#ty lee and mai aren't up yet

[koostarcandy]

mattresses and midnight snacks - jungkook x reader

jungkook prefers convenience over fashion. he likes the comfy and warm and doesn't care much for the interiors of his house, as long as it has the essentials. he also likes giving this as an answer to mattresses all over his penthouse, placed in the oddest of locations.

said mattresses in his living room, positioned in such a way he could fall asleep watching TV and having a snack (ramyeon!) is spurring him on, grateful for every green light he sees. it's been a busy week, prepping and practicing for his upcoming plans. he thanks his driver for bringing him home, wishing him a safe night and sound sleep. taking his black bag, he all but runs to the lift, eager to feel like his cloud-like bed and re-watch episodes of psycho but it's okay.

humming his way out of the lift, he swiftly presses in the code and puts his things aside, failing to notice the pair of heels next to his chunky boots, another coat already on the hanger. he dumps his bag on the ground and rushes to the kitchen, opening his cabinet for some much needed spicy tteok and ramyeon. he realises someone beat him to his night routine when he hears the familiar voice of lee suhyun singing in your time. glancing up from the slowly boiling water, he sees a recap of an episode playing on the tv and a lone figure fast asleep on the mattress.

lowering the volume on the tv, he keeps his snack aside for the timebeing. looking down at you, he decides there's more than enough of space for the both of you. promptly taking the fluffy pillow held tightly in your sleep-ridden grip, he slips his arms under your neck and knees, adjusting you in such a way you aren't taking up most of the bed. (as usual, he may add.) you're still deep in slumber and he finally notices your tired state, work shirt and pants same as it was in the morning, before he kissed you goodbye for the day.

he settles in next to you, pressing play so he could watch what ko munyeong would do next to keep her safety pin. chewing on his spicy saucy tteok, jungkook thinks you both are each other's safety pin. he knows you'd keep his rage under control, never letting it cross the line. you know he'd hold you back from doing reckless things, so reckless it was beyond the point of saving. he glances down at your sleeping form, unconsciously and slowly curling around his thigh. he keeps his snack to the side yet again and undoes the bun on your head, knowing you'd wake up from a headache from tying your hair so tightly. he expertly ties it into a loose plait, knowing you wouldn't have to worry about knotted hair tomorrow. his hands itch to reach for his 5x spicy ramyeon but your hands suddenly curl around his, somnolent eyes now on him.

"when did you reach home, koo? i didn't even hear you," you say, slight pout at the end.

he smiles, endeared at your dozy quirks. "you're just tired, that's all, you barely acknowledged me moving you around," he says matter-of-factly. booping your nose, he goes close to you and leaves a sweet kiss on your forehead, bringing you up with him. you scrunch your nose at the spicy smell, mouth watering.

"you know, keeping the mattresses here wasn't really a bad idea after all," you admit quietly, mouth slurping up the now cold ramyeon, eyes focused on gangtae's movements. jungkook chuckles, stealing the chopsticks and a bite, vividly remembering the day you had first come to his place, face contoured in mild judgement. you were quick to change, so as to not disappoint him. you always ended up sleeping in the bedroom, your excuse being, "i'm not really feeling the sleepy vibes at the home studio, know what I mean?"

with you curled up next to him, watching TV (he'll confront you watching the drama without him later, no worries) and eating your favourite food, he knows he's made one of the best decisions of his life. putting mattresses in strategic locations. oh, and you, of course. goes without saying.

pt time: @lvoekook ; @joondiary ; @soobhyun

#thank the margherita i had last night #and the sudden overwhelming feeling to cuddle smth in my sleep #feedback is appreciated <3 #jungkook x reader #jungkook drabble #jungkook scenario #jungkook imagine #bts x reader #bts drabble #bts scenario #bts imagine #jungkook #jeon jungkook #mattresses and midnight snacks #moy&i #chaenelcore

[attackfish]

I love your AUs!

Do you have an AU for 'Ty Lee is the airbender in the iceberg and Aang is Azula's adorable henchperson'? And if not would you like one?

Continued from: [Link], [Link], and [Link].

1. They go to the Southern Air Temple. Li doesn't really want to go. After having been forced to leave the Eastern Air Temple, she didn't really like the Southern Air Temple that much. But it's a lot closer than the Eastern Air Temple, and Katara can't be right about the whole hundred year thing, and she has to go back and face the music sometime doesn't she? So they go. And they find an empty husk. There aren't even any bodies. The dead have been dead so long that they have rotted away to skeletons. It's almost worse that she wasn't close to anybody here, and she can't pick out the differences between what people were wearing and who they might be, it's just a mass of anonymous dead, and she can't make herself care in the face of the fact that this means that Katara is right, and that means her sisters are dead.

2. The world creaks and tilts around her, before crumbling away completely. Things go white. The wind lashes her face. And the next thing she knows, Katara is holding her, and shouting over the wind that she and Sokka will be her family now.

3. Ty Lee doesn't want Katara and Sokka to be her family. She wants her sisters. She wants to curl into a ball and cry. She wants to go to sleep and wake up at the Eastern Air Temple, and for all of this to have been a dream. But she can't have that. She can't. The whiteness spills away, and all that's left is tiredness. Katara leads her back to Floofy, and they fly away.

4. They go to Kyoshi Island. They need food and water, and a place to sleep that isn't an empty temple full of skeletons. They go to Kyoshi Island, and Sokka insults a bunch of girl warriors, then trains with them, and falls in love with one of them, and then the ponytail guy shows up again, and Li is getting the feeling this might be a recurring pattern with him. He starts setting fire to the village on the island, and she's only able to chase him off when she accidentally lands on the Unagi, the sea serpent who haunts the waters around the island. They leave, with supplies and money from the village, and keep heading north.

5. And here is the point at which I talk about how we've gotten a little bit ahead of ourselves, at least with regards to Mai and Ty Aang, because where Li and her friends go next is Omashu, which has not yet been conquered, and Mai is not yet there, and Ty Aang has not yet left to join any nomads. But anyway, Omashu is clear on the other side of the Earth Kingdom from the Eastern Air Temple, and it's not like she ever got to travel when she was at the Southern Air Temple. So back when she was a kid, she never met a boy in Omashu named Bumi.

#avatar the last airbender #ty lee #Katara #Sokka #posts i created #do you want to ask a question it doesn't have to be a question #five headcanons #circus freak is a compliment #sokka the meat and sarchasm guy #katara is the answer

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Azulaang - Azula joins the gaang early

Azulaang week @ly0nstea

Sokka: Aang, I think we should be making some plans about our future.

Aang: Okay, we can do that while I show you the giant Pai Sho table! Oh, you're gonna love the all-day echo chamber!

Toph: I think that'll have to wait.

Toph points behind herself, and the camera zooms out to show Team Avatar looking at her quizzically. Appa moves out of the way to reveal four sets of shadows, and as the camera pans up, it is revealed to belong to Zuko, Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai. Cut to a close-up of the team as they look at them with shocked expressions, which subsequently turn into anger.

Ty Lee: (In a German accent) Hello, the fearsome foursome here. (Bows)

The gang get ready to attack. Appa growls at him and licks him twice. Cut to a surprised Momo and Aang as he lowers his staff slightly.

Zuko: Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so, I just thought I'd wait for you here. I know you must be surprised to see us here.

Sokka: You, Not really, since you've followed us all over the world. but you three? Sort of since we don't see you that often.

Ty Lee: (Normal voice) Good to see you again too...

Sokka: Don't even think about trying to seduce me again lady, Suki is still my girl.

Ty Lee: So I've heard, but not to worry, no seduction needed, we offer our alliance to you.

Azula: And it's about time you learned some firebending.

Toph: Excuse me?!

Katara: You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!

Sokka: Yeah! (Points to Zuko) all you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang! (Points to Azula) And you! You straight-up MURDERED Aang! Plus, you used Suki against me!

Zuko: We've done some good things too. I've done some good things! I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something! Isn't it?

Toph: (To Azula) Why would you want a join us after literally just foiling our day of black sun plans. Why would you go against the person you've worked hard to protect?

Azula: One last job he had me do before defecting. Nothing personal. The reason for that is, that we four have found out some...disturbing...truths about our father.

Mai: Let's just say that he never had the fire nation's best interests at heart.

Sokka: Your genocidal race war not turning out like you hoped? What a surprise.

Ty Lee: You wouldn't believe us if we told you. We do realize that everything we've ever taught was a lie...

Katara: And what? We should feel sorry for you?

Ty Lee: I knew there was something wrong with our nation, with all the dark and corrupt auras everywhere, and at the center of it all was the fire lord, but I was too scared to speak of it. Not anymore. Everything will revert into chaos and we need to set it all straight.

Zuko: Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know we have good in us.

Azula: You seem uneasy. Not just because of our presence but at the thought of you learning firebending, is that right? You've tried it before and it back fired. You burned someone you cared for.

Aang's fist were clutching.

Sokka: Don't listen to her Aang, she just trying to get a rise out you!

Azula: No. I'm not. I'm just informing you that we get it. Fire can be very destructive and chaotic. You do need a teacher so that your accident doesn't occur again. Whether you want to admit this or not, you do need all the help you can get. The fire lord taught us everything we know, if you thought we were formidable opponents, you haven't seen anything yet. We are not going anywhere, so if you wanna kill us all, go ahead.

#atla #azaang #azulaang #aangzula #zuko redemption #azula redemption #azulaang week #azulaang week 2023

[starlight-tea-writing]

Ask games! Loves these things.

Anyway, 4, 34, 35, and/or 64! Take your pick on how many lol

sorry that this sat for, like, two days...but thank you for the asks!

4. what is the plot bunny you've been carrying around the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven't written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

I have many. many. many ideas. and not just for ATLA. but I think these are my favorites:

for ATLA

a. book 2, Iroh and Zuko are in Ba Sing Se. I say "screw you" to canon a bit and extend their time there. during that time, Zuko and Jin start actually dating, they become friends with the Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot. with that friendship, they slowly relax into being teens and having fun (in part because they're committing Blue and Green Spirit shenanigans together). Zuko kinda forgets he was Zuko and really starts to embrace Lee. and then, Jet sees a poster about Appa and drags Lee with them, he sees the Gaang, and Zuko come crashing back to reality. they retrieve Ty Lee and Mai from the Palace (by accident, cause they think Suki is there), and then it's a trek of a dozen teens across the Earth Kingdom to take down Ozai. oh, and also, Jin is a secret (but very bad) earthbender.

I've written about half of it. maybe I'll finish and post it one day. there's also a GREAT scene where Zuko (as Lee) goes to Jin's for dinner and to meet her parents and younger sister (that I added for funsies). it's so awkward and fun and I love it so much.

b. I got permission to write a story based on @gemgirl28's idea. I have yet to write it yet, but it is outlined. that delay just makes me feel bad, because I want to do the story justice.

Spy X Family

a. like many others, I have been sucked into the Spy X Family world. it's three years ahead of where the story is now, and it starts with Donovan Desmond dying in a plane crash. and then it's just sort of how the cold war grows from there, Loid has to fake his death, Yuri evacuates Yor and Anya, it's a whole thing. a whole, very messy, very chaotic...thing. :)

I've already started writing it. I'm maybe a chapter into it.

34. how do you name characters and places?

characters: baby name lists. so many baby name lists. the targeted ads I get make my mother-in-law VERY curious and happy.

places: I tend to come up with a connecting theme for a place. so like, for the Earth Kingdom: a lot of actual real-life Chinese towns/cities are named sort-of based on their location (Bei Jing: Northern Capital). so, in Eight Years Later, the few smaller EK towns I created are named after the location they're at. however, for the Fire Nation in EYL, because I kind of view the cultural side of the Fire Nation as a pan-Asian country made up of a whole collection of cultures, each island I've "named" is just a "firebender associated" word from different Southeast Asian languages. so like, in EYL, Araw Island is "Day" in Filipino/Tagalog (don't remember exactly which one, sorry!), Moesashi Island is "Embers" in Japanese, and so on.

(fun fact: Mosu actually has MANY meanings...such as "ember" and "humble"...he's kinda the only character in EYL, at least, that I didn't find from a baby name list and instead went the language route - but it is an actual name, also, I think...I'm pretty sure I found it somewhere...it's been years at this point, apologies)

35. tell us about a character who's very different than you who you love a whole lot.

Ty Lee. I am not that bubbly and positive. I wish I could be. I know she's hiding mountains of hurt, which honestly, aren't we all? but she's able to put on a very compelling facade to get through her day, and I'm not sure if that's admirable or even more depressing. but I like to think that post-canon Ty Lee is very happy and doesn't have to fake it.

64. what is your favorite title for a fic you've read?

people can be real clever with their titles, and I wish I had that skill. I really like goofy, silly titles. little jokes and what not. I don't have any immediately in mind, I tend to forget details like that, but scrolling through my Ao3 history, I found this one and it made me chuckle:

Mission Impossible: Loid teaches Yor to cook

(^ pretty much all I read at the moment are cute little domestic one-shots, so...this is cute and silly and sweet)

thanks for the asks! in true starlight fashion, I wrote WAY too much, haha

#look an ask! #zutara #spy x family #fanfic asks #zutara fanfiction

[jasontoddssuper]

Hot take but Zuko and Ty Lee should've ended up together.Their relathionship had so much potential,even as a strictly platonic thing,and it was such a waste to use almost none of it.They both have trauma that has to do with their siblings that they could bond over(Ty Lee not feeling like her own person outside of her sisters and that giving her identity problems and Ozai pitting Zuko and Azula against eachother and that leading to them having a tragically unhealthy dynamic),they have a common childhood friend in Mai,Ty Lee is Zuko's sister's best friend and they were literally on the same team yet they barely spoke,much less felt like friends and teammates.Zuko could've helped Ty Lee with her identity problems since he has them himself and Ty Lee could've helped Zuko with his redemption arc by showing him the bright things in life.Also ngl it's kinda gross that Ty Lee and Zuko have known eachother since childhood but aren't best friends like her and Mai even though they would've been such a good trio yet we got Ty Lee idolizing Zuko's sister who abused her for years instead.Also,you cannot tell me that the idea of a prince with an abusive dad and a girl who feels like a nobody and has a toxic friend forming a best friendship where they help eachother heal from their trauma and have fun banter because of their opposite personalities and fall in love over the course it which means they get married and he turns her into a queen isn't based as fuck.And as a bonus:Goth bf x pastel gf since Zuko wears dark colors and Ty Lee wears pink(which imo is even more aesthetic if you take into account that Zuko has black hair and gold eyes while Ty Lee has brown hair and brown eyes)

#if you clown this i'll beat your ass💖 #ty luko #t4t ty luko #zuko #ty lee #he/him lesbian zuko so true #trans ty lee #bi ty lee #pan ty lee #demi zuko #demi ty lee #atla geekery #letters from summer

[secretmellowblog]

CATVATAR COMPILATION POST

bonus Korra cats:

(Also: Redbubble link!)

#atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar #legend of korra #ty lee and mai aren't up yet #or princess yue #or bumi #but everyone else is I think #!!!! #cats #daily cats

[downadura]

"And, in the end, they’ll be the ones to see what lies behind the straight jacket and the rage and the grief." But canonically, didn't they disown Azula, with Ty Lee chi-blocking Azula the moment she was anything other than docile even though Azula was in chains and a straight-jacket during their first reunion? And once Azula escaped Zuko's custody didn't Mai & Ty Lee have constant paranoia that Azula was going to "punish" them, leading to Mai attempting to kill Azula several times?

Why yes, but you have ignored one detail: the comics are utter, out of character bullshit.

Let's take Ursa for example: she did everything in her power to protect Zuko, even the ability to see her own children. She stared Ozai in the face and murdered Fire Lord Azulon to keep her son safe. Would such a woman truly give up het memories of said children? Especially when she knew the sort of man Ozai was and the way he would raise them? Show Ursa would do anything to get back to her children, short of putting them in even more danger.

Ww know from the show - from the way Mai and Ty Lee interact with Azula and with each other - that they are friends. That they are not afraid of her. We see Mai refuse to fight during the drill, we see her showing up right after their loss and commenting on it, subsequently showing that she was not afraid of how Azula would react to what she did. In the beach episode, we see Ty Lee snap at Azula during the campfire scene. She doesn't look afraid, she's pissed that Azula laughed at a comment made about her.

They're friends, we see that in how happy they are when they're first reunited, and in how they interact after that. They even have matching chairs during the drill episode.

And yet, the comics turn around and claim that no, they aren't friends. That Mai and Ty Lee were always afraid of Azula, that they were never truly friends. Which is utter bullshit.

But then again, the comics do love to make Azula into a saturday morning cartoon villain, don't they? After all, they made Zuko have a nightmare about his two year old sister burning down his room. Which, again, bullshit. In show canon Zuko has a lot of feelings about Azula, not all of them good, and not all of them bad, but he's never afraid of her: he challanges her to an Agni Kai after she took over Ba Sing Se, he goaded her into throwing lighting at him during their actual Agni Kai. Show Zuko doesn't hesitate in fighting Azula, despite her being the superior fighter, comic Zuko would run away if Azula smiled at him weirdly.

Anyways, tl;dr: The characters in the comics are so out of character it's insulting to everyone, show Mai and Ty Lee would react very differently to what happened to Azula

#atla #mai #ty lee #ursa #zuko #azula #anon #ask

[dspd]

ypu can thank @sokka-with-his-hair-down for the following word vomit with a lil jinzula content

just saw a jinzula reference and now I'm thinking about Azula being released from Fire Nation's version of a psych ward and going to get rehabilitated with Iroh in Ba Sing Se and Jin just being a cutie and helping the heck outta her until Azula is like...oh no I have feelings for a pleb what do I dooooo????

-----

okay so like...after the comet Azula's held in luxury as doctors try to help her. Zuko visits every day, staying as long as a young ruler can, only leaving on the bad days when she's starts to lose control, her guards handlers hurrying away when items go flying or her face twists in rage, screaming familiar insults fed by fear and the ghost of Ozai's upbringing. Eventually she regains some balance, Zuko's unwavering support and the calming repetition of her now hobby, tea making, the rocks that she clings to when she feels herself slipping. She quickly learns the palace holds too many triggers as she's allowed to venture beyond her suite, two guards following too close behind as she wanders the halls. She feels lost, more like an intruder in this remodeled building that somehow stills rakes her over and leaves her soul bleeding.

She walks past the pond Zuko and Mother loved and tears up when she sees the turtle ducks have returned. It's a tiny feeling but she can't control herself and turns away.

She wanders down a servant's corridor and remembers the one time she sat on Zuko, snapping sparks into his face and mocking him, repeating words Ozai had said to her, a raw, primal delightful power coursing through her, then a nugget of guilt growing when he begins to cry only to be crushed under defensiveness when Mother gathers him up, wiping his tears away...and ignores her again. She trembles and walks past quickly with a stiff legged gait, unwilling to run away yet unable to stay.

She tries not to think about whether the guards saw the tremor or whether she could look back and see contempt in their eyes.

She reaches the main doors to the Royal Hall and gasps when she remembers Mother's disappearance, Zuko's absence as he healed, then his banishment, all while Ozai tryna that gaze on her and built her up again, giving her more and more responsibility. She isn't sure if it's the remembered pride or the following memories of hiding in her bed and fear of failure that starts it but all of a sudden she's can't breathe and she's gasping, hanging onto the wall, trying to push it back, pull it inside and lock it away again and Zuko's pulling the door open, drawn by the shouting in that stupid, idiotic way of his instead of letting the guards handle it and he's pulling her in to a soft embrace that burns.

She's shuddering and sobbing and she knows it's bad because she can feel the rough fabric of Zuko's royal robes against her fingers as she clutches him, face pressed into his chest as she tries to cram her stupid, idiotic weakness into a tiny corner in the back of her head like Ozai taught her befits a royal. It doesn't work and she's overcome with the new crashing wave of frustration over her lack of control.

It's only when she feels the cool spread of that stupid bitch Katara's healing along her shoulders and neck that she manages to claw back into a semblance of who she needs to be. Those stupid hands with their stupid water bending pull her into the darkness of deep water, the overwhelming feelings floating on the surface she's sinking away from.

She's not deep enough, not numb enough, to miss the repulsive feeling when she finally looks at the guards and sees nothing but pity in the guards eyes.

So when Zuko, in that stupid, weak way of his, gently suggests she move away she's nauseatingly glad and shamefully hurt, little internal dragons that swoop and chase each other, nipping away until she's not sure of anything. She can hear him talking but it's a distant thing. She's too busy fighting the little voice in her head saying she's being abandoned again.

She wants to say it sounds like Father so she can dismiss it like she's been practicing, but it sounds too much like Mother.

Mother never lied so it must be true.

The move happens so fast that it feels like she blinks and she's standing at the entrance of Iroh's new home in the stupid city of lemming, Ba Sing Se. It’s cooler, She's kind of afraid in a new way. Mostly, she's tired.

So, so tired of being like this.

She's angry with herself next when Iroh gives her a critical glance and a tentative smile before taking her hands and welcoming her. She can't stop feeling things and even his words about starting over and reassures her that he's here for her and that he's sorry, that he feels like he abandoned her and he wants her to know that he never chose Zuko over her and he loves her very much...

That little voice changes into Zuko and Father and Ty Lee and Mai whispers to her and twists the meaning and she knows it's wrong but she's so tired of fighting it.

So she sighs and tries to smile and accepts his tea and hand holding and changes the subject.

When she finds out she'll be helping at his tea shop, she doesn't have the energy to be outraged that she, the stupid heir apparent of the Fire Nation, will be taking orders and delivering stupid, poorly brewed tea.

It's full and aggravating but she practices holding all that in. The nightmares slow, Zuko's letters reassure her, and she learns how to handle minor annoyances. She's mature enough to acknowledge she never learned how to handle them correctly the first time, something that makes her grin to herself in a moment of wry happiness. It's a bittersweet feeling and she's tired of feeling but still...it's new and exhilarating and she feels a bubble of hope in her chest.

In Ba Sing Se, she's nobody. It's oddly freeing to be Mr. Mushi's niece and her new name is nice in an unfamiliar way. She won't admit it but she likes the way the repeat customers act with her. They aren't afraid to joke with her or share a concern. A couple younger ones flirt with her and, as she peeks out from the bangs she's growing out, she's pleased it's friendly and without the teeth she came to expect from Father's generals who disagreed with her expanding military duties.

°°°

Early on, after moving in with Iroh, Azula was still prickly and unbalanced and bored out of her mind at the dull, repetitive lifestyle.

There's a quiet girl that comes in sometimes. She's soft-spoken, with a kind smile, but full of life at the same time. Azula remembers the first time she came in, greeting Iroh with a wide smile and talking to him like she's his niece, not Azula. Azula dismisses her with a sniff, turning to help another table but when Iroh sits down and shares a it with the girl, Azula can't help but sidle closer, ears straining to overhear. The girl - Jin, she later learns - had been a customer before when Iroh and Zuko had come to Ba Sing Se as refugees. No one can be so interested in her failure of an uncle so she grabs a broom and sweeps closer. When Jin asks after someone named Lee, Azula loses interest.

The girl is just another stupid commoner, obsessed with boys or whatever. Nothing interesting.

By Agni, she's so bored.

A few days later the girl returns, carrying a box filled with the local excuse of food and Azula buries her sneer of displeasure when Iroh pulls his apron off in a hurry, sliding into the booth, bald spot almost outshining like the girl's eyes.

Azula realizes she's been staring into the stupid girl's eyes and looks away. Her scowl grows as a stupid grandpa comes in with muddy shoes, ruining the floor she just finished cleaning. She stares at the tracks, hopelessness trapping her in place. The stupid grandpa doesn't even notice as he finds a seat and the hopelessness sours into bitterness.

Of course.

She's a failure, too.

A prickle between her shoulder blades warns he and she looks up. Right into Failure Iroh's stupid commoner girlfriend's gaze. They lock eyes and Azula struggles to hold it. Even if she can't be what Father raised her to be, she won't lose to this stupid smiley girl.

She can't stand it, that peculiar sensation of being watched, so she looks away. Failure Azula. Just like Iroh and Zuko and Mother. She glances back, bracing herself for the inevitable stupid judgemental look but the girl is smiling shyly at her and walking up, introducing herself and so friendly and stupidly nice. Azula's anger is simmering but she's confused and why would this girl be so nice to a stranger????

So, like her failures for family members, Azula flees.

It's not exactly an auspicious start, and Azula knows she's spiralling when she spends twenty minutes interrogating Iroh that night. What did her tell the stupid commoner? Did he ask her to approach? What does she want?

Iroh's calm at first but as Azula's voice rises and she pulls at her hair to feel something other than panic and keeps asking again and again his stupid face changes. She realizes with a start that he's seeing her for real. The rotten core of her that she's managed to hide away from even Zuko. The part of her that drove Mother away. It's written all over his stupid face.

Azula can't sit still anymore. She jumps up and is out the window in moments, shimmying down the wall and disappearing. She runs quietly, keeping to shadowy streets and inky black alleys. She's lost by the time the frenetic energy seeps out of her body, a stitch in her side forcing her to pause at a fountain for a stretch and drink.

Azula stretches out on the lip of the fountain, staring up at the stars. She used to hate the night sky. It's a visible, inevitable reminder of the Fire Nation's weakness. Her weakness. Every day, as the sun sinks below the horizon, Azula feels the fizzle of her bending wane, that hot space below and to the left of her heart cooling from hot, blue flames to red-orange fingers. It's barely more than embers in the Earth Kingdom as the days grow cooler and Azula's not sure how to feel about it.

There's a step across the courtyard and Azula's slipping down into the shadows again as two stupid lemmings approach. One is holding a torch while the other swings empty buckets. Azula frowns. Somehow the cheerfulness isn't as grading as usual. Their voices are soft in the quiet.

Azula closes her eyes and wonders if she'll ever feel half as content and comfortable as the air these two exude. There's the sound of splashes on the other side of the fountain.

One of the girls sighs. "I wish we could look at the lanterns tonight."

Only years of training lock Azula in place. It's Iroh's stupid commoner girlfriend.

The other girl laughs. "You know they're only lot for festivals, Jin."

"Except that one time," Iroh's stu- Jin replies, "I still can't believe Lee lit them."

Azula can almost smell the stupid happiness from the memory.

"Yeah, yeah. You have wierd luck with dates, I get it. Hurry up.and grab the other bucket! We still have to come back for more."

Based on the sounds, Azula can picture them struggling back the way they came.

Something makes her pause at the edge of the courtyard before leaving. She hesitates. But then she can hear the duo approaching again and she makes up her mind.

She pretends she doesn't stay long enough to hear the gasps of surprise before she hightails it out of there.

The feeling of elation that fills her chest and slides down her arms reminds her of the day she stood on the deck of a war balloon for the first time.

---

so...yeah...I wasn't planning any of this so idk where it goes but in the end Azula eventually has it bad and idk maybe Mai and Ty Lee come to visit, tentatively open to trying to be friends for real this time and, after seeing Azula's interest, Ty Lee wheedles Jin's story out of Iroh near the end of their visit. Mai's holding her face with an I can't believe this is happening expression, Iroh is concentrating too hard on his tea pot, and Azula's face is red as Ty Lee chokes out that of course Azula and Zuko would have the same taste in women.

And maybe the next day, when Jin slips her hand into Azula's while they wave goodbye, Azula looks at Jin who catches the look and smiles that smile she hated so much at first and Azula has the revelation of her life

#atla #my writing #jinzula

[flameo-firelord-hotman]

Part 1

Pairing: Zuko x Fem!Reader

Genre: angst

Warnings: none

Words: 2.1

Summary: to everyone she knew, [y/n] was a peasant, destined to be a servant just like her parents. To Zuko, however, she was his best friend. After losing his agni kai and being exiled, [y/n] was devastated. She thought she would never see him again. Three years later, she almost wished he never came back.

A/N: it’s finally here! So sorry for putting it off for so long. I felt unmotivated and like this wasn’t very good? But I’m posting it now, so there’s no going back lol. Enjoy! And please give me feedback :)

Part 1 -> Part 2

Series | Masterlist

Despite being a lower class citizen, [y/n] was very familiar with the halls of the Fire Nation Royal Palace. Her parents had been working as servants for the royal family since she was a little girl. Her mom was a housemaid. Her dad was a groundskeeper. To be a servant for the royal family was an honor, and [y/n]'s parents instilled this in her. Sometimes they brought her to work to teach her the skills she would need to become one as well.

Yes, her parents fully expected her to become a servant. Doing so was typical for citizens of her status. Specifically, though, her parents expected her to follow in their path and work for the royal family. Perhaps that would change when she met Zuko.

"Hi! My name's Zuko! What's yours?" A bubbly boy asked [y/n] one day. He was eight years old, the same age as [y/n]. His dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and he had bright, amber eyes. Back and forth he rocked on his feet, anxiously waiting for her answer.

It was rare for [y/n] to see the royal family, and it was unheard of for one of them to speak to her…until that day.

"M-my name is [y/n]. It's an honor to meet you, Prince Zuko," [y/n] replied bashfully. She bowed carefully to show her respect for the Firelord's grandson, as her parents had taught her to do.

"You don't need to bow to me. You're my friend now!"

[Y/n] quickly straightened up. "But, but--"

"Will you play with me?" Zuko asked eagerly. [Y/n] turned to her mom, who was washing linens. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to.

Her mom quietly said to her, "if the Prince wants you to play with him, then it's okay." [Y/n] turned back to the young boy and nodded.

From that day on, they became best friends. Previously, [y/n] never looked forward to coming to work with her parents. It was boring, and the palace and everyone in it seemed so intimidating. Since meeting Zuko, it became the one thing she looked forward to.

They often played games in the palace gardens, or played hide-and-seek inside the palace with Zuko's mom, Lady Ursa. On occasion, they would play with his sister Azula and her friends Mai and Ty Lee (but only when the princess let her).

Eventually, instead of waiting for [y/n]'s parents to bring her to work, he would invite her over for playdates. Even as they approached their teen years, Zuko continued to invite [y/n] to hang out. As they matured, they grew closer. [Y/n] didn't realize it at first, but gradually she realized: she had feelings for Zuko.

Then one day, the invitations abruptly stopped. [Y/n] could never forget. The last words Zuko spoke to her on that day would echo in her mind: I'll be fine, [y/n]. Don't worry. I've been training for years. I'm sure I can take on this guy!

She didn’t get to watch the agni kai, and she was glad she didn't. She overheard all the palace staff whispering haunting rumors about it afterward. If only she could've been there for him. [Y/n] begged the guards outside of the infirmary to let her see Zuko, but they wouldn't.

Then, the next day, he was gone. And so [y/n] grieved the loss of her best friend and crush, so sure she would never see Zuko again.

"Momma! Papa! I'm home!" [Y/n] called as she walked into their apartment, returning home from a long day of work.

Three years had passed since that fateful day. During that time, [y/n] slowly adjusted to her new life: one without Zuko, as well as one as a housemaid. At thirteen, she began working for one of the Fire Nation's many rich, noble families. Soon she would gain the experience and expertise to become a servant for the royal family…though she was not fond of the idea of working for the family that Zuko was no longer a part of and in the home that Zuko no longer lived in. The thought of it was dreadful.

"Oh, [y/n]!" Her mom cheered as she jogged up to her. "You will not believe what I heard at the palace today!"

"Momma, please, you need to get a new hobby," [y/n] said.

Her mom was always eavesdropping and gossiping with the other servants about the royal family. [Y/n] couldn't blame her though; it was the only fun thing to do at work.

"Oh, this isn't a rumor, [y/n]. It's real," her dad chimed in as walked into the room.

[Y/n] chuckled. "Well, if dad says so, then I'm curious. What is it?"

Her parents looked at each other and grinned before turning back to [y/n]. "Prince Zuko is coming home!" They exclaimed.

[Y/n]'s jaw dropped. She was speechless. No way. They're not joking, right? They wouldn't. That would be a cruel prank. But still, Zuko was given an impossible task. That can only mean…

"Sweetie? Aren't you excited?" Her mom asked with concern. "Are you okay?"

[Y/n] nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah. I just don't believe it. It's too good to be true, you know?"

Her mom clasped [y/n]'s hands in hers. "Well, sweetie, it is true. Please tell her, honey, so she believes me!" She turned to her husband and laughed.

"We had a large staff meeting about it today," her dad explained. "We were told that he and his sister, Princess Azula will be here in about three days."

"Wow…this is really happening, isn't it?" [Y/n] asked.

"Mhm. Now, your mother and I are going to be working hard to welcome them home for the next few days. Don't be surprised if we return home late, okay?"

"Okay, papa," [y/n] smiled, trying to contain her excitement.

"And don't worry, we'll make sure you get to see him when he comes home." Her mother winked, making [y/n] giggle.

Over the next few days, [y/n] prepared for her reunion with Zuko. First, she made sure to have the day off. Second, she used her savings to buy a nice outfit. Third, she gave her hair a trim. Finally, she rehearsed everything she was going to say to him: that she missed him so much, how sorry she was for not being there for him, that she wished she could've gone with him, and that she was beyond excited to be with him again…perhaps she would confess her feelings for the prince too.

And when he returned, [y/n] was ready. She wore her new outfit: a short, rose colored tunic and sash over a long, maroon skirt. Her [h/c] hair was styled half-up, half-down with a top knot. It was a simple look, but she thought her best friend would like it.

A massive crowd gathered outside of the palace. Just about everyone living in Royal Caldera City was there. [Y/n] and her parents got as close as they could, which was unfortunately quite far away. They could barely see or hear Li and Lo speaking from the balcony…something about Azula invading Ba Sing Se and taking down the Avatar with Zuko.

"Now, the heroes have returned home! Your princess, Azula,"  shouted the two old women. Right on cue, the princess strutted out to the edge of the balcony. [Y/n] squinted her eyes to see her. Everyone around her cheered and clapped.

"And after three long years," they continued, "your prince has returned…"

This was it. This was the moment [y/n] had been waiting for. Her heart pounded in her chest, her jaw tightened, clenching her teeth, and her palms began sweating. The anticipation was killing her.

"Zuko!" Their voices boomed over the crowd.

And there he was: the banished prince, approaching the balcony's edge. [Y/n] stared in amazement. It really was true. Zuko came home! She jumped and cheered and clapped with the rest of the crowd.

After the public announcement, [y/n]'s parents brought her into the palace "to help with housekeeping." Yes, it was lie, but the palace guards believed it. They were very familiar with [y/n] and her family after all. Quickly, she strode through the halls of the palace, going to the one place she knew she would find him.

The hall opened to a large garden behind the palace. Beautiful flowers and bushes surrounded the area. Stone steps and tōrōs led to a large weeping willow next to a pond. The willow's long branches draped over the edge of the pond, the tips of its leaves tickling the water's surface. Beneath it sat the boy she was looking for. He was feeding small chunks of bread to a family of turtleducks.

It was like a dream. For the first time in three years, [y/n] was looking at Zuko's face. A large, patch of rough, red skin covered the left side…a remnant of his agni kai. It was shocking yet saddening. However, Zuko was still very handsome. His dark hair was pulled back into a top knot and decorated with a regal hairpiece. He had grown taller, his jawline was more defined and he had become more muscular. Zuko was no longer that little boy [y/n] remembered, which begged the question: did he remember her?

As [y/n] approached the prince, Zuko noticed her and made eye contact. His body froze and eyes widened.

"Hi, Zuko," [y/n] greeted him anxiously.

He immediately stood up and dropped all the bread chunks. The turtleducks took advantage and gobbled up every last crumb. "[Y/n]? Is that you?"

"Yeah! You remembered me."

Zuko beamed and opened his arms to [y/n]. They hugged each other tightly. [Y/n] felt three years of stress and tension in her body dissipate as she relaxed into his embrace. Not only was she seeing Zuko again, she was hearing his voice (which had deepened), she was feeling his warmth, and she was remembering what he smelled like.

"Of course I remember you," Zuko said, "how could I forget my best friend?"

"It's silly, I know…but it's been so long," [y/n] replied. They separated and looked at each other. Those amber eyes still shined just as they did when she first met him. [Y/n] felt her cheeks turn rosy.

"You're right. I'm really glad to see you again. I've missed you."

[Y/n] smiled. "I've missed you too. I have the day off if you want to hang out and catch up!"

"I'd love to," Zuko started, "but I can't. I'm going out with Mai today."

[Y/n]'s smile faded. "M-Mai?"

"Yep, he's taking me on a date today," a familiar voice from behind [y/n] said.

[Y/n] turned to see Mai approaching them. She gave Zuko a sweet smile, which Zuko reciprocated. Then, she clasped her hand in his and wrapped her other hand around his bicep. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked at [y/n]. [Y/n] felt her heart drop to her stomach.

Mai was as gorgeous as ever, not to mention she was wealthy and noble. Of course, Zuko would date her. [Y/n] suddenly felt stupid for even considering telling Zuko about her feelings. Why would a prince go out with a commoner? Why would a prince fall for one in the first place? Why did she think she had a chance?

"It's about time, if you ask me," another familiar voice interrupted [y/n]'s thoughts.

Azula, someone else she hadn't seen in years, strutted into the garden with a hand on her hip. As a child she was quite bossy and intimidating. From the rumors [y/n]'s mom told her, she never grew out of that behavior. Even now, she was giving [y/n] a dirty look.

"Oh please, Azula. It's been three years, and I just got here," Zuko scowled at his sister.

The princess scoffed. "Everyone knew Mai had a crush on you. Well, everyone but my idiot brother." Mai blushed and gave Azula a look, while Zuko groaned and rolled his eyes.

[Y/n] felt very out of place and uncomfortable. She wanted to leave. She wanted to run away. She wanted to go home. She wanted to lay in her bed and curse herself for thinking this was a good idea. Sure, [y/n] was beyond happy to see Zuko again, but she was also crushed knowing that his heart belonged to someone else. Moreover, being in the presence of Azula made her feel threatened. [Y/n] knew the princess despised her.

"Well, um, I'll leave you all to it. Have fun today…" [y/n] quietly said, smiling weakly.

"Okay, it was great seeing you again, [y/n]!" He said cheerfully.

"Yeah, it was good to see you too."

No…no, it wasn't.

#zuko x reader #zuko imagine #zuko #atla #atla zuko #avatar the last airbender #atla fanfic #prince zuko #firelord zuko #zuko x you #zuko x y/n #atla x reader #atla x y/n #atla x you #my fic #ffh writes

[azulazenin]

Fire Lilies

Summary: A flower it's just a flower anywhere in the world, but in the Fire Nation, the smallest gestures can hide bigger meanings. Even for the princess.

Paring: Azula x Ty Lee

A/N: This was originally written in portuguese for the tyzulaweek challenge, and posted on my wattpad account. I tried my best to translate it, so take it easy on me, english it's not my first language 😅

The first memories Azula had around fire lilies came from her early childhood, a time where everything was simpler, when her only concerns involved play with her friends and bully her brother. In that time, Azula was already a terror, a little adorable beast who liked to use the poor plants to train her fire aim, only for the pleasure of watching the immensity of black petals reduced to a pile of ashes. "They deserve it, they're not as pretty as the others." She always thought to herself, but that little act of rebellion didn't last long, Zuko exposed her bad behavior, and Ursa forbade her of keep on destroying the royal garden.

Not that Ursa was capable of stopping her daughter of doing what she likes, but anyway, the flowers did not suffer again in the hands of the princess, and the responsible for that was Ty Lee, by bringing a whole new meaning for the fire lilies in Azula's life.

— You wanna do what in my hair? – Azula was reluctant on letting someone touch her hair, especially the topknot.

— A wreath of flowers! – Ty Lee proclaimed in an adorable enthusiastic sound. — Please Zula, I already asked Mai and she didn't let me. I'm gonna do your hair just like mine, you're going to be so pretty! Well i'm not saying that you aren't already pretty, but…

— Ok! – the princess gave in, fearing that Ty Lee kept on talking all day long. — Just do the goddamn wreath.

Azula sat at the edge of the corridor stairway that connected all the courtyards in the palace, Ty Lee one step above her. With half hundred fire lilies, the little acrobat worked her way through the princess' dark hair, arranging the flowers into a arc to keep bangs away from the eyes and a cascade down a long braid. When finished, Ty Lee was so proud of her job she almost cry out of happiness.

— See? I told you it was going to be gorgeous! – she spoke between leaps, crushing Azula into a hug and giving little kisses across her face.

Azula felt her cheeks burning red and butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Her body used to react like this when she was angry, but she never had those two symptoms at the same time before, and never accompanied by that itch on the left side of her chest. Definitely, it wasn't anger what she was feeling.

— Y-yeah sure, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. – Azula babbled when she saw her reflection through the water of the fountain and stepped away from her friend, desperately trying to get rid of those scary unknown emotions.

But she didn't managed to do it, not that day, nor the days ahead of her. Azula was yet to young to understand that weird feeling close to her heart, to small to know why she always revive it whenever she was close to Ty Lee or fire lilies. But eventually she learned to disguise, to ignore the cold in her belly and sent away the redness of her face, though it was really difficult to pretend her heart wasn't beating like crazy when her friend was close with flowers on hands or asked to touch her hair.

Years later, when Azula was in her early teenage years, her father entrusted her with the biggest mission of her life, and the princess knew very well she could only count on two people to help her. All she had to do was ask, the authority of her title would do the rest, as it was the case with Mai in Omashu, but she didn't want the things to be like that with Ty Lee too. After spending such a long time away from her friend, Azula needed to know if the fire lilies had on Ty Lee the same effect they had on her.

— What an exquisite performance. – Azula said when she entered dressing room after the show, placing the bouquet of black flowers on the table. — I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow.

Azula faced the acrobat through the mirror, trying to study her reaction, but apparently, the princess' ability of reading other people's emotions was useless on Ty Lee, 'cause she ended up losing herself in other details. There was no deny that her friend was beautiful, the brown hair and that pair of gray eyes might not be such a big deal in other countries, but in the Fire Nation, it turned her beauty in something rather rare. A woman like that, in the non humble Azula's opinion, should be on a palace surrounded by servents tending to her needs, not in a filth circus at the ends of the world.

— I'm sorry Azula, but unfortunately it won't be a show tomorrow. – Ty Lee responded, awakening the princess out of her trance.

— Really? – the surprise was genuine, but Azula tried hard to pretend otherwise. Not even the conquering of Ba Sing Se could make her so happy as the realization that Ty Lee somehow corresponded those weird feelings.

— Yes, I wanna join you in your mission.

The next time Azula was close to Ty Lee and fire lilies at the same time, the circumstances weren't the best ones. The war was over and lost, her throne usurped by her brother, her facilities were a room that could easily be taking by a cell. Her only company was Zuko – when his duties as Fire Lord allowd him to remember he had a sister – the psychiatric hospital team, and of course, her little acrobat.

Sometimes, Azula was still tempted to hit Ty Lee with lightning as a punishment for her betrayal, but when she stop to think clearly, she comes to realize that she can't have the luxury of cutting from her life the few people that remain.

— Happy birthday, Zula. – Ty Lee wished during one of her weekly visits, handing to the princess a single fire lily through the bars. — I would've bring an entire bouquet, but the doctors didn't allow.

Azula held the freshly harvested flower, breathing the smell that brought back the memories from a childhood that seems to have been lived ages ago. She felt like crying, wishing to be a kid again. If she could go back time, she would've been nicer to Ty Lee, and wouldn't pretend she didn't like when her friend adorned her hair with a wreath of flowers.

— Thank you, Ty. – she said, holding against her chest the flower she would keep until the petals turnes to dust. — Come closer, I wanna tell you a secret.

There was no secret, not anymore at least. There were no expectations to be met nor goals to achieve, only a birth title that no longer stands for anything. There was nothing to hide, and as ironic as it could sound, it was behind those bars that Azula was finally free to do what she spend years wanting to do.

When Ty Lee approached her painted face with the Kyoshi Warriors colors, Azula did not pity to ruin the perfect makeup by sealing their lips with a kiss. Ty Lee frozed for a second, but she soon find out there was no escaping from what she too desired and kissed the princess back until she lost her breath.

— When I leave this place… – Azula said with a determined expression. — I will kiss you every single day of my life.

#tyzula #atla tylee #ty lee x azula #atla azula #princess azula #fire nation

[neuronary]

All the headcanons: 11, 12, 13

11) idk know about a sinful headcanon but my most deeply chaotic ones are all about how toph really just. is very grey in terms of morality and (especially at the beginning of her arc) only really looking out for herself. i truly do believe she doesn't have particularly strong opinions on the majority of their 'enemies' (e.g. didn't give a single fuck about zuko's dark past because he hasn't wronged her, only really thinks of azula as 'that girl i fought a couple times', and doesn't have much of a concept of ozai other than 'melon lord')

12) cute headcanon: u remember in the tales of ba sing se where katara is like "femininity is good toph have makeup and instagram self-care" (i know exactly what they were trying to go for but the whole thing makes me sick to my fucking stomach tbh). reverse of that. toph drags katara to the middle of nowhere like "you need to chill the fuck out so we're gonna cover ourselves on mud and wrestle because that's the real self care babey" basically i relate way too hard to toph and i Will project my relationship with gender on her

13) okay i got two for ya:

a) toph is like. deeply uncomfortable with the aftermath of the war. you know how ozai didn't die because aang wouldn't kill him. post-war toph and aang's character conflict is that toph cannot fucking abide azula's imprisonment in the asylum because it has all kinds of reflections of toph's childhood trauma written all over it. toph basically stomps her way through walls to avoid listening to any conversation about it because nothing humanises azula to her like thinking about how she's trapped hidden away on an island because she's shameful and being forced to behave in particular ways in an effort to "cure" her (toph baby u are protecting so hard but u are also right)

b) hot take but ursa played favourites even worse than ozai and i'm about to break down my deeply complex view of the fire nation royal family's interpersonal relationships to explain this.

so i believe that, at one point, ursa really did try with her marriage. yes, she was upset she didn't get a choice in the matter, but she's not the type to mope, so she gave it her best shot, and zuko was born. similarly, ozai didn't instantly hate zuko, he was just generally dismissive and barely noticed him. eventually, ozai decided zuko probably wasn't a firebender (or at least not good enough for him) and gave it another go. ursa didn't want another child. again. she didn't get much choice in the matter.

so azula is brought screaming into the world and immediately handed over to a random wetnurse because ursa can barely stand to look at her and ozai is far too busy to bother with her until she can firebend. so she spends the very important developmental stage being passed between various staff members who, try as they might, aren't the best equipped to deal with her.

she grows up.

zuko is mother's favourite. zuko gets hugs when he is sad. zuko gets to cry. zuko isn't scolded as harshly for the same things. zuko is the only person who ever seems to notice she exists in the first place.

azula starts firebending and zuko gets jealous. father looks happy in the worst way she has ever seen. mother is angrier than ever. azula gives up on her and chases her father's attention. she only seems to get it at the expense of zuko but he gets hugs so she thinks it's a fair trade-off and packages those feelings away where dad can't see them.

azula goes to school. she meets ty lee, whose parents are far too busy with her elder siblings, and azula understands. she meets mai, whose mother is never happy with the fact that she's a girl, and azula understands.

zuko is the eldest and zuko is a boy and that's just how these things work.

(azula is a monster.) (she doesn't know how that fits in yet but she will.)

mother disappears and suddenly azula is the favourite and, so sue her, she enjoys the turntables. she has always been better than zuko but now it's obvious and mother isn't there to make her worse for zuko's feelings.

ozai still only mentions her progress to belittle zuko, but she'll take what she can get. he's still the boy, after all, and everything is about the boys. she'll be in charge soon. she can fix it.

tl;dr: ursa pitted the kids against eachother just as much as ozai did.l

#atla #wpw these got long #headcanons #toph beifong #azula

[gatesofember]

I love what you're doing with Drew & Meg, even if it might never come up in the main story. It's really cool you went "oh, I don't have any characters that are trans let's fix that". For me, it kind of is a way to show you care? IDK. That might not be the right words, but I'm not sure I could get closer. Anyway, I love the AM AU and it's cool that you are just such a great human being. As an aside, may I ask which pronouns you use? My friend and I aren't sure and we'd like to be respectful.

Thank you! One of the reasons I’m posting my thought process with all this is because I want to know what you guys think so I’d love to have feedback. I’m still learning about gender and I want you guys to tell me if I’m doing something wrong. I’ve always felt gross about how cis-heavy the au is. (It came about as a consequence of me figuring out why same-sex arranged marriages made sense in the universe, part of which involved tying gender and anatomical sex tightly together (I rambled about that in the guide) (which needs to be updated, now that I think about it).) For a while, whenever I felt bad about how cis the au is, I told myself that it wasn’t that nb and trans people didn’t exist, it was just that they were either closeted or hadn’t had the opportunity to figure themselves out. But that was a shitty excuse. So two years into writing this au I finally decided, “this is dumb and transphobic and I don’t want to be a dumb transphobe so I’m going to stop being a dumb transphobe.”

I’d like to officially apologize for being a dumb transphobe. I’m going to do better now. The universe is still very cis-centric, but now I’m actually going to address the issue rather than pretending everything’s ok. Also I’m surprised that no one has called me out on my bullshit yet because I deserved it.

I wanted to make a more major character trans or nb, but most characters are either already established as cis, won’t appear again, or have been around for so long that if they weren’t cis, it should have already been mentioned. Like, we know what sort of equipment Nico and Will have. We also know Lee and Lou Ellen are both cis because Lou Ellen is trying to get pregnant, and other adult characters have been confirmed as cis because of whom they’ve had children with and whether or not they carried the baby. Will’s other siblings, Reyna, or Hazel could be trans, but considering that they live in such a cis-oriented world, it should have been mentioned by now and I should have been planning it from the beginning. Tacking it on so late would be irresponsible. The same goes for Leo and Calypso, plus they won’t show up much anymore so I won’t have the opportunity to talk about it. If I’d thought this through earlier Persephone could have been trans and that would have been why she couldn’t have children with Hades. We could have had a cool story arc but nooo I was busy being dumb and transphobic.

After going through a list of characters, I thought, “Meg and Drew are good options—which one?” to which a voice in my head replied, “Ember you dumb transphobic coward there can be more than one trans girl in a fic.” So they’re both trans. We haven’t met Meg and Drew, which means I still have time to plan and figure out their characters. All I have to do is add a line or two in Meadows of the Sea (Aphrodite threatened to sic Drew on Jason, but later says it was an empty threat – it would be a good place to establish Drew as trans by briefly mentioning that she would have been ineligible to marry Jason because they couldn’t have children together). And while they won’t be major characters, Meg and Drew will show up in the story later so I have the opportunity to write about them. But this doesn’t mean that they just exist to be trans characters. They have stories and roles to play and they also happen to be trans. And I’m still thinking through exactly how Will and Nico, who are usually the only narrators, would find this out, considering that it’s really none of their business what’s under Meg and Drew’s skirts. I don’t want them to find out in a way that’s a breach of privacy or otherwise disrespectful.

Anyway my pronouns are either she/her or they/them. Everyone’s always used she/her for me and I’m usually a lady so that works fine (I think I’m a little fluid with gender – I’m still figuring myself out and that’s ok!), but I also like they/them and it would be nice if more people used those pronouns for me.

#arranged marriage au #gabbing gates #lionessfeather