to give him a shot. Give him a home. I know I’d probably have to put more work into it than I would for another cat but I’m willing to do that extra work for him. He deserves it.”

Aang smiled and it wasn’t one of the beaming ones like before. This one was a lot softer. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. You really sound like you’ll be a good pet-owner. We have to do background checks and stuff, obviously, and you can’t, like, take him home right now but if you think you’re ready, I’ll put your name down and we can start the adoption process.”

Suki shot Momo one last glance and nodded. “Nothing would make me happier.”

===========================

She ended up driving to get him at seven am the next Friday.

She’d been planning on getting him in three weeks but on Thursday Aang had called her to tell her Jet was stirring up trouble again and Momo had freaked out and he really wanted to get him out of there. They’d planned on Saturday but Momo freaking out was agitating the other cats and Aang thought it would be best if Suki came sooner so she got herself and Sokka out of work and now they were driving to the Southern Air Animal Shelter.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you’re getting a cat,” Sokka whined as they pulled into the parking lot. “At least tell me he’s black. Then you’d be, like, a sexy lesbian witch with a sexy black cat... famialir… thing.”

“Momo’s white.”

“Aw. That’s too b- Oh wait, that actually fits your aesthetic way better. Blue eyes?”

“Green.”

“Even better! I like him already!”

Suki snorted and flicked him in the side of the head when they pulled into their parking spot and came to a stop. “Just wait here, alright?”

“Sure thing. Try not to take forever. Unlike some people, I need to get back to work this afternoon.”

Suki flipped him off and headed inside.

The woman at the desk was kind enough and Suki didn’t have to wait long before she was redirected to Aang. The man looked a bit frazzled but still looked bright as ever. “Hey Suki! Boy am I glad you’re here. I’m sorry we had to hurry things like this but I really think this is what’s best for Momo.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Suki assured him. “Is he alright?”

“I think so. I’m just glad he had a home lined up and all ready to go,” Aang admitted as he led her to the part of the building reserved for cats. “I mean, he’s well treated here and I’ll miss him but I think he needs his peace.”

The cat corner wasn’t nearly as loud as the dog department must be but there were a few more vocal cats meowing here and there. Suki kind of wanted to stop to play with them but she wasn’t here for them. She was here for Momo.

Once again, Momo was at the farthest end of the wing and as far away as the other cats as possible. She felt a stab of pity for him when she saw him. He was curled up at the back of his kennel, face buried in his tail. When he heard them approach, he looked up with the most terrified look in his eyes and mewed softly.

“I know, buddy,” Aang told him, looking sad, “but Suki’s here. Do you remember her? She’s going to take you to your forever home.”

Aang unlatched the door and Momo tipped his head, looking confused. With Aang’s approval, Suki reached in and pulled him out, holding Momo carefully. “There we go. It’s going to be alright now, Momo.”

“Let’s get him out of this wing,” Aang said. Suki nodded in agreement, feeling Momo quivering in her arms, and the two hurried away from the other cats. Back in the lobby, Momo already seemed a lot calmer. Still nervous but better.

“Normally, all the paperwork would be done by now but due to the circumstances, just sign here,” the woman at the desk said, sliding a form across the table. “We can mail you the rest of the paperwork or you can come by later.”

Suki nodded and jotted down her initials on the form with her free hand. She tried at least skimming the rest of the form like any responsible person should but she was too worried about the cat in her arms to really care. The receptionist glanced it over once before giving Suki the okay.

“Do you have someone to drive you home or do you have a crate in your car?” Aang asked when she was done.

“Both. I came here with my friend and I already bought everything,” Suki told him. She flashed him a smile. “Thanks for everything, Aang.”

“No problem. Just doing my job,” Aang answered, matching her smile. He passed her a slip of paper. “Here’s just some extra info about Momo I had jotted down. I have one for every cat. I dunno, it may help.”

Suki thanked him one more time before saying goodbye and returning to her car where Sokka was waiting. Honestly she’d kind of forgotten he was there, despite mentioning it to Aang, until she saw his face light up at the sight of the cat.

“Is that him? Oh, what a beautiful boy,” Sokka cooed when Suki took shotgun with Momo in her lap.

Momo glanced up at Suki before shooting Sokka a confused look. Suki scratched him behind the ears. “That’s right, Momo. Sokka’s weird.”

“Hey! I’m the weird one?”

“Yup,” Suki said, popping the p. Sokka made a face at her. She laughed. “Just drive, knucklehead.”

“As my queen commands,” Sokka responded extravagantly and hit the gas. Suki held onto Momo securely and soon, they were heading to Momo’s new forever home.

The drive was overall pretty good. It was a nice drive through some countryside. Suki and Sokka had been too tired that morning to really appreciate it but now that they were more awake and in less of a hurry, they could just soak it in. Suki lifted Momo up a bit so he could look outside, smiling at the way his green eyes widened in wonder at the endless stretches of grass around them.

Momo was fairly calm for most of it but he was a cat in an unfamiliar situation so he cried a bit once in a while. Sokka pulled over to let Momo use the bathroom about halfway through. Sokka told Suki that when his family got their puppy when he was a teenager, his dad had been holding the dog in the back seat and the dog peed on him within twenty minutes of getting in the car. Suki laughed but privately she was grateful Sokka remembered. She wasn’t wearing nice clothes or anything but she really didn’t want Momo peeing on her or in Sokka’s car.

They got back to Suki’s apartment within the hour. Sokka punched in the codes for the gate and elevator, Suki’s hands too full to do it herself, and they headed inside.

“We’re home now, Momo,” Suki told the cat softly, putting him down once the door was closed. She didn’t think he’d run but better safe than sorry. Momo was definitely going to be an indoor cat. “Go explore.”

Momo seemed frozen for a moment before disappearing in a flash, scurrying behind the couch to where most of the cat stuff was. Suki would’ve taken that as a good sign if he’d run to the cat tower but no, Momo had ducked under the little table beside the couch and was watching everything warily.

“At least he’s not hiding under the couch or under the bed,” Sokka pointed out when their efforts to coax him out failed.

“I guess,” Suki sighed, sitting down on the rug a few feet away from the cat. “You want to stay?”

“I need to get back to work,” Sokka told her regretfully. “I’ll text you if anything important happens. And I might be by later. Hopefully this little guy comes out by then.”

Suki nodded and bid him farewell before glancing at Momo. He’d stubbornly tucked in his paws and planted himself firmly under that little table. She shook her head. “What am I going to do with you?”

=====================

Suki didn’t have to go back to work that day but she did have a soccer match. She could skip if she wanted- they were just playing the Ba Sing Bears and honestly they weren’t that good- but she figured she’d give Momo the chance to explore his home alone. According to the note Aang had given her, Momo was fine being alone for good stretches of time.

(It also said he was litter trained, good on a leash, practically melted into neck scritches, didn’t like his ears being poked, loved polka music but hated any kind of rap except for French, and his favorite show was the Aquaman cartoon from the 60s but Suki didn’t really know what to think of that.)

The Kyoshi Warriors unsurprisingly won their game but the Ba Sing Bears had put up a good fight. The score came closer than it usually did and Suki got more of a workout than she had in awhile. She got home late, having stopped to grab a bite to eat with her teammates. When she opened the door, Momo looked up and froze mid step from where he was standing on the back of the couch.

They made eye contact for a moment and Suki wanted nothing more than to rush over and cheer that he finally ventured out of his hiding place but, not wanting to scare him, she withheld. Tearing her gaze away, she headed to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She needed it after that game.

She was sweaty and grimy and the hot water was relaxing but she tried to keep the shower quick. As nice as it was to close her eyes, let the heat wash over her, and lose herself in her thoughts, now wasn’t really the time for that. She washed and dried herself quickly before throwing on some lounge clothes and tying her wet hair up in a towel to dry.

When she left the bathroom, Momo was back under the table, eyeing her warily. Suki tried her best to give him his space for a little while, giving the apartment a once over to see if he’d tried to eat any of her beloved plants- he did not- before heading to the kitchen to prepare some cat food.

“I hope you’re hungry, Momo,” Suki said aloud as she plopped down on the rug, cat bowl in her lap. She shook it a bit before plucking a piece out and holding it up like an offering. “You want some?”

Momo just stared at her and didn’t move a muscle. Suki put the piece of kibble down halfway between them and waited. When Momo just looked at it, she went on her phone and tried not to look at him too much.

She was just about to send Sokka a funny meme she found when Momo stepped out, took the piece of kibble, and wandered up to her.

“Hey, buddy,” she cooed. She lifted her hand slowly, waiting for his reaction, before sinking her hand into his soft, white fur. “That’s right. Not so scary, huh? It’s just me. You want some food?”

Momo let out a pathetic mewl and clambered onto her knee to dip his muzzle into the bowl. He took a few neat bites at first before throwing himself into the meal and scarfing it down.

“You were hungry, huh?” Suki said, laughing a bit when Momo slipped and nearly fell in. “I probably should’ve fed you sooner. Don’t worry, tomorrow we’ll get on a schedule.”

Momo swallowed his last bite and mewed again, as if agreeing. Suki set aside the bowl and Momo wandered off but she felt like she’d made some progress. Momo would settle in well.

===================

“He’s not much of a hunter, huh?” Sokka stated as he bounced a feather on a string in front of Momo’s face. Momo just blinked at it and yawned.

It’d been about a week since Momo had moved in with Suki. She thought things were going pretty well. Momo didn’t hide under the table anymore. He seemed to like it down there but he never ran down there in fright and it didn’t take much coaxing to get him to come out. He seemed to prefer the cat tower anyway, though he never climbed very high.

Cats weren’t terribly exciting pets. Momo wasn’t a kitten, she didn’t need to teach him to use a litter box, and he wasn’t much of a scratcher. Still, as timid as he was, he’d proven himself to have some personality.

“He can be spunky when he wants to be,” Suki told him. “Try a ball, he likes batting those around.”

Sokka looked around for a ball and was just about to toss it to Momo when there was a knock at the door.

Momo’s tail shot up but he didn’t run. Suki considered that a good sign. “I can get it.”

Sokka didn’t respond and leaned down to roll Momo the ball. “Go get it. Fetch, boy.”

“He’s not a dog,” Suki called as she opened the door to reveal a familiar face. “Aang?”

“Hey Suki,” Aang greeted with a wild wave. “I just came by to drop off the rest of Momo’s paperwork.”

“I almost forgot about that,” Suki admitted. She accepted the stack of papers from him- ugh, she was really not looking forward to reading through all of those- and stepped aside from the doorway. “Come in. I’m sure Momo would like to see you. I’ve got a friend over but I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“I don’t!” Sokka yelled from the other side of the apartment. 

“Sokka?” Aang called as he entered. “Sokka, is that you?”

“Aang?” Sokka looked up from Momo, face flashing with recognition at the sight of the bald figure by the door, and grinned. “Oh hey! I didn’t know you and Suki knew each other!”

“I didn’t know you two knew each other either!” Aang said, slapping hands with Sokka when he approached. “This is way cool!”

“Wait, how do you know each other? Exes?” Suki guessed, glancing between them.

Sokka made a face. “Ew, no. Aang’s Katara’s boyfriend. We all went to high school together.”

Aang laughed a bit and scratched the back of his head nervously. “So how do you two know each other? Exes?”

“Ew, no,” Suki said, mimicking Sokka’s reaction. He stuck his tongue out at her.

“We went to university together,” Sokka explained. “And we were roommates for a bit, during and after college. And we work together. Just best friends in general. Wow, I’m really surprised I haven’t introduced you two yet.”

“Too much trans power in one room,” Aang joked. He and Suki high fived.

“Too much power for any room,” Suki agreed. “Have you met Toph? The three of us would be unstoppable.” 

“Oh my god,” Sokka said, rubbing his face with his hands. “Just go look at the damn cat, Aang.”

“Don’t talk about Momo that way,” Aang complained but was already hurrying over to the cat tower. “Momo! You miss me, buddy?”

Suki heard a mew from Momo and a sneeze from Aang and she figured everything was okay.

“You look over this and make sure I’m not signing away my soul or some shit,” Suki said, sliding the paperwork into Sokka’s hands, and joined Aang by the couch with Momo against Sokka’s protests.

“No swearing in front of the baby!” Aang piped up as Momo poked his head out of the cat tower and slunk down to the floor. Aang patted his lap and Momo slowly padded over to him. He didn’t climb into his lap like Aang seemed to want but he was nosing his knees curiously and that seemed to equally excite Aang. “What a good boy!”

With Sokka muttering behind her, Suki sat down and scooted over. Momo largely ignored her in a very catlike manner in favor of getting chin scritches from Aang. “I think he’s been settling in well. He doesn’t really hide anymore and he doesn’t really care when someone’s in the room with him.”

“That’s good,” Aang said, moving to scratch Momo’s ears. “Has he been eating?”

“Yeah. Kind of fast actually. He threw up once. It was pretty early on though so it might’ve been stress.”

Aang nodded thoughtfully. “Poop?”

“In the litterbox. Normal looking.” As far as she could tell at least.

“What about wandering the apartment? Does he go in the other rooms yet?”

“A bit. I’ve found him around once in a while but he seems to like it here the most. Is that something I should be worried about?”

Aang shook his head. “If he’s wandering around, that should be a sign he’s getting comfortable. I think it’s normal if he just hangs around in here most of the time though.”

Suki nodded, a bit relieved. It sounded like she was doing a good job. Suki, responsible cat owner. Then came Aang’s next question.

“Have you been playing Aquaman for him? I have some DVDs if you need them.”

======================

It was about a month and a half since Suki got Momo when she had the chance to get another day off from work. 

She loved her job, she really did. Working at Avatar Gaming was truly a dream come true and the project she was working on, The Last Airbender, was actually a lot of fun to work on. Granted, she wasn’t really part of the design or story building parts of the team but it was still satisfying work and could be entertaining. She still got to play around with different characters and attacks regularly. Plus, the work environment was great. She loved going into work. That didn’t mean she didn’t like a day off once in awhile.

Though today, she’d really regret taking the day off.

Momo was a bit antisocial today so Suki was alone in her bed painting her nails. Not the best place to do it, she knew, but she was careful. She missed a phone call, not wanting to pick up her phone with the polish still wet, but it was just Sokka so she didn’t think much of it. He could wait.

It was a good hour later before Suki remembered to call him back. And once she did, she really wished she’d called him sooner. Or not at all.

“Hey,” Sokka said quietly as Suki turned up the volume. His voice cracked, worrying Suki.

“Is everything okay?” Suki asked hurriedly. “Did something happen at work?”

“You could say that.” Sokka laughed but it sounded hollow. “We’re getting laid off.”

“What?” The world seemed to stop around her.

“We’re getting laid off, Suki. The whole team.”

“I heard you,” she croaked in disbelief sitting up a bit straighter. “I- What happened? Why?”

“The Last Airbender is getting popular,” Sokka told her. “They want to- They want another team to work on it. They said they wanted to make it cleaner. More up to standard with their other big games. Make it fancier or whatever. There’s a chance they might hire some of us back but…”

“That’s bullshit,” Suki said almost automatically but it felt like someone else was speaking through her mouth. “No way in hell am I working for them again if they think they can just lay me off.”

Sokka chuckled again. This time there was a bit more life in it but it still sounded as empty as Suki felt. “That’s what I said.”

“Do we have any details yet? How long do we keep working? Are we getting severance pay? Do you have money saved? Are we going to have to-”

“I don’t know yet,” Sokka admitted. “They just announced it, nothing more. They said they’d write everything up soon. I’m… I’m on a walk right now. Just soaking everything in. Trying not to kick over any trash cans. Can I call you back? I just wanted to make sure you knew.”

“I- Yeah. Yeah, Sokka. Take however much time you need.”

“Bye.” Then, almost as an afterthought, he softly added, “Love you, no romo.”

That got a chuckle out of Suki, despite the water beginning to well up in her eyes. “Love you too, Sokka. No romo.”

Suki’s phone beeped as Sokka hung up and the dam broke.

Suki didn’t know why she was crying. Geez, she was a grown woman. Getting laid off wasn’t really a big deal, people got laid off all the time, but it was a big deal for her. She’d been working on that game practically since it’s making. Right out of college. It was the longest job she’d ever held down and she’d grown really attached to it. It was hard to think that she wouldn’t be working on it anymore. That her employers just saw her and her team as… worthless.

And there was the whole financial aspect. She needed that job. She needed income. She needed to pay for her apartment and for food and water and medical expenses and for Momo’s everything and insurance and everything. It was all so much. She was fine now but what if the money she had saved ran out before she found another job? Or if she couldn’t find a good job and she got stuck in some minimum wage shithole? 

She wasn’t in college anymore, there were no counselors to help out or career fairs to go to. She’d need to, like, job hunt. With a lay off on her resume. Did layoffs affect things? She knew it wasn’t as bad as getting fired but still. Like a dishonorable discharge. Wait, no, that was probably really disrespectful to say. But it couldn’t look good. Gosh, working for Avatar really was a dream job. She doubted any other big gaming companies were hiring. Any gaming company would be amazing but it was unlikely she’d get another opportunity. Unless they were producing more new games. But then she could just get laid off again when it started getting popular…

She was spiraling. Fuck, where was her phone? If it got tangled in the bed sheets, she’d never find it. She needed to hold something. Something to ground her, something to distract her.

She heard a mew and saw Momo poke his little head through the door.

“Go away, Momo,” she choked out, burying her face in her hands. “It smells like nail polish in here. You’ll hate it. You have such a cute nose and it will hate it.”

Momo ignored her and the smell. He hesitantly padded in before trotting up to the bed and neatly leaping up to where Suki was. Suki momentarily drew her hands away from her face to look at him. He mewled again and butted her knee with his head.

And then Suki couldn’t hold back the waterworks anymore.

Until now, her tears had been silent but now they were gushing out and she couldn’t hold back the sobs. She pulled Momo into her lap and held him close, too caught up in her own whirlwind of emotions to be surprised that he wasn’t struggling. She ran her long fingers through his short, white fur and let herself cry unabashedly. 

Momo didn’t judge her. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t make her feel any worse. Momo didn’t even look at her. He just sat with her, lending any comfort he could with his presence until the tears and sobs began dying down.

“Thanks, Momo,” Suki sniffed, playing with Momo’s ears absently. “You’re a good friend, you know that buddy?”

Momo didn’t give any sign he’d heard her and just snuggled down further into her lap and purred softly. And Suki smiled. She didn’t think she could but she did. She didn’t know what was going to happen and she was terrified for her future but at least she had her cat. With Momo here with her, things would be alright.

============

Other AroWriMo stories my me

#fanfiction #aromantic writing month #arowrimo 2021 #arowrimo #atla fanfiction #atla fanfic #momo atla #suki #suki avatar #lesbian suki #trans suki #trans aang #bi sokka #aromantic suki #aromantic #aro awareness week #aro #aromantic character #cat momo #modern au

[grither55]

The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 9 - Evening Out

Mai sighed heavily from where she sat upon the ridge of a large water fountain overlooking a meadow at the edge of the city.

She was currently gazing off to the side from where Elle knelt still searching for a proper flower for Azula.

‘Damn them for abandoning me…does this girl think of anything that isn’t Azula?’ The markswoman thought while scrunching her brows up in disbelief while the blonde continued to pour over the flower field.

And she couldn’t exactly just cut the girl loose like she could anyone else.

Ty Lee and comically enough Azula, would surely kill her.

“Okay. I have to ask. What are your interests besides Azula?” Mai questioned in her typical voice while peering at the petite girl’s robed back.

“Um…I like to paint!” Elle exclaimed while Mai leaned forward on her elbows somewhat taken aback by that answer.

She hadn’t pegged the girl for a painter.

“About what?” The markswoman pondered in a mildly curious voice.

“Primarily Azula-sama.” The blonde-haired girl commented while the sound of Mai slapping her own face with her hand echoed throughout the air.

“Why am I not surprised. But seriously. What beside Azula?” Mai continued in a bored tone while gazing off into the distance.

“I like to write poems. Also, about Azula-sama.” Elle answered innocently while Mai groaned from beneath her palm.

“Right…” The markswoman trailed off as she eyed the girl closely.

Even if it was solely about Azula, it was still impressive that a girl her age was into both poetry and painting.

“I used to enjoy reading comics. But I haven’t had any access to new reading material since I arrived. I don’t exactly have any money…” The blonde-haired girl admitted while the noblewoman turned to her surprised by the non-Azula related hobby.

It was something anyhow…until Azula ordered a comic series to be created as tribute to her with her as the main character…

“You haven’t been paid yet?” Mai inquired while inwardly wondering if Azula would be cruel enough to keep Elle as a slave instead of the standard paid servant.

“I get paid? I thought my pay was a roof and the pleasure of serving the princess.” Elle answered with genuine awe in her voice while Mai stared at her for what seemed like a long moment.

“There isn’t much pleasure in serving Azula. At least…not for most. But yes…you do get paid.” The markswoman informed while gazing on in a faint amusement when the girl’s face brightened immensely.

“If I get paid then I can buy Her Highness a gift!” The blonde-haired girl cheered with delight in her eyes while the older female stared at her in even further bafflement.

“What? Why would you spend all of your pay just to get Azula a gift? She’s spoiled enough as it is kid.” Mai muttered while running a hand through her hair.

“I wonder what I should get her…hm.” Elle pondered while holding a finger to her lip thoughtfully with the woman’s words soaring over her head.

“I suppose in your case…slave and servant are one and the same.” The markswoman commented while still peering at the small blonde in a deadpan manner while the girl fumbled through the flowers.

“Would Azula-sama like a golden flower?” The blonde-haired girl asked while peering over her shoulder at the annoyed woman.

‘Azula…I am going to kill you.’ Mai thought as she began to tap her fingers with her eyes shimmering in irritation.

“She’s quite difficult to please. To say the least. But you seem quite adept at making her happy.” The markswoman responded with as much patience as she could muster.

“So yes then?” Elle continued while Mai began to tap her boot on the ground in increased annoyance.

“Yes! She will like the flower.” Mai assured speedily with her teeth ground together in frustration.

“Arigatou gozaimasu oneesan.” The blonde-haired girl announced to the woman’s complete shock.

“You are calling me big sister?” The markswoman pondered in a truly bewildered voice.

It was rare feat to make her lose her trademark composed face but somehow this girl managed to do just that.

“Is that alright?” Elle responded while peering over her shoulder with the first signs of worry in the woman’s presence.

Mai contemplated the matter for the briefest of moments.

She ultimately decided that it did not bother her.

The girl was very kind. Possibly the kindest she’s ever met. Too sweet for Azula…if you asked her.

“No. That is fine. Call me it if you wish. But may I ask why?” Mai spoke before standing up to go sit beside the girl.

“I finally feel like I have somewhere where I belong. My brother has been the only family I’ve had ever since my parents died…long ago…and I’ve always wanted big sisters…so I thought if you and Ty Lee didn’t mind…” The blonde-haired girl explained gently while gazing up to see the woman standing over her.

“I see. Well, I don’t mind. I doubt it will bother Ty Lee at all either.” The markswoman replied before seating herself beside the smaller girl.

The only weird part was the fact that Azula was master…and they were big sister.

But she decided to chalk that up to Azula’s control freak behavior.

The naïve girl was probably only calling the princess that in the hopes of making her happy.

“Yay!” Elle cheered to the older girl’s further surprise before enveloping her in a sudden hug around her stomach.

Once more Mai sat back with her eyes widening in complete confusion.

“Shorty. I don’t…do hugs.” Mai stated while squirming to break free from the girl’s grip.

It was funny when it was Azula under attack but now…

She could only groan when the joyful girl refused to release her.

“Everyone does hugs!” The blonde-haired girl exclaimed with an innocent aura about her while the older girl peered down at her sighing.

“I just said that I didn’t…” The markswoman trailed off dryly before awkwardly hugging the petite girl with one arm.

She glanced up at the sky all the while asking herself how such a kind girl would be drawn to Azula.

“I like the Fire Nation.” Elle remarked while they sat hugging each other.

Much like a big sister and her little sister that was under her elder’s close watch.

“You’re not from the Fire Nation? Azula never told me where you were from.” Mai questioned with slight curiosity while gazing down at the rather clingy girl.

“Oh no. I’m from another world.” The blonde-haired girl declared so happily that the noblewoman furrowed her brows presuming it was a joke.

“Haven’t heard that one before.” The markswoman stated dryly while still peering down at the blonde’s radiant face.

“I am completely serious. I have no clue how I got here. A few weeks ago, I had never even heard of the Fire Nation.” Elle admitted much to Mai’s total disbelief.

“What? So, you’re not joking.” Mai spoke while quirking her eyebrows in amazement.

It took a great deal to amaze her.

But hearing someone claim to be from another world did the trick.

If this is true…she couldn’t help but wonder if that would explain much of Azula’s interest in this bizarre young girl.

“As serious as a heart attack. But that’s all behind me now. There is nothing for me there. This is my home now.” The blonde-haired girl declared in a serene voice while staring up at the taken aback older girl.

“There is nothing that you wish to go back to?” The markswoman inquired in a voice that hid her mild pity for the girl’s seemingly abusive past.

“No. Why would I? Then I wouldn’t be able to see you, or Ty Lee, or Azula-sama ever again. And that…would make me very sad.” Elle muttered while Mai stared down at her with sympathy in her usually aloof eyes.

It sounds like the girl was latching onto them…because she has never had anyone else.

“I see. You’re a nice girl…Elle.” Mai stated while they finally disconnected from the sisterly embrace.

“Arigatou gozaimasu. Oneesan.” The blonde-haired girl replied while bending over to finally pick her chosen flower.

The noblewoman couldn’t help but feel touched by the girl’s quick trust in her.

It was undoubtably naïve but sweet all the same.

“Finally decided on a flower?” The markswoman asked while noticing the girl had chosen a rather lovely color of gold.

‘We’ll have to watch over this girl…to make certain that Azula doesn’t plan on hurting her.’ Mai thought while furrowing her brows as she realized the thought of letting Azula tarnish this girl was quite disturbing.

Zuko would like her…she mused while trying to ignore the brief stabbing pain in her chest.

“Mhm. I hope she likes it!” Elle chimed while Mai still sat staring down at her with faintly softened eyes.

That was when they both heard the sound of a throat clearing behind them which was followed shortly afterward by a girlish giggle.

“Hope who likes what?” Azula demanded with her hands on her at her sides while Ty Lee continued to giggle softly.

It was obvious to all but Elle that the princess was being possessive.

“Azula-sama! I missed you!” The blonde-haired girl called out as if they have been apart for weeks.

The girl’s joyous cry earned her two questioning stares while the acrobat judged the unsocial woman’s side.

As if to silently say see I told you so.

“Missed me? But it’s barely been an…oof!” The princess exclaimed as she was suddenly assaulted around her belly by the small blonde.

“One hour is far too long!” Elle cried out while embracing the princess’s belly as she peered up at her now annoyed countenance.

“Servant…release me!” Azula barked while trying to push the girl off as gently as possible.

How bizarre was it that she did not wish to bruise her further?

“Azula…what did I tell you about using her name?” Ty Lee sighed while still smiling even so at the amusing scene.

“And I already told you that I am her master, not you. I will call her as I please.” The princess snapped in a spoiled voice while ignoring her two friends exasperated gazes as she stood with her pet cuddling her belly.

“What took you so long? And why do you have a mark on your face?” Mai inquired while exchanging a glance with Ty Lee who was gazing off into space in a laughably suspicious manner.

She has known the two long enough to tell when something was up.

There was a hint of an unspoken tension that followed after her question.

She couldn’t help but ponder…did Ty Lee have anything to do with the imprint on Azula’s face?

“Did someone hurt you is that why you were gone for so long?” The blonde-haired girl pondered while peering up at the proud woman with concerned amber eyes.

The two noblewomen shared an amused glance while Azula scowled down at the girl who still refused to release her.

“No, I was not injured servant. Do you doubt my power?” Azula demanded as she folded her arms while staring down at Elle’s easily intimidated face with narrowed eyes.

It would not do well if her little admirer was beginning to doubt her dominance.

Perhaps…this night out is a good idea after all.

“N-no of course not Your Highness!” Elle exclaimed while Azula carefully pushed her back with a strong hand before leaning over her in a domineering manner.

“You had better not. I am the Great Princess Azula and I have no rival.  I am the strongest there is.” The princess announced with her hands on her hips while towering over the rapidly nodding petite girl.

Mai was gazing at Azula with a baffled countenance all the while gazing at Ty Lee as the girl continued to giggle.

‘Is Azula…trying to posture to impress Elle? Could she actually be interested in this girl?’ The markswoman thought while gazing between the princess and her handmaid with faint curiosity in her stare.

“I would never doubt you Azula-sama! You’re so strong and so b-beautiful.” The blonde-haired girl responded while a blush overtook her cheeks as she cradled her master’s flower carefully in her cupped palms.

“Hm. Just you wait until I get a chance to show you just how powerful I really am.” Azula remarked while staring down at Elle in a conceited manner while the smaller girl gazed up at her with adorable eyes.

“Ugh. I could puke. Her ego has soared through the roof.” Mai muttered beside Ty Lee while the other woman nodded in agreement.

“It certainly has. So, what have you and Elle been up to while we were away?” Ty Lee inquired as she turned with her hands on her hips noting the small meadow at the edge of the city.

“I-I can’t wait…” Elle trailed off bashfully while Azula peered down at her with observant golden eyes.

Why couldn’t the other servants behave more like Elle?

She pondered it for the briefest of moments before musing that it was a ridiculous thought.

If they all acted like Elle then there would be nothing unique about her servant’s personality.

And somehow…the thought of Elle just being one of hundreds lost in the stream of palace servants displeased her.

“Do you…have something in your hand servant?” The princess questioned with a hand held to her chin as she surveyed the dainty girl’s lovely form.

“I-I have a gift for my princess.” The blonde-haired girl stammered while the older female gazed down at her with vastly gratified eyes.

As soon as Ty Lee heard that she turned to Azula while still smiling as she tried her best to silently convey to the princess to be gentle with Elle.

“Another gift for me? But you just gave me a gift this morning.” Azula spoke while smiling with her eyes never leaving her pet’s flushing face.

“I-I know. B-but one gift is not enough for my princess…” Elle trailed off while kicking at an imaginary pebble with her cheeks developing a crimson hue.

“On that we agree…well? Aren’t you going to give me my gift?” The princess purred while brushing her hair from her eyes in a seductive manner.

“Seriously? You gave Azula a gift this morning and we spent nearly an entire hour browsing a flower field?” Mai inquired in her usual monotone while Azula turned to glance at her smirking so smugly.

“Aww. That’s so sweet Mai. Did you help Elle select a flower for Azula?” The brown-haired woman teased all the while grinning at the gloomy woman’s irate face.

“Yes, indeed Mai. It is nice to know that you were thinking of me while I was away.” Azula taunted while Mai glared at her with her hands twitching in her anger.

“Azula, just shut up and look at your flower.” The markswoman growled while the princess smiled even so as she turned to gaze at the innocent girl’s nervous face.

“…I…hope you like it Azula-sama.” The blonde-haired girl mumbled while unfolding her palms to reach up to hand the regal woman her golden flower.

The acrobat gasped when she laid her eyes upon the simply gorgeous flower while gazing at the younger girl’s back.

She really hopes that Azula doesn’t break Elle’s little heart.

She…doesn’t think that Elle will be able to handle her beloved princess rejecting her.

The princess found herself gazing down at the little flower with a marginally widened look in her callous eyes.

Though she would never say it aloud.

She was finding that this pure-hearted girl had a way of touching her ice-cold heart.

“You…spent an hour to pick this for me?” Azula asked as she accepted the flower with her mind vividly recalling their first meeting just nearly a week ago.

“Y-yes. Oneesan assured me that you liked gold.” Elle stuttered while Azula peered down at her in even further surprise.

All the while Ty Lee turned to Mai while the noblewoman tapped her elbow in annoyance clearly disliking the attention.

“Oneesan?” The princess sighed while turning from her admirer to gaze at her apathetic subordinate.

For as merciless as she is.

And she is most certainly just that.

She couldn’t help but feel strangely pleased by her admirer’s desire to live out her life beside her and her friends.

The girl was truly beginning to see her team as her adoptive family.

And strangely…she realized that she was okay with that.

If nothing else. It would ensure that she could depend on either one of them to safeguard Elle should something unforeseen occur.

“What of it? She called me her big sister. She’s a kind girl. So, I allowed it.” Mai stated with a slight bite to her voice while glaring at both of her friends.

“We’re both her big sisters’ now Mai!” Ty Lee exclaimed while grasping the other woman’s hand as she pumped their fists in the air.

“Joy.” The markswoman mumbled while she sighed as her friend forced her to hold hands with her.

“D-do you like it princess?” The blonde-haired girl requested timidly while still averting her eyes from the taller woman’s gaze.

Azula was contemplative for a few moments while she studied the shorter girl’s cute little face before discreetly glancing around her.

She could practically feel Ty Lee’s waiting eyes following her every movement and sure enough the acrobat was giving a ‘what are you waiting for’ stare.

After checking to ensure that no one was around…

“It is a fine flower Elle. I approve of this tribute.” Azula announced with the flower carefully clutched in her right hand while Elle gazed up at her with joy that astonished even her.

“Y-you used my name again!” Elle cheered out childishly while Azula glanced down at her in evident amusement.

All the while both of her friends were staring at her back in a chiding manner.

“So, I have. It pleases me that you think of me so often. Had this flower been for someone else I would have had to discipline you.” The princess commented strictly while staring down at the submissive girl with imposing golden eyes.

“Azula…one doesn’t usually threaten discipline after being given a flower…” The brown-haired woman advised while staring at the regal woman with a smile all the while.

“F-for someone else? I think of no one but Her Highness.” The blonde-haired girl blurted as if horrified at the prospect while her master continued to level her with a controlling stare.

“That’s what I like to hear. I hereby declare that you are forbidden to give flowers to anyone but myself. This new decree also extends to all other sources of tribute. You…will gift me and me alone.” Azula spoke in a voice of absolute authority all the while leveling Elle’s little face with a demanding glare.

“Forbidden Azula?” Mai snorted while blinking over in the other woman’s direction in genuine puzzlement.

She certainly was becoming possessive of this young girl.

That much was evident.

Those piercing screams still had her shuddering.

To think that Azula had been so furious that she scarred the two bullies just as Ozai did to Zuko.

Not only was the pain surely beyond her wildest imaginations, the affect was quite damning to any hope for a social life.

The girls would always be marked for their disrespect to the Royal Family.

“For Azula-sama only. No one but my master.” Elle stated passionately while grasping at Azula’s robbed stomach while meeting her domineering gaze.

“Hm. What a good girl you are.” The princess purred before reaching down to pat the blonde’s soft head in a puzzling show of fondness.

“Is it just me or does Azula think that Elle is a kitten?” The markswoman pondered while gazing at the acrobat’s sighing face.

“It’s not just you.” The brown-haired woman replied yet even so she was still finding their budding bond to be rather adorable.

Perhaps…there was hope for Azula to learn more about people after all.

She was still disturbed by the earlier display of brutality…she felt that it was too much. Even for those cruel girls.

But there was nothing that she could have done to stop Azula.

She had already tried to talk her out of it and Elle tried to convince her to show mercy.

The princess had her mind set on it and that was all that mattered in the end.

“Arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama…” The blonde-haired girl murmured shyly while blushing underneath the princess’s patting palm.

“What for?” Azula questioned curiously while astutely having already learned that that it was her admirer’s way of saying thank you.

“For…standing up for me. No one…has ever done that for me before.” Elle admitted quietly while craning her neck to peer into the woman’s captivating eyes.

The words took not only Azula aback but both Mai and Ty Lee as well.

It was just baffling to hear that the first person who has ever stuck up for Elle was Azula of all people.

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore little sister. You’re one of us now! Your place beside us is secure! Isn’t that right Azula?” Ty Lee assured warmly while stepping up behind Elle as the girl turned to gaze up at her with emotive amber eyes.

The princess gazed over the petite girl’s shoulder to meet her companion’s gaze before turning to peer down at her servant once more.

“That’s right Ty Lee. Elle is part of my entourage now. It would be…a waste to let such a loyal servant come to any further harm.” Azula stated while withdrawing her hand as it fell back to her side.

Mai listened in amazement from where she stood behind the acrobat.

Before long all three women were gazing at their younger companion with varying levels of fondness.

“I-I am so grateful…to all three of you.” The blonde-haired girl whispered happily while wiping a joyous tear from her bruised eye.

“Aww. We’ll look out for you. Especially Azula. She really likes you. You’re the first person that she’s offered to protect.” The brown-haired woman informed while patting the smaller girl’s shoulder while the blonde peered up at the callous woman with awed eyes.

The princess simply stood with her arms folded over her breasts while fixing the petite girl with a stern stare in clear disapproval of her tears.

“Cease that crying at once! No more waterworks for today!” Azula barked while pointing a finger down at Elle with the flower clutched underneath her palm.

“What a warm response.” The markswoman commented dully while even she stared at her leader frowning.

If you asked her Azula was way too big of a bitch for such a nice girl but…it’s not her place to tell Elle what to feel.

“Yeah! Seriously Azula! You don’t have to be such an ass about it.” Ty Lee scolded while frowning over Elle’s timid shoulder at her scowling leader.

“I do as I please Ty Lee. Especially when it comes to my own servant.” The princess insisted in a spoiled voice while still glaring at the girl’s crying face.

It…irked her in ways that she cannot explain.

“Yes! As you say Azula-sama. This girl will always do as you say.” Elle answered while beaming up at the woman’s harsh gaze with rising admiration in her eyes.

“Good. Your adulation pleases me greatly. Now there is no further need for tears. I am more than capable of protecting you. And I will say no more on the matter.” Azula stated in a tone of finality while staring down at Elle’s rapidly nodding little face.

“Yes princess!” The blonde-haired girl cried out while bowing much to the overbearing woman’s approval.

“Shorty. You know you don’t have to bow before Azula every minute that you spend in her company, right?” Mai spoke while earning a questioning gaze for the teasing nickname from both of her friends.

“Shorty Mai? Why am I the only one here calling the poor girl by her name?” The brown-haired woman asked while the two other women just shrugged.

“You may ignore Mai…and continue with your current behavior.” The princess purred while paying her friends chiding gazes little mind.

“Azula-sama is the boss!” Elle cheered as she straightened while throwing a hand up in her joy.

“Yes Elle. She certainly is…” Ty Lee trailed off while patting the smaller girl’s back with the princess gazing on smugly.

“With that matter out of the way. We can proceed onward with other plans.” Azula remarked while still holding the golden flower carefully underneath her curled fingers.

“Other matters?” The markswoman asked while noticing both of her friends faces indicated that they had planned something without her knowledge.

“Hm. I have decided to reward Elle for her good behavior.” The princess began while staring down at the young girl’s overjoyed face.

The words came across as a shock to Mai given that this was once more unlike Azula.

She has already granted the girl a place amongst them, a commoner at that.

Neither she nor Ty Lee had any particular bias against people of lower status. But it was well known by all that Azula did.

“A reward princess…” The blonde-haired girl trailed off in disbelief while the regal woman nodded.

“That’s right! We have a surprise for you!” The brown-haired woman exclaimed while leaning on the petite girl’s shoulder with a grin adorning her lips.

“I am so overjoyed. I... finally have a real home…and the princess has even used my name four times now!” Elle cried out while smiling warmly up at Ty Lee while the older girl’s eyes softened in response.

Most surprisingly of all was that not even Azula said a word to rebuke Elle’s announcement that this was her home.

“Four times?” Mai inquired with a deadpan voice that displayed ever so slight amusement over the fact that the girl was keeping count.

“Mhm! My most frequent names have been servant, pet, good pet, peasant, little peasant, girl and twice I have been called sheep dog…” The blonde-haired girl chirped naively while both women turned to gaze at the princess’s conceited face.

“What are you two gawking at?” Azula demanded with annoyance lacing her voice while she began to scowl ever so slightly.

“Sheep dog Azula? Sheep dog?” Ty Lee growled out while tapping her boot angrily at her unsocial leader’s glaring face.

“Oh! And once I have been tiger monkey!” Elle exclaimed in a seemingly unbothered voice while counting on her fingertips with the three women glancing down at her.

The princess in her usual possessive stare and the other two females seemed baffled by her casual disregard of such demeaning treatment.

“I didn’t call her a sheep dog. I stated that she smelled like one after playing out in the rain for several weeks.” The princess remarked thoughtlessly while giving her friends a questioning glance when they began to scowl at her.

Even Mai’s lips curved into a frown.

That was only when that she noticed Elle’s shoulders slumped with a hurt look in her eyes.

“I-I smell?” The blonde-haired girl mumbled pitifully while the acrobat immediately took to rubbing her back while narrowing her eyes at the princess’s faintly regretful face.

“Azula! No. No you don’t smell Elle. Azula’s just socially clueless. I am certain that she didn’t mean that in the least.” The brown-haired woman cooed while pulling the smaller girl into a hug when it looked like she was about to cry.

“What? You dare call me clueless?!” Azula snapped while stomping forward with her hands at her sides to pry Ty Lee off her little admirer.

“You kind of have to be Azula to be that oblivious. You’re even worse than Zuko. Seriously. You don’t tell a girl that likes you that she smells.” Mai stated with an unusual sternness to her voice while staring at the princess as she glared between her and Ty Lee while striding forward.

“I don’t?” Elle asked while gazing up at the two women as they shook their heads speedily.

“No. You don’t shorty. Ty Lee’s right.” The markswoman spoke while folding her hands over her stomach.

She mused that having the innocent girl around was truly like having a little sister.

The notion of having a baby sister was a decidedly pleasant one.

“Don’t put words in my mouth! I said that was when she was living on the street…” The princess trailed off while storming towards the blonde’s side with her friends staring at her in disbelief.

“Azula. Just stop while you’re ahead before you dig too deep of a hole.” Mai sighed while rubbing her forehead in annoyance over the other woman’s lack of social conduct.

“I’d like to see how you smell after several weeks on the streets. It probably wouldn’t be anything like the royal spa.” Ty Lee remarked while Azula glared at her icily before rudely pushing her off Elle.

The acrobat huffed as she stepped aside to allow the princess to attempt to amend her error.

“You both will be silent or I will strike you both into the ashes of oblivion! And you stay off my pet. Get your own Ty Lee.” Azula hissed while forcefully grasping onto Elle by her shirt collar while the other two exchanged an exasperated glance.

“Azula! How many times do I have to tell you that Elle isn’t a pet!” The brown-haired woman exclaimed in frustration while the princess pulled the small girl alongside her.

“Yes, she is. She is my pet. She submitted to my dominance the moment she stepped into my litter. By rights of strength she now belongs to me. I conquered her just as I conquered Ba Sing Se.” The princess announced while the petite girl peered up at her with her a faint blush on her cheeks.

“…Conquered?” The markswoman snorted while musing it was best to just ignore the woman’s seemingly demented idea of dating.

“A-Azula-sama? I don’t…smell, do I?” The blonde-haired girl stammered with a worried look in her eyes while gazing up at the tall woman’s stern face.

“No. Of course not. You smell quite fresh.” Azula assured while strangely allowing the girl to hold onto her bicep.

The two noblewomen sweatdropped over the princess’s rather poor attempt at flattery.

‘She goes from saying she smells to saying that she doesn’t…smooth.’ Mai thought while observing the interaction with bored tawny eyes.

Thankfully for Azula, Elle was a kindhearted girl that was rather easy to please.

That was all it took to restore her spirits.

“I do?” Elle asked with rising hope in her voice while Azula nodded sagely while staring down with her entrancing golden eyes.

“Like the first day of spring.” The princess answered with her lips pursed into a smirk when her pet clutched tightly.

“Oh Azula-sama…I am so happy to belong to you….” The blonde-haired girl gushed while pressing her face into the princess’s toned bicep.

The acrobat couldn’t help but smile even though her leader had just acted like a major ass.

Elle adored Azula so much that she already forgot the foolishly spoken insult.

“It pleases me that you have accepted my dominance. Now then let us proceed onward with tonight’s plans.” Azula declared while turning to face her friends with a return to her callous composure.

“Tonight’s plans? What are you two on about?” The markswoman queried with her brows furrowed as she gazed between the now grinning acrobat and her stern-faced leader.

“We are all going out for a fun night out on the town!” Ty Lee exclaimed while Mai turned to her with puzzlement in her eyes.

“We are?” Mai repeated with slight interest in her voice before turning to see Elle looking up at Azula in confusion.

“Are you going to help me get back to my quarters first? I don’t know my way back to the palace from here.” Elle questioned while Azula glanced down at her with strict golden eyes.

“No, I will not. You are coming with us. If you can keep it to yourself that is.” The princess informed to the small girl’s surprise.

Even the gloomy noble could only blink in genuine shock.

Azula…is bringing a commoner out on the town?

Though she did suppose that no one really knew that the girl was lowborn besides them.

Given that she was seemingly from…wherever that somewhere is.

“I will never disobey you Your Highness. I take it that you wish for me to serve at the dinner table tonight?” The blonde-haired girl pondered with an unbothered voice while peering up at the older girl.

As soon as Mai heard that she couldn’t help but gaze away in discomfort.

Now that she was getting to know the girl it didn’t seem right for her to spend the evening bowing on the floor while they ate.

It would have been kinder just to send her back to the palace.

Now that Elle was calling her and Ty Lee big sister it just felt wrong, very wrong.

“No! You aren’t coming to serve us Elle! You’re coming to have fun with us!” The brown-haired woman shouted before the princess could respond.

Knowing Azula’s controlling personality she could try to back out of it and she didn’t want to give her the chance.

“I am? Is this true Azula-sama?” Elle inquired with her lips curling into a broad smile as she peered up into the woman’s beautiful face.

“It is true. But you had best remain on good behavior or oof! Not again!” Azula attempted to explain only to shout in protest when Elle tackled her stomach.

“Well color me shocked. The girl gets to spend an evening doing something other than slaving away for Azula.” The markswoman commented in a pleasantly surprised voice while watching in amusement as the regal woman was assaulted via hug.

“Arigatou gozaimasu! Arigatou! Arigatou! Azula-sama!” The blonde-haired girl called out while enveloping her master’s belly in a tight embrace.

“You…you are welcome servant now let me go!” The princess complained while her friends observed with smugly entertained eyes.

“My princess is including me in her circle! I feel so honored!” Elle cheered while Ty Lee watched with a warm smile as she hid in the princess’s belly.

Azula made eye contact with Ty Lee while reading her eyes that silently conveyed an obvious message.

I told you it would make her happy.

“If you wish to maintain your position in my circle you must…get off me.” The princess grunted while gazing around to be certain that no people were passing by the meadow.

“You get her Elle! Defeat the Conqueror of Ba Sing Se! Take her down with the ultimate hug!” Ty Lee yelled out with a grin as Azula glared back at her with icy eyes that promised great pain.

“I am so excited princess! But…what do I wear?” The blonde-haired girl asked in a worried voice while peering up at the woman’s much finer clothes.

Azula fell silent for a moment after finally dislodging from the embrace not having considered that.

She held a hand to her chin while wondering if they should go back to the palace first.

Ultimately, she chose it was best not to do so.

In the unlikely event she ran into her father.

“Hey! I have an idea. Why don’t we browse the market beforehand? You can pick out an outfit! If Azula won’t buy it for you. I will!” The brown-haired woman suggested while striding forward with her fists on her hips.

The princess’s eyes snapped upward thoughtfully while also taking the acrobat’s generous offer a challenge to her dominance.

“Really? You would do that for me oneesan?” Elle requested with innocence lacing her voice while Ty Lee stopped before her to beam down at her.

“Aww! When you’re that adorable how could I ever say no?” Ty Lee cooed while patting Elle’s head with the younger girl blushing over all of the attention she was receiving.

“Absolutely not. I will purchase the outfit.” Azula retorted with her arms folded over her breasts as she gazed back at the still smiling Ty Lee.

‘Did Azula just get deceived into purchasing her servant a party outfit?’ Mai thought while stepping up behind the other girl’s as she mused it could be fun.

If you ignore the fact that Azula just burned two girls’ not even an hour ago.

“If you say so Azula…but I might still buy her one myself. She’s just too cute. I have to.” The brown-haired woman stated in a sisterly manner while still patting the girl’s head.

“I-I don’t know what to say.” The blonde-haired girl mumbled while peering between her master and her big sister’s taller forms.

“You don’t have to say anything…just continue to be a good girl for me.” The princess remarked while greedily swiping the other woman’s hand off the girl’s head.

The acrobat huffed while gazing at her with amusement in her eyes all the while the gloomy noblewoman watched in increased puzzlement.

‘Is Azula…jealous of other women touching Elle?’ The markswoman pondered while the princess stood over the girl once more.

“Yes, Master Azula. As you say.” Elle agreed with an adorable nod of her head while Azula peered down at her in stern approval.

“Azula…please stop making her call you master.” Ty Lee pleaded in an exhausted voice while the princess began to walk ahead of them.

“Come along now Elle. You two as well. We shall go dominate the marketplace into submission.” Azula declared with her right fist clenched as she began to grin violently.

“Dominate the marketplace Azula?” The brown-haired woman sighed before smiling when she noticed that the princess had the flower tucked beneath her sash.

It was just barely noticeable around the woman’s waistline while the younger girl continued to follow after her with her backpack slung on her shoulders.

“Azula-sama? I have a question that I have been pondering for some time.” The blonde-haired girl asked while chewing on her lip as she gazed up at the much taller female.

The acrobat and the weapons expert stared at the girl curiously while the princess seemed to swell in pride that the girl chose to ask her instead of them.

“Then ask me. My wisdom is as vast as is my merciful heart. Since I have taking a liking to you…you are in a most fortunate position to benefit from the fruits of my genius.” The princess announced with seemingly endless hubris while waving a hand before her smiling all the while.

“Please. I think your head is getting too big for your shoulders.” Mai snorted while striding behind Elle as she gazed down at the girl with a mild fondness in her gaze.

Naturally, the spoiled woman ignored any and all remarks that put her flawless nature into question.

All the while Elle continued to hold a finger to her lip unaware that two of the three women were mulling over how adorable they thought she was.

“What’s a rug muncher Azula-sama?” Elle blurted out with little warning while staring up at Azula when the royal woman nearly fell over in surprise.

Azula wasn’t the only one to be taken aback by the innocent query.

Even Mai almost tripped on Elle’s heels while she gazed down at the girl with widened tawny eyes.

How could she really not know what that meant!

Even sweet Ty Lee paused in her step while glancing down at Elle with redness on her cheeks all the while musing that it was mind boggling how she as this pure.

“Eh…well Azula?” The brown-haired woman began nervously while turning to the princess’s comically baffled face.

“How…can you be interested in another girl and not know what that means?” Azula responded in a tone of complete disbelief while gazing down at the puzzled girl with astonishment in her eyes.

She just couldn’t believe that Elle truly didn’t know that it inferred to oral sex between two females.

“Like I said. Felix removed me from school several years ago…and forced me to stay indoors for many years. My parents died long ago…that left me with only Felix…so…my education is a bit stunted.” The blonde-haired girl muttered with evident shame in her voice as she averted her eyes after concluding it was something she ought to know.

The explanation once more caused all three women to gaze down at the girl in disgust to hear that the girl’s brother was that demented.

Azula of course only cared because she had grown fond of Elle.

Whereas the other two were just…all around more compassionate than her.

“What a-“ Ty Lee hissed furiously only to fall silent under the princess’s piercing death glare.

Sweat dripped down her brow as she was once more reminded just how terrifying Azula could be.

And so, she wisely shut her mouth.

“I see. I was aware of the fact…just not that it was this extensive.” The princess commented while rubbing at her nose for once uncertain of how to respond.

“S-sumimasen. I probably sound pretty stupid. Those girls were right.” Elle stated in a tone of low self confidence while padding along glumly.

The three highborn women exchanged looks with one another while Azula sighed heavily in the palm of her hand.

“Hey! Don’t talk like that little sister! You’re not stupid. Not in the least. Those girls were just…” The brown-haired woman trailed off while an involuntary shiver trailed down her spine at the vivid recollection of their screams.

Judging by the grimace on Mai’s face the other woman was well aware of what occurred.

“Ty Lee is correct. Your…writing is proof of that. You are just…naïve. Which simply means that you need someone capable to enlighten you.” Azula announced while turning to peer down at her admirer with stern golden eyes.

The woman’s words struck her friends by surprise while they both gazed at her in silence.

“Oh! You’re so brilliant Azula-sama. Will you enlighten me?” The blonde-haired girl pondered with hope in her voice while the woman strode ahead with her pride returning in full force.

“Indeed, I am brilliant…sometimes I surprise even myself. Just what sort of enlightenment do you seek from me? I excel in all areas. Simply pick one and I will surely be able to assist you.” The princess offered while scanning her fingernails with her friends gazing on in even further disbelief.

Did Azula just offer to school a servant girl?

“That’s a marvelous idea Azula! Elle is a Fire Nation citizen now. She can go to school here!” The brown-haired woman shouted triumphantly while the gloomy noblewoman turned to her in surprise.

Then Mai turned to Azula as she noted the uncertain gleam in the woman’s selfish golden eyes.

‘Figures. She’s probably afraid that Elle will lose interest in her if she is around other people. She is so selfish. It’s disgusting.’ The markswoman thought while finding herself frowning over the matter.

No doubt Azula meant that she would fill Elle in here and there.

“School? What sort of school teacher knows even a fraction of my genius?” Azula sneered while Elle peered up at her with blinding awe in her eyes.

“Will you school me Azula-sama?” Elle asked innocently while gazing up at her master’s divine face while the woman smirked in such a captivating manner.

“Azula…you could just let her go to an actual school. Do you even have the time to educate her to the proper capacity that she desires? I think Elle wants to be up to be speed in all areas. Not just one.” Ty Lee explained while turning to her leader’s smug visage.

“Hush Ty Lee. Yes Elle. I told you that I would take you under my tutelage. I suppose that means that this is my responsibility. I will school your little mind.” The princess declared while turning to gaze down at the joyous girl’s adorable face.

If she was truly taking a romantic interest in this girl…it wouldn’t do to let her possible girlfriend remain in a state of permanent limbo now would it?

“Arigatou gozaimasu Master Azula!” The blonde-haired girl answered happily as she halted to bow at the waist before the tall woman’s pleased countenance.

“I warn you though. I will be a strict teacher….” Azula trailed off while glancing down at her pet’s young face with a lovely smirk on her crimson lips.

“I have complete faith and trust in my princess. I know you would never steer me wrong!” Elle exclaimed while rising from her bow just when Azula patted her shoulder fondly.

The other two women weren’t so certain but it would be unwise to voice as such aloud.

“Now that is devotion.” The princess stated while wagging her finger for her pet to follow with a controlling gleam in her eyes.

“So…what does it mean?” The blonde-haired girl asked once more in a bashful voice while gazing up at the older girl to notice her posture tensing once more.

“Oh boy. I can’t wait to hear this.” Mai spoke with a hand over her mouth while Azula eyed her icily.

“Shut up Mai. You see Elle…rug munching is an analogy for…how dare you laugh at me! I will destroy the both of you!” Azula bellowed as she rounded on her snickering friends with a twinge of redness on her cheeks.

“I don’t get it Azula-sama. Who eats rugs? I don’t eat rugs. They aren’t edible.” Elle chimed while grasping at her straps while Azula groaned in frustration.

“You are just too precious little sister.” Ty Lee cooed with a blush still adorning her cheeks as she ruffled the girl’s hair.

“A-arigatou oneesan Ty Lee.” The blonde-haired girl muttered while the acrobat smiled at her all the while gushing over her much to her pleasure.

She decided that she liked being the youngest of the group.

She truly felt like Azula-sama and her big sisters would look out for her no matter what.

“Ugh. If Azula won’t answer then I will. It seems that it has fallen upon me to be the informative big sister.” The markswoman announced while gazing down at the girl with composed tawny eyes.

“Mai. I am warning you…” The princess trailed off dangerously while the acrobat turned away blushing even deeper.

“Please tell me oneesan. I really want to know.” Elle asked queried while glancing up at Mai’s apathetic face.

“I will strike you with lightning if you so much as speak another word.” Azula hissed while glaring over in the other woman’s direction.

As strangely as it was. She found her admirer’s childlike innocence to be rather endearing.

And she was suddenly finding that she was becoming curiously protective of the younger girl.

“Alright. Here’s your answer. It’s a crude analogy for sexual conduct between two women. Basically, it’s when one girl eats out another girl’s…womanhood. And I am quite certain that it’s something that you would enjoy doing with Azula.” Mai answered at long last with her arms folded over her chest while gazing off to the side just as an uncomfortable silence overtook them.

Ty Lee was now as red as a tomato while she glanced down at Elle’s adorably thoughtful face.

The younger girl was holding a hand to her chin as if processing the explanation.

All the while Azula gazed over at Mai’s unbothered face with a truly horrifying glare.

Golden eyes that were so callous that it was a wonder the gloomy noble didn’t burst into flames on the spot.

“What? She’s interested in women. So, I answered. Would you rather she remains ignorant?” The markswoman questioned while gazing at her leader’s oddly angered face.

“I…still don’t understand. That makes even less sense than before. Why…would I want to eat Azula-sama? I am not a cannibal. I wouldn’t eat my princess even if I was starving. How is eating people a sexual pastime?” The blonde-haired girl inquired while turning to gaze up at the three women’s reddened faces.

At this point they stood in the street with silence so thick that one could have heard crickets chirping.

Mai slapped her forehead in disbelief as she groaned beneath her palm while Azula stood marveling over the girl’s naivety.

“Elle…don’t worry your little mind over it. I’ll educate you at your own pace.” The princess sighed while rubbing the bridge of her nose as she strolled ahead of her pet.

As comical as it was, she found that she was somewhat pleased to know that Elle’s love was this pure.

The girl didn’t adore her just because she was the most beautiful girl there is…or just for her limitless power.

No…now she understood that it ran much deeper than that.

“Yes Azula-sama! As you say. Always as you say. Please know that I would never cannibalize you. I would rather die of hunger.” Elle informed in a voice so grave that Azula was now staring down at her with returning amusement in her eyes.

“I’ll keep that in mind if we are ever trapped on a deserted island.” Azula spoke dryly while folding her arms over her breasts once more.

“That’s so sweet Azula. She wouldn’t eat you even if she was starving. Most of the servants probably wouldn’t even hesitate.” Ty Lee commented with her hands on her hips smiling widely all the wide as her blush finally began to die down.

There was a snort of comical agreement from Mai while the princess stared back at her with irate golden eyes.

“Shut up Ty Lee.” The princess replied in a grumpy voice while the smaller girl smiled up at her.

“It’s okay Azula-sama. If you couldn’t move, I would protect you with my life.” The blonde-haired girl announced while puffing out her developing chest with undying loyalty in her young eyes.

“Aww, Azula. Elle would shield you. That’s just too lovable.” The brown-haired woman cooed while the princess stared down at the girl with humorous doubt in her eyes.

“As sweet as that is…let’s hope that it never comes down to that.” Azula answered while sighing once more as she inwardly mused that the girl is making her go soft.

The foursome finally strode into the Fire Nation marketplace with many eyes being automatically drawn to Azula’s callous countenance.

The sight of their fearsome princess entering the marketplace was a silent warning to all venders to be their absolute best behavior.

Displeasing Princess Azula was possibly even more terrifying than angering Fire Lord Ozai.

To the amusement of the three noblewomen they soon watched as Elle’s eyes began to sparkle while she gazed about at the wide variety of shops.

All the while Azula strode authoritatively beside her younger companion with her stern eyes following Elle’s wandering gaze.

This was the perfect chance for her to establish her position of prime candidacy once and for all in her lovely admirer’s little mind!

“Azula…you should buy her something…” Ty Lee whispered into the woman’s ear while Azula watched Elle wander ahead in her rising excitement.

Mai began to silently follow after Elle while the other two women lingered behind.

The princess tilted her head while her friend continued to whisper in her ear.

Her eyes followed Elle she strode with her hands behind her back all the while pondering what to buy her admirer.

“Like what?” Azula asked while frowning as she began to realize she knew very little about the girl other than that she enjoyed painting and writing.

“Let’s just scout out where she goes and see.” The brown-haired woman replied quietly while the small blonde bounced through the streets gazing around with childish amazement in her eyes.

“See something of interest shorty?” Mai asked questioned in her typical tone while standing over Elle as the girl marveled at everything around her.

Though she hated to admit it. It was indeed adorable.

“There’s so much here! The last time I was here people were calling me a street rat and telling me to get lost.” Elle stated while Mai glanced down at her frowning over the cruel treatment that the girl endured.

Ty Lee was shivering automatically when Azula halted with her eyes narrowing in a predatory manner.

“Oh really? Just who said that?” The princess inquired in a near emotionless voice while the acrobat shook her arm.

“Azula! We’re here to have fun. Not to terrorize the public.” Ty Lee advised discreetly while Azula continued to stride about frowning in clear displeasure.

It would not do for her to allow the mockery of her potential girlfriend.

Her eyes and ears were peeled as she already noticed one or two people were staring at the girl oddly.

She began to realize while it wouldn’t have phased her a week ago.

Now that she was growing fond of the girl it was grated on her nerves.

“Just what are you staring at peasant?” Azula demanded while her companions turned to her warily after she halted by a stall.

The acrobat sighed with a hand over her face when her gaze drifted to her friend now causing an older man at a spice stall to cower in terror.

“N-nothing Y-Your Highness!” The vender cried out while already kneeling the ground with the woman’s golden eyes piercing his soul.

“You had best keep it that way.” The princess snarled while striding onward with her moody eyes drifting about as she followed the girl’s bouncing form.

‘Wow! It’s really sweet watching Azula act so…protective. I know she has a tendency to act like an ass to Elle but I can tell she truly cares about her.’ The brown-haired woman thought while finally noting that the girl stopped to admire a stall.

It was none other than a candy shop.

Given Elle’s childlike personality it came across as no shock to Ty Lee.

She turned to nudge Azula’s shoulder while the stern woman continued to walk after Elle and Mai.

“Ooh! There’s so much here!” Elle cried out while Mai peered down at her sweatdropping.

“I presume that you like candy…” Mai trailed off while keeping a close eye on the girl just as Azula strolled up behind them.

“Is there something that you see of interest?” Azula inquired while she loomed over Elle’s browsing face with her palms clasped behind her back.

All the while gazing down at the younger girl with her strict eyes just barely showing her fondness for the smaller girl.

To passers biers it appeared as if the princess was about to terrorize her.

But of course, Team Azula knew better.

“I…am permitted to have a candy?” The blonde-haired girl responded while peering shyly up at her master’s amused countenance.

“Aww!” The brown-haired woman gushed while the gloomy noblewoman turned to her sighing in mild annoyance over her continues fawning over their new friend.

“I suppose I could allow it. You’re a well-behaved girl. Pick whatever you like.” The princess purred while leaning over the younger girl with a charming aura about her that had the teenager spellbound.

“…Your Highness may I have a maple praline?” Elle requested while folding her hands over her belly while bowing her head before the princess in reverence.

It was quite obvious that Azula greatly approved of Elle’s courteous nature.

Even when simply requesting for a single candy she bowed her head before the monarch.

The owner of the stall was also bowing before the princess all the while her eyes were drifting about over the monarch’s odd choice of companion.

“Hm. Good girl. One maple praline.” Azula announced sternly while removing several coins from her pouch all the while savoring her young servant’s growing excitement.

The coins dropped on the counter while the three women watched with varying levels of amusement as the small girl was handed the treat with joy shimmering in her amber eyes.

“A-arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama…” The blonde-haired girl spoke with a warm smile on her lips as she bowed before the gratified woman once more.

“You really should reduce the bowing Elle.” Mai stated while folding her arms as she gazed down at the happy girl just as she arose from her bow.

“Quiet Mai. Courtesy is in her nature and that is a trait that I approve of. You would do well to remember that I am her monarch. Not you.” The princess remarked from where she stood with her lips curved into a smile as she peered down at her pet.

The noblewoman said nothing in response deciding that there was no point arguing with Azula.

It just baffled her that Azula thought that dating and subjugation were one and the same.

“I am so fortunate to serve Azula-sama.” Elle stated with a wide smile on her lips before biting into her treat beaming all the while.

Azula continued to stride beside the petite girl all the while staring at her calmly with a satisfied countenance.

“At least someone recognizes how great of an honor it is to serve me.” The princess commented while the acrobat continued to grin down at their young companion.

“The whole world should serve Azula-sama. Because she is wonderful.” The blonde-haired girl chimed while nibbling on her candy while the princess’s lips curved upward in increased smugness.

“Why did you have to say that little sister?” Ty Lee sighed while turning to Azula to see that she took the innocent remark as a challenge to conquer the world.

An inferno was already brewing in the woman’s eyes that had her friends excluding Elle growing increasingly wary.

“Great. Just what we needed.” Mai muttered while Elle peered up at them in slight puzzlement.

“I see. So, you wish to see me conquer the world?” Azula remarked with her hands on her hips while turning to peer down at her adorable admirer.

The other two women sweatdropped while they sighed heavily despite finding the princess’s posturing to be a somewhat pleasant change of pace.

Though her ego had surely soared through the proverbial palace roof.

At least Azula was being a little bit nicer.

Even if it was only to one girl…

“Huh?” Elle responded after swallowing a mouthful of candy while her two adoptive big sisters sweatdropped even further.

That was proof enough that the teenager just said whatever came to mind to please Azula.

“Do you wish to see your princess dominate the entire world into submission?” The princess demanded in an icy voice while staring down at the girl with a stare that would make most men piss their pants.

“Azula…I think you’re taking this a little too far.” The brown-haired woman stated only for her words to soar over the arrogant woman’s head.

“Oh! I really want to see you in action Azula-sama! Will you show more of your bending?” The blonde-haired girl questioned while turning to gaze up at the strict woman with worshipful eyes.

“Hm. You desire to see my bending? Then I shall show it to you. Today I will give you just a small taste. When I destroy the Avatar and crush the rebels underfoot then…you will get your wish. I will dominate this world!” Azula announced with her hands afire at her sides with her crimson lips forming a conceited grin.

The blue fire lit the street while Elle peered up at Azula with awe in her young eyes all the while Mai watched in deadpan as people ran in terror every which way.

Clearly thinking that Azula was about to kill someone at random.

“…Azula…you’re terrifying people.” Ty Lee informed while Azula gazed down at Elle with possessive golden eyes while waving her words off.

“Wow! That’s amazing Azula-sama! You’re so good at domination! I could listen to you talk about it all day.” Elle exclaimed while gazing up at the woman’s smiling face unaware of the impact that her words had on her master.

“Shorty do you have any common sense? Why would you tell her that?” The markswoman asked while she stood alongside the gradually concerned acrobat.

They could tell that the girl’s ill thought words had inspired the princess to dominate the girl even further.

“So…you find my dominance appealing?” The princess purred with her words causing her two friends to shiver in pity for the naïve girl peering up at her.

“Now Azula I really don’t think that is what she meant…” The brown-haired woman trailed off only to sigh once more.

Elle got her too riled to listen.

“Y-you’re so strong princess…I feel so safe around you…” The blonde-haired girl mumbled while staring up at the princess’s flame lit visage.

“Marvelous! So, you desire a strong leader to protect you? Perhaps we do make a good mix after all.” Azula called out while waving a hand in the air smiling all the while.

“W-well I’ve always dreamed of h-having a princess charming…” Elle confessed as she began to twiddle with her thumbs while the older girl hummed curiously.

“Azula? Princess charming? Yeah. And I’m pink.” Mai stated in a dull voice while Ty Lee sweatdropped despite finding their interactions to be rather cute.

“Princess charming? There is no princess as charming or powerful as me!” The princess shouted while still causing people to turn their heads fearfully.

“D-does that mean that y-you’ll be my princess charming?” The blonde-haired girl pondered timidly while still averting her eyes from the princess’s towering form.

“Very well little servant. I will be your princess charming and I shall give you the dominance that you so dearly crave.” Azula declared while pointing down at Elle with her eyes narrowed all the while the petite girl blushed from ear to ear.

All along the two other women gazed at her clearly thinking that she just may have gone mad.

“But Azula you already dominate her.” Ty Lee stated while Mai shook her head in annoyance.

“Waste of breath.” The markswoman scoffed before turning curiously when the princess grasped ahold of the girl’s smaller wrist.

“O-oh Azula-sama…my princess charming…” Elle trailed off in a dreamy voice just as the woman began to drag her like a rag doll through the streets.

“Azula! Where are you taking her!” The brown-haired woman exclaimed while running a hand through her hair as they sped up to follow their dominance obsessed leader.

“Come my pet. Let’s go to the weapons shop.” The princess spoke much to her friends’ fright as she pulled the lovesick girl alongside her.

“Poor girl. I’m glad I’m not her.” Mai stated wryly while Ty Lee winced while nodding in agreement.

They were beginning to fear that Azula would cage the poor girl if Elle were to ever decide that she was interested in someone else!

They watched the two vanish ahead of them only hearing the small girl call out a meek ‘yes Master Azula’ one more time.

“Y-yes Master Azula.” The blonde-haired girl agreed while reaching up to embrace the woman’s toned bicep all the while admiring her peak physique.

And with that Azula dragged Elle out of sight with her behavior clearly taking on an even more dominant turn.

In Azula’s mind she was beginning to realize that she just may have found the perfect romantic partner for her.

She was lovely, just young enough for her, petite to her liking, submissive, very eager to please, and to top it all off the girl even enjoyed her dominant personality.

Elle was indeed a splendid little find.

#Azula #avatar the last airbender fanfiction #yuri #ty lee avatar #mai avatar

[phoukanamedpookie]

I may or may not have a fic idea about Zuko "sentencing” Azula to an extended stay in a small village on Kyoshi Island*

She’s not allowed to leave until her “sentence” is up. In that time, she learns, sometimes despite herself, how to make friends and relate to others in a healthy way. It takes a few years.

Ironically, she might wind up befriending the Kyoshi warriors, even Suki. In her own way, Azula may eventually help the warriors refine their fighting strategies.

Sokka and Katara would be shocked by this, but Suki would explain that the only reason why they were enemies in the first place was because of the war. Not to mention, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee beat Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors fair and square. It’s not like she burned down a village or threatened civilians to get her way. (Zuko has the decency to look sheepish.) Afterward, she could’ve had them tortured or executed, but she didn’t.

“It’s funny you say that,” Zuko would say, “Aang once asked me if we’d have been friends if we met before the war.”

“What’d you say?” Katara would ask.

“I, uh, firebended at him.”

That’s not to say Azula turns into a marshmallow. She’s aloof, domineering and prickly, and she’s got a devious streak as wide as the Great Divide. But she’s not a monster. She’s just another lonely teenager messed up by the things the war forced on her.

Hearing this, Aang may recount his experience of Fire Nation education and how it reminds him of the brainwashing that went on at Lake Laogai. (Cue shudder from the Gaang.)

This may stir Katara’s sympathy, especially as she remembers Jet. She may come to believe that what Azula needs is healing, not punishment. She used waterbending to help Jet recover his memories. What if she can use it to help Azula?

Toph might pipe up that when someone has total control over your life and isolates you from the world, it can really mess up your sense of self and make it really hard to get along with others. Her own parents tried that with her, and they actually cared about her. How much worse would it have been living under the thumb of someone like Ozai? (Cue shudder from the Gaang.)

And Toph might say, “She’s confused and lonely. Just give her some space to figure herself out in a place where she can’t hurt anybody.”

So Zuko gives Azula a choice: “community service” in a small village on Kyoshi Island, prison or institutionalization. Azula, being a smart girl, picks community service. She might secretly think Zuko’s a fool and plot her escape, but after getting chi blocked a few times trying to get away (Ty Lee wisely gives Azula, who’s mad as a nest of buzzard wasps, a wide berth for a while afterwards), she accepts that her best ticket off the island is proving that she’s not a threat to everyone she comes across.

During this time, maybe Azula forges a bond with one of the Kyoshi Warriors (aka Original Female Character, aka OFC) who has a more nuanced view about the war and the Fire Nation than most. Perhaps someone a little bit older (like 5 years) who lived through the siege of Ba Sing Se when Iroh and heard about Azula conquering the city without racking up a body count. Maybe OFC sees right through Azula’s act and finds it amusing rather than off-putting. Maybe one day, a couple of years into her “sentence,” Azula realizes, “Holy shit. I’m in love with OFC!” And she refuses to say a word about it. (What? Show any form of emotional vulnerability whatsoever? You do realize this is Azula, right?)

At first, Azula might be more uptight and aloof around OFC than usual. She wracks her brain trying to figure out a way to express her feelings without making herself look weak. She even takes an interest in *shudder* poetry because OFC loves poetry and once explained it to Azula as a secret code to the human heart. (When OFC puts it that way, maybe poetry’s not completely useless after all.) She gravitates to warrior poets who write in a bold, energetic style, like firebending but with words. She tries her hand at composing a poem. Of course, being Azula, she immediately attempts one of the most challenging poetic forms. It takes weeks to make it just right. It reveals her penetrating observation and deep yearning in a concise, economic form. She doesn’t sign it with her name. Somehow, she knows OFC will know she wrote it. Then she secretly leaves it where OFC will find it.

Azula uncharacteristically makes no threats or demands. She doesn’t plot or scheme or manipulate. She just waits, hoping against hope, that her feelings are returned. She hates every minute of it, but she wants OFC to choose her, to want her, and doing things the old way isn’t how that’s going to happen.

Then Azula gets sick. Zuko and the rest of the Gaang hurry to Kyoshi Island. Her ailment mystifies physicians. She runs hot and cold, slips in and out of consciousness, hallucinates. Zuko guesses that this is no ordinary sickness, but the start of Azula’s metamorphosis. It’s similar to his own, but much more intense. There’s no time to send for Iroh, so Zuko takes the lead in caring for her, with Katara keeping a close eye on Azula too. Zuko questions Suki and Ty Lee about events leading up to Azula’s illness. Has Azula done anything they would consider out of character lately? They have no clue, but Ty Lee remarks that Azula’s aura has been very pink recently.

Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors regularly check in on Azula, and OFC checks on her more often than the others. Katara may catch the way OFC gently touches fingertips with Azula, the tender way she brushes Azula’s hair out of her face.

Azula tosses and turns in her sleep. She murmurs OFC’s name.

Meanwhile, Zuko’s at Azula’s side. Memories of sibling bonding that come before everything in their lives turned to shit. Memories of the little games they played together. Memories of when he used to make her smile and laugh. Memories of when her talents made her beam with brotherly pride. Memories of them snickering through a performance of “Love Amongst the Dragons.” Memories of seeing her cry in secret because Dad said or did something mean to her. Memories of the pure joy on her face when she was firebending, the sheer delight when she learned how to make her flames blue.

“You’d better not die. I’m the Fire Lord, and I forbid it,” Zuko warns, choking up, “Azula, please, just come back to us.”

A few days later, she does.

Getting Azula back to full strength takes a lot of time. Her illness did a number on her physically. She feels weak and wobbly, and she aches all over. It’s humiliating to need help with basic things like walking, bathing, and getting dressed, and it does no favors to her disposition. But she actually apologizes for snapping at Ty Lee and making her cry. Then she does the unthinkable and thanks Katara for helping her in a way that preserves her dignity.

At some point, Zuko asks Azula what prompted her metamorphosis. Azula gets Zuko to swear secrecy by saying she’ll tell everyone that he used to wet the bed until he was twelve. It’s not true, but they both know that Azula can be very convincing. Once certain that no one is listening, she confesses her feelings about OFC. She tells Zuko about the moment she realized it was love, about the poem, about not wanting to do things the way she used to, and so on. And then it finally clicks for Zuko. For once, he knows something Azula doesn’t! And he explains the sickness coming from a conflict between what she did and who she thought she was, and how that conflict plays out in her mind and body.

Azula waves it off, “I figured as much, Dum Dum, but how do I get her to want me back? You and Mai have been together forever. How did you convince her to like you?”

“Well, it’s not really anything I did or didn’t do. It kinda just happened...”

“Ugh! You have a girlfriend. You’re supposed to know this stuff. Zuzu, you’re useless!”

Zuko barely manages to contain himself long enough to get out of Azula’s sight and hearing. Then he laughs and laughs. Katara wonders what’s wrong with him.

“Nothing,” he says, “Just something Azula said.”

Eventually, they have to go, but Azula’s on her way to recovery by then.

“You should tell her how you feel. Her aura gets very pink around you,” Ty Lee says, walking on her hands.

“I have no idea who or what you mean.”

Soon, Azula’s patience pays off. One day, OFC says, “We need to talk.”

Azula braces herself for the worst. But instead of OFC telling her that there’s no way she can return Azula’s feelings because she’s a monster who deserves to die alone, OFC says, “I read your poem. Actually, I know it by heart.”

A brief moment of transcendent joy. And then, “But?”

“We shouldn’t.”

“Why?” asks Azula, and OFC realizes how young she is, how she’s still so innocent in so many ways.

“Azula, you’re barely seventeen, and I’m almost twenty-three.”

“So? It’s not like you’re old enough to be my mother.”

“It’s still...inappropriate.”

“I never took you for the type to be worried about gossip.”

“I’m not. But the fact is you’re still a kid.”

“I’m legally an adult.”

“The fact you have to say that is exactly how I know you’re still a kid.”

And they argue in the way only people who love each other deeply can argue. It ends with Azula storming off in a fury that would make Zuko’s look like a day at the beach. She goes to her favorite spot to meditate before she does something rash like set the whole village on fire. OFC had no right to say those things to her! No right to talk down to her like she’s a child! No right to tell Azula how she feels, when this is the first time she’s ever felt anything for another person that’s untainted by her family baggage.

Eventually, Azula comes around to realizing that though she was absolutely right about everything she said, she may have overreacted just a tad. She’s in no hurry to apologize, though.

(And now I gotta cut this off because I have something to do like right this minute.)

#azula #about eshu #azula x ofc

[avatarimagines]

Can you please do modern Mai headcanons? If it's not to much of a trouble, I would be really happy if they could be positive(i.e not anti-Mai) or include Zuko. But that's really up to you, just a suggestion. I would be thrilled with anything involving Mai tbh lmao

Don’t worry love this is an anti-free zone. Ships are okay in this blog

Mai

Mai is definitely one the most popular girls in school. Not on purpose though.

Since she's best friends with Azula and Ty Lee, who are also extremely popular, the whole school knows who she is. And not to mention she's dating one of the most hottest guys in school.

Mai hates all the attention though. Ty Lee always pushes them to go to stupid high school parties and she hates them. She still has Zuko though, but that's not much because he's also grumpy for being dragged to a party.

Her favorite spot to chill is at any cafe. She doesn't know why but cafes always calm her and gives her this sense of home. She would never admit though.

Also she has the most nastiest, grumpiest, meanest cat that has ever existed. And she fucking loves her cat. Probably loves her a little more than Zuko. She's this big fat black cat named Desdemonda and Mai will scold at you if you pronounce her name wrong. Zuko hates Desdemonda and Desdemonda hates Zuko. And Mai always nags Zuko for being mean to her cat.

Mai is extremely into poetry. She keeps a notebook filled with beautiful poems she wrote and all of them come from the bottom of her cold heart. Her dream is to one day publish a poetry book.

Bonus: People might not notice but she's really into scarfs. Like she has a collection of scarves that only Azula, Zuko, and her mom knows about. So every year on her birthday Azula gives her a scarf.

#Mai #Avatar The Last Airbender

[pyxyystyxx]

ATLA Highlights

Okay so things I really feel are underappreciated in ATLA are as follows: 

{[(This is a long post so read under the cut)]}

Season One

-When Sokka implies that being an optimist makes you a liar (as a cynic/realist I found this hilarious)

-When Sokka gets his ass handed to him by the Kyoshi warriors and is super sexist but then realizes he’s wrong and apologizes all in one episode (that's growth and we love to see it)

-Zuko breaking into a fortress undetected (sneaking back out not so much but kudos for trying lol)

-Katara being a thief (seriously though stealing from pirates is cool)

-Katara fighting Master Pakku  (seriously he’s a master and she’s been bending for how long? like two weeks? fucking amazing)

-Zuko diving in after the turtle seals because obviously they have to come up for air somewhere (but dude, how long can they hold their breath for? you’re working under the assumption that you can hold your breath as long as they can? in freezing cold water? in something that doesn’t help keep out the water or the cold? while moving? he, in this moment establishes that he is a bad ass (and persistent) motherfucker)

-Zuko dragging all of Aang’s dead weight a couple of miles through a blizzard (presumably while still soaking wet from his trip through ice cold fucker water)

-Zhao being killed by a vindictive La is everything honestly (why Zuko tried to save him is beyond me (I suppose that this established that he is a compassionate person despite his intentions and words))

Season Two

-The hippie nomads were funny (and very irritating)

-King Bumi (everything about him)

-Toph (enough said)

-The entire Zuko Alone episode (my poor angry baby)

-Foo Foo Cuddlypoops

-Wan Shi Tong’s library is what I imagine The Library of Alexandria to look like in this world

-Sokka continues to impress with his strategist mentality in The Drill

-The City of Walls and Secrets is a horrifying episode that I somehow manage to forget every time and very much regret rediscovering

-The entire Tales of Ba Sing Se episode

-Katara and Toph having a spa day is so wholesome (and the fact that they put those snobby noble girls in their place is just an added bonus)

-Iroh coaching those boys on how to face consequences like an upstanding citizen (and how to run away from the consequences when the consequence can crush you like a soda can) | Iroh teaching the would-be-robber how to properly mug someone is hilarious (also good on him for wanting to pursue a career as a masseur | Iroh being knowledgeable on flowers and spreading that knowledge to others, and singing to the fussy baby is sweet | Lu Ten’s birthday segment always make me cry (and if you tell me you don’t cry at that scene I will call you a liar, don’t at me)

-Sokka being surprisingly good at Haiku poems (yay for bonus character depth)

-Aang letting wild animals loose in the city is fucking hilarious (the fact that all the domestic animals ended up in his makeshift zoo just adds to that)

-Zuko’s (valid if not somewhat awful) attempt at dating (Iroh why did you do that to his hair, why?!)

-Momo bonding with the pygmy pumas after freeing them is so wholesome (and the pygmy pumas leading Momo to Appa’s footprint was amazing too)

-Zuko freeing Appa

-(yay for the Earth King finding a spine)

-(of all the godforsaken food combinations why banana and onion juice, that sounds like a pregnancy craving if I ever heard one)

-The catacomb scene with Katara and Zuko (was the beginning of my descent into shipper hell)

-You were this 👌 close Zuko, why did you do that? (what happened to Azula always lies)

Season Three

-Aang going to school like a normal twelve year old (why would you make up words to an anthem you don’t know? instead of just not talking which is far less noticeable that getting it wrong? (also getting into fights on your second day is bad Aang (but Katara and Sokka pretending to be his parents is funny, I wonder if it was awkward for them? I imagine it was)))

-Katara continuing to be a bad ass motherfucker in The Painted Lady

-Sokka in Sokka’s Master was monumental for Sokka’s character growth, I really don’t feel the need to add anything to it, the episode speaks for itself

-The Beach is (for me at least) the cringiest fucking episode like jfc how did this get past everyone (the writers had to get this past editing, producers, directors, animation department, and the sound department, and for some reason no one saw anything wrong with any of it (”I don’t hate you”, “I don’t hate you too” and then they kiss, like for fuck’s sake man how?!))

-(also Zuko, jealousy is an ugly look on everyone, you’re not exempt from that)

-(sparky sparky boom man, really Sokka, that’s what you’re going with?)

-The Puppetmaster was another horrifying episode (cool but horrifying, like thanks I hate it)

-(I’m going to reiterate the point that all of us having been making for years... why the fuck are the adults letting children fight their battles? who does that? like ‘oh I’m fourteen and ready to fight in a war that I am wholly unprepared for’ like I don’t fucking think so, go sit your ass down in a corner somewhere and color or something)

-(Aang kissing people when you think you might die is cliche)

-(Zuko breaking up with someone in a letter is the modern equivalent of breaking up over text (which is a shitty thing to do))

-Toph inventing metal bending is the most bad ass thing I’ve ever seen

-(hooray Zuko, for standing up for yourself to your father though, I’m proud of you)

-(Iroh breaking out of a max security prison is fucking bad ass)

-Zuko making that speech to the frog was priceless honestly (he’s so awkward it’s adorable)

-Toph being the only pragmatic person in the group

-(”why am I so bad at being good?!”)

-(pettiness isn’t a good look on anyone Katara (says the pettiest person on the planet))

-The Firebending Masters was a very cool (du du tssss) episode (like visually speaking)

-(you should probably plan things out a little more than that Sokka)

-Sokka and Zuko being awkward turtle ducklings

-(that scene with Zuko in the cooler, when he looks up and exhales fire and smirks? I was dead, big sexy)

-Suki being a bad ass motherfucker

-(Shout out to Mai and Ty Lee for standing up to Azula, but being imprisoned doesn’t sound fun)

-The Southern Raiders episode (my shipper heart melts a little every time I watch it)

-The Ember Island Players (*side eye* *cringe* yikes)

-(Aang, kissing people when they don't give you explicit permission or when they say they're confused is... wait for it... shitty (I'm gonna be nice and not call it r@pist behavior even though I could))

-Everyone (except for Aang) being realistic about what it is they’re doing (or about to be doing rather)

-(glue bending? really Aang? also thanks for fucking off to nowhere in the middle of a war Aang, that’s super helpful)

-June and her shirshu Nyla are fucking amazing (also June, among a few others, should have tipped me off to the fact that I wasn’t straight, but small me was super oblivious)

-The Order of the White Lotus (enough said)

-(time for you to grow the fuck up Aang, even your past lives agree)

-Iroh and Zuko’s tearful reunion is so heartwarming

-Lion Turtles are fucking amazing and I want like eight of them

-Azula’s descent into madness is both revealing and sad

-Sokka, Suki, and Toph on the airship is amazing (airship slice!)

-The Agni Kai between Azula and Zuko is one of the greatest fucking scenes in cinematographic history, the graphics are truly awe inspiring (no I will not be taking any criticism at this time nor is this open to debate)

-The scene on the airship with Sokka and Toph is honestly so gut wrenching | like when they fall and Sokka breaks his leg and he catches Toph with one arm while on his back looks so painful | and when he throws his boomerang and sword but then more fire benders come rushing out and Toph starts slipping and they’re both crying (like goddamn it would be less painful to just rip my heart out and stomp on it)

-Aang in the avatar state is (visually speaking) really awesome

-When Zuko dives in front of the lightning to save Katara (him shouting no like that kills me) | The fact that Katara immediately tries to rush to Zuko (even though Azula was standing right there also kills me)

-Katara defeating Azula (who is at her most powerful, along with every other fire bender) proves that she truly is a master and in a league all her own

-Azula after her defeat was heart wrenching to watch (what did Ozai do to you Azula?)

-(Katara crying over Zuko as she heals him)

-Aang defeating Ozai by taking his bending away is amazing (seriously, spirit bending is cool)

Honorable Mentions:

-Aang and his dedication to mastering earth bending and also him learning spirit bending

-Katara learning to stand up for what she believes is right | Katara learning to forgive (those who deserve it) | Katara mastering her element in less than a year | Katara being a beacon of hope to everyone around her | Katara allowing herself to be human and make mistakes

-(Katara and character growth)

-Sokka unlearning his misogynistic bullshit | Sokka becoming a humble and thoughtful young man, but never losing his sense of humor | Sokka learning to apologize and forgive

-(Sokka and character growth)

-Toph inventing metal bending (it’s worth mentioning twice) | Toph learning when to apologize | Toph learning it’s okay to be vulnerable

-(Toph and character growth)

-Zuko learning to stand up for himself (to his father and Azula) | Zuko unlearning his biases | Zuko learning to own up to misdeeds and apologize | Zuko learning to forgive (himself) | Zuko learning to accept help from others | Zuko learning it’s okay to be vulnerable | Zuko learning how to love people again (starting with his uncle and the small group of kids he helped end the war with)

-(Zuko and character growth across the whole fucking board)

-(Mai and Ty Lee for learning to stand up to Azula, and for what they believe in)

-(Ty Lee joining the Kyoshi Warriors)

Dishonorable Mentions: 

-Azula for being a monster (even if I really (heavily) blame Ozai)

-Ozai for being the shittiest dad in the whole world (though admittedly his father was worse for wanting him kill his own son (then again the fact that he was absolutely and without hesitation willing to do so makes him even worse so never mind))

-(Zuko what on earth made you pick Mai as someone you wanted to date? who told you that was a good idea? cause they lied)

-Aang, when someone says they’re confused that is not the time to kiss them, I don’t care that he’s only twelve that is a shitty move (and you’re not allowed to be upset when you’re rejected either (that makes you even shittier))

-Also Aang had absolutely no character growth or development whatsoever in this series (don’t at me, I love Aang, but he didn’t grow as a person, like at all) | Aang on a consistent basis runs away from things that are difficult or that upset him | Aang thinks he’s entitled to people (no, just because you’re the avatar doesn’t mean anyone owes you their affection, attention, or their time) | Aang never learned how to face his demons head on (him learning spirit bending was just a cop out so Aang could stay this “perfect and pure child” with all his innocence and naiveté in tact), but that’s not how the real world works (sometimes you have to do hard things that you don’t like or agree with, life isn’t always fair.)

TL;DR

Avatar: The Last Airbender was a staple of my childhood that I love dearly. And though there are faults (personally for me they were faults, this won’t be the case for everyone obviously), it was a key foundation of my sense of self, like I’m sure it was for so many others.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #aang #katara #sokka #toph #zuko #iroh #suki #mai #ty lee #kataang #maiko #which i will die mad about #dont @ me #zutara #me #just ignore this #and me #and my ramblings #my post

[haekass]

Shinhwa vids

6ETA: Some of these videos are in the process of being taken down/reuploaded, I apologize for broken links I will update this post as I get the new links. If you’ve reblogged, either reblog this update or let your followers know ty~ -lea

Key: 

strikethrough means that the vid has been taken down, no reup as of yet

italics are vids that are still up but will be down shortly and reup is coming

bold are vids that have been updated with new links

Very long post ahead. MVs can be found with a basic search on yt, please watch on official channels where available. @beserkerjewel

Non-title track fave songs

Scarface

Mannequin

That’s Right

Live version of Run [1] [2] (sub esp)

Alright

Basic Shinhwa Guide in Motion

Oh snap those vocals tho & Shinhwa still having it

Dongwan on KOMS (The First Poem) & Post Reveal Interview

Wild Eyes x2 speed on Weekly Idol

Minwoo on KOMS (Full Clip)

Junjin & sports

Shinhwa - Wild Eyes acoustic version

Eric & Dongwan speaking English on Running Man

Human Ladder game on Running Man (eng sub) [kshow, use the openload server & begin at 57:45]

Venus encore stage on MCD

Junjin random MC dance time

Brand New & Perfect Man at KBS Gayo 2016 (this is them not even close to being top of their game, junjin didn’t have an in ear, but you can hear the live vocals so clear)

Shinhwa on YHY Sketchbook 2015 (they mention the fistfight at mubank)

ShinDorks

Random Wa

I am the King (ft shcj trolls, sexy alien eric, boozy junjin, confused andy) [eng sub]

F U NO LIPSYNC

Oppayam nailing girl group dances [1] [2] [3 + all members doing Up&Down]

EXID fansite admin Dongwan (no sub)

Shinhwa is 18+ teaser (eng sub)

Van dancing (cc eng sub available)

Can’t live with Hyesungie (eng sub)

Zomdy Martial Arts (eng sub)

Again 1998 (Shinhwa vs Lee Hyori) [eng sub]

Shinhwa’s 18th birthday (vapp) (eng sub)

Eric needling the Little Prince (eng sub)

Sniper’s changed parts (Eric/Dongwan, Hyesung/Junjin, Minwoo/Andy)

Hyesung calling Junjin, Junjin dorky answer

This Bowling Love

Gazes & Poses from 10s to 50s

Dongwan’s bag

Shinhwa reacting to Shinhwa [week 1: begin at 56:30 for shinhwa] [week 2: begin at 57:26 for shinhwa] (eng subs) [vapp website]

Shinhwa on YHY Sketchbook 2017

ShinDorks at their own concert during Ments

Their love hexagon (An Aquainted Man ad libs)

Love Letter Self Q&A (eng sub)

ZERO FUCKS GIVEN (Hyesung & Eric drinking soju on stage at a concert)

Shinhwa ♥ SHCJ

shinhwa vs shcj

baby shinchang

Extra Shinhwa

Hyesung & Bungee Jumping [1] [2] 

Dongwan - He_Sunshine (his own shot/edited MV)

Shinhwa’s dance team doing mannequin challenge (directed by Dongwan)

Minwoo & Junjin - You in My Fading Memory (fancam, gets loud)at M’s solo concert

Shinhwa kissing marathons [1] [2] [3] [Inkigayo RicWan] [#1 MCD happy kiss attack on Minwoo] [strip judo MinDy]

Shinhwa - Only One dance practice

ShinBang Office Chair Long Jump Junjin winner

Hyesung’s cute little ‘oh my god’

I HAVE AN OBJECTION (no sub)

Jinnie being cute and shy

Funny Shinhwa moments

How to play with hoobaes during encore

Shinhwa imitating phone vibration tones

Full ‘movie’ of Run (eng sub)

RicSyung Sniper 2 mil thanks video (they live in the same building)

Full Shows (Eng Sub)

Weekly Idol with Shinhwa [ep 1] [ep 2] (hearts-shinhwa) [ep 1] [ep 2] (orangemyth subs)

Weekly Idol with Shin Hyesung (special MC Andy) [part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

Oh well I didn’t need my heart today clips

Guerrilla concert full show eng sub [part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

Guerrilla concert interview clip eng sub

Eric & Hyesung’s mothers fussing over Junjin at Junjin’s solo concert with Dongwan

Junjin’s family history

Shinhwa intro at Kcon LA 2015

Shinhwa’s video message to Andy (4th album promo) [eng sub]

Andy’s first appearance back during fanmeeting

[Warning: video of Hyesung rupturing a ligament in his knee during a flip gone wrong]

Shinhwa’s favorite number is 6

Awesome leader Eric (eng sub)

Shinhwa’s promise to fans to come back after military service

Other comps (warning some of these may have questionable and dubious humor, I apologize, but as it’s many clips, there are actual funny things along with the ???)

Shinhwa Vine [1] [2]

Shinhwa on crack [1] [2] | [1] [2] [3] [4] | [1: open mind] [2: hyesung’s small chili]

Shit Shinhwa Says [1] [2]

#shinhwa #shindorks #long post #this should keep several people busy for a few days lmao

[spell-cleaver]

Lord of Shadows Fan Theories

SPOILERS FOR ALL RELEASED CASSANDRA CLARE BOOKS AND FANTASTIC BEASTS AHEAD. These are mine and my friend's Lord of Shadows fan theories. Remember these are just our opinions and musings we came up with late at night when we really should've been asleep.

1: Julian is the Lord of Shadows. We know that the Lord of Shadows is actually a character, like Lady Midnight was actually a character, and we think that whilst he could be a character we haven't met yet, of the ones we know, Julian is the most likely. This is because The Dark Artifices are meant to be linked to The Last Hours the way TMI and TID were linked. And the material we've got about the characters from TLH is the short story Nothing But Shadows from Tales From The Shadowhunter Academy. In this, James Herondale (Will and Tessa's son) can turn into a shadow due to the demon blood from his mother's side.  However, Lucie Herondale, his younger sister, is described to have no supernatural powers, though we know she often wondered if she did. We know that eventually Lucie Herondale calls herself Lucie Blackthorn, so this could mean that the current Blackthorn family are descended from her  - and therefore, from Tessa. It's not impossible that Julian inherited this ability to change into a shadow from her. Furthermore, there's a saying that "Even demons run when a gentle man goes to war" - i.e. those who are usually gentle, become the most dangerous when pushed to breaking point. Julian has been holding himself together since he was forced to kill his father in the Dark War and lost his older siblings, and his lingering PTSD from this was never addressed as he was forced to keep himself alive to look after his younger siblings. The few comforts he had were his relationship (familial and comfortable) with Emma, and the dreams of what they could be. But now, Mark is back, and Julian doesn't need to be the only one responsible for his siblings now. A teaser Cassandra Clare released insinuates that Helen might come back as well - at the very least they see her. He doesn't need to be the strong one anymore. And now he's had a taste of what it could be like with Emma, and now she's begun to almost shun him, he'll grow increasingly unstable. This coupled with him possibly being shunned by the Shadowhunter community if he does have this power, could lead to him possibly being a dangerous character, or being susceptible to dangerous outbursts - similar to Credence Barebone in Fantastic Beasts, with this shadow power being like an obscurus. Therefore, a Lord of Shadows.

2: Eva Blackthorn (Kit's ancestor) and Lady Midnight are related. In The Lost Herondale, Catarina describes Eva Blackthorn, the pregnant woman who was sentenced to death in place of her husband, Tobias Herondale, to Simon as "a raven haired spitfire - much like your Isabelle" (Bonus point: I don't know how, but she could be somehow related to Isabelle as well).  The year was 1828, as we're told by Balogh in his version of the story - almost two hundred years before the events of LM. Malcolm says that Annabel was in her tomb for two hundred years. The timelines are similar, and they're from the same family - could Annabel and Eva have been sisters? Cousins? As Eva's last remaining descendant (as far as we know), will Annabel try to approach Kit?

3: Emma might have faerie blood. Mark says to Emma "The storm calls you as it calls me, does it not?" We know that it calls him on behalf of faerie, and the "storm" of the Wild Hunt. Could this foreshadow links between Emma and Faerie? On the other hand, "storm" could refer to the "storm" of battle, and as Emma is described as a warrior, this could possibly link to how Mark might develop over the next books. "Storm" could also be linked to the idea of music, and in her fevered dream after the whipping, Emma's father says "Music is in the blood of the Carstairs". There are legends about faerie music, and though in the context Emma's father is referencing Jem and his violin, this could link to the music of faerie, or the music of battle.

4: Cortana can cut through emotional bonds. In her fevered dream, Emma's mother says to her "A blade made by Wayland the Smith can cut anything". In the poem Annabel Lee, there's the stanza: "And neither the angels in heaven above/ Nor the demons down under the sea/ Can ever dissever my soul from the soul from the soul/ Of the beautiful Annabel Lee". "The angels in heaven above" is confirmed in LM to refer to the Clave, and the Shadowhunters, and "the demons down under the sea" could reference the warlocks such as Catarina and Magnus, or possibly Malcolm's demon father. Malcolm goes on about how nothing will separate him and Annabel, but possibly Cortana could? Also, we saw elsewhere the theory that Cortana could cut the parabatai bond between Emma and Julian. Usually, the parabatai bond can only be broken by death, and after the death of one parabatai, the living one cannot take another. However, if Cortana can cut through anything, it could sever the bond between them. We think this theory could be accurate, and is bolstered by Cristina saying to Emma "I have thought for a while that I would never want a parabatai. But I would feel differently, I think , if the parabatai had been you" which implies that they may become parabatai. In COHF Diana mentions to Clary and Jace that Cortana was the blade of Ogier. Ogier the Dane appeared as a knight of Charlemagne in Chanson de Roland, written in 1060 AD. He isn't a focus of the poem. Between 1200 and 1215 AD the poem La Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche was written, which features him as a main character. His sword, Cortana, according to the story Tristan, was originally Tristan's (another knight's) sword, which had the end cut off, and was used at the coronation of King Henry III. Similar to the legend of King Arthur, Ogier is said to sleep in the castle of Kronborg, and will wake when the country of Denmark is in great peril. How this links to the plotline of TDA, we don't know, but we talk later about the significance of roses in TDA and fairytales, and this legend seems vaguely similar to that of Sleeping Beauty, and if it's Emma currently carrying the sword, that could be a suggestion for what will happen in upcoming books.

5: Annabel is a mermaid, or some other deep sea creature. In An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunters and Denizens of Downworld Annabel is described as "a phantom, not so much of a person as a folkloric idea". This could insinuate that when she was resurrected, she was forced to take another body, as her old one is "parched bones and dry sinew". Also, she references "the magic of the sea" and "the blood of the one who had loved her, a stranger magic still". If this magic is so "strange", there's a good chance she'll change into something other. In the Shadowhunters Codex, it referred to faeries as being found "in all shapes and forms" and there being countless varieties. It's likely that mermaids are one of these. Furthermore, the line "the demons down under the sea" could refer to some sort of deep sea creature that she either consorts with, or becomes.

6: Cristina is the one who gets them out of the Unseelie Court. Cassandra Clare released a teaser that Kieran would be condemned to be executed, and that Mark and Cristina and the likes would travel into the Unseelie Court to rescue him. In an extract released, Kieran goes to swear fealty to Mark for reasons unknown, and Julian objects, saying that Kieran loved Mark and that "an oath should be free of entanglements". Therefore, Kieran says to Cristina instead, "I swear fealty to you, Lady of Roses." Whilst "roses" probably refers simply to Cristina's last name being "Rosales", roses are a common theme in folklore and literature, such as in Beauty and the Beast where Belle's father picks a rose to give to her and therefore is captured by the Beast, and also in several versions of The Ice Queen, where a boy is taken prisoner, and his heart frozen and is told that to earn his freedom he must solve a puzzle given to him. It's only when the girl who loves him reaches him, cries, and thaws his heart that he solves the puzzle and constructs the ice shards he was given into a rose. We think that the most relevant fairy tale is The Ice Queen, as we know that they have to travel to free Kieran, and this could mean that Cristina has an important role to play in their escape, as the one who solves the puzzle. On a slightly unrelated but interesting note, in An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunters and Denizens of Downworld, Mark's flower is rose leaves, meaning "Please believe me". Roses seem to be a common theme in TDA, as they are in folklore. Continuing this theme of roses, another famous fairytale linked to roses is Sleeping Beauty, who can also be called Briar Rose, where we all know the castle in which the princess sleeps in is covered in thorns. In AIHONSADOD , Ty's flower is a Thorn Apple, which means "My heart concealed by thorns"...

7: Jaime Rosales will be on the side of, or manipulated by, the fey. A teaser was released saying that Jaime's favourite weapons included the crossbow and poison, primarily poison. We know that the faeries (or at least the Wild Hunt) use elfbolts as favoured weapons, described as "sly", which are shot at people and then inject deadly poison into them. In addition, we're told in AIHONSADOD  that "Jaime often disappears for long periods without saying where he's going"- he could be meeting with them then. We think that there may be a link between Jaime and the Fair Folk that may be uncovered in LOS.

That's all we got for now, but we'll probably think of more later. :)

#jemma #emma and julian #blackstairs #james herondale #emma carstairs #julian blackthorn #livvy blackthorn #drusilla blackthorn #ty blackthorn #kit herondale #malcolm fade #diana wrayburn #the dark artifices #the last hours #tales from the shadowhunter academy #the mortal instruments #the infernal devices #arthur blackthorn #mark blackthorn #helen blackthorn #aline penhallow

[comradekatara]

Sorry if it’s already been done, but what retail worker stereotypes do you think the Gaang would be. I feel Aang would be the one that has to keep the employees from killing each other lol. Thank you.

okay i’ve never worked retail and i may be underinformed on retail worker stereotypes so i just kind of ran with the retail jobs premise in general in the same vein as this LoK post! this isn’t quite modern AU but it is its own modern-day AU if that makes any sense at all.

aang: works at the juice store at the food court. no one who goes to the mall ever wants to just buy some juice, so he winds up spending a lot of time sitting on the counter, legs crossed pretzel-style, mooning over the hippieish girl who works at the craft store. she has long braids and walks around the store in overalls and socks and aang has just decided that she’s the girl of his dreams. the craft store is on the second floor but he can just barely see it if he sits on the counter and cranes his neck up and to the side. one day, he works up the nerve to go there on his break and buy some beads. before he heads up there, he decides to make her a juice that he thinks she’ll like. he spends almost an hour thinking of the perfect ingredients that match her vibe and choosing the exact right color straw��–and then he gets there and the hippieish girl he’s had his heart set on for weeks is drinking a red bull. his heart is wounded that day.

sokka: sokka is the youngest geek squad employee at the best buy. it’s a great job. he gets to wear blue (which is his color) and he is surrounded by other nerds, most of whom are in college and don’t mind entertaining him in between customers by talking about their engineering classes and the projects they’re working on. a few of the girls he works with are so charmed by him that they invite him to tag along to guest lectures at the college campus from time to time. at work, sokka is very careful and attentive while he fixes computers, but it is undeniable that the customers test his patience. a day does come when a customer reiterates repeatedly that sokka is not to go poking around his browser history, and the only way sokka manages to wrest the laptop from this customer’s hands is by falsely assuring him that he is asexual

katara: katara got fired from pacsun because she attended a protest to block a new victoria’s secret from opening up in the mall and then invited the other protesters to come to pacsun after closing time for post-protest drinks and celebration. she opened the store and found her manager quietly drinking wine in the back. after that, it was just inevitable that she be fired.

toph: toph’s father does not allow toph to work. toph also happens to be an extremely, um, demanding customer, so when she comes to the mall, her friends insist she steer clear of their stores until their shifts are over and they can walk around together as customers. so she spends her time harassing mall cops instead and trying to get in the way when she hears their segways approaching. it’s a tough job but someone’s gotta do it 😇

zuko: zuko’s first job is after he is kicked out of his father’s house and moves in with his uncle and begins working in uncle iroh’s store. the jasmine dragon is located in a freestanding building across the parking lot from the mall. zuko thinks it is the most relaxing place in the entire world. with super-soft chairs and quiet instrumental music playing all the time, it’s just inevitable that eventually customers ask iroh if he’d ever consider scheduling an open mic night. much to zuko’s alarm, at the first installment of what becomes a weekly event, iroh invites zuko to open the proceedings by reading his own poetry. but it actually goes really well. in fact, that’s how he meets yue, who came with the intention of reading her own poems, and mai, who came to perform a five-minute standup set. the three of them become fast friends, and it’s common for zuko to pour the two of them tea while they sit in the jasmine dragon and workshop their writing together after school.

suki: suki never quite figured out how to endure a retail job. she got a job at one of the clothing stores and worked there for barely two weeks before she was fired for turning a cute tank into a cuter crop top. then she tried the craft store, where she worked alongside aang’s little crush for a bit, but she blew up at her manager after he threatened to institute drug testing. she decided to just stop trying after that, and instead she got a job teaching martial arts to kids at the local martial arts studio. it pays much better and she loves nothing more than teaching girls how to do some damage

mai: mai is forbidden from working, and besides, workshopping her standup in the jasmine dragon takes up pretty much all of her time.

azula: azula is also forbidden from working, but a part of her really wishes she could conquer the filthy and disorganized kmart near her school because she has a lot of ideas on how to improve the layout and make the queueing more efficient. unfortunately, ozai believes that it is an embarrassment to have children who work where others might see them, so she has to keep her corporate overlord fantasies to herself.

ty lee: ty lee manages two competing fast food franchise locations at the age of 17, and literally no one knows.

#the gaang and #c #psychnerd47 #asks

[loopy777]

‘Team Avatar Tales‘ Hoedown

This isn’t a review. I’m not sophisticated to do Reviews with a number score at the end and some kind of pronouncement about whether or not every single person, regardless of their personal tastes/circumstances/finances, should buy this book. So, instead, I’ll be dancing through the each of the short stories in this book.

(It was on sale at NYCC at the Dark Horse booth. So I guess this is super-exclusive NYCC coverage! Woo! I am sophisticate and journalism!)

1. “Rebound” (Script: Gene Luen Yang / Art: Ryan Hill) Yes, this is the same comic that came out for Free Comic Book Day six years ago, still serving as an epilogue for The Promise and a prologue for Smoke & Shadow even though it isn’t collected with any version of either of those stories. Mai is still awesome, we still don’t have that ‘Lone Wolf & Cub’-inspired anime about her and Tom-Tom, and this story is one of TWO in this collection using a main Fire Nation character and the other one is ALSO a FCBD-reprint and also doesn’t feature Zuko despite him being on the cover. Sorry, Zuko fans!

2. “The Substitute” (Script: Dave Scheidt / Art: Little Corvus) Hey, remember the comic ‘Private Fire’ about Sokka going out while wearing fake facial-hair and getting hauled into a comedic misadventure due to mistaken identity? Apparently, Dave Scheidt does, and he loved it so much he used the exact same idea -- substituting a preschool for a military camp -- and compressed it down to 8 pages filled with standard “kids are monsters” jokes. It also has a framing that makes no sense because the gAang is already in their Fire Nation outfits but they still need to stay out of sight or wear disguises and also Toph is missing for some reason. Maybe the artist didn’t get the note and this is supposed to take place in Book Water in the colonies.

3. “Shells” (Script: Gene Luen Yang / Art: Faith Erin Hicks) Another FCBD reprint, this is the story of how Suki hates stock misogynists who promote the Fake Geek Girls thing and also reveals that Kyoshi started the Kyoshi Warriors in order to give women the means to defend themselves. This comic is still heavy-handed and still perfectly adequate and still the second-best thing Gene Yang has ever written after Rebound.

4. “Sokka’s Poem” (Script: Ron Koertge / Art: Gene Luen Yang) This is a two-page little love-letter to Sokka’s character that is exactly like all those “We need to talk about Sokka...” tumblr posts that I like and reblog except this one is illustrated by Gene Yang for some reason. Also, both pages were in the official previews, so you can just read it there. This story features Zuko’s only appearance (outside of Mai’s memories) in the collection, showing him sleeping in a sleeping bag with the rest of the gAang. (I mean they’re all sleeping in sleeping bags, not all in his sleeping bag. Missed opportunities.)

5.Toph & The Boulder (Sara Goetter) One of two pieces in this collection to be written and drawn by the same person, and so it turns out to be the only comedy thing in here that completely nails it. This story was previewed last year at NYCC, and is about Toph helping the Boulder with his cat. It’s silly and funny and ridiculous and impossible to take seriously and full of energy. Like I said: nails it. I think Sara Goetter should take over the main Avatar comic line and turn the post-cartoon series into a sitcom. I’m being completely serious.

6. Origami (Kiku Hughes) The other of two pieces in this collection to be written and drawn by the same person, and also the other of two pieces in this collection about a member of Team Avatar giving a confidence boost to a girl with self-esteem issues. Instead of being about Fake Geek Girls, this is about a girl who can’t fight and feels like she’s not special compared to warriors. It’s a cute little tale that shows some insight into the fact that being the Hope Girl of the group can’t be easy for Katara, but unfortunately it just leaves this revelation as a pep-talk in some dialogue rather than actually doing anything with it. Still, it’s a nice little tale and gets Katara’s character and almost manages to be pleasant enough to numb the pain coming with the next story in the collection.

7. Sisters (Script: Gene Luen Yang / Art: Carla Speed McNeil) Yes, another FCBD reprint. And I figured it out! Ty Lee’s sisters are all gaslighting her, and none of what they say about her or their childhood is true. One of the reasons Ty Lee ran away is because she couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t anymore back at home, and Mai told her to get the flameo out of Dodge. This is still the absolute worst thing to ever come from the Avatar franchise, and Ty Lee still needs help to beat a random thug working for a random guy running a random extortion racket against random circuses. I still think Sara Goetter should take over the entire Avatar comic line and do it all as  a sitcom.

8. Scarecrow (Script: Dave Scheidt / Art: Coni Yovaniniz) For some reason, Dave Scheidt got to do two stories in this collection about abusing Sokka. This one is the more ridiculous of the two, and doesn’t bother trying to be nice with its treatment of Sokka, and so this one is actually funny. It’s probably because the art is much more cartoony, so it makes physical abuse look fun and amusing. It’s like the Chibi Shorts in that respect, but this one actually has a sense of style that wasn’t stolen from anime and so is inherently superior.

#team avatar tales #dark horse comics #nycc 2019 #review #non-review

[denisepostssomething]

Film Review: Mainstream Indie 2017

Ever since watching Die Beautiful and Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 2 towards the end of last year, I’ve been interested to watch indie movies, as well as share my thoughts on them. The title for this review is “Mainstream Indie” because it seems like more and more indie movies are making their way towards a bigger audience. And this is great because we’re finally getting exposed to various types of films, allowing us to be more critical of how the media portrays different things, like relationships (flashback to the backlash of Kita Kita--which I haven’t watched yet--and more recently, 100 Tula Para Kay Stella--albeit much less backlash than the other one). Let’s start because this is gonna be a lot, hehe.

Baka Bukas

The first indie film I’ve watched this year. Directed by Samantha Lee, this is the story of a girl, Alex, who’s secretly in love with her best friend, Jess, who defines herself as straight. (SPOILER ALERT AHEAD) But we find out in the middle of the movie that she may have feelings for Alex as well... And that’s all I’m going to say about it. But what I am going to say is that I watched film five times--yes, five. I just feel like more movies like this need to come out (pun intended) more until being gay is no longer taboo. Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Louse de los Reyes’ acting are also on point. Not gonna lie, I still cringed during their sweet scenes, but that’s just me in general, even in heterosexual movies. Lol. The best part was the score, really--all the tracks fit so well into the scenes. If you listen to the tracks on Spotify it’s like you’re reliving the scenes all over again. I don’t do it much nowadays because I’m not ready for the scenes.

2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten

After watching Baka Bukas, of course it was only logical that I watch Cinema One Originals 2016’s Best Picture, 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten. Set in the late 1990′s, this time it’s about a boy who encounters two students with foreign blood. These two guys quickly become popular just because they’re foreign and the film’s protagonist develops a sort of friendship with them. This was a deep film that I didn’t even get the metaphor at the end. Actually, there were a lot of things I didn’t get--like the Florante at Laura part in between scenes. My brain hurt in the end, but I guess I can’t process or interpret these types of things yet?

I’m Drunk, I Love You

I guess this movie started the wave of indie becoming mainstream, at least for this year? They really fought to have this air in SM cinemas and it rain for a month or so, I think? It was really awesome, and a lot of people I know start talking about this movie as well. What’s great about this film is that it endorses indie music as well--those with the same quality as this film. The story resonated with a lot of people, especially the “millennials”, since this isn’t just about unrequited love--it’s about graduation, making choices for ourselves. The ending was nice because I’m personally a fan of non-happy endings, i.e. the pair doesn’t end up together Carson finally accepts the truth and she moves on with her life along with Dio. This film is great if you want to introduce your friends to the “indie films” scene. Of course, I do have issues with Jason Ty’s relationship at the end...

Bliss

I actually don’t think my opinion is worth anything here, simply because I missed the first half of the film. My friends and I watched it at Cinema 76 but failed to estimate the travel time from UP to San Juan so we ended up missing about an hour. After watching the ending and realizing that that was happening the entire time, I have to say it kinda creeps me out. (Iza, you poor child.) But maybe the reason why I didn’t get some of the things happening in the film was because I didn’t have any context. *makes mental note to never be late to Cinema 76 again* And while yes, there are some scenes that are deemed “unusual” by our country’s conventional standards, Bliss doesn’t deserve the X-rating it was given at first by the MTRCB.

Patay Na Si Hesus

The first one I watched from the very first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino! (Okay, I only watched two, sad.) This film was funny especially at the start, but the humor kinda declined at the end. (ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT) You can tell that the dog was going to die even before that “ominous” scene where the kid announces everyone that “Hudas (the dog) is dead”. Then they made a comic relief out of it--which I didn’t get. Maybe I missed something, and if I did, please do enlighten me. But overall it was an entertaining movie, worth the money and the time to go to the cinema. Jaclyn Jose’s acting was superb, and her Cebuana accent was really good. :) This is good to watch with family... if they have the same open mind as you.

100 Tula Para Kay Stella

You know those movies that get so hyped up because it’s a romantic film and then in the end you’re like “meh”? This is one of those films. I mean, okay, 100 Tula Para Kay Stella is okay to watch on your laptop or even at the wide screen, maybe. But the movie is just about Fidel liking a girl and not doing anything active about it. Yes, he writes poems, but so what? He says he made a hundred poems to impress her--so he waited, and when he finds out Stella’s (SPOILER ALERT, AGAIN!!!) married he can’t accept it. He doesn’t even believe it at first. Why? Did he actually think that Stella would wait for him? The world doesn’t work that way. If that was the message that this film was trying to portray, then good. Otherwise, glorifying Fidel for the things he did and pitying him is, for me, questionable. This film also had a 500 Days of Summer feel with the plot. I thought it was just me but apparently other people thought so as well. I wouldn’t even delve into the degree of inconsistency with the film’s details. Oh, and don’t even mention the portrayal of the gay character as caricature. But what really wrecked it for me was the director’s attitude towards his so-called “haters” (most of which were really just critics at first with good intentions). If he can’t take into account other people’s opinions then he doesn’t deserve a place in the industry. Period.

I Love You, Thank You.

I didn’t watch the film this year but actually around June or July last year, at the UP Film Institute. I think this was the very first indie film I watched on the big screen. It’s a good movie--there are a lot of lessons and the mood was mellow, not that heavy. This is where I first heard Juan Miguel Severo’s “Ang Huling Gabi” which was also used in I’m Drunk, I Love You. To me the acting was good, I mean, Joross Gamboa didn’t portray his gay character as the usual or caricature that we see in commercial movies--same with the other actors. And that’s what I’d like to see in gay films, really. The problem for me with the film was there were too many hugot lines. Too much of anything isn’t good at all, especially if it’s hugot lines. It’s gonna be too cringe-y.

#film reviews