#zuko baby what were u expecting?
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So... these are the same expression.
#can't get over the fact that this is just how they look at eachother#zuko baby what were u expecting?#no like pls i really want to know what he would have said if she hadnt spoken first#its abt the teensy lil hopeful smiles#theres so much affection!!#foaming at the mouth#zutara#zuko#katara#zuko x katara#atla
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its avatar time
lol i was trapped on a commute that was like 2 hours longer than expected today and drafted up the start to an ATLA fic I've been wanting to write. There's definitely bits I want to expand on but I'm posting it now just to share for fun
the actual fic will be a very zuko-centric AU, but somehow I ended up writing a hearty prelude (featuring Ursa's POV as she has her first child)
Ig the only warning is that this does feature some old timey women-not-having-it-good themes. Like there's discussions of child bearing and bodily autonomy but it's not too heavy imo. But i absolutely loved writing from Ursa's POV and hope to do more with this AU soon
(also- if u have any idea what's up with baby zuko, i wanna hear what your guess is!)
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Excerpt:
The sages and midwives cleansed the babe and swaddled him, as well as dabbed Ursa’s own tear-streaked face with a cool cloth, before finally permitting her to hold her own child.
Ozai already had a name picked out for him.
“Hello, Zuko.” Ursa said. After the day she had, her voice was little more than a hoarse rasp.
Her son opened his eyes and cried.
Ursa’s stomach plummeted.
Her child was wrong.
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Word count: ~2,900
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Lady Ursa came into her new family with much fanfare, as was expected of a royal wedding. Her new husband insisted upon her superb beauty to all that would hear and lavished her with gifts of fine silk and golden adornments. Spoils of war, as well. Their marriage bed was crafted from highly polished dark wood, inlaid with pearls from the South Pole and abalone imported from the coasts of the Earth Kingdom.
But what her nation did not know as well as she did, was that her husband was not a patient man. Not at all.
Ozai was a man of great elegance, yes. He moved as though no man could best him, as though he were a greater being from another realm. But he possessed a terribly watchful eye. And what he wanted more than Ursa’s beauty or her love was her body. He wanted an heir.
First, he wasted no time consummating their marriage. The man seemed determined to appease his father by getting Ursa pregnant before she could fully remove her wedding gown.
The heat that came off his skin as he held her close was enough to suffocate her.
Ursa did her damndest to satisfy him. She let herself be followed every moment of every day by a legion of medical experts, sages, and attendants who instructed her how to best have her first child. They dictated when she woke up, the temperature of her baths, her food, her dress, her exposure to sunlight, the bitter teas meant to influence her body’s moods, and when she went to bed every night.
They were at their most insistent in the early months of her marriage. She didn’t even have both feet past the threshold of the palace, technically not even a wife yet, before she was whisked away to some private room, told to strip before all their eyes, and examined to a humiliating degree for any bodily deficiencies to be concerned over. They deemed her perfectly healthy and said that with the proper diet and tea, she’d be giving birth by next summer.
But that precious early stage of her marriage, those cool and gentle months between summer and winter, came and went without her menstrual cycle ceasing. Autumn was the most auspicious time for women in the Fire Nation to become with child, as it meant their babies would be born in the hottest months of the year under Agni’s brilliant eye.
But for all his determination, for all the efforts made, winter came in full and Ursa was still bleeding monthly.
That was when she began to pray. She prayed every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset. In her bedroom, at the royal family’s personal shrine, in the capital’s grandest temple. Sometimes for hours at a time without rest. The sages approved greatly of her devotion. The doctors disapproved, as she could not partake in food or drink while in prayer.
Ursa begged Agni for a baby. She begged for Ozai’s furious advances to cease. Since her wedding night, she had crawled out of bed every morning sore and tender, made even more humiliating when her attendants slathered her most intimate parts with potent oils or creams to soothe the aching and chafe.
Her body was no longer hers, she knew that. But please, was she not devoted to her new husband and her country? Was she not healthy? Why was she being tested so?
Above all else, Ursa asked for something to hope for.
The new year came and went. The nation was alight with all sorts of colors in the sky and endless trails of beautiful lanterns, but it was a cold comfort for Ursa.
Both she and Ozai grew rather distant and demoralized as winter gave way to spring. Or rather, she grew demoralized as her husband grew distant. They sometimes went days without speaking to each other. Yet they retired to the same bed without fail every night. They had no choice.
Her husband began regarding her with this cruel tint to his eyes, as if she were to blame for his lack of progeny. Ursa was afraid of him.
Then, in that delicate time early in the year between late winter and young spring, she found her cycle late. The sages and doctors ran their tests. Ursa felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She almost dared not believe it could be true.
But it was. The palace was jubilant, ecstatic even. Lady Ursa was finally with child.
The sages brought this wonderful news to the Fire Lord, presenting Ursa and Ozai as if they were mere trinkets, more spoils of war. It was a less ideal time of the year to have a baby, yes. This did not go unnoticed by Ozai or his father, the two of them so alike in their dispassionate eyes. But the sages spun a tale of how, as the new year emerges from the ashes of the past, much like the great phoenix, so did Fire Lord Azulon’s great and prosperous bloodline.
His newest grandchild was a symbol of vitality, of hope.
Ursa straightened her back, as did her husband.
And Fire Lord Azulon seemed pleased. He even gazed upon Ursa directly and congratulated her on her first child, implying he’d expect more in the future.
A hand touched her belly and Ursa was surprised to find it wasn’t her own. Ozai caressed her gently, though there was no bump to be had. Not yet. He smiled at her and she could feel the heat from his palm seeping through her clothes and soaking into her skin.
Her child would likely be born in the densest portion of winter, when the days were short and the nights were so very long. They would be a strong child, the sages said, as any creature must be to weather out those dark, bitter months.
There was only one problem. Two, even.
One, Ursa went into labor the night before the winter solstice. For first time mothers, they sometimes went several days before properly giving birth. She almost hoped this would be the case, but Ursa was not so fortunate. Why would she be?
Amongst her tears and fervent screaming, her first child was born after sunset on the shortest day of the entire year. As if Agni himself deigned to fit her with as many ill omens as possible. At least the birth itself was without complications.
Oh, and it was a boy. Not that female heirs were unheard of, nor would it be a travesty for Ozai, who was himself only second in line to inherit the throne. But who would want to disrupt the current dynasty’s male-dominated line of succession after so long?
Ozai would be quite pleased to know his firstborn was male.
The sages and midwives cleansed the babe and swaddled him, as well as dabbed Ursa’s own tear-streaked face with a cool cloth, before finally permitting her to hold her own child.
Ozai already had a name picked out for him.
“Hello, Zuko.” Ursa said. After the day she had, her voice was little more than a hoarse rasp.
Her son opened his eyes and cried.
Ursa’s stomach plummeted.
Her child was wrong.
His skin was fair and pale, his downy baby hair dark and plentiful, his body healthy.
But his eyes…
They reminded Ursa of the beautiful gemstone pendant her mother once wore, a family heirloom from before the war. It was a precious stone more commonly found in the Earth Kingdom than the Fire Nation, a glowing and iridescent opal.
Her child had opal eyes. Half his irises were the rich, bright amber yellow of the royal family. It was undeniably the hue of Ozai’s own eyes. But dispersed throughout the baby’s irises were shards of bright, cerulean blue.
But there was nothing she could do or say. The midwife was letting her husband into the room to view his progeny. Everyone else was leaving to give them a brief moment of privacy, odd after the months of stealing every ounce of autonomy from her. Ursa prayed the baby would seal his eyes and hide his abnormality.
Ozai came upon the side of her bed, footsteps light and a bright smile upon his face. He peeled back a bit of the blanket for a better look.
“Wait-” Ursa said.
Ozai faltered. Not at her request, no. But because he felt the need to recoil from the sight of his child.
“Sages!” he called, not looking at her, “I want the head sage in here immediately!”
Ursa couldn’t say she remembered what happened after that. Only that she was afraid of the venom in Ozai’s voice.
He wanted them to take the baby and ensure that it was indeed his. Ursa didn’t know what kind of rituals they could enact, which spirits they could call upon, to prove that the child was indeed Ozai’s. All Ursa knew was that Zuko could belong to no other man, not that her word held much weight.
Ursa was kept isolated from the rest of the royal family, and her own child, with only a servant and her midwife for company and care. Half of her wanted her baby back. She needed the protection he offered her, where his living body would cease Ozai’s relentless assault upon her own. She could finally cease waking up throbbing every morning, cease the constant monitoring and control over her body, and enter the family as a proper princess.
Half of her was terrified of the baby, of what it could mean for them both if the sages found his lineage inconclusive.
Several days later, her husband entered her quarters with the head sage and the child.
“It is my great honor,” the old man said, “to confirm that this child is indeed the legitimate offspring of Prince Ozai.”
He came to Ursa and allowed her to hold her baby for the first time since his birth. Zuko was no longer crying, instead making these soft sounds from behind closed lips. It seemed to her that he was wanting something. Her touch or milk, perhaps?
When the old man and her attendants all left, when it was just husband, wife, and child in the room, Ozai did not approach her. He just stared at the small mass in her arms swaddled in silk.
“The sages could prove that boy might be mine, but we’ll be lucky if he lives to see his hundredth day.” Ozai said softly. He wrinkled his nose in displeasure, “I am no fool. All the omens indicate he will be weak. Cursed, even. If there is any fire in his blood, I know it will be weak and flickering.”
Perhaps she shouldn’t have, but Ursa couldn’t help but snap. She said, “Zuko is still yours, Ozai. His blood is your blood, and his fire will be your fire.”
He scoffed at her, turned his back, and left Ursa to tend to their child.
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Ursa knew most children weren’t able to bend until they were a few years old, or their bending was so weak that it was imperceivable. Sometimes it took even longer for them to realize their innate gift if both parents were nonbenders. Only rarely would very young children, tiny souls still mastering the art of walking and talking, display visible signs of bending.
Zuko’s family, however, were very much expecting it.
He really only got to be a baby for a few months before the weight of princely expectations were set upon him.
Ursa would watch as Ozai would ignite a fire at the tip of his finger, no bigger than that of a candle flame, and hold it over their child’s soft, clammy palm. Every time, their baby would recoil from the heat and cry. Zuko refused to take the flame. Ozai would sneer or grit his teeth every time, but he continued to try day after day to get his son to take the flame.
In those moments, it was hard to remember that this strange man was the boy’s father.
Ursa’s small solace came in the form of the sages’ wisdom. They spoke of well documented cases where children metamorphosed early in life, their hair or eyes changing in color before taking on their true hue within a year or so. Ursa didn’t need the explanation, she’d seen it herself. Or heard about it from her mother, at least. She herself had been born with eyes nearly brown in color before they lightened into a dull honey hue by her second birthday. But the explanation did give her hope, however small, that her child would grow to more closely resemble Ozai in the coming years. They just needed a little more time.
Which they would get, it seemed. Zuko lived to see his hundredth day, then first birthday. Ozai never said anything, but seemed to accept that Zuko was not only his child, but that he was also going to live.
And something seemed to change in him.
The summer after Zuko’s first birthday, they went to Ember Island together. No attendants, no guards. Just them as a family. Ozai brought Ursa to his family’s estate on the island, took her shopping, and went with her two nights in a row to the theater. The show they were putting on was such a touching drama that Ursa just had to see it twice, her husband obliging with a kind of abnormally fond patience. He even got up to walk around the empty halls with their little boy whenever Zuko grew restless, all so that Ursa wouldn’t have to miss a minute of the climax.
Baby Zuko, meanwhile, loved sitting in the sand beneath the sun. From morning to night, he relished soaking up the sunlight and the breeze coming off of the ocean. This seemed to please his father, who had a greater tolerance for the heat than Ursa ever could. The two of them would sit out in the sun while Ursa needed the shade provided by a lofty umbrella.
While on a pleasant walk along the shore, Zuko kept wandering toward the water with increasing tenacity. Ursa tried to interest him in the beautiful shells that washed upon the shore, but to no avail. Her son wanted to splash in the water that, while only ankle-deep for her and Ozai, was much more formidable for him. Such a brave, little thing. He did not yet know the dangers of the world, but Ursa was a fool for letting her own guard down.
A sudden swell crashed upon the shore and swept Zuko off his feet. In such a moment, his hand was ripped from hers.
Ursa dove for him, but he was already being pulled by the waves and was out of her reach before she could even utter his name.
She gasped, awestruck, as Ozai threw himself into the shallow water without a hint of grace. In hindsight, Zuko hadn’t really been pulled very far. But he was so small, so fragile. He could not swim. Ozai grabbed the boy and waded through the rough waves back to Ursa, using his body to shield their son from the spray.
Ursa took Zuko and patted him on his back. He wasn’t crying or coughing, he didn’t even seem to understand what had happened to him, but she soothed him all the same. That was when she noticed her husband was bleeding.
Ozai touched the scratch on his abdomen lined with tiny pearls of red blood. It must’ve been from a piece of broken shell, something not yet worn down by the relentless sea. He said it was hardly a cause for concern and in just a few minutes, it ceased bleeding.
Zuko gave thanks to his father by immediately trying to return to the water as soon as Ursa set him down. Ozai snatched him up, but didn’t reprimand his child. Perhaps he knew it’d do little good for a boy so small and curious. Zuko’s feet did not touch the sand for the remainder of their walk.
Thankfully, their vacation concluded without much fanfare.
On the boat ride home, as Ursa watched the clouds drift by with her son in her arms, she dared to believe that maybe, all would be well. That Ozai was merely a man under tremendous, inconceivable pressure to act as the ideal prince. After all, he’d been born into royalty and surely had to contend with things Ursa had not yet conceived of. Perhaps the first year of their marriage was only a rough start. That deep down, Ozai did care for her and Zuko not just as political power, but as his family. It’d just taken stepping away from his royal duties and endless obligations for his true nature to show.
Then there came the day when everything changed. When Ursa knew her life was not in her hands, nor in the hands of her husband, and not even in the hands of her Fire Lord. When she knew her life was dictated by the will of the spirits and theirs alone.
And that her son would never be safe in his father’s house.
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For the recent ask game: Korra from TLOK!!
(Idk if you’ve seen it but I know you’ve seen ATLA so if you haven’t seen TLOK yet then let’s hear what you think about Uncle Iroh)
I have seen both series, so now you get to hear me rant about two fictional characters! Lucky you!
KORRA ( THE LEGEND OF KORRA )
First impression:
Pretty girl. Muscles. Short hair. Queer.
Need I say more?
Impression now:
I love how much Korra grew throughout the series.
I’m sure many many Tumblr folks have expended on it in proper essays, but it’s refreshing to see that the writing team approached her as they would any protagonist, instead of treating her differently because of her gender ( which makes sense, in a world where cool warrior ladies like Kyoshi have been a thing since the beginning of time ) !
Favorite moment:
No surprise here, I’m going to say the ending. I knew about it beforehand and it is the reason I started watching the series in the first place.
Idea for a story:
I’d love to see more content about Baby Korra discovering her powers and her parents absolutely F R E A K I N G O U T about it! What little we saw of her at that age was so cute.
Unpopular opinion:
Not sure if this is an “unpopular” opinion, but the relationships between the Main Four were the weakest point of the show in my opinion.
I was extremely annoyed by the whole love triangle debacle, and even Korrasami felt a bit underdeveloped ( There were HUGE instances of flirting between the two in S1, and then they kinda… Paused… Until halfway through S4? ). That one is understandable, though - we all know the challenges of trying to sneak a queer storyline into a kids’ show.
Overall, I didn’t get the “found family” feel that made ATLA so great from Korra and the gang. I’ve heard good things about the comics, though, so I might get my hands on them someday!
Favorite relationship:
Despite what I just said, it is Korrasami, 100%.
I like that they didn’t let the love triangle ruin their friendship ( any negative feelings they had were directed either at Makko or themselves, rather than each other ) and how well they work together despite being so different.
And Korrasami did so much for queer representation in general. It might not seem like much when we look back on it now, but these girls really kicked the portal door open for all of the great stuff we’re getting today!
Favorite headcanon:
Many people have created great art of Korrasami getting engaged using a Water Tribe betrothal necklace. I especially love scenarii in which Asami is the one to propose ( engaging in your partner’s cultural traditions because it’s important to them is a huge pro-gamer move in my book ) .
IROH ( AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER )
First impression:
A funny old man who might or might not be sabotaging Zuko’s efforts to find the Avatar on purpose. For his own good, of course.
Impression now:
A much more complex character than I originally expected. He’s great, obviously, but also imperfect, and I love him for that. More on that later.
Favorite moment:
Probably not a surprise either: the reunion with Zuko in the White Lotus camp. Cleared my skin and watered my crops.
Idea for a story:
I’d like to see more fluff of Iroh in his later years, when he can reflect on how much Zuko has grown throughout the years. Maybe play with Izumi as well! Intimate character pieces are my favourite type of fics to read and write.
Unpopular opinion:
He’s not as perfect as the fandom makes him out to be… And that’s a good thing, actually!
I especially think he could have done more to protect the kids from Ozai ( we see him look away when Ozai burns Zuko’s face, and his whole attitude towards Azula, A LITERAL KID, makes me uneasy ). The complexity only makes him more compelling though, and I think we could all benefit from recognising that even good people make mistakes sometimes.
Favorite relationship:
Iroh and Zuko, obviously. I absolutely ADORE the adoptive father figure / troubled kid working through his trauma dynamic ( something something Professor Layton, something something Hershel and Clive ).
Favorite headcanon:
I really hope he got to meet Baby Iroh and understand how much of an impact he truly had on Zuko’s, and probably Izumi’s, lives.
I could also see him b*tching about his nephew with Mai over tea. If they can’t embarrass him a little, what’s the point?
Thank you for these @crestofshame!
For anyone interested, the ask game can be fond here.
#the legend of korra#tlok#avatar the last airbender#atla#korra#asami sato#korrasami#tlok spoilers#uncle iroh#prince zuko#mai atla#izumi atla#iroh 2#atla spoilers#ask games#tumblr asks
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heyy, I'm not sure if you've covered this already but I'd like to know why you think the Canon couples are misogynistic?
yeah I mean when u say “misogynistic” i guess more specifically id define it as “predicated on age-old romantic tropes rooted in patriarchal love narratives.” for example, im not a fan of the way katara is framed whenever the camera suddenly wants to emphasize that aang is attracted to her (specifically referring to the fully-body pan-up [insert puke emoji here], but also the way such an agentic, heroic main character is occasionally reduced to a Love Object for the sake of the romantic plotline between them). and to be clear, im also not one of those idiots who thinks that aang is a misogynist who feels a sense of ownership or entitlement towards katara. a lot of arguments against the relationship between aang & katara are overly extreme and thus inaccurate, and while im not exactly a fan of the way their (romantic) relationship is presented in the show, I do think that they clearly have reciprocated crushes on each other and love each other deeply, even if I don’t necessarily believe that they’d work in a committed monogamous relationship their entire lives since middle school (I mean, have you met katara???) – like, the thematic significance of their relationship is very beautiful, and there's clearly a deep love there, but i just think the execution left a lot to be desired, especially because they are both babies, so the romance between them always felt especially forced for me. whatevs tho
as for mai & zuko, I mainly take issue with the final scene; I otherwise like the way their relationship is portrayed, even if their dysfunction makes me cringe—in fact, because their dysfunction makes me cringe. it’s the final framing of theirs as a “good relationship” that utterly baffles me. at no point does zuko show the same dedication to mai that mai shows to zuko. which is understandable, seeing as he has a lot going on, and to him, she represents yet another decoration of the fire nation rather than a fully-realized human being in her own right. which, narratively speaking, is a coherent decision, up until the point I’m expected to buy that either of them would be truly happy with each other, when a) zuko has done nothing to earn mai’s trust, affection, and devotion (other than rising to power) and b) when zuko doesn’t really seem to see mai as a whole person?? just an L for women and gays everywhere 😔
And I'm not sure if you know but Bryke do later admit that the kiss at the end was kind of forced which is why I think they specifically chose to end lok with no kiss. They said they were hoping to develop korrasami like a Miyazaki like romance (still think they could have done better job at that) opting for no big dramatic displays of romantic affection.
okay that’s kind of funny bc I agree that neither atla nor lok should’ve ended with a kiss, but the fact that it was lok specifically to not end with a kiss was clearly just due to the homophobic network constraints restricting what they could depict overtly between two women. but yeah I agree that korrasami read as more authentic and genuine than most other atla romances, save perhaps with the exception of sokka & suki, which I enjoy specifically because it’s rarely ever foregrounded, they’re simply two people who like and understand each other, which feels more true to life. as I sort of alluded to above, I prefer romance narratives that treat (positive) relationships as a healthy, beneficial experience, rather than some grand, significant, even cosmic event. romance is not necessarily more important than true friendship or familial bonds, and to treat it as such reinforces harmful notions that can and do damage the expectations and lives of women (watch crazy ex girlfriend all seasons now on netflix). with certain exceptions, wherein romantic love is transformative specifically because it is subverting dominant cultural norms (gay ppl, etc), I much prefer the miyazaki approach :)
#ayo-com#asks#hot takes#aang&katara#mai&zuko#im forever team justice4mai#hotgirls4mai#mai deserved better#mai deserved ty lee#etc etc#love & light <33#also i do want to make it clear that the love between katara and aang absolutely is subversive – the romance between them is not. thank u
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do u have any atla fic recs? all time faves? can be shippy or not
Fun fact, I am incapable of holding back on reclists. In other words: brace yourself, anon. There’s a reason I put most of this behind a cut.
First off, these are almost all Zuko-centric, because I shamelessly play favorites. I’ll sort them by author rec, gen, shippy, and then by other characters because honestly the numbers break down well that way. Within those categories it’ll be more just as I think of it, so no special meaning to the order. I’m not always good about bookmarking even my faves, so some excellent stuff will no doubt be missing, especially since I haven’t read a lot of the more recent stuff yet/forgot some really old stuff, but this will definitely still give you plenty of fic to enjoy.
There’s a good number of FFN links on here so apologies to people who dislike it, but a lot of great stuff is still on there so give it a chance.
Author recs
Everything by @awesomeavocadolove Such hits as Another Brother (Zuko adopted by Hakoda pre-S1), and currently has a Zukka soulmate fic I’ve been meaning to start reading, as well as Unchained Melody, one of my favorite Zukka fics ever. Always quality, you can’t go wrong.
Everything by KimberlyT. I do not kid. She’s written a variety of ATLA fic ranging from Zutara/other romance to gen, seriously emotional to cracky cabbagebending. I think my favorite is probably Mismatched (S1 Zuko adopts a baby) but honestly just go read it all.
Everything by @emletish-fish. She has a very fun writing style and honestly her end-of-chapter notes on why she’s made the choices she has are fun minimetas worthwhile in their own right. Some of her top fics are the Stalking Zuko series (S3 suspicious Katara to Zutara) and The Worst Prisoner (the Gaang kidnaps Zuko in S1 and can’t get rid of him). I think there’s still a good amount of her fic that can only be found on FFN so check there too.
Everything by @botherkupo. Especially her Undying Fire series (healer!Zuko) but also just literally everything she writes, it is all so great. Tends toward Zutara but strong gen fics as well sometimes and a lot of fun. Check it all out!
Everything by @muffinlance. Loves to toy with her readers’ emotions in the best of ways. Tons of fantastic gen Zuko-centric AUs, I have adored every single fic I’ve ever read by her, can’t praise them enough. Very productive as well, her tumblr is a hub for the ATLA renaissance and her fics inspire lots of others. Has also organized a fanmade ATLA coloring book for charity so get that once it’s out. In the meantime read everything she’s written.
Everything by Haicrescendo. My favorite is What We’re Given (the series where Zuko finds more air bisons and raises them), but there’s a lot of good Zukka fic too. I tend to steer away from explicit works in this fandom unless it’s a smaller part of a much longer plot-centric fic, so there are a number I haven’t read, but I really like the Pokemon!AU Zukka.
Everything by @gaycinema. I really love the EK fight club series (Zuko fights in Rumbles/etc.) but all of it is a good read. Some Jetko, mostly a lot of introspective or emotional oneshots. Which isn’t really a great depiction of how good they tend to be, you’ll just have to read them and find out. You won’t regret it, trust me.
Everything by @captainkirkk. So far eight stellar fics, starting with kind Fire Lord Zuko and ranging to Floating Tea Shop!Zuko who doesn’t want to hunt the Avatar. I love her style and have laughed out loud at multiple of these.
Gen Zuko fic
Bringing Out the Blue by maguena1. [unfinished, long] Definitely worth the read. The first ATLA fic I ever got really sucked into. The Blue Spirit never gets knocked out so Aang doesn’t know his true identity; he joins the Gaang on a recurring basis, while Zuko attempts to tell himself this is only for information on how to catch them, they definitely aren’t his friends.
It’s Impossible by Sandra Phillips. [abandoned, long] One of the earliest Avatar!Zuko fics (sort of) and a really interesting take on some spirit stuff.
Embers by Vathara. [complete, long] A landmark fic in the fandom, and for good reason. I didn’t love everything about this fic, but it is very well-written and an absorbing read certainly worth the praise.
the art of description by incandescens. [oneshot, short] Five descriptions of Zuko and Toph’s field trip from various perspectives. Short, sweet, and funny.
Breaking Point by Kryal. [oneshot, short] Zuko isn’t banished but instead sent to serve in the Home Guard. I love Zuko loving his people, and alternate canon explorations, and this is exactly that.
The Alternative by Lunatique. [oneshot, short] The reason Zuko is so determined is because he fears what will happen if he isn’t the next Fire Lord. An idea I support in canon, to a degree, written well.
Hands and Knees by gigerisgod. [oneshot, short] Zuko reflects on the choices he’s made, and experiences he’s had, when joining the Gaang. A nice introspective fic.
Relative Misery by peroxidepest17. [oneshot, short] Toph complains about her family and Zuko takes her on a field trip. Not a fic I take too seriously, but funny in a sad way.
Second Nature by lazyartisan. [possibly abandoned, long] An AU stemming from Zuko’s capture at the North Pole. Well-written and characterized, an old favorite that I actually find needing to reread to give you more detail, but I can promise it’s good.
Year One by peroxidepest17. [oneshot, short] Lessons Zuko learns in his first year being Fire Lord. I really like explorations of Zuko’s journey as Fire Lord and this is a lovely little window into that.
Soft by PenPistola. [oneshot, short] Zuko and Toph bonding after the Ember Island Players. Short and sweet.
The New Phoenix King by JoeMerl. [oneshot, short] Fire Lord Zuko is overthrown, and no one but him is bothered at all. In fact they help. Hilarious crack.
First Name Basis by JoeMerl. [oneshot, short] There’s some popular posts going around Tumblr lately about Zuko not knowing the Gaang’s names, but this fic did it first back in 2008. As amusing as you’d expect.
Male Bonding by glamaphonic. [oneshot, short] The original ‘Zuko and Sokka bond and are also dumb idiot boys’ fic. Katara is permanently rolling her eyes.
it’s not the waking, it’s the rising by isamagicdragon, thegracious [ongoing, series, medium] Azulon tells Ozai to kill Azula instead of Zuko, which leads to heartwrenching fire sibs adventure. I haven’t caught up on the last chapter yet but god is it fantastic and also just a really interesting and new perspective on what could have happened.
Doe-Eyed by Anonymous. [complete, medium] Zuko is a baby, Azula is a loving big sister. More fire sibs and a great exploration on Azula’s POV of turning against Ozai.
kintsugi by discordiansamba. [ongoing, series, long] Zuko doesn’t have Iroh after being banished, and winds up hired as a guard to protect the frail Beifong daughter. Fantastic preseries Zuko+Toph found family fic.
Legacies by WildInkling. [ongoing, medium] Far in the future, a historian studies the journal of Fire Lord Zuko. Also, he was secretly a famous author but no one knows. A funny and poignant outsider POV.
#UndercoverZuko series by naggeluide. [complete, series, short] A completely cracky concept written straight enough to be actually quite touching in parts, but also just really funny. Zuko goes Undercover Boss on his ship pre-series.
Avatar Ficlets by JaggedCliffs. [series, oneshots, short] An ongoing series of disconnected oneshots, mostly post-canon and mostly Zuko-centric. Some a pretty fun, one is a great view on Zuko and lightningbending, all worth the read (and follow for when more come out).
The Blind Leading the Blue by BrusselsSprout. [ongoing, medium] An epic Zuko and Toph field trip set in S2. I love them and this.
half in the shadows, half burned in flames by r_astra. [oneshot, short] Iroh dies, Zuko gets caught on the Day of Black Sun, everything ends up all right but damn does it hurt getting there.
A Tale of Earth and Fire by chiiyo86. [complete, medium] Zuko and Toph are married for Politics in a FN Wins AU, and follows them slowly bonding as friends to beginning a revolution. They’re married but it’s not romantic, just some good friendship.
Eight Principles of Yong by psocoptera. [oneshot, short] An exploration of immediate post-show FN politics (sort of), calligraphy, and Zuko. Also has some lovely non-fighting firebending; I always love when people explore other uses of bending.
Healing Properties of Cinder Sage by Dawen. [oneshot, short] Zuko gets very sick in the Western Air Temple. Some good interaction when he’s new to the Gaang, and Toph+Zuko friendship.
We Ourselves Must Walk The Path by WinterSky101. [complete, medium] The Gaang agrees to make Zuko their prisoner in the WAT. Speaking of new-to-the-Gaang, tension, this fic has plenty of it, and also features some good Toph and Zuko.
Frozen by Aris Merquoni. [oneshot, medium] Zuko is captured in the NWT. Some politics, lots of angst, and eventually, healing. Also actually makes me somewhat like Hahn? Incredibly enough.
Reluctant Hero by PAW_07. [ongoing, long] Avatar!Zuko fic. I got to beta it way back when for a little while before I got too busy, and have always been a huge fan of this fic. Great concept, one of the best executions of it I’ve seen, and also one of the first. Definitely read this.
Morality Chain by Pureauthor. [abandoned, long] Azula and Zuko were always on each other’s side; how this changes canon. I love this concept and would happily read a lot more fics with it (please guys, I need more fire sibs).
A viper-lizard’s tales series by Yumi_Take. [ongoing, long] The world needs more of Zuko adopting pets and small children, and those are just facts. This only has one of the two, but it’s a EK baby! Jet plays a big role in this fic as well, a weird kind of uncle-ish to the baby/friend/murderer Zuko needs to watch closely and hold back kind of thing.
(life happens) wherever you are by howlikeagod. [ongoing, long] Katara doesn’t find Zuko and Iroh in the teashop, and canon takes a sharp left turn. Excellent Gaang fic.
The Best Path series by EudociaCovert. [series, ongoing, long] Zuko meets Jet in ‘Zuko Alone’ and winds up getting claimed as theirs by the remaining Freedom Fighters. Really really well-written, I got quite emotional over some scenes.
Shippy Zuko fic
Balm by Thyme In Her Eyes. [Maiko, oneshot, short] A sweet little fic about Mai’s thoughts on Zuko’s lightning scar.
The Black Games by Mrs. Pettyfer. [Zutara, complete, long] Hunger Games-esque AU. It’s the first in a series, and I lost interest after this one but I remember enjoying the fic and it was more personal preference rather than a drop in quality that had me leaving.
Lie To Me by Inkcharm. [Toko, oneshot, short] I’m not actually a fan of this pairing romatically (at least until years down the line), but this little fic of Toph and Zuko bonding through lying to one another is sweet. I choose to ignore the more shippy parts and enjoyed it.
Zutara? What the heck is that? by Ryxl. [Zutara, oneshot, short] Complete crack, have a good sense of humor and I think you will enjoy. Just the mental image of the Gaang finding a Zutara propaganda flyer had me chuckling.
The Three Chores series (1, 2, 3) by Fandomme. [Zutara, threeshot, short] Zuko and Katara slowly bond as he helps with chores. I will admit it’s been years and I barely remember this, but what I do recall is lovely and I always appreciate people lightening Katara’s load.
read the inscription by suzukiblu. [Zuko/Song, complete, series, medium] When Zuko is banished, he is left alone in the Earth Kingdom to fend for himself. Very touching, and I love Song in this.
Hooked by TGP. [Jetko, complete, long] A classic ‘Jet didn’t see Iroh warming his tea’ fic. They’re almost all this premise but so many well-written and very long ones.
Something To Hold Onto by Wildgoosery. [Jetko, complete, long] The EK fell and Li stayed to fight with the Freedom Fighters to protect the city during its foreign rule. Jet didn’t see the tea fic that goes very AU from canon.
Foxfire by Rahar_Moonfire. [Jetko, ongoing, long] Zuko loses his memories Jetko fic, but with heavy spirit influence and lovable EK OCs, both of which I adore and should be in far more fics.
Once Upon A Teashop by anaer. [Zukka, Jetko, ongoing, long] Cracky Ba Sing Se AU that gets gradually more and more serious. Jet hits on Zuko a lot and Sokka gets a job in the teashop to keep an eye on both of them. Endgame Zukka but heavy Jetko, and both pairings are handled pretty well, not a love triangle that makes me too mad, although as always bear in mind Jet’s messed up.
Names by TGP. [Jetko, complete, long] I feel like I’m forgetting some more excellent Amnesia!Zuko fics, but this is one I do know of. To be honest I don’t remember it super well because it may be mixed up with other Jetko/amnesia fics in my mind, but I think it was really good. I’ll have to reread myself.
Epistles by Lady_of_the_Flowers. [Zukka, ongoing, long] I love epistolary fic and I love Zuko and Sokka bonding earlier in canon. I will be honest I haven’t read this in a long time and been updating all the while, but the premise alone (Zuko and Sokka become messenger-hawk-pals in S1 and then fall in love) is fantastic.
Ozymandias, King of Kings by Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought. [Zukka, ongoing, long] Zuko rebels earlier and actually is sent to the mines, until he is ‘rescued’ by the Water Tribe. Dark but getting lighter over time, and more reluctant-to-rule Zuko which always wrenches my heartstrings. I prefer super loyal and dutiful to his people Zuko but this trope always makes me feel things.
Crossovers
Fallen Drops of Fire by Chasmfiend. [Fullmetal Alchemist, ongoing] Young Azula and Zuko somehow appear in Amestris, and encounter Roy Mustang. I adore the fire sibs, and their relationship in this strange situation is the star of this fic for me, but it’s also fun seeing the FMA perspective of these two.
The Dragon-King’s Temple by Kryal. [Stargate SG-1, long, complete] The best crossover fic out there. Zuko and Toph get stranded on the other side of a Stargate. I don’t know anything about SG-1 but it didn’t matter, the fic was fantastic, they were badasses, it explored language and culture from an outside perspective, and it was just a ton of fun. Must-read.
Other character fic
Loyalty by Julia451. [oneshot, short] The ship captain didn’t misspeak when he called Iroh and Zuko “prisoners” in the start of S2. A lovely look at a nameless character, giving depth to a small moment and humanity to a FN soldier which I always love.
The Only One by HarlowR. [oneshot, short] An excellent exploration of Azula’s mindset regarding Zuko, her desperate need to be loved and jealousy of him matching his own. I think Azula was one of the greatest tragedies of the show, and this fic makes me feel it.
Blood by theAsh0. [oneshot, short] Katara-centric thinkpiece on bloodbending and healing. Dark but really interesting.
Touch and Go by Cadence. [oneshot, short] After Iroh’s struck by lightning, Toph doesn’t let Zuko drive them all away. A momentary alliance and the seeds of friendship. More Toph-focused but still heavy on the whole Gaang.
Shortcomings by Menamebephil. [oneshot, short] Iroh thoughts during his imprisonment, on the theme of mistakes. I love this man and don’t understand why I am so drawn to fic about him that makes me sad.
Watch And Review, Please by Becca Stareyes. [oneshot, short] The Ember Island Players receive some constructive criticism... sort of. Funny and quick.
Azula Redemption Trilogy (1, 2, 3) by Mistress of Sarcasm. [threeshot, short] Second person and deeply introspective, three short little fics delving into Azula’s head and bringing her closer to redemption.
Echoing Refrains by catie_writes_things. [oneshot, short] I really like nuanced explorations of the whole FN royal family. It’s perfectly fine to write Ozai as pure evil bastard, but exploring what might have been or how he got there, or even as in this fic his talent for music being inherited by Zuko is really interesting too. Iroh-centric.
our curse by ohmygodwhy, and the last dragon by thesometimeswarrior. [twoshot, complete, short] Stay away if you don’t like to cry. In the first Zuko learns Ozai is executing Iroh, and isn’t able to stop it; the second is even worse because it’s Iroh’s POV. I put this in the other characters section because honestly I adore the second fic even more than the first, but they are both fantastically written and will hurt you a very great deal.
Finally, I’m not quite bold enough to put my own fic on a reclist, but just shameless enough to mention I’ve written a few Avatar fics I quite like if anyone feels the desire to check them out on my AO3. ;) But seriously give love to all the rest of these, they deserve it. (And as I said, there’s lots more excellent stuff, this fandom is so prolific and well-written!)
#atla#atla fic#fic rec#reclist#replies#anonymous#i'm haunted by the feeling i've forgotten a lot of stuff#but honestly i need to stop this is huge already#enjoy anon#Anonymous
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Firebenders
Anonymous asked:
Prompt for Sokka with 66 and 24? I'm rewatching ATLA probably for the 100th time already and I'm still burning for him ❤😅
(Also: would it be possible to make the reader a firebender? I just like the thought of being an outcast firebender tbh😂)
66. “Can we stop for a second? I think I’m going to pass out.”
24. “Would it help if I stayed with you?”
heck yeah i love this idea- THANKS FOR THE REQUEST!!
also no worries!! i lOVE SOKKA WITH MY WHOLE HEART AND NOBODY CAN CHANGE THAT <33
sorry this took a couple days asdfkljsd i had zero ideas for this rq BUT I GOT IT
Pairing: Sokka x Reader
Warnings: feeling faint & panicked :)
Word count: 700
Summary: Y/N had a small run in with firebenders, and she's worried about whether or not they spotted her. but no worries, Sokka's here to protect his baby hehe
What were they doing here?
Three firebenders, looking like they were from the fire nation army, were training at a pond. Y/N had gone there to find some fish, but that was now out of the question. She couldn't risk getting spotted. She tried backing away, as quietly as she could, but she ruined it with a wrong step. A tree branch cracked under her foot, and the firebenders' heads whipped around, searching for the source of the sound. Shoot.
She froze as they scanned the area, looking for her, and she felt a bit more relaxed when they shrugged it off. While they kept practicing, she ran off, trying to get as far away as possible.
She looked behind her, making sure they hadn't heard her, and since she wasn't looking where she was going, she ran into something. She grunted at the impact and looked up at see Sokka grinning down at her.
"Hey, Y/N! Where are you going in such a hurry?" She opened her mouth to respond, but she closed it again. She didn't have to worry him, right? It... was probably nothing.
"Train with me?" Sokka pulled out his sword with a smile. She gave him a half-hearted nod before getting into the firebending position. "Ready?" he asked, before striking with his sword. She barely dodged it, and in return, she tried to give him a face full of fire, but she missed. By a lot.
"Come on, you can do better than that," Sokka teased. She rolled her eyes, but her mind was somewhere else. Should she tell him? What were they doing here? Were they following her and her friends? Had they spotted her?
She knew that if they did see her, they were going to go looking for her. And if they did go looking for her... Her head spun just thinking about the flames and the burns from the past.
“Sokka, can- can we stop for a second? I think I’m going to pass out,” she whimpered. Sokka immediately dropped his sword and rushed to her side, trying to support her as she sank into the ground.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” His concern was written all over his face; his blue eyes scanning all over Y/N, trying to find the reason she was feeling faint.
"I..." She was quickly running out of breath, feeling lightheaded from the effort to breathe. She closed her eyes, because everything was toppling to the side.
"Would it help if I stayed with you? Or, do you want me to go get help?" his voice said. She heard him kneel down next to her.
"St- stay. Please," she muttered. The worst thing that could happen would be for Sokka to run into the firebenders and get hurt.
Wait. Someone was talking in the distance; someone whose voice she vaguely recognized. She was sure it was a firebender.
Whimpering in fear, she got up and tried to run away but her legs gave out. She frantically pushed herself away from the situation, sitting down and using her legs and arms to move away. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind and she screamed.
"Hey, it’s okay. You're safe. It's me, Sokka." She sighed in relief. Thank goodness.
"Oh..." he said. Oh? He cursed. "Sorry, can you fight?" He glaced at her, looking worried.
"Y- yeah. I should be fine. Why-" She opened her eyes to see the three firebenders. She looked at them, and she realized she knew who they were. They had worked with her, when she still worked for the fire nation.
"Hmm. Thought I saw you earlier. I see you're working with the Avatar's crew. I expected better of you, Y/N." one of the girls said. Sokka's grasp on Y/N's hand tightened.
"For your information, we kinda... forced her to join. She's one of a kind, and we need her. So if you'll excuse us, we have some fire-nation butt to kick."
That's exactly what they did. Even with Y/N's poor condition, they were still able to defeat the three warriors, using flame and sword. As soon as they retreated, Y/N crumpled to the ground, partically from relief, but Sokka caught her.
"You okay?"
"Yeah... I'm good. Thanks Sokka."
WKISJDIEIWIDJ OKAY NOT SUPER PROUD OF THIS ONE BUT MY BRAIN IS DJJFJIRI
Atla taglist (send an ask to get added hehe)
@urmomoness @zuko-is-the-sun @busyforkuvira @appa-gaangnam-style @xxspqcebunsxx @akiris @welovediaaxx @ray-ofmoonlight @sokkaandzukosimp @u-4iia @sunnimochix
#atla#atla x y/n#atla x you#sokka#atla imagine#sokka x reader#sokka x you#sokka x yn#sokka x y/n#atla x reader#sokka imagine
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hi i saw ur requests were open and i would love if u could do a sokka x reader :) where reader is really shy and he likes to tease her and flirt with her to see her all flustered but she denies him actually liking her bc she thinks it’s just his personality to be funny like that. but then there’s the classic oh no there’s only one bed thing? thank you!
Ooooh I loved writing this! Tropes? Love them. Fluff? So fun, so sweet. I hope you enjoy, anon, and have a very happy holiday! <3
Teasing
Sokka x shy!Reader
It was a well-known fact that Sokka was a tease.
Now, he wasn’t a tease in the common sense, more that he took some joy in being a so-called comedian. Y/N seemed to be the person in their gang that got the brunt of his teasing. Every time he came up with some sarcastic quip, she would laugh along with everyone else – though most of the time she was the only one who found him funny – but then there were the other times.
She had been sparring with Zuko, who was surprisingly adept with swords for a bender, when Sokka had come by whistling with faux innocence. As he took a seat on the floor, his eyes were trained on the fight. Feeling his blue-eyed gaze boring into her, she felt her entire body flush. Steadying her breathing, Y/N pushed down the flustered flutter bats inhabiting her stomach. A frustrated cry escaped her lips as she pinned Zuko’s blades to the floor with her own.
“Sokka,” She breathed out, hating how hot she felt. “Sokka, w-what are you doing?”
He grinned. “Just enjoying the view. You know, I always thought red was Zuko’s colour, but you are boasting a lovely shade today.”
Absently, Y/N put a palm to her face, only becoming more flustered as she realised her skin had in fact became darker. As the blood rushed faster through her body, she looked desperately at Zuko for some reprieve.
“Sokka, are you here for any reason other than being a complete clown?” Zuko said, sighing in pure exasperation even as Y/N had him pinned.
The boy ignored him completely. “Has anyone ever told just how adorable you are? Because you really are.”
“Sokka,” Zuko said again, his voice less patient. “Go away before we make you.”
“Alright, alright,” He tutted, hands in the air as if in surrender. “I’ll leave you two to your dance lessons. Call me if you fall; I’ll come and catch you.”
Waiting for him to be out of earshot, Y/N groaned, dropping her sword and freeing Zuko. Her entire face was on fire. Sure, it was a metaphor, a hyperbolic one at that, but if Zuko decided to shove his ignited palm in her face, it would not manage to be as hot as she was feeling now. It might be slightly less sweaty. Ew.
Lowering herself to the ground, she sat, stretching out her aching limbs, pouring water over her roasting head. Y/N, needless to say, was mortified by Sokka’s teasing, but when was she not? She was somewhat shyer than her female friends; Katara had this maternal instinct about her that kicked into overdrive as soon as someone seemed needy. It was honestly scarier than the Avatar State. Toph was just... Toph. The girl was at least four years younger than Y/N and utterly terrifying, approaching people and situations with no fear. Then there was Suki. Suki had a knack of getting people to like her, being the loveable, charismatic leader, she was.
And that left Y/N.
Y/N struggled being heard in many a conversation. Ask her to take a compliment? No. No. Not happening. No thank you. Her shy demeanour was labelled cute by a few different people, though they all seemed to be joking – especially Sokka.
“Do you want me to sort him out for you?”
Y/N looked up, meeting Zuko’s very serious gaze for just a moment before staring at the ground. “No, it’s okay. He’s like that with everyone.”
“What?” Zuko frowned, slumping to the ground too. “What are you on about? He doesn’t flirt with everyone!”
“That wasn’t flirting!” She insisted, feeling that bashful flush creeping in again.
“He was just teasing, like he does with everyone!”
Zuko’s lips quirked. “He called you adorable.”
“Yesterday, he called Momo adorable.”
“He said you flushed was your colour.”
“And he said that red was yours, sunshine.”
“Oh, Y/N, I’ll catch you if you fall!”
Y/N stammered. “He could have been talking to either of us!”
There was some silence between them. Y/N didn’t usually mind sitting in silence with Zuko, who was just as awkward as her most of the time. However, the wide, toothy grin like a catgator’s was highly disconcerting.
“Zuko, I don’t know what you’re seeing, but he wasn’t flirting,” Y/N said finally, quietly commanding. “He’s just messing around like he usually does.”
The prince sighed, suppressing his mischievous grin. Raising his swords, the pair charged each other again.
✦
In the midst of a war, there wasn’t much space for fun. With the constant movement between the Western Air Temple and many significant locations to build their defences after the Day of Black Sun, Y/N found she hardly had time for anything other than training and strategizing. Sure, she may be considered meek when compared to her peers, but her mind was sharper than her blade.
After watching Aang master firebending, Sokka masterminding a prison break, and Katara nearly murdering a man – all with Zuko’s help – she had some whiplash. She might even say that she had been somewhat blindsided by them, but she didn’t particularly mind. It was when they moved onto Ember Island, however, that Y/N found there to be an issue. In all the excitement, or terror, of being separated from Haru and the others, and possibly murdering Sparky Sparky Boom Man, the gang ended up hiding out on Ember Island.
Spirits, did Y/N love the sunshine. The sand? Not so much, nor the swimsuits. Nevertheless, she much preferred it to Aang’s beloved ancestral temple.
“Okay,” Zuko said as they all collected together in the house, “So there’s a bit of an issue.”
“Fire Nation?” Katara asked, eyes narrowing.
“Worse,” Zuko said, voice grave. “There are seven of us, and only six beds.”
The teenagers all looked between each other with varying looks of embarrassment and disgust. It was Toph who spoke first.
“Well, I for one do not want to share a room,” She scoffed, stomping her foot – a reminder of her power. “I can already hear all of you when we sleep on the ground. I am not missing out on my chance for a quiet night of sleep.”
“That seems fair,” Zuko hummed as he pulled a hat off of a dresser. “Everyone else, unless they have some reason why not, will put their name in here.”
Sokka whined, pointing his finger at the heir of the Fire Nation. “Fine! But they should get the biggest bedroom.”
Y/N swore Zuko smirked. “Done.”
Sat on the floor watching him write names, the group waited anxiously to see who would be sharing a room at least for that night. Mixing up bits of paper, he seemed to be building up some bravado, akin to a showman about to pull a jackalope out of a hat.
“Sokka.”
The boy cursed under his breath as Zuko continued on with his little show, the piece of paper disintegrating as easily as a leaf floating in a breeze.
“And Y/N!”
She met Zuko’s eye, entire body hot, sending a psychic message along the lines of sprits, no, Zuko, no, please, Zuko, don’t do this.
Despite the fact that Y/N knew Sokka was only joking with his teasing, somewhere along the line she had ended up falling for it – for him. It was sudden and violent, the way a meteor crashed through the atmosphere, roaring, brilliant, and completely obliterating anything in its path. Currently, Y/N was that metaphorical meteorite, burning up and crashing into the earth.
Since Zuko apparently couldn’t read minds, she chanced a glance at Sokka. She expected some sort of joke, a quip, anything. Instead, he was deadly silent, stony in his face, staring too at Zuko. Was he blushing, or was she making it up in her head? This question soon slipped from her brain as she those baby blue eyes were staring straight at her.
Tui and La, Agni, spirits above; he hated her.
“Cool!” She said, though it came out more like a squeak. “I’ll see you tonight, I guess.”
“Y/N, we have the entire day before- “
She cut Suki off. “Yep, busy today! Busy, busy, busy. Plenty of strategic planning to do before the big day!”
And she was gone. Even Aang, renowned creator of the air scooter, had never seen a person move so fast, and Y/N wasn’t even a bender. In her haste, she didn’t catch the sly looks, nor the disapproving one courtesy of Katara. She definitely didn’t catch the shy grin on Sokka’s face, muddled with complete embarrassment. Getting as far away from the house as possible was her current goal, and she achieved it with insane speed – and longevity.
For an entire day, Y/N managed to see none of her friends, excluding Appa and Momo. Her animal friends seemed very concerned and very interested in her noughts and crosses diagrams in the black volcanic sand of Ember Island.
It was only when Yue began to rise above the horizon that she thought it would be safe to come out. With what felt like a walk of shame, she trekked back to the beach house, a sleeping Momo cradled in her arms like a baby. Even Appa, who had been occupied with all sorts of made-up games throughout the day, was beginning to sway, eyes drooping, weighed down by sleep. Settling them down in the warm sand, Y/N climbed the wooden stairs.
Being quiet used to get her everywhere unseen; it didn’t work that night.
Wordless, her friends’ good night wishes falling on deaf ears, she entered the biggest bedroom, alone. Falling face first onto the bed, she muffled a frustrated scream into one of the too many decadent pillows adorning it. Heaving herself onto her back, Y/N groaned dramatically with the effort it took. This bed was so soft. She tried to think of a more comfy, luxurious bed she had ever been on – and failed. The four-poster frame was casting odd shadows across the dark room. It felt especially lonely.
She felt especially lonely.
Sitting up, a low rumble filled the silence. Her stomach was apparently rather unhappy with the distinct lack of food during the day. Y/N had forgotten about that. She weighed up the options; go out and face embarrassment, or skip dinner for the first time in her life. Fortunately, she needn’t think long.
“So, everyone’s going to bed, and I remembered you hadn’t eaten.”
Sokka.
Of course.
“Oh,” Was all she could manage, mentally kicking herself for her utter lack of articulation. “Th-thanks, Sokka.”
Flicking on the light, the shadows no longer seemed odd, nor did the room feel lonely. There, in the doorway, stood Sokka. He was pretty – something that always took Y/N by surprise even though she saw him every day. Sure, he hadn’t grown into his gangly limbs yet, but he was getting there. His shoulders had gotten broader, his arms larger from training. She couldn’t help but imagine how comfy he’d be to lie against, how warm his hold would be.
“I brought snacks?”
Opening her mouth only to close it again, Y/N felt like a fish thrown mercilessly out of water. Instead, she managed a timid pat on the bed. He was slow to react, slower to move, and she only felt more inadequate. Whatever Zuko thought he saw at the temple was wrong.
“Wow, this bed is soft,” Sokka gasped, bouncing lightly on it like a small child. “It’s like sitting on a cloud!”
Y/N couldn’t stop the giggle that passed her lips as she took a slice of fruit from the platter he had brought in. For the briefest moment, infinitesimally small, Sokka ceased with his childish antics and just looked. Brightening, he seemed to thrive – delight – in her laughter, continuing to goof about with the numerous pillows and posh looking decor.
“Whoa.”
Y/N looked up at him from her laughing, stomach aching with joy. “What?”
“I didn’t know you could get prettier,” He said, brows furrowed, eyes sparkling.
She turned mute in an instant, feeling that all too familiar flush again, only this time it was close – more intense. Silent, she took another piece of fruit, eating it in moments, anything to give her time. “You’re teasing me again, aren’t you?”
He frowned. “What? No. I’m not- “
“It’s okay if you are!” Y/N insisted, her smile plastered on and her heart aching. “I know you joke about with us all, and it’s just how you are. It’s not a bad thing, and I know you’re just joking and- “
“Y/N,” Sokka said, almost incredulous. “I’m not joking. I have never joked about that kind of thing with you.”
She stopped dead. “What?”
It wasn’t a question – well, not to Sokka at least. That one word was her address to the universe. It was astonishment, frustration, incredulity, sheer joy, so many emotions all wrapped into one simple word. The moments that passed between that word and their locked gaze spoke a thousand more words, sang a hundred more emotions.
“You didn’t know?”
Her head was empty. “Prettier?”
“That’s what I said, isn’t it?” Sokka chuckled weakly, moving the platter to the side.
“Prettier,” Y/N repeated slowly, looking up at him, “As in I was already pretty?”
“Erm, yes?”
“You think I’m pretty?”
“Tui and La, yes.”
Oh.
“Okay,” She said, testing the waters, “And you like it when I blush?”
“Yeah, you look cute,” He admitted, sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Looking down, bashful, she recalled training with Zuko. “The word you used was adorable.”
No words came in response to that, only a gentle hand on her cheek. Guiding her face up, Sokka looked at her and saw her. Y/N could see him reaching for words that danced in his mind and away from his grasp, so many more pretty, teasing words he could say. But he wasn’t teasing, not really. He certainly wasn’t when he pressed his lips to hers. It was sweet and easy to melt into; she didn’t need to be shy, not with him.
They shared more sweet kisses, laughing under the moonlight in that fancy bed they got to share. Fruit, a bed, kisses; they shared them all, drifting into an easy sleep as the moon began to slip away into daylight. Basking in the prospect of a lazy morning, they made the most of it.
They weren’t even mad when they found out Zuko rigged the entire thing.
#atla#fic request#anon request#sokka x reader#sokka x shy!reader#the beach#sokka#platonic zuko x reader#fluff#aang#katara#toph#suki#oneshot#missturtleduck
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fic writer review
tagged by @chitsangenthusiast thank u kath <33
1. how many works do you have on ao3?
23! which is. so crazy to me?? no way i’ve written that many stories lmao
2. what’s your total ao3 word count?
144,536 (also like half of that is from this past year alone LMAO??)
3. how many fandoms have you written for and what are they?
only 3: atla, daughter of smoke and bone, and leviathan. and since 2015 ive only written for atla lol
4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?
fumbling towards ecstasy
love language
sunday morning
the kind of love (i’ve been dreaming of)
before the storm
5. do you respond to comments, why or why not?
i try to!! i’ve def been slacking recently, and i generally only respond to comments on a new fic for a certain amt of time after it’s been posted. but i like to do it bc i LOVE when fic authors respond to my comments, so i just want to return the favour to other ppl who might feel the same way! :)
6. what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
LMAO i was about to say none and then i remembered as we fade in the dark, which i wrote years and years ago so i just forgot it existed hfhsjs
7. do you write crossovers? if so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?
nah, not a fan of em
8. have you ever received hate on a fic?
omg YES i got THE funniest comment on victory lap where this person was just SO MAD that sokka was a dick to zuko abt figure skating, calling him toxic and shit akwhdjwhs like i swear they just completely missed the entire point of the fic it was so funny
9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?
FUCK yeah i do baby. idk if i would say i specifically write a certain kind of smut but i am very fond of writing established relationship sex where they’re just very comfortable w each other and already know each other really well. which is funny bc my most popular fic is a first time sex fic but oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
10. have you ever had a fic stolen?
as far as im aware no
11. have you ever had a fic translated?
nope! i did have fumbling towards ecstasy podficced tho if that’s anything?
12. have you ever co-written a fic before?
yes, once, and tbh i don’t think i’d ever do it again djhsjshs it’s just not rlly my jam
13. what’s your all-time fave ship?
i rlly don’t think it’s that hard to guess LMAO
14. what’s a fic you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
ughh i hesitate to say lover come back bc i am still dead set on finishing it one day but i just haven’t made any real progress on it in so long and just arrfgghhdh it haunts me. i have so much of it written already and i don’t want it all to just go to waste :(
15. what are your writing strengths?
i’d say…dialogue and having my writing feel very physically grounded in the moment. personally, i don’t like to spend a lot of time in that sort of abstract, reflective headspace—i prefer to focus on specific, concrete moments and interactions. i try to bring attention to the sensory side of things to make it feel more tangible
16. what are your writing weaknesses?
both over- and under-editing lol. sometimes i’ll rework a line or passage too much when it was much better off the way i’d originally written it. and sometimes i’m so intent on just getting things done and posting that i don’t spend much time editing at all
17. what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages on a fic?
personally i would never do it myself, and i’m not a huuge fan of it in other fics either. there is one rlly old makorra fic that i love tho that does it and i think it works incredibly well in the specific context that it’s in
18. what was the first fandom you ever wrote for?
leviathan! those books were my first introduction into any kind of fandom stuff, they still hold a special place in my heart
19. what is your favorite fic ever written?
my favourite fic that I’VE ever written is probably victory lap, closely followed by love language. i’m still incredibly proud of both of them, but victory lap wins out in that it was such a huge, daunting project that i never expected to actually complete—and then i smashed out 26k words of the most self-indulgent au i’ve ever written in a little over two weeks and i was like. holy fucking shit. i can’t believe i did that JFHSJSH
also i’m very happy with the way i managed to execute all the stuff about sokka’s feelings and motivations and the struggles of being an athlete. it was just such a fun and fulfilling way to combine two of my biggest interests ^_^
now if we’re talking abt my favourite fic that someone else has written….shit. pls don’t ask me that, i can’t choose >_< i have a favourites tag in my bookmarks for a reason
tagging: @dameferre @goldrushzukka @ofherlionheart @foyal @lesbianvampireboyfriend @quenchyest @zukkababey @badgerfrogzukka
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tagged by @leonzhng thanks for making me dig through my most embarrassing crushes 😭✋
i’ll tag @highwarlockkareena @yibobibo @lan-xichens @purplexedhuman @aheartfullofjolllly @lanzhansmiles @nyx4 i feel like i tag you guys in everything i am so sorry please ignore this if u don’t wanna do it !!
putting this under a read more for reasons
MEN 2010 – 2016
literally nothing more embarrassing than falling on the same type of white man over and over again (with the exception of minho from shinee bless his heart)
tommy joe ratliff → he was the bass player for adam lambert during his glamnation era (think of songs like for your entertainment and if i had you) idk why exactly i liked him so much but i just did.... however i searched him up again quite recently and found out he’s one of those republicans that says the dumbest shit on twitter so Big Yikes
harry styles → “baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, and when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell...” and BOOM 13-year-old me was sold for well over two years
louis tomlinson → basically i liked harry most until around 2013 when for some reason i started to like him a little less, and i got more focused on louis tomlinson, and although i didn’t like one direction anymore louis tomlinson always had a special place in my heart
ashton irwin → so ashton is 5sos’ drummer, i discovered 5sos through one direction & i stanned them until late 2014
harries twins → the harries twins (jack & finn) are basically the reason i started spending a lot of time on youtube, they were funny and pretty and they just had good videos in general, so for almost two years i’d watch their content regularly
choi minho → my first steps into kpop happened bc i was watching videos on youtube (most probably the harries twins) and suddenly i saw the sherlock mv in my recommended videos so i clicked on it and then 14-year-old me proceeded to fall for minho like an idiot
brooks twins → still youtubers, the brooks twins were 3/5 of the janoskians (jai & luke brooks, beau brooks, daniel sahyounie, & james yammouni), an australian youtube comedy group that was active from 2011-2018 though i was only around from 2012-2014 (when jai brooks was dating ariana grande)
jc caylen → surprise! another youtuber! jc caylen was part of o2l (our2ndlife) a youtube collaboration channel on which each of the 6 members posted videos on a certain day in the week (mondays with connor, tuesdays with ricky, wednesdays with sam, thursdays with jc, fridays with trevi (my 2nd favorite member bc she participated on the x factor), saturdays with ricardo, and then they had surprise sundays every week) and i remember how much joy jc & the others always brought me with their silly videos
misha collins → up next, you might know him as the gay angel that was sent to superhell after confessing his love to the homophobic hunter on supernatural, it’s misha collins! basically misha was a huge source of comfort for me, and i even went around calling myself emmisha for almost two full years (cringe)
henrik holm → he played even bech naesheim in skam and my crush on him reached that level of ridiculousness where i actually tried my hand at learning norwegian (i can only remember how to introduce myself and some curse words i would make a great first impression on him)
MEN 2016 – 2021
min yoongi → okay so my baby steps into kpop happened through shinee’s sherlock, but i only got really invested when yoongi dropped agust d 1 because Holy Fuck y’know??
kim namjoon → oh man i remember thinking namjoon was cute and a very good leader and then BAM he dressed like THAT at the 2016 mma’s and i fell in love. hard
park seojoon → i started liking park seojoon whilst i was watching hwarang (you guessed it, i watched it bc of taehyung), although he wasn’t my favorite character by far, but he was very silly off camera & i liked that (i’m not that into him anymore tho </3)
kim seokjin → OH BOY LET ME TELL U i liked seokjin from the very beginning (i got to know bts in late 2014) and i always liked seeing him perform and be himself and god once i realized i had a crush on him it just hit me like a mf truck, and he’s still one of my favorite people to this day
jung hoseok → god fake love era hoseok really hits different.... also yes i know i have all of bts’ hyung line on my list BUT bts was a really big part of my life for almost 6 years soooo honestly they deserve it i still think they’re great guys
choi san → when ateez made their debut in 2018 i immediately fell in love with san, he was such an amazing dancer and he captivated me right from the very beginning, to this day he’s still my bias in ateez uwu
xiao zhan → AND THEN, OCTOBER OF 2019 HAPPENS AND I WATCH CQL AND... i fall in love with xiao zhan, something i’d never expected would happen bc when i watched cql for the first time i wasn’t as invested in the story, but i really really really liked xiao zhan and one thing led to another and now here i am as a xfx
wang yibo → the thing is, i’ve known yibo since eoeo except i didn’t know cql yibo was uniq yibo (bc i’d forgotten his name) and when i looked it up i can tell you my jaw dropped to the floor bc holy shit????? also he is very silly and i love him loads ok
lee minho → ah, the man who has been my skz bias since 2018, not only is minho my bias i also kin him (there’s a lot of aspects of myself that i see in minho and vice versa) and he’s very comforting to me
bang chan → honestly, it was only a matter of time before i’d fall for bang chan, i knew the moment i got into skz again that i’d start biasing him and, well, here i am, double biasing chan & minho
WOMEN
this list is shorter bc i’ve in general always had less crushes on women than on men??? blame society forcing me into thinking i was straight for a LONG time
ariana grande → remember the 2011 layout of twitter?? where u could not only have an icon and a header, but also a background and ur twitter page was smack in the center of ur screen with the big ugly menu bar at the top??? yeah ariana grande was always my background for my l*rr* st*l*n*s*n layouts
perrie edwards → this was right around the time she was dating zayn & little mix was breaking out into the spotlight, yeah i just really loved her
andrea russett → okay so remember o2l?? andrea russett was kian’s girlfriend for a pretty long time and they always did videos together and i always thought she was super pretty
lily collins → maybe i don’t like clary in tmi all that much but i sure liked the way lily collins looked
alona tal → MY BISEXUAL AWAKENING, it’s only when i saw alona tal in spn that i realized, fuck i might be gay
park jihyo → i discovered twice (my 2nd jype group after day6) through the like ooh-ahh mv and red-haired jihyo really did something to my heart (i just rewatched it and god zombie bang chan is so mf cute)
kim jisoo → when bp made their square two comeback i was immediately smitten for red-haired jisoo in playing with fire, it’s also when i realized she was my bias out of the four members
shin ryujin → the reason that i have blue hair is partially bc of ryujin and her amazing intro in wannabe :D
xuan lu → her portrayal of jiang yanli was SO ON POINT and she’s just such a kindhearted wonderful person wow i want her hand in marriage
lee yoobin → god i’ve known dreamcatcher from back when they were still called minx and ever since i’ve always looked at dami that bit more than the rest, i was also able to see dreamcatcher live in october of 2019 and the whole experience was just so amazing !!
FICTIONAL CHARACTERS
there’s a whole lot more than just these 10 but i wanted to fit the evolution into one (1) slide as best as i could lmao
peter pan → this movie came out in 2003 (?) and he’s honestly the first fictional character i remember ever having a crush on
legolas → i was really doubting between placing haldir or legolas here but i only really got a vague haldir obsession when i was like 14
zuko → LOOK. ZUKO IN ATLA? HOT. ZUKO IN LOK? HOT EVEN IF HE’S AN OLD MAN.
will turner → man was annoying sometimes but i really liked him and his relationship with elizabeth was cute
jo harvelle → gosh i can’t believe she’s the only female character in here???? yeah she was one of my two spn faves and i’ll never forgive the screenwriters for the way they killed her off
castiel → does your fave ever get sent to super hell for being gay? no? well. mine did
kili → fili and kili’s storyline tore my heart out, spit on it, and then laughed straight in my face, KILI WAS LITERALLY MY FAVORITE DWARF
howl → i only watched this movie for the first time in 2020 so i kinda fucked up the tl cause i watched cql in 2019 but shh, anyways howl with his blonde hair was good looking but howl with his black hair just hits differently. i want a howl
lan jingyi → MY BABY BOY, TINIE LITTLE BABIE WHOMST I MUST PROTECT ok no but seriously this kid. i love him a lot
mu qing → BARK BARK. that’s all (that’s not all i love him a whole lot and it hurts me to see so many people misunderstand his character and only see the bad parts of him when they can forgive others for fucking up (eg. xie lian himself & feng xin) but bc mu qing doesn’t deal well with emotions suddenly he’s the bad guy??? i s2g if ppl are gonna do to him what they did to jiang cheng in the tgcf la i will RIOT)
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5 (🥺🤲🏻), 7 for any fic, and 18 for the q game !
5: Share a snippet that you’re proud of from an upcoming fic/chapter.
from like the suuuuuuuuun. we all know sokka gasses up z to everyone who’ll listen to him.
Chief Arnook rises, and before he realizes what’s happening, Zuko’s being pulled into a strong hug. He’s surprised to find that he and the chief are the same height. “My daughter knew the pressure and burden of duty well,” he says into Zuko’s ear. “I admire the conviction and strength it must have taken for you to reject the expectations that your father laid on you.”
Zuko’s throat tightens. He doesn’t deserve this warmth and praise; he’s done nothing to earn it. Whether Sokka knows it or not, Sokka’s given Zuko a gift. “You speak too kindly,” Zuko murmurs.
7: Were there any ideas you had for [insert fic] that you couldn’t make work? What were they?
oh yeahhhh, baby. boo chronicles + hey batter batter probs had them but i’ve forgotten them by now. like the sun has HELLA and i’m p sure they’re still in my doc … give me a min …
here’s a sampling! copied and pasted so u get my exact planning language lol i think im so funny
mai becomes a weapons instructor at royal fire academy for girls
lmao what if zuko has a ‘gone insane, be back later’ moment but doesn’t tell anyone he’s running away and he’s only discovered in some random ass ex-colony in the earth kingdom b/c sokka hires june to find him and june is like u disaster gays
S drags Z to underground MMA or something n Z is like how can u be so sophisticated but also so not?? iroh also loves underground MMA n he n sokka bond over it and z is like Why am i surrounded by Chads [note: this turned into toph dragging zuko to underground MMA]
S becomes a white lotus member n one time when a lotus member comes asking for help via pai sho match, S purposely messes up the pattern to deny the person access b/c sokka is like they’re Sus
at one point long ago ty lee was going to adopt a child and rope mai into it and the child was going to instinctively know how to heal with firebending (ty lee and mai did NOT expect that) but then i was like. wait ty lee will only be 17 by the end of like the sun im nOT giving her a child
18: Do you feel like your work gets enough recognition? What kind of feedback do you like to receive?
bro who’s to say what “enough recognition” means? i try to write for myself, so any recognition at all by others is more than enough and more than expected. i do love it when people note that they can see the attention to detail/care/time i put into a piece — because these stories DO take up more brain space and time than they probably should, lmao.
i love specific comments/feedback — e.g. X line made me feel this, b/c of Y line i wasn’t expecting Z, i noticed that B detail relates to C event/D line in this way. i esp. love that last variation — it tells me that my writing is truly engaging people, and their comment often points out parallels/connections that i hadn’t even noticed/intentionally worked in. and that’s super fun to see!
it’s a fic ask game!
#ask#ask game#mai will be 21 at the end of like the sun and that's also too young to give her a child#shit there was also a point in time when aang and katara were gonna get married during like the sun so they'd all be going to a wedding but#again i was like. wtf girl they're too young for that shit#y'all i forgot i wrote hey batter batter LMAO
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TODOROKI WITH A BADASS S/O
→ [ todoroki shouto x y/n ]
@abigator554 : "Could u do a totoroki x punk fem reader where she really just gives no fucks and calls out endeavor when he basically forces them to have dinner with him to judge if she is good enough for shoto and shoto just is like “wow. My gf is a badass” and just falls more in love"
— it's talk shit about enji time lmao im just kidding ily pops btw i kind of turned it into a hc because i thought it'd be easier like that lmao | m.list
words: 769
warnings: enji being a jerk, curse words, but floof neways
before you and todoroki got together, you were labeled as "bakugou #2"
without the consistent screaming ofc
you weren't one of those soft cute cinnamon babies that you'll fall in love with at first sight and would want to protect
u do the proteccting oof
you have a sass as big as todoroki's heart for you lmao
he fell for u the moment you spoke to him without a filter and put him in his place
"listen to me, elsa with a dash of zuko, i don't care if you're the son of the number two hero, if you want to be a hero then you better fix that attitude of yours"
punkiness aside, you're just a sweet girl with tough love and just want to care for everyone
the moment enji found out that his son's dating was from social media
apparently someone saw the two of you on a date outside and took pictures
immediately calls shouto
"SHOUTO"
"what"
"BRING THAT GIRLFRIEND OF YOUR TO DINNER"
"no"
but shouto didn't have a choice either when fuyumi also enthusiastically asked to meet you
he just wished his dad wasn't there thought
so with no more options left, the two of you went to his home
you'd expect y/n to be nervous about meeting his family, right? wrong.
shouto's the nervous one while you're chill, a lil giddy and excited but nothing extreme
you so the comforting
"shou, it'll be fine, you already told me fuyumi and natsuo are nice"
"I wish I can say the same for my father"
luckily, it was his brother who greeted the two of you
you both hit it off too well
natsuo loves you already
then fuyumi greeted you in the kitchen, where she's preparing dinner
she fell for you i would too
the two older siblings are so glad shouto found someone amazing such as yourself
bc of that, shouto's a little relaxed
but then enji came in
natsuo was became silent, fuyumi was still trying to alleviate the tension while the flame hero stare you up and down
have i mentioned you're wearing a denim short, tank top, with a lil oversized jacket?
he was not impressed
shouto tensed up again
the whole dinner you and fuyumi are conversing with natsuo chiming in
meanwhile shouto watches his dad stare at you statistically
he sometimes ask you family and quirk things that made everyone but you a little uncomfy
"you're not good enough for my son"
he says after the dinner and shouto's about to walk you home
he's also about to flip a table at his dad but you beat him to it
"oh, well, thank you for your unwanted opinion but I'll let shouto be the judge of that"
OOPS
all of the todoroki's are shookt
like 👀👀 shookt
"excuse me?"
"my apologies, but it seems that you misunderstood things. im not here to try to impress you or to satisfy you, you're not the boyfriend here, I just wanted to get close to shouto's family but not necessarily you, I guess"
if natsuo didn't love you before, he certainly does now
shouto, altho he's kind of worried, was awed by how confident and brave you were to say that to his dad
he might of teared up a lil :')
in his head, he's so proud of you and so glad that you weren't scared of his dad and was like
"holy shit. i love you and im so glad you're mine please always be mine"
and he has this cute surprised smile at you with heart fucking eyes
enji was too flabbergasted to speak so shouto took this chance to drag you out of the house while you sing your farewell and a promise to meet again to his siblings
all the way out of his house he can't wipe that smol. cute. precious. smile.
ur a lil worried bc he's being quiet ain't he always tho
a few blocks away and he abruptly stops to face you
crushes you in a hug and buries his face on your neck hnGHnHG
your the shookt one now
"shouto?"
"thank you"
he's not so sure about what he's thanking you for but maybe it's how you weren't letting his father's words into your head
you weren't scared of enji and that made him fall more and he doesn't have to worry about that anymore
maybe it's because you cared for him more than his father's approval
whatever that is, he's thankful and he's never letting you go
even if your punk side gets overbearing, don't worry, he gotchu ;)
#todoroki shouto#todoroki shouto x reader#bnha fanfiction#bnha#bnha headcanons#bnha imagines#bnha x reader#boku no hero headcanons#boku no hero x reader#boku no hero academia#boku no hero#boku no hero fanfic#my hero academy imagines#my hero academy x reader#my hero academy fanfiction#my hero acadamy#my hero academia#todoroki#todoroki shoto#mha fandom#mha imagines#mha fanfiction#honey writes
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Hi❤️❤️ I'd like to request Shoto whose friendly s/o is really into Halloween and wants to do matching outfits together. Idk it's spooky season and I'd love to see todobb living it ☺️☺️ thank u for ur work ❤️❤️💕💕
A/N: ahh- this was really nice! Thank you for your request, I consulted my best friend for the costume ideas and we had the time of our lives trying to come up with them
So, umm, I really hope you guys like it, this is the second time I ever wrote for Todoroki, so I probably should work on it a bit more, but I think it turned out well!
Warnings: I think there’s none but I can’t be sure since Bakugou is here heh
Word count: 4k cuz I have no self control
Genre: fluff!
A cursed kiss-
"Aizawa sensei gave us green light!" Mina exclaimed as she entered the class, visibly skipping. Kaminari punched the air with victory. These were the words that caused everyone to jump in their seats in excitement.
"He did?" Ochako didn't lose a second and ran towards her to get details, the rest of the class wasn't any better, either. Even Bakugou was up on his feet, trying to look as uninterested as he could.
The social butterfly that she is, Mina obviously had no problems with having a crowd around her. "He said he would kill us if he caught any of us with alcohol." She muttered, and Kaminari visibly deflated. "Oh, man, there goes the chance to get lightweight Bakugou drunk!"
"Hagh, who you calling lightweight?! You were the one who got drunk with a beer! One Beer!" He shot back, the class erupting with laughter at the memory of Kaminari. Even Shouto snickered quietly.
"Whats going on?" You finally stood up, pulling your hand out from the warm hands of your boyfriends. When he pouted at the sudden lack of contact and locked his eyes on his hand that just had your hand in it, you sent an apologetic smile his way. "I'll just learn whats up and will be right back, 'kay?"
You walked towards the big crowd, Mina being the first to spot you. "I see you could finally get separated from your boyfriend." She commented with a grin, her words causing your face to warm up and your friends to giggle.
"I wanted a front seat of Kaminari getting burned." You answered, making the said boy frown. "Hey, that's mean!" He exclaimed, but his protests just seemed to fuel the fun Kirishima and Sero were having.
"So, what's really happening?" You asked, ignoring the pout Kaminari was sending your way.
"We're throwing a Halloween party!" Yaoyorozu answered, and the boys cheered with excitement.
"We are? How did you even convince Aizawa sensei?" You asked in disbelief, causing Mina to chuckle mysteriously. "I have my ways." She told you smugly, though you were aware it was just another way of saying 'I didn't give him any rest until he said yes.'
"Ooh, this is gonna be great! Right, Baku?" Kirishima muttered, nudging Bakugou slightly and earning a glare. "I don't care about a stupid party, what are you, five?"
Even if he had a scoff on his lips, you all knew better and were aware that he was as excited as the rest of you were.
"I have a really original costume idea, you know." Kaminari told the group with a proud smile on his face, though instead of getting the curious attention he expected, he just heard snickers.
"How much do you wanna bet on him coming as Pikachu?" Kirishima whispered to Sero, both giggling uncontrollably when Kaminari's eyes widened with shock. "How did you know?!"
▪︎▪︎▪︎
Tapping the pencil that was in your hands to the paper that laid in front of you, you sighed, feeling the steam coming out of your ears, even though you couldn't even finish the first question.
"Babe, what should we do for Halloween?" You looked at Shouto, who was sitting on his desk, focused on the math homework in front of him, having no problems with it, unlike you. You bit your lip, it sometimes amazed you how handsome he was.
"What do you mean, isn't there a party?" He asked, laying his pencil down and looking at you with a confused look on his face that you just found adorable.
You giggled -suppressing the urge to pinch his cheeks.- "Yeah, baby, I meant as what costume we should do." You had to admit, this was one of the many reasons you couldn't focus on the paper in front of you, since the second you heard about the party, it was the only thing that swarmed in your mind.
"Oh." He said softly. "Do we have to wear costumes?"
"Of course we do!" You told him, shocked. "And- we should do a couples costume, too!" He tilted his head slightly to the left, something you often saw him doing.
"We can do that?"
The question had you waiting to kiss him and/or bang your head to the wall. "Not only can, but we also have to do it." When his confused expression didn't change, you sighed. "I love Halloween and wearing costumes, and it's really fun! And since this is our first Halloween... I thought it would be cute if we went wearing matching costumes."
You stood up in need to be closer to him, and as always, he greeted you with open arms. Even though he wasn't big on showing affection in public, and usually just held your hand, he was just a big baby when you were alone. But then again, you had no complaints, whatsoever.
"I see you're very excited about this." He mumbled into your hair, and you smiled. "I am, baby, and you should be too! It's my favorite season, and all my best memories were on Halloween! Oh, come on, didn't you have any amazing or really scary adventures as a kid in Halloween?" You exclaimed, threading your fingers through his two-colored locks.
"Actually- don't answer that." You corrected yourself when he sent a blank look your way.
"But still, I think you're gonna love it, too! Okay, enough talk of how amazing Halloween is, let's think. Any suggestions?"
"Can you give me an example?" He asked after staying silent for a second or so. "Oh, umm, something like Batman and Catwoman, but let's not do that." You added before he agreed to it.
"Oh, that's not scary, though, is it?" He muttered and smiled when you giggled. "It doesn't have to be scary, it's really just an excuse to wear costumes." When he nodded but didn't say anything you raised your brows. "Any ideas?"
"Umm... Matching costumes." He muttered, scratching his head. "Like- sun and moon?"
"Sun and moon?" You repeated, and the image of you wearing round costumes making you grimace a little. The smallest smile tugged on his lips as his eyes examined your expression. "Cause you're my sunshine."
Even though it was cheesy as hell, it was worth seeing the shocked look on your face that melted into an embarrassed, cute smile, he thought.
"Okay," you muttered, hiding your flushed face from him. "I added that to the list."
"I can't think of anything, let's look at Pinterest." You stood up and laid on the bed, and it didn't take long for him to follow you. He laid right next to you, arms wrapping around you and his head dropping to your shoulder, his two-colored eyes on your phone screen, looking at your Pinterest feed that was full of costume ideas.
"That looks nice." He pointed at the angel-devil costumed couple. He loved to see how your lip rolled in, nose crinkling with thought. "I thought it was really nice, too. Added to the list, but let's keep looking- OH MY GOD, SHOU!" You suddenly exclaimed with the idea that suddenly popped into your head, excitedly pulling yourself up into a sitting position, making his arms that were around you to fall back on the bed.
"I have the best costume idea for you!" You told him, and even though he had no idea what it was that got you so excited, he couldn't stop smiling either.
"How about- How about going as Zuko?!" He stood silent for a few seconds, his brows furrowing slightly in thought. "Zuko? I'm not sure if I can pull it off, though."
Your eyes widened in disbelief. "Shouto, you guys are practically the same people. It's one of the many reasons I agreed to date you, you know." You teased, but you should have known better.
"It is?" He asked, his hand going to his scar almost immediately. His lips turned down into a frown, he looked so hurt it made your heart ache. "B-baby, I was just kidding." You told him and got closer to him, but frowned when he pulled away.
"Shou?" You called out, cupping the scarred side of his face and leaned in to press a soft kiss on his cheek when his frown didn't go away. His eyes were avoiding yours, the feeling of him hurt making your heart ache, "Baby, I really didn't mean it!" You repeated, wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing one more kiss to his cheek.
You searched for his eyes, and even though his frown wasn't gone, your eyes met his two-colored eyes that were bright with a mischievous glint.
"I think I'm gonna need more than that." He muttered, the frown turning to a smirk, and his face leaned forward, reaching for your lips. You gasped, finally understanding he was teasing you the whole time.
"Shouto," You protested. "I really thought I hurt you!"
"Ah, but you did." He told you, the smirk only growing when he felt your irritated gaze. "You broke my heart." His words caused you to narrow your eyes, and you frowned.
"You will pay for that, you know." You told him, and just as his lips ghosted on yours, you pulled back with a playful smile. His smile dropped almost instantly when he couldn't kiss you, a pout forming on his lips.
"What do you think about the Zuko costume?" You asked, ignoring the pout of your needy boyfriend. His eyes stared at you for a few seconds, probably expecting you to finally kiss him, but when you didn't he sighed.
"Let's try it." He answered, and you squealed with excitement. "Okay, let's do his best lines. Say- 'I'm never happy.' But with a frown, 'kay?"
His brows furrowed slightly, but he obliged anyway. "Like this?" He asked with a small smile after doing the part flawlessly but pouted when he noticed you weren't even looking at him, but instead looking at your phone screen and hiding your face from him.
His brows furrowed when he couldn't meet your eyes. "Did I do it- wait, are you blushing?" His blunt question didn't help either. "I'm not- I'm not blushing! Just keep doing it." You protested. "Can you say, 'The scar is not on the wrong side!'' He was about to do it when you stopped him, and he noticed how the fangirl in you suddenly took control.
"No, no, actually, can you say 'Hello, Zuko here.' Oh, and- and-" He raised his brows when you suddenly stopped talking -you were choking on your words-, now visibly blushing.
"And?" He pressed, amused by the deer caught in the headlights look you were giving him.
"Could you say... Umm... could you say 'You're so beautiful when you hate the world'?" Your voice was so low that Shouto was sure he couldn't have heard you if he wasn't listening very closely.
"You're so beautiful when you hate the world." He repeated in a low voice that sent goosebumps down your spine. Your eyes widened, feeling like your heart was going to stop in any second.
"Oh my god, Shou." You gulped, hiding your face in his neck since you could feel your cheeks burning, and you just couldn't face him. "I'm starting to think that you weren't joking when you told me you were dating me because I'm so similar to Zuko." He teased with a laugh.
"Don't tease me!" You protested, "Zuko is my first crush."
"That's rough, buddy." He muttered in your hair, just for the sake of hearing you squirming like this.
"I say no to you going as Zuko." You muttered, still hiding your face in his chest.
▪︎▪︎▪︎
"Are you sure you don't want me to go as Zuko?" He asked, apparently never going to stop teasing you about it. Just replaying the memory in your head caused your cheeks to burn, and he was well aware of that, too.
You had finally agreed on the devil-angel costume. As cliche as it was, it was still a really cute idea. Shouto had worn a simple black shirt and a burgundy jacket, and no matter how simple he was wearing, he still looked too handsome. He had plastic red devil horns located between his different colored messy locks, and he held a long, red trident. You shuddered as his eyes roamed over your body, eyes darkening a shade.
"You know, maybe you should wear this more often." He whispered as you walked towards the party. "What, this?" You raised your brows. You hadn't worn anything special either, just a white summer dress -you would have frozen to death if it wasn't for your boyfriends really practical quirk- and angel wings you had found for 5 dollars.
"Y-yeah." He muttered, turning his face away from you. Huh, you thought, look how the tables have turned. "You like my dress, baby?" You asked, and he bit his lip nervously, looking away.
"It looks nice." He fixed his horns and cleared his throat, well aware of how you stopped mid-track and how your face was getting closer to his inch by inch. "Yeah?" You whispered, and just as he was about to kiss you-
"Oh, get a room, you two!" You heard someone call out, making you jump in your place and ruining the moment. It was Sero wearing a spiderman costume, and Mina- she wore an oddly realistic Sailor Moon costume- and was snickering right behind the Spiderman.
"You look devilishly handsome, Todo-kun." She told him, making you roll your eyes.
"Where are the others?" You asked, and she pointed to the room that opened to the living room. "They already started. I can't tell you how hard it was to convince Bakugou to wear something other than his hero costume. He told us he was coming as the future number one hero." She rolled her eyes.
"What did he wear instead?" You asked as you opened the door, but your question was inaudible because of the banging music and chattering that left you dumbfounded for a second or so. The room smelled heavy, and the low lighting took a second for you to get used to it. There were pumpkins everywhere, toilet papers, ghosts, and fake spiders hung from the ceiling.
"Did Momo do all this?" You asked, amazed. "Yeah," Mina answered, shouting. "She's right there." She pointed at the couch that had a Shego from Kim possible, and she looked exhausted. "Oh, poor Momo, she did all the work." You muttered, but before you could go near her and thank her, a wild Pikachu appeared.
"Damn, Y/N, you look godsent!" Kaminari exclaimed when he saw you, his eyes widening, cheeks red with what you suspected to be the effects of alcohol. "What's with everyone and their bad puns today?" You muttered as you felt Shouto's arms pulling you a little closer to him. This caused you to send a quick glance at him, only to find him glaring at Kaminari. The Pikachu, who was oblivious to the cold glare he was receiving from your boyfriend, had two glasses in his hands -the glasses looked like pumpkins, and you noted in your head to go and thank Momo- "Here, drinks for the couple!" Kaminari exclaimed, slipping the cups into your hands, his wide grin causing your eyes to narrow in suspicion.
"What's in it?"
"Eh, don't worry about it and just- finish it in one go!" He told you, tapping your shoulder in a comforting concerning way. You only needed one sniff to know what it was, the strong alcohol scent causing you to grimace.
"Yeah, no." You answered, giving back the cups, which he gladly accepted. "Well then, that just means more alcohol for me!" He cheered, chugging both of the cups. Probably already forgot your existence, he walked towards the small crowd that was dancing, jamming to the music and grinning stupidly.
There was a huge pumpkin in the middle of the room, smoke coming out of it's carved eyes and mouth. People were dancing thoughtlessly around it, making it look like some twisted ritual.
Your eyes found the Sailor Moon that was dancing with Count Dracula -Tokoyami- and Spiderman, who was shooting web all around the place, the sight making you giggle.
You glanced back at your boyfriend, surprised to find him looking at you too, a soft smile on his lips. He lifted his hand without letting go of yours and pressed his lips softly on it, and he miraculously heard your little squeal of shock, despite the loud music that was shaking the decorations.
"Do you want to dance?" He muttered in your ear, leaning forward slightly and the familiar scent radiating from him making you sigh happily. "Yeah." You answered, letting him pull you to the middle of the room. His hand holding yours strongly, pulling you through the crowd, you finally found a place you could dance comfortably.
It was then when the loud music changed, a soft one replacing it instead. The sudden change caused you to look at the DJ -Shoji was supposed to be the Dj, but you locked eyes with a proud looking Ochako, instead. You noticed Shoji standing right next to her, a baffled look on his face- You sent a grateful look her way, and she answered with a bright smile.
"The song changed." Shouto commented, making you giggle.
He pulled you by your hand, causing you to lose your balance and fall towards him, he had a rare smug smile as one of his arms wrapped your waist and pulled you even closer to him.
"Gotta be careful." He muttered, his lips so close to your ear, it made you shiver, and you were sure by the smug smile that was slowly turning into a grin, that he could feel it, too.
"I'm falling for you, Shou." You teased, not expecting his cheeks to tinge pink. He leaned in, and you knew he was going to kiss you by the familiar look that was in his eyes. You had no complaints either, slightly moving on your tippy-toes, you reached towards him.
"I see the lovers are having fun." You heard someone say, the sound causing you to move away from your boyfriend, noting the way his eyes glaring coldly at the intruder. "You know, as a citizen of the most romantic city on earth, I can tell you that-"
"Go away." Shouto told the attention freak who had an emperor costume -Aoyama- without even letting him finish his sentence.
"But I was just telling you-"
"No." Shouto interrupted once again, not letting him finish his sentence. "Can you- can we talk later, Aoyama-Kun?" You told him when he looked like he was about to cry. "You see, we're dancing, and I don't think Shouto's in the mood to have a conversation."
"I'd love to listen to your adventures, though. Maybe you could tell all about it tomorrow?" You added to at least boost his ego a bit. He tried to look uninterested, but Aoyama would've died right then and there. "Yeah, if I have time, of course." He answered, fixing the plastic crown that was on his head and walked away to find a victim worthy of his time.
"Nice, see you later!" You called out and turned back to your grumpy boyfriend.
"Rude." You told him with a teasing poke to his cheek. "He was the one interrupting us. I just told him to go away." He defended himself. "You broke his heart. There's a difference!"
"He should've gone away the first time I told him. I would've talked to him if I wanted to, so why does he need to bother us?" He muttered, well aware the moment was -the second time tonight- ruined. You sighed when more people came your way, making small talk with you, more like Shouto telling them to kindly go away and you fixing the broken hearts. You loved them all, but the heavy air in the room, the smell of alcohol, sweat, perfumes, and many other things, the crowd and the people, all started to be a little too much for you. Though, you still did your best to hide it.
"Let's go." You heard Shouto's soft voice, a whisper that was so close to your ear, it made you shiver. Ignoring the group of people that were trying to talk with you two, he started leading you in a direction, and although you weren't sure where exactly, you trusted him fully and followed him.
You noticed the heavy, suffocating air had started to fade, and as you followed your boyfriend, the air had started to be at least a bit more breathable. You finally saw where he was taking you to, and you couldn't suppress your smile at how well he knew you.
"How did you know?" You asked him, only a meter between you and the balcony that opened to the fresh air and the slightly chilly night.
You just needed a second from all this music, the overly excited and drunk people, and the crowd altogether. And the fact that he had noticed this even before you yourself had just made you want to pull him into a kiss. And judging by the way he was looking at you, you weren't the only one.
"I think I-" He started to talk, but before he could even finish what he was saying, someone broke in between you. Again. "Oh- shit- sorry." A drunk Kirishima sent you both an apologetic grin and tried to find his balance. Shouto held him by his arm and steadied him, not even trying to hide how annoyed he was.
Kirishima's hair had red and orange streaks in it, his face also painted in various shades of red. "Hey, Kiri." You muttered, deciding that the balcony had to wait a while. "And, what are you supposed to be?" You asked him, trying to understand just how drunk he was.
"Oh, you can't tell?! I'm Calcifer, and that's my Howl!" He roared into your ear, pulling his arm free from Shouto, losing his balance once again.
You looked at where he was pointing, only to find the said ashy blonde sulking in the corner of the room, his hair still crazy as ever, though you had to admit the Howl costume looked really good on him.
You must've looked a little too long since you noticed how your boyfriend started to move once again, pulling you out to the balcony before anyone could stop him once again.
The fresh, cold air hit both your faces, making you sigh happily. It was times like this you noticed how nice it was to be able to breathe. There were only one or two people out in the balcony with you, most out here to smoke.
"Finally." He breathed, probably not even aware of the other people out there with you. He still hadn't let go of your hand, his thumb caressing your hand slightly, the small act of affection making your heart go feral.
Expecting him to pull you closer to him, you glanced his way when he didn't do anything, only to find his lips turned down in a frown. "Baby?" You asked. "Is there something wrong?"
"You seemed to like the Howl costume quite a lot." He mumbled under his breath, the tone, and the way he said it making you giggle. He was jealous. He saw the smile on your lips and pouted even more.
"I like you much much better."
"Of course, I'm the one who looks like Zuko, after all." He answered grumpily, but you noticed how his frown had melted into a soft smile, his hands now playing with the ruffles of your wings.
"I love you, Y/N." He whispered, his hands moving up from your wings to your cheek. His face getting closer to yours inch by inch, your hand automatically found it's way to his nape, unconsciously pulling him towards you.
"I love you, too, Shou."
As his warm lips touched yours, you felt so content and safe between his arms, you couldn't help but think that this was the best Halloween you ever had.
#bnha scenarios#bnha x reader#bnha x you#bakugo x reader#mha imagines#mha x reader#bnha todoroki#shouto todoroki#todoroki shouto#todoroki shouto x reader#todoroki x reader#todoroki imagine#bnha shoto todoroki#mha todoroki#mha shouto#bnha shouto#shouto x y/n#shoto x reader#mha shouto x reader#shouto imagine
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Zuko headcannons: Air Bender
- You were the older sister to Aang.
- You first met him when Zuko came expecting to see an old man, when in fact your brother is a 12 year old boy.
- He captured you cuz one, you weren't going to let them take Aang, and two, you assaulted Zuko
- Overtime, you both began to understand eachother
- You sympathized with him when he shared his story with you. He was vulnerable with you.
- You two got along, despite the Gaangs indifference to him for the longest time
- B U T
- Just like the monks raised the boys in the monastery, you were to abstain from any sexual or romantic feelings too
- So once you knew you had feelings for Zuko, you were avoiding him like the bubonic plague.
- Sleeping in the same tent? Nope. Waiting till nightfall to wash up so that you wouldn't see him shirtless and think naughty things? Yes
- Zuko liked you long before he even made it on the team. He liked your pride as an Airbender and how far you were willing to go for family. You're strong and he admire that greatly
- but poor boi
- he was so confused as to why you had started avoiding him, even refusing to train with him
- But eventually, you had to for battle and to protect yourself
- B U T
- big but
- You miscalculated a move and landed ontop of him
- You didn't make eye contact for a week
- Eventually though, you came to terms with your feelings for the prince and confessed your feelings.
- He literally just kissed you
- He was so happy that you felt the same way and you both agreed to keep the relationship secret until you were both ready.
- But that came to a MASSIVE stop once Sokka saw Zuko and you exchange a kiss.
- "You're DATING MY SISTER?! AND you kissed her?! She's a monk! What is wrong with you?!"
- Aang was furious, going so far as to challenging Zuko to an Agni Kai, but you quickly put a stop to that.
- He reluctantly accepted your relationship, but it got way better overtime.
- After Zuko became Fire Lord, he wanted you as his Queen but you were reluctant.
- The Fire Nation has only ever had Fire Nation women as their Queens, and so an Air Bender would be a drastic change.
- But the people loved you, and those who didn't were merely forgotten in the crowd of those who supported you and Zuko.
- Your marriage was a week before your coronation, and guess who caught the bouquet? Toph.
- Yes, Toph.
(I'm an avid shipper of Toph x Sokka)
- When you found out that you were pregnant, Zuko was scared.
- He only ever knew of his cruel father, and didn't think he would be good enough.
- But Iroh was there to remind him that Zuko would never become his father.
- You gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Izumi, and later had two more kids.
- A boy named Sorin, and another girl named Aika.
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#77 Grease (1978)
Slick your hair back and grab your team jacket, we’re hand-jiving our way through Grease, a movie about bunch of hot, self-motivated ladies with their whole futures ahead of them settling for a bunch of schmucks.
Grease is a strange experience to relive as an adult, because it was (as I suspect with a lot of people) ever-present in my childhood, and I didn’t understand the great majority of references then. This movie was intended as an 8th birthday present from my mother; I came home from school one day and the VHS was sitting on our kitchen countertop unwrapped. I didn’t recognize it, so when I asked my mom what it was, she feigned confusion for about 10 seconds before she gave up and said, “I bought it for your birthday, I guess you get it early now.” She promised me I’d like it when I popped it into the VHS player, and she wasn’t wrong. I hadn’t watched this movie in over a decade and I still could recite the majority of the dialogue.
While this movie is a toned down significantly from the stage show, it is still fairly raunchy in parts. What is kind of hilarious to me is Grease’s gradual shift in categorization over time as a “kids musical”. In 5th grade, my sister played Sandy in her elementary school’s production of it. I asked if she remembered any of the lines they changed to keep things “appropriate” (the Kidz Bopification, if you will) and she responded, “No, I just thought it was weird I had to go out and buy a sexy outfit.” Conversely, my 5th grade play was about the history of America and I dressed up like Martha Washington. I’ll never forget the 50 Nifty United States from 13 original colonies... SHOUT ‘em, SCOUT ‘em, TELL all about 'em, ONE BY ONE till we’ve given a day to every state in the U-S-A. AL-A-bama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, CON-NE-TI-CUT...
Anyway, do I think it’s weird that a movie about a bunch of horny teenagers has become Baby’s First Adult Musical? Sorta. Not really. I mean, the dudes act like children for the majority of this, so I’m not surprised, at least. It had, for sure, turned me off from wanting to date high school dudes when I was in high school. The high school girls, however... we’ll get there.
It’s the first day of school, and the oldest high school seniors I’ve ever seen are poised to take on their last year at Rydell High. The “T” Birds and their very uncool matching jackets are reunited after a summer apart and their super-senior leader Kenickie, played by the late Jeff Conaway, regales the tale of lugging boxes to earn money for a sweet ride, which you could feasibly do back in the 1950s. Danny, played by John Travolta, spent his summer getting action at the beach, which he eloquently describes as “flippin’”.
Frenchy and her new neighbor Sandy rendezvous with the Pink Ladies, who have very cool matching jackets and the unabashed confidence to go with them. Stockard Channing, who plays Rizzo, is turned off by Sandy’s pure, seemingly holier-than-thou persona, and is dismayed when Sandy starts to describe her sickly sweet summer romance. Her interest is only piqued when Sandy mentions her hunky date was notorious playboy and Rizzo’s ex, Danny Zuko.
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Sidenote: When I was a child, I thought Sonny asked if her “jugs were bigger than her nets”. I asked my mother what “nets” were, since I surmised that jugs meant breasts, and she didn’t know, which I thought was weird. It wasn’t until THIS MOMENT that I realized he was asking if her jugs were bigger than Annette’s. Who the fuck is Annette? Like the Mickey Mouseketeer Annette?! Rizzo sings about her later and I’m just like.. this revelation has lead to more questions than answers.
Rizzo hatches a plan to call Danny out on his shit and reunite Sandy with Danny at the school pep rally, as they know her boyfriend is an asshat. He predictably reacts maturely; Not wanting to admit his previous story of getting fresh with some cute Australian girl down in the sand was somewhat hyperbolic, he plays it off like he doesn’t give a shit about her, reducing Sandy to tears. Frenchy comforts Sandy like the supportive queen that she is and invites her to join the Pink Ladies at a sleepover.
Honestly, a Pink Ladies sleepover looks lit as fuck. As a kid (and now, tbh) I was Jan, I wanted to be Marty, I wanted to fuck Rizzo, and I wanted Frenchy as my best friend. I would totally be down to drink champagne, eat Twinkies and mutilate our body parts with needles. Sandy is a bit of a late bloomer and reacts to these series of events by puking. Rizzo decides to be a bit of a slag and make fun of Sandy for being an inexperienced virgin before shimming down a drainpipe to get laid by some jerk with a shitty car and a 6-year-old condom.
Sandy, whose night has done nothing to alleviate her heartbreak, sings a song about being in love with a coward. Part of the deal Oliva Newton-John signed to be cast in this movie specified she have her own solo number, so “Hopelessly Devoted” was written and filmed after the rest of the movie had been completed. This feel pretty obvious, since it gives off a very strong 1970s pop Best Original Song vibe. When I was a kid, I used this song as a break to use the bathroom or grab a snack, but as an adult I find myself humming it every so often.
Speaking of contract-obligated solos, we’re treated to a Travolta-led “Greased Lightning”, which I always thought was weird, cause like, who is going to sing a song about their friend getting tit in their sweet car? Jeff Conaway played Danny on Broadway, he deserved better... Also, I’m CONVINCED this song got the Pop-Up Video treatment, but couldn’t find it online anywhere. Otherwise, how the hell else would the fact that they thought John Travolta putting the saran wrap on his crotch was too racy live rent free in my head for like 20 years?
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After encountering Sandy on a date with a jock, Danny decides he’s going to join a sports team to prove to her he can be a motivated team player. Instead, he just physically assaults several members of his school, but it’s fine because he’s wearing a uniform when he does it. This is enough to impress Sandy, as she accepts Danny’s invitation to the school dance.
The other gang members are going through their own drama, as Rizzo is sick of giving it up to Kenickie without receiving a modicum of respect.
“A hickey from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card. When you care enough to send the very best.”
Danny regresses and continues to act like a shithead to Sandy in front of her friends.
“I don’t like tea.”
“You don’t have to drink tea!”
“Well, I don’t like parents.”
Jan and Putzie begin an innocent and adorable romance, which proves it’s possible to start off a relationship with mutual respect, even if your friends make fun of you for it.
“I also think there’s more to you than just fat.”
“...Thanks.”
I love this scene, there’s so many good lines.
Frenchy, who had dropped out of Rydell to pursue a career in cosmetology, is also in crisis as her stint in beauty school went very poorly. After hours, she somehow hallucinates Frankie Avalon advising her to get her high school degree.
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As a child, I was so proud of myself when I realized all these women played other roles in the movie, as if facial recognition was an important skill.
The day of the big dance finally arrives, as National Bandstand comes to Rydell High with roofie-wielding predator and television host Vince Fontaine. Rizzo arrives with the leader of the rival gang, while Kenickie has his best girl, Cha Cha, as his date, because they are both very well-adjusted teenagers that know how to work through conflict by communicating and not using desperate attempts to make each other jealous. Danny and Sandy are cutting up a rug until Sonny attempts to physically assault Sandy, and Danny just lets it happen because another one of his exes, Cha Cha, starts to dance with him while Sandy is rebuffing Sonny’s advances. Cha Cha and Danny subsequently win the contest. Honestly, this is so fucked up, I would have dropped Danny after this lapse of good judgement.
But no, Sandy still allows him to take her on a date to the drive-in, and it’s not until he elbows her in the boob and then tries to cop a feel in front of everybody that she finally blows him off. Then he has the absolute gall to act emo about it because he’s afraid people will think he’s a loser. Jesus Christ.
Kenickie is also hurting, as he discovers that Rizzo is pregnant and she doesn’t want anything to do with him, regardless of what being an unwed mother will do to her reputation. He decides to process these emotions by racing Greased Lighting for pink slips, as he likes to live his life a quarter mile at a time. Unfortunately, Danny steals Kenickie’s thunder (road) yet again, as he’s forced to take his place in the race because of a car door-related closed head injury. Sandy is impressed by Danny’s driving skillz and decides to sex herself up for an unreliable and emotionally manipulative teenager. Danny has a similar inclination and decides to put on a nice sweater to win Sandy back, which is something, I guess. They declare they’re the one each other needs, oh yes indeed.
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The school year ends, and all the boys end up paired with the girls. Rizzo finds out she’s not pregnant and reunites with Kenickie?! Marty ends up with Sonny even though he’s a handsy creep. Danny and Sandy are just an mess with incompatible expectations of each other. But at least Jan and Putzie and Frenchy and Doodie are fairly inoffensive. The end.
This movie is great, even all these years later. The entire cast is fantastic, even those with smaller bit parts. I was *living* for the school staff, Principal McGee and Coach Calhoun especially. Grease also jump started my lifelong love for Stockard Channing. She’s great in The West Wing, but her part as Sister Husband in Where the Heart Is may be my favorite performance of hers. I’ve watched that movie so many times I can’t even call it a guilty pleasure, I love it so much.
Olivia Newton-John wasn’t even sure she wanted to be in this movie and requested a screen test so she could see if she was good at acting. John Travolta was enamored with her and helped convince Olivia she was perfect for the part, and he wasn’t wrong. She gives such a strong performance as Sandy; I bought her transformation from clean-cut cinnamon roll to sexpot completely. John Travolta was also unbelievably charming as Danny, and I found myself giggling at his line deliveries constantly.
The songs are also unbelievably catchy (albeit somewhat annoying after you’ve heard them 700 times). Barry Gibb, my favorite Pras-adjacent composer, wrote the theme for the movie and it just bops so hard. As a well-documented detractor of Doo Wop music, there’s not a whole lot else here for me, but that’s not going to blind me to the excellence of this soundtrack. There is a reason this movie is revered as much as it is. 10/10, fun for the whole family, as long as the kids don’t understand the references.
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The First One - Bonus scenes in traditional written word
This is a smau and a zukoXreader, although i haven't decided how this ends yet.
Y/n has recently transferred to Ba Sing Se from Omashu university and meets the gaang through a schoolproject they do with sokka and suki.
Masterlist
Bonus 4: Good Morning
The sound of a machine of some sorts woke you up. A look out the window confirmed two things: It was still rather early and Haru’s parents’ neighbours had no idea what an appropriate time for high-pressure-cleaning patios was. Sighing you sat up and looked around. You found your shoes and thought you remembered where the bathroom was.
The short night definitely left its traces on you: Your clothes and hair looked deschevelled, you didn’t smell as fresh as you would like, you had dark circles under your eyes and your voice was rather hoarse. You did what you could without rummaging through the drawers of the bathroom, then you wandered through the house.
There were fotos everywhere. Most of them were of Haru, who you guessed didn’t have any siblings, but some had a very kind-looking couple on them. A wedding picture in which they both laughed at something happening out of frame. It seemed genuine, a true candid shot. He had his hand around her waist and her hand was in mid-air, presumably on its way to fix his tie for the actual wedding picture, but something must have had happened. They both were bending over laughing pointing out of frame looking at each other.
You studied the picture. I made you like the couple. It made you believe in their love and their relationship. It made you want to get to know them. Be a part of that happiness and trust and joy. There was no question why they chose to display this picture. It was amazing!
You watched the couple become parents, buy a house, get older and go through the decades that saw Haru grow from a baby into a smiley toddler, distracted child, unimpressed teenager and openhearted twenty-something. They seemed a happy family. Truly.
The journey through Haru’s life had left you at the front door and wanting some coffee. You found the kitchen empty but quickly discovered a coffee machine. While it was entirely too sophisticated for the broke student you were, you did manage to get it to spew out some dark and caffeinated goodness into a cup you found in the second cupboard you opened. With it you kept on strolling through the house until the living room introduced you to the French doors that lead into the garden. And boy, the garden!
You sat in that little paradise when your phone buzzed and Zuko begged you to talk to him. Apparently, he was at his uncle’s shop working the early shift and there was not a lot to do as it was Sunday. You texted back and forth for a good while.
Yesterday you hadn’t talked to him a lot, outside of him apologising for his uncle and the Sokka-rum-discussion. You know learned that he was a good nephew and studied International Business and International Relations. When you called him out as ambitious, though, he was quick to bring up the words pressure and expectations. You didn’t know him. And whatever those expectations and that pressure were about it seemed you weren’t competent to comment on it or them. Zuko struck you as a private person. You contemplated telling him exactly that. You didn’t. You conveyed the message, though. He seemed relieved. And he liked politics and diplomacy which told you a number of things:
Be wary of any promises he makes. He might be doing that politician thing where he doesn’t keep them
If you ever want to ruin somebody’s life or career, ask him how to do it, he will have learned about it and remembered
If you ever don’t know how to handle a conflict ask him, he’s into figuring out compromises and status-quo-situation
He probably gives good advice. The kind that will be good for you and not too offensive to others
He is smart
He is into reading
He can find the good in the bad.
After all it sounded like his parents made him study those subjects and if he had had a true choice he would have gone for something else. Yet, he found aspects that he enjoyed, that he could use in his life and that he could be passionate about.
He liked travelling
All in all he was intriguing. A lot of layers to peel back. Whether it be the interest in politics – which were a lot of smoothtalking, manipulation, using popular opinions AND ideologies, the fate and future of countries and people and so many struggles or the family history. You could probably have real conversations with him. And you decided you would like to as well.
Another thing you learned about Zuko was that he was Sokka’s secret source for his part of the Worldhistory project. In the past couple weeks Sokka had gone on and on about how much information he had gotten form an anonymous sponsor.
“Sokka made it sound like you were the discovery of a century!”
“Am I not?” No, for all you knew he wasn’t.
Yes, he was intriguing and most likely multi-layered; yes he was tall and dark and handsome and that scar on his face added several facets to that handsomeness; yes, he had that tea-loving angel of an uncle, but he was no discovery of a century. He was some good-looking guy with an interesting background.
“To be determined” Better not alienate him by telling him he wasn’t all that special. You still wanted to be his friend.
Could you have gone on for two more hours talking to Zuko? Yes. Yes. You could have. But you didn’t because there were footsteps in the house. And it sounded like they were coming from the kitchen. You got up to investigate. Hoping you’d find Sokka, Suki, Toph, Aang or Katara in the kitchen, you would have been okay with Haru, but instead you found an agile white haired gentleman. From the fotos you recognised him as Haru’s father. He was doing something to the sophisticated coffeemachine and congratulated himself. Then he turned around, saw you, got scared and nearly let his cup fall and crash on the kitchen tiles. Instead he just made a weird move with his arm that resulted in a wave of hot liquid jumping into the air and splashing on the floor.
“Ouch!”, the man screamed. “Who the hell are you?”
“Sorry, Sir. Y/n. I’m friends with… I know your son. Haru. We helped him pack up the party yesterday and he told us we could stay here. I assumed you knew…Excuse the intrusion, please.”
“Tyro”, he extended his hand. You shook it.
“You’re not intruding. Haru told us that some of his friends might stay over. I just didn’t expect anybody to be awake yet. And we don’t know each other.”
“Again, sir, sorry.”
“That cup empty?” Tyro pointed at the mug you had brought with you.
“Nearly. I took the liberty of drinking your coffee.”
“Do you want more? I can offer you black coffee and black coffee with milk from the fridge. The thing is supposed to be able to come up with all kinds of fancy drinks, but that’s more my wife’s department. I didn’t bother learning about that.”
“Black coffee would make me really happy, Sir.”
Tyro filled your cup and gestured for you to follow him back into the garden. So, you did. He asked about who you were and how you knew his son.
“To be honest, Sir, there isn’t a lot to tell. I moved to the city for this semester. Transferred from Omashu University. I’m studying anthropology. One of the classes I take together with Sokka and Suki, who are friends with Zuko who used to be Haru’s roommate. Aaaaaaand they brought me to the party yesterday. There I met Haru. The end.”
“You helped him tidy up the speakers and all that jazz after having only met him that night?” You nodded your head yes.
“Commendable.”
You carried on talking to Haru’s dad, brushing on the subjects of family, education and music. The band Haru played in was called “Grounded”. According to Tyro they were “just having fun” but they also “sounded like actual musicians”. This band needed to be inspected.
You told him about Gray Sky and Tiff on the Rocks, the pub you used to play. It turned out that Haru inherited his passion for music from his father. Dad all but interrogated you on you average guitar playing and experience with piano lessons, when his wife walked through the French doors.
She introduced herself to you and asked if you wanted more coffee. As she was the coffee-maker-whisperer, you now were offered the entire range of coffee-drinks and gladly accepted a Cappuccino the size of your head. After she mad you happy with that, she sent you back out, with the intention of preparing breakfast. You offered to help but were quickly shut down.
The moment you sat down in the lounge chair by big tree, Haru entered the kitchen, got a cup of coffee from his mum and was surprised to find you in musical discussion with his father. Thankfully, he did remember you and was delighted to hear that you were a fellow guitarist, even though he was likely a lot more skilled than you were. In fact, you said this multiple times, resulting in Haru running inside and grabbing one of his dad’s guitars.
You started by playing some of the 90's hits that Sokka had massacred the night before, proving that Haru was better than you. You handed the instrument back to him.
"How about You Oughta Know?", he suggested. You looked at him, blinking.
"You said you used to sing in Omashu. Let's hear it."
"Uhm…", you hesitated.
"I'm with stupid", Tyro chuckled. "I'm curious."
"Fine." You let Haru play a few tacts before you started the verse. He harmonised with you in the chorus, during which Tyro got another guitar.
From Alanis you moved to the Verve; from "Nothing compares 2 u", to "Loser". Haru and his dad loved the 90's. Nirvana, Take That, TLC, Blur, Oasis, Britney, Beasty Boys, you named it they had it. Aang, Katara, Suki, Sokka and Toph joined you three out on the patio, all carrying cups of various coffees and plates full of food. While harmonising to Tyro's lead you remembered that his wife had talked about preparing breakfast. From what you saw on your friend's - yeah friends! - plates, she had not held back. There were eggs and bacon, pancakes, bread, cinnaminrolls and meats, cheeses, jams, butter and honey.
When she herself came out to join the table, she carried a bowl of yoghurt and nuts, that she assured everyone was an option for everyone. Tyro got his own plate and dat down next to Sokka. He motioned for Haru and you to come eat but you two were determined to finish the decade. So, you did. And then you entered the 2000s. Every now and again you'd pick up the second guitar, while alternating with Haru singing lead and harmonising. You had the time of your life!
Haru's mum topped off your coffees and although your stomach was screaming at you to give it some of the wonderful smelling food, you played and sang for more than two hours. The others enjoyed your efforts and sang along when they were done eating. Tyro relieved his son of guitar duties and jammed with you while Haru diminished the pancakes.
He then took your spot and you praised the eggs, bacon and cinnamonrolls.
"If you're ever desperate for something to do, you're welcome to my appartment and put on breakfast!", you said, all but crying, after noon when you had finished. Haru's mum blushed. But die didn't say no.
After you had finished your breakfast, everyone helped clear the table and load the dishwasher. Tyro insisted you all had another round of coffee, during which there was more music and Sokka got the recipe for the hangover cure smoothie that Mrs Haru had made him as soon as he entered the kitchen.
You left around 2:30 with many "thank yous" and "you're the bests" and "we can help some mores". Although you hadn't slept much you decided to hit up the Jasmin Dragon to see if Zuko had died from boredom already.
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hello hello! @queenspinoodle and i started working on a...well, on what started as a crack piece. it may or may not still be crack. if u like circuses, crime fighting, and zuko and sokka being named zucchini and sock THIS IS FOR YOU! first chapter below, with art from my cowriter! comments appreciated :)
enjoi~
Chapter 1
Zucchini is still thinking about his performance last night. He’d wanted to try something new, but every time he’d attempted to nail the trick in rehearsal, it’d just...fallen flat. So, he hadn’t attempted it last night, which left a bitter taste in his mouth. He’s still swirling it around, trying to spit it out, but no luck. It’s his routine, but he still feels like he failed. His thoughts are interrupted, however, when his foot collides with something hard and he trips. Spectacularly. He looks up, embarrassed and angry in equal measures, to see Sock sitting nearby. He gets angrier when he sees Sock is clearly trying to hold back laughter.
“Sock! Is this your--” Zucchini looks down, “--sandbag that just tripped me?!”
Sock gives him an innocent look. “I think the correct way to say it is, 'is that my sandbag that you just tripped over'? Because yes, it is, and yes, you did. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone’s arms flail like that, Zucchini.”
Zucchini narrows his eyes. “I only tripped over it because someone is incredibly disorganized. Sandbags don’t belong in the middle of the floor!”
Sock narrows his eyes, no longer laughing. “Well, maybe you should look where you’re going! If you were more aware of your surroundings, Mr. Jerk, then maybe you would’ve seen it. It’s a big bag, Zucchini.”
“Yeah, well! Well, you’re--you--ugh, you’re an idiot! Move the stupid bag, Sock!” Zucchini turns away quickly, trying not to dwell on how ridiculous he just sounded. He’s made two strides to the tent’s opening when something collides with the back of his head. He whips back around to see Sock with a smirk on his face.
“Can I help you?” Sock says innocently.
Zucchini looks at him, dumbfounded, then looks at the ground to see a balled up piece of paper. He picks it up. “Seriously? What are you, eight?”
Sock shrugs. “I know you are but what am I.”
Zucchini’s eyes get wide, his anger inadvertently burning the paper in his hands. “Seriously? You’re such a child!”
“Oh, yeah? Well at least I don’t throw my pillow around my tent when I’m mad, and then apologize to it!” Sock’s look of triumph at that statement makes Zucchini grit his teeth.
“I don’t--! How do you know about that?? It was one time, maybe twice at most!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever."
“UGH, you’re impossible to work with! I don’t know why Piandao keeps you around. My little cousin could do better tricks than you.”
"At least I actually have a talent!"
“Oh yeah?” Zucchini takes a menacing step forward. “You wanna try walking the tightrope, then? You think you could handle it?”
"Only if you do flips off the trapeze!"
“Done! I could do that in my sleep!”
“Fine! I bet the moment you get on, you'll fall off immediately. You’ll go running to Piandao like a baby!”
“Don’t you dare call me a baby!”
Sock and Zucchini’s argument brings them right into each other’s faces, snarling like animals. Both of them have their fists balled tight, ready to throw, when the sound of the tent flap opening gets their attention.
“Boys! Boys, what is going on here?” Their boss, Master Piandao, enters the tent, a frown marring his face. “Honestly, you two can’t be civil for five minutes? The show’s about to start, and I will not have either of you knocked out of commission over a petty fight!”
On cue, the announcer’s voice cuts through the tent, his voice amplified by his megaphone. “COME ONE, COME ALL! THE SHOW WILL BE STARTING IN TEN MINUTES! GET YOUR POPCORN AND DRINKS AND JOIN US IN THE MAIN TENT FOR A WONDROUS EVENING!”
Sock and Zucchini pull back from one another, still glaring. Sock turns away first, finishing up his preparations for his act, grumbling. Zucchini leaves the tent for his own, having not started his own prep work. When he gets there, he realizes he’s still very pissed off, thank you very much, and knows he can’t work like this. The last time he tried to work angry, well…. It’s better not to think about it. So, to calm down, he tries to meditate. He sits on a cushion in the middle of the floor, crosses his legs, and breathes. In, out. In, out. Not, thinking. About, Sock. And, his. Stupid, FACE.
It wasn’t going very well.
In a tent nearby, Sock is pulling on his costume, trying to push Zucchini’s attitude from his mind. Honestly, if the guy just looked down from his pedestal every now and then he wouldn’t trip over stuff. A no brainer. But, of course, Sock doesn’t expect Zucchini to understand that. He was so full of himself, just because he could walk on some string. So what? Who cared about that, when Sock worked his butt off doing flips! Ugh.
He walks out still pretty mad, but when he runs into his co-stars his mood picks up. Zucchini may be a dick, but Katt and Baaang weren’t. They were awesome, and together they’d put on a great show. He gives his sister and her boyfriend a hug, trying to keep the anger off his face. He thinks about it for a moment but ultimately decides not to tell them about the stupid fight he had with Zucchini. It’s just not worth it, in the end. His sister would just worry, and Baaang would tell him he should try to work it out. Neither of these are favorable outcomes. Instead, he grabs their hands and they go out on stage to raucous applause. As soon as the whoops and cheers hit his ears, Sock is grinning. Yes, he thinks. This is what it’s all about. As they go through their routine, Sock loses himself in the moves. He loses himself in the trust he has in his team, in the ooohs and aaaahs of the crowd. Nothing else matters.
Zucchini, upon giving up meditation as an impossibility, paces in his tent. Sock’s performance is about to start and, though he mocked his work before, he realizes he’s never...actually seen Sock and his team perform. He’s passed through the practice tent while they were rehearsing, sure, but he never stopped to look, always too busy with something else. He starts feeling bad about insulting Sock without evidence. Maybe, I could check it out...just for a moment.
He goes backstage, opening the flap leading to the main room a bit. Sock, Katt, and Baaang are just coming out to the delight of the crowd. Zucchini scoffs, not knowing what the fuss is all about. The moment they get on the trapeze, he gets it. Boy, does he get it. The three of them work as if they were one, dropping through the air and catching each other with such trust it brings a tear to Zucchini’s eye. And the way they move. It’s like they’re not made of flesh and bone, but cloud. Pure vapor, floating from one rung to the next. Zucchini can’t believe his eyes. He’s especially surprised by Sock.
He’d thought Sock was completely disorganized and never thought he’d be capable of performing something so beautiful. Zucchini’s anger completely leaves him watching the performance, captivated beyond his control. When they finish and the crowd claps them off the stage, Zucchini finds himself clapping too. And then running, because there’s no way he could let Sock find him watching. He’d rather die, he thinks.
Sock leaves the stage feeling like he could take on the world. Katt and Baaang are laughing on either side of him, recapping their favorite parts of their performance to keep the energy going. Sock joins in, making jokes and ruffling his sister’s hair. Zucchini is the furthest thing from his mind. Or, he would be, if his act weren’t up next. Somehow he had forgotten in the rush of his own performance, but the announcer makes sure to remind him in a booming voice. Baaang and Katt are going back to their tents to change into their daywear, but Sock hangs back. Sure, he’d told the guy that he didn’t need talent to do his act, but it’s not as if he’d ever actually seen it. He knew what it was, though. He stood on a rope and juggled some things, right? Might as well pop back over and check it out, so he’d have more material to mock him with next time.
Zucchini stands at the performer entrance of the big tent, his usual pre-show nerves surprisingly absent. He feels more calm than he has all day, if he’s being honest. When the announcer shouts his cue, he steps inside, standing tall and walking with confidence to the ladder leading up to the tightrope. Pepper is already up there, the bag of props by his feet. He gives Zucchini a big grin and a thumbs up, which Zucchini returns. The clown looks taken aback, but pleased. Zucchini then moves to the rope, his music being played by a band on the ground. A deep breath, two and then he steps out.
He hears someone in the crowd scream. His grin grows; there’s always one. He steps out further, footfalls soft and measured, until he’s in the middle of the rope. Arm out to his sides, he bends his knees. Deep breath and….up! He jumps into the air, causing more screams from below. Energized, he does another jump, this time turning in the air so he’s facing his assistant. Pepper claps his hands before reaching into the bag of props, tossing a jar of salt to Zucchini. Zucchini outstretches his hand to grab it and, right before it lands in his palm, he calls his fire.
Sock will admit it. He was one of the people who screamed when Zucchini jumped. He has half a mind to run over to their boss and frantically ask if that’s safe, or even legal! Even thinking about jumping on a thin rope that far up makes Sock queasy, let alone turning around while doing it. And now the clown is throwing things at him? Really?? Sock is unwittingly watching from the same place Zucchini observed him, gripping the cloth tight. What else could Zucchini possibly be up to? He’s not sure why, but he didn’t see the fire coming.
Zucchini feels the runes on the back of his hand crackling. As he calls the fire, it almost feels like it’s happy to come to him, basking in the joy of performing as he does. The jar, coated in flammable oil, lights immediately, bright and hot. Pepper tosses him another object, this time an umbrella, which Zucchini catches with his other hand. The third object Pepper throws is a bowling pin; Zucchini lifts one foot and catches it on the tip of his toe. Now the fun can begin.
Zucchini’s always loved juggling, though it was frowned upon in the house he grew up in. Too many broken dishes, too many dropped heirlooms. He tried his best but he wasn’t very good as a kid. Not anymore. Now, he flips his flaming objects in the air with ease. His control over the fire is superb; the audience doesn’t know this but not a single object is actually burned. That reveal has to be his favorite. Items high in the air, Pepper throws more at him and Zucchini flips them faster. Feeling confident, he tosses a few behind his back as well. The crowd loses their mind and Zucchini loses himself in the sound.
Sock is losing his mind. How is any of this possible? He’s sure those things are on fire, but it doesn’t make sense! How is that umbrella not ash? How is the glass on fire? How has Zucchini not dropped a single object?! He must have six by now! Oh, wait, seven now because that sadistic clown just tossed him another. Sock thinks, maybe, he should just sit back and watch rather than overthinking the specifics. He leans back against one of the tent poles and contents himself with enjoying the show.
When Zucchini finishes by stacking all of the objects in one hand with none of them even scorched, Sock thinks he, maybe, possibly owes the guy an apology. Eventually. He sneaks away, not wanting to be caught watching, and starts heading back to his tent. On the way there, he thinks about whether this changes anything. Like, sure, maybe Zucchini isn’t all hot air (hah!), but he’s still not a nice person. Not even remotely.
Sock is still pondering this when he hears voices around the corner. Usually Sock isn’t the nosy type, regardless of what his sister has to say about it, but something in their tone sounds...off. He doesn’t recognize the voices, either. Sure, they could be patrons taking a smoke or something, but Sock’s gut is telling him it’s something else. He crouches down and peeks around the corner of the tent serving as his hiding spot.
“Should be any moment now, Groff. Master P. will be alone as soon as the show’s over, and that’s when we get him. You got it?”
“Yeah, Lunk, I got it the first million times you told me. Are you sure we should be doing this, though? Like, I get why but...Master P.’s always seemed pretty nice the way I see it.”
A thump. “Ow! Lunk! What was that for, huh?”
“For thinking too hard! We get orders, we carry them out, we get paid. That’s. It. Don’t go getting sentimental on me now, Groff.”
Sock is very glad he hid, now. They couldn’t possibly be talking about what he thinks they are, right? Only one way to find out…
Zucchini, riding the high of his performance, has a spring in his step as he heads back to his tent. Some of the things he’d tried had gone horribly in rehearsal, but somehow he’d landed them! And the crowd loved it! He doesn’t know what did it but something clicked for him up there. He’d be holding onto these feelings for a while. Or, so he thought, before he saw Sock crouched beside a tent looking incredibly shady. Not wanting to startle him, Zucchini carefully walks up behind him and gives his shoulder a tap. Unfortunately, this has the exact opposite effect, causing Sock to jump a mile. Sock turns, looking terrified. Upon seeing Zucchini his expression morphs to annoyed.
“Sorry. What are you--?” The rest of Zucchini’s sentence is muffled by Sock’s hand over his mouth.
“Shh.”
“Oh. Sorry,” Zucchini says in a whisper, once his mouth is free. “What are you doing?”
Sock puts a finger over his lips, then indicates with his head around the corner. Zucchini peeks, seeing two burly men in suits. He frowns until he starts to catch what they’re saying. It sounds like a plot to murder Master Piandao, but...it couldn’t be. Could it?
The two men start walking in their direction. Zucchini’s eyes go wide and he looks to Sock, but Sock has already stood up and is opening the flap to the tent they’re hiding behind. He grabs Zucchini’s arm and drags him in behind him. Once the footsteps fade away, Zucchini turns to Sock.
“Oh my god. Sock...What the hell did we just hear?” he whispers, dragging a hand through his hair.
“Pretty sure it was a murder plot." Sock replies.
Oh. So, it was actually exactly what he thought. Great. “Right. Right. Murder. Of our boss.” Zucchini can feel himself unraveling. “They can’t just kill Piandao! He’s like a father to me, they can’t--we can’t let them--” Zucchini starts pacing the tent, at a loss.
Sock, in contrast, is standing absolutely still, hand on his chin as he stares at the wall of the tent. "I have a plan."
Zucchini perks up, then looks wary. “What kind of plan?”
“They’re planning to use a tent nail as their weapon, right? Those are in the storage tent. That tent also has netting and rope, which we can use to trap them.” Sock’s eyes light up as he describes his plan, his hands moving as he talks. “We’ll use the trapeze mechanics to set the trap, and once they’re in range, BAM!” Sock slams his fist into his palm. “We got em.”
Zucchini isn’t entirely clear on how the trapeze artists do their thing, but he can’t help but trust Sock. The way he explains it is so passionate. So, Zucchini nods. “Okay. That...that could work. Let’s do this.”
Sock is surprised Zucchini agreed to the plan so readily but is not about to complain about it. They’ve got murderers to catch. Sock does a cautious check outside the tent before sneaking out, looking over his shoulder to make sure Zucchini is following. Zucchini is right behind him, looking around to make sure the coast is clear. When they get to the storage tent they both do one more look around before ducking inside.
"Grab that net and bring it here." Sock picks up a rope attached to a sandbag, dragging it towards himself. Zucchini grabs the net and tosses it to Sock, then awaits further instructions while keeping an ear out for company. Sock ties the netting to multiple ropes, then hooks up the ropes and adds a few extra sandbags until the net is pulled up. He crouches beside one of the ropes with a knife, ready to cut it.
Zucchini can’t pretend that he followed any of that, so instead he says, “So, now we wait?”
Sock nods. "Cut that rope when they come in,” he says, indicating a rope on the other side of the room.
“Can do.” Zucchini waits, finding a hiding spot and listening for the sound of the would-be murderers voices or footsteps. Eventually, he sees a shadow cross the tent. He hears those voices again, and then the men from before enter. Zucchini makes eye contact with Sock and then, when the perps are in the right position, cuts his rope while Sock does the same to his own. The criminals scream as the net comes down on them. Zucchini pumps his fist in the air, holding back an exhilarated whoop.
Sock, realizing they could get in trouble for trapping people without hard evidence, grabs Zucchini and flees. Zucchini goes with him, still too excited to really question it. Sock slows down and tries to look casual once they're a bit away from the tent, but makes sure to stop somewhere with the storage tent still in sight.
Once they’ve stopped Zucchini turns to Sock, a confused look on his face. “Why did we run away? We did something good!”
"We're circus workers who just trapped two people, and nobody else knows what they were doing there. It doesn't reflect very well on us."
Zucchini thinks about it, deflating a bit. “Well...I guess that’s true. What now? They might get out, and no one will know what they were going to do. Should we, I dunno, lead someone with some authority towards the tent?"
"I don't think we'll have to worry about that.” A crowd is starting to form around the tent, likely because of the screams. They watch Piandao make his way through the crowd, opening the tent flap wide. "Groff and Lunk! What are you two doing here?" Sock and Zucchini watch as Master Piandao drags the two men out of the tent, still wrapped up in netting. “I told you! You two don’t work for me anymore. I thought I made it perfectly clear I didn’t want to see your faces again.”
The two men talk over each other, the exact words hard to make out over the distance, but Sock thinks he makes out “not over yet!” and Zucchini thinks he hears “our real boss!” and both register the vehemence in the men's tones. Sock and Zucchini look at each other, eyes wide. Probably a good thing those two were tied up. Pretty soon, Pepper comes out to disperse the crowd and the conversation between Groff, Lunk, and Master Piandao grows hushed.
“I see. That certainly does look taken care of.” Zucchini stares at the three men for another moment, before it seems to hit him. That was something big, they stopped a murder. He starts laughing. Giddy, slightly manic laughs. “We really just did that, didn’t we?”
Sock gives Zucchini a strange look when he starts laughing. He isn’t sure what’s funny at first, then it dawns on him too. "Oh my God, we did just do that…"
“Yep! Yeah, wow, we’re...huh. Guess that makes us heroes, doesn’t it?” Zucchini seems floored by this realization. “I don’t think I’ve ever been a hero before.”
Sock watches guards drag the two people away from the tent. They just did that… He has always wanted to be a hero, specifically a warrior. Is this really his chance? They could take responsibility now that it was clear those two were murderers. He could finally have his dream…but, something holds him back. He can’t do it. It wouldn't do him any good, anyway. Better to move on.
“Hey, Sock?” Zucchini is also watching the people be taken away. He’s thinking about how his life so far has been one failure after another, how he’s always run away when the going has gotten tough, but somehow, with the weird trapeze man beside him, he managed to save someone. Really save someone. “Do you think we could do this again?”
"Huh? Which part? Saving people? Building traps? Not killing each other?"
Zucchini breathes out a laugh. “How about all three?” He turns to Sock, looking him in the eye. “I think we could really make a difference.”
Sock looks at Zucchini, really looks at him. Is he really asking to fight crime together? Sock had always thought Zucchini was stuck up and moody. He'd never really liked his aggressiveness before. But maybe there’s more to him. Maybe they can get along and use their talents to help people. He smiles. "I'd like that."
#jdsagjksf#crack#kind of? there's a lot of heart in here okay#zuko#sokka#fanfic#zukka#eventually idk rn theyre just trying to be friends lmao#atla#atla au#prince zuko#sokka of the southern water tribe#the circus au#the title we have right now is#the boys crack open a cold one and it's an underground crime organization#fix talks#fix writes with friends
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