#Zuko: your name sounds really fake | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gladerwolfstarkimagines · 3 years

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Imagine seeing Ozai’s angels for the first time and being in awe

You’d joined the Avatar and his friends quite early on and had been with them ever since. They’d initially recruited you for protection as despite not being a bender you were a very skilled bodyguard and so you got roped into protecting the avatar. You usually took your job very seriously but sometimes things (or people) could distract you.

Meeting Number One: Ty lee

You’d all arrived at Omashu to see if King Bumi could be Aang’s earthbender teacher only to find the whole city had fallen to the fire nation. In your attempt to free all the citizens a fire nation baby had been separated from his parents and Aang arranged a trade. Bumi for the baby. You had your weapons within your grasp and were toying with them as you waited to see who you would be dealing with in this trade. You heard someone approaching and turned to see three beautiful women. You weren’t sure what you’d been expecting but this was certainly not it. The three walked up in formation and you just stared "wow". "What?" Sokka asked from beside you and you shrugged "nothing....just do you think all fire nation girls look like that?”. Sokka shrugged “I guess?”. “I really need to visit the fire nation then” you whistled and Sokka shook his head at you. Aang started talking and you eagerly watched hoping to find out more about this interesting trio. You soon found out the one on the right was a princess and the one in the middle was called Mai but the other one didn’t have a name yet. You thought they were all pretty cool and then when you saw them fight...you were speechless. The princess Azula went for Aang leaving you and Katara with Mai and the other girl. Katara called she’d deal with Mai and so you got the nameless pink lady. She sprang into action and you were very impressed at how quick and flexible she was. “Wow you’re amazing” you cried as she vaulted over you. The girl smiled slightly “thanks”. You blocked her attack but didn’t bother retaliating, you just wanted to see what she could do. She didn’t disappoint. Soon the girl gave you no other option but to react. You defended yourself keeping out of her way and soon found the pattern she fought in. Sensing the fight was rounding to a close you decided to find out more about her while you could. “So you got a name?” you asked. “Ty lee” she replied and you nodded “figures, pretty name for a pretty girl”. The girl smirked at you and you both jumped to hear Katara yell. Mai had successfully pinned her and was watching you two. “Ty lee what are you doing! Get her”. “I’m trying but she’s...interesting”. You smiled at the compliment and Mai sighed “fine i’ll do it”. You grinned as now both the girls fixed their attention on you before realising that was actually a bad thing. Mai raised her knives and you contemplated your life choices when suddenly Appa appeared and knocked them away from you. You rushed to free Katara and then hopped onto Appa’s back, leaving the trio of cool women behind you.

You managed to find Aang and escape but the trio had certainly left an impression. “Still want to move to the fire nation?” Sokka asked you and you nodded “without a doubt, they were the most interesting women i’ve ever seen!”. Katara turned at the pure excitement in your voice and raised an eyebrow “You’re not serious?”. In reply you just shrugged “hey don’t blame me! Angry powerful women are my weakness” you cried. Sokka nodded “that is true, remember in that fight against June? She was useless”. You smiled at the memory “she was so cool....” you stared off into space and the others all rolled their eyes. “Well be that as it may, you have to find a way to stay strong and ignore them, can you do that?” Katara asked. You nodded “yep, totally” but you weren’t sure.

Meeting Number Two: Azula

A few weeks later you’d recruited an earth bender to teach Aang and everything was going great...then a giant tank began chasing you. You were very fed up at the metal tank following you until it opened up and three women exited. “It’s Mai, Ty lee and Azula!” you cried and Katara looked at you “you know you could try to sound less excited when you say their names, they are trying to kill us”. You smirked “sorry?”. “Who?” Toph asked. “Mai, Ty lee and Azula” you grinned “okay so i’ll start with Ty lee, basically she’s this insanely beautiful acrobat who...”. “Maybe save this for later y/n” Sokka called and you nodded “yep good idea” and fled with the others.

The girls continued to pursue you and even you were losing your excitement at the idea. So when Aang decided to end it by confronting them you agreed. You accompanied Aang to an abandoned town to wait for them but they were taking a while. So, bored, you wandered onto the outskirts kicking rocks to pass the time.

You felt Azula before you saw her. You turned and locked eyes with the princess of the fire nation. “The princess Azula” you smiled “do I bow or is that too formal?”. “It wouldn’t hurt?” she shrugged before sending fire at your head. You dodged it with a laugh “not a talker huh?”. “Why would I waste my breath on the likes of you? A petty thief with no home or money, I do my research and you’re worthless”. Your smile didn’t even waver “awww you’re just saying that because we didn’t get to spend much time together last time...you’ll love me once you get to know me. Ty lee warmed up to me”. “I’m not like Ty lee” she replied and carried on attacking you. You had to agree, Azula was not like Ty lee, she was a lot rougher. Whilst Ty lee had been aiming to immobilise you Azula was aiming to seriously injure you at best. “Certainly not as friendly as Ty lee” you agreed “but that’s okay”. “Where is the avatar?” Azula called. “I’d rather talk about you” you replied “princess of the fire nation, that must be fun, it suits you”. “I know, now tell me where the avatar is or I will kill you” the princess retorted. “No you won’t, if you killed me then you’d never know where he is” you grinned. Azula groaned in frustration and threw a large wave of fire at you, knocking you over. She rushed after it and pinned you down on the floor “still not worried I’ll kill you?” she asked. You looked from the fire she’d conjured in her palm back to her face and smiled “damn those fire nation genes are good...I thought your brother was hot but you’re even better”. For just a second, Azula faltered and you used that second to break out of her grip. You threw Azula off you and scrambled up into a run. She was close behind you when you ran around the corner straight into a fight between Aang and Zuko. “Y/n where have you been?” Aang called while Zuko stared “Azula?”. “Brother” she replied. “Sorry Azula and I were spending some quality time together” you said loudly “but we’re here now”. Azula’s eye twitched and she attacked.

You and Aang only managed to get out of the encounter with the help of Sokka, Toph and Katara who all showed up to help. Then the tables turned and you had Azula outnumbered. You couldn’t believe the princess of the fire nation had been out-smarted but of course she hadn’t really. She used a distraction and then ran from the scene. You spotted her fleeing down a back street and smiled, the princess of the fire nation was immaculate and you expected nothing less.

Meeting Number Three: Mai

The next time you came into contact with Ozai’s angels was when they infiltrated Ba Sing Sei by dressing up as the Kyoshi warriors. Aang got a vision Katara was in danger and when you approached the earth king to tell him, the fake kyoshi warriors attack but something was familiar about them.

Toph took one of the warriors and you took the other. While you were sparring with your warrior you kept staring at her...something about the girl was very familiar, but you couldn’t place her. "You look really familiar...have we met before?" you asked. "Good eye" the girl grinned before she threw a knife at you. The minute you saw the knife it clicked and you grinned "you’re Mai the hot knife girl!" before realising you’d said that out loud "ow...". Mai raised an eyebrow and carried on attacking you. Mai was just as impressive as Azula and Ty lee but a lot cooler with a drier sense of humour. You admired her choice of weapon the most and found the way she fought with it strangely captivating, so much so you didn’t fight to immobilise her, honestly you didn’t even try as you just wanted to watch her. Toph had won her fight with Ty lee and rushed to help you, mistakenly figuring you were losing. Toph looked for an opening but as both your choices of fight were close combat she couldn’t attack without possibly hitting you. You and Mai dodged around one another but you knew this couldn’t last forever. "I’m sorry but i have to say it, you’re really good with knives" you grinned as you disarmed her. Mai glared "you literally just disarmed me". "Yeah but you’re seriously the closest a person has ever come to stabbing me!". Mai raised an eyebrow "i imagine a lot of people try to stab you?". You laughed in agreement and Toph and Sokka stared. "What are you doing y/n stop flirting and fight her!" Sokka yelled. "Ow right" you smirked getting back into a fighting stance when Azula appeared "this is over”. You dropped your hands as she held a flame to the earth king’s throat and Sokka and Toph followed suit. “Grab them” Azula called. Mai stepped to you as you were closest and grabbed your arms tightly twisting them behind your back. You blushed as she gripped you roughly and looked away. "Seriously y/n?" Sokka asked and Mai noticed rolling her eyes. "Shut up Sokka you’re embarrassing me" you spat when Mai chimed in “actually you’re doing that all on your own”. “Ow come on, you enjoyed that fight too admit it”. Mai paused and you grinned “knew it” and she yanked your arms tighter “quit talking and walk”. “Whatever you say Mai” you grinned and complied.

You couldn’t stop thinking about Mai in your cell and you shook your head in disbelief “they have to be the coolest trio that’s ever existed! Every single one of them is amazing”. Sokka sighed “y/n could you please try to not be in love with our captors?”. “I can’t help it!” you cried “Ty lee was sweet but powerful, Azula was deadly and impressive and Mai was cool and funny, they’re all knockouts”. “Well great how about we try and get their numbers on the way out?” Toph asked metal bending the door down and you grinned “I mean I wouldn’t say no”.

You, Sokka, Toph and the earth king escaped from your cells and looked for Bosco. You found him in the throne room with Mai and Ty lee and paused. Toph took out Ty lee with earth bending and you locked eyes on Mai. No matter your feelings you had to do this so you got into a fighting stance when Mai rolled her eyes. "Just take the bear" she said annoyed and you smirked "thanks Mai!". The earth king ran to Bosco and your group headed for the door but you paused looking at Ty lee trapped in such an uncomfortable position. “Will Ty lee be okay like that?” you asked and Mai nodded “i’ll get her out”. “Y/n” Sokka yelled and you nodded. “Well bye, hope you get out of that soon Ty lee and tell Azula I said goodbye, she gets jealous when I leave her out. Glad I got to finally meet you Mai” you smiled and with a wink you ran away. You heard Mai groan but Ty lee just giggled. “Bye y/n” you heard Ty lee call and the smile was still on your face when you caught up with the others. “Having fun?” Sokka asked and you nodded “I cannot wait until we see them again!”.

You successfully managed to get Katara and Aang out safely and you laid back on Appa contemplating everything. You knew you were on opposite sides but each of the girls was intriguing and redeemable, even Azula who had almost killed Aang was still only a daughter trying to prove herself to her abusive parents. You could sense there were so many layers to each of them and smiled as you leant back on your arms. Hopefully you’d seen them again soon and who knows...maybe when this was all over things could be different.

____

So this is basically my literal reaction to seeing Ozai’s angels for the first time. I remember watching them all fight and just fell helplessly in love with all 3 of them. Then I read the Kyoshi novels and realised I just have a thing for fire nation women (Rangi is amazing I love her so much and I’d write for her if she and Kyoshi weren’t the best couple ever, I can’t break them up even fictionally).

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reinerispretty · 3 years

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little moments. zuko x f!reader rotations bonus

HI UM!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 2K!!!!! i love each and every one of u with my WHOLE HEART!!!!

i was trying to think of something special to do that everyone would enjoy, so why not a good callback to the reason why most of us are here hehehe

when i wrote rotations, there were lots of avenues that i thought of taking after the fall of ba sing se! in the fic, (y/n) is arrested, and i posted a bonus already of how it would have ended if she had escaped with sokka and the rest of the gaang. HOWEVER, i did think of her taking azula up on her offer of going back to the fire nation and being there with zuko (insert side eye emoji)

so that’s what this is! a little rotations bonus to say thank you so much for sticking with me!!

She had contemplated it as she was in her room on the ship. Of running away and finding Sokka, Katara, and Toph. She would tell them that she couldn’t do it. She wasn’t strong enough.

The weight of what she had done settled into her stomach as soon as (Y/N) opened her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling of one of the guest bedrooms in the Earth King’s palace, needles dancing behind her eyes. For the first time in months, she was completely alone.

Azula had offered her immunity if she chose to join her. All would be forgiven if (Y/N) would just join them and return to her home, her real home. The mainland of the Fire Nation and the inner workings of palace life. It would be like nothing had changed. And (Y/N) had said yes.

It wasn’t as if she wanted to betray her friends. It was something that Sokka had discussed with her, in the event that she was captured.

A knock sounded against the heavy green door. (Y/N) sat up against the fluffy green pillows and called whoever it was in. Servants filtered in, carrying bundles of clothing, brushes, soaps, and dishes of water. One stopped at the foot of her bed. “The Princess has asked that you ready yourself to see her in the throne room.”

(Y/N) nodded silently and slipped out of the bed. The servants guided her to a chair in front of a vanity where they worked at her appearance.

Looking in the mirror was difficult. (Y/N) couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, as she was dressed in the traditional clothing of her nation, she kept her eyes cast downward and remained silent as the servants scrubbed the dirt from her nails and face and brushed the knots from her hair. It was as if, little by little, evidence of her time with Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka was being erased.

Sokka. She thought back to their conversation on the floor of their house in Ba Sing Se, shrouded in darkness as they whispered to each other. “Do what you can to keep yourself safe,” He had said quietly. “Pretend that you like them or something. When you can, meet back up with us and tell us about the Fire Lord’s plan.”

“I’m not leaving you guys,” She had scoffed, hoping that Sokka’s request of her was fake. Did he really expect her to leave her friends? The people who had become her family?

Sokka had turned over on his stomach to look at her. “You’re our best chance at gathering intel about the Fire Nation. They know you there, they trust you.”

“Not anymore,” She pointed out. Sokka shrugged.

“They have a soft spot for you. You’re one of our advantages, (Y/N). If given the opportunity, I need you to take it.”

She had turned over, staring straight into his sky blue eyes. She rested her chin on her palm. She wasn’t taking Sokka seriously, so she had humored him. “Fine,” She agreed. “If Azula wanders up to me and asks me to go back, I’ll play spy.”

Sokka’s face remained serious despite her joking tone. “I don’t want you to do this either,” He had told her. “If you get into any serious danger, just come back to m--us.”

(Y/N) had laughed. “Danger? In the Fire Nation? No way.”

In the present, (Y/N) dared to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was done in the traditional Fire Nation topknot, flowing freely down her back. She looked as she had over a year ago. Beloved daughter of the Fire Nation with a miserable glint in her eye. Was this who she had always been? She swallowed thickly to press down the tears.

She had learned to trust Sokka’s judgment overtime. It was a good plan. She was the only one that could do it. But it hadn’t been a day and she already couldn’t wait to be reunited with her friends. In the meantime, she would have to do her best to pretend that this was the life she wanted. One of cruelty and submission.

She had sat in the palace the night before, as Zuko and Azula fought Katara and Aang in the caverns below the city. She had watched Appa fly away, with no knowledge of how her friends had fared during the fight.

Once she was done getting ready, (Y/N) dismissed the servants. She walked quietly to the throne room, her head down. When she entered, Azula was sat in the Earth King’s throne, still wearing her Earth Kingdom disguise. Mai and Ty Lee were seated at the steps beneath her. The one person she was expecting to see was absent.

Ty Lee’s face lit up when she saw (Y/N), and as soon as she finished her bow, the young acrobat cartwheeled over to her and gave her a hug. (Y/N’s) first instinct was to stiffen, but she fought it and squeezed Ty Lee as hard as she could.

“It’s so good to have you back!” Ty Lee exclaimed, clasping (Y/N’s) cheeks between her hands. “I’ve never seen your aura look better!”

“That’s...great?” (Y/N) questioned, furrowing her brows. Her eyes drifted over to Mai, who picked her nails with the blades of her darts.

“Hey.” Was all she said. Well, that was alright. Mai and (Y/N) had never been very close.

“Good morning,” Azula drawled, a smile curling on her lips. (Y/N) was unsure if it was genuine or menacing. Both were to be expected when dealing with Azula. “I’ve talked to Father. He’s willing to fully pardon you for your crimes.”

“That’s--” (Y/N) swallowed. “That’s very generous of the Fire Lord.”

“Yes. I told him all about the poison the Avatar and his friends put into your head. Without guidance from me, you were easily influenced.” Azula adjusted her position in the throne, tucking her legs beneath herself. She looked like she belonged there. “Father and I both agreed that it would be best if I kept you close. You need support from your real friends.”

(Y/N) knew what this was, and Azula did too. It was not something from the kindness of the young princess’s heart. It was a way to control (Y/N), to make sure that she wouldn’t stray. A single misstep and it was likely that she would be six feet under. It was even more likely that Azula would put her there herself.

(Y/N) tried as hard as she could to smile gratefully. “Thank you, Azula. Please give your father my thanks.” The doors to the throne room opened then, revealing Zuko. He was dressed in a royal Fire Nation robe, but his green Earth Kingdom clothes still poked out from beneath the red fabric. (Y/N) liked to think that she had become very vigilant in her time running from the Fire Nation, so she noticed the way Mai’s face lit up just slightly at his appearance.

He looked over at (Y/N), his eyes widening in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak, then immediately shut it. She stared back at him, her eyes boring into his. While it may appear that she and Zuko were on the same side, she had no intention of forgiving him for turning on Iroh. For throwing away all the progress he had made in his time away from the Fire Nation. He was so close to becoming the version of himself that she always believed he could be and he had thrown it all away for trivial acceptance.

Zuko was the first to turn away and (Y/N) looked back to Ty Lee.

“Can you tell me about the boy you were traveling with?” Ty Lee questioned. “The one with the ponytail?”

“Yes, (Y/N),” Azula said. “Do tell us all about your time with the Avatar and his friends. I’d like to know what they’re planning.”

“His name is Sokka,” (Y/N) told Ty Lee, trying her hardest to not show any amount of affection in her voice. “And I don’t know what they’re planning. They never trusted me enough to share.” She stared straight into Azula’s golden eyes. Azula was a skilled liar, but (Y/N) had grown up with her. She had a lot more tricks up her sleeve than the princess would anticipate.

Azula narrowed her fine eyebrows. “That’s quite alright. I suppose we don’t have much to worry about, considering Zuko killed the Avatar.”

(Y/N) had to hold in her gasp or else she would be jeopardizing everything she was here for. There was no way Aang could be gone. He was the connection between the Spirit World and the Human World. Wouldn’t they be able to feel it?

She curled her hands into fists, her nails pressing crescent shaped marks into her skin. “You should be thanking him,” Said Azula. (Y/N’s) eyes slid across the room to Zuko. He stared at his sister, his own brow furrowed in confusion. “Go on. Say thank you.”

“Thank you,” (Y/N) said quietly to Zuko. She hated how silent he was being. If Aang was gone, then Zuko would now be dead to her. He had done something unforgivable. If he didn’t understand the weight of his actions now, then he never would.

“Our ship leaves tonight,” Azula announced, standing up and stretching her body. “We should be back home by morning. (Y/N), you’ll be staying in the palace with Zuzu and I, since your parents failed to protect you from the Avatar.”

“Thank you,” (Y/N) repeated, perhaps because her brain couldn’t think of anything else.

“Father also wants to have an audience with you,” Azula said as she skipped down the steps. She strode over to (Y/N), the same mischievous glint in her eye. “Something about loyalty.” Azula’s smile was menacing.

(Y/N) swallowed. She was in way over her head.

---

Their ship docked in the royal port, just below the palace. Guards escorted (Y/N) off of the ship, which was horribly embarrassing. Truly they couldn’t think of her as that big of a threat to require guards? Perhaps they had thought she might try to escape. She had contemplated it as she was in her room on the ship. Of running away and finding Sokka, Katara, and Toph. She would tell them that she couldn’t do it. She wasn’t strong enough.

But as she lie awake that night, she thought of everything Aang had sacrificed in order to ensure that they would have a better life. If he was truly gone, it would a disservice to their entire cause if she couldn’t risk something the way her beloved friend had. It was intimidating, being surrounded by those she had fought for so long, but (Y/N) was different now. She wasn’t the girl that they thought they knew. Her time with her friends had changed her for the better.

So, (Y/N) stepped off the ship and back onto the Fire Nation mainland with her chin held high, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. If she were to be believable, she had to exude confidence, even if she was scared out of her mind. Her confidence began to falter as the guards walked her past Zuko and Azula, past Mai and Ty Lee, and to the room that she remembered to be the Fire Lord’s throne room.

She had not set foot into this room since she was nine, when she had exhibited her firebending skills for Fire Lord Azulon. So much had changed since then. If she had thought Azulon was intimidating then, Ozai was something to be feared.

He sat on his throne, red flames shooting up in columns on either side. As soon as she was before him, the guards left, and (Y/N) fell into a bow. She absolutely despised groveling, but she knew it was what needed to be done in order to survive beneath the Fire Lord’s nose.

She tried her best to bring back all the information of Fire Nation etiquette that had gathered dust at the back of her mind. After a few moments of silence, she rose and sat on her knees, hands folded in her lap as she stared forward at Ozai. Her eyes were downcast, avoiding her gaze. (Y/N) tried her best to come across as shameful.

“You have grown since the last time you were in these halls,” The Fire Lord spoke. His voice was calm, too calm for someone who was talking to a traitor. (Y/N) inhaled a deep breath.

“My lord,” She said, her voice shaky from nerves. “I am so, so sorry for betraying our nation. I deserve to be thrown into prison and never let out.”

“Is that what you want?” Ozai questioned. “To be rotting in a cell?” (Y/N) curled her fingers into her dress and made a rash decision. She looked at the Fire Lord and stared directly into his amber eyes.

“I want to prove myself to the nation. And to you. I was a foolish girl. After Zuko’s banishment, I was heartbroken. I let my feelings get the better of me.” There was some truth to her lies. She wasn’t foolish, nor did she want to prove herself, but Zuko’s banishment had only been a catalyst for how she felt about the Fire Nation.

“I don’t give second chances.” (Y/N) felt a tugging at her heart. She couldn’t report to her friends from jail. Or if she was dead. “But perhaps you can redeem yourself after your punishment.” (Y/N’s) eyebrow quirked up curiously.

Ozai plucked a metal rod from his side and stood, walking down to meet her. (Y/N) knew what it was. Their words for ‘traitor’ were cast into iron at the end of the rod, which was already heating up from Ozai’s touch. The brand was given to those who had betrayed the nation, so that all would know of their treachery. They considered it to be a better option that rotting in jail or being executed.

(Y/N) gulped. She had never seen a branding performed, but she had heard the screams as Ursa had ushered her, Azula, and Zuko away from the palace when they were young. It was a practice that not even Azulon had instituted. It was purely of Ozai’s crafting.

“Your arm,” Ozai said, gesturing to her right arm. (Y/N) pulled up her sleeve. She could feel her body getting hot, the fight or flight instincts kicking in and begging her to run. As a native to the Fire Nation and a firebender, she was able to withstand a great amount of heat. Which meant that the poker needed to be thousands of degrees hotter than the average in order to brand her skin. “This is a punishment for your own actions,” Ozai sneered. “You brought this upon yourself.”

The hot poker pressed into the skin of her forearm and (Y/N) had to bite down as hard as she possibly could on her bottom lip to keep herself from shouting, but it was no use. The pain was unbearable, shooting up her arm and reverberating on every nerve within her body. She couldn’t control her shrill screams as they echoed in the massive hall. Hot tears streamed down her face as she watched what Ozai was doing to her. She should have escaped when she had the chance, should have told Sokka no, she couldn’t return to the Fire Nation. She had been a child then, she wouldn’t be safe from the horrors that Ozai inflicted on others.

He removed the iron from her skin and (Y/N) collapsed in on herself, her body shaking with sobs. She knew that showing weakness was even more dangerous now than ever before, but this was a treatment that was reserved for seasoned war criminals, not fifteen year old girls. She looked up at Ozai through cloudy eyes, barely able to see through her tears. “Thank you, my lord,” She said, her voice shaky and small because her throat was clouded with sobs.

“You are dismissed,” He said as he returned to his position on his throne, not bothering to look back at her. (Y/N) stood on wobbly legs and bowed once more before walking slowly out of the throne room. As soon as she was beyond its doors, she started running. She couldn’t even see where she was going, but her feet carried her to the only place she knew would help.

She sobbed heavily as she reached the turtle duck pond, dropping to her knees and shoving her arm into the cool water. The turtle ducks quacked and flapped away from her, but (Y/N) couldn’t care. She wanted Katara, whose healing powers would ease the burning pain shooting up and down her arm. She wanted to be held, to be reassured that everything would be alright. She cried, her tears dripping into the pond water. It probably wasn’t the most sanitary situation, but the coolness of the water helped ease her pain just slightly.

“(Y/N)?” Zuko’s voice sounded far away in her ears. “What happened?”

(Y/N) couldn’t bring herself to look any farther up than his boots. She felt so tired, but she couldn’t afford to pass out. She couldn’t let her guard down once while in this place. “Just go away,” She said meekly, the fingers on her other hand clawing into the soft grass.

“Father gave her her punishment,” Azula said from the other side of (Y/N). Having the both of them here was the absolute last thing she wanted. Azula pulled her arm from the pond and wrapped cool towels around her burn. (Y/N) hissed in pain, but she had to admit that it was better than the pond water. “If it makes you feel any better,” continued Azula nonchalantly. “You passed his test.”

“You knew about this?” Zuko demanded, his eyes wild with anger. Azula scoffed.

“Relax, Zuzu. It’s just a little burn.” Delirious, (Y/N) laughed bitterly. Her ragged breathing was starting to even out.

Zuko bent down at her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. (Y/N) shrugged it off and stood, refusing to look at him. She wiped the tears from her eyes and removed the towels from her arm. ‘Traitor’ was beginning to blister on her skin. It would be something that remained with her for the rest of her life.

She looked up at Azula. “Can you take me to my room?”

“You should probably go to the infirmary,” Zuko suggested.

“Zuko, I heard that Mai was looking for you,” Azula’s voice was laced with spite that stung both Zuko and (Y/N). Azula linked her arm with (Y/N’s) good one and led her back into the palace.

“Father said it was necessary for you to understand the damage you’ve done,” Azula said lowly to (Y/N). “You weren’t only a nuisance to me, you know. The whole Fire Nation was ashamed of you.” Azula giggled. She had a way of making jokes out of insults, but once she saw (Y/N’s) face, her own softened. “It will heal.”

“Will there be more tests to prove my willingness?” (Y/N) questioned. “If they’re worse than this, I don’t know if I’ll survive.”

“That’s all Father had planned for you.” (Y/N) noticed how Azula failed to mention if she had any tests for her. With a deep sigh, (Y/N) hoped that her friends were better off than she was.

---

A nurse had visited (Y/N’s) room to tend to her wound. The expression on her face had been a mixture of disgust and pity. (Y/N) hadn’t had the energy to leave her bed for a few days, which she recognized was putting her mission in jeopardy. She was supposed to be gathering information, not wallowing beneath the blankets.

After the nurse had dressed her bandages, (Y/N) decided it was best to finally roam about the palace. There was still a stinging sensation on her skin whenever it rubbed against the fabric of her dress, but she tried her best to ignore it as she walked through the halls of the Royal Palace, as well as memory lane. The place had become considerably more focused on Ozai rather than the greatness of the Fire Nation. Servants scampered about in fear, careful not to cross her path. She didn’t recognize anyone that she saw. (Y/N) used to know everyone by name. She guessed that they had either fled the palace or had been fired. Or worse.

Being there felt like being out of place in your own home. Thinking back on her past felt like looking into someone else’s life.

She paused at the tapestries of the Fire Lords, staring up at Ozai’s looming figure. He looked the most menacing, and perhaps that was because he was the most dangerous. There was only a month until the Day of the Black Sun, but that seemed like such a short amount of time to figure out how to defeat Ozai.

“It’s different,” Zuko said at her side, and (Y/N) jumped in surprise, clutching a hand to her heart. “Being back here after so long,” He elaborated.

(Y/N) hummed. If she were being honest, she avoided Zuko as much as she could. She felt as though she couldn’t stand to be around him. If she were alone with him for too long, she might end up beating him senseless.

“Why did you come back?” Zuko questioned. “I thought you were happy with them.”

“I guess we both don’t know each other as well as we thought,” (Y/N) said, keeping her voice as level as possible. She looked at Zuko, her face devoid of emotion. “I’m not here for you.”

Zuko frowned. “I didn’t think you were.”

“Good.” She turned to walk away, but Zuko grabbed her by the sleeve of her robes.

“If you’re here, why are you mad at me? You’ve forgiven everyone else.”

“You killed my friend,” She said quietly. “How could I ever forgive you for doing that?”

“That wasn’t--” Zuko huffed, lowering his voice. “I didn’t kill Aang. Azula used her lightning on him.”

(Y/N) narrowed her eyes. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“You would trust Azula over me?”

“You of all people should know that you can’t trust anyone here.” She crossed her arms over one another, wincing at the contact of her wound. “Why would Azula lie?”

“Azula always lies,” Zuko said, repeating the mantra they had created when they were kids. “Why would it matter to you what happened in the underground city? You left them. You betrayed them.” (Y/N) flinched.

“And you feel so confident after abandoning your uncle?” Zuko’s eyes sparked with anger. After all this time, at least she knew exactly what buttons to push. “I cared about them,” She said, choosing her words very carefully. “I spent months with them, it was impossible not to. If they had killed you, I would be feeling the same way.” (Y/N) swallowed. “But they wouldn’t have. They’re different from you and me.”

She left him then, her heart pounding against her chest. Part of her wished that she could reach out to Zuko, to make him see all the wrong that their nation was causing the world, but she knew it would be too dangerous. Zuko’s loyalties lay with his family and Mai now. He might have been (Y/N’s) once, but he was no longer.

---

“Are you really going to stay under that umbrella the whole time?” Ty Lee pouted, grabbing (Y/N) by the arm. “The whole point of going to the beach is to get some sun!”

(Y/N) poked her feet from beneath the umbrella, wiggling her toes in the warm sand. She pointed at them. “They’re getting sun.” Ty Lee sighed, retreating back to her towel on the beach, where dozens of boys were already waiting for her. (Y/N) adjusted on her own beach chair, wrapping her shawl tightly around her shoulders. The words etched into her arm would be a dead giveaway to the children of Fire Nation aristocracy that littered Ember Island. It would cause more trouble than it was worth.

“I’m surprised you’re not running into the water,” Mai said in her monotonous voice. “I thought you loved to swim.”

“Yeah, I’d just rather not draw attention to the ugly branding on my arm,” (Y/N) said offhandedly, digging into her beach bag for a pack of fire flakes. She offered some to Mai, who took a few and shook them into her palm. The girls ate together quietly.

“It’s better than getting sent to Boiling Rock,” Mai said and (Y/N) snorted.

“That’s what I keep telling myself, but it didn’t feel like it in the moment.” Mai’s dark eyes glanced at (Y/N’s) arm, ‘traitor’ slightly visible beneath the sheerness of her shawl.

“I didn’t think they were actually going to do it,” Mai admitted. “Azula begged her dad not to execute you.”

(Y/N) coughed from surprise and also from the heat of the fire flakes. “Well, I’m glad to hear I was saved from a worse fate.” Zuko returned then, taking a seat between Mai and (Y/N). He handed his girlfriend ice cream, which promptly fell on her lap.

She hadn’t been on Ember Island for many summers, but things rarely changed on the tourist destination. Her family used to have a house on the opposite side of the island. She wondered who occupied it now.

Azula squatted at (Y/N’s) other side. “We’ve been invited to a party,” She announced, a triumphant smile on her face. (Y/N) sighed.

“I don’t really think I’m up for a party,” She said, and Azula’s fingers wrapped around her arm, pressing into the healing skin.

“Please? You have to come!” Azula demanded, but her smile seemed genuine. (Y/N) coughed.

“Azula? My arm.” Azula lifted her hands immediately, giving her a look that was almost apologetic.

“You have to come,” Azula repeated. “I already told them to expect the five of us.”

So (Y/N) was forced to attend a Fire Nation party. If the children of these diplomats had annoyed her as kids, she couldn’t stand them as teenagers. (Y/N) kept to the wall, preferring to people watch and nibble on the stacked plate she had snagged from the food table. She had traded her shawl for a long-sleeved shirt that had been buried in the back of Lo and Li’s closet. It was definitely old fashioned, but (Y/N) didn’t really care.

As she watched, (Y/N) thought of how she had never actually been to a party. Growing up, there were certain obligations and expectations that she needed to uphold. Being betrothed to Zuko meant taking lessons and maintaining appearances. She had gone to an all girl’s school for a short amount of time before being pulled out of her lessons to be tutored at the palace. Really, her entire childhood had consisted of Zuko, Azula, and other adults.

“Hey, how’s it going?” One boy asked, walking up to her and leaning against the wall. (Y/N) jumped in surprise, nearly spilling her food. When did she get so jumpy? Perhaps it was a side effect of constantly being on edge.

“Uh, hi,” She said, unsure why this boy was talking to her. Is this what happened at parties? People just walked up to other people without formal introductions? She felt so lame.

“I’m Lee,” He said, and (Y/N) snorted, because the Fire Nation had a million Lee’s and Zuko had been one of them. Her eyes cut over to the prince, who stood brooding in a corner as he watched his girlfriend.

“Sorry,” (Y/N) apologized, turning back to the boy. “I have so many friends named Lee. I’m (Y/N).” She took a bite of a carrot to punctuate her sentence.

“Is this your first time on the island?” Lee asked, resting his back against the wall as she had. His eyes were a nice light brown, his hair black and shoulder-length and tied half up in the back. He was likely a whole foot taller than (Y/N).

She shook her head. “I used to come here all the time when I was a kid. But y’know, life gets in the way so I haven’t been back in a few years.”

“So where are you from?” He had a lot of questions.

“The mainland,” (Y/N) answered. She wanted to be honest, as keeping up lies tended to be difficult, but she didn’t want to tell him that she was currently living at the palace. “And you?”

“I’m from a smaller island off the coast of the mainland. My dad’s the mayor there.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” (Y/N) realized she had a hard time talking to boys that she didn’t know almost everything about. She set her empty plate in the trash can and extended her hand to him, watching carefully so that her sleeves would not roll up. “Do you want to dance?”

“Dance?” He questioned. (Y/N) smiled.

“There’s music and an empty floor. That implies dancing.”

“I don’t think--” She grabbed him by the hand anyway, leading him to the middle of the floor.

“My grandfather taught me this one,” She told him, and she started dancing. It was another lie. Aang had taught her the traditional Fire Nation dances from his childhood, one night while their group was camped by a river bank and feeling incredibly bored. She had had no idea that her culture had once had a history of anything other than war, but learning the dance moves had excited her.

“Like this?” Lee asked, repeating her movements. (Y/N) nodded her head excitedly.

“Exactly!” She looked around the room and locked eyes with Ty Lee, who was always willing to have a fun time. She gestured for her to join her and once Ty Lee ran to the middle, other boys started flocking to the center to dance with them.

For a while, (Y/N) forgot about her mission and the friends she had left behind. Later, this would make her sad. But for right now, she felt like a regular girl in the Fire Nation.

Lee had pulled her close and spun her around so fast that she had been practically thrown from the crowd of dancers, spinning around the room until she eventually bumped into someone. (Y/N) laughed out an apology as the person gripped her forearms to steady her balance. When she looked up, she stared straight at Zuko.

She had allowed herself to stare, for a few seconds. The last time they had been this close, he had been preparing for his Agni Kai. The pink and red skin of his scar might have been off-putting to some, but (Y/N) thought he looked as lovely as the first day she had met him. She wanted to reach her hand up and touch him, to feel the contrast between soft cheek and rough scar tissue, but as soon as she had that thought, she pushed it away.

“Sorry,” She repeated as she separated herself from Zuko. The mood was ruined. She remembered everything that he had done, everything that she had left behind, and soon she went back to her spot on the wall, watching as the others danced happily.

---

They had left the party, but really they had been thrown out. Zuko had been jealous of boys talking to Mai, so they had broken up, but then Zuko had started a fight? (Y/N) wasn’t necessarily sure what had happened. One moment she was moving back toward the snack table, the next Azula was pulling her out of the house by her collar.

They sat on the beach now, surrounding the fire that (Y/N) had started. She remained quiet as they listed their qualms with each other, and with the universe. Her eyes remained focused on the flames as she processed the information and thought of any way that Sokka might be able to use it against them. But then a pit settled in her stomach. These were personal things that they were sharing, and it didn’t seem right to expose them so viciously.

“You’re just going to be quiet?” Zuko demanded, his voice rough and laced with annoyance. Her eyes snapped toward him, a frown placing itself upon her features.

“We’re all sharing,” Ty Lee said gently from her right. “Even Azula shared something.” (Y/N’s) eyes cut to Azula, who looked at her expectantly.

“I think I’m alright.” She didn’t want to risk exposing herself. She wasn’t even sure what was safe to say. These were her childhood friends, but who knew what would happen if she revealed even a fraction of how she really felt.

“Do you think you’re too good for us?” Zuko questioned, staring down at her. His voice was hard, laced with attitude as it normally was, but he seemed curious. “You spend time with the Avatar and his buddies and now you’re stuck with second rate friends?”

“I chose to come back,” (Y/N) narrowed her eyes at Zuko.

“It feels like you picked second best,” Azula said. (Y/N) locked eyes with her from across the fire. “We’re not idiots, we know you enjoyed your time with them. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have abandoned the life you had.”

“You all seem to forget that the life I had wasn’t the life that I wanted,” (Y/N) said, staring at each of the people that surrounded her. “I was sent away from the only home I had ever known, from the only people that I had ever known, to live in an Earth Kingdom colony. My father thought I was a disappointment and my mother hated everything I did, and the people that I thought cared about me left me behind without a second thought.” She paused, turning to Zuko. “Did any of you even think about me? Even bother to consider how I might have felt? You’re all so concerned with your own lives, you always have been. I was alone. I might have made mistakes, but that’s what happens when you’re desperate for someone to care about you.”

She firebended into the dying flames, causing them to shoot toward the sky.

“Why come back then?” Mai asked.

(Y/N) hesitated for a split second, but it was just long enough for Zuko to notice. “People fighting against the Fire Nation aren’t always eager to have someone from the Fire Nation with them.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to belong somewhere.”

Ty Lee scrambled over to her, wrapping her arms around (Y/N). “You belong with us!” (Y/N) insisted. “We never wanted to fight you. We would always feel so horrible about it after.”

(Y/N) gave her a light smile. “I would, too.” She risked casting a glance over at Azula, who refused to meet her eyes. (Y/N) couldn’t tell if she had messed everything up or if she was still in the clear.

They let the fire die eventually, and one by one, each of the teenagers began returning to the house, until (Y/N) was the last one left. She had moved further down the beach where the tide splashed against the sand. It was a warm summer night on Ember Island, and the water was just right. The only light surrounding her was the light of the full moon, which cast a lovely silver glow on everything.

“Hi, Yue,” She sighed, splashing her fingers into the water. “I wish there was a way that you could tell me they were okay.”

She heard shuffling from behind her and turned around, surprised to see Zuko walking toward her. She turned back, facing the water once more. “I’ll be back to the house in a few minutes, I just wanted to sit for a while.”

He sat in the sand, just a foot away from her. (Y/N) held in her sigh. Zuko was the last person she wanted sitting with her right now. She wanted to hate him for everything that he had done, but then she looked at him and all she wanted to do was talk to him. The inner conflict that he gave her was enough to put her in a sour mood for hours.

“I didn’t know where you were,” Zuko said quietly. (Y/N) turned to him and furrowed her brows. “No one would tell me.” His eyes met hers. “Or else I would have written.”

“Oh,” (Y/N) said, feeling her cheeks become hot. “It was years ago. It doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“If it didn’t matter to you, you wouldn’t have said it.” Sometimes it hit (Y/N) that just as she knew the inner workings of Zuko, her knew her as well. “I meant it, when I said that I thought of you every day.”

“I meant what I said too,” (Y/N) said quietly. “But things are different now. You’re Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, not Lee from the tea shop.”

“I’m still who I was in Ba Sing Se.” She shook her head.

“You think that, but we both know what being back here really means.” Being back in the Fire Nation meant Zuko had reverted back to who he once was, someone eager to please his father, no matter the cost.

Zuko was quiet, as if he didn’t know what to say. She was surprised with how calm he was being. Perhaps the full moon had an odd effect on everyone.

“Can I ask you something?” (Y/N) questioned, and Zuko nodded. “Was Azula really the one to kill Aang?”

He hesitated, but then he nodded. “He was in his Avatar State and she struck him with lightning.”

(Y/N) pushed back the tears that threatened to spill over. Even with Zuko, she couldn’t truly show herself. “Why’d she tell everyone it was you?”

“To get me in my father’s good graces.” He scoffed. “To save herself in case it didn’t work.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Katara and I were trapped in the caves, she told me that she had water from the Spirit World pool in the Northern Water Tribe.” Zuko shook his head. “I-I don’t know what could have happened, but there’s something telling me that no one really knows what happened to Aang.”

That gave (Y/N) all the hope that she needed. Aang was safe. He was alright.

“So, if Aang is alive and your father thinks you failed...” She did not want to finish her sentence. She met Zuko’s golden eyes once more. “After everything he’s done, why did you come back?”

“Same reason as you, I guess. I wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere.”

She had never considered that Zuko had been feeling alone during his time with Iroh. She had been conflicted over her loyalties, but it had only lasted a few moments until she made the choice to join Team Avatar. She was confident that she was doing the right thing, but there was more at stake for Zuko.

“You didn’t swim today,” he said suddenly.

(Y/N) shrugged. “I didn’t want anyone to see my arm,” She said simply, but Zuko winced.

“I...I didn’t know he was going to do that. If I had, I would’ve--” (Y/N) shook her head to stop him.

“We both know firsthand what he’s capable of. I wouldn’t have wanted you to put yourself in a position like that.” She touched her arm, where beneath the fabric of her sleeve lay the raised marks of the brand that was still healing. “Who knows, maybe I’ll be laughing about it in a few years.”

Zuko glanced at the water, then back to (Y/N). “Do you want to go swimming?”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to protest, but Zuko didn’t seem to be having it. “You love swimming.” And it was true, she did love to swim. She had spent hours in the water during their trips to this island as children. Her mother had had to practically drag her from the beach.

(Y/N) stood and removed her top layer of clothes, revealing the bathing suit beneath. Without hesitating, she ran into the warm water, diving beneath the calm waves. When she resurfaced, Zuko was only a few paces away from her, the robe that he had been wearing left in a pile beside her own clothes on the beach.

“The water’s colder than I remember,” Zuko called out to her, just as she dove beneath the waves once more.

“It was definitely like this when we were young, we were just stubborn,” (Y/N) laughed. Zuko swam over to her. She stood on her toes as the water came to her shoulders, but it only reached Zuko’s chest. “Your hair is still dry,” She pointed out and Zuko rolled his eyes, plugging his nose and dipping beneath the surface for a few seconds. When he came back up, he was significantly closer to (Y/N) than he had been before.

“Is that better?” He asked, shaking out his hair so water droplets splashed on her face. She laughed and shoved him backward to get him to stop.

He staggered backwards and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her under with him. (Y/N) opened her eyes beneath the waves, feeling the familiar stinging sensation that had been a staple of her childhood. Zuko’s eyes were closed as he held his breath. He had never gotten used to opening his eyes underwater, it had seemed.

(Y/N) pulled them up toward the surface, both inhaling a sharp breath of air. As she went to settle on her feet, she bobbed beneath the waves. They had traveled much farther from the shore than she had expected.

Zuko reached out for her, wrapping his arm around her middle to keep her above the water. He could still stand, which (Y/N) hated. “The last time we swam here, I was taller than you,” (Y/N) said, staring up at him. He smiled down at her, the corner of his eyes crinkling. The skin of his scar tried to repeat the action of its counterpart, but it couldn’t quite do it.

(Y/N) couldn’t keep her eyes off of his scar. She knew it wasn’t entirely polite, but she was curious. He had left the Fire Nation before it had healed. When they encountered each other, she was never very close to him. Even at the party, she had only seen it up close for a few seconds.

“I’ve never seen it this close,” She told him, her voice as soft as the moonlight that surrounded them. Zuko’s cheeks flushed.

“It’s pretty bad, huh?” His eyes were trained on her, but she wasn’t noticing. She furrowed her brows and shook her head.

“I like it,” She said simply. It was Zuko’s turn to furrow his brows.

“You can’t be serious.” (Y/N) shrugged, lifting her right hand to touch his cheek like she had wanted to at the party. Zuko stiffened and nearly dropped her into the ocean. Her thumb, light as a feather, traced over the pink and red skin. Some areas felt smooth and silky, while others were rougher. She traced over the brow bone where his eyebrow had once been.

His eyes fell to her forearm, where his father’s punishment was still healing on her skin. He wrapped his fingers around her arm, lightly tracing the word with his own thumb.

“For the record,” He said, eyes still focused on her arm. “I don’t think you’re a traitor.”

A few moments passed before he looked up at her again. Her eyes were soft, sparkling in the reflection of the moonlight that bounced off of the water. The corners of her lips were turned upward in a soft smile. Her hand remained cupping the side of the face and Zuko sighed, leaning into her touch.

“You’re really beautiful,” She told him, stroking his scar once more. “I don’t think I ever told you that.” Her heart was beating so hard against her chest. This was the stupid power that Zuko had over her. She had been so mad at him just a few hours ago, but if she allowed it, he wormed his way back into her heart.

Zuko’s eyes widened in surprise at her statement. He parted his lips to say something, but no words would come to mind. She dizzied him, jumbled his thoughts until he was a mess of unspoken words and dumbfounded faces.

It was slow as it happened, thoughtful. He rested his forehead against hers, their noses just barely touching as he stared at her through half-lidded eyes. He would give her time. If she wanted to pull away, she would.

She didn’t. Her other hand took its place on his bicep, fingers curling gently into his skin. Her lips parted, her lashes batting upward as she stared into his amber eyes. Zuko was all that she could see and feel. Her heart continued to pound against her chest. If he wanted to do something, he would.

Zuko’s eyes fluttered shut as he closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss. They were softer than he had ever imagined. The little gasp she let out made him pull her closer. He didn’t want any space between them. His hand left its place at her arm and traveled up to where she caressed his cheek, wrapping his fingers around her palm.

(Y/N’s) eyes had remained open for a split second before she closed them, pressing into Zuko as she kissed back. She was completely thoughtless. Everything else in the world was absent as she melted into him, the hand at his arm moving to the back of his neck to pull him toward her even more. She had thought of this moment many times, but nothing could compare to the warmth that encompassed her heart as she kissed Zuko.

When they pulled apart for air, it was as if (Y/N) had been pulled back into the real world. She stared at Zuko, her eyes wide as she realized what they had just done.

“Mai,” They said at the same time, horrified looks reaching both of their faces. (Y/N) hated herself. She had gotten caught up in the moment and taken something that didn’t belong to her. (Y/N) scrambled out of Zuko’s arms.

“We don’t speak of this ever again,” She told him, her voice stern. Zuko nodded silently. “This was a mistake. That’s all it was.” With that, she dove into the waves, swimming as fast as she could back to the shore.

---

She avoided Zuko during the rest of their time at Ember Island, and once they had returned to the palace as well. If they ended up in the same corridor, one of them would turn around and walk back from where they had come from. It made (Y/N’s) heart ache, but she knew it was for the best. She felt horrible for doing something like that to Mai. She didn’t know what had become of her, and now she didn’t trust herself to be around Zuko at all.

So, she focused on her mission. Every little snippet that she heard walking through the hallways would be recorded on a scroll, which would then be kept on her person at all times. She had witnessed on more than one occassion Azula leaving her room and looking particularly pleased with herself. (Y/N) would never leave anything incriminating lying around.

Still, she needed to figure out how to get a message to Sokka. The palace had messenger hawks, but she needed to know where to send one and she had absolutely no idea where her friends were. The Day of the Black Sun was the next day. To (Y/N), it seemed as though her best bet would be to leave the mainland quickly and rendezvous with one of the groups they had recruited for the invasion. If she could steal one of the palace’s boats, she could row herself to one of the islands off the coast and either find someone she knew or find someone who knew how to get a message out.

Guards were not posted outside of her doors during the day, so (Y/N) made a hasty knapsack from one of her robes and began shoving a few belongings in it. Bread she had sneaked from the kitchens, a piece of parchment and a pen, and a map all fit securely inside. She was packing it once more when her door opened suddenly and she yelped, scrambling to cover her belongings with her bedsheets.

“I need to tell you something,” Zuko said as he shut the door behind her. (Y/N) felt her face heat up.

“You can’t be in here!” She hissed, reaching forward to shove Zuko out of her room. The last thing she needed was Azula seeing them alone together. She would undoubtedly tell Mai, which would cause more problems than (Y/N) needed on her last day in the Fire Nation.

“Just wait a second!” Zuko demanded, keeping his voice low. “I just got out of one of my father’s war meetings. They’re planning to burn down the towns of those who haven’t surrendered yet.”

(Y/N) halted her movements of trying to get him out of her room. She eyed him warily. “What does that have to do with me?”

“I know you’ve been working with the Avatar.” (Y/N’s) body stiffened, but she rolled her eyes.

“This again. Zuko, I already told you--”

“You don’t have to lie to me anymore. I know that’s the real reason you’re here is to get information for your friends. I can’t let my father or Azula do this. I want to help you.”

(Y/N) narrowed her eyes. “How do you know?”

“I know you wouldn’t come back unless you had a really good reason. As soon as I heard you say that they were suspicious of you, I knew that was a lie. I saw how you guys were with each other. They care about you.”

(Y/N) swallowed. In a whisper, she said, “I’m leaving tonight. I can tell them about this before--”

“The invasion,” Zuko finished. “My father and Azula know about that, too.”

(Y/N) felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Everything that they had been working so hard for would be for nothing. She had to get to her friends and let them know they had been exposed. “I need to leave now.” She moved to go back to her knapsack, but Zuko grabbed her by the arm.

“They’re suspicious of you, too. If they catch you, it’ll be much worse than a burn.”

“I can’t just stay here and watch my friends fail!”

“I have a plan,” Zuko assured her. “You just have to trust me.”

(Y/N) eyed him. His hand still held her arm. Zuko stared up at her. She had never seen him look so sincere. With a deep breath, she nodded.

---

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ignooy-nim · 3 years

Text

Things Jae-Lynn Has Said that Sound Fake, but Aren’t: (SKZ Extra Member AU)

under the divider are some of Jae-Lynn’s most iconic quotes :)

A/N : hi everyone! my apologies for not posting in what feels like forever. I was having a rough patch, mostly bc I wasn't getting hired anywhere, partially bc my mom and dad fight often :-) BUT now I'm back, hopefully to stay, AND Hyunjin is FINALLY back!!! HAPPY HYUNJULY EVERYONE!! 🍀 ps, I plan on updating a lot of my posts (esp this one) as time goes on! ~ mars

☆ “tbh, im just trying to be the goth girlfriend everyone deserves...” 🖤😔

☆ “I probably came dancing out of my mom's womb, not gonna lie.”

☆ “hi, my name is jae-lynn and you're watching skz talker” *disney channel intro* :-)

☆ *sings the entirety of 'dancing queen' by abba while laying on the floor of the dorm kitchen*

☆ “in GAY we trust!” 🏳️‍🌈

☆ “I'm American by chance. trust me, I am not American by choice”

☆ “i hate men...” *notices that the skz boys are looking at her* “well, not really, but-- ya know..”

☆ “if I'm being honest with myself, I don't think that I've gotten over five hours of sleep since 2012″

☆ “therapy? more like screaming out the window at 2am -- AHH!!”

☆ “i know there are like 100 different 'jaes' in the kpop community, but just remember that I will forever be god-tier 'jae'”

☆ “my biggest accomplishment to date will have to be when I peed in a cup for the first time by myself, and didn't get any on my hand- I filled that thing to the BRIM!”

☆ “I don't really try to be seen as an 'unproblematic queen', I just try to be seen as a decent human being.”

☆ “oh, I’d risk it all for Firelord Zuko... and Zoro from ‘One Piece’... maybe I just have a thing for boys who can duel wield swords” o.O ⚔

☆ “I’m your kindergarten girlfriend who you shared a steamy kiss on the cheek with under the swirly slide... Hi, I’m Jae-Lynn :-) “

☆ “you can’t be gay AND homophobic,,, like baby, pick a struggle”

☆ “if skinny blocky boy not real, then why skinny blocky boy so attractive? 😏😏😏” (talking about the minecraft endermen)

☆ *talking to mark lee* "'highway to heaven'??, more like the freeway to hell."

☆ “I think I eat pasta way WAY more than the average person should... but am I gonna stop any time soon? ... that’s a ‘no’.”

☆ *‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ starts to play*,, jae-lynn : “thE AUDACITY-”

☆ “cut the cameras... dead-ass.”

☆ [v-live comment] ‘who’s that behind you!?!?! ‘

jae-lynn : “who is behind me?? I don’t know probably my inner demons coming to collect my soul... or casper the friendly ghost,,, either way-- I’m ready :-) ”

☆ *playing ‘valorant’ with jae park* “damn jae really out here collecting 'L''s like they're photo cards, huh?”

☆ *sees the skzoo costumes and pulls chan to talk in private* “OK, how poor are we? you can be honest...”

☆ “oh mamma mia! ... that was a spicy depression”

☆ *any minor inconvenience happens* jae-lynn: "that's hot"

☆ "calling someone a bitch is my love language"

☆ alexa: "sometimes getting coffee isn't really about the coffee.."

jae-lynn: "it's about the friends you make along the way 🙃✨"

☆ *hits changbin in the back of his head while passing him in the dorm*

jae-lynn: "street smarts!"

☆ "'johnny suh'?? more like johnny suh-ks, am I right ladiess?"

☆ *jae recording herself secretly in the dressing room with a voice over* "day 1145, the boys are still unaware that I am not one of them, and felix keeps on feeding me animal crackers... will keep you posted.."

☆ "you're tacky and I hate you" [if you get this reference, I love u and we should get married]

☆ "as my good lord and savior, cyndi lauper once said, 'girls just wanna have fun', and honeslty, I live by that"

─────────────────────

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chitsangenthusiast · 3 years

Note

Oh oh oh THAT I do wanna know. What do the mallrats steal at their jobs?

mallrats 🥺🥺 that's the cutest nickname for them wtf lmao HERE WE GO

sokka: he used to steal way more when he first started out, but even then it wasn't really that much, and he'll admit that stealing loses its thrill when you don't actually have much of a need for any of it so he's largely lost interest in doing it—that is, until the holidays come around

all those free posters and displays and string lights? taken straight to his car in january and reused for other projects lol bc that is the kind of free stuff he can get behind. he's not gonna let that good foam board go to waste!!!

also: stealing from his store may be boring but stealing from the jasmine dragon isn't, and when i say stealing from the shop i ofc stealing from zuko. he takes whatever he can get away with bc sokka is five and this is one of the ways he flirts, apparently lmao

he refuses to tell zuko just how many of his flannels he's taken from him tho, mostly bc he's pretty sure zuko is letting him steal them on purpose and he's not about to acknowledge his victories could be falsely earned

(he has three. including the exact same blue one he owns, but he couldn't let zuko know he knows he's being set up so he was forced to take it too lol thankfully they wear the same size bc he has no clue which one was originally his now)

zuko: he doesn't pay for his drinks (it's his uncle's shop c'mon) and sometimes he'll take home samples to see if he likes it enough to buy a canister, but nothing much more than that

so zuko steals from sokka's store more, in retaliation to sokka stealing from his store, but unlike sokka he actually goes for the store supplies lol just small things since there's cameras around, and whenever he gets caught sokka just sighs and rolls his eyes at him

(ex: pens, t-pins, receipt paper, sokka's clipboard, sokka's bracelets, sokka's sanity bc he swears if zuko doesn't try to start stealing kisses soon......)

got a little long, so the rest of the cast below!

korra: doesn't really care about stealing anything bc wtf does she need from a clothing store?? but she does inflate her email+phone rewards numbers occasionally by using fake ones

(sokka knows but doesn't really care, since he does it sometimes too. he just keeps track to make sure corporate doesn't catch on)

bolin and opal: aside from taking home the occasional name tag, they play fast and loose with the time clock (if they're getting paid by the second, then they're not going to clock out until sokka is yelling at them!). altho opal does have a habit of hiding things around the store so that she can purchase them later lol

isda: is the reason why 'workplace theft' is even something the corporate retail worries about lmaoo she's worked at this store for ages, she can decide her own personal bonuses, and at this point, she couldn't even give you a ballpark monetary value of all the stuff she's stolen. just know that if you ever suddenly need a cardigan that goes with your outfit, she's got like twelve in her car

toph: she screwed up by working at a place that doesn't have anything cool enough to steal, so she fills this void by stealing zuko's wallet whenever she's bored. it's turned into a competition that sokka tried to join in on, but one sly comment from her about how zuko keeps his wallet in his back pocket made him stop Very Quickly lol

suki: if her store is missing any sort of office supply, you can assume suki stole it. that and all the different types of S hooks they have bc yue uses them for her crafts <3

chit sang: his quitting may have looked spontaneous, but he actually knew he was going to leave with a bang for a good three months. the only reason why it didn't happen earlier was bc he wanted to steal so much shit without getting caught, so he had to spend the time carefully phasing things out of the store first!

(the best thing he stole was one of the rolling carts with the portable tag detacher on it. he has no clue how he got away with that one)

iroh: it's his store so technically you can't call anything he takes as 'stealing' bc at the end of the day the money still comes out of a bank account with his name on it

bonus! katara and bakoda: ok they don't come in often but when they do they steal two things every time:

1. deals, thanks to sokka's employee discount

2. hearts, and sokka suffers literally so much

(he'll never be able to erase from his memory the sound of korra going "oh" when his dads walked in, followed by the extremely far more interested "oh" when she first saw katara. absolutely wretched!!!!!!!)

read mallrat here!

#thank you for this i love creating lore that will never end up in the fic bc it may not be plot-relevant but it brings me so much joy!#toph has also stolen a pothos from the front of the shop for fun. the thing is now mammoth-sized #suki and yue dating in mallrat world is the one thing i wish i could've figured out how to include bc it's v cute to me lol #they met through sokka <3 #('bc he swears if zuko doesn't try stealing kisses soon' ohohoh 👌)#zukka #zuko #sokka #mallrat #ask #anon

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slythergirlimagines · 4 years

Text

Just Us With Some Hugging - Part 2

Let me just say how incredibly nice everyone has been?? You all are amazing and I really hope you like Part 2 as much as Part 1. Speaking of, if you haven’t read Part 1, read it first! Masterlist

Summary: Zuko asks you to be his fake girlfriend to stop his Uncle’s matchmaking. Angst and fluff

(GIF is not mine and has nothing to do with the story. Zuko just looks fine;))

Just Us and Some Hugging- Part 2

There were a few moments of perfect silence as you kissed, the calm before the storm. The music of the party faded away, and it was just the two of you. This is what people write about, you think. This is what all the girls talk about. Kissing Zuko is as powerful as his fire. The energy around you sizzles, and maybe you are burning.

You pull away, slightly breathless, eyes still closed.

“Y/N...” Zuko whispers.

And then reality hits you like one of Ba Sing Se’s trains.

“Oh no.” Flies out of your mouth before you can help it. “No, no.” How could you be so stupid?

You knew he didn’t feel that way about you. You knew this would all blow up in your face. All those feelings had just been burning under your skin, ready to combust at a moments notice. And the soft way he had said your name solidified it all. That’s the voice people used when they were about to reject someone.

Zuko’s eyebrows pulled together over his amber eyes.

“Y/n?” He asked, as you backed away from him.

Tears filled your eyes. You knew he was working out what to say to you, how to let you down the easiest. You couldn’t bear to hear it.

“I’m...I’m sorry.” You choke out, and then you are running.

_________________________________

You barely make it back to the house when you break down. Luckily no one is there, so you pound your way up the stairs and slam your door shut. How could you kiss him?

You had single handedly ruined the best thing in your life by being a complete idiot. You could have lied, said you were doing it for the show. You could have spun it so you could both brush it off and pretend nothing happened.

Instead, you had ran, telling him exactly what that kiss meant to you. Did you really have no self control, or did you just like being a masochist?

Slowly you head to the small bathroom to change out of your simple green dress. With a groan you remember that tonight wasn’t even the real party. Tomorrow is the honorary ceremony, and the reason you came. It’s the one that you brought your best gown for. The one that you thought would make Zuko fall madly in love with you. What an idiot.

Wiping the rest of your makeup away, you make your way miserably to your room and pull the soft bed covers over your head. What were you going to do about tomorrow? You couldn’t face Zuko after what you’d done. How could he even still want to pretend to date you after that?

You could try and catch a train. There wouldn’t be one tonight, but surely there would be one early tomorrow. Then you could go quietly and avoid making this situation any worse than it already was. You try to plan what you’ll do after that. You had lived at the palace your whole life, and you really had no where else to go. You knew that Zuko would never kick you out, his honor would forbid it even if you weren’t friends any more. Even so, you didn’t think you could stand it.

Maybe you could just say you were drunk. So drunk that you acted like a complete lunatic. You’d only had one drink, but maybe Zuko didn’t know that. Ugh. You were a disaster.

Someone opens the door and shuts up your inner monologue. You hadn’t heard any drunken stumbling, so you knew it wasn’t Toph or Sokka. Katara and Aang were too preoccupied to come check on you. Suki would undoubtedly be wherever Sokka was, and anyways you weren’t close enough to check up on one another. That left one person.

You freeze, grateful that you’re under the covers and he can’t see your face. You try to breathe as evenly as possible to make him think you’re asleep. Zuko stands there for an immeasurable amount of time, and you can feel that same energy from before connecting you. Now it’s even more magnetic, and all you want is to go to him. You forcefully lock your muscles into place. You will do no more harm tonight.

“I know you’re awake.” He says lowly, and you clench you’re eyes shut. You are not leaving this bed.

He stands there a little longer, giving you the chance to acknowledge him. When you make no effort to speak to him, Zuko leaves with a sigh and shuts the door quietly behind him. You don’t hear his footsteps as he walks away, but he’s always been a silent walker.

When enough time has passed, you let your body relax. Your pounding heart is loud in your ears, and you fall asleep replaying the exchange over and over.

—————————————————

“Spill.” A voice wakes you up.

Toph lounges leisurely on your bed, one leg underneath her and the other planted firmly on the floor.

“Toph what are you doing?” You groan, rolling back over. It’s too early to be dealing with this.

“I want to know why you and lover boy are pretending to date, and I also want to know why he’s depressed as hell this morning.” She snarks.

You sit straight up in bed, heart pounding.

“What time is it?” You ask frantically! If everyone is awake downstairs then you’ve missed you’re opportunity to leave.

“9. Why?” Toph flicks her loose hair over her shoulder. You had never seen her hair down before.

“Doesn’t matter now.” You say moodily.

Toph’s face lights up like she’s figured something out. Not good.

“You were going to leave!” She says jumping up. She’s being way too loud, and you know if she keeps it up everyone will hear her.

“Toph! Hush!” You admonish, scrambling out of bed and slapping a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

“Tell me everything or I’m telling.” She says, words muffled by your hand.

You quickly try to debate your options. You didn’t want Toph to tell anyone that you were going to run away, it was too embarrassing. Especially because they’d ask why, and Zuko would have the answer.

“Ugh ok, ok!” You remove you hand from Toph’s mouth and cross your arms. Toph mimics you and raises her chin.

“Well?” She asks. And then you spill.

It all comes out like word vomit. You tell her about the fake dating, about your feelings, and then the kiss.

“You kissed him, ran away screaming ‘no’, and you think he’s the one that doesn’t like you?” She asks incredulously.

“Toph it’s not like that. He was about to reject me, ok? He was using that voice, and his expression. You would understand if you had been there.” You defend.

Perhaps you could see what she was saying. Maybe it did look like you kissed him and ran away screaming, but he was seconds away from doing it himself. You were just saving him the embarrassment. Your argument sounds pathetic even to yourself, but you know you’re right about his feelings. Zuko could never feel that way for you. You weren’t a badass bender or even someone with a noble title, like Mai. You were just you, and you weren’t good enough for Zuko.

“So that’s why he’s sitting downstairs, depressed as hell, pretending to eat breakfast while he watches the door.” Toph sasses you.

“Toph he’s not depressed. He’s.... grossed out.”

Toph rolls her eyes for effect, and shakes her head.

“Idiot.” She mumbles. You aren’t even offended because it’s the truth.

“Toph, I don’t know what to do. I can’t keep this up anymore. That’s why I was going to leave early this morning.” You tell her.

Toph considers it for a minute, and then takes a seat on your bed.

“I think you should talk to him.” She says at last.

“No!” You shake your head vehemently. “I can’t. No way.”

“He’s probably scared and nervous too you know.” Toph says, and it may be the most gentle tone she’s ever used.

You try to imagine a nervous Zuko. You’d seen it a few times, when he came back from exile, or before a really big council meeting. That wasn’t the Zuko you had seen last night.

“He isn’t.” You say with finality.

“I still think you’re an idiot.” Toph says, getting off your bed and adjusting her green tunic. “But if you aren’t going to talk to him, we’ll just have to keep you apart as much as possible.”

——————————————————

Toph’s idea of keeping you and Zuko apart came in the form of a girls’ day. She had even convinced Katara and Suki to come.

Toph had given you some time to change, and then she had whisked you all away to a spa that she and Katara liked.

“We might as well get pampered before our big night.” Toph says, sarcastically. Katara rolls her eyes, and starts leading the group through the cheery streets. Ba Sing Se is even more decorated today then it had been yesterday.

“Are you feeling better, y/n?” Suki asks. “Zuko said you felt sick last night and had to go home early, before he left to check on you.”

Color flushes your cheeks as the wide eyed girl smiles at you kindly.

“Y-yes.” You say. “I’m feeling much better.”

“I bet Zuko helped with that.” Katara giggles, and all the other girls join in.

“Ok, ok knock it off.” You say, laughing uncomfortably. A flash of heat tears through you as you remember Zuko standing at your door.

“Come on ladies, we’re here!” Toph says, ending the Zuko conversation. You would feel more grateful if she hadn’t laughed at you.

The spa day turns out to be rather fun. You enjoy spending time with the girls, and the spa workers are excellent at their jobs. They have you all in tip top shape by the time you leave later that afternoon.

You’re on pins and needles as you near the house. Will Zuko be waiting? You bad barely managed to avoid him this morning, and now you didn’t know how to act around him. Did he still want you to keep up the act? Maybe Toph was right, you should have talked to him.

The house is empty when you all return, and you don’t know why it’s both a relief and a disappointment. Katara teases you for looking for Zuko, and you make a jab back at her about Aang.

There still a few hours left before you have to get ready, so everyone goes their separate ways for a nap.

You just make it through the door of your room, when it slams shut behind you.

You let out a shriek, and whirl around to find Zuko blocking the door. His arms are crossed, and his dark hair is down, strands falling over his eyes. His face is blank, and that’s how you know he’s mad. He also looks unbelievably sexy.

“Zuko? You gave me a heart attack!” You whisper shout at him. “What are you doing here?”

“You’re ignoring me.” Zuko says, icily.

“I am not.” You say, and you wish that you could come up with something better.

Zuko arches an eyebrow in response.

“I’m not!” You flush. “What are you doing hiding in my room?” You try and deflect.

“Oh? Well let’s see. I was dancing with my best friend and then she kissed me. And then to make everything better, she ran off screaming. Now she’s ignoring me when I try to talk to her about it, so I have to ambush her to get her to speak to me!” His chest is heaving when he’s done ranting, and your heart is pounding.

It makes everything different, speaking it out loud. Hearing him tell it. He wanted to talk to you about it, and you hadn’t the slightest idea what to say. You open and close your mouth a few times, trying desperately to find the words.

Zuko watches, eyes boring into yours mercilessly. You know he’s not going to leave until he gets an answer.

“I don’t know what to say.” You admit, blushing. “I was drunk.”

You decide to give the excuse a try. You know he doesn’t buy it, because he pushes off of the door and moves to stand in front of you.

“Drunk? Off of one glass of champagne. Come on y/n, I’ve been out drinking with you. I know you aren’t that much of a lightweight.”

That damned electricity is there, humming again.

“I was drunk.” You repeat again. You heard somewhere that it’s better to stick with the same lie than try to alter it.

“Really.” Zuko says, moving even closer. He’s too close, and your breaths mingle. You’re craning your neck to keep eye contact with him. If he bends down even a little..... No! That kind of thinking got you here in the first place.

“Drunk is really what you’re sticking with?” He murmurs, leaning down just a fraction more. He’s immobilizing you with his eyes.

“Uh huh...” you say, getting caught up in it all.

“Fine.” He says, abruptly. “I hope you can hold your liquor tonight.” He says angrily, but his eyes are telling you something else, something you can’t quite decipher.

He gives you a final searching look, and then marches out the door. This time he lets it slam shut.

—————————————————-

It takes all of ten minutes for you to burst into Toph’s room. She’s asleep but you shake her awake, giving her no time to wake up before you tell her what just happened.

When she wakes up enough to understand what you’re telling her, her face twists into an evil grin.

“Don’t worry y/n. I know just the thing to do.”

The thing to do is apparently get you ready for the celebration. Toph gets Suki and Katara, both of whom look like they’ve been doing something other than sleeping. Toph instructs them that they have to make you look pretty for Zuko.

“We have to make her irresistible, ladies. I’m talking the works. Y/n, go get your dress and bring it in here. Suki, Katara go get your stuff too. Bring all the makeup girls, we’re in for a night.”

The girls do an impressively good job getting ready. You all help each other with make up and hair, but they leave you for last. Suki tackles your makeup, while Katara weaves your hair into a masterpiece. They spend what feels like hours pressing various powders into your skin, and wrapping your hair around the curler.

When they’re finished, you look absolutely stunning.

“Oh my!” You say, turning your head at every angle. Your makeup highlights all of you features, and your hair is in an intricate updo. You feel like crying, never in your life have you felt so desirable. You force your tears away before they can ruin all of Suki’s hard work.

“You look gorgeous.” Toph says, and then laughs at her own joke. You roll your eyes, but hug her all the same.

“Ok, enough mushiness.” She says, punching you in the arm. “It’s time for the dress.”

You unzip the garment bag, and show them the brilliant dress. The ballgown is a deep crimson, embroidered with gold and red gemstones. They twist and turn around the bodice, patterned after flames.

“Oh wow.” Katara says as they help you step into it. She zips you up and spins you around to face the mirror. Everyone is speechless as they look at you.

“Zuko is going to lose his mind.”

———————————————-

Your stomach is in knots as you descend the stairs. You don’t know if your anxiety can handle this. After the bedroom incident, you don’t know if you can control yourself around him. He had been there, so close, and you had wanted to kiss him again. You clearly hadn’t learned any valuable lessons.

The boys are goofing around downstairs, when they notice you all. Aang airbends to Katara, lifting her into a hug.

“You’re gorgeous.” He says, kissing her boldly.

Sokka’s mouth is on the ground as he takes in Suki, and Toph snaps it shut for him helpfully. Toph looks incredible too, her green dress accentuating her usually hidden curves.

You look at Zuko last, unsure of what expression you’ll find there. When you finally see him, you think you’ll combust right then and there.

Zuko is devastatingly handsome. You know this, you’ve always known this. But it’s different tonight, when he’s dressed in a traditional firebender suit that matches your dress perfectly. His hair is away from his face, and even though you like it better wild, when it’s up he looks like a man. No, he looks like a Firelord.

His eyes are nearly golden when he looks at you. His expression is no longer guarded or angry, in fact you would say he looked awed.

“Breathe, dude.” Sokka reminds him as you approach. Zuko is still not saying anything, so you take it upon yourself to make the first move.

“Zuko.” You smile softly at him. You aren’t sure where the tenderness comes from, especially because you’re still embarrassed and a little unsure. But when he looks at you like that, it makes it all seem like nothing.

“I think you killed him, y/n.” Sokka accuses you. Toph laughs but shakes her head.

“Oh no, he’s very much alive.” She says, wiggling her eyebrows.

That seems to snap him out of whatever trance he is in, because he shoots Toph a dirty look. He turns back to look at you, and blinks again.

“Y/n. You look....” he starts, but is cut off by Iroh bursting through the door.

“Is everyone ready?” He asks, excitedly. His eyes land on you and Zuko, and they fill with tears.

“Oh my. You’re all so grown up!” He says. “We should have a painting done.”

“Uncle, the celebration will be over by the time the artist finishes.” Zuko says. His voice is raspy and low and it’s doing incredible things to your nerves, like internally lighting you on fire.

“You’re right, you’re right. Come on everyone!”

As you shuffle out of the door, Zuko offers you his arm. You try not to read into it as you wind yours delicately through his.

—————————————-

The celebration is bittersweet as always. The Gaang is honored for their heroism, and then there is the traditional moment of silence for those lives lost. Zuko grabs your hand during this, and you give it a squeeze. Talking about the people lost to violence gives you a new perspective on things.

Life is fleeting, and every moment should be made to count. You watch Zuko out of the corner of your eye, and start to think. Maybe you should be honest with him about your feelings. If he rejected you then at least you knew. Maybe it was time you really started living.

Your musings are broken by the cheers of the audience, and then the music begins playing and the party is officially in full swing.

———————————————

You’re smooshed around the same table again, and it briefly feels like fate is giving you a do over. Or it’s being cruel. You can’t really decide.

Zuko hadn’t touched you since he grabbed your hand. No one notices with all of the excitement, but you notice. And it’s bothering you.

Toph and Sokka are currently rematching their previous drinking game, and this time Suki is joining them. Katara and Aang are still making eyes at each other, engaged in a whispered conversation. Zuko is stiff beside you, looking at everyone else but you.

You think back to what you told him when this all started. “We both know I’d have to make the first move.” Zuko means everything to you, and his friendship does too. But now that you personally know what it’s like to kiss him, to dance with him, to hold his hand, you can’t let it go. You can’t go back to the way things were, and it’s time you do something about it.

“Let’s dance.” You say, and you grab Zuko’s arm leading him to the dance floor. It’s funny how the roles have reversed.

Zuko doesn’t protest, but he doesn’t seem overly enthused either. You’re not nearly as graceful or trained as he is when it comes to dancing, so you don’t quite integrate as smoothly with the other dancers. After a few bumps and apologies, Zuko rolls his eyes and takes the lead.

You let him whirl you around for a minute as you build up your nerve. His hands send tingles through your body everywhere they touch.

“Zuko...” you start. His eyes find yours and then you finally right your wrong and spit it out. “I wasn’t drunk.”

Ok so it was less poetic than you intended. You’re still doing better than before.

Zuko stares at you, and you know he’s waiting for you to finish.

“I kissed you, because I’m in love with you. I have been for a really long time, and I know you don’t feel that way about me. That’s why I ran. I was so scared that I had ruined our friendship forever.... but it doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t matter?” Zuko asks, brows pinching together as he tries to decipher your meaning. His eyes are doing that thing where they pin you in place, but this time you let yourself feel it all. You’re done fighting.

“It doesn’t matter, because I can’t pretend anymore. I’m done fighting it Zuko. I love you, and I can’t pretend that I don’t.”

Slowly, Zuko’s lips curl into a smile and he starts leaning in.

“Are you drunk right now?” He asks. You shake your head, biting your lip to keep from smiling.

“No.” You say.

He leans even closer, and connects his forehead to yours. “How about now?”

“N-” but Zuko cuts you off with a kiss before you can finish your sentence.

This kiss is as passionate as the one before, except this time you fully lose yourself in it. Zuko kisses like he firebends, with an intensity and passion you’ve never experienced from anyone else. He pulls you to him, holding you there as he explores your mouth with his tongue. One of his hands sneaks up to cradle your face, and his thumb gently caresses your cheekbone.

When you finally pull away for air, you’re grinning. Zuko laughs a little breathlessly and rests his forehead on yours. He resumes your swaying.

“I’m case if that wasn’t clear, I love you too. When you ran away, I thought you were disgusted.” He laughs. You let your fingers trace over his face, his scar, and they finally stop on his lips.

You raise your eyes to meet his.

“Definitely not disgusted.” You say, and then kiss him again for emphasis. This kiss is sweeter and shorter. It’s a promise.

“So where does that leave us?” He asks, and it’s adorable how timid he sounds.

“Just us.” You tell him smiling. “And some kissing.”

A/N: Hey everyone, I know that this was super long but you all loved it so much I felt like you deserved it. I hope this lived up to everyone’s expectations:) Don’t forget to hit me up for requests, I do write for multiple fandoms. I’m going to get to my other requests this week, so keep an eye out for those. You can find everything I write under the tag slythergirlimagines. I hope I tagged everyone who asked, but if for some reason I missed you please let me know and I’ll add you!

Taglist: @darthsokaaa @a-random-queer-kid @astralsaf @myqueennadia @marvel-ing-at-it-all @galacticamidala @royahllty @whatthef-ckisupkyle @taeeemin @realimbo

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missmorosis · 3 years

Text

Science Project

not requested hehe- enjoy my first enemies to lovers type thing sakldfjlkfsd!!! ILY ILY ILY <33

Pairing: Sokka x Reader

Genre: enemies to lovers baybeeeeeeeee

Word count: 1.4k :)

Warnings: okay uhm the reader has hospital trauma, BUUUT it’s told from sokka’s pov, so nothing is really described!! she does have some sort of a panic attack, so i would read w/ caution in case this triggers you!

Summary: Two enemies, Sokka and Y/N get partnered for a science project...

“Alright everyone, here are your partners for the upcoming science project.” The science teacher gestured to the board. Sokka squinted to see who he got partnered with. He hoped it was one of his friends, like Aang, or Suki. He would even settle for Toph.

Sokka and...Y/N.

Out of everyone in his class, he had to get partnered with the person he hated the most: Y/N. He didn’t even know why he hated her so much. It wasn’t the way she looked or anything; in fact, he thought she was actually quite cute.

Sokka heard Y/N sigh next to him.

“Looks like we’re partners,” she said, with a sad tone.

“I don’t like this any more than you do.” She rolled her eyes and faced the teacher once again.

She sighed again when the teacher told everyone to work on their projects with their partner after school.

“At this rate, you’ll be sighing all day,” Sokka commented, earning another sigh from her. She shook her head and began to speak.

"I'll pick you up and we can work on it at my house," she offered. Sokka scoffed.

"Nope, no way I'm going into your home. We'll work at the library near my house," Sokka said. Y/N shrugged and headed out the door, getting to her next class.

Hours later, the final bell rang, signaling that the classes were over for the day. Sokka jumped out the door, relieved the day was over.

Oh. He still had the project to do. He cursed and luckily turned the corner to see Y/N walking by.

“Y/N! Hey, Y/N!” She turned at the sound of her name, but quickly turned around again, continuing to walk away as if nothing happened when she realized it was Sokka calling her. “We have the project, remember?” he called out. She froze, muttered something under her breath, and turned back around.

She reluctantly got into Sokka's car, and the two drove to their destination. However, they parked before they got to the library. Y/N looked confused.

"Why- why are we here?" Y/N gestured towards the sign saying "Ba Sing Se Hospital." Sokka rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, leading her closer to the hospital, no matter how much she resisted. He tried to push her past the automatic doors; the smell of sanitizer and medicine was overwhelming even before they went in. He looked at Y/N, who was backing away, refusing to walk in. Strange. She almost looked... panicked.

"I have a friend here that can give us some info for our project. Don't tell me you're scared of hospitals," he said, annoyed. No response. Instead, she turned around and walked the other way.

"Hey! Come back here," Sokka yelled. When she didn't respond, he rolled his eyes, and followed her. "Y/N, come on." He hit her side playfully, and she stumbled.

"Jerk," she muttered.

"Come on, I didn't even hit you that hard. Let's go."

"Uh- no. N-no thanks." Was her voice... shaking? Peering at Y/N, she seemed to have trouble breathing; her breaths were quick and uneven. Suddenly, she swayed to one side, almost toppling over and tripping on herself, making Sokka instinctively reach out to catch her. She leaned on the hospital’s exterior wall next to her, closing her eyes, still breathing heavily.

“What, are you faking?” he said with a scoff, but he couldn't deny that he was starting to get concerned. He got closer to Y/N. "Umm... are- are you okay?"

“Get... get off me...” she whispered, not having enough energy to speak up or completely push him away. Oh... she was actually not okay.

Sokka, despite her efforts to push him away, got closer, trying to see what was wrong.

"Sokka... I just told you to get off." She sounded tired, and her voice was quiet. Y/N was nearing tears, and Sokka was unsure how to respond. He chose to get off of her, and she huffed, but she rubbed her forehead, sighing.

Y/N sank into the ground, sitting into a fetal position, now unable to stay standing, and she rested her head on her knees. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get some sort of grip.

“Should- should I go get a doctor?” Sokka pointed towards the hospital doors. She shook her head, looking up breathlessly.

“No!" she yelled. Sokka gave a quizzical look, and she cleared her throat. "No... I’ll be fine.” She took deep breaths and wrung her hands, making Sokka frown. What's wrong?

"Would it be better if we went back into my car?" Sokka asked. Y/N nodded weakly, so Sokka helped her up, but her knees buckled, and Sokka raced to catch her again.

"Actually-" Y/N sat back down with a huff. "I- I can't walk right now, just... just give me a second." She ran her fingers through her hair again.

"O-oh. If you're comfortable, I can just carry you; you look like you're getting worse." It was true; Sokka was actually worried for Y/N, despite how much he claimed to hate her. She flinched when he reached out to her, making him hesitate, but eventually she nodded, and Sokka picked her up, bridal style.

Her body was shaking, and her chest was going up and down as she tried to breathe. They reached his car, and he placed her down into the passenger seat.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here. Do... do you have something with hospitals or something?" She stayed silent.

"Just... just a lot of trauma." Her eyes were looking outside the window, refusing to meet Sokka's. She cleared her throat, and quickly changed the subject, trying to get rid of the awkward tension in the car. "Any- anyways. Project?"

"Yeah, if you're up for it. Buckle up.” He drove to the library as quickly as possible. When he got there, there were no parking spaces. “Shoot.” He drove two streets down, finally finding a spot to park. “Sorry, it’s a bit far.”

“Alright,” she hoisted on her backpack. “Let’s go.” She hopped out of the car and started the walk towards the library. He sighed, and jogged to catch up with her.

Hours later, Y/N put her pen down and stretched, her chair squeaking. Looking at his phone, it was almost eight.

“I’m finally finished. Now, enough of this, and just...” She paused, looking for words to say. “...Remember to prepare for the presentation tomorrow. I’m going home.”

“See you... try to get some rest?” his voice went up at the end, asking a question. She rolled her eyes, but this time, with a playful smile. Hm. An improvement. He smiled to himself as soon as Y/N turned her back.

The next day started like every other, except for the fact that Sokka tried to cut back on his mean jokes, replacing them with somewhat loving ones. Thankfully, the two did great on their presentation, and so did the rest of their friends.

“Great job today!” Suki chirped. “Let’s celebrate with... some cake at the bakery?” Y/N clapped in delight.

“Yes! I’ll be right there.” She quickly packed up her things and grabbed her backpack. She jumped up at the table, and started to walk. Sokka laughed and decided to grab her backpack strap, making her grunt as she fell backwards. He stuck his tongue out with a smile as she glared at him, and she gave a sarcastic wave as she walked away, Sokka following close behind.

The walk to the bakery was nice, fun banter going on between the group. However, they happened to walk past the hospital from the day before. Y/N stumbled at the sight, but quickly tried to laugh it off. Of course, Sokka saw right through it. Thankfully they were going to just walk past-

“Oh, real quick, I have to check something with my nursing friend, can you guys wait for me in the waiting room? It’ll be quick, I promise.” Katara smiled, as she grabbed her bag, ready to go. Y/N’s mouth made an “o” shape, and Sokka saw her tense up.

“Uh, hey, Y/N? Let’s go for ice cream while we wait?” He pointed to the nearby ice cream shop, and her shoulders relaxed.

“Oh- yeah. Yes, of course!” Her eyes said a silent thank you as he pulled her away.

“Hm, nice to see you two getting along!” Aang chirped. Y/N smiled, as her and Sokka waved goodbye, heading to the ice cream shop together.

SO THE LAST 500 WORDS OR SO MADE LIKE NO SENSE 💀💀💀

ANYWAYS hope that was alright hehe!!

taglist (send an ask to get added to my atla work!!) @urmomoness @zuko-is-the-sun @busyforkuvira @appa-gaangnam-style @xxspqcebunsxx @akiris @welovediaaxx @ray-ofmoonlight @sokkaandzukosimp @u-4iia @sunnimochix @kaylove12 LOVE YALL SO MUCHHHH

#sokka x reader #sokka x you #atla x reader #atla x you #atla #sokka #sokka blurb #sokka oneshot #atla blurb #atla oneshot #sokka x y/n #sokka x yn #atla x yn #atla x y/n

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tepkunset · 4 years

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@avatarfandompolice is a blog that likes to misuse progressive language in attempt to make ignorant, racist posts sound more intelligent than they are. While most of their blog consists of arguing about ‘zutara,’ (which I recently learned is a ship name for Zuko and Katara from an anon), there is also a large number of posts and reblogs under the premise of being “hot takes” on how unfair it is to address racism in fandom and in media.

Avatarfandompolice is very sensitive about people pointing out that Avatar: The Last Airbender is not, in fact, flawless. That a show made by two white men featuring Asian and Indigenous characters and influences is fully capable of getting things wrong. That their western colonial views are influences all on their own, and it shows. Rather than listen to fans of colour point out things like these posts for example: [Link] [Link] [Link], avatarfandompolice has decided that such things must simply be fake, and has made multiple posts complaining it. This is not just regular ignorance, this is wilful ignorance. The dismissal of critique simply because they cannot fathom not everyone being able to handle the amount of issues they are freely educating others on, or people holding the ability to like something overall while also pointing out where it could be better.

It is my firm belief that you should never absorb media with an uncritical eye. If this was the case, if people just accepted everything given to them, then we would never see any progress. We need to be able to look back at something and say here’s what we did right, and here’s what we need to do better with.

The argument that A:TLA was made in 2012 and therefore should not be analyzed with a modern understanding of the world is downright hilarious, too. As if we aren’t taught to write literature analysis on books and plays that are centuries old in school. In particular regards to the whole cop thing... if anyone reading this seriously thinks that hate and fear of the police is just a 2020 trend, you can meet me in the pit. I was four years old when I learned how terrifying cops are. If your experiences differ, let me tell you that does not make them universal. And as for all the 20-somethings talking about it today, well, gentle reminder that as said by avatarfandompolice right here, the show aired in 2012. Little 10-year-old kids don’t have social media, (at least I hope they don’t,) and unless they grew up experiencing first-hand police terror, probably were not aware of it at that age. I do not know why avatarfandompolice insults people's ability to grow and learn. I can only guess it’s jealously from their lack of ability to do so.

Now let’s address their defences of whitewashing, which is easily the most backwards reaching I’ve seen on this issue in a while. Primarily their defence relies on four repetitive “points” —

Fake minuscule percentages to downplay the high prevalence and extremity of whitewashing in the fandom

Deflecting the addressing of whitewashing with rapid-fire fake scenarios and claims of “reverse racism” / “blackwashing”

Claiming whitewashing isn’t real because people only care about it with Katara

Claiming that calling out whitewashing in fandom is wrong because it hurts artists

I have only so much as dipped my toes into the A:TLA fandom, and even I have seen a lot of whitewashed fan art. If you do an image search for fan art, I guarantee within the first couple rows of results, there will be in the absolute least, a few examples. The idea of these artworks not substantially lightening skin is also just plain inaccurate. Just from a quick Google search, this is literally the first result for ‘Avatar The Last Airbender Katara fan art’:

Avatarfandompolice is also hyper-focused on the lightening of skin, and seems to be under the impression that this is the only component of whitewashing. I come to this conclusion because when someone pointed out the equal prevalence of depicting these characters of colour with Western European features instead of their actual eyes, noses, etc., they rip a giant turd out of their ass and scrawl the words “but stereotyping” over it. No, not all Asian peoples and Indigenous peoples look the same. The original poster made no such claim of this at all. Avatarfandompolice jumped to this conclusion all on their own... (which really says a lot in itself). It is entirely unrelated to the point. The point being the erasure of how these characters look, in favour of giving them whiter features. And guess what? This does hurt. But I’ll get to that below.

The lack of understanding of whitewashing is on full display when avatarfandompolice talks about “blackwashing”; the idea that colouring characters with darker skin is just like whitewashing. Firstly, there is no such thing as “blackwashing.” “Blackwashing,” “brownwashing,” etc. does not exist because it is a false equivalency to whitewashing. It is a false equivalency to whitewashing because white people are not even in the slightest loosing representation when a white character is re-imagined as a racial minority, whereas when racial minorities are re-imagined as white people, they are taking away from what is already very little representation for us. If we lived in a world where the statistics of representation were not so drastically disproportionate, then there would be something to talk about. But if you are really wanting to support equality, you should focus on equitably supporting those who actually need it, not white people. As for specifically depicting characters like Sokka and Katara with darker skin than what they have in the show, the same applies, (so long as it’s not racebending them as we really shouldn’t be taking representation away from each other, and the artist avatarfandompolice ridicules above has done no such thing,) because colourism also exists within nonwhite communities as well.

As for the fake questions about cosplaying, the answer is really simple: Cosplay however you want, but don’t make pretending to be a different race part of your cosplay. If you want to cosplay Katara, you can do it without painting your skin darker, aka brownface. If you want to cosplay Zuko, you can do it without editing yourself to look East Asian, aka digital yellowface. The racist history behind this is an internet search away, but I suppose that is too difficult for avatarfandompolice to do.

Avatarfandompolice has made multiple claims that people must not really care about whitewashing if they only call it out for Katara. It is laughable at best, and sad at worst, that this is the conclusion they come to, and not the fact that unfortunately Katara just happens to be subjected to more whitewashing than other characters. I assume this is from a mix of her popularity as well as being a WOC and not MOC. This is not to say that whitewashing does not exist with male characters—not in the slightest. Half the images on this “10 fan art pictures of Sokka that are just the best” list from CBR are whitewashed. Only that across fandoms, whitewashing is more prevalent in female characters, by my observations at least.

Finally—and this one pisses me off the most—avatarfandompolice claims that whitewashing is no big deal, but calling out whitewashing is too harmful to justify. How fucking dare you put the feelings of artists who can’t handle critique of their work (that they publicly share) over fans of colour, who are constantly subjected to seeing our identities and looks not being worth respecting. As if it doesn’t imprint on your mind from a very young age how only villains ever have your facial features, because they’re ugly and I guess that means you’re ugly. As if there is something wrong with you. As if respecting you is regarded as extra effort, and not just common courtesy.

Whitewashing is a form of colourism, which is a form of racism. It is the favouritism, unconscious or not, of white features and the erasure of visible characters of colour. It is not fandom drama. It is not being too lazy to focus on “real issues” because it is part of a real issue. It is yet another part of why fandom spaces are so uninviting to POC. We live in a society that favours lighter skin. Corporations make fortunes from selling products to bleach your skin, products to contour your features away or go as far as surgery, all to meet beauty standards set by and influenced by white colonizers. That does not exist in A:TLA, and that’s called refreshing escapism. But it’s hard to escape that when the fandom constantly reminds you otherwise. It is a perfect example of how the classic “just let people enjoy things” complaint is nothing but disguised racism, because it’s only ever said regarding white fans’ enjoyment, at the expense of fans of colour.

None of the characters in A:TLA are white. Redesigning them and recolouring them as if they are, be it out of accident or intent is wrong. If you get called out for it, apologize, learn from the experience and do better going forward. You’ll also improve your art this way.

Beyond excusing whitewashing, avatarfandompolice has overt racist posts as well. A Black fan said they like to headcanon Katara as being partially Black; “I swear Katara was a sister. Im convinced there ain't no way she didn't have some black in her.” Avatarfandompolice jumps in saying “She's literally an Inuit but ok” as if being an Inuk person means Katara can’t possibly also be Black. The OP never claimed Katara was not Indigenous, simply that they also saw her as Black. Black Indigenous peoples exist. Black Inuk peoples exist. It is overtly anti-Black to say otherwise. But what even is the point of talking to avatarfandompolice about that? You know, you would think in trying to put such a front up of caring about the Inuit, they would do the most basic learning of the proper grammatical use of Inuit and Inuk. (As is the case with a great many Indigenous Nations, Inuit is both the Nation and plural. Inuk is singular. “An Inuit” / “Inuits” as avatarfandompolice has used just makes their dressed-up racism all the more pathetic. It’s similar to as if you said “Chinas” instead of “Chinese”.)

But all this is nothing, nothing compared to the worst post I had the displeasure of seeing. In a single post, avatarfandompolice manages to squeeze in insult against low income people, Mexican people, Jewish people, and Black people in a mockery of financial help posts. Absolutely disgusting, childish behaviour from a place of privilege. As someone who has had no option but to make such a post before, more than once, let me fucking tell you that the embarrassment and desperation when in that situation is unparalleled. It is not done lightly. It is done when you are at the last resort of having nothing but hope that the combined generosity of others will be enough to save you and your family. And what adds a whole other level to the odiousness of avatarfandompolice’s post is that they specifically targeting low income minorities to boot. Because we’re all poor beggars, right?

All in all, for someone who prides themselves in calling others ignorant, avatarfandompolice has to be one of the most obtuse fandom blogs I have ever scrolled through. They are as vile as they are pathetic, and my sincere sympathy for anyone who has been unfortunate enough to interact with them. It has been a while since I so strongly recommend blocking someone.

#avatarfandompolice #atla #atla fandom #racism #whitewashing #long post #fit for a queue

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storydays · 3 years

Text

Season 1, Episode 2, p1

".and in the final round, the Buzzard-Wasps, won with a decisive knock-out." Korra read the newspaper eagerly before peeking over at Tenzin. "What do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few pro-bending matches?" She grinned hopefully at the airbender. "That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending." He snapped, ignoring you as your coughed into your morning (tea/coffee/hot chocolate). As intelligent as he is, the man hadn't a clue of where or why you spent so much time in the city. You couldn't keep it a secret from your Aunties, and Aunt Lin or Pema were usually the ones who patched you up.

"Come on, Tenzin, I've dreamed about seeing a pro-bending match since I was a kid, and now I'm just a ferry ride away from the arena." She gestured out towards the city. "Korra, you're not here to watch that drivel. You're here to finish your avatar training. So for the time being, I want you to remain on the island." He took another sip of his tea, as you took another bite of your breakfast. "Is that why you're keeping the White Lotus sentries around to watch my every move?" She waved her hand towards the soldiers, who were standing around the room. "Yes, in order to learn airbending, I believe you require a calm, quiet environment free from any distractions." Tenzin finished sternly.

"All right, you're the master." Korra relented, looking out the window, longingly. It was quite yet tense before you abruptly stood up from the table and stormed off angrily, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "(Y/N)? Where are you going?" Korra asked, confused by your behavior. "Fine! Going to meditate!" You grumble, feeling guilty at your Aunt's concerned look. You quickly made your way to the tree you and your Grandfather planted when you were younger, and sat down, crossing your body into a half-lotus position, breathing in through your nose and out of your mouth, praying for a peaceful session.

Your prayers went unanswered.

--Vision start--

You found yourself watching a middle aged Aang look around curiously. The old monk smiled seeing a small figure curled up on the tip of Air Temple Island, before sitting next to said figure. The two remained silent until the smaller sniffed, and pulled his tunic tighter in its fist. "Are you ready to talk about it, grandson?" You walked closer, to see a young you, look up at him with teary eyes. "Hi, Papa." Younger you sniffled, wiping a tear away. "I'm sorry I left dinner like that." Aang merely pulled you to sit on his lap, and wrapped his cloak around you, waiting patiently for you to say what was wrong, because he knew you wouldn't cry over something so little.

"Now, it's not nice to lie about something so small like that. What's really bothering you, my little monkey?" Aang asked with a mischievous grin. Your (e/c) eyes peered at him from under your bangs. "I'm just scared, of the future." You admitted. "What do you mean?" asked Aang. "When I'm sleeping, I see things. I see the next Avatar, but I can't see their face. I-I know their a waterbender because of their clothes, but that's it. And then I see different endings based on her choices, and the world keeps changing and I am afraid--" "Okay, okay. (Y/N), take a breath, you're hyperventilating. You need to relax, before you pass out. Copy me, alright?"

Aang put your hand on his chest, and mimicked deep breathing. He'd dealt with plenty of panic attacks with the Gaang, and of course with his own kids. Eventually you calmed down and that's when Aang spoke again. "I know the future is scary, and no one can truly prepare for it, but what we can do, is be ready to make the future brighter. And if you're seeing the future Avatar, that must mean your destinies are intertwined tighter than I thought. I know the Spirits have a plan for why they're allowing you to see the future. You've already made us so proud, (Y/N). You're a dual bender, and a master of both air and water at such a young age.

"I know you'll make the world proud." Aang stood up, and began carrying you into the library, as your stomach growled at you. The Airbender laughed, and gestured to two plates of dumplings. "Thanks, Papa Aang." You mumble, curling next to him, as he set a small fire up. "Of course, monkey. Now I believe I owed you the story of how Zuko found his mom.."

--Vision end--

You slowly opened your eyes, as you heard multiple steps heading towards you. Your cousins, Uncle and friend all looked back at you with varying smiles. "(Y/N), are you finished with your morning meditation?" Tenzin questioned. You stood up, stretching your back and legs, before answering him. "Yes, Uncle. Is it time for Korra's first lesson in airbending?" "Yes, now come along everyone." You all headed towards a airbender's best friend. "What is that contraption?" Korra asked aloud. "A time-honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of airbending." You rolled your eyes before muttering to the kids, "Or the first step to airbending. Unless, you preferred the long winded version of saying it." You smirk at Tenzin's irritated face.

"Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise, while (Y/N) demonstrates?" Tenzin said, sending you a raised eyebrow, as you got ready. "Well, the goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them." Jinora explained. "Seems easy enough." Korra stated. "Jinora forgot to mention you gotta make it through while the gates are spinning." Ikki said, cheekily.

Tenzin stepped forward and sent a sharp gust of wind through the gates, as you then stepped forward. You then began dancing in the wind, fast, fluid, and soft in your movements. "The key is to be like the leaf. Flow with the movement of the gates. Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice." Tenzin finished, as you sent an equally strong wind, letting Korra know that it was her turn. "Let's do this." she stated, confident.

Now being a air nomad monk, you shouldn't feel as smug as you were. But your mother was from the Northern Water Tribe...so you could feel as smug as you wanted. This was a lesson she needed to learn to be a better airbender, Avatar, and a person. She ran in head first, grunting as she ran into different gates. You snickered, as she fell on her butt, in front of the other Airbenders. Growling, Korra ran back inside, not learning from her previous mistakes. "Korra, don't force your way through!" Jinora called, climbing on your back, to get a better look. "Dance! Dance like the wind!" Ikki encouraged. "Be the leaf!" Meelo danced.

Not listening, Korra groaned, as the gates made her dizzy. Tenzin rolled his eyes groaning. You chuckle, landing next to him, as Jinora jumped down and went with her siblings to look down at the Avatar. You raised your hand, before turning to your uncle. "Well, that was fun. Same time, same place tomorrow?" Your grin widen at your Uncle's annoyed glare, before walking down the steps, whistling softly, feeling Nevermore land on your shoulder. "Hey Nevermore. Ready for some practice?" The (fav color) dragon squealed happily as you made your way to the training area.

You turned towards the sound of footsteps following you. "Yes, Jinora?" You smiled as she blushed at being caught, but she spoke up. "Well, I was just wondering if I could help you with Nevermore's training today?" She asked hopefully. You nod, gesturing her to come forward. "All right, now we're going to work on her flight today. She's getting bigger and it's almost time for her to mature. I need you to keep a steady wind flow, okay?" And this was how Pema found you both before lunch. "Thanks for your help, Jinora." You ruffled her hair, before helping your Aunt serve lunch.

--Later that night--

You stretch your limbs before putting on your uniform, and walking out with Bolin and Mako. "All right, guys. We got this!" You grin, making Bolin mirror your grin and Mako smirked. As soon as the game started, you could hear the announcer speaking over the speakers. You tuned into what he was saying, letting your body take over for the fight. "Ladies and gentleman, I'm coming to you live, from Republic City's pro-bending arena, where tonight, the best in the world continue for a spot in the upcoming championship tournament. Grab your snacks and your kids because this next match is going to be a doozy!"

You grin underneath your helmet, focusing on the game. The announcer rambled on in the background, as you were dancing behind Mako's quick movements and Bolin's sturdy form. Catching the other team off guard was your forte. "This Mako's got moxie! He advances, fires two quick shots. Yomo is hammered back into zone three, by the Fire Ferret's sneaky waterbender, oh! I stand correct folks, Yomo was sent into the sink by (Your fake name)! Now it's up to the rest of Yomo's team to earn their spot! Clock is winding down, can they hold it? The Fire Ferret's line up to pull out their famous Guilt Triple! One, two, and three and the opposing team is in the drain! The Fire Ferrets are in the championships! They're in the championship!!"

The crowd went wild! Screaming your names, as you all walked off to the locker room, chatting happily. "You really came through with the move, (Y/N)!" Mako chuckled, unwrapping his knuckles, as you ran a hand through your hair, ruffling your bangs, ignoring Bolin's wide eyed stare. "Take a picture, Bo. It'll last longer." You snicker, as he blushed at being caught."Sorry, it's just so cool having a airbending master," He whispered those words softly, "Right in front of me! I wanna see you do it!" He begged, using the puppy eyes on you. "No, Bolin. We already talked about this. No one can know. Now, are you gonna sit there, whining, or are you gonna come eat with us?"

You and Mako were waiting by the door, dressed in street clothes(First outfit; instead of sleeves you have one fishnet glove going up one elbow). You were wearing Water Tribe clothes, and waiting for the Earthbender. Mako snickered, watching his brother get dressed quickly, before following you to a restaurant to relax and act like teenagers for a change. You walk with your hands behind your head, looking at the stars, sighing contently, but you couldn't help but wonder:

'What are we going to do now, Mom?'

--The next morning--

You tied your hair up in a man bun, before dusting off your airbender clothing from any wrinkles, and heading out the door. You'd overslept from how exhausted you were from last night's match, and now you rushed to join your family for morning meditation. "Hey, (Y/N)! We missed you at breakfast." Ikki clung to you like a monkey, as you swung her back and forth. "Hey, Cheeky Ikki. Sorry, I was really tired last night, but I'll grab a quick bite to eat after this." Your Uncle smiled at the scene before clearing his throat. "Nice to see you joining us for meditation, (Y/N). It's been a while." He admitted, as you sat next to Jinora.

"Yes it *yawn* has." You covered your mouth, before grinning sleepily at your uncle's confused glare. "All right, everyone. Begin." He commanded. You closed your eyes, breathing deeply, finding your self, sagging in relief as you did not have a vision around your family. You twitch, hearing Korra shuffle and move around. Korra kept shuffling and you cracked your eyes open, irritation flooding them. "Korra, relax." You snap. "I think I'm doing it wrong." She huffed. "There's nothing to do! Let your mind and spirit be free, for air is the element of freedom." Tenzin reminded her.

Korra laughed sarcastically and you snort quietly. Tenzin was not amused. "Is something funny?" He asked, raising a bushy eyebrow at the two of you. "Yeah, you're telling me to embrace freedom, but you won't even let me listen to the radio. And forget about leaving this island." The blue eyed avatar pouted. "Please, Korra. Look at Meelo, he's able to meditate peacefully." Tenzin gestured to his only son. You snicker, looking at the smallest airbender. "Actually Uncle, I think he's asleep." Meelo snored loudly, as Tenzin balked. "Wait, what? Ahh, at least he's got the relaxing part down.: He tried weakly.

"Whatever. None of this airbending stuff makes any sense to me." Korra grumbled. "Korra, I know it's seems frustrating, but the way he's teaching you, it's not only going to help you airbend, but this will help you learn to be patient, and as the Avatar, peace keeping and patience go hand in hand." You spoke up, as your cousins finished their meditation and you picked a sleepy Meelo.

"Yeah, like you know anything about being the Avatar, (Y/N)." Korra said sarcastically, yet arrogantly. You paused in your steps down the mini temple, and turned your (e/c) glare into the Southern Water Tribe girl. "I know more than you think, Korra." You hiss, storming off with a sleepy Meelo, and an worried Ikki and Jinora.

Korra scoffed, looking at Tenzin.

"What's his problem?" She asked, as his gray eyes barred into her soul. "Korra, you need to apologize once he's calmed down. That was rude, and he was only trying to help you. Just like I am. There will be a time when you will want his help, and he may not be there or want to help you if you continue to act like this. Grow up, girl." Tenzin said, sternly before walking off to find you.

"Please, like he's one to talk." Korra did feel guilty, but was too proud to admit it. But she wasn't dumb enough to find you right now.

Even she doesn't want to be on your bad side.

#lok x reader #lok imagine #legend of korra #male reader x legend of korra

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jaxsteamblog · 3 years

Text

Disguised

Click here to read the entire fic on AO3

Being woken up in the middle of the night was never ideal. But for both Zuko and Katara, with their backgrounds, the heavy thumping immediately put them in fight or flight mode. With the only light coming from Zuko’s fire daggers, Katara was disoriented and tried to steady herself. She was indoors and a voice was calling for the Fire Lord.

None of that helped her figure out if she was safe.

“It’s for me.” Zuko whispered, dissipating his weapons and turning on their bedside lamp.

Pulling on her robe, Katara stood at the bed while Zuko answered the door.

“Apologies Fire Lord, but we caught a thief in one of the gardens. She says your mother sent her.” A man in the hall said.

“My mother?” Zuko repeated.

“She said her name is Kiyi.” The man added.

That woke Katara up.

“What are you doing here?” Zuko hissed.

Kiyi sat in the armchair, her arms crossed tight over her chest. She glowered angrily at the floor as Zuko paced back and forth in front of her.

“You haven’t replied to any of the letters and it’s not like I can pick up the phone and call the freaking Fire Lord.” Kiyi stated.

“But why are you here?” Zuko asked.

“You’re my brother aren’t you?” Kiyi retorted, turning her glower up at him.

Zuko froze and Katara sat down on the couch opposite them.

“They told you?” Zuko asked.

“Told me?” Kiyi laughed bitterly. “We live in a hut. They couldn’t really keep it a secret.”

“That was all months ago, why now?”

“Mom went back to the lakes. She got her memory back.”

“And?”

“And?” Kiyi sputtered and her cheeks flushed. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I wanted her to not have forgotten me or my sister in the first place.” Zuko snapped.

“Don’t you think I might know how that feels? I found out that my parents were other people in disguise and lied to me my entire life.” Kiyi rubbed her eyes vigorously and huffed. “My dad let me hero worship the Fire Lord instead of telling me that I’m his half-sister.”

“So you want to join my family now? Is that it?” Zuko’s voice dripped with venom and Kiyi flinched.

“Zuko.” Katara warned. “She’s upset.”

“And I’m pissed.” Zuko said, still watching Kiyi.

“I just want a family. But right now I only have fakes.” Kiyi said, her voice wobbling as more tears came.

Zuko shook his head and walked to the couch, sitting next to Katara and leaning forward. He held his head in his hands and focused on his breathing.

“I looked up mom online. I saw what she did and so some of it makes sense. Like dad with his face. But it wasn’t just their faces, it became everything. Like they realized they could pretend nothing happened.” Kiyi explained. “I don’t want to be the Fire Lord’s sister or anything. But I am your sister and I just want… I want something real.”

“I have a sister.” Zuko said.

“I didn’t ask to be Ursa’s daughter.” Kiyi shot back. “I wasn’t the one that made her forget you.”

“You are not Ursa’s daughter!” Zuko shouted, sitting up. “You are Noriko’s and part of the problem is you don’t understand the difference.”

“Yes I do!” Kiyi cried. “I’m the bastard child of a murderer!”

Zuko fell back in his seat and Katara turned to press her knee against his. Kiyi pulled her legs up, resting her feet on the seat cushion so she could hide her face to cry.

She was just a teenager.

“Zuko, she’s hurting.” Katara said softly.

“Aren’t we all?” Zuko replied, laying his head on the back of the couch. He rubbed his face with both hands, sighing.

“Ursa didn’t send you here.” He said, letting his arms fall to his sides.

“No.” Kiyi sniffed.

“But they’ll figure it out where you went.”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you here, Kiyi?”

“I missed you.” Kiyi sounded so small. “You stopped coming around and then I found out why and I knew you hated me. But I didn’t hate you.”

Zuko sat up and looked at her.

“I don’t hate you, Kiyi.” He said softly.

“But you hate mom.” Kiyi said.

Zuko opened his mouth but nothing came out. When Kiyi looked up at him, he nodded.

“Yeah, I do.” He admitted.

Kiyi sighed and lowered her legs.

“Mom cried for days when she got her memories back. She kept calling out for Azula and dad actually got rid of our computer so she couldn’t look anything up. But I searched everything at school. No one talked about your Agni Kai but I found a video. I saw what happened and I knew mom made the right decision to leave. But I didn’t know why she didn’t take you with her.” She explained. “I don’t know why she left you both behind.”

“It was too dangerous. Ozai would have hunted her-”

“He did. That’s why she had to change her face. She got lucky.” Kiyi shook her head. “You two could’ve been changed too.”

“Ah.” Zuko said and Katara touched his leg.

“Then we wouldn’t have met.” Katara said.

“I know.” Zuko said softly, sadly.

“You got lucky.” Kiyi said.

Zuko and Katara looked at her.

“It’s not like you had to go through all of that just to be here. If our parents were less terrible, who knows?” Kiyi clarified. “I’m glad I was born, and I’m glad you have this now, but that doesn’t make what they did okay.”

Kiyi sniffed as she started crying again.

“They all want to pretend that the ends justify the means but this whole thing sucks.” She added.

Zuko chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I missed you too, Kiyi. I had thought of you as my little sister before I found out you actually were.” He said.

Kiyi stared at him and started crying hard. Panicked, Zuko looked at Katara and she pushed at him. Zuko stood and went over to Kiyi, crouching next to the chair and awkwardly hugging her shoulders. Kiyi turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing into his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry!” Kiyi sputtered and Zuko patted her back.

“It’s not your fault.” He murmured. “Ssssh, it’s okay.”

When Kiyi cried herself out, Zuko held her hand and escorted her to one of the guest bedrooms. Still fully clothed, Kiyi buried herself under the blankets and immediately fell asleep. Standing in the doorway, Zuko and Katara stared at the lump on the bed.

“Sometimes I ask myself if all this is worth my mother’s death. Or if I’d give up everything to get her back.” Katara said suddenly.

Zuko startled and pressed his back into the doorframe.

“Then I remember that that’s not how any of this works. Nothing in life is truly transactional.” Katara said. “There is no fate, no destiny. There is only moment after moment, with some cause and effect sprinkled in.”

“So random happenstance is disguised as a glorious purpose?” Zuko asked. “Doesn’t that make everything meaningless?”

Katara turned and smiled at him.

“You mean an awful lot to me. Moment after moment, until my time runs out.” She said.

“Which means I’ll never be able to prove how wrong you are. Our love is a story for the ages.” Zuko said.

Katara laughed and tapped his chest.

“Let’s go back to bed.” She said. “We can deal with Kiyi in the morning.”

Zuko smiled back at her and slowly shut the door.

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#zutara #fanfiction #jax writes #modern au #the fic that prompts built #zutara week 2021

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muffinlance · 4 years

Note

Ok so Kindling!AU Zuko probably would be pretty useless as a firebender right? I mean by the time he got banished he was probably like... instinctively afraid of fire, even his own (especially his own if Ozai trained him heh) Does this mean he pretty much stopped firebending? Or does he like... not care how afraid and even more burned he gets, he's gonna firebend because he won't dishonor himself even further and also like surely that's what his father would want from him? ;))))

No one called them Kindling, officially. The word never appeared on any written document, any report. It got censored out of letters home.

Unofficially, everyone called them that.

In the 41st Division, their unit was officially dubbed the 41st Fire Starters. Like all Kindling units, they were kept largely to camp outside of active duty. For better supervision in their training, of course. Their talents weren't to be wasted on scout patrols or minor scuffles. Their barracks were in the middle of everything, the non-bender units and command posts and sentries standing between them and the outside world. For their own protection, of course.

Not firebending was not an option. Not even for their newest recruit, the wobbly kid who was only going to have half a face once those bandages came off. Kuzon of Nara got a peek when he was in the hospital tents getting his hands rebandaged. He wasn't very good at bending. The kid must be worse, with a face like that. The kid was young. So was Kuzon.

The average life expectancy for Kindling in the field was three years. One of those was their training year.

The 41st Division's training year was ending soon. The new kid must have ticked someone off, to get assigned here just as they got their first marching orders.

(The new kid looked a hell of a lot like Prince Zuko, may he rest in peace. It was a training accident that claimed the young prince's life. Of course.)

(Under those bandages, the new kid's raw burn was the size and shape of a grown man's fist. If that fist was on fire. No one said anything about this. Of course.)

Kuzon didn't gossip about what he saw. He told everyone, but that wasn't the same as gossip.

"Hey, kid," he said in the dark of the barracks. (It was after light's out, and they'd been locked inside for their own good, of course.) "We're going to take care of you, okay? Wherever you came from, that's over now. They don't... they don't hurt us, here."

Kuzon had some scars too. Not from bending; his mum wasn't a bender. His mum complained that if she had to raise a piece of Kindling for the military to burn, the least they could do was pay to feed him. His mum had three other non-bender kids to look out for. It had to be hard raising a kid you knew you couldn't love.

"Not on purpose," Kuzon added, into the silence. The kid curled up tighter on his bunk. Maybe he even got some sleep.

Officially, the kid's name was Li. The kid was real slow about responding to that.

Unofficially, they called him Prince.

"Just a nickname, Sarge," Kuzon smiled at their squad leader. "Harmless, right?"

The Sarge let out a breath, and then got back to yelling them through their drills.

The kid had been cleared for training (too soon).

The kid went through water like he was running a fever (he was).

The kid came with them all to the hospital tent afterwards, and fell asleep sitting up while they chattered around him. While the healers wrapped their new burns, and checked their old. Kuzon nudged him awake before the nurse could set a hand on him. Prince did not like waking up to unfamiliar faces. Kuzon wasn't exactly familiar, but he was better than nothing.

"Where are you hurt?" the nurse asked. Clinical, perfunctory. It must be hard, helping patients who would never really heal.

"Just my face," Prince said.

The nurse's lips turned down. "I mean new injuries."

"Nowhere," the kid said, and he sounded so puzzled about it. Like after a full day of training, that was normal.

(Prince Zuko was said to be a crap bender. Such a tragic death. If only he'd been born with the talent of the rest of Sozin's line, that innate control that had let them ascend to leadership, their bending blessed by Agni himself.)

(A lot of the kid's scars had the wrong edges to them, if you knew what to look for. Accidents were accidents: they flared, they dotted little ember-trails, they didn't stop clean like a hand wrapped around a forearm.)

(Kindling were allowed to wear short sleeves during training. Encouraged, even, for their quartermaster's sanity. The kid never did. He barely ever lit those trailing edges on fire, either.)

"You never have to go back," Kuzon said, into the darkness between their bunks. "I know this isn't a great life, but it's better, right?"

"...I miss home," the kid whispered back.

"Yeah," Kuzon said. "Me too."

You could miss things even when they were terrible for you.

The Sarge had been working them extra hard since their deployment orders came. He didn't need to remind them that the only prisoners the Earth Kingdom ever took were non-benders. Kindling were dangerous enough to themselves.

The non-bending units were getting worked just as hard. The officers all looked like they'd swallowed lemon-kumquats. They stopped sometimes, and watched the Kindling squad at training. Watched Prince. Left, after a good long look, their expressions unreadable.

Now that the kid's fever had broken (now that he almost-trusted that they wouldn't lay a hand on him, with fire or not), he'd taken to yelling at their sloppy bending almost as loud as the Sarge. The Sarge allowed it. The Sarge might have been in love.

The kid's new nickname was Sergeant. Sergeant Prince, Sir Yes Sir, if they were being formal.

"I hate you all," the kid said, and only growled when they ruffled his chick-fuzz hair. (Their entire unit might have been in love.)

Deployment day. Camp was packed up, and distributed largely to the wagons and the backs of the non-benders. Couldn't really trust the Kindling not to light something vital on fire, after all.

"You've got your full three years until retirement," Kuzon tried to joke. (It wasn't a joke.) "We've already used one of ours up. Remember that, okay? You're the one who's going to be fine. Statistically speaking."

The kid's scowl was really good, with that scar.

They reached their new camp site, on the wrong side of the lines. The Kindling unit took one of its small pleasures in life: heckling the non-benders as they set up.

"You could help."

"With our delicate constitutions?" Kuzon gasped, a hand over his heart. The fake swooning was probably unnecessary, but it made Sergeant Prince snort. Which was pretty much rolling in the dirt laughing, from anyone else.

None of the officers were laughing. Or shouting more than necessary. The camp was reassembled to military standard, and not a polished-boot more. It felt hollow, somehow.

Their first fight made it pretty clear why. It was also their last fight, after all.

The kid was alive, the last Kuzon saw. They'd done that much right. Without a locked bunk room or checkpoints or sentries watching inside the camp as much as out, he could leave. Run. They made him run, scared him with fire when he wouldn't, gave him a few more non-accidental scars. They wouldn't look any different then the rest of the kid's collection, but they were.

Where would be go? He was as obvious as firebenders got. The Earth Kingdom would kill him on sight; he'd have to go back to the military. That was the real trap. Not the locks or the guards. There was no place else that let Kindling burn, even for the short time they had.

But the kid was alive. That wasn't nothing.

Kuzon hissed in pain when the soldiers flipped him over. They weren't trying to be rough about it, but they weren't trying for gentle, either. Just checking the bodies.

It hurt too much to hold his breath, so playing dead had never been an option. He just kept breathing in quick tight breaths, and gave the guys in green his best smile. More or less.

"You a bender?" one of them asked.

Didn't really seem much point in answering, all things considered.

The other one lifted Kuzon's arm--stopped lifting when Kuzon couldn't help the noise that brought out of him--and rolled up his sleeve.

Rough burn scars, and yesterday's bandages. Yeah, he was a bender. The guy's face twisted in disgust, but the way he set Kuzon's arm back down was almost gentle.

"They're all so young," the guy said.

"Yeah," his partner said. Which was about the only thing a man could say, when everyone knew the truth didn't change anything.

Kuzon of Nara didn't see much after that.

#way to bring down the average Kuzon #Kindling AU

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nadisabug · 3 years

Text

Tea Girl // Hired // Pt2

Pairing: Zuko x fem!reader

Warnings: language, scowly Zuko, a little bit of anxiety

Summary: Y/n finds out that the tea shop she is working at is having a change of ownership.

A/N: ahhh this took a while to do but here it is hope you guys enjoy :)

Part One // Series Masterlist // Part Three

"What do you mean you're retiring?" My voice was high and pitchy, a result of my anxiety.

"I mean," my boss said as harshly as he could. "I got bought out. New owners. Paid a lot. So I'm retiring. That means no more working and no more employing your annoying butt."

"B-but I..." I stammered and lost my train of thought. New owners? So there would stilll be a tea shop here? I made up my mind in a split second. "You got to have them hire me."

"Sweetheart," he drawled and I cringed at the nickname. "I don't have to do anything. I'm done as a working man, and I never owed you nothing."

"But without this job how am I going to live?" I cried out. "I have no experience in anything other than tea serving and this is the only tea shop in the area!"

My boss picked up a box and turned to me with a sharp look. "Then you better get to kissing the asses of the new owners. Quick." Then he turned away, lugging his box with him. As he walked away he called back to me. "Help me pack up today and I'll pay you for today. That's the best I can offer."

Maybe he wasn't such a bad boss after all, I thought to myself. Fine. I would pack for now and then I would sit outside this tea shop for as long as it took for the new owners to come and I would demand a job.

After I finished packing, I walked Kai to school. I didn't tell him my new predicament because I don't want to worry him with financial troubles. He was a kid and he should stay that way. After I walked him to school I let him know that I may be late going to pick him up from school. He just nodded and ran off to school, none the wiser.

When I returned to the shop, people were already there. I supposed the man was the new owner so I marched right up to him.

"Excuse me, but are you the new owner of the tea shop here?" I asked as politely as I could.

The man turned to me and sneered. "And you would be?"

"An employee of the previous tea shop," I answered nicely. "I was wondering if I could talk to the owners and-"

"What a job?" The man scoffed and looked me over. "Unlikely."

"Listen," I said, doing my best to keep my voice level. "I am a hard worker and-"

"I know I know, you have a family to support? I see you kind all the time, lower rings ruffians that crawled up to the middle ring just to work and now you hope to make it big."

Make it big? As a tea girl? I had to stifle a laugh.

"I understand that-"

"No, you must understand. The new owner will be here soon and I don't want you here when-"

"New owner, why, that must be me," a cheerful voice came from behind me. I looked behind me and when I did the whole world shifted into slow motion.

An old man I knew all too well stood before me. He looked good in his old age, happy. He looked so much happier than I remembered. Next to him was a boy my age, but he looked nothing like I remembered him. Of course the scar was still there, prominent over his eye, but he looked so... new. His hair was grown out, soft locks falling over his head. He was rougher, more natural. He was wearing Earth Kingdom clothes, so different from his Royal Palace wear. The best, and probably scariest, part I noticed about him was the recognition in his eyes.

"Tea girl?" He blurted out without thinking. I had to stifle a laugh, like always he was incredibly open about what he was thinking.

"Yes," the man behind me said slowly. "Sorry this girl was an employee of the previous tea shop. She was looking for a job but I was just sending her away-"

"I'm sure they'd love to hire me," I said with a small smirk. I paused to wait for the names they were going by. I highly doubt they were traveling under their real names.

"Mushi," Iroh responded. He held out his hand to shake and I took it happily. "And I would be none the happier to have such a sweet girl such as yourself working for me."

Fuck. Yes. Blackmail 1, kissing ass 0.

"Uncle," Prince Zuko said tersely, grabbing Iroh's other arm. "Can we talk?"

"Later," Iroh smiled. He let go of my gloved hand and turned to the man who was trying to see me away. "Now I would like to see my new shop!"

The man who had tried to send me away, his name was Jong apparently, opened up the tea shop and lead us through, giving us all a tour. I tagged along to make sure that my employment was secure, and to see if I could make a little extra money today. After the tour was done, Iroh- Mushi clapped his hands together.

"Well this was a productive day. There isn't much time left in the day to go shopping for supplies, so lets do that tomorrow." Iroh turned to me with a small smile. "Of course our newest member of the team will accompany me and my nephew to the market?" He phrased it as a question, but I knew it wasn't really. Despite how nice this old man was, he was cunning too. He probably wanted to interrogate me. "Paid, of course."

I smiled tight, fake. "Of course."

"You can go home now. Plan to meet tomorrow around sunrise?"

"Sure," I nodded. I would have to drop off Kai early, but I was sure he wouldn't mind.

"We can also discuss the terms of your employment then," Iroh added.

I looked over at Zuko to see his response, but his face was set in a scowl as usual. He had no response. Just a scowl.

He seemed so different than when he was younger, when we were younger. He so was so much more... unhappy. It was funny, it was like Iroh and Zuko switched. Zuko used to be happy, and Iroh used to be... Well a respected general. His demeanor matched his position. But not anymore.

"Of course," I smiled harder, doing my best to seem amiable.

"You are good to go now, I need to discuss some things with Jong about the Jasmine Dragon."

"Are you sure? I can help with set up or something?" I knew I sounded desperate, but I was. I needed the money.

Iroh waved me off. "There's nothing to set up for now so just head out."

I nodded and turned on my heel and left, going to pick Kai up from practice.

#tea girl☕#eventual relationship #zuko x reader #zuko imagine #zuko x y/n #zuko x you #atla x reader #atla imagine #atla x y/n #atla

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reinerispretty · 4 years

Text

zuko is a secret admirer

Okie hiii I just had the cutest zuko idea and you’re the perfect writer for it. I don’t think I’ve seen a fic like this before but what if zuko would send the reader messenger hawks like a secret admirer? And the reader tries to find out who it is (if it’s lame ignore 😂💗)

not lame at all!!! thank you so much for requesting :)

It was no secret that Zuko wasn’t the best when it came to words. His thoughts got all jumbled and sometimes he said things that he really didn’t mean. Knowing this, he knew there was no way that he could physically tell the beautiful girl from Ba Sing Se that he was in love with her. So, he resolved to write her instead.

When a Fire Nation messenger hawk had first appeared on (Y/N’s) doorstep, her eyes had widened and she immediately shut the door and ran through a million possibilities of what it could be. Was she wanted by the Fire Nation? What would she be wanted for? Wouldn’t they send guards to her doorstep if she was wanted?

She opened her door just a crack, peering outside at the bird. It tilted its head and stared at her curiously. “Okay, I’ll take your note,” She whispered. She peered over her shoulder make sure no one was watching. She took the rolled up piece of parchment from the bird’s leg and it immediately soared back into the sky. (Y/N) watched until it was just a tiny dot of black against the blue horizon.

Unrolling the parchment, she read:

Dear (Y/N),

I haven’t been the best at speaking around you, so I decided to write you instead. Every day I miss your warm smile and your bright eyes. I hope you are doing well.

Sincerely,

The letter was straightforward and to the point, but it still made (Y/N’s) heart flutter. To think that someone would go out of their way to write to her put a smile on her face for the rest of the day.

A week went by until she received another messenger hawk. She took the note from its little ankle, but kindly asked it to stay as she read. The note went:

Dear (Y/N),

The sunsets here aren’t nearly as lovely as the ones around you. I can’t stop thinking about you. I hope that’s not weird. Maybe when this is all over, we can get a cup of tea together?

Sincerely,

(Y/N) turned to the messenger hawk. “Wait just a second, okay?” She ran back inside and scribbled down her own note. Her handwriting was choppy and hasty, but she didn’t care.

Dear L,

Your notes are very flattering and make my week. Could you tell me who you are so we can get that cup of tea?

Sincerely,

(Y/N)

She rolled up the little piece of paper and attached it to the hawk’s leg. She watched it fly away but was interrupted by her sister walking up the steps of the house. “What are you doing?”

(Y/N’s) eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, um, cloudwatching?”

Her sister looked up at the sky. “There aren’t any clouds.”

“Guess I’m done watching then!”

(Y/N) did not speak a word to anyone about the letters she was receiving. It would look very bad on her family if anyone knew that their youngest daughter was receiving secret messages from a Fire Nation messenger hawk. If anyone found out, they’d surely confiscate any message she was written, and (Y/N) didn’t want that. She kept them tucked away safely in the bottom drawer of her dresser. She went back to look at them when she wanted a smile on her face.

Weeks went by as she and the mysterious L exchanged letters. She learned his favorite food, favorite tea, and where he liked to go when he was sad. Each of his letters started with either a declaration of her beauty or how much of a good person she was. She wished she could say the same to him, but it was hard to make assumptions when she had no idea who he was.

After a few months of this back and forth, she received a letter that shook her to her core.

Dear (Y/N),

How are you doing today? I need to tell you something very important, and I wish I could do it in person, but I guess a letter will have to do. I think I love you, (Y/N). You don’t have to love me back, but when the war is over I’d like to come back to you and do everything I can to show you how much you mean to me.

With love,

(Y/N) felt her heart skip a massive beat. She couldn’t help the smile that formed on her face. She hurried to write her reply. She knew it was silly, to say that she loved a stranger back, but she knew deep in her heart that she did. She told him this in the next note that she sent him.

After that, a few weeks went by when she didn’t receive any notes. She worried that she had scared him off, but there were other things that currently occupied her mind. Like the fact that the war had come to an end and the Fire Nation soldiers were now being ordered out of Ba Sing Se. The whole city rejoiced, including (Y/N), to see the occupation gone.

It was a rainy day but the sun still managed to peak through the clouds occasionally. (Y/N) was home by herself, as she tended to be, when a knock sounded on her door. She pulled it open to reveal Lee, the young boy from the tea shop that she had frequented before it suddenly closed down. He was adorned in what (Y/N) assumed was traditional Fire Nation guard.

“Lee!” She exclaimed. “Wait. Lee!” Her mouth fell open as the identity of her admirer clicked in her mind.

“It’s actually Zuko,” He admitted with a sheepish smile. “I had to use a fake name while I was staying here. The Fire Nation has a ton of Lees.”

“Oh! You’re Fire Lord Zuko now, right? Should I bow?” Zuko laughed.

“No, you’re fine. I actually wanted to see if you’d get that cup of tea with me?”

(Y/N) smiled brightly. “I’d love to.”

Zuko smiled back at her. “I’ve really missed your smile.”

---

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#avatar #atla #the last airbender #zuko x reader #sokka x reader #aang x reader #aang #sokka #zuko #katara #toph #suki #azula #iroh #momo #appa #writing #fanfiction #blurb

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jothzuko · 4 years

Text

To Chip Away

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Summary: Suki's spent a lot of time excelling at acting like she's fine. She's a leader; it comes with the territory, and pretending to be fine after escaping the Boiling Rock is just the next logical step. They've all got bigger problems, anyway. Still, it turns out she's not fooling Sokka quite as well as she'd hoped.

It takes Sokka a while to notice Suki’s gone, which he’d prefer to attribute to her stealth skills rather than his own failings. He’s let his guard down a little at the Air Temple, has stopped mentally doing headcounts every couple minutes, although he maybe should resume those with the way people keep disappearing on them (if he and Zuko had been the last ones missing, surely they could be forgiven, since they’d come back with more people than they’d left with).

Either way, he’s halfway through talking to his dad when he looks around at some point and realizes she’s not with the group. “Did you see Suki leave?”

Hakoda takes a second to catch up with the sudden about-face in the conversation, but then he says, “Don’t think so. She can’t have gone far, though, the flying bison’s still here.”

“He has a name, Dad. Did you forget Appa’s name?”

“There have been quite a few new names to keep track of, and aren’t you trying to find your girlfriend?”

Sokka nods. “I’ll be back, I still wanna hear about Kallik spitting on Fire Nation troops.”

“That’s pretty much the whole story,” Hakoda says, but Sokka’s already up and heading off to find Suki.

His dad had been right, there weren’t a lot of places she could’ve gone without some serious climbing, and only a few were out of view from the space where they’d set up camp. There’s a ledge, though, high enough up the cliffside trail that someone could remain unseen, and that seems like as good a guess as any. He follows the path up, sticking close to the cliff wall and, spirits, he’s not particularly afraid of heights, but he still wishes the Air Nomads had built these paths a little wider. Not that they’d needed them, of course, but it would’ve been nice.

He crests the hill, only a little winded, and finds her there with her back to him, staring off into the distance. She doesn’t seem to hear him at first, so he kicks a pebble against the rock face because startling someone on a mountain ledge doesn’t seem like the world’s best idea.

She turns at the noise, already on high alert, and then she relaxes. “Sokka.”

“Hey.” Sokka comes to sit next to her, swinging his legs over the side of the ledge and ignoring just how nervous that makes him. Like with the paths, there’s fear of heights, and there’s a much more reasonable fear of falling miles to your death, and he’s not really ashamed to say he has a healthy dose of the latter. “Just came to check on you. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Of course I am.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“I’m fine,” she says, the words a little razor-edged.

But if Sokka doesn’t press, no one else is going to, and it seems like someone needs to. “You were in prison.”

“And now I’m not in prison. So I’m fine.” She’s trying hard enough to be convincing that Sokka almost gives up and believes her, except that he remembers holding her, kneeling on the floor of that cell, her breath catching in her throat and her tears soaking the shoulder of his stolen guard uniform. That, and the fact that she’s out here alone in the first place.

“Alright, fine. I won’t keep bothering you about it, I just… I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep it to yourself, you know?”

“I don’t,” she says, but there’s something in it that tells him to let the quiet stretch out between them, and then she shakes her head a little. “Maybe I do. I don’t want to start breaking down now if I’m not sure I can put myself back together fast enough.”

“You’re not doing it alone.”

“I’m not used to that. Or- I don’t know. It’s different.”

Sokka tips his head and asks, “What do you mean?” and he thinks maybe he knows the particular kind of loneliness she’s talking about, but he can’t be sure.

“I was never alone when I had the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors, but I was their leader, you know? I didn’t want to seem like I wasn’t sure of myself because I wanted them to be able to trust me. And I guess they shouldn’t have, but…”

“They absolutely should trust you, are you kidding me? They couldn’t have a better leader.”

Suki looks away, pulling her knee up to her chest and rubbing at a barely visible smudge of dirt on her shoe. “I couldn’t protect them. Not that they can’t protect themselves, I know they can, but I should’ve- I don’t know, I should’ve fought harder. There had to have been something.”

“I know you, okay? I know you would’ve done everything you could, and they know that too, probably even better than I do.”

“I guess,” she says, but she might as well not have said it at all with how little conviction there is behind it.

“I’m serious, it’s not your fault. Losing to Azula and her friends is pretty much a rite of passage around here. They’re scary.”

“I love the way they fight, actually. It was nice to have it not directed at us for once when we were trying to escape.”

“Yeah, I’d kind of like to learn how to throw knives now, but that’s a whole other thing.”

She’s quiet for a minute, looking at something or nothing off in the distance, and then she says, “Do you know me?”

It’s an unexpected step back in the conversation, one Sokka hadn’t been ready for, and he can’t say it doesn’t sting a little. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t mean that in a bad way, I promise. It’s just that sometimes it feels like I’ve known you forever, but then I total up the days we’ve actually spent together and it’s not very many.”

“Well, yeah, but sometimes you can just… get people.”

“I know.” She shakes her head. “Maybe I’m overthinking it. It was just a weird thing to realize.”

“Well, short time or not, it was enough that you knew I’d find you,” Sokka says, but a half-second later he’s seized by doubt. “Unless… that wasn’t true.”

“I meant that. I wasn’t about to lie to you when you were in the middle of trying to rescue me. It’s just a little more complicated than that.”

He reaches out for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “So tell me.”

Suki’s expression goes unreadable for a second, back to staring at the horizon, but then she says, “I believed you’d come for me. I really did. But there were bad days when I thought… I don’t know. I guess I wondered if I’d ever make it outside again, because even if you did try to rescue me, so much could’ve gone wrong. Sometimes I almost hoped you didn’t come because I couldn’t watch you die.”

“I was always gonna find you. No matter how long it took.”

“I know. But some days I hoped you didn’t, because then I could keep believing in something. If you got killed trying to rescue me… that would have been it.”

“That’s…”

“Yeah, it’s dark, I know.”

“No, I mean- well, yeah, it is dark, but I get it.” And he thinks he does. He thinks he’d feel the same way, honestly, if it was Suki or Katara or his dad or anyone else risking their lives to save him. It’s something he’d never voice to the rest of the group, too much to put on the people he tries to protect, but it feels safe in the space between the two of them. “I can’t imagine not having anything to do but sit there and think about that.”

“Can’t say I recommend it,” Suki says, and she’s clearly trying to keep her tone light, but it’s not working all that well. There’s too much strain in her voice for that.

“If you wanna tell somebody about that, I know a guy.”

“Oh yeah?”

“His name is Wang Fire. He’s the personal therapist to the Avatar.”

“I don’t know the backstory there, but I’m gonna guess it’s you in disguise,” Suki says, with just the faintest hint of a smile.

“You… would be absolutely correct. But in my defense, I rock a good fake beard.”

Suki makes a show of studying him. “I think I like you okay without it.”

“Okay, well, I’m a little hurt. But the point is, I’ve got two functioning ears and nowhere else to be.”

Suki turns her eyes to the horizon again instead, swinging her legs so her heels kick back against the stone. “I don’t know what there is to say, honestly. I sat in a cell and I tried not to lose my mind. I tried to keep some structure at first, and I’d do some training or try to plan an escape or whatever, but it wears you down after a while. I’d have entire days of just staring at the ceiling trying to remember how to even feel like myself.”

And yes, okay, logically Sokka knows that he hadn’t known where she was, but that doesn’t mean the guilt of not breaking her out sooner doesn’t make it feel hard to breathe. He wants her to keep talking, though, because hopefully getting it all out will do some good, so he just squeezes her hand and waits for her to continue.

“The other prisoners didn’t mess with me or anything- one of them did tell me they thought it was cool that I was an enemy of the state as a teenager, so that was kind of funny- but we weren’t exactly friends, either. It was just… really lonely. I’ve never spent that much time away from the other Warriors, let alone completely on my own.”

“I really can’t imagine. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not like it’s your fault.”

“If I ever figure out something better to say in a situation like this, I’ll let you know. Probably become world famous for it, honestly. I think there’s a real market.”

“Don’t forget me when you’re a celebrity.”

“I could never.” Sokka hesitates for a second, unwilling to shatter the little bit of lightness in the conversation, but he needs to ask the thing he’s been too afraid of. “Azula said- she said something about you being her favorite prisoner. She made it sound like she’d- I don’t know, hurt you, or at least was out there being horrible to you. Was that true, or was that just to throw me off?” Suki hasn’t mentioned it, sure, but maybe it was the type of thing that was too awful to talk about. That’s what it had been in his nightmares, at the very least.

Suki shakes her head. “She was messing with you. She wasn’t pleasant when I got captured or anything, but I didn’t have information she wanted. Once she figured that out, I wasn’t worth her time, and she definitely wasn’t going all the way out to the Boiling Rock for my sake.”

Suddenly, Sokka can breathe a little easier. “I really hoped, just- it’s Azula. Even Toph doesn’t know when she’s lying.”

Suki frowns. “Is Toph… supposed to know when she’s lying?”

“Oh, right. You weren’t there for that, but yeah. Turns out she can tell when someone’s lying because their heartrate picks up.”

“Didn’t know that was possible, but that’s kind of just an everyday thing at this point.”

Sokka sighs. “Tell me about it.”

They sit in silence for a little while longer, but this time there’s less tension to it, not nearly as much hanging in the balance and waiting to be spoken. Maybe Sokka does feel less like he knows the girl next to him than he used to, but maybe that’s not a bad thing, because if he’s lucky he’ll get to know her. He has to believe they’ll have time, after the war. He has to believe they'll make it until after the war.

“Thanks for coming to find me,” Suki says after a while.

“Feel any better?”

“A little.”

“For what it’s worth, I still think you’re the coolest, bravest, toughest person I know.”

She tips her head onto his shoulder. “You’re sweet.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“Oh yeah? When?”

“Uh. By you, right now.”

“You’re also ridiculous.”

Sokka turns and kisses the top of her head. “I can live with that.”

#suki #sokka #sukka #atla fic #atla #it's ME back with another fic no one wanted but that I am going to give you anyway #suki was a teenager in prison and I will address that or die trying #also I already did sukka comfort in one direction so now we're uno reverse carding it

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