#because sokka always has some crazy story to catch him up on and he knows that zuko will want all the details

[marriedzukka]

thinking about a post-war Sokka who travels the world just because, sharing his culture and learning everything he possibly can about the others: art, food, music, literature, you name it. He invents cool shit that's mostly just for fun but also have practical uses for people too. He studies chronic pain remedies and shares what he learns to help others who were affected after the war. He practices art and gets really really good at it. He writes poetry. He learns how to exist without the weight of the world and the anxiety about keeping his loved ones safe constantly on his shoulders. He gets to explore and pursue his interests freely and he makes friends wherever he goes

#my mind constantly: have you thought about sokka in the last five minutes? no? tragic lets fix that #some day ill get around to writing that sokka's gap year fic that I think about all the time #i just want him to be happy ya know. he deserves it #meanwhile during all these travels he's sending letters to his friends and family and obvs visiting everyone when he can #Zuko's letters are always the longest #because sokka always has some crazy story to catch him up on and he knows that zuko will want all the details #bec zuko likes listening to him talk #and sometimes reading the letters is all they have so sokka never leaves out details #whenever zuko needs a break he goes to wherever Sokka is in the world #also sokka writes a bunch of poetry for zuko and thats when zukos like. oh fuck im in love with him #anyway #whoops went off in the tags again #mine

[the-last-cuddlebender]

I’m Here

The airbenders had a secret, beautiful-sounding, wordless-word language, and Aang is a lonely lil bird after he becomes the last airbender. ...so the Gaang improvises. 

**********************************************

A/N: A lil Gaang-love hurt/comfort/FLUFF one-shot because Aang needs a hug, and the Gaang will start taking people out at the knees to give him one. 

Rating: G (H for hugs)

Words: 3,491

ArchiveOfOurOwn

**********************************************

When Aang was a boy in the Southern Air Temple, he talked with his friends in whistle-speak all the time. 

They sang challenges over gales when they surfed around with their gliders, they stitched banter out of wind when they raced their bison, and they bled joyful congratulations and soft comforts into the air when words failed—when babies were born or when elders died.

He and his friends often used it to sneak around the temple. They channeled winds so high-pitched that the elders, sleeping or not, couldn’t hear them. Two tunes were a gusted high-five, and eight lifts and two pauses were a jest and a smack on the back. It was even their calling card on hot days when they were too lazy to move from their sunning spots or their bison’s backs to find each other to play. The passing breeze carried their conversations and their laughs, and it curled warmly around them with memories of good times. 

But, sometimes, when he was without a partner in the woods, Aang whistled a whirlwind that echoed across the canyon.

/I’m here./

And then he waited. And someone, somewhere, would always call back. Sometimes it was to chastise him for wandering too far, and sometimes it was to make fun of him for being so scared. He didn’t care, though. Their winds wound around him and comforted him all the same.

He hated silence. Mostly because he was so used to hearing his friends and Gyatso speaking or whistle-speaking all the time that, when it was quiet, it felt like he was alone in the world. Like something was missing.

Like he had been forgotten.

He wasn’t the only one, though. All airbenders didn't like to be alone, to an extent. Nomads migrated together. 

...But then the storm happened. And the Fire Nation. And now he was fighting a war he was a hundred years late for.

But even now he finds himself doing it on instinct. Sometimes it’s when they’re lounging as they set up camp, and other times it’s when he goes off on his own to collect kindling. Usually, it’s when he lounges on Appa’s head with his eyes on the sky, and the wordless words burning at the back of his mind spill out in braided winds.

His friends don’t notice the pain pinching his face whenever he catches himself doing it. And they couldn’t possibly feel his heart cringing—frozen—before convincing itself to keep beating. His family adores his whistle-speak, though he doesn’t tell them what it really is. He doesn’t want to talk about it. Whistle-speak was never about talking.

They say it sounds beautiful, like the wind itself was singing. They ask him on occasion—many, many occasions—to do it, just because it was pretty. 

It gets harder to hide how sad it makes him. But he would have preferred the sad feeling to what came when sadness became easy to bear.

He starts to feel nothing for the wind that carries his words without words. 

Just thinking about it made his eyes sting.

Aang loves his friends, his new family. He loves the smiles his whistle-speak puts on their faces—even Zuko’s face, once he joins them. He loves the relaxed atmosphere brought on like a spell as the winds wind around them, too.  

But he hates the pit each lyric digs deeper into his chest. The emptiness consumes him in pieces, and it only grows deeper with each note he sings. Because although he loves what they sow on his new family, his heart always bleeds into his winds those questions that never get answers—and that never will.

/I’m here. Where are you? I’m here. Are you there? I’m right here./

Aang doesn’t stop doing it, even though the silence yawns wider and wider every time. He does it without thinking when he’s alone, on instinct when it feels like his back is facing the void. 

/I’m here./

His shoulders curl to his ears, and he waits for minutes at a time. It’s only when he starts worrying why faces from a lifetime ago aren’t answering him that he remembers. He grips his staff tighter and shuffles away. He kicks the dead leaves even though their crunching screech raked across his ears. Even they are better than silence. He whistles softly between each step.

Sometimes he whistles things that Gyatso often did. Whistle-speak wasn’t as individual as a person’s voice, and if he bent the air just right, he could almost pretend it was his old master’s. He did it just to hear it. Just a familiar security. 

/Oh, there you are. I’ve been looking for you, Soft. I thought I might find you here. Are you alright?/

He keeps doing it even after it loses its ability to make him cry.

The Gaang eventually catches on, but not until after the war. Not until after Appa starts calling for other bison and looking sad, one day leaving them for several weeks and coming home with two other bison. His family had all guessed what Appa’s calls were for, so they weren’t surprised when he came home with friends. 

But Aang had always felt not as alone since Appa was alone with him. And after his buddy comes home with other bison and he hears them ‘talking’ softly to one another late at night when all else is quiet and he is alone in his bed, Aang finds himself whistling a broken tune. Even Momo finds more of his own after searching hard enough.

Now, he was truly alone. And the silence is deafening.

That’s when his new family notices something isn’t right. It gets eerily quiet, and they can’t find him one day. They split and search for him. 

It’s Sokka who finds him. 

He finds Aang sitting on a branch high up in a large, ancient tree. The young Avatar is hugging one of his knees while the other leg dangles, and he is whistling. The whistle is soft and soothing on Sokka’s ears even though the sound somehow carries for miles. 

After a few seconds of whistle-music, Aang stops, waiting expectantly. He swings his dangling leg to tic off the seconds.

Sokka waits to see what the airbender paused for. After a near minute, a bird somewhere deeper in the forest chirps and tweets, not holding a candle to the melodic sounds Aang can make, and after a few seconds, it stops, waiting.

And then Aang whistles again. And then he waits. 

And then the bird sings again. And then it waits.

The back and forth goes on for a while, and Sokka thinks Aang’s gone crazy. 

But then, when next the bird sings and Aang prepares to answer, another bird cuts him off. 

Aang flinches like the newcomer had smacked him in the face. Sokka winces along with him, and Aang hugs his leg a little tighter, hiding the lower half of his face behind his knee. His shoulders curl to his ears. His leg stops swinging. 

The two birds call to each other, singing together, without him. They harmonize like it was the most natural thing in the world, knowing the lyric and rhyme of their shared song so well that they don’t need to take pauses in their duet. They fly further and further away, taking their songs with them, now that they’ve found each other. 

Their chirps fade and die somewhere beyond the mountain, though their last notes echo like footprints left in their wake.

And then it’s quiet. It’s quiet for a while. It’s almost creepily quiet without the birds or Aang making any music. Sokka could’ve sworn he heard his heart beating. Even the wind died, and the trees were all still.

And then, like a beaten animal approaching its master, Aang whistles again, just a few notes. Hardly a song. More like a call. A plea.

His whistle carries loud and far, but just like the birds, it disappears into the mountains.

And then he waits. 

And he waits. 

And he waits.

He waits so long that Sokka starts to shift and sweat. Gravity itself was growing heavier in the quiet.

Aang waits some more.

Sokka’s lungs suddenly feel three sizes too small, and his heart falls somewhere by his stomach. That moment is when he realizes that Aang’s whistles are more than just the melodies of pretty songs. They’re the lyrics as well. 

He knows this because, when next Aang whistles, the sound is wet and choppy as his shoulders shake and he hugs both of his knees to his chest. His lyrics are so raw and broken and desperate that it makes Sokka’s chest cave-in like they were strikes from a metal pole to his sternum. Aang’s whistle was a universal sound, as unmistakable as a smile was for happiness or tears for sadness—a wolf’s howl after being separated from its pack.

/I’m here./

Sokka doesn’t know how Aang wants to mourn since he went out of his way to be alone, so he leaves him to get back to the others. 

And as he leaves, more whistles and long pauses follow behind him, like the mournful wails from the creatures in the sad stories told by tribesmen who’ve been at sea for too long. 

...The group discusses this finding, and Zuko, who studied air nomads in his quest to capture the Avatar, pieces everything together. They are all heartbroken and think back on every time Aang had whistled and how much they liked the sound and how they even sometimes asked him to do it. They all feel horrible. 

But Katara has a plan, and Sokka has the brainpower to make it work. 

So over the next few weeks, Katara and Toph follow close behind Aang whenever he wanders off. They study his songs, and Toph, having the best ears of all of them, can pinpoint almost every note that he makes. When they rejoin the others, Katara makes little ice vases and bends water atop them to emulate the whistles, and Toph is the gauge by which the pitch is corrected. They do this as well as they can for as many notes as they can (also trying to write down Aang’s songs like sheet music, but it is very difficult). 

Once they have enough data, Sokka spends several weeks, as often as he can with Zuko’s assistance whenever the Firelord has time, whittling the sizes, diameters, and depths of the correct notes into a type of ocarina. He makes one for each of them. Every ocarina is about the size of their palm and is given a little personalized flair that Sokka is quite proud of. 

They spend weeks and weeks practicing Aang’s songs. They dodge him and collaborate their schedules like they were planning to invade the Fire Nation while undercover all over again.

And then, one day, they master a few of his songs. They’re not nearly as flowing or clear or beautiful as Aang’s whistle-speak (Zuko said that’s what it was called)—and the sounds don’t carry nearly as far—but they were as good as they could get. It was, after all, impossible to capture the songs of the wind unless you were born of them.

...And not too long after comes the day to surprise him. 

Aang is up in his tree again, singing and waiting, when, from out of nowhere, there comes a response. 

He damn near breaks his face as he falls from his branch to the ground. He slips on the dead leaves and falls three more times as he scrambles to stand. 

Aang’s pulse pounds so loud in his ears that each thump feels like an earthbender somewhere is lifting and dropping a mountain. He has no idea what the whistle-speak said, so he asks, on impulse, one of the same questions he had been singing since he woke up in the South Pole. 

/Are you here?/ 

And he gets four responses.

/I miss you./ 

/I’m here./ 

/Where are you?/ 

/I’m here./ 

And Aang’s heart throws itself so hard and so fast against the cage of his chest that it felt like it might burst out of his torso. 

He chases their sounds, whistle-speaking like he was talking a million miles an hour—

He skids to a stop when he sees them. 

He stares, and they stare back. 

He is still high on adrenaline and frozen in place when he notices the small blanket they were sitting on. And the tea and small fire pit. And the few bits of burning incense—incense that he hadn’t smelled since a lifetime ago.

His confusion is nearing critical mass, but then Katara plays her ocarina. 

And Aang freezes, his breath leaving him like he had just been thrust under icy water.

There’s an awkward pause as he doesn’t respond, but then Sokka plays the same notes that Katara had.

And then Toph.

And then Zuko.

And each lyric plucks Aang’s heart in his chest.

/I’m here./ they all say.

Aang only makes it three steps towards them, his shaking legs not letting him run over and hug them before his first sob breaks him into a kneel. The next brings him to his knees, and he is surrounded by warmth and kind voices just as he learns to breathe again.

And he weeps.

He weeps so hard that even the presence of his past lives at the edge of his mind is somber and sad.

But his family holds him closer, holds him tighter, and they each tell him that he is theirs and that they will never let him go. They won’t let him drown in the silence anymore.

They eventually break apart, and Zuko places something in his hand as Aang chases away the last of his tears. It’s an ocarina. The wood is smooth and the whittling is sloppy, but the focus put into each cut is clear and shakily sanded as carefully as one could. 

It has a messy, squiggled air nomad crest carved onto its front, and on the underside, protected under a thick coating of lacquer, are the names of his family in four sets of handwriting that he recognized. And there’s a message, right beneath, in Sokka’s nearly illegible but very carefully carved font. 

/We’re here./

Aang vaults himself into his big brother’s arms. 

Sokka pats his back and tries to hide from the others how tightly he returns his hug.

There’s tea and more talk, and Toph asks Aang to teach them the ‘whistle-speak’ like she was asking him to share the code to unlock some large safe. Aang just smiles and asks them to teach him since he didn’t know how to work this thing.

He doesn’t need to learn, but he wants to. He wants to learn and have them share as much with him as he with them. He wants them to learn together in that moment.

And so, Aang teaches his family the language of the wind, the whistle-speak of his people.

The silence becomes a passing thought like a fading bad dream. 

And when next Aang is by himself and feels that inky blackness winding around him like chains and sinking into his racing heart like claws, he swallows dryly, scared like he was about to jump from a cliff without his glider, and he whistles.

His lyrics are weak and timid in the night air, but they carry far because they came from an airbender’s lungs. 

/I’m here./

There’s a long beat of silence, but then, in the distance, there comes an answer. It’s incredibly high and scratchy because whoever was making it was blowing their lungs out trying to make the sound travel as far as possible, but it was a response, nonetheless. 

Then there is another, a little further to the left. And then another. And then another, close by. 

/Oh, there you are./ 

/I’m here./ 

/Where are you?/ 

/Looking for you./

Something blossoms in his chest. It’s warm like he’s never felt before. It makes him feel all fuzzy inside. 

Aang whistles again.

/I love you./

He gets four immediate responses—one now much closer than before.

And there are no pauses in their group duet. 

/I love you./ 

/Are okay?/ 

/You okay, Soft./ 

/Find you here./

He is laughing and crying when Katara—the closest whistle—appears at his side, looking concerned. She doesn’t get more than three doting questions in before Aang is hugging her and drowning his jumbles of tearful laughs into her dress. 

The others whistle more—high, fluttering sounds concerned with the lack of Aang’s response. Katara one-handed whistles back a choppy response. 

/I’m here. Soft okay./ 

She hugs him tighter and rubs his back. Aang melts into her until even his legs give. Katara kneels with him on the ground, and she pulls him deeper into the protective circle of her arms, guiding his head to her shoulder and rocking them as she fills his ears with gentle words and soft coos. He is laughing and crying so hard that he can’t speak, and his grip becomes desperate like he thought she would be ripped away from him.

Katara holds him closer. She fists handfuls of his robes like she was silently promising to never let him go. She kisses the dip of his neck and shoulder, and, for the first time, whistles without her ocarina.

/I’m here./

Aang cries harder and for a while before he stops, not because he wanted to or because he had emptied all that he was feeling but because his body had nothing left to give. But by that time, his family had whistled demanding their location, and Katara had vaguely answered one-handedly. Everyone is there as he chokes down his final sobs. He just smiles, now, utterly exhausted. 

They sit on their knees and hug him until their legs tingle numbly. Aang is too exhausted to walk when they get up, so Zuko crouches and makes a ‘come on’ motion with his hands behind his back. 

/I’m here, Soft./

Aang’s smile is tired but blinding as he crawls onto his Sifu Hotman’s back and latches on like a koalapanda. He doesn’t have the strength to form words. When he tries, it’s a gargled hum. 

He whistles. 

/You’re here./

Zuko laughs and pats his leg.

And Aang gets four responses. 

/I love you./ they all say.

Aang closes his eyes and hangs his arms over Zuko’s chest. Katara and Toph hold his fingers in a gentle grip to remind him that they were there. Sokka walks behind him with his hands on Aang’s shoulders—patting and rubbing his back intermittently—, and when Aang teeters dangerously on unconsciousness, Sokka is half-keeping him pushed up on Zuko’s back. 

And on the way back to camp, his family practices a little whistle-speak conversation without their ocarinas. Aang didn’t know they had been practicing such a skill, and he doesn’t question the choppiness in their winds (the sounds are almost scratchy because they were blowing and not bending the air, but he could not give any less of a damn. They curled around him just the same).

Aang gently, tiredly, chimes into their conversation, forcing himself awake, even though he couldn’t even force his eyes open, so he doesn’t miss a single lyric. 

...They keep the whistle-speak their little secret for the longest time—years and years—, but when their kids all learn it with their own ocarinas, their offspring exploit it as much as they can. 

And their collective parents are driven crazy by the antics they accomplish with it. 

Except for Aang.

The once boy now man lets them get away with anything short of a felony. He even plays dumb when Katara demands that he at least try to stop Bumi the next time the toddler tries to raise hell with his sister and little Lin. 

Aang nods his head but crosses his fingers, and he couldn’t care less about that little guilt as he sits on the roof and listens to the whistle-speak of their little ones’ conspiring. Their plotting reminds him so much of him and his friends when he was a boy—the time gray and faded in his mind like a past life—that it nearly pains him from how happy it makes him. 

And then, one night, little Tenzin is awake. And he is alone. 

/I’m here./

His shaky whistle is wet and high-pitched like a choked whimper. 

/I’m here. I’m here./

And Aang is at his side in an instant. He hushes and coos him, easing away his little tears and rocking him in the protective circle of his arms. Small hands curl chubby fingers into his robes like his son thought his father would be ripped away from him. 

Aang smiles and soothes him to the tune of a whistled lullaby, gentle winds curling around them.

/I’m here./

**********************************************

I think imma make a part II because everyone ALWAYS needs more hugs

Bonus Point about whistle-speak

PREVIEW OF PART II: “Are You There?”

PART II: Are You There?

#Sokka is ~the big brother everyone needs~ #protective gaang #aang needs a hug #avatar the last airbender #atla #the legend of korra #lok #post #whistle-speak #gaang #kataang #zukka #aang #katara #sokka #zuko #toph #wholesome #hurt/comfort #fluff #sweet ending #bumi #kya #tenzin #lin beifong #someone give tenzin a hug #ao3 #rated h for hugs #myfanfictiontag #myhctag

[markedmage]

Ten Truths

Title: Ten Truths

Pairing: Zuko/Katara, Minor Sokka/Suki

Summary:  Something pushes at the edges of Zuko’s consciousness. He remembers all those moments with Katara, the moments of shared silence where she waited, patiently, until he was ready to talk. He remembers how she pulled each little truth from his lips with just her gentle gaze and her willingness to listen without judgment. He remembers how they learned to trust again, in the simple breaths where truth became reality, where he talked and she listened. He looks at her again, sees the gentleness in her eyes, and knows it is time. He’s ready.

Rating: T

Notes: They say Rome wasn't built in a day, but you can bet your ass that this fic was. Partially because I am insane, and don't like to eat, drink or do anything else once the Zutara fix takes hold, but also partially because Zutara are also crazy and I love them and they were begging to be written. That being said, if the flow of this fic is weird, don't blame me. Blame Zutara and the lack of everything nutritious I gave up in order to write this. TBH, I don't even remember most of it, I think my hands and brain just took over and threw a bunch of word vomit onto a document.

I wrote this for the last day of ZutaraMonth, Day 29: Flowers. Uh, not sure how well this follows the prompt exactly. I DID have an idea in mind, but as I said above, this kinda got away from me. But I wanted to participate, and this was the last day, so here ya go.I'm planning on participating in ZutaraWeek as well. I'm so excited- I hope you guys are too. I already have a fic in mind (yes it's already being written) and I plan on incorporating the week's themes once they come out. I hope you guys will read and enjoy my ZutaraWeek submission, as much as you've loved my other stories as well. Thank you guys for all the support.

Posted on AO3 as well. Read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24449281

The walls Katara had so meticulously built up around herself slowly crumble. The anger and hatred that she had so callously thrown at Zuko to keep him away from her turn into something else- definitely not trust, not yet, Zuko knows he has a long way before he can reach that pivotal moment with her- but she no longer pierces him with a frozen stare every time they catch each other’s eye, she no longer crushes him with a biting malice every time he offers her his help with the chores. The dynamic between them has changed.

I'll never forgive him. But I am ready to forgive you.

They settle into an easy companionship in the days before the comet. Zuko rises with the sun and settles into his morning meditation. He brews the tea, leaving a small flame under the pot to keep it warm until Katara rises, a little later. She joins him sometimes, sitting in amicable silence, but more often sets about with the day, making breakfast and folding the laundry. By the time Zuko has finished his meditation, Katara has woken the rest of the gang (kids, Zuko thinks, We’ve adopted a family of kids), and has set out a bowl of jook for him. Then Zuko takes Aang for his firebending lessons, followed by lunch, Toph, and Katara later in the day. Zuko spars with Sokka, keeping his dao blades sharp, and trains with Suki in hand-to-hand combat. 

Sometimes, late at night, he sits at the overlook beyond his house, staring out over the calm ocean. He thinks about the last time he’d been here, back when his heart was still troubled and his soul was still split between doing what was right and what he thought he wanted. Sometimes Katara joins him, and it’s so different from the last time they spent a night under the moon (Maybe you can bring my mother back!). She sits with him, close enough he can almost taste the questions on her lips, but she never asks. He knows she’s desperate to speak, curiosity burning in those deep blue eyes of hers, but the thing he loves the most about Katara is that she always seems to know when he’s ready to talk, and so she waits until she knows. 

It’s something he’s always loved about her- the easy way she simply waits until he’s ready, unlike Sokka and Toph and Aang, who talk and talk and ask and badger him with questions until he feels like he may explode. He loves the gang, he really does- the loyalty, the love, the friendship- but so much exploration into his personal life can be too much for him to bear sometimes. 

But with Katara it’s different. Silence- which once held so much pain and fear in Zuko’s heart- becomes the thing he relishes the most with her. He finds peace in the calmness of quiet, tranquility settling in his soul in the heartbeat of Katara’s breaths. In the soothing serenity of Katara’s presence, Zuko feels his heart stitching itself back together, and every day that passes he feels himself falling a little bit back into the person he wants to be. He thinks he’s ready. 

Ready to let someone in.

________________________________________________________________

Zuko feels his peaceful world, the one he so desperately created around him, the one built on friendship and companionship, crumble around him at the weight of Aang’s words. “About Sozin's Comet... I was actually going to wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came.  I'm not ready.”

It’s his worst nightmare really. Of course Aang needs more time to practice firebending, and he agrees with Toph- his earthbending really needs some work as well. But he remembers with dreadful clarity what his father planned before the invasion, the cruelty of the plan and the morbid fear in his heart of what was to come.

“Things can’t get any worse,” Katara says, and the pain in Zuko’s heart weighs heavier on his chest. 

“You’re wrong,” Zuko says, and even his voice sounds hollow with despair. “It's about to get worse than you can even imagine.”

He tells them about Ozai’s plan. The plan to crush the Earth Kingdom’s hope, to bury it’s very foundation under an inferno of ash and destruction. He watches the hope die in their eyes, replaced by a growing seed of fear. Sokka looks devastated, Suki looks terrified. Toph’s, for once, speechless, Aang looks hopeless, and Katara looks stricken, looking at him with eyes filled with terror and concern. She reaches out a hand, but one look from Zuko has her dropping it, stepping back with lowered eyes.

Zuko knows how much this hurts everyone, how much it hurts him. But as he looks at them, the brave Water tribe soldier, the Kyoshi Warrior, the Beifong Heiress, the Avatar, and the greatest Waterbender he’s ever met, he knows he’ll do anything to protect them. And right now, that’s making sure they defeat his father, no matter the cost. “I know you're scared,” He says, placing a hand on Aang’s shoulder. The boy looks up at him with scared eyes, and Zuko remembers when he looked at his father the same way. Only this time, Zuko is not his father, and he won’t hurt a young boy just for speaking his mind. He smiles encouragingly at Aang. “And I know that you're not ready to save the World. But if you don't defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won't be a World to save anymore.”

That seems to be the right thing to say, and he sees the fire once again burn in Aang’s eyes. Sokka once again shines with the energy of his people, and he raises a fist in the air. “Team Avatar is back!”

Zuko smiles, and lowers his head as Sokka continues to crow with excitement. But a little part of him can’t help but be afraid, be afraid for the people he’s come to love and cherish as his own family. And when he raises his eyes once more, he finds himself being stared down by Katara’s watchful gaze, and knows she feels it too.

________________________________________________________________

She finds him later that night, sitting under a sky full of stars. He makes no inclination that he’s heard her, but she comes over to him anyway, sitting down next to him. He blinks, then pulls his gaze from the heavens to look at her. She’s staring out over the water, hands folded neatly in her lap. Even under the pale moonlight, he can see the reds and golds of her silk robe standing out against the rich caramel of her skin, and he finds himself thinking that the rich colors of his nation suit her well.

(Red symbolizes passion and power, represents the Fire Nation. But Zuko wishes to tell the world that red symbolizes Katara, symbolizes the strength in her limbs and the power in her heart, the desire and will to do what is right and to never give up on people who need her. Katara may be of the Water Tribe, but her heart burns with the fire of a thousand suns.)

He turns his eyes back to the sky, and sees her do the same. They sit in silence for a moment, and Zuko finds himself unable to bear the silence (a silence that he’s always craved from her). “When I was younger, my mother used to tell me stories of the stars,” he begins, and raises a hand to trace out a constellation. Katara’s eyes trace his fingers, and he maps out the Azure Dragon of the Fire Nation. “The Azure Dragon is the guardian of all the stars,” he recites. “The dragon was created by Agni so that he could rest during the night. Under the watchful gaze of Tui and the Azure Dragon, Agni sleeps, and the dragon circles the night sky, ever watchful for danger against his master.”

Zuko looks back at Katara, then chuckles awkwardly and scratches the back of his head awkwardly. Katara’s gaze is too bright, too warm, too knowing, and he feels like she is taking him apart bit by bit. “Of course, that’s just a story my mother used to tell me.”

Her eyes soften, and she rests a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You must have loved your mother very much,” she says, and his shoulders sag.

“Yes,” he says, raising a hand to his face, touching the scar that mars the side of his face. “I loved her more than anything in the world.” Katara’s gaze follows his hand, landing on his scar. She raises her other hand and cups his cheek, resting her palm over his fingers. “Your father gave that to you, did he?” she breathes.

Zuko’s heart stutters to a stop in his chest, and gasps, long and low in his throat. He meets Katara’s gaze, half expecting disgust, anger, hatred, to be swimming in the blue depths of her eyes, but he’s only met with compassion. She smiles at him, and he knows that she won’t press him if he doesn’t want to, that she’ll give him space if he needs it, but Zuko knows this is a story he has to tell. She deserves to know.

“Truth,” he says, and meets her kind eyes. He tells her the story of a young boy, a young prince, who stood up for the soldiers who didn’t have a voice, how he expected to face the general he dishonored in the Agni Kai- how it was his own father who maimed him. Suffering shall be your teacher.

By the time he’s finished there are tears pooling in Katara’s sky blue gaze. “Oh, Zuko,” she whispers, and leans over, pulling her into his arms. She buries her head in his neck and holds him tight, her shoulders shaking. “You should have never had to go through that.”

He buries his face in her hair, inhales the sweet scent of wind and rain, and Katara. She didn’t say I’m sorry, but she didn’t need to. Zuko has had enough pity in his life, and once again, Katara knows exactly the right thing to say to put him at ease. So he holds onto her, he clings to her, and relishes in this moment- this one fragment of time where everything feels right, where he is home and the person he cherishes the most is here with him, under the watchful gaze of Tui and the Azure Dragon.

________________________________________________________________

They share another moment after June has led them to the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. They make camp for the night, and longer after Sokka and the others have turned in for the night, Zuko joins Katara to sit by the fire. He pokes at the embers and convinces the flames back to life, and Katara smiles at him, and places her hands closer for the warmth. They sit in the companionable silence Zuko knows all too well, until Toph appears in an explosion of earth, screaming, “Someone’s coming!”

It’s chaos, and suddenly their tiny camp is surrounded in a ring of flames. But just as quickly as the flames come roaring to life, they die down, and Zuko recognizes Jeong-Jeong, and Master Piandao, and suddenly they're surrounded by the order of the White Lotus. And his uncle is in the Lotus camp, waiting for him.

He finds himself standing outside the tent of the Grand Lotus. It makes sense that his uncle holds the title- he’s the most righteous individual the Fire Nation ever produced, and balance between the four nations was one of the things he stressed the most in life (that and tea). He sits in front of the tent, and he doesn’t know how to bring himself to enter. The last time he saw his uncle, he was sitting in a jail cell, left to rot. The last time he met his uncle’s gaze was at the crossroads of his destiny, of the avatar’s, of Katara’s, in the old city of Ba Sing Se. Shame courses his veins, shame from all those months ago, in the same place, rises up and threatens to overwhelm him. 

A hand on his shoulder brings him back to reality, and he blinks while Katara sits next to him. She’s dressed in the blues of her nation, but her eyes still burn with that fire that threatens to set the world alight. 

“Are you okay?” she asks quietly, the hand resting on his shoulder providing a quiet comfort that Zuko leans into. He turns his head away and sighs, eyes fixed on the lotus symbol painted across his uncle’s tent.

“No,” he says finally. “My Uncle hates me, I know it. He loved me and supported me in every way he could and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?

Katara sighs, and Zuko can feel her heartbeat pounding to the rhythm of his own. “You’re sorry for what happened?” she says, looking at him with her clear gaze. “In the catacombs?”

He’s more sorry than he’s ever been in his life. Of all the people in the world, uncle Iroh was the only one who saw him for who he was, who supported him no matter the cost, and followed him to the end of the world and back. He betrayed the only person who loved him, mistakes and all. Sorry can’t even begin to describe how Zuko feels.

(Shame, anger, frustration, disgust, guilt. Sorrow)

He looks at Katara. Another person who was willing to love him through the scars. Another person he’s hurt. Another person he’s betrayed. “More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life.”

Another truth, about his uncle, about the Avatar, about her. Judging from the look in her eyes, she knows. She understands, knows how truthful he’s being (not just about his uncle). Katara smiles, and leans over, kissing him on the cheek, over his scar. He jolts, but she pulls back, and the fond look in her eyes is enough for Zuko (he thinks he can conquer the world on the sole basis of that look).

“Then he'll forgive you. He will.”

The strength she offers- the quiet, enduring support and kindness- is enough to send Zuko through the flaps in the tent. And later, when his uncle wakes and pulls him into a high, her strength is what brings him to tears, with how can you forgive me so easily? I thought you would be furious with me falling easily from his lips. Partially for his uncle, and partially for her.

________________________________________________________________

Katara’s not the person who shows weakness easily. If it’s anyone, Zuko thinks it’s Sokka. He’s a strong, brave soul, but he’s still a teenager, and the idea of taking on the Fire Lord without the possibility of Aang there frightens him-Zuko can see it in his soul. But Katara’s always been such a solid, reassuring presence to the gang, and Zuko doesn’t really know what to do when he finds her overlooking the city, and she looks so utterly broken.

“Wherever he is, I’m sure he’ll be alright,” Zuko says, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at him and smiles at him, though her eyes are watery and she looks so small.

“I know,” she says, sniffling and wiping her eyes. “I’m just so scared though. The whole world is relying on us, and I just don’t know what I’d do if any of you got hurt. Especially you.”

He blinks, and she laughs at his expression. “Yes, even you. That’s the truth,” she says. “I know what facing Azula means to you, what it means to me, but I can’t help but feel terrified.” She leans in and rests her forehead against Zuko’s chest, taking a deep, shuddering breath. “I can’t lose you. Not again.”

Ba Sing Se.

He closes his eyes and pulls her tight, wrapping his arms around the small of her back and holding her close. “You won’t lose me,” he breathes, stroking her hair. “I know you’re scared, and I’ve never been more terrified in my life. I have to face Azula.”

She nods into his chest, and Zuko pulls away, but holds her by the shoulders and meets her gaze, gold boring into blue. “But this I know is true,” he says. “There is no one else I trust with my life than you, Katara. And you’re the one I want by my side when I bring my treacherous sister to her knees.”

_______________________________________________________________

Later, when they’re flying over the Fire Nation, Zuko turns to Katara with fear in his heart. He doesn’t know how to tell her that he wants her safe, that no matter what he’ll protect her, that he’ll die to make sure she survives, but he doesn’t know how. Katara makes eye contact with him and misreads his fear, saying, “Zuko, don’t worry, we can take Azula.”

He blinks, and shoves away the feelings simmering under his skin, looking up at the sky, Sozin’s Comet painting it bloodred. “I’m not worried about her,” he says, truthfully, after a moment. “I’m worried about Aang. What if he doesn’t have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?” Katara looks away. “Aang won’t lose,” she says quietly. “He’s coming back. He has to.” She turns her fierce gaze back on him, and smiles grimly. “And so will you.”

He almost doesn’t believe her, especially when he’s lying on the ground at the palace, his tunic in tatters and his skin painted red with blood. Lightning courses through his veins, and he laments in the fact that he broke his promise to Katara, that there’s no way he can possible come back, that she’s going to lose him too, again, just like last time-

And she saves him, glowing water gloved on her hands and tears of joy and love in her eyes. He whispers, “Thank you, Katara,” and when she says “I think I’m the one who should be thanking you,” he thinks he’s fallen in love for the first time. 

When they stand over Azula, the broken princess, he almost doesn’t recognize her. He turns away, his heart turning to ash when he realizes that Ozai broke her as much as he broke him, Katara follows him. “I was so worried about you,” she breathes, cupping his face. “When you fell, I was so scared. I’ve never felt more scared for you in my life.”

He looks at her. “Me too,” he says, and takes her hand in his. “I was so scared for you. Katara, it wasn’t my life that I was worried about, but yours. I couldn’t let Azula hurt you.”

Her eyes fall to the burn scored across his chest. “You didn’t have to take lightning for me, Zuko.”

He breathes, and takes their hands, placing their entwined fingers on his burn. “I’d take the heat of a thousand suns for you, Katara,” he whispers, the truth of his words burning deep into his skin, deeper than his scars. “You must know that.”

Her eyes lower, and he leans forward, pressing his forehead into hers. “But you brought me back. You didn’t have to. Why?”

She smiles, tears pouring out of her eyes, and leans forward. “You know why,” she breathes, and kisses him.

(With sudden clarity he knows she’s telling the truth.)

________________________________________________________________

And suddenly, just like that, peace is the new normal. Aang comes back, bringing Ozai in his custody, and tells everyone how a giant lion-turtle taught him how to spiritbend (“Only you,” Toph says, and punches him).

Zuko is crowned Firelord. On the eve of his coronation, he finds Katara in his mother’s garden, feeding bits of bread to the turtleducks (he’s hit with such a wave of nostalgia that he stumbles under the weight of his mother’s love, of the memories of a young boy sitting with his mother feeding the turtleducks). 

Katara looks over to him and smiles, beckoning him to join her. He sits by the water’s edge, taking the bread she offers and tossing it into the water. Lulled by the quacking of the turtleducks and the peace of Katara’s presence, Zuko feels his shoulders lift from under the burden of ruling a broken kingdom. There’s so much he needs to do, to restore the Fire Nation to its former glory.

Katara nudges him, making him meet her gaze. “What’s up?” she asks, piercing him with her blue eyes. “You look troubled.

(He wants to tell her he loves her. He wants to tell her that she is his Azure Dragon, that she’s the one person in the world he wants by his side.)

But what comes out of his mouth is: “I don’t love Mai.”

She blinks. “What?” she says, after a moment.

He sighs. “It’s the truth,” he whispers. “Mai, earlier, she came to me, right before the coronation. She told me she loved me, and wanted to be with me.” Katara’s eyes are on him, but they’re not judging him, and he finds solace in the gentleness of her gaze. She rests her hand on his arm, and he wordlessly takes her hand, lacing his fingers through hers and marveling at the contrast of their skin color overlapping, brown and white. She smiles, encouragingly.

“It’s just, Mai was in love with someone who I used to be,” he confesses. “Someone I once was, back when I let anger and hatred fuel me. She was in love with a boy who was scared of his sister and weak against his father, who turned on his friends and the family who actually loved him. I’m not that person, not anymore. I can’t be with her- I don’t love her anymore. Not that way.”

Katara’s eyes soften. “I think that was very brave of you,” she whispers. He turns and blinks at her, and she smiles, looking back down at the pond. “Think of it this way. When you disturb the water-” she dips a hand in the pond and ripples spread out from where her fingers danced across the tranquil surface “-it creates chaos, and imbalances the real support that lies under the surface. But once the ripples fade, then the pond can go back to being what it always has been, peaceful, still, and sure.” She waves a hand and the water stills, turning back into a clear, shimmering pond that reflects the moon, Katara, and Zuko. She smiles and leans forward, pointing at Zuko’s mirror image reflected on the water. “This is who you are, Zuko.” She says. “This is what you’ve always been.”

He stares at the quiet reflection of himself. “You wouldn’t have been happy with her,” Katara continues. “And that doesn’t mean you don’t love her, because you do. But there’s a difference between loving someone for what they were and loving someone for who they are. And you’re not the person you used to be, Zuko. I know that to be true.”

He turns and pulls her close, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Oh, Katara,” he breathes. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

It’s not what he wants to say, but he doesn’t know how to tell her his true feelings, at least not yet. And luckily, she is Katara, and he knows she’ll wait until he’s ready. Just like she always has been.

She smiles. “For the record,” she says, squeezing his hand. “I’m glad you’re not in love with her either.”

That pulls a laugh from him, and he pulls her close, feeling his soul stitch together under her healing gaze.

________________________________________________________________

They’re walking through the marketplace when Aang spots a flower vendor. He drags Katara over, and Zuko and Sokka, followed by Toph, creep over as well. Zuko stands passively while Sokka oogles over the variety, finally settling on a bouquet of sun roses to bring to Suki. Toph sulks next to him, and when the vendor tries to woo her over with some flowers, she silences him with an “I’m blind,” and a smack in the face with a pebble. He shuts up quickly after that, and Zuko stifles a chuckle (the last time he didn’t, he too got wacked with a rock, and he’s not rushing to repeat that again).

He ends up hovering near where Aang is gushing over the panda lily display. “Look, Katara,” he says. “They’re beautiful, just like you!”

Zuko bristles, because Katara isn’t Aang’s, she doesn’t belong to him, she can’t. But Katara is her own person, and she looks at the lilies with distaste. “They’re fine, Aang,” she says in her most dismissive tone (and Zuko cannot be any more prouder). She turns away from Aang, not seeing his shoulders slump, and continues to browse the flowers.

On a whim, Zuko turns to the display and picks out his favorite, a small fire lily, the rich ruby a reminder of Katara’s fierce passion. He drops the vendor a few coins and turns, walking over to where Katara stands. She looks up, eyes widening up Zuko’s arrival. “Here,” he says, reaching forward and placing it in her hair, right behind her ear. “This suits you.”

Her eyes widen, and she reaches up, touching the flower reverently. “Zuko,” she breathes, leaning up and hugging him. “I love it.” She leans in. “These are my favorite.”

He smiles, and nuzzles her hair softly, before stepping back. He catches a glimpse of Aang’s sad eyes in his periphery, but then Katara’s smooth hand slips into his, and the Avatar is forgotten.

________________________________________________________________

The moment Katara comes to him, tears falling from her eyes, Zuko is ready to drown whoever hurt her in an inferno of his rage. He’s in his mother’s garden (hiding from his advisors- they would never bother him here), when she comes storming in like a tsunami and throws herself into him, tears cascading down her rich brown cheeks like a waterfall. Zuko drops what he’s doing immediately- composing a letter to King Kuei, that can wait- and wraps his arms around her, rubbing her back while she lets out choking sobs.

He lets her cry, holding her close while she buries herself in his chest and releases her misery to the world. He’s got half a mind to find whoever hurt her and have them tried for war crimes, but then she pulls away, and he finds that he can’t rip himself away from her sad gaze. There’s a fire lily in her hair and the words they’re my favorite float around in his mind, but he focuses on the tears falling from her eyes and tries to figure out who in their right mind would do this to her-

“Aang,” she whispers, and in choking, heaving breaths, she tells him that Aang kissed her, that he told her he loved her, and wanted her to travel the world with him. Zuko grows cold, feels his heart come stuttering to a halt, and thinks his world is about to be destroyed.

She can’t go with him, he thinks, heart tearing into pieces. Agni, she can’t go with him.

“Katara-”

“I can’t go with him,” she wails, interrupting Zuko. “I can’t go with him and I’ve hurt him and it hurts so much, and I don’t know what to do!”

He cups her cheek and holds her close. “You don’t have to go with him,” he whispers (he begs). “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“But I broke his heart! I told him I didn’t love him!”

A part of Zuko rejoices at that, but he pushes that wave down and concentrates on soothing Katara. “Katara,” he says firmly, and she hiccups, looking at him with wide eyes. “You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do,” he repeats slowly. “It’s your life, your love to give out. Never let anyone take it from you. Only you have the power to give it. Even Aang, as young as he is, does not have the right to take your love. He’s twelve years old, Katara, he doesn’t even really know what love is. He’ll be fine.”

Katara’s eyes lower, and a single tear runs down her cheek. “I wanted to love him,” she confesses. “I wanted to be his, I really did. But I just...don’t.” Zuko runs his finger over her cheek. “And that’s okay,” he whispers. “But it’s okay to know exactly what you want, and if you know you don’t want to be with him, then don’t. You’re your own person, Katara. Aang will respect that.” She shudders, and closes her eyes. “I don’t love him,” she whispers, and the truth of it seems to sink in. She opens her eyes, and although there’s still sadness, Zuko also sees resolution and tact in her gaze. “I don’t love him.”

Something pushes at the edges of Zuko’s consciousness. He remembers all those moments with Katara, the moments of shared silence where she waited, patiently, until he was ready to talk. He remembers how she pulled each little truth from his lips with just her gentle gaze and her willingness to listen without judgment. He remembers how they learned to trust again, in the simple breaths where truth became reality, where he talked and she listened. He looks at her again, sees the gentleness in her eyes, and knows it is time. He’s ready.

“I don’t want you to be with him,” he blurts out, and her eyes widen. He takes her by the hand and pulls her close, drowning in the blue depths of her eyes-eyes which had never held him in contempt (once sadness and anger, but never contempt)- and has never felt more sure in his entire life. “I don’t want you to be with him, Katara, because I want you to be with me.”

Her mouth opens. “Are you serious?” she breathes, and Zuko nods, clarity in his heart and serenity in his soul.

“I’ve never been more sure in my entire life,” he says. “Katara, there is no one else I want by my side. Please, say you’ll stay with me. Please.”

She looks at him, really looks at him. She’s quiet for a moment. “I don’t love Aang,” she says. She rests a hand on Zuko’s cheek, caressing his scar lovingly. “Because I love you. I’ve always loved you, Zuko,” she whispers, and it feels like coming home.

It's always been you.

________________________________________________________________

There are fire lilies at the ceremony. They adorn the throne room, sit in bouquets in Suki’s, Toph’s, and Ty Lee’s laps, fill the vases at the dinner tables. Sokka has a fire lily pinned to his tunic, and Aang has a necklace of them ringing his neck. Zuko has one pinned to his robes, and there are fire lilies in her hair.

They are joined as one under the eyes of Agni, and Zuko pins the crown of the Firelady to her topknot. She’s wearing the reds of his-their-people, but the blue of her homeland hugs her throat. She kisses him, hands clasped tightly to his, and the nation cheers at their joining. 

During the celebration ball, he spins her around in the courtroom, her dress billowing out around her, her joyful laugh tinkling like bells. Zuko is the happiest he’s ever been, surrounded by family and friends, in the arms of a woman who loves him. 

And later, when they’re out by the turtleduck pond and he’s tucking a loose fire lily behind her ear, she looks up at him, love burning in her blue eyes. This is all he's ever wanted- peace in the world and love in his arms. This is what he needs, his beautiful Azure Dragon, and nothing else. She leans close and cups his cheek.

“You love me,” she whispers.

He leans in, kisses her softly, tasting their future on her tongue. 

“Truth.”

Notes: Ok, so I know Zuko was lowkey cheesy throughout this fic, but lets be honest. Boy literally used his firebending to light up a fountain to impress a girl- this kid's cheesy as heck and you cannot change my mind. 

I tried to keep the truths mostly to Zuko, but Katara is my girl and she couldn't help but bleed through in a couple places.Anyway, thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you thought. Also, please don't hesitate to talk to me so that we may revel in the beauty that is Zutara. 

See you for ZutaraWeek (UNLESS I find inspiration for another story, which, let's be honest, I most likely will).

#zutara #zuko #katara #zutara month #wolfspirit44 on ff.net #my fav ship #zukoxkatara #zutara month 2020 #zutara fanfiction

[sol-tinyrayofsun]

Zutara Week Day 6 - Affirm:  It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

This little story has been on my mind for quite some time now and I somehow made it work with the prompt. It’s really fluffy, ridiculous, and features a lot of Toph’s brilliance to mess with her friends yet always meaning well. I just had a good time writing it, it was honestly a fun ride.

I hope you enjoy it! As always, thank you for reading! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! <3 In case you prefer it, also on AO3! Title: It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

Rating: G

Summary: When Katara let Toph convince her of giving Zuko a love potion to make him fall in love with her, she knew the chances of the plan going sideways were extremely high. Still, the last thing she expected was for Zuko to act normal. Painfully normal. Operation “Sparky Falling For Sugar Queen” turns out to be a little too complicated. (Set after Ember Island Players but before Sozin’s Comet).

----- “Pst! Katara!”

The waterbender tilted her head. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Still, she could hear someone calling for her, loud and clear. She had been busy making sure they had everything ready for lunch around Zuko’s holiday house at Ember Island. 

“Katara!” There it was, that voice again. “Listen up, Sugar Queen!”

Wait for a second, that was Toph’s voice. Definitely. 

“Toph?” She asked, walking around the room. “Where on earth are you?”

“Inside the broomstick closet!” Toph chuckled. “Come here for a sec.”

Katara did as she said. Once she opened the door, she found Toph mischievously smirking, holding a little bottle in her hands. 

“So, what is it?” 

“This!” Toph replied, showing off the bottle with a grin on her face. “This is what I wanted to show you!”

“And you were hidden with all those broomsticks because…” 

“Dramatic effect, Sugar Queen, never underestimate it,” she said, stepping into the kitchen hall. “Now, aren’t you going to ask what this is for?”

“Sure, Toph,” Katara let out an amused sigh. “Why is it so important?

“How do you feel about having some fun at Sparky’s expenses?”

In all honesty, the idea sounded tempting. After the dreadful night Katara had endured with that stupid play just days ago, she could use more than a little fun. Although Toph’s idea of fun could sometimes be questionable, at the very least.

“Hold up. What do you have in mind?”

“This little thing,” Toph shook the bottle up in the air. “It’s a temporary love potion.”

Katara broke down in a scandalous laugh. “Yeah, and where did you get that from?”

Toph made a defensive frown. “Hey, it’s the real deal! I bought it from a weird old lady in town. She wasn’t lying, I swear.”

“Alright, I believe you. And what do you suggest we do with it?” 

“Yes, that’s the attitude!” she celebrated. “According to the weirdo, two drops of this stuff and you can make anyone fall at your feet. All you need is for the other person to consume it while looking at you. And I just thought, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Zuko just happened to suddenly be crazy in love with you? That play inspired me, that’s all I’m saying.”

Well, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. Especially considering the way that play had contributed to her latest confusion regarding her feelings for two very powerful - and very different - benders. Still, it was a tempting offer. 

“Toph, that’s insane!” Hesitation could be heard in her voice. “Trust me, pranking Zuko would be entertaining, but we cannot force him to be forever in love with me! I mean, what on earth would we do then? Seems a little cruel to me.”

“See? That’s the catch. It’s temporary. Two drops would only make him fall in love with you for a couple of days, tops. Come on! I thought you had been introduced to the concept of fun.”

Spirits, screw it. Two days of some harmless fun, how bad could it be? She could use a little distraction from the constant stress they were all under.

“Are you sure the effect will wear off?” 

“Absolutely. Say yes, please! You know I can always do it without you. Or to you.” A mischievous smile framed her face. “You know you want to torture Sparky a little bit.”

“Alright… Let’s do it. But if anything goes sideways it’s your responsibility.” 

“Heck yeah! That’s the spirit!” Toph gave her an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “Oh man, this is going to be too fun to watch!”

And so operation “Sparky falling for Sugar Queen” was put into motion. The two girls would prepare some tea - which would undoubtedly bribe Zuko in there - and make sure he was left alone with Katara when it came to drinking it. Toph would oversee everything from a cautious distance. It was the craziest, most random idea ever. But it sure sounded like fun.

 Once everything was ready, Katara waited for Zuko in the kitchen. Needless to say, she was feeling a tad nervous. Waiting by the countertop, staring at the two teacups in front of her, she felt her heart racing on her chest. 

It was just for two days. And it would certainly be nice to laugh with Toph about Zuko’s ridiculous lovey-dovey attitude. Most importantly, she wouldn’t even dream to risk Toph giving her the concoction. No, her feelings were already messy enough without the help of any love potion. 

“Katara, are you in here?” Zuko’s voice interrupted her overthinking. “Toph said you made tea for me…?”

Time for the show. She put on her brightest smile as Zuko sat down in front of her. 

“Yes! You seemed so tired this morning, figured you could use a little boost.” 

She handed him the cup with the two drops mixed in the tea. 

Zuko gifted her with a thankful smile. “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”

Nice of me… Yeah, sure. Just drink the tea and look at me. 

He started drinking, only to stop after a few sips to have a little chat.

“So, Aang’s training is looking decent,” he started saying. “But I can tell he’s getting increasingly anxious. We might need to keep an eye on him, I wouldn’t want him to start avoiding our sessions.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Katara intervened. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t slack on his training. Drink your tea, it’ll get cold otherwise.”

“Alright, alright,” he complied, looking into her eyes. “Thanks again for making it.” 

Katara observed him as he drank the whole thing in one go. Her golden eyes staring at her with an amused shine to them. She wondered how Zuko being in love with her would be like. He didn’t exactly give off the cheesy type vibes, though she knew how much of a dork he actually was. If you fall in love because of a potion, you’re pretty much doomed to grandiloquent gestures and infatuated declarations, right? Well, she wasn’t an expert on the subject. But she did know a thing or two about having feelings for someone.

Toph sneaked into the kitchen, placing her hands on Zuko’s shoulders and giving them one tight squeeze. “Hello there, Sparky, how are you feeling on this lovely day?” 

“Hey Toph,” he greeted her. “Much better after that tea, actually.”

Despite the perfectly normal response, Toph continued with her attack.

“You know what? Sugar Queen over here confessed to me this morning that she felt she looked terrible. I’m clearly not the best judge when it comes to looks.” The vicious smile on her face was a little too obvious. “How is she looking today, Sparky? Isn’t she stunning as usual?”

Oh, no. Katara felt herself blushing. The whole operation had quickly turned into Toph having fun at the expenses of both her and Zuko. But in all honesty, how could she had ever expected otherwise?

“Um, well,” Zuko mumbled, his eyes glued to the countertop. “She looks just the same to me. Like you said, um, she’s got her usual look.”

Katara wished Toph could see the look of utter confusion in her eyes. That was not the response she had imagined. 

Zuko abruptly stood up. “Alright, I think I’ll get back to training. See you two later,” he greeted them. “Oh, and Katara. Thanks again for the tea.”

‘Thanks for the tea’? So much for romantic gestures. 

Toph grasped her arm as soon as Zuko was out the door. 

“What on earth? That was the least romantic interaction ever.” The earthbender exclaimed, looking frustrated. 

“Hey, let’s give it some time. Maybe the effect hasn’t kicked in yet.” 

“Okay, we’ll wait. Man, what a bummer. I was fully expecting him to start a rant about how beautiful you are.” Toph threw her hands up in the air, grunting.

“Patience, we’ll get there,” Katara reassured her.

But am I even sure I want to get there? 

Deep down, a part of her was hoping for it.

The rest of the day was spent with Toph trying her best to get Zuko to do anything remotely romantic regarding Katara, in an attempt to kick off the love potion effects. Much to her frustration, nothing seemed to do the trick. Katara wasn’t sure what to think of it. Did she feel relieved, disappointed, or maybe even bored? Truth be told, it was kind of a mix of all three. 

Katara witnessed as Toph did everything she could. From suggesting they paired up in training all the way up to making them meditate together. All she got from Zuko was radio silence. Well, at least in the sense they were expecting. 

“Are you sure you don’t feel a little weird, Sparky?” Toph asked him for the millionth time during dinner. 

“Um, no? Why?” Zuko had a look of complete confusion on his face. 

“You sure you don’t feel a little more sparky than usual? Don’t you sense some new emotions?” Toph continued. “Anything different?”

“Alright, that’s enough Toph,” Katara interrupted. “You’re scaring the poor boy.”

“Yeah, Toph, what’s all that nonsense about?” Sokka asked. 

“Why should Zuko feel different?” Aang’s voice showed a tad of concern. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Toph replied. “Calm down, you all. I was just wondering.”

Katara noticed the annoyed frown on her friend’s face. She seemed pissed off by the lack of results, the whole plan had been her idea after all. 

After the meal, Suki stayed with them doing the dishes. 

“Are you two going to tell me what’s going on already?” she asked them, with her hands on her hips and an inquisitive look in her eyes. 

“Going on with what?” Toph played the innocent. “We’re just scraping plates.”

“Oh, come on! You have been acting weird all day! Especially you, Toph, asking Zuko the most random questions.”

“What do you say, Sugar Queen, should we tell her?” Toph asked.

“Sure, maybe she’ll even know why it’s not working,” Katara replied. “But Suki, promise not to tell any of the guys, alright?”

Suki let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, just spill it.” 

“Okay, let me see. We made Sparky drink a love potion with his tea so he would fall in love with Katara. For two days. And before you ask, yes, it’s legit. Oh, but nothing’s happened yet.” Toph´s explanation was accompanied by a playful grin on her face. 

“You’re joking, right?” Suki asked with a sarcastic smirk. “Katara would never be on board with that.”

“Actually,” she said, blushing. “I thought it was kind of a fun idea.”

“Yeah, so much for fun since Sparky hasn’t shown any signs of love and it’s been hours! He should be acting all lovey-dovey already.”

Suki burst into laughter. “Spirits, that’s hilarious! You gave him a freaking love potion and he’s acting as usual?”

“I don’t get what you’re laughing about! Something’s seriously wrong with him! Or us!” Toph complained. “Katara, are you sure you didn’t drink the potion yourself?”

“Yes, Toph, I’m absolutely positive I gave him the cup with the two drops,” Katara replied. 

“Are you telling me you two don’t realize what’s going on?” Suki asked, an amused expression framing her face. “For being the ones to come up with this plan you seem rather clueless.”

A suspicion started to take shape into Katara’s mind. She couldn’t help but ask. “Suki, what are you talking about?” 

“Yeah, come on!” Toph urged her. “Do you know something that we don’t?”

Suki let out a soft giggle. “Well, let’s think about it. You gave Zuko a love potion to fall for Katara, right? Toph, you say it’s a legit one. But Zuko is acting painfully normal. Even though he is under the effects of the potion.”

“Your point is?” Toph was sitting down on the countertop with a desperate expression on her face. 

“If Zuko acts just as usual when he is supposed to be artificially in love with Katara… What do you think it’s the reason?”

“His heart is missing?” 

“The dose wasn’t strong enough?”

“No!” Suki exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “He was already in love with her!”

Wait. What? That doesn’t make any sense.

“Spirits, Spirits, Spirits!!!” Toph jumped down the countertop, hands on her head, and on the verge of screaming. “That’s it! Suki, you’re a genius.”

Katara hadn’t even blinked. She was not even entirely sure she was still breathing. Zuko in love with her? It couldn’t be. He had even looked embarrassed by the way the play paired them together. Although she had acted embarrassed as well. And a part of her knew very well why. 

“Sugar Queen, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.” Toph poked her cheeks. “His heartbeat is all over the place whenever you’re around but again so is yours, and I thought it was just all that love/hate dynamic you’ve got going on. I had actually started to suspect he liked you, but Spirits, I didn´t realize he loves you.”

Love/hate, what? This can’t be happening.

Suki raised a brow. “Hold up, Toph, are you saying Katara’s heart beats faster when Zuko is around?”

“That’s a lie!” Katara exclaimed, snapping out. She couldn’t let her friends figure out the truth. “My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much. And Zuko is not in love with me!”

“And I suppose you have unlimited access to his mind and that’s how you know that?” Toph deadpanned. 

“No… I - That’s unfair Toph,” she managed to mumble, feeling her heart starting to race on her chest.

“As unfair as the fact that you’re heart is betraying your words in this exact second,” Toph replied. 

Katara wished with all of her strength that the ground opened up and swallowed her. The entire operation had gone sideways. But not in the way she had originally expected. No, it was worse.

“Alright, alright,” Suki intervened. “Enough torturing with Katara, this was supposed to be about Zuko.”

“Thank you. Can we please go back to the point?” 

Toph let out an exasperated sigh. “The point is Zuko is in love with you, Sugar Queen. But not because of the love potion, it seems like he’s been head over heels for you way before drinking that tea.”

“I seriously can't believe you didn’t figure this out sooner,” Suki said. “The question is, what are you going to do about it, Kat?” 

That was a very good question indeed. One she had no answer for. 

“Why should I even do something about it?” Katara asked, a confused look in her eyes. 

“Because I think deep down you want to.” Suki’s tone got serious all of the sudden.

Toph placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar Queen, I’m sorry if my prank ended up bringing you a headache. But Suki’s right, you should confront him.”

“Confront him? We’re in the middle of a war! I don’t need any distractions.” Her head was spinning a little too fast.

“Says the girl who complied to give a love potion to Sparky,” Toph remarked.

“Katara, would you seriously prefer to have a lump on your throat until Aang has taken down Fire Lord Ozai?”

Truth be told, she would hate that. A part of her knew she had feelings for Zuko. For that poor firebender she had given a love potion to. Only to have the whole scheme backfire right on her face. Now, she had to stand up to it. 

“No.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t prefer that.” 

“Then hear me out because I have a plan!” Toph exclaimed, enthusiasm written all over her face. “I know how to get one last bit of fun out of this failure of an operation.”

——

The next day went out according to what the girls had planned. Still hoping for at least a bit of extra romance on Zuko’s behalf - which, unsurprisingly, never occurred - the three of them acted normal all the way until the afternoon. 

After training, Toph cornered the poor Zuko on his way to the beach. Katara and Suki stayed at the shore, discreetly listening. 

“Sparky, this is your last chance!” Toph exclaimed.

“My last chance for what?” The look of sheer confusion on his face was priceless to say the least. 

“Come on! Please tell me you are feeling extra lovey-dovey and maybe I’ll let you walk away without making you even more uncomfortable.”

“Toph, I swear I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“You’re telling me you don’t feel any special romantic feelings today?”

“Um, no?” His voice had a strain of nervousness to it.

“And what about regular feelings? Got them for anyone? Maybe for someone you drink a lot of tea with?”

“Uh - No? Um, Toph, can I please go now?” Zuko stuttered. 

“Ha! I knew it, you sneaky little bastard! That’s a lie.” Toph threw her hands up in the air. “I can tell you’re lying. I was right, heck yeah!”

Zuko anxiously tried to get past her. “Alright, sure, can I please go down to the beach now?” 

“Don’t you want to know why I’m asking you this?”

“Do I have to?”

“We gave you a love potion, Sparky! A love potion mixed with that tea you drank yesterday. And you were supposed to fall in love with Miss Sugar Queen!” Toph’s was grinning from ear to ear. 

Katara and Suki exchanged a concerned look. That was not part of the plan. Katara was supposed to be the one to tell Zuko about the love potion. After Toph had made sure whether he was lying or not. Then, and only maybe, she would mention the tricky subject of actual feelings. 

“What on earth, Toph?” Zuko’s face was pale as a ghost. “Why would you do that?” 

“Because I've been suspecting for forever that you liked her! And when I got that love potion it was just too tempting not to go for it. I thought it would be a fun experiment! Katara was also on board with it.” 

“But?”

“But it only made me reaffirm my theory! What I didn’t expect is that you don’t just like her, you’re full-blown in love with her!”

“Toph, can you please tone it down? I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear this conversation,” Zuko pleaded.”

Katara was cursing Toph, Suki, Zuko, the moon, the stars, the Spirits, and herself. Toph playing matchmaker as subtle as an elephant trying to fit into her sleeping tent.

“Sparky, don’t you see Katara and Suki over there in the corner? They’re already listening!” Toph waved at the two of them, she had the most amused look on her face.

“What? Toph!” Zuko’s face was now entirely red. “You’re insane.”

“Sh, let me get to the best part,” she shushed him. “I think our dear Sugar Queen has something very important to tell you.”

Toph grabbed him by the wrist and started marching up to them. 

Toph, you’ll pay for this, Katara thought as she found herself in front of Zuko. 

“Now, I think Suki and I have to go do literally anything else but being here,” Toph resolved. “Alright! Everyone’s happy? See you!

“Kat, I’m sorry,” Suki mumbled. “I had no clue about this but I’ll better go.”

The two girls sprinted back to the house, where Aang and Sokka were probably taking care of dinner. 

Her eyes met Zuko’s, and she felt her heart racing inside of her chest. The awkwardness of the situation was remarkable. 

“So… I’m taking it you heard everything Toph said?” Zuko asked, sitting down on the shore next to her. 

“Yeah,” she replied, nervously playing with the sand that surrounded them. “I’m sorry about the love potion thing. It was stupid of me.”

“I just didn’t understand the logic behind it. Were you going to let me be in love with you for all eternity?”

“The effect was supposed to wash out tomorrow…” She let out a sigh. “But I guess it’s the same now.”

“Because you realized that I acted normal around you even with the potion?”

“Exactly.” Katara took a deep breath. “Look, Zuko, I had no clue-”

“Katara,” he interrupted her. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you know.”

“So it’s true then? Are you…”

“Am I in love with you?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his whole body seemed anxious. “Yeah, I am. I guess even more than I knew.”

Silence. Just sheer silence. 

Zuko rushed to continue. “It’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel the same way.”

But she did feel the same way. 

“Look, I think I’m in love with you too,” she blurted out, feeling her cheeks turning bright red.

“You are?” His voice was tinted with astonishment. 

She nodded in agreement. Then, she proceeded to say something else. “The night of the play, Aang felt terrible about the possibility of us being together. He kissed me and… and I pulled apart. I was horribly confused. A part of me knew he has always expected to be with me. But it didn’t feel right.”

Katara made a pause. She couldn’t believe she was actually saying those words out loud. 

“Go on, I’m listening,” Zuko encouraged her.

“Well, I knew I felt something for you for a long time already. But with what happened the night of the play, and now this whole love potion thing… I realize I’m in love with you too.”

Zuko brushed his fingertips against the back of her hand. “Thank you, for being honest with me.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for not wanting to kill me for giving you a love potion.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t know. We still have a war to win.”

A moment of quietness invaded the space between them. Their fingers were intertwined, both of their hearts racing. They were savoring the confirmation of their feelings - and embracing the uncertainty - together. 

“Do you want to wait?”

“Wait?”

“Yeah, until this whole mess is over,” he explained. “We can figure out things slowly, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m suddenly going to stop having feelings for you.”

“So you would still be in love with me… And I would still be in love with you…” 

“But we focus on winning the war first.” 

Katara tilted her to look straight at him. “Can I occasionally do this, though?”

He made a slight frown. “Do what?”

She didn’t give him much time to wonder. In a split second, she leaned onto him and placed a kiss on his lips. It was sweet, quick, and a little timid. But it was still the first kiss they shared. 

“So?” Katara asked, a light smile framing her face. “Can I?”

Zuko placed his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on the creek of his neck. 

He squeezed her hand, chuckling. “Yeah, I think you can.”

“You know  what? I’m really glad Toph convinced me to give you that stupid love potion.”

---- I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little thing I wrote! Feedback is always appreciated! <3 Thank you for reading! @zutaraweek

#zutara week 2020 #zutara #zutara fanfiction #zuko x katara #every week is zutara week baby

[flickityfics]

Don’t Play With Fire, Chap 7 First Day of Work

Um..to answer your concerns Sokka there's no need to worry. This may embarrass you to read but its all perfectly normal in women's body. The throbbing and slick you've mentioned is from arousal and the ones you mention that come randomly isn't always arousal but the way the body is trying to self clean or protect your genitals from tearing and dangerous bacteria's. Sometimes your vagina can even..well for lack of a better word let's just call it sweating, so for example say you're moving around a lot and you feel you're self dripping but its a different feeling from arousal just hot and a wetter feeling which again all normal, if you're feeling uncomfortable just wipe yourself and go through the day. I'm Glad you're taking my advice seriously and it's good to hear you're doing well with your situation. So far I haven't found anything about body swapping? gender swapping or transference of any kind I'm so sorry. Just keep staying low and being careful, we'll figure this out soon.

                                                                                                                                                              -Suki

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Sokka, It's great to hear from you! We're still putting up fliers of Appa around Ba Sing Se and looking all around places. Toph and Katara are always fighting though, Katara won't let us play our tricks on anyone or even explore or relax, its all work work wor-  

                                               Anyways Sokka you better be pulling your weight and not having Suki cleaning up after you and do try to stay out of trouble okay, I do worry you know, we miss you a lot.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  -The Gaang

Sokka laughed hard seeing Toph's lone foot print right underneath his sister's and Aang's writing, seeing that told him more about her than words ever could. He really missed his family/friend group. Before he could get any sadder he folded the letter and stuffed it in his pack heading to work, he'll write a responding note later tonight.  

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Sokka was full of energy heading towards his new job. He's curious to know how different it'll be from the other ehem manlier jobs he's done. 'Honestly how hard could a girl's job be? Katara complains all the time but I bet she was just being dramatic'  he figured. With everything double checked and his breakfast packed he went out for the semi-long walk to work.  Upon arriving to the building, Sokka went straight through the door finding the elder lady waiting for him.

"Hi, so what will I be doing today?" He asked with all the enthusiasm he could muster.

"We start by checking our list of customers who dropped off their laundry, with the other workers we'll go wash together then hang all the laundry to dry and fold, lastly we pack and send out the clothes." she explained.

"Alright sounds easy enough." Sokka followed along as she gave him a tour of the place and areas he'll be needing to know.

After a few tiring hours did he have breakfast, the work ended up more tiring and tougher than expected but he got the hang of it pretty fast and turned out he was the fastest and strongest there which turned out some of the girls didn't like. On his first day an older girl by few years was sabotaging all his work trying to get him trouble and after explaining that to the elder boss lady was he able to stay working. 'women are crazy, guys just nod at each other, find their spots to work, get paid then leave without any word to one another'  He couldn't believe how cut throat it was working as a girl alongside other girls. Just a few more hours and he'll be able to relax and enjoy Zuko's company at the Jasmine Dragon, 'oh my god I didn't just think of stupid fire bending Zuko as nice company?! I've got to get a hold of myself, I'll just blame this dumb girl body and girly brain, ick .'  He mentally shook himself from the strange feeling that came over him towards another guy.

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Sokka came through the door of the tea shop dramatically falling in the doorway trying to catch Zuko's eye. He spotted Zuko in the kitchen and waved to him obnoxiously, he could honestly say he liked the perplexed and fearful look in the other boys face from the scene he was causing. Walking towards the kitchen, he sat himself down waiting to tell Zuko about his day.

Since Zuko looked like he was trying to ignore him, he caught the uncle's attention instead, "Hey old man when's the jerk's break?" To other's he may seem like an uncouth girl but he really didn't care for appropriateness right after work.

"You can't talk to him lik-" Zuko was just about to rant when he heard his uncle guffawed loudly.

"Oh nephew don't worry about my feelings, I love this young lady and her wily ways, its quite refreshing from your gloomy moods." he expressed. Zuko could only scoff at his uncle's slight rub towards him.

Sokka stuck his tongue at Zuko watching as he just rolled his eyes in return.

"I'll let my dear nephew  off for the rest of the day. Please take him away and show him how to have fun for once in his life." His uncle practically begged.

The two conspired against Zuko and all he could do was hang up his apron and get dragged by Miyuki's whims, he'll never admit to either of them that he likes getting pushed around, he'll keep that to the grave.

"Great! Let's get a table, I've got tons of stuff to share about my day." He grabbed Zuko by the arm and lead him to a free spot.

Sokka waited to be settled at the table, ordering before turning around to unleash his rant. He was weirdly giddy wanting to tell Zuko about his day.

"You won't believe my day." Sokka shook his head tiredly, "So I get there, the boss lady is nice but oh man some of those girls are mean. I had one try to sabotage my work by telling me to place stuff in the wrong place and they're very particular about where things go so that messed me up some. The washing part was tougher than I thought, I had to wring and scrub the clothes til my fingers cramped and wrinkled, ugh it was tiring. Drying was easier and folding strangely calming, the whole clean-up routine was just easy and besides the rude girls, I liked the job overall and think I can stick with it." He ended with a flourish, elbows on the table smiling at the fire prince, laughing internally with Zuko's stoned-face reaction to his long-winded story.

"Sounds like a frustrating day to me, welcome to the job world I guess." Sokka could't believe Zuko's flippant reply, he honestly thought he would be more caring to his woes and again what's with himself wanting Zuko's sympathy?

"Excuse me, that's funny coming from someone whose probably never had a hard labor job before. I'm guessing you had it easy since your uncle was able to provide you one. You don't know the struggles of running around and being told flat out no or when you finally get lucky it only lasts for so long before you're replaced or treated like crap and running yourself exhausted for people who don't care but keep abusing you til you can't go on anymore." Sokka had no idea why he was throwing everything at Zuko. His emotions just started bursting maybe its the way he knows Zuko's privileged, entitled fire prince jerk that he is has everything handed to him and  just pretending to be undercover as some regular civilian to get to Aang. He could only huff in annoyance at himself and Zuko for letting his emotions get the better of him, he decided it was just best to stay quiet and not look at Zuko lest his hostility for the guy becomes more prominent.

"Well, I do find serving customers and cleaning after everyone frustrating and tiring most days. I've been assaulted by older women pinching my bottom cheeks, jealous boyfriends harassing me when their girlfriends try to be flirty at me, even got some few girls who stalked me for quite some time or the rude customers I hate who are disrespectful to me but mostly my uncle, I just want to burn them to a crisp, nobody disrespects my uncle and his beloved tea shop in front of me. I actually do know how hard laborious work can be especially with not much help and little pay." Zuko looked at the girl in front of him with all the openness he could muster. He knew she had it rougher than him but it wasn't like he didn't have his own hardships, they were just different from hers.

Sokka huffed in annoyance even more hating being so temper mental while Zuko explained himself calmly and free of judgment for his part. 'why am I such a child?'  he thought lamely.

"Ugh, sorry for being rude, I guess I'm more annoyed at the fact that I got turned down for most jobs just because I'm a girl. I know I can do the tough jobs, I've done them before and I like working hard and with my hands so it makes it more frustrating not even giving me a chance just by one look at me." He drummed his fingers nervously on the table still embarrassed about earlier.

Zuko couldn't help finding Miyuki's mannerisms and  temper cute, just seeing her emotions displayed out in the open and being ridiculous was refreshing and exciting to witness. Most of his life was closed off of emotions and barely a few months now he's been trying to open up to his feelings, they were scary but freeing and seeing Miyuki so unafraid of her emotions filled him with more confidence each day.

"I get it and if you'd like something more.. uh manlier to do, I can train you in dual wielding after whenever you'd like." He offered.

"Oh? Is that a date dear Lee?" Sokka jumped on the chance to embarrass him, something about seeing Zuko so flustered had him feeling awesome. He liked being back in control and harassing the poor teen.

"Ugh no, if you don't want the training then I won't bother." The tips of Zuko's ears went red as he looked glaringly at Sokka.

"Nooooo, I want the training really." To soften the blow of annoying Zuko did he mentally shrug and go for a kiss to the bender's cheek. He gasped in total surprise as he felt heat around his lips and a waft of what could only be the fire bender's particular scent, it was in his nose so thickly and strangely addictive he wanted to keep his nose to the other's cheek and soak it up forever even be mixed in it. 'What 's wrong with you?! Why are you smelling another dudes scent, stop! Stop it nooooow!'  he couldn't believe how soft a cheek could feel and was that a bit of scruff he felt, it felt so rough on his lips he actually didn't like that. Finally did he pull away and hope to agni the shudder he felt coursing through his body didn't show outwardly.

Zuko was surprised from the peck, it happened so fast but had him feel deeply warm from such a sweet kiss. "Um, how uh- or I mean.. What else did you like about the new job?" Yeah, his brain was done for.

Sokka rolled his eyes playfully, "How bout we talk more about it on the way to walking me to my place?" He held out his hand nervously.

"Okay." Zuko agreed grabbing her hand walking out the shop and down the familiar path to Miyuki's place.

The two caught up with each other's day, some more teasing, awkward flirting and plans for the next time they meet unaware of the mischievous moonlight's gaze upon them.

#zukka #atla #Zuko x Sokka #boylove #rating: mature

[miguel-manbemel]

Aspects & Fanfics Ep. 42: Beware the Paladin Part 2: The Downfall

Second part of the story I started two weeks ago. There’s not much I’d wish to add that I didn’t say already in the introduction of part 1, so I leave you with the story. I hope you enjoy it and until next time with part 3 of the story.

SYNOPSIS: Thomas’ sanity is completely compromised and Joan has difficulties to rein Thomas in, so they leave him with Kenny and Talyn to enter the Mind Palace and see if they can be of help in the chase of the Paladin, who is destroying room after room in the Mind Palace, further deteriorating Thomas’ condition.

WARNINGS: Depiction of a mental illness. Romantic prinxiety, dukeceit and logicality. Angst. Suicide mentions.

EPISODE INDEX

[there’s a sign reading “In the previous episode…” Then images from the previous episode are shown while Joan’s voice is heard narrating]

JOAN-NARRATOR: Something’s happening to Thomas and we still don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s affecting Roman, or maybe Roman is affecting Thomas, or maybe they both affect each other at the same time, I don’t know. The point is that Roman’s sickness caused by Thomas’ lack of hope has gone worse over time, to the point where not even the pills of hope Thomas unconsciously generates for him from the little moments of happiness he can get, work for too long. Remus, seeing how badly affected his brother was, gave him one pill too much, and that triggered Roman’s transformation into the Paladin, who after running away, beat up Logan and rendered him unconscious. Then he started wreaking havoc, destroying rooms all over the Mind Palace. Meanwhile, in the real world, Thomas started feeling the effects of the Paladin’s rampage, by losing his mind completely and entering a state of delusional euphoria. He thinks that he can only reach stardom by jumping to the stars… literally from a high branch on a tree next to his house. Thank goodness that Talyn, Kenny and I managed to convince him to come back down by playing along with his delusion and making him believe that the producers he hoped to find in the stars were actually in his apartment, waiting for him to sign the contract of his life. Now he’s here, playing video games while he waits for the producers to come out of the bathroom, or that’s what we told him. I locked the door and kept the key so he can't escape and injure himself or something worse. I hope this charade can buy the Sides enough time to take care of the Paladin and, I hope, bring Thomas’ sanity back before he gets out of control again.

[intro sequence]

[Thomas is still playing Kingdom Hearts while Joan, Talyn and Kenny watch him]

THOMAS: They’re taking a bit long, aren’t they? When are the producers gonna come out of the bathroom?

JOAN: Uh… please, be patient, Thomas. You know how badly can spicy food affect some people. You don’t want them to get mad at you because you hurried them, right?

THOMAS: [beat, pausing the game] Are you sure they’re in the bathroom at all? Are you sure they’re in this house at all?

JOAN: Of course! Why do you ask?

THOMAS: Because producers don’t use other people’s bathrooms! That’s not professional! Besides, Sokka has just told me that something’s wrong here.

JOAN: Sokka’s told you…?

THOMAS: Have you been lying to me, Joan?

JOAN: What?

THOMAS: [increasingly angry] You’ve been lying to me, admit it! You lied to me because you’re jealous of my achievement and you want to steal it away from me! F… [bleep] CK!

[Thomas furiously throws the controller aiming at the TV, but misses it, though the controller gets shattered in pieces. Then he stands up in a fit of anger. Joan, Talyn and Kenny also stand up]

THOMAS: [yelling] I thought you were by my side, that you would be happy for what I had accomplished! But you are just one of those who always get in my way, who won’t let me move forward in my dreams! But I won’t let you get away with this!

[starts running to the door. Kenny and Talyn grab him]

THOMAS: [yelling] You too!? Let me go! No one’s gonna prevent me to fulfill my dreams! No one! Let me go! I need to jump! I need to jump!

JOAN: [yelling] Thomas, sit down! Now! You can’t get out of the house, I have hidden the key and we won’t give it to you until you calm yourself! And you’ll never get to the producers in time if you don’t! [yelling as loud as their lungs allow them, their voice, on the verge of screech, even cracks] So SIT DOWN!!!

[Thomas looks at everyone with a face of anger. Then he sits down]

THOMAS: How could you betray me like this? I thought you were my friend.

JOAN: [clearing their throat as they clearly hurt it in the last yell] And I’m your friend, the best friend you could ever ask for. That’s why I need you to sit down here. You’re gonna thank me later, even if you don’t understand right now. [to Kenny and Talyn] Guys, do you think you’ll be able to handle him on your own?

KENNY: Yes, I think so, why?

JOAN: I’m going back to the Mind Palace. I wanna check how things are going in there.

THOMAS: What? No, I won’t let you in my Mind Palace! You’re not welcome there anymore! No!

KENNY: Don’t worry, we’ll take care of him.

JOAN: All right, then. Talyn, if something happens that would need my attention, you can enter the Mind Palace too. Get in to warn me, but only if there’s a crisis, okay? The Mind Palace is not a safe place with the Paladin on the loose.

TALYN: The Paladin? Who’s the Paladin?

JOAN: There’s no time now. I’ll explain later, when all of this is over, I hope soon.

TALYN: Okay, Joan. Be careful.

JOAN: I will. Well, if I want news about Roman, the best is to go to his room… Okay, I’ll be back as soon as I can.

[Joan concentrates, then sinks down. Then they rise up in Roman’s room. Chris is there on the couch]

JOAN: Hi, Chris.

CHRIS: Hi, Joan.

JOAN: Any news about Roman?

CHRIS: No, not yet. I’m so worried about my father. Any news from the outer world?

JOAN: Yes, but they’re not good. Thomas has lost his mind. He’s gone completely crazy, and of course, this thing about the Paladin must be the cause.

CHRIS: Oh, no…

JOAN: Maybe if Logan could give him some common sense, he could come back to normal. Is he still here?

CHRIS: Yes, he’s upstairs in my father’s bed. Remus is with him. But he still hasn’t woken up.

JOAN: This is an emergency… no, this is a crisis, a literal mental crisis. We need Logan to wake up so he can guide us. There has to be a way.

CHRIS: The key is in the Paladin, somehow. Before passing out Logan said he wouldn’t wake up until the Paladin was gone. The rest of the Sides, Patton, Ian, Janus and Virgil, are looking for him. But he’s fast as heck. He goes to one room, turns it into a mess and then leaves, before they can catch him. It’s like trying to catch a thunderbolt.

JOAN: And the more rooms he destroys, the more Thomas’ sanity deteriorates… Well, I hope they can catch him. Otherwise, Thomas is doomed. You didn’t mention Remus. Why doesn’t he join the chase?

CHRIS: He’s taking care of Logan. Dad didn’t want him around. He blames him for everything. He was the one who gave Remus the extra pill that started all this mess, you know? But I don’t judge him harshly for that. He only did what he thought it would be best for Roman, like we all try to do. It’s his brother and he loves him. He saw him suffering and he just wanted his suffering to end. He didn’t have any ill will. He just made a mistake, a terrible, dangerous mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

JOAN: Mistake or not, that doesn’t matter. I do think Remus should join the chase. Among all the Sides, he’s the most prepared to deal with that Paladin, I think.

CHRIS: I agree, but I don’t know what to tell him. Remus is devastated by guilt, he’s not himself anymore. It’s like he’s losing his will to do anything at all.

JOAN: I think I’ll go check on him. I haven’t had many chances to speak to him, but maybe I can get to him.

CHRIS: If you did, I’d be very grateful. Thank you, Joan.

JOAN: I’ll go, then.

[Joan goes upstairs and enters the bedroom. There he finds Remus next to Logan, still unconscious in bed. Remus has cleaned all of Logan’s wounds the best he could and summoned brand-new glasses and necktie, so he doesn’t look as bad as before, but he’s still bruised everywhere, though the worst wounds have been covered by Remus with bandages]

REMUS: Oh, hi, Joan.

JOAN: Hello, Remus. How is Logan doing?

REMUS: See your yourself. I’m doing my best to take care of him, so he could, maybe, wake up sooner, but he still hasn’t given any sign of life. I hope he can get over this and wake up. I have many wrongdoings in my life of which I don’t feel sorry at all, but this… I wouldn’t forgive myself if Logan didn’t wake up. Or if something happened to Roman because of me. They still haven’t caught him, the Paladin I mean, right?

JOAN: No, they haven’t yet… Why don’t you go help them?

REMUS: I can’t. Virgil forbade me to do so. I think he hates me. It wouldn’t be the first time, anyway, but this time he has a valid reason and it breaks my heart.

JOAN: Still, I think you should join the chase. I understand Virgil, but this goes beyond Roman or him. Thomas’ mental health is endangered if the Paladin is not contained. He’s already lost his sanity and could hurt himself if we don’t do something.

REMUS: That too? Just what I needed. I really want to help, to fix the mistake I made, but Virgil…

JOAN: Virgil will have to understand. At this point, Thomas is more important than his feelings. If you want to fix things, chase the Paladin, catch him and put him in a safe place until the pill’s effects wear off. That’s the only way you can redeem yourself, and you would save Thomas at the same time.

REMUS: But…

JOAN: [yelling] Oh, for f… [bleep] ‘s sake, Remus! I thought you always did whatever you wanted whenever it pleased you! Are you trying to tell me that it wouldn’t please you to join the chase? Then what are you still doing here? Thomas and Roman need you! Help save them, now!

[Remus shows a face of determination]

REMUS: You’re right. They need me, I can’t let them down! But who will stay with Logan?

CHRIS: [entering the room leaning on his crotches] I will, Remus. And if it serves for something, you have my permission to save my father. My dad will understand in time, you’ll see.

JOAN: And I’ll stay with him so that he’s not alone if the Paladin shows up here. Don’t worry, Remus. Logan is in safe hands.

REMUS:  Okay. If the Paladin shows up here, summon me at once, got it?

JOAN: Got it. Now, go.

[Remus sinks down. Meanwhile, Virgil and the others are looking for the Paladin everywhere in the Mind Palace. They only find the traces of destruction he’s leaving behind]

VIRGIL: This is so wrong… This is all so wrong. I’m starting to get concerned about Thomas’ sanity at this point. This is literally his mind, and it’s getting destroyed bit by bit.

[The Paladin appears in front of them with a maniac grin]

PALADIN: As if you hadn’t done worse things than me against Thomas’ mental health, Emo Nightmare.

VIRGIL: There he is! Get him!

[The Paladin pulls out a sword with a mischievous, evil laughter. He hits the ground with the sword, with all his might and an earthquake happens that makes everyone fall down. He cackles evilly]

PALADIN: Just look at all of yourselves. You’re so pathetic. You’re a failure as Sides and don’t deserve to be called as such! Luckily for Thomas, I’m gonna fix this once and for all, by getting rid of all of you, so that no more hinders block Thomas’ way to glory! I already took care of Logan. You all are next! And I’ll start with you, Emo Nightmare!

VIRGIL: Stop calling me like that, Paladin!

PALADIN: Why? That’s who you are, or that’s what I get from Roman’s memories. That’s who you’ve always been and forever will be in Roman’s eyes. Always a hinder for Thomas’ pursue of his hopes and dreams. He’s always hated you a bit because of that, and frankly, I don’t blame him.

VIRGIL: You… You’re lying! You’re obviously lying! Roman loves me!

PALADIN: Oh, love and hate can coexist, you know? I won’t deny that you look cute as a button, that’s why he thinks he loves you, but he could never love you completely. Because every time you get into action, you place Thomas one step back from his dreams. And he can’t stand it. You’re making Roman’s life miserable in the long term, and in his mind he puts all the blame on you. Now he’s blinded by his attraction to you, but when his “love” for you wears off, and it will, don’t doubt it, he’ll hold everything you’ve done to Thomas against you, and he’ll leave you, and he’ll fight against you and everything you represent, like you used to fight when you were a Dark Side, because in the end his love for Thomas is stronger than his love for you or anyone else… I can see in your eyes that you still don’t believe me. [to Janus] Janus, you catch liars from miles away. You know very well I’m saying the truth here.

[Janus looks at the Paladin with a mixed face of anger and sadness]

VIRGIL: [smirks to Janus] He’s lying, right? [concerned when Janus doesn’t speak] Janus… Tell me he’s lying! [now yelling, scared] Tell me that Roman doesn’t feel that about me! Tell me!

[Janus looks at Virgil. A tear falls down his snake eye when he speaks]

JANUS: [trembling voice] He’s… lying…

[Virgil immediately understands that Janus is the one who’s lying now and that the Paladin is saying the truth. He shows a face of shock and despair, but he doesn’t shed a tear]

PALADIN: Oh, but don’t worry about it, emo. He won’t have time to get to that point in your relationship… [switching to a threatening cold voice] because I’m gonna make him a widower right at this moment!

[The Paladin starts approaching Virgil sword in hand while Virgil is too stunned to react. Then, Remus rises up between them]

REMUS: That’s what you think, usurper! Don’t you dare taking another step towards my brother-in-law!

[The Paladin looks at Remus with a glance of disdain]

PALADIN: Oh, look, my liberator. Did you enjoy the way I gave you my thanks, with my foot on your face and all?

REMUS: [grins, pulling out his mace] As a matter of fact, I really enjoyed it! Don’t you have any more of these in store, please? But this time don’t render me unconscious. I want to enjoy the pleasure of the pain on my face and my body! It was such a delightful way of waking up moments later!

PALADIN: If you want another dose of that, I can give it to you whenever you want!

REMUS: I’ll be glad, but I have a better idea! Why don’t we share the pain this time? I’d love to give you back some of the pleasure you’ve given to me, Paladin! And the pain that my little friend [points at his mace] can inflict is the best of the best, you’re gonna love it. [his grin suddenly disappears and is replaced by a ferocious look] There’s only room for one kinky, crazy Creativity in this Mind Palace, you know?

PALADIN: [rising his sword] Then I’ll be glad to take your place… Dooky.

[Remus and the Paladin start fighting. Right from the start, it’s clear that it’s not gonna be a fair fight. The Paladin tries all sorts of tricks against Remus, but Remus is just as a dirty fighter as the Paladin and blocks them all, using also dirty tricks of his own against the Paladin. The others watch the scene]

JANUS: Are you okay, Virge?

VIRGIL: [just looking at the fight, without looking at Janus] This looks so similar to that first fight they had in Remus’ castle. It’s clear that inside of that crazy Paladin… Roman and his fighting technique are still there, somewhere. He’s still Roman and he still needs our help. I don’t have time now to react to what has just happened, not until he’s safe.

JANUS: Okay…

[The battle goes on, until the Paladin suddenly grins malevolently. Before anyone can see through his plan, the Paladin suddenly attacks Janus with his sword and hits him heavily on the head. Janus, who didn’t see him coming, doesn’t even have time to groan and quickly falls down unconscious. Virgil watches in horrified shock, like Patton and Ian. Remus needs a couple of seconds to react over seeing Janus knocked out on the floor, while a little stream of blood falls from his crushed bowler hat]

REMUS: [suddenly screeching] JANUUUUS! YOU F… [bleep] … NG SON OF A B… [bleep] , WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?

[Remus goes into Berserk mode and starts attacking the Paladin with an increased strength. But the attacks are more chaotic and more easily avoidable. That continues for a short time until Remus makes a mistake and the Paladin overthrows him and makes him fall. Before he can stand up, the Paladin points at Remus’ throat with his sword]

PALADIN: I win this fight!

[Remus yells a war cry of pure wrath and despair]

VIRGIL: Remus!

REMUS: Do it already! You bas… [bleep] ! Do you think I’m afraid of you!? Do it if you have the guts! [screeching] DO IIIT!

PALADIN: If you insist…

[The Paladin rises his sword, ready to give Remus the coup de grace, while the others are too stunned and horrified to react. But before the Paladin can do it, something happens. He suddenly drops his sword, which vanishes after hitting the ground, and shows a face of shock, joined with a sudden feel of dizziness]

PALADIN: What is happening? No… the pill… the effect is wearing off… I need another one! No!

[The Paladin doesn’t say any more words. He just collapses on the floor. In a matter of seconds, the sash on his suit changes from crimson to bright red and all the symptoms of the illness return to his appearance, including the paleness, the red cheeks and the black eye bags, only that now his expression is worse than ever, both because of the illness and because of his guilt]

REMUS: [getting up and approaching him] Roman? Is that you?

[Roman looks at Remus. His eyes are full of tears]

ROMAN: [weak, almost whining voice] I’m sorry, Remus… I’m sorry, guys… I saw everything happen… but I couldn’t do anything… the Paladin controlled my body… Virgil, I’m sorry… I…

[Virgil approaches Roman. His face couldn’t be more serious]

VIRGIL: That doesn’t matter right now. Now we need to take you to your room, to safety.

ROMAN: Janus… How is Janus? Tell me I didn’t kill him, please…

IAN: [checking him] He’s alive. You didn’t hit him with the sharp edge of your sword. You just knocked him out. I’ll take care of him. You, guys, get Roman to his room.

ROMAN: Thank God… Thank God…

[Remus and Virgil grab Roman, then they and Patton sink down and rise up in Roman’s bedroom]

JOAN: We knew you were coming, guys.

PATTON: You knew? How?

JOAN: Logan has just opened his eyes, look.

PATTON: Logan! Are you okay?

LOGAN: Everything hurts… and I can’t move… but I think I can survive… sort of…

[Patton hugs Logan and kisses him]

LOGAN: Watch out, Pat, I have just said that everything hurts… be more gentle, please.

PATTON: I’m sorry… I was so worried about you…

LOGAN: I can see you have brought Roman here and the Paladin is gone… That’s great… however, this isn’t over yet…

REMUS: What do you mean? You said that when the effect of the pill wore off, he would return back to normal, and it happened so. What do we need to be afraid of?

LOGAN: Joan, I advise you to go back to the real world to check on Thomas.

JOAN: If the Paladin is gone, he should be back to normal, right?

LOGAN: The Paladin’s arrival was a point of no return in Thomas’ mind. He will never be the same again, and Roman is gonna be permanently on the verge of danger, and with him Thomas.

JOAN: You’re scaring me, Logan. What do you mean?

LOGAN: Have you ever heard about bipolar disorder?

JOAN: As a matter of fact, yes. I have a friend who has it… Do you mean that…?

LOGAN: Yes. Thomas has bipolar disorder.

JOAN: Just like that? Like someone getting the flu, he’s contracted bipolar disorder? It doesn’t work like that, right?

LOGAN: Of course not. That disorder has always been asleep in Thomas’ mind. Some people feel the symptoms of the disorder very early in their lives. Others are well into adulthood, even in their fifties or sixties, when they start feeling them. Some start when they go through some kind of specially stressful situation, like…

JOAN: …like this pandemic and confinement. That’s what started the chain reaction, right?

LOGAN: Those pills of hope that Thomas unconsciously generated and Roman took were only a deterrent, but eventually they turned into delusion. Now they’re gonna be useless. Roman can never take those pills again, or the Paladin would return and finish what he couldn’t finish now. I’m sorry, Roman.

ROMAN: I understand. I’m not taking those pills again, not even if I’m dying. I’d rather die than ever be the Paladin again… it was horrible.

VIRGIL: What are exactly the symptoms of… bipolar disorder?

LOGAN: Bipolar disorder, which used to be called in the past manic-depressive disorder, even though that’s name is totally phased out, is a mental disorder that affects the mood. It’s called bipolar because it makes the mind swing through both the polar opposites of mood. There are episodes of euphoria and mania, where the person thinks they can do anything in a delusional way… and there are episodes of deep depression where the person loses all the will to live. If not put under control, the person swings between these two moods until they lose their life, either because of doing something crazy during mania that proves to be fatal, or because, during some bad episode of depression, they can’t resist the sadness and despair and… take their own life as a result.

VIRGIL: Is… Is Thomas going to end like that, then? There’s no solution?

LOGAN: Don’t worry, Virgil, even if it’s your job. Even though bipolar disorder is a chronic illness which doesn’t have a proper cure, nowadays, there are effective treatments. Thomas may occasionally have these episodes of mania and depression, but if he gets psychiatric supervision, takes his medication as prescribed and follows healthy habits that contribute to keep his mood balanced, he can and will have a very normal and productive life. There are lots of people who live a normal life having the disorder. Even among famous people, you’d be surprised of how many of them have or had bipolar disorder: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Carrie Fisher, Demi Lovato, Frank Sinatra, Mariah Carey, Sting, Curt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix… just to name a few. Yes, some of them have or had complicated lives and some of them sadly didn’t end well, but many of them managed or still manage to have a perfectly normal and successful life, and Thomas can have it too. Of course, he’ll need to see a psychiatrist to start treatment as soon as possible. He’ll need hospitalization to put his emotions under control, maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks. That’s why I want you, Joan to take care of him now. Take care of him and take him to a psychiatrist. They’ll know what to do next.

[Talyn rises up]

TALYN: Here you are, Joan!

JOAN: Talyn, what are you doing here? Is something wrong with Thomas?

TALYN: I think so. Suddenly he stopped talking delusionally and instead he started crying like a baby, mumbling that nothing makes sense anymore. He’s now lying on the couch, on fetal position, like a hopeless baby.

JOAN: Is it normal for the mood swings to be so fast, Logan?

LOGAN: There are cases, although I suspect Thomas’ special condition as an owner of a Mind Palace may be an accelerator of the swings, I suppose.

JOAN: Okay, then there’s no more time to waste, Thomas needs help. Will you, guys, be okay?

VIRGIL: We’ll be okay, Joan, don’t worry. Go take care of Thomas.

JOAN: Okay. See ya, guys.

[Joan and Talyn sink down]

ROMAN: But I don’t understand… why am I the only one affected by that… bipolar disorder?

LOGAN: Well, Roman, you are Thomas’ hopes and dreams. It’s only logical that you are the most affected by the disorder. During mania, your dreams heighten to unhealthy levels, that’s when the Paladin shows up. Then during depression, your levels of hope drop down, and that’s when you get sick, like you are now.

ROMAN: And I’m feeling so bad… even worse than before… I just want this to end…

LOGAN: Be strong, Roman. When Thomas starts getting treatment, you’ll get back to normal, you’ll see.

ROMAN: I hope so, Logan. I hope so…

VIRGIL: I’ll take care of you while you’re feeling sick.

ROMAN: Thank you, Virgil. I love you.

VIRGIL: [cold voice] Don’t mention. It’s my duty as your husband, Roman.

LOGAN: And I should be going to my own bedroom, Roman needs his own bed, obviously. Could you help me, Patton? I can barely move, so I’m not of much use for Thomas, logically speaking. You know that logic is always damaged in this kind of disorders. Hope you guys can cope without my help for some time.

PATTON: Okay, I got you, don’t worry.

VIRGIL: Thanks for all your help, guys. Take care, Logan.

[Patton and Logan sink down]

REMUS: If you don’t mind, I’m gonna check on Janus. I’m too worried about him.

ROMAN: Of course, Remus. I hope he’s all right too, I wouldn’t forgive myself if I… Thanks again for your help. If it wasn’t for you distracting me, I don’t know what I could have done to the Mind Palace or… to Virgil.

REMUS: Anytime, brother.

VIRGIL: And I also apologize for being so rude to you, Remus. I know you didn’t mean to cause trouble and you only cared about Roman. It was the fear what made me speak to you like that. I’m sorry for everything I said to you. I didn’t mean it, I promise.

REMUS: It’s okay, Virgil, I can handle it. [puts his hand on Virgil’s shoulder] But I really appreciate the apology, and I apologize too for the mess I have caused.

VIRGIL: It’s okay. According to Logan, this was bound to happen sooner or later anyway.

REMUS: Bye, guys. [sinks down] Get well soon, brother.

ROMAN: Thanks, Remus…

[a sign reads “To be continued, guys, gals and non binary pals”]

[end card]

[Virgil helps Roman get into bed. Then summons Roman’s pajama in place of his prince suit. He’s still serious all the time, not saying a word]

ROMAN: Uh… Chris… Do you feel good enough to make some ramen for dinner, for all of us?

CHRIS: But I can just summon the ra…

ROMAN: [giving a dirty look to Chris] It would be better if you just went to the kitchen and took your time to make the ramen, please? [the last word he says it giving a significant look at Virgil, then at the door]

CHRIS: [understanding] Oh… of course, father. [getting out of the bedroom with his crotches] I’ll go make it right now.

[Chris closes the door behind him. Virgil looks at Roman with the same serious face]

ROMAN: Virgil I…

VIRGIL: [with a sharp tone] I don’t need you to apologize, Roman.

ROMAN: But I do, because I have hurt you.

VIRGIL: You weren’t yourself. You would have never said those things to me if you had been in your normal state. If it helps you feel better, I forgive you.

ROMAN: Thanks, Virgil. It means a lot to me… But are you okay?

VIRGIL: [same sharp tone] What do you think? It’s not exactly the best for someone’s mood to find out that your husband… that you genuinely think that I’m bad for Thomas and you hate the way I am.

ROMAN: I didn’t say that, I…

VIRGIL: But you think it. Janus confirmed that, as the Paladin, you weren’t lying. You really hate who I am and what I do. What I don’t get then is… why did you marry me, Roman? If you don’t like how I am, why did you marry me?

ROMAN: Because I love you Virgil. My love for you is real.

VIRGIL: Is it though?

ROMAN: What do you mean? Of course it’s real! You are the one I love the most in my life! You and Chris, and Thomas, of course, are in different ways the men of my life!

VIRGIL: I don’t know… Since you’ve hidden your real feelings about me in that sense… I really don’t know if I can trust you anymore.

ROMAN: That hurts me, Virgil. It really hurts me.

VIRGIL: Not as much as me saying it, you can bet. Because I still love you more than anything. Like the first time I confessed my feelings to you, I still love you more than I love myself, and I would still give my live for you if you asked me. I already did once, in case you’ve forgotten. But now… [looking at Roman with a face of huge sadness and disappointment] I don’t know if you would do the same for me and the doubt feels like having a knife stuck in my stomach…

ROMAN: Virgil, I…

VIRGIL: I’m gonna go help Chris make the ramen, if you don’t mind. We’ll bring it to you when it’s ready. See ya later, Roman.

[Virgil gets out of Roman’s room and closes the door behind him. Roman starts silently crying when he hears muffled sobbing on the other Side of the door, Virgil’s sobbing]

#thomas sanders #sanders sides #character thomas sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #janus sanders #remus sanders #sanders sides fanfiction #sanders sides fanfic #sanders sides fic #fanfiction #fanfic #fic #tw mental illness #tw suicide mentions #prinxiety #romantic prinxiety #dukeceit #romantic dukeceit #logicality #romantic logicality #angst #aspects and fanfics

[archergwenwrites]

ZM - Feb 19 - Avatara

(A/N: What a rich vein this prompt proved to be!)

@zutaramonth

“Sifu Aang, how did you get so old?”

“Well, little Katara, I listened to my mother.” 

The little girl squealed. “I am never listening to her again!”

“No, wait, wrong lesson! Come back-”

*

“Sifu Aang, how did you get so old?” 

 The old man sighed and leaned on his staff, tilting his head. His long hair jingled with the Water Tribe charms tied into his braids, the headband he always wore keeping them out of his eyes. He squinted out at the snows that rolled over the horizon as far as they could see. He looked down at the bright seven year old who had come out to walk with him. “They say, Katara, that benders and others close to the spirits, that as they keep up that connection, nurture their chi, they can live centuries. Avatar Kyoshi lived several centuries.”

“So if I get good enough at waterbending, I’ll never going to die?”

He chucked, ruffling her hair. “I never said that, little one.”

*

“Sifu Aang, how- how- how…”

“Hush, dear, hush.” He cradled the breaking eight year old in his arms. “Let us be sad together. Let us grieve together.”

“But how-” she broke off into more sobs.

“Oh child.” He looked up as Hakoda entered the shaman’s tent, new lines of grief etched into his young face. Aang extended a hand, and, when the chief took the bait, he pulled him down into a group hug, making a Katara sandwich.

“One day at a time, and lots of hugs.” He felt the younger man’s shoulders shake. “Just like this.”

*

“Sifu Aang, you’re being stupid.”

The old man just chuckled and leaned on his staff, squinting out into the snows on their walk. “Sokka tells me you almost capsized your boat this morning.”

The teen crossed her arms. “He deserved that tongue-lashing for ignoring that I caught a fish before he did. It’s what Gran-Gran would have said.”

“The difference between you and Kanna is that one of you is actually a tribe elder.”

“I don’t see how some ultimately harmless splashing means I now have to go out on a walk with you. Losing all my time to do housework seems a little harsh.”

“Katara, have you ever felt like something is missing?”

“What?”

“Have you ever felt like there is more you’re meant for?”

She huffed. “Yeah, like I think my destiny is to pull fish hooks out of Sokka’s thumbs and do all the mending he’s too impatient to finish.”

Aang fished inside his coat and withdrew an old wooden box. It was easily held in his hand, worn around the edges where the yellow paint had worn off. There was a funny looking lock on the face of it, symbols she did not recognized carved both into the lock and the box itself, creating crevices for the yellow paint to survive the years.

“One hundred years ago, Fire Lord Sozin made the mistake most evil people do, that to do good one must be righteous. But if the average person can look at evil planned and say ‘no, not this,’ they can do good even if they do not make a grand public gesture.” He offered her the box.

“It’s locked; I can’t open it.”

“It’s an airlock. An airbender can open it.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking so much like her grandmother about to tear into a foolish tribesman. “You know, I liked you better when you were everyone’s crazy adopted uncle who could toss us the highest into the snow banks.”

Aang exhaled, slow and heavy, the stream of his breath clear as it wound straight for the lock and twisted through it, popping the lid. “And that is how I managed to toss you so high.”

“You’re an airbender!”

“Open the box, Katara.”

She did so, and her brow furrowed as she stared at the few trinkets inside. A green top lying on its side, a red cloth doll, and a yellow knotted string with multicolored beads looped along its length sat in the box like a strange memento box. “How did you get my stuff,” she asked softly, confused by her words as much as by the box’s contents as she reached for the beaded string.

“This box has been locked for a hundred years, Katara,” Aang replied as her fingers closed around the first bead.

Light exploded across her vision, and it felt like she was flying through the air. She landed on her back and immediately rolled back to her feet. To her confusion, it looked like she was in what Aang had described swamps as looking like when he told stories. Everything had a faint glow, including the bald kid sitting cross-legged in front of her and smiling up at her.

“Hello Katara!”

“Am I dead?”

“Nope! Just woefully untrained. But that’s okay, because you’ve only just learned you’re the Avatar like I was.”

Katara raised an eyebrow. “You’re just a kid.”

“So are you. Don’t tell Aang though, there’s no question that will answer that he’s ready for.”

“He’s a hundred and twelve. I sure hope he can handle a message from the spirits.”

The boy stood, yellow robes floating around him a nice contrast to his blue arrow tattoos. “Just trust me. Now, you’ll get better at this as you practice, but I’ll help you back to your body this time.”

“I left my body?” “You’re the bridge between the human world and the spirit world, Katara. This is part of the job.” He smiled and tapped her forehead.

She blinked and she was surrounded by snow again, lying on her back. Aang was climbing back to his feet, the box lay open between them. “Well,” he began, extending a hand to help her up. “I did not expect such a light show.”

*

“I saw the lights! Just hand over the Avatar and I will leave! No one has to get hurt.”

Aang met Iroh’s eyes over the head of the blustering teenager. This was the nephew he spoke so highly of? He did not look like much, or like anything but a devoted son of Ozai’s, despite the scar. Ah well. His hand was forced by Sokka’s loud mouth. The next mail ship would undoubtedly carry away with it a report from Ozai’s spy – the identity of whom still escaped his probings, something that would forever prickle at him – given that the boy had tried to get Katara reprimanded for waterbending.

He was pretty sure how the youths would respond to this.

“Alright, alright, enough is enough.” Aang stepped forward, inwardly smiling at the surprise on the Fire Nation Prince’s face. “I am the Avatar. Take me away.”

Gold eyes narrowed. “How do I know you’re not just lying to save your people?”

With a sweep of Aang’s hand, air flung snow into Zuko’s face. “I’ll go with you, if you swear any of my clever attempts to escape will not result in retribution on the tribe.”

As the teen clawed at the snow in his collar, Aang winked at Katara. She nodded, ducking her head to hide a smirk.

“Deal. Bring him aboard.”

*

Zuko took a fortifying breath outside the room his men had stashed the Avarar in. He was about to go face an old man, yes, but one who’d had a hundred years to master all four elements. This was what he’d been training for, what his father expected him to face. He could do this; he was not the failure Court and his sister thought him.

He threw the door open, hoping to intimidate.

It didn’t ruffle the old man at all. He was sitting chin in hand as Uncle Iroh placed a tile on the Pai Sho board between them.

“Uncle!”

“Ah, Prince Zuko. Do come in. I could use your eyes; the Avatar is beating me soundly.”

The Avatar shook a finger in friendly chastisement at Uncle. “Hey now! No cheating. That’s not very honorable.”

“Excuse me! You are a prisoner! Uncle, stop playing with him.”

Uncle placed a tile. A stupid move, actually, unless there was a pattern Zuko wasn’t seeing. Uncle probably had some gambit in play Zuko couldn’t actually help with that would slam shut around the Avatar’s tiles sooner or later. Why lay out the spirit tile to follow the world tile?

The older man chuckled. “She was cute; wasn’t she? The young lady protecting the tribe’s little kids?” He snuck a teasing glance at Zuko as Uncle’s eyebrows raised in consideration. 

He thought of fierce blue eyes glaring out of her well-formed face. “I didn’t notice.”

“Didn’t notice? Iroh, I am beginning to suspect both your Pai Sho skills and your parenting skills. What young man doesn’t notice a pretty girl?”

“I was trying to catch you!”

“Well I am much too old for you. And I’m not sure I’d be interested in someone who’s so focused on his goal he forgets about situational awareness.”

“I am situationally aware!” Zuko yelled, right as the shipped lurched and suddenly stopped.

The Avatar smiled. “Well, that’s my ride.”

*

Zuko breathed heavily with effort, his ship tilting from the ice the waterbender - oh, father was going to have words with their spy - had produced to stop their movement. The Avatar was laughing over head, his walking stick turned into a glider, wheeling in a wide circle to follow after the small boat piloted by the young tribesman who’d challeneged him.

Leaning over the rail, Zuko met the eyes of the waterbender - the one who’d protected the little kids - as he looked back. She was staring back, perhaps to track the Avatar.

Her eyes were fierce, and with the wind blowing her hair he could see what the Avatar-

She flipped him off with both hands, and the boat vanished around an iceburg.

#zutara #zuko x katara #fanfiction #zutaramonth2020

[comradekatara]

sexism in the fire nation?? I want more examples!!

Okay, I’m not sure exactly to which post you’re referring, but you should know I have made a post expounding on this topic in the past. I do wish to speak on it further, though, because there seems to be this widespread belief among the fandom that the Fire Nation is the least sexist of all four nations during Aang’s time—and this bothers me for a number of reasons…

7 more paragraphs under the cut because it seems I have no self control???

The Fire Nation is an imperialist state that profits off of its colonialism, to the detriments of the territories it colonizes (obviously). Therefore, it makes sense that the FN seems more modernized than the rest of the world. But do not mistake their technological advancement for social progress. It is common propaganda that social progress moves with technological progress, in the same direction, and at the same pace. (For one thing, define “social progress.”) Colonialist states such as Israel will try to justify their occupation of Palestinian territory and oppression of Palestinians with, “Okay, yeah, maybe we’re doing those things, but we’re also the only country in the Middle East with LGBT rights!” And um, sure, Tel Aviv has a pride parade, but the Israeli gov’t also directly oppresses LGBT Palestinians. Or how when India decriminalized homosexuality and a lot of dumb liberals were like, “Good for India for finally catching up to the West!” when it was Western (British) influence that fucked India up in the first place. 

And even so, these are not the best examples I could give, because the FN can’t even boast gay rights. Now, you all know I tend to see the comics as a buffet of canon; I pick and choose what feels right, and if I doubt its plausibility, I have no problem ignoring it. At first, I was dubious to the claim that Firelord Sozin criminalized homosexuality. Apparently, being gay was all fine and dandy in the Fire Nation before Sozin (which I highly doubt, but still) and then all of a sudden he’s rounding up his subjects and sending them off to… well, it never exactly specifies, but you can guess. Again, not many specifics are given. But, it would make sense for an autocrat boasting the glory of his nation to need a scapegoat, and “the homosexuals” seem a pretty decent target. I mean, it’s not like this doesn’t have historical precedent. So while I initially marked it as kind of immature writing, just the idea that Bad Man is Homophobe because Bad, the more I examined the Fire Nation royal family of ATLA, the more it made sense that the Fire Nation has a history of egregious homophobia. 

Instead of looking to Sozin, who we truly know nothing about other than the fact that he liked to throw grass in people’s faces as a kid (which, uh, same—okay tangent, but why is ripping grass out of the ground and then throwing it like confetti so satisfying? Anyway), we need to look at the interplay among Ozai, Zuko, Iroh, Azula, and Ursa. Now, it’s really not hard to apply a queer reading to Zuko’s arc. I mean, the fact that it plays out like a 1:1 of a coming-out narrative wasn’t intentional on the part of the head writers is, frankly, staggering. And saying this isn’t to diminish the importance of his moral growth—one of understanding his own complicity in the war, and taking on the responsibility to mitigate his family’s legacy of violence and terror—but it is actually impossible to ignore the role Gender plays in all of this. If the Fire Nation was truly free of sexism, which, by the way, is impossible because its culture is too steeped in real-world influences to be able to separate imperialist values from upholding patriarchy, Zuko’s story would have played out much differently. For the record, you could switch out the word “Honor” for masculinity in not just ATLA, but a lot of other texts as well (especially those involving duels) and I bet we’d all come to understand just how silly and deluded the entire concept is. Of course, honor does not necessarily equate to masculinity. Acting honorably is whatever the culture defines it to be. For the Fire Nation, their culturally is militaristically-inclined, and so Zuko tries desperately to be a good soldier. Of course, Zuko is terrible at War, and thus is considered a failure. Being nurturing, compassionate, sensitive, or gentle is seen as weakness, and thus Zuko is forced to suppress these inherent traits if he does not want to be deemed weak. To be clear, Zuko does not learn how to be good; he learns that he is good. That he’s okay as he is, and that he should trust to act on his instincts, because they were right all along. 

Concurrently, while Azula’s arc is certainly less Gender than Zuko’s is (Toph proves the closest parallel to Zuko in that regard), misogyny is a pervasive element in understanding why she is the way she is. Unlike Zuko, who is, frankly, encouraged to yell (as it is pretty much the only form of emotional expression men are permitted to display) Azula must remain poised at all times if she wants to stay in her parents’ good graces. She clearly had better discipline than Zuko did as a child—and that is partially due to raw talent, but talent can only get you so far. Her flames weren’t always blue. While, yes, Azula is valued for typically masculine traits, such as her physical prowess, cunning, and “stoicism,” she is the Crown Princess. It is expected of her to follow in her father’s footsteps and promote military dominance during her inevitable reign. And surely you must be saying, “Well, if there are female Firelords, case closed, right? If a woman can be supreme ruler, then clearly the country cannot be sexist.” Riiiiiiight. Because Ancient Egypt wasn’t sexist. Because Britain. Etc.

I also see people saying that there were female guards at the Boiling Rock. Other than the fact that the Boiling Rock seems like it’s a bit short on guards and will take what they can get at the moment (Sokka and Zuko are both children who do not fit into those uniforms and no one questions it. No one even says, “Hey, aren’t you a little too young to work here?” …which is a shame, because the response, “I’m an intern..?” would’ve floored me) working-class women have always participated in labor. The Boiling Rock is not a gender-segregated prison. The only thing they care about is whether or not you’re a threat to the Fire Nation. They don’t even care if you’re an actual child (see: Suki). Seeing as the Fire Nation is deeply concerned with the containment of rebel forces, and the prison is fucking huge, it makes sense that they would hire a handful of women along with the male guards. It doesn’t seem like a job many would want (although with the Fire Nation’s brainwashing it’s hard to say), and they could use all hands on deck. But do we see any female high-ranking military officials? Any female soldiers in their military at all? The worst jobs cannot afford not to hire women. The Firelord cannot afford not to turn his daughter into a weapon simply because she is female. (His dumb gay son is clearly inept and a lost cause.) Azula’s greatest advantage is that people underestimate her. She enlists the help of Mai and Ty Lee, two teenage girl non-benders, because she knows that agility is key. She would rather blend in, be able to move through crowds unnoticed, than to show off (not to say she doesn’t like showing off, but she is distinctly subtler than Zuko, not to mention Ozai). In this way, her cunning and prowess are feminine qualities. Her swallowing of her emotional outbursts is a distinctly female trait. Under patriarchy, men are, in fact, encouraged to display their emotions more than women are, because at least men get to be angry. Azula is hyperaware of how misogyny operates in society, and she uses that as yet another tool in her arsenal. 

Now, I cannot go without mentioning Iroh’s treatment of Azula. We’re clearly all thinking it. Pre-Lu Ten’s-Death-Inspired-Epiphany-Iroh sends his niece and nephew some gifts from the Earth Kingdom: a doll and a knife, respectively. He sends the wrong toy to the wrong kid. First of all, he sends a ten-year-old Zuko a knife, which is decidedly not a toy (though he still manages to use it like one), and he sends a doll to Azula, which she immediately burns out of spite. Azula rejects gender roles in the same way Zuko does, but there is another layer to it, because femininity and women are so devalued; masculinity and association to it is a way of gaining power. Thus, Azula must perform femininity (physical perfection, “One hair out of place”) to gain approval and can never be caught slipping if she wants to be taken seriously. Unlike Zuko, who never once acts dignified, and is never taken seriously, Azula has learned to utilize these roles to her advantage in every possible way. And yet, Iroh does not care about how well she presents herself. She is a woman, and she wields too much power. Of course, the latter part is true. She is far too powerful considering her agenda, and she does need to be stopped (and helped). But when Iroh says, “No, she is crazy and needs to go down,” there are some heavily gendered implications at play here. To put it outright: Iroh is a sexist. He may have critically reexamined his views on war and peace after the death of his son, but that clearly did not extend to gender. Even a subtle thing, like constantly trying to set Zuko up with random girls in Ba Sing Se (it’s implied it’s not a one-off occurrence) (also, why would he be so rude to those poor girls as to force them to go on a date with Zuko, the actual worst person you could ever go on a date with except for perhaps a serial killer) seems a bit…. presumptuous. Not that I’m necessarily faulting him for his heteronormativity. Suki never had the chance to introduce him to Judith Butler after all, seeing as they had a war to win under intense time pressure and all that when they met. Maybe afterward, though. It’s the least he could do to better connect with his #Wells4Boys nephew (and #MyLittleStepchildren niece—though they truly have their work cut out for them). 

So yeah, assuming that sexism does not exist in the Fire Nation ignores the real-world implication of those claims. The Fire Nation is largely modeled after imperialist Japan, among other cultural influences. To then claim that an imperialist, militaristic society can exist without patriarchy in a cultural landscape so similar to our own is heavily reductive and downright ignorant. Not to mention, there’s pretty clear evidence throughout the entire show that the Fire Nation is sexist, among every class, and on a systemic, structural level.

So when people say, “Sexism is bad for men, as they are taught to repress their emotions, and they hurt themselves and others in the process,” they are, in fact, talking about Zuko. QED.

#analysis #zuko #azula #iroh #yeah this is two thousand words... #hope its adequate!!! lol #anon #asks

[redrobin-detective]

Heya! Sorry to bother, but I've been getting back into ATLA recently and I wanted to know if you have any Fic Recs for that? Mainly ones including Zuko! Thanks already!!

TheTAlright here we go, I’ve split it between FF and AO3 fics because I read a lot of stuff on FF. If you see an * next to an FF story then the story was crossposted to AO3.

Fanfiction

Another Brother by Avocado Love*- 10 year old Zuko is discovered by Hakoda’s fleet with no memories and is adopted into the Water Tribe as Sokka and Katara’s brother when they discover the Avatar in the ice. My favorite ATLA AU.

In His Shoes by Avocado Love- While staying in Ba Sing Se, Sokka and Zuko run into and accidentally kill one another. The spirits bring them back, but in each other’s bodies to teach them a lesson about understanding different people and cultures.

Tea With Destiny by Avocado Love*- During his Spirit World Quest, Iroh meets a wise old Fire Lord who invites him for tea and advice but who is that mysterious scarred man?

The Undying Fire: Book One by Boogum- Part one of five (originally one 90 some chapter story). In order to save Aang during the Blue Spirit adventure, Zuko discovers he has healing fire. He ends up travelling with the Gaang mid book 2. Really good, I lost track but I need to finish. 

Bloodline by mon-petit-pois*- A brief but fascinating look at the royals of the Fire Nation from Sozin to Izumi and how fire, hatred and war shaped them all for good or ill.

What Do You Mean I’m Not Fire Lord by ManofManyHats*- Its the aftermath of Zuko’s Agni Kai and he’s frustrated to learn there’s still some political maneuverings in order to be crowned. Alternatively: Zuko wants snuggles and gets struggles (but some snuggles later).

Revenant by ManofManyHats*- 13 year old Zuko dies at his father’s hand during their Agni Kai. He wanders as a ghost until he becomes a ‘spiritual’ adviser to Team Avatar. This is one of the most fulfilling angsts I’ve ever read, breaking my heart but also feeling very natural and peaceful.

Bringing Out the Blue by maguena1- Zuko never gets revealed as the Blue Spirit so Aang takes his savior back to camp. He sees it as an oppertunity to catch the Avatar but soon finds himself fond of this crazy group he accidentally became a part of. 

Understanding the Enemy by TheTimelessCycle- the cathartic, ‘Katara and Zuko finally talk about their issues and put the past behind them with more than an “I forgive you” hug’ we never got in the show.

Embers by Vathara*- How do I even describe this landmark fic? Yes its probably the longest fic I’ve ever read but the details and intricate social and political breakdown on the nature of cultures and bending. Definitely paints some characters (Zuko, Toph) way better than others (Katara, Aang) but damn this shit is good. Zuko has healing fire and it spirals way out of control from there.

Hide and Seek by Swiss Army Knife- The gaang trains by playing games in the woods, Sokka and new to the group, Zuko, team up and its just a really fun shot. 

Avatar Book Four: Air by Kojab8890- Man this blew 15 year old me away when I first read it. Right after the end of the series, while trying to energy bend Azula’s fire away, she steals the Avatar spirit from Aang. As she travels the globe to learn the elements, the Gaang chase behind to get the Avatar spirit back. 

A Matter of Patience by Assault Sloth- Bumi hosts gathering for all the nobles in the Earth Kingdom and yet finds himself most interested in the tiny blind girl who hides a powerful Earthbending talent and sense of humor behind her porcelain face AKA Bumi and Toph cannot behave at a fancy dinner. 

AO3

broken crown by ohmygodwhy- Zuko is made and tempered by fire

ribs by ohmygodwhy- Zuko teaches Aang firebending and a little of bad things that have happened to him

the first rule of earth kingdom fight club series by ohmygodwhy- After separating from Iroh, Zuko decides he needs to learn how to fight all kinds of people and ends up participating in Earth Kingdom fight clubs where he meets all kinds of interesting people. 

The Crown Hangs Heavy by monpetitepois- While returning from the Boiling Rock, Hakoda talks to Zuko about some rumors he’d heard about what the Fire Lord had done to his eldest son.

Red is the Color at the End of the World by Sholio- Katara in the Fire Nation in the aftermath thinking on what’s coming next.

Eight Principles of Yong by psocoptera- Zuko always had an interest and talent in calligraphy, especially with fire. When Sozin’s comet blazes, you uses his words not his fists to spread peace.

What Makes a Man by DracoMaleficium- While hunting, Zuko and Sokka come across some cute turtleducks that Zuko refuses to kill. Sokka learns there’s more than evil to the jerkbender and Zuko gets some new friends.

In Our Bedroom After the War by Wildgoosery- Zuko is stressed out trying to the teenage leader of the most hated country in the world. Mai, steady and calm, helps him relax. 

The Rusty Engine by orphan-account- Fire Lord Zuko is out of his mind with stress and orders a dirty, wrecked piece of machinery be brought to him so he can spend a glorious day doing thoughtless grunt work.

Three Years at Sea by orphan-account- A look at what Zuko was up to during the three years before Aang’s return.

love language by aloneintherain- Zuko is a living heatpack and the gaang takes advantage.

Cheating at Pai Sho by MuffinLance- Aang manages to convince Zuko he’s just a regular Airbender instead of the Avatar which sucks for Zuko especially when the freeloader invites his Water Tribe friends and his bison to live on the Wani together. 

Towards the Sun by MuffinLance- Zuko isn’t able to escape after the Day of Black Sun and ends up in prison but is made Fire Lord after Ozai is defeated. On the day the Gaang arrives to the Fire nation, they see their once enemy with a crown upon his head and no good interactions to their name. PS the servant really love their awkward Fire Lord

Little Zuko v The World by MuffinLance- Zuko is baby banished at 12 and discovers the Avatar shortly afterwards. Hijinks as teeny tiny Fire Prince tries to scream the world into submission (it sometimes works too)

#atal fic reccs #atla #damn this took forever #appreciate it #fic reccs #Anonymous

[ladylynse]

For @zutara-dumpster-hours​ (since I’m assuming this is the relevant blog). Happy birthday, Tali! You wanted to see something in the ATLA role reversal AU with Sokka trying to join the Gaang, so here you go.

Sokka wants to make up for his past actions, to join the Gaang, and Azula is having none of it. 

Also on FF and the AO3.

-|-

“We’re not alone,” Toph said, stopping in her tracks and nearly causing Zuko to bowl into her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Azula said sharply, and Toph pointed a finger at the wall of rock ahead of them. Azula had thought they were safely within the Earth Nation, far from any patrols the Water Tribe might have sent out. They were walking now to give Appa a break from flying, but they weren’t on known trade routes; they were specifically avoiding the paths on any map she’d ever seen. As far as she could tell, they were a day’s walk from the nearest village, but—

“There’s someone in there.”

“Inside the cliff?”

“We’re in the Earth Kingdom. It’s not just a cliff. Someone built rooms inside. I’d guess it’s an old bunker if we weren’t so far from the old front lines.”

“So someone’s home? Whoever built this place?”

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s abandoned and we’re not the only visitors.”

Azula looked at Aang. “We can’t risk the Water Tribe finding you. Zuko can check it out.”

“Hey!”

“Don’t hey me,” Azula shot back. “If they’ve sent that crazy old blood bender after us again, you’re going to need my lightning to neutralize her. Unless you’ve suddenly figured out how to do it?”

“Crazy old blood bender?” Toph repeated. “What happened to you guys?”

“It’s…kinda a long story,” Aang said, the apology in his tone, but Zuko snorted and contradicted him.

“It’s really not. Her name’s Hama, and we think she’s the one who taught Katara to blood bend. It’s exactly what it sounds like. She can turn you into a living puppet. We’re lucky she didn’t kill us all the first time.”

“Uh, guys?” Toph interjected, but Azula wasn’t going to let Zuko leave it at that.

She sniffed. “I wasn’t with Zuko and Aang when she ambushed us, which gave me the opportunity to catch her by surprise, and the old hag is as susceptible to lightning as everyone else.” She turned back to Zuko. “Which is why you need to investigate.”

“Because I’m suddenly the most disposable?”

“Guys!” Toph stamped her foot, and the rock in front of them split. She pointed ahead of them again.

Azula followed her finger, and her heart jumped into her throat. She moved in front of Aang, knew Zuko was doing the same to guard his other flank, and both of them readied themselves to fight.

“It’s okay,” Aang said. “He’s alone. Right, Toph?”

“Right.”

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Sokka said, sounding remarkably put together for someone who’d just fallen through a window that had once been a wall of rock. Azula supposed it said something about his composure, about his upbringing, the way he simply stood up and dusted himself off as if it were nothing, but she hated him for it. And I’m not here to hurt you? Azula nearly sent a lightning bolt at him for daring to presume that they’d fall for a trick like that after everything they’d been through.

“Sure,” she bit out. “Of course you aren’t. Because you’ve never tried to kill or capture us before. That was someone else, like your crazy sister.”

“Katara’s not…. Well, she wasn’t always. But I’m not here to make excuses for her or for me. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done, and I want to make up for it.” He hesitated. Another acting job. She kept her anger under control, ready to let it lash out all at once. “I…I came to join you, if you’ll have me.”

“We won’t,” Zuko said flatly before she could open her mouth. “Now how did you find us?”

“Consider it a show of good faith,” Azula snarled when Sokka didn’t immediately volunteer the answer.

“I was guessing,” Sokka started, and she sent a small burst of flame past his shoulder—a warning shot, and it was with some satisfaction that he flinched away.

“Try again,” she ground out.

“Look, I…. I know what you’re doing. I know you’re trying to get in touch with sympathizers in the Earth Kingdom to get enough supplies for the next leg of your journey. I know you’re making your way to the southernmost peninsula before you set off over the water—”

“So that’s where your sister plans to ambush us?”

“Azula,” Aang said quietly, “let him talk.” He glanced at Toph and added, “There still isn’t anyone else around, Toph?”

“Just us. He really did come alone. I think he fell in through the chimney, too.” A grin grew across her face. “Unless you got yourself stuck inside on purpose?”

Sokka’s answering smile was sheepish, and Azula didn’t trust it for a second. “I was rigging something up. I would’ve gotten out soon.”

More likely, he was strategizing and trying to catch them unawares. She still couldn’t believe he’d found them. They’d been so careful not to leave a trail. It’s another reason they weren’t flying everywhere they could, even though they’d be able to cover more ground that way. So what wasn’t he telling them?

Before Azula could say any of this, Aang had stepped forward and was gently nudging her and Zuko to the side. “Why do you want to join us?”

Sokka picked at the wrapping around his left wrist for a few seconds, not meeting their gaze, before finally whispering, “Because I don’t think I’m on the right side of things.”

“Well, you aren’t,” Azula spat.

Aang put a hand on her arm, and she bristled but quieted. “Go on,” he prompted.

“Life was always…hard,” Sokka said, ignoring Azula’s snort and Zuko’s bark of laughter. Instead, he raised his eyes to meet Aang’s. “Katara is strong, the strongest water bender in our tribe to be born for generations, but the expectations placed on us, her especially, are unachievable. She’s never seen to be as good as she needs to be, so she keeps working, and she gets better. You won’t be able to beat her without help. Especially not if you come to fight her on her own turf.”

Azula couldn’t keep quiet anymore. Did he think they were idiots, that their planning was for nothing? She wasn’t about to tell him their plan, of course, but he really didn’t think anything of them if he thought they were going into this without any sort of plan. “Because she’ll just turn us into puppets and kill Aang when he can’t move to defend himself?”

“Katara can only blood bend under the full moon. She’s good, but she still needs to be at her strongest to do that.”

Azula blinked. They hadn’t realized that. Sure, Hama had ambushed them at night, and it had been a full moon then, but they’d assumed she’d struck at night to try to catch them off guard. They’d assumed she’d wanted the moonlight not just for the strength it gave her but for the light it would give her to move around. If she hadn’t had that argument with Zuko, if she’d been in camp with the rest of them….

“I can help you,” insisted Sokka. “Aang, you still need to learn how to water bend, don’t you?”

“You’re a non bender,” Zuko said. “How can you teach water bending?”

Sokka crossed his arms. “I know the forms.”

“Bending is about more than just forms,” Azula snapped. “Not that I’d expect you to know that. It’s about feeling and intention as much as it is form.”

“And I sat through the same classes as Katara when we were younger,” Sokka countered, “and watched more even after it was clear I wasn’t a water bender. I can teach Aang if he’ll have me.”

“You should give him a chance,” Toph said quietly. “You need a water bending teacher, and we can’t afford to be picky.”

“We can’t afford to trust him, either,” grumbled Azula, “after what he’s done to us.”

“I don’t expect you to trust me,” Sokka said. “I’m only asking that you give me a chance to atone. How much do you really know about the Water Tribes? Do you know anything about our strategies? Our weaknesses? You don’t even look like you could make it through our defences. You don’t need to worry about Katara if you can’t make it that far.”

“We’re not telling you what we know,” Zuko said. “How stupid do you think we are? We’re not going to—”

“We don’t need to tell him our plans before we find out everything he has to offer,” Toph interrupted, “but you two don’t need to keep shutting him down before we—or at least Aang—hears him out. This isn’t an ambush. I’d know. He’s alone. And if he found us this time, he could find us again even if we try to leave him behind.”

“I can’t believe you’re going along with this!” Azula exclaimed, throwing up her hands and hoping Toph had half an idea of how much she was glaring at her right now.

“I’d say I can’t believe you’re not letting Aang have a say in this when he’s the Avatar, but you’re you, so that would be a lie.”

“Toph!”

“Toph’s right, Azula,” Aang said. “I need a water bending teacher.”

“Your water bending teacher should actually be a water bender.” Azula saw Sokka flinch at her words, but she didn’t care. So what if that was a sore point for him? It was the truth.

And for a non bender, he was dangerous.

Something Toph and Aang seemed to be forgetting.

That boomerang of his wasn’t just for show. He could use it and use it well, potentially incapacitating a bender who didn’t see his attack. She had never let him get close enough to get into any hand to hand, but she didn’t doubt his combat skills on that front, either. For all she knew, he was as good as Ty Lee, or nearly so.

And trusting him just seemed to be such a phenomenally bad idea.

Aang was too soft, too trusting, and she couldn’t let him make this mistake. She turned her head slightly to find Zuko already looking at her. He gave a slight nod, his lips pressed tight in an expression with which she was painfully familiar. He was ready to fight, just as she was.

They’d have to separate Sokka from that boomerang of his first. She didn’t want to doubt Toph’s skills after what she’d seen her do, but Azula wasn’t going to risk Sokka taking out their earth bender. Aang was pretty good now, but Toph was far better. Azula didn’t plan to sacrifice any of her friends, but the truth of the matter was, she and Zuko were more expendable than Toph. There were two of them, and if they had to, one of them could see Aang through this. He didn’t have to have two fire benders by his side.

She shifted her weight to adjust her form and saw Zuko mirroring her. Sokka noticed but was too late to react. And by the time the cry of protest left Aang’s lips, fire and lighting were already racing towards the relentless hunter who’d dogged their steps for so long.

If he wanted to come along, well, he could do that as their prisoner—their hostage—instead of as their friend.

It might have worked if the earth hadn’t suddenly closed around Sokka, protecting him, while simultaneously swallowing her and Zuko until they were up to their armpits in sand.

“I’m calling a time out,” Toph said as the earth around Sokka shifted, freeing his face but still trapping the rest of him. “Aang, you can let these guys out once you have your answers. I’m going to get some water. See if you can figure this out while I’m gone.”

Struggling got her nowhere. “Toph! This isn’t funny!”

“Neither is frying people we need on principle.” Toph raised one hand in a wave as she walked past. “Have fun.”

“Aang, are you going to get us out of here?”

Aang shifted on his feet. “Um, soon, but maybe, ah, Toph has a point. About talking. And I really do need a water bending teacher.”

“I can’t believe this,” Azula muttered, except that wasn’t true. She could believe it. This was Aang, after all. Even after everything Sokka had done to them, Aang would be willing to give him another chance. That’s just the way he was.

Whether she liked it or not, Sokka was going to be Aang’s water bending teacher. And she and Zuko might not trust Sokka as far as they could throw him, but if he was going to join them, at least she could count on her brother to have her back—and have an extra of eyes on Aang’s, just in case.

(see more fics | part 2)

#atla #atla au #role reversal au #aang #azula #sokka #zuko #toph beifong #fanfiction #atla fanfiction #my writing #ladylynse #snippets #atla snippet #happy birthday Tali!

[wiseabsol]

WA Reviews “Dominion” by Aurelia le, Chapter 11: The Chase

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6383825/11/Dominion

Summary: For the Fire Nation royal siblings, love has always warred with hate. But neither the outward accomplishment of peace nor Azula’s defeat have brought the respite Zuko expected. Will his sister’s plans answer this, or only destroy them both?

Content Warnings: This story contains discussions and depictions of child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and incest. This story also explores the idea that Zuko’s redemption arc (and his unlearning of abuse) is not as complete as the show suggested, and that Azula is not a sociopath (with the story having a lot of sympathy for her). If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, I would strongly recommend steering clear of this story and my reviews of it.  

Note: Because these were originally posted as chapter reviews/commentaries, I will often be talking to the author in them (though sometimes I will also snarkily address the characters). While I’ve also tried not to spoil later events in the story in these reviews, I would strongly recommend reading through chapter 28 before reading these, just to be safe.

Now on to chapter 11!

CHAPTER 11: THE CHASE

Alright, so on to chapter eleven, “The Chase.” I think I know why I stalled on this one, besides life getting in the way: there’s a game in this chapter, in which the readers are challenged to find all of the trope names that Aurelia has snuck into Sokka’s POV sections. And, despite being one of the betas for this story (which renders the reward for finding all of the tropes meaningless), I still want to win. So let’s put on ATLA’s soundtrack and get cracking!

 We start with the Gaang arriving at the Royal Palace. Toph still has a crush on Sokka, which both Sokka and Suki are aware of. He describes Katara and Aang as “Sickening Sweethearts” for the first trope. I like that Aang has a “gusty” laugh here—it’s a nice pun. Aang is in such a good mood and I’m like, “Oh buddy, you just wait, the angst is imminent.” Sokka thinks that it’s been two weeks since they last visited, which might be a hyperbole on his part, but if so, boy have things changed quickly.

 “Little lump of baby fat who was heir to the Burning Throne” is a great description, though I have my doubts that Lu Ten is going to sit on that throne, given that there’s a chance that he’s a non-bender (which, along with the sexism that has made it so that they’ve never had a woman ruler before, is something the Fire Nation will need to get over at some point, since it could be seen as a fantasy equivalent to ableism).

 “Having gotten to know Zuko a little better since then, he concluded it would probably actually suck to be royalty.” Yes and no, Sokka. Definitely don’t doubt how sweet—okay, to interject for a second, “Leaves on the Vine” just came on and it hurts my heart—but anyway, Sokka, don’t doubt how sweet being royal is. There is a reason that people fight for that title. Being a responsible ruler, on the other hand—one who works their butt off to serve the people—yeah, that can be rough, because you need to go to those meetings and listen to those complaints. Doing so is, hopefully, also rewarding to the soul, but in Zuko’s case…hard to say. I think he prefers to be directly involved in making things better, rather than being in a managerial position. I think I’ve mentioned before how he should have been sent on rebuilding and reparations missions, with someone like Iroh doing the governance side of things…though putting Iroh in charge might have been scandalous after the Siege of Ba Sing Se. There were no good choices there.

 “Missing Mom” for the second trope. “He found himself wondering if dysfunction was some kind of prerequisite for royal families.” No, though I can’t imagine that the pressures of living in the public eye, making decisions that affect an entire land and its people, and trying to build a legacy helps. Doing that for a few years is probably fine, but not for your entire life.

 Sokka makes an amusing fish pun in this section. “First Love,” “Manly Tears,” and “Vengeful Spirit” for the third, fourth, and fifth tropes.

 The Gaang arrives at the throne room, where Zuko and Iroh are arguing. Zuko mentions something about selling Azula to someone, which must be the Earth Kingdom, since he had a tense conversation with them last chapter. Zuko is in a foul mood, snapping at his friends as they walk in.

 “Visual Pun” and “Clean Cut” for a sixth and seventh trope. The Gaang and Zuko then start talking, with Katara quickly catching on to the fact that Zuko was in a fight with Azula. Zuko explains that Azula slashed his face with a pin, and almost mentions that he and Azula slept together, before cutting himself off and blushing. Sokka notices the blush and is confused by it.

 “Aang breezed up to him”—I see your pun, Aurelia.

 Toph asks where Mai is, and Zuko tells them that Mai and Lu Ten are staying with Mai’s family. You know what, totally fair, Mai. I’d want space too. Zuko goes over Azula’s escape and mentions that they fought, and Sokka points out that Zuko should have been able to track her afterwards, since he’s a “Scarily Competent Tracker” (for an eighth trope). Zuko lies and says that Azula knocked him out, which Toph notices.

 “I’m kinda starting to doubt her resolve,” Sokka says about Azula killing Zuko. This is both funny and sad, because, well, Azula and Zuko are siblings. No one should have to worry about one of them legitimately wanting to kill the other, even in the games of thrones. It doesn’t even occur to Sokka that Azula might care for Zuko. And why would it? As far as he knows, she tried to kill Zuko during their Agni Kai, and before that sounded excited about the prospect of becoming an only child.

 Sokka is annoyed that things aren’t adding up in this conversation, and Zuko bursts out that he doesn’t know why Azula does the things that she does, which is another lie. Toph catches on to that one, too, but isn’t sure what it means. What’s notable here, though, is that Zuko is so used to calling Azula crazy that he says this as an outburst, even though he knows better. It’s a kneejerk reaction for him.

 Zuko tells them that the Earth Kingdom is planning to execute Azula if they catch her, which offends Aang, since the tribunal agreed that life in prison would be Azula’s maximum sentence. Zuko explains that the politics around her case got dirty, shocker. Aang matured a lot during the show, but in some ways, he’s still rather naive.

 “‘I gave them everything they ever asked!’ Zuko raged helplessly, glaring at the black stone floor. ‘Why can’t they just give me my sister?’”—This is sweet, though I think that Azula would be offended by the idea of anyone giving her to someone else.

 “Mismatched Eyes” for a ninth trope. Toph tells Zuko that he’s just going to have to find a way around the Earth Kingdom’s sentence, which Iroh and Zuko agree with her on. Zuko mentions that they’re having their lawyers look into the court case, and then turns on Suki, asking how Azula got slapped with a torture charge.

 Sokka says that Zuko is out of line for accusing Suki here, but honestly? Getting slapped with a torture charge is huge, especially when there’s no evidence that the accused did it. It’s slanderous and I’m not surprised that Zuko is reacting poorly to it. The implication here is that Suki’s comrades lied about the torture out of spite, or, if they were tortured, that it wasn’t on Azula’s orders. The Fire Nation absolutely did torture people, namely the Southern Water Tribe’s benders…but so did the Earth Kingdom, since they psychologically tortured and brainwashed their own civilians in Ba Sing Se. One crime doesn’t negate the other—they both need to be held accountable for their actions—but there is definitely some hypocrisy here from the Earth Kingdom.

 Suki seems to think that her comrades were tortured, or at least she didn’t want them to “lie on [Azula’s] behalf.” But Suki, do you know for a fact that it happened? Obviously, I think that you should believe your comrades, since it’s better to believe the victims than not. But if it happened, who tortured them? Has the person who gave those orders been brought to justice? Because letting Azula be scapegoated for someone else’s crimes isn’t justice, it’s vindictiveness, and it means that somewhere out there, an actual torturer went free.

 “Ridiculous accusations”—no, Sokka, this is a fair accusation, and it’s something that should have been brought to Zuko’s attention during the court case, or at least to the attention of Azula’s lawyers. They have the right to know what their client is being accused of and the evidence against them. That is, in fact, how the law is supposed to work. Mind you, I’m speaking of modern law practices, but it seems like their law practices are analogous.

 Sokka says that Azula getting beheaded would be a favor for everyone, and Zuko snaps. He lunges at him—Sokka gets his boomerang out—and Iroh steps between them. Iroh scolds Zuko for being so aggressive with his friends, which is fair. He’s lashing out a lot during this conversation. Zuko then breaks down, with Suki and Katara hugging him in response. Toph sighs in a “Surrounded by Idiots” way for a tenth trope.

 Sokka feels guilty over making Zuko cry. “He guessed that even if she was a crazy bitch, she was his sister, too. Of course that was what Zuko would think of, when it looked like she was going to die. Zuko had got this way when she starved herself too, Sokka recalled, and thought that he should have remember that sooner.”—Yeah, no kidding, Sokka. A little empathy and tact would have served you much better in this conversation.

 Sokka apologizes shortly after this and Zuko apologizes in return. Katara promises that they’ll always help Zuko, and I wonder if that would still be true if they knew that he’d raped Azula (which he definitely did, even if he didn’t realize it at the time, since Azula wasn’t able to consent).

 Sokka “wondered idly why [Katara] couldn’t forgive him that quickly when he said something tactless.” While Sokka assumes that it’s because Zuko is crying, I’m pretty sure that it’s because Katara has an unacknowledged crush on Zuko, so she’s more inclined to cut him some slack.

 “It would be like Toph shoe-shopping. No one would buy it.”—This is very funny.

 “Sokka reflected again on the idiocy of investing this much time, emotion, and debate into someone as damaged and dangerous as Zuko’s psycho little sister.”—I see what you’re doing here, Aurelia.

 Sokka asks what they should do if Azula tries to kill them, and Zuko says, “She’s crazy. And scared, and alone.” And on the one hand, that’s true, but on the other hand, he shouldn’t be infantilizing her.

 “‘Please just—remember that, if she does anything too desperate, or,’ he practically choked on his words, ‘says anything too desperate.’” This is a bad look for Zuko, since he is, essentially, trying to give himself a cushion against any accusations that Azula levels at him. He is trying to plant a seed of doubt so they’re less inclined to believe her about the rape. But I think that this will backfire on him, because he’s priming them to pay attention to what she says instead. The cold truth is, if he hadn’t done this, I don’t think they would have believed her. They’d think she was trying to slander him, because A.) They like and respect him and want to believe that he’s fully redeemed and would never do such a thing, B.) They believe that she’s a lying villain who wants to take him down, and C.) Many people don’t believe sexual assault victims anyway, regardless of the evidence they have to support their claims. But now he’s drawing arrows to her accusations, and a few of them will probably remember that, and how weird he was acting during this conversation. They’ll wonder why he said that they should dismiss what she says, which would have normally been a given for them.

 The conversation wraps up as the Gaang goes to their rooms, and Zuko and Iroh continue to talk offscreen. We shift over to Azula’s POV. She’s riding an ostrich horse past an abandoned mill. She’s being rather nasty to her mount, using her fire whip to make it do what she wants. It seems like she hasn’t grown out of being cruel to animals yet (though I just re-watched the introduction to June in ATLA, and she liberally uses her whip on her mount, so I’m not sure that this is an uncommon treatment of animals in this world, just distasteful).

 Azula didn’t stop to grab provisions, which is a surprising mistake, coming from her. Granted, she had to escape quickly in the last chapter, and was probably scattered from a fresh dose of trauma. She fantasizes about eating Rai’s potato and leek stew, rather than some of her favorite foods from the palace. To be fair, if that was my most recent, tasty meal, I’d probably be doing the same. But also, I think the kindness of that meal has probably gotten under Azula’s skin.

 “She had been discovered. She knew how that would end. So why did she stay? She had asked herself that a dozen times since the cook betrayed her, and now thought she knew. Not for Rai’s company, certainly. Azula ought to have her traitor’s tongue out just for the presumption she showed.”—Okay, Hot Stuff, have you ever actually ordered for someone to have their tongue taken out, or are you just repeating something nasty Ozai that threatened to do? Because I’m betting it’s the latter. Also, I bet you stayed because you liked being shown some basic human kindness.

 “No, worse still, it was to eat food that didn’t taste the same every day, and lay her head on a pillow at night, and take a bath—an actual bath—without unwelcome supervision…”—You mean the things that every human being should have? Especially the unsupervised baths part? I understand why Azula was watched, since she might have tried to hurt herself if she was left alone in the asylum, but still, that’s terrible.

 “If she let such base considerations drive her, she would be no better than her hedonist uncle. Far better she had been betrayed now and so incompetently, then continue that way. It was that kind of complacency that would get her captured, or killed.”—Oh good, you’re going to deny yourself basic human comforts to get the job done, that’s healthy for you, Azula. You want to know who I bet never did something remotely similar to that? Ozai. I bet he’s always slept with a pillow and always had a cook on hand and was always able to bath in private. Good lord, child.

 “Her father was counting on her. Her country was counting on her. She could not make these kind of mistakes.”—That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, my dear. Sadly, I think that the Fire Nation might have forgotten about her, since no one tried to break her out.

 Azula unloads her mount of supplies and sends it running in another direction—with more fire whips, shame on her (though is she hurting it or just scaring it? That isn’t clear)—to leave a false trail for anyone who might be pursuing her. She then thinks, “It was too bad about losing the ostrich horse though, especially after Mother gave her so much grief—" So she’s still seeing Ursa. To be specific, Ursa was chiding her about stealing the ostrich horse. There are a couple of things of note about this. One is that Azula is committing the same crime that Zuko did in the show, and will probably get more flack for it. The other is that the voice of her mother, in this moment, seems to be her conscience—meaning that Azula feels guilty about stealing.

 “They never did anything for me either . . . So what do you imagine I owe them?”—Azula shuts down her guilt by saying something that sounds suspiciously like something Ozai would say. That because someone wasn’t kind to her, that gives her the right to be cruel to them. Which…really isn’t how you should treat people.

 “She didn’t talk to it. Wasn’t that her rule?”—Does that help you, Azula?

 “How could she expect to rule anyone when she couldn’t even rule herself….”—Another thing that I’m certain Ozai said to her at some point.

 “She had a mission. Everything else was immaterial. This was her one chance. No room for mistakes. No room for distractions. She had to focus. She had to get better. She would not be as effective as she could be, until she was whole again.”—Again, that’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, Azula. Sadly, you might be right, though. The Earth Kingdom isn’t going to give you a second chance to find your mother. They don’t even want to give you this one.

 Azula then burns down the mill and escapes by boat, hopefully widening the distance between herself and those searching for her.

 Back to the Gaang! Toph and Aang are practicing earthbending, while Sokka preps the war balloon and inwardly gripes about them not helping. Aang and Katara are searching for Azula on Team Appa, while Suki, Sokka, and Toph are on Team War Balloon (which has been dyed black for the occasion).

 Sokka makes a basket case pun about the balloon as he and Suki argue over how he treated Zuko the previous day. Suki points out that he missed the fact that Mai left Zuko, which Katara is peeved about. Katara, you don’t know and don’t want to know the full story there, trust me. Suki agrees with me. Katara reveals that she tried to talk to Mai, which Suki is horrified about, because good lord is it none of Katara’s business. Tact does not run in this family.

 Zuko comes charging in, upset by this. Zuko and Katara argue, and Suki, hilariously, “looked to Sokka in clear disbelief that this much tactlessness could be contained in one family.” I knew that Suki and I were on the same page.

 “Since when does she need to cool off? She shows all the emotion of an ice cube.”—Hey, Katara? This is super rude. Just because you don’t like Mai and are lowkey jealous of her relationship with Zuko does not give you the right to insult her.

 “‘She had every reason!’ Zuko hotly defended, and implicated himself by saying so.”—Whoops, Zuko. Good job. “I brought you here to find my sister, not play marriage councilor! So why don’t you just stay out of problems that don’t concern you?”—Ho boy, so he shouldn’t have said this as hotly as he did, but he’s also not wrong? Focus on the problem that he’s asked for help with, Katara. His marital problems are none of your concern.

 Katara responds equally hotly to this, but she’s in the wrong here, even if it will probably take her some time to realize that. What she’s most upset about is Zuko acting like he summoned them to his side, rather than them coming because they’re friends, and like…I can see why that would be insulting, but you also just tried to interfere with his marriage, Katara. I think you messed up worse in this fight.

 Katara and Aang head out, or in Katara’s case, storms out. Team War Balloon leaves soon afterwards, with Sokka thinking that he’d rather deal with Flaky Aang over Angry Jerk any day, which is fair. Zuko and Katara were both poorly behaved here.

 “He guessed they’d all be happier once Azula was back in her straightjacket. But first he had to make it happen. Right. No problem.”—I doubt that you’re going to make it happen, Sokka, and I think that you doubt it too.

 And that’s the end of chapter eleven! Next up is chapter twelve, “The Seal,” which is my favorite chapter in this fic so far. I’m excited! As always, thank you for the read, Aurelia.

 Sincerely,

WiseAbsol    

#WiseAbsol #Dominion by Aurelia le #Fanfiction #Review #Azula #avatar: the last airbender

[kdinthecity]

Zutara Week 2017: Confessions of a Teenage Sugar Queen

The title is a throwback to a movie I liked when I was in high school, so that is the voice I’ve chosen for this AU. (Not Lindsay Lohan’s from the movie, just me trying to channel my inner teenage Katara...)

All of my @zutaraweek submissions will be part of one continuous story. Get ready for some slow-burn Zutara angst starting with Day One: Fire Lady.

“I can’t wait until summer!” A blur of orange brushes past me in the school hallway. “I’m gonna go hang gliding and kite surfing and eat ice cream for breakfast and donuts for lunch!”

That would be Aang. He lives with his head in the clouds on most days.

“Let me guess. Cream puffs for dinner, Twinkletoes?”

Toph is pretty solid for a freshman. She keeps Aang grounded when he starts to get too flighty. I like hanging out with them, but sometimes their immaturity annoys me. I can tell this is one of those moments. No one can eat dessert all day. Talk about a serious sugar crash.

“What about you, Sugar Queen?” Toph asks.

I don’t know why she calls me that. OK, maybe I suggested once that I could survive solely on fudgsicles and moon pies, but that was only after that bad breakup with Jet. Toph elbows me hard in the ribs, her usual gesture for getting my attention.

“Oww! I have plans this summer, alright? I can’t just goof off. I’m going to get a job and do something that matters for my future!” I hate how haughty that sounds, but I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately. I hurry past them before I say anything I might regret.

“Geez, what’s with her?” Toph mutters. Aang sighs airily in response.

They just don’t get it.

I’m the only sophomore to participate in the school’s summer internship fair this year. My brother calls me crazy. Well, I think he’s crazy because as a junior, it’s his last opportunity to gain this experience for college applications. Yet, he’s blowing it off to go fishing in Alaska with Dad. Maybe Sokka will end up taking over the family business, but I know he’d rather pursue engineering than commercial fishing.

The truth is, Dad cannot provide for our college tuition with his income. Sokka doesn’t think about these things, but I do. I’m getting an internship this summer so I can help pay for stuff like clothes and school lunches. And then hopefully I’ll get a scholarship for a top tier school like Atlas University. I will not be a burden to anyone.

“But what do you mean I can’t get any of the paid internships?” I am nearly in tears as I approach Principal Pakku.

“I’m sorry, Katara, but you’re under the legal working age. You can apply for one of the volunteer positions.”

“I’m a hard worker! And a straight A student!” I want to add that I’d do a better job than half the junior class.

He folds his arms across his chest. “Rules are rules.”

The pale blue of his suit starts to blur in my vision, and my bottom lip trembles, but I refuse to cry in front of this man. “But I'm turning 16 this summer!” My birthday is actually at the end of August. Had I not gone to Montessori kindergarten, I would be an entire grade younger according to the age cutoff for public school.

Ms. Yugoda, the school nurse, senses my distress. “Katara, sweetheart, it will still look good on your college applications, and it will help you land a top notch internship for next year. You still have time.”

“But, I need… the experience.” I will not beg for money.

“There’s nothing I can do.” Principal Pakku claps his hands and rubs them together as if that settles the matter. “I’ll put in a good word for you. How about… the zoo?”

I brush the back of my sleeve across dampened cheeks and stomp my foot. “I do not want to be scooping up ostrich-horse shit all summer!”

The principal’s expression is scolding, but I can’t stand the look of pity Ms. Yugoda is giving me right now. Before I have a chance to apologize for my outburst, Ty Lee sweeps in from the adjoining door that leads to the nurse’s office.

She hooks a bandaged arm through my elbow and escorts me out into the hallway. “What’s an ostrich horse? Sounds… magical!”

Her high-pitched giggle grates on my last nerve. An ostrich horse happens to be an imaginary animal from this fictional world I created. Sometimes I write about characters with amazing abilities to bend the elements. For me, I've always wanted to control water—like command the waves, summon the tides. My earliest memories are of Mom at the beach, so…

“Katara?” The knitted brow and slight frown look out of place on Ty Lee.

“Sorry.”

“You can always join the circus with me!”

“Right.”

I should have asked her what happened to her arm, but apparently I am too self-absorbed today to care about my friends.

“The Marine Science Center has a few openings. Here, take a brochure and see if anything interests you. We are a non-profit organization, so we can’t pay our interns unfortunately, but sometimes our students come back to work for us after they graduate.” The woman has an almost ethereal look about her.

“So… I wouldn’t be cleaning up seal sh—poop? I mean, it’s OK. I just don’t want to do that the whole time.” I cringe, but she smiles.

“No, no. That’s not really a valuable learning experience, is it? I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Yue.”

“Katara. Nice to meet you.”

“So, we have a position that works with the medical staff. Most of the marine animals we treat are sick or injured, so we nurse them back to health, tag them, and set them free. Another position studies the water, looking for contaminants and identifying potential threats, like factory pollution, for example. Then, you can work on a government petition to shut those facilities down or enforce environmental safety regulations. And lastly, we have a group that goes to schools, summer camps, and museums to talk about all these things.”

I skim my fingers across the panels of the tri-fold brochure as she speaks. Rehabilitate. Advocate. Educate. I always swore I would never go into fishing, but this is different. I care about the environment. I even organized a beach cleanup day as a community service event for the honor society. (This is how I know the juniors are lazy dipshits.) And I want to be either a professor or a doctor when I grow up, so the experience would be relevant. I take an application, give her my best smile, and express my sincere interest in the positions.

I sign up for a few other things before deciding I’m done. There isn’t much interest in the unpaid internships, and my eyes are drawn to the crowd on the other side of the gym. The largest group gathers at the table for Future Fire Technology. I've heard quite a bit about the company because the CEO’s daughter is in the honor’s track with me. Azula talks nonstop about how the former weapons company has rebranded and now manufactures cutting edge robotics. I couldn’t care less.

Azula will undoubtedly secure a position at her father’s company for the summer. She’s ambitious like that. Her brother, Zuko, will likely work there, too. He strikes me as different somehow—not really the corporate type. He’s not one of the half-assed juniors, though. He’s still pretty intense. I’m a little intrigued by him, but Sokka warns me to leave him be. Well, Sokka can’t tell me who I can and cannot talk to… I just wish I could get up the nerve to… oh monkeyfeathers!

“There aren’t many sophomores here, y’know,” a voice rasps. Zuko is standing right here. Talking to me. Sokka says he never talks to anyone.

“I, uhhh…” I want to slap my forehead for being such a blubbering idiot.

“I saw you at the Marine Science Center table. Sounds cool, huh?”

He was… watching me? The pink that rises to his cheeks would indicate that yes... yes, he was. I'm dying to ask about that mysterious scar across his left eye, but I guess that won’t make the best first impression.

“Katara,” I say.

“What?” he asks, his single brow raised in confusion.

“I’m Katara.” I hold out my hand like a dork.

“Oh, right. Sorry. Zuko.”

We are now shaking hands. Like dorks.

“And yes.” I clear my throat. “The Marine Science Center looks cool. I hope I get it.”

The results are posted the following week. With everyone crowded around the bulletin board outside the gym, it feels like we’re clamoring to see who’s made the basketball team or the cheerleading squad. I’m the only sophomore and of average height, so it takes me a while to wiggle my way to the front so I can see.

There are three names listed for the Marine Science Center.

Me! I got the position I wanted!

Then, Hahn. I don’t really know him, only that Sokka hates him, which should be interesting.

And… Zuko?

I scan the crowd for his unmistakable face, but he’s nowhere to be found. I can’t help but notice the red-clad crew off to the right, however. Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai are all on our school’s beach volleyball team. Either they just came from practice, are headed to a game, or just want an excuse to wear their uniform. Two seniors, Ruon Jion and Chan, hover nearby, enjoying the view. Ty Lee offers a shy wave when she catches my eye.

“Congrats to the newest Future Fire Lady!” Azula salutes Mai.

The dark-haired girl simply huffs. “But Zuko won’t be there. He got some stupid job at a water park.”

I fight the urge to march right up to her and emphasize how respectable and meaningful the Marine Science Center internship is, but the look on Ty Lee’s face stops me. Her bottom lip protrudes in a full-on pout, and I remember that she told me about Mai’s childhood crush. Apparently it is one-sided, and everyone wishes she would just get over it. Mai's scowl confirms that I should let it go.

“Of course Father wouldn’t give him a job after the equipment malfunction last year.” Everything Azula says comes out like a sneer. “He’s such a disgrace to the family. We need someone who is competent and level-headed in the company, Mai. Not lovesick and forlorn. Should I retract my recommendation I made to Father?”

Even though she’s shaking her head, I swear I hear Mai mumble bitch under her breath. For some reason, I am mesmerized by the exchange. The crowd finally thins out as everyone heads to class. With only two weeks left of school, the summer will be here before we know it. And I will be nursing injured seals back to health with Zuko?

Toph nudges me with her elbow. “Hey Sugar Queen. Watch your back, will ya?”

“What? Why?”

She’s gone before I can ask what the hell she’s talking about.

Chapter Two: Underwater  |  Chapter Three: Steamy

Chapter Four: The Fall

#zutara week #zutara week 2017 #zkweek #zkweek2017

[seyaryminamoto]

Hey, I've been meaning to read Gladiator, but the story's really long, so I'm wondering if you can tell me what's currently happening so I can get motivated to read through the 100+ chapters?

Well, seeing as it’s Gladiator’s Anniversary just today, I’m taking the chance to answer your ask and hopefully convince you somehow to join in on this crazy ride :)

Gladiator is a retelling of ATLA, as you must know already. The world of ATLA is very similar to how it is in canon, though I changed a few factors, so not everything is 100% the same. As the summary says, the Avatar wasn’t found by Sokka and Katara at the time where they do in ATLA, and that leaves us with a very different storyline that includes the Fire Nation going down a darker path once the Earth Kingdom is defeated: slavery. It’s Ozai’s idea of making some use of the proud, stubborn Earth Kingdom populace who refuse to obey his rule.

There are major powers at play in the story: the Fire Nation controls most the world but the poles are still their own nations. The Fire Nation navy is locked in a fierce struggle they can’t seem to win against the Northern Water Tribe, while sending forces they can spare to slowly take over the territories of the South.

Sokka won’t stand for such a takeover, of course. Stubborn, strong, at 21-years-old, he decides to fight back and push off the invaders. He doesn’t expect that his plan will backfire on him when a deadly princess with blue fire just so happens to be in the South Pole, as her father’s envoy.

Sokka fights back, but it’s not enough. Yet for reasons he doesn’t understand, Azula spares his life… but the next thing he knows, she orders for him to be taken as a prisoner, and afterwards he’s sent to a slave market in the Fire Nation. The owner of the Amateur Gladiator Arena of a lowly Fire Nation town, Hui Yi, takes Sokka into his ranks and forces him to fight other gladiators to the death on the sand. 

This goes on for two years, until Azula is forced, because of some “mistakes” she made, to find a gladiator in order to defend her ambitions and her plans for her future. And as you must guess, her circumstances bring her to the very same gladiator she damned to this dreadful life.

Alright, so, after this weird summary of the first few chapters, I’ll answer your question!

As we are right now, it’s little less than two years since Azula and Sokka joined forces as gladiator and sponsor for the first time. In between what I explained and this point of the story, they’ve seen been a LOT of strife, trouble from all fronts: they’ve had relationship drama, they’ve met lots of canon characters through gladiator fights and Sokka has faced off against some seriously deadly enemies now that he’s sponsored by Azula. In the larger scheme of things, also, they’ve defeated the Rough Rhinos (after the group rebelled against the Fire Nation’s order for them to stop pillaging the Earth Kingdom), they’ve uncovered a conspiracy by the Dai Li to retake Ba Sing Se, they saved the Fire Nation capital when it was vulnerable through a very clever plot concocted by the Order of the White Lotus, and lots of more things.

(Just to clarify, since not everyone seems to understand it by reading the story: the White Lotus here isn’t comprised just by epic old men who like Pai Sho and tea. The White Lotus has become the only bastion of rebellion against the Fire Nation’s growing empire, and they’re the only opposition that represents a real threat to their rule. Because of this situation, and because of a few factors that will be revealed in due time, the White Lotus has been a little too permissive about new members these days, and a lot of them merely join for the sake of fighting the Fire Nation somehow. In short, there’s a serious amount of not-so-great people in the White Lotus, and there’s also that the traditional members have very different takes on how to handle the war right now, when they think there’s nearly no hopes of defeating the Fire Nation as things are).

At the current point in our story, Sokka and Azula are very much involved in a committed relationship, and they may be more invested in it than they should be. They’ve taken their relationship a little further than they should have (… in short, there’s smut in this story, that speaks for itself). Their struggle, at first, had been about resisting their growing feelings. By now, all resistance was futile and their struggle is about keeping their relationship secret. But so far a few people have discovered it, for instance Toph recently found out about it (chapter 118). The real danger is, of course, if Ozai ever hears of it. If he knew his daughter is involved with a slave… well, the consequences won’t stop at Sokka’s execution. So they have to tread carefully and they know it, but sometimes it’s harder than it should be…

Anyways! Our current story arc is quite an exciting one, since it brings in the White Lotus for the first time since the chapters 51-57. Azula, Sokka and the captain of Azula’s guards, Rui Shi, are traveling across the Earth Kingdom on their way to Yu Dao. Their current predicament is that they’re being targeted, and followed, by Jeong Jeong. The most legendary firebender of Azulon’s time is sending his men after our princess and her gladiator, and nobody really knows why… (okay, obviously I know but I’m not telling xD you guys will have to wait a couple more chapters to understand what’s going on if you haven’t guessed yet, hehe).

As they travel, Azula and Sokka’s relationship grows stronger, as it always does because that’s what this story is about xD If you’re interested in reading Sokkla, I will say this story is, in short, the playground where I can fulfill practically every single one of my dreams about these two. There’s really no limits for it, I get to do it all. The slow-burn, steadily growing romance, the fulfilled relationship where they learn their way around each other, where they learn how to trust each other and share their lives… in short, it’s not only the “how they get together”, but the “what happens after they’re together”, too. In fiction you usually get one or the other, and most my other stories tend to be like that, too. And of course, it’s about how the development of the relationship affects both the characters, how it changes them. Azula has come a very long way from the cold-blooded, detached girl she was when she first showed up. Sokka as well has grown A LOT, as he has learned to see the world through different eyes. Well, to be fair, they both learned that xD 

So, if you want relationship and character development, you’ll find quite a bit of it here :D

Gladiator is a grand scale story: it’s a full retelling of ATLA, as I said, and it features the war as a plot that will become more central as the story progresses. The Gladiator business exists, slavery does, too, and there’s just so much to address that I can’t possibly end things cheaply with a simple “And now they’re together, storytime’s over”. This story is guided by Azula and Sokka, no doubt, but it’s not a story with the only purpose of sating my shippy feels. Its plot is just as important as the romance that sparked it all, and both things are blended together in a sometimes unbalanced mix that sometimes has more of one thing than the other… but well, I try to do both things at once ^^U

If this isn’t enough to catch your attention, sorry to hear it ^^U I do understand, though, not wanting to take the plunge with such a long story. It’s ridiculously long, but I always knew it would have to be if I was going to tell the story I wanted to tell. The good thing about fanfiction is that the writer isn’t limited by factors that usually would be a problem in regular fiction (no one on their right mind would publish a 1.4M story, obviously xD). So yes, I’ve made the most of this advantage. Some might think I’ve made too much of it and should slow down xD but anyways, if you do give the story a shot, I hope you enjoy it. I believe the first arcs are tense and action packed, and they tend to draw people in well enough. Hopefully you’ll enjoy them, and the rest of the story too if you decide to give it a chance :)

#anon #gladiator

[sol-tinyrayofsun]

Zutara Week Day 6 - Affirm:  It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

*Alright, I´m reposting this because it´s not showing up in the tags.*

This little story has been on my mind for quite some time now and I somehow made it work with the prompt. It’s really fluffy, ridiculous, and features a lot of Toph’s brilliance to mess with her friends yet always meaning well. I just had a good time writing it, it was honestly a fun ride.

I hope you enjoy it! As always, thank you for reading! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! <3 In case you prefer it, also on AO3!

Title: It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

Rating: G

Summary: When Katara let Toph convince her of giving Zuko a love potion to make him fall in love with her, she knew the chances of the plan going sideways were extremely high. Still, the last thing she expected was for Zuko to act normal. Painfully normal. Operation “Sparky Falling For Sugar Queen” turns out to be a little too complicated. (Set after Ember Island Players but before Sozin’s Comet).

----- 

 “Pst! Katara!”

The waterbender tilted her head. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Still, she could hear someone calling for her, loud and clear. She had been busy making sure they had everything ready for lunch around Zuko’s holiday house at Ember Island.

“Katara!” There it was, that voice again. “Listen up, Sugar Queen!”

Wait for a second, that was Toph’s voice. Definitely.

“Toph?” She asked, walking around the room. “Where on earth are you?”

“Inside the broomstick closet!” Toph chuckled. “Come here for a sec.”

Katara did as she said. Once she opened the door, she found Toph mischievously smirking, holding a little bottle in her hands.

“So, what is it?”

“This!” Toph replied, showing off the bottle with a grin on her face. “This is what I wanted to show you!”

“And you were hidden with all those broomsticks because…”

“Dramatic effect, Sugar Queen, never underestimate it,” she said, stepping into the kitchen hall. “Now, aren’t you going to ask what this is for?”

“Sure, Toph,” Katara let out an amused sigh. “Why is it so important?

“How do you feel about having some fun at Sparky’s expenses?”

In all honesty, the idea sounded tempting. After the dreadful night Katara had endured with that stupid play just days ago, she could use more than a little fun. Although Toph’s idea of fun could sometimes be questionable, at the very least.

“Hold up. What do you have in mind?”

“This little thing,” Toph shook the bottle up in the air. “It’s a temporary love potion.”

Katara broke down in a scandalous laugh. “Yeah, and where did you get that from?”

Toph made a defensive frown. “Hey, it’s the real deal! I bought it from a weird old lady in town. She wasn’t lying, I swear.”

“Alright, I believe you. And what do you suggest we do with it?”

“Yes, that’s the attitude!” she celebrated. “According to the weirdo, two drops of this stuff and you can make anyone fall at your feet. All you need is for the other person to consume it while looking at you. And I just thought, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Zuko just happened to suddenly be crazy in love with you? That play inspired me, that’s all I’m saying.”

Well, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. Especially considering the way that play had contributed to her latest confusion regarding her feelings for two very powerful - and very different - benders. Still, it was a tempting offer.

“Toph, that’s insane!” Hesitation could be heard in her voice. “Trust me, pranking Zuko would be entertaining, but we cannot force him to be forever in love with me! I mean, what on earth would we do then? Seems a little cruel to me.”

“See? That’s the catch. It’s temporary. Two drops would only make him fall in love with you for a couple of days, tops. Come on! I thought you had been introduced to the concept of fun.”

Spirits, screw it. Two days of some harmless fun, how bad could it be? She could use a little distraction from the constant stress they were all under.

“Are you sure the effect will wear off?”

“Absolutely. Say yes, please! You know I can always do it without you. Or to you.” A mischievous smile framed her face. “You know you want to torture Sparky a little bit.”

“Alright… Let’s do it. But if anything goes sideways it’s your responsibility.”

“Heck yeah! That’s the spirit!” Toph gave her an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “Oh man, this is going to be too fun to watch!”

And so operation “Sparky falling for Sugar Queen” was put into motion. The two girls would prepare some tea - which would undoubtedly bribe Zuko in there - and make sure he was left alone with Katara when it came to drinking it. Toph would oversee everything from a cautious distance. It was the craziest, most random idea ever. But it sure sounded like fun.

Once everything was ready, Katara waited for Zuko in the kitchen. Needless to say, she was feeling a tad nervous. Waiting by the countertop, staring at the two teacups in front of her, she felt her heart racing on her chest.

It was just for two days. And it would certainly be nice to laugh with Toph about Zuko’s ridiculous lovey-dovey attitude. Most importantly, she wouldn’t even dream to risk Toph giving her the concoction. No, her feelings were already messy enough without the help of any love potion.

“Katara, are you in here?” Zuko’s voice interrupted her overthinking. “Toph said you made tea for me…?”

Time for the show. She put on her brightest smile as Zuko sat down in front of her.

“Yes! You seemed so tired this morning, figured you could use a little boost.”

She handed him the cup with the two drops mixed in the tea.

Zuko gifted her with a thankful smile. “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”

Nice of me… Yeah, sure. Just drink the tea and look at me.

He started drinking, only to stop after a few sips to have a little chat.

“So, Aang’s training is looking decent,” he started saying. “But I can tell he’s getting increasingly anxious. We might need to keep an eye on him, I wouldn’t want him to start avoiding our sessions.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Katara intervened. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t slack on his training. Drink your tea, it’ll get cold otherwise.”

“Alright, alright,” he complied, looking into her eyes. “Thanks again for making it.”

Katara observed him as he drank the whole thing in one go. Her golden eyes staring at her with an amused shine to them. She wondered how Zuko being in love with her would be like. He didn’t exactly give off the cheesy type vibes, though she knew how much of a dork he actually was. If you fall in love because of a potion, you’re pretty much doomed to grandiloquent gestures and infatuated declarations, right? Well, she wasn’t an expert on the subject. But she did know a thing or two about having feelings for someone.

Toph sneaked into the kitchen, placing her hands on Zuko’s shoulders and giving them one tight squeeze. “Hello there, Sparky, how are you feeling on this lovely day?”

“Hey Toph,” he greeted her. “Much better after that tea, actually.”

Despite the perfectly normal response, Toph continued with her attack.

“You know what? Sugar Queen over here confessed to me this morning that she felt she looked terrible. I’m clearly not the best judge when it comes to looks.” The vicious smile on her face was a little too obvious. “How is she looking today, Sparky? Isn’t she stunning as usual?”

Oh, no. Katara felt herself blushing. The whole operation had quickly turned into Toph having fun at the expenses of both her and Zuko. But in all honesty, how could she had ever expected otherwise?

“Um, well,” Zuko mumbled, his eyes glued to the countertop. “She looks just the same to me. Like you said, um, she’s got her usual look.”

Katara wished Toph could see the look of utter confusion in her eyes. That was not the response she had imagined.

Zuko abruptly stood up. “Alright, I think I’ll get back to training. See you two later,” he greeted them. “Oh, and Katara. Thanks again for the tea.”

‘Thanks for the tea’? So much for romantic gestures.

Toph grasped her arm as soon as Zuko was out the door.

“What on earth? That was the least romantic interaction ever.” The earthbender exclaimed, looking frustrated.

“Hey, let’s give it some time. Maybe the effect hasn’t kicked in yet.”

“Okay, we’ll wait. Man, what a bummer. I was fully expecting him to start a rant about how beautiful you are.” Toph threw her hands up in the air, grunting.

“Patience, we’ll get there,” Katara reassured her.

But am I even sure I want to get there?

Deep down, a part of her was hoping for it.

The rest of the day was spent with Toph trying her best to get Zuko to do anything remotely romantic regarding Katara, in an attempt to kick off the love potion effects. Much to her frustration, nothing seemed to do the trick. Katara wasn’t sure what to think of it. Did she feel relieved, disappointed, or maybe even bored? Truth be told, it was kind of a mix of all three.

Katara witnessed as Toph did everything she could. From suggesting they paired up in training all the way up to making them meditate together. All she got from Zuko was radio silence. Well, at least in the sense they were expecting.

“Are you sure you don’t feel a little weird, Sparky?” Toph asked him for the millionth time during dinner.

“Um, no? Why?” Zuko had a look of complete confusion on his face.

“You sure you don’t feel a little more sparky than usual? Don’t you sense some new emotions?” Toph continued. “Anything different?”

“Alright, that’s enough Toph,” Katara interrupted. “You’re scaring the poor boy.”

“Yeah, Toph, what’s all that nonsense about?” Sokka asked.

“Why should Zuko feel different?” Aang’s voice showed a tad of concern.

“Nothing, nothing,” Toph replied. “Calm down, you all. I was just wondering.”

Katara noticed the annoyed frown on her friend’s face. She seemed pissed off by the lack of results, the whole plan had been her idea after all.

After the meal, Suki stayed with them doing the dishes.

“Are you two going to tell me what’s going on already?” she asked them, with her hands on her hips and an inquisitive look in her eyes.

“Going on with what?” Toph played the innocent. “We’re just scraping plates.”

“Oh, come on! You have been acting weird all day! Especially you, Toph, asking Zuko the most random questions.”

“What do you say, Sugar Queen, should we tell her?” Toph asked.

“Sure, maybe she’ll even know why it’s not working,” Katara replied. “But Suki, promise not to tell any of the guys, alright?”

Suki let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, just spill it.”

“Okay, let me see. We made Sparky drink a love potion with his tea so he would fall in love with Katara. For two days. And before you ask, yes, it’s legit. Oh, but nothing’s happened yet.” Toph´s explanation was accompanied by a playful grin on her face.

“You’re joking, right?” Suki asked with a sarcastic smirk. “Katara would never be on board with that.”

“Actually,” she said, blushing. “I thought it was kind of a fun idea.”

“Yeah, so much for fun since Sparky hasn’t shown any signs of love and it’s been hours! He should be acting all lovey-dovey already.”

Suki burst into laughter. “Spirits, that’s hilarious! You gave him a freaking love potion and he’s acting as usual?”

“I don’t get what you’re laughing about! Something’s seriously wrong with him! Or us!” Toph complained. “Katara, are you sure you didn’t drink the potion yourself?”

“Yes, Toph, I’m absolutely positive I gave him the cup with the two drops,” Katara replied.

“Are you telling me you two don’t realize what’s going on?” Suki asked, an amused expression framing her face. “For being the ones to come up with this plan you seem rather clueless.”

A suspicion started to take shape into Katara’s mind. She couldn’t help but ask. “Suki, what are you talking about?”

“Yeah, come on!” Toph urged her. “Do you know something that we don’t?”

Suki let out a soft giggle. “Well, let’s think about it. You gave Zuko a love potion to fall for Katara, right? Toph, you say it’s a legit one. But Zuko is acting painfully normal. Even though he is under the effects of the potion.”

“Your point is?” Toph was sitting down on the countertop with a desperate expression on her face.

“If Zuko acts just as usual when he is supposed to be artificially in love with Katara… What do you think it’s the reason?”

“His heart is missing?”

“The dose wasn’t strong enough?”

“No!” Suki exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “He was already in love with her!”

Wait. What? That doesn’t make any sense.

“Spirits, Spirits, Spirits!!!” Toph jumped down the countertop, hands on her head, and on the verge of screaming. “That’s it! Suki, you’re a genius.”

Katara hadn’t even blinked. She was not even entirely sure she was still breathing. Zuko in love with her? It couldn’t be. He had even looked embarrassed by the way the play paired them together. Although she had acted embarrassed as well. And a part of her knew very well why.

“Sugar Queen, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.” Toph poked her cheeks. “His heartbeat is all over the place whenever you’re around but again so is yours, and I thought it was just all that love/hate dynamic you’ve got going on. I had actually started to suspect he liked you, but Spirits, I didn´t realize he loves you.”

Love/hate, what? This can’t be happening.

Suki raised a brow. “Hold up, Toph, are you saying Katara’s heart beats faster when Zuko is around?”

“That’s a lie!” Katara exclaimed, snapping out. She couldn’t let her friends figure out the truth. “My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much. And Zuko is not in love with me!”

“And I suppose you have unlimited access to his mind and that’s how you know that?” Toph deadpanned.

“No… I - That’s unfair Toph,” she managed to mumble, feeling her heart starting to race on her chest.

“As unfair as the fact that you’re heart is betraying your words in this exact second,” Toph replied.

Katara wished with all of her strength that the ground opened up and swallowed her. The entire operation had gone sideways. But not in the way she had originally expected. No, it was worse.

“Alright, alright,” Suki intervened. “Enough torturing with Katara, this was supposed to be about Zuko.”

“Thank you. Can we please go back to the point?”

Toph let out an exasperated sigh. “The point is Zuko is in love with you, Sugar Queen. But not because of the love potion, it seems like he’s been head over heels for you way before drinking that tea.”

“I seriously can't believe you didn’t figure this out sooner,” Suki said. “The question is, what are you going to do about it, Kat?”

That was a very good question indeed. One she had no answer for.

“Why should I even do something about it?” Katara asked, a confused look in her eyes.

“Because I think deep down you want to.” Suki’s tone got serious all of the sudden.

Toph placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar Queen, I’m sorry if my prank ended up bringing you a headache. But Suki’s right, you should confront him.”

“Confront him? We’re in the middle of a war! I don’t need any distractions.” Her head was spinning a little too fast.

“Says the girl who complied to give a love potion to Sparky,” Toph remarked.

“Katara, would you seriously prefer to have a lump on your throat until Aang has taken down Fire Lord Ozai?”

Truth be told, she would hate that. A part of her knew she had feelings for Zuko. For that poor firebender she had given a love potion to. Only to have the whole scheme backfire right on her face. Now, she had to stand up to it.

“No.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t prefer that.”

“Then hear me out because I have a plan!” Toph exclaimed, enthusiasm written all over her face. “I know how to get one last bit of fun out of this failure of an operation.”

——

The next day went out according to what the girls had planned. Still hoping for at least a bit of extra romance on Zuko’s behalf - which, unsurprisingly, never occurred - the three of them acted normal all the way until the afternoon.

After training, Toph cornered the poor Zuko on his way to the beach. Katara and Suki stayed at the shore, discreetly listening.

“Sparky, this is your last chance!” Toph exclaimed.

“My last chance for what?” The look of sheer confusion on his face was priceless to say the least.

“Come on! Please tell me you are feeling extra lovey-dovey and maybe I’ll let you walk away without making you even more uncomfortable.”

“Toph, I swear I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“You’re telling me you don’t feel any special romantic feelings today?”

“Um, no?” His voice had a strain of nervousness to it.

“And what about regular feelings? Got them for anyone? Maybe for someone you drink a lot of tea with?”

“Uh - No? Um, Toph, can I please go now?” Zuko stuttered.

“Ha! I knew it, you sneaky little bastard! That’s a lie.” Toph threw her hands up in the air. “I can tell you’re lying. I was right, heck yeah!”

Zuko anxiously tried to get past her. “Alright, sure, can I please go down to the beach now?”

“Don’t you want to know why I’m asking you this?”

“Do I have to?”

“We gave you a love potion, Sparky! A love potion mixed with that tea you drank yesterday. And you were supposed to fall in love with Miss Sugar Queen!” Toph’s was grinning from ear to ear.

Katara and Suki exchanged a concerned look. That was not part of the plan. Katara was supposed to be the one to tell Zuko about the love potion. After Toph had made sure whether he was lying or not. Then, and only maybe, she would mention the tricky subject of actual feelings.

“What on earth, Toph?” Zuko’s face was pale as a ghost. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I've been suspecting for forever that you liked her! And when I got that love potion it was just too tempting not to go for it. I thought it would be a fun experiment! Katara was also on board with it.”

“But?”

“But it only made me reaffirm my theory! What I didn’t expect is that you don’t just like her, you’re full-blown in love with her!”

“Toph, can you please tone it down? I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear this conversation,” Zuko pleaded.”

Katara was cursing Toph, Suki, Zuko, the moon, the stars, the Spirits, and herself. Toph playing matchmaker as subtle as an elephant trying to fit into her sleeping tent.

“Sparky, don’t you see Katara and Suki over there in the corner? They’re already listening!” Toph waved at the two of them, she had the most amused look on her face.

“What? Toph!” Zuko’s face was now entirely red. “You’re insane.”

“Sh, let me get to the best part,” she shushed him. “I think our dear Sugar Queen has something very important to tell you.”

Toph grabbed him by the wrist and started marching up to them.

Toph, you’ll pay for this, Katara thought as she found herself in front of Zuko.

“Now, I think Suki and I have to go do literally anything else but being here,” Toph resolved. “Alright! Everyone’s happy? See you!

“Kat, I’m sorry,” Suki mumbled. “I had no clue about this but I’ll better go.”

The two girls sprinted back to the house, where Aang and Sokka were probably taking care of dinner.

Her eyes met Zuko’s, and she felt her heart racing inside of her chest. The awkwardness of the situation was remarkable.

“So… I’m taking it you heard everything Toph said?” Zuko asked, sitting down on the shore next to her.

“Yeah,” she replied, nervously playing with the sand that surrounded them. “I’m sorry about the love potion thing. It was stupid of me.”

“I just didn’t understand the logic behind it. Were you going to let me be in love with you for all eternity?”

“The effect was supposed to wash out tomorrow…” She let out a sigh. “But I guess it’s the same now.”

“Because you realized that I acted normal around you even with the potion?”

“Exactly.” Katara took a deep breath. “Look, Zuko, I had no clue-”

“Katara,” he interrupted her. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you know.”

“So it’s true then? Are you…”

“Am I in love with you?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his whole body seemed anxious. “Yeah, I am. I guess even more than I knew.”

Silence. Just sheer silence.

Zuko rushed to continue. “It’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel the same way.”

But she did feel the same way.

“Look, I think I’m in love with you too,” she blurted out, feeling her cheeks turning bright red.

“You are?” His voice was tinted with astonishment.

She nodded in agreement. Then, she proceeded to say something else. “The night of the play, Aang felt terrible about the possibility of us being together. He kissed me and… and I pulled apart. I was horribly confused. A part of me knew he has always expected to be with me. But it didn’t feel right.”

Katara made a pause. She couldn’t believe she was actually saying those words out loud.

“Go on, I’m listening,” Zuko encouraged her.

“Well, I knew I felt something for you for a long time already. But with what happened the night of the play, and now this whole love potion thing… I realize I’m in love with you too.”

Zuko brushed his fingertips against the back of her hand. “Thank you, for being honest with me.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for not wanting to kill me for giving you a love potion.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t know. We still have a war to win.”

A moment of quietness invaded the space between them. Their fingers were intertwined, both of their hearts racing. They were savoring the confirmation of their feelings - and embracing the uncertainty - together.

“Do you want to wait?”

“Wait?”

“Yeah, until this whole mess is over,” he explained. “We can figure out things slowly, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m suddenly going to stop having feelings for you.”

“So you would still be in love with me… And I would still be in love with you…”

“But we focus on winning the war first.”

Katara tilted her to look straight at him. “Can I occasionally do this, though?”

He made a slight frown. “Do what?”

She didn’t give him much time to wonder. In a split second, she leaned onto him and placed a kiss on his lips. It was sweet, quick, and a little timid. But it was still the first kiss they shared.

“So?” Katara asked, a light smile framing her face. “Can I?”

Zuko placed his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on the creek of his neck.

He squeezed her hand, chuckling. “Yeah, I think you can.”

“You know  what? I’m really glad Toph convinced me to give you that stupid love potion.”

---- I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little thing I wrote! Feedback is always appreciated! <3 Thank you for reading!

#zutara #zutara week 2020 #zutara fanfiction #zuko x katara #every week is zutara week baby

[kdinthecity]

Confessions of a Teenage Sugar Queen: Going Out

This piece can be found on Ao3 and ff.net or by following the links below.

Chpt. 1 | Chpt. 2 | Chpt. 3 | Chpt. 4 | Chpt. 5 | Chpt. 6 | Chpt. 7 | Chpt. 8 | Chpt. 9

This discovery inspires me to get up off my ass and find out more information about Noriko—no, Ursa. I’m still hesitant to read Crashing Blue Spirit for fear of what it might reveal that I’m not ready to accept, but according to the author’s bio in the back, Professor Noriko has written several publications. So I will be making that trip to the university library after all.

Someone else had the same idea.

Zuko is tucked away in a nook of the library’s research section with a stack of books, the same ones I’m looking for, no doubt. He doesn’t acknowledge me, so now what? I should apologize. No, I should leave him alone. He should uncover the truth on his own. He doesn’t need me. It’s not like I’m a real investigator anyway, who was I kidding?

I only make it to the end of the aisle in my attempt at retreat.

“Katara?”

I don’t turn around when I speak. “I wasn’t following you. I was just—“

“I’m sorry,” he says softly—because that’s his usual demeanor, not because we’re in a library.

He has nothing to be sorry for, but he’s probably used to taking the blame. I know I should set things straight, but the shelves are narrowing, and the room is too confining.

I don’t understand what I’m feeling because this building is huge, but I need to get out. Now.

But then, the sun is too bright, and the wind has a bite. I want to run as far and long as I can, but I am so tired. I am trapped—spinning in circles, falling, crashing…

Right into Zuko.

When he catches me, I bury my forehead in the cleft of his shoulder and pound my fists on his chest. I am furious at myself for crying again because I vowed to stop this nonsense and actually do something constructive. Why is Zuko the one comforting me? His father abused him, his mother abandoned him, and I’m altogether useless to him.

He doesn’t say anything. He just holds me and rubs gentle circles on my back like he did the first time he gave me a ride home. Because he knew even then what I needed before I would allow myself to receive it. I pull away, overcome by a sudden wave of alarming clarity.

“Zuko, what do you need?” I may not have his gift of intuition, but I also never thought to ask.

He flashes the smallest of smiles. “I need you.”

That’s not the answer I expected. “But I’m too… needy.”

“It feels good to be needed,” he says with a shrug. “It’s like… what I do matters to you. It sounds stupid, but I’m not used to that. Having someone who cares.”

“I do care, Zuko. I care a lot.” About you is implied here, but maybe I should say it out loud. Because during my personal pity party earlier, I promised to be more upfront with him, too.

“I’m sorry I took off,” he continues. “I just... I thought that my mom would have…” He clinches his jaw and sighs dejectedly. “I thought I mattered to her. I thought she cared. I guess I was wrong.”

“We don’t know for sure. Maybe she stayed away to keep you safe.”

He points at his scar. “Yeah right. Safe.”

Tears well up again, and I realize this is why I’ve been crying so much lately. I’ve been craving safe. It’s something you’re supposed to feel around family, but I haven’t since Mom died. When I’m with Zuko, he grants me that sense of security I’ve been missing, but when I look at his face, I hardly feel it’s fair. The same man who hurt him so badly is hunting us now. Zuko has never felt safe. He probably never will.

Zuko interrupts my reverie by stroking my dampened cheeks and lightly kissing my forehead. “Can we go somewhere to talk? Like a tea shop.”

Funny. I didn’t know Zuko liked tea.

He’s not satisfied by the Yelp ratings for the tea shop near the NPU campus, so we hop on the bus to find “the best tea in town.”

“Only five stars will do,” he says with a smirk.

“You do know that tea is just hot leaf juice,” I tease.

His expression turns solemn. “Whatever you do, don’t ever say that in front of my uncle.”

“Why?”

“Because he really likes tea,” Zuko replies. “And… he really likes you. Don’t give him a reason not to.”

I straighten up in my seat and give a fake salute. “I won’t let you down, sir.”

He rolls his eyes and ACK! He tickles me! Right there on the bus! Oh boy, is he gonna get it now!

We become that touchy teenage couple that everyone finds annoying. We’re even getting disapproving looks from a group of older women sitting toward the front. I’m sorta lovin’ it. I mean, let the kids whose lives are in mortal danger actually have some fun, OK?

What I love even more is Zuko’s smile. It is so pure.

Hot damn, I think I’m falling for this man.

I literally go weak in the knees when we arrive at the tea shop. Zuko leans toward me and shows me the Yelp reviews on his phone.

“Only four stars for tea, actually. But five for the view. What do you think?”

I swallow a few times to release my tied-up tongue. “I’ll have jasmine, please.”

He quirks his brow. “Uhh, I’m sure they have that blend.”

He scans the scenery, and something familiar passes across his features. At the tide pools, I read it as distance. But this time, I see it as loss. The ocean is tied to his mother’s disappearance somehow. I figure he brought me here because he knew I would love it. But I also wonder if he’s looking for some reconciliation, too.

Tea is served with a side of awkward silence. Is this back-and-forth normal for all couples early in their relationship or are we just special because of our circumstances?

Are we even a couple?

That would be a good place to start. “So, umm, Zuko? What are we? You know… like… to each other?”

I expect Zuko to avoid the question, but he doesn’t at all. He reaches across the table and places his hands over mine. “Katara, I really like you. And if things were normal, I would ask you out. I wouldn’t even think twice.”

“If things were normal, I would say yes. But… they’re not normal, are they?”

“No. Someone in my family killed someone in yours. We can’t just ignore that. And if something happened to you, Katara, because of me…”

“Zuko, you didn’t kill my mom, and I don’t blame you for it. Your dad is seriously fucked up, and I want to help you take him down! Not just for what he did to my family, but what he did to yours, too. We’re in this together no matter what… as friends or… as something else… but I don’t think friends usually kiss and stuff, so…”

I am flush and rambling and would rather be kissing than talking. Why is Zuko looking at me like I’m crazy?

“You’re crazy, Katara.”

Oh.

“Let’s go to the beach,” he says suddenly.

Now who’s the crazy one?

The beach is nice, but it’s getting late, and we should head back before Dad and Sokka arrive.

Zuko has something else in mind, though.

“Can I read you a little from the Blue Spirit book?”

I’m taken aback by this suggestion, but I oblige. He leans against a rock, and I tuck myself under his arm, relishing his warmth. Alaskan summers are nice, as I recall, but coastal winds always carry the chill of the Pacific current.

“Your mom was amazing,” Zuko starts.

I let out a sigh of relief. I didn’t think the book would convey anything otherwise, but uncovering so many secrets in such a short amount of time has taken a toll on me.

“When her son was born in Alaska, among family members from their native tribe, everyone congratulated her on the birth of a fearless warrior. In California two years later, when she shared her pink bundle with mostly strangers, everyone congratulated her on the birth of a beautiful princess. Kya made two promises to her daughter that day. One, she would teach her the ways of their people. And two, she would teach her to fight.

It was likely no coincidence that at age three, the young girl’s favorite game was to adorn herself in tribal paint and play ‘warrior princess.’ It amused Kya, but her greatest hope for her daughter’s fiery passion was finding a cause worth fighting for.”

I place my hand on Zuko’s forearm, signaling for him to stop. “So, this is a biography… about my mom?”

“Yeah, it starts from her early career, when she covered the Valdez oil spill. As best I can tell from the Painted Lady files, that’s how our mothers met. My mom reached out because she wanted to write a story about her.”

“Oh. I thought it was because your mom knew about what your dad was doing and wanted my mom to investigate?” I muse.

“I think it was the other way around—your mom knew first about my dad then told my mom. Maybe something my mom said in one of their interviews for the biography prompted the investigation. But the report your mom compiled was dated the same day my mom went missing.”

“Do you think she left because your dad found out somehow?”

“I don’t know. He knew, though, because he sent someone to… take care of it.”

“Right. Yon Rha.” My inner warrior princess flares at the mentioning of Ozai’s hired henchman who killed my mother.

“I turned everything in to the police. Your mom’s files were very thorough. I even gave my own statement.” Zuko’s breath hitches. “I spoke out against my father. If this goes to trial, I’ll probably have to testify, I don’t know if I—“

He stops abruptly and pulls his phone out of his pocket. Even though I am reading over his shoulder, he dictates the text messages out loud.

“Noren says your dad and brother are at his house. And so is Uncle.”

“Not Noren,” I correct. “Ikem.”

#zutara #zutara week #zutara week 2017 #zkweek #zkweek17 #hs au