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highfantasy-soul · 1 month

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NATLA Episode 5 - Spirited Away (2/3)

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.

Of course, full spoilers ahead.

Combining Zuko chasing Aang in part 2 of the winter solstice with Bato of the Water Tribe and The Blue Spirit was a good move: in only 8 episodes, too many near-misses for him catching Aang could get redundant, so getting June to track him to Roku's temple was a great merging of those lines. While I miss Zuko holding onto Katara's necklace, since Katara didn’t make it to the Avatar temple, it's an ok change for me. It's a convenient way to merge in The Blue Spirit and have Katara and Sokka MIA without them just randomly being sick - they're actually trapped in the spirit world, so their plot is still relevant rather than the 'we're doing nothing but dying of thirst' plot they got in The Blue Spirit episode. Honestly think the way the live-action puts Sokka and Katara on their own journeys during big plot arcs that focus on Aang was really really good. First with the Omashu (animated) episode where they got stuff to do in Into the Dark (live-action) and now here with the Blue Spirit storyline.

I could watch Zuko being horrendously awkward trying to get info in the covert and not screaming orders way for like, 6 episodes. That whole tavern scene was just so freaking hilarious with all the mentions of the side quests from pirates to canyon guides to stopping the volcano! It really felt pulled right from the animated show - paying homage but seeding the themes from those episodes into other part of this live-action story!! Love June's introduction - and I'm so happy they got rid of the weird Iroh and her stuff and just had her compliment him to throw the pair off balance.

So I guess I should address some of the issues people had with June's characterization: I don't think her telling Iroh he was cute (like with Suki and Sokka) was her suddenly simping for an older man and genuinely pursuing him. That is not how people flirt. Take Sokka and Suki - is that how they flirted? Sokka and Yue? Katara and Jet? Aang and Katara in the animated show? Mai and Zuko in the animated show? You know who did flirt like that in the animated show? Tylee with Sokka when they were fighting - only ever when they were fighting. Was that her actually wanting to have a relationship with Sokka - throw out all her own wants to just get with a man? No. It was a way to gain the upper hand in a fight and throw your opponent off balance. With Tylee, she's already a bubbly, cheerful, open person, so we can read that flirtation as flippant and thrown out there because she's confident and not concerned with putting a filter on. With June, she's also confident, but she also is a beautiful young woman bounty hunter who is in a (assumedly) predominantly male field and has to deal with a great deal of strong and dangerous men.

Being incredibly forward with an individual who wouldn't expect to be flirted with is a power move. It's a way for her to assert dominance immediately in the situation - to take the lead and knock them off balance before one of the two men makes an unwanted pass at her. I didn't read her flirtation with Iroh as genuine, or at least, not as her just getting all hot and bothered and rolling over for the pair based purely on the fact that she was attracted to Iroh. She probably is great at reading people and saw that Iroh was marginally decent, so would agree to work with them, but she still wanted the upper hand and control in the situation - she wanted to clearly define her role as someone who was choosing to let them employ her not as a servant to do their bidding. She placed herself firmly above them - there would be no subservience from her. This is also not making June a bad character - it's making her a strong character (strong as in she believes what she believes and is unapologetic about it) it's not 'flipping misogyny into misandry' or whatever, it's showing June has agency. Like with Suki, the live-action gave June an actual character instead of her just being a cardboard cut-out of a Dragon Lady.

Having the lesson being learned in the town be that Zuko needs to stop thinking so rigidly - be prepared to take the unexpected route - was a great story beat to introduce with June. Instead of the plot being straight forward of Zuko sees June = Zuko gets her to track the Avatar and switching it to Zuko being annoyed and insulted that she's a bounty hunter (just as he was insulted that fire nation operatives would fight behind masks and doesn't think his father would approve) and then having to be convinced by Iroh to learn new ways of doing things was a great character building addition.

It's funny to me when people complain 'Zuko didn't say honor ONCE!' when every single action Zuko did - every opinion he voiced - SCREAMED about his honor. What was that again about the live-action telling not showing, not trusting the audience to understand character motivations, and being flat in its characterizations? This very internal integrity - honor - that he has is what's leading him to uphold Fire Nation values and rules so strictly, but it's also the very core honor of his being that will help him turn against his father in the end. It's consistent characterization that's just so wonderful to play with - their core remains the same, but how they interpret it once they have more info changes. And I'm not just saying that because those are my favorite characters to play in DnD! This is a totally objective and unbiased analysis! I swear!

I really loved all the additions with Azula in this season. It really rounds out her character and we see WHY she's as driven as she is in season 2. Seeing her need for perfection, her needing to go above and beyond to do better, and the hint of her blue flame was great. Just like the animated series explores at the end of season 3, no one starts out a 'monster' - they're taught to be that way. I never liked the reduction a lot of the fandom did with Azula and Zuko where Zuko was the one 'born good' and 'like his good mother' while Azula was just 'born bad' because she was the one 'like her father'. People aren't so simple as just being 'born bad'. In the animated series, Azula gets 'humanized' at the very end of the series, but I think showing her striving for the approval of her father - that vulnerability - makes seeing where it takes her in her brutality that much more horrific. We see that she doesn't HAVE to be this way (same with Zuko), but she was pushed to it due to her upbringing - the same as with Ozai and Iroh before Iroh had his loss and change of heart.

I saw some complaints that the spirit world was too bright and cheery here - and uh, I don’t see it? It's super grayed out, misty, creepy af, and ominous. The ONLY time it's colorful and cheery is in Gyatzo's little hut which… yeah, he created that little bubble of happiness - the rest is very in line with its depiction in the animated series. Obviously sans the giant wolf, but basically it's the same vibe - creepy, ominous, and a perturbed spirit warning them away.

In the animated series, Sokka wants to go out and physically fight Hei Bai and Katara has 100% faith that Aang will figure it out. When Aang is thrown back by the spirit, Sokka runs out to help him fight - something that he mirrors in the live-action as it goes after Katara and he draws its attention over to him. Due to them weaving several of Aang's plotlines together in this episode(s), Hei Bai doesn't get as much time to be the main antagonist which I think is a shame, but with them giving more development to Katara and Sokka during this episode, I think it's ok. If I had to choose between more angry spirit destroying a village and seeing the root of Katara and Sokka's character trauma, I'll choose the character trauma every time. I always did think it was a shame that Sokka spent a bunch of time in the spirit realm and we never got to see/hear anything at all about it - there's a lot to delve into there that the animated show just skipped over.

Love love love Yue in the spirit world as a three-tailed fox! And how she explains Hei Bai's pain - foreshadowing the pain of the ocean spirit after it loses the moon spirit - her small bit of dialogue really sets up a lot with Sokka's growth, the state of the world, and the pain of the spirits (and humans reacting when they go through painful things). So cool that the showrunners used this foray into the spirit world and the fog to do a rendition of The Swamp from season 2 - even down to Sokka seeing Yue! Yeah, it happens differently, but the swamp showed each of our protagonists things in their past - and Aang one of his future (though in this episode it GAVE Aang his future). Very well done, in my opinion.

#natla #avatar the last airbender #netflix avatar #natla positivity

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kiaraalazulu · 4 years

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El dorado AU (?)

I watched the film last week and have been thinking about Suki as Miguel ever since.

Also the marker I use to color skin died halfway through sokka lol so zuko and suki don't get skin 😔

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nospacesapparently · 3 years

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Gaang and ao3

Okay so let’s compare the amount of relationship tags between each Gaang member shall we?

Wanna guess what the most popular relationship tag was? Why indeed, it was Katara/Zuko with 5210 fics! Poor Aang. Katara’s second most popular relationship tag was with Aang tho so maybe not that poor Aang. Then again there were only 3128 fics under Aang/Katara so, maybe poor Aang?

Well anyway there were 501 fics under Aang/Zuko and as much as 130 fics under Aang/Katara/Zuko so I guess those three would be fine.

BUT!

There were 4488 fics under Sokka/Zuko! (which coincidentally makes Aang/Katara only the third most popular ship wow Aang for main character you didn’t fare well) Brother sister fight?

Under Sokka/Suki tag there were only 2198 fics (our water siblings really can’t focus on their canon partners enough it seems). Under Suki/Zuko there were 313 fics and under Sokka/Suki/Zuko 196 so maybe the correct conlusion should be that “both Katara and Sokka thirst after Zuko but they also love their partners and want to enter polyamorous relationship with the firebender”?

(That would have made for an amusing plot for ATLA I’m sure)

(For Toph there were 513 fics for her and Sokka, 334 for her and Aang and 155 for her and Zuko. The other numbers all fall under 100 which is plenty uninteresting so I’m just going to leave the numbers here without commenting on them.

Aang / Sokka (46)

Aang / Suki (11)

Katara / Sokka (46) (ew)

Katara / Suki (54)

Katara / Toph (88)

Toph / Suki (92))

BUT!

Even more interesting take for these numbers would be that out of the 15 two person ships you can form between gaang Zuko’s rank 1st, 2nd, 6th, 8th and 9th with our two canon ships being 3rd and 4th. So idk man what you really should take away from these numbers is that Zuko is popular as fuck. Or to fuck for all I know.

#avatar the last airbender #atla #aang #katara #sokka #zuko #toph #suki #gaang

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comradekatara · 3 years

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omg amazing do you have Thao songs you would assign to the gaang+?

instead of answering this ask like i did, for example, the fiona apple one, i’m gonna answer it like i did this ask, focusing on a singular album and the feelings it evokes. i’ve been listening to temple a lot lately so i felt that it made sense to focus on, especially considering its overarching themes.

temple is about intergenerational trauma, specifically between a mother and daughter, and the pressure of the daughter to live out the dreams her mother could not due to the ruination of war. therefore, i feel like it applies to katara in multiple ways: living out the dreams of her mother, grandmother, hama, and other waterbenders and/or women whose lives were lost to genocide, imperialist warfare, and even arranged marriages. but also, as a victim of that war herself, and reconstructing the southern water tribe as the only southern waterbender left, passing on that legacy to her daughter, and to korra, (and her other waterbending pupils, i would imagine,) knowing that they got to have the childhood free of war she had always longed for. i believe that korra would feel that mantle of responsibility strongly, as an extremely privileged kid growing up in a society that was on the brink of extinction less than a lifetime ago, and being mentored by someone who was exposed to the worst horrors of the war firsthand when she was only a child, and spent the rest of her lifetime trying to repair the damage. katara and korra’s relationship just means a lot to me okay....

phenom okay this song can definitely apply to lots of different characters: katara (”when the scorched of the earth / come back by sea”), toph (i know she’s extremely upper class but she’s also a disabled woman and as we see that puts her in an extremely tentative position that forces her into a position of docility and humiliation that she staunchly resists), mai & ty lee (irt their relationship to azula, their families, and the fire nation at large), but it first & foremost reminds me of hama, her overwhelming power, and her unquenchable thirst for revenge after the horrors the fire nation put her through.

lion on the hunt reminds me of azula’s rage & despair when she realizes that ozai doesn’t care about her and was only using her for his own ends, taking credit for all her (evil imperialist conquest) hard work while he just sat on his throne basking in the glory of having finally taken ba sing se. obviously the original context of the song itself is nothing so insidious, but the lyrics “they said I polish and astonish, and so why not me? / and then they said it's complicated and some wah, wah, wah / I made the map and you put you on it, pay me handsomely” really does remind me of that scene in “sozin’s comet” when we see azula’s reaction to ozai discarding her.

pure cinema this song is absolutely fuel for my “mai and sokka become best friends after the war” agenda because it totally resonates with both of them! they both feel like hollow shells driven by fear, a mere fraction of a person, just one incomplete piece of a puzzle. crucially, the difference lies in sokka’s eventual growth, later helping toph and zuko with those same feelings of displacement from their families by finding a new one. despite having loving and supportive biological family members, sokka is a depressed cynic with a fear of vulnerability, and it is the fact that he reaches out to them from a place of understanding that solidifies their respective places in this new family (suki too but she’s a far less developed character). concurrent to sokka, toph, and zuko’s ingratiation into the group, mai continues to feel alienated by azula’s insincerity and fear-stoking, and it is only at the end of her arc that she is able to stand up to azula and act authentically, but once she does, she is finally able to realize that she had true love all along.

marauders reminds me of the tension established in sokka’s relationship with suki in “the serpent’s pass:” how his guilt and trauma over losing yue makes him push suki away out of fear that he won’t be able to protect her. but by promising to protect him in turn, she proves to him that their relationship can be an equal partnership devoid of obligation––that their romance is not doomed despite his misgivings.

how could i makes me think of sokka’s guilt complex when it comes to not being able to protect the people he loves. katara was present for kya’s final moments, but sokka was on the other side of the village when she was murdered, and didn’t know what had happened until it was too late. and then, he considers it his fault that yue sacrificed herself for the moon spirit, because arnook explicitly told him to protect her. her physical body literally died in his arms. and as we see later, in moments such as in “the swamp” or “the serpent’s pass,” even though it was the fire nation’s fault (yon rha & zhao specifically) that kya & yue were forced to sacrifice themselves, he is still plagued by guilt.

disclaim evokes iroh’s legacy with his son(s), the guilt of realizing too late the devastation and atrocities for which he is responsible, and how he considers it his responsibility to shape zuko into the man he iroh should have been, and lu ten could have been. of course, the line “I was once an honorable man” is both incisive & ironic, since honor is an arbitrary construct, and iroh is no longer considered honorable because he developed morals. “I don't believe it's your destiny / to always chase my memory / how could it be insincere / to very clearly disappear” is interesting in this context because iroh clearly wants zuko to assume the throne and redeem the legacy of the fire nation, but in book 2, he’s also perfectly content to open a teashop and close himself off to the world outside the walls of ba sing se, along with his nephew. he knows that he and zuko have a duty to redeem the sins of their family, but there is a very large part of him that would be perfectly content with ignoring the outside world in favor of letting zuko heal. iroh is a complex character, but his love for zuko is never in doubt.

rational animal reminds me of toph’s arc: abandoning her oppressive environment (specifically, her abusive father) and choosing to live authentically: not conforming to society’s standards and limitations for her as a disabled girl (who also rejects femininity). the bridge of “i believe my own eyes” becomes even more powerful due to the fact that toph’s experiences are constantly invalidated by authority figures due to her disability. she is keenly perceptive and empathetic––and not despite her blindness, but, in large part, because of it.

i’ve got something is an extremely zuko song tbh. having the humanity & compassion stamped out of you to fulfill an imperialist agenda only to resist it due to your capacity for caring & overwhelming sensitivity that is impossible to ignore––that’s what it’s all about babey!!!

marrow is actually about all of them because they are all children of war who are capable of being loved and of loving in return! but aang and katara’s genocide trauma and their unbreakable bond over their shared grief and desire for understanding, companionship, and happiness is especially potent, as always.

#posts that are for 3 people one of them being myself #analysis #not tagging every character lmao #finally answered this cause im trying to clear out the inbox #(only 33 asks left to go!)#sorry it took so long #i have questions from february..... oof #anyway this is a hell of a lot of words for a post no one's gonna read #asks #edgarallanhoetry #synthesis #atlamusic

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guileheroine · 4 years

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atla rewatch thoughts

because i’d regret it if i didn’t write it down, here’s my thoughts upon rewatch off the top of my head!

always interesting to see what new things come to the fore when revisiting something as an adult, especially when Something is excellent

this is my #1 fav show c:

this show is so good!

it’s not just character-oriented, which is the single most important factor in me giving a shit, but it has 2 things i think i value the most in a plot, overarching cohesion/consistency, and breathing room

book 2 was always my fave, but i have a newer appreciation for book 3 and i’d put them equal now (as i think most people do?)

AANG! i love him. he is so special. he is an absolute joy to watch, a character that just glimmers with understated complexity, humour, heart, cleverness, strength, tragedy, integrity. an icoooon. and just unique from a meta perspective- had a great discussion about how there are truly no protagonists in popular western media like him - there’s things about his characterisation, his arc that i’ve always appreciated deeply that i didn’t rly have the tools to articulate until this time around

by the same token, i can better pinpoint my issues with a lot of fandom reception of him (in particular, though this applies to all the characters) (touched on one aspect here)

i love the entire gaang but my unpopular onion is that ehhh... suki isn’t really part of the gaang? i mean she literally has her own gang give them some credit (real talk this is because she’s a static character compared to them whose inner life we aren’t privy to, though there’s nothing wrong with that)

atla gives effortless dimension to its secondary characters, and this applies to azula but not i think to the degree it should given her narrative agency, role as zuko’s foil, and the complexity of her whole... complex. she’s the one character that is slightly close to being a caricature imo, and we don’t see Into her early as we should because it’s cooler when she’s #slick. i’d love to have had a bit more of her.

if i could change anything else about the ending, i’d give zuko prince wu’s abdication ending from lok

aside from that, the show has such a deft, sustained, multidimensional treatment of imperialism and colonialism that truly sets it apart within the genre and beyond

also the first thing that ever caught my attention about atla is how asian the aesthetics are and i will always love that! i don’t know how americans ever executed this galaxy brained concept but i’m so glad a massively popular anglophone cultural product that speaks directly to us, can belong to us, before white people exists (#representationmatters and all that, but it’s altogether more liberating if your entire fantasy world is noneuro and no one even has to exist in relation to hegemonic whiteness. utopic!)

i happily drink that delicious pan-asian soup, but if you asked, i’d say i wish we saw more explicitly south asian characters given how much the show borrows from indosphere culture/religion (including but not limited to the titular concept)

could take it or leave it when i first watched it, but as an adult who knows they can just not like stuff, and whose tolerance for perfunctory het is at an all time low: i don’t like maiko. like all atla ships, there’s potential, but my instinctual read as i watch is that as they are, they’re bringing out the worse aspects of each other (in zuko’s case, the malaise that characterises his whole personal/moral quandary after returning home is usually on display in scenes with mai, whether that just makes maiko a victim or circumstance or not)

the show is def a product of its time wrt heteronormativity, regardless of how queerable it is to those interested. this is something i’m interested to see change in the live action, because i think it will have to change!

i still think it would be equally poignant and tighter without most of the overt romance, and i continue to not be hot on the ending scene

kataang shines bright regardless. no amount of clumsiness on that front can elide how pivotal, touching, and enjoyable their actual dynamic is. they’re the emotional bedrock of the whole show

zutara tasty, but i’m always like (to quote zuko) ‘where’s the rest of it?’ when i jump into the show after the fandom

zukaang manifesto time! this is undeniably the non-canon ship with the most TEXTUAL juice. their mirrored journey is my favourite throughline of the show and it’s arguably the throughline with zuko as the deuteragonist and their convergence/shared destiny being the key to the war’s end. that’s not coming from a shipping lens (it was true before i ever really shipped them), but this particular flavour of narrative basis adds real magic to shipping. when there’s no difference between what you appreciate intellectually and indulgently in a narrative and they just compound each other endlessly..... eliteeee

related, can’t stop thinking abt how roku’s homosexuality started the war

i preferred when toph/sokka/suki instead of sokka/suki/zuko was the go-to gaang ot3 but what i really want to see is zutaraang supremacy

aang, zuko and katara are the show’s tentpoles, especially emotionally. they each foil the other two so well - in their personalities, and esp for zutara/zukaang, on a wider thematic level. and they’re such well articulated characters that it’s easy to extrapolate that to the three-way dynamic. it’s probably most (in)famously on display in 3.16 but there’s a deeelicious little moment in 3.18 when aang leaves distraught and zuko is the one to stop katara from immediately going after him. the #dynamics that were simmering, whew.

i think mai/ty lee is getting the generic uwu soft girls treatment that is the bane of all popular femslash ships (same way zukka’s getting the generic dudeslash treatment) because azula makes tyzula a little too spicy. however i would like to see more tyzula, especially of the spicy variety

i wish there was someone in this show i could thirst over. hakoda is sort of a dilf?

#atla #avatar the last airbender #i put half of this in my drafts last week and completely forgot #*

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mystic-kitten-writer · 5 years

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Limerence [M] ︳08

Pairing: Zuko x OC

Genre: Romance, mainly fluff with future smut, and if you squint hard enough - you’ll find some angst.

Rating: SFW

Words: 4100+

Notes: AHH - so this is by far one of my favourite chapters. Realistically, I’m well aware that there are plenty of well-written chapters, far better than this one, especially when I reflect on my newer writing. But this is the first chapter where my inner thirst slightly peaked through and I knew - I had to write smut in the near future. It’s also the chapter in which the plot thickens...I hope you enjoy loves <3

Masterlist ︳07 ︳09

❤ Buy me a coffee? ❤

Limerence: (English/n.) the state of being infatuated with another person.

The moment their eyes locked they knew - the flames within him twisted while the water within her turned. It was a connection, a connection that would lead to love, adventure, and drama.

Sphallolalia

(Greek/n.) Flirtatious talk that leads nowhere.

~ Ying Yue Jiang ~

The hot water felt pleasing against my skin, as my muscles relaxed and all of the excitement from the day seemed to melt away. The room was steamy, and I could barely see Suki and Toph who sat across from Katara and me. Suki and Katara sipped away on their glasses of wine, along with me, while Toph sat at the edge of natural hot spring, a beer in hand. We drunkenly giggled away as we gossiped amongst ourselves. Only the dim lights from the candles lit the room, as well as whatever light the stars cast through the glass walls and ceiling. It was a beautiful room and a perfect way to end one hell of a day.

Katara lazily rested her head upon my shoulder, “I'm sorry for everything…” she whispered once again for the hundredth time this day. I rested my head upon hers, “Don’t worry. I know you meant well. Everything worked out in the end, right?” It was true; everything did seem to work out in the end, although that statement did seem to undermine the number of things that suddenly had to be done. The moment I accepted my Imperial Consort Seal it set in motion an entire list of tasks and responsibilities.

Right away Zuko sent a hawk back to the Fire Nation, with word to prepare a celebration for our arrival. He explained to me that it was a tradition to celebrate, but especially so in this case since it was unexpected and it served as a relief for the council. But, I was more eager to tell the gang of the news, but in the end, I ended up being the surprised one. It turned out that this was something Zuko had talked over with everyone, so it wasn’t much of surprise as it was for me. Regardless, everyone was ecstatic that I agreed, as there was a consensus that it was the only way for us to move forward with our relationship, whatever that relationship was.

Although, the real treat was finally reconnecting with Katara. After a magnitude of apologies, we ended up hugging everything out. And thankfully, she was happy knowing that Zuko and I managed to figure something out. So glad, that she insisted on a spontaneous girls night to celebrate, which lead us to where we were now. A bit tipsy and relaxing in the hot springs late at night. The best way to end a day…

“How do you think Dad will be once I leave?” I asked Katara. She lifted her head off my shoulder and smiled, “He will be fine. A little sad to see you go, but I'm staying behind, remember? I'll keep an eye out for him.” I smiled and let my free hand play with the water, taking in the warmth. It was bizarre to think that this will be some of the few moments I'll have here, in the Southern Water Tribe. Yet, the thought of venturing out was thrilling; I would finally be free, and experience things I only dreamed. But more importantly, I would be with Zuko. Gosh, I'm such a romantic.

“So Fire Nation Royalty, have you two consummated yet?” Suki said with a giggle. I was certain I looked completely bugged eyed as I almost spat out my wine. Toph burst out laughing, hearing me cough as I choked. “Suki!” I cried out, flushed. “I just said we aren’t dating, let alone doing that!” Toph snorted, “You don’t need to be in a relationship to do that, Princess.” Toph said so matter of factly that I could feel my mouth drop. Suki giggled and gave me a look, a look that meant that we all drank a little too much, well at least these three ladies.

I could feel myself shrink farther and farther into the water, wondering how we always managed to make it to the topic of sex, or anything related to that field. I could see Katara also blushing madly, “Gosh, shouldn’t that stuff remain private.” Katara muttered as she sipped away on her wine. I giggled; Katara indeed was the definition of a prune. Although I wasn’t as laxed as Suki or Toph, I wasn’t naïve. How could I be a naïve liking Zuko? Just remembering the playful banter between us two caused me to smile, but the way his fingers delicately danced on the skin of my neck…

“So you are telling me, that you never wondered, not even a tiny bit, about how the guys are in bed?” Suki questioned Katara. I snapped myself awake; I'm thinking a bit too much about Zuko’s fingers. Katara shook her head, “N-no! You nasties, one of them is my brother, and I'm dating the other!” Katara said quickly.

“Hello, you still got Zuko!” Suki retorted back.

Katara was the one who looked bugged eyed this time, “My sister likes him, I can’t fantasize about him!” I giggled, and playfully bumped in Katara’s shoulders, “Don’t worry I'll tell you how he is for you.” I said kittenishly. Suki burst out laughing, along with Toph, proud that I was partaking in this conversation, the wine has officially taken over. “Told you so, give it like, three days tops, and you’ll find the information you need Katara,” Toph said between fits of laughter. Katara groaned loudly and took another large gulp of wine. “What do you mean three days tops?”

Suki rolled her eyes, “Come on; even Katara can tell that it just a matter of time.” I blushed, but before anything more could be said, we were distracted by the sound of a door opening and closing shut. Aang waltzed into the room, and quickly started to bend the steam away from himself, “You guys seem to be enjoying yourself.” He started as he watched us giggle away like a bunch of children. “What’s got you girls all giggly?” Aang asked, curious.

Within seconds Katara stood up, although it was clear she was struggling to keep herself balanced. “Absolutely nothing interesting.” She said quickly, a bit too quickly. Aang raised a brow and walked towards Katara, holding her steady. Suki rolled her eyes and took a small sip from her wine, “I thought it was interesting…I think he will be rough.” Suki said with a very obvious wink towards me. I could see Aang stiffen as his face redden, and not from the steam in the room, “Rough?” Aang repeated hesitantly. It turns out Katara isn’t the only prune here. Katara blushed and gripped her head tightly, “I think we drank a bit too much…” She groaned.

Aang helped Katara out of the hot spring, and with one swift motion, pushed all the steam aside to one corner of the room, “Sorry to be the party pooper, but I’m pretty sure being drunk and near water screams for trouble.” He said as he helped Katara dry off and wrap a towel around her. Here comes Dad mode; in three…two…one…

“Suki, I'm going to get Sokka to help you. Yue, I'm getting Zuko. And Toph stay put, I'll come after I put Katara in bed.” Toph waved her hand, dismissing Aang’s orders, and stood up. She wrapped a towel around her shoulders as she reached over to grab one last beer, “I'm fine, it's these lightweights here that are going to need the help.” With that, she walked out the door, off to her bedroom most likely. I swear this girl could drink a barrel and be unfazed.

Quickly, I stood up and grabbed my towel, “Don’t worry Aang, I'm fine!” I said hastily. The last thing I wanted was Zuko to come and see me in my bathing suit. Any other day I couldn’t care less, but after that conversation, I prefer to save myself the embarrassment. Aang looked over me hesitantly, before nodding his head in defeat and dashing out the door with Katara.

I looked over to see Suki was also out the water and drying herself off, “I'm not drunk.” Suki grumbled under her breath. I laughed and began walking towards the door, “You know Aang…” I said as I opened the door. Suki huffed and trailed behind me, “I swear, between Aang and Katara, who needs parents?” I nodded my head in agreeance, a more accurate state than that has never been said.

We walked out of the room and began walking down the hallway to our bedrooms, and I could see Sokka jogging towards us. “Aang said you were a bit tipsy.” He said with a grin as he swiftly grasped Suki’s arm to keep her steady. Suki rolled her eyes but held onto Sokka nevertheless, “I'm not drunk, just a little bit happy.” She said. Sokka chuckled and shook his head, “You sound like me. That means you are drunk.” I snickered as we continued walking down the hallway.

“And you didn’t drink?” Sokka said as he gazed over to me.

“I drank a little bit, but not as much as those three. I have a reputation to uphold now.” I grumbled, which was not exactly a lie. Sokka nodded his head, understanding what I meant. Now with my new title, there were a bunch of do’s, and dont’s that I had to adhere. Public intoxication was a huge no-no. Sokka opened his bedroom door open and helped Suki walk in. I turned to head to my bedroom, but Sokka’s voice stopped me, “Hey Yue…” He trailed off. He never calls me Yue…

I turned around and smiled, “What’s up?” Sokka smiled and bashfully looked at his feet, “I'm sorry about everything that happened. I should have stepped up.” I looked up at him surprised, “It was just a big misunderstanding. We are all happy- I'm happy, trust me.” I said softly. Sokka looked up and smiled, “I'm just glad everything worked out in the end. And if you need anything let me know, you know we got your back-” I could hear Suki crash into a wall from inside the bedroom. We both looked at each other, and slowly large grins started to appear. I couldn’t help but laugh as Sokka scratched his head, “Let me re-phrase, we always got your back starting tomorrow. Tonight is a no-go.”

I smiled and bid him goodnight, feeling slightly sorry for Aang and Sokka, they’re definitely going to have one hell of a night. I went inside my bedroom, and in a matter of minutes, I had already washed up and prepared for the night. The wine slowly starting to take effect, and a sense of sleepiness beginning to overcome me. I should really start having a glass of wine before bed; it's better at making me sleepy than tea… I sat at my vanity and began mindlessly brushing my hair. Mid stroke, a soft knock stopped me. My eyebrows pinched together, and I gazed towards the door, who would knock at this hour of the night, did Sokka or Aang need help? I placed my brush down and quickly slipped on my robe, before opening the door.

“Zuko?” I said surprised. Zuko leaned against my doorframe, undoubtedly dressed for bed as well. His black hair was let loose and fell down his shoulders. I really need to get hair advice from this man… He smiled softly, “I didn’t wake you, did I?” He asked. I nodded my head, “No, I was getting ready for bed. You need something?” I asked as I tied my robe. Zuko stood up straight and scratched the back of his neck, “I was wondering if you can come to my room for a minute. I want to show you something before you go to bed.”

I titled my head to the side and made a mental note, maybe a little bit of time away from Suki and Toph would do me good, as the moment Zuko asked me to go his room I immediately went straight to the dark side. I blushed slightly, taken off guard at his question and Zuko chuckled, “Not like that, I mean unless you want to, then, by all means, you are welcomed.” Zuko teased. I slapped his arm and pushed him back to step out in the hallway, “Well, when you ask someone to go to your bedroom in the middle of the night what else are they suppose to think?” I shot back.

Zuko laughed and directed me towards his room, “Maybe…this?” He finished off as he opened the door. My eyes widened the moment I took in at exactly what Zuko had wanted me to see. Zuko had lit the small fireplace that was placed off in the corner in his guest room, and on top of the coffee table were two mugs, hot cocoa. There were blankets set on the couch directly across the fireplace, and I couldn't help but be completely overwhelmed with happiness. “You did…this…for me?” I asked, speechless.

Zuko gently nudged me forward to the couches, before shutting the door closed behind him. “You don’t think me giving you that Imperial Seal was your gift, do you? I had to make it up to you somehow, and something told me that anything with hot cocoa was a safe route.” I must have looked like a child because I couldn’t help but clap in excitement as I observed the tasty drinks, “And you made it yourself?” I asked.

“Well…I tried the first time, and that didn’t go so well. So I asked Lia and Kima for some assistance.” I laughed and slowly walked over to Zuko, gently placing my hands on his chest, “Thank you, I truly mean it.” I said tenderly as I looked at his eyes. Gosh, I could get lost in those eyes… Zuko smiled warmly, as he nudged his head over to the couch, “Let’s relax. Aang told me you and the girls had a bit of fun tonight. Hopefully, this can sober you up a bit.”

I groaned and waltzed over to the couch with Zuko. “I'm not drunk, why is Aang such a worry wart,” I whined. Zuko plopped on one end of the couch while I sat on the other end, but Zuko patted his lap. I titled my head, confused, “Put your feet up; you are freezing, I can warm you up.” He said. I blushed, but at this point, I was too tired to argue. I raised my legs and let them lay across the couch, letting my feet rest on Zuko’s lap. He quickly tossed the thick blankets over us, before handing me my cup. It was the library all over again, except this time, there was no speculation about our feelings.

I sipped away blissfully on the drink, as I felt the way Zuko’s hand delicately drew random shapes and lines on my ankles, warmth radiating off his hands. His fingers were so light as if he was afraid that he would burn my skin, but his touch was tempting. I smiled and let my head fall against the side of the couch, just basking in his touch. It felt so right, sitting here, with him, enjoying the night. It was crazy to think that just moments ago I wanted nothing to do with him.

“Enjoying yourself?” Zuko said with a chuckle. I hummed softly and smiled at him, “You’re going to make me fall asleep at this rate.” I said with a light laugh. Zuko shook his head and smiled largely, “You just got here! We didn’t even talk.” I grinned and took another sip, “So what do you want to talk about so eagerly?” I said playfully. Zuko laughed and continued doodling aimlessly on my ankle. “Hm, there’s so much I still don’t know about you.” Zuko stared. I raised a brow at him, “Is that so? What could you possibly want to know?” I asked curiously, interested as to what he would want to know about me.

“Hm, your bending…or that tattoo of yours…” Zuko spoke delicately.

“You have to pick one or the other. Like I said before, I have to have one secret.” I said mischievously. Zuko laughed and shook his head, “Tell me about your bending, I’ll eventually see that tattoo of yours.” He said confidently. So confidently, it took me a minute to realize what he was implying. I raised a brow, “See my tattoo eventually? Someone here sounds quite confident in that statement.”

Zuko grinned, “You aren’t as naïve as I thought.” He spoke as he took a sip from his cup. I huffed and placed my mug down, “What made you think I was naïve?”. Zuko chuckled deeply, different from his usual light-hearted manner. “Because it’s easy to tease you-” He started. Although I could feel his hand slowly trail up my leg.

“Easy to make…” - his hand gently caressed my calf.

“you…” - he leaned over just a bit, close enough that I could see his golden eyes darken.

“blush.” He finished, his hand stopping right at my knee.

My face was rosy, entirely overwhelmed by him. My heartbeat was going crazy, unknowingly responding to every word and every touch. He has me wrapped around his fingers, and he knows it, oh, Zuko knew all too well what he was doing. As gentle and sweet as he was with me, he always managed to have this sense of power. Zuko was always in control, being dominant, even times where he was ‘relaxing,’ he was always a step ahead. It was evident this was how Zuko was born; born to be a leader, command attention. And as shameful as it was to admit, I loved it. Every single second of it. I may be sweet, but I was never one to submit, but if Zuko oh so dared told me to do so, I would ultimately come undone.

I bite my lip anxiously, trying desperately to control my heavy breathing. Was it the wine, or maybe I want a taste of those pouty lips. Zuko smirked and calmly pulled back. Leaning his back once again against the couch, fingers dancing along my ankles; as if nothing had happened. But I could still see the satisfied smirk that played along with his lips; he wasn’t an idiot, he knew all too well what he was doing and how it was affecting me. I realized that although I wasn’t naïve, I was an untouched delicacy to him.

I lifted the blankets and snuggled tightly against them, pressing them close to my body. And I thought I could play his game of teasing; this asshole has me beat! Zuko chuckled amused, watching me struggle to think of my next plan of action. “Would you like to go to the market with me tomorrow?” He casually asked, trying to save my pathetic ass. Is this guy really going to act like nothing happened? I smiled sweetly and squirmed underneath the blankets, but to fair, I should be thankful he is ignoring the obvious...

“I wouldn’t mind…I have to go shopping anyways.” I said, softer then I attended, realizing that the wine was truly starting to wear me down. Feeling the warmth from his touches and the fireplace, I felt cozy and content. “Shopping for what?” Zuko asked. I leaned against the couch once again, gently closing my eyes. “For your family…I want to buy something for your Uncle, Mom, Step-Dad, and your little sister…” I mumbled. I didn’t need to have my eyes open to tell he was surprised, “You don’t have to do that.” I groaned and shook my head, “I want to…I want them to like me.” I said softly.

Sleepiness was starting to take over, gosh, from giggles to flirting, to sleeping? I need to stop drinking wine... Zuko sighed and gently patted my leg, “They are going to like you, trust me. What is there not to like?” He asked. I shrugged my shoulders, too tired to argue, as I tucked the blankets under my chin. “I don’t know…” I trailed off. Zuko chuckled and gently shook me, “Are you falling asleep?” Zuko asked quietly, I could feel the shift in weight, as he was most likely leaning over me.

I nodded my head and let out a pleasant hum, “Let me take you to your room…” Zuko started, but I groaned in annoyance. And to be honest, I don’t know what happened next. At that point, I let the wine do its thing. Whether or not Zuko got me back to my room or not, will remain a mystery until tomorrow. I never felt cozier in my life, just cuddled up on the couch with Zuko’s warm faint touches. I felt safe, and within seconds I was off to dreamland…I can freak out in the morning…

~ Unknown ~

His eyes were heavy, as they fluttered open and closed, sleepiness trying desperately to consume him. Slapping his leg, he shook his head, knowing better than to fall asleep on the job. He had one task, and one only, keep at eye out for anything unusual. Whatever that meant, was left to the unknown. For days, he and a few other men stayed crouched in the bushes, staying hidden as they observed day and night. It was clear that tonight was going to be like any other night, wholly uneventful and fruitless.

Just as his eyes were about to flutter shut once again, he caught sight of it. A majestic bird, wearing clothing probably more expensive than his own, soaring through the air. It was clear the bird was tired, as the bird was gliding through the air lowly, rather than high into the night sky. All sense of tiredness left the man’s body, and suddenly he realized that this was the unusual thing he was meant to keep an eye out. “Pst, up there!” He whispered harshly to his partner, whose eyes quickly shot open upon hearing the news that they may have caught something. “Well don’t just stare at it! I'll catch the damn thing, and you go notify the boss!” He grumbled back, stumbling quickly to his feet.

The man nodded, and he quickly scrambled to their boss. He barely took a few steps before he could hear his partner’s glorified cheer, “Easier then I thought, the poor bastard was hungry.” The man said behind him, as he quickly ran with the Hawk in a net. He could hear the bird desperately trying to fly away, realizing that the fruits were bait, but it was pointless.

They knew they reached home-base, as it was a damp cave, completely isolated and well hidden from people. Although everyone knew the chances of running into people here would be close to impossible, no one lived on these islands for years since the genocide. “Boss, we found something!” The man shouted. Right away everyone in the cave went silent, as they turned to face her.

She stood up from her seat and hastily walked towards the men. It was a common fact that you never speak to her unless granted permission. Therefore, whatever news these men had, better be good. “Found what?” She hissed out. The man pointed behind him, towards his partner who gripped the bird, but more importantly, the letter attached to the bird. “It was a messenger hawk.” The man spoke. Her eyes narrowed, examining both men and the bird before she outstretched her hand. Without hesitation, they dropped the note on her palm, and she eagerly read the letter.

Her eyes widened before a playful smile danced upon her lips. “Attach the note back, and let it resume its travels. Everyone else, get ready to leave.” She shouted quickly. No one dared question her authority as everyone scrambled to their feet and began packing to depart. Her attention reverted to the two men standing in front of her, “Guess you aren’t as useless as I thought.” She hummed.

Both men looked at her, bowing and giving thanks, despite the back-handed compliment. They knew it could have been worse. “Where are we going to?” One of the men asked; a bold question given who he was asking it to. Her eyebrow raised slightly, amused that he would dare speak out of term, “It’s time to make our move…and I think a few people would love to join.”

The man was confused by what she meant by make our move, but before he could ask more, she turned on her heel and left. Although, it was probably a good thing, given that she wasn’t known to be patient, and when annoyed, she often killed.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar characters portrayed in this story besides Ying Yue Jiang, Lia, Kima, and any future creations.

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