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#Zuko: ...there's another black dragon that lives here
muffinlance · 1 year
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Scaled Over 3: The Golden-Eyed Girl
Latest chapter || Read from the beginning
The privateer had found the prize of the pile: a solid black molt, buried under the more common blues and grays of her people. He rubbed its edge between his thumb and forefinger.
“Younger than I thought, with how few of these make it to market. A teenager around the prince’s age should be shedding more. Is… he getting enough to eat? …She?”
“I’m sure they are,” Katara said, trying not to feel her own skin crawl. It wasn’t impossible to tell a dragon’s age from the thickness of their molts. Obviously. But it was a skill that required a fair bit of hands-on experience.
Story Summary:
At thirteen, Zuko knelt on the Agni Kai field and proclaimed himself his father's loyal son. But when fire touched his face, his dragon form begged to differ.
Dragon!Zuko AU.
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captainkirkk · 6 months
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✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩
All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.
DC
The Bachelor: Robin Edition by Vamillepudding
Gotham loses its Robin and Bruce Wayne loses a son. Tim finds one of these too tragic to bear. In his quest to make sure Bruce Wayne lives to see the next year, he strikes upon the perfect solution: another son.
-
His best bet is, naturally, Crime Alley.
By 8 pm that day, Drake Manor is filled with ten black-haired, blue-eyed boys sitting around the large dining table, looking around the room suspiciously.
Well. Eleven. But Tim doesn’t think he counts.
ATLA
Dish Duty by Princeliest
All Zuko had been trying to do was wash some dishes. Or: The one where Zuko and Katara both mean well, but still can't find their footing around each other in time to prevent explosive shouting, broken dishes, an impromptu arrest, and Team Avatar's third- nay, fourth jailbreak. Fifth? They've lost count at this point, but at least they're not willing to lose Zuko... now, if only he realized that.
Merlin
all oak and iron bound by numinousnumbat
Some of those born with magic are repelled by iron. Merlin wished he knew how much iron there was in Camelot before he started his new life there.
HTTYD
Abandon Hope Who Enters Here (everyone who enters here) by JaggedEmeraldsOfGold
Eret had spoken about the mindless cruelty of Drago’s base and soldiers, but there’s nothing like seeing it in front of her to make it really, really sink in. She’d wanted to empathize, but she doesn’t think she really understood.
She does now.
Astrid leans her head back until it hits the wall behind her, and blinks up at the ceiling.
It’s going to be a long three days.
Or: Instead of facing the Monstrous Nightmare in the Kill Ring, Hiccup packs up and leaves Berk on Toothless, defeating the Red Death on his own as he goes. Six years later, Hiccup has royally fucked up– Hiccup has severely underestimated Drago, and now Hiccup is cramped, tired, hungry, without his prosthetic, and he really, really, really misses Toothless.
Imagine his surprise (read: complete and utter dread) when he wakes up one day to see absolutely none other than Astrid Hofferson, Snotlout Jorgenson, Fishlegs Ingerman, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston sitting in the cell across from him.
against the wind by underpassgraffiti
When Hiccup and Snotlout get stranded, they have to work together to stay alive.
Easier said than done.
To End a War by GhostStone
Stoick may not listen to Hiccup, but there is one person he does listen to on occasion. And that one person just happens to be someone who will listen to Hiccup.
An AU where the night before he is meant to kill the dragon, Hiccup realized how awful his plan is and goes to Gobber for help.
the soul of a dragon by castelia
Soulmarks amongst humans are easily identifiable: they are words tattooed on skin, words to be spoken during the first moment where two people truly connect. No one believes dragons have soulmarks, let alone that a dragon and a human can share a soul bond.
Until Hiccup.
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unorthodoxx-page · 1 year
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Avatar: The Last Airbender Fic Recs
So, since I have some readers who aren’t familiar with atla, I have decided to use this opportunity to list some of my favorite atla fics!  I will say one or two pairings are Zuko/Sokka, so I’ll tag them for people who don’t like the pairing.  There are also two Zuko/Katara fics listed below and they are labeled as well.
ALL STORIES ARE LINKED IN THE NAME!
1. While Mighty Oaks Do Fall by @witch-of-endor (Sokka/Zuko) can’t rave about this more.  I live for the next update - IN PROGRESS
High Sage Kenji blesses Fire Prince Zuko with the resilience of the reed, who bends in the wind and never breaks. When he is done, Fire Prince Ozai narrows his eyes, seemingly displeased by this blessing. But Kenji does not speak for himself; he is only a vessel.
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The newly-crowned Fire Lord Ozai offers his firstborn son to service in the temple.
This turns out to be a catastrophic mistake.
2. Mountains and Badgermolehills by @glass-0nion 10/10 Zuko joins the Gaang early - COMPLETE
After the Blue Spirit frees the Avatar from the Pohuai Stronghold, Admiral Zhao captures Prince Zuko under suspicion of treason. Isolated from his Uncle and his crew, Zuko has only one ally: the chatty prisoner one cell over.
3. The Blackfish and the Dragon by ama (unsure if they have a tumblr) I don’t typically read Zuko/Katara but I love this!! 10/10 COMPLETE
Katara grew up in the Southern Water Tribe under the tutelage of Hama, the only waterbender ever to have escaped Fire Nation captivity. When Zuko arrives at the South Pole, seeking the Avatar, they are more than ready to defend him. Iroh watches as his beloved nephew throws himself at the ice walls again and again in an impossible siege–-and resolves to do anything it takes to save his nephew from himself. With the assistance of the Order of the White Lotus, he deposes his brother on the Day of Black Sun.
A week later, the Southern Water Tribe receives a petition for peace, and a proposal of marriage.
4. Such Selfish Prayers by  @andromeda3116 another Zuko/Katara story!  I loved this from Katara’s point of view.  COMPLETE
Katara's ambition, so long set aside for the good of others, breaks free and sets fire to her soul. Or, Katara has a vision of her canon future, casts it aside, and becomes a world-changing politician instead.
5. The Dragon-King’s Temple by Kryal (unsure if they have a tumblr) now this is a CLASSIC crossover fic in the fandom.  Not to age myself here, but I remember when the first chapter was posted as a teaser, then waiting, like, two years for the update.  This might be nostalgia talking but I don’t think so 100/10 no pairing. Toph and Zuko adventure.  crossover with Stargate SG-1 COMPLETE
Through the spite of the spirits or plain rotten chance, a door that would have been better left untouched has opened. On the other hand, with Fire and Earth as one's allies, sometimes escaping is the easy part.
Even the Dragon-King's temple floods.
6. The Family You Choose by TunaFishChris (unsure if they have a tumblr) a platonic soulmate with all the Gaang (including Suki and Zuko).  Zuko’s point of view and it’s REALLY good. COMPLETE
Some people are born with soulmarks. Zuko has them, but his grandfather burned them off because they "make you weak."
Team Avatar has a few things to say about that.
Enjoy this small feast of Avatar the last air bender content!
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tobitofunction · 1 year
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🐉 Part 1
Set after the events of the Last Airbender, Zuko is Firelord and over 18. The reader is a Targaryen, so silver hair and purple eyes but the character otherwise have any description of hair texture or skin tone
Long and has mentions of incest as game of thrones inspired characters
y/d- your dad (or any male name)
Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 part5 part6 part 7 part 8 part 9
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“So where we going, Uncle?” Zuko asked,” An Island which is nearly double the size of the amber island which is located near Crescent Island, where a family of silver-haired people lives, "he said  lifting his cup to his lips,” Is this all we are getting?” Sokka asked,” You shouldn’t even be here, only Aang, me and uncle-“,” But where is the fun in that. You owe me a life-changing field trip flame boy” Toph said,” Well, it’s been said that they are closer to the gods than us. The fire nation families have been trying to marry into them for generations but they always decline” Iroh continued,” Can’t blame them, wouldn’t want to marry into that either” Katara said gaining a soft nudge from Aang,” The Targaryen family has some queer costumes anyway so I doubt we are getting anywhere anyway” Iroh shrugged,” Wait is this a trip to get Zuko a wife” Sokka said with a big smile,” Oooh this is going to gooood” Toph smirked while rubbing her fist. Zuko was about to open his mouth when a large gust of wind knocked him onto the floor of the ship,” What was-“ Zuko stopped mid-sentence when he saw the reason he was knocked on the floor, a large white dragon was flying across the sky towards the direction they were heading,” I thought dragons were mostly extinct beside the two with the sun warriors” Aang said with wonder in his voice,” The Targaryen are from the Valyrian race, dragon blood is run through them is what people say” Iroh said looking with awe at the dragon flying majestically through the orangy sky,” How come I never heard from the until now?”,” Because not many are left, my nephew. Only two families are left. That’s why they are often marrying…. Well within the family” Iroh sighed making everyone's eyes widen,” INCEST” Sokka gasped,” So Zuko, be less you. Having a Targaryen in our family would be very beneficial” Iroh said.
They soon arrived at the island, large and small dragons made of stone decorated the island, it looked similar enough to his own palace but unlike his, it carried a dark aura. “Fire Lord Zuko here, we are here to see your King” Iroh smiled at the guards who walked up to them,” Their armour looks so cool” Sokka fangirled at the dark armour, it was made up of multiple metal panels which were held together by dark red leather, from far away the armour gave the illusion of scales which fitted with the design of their helms, a dragons head.
“Fire Lord, it’s an honour to have you here,” an older man said, his hair like Iroh said was silver and went towards his shoulders, he carried a friendly smile which seemed genuine, and his voice was similar to his Uncle and carried a similar aura as well. His throne room was similar to his own, with open flames everywhere making the room nice and warm, the symbol of the house, a red three-headed dragon on black fabric was hanging behind the King’s seat. “An honour my Lord,” another man said, he also had white hair which went past his shoulder, and he seemed friendly enough but also more worn out, he, however, wore a different symbol, a silver seahorse on a sea green field. “ Iroh, or should I call The Dragon of the West?”,” Iroh is alright your majesty” Iroh smiled,” I am embarrassed to say my daughter isn't here yet. Riding that dragon of hers if I should guess. I forgot call me y/d” he smiled,” This Lord Coryls, he’s married to my cousin. He is part of the other Valyrian family which has survived the doom”,” The doom?” Aang asked curiously,” Avatar Aang, what a privilege to have you under our roof” y/d said bowing his head,” Thank you for having us,” Aang said politely,” If you want to hear more about the history of our people ask my daughter if she ever decided to show up”,” The Princess, is quite something I hope the Fire Lord can handle her, my son and she are good friends-”,” Lord Coryls is trying to forge a marriage between them”,” Well my majesty, not many of us are left, and blood purity-”,” Shh, he is the Fire Lord, he is the most important person in the fire nation. I might hold the title of King but that’s all it is, a title which only exists here. A marriage to Zuko would benefit both of us, isn't that right?” Zuko cheeks began to darken, he knew that he would be forced into a marriage to have heirs but it still is embarrassing to happen in front of all his friends, Zuko was about to open his mouth when Toph cut him off,” Someone is coming” she said turning towards the door where you soon stepped out, like your dad and Lord Coryls you had silver hair, which bounced with every step you took, the light of the open fires illuminated your hair making you seem even more out the world “I’m sorry” you said with a tide lipped smile and quickly passing Zuko, you gave him a quick glance revelling your lavender coloured eyes,” What’s that smell?” Toph said,” Dragon,” Lord Coryls said,” It was beautiful weather so I wouldn’t hold it against the Princess,” Zuko said scratching the back of his head,” This is my oldest y/n, my heir,” he said squeezing your hand,” Well, your wife is pregnant and if it’s a boy-”,” She still is heir to the throne” your dad cut Corlys off,” Y/N, show the fire Lord and his friends the dragon pit and the rest of the island. I want to talk to Iroh alone” you nodded.
“Sorry for knocking you on the floor earlier on,” you said with a grimace,” It’s fine but I thought only two dragons are left and they live on the crescent island?” Zuko and Aang asked simunatsly,” It’s complicated, before the doom of my race their were many more dragons but with the doom, the dragons died alongside my people. My family and Lord Coryls the Velyrion are the only ones left” you smiled,” We came not far from fire nation itself, well what the fire nation would become, our ancestors brought as many dragon eggs as possible but not many of them hatched. An adult dragon a pure white one, the oldest at the time, left, this was around the time-bending was bestowed to the people by”,” The Lion Turtles” Aang interrupted,” Yes, the dragon who left helped teach the people about their bending mostly the first Avatar Wan” you said,” What about the dragons with the sun warriors?”,”They are the dragons which came from the time of old. The sun warriors are the first people my ancestors met, the first people who learned from the dragons besides Wan of course. As the Valyrian never got the powers to bend we gifted them with our oldest dragons, so they teach people the true meaning of fire bending, with one condition. We get any eggs laid from them” you said stopping in front of a large cave where two men emerged, “Maghagon nyke ñuha zaldrīzes (Bring me my dragon)” you said making them nod,” How do you know all these facts?” Sokka asked making his friends sigh,” I read books and the story are being told for centuries within my family” you smiled as Sokka's cheeks redden in slight embarrassment at the question,” What did you say?” he said trying to change the topic,” I want to show you the dragon who knocked you out earlier, in the tongue of my ancestors” you smiled, soon the floor began to shake slightly, from the far distance Zuko could see something glitter in the dark,” Haku” you smiled at the dragon who emerged from the darkness. The gaang stepped back a bit, the dragon was slightly smaller than the dragons with the sun Warriors but  larger than Appa,” This is Fire Lord Zuko and his friends so please don’t eat them” you whispered making them gulp,” They eat human flesh?” Katara asked as Sokka was trying to hide behind her,” So long it’s cooked” you shrugged,” Don’t worry, he won't hurt you.... so long you don’t try to hurt me. He’s quite protective of me” you said patting his white snout, his golden eyes didn't leave the group of friends,” Is he related to-”,” Ran and Shaw?” you cut off Aang who nodded,” Distantly, they didn't lay eggs for a century now but we have other dragons who do, not many have hatched even some of Ran and Shaw’s once are still unhatched” you shrugged, you walked towards Zuko and grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him towards the white beast who was now focusing on the young fire lord,” Stop being scared, he can sense that” you said as you felt him tremble slightly as the hot breath of the dragon hit his face,”sagon gentle (be gentle)” you commanded Haku would seem to relax at the statement, you placed Zuko’s hand on her snout. Zuko like Haku relaxed, the scaly skin underneath his palm was an unusual feeling but he got used to it quickly, he could feel the heat from underneath his skin as well,” It’s Valeryian, tradition to put a dragon egg inside a baby cradle if it hatches they are true blooded Valeryian” you explained as Zuko continued to gently stroke Haku’s nose,” You can touch him too, he seems to have noticed you aren't a threat” you said, Toph was the first to walk up and touch his side,” I can feel that he is huge” she smiled impressed,” He can grow bigger, it all depends on their life styles” you smiled as the other slowly made their way to Haku,” Also my dear fire lord, we have a gift for you” you said, just than the two men who brought the dragon out came towards the silver haired princess with a metal bowl carried on a metal pole, the bowl was rather large and had a dragon carved on it’s outside,” We have a good feeling with this one” you said lifting up the lid making steam erupt from it.
Zuko stepped closer, his eyes widening when making eye contact with the items covered in steam, a red scaley egg was sitting in the middle. You gently grabbed the egg from the container and handed it to Zuko,” Why? I can’t accept-“,” Yes you can, both Avatar Roku and Sozin had dragons, it’s in your blood” you shrugged taking the egg from him again and placing it back inside the heated bowl.” How do you know about Roku? My Uncle told me this only a while ago” Zuko said narrowing his eyes,” Why do you think my father finally accepted the fire nation's request for a marriage proposal?” you said with a lifted brow,” One more question?” Katara said moving away from Haku,” How did the fire nation not eliminate you and your dragons? Iroh lied about the once’s on Crescent Island but if the fire nation wanted a marriage they knew about this place-“,” I show you but be warned it’s not a pretty sight” you patted Haku’s neck,” I will be back soon” you smiled making him grunt.
You walked the Gaang to the other side of the island before stopping close to the cliff side,” Don’t fall” you warned as the group stepped closer to the side,” Wow” Sokka said softly seeing half-melted wrecks of Fire Nation ships at the bottom of the cliffs. Even with it being quite low you still see some shard remains of fire nation soldiers whose armour was melted to their remains,” Dragons once bound will defend their rider until death and some of the dragons' fires were so strong they could melt metal” you shrugged,” The dragon who did that is no longer with us”,” What happened to it?”,” Before the last fleet got destroyed they had a surprise attack on him, but they didn’t live to tell the tale so fire nation gave up on trying to conquer us, there were a couple survivors but after seeing what we have they changed sides and joined us” you said,” The dragon was the child of Ran and Shaw, one of their first and also their biggest at the time of his death he was bigger than them” you said,” My grandfather was his last rider” you said remembering the stories your parents told you about the large dragon. Zuko licked his lips,” Return to the palace, I want to speak to her alone”,” Marry her Zuko, she’s awesome” Sokka whispered-yelled as he walked past his friend.
“Thank you for the egg, my mom used to tell stories about dragons, positive stories on how majestic they are but my father ruined it by telling us about their murderous tendency, their love for human flesh,” Zuko said as the two of you began walking alongside the cliff,” They can be murderous but only if they feel in danger or if they are bounded if their rider is in danger. Also, dragons prefer sheep over humans” you smiled making Zuko chuckle,” Can I ask you a question Fire Lord?” you asked,” Do you want to get married or is it only duty you are seeking?” you asked,” Duty if I am being honest, not to offend you but I only recently got out of a relationship and I wasn’t eager to get back into one but my Uncle and the Council are pushing me into one. Uncle mostly because he’s afraid I will die alone as my personality isn’t something women crave” he said rubbing his neck,” I like your personality... the side I meet so far” you said making Zuko blush,” What about you?”,”As you heard my mother is pregnant and if it’s a boy people expect that my father will name him heir to whatever is left of the Valyrian race. My mother said woman’s battlefield is the birthing bed, something which I guess I have to get used to,” you shrugged,” I’m just doing what is expected of me, I can fight as hard as I want but they just marry me off anyway. If not to you then my cousin, my Uncle is already set to marry my other cousin” you played with your fingers licking your lips before looking to your left and seeing a small blue dragon dunk into the water and back out with a fish in its mouth, he threw the fish in the air and burned it with his fire before consuming it whole,” Dragon’s are so amazing, I can’t believe we nearly eradicated them all” Zuko said staring at the small dragon who was flying away,” Dragon’s are part of us, we came here together and I know we leave this planet together as well. Fire and Blood” you said continuing to walk,” I have more questions” Zuko said catching up with you,” Ask away, I am your tour guide, after all, I hope your friends find their way back to the palace in one piece” you mused,” They can protect themselves” Zuko said waving his hand dissmisvelly,” So you would be marrying your cousin if this doesn’t work out?” Zuko lifted a brow,” Yes, our blood and connection with the dragons have to do with magic, we tamed them through our magic and we believe the more we marry outside the family the more diluted our blood will come. That’s why my uncle and cousin are getting married, he actually.. never mind but we stopped using magic centuries ago, however so I guess we are clinging to the last bits of our culture” you said changing the topic of your Uncle quickly,” So being related to avatar and the fire nation family was enough to make your father think I am good enough to marry his only daughter. I’m honoured” Zuko chuckled ignoring your short quip about your Uncle,” And probably weirded out, incest isn't normal in other cultures,” you said knowing what Zuko wanted to say,” It be an honour to be your wife Zuko and to carry your children,” you said stopping and looking into Zuko’s golden eyes,” I will be honoured to have you as my wife and mother of my children,” he said looking into your purple eyes with a soft but unsure smile which mirrored yours.
“Oh, they have arrived. How was it?” Iroh asked, a long table with food had been set up. The gaang was there already sitting on the floor,” I have received a dragon egg Uncle” Zuko said happily and proudly while finding a seat beside his Uncle. You meanwhile sat beside your father who patted your head affectionally,” Where is mother?” you asked,” Tired, no need to worry though, she is a dragon” your father reassured,” Have two of you made peace with the idea of marriage?” Coryls asked, as you bit into your food,” We know our duties” you mused,” Where is your son anyway?” you hummed seeing the empty space between him and Katara, Coryls was about to say something when the door swung open revealing your cousin,” Sorry I’m late” he bowed his head, his blond locks falling off his shoulder slightly behind him entered his older sister,” Found him, he was near the Cannibals cave, saved him from being eaten” his sister said slapping the back of his head making him pout, both siblings found their seats,” My dear you know the rules” your aunt said to her youngest,” Who is the cannibal?” Toph asked,” A wild dragon, he like his name says likes to eat other dragons and humans who came near his cave. That’s why you won’t find any dragons near his cave” your father explained,” Cannibal just needs to have the right rider and we can use him if fire nation ever thinks of attacking again” the young Lord snarled making Zuko shift,” The Cannibal, dear cousin would eat you for breakfast and you have a dragon already,” you said with narrowed eyes,” Why can we only have one?”,” Y/N is right it was stupid of you to even try to claim him” Coryls snapped at his son,” Well this got awkward real quickly” Sokka said to his sister who nudged him in response. Your cousin didn’t respond to his father but just ate,” So about the marriage” your aunt smiled,” We talked and we are ready to perform our duty”,” That’s good to hear” she smiled in response,” My dear, as you know Lord Coryls wasn't happy with the decision but we came to a form of agreement which the fire lord needs to approve” Zuko lifted a brow and looked at Iroh who looked everywhere but his nephew’s direction,” Which is, as you know your Uncle is set to marry Leena?” you nodded slowly and looked at your cousin who looked confused at why her marriage is being brought up,” We thought your firstborn will be married to her firstborn” you licked your lips at the mention of your Uncles wedding, you took a deep breath and held your head up high before answering,” Did Uncle approve?”,”We have sent him a message but you know your Uncle, he is fine with that” Corlys said, you gave him a fake smile,” Are we sure? Uncle isn’t really fond of -”,” If it means we can continue to have a sense of blood purity he will agree” your father said with narrowed eyes,” Isn’t that still incest?” Sokka mumbled to Katara with a weirded-out face but again only received a nudge from her but her facial expression he could tell she felt the same.”  It’s fine... I guess, y/n told me it’s part of your tradition how can I say something about that” Zuko said simply, he wasn’t really happy about the idea, not because of the incest even though it was a part of it, it was more the part of taking his future’s son ability to fall in love away from him. Yes, he is in an arranged marriage, but unlike his son, Zuko was able to see other people before that and hoped you did too. Zuko gave you a look and he noticed your demeanour shifting, you looked slightly upset,” Father, I'm not hungry can I go to my room?” you asked,” Y/n, the servants put a lot of work into the food and we have guest” your dad slightly scolded,” I’m sorry” you mumbled bowing your head before walking out the room.
 “y/n, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at dinner?” your mom asked trying to sit up in her bed but her giant belly made it difficult for her,” Wasn’t hungry” you mumbled crawling onto her bed,” Is something wrong?” she asked you concerned,” Father just married off my non-existing child to Uncle’s non-existing child” you pouted,” Do you at least like the fire Lord?” she asked,” Zuko is sweet, he be a good husband but he agreed to marry off our child” your mother sighed,” He probably thought it is the right thing to do, it’s still to soon to think about that my child. Just be happy that Zuko isn’t a horrible person, but I have a feeling there is more to it than your unborn child being married off. You don’t like the idea of your Uncle getting married” she said nudging your knee,” I have my duty mother and so does he” she gave you a firm look,” He might be family but he’s nothing but trouble, get him out of your head my dear” you nodded and looked your mother up and down, her skin was clammy and duller” Will I look this bad once I'm pregnant?”, your mother rolled her eyes at you,” Charming, and yes at least I hope so” she joked making you smile,” Stay strong mom” you smiled,” I will don’t worry”.
You left your mother's bedroom and walked outside to ride Haku when you heard Zuko call your name,” Did I upset you?” he asked directly,” You only agreed to a marriage pact for our unborn child, I thought with us it can be different, our children can choose who they marry” you shrugged making Zuko sigh,” I wanted that too but it was the only option, I don’t want to make a rift between your family y/n” he said honestly as the two of you walked towards the dragon pit.” I understand, I hope we don’t have a son then” you said making Zuko look at you,” I hope we do, and I hope he will fall in love with his wife like I hope I will fall in love with you, even though I think I’m already falling” he said making your cheeks heat up,” We only know each other for a few hours” you chuckled rubbing your arms,” I know, it’s crazy, I love hearing the tales of your ancestors, how excited you look when explaining it to us” he said licking his lips,” Also you didn’t speak of my scar yet which is a bonus in my book” you chuckled,” I assumed it was something traumatic and I we don’t know each other well enough to trauma dump on each other yet” you shrugged,” I appreciate it”. You stayed silent for a while once you arrived at the Dragonpit,” Want to ride Haku with me? He’s big enough for two” Zuko's eyes widen,” Are you serious? I will be honoured” you giggled at his excitement.
“Just hold on tight, it can be quite bumpy,” you said settling into Haku’s saddle,” Also it’s Haku’s first time carrying two people, so don’t move around much,” you said feeling Zuko’s arms wrap around your waist tightly,” Issi ao sȳz Haku? sōvegon  (Are you good Haku? Fly)” you said patting his neck, Haku began to trot before taking off into the air. Your hair was flying into Zuko’s face tickling him slightly,” How are you doing?” you asked, your voice slightly raised due to the altitude,” This is amazing, it’s so different to Appa” he said looking around, he couldn’t explain but flying on a dragon back is such a different feeling than flying on a sky bison or a hot air balloon. He felt like he belonged, free of any responsibility,” How resistant are you to heat?” you asked looking back slightly,” Tolerable” he said into your hair,” Then get closer to me” you said, Zuko didn't question it and pulled himself closer to you as much as he can,” Dracarys” you shouted, Zuko peaked from behind his shoulder as Haku blasted fire and flew through it, Zuko gasped slightly and hid his face from the flames but he could barely feel them on his body.” It was scary cool” he said into your ear,” Let’s land on Crescent Island, don’t want to make Haku to tired” you said,”tegun (land)” you said.
“So how was it” you smiled as Zuko slipped down on the floor,” Undesrcibel, I hope the dragon hatches and I can do the same,” he said,” They grow faster than one can imagine. Mostly if they live outside,” you said rubbing Haiku’s neck,” Was the fire too much?” you asked,” I could just feel you hide away a bit when it happens,” you said,” No it wasn’t too much but... the scar on my face happened due to an Agni Kai against my father,” he said touching it gently,” You fought against your own father? And he scared you like this?” you asked with wide eyes,” He never loved me, I want to be different to him, I want to be more like my mother who always showed me kindness and was full of love,” he said with a soft smile,” She sounds amazing”,” She is, she vanished when I was young, many believed she is dead but I know she’s out there and my father is the reason she went missing” he scoffed and laughed, you furrowed your brows at that ” I’m trauma dumping... sorry too soon maybe?” he said awkwardly,” It’s fine, we be married sooner or later, it’s nice to know my husband a bit better” he smiled softly,” And you stink of dragon” you added making him laugh,”Can say the same thing about you” he said pushing you gently. Haku  meanwhile had his head lying on the ground, slightly exhausted from carrying people.”Princess y/n?” a male voice said, it was the Chief of the Sun Warriors,” Sorry for the intrusion Chief, I just wanted Haku to rest, he carried to people for the first time” you said with a bow of your head,” It’s fine, it’s always good to see the dragons. Someone fetch Haku some food” he said making one of the warrior's nod and walk off,” I remember you boy, the crown Prince of the fire nation has returned” he said looking Zuko up and down with a smirk,” Actually he’s the fire lord now and we are set to marry” you said making the Chief eyes widen slightly,” I hope you be wedded by the tradition of your house” he said,” I hope so too” you smiled,” Than it’s settled we marry in the tradition of your house, whatever it is” he smiled,” It involves the masters and a little bit of blood” you said,” Blood, that’s lovely”,” Squeamish?” he shook his head while you try suppress a smile,”The wedding tradition of the Valyrian race is a wonderful ceremony we will be happy to host Princess like we did her family for thousand of years” he said.
Haku feasted on his food while you and Zuko were having a casual conversation,” Did you have any relationship?” Zuko asked, you licked your lips and leaned back into Haku,” In a way yes” you said,” In a way?” Zuko said,” It wasn’t anything serious my Father made sure of it. You don’t need to worry,” you said making Zuko confused,” Worried about what?” you laughed at his confused face,” My virtue is still intact,” you said seeing Zuko’s face get redder,” Your family is very traditional in a way,” he said rubbing his face, you smiled. Suddenly you felt Haku move behind you, his head lifted up in the sky looking into the direction of your home,” What is it, boy?” you asked standing up, you squinted your eyes and looked in the direction Haku was looking,” Is that another dragon?” Zuko asked with excitement in his voice,” It’s Carax, my Uncle’s dragon” you whispered making Zuko nod, you mentioned him a couple of times making Zuko curious enough about him. Soon a large red and black dragon landed, which was slightly bigger than Haku and more threatening to look than all the dragons he saw so far. A tall and bulky male with shoulder-length silver hair climbed down off the dragon, he patted the neck of the dragon before walking towards the two young adults. Zuko noticed that he was slightly younger than your father but was less friendly looking, his scar which dragged from his forehead through his left eye and down his chin didn’t help either.” Uncle” you greeted folding your hands behind your back, Zuko stepping closer to you,” Princess, I was surprised to see you here” he smiled not sparing a look to Zuko yet,” I wanted to show my future husband the area” you said looking at Zuko who waved awkwardly,” Fire Lord Zuko, my brother has sent me a message about your arranged marriage between our children” he said pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket,” Yes, I hope it’s okay with you” he said carefully,” I just don’t understand if the marriage between our future children is happening to keep our blood strong why marry my niece of to someone outside the family” he said looking down at Zuko with a lifted brow,” He’s related to the Avatar, Roku was the grandfather of his mother” you answered for Zuko,” Ahh, the Avatar who disappeared and let the fire nation hunt dragons like they are deer” your Uncle snarked,” I will try my best to revive the dragon population and make sure that no harm will come to the remaining ones” Zuko said, your Uncle didn’t say anything but just turned to you,” I have something for you, see it as an early wedding gift” he said making you lift a brow, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a necklace,” Valyrian steel ” he said holding it in front of your face,” I heard about it” Zuko mumbled,” Really?” you smiled making your Uncle sigh,” Sokka said it’s one of the rarest metal on this planet, no one knows how to forge it or know’s it’s origins” he said,” It came from old Valyria, it was forge with the help of dragon fire but with the doom most of the steel got destroyed” your Uncle explained with neutral tone,”How did you get your hands on these?” you asked curious touching the necklace slightly,”Anything for my beautiful niece, turn around” he said, you gave Zuko a brief look before turning around and moving your hair so your Uncle came place the necklace around your neck. His fingers grazed your collarbone making you shiver slightly,” How does it look?” you asked Zuko,” It suits you well, I wish I brought something for you, mostly because you gifted me an egg” he said,” You gifted him an egg?” your Uncle asked annoyed,” He be part of the family soon, it would only make sense for him to have one and his ancestors had dragons as well” you defended making your Uncle roll his eyes,” His ancestor also destroyed most of the dragons”,” Zuko is different Uncle. Come on Zuko let’s go” you said climbing onto Haku.
“I’m sorry because of my Uncle,” you said with a grimace as you landed in front of the Dragon Pit,” It’s alright, I understand his hostility,” he said as the dragon keepers led Haku back into the pit. “I really enjoyed your stay” you smiled,” I enjoyed it to and I do not hate the idea of having an arranged marriage anymore,” he said,” I can say the same thing”,” You're leaving tomorrow right?” Zuko nodded,” Then I will recommend getting some sleep, it be a long way” back.
You and Zuko parted ways,Zuko watched you disappear into your room before beginning to walk towards his. He walked past the throne room when he heard a loud discussion happening which made him curious, he looked around to see if anyone can catch his ears dropping but when he saw no one close by he leaned his ear against the door,” What do you want brother?”,” I want Y/N, you promised me anything I want when you made Coryls your advisor instead of. Give me your daughter, I don’t trust that boy, his descendants to the throne split the realm in half, marriage to him will put y/n life in danger and he can’t protect her the way I do” Zuko frowned, he knew that half of his nation didn’t like the idea of him being Fire Lord but putting you in danger isn’t something he thought off and thanks to Mai, he was able to put a group of Ozai supporters in jail.” She can protect herself and he’s Fire Lord, he can afford the best guards the four-nation has and he’s a fire bender who the master trusted enough to tell the true meaning behind fire bending” your father defended Zuko but his brother just scoffed,” Zuko is the right match for my daughter, they’re the same age and seemed to get along quite well. That’s the end of the discussion brother, y/ will marry the fire lord and you marry Leena. Your children will be married once they are of age” he said with a tone which didn't leave room for any more discussion. Zuko heard heavy footsteps coming towards the door which made the young lord panic and run off towards his room.
“So where did the two of you go after dinner?” Sokka said wiggling his brows with a cheeky smile,” She took me on a flight on dragon back, it was truly amazing, nothing can beat that feeling” Zuko said with a fond smile,” Also I met her Uncle, he doesn’t seem to like me. I overheard a discussion between him and her father” Zuko said leaning against the railing of the boat,” He thinks I will bring her in danger as my reign split the realm in half” Zuko said,” But we have the Kyoshi warriors and they won’t let anything happen to you or your family and you have us as well” Aang said trying to lighten the mood,” Aang is right, y/n father would have thought that risk through, don’t worry too much Zuko” Katara said patting Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko nodded and looked at his friends with a thankful smile,” I hope I’m not disturbing?” you asked making Zuko turn,” No, we are just discussing some things. What are you doing here?” Zuko asked,” My father and Iroh thought it would be nice for me to look at the Palace, to get used to it already. I hope that’s okay with you” Zuko nodded,”Of course, what about Haku?”,” He be staying, my Uncle advised against it, he doesn’t want people who still support your father to know about their existence yet” you said with a tight-lipped smile,” That’s understandable, I just wanted to say I will protect you, my father’s support’s will not lay a hand on you. I promise you that” he said firmly,” I know”.
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bellatrixobsessed1 · 4 months
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Vicarious (Part 34)
Esukutai is an never ending feast of fruit; freshly cut slices of pineapple and squares of mango sit in bowls on window sills, sharing sweet aromas with those who walk down the streets. Even if everyone slammed their windows shut and kept their bowls to themselves there is plenty of produce to come by. Shop stalls and stacks of crates are absolutely teeming with fruit that has yet to be sold and then cut. Restaurants arrange slices of peach and lemon to look like the sun with a cherry for an eye. The more artful of them shape lemons, peaches, oranges, and strawberries into dragons and phoenixes and likenesses of Zuko’s face. Fruity interpretation that make her glad, for once, that she has fallen out of favor with the general public. At least she will never have to witness fruits being arranged to look like her face only to be picked at and eaten later. Intentions are appreciative in nature but, if she did say so, morbid when more thought is put into it. 
Many of these restaurants and houses have dried fruits hanging in pouches from the rafters. Some of them rest on platters while other folks have simply left the slices on their tables. No matter how they are arranged, it would seem that fruit is a manner of expressing oneself and one’s creativity in Esukutai.
It is doubly creative in that it is a clever work around in nation that banned dance and most forms of music. Whose theater, for the longest time, had been overran and bogged down by wartime propaganda. 
Azula is alone in the crowd. 
No one else is awake. 
At least not anyone from her group. 
The people of Esukutai, on the other hand, seem to rise as early as she—firebenders to the core, right to their internal clocks. Azula thinks that she could find a way to feel at home in this village. It is tiny and leisurely in a way that is exactly the opposite Caldera City. It would be hard to adjust in that regard but at this point, Azula craves quietude as much as she craves the frantic ways of the palace life. 
She scans the crowd, there is a man with a beard down to his ankles, peppery black and strewn with wooden beads. There is a woman with tired eyes and bracelets and bangles all the way up her boney arms. Fanning herself on a thatched porch there is a plump woman with the prettiest green eyes and her husband who very proudly wears a hat embroidered with the Earth Kingdom insignia. 
Behind one of the fruit stands is a girl with a crooked smile and a coiling scar upon her bicep. She passes an apricot to a little girl with chubby, rosy cheeks. Azula presumes that the girl with freckles on her forehead is the girl’s older sister. The next woman steps up, thick black curls bounce to her waist. She asks for a plum or two. 
And then there is the man whose hair looks like a fire. She has seen dyed hair before. Only once at an Ember Island show. She can’t say that she has ever seen anyone color their hair just to have it colorful. 
Esukutai is an expressive, colorful little village. 
Somehow it makes Azula’s heartache. 
She could have lived here. Things could have been simpler, had Ursa thought to take her with her. She wouldn’t have had to endure so much pain. She clutches her wrist—she wouldn’t have so many scars. 
Zuko could have lived here. He wouldn’t have any scars. Perhaps the two of them would have never grown as resentful as they had towards one another. They could have lived mundane, yet vibrant lives. 
By all accounts, Esukutai seems as though it has never been touched by the war. 
Azula shields her eyes against the sun as it peeks between the stalls. She ducks around a vine of grapes and inspects a display of handmade jewelry. They are all fine pieces, most of them crafted from stone or glass. A few have been fixed with small gems. 
She finds a wooden piece cut to look like a dragon with topaz tongues of fire tumbling from its mouth. She takes a few coins from her pocket and hands them to the man wearing seven necklaces. He nods and thanks her and she slips the necklace over her head. The dragon settles at her breast. Until she takes the pendant in her hand anyhow. She looks it over, admiring the woodwork as she walks along. 
Admiring the woodwork until she crashes into the woman with the thick black curls. 
With Esukutai being smaller than Hira’a—a village that is a very distant cry from large or even decently sized—Azula probably should have guessed that running into her mother in the crowd wouldn’t be outside of what was possible and what was not. 
Not that she would have been able to pick out the woman’s face but the woman could pick out hers. 
And she does. 
Right away. 
“A-Azula.” She gasps. 
Azula swallows.
Spirits, they had all been so focused on this idea that Ursa might be someone wholly different that they hadn’t even stopped to consider that the woman might still be tethered to her memories and all of the distress and regrets that come with them.  
Azula parts her lips but no sound comes out. 
“Azula.” She repeats so, so softly. It is almost a squeak. 
She should have slept in with the rest of them.
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zmeydeva-arch · 9 months
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plots please!! please feel free to pick any from my list but off the top of my head you can spin: kell, freydís, kaghan, or adam!
▐ ⊹ ⁺ a little plotting meme ) ACCEPTING!
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¹· zoya & kell: starring directly at your grishaverse for him rn i feel like there are 2 routes to take here considering i have a mess of canon verses for zoya within her universe. BUT i think having kell as a little palace instructor given his unique skillset could be an INTERESTING concept or better yet and he could be the zuko to zoya's aang and help her get a better grasp on her corporalki abilities post dragon shenanigans. ROUTE 2 would be more of a ketterdam-flavored situation. not sure how kamerov as an alter ego plays into this verse but if he is doing secret maybe evil illegal stuff for maresh family on the down low i think sapphire is a good person to have in his corner/ NOT THAT SHE WOULD BE SO WILLING!! she has to get something out of it but it compels me somehow
CONVERSELY i decide to flip the script and make zoya a black london antari because why not and i can finally get the corruption arc i always dreamed of out of her. this verse literally is vibes alone right now and i haven't thought about it until this very second but i would be willing to develop it more if it is something that interests you
²· zoya & freydís: you are gonna need to hold my hand i am so scared right now. i know literally nothing about god of war but what i gather is we are heavy on the norse mythology here (again, something else i only have surface level knowledge on ) BUT if there is some sort of way for pantheons to mingle here i have been toying with a slavic myth verse for zoya on the down low. she is champion of veles who is sent to hunt the god perun in somewhat of a rehashing of their timeless war against one another. so oops as a dragon she swallows an aspect of the storm god and gains some of his divinity and memory in the process. so this is kinda similar to having uhh memories that are not their own and having to deal with it they can relate 🤍
of course i am always down for a way to work a character into the grishaverse. obviously the concept of past lives and sainthood is a known convention already. i don't want to presume anything about freydís' status in universe but perhaps skaði was a saint of old once. they could possibly follow a similar path to zoya in terms of reawakening grisha magic prior to the establishment of orders/ when it became corrupted and cut off from its source.
we can also figure out a regular fantasy verse here i have so many Thots i am sure we will stumble on SOMETHING
³· zoya & kaghan: my little web-winged faeries my cinnamon apples. i feel like kaghan could possibly make her worse in this universe and i am 100% here for it. we threaded them a bit but i would be down to develop this concept further in terms of him coming to her aid post her father's death. i also remember me saying i thought it would be interesting if they had been childhood friends in this verse ( so very far back considering how old they both are lol ) but falling out of touch once juris decides to form his own court and essentially go rogue. the ethereal court is very much new amongst the long-standing higher courts which means this war with the spring court will either completely destroy is status and credibility or solidify it as a universal power amongst the high fae. it means a potential powerful ally for kaghan and also i know they would have mad banter am i wrong?
i was gonna suggest i make an ac.otar verse for her but do you really want that? be real with me. you would have to theysplain the universe to me and i'm pretty sure you are so divergent it wouldn't even make sense to bother with it. anyway i just want more kaghan trying to instruct her and give her council in a very volatile time. not sure what the broader implications of allying with the night court would be from a diplomatic standpoint so i would like to hear your take on that! is there gossip? is there oo'ing and ah'ing from the audience or is everyone hardcore judging her right now.
⁴· zoya & adam: witchypoos!! witchypoos!! i honestly can't see zoya working very well in a trc verse but when i figure it out i will let you know. although, so far i am enjoying them in an urban fantasy setting. we don't get to see adam interact with other witches after persephone's death so i think him and zoya forming more of a study group around magic seems NEAT. she could get into harvard i believe in her so consider a la ninth house ( you haven't read it i know but here me out ) they have their own little occult secret society where they probably tamper with dark forces they shouldn't.
they have a writing seminar 5pm but also a seance set for 7pm sometimes you just gotta bring your lavender scented candles with you to class! but for real i like the idea of them being hedge witches while they go to this prestigious university. it is formal education by day informal education by night. how very dark academia of them!
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There was sand in his boots.
“You know, I already hate summer,” Genji was saying, “But summer in a desert? ”
There was sand in his boots and a migraine climbing up behind his eyes.
“Shut up. We’re here to help the Prince get his bison,” Teruko snapped.
“The Avatar’s bison,” Dekku corrected gruffly.
“Can’t we get him a pony instead?”
There was sand in his boots and a migraine climbing up behind his eyes and a crew that had a death wish.
Jee turned to them with a warning glare. Even if the Prince was already far ahead of them — too far for even him to overhear, hopefully — he wasn’t taking that risk. He had brought only a select few for this job, and he was already regretting it. For all he trusted his crew, his Prince did not know them, and would not be merciful if they carried on like this.
He wasn’t meant to be out here. There had been no explicit orders either way, so staying in the Oasis that was marginally cooler would have been an option. They had already weeded out the White Lotus members there. They could have taken a break.
Jee was here because he was worried about Prince Zuko.
(He had handed that June woman her money and she hadn’t looked all too pleased about it.
“Your Prince is an idiot,” and before Jee could let his hackles rise, she said, “And he needs backup.”)
He was pragmatic. He knew that worrying about a Royal would get him nowhere, except beheaded if he overstepped a boundary. He had lived his life with his head down, allowing the Dragon Throne to change hands as Agni saw fit. If his leaders were a little unhinged — well, the Empire still stood, didn’t it?
So. Worrying. Above his pay grade. And unlike Maru, he actually did get paid for this.
And yet, here he was, sand in his boots, trying to look at anywhere but Prince Zuko’s back as he led them to where the sandbenders were.
“He’s been quiet,” Teruko murmured, her voice, thankfully, much lower than Genji’s had been.
“He’s always that way,” Genji pointed out, mimicking her volume.
Oh good, so they did have some self-preservation.
“Quieter,” Dekku agreed, “Stranger.”
Jee sighed. It was true. He couldn’t place it, much like he couldn’t place anything about Prince Zuko, but something was wrong. The blankness was still there, eerie as always, but there was anger too. Apathy, and the fringes of something cracking.
(“I’m worried,” June had mentioned, between getting tipsy on his ship, “He needs people.”)
Whatever had been off about him right after the Base had only gotten worse.
( Tell me, what’s it like to work for a madman? That’s what Maru has said. Jee knew the answer. It was like losing his Mother to a Nobleman’s greed. It was watching children die in the Black Hills. It was watching the madness pass on, from father to son. Firelord Azula, Firelord Ozai, and one day, Firelord Zuko —)
“We’re here,” Prince Zuko called, drawing them to a stop.
Jee gazed upwards, his eyes climbing, climbing, climbing. The reports of the beast's size had been greatly underestimated. Up close, it was massive, white fur shedding in the heat, large eyes narrowed in anger. Jee let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, and the beast did the same, knocking sand and fur everywhere.
“Prince Zuko!” the sergeant in charge bowed, “We were negotiating the price —”
“Like I said!” the sandbender cut in, “A hundred thousand gold pieces or no deal.”
A hundred thousand? It wouldn’t make even a dent in the Fire Nation’s treasury, but it was the principle of the thing. They wanted to make a mockery out of Prince Zuko. And for whatever reason — loyalty, or something else — it made Jee’s blood boil. The sandbender didn’t even seem like a powerful negotiator, far too young and green for this kind of trade. He was posturing.
“You drive a hard bargain,” Zuko said softly, “How about another one?”
Jee heard the shlink of metal before he even saw the sword being drawn. The blade rested on the sandbenders neck, glinting in the desert sun. Despite not being at the wrong end of the sword, Jee felt a chill tremble through his body.
“You all get to keep your head,” Prince Zuko said slowly, “And I get the Bison. Deal?”
“D-deal.”
Because really, there was no one who would doubt that the Fire Prince couldn’t take down a camp of sandbenders, even in their terrain, and come out unscathed.
“So, uh,” Genji said nervously, because he could never keep his mouth shut , “Should be easy to transport it, right?”
For one, dreadful second, the Prince turned his gaze on them. He studied Genji apathetically, then turned away.
“It won’t be,” Prince Zuko said. And then, deliberately, “It might not be a pony, but it can fly.”
It was only after Prince Zuko had walked away with the Sergeant further into the camp that Genji collapsed onto his knees.
“Oh my fucking shit,” Genji curled up, “I hadn’t thought he heard the pony thing.”
Dekku grabbed him by the shoulders and held him close, “Idiot. You are such an idiot.”
Teruko and Jee exchanged a look and mentally, Jee began to fill out the paperwork for Genji’s “official death”.
“Should I get a sewing kit for his mouth?” Teruko said, voice as dry as the sands around them.
“Not even that would keep me quiet,” Genji protested, his voice wavering and his eyes suspiciously wet.
“You’re lucky that Prince Zuko is merciful,” Jee said simply.
He shook out his boots, trying to get rid of the sand in them. That migraine was not going away anytime soon and at least one member of his crew had successfully brushed up against death.
This was why he couldn’t take them anywhere
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DESTINY IS A FUNNY THING
Warnings: Blood/Gore. Wounds.
Pairing: Zuko x firebender!fem!Reader
Characters: Zuko, Uncle Iroh, Jet, Avatar Aang (mentioned)
Requested: No.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor the gif. Credit to the owners.
Summary: You’re trying to find some food for the Team, when you encounter a furious Freedom Fighter.
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It was a quiet evening as you strolled through the streets of Ba Sing Se.
You'd joined Team Avatar only a few weeks ago, doing your best to integrate yourself into their group. Which, other than helping the Avatar, also meant cooking, cleaning and finding food. You were tasked with the latter. The gaang hadn't been able to visit the market earlier, due to searching for someone who could produce posters, hoping to get any tips on the whereabouts of Appa. So now, with the money Toph had collected on her hunts, you were searching for something to fill your stomachs. You hadn't eaten all day.
Most shops were already closed by this time The only house that still had the lights on in this part of town, seemed to be a small restaurant. You tried to read the menu that was hung up next to the entrance, but the paper was so crinkled and the letters so washed out that you couldn't quite decipher what it said. You sighed. Some light would be really useful right now. There was only one solution.
You looked around warily, checking the streets five times, before you produced a tiny flame in your palm, reading over every offer as quick as possible. The fire disappeared when you were through. Unsure you counted the money in your pocket, biting your bottom lip. The prices were pretty high. Almost too high. You'd have nearly nothing left if you purchased your food here. You mulled over it for a few minutes, not realizing that someone had stepped up behind you.
"What do we have here?" You jumped, turning around quickly and coming face to face with a broad chest. Looking up, black eyes stared back at you. The boys face was narrow, framed by a mop of brown hair, and a blade of wheat grass hanged out of his mouth. "What do you want from me?" You asked, stepping back, until your back was pressed into the wall behind you. "You're one of them," he said, wielding a hooked sword in both of his hands. "You're one of those fire benders!" He lashed out, the hook grazing your skin as you tried to roll out of their range. "Ugh!" You groaned at the sight of a nasty slash in your shoulder. Yes, you were from the Fire Nation, and yes, you were able to bend fire, but you had never experienced that much training in combat. You knew how to defend yourself properly, yet you didn't succumb to the illusion that you were an exceptionally good fighter. You really just tried not to get your face cut off. And to your despair, this young man seemed to be especially good at what he was doing.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" You said, trying to talk your way out of it. He chuckled. "Nice try. But I saw you use your powers," he answered with a growl, hunting you mercilessly. So you did the only thing you could to survive. Run. You had no weapons, but yourself. And you couldn't use your fire once again. Your heart pumped wildly in your chest as your lungs started to burn. He didn't slow down even when you made it to a more crowded part of town, pushing people out of his way to get to you, and screaming at them to hold you off. You tried to get as many obstacles as possible between you and him. But his legs were longer than yours, making it easy to catch up with you. A small tea shop ahead of you caught your eye, seeming lively inside.
You'd almost reached the door.
Almost made it.
Then you felt the tips of two sharp hooks slash trough your back, ripping the skin. A toe curling scream left your mouth. Dizzy, you stumbled out of reach again as best as you could. All eyes were on you, when you tumbled trough the door of the shop. "I'm sorry," you mumbled, dots clouding your sight. "I didn't know where else to go," Your knees gave out, blood slowly trickling out of your wounds. "They're fire benders!" Was the last thing that distantly reached your ears, together with the picture of an old man, leaning over you with a worried expression on his face. Then you were gone.
The next time you came anywhere near to conciousness again, you felt sick. You were lying on your stomach. Soft blankets and pillows were tucked under your body. And when you tried to move, you registered the texture of bandages on your shoulder and back. "Careful now," a soothing voice scolded softly. "Wouldn't want those wounds to open up again," A groan left your mouth when you finally managed to open your eyes. Once again, the face of an old man greeted you. The same old man. "Who are you?" you mumbled. "And where am I?" The man smiled, his friendly eyes glimmering in the sunlight. "My name is Mushi," he placed a small cup of tea next to you. "You're in our home. We brought you here after you collapsed in the tea shop, remember?" You nodded. Right. You remembered bits and pieces briefly, but you couldn't piece them all together. And then he came to mind. "Wha- what's with that guy, who-" "Don't worry about it," Mushi interrupted. "My nephew, Lee, took care of him. He's behind bars for now," You hummed, settling down a bit. It didn't take long before the others popped up in your mind.
You wondered if they were worried. If they cared. But you had to get back to them either way. "I have to get back to my..." you searched for the right word. "Family. I bet they're worried because I didn't come back last night," Mushi nodded, running a hand through his beard. "I understand," he stood up from your bedside, preparing another teapot as you sipped on your cup. It had just the right temperature and the rich jasmine flavor invaded your mouth. You smiled. "My favorite...," It was true. It really was your favorite. It reminded you of your home. Of quiet mornings spend with your grown ups, laughing at each others jokes. But those days were over. The war had claimed it all.
Mushi's light chuckle disturbed your thoughts. "It's my nephew's favorite as well," You hummed, staring down at the cup. “You know, you never told me your name,” He said, looking at you over his shoulder. “It’s (Y/N),” you stated, taking another sip and moving to sit up. “Thank you for taking care of me, Mushi. But i need to leave no- aargh!” You groaned loudly falling back onto your stomach. “Careful!” The door to your right opened. “What’s going on here?” A young man entered the room. He wore the simple clothes of a commoner, an apron loosely hanging from his arm. This must be Lee, you thought trying to stay still as the pain subsided. When you looked up at him, the first thing you were greeted by was the large burn around his eye, like flames woven into his skin. You flinched under his gaze. You couldn’t help but wonder if the scar had been from an encounter with a fire bender. Your Nation truly left it’s marks everywhere. “She’s still to weak to get up,” Mushi answered him, walking over to you. “I’m afraid you’ll have to stay here a little longer,” You sighed. This was a disaster.
You had to admit, this was definetely not how you had imagined your life to go, after joining the Avatar. You weren’t even around him for the next two weeks. The slash on your shoulder healed just fine and it didn’t bother you as much. Though your back was an entirely different story. You had to heavily rely on Mushi and Lee when it came to the wound. Bandaging or applying lotion to it was impossible without having someone to help. In the beginning Mushi was the one who primarily cared for you. Lee, on the other hand, didn’t bother to come near you. And why would he? You were just some strange girl that tumbled into a tea shop, covered in blood. The few times he did come in to get himself some tea, were spend in uncomfortable silence. At least on your behalf. Maybe he didn’t even care. Days went by without him even glancing at you, but one time he did. He directly stared at you to be more specific. “So, was he right?” he said, leaning against the counter behind him. “What?” you blurted out, confused that he bothered to speak with you. “The boy. Was he right? Are you a fire bender?” You swallowed heavily, lowering your gaze to his chest. “Don’t be ridiculous,” the lie didn’t leave your lips as smoothly as you hoped it would. “Of course not,” He narrowed his eyes. They're fire benders!, you faintly remembered the boy’s scream before you passed out. “What about you?” you retorted in the same demeanor. “Are you a fire bender?” Lee scoffed, reaching for two cups and filling them to the brim. “Of course not,” he imitated you, before handing you one of them. “Thank you,” you grinned, getting less tense around him. It earned you a short nod. That was the first time you two shared a real interaction.
The second time was more out of nessisity. Mushi was out at work for days, often taking no breaks, too caught up in his newest business. The Jasmine Dragon. Which left you at Lee’s mercy in the bandaging department. Luckily you were fit enough to sit up by now, crossing your legs, almost pain-free. Where silence was first unpleasant, it now had become a peaceful ritual for the both of you. Lee applied the lotion to your back, before you both worked to secure the bandage. You weren’t sure if he would talk to you, but you had a question burning in the back of your throat. “Lee?” He was clearly concentrated on the bandage, but you got some kind of acknowledgement. “Hm?” You nibbled on your bottom lip, unsure of how to phrase the words. “Have you ever felt... alone?” You’d joined Team Avatar, and yet you never felt more alone than before. “Like... not lonely but just-” “Yes,” he interfered and a few moments of silence passed. “I have. Sometimes i still do,” You played with your fingers in your lap, feeling him making a knot into the material to keep it together. “You know, i thought things would change,” you confessed. “I thought i’d found the right place. The right people. But now i realize that maybe i was wrong. Maybe it was all just a big mistake and i made the wrong choice once again,” you trailed off. “Does that make sense?” The question must’ve been written all over your face when you turned around. To your surprise he didn’t show the indifferent expression he wore around you all day. Now there was something more. Something softer. Sweeter. “It does, believe me. I know that feeling better than anyone,” His amber eyes seemed far away, lost somewhere between memories and dreams. Despite the nasty scar on his face, he was striking in his own way. Maybe particularily because of this scar. It showed his true spirit. Perhaps he was more of a fighter than he led on.
Over the following days, your healing made a promising progress. And so did your relationship with Lee. You’d never thought you’d feel affection for the boy, but here you were, sitting next to each other and sharing a platter of food. He hid an amazing sense of humor behind his shell and a gentle heart was buried under his armour. Another thing that had caught your attention was that Mushi seemed to leave for urgend business at the strangest of times, continuously leaving you by yourselves. But you choose not to think to much about it.
“You’ll get a stomach ache if you continue stuffing your mouth like that,” Right. What was it you found attractive about him again? “Shut up,” you laughed, pointing to his side of the plate. He had gobbled that dish up just as much as you did. ‘Guilty’ was written all over his forehead.
You focused your attention on the food, but looked back up when he was staring at you. You were surprised that he didn’t have a comeback. That was rare.
“Is everything okay? I’m sorry if that was-”
“Can i kiss you?” your eyes widened. “What?” your mouth was, once again, faster than your brain. Unfazed, Lee leaned in, waiting for you to do the same. Your lips met in the middle. Gently. Only brushing each other slightly, like a summer-breeze. He tasted bittersweet.
A few seconds passed until he placed his hands on your cheeks, carefully guiding the movements. He felt warm and safe. Like the pleasure of a close flame in the bitter cold. After a while, you reluctantly pulled apart, needing a few seconds to open your eyes. And when you did, you were filled with joy. Joy and regret. Your smile died on your lips as you remembered who you really where. “What’s wrong?” he said, pulling you into his side.
“I have to tell you something,” you started, furrowing your brows. You had to. Even at the risk that he would hate you afterwards. In time he had confided in you with some of his past, making you aware about his mark. He’d gotten it from a fire bender, just like you’d suspected. And it made you feel like a horrible person. So you took a deep breath. “I lied to you, Lee. I am a fire bender. I fled the Fire Nation because i wanted to start a new life,” You searched his face for a reaction, but it was empty. Just like it had been in the beginning. You held your breath when he finally opened his mouth to say something.
“I guess... i should tell you that i’m-” His Uncle burst into the room. “I have amazing news, everyone!” he exclaimed, a big smile gracing his face. “ We’ve been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!” Lee and you pulled apart, the atmosphere tense, but you both put on a grin for Mushi. “That’s amazing news, Uncle,”
And it was. You accompanied them the next day, knowing it would probably be the last you’d spend together. Your wounds were healed enough to walk again and didn’t affect your movements anymore. Which meant you would leave to go back to your family. Or... more like your companions. But honestly, you didn’t even know if you could call them that. You hadn’t been part of their group for long before you disappeared and you hadn’t heard from each other since.
Not to mention that, deep in your heart you knew, you didn’t really want to leave. The burden hung heavy over your head, but you choose to make this last day worth it. And if it was just to see a smile on Mushi’s face. “Many times i imagined myself here. At the threshold of the palace,” the man stated, as you climbed out of your carriage. “We are the Earth King’s personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing,” he rambled on, but you and Lee gladly listened. “It sure is, Uncle,” The atmosphere between the two of you remained awkward after you’d revealed your secret, but he didn’t seem to be averse. He still talked to you. The problem was that he wanted to talk about anything but your confession. Any time you came close to bringing it up, he bailed. And you wanted to know why.
It took a while until you reached the room where the Earth King would welcome you. Or rather, welcome them. You choose to stay outside. “Don’t be ridiculous, (Y/N),” Mushi had said. “Of course you’re coming with us,” But you had declined with a shake of your head. “It’s your tea shop. You and Lee did all the work. You deserve to share this moment together,” He seemed to want to argue against your choice, but eventually he accepted it. “Very well,” You watched as he disappeared into the room, behind his nephew.
The guards led you through the empty halls, supposed to bring you to a waiting room. But you’d never reach it. You grunted, as you got hid on the back of your head, the impact sending you to the ground, as your vision blurred... and faded.
thanks for reading! find part 2 here!
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dl4draws · 3 years
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okay so here is my little bullet point story for the httyd au lol, hope you guys like it
love amongst the dragons
this is a zuko centered au but the story actually begins with how sokka got foof
sokka and hiccup are one no one can change my mind
the swt hunts dragons because dragons hunt them, same thing as httyd
so basically the httyd storyline isn’t zuko’s story but sokka’s
he shoots foof (sprinkle of saber tooth moose lion mixed with night fury, mostly changing the size and teeth – foof would look almost exactly the same as toothless but is taller, has bigger legs, is bigger in general and well the saber tooth of course – also night furies aren’t extinct!)), not because he cant actually participate in the hunting, he’s perfectly allowed, but he creates these machines and people are like just use a spear like the rest of us lol
he shoots the saber tooth night fury down and no one believes him so he’s like “okay fuck it im gonna go find it”
he does indeed find him, foof is too cute, sokka instantly loses the battle, he doesn’t wanna fight dragons anyway
he keeps foof a secret until katara one day sees sokka sneaking away while she’s practicing water bending (the war doesn’t exist, there’s just problems in the fire nation – so the SWT is full of people)
katara is like sokka what the fuck are you doing
sokka cant lie to katara, he can charm anyone else but not katara,, sisters are charm proof
anyways events of httyd proceed to happen
sokka learns how to fly, learns stuff in general about dragons
katara is kinda like the astrid but she’s like confused at the beginning bc sokka’s getting too good at handling dragons and she’s sus
they both get good with dragons after that
until they find another dragon when they were flying around
a Very Large tm dragon
basically a water dragon, inspired by the unagi but from the south pole, it can leave the water but it prefers to live in the deep ocean
katara loves her, she starts “practicing” water bending at a special spot so one can find her, only sokka and her know where it is since they found it while flying
blah blah blah the swt proceeds to have a happy ending and everyone gets a dragon
the swt starts a life with dragons this time and they believe they are the only ones doing this (aside from the air nomads) (there is no war so aang is born 100 years later)
BACK TO ZUZU
Crown prince zuko and soon to be chief of the swt sokka are penpals, they’ve met eachother once or twice, sokka never tells him about the dragons
The fire nation has few dragons left
The fn is the birthplace of all dragons, but they have very little dragons now, they hunt them for fun
It is a ritual for the crown prince to kill a dragon and bring to the palace its heart
ozai is aware that there’s only one dragon left in their territory and the last dragon nest is weeks away
he sends zuko anyway and zuko goes, but he really doesn’t want to kill a dragon
he finds one, he goes through all that same stuff sokka (hiccup) went through with “he looked just as scared as I was” so he lets the dragon free, the dragon isn’t hurt so he can fly away but he doesn’t
he knows zuko won’t do anything to harm him so he stays with him
zuko doesn’t know wtf to do so he does what he knows always sets him in the right direction
he writes sokka a letter and tells him exactly what happens, about the dragon (his name is druk obviously) and how he doesn’t have any idea about what to do, he hopes sokka can reply as soon as possible and if he has time he can come to the fn and help him, he’s an engineer right? He can help him build stuff for druk, right??
He sends the hawk with the letter, knowing it’ll reach sokka in about week, since he’s farther south right now, so he expects sokka’s answer in two weeks
He most definitely is not expecting sokka to get there a week later riding a dragon the color of the night sky, you’d think the dragon was black if it wasn’t standing under the sunlight
Zuko hasn’t seen sokka in a few years, so he’s not exactly the same as he was back when they were still 19 (they’re 21 and 22 now)
Sokka isn’t expecting to see zuko with a supposedly extinct dragon when he gets there tho
He’s fascinated by druk (also zuko looks very pretty)
Sokka teaches zuko everything he knows about dragons, how to fly them, how to treat them, everything (they’re like little dates but they don’t mention that, they’re buddies tm)
Zuko comes back to the fn and he finds out that ozai is planning to wipe out the last nest, so zuko tries to stop him
And ozai lashes out so druk appears to protect him, and ozai is like oh bitch you’ve done it now and his little army is about to attack both zuko and druk when sokka and foof (both were hiding there in the palace) do a sneak attack and get them both out
Azula sees all of this from the shadows (this is important)
Zuko and sokka grab some stuff and leave the fn
They fly to the swt, zuko’s nervous about ozai’s plan but sokka knows that once they get home and set up a plan he’ll be okay
Once zuko lays eyes on the swt he goes holy fucking agni and sokka laughs so hard he almost falls off foof
The swt is built to house dragons and such, it really is a sight to see
They make a plan and basically go all out, the swt and the air nomads are good buddies, so aang is there with his cloud jumper (appa!!!!! Flying bisons exist but they’re like very important to the air nomads and people don’t ride them, they just vibe)
Aang is the avatar, so he has a deep connection with alpha dragons (the bewilderbeast)
They all make a plan, and they start flying to the fn, katara takes her big ass unagi like dragon, but she goes underwater with aang following her from the skies (they’re trying to find an alpha to ask for help)
They get to the nest before the troops, and stand their ground
It seems like they’re about to lose when katara appears with her dragon, the cloud jumper and aang in the avatar state on top of an alpha
The battle ends quickly after that and zuko and sokka are like !!! we did it and they share a sweet little kiss bc I say so (currently listening to coming back around and it’s making me emotional)
Azula appears after all this in sokka’s room (he’s staying at the fn palace for a bit to help the fn get adjusted to the new dragon rules) sokka hasn’t gotten the chance to talk to azula much, but he knows she isn’t opposed to dragons (or that is what it looks like)
His answer comes in the form of azula actually asking him for help, because she’s been hiding two dragon eggs for about two years
Sokka’s like!!!!!!!!!! Yes I can help!!!
She takes him to the eggs and he realizes that he hasn’t seen those types of eggs before but the coloring of the egg indicates that they are fire nation born dragons (they’re bright orange at the top and dark red at the bottom)
He asks if she found them near a volcano and azula’s like, hm yes but are you aware this palace is IN a volcano, and sokka’s like oh yeah right, and he tells her those are most likely dragons that live inside volcanoes and they like extremely hot temperatures so she should keep them near lava or with constant heat
Azula takes note of everything, and she starts going to sokka if she needs advice with her dragon eggs
Azula: how long until they hatch? Sokka: you gotta wait, depending on the dragon they can take from 2 to 5 years to hatch Azula: hm okay
Time passes, zukka dancing and singing to the dancing and the dreaming is all I need in life (will draw tomorrow)
Anyways yes sokka and zuko start living their best life riding their dragons under the moonlight and early in the mornings watching the sunset from between the clouds the end <3
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hesther-mcg · 3 years
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fire lady
request: Could I maybe request a one shot where reader is Fire Lady🔥 (married to my boy Zuko hehehe) and how all of the gaang’s children love to be around her? Like, she’s their auntie and all that because I refuse to think that the children didn’t grew up seeing each other as family and loving all of their crazy aunts and uncles
pairing: zuko x female!reader 
warnings: none, just some wholesome fluff 
a/n: this is... so long. i have no self control lmao but i hope you like this! i hope it was what you were thinking of when you requested, but if it wasn’t just send in another fire lady reader request bc i would love to continue this! 
 fire lady, prequel  fire lady, part one  fire lady, part two
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“Are you excited to see everyone?” You asked your daughter softly as you brushed her hair. She stood in front of you in the vanity chair, watching you in the mirror. Her grin matched your own, but her eyes were all Zuko. 
“Yes!” Izumi cheered, little arms raising in the air. “When they get here, will you sit by the Turtle Duck pond with us?” She asked sweetly. 
“Of course, my love,” you hummed, hands gathering the top part of her black hair in a topknot. “Should we go ahead and place an order for some fruit tarts? Bumi and Kya go nuts for them every time they’re here,” you chuckled. 
She giggled at that, and hummed to herself as you finished securing the crown in her hair. “Alright, Princess, I think you’re good to go,” you stated, patting her on the bottom once while giving her room to jump down. 
“Woohoo!” She yelled and hit the ground running, out of the room and racing down the corridor. You followed her, much slower, and asked a passing servant to send a large order of the Fire Nation desserts down to the kitchens. You were excited to see your friends, it had been awhile since you’d all found time to see one another, and you especially missed your nieces and nephews. You never knew your heart could be so scattered across a group of children, but here you were. 
Upon entering the courtyard, you were greeted with the sweet sight of your husband reaching up to help little Kya down from Appa’s saddle while your daughter had her arms locked around Bumi in a tight embrace.  
Aang and Katara slid off together and you made your way to them. “Long time, no see,” you greeted, and engulfed Katara in such a way that you’d been told not to do in the past. Your personality clashed with the Royal council, but the people of your nation loved you. 
“Hey, (y/n).” Katara whispered in your ear as she rocked you slightly. 
“Sweetie, let the rest of us see her,” Aang joked lightly, and you backed away only to be pulled into another hug, the airbender wrapping his arms around your shoulders. 
“Hey, Aangy, how’ve you been?” 
Bumi laughed from beside you and you when you looked at him he darted towards you. He collided with your midsection, arms wrapping around your waist. “Awe, Bumi, I missed you so much!” You ruffled his already wild hair. 
“Aunt (y/n), can you take us for a ride on Uncle Zuko’s dragon?” He asked, looking up at you with wide eyes, full of adventure. 
“Perhaps another day,” Zuko answered, coming up to join your little group with Izumi in one arm and Kya in the other. 
“Hi, sweetheart,” you whispered to the Water Tribe girl, and she giggled as you placed a kiss on her cheek. 
“(y/n), come meet my kid!” Toph shouted from a few feet away, and your heart skipped a beat. There was a pep in your step as you made your way over to her and Sokka, who held little Tenzin in one arm. And in the earthbenders arms was a little girl with green eyes and dark hair, and your heart was spread a little further. She already had a piece and she hadn’t even acknowledged you yet. 
“Oh my goodness, and who is this?” You asked, reaching forward to wrap your arm around Toph’s shoulder, and she moved her daughter around in order to return the gesture. 
“This is Lin,” you old friend answered and thrust the young girl towards you. Lin’s eyes widened and she stared at you in wonder as she sat in your arms.
“Hello, Lin, my name is (y/n),” you smiled at her and she eventually returned it. You could see Toph written all over this girl, and it warmed your heart tremendously. “Have you ever seen a Turtle Duck?” You asked animatedly, and reached your other arm out to take Tenzin, and make your way towards everyone else. 
“Well, do I have a treat for you,” you continued when Lin didn’t answer. 
“Is it fruit tarts?!” Kya shouted, jumping in place. 
Izumi joined in as she answered with her own shout. “Yes! They’re in the garden waiting for us in the garden!” 
Bumi gasped and looked to his mother and father before returning his gaze to you. “Can we go, Aunt (y/n)? Please?” 
“Yeah, please,” Tenzin echoed sweetly and you rubbed your cheek against the top of his little bald head. 
“You took the plans right out of my head, Bumi! How do you always do that?” You shook your head and didn’t miss the proud look that overcame the young boy’s face. 
“Alright, misfits,” you addressed loudly. “To the gardens, for fruit tarts and Turtle Ducks!” And began your march through the palace, three children trotting behind you, and the semi-domesticated Fire Ferret you insisted on letting wander the palace freely, followed not too far behind.
“What’s that?” Lin spoke for the first time since meeting you, the words jumbling together. You glanced at her, and noticed her pointing over your shoulder. When your eyes landed on the small red animal, you grinned. 
“That’s my friend, he lives here with us; though Izumi and I seem to be the only people who like him.” You chuckled, and continued your trek to the outside gardens, it wasn’t too much farther. 
“Hey! Daddy doesn’t mind him,” Izumi called, pausing to let the Fire Ferret jump onto her shoulders. She’d heard her father repeat those words a hundred times, whenever the creature would find his way inside and he was forced to stop anyone that attempted to shoo him away. 
“That’s right,” you agreed, breaking through the threshold where the corridor opened to the outside, the sound of the fountain filling the space and the smell of flowers floating through the air. Just as you stepped out, a servant was placing multiple trays of fruit tarts on the table that was set up for this specific reason. 
“We made it just in time!” Izumi shouted and grabbed Kya by the wrist and pulled her forward. 
“Thank you,” you bowed your head slightly to the woman who brought you the treats, and she smiled at you. She lowered her body in respect before hastily retreating from the garden, and your heart sunk just a bit at her speedy exit. 
“Why’d that lady leave so fast?” Bumi asked as he reached for a fruit tart.
“A lot of the people who work in the palace are still a little scared that Uncle Zuko and I will be like the Royals before us,” you answered honestly and you sat on the bench, Lin and Tenzin situating themselves on your lap. “But we try to let them know by showing them that those times are over, because why?” 
“Actions speak louder than words!” Your daughter answered with a mouthful, and you chuckled at her. That was a lesson that you worked hard to instill in her. 
“That’s right, Princess,” you nodded as the little monk in your lap handed you one of the desserts. Your heart felt full, sitting in the most magical place you knew of, surrounded by all the children you were so blessed to know and love. You were even more blessed that they loved you; every time ‘Aunt (y/n)’ left one of their mouths it felt like music to your ears. They reminded you so greatly of yourself and the Gaang, and you would do anything for them. 
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koala-otter · 3 years
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this is a snippet from my zukka fashion au :)
When he hears the soft patter on the hardwood, Sokka looks up. Izumi stands in the doorway between the living room and the hallway in her footie pajamas, a stuffed rabaroo, worn from four years of cuddling and washing, dangling from her hand. Sokka’s face breaks into a smile.
“What are you doing up?”
Izumi tilts her head at him. “I want another story.”
“Would your dad tell you another story?”
Izumi laughs delightedly, baring all of her little baby teeth, and Sokka grins back at her. Under Zuko’s careful routine, she would have been asleep at least two hours ago.
“All right,” he says. He pats the sofa cushion next to him with his free hand. “Let me finish this first.”
Izumi bounds over to the sofa, pulling herself up by her round, little hands, still clutching her rabaroo, and lands next to Sokka. She curls into his side, like it’s the easiest, most natural thing in the world, and his heart swells.
“What are you doing, Sokka?” she asks.
A few strands of her long, black hair—so much like Zuko’s, Sokka thinks—fall in front of her eyes, and Sokka gently places his needle halfway into the silk to help her tuck it behind her ear. She smiles up at him and cuddles in even closer, the rabaroo’s head landing right beneath her chin.
“I’m embroidering my sister’s wedding dress,” Sokka says, pulling the needle through and then back up through the other side. “You remember Katara, don’t you?”
Izumi nods, now staring at his fingers guiding the needle through another stitch. “What’s embo—embra—embroidering mean?”
“Here,” Sokka says, stilling his hands and bringing the yard of silk closer to Izumi, “you see these little flowers? They’re all made up of little stitches like this one.” He demonstrates quickly. “It’s like drawing, but with sewing.”
Izumi’s eyes widen, and she looks up at Sokka. “Like the dragon?”
“What dragon?” Sokka asks.
“On Dad’s haori,” Izumi replies matter-of-factly, and Sokka doesn’t understand how someone so little can make him feel so overwhelmed. 
“You saw that?”
“Yeah,” Izumi says with a gesture resembling an eyeroll, “Dad showed it to me so many times.”
Sokka frees his arm to curl it around her. “Yeah,” he says after swallowing the lump in his throat, “the dragon on your dad’s haori was embroidered. It took me way too many hours to get it done, by the way.”
“How many?” Izumi asks. 
“Guess,” Sokka says, grinning down at her.
“Ten jillion hours,” Izumi blurts out, and Sokka laughs loudly in response.
“Hmm,” he says once he’s sobered. His expression turns contemplative. “I don’t think it was ten jillion. Maybe…” He pauses and looks down at her again, nodding once. “Just about a jillion.”
Izumi’s mouth drops open into a perfect little o. “Woah,” she breathes.
The actual number is one-hundred-and-fifteen, but Izumi doesn’t need to know that. 
She lifts one of her hands to touch the silk. “Can I do it?” she asks.
“Embroider?” Sokka asks, and Izumi nods. He looks down at her little hands. “You’re four, right? I don’t know—do you have fine motor skills yet?”
“I can try,” Izumi insists, and she rises to her knees to get closer to Sokka’s eyes, her rabaroo cast aside as she grips his forearm. “Please, Sokka?”
He watches her eyes go round and her lip jut out in the beginnings of a pout, and any protestations he might have had—though they were already limited—melt away.
“All right,” he says. He leans over and pulls a silk scrap from his backpack along with a spool of thread and a need. He puts aside Katara’s sleeve and pulls Izumi into his lap. “Do you know how to thread a needle?” 
Izumi shakes her head, and Sokka can smell her baby shampoo. She begins grabbing for the needle, but Sokka pulls it away.
“Just a second,” he says.
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the-firebender-girl · 4 years
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The Songbird (Zuko x Reader)
-> Takes place during “The Promise” comic timeline, about a year or two after his coronation and Zuko is 18 years old here.
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Fire Lord Zuko is trying his absolute best to make good on all his promises. To his nation... his hopes and dreams of restoring it to what it was before Fire Lord Sozin’s reign. To the rest of the world... in helping them heal the wounds that his ancestors have inflicted on soo many innocents.
No, he doesn’t want any of them to forget or for history to be rewritten. He proudly shouldered the burden from all those heinous crimes against humanity, to serve as a reminder, especially for himself. Of what happened if kings or leaders become arrogant and greedy, if power is unchecked. The kind of leader that to Agni he prayed, he would never turn into.
And everyday he paid the price, even though it’s not even his to begin with, but still it passed down from generation to generation. Like a snowball, growing bigger with each tumble down. It’s taking its toll on him to the point that it’s not even possible to hide how worn out he is. The dark circles under his eyes more prominent than ever, sunken cheeks, hollowed eyes. But Zuko would never yield, not until he knows he has righted all the wrongs. But with each day, Uncle Iroh realized he has to step in or else this load that torment him would ended up killing his nephew. Literally.
And he has just the solution in mind.
———————————————————————
“I think we should establish an official court entertainers for this palace.” Uncle Iroh said in between sips of another one of his exotic tea.
Zuko merely looked up briefly from the correspondence that he has in hands, “There are more pressing issues than extravaganza, Uncle.”
“Indeed, indeed. But entertainers would bring life to this dreadful palace, Fire Lord Zuko! Agni knows the staffs and ambassadors need it. With all that’s been going on with the rebellion within this capital, we all deserve some distraction.” Uncle Iroh continued. “There is an unrest brewing in this palace, people are scared for their safety. We need to contain it and what’s more delightful than musics or dances to bring people together?”
Zuko only hummed and shifted his attention back towards the letter. His frown returned as he let out a loud sigh and slumped in his chair.
“Any news that I should be aware of?” Uncle Iroh asked. If Zuko doesn’t want to consider his idea then maybe he should try another approach and let him vent first.
“It’s about the Harmony Restoration Movement... I launched it with the aim of transferring the Fire Nation colonials back here to their true home. But new disputes arose and now we risked war with the Earth Kingdom if we don’t handle this delicately.” Zuko answered. “How am I supposed to deal with both this and the civil war that we already have in hand within the nation, uncle?”
“As I said before, Zuko. Sometimes we need to step back and renew one's assessment. To see the big picture instead of braving the storm without any solid plan in mind. That would be both foolish and futile.” Iroh replied, letting his words sinks into his nephew’s mind.
Zuko squared his shoulders and sit straighter, putting down the letter that he has been holding for hours and look at his uncle. “About that court entertainers idea, is there any candidate that you have in mind?”
Uncle Iroh mentally pat himself in the back and let himself smile now that he got Zuko where he wanted him to be. “There is this band of traveling musicians from North Chung-Ling that I constantly heard about. They said that the mysterious lead singer’s voice is so lovely that it can put whoever’s listening into a trance. I only know that they nicknamed her as ‘The Songbird’ but other than that nothing else, and I for one would like to find out.”
Zuko nod his head a few times, “Then I should find someone who can reach out to them and invite them here.”
———————————————————————
A month after the invitation has been sent out and the palace received the confirmation that this famed band accepted the offer, preparations are made. Not only to welcome and host them for the time being but also for the ball where they will perform before the ambassadors from other nations and all the palace staffs. Turns out Zuko haven’t had the slightest inkling as to how popular they actually are before he made the announcement and suddenly the whole palace is in a frenzy. Everybody wants to go and watch the performance.
And the night that they’ve all waited for is now upon them. Sadly Zuko cannot welcome them himself because he was held up in the meeting so it was only Uncle Iroh who greeted and escorted them. He has heard from the tittle-tattle exchanged between the staffs though that the band consisted of 9 person and they’re all women.
It’s been a while since Zuko got to relax and enjoy the luxury that came with his position. And not many know that their Fire Lord is actually a huge art nerd especially for theater, but music performances has a special place in his heart too. He could only hope that this band lives up to their reputation.
———————————————————————
Zuko sit at his ornate covered throne (minus the wall of fire that usually accompanied every reigning Fire Lord) and he’s embarrassed to admit that he may or may not be shaking from anticipation. Tapping his right foot on the floor to ease some of the tension. Even Uncle Iroh noticed his behavior and looked at him questionably to which Zuko only waved his hand in dismisal.
The Throne Room is crowded with people dressed to the nines in elaborate robes and gowns. But the center of the room remains empty for the musicians before they take their place there any minute now.
Some minutes later the door opened and nine women stepped in. Their colorful dresses so different from what he’s used to seeing amongst his people in their go-to black and red. Their hairstyle elaborate and completed with large hairpiece accessorized with beads, pins, tassels, or fresh flowers.
“Qitou” Zuko thought to himself. That’s why he recognized the style of hair from the time that he spent as a waiter in Jasmine Dragon. The women in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se sported that kind of hairstyle.
He spied them carrying various musical instruments ranging from pipa, guzheng, dizi, and others. Holding it close to their chest as if it’s a baby.
When they reached the center, they wordlessly take their designated position forming a half circle but left an empty space right in the middle of their formation.
Before Zuko could watch any further, the door swung open again and the last of the member entered. It’s her.... The Songbird.
She walks as if she’s floating, the fact that her feet are covered by her trailing dress produced an even more dramatic effect. But it works in her favor, Zuko realized, as all eyes in the room immediately goes to her.
There is something magnetic about her, he could feel it as he drink her in, a tug in his chest. She graced him with a small smile and a bow before she took her position and motioned to the rest of her companions that she’s ready.
Melodies filled the room as the musicians played their instruments expertly, hands moving with little to no effort as if it’s all already imprinted to their muscle memory.
Zuko never thought that it’s possible for her to dazzle him even more than she already did, but that was before she opened her mouth and starts singing that heavenly tune. After that, Zuko knew that he’s a goner.
He clings to the lull of her voice, letting it fill him, resounded in him. He never felt this serene ever since he found out that his mother had left. But The Songbird managed to accomplish the impossible and made him feel alive. Truly live instead of just existing.
It seems like he’s not the only one who she won over. Uncle Iroh’s gapping like a fish, some of the palace staffs eyes are either glazed or filled with tears, and the ambassadors for once are not in each other’s throats.
If he wasn’t convinced earlier on making them this palace’s official entertainers, he sure is now.
———————————————————————
On the next day after the ball he immediately approached one of the members when he saw her in the hall to inform her of his offer so that she can tell it to the others and discuss their decision.
He doesn’t need to wait long for in that same night he just got himself an official court entertainers.
Starting from there he invited them to play at dinners and afternoon tea times. Any excuse that he can get really to see her. Y/N... that’s her name, the girl who has been living in his head rent free ever since she walked into his life.
Sometimes it’s only her that he called for to sing for him as she strums her pipa. Her voice accompanying him while he sorts through correspondence, writing back a reply, or draft up a plan.
Zuko and Y/N grew closer and became friends, they share about their day to each other. All that they’ve been up to before they finally got the time to enjoy each other’s presence.
Spending soo much time with him daily makes Y/N aware of certain things. The most pushing matter is the fact that the Fire Lord is close to burning himself out yet there’s no sign of him stopping anytime soon.
“You know you should get more rest, you look awful.” Y/N said to him that night instead of jumping to another song as she just finished the last one.
“Ouch you’re hurting my feelings, Y/N. Do I really look that bad?” Zuko replied but his manners is all teasing.
“I don’t mean that you look ugly, I don’t think you’re even capable of it. It’s just that you look like you’re about to drop dead anytime, Zuko. It’s killing me to see you this exhausted but I couldn’t do anything to help it.” She murmured, looking at him tenderly, the man she has grown to care for much more than she ought to.
Something in her words served like a lock that turned open the vault of Zuko’s hidden emotions, to the ugly burden that he insisted on bearing alone. He let his guard down and made himself vulnerable in front of her, all his raw emotions on display.
“I have trouble sleeping, because of nightmares mostly, but some nights sleep just doesn’t found me at all.” Zuko confessed, the words pouring out before he could think it through.
The encouragement in her eyes made Zuko go on and he told her all about the things that troubles him so. The rebels inside the capital planning to usurp him, the conflict with the colonies, the impending possible war with the Earth Kingdom, even his own insecurities about his credibilities to rule. He bared it all to her and once he finished, he saw no judgement or pity in her eyes, only understanding.
“I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to be you... but you have been so strong, Zuko. And i’m proud of you, I bet so is your uncle, the Avatar, and the rest of your friends. Please stop doubting yourself too much, you’re capable of achieving soo many incredible and revolutionary things. And I want you to know that I believe in you.” Y/N said as she slowly took his hands in hers, running her fingers across his knuckles.
And Zuko felt himself beaming, because for once he truly believes that he is indeed capable and in the end he’ll figure it all out. All thanks to her, his Songbird, if she even wants to be his.
———————————————————————
Zuko and Y/N talked late into the night and she ended up falling asleep right where she sat in a divan across from his bed.
When she woke up sometime later, she saw that it is already 1 in the morning. And she felt like she’s overstaying her welcome by being in his chambers, it wouldn’t be appropriate at all if a servant were to discovers them.
So she stretched her body, hearing some cracks from the stiffness, but then she heard a whimper. It’s coming straight from Zuko’s bed where he’s trashing around and getting himself all tangled up in his silk blanket. At this rate she’s afraid he might accidentally choke himself to death.
Y/N lowers her feet to the rug covered floor and slowly padded her way to his bedside. She went down on her knees and reached out a hand to rub his hair back, hoping that he could feel her touch and that it would call him down from his nightmare.
“Shhh....shhhh” She cooed to him, her heart broke in her chest when she saw how pained he look. “It’s alright, Zuko. I’m here and it’s just a dream.”
Zuko flung himself up, his eyes wide open. Chest heaving frantically and she can see the sweats trailing down the side of his head.
It took him some time before he calmed down and became aware of her. “I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”
Y/N shaked her head, “Don’t worry about that, is it always this bad? the nightmares?” She asked him, her heart fluttering over the fact that he’s aware of her hands holding his yet he doesn’t pull away.
“Yeah... sometimes even worse, this is actually a mild episode compared to the others. Some night I actually woke up screaming.” He said as he lowered his head, avoiding her eyes.
But she softly grasped his chin and tilted his face back up, “Hey now don’t shy away from me, we’re way past that don’t you think?”
“Do you want me to sing you a song? I’ve been working on it for some time, it’s for you actually.” Y/N said.
Zuko stammered over his words, “Y—you wrote me a song?”
“Uh huh, scoot over if it’s a yes.” To which Zuko gladly did and gave her a generous amount of space.
“Sorry if it’s a weird request but can you hold me?” Zuko asked timidly.
Y/N answered with a nod and smile at him as she tugged him close, letting him rest his head on her stomach and draped her hands on his sides. Once she deemed that he’s comfortable enough with the position, she took a huge breath and starts to sing.
Sweetheart, you look a little tired when did you last eat?
Come in and make yourself right at home, stay as long as you need
Zuko’s eyes found hers as he listened to the words that she wrote with him in mind. A weary smile bloomed on his handsome face at the realization that all this time she was paying attention to how he has been doing.
Tell me, is something wrong? if something's wrong, you can count on me
You know I'll take my heart clean apart if it helps yours beat
He gulped, hard. This girl with a golden voice, wrote all this... for him? Agni, this is too much for him to even process. He could barely calm his heart, it’s pounding so hard he wouldn’t be surprised if it actually burst.
Like a force to be reckoned with
A mighty ocean or a gentle kiss
I will love you with every single thing I have
Y/N forced herself to hold his searing gaze, every part of her body feels warm and alive at the way that he’s looking at her. Like he’s truly at awe and he doesn’t deserve any of this. But she continued, pouring her feelings into every single word so that he would understand, could see how wonderful he is in her eyes.
Like a tidal wave, I'll make a mess
Or calm waters, if that serves you best
I will love you without any strings attached
There is a hidden but lingering promise in this song, one that Zuko founds himself debating whether or not he dare tread to. Because he knows that if he took that one step in, he could never go back.
No, I don't want to talk about myself
Tell me where it hurts
I just want to build you up, build you up
'Til you're good as new
And maybe one day I will get around to fixing myself too
Zuko reached out a hand and rub her cheek, marveling in the softness of it under his touch. He felt her breath hitched for just a second but she never faltered.
And what a privilege it is to love
A great honor to hold you up
Zuko let out a chuckle as he heard the word honor, how different he perceived it now from a few years ago.
She reached the final lyric and the song came to an end, for a while they can only look at each other.
“Thank you.... it’s lovely, you’re lovely.” Zuko murmured to her, with a hand still on her cheek.
“I’m glad you like it.” Y/N said, smiling down at him as she relishes in the feeling of his soft strands between her fingers.
“Would you stay here with me, Songbird?” He asked, hope alit in those amber eyes.
“Yes.. yes,” She replied. “Tonight, tomorrow, the day after that... as long as you want me here then I won’t go anywhere.”
Zuko grinned, “Then you’ll be staying here for a long, long time.”
Y/N leaned down and planted a kiss on the crown of his head, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
So they stayed, together in that bed, all tangled up. For the first time in forever, the nightmares didn’t come and Fire Lord Zuko got the best sleep of his life.
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themoonandhersun · 3 years
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thinking about
a no hundred year old war au where zuko goes the southern water tribe with his family, and he’s grumpy about the cold.
but he’s not grumpy about spending time with katara again. (he’s ten, she’s eight and they met two years ago.)
when they see each other, they get excited and bow traditionally, then give each other a big hug.
and of course, sokka and azula tease them about it.
they tell their siblings to shut up and walk off together.
zuko tells katara about the plays he sees on ember island. “i can take you to go see a play sometime, princess katara—but only if you want to, of course,” he looks at her, cheeks pink, fiddling with his fingers. “you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“i would love to go see a play with you, prince zuko,” katara tells him, her cheeks pink too.
they make eye contact, and look away from each other quickly, their pink cheeks turning a bright red.
zuko and his family spend a few days at the southern water tribe, and zuko spends a lot of time with katara there, of course. he loves penguin sledding and watching katara waterbend.
(spoiler: he thinks she’s so cool.)
when zuko has to leave, she quickly kisses his cheek and tells him she can’t wait to see a play with him. zuko blushes hard and says he’ll take her soon.
he leaves.
they write letters to each other for months (and they send each other gifts on their birthdays like they always do), then zuko comes with his family again to take katara to see a play. kya and gran gran go along with katara, and they talk with ursa on the ship (hakoda is on a hunting trip with sokka during this time, but he knows it was gonna happen and is okay with it). zuko and katara spend time together on the ship, and he tells her he can’t wait to see the play with her.
a few days later, they’re on ember island.
zuko tells her that he should hold hands with her so he can show her around better (yes, uncle iroh gave him this tip) and katara agrees (she wanted to hold hands with him anyways). he takes her to their house on ember island and shows her around. he shows her where she’ll be staying, and she tells him how excited she is to be spending time with him on ember island.
(she’s only been to the palace before, not ember island.)
she asks about azula, and zuko says that azula is spending time with her friends and doesn’t really like watching plays anyways. but he assures her the play is really good and that if she doesn’t like it, that’s okay. (she jokes that it would be a bummer if she came all this way just to not like the play, and zuko laughs and agrees with her.)
they play together and talk together until they have to go to the theater. they don’t hold hands this time, but katara loops her arm with his. ursa, kya and gran gran sit by them, but not too close—they don’t want to disturb katara and zuko’s little date (even though they both insist it’s not a date).
zuko glances at katara throughout the play just to make sure she likes it, and he thinks she does. he asks at the end of the play (just to make sure) how she felt about it and katara beams. “i loved it! thank you for taking me, prince zuko,” she hugs him.
he pulls away and slowly shows her a bracelet he had in his pocket. “this is for you, princess katara,” zuko smiles timidly. “i thought of you, and i got it...um, for you. well, actually, uh—i made it. i know, i could have done better, but i just really wanted to make you something—“
“thank you, prince zuko. i love it, it’s so pretty,” katara giggles and nudges him gently. she points to her wrist, “so, can i—“
“um—here, let me,” zuko ties it around her wrist securely, cheeks red. it’s a black, cotton string with a charm on it: a silver crescent moon connected to a gold sun.
“do you really love it, princess katara?” he asks quietly, fidgeting in his seat.
“i do,” she nods and kisses his cheek. zuko smiles at her. “and...i may have made you something as well.”
his jaw drops. “wait, what? really?”
“yeah,” katara grins and hands him a bone dagger with blue handle and a fire carved into its side. she looks at him nervously as he holds the dagger.
she rambles: “you mentioned in your letters that your cousin got a really cool earth kingdom dagger and that you wanted one, so i—i made one for you. well, my dad helped me, but—“
zuko hugs her. “this is so cool, princess katara! thank you so much!” she hugs him back, both of them feeling butterflies in their stomachs.
they get up and join their family members, and they all go back to the ember island house. then zuko admits that he has another gift for katara. “wait here,” he tells her when they’re in the living room. he runs up to his room and runs back downstairs.
“here,” zuko whispers as he blushes and holds out a fire lily, “for you, princess katara.”
“oh—thank you, prince zuko,” katara whispers, grabbing the flower as her cheeks get hot.
(yes, she knows what a fire lily means.)
they hug again.
when zuko travels with her and her family on their journey back to the south (with ursa, of course), they bicker about cloud shapes (katara swears it’s a flower and zuko swears it’s a baby turtle duck) and when it gets to be night time, they argue about what a constellation is named.
“it’s the little penguin named tuka,” katara insists.
“no, it’s a baby dragon named eyala,” zuko shakes his head.
“no, it’s not!”
“yes, it is!”
“last person to the other side of the ship has to admit that they’re wrong!” katara calls out and they race to the other end of the ship, laughing as they do so.
they tied, then played a game of elements (the atla version of rock, paper, scissors. idk if that’s the name of it though?) to break the tie.
katara won. (and zuko didn’t mind saying he was wrong all that much.)
when they make it the south pole, and they hug, it’s zuko who kisses her cheek this time. “i’ll write to you soon, princess katara,” he whispers and pulls away.
“you better,” she whispers back, and watches as zuko gets on the ship. she waves goodbye until she can’t see him anymore.
they keep writing to each other.
but then, gradually over the course of a few years (she is eleven now and zuko is almost thirteen), zuko’s letters get shorter and more vague, and they don’t come in as often as they used to.
then he completely stops sending letters by the end of the year, and she remembers how, the last time they talked in person, he admitted to her: “listen, so—um, i don’t know what’s going on with my dad—but if i ever stop sending you letters, katara, please know i had nothing to do with it. you’re my best friend—and i’ll always want to talk to you.”
(then he placed his hand over hers, his thumb stroking her skin. “you’re my best friend, and...i love you, katara,” he whispered it like it was a secret. she whispered it back, and they hugged.)
(and they had a joke only written in their letters to each other—that she was his, and he was hers. she’s gonna be honest: she doesn’t remember how the joke started, but she knows she keeps it going even when he’s not around. mostly because she thinks about it all the time. he’s her zuko, her zuko, her zuko. she’s his katara, his katara, his katara.)
she’s very worried, angry and sad all at the same time. and she never liked ozai in the first place if she was gonna be honest with herself.
as three years pass, she doesn’t hear from zuko. once, she wrote to azula asking about zuko, and azula wrote back with a vague letter that gave no information on zuko. she tried two more times and got vague responses each time. (she gave up writing to azula after the third try.)
all she found out was that ursa left, and she had to find out through her dad.
but why doesn’t anyone know what happened to zuko?
she doesn’t want to think negatively, but she’s fourteen now, and if her dad knew anything about zuko, he would’ve told her by now. she often stares at the bracelet zuko gave her when she was nine. she was six when they met and they wrote to each other until she was eleven.
she misses him.
(a messager arrives and gives a letter to hakoda. he reads it in his office. he doesn’t know how to tell katara, but he knows he has to.)
hakoda goes to katara, and tells her gently that zuko was burned and banished by ozai three years ago, and she feels sick to her stomach.
her zuko?—burned by his own father?
and he could be anywhere in the world right now?
and he could be—
no.
she can’t think like that.
she tells hakoda that she needs some alone time. he hugs her and walks out the room.
she starts writing to her friend, aang—who has an air bison—and hopes that he’ll agree to help her find zuko. and aang is also friends with zuko.
(they can find zuko, can’t they?)
unfortunately, though, hakoda intercepts the letter (the messager dropped it, and it popped open, and he recognized katara’s handwriting.)
he tells her that she can’t just leave and they argue. kya was trying to be the mediator. it did not help.
katara attempts to leave at night on a boat, and sokka catches her. he tells her, “katara, you can’t leave—“
“—oh, not you too—“
“—without me,” sokka finishes.
katara looks at him, confused. “what? you wanna come along?” she notices he has a bag slung over his shoulder.
sokka nods. “yeah, why not?”
“okay, then, come on, sokka,” katara motions for him to hurry up and get on the boat. sokka gets on the boat and informs her that he left a note for hakoda and kya.
she grumbles something like, “whatever,” in response. (she’s still grumpy about the argument with hakoda.)
she uses her waterbending to make their trip to aang’s temple faster. sokka sleeps while she waterbends, and sokka rows the boat while she sleeps. and the cycle repeats until they’re at the air temple.
aang agrees to help them (he’s also very concerned about zuko after katara tells him what happened) and they all get on appa. aang says that zuko once told him that if he ever ran away, he would go to the earth kingdom. so they head to the earth kingdom.
“i think he mentioned gaoling,” aang tells them. “so let’s head there.”
they search for a few days.
and...
they don’t find zuko.
instead, they find toph, an amazing earthebender who didn’t want to be miserable with her parents anymore.
(basically, they went to an earth rumble, and watched toph fight, and aang was like, “she’s so cool, can she be part of our group?” and sokka was like, “if you can convince her to join us, sure, why not?”)
(by the way, sokka didn’t mean it.)
(he also didn’t think aang would do it—or that toph would agree.)
either way, they ended up with a confident, blind earthbender who ‘carries her own weight’ in their group. (at least she brought a bag full of money with her. they were already running low on funds.)
(sokka has a bad spending habit.)
(plus, him, aang and toph have big appetites for their sizes.)
(seriously.)
“i heard there was a good fighter in ba sing se with a big scar on his face,” toph tells them as she picks at her feet. “they say he’s a firebender. it could be this zuko guy you guys are looking for.”
“we can try ba sing se,” sokka nods. “especially since we don’t have any other leads.”
“i hope we find him,” katara mumbles, staring at her bracelet. she’s scared—because he can’t be dead, he can’t be dead, he can’t be dead. she can’t accept that possibility. “i mean, he’s been by himself for three years, and we just found out about him. he—i hope he’s okay.”
“well, you know how zuko never gives up without a fight, katara,” aang says to assure her and to lighten the mood, “after all, you knew him best out of all of us.”
“yeah,” katara smiles a bit. “he’s so stubborn—in fact, he’s more stubborn than me.”
“okay, let’s not go that far, katara,” sokka snorts. “because you are—nothing,” sokka whistles when katara raises a small water whip and raises an eyebrow at her brother. “i mean, i wasn’t—i was just—i think you’re great, katara,” he says quickly.
“i know i am. thank you, sokka,” katara laughs.
they travel for about two months (appa needs rest, he’s not used to traveling for so long.) they make a stop to omashu mostly because aang insisted it would be a good idea (and appa needed a break too), and aang’s friend, bumi, joins them in appa. (toph is more than delighted to meet another earthbender on her level.)
all of five of them head to ba sing se, bumi talking excitedly about ba sing se and the great deserts they have. and this, of course, leads to a discussion about food, and then—of course—everyone gets hungry.
so they have to stop and make camp, and katara goes to get some water for the rice, when she sees someone sleeping on the other side of the river next to a small fire, wearing a—a blue spirit mask.
her heart races.
a blue spirit mask.
it’s—that’s—that’s zuko’s favorite ‘love amongst the dragons’ character.
it couldn’t be.
could it?
katara puts the pot down. she doesn’t hesitate to swim over, with a water whip in case she’s wrong, and quietly gets out fo the river. katara gently shakes the guy awake, cautiously trashing her water whip in case she’s wrong.
the guy sits up immediately and draws his swords at katara. “what are you doing?” he demands. (her heart beats faster—that’s his voice. it’s his voice.) “do you—wait...katara?” he sheathes his swords slowly. “is—is that really you?”
“zuko?” katara whispers, tearing up. “it’s you. oh, spirits, it’s you.”
she bends the water out of her clothes, and moves to hug him, but zuko scoots away before she can touch him.
she frowns, hurt. “zuko, why did you—“
“i don’t want you to see—it.” zuko awkwardly adjusts his mask. “i don’t—you—i want—just...katara. trust me—you’re not gonna like...it. you’re not gonna like me.” his voice breaks with vulnerability, with sadness, and katara does her best not to cry.
how could he think that?
because—
she loves him.
“are you kidding, zuko? i’m your best friend. i’m always gonna love you,” she sniffles, and zuko doesn’t hesitate to hug her tightly. she hugs back, her head in the crook of his neck.
“i love you, too,” zuko tells her softly, holding her. “i missed you.”
“i missed you, too.”
a beat.
“katara, i’ll show you...my scar,” zuko swallows.
“are you sure?”
“yes, but—but i’m just scared. i don’t want you to think i—that i’m...ugly,” zuko confesses, “i’ll show you, and then i’m, um, gonna put the mask back on.”
“okay, zuko,” katara nods and gently pulls away from his arms. she misses his warmth already. it’s been too long.
she sits across from him, watching him patiently.
zuko’s hands shake as he takes off his mask, and puts it beside him. his eyes are closed tightly.
katara gasps softly as she looks at it. her zuko—he—it must have hurt so much.
she leans forward, and carefully cups his cheek. zuko tenses up, then relaxes. he leans into her hand.
“my zuko,” she whispers, fingers brushing against his scar.
“my katara,” zuko whispers back, opening his eyes, and placing his hands over hers.
“it’s not ugly,” katara informs him as his fingers curl around hers. “and you’re definitely not ugly. my zuko—how could you ever be ugly?”
zuko stares at her, almost as if trying to see if she’s lying, almost like he doesn’t...believe her. “katara, you can’t be serious,” he gently pulls her hand away, but keeps holding it as he grabs his mask with his free hand.
“i am,” katara says, eyes soft. “i’ve never lied to you before. can...can i heal it?”
zuko frowns. “it’s a scar. you can’t heal it, katara.” a beat. “but it itches, sometimes.”
“can i...?”
“you can.”
katara summons water around her right hand like a glove. she cups his cheek with her left hand, tilting his head to the side. zuko closes his eyes and katara presses her water gloved hand on his scar. she watches as the water glows, and feels the scar change, somehow. (yes, she wishes she paid more attention to her healing classes. she knew enough, but she didn’t know everything.)
when she’s done, she puts the water back in the river. “it feels...better,” zuko admits. “thank you, katara.”
“of course,” katara grabs his hands and squeezes. “anything for you, zuko.”
they smile at each other.
then katara remembers—“i still have to get the water for the rice!” she gets up and zuko looks at her, confused.
“i’ll tell you everything later, just—please,” katara reaches a hand out to him. “come with me, zuko.”
zuko nods slowly, and grabs her hand. he gets up, and puts his mask on. “okay, katara, i’ll come with you. after all, we still have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?”
“we do,” katara smiles brightly, holding his hand, and intertwining their fingers. they go into the river, and katara puts water into the pot.
then they head to camp, both of them smiling like idiots.
_____
this......got way longer than i originally thought it would. (it was supposed to be short and cute)
i promise i can do better than this though. i promise!!!!!
(i might write a fic about this now....but it would be different from this obviously)
also, you can thank @ pokidokies for making me think about baby zutara.
like, i was already thinking about them, and then i saw this on instagram—and oh my god,,,,!!!
i had to! express! my thoughts! i just had to!
baby zutara is just...something that can be so personal, you know?
follow her on tumblr and on insta! :D (her blog name on here is the same as her insta name!)
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sokkas-honour · 3 years
Note
Could u do #33 for suki, thx your amazing!
the story - suki x fem!reader
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pairing: suki x fem!reader
warning: none i think ???
notes: holy shit there is so much conan gray on my top 100 and by this point, i’ve done almost all of th kid krow songs this is hilarious.
and when i was younger, i knew a girl and a girl, best friends with each other,
you heard her laugh and suddenly your heart was doing summersaults like it always did when you heard it, no matter how long you had known her, no matter how much you had a heard it, you never got sick of it. there was just something about it, maybe it was just the sound of it or maybe it was knowing that the girl who had your heart was happy.
“you should’ve seen the other guy’s face, i-” sokka retelling of something that had happened to him while he was visiting the south pole got cut off by suki spotting you enter the jasmin dragon, eyes wide with excitement.
“y/n!” she waved to you, helping you locate your friends in the beautiful tea shop even if it wouldn’t have been difficult to do yourself considering your friends weren’t the quietest group of teenagers but it didn’t matter, it was a part of why you loved them dearly.
“hey guys.” you shyly greeted everyone as you finally reached them in the back of the building, not bothering to individually reply to everyone saying their hellos to you as suki shooed zuko that was sitting next to her, making a spot right next to the kyoshi warrior available. you mumbled a sorry to the new firelord but he dismissed it with a knowing smile.
“did you get lost?” suki whispered to you as sokka took the silence that had settled once you found your spot as an inventation to continue his tale, the girl now disinterested in the boy’s story now that you were here, eager to talk with you as you hadn’t been together all day, opting to try and find some of your relatives that you knew lived in ba sing se.
“no, just didn’t see time go by.” you whispered back, turning your head ever so slightly to answer the girl before pretending to listen to sokka’s story, staying silent as everyone interjected, asking questions in order to know more.
“was it fun?” after a couple of minutes of trying to pay attention in his story, suki gave up, wanting to talk to you again as she had missed you dearly throughout the day, not being used to spending that much time without you. being attached at the hip ever since you joined the kyoshi warriors meant you two stuck together through thick and thin, not being complete without the other being near them.
“it was! turns out i have like five cousins here but a couple of them moved to omashu.” you both turned your heads at the same time, fully investing yourselves into your side conversation rather than the one sokka was telling.
“do you think you’ll want to go visit them?” she tucked her loose hair behind her ear. you admired how beautiful her bare face looked, not always getting the possibility to see it for more than a couple of minutes before she’d go to bed or right before she got ready for the day. although you thought her kyoshi warrior makeup looked absolutely badass on her, you couldn’t help but appreciate the natural beauty that laid behind it.
“not sure, kind of have a job. it’s called being a kyoshi warrior, not sure if you’ve heard of it.” you teased, earning a playful eye roll and a shove from the girl, the smile never leaving her face.
“come on y/n, it could be fun!” she insisted, her voice going a bit higher than the rather discreet whispers you had been exchanging.
“what could be fun? what are you two talking about?” both of your heads snapped to whoever had intercepted their conversation, eyes landing on sokka with a huge smirk on his lips as everyone was staring at the two of you causing a blush to dust your cheeks while suki remained unphased.
“y/n has some more family in omashu.” suki explained, making you want to sink further into your chair once you realised this meant that instead of sokka carrying the conversation between the majority of the gaang, you were now the one who everyone’s eyes were on.
“you visited some family here right?” katara was the first to ask you questions, making you dread what you knew was coming. luckily for you, suki noticed your uneasiness and interlocked your pinkies under the table, a habit you had both picked up back when you were training and someone was nervous, it sticking between the two of you. simply having her pinkie against yours brought on a surge of confidence that seemed to appear out of thin air and all of sudden, you didn’t mind being the center of attention for a little while.
but always wished they were more, cause they loved one another,
“boo.” you heard a voice whisper in your ear, pulling you out of whatever dream currently was taking place in your slumber. your eyes shot open, being immediately met with blue eyes glinting with mischief.
“got y’a.” she smirked as she stood up fully, no longer leaning over your face in order to wake you up rather suddenly. you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes as leaned up on both your elbows, narrowing your eyes at your friend that took you out of your peaceful state.
“what the hell was that for?” you whined, voice still groggy for only being awake for mere seconds. before she could answer, you got yours as you simply registered what her face was decorated with. the white makeup that caked her face along with the red and black that surrounded her eyes was all you needed to realise you most likely overslept on what you thought was your day off.
“shit.” you mumbled, throwing the cover off as you stood up, suki moving out of the way to watch you scrambled around the room for your uniform as you were still in your pajama’s. arms crossed, same smirk on her face but it slowly morphed into one of adoration as she watched you mumbled curses under your breath as you wiggled into the kyoshi warrior uniform.
“why did you not wake me up earlier?” you asked in disbelief, not bothering to turn around so she could the annoyance on your face as you rushed to the bathroom to apply your makeup.
“don’t know, it was funny that you didn’t wake up to the bell. and i mean you did look too peaceful to bother.” the last part was mumbled as for you to not catch onto her feelings, she followed you to where you going, making sure to grab your headpiece and your fans as you left them behind.
“very funny suki.” you rolled your eyes as you went through your makeup routine as fast as possible. knowing you were too focused on getting it done as fast as possible with as much as accuracy, she let herself admire the way your tongue stuck out in concentration, the way your eyes narrowed in concentration.
“i must admit, it was a bit hilarious.” you sighed in relief as you put the last touch of the black eyeliner, putting the lid back on the pot before patting yourself down in order to make sure you hadn’t forgotten anything important to your uniform. once you realised you didn’t feel your fans or your headpiece you felt your heartrate pick up.
“shit, my fans.” you mumbled as you turned around. taking a few steps to take your missing pieces before finding your friend in your path, headpiece and fans in her hands, the second sigh of relief escaping your lips in the last couple of minutes.
“you’re a life saver.” you grabbed the headpiece and turned your head slightly to make sure it was placed perfectly on your head before taking the fans and placing them right where they belonged.
“i know, now come on we’re late.” she grabbed your wrist, erasing her love stricken face for a more friendly one before leading the two of you to your posts for the day, not too far from the firelord’s chamber.
but never discovered, cause they were too afraid of what they'd say
“hey y/n.” zuko greeted you as he stepped into his office, delighted to see you were the one currently on watch while he was working, happy to have a friend keep him company even if it was silently.
you simply nodded to the firelord, making sure to keep it professional as you were on duty as his bodyguard. you two may have escaped the boiling rock together, somehow talking so much during your arrest by azula that she ended up throwing you in there with suki, and you two may have ended the hundred year war but now he was the man you were supposed to be protecting and not your friend.
a couple of hours passed in silence as you kept your hands behind your back, the only noise being the turning of pages and the scribbling of notes by the firelord along with the casual chirp of the birds that flew around the garden bringing a small smile on your lips at the nice surprise.
“listen y/n, i know you’re supposed to be professional and all but, i’ve got to ask, what’s going on between suki and you?” this time the surprise wasn’t the lovely song of a native bird but of your friend asking a question that you hoped you never had to answer.
“suki is my fellow warrior, firelord.” your face didn’t waver from the stoic expression you had, the firelord’s inquisitive one being met with a wall of years of training.
“y/n, as firelord, is anything happening between suki and you? you’re in my castle so everything i say goes.” he insisted, watching your face drop, your eyes stating on your feet as you thought of the answer, not knowing if this was the place to finally open up to someone.
“and as your friend too.” he added, his gaze softening as to make sure you didn’t feel too intimated by it.
“i don’t know, i’ve just. all my life suki and i have been best friends but i just, i wished she was more than one.” your voiced dimmed throughout your answer, surprised at how easy it was to coax that out of you.
“you know she likes you too right? i mean it’s so obvious by the way she just becomes all soft inside at the sight of you.” zuko teased, his arm placed above the head of the chair so he could place his chin on it to watch your face more closely, not talking to you in a friendly way for awhile.
“she doesn’t, i know she doesn’t.” your eyes didn’t move but you noticed that your grip on your fans tightened.
“won’t hurt to try?” hope laced in his words as he still waited for your expression to change, knowing that a simple sentence of three words would resolve years of buried feelings between suki and yourself
“actually it would sir, it would ruin our friendship and she’d say the opposite of what you say.” you finally looked up, hoping that he’d catch onto you wanting to drop the subject.
“y/n-" he tried to reason but was cut off by a rather demanding tone that he’d never heard come from you before, a slight surprise in his eyes at the side of you he hadn’t seen yet.
“now if you wouldn’t mind firelord, i’d like to do my job.” it didn’t waver, no emotions could be perceived through the tone that you used, indicating that you didn’t want to go any further and thankfully for you, zuko dropped the subject with a sigh and turned back to his work, letting the silence take over again.
moved to different states
“y/n, you can’t leave!” suki argued, stopping in her tracks as you dropped the news of your planned departure as you two walked towards the throne room where the firelord had asked you to be stationed during a meeting with international leaders.
“can we talk about this later? zuko’s waiting for us.” you stopped and turned your head around, slight annoyance in your gaze as your friend was a few steps behind you. you continued to make your way down the hallway as you heard her hurried steps, you first felt happiness as this meant she was ready to focus on your task at hand but you felt her hand grip your wrist, now causing the both of you to stop.
“no! y/n, the kyoshi warriors need you! i need you.” she pleaded, feeling herself stress at the idea of being separated from you, not being able to see your face that always made her day better, not being able to make you laugh just to hear what she thought was the most wonderful sound in the world. despite constantly having to push down her romantic feelings for you, she’d rather hurt her heart than see you leave.
“suki, you and i both knew that just behind a bodyguard isn’t what i want to do, i know it’s kyoshi’s honour to guard the firelord now but i just feel unfulfilled.” you sighed before deciding to have the much needed conversation with her now instead of later, figuring that getting it out of the way would be beneficial for the both of you.
“we’re not going to be here forever!” she kept her grip on your wrist, afraid that letting you go physically would mean letting you go forever.
“but then we’re just guards for the rest of our lives! that may be something for you but when zuko started talking to me about the possibility of going down to the new developing cities in the old colonies and helping in their development just sounded like something i’d finally want to do.” you explained, just thinking about starting a new life in a town that was just getting on its feet was enough to make the ghost of a smile appear on your face, needing to be on your own, not being able to deal with what you thought were unrequited feelings for your childhood best friend.
“if thatll make you happy.” she mumbled, finally taking her eyes off of yours, not wanting you to see the hurt in her eyes at the prospect of you feeling that your job was pointless, and having to wake up without seeing your adorable sleepy face. her grip loosened.
“it will.” your eyes softening, trying to find hers again as you put one of your hands in one of hers, squeezing it slightly in hopes that it’ll comfort her.
“then that’s great.” she finally looked up, trying her hardest to blink back tears as you kept your fingers interlocked with hers, deciding to make your way to the firelord’s throne room hand in hand for what was most likely the last time.
general taglist: @draqondance @biqherosix @butterfly-skinnylegend @sunnypluto @staygoldsquatchling02 @alteasmoon
atla taglist: @welovediaaxx @ilovespideyyy @missmorosis
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teelagurl558 · 3 years
Text
Point Break
Part Six of The Dragon, a modern au Zuko x reader. Masterlist
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Y/n has spent a long time away following her parents’ plans for her, but now that she’s moved in with her cousin Toph and friends at a new university, things are looking much differently. Little does she know, this change has also given her a chance to find an old childhood friend again.
***Warnings: Alcohol, unwanted advances, sexual content mentioned; nothing too risque though. As with all of my writing, if you are worried to read this chapter because of the warnings, feel free to DM me and I can give you a rundown of the events so you don't have to <3
At the moment, I was just glad that I had gotten the constant rushing of my mind to slow. I was all ready for the night, a (f/c) top and a stretchy skirt allowing me some comfort as well as good looks. But it all still felt like too much, while I lay flopped across my bed waiting. For what, I wasn't sure.
Yesterday was simultaneously one of the best days I had had in ages, and one of the worst. Zuko took me out to The Jasmine Dragon for a little while to finish some school work and eat lunch. Every time he reached for my computer or notepad to show me something, letting his fingers brush against mine, I felt that lightning from before. It wasn't like he was just reaching for reassuring contact from his friend, it was like Zuko was sending a shockwave through my hand that clenched my chest and twisted my gut. When we finally finished working, Iroh invited us to dinner at his house. Zuko's eyes had been so bright and happy, seeming like he felt completely safe and at home sitting between us. It might have been the cutest thing I'd ever seen. The whole day was great, chatting with two of my oldest friends. But then Zuko took me home.
He had wanted to walk me there since Iroh didn't live far from my apartment complex. A few blocks out, though, the sky opened up with a vengeance and our thin jackets were soaked through with rain. Zuko grabbed my hand and ran down the street, making me laugh hysterically. When he got us to the awning, I crashed into his chest and stared up at his face with a bright smile, shivering a little from the rain. He beamed at me, eyes softening.
Zuko's head lowered a little, and I noticed his mouth barely open and close again, indecision starting to show in his golden eyes. A blush crept across his cheeks, my heart pounding to an exponentially increasing rhythm. Of its own accord, one of my hands reached up to push back some of Zuko's dripping hair, and I swore I felt him lean into my hand. And then Aang threw open the door, shouting that Katara would kill us if we stood out there and caught pneumonia.
It only added to my confusion and dismay surrounding the incident from movie night last week.
Toph stepped in through the open bedroom doorway, frowning in my general direction. "Cupcake, are you in here?" It halted the replaying memory from starting again.
"Yeah, sorry."
She shook her head, dragging her fingertips along the wall to guide herself to my bed and sitting down. "What the hell are you doing sprawled out in bed like Appa? You've gotta get ready for the party."
"I'm ready, just," I sighed. "Overthinking my life choices."
"Well quit it. You're not gonna snatch that pretty rich boy by being a sad sack."
I lifted up to glare at her, despite her inability to see it. With a grumble, I rose and decided to head into the living room. Katara was packing a small bag with aspirin and other mom supplies. I definitely felt like I may need that later.
"How long until we're supposed to be there?" I asked. Momo was butting his head against my ankles, and I set out to feed him before we would have to leave.
"Oh, not long. I figured we'd all ride over together a little early in case Suki needed help. She's got friends visiting from Kyoshi Island that should be there soon too," the girl replied. Her dress swayed as she drifted around, checking for anything we may need.
I hummed in response. Before long, the four of us were piled into Katara's car and heading to Sokka, Suki, and Zuko's house. We had a long weekend from school, and they decided to use that to our advantage and host a party. All of our friend group, plus some others from classes and work, would be there. I hadn't really had any extra people around I liked very much to invite, but I made an effort to extend the offer to Teo without Jet hearing it. It was a harder task than I liked to admit.
My nerves were getting the better of me. I really didn't know at any given point if I wanted a drink or to throw up, every unoccupied moment leaving my brain to question my situation with Zuko. I still constantly felt like a weary racehorse, my baggage getting heavier by the day. Every moment with my best friend made my anxieties sink their teeth deeper, despite how much comfort he brought me. Half of me wanted to kiss Zuko at the very sight of his face, and half of me wanted to sprint away from the situation in fear of my feelings and his duties.
I forced myself as I walked up to the door to swallow down the replaying memories of Zuko's lips so close to mine. It seemed to help, and I was able to greet Suki at the door confidently. She pulled me away into the dining room to introduce me to two girls from her hometown, but despite my best efforts, I found myself peering around the room looking for Zuko.
In right behind us came two huge men I recognized as Toph's wrestling league friends. "Hippo! Boulder! I'm so glad you guys made it!" I heard my cousin yell, watching with a little bit of maternal cringe as the two brutes scooped her up in deathly-looking embraces. All three were laughing though, so I tried to let it slide with a deep breath. Suki gave me a knowing look.
"I feel like an overprotective dad every time they're around."
We all turned to see Zuko standing at my shoulder with a nervous smirk, peering over at my cousin as well. His appearance took any air that had been in my lungs and absolutely burnt it out of existence.
His hair was down, shaggy and dark around his face. Zuko wore his black denim jacket and a dark red v-neck, the collarbone and edge of his tattoo that it flaunted threatening to shatter all my willpower. There was a gold chain on his neck and several rings on his fingers how he liked when he went out. Druk tucked his nose out from the collar of Zuko's jacket, peering at me with a few little blinks.
"Hey, little guy," I chuckled, hoping he wouldn't hear the shake in it. I reached to pet the beardie's head a little before addressing Zuko fully. "I get what you mean. I always realize how much like a little sister she is to me when I see huge wrestlers tossing her around."
Zuko nodded, laughing a little. "We should've known she'd invite them. At least they're nice guys, despite being intimidating. Oh look, Teo and Haru are here, do you wanna go say hey?"
He was avoiding the topic that we both really wanted to discuss deep down, but I wasn't sure the motive. Whatever the case, I found myself following him around, talking to some of the other partygoers as they arrived and snacking on the foods Sokka laid out. As much as I wasn't normally much of a drinker, every little smile or hidden touch of my hand Zuko gave me had me nervously taking gulps. Each time I felt my heart stutter at his actions or his looks, I just wanted to be drunk enough to make it stop. I wasn't usually this reckless, but at this point, I didn't care as long as it helped my nerves. Eventually, Zuko left me by the counter to go put Druk in his cage since more people had started to crowd the small house.
Aang approached a moment later with a girl I half-recognized from his social media and hadn't seen in years. "Hey, Y/n! This is my friend Ty Lee. She works at the studio with me, remember?"
"Oh, my, gosh!" the girl squealed. I chuckled, knowing it meant she recognized me too. The tightness in my chest that had been growing around Zuko subsided for a moment while Ty Lee enveloped me in an excited embrace. "I haven't seen you since we were kids!"
"I know, it's been a while," I said, and turned to Aang to explain. "She was a friend of Zuko's sister. We all grew up around each other."
"Oh, Y/n, you have to come say hi to Mai! She'll be so happy to see you again," she gushed, clasping my hand. The tension started to come back as I remembered the other girl in question.
She was another one of Azula's childhood friends, like Ty Lee. The three of them were never much fun for Zuko and me since his little sister ran things like a ruthless drill sergeant, but occasionally we would play games with them. And occasionally, I noticed the quieter Mai's eyes lingering on my friend, little smiles gracing her so-often-gloomy face. Zuko had told me they did end up together off and on through most of high school, and despite knowing I had no claim to him, it struck a weak spot to hear she was around.
"Is- is she here?" I asked, reaching behind me into the fridge for another beer. Ty Lee nodded, beaming at me and then blushing.
"She's my girlfriend now," she grinned. A sigh of relief escaped my lips against my will, but the clenching in my chest was still present. I let Ty Lee pull me into the living room to a familiar dark-haired girl leaning against the wall, and I felt the clenching squeeze harder. She looked beautiful as ever in a gothic style cocktail dress, giving Zuko a relaxed smile as they talked, which was practically beaming compared to her usual demeanor. The hum of anxieties in my head turned up the volume.
"Mai!" Ty Lee called, waving her free arm and still pulling me. "Mai, look who's here!"
Zuko let out a laugh at the sight of us approaching, and when we finally stopped in front of them I took a desperate swig of my drink. I peered at the other girl with the best greeting smile I could muster, trying to remember that yes, she had been my friend. She wasn't an enemy, there was no logical reason to be afraid or threatened by her presence right now.
"Hey there," she said, smile widening. "Been a long time. How've you been?"
"Yeah, it has," I chuckled. I could feel my eyes betraying me by stealing glances at Zuko, and I ended up consistently taking sips of my drink to try and calm myself. "I'm good now, finally moved out here instead of staying at those weird schools my parents picked. I'm sure the girls' academy you and Ty Lee went to was rough, but spirits the northerners were awful. How about you?"
I very consciously tried to refrain from mentioning Azula, for all of our sake. I knew that Mai and Ty Lee probably struggled almost as badly as Zuko, and as much as the panicky hum of questions was taking over my brain right now, I didn't want to cause a problem like that out of unjustified jealousy.
Mai seemed not to care as much as I thought, looping her arm around her girlfriend's waist with a relaxed, yet affectionate face. "Like you said, better. Ty and I got together not too long after all the big bad stuff went up in flames. It just felt right after everything we went through. Moved out here for a break to figure things out, found ourselves a yoga studio and a tattoo shop to play with."
Her smirk never left her face, but I knew it wasn't a malicious one. Despite my fearful glances towards Zuko, Mai's affectionate glances were only towards Ty Lee, and his...His face constantly looked to mine, almost with that same tone the girls had. I wrote it off as my imagination, taking a fresh drink from Suki as she walked by. The conversation lulled in and out of my brain.
"So when did you two finally get together?" Ty Lee suddenly said, a bright, innocent grin on her face. I paled, choking on the last drink of my beer.
Zuko flushed bright red, hand coming up to the back of his neck while the other patted my back. "No, no we're, um, we're not together, Ty."
Both girls looked surprised and turned between the two of us with realization slowly crawling across their faces. Mai especially was watching Zuko's face, and following his embarrassed glances at me. I could barely meet their eyes.
"Well," she finally said. "Good luck with that, you two."
I was about to ask something else, but suddenly a hand was on my shoulder. I turned to see Katara, very sober, and very angry.
"Y/n, I thought I told you he was my ex, and that he was a jerk," she hissed. It was so vicious that I unconsciously took a step back closer to Zuko, looking confused until she elaborated. "Jet. Jet is my ex, why did you invite him?"
My eyes bulged, and I felt Zuko's hand clasp around my arm protectively. I could tell he was angry. "Katara," I pleaded. "I swear I didn't invite him, I only invited Teo. Jet must've heard me talking to him at work and decided to come anyway."
She seemed satisfied by that answer, pulling back and closing her eyes with an angry sigh. "Can you just help me get him out of here? He's already getting ridiculously drunk and I don't want him here."
"Trust me, I don't either," I groaned, more to myself. This would be rough. I turned around to face Zuko, seeing his glare searching the crowd. "Hey, Zu? Have Suki call a cab, and you and Sokka come find me, okay?" I told him. I was nervous, but I tried not to let it show. Zuko nodded and hurried off, and I followed Katara back to the kitchen.
By the table stood Suki's two friends, looking uncomfortable about the plastered flirt leaning across its surface towards them. Teo's wheelchair was parked next to Jet's seat, quietly trying to get him to stop pestering the girls. It wasn't working, that is until Jet saw me approach.
I had told Katara I'd handle it alone, knowing it would be uncomfortable for her to be around him, and that Jet was my problem to deal with. His smirk as he glanced up at me made me want to vomit, and he stood up to start walking towards me.
"Jet, you need to leave," I said firmly, squaring up to his tall shoulders unconsciously. I hoped Zuko found the others quickly because I most definitely was not stable enough to fight him right now.
Jet sneered, leaning down precariously towards me and fumbling at my hand. "Aw, but why? That's not a very nice way to greet your guests, toots."
"You're not my guest, hotshot, this isn't my house. And don't call me that." I jerked my arm away from him.
"Well, maybe I'm here to surprise you, sweetheart," Jet slurred quietly, close to my ear. I tried to take a step away, but he quickly looped an arm around my back. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."
I could smell the liquor on his breath, his face getting closer and closer just to tease me. I heard Teo yell and the Kyoshi girls' quick footsteps into the next room, but all I could focus on was trying to get out of this bastard's grip. Jet was surprisingly still very strong despite his lack of sobriety. My own inebriation wasn't helping.
"I'm not your sweetheart, asshole. How many times do I have to deny your bad flirting?" My voice sounded much more confidant than I really was, stuck in this drunk's grasp and unsure where my friends were in this noisy house.
Jet sloppily leaned over and dragged my lip in his teeth, making me gag. I pounded on his back with my free hand, the other arm pinned between my chest and his. He was chuckling darkly, starting to stumble us both towards a nearby wall and dragging his other hand down my hip towards my thigh.
"Hey, douchebag!" I heard a familiar yell and jerked my head to the side.
Zuko. "Let her go, Jet." He was practically growling, face twisted in rage. I mentally punched myself for thinking it in this situation, but it was kind of hot.
Zuko was approaching quickly, fury burning in his eyes like I hadn't seen in years. Jet let me go and I slumped backward away from him to the wall. He swayed upright, cocking his head and scoffing as Zuko made quick strides across the tile.
"Oh? Or wha-"
Jet's slur was knocked into next week by Zuko's fist. It was then I noticed Sokka and Suki, with the two other Kyoshi girls behind them, hurrying forward towards the two men. Rather than let his friend continue his assault, Sokka caught Zuko's arm in the air, letting the other girls pick Jet up from the floor and start shoving him towards the door. Zuko took one heavy breath and then whirled around towards me.
I expected scolding but was engulfed in his arms in seconds. My breaths were shaky, hands clutching his jacket for support. I had trusted he would come to help, but in the moment I had been very afraid of how long it would take him to find me. I had been very afraid that I was already too unsteady to help myself. Zuko's biceps were clenched tight around my torso, his hand holding my head against his collarbone. Both of us were a little jittery, but I finally pulled back to look at him.
"Thanks, Zu," I said quietly. The concern on his face just made me feel pulled closer to him, a sensation I was struggling more and more to fight.
He shook his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner. Are you okay?"
I nodded, though really I was exhausted, and very shaken. Nothing much had gone wrong, but the mere fears that it could have had me feeling very small. Zuko was my anchor, my security blanket, but I didn't necessarily feel comfortable around all these people still.
Zuko seemed to see through my thought process. "It's okay to want to leave," he said softly, still holding me to him.
"I don't want to ask Tara to drive me home right now, and you've been drinking." What I really meant was that along with refusing to show how nervous I was to anyone else, all I really wanted was to stay near him.
"I meant, we can go sit in my room. You can stay with me tonight so you don't have to wait on the others," he explained. The hum of my repressed feelings fired up again, but the look in Zuko's eyes pulled me. All I want right now is to be near him. I nodded.
With a little smile, Zuko pulled away and led me through the crowd, his hand firmly in mine and his eyes glaring harshly at anyone that got near on the way to his room. The only person we stopped to speak to was Katara, and just for a second to tell her that I'd be staying here and I was okay.
Zuko shut the door. I heard him do it, but the room was dark, and the hum in my head was so chaotic that I wasn't sure I would see clearly even in the light. This pulling sensation I felt was like a magnet, showing me his exact position in the dark no matter if he let my fingers slip away from his for a moment or not.
His gentle hand ghosted on my forearm, pressing a t-shirt into my palm. "Here," he murmured. "You can wear this. I don't think my shorts will fit you, but you can try if you want."
My voice answered without me telling it to. "No, it's alright. Thank you."
There was some kind of unspoken safety in this dark room. I knew he had turned away to change his own clothes, and I did the same, laying mine in a bundle on the floor. When I sat down on the soft grey blanket, a sigh escaped my lips. I could smell him all around me--in the air of the room, in the blanket beneath me, in the shirt just tickling the tops of my thighs--and it was driving me mad. This place, this person felt so comforting to me, and it was like the safety just unlocked a deeper part of me to run wild. The part of me that was falling absolutely head over heels for my best friend was at war with the rest of me; I was legitimately afraid that if she won, I'd end up just tackling him like Toph in a wrestling match.
Zuko laid down, propped up on his arm to face me. "Are you okay with this? I can go ask Katara to get you when she leaves--"
"I'm fine," I said, much too quickly. I swallowed hard. "I'm fine with this, Zuko. I promise I'm comfortable with you."
"I'm glad. You make me feel the same way," Zuko grinned. His smile tugged at my heart, the gaze he held clenching my gut and dissolving the air in my lungs. Why was this so hard?
I searched frantically for any way to change the subject, nervously licking at my dry mouth. I could finally see alright in the dark, though I wasn't sure if that was to my benefit at the moment. My eyes dragged themselves to his bare chest against my will, but in the midst of my self-scolding, I noticed an escape route.
"Hey, so I never asked, but what's this all about?" I said, gesturing vaguely towards his tattoo. I watched him look down to his abdomen and scowl, the muscles flexing and distracting me from his misunderstanding.
"Oh... That," he sighed, frowning down at it when he continued. "It wasn't from my father if you can believe that. Azula and I were fighting one day, and she found some taser or something in his room. Got me pretty good before one of the maids caught us."
I realized in a panic that he thought I meant his scar, and guilt flooded my romance-addled brain. "No, I- Shit, Zuko- I'm sorry, I-I meant your tattoo," I sputtered. My hands had unconsciously reached out to his sulking form, one to his bicep and one to his chest. "I wouldn't have asked you about a scar like that, I know the kinds of things that have happened to you. I'm sorry."
"Oh. OH! Spirits, Y/n I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all moody like that, I-"
"Zuko, no it's okay, you didn't know, you have a right to respond that way."
I abruptly noticed how close I was to him, yet again. I had scooted up beside Zuko, I guess trying to help pull him from his bad memory with loving contact. It succeeded, but it was also succeeding in furthering the war within me. Zuko's eyes were locked onto mine, the expression in them raw and vulnerable. He trusted me with this, this side of him few ever saw. He trusted me to see his wounds and not damage him further. The skin beneath my fingers was hot, one of Zuko's hands coming up to gently wrap around the one I held on his chest.
"It's a reminder," Zuko murmured, dropping his eyes for half a second. I cocked my head, and he clarified, "The tattoo."
"It's to remind me what I came from," he whispered, a little hoarsely I noted. Well, my ovaries noted. "For a long time, my emotions got the best of me, just like my father's did. When I finally healed and learned my true path, I wanted a reminder. It helps keep me in check. It's why I'm so careful when I drink, I don't ever want to get out of control like I used to."
My cheeks flushed with the warmth of Zuko's breath as he talked. His scent was intense, the muscles rippling down his neck and shoulders and chest threatening a waterfall of drool from my mouth. The warring part of me wanted to get closer. I forced my treacherous eyes back to his, but it was no better for my willpower to see the tenderness they held.
"You sound a lot like Iroh now," I whispered back, allowing myself to give him a warm smile in return.
Zuko beamed at me, bright grin tilting to look at the pillows for just a moment before returning to cripple my self-control.
"That...That might be the best compliment I've ever been given, especially coming from you."
I watched his smile slowly shrink to one much softer, gaze drifting downward. Zuko's Addam's apple bobbed with a hard swallow, and I felt my mouth go dry and my lungs completely fail. My eyes locked on his lips of their own accord, the hum in my head turning into screaming that I couldn't fight back as he drew closer. Closer. Closer...
Warmth flooded from the small of my back as I felt Zuko's lips ghost against mine. My body was shrieking to move nearer to him, but whether it was from inner conflict or shock, I was frozen. My eyes had only been able to half close, Zuko's fully shut while he gently pressed a little further against my lips.
It was still such an unsure kiss, barely leaving the memory of his mouth on mine before he pulled back a few inches to stare at me. The vulnerable little boy was back in his golden eyes again, searching me, asking if I was really going to accept this new part of him.
Oh, fuck.
The war ended instantly. She won.
The hand I had around his bicep slid quickly up and to the back of his neck, my body bolting forward. I collided with him into another kiss, nearly pushing Zuko back against his pillows. The tiniest whimper of relief left my trembling body, the tension and pressure that had been building since before even realizing my feelings finally getting a release.
Zuko sighed heavily. Strong hands wrapped around my back, one at the curve and one at the base of my skull. He pushed back against me, only making my feverish kisses feel more intense. Zuko's lips grappled with mine, all too ready to let him claim dominance. I felt his chest against mine, guiding me back against the blanket.
So much emotion was coursing through my body that I could hardly think. When Zuko pulled away to look down at me, I was gasping, breaths even heavier as his lips sank down to my cheeks, and my neck. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, one hand sliding into his hair and holding him as close to me as I could. It felt so surreal, like the moment I let go of him, I would wake up in my apartment with a hangover.
Heat rushed through me. Zuko was gentle with every movement, affectionate kisses and caresses poured over any part of me he could reach. He acted desperate to touch me, and Spirits did I want him to. I realized at some point that my legs were wrapped around his waist, one of my hands tracing his collarbone. A grunt vibrated against my lips and Zuko's kisses got more intense. I panted when he pulled away a moment, forehead pressed against mine. Zuko's eyes were burning.
And then my shirt hit the floor.
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bellatrixobsessed1 · 1 year
Text
Skin & Scale (Part 16)
Azula follows Ran, mimicking his strides to the best if her ability. It is far more effective than whatever she had been trying. Admittedly she is still somewhat unsteady. She can't seem to get a sense of how to shift her weight. Although the dizziness of her height is tapering off. Shaw walks alongside her and she supposes that this is a comfort too.
Shaw’s hand holds her steady when she missteps. 
Ran helps her up and fills her head with pleasant images when she falls. Visions of vibrant volcanoes and smooth, smothering lava flows. Crackling fires with sparks that dance. The faint orange-black outline of burning leaves. 
She recalls training with Ozai. When she would stumble he would scold her. When she would burn herself he would make her look at it. Azula swallows. She was perhaps nine years old, maybe ten. Firebending stances were becoming more complex, harder to master even for her. And she had positioned her hand at an angle just wrong enough for the fire to bite at her knee–it had, according to father, been thrust too far out as well. 
It bled and blistered.
She had cried.
More so because it was hard to grasp than it was painful. She has never burned herself before. A burn mark is a mark of failure; an attack not dodged or an attack not thrown right. 
And he made her stare at it until the image of her charred skin was lodged into her brain; a ring of blacked skin, a shimmering layer of bloody skin, and several large blisters.
“This”, he said, is “what happens to people who aren’t strong enough to hold their own.” She remembers him asking her if she enjoys the feeling. She remembers him firmly patting her cheek and telling her that there’s no sense in crying. Crying is an invitation for her foe to finish her off and be done with it. At any rate, crying aggravates his ears–he had been very careful not to inform her that she was, in fact, hurting his ears. 
Ran is gentle with her. 
He lifts her up a second time and reassesses his approach. 
No longer is he showing her where to position her feet, but instead he shows her where her tail needs to be in order to correct her balance if need be. Instead he tells and shows her which muscles to flex to maintain the most fall resistance. 
It is not her fault, Shaw assures her, Ran just didn’t realize that she needed help with balance and not the act walking itself. 
She feels fluttery and dizzy, but not unpleasantly so. They are very patient with her in a way that no one else has been. In a way that she hadn’t even been. 
.oOo.
To have Ran and Shaw here is only a touch less nerve wracking than having the threat of them looming in the distance. He doesn't need a bond nor connection to understand what their glowering glares and slow growls convery. 
For every scale on their body is a stash of resentment. 
He peers at Azula. She is waving her wings about. It isn't a perfect mirror of Ran's example but he doesn't doubt that she will catch on quickly. 
Azula…
He has a feeling that she is the only thing keeping the Fire Nation from falling during his reign.
She follows Ran lifting  her wings when he does and putting them down in synchrony. A warmup perhaps? Or a means to strengthen her wings for when it is time to learn to fly. 
Shaw walks alongside her, keeping her steady.
"She's handling this whole dragon thing  pretty well." Sokka observes. 
"Of course she is! She's a dragon. That's pretty kick ass!" Toph declares. "I'd be kicking buildings down and living it up."
"If you saw her transformation you might think a little differently." Katara shudders.
"Was it hard?" Aang asks.
"It was painful to watch." Katara grimaces. "I can only imagine what it was like to actually go through it."
Zuko takes another gander at that slash on her neck. The one that has become raw and scabbed. Just one more line for her collection of scars.
He grits his teeth. He can't blame Ran and Shaw for being furious.
Shaw meets his stare and slows her pace. Azula too slows down but Ran beckons her forward. Zuko's heart pounds in time with the rumbles of the ground beneath his feet.
"Hello!" Aang greets on his behalf. On all of their behalves really. From The Sin Warrior City back to Caldera, it had become abundantly clear that Aang was the only one that the dragons tolerated. They loathe him and--much to her disappointment–ignore Toph entirely. He would give anything to swap with her.
Shaw leans in and something in Aang's jaw works. "You should tell that to Zuko, not me. She's his sister."
The dragon snarls and Aang flinches. He offers a head rub and a sheepish smile. "Not his real sister, we know."
The dragon sufficiently unentertained, gently pushed him aside with a single claw.
And now there is nothing between Zuko and Shaw.
He clears his throat but can't think of a single word to say. "Hey, good morning! What do I have to do to get you to not burn down my nation" is the only think that really comes to mind. 
Shaw stoops down and Zuko can't help but resent that Ozai is safe in his cell while he is staring down a livid dragon.
Agni, he is tired of living in Ozai's shadow and cleaning up the messes that he had left for him. Suffering for atrocities that he didn't commit. 
But he had, hadn't he.
The pull and allure of letting Azula suffer the way he had was irresistibly tantalizing and he doesn't doubt that Shaw knows this.
Zuko can practically see Ozai scraggly, disheveled, and proud as ever leering at him, haughty and amused by the broken pieces that he can't seem to put together. And no wonder; he had been missing some pieces all along.
Shaw leans in and Zuko doesn't dare break that stare. One of her whiskers whips out and he resists the urge to flinch.
And the dragon's voice projects into his mind. She sounds like Azula. Azula but lower and gruffer.  "She will come with us." She leaves not an inch of space for debate. "To the Sun Warrior City."
And how can he say no to dragons?
How can he say no to Azula when she, trotting alongside her father, looks hopeful for the first time in ages?
"What if she wants to stay here?" 
Shaw taps her claw on the ground. "This isn't about wants, it is about needs."
And he knows that it is true. She is suffocated here, caged between walls that press so tightly in on her. Her father barely has room to spread his wings and soon she won't be able, either. She is suffocated by standards and dreadful memories as well. 
He imagines that she will probably be happier the further away from Caldera City that she is.
“Will we see her again?”
The dragon snorts. “Would it matter to you if you didn’t?”
Zuko nods. 
“Would it matter to her?” 
“I…” He steals another glance at Azula. “I think so? We’ve been getting along well enough lately.” And yet he can’t help but think that she will feel liberated and unburdened if she never saw any of them again. 
“You can visit when she wants you to, if she wants you to.” The dragon turns her back on him and meanders over to her daughter. Zuko observes her as she reaches that tendril out to Azula. Azula who goes rigid, if only slightly. It occurs to him that this might be the first time that she has heard that she would be departing so soon. She has almost certainly accepted that she would be leaving but not this soon. 
And not when she still doesn’t know how to use her wings. 
Shaw lumbers back to him. “She requests that a familiar face accompany her.”  Before  Zuko can grit his teeth and grumble about how he has to stay and watch the throne, the dragon takes the opportunity off of the table. “Not you. Your lineage is a disgrace.”
Out loud and beyond the psychic link he asks, “then who do you want to come with you?” He pauses. “Who does Azula want to take with her?”
"I'll go with her." Sokka volunteers. 
"So will I." Katara nods. 
“It happens…” Shaw drawls. “That my daughter wants the two of them to come along.” 
“Azula wants both of you to go with her.” He informs them. 
“She…she does?” Sokka’s brows crease and then a smug little smile erupts on his face. “I knew that she had a soft spot for me.” 
“Keep it up and she won’t.” Katara grumbles as Zuko mutters, “or maybe taking a healer is the sensible choice.” Granted, she had told Katara about her condition before telling anyone else. And after that she had taken those gloves off for Sokka. The both of them had seen her scaled hands before anyone else. 
"Maybe you guys can pick up Mai and TyLee along the way?” He suggests. “Azula hasn't seen them in a while and they should probably know what's going on." It might help her to have really familiar faces around. 
“We will find the other two.” Shaw responds flatly and Zuko hopes that he hasn’t just condemned them to take a journey that they didn’t want to embark on. The last thing that they need is for them to feel like Azula has pulled them out of their lives again, intentionally or not. Spirits, he doesn’t even know if Azula wants their company. 
But Shaw has taken Katara into her right talon and Sokka into her left and Azula is climbing herself onto Ran’s back. For as large as she has become she is still so tiny. She wraps her claws around his slender neck and coils her tail around his body.
Zuko wonders if Sokka and Katara will be spending the entirety of their journey uncomfortably clutched within those steely talons. 
“Hey, Aang!” Katara calls as Shaw spreads her wings. “Make sure Zuko doesn’t do anything reckless, okay!? And take care of yourself.”
“We’ll be fine.” Aang promises. “Appa and I will come visit when we get a chance.” 
“Toph!” Sokka shouts with just as much urgency. “Take care of our jerky stash!” 
Tears well in her eyes, “oh, Sokka, how could you?” She shakes her head. “How could you just abandon me and our five little jerky sticks!” 
Zuko rubs his hands over his face. He wishes Azula luck, truly. He has a feeling that not even two seething dragons will be able to keep him from goofing off. And maybe that’s just the sort of energy that Azula needs right now. Someone like Sokka who can lighten a situation and someone like TyLee who seems to find silver linings tucked within piles of dull gray. 
He could certainly use that sort of energy; while Azula goes off to the Sun Warrior City–to walk or fly her new path Zuko will venture back to the past–out into Caldera City to get some answers.
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