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brokebonewritings · 2 years

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When the World Caves In

Marc Spector x gn!Reader

Warning/Tags: 18+, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: You are sent on a special mission to become an avatar for a Goddess in need. The boys go on a mission to bring you back home to them.

Word Count: 1.7K

Navigation || Series Masterlist

A/n: This is a part one! If you do enjoy this, please don’t hesitate to ask to be tagged on the next part! I will happily do it!

Marc laid in bed alone, constantly looking over at the empty spot next to him. You hadn’t come home that night after Khonshu asked to use you for a “special mission”.

All he told Marc was that you were to arrive in Cairo by yourself the morning before. He sat up trying to keep his mind off of the fact that you could very well be in danger. The rubix cube could only do so much.

Marc? You don’t reckon that we should go to Cairo too? He heard Steven say nervously.

Looking over at the fish tank, he could see Steven staring at him.

“No. The bird said that we have to stay in London. Unfortunately, we just have to wait.” He said sharply. Marc knew that came out a little too rough. “Sorry, just.. anxious.”

S’alright, mate. Steven said. He’s protecting them at least, yeah?

“He promised that. Never know with him.” Marc replied

We just have to wait like you said. Steven said before disappearing. Now Marc felt alone. He was about to go crazy if he couldn’t hold you soon.

Just as he was about to get up and do something productive, Marc heard a thump against the front door. It wasn’t anything unusual, since they all lived in a shady area. He just had to be sure someone wasn’t trying to break in.

Grabbing a knife from the kitchen, he walked over slowly to the door and opened it suddenly. There was no one standing directly in front of him until he looked down. On the floor, your body was slumped over covered in bruises and blood stained your jeans and shirt.

This threw Marc into a panic. Not just Marc, but Steven and Jake too.

“Baby. Baby!” He fell on the ground and picked your shoulders up. “Baby! Wake up, Sweetheart!”

He looked around to see if anyone happened to be in the hallway. When he noticed it was just the both of you, he picked you up and took you inside.

He laid you on your shared bed and he began to undress you and searched for open wounds, and to check how bad the damage was. While he was running around you began to come to. You were slightly confused when you realized where you were.

“Marc?” You whimpered weakly. “Steven? Jake?”

When Marc had heard your plea for them in the bathroom, he rushed over to you.

“Baby, it's okay. We’re here, It’s okay.” He grabbed your face as you began to sob “What happened, y/n? You have to tell me where it hurts.”

“The mission. There were too many” You weeped. This broke their heart. Why the fuck did Khonshu make you do this alone.

Marc stood up, and began screaming.

“Khonshu! You piece of shit bird! Where are you!” He yelled towards the ceiling. A black cloud appeared in the corner of the living area and then a figure was seated on the lounge chair.

Marc Spector, I do not appreciate being spoken to in such a manner! You hear the figure say. You knew it was Khonshu speaking.

“You!” Marc ran up to the chair angrily. “You were supposed to protect them!”

I promised to protect no one! The bird replied. This mission was not under my jurisdiction. I was only the messenger.

“Not under your jurisdiction? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He asked, throwing his arms into the air.

You sat up in the bed, holding an arm around your ribcage. Definitely a broken rib or two.

“He means that this mission wasn’t involving him.” You say, making Marc turn towards you. You could tell that he was wildly confused by the whole situation.

He rushed to your side and pulled you into his lap. You looked so broken. Cuts and bruises covered your arms and shoulders. It brought tears to his eyes and when you noticed it made you cry in return.

“Please, y/n, tell me what happened.” He choked out through a sob. You had never seen him like this before. He was always so stoic in tough situations.

“It was..” You looked at Khonshu to get approval. When he nodded, you went on. “It was Ma’at..”

“Ma’at? The goddess of Order?” Marc spoke. Steven must have been feeding him the information.

“I thought she already had an avatar?” He asked towards Khonshu.

No longer. They perished last week. His voice replied from the same area of the flat as before.

“So you send my partner?!” Marc was beginning to become angry again.

I did not send them, Marc. Ma’at requested their presence. Khonshu stood and moved towards the both of you. Marc looked to you for an answer.

“It’s true… She requested I be her new avatar.” You spoke weakly.

He could feel your body becoming heavier. He held you closer to his chest.

“Marc…” You forced out. “I don’t think I can hold on.”

“Wh-what?” He stuttered as he grabbed your face. “Baby, what do you mean?”

“I love you..” You continued. “Tell Steven and Jake too.”

The last thing you remember is Marc shaking you and crying, then darkness.

Y/n. Awaken.

Awake and Rise.

You open your eyes to a bright light in an unfamiliar room. After adjusting, you look around and notice that you are sitting in a library. You look down and see your clothes have been replaced with academic looking one.

The door beside you opens and shuts. A tall woman stands there, waiting for a response.

“Ma’at?” You look quizzically. “Where am I?”

My study. I have been waiting for you. She grimaced slightly. I’m sorry it had to happen this way.

“What do you mean?” You began to really look around and notice Marc was no longer by your side. “Where is Marc?”

He is in the mortal realm, along with your body. She spoke as if this was a casual thing. You began to panic.

“Am I dead?” You spoke calmly despite your mind going a million miles per minute.

No. You are asleep. Your conscience is just elsewhere. She explained. I need your assistance, y/n.

“But Marc! And Jake, and Steven? How will they know?” You began to cry.

I left Khonshu with instructions to explain. She happily said.

Great because that will go over well. Khonshu wasn’t the best at explaining certain situations. You could only hope that the boys would be okay until you returned to them.

Ma’at motioned you to follow her to a corner of her study. It was a big room, bigger than you have ever seen before. You walk behind her waiting for an explanation on what she needed. When she finally stops in front of a shelf, she reaches for a scroll.

This scroll contains the answer of social balance. She begins. I need you to search for 3 items.

“Just 3 items…” You repeat. “Surely I can have Marc help right?”

Incorrect. You must do this yourself. You begin to protest after she starts. Do not disobey me. I will not hesitate to punish you.

“I can’t accept this. I need to talk to Marc!” You gasp. “Please, I need to think about this!”

It is too late. If you return to your body now, you will pass on.

This made you think. You want to return to your boys, but not in your current state. Nodding your head, you agree to take on the task Ma’at has given you.

The 3 items were in the walls of the study, but as Ma’at further explained the situation you realize that the items were hidden amongst the scrolls and books spread around the room. Most of the scrolls were in ancient egyptian, but thank god Steven had given you a lesson once or twice.

You begin your research by reading the initial scroll Ma’at pulled out. It was long but you were willing to read it. Anything to get back home to your boys, who were undoubtedly freaking out.

Marc held your body close to him as he sobbed into your hair. How could this happen, you were just here. You were just sitting up and talking. How could you be gone?

He looked up at Khonshu who was staring quietly at them. He didn’t move, just watched Marc come undone in front of him.

“What are you looking at?” Marc spat. “Got something to say?”

They are not dead, Marc Spector. He began. Just in a deep sleep.

“A deep sleep?” He laughed. “You fucking call this a deep sleep!”

He pulled away from your body to take a closer look at you. You looked so peaceful. It took him a moment to notice that your chest was still rising and falling. Marc looked into the fish tank reflection to see Steven staring.

They’re not dead. Then where are they? He asked innocently. This made Marc look back up at Khonshu.

“Where are they, Khonshu?” He wiped the tears from his face and waited for the God to reply.

They are in Ma’at’s study. She has a mission that only they, as her avatar, can complete.

“Why can’t we help?” He questioned. “Why couldn’t we both go?”

She only requested y/n. He sighed. I do not need you idiots wrapped up in another God’s business.

Marc and Steven could only sit there and watch you as you breathed slowly. Within an hour or two, Marc had laid you on the bed in a comfortable position and kept a close eye on you. He began to disinfect your wounds, and wrap your torso up.

Steven fronted at some point and just laid with you. He couldn't help but wonder when you would come to them. If you would ever come back to them.

He kissed your forehead and whispered about how much he missed you, about how they all had missed you.

When it was Jake’s turn to front, all he did was sit there and planned his revenge. Who would ever dare touch you in such a manner.

He would get them. All of them. For now, his concern was you. Moving you every so often so your bones wouldn’t stiffen up.

After two days passed, Marc had begun to worry. Surely you would have woken up by now. He went through the many books that Steven had to do his own research on Ma’at, but it was all the same information.

Nothing on what she might need you for. He was going to get to the bottom of this. Even if it took him the rest of his life.

Next Chapter

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drippingviolets3 · 2 years

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The following afternoon

You were woken up by the slam of your door. Your first thought was ‘f*cking sh*t Mammon’s here to bug me again’ but the sudden chill in the air made you pause to re-think that previous theory, before it clicked that it must be Viveka, the new goddess that was now living in the House of Lamination.

“How utterly disappointing.” She huffed, crossing her arms and sitting on the edge of your bed. You groggily blinked your eyes. “Huh..? Viveka I just woke up from a nap, what happened?” You asked with a yawn.

“I’m talking about the lack of resources here! What kind of living space lacks food?!” She asked angrily. “I simply wanted to make myself a meal, and do you know what I find instead? A empty fridge!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. Another cold wind blew in, carrying snowflakes in its trail and swirling around Viveka like a shield, guarding those in her way from her wrath. “And then I come to find out it was all that grimy orange haired demon’s fault! He took everything from the fridge, everything! Who in the name of Life and Death can take enough food to feed nine people in a house and eat it all?!”

“V-Viveka you gotta understand! We’re living with Beelzebub here! Beelzebub! He’s is the avatar of gluttony and he can’t control his hunger, his stomach is pretty much a black hole.” You said, trying to calm down the raging goddess. “It’s about 3 anyways, we’ll be having lunch soon. We always have enough food for everyone, I’m sure you won’t starve.”

The albino woman took a deep breath, and once she let it out the wind blew away, taking the snowflakes with it. “Hmph. Fine, I will wait then. It at least gives me time to wait for my package.” She said, combing through her hair to put each strand back in place after that little wind storm she caused.

“Package? You’re already using Akuzon?” You asked. She shook her head. “No, one of my messengers will simply be bringing me something from home.” She answered. ‘And you couldn’t add it in that giant luggage pile?’ You thought, biting back the comment.

Viveka stood up from the bed. “Well, I suppose I should change into something more casual. Although I don’t know if any of the clothing I packed will fit the “casual” criteria.” She said with a sigh, making contact with your (e/c) eyes with her ruby red ones. “Perhaps you can lend me a hand.”

You blushed a little, unsure of what she was implying, but recognizing that you might not have a choice here you nodded and climbed out of bed, following Viveka.

Outside of your room, you saw that her luggage was all gone, everything probably being packed up by now. Beel was walking down the hall with his arms full of food, and was chewing on a apple. He saw you both and nodded, unable to wave without dropping his food. You saw Viveka tense up, recognizing him as the person who f*cked up her mission for a snack.

“M’rning Y/n.” He greeted with a mouth full of the apple he was chewing on, little bits and pieces flying out of his mouth as he spoke, before swallowing to greet Viveka. “Hi Viveka. Want a apple? I think I have one somewhere….”

“You mean that apple you’ve been spewing out of your mouth as you spoke to me and Y/n?” Viveka asked, anger bubbling in her tone. Beel seemed unaffected and merely looked at his hand. “Oh yeah, I guess I did already start eating it….want a Twinkie then? Solomon brought them over from the human world last time they visited there.” He said, before promptly shoving the apple into his mouth and chewing it entirely, and then rummaging through his snack pile in his arms to pull out a Twinkie.

“Actually I picked out the twinkies.” You quickly butted in, recognizing those brand new twinkies as the one you picked out when you traveled to the human world with Solomon. “Solomon brought chocolate, remember? And I had to convince him to bring Twinkies in place of some sort of weird snack from the human world.” You shuddered at the memory, that thing he had picked out looked like something he would have cooked himself and it was terrifying.

“Oh, I think I remember. I don’t know, I grabbed them when Solomon set them down with the Twinkies.” Beel said, a little flustered. Viveka narrowed her eyes, and you could sense another impolite comment coming on, but she seemed to push that urge down and simply snatched the Twinkie from him. “I’ll eat it at a later date.” She said sternly, before taking you by the wrist. “Now if you’ll excuse us, Y/n must assist me with a task.”

She pulled you forward and walked down the hall, her dress flowing gracefully behind her. You turned your head back to see Beel staring at you both, but following his line of sight you realized his gaze was set on Viveka specifically. You quickly brushed it off when Viveka dragged you into her dorm, slamming the door shut. Yew, who was sleeping on her bed, arose with a jolt, perking it’s ears up and looking around. You smiled a little at the bunny and reached over to pet it again, which it accepted immediately.

You took a minute to look around now that the room was decorated. The room was decorated like a winter wonderland with themes of white and different shades of blue. The old blankets and pillowcases on the bed were swapped out for much more high quality ones, the blankets seemingly made out of animal fur (probably fake, or at least you hopes they were) and there was a velvety light blue fabric hanging down from the bed, along with little fake leaf vines with holly berries on it for decoration. There was a vanity that was a snowy white and shone like a diamond, and you could see the top of it had what appeared to be a silver jewelry box with rubies imbedded in the design, along with the necessary items that looked waaaay more high quality then they should be, such as a silver hairbrush and comb.

“Hmph. The nerve of that gluttonous demon, he dares speak to me with his mouth full? Such impoliteness would never be tolerated by a god of any kind! And I think he even got some pieces in my hair, yuck.” The snowy goddess grimaced, sitting by her vanity and picking up the comb laid out to brush through her hair.

“Hehe, yeah. They may be all powerful demons, buuut they’re about as clean and hygienic as your average human male. Except Asmo and Lucifer that is. They care too much about their appearances to skip hygiene.” You said with a light yet awkward laugh. Viveka scoffed at that. “Expected, yet utterly disappointing anyways.”

Once she was sure her hair was clean she stood up and walked to her closet, opening it up to reveal multiple uniforms for school, and a lot of her own dresses as well. “So tell me Mc, what does street fashion look like in the Devildom? Or anywhere for that matter?” She asked.

“Uhm…I guess casual? Whatever you would wear on a regular outing?” You said, although your voice gave away that you were unsure. “Like, what would you wear to a hangout with friends? Or your siblings for that matter?”

“Hmm, I suppose maybe something like this.” She mumbled, rummaging through the multiple outfits to pull out a small hat box and a coat. The coat was gray, and had (fake) fur lining the cuffs of the sleeves, along with the neckline and edge, and was kept closed with buttons. In the hat box was a solid fuzzy faux hat, the same shade of gray as the coat. “Usually I’ll wear a sweater underneath and some leggings, will that work?”

That was a….oddly simple look for such a regal woman. But then again she was going for something casual so maybe she wasn’t like the nobles in the stories where they think casual is showering themselves in jewelry and ruffled skirts.

“That looks beautiful! But I..don’t think that’s good for the Devildom’s climate. There may not be a sun, but it’s still really hot here.” You explained sheepishly. “We don’t exactly want you getting sick from heat stroke, so I don’t think a sweater will work very well either.”

Viveka didn’t seem pleased with that answer and huffed, hanging up the coat before speaking. “Well, now I’m unsure of what to do. All of my cloths are either too formal or are too warm for this domain’s weather.” You didn’t fully believe that, although you will admit it seemed plausible due to her status as a minor goddess of snow and ice. But with how packed her closet was you found it hard to believe all of those were just winter clothes. So you stood up, moving your hand away from Yew who looked up at you with a sense of bunny betrayal (how dare you), and peeked inside the closet. “Let me take a look.”

You heard Viveka give another scoff. “I am aware that you’re trying to assist me, but asking for permission would be lovely next time.” You gulped but nodded, before diving in to dig through the mountain of outfits hung up in her closet. The materials the dresses were made of varied (although all were very fitting for a royal like her), but the color scheme was mostly the same. Whites, blues, silvers, and sometimes a bit of red.

A lot of the outfits were long sleeved and warm dresses, as expected, but through some digging you found a hidden gem in the back of the closet. Pulling it out, you saw it was a sundress of sorts. It was white with a flowy skirt and butterfly sleeves, and while the front was a button up there were drawstrings to pull the sleeves and neckline up, perhaps to cover more of her chest area (which didn’t show much but like…still kinda awkward for some people)

(What I’m trying to describe is this, I’m sorry but I can’t describe clothing for shit 😭)

“Oh my. I completely forgot I had this dress.” Viveka said in awe, gently taking the dress from you and holding it against her, doing a little twirl and watching the skirt fly around like a kite in the wind. “My sister gave it to me. Azura to be specific.” You recognized the name of her, she was supposed to be the one who became the goddess of summer, but was currently the goddess of harvest and warmth. “It’s one of the few peace offerings I have from her…” Viveka added.

“Anyways, this will do. Please exit so I may change.” She ordered, pointing to the door. You didn’t hesitate to leave, not wanting to invoke the wrath of a goddess, and sat against the wall outside once the door was shut behind you.

“Heeeeeey Y/n! What’cha doing outside of Viveka’s room?” You’d recognize that voice anywhere. It was Asmo, who was leaning down to you with his signature closed eye smile. “Oh, Viveka wanted me to help her find a casual outfit for the Devildom. It was pretty hard though, she has so many gowns and coats, it’s a wonder she didn’t get sick on the way here.” You laughed.

That seemed to flip a switch in Asmo’s brain, and his eyes began to shine. “Oh my gosh! We should totally take her to Majolish! Help her pick out some clothes, you know?” You wanted to say that the girl didn’t need any more clothes then she already had, otherwise her closet would burst. But then you paused to rethink that, and just nodded with a sigh. She needed clothing that wasn’t so heavy and extravagant, or she’d get mugged (good luck on the muggers) or sick. “We’ll talk to her about it then.”

“Pardon? I believe I heard my name.” Viveka chimed in, stepping out of her room in the sundress you picked out. Her hair way styled, with the hairs that framed her face pulled back and braided, making you gawk. You turned over to Asmo who was in a trance, but then began to squeal. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh! You’re stunning! Aah! Oooh, that reminds me, sooo Y/n told me you don’t really have that many casual clothes, so how about we take you on a small trip to Majolish and pick you out a outfit or two, m’kay?” He asked grabbing her hands in his own and swaying them happily. Viveka tore her hands away from his and moved closer to you. “Hmph, I don’t know why holding my hands in such a manner was important for your offer, but I accept.” She said cooly.

“Hey hey hey! What are y’all talking about, shopping with Viveka and Mc?” Mammon yelled, running over from down the hall. He must have been passing by and overheard the plan. “I’ll come with! I’ve been modeling for a while, I know some good places to visit!” He said, pointing a thumb to himself with his usual prideful grin. Asmo’s eyes narrowed in disgust. “Oh please, you’d just end up dragging us to the casino.” He scoffed. Mammon’s face twisted in anger immediately as a result. “Oi! I wouldn’t drag Viveka to a casino! If anything you’d be the one causing trouble, you’d drag her to a strip club or something!” He growled.

“Did he just growl?” Viveka whispered to you. You nodded, knowing it was just Mammon’s thing. Viveka narrowed her eyes. “Hmm, I should call animal control soon then.” Looks like Viveka would rather observe the situation then break it up, so with a sigh you shoved between the two brothers and glared at them both. “Can you literally shut up for one minute? Let’s just grab some clothes, maybe a bite to eat, and come back. We can’t drag the woman around all day, so I’ll be the one leading the charge so you two don’t do anything shady or stupid, Kay?” You took a few steps back and crossed your arms, and the two brothers just huffed.

“Hmph, fine. Lead the way Y/n.”

Ah, so the human can tame these beasts. Maybe that’s why they seem so special. Although those creatures don’t seem to be very into them, they act rather huffy when they order them around. But of course, no one likes to be ordered around.

Viveka noticed this as Y/n lead them out of the house, remaining close to the human in case some puny demon decided to attack. Demon tamer or not those creatures couldn’t be trusted, their loyalty can change at the flip of a coin, and Viveka would be damned if they let this human die on her watch.

#writing #obey me au #obey me #obey me attempted replacement au #obey me replaced mc au #replaced au

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leossmoonn · 3 years

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chemistry part tweleve

part eleven | part thirteen | masterlist

zuko x fem!reader

avatar: the last airbender

includes - you, zuko, suki, katara, toph, sokka, and aang

special appearences by - iron, azula, and appa (mini sky bison,,, he’s like the size of a shihi tzu)

warnings - language, little suggestive lol

you poured the chips onto the plate, putting all of the dips in the middle. you set it on the island table with the rest of snacks you and the girls had picked up for the christmas party. you were excited, but nervous for this year’s party. ever since you girls went to college, which was three years ago - well, toph just started this year - , you had made it a friend tradition to have holiday parties. you had friend-giving, friend-mas, friend year’s and galentine’s day.

you and the girls always had aang and sokka there. you usually were the one with no date. toph had a few guys come over sometime, but they never really stuck. since this was your first time having a boy over, one that was really hot, really smart, and seemed really into you, you were beyond nervous. you were terrified. sure, you had hung out with him before, but not when you were gonna drink a few glasses of champagne. so, you decided to just be light on the drinks tonight. otherwise, you would probably end up laying on zuko’s lap, either making out with him or telling embarrassing childhood stories.

“this looks great, guys! ooh, salsa,” sokka said, his mouth watering.

“yeah, i can’t wait to eat the nachos,” toph said.

both of their hands went to pick up a chip, but you slapped their hands away.

“no one eats until zuko, katara, and aang are here,” you said.

sokka frowned, “you suck. suki, tell y/n i can have one chip.”

suki chuckled, “no, y/n’s right.”

“can you let me have a chip? i’m your best friend! and i’m blind,” toph begged with a sweet smile.

suki rolled her eyes, “nice try.”

“i haven’t eaten since this morning!” toph exclaimed.

“get another snack then. these are for our guests,” you said.

toph scoffed, “yeah you mean for your boyfriend zuko.”

sokka smirked, “yeah, you wanna make sure everything is perfect for him.”

“no, i don’t! it’s just polite to wait,” you glared at them.

sokka smirked, “suuuuure, y/n. keep telling yourself that.”

you frowned, “i literally hate you.”

“love you, too! where are katara and aang, anyways?” sokka asked.

“they’re picking up some gingerbread house kits for us to make,” toph said.

“yeah, and that takes 45 minutes? i’m sure that’s what they’re doing,” sokka rolled his eyes.

“i’ll text katara and see if they’re coming back soon,” you said.

“good. text zuko and ask when he’s coming. make sure to tell him if he doesn't come in the next 15 minutes, i will start eating the counter,” sokka said.

you rolled your eyes. “what a baby.”

you went into the living room, pulling out your phone. you texted katara, hoping for a quick response. you then texted zuko, suddenly getting anxious again.

you set your phone down next to you. suki, toph, and sokka came over to sit down.

“so, when are they coming?” sokka asked.

“uh, zuko said 10 minutes and katara hasn’t responded yet,” you answered.

“ugh! next time, one of you go with katara for shopping,” sokka said.

“yeah, cause we are faster than them,” suki chuckled.

the front door opened and there revealed katara and aang. they had grocery bags in each hands.

“hey, guys!” katara smiled.

“god, finally! what took you guys so long?” sokka asked.

“we couldn’t find the special sprinkles you like, sokka,” aang said.

“oh,” sokka said.

“and we had to get appa,” aang said. appa flew out from behind aang, landing on your lap.

you squealed, “hi, appa!” you ruffled his hair softly, earning a lick on the nose from him.

“appa, come here boy!” sokka smiled at him. appa just looked at sokka, turning back to you.

“appa, come here!” toph said, patting her lap. appa walked across your lap to toph, licking her cheek.

“haha! that sucks,” you laughed at sokka’s frown.

“sokka, you can redeem yourself by helping me with these groceries,” katara said.

sokka sighed and got up from the couch, taking a few bags out of their hands and going over to the kitchen. as they set up the treats, you looked at the door, your leg bouncing up and down as you waited for a knock from zuko.

“you okay, y/n? i can feel your leg bouncing,” toph said.

“yeah, what’s wrong?” suki asked.

you kept your eyes on the door. “i’m fine,” you shrugged.

suki put her hand on your knee, stopping it. “take a deep breath, okay? zuko was so happy to receive an invitation. and isn’t he gonna wear a matching ugly sweater with you for the ugly sweater contest? it’ll be perfect.”

you sighed. “yeah, but what if i spill guac on him. or worse, i trip and fall over on him.” you shivered as you thought of the cringe that would come from those moments.

“if you fall, i will make sure to take a picture,” katara said as she walked into the living room.

you rolled your eyes. “really supportive, kat.”

katara smiled and sat down next to you. “you’ll be fine. like suki said, zuko wants to be here and plus, he really likes you. go and drink some water, take a deep breath, and go be the badass, hot girl i know.”

“yeah, and if he hurts you tonight, i’ll make sure to crush his bones,” toph smiled maliciously, cracking her knuckles.

you smiled at your best friends. “thanks guys, you guys are the best.”

“we know,” toph smiled.

you laughed at her comment, but fell silent once you heard a knock on the door.

oh, god. that’s him. that’s him that’s him

“are you gonna get that, or do i have to?” sokka asked, walking towards the door.

you jumped up off the couch, pushing sokka away. “i got it.”

“alright,” sokka said.

you took a deep breath, combing your fingers through your hair, and pulled your sweater down. you put your hand on the door, slowly opening it.

zuko appeared in front of you, a big grin appearing on your face.

“hey, zuko!” you said excitedly.

“hi, y/n,” he smiled at you.

“come in,” you said, stepping out of his way.

“thanks,” zuko said and stepped in. he took his shoes off and coat, revealing his matching christmas sweater.

you gasped, your eyes lighting up. “you actually wore it!”

“well yeah, it’d be lame not to,” zuko chuckled.

“true. we so have the best sweaters on,” you smiled.

appa flew over to zuko, licking zuko’s cheek while still in the air.

“hey, buddy,” zuko smiled. “i would pet you, but i have my hands full,” he said, gesturing to the gift bags he had.

“oh, let me take those for you,” you said. zuko handed the presents to you, you walking over to the christmas tree.

“thank you,” zuko said, walking over with appa cuddling in his arms.

“no problem,” you smiled.

“hey, man!” sokka exclaimed as he walked into the room.

“hey, sokka!” zuko smiled, giving sokka a hug.

“hey, zuko. long time, no see,” aang smiled.

“yeah, sorry, holiday times at the JD get busy,” zuko chuckled. “we can hang over break.”

“awesome! gram-gram bought katara and i a vr headset, we can all play on it when you come over!” sokka said.

“oh, cool! azula’s friend, ty lee, has one, too. i played on it a little,” zuko said.

“is it fun?” you asked.

“very. maybe you can come over to my place sometime and i’ll have ty lee bring it over,” zuko smiled.

“yeah, i’d like that,” you grinned.

you and zuko smiled at each other for what seemed like forever before toph coughed.

“i can feel the sexual tension between you two, please stop. can we eat now?” she asked.

you and zuko looked away from each other, pink tainted both of your cheeks.

“yeah, we can eat now,” you said.

“alright! let’s get this party on!” sokka exclaimed, running to the kitchen.

you chuckled, walking over to the kitchen.

“zuko, you want champagne or beer?” you asked.

“beer is fine, thank you,” zuko smiled.

you got out a bottle from the cooler, handing it to him. “you’re welcome. so, what’d you get everyone?”

“well, i got sokka a new wallet. i bought aang a new messenger bag, he mentioned he needed one since his old one is practically falling apart.” “yeah, he's had that thing since high school,” you chuckled.

“exactly. anyways, so i got suki a $50 gift card to sephora, katara a hoodie that says ‘riding the waves’. i got appa a little ball you can put hay in so he can exercise and eat. i got toph some airpods, and your present is a surprise,” zuko smiled.

“wow, you are an awesome gift giver. and i am very excited about my gift. i can’t wait to open the ones every gave me, not to be greedy or anything. i heard sokka got me my own personal smoothie maker,” you smiled.

“don’t you already have a nutri bullet?” zuko asked, pointing to the machine that was on the counter.

“yes, but apparently this one can make milkshakes, too. definitely gonna sell the nutri bullet on craigslist,” you smiled.

“wow, sounds cool. i wish i had one of those,” zuko said.

you scoffed, “you literally live above a tea shop, you don’t need a blender.”

“hm, true. it’s great being me,” zuko joked. “i bet it is,” you giggled.

“guys! wanna do the ginger bread house making contest now?” katara asked.

“yeah!” you nodded, going over to the kitchen table. you and zuko sat down across from each other, grabbing one of the kits.

“alright, we have an hour do to this. the judges are toph and appa. toph will judge taste, appa will judge construction and decor,” suki smiled.

“what? you trust a sky bison?” sokka asked.

appa grunted, slapping sokka with his tail. you laughed, “you deserved that.”

sokka rolled his eyes. “yeah, whatever.”

suki sat down next to sokka, pecking his cheek. you looked at zuko, wishing you could do that to him. zuko gave you a small smile, wishing the same thing.

toph held up the timer. “alright, ready… set.. go!”

you tore the box open, setting out the walls, roof, and decorations. you worked quickly, opening all your materials. you started to glue the walls to the bottom with icing. you looked up for a second to see zuko doing the same thing.

“ready to go down?” he asked, noticing your stare.

“nah, i’m ready to win,” you smiled.

zuko mirrored your grin, going back to focusing on his house.

you quickly built the rest of the walls, everything surprisingly staying up.

“aw, damn it!” katara exclaimed. you looked over to see two of her walls falling down.

“it’s okay, baby, you can do it,” aang said.

katara groaned in frustration, “i held them together for 5 minutes! how are you and y/n’s walls staying on?”

“it’s called having ‘the magic touch’,” you snickered.

katara frowned, “shut up.”

“hey, mine is falling, too,” zuko said. you looked over to his, seeing one of the walls tipping over.

“well, not mine! i’m awesome!” sokka exclaimed. “and suki is, too!”

you looked over to suki, who already had her roof on.

“up top, babe!” sokka said, holding his hand up. suki high-fived him, “yep. we are legendary.” “nope,” you said, glueing on your roof.

“face it, y/n, you’re gonna lose. suki and i are gonna win,” sokka said.

“hey! no teaming!” katara exclaimed.

“oh, you’re teaming with aang. you can’t talk,” you remarked.

“you can team with zuko,” aang suggested.

you looked at zuko, seeing him already looking at you. he shrugged at you, “you want to?”

“yes,” you smiled.

“how do you all team if you all have your own houses?” toph asked.

“well, we can add our points up,” suki said.

“ah, okay. well, grading will be extra hard, then,” toph smiled.

“fair,” aang said.

“no, not fair!” sokka exclaimed. “yes, fair,” you said. “therefore, you will lose, and zuko and i will win.”

“nope, aang and i will win,” katara stated matter-of-factly.

“you sure, kat?” sokka smirked, looking at her gumdrops who were falling off of the front of the house.

katra glared, “you don’t even have any decorations on yet!”

sokka scowled, “yeah, well, suki does! and she’ll help us win all the points.”

“sokka! get to work,” suki ordered.

“yes, ma’am,” sokka said and started decorating his roof.

you turned to your own house again, resuming decorating the front of the house.

“yours looks really good,” zuko said.

you looked up and smiled. “thank you. yours do, too. i like the flowers on the side.”

“thanks. garden are very important for a nice house,” he said.

you chuckled, “i agree.”

“15 more minutes left!” toph exclaimed.

“what? how do you know that?” sokka asked.

“i set a 45 minute timer so i would know, genius,” toph rolled her eyes.

“right, right,” sokka said, turning to back to his house.

“ten more!” toph said.

“damn,” you muttered.

“what?” zuko asked.

“i haven’t finished my snowman,” you frowned and turned your house over so he could see the snow man you made out of marshmallows.

“i think he looks perfect,” zuko smiled.

you giggled, “thank you. i think we’re gonna win this.”

“me, too,” zuko smiled.

“3…2…1, stop!” toph shouted. you put your hands in your lap, waiting for the judging to begin.

“alright, first up is aang and katara. aka kataang. aang, give me a piece of your room, a wall, and a piece with candy. katara, do the same. appa, go ahead and judge,” toph instructed.

appa flew around the houses, looking at every inch, nook, and cranny.

“he can’t even talk! this isn’t fair!” sokka exclaimed.

“do not disrespect the sky bison,” you glared at him.

sokka scoffed, “he knows it’s true.”

appa grunted at sokka before going back to look at katara’s house.

“hm, a good amount of sweetness. nice use of the gummy worms. very good, aang,” toph said.

“thank you,” aang smiled widely.

toph then judged katara, going to appa to talk over the points.

“alright. we give you guys a 8.5 out of 10,” toph said.

“alright, that’s good!” katara high-fived aang.

“good job, babe,” aang smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

“next up are suki and sokka,” toph said.

suki and sokka gave toph pieces of their houses, appa flying around to observe. after 10 minutes after judging, toph gave them the score.

“8 out of 10,” toph said.

“what! that’s like a low b!” sokka eclaimed.

“hey, it's higher than a c,” suki said, putting a hand over his.

sokka pouted, “fine. let’s see how team (you and zuko’s ship name) did.”

you cut pieces of your gingerbread and handed it to toph. zuko did the same. you bit your lip in anticipation. you knew it was a silly game, but the winner - or winners in this case - got a free dinner to the middle ring or a 2 free drinks at the JD. you wanted the JD coupon so bad. you loved the tea, but also, it gave you an excuse to see zuko randomly.

“hm, alright. i give you two 9 out of 10. you guys are the winners!” toph smiled.

you jumped up in excitement, going over to zuko and pulling him in a tight hug. zuko wrapped his arms around you, giving you the feeling of warmth and safety.

you pulled away, a bright smile on your face.

“which do you choose. free dinner at the middle ring, or two free drinks at the JD. one of you can get each since there’s enough for both of you,” toph said, holding out the coupons.

“i want the coupon to JD!” you said, but looked to zuko quickly. “unless you do.”

“you can take it,” zuko smiled.

“yay!” you squealed and plucked the ticket out of toph’s hand.

“alright, ugly sweater contest! the prize is money,” sokka grinned.

“alright, appa will be the judge again!” suki exclaimed, walking over and putting a $20 bill in appa’s mouth.

“okay, since zuko and y/n are wearing the same sweater, they can each have $10,” katara said.

“alright, fair,” you nodded.

“stand in a line,” aang instructed. you went in-between zuko and toph. you all watched in excitement, waiting for appa to hand one of you the bill.

after five minutes, appa went to toph.

“alright! you all suck!” toph pumped her fist up in the air.

“you have to be kidding me,” sokka said, face palming.

you chuckled, turning to zuko. “maybe next year.”

“yep. i don’t know why we didn’t win. all these sparkles and diamonds give me a headache,” zuko said, looking at his sweatshirt.

“same. you can change if you want,” you said.

“nah, i’m good. i wanna be matching,” zuko smiled.

you chuckled, “yay! i was hoping you said that.”

zuko’s smile widened at your excitement. you felt giddy inside and found yourself staring at his lips. you felt a sudden urge to lean up and kiss him, and go back into your room and make out. zuko must’ve noticed your stare, cause he licked his lips seductively. your face warmed up and you looked away quickly, coughing awkwardly and going to pour yourself another glass of champagne.

zuko smiled at your retreating figure, looking to your other friends.

“so, what's next on the agenda?” he asked.

“present opening!” aang exclaimed, running over to the tree.

you walked over to the living room, sitting down on the bean bag. zuko sat across from you.

“alright, i wanna go first!” aang exclaimed.

“alright. here’s mine,” katara said, picking up a big present and handing it to him.

aang opened it and pulled out new sneakers. “oh, this is awesome! thank you, babe. i love you.”

katara smiled. “you’re welcome. i got them custom-made so they’re your favourite colors and on the logo, it has appa and my name on it.”

“my two favourite things in the world. i love it,” aang smiled, leaning over to give katara a kiss.

suki then handed her his gift. he then opened one from sokka, toph, and zuko, then you. you ended up getting him a new gaming headset that has boosted sound system.

“thanks, guys. you are all awesome!” aang grinned.

“you're welcome, buddy,” sokka smiled. “my turn!”

“alright, here’s mine,” suki said, handing him a banana-shaped present.

sokka ripped it open, holding it up in all its glory, it was a dark blue boomerang that had a small heart on one end with suki’s name in it.

“this. is. AMAZING! oh, i love you! we are so doing it tonight!” sokka exclaimed, kissing suki.

you all groaned, telling sokka to shut up.

sokka opened everyone else’s present. you had got him a skateboard.

“thank you, guys. especially suki,” sokka smiled at his girlfriend. “you’re welcome, baby,” suki smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“my turn!” katara exclaimed.

she opened her present from aang first, which was new makeup brushes, which apparently katara need a lot. suki got katara a humidifier, toph got her a new smoothie/coffee cup, sokka got her a $50 gift card to jc penny, zuko gave katara the sweatshirt, and you got her a polaroid camera.

“i love all these! thank you,” katara smiled at each of you.

“you're welcome,” you all spoke.

suki went next. sokka had gifted her a 365 day jar, katara gave her a new makeup pallet, toph gifted suki a new curling iron, aang gave her a new fluffy pillow, zuko gave her the gift card, and you had bought suki a new silk robe.

“oh, these are sick! definitely gonna have fun with these,” suki held up the jar and the robe.

“you’re welcome,” katara smiled. “alright, toph, it’s your turn.”

“alright, tell me what is it after i open it,” toph said. katara handed her a gift from her.

katara had given toph a new pair of hiking shoes, suki had given her new guitar picks and a new guitar strap, sokka had given her a new gaming chair, which obviously wasn't there, but he said he it would be delivered to the apartment tomorrow. aang gave her a 5 candle set, zuko had given her airpods, and you had given her a turtle duck stuffed animal where she could warm up in case of cramps or stress.

“these are awesome. thanks guys,” toph smiled.

“you’re welcome! alright, zuko’s turn!” suki exclaimed, handing him a gift.

“thanks,” zuko smiled.

suki had gifted him a sweatshirt with his favorite basketball team, katara had bought him a new phone case, aang gave him a new gaming headset, sokka had given him a new watch, and toph gave him new sneakers.

you nervously gave him your gift, which was pretty huge. zuko smiled while opening it, his eyes lighting up once he saw it.

“woah, this is awesome!” he exclaimed.

you had gotten him a new skateboard that had his name written on flames.

“i know you mentioned you hadn’t had a skateboard since you were in high school and you wanted to get back into it,” you said bashfully.

“thank you, i love it,” zuko smiled.

“you’re welcome,” you smiled. “alright, well, my turn!”

“open mine first!” katara exclaimed, handing you her gift.

you took it from her, opening it gently. she had gotten you a google home.

“oh, katara, do you know how much i adore you?” you said.

“i know, don’t worry,” katara giggled.

you had opened the next gift, which as from suki. she had gifted you crocs that said ‘super swag’ on each one.

“oh, you are feeding my narcism,” you chuckled.

“you deserve it,” suki smiled.

you then opened aang’s gift. he had gotten you a new hoodie from your favorite show. “this is like $70! thank you!”

“you’re welcome,” aang smiled.

you opened your gift from toph, which was a poster with all of the girls and you.

“how did you get this one made?” you asked, staring at it in astonishment.

“i know people,” toph grinned.

you chuckled, “thank you.”

“you’re welcome,” toph said.

sokka handed you his gift, which was the blender

“yes!” you squealed.

“i knew you would like it. no need to tell me, i already know i’m the best gift giver,” sokka smirked.

“hm, i can’t say that until i open zuko’s gift,” you said.

zuko had handed you his gift. “thank you,” you said.

“you’re welcome,” zuko said.

“i’m goanna go and order pizza,” katara said.

“yeah, me too!” sokka exclaimed, getting up.

you furrowed your brows. “what?”

“yeah, i need to make sure katara orders the right pizza,” toph said.

“i need to pee,” aang said. “i have to take appa out,” suki said.

they all got up and left the room, leaving you speechless.

“what just happened?” you asked, turning to zuko.

zuko was blushing hard, which made you even more confused.

“i don’t know. go ahead and open your gift,” he said.

“alright,” you said. you opened the gift, which was a small, black box. you took the top off, your eyes widening and your mouth agape. zuko had gotten you a silver charm bracelet. the charms were an otter-penguin, the first initial of your name, your zodiac sign with your zodiac gemstone, and a small circle.

“this is so beautiful, thank you,” you smiled.

“you're welcome. read the text on the small circle,” he said.

you looked at it, reading the words out loud. “will you… go on… a date… with me?”

you paused for a moment, lowering the bracelet and looking at zuko.

“so, what’s your answer?” zuko asked, nervously playing with his fingers.

“yes,” you nodded and smiled.

zuko’s worried expression went away immediately, and was replaced with glowing, big grin. “really?”

“yes!” laughed, leaning over and giving him a hug.

“YES!” you heard everyone shout from kitchen. they all came back into the room.

“you guys are gonna make an awesome couple!” sokka exclaimed.

you pulled away, blushing. “shut up.”

“alright, wanna watch ‘home alone’, now?” suki asked.

“yeah,” you nodded.

“zuko and y/n, you can sit on the love seat,” sokka smiled, wiggling his eye brows.

you rolled your eyes, “so immature.”

“i don’t mind,” zuko smiled and shrugged.

you smiled up at him, walking over to the couch with him. you sat down right next to him, putting your head on his shoulder with no hesitation. zuko wrapped his arm around you and rested his hand on your thigh. your heart pounded against your chest, and warmth shot down from your stomach to between your thighs.

“do you mind my hand being here?” zuko asked.

you took a deep, shaky breath. “nope.”

zuko moved his hand, “you sure?”

you grabbed his hand and shook your head. “i’m sure.”

zuko smirked a little, putting his hand back. you sighed contently and leaned into him more, enjoying the warmth he provided.

aang turned on the movie and you all watched it in silence. during the movie, you had moved over to zuko’s lap. you were stretching and ended up on him. you were going to move, but zuko grabbed your waist gently, setting you back down. the gesture had you grinning from ear-to-ear, snuggling into him.

the movie ended, which signalled the end of the party. everyone but zuko was staying, which made you sad, but you knew you weren’t ready for him to stay the night with you in your room. not just yet.

so, you just walked him up to the front door.

“thank you for the skateboard,” zuko smiled.

“you’re welcome. thank you for the charm bracelet. when is the date, again?” you asked.

“ah, right, sorry,” zuko chuckled. “are you free tomorrow?”

“i am,” you smiled, clasping your hands in excitement.

“great! i’ll take you out then. make sure to dress warmly,” he said.

“will do. see you tomorrow, zu,” you smiled.

“see you,” he smiled and went on his way.

you closed the door, looking down at your charm bracelet dreamily. you were falling hard for this boy.

note - hope you guys read and enjoy this as new parts are added! if you wanna be on the taglist, message me and/or reply to this post :))

taglist - @sorrythatspussynal @theblueslytherin @charlenasaxen@akiris @the-paintedlady @thatarthistorynerd @freckled-and-daydreaming @fi-chanwrites

#atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender #prince zuko #zuko x reader #zuko smau #zuko x reader smau #atla smau #smau #fire lord zuko x reader #atla zuko x reader #atla sokka #atla aang #atla suki #atla katara #atla toph #atla appa

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firebendersimp · 4 years

Text

matchmaker

summary: maybe Iroh’s meddling in Zuko’s love life wasn’t so bad after all.

a/n: written for the lovely @fromthewatertribe‘s 1K celebration wirh prompt 19: “Okay, so, like, I might, well, it’s not that I might, it’s that I do, I, just, shit! Okay, well, you see— I am kind of absolutely in love with you.”

word count: 1.6K

warnings: fluff, swearing, iroh meddling in people’s lives

Feelings were a very strange thing, last year the mere thought of Zuko was enough to make your blood boil with rage and now the mention of his name sent your heart fluttering. You had it bad for the former disgraced fire nation prince and he had no idea.

Or so you thought....

Zuko had been excited to go see his Uncle in Ba Sing Se, however, he was now regretting the decision as Iroh seemed determined to play matchmaker much to the young fire lord’s horror. “Uncle, I am not going on a date with some girl I’ve never met before. I came here to see you, not to waste my time going on dates.” He sighed in exasperation, hiding his face in his hands.

“I see, well what about a girl you have met before?”

He glanced up at Iroh, a feeling of unease flooding his body as he took in the mischievous smile on his Uncle’s face, “If you’re talking about Jin-”

“Oh no no, I was actually talking about a different girl. What’s her name again? The pretty one who travels with the Avatar, you always seemed so taken with her, Zuko.”

Zuko’s face turned red as he realised who Iroh was referring to, “Y/n?”

“Ah yes, that was her name. Why don’t you invite her to come have tea with you at my tea shop?”

“I am not asking Y/n on a date.” He seethed, embarrassed by his Uncle’s suggestion.

“Now nephew, I never said anything about a date. But now that you’ve mentioned it... I’ll just say you could do a lot worse than her. She seems like a nice girl, I think she would be good for you. Just think about it.” And with that he left Zuko in the living room to sit in shocked silence.

Seizing the paper in front of him, he wrote a message addressed to you, rolling the paper up and attaching it to the messenger hawk before he could regret his decision.

There was a fire nation hawk sitting on your window sill when you woke up, sat perfectly still giving you this look like it was appraising you before it let out this awful screeching noise. You moved over to it, gingerly taking out the message it was carrying and unrolling it. You recognised the handwriting as your eyes scanned over the message, he was inviting you to come see him in Ba Sing Se. Your face broke out into a smile and you looked over to see the hawk still staring at you, who knew that an animal could look so judgemental. You waved at it with the letter, “You can go now, if you want.” It didn’t make a move and you nodded, “Or you can stay there and keep creepily staring at me, that’s cool too.” You pulled the suitcase out from under your bed and began packing for your visit to Ba Sing Se.

Zuko tapped his fingers against the wooden window sill impatiently as his golden eyes searched the skies for any sign of the hawk returning. He sighed, his shoulders dropping in disappointment, how stupid could he be? Asking you to come all the way to Ba Sing Se just to see him, of course you wouldn’t respond, after everything he had done in the past to you and your friends. There was a knock at the door and Iroh went to answer it, laughing before calling out to Zuko, “Nephew, I believe it’s for you.” He walked over to the door, expecting to see Jin or some unfamiliar Earth Kingdom girl.

“Hi, I uh got your message.” He froze, eyes slowly lifting from the floor to your face.

“You came.” You let out a laugh at his dumbfounded expression.

“You asked me to, didn’t you?”

He nodded, still staring at you with wide eyes, flinching when Iroh laid a hand on his shoulder, “Aren’t you going to ask our guest to come in, Zuko?” He turned to you, offering you a kind smile, “You’ll have to forgive my nephew, he’s not very good at talking to beautiful women.”

Zuko seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in, “UNCLE!” His face flushed red, “Um do you wanna come in? Let me take your bag to the guest room.” He reached for your suitcase, his fingers brushing against yours as he did, you let go of the bag feeling the heat rush to your face. Zuko’s face turned even redder as he led you down the hall to the guest room, opening the door and placing your suitcase inside. He turned to you, “I’m sorry about my uncle, he can be a little overbearing sometimes.”

You sent him a soft smile, “Don’t be, he seems nice.”

He nodded awkwardly, “Do you want to go on a walk with me? I could um show you around?”

“Sure, sounds great!”

A smile stretched across his features and you headed outside with him.

Ba Sing Se was beautiful in the autumn, the leaves starting to turn orange and gold. You shivered in the harsh October wind, Zuko noticed this, offering you his arm, “Firebenders tend to emanate heat.” You slipped your arm through his, thankful for having a reason to be close to him.

You leaned your head on his shoulder as you walked, “Why were you so surprised to see me?”

He cleared his throat, “Uh well you know, I just didn’t expect you to actually show up.” He paused, looking down at you, “I’m really glad you’re here.”

It didn’t feel like you’d been out for long but the sky was slowly getting darker and the streetlamps had turned on. You nudged Zuko with your shoulder to get his attention, “We should probably head back, I think it’s getting late and I’ve just realised I have no idea how to get back from here.”

He grinned, taking your hand and lacing your fingers together, leading the way back to the apartment. The walk back to his Uncle’s was shorter than you had expected or maybe it wasn’t and you were too wrapped up in Zuko to notice. Either Way, before you knew it you were standing outside the apartment with him. “Y/n, there’s something I need to tell you.” You stepped closer, rubbing your thumb over the back of his hand.

“I ha-,” But the front door burst open before he could continue, Iroh beaming down at you.

“Ah the lovebirds have returned! Come inside, the food’s getting cold!”

Zuko’s eyes widened, jumping away from you, “I- we weren’t- we’re not lovebirds, Uncle!” His face growing increasingly redder, following Iroh into the apartment as he spoke.

You kept replaying the moment in your head, wondering what Zuko had been trying to tell you. You had tried to ask him several times but whenever you spoke to him, his face flushed and he found some excuse to not talk to you. “Zuko can I tal-” You were cut off by Zuko exaggeratory yawning, “Oh is that time?” You turned to look at the clock and he dashed off to his room. “I wouldn’t take it personally.” You glanced over to see Iroh staring at you thoughtfully, “My nephew isn’t very good at expressing how he feels. I believe that’s why he finds it so hard to talk to you, he feels a great deal for you.”

He placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, “Go talk to him.” He stepped away into his own room leaving you alone in the kitchen and you found yourself subconsciously moving towards the room Zuko had disappeared into.

You raised your hand to knock before thinking better of it but the door swung open before you could duck out of sight. “Y/n?”

You smiled sheepishly at him, moving to walk away down the hallway but before you could leave his hand closed around your wrist, pulling you back to him. “No, stay. I was um just coming to find you.” He bit his bottom lip, thoughtfully before stepping back into the room, pulling you in with him.

You sat down on the edge of his bed as he started pacing up and down in front of the door, occasionally pausing to look at you. “Okay, so, like, I might, well, it’s not that I might, it’s that I do, I, just, shit! Okay, well, you see— I am kind of absolutely in love with you.” He blurted out, staring at the ceiling, you could practically see the nerves radiating from him.

“You’re in love with me?”

He nodded, still refusing to look at you, “Have been for the past year but I was too much of a coward to tell you.”

You got up, moving over until you were directly in front of him, “Zuko, will you look at me?”

His eyes flickered down to you for a moment before staring upwards again, “Why does it feel like I’m about to get rejected?” He sighed, before meeting your eyes.

You placed a hand on his cheek and he subconsciously leaned into your touch, “Are you sure that you have feelings for me?” You asked, feeling the knot in your chest tighten.

“The only thing I’ve ever been sure about is you.”

Your hands moved to his neck pulling him against you as your lips slotted against his. He was frozen until you pulled away, “You- you kissed me.”

“Well yeah, because I love you too.” His lips tugged upwards into a smile as his hands wrapped around your waist pulling you back into him, reconnecting your lips once more.

taglist: @akiris

#nina's 1k event #zuko x you #zuko x reader #zuko #fire lord zuko #prince zuko #zuko x fem!reader #zuko x y/n #zuko imagine #zuko imagines #zuko fanfic #zuko fluff #atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar the last airbender x reader #atla x reader #atla imagine #avatar the last airbender imagine #avatar the last airbender x you

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somethingwritey · 3 years

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commission: “kids in love” - a zukka fic

hi all! i was commissioned to write a zuko/sokka fic by @kurisu-80. it features a 5+1 style, some hurt/comfort, and lots of zuko pining. we brainstormed the premise of the fic before i began, and it’s here just in time for valentine’s day!

💖 commission me! visit this post for more commission details!

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Zuko didn’t know how to feel.

The hardest part was over, presumably, and yet the brand new emotion coursing through his body - no doubt unlocked by the Avatar’s reluctant trust - unsettled him. He wanted a name for it.

After thinking it over, he settled on relief.

For so long, he’d been consumed by nothing but white-hot anger - and beneath that, searing pain - that relief was hard to recognize. It wasn’t hot. Instead, it ran down his back and legs and arms like water. But… he had to admit, he rather liked it.

“Unpack,” came a voice behind him. Zuko jumped a little; he’d almost forgotten that Sokka was still there in the doorway. “Lunch soon. Uh… welcome aboard?”

Welcome.

Zuko hadn’t felt welcome in a long time.

He looked up at Sokka to thank him, but paused - suddenly struck by his eyes.

Blue. Water. Cool. Healing. Wonderful.

Zuko suddenly felt the need to study Sokka’s eyes forever, to never tear his gaze away. Sokka let him for a moment, like he understood Zuko’s need. And then the moment passed, with Sokka shaking off whatever had come over him and exiting the room.

Zuko didn’t move, though, staring after him for a while longer. A new heat had begun somewhere in his body, but it wasn’t anger. It was… contained. Almost hungry. He wished he knew what it meant.

Two new emotions in one day had to be some kind of record.

///

Sokka looked… younger when he slept, somehow. Like one of the tired kids they all were instead of a general orchestrating a covert rescue mission into the depths of the Fire Nation’s most heavily guarded prison.

Zuko watched him for a few moments before training his eyes back on the landscape around them.

Don’t be creepy, he scolded himself. Sokka wasn’t his to look at like that.

Instead, he thought back to what Sokka had said before they left.

“I have to regain my honor.”

Zuko shivered a little at the memory, so similar to his own favored mantra and yet, somehow so different. Zuko’s had been selfish. He’d wanted to save himself; Sokka just wanted to save his father. And Zuko was fairly certain Sokka wouldn’t mind staying behind in the prison forever if it meant ensuring his father’s freedom.

The Water Tribe boy didn’t need to regain any honor; he had more in every bone of his body than Zuko ever would.

Maybe that’s why Zuko was so drawn to him.

///

Oddly enough, the version of Sokka dominating Zuko’s mind that night wasn’t the one splayed out with a rose in his mouth.

Although he was thinking about it. Maybe a little too much.

But the Sokka that he’d been shown after had wrapped a hand around his heart and squeezed until Zuko thought it might burst.

Vulnerability. Sokka had shown him vulnerability.

He thought about the way Sokka’s voice changed when he talked about his mother’s murder. Beneath the jokes and the sarcasm, Sokka was quietly patching over the part of himself that he’d lost - same as Zuko.

Zuko wished suddenly that he’d told him about losing his mother, too. Maybe the other boy would’ve confided in him further. Maybe it would’ve been Zuko that Sokka would set up candles for by moonlight and looked forward to -

Stop!

That feeling was back. Zuko shook his head and limbs, trying to scare it away. He had to stop this obsession. It was eating away at him, leaving him exposed.

After the war is over, this will end, he told himself. You’re just bored. Nervous. It won’t be like this forever.

By the end of the night, watching Suki sneak away from Sokka’s tent in the early morning light, he’d almost convinced himself that was true.

///

Fire Lord Zuko.

The title still sounded so foreign and unwieldy. Like it didn’t quite belong to him.

“Congratulations, Your Zukoness,” came a voice.

Zuko turned around, raising an eyebrow. “Sokka, how did you get in here? I thought -”

“Eh, Toph is distracting the guards.” Sokka shook his head. “You really should get some better security, I mean. A couple of rocks and -”

“Sokka!”

Sokka smiled, resting his weight on the crutch he was using. Zuko was instinctively aware of the bandages wrapped around his own torso beneath the heavy new robes.

They all bore scars of the recent battle; peace had come at a cost.

“I came to wish you luck in person,” Sokka continued, less joking and more genuine now. “You’ve come a long way.”

“Aren’t you coming to have some tea with Uncle tonight?” Zuko furrowed his brow. Was Sokka leaving? Was this goodbye?

“Yeah, yeah.” Sokka waved his hand. “But everyone is gonna be there. I wanted to tell you in private, I guess.”

In private.

Zuko hoped his cheeks didn’t look as hot as they felt. Even after Sokka left to join his father and Katara outside at the reception, he found himself smiling… just a little.

Sokka had that effect on people.

///

Time was a finicky thing, Zuko was realizing.

One moment, they were children, and the next, they… weren’t. Or maybe they’d never been children at all, too burdened with adult worries and fears their whole lives. Most of them had lost people at a young age, forced to grow up far too quickly.

Aang had lost his entire culture.

Zuko had lost his mother.

Katara and Sokka had lost their mother, too. And now their father.

Chief Hakoda had passed peacefully in his sleep, Zuko had been told. Even after the tenuous usurpation attempt by Gilak, Hakoda’s time at the helm of the Southern Water Tribe could hardly be called blemished. His strength and rationality had brought them to new levels of international recognition and power.

He had been one of the most influential chiefs in Water Tribe history.

Zuko hadn’t been able to make it to Hakoda’s memorial - unable to get out of several Fire Nation industrialization meetings - but he had managed to make it to the South to see Sokka become the next Chief.

“You made it,” Sokka said after the short ceremony. “I wasn’t sure you would.” His voice was heavy - lacking its usual bravado.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Zuko laid a hand on Sokka’s shoulder, walking with him across the frozen landscape - away from everyone else. “I’m so sorry about your father.”

Sokka’s eyes turned glassy, and he looked away - unable to speak.

“He was a good man,” Zuko continued. “And he would be proud of you. I know it.”

Without warning, Sokka threw his arms around Zuko, burying his head in his shoulder. Surprised, Zuko stayed frozen, wishing he could do more to comfort the strongest man he knew.

“You’re going to make a great chief,” he said quietly.

When Sokka lifted his head, his face was inches away from Zuko’s - closer than the two of them had been in a long time. Zuko almost leaned forward, almost cut through the last bit of space between them, but before he could, Sokka was moving away.

“Thanks, Zuko.” He straightened his furs. “I should get back to Katara and our people now. You’re welcome to stay the night.”

And then he was gone.

////

Zuko hadn’t stopped pacing all morning.

He’d sent the letter after an agonizing few days of rewriting, second-guessing and re-thinking.

But he’d finally done it. Finally watched the messenger hawk lift into the sky. And now, all that was left to do was wait.

“Fire Lord Zuko?” a guard said, at last, bowing low as he entered the room. “The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe is here to see you.”

Zuko took a deep breath, straightening his topknot. “Send him in.”

Sokka burst through the doors, trailed by a couple Water Tribesmen. “I got your message,” he called before he’d even reached Zuko’s side of the room. “What’s the big emergency? Where’s the threat?”

Sokka looked strong - a powerful and more confident version of himself. Being the leader of the Southern Water Tribe had been good for him.

Zuko glanced at the entourage Sokka had brought and winced. He needed to speak with him privately.

“Give me a moment alone with your Chief,” he said to the others. Glancing at his own attendants, he waved for them to be dismissed, too. He wanted the throne room to be perfectly and totally empty.

“What’s this about?” Sokka looked around, seemingly unnerved. “What’s wrong?”

“I wanted…” Zuko cleared his throat. “I want to talk to you. About a partnership between the Southern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation.”

Sokka raised an eyebrow. “What kind of a partnership?”

Zuko swallowed hard. “The kind where their Chief and Fire Lord are… together.”

“Okay, okay.” The true meaning of Zuko’s words clearly hadn’t registered with Sokka, who began to tap his chin. “We team up, you’re saying? Form a political alliance? Hold on, hold on - don’t we already kind of have one? Isn’t that what my Dad was trying to -” And then he broke off, eyes narrowing. “Wait, together? Like… as a couple?”

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, when you say it like that -”

“I didn’t say it! You did!”

Sensing Sokka’s imminent rejection, Zuko tried to save the situation. “I didn’t - look, it’s not like that, I just meant -”

“You made this whole emergency up, didn’t you?” Sokka shook his head. “Just to get me here! That’s -”

Zuko cringed, waiting.

“Kinda genius,” Sokka finished, nodding. “Somewhat evil. But genius.”

“I’ve liked you for a long time,” Zuko sighed. “I think. It’s confusing. But I just couldn’t wait any longer to tell you. I had -” His eyes widened for a moment as Sokka’s lips landed on his before they fluttered shut.

When they broke apart, Sokka seemed surprised at his own actions. “Is randomly kissing the Fire Lord grounds for arrest here?”

The idea made Zuko laugh. “Not if the Fire Lord wanted it to happen.”

Sokka grinned, and then paused. “You - you did want it to happen, right?”

“Yeah.” Zuko leaned forward to kiss him again. “For longer than you could possibly imagine.”

Finally, Zuko thought, letting himself get caught up in the moment. He understood what that feeling was now, the one he’d been so confused about that day at the temple and every day after that.

Love.

He loved Sokka, so full of honor and eyes bluer than water.

And he probably always would.

----

💖 keep an eye out for more commission pieces coming soon!

💖 message me about writing for you! send a private message or find me on twitter @/catrameows!

#zukka #zuko x sokka #zuko #sokka #atla #zukka angst #fire lord zuko #zukka fic #writing commissions #my writing #commission me #avatar the last airbender #angst with a happy ending #valentines day #mlm #writeres on tumblr

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marshmallowprotection · 2 years

Note

So! I was looking through your fics on ao3 and found the one that combines Obey me! And Mystic Messenger! This led me to realize that depending on how I fudge the numbers I could make my OM!Mc and my CMC for V's route the same person! She could participate in the exchange program during the 2years he's gone and boy howdy does he have some surprises waiting for him when he gets back! So yeah! This idea lives in my brain rent free now and I blame you. Thanks!😂

Honestly, there's nothing stopping you from doing this! I've seen some people have their MC get involved with the Devildom Exchange and then wind up involved with the RFA sometime later, so they have already got pacts with demons so they aren't too concerned about it being a dangerous situation. Why would you be afraid of leaving this little note when you can summon an Avatar of Sin? Or, why would you think twice about trusting Ray if you've got those Avatars of Sin right behind you every step of the way?

I don't think I've seen someone do the inverse, though. I've not seen an MC interact with the RFA right off the bat and then get ripped into the Devildom. But, God, it would be wild if it was V's MC who got into this situation because they just survived a Cult, I don't think they're at all going to be afraid of the Devildom. I support this so much. I'm glad you've got some brainrot!

#anon #ask #mod kait #see my om mc is very much different from my mm mc #this is because i like to have different mc personalities to explore when i write #but i think using one mc to make the ultimate crossover is exciting #if i were bolder maybe i'd write a solid crossover #but i support you!

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flameo-firelord-hotman · 3 years

Text

Part 4

Pairing: Zuko x Fem!Reader

Genre: angst

Warnings: depression

Words: 2.2k

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

A/N: here it is! I finally got it out after a busy few weeks :)

Part 3 <- Part 4 -> Part 5

Series | Masterlist

[Y/n] clutched at her chest. Her breathing suddenly became short and shallow. Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest.

“W-what?” [Y/n] croaked. Her face contorted in confusion and shock.

“I know. It’s just horrible, isn’t it?” Azula lamented.

[Y/n] was speechless, but her mind rambled rampantly. What happened to him? How did he go missing? Was he taken? By who? Where would he be? She had so many questions, but it wasn’t her place ask any of them.

“But it’s strange,” Azula continued, putting a long, sharp fingernail to her chin, “the day Zuko disappeared, he wrote Mai a break up letter. It’s almost like he left on his own accord, like it was planned...”

But...why would he leave? [Y/n] was puzzled, and Azula, as perceptive as she always was, knew exactly what she was thinking.

“We called you here because we hoped you knew something that we didn’t. You are his best friend, of course. But, according to what you said, he didn’t give you any notice that he was leaving. What a pathetic way to treat his best friend,” she remarked.

“I’m so sorry, Princess Azula and Firelord Ozai. I really wish I could help.”

Azula turned her back to [y/n]. “Father, is there anything you’d like to say?”

Firelord Ozai silently shook his head. He never spoke a word, yet [y/n] felt terrified by the man, and the silent gesture sent shivers down her spine. Azula turned back around to face [y/n]. “You’re dismissed.”

On her way home, [y/n] did her best to hold herself together and remain calm. Some tears managed to escape. But once she got home, she collapsed. Streams of tears coated her face and neck. She choked on her sobs. She felt so many emotions, but, most of all, she was in utter disbelief.

Zuko was gone. Again.

This time he left on his own. But why? Was he really that unhappy? He had so many wonderful things: royalty, honor, prestige, riches and wealth, his lavish home--a royal palace--and a beautiful girlfriend among so many other things. Was it not enough?

Regardless of the reason, [y/n] felt just as devastated as she did three years ago. Only this time she blamed herself for being so upset. Not only did she push him away over something completely stupid, she also took their friendship for granted.

Zuko was [y/n]'s only real friend, and, despite being royalty, he was always so kind to her. She wanted to kick herself for not spending time with him that one day. She should've accepted the offer. She should've gotten over her dumb feelings.

Now, once again, [y/n] didn't know if she would ever see him again.

Days passed. Then, days turned to weeks. And weeks to months.

Like three years ago, it was hard to get out of bed, it was hard to eat anything, it was hard to focus on simple tasks. Some days, she felt sadness. Other days, it was anger. On rare occasions, she felt content, until grief would knock her down like a tidal wave.

[Y/n] kept the letter Zuko wrote to her under her pillow. It was the only thing she had left of him...a relic of a recent past, a brief reunion, that felt so long ago. At night, she would gingerly trace the paint brushed characters with her finger. And when she cried, she made sure her tears never touched the ink so that she could trace them again the next day.

Like three years ago, [y/n] faced reality and came to terms with what happened. Maybe her and Zuko were never meant to be. Or maybe the universe gave her what she wanted all those months ago: distance from the prince to kill her love for him.

Another evacuation of the city was ordered. This time, [y/n] had no idea why. She didn’t speak to her parents as often as she used too, and, with what happened recently, her mother was extra cautious about gossiping around her. [Y/n] didn’t expect anything crazy to happen anyway. They would leave, they would come back, and that would be it.

But when [y/n] and her parents marched through the streets back to their apartment, they saw something incredibly unusual. Messenger hawks were cawing and soaring all across the skies, and people in different colored clothing were bustling about all over the city. It was like they stumbled into a whole different world.

Groups of people wearing shades of green were earthbending to repair burned buildings. A few people in shades of blue were gently waterbending on people who appeared to be injured.

[Y/n] was amazed. She had only heard about other forms of bending; this was her first time seeing them with her own eyes. She had also never seen such beautiful garbs either. All of her life had been spent living in the Fire Nation, which was like living in a bubble. She genuinely had no idea what the rest of the world was like aside from what her parents had told her, which was not a lot.

[Y/n] was also confused. What’s going on? Why are they here? What happened? She wasn’t the only one who was puzzled. Her parents and all the other Fire Nation citizens looked just as confused as her. Particularly, the nobles seemed frustrated. Perhaps it was best not to question it.

As [y/n] and her parents quietly made their way to the apartment, they overheard lots of chatter...

“...Ozai imprisoned...” “...Sozin’s comet...” “...burn down Ba Sing Se...” “...Avatar Aang...” “...Azula should be next...” “...the last airbender...” “...just a group of kids...” “...this is treachery...”

And when they reached their home, they were met with a messenger hawk perched on their window. Her father removed the letter from the hawk’s leg. After a quick glance, he smiled widely and handed the letter to [y/n].

“It’s for you,” he told her cheerfully. [Y/n] raised an eyebrow and took it. She unrolled the parchment and, immediately, her eyes widened. She recognized the handwriting.

Dear [y/n], I hope you’re well. I’m so sorry for disappearing without saying anything. I can explain, in fact, I have so much I want to tell you! Before I do, I want to invite you to my coronation ceremony. Yes, you read that right! I’m going to be the next Firelord! If anyone should be at the ceremony, it should be you. I hope to see you there! Your friend, Zuko

[Y/n] stared at the letter, jaw slacked.

“[Y/n], sweetie, are you okay?” [Y/n]’s mother delicately placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I can’t believe it...” she shook her head at the letter. “Zuko is back, and he’s going to be Firelord!”

A long, scarlet red tunic draped over [y/n]’s body. The ends of the fabric trailed behind her through the air. Her shoes clacked on the marble flooring, sending echoes down the hallways of the palace. Her [h/c] hair was coiled into a bun and held together with a single, long, gold colored pin.

For the first time in a long time, [y/n] held her head high and stood straight when she walked. She did a complete 180. Her best friend had returned and she was more than excited to see him again. Today was Zuko's coronation ceremony, as well as a second chance to tell him how she really felt.

Sure, Mai and Zuko had a brief relationship when he first returned, and maybe that break up letter was just a way out. But what if it wasn't? And besides, [y/n] was tired of being sad and pathetic. She wanted to tell him. No, she needed to tell him, she had to get it off her chest, and she was not going to waste this opportunity.

The reception was held in the palace ballroom. It was a grand room, perfect for the size of the large crowd that appeared at the ceremony. Paper lanterns and drapes of all colors hung from the walls and ceiling, giving it a festive atmosphere. A small band played soft, up-beat music in the background. Some people danced, some mingled and others ate food that [y/n] could smell from the moment she walked in.

[Y/n] searched the sea of green and blue for red. It wouldn't be hard considering how few of her own people attended the coronation (so few, they stuck out like sore thumbs). Then, she spotted him, the new, young Firelord, speaking to a group of people that appeared to close in their age.

“[Y/n]!" Zuko called, waving his hand. "I’m so glad you could make it!”

“Of course, I made it. I would never miss your coronation,” [y/n] said, hugging Zuko before continuing more quietly, “especially after you disappeared again.”

“I know. I’m sorry, [y/n], I had to do it. But I should’ve told you. You of all people deserved to know,” he quietly responded in her ear.

Zuko tightened his embrace before pulling away and looking at [y/n] apologetically. She gave him a nod and small smile. [Y/n] didn't have the full context of what happened, but she knew her friend was sincere in his apology (though, that didn't diminish the pain she had felt).

“There are some people I want you to meet. These are my friends.”

Zuko gestured to the group of teens and kids he was just talking to. A Water Tribe boy and girl who were siblings, two Earth Kingdom girls—one with lots of makeup on and one who was blind—and, of course, the Avatar himself.

“It’s so nice to meet you all, especially you, Avatar Aang. It’s an absolute honor,” [y/n] said, bowing respectfully. Aang beamed and bowed in return.

“Soooo, Zuko, is this the girl you were talking about?” The Water Tribe boy, Sokka barely whispered, nudging Zuko with his elbow.

Zuko chuckled, “yeah, this is [y/n]. We've known each other for years. Now, if you'll excuse us,” Zuko spoke to his friends before turning to [y/n], “I believe we have some catching up to do.”

“Oh, yes we do!” [Y/n] said with glee.

Together they departed the group and walked out onto the balcony.

Outside, the sun was setting, radiating gold and orange hues, which merged into the deep blue sky up above. Only a few of the brightest stars in the sky sparkled. Down below, Caldera City glittered with lanterns, outlining the streets and houses of their people.

[Y/n] admired the view. It certainly wasn't often that she got to see the city like this. Then, Zuko began talking.

Three years was a long time, and this conversation proved it. It was long overdue. Neither of them realized how much time had passed, but, to them, it felt like they talked for hours outside.

Zuko explained everything as promised: the hundred year war, what banishment was like, what the outside world was like, how he really felt when he came home, when he realized that his father was an abusive, cruel leader and that his destiny was to help the Avatar, how he escaped, and all of the incredible adventures he had with his new friends, including the historic defeat of Azula and Ozai during Sozin’s comet.

[Y/n] was flabbergasted. “Wow...that’s...just...I-I don’t know what to say.”

“I know. It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?” Zuko asked, leaning his forearms on the balcony railing.

“Yeah. I had no idea we were such a horrible country. We've been lied to and sheltered this whole time. It all makes sense now.” Zuko hummed in agreement.

“You’re so brave for leaving and going against your family. It must’ve been hard and really dangerous.”

“You have no idea.” Zuko looked into the distance and slowly shook his head. “But it all worked out, and I’m back—for good this time!”

"Well, you have no idea how glad I am about that!"

Zuko smiled and placed his hand on [y/n]'s shoulder, giving it a gentle rub.

"So, there's something I want to talk to you about," Zuko continued in a more serious tone. [Y/n]'s head perked up.

"Okay. I actually have something I want to tell you too, but you go first," [y/n] said. Her heart already began to race in anticipation.

"Well, I was thinking. You've been my best friend for a really long time…"

Suddenly, [y/n]'s palms sweated and her heart picked up the pace. She gulped.

"So, I was wondering if you'd like to—"

“Zuko! There you are.”

[Y/n] turned toward the doorway. She felt Zuko immediately retract his hand from her shoulder at the sight of a woman. A tall woman wearing a beautiful, wine colored, silk robe, whose dark hair was bunched up into two buns.

Mai.

“I’ve been looking all over for you.” Mai walked up to Zuko’s side and wrapped her arms around his bicep.

“Sorry, Mai. I was just catching up with [y/n],” Zuko replied.

“I see.” Mai turned to [y/n]. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, um, it’s good to see you too.” [Y/n] couldn’t tell if Mai was being genuine or not. Likely, she wasn’t.

“Well, I hope you don’t mine me stealing Zuko from you. He promised to dance with me tonight,” Mai said, cupping his cheek. The two smiled at each other.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten," Zuko said. "[Y/n], we’ll talk later, okay?”

“Yeah...”

And she watched the two walk away, arms linked.

#zuko x reader #zuko #zuko imagine #atla #aang #sokka #katara #toph #suki #azula #firelord ozai #SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT GUYS #tw: depression

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tiredcath · 4 years

Text

Zukka Fic Recs

after atla came back into pop culture i found myself falling back in love with zukka which resulted in me reading (almost) every zukka fic on ao3 and here are my favorites

Transference by The_Quatermasters (146k)

In a modern AU, Zuko has to deal with settling in a new school after expulsion, dealing with an angry ex and an abusive father. Maybe his new found friendships and growing closeness with Sokka will help him make it through.

Borderlines by The_Quatermasters (73k)

Three years after the war, the work still isn't quite done and the Gaang is scattered across the continents in their efforts to help the world recover. When Aang and Katara pay visit to the Fire Nation where Zuko is Fire Lord and Sokka acts as Ambassador for the Water Tribe, sparks fly between the siblings over Sokka's life choices.

Ashes Inside When You Finish Your Song by Muncaster (47k)

Sokka writes lyrics for his sister’s band. Zuko plays piano and is unnecessarily nice. Fellas, is it gay to write love songs about your friend and his golden eyes?

(AKA, a modern band AU featuring The Gaang, crappy software equipment, homoerotic lyrics, and the realization that maybe, if you think about a guy every night before you sleep, you just might be in love with him.)

sirens & sleepless nights by Satirrian (54k)

Life can be pretty hard living in a city under a totalitarian regime. Between adhering to the ridiculous curfew, keeping himself from being gunned down by a passing patrolman, and paying his unnecessary tolls to the state for, say, breathing, Sokka has his hands full just getting to work. Add aiding a resistance group on top of that, and Sokka should really be getting paid for this.

Then, one night, Sokka finds an injured patrolman collapsed in the street, who tells him with blood on his lips, “If the patrol finds me, I’m dead.”

Real Slow by surveycorpsjean (21k)

“I see.” Zuko closes the scroll. “Is the Water Tribe sending a replacement?”

“Uh yeah,” Sokka gestures to himself dramatically. “You’re looking at him.”

First by HoneyBadgerMole (20k)

Zuko has been nurturing a crush on the jock in his AP Psych class but he has been too scared to talk to him until they get paired up for a project.

the benefits of getting a flat tire by LesbeanLatte (64k)

Zuko makes an impromptu decision to run away from home after a disturbing conversation with Azula. Unfortunately, some plans are better when they're actually, well, planned. Zuko isn't counting on getting a flat tire almost as soon as he's far enough away from the city to really be in the middle of nowhere.

Sokka is immediately taken with the stranger he and his friends find stranded on the side of the road during an afternoon joy ride. However, he has no idea what he's getting involved with and a kind attempt to help a fellow teen in need turns into a massive coverup for a missing person who just so happens to be the son of the mayor of Ba Sing Se.

Azula was just trying to help her big brother - in her own way - by telling him things she thought he deserved to know. Now the situation has gotten wildly out of control. Did she enjoy seeing Zuko upset and afraid? Of course. Had she intended to endanger his life? Not necessarily, but of course, her idiot brother overreacted to everything and that's what happened and now she doesn't know how to stop the chain of events she's indirectly put in place like dominoes.

Operation Leverage by snowandfire (50k)

Sokka's instincts are onto something great. Zuko just wants to serve tea and brood in peace. Ironically, Toph is the only one who can see what's really going on.

The Stingray by Smediterranea (24k)

“You’re not carrying me.”

“I don’t mind,” the lifeguard says easily.

“I can just hop over.”

“On sand?”

Zuko will never admit it, but being carried feels pretty nice. The lifeguard sets him down and eyes him warily.

“Are you really all by yourself?” he asks in a worried tone. “No friends in town you can call to check on you?”

“No,” Zuko confirms. Tears are forming again with alarming speed; his foot throbs painfully with every passing second.

“What kind of burrito do you want?”

“You don’t have to —“ Zuko repeats.

“I’m getting al pastor. You like al pastor?”

AU: Zuko falls for Sokka, the super hot lifeguard who helps him after an unfortunate encounter with a stingray.

it's the illusion of separation by argentoswan (110k)

Sokka takes a job washing dishes at the new tea shop in town. It's a great gig, until he finds out his only coworker is his old high school bully. Sokka really should quit, but he also really needs to afford rent.

Also, Zuko is kind of hot now.

People like to think war means something by trying_to_spell_both_our_names_at_once (21k)

Sokka was the first to leave.

Somehow that hurt the most. . . . Not long after Zuko becomes Firelord, forces gather in the South and next thing he knows he's thrown into a civil war with almost no one by his side. Maybe healing is longer and more complicated than it needs to be, but with the right people by your side it is always possible.

a way that will destroy you by anothermistakemade (14k)

In the wake of Ozai's death, Zuko begins to fall apart. Sokka will do everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen.

or, zuko might be losing his mind, but he also might just be really sad & traumatized

Those Who Favor Fire by CSHfic, VSfic (30k)

After a failed attempt on his life, Sokka fakes his death, dons a disguise, and infiltrates the would-be assassin's ranks in an attempt to bring them down from the inside.

Zuko learns of his husband's tragic death, mourns, and vows revenge.

Words Mean More at Night by DaisytheDoodleDog (28k)

Even ten years after the end of the war, rebellions rise and risk the balance of the nations. Sokka was willing to do anything to protect his people, which is perhaps why he's leading an army against the rebellion, attacking only as a last result. But Sokka's unwinding, it's taking a toll on him, and the only thing keeping him grounded are the letter Zuko and him exchange late in the night when no one can see the messenger hawks. But as they say, nothing's fair in love and war.

another word for wanting by eurydicees (23k)

Sokka begins to dream of his soulmate when he's eleven years old, and it just gets harder from there. Or, 125 moments soulmates share, and none of them come easy.

(In which your dreams are your soulmate's memories, and Sokka dreams of an all-consuming fire, growing and eating at his soulmate until it burns up the connection between their souls. In which they find love anyways.)

It Has Only Just Begun by Kirazalea (39k)

There is a bitter triumph in crashing when you should be soaring

Zuko had now chosen the path his uncle had been trying so hard to show him; he had someone who believed in him, who maybe loved him; he was travelling with the Avatar and they apparently had a plan to end the war. By all accounts, Zuko should be smiling.

But Uncle was gone (captured by Azula, and Zuko didn't think she would kill him, but he didn’t, couldn’t, know for sure). The Avatar was barely breathing (he could still die at any second and there was nothing any of them could do about it). Azula had conquered the last Earth Kingdom stronghold (all those innocent people who were now at her mercy). It seemed like, for every step Zuko took forward, the world sent him back three more.

But he was determined to push forward anyways. He needed to make his uncle proud, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

aka: zuko joins the gaang at the end of season 2

Nightmares and Reveries by HisMomoness (20k)

Zuko doesn't sleep because when he does, he's haunted by nightmares. Sokka worms his way into a job and makes it his mission to get Zuko to relax. Lots of head pets and one vacation to the South Pole later, Zuko might just be getting the hang of it.

Cue pining, some fluff, and eventual romance.

The One Who Stopped Time by ohhihoney (66k)

All hope was lost to Zuko until one day, his uncle asked a random person at the Jasmine Dragon to tutor his nephew. Gritting his teeth and embarrassed beyond the point of no return, Zuko gave the blue eyed boy his number.

Little did Zuko know how much Sokka would change his world.

Rubbed Off Stars by ohhihoney (2k)

Sokka wasn't going to just sit and watch the boy at the back of the bus cry while trying to rub off pride flags off his cheeks.

--------------

WIP

Ozymandias, King of Kings by Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought (168k)

After that fateful Agni Kai, Ozai makes a different call. Branded as a traitor and banished to a prison camp, Zuko learns how cruel the Fire Nation can be to its citizens. Three years, a water tribe raid, and an unexpected meeting with a gang of over-enthusiastic idealistic children puts Zuko back in the spotlight. The revolution is coming and it wants another poster boy, but Zuko is not willing to lend his face to the cause.

Another Brother by AvocadoLove (312k)

It was a mission of revenge. There weren't supposed to be any survivors, but Chief Hakoda couldn't bring himself to kill the Fire Nation boy. Against his better judgment, he brought him home. A Zuko joins the Water Tribe story.

--------------

BONUS : zuko x jet

Something to Hold Onto by Wildgoosery (122k)

Since the day the walls of Ba Sing Se fell, the Freedom Fighters have struggled to protect what remains of the city and its people. Jet and his second command, a mysterious boy named Li, have spent the summer piecing together an army, hoping for a chance to take the city back for good. But Li is also Zuko, and the time for that secret is quickly running out. Soon, he'll have to decide exactly who he is, what cause he's going to fight for, and where his heart lies.

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ljf613 · 3 years

Text

In honor of @atlaocweek, here's a rough excerpt of a future chapter from the we all want love/we all want honor-verse, for Days 3 & 5: Heritage & Home/Secrets, featuring one of my favorite OCs.

Ever since the soldiers left, Ling's father had been spending a lot of time in his office. Ling didn't really understand what the end of the war was supposed to mean. Could a fight that had gone on since his great-grandmother was a little girl really just stop like that? Rumor had it that the Avatar had been involved, but hadn't they just heard a few months ago that the last airbender died in Ba Sing Se? But the soldiers had left. The soldiers had been a presence in Gaoling for Ling's entire life, part of Dad's long ago deal with the Fire Nation, the one that had taken away the sister Ling had never known. He'd just thought they would always be there. And yet, just two days after the brilliant comet had torn through the sky, all of the red armored soldiers had packed up and left, with an official notice to the local liegelord-- that is, Ling's dad-- that his contract with the Fire Nation had been broken, and Gaoling was no longer a territory of the Fire Nation. And ever since, Ling's dad had been spending a lot of time in his office. Sometimes he had people in there, but most of the time he was alone, signing papers and scouring records. It was because of Ling. Well, properly speaking, it was because of his mother. Or, at least, his mother's family. Five days after the soldiers left, Dad had called Ling into his office. When he'd arrived, Mom was there. Mom. Mom, who almost never came inside the mansion, let alone into Dad's office-- but who'd been over every day since the soldiers left. The two of them had sat him down and told him they were thinking about getting a divorce. Ling knew about divorce, of course. His classmates Yan and Lei both had parents who were divorced, and they had explained it to him. (Divorce meant two houses, and Mom and Dad not being together, and a lot of other boring legal stuff Ling and his friends were too young to understand. But Mom and Dad already lived in different houses. They had for as long as he could remember. He'd asked them, once, after Yan's parents had split up, if they were also divorced. They'd told him no, and when he'd asked why, they'd explained about the family name.) So when they asked him how he felt, he said he didn't mind, but what about his father's name? "We've decided to dissolve the House," Mom had explained. "Do you understand what that means?" He did. Their family had been the liegelords and ladies of Gaoling for hundreds of years. His parents wanted to change that. Which meant- "Are you okay with that, Ling?" Dad had asked. "It's your inheritance." Ling was the heir of his house. That meant he was next in line to be the Lord of Gaoling. (Unless he did what Mom had done, and married someone his father could adopt in.) Mom and Dad were, in essence, taking that away from him. "Yeah, it's fine," Ling said. "I don't need it." Being in charge of Gaoling had never helped either of his parents. He didn't know all of the details, of course, but he knew that it had been what drove his parents apart, put the wrinkles in his father's forehead and perpetual tears in his mother's eyes, and caused him to grow up an only child. No one had ever told him that giving up the land entirely was an option, but as soon as he knew it was, he'd known that was what he wanted. Dad had been a little surprised at Ling's quick response, but Mom had smiled, and Ling had felt a weight he hadn't noticed until then being lifted off his shoulders. That was why Dad was spending so much time in his office, trying to make sure everything was in order before the divorce. He'd been working late hours and taking meals in there, which meant Ling was the only one in the dining room when the letter arrived. It was enclosed in a canister on the back of a messenger hawk that had flown in through the window and landed on the back of Ling's chair. Carefully, the boy had opened the compartment, curious about the flame emblem emblazoned on it. The letter was sealed with a familiar mark-- the sign of the Fire Nation Royal Family. Why are they writing us? I thought once the contract was

broken, we wouldn't have to deal with them again? He was even more confused when he saw who it was addressed to. To the Lord and Lady Beifong Why would a letter for his mother arrive here? And why would anyone be writing to both of his parents, who hadn't lived together since Ling was an infant? Now he had to know what it was. Ling broke open the seal and scanned the letter, eyes widening with every word. Then he stood up and ran to his father's office.

Lao Beifong looked up as his six-year-old son came barging into his office. "Ling! How many times have I told you-" "Dad, Dad, you have to see this!" The boy held a up letter that was tightly gripped in his hands. "Have you been reading my mail?" Lao sighed. Ling was a bright child, but far too curious for his own good. "Well, yeah, but look!" He took the page, expecting some news about the Avatar or the war or- Lao gasped. "Impossible," he breathed. But there it was, in black and white. You are cordially invited to the upcoming wedding celebration of Fire Lord Zuko and the Lady Toph Beifong.

- Excerpt from "why you're still standing by this sinner's side"

#avatar the last airbender #excerpt #future fic #ling beifong #lao beifong #atla oc week #we all want love #we all want honor #all queued up

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the-irish-mayhem · 4 years

Text

Toph and Aang need Fire Lady Katara to advise on a bloodbending case in Republic City. Or: The Yakone vs. Katara bloodbending battle that we were owed.

This was originally going to go up for @zutaramonth Day 11: Secret, but it also works a bit for today’s prompt, which is Sacrifice.

Read on AO3.

The Scarlet Tree

128 AG Year of the Rat Republic City

“It’s a beautiful theory, Aang, but we’re not going to be able to convince people of any of it,” Toph says, voice soft, cognizant of the two children sleeping down the hall. “Yakone’s been weaseling out of charges for years. We can’t do this again unless it’s airtight.”

Their kitchen is dimly lit by a lamp in the center of the table, and a Republic City Police file is spread out across the surface. Aang is seated on one end, fingers idly toying with a witness statement taken a few months prior, while his wife paces like a caged animal at the opposite end.

“We already have ten willing witnesses,” Aang replies, matching her quiet tone, “and I’m willing to bet we can find more. A lot more.”

“Look, I hear you, I do, but I can also hear what his defense attorney is going to say--bloodbending is extremely rare, and Yakone has airtight alibis during full moons,” Toph says.

“Just because it’s never been done before doesn’t mean it isn’t possible,” Aang says. “You of all people should know that.”

Toph’s expression twists, and she stops pacing. For all her tense mannerisms, she looks surprisingly calm, if in a sour mood. The soft slope of her nose and the defiance in her jaw are highlighted by the dim firelight, and he wishes he could tell her that she’s beautiful, but he suspects that wouldn’t get him very far this evening. (Not that that particular compliment gets him very far often, but what kind of husband would he be if he never said it at all?)

“It seems unfair that something so awful might have no limits,” she finally says.

Aang sighs. He certainly doesn’t disagree. “It takes a prodigal waterbender to be able to do it in the first place. It’s not like we’ve met an abundance of benders with the ability.”

“Speaking of prodigal waterbenders, maybe we ask Katara about it,” she asks. She rests her fists on the table, knuckles pressed to the papers. “She probably has a better idea on how to handle this than we do.”

“Do I hear… a trip to visit the Fire Nation?” Aang asks with a growing look of delight on his face.

Toph smiles at the suggestion. “It’s been a while since we paid Sugar Queen and Sparky a visit. I’m sure Tenzin and Lin would love to see their cousins.”

Aang replies, “I can arrange for an airship. Next week sound okay to you?”

“Why not take Appa for old times’ sake?”

“If you’d like to be stuck on an air bison with an eight and a nine year old all the way to the Fire Nation…”

Toph pales. “Yeah, an airship is probably a better option; although, you might be able to convince Tenzin to meditate all the way there.”

A beat of silence passes, and though she can’t see him, Aang is grinning like an idiot at her.

“What?” she asks.

“The domineering Toph Beifong, so easily convinced to take time off? Who are you and what have you done with my wife?”

She smirks right back. “We’re doing this so we can finally arrest Yakone, not take leisurely strolls on beaches.”

“Oh, I think I can convince you to take at least one stroll.”

“Keep me out of the sand, and I might consider it, Twinkletoes.”

Aang groans. “Is there going to be a certain anniversary we hit when I can finally get rid of that nickname?”

“You always ask, and my answer is always the same.”

He shakes his head, fondness tightening his chest. “Here, I’ll clean this up,” he says, scraping the files into a pile. She’d brought them home for his benefit, after all. “You’ve had a long day. Head up to bed, and I’ll see you there.”

Toph chuckles. “ I’m the master here.” She doesn’t give any other protest, kisses his cheek, and plods down the hallway to their bedroom.

Aang finishes up in the kitchen, and quickly checks on Tenzin and Lin, both sleeping soundly, and heads to bed himself.

***

It’s just past midday, and the sun is high in the sky on a cloudless, hot day in the Fire Nation. The capital city is abuzz with life--benders and non-benders alike seek out merchants and street vendors, construction crews break in shaded areas and guzzle water brought in by ostrich horse-drawn carts, tea shop owners hawk their custom blends across busy streets, school children are released for the day, and the city itself seems alive, pulsing and breathing like any one of its citizens.

In the Caldera, Fire Lady Katara looks out over the city from a balcony of the palace. Even after nearly 25 years of living here, she still doesn’t care for how the mouth of the ancient volcano holds them separate from the outlying city districts. Despite the expansion of the city and various programs she and Zuko had created targeting class stratification, it still feels far too guarded. Considering that the Caldera is mostly just residences of those able to afford the outrageous prices (a group that, historically, has not been Katara’s biggest fan), it doesn’t really hold the same place in Katara’s heart that the city at large does.

“What are you thinking about?”

Katara looks over her shoulder to find her husband approaching. He looks every inch an intimidating Fire Lord, what with the spiked epaulettes on the elaborate robes and the traditional headpiece tucked into his topknot, but the dorky grin he’s got on is purely Zuko and purely for her.

It makes her grin back, and she looks back out over the city as he comes to stand next to her.

“I’m trying to judge how much the Council would hate me if I suggested demolishing the volcano.”

He hums thoughtfully. “Well, significantly more than when you wanted to build the first publicly funded school, but probably less than when you suggested decriminalizing prostitution.”

“What I’m hearing are a bunch of fights that I did win, so…”

“How about this: we wait until the day before we abdicate, then do it, and let Izumi deal with the fallout.”

Katara laughs. “She’s a peacekeeper at heart, so there might be some merit there.” She leans into his side and he puts an arm around her in response. “Are the kids done with their lessons?” she asks.

“Yes, they just finished. They’re excited to see Tenzin and Lin. Or,” he amends, “Kya is excited to see them. I can’t really tell if Kyokani remembers them, or if he’s just feeding off of Kya’s excitement. And Iroh is exactly how I was at sixteen.”

Katara rolls her eyes. “Evil and angsty?”

“I did not think anyone could out-angst me, but our son has done it.”

Katara scoffs. “I’m not so sure about that.”

Zuko smiles wistfully. “I wish Suki and Sokka could be here too. It feels like it’s been so long since we’ve properly gotten everyone together.”

“Spirits, it must have been at least a Council or two ago.” She sighs deeply. “Remember when we were hiding out on Ember Island when we were kids? It was only a few days before Sozin’s Comet, but we were…” She sighs again. “I don’t ever want to go to war again, but sometimes I really, really miss those days. Us, all together.”

“Me too,” he agrees. “It was so much simpler in a lot of ways, too. Teach Aang bending. Beat the Fire Lord. Win the war.”

Katara hums in agreement. “Before we had to worry about things like securing funding for social welfare programs and economic development variables and social statistics surveys.”

“Hey, I didn’t have much of a choice, but you voluntarily signed up for all of that when you married me.”

She grins. “I suppose so. It was a good deal, if you ask me,” she says before leaning over to kiss his cheek. He turns his head so he catches her lips with his. 21 years of marriage and four children later, their kisses don’t always render her weak in the knees like they used to. Rather, it’s bracing, reassuring, a small reminder in a day of distractions that they are not alone.

She pulls back with a sigh and stares out across the Caldera once more.

Their conversation trails into light political discussion, as many of their conversations are wont to do during their working hours. The funding for the hospital on Hing Wa Island that would complete a ten year project to bring publicly-funded medical care to every island had finally ground its way through the political process. The completion of the Hing Wa Hospital would kick off the next phase of Katara’s plan to expand the existing hospital system in the Earth Kingdom, and hopefully her careful planning in coordination with the Northern and Southern Water Tribes would mean that there would be at least one healer in most of the major regions. (“Oh!” she exclaims, “It will coincide perfectly with the end of her semester, so Izumi might be able to join me.”)

There is also, of course, the United Republic of Nations, which is an ever-growing and changing responsibility for them. Zuko and Katara are the only ones currently not living there of the original Team Avatar, so their involvement hasn’t been as hands-on in the last few years. It’s not strange for Aang and Toph to want them to advise on something, but it is slightly out-of-the-ordinary for them to not share what that something is in a letter.

They don’t have to wonder about it for very long.

“Your Majesties,” one of their messengers says, and they turn to face him. “Apologies for disturbing you.”

“It’s no worry, Xi,” Zuko says. “What is it?”

“Avatar Aang and Chief Beifong have arrived from Republic City.”

***

On a balcony overlooking one of the courtyards where their children play together (and the young Iroh sits grumpily off to the side), the old friends catch up over steaming cups of tea.

(Tenzin’s airbending is progressing quickly, and Lin still can’t metal bend.)

(Izumi likes studying in Ba Sing Se, Iroh strives for new levels of teen angst every day, Kya healed her first papercut last week, and Kyokani hasn’t bent anything just yet.)

Katara had asked eagerly after her brother and his wife and kids.

(Sokka is tackling the challenges of being on Republic City’s Council like he does everything in life--cleverly and without reservation. Suki’s expansion of the Kyoshi Warriors past their ancestral borders has been hitting a few snags. Luna and Ukira have recently begun their training to become Kyoshi Warriors, like their mother before them.)

But alas, the subject at hand raises its nasty head much sooner than they would’ve liked.

“Yakone,” Zuko growls when Toph and Aang share their reason for visiting. “That perpetual thorn in our sides is still alive?”

“Unfortunately,” Toph replies.

“So what’s he done this time?” Katara asks. “Please tell me it’s something you guys can actually convict him on.”

Aang winces. “That’s… where things get complicated.”

“Complicated how?” Zuko asks.

Aang scratches the back of his neck. “Well…”

Toph swings into it with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, “We think Yakone is a bloodbender.”

They can hear the shouts of their children below in the courtyard, the sounds of joy discordant with the tone their conversation has veered into.

“Well, shit,” Katara says.

Zuko looks over at her with widened eyes. “Usually you’re the diplomatic one.”

“Well, I can’t really think of a diplomatic way to react to that revelation.”

Toph says, “How’s this for shit: based on what witnesses have said, it looks like he can bloodbend without a full moon.”

Zuko and Katara share a loaded look.

Aang blinks. “You… don’t seem surprised.” He glances between the two. “We came to ask you if you thought it could be possible. We have witnesses, but--”

“It’s possible,” Katara interrupts, calm and sure.

A heavy beat passes before Aang asks, “Have you-- Katara, have you done it?”

She lets out a long breath before she explains, “Until now, Hama was the only other bloodbender we’d ever met, and she told us that a full moon was necessary for the technique. And…” Katara sighs softly. “And for Hama, the full moon was necessary, but my bending is stronger than hers was. The full moon certainly makes it easier, but it’s not required.”

“Katara--”

“Don’t start with me, Aang.” Under the table, Zuko takes her hand. “When I first did it, I swore I would never do it again. It felt… wrong and barbaric, and that was never something I had ever associated with my bending.

“But I realized years ago that by cutting myself off from the possibilities--”

“What possibilities?” Aang asks, heated. “We outlawed it for a reason. You fought for it as much as anyone else!”

Katara lets out an exasperated breath. “Have you forgotten already, my pupil?” she says with a wry edge. “Waterbending isn’t all about fighting.”

“Healing,” Toph surmises. “You used it for healing.”

“Yes,” Katara answers. “One of the biggest drawbacks of healing with water is that deeper, more serious injuries are often harder and take longer to fix. But if we can heal someone using their blood, then healing those injuries will be faster and much less taxing. And perhaps someday it won’t be just injuries we can fix. Illness, maiming, wounds that could’ve been crippling or fatal…”

Aang sighs. “You can save more people,” he concludes.

“Yes,” she replies.

He does have the good sense to look sheepish. “Sorry for assuming the worst. Sifu Katara,” he adds with a little mock bow, just to make her smile.

It works, but it’s tempered. “Look, I get your reluctance,” Katara says. “Really, I do. When we made it illegal, it was meant to be a bottle stopper on a technique that can easily be abused, but if what you’re saying about Yakone is true, then the bottle is leaking.”

“So how do we stop it?” Aang asks.

“Well, a good start would be putting Yakone in prison once and for all,” Katara says.

Zuko says, “He’s managed to weasel his way out of all the charges that have been brought against him. Trying to convince people that he can bloodbend without a full moon won’t be easy. What evidence do you have so far?”

“Witnesses,” Toph answers. “Lots of them.”

Katara says, “You’ll have a tough time getting enough credible witnesses who tell a consistent story to convince people that something thought to be impossible is possible.”

Aang says, “We’ve already got a dozen ready and willing to share what they saw.”

“That won’t be enough,” Zuko says.

“We’re working on that,” Toph says, “and we have leads for at least ten--”

“What if I testified?” Katara asks suddenly.

“No,” Zuko says. “Katara, you can’t be serious.”

“I am serious,” she says. “I’m a bloodbender who can do the technique you’re trying to convince people is possible. That would mean the burden of proof is moved away from proving it’s possible to proving that Yakone can do and has done it.”

Toph nods along with her words, and says in response, “That’s actually a really good idea. If we can get the Council to focus on the testimony rather than the bending…”

“And get the Fire Lady,” Aang says, “one of the most powerful politicians in the world, to admit on record that she also can do and has done something that illegal?”

Zuko looks over at Katara as if to say See?

She sighs. “I can’t just turn my back on Republic City because we’ve been keeping my bloodbending a secret. It sounds like we have a chance, a real chance, to finally put Yakone away, and if I don’t do everything I can to ensure that that happens, then how can I look myself in the mirror and say I’m trying to make the world a better place?”

“Think about the political implications,” Zuko says, and gets a strange look on his face. “I can’t believe I’m the one saying that to you right now but seriously. Agni knows how many enemies we have, and this would be the exact sort of thing to give them more wind in their sails. Plus, with all the fearmongering that went on about bloodbending after the war, testifying that you can do it whenever you want? People are going to fear you,” he shakes his head, expression sad.

“Give the people some credit,” Toph says. “Katara is probably the most popular public figure in the world behind Aang. People freaking love her. What kind of evil bloodbending witch builds hospitals for poor people?”

A silence draws over the table. An impasse.

In true Avatar fashion, Aang breaks the silence by saying, “I propose a compromise.” He smiles ruefully. “I think with the case we’re building, the evidence and the witnesses Toph has found, I think it will be enough.” He turns to Toph, “You trust the people enough to not turn on Katara, but not enough to rely on the witnesses to help convict Yakone? Look,” he continues, looking between all of them, “I think this time we will have enough to convict him. My worry is that when the time comes and he is convicted, he will not take that lying down.”

Katara nods slowly. “If he is as talented a bender as you say, and based on what we know about him, I doubt he goes quietly.”

“Exactly,” Aang says. “We need someone who could go up against him.” He looks meaningfully at Katara. “Instead of testifying, you provide backup in case we lose control. If that happens, I will take his bending away.”

Zuko says, “I still don’t like the idea of Katara exposing herself like that. But,” he tacks on at his wife’s look, “it’s not the worst plan.”

“It leaves a lot up to chance,” Katara says, but it is not a disagreement.

Aang replies, “So does any plan. This is the one with the least risk and highest reward.”

Katara contemplates silently for a few moments, a finger stroking her chin. “I think this could work, and taking his bending seems like the safest way to handle him. Toph,” she says, “what do you think?”

Toph groans and slouches back in her seat, tipping her head back and saying her next words to the sky, “I think we’re going to have to find the best prosecutor in Republic City, because this is going to be a fight.”

***

“We have dozens of witnesses, Yakone. We know what you are.”

Yakone growls as metal cuffs are bent onto his wrists, “I’ve beaten every trumped up charge you yahoos have brought against me, and I’ll beat this one too.”

“Get him out of here,” Toph says, and he allows himself to be escorted out of the restaurant by two officers, and the doors slam shut behind him. This leaves her and Aang standing next to each other, the silence that has descended just shy of eerie.

Aang’s face is grim. “Now comes the hard part.”

***

Several weeks later, the case of Republic City versus Yakone of the Southern Water Tribe is heard by the sitting United Republic Council.

Katara dresses down for the occasion, leaving behind her Fire Lady regalia and headpiece in favor of a short-sleeved, fur-trimmed amauti belted across her waist, sealskin boots, and a long, indigo blue skirt slit up the sides to just above her knee to allow full range of movement. She looks no different than any other Water Tribe woman and blends in with the onlookers who have come to witness the open door spectacle that is Yakone’s (hopefully last) trial.

In trying to remain anonymous, Aang and Toph agreed to not interact with her; Sokka doesn’t even know she’s here. It hurts to keep a secret from him, but with his duty to remain impartial, it’s better to keep him in the dark.

(Initially, Zuko had wanted to send security with her, but she rolled her eyes. “Zuko, I am the security.” She had eventually relented in the face of her husband’s genuine concern and agreed to take two Kyoshi-trained bodyguards with her, both of whom are also anonymously dressed and seated far enough from her to maintain their cover.)

(It is much harder for her husband to remain anonymous in this city, so he agrees to watch the children and wait for them at Aang and Toph’s home on Air Temple Island.)

(She can’t wait to tell Sokka that the Fire Lord is babysitting.)

Katara prays the two flasks of water she has attached to her belt prove unnecessary. Hopefully, any bending will be unnecessary. She hasn’t used bloodbending as a weapon in many years, and she isn’t keen to break her streak.

As she settles into a seat in the middle of the rows of tables and chairs in the main room of City Hall, Katara lets her eyes make a sweep of the room. The architecture is decidedly modern, but takes many cues from all four nations. The sweeping, high ceilings remind her of many grand rooms in the Fire Palace. The solid marble pillars and stone pilasters are uniquely Earth Kingdom. The open room looking up to the many different floors of the building invoke the Air Temples. The graceful arches, including the embellished one behind the Council’s dais, are very clearly inspired by the Northern Water Tribe.

(Katara wishes she could see something distinctively inspired by the South Pole, but their architectural heritage had been all but lost. Despite years having passed since the end of the war, its scars linger in the most unexpected ways.)

The Council files into the hall, and the constant murmur of the gathered crowd dies out and the councilmembers take their seats. Sokka, keeping with his duties as chairman, begins the proceedings. He lists the date and location for the benefit of the stenographer, going through the various things that need to be recorded for posterity. Katara can feel the tension ratcheting up in the room as Sokka details the rules of the courtroom and warns that disruptive individuals will be escorted out.

“With that settled, please bring out the accused.”

Yakone has aged since Katara had last seen him. Unsurprising, since that must’ve been ten or so years past that she was face to face with him. He looks entirely too confident for a man on trial. It rankles something in her that he thinks he can just spit in the face of the laws they put in place to secure peace, that people can let the wounds of war fester and sow the very same discord that caused their wounds in the first place.

Once Yakone is seated, Sokka asks counsel to present their opening arguments.

The prosecutor representing Republic City stands and begins, “Yakone has ruled Republic City’s criminal empire for years, yet he has always managed to stay out of the law’s reach… Until now. You will hear testimony from dozens of his victims, and they will tell you Yakone has maintained his grip on the underworld by using an ability that has been illegal for decades. Bloodbending.” She continues to lay out the case for the Council, and Katara must admit, she spins a compelling narrative. As she summarizes the case Toph and Aang have built against him, Katara glances around the room. Most of the faces she sees are nodding, and a few murmured words of agreement reach her ears. At the very least it would seem the public is on their side, but that doesn’t mean conviction is a given.

Sokka had told her that the representatives from the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe have been the holdouts on convicting Yakone, citing the heavily circumstantial evidence. (“It’s not like they’re exactly wrong,” Sokka had said, “but come on . When even circumstantial evidence piles up like that, something is fishy.”) A conviction was anything but guaranteed. And if they manage to secure a guilty verdict, then there’s the matter of if Yakone will go quietly.

After the prosecutor wraps up her speech, she is seated, and Yakone’s defense attorney stands and delivers his own argument.

“The prosecution’s entire case is built upon the make believe notion that my client is able to bloodbend at will, at any time on any day. I remind the council that bloodbending is an incredibly rare skill and it can only be performed during a full moon,” he says, and Katara shifts in her seat. Perhaps it had been a mistake for her to conceal her abilities. At least then the public would be able to hear the witness testimony with the full truth already known.

He continues, “Yet, the witnesses will claim that my client used bloodbending at every other time except during a full moon. It would be a mockery of justice to convict a man of a crime that is impossible to commit.” For several more minutes, the attorney continues in this vein, impugning the witnesses’ character and motives and maintaining that Yakone is a victim of partisan politics and a smear campaign. It’s difficult for Katara to listen to without wanting to break something.

When Yakone’s attorney concludes, Sokka asks for witnesses, and the trial itself truly begins.

***

It’s a grueling trial. In total, it ends up lasting something like twenty-two hours with dozens of witnesses testifying to what they saw. Person after person, from a variety of backgrounds and nations. Shopkeepers and artisans, stay-at-home mothers and military veterans, jailhouse informants and former gang members, and all say the same thing: Yakone is a bloodbender, and he doesn’t need the full moon to do it.

Katara has to hand it to Aang and Toph--they did not take any shortcuts on their investigation. The testimony had been thorough, brutal, and consistent. Somewhere around the seventh witness, the defense attorney’s arguments became progressively more repetitive and less believable. In short, it had been utterly damning.

“Councilman Sokka will now deliver the verdict.”

Her brother stands, looking out across the gathered crowd. “In my years, I have encountered people born with rare and unique bending abilities. I once bested a man with my trusty boomerang who was able to firebend with his mind.” That makes Katara crack a grin. Of course he’d find a way to bring up his boomerang. At least he skipped over the name he’d given to said firebender.

Sooka continues, “Why, even metalbending was considered impossible for all of history until our esteemed chief of police Toph Beifong single-handedly developed the skill. The overwhelming amount of testimony and evidence has convinced this council that Yakone is one of these unique benders, and he exploited his ability to commit these heinous crimes. We find Yakone guilty of all charges and sentence him to life in prison.”

A gavel bang officially adjourns the court, and they have done it. Yakone is going away for good.

This is what they were hoping for, and also the situation they were dreading. Katara tenses in her seat, shifting forward with her eyes locked on Yakone.

Initially, he is still. His attorney wads a sheet of paper and throws it across the room with a huff. Two metalbenders come to take him away.

Then Yakone stands. She cannot see his hands, but Katara can feel the exact moment he starts to bend.

She was only fourteen last time someone bent her blood, nearly thirty years ago now but the sensation slides over her like a familiar, unwelcome caress. Her muscles seize, her veins throb, and for a handful of fearful seconds, Katara is afraid that she isn’t strong enough to beat him.

He’s bloodbending an entire room full of people, the Council, the crowd, Toph, and even Aang.

Aang appears to be fighting against the control, his hand shaking with exertion as he reaches out towards Yakone.

As a groaning Toph is forced to undo his shackles, Aang grits out, “Yakone, you won’t get away with this.”

Yakone forcefully drops his arms, and Katara can feel it in the rush of her blood--he’s going to knock everyone out. As everyone in the room drops, Katara breathes and controls her fear. She stops the rush of her blood away from her head. She feels the hush and whisper of the water moving in her flasks, and when she pushes herself, she can feel the same movement in everyone around her, the push and pull of blood through their veins like the push and pull of the sea.

As much as Hama was dangerous, she was also right. Water is everywhere. Katara is surrounded by it, and when she is surrounded by her element, she cannot lose.

Yakone laughs and turns toward Aang, still frozen, and lifts him into the air. “Republic City is mine, Avatar. I’ll be back one day to claim it.”

The mobster makes a move to throw Aang into the stairs at the foot of the Council’s table, but finds himself quite suddenly stopped.

“Over my dead body,” Katara calls out, and steps out into the aisle between the tables, hands before her in bloodbending form. She can feel his blood flowing through his body, the shape of the circulatory system like a scarlet tree running through him, and it is hers to control.

Aang drops like a sack of flour, and Katara winces as he hits the floor.

“That could be arranged, Fire Lady,” Yakone growls, and Katara gasps and he wrenches himself from her control and the full force of his bloodbending hits her like a runaway wagon.

He is powerful. Far more powerful than Hama. The fear of being weaker than him slams into her again as he lifts her off the floor. The breath is forced from her lungs as her head is jerked backwards. She grits her teeth together, trying to wrest control of her body back, but he’s fighting her.

“You’re strong,” Yakone says, a touch of strain in his deep voice, “but not strong enough.”

She feels as though she is about to explode, but he is not stronger than her. “Funny,” she wheezes, “I was about to say the same to you! ” On her last word, she finally breaks her arms free of his control and hurls Yakone into a pillar. His back collides with the surface, and his head snaps backwards and cracks against the marble.

Katara drops, grunting when she hits the floor, but she finds her feet again fast. She’s gasping with exertion, but she cannot let her guard down now. She will not lose.

Unfortunately, the hit against the pillar wasn’t as severe as it sounded, as Yakone is already standing again.

“You little brat,” he says, and before she can stop him, he picks her up and returns the favor, sending her flying backwards, all the way to the doors of City Hall. They shatter under the force of her body, and shards of wood slice through her skin and clothing. She maintains the presence of mind to bend the water out of her flasks and create a wall of ice that she slides up against before she can go tumbling down the stairs.

She staggers to her feet, her head pounding from the impact and her joints reminding her that she is not as young as she once was.

Yakone follows her out, pace measured and slow--perhaps her throw had done more damage than he let on. Katara takes quick stock of herself--the cuts from her unpleasant trip through the door are superficial, and her head’s throbbing is quieting. Nothing is broken, though her ankle might be slightly twisted. Nothing that will make her unable to fight.

She prays that Aang won’t be down for long, and bends like her life depends on it.

She’s never been in a bloodbending fight like this. It’s always been the case where she was clearly stronger, like with Hama, or her opponent was not a waterbender, like when she and Zuko went after the Southern Raiders. But this is her seizing control of Yakone and trying to force him to his knees, and then him wresting back control and trying to dislocate her shoulders. Her joints and tendons creak, her heart heaves in confusion in her chest, and a pained groan forces its way out of her throat.

This is Katara managing to break free just before the joints pop out of place and throwing Yakone down the stairs to give herself a moment of respite. Sweat beads on her forehead as she bends the water she’d brought with her over Yakone, freezing him in place.

Her bonds don’t last long as he melts the water and sends it back in her direction. He bends it into a dozen daggers, razor sharp and coming at her fast. Taking control of her blood, Yakone holds her directly in their path.

With a pained shout, Katara manages to take control of her body back in time to dodge out of the way, tucking and rolling. She comes up onto one knee and reaches out to take hold of Yakone’s blood once more.

This back and forth is exhausting, the unnatural movements forced onto her body make her feel bruised and raw, and doing this technique under the sun is no small task.

She tries to do what Yakone did earlier, tries to force his blood away from his head and make him pass out like he’d done to the whole courtroom, but he manages to hold her off. She can see the strain on his face and is gratified that she’s not the only one struggling.

She grits her teeth, pushing at his blood harder.

With a tortured shout, Yakone takes his own blood back. Katara stumbles, and he presses his advantage. She finds herself pushed down onto the ground, first her knees, then her hands, Yakone pressing down against her back. If she cedes her ability to move, if he manages to get her face down on the ground, she won’t be able to bend. She will lose.

Kicking one of her knees up so she rests on just the one, Katara looses her arms from Yakone’s control. In a move that was adapted from firebending, she punches out with her arms quickly, one aimed for the blood in his chest and the other towards his knees.

The first lands hard, she can feel the blood shimmering under the impact as the breath is driven from his lungs and he loses his grip on Katara. The second is a lighter hit--less blood in the joints, but it is effective in breaking his root and knocking him off balance. Katara pushes forward, taking on the traditional bloodbending form as she forces him down to his knees.

“Katara!”

Thank the Spirits . Aang shoots out of City Hall faster than an eel hound, riding a ball of compressed air.

Her hands shake as she attempts to keep her hold fast.

“Aang, now!” she shouts.

The years haven’t dulled their ability to work together, and Aang understands exactly what she wants from him. The ball of air dissolves beneath him as he adopts an earthbending stance. With a jab upwards, he bends a tight funnel of rock up and around Yakone, immobilizing him.

Katara stumbles backwards as she finally releases Yakone’s blood and a wave of exhaustion goes over her. She braces her hands on her knees as she watches Aang approach Yakone.

“I’m taking away your bending for good,” Aang says. Between one heartbeat and the next, Aang enters the Avatar State. His eyes and tattoos take on a familiar glow. His hands go to Yakone’s head and chest, and a few seconds later, it is over. Yakone slumps down as much as the rock prison allows.

“Katara!” Aang calls out again, rushing to her side. “Are you all right?”

She grunts as she puts a little bit of weight on the bad ankle. Definitely a sprain, but not severe. She bends the water across City Hall’s steps back into the flask, but saves a little over her hands and sets about healing the bleeding cuts across her body. Zuko would probably have an aneurysm if she came back bleeding. As it is, he’ll probably have at least a minor meltdown looking at the tattered and bloody state of her clothing. “I’m okay.” She looks past him at Yakone, whose eyes are closed as if asleep. “He’s down?”

Aang nods. “He’ll never bend again.”

Katara nods and bends the water on her hands back into her flasks. “Good, because I’d just like to go on record as saying I never want to do that again.”

Aang steps forward and hugs her tightly. He really can give some of the best hugs--he’s always solid and warm, his robes are soft and smell faintly of incense, and his height and long limbs mean she always feels surrounded by his affection and sincerity. There’s a part of her that misses when he was younger, when he was the kid that she was responsible for, the kid she needed to protect and take care of. But this? This is it’s own kind of better.

“I’m sorry you had to do it at all,” Aang says softly.

“Necessary sacrifices. It’s what needed to be done,” Katara says. She lingers in his embrace for a few more seconds before she pulls away.

“And you’re sure you’re okay?”

“I will be. I think I just need some rest.” She chuckles breathlessly. “I feel like I just ran a marathon.”

“Here, I’ll call Appa for you so you can get back to Air Temple Island--”

“No,” she interrupts gently. “I want to see this through.”

And as much as collapsing on a bed right now sounds appealing, it is not too much of a task to see Yakone off to prison and ensure that everyone who was a victim of his bending in the courtroom is unharmed.

Toph lets off some creative expletives when Katara revives her, and Aang hugs her desperately before she can go off on a rampage. Toph softens, and the pair kiss before they pull away from each other. Toph punches Katara in the arm in both greeting and gratitude.

Sokka comes back to in a similar fashion, and is livid in turn about Katara having to fight Yakone by herself and also about missing an “epic bloodbending battle.” She can sense that he’s a little hurt she never told him about her full bloodbending abilities, but he keeps it to himself for now. She owes him a full explanation later, when it’s just the two of them. She’s always hated keeping secrets from him.

(There’s also a part of her that knows he’s going to censure her for pushing to illegalize something and then continuing to do it behind everyone’s backs. And perhaps he’ll be right to be mad, but that’s just going to have to be a bridge she’ll cross when she gets to it. If there’s one thing she hates more than keeping secrets from Sokka, it’s him being disappointed in her.)

Aang eventually does call for Appa once the chaos of the day has settled and Toph puts her second-in-command in control of the rest of the cleanup, and the bison takes them all to Air Temple Island. Despite the ride only taking ten minutes, Katara nearly falls asleep on Sokka’s shoulder.

When they arrive, Suki is already there with a worried Zuko standing next to her.

“We heard what happened,” Suki says in explanation, and Zuko rushes over to Appa and helps Sokka get Katara out of the saddle. She feels a little pathetic that she can barely stand on her own and has to have her brother and husband practically lift her down, but mostly she’s grateful.

Zuko’s hug is tighter than Aang’s was, and she can feel the minuscule shakes going through him. A ball of tension lingering in her chest finally eases as she clutches him back. “It’s been so long since we’ve had to fight anyone,” he whispers. “I forgot how scary it is to send you off on your own.”

“I know,” she replies, stroking a hand through his hair. It’s completely unbound, a rarity he only indulges in when in the most intimate of settings, and it allows fingers to run through it without interruption. “But I’m alright. My whole body feels like a giant bruise and I want to go to bed in the middle of the afternoon, but I’m alright.”

His arms tighten around her again, and he kisses her hair.

All too soon, or perhaps not soon enough, reality comes rushing back in the form of their children.

“Mom!”

She’d expected Kyokani or Kya, their exuberance at seeing their mother still untempered, but to her surprise and delight, it’s Iroh who calls out to her. He runs up to her and hugs her with a similar degree of desperation as his father had, and Katara has to hold back tears.

It’s not that Iroh isn’t a loving, wonderful son (in spite of the brooding angst that had bloomed not long after he’d turned sixteen), but he’s going through a phase where hugging his mom is not exactly on the top of the list of things he wants to do. But Spirits, if he isn’t hugging her now like he had when he was six years old and was frightened by the Dragon Catacombs when he’d stumbled upon them while alone.

She supposes it makes sense--they hadn’t told their youngest children much beyond the fact that Mom needed to help Uncle Aang and Aunt Toph take down a bad guy. However, Iroh knows exactly who Yakone is and exactly how much danger his mother was just in. (Katara imagines she’ll be getting an earful from Izumi about her safety next time she sees her. Her firstborn is a lot like her father in that way.)

She’s hears a high pitched, “Mama!” and looks over Iroh’s shoulder to find little Kyokani with Kya hot on his heels racing to greet her. Katara can’t bring herself to let go of her oldest son just yet, and with a grin brings him down to his knees with her so that she can have all her kids in her arms at once. Iroh, surprisingly, doesn’t complain. “Did you and Uncle Aang and Aunt Toph get the bad guy?” Kyo asks.

“Yeah,” Katara chuckles. “We got him.”

“Was there a big fight?” asks Kya, and their little group hug begins to disperse as it’s clear Kya and Kyokani want the story of how they got the bad guy.

Katara laughs. “Yes, there was a big fight.”

“Whoa,” Kya says with wide eyes. “And you beat him?”

“Well,” Katara says with a small shrug, “Uncle Aang helped a little bit.”

Aang gives Appa a parting pat and turns with his hands on his hips. “Hey, I did more than a little bit!”

“He came in at the end,” Katara stage whispers. When she moves to stand again, she loses her balance a bit. “Oof.” She’s steadied by Iroh’s hand on her back.

“Mom, are you alright?” Iroh asks.

“Just tired,” she tells him, and pats his cheek. “Thank you.”

“Mom you gotta tell us about the big fight!” Kya asks, tugging at her mother’s skirt.

“Hey, I can tell you about it!” Aang says, and then he crouches down. “Also, I want a hug too!”

“Me three!” says Sokka, and the youngest of the Fire Nation clan scatters to hug their favorite uncles.

Katara elbows Iroh, who is still standing next to her with a look of worry on his face. “Go say hi to your uncles and aunts. Aunt Toph also probably wants a hug, even if she’s not going to ask for one.”

Iroh nods and does as he’s told. (And yes, Aunt Toph absolutely did want a hug. Katara can almost hear Iroh’s bones crack under her grip from where she stands.)

Then Zuko comes to her side and takes her hand. He says, “They’re going to distract them for a while so that you can go get some rest.”

Suki, who’d been waiting to join the fray of hugs, says, “There’s a guest room set up for you just off the main hall. Zuko knows where it is.” She looks back at the Temple and then back at Katara, “You might want to go before Luna and Ukira get wind that you’re here. I trust Tenzin and Lin to be a little more restrained, but--”

“Wait,” Katara says, “they’re all here? I shouldn’t be sleeping while everyone is here.” She wishes even more fervently that Izumi was home. Then her family would truly be complete.

“Hey,” Zuko says softly, squeezing her hand, “everyone will still be here when you wake up.”

It takes a bit more cajoling to get Katara to the guest room, but once she lies down, Zuko sitting next to the bed and promising to stay until she falls asleep, it’s almost no time at all before she drifts off.

After all, she’d always slept best surrounded by the people she loves.

#zutara month #zutara #zutara fic #atla #my fic #tbh this was an excuse to write OP katara and by god i fucking took it #with a fast denouement because that's what i'm all about babeyy

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runtedfiction · 4 years

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A/N: for zutara week day 1! i’ve only watched half of korra so i don’t know what actually happens in canon, only that zutara didn’t 😔

AO3

* * *

Toph is the first to leave. Her final wave is larger than life, her smile brighter than the sun, as she and the Bei Fong security team kickstart their ostrich horses. “See ya later!”

Katara watches her go from the steps of the Jasmine Dragon, laughing and crying.

“And so she sneaks in one last blind joke,” Sokka says, rubbing at his eyes. Suki rubs his back. “Those Bei Fongs better take care of her.”

“It’s ok,” Aang says, also wiping at tears. He slips his hand into Katara’s, a quiet show of affection that she knows everyone notices. “This isn’t where the journey ends!”

“How can you be so sure about that, Aang?” she asks. “Sure, there’s lots of rebuilding to do, but I’m not sure if we can exactly do it together and—”

“We can,” Zuko cuts in. Though it’s been so long, she’s reminded of the first time she saw him in the Jasmine Dragon. But now here he is, hair down and shaggy, the happiest she’s ever seen him.

“Aang and I can’t rebuild the world alone,” he says. A glimmer of hope takes root in her heart. “We’re going to need all your help. Aang and I want to hold annual Summit Weeks for the next three years to fully realize our vision of peace; we would be honored to have all of Team Avatar there.”

“Of course,” Sokka says. “No brainer, I’ll be there.”

“Me too,” says Suki. “The Kyoshi Warriors are honored to serve.”

“I’ll be there too,” Katara echos. So much has changed in the past year, and she wonders what will change in the next. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

* * *

Katara, Aang, and Sokka leave Ba Sing Se for the Southern Water Tribe, and Team Avatar’s first year apart begins.

Katara and Sokka set on rebuilding their home, bringing in new technology and infrastructure. They sit next to their father at council meetings, paving paths of future greatness. Aang sticks around for the first three months before he leaves too to restore the air temples. “Just like you’re building a future here for new generations of waterbenders,” he explains, hand on top of hers, “I’m going to do the same for airbenders. We need our homes back.”

He promises to visit once every few weeks, and Katara sees him off with a kiss. He blushes like he always does, and an overwhelming fondness fills her. Aang may be 113, but he’s 13 in her eyes, giddy to hold her close and call her his.

After he leaves, Katara forgets the rest of the world, only remembering it when Aang comes back full of stories. But one morning a messenger hawk is spotted on the horizon. She drops her scrolls to sprint to it-- Zuko . They haven’t spoken since Ba Sing Se, and she fumbles with the red ribbon around the message, shaking with excitement.

Katara,

I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, and I hope you’re doing well. As always, thank you for doing your part in ending the war. I also don’t know how I can thank you enough for saving my life; every day I’m reminded in some way.

Now that I’m settled in, I want to discuss plans for the new era of peace. For the Southern Water Tribe, this means reparations from the Fire Nation and electing a representative as a point of contact for our interim council. I’m drafting proposals and will be sending them over shortly; please let me know if I should be sending them to you, your father, or Sokka.

Again, I hope you’re doing well. The Summit Week will be a few months from now, and I hope to see you there. Write back soon.

Your friend,

Zuko

P.S. I know this letter may sound stuffy, and I’m Fire Lord now, but some part of me will always be the 16 year old rehearsing “Hello, Zuko here” and hoping for your forgiveness. Also, I hope Sokka’s not offended that I only sent this to you.

Sokka sticks his nose in the air when he reads this. “I am offended.”

“Oh grow up,” Katara says, laughing. “Think about how great it’ll be to see everyone again soon.”

Will Toph be taller, or Zuko’s hair shorter? Will Suki and Ty Lee go to the Summit? And speaking of the Summit, what can she advocate for during it? Katara picks up a pen and begins writing a reply, daydreaming about seeing her friends again in the back of her mind.

* * *

“Twinkle toes, I missed you so much .”

Toph runs towards Appa and gives them all a hug as soon as they land. She’s a bit taller, and behind her is Zuko, hair a bit longer, who joins the hug as soon as Katara pulls him in.

“Where’s Suki?” Sokka asks.

“The Kyoshi Warriors insisted on being private security for the event,” Zuko explains. “But Suki, come on out. Your boyfriend is eager to see you, no one’s looking to kill me here.”

“Suki!” Sokka runs to her as soon she slips out of the shadows, and Katara’s heart fills. Everyone’s together again.

Later that evening, Zuko joins them for dinner in their suite. It’s a curious affair--fire flakes alongside stewed sea prunes, cabbage noodles, and tofu. Sokka eats like a vacuum, and Katara is pleased that Aang has so many choices. She wonders if Zuko did research beforehand.

“I hope you’ve all been briefed on the schedule for the coming week,” Zuko says. “And I know it seems like a lot. But rest assured that every event will lead to an action item on my docket.”

“And,” he continues, “it might be boring. Insufferable, even. But to the world, we’re one of the most important teams guiding things forward.”

“Don’t worry, Zuko, we can do it,” Katara says, and he looks at her with a smile. For the past few months they’ve exchanged letters about rebuilding the Southern Water Tribe (they’ll ask the North for funds too), outlawing bloodbending (Zuko promised to help), and the new name of the four nations.

“The United Republic of Nations,” Aang says, digging into his sweet buns. “I like it.”

* * *

During the recess of The State of Bending talk, Zuko finds Katara and places a hand on her shoulder.

“People like Yakone are the worst,” he says. “But it’s going to be fine, don’t worry.”

“He’s pond scum!” Katara hisses. “I hate people who lie like that. And calling me not only a child but also a coward, with that look in his eye--Aang had to stop me from bloodbending him right there and then.”

“He’s pond scum, yes,” Zuko agrees, “but all you have to do is hear him out and make sure the interim councilmembers hear your arguments. I’ll back you up.”

“I know, I know. But still, pond scum!”

“Yup,” Zuko says, a smile on his face. “He’s cold ashes. We can take him.”

“You’re right.” Katara thinks of the times they followed each other into battle. This is no different; if anything, at least they’re not putting their lives on the line. “Thanks, Zuko.”

“No problem.” His smile grows soft. “And as always, I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

He follows her back into the meeting room where she makes history, her eyes glowing with the conviction she soon becomes famous for.

* * *

Almost two years later, after another Summit Week passes and just before the third one, Zuko sends Katara a letter that begins with It’s official! and ends with a copy of the new legislation outlawing bloodbending.

And in the middle of the Southern Air Temple’s training grounds, Katara jumps and yells with excitement.

Within a minute Aang is by her side, concern in his eyes. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes yes yes!” She kisses him on the cheek, and he looks confused. “The Council passed that bloodbending legislation! Oh, Aang, this is so great.”

“Oh yeah--awesome!” He says. “I’m really happy for you!”

“I can’t believe it actually worked,” Katara holds the letter close to her heart. “I can’t believe it!”

“I know, this is so good for you,” Aang says, his voice a bit rushed. “And I’m sorry but—”

“You have to go tend to the Air Acolytes,” Katara says. “I’m not in danger, don’t worry! You can hurry back.”

“Thanks for always understanding,” Aang says, giving her a quick kiss. Then he leaves in a gust of air, and Katara sits on the soft grass, feeling the breeze.

Aang resists political involvement, citing the Avatar’s need for neutrality, so it’s understandable that he isn’t as excited as her. Aang needs to preserve the traditions of the Air Nomads, so it’s understandable that he can’t be with her all the time. Aang is constantly called to stop civil wars or investigate malicious spirits, so it’s understandable that Katara sometimes goes a week without seeing him even if he asked her to live with him for a bit.

Katara understands these things, and yet some part of her yearns for the South Pole, for anywhere that feels like home. She’s acutely aware that Aang’s duty is to the world, and yet some part of her feels so small and alone.

At least there’s this letter. It's confirmation that her work these past few years has been worth it. And if the rumors are true, the nation heads are working on a new permanent council to govern the United Republic of Nations.

The era of peace is being fully realized, and Katara wonders how she can ask for a seat on the council.

A few weeks later, just as she begins writing a letter to ask her father if he could recommend her ( I know I’m barely 18, I know I only have experience with our small tribe, but I know I’m the best person for the job ), a message arrives.

I’ve written to your father to ask him to nominate you for the Southern Water Tribe Representative on the new council, Zuko says. If I could recommend you myself, I would. If he nominates you (and I don’t see why he wouldn’t), prepare to defend that nomination at the upcoming Summit.

Katara nearly cries, and Aang places a hand on top of hers. Even the sun seems to shine brighter; a leaf dances in through the window of the study room.

“Is everything alright?” he asks.

“Everything’s great,” she says. The thought of potentially moving to Republic City as a councilmember (and thereby leaving Aang’s side for some time) briefly flickers in her mind. “I have some great news.”

* * *

The third and final Summit Week comes, and Katara has the daunting task of defending her nomination in front of the nations’ leaders. Even though this really only means speaking in front of the Earth King and Northern Water Tribe Chief (Aang, Zuko, and her father are also in the room, but do they really count?), this is turned against her.

“Your father, partner, and longtime friend are likely going to vote for your approval. You already have three out of five votes secured. What do you say to people who claim nepotism?”

“With all due respect,” Zuko cuts in, a bit angry, “this question seems unfair, and—”

“It’s ok,” Katara says, voice measured. “People are going to say this. And to that I say that my accomplishments in the Southern Water Tribe, from securing and using reparations funds to build our growing nation to advocating for all waterbenders, not just the men, speaks volumes. I also originated the legislation that’s now in place to outlaw bloodbending. I pushed for these initiatives with the help of the people you just named, but ultimately I did it.”

Zuko smiles. He remembers some old campfire story Sokka told about Sapphire Fire as he watches Katara talk her through every sticky question. She’s going to do great on The Council, no doubt.

She’s already amazing.

* * *

Katara sighs in relief when the nation heads confirm her council seat.

Team Avatar celebrates over dinner. Only it isn’t a private room this time, like it was two years ago--this time around, it’s in the Fire Nation palace, in the biggest hall Katara has ever seen. Everyone invited to Summit Week dines together, the golden walls housing the noisy chatter of the most important people in the world.

Zuko prepared formal clothes for them tailored to their respective traditions, and as always, his quiet attention to detail never fails to amaze her.

“Tonight, we feast!” Sokka says, opening their table’s meal with a toast. “To my sister, who has never failed to be annoying and fight for the things she cares about. The Southern Water Tribe and the world are in debt to you, Councilwoman Katara.”

“To Katara!” Aang says, and everyone follows suit. Their glasses clink together, and Katara feels at home for the first time in a long time.

Toph tells them about all the lies she’s heard today (“People even lie about the kinds of tea they like, how weird is that!”), Suki pretends to chi block Sokka when he steals food off her plate, and Aang and Zuko trade friendly insults about who’s taller.

It’s perfect.

* * *

Dear Zuko,

Thanks so much for your support in nominating me to the council. You beat me to asking my father for his recommendation, and your confidence in me means the world. For what it’s worth, the way you and Aang have been dealing with the newly freed Fire Nation colonies is incredible. The world is lucky to have you both.

Moving to Republic City is going to be tricky, but I’ll be there before the end of month. I hope to see you there not only for my swearing in ceremony, but also for advising sessions. I’m sure we’ll see each other soon. Still kind of surreal!

Speaking of surreal things, I can’t believe you’ve been raising a dragon. On the one mission I was allowed to join Aang on, we found a herd of sky bison; they’re not extinct either! Appa’s babies are going to be so cute.

And finally, speaking of cute things, I’ve attached a painting that an Air Acolyte child did of you. Look--the scar is on the right side.

Your friend,

Katara

* * *

Moving to Republic City is tricky because Aang’s schedule collides with, well, everything.

Katara brings it up one night over dinner. “How is visiting each other going to work?”

“I don’t know,” Aang says. He picks up some silken tofu gently with his chopsticks, careful to not let it split. “This next month the Southern Air Temple is pretty set, but there’s two more to fill with Acolytes. There’s still rumors of civil unrest in the freed colonies. Zuko said he wanted an Air Temple Island next to Republic City, right? Maybe I could stay there?”

“Zuko wants your supervision on it, but the Island might not be ready for construction for another year at least. What if you stayed in the city with me for some time?”

“I don’t know,” Aang says with a sigh. “There’s too much to do, and I think the Eastern Air Temple needs full restoration next to establish a spiritual home. I’m really sorry, I know this is your dream and I’m making it difficult.”

“It’s ok, don’t worry,” Katara says. “You’re the Avatar. You serve the world.”

“I wish I could do more for you too though.” Aang looks remorseful, and Katara places her hand over his. He hesitates, then asks, “Do you--do you think you could ever take a week off and find me?”

Katara pulls her hand back. “What? No. The Council has so much to do, I even just wrote this whole Constitution proposal, and I don’t think that I could just leave for a week without that having serious conseq—”

“Oh, yeah, wait, I really didn’t mean to imply that leaving your job to see me wouldn’t have serious consequences.” Aang grabs her hand, and she appreciates the quick backtrack.

But it still stings. “Our jobs aren’t equally important and that’s ok,” she says, “but we have to figure out a system to see each other. Do you know a rough timeline of what next year would look like for you yet?”

“No,” Aang says, quiet. “Like I said, there’s too much to do. All I know...all I know is that I don’t want to feel like I’m losing you because you’re my forever girl.”

“Aang, you’re not losing me.” A beat passes, and she hesitates. “But forever is--forever is a really long time and I don’t know how to think about that, let’s focus on the next few years maybe--”

“I was trapped in ice for 100 years, Katara!” She can see tears brimming in his eyes, and it’s hard to comfort him when she’s the one doing the hurting. “A few years is nothing. I might have been trapped forever, if not for you or Sokka--I know how precious time is, but also how to wait, and I know I want you in my time.”

“I know that’s what you want,” Katara says, voice soft. And the next words to come out of her mouth are dangerous, something she only thinks when she’s alone. When Aang leaves her with a gust of wind. When she thinks about how the Southern Water Tribe might not even feel like home anymore; Sokka says so much has changed in the last year she’s been gone. “If we can’t see each other for the next few years, I’m not sure what I want.”

Aang is silent, and Katara’s stomach sinks. How could I say that?

But also, her heart soars— thank God I was able to say that.

“I understand,” he finally says. He stands and picks up their empty bowls. “You need to find your way. And for now, that isn’t with me.”

Tears well in her eyes. She nods.

* * *

Katara,

Aang told me what happened. I really hope you’re doing ok. When Mai broke up with me, I was devastated, but I understood that she wanted more out of life than watching other people live it. Not to say that’s what you’re doing, but more that I understood her perspective, much like I’m sure Aang will understand yours. (I realize this is completely unsolicited personal advice advice. Don’t worry, I’ve attached suggested edits to your constitution proposal to this letter.)

But really, if you need anything to get to Republic City, let me know. Druk’s gotten big enough to fly now, and the palaces always have empty rooms ready to receive guests. I can also always make arrangements.

Your Friend,

Zuko

(Aang still insists on dropping her off to Republic City, which Katara knows is his way of saying sorry. When they arrive, trying very hard not to cry, she hugs Aang as tight as she can before sliding off Appa.

“Write often,” she says. “And thank you.”

“I will,” he says. “And I should be thanking you, so don’t worry. I’ll see you later.”

He leaves with a defeated look on his face, and that’s when Katara lets herself cry.)

* * *

Living in Republic City still doesn’t feel real. Katara has never had a place to call her own before, and the idea of this apartment being hers is foreign.

At her swearing in ceremony, Zuko and her father are the only familiar faces in the crowd. Sokka, Toph, and Suki are all home as far as she knows, and Aang is at the Eastern Air Temple. But Zuko and her father bring flowers and words of congratulations, and that’s more than enough.

“Your mother would be so proud,” Hakoda says. “I knew even before you and Zuko sent those letters that you’d be the one for the job.”

“Thanks Dad,” Katara says, holding him tight for a hug. “I wish Mom were here to see this.”

“Me too.”

Next is Zuko, holding a bouquet of fire lilies. “I don’t remember if you like flowers, but I figured they’re a nice formality. Congrats, Councilwoman Katara.”

She holds the flowers and pulls him in close for a hug. “They’re beautiful. Thanks.”

A few weeks later, Katara finishes the first official draft of the United Republic’s Constitution. It’s one thing to read the historical documents that shaped each nation, and another to write them herself. Undeniable rights, government structure, due process--it's all she can think about for weeks.

She sends copies to all her friends, looking for advice. But it’s nice to catch up in the letters too; Suki has moved to the Southern Water Tribe for the time being. Sokka says Master Pakku and Gran Gran are disgustingly in love. Even Aang replies--it’s short and Katara can hear the hurt in his voice, but he’s trying, and that’s all she can ask for.

Zuko is the only person whose feedback she can hear in person. When he’s not advising the greater Council or overseeing construction of Air Temple Island he’s in Katara’s office, dropping off scrolls and occasionally serving tea.

"The Jasmine Dragon’s White Dragon,” Katara says, reading the label on the tin that Zuko carefully measures leaves from. He laughs. “What’s so funny?”

“My uncle once drank something thinking it was white dragon, but it was white jade. And you think it wouldn’t be too bad, but he was covered in rashes for days. Everywhere.”

Katara smiles. “That’s horrible.”

“It’s ok, we figured it out.” Zuko’s eyes have a faraway look, one that Katara often sees in herself. So much has changed in the past five years, but sometimes it’s easy to get lost in thinking about what it was like when the world was ending.

“Anyway,” Zuko says. “I have a free night a month from now, and we should get dinner at this new place I hear is good.”

“Kwong’s Cuisine?”

“Yup, that’s the one!” Zuko clears his throat. “Oh, and, to clarify, other people should come too if they’re free. Like, if Sokka is in town, or Suki, or Toph, or Aang. Although, I guess maybe not Aa—”

“Zuko,” Katara says with a laugh. “It’s fine. Kwong’s Cuisine a month from now sounds great.”

“Ok, sorry. Anyway, the Constitution…”

When he leaves, Katara finds herself smiling. Zuko’s cute when he’s flustered.

* * *

Katara only has one set of clothes fancy enough for Kwong’s, and it’s the set that Zuko gave her at the Summit a year ago.

Zuko notices when she arrives. “Are these the—”

“Yeah,” she says. “I guess it might be a bit embarrassing, but I don’t have much time to go shopping.”

“It’s not embarrassing, and that makes sense.” She takes a seat across from him. “If anything, it’s embarrassing how many robes I have. They have stewed sea prunes here, by the way. ”

“My favorite!”

They order a strange blend of Fire Nation and Water Tribe foods, but to their credit, the wait staff says nothing, only bowing deeply.

Katara refills their tea cups. “Speaking of sea prunes--even at the Summit, four years ago, when you had them served for dinner. How on earth did you remember that Sokka and I liked them?”

“You said it one random night years ago,” Zuko says. “And maybe Sokka said it in his sleep. The night we all came to Ember Island, I think.”

Katara’s impressed. “Wow, you remember that so clearly.”

Zuko nods, and there’s that faraway look in his eyes again. “Everything in the days after I joined Team Avatar and leading up to that final Agni Kai I remember very clearly.”

“Me too.”

Katara places her hand over his, briefly, to pull him back in the present. It seems to work.

“But hey,” she says. “Look where we are now! And to be honest, sometimes what I remember most is how mean I was to you in the beginning.”

What she doesn’t say is what she actually remembers most is Zuko jumping in front of lightning for her.

He laughs. “I remember you threatening to kill me if I ever stepped out of line.”

“Hey, hey,” Katara says. “Again, like I said, look where we are now! A valid point at the time though.”

“I know,” Zuko says. He’s handsome when he smiles too.

A few weeks after Kwong’s, Katara replays the night in her head and steps out of the shower, bending herself dry. Fuck, she thinks. I'm in love with Zuko.

* * *

Katara can’t pinpoint exactly when she started having feelings for Zuko, but now that she’s in the thick of it, it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that when she signs the Constitution, he hands her the pen. When rumors of bloodbending start, he helps her squash illegal training camps. When Toph joins the police force, he’s at her side to welcome her on the steps of City Hall.

“Sugar Queen, Sparky!” Toph opens her arms for a hug and Katara sprints into it. “It’s good to see you.”

“Toph, it’s so good to see you.”

“Orientation starts in a few minutes, so I have to go. But Sparky, that life-changing field trip--I still need it. I expect an itinerary by the end of the week.”

Zuko smiles. “You got it.”

The curious thing about being in love with the Fire Lord is that it’s not the grand things that Katara likes. It’s the small things. The way he always remembers to ask her how she’s doing, or how he sends tins of white dragon tea to her office. Even when she doesn’t see him for a week (Katara knows Zuko must be horribly busy and doesn’t understand how he has the energy to fly to Republic City on a weekly basis), thoughts of him live in her mind.

And so it’s terrifying but also easy after their second dinner at Kwong’s to move in a bit closer than she normally would.

“Thanks for flying me home,” Katara says. “I’m sure Druk wants to go home now too.”

“He doesn’t like the city. It’s too dense for him.” Zuko’s hard to read, as usual, and it’s terrifying to bet their friendship on this, but she knows she has to. “It might be ti—”

She cuts him off to kiss him, and for a second, time stops. But then another second passes, and another, and Katara is pulling back because ok, wow, holy shit was that the wrong thing to do .

But then he pulls her in tighter, kisses her more deeply, and happiness fills Katara the way fire lilies drink in rain after a drought.

“I love you,” he says, arms tight around her waist as he pulls her in for a hug. “I love you, and sometimes it feels like I’ve loved you all my life.”

* * *

Fire Nation summers are unforgivingly hot, and in the last few months of her term as councilwoman, Katara finds herself spending more time in the palace with Zuko.

She’s nominated Sokka to take her place on the United Republic Council, and he and Suki are moving to Republic City next weekend. It’s just in time for the unveiling of Air Temple Island. Aang will be the guest of honor, and Toph his security.

“I don’t think we’ve all been together since the summit four years ago,” Zuko says. They’re feeding the turtleducks at sunset, the only time of day when it finally starts cooling down.

She bends little ripples in the water, and the turtleducklings quack with delight.

“It’ll be great to see everyone again,” Katara says. “And I can’t wait for Sokka to start working so I don’t have to anymore.”

“Have you given more thought to what you want to do once you leave?”

She nods. “Yes, but there’s so much to do. I could train new healers or new waterbenders in the south. I could lobby for special interests like the former colonists. I could travel the world for personal enjoyment. Right now I’m leaning towards going back to the south.”

“That does sound like a lot to think about.”

“I know,” Katara says. “And I once fought with Aang about it, but now I understand. Sometimes it feels like there’s too much to do, and it’s easy to feel like you don’t know where to get started.”

“I have a suggestion,” Zuko says, “if it’s hard to get started. You could stay here, with me.”

Her heart skips a beat. “Stay?”

“Stay,” he says, like it’s simple, obvious even, for Katara to uproot her life and live in the Fire Nation.

To be fair, it wouldn’t be much uprooting. All she has is her apartment in Republic City, and even that doesn’t have many things in it.

“Hmm,” she says. “I never really thought about that.”

Zuko takes her hand, laces her fingers through his. Her heart aches at how gentle it is. “Maybe I’m not suggesting so much as I’m asking. You can split your time between here and the South Pole, even just three to four months out of the year here would be fine.”

“You’d really want me to stay?”

“Of course,” Zuko says. It’s unspoken, but Katara knows there’s the possibility of staying in the Fire Nation permanently down the line. And even more unspoken--she’s only 21, after all--is the possibility of being Fire Lady.

“I’ll take your suggestion,” Katara says, “and much like your letters, I’ll give you a response in five to ten business days.”

He groans and she laughs, kisses him on the cheek.

“Yes,” she says. “I’ll stay.”

* * *

A little more than a decade after Zuko’s coronation, Team Avatar reunites in the Fire Nation for a wedding.

It’s an entire day of ceremonies that marry Water Tribe and Fire Nation tradition. Zuko and Katara kneel in front of the Southern Water Tribe, the Fire Nation, and the spirits to bind their souls in marriage. It feels like the world’s oldest love story (Tui and La, Oma and Shu, Zuko and Katara), and in a way, it is. The brilliant blue of her robes pair nicely with his scarlet red, and the world cheers when they raise their hands together.

The dinner party is the first time of day where Katara can talk to Zuko. She tells him how handsome he looks and how much she loves him. She murmurs these words quickly--in the only break with tradition that day, Katara demanded that they be seated with all their friends and not separately.

She does it so she can look around at the people she loves most. Toph, Sokka, Suki, Aang, Zuko --these are the people who bookend her life.

She’s home.

#zutara #zutara week 2020 #zutara fanfiction

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retrauxpunk · 4 years

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Rain, I ask you: ALL the quarantine asks!

Animated character that was your gay awakening? not really an ‘awakening’ so much as a ‘hint’, but Azula from Avatar: the Last Airbender ... yep

Grilled cheese or PB&J? GRILLED CHEESE

What show/YouTube video(s) do you put on in the background when you when you don’t have anything to watch but you want something on? I don’t really experience this mood, but my go-to watch is the vlogbrothers YouTube channel

Your go-to bar order, if you drink? if it’s a low-key/work outing, lager or cider (esp the ones with non-apple fruits too); if it’s getting more serious (lol) or with closer friends or a more celebratory mood: vodka with sparkling apple juice

What’s your favorite pair of shoes that you own? these Doc Martens that are white with red hearts got ’em with my first ever full time design job paycheck. i did not take care of them well so they’re super scuffed/beat-up and very much not Perfectly White ... but they’re still comfy as heck, i still love the design, and they’ve lasted 3 years so far, let’s see how much longer we can make it ... also i think they’re a limited edition so i likely won’t get my hands on any replacements...

Top three cuisines? my cheap-ass answer would be, like: East Asian, South-East Asian, Western European ... but my non-shit answer is... Japanese, Chinese, Italian (ftr i’m not a seafood fan ... i just love the ramen and non-seafood stuff that japan makes hehe)

What was your first word as a child (that wasn’t a variation of “Mom” or “Dad”)? i have no clue

What’s a job that you’ve had that people might be surprised to find out you’ve had? cold-calling strangers to ask them to do market research phone surveys (y)

Look up. What’s directly across from you? the kitchen

Do you own any signed books/memorabilia in general? i have a messenger bag that i got signed by Jeph Jacques of the Questionable Content webcomic that i once adored ... and I think my boyfriend has gifted me a signed Matthew Reilly hardcover.

Preferred way to spend a rainy day? curled up indoors wearing something cosy, reading and eating something delicious. playing animal crossing lol. aaaaand listening to music, a good podcast, watching stand-up comedy, drawing, getting intoxicated...

What do you get on your bagels? What WOULD you get if you had access to anything you wanted? occasionally the standard smoked salmon and cream cheese, but i slightly prefer the meat to be, like, prosciutto

Brunch or midnight snacks? ehh fuck it, both???? both!!

Favorite mug you own easter limited edition waitrose mug, squat and round and yellow, painted/shaped like a very round chick. a Borb,,,,

What coffee drink would you describe yourself as? i actually thought about this and, uh, peppermint mocha. not for everyone, slightly weird, never fitting in with the regulars/being a default, but???? obviously awesome?? also: about 65% on the mainstream/hipster scale

Pick a song lyric to describe your current mood (and drop the name and artist!) The Wombats is the artist. lyrics are either “Let's dance to Joy Division / and celebrate the irony / Everything is going wrong, / but we're so happy” from Let’s Dance to Joy Division or “the edge of nowhere’s such a beautiful place” from Emoticons

Fruity or herbal teas? herbal but i agree with @queenofslime, black tea is the best

What’s that one TV show that you’re a little bit embarrassed to watch but you still like nonetheless? ...do i experience embarrassment about what i like to watch on TV? i don’t know if i do, because i watch relatively few shows ... and have relatively little shame? maybe???

That book you were forced to read for class but actually ended up enjoying? ftr i wasn’t bitter about this before reading, i had no preconceived biases against, and i was pretty open to liking it -- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Do you match your socks? if they’re of a really nice design then yes always, if they’re of a more standard/generic design then ... not necessarily

Have you ever been horseback riding? yes a few times ... on the last time which was like five years ago ... the lady said i was a natural and asked if i’d ridden much before, which was. flattering. and yes this is a Brag.

What was your “phase” when you were younger? (i.e., Mythology Nerd, Horse Girl, Space Geek, etc) didn’t have much of a hardcore phase but i was pretty much always into fantasy ... oh wait yeah i did! i had a spy phase :)

Have you ever been to jail? to closed-down ones, yep

What’s your opinion on Lazy Susan’s (the spinning tray in the middle of tables)? pretty great idea unequivocably, right?

Puzzles? i tend to enjoy riddles/lateral thinking puzzles, i am impartial about jigsaw puzzles. i enjoy escape rooms.

You can only have one juice for the rest of your life, what is it? apple ... but elderflower if i’m feeling reckless (y)

What section do you immediately head for when you walk into a bookstore? young adult ... or stationery

What’s one thing you’re trying to learn/relearn in your downtime right now? Russian language :( it’s going не так хорошо

Who’s your go-to musical artist when you’re feeling upbeat? not sure if i have a go-to artist so much as go-to playlists i’ve made but some good ones are The Wombats and Bastille

Where could someone find you in a museum? mammals/birds in natural history

What’s that one outfit in your closet you never get the chance to wear but want to? i swear i was talking about this recently but i clean the fuck forgot what it was ... oh yeah, i have this short-sleeved black minidress festooned with silver buckles/buttons and also featuring decorative suspenders ... which, yes, does make me look like a sexy military officer,,, anyway it’s pretty badass and somehow it hasn’t occurred to me till now that i can just wear that every day now if i want? ftw i do get the chance to wear it, it’s just a little bit Extra so i get self-conscious. i’ve worn it a few times though. including to work. because fuck it, right? i didn’t become a graphic designer to be shy about sometimes looking like a prototypical emo/scene kid-turned-adult??? (ftr i was never an actual emo/scene kid. i lacked the requisite guts, commitment of feeling, and permissive parents.)

Rainbows, stars, or sunset colored clouds? sunset-coloured clouds :)

If you could own any non-traditional pet (dogs, cats, fish, rodents, etc), what would it be? how about a shapeshifting feathered dragon that could range from, like, two thirds of a foot long (20cm) to sit on your shoulder, to ... the size of a massive draft horse? (but longer and thinner)

Do you have more art on your walls or more photographs? photos, though if i didn’t live with a partner, it might be art

You have to get one meme tattooed on your body, what meme is it and where does it go? i’ve already got a meme tattooed on my body ... a private meme i have with my boyfriend, one on each leg (left: outer side, just above knee; right: outside, a few inches above the ankle)

Pick a superhero sidekick to hang out with ?????? is this a sidekick to a known superhero, or a superhero to act as your sidekick? also i don’t know? who are the standard heroes? i’m not up to date on this.

Lakes, rivers, or oceans? rivers or oceans

Favorite mid-2000s song i can’t decide a favourite, it’s too stressful, but one that i like is Rob Thomas’s Little Wonders

How do you dress when you’re home alone? either a t-shirt and PJ pants, or a dress (usually short-sleeved/sleeveless minidress)

Where do you sit in the living room (we all have a preferred spot, and you know it)? on either side of the couch haha

Knives or swords? BOTH but ok swords.

A song you didn’t think you’d enjoy but ended up loving hmmmmm like all of Linkin Park’s first three albums with some exceptions? hahahah

Pick an old-school Disney Channel Original Movie i don’t think i.....know any????

Are you a “Quote that relates to the photos” caption-er, an “explanation of where I took the photos” caption-er, or a no caption kinda person when you post pictures online? explanation, though on instagram quite often the photo and caption are unrelated

Name a classic Vine there’s only one thing worse than a rapist...

What’s the freezer food that you stock up on when you go to the grocery store? dumplings! as in the gyoza type.

How do you top your ice cream? that ‘magic’ chocolate sauce that hardens into chocolate. that stuff. i watched those ads all childhood long but my parents were immigrants and therefore very thrifty so we NEVER bought it iirc and then in my adulthood i got it a bunch of times. but now i live in the uk and can’t find it. and forgot it existed. and have never seen it anywhere.

Do you like Jello? the kind that’s served on a plate as a dessert? meh. the kind that are found in asian grocery stores as individual fruit-flavoured serves in little plastic cups? YES

What’s something that you don’t have a picture of that you wish you did? future stock prices? LOL ... or i’m gonna go with @queenofslime‘s answer again -- how others see me. it’s a great answer.

How are you at climbing trees? not............ good. i mean, i like climbing, but i have absolutely terrible upper body strength. i did bouldering for a couple months but only stuck to the first like... three out of nine difficulty levels.

#thanks!! hehe #quarantine asks #queenofslime #asks

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crescentmoonrider · 4 years

Text

@banhbeotim replied to your post “<p>That ATLA AU... I've never seen AA, but that art 0_o...”

His NaME Is QUinOa Im DED

Fun fact ! I played Platinum in Spanish, and when I reached my mans (spent a lot of time in Diamond doing double battles at the tower years before, I was impatient to see him again) and saw his name I just sat there like “there is no way I read that right”

For contrast, Byron’s name is Acerón, which sure, is basically just Stéel, but it at least Sounds cool

(Quinoa seriously,,,,,,,,)

Ooh okay he looks different without his usual blue outfit

Yeah, between the clothes and the (lack of) hair, Avatar Gen looks quite different from his canon counterpart. I tried mitigating it by having him grow his hair, and wear a blue bandana with frayed edges as sort of a reminder of his hat, but he definitely looks the least like himself out of all the characters I’ve redesigned yet

Most of the other characters I just changed their hair color to something more fitting of this verse haha

Is Lucario his pet? Like appa/momo?

As mentioned in the tags of this post, Lucario is Gen’s flying bison. He is to him what Appa is to Aang, a friend and companion, an animal guide, and the last living reminder of the Air Nomads and their culture

Basically you’re not wrong, but Lucario (and conversely Appa) is much, much more than just a pet

Gen tends to keep his pain internalized and to not bring up things that don’t sit well with him, but if he were to ever lose Lucario, that would definitely be his breaking point

And is Akagi traveling alone? Does he have an Uncle Iroh or he's a loner

Akagi is a 27 years old officer from one of the noblest families in the Fire Nation. Even if his grandfather felt like accompanying him on a personal, mostly self-imposed (for now) mission, Akagi would simply rebuke him

On the other hand, he has very loyal subordinates who share his desire to shape the Fire Nation into something even greater. Which is probably the very opposite of what someone like him needs, in that no one will tell him off for his more amoral and/or outlandish plans, but it’s what he has

(yes I have Plans for Akagi’s character once the story gets going)

On a more “emotional support” side of things, he mostly counts on his birds. Especially Don, a raven-eagle and the largest of Akagi’s various trained messengers. Don mostly stands near Akagi and looks scary to impressionable young recruits though. He’s only ever used as a messenger if there’s something big and/or precious to send

#banhbeotim #dppt atla AU #thanks for asking !!#youll probably need to get used to me getting carried away with my answers #if you stay interested in this AU #also if i may #please dont do like 8 different replies. its a pain to format afterwards #if youve got multiple questions/remarks you can just send an ask or even PM me #i know its also on me for not having xkit but ye

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neni-has-ascended · 5 years

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You Can(Not) UnGay Kaworu Nagisa - An Essay

This is a text-version of my video-essay on the recent Netflix/Evangelion translation controversy. To see the video version, please click here!

I make no secret of the fact that the linguistics involved in Anime and Game translation are one of my primary fields of interest as a Japanologist. Compared to translation between Germanic and Romanic Languages, as the west is used to it, translating from Japanese to English is filled with a plethora of pitfalls, the likes of which can be very difficult to imagine unless you’re fluent in both languages.

It’s because of this that my interest in any given AniManga controversy immediately skyrockets as soon as the matter of translation issues is brought up. Which brings us to June 21st’s release of Netflix’ Redub of Studio Gainax’ internationally infamous existential creator meltdown disguised as a Mecha Anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

1.) Neon Genesis ADVangelion

For those among you who haven’t yet heard of this inherently controversial work – what rock do you live under and does it still have vacancies? In all seriousness though, enough videos attempting to summarize the plot of NGE exist on the internet to make giving the rundown here an exercise in redundancy. All you need to know is that the protagonist’ name is Shinji and that he’s a mental-wreck with Daddy Issues who pilots a giant cyborg infused with the soul of his dead Mom to fight surrealist alien abominations and gains an increasingly screwed up social life doing so, all while his already fragile psyche gradually declines to world-ending consequences. For far less fatalistic takes on some of these concepts, please see RahXephon and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Good? Good. Let’s move on.

The original ADV Films dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion and its sequels and spin-offs is… not really flawless, to say the least, but it did a good job in introducing the series to a western audience while staying entirely true to the themes and intentions of the original version. This is definitely at least partially thanks to the fact that director and auteur of the series, Hideaki Anno, personally oversaw the translation and dubbing process, and while the guy in all honesty doesn’t really know the first thing about voice acting – his performance as Jiro in The Wind Rises is one of the reasons it’s my least favorite Ghibli movie – what he does understand is his own work, and what it should convey to the audience in order to be authentic to his vision. So while I do have my issues with the ADV dub, such as poor audio-quality and hopeless cases of overacting caused by poor voice direction in certain parts, the translated script of the series was as stellar as could be expected from something created with the original author’s input, and to the very end of the original 26 episodes run, one can definitely feel the deep, emotional investment every single member of the English cast had in these characters and their journey. (I mean. Just listen to Spike Spencer’s secret rant in the end of the last episode. The dude clearly cares about what happens to Shinji.) In any case, this is probably one of the most influential, iconic dubs to all of the English-speaking Anime Fandom.

Then Netflix decided to license NGE. Not the ADV Dub. Just the show.

People were not happy.

2.) The Rebuild of Netflixgelion

Please do not mistake what I’m saying for pedantic. The iconic nature of the original ADV dub of NGE cannot be understated, and plays a huge role in the current lack of acceptance for the Redub, even though previous similar redubbing efforts, such as in the case of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, where welcomed by the community wholeheartedly. The new dub cast is absolutely stellar, including voice acting veterans such as Carrie Keranen and Erica Lindbeck, and Casey Mongillo’s amazing vocal range goes a long way to replicate and convey the emotional depth of Shinji Ikari in a way previously only seen in Megumi Ogata’s original Japanese performance.However, while the Netflix dub has a wonderful cast and voice direction, what it does not have is the original dub’s Hideaki Anno-approved script.

…Aaaaand, this is where the real troubles start.

To be totally clear, the redub always meant trouble. The original voice cast were reportedly never given a real chance to reprise their roles- despite efforts made by the main trio, Spike Spencer, Amanda Winn Lee and Tifanny Grant to at least be given a chance to audition – which is a surefire recipe for upsetting a lot of fans. However, this is a problem that could have at least been partially smoothed over after allowing the performances of the new cast to shine in their own right. I mean, even if it is incredibly scummy to not even inform the old cast of the auditions for the redub, if the new version proves to contain superior performances and direction in comparison to the, honestly badly-aged ADV dub, then Netflix’s decision to make an entirely new dub is entirely understandable, right?

No such arguments can be applied to the retranslation of the show’s script.

3.) The End of Authorial Intent

I haven’t rewatched the entire show in the new dub, just two key episodes. That said, I wouldn’t dream of calling the new script ‘bad’. It’s, for the most part, natural and faithful to the original Japanese source text in much the same way the ADV dub was, to the point that some stray lines received identical translation in both versions. What gives the new script away as entirely unrelated to that of the ADV dub, however, are some rather… baffling localization choices.

All of those decisions are rooted in the original Japanese script. They’re not incorrect translations. If the Japanese were to be your only point of reference, there would be no reason to complain about these choices.

But we do have a point of reference. The ADV script. Which was overseen and approved by Hideaki Anno. The original director.

In the making of this video, I have since learned that Anno’s animation company, Khara, was most likely involved in the translation of the script for the Redub. However, as I can’t find any evidence that he himself was involved, the point I am about to make still stands:

Back in the 90s, very shortly after the show concluded its original run, Anno personally signed off on every single choice the ADV dub made. The respective pronunciations of Nerv, Seele and Gehirn, calling the EVA pilots by the correct singular “Child”, rather than the awkward Engrish singular “Children” the original Japanese featured, and referring to the enemies consistently as Angels, even in parts where the original Japanese mixed up the terminology for the sake of a pun with Kaworu’s name.

So, all of the ADV localization changes are within the intent of the original author. They are part of how the show is meant to be consumed by a western audience. Not carrying over this terminology, despite it being faithful to the Japanese script, thus ironically makes the Netflix script LESS faithful to Anno’s authorial intent than the ADV dub. But those are only terminology changes, right? They’re not a big deal. They don’t alter the context of the narrative itself.

…

Kaworu Nagisa.

4.) Kaworu Nagisa

Remember how I mentioned that I only really watched two episodes of the Netflix dub all the way through so far? Well, one of those two episodes happens to be one of the series’ most infamous, right after the two-part finale: Episode 24. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, or “The Final Messenger” – Let’s not get hung up on which it is, Evangelion has ALWAYS been weird with titles.

This Episode introduces Kaworu Nagisa, the fifth of the EVA pilots and long-time fangirl-favorite for not-so-subtle reasons. Kaworu appears as Shinji is at his lowest point, our main protagonist’s already pretty much non-existent self-esteem in shambles. The two boys bond immediately over… the fact that Kaworu can sing ‘Ode to Joy’? Yeah, let’s go with that – And the majority of the episode consists of showcasing the growing relationship between Kaworu and Shinji, beginning with simple conversations, but quickly progressing into some more… serious territory.

I won’t sugarcoat things, in terms of narrative structure, the episode is a mess, rushing from scene to scene with reckless abandon, attempting to successfully tell a story in under 25 minutes, that some Disney Movies don’t tell right in 90+ minutes. This is doubtlessly due to the overall mess that NGE’s production process had become at this point in its original run for reasons too complicated to talk about in this video, but let me assure you that there’s pretty solid evidence that Kaworu was definitely originally meant to appear for much more than a single episode. As it stands, however, he dies in the same episode he is introduced, begging Shinji to assist him in his suicide after revealing himself to him as the final Angel. His effect on Shinji, however, is profound and comparable to the effect Nia Teppelin of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann has on that show’s protagonist, Simon Giha. In that way, just as with Nia later, it is plain as day that Kaworu is intended to be one of Shinji’s love interests. And the episode is NOT subtle at all in portraying him as such.

A lot can be said about the exact nature of Kaworu’s affection for Shinji, from Kaworu clearly seeing Shinji as some sort of avatar for humanity as a whole on which he projects his admiration for the species, to Shinji seemingly falling victim to an idealized Oedipus Complex in regards to his perception of Kaworu, the fact remains that their interactions with one another in Episode 24 are in places obviously romantic to even sexual in not only the dialogue, but also the visuals. Even with Hideaki Anno’s profession that Shinji’s romantic feelings for Kaworu aren’t “carnal”, they’re still obviously there. Projected and skewed by their unusual psyches as aspects of it may be, the relationship between them is clearly portrayed in a way that transcends the platonic and becomes intimate more quickly than your seafood friends can start singing ‘kiss the guy’ on a romantic boat ride – It’s not subtext, you guys. Towards Shinji Ikari, Kaworu Nagisa acts and speaks quite openly like one would speak to a lover. And even if Kaworu and his ambiguous humanity are somehow not gay enough for you, well, resident violently blushing and stuttering smitten wreck Shinji Ikari will put your doubts to rest. The visual homosexual (homoromantic?) tension in these scenes is so tangible, you can cut it with a knife. The dialogue, at certain points, doesn’t even really matter. Kaworu could quite literally be reading off the grocery list, and these scenes would STILL be gay.

That doesn’t mean the dialogue is not important, and that one shouldn’t really, really pay attention to what’s on screen when translating.

5.) The Final Angel is in the Detail

The translation of Kaworu’s words to Shinji in the Netflix dub is not wrong. But it ignores the context of the scene, as well as authorial intent. And that’s why I understand why people are angry at it.

The lines in question are these :

(Scene 1)

Kaworu: そう、好意に値することよ。

Shinji: 好意？

Kaworu:「好き」ってこと、さ

(Scene 2)

Shinji: カヲル君が「好きだ」って言ってくれたんだ。僕のこと。初めて…初めて人から「好きだ」って言われたんだ。

In the ADV dub, these lines were translated like this:

(Scene 1)

Kaworu: This is worth earning my empathy.

Shinji: Empathy?

Kaworu: I’m saying “I love you.”

(Scene 2)

Shinji: Kaworu said that he loved me. I’ve never... felt such kindness before.

In the Netflix dub, however, they were translated like this:

(Scene 1)

Kaworu: Yes, you’re worthy of my grace.

Shinji: Your grace?

Kaworu: I’m saying “I like you.”

(Scene 2)

Shinji: Kaworu said I was worthy of his grace. That was the first time... someone told me they liked me.

Which one of these is right? The fact is… both are.

The Japanese term “ 好き ” doesn’t really have a direct equivalent in English. It holds a connotation that is meant to convey very personal, but broadly defined affection. It doesn’t simply mean “to like something”. It means to feel a strong, positive, emotional connection to that person of thing. For that reason, this term can be used to profess affection to your friends, your family, your favorite item… Or as a love-confession.

In Japan, love-confessions using “ 好き ” are a lot, lot more common than the much, much stronger term “愛する”, let alone the implicitly sexual term “恋する”. In most romance Manga, “ 好き ” will be the term of choice the heroine uses to confess her love to her object of affection. And though, via character analysis, a strong argument can be made that when Kaworu uses “ 好き ” to express his affection for Shinji, he means general affection towards Shinji’s humanity more than personal, romantic affection, this is clearly not how Shinji takes Kaworu’s words. To Shinji, what Kaworu said in that moment, definitely sounded like a confession of romantic devotion, which becomes very, very clear when Shinji later tells Misato:

Shinji: 初めて人から「好きだ」って言われたんだ。

With the line being translates as “I like you”, this statement of Shinji sounds like pure delusion, which wouldn’t be out of character for him, of course, but isn’t at all what the episode is trying to get across. Of course people have told Shinji before they ‘like’ something about him! That’s a big part of the reason he started defining himself through his status as pilot of EVA Unit 01; his efforts earned him praise from those around him. He had friends for most of the series, at least implicitly, these people have definitely expressed a ‘liking’ for him. So by translating “好き” as “like” in this context, a whole layer of the statement is lost, and Shinji professing that this was the first time anybody has ever said that they “like” him sounds less like a serious revelation about his character, and more like his typical, delusional whining about how the world hates him.

And I think that’s why Anno signed off on the ADV dub translating the line as “I love you” rather than “I like you”. Because the point of this line is not Shinji thinking that Kaworu is the only person who’s ever tolerated his presence. It’s that Shinji feels like Kaworu was the first person to ever have a genuine, emotional connection to him. Something he’s never allowed himself to have, due to the series’ often cited theme of Hedgehog’s Dilemma.

And, as correct as translating “ 好き ” as “like” is, a whole dimension of Episode 24 of NGE is entirely lost if you choose to translate Kaworu’s lines that way. As much sense as it technically makes.

The Netflix dub of NGE, by all measures known to me, is a very well-acted, well-directed, well-translated version of a classic piece of Animation History. I am not telling anyone that it is in any way bad or even inferior to the original, and I am not telling anyone to avoid it.

All I am saying is, that if you, as a translator, have access to references regarding authorial intent you should probably use them.

#netflix evangelion #neon genesis evangelion #shin seiki evangerion #Kaworu Nagisa #Neni Talks #Neni Theory #Lost in Context

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nautiscarader · 5 years

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Wendip Week day 6 - Wendy, you are the coolest person I know

(Ao3)

"Wendy, you’re the coolest person I know. You were brave, courageous, smart and funny, and as a result, it shouldn't surprise anyone that I have fallen in love with you. But the thing is, I have never stopped loving you. I in those three years I have met many amazing people, but no one comes even close to you.”

Dipper Pines read the message on the screen of his computer, desperately clutching his desk. He looked down, where he saw the familiar, green progress bar move dangerously closely from one side of the screen to the other. in his last act of desperation, he fell to his knees and begged.

- Please...

==============

- No, no, no!

Dipper grumbled under his breath, and just to be certain, pressed the Enter key again, which unfortunately never unpressed itself.

- Come on!

In hope, he kept smashing the key that only exhibited a fraction of the mixture of flexibility and sturdiness Dipper Pines was used to. It felt alien now, as if belonging to a completely different machine, and it was that feeling that made Dipper's morning so bad.

But Dipper was not one to give up easily. A moment later, the black keyboard was put on the desk upside-down, and with a set of screwdrivers, Dipper Pines proceeded to operate on his most important patient. Years of usage has worn the most important key, but Dipper still had some hope he'll be able to repair it. The prospect of having to substitute his beloved input device was too grim to even contemplate.

He cleaned the contacts. He isolated the mechanism and repositioned it.

All for nothing.

- Oh, dang it.

He muttered and slowly came to the conclusion that his favourite keyboard broke down, and as the manufacturer ceased to exists five years ago, there was little he could do.

- Uh, Dipper?

Mabel's voice brought Dipper from his state of mind. His sister walked into his room, finding him amongst his keyboard in pieces, all carefully disassembled.

- Eh, something wrong? - Yeah - he sighed - Can't fix it. I'm afraid it's gone. - Well... - Mabel started with a sing-song voice - I think I know someone who can help you.

A familiar figured appeared in the doorway (at least as much as he could fit), and Dipper's face brightened at once.

- Soos! I thought you were going to come next week! - Nah, dude. How could I not visit my favourite Pines twins while we wait in line for the biggest Comic Convention ever?

The husky man leapt towards Dipper and easily picked him up in a tight hug.

- Seriously, though, we are forever grateful to your parents - Melody spoke appearing behind her boyfriend - The prices for hotels are astronomical! - Hey, least we can do for you, guys. - Mabel ran into Melody's arms. - Oh, wow, what's cooking here, dude?

Soos immediately spotted Dipper's desk filled with mechanical parts, and let Dipper explain his problem. After a solid minute of chin scratching and careful examination of the parts, Soos gave his verdict.

- It's a very old mechanical switch, Banana FX. - I know, they're not making them any more... - Dipper sighed. - Yeah, but maybe we'll be able to find some replacements!

A smile appeared back on Dipper's face, and the two did not waste any more time. A few minutes later, Soos and Dipper rushed downstairs and slammed the door behind them.

- Boys and their toys, am I right? - Melody sighed, as Dipper and Soos disappeared from sight. - Tell me about it. - Mabel rolled her eyes, treating Melody to a cup of tea. - Now, where was I? Oh yeah, most people think that all grappling hook guns are the same, but according to "Superheroine Monthly", the type of alloy really does make a difference...

==========

- This... isn't what I was thinking about.

Dipper expected Soos to take him to any of computer shops in the vicinity, or at least some sort of mechanics' shop. The two men stood in front of an alley, that even in on a bright, sunny, Californian day looked dark and gloom, as if something was absorbing the surrounding light.

- Don't worry, dude, I got this.

Soos made the first step into the unknown territory, and prompted Dipper to follow him. The deep and foreboding sense of dread filled Dipper to the marrow in his bones, but he clutched the carcass of his keyboard to his chest and ventured forward.

- 'Sup, dude. - Soos spoke suddenly, and it took Dipper a moment to spot what, or rather whom Soos was talking to.

A pair of yellow eyes opened wide at the sight of customers, followed by equally yellow teeth filling the mouth. The old-looking man stood up and pushed aside what Dipper thought to be just a piece of protective cloth, revealing a whole workshop with myriad of parts on trays and bags on display, all crammed, somehow in the small niche.

- Yeah, we have this keyboard to repair here and we need a...

Soos took a quick look around, closed the distance to the mysterious man and whispered.

- ...a Banana FX.

Dipper could swear the yellow eyes of the man glistened and turned golden for a moment. He dived his long, thin hand into the chasm made of parts, and a moment later, emerged with a small, equally yellow mechanical switch and handed it to Dipper.

- Sweet! - he spoke, forgetting temporarily the odd circumstances in which he acquired the item, but he quickly sobered up - Er, how much for it?

A wide grin appeared on the man's face.

==========

- Okay, this shouldn't be that cheap. - Dipper spoke to Soos as they walked back home. - I mean, five bucks? I was expecting to blow ten times more...

Still, Dipper was more than glad that the seemingly small, but significant problem in his life has been fixed.

- And, Soos, how did you know he's gonna be there? - Oh, we, the repairman, we have our ways... - Soos spoke ominously - Our community is well-connected, and we are trained in finding hidden symbols and signs on the streets... Also, he had a website.

Soos showed Dipper his phone with "Crazy Steve's workshop", instructing people to "go into the fifth dark alleyway from the boulevard, and walk precisely until you feel that someone is watching you".

The very same afternoon, Dipper was more than pleased when his Enter key made the familiar clicking sound, and showed no sings of damage.

- Soos, you wanna play some games?

Dipper reached out to the guests of his house, having a very odd and quiet tea with his parents.

- Sure!

Soos replied and walked to his room, visibly pleased he can leave the awkward meeting.

Two hours later, Dipper cheered once again when his digital avatar defeated Soos for the tenth time in a row.

- Man, you got better over the summer. - Soos spoke, closing his laptop. - I barely got around to play. - Dipper spoke - I honestly thing it's the keyboard thing.

Dipper brushed the keyboard with his hand, as if thinking he'd be able to feel something underneath his fingertips.

- Yeah...

=========== Dipper's winning streak continued throughout the week, and he found himself defeating even the most skilled on-line opponents. Another revelation came to Dipper about a week later, once Soos and Melody left after their visit to the convention, when Dipper opened a long-abandoned programming project, and suddenly found a solution he wasn't able to spot for weeks. Line by line, the code filled the screen, and even though Dipper hasn't his the "compile" button for an hour, he somehow knew he hasn't made a single error.

Satisfied with the work he was finally completing, he reached for a can of Pitt soda and marvelled at the nearly finish deciphering tool he was making with Ford, enjoying the oddly satisfying clicking sound.

It took Dipper a solid minute to realise what was wrong with it.

The code was still being typed.

He dropped the can, and nearly shrieked when he saw the keys on his keyboard press themselves with tremendous speed, finishing each line way faster than he'd be able to, as if a ghost was sitting in his place.

- Wh-Wha-What's going on?

//Hello, Dipper.

The keyboard suddenly stopped, and a single new line appeared in the text file.

- Who...who are you? - Dipper asked, unsure if he should speak to his microphone, or type the words.

It seemed, however, the keyboard was fine with speech.

//I am your keyboard, or rather a switch in one of its keys. It's been sooo long since I've been put in one. Years!

- What do you want? Why are you doing this? - Dipper spoke in hushed voice, understanding how bizarre the him talking to a keyboard would look like to an onlooker.

// I want to help you. That's what I was designed for. it looks like you had a problem with your code, so I helped you.

Dipper scratched his chin for a moment.

- Er, listen. - he started - I don't have anything against you, but... me and my sister don't exactly have the best records trusting something that has been possessed... So...

//If you feel uneasy working with me, feel free to turn the machine off. After you saved all of your work, obviously.

The keyboard replied, rendering Dipper speechless for another moment. He'd stay in this state longer, if not for a single sound that announced a new mail in his messaging application. The photo of Wendy appeared in the corner of the screen, and it made Dipper's heart skip a beat. Temporarily forgetting the fact that he was talking to a living, thinking keyboard, he rushed to read and reply to her message.

"how's it going, Dip? Still doing nerdy stuff, like soos told me?"

Dipper was about to type the answer, but then the keys began pressing themselves again, and he remembered he wasn't the only intelligence in the room.

"Allow me to construct a suitable reply".

The message now appeared in a cartoony font of the messenger, instead of machine-like one in his text editor, but it wasn't any less eerie to see it appear out of nowhere.

- No! - Dipper quickly replied - That... that is someone important, I can't... I can't leave it to you.

"Of course she is" - the keyboard removed previous line and typed a new one - "Based on your previous conversations, it appears your are in love with her, and she shows some interest in you."

- What? - Dipper asked audibly - No, no way. Also, wait, did you read my messages to her?!

"Merely scanned them for keywords and sentences structures" - the keyboard continued - "Compared to the average teenager, she uses 25% more emojis in conversations with you, and makes fewer spelling mistakes. She also describes the activities you share with phrases containing the word <<love>> 36% more often than usual."

- O...okay. - Dipper spoke. - Still, I gotta reply myself, okay?

The keyboard removed the text it wrote.

"yeah, I guess. You know me" - Dipper typed - "So, how are you?"

But before he pressed enter, he pondered for a while.

- Hey, keyboard? You think this is a good reply?

"It can be made better"

And a moment later, a different one has been crafted.

"Yeah, I guess, I am doing my best to help others, you know me. And how is the summer going? What about your college applications? Are you still up for our streams tomorrow? I can't wait to see you again."

Dipper's eyes widened.

- Holy smokes, I nearly forgot about that. Good you reminded me.

The keyboard added a winking emoji at the end of the sentence. Dipper hesitated for a moment, and pressed the Enter key, sending the message. He didn't have to wait long for a reply.

"aww, you're sweet, Dipper".

But it was the heart emoji at the end of the sentence that made Dipper speechless. He looked at the keyboard, looked around as if to spot anyone that could judge him, and asked.

- Do you think you could... help me?

The keyboard already began writing a reply.

===============

For the next hour or so, Dipper chatted with Wendy, each reply of his enhanced by the keyboard. It turned out that ditching the upper-cases Dipper was so used to has resulted in even more emojis and reaction GIFs from Wendy. Every few minutes, the keyboard gave him statistics, and it looked like Wendy was typing faster and faster as well, enjoying their time more and more.

And with each phrase, calling Dipper "lovely", "funny" or "sweet", his heart grew and grew in size, and the sudden boost of his writing skill gave him nothing but confidence. But the idyllic feeling had to end soon, when he heard Mabel's voice from downstairs, calling him for supper. He looked at the keyboard and whispered.

- Okay, stop now. I don't want to mess anything up.

He replied with a short "see you later, gotta go for supper", and walked out of the room.

It took only a split of a second for the keyboard to erase the unsent message and compose on of its own.

=============

Dipper was in the middle of the supper, when he heard it. It was barely audible at first, as he was so used to the sound by now, but the clicking sound nearly made him drop the fork to the floor. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead and spread down his spine. Without wasting a second, Dipper ran upstairs, and unsurprisingly, heard the familiar sounds coming from his room. He looked at the screen, filled with longer and longer messages, and when he read the last one, his heart stopped.

His eyes scanned the previous ones. "He" talked about the days he spent thinking about her, and the movie and song collection he was building up for her, openly admitting he was in love with her.

- No, no, no, no! Stop it! - he shouted at the keyboard. - Please...

"Why?" - the keyboard asked - "Don't you love her? Isn't this a part of courting rituals your species do before becoming a pair?"

- Yes, I love her, but... I don't want to tell her through instant messaging!

"65% of teenagers confess love that way nowadays."

- Well, maybe I'm not one of those.

"I'm sorry, Dipper. Based on my predictions, probability of you succeeding in this conversation is less than 10%."

And with that, the keyboard pressed the "send " button, and the green progress bar filled the screen in record-fast time. Dipper fell to his knees, staring at the floor, but he looked up when he heard a sound of the reply.

With some hesitation, he looked up, already feeling the familiar sense of dread and guilt swooping over him. His heart was already broken and his friendship with Wendy was severed once, he didn't want to live through it again.

But when he heard more replies coming, he looked up, and as his eyes scanned the messages, he realised they were not as gloomy as he thought they would be. His eyes widened, when he noticed more and more instances of the four-letter word he least expected to see from her, and he slowly rose from his knees.

- She... loves me?

Dipper jumped in place when his phone rang, dragging him from his half-terrified, half-ecstatic state. Somehow, he knew who was calling him, he wouldn't like either to leave it to just words on screen.

- Wendy! - he spoke - I'm so glad you called, I lo- - Dipper! You gotta help me!

Wendy's distressed, almost crying voice sobered Dipper up, as he realised something was wrong.

- Wha-What happened? - My laptop's gone haywire! - she screamed - I came back from the shop, and-and it was typing on its own! And it was talking to you!

The same flood of cold sweat returned, covering Dipper's back. He looked at the chat window, and sure enough, "Wendy" was still talking to "him", telling him she loved him.

- Wendy... did you let Soos repair your laptop? - Y-yeah, how do you know?! - Okay, Wendy, something has possessed your computer. - Dipper explained - Not a virus, or malware, but... something alive.

"We just wanted to help you" - "Dipper" typed. "You humans are so slow with interactions. Bacteria multiply hundred times faster, and every second millions of processors are made by other machines." - "Wendy" added. "We can't just sit and watch." "We will spread, and soon humanity will don't have to worry about that at all."

- Wendy... - Dipper whispered to his phone - I know you've been saving up on this laptop, but... Look to your left.

Wendy Corduroy wasn't sure what Dipper was talking about, but when she followed his advice, she understood his plan immediately.

- Ready? - Ready.

In two different places, two cans of Pitt Soda were raised into the air and tipped, spilling its sugary contents between the keys of the keyboards, one external, one built. It took the living mechanisms a while to realise their delicate components are being flooded with sucrose, short-circuiting their fragile minds, and att he same time, two screens faded to black, silencing their mute voices.

- Is... is it over? - Yeah. - Dipper spoke, looking at his favourite keyboard, now properly ruined - I think it is.

================

- You know, if you think about it, it could have been cool! - Wendy's face on the screen brightened, as she reminded herself of the events of the past week. - I bet those thinking things could have helped with me with my homework. - Well, they have helped me. - Dipper replied - I've been writing this program, and it kinda wrote itself. Shame it got lost when I nearly blew the PC... - Come on, dude, you're smart, you'll be able to recover it.

A familiar, warm feeling spread over Dipper when Wendy complimented him, though at the same time, it brought back the uneasiness he though he had left behind a long time ago.

- Er, speaking of recovery...

Dipper blushed and shied away for moment.

- You-you haven't *read* any of the stuff those keyboards were typing between each other, right? - Er, no. - Wendy replied in equally abashed manner - Cos it was... It was junk anyway, wasn't it? Like if you let auto-correct write for you. - Yeah! - Dipper quickly reassured her - Predictive text, you know, based on what you already typed... and how often you type it... - Didn't people do that with old scripts of some shows? - Oh yeah, turns out they were exactly as repetitive as people remember them.

Dipper chuckled, glad the discussion moved towards movies.

- Well, glad I can talk with the real you, Dip. - Wendy smiled - Unless it's Mabel with your face deepfaked onto her. - No, I don't think it's possible in real time yet. Though she would do equally good job as the keyboard has done. - With what? - Wendy raised her brow. - Er, nothing! I mean, saying silly things! That's what Mabel is good at, isn't it?

Wendy chuckled.

Her eyes turned to the few printed pages of text lying on her bed. Deep down, she knew Dipper hasn't written all of it, but she couldn't quite put her finger on which of the confessions were his, and which were the machine's. She looked at the calendar and groaned. She still had two weeks until she finds out.

#wendip #wendipweek #wendip week #wendy x dipper #dipperxwendy #gravity falls #dipper pines #wendy corduroy #nautiscaraderfics #wendy you are the coolest person I know

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