Do you think the gaang ever told Zuko that Toph invented metalbending or do you think she just did it in front of him at some point and he just went hey. hey wait a minute.

Dragon of the Yuyan Series

Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender

Author: theawkwardpenguin @awkwardpenguinproductions

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Violence, Character Death, Child Abuse, Strong Language, Major Injury, Suicidal Thoughts, Racism, Colonialism, Alcohol

Word Count: 137, 313

Characters: Zuko,  Commander Toshiaki (OC), Kai, (OC), unnamed OCs, Ozai, Iroh, Azula, Commander Atsuko (OC), Yuyan Archers, Chihese Squad (OCs), Captain Hiroki (OC), Sergeant Mika (OC), Private Jiyoti (OC), Master Ryoichi (OC), Various tertiary OCs, Jet, Sokka, Katara, Aang, The Gaang,  Freedom Fighters, Smellerbee, Pipsqueak, Toph Beifong, Joo Dee, Haili Squad (OCs), OCs out the wazoo, Zhao, Appa, Momo, Bato, Pakku, Arnook, Yue, General Fong, Mai, Ty Lee, Bumi, Toph Beifong's Parents, The Dangerous Ladies, Wan Shi Tong, Professor Zei, Suki, Gansu, Sela, Lee, Than, Ying, Than's Sister, Piandao, Jin, Lao Beifong, Long Feng, Dai Li, The Blue Spirit,  Hakoda, Aang, Jee, Zuko's Crew, The Duke, Huu, Foggy Swamp Waterbenders, The Mechanist, Teo, Tyro, Haru, The Boulder, The Hippo, The Painted Lady, Order Of The White Lotus, Fat, Hama

Tags: POV Zuko, Yuyan Raise Zuko, Semi-Feral Child, Ozai is an Asshole, Flashbacks, some instances of suicidal thoughts, Zuko is a hurtin' puppy, Pre-Series, One F-Bomb, that might become a thing, because it amuses me, Inspired by MuffinLance's Tumblr, Alternate Universe-Canon Divergence, Discussion of child abuse and abandonment, Ozai Being a Terrible Parent, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, OC-centric, Past Abuse, baby steps to badassery, OC is an asshole, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, bad days suck, but your Yuyan Archer squad always has your back, Zuko Angst, Panic Attacks, Hijinks & Shenanigans, this part is almost entirely "teenagers doing stupid shit", what did you expect when you put a bunch of highly skilled teenagers in a military base?, plot is minimal but existent, handwaving Fire Nation war tech because I can't find satisfying answers, Zuko-centric, Zuko meets Jet, and is completely turned off, S1Ep10 "Jet", slightly out of continuity, both in terms of canon and this series, but someone asked on tumblr, and this came out, Zuko's just joined the Gaang and is still figuring things outs, 2e14 City of Walls and Secrets, Ba Sing Se is SUPER CREEPY, and Zuko HATES IT, inspired by @muffinlance's lovely AU concepts, just a little peek into a new AU I'm working on, dear G-d what have I done, just in case, TW: military action, TW: Vomiting, TW: hunting animals for food, none of this is hugely graphic,  but just in case, if I miss anything please please please let me know, Zuko being a curious bean, is it treason?, or is it "reasonable response"?, based on a throwaway line in THAT episode, WARNING: this one's gonna hurt, sorry, No happy ending here, Beware ye who enter here, Hurt No Comfort, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, TW: mistreatment of prisoners of war, TW: forced suicide, trauma aftermath, disillusioned former prince plots treason, Toshiaki unleashes his inner Commander Dad, Nightmares, Kai is a good bro, Midnight Rooftop Discussions, oblique references to canon events, based on MuffinLance's YuyanAdoptZuko Tumblr post, IT BEGINS, Episode: s01e13 The Blue Spirit, Zhao is a jerk, lots of f-bombs in this one, because Zuko is a soldier, and he's also really really done with Zhao's bull, shit, tried really hard not to just rewrite the whole episode, hope it worked, Zuko is actually really competent, Aang is a child, LITERALLLY, he's TWELVE, And tinybased on MuffinLance's Tumblr series #Yuyan Raise Zuko, in case I haven't said it before: THIS SERIES WILL NOT CONTAIN ROMANTIC SHIPS, I'm a little gen sailboat and like it that way, (apologies to maychorian for stealing her blog title), but it is EXTREMELY relevant, anyway, introductions, Sokka needs more sleep, dammit Aang stop picking up strays, Sokka is a nerd, Katara is conflicted, THIS IS THE ONE YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, Zuko meets the Gaang, do I need to keep using that tag? it's pretty obvious at this point, Zuko loves animals, POV Bato, Episode: s01e15 Bato of the Water Tribe, another one I wasn't planning on writing but did anyway, Bato needs therapy, Zuko needs THERAPY, Everyone Needs Therapy, Guys. Sokka is actually an authority figure. He's the SON OF THE CHIEF, everyone can have a tiny bit of world building. as a treat, Post-Episode: s01e16 The Deserter, Zuko has ISSUES with Jeong-Jeong, and firebending as it is currently taught, LOTS of ASL grammar, Aang is still learning sign, he's not quite code-switching yet, Zuko talks to himself in sign, Sokka has no fear, short and sweet, nearly drove myself crazy with this bullshit, my beta reader is a goddess and she saved my ass, all the fish ever for all time to her, Firebending & Firebenders, Episode: s01e18 The Waterbending Master, it's been a whopping five minutes and Zuko already hates the North Pole, it's freaking cold, the people are not nearly as friendly as they first appear, Katara challenges the patriarchy and Zuko suffers, Katara and Zuko like to giggle at Sokka being a dork, Episode: s01e19-20 The Siege of the North, Zhao's here to fuck shit up, Zuko does not have a good time, nobody has a good time, get y'all some tissues, remember how I've been saying that I'm not changing major canon events?, Yeah I'm sorry, Pyrrhic Victory, all hail Koizilla, Episode: s02e01 The Avatar State, this is basically just a chance for Zuko to meet the disaster human that is Fong, not really much to tag here, honestly if I keep going the tags list might end up being longer than the fic itself, just let me know if you want me to tag anything here, Short & Sweet, ummm.... this might be really sad?, an interlude, very short, Episode: s02ep03 "Return to Omashu", in which Zuko's past comes back to kill him, enter the Dangerous Ladies, Aang is a dumbass sometimes, the Gaang has one braincell between them, most of the time Zuko's the one who holds it, he really would rather not thanks, Omashu is basically a ninja's playground, who WOULDN'T want to go parkouring through that place???, Episode: s02e04 The Swamp, Shor, tshort and weird, Zuko can't get over how creepy this place is, not much else to add, special guest star, TOPH SMASH!!!, Toph Being Awesome, Badass Toph Beifong, Episode: s02e06 The Blind Bandit, HERE SHE IS Y'ALL, i hope i did her justice!, Toph is done with everyone's bullshit, I tried really hard not to use visual descriptions guys let me know if it worked,   how does one communicate when one can't talk and the other can't see?, LET'S FIND OUT, Let Toph Say Fuck 2020, Episode: s02e08 The Chase, SHIT HITS THE FAN Y'ALL, Azula is her own warning, Major Character Injury, Sokka is sleep deprived, the babies are fighting, Zuko is done with everyone's shit, Episode: s02e09 Bitter Work, lots of talking, and Toph kicking butt, Zuko is the worst patient, commiserating about shitty families, finding yourself through getting your ass kicked by a twelve year old, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, i don't make the rules, Hurt Zuko, Zuko is a firebending master, and Toph is an earthbending master, Zuko Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, (need to think of an in-universe name for it), Episode: s02e10 The Library, I know it's been a while, but everyone should remember that Zuko is in fact a prince, with all of the training in diplomacy that implies, Wan Shi Tong isn't unreasonable, he just wants to be left alone with his books, Sokka's a moron but we love him anyway, yes y'all can have a little canon-divergance, as a treat, Rating for Language, (Zuko's a former soldier after all), Episode: s02e12 The Serpent's Pass, guest starring the family from Zuko Alone, enter: Suki!, hey hey the Gaang's all here!, honestly this is more exposition and backstory than real plot, but hopefully now things are a little more clear, TW: Profound Grief, tw: perceived character death, TW: suicidal thoughts, Iroh does not have a good time, at least for the first part, POV Iroh, Iroh is a Good Uncle, Iroh Loves Tea, Let me know if I missed any tags, Episode: s02e14 City of Walls and Secrets, or rather elements thereof, Iroh meets the Gaang, Iroh adopts the Gaang, honestly this one's pretty chill, not much going on past Zuko and Iroh catching up and Zuko dragging Iroh home to meet his friends, ONCE AGAIN: FAKE DATING AU, Fake/Pretend Relationship, I swear the Zutara is only like 30 seconds and neither characters are happy about it, Fake dating for infiltration purposes, someone want to come up with an ATLA version of James Bond?, cause this is it, Episode: s02e15 Tales of Ba Sing Se, fluff and nonsense, and a tiny bit of plot, wait, how did PLOT get into my FLUFF???, that's frustrating, Iroh's living out his teashop au, Aang and Zuko stop in to help, and get some wisdom, and some tea, everybody loves iroh, including the gaang, some dialogue taken from Episode: s02e09 Bitter Work, I'm sure you can guess what dialogue, Episode: s02e17 Lake Laogai, the Blue Spirit strikes again!, co-starring: the Little Badgermole!, Mission: IMPOSSIBLE (ATLA edition), Zuko finally puts his training to use, are you telling me Toph can SEE UNDERGROUND, and canon DIDN'T PUT THIS INFORMATION TO USE????, in an UNDERGROUND FORTRESS????, Toph gets her life-changing field trip with Zuko, Episode: s02e20 The Crossroads of Destiny, Canon Temporary Character Death, if you've seen the episode you know what happens, Protective Sokka,  Big Brother Sokka,  basically just Sokka processing the events of Sacrifice, which means run on sentences and a lot of cursing, honestly not super thrilled with this one but it's done and it needed to be written, Episode: s03e01 The Awakening, Episode Tag, remember how in The Awakening, Katara had said that Aang had been asleep for "a few weeks"?, I'm taking that literally, ie potentially murdering prisoners, Hakoda's a nice guy but he IS the leader of an army/nation, please let me know what else I should tag, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, also language, pretty much every character in this fic is some kind of combatant, and therefore there is swearing, a lot of swearing, Racism, Colonialism, Alcohol, Episode: s03e02 The Headband, what was the gaang doing while Aang was at school?, Fire Nation Cuisine, my inner foodie comes out in this, Mostly Fluff, there's a brief instance of Zuko/Katara but they're undercover and it's NOT REAL, Episode: s03e03 The Painted Lady, Pollution,  Effects of Pollution, Starvation, Ozai Being an Asshole,  Ozai is a BAD leader, this has effects on his nation, Protective Zuko, Zuko will be a GOOD leader, Zuko cares about his people A LOT, Environmental Terrorism, ecoterrorism, Episode: s03e04 Sokka's Master, that feeling when your friend walks up to a random castle, and knocks on the door, and the answering butler addresses him by the name that has a warrant out for his arrest, just a fun little thing, I love this episode, Let The Gaang Stay at Piandao's 2k21, Episode: s03e06 The Avatar and the Fire Lord, you cannot tell me that everyone just sat around while Aang was chatting with Roku, volcanic beach vacay, pure fluff, no redeeming nutritional value whatsoever, Episode: s01e17 The Northern Air Temple, zuko is conflicted, but only for a little bit, sokka and the mechanist are science bros, zuko gets to be a big brother, fist bumps are a fire nation thing???, one of those instances where I didn't expect the characters to react the way that they did, Episode: s03e08 The Puppet, mastertried to keep it creepy, dunno how well I succeeded, also this was really hard to write and if it's crap I apologize, like don't be mean about it but seriously tell me what I screwed up and how so I can fix it, this fic is not Hama friendly, it is not SUPPOSED to be Hama friendly, if you're here just to yell at me for not being Hama friendly then you can just scoot on out, Bloodbending,  Hama Is Her Own Warning, why is that not a tag?, Episode s03e09: Nightmares and Daydreams, Episode: s03e10 The Day of Black Sun Part 1: The Invasion, Aang is sleep deprived and aangsty, Zuko is a Good Brother, Toshiaki returns!, Episode: s03e11 The Day of Black Sun Part 2: The Eclipse, War, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Badass Zuko

Inspired by MuffinLance's #Yuyan Raise/Adopt Zuko on Tumblr.

In which Zuko is fostered/adopted/raised/recruited by the Yuyan Archers of Pouhai Stronghold, and destiny hiccups.

Updates Saturdays, unless it doesn't

Now posted: Part 39- Rendezvous

Notes:

ALL CREDIT FOR THIS CONCEPT GOES TO MUFFINLANCE AND HER TUMBLR AND EVERYONE WHO ADDED TO THE TAG.

ALL NAMED OCS IN THIS SERIES BELONG TO ME (00AwkwardPenguin00 and @awkwardpenguinproductions)

Part 1: Anchor Point

Zuko is so freaking hungry, and the Pouhai Stronghold is the only sign of civilization he's seen in six months. Sneaking inside is hilariously simple, until it's not. At least he's not a pincushion (yet), but it'd be really nice if he could understand what the bow-toting security guards were saying.

In which Zuko is adopted by a troop of silent ninja-archers.

Inspired by MuffinLance's #Yuyan Raise Zuko.

Part 2: Conflict of Interest

Toshiaki, Troop Commander of the Yuyan Archers, has been a soldier for fifteen years. He has served his Fire Lord and his Nation loyally and faithfully. But when Commander Atsuko, CMO of Pouhai Stronghold, brings to light a shocking revelation, it opens the floodgates to questions Toshiaki isn't sure he knows how to answer.

Inspired by MuffinLance's #Yuyan Raise Zuko on Tumblr

Part 3: Melee

Zuko may not have had much going for him during those six months in the wilderness, but he had a knife. And now that he's eating better and more regularly, he's got fire. He's ready to start training with the Yuyan, but are the Yuyan ready for him?

Part 4: Camaraderie

Zuko's life seems to be turning around--things are really looking up, and life at the Stronghold is settling into a predictable routine. And then he looks at the mess hall calendar.

Part 5: Stealth

The first time is because of a prank.

The second time is because of a dare.

The third time is because of an injustice.

or

Three times Zuko wears the Blue Spirit mask.

Part 6: Mission

Zuko is finally going on a mission with Chihese Squad! Yeah, it's a simple (boring) escort mission, but it's his very first military action, and not even Kai's oversleeping is going to ruin it for him!

It doesn't, but something else does.

Part 7: Debrief

It's been two weeks since the events at Huzhen, and Zuko can't stop thinking. Commander Toshiaki helps, and plans are made.

Part 8: Rebellion

The prisoner is tiny, and Zuko is filled with rage at the sight. The time he's been waiting for has arrived.

Time to break out of the Stronghold, instead of breaking in.

Part 9: Alliance

Sokka and Katara are confronted with the idea that not everyone in the Fire Nation wants to destroy the world. Tui and La, Aang, stop picking up strays!

Part 10: Nemesis

Something about Jet is just off. Yeah, he's got skills, and a flair for the dramatic that Zuko can appreciate, but seriously, the guy is weird. Can they go now?

Zuko meets Jet, and is not impressed.

Part 11: Perspective

Bato is nearly healed from the skirmish with a Fire Nation patrol, and is just hanging around the Abbey until he hears from his Chief. Then his Chief's kids show up out of nowhere with the Avatar, and a mysterious scarred teenager armed to the teeth.

Part 12: Education

Aang asks a question. Zuko wants to strangle a man. A discussion on the nature of firebending ensues.

Part 13: Ascent

Teo and his people are pretty cool, even if they did completely screw up an ancient Air Temple. But opening doors reveals secrets, and presents Zuko with a conflict he hadn't quite anticipated when he'd left Pohuai.

Part 14: Confrontation

The North Pole is freaking cold, and Zuko is not enthused. Add in the fact that even the culture is as opposite to everything Zuko knows as anything could ever be, and he's in for a rough time.

It doesn't help that Katara's challenge to the patriarchy brings back some bad memories.

Part 15: Seige

In which the Northern Water Tribe is under attack.

Part 16: FUBAR

The fortress may be a joke, but Zuko's not laughing when the general in charge of it proposes a Bad Plan.

Part 17: Anniversary

Three years later.

Part 18: Occupation

Omashu has been conquered.

King Bumi is missing.

And of course now is the perfect time for Zuko's past to come roaring back.

Part 19: Mirage

The swamp is dark, and gross, and creepy as all get out. Zuko would really like to leave please.

Part 20: Miscommunication

Toph can't see.

Her new friend can't talk.

This may be a problem.

Part 21: Pursuit

There's a scary-looking tank train chasing them.

The kids are constantly fighting.

Sokka just wants to sleep, for spirits' sake.

Part 22: Exposure

In the aftermath of Azula, Zuko learns some stuff.

Part 23: Justification

Zuko would like to make it clear for the record that this entire thing is Sokka's fault.

Part 24: Escort

Zuko gets an up close and personal look at the effect the Fire Nation is having on the Earth Kingdom.

It's not pretty.

Part 25: Reconnaissance

Zuko hates Ba Sing Se. And the creepy lady that's following them everywhere is being disturbingly obstructionist. The sooner they do what they came here to do, the sooner they can freaking leave. Time to break out some of his special skills.

Inspired by MuffinLance's glorious #Yuyan Raises Zuko on Tumblr.

Part 26: Reconstruction

Three years ago.

Part 27: Contact

They've been in this dump for a week, and still no sign of Appa. Then Zuko stumbles upon a very familiar tea maker.

Part 28: Manipulation

A party. For a bear.

Zuko knows that the Yuyan are experts of infiltration and espionage, but this was NOT what he'd had in mind.

Part 29: R and R 

Where do you go when you need a break from the secret dystopian drama that is your life? Your uncle's tea shop of course.

Part 30: Extraction

They've spent way longer in this spirits-cursed city than they really should have, and Zuko's had enough. When Ba Sing Se's ridiculous bureaucracy shuts down their attempts to find Appa, he decides it's time to take matters into his own hands.

Part 31: Sacrifice

Their family is scattered, and somehow Azula has entered Ba Sing Se. Katara doesn't know how things can get much worse.

And then they do.

Part 32: Shock

Sokka is trying to wrap his brain around what just happened. He's not entirely sure he's successful.

Part 33: Recruitment

Gathering allies for a certain-to-be-suicidal attack on the capital of the Fire Nation is not a straightforward task.

Part 34: Infiltration

Katara didn't really know what to expect when they snuck into the Fire Nation, but somehow delicious food and a dance party were not it.

Part 35: Homefront

Zuko has known for years that Ozai does not have their nation's best interests at heart... so he's not sure why he's surprised to find a village in his own nation barely clinging to life.

Part 36: Materiel

Sokka wants to become a master sword fighter. Zuko knows exactly where to go.

Part 37: Message  

Avatar Roku has summoned Aang to join him for the Summer Solstice. The Gaang takes an opportunity for a break.

Part 38: Terrorism

In the forest on Kong Xin Island, no one can hear you scream.

Part 39: Rendezvous

Reassurances are given.

Preparations are made.

The Invasion is about to begin.

Part 40: Invasion

It is the Day of Black Sun, and the fate of the world comes down to a choice.

It is commonly accepted by the entire fandom that avatars one bad episode was the great divide. Was there any other episodes that you felt was bad or lukewarm?

Ohya. I got my hit list:

.

The King of Omashu - This is the best one on this list just thanks to Bumi's character, but I can't get over the """""""mystery""""""" of Bumi. Who is the intended audience for this episode? Are they supposed to know that Bumi is Aang's old friend? Because it's super-obvious, straight down to using the same 'circus music' motif for his young and old selves, and yet the show treats it as a reveal. This bothers me. A lot of early Avatar is hampered by seeming to have mixed ideas about its audience, with its ideas and setting being wasted on stories for little kids, like 'The Great Divide,' but I find this episode to be the most egregious.

The Great Divide - Honestly, I only consider this one to be lukewarm. It's dumb and exaggerated and obviously written for 5-year-olds, but I still feel like it's more mature than a lot of LoK, and the twist at the end that Aang lied is great fun. The fandom beating on this one so hard has always seemed weird to me.

The Fortuneteller - This has some really funny and good Sokka moments, but otherwise it is such a boring episode with the romantic shenanigans.

The Northern Air Temple - Lukewarm storytelling, and I've never particularly liked the message, especially the destructive and polluting way the Mechanist is changing the temple. Also, some parts of the battle are hampered by playing to little kids again, like going out of the way to show that the weapons are non-lethal like the slime bombs- and then Sokka wins the day with a massive explosion that is pretty strongly implied to have killed a hundred people. I almost feel like the creative team had an identity crisis in the middle of making this episode.

The Swamp - This episode is the closest AtLA comes to pointless filler. Yes, even compared 'The Great Divide.' If it wasn't for Zuko's two scenes, I'd advocate new fans skipping this one. The hallucinations for Sokka and Katara are the only two worthwhile moments, and honestly I kind of hate the swamp foretelling Toph's role. Prophecy is a weird thing to include in Avatar, considering how the setting seems to work, and to waste it on Toph, who is already presented as the natural choice for Aang's teacher, is just dumb. I'll give it credit for the "Everything is Connected" theme being a big part of AtLA's messaging as a whole, but the Guru does it better.

Avatar Day - I'm sorry, the only good gAang-parts of this whole episode are Aang in prison, the flashback to Kyoshi, and the unfried-dough scene. This is also representative of the humor in AtLA actually getting sillier, IMO, compared even to when it was trying to cater to little kids. You can see it especially in Sokka's detective shtick, and while I do like that he loosens up as the series goes on, I see a direct line between this episode and "Get out of the bison's mouth."

The Headband - While I appreciate the look at the Fire Nation citizenry and really like what it implies about the nature of the Fire Lord's rule, there's no denying that after such a strong run of storytelling in Book Earth, this marks a much more meandering pace and lower stakes, and seems to just be marking time until they roll out the Invasion for Sweeps Week. I still don't actually understand what the gAang was doing in these episodes. Why didn't they rejoin Hakoda? I know, in terms of storytelling, we had to see the Fire Nation, but it is never justified in-universe.

The Painted Lady - More meandering, a Sokka subplot with the schedule that would seem important but then is never mentioned again, and also lukewarm storytelling all around. And the solution for this is simple- this story should have been told after Zuko joins the gAang, when he can react and add some additional spark to the character interactions. Actually, most of early Book Fire should have been pushed back to after Zuko joins the gAang, and then they journey to the Western Air Temple together while trying to lay low and avoid Azula as a pursuer.

The Beach - This is hands-down the worst episode in all of the Avatar franchise. Even the worst of LoK is better. Gene Yang's comics are worse, though, so at least it has that going for it.

The Ember Island Players - I like what this episode is trying to do. But, honestly, while the comedy here is much better constructed than 'The Beach,' Avatar in generally isn't really good with humor most of the time, so episodes wholly devoted to it are going to fall flat for me. Also, the little Kataang subplot complicates the romantic arc without actually adding anything to it for either the characters or their dynamic (I still don't really know what Katara meant by claiming to be confused, and our ability to makes guesses does not mean the answer is anywhere in AtLA), and the arc would actually be improved by removing it.

.

10 bad apples out of 61 ain't bad, huh?

Top 10 Rated T Completed Fics!

AKA I am terrified by Boogum’s posting ability

Sx: 0.45

Here we see a lot of the commonly recommended stories. Tempest in a Teacup and Zuko’s Tiny Dilemma were just under the cut-off and I see both of those on a lot of lists.

List under the cut!

Title: such selfish prayers

Author: andromeda3116

Summary: Katara's ambition, so long set aside for the good of others, breaks free and sets fire to her soul. Or, Katara has a vision of her canon future, casts it aside, and becomes a world-changing politician instead.

Score: 10 / 10

Tags: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence

Title: i'm still here

Author: owedbetter

Summary: "You see me."

And somehow, that makes all the difference.

Score: 9.9 / 10

Tags: Post The Southern Raiders, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence

One moment changes the course of history. Katara and Zuko are imprisoned by the Fire Nation Army during the Day of Black Sun, and when they escape, they find themselves adrift in the Fire Nation with no one to rely on but each other. With only six weeks before Sozin’s Comet arrives and four nations to cross, the pair must track down Katara’s allies, save the world—and learn to trust each other.

Title: The Color of the Stars

Author: bluenebulae

Summary: “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.” ― Confucius

Canon divergent from Part 2 of 'Day of Black Sun.'

Score: 9.9 / 10

Tags: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Title: The Things We Hide (Restricted Access)

Author: Lykegenia

Summary: The Southern Water Tribe stood for a hundred years against the Fire Nation, indomitable until Sozin's Comet tipped the balance in Fire Lord Ozai's favour. Now, as planned, the South is decimated, Chief Hakoda is a puppet on his throne, and Princess Katara is a political prisoner held in the Fire Nation capital to ensure his good behaviour.

But Ozai has little time to gloat. A vigilante masquerading as the Blue Spirit is causing unrest among the people, rebel ships still hound his navy, and right under his nose the South's most powerful waterbender waits with the patience of ice to strike at the very heart of his empire and bring it crashing down.

Score: 9.8 / 10

Tags: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Blutara, Slow Burn, Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Title: Who I Am (or Who I Was)

Author: audreyii_fic

Summary: The war is over, and the world spins on. Epilogue of Sparrowkeet!verse.

Score: 9.8 / 10

Tags: Sparrowkeet Universe

Title: The Worst Prisoner: The element of change (Book 1)

Author: emletish

Summary: What if Sokka was there during the events of the Blue Spirit? What if crazy fate and a series of poor life choices threw four kids together? Can enemies ever become friends? A shenanigan-filled fic about unlikely friendship, stupidity and sarcasm. Zuko joins the Gaang in season 1 shenanagins! Also romance and drama! AU, canon divergent from season 1, eventual Zutara.

Part 1 of The Worst Prisoner

Score: 9.8 / 10

Tags: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Series

Title: Rescue Me

Author: hootowl

Summary: “Because they're going to arrest me for earthbending.” And they did, but things didn't go according to plan. In fact, failure had never even crossed her mind. A capture!fic...of sorts. Chapters edited: 18/32

Part 2 of Noble Boldness

Score: 9.7 / 10

Tags: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Series

Title: Catching Sparks

Author: mercy_angel_09

Summary: Seven years after the fall of Fire Lord Ozai, Fire Lord Zuko is under pressure to marry and produce an heir. There's just one small problem - any time he shows any serious interest in a girl she leaves him with a flimsy excuse on her lips. Determined to get to the bottom of it he reunites Team Avatar and they come up with a clever solution - send Katara undercover as a bridal candidate to flush out the person responsible for chasing the others away.

It's all fun and games until someone loses their heart.

Score: 9.7 / 10

Tags: Fake Relationship, Iroh Ships It, Mutual Pining

Title: The Worst Prisoner: The illusion of separation (Book 2)

Author: emletish

Summary: Four friends separately make their way to Ba Sing Se, learning wisdom along the way. Will our two lovers, forbidden from one another, find each other again? Will Aang find the courage to be the avatar the world needs? Will Sokka be condemned to more conversations about feelings? A shenanagin filled romp through the Earth Kingdom. Zutara yes, but this is primarily a friendship fic

Part 2 of The Worst Prisoner

Score: 9.6 / 10

Tags: Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed

Title: Once Around the Sun

Author: eleventy7

Summary: Later, Katara can see how it all fell apart. Azula in her cell, growing roses; Zuko surrounded by enemies, slowly dying; their friends in the Earth Kingdom, safely escaping. And herself at the centre of it, saving lives and breaking promises. Set after finale, eventual Zutara.

Score: 9.6 / 10

Tags: Post Series, Slow Burn, Minor Character Death

So I hit the 300 milestone recently, and I haven’t commemorated it yet because I just got my wifi today. (And haha, willpower to do something is... uh... where the hell did I find it just now)

So, let’s do something a little different because I don’t want to do a hozier cover per milestone (I mean... askbox/pm are open if you miss that stuff... you could just tell me). Fic recs!

Theme is... things I have dug up from the ‘haha funny/random’ folder. (Fics may not be funny. Even if it makes me laugh. I’m sorry but my sense of humor is unreliable like that.) Fic recs below the cut otherwise this post is gonna be too long.

I’ll be splitting this up into sections. Yes, it is that long.

Birds: (there are birds for some reason... why not)

The Big Hawk Chronicles by @neuronary (Based on Salvage, but can also stand alone if you want Azula having a fun time with a bird and said bird having a fun time messing with Ozai. Fair warning, part 4 definitely has feelings involved.)

Untitled Zuko and the Goose Fic by saiditallbefore. A short and sweet crossover with the untitled goose game.

Get got (by the goose) by SheDrabbles_butitsalie_. Muffinlance inspired, and Zuko adopts a polar bear goose. 

Prince Turtleduck Does His Duty by deutschistklasse. The tag ‘Zuko is an awkward turtleduck’ but literally.

Zukka: (As you know, I am hopelessly Zukka gang)

The One Where Katara Accidentally Invents PFLAG by alittleduck. Part 1 of a series all about coming out, so check that out too. Part 3 has more Zukka, but I’m linking part 1 because good time teasing and Katara/Zuko brotp.

Always Read Your Peace Treaties Carefully by preciousbunnynoiz. These two got engaged without knowing it. And then they actually get together.

Spirits Help Us, There’s Two of Them by hopepunk. Clown to clown communication is a tag. I think that says it all.

The Zukka Shitpost Records by TheAndromedaRecord. Four works, three of them based on different tumblr posts. Featuring: aunt wu tells sokka that he’ll marry the firelord, zuko pines and sighs about it to the moon, zuko’s therapist is wang fire, and sokka recognizes zuko in ba sing se.

Gossip Lord Zuko by RejectsCanon. (The M rating is for mentions of sexual harassment to a side character, but tread carefully anyway.) Zuko gets too invested in palace gossip. Minor Zukka.

still not katara by sorrowfulheaven. Wrong number Zukka AU. Sokka why did you not have katara’s contact

zuko, have you ever sat on a throne before by rachelwritesthings or @tophbejfong. Based on their own post about Zuko being incapable of sitting on the firelord chair properly.

Operation Leverage by @itszukkatime. Longer but I swear it is worth it. It’s just... oh yeah Ba Sing Se Zukka that turns into not-Ba Sing Se Zukka. The progression of the Zukka is very natural and very dumbass. They are my emotional support dumbasses your honor.

Muffin/muffin derived: (miscellaneous muffinlance (inspired) things...) 

Cheating at Pai Sho, Little Zuko v The World, OUTLINE: Amnesia!Zuko Joins the Earth Army, all by @muffinlance. In order: the Gaang joins Zuko, a twelve year old speedruns and shenanigans his way to his redemption arc and makes Ozai concerned, and “what the fuck li, why are you burning rice” (aka my go to haha funny for a while).

There Is No Fire Lord by OccasionalStorytelling. (…I was laughing… that doesn’t make it funny at all.) Based on Towards the Sun. The premise is Zuko Firelord-ing from prison. I have no idea why but I kept laughing throughout the first chapter. Mind the tags and the angst.

Junior Detective Li Finds His Purpose by deustchistklasse. Zuko please stop tormenting the poor traumatized airbender. No one needs to be this pedantic.

Of Badgerfrogs and Dragon Eggs by HappilyUnconventional34. Zuko loves and adopts animals. Animals also love him. That’s all. (It’s precious and funny. It’s amazing.)

Why: (the premise is just... really inexplicable)

The Brassic Bride (aka The Ultimate ATLA Ship Post) by CorundumBleu. Before there was Momoyuki, there was Momo/Cabbage. Let the ship wars commence

Call “Uncle” by JaggedCliffs. Iroh’s singular title is ‘uncle’.

Uncle Zuko by Lavanya_Six. Roleswap and generation swap AU, with this brief ficlet tackling Iroh and Zuko’s different dynamic. (Oh god, the horrible attempt at a proverb.)

Drink Some Fucking Tea by Nele. Did you want an Iroh version of the Go the Fuck to Sleep song? No? That’s exactly what this fic is if that’s your thing.

Adaptation by Wildgoosery. Look, this fic was on Livejournal. It probably predated the comics, where last I checked was where we found out the plot of Love Amongst the Dragons. So, here’s the author’s take on what it is. (I won’t spoil, so I’ll leave you to go in blind.)

Jet’s Troubling Obsession by @emletish-fish. FF.Net link since it wasn’t ported over to ao3. Part of their Stalking ‘verse, but also works as a standalone. Featuring: a pineapple, sausages, and Smellerbee and Longshot trying their best over there. Some swearing/allusions to some content.

A Flame For A Cabbage by TalesOfOnyxBats. Azula–cabbageman roleswap AU. I did say this is from the ‘haha funny/random’ folder. Pure crack. Best read when you just want to read silly nonsense.

Traitors, Failures and Moon-slayers by Themanofmanyhats. The premise is that Zhao actually takes Zuko’s hand, and they all end up on that raft. Can’t get much more absurd than Zhao willingly taking Zuko’s hand.

Freudian Slip by naggeluide. The fic summary’s better than any summary I could make, since I might end up spoiling something. Fic summary: Zuko has one. The Gaang reacts.

Miscellaneous: (this is a haha funny [mostly] based fic rec list, of course there’s going to be a bunch that refuse to be boxed in anywhere.)

The Adventures of Mini Zuko by @younggayanddoingokay. If you aren’t tall, be prepared to feel the short experience so hard you get second-hand pain. Be prepared to want to immediately stab and take the kneecaps of (almost) every single character at once. Perfection, Zuko is amazing and shorter, and it has the Zuko and animals trope. What more could you want? (Also part 7 is just... top notch humor.)

Firelord Zuko’s Unfortunate Misadventures by Trying_For_Sunshine. Zuko’s just hanging around and trying to have a good time in the palace. The staff isn’t used to this.

Quiet Like A Fire by WhatWouldJackSparrowDo. Not actually haha funny… idk. But it has an interesting premise. I put in in the random folder because... uh. Anyway, premise goes: Zuko accidentally murder during Day of the Black Sun. (Oh right, that’s probably why I put it there, it vibes that way despite being serious.)

Different Worlds, Different Outcomes by LeDiz. Not haha funny either, just an interesting insight on Zuko’s role in the story, as seen through the eyes of the Gaang and the various spirit shenanigan things that lead to them interacting with various AUs.

We’ll Meet Again, Some Sunny Day by redrobin1989. A desperate Iroh in Ba Sing Se consults the Gaang to find his nephew. Along the way, he uncles.

The Five People You Meet in Hell by JustGettingBy. A 5+1 about Zuko and customer service. There’s also character development along the way.

Find A New God by dickard23. Has OOC and a parent!Ozai, baby azula, and ozai’s canon levels of stupidity. Guaranteed nonsense happens because Ozai... exists. (Look, I just wanted to laugh at Ozai’s stupidity. That’s why I found this funny.)

Zuko go brrr brrr by DiedInParadise. Based on that tumblr post where Zuko is peak hufflepuff and can find all the things. So yeah.