tessenwarrior

[tessenwarrior]

@warriorled asked: ❛  just let me sleep for five more minutes.  ❜

"if you sleep any longer, we're going to miss it!"

there was a part of suki that debated letting him have his few minutes of rest. sokka had earned as much saeep as he needed in these last few weeks. compassion for sokka nearly brought her excitement to a grinding halt. she almost liked him enough to allow it.

almost.

the other part of suki won out instead. she picked up a pillow and chucked it at his head, before jumping on top of sokka to really rub it in. "wake up! i heard katara say the lights are starting! hurry, sokka, hurry!"

#warriorled

[tessenwarrior]

"i think there are similarities... but it's not quite the same thing." the difference between a kyoshi warrior's makeup and the looks city girls wore to feel pretty were two different things entirely. but how was toph supposed to know that? the question made suki smile, grateful that her friend had even taken the time to ask, to question the difference, to give her an opportunity to share the significance.

buckle in, toph. it's lesson time.

"what you had done is... cosmetic. usually, girls wear makeup to look nice. but my makeup is a warrior's look. it's designed to make us look intimidating in a fight. and we do it to honour kyoshi, 'cause she wore the makeup as a symbol of power and mystery."

suki tilted her head curiously. "maybe i could paint your face like a kyoshi warrior... and describe it to you as i do it!"

❝ katara and i got our faces painted once, ❞ she's referring to that time in ba sing se, when katara had successfully taken her to a spa, which was ... pretty nice. in gaoling, toph was often groomed as well. there shouldn't be a hair out of place, and her skin has to remain clean, soft. the staff would often wonder why the soles of her feet would be the only parts of her to have remained roughened, but toph had let them wonder, mouth closed tight, mum. she had thought she would hate the spa day for what it reminded her, but instead ...

well, it's one of her best memories with katara, fire to her feet.

whatever. point is – ❝ that the same as what you're doin' now ? ❞

@tessenwarrior — starter call.

#sifutoph #thank you!

[tessenwarrior]

the boops feel appropriate here because you just know suki would be all about the boops.

#boops her friends when they're being too hard on themselves actually

[tessenwarrior]

i should be writing, except i'm doing a challenge in the sims, and stardew updated, and i'm thinking of replaying fallout, and, and, and---

#i do plan to log on here soon and get down to business i'm just. really into playing games rn since i'm on spring break from work #and i don't really get to play games during my work week so i'm taking advantage of it now #might post a wee inbox call later. we'll see!!! thank you all for all your wonderful replies #i'm thriving honestly

[tessenwarrior]

suki bit her lip, letting zuko finish before she interjected. there were a dozen things she wanted to say, reminders of the good zuko had already accomplished, the lengths he had gone to, the true friend he had been to all of them. zuko helping sokka at the boiling rock meant more than loyalty. he had helped give her a second chance at life again. he had given her freedom. that meant more to her than suki could ever put into words.

but she did not say any of that. it clearly was not what zuko was looking for.

"i'll tell you." she promised, expression resolute. "but i know i won't need to. not because you're perfect, or because you won't make mistakes - but because i trust in your ability to see it yourself. you won't need me to correct you, because you'll do it on your own."

suki took a breath, abruptly bumping her shoulder against his with a fond smile. "but yeah. i'll keep you in line, pal, don't worry."

His brows furrow and his eyes narrow as he watches, perplexed by her scribbles in the sand. Thankfully she's quick to explain and suddenly it clicks. He's not the best, but he's also not the worst. And unlike his father, he's not too far gone. He is capable of change but he wants it -- like he wants air to breathe and water to drink. Oh how he wants to be a better person...

"I guess you make a good point," he confesses. He should be relieved to hear her compliment but there's still a lingering tension in his shoulders. Can he stay on the right path or will he fall into old habits and in turn, old wrongs?

"You'd tell me..." his voice trails off, voice still gazing at the lines -- at the morality scale in the sand, "you'd tell me if I started to slip in the wrong direction, right? Not that it's your job to I just... I just really want to be the bitter, awful Zuko anymore."

#fiheir #eehehe

[tessenwarrior]

PROMPTS FOR CURIOUS HYPOTHETICALS *  assorted dialogue, adjust as necessary

do you think you would have liked me if we met back then?

if i asked you to marry me... right now... what would you say?

could you ever imagine us together?

what if we're not meant to survive this?

if you found out you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do?

what if your life went differently? where do you think you'd be?

i bet we would have been best friends as kids.

could you imagine a world like that?

would you say yes if i asked you on a date?

what if only one of us gets out?

i wish we'd dated sooner.

what if they don't like me?

what superpower would you choose, if you had to pick one?

i wonder what that would be like.

i bet we'd be married by now, if things had gone differently.

i'll never stop considering the "what-ifs."

have you ever pictured us as a couple?

what does your perfect future look like?

do you think you might see me as more than a friend?

ever thought about the future?

what if we're not meant to be together?

but what if there's only one bed? what then?

if we get through this, what's the first thing we should do?

where do you see yourself in ten years?

if a higher power exists... i wonder what they think of us.

maybe we could try going on a date. see what happens.

i've always wondered if you'd ever look my way.

what words would [name] use to describe you?

what would be your strategy for an apocalypse?

could you ever see me as something more?

if we ever make it out of here, where will we go?

what do you think lies ahead?

what if i'm not meant to do this?

if we get trapped, we need to come up with a plan.

have you ever wondered what our kids would look like?

is there more to life than this?

do you ever wish we'd met each other sooner?

i always wonder what would have happened.

if you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

if you could snap your fingers right now and be anywhere you want, where would you pick?

do you think we have any chance of surviving this?

i'm trying to picture a world where we get through this in one piece.

what if this doesn't end well?

what if we get stuck there?

if a genie gave you three wishes, what would you ask for?

what if everyone stares at me?

what if i'm not cut out for this?

#meme. #oh fun!

[tessenwarrior]

loathe as she was to admit to needing help, suki did feel relieved that she did not have to suffer in pain for much longer. she obliged katara's suggestion, moving over to a large rock that jutted out of the earth to prop herself up against. sitting down took a moment, her teeth grinding together in pain as she sank onto the ground.

but she was in position now, and she hoisted up her shirt enough to give katara room to work.

"we didn't have healers like you back home." suki said softly. making small talk felt less awkward than sitting here in silence. "an herbal poultice was about the best we got... or bedrest. otherwise, you just toughed out the pain, kyoshi style."

suki let out a weary breath, eyes squeezing shut. "thank you for showing me the katara way."

katara watched suki try to manage her injuries with a pained look on her expression. she had taken a nasty fall and the waterbender could only imagine how much discomfort her friend was feeling. a younger version of herself would have insisted on healing but as she grew older, her tenacity had calmed down, learning how to take a step back and let others make their own decisions.

even if they were wrong decisions.

suki's motion towards her left ribcage caught katara's attention and she obliged wordlessly. and feeling relieved suki would allow her to treat her injuries. ❛  it might be easier if you were propped up against something. ❜ 

#linghung

[tessenwarrior]

the compliment came as a surprise, but it was not an unwelcome one. thinking about home became easier, the more time passed since she left. kyoshi island had been the only thing she knew for a very long time, and leaving it behind was like leaving behind a massive part of herself. but it was thanks to friends like the ones she had made in her journey that made it easier to stomach.

and being given a chance to talk about home? well, that was certainly welcome, too.

"it's so different from the northern water tribe." suki began, smiling warmly at yue. "it's warm, and quiet, and peaceful. or, it was before the war finally reached our shores."

suki shook that thought aside. yue understood well enough what war meant for all of them. the good side of kyoshi was the one worth sharing. "the elders kept us all safe, and guided us in a way that was meant to honour kyoshi. we fight like her, govern ourselves the way she commanded, and even dress like her." suki gestured to her getup. "it's so beautiful... i miss it a lot. maybe you can come visit some day!"

❝ you  fight  so  gracefully,  suki.  i'd  love  to  hear  more  about  you  and  kyoshi  island.  if  that's  ...  okay  with  you ?  ❞  a  smile  reaches  her  face,  curiosity  brewing  inside.  having  not  traveled  far  from  home  or  at  all.  hearing  about  other  places  of  the  world  always  makes  her  feel  like  she's  been  there.  hopefully,  one  day  the  princess  will  be  able  to  go  on  an  adventure  of  her  own. 

@tessenwarrior liked for a one liner !

#spiritshe #thank u!!!

[tessenwarrior]

being a kyoshi warrior meant many things to suki. there was a time in her life when becoming a warrior like herself, modelling a fighting technique and lifestyle after avatar kyoshi, was a privilege reserved for a rare few. her home islands' isolation meant that sharing these skills was once taboo.

but a new era had come to kyoshi island -- and suki's vow to protect others did not stop at fighting for them. it meant teaching people to fight for themselves, too. so yumi's request for assistance was met not with apprehension, but an intense excitement that brought a brilliant smile to suki's mouth.

"i would love to!" suki exclaimed, bowing her head in acknowledgement. "one of the most important parts of this style is the stance. we'll start with posture -- try and copy mine."

most of what she knows about combat is self-taught. sure, she did learn some basics from her father, and the pirate crew made sure to teach her some moves as well, but when it comes to actual hand-to-hand combat, she usually lets her imagination and instincts guide her. and so far, it has mostly worked out well. [ to be fair, there haven't been that many opportunities to test it out anyway. after all, she likes to stay hidden and avoid direct fights. ] but now, with suki being here, it's the perfect chance to learn some proper techniques ― because who better to learn from than a kyoshi warrior? she approaches her as she's in the middle of her own training, standing a little away as she watches the fluidity in which she moves. ❛ i hope i'm not interrupting, but i was wondering if you could teach me some moves. ❜

@tessenwarrior / starter call.

#thiefed #thanks for the starter!

[tessenwarrior]

#ohhhhh cool #suki.

[tessenwarrior]

thinking abt suki and femininity at this late hour, folks

#might write up a meta of some kind tomorrow... i just think warrior suki is just as important as soft n feminine suki #she says it herself but !!!!! i have thoughts!!! #anyway. tomorrow shall be a writing day i think. i'm on book 3 of lok and i'm thriving honestly

[tessenwarrior]

“I am a warrior. But I'm a girl too”

#suki x sokka. #oh !!!

[tessenwarrior]

#suki x sokka x zuko.

[tessenwarrior]

thinking about the way my girls Suki and Ty lee were like legit the strongest non-benders in the atla universe. those two were absolute MENACES. Suki escaped the boiling rock by beating up a bunch of trained fire nation guards, completely unarmed, with just pure martial arts right there. and Ty lee with the chi blocking routine and trained acrobatics??? she was absolutely TRAUMATISING skilled benders left and right. I like to think that after the war, when Ty lee joined the Kyoshi warriors, the two of them became best friends, cause like them as a bestie duo would literally be unstoppable.

#EXACTLY !!!!! #put some respect on my girl's name #suki. #re: ty lee.

[tessenwarrior]

Rewatching atla with my mom and it is illegal how much they slayed in the kyoshi warrior makeup in their respective episodes LIKE??

#re: sokka. #re: aang. #LOVE THEM

[tessenwarrior]

@banishmark asked: no information can escape your eyes.

zuko was right about that. suki knew it may not have been her business to pester him about this -- but she knew neither sokka nor aang would notice, toph would not bother to ask, and katara, well... katara might take it a step too far.

no, suki was the best one for the job, that was for sure. partially because she had noticed. zuko was slower in their sparring, sloppier. he had dark circles under his eyes that were getting worse. she could hear him tossing and turning in his bedroll at night while she counted the stars. he wasn't sleeping.

"i know you're exhausted, and i know you don't want to talk about it." suki agreed. "but i also know that you need to rest. so what can i do to help you get the sleep you need?"

#banishmark

[tessenwarrior]

@linghung asked: [ needs ] sender asks receiver what they need / from katara !

muscles ached with every motion, and suki grit her teeth against the pain. unlike the others, she could not cushion her tumbling with a puff of air or pulse of fire. when she hit the ground, she hit hard - and sometimes, it was hard enough to bruise. hard enough to leave her aching and wincing every time she raised her arm too high or started to laugh.

normally, she would have toughed it out. but with katara, maybe she didn't have to.

"actually... i think my ribs are a little bruised." suki confessed, gesturing to her left side with a visible wince. "do you think you could work some of that waterbending magic on me? just a little... just so i can sleep tonight?"

#linghung #injury / #love them actually