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#legend of korra fanfiction
pastel-peach-writes · 6 months
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Hello!! I love your Korra X readers so I’m just gonna ask if you could do a Korra x Fem!reader (or GN up to you!) with the cliche plot of Reader being injured and not telling anyone until later? Hope you are doing well!!
YURR lets go. I initially wrote this as a fem!reader, but I didn't even use the reader's pronouns in this so, gender neutral reader it is!
Kiss It Better | Korra x Beifong!Reader
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╰┈➤ PLOT: With your girlfriend saving the world all the time, you take it as your job to not worry her with your own problems. If you needed help with something, you'd figure it out or get someone else's help. What happens when your "selflessness" nearly costs you an arm?
╰┈➤ WARNING: Injured!Reader, Suggestive Mentions, Cursing, Not Proofread, Beifong!Reader
⍣ ೋ Enjoy!⍣ ೋ
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It was a simple fracture. You were training with Bolin and a cluster of Earth hit you too hard in the arm. Bolin apologized and even offered to take you to the infirmary, but you rejected him.
One, you were a Beifong; you don't get hurt. Two, if you go to the infirmary, chances are you'll get a cast or some sort of sling. That'll worry your girlfriend, the Avatar, and with all the duties she had to attend to, your fractured arm was the least of her worries.
"Oh, fuck," you hissed, leaning back into your plush sofa. Typically, the plush cushions and fuzzy fabric would comfort you. The cushions would allow your muscles to relax and for your body to find comfort in the warm snuggles of your girlfriend's blanket. But now, the cushions only make your body hurt worse.
There was no support in the cushions. The plushiness was too plushy and the warm comfort typically found within the blanket was annoying.
"I'm home!" Korra announced. The woman kicked off her boots, put up her short hair, and plopped beside you on the couch.
You groaned, holding your bicep.
Korra tilted her head, raising a brow. "Hey, you okay? Was I too loud or something?"
Time slowed as you forced a laugh out of your chest. If you laughed too hard, your arm would ache. If you didn't laugh enough, Korra would assume something was wrong.
Nothing was wrong. At least, to her knowledge.
"Oh, sorry!" you smiled at her, "I was actually practicing this new joke Mako taught me. I was supposed to make this sound, but I guess I haven't mastered it yet."
"Oh... haha," Korra forced out of her. "No more taking joke suggestions from Mako. He doesn't have a funny bone in his body." The Avatar nestled her head on your chest. She hummed, snuggling into the warmth of your body.
"Right," you chewed on your lip. "I don't know what I was thinking."
-
"One, hit! Two, hit! Three--!"
"Okay!" you howled. You and Bolin have been training for three hours straight now. Something must've inspired Bolin because he's been sending over disks, boulders, and other forms of Earth toward you like there was no tomorrow. While he was losing pounds by sweating alone, your arm was screaming at you.
"Please stop moving me!" "I'm hurt!" "Why do you hate us?!"
You wished you could listen to your body. You really did. But you read somewhere that certain fractures can heal on their own with the proper rest and care.
You thought you could take it easy in training today, but obviously, Bolin had other plans.
"Oh," Bolin smiled, peeling himself away from his boxed stance. "Did I go too far? Sorry. Opal said something last night about guys working out and how she loved watching me train sometimes, so I wanted to work extra hard this practice so I wouldn't feel bad for showing off."
Your chest heaved up and down as the boy spoke. The fire in your arm was excruciating and it was spreading to your shoulders.
You trudged along the training center, going to a lousy bench where your water bottle and workout towel lay. "No, no," you told Bolin, "it's okay. I just need a break. That's all."
Lowering yourself onto the bench, your muscles and all the meat on your body felt like falling off the bone like you were a tenderly cooked piece of chicken. Your thighs ached and shook, like after an endless night with Korra. You took your towel and slung it over your good arm. You carefully opened your water bottle to take a sip.
Bolin followed after, mindlessly yapping about Opal and how pretty she was. Once he sat himself next to you and drank from his water, his eyes bulged out of his head, and water sprayed from his mouth.,
You whipped your head toward him, perplexed. "Oh, my Spirits! What was that?"
"What happened to your arm?" the boy exclaimed. He pointed at the swollen and bruised skin. Your rotator cuff was a deep purple with blue specs. He couldn't see it, but the bruising gave a pulsing sensation.
You scoffed and went for another sip of water. "Nothing. Just bumped into a pole."
"What kind of pole hit you like that?" he exclaimed again, now out of his seat. His green eyes were now filled with fear; his body trembled with worry.
You tried to shrug, but since your hurt arm was alarmingly tough and sore, only your good arm moved. "I don't know," you mumbled. "It was a while ago, I think. I can't really remember."
"Well, you have to at least let a nurse or someone qualified check you out! This looks bad, Beifong. No pole could've done this."
"Bolin," you rose to your feet. "I'm fine. Don't make me say it again." You didn't let Bolin get another word in as you gathered your things. "And Bolin, don't mention this to anyone."
-
Bolin can't keep a secret and honestly, it's your fault for telling him to keep one. You're his friend and Bolin doesn't believe in keeping his friends in danger. You need medical attention, even if you are too stubborn to admit it.
Immediately after practice, he ran to Mako who ran to Asami who told Korra.
When she first heard the news, Korra had mixed emotions. She was vexed because she didn't notice your pain and you didn't tell her, yet worried about the extremity of your injury. Could your arm fall off? What if the injury was actually worse underneath?
The Krew discussed your injury and how to intervene in your careless ways of living. There was a plan where they tricked you into going to the hospital, another where they took you out to dinner and would finesse you into spilling your guts, and then there's the plan they actually went through; the plan that made the most sense.
Korra was to go home with a smile on her face, cuddle and kiss on you for a while, and then ease into the conversation of training and injuries.
Mako thought the subtle conversation topic would force you to talk about your injury without actually forcing you.
Well, it's been two fucking hours of medical talk and Korra wasn't getting anywhere.
The two of you were cuddling on your bed, legs entangled with each other and her arms around your waist. She had her head on your good arm and from the corner of her eye, she could see the black and blue bruising that was growing to your neck.
Your pajamas acted as a pathetic way to hide it.
Korra was done playing the nice game. She had Asami in her head telling her to play the nice game and to ease into it. (She also had Mako claiming that Korra was unable to play the "nice-and-ease-into-it" game, but what Mako doesn't know won't kill him).
"Bolin told me," Korra spoke, her eyes fixated on the wall in front of you two.
You hummed, keeping your eyes closed. The ache and burn on your arm weren't as bad anymore. You also read somewhere that heat would inflame the injury more so after a quick lukewarm shower, you iced. You iced and replaced the ice for hours until Korra came home.
You were missing that ice right about now.
"Told you what?"
"That you have a disgusting bruise on your shoulder." Okay, so Bolin didn't describe it as disgusting, but what you don't know won't kill you either.
You snickered. "I ran into a pole, okay? It's not the big of a deal."
"Then why are you lying to me?" Korra pulled herself off of your chest. With delicate fingers, the Avater peeled the soft fabric off your shoulders.
The subtle movement of the fabric made you wince and the natural instinct was to push Korra away, so, you did. You pushed on her stomach to move her away from you. "Korra, don't."
"Oh, what are you gonna do?" she scoffed. Korra sat on her knees, shoulders squared to you and arms crossed over her chest. "Threaten me? You saw how that worked out with Bolin, nice move by the way." Korra's words were stern and leaning towards the angry side of things. Her nose scrunched while her nostrils flared. She was also gripping her arms so hard, her grip made marks.
"I didn't threaten him," you claimed.
"So, what would you call it? Being a bad friend? Telling him to keep your health a secret knowing damn well it's on the line?"
"My health is not on the line!" You've sat up from the bed now. Your bad arm rested on a mound of pillows and your good arm held it for support. "It's a tiny injury, sprain if you wanna go that far."
"That's rich," Korra scoffed. She shook her head, getting off the bed. "You can barely talk to me without the corner of your mouthing ticking from the pain. I can barely put my hands on your shirt and you can barely sit on the couch without groaning in pain."
You suddenly found interest in the ceiling. You took note of the texture and the color. You would find any new fact you could about this ceiling if it meant you could avoid Korra's burning gaze and her rising anger.
This is why you didn't want to tell her in the first place. She's worried about everyone else and for once, you wanted to be someone she doesn't have to worry about. But now she's here, yelling at you because she cares. Because you didn't tell her.
"I didn't want you to worry about me too," you mumbled. Your gaze dropped to the comforter. "You have so much on your plate, I wanted to ease the load. You shouldn't be stressed about me, you're the Avatar. You have more people to worry about."
Watching you struggle to look her in the eye, Korra sat herself on the bed. She put a soft hand on the mound of your knee, using her thumb to soothe the skin. "Hey," she spoke. "I am your girlfriend first and the Avatar second. I will always worry about you. You deserved to be worried about and cared for."
You swallowed thickly. The back of your throat scratched like you had a cold yet your mouth was eager to say something back. Your brain couldn't think of any words to say.
"Your struggles and problems aren't inferior to me. I want you to come to me with your troubles, not because I'm the Avatar, but because I'm your girlfriend. It's my job to care for you, to heal you when you're sick, and to pick you up when you're down. Master of the Elements or not, that's my job and it's yours too," she sighed. "So, please, for the first time, tell me what's wrong and what I can do to help you."
The moment your eyes locked with hers, a flood broke through you. You wept as you told her what was wrong with your arm and how long you've tried to sustain this injury, four days.
Korra could kick herself over and over again for not noticing how much pain you were in, but you were a good pretender. In some way, she had Bolin and Opal to thank. Without Bolin's sudden desire to train extra hard, you wouldn't be forced to stop pretending.
But instead of wallowing in self-pity and throwing a really weird party for the couple in her head, she comforted you. She pulled you to her chest and held you as tightly as she could without hurting you further.
The two of you stayed like that, you in her arms, for a while. You didn't take notice of the time spent in the position. You two focused on each other's breathing and warmth.
And finally, for the first time in a long time, you let Korra take care of you.
WC: 2,071
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madammuffins · 1 year
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MADAM MUFFINS MASTERPOST
AO3 Fanfictions Newest to Oldest
(and the quotes doc)
DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN
OC!AX400 x OC!Single Mother (unfinished)
RISE!TMNT (Canon Typical Violence/Angst)
Future!Raph Death
Bad Future Timeline (unfinished)
BAYVERSE!TMNT (18+)
Leo x F!Reader
Raph x NB!Reader
Donnie x F!Reader
Mikey x M!Reader
Conclusion
STRANGER THINGS (18+)
Steve x Billy
LEGEND OF KORRA
Wu x Mako
MY HERO ACADEMIA (18+)
One Shots
College Student!Kirishima x Pilot!Bakugo
Pro Hero!Kirishima x Pro Hero!Bakugo
ATTACK ON TITAN (18+)
Levi x F!OC
BOB'S BURGERS
Tina x Zeke
FALLOUT 4 (18+)
Mayor Hancock x F!Sole Survivor
F!Sole Survivor x Mayor Hancock
POWER QUOTES DOC
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sunset-sama · 6 months
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Something I wrote instead of studying: The lieutenant comes on to Amon.
(First-person Amon, written in the universe of E.E.)
"Thank you, lieutenant...," I lean into my desk, shirking my stress with a sigh, "—you've been an invaluable resource, as of late." It's true, and I don't thank him enough for it. The past few weeks have been utter chaos. Amidst the refurbishing of the tunnels, there has been an influx of newcomers that have increased our numbers nearly double. Liu possesses quite a knack for organizing people, though, which I find myself ever grateful for. His opinions have effectively replaced Hiroshi's; I only need to consider the latter's when it comes to money. For everything else logistic, I rely only on Liu. "Yes, well...," he comes closer and I notice a subtle spike in his heartrate, "—I can tell you've been under a lot of... stress, lately...," I see him in my periphery, leaning against the desk beside me, "—with your position, I can only imagine the toll it must take on you...," I feel a soft ripple, and look down to see his hand crawling across my lower abdomen, "—perhaps...," his heartrate spikes again, "—if you need, I... can help you with other things, too..." His fingers start to trail lower, but I grab his wrist just before he reaches my belt. "Don't," I snap my eyes to his, "—ever deign to presume what I need again, lieutenant." I discard his hand and step back, removing myself from his proximity. "Is that clear?" His heart is beating out of his chest now, but so is mine. Whereas I'm livid, he rather looks like a teenage boy who's been stood up by his first date. Even with his perfectly schooled expression, he can not hide his shame. A curt nod is all he manages before stalking from the room.
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wait-still-rendering · 4 months
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here you go, @nuts-for-legumes!! i hope you have an amazing christmas :D
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chriscdcase95 · 1 year
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(The following is set twelve years after the events of ATLA, and seven years after my unwritten fic, The Ancient World. Hence the Godzilla refrences.
For more context read these two posts. Otherwise, just keep doing what you're doing and enjoy the read.)
-----
It's been seven years.
It has been seven years since the Titans re-awoke. Since the golden dragon was slain, and with it, snow fell upon the Fire Nation. Since the King of the Monsters reclaimed his throne, and returned to the sea.
For many, it was a nightmarish time in the Three Nations. Azula still has nightmares about those days.   
But it wasn't the giant monsters that put fear in the former Fire Princesses heart, it was that sinking feeling she'd awake and find herself back in that dark place in life. It worked her up into panic attacks and night terrors, even worse than the dragon Ghidorah, or Bagan.
And almost every time she had these, Ty Lee would be there to wake her up. To remind her she wasn't broken; to remind her she overcame that point in her life.
And to Azula's chagrin, sometimes Ty Lee would sing.
On the whole, Azula had no issue with “Ancient World Music”, as it was called.   
The more Republic City develops; the more the “Uncharted Lands” were willing to share the culture and art that they kept alive for millennia; the more the newly born music industry grew.  
And the songs Ty Lee had a particular ear worm for were called “Tiny Dancer” and “Circle of Life”, “Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me”, “Don't Go Breaking My Heart” and “I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues”. Who made these songs with such long titles, Azula will never know.
And with Azula granted control over the industrial developments of Republic City - a bonus reward for her part in Ghidorah's defeat - Azula has become very accustomed to hear thousands upon thousands of songs being rediscovered and shared with the Three Nations each year.
That being said, you wouldn't catch Azula singing in public for the most part. She had a dignified and professional image to maintain as the United Republic's most powerful businesswoman.  
Azula's rather theatrical rendition of “Burning Love” being the exception. That was some bachelorette party; she has since promised to mind her drinking.
Back to the point at hand, Azula would still dream of that dark period in her life. And even today, with her new success and status, she feared blinking and seeing it all stripped away. As if this was the dream.
Luckily, whatever Azula was dreaming of tonight, she awoke from it with a jolt. As usual, she'd blink several times, making sure this was still her life, and it took about four seconds to register the sound.
Yasuko was up and crying again.
Azula rolls over to see a sleeping Ty Lee. For the past five years, Ty Lee has made a decent living as a drill instructor (“Fitness trainer!” Ty Lee would insist) for the RCPD. 
Ty Lee considered a job within the force itself, but Azula was pretty touchy about her putting herself in the line of danger. 
Azula had no doubt that Ty Lee would be the best on the RCPD itself; after all, Ty Lee fought her one-on-one on that expedition years back. In fact, Ty Lee nearly killed her in that fight. 
But as the later battle with the golden dragon showed Azula, Ty Lee was as vulnerable as everyone else. 
And as the revival of the King of the Monsters showed Azula, she wasn't gonna let Ty Lee put her life on the line for some “small causes” (such Azula’s own life).
Ty Lee didn't mind; after (barely) surviving Ghidorah and Bagan, she could settle for being the RCP's drill instructor. For the time being, at least.
But for the past week, Ty Lee was fighting a cold that left her bed ridden, which meant Azula had to take up more house duties. 
Azula didn't mind of course; she helped bring down Ghidorah after all; taking care of your sick wife and four month old daughter was only mildly more challenging.
Luckily, Ty Lee's cold has been clearing up the past couple days, but Azula wants to be sure, so she nudges her wife a little.
“Ty ?”
Ty Lee rolls over, still asleep and mumbling.
“Mmmm,” Ty Lee groans.
“Ty Lee ?”
This time Ty Lee speaks in her sleep. 
“A two-piece special with lots of hot sauce and all the fries you can give me.” Ty Lee sleepily mumbles.
Azula lets out a mild “hmph” and amused smirk. At least Ty Lee was over her own nightmares. Nightmares about that “burned man”. He had knives for fingers, Ty Lee says.
Still, duty calls. Azula kisses Ty Lee on the forehead.
“Alright, you have this night off.” Azula saysm climbing out of bed.
“I don't want that cup. Why would I want a non-mint condition Grimace cup ? Your selection is shoddy.” Ty Lee mumbles again.
With another chuckle, Azula makes her way to the room across the hall, to Yasuko's nursery. 
She doesn't bother turning on the lights, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness. The child's cries were like a foghorn in a dense fog.
Azula makes a beeline towards the crib, narrowly avoiding tripping over a stuffed dragon. Still a little tired, Azula leans over the crib to see a dark haired, wiggling infant for four months old, having rolled out of her bundle. 
Yasuko’s little hands reach futilely towards the bars.
With an amused grin Azula reaches down.
“She thinks she can, she thinks she can...” Azula says teasingly, picking the infant up and holding her to her face “But you're too inexperienced to know if you can. And that's how the hare got humbled.”
Immediately sensing her mother, Yasuko stops crying, but still makes a series of whimpering and sobs.
“Now, what seems to be bothering you ?” Azula asks with a sigh, holding Yasuko close and resting the infant's head on her shoulder, protectively holding the back of her neck and head with one of her hands.
Yasuko says nothing but makes a few babyish noises. 
“Oh, right.” Azula chuckles “You haven't figured out words yet. Well, you'll get a hang of it. And whatever's bothering you then clearly isn't now. So how 'bout we work at putting you back to sleep ?”
Yasuko lets out a little breathing noise through her nose, which Azula took as meaning “Great idea, momma! You always have the best ones!”
“I know I do.” Azula says, answering to the imaginary remark with a cocky smirk.
-----
Warming up a bottle of milk and settling into the living room, Azula sits down on a rocking chair, swaddling her daughter and feeding her.
Looking to the side, Azula glances out the window to a bright view of Republic City's nightlife. It always looked more alive at night, much like every other city in Azula's experience.
Matter of fact, this view brought to mind that play she and Ty Lee would catch every now and then.  
It was a story shared across Uncharted Lands but only reached the Three Nations in recent years. It was about this King of the Lions, and they'd have performances of it every few years on Ember Island.
And so, unable to resist a wisecrack...
“Look Yasuko,” Azula says in a joking deep voice “Everything the lights touch is our kingdom.”
Yasuko says nothing, only letting out a relaxed sigh as she drunks from the bottle.
“Not into jokes, are ya kid ?” Azula sighs, “That's okay, we'll fix that in time.”
Standing up from her seats, and stepping towards the window, Azula lightly bounces the infant in her arms still working through the motions.  
One would think that being a mother for four months would make her used to this, but ever the perfectionist, Azula was constantly on her toes that she might fuck things up.
Be it the coup of Ba Sing Se; her revival of Gojira, and seeing the downfall of Ghidorah; or even leading the new industrial age; Azula tends to think of Yasuko as one of her better achievements.
It was about a year ago she and Ty Lee even considered having a family. Azula never really saw herself as a mother before, being more work focused, as well as her personal relationships. 
But like many things for Azula, shit changes.
Zuzu and Mai had a rugrat of their own the year before, and both Katara and Avatar Aang were expecting a little monster themselves. Needless to say, it brought out this sense of competitiveness in Azula.
Ty Lee going into “playful aunt” mode around Izumi didn't help Azula's resolve. Neither did the puppy dog look Ty Lee would give Azula when the subject came up. At first they considered adoption. Years after both Ghidorah and Bagan's rampages, hundreds of thousands of survivors were still displaced across the Three Nations. Especially orphaned children.  
The problem was, Ty Lee just wanted to take them all, and couldn't stand to leave any behind. As for Azula, she couldn't afford opening a daycare in her house.
Eventually, Azula just threw six million into adoption agencies through her “Home For the Lost Ones” act. This effectively solved the bigger problem of orphans and refugees, but left Azula and Ty Lee back at square one.
Azula and Ty Lee considered male donors, but no options matched up to either Azula or Ty Lee's standards.  
They put that option in the “Maybe” pile.
While they were still considering their options, it reached both Azula and Ty Lee that there is a method of drawing power from spirits. 
If done right, one could bend the rules of nature a little; notably there were about a handful of recorded instances of same sex couples, conceiving together through this. 
They differ between the genders of the couple, but this isn't a lesson on the mystical birds and the bees. Even so, these instances were very rare. So, during the Winter Solstice, Azula and Ty Lee took a gamble.  
While not expecting it to actually work, they did draw upon the power of spirits. And through the act of tr- You know what ? What happens under the spirit-empowered waterfall, stays under the spirit-empowered waterfall.  
Bottom line, neither of them expected to actually conceive...but Azula experiencing a week or so of morning sickness shot those doubts down.
Azula didn't expect to be the carrier between her and Ty Lee, but for whatever reason, the spirits picked her. And of course, Azula wasn't gonna back down from a challenge. It was just another in a long list of challenges that Azula would overcome and perfect.
So after nine months of enduring morning sickness; mood wings; fatigue; cravings for white and red meat (and peanuts); restless nights; Yasuko practicing her kick-boxing in utero; culminating in seven hours of labor ? 
Azula would say she did a good job, all things considered.
During those, Ty Lee insisted that she and Azula take the last four off work, which was around the time her mood swings started acting up. 
Azula was annoyed and reluctant at having to be taken care of as her due date drew near, but in retrospect Ty Lee deserves the world for putting up with her like that.  
Azula still kicks herself for the things she said to Ty Lee during these mood swings and when Yasuko decided it was time to come out. When Yasuko was finally born, both Azula and Ty Lee took another six weeks off work. 
During that time, Ty Lee proved herself to be a pro at this whole mom thing, so much so that she's taking about a year off work. As for Azula, she's still not sure if she has what it takes.
Everytime she holds her daughter, Azula minds every step she takes; always second guessing the way she holds Yasuko; even questioning if she put her to bed right. 
Azula considered herself a master at many things, be it combat, strategy, politics and business. And yet this baby girl, a piece of her, has Azula questioning every move she makes. 
Azula wasn’t even sure she could give this girl a bath or heat up the bottle just right without Ty Lee's help. And yet, with Ty Lee sick the past week, Azula manages to pull through.
Again, the whole “Help stopping Ghidorah” thing was just slightly less challenging.
Which is why when Azula found herself nodding off to memory lane, she silently scolds herself when she feels Yasuko's hand grabbing at her hair. 
Yasuko lets out an airy “Ah” noise as she tries to take handfuls of her mothers hair and stuff them into her mouth.
“Hey, hey, hey!” Azula gives an amused grin as she gently pulls her hair out of her daughter's grasp “You're getting stronger everyday. I should keep an eye on you!”
As Azula holds her baby closer to her face, Yasuko takes the tip of her mothers nose into her mouth. It took Azula all her strength not to giggle.
“Well, that's one way of keeping an eye on things.” Azula says, gently pressing her forehead to Yasuko's. The infant lets go of Azula's nose in the process.
Yasuko says nothing, but makes a mumbling noise, before sticking her tongue out.
“Mm, I see.” Azula remarks, before glancing at the clock.  
It was 2:30 now. If she doesn't get Yasuko back to sleep soon, they'll be up all night.
Carrying Yasuko back to their seat, Azula found herself humming a little tune. It was something released days ago as part of the ever growing music industry. 
It was apparently another song from the Ancient World, kept alive through thousands of years of oral tradition, and now remade for a new world.
And unlike the thousands of other recreated songs, Azula found herself humming it twice now since its release. Once when she was in the shower, and again when she was asleep. 
Both times, she thought Ty Lee couldn't hear her.
And yet as Azula finally realized she was humming it, she notices the way Yasuko is looking at her, as they sit back in their seats.
“You like the tune, don't you ?” Azula asks.
Yasuko makes a babble noise, before sticking her hand into her own mouth.
A smile creeps up on Azula's face, despite herself.
“Very well, if I agree to sing for you, will you agree to sleep for me ?” Azula teasingly asks.
Yasuko says nothing, but just looks up at her mother.
“I'll take that as a 'Yes'. Just don't let Mama know.” Azula winks.
And with that, Azula leans back into her seat, laying Yasuko on her chest, ear to heart. She rubs a hand up and down the infant's back, as she rocks the chair back and forth.
Humming the opening beat, Azula finds the lyrics slipping through her mouth.  Even she's taken aback by how soft her voice is.
“There's a hero/If you look inside your heart/You don't have to be afraid/Of what you are...”
Yasuko snuggles into Azula's chest. So far, so good.
“There's an answer/If you reach into your so-o-u-u-ul/And the sorrow that you know/Will melt awa-a-a-a-ay...” 
Yasuko lets out a hiccup, but Azula doesn't let it deter her. 
 “And then a hero comes along/With the strength to carry on/And you cast your fears aside/And you know you can survive.” Azula sings the chorus “So when you feel like hope is gone/Look inside you and be strong/And you'll finally see the truth/That a hero lies in you-u-u-u...”
In what was about a few seconds in real time, a whole slew of memories filled Azula's head at once.  
“It's a long road/When you face the world alone/No one reaches out a hand/For you to ho-o-o-old.”
The memories were pretty unpleasant; they brought back a series of mucky feelings. Feelings she would rather do without. 
Memories of her father, the asylum, and everything leading up to the Titans awakening, flooded her like a tidal wave.
“You can find love/If you search within yourself/And that emptiness you felt/Will disappe-e-e-a-a-a-ar...” Azula sings, trying to keep her voice down.
She had to blink a few times to be sure she was still here. That Yasuko was here with her, and that the past seven years were not just a dream.
“And then a hero comes along/With the strength to carry on/And you cast your fears aside/And you know you can survive.”
Again, a thousand thoughts fill Azula's head, in what was a couple of seconds in real time. Luckily, more welcoming memories and feelings filled her.  
Like the explosive; the recreation of an Ancient World weapon that scorched the Earth and left poison in its wake. The kind that had the power to burn away a city with nothing more than a bright flash.
It was when the Titans awoke, when these weapons were uncovered, that Azula and her new team would recreate one of them. 
At the time, Azula thought that by giving the Fire Nation such an arsenal, it would both demonstrate the power the Fire Nation still had, and provide the weapons that would slay the Titans.  
For Zuko's benefit of course. He had everything to gain from this.
But that all changed, when the titan Gojira attacked.
“So when you feel like hope is gone/Look inside you and be strong/And you'll finally see the truth. That a hero lies in you...” Azula finishes the coursus, gently brushing her fingers through Yasuko's dark hair.
Azula remembers how the Avatar's crew and hers were left stranded in the Uncharted Country. How over time, she found herself connecting to those she never thought she would.
And how the very weapon she intended to fight the Titans, was instead used to empower the injured Gojira, once Ghidorah's true colors were revealed to the world.
It was what led to her and Ty Lee ending up together after all.
“Oh, oh, Lord kno-o-o-ows/Dreams are hard to follow/But don't let anyone/Tear them awa-a-a-ay...” Azula sings, noticing Yasuko was starting to snooze. “Hold o-o-o-on/There will be tomorrow/In time you'll find the waa-a-a-aay.”
Sensing someone standing behind her, Azula looks over her shoulder to see a tired eyed, but smiling Ty Lee, watching from the doorway.
Azula blushes in mild embarrassment. She tried her hardest to not let her wife catch her singing again, but a loss is a loss.
Contenting herself, Azula continues, as Ty Lee quietly makes her way to the couch.
“And then a hero comes along/With the strength to carry on/And you cast your fears aside/And you know you can survive...”
As Azula sings the next verse, she is sure Yasuko was sleeping by now.
“So when you feel like hope is gone/Look inside you and be strong/And you'll finally see the truth/That a hero lies in you...” Azula brings her singing voice down to a hush “That a hero lies in you...That a hero lies in you...”
As she finishes singing, Azula glances back at Ty Lee.
“Not a word.” Azula mouths.
“That was too cute!” Ty Lee beams, covering her mouth and wiping an eye.
Azula opens her mouth, but Ty Lee holds a finger up to stop her.
“And that wasn't A word; that was four words.” Ty Lee says, crossing her arms with a more cocky smile.
Azula closes her mouth with an amused smirk.
“Try not to wake her.” Azula says, slowly getting back up, her wife following after “Then she won't go back to sleep.”
“Who do you think you're talking to ?” Ty Lee asks, raising an eyebrow, gently taking Yasuko into her arms “Maybe the girl with four nieces and nephews has become something of an expert at the field.”
“Are you sure you can hold her ?”
“Oh yes.” Ty Lee nods “It's been clearing up since this morning. Come noon tomorrow, it'll be like I was never sick.”
Accepting Ty Lee's answer, Azula follows behind her to Yasuko's bedroom.
-----
Tucking Yasuko back into her crib, both Azula and Ty Lee took a minute to look down at the daughter.
“You know, sometimes I still don't believe it.” Azula sighs wistfully.
“Azula...” Ty Lee starts, knowing what Azula's gonna talk about.
“I know, I know.” Azula says, trying to keep herself reserved “I just had a few more of those dreams lately.”
Ty Lee doesn't push the matter. Azula talked about it extensively.
About how Azula would have a dream about waking up in the asylum; how she'd be a Firelord, but live a life that felt more empty; sometimes she'd wake up back to being a fugitive.
But the worst one was pretty vivid.
It was seven years ago, when Azula was preparing to revive Gojira. They were at Boiling Rock, where the golden dragon dropped the King of the Monsters following Bagan's defeat. 
With the knowledge that the Titans fed on the power of these weapons, it was a no brainer. They just launch the weapons and empower the monster. 
Except the only complete prototype could only be turned on manually. And it did not escape Azula's notice that most people were still afraid of her. Hated her even.
You'd think she'd be used to being feared and hated. But after weeks of accepting that love and compassion is not a weakness; and thinking that she was worthy of receiving it ? It hurts a little more.
Even after she helped save Ba Sing Se from Bagan's wrath, everywhere she looked she got these dirty looks. In the immediate aftermath of Bagan's defeat, almost everywhere she looked there'd be people giving her these dirty looks, or whispering behind her back.
As if they thought she was a greater monster than the so-called “Demonic Dragon God” that had killed nine-hundred-thousand people in its rampage!  
Azula remembers the look Zuko, Mai and Ursa gave her when they first saw each other in the following Bagan's rampage. It looked like an addition to the nightmare they had on their hands.
So, while Zuko and his armies were evacuating the areas surrounding Boiling Rock, Azula took it upon herself to activate the weapon and empower Gojira. 
She didn't care if she got incinerated, so long as she was out of everyone's hair, she'd be doing the Fire Nation its greatest favor. 
But as she was setting up the weapon, expecting it to be the end of her story, word got to the Avatar and his friends what Azula was up to. 
Avatar Aang, being a good boy scout, along with Katara and Ty Lee kept telling Azula was a life worth saving, how she doesn't deserve to be alone, let alone die here.
And so, when Aang, and Ty Lee both sat down beside Azula, refusing to leave her side as the timer started, Azula relented and allowed them to save her.
It was only when Azula was among the benders who aided bringing down Ghidorah did the general population accept Azula. The rest is history, leading up to Azula's new life with Ty Lee and Yasuko.
And because of this ? Azula's worst nightmares are the ones where she's back at Boiling Rock, the “weapon” at the ready, and the injured King of the Monster's staring her down.  
Only this time, no one would come for her. She was destined to die there to empower a monster that would live for millennia past the Fire Nation. Doing the world the ultimate favor. And she was alone and worthless.
Azula is pulled from her train of thought when Ty Lee puts two hands on both her shoulders. They were here. In Yasuko's nursery. Ghidorah has been dead for seven years, and Gojira has returned to the sea for just as long.
Ty Lee moves Azula to face her. Azula didn't even realize she had tears, until Ty Lee wiped her eyes.
“I'm here.” Ty Lee says, reassuringly, before she puts her forehead to Azula's “You're here. And Yasuko's here; and she's always gonna be here. And so will you.”
Azula gives a sad smile, before wrapping her arms around Ty Lee's shoulder and buries her face into her shoulder. She doesn't sob, but she lets out these deep exhales as she lets this hurricane of emotions wash over her.  
When Azula looks back up, towards the clock over Yasuko's dresser, she sees it's 2:37.
“I say it’s time we hit the hay.” Azula says with a sigh.
“It's like you read my mind.” Ty Lee nods.  
Before they make their leave, they pay the sleeping Yasuko a final glance.
“We made something wonderful.” Ty Lee sighs, wrapping an arm around Azula's waist.
“Yeah, we did.” Azula says, reaching down into the crib, tracing a finger around Yasuka's head, without even touching her “And she will bring wonderful things into this world.”
“I'd expect nothing less.” Ty Lee says with a smile.
And with that, Azula and Ty Lee made their way to their bedroom. As they climb back in, they resume a cuddling position, with Ty Lee spooning Azula.
After a moment, Ty Lee speaks up.
“You know ?”
“Ty, not now.” Azula says, trying to get to sleep.
“I'm just saying, you sang to Yasuko and...” Ty Lee says, letting Azula catch on to what she's saying “Tap the headboard once for no, and twice for yes.”
Azula taps the headboard once. And then twice.
Stifling a laugh, Ty Lee kisses Azula on the cheek, slowly and gently rubbing her hands up and down Azula's arm.
“I sat on the roof/And kicked off the moss,” Ty Lee sings softly “Well, a few of the verses/Well, they've got me quite cross/But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song-”
“But you didn't write this-” Azula says sleepily, but with a snarky smile.
“It's for people like you that keep it turned on...” Ty Lee continues “So excuse me forgetting/But these things I do/You see, I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue...”
“They're clearly brown.” Azula says, a sleepy smile overtaking her snarky one.
“Anyway, the thing is/What I really mean/Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen.” Ty Lee continues to sing, slowly getting lulled by her own singing voice.
“I accept-” Azula yawns “Your flattery...”
“And you can tell everybody/This is your song/It may be quite simple/But now that it's done,” Ty Lee sings, completely unfazed by her wife's snark “I hope you don't mind/I hope you don't mind/That I put down in words...”
And with the next verse, both Azula and Ty Lee succumb to sleep.
“How wonderful life is while you're in the world.”
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opalinedaydreams · 2 years
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from dust | mako/wu
or; early mornings & revelations of peace 
Mako realizes, one Sunday morning, that his life has steadied into something of a rhythm, now. It’s settled.
He lives in an apartment in downtown Republic City with his boyfriend. He grocery shops on Wednesdays with Asami—You’re hopeless at picking out cabbages, she says, as if that explains her accompaniment—and he trains with Korra on Fridays. Bolin comes and goes as he pleases, sometimes bringing Opal along for dinner or a movie.
And Mako’s life is…full, now. It’s achingly full; full to the very brim. Some days, it feels as if it’s pouring over entirely.
He doesn’t know how to hold it.
He wakes up beside Wu before sunrise, and he watches him sleep. The haphazard press of Wu’s face into the pillow, the first rays of summer sunlight reaching across the bedroom floor to circle around his feet. The creases pressed by sheets into his sleeping cheeks, the steady way he breathes. It feels mesmerizing, somehow.
And still, Mako doesn’t know how to hold it.
Because Wu is fine boned and precious, built like something sacred. Mako couldn’t find a way to worship properly with his verbs or his hands if he tried, and so he settles for striving. He settles for never quite reaching, and he finds that he’s never been happier to fail in his life.
Something about him feels different, now. He feels remade. He runs his fingertips through Wu’s sweaty mop of hair, the sticky heat of early July seeping through the cracks in the floor. He presses a kiss to the hinge of Wu’s jaw, and then he does it all again for good measure.
“What’s gotten into you,” Wu teases, cracking a wary eye open.
“Nothing,” Mako murmurs. He sinks a little bit deeper into the sheets, taking Wu with him. “I’m just…happy.”
Wu grins. It’s soft, and fond, and a little too real for this hour of the morning. “Yeah?”
Mako nods. “Yeah,” he echoes gently.  
Wu yawns, his jaw cracking beneath the weight of waking. Even after all this time, the sound of it still makes Mako’s stomach lurch. “Well,” Wu manages, his voice half lost to sleep again already.  "That's good."
Mako hides a crooked grin atop Wu’s head. He buries it within Wu's absolute bird’s nest of hair, and he breathes. Yeah, he thinks. It is.
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kidcataldo · 2 years
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Hey I’m writing a fic
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and I got a comment on my ff account about the long hiatus, but they’re a guest so I can’t reply directly to them
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Just know this fanfic has not been abandoned. My computer broke and this is a fic too complex to write on my phone. And I just haven’t got around to getting my computer fixed/getting a new computer. Hope to be back working on this by this weekend or the next
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angelstellaluna · 1 year
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So many fanfic ideas, so little time
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krastbannert · 2 years
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N4 Bumizumi? (im definitely not flame)
Using this as a gift for @bumizumii. Happy birthday, my friend. This fic isn't even a tenth as good as you deserve, but I wanted to do at least something for you. (And I have on idea if I got Mizuki right, but I tried.)
I just hope you enjoy it.
@atla-multishipping-bingo
Modern AU Bingo N4 - Celebrity
One more wave, one more bow, and a little wink to the cameras - damn those paparazzi and their annoying flash, always blinding him - and he finally, finally ducks back through the door. Bumi falls back against the wall with a deep sigh as soon as the door latch closes. He slides down to the floor, rests his face on his knees.
This, he thinks, is too much.
(He’s too old for this, now. Far too old.
And it’s not like he’s a hero, not really. He hadn’t done anything special. Just…the right thing. That’s all.)
At least now, he’s home. Finally…home.)
“Dad?”
His daughter’s - son’s, he corrects himself; still a little new, still adjusting, but he’s getting there - voice echoes through the hall, and he smiles through the exhaustion. Oh, how he’d missed that voice.
“Over here,” he calls weakly. The thud of Mizuki’s boots echoes down the hallway, and he glances up to see his son scowling down at him, arms crossed over his chest.
“Look at you,” he says,” a washed up old sailor. What would the world think of you?”
“That I need to see your mother and give her a big kiss,” he retorts as he slowly gets back up to his feet.
Mizuki stares at him for a long, silent moment, scowling - then chuckles, shakes his head.” Nice to see you, too, dad.”
“Love you,” Bumi winked. Mizuki pretends to retch for a moment - Bumi just shakes his head at his antics and wraps his arm around his son, letting Mizuki guide him down the halls of the palace. It’s only been three months since Kuvira attacked Republic City, but it might as well have been a lifetime.
Interview after interview, press conference after press conference, news reports and criticisms and promotions and ceremonies and…and he was just done. Worn out. Tired. Exhausted. He was almost sixty-five, now - he just didn’t have the energy he had as a kid. It was time for him to slow down. Stay home. Annoy his sons with bad jokes and funny stories. (And probably get thrown in one of the ponds in the gardens by said sons. Again.
Ah, well. It was better than whatever PR mover nonsense Varrick would have wanted him to do.)
“Go, get out of here. Be gross with mom,” Mizuki says, punching his shoulder.” I’m going to go punch something.”
Bumi rolls his eyes, and silently opens the door to Izumi’s suite. He pokes his head through, looks around - good. She hasn’t seen him; she’s still lounging on a couch by the balcony - he can see her, her crown cast off to the side, a book in her hand. He smirks as he slips inside, silently closes the door behind him.
(He might be exhausted, but he wouldn’t be Bumi if he didn’t mess with her at least a little bit.)
He tiptoes up behind her, almost slipping on a folded rug - and just before he can put his hands over her eyes, she speaks.
“I can hear you, you know.” Bumi can hear the smile in her voice.
He groans, throws his hands down.” You didn’t let me finish!”
Izumi chuckles - a light, rich sound that makes his heart flip - and snaps her book shut. She smoothly stands up from the couch, walks around to take him in her arms. He buries his nose in her hair, kisses her forehead.
Damn it, he’d missed her so much.
“Missed you,” Izumi mumbles into his shoulder.
“Missed you, too,” he says. He pulls away, gives her a light kiss, and tugs her back in again. Izumi is warm and safe and…everything, right now.
Being a war hero was not the kind of fame for him. Too much…well, everything, really. He could never put up with it for long. Spirits, that’s why he’d retired in the first place.
(Prince-Consort of the Fire Nation, though…well. He could survive that, for as long as Izumi would have him.)
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notgeorgelucas · 2 years
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Bumi tells Kai the story of how he joined the United Forces...eventually.
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pastel-peach-writes · 2 months
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Fire Comes From Within II | Korra x Reader
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╰┈➤ PLOT: In what's supposed to be the night of your life, you let the Avatar feel your wrath.
╰┈➤ WARNINGS: Cursing, Angry Reader, 4000+ Words, Rivals to Lover, (One-sided) Enemies to Lovers, Part Two, No Use of Y/n, Not Proofread
PART ONE
⍣ ೋ Enjoy!⍣ ೋ
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"Where is she?!" your voice boomed through the halls. The doors to the locker room swung open, hitting the walls and then recoiling, almost smashing your teammate Yi in the process.
"Where's who?" Yi asked. The girl scrambled to match your strides, you were too in a fury to notice.
"You know who. I'm going to give her a piece of my mind. First, she's going to steal my spot on the Fire Ferrets then she's going to obliterate me in a match I'm supposed to win?" you scoffed. "She's the Avatar, she's not even supposed to be competing in the first place."
"Oh, come on, Lightning, you know she earned her place fair and square. She's not even using all of her abilities."
"I don't care!" you shouted. You turned on your heels to face Yi square. Your body was trembling with anger while your eyes expressed the pain you were trying your best to hide. "I tried out for the Fire Ferrets. I made it in and I was going to replace their teammate until she stepped in and ruined everything. My spot is on the Fire Ferrets, not the Elemental Mixers."
Yi frowned, her big brown eyes dimming as she stared into yours. "So, you don't want to be on the Elemental Mixers? You never did?"
"What? No, I just–"
"No, it's okay. I get it. I hope you can find your peace, Lightning." Yi left before you could get another word in.
With a yell, you turned away. That same fire in your chest made its return. Yet again, another thing ruined by Korra. You loved the Elemental Mixers, you did. But your heart was with the Fire Ferrets. It always has been and always will be.
As you came to, you noticed Guo's frame. He wasn't too far away in the halls and was talking to some person from another team. You hoped he didn't hear you yell, but the person he was talking to eyed you and then looked back at him
You groaned to yourself as Guo left the person. The male with the long brown hair looked at you displeased, his lips in a frown.
"How much did you hear?" you sucked in a breath.
Guo shrugged. "Just about all of it. Did you mean it?"
"Guo, you know I love being on this team. I think of you guys as family--"
"Did you or did you not mean it, Lightning? I don't have time for your games."
With your eyes fixed on him, you noticed the sternness in his eyebrows. Usually on the thicker side and friendly, they seemed to have thinned out and expressed a massive amount of disappointment.
"I mean it, Guo. I'm sorry--"
He interrupted you once again. "I'm sorry," for the first time since you joined the team, he called you by your name, "you're off the team. Someone on the Elementals doesn't express their hate towards other players or their own team. As you said, we're a family. A family that loves each other and protects each other.
"I saw how you broke Yi's heart. I watched the fear in her eyes as she watched you storm and rant about whatever the heck you were ranting about this time. You're off the team, officially, for unsportsmanlike behavior."
"Oh, come on! You can't kick me out. Like you said, we're family. Family doesn't kick out family, Guo."
The older boy shook his head. "It's clear to me now that you were never family, just a pretender." And like his "sister", Yui, Guo left without you getting another word in.
In the hall, you've captured the attention of some ongoers. Most of them you didn't care about, but then your eyes landed on bright blue eyes and deep skin.
She just had to be there whenever you're at your worst, doesn't she?
You walked through the crowd of people, brushing past them and glaring into Korra's eyes as you met her in the middle of the crowd. "You ruined everything for me, Avatar," you grimaced. "You've stripped everything I've ever worked for and known of from me in just a matter of weeks. You're a rookie. You shouldn't have all these favors and things handed to you just because you're the human the spirits chose to master the four elements."
Korra didn't say anything. Her expression was unreadable with her blank eyes and stone face.
"I hate you, Korra, and I hope karma bites you in your ass."
--
You didn't know Guo was serious about kicking you off the team. After the match, win or lose, the pro-bending teams were having a party to celebrate the end of the season. One of the teams rented out an old-school ballroom to host the party.
The party was electric, similar to the party a couple days ago, but the energy was significantly higher probably because all of the hard work was over.
You had to attend this party, it was the party of the season, but Guo got your name off the list. When he had time to do that, you had no clue.
You sat outside, high upon the marble steps to the ballroom. Guards stood by the entrance of the building, dressed in slick black suits and glasses like they were someone important.
Many partygoers and pro-benders eyed you and spoke to plus ones about you sitting on the steps. Though everyone eyed you differently, some with sad expressions and others with anger, they all spoke about the same thing.
"I heard they got kicked off the Elemental Mixers." "Do you hear that they got into it with the Avatar?"
"I heard them and Guo were in a relationship and had a messy breakup."
"That's not even what happened!" you exclaimed to a woman no more than 3 years older than you. She stuck her tongue out, her arm tightly wrapped around the girl. The two of them swayed their hips up the stairs, giggling to themselves.
"Why don't you just leave?" Mako spoke, making your eyes snap from the side of you to in front of you.
On the steps below stood Mako, Bolin, and Korra in their best party wear. If you weren't extremely pissed at them, you might even say they looked good.
Might.
You shrugged and faced your body away from the three. You didn't know why yourself, but you weren't going to tell them that. They knew enough about you already.
Mako let out an irritated sigh in replace of your silence. "Fine, don't tell us. Staying out here is just going to make you feel worse about yourself. Plus, you can't stay out here forever. You're going to get cold eventually."
"Goodbye, Fire Ferrets," you said, your gaze still not on them.
The three of them sighed in unison before walking up the stairs. Korra kept her eyes on you as they walked, but you didn't care enough to notice.
"I feel bad," Korra whispered to her teammates once they reached the door.
Mako scoffed. "Are you forgetting the part where they tried to trash talk you and then expressed utter and complete hatred towards you?"
Bolin nodded, agreeing with his brother. "Yeah, and you're the Avatar. No one should hate you."
"But that's the thing," sighed Korra. "They hate me because of who I am or at least what I represent. Because of my abilities, I've taken everything away from them. They trained their whole lives for a spot on the Fire Ferrets and all I had to do was flash a pretty smile towards Mako."
Mako scoffed again, more flustered this time. "That is not all you had to do."
Korra shrugged with a grin. "It's pretty much it."
"Pretty smile or not, you earned your spot on this team. They're jealous and will have to deal with it." Mako put his hands on Korra's shoulders. "You're the Avatar and it's unlike you to shy away from that. Don't let someone hating your destiny dim your light."
Korra stared into his eyes, her blue eyes sparkling. Bolin stood beside them, glancing between the Avatar and his brother. Mere seconds later, Korra laughed in his face. She took his hands off her shoulders, laughing harder.
"Wow, you almost sounded wise for a second," Korra snickered. Mako huffed with red cheeks. He turned his body away from Korra with a grumble. "I'm gonna go apologize, but that was good, Mako!" Korra announced as she ran down the stairs. "You should be a comedian!"
Korra's pumps clicked and clacked against the marble steps. You could hear them above the commotion from the party. You laid an arm along your lap and rested your chin in your other palm. You did your best to ignore Korra, feeling her presence directly behind you, but the Avatar was as stubborn as she is powerful.
"Hey, Mixer," her voice carried over. "Can I sit here?"
You kept your gaze away from her. Why would you give her the chance to look into your eyes, the gateway to the soul, and find something to make fun of you for? Something to use against you and make you feel even shittier than you do now?
From the side of you now, Korra sighed. She sat down a few feet away from you. Her legs stretched down the bottom of the steps and crossed at the ankle as she leaned back on her hands. Just like you, she avoided your gaze. Not because she was worried about what you discover about her, no. But because she didn't know what to say yet.
She came over to apologize but she didn't think of the words to say. How would she bring it up? Should she come out and say it or should she make a segway into the apology?
The orange sky with pink ribbons captured her attention. There were barely any white clouds in sight and the golden rays of the sun made the white and gray marble steps sparkle.
A breath moved past Korra's lips. "The sky looks nice."
On your side of the steps, the sky was a murky blue. The clouds were dark, almost resembling a storm. The moon wasn't to be seen, so there was no light to illuminate the clouds or sparkles of stars. You scoffed, taking in the bleak sight of the sky. "Yeah, right. It looks like the Wicked Witch is coming."
"Huh?" Korra veiwed the sky to her right, where you were sitting, and snickered. "No, not over there." A hesitant hand reached out to turn your shoulder but quickly retracted. "I mean over here." She pointed at the sunset.
Taking a gander at her side of the world, you tilted your head to the side. Nice was barely scraping the bowl to describe the sky's beauty.
The colors were warm and soft strands of clouds danced across the sky. The inviting warmth of the sun's rays invoked peace within you. You had to take a deep breath to really captivate and absorb Nature's gift. The sunset wasn't just nice. It was perfect.
After minutes of comfortable silence, you spoke. "What are you doing here, Korra?" The sunset was becoming enveloped by the dark sky, but for some reason on Korra's side of the world, it wasn't as dark. "You should be inside."
Korra shrugged. "I wanted to apologize. I think I understand why you hate me."
Understanding? Korra? The hot-headed Avatar, known for holding a grudge, was apologizing to you after you initiated all the arguments you've shared? The action was out of character. She should be trying to pick a fight with you like you have for the entirety of the season.
You shook your head, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon. "You have nothing to apologize for." You should be the one doing the apologizing yet you couldn't find yourself to.
"I took your spot on the team. I overheard your conversation with your teammate and then again through the grapevine. I never thought about the lives I affected by taking the open spot on the team. Some say it wasn't fair for me to be on their team, but I thought it was being I was the Avatar," Korra scoffed. "I mean, a lot of stuff is about me being the Avatar, but I realize there's another side to that.
"I didn't try out or train to get my spot on the team. I showed up and was accepted practically on the spot. I was so happy to be a part of something that uplifted benders. I didn't think about the dreams I would be crushing."
You grumbled. You picked at your outfit and returned your gaze to your side of the world. It was dark just as it was before.
Korra sighed at your silence. She mimicked your actions and picked at her blue dress while watching the clouds move across the sky. "We don't have to be friends, but this thing between us needs to stop. It won't be worth it since I won't be on the team anymore."
"What?"
"I'm leaving. Most of this information is classified so don't tell anyone, but my duties as the Avatar are going to rise significantly as time passes. I won't have time to be on the Fire Ferrets, no matter how much I want to. It's only right that my spot goes to someone who earns it. You."
You shook your head. You met her eyes and searched for insincerity or hints of a joke. Her eyes, instead of the words previously described, were the opposite with a genuine gaze and a slight smile on her face. "I don't get it. You hate me."
"No," corrected Korra. "You hate me. I never hated you, just found you mildly annoying." There was a chuckle that followed after. Without staring at her in a fit of rage, the sound of her laughter was actually... pleasant. You wouldn't mind hearing it again.
"Ha. Ha." You adverted your sight. You rested your chin back on your palm. Become a part of the Fire Ferrets and for real this time. An actual tryout, a chance. It would finally be your time to shine. "What about your teammates? You may not hate me, but they hate me for hating you. How could I try out if they won't let me."
"Oh, trust me," a devious smile spread across Korra's lips, "they'll let you."
--
It took careful consideration, around 6 minutes, before you agreed to take Korra up on her offer. Honestly, you thought yourself to be a fool to reject another opportunity to be on the Fire Ferrets.
Though it took a lot of convincing on Korra's side to allow Mako and Bolin to let you try out, your tryout went well.
You hit every target, fired Earth disks when told, and showcased your agility. The brothers were impressed, obviously, but them accepting you into their team wasn't what surprised you. It was the team disassembling just minutes after you were accepted.
It was just your luck to want something so badly, get the opportunity to have it twice, just for it to be ripped out from under you.
Your rage towards disassembly was justified but not targeted towards anyone. The classified information Korra was talking about the night of the party? Yeah, apparently there were people out there taking away Benders' abilities. And being close friends with the Avatar and benders themselves, Mako and Bolin had no choice but to help Korra out.
Days into fighting Amon and discovering his plans, the Krew realized they were taking on more than they thought. Every hour, Amon was recruiting new members. Now his small group of around 20 expanded to nearly 100. The Krew was outnumbered.
"We're going to need more help," Asami informed her friends. The Krew stood around a map spread out on a table at the Air Temple. "Preferably someone agile, has a history doing combat, and is lightning quick."
Korra quipped a brow, smiling at the side of her mouth. Agile, history of doing combat, and lightning quick; Korra knew just the person.
It seemed like Korra was going to be doing a lot of convincing this season. The Avatar thought you would be eager to jump at the opportunity to fight side-by-side and to use your bending for something other than professional bending, but she was wrong. You flat-out refused to join her Krew.
"It's the same story," you informed the Avatar. You two were sat at a ramen place, slurping on noodles and drinking locally made tea. This wouldn't be your first time hanging out with the Avatar. In fact, since your joining and then well, leaving the Fire Ferrets, you two found out that you like each other more than you wanted to admit. "I get the chance to work with Mako and Bolin then it gets torn away from me. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. But fool me three times? Nuh-uh." You slurp up another noodle before continuing. "Not doing it."
"Oh, but come on," Korra whined. "There's no way for you to get kicked out this time! There's no one else in the running for your exact spot and there isn't going to be another worldly crisis taking the brothers away from you. Swear!"
You shook your head as you continued to chow down on your ramen. "Nope. Not happening. Find someone else."
"But there isn't someone else!" Korra pounded her fist on the table. The action shook the table, a thud echoing throughout the wood. Your cups and bowls rattled as the table continued to move. "There is no one as fantastic as you, Lightning. Guo said it himself, Mako and Bolin saw it, and even I did when we were competing. You're letting your fears take control of your life. You didn't have any fears when going against me and trash-talking, and I can kick your ass faster than anyone on this planet."
Through a smile, you scoff. "You wish, Avatar."
Korra rolled her eyes, her smile matching yours. "Come on, Lightning. If you can take me head-on, you can take on these Equalists. My crew and I will be right there fighting beside you if that helps anything."
From your seat across from her, you could see the eager determination in Korra's eyes. She was serious when she said there's no one else to take your spot and that her team needed you. Even through all the petty arguments and digs, Korra saw the best of you. The you that you refused to see sometimes. There was no need for competition if you were on the same team as your rival. Plus, how badass would it be to fight beside the Fire Ferrets? Oh, Kei was going to blow her lid.
"Fine," you prepped another bite of your ramen. "I'll help you guys out but as a guest, okay? I'll fight alongside you until the Equalists are gone, but once they are, I am too. I'm going back to pro-bending."
"Yes!" Korra bumped her fist in the hair. A grin spread wide across her cheeks and her eyes into upside-down C's. "You won't regret this, Lightning. Swear."
--
Your fight against the Equalists was your first with the Krew, but it definitely wasn't your last.
As you fought alongside them, you saw progress in your growth and how you fought. Bolin was the perfect role model to look up to and his positive happy-go-lucky attitude was infectious. There were even moments when Bolin taught Korra some Earth-bending moves and you were invited to join in on the lesson!
Sure, you were more focused on Korra's muscles than improving your skills, but that was a price you were willing to pay to be a part of the Krew. Speaking of Korra and her muscles, you two definitely grew closer as the years went on.
Since she was your top rival, you would train and spar with her the most. In the beginning, it was a bit annoying. Now that Korra could use all four elements, mostly three in the early days, she was hard to beat. She would use your own Earthbending tactics against you and then blast some fire your way just to annoy you. But now, years later, it was second nature.
Sparring with Korra will always be tough no matter your skill level, but she taught you great defense and offense. You were lighter on your toes which was usually hard for an Earth bender, increased your flexibility and hand-eye coordination.
"Is that all you got, Lightning?" Korra taunted. She used two fingers to shoot a fire stream. She was careful to let the fire blow a few feet away from your calf. She wasn't trying to burn you, you were too cute to burn. She wanted to let the heat annoy you and get you irritated.
Her Earthbender, who wasn't hers just yet, was cute when ticked off. Well, in a sparring sense. Korra blamed your early relationship for her finding you cute when sweaty and threatening to beat her into a pulp. Your threats were empty. She knew this and it's exactly why she wants to poke fun.
"Korra," you growled, moving out of the way of her attack. "What did we say about using fire?" You stomped your foot and a boulder rose from the Earth. With the circle of your forearm, the boulder grew in height. You swiped your arm across your chest. The boulder dashed in front of your body, you pivoted your standing foot and struck the rock toward Korra with a kick.
Korra laughed. She used dainty fingers and hands to pull two streams of water up her body and then towards the boulder to stop it from colliding with her body. "Nothing! It's free game!"
You groaned to yourself. It was times like this that made you miss your shared pro-bending days. Life was so much easier when Korra was restricted to her waterbending. You punched the racing boulder twice and it exploded into two halves. You took the first half and propelled it towards Korra. As expected, she took the rock and shoved it into the ground behind her. The rock acted as a wall.
With her back turned toward you, you took the other half and shoved it into the ground opposite of the first half. Korra spun on her toes as the ground shook beneath them. With a smirk, you collected other rock walls and built a makeshift shelter around her.
"Oh, really?" Korra called out. She turned around herself, surrounded by the walls made out of rock. She shook her head, rolling her hands in a balling motion to gather air. "This is so easy to get out of. Why did they even do this?" Using the air she collected, Korra spun up into the air. The walls busted from the movement, falling flat to the ground.
The Avatar's ponytail whipped around her head as she continued to spin 8 feet into the air. Up in the air, Korra couldn't help but notice you weren't to be seen. The Avatar landed on the slab you used for the roof, her eyebrows knitted. "What--" she scoffed while circling herself. "Lightning?"
A gust of air is violently taken out of Korra as you tackle her from the side. She cried out a groan, and you two pummeled into the ground. "Hah!" you war-cried.
The two of you rolled around in the dirt. The sounds of rustling clothes and leaves filled your ears. Korra grabbed onto your wrists as you two tumbled down the faint hill of the training grounds. "Spirits, Lightning, stay still!"
"No!" you laughed out. As you continued to fight and wrestle on the way down from the hill, your sweaty faces dirtied from the earth you two insisted on rolling in. Finally, with an accidental jab to her ribs, Korra decided she'd had enough.
She grunted, pinning your back into the patch of grass. Her hands formed what some would call a white-knuckle grip around your wrists. Her teeth were gritted, beads of sweat rolled in between her eyebrows and down the side of her face. She's almost seethed from childish horseplaying until she sees your laughing face.
Your laugh expressed a childlike joy. It reminded Korra of Jinora and Ikki playing pretend. They would frolic around the temple, using tablecloths as princess dresses. They took sticks or cooking utensils, whichever were available at the time, and used them as wands. As they stood and jumped around furniture, their giggles would echo throughout the Air Temple.
That sound, their laughter, soothed Korra even on her toughest days. On the days she disliked Mako and Asami. On the days she couldn't figure out airbending, Jinora's and Ikki's laughter would be heard from down the hall and remind her that everything would be alright.
Since the girls considered themselves to be "too grown" to play princesses, Korra assumed she would never find a sound to invoke that emotion within her again. That was until she pinned you down on the grass, your arms in the grip of her hands, and her thighs on the sides of your body, she heard it.
Your belly flexed and relaxed with your laughter. The sun beaming directly into your face didn't stop you from laughing and squirming from underneath Korra. "You should've seen your face! Oh, my Spirits, I wish I had that photographed."
Korra sat back, removing her hands from your arms. Though she was holding you down anymore, your back remained on the grass. Korra watched with an embarrassed yet fond smile on her face. "Yeah, haha. Let's make fun of the Avatar," she chuckled.
"Please!" you opened your eyes, the apples of your cheeks bright from your smiling and laughs. "You had it coming. You know how I feel about your unfair fire bending."
"'Unfair'?" exclaimed Korra with a laugh.
"Yes, unfair!"
"No, 'unfair'! You are my rival, Lightning," she poked your chest. "You're the only person I practice my firebending with. What, you prefer I get rusty and only use my firebending on the bad guys?"
A sound that was similar to a giggle escaped your throat. "Yes, actually. That would be best. Or, y'know, go train with Mako."
Korra rolled off your body and lay beside you instead. You missed the squeeze of her thighs around your stomach, but considering you were breathing easier now, it might've been for the better. "Absolutely not. Mako doesn't get cute-upset like you. He just gets upset like a dad. It's not a pretty sight."
You snickered. "Dad Upset" would be the perfect word to describe Mako's disappointment. Arms crossed over his chest, lips in a scowl, and his eyebrows so close together, they looked like one with a huge dip in the middle. "That's pretty accurate actually." You wiped your glistening forehead with the back of your palm. "So, you think I'm cute?"
Korra shrugged, a flustered smile threatening to break through her cool facade. "Yeah. That okay?"
Taking your gaze from the bright white clouds that were traveling across the vibrant blue sky, you meet the different vibrant blue of Korra's eyes. "Yeah, as long as I get to think you're cute too."
If Korra's flusteredness ever showed on her face, you didn't see it. The moment your sentence ended, she was grinning with a teasing sparkle in her eyes.
"I knew it! I knew you liked me. See," Korra laid on her side and rested her head on her palm. "I thought so when I kept catching you staring at me that morning of the big tournament, but I wasn't sure. I mean, you were so angry with me over nothing!"
The mention of your "hating Korra" arc struck a cringe from deep inside you. You slapped your hands on your face and groaned. "Please, don't mention it. I regret that whole situation every day."
"Nah, nah, nah," Korra laughed. "Don't regret it. If it wasn't for your angstiness, you wouldn't have gotten kicked off the party list and we would've never spoken on the steps. Without that conversation, I would've never thought of you to help out for Amon and we wouldn't be here... talking about the crushes we have on each other."
You let out a sigh, dragging your hands down your face. You wanted to tease her about using the 'c' word because when did you ever admit to having a crush on her? You just said you thought she was cute. But, nevertheless, you let it slide. You slipped your hand into hers and squeezed her calloused hand. "Yeah, whatever..."
Korra snorted. She poked your cheek with her other hand as the teasing sparkle in her eye morphed into a teasing smile. "You like me. I bet I kept you up at night." You closed your eyes with a heavy sigh. Korra only laughed. "I bet you thought about my arms wrapped around your body because, let's be honest here, you were not subtle with your staring."
"Korra," you warned.
"I wonder how long it took you to realize how many times I crossed your mind. I wonder when you realized the shift of hatred to 'Whoa, I'm in love with the coolest girl in the universe'."
"Korra."
"Oo!" she giggled a little. "I wonder how many times we got so close in sparring that it made your heart race. Tell me, Little Lightning," she hadn't called you that nickname since your rival days. "am I making your heart race right now?"
"Korra, if you so much as drag that finger down my cheek as you tease me, I will not hesitate to have a piece of Earth come from the sky and crash down on you."
The finger that was just barely touching your skin froze. It retracted, its owner pouting. "Well, gee. What a party pooper."
You laughed. With the squeeze of your hands, you two decided to spend the rest of the afternoon resting on the grass and cloud watching. Her hand felt perfect in yours and all it took to get here was a pro-bending match, failed Fire Ferret attempts, and a whole lot of rivalry.
Fin. | WC: 5,051
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astrae03 · 27 days
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Captain’s log: It’s been almost 2 hours since AO3 went down I’m not coping well to the point my introverted ass has finally decided to actually post something on tumblr for the first time; but in these dark times desperate measures must be taken. Stay strong everyone we will get through this. 🥲😭
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sunset-sama · 11 months
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I haven't drawn my OC in a while, so here she is! A scene for an upcoming chapter... yes, that's Asami in the background 👀 admiring her work 💅
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kyoshi-era-week-24 · 19 days
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KYOSHI ERA WEEK 2024:
POLLS MASTER LIST
To commemorate The Rise of Kyoshi’s 5th anniversary on July 16th, the Kyoshi Era Week 2024 will happen from July 14th to July 21st! That’s a Sunday to Sunday week and we'd like to present writers and artists three prompts per day, so we’ll need 24 prompts total.
Thanks to everybody who contributed, we’ve collected more than a hundred amazing prompts! We’re so excited about each and every prompt, but we’ll have to choose only 24. So, we’d like you to vote on the prompts you like the most! From today to April 14th, we’ll hold 12 polls with 9 options each and the two most voted options in each poll will be added to the event.
Please VOTE and REBLOG!
FIRST POLL // SECOND POLL // THIRD POLL // FOURTH POLL // FITH POLL // SIXTH POLL // SEVENTH POLL // EIGHTH POLL // NINTH POLL // TENTH POLL // ELEVENTH POLL // TWELFTH POLL
Thank you for participating and enjoy the event!
Do you want to be a mod? Do you need a tw/cw tag? Do you want to join the Discord server? Please send us an ask and we'll answer privately.
Check the event rules
Check the event schedule
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