#Who look like if you built an otter like a penguin

[maddilynmuse]

They’re NOT birds

When writing a book, sometimes you have to cut scenes you really like ;w;

Here’s one of them! Ngl it’s basically just showing off a cute creature I made and having characters argue about whether they’re a mammal or a bird. Edited a lil so y’all have a bit of context.

Her name was Asha Mae. She was born, went to Alabon's Adventuring Academy, fell off a waterfall into another world, and now was being led around the edges of the icy shore by a farmer--Charlie, a broad shouldered girl with a slight tan, though still practically milk-colored compared to Asha's rich black--to find the absolute fashion disaster goofball she had ended up living with: Glowworm.

The pair reached a tall metal fence. Children surrounded it, giggling mischievously as they tried to climb over it or squeeze through the tight bars. Yep, Glowworm was definitely here; the kids loved him.

Charlie shook her head and chuckled as she fished out a key from her coat pocket. The gate unlocked with a small click and children crowded against it. “C’mon ya’ll, we gotta catch the boy! And easy on the hens, yeah?” She looked over at Asha, "Ever seen a Wakkla before?"

"No?"

"Welp, prepare to get snuggled."

Onward they went into the pen, Charlie closing the gate behind her. Children rushed in; there was a sound similar to bike horns on helium coming from what looked like a rippling mound of oily iridescence. The kids rushed forward, grinning as they hugged these fat, fluffy, honking things. In turn, the strange mammals waddled towards them on small, clawed feet. Large whiskers protruded from small, blunt noses as they nestled the kids against them, roughly matching the kids in size at three feet tall.

Those of another world may have considered the creatures akin to an otter if it had the upright stature of a penguin, maybe with a bit of walrus around the nose and the teeth of the males, but Asha had no such comparison.

Children giggled as they were welcomed into the hoard with snuffles and nuzzles, unafraid even as the creatures swarmed around them alarmingly fast. Charlie just chuckled and walked into the mass, pulling out a young man with unnaturally bright red hair who had opted to wear a green t-shirt with a faded bear picture on top of a yellow sundress with glittery purple pants underneath--Asha was still trying to figure if there was any rhyme or reason whatsoever in what clothes he slapped on at any given time. 

"Found him," Charlie said.

Glowworm waved. "Hello there dearie! Looking for me?"

"Yeah, Kyra wanted to tell you she had some cake for you," Asha said offhandedly. She was more interested in the creatures! "What'd you say these were? Wok-nahs?"

“Wakklas!” Glowworm chirped. “Also known as precious little fluffy babies! C’mere girls!” He made a crude imitation of their noises, grinning as more come to him.

Charlie rolled her eyes, “Well, he’s right about the wakkla part. This is the hen pen. These little guys are great for eggs and meat. Easy ‘nuff to care for too. They like fish guts, we like the meat, it works out.”

Asha stared at the strange creatures for a while before saying, “That- that’s not a bird.” It had fur! And paws! Not a wing to be seen!

“Lays eggs, don’t it?” Charlie said. “Sounds like a bird to me.”

“No?” Asha said. “And do they? How! That’s not a bird!” What kind of mammal lays eggs?

Glowworm chuckled, “Well, yes! They lay eggs and don’t breathe water, so sounds like a bird to me! Right girls?” He picked one up despite that one in particular being almost four feet tall, giving it little kisses and devolving into incomprehensible baby talk. A child clung to his leg as he set the wakkla down, giving both a pat on the head.

“I refuse to believe that until I see one lay an egg,” Asha said.

“Aye, you’d want the nursery then. I’m not allowed there,” Glowworm said.

“Uh..."

“He ain’t allowed here either, not without one of us, and yet here you are,” Charlie said with a chuckle. “Well, ain't just him. It's supposed to be just us handlers and such, but he keeps sneaking in with the hens here. Anything to say for yourself this time boy?”

“Well, for one, the kyippers wanted to play with them, and two, me breaking into this place is basically tradition at this point,” he said, puffing out his chest out.

“I don’t know how you haven’t broken your neck yet,” Charlie said, shaking her head. “I swear, you’re the only person to hop that fence more than once.”

“And yet I keep getting in,” he said teasingly, poking her nose. Some of the kids laughed and one went “oooooooo!”

Charlie rolled her eyes, pushing him away. “Yeah yeah. I guess you do. Your hens would miss you otherwise. But why do you keep vaulting over it? And how are you not dead?”

Glowworm just shrugged, sticking his tongue out. “A good performer gives away no secrets, m’dear.” Nevermind that he was not actually a performer.

“They. Still. Aren’t. Birds,” Asha said, only half paying attention to everything else. One wakkla came up to her and abruptly let out the loudest, squeakiest honk she’d ever heard. Asha yelped back in shock and fell on her butt. Suddenly they swarmed, trapping her in a pit of fur and squeaks. “Guys!”

Glowworm threw his head back to laugh, being utterly unhelpful Something licked her face. Charlie eventually pulled her up by the armpits, but the wakklas just kept coming, surrounding them and honking.

“Aye, come now! They’re sweethearts! They just think ya look cold, don’t ya girls?” Glowworm said, petting one's head and getting his hand licked for it. “I don’t have any fish bits for you hens, sorry ‘bout that.”

“Glowworm,” Charlie said.

“Yes?”

“Get out of here.”

“Okay, first, can someone show me an actual ‘waka waka’ egg or something? I refuse to believe these things lay eggs,” Asha said.

“It’s wakkla. And I would, but we harvested the cooking eggs, and the cocks will bite your fingers off for those eggs. No,” Charlie said.

"I don't get what's so hard to understand about this?" Glowworm said. "It's a bird! Birds lay eggs!"

"Yeah, but it's not a bird! It's a mammal!"

"Mammals have live birth," Charlie said, "Kinda the definition of them."

"Okay, yes, but birds have feathers."

"I mean, most sure do! But not these guys," Glowworm said.

Asha made a noise of frustration, the kind of frustration you only get when you know you are right but everyone else is too stupid to believe you. "Guys. Please. It's a mammal. It has fur."

"So?"

"So it's a mammal! Not every single thing that lays eggs is a bird!"

"'Course not!" Glowworm said.

"Thank you!”

"Some are fish!"

Asha groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose, “What about fucking reptiles?”

Both Glowworm and Charlie were just staring at her oddly. The word apparently existed in this language, but they didn’t know what it meant.

“Reptiles! They’re like fish, but, uh, on land?” Oh god how could they be this dumb. Had these people never seen a snake before--oh wait, right, this place was fucking freezing.

“Dearie, you’re just describing a bird,” Glowworm said.

“NO I’M NOT! THEY HAVE FUCKING SCALES! It’s like Siren but only the bottom part!” Siren being a supposed sea monster with the bottom half of a snake and the top half of a woman but with wings instead of arms; Asha had yet to see her.

“Siren has wings! She’s a bird!” Glowworm said. “At least so I’ve heard?”

“Sea monsters are kind of their own things,” Charlie said with a shrug. “Don’t mess with ‘em.”

There was at least solace to be had in the warm, cuddly fur creatures as the circular argument went on and on between them, none losing ground. Unfortunately for all involved, none of them had a word for monotremes.

#fantasy creature #writing #fictional creature #cute #silly #deleted scenes #glowworm #asha #charlie #charlie is mostly a side character but I like her #wakklas #wakkla #wakklas are basically fantasy arctic monotreme chickens #Who look like if you built an otter like a penguin #I love them okay #Self made blorbos #Voidsky #Voidsky Series

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

I got the name courtesy of @tysonfurybattlepass

Banded Cavalontra.

Despite looking like a large bear with odd legs, this animal’s design is a cross between  a land and sea otter, a dolphin, as well as a Galápagos penguin and a prehistoric ancestor to the whale. It’s limbs, while seemingly built for land-only locomotion, has webbed toes, as well as two large webs between their front legs, acting as flippers when in the water along with their tail.

(What their tail looks like. It would drag on the ground when walking on land)

They have featherlike fur, which has the pattern of a combination of a bottlenose dolphin and a Galápagos penguin. Cavalontra come in different colors, and can actually be rode like horses, but you have to earn its trust in order to ride it. It has a saddle that resembles a harness, and that it looks like a combination of there two images below👇

The horn is inverted however, so that it can pull ropes binding larger megafauna, such as leviathan.Concerning its diet, Cavalontra are omnivores, being able to dive for ocean plants, as well as crack open crustacean shells with their molars, and shred fish and crustacean flesh with their incisors and canines, but can also use them for self defense against predators or other threats. Its fur also varies in density, being thicker the colder the environment is. They’re friendly to most creatures and people who don’t pose a threat to them or their young, but when two rival males are up against each other, or if a mother senses hostility to either her or her young, a Cavalontra can cause serious injuries. 

(Also can you draw what they look like pls? I tried to draw one to the best of my abilities.I wonder if I can use the drawing you made of the Banded Cavalontra to help improve my drawing and anatomy skills)

your worldbuilding is really great, i love how much thought you put into it!

as for a drawing of your Banded Cavalontra, I hope this one works for you! I'm not an expert on saddles, but I think this one looks alright haha.

(image description: an otter-like creature with a long finned tail, wearing a small simple saddle. It is a dark grey on top and a pale beige underneath, with the dark grey also coming around it's neck and cheeks. end description.)

[ap-kinda-lit]

Because people are being turds...

This is for Zutara.

Would you mind sharing headcanons involving angst?

Followed by tooth-rotting fluff?

Thank you 😊💓☺💗💛💖😊💓

I don't really do angst (I'm a sensitive, delicate flower), but I've got plenty of fluff that'll give you diabetes

Like Aang and Toph, Druk makes a good practice child for Zuko and Katara before they have children of their own

When it's cold, Zuko will glomp onto Katara for warmth. He knows he can use his firebending to keep himself warm, but he'll look for any excuse to cuddle his girlfriend/wife

Even when they're dating, Zuko's shy to make a move on Katara because he doesn't want to do something wrong like make her uncomfortable. Katara appreciates it (and thinks it's cute) but she gladly helps him learn to be a little more forward.

Zuko and Katara would have a litter of a steambabies. At least four and at most six, because 1) they love having a big family and 2) they would be that couple that can barely keep their hands off each other

When the kids are grown up and Zuko's abdicated, he and Katara retire to the South Pole and help in raising and training little Korra. They do often visit the Fire Nation to check in on things and their children and grandchildren, who do visit them in return

When Aang first learns about Zuko and Katara, he's at first hurt and upset, but he eventually comes around and by the time Zuko and Katara are married and are expecting their first child, Aang is a devout Zutara stan and a silly uncle to their steambabies.

Zuko does get a teensy, weensy bit jealous when Katara is lavishing Druk with affection (like she's smothering him with hugs and kisses and baby talk and he's just lapping it up)

At some point, years later, Zuko has Kya's necklace refurbished when it starts to fall apart from age. He knows Katara wants to pass it on to their daughter and he gladly ensures it will last for that to happen.

(a personal and more mature headcanon) Zuko and Katara are each other's first when they get to that level of intimacy at an appropriate age (because they're still pretty young when the war ends and they have little experience with relationships, plus they both think it's a huge step so they would be picky and more reluctant getting into physical contact of that degree). It's a little awkward and messy at first, but they quickly pick up on what they're comfortable with and enjoy it regardless of the difficulties

When Katara gets pregnant with their first child, Zuko is both over the moon and an anxious wreck because he's doubtful of his capability of being a father (especially considering that his own dad was far from being Father of the Year). But as soon as the baby is born and he holds them for the very first time, he starts bawling and is an affectionate Papa Bear from the get-go

Instead of a hat, Katara makes Zuko a shawl, which he wraps himself in a lot of the time whenever Katara's not around

Katara takes to gardening since she grew up with almost no plant life in the South Pole and oversees the care of the Fire Nation palace's garden. Zuko will sometimes join her for walks in the garden or helping her in caring for the plants growing there

Both Zuko and Katara will often bring their children to meetings when they're babies/toddlers. Councilmen have vivid memories and talk fondly of discussing politics while the Fire Lord and Fire Lady have a cute baby swaddled in their arms or a toddler sitting in their lap, drawing or playing with a playing with a plush turtleduck or otter-penguin

The steambabies have a couple of large sky bison plushies thanks to doting Uncle Aang

Zuko and Katara take turns braiding each others hair when they're chilling together

For their wedding, they both wear white with silver and gold. They also wear purple in place of any red or blue coloring

As Fire Lady, Katara incorporates some Water Tribe colors and designs into her regalia

Zuko and Katara have two vacation homes they visit with their children: the one on Ember Island and the other one being newly built in the Southern Water Tribe.

#zutara #headcanons #zutara headcanons #zk #zuko x katara #ask #anon #thanks anon #zuko #katara #atla #avatar: the last airbender #smut #zutara smut #lemon #druk #steambabies #momtara and dadko #korra

[volkswagonblues]

prologue to my zukka biopunk role-reversal AU

note: It’s technically a sequel to Through the Ice Darkly, but you don’t need to read it for this snippet. All that’s required to know is that it’s set in a world where the Northern Water Tribe attacked instead of the Fire Nation. Instead of ATLA’s steampunk world, the NWT and SWT developed biopunk technologies instead. Zuko, growing up in a conquered nation, is still obsessed with the Avatar. Sokka is still the son of Hakoda, chief of the SWT, though because his society isn’t ravaged by war, he has more time for his scientific interests. 

Though of course, in ATLA-verse, science and spirituality are two sides of the same coin...

They were great adapters, Sokka’s people. Clever and resourceful, they were hunters and dreamers and storytellers. Like ice, they knew how to move and reform with the seasons.

They called themselves the Southern Water Tribe, not because some among them had the power to bend water, but because they thought of themselves as water. They understood and respected the great flexibility of the world.

prologue - when Sokka meets Koh the Face Stealer - snippet under cut

The summer that Sokka was ten, Bato brought him to a hunting camp situated at the mouth of a wide bay, about two days’ journey away from Sokka’s normal home in the capital city. Sokka’s grandmother was there, along with a dozen or so families. They were there to hunt the enormous shoveller deer whose herds migrated to find food in the warmer months. Where the deer went, humans followed. And that summer, Sokka was one of them. 

The summer that Sokka was ten, Bato brought him to a hunting camp situated at the mouth of a wide bay, about two days’ journey away from Sokka’s normal home in the capital city. Sokka’s grandmother was there, along with a dozen or so families. They were there to hunt the enormous shoveller deer whose herds migrated to find food in the warmer months. Where the deer went, humans followed. And that summer, Sokka was one of them. 

He didn’t want to leave home, but that was what the adults had decided. It seemed a strange and mysterious decision to Sokka, but at ten, most things seemed strange and mysterious to him. Especially Sokka’s own dad. Sokka would have protested, but in the end he loved his dad too much to say anything that could make him sad. There was enough sadness going around already that summer.So when Bato came to take him away to join Gran-Gran and  the rest of the people in the Old Village, Sokka went quietly, like the good son he wanted to be.

They called it the Old Village, but in truth the Old Village wasn’t old or a village at all. The people of the Old Village didn’t stay in one place but moved around with the seasons. In winter they built houses out of snow and ice. In spring they traveled on long sleds made of wood boards that were lashed together, and when the temperature warmed they got off their sleds and moved into sod houses instead, or pitched skin-tents to follow animals for hunting. 

Once upon a time they would have built or sewed everything by hand or with waterbending. For instance, waterbenders would make the runners for their sleds out of ice, but if there were no waterbenders that generation, people put frozen moss or even frozen fish on the bottom instead, to make sure the sleds skimmed lightly over the terrain nonetheless. This was how it used to be done, but since then even people of the Old Village accepted a few modern conveniences, like sugar and steel Earth Kingdom knives and warm underclothes spun out of air bison wool, which kept out the cold antarctic air like nothing else.

They were great adapters, Sokka’s people. Clever and resourceful, they were hunters and dreamers and storytellers. Like ice, they knew how to move and reform with the seasons. 

They called themselves the Southern Water Tribe, not because some among them had the power to bend water, but because they thought of themselves as water. They understood and respected the great flexibility of the world.

Part of that flexibility meant that, a century or more ago, when some of them started building a great city out of snow and ice closer to the Pole, some of their friends and clansmen adapted. They moved within its great walls and started new lives there, trading and studying and putting their cleverness and resourcefulness to use inventing new contraptions and new ideas – new animals as well. Some of their friends and family did not do this, and they chose to live the way their people had always lived, adapting themselves to only the great machinery of nature. What was good for their ancestors was good enough for them. They shunned a city life for something bigger and wilder and free. 

Neither side lived a better life than the other. They were just different, that’s all. 

Sokka’s grandmother liked her life outside the cities; her son-in-law – Sokka’s dad – was content inside one. He was a very important man, and he was responsible for a lot of people, so he and his wife brought up their children inside the capital, where he was busy trying to carve out a future for all of his people. He was very concerned about their future, and because all things were connected that meant he was also concerned about his past. He often sent his children to visit his mother-in-law. He wanted them to sleep in sod houses and learn to cut deer hides and listen to old stories, so they wouldn’t forget the old ways. Where they came from. 

When Sokka becomes a young man, the past will become an interesting topic for him too.  But the summer that he was ten, he wasn’t thinking about any of this. He was too busy doing two things: the first was avoiding the other boys, and the second was watching the otter-penguins.

There was a colony of them a mile away from the hunting camp. They were all the company Sokka required that summer.

A mile’s walk there and a mile back wasn’t much distance for a ten-year-old boy with a lot of energy, and a few weeks after he and Bato arrived there, Sokka began sneaking away every morning to visit the rocky beach where the rookery gathered. No one accompanied him, and he found that he liked it that away. The otter-penguins were amazingly social creatures with one another, and they accepted their strange featherless visitor with a cool indifference. Sokka had arrived just before their eggs were ready to hatch, and the penguins were more concerned about diving for food than about him. 

So he spent those weeks observing them, sometimes mimicking their waddling walk for his own amusement, sometimes working on projects that he designed for himself. He built a little roofless house right by the rookery, and he built it by piling up driftwood and pebbles he found on the beach. Some days he sat there for hours, just watching the flock. He learned a lot about them very quickly. For instance, the male otter-penguins had excellent balance. Even an injured male could hold a round egg against his stomach, gracefully tumble over small precipices and trip across rocky slopes – and never drop it. And after the eggs hatched, the female otter-penguins took care of the pups in the water and held them close by wrapping them with strands of seaweed. And they each had their own names, just like humans did. The mothers and father made distinct noises to call their own pups back to them when it was time for feeding.

They did all of this, and Sokka watched. He listened. He observed.

At ten, Sokka should be doing chores around the camp: fetching and carrying, sharpening knives and harpoons, scraping the hair off hides, helping to repair and maintain the skin-canoes – that sort of thing. But he was no good at doing any of that. He was ten and going through that unfortunate phase where none of his limbs were the right length, and everything he did that summer he seemed to do wrong. He kept dropping knives and ripping up fishing nets by accident. The worse part was that the other boys didn’t even laugh at him; they gave him looks of pity instead.

Before long, he gave up on the chores and the camp altogether. He avoided the other boys, and after a while they avoided him right back, which suited Sokka fine. He’d found something more interesting to think about anyways. 

That summer he was ten was a time of sunlight, rocks, penguin calls, and the rushing tides. It was the first and last time he ever applied himself to anything with such purity of purpose. He was acquiring knowledge the same way that the otter-penguins dived for fish or hatched their eggs: instinctively, without questioning why.

The little otter-penguins were cute, with their soft fuzzy heads and their wobbling walk. Sokka liked them, and though he winced when some of them were eaten by the leopard seals who prowled the dark, frigid sea, he never interfered. The fish were food to the otter-penguins, just as they were food to the seals, just as the seals might one day be food for Sokka himself. His father called it the miraculous interchange that made the universe work, and Sokka believed him. But still, he felt sad. The poor parents that had worked so hard through the winter were left with nothing to show for it. It seemed unfair..

It was sad, but Sokka could bear it. He did bear it, until one day, when Sokka himself was busy repairing one wall of his driftwood house – the colony started yipping and fussing like nothing he’d ever heard before. 

Sokka ran to see what was the matter, expecting a seal or maybe even a particularly bold black whale. But when he got to the source of the commotion he nearly stumbled from the shock. 

One of the penguins was missing a face.

There were no smears of blood, no telltale signs of shredded feathers. This was no ordinary injury from a preying seal. Somehow, the dark eyes and the nubby beak was gone. There was nothing but a smooth patch of feather, like someone had wiped their sleeve across a patch of snow. It was a female penguin, and she was waddling sightlessly, trying to find its way back to its hungry pups.

Sokka looked around him wildly; the mother had left her two pups a bit farther up, on a great flat rock shelf. The pups whined, but the rest of the otter-penguins were calming down now,  returning to their placid business, diving and feeding and caring for their own young. He looked back at the faceless penguin, still waddling around in circles, unable to sense the hungry cries of her own children.  

What happened? Sokka had never seen anything like this before, but one thing was clear: the mother was ill, and she would not get better. He examined the pups: without a mother to teach them how to swim and feed, they would both die before the season was over. 

The world was very cruel to children without mothers.

“No!” Sokka screamed out loud. “No, no, no!”

All his grief and loneliness surged up at once from a small dark space inside his heart. All the sadness he’d been carrying exploded through him, and it was such an enormous feeling that, had Sokka been a waterbender, the tides next to him would have crested and crashed with powerful roars of foam.

But he wasn’t a bender, and something else that was stranger and wilder happened instead. The world shimmered; the air itself cracked down the middle, and everything that Sokka had been so calmly and so happily observing a moment ago became strange. 

Mist rolled by, even though it was a sunny day. Flying, glowing creatures zoomed around Sokka, and everything became brighter and richer in colour, even through the mist. Sokka stopped screaming, fascinated by the changes in the landscape. He wanted to chase one the flying creatures, but then something scuttled by him and left a chill running down his spine.

It was a massive being, many-legged like an insect, coal-black and plated with hard shells. It looked like a bug but it had the head of a human woman – a disconcertingly pretty one with sad grey eyes. 

“Hello there,” said the bug-thing in a rasp. Its face flickered, changed in rapid succession from the young woman to an old man to some sort of animal Sokka had never seen before.

Sokka stumbled backwards, fell, and cried out again when his palms scraped against the rocks. The thing changed its faces like a dancer putting on masks for a ceremony, except it when a dancer took off their mask at the end of the ceremony, the whale or seabird went away and the dancer became human again. 

Whatever this creature was, it wasn’t human.

It’s been a long time since I came this south, said the creature. But the Avatar has a powerful pull on all of us.

Sokka screamed. He tried to get up and he tried to run, but he couldn’t. One sharp pincer edged towards him. It came closer, closer–

And then a distant mountain peak, one that Sokka had seen a million times before, leaned down. It crossed the hundreds of miles between them like it was a single step, and the mountain bent its great heft over the creature, all its crag and weight bearing down with unbearable pressure, and then the mountain too spoke:

Not yet, Koh. We still need him. 

The creature hissed, about to object, but then the ocean, all salt and tumbling motion, also rose up and added its presence to the mountain’s. 

Leave him, said the ocean, and this command was echoed by the unseen moon and the distant aurora and the ancient rock under their feet.

“First it was the moon girl, now it’s this boy,” Koh said. “Mark my words: we’re intervening too much in human affairs, and you all know it.”

Koh gave one last look at Sokka, and then disappeared, scuttling back into the mists. Sokka was too terrified to speak, too terrified to move. All the spirits were focusing their attention on him now. He knew this instinctively,  the same way that he knew up from down, light from dark, the smell of burning deer fat from seal. 

The mountain shifted; the enormous and distant rock became a heavy weight hovering over Sokka's chest. It prodded him there, like a finger.

Hello, Sokka, said the mountain, and the greeting was echoed a hundred times. A million.

Hello Sokka. Hello. Hello. Hello.

Sokka didn’t remember running the distance back to the camp, but he must have, because the next lucid thing he remembered was throwing his arms around Bato, not caring that he was leaving blood and dirt over Bato’s clothes. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Bato, his brows creased with concern. “Sokka, what happened?”

Sokka shook his head. He was born and raised a city kid; he would always be one at heart. He could not describe how terrifying it was to discover that, the whole time he was looking at the world, the world was looking back. 

“Bato, please,” he sobbed. “Please. I want my mother. Where is she? Where’s Mom?” 

Bato patted his head and held him close. “Oh, Sokka,” he said – and nothing else.

Sokka’s grandmother was nearby too, running over from some task with her grisly knife still in hand. She clucked her tongue; wiped the blade off with a brisk motion. “Tell the boy to stop wailing and get him inside somewhere, I’ll bring him something to eat. Something warm will snap him out of it.”

Sokka raised his head from where it was buried in the material of Bato’s sealskin parka; he shook it. He wanted to stop too, but his body had other ideas. Water was running down his face: a mix of tears and snot, blood from where he had bitten his own tongue. The taste of it all was frightful, all coppery and salty, slick from the mucus building up in the back of his throat, which was too wet and too dry all at once. 

“Dad?” It was someone else who came to see what was going on: Ayaliq, Bato’s own daughter. She trotted over and cuddled Sokka from his side, wrapping her little arms around him and Bato at the same time. “Don’t be upset,” she said. “It’s okay, Sokka.”

One of Bato’s hands cupped the back of Sokka’s head, a warm protective weight. “Leave him be,” he said to Sokka’s grandmother. “This is the first time he’s cried since the day itself. It’s only been three months.”

“You think I don’t remember how long ago my only child died?” 

Sokka let out another howl. His vision was swimming; the force of his gasps made him light-headed. Gran-Gran gave him a sharp tap on the back of his head. The sudden jolt of pain stunned him, but it also grounded him back in reality. 

“You shouldn’t have brought him here alone,” Gran-Gran said in the silence. “He needs his sister and his father with him.”

“What could I do, Kanna? The Northern Water Tribe is here making threats again; Hakoda wouldn’t leave the capital. Katara wouldn’t leave her father, not even for her brother. And I had to take him here, Kanna – at least out here Sokka’s taking an interest in something. You didn’t see him in those first few days. We could barely get him to get out of bed. He grieves hard for someone so young.”

Gran-Gran sighed. “I grieve for my daughter too,” she said. “Every day. Every minute. But death is a part of life. My grandson will learn this in time.”

Sokka wanted to say that he had already learned plenty, but instead he spat weakly on the ground and watched the string of drool stretch, then snap in mid-air. It was disgusting. He felt disgusting. He had also wet his pants, he realized, and he was so embarrassed to be like a little kid again in front of Ayaliq, that he shoved his face back into Bato’s parka. Ayaliq was a year younger than him, but she had probably never wetted her pants.

“Be kind to your cousin, Ayaliq,” Bato was saying. “And give him some time, Kanna. Let him cry for now. Just let him cry. He needs it.”

--------

Later, as a young man, when Sokka’s sister would breathlessly tell him about meeting the Avatar, the bridge between their world and the Spirit World, Sokka would scowl. He would turn away with his heart pounding.

“I prefer things that exist in the real world,” he would say, and it would come out much harsher than he’d meant it to. Katara would take it as a sign that he was judging her somehow, that he thought she was a silly girl for believing in the extraordinary. She would react badly to Sokka’s disapproval of the Avatar.

And Sokka did disapprove, though not for those reasons. He disapproved because he was afraid.

He wasn’t good at explaining it, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the world of spirits was not necessarily friendly towards the human one. That his brief glimpse – hallucination? – of the Spirit World told him that it was brisk and insensate, that it was filled with impossible angles and geometric paradoxes. That its inhabitants were ancient and careless beings whose intelligence was beyond human, and obeyed rules set not by morality but by order and chaos. Those beings were sometimes benign, sometimes malicious, always incomprehensible. Sokka wasn’t sure he wanted to meet a person who bridged that world to theirs. 

He wasn’t like Katara, always with her eye fixed on some higher purpose. The everyday world with its speechless mountains and rolling seas, its everyday interchange of energies and motion: this was enough for him. Sokka didn’t need to meet Tui and La to appreciate the wonder of the tides and the moon. What spirits that existed in this world already were vast and incomprehensible enough. 

Sokka would prefer to keep the two worlds un-bridged.

He couldn’t explain this to Katara, and they would grow even further apart because of this. Piercing through to the Spirit World would be easier than crossing the chasm between them. It was as if Kya’s death had split some fundamental building block of the world as Sokka had known it: On one side, Sokka went with Bato; on the other, Katara stayed with their father. 

On one side, the radiance of discovery. On the other, the terror of what he might find. And then, much later, the horror of what Sokka’s discoveries would be used for.

By the Avatar.

#Avatar The Last Airbender #zukka #zukka fic #my fic #through the ice darkly

[astudyinfreewill]

May 29: Home

[katara/zuko, pre-relationship, 1.8k]

when i see your light shine, i know i’m home

read on AO3

When Zuko goes out to the turtleduck pond for a brief respite between his meetings, he isn’t expecting to find Katara sitting there, her head resting on her folded knees. He knew that she, Sokka, and Aang were going to be travelling back from the South Pole for an upcoming diplomatic conference in Caldera, but he wasn’t sure when they would arrive, and he certainly wasn’t expecting to find Katara just hanging around in the garden. It’s a welcome surprise, though, and he likes that she feels at home here enough to do so.

She spots him and gives him a subdued little wave. Zuko is tired, stiff from spending all day sitting in an uncomfortable chair poring over documents, and in a bad mood – turns out, fixing a country is messy, arduous, endlessly frustrating work – but still, it’s immediately clear to him that something is wrong. The Katara he knows would run up to greet him with a hug.

He gives her a nod in response, and sits down next to her.

“Hey. I didn’t know when you’d be arriving. Did you have safe travels?”

Katara nods. “Everything was fine. We just got here an hour ago. Sokka and Aang are unpacking in their rooms, but they’re not exactly the quiet types, and after a whole day stuck on Appa together, I wanted some peace. Is that okay?”

“Be my guest,” he shrugs. “I mean, I guess you are. Uh. But I mean – metaphorically. I mean you can come here whenever you want. To the pond, that is. And, uh, in general.”

Okay, so social skills have never been his forte. Plus, there’s something about Katara that always has him feeling a little flustered.

“Smooth,” Katara comments dryly.

He shrugs again, pulling out the piece of day-old bread that he had hidden in his sleeve for the turtleducks. “Long day. Lot of talking,” he says, and it’s not even a lie.

Katara hmm’s sympathetically. She doesn’t ask him any questions about the meetings, which he’s honestly grateful for. They sit there in silence for a while as he tears the bread into small pieces. She quietly holds out a hand. He quietly drops some bread pieces onto her open palm. They quietly feed the turtleducks for a few minutes, until the silence becomes too awkward for even Zuko to bear.

“How was home?” he asks. It’s a neutral enough question, yet Katara seems to flinch minutely.

She lets her eyes drift over the water, a far-off look in them; the line of her mouth is worried. “Home,” she murmurs, as if sounding the word out.

After a moment, she seems to shake herself off with some difficulty. “Home was good. It was great,” she smiles. Zuko isn’t fooled. That’s her “caretaker Katara” smile, the one she plasters on when she’s hiding her troubles because she thinks she needs to worry about everyone else.

“Katara,” he says, firmly but not unkindly. “What’s wrong?”

It’s a testament to how bothered the waterbender is that she caves immediately, her face crumpling into a picture of unhappiness.

“It’s just… you know how the Northern Tribe was going to send people over to help us rebuild?”

Zuko nods. “Did they not keep their promise?”

Katara looks down, almost embarrassed. “No, they did. That’s kind of the problem. They’ve done a great job and spared no effort. They’ve built bigger homes and palaces and fortifications. Everything looks... different now.”

The way she says it, with no excitement at all, indicates she doesn’t see this as an improvement.

“And that’s... bad?” Zuko nudges.

She shrugs. “I suppose it’s not. Sokka was losing his mind over it. He was over the moon - no pun intended. He thinks it’s amazing, all the– the architecture and mechanics and progress.”

“But you feel differently?” Zuko ventures.

“No, no,” Katara hurries to say, with a guilty expression. Then, after biting her lip for a second, she admits. “Well… yes. It’s just… it looks nothing like the village I grew up in. All the igloos are gone. Gran-gran’s home. The otter-penguin cliff. The snow wall that Sokka built. And there are so many new faces – a lot of Northerners moved down South permanently. Which… is good, I know it’s good,” she sighs. “I don’t want our tribe to die out. I know this will help them. I just…”

She looks up at him, her expressive blue eyes filled with sadness. “I feel like I never really went back home. The place I remembered is just… gone.”

He doesn’t know what to say, but his heart hurts for her. He knows all too well what it’s like to long for a place you can never go back to. But he doesn’t want to dismiss her pain by sharing his own; sometimes, he has learned the best thing you can do is just listen.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “It must have been hard to lose your childhood home.”

She takes a ragged breath in, hugging her knees to herself as if she’s cold (which she never is, not in the Fire Nation anyway). One of her hands trails over the water, drawing lazy circles in it – drawing comfort from her element, Zuko thinks.

“Aang doesn’t get it,” she says, a little sadly. “He’s a nomad. He thinks home can just be everywhere. He doesn’t believe in material attachments. But I just…” she shakes her head. “I don’t know why I can’t let it go. But I just can’t.”

“I understand,” Zuko rasps. Katara looks up at him, a little surprised – but of course he understands. When has he ever been able to let go of his home?

“It is not a bad thing,” he says, carefully, “to have strong roots. Some people are able to leave their history behind; others carry it with them wherever they go. You are a daughter of the Southern Water Tribe. It is forever carved within you.” He gestures at her necklace, and she touches the carved ivory almost subconsciously. “I am a son of the Fire Nation, and I always knew that. Even when my home had lost its way, I knew I couldn’t forget who I was. It doesn’t make you a bad person, Katara. It isn’t selfish to know who you are.”

Some of the sadness seems to lift off of her, but she still looks troubled. “Yeah, but where does that leave me then? My dad has settled back down and is so committed to our new home. And Sokka, well, he spends more time on Kyoshi Island now than back at the Pole anyway. But where does that leave me? Where do I go if I can never go back home?”

Here, part of him wants to say. You could stay here with me. He has missed Katara a lot – her strength, her kindness, her relentless optimism. Often he thinks that with her by his side, trying to steer his kingdom the right way wouldn’t be quite so hard. But he knows that’s not the answer she needs. He sits in silence for a few moments, tossing some breadcrumbs to the turtleducks. He wishes he was better at this. He wishes he could channel Uncle Iroh and know exactly what to say.

“If it helps,” he begins after a while, “Sometimes I feel like I never came back home either. I know it’s not the same as your village – the Palace was still pretty much the way I left it – well, perhaps a little bit more, uh, burnt down–” he fumbles, but it’s alright, because it draws a chuckle out of her. He wonders if she’s remembering it too, their fight against Azula.

“But what I mean is,” he tries again, “It was not the way I remembered it. I came back home, but it wasn’t the home I missed. Sure, it’s the same city, the same palace. But my mother wasn’t here. Most of my family is imprisoned. My uncle went back to Ba Sing Se.” And you guys left, he stops himself from saying. He knows he has no right to keep them here, but Agni, he misses his friends like a phantom limb. Who knew, he wonders, that there could be friendship like this out there?

“I guess what I’m saying is – maybe home doesn’t need to be the place you grew up in. Maybe home could be the people you grew into yourself with.”

He’s still not sure if that was the right thing to say, but then Katara smiles at him, a soft, bright smile, like the sun coming out from the clouds (and if his heart skips a beat in his chest, well, nobody needs to know).

“I think I like that idea,” she murmurs. “Thank you, Zuko.” Then her smile turns into a teasing grin: “Look at you, being all wise and stuff! Trying to steal Iroh’s shtick?”

“Ha ha,” Zuko says flatly, putting on an obligingly grumpy face, which makes Katara laugh again. He’s not sure if it’s with him or at him, but he doesn’t really mind as long as she’s not looking sad anymore.

“I mean it though,” she says, turning serious again. “Thank you. Maybe it’s okay that my home has changed, as long as I have Sokka and Dad and Gran-gran. And now I also have Aang, and Toph, and, well–” she flushes ever so slightly as she speaks “--you.”

He supposes it shouldn’t be so unexpected – they did save the world together after all – but it still takes him by surprise, flooding his heart with warmth. Katara considers him home. Suddenly, his day doesn’t feel so heavy and tedious anymore. He’s going to hold this thought with him through his last council, and well into the night.

He gets up, brushing breadcrumbs off his robes. “I should probably go. Will I see you at dinner?”

“Oh, I don’t know, am I invited to share the mighty Fire Lord’s repast?” she teases.

He rolls his eyes dramatically. “Not with that attitude, you’re not.” She sticks her tongue out at him, then laughs again, finally sounding back to her old self.

He’s about to turn to leave when she calls for him: “Hey, Zuko?”

“Yeah?”

“You know that the same goes for you, right?”

He frowns, feeling like he’s missed a step. “I don’t get dinner with my attitude?”

She rolls her eyes at him, but he can tell she’s amused. “No, you doofus. I mean that – you know – if you ever need a little piece of home… well, I’m here.” She smiles, her cheeks going slightly pink. “I just mean… well, I hope you know– I can be. Home, I mean. For you. If that’s what you want.” It’s fascinating to see her be the one fumbling for a change, but Zuko can’t even make fun of her for it, because suddenly his throat feels very tight.

“Yeah,” he chokes out, inadequate as always, but he hopes Katara knows what he means. He thinks she does. He swallows, willing the lump to go down, and clears his throat.

“I’ll see you at dinner, then.” He bows slightly.

She nods at him, a small, fond smile on her lips. “I’ll see you at home.”

#zutara month 2020 #zutara #zuko #katara #atla #a:tla #zutara month: quarantine edition #atla fic #my writing #sometimes romance is sharing your personal experience of displacement!!!! #otp: you rise with the moon; i rise with the sun

[angel-squid-trash-ghost]

Parental Guidance Pt.5

The bad dreams had come back. Zuko barely slept a wink and even the sun was not enough to give him strength. He turned over and watched Katara sleep. He didn't bother her that night. She had been so weary after her first time bending. Zuko smiled tiredly. Katara was a bender. She was special. He knew it all along. He squirmed closer to her. She could somehow sense him and tucked her arm around his middle.

         Sir stirred. He sniffed back a few times. He whispered to himself before standing up. Zuko stifled a laugh at the noises of him stretching. It had been several hours before they could get Noaluk and Yoton out of the ice. It served them right though. Zuko didn't have enough energy to stay angry at them. But if they ever tried to hurt Katara again, he was going to do something worse than hit them with a stick. He could feed them to the Piranha Dolphins Sokka told him about.

"Zuko, are you awake?" Sir asked surprised. It was the first time he had noticed him.

Zuko rose, carefully moving Katara's arm, "Yes."

Sir nodded. "Come. Start this fire for me. I am cold."

Zuko eagerly obeyed. Sir was probably mad at him for yesterday. Maybe he could earn back his favor. He got startled when Sir started talking to himself. Sir was sick and now he sounded worse. He should have listened to Gran-Gran when she told him to come inside.

"Do you know how to put the soup on?" Zuko nodded. "Ok. Do that and then come sit with me."

        Zuko had to turn away to make a face. He was unsure about spending one on one time with Sir. It was probably just so Sir could tell him how bad he was. He thought about waking Katara. But she needed rest. Maybe he wouldn’t yell. Sir hadn’t been mean to him before. And if he did, Zuko would rather Sir yell at him while Katara couldn't see.

        Zuko moved the pot of the left-over soup over the flame like he had seen Gran-Gran do many times. He looked over to Sir who had prepared two bowls and utensils. He was wrapped in an Artic Camel skin holding a handkerchief to his dripping nostrils. He sat down across from Sir. He chewed his lip. Sir rested at his usual spot by the window rolling his neck. Zuko watched him do this for several more moments.

Sir sighed long and loud. “Where are you from?”

Zuko blinked, “The ocean.”

Sir snickered. But Zuko didn’t make a joke. “I see. What do you dream about? What is it that keeps you awake?”

Zuko didn’t answer. After he had a nightmare, he always tried to put them from his mind. It made it easier to go about his day. He didn’t even tell Katara what he dreamt about. The images were always so frightening and bloody. He didn’t want to scare her. He didn’t want Sir to think what he already thought about himself. That there must have been something wrong with him.

“Is it the wreck? The water?” Zuko still did not answer him. “Do you dream about how you got your scar?”

Zuko fidgeted with his hands. That was something that hadn’t appeared yet and hopefully wouldn’t. Zuko shrugged.

Sir sniffed, “You do not have to tell me if you do not want to. But maybe if you spoke about it, you would feel better.”

Zuko conceded that Sir may not settle for silence even if he said it was ok. “I dream about a monster.”

“It was a scary monster?” Sir said with a gentleness in his voice that Sir had not used towards him in a while.

Zuko didn’t realize how much he craved it. He continued, “The monster was name Lala. She say, You do not remember me. So, I kill you. Lala can make fire come out of her mouth. Her claws are sharp, and she cut me. I bleed and then I die. And then Lala cry. She say I miss you. And then she is small. Then I feel sad.”

Sir frowned. Zuko regretted answering, “Do you know who Lala is.”

Zuko shook his head.

“Do you dream about a monster all of the time?”

Zuko shook his head.

“Why does she miss you?”

“I don’t know.” Zuko had a difficult time holding his chin up. It was as if Sir’s eyes were too heavy. “Sometimes I dream about the ship and the old man.”

“Who is the old man?”

“I don’t know. He is bad.”

Sir tilted his head. “Why is he bad?”

“In my dream the ship sinks. We are in a room. The walls are black and hard. Everything is cold. I see my air. My breath. He say, Zuko, Zuko get up! He pick me up and  he take me out the room. Everyone is screaming. Water is inside. The man say Go, Go! He is scared. The old man is scared too. Then he close the door. The door is loud. Men bang, bang, bang, on the door. Then no sound.” Zuko took a deep breath. “I see them die. They say Why Zuko? Why did you not help? I try to tell them. Not me! I did not let you die!” He wiped his eye with the heel of his hand. “That is why he is bad. He kill them.”

              Hakoda went to conceal the tear coming from his own eye. He thought maybe Zuko had dreamt of almost drowning. Not his uncle murdering part of his own crew. Did he know the old man was his uncle? Hakoda held his jaw clenched. If a man could kill his own men, maybe he could scar a child. Hakoda thought it best to keep that information from the hurt little boy.

Katara woke up mumbling, “Zuko? Are you making breakfast already?”

              Zuko said something in Fire’s Tongue. Katara went over to stir the pot. Hakoda turned the thought again in his mind of his daughter learning his words. If he were honest with himself, the sound of the language was off putting. It had only been heard during raids. Hakoda bid away the memory of men in iron masks. Zuko was a child. And by the sound of it he didn’t seem to acknowledge that he was different from anyone in the village. Hakoda pulled himself deeper in his mind until a bowl of soup was set down. Katara smiled up at him. His little girl. She hadn’t even lived a decade and already had eyes of someone much, much older than her. Sokka had woken up at the smell of food. His mother got up at the commotion of their family breakfast. It was nice to see them all. Even with the addition of the half-faced boy.

…

             Sokka was still grumbling that he had to help clear the dishes. Katara combed Zuko’s hair. Zuko leaned every now and again so the teeth of the whale bone comb would scratch his scalp just a little harder. She gently gathered it together binding it with blue ribbon. Next, he helped her with her hair. He separated her pillowy curls into three sections and braided them together until there was not a hair out of place. Sokka watched closely as if Zuko were doing something remarkably interesting. Usually Sokka was already packed and heading out for weapons training.

“Why do you like to do girl stuff? You should come with me today. I can teach you how to throw a boomerang!” Sokka sat on all fours.

Zuko and Katara both turned to reject, but Sir spoke first. “That is a great idea.”

            Zuko went to yell but knew he couldn’t refuse Sir. He tried to hide the pout in his lip. Sokka teased him, but he liked sewing. Gran-Gran always told him how much of a good helper he was. He liked brushing Katara’s hair and helping cut the meat down for meals. Now he had to go with Sokka and throw a dumb crooked stick around. Sokka must have saw how he truly felt. He gave a light nudge in his arm.

“We can play afterwards, ok?” Sokka smiled.

Sokka smiled at him? “Is he ok?”, Zuko asked Katara in Fire’s tongue.

“I’m not sure.” Katara said back.

“Right! Children gather round.” Hakoda announced too loudly for the small space.

           Sir went over the new rules. Stay inside when the Earth traders come. No bending in the house. And Katara and Zuko could only speak Fire’s tongue inside. Both children nodded understanding the new restrictions. Although he didn’t care for the last rule, Zuko had noticed the looks of others when Katara and him spoke to each other in the language inside his head. He heard Katara speak and he knew he didn’t sound like her. He heard Sir speak and he knew it would be a very long time before he knew all the words he did. He would have to do his best.

“Does Sokka get new rules?” Katara’s eyes flashed with annoyance. Zuko attempted to hold the same posture.

Sir stammered, “Sokka… has to help…Sokka has to help sweep the igloo!”

“What!”

……………………………….

              Zuko and Sokka walked some distance out towards the ocean. Zuko could smell the salt and hear the waves on the stony beach. Their presence had disturbed some toddling Otter-Seals. Sir gave him a practice spear and knife too. He looked happy for some reason. Sir said that it would be good to have another warrior in the village. Maybe Sir felt proud of him. And that would have made him feel better if Katara didn’t look so sad when he left.

“Ok. First things first. This is my boomerang. They can be made from metal, bone or wood…”

              Zuko zoned out as Sokka went into the history and usages. He would have rather been at home finishing the threading on his pants. They were hand-me-downs from Sokka and they were much too long. Zuko started to tug on the cuff again.

“Hey! Quit being grumpy and pay attention!”

              Sokka went on through the motions of throwing the boomerang in more detail than necessary. Zuko’s interest was finally peaked when Sokka threw the weapon. It spun threw the air at a fantastic speed. The boomerang glared and flew back into Sokka’s waiting hand. Sokka threw it six more times and it always came back. It was like magic. Maybe weapons training wouldn’t be so bad.

              Zuko was awful at throwing a boomerang. No matter how hard he threw or how many times Sokka adjusted his position, Zuko could just not get the boomerang to come back. Finally fed up, he heaved himself backwards into the snow. A group of curious Koala-Penguins mobbed him.

Zuko growled. "Get outta here!" The Koala-Penguins waddled away, fleeing from the tiny ball of pure rage.

"It's not that bad. Let's try the spear. Maybe that’s more your thing. You know I didn’t get it on my first try either."

Zuko sat up. He twisted his mouth. "Ok. We try the spear.”

              Zuko was a little better with the spear than the boomerang. Sokka built a pile of snow for him to aim at. He could throw fine, but it kept pulling to the left. Zuko felt himself getting hot again. Sokka reassured him that he was doing well. Especially for someone who had just started. Sokka watched Zuko faithfully follow every one of his movements. He moved exactly as he did but still the spear pulled left. After many adjustments Sokka had realized he had been completely ignoring one very noticeable detail.

“Can you see out of that eye?” He pointed to Zuko’s scar.

“Not really.”

Sokka slammed his palm to his forehead. “Switch feet.”

              The spear propelled into the pile splitting it in half. It was a good start. Zuko felt a little better. He didn’t remember why he thought spending time with Sokka was going to be so boring. Next was the knife. Zuko held the wooden handle and it just felt right. The blade had been blunted but was perfect at practicing jabs in the snow. Zuko switched hands and Sokka had nearly lost his mind. Zuko, until then, never realized that most people couldn’t use both interchangeably. Zuko was discovering a little more about himself with every lesson.

              They took a small break and chewed idly on some seal jerky Sokka had smuggled under his summer parka. Zuko realized Sokka new a lot of words. There were many long words that hadn’t been spoken around him before. Zuko had never really noticed that he knew so much. Sokka at the moment was trying to describe something called Caribou-Deer migration patterns. He knew what a Caribou-Deer was but not a migration and Sokka was not doing the greatest job describing it. He focused on the words he did understand and strung together figments of comprehension.

“You talk a lot.” Zuko complimented.

Sokka frowned. “Oh. Sorry.”

Zuko panicked. He waved his hands. “No, no! You talk a lot. You know a lot of words! You are smart!” Zuko tried to explain.

Sokka perked up, “Thanks!” Sokka then put a hand on top Zuko’s head, “Are you not catching everything I’m saying?”

“Catching?” Zuko raised a brow.

Sokka pounced playfully, “Can you understand me!”

Zuko howled “Yes! Sometimes!”

              The horseplay ended in a wrestling match. Sokka had the advantage of long strong legs and easily wrangled Zuko onto his back. Three times Zuko tried to gain the upper hand but never did. And it was ok. There was next time. He finally admitted defeat and congratulated Sokka.

“Hey, Zuko?” Sokka said softly, “Thanks. For what you did. Uh, yesterday. I mean trying to help me and Katara. You have a warrior’s spirit.”

“I would do anything for Katara.” Zuko said seriously.

Sokka chuckled, “You two are really close.”

“We are friends forever.” He said proudly.

“Forever? Forever is a long time. What happens if you die?” Sokka joked.

Zuko did not miss a beat, “Then I will find your mommy and thank her for sending me here.”

Sokka’s chest lurched. He swallowed and pressed the feeling down. “You’re still happy to be here? Even after yesterday?”

“Yes.” Zuko turned to him, “This is where Katara is. I want to be with her always.”

Sokka couldn’t be upset at his undying resolve. It made Zuko sound Water Tribe. Sokka moved his hand through his hair, “You know, I think Katara is happier with you here. She used to cry a lot. And just when she stopped you moved in and did it for her.” Sokka tried to laugh, “Do you remember anything before the ship? I heard you talking to dad this morning.” His voice died when he saw Zuko’s reaction.

Zuko put his hand up to his face feeling the excessively smooth skin but not his hands touch. He lost most sensation when it completely healed. “No. It’s all muddy in my mind.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing.”

“Maybe.” Zuko turned around and threw the spear again.

“Hey Zuko. I think we should be friends too.”

Zuko stopped, “Really?”

He rubbed the back of his head, “Well, yeah. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together. And you’re not the only one who wants to see Katara happy.”

Zuko smiled. “Ok!” He jumped for joy.

Sokka laughed heartily, “You look like a Crow Owl when you do that.”

“Caw! Caw!” Zuko flapped wildly.

“You’re a weird kid.” Sokka hooked his arm around Zuko’s shoulders. “We need a little weird around here.”

              Zuko couldn’t be more delighted. He hopped around as Sokka pulled out even more seal jerky to chew on. A black and white Polar dog came running to them. First to Sokka and his seal jerky until Sokka shooed him away. Then to Zuko who was eager to pet and kiss the happy animal. The more he talked to the Polar dog the more excited it got. It jumped licking him. The massive beast was twice his size. He screamed laughing when it knocked him over licking his face.

“That looks like Moak’s sled dog.” Sokka said. But Zuko didn’t hear.

“Unavuk! Down boy!” A familiar voice commanded.

              The dog ran back to its master or masters. Yoton and Noaluk were approaching. Zuko quickly stood back up. He snarled as they neared. It didn’t seem to do much as they continued over. They weren’t moving like yesterday. All their confidence had been replaced with shame. At least that’s what Zuko hoped.

“If you wanna have another fight, be warned Zuko is pretty good with a knife.” Sokka didn’t bother to stand.

“We came to…” Noaluk began.

“To apologize.” Yoton finished.

“Our dad made us.” Noaluk griped.

The Polar dog went back to Zuko for more pets. Zuko obliged but did not look away from the twins. “Do it then.”

Noaluk’s eyes widened. Yoton looked away. “Um, we’re sorry.”

“Gran-Gran say when we say sorry, we also say why.” Zuko scratched the dog’s ear. Sokka grinned.

Yoton was the only one to speak, “We shouldn’t have picked on you guys. It was wrong of us.”

Noaluk sneered, “Even if Zuko is Fire Nation.” He finished as his brother elbowed him in the rib.

Yoton stood straight, “Can you tell Katara sorry for us? We uh-”

“You are scared.” Zuko cracked a sinister smirk.

“We aren’t scared of her we just think it’s best to stay away from her. You know women. She’s probably still angry.” Noaluk kicked at some snow.

“Yeah sure.” Sokka chuckled. “Whatever you say.”

Yoton was the first to sit. He joined Zuko in petting the dog. “We actually saw you with the knife. You’re pretty good.”

At Sokka’s urging he thanked him. “Sokka say I have good fine motor skills.”

Yoton knew what that meant as much as Zuko did, “Good for you.”

“So how did you get that scar?” Noaluk crossed his arms.

Sokka gasped, “You can’t just ask a warrior how they got their scar! You have to wait for them to tell you. Everybody knows that!”

“He’s no warrior. He’s Fire Nation.” Noaluk spat.

Zuko looked at Noaluk. He had a bandage around the bump on his head. He searched his face but only saw contempt. “Why do you say that?! Sokka you say it too. What does it mean? Everybody say Fire Tongue, Fire Nation, Fire child. I don’t understand.”

“Well that’s where you’re from right?” Yoton asked as politely as he could. “You were on a ship and it sunk, and you swam here. That’s what I heard.”

“I don’t know!” Zuko’s voice broke.

“You are! I know you are! You look Fire Nation, you speak Fire Nation.” Noaluk pointed.

“Noaluk shut up! He said he doesn’t know.” Yoton growled.

“Fire Nation came and killed our cousin and our uncle. They killed Sokka’s mom too!” Noaluk tried to defend himself. “He doesn’t belong here.” Zuko recoiled.

Sokka jumped up. “You don’t get to talk about my mom!” He stood nose to chin to the Noaluk. But he remained strong with his chest puffed and nostrils flared, “And you don’t get to decide who belongs where. Only my dad decides that. And Zuko lives with us. So then that means he belongs doesn’t it?”

Yoton looked at the sky, “That is true. And if you don’t remember being from the Fire Nation then it doesn’t really make you Fire Nation. And if he remembers coming from the ocean…”

Noaluk looked at his twin brother, “Then he’s from the ocean? Like a fish?”

“No! You seal bums. It means he gets to choose. And Zuko chooses Water Tribe. Right Zuko?” Sokka whirled around to see  tears falling from his working eye.

“Sokka I think I want to go home.” Zuko exhaled.

Yoton put a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, don’t cry. We are sorry.” Unavuk licked at his tears.

“I want to see Katara please.” Zuko sniffed.

“Ok Zuko. We’ll head home.” Sokka helped him up. Zuko rubbed his eye. “We’ll tell Dad and Gran- Gran how good you did.”

             Zuko nodded meekly. All he wanted was his best friend’s arms around him and to hear her nice sweet voice. He wanted to look into her big blue eyes and tell her he was sorry. What if his eyes were blue? Maybe if his eyes were blue too than he wouldn’t feel so awful.

            Sokka walked Zuko back to the igloo. Sir was asleep with a wet handkerchief and Gran-Gran had laid out the fish to be deboned for dinner. Katara sat with her slate doodled with letter learning. She was tapping the chalk to the slate when they walked in. Zuko looked at her solemn face and mussed hair. Katara scratches her head when she gets fretful. Zuko saw her and just burst from the inside. Something had bubbled in his chest and he couldn’t contain it anymore. He saw her and she saw him. He ran to her and wept into her soft blue dress.

“Sokka what did you do?!” Katara scolded.

“I didn’t do anything!” Sokka put up his hands.

Zuko couldn’t hold back. He spilled his guts in a mixture of Fire’s Tongue and the Water Language.  Any word he spout seemed to be understood by her. She nodded and mm-hmmed until he was finished. He told her about the training and Sokka being nice, and then the conversation with the twins. How he was Fire Nation, how he was different. How he didn’t belong.

Katara nodded until he had finished, “Zuko I don’t want you to say anything like that every again.”

Zuko looked up at her, “What?”

“You know you belong here.” She shook her head with as much wisdom as Gran-Gran, “The instant I saw you I knew you were sent from La-”

“But why am I your enemy?!” Zuko gritted.

Katara swung him down into her lap and covered his mouth, “You never, never say that. You are my friend forever. If Mommy thought you were my enemy then she wouldn’t have sent you to me! Don’t you ever question that.”

Zuko swallowed. He saw her eyes and saw no lie. She uncovered his mouth, “Ok.” He hiccupped.

“Do you understand?” Katara emphasized.

Zuko choked, “Yes!”

“Ok you know that I love you right?”

Zuko let out a strangled sob, “I love you too.”

Katara gripped him tight after that. She didn’t know why, but she held onto him for dear life. It was like if she hadn’t held him in her embrace, he was going to float away from her whole world. “Don’t you forget.”

“I won’t.”

…

              Zuko laid in his fur bedding. It had been thinned for the weather but Zuko felt like he was burning alive. He felt the thick warm air in the atmosphere and hesitantly let it roam over his skin. The heat was starting to make him feel dizzy. Katara was next to him. Her exhales helped cool his skin some. He ignored the suffocating heat and forced himself into sleep.

              Uncle hadn’t come back yet. He hated when he left. Even if it was just for food. It felt lonely with no one else in the small quarters. Zuko opened an eye to stare at the black metal ceiling. It had become a new hobby for him. Day after day he stared at the ceiling and counted the tiny fissures. Sometimes there were thirty sometimes thirty-one. There wasn't much else he could do. Sometimes Uncle would try to teach him Pai sho or the crew would play music on the top deck. Any movement in his face caused unbearable flashes of pain. Even speaking pulled his twisted flesh. When he had his fill of staring, he closed his eyes to listen to the sounds of the ship. He homed in on the sound of the propeller to avoid the constant agony. The hum was something like a lullaby. He could feel his muscles started to relax and the dark new world fade.

              A jolt startled him. Metal screeched and groaned. The propeller boomed at the sudden halt. Zuko moved up to his elbows. He heard yelling. It sounded like Lieutenant Jee. Uncle burst in through the door. Water flooded in. He could see his breath white and opaque. When had it gotten so cold? His Uncle shouted something, but he didn’t quite hear it. He was stuck in his place held down by a growing panic.

“Zuko! Get up!” Uncle Iroh yelled.

“Uncle what’s happening?” Zuko didn’t know how the words left him.

        Uncle didn’t answer. He ran to him trudging through the raising water and cradled him as they made their escape. Lieutenant Jee was in the hall barking orders. He spotted them and told them to get to the skiff. Soldiers ran passed some half-dressed being woken by the shouting. The ship lurched. Zuko and Uncle fell into the wall. The screaming got louder. We’re going to sink! Abandon ship! Move now! Go! They reached a door at the end of the hall.

“We need to close the watertight door.”

“There are men down there, Lieutenant!”

“Sir! We need to close it now!”

                 Uncle put him down. The water was freezing. He had never touched anything like it. He felt the sting of the cold only after a moment. He heard the screaming again. Wait! Stop! Please!  Uncle pulled a lever and the door locked. The water had stopped rushing through the hall. Zuko was grateful as the frigid water had reached his knees. He jumped at the sound of banging. It was so loud. Uncle picked him back up.

“Uncle, wait! They have to get out!”

                 Zuko pled and thrashed but they continued up to the top deck. He had never seen the ocean so dark. Snow and ice beat at them like whips. Zuko struggled away from his uncle. He felt his wound rip in several places. He fell to the deck. Through his pain he heard a strange noise come from the ship. Then engine had gave way and exploded. The forced had flung him into the waiting embrace of the ocean. Zuko opened his eyes. His senses went numb. He couldn’t breathe. He was underwater. A man came into view. It was Lieutenant Jee. He sunk slowly passed him. Just an arm’s length away. Black water turned red. One body after the other sunk into nothingness.

“This is your fault.” A rumbling voice said.

Zuko swallowed water.

“All of this is your fault. You should be dead.”

Water filled his lungs.

“Die!”

A flash of fire blinded him.

              Zuko let out a silent scream. He sat up drenched in sweat. His veins surged with something scalding and powerful. Every nerve in his body shattered with shocks making him twitch. The sensation shot up his spine until he was writhing in the strange electricity. The spasms moved down his arms and to his fingers. He shut his eyes and tried to will his body to be still. Another shock moved through his arm. Then another. Zuko gripped the bedding. A cool hand placed a feather light touch on his forearm.

              Two flames sputtered from his fingertips singeing the furs. Zuko impulsively tried to pat the flame out. Zuko had burnt every finger in the process. He pulled his fists to his chest. The stench of the burnt fur filled his nose. He did not cry. He did not make a sound. If anyone saw him then he would be sent away. No one could know that fire had just come out of his hands. Know could know that he was…

“You’re a firebender.”

              Big brown ringlets misplaced and surrounded Katara like a halo. Her sleepy eyes looked into his soul waiting for his response. Zuko put out his hands. She took them and left small kisses over his burns. Nothing needed to be said as the gathered the burnt blanket quietly. They found Gran-Gran’s sheers and cut out the damaged bits. Katara gathered fresh water and ran it over his injuries. Zuko couldn’t understand why she wasn’t furious with him. She hadn’t stopped smiling in fact. He couldn’t for the life of him understand why.

“What do you two think you’re doing?” Sir asked.

Katara dropped the sheers causing a noisy clang. Zuko wanted to run. They both gaped as Sir started to get up. Katara put the blanket behind her back.

“Oh. Did you have an accident?” Sir walked over to them. “You need to change clothes.”

Zuko shuttered at Sir’s gentle tone. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, honey don’t be sorry. It happens.” Sir moved tiredly to the chest of folded clothing. “Here. You can change into this.” He held a dull grey sleeping outfit. Zuko reached for them regardless. “What happened to your hands?!”

The tears started to slip. “I’m sorry.”

“You are burnt. Hold on.”

          Sir came back with bandages. Zuko knew he must have looked wretched blubbering the way he was. Sir gingerly wrapped the blistering burns. Zuko withdrew.

“Are you going to send me away?”

“Don’t say that.” Katara said.

“But I’m Fire Nation. I firebend. I- I don’t under-” He choked as his thoughts started to race. Sparks flashed in his palm.

“What’s happening?” Sokka asked.

“Zuko you have to calm down.” Sir clutched his wrists.

“But everyone will hate me!” A red flame flashed and dissipated.

“Woah! You’re a firebender!” Sokka cried.

“I don’t want to be!”

Sir pressed his lips together. “Zuko, look at me you need to calm down.”

              Zuko was in hysterics. Noaluk was right. He didn’t belong. Another flash. This time too close to Sir’s face. A spark had caught in his beard. Kehana was right to hate him. He was dangerous. He couldn’t control himself. He screamed when a larger flame ignited. Light filled the igloo. Katara stepped back. What if he hurt Katara? Zuko wanted to puke. More sparks. The voice was right. Still Sir held on. Katara poured water over his hands.

“I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me.” Zuko felt woozy.

              Hakoda yanked Zuko to him. Just like that night when Zuko could barely form a sentence. He trembled sobbing. Just like Katara had done all those nights. He could feel Zuko’s fear seep into him. Sir cooed and hushed him. An arrow shot through his heart.

“I shouldn’t be here. I should be dead.”

              Hakoda pulled him closer. What had been done to this child to make him say something so horrific. Where had he heard something so awful. Hakoda had made his decision. Zuko was to stay. He wasn’t going to allow any more harm to come to this child of the ocean. Katara wept silently joining the embrace. And then Sokka. His mother snored, not at all disturbed. He dragged the bundle of children to his bedding. Zuko tucked to his left and Katara nestled to his right with Sokka next to her. Hopefully, they all wouldn’t wake up with colds in the morning.

#katara #Zuko #baby zuko #sokka #kanna #hakoda #iroh #atla #atla fanfic #Avatar The Last Airbender

[the-tiva-og]

His Ninjas

Final chapter of my fluffy fic for @talisbirthdaychallenge​!

Chapter 3: Like Ima Ninja, Like Daughter Ninja

“Cat town, cat town, cat town,” Tali sang, swinging her and her father’s joined hands as they departed the hotel. They set out toward Yanaka Ginza, a shopping street that Tony and Ziva wanted to visit to see the shrine and that they had lured Tali into agreeing by telling her that, on quiet mornings, there were sometimes stray cats roaming the streets.  Unfortunately, their first cat spotting took place as Tony was absorbed in reading his map and, not looking where he was going, trod on the tail of a black cat sunning himself on the sidewalk. The cat yowled and darted off and Tony jumped as though he had just stepped on a landmine.  “Daddy!” Tali cried out, “Did you hurt the kitty?!” “Not on purpose!” Tony insisted, looking for the cat. He spotted him, perched on a wall and watching Tony with a look that, Tony would insist, was pure hatred. “See,” he gestured toward the cat, who was now casually licking his tail, “he’s right over there, he’s fine.”

The rest of their visit to the neighborhood went smoothly, Tony was definitely more careful with where he placed his feet, but they spent most of the time looking at the traditional crafts and foods. They didn’t pass back by the wall for at least an hour. Tony initially sighed happily, seeing that the black cat had apparently found somewhere better to be. Then he heard Tali cooing, “Kitty, kitty, kitty.” Tony turned to see his daughter crouched and holding out her hand to the black cat, leaned cooly against a bicycle. It only took a few more coos from Tali before the cat was rubbing against her legs and purring happily while the girl giggled and gently pet his silky black fur. “Ima, look!” Tali called.  Ziva knelt beside her daughter and scratched the cat behind the ears, “He’s pretty, isn’t he, Tali?” “So cute!” Tali said with a smile, “Do you think he’s the same cat that Daddy stepped on?” Seeing how loving the cat was to his partner and daughter, Tony decided to kneel down and try giving the cat some attention. The cat walked toward him, sniffed, raised the hair on his back, and hissed at Tony before returning to Tali. “I would say that this is definitely the same cat your father stepped on,” Ziva said, fighting a laugh. Tony huffed and turned away, “We need to go so that we don’t miss our train.” Ziva rolled her eyes and stood, beckoning for Tali to follow.  “Bye, kitty!” she called, waving at the black cat and following her mother.  As the girl reached out to grab Ziva’s hand, she asked innocently, “Can we get a cat when we go home?” Tony could only grit his teeth.

--------------------

After a trip to an arcade and filling their bellies with gyoza, they arrived at an aquarium. Ever the animal lover, Tali always begged to visit zoos and aquariums. Tony always tried to sway her to pick an aquarium since they tended to be indoors and, in his opinion, didn’t smell like a county fair. The excited little girl pinballed from one exhibit to another, calling to her parents anytime she saw something notable.  “Daddy! Look! Stingrays!” she called out, watching with awe as a massive ray gracefully swam through the tank. Before Tony really had a chance to respond, she was at the next exhibit, calling, “Ima! An octopus! A real octopus!” The tank of reef sharks held her attention long enough for her parents to actually get to look around, but once she spotted a tunnel of jellyfish, they were back on their trek.

“Where does she get the energy?” Tony sighed, throwing his head back as Tali oohed at a tank of piranhas before trotting off to look at some salamanders. “You were an athlete,” Ziva commented while Tali called for her parents to hurry because she had found the seals, “are you telling me that you were not an energetic child?” “Look at the seals, you guys!” Tali insisted as they stood in front of the large icy tank, “Aren’t they cool?” “I had plenty of energy,” Tony quipped, Tali too absorbed in the animals to realize that her parents had not responded, “but this feels more like a Ziva trait.” “Ha!” Ziva laughed, “Of course you would say that.” Tony didn’t have a chance to ask her what she meant because Tali grabbed his arm, calling, “Daddy! Daddy! Look! It’s Dory and Nemo!” The final area of the aquarium was almost more excitement than Tali could handle. Between the otters and penguins, jumping fish and sea lions, the little girl was practically buzzing with excitement. 

This excitement only built as they went to the mall next door to get a snack and ended up finding a Snoopy store, Disney store, and something called the “Pokemon Center MEGA TOKYO,” that Tony never thought they would drag Tali out of. “How about we go to a park?” Tony offered as they left the mall, desperate to go somewhere that wouldn’t have Tali insisting on buying more souvenirs. Ziva, who was now holding the energetic child’s hand, quickly agreed and mentioned a park that they had found in the city guide. Tony found the dog-eared page and the trio set out for their next destination.

The park Tali and Ziva picked out turned out to be, essentially, a massive obstacle course.  “Perfect place for my ninja duo,” Tony joked, standing to the side while Ziva led Tali across a balance beam.  After a seemingly endless string of rope ladders, rope bridges, climbing walls, and rope nets, they reached a bridge made of a series of log platforms. Watching several people ahead of them wobble on the platforms, linger for too long, and begin to sink into the shallow pond, Tony shook his head. “Nope, I’m out,” he said. “I’ll wait for you guys here.” “Scared of a little water, Tony?” Ziva teased.  “I just don’t want to spend the rest of the day walking around in wet socks, Zee-vah,” he replied, “but if you think you’re so graceful, go right ahead.” Her eyes lit up with the challenge and she completed the obstacle with ease, Tali following a bit more clumsily behind her.  Next came a log bridge and a zipline, which Tony observed from the ground, teasing Ziva anytime she gave an indication of frustration. “Our little ninja’s got some skills,” Tony quipped as they watched Tali paddle a round wooden boat through the next obstacle, “still not wanting to admit that she gets that energy from you?” Ziva grinned, looking at their daughter with so much pride, “She does get that from me.” Tony laughed a little, wrapping his arm around Ziva’s shoulder and giving her a little squeeze as Tali clambered out of her boat and ran to the next obstacle. 

Another rope ladder, another zipline, another log bridge, and a rope swing led to a bathroom break. Tali came charging out of the bathroom, intent on finishing the course. She made it through most of the remaining obstacles only taking help from her parents with great reluctance. As she slid off the log slide at the end of the course, she made a running jump at Tony who reacted just in time to catch her. “I did it! Daddy, I did it!” she shouted, “I finished the ninja path!” “Hey, yeah, you did,” he said, squeezing her, “Great job, T-Bird, I’m proud of you.” “Does this make me a real ninja now?” Tali asked excitedly. Tony smiled and nodded, “Yeah, you’re a real ninja, just like Ima.” He tossed a wink at Ziva who smiled and rolled her eyes. “Just like Ima,” Tali said proudly, raising her head from her father’s chest. 

They took the train to Odaiba and spent the late afternoon playing in arcades and browsing in a retro candy store with Tony just as eager as Tali to buy all sorts of mysterious snacks and sweets. Ziva, however, insisted that this would not be eaten instead of a meal, leading Tony to snark, “You’re such a mom, David.” Which, between any other two people might have been an insult, but the smile shared between the couple made it clear that Tony was using the lighthearted jab to continue his assurance of Ziva’s role in their solidifying family.  The family ended up in a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, which Tony had spotted in the city guide and insisted that he had to see it in action. Like her father, the little plates crawling along the counter fascinated Tali. She wanted to grab the first one that she saw, but with a parent positioned on each side, her picks were a bit more policed.  They were cautious with her at first, letting her take egg, shrimp, and grilled pork nigiri, as well as a cucumber roll. Anything she didn’t finish was finished by either Tony or Ziva, but there wasn’t much of that. Despite being a picky baby, Tali had grown to be an adventurous eater, another thing that each parent would insist was a trait inherited from the other. She swiped a tuna nigiri from Tony’s plate and a salmon nigiri from Ziva’s. They began offering her half of everything that they took from the conveyor belt and were happily surprised to see how much of it Tali enjoyed. She barely even flinched at the heat of the wasabi on a piece of squid nigiri. However, she almost spat a piece of eel back onto the plate. Tony laughed a little at the disgusted face that she made while he ate the other piece. Fortunately, the only other similar incident took place when she excitedly grabbed a roll from the belt before Tony or Ziva could stop her. She smelled the sushi and tried to refuse to eat it. Ziva insisted that, since she took it off of the belt, she needed to be responsible and eat at least one piece of it. Tali whined and pouted for a while, but Ziva did not relent and eventually the little girl managed to eat the natto maki. Tony volunteered to eat the remaining pieces from the plate and they wore matching grimaces until they were able to wash the taste out of their mouths.  As they left the restaurant, Ziva praised their daughter for being such an adventurous eater with Tony adding that she even ate the “stinky bean thing.” Proud of herself, Tali puffed out her chest and walked with a purpose. 

“We’ve got some surprises for you when we get back to the hotel room,” Tony told Tali as they left the train station in Asakusa and began walking back to their hotel. Tali gasped, “More surprises?!” Tony held his hands up in a defensive pose, “Now, I can’t promise that they’ll be as good as a trip to Disneyland, but I think you’ll like them.” Ziva smiled at him, knowing what he had planned and also knowing that her morning run had taken her past a bakery today and that there was a small strawberry shortcake currently stashed away in the room’s refrigerator.  Tali skipped the rest of the way to the hotel and waited impatiently for the elevator. “Your surprise won’t be there until we are, kiddo,” Tony laughed, watching the little girl shift her weight from one foot to the other, a spitting image of her mother. Tali huffed as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. 

Once they got up to the room, Tony went to his computer to set up the surprise while Tali opened up a coloring book she had gotten at one of the plethora of shops they had visited on this trip. “Okay,” he called out, gesturing for the little girl to join him, “come sit in the chair and close your eyes.” Tali hopped off of the bed and rushed over to the desk. She clambered into the chair and squeezed her eyes shut tight.  “No peeking, okay?” Tony said, lightly, starting a program on the laptop.  The little girl clapped her hands over her eyes and nodded. “Alright, just give me a second, okay?” he said.  “Okay,” she agreed.  Familiar voices called out, “Happy birthday, Tali!” and her hands flew from her face and her eyes opened wide. “Uncle Tim! Uncle Jimmy!” she shouted, looking at the faces of her parents’ friends on the laptop in front of her, “Hi!” “Hey, kiddo, how’s Tokyo?” McGee asked. “Your dad said that you went to a ninja restaurant, that’s so cool,” Palmer added.  Tony smiled in the background, happy to see his friends, but also happy to let Tali have some time with her unofficial uncles. He could tell from the background that they were huddled around the computer in Palmer’s office in the basement. It was just a bit past seven a.m. in Washington, so he wasn’t exceptionally surprised that they were both there and looking wide awake.  Tali was regaling them with stories of their trip and all the places that they had gone and about the surprise trip to Disneyland they were taking tomorrow for her birthday. The men listened in rapt attention as she told them about the souvenirs she had bought for Victoria, Johnny, and Morgan and how she couldn’t wait to meet them in person so that she could give them their gifts. As McGee was promising to come visit Tali and her parents really soon, Ziva called out to tell Tali that they had one more surprise for her. Her head whipped around to her mother and her eyes widened, “Is that cake?!” “I know that today is not actually your birthday and I am sure that you will have many treats in Disneyland tomorrow, but since we are having your birthday with family tonight” Ziva said, eyes twinkling and smile brightening when she said ‘family’, “your father and I thought that we should have a birthday cake.” The cake was small, but still large enough that they would probably each get to have another slice or two before it was gone. It was iced with whipped cream and topped with florets of cream and slices of strawberries. Tony had poked six small candles into the icing and they were currently burning with little, dancing flames. “Go on and blow out your candles,” McGee encouraged.  Tali nodded excitedly as her mother placed the cake between the little girl and the computer. “Don’t forget to make a wish!” Palmer added. Tali nodded again, closing her eyes for just a second before dramatically blowing out the candles.  Her family clapped and cheered, then Tony wiped the computer screen and Ziva set to cutting slices of the cake for the three family members currently sharing a room. They talked for a while longer, long enough for Tali to finish her slice of cake, but her eyes soon began to droop. “Hey, kiddo,” Tony said, putting a hand on her shoulder, “why don’t you say bye to your uncles and start getting ready for bed?” Tali nodded sleepily and exchanged goodbyes and good nights with Palmer and McGee before sliding out of the chair and heading toward her pajamas. 

“So, everything good with you guys?” McGee asked, once Tali had left the area. Tony looked at Ziva and smiled, “Yeah, things are great.” Jimmy’s face somehow grew even brighter, “It's so great to see you guys together, I mean, really together together. You’re just… so damn cute!” Ziva chuckled and Tony rolled his eyes, “Slap him for me, McGee.” McGee rolled his eyes back at Tony and said, “I agree with him.” “I didn’t ask if you agreed, McCupid,” Tony snarked, hiding a smile. McGee chortled and gave Jimmy a light smack to the back of the head. Tony smiled and nodded, “You’ve all gone soft. I never got such a gentle hand when I was there.” “And that explains so much about you, mon cher,” Ziva teased, taking the seat vacated by Tali. She leaned over and pressed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Eww! Cut it out!” McGee teased, “Gross!” “You know that we made a child together, right McGeek?” Tony said as Ziva leaned back, smirking. McGee grimaced, “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I have to think about how you made one.” Tony continued teasing, “You see, when a mommy loves a daddy very much--” “Hey!” McGee called out, “Everyone here has been involved in the baby-making process. We are all very much aware of how it happens.” “Oh wow,” Palmer interrupted, “We’re all parents.” There was a moment of silence as the former coworkers let that sink in, as they all took in how much their lives had changed since they met. “We are,” Ziva said, voice full of the emotions that they all felt. “That’s crazy, isn’t it?” McGee vocalized, “I mean, did you ever imagine that happening?” Tony shrugged, “I mean, I certainly didn’t.” “We’ve gotta get all the kids together sometime soon,” Palmer said.  They all nodded or voiced their agreement. 

In the silence that followed, Tony spoke up, “Uh, so… we’re engaged.” “What?!” Palmer and McGee shrieked. “When?!” McGee asked while Palmer shouted, “Really?!” over him. “Yeah, last night at the Skytree tower thing, I just sort of… asked if Ziva would marry me,” Tony shrugged. “Well, you first asked, hypothetically, if you proposed, would I say yes,” Ziva corrected. “And you told me that I should ask,” Tony replied, “and I did.” Ziva smirked, “He didn’t have a ring.” Tony smirked back, “You still said yes.” “He’s had a ring for ages, Ziva,” McGee said, smiling from ear to ear, “Trust me, I’ve seen it. It’s perfect for you.” Palmer nodded in agreement.  “So everyone knew about the ring except me?” Ziva asked, shocked. Tony shrugged, “Well, I had to get the approval of my council of men.” Ziva gestured at the screen, “Your ‘council of men.’” Tony chuckled, “I said what I said.” Before the bickering could continue, Tali called out for them from the other room. “Ah, duty calls,” Tony said, turning to the screen. A faint buzzing sounded through the speakers and McGee pulled out his phone, “Yeah, that’s Gibbs. Looks like we’ve got a case.” “Give the best to the old man for us,” Tony said. “Will do,” McGee responded with a little salute. “Take care of yourselves,” Ziva called. “We will,” Jimmy responded, “Congratulations!” The call ended and Tony and Ziva were left looking at their reflections in the blank computer screen. Reflections of the people they had became-- parents, partners, fiances, civilians.  “Did you ever think we’d get here?” Tony asked, standing and offering a hand to Ziva. She shook her head, “I never imagined it. Never let myself imagine it.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, “And now?” She smiled, leaning against him, “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

#HappyBirthdayTali #tiva #tiva fanfiction #tiva fic #Tivali

[wikitopx]

The beautiful beaches and historic downtown of Galveston, less than an hour from Houston, make this a year-round destination for Texans and tourists.

For much of the 19th century, Galveston was the largest and wealthiest town in the state, and for a brief period, it was even the capital of the Republic of Texas. The splendor of the period can still be seen in the historic buildings and handsome mansions. In the heart of the city center, the Strand district preserves many original facades, now home to restaurants, cafes, galleries and shops.

[toc]

1. Galveston's Beaches

Turquoise water laps at the seemingly endless stretch of soft sand that fronts the ocean and draws crowds of people here from spring until fall. The Seawall runs for more than 10 miles along the beach, offering plenty of room to find your own patch of sand and space to play in the shallow and often calm water.

Several washroom facilities are located along here at various intervals, and behind the beach are restaurants, shops, and hotels. At the heart of the action along here is Pleasure Pier.

One of the most popular beaches, near the east end of the island, is Stewart Beach. At this family-friendly beach, you'll find showers and restrooms, chair and umbrella rentals, a children's playground, concessions, and a lifeguard.

If you are looking for more nature and activity, head west to Galveston Island State Park, where you can go walking along the boardwalks, kayaking through the bayou, and bird-watching on either the bay or ocean side.

2. The Strand Historic District

The Strand Historical Site in Galveston - also known simply as The Strand - is a National Historic Site composed mainly of Victorian buildings, many of which survived the 1900 hurricane. There are many restaurants, cafes, galleries, and antique shops, which is a pleasant place to visit, shop and eat.

The district stretches all the way to the busy jetty, with restored old warehouses and home to many of Galveston's most important tourist destinations. Also in this area, you'll find Pier 19, with the Museum and offshore rig Ocean Star, the nearby Texas Harbor Museum and dining places overlooking the water.

Be sure to stop at Pier 21 to watch The Great Storm, a 1900 storm movie that attacked Galveston and changed it forever.

The Strand is also home to an eclectic mix of retail and dining, from old-fashioned candy stores, like LA King's Confectionery, where you can watch taffy-making demonstrations, to more upscale restaurants, such as longtime Rudy and Paco, next to the 1894 Grand Opera House, or the more modern Vargas Cut and Catch on the street.

3. 1892 Bishop's Palace

Built as a private residence, the Bishop's Palace is often described as one of the most important Victorian castles in the United States. It was completed in 1893 after seven years of construction.

The grand interior displays elaborately carved woodwork, high ceilings, stained glass windows, fireplaces, and fine furnishings. Now a national historic site and museum, the house is open to tours.

Address: 1402 Broadway Street, Galveston, Texas

Official Site: https://ift.tt/1lQ55Ev

4. Moody Gardens and Aquarium Pyramid

Moody Gardens is a huge complex with things to do for the whole family. It can easily be an all-day outing, or you can target just one of the many attractions here and spend a few hours. The most outstanding feature is the three glass pyramids.

The main attraction for many is the Pyramid tour. This huge aquarium showcases the marine life of the Pacific, the Antarctic, the Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Sea, and the Caribbean. Some of the highlights are the underwater tunnel, touch tanks, and the giant river otters and the penguins, both of which are part of the animal encounter programs.

The Rainforest Pyramid is home to flora and fauna from the tropics, including free-roaming monkeys and sloths, birds, and fish. A boardwalk at canopy level takes you right through the heart of the rainforest. The aptly named Discovery Pyramid focuses on science and offers a range of displays.

Afterward, head to Palm Beach waterpark with its white sands, freshwater lagoons, slides, lazy river, and replica paddle steamer. Also, check out the elaborate seasonal displays.

Address: 1 Hope Blvd, Galveston, Texas

Official Site: www.moodygardens.com

5. Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier

The most prominent feature along the Seawall is Pleasure Dock. Jutting out into the ocean like a carnival on stilts, the pier's roller coasters, and colorful structures can be seen from well off in the distance along the beachfront.

Opened in 2012, this 1,130-foot pier - built on the site of its predecessor, was destroyed by a typhoon in 1961 - boasts many exciting rides suitable for all ages, as well as games and activities, and a restaurant.

If you are visiting Galveston with kids, this is a fun way to spend some time. The Pleasure Pier is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and on weekends during the winter.

Address: 2501 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, Texas

Official Site: www.pleasurepier.com

6. Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum

The Port of Galveston is home to many rigs and supply vessels, and with a nod to Galveston's important role in the Gulf of Mexico's bustling oil and gas industries, the Ocean Star Offshore Oil Rig and Museum offers a fascinating insight into the energy business.

Based on an actual oil rig - the Great Ocean Star, built-in 1969 - the museum displays many amazing exhibits. Highlights include a visit to the pipe deck, where some of the larger equipment needed to drill the rig's more than 200 wells is stored, along with interactive displays showing the process from exploration to extraction.

Address: 2002 Wharf Road, Galveston, Texas

Official site: www.oceanstaroec.com

7. Texas Seaport Museum and the Elissa

The Texas Seaport Museum is home to the tall ship Elissa, built-in 1877 and considered one of the finest restored historic vessels in the US. This lovely old ship still puts to sea regularly, and her fascinating story — including her rescue from the scrapyard — is told in the museum onshore.

Other highlights include a look at the history of the Port of Galveston, including the names of the more than 133,000 migrants who passed through. If you want to see more, drive over to nearby Seawolf Park for a peek at a WWII-era US Navy submarine and the USS Stewart, a destroyer from the same period.

Address: 2200 Harborside Drive, Galveston, Texas

Official Site: https://ift.tt/2O1DQfY

8. The Bryan Museum

Housed in a fabulous historic building, which was once the Galveston Orphans Home, this museum showcases a diverse collection of art and artifacts from the American West, spanning more than 12,000 years.

The permanent collection relates to everything, from Native American history to the Spanish Colonial Age and Independence to Texas. The Texas Masters Gallery features the art of Texas-born artists, as well as people who walk through the area and photograph it on canvas.

Around the museum, you'll also find works by various artists, including pieces by Andy Warhol. iPads on displays help explain the pieces and their significance, but the best way to appreciate the collection and learn about history is to take a tour. If you are lucky, you may even see the founder, Mr. J.P. Bryan, who opened the Bryan Museum in 2015.

Address: 1315 21st Street, Galveston, Texas

Official Site: www.thebryanmuseum.org

9. Moody Mansion

Built-in 1895, the interior of the Victorian Moody Mansion features stained glass, custom carved woodwork, decorative tiles, and plasterwork, along with fine stencil work throughout.

The house also impresses with red bricks, unique architecture and countless arches, along with numerous antiques, photographs and intricate artwork. Guided tours through 20 rooms are available, and many special events and programs are also held here. Also of interest are the bases of meticulous maintenance.

Address: 1 Hope Blvd, Galveston, Texas

Official Site: www.moodymansion.org

10. The Grand 1894 Opera House

Another ancient architecture of Galveston is the Grand Theater of 1894, a restored Victoria Theater that is splendid and withstands many storms. It still hosts a full lineup of musical and theatrical performances, along with a selection of fun shows for kids of all ages.

On the wall inside the main entrance, a plaque shows the level of the high water mark from hurricane Ike, which swept through in 2008.

Address: 2020 Post Office Street, Galveston, Texas

Official Site: www.thegrand.com

More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Fort Worth

From : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-galveston-704126.html

#Wikitopx #Wikitopx - Feed

[kansascitywatch]

10 Fun Things to do in Kansas City & the ‘Burbs with Kids

Looking for some fun things to do in Kansas City with the kids? Check out this list:

Kansas City is more than just tornadoes, the Chiefs, and the best burnt ends in the world. For those who live in this beautiful part of middle-America, it’s a well kept secret that the Kansas City area is also a fun place to visit, raise kids, and plant roots. With the KC Royals bringing home the World Series pennant this past year, Kansas City is quickly becoming a tourist destination not just for sports fans but for families eager for a bit of friendly Midwest hospitality. Here are our family’s 10 favorite things to do in Kansas City and the ‘burbs with kids.

Fun things to do in KANSAS CITY, MO

1. Hallmark Kaleidoscope

Kansas City is the world headquarters of Hallmark Cards, located downtown in the aptly named Crown Center. More than just the answer to a trivia question, this little factoid plays a major part of a fun and FREE family activity in downtown KC.

Hallmark Kaleidoscope is a kid’s center dedicated completely to creative play and artistic fun for all children. Hallmark sends all the leftover material from their manufacturing and printing processes here so kids can turn them into unique and personal art projects to take home. If your kids love art, enjoy doing crafts, or just being creative, and you don’t mind them being covered in a little glitter or glue, you won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind experience. We love it so much that it’s the number one thing we tell people to visit when they ask us about things to do in Kansas City with kids.

Just make sure to check Hallmark Kaleidoscope’s calendar before visiting, as their availability for Family Art Sessions is based on area school schedules. Tickets for admission are only handed out the day of and are given on a first come basis. And don’t forget to keep in mind that sessions fill up quickly, so if you find yourself with some extra time before or after your session starts, head around the corner to the Hallmark Visitors Center.

The Hallmark Kaleidoscope is also wheelchair accessible, and if desired, you can call ahead to discuss your child’s circumstances to help determine the session that will result in your child’s experience being the most successful.

2. Hallmark Visitors Center

The Hallmark Visitors Center offers a free Hallmark tour that gives visitors an exclusive peek into Hallmark’s rich past, its current greeting cards and products, and the company’s creative future. Not only does the visitors center offer interactive displays and fun exhibits, it also makes for a great learning experience for everyone. Our family always combines our Family Art Session at Kaleidoscope with the free Hallmark tour, as my kids LOVE the Bow Machine, hence the purple gift wrap bow on top of my daughter’s head in the image above.

3. LEGOLAND Discovery Center

Another of our favorite downtown stops is the LEGOLAND Discovery Center, also in the Crown Center. With over 3 million LEGO Bricks, this model builder’s haven is suited specifically for little fingers belonging to kids ages 3-10. Our girls love the LEGO Factory Tour, where they learn all about how bricks are made. From ground plastic and molding to mixing and painting, this tour will excite kids while giving adults a reason to second-think sucking the little plastic pieces up with their vacuum hose.

Aside from the Factory Tour, attractions like MINILAND, LEGO Racers: Build and Test, and the LEGO City Play Zone ensure that kids of all abilities, interests and ages have fun. And don’t worry, LEGOLAND isn’t just for boys or older kids with great dexterity. Our girls squeal with delight at the sight of Heartlake City, home to their five LEGO Friends and a building area where cupcakes, microphones, and life as a pop star abounds.

And our 2-year old loves the farmyard inside the DUPLO Village and building towers with both soft bricks and bigger DUPLOs. If you have younger kids, consider visiting the LEGOLAND Discovery Center on a Tuesday. Every Tuesday is Toddler Tuesday and admission is only $14 for both an adult and a toddler age 4 and younger (additional adults or children over age 4 can purchase tickets for a discounted rate).

Tip: Don’t forget your socks when you visit; they are required for the LEGO City Play Zone.

4. The College Basketball Experience

Connected to the Sprint Center, the College Basketball Experience is home to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and provides a day of sweaty fun that you will never forget. If you have a basketball fan in your life, he or she may think they have died and gone to a 41,000 square foot college basketball laden heaven, as there is no place like this in the world.

Every single facet of the game of basketball has an “experience.” From skills like passing, free-throw shooting and 3-point shooting to rebounding, being heckled, and dunking, this high energy experience immerses fans old and young into the world of college hoops with unparalleled basketball activities and game-day excitement. And if you have little ones who don’t quite understand the importance of March Madness yet, there is a special Kids’ Court for them to practice their ball-handling skills on with equipment perfect for those ages 2-9.

5. Kansas City Zoo

It is suffice to say that our family loves going to the zoo, so much so that I have lost count of the number of zoos we have visited around the world! When we moved to Kansas City, the Kansas City Zoo was the first place we visited, and it has quickly become our go-to spot when we want a fun place to let the kids roam and need something easy to do in Kansas City for the day.

The Kansas City Zoo is the perfect size zoo for a quick day outing and for kids of all ages, especially younger ones who have itty bitty legs and a six-inch stride. The best part of this wonderful zoo is that there is a fantastic KidZone that is complete with the Helzberg Penguin Plaza, Polar Bear Passage, a Discovery Barn, the Peekaboo Tree and the Endangered Species Carousel that elicit oohs, aahs, and ear-to-ear grins from each of our girls every time we visit (and they make for excellent indoor fun when the weather is less than beautiful outside).

With tigers, lions, orangutans, and a polar bear to penguins, red pandas and otters, this zoo has the perfect variety of creatures and critters of every shape and size for your family to enjoy. And coming to the Kansas City Zoo in 2016 is a pair of koalas; you won’t want to miss them!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE KANSAS CITY SUBURBS

6. Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

Our favorite location for entertaining, educating and getting kids outside is the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead located in Overland Park, KS. Built like a working family farm, there are hundreds of animals to see, feed and pet. Our kids continually talk about how much they love bottle feeding all the kids (baby goats, that is), milking the cows, and riding on the push pedal tractors.

There are also gardens, wagon rides, historic buildings, a fishing pond, pony rides, a play area for kids of all ages, not to mention two playgrounds geared specifically for little ones 7 and under and also 4 and under. This is a great place for kids to run, burn energy, and even learn a little about life in the early 1900s. And if you happen to visit Monday through Thursday, admission is FREE!

7. Kansas City T-Bones and the CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

If you find yourself visiting Kansas City anytime May through September, be sure to check out the Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team. They play in a wonderful, cozy stadium that was twice named Field of the Year. Even if you’re not a sports fan, this is a fantastically fun family outing.

With a special kids’ play area nestled down the right-field line, parents can watch both the game and their kids at the same time. My three daughters’ favorite part of the kids’ play area is the special kids-only concession stand. Not only is it kid-sized with much shorter counters, it also boasts lower prices so that the kids can purchase their own treats during the game.

“There are far too many bathrooms,” said no one ever, and this sentiment runs true at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Unlike many sports facilities, there is a disproportionate number of bathrooms to fixed seats, meaning that there is far less time wasted waiting in line. This also translates well to having small kids who say they “have to go” but really “had to go” 10 minutes ago and are now on the verge of Niagara Falls emerging from their tiny pant legs. For those with kids still in diapers, there are even baby changing tables in every single bathroom in the ballpark…amazing, right?

With general admission ticket prices starting at $6.50, the farthest seat in the ballpark being only about 50 feet from the field of play, AND free parking, going to a T-Bones game is a fun and affordable yet amenity filled experience for the whole family.

And for you parents that don’t like baseball or sitting outside in the heat, for that matter; drop the outdoor tolerating or sports loving parent along with the kids at the game while you go wander around Legends Outlet Mall across the street. Although there’s nothing overly unique about Legends, there is plenty to do to keep you busy while the rest of the family is at the ballpark. I could easily spend hours inside the TARDIS-like Nebraska Furniture Mart; with over one million square feet of home furnishings and electronics, it’s a Midwest destination of its own.

Read the full article here

Check back with Kansas City Watch for more info on the KCMO area!

from Kansas City Watch https://kansascitywatch.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/10-fun-things-to-do-in-kansas-city-the-burbs-with-kids/