#I can’t wait for Sokka to turn around & act like a completely different person because zukos around

[ssreeder]

https: //www.tumblr.com/drunktuesdays/717219676379299840

Them

These boys are the sickest individuals.

[thatgirlwhowrites01]

hot head

part 11 | masterlist

social media au

zuko x reader

this is a very long and fluffy update and I hope it makes up for my lack of posting these past couple days 🥺🥺💕💕💕

Zuko POV

“What is your partner’s name again?”

“Uncle, they aren’t my partner,” carrying a tray of used tea cups towards the back of the shop, I cleared my throat as I set it down by the sink for washing later. “Their name is y/n.” I folded my arms across my chest and faced towards Iroh, a grin displayed clearly.

“You’re telling me that my nephew is doing all this work for a friend?” he laughed.

“I’m doing all this work because you’re letting us stay in the loft,” my hands pointed to the stairs, “Besides, I owe them a favor and they’ve never been to Ba Sing Se, it’s the least I could do.” Which wasn’t a complete lie. I did owe them a favor, after everything I did I’m surprised they even responded to my initial dm. The only problem was keeping uncle out of the loop. He always had a knack for knowing when I was being sneaky and although it was a sense that came in handy when I was a child, as a fully capable adult it has now become annoying.

“What do you plan on doing tonight?”

“Um, I’m not too sure, I’m just planning on showing them the main spots of the city and then maybe some dinner.” I tried to play it off cool, but inside my heart was pounding at a rate far from healthy.

“Just make sure when you guys get back to lock the doors and wash any dishes you use, I’ll be in around nine in the morning tomorrow.”

“I will, don’t worry.” I watched as uncle took the shop key off the hook on the back wall. He tossed it to me with a wink, “Have fun Zuko.”

The shop was now mine for the night and I still had a couple hours before I had to leave to pick y/n up. There wasn’t much left to do since I had been here all day to help with customers and cleaning. I finished setting up the loft early this morning, it wasn’t anything super fancy. A couch that could be folded into a bed was pressed to the side wall and a nice mattress layed towards the back. I set up some fairy lights and a couple lanterns placed on tables around the room to add a relaxed ambience when lit tonight.

I can’t explain the feelings I’m having, nervous? Excited? I’m not sure, it’s hard to say. When Azula first told me about y/n she described them as this ugly, manipulative, mean person. But they aren’t like that at all. I remember when I first watched their video, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of them. They were beautiful, and the way they laughed made me feel warm inside, something I haven't felt in a long time. Azula insisted they were bad, and unfortunately I believed her. When they retaliated against me I didn’t know how to act, it filled me with rage because no one ever retaliates against me. I genuinely did hate them for a while but when the private investigator told me about what happened with their mom I wanted to take everything back. They had already been through so much and I was taking away something that could potentially work out really well. Despite what happened in the past I want this night to be a sort of ‘peace treaty’ if possible.

Y/N POV

The circumstances weren’t exactly ideal.. Zuko, the one who bullied me relentlessly with his twitter fingers was going to be my tour guide of Ba Sing Se for the night. The warnings from Katara and all my other friends wouldn’t leave my head and I couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that they were right. I did forgive too easily, but it was too late to cancel and plus I’ve never been to the city before.

I packed a small bag with a change of clothes and a couple miscellaneous items, being unsure of what the night would bring I made sure to pack some pepper spray too. I don’t think Zuko would try to hurt me, but being in a big city with one of the biggest jerks I know I had to come prepared.

It’s nearing five in the afternoon and my nerves are starting to get the better of me. Anytime now Zuko would be here and I’m starting to realize how awful this situation is. I could taste blood in my mouth from chewing on the inside of my cheek, “fuck,” I said while reaching for my phone. Almost on instinct my fingers swiped to Katara’s name in my contacts. The monotone ring droned on until I heard her pick up on the other line.

“Hello?”

“Katara, I’m freaking out, Zuko’s gonna be here at any moment and I don’t know what to do,”

“Hey it’s gonna be okay, are you sure you want to do this? I can always just make up an excuse for you so you don’t have to go?” I can tell she desperately wants me to say yes, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

“No it’s okay, I just really need someone to talk to until he gets here,”

“Okay, I promise it’s gonna be alright. You’ve got a whole army waiting up tonight to make sure you’ll be okay. Sokka, Suki, and Toph are gonna come over to Aang’s house with me and we’re not going to sleep until you’re back at wherever you’re staying.”

“Okay,” I laughed “If I don’t send updates by 11 send someone”

“Will do, Toph said she’s been ready to practice some knew boxing moves”

“Can’t wait,”

Our conversation went on for several minutes until I heard a knock on my door. “Coming!” I yelled and quickly ended the call, rushing to grab my bag. My hand curled around the handle and realization hit when I opened the door to see Zuko holding a bouquet of sunflowers. I smiled “Are these for me?”

“Yeah, I figured it’s the least I could do to make up for stuff.”

“Thank you,”

He seemed different than in his videos. His face was softer and his voice less harsh. I followed him to his car which was, to put it lightly, much nicer than my mini-van. I’m not even a car person but it was polished black with dark tinted windows and red rims, definitely something I could see him driving. He opened my door,  allowing me to slide in and fully appreciate the car. Leather seats accompanied a ‘new car’ smell and the front displayed a touch screen for controls. Shitty person or not, he rides in style.

After pulling away from my apartment the car fills with a low volume of slow RnB, “I’m not too sure if you  have anything specific in mind that you want to do, so I figured I’d show you my favorite parts of the city and grab something to eat, maybe some drinks?”

“That sounds great to me,” I smiled.

The rest of the car ride was silent, but with the mix of the sun close to setting, RnB, and the scenery I didn’t feel the need to talk. For a Friday night the traffic wasn’t that bad, we worked our way through it easily and stopped outside of a tea shop.

“This is my Uncle’s shop, there’s a loft on the top he said we could use for the night.”

“That’s so nice of him,  I’ll have to come back sometime to say thank you.”

I waited behind Zuko as he fiddled with the door. Now that I am standing next to him it was clear how muscular he was. The tight green shirt fit snug around his shoulders and biceps, his back muscles flexed while giggling the door handle. Finally it popped open and my focus changed to the space we were entering. It was cute and tiny, tables lined the walls and the bar had several stools flipped on top. I followed Zuko as he climbed the stairs to the loft.

“I washed and made the bed for you so you don’t have to worry about bugs or  anything,” Zuko pointed to the bed. I walked over to throw my bag down on the mattress “This place is so adorable, I love it!”

“Tea is my uncle's passion, when I was younger and he first started this shop I worked for him. This place is practically my home away from home.” He sat down on the couch facing me.”

I nodded, taking the place in. Fairy lights danced around the ceiling twinkling in a way that was mesmerizing. “Are you hungry?” Zuko asked.

“Is that even a question?” we both shared a laugh, “Come one, I know the best place for some pho.”

***

“And then, I practically threw up all over the place!” I laughed uncontrollably through my mouth full of pho,  “I can’t believe that,  in the middle of church?!” Zuko’s comment made me laugh even harder. “I swear! My mom was so mad it took everything in her power to not to drag me out by my hair!”

The night was going incredibly well. After a couple awkward ice breakers we somehow got on the subject of disappointing our parents and now we were the loudest table in the restaurant. Zuko was so much easier to talk to than I expected, and we had a lot in common.

“Excuse me, but would you and your partner like any dessert?” I was too busy laughing, I didn't even see the waiter approaching.

“Oh, they aren’t my partner.” I couldn’t help but snort which in turn made Zuko start laughing again, “I think we’re ready for the check if that’s alright” he said with as much composure and he could muster. I waited until the waiter was out of sight, “Partner” I snorted again. “Hey, the guy was just trying to find out if you were single,” I rolled my  eyes at Zuko’s comment. “Whatever..”

“It’s the truth! I bet everytime you go out you’re bombarded with people trying to get  with you!”

“Mhmm for sure, but I only  grace them with attention if they can guess my favorite color.”

“What’s your favorite color?” Zuko stared at me, rolling his lips to hide his smile.

“Why would you want to know? Are you trying to gain my attention?”

“I just want to make sure I know who I’m dealing with, they say you can learn a lot from people’s favorite color you know..”

“And who exactly is ‘they’?” I asked while crossing my arms.

“I prefer to keep that a secret.” He said while mimicking my stance.

We laughed together again at the stupidity of our argument. The waiter came back with the check and I reached for the cash I brought but before I could even get it to the table Zuko handed him a few $20’s telling him to keep the change. Warmth rose to my face “Thank you, I could’ve at least split it with you,”

“No worries, this is your trip and I wanna make it special.” he smiled, “Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”

We began walking the silent streets of Ba Sing Se, I admired all the little shops along the way. There was so much to do here and so many different people to meet. I think I have fallen in love with the city. When we came upon a small turn Zuko asked me to close my eyes.

“Why?” I smiled, I didn’t really care for the reason but I enjoyed teasing him.

“Just do it,”

With my eyes closed he grabbed my hand. I felt a jolt of energy race through my body. His hands were warm and calloused and much bigger than mine. The same warmth I felt at dinner returned as I tried suppressing my smile to no avail.

“You’re gonna love this.” he said, I could almost see his grin in my imagination. As he guided me I could hear water splashing and turtle ducks quacking. I was so excited I almost opened my eyes. Eventually he stopped me, “Can I open my eyes now?” I asked, wanting to know what he had led me to. “One sec,”

He shifted behind me, I could tell he was standing close because the heat radiating off of his body touched the back of my neck. “Okay, open.”

I was greeted with the sight of a beautiful fountain lit from all around, I felt like I had entered another world. It was so beautiful, the lights reflecting off the water made it even brighter. “What do you think?”

“Zuko, this is so pretty. I love it”

“I’m glad, this is one of my favorite spots. Especially at night.”

“I can see why,”

He made his way right next to me. We were standing so close our fingers grazed each other. I smiled at him nervously, unsure of what to do. “Do you want to feed the turtle ducks? I’ve got some bread”

“Yes!!” I said while practically running towards the animals in the fountain. I sat on the ledge which was a bit wet but not uncomfortable and Zuko took a seat next to me pulling a bag out of his pocket. He handed me a couple pieces to throw into the fountain and I wasted no time throwing it in.

They swarmed the area close to us splashing water as they ate. Zuko and I krept closer and closer together, if I moved my head it would bump into his shoulder.

I felt his hand fall on top of mine and I looked up. His eyes looked into mine and fell to my lips, the tension building had me leaning closer. His hand came up to gently cup my cheek while my eyes fluttered closed. Our lips met  with a heat, my breath caught in my chest due to the sudden sensation.

The kiss was slow, but short. This was better than the kiss Haru and I shared back at Aang’s grandparent’s house. This was electric and made me feel something.  We pulled away, my forehead falling on his. I could feel my heart beating through my chest.

This felt right.

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[jothzuko]

To Chip Away

Read on AO3

Summary: Suki's spent a lot of time excelling at acting like she's fine. She's a leader; it comes with the territory, and pretending to be fine after escaping the Boiling Rock is just the next logical step. They've all got bigger problems, anyway. Still, it turns out she's not fooling Sokka quite as well as she'd hoped.

It takes Sokka a while to notice Suki’s gone, which he’d prefer to attribute to her stealth skills rather than his own failings. He’s let his guard down a little at the Air Temple, has stopped mentally doing headcounts every couple minutes, although he maybe should resume those with the way people keep disappearing on them (if he and Zuko had been the last ones missing, surely they could be forgiven, since they’d come back with more people than they’d left with).

Either way, he’s halfway through talking to his dad when he looks around at some point and realizes she’s not with the group. “Did you see Suki leave?”

Hakoda takes a second to catch up with the sudden about-face in the conversation, but then he says, “Don’t think so. She can’t have gone far, though, the flying bison’s still here.”

“He has a name, Dad. Did you forget Appa’s name?”

“There have been quite a few new names to keep track of, and aren’t you trying to find your girlfriend?”

Sokka nods. “I’ll be back, I still wanna hear about Kallik spitting on Fire Nation troops.”

“That’s pretty much the whole story,” Hakoda says, but Sokka’s already up and heading off to find Suki.

His dad had been right, there weren’t a lot of places she could’ve gone without some serious climbing, and only a few were out of view from the space where they’d set up camp. There’s a ledge, though, high enough up the cliffside trail that someone could remain unseen, and that seems like as good a guess as any. He follows the path up, sticking close to the cliff wall and, spirits, he’s not particularly afraid of heights, but he still wishes the Air Nomads had built these paths a little wider. Not that they’d needed them, of course, but it would’ve been nice.

He crests the hill, only a little winded, and finds her there with her back to him, staring off into the distance. She doesn’t seem to hear him at first, so he kicks a pebble against the rock face because startling someone on a mountain ledge doesn’t seem like the world’s best idea.

She turns at the noise, already on high alert, and then she relaxes. “Sokka.”

“Hey.” Sokka comes to sit next to her, swinging his legs over the side of the ledge and ignoring just how nervous that makes him. Like with the paths, there’s fear of heights, and there’s a much more reasonable fear of falling miles to your death, and he’s not really ashamed to say he has a healthy dose of the latter. “Just came to check on you. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Of course I am.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“I’m fine,” she says, the words a little razor-edged.

But if Sokka doesn’t press, no one else is going to, and it seems like someone needs to. “You were in prison.”

“And now I’m not in prison. So I’m fine.” She’s trying hard enough to be convincing that Sokka almost gives up and believes her, except that he remembers holding her, kneeling on the floor of that cell, her breath catching in her throat and her tears soaking the shoulder of his stolen guard uniform. That, and the fact that she’s out here alone in the first place.

“Alright, fine. I won’t keep bothering you about it, I just… I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep it to yourself, you know?”

“I don’t,” she says, but there’s something in it that tells him to let the quiet stretch out between them, and then she shakes her head a little. “Maybe I do. I don’t want to start breaking down now if I’m not sure I can put myself back together fast enough.”

“You’re not doing it alone.”

“I’m not used to that. Or- I don’t know. It’s different.”

Sokka tips his head and asks, “What do you mean?” and he thinks maybe he knows the particular kind of loneliness she’s talking about, but he can’t be sure.

“I was never alone when I had the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors, but I was their leader, you know? I didn’t want to seem like I wasn’t sure of myself because I wanted them to be able to trust me. And I guess they shouldn’t have, but…”

“They absolutely should trust you, are you kidding me? They couldn’t have a better leader.”

Suki looks away, pulling her knee up to her chest and rubbing at a barely visible smudge of dirt on her shoe. “I couldn’t protect them. Not that they can’t protect themselves, I know they can, but I should’ve- I don’t know, I should’ve fought harder. There had to have been something.”

“I know you, okay? I know you would’ve done everything you could, and they know that too, probably even better than I do.”

“I guess,” she says, but she might as well not have said it at all with how little conviction there is behind it.

“I’m serious, it’s not your fault. Losing to Azula and her friends is pretty much a rite of passage around here. They’re scary.”

“I love the way they fight, actually. It was nice to have it not directed at us for once when we were trying to escape.”

“Yeah, I’d kind of like to learn how to throw knives now, but that’s a whole other thing.”

She’s quiet for a minute, looking at something or nothing off in the distance, and then she says, “Do you know me?”

It’s an unexpected step back in the conversation, one Sokka hadn’t been ready for, and he can’t say it doesn’t sting a little. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t mean that in a bad way, I promise. It’s just that sometimes it feels like I’ve known you forever, but then I total up the days we’ve actually spent together and it’s not very many.”

“Well, yeah, but sometimes you can just… get people.”

“I know.” She shakes her head. “Maybe I’m overthinking it. It was just a weird thing to realize.”

“Well, short time or not, it was enough that you knew I’d find you,” Sokka says, but a half-second later he’s seized by doubt. “Unless… that wasn’t true.”

“I meant that. I wasn’t about to lie to you when you were in the middle of trying to rescue me. It’s just a little more complicated than that.”

He reaches out for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “So tell me.”

Suki’s expression goes unreadable for a second, back to staring at the horizon, but then she says, “I believed you’d come for me. I really did. But there were bad days when I thought… I don’t know. I guess I wondered if I’d ever make it outside again, because even if you did try to rescue me, so much could’ve gone wrong. Sometimes I almost hoped you didn’t come because I couldn’t watch you die.”

“I was always gonna find you. No matter how long it took.”

“I know. But some days I hoped you didn’t, because then I could keep believing in something. If you got killed trying to rescue me… that would have been it.”

“That’s…”

“Yeah, it’s dark, I know.”

“No, I mean- well, yeah, it is dark, but I get it.” And he thinks he does. He thinks he’d feel the same way, honestly, if it was Suki or Katara or his dad or anyone else risking their lives to save him. It’s something he’d never voice to the rest of the group, too much to put on the people he tries to protect, but it feels safe in the space between the two of them. “I can’t imagine not having anything to do but sit there and think about that.”

“Can’t say I recommend it,” Suki says, and she’s clearly trying to keep her tone light, but it’s not working all that well. There’s too much strain in her voice for that.

“If you wanna tell somebody about that, I know a guy.”

“Oh yeah?”

“His name is Wang Fire. He’s the personal therapist to the Avatar.”

“I don’t know the backstory there, but I’m gonna guess it’s you in disguise,” Suki says, with just the faintest hint of a smile.

“You… would be absolutely correct. But in my defense, I rock a good fake beard.”

Suki makes a show of studying him. “I think I like you okay without it.”

“Okay, well, I’m a little hurt. But the point is, I’ve got two functioning ears and nowhere else to be.”

Suki turns her eyes to the horizon again instead, swinging her legs so her heels kick back against the stone. “I don’t know what there is to say, honestly. I sat in a cell and I tried not to lose my mind. I tried to keep some structure at first, and I’d do some training or try to plan an escape or whatever, but it wears you down after a while. I’d have entire days of just staring at the ceiling trying to remember how to even feel like myself.”

And yes, okay, logically Sokka knows that he hadn’t known where she was, but that doesn’t mean the guilt of not breaking her out sooner doesn’t make it feel hard to breathe. He wants her to keep talking, though, because hopefully getting it all out will do some good, so he just squeezes her hand and waits for her to continue.

“The other prisoners didn’t mess with me or anything- one of them did tell me they thought it was cool that I was an enemy of the state as a teenager, so that was kind of funny- but we weren’t exactly friends, either. It was just… really lonely. I’ve never spent that much time away from the other Warriors, let alone completely on my own.”

“I really can’t imagine. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not like it’s your fault.”

“If I ever figure out something better to say in a situation like this, I’ll let you know. Probably become world famous for it, honestly. I think there’s a real market.”

“Don’t forget me when you’re a celebrity.”

“I could never.” Sokka hesitates for a second, unwilling to shatter the little bit of lightness in the conversation, but he needs to ask the thing he’s been too afraid of. “Azula said- she said something about you being her favorite prisoner. She made it sound like she’d- I don’t know, hurt you, or at least was out there being horrible to you. Was that true, or was that just to throw me off?” Suki hasn’t mentioned it, sure, but maybe it was the type of thing that was too awful to talk about. That’s what it had been in his nightmares, at the very least.

Suki shakes her head. “She was messing with you. She wasn’t pleasant when I got captured or anything, but I didn’t have information she wanted. Once she figured that out, I wasn’t worth her time, and she definitely wasn’t going all the way out to the Boiling Rock for my sake.”

Suddenly, Sokka can breathe a little easier. “I really hoped, just- it’s Azula. Even Toph doesn’t know when she’s lying.”

Suki frowns. “Is Toph… supposed to know when she’s lying?”

“Oh, right. You weren’t there for that, but yeah. Turns out she can tell when someone’s lying because their heartrate picks up.”

“Didn’t know that was possible, but that’s kind of just an everyday thing at this point.”

Sokka sighs. “Tell me about it.”

They sit in silence for a little while longer, but this time there’s less tension to it, not nearly as much hanging in the balance and waiting to be spoken. Maybe Sokka does feel less like he knows the girl next to him than he used to, but maybe that’s not a bad thing, because if he’s lucky he’ll get to know her. He has to believe they’ll have time, after the war. He has to believe they'll make it until after the war.

“Thanks for coming to find me,” Suki says after a while.

“Feel any better?”

“A little.”

“For what it’s worth, I still think you’re the coolest, bravest, toughest person I know.”

She tips her head onto his shoulder. “You’re sweet.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“Oh yeah? When?”

“Uh. By you, right now.”

“You’re also ridiculous.”

Sokka turns and kisses the top of her head. “I can live with that.”

[nerdybookworm25]

Rambling about Katara and Zutara

Ok so I’m going to kind of just put my two cents out there on this stuff. I joined the ATLA fandom this past summer and just started watching TLOK (my brother and I just finished Book 2 yesterday). This is a hot debate and I just want to ramble on about my opinions on this stuff. A lot of this will focus on Katara’s perspective because I can understand her better than Zuko or Aang due to personal experience. Im just... gonna... get into it now...

I’ll give you some background on me so you guys can understand where I’m coming from. I’m a 15 year old girl with abandonment issues caused by multiple deaths of close friends and family at a young age (my uncle when I was 4, a grandmother like figure when I was 7, my dad’s mum when I was 9 or 10, my great grandma when I was 11, a close friend of my dad’s when I was 13 and many others). I also am the Mum Friend (my friends literally call me “Mum”). I’m the caregiver of the group- the glue, the harmonizer, the therapist, the teacher, the good advice giver etc. (This stuff actually hot me in trouble as a kid and it kind of messed me up). My friends who have seen Avatar have compared me to Katara on multiple occasions and say I’ve got the temperament of a waterbender. You can kind of see where I’d relate, you know?

I do ship Zutara. My brother turned to me during the Book 1: Water- Episode 9~ The Waterbending Scroll and asked, “What if Zuko becomes a good guy and ends up with Katara?” From then on I was on the Zutara hill and I’ll probably die there. It limited ships that I loved from childhood and I thought it would hav been really cool- it would have fit the themes of the show, it would have been a cool thing to see grow and blossom, etc. It had nothing to do with Katara and Zuko being attractive at all- not in the slightest. It also wasn’t me projecting onto Katara. I didn’t really care to notice any major similarities between us until Book Three: Fire- Episode 7~ The Runaway. It was this exchange that changed Katara from my favorite character to someone I could heavily relate to.

Toph: [Sarcasically.] Oh really, Mom? Or what are you gonna do? Send me to my room?

Katara: I wish I could!

Toph: well you can’t! Because you’re not my mom, and you’re not their mom! [Extends her arm at Aang and Sokka, who are sitting on a ledge.]

Katara: I never said I was!

Toph: No, but you act like it! You think it’s your job to boss everyone around, but it’s not! You’re just a regular kid like the rest of us! Stop acting like you can tell me what to do! I can do whatever I want!

I remember bursting out laughing when I heard this. My brother asked me what was up and I paused it and explained that that was a lecture I revived so regularly when I was younger. It really really ended up messing me up. It’s not like I tried to mother anyone- it just happened. I wasn’t controlling it. I didn’t notice I was doing it and I got in trouble. Now things are different and I’ve embraced the fact that I am the designated Mum Freind. Still working on getting over being told off about it in therapy though. Anyway, I think you now can understand where I’m coming from with this “analysis.” Now I’m going to get into it (for real this time lol).

I think I’m going to start with the caregiver stuff. Katara’s mother died when she was very young. It was a very traumatic death. We can infer that Katara blamed herself for this death because the Southern Raiders were looking for the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe- her. That’s a lot for an 8 year old to try to process. Here’s the kicker: I don’t think she ever fully processed it until after Book 3: Fire- Episode 16~ The Southern Raiders. She almost immediately helped her grandmother take up the roll as the woman of the house. She probably didn’t feel like she had anyone to talk to about what she was feeling however true or false that’s what she most likely perceived this to be. When Hakoda leaves for war with all of the men of the tribe, Kanna might be the matriarch and help raise Sokka and Katara but even Sokka admits that Katara became a pseudo-mother for him. Taking care of others doesn’t leave a lot of time to deal with your own issues. Sometimes it feels easier to help others face their demons than face your own.

We continue to see Katara become the glue of the Gaang as the series progresses. She keeps them together in the Si Wong desert after Aang leaves her, Sokka, Toph, and Momo. She’s always the one cooking, cleaning, and mending not because she wants to, but because she knows no one else will do it and it needs to be done. We see her try to coax Toph into helping out around camp when she firsts joins the Gaang. It doesn’t work and this conflict continues for most of Book 2 and the beginning of Book 3. All of this time, she’s making it a point to take care of everyone. When the adults show up after the Boiling Rock, she’s still the one making the dinner and probably does a lot of the other chores as well (except for tea making- this will come into play later).

There’s a running joke about Katara being “Momtara” within the ATLA fandom (more the Zutaraians in the fandom than anything else but it’s a pretty well known concept). We continue to see this when the Gaang is on Ember Island. She brings them all drink during training sessions, watches said training sessions in case someone gets hurt and they need her, wrangles Sokka to the best of her ability, and just generally looks out for everyone regardless of age gap. It’s her natural instinct to be motherly. She retains this quality even after she finds Yon Rha. (Getting closure on her mother’s death doesn’t mean losing what had become a major personality trait).

Let’s unpack that now, shall we? Kya dies and Katara thinks it’s her fault. She doesn’t really talk to anyone about it. A few years later, Hakoda leaves to fight in the war. The Southern Water Tribe recives no letters or news about what happened to their warriors at all. Katara felt like she lost another parent. She nearly says as much during Book 3: Fire- Episode 1~ The Awakening.

Hakoda: You’re taking about me too, aren’t you?

Katara: How could you leave us, Dad? [She attempts to wipe away the tears.] I mean, I know we had Gran-Gran, and she loved us, but we were just so lost without you.

Hakoda moves to comfort her as she turns away.

Hakoda: I’m so sorry, Katara.

Katara: [Embraces Hakoda.] I understand why you left. I really do, and I know that you had to go, so why do I still feel this way? I’m so sad and angry and hurt!

The thing that sets off this exchange is Aang running away for the third time since Katara has known him (the fourth time in Aang’s lifetime). The other times he ran were when confronted by the rude fisherman in Book 1: Water- Episode 12~ The Storm, then again during Book 2: Earth- Episode 11~ The Desert. Aang has a, for lack of a better word, chronic running away problem. I’m not mad at him for it. It makes him an interesting character and shows that he too has flaws (even if they aren’t always addressed but that’s an issue with Bryke). When Aang flys away after waking up during 3.1, Katara is distraught.

Katara: He left.

Hakoda: What?

Katara: Aang. He just took his glider and disappeared. He has this ridiculous notion that he has to save the world alone, that it’s all his responsibility.

Hakoda: Maybe that’s his way of being brave.

Katara: Its not brave, it’s selfish and stupid! We could be helping him and I know the world needs him, but doesn’t he know how much we need him, too? How can he just leave us behind?

Katara feels abandoned by Aang. This is completely understandable. She has every right to be angry at him and feel sad that he flew away. He comes back every time but I feel like if I were in her position, as much as I’d hope my friend would come back and I’d tell everyone that I knew he would, I’d still be afraid that there was an off chance that he doesn’t. This is a natural human reaction to this situation. People were seemingly constantly fading in and out of Katara’s life and that just wasn’t good for her mental health. It couldn’t have been. This also raises the question of if someone has a very serious fear of abandonment, would it be healthy to be in a romantic relationship with someone who consistently leaves? Personally I don’t think so. Be friends? Sure. Date? I don’t know. It doesn’t quite sit right with me.

Katara probably feels abandoned by Zuko too. During the Book 2 Finale: Crossroads of Destiny, Katara and Zuko bond in the crystal catacombs under Ba Sing Se. They relate over their shared fear of being abandoned by those they love (yes I think Zuko has abandonment issues too- among other issues/fears). When he turns his back on her, she doesn’t live him (obviously). She has cared about him enough up to that point to offer to use what is arguably her most powerful possession to heal his scar. She cares. Because she cares about him then, she is downright livid when he betrays her. (Of course the difference between Zuko and Aang with this is Zuko leaves once and comes back and he doesn’t leave again. Aang leaves and comes back over and over and over again).

Katara: I thought you had changed!

Zuko: I have changed!

Katara carries the weight of his betrayal on her mind until she and Zuko go on their life changing field trip to confront the man who killed Katara’s mother. This was her time to finally get closure. She had probably had these feelings bottled up for 6 years and didn’t act on them. When she finally had the chance, her best friend and brother tried to stop her. She lashed out.

Katara: We’re going to find the man who took my mother from me.

Sokka pauses and stands up, surprised.

Zuko: Sokka told me the story of what happened. I know who did it and I know how to find him.

Aang: Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?

Katara: [Shakes her head in dismay.] Ugh, I knew you wouldn’t understand. [Begins to walk away.]

Aang: Wait! Stop! I do understand. You’re feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?

Zuko: She needs this, Aang. This is about getting closure and justice.

Aang: I don’t think so. I think this is about getting revenge.

Katara: [Angrily.] Fine, maybe it is! Maybe it’s what he deserves!

Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet.

Katara: Its not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he’s a monster.

Sokka: Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right.

Katara: Then you didn’t love her the way I did!

Sokka: [Hurt.] Katara!

Katara gets a lot of flack for this interaction. She says Sokka didn’t love their mother like she did and Sokka I’d understandably hurt. It doesn’t excuse what she said, but people do lash out when they are feeling a lot of emotions and they get defensive when they feel like they’re being ganged up on or attacked (I myself am guilty of this sort of thing). What Katara said was wrong but I have no doubt in my mind that she didn’t apologize to Sokka when he and the rest of the Gaang arrive on Ember Island later in the episode. She is seen walking over to him after she hugs Zuko.

Zuko and Katara go after Yon Rha anyway. For once in her life, Katara is feeling emotions and no one is trying to get her to stop or to push them aside. She doesn’t have to be constantly taking care of someone so she can focus on herself. Katara trusts Zuko more than I think she realizes. I mean she trusts him with a lot and he follows through on a lot of unspoken/subconscious agreements and promises.

Zuko is looking out for her. Zuko has her back. Zuko is allowing her to feel all of these emotions and work them out of her own accord. Zuko isn’t telling her to feel one way or another. Zuko isn’t going to judge her for whatever she decides to do when they find Yon Rha or what she does in order for them to get to that point. Zuko ensures she gets the closure she feels she needs.

When he sees her bloodbend, he’s surprised, but he isn’t appalled. When he thinks she’s going to run Yon Rha through with a giant shard of ice, he doesn’t try to stop her. He lets her be her. He sees a dark side of her in a way that no one else in the Gaang has seen. It’s strangely intimate. Clearly it has enough of an impact to make her forgive him. She knows he isn’t going to abandon betray her and her friend again.

Once they become friends, and even before that, Zuko starts to help out with small things here and there. We see him making tea for all of the kids at dinner. He tells jokes to make them laugh. He teaches Aang firebending. He goes with Sokka to the Boiling Rock to make sure he doesn’t get himself killed or in a prison cell for the rest of his life. With all of this, “Dadko” is born.

If you strip away Zuko’s anger, he just becomes the awkward-turtleduck-first-time-father that we all know and love. There’s more balance in the Gaang with him there to help and become an “authority” figure with Katara. They become the parents of the other members of the Gaang. It’s an interesting shift in their relationship- enemies to unsteady acquaintances to enemies to frenemies to friends. They’re close enough that they show small signs of physical intimacy and they tease each other.

Also if you look close enough when the Gaang walks into the “seedy Earth Kingdom tavern,” Zuko and Katara appear to be holding hands and are near each other from then until the finale episodes. They are clearly just great friends by the end of the show. I mean Zuko also takes a bolt of lightning to the chest for her...

Zuko doesn’t leave when his life gets difficult- not after he joins the Gaang. He made that mistake once and he won’t make it again. Aang was always part of the Gaang but continued to leave (again, I’m not mad at him for it but he never seems to realize the effect it has on the people around him- especially Katara). Zuko also doesn’t all but forget Katara and continue to run around the world. When Zuko fully decides to stick around, you best believe he is sticking around.

This works really well for Zutara. They’re both each other’s rock. They support each other and help each other in times of trouble. Do they argue? Yes. Is that a normal part of a healthy relationship- romantic or otherwise? Yes. Do they take care of and look out for each other while also not smothering or suffocating each other? Yes. I don’t know about you but this sounds stable and healthy to me. They balance each other out so well (I’m not going to get too into that because if you’re reading this you probably already know with the whole Tui and La, Yin and Yang, Oma and Shu thing).

Now, this is a big deal for me and it makes me furious, but Katara is forgotten by history. She has no statue. She is reduced to a housewife and healer- things our wonderful water feminist was afraid of becoming as an adult. I mean this girl

This girl

THIS GIRL

She becomes nothing but a housewife stuck in a healing hut who gets forgotten by the world and left behind by her family just... let’s all of that happen? Yeah that’s pretty unrealistic. I think about this frequently and with starting TLOK I have formed even more opinions and have a little thingy (I don’t know what to call it) for what happened to her.

Kya II is everything Teenage Katara wanted to do and be before settling down. Old Katara is everything Teenage Katara was so afraid of become reduced to/becoming.

It’s an interesting way to think about it and I thought I’d share. Now if Katara was Fire Lady, she wouldn’t end up like that. She’d have the power to change the world and continue to fight for what she believed in. She could have helped with the trail with Yakone. Katara has so much potential to not be forgotten or brushed aside and somehow it happened. It makes me so sad. The potential Zutara had to make sure Katara had a genuine legacy was right there at their finger tips and they didn’t use it. What a shame. What a shame.

With all of the things I’ve talked about, I just feel like Zutara would have been better for Katara than Kataang was. I think that’s more Bryke not developing the relationship well enough and instead choosing to be sloppy and selfish in the way they structured the relationship. Yeah this is my rambling on about the issue. Hope it was mildly entertaining! If you want me to write something about how Zuko would have benefited from Zutara, let me know!

[theowriteswhatever]

Zuko Story That Has No Title Part 2

So I already wrote most of this story, because my friend asked me to. But I’m just going to release it in chunks so I don’t overload your dash.

-Your pal, Bubbles

I told no one that I had saved Zuko all those months ago. I knew they’d probably be pissed at me for saving the life of someone who repeatedly tried to kill us. 

But I couldn’t just watch him die. He was still human.

Now we were in Ba Sing Se and everyone was bored of waiting to talk to the prince and was still trying to figure out the mysteries of this weird town. 

Katara had taken Toph, a new member of our group, to a makeover day. Aang was helping with some kind of zoo. And Sokka was wandering around probably thinking about Suki. 

I had heard of this nice tea shop in the poorer area of Ba Sing Se, but I wasn’t really allowed near there. So I devised a plan.

I put my (Y/H/C) hair in a braid and then into a bun, which I had never done before. I did my make up differently too. I then found a knee length green dress with flowers in my closet and put it on with a black cardigan. I looked completely different and knew Joo Dee wouldn’t be able to stop me. 

I poked my head into the hallway and made sure no one was there. Everyone was gone. Even Momo. I made my way out of the house and onto the monorail system. 

Once I had arrived at the immigrant slums of Ba Sing Se, I made my way to where the supposed tea shop was. When I arrived at the opening to the tea shop, I practically gasped. I ran to hide outside the shop.

Zuko, with no ponytail, was working with his uncle around the tea shop. He seemed angry to be helping, which wasn’t out of character. 

I wasn’t recognizable, so I knew I could go in. But I wasn’t sure I should. But I took another look and the tea looked so good. And Zuko didn’t look as focused on regaining his honor, but more focused on helping his uncle and forcing himself to be upset about it. 

I came out of my hiding spot and walked into the building to sit in the front corner so I could make a quick escape if need be. Zuko approached me and I could tell he was forcing a smile. It took all my effort to not laugh.

“Hi, welcome to our tea shop. What can I get you?” He said in the most bored voice imaginable.

“2 chamomiles please.” I responded with a smile.

“2?” He asked, “But you’re alone.” 

“I thought maybe you could sit with me for a second. Unless you don’t like chamomile. Then I’ll take 2 of whatever you like.” I said as if it was no big deal.

He obviously thought it was a big deal. He practically stumbled backwards at the offer and his face went red. Even though half of it already permanently was. My face grew a little red too, but I stayed calm. He was still kinda in shock and it was a little adorable. Just a little bit.

“You don’t have to.” I said through chuckles.

“N-no it’s ok. I w-will. And um. . .chamomile is fine.” He said while stumbling over his words. He then rushed off to the back and started to make our tea. 

I could tell from where I was sitting that his uncle was laughing at his awkwardness and nudging him teasingly. I laughed a little bit, because not only was it sweet, it was unexpected. We had always seen them as ruthless people that were practically evil, but I had to remember they were still humans with emotions. All humans could love, except Azula. 

He headed back and set the tea in front of me and the chair opposite mine. He sat down and almost fell in the process. I giggled at it, but covered it with my nad. He smiled awkwardly and looked down at the table in what looked like shame.

I took a sip of the chamomile to hide the continuous laughter and my eyes went wide. “Is it bad?” He said in a panicked voice.

“No! No no no. It’s delicious. It’s probably the best tea I’ve ever had.” I said quickly so he wouldn’t worry. Lord knows this boy doesn’t need more worry in his life.

He cracked a near invisible smile. I had never seen him even come close to curling his lip, but right now I could tell that he was actually. . .happy. Which was weird. But nice.

“What’s your name?” He asked while scratching the back of his neck nervously. I had almost forgotten that I didn’t look like (Y/N) anymore. I hadn’t thought of what I would say my name is.

“Leeane.” I stammered out. He chuckled a little bit and I got scared for a second. What if he knew it was actually me? What if he knew and was about to give me a burn identical to his? “Wh-what’s funny?” I whispered in fear as I looked down at the table like Zuko had done just seconds ago.

“I just thought that was funny, because my name’s Lee.” He said with a smile. I completely forgot that he would be in disguise too. Although it was hard to not recognize his scar. Not that I would mention that. I let out an unintentional sigh of relief, but turned it into a laugh to play along. I looked up and became more confident. He smiled more when he saw me look up.

“I thought you were going to make fun of my name for a second there.” I lied. He chuckled a little bit and I did too. 

“No. It’s a um. . .it’s a beautiful name.” He said nervously before clearing his throat. I smiled and put my hand on his while I leaned forward.

“Why are you so nervous?” I asked with concern in my voice. 

He was honestly worrying me with how awkward he was. The group had always seen him as heartless and evil, but evil people can’t be like this. He can’t be so worried about messing up without caring a little bit. He had to care about me just a bit if he’s so shy and awkward. That or he doesn’t care and we just never realized how quiet he is. I guess when he isn’t talking about honor, he doesn’t have much else to say. 

“I’m not a people person.” He stated quietly and in an ashamed voice. I felt bad for him. Which while it’s normal for me to care for people, I doubt he was used to being cared for. Except Iroh always treated him like a son. But Zuko needed someone to treat him as something else. A friend.

*   *   *

Zuko and I sat for what felt like hours and talked, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for not telling him who I really was. But he wasn’t honest with me either, so I guess we were equal.

I eventually had to leave before the group got worried about me and had two missing group members to look for. I politely excused myself and promised to come back soon. Zuko stood at the door frame and waved goodbye before his uncle wrapped his arm around him and led him inside. 

Once I made it onto the monorail, I let my hair down and brushed through it to look remotely normal. I would probably look weird to them in green compared to my usual blue and my makeup was still a little different, but I doubt they would care. Katara might, but that wouldn’t be unusual. She always found something or someone to worry about.

I got back to the house quickly in an effort to avoid Joo Dee and any Dai Li. I finally made it without anyone stopping me and saw everyone gathered in the living room. They all looked exhausted and sad. Whether it was Appa, the impending war, or whatever happened today, I couldn’t guess. Katara looked up and smiled before running towards me to engulf me in a bearhug. “(Y/N), where have you been? I was worried sick!”

“We were worried sick.” Toph corrected in a sassy tone. Katara rolled her eyes and let go. 

“Why were you worried? I was fine.” I reassured all of them. But I could tell Katara wasn’t buying it. My change in clothes and make up also hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“We didn’t know that. Now where were you?” Katara demanded. 

“I just explored town a little bit, like all of you did.” I said in my “as-a-matter-of-fact” voice. But Katara still didn’t seem convinced. She raised one eyebrow and took another look at my personally unique outfit.

“Then why are you dressed like that?” She pressed.

“I wanted to explore the slums and didn’t want Joo Dee stopping me. So I disguised myself as someone else.” I admitted sheepishly. I knew she’d be mad that I went where I wasn’t supposed to go, especially in such a mysterious city. But I wouldn’t regret what I did. 

“You can’t do that! The Dai Li could find you and we would have no idea. They could’ve captured you or hurt you or. . .killed you! You have no idea how dangerous that was.” She screeched with her hands placed firmly on her hips.

I wanted to run off in an effort to not upset her. The last thing I wanted to do was make it worse. I wanted to maybe stay silent and not make her more mad. Everyone was watching and waiting for what I would do and I didn’t want to let them down.

But I couldn’t this time. I love Katara. I do. But she was being ridiculous. She was acting as if this was the worst thing in the world. And she was looking at me like I was the scum of the Earth. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to say something and this time I would not just apologize.

“Really? I go across town to go and explore a town we have nothing better to do in and then I’m in danger! We’ve been traveling the world going from one life-threatening situation to the next and the one day I can do something fun or nice or even remotely enjoyable, I come back to be told that I was in danger? I’ve been in danger from the second this all started and now’s the point where you decide to mention it? I had my first day in months today where I didn’t have to worry about getting burned, or crushed, or drowned, or being hurt by some kind of crazy freak and you decide to tell me I was in danger!” Katara was taken aback by my anger and looked like she felt bad. I took a deep breath and continued with more of a calm tone. “I appreciate that you care about me Katara and I know you mean well, but I finally had one day that I legitimately enjoyed. Please don’t ruin it for me.” 

Katara looked down and kicked some kind of rock around on the floor to distract herself. I sighed and made my way to my room. 

I shut my door and locked it and then began to wipe my makeup off on my sleeve. I took off my dress and looked at my old southern water tribe gear. I didn’t want it right now. It didn’t feel right. I crawled into my bed into just my undershirt and shorts and sat there staring at the ceiling. 

Soon enough I heard Katara knocking on my door, but instead of answering the door like I know I should have, I rolled over and forced myself to sleep.

[kigozula]

A Sokkla Fic inspired by the Story of Jake Long & Rose from American Dragon. Sokka finds out who is Love really is and an adventure is beginning. Will Azula and Sokka be able to live their love?

Chapter 5

They had gathered in the Tea Shop as ever. Lu Ten brew the tea for everyone and joined the three friends at the table, who were having an important conversation.

"See, I've asked some Water Fighters to search for any signs of the Hunstclan, and they found a not-so-secret-lair." Haru explained.

"According to what they told me, it's an academy for young members of the Huntsclan to train."

Sokka smiled and stood up from his chair enthusiastically. "Azula could be there too! We have to go there Haru."

"Yeah, just storm inside and take her, right? Everyone would be okay with that I'm sure." said Toph.

Lu Ten was standing while sipping form his tea. "The only way to get there is undercover. I mean, if you could act like members of the Huntsclan, people wouldn't recognize you anytime soon."

"The problem is, where to find suits?" asked Haru.

"I'm sure some members are walking in and outside, we could just take it from them." said Sokka.

"Sounds dangerous to me Sokka." Haru seemed unsure. "What if they manage to reach the academy?"

"Then we just look that it doesn't come to that."

Everyone gave him skeptical looks.

Toph broke the silence. "Sokka look, I know you want to go to her as quick as possible, but what tells you that she wants to come with you? What if she doesn't even want you?"

"She wants to, I'm sure Toph." Sokka was sure. He wanted to be at least. Granted, part of him feared she would reject him, but deep down he believed, she loved him and wants him back too. And even if she wouldn't want him, he still wanted to make sure she is safe.

"Then it's time to find out if she does or not. You can never know if you never reach her." Lu Ten, supportive as ever gave Sokka an encouraging smile. "I also know a way to easy our plan."

With that he went to a room behind the kitchen and needed some minutes to find what he was looking for. He came back with two Huntsclan suits.

"Hakoda once ambushed two members and since then, we keep the suits in case we'll need it one day. Seems to me like that day is today." he said and winked.

And that was enough for Sokka and Haru to plan through everything. They've put the suits on and went to the lair.

Entering the academy, they were surprised of how large it was inside. They walked until they arrived a room full of students and it looked like it was a cafeteria.

"Oh hey, are you two new?" asked a girl who looked lovestruck at Haru.

"Ehhmm...yeah." Haru got shy.

Sokka's eyes kept searching for any signs of Azula. And he saw her.

"Azula" he whispred.

There she was. Looking beautiful as ever. His heart warmed up immidiately. Happiness took over him. He had to hold back from calling her name aloud and run to her, so that he could give her a hug.

She was walking through the exit.

Sokka looked back at Haru who was surrounded by two girls who were having a discussion over him.

"I saw him first, you better go!" said one of them.

"I go? We'll see who is gonna go!"

Sokka grabbed Haru by his arm who was confused by the girl's behavior and walked in Azula's direction. Busy with fighting, the girls didn't even notice them going.

Unbeknownst to Sokka, Azula noticed the strange guy looking at her. She walked into her room and left the door ajar. Sokka and Haru went into her room. No one was inside.

With a cry, Azula jumped on Sokka and grabbed his arms.

Haru was shocked and Sokka in pain.

"Azula, hey it's me."

She stopped. "Sokka?" Haru put out his mask and greeted her by waving a hand. "Haru?"

She let Sokka stand up. He put out his mask too and only then did Azula realize how much she had missed these emotions in his eyes as well as that huge smile he only showed her.

After a short explanation of how they've found Azula, Sokka wanted to start the next step.

"I'm happy I've finally found you Azula." he said blushing and making her blush in return.

She looked away shortly and Haru coughed when he felt the weird tension in the room.

"Ehm, what now?" he asked.

Sokka made some steps towards Azula.

"Azula, you have to come with us. I mean if you would like to." He was nervous and feared her answer. "If you worry about the Huntsmaster, I can protect you Azula. You don't need to worry about him!"

She was truly flattered. But things were more serious than Sokka thought she believed.

"Sokka, the Huntsmaster is displeased with me. Displeased because I missed my chance to become a full member of the Huntsclan by slaying you." Azula started explaining.

"I'm in charge of training the younger students currently. I can't just leave the academy, let along the Huntsclan. I can't do it just like that."

"But Azula..." Sokka wanted to say something, but Azula interrupted him.

"Besides, Zhao is planning something huge. He didn't even tell me exactly what it is, but I know it's important to him and also dangerous. Even if I could leave, I'd much rather keep an eye on him." she looked into Sokka's eyes and saw worry in them.

"But you can at least come back to school. What does it take for you to come back to your usual life?" he asked her.

Azula's eyes narrowed at that and she closed her eyes shortly.

After a moment she opened them again. Those eyes that had been warm seconds ago turned cold.

"By slaying a Water Fighter."

Both Sokka and Haru were displeased by that answer.

Azula could only be "freer" by doing that?

Footsteps were heard outside and Azula gathered herself.

"I have to go now. Make sure to keep your masks on."

Before she could leave the room, Sokka's hand darted out and held her wrist.

"Azula"

She looked at him. And then at his hand.

"Try to behave inconspicuous. Both of you." And with that she left the room. Leaving behind a lost Sokka.

Haru wanted to reassure him, but he knew that was not helpful at the moment.

"Sokka, maybe we should go before they know who we are."

He didn't answer at first. His eyebrows narrowed and he clenched his fists.

"No! Not without her. I know exactly what to do." a smirk appeared on his face. "Haru, I need you to give me away."

"What?"

"Go out and tell them that it's me."

"Are you out of your mind Sokka?"

"Do as I say and trust me pal." he said with his hands on Haru's shoulders and smiled reassuringly at him. Haru was even more confused when Sokka turned his head to the door Azula left minutes ago and smiled.

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

The elevator went down. She was turned with her back to the grid that separated her from him. He looked at her deeply.

It took time, but in the end she let him convince her.

Sokka broke the silence.

"Are you ready?"

Azula turned around and watched his face.

"I am. Are you?"

He smiled at her answer. "Yes, I am ready. I can't wait for you to come back.

She smiled back. Just as she was the only person who could make him smile like that, he was the only one for her.

"I didn't know you are this crazy." she said at which he chuckled.

But it stopped when he saw how her face darkened again. She put her mask on and turned around.

Sokka slid his arm through the grid and grabbed her arm to make her turn around towards him.

"Honestly, I am not completely ready yet, Azula." he said. His voice and his face serious.

He pulled her towards the grid and slid his other arm through it too.

Azula didn't quite register what was happening when he carefully removed her mask from her face.

Sokka took her face in his hands and gave her a one last deep look before moving to kiss her lips.

She already closed her eyes when she understood what his intend was.

They shared their first kiss. It was not deep but emotional.

He had to separate from her when he felt the elevator. Still holding her face in his hands, he smiled at her reassuringly.

"Now I'm ready."

Azula smiled at that.

"We will pull through this successfully Sokka. Be careful."

She put her mask on again and turned to the door that would open and lead them to the arena. He waited till the last second before doing the same.

In the crowd Haru ran through the people until he found a place closer to the arena field.

Right now, he was definitely not okay with this. They were crazy. All three of them. Out of breath he regretted joining Sokka's utmost dangerous plan.

The Huntsmaster sat on the other side of the arena. A special place only made for Huntsmasters.

A younger member of the Clan made the announcement through a megaphone.

"Today, we gathered for one of the most important people in our clan. Huntsgirl will show us her loyalty, her strength, and her true self today. If she does that, she is going to be finally a full member. And by that I mean, she has to fight the Water Fighter till the bitter end and win!"

The crowd yelled and clapped.

"A Water Fighter has sneaked between us. Huntsgirl has made sure to bring him to Huntsman after some students suspected him to be a traitor."

Azula and Sokka moved to the center of the arena.

After a start sign, they started fighting. It was completely different from their fights in the past, for they were real enemies back then. Sokka always tried to be more careful, only shielding himself form her attacks after finding out the bitter truth of who she really was.

Today, both of them gave their best to pull off a realistic scene, yet still tried to be careful to not hurt each other.

It didn't take too long and they started with the main part of their plan.

They gave each other a look as a sign and Azula attacked with more power, moving to the edge of the arena so that Sokka would be trapped.

Azula breathed deeply and gave him a "final blow".

Sokka fell hard on his stomach. He drank an elixir he was hiding in his pocket and passed out.

The crowd cheered and Huntsmaster stood up to give a speech.

Haru knew this was all an act. Of course he knew, but he still couldn't help but worry about his friend anyways.

Huntsmaster walked towards Azula.

"Today, my most important student proved that she is worthier than ever to become a full member of our clan. She slayed the Water Fighter spy!"

Azula tried to give him a confident smile, innerly worrying about if they will be able to pull the rest of their plan.

"Huntsgirl, welcome back to our clan as a full member this time!"

Zhao gave her a pleased smile. Everything worked fine so far.

Two students carried Sokka away into a room. The person who slayed a Water Fighter is responsible to take care of the rest. This was ideal since Azula could get away with the plan without any problems arising.

In the evening, Azula and Haru waited for Sokka to gain conscious again.

After Sokka woke up, they all had a small cheer party in the room.

"Say, how come that you carry around a sleeping elixir?" asked Azula with narrowed eyebrows and a smile on her face.

"Lu Ten always gives me some stuff like that, in case I am going to need it. And today more than ever, I am glad he does." Sokka answered smiling too.

"I was unsure if you guys would be able to pull this through, but you did! It was a great idea to drink the sleeping elixir and pretend you're dead." said Haru. "You guys are crazy."

Azula and Sokka's smile grew at that comment.

"Enough with that now, you two have to go before anyone notices what's going on. Just put on your masks and jump out of this window." She opened the window while explaining them how to get out of the academy. "I'll make sure to distract anyone who may come across your way."

Sokka grew sad again. "But... but I don't want to leave you here Azula."

"Sokka, I'll come." she said, smiling at him reassuringly. "Trust me. The Huntsmaster told me I can go back with him to our usual place, so that I can still visit school. I'll be back Sokka, just wait a little longer."

Haru was the first to jump out of the window.

Sokka looked at Azula and they walked to the other mutually.

It was the tightest hug any of them experienced so far.

"I'll wait for you a little longer. I try to be patient but please don't take too long okay?" he told her.

Azula broke the hug, yet his arms stood still on her waist and she took his face into her hands.

"I'll come to you. Now go!"

He started climbing the window whilst holding her hand.

They didn't leave the others hand until Sokka finally jumped out.

They tried to leave the academy as carefully as possible, with Sokka stealing glances at the window Azula stood.

Azula waited a little longer in the room looking through the window until she couldn't see them anymore.

"I'll come to you Sokka!"

[powerfulharmony]

Powerful Harmony-Part 7

Everyone then stood silent in the room. Ahsoka: “So, it looks like we're stuck with you guys, huh?” Katara: “Yes, it appears that way.” Ahsoka: “By the way, we never had the chance to introduce each other, if you’re going to stay here, we should at least know each of your names.” Katara: “Fair enough. I’m Katara, this Aang, Zuko, Toph, Suki and my brother, Sokka.” Sokka: “Hey.” Aang: “Hi.” Suki: “Hello there.” Toph: “Whazzup?” Zuko: “Hello.” Ahsoka: “I’m Ahsoka Tano, this is my master, Anakin Skywalker and this is Master Obi-wan Kenobi.”

Padme slowly approached Katara. Padme: “And I’m Senator Padme Amidala. Nice to meet you.”

She shook Katara’s hand. Padme: “So, you guys are from another world, huh? I’d love to hear all about it.” Obi-wan: “As do I, you have some remarkable abilities that I’ve never even seen before. How is it you were able to do...what you just did?” Katara: “Well, it really is a lot easier if you guys can understand our culture. For starters, our world is split into 4 nations: the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads. Each nation consists of a unique group of individuals with the ability to control and manipulate each of the 4 elements. They are known as benders, the type of bender they are depends on what element they can wield. You can obviously tell what type of benders me and my friends are.” Anakin: “So, what you’re telling us is all that stuff you guys did, it’s actually typical where you come from.” Katara: “Yes.”

Obi-wan indeed seemed intrigued. Obi-wan: “Fascinating.” Ahsoka: “We actually have people here with unique abilities of their own.” Katara: “I kind of figured, you guys call yourselves Jedi, right?” Ahsoka: “That’s right, myself, Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi are among a few of them. We’re capable of this amazing ability to control this mystical energy known as the Force.” Sokka: “The Force? You mean like what you guys did with all those Heartless?” Ahsoka: “Yes, that. Jedi are chosen when younglings possess abilities like that. They are then taken from their homes by a Jedi master then trained to hone that ability and put it to good use. We’re guardians and protectors our world and it’s our job to maintain balance within it.” Aang: “Hey! These people sound like me!” Katara: “Right, Aang. You see, there is also 1 person born with the ability to control and manipulate all 4 elements. He is known as the Avatar, he is the most powerful bender to ever exist and it’s his job to maintain balance within our world.” Ahsoka: “Sounds neat.” Anakin: “So, let me see if I got this right: just because someone has the ability to control all 4 elements, or bend them, as you call it, that automatically makes him the protector of your world?” Obi-wan: “I take it that doesn’t happen often whenever someone like that comes around, so I’m guessing this person is very special.” Katara: “He’s more than just that; the Avatar is actually the spirit of our world manifested in the form of a human being. He's also known as the bridge between our world and the spirit world and when the Avatar dies, he is then reincarnated into the next nation in the Avatar Cycle. This time, the Avatar is born as an Air Nomad.” Aang: “The last Avatar before me was a Firebender named Roku and before him was a female Earthbender named Kyoshi.” Suki: “I know of her all too well.” Ahsoka: “So, this Avatar Cycle goes in a complete circle, right?”

Katara and Aang nodded. Ahsoka: “Then that means that the next Avatar after Aang will be born in the Water Tribe.” Katara: “Exactly!” Ahsoka: “Now I seem to be getting the hang of this!” Padme: “Sounds as though we could use the Avatar’s help now.”

Padme walked up to a window and looked out from it for a bit. Katara and the rest stared at her, they seemed a little concerned. She then turned around and faced them again. Padme: “We are currently at war here. Unlike your world, ours is split by 2 completely different sides: there’s the Republic, which is what we’re part of. And then there are the Separatists, who are our enemies.” Obi-wan: “The Jedi are taking part in this war and we are doing everything we can to put a stop to it, but it’s…not enough.” Padme: “I, of course, am doing whatever I can to try and end this through diplomacy, but it’s difficult because not many people are interested in negotiations and prefer to fight in this war head on. And so, the war keeps pushing on and I’m not sure if there is any end in sight.”

Katara paused for a minute. Katara: “That’s too bad. There was a terrible war that went on back at home that we were part of.” Zuko: “More than a century ago, my great grandfather, Firelord Sozin, unleashed a devastating assault on the other nations and planned to take everything in name of the Fire Nation. It was his way of sharing his greatness with the world.” Ahsoka: “So, the Fire Nation were like the Separatists of your world.” Zuko: “Yes, we have caused a great deal of destruction to the world, but what we were doing to everyone was far worse.” Aang: “My entire people were slaughtered. I’m the only one of my kind left.”

Katara turned away from the Jedi and faced her friends. Katara: “Firebenders raided my tribe in the South Pole and stole all of our Waterbenders.”

She held her head down and touched her necklace. Katara: “Sokka and I lost our mother during one of those raids.”

Anakin became startled. Padme: “I’m so sorry to hear that.” Sokka: “The war was so immensely bad that it pretty much went from the Fire Nation versus the other nations, to the Fire Nation versus the Earth Kingdom and might I add that the Earth Kingdom was losing badly?” Toph:“Yeah, we weren’t doing so well, at all.” Sokka: “My dad was fed up with sitting around and doing nothing, so he and the men from our tribe decided to leave and help the Earth Kingdom fight in the war.” Ahsoka: “How long did this war of yours last?” Katara: “100 years.” Padme:“100 year!?! I can’t imagine being at war that long!!” Obi-wan: “Sounds as though you kids had it rough.”

The benders stood silent for a while. Anakin: “So, where was the great and mighty Avatar when all of this was happening?” Aang: “I was frozen in an iceberg.” Ahsoka: “Really? For how long?” Aang: “100 years.” Obi-wan: “Hm…isn’t that exactly how long your war lasted?”

Aang held his head down sulking. Ahsoka: “Hold on! That means…your more than 100 years old!?!” Aang: “Yes…” Ahsoka: “I…don’t believe it! You’re…still so young.” Obi-wan: “So, you were in a state of cryo-stasis.” Katara: “Yes, Captain Terris and the other captains told us that, too.” Anakin: “It also means that this terrible war of your world hardly began before then.” Ahsoka: “I don’t get it, how could all of this have happened?” Aang: “It started when the monks of my temple told me that I was the Avatar. It is usually a tradition for the Avatar’s identity to be revealed after his 16th birthday. The monks told me when I was only 12.” Obi-wan: “So, they revealed your identity much earlier than traditionally. Why?” Aang: “It was because they needed me prepared for the upcoming war with the Fire Nation.” Anakin: “So, they were in desperate need of the Avatar’s help.” Aang: “Yes, but…everything around me began to change. Everyone stopped seeing me as a normal kid, so I was being treated differently by everyone, well…everyone except my mentor and long time friend, Monk Gyasto. He was the only one who still made me felt like…me, that was…until…the monks decided to separate us.” Padme: “What? That’s terrible!” Ahsoka: “No, I can’t believe it!” Aang: “They were going to take away everything that I ever cared about! I was stuck in a corner and there was nowhere else for me to turn!” Ahsoka: “So, what did you do?” Aang: “The only thing I could do…I ran away from home. I flew off on Appa.” Ahsoka: “Appa?” Aang:“My pet flying bison. All Air Nomads have one. It’s how we get around.” Anakin: “Heh! Right, flying Bison. I find that hard to believe.”

Aang pulled out his Keyblade, with 1 gleam of the weapon, Appa suddenly appeared from outside the window. He flew towards them, letting out a big roar as he flew upward and disappeared. Ahsoka: “Whoa! He’s huge!” Obi-wan: “I take it that’s Appa.”

Aang nodded. Anakin: “OK, I’m convinced. So, how did you end up getting frozen in an iceberg?” Aang: “That day, Appa and I got caught in a storm as we flew above a large ocean. We fell into the water, barely hanging on, then I formed this huge sphere around us and…we were frozen inside of it…together.” Katara: “100 years later, Sokka and I found him and Appa frozen inside that iceberg. I didn’t even know that he was the Avatar at the time.” Sokka: “After that, we began to leave our cozy little home in the South Pole and we traveled the world together.” Aang: “Katara and Sokka are really good friends. I don’t even know where I would be without them.” Anakin: “Probably still frozen in that iceberg…with your…uh…” Ahsoka: “Flying bison, master.” Anakin: “Uh…right.” Obi-wan: “Still, I find that story incredible and very hard to believe.”

Aang started to sulk again. Ahsoka: “But then you suffered a great loss when you found out that Monk Gyasto and the other Airbenders were slaughtered.”

He held his head down. Ahsoka and Padme looked at each other. Padme then walked up to Aang and embraced him closely. Padme: “There, there, Aang. It’s OK, I know how it looks, but it’s not your fault. You’re not the one to blame for that war escalating as long as it did.” Obi-wan: “I’ll have to agree with the senator on this. I could understand if it was for good intentions, but your world could have waited only several years for the war to end if the monks hadn’t acted too quickly.” Anakin: “Yeah, but instead, everyone in it had to wait 100 years! It really bothers me how bad everything turned out!” Padme: “I completely agree. This is all just…so absurd.” Aang: “I know, but that’s how it happened and this is all that I’m stuck with.”

Anakin continued looking at Aang and Padme. He then turned towards Katara who was also still sulking.

[elysmi]

Something there // Zuko x Y/N

Based on ‘Something there’ from Beauty and The Beast

Warning: Zuko being aangsty

I recommend listening to the song as you read.

Also, the gif is not mine.

~~~~~~

Something there

Y/N rested against a tree, her eyes glued to Zuko as he sparred with Aang

‘There's something sweet, and almost kind’

Her mind and heart seemed to be at war with each other as she watched him gracefully move his body to dodge Aang’s fire.

She remembered the night before, when she remained outside after everyone went to sleep, keeping herself warm by the fire as she thought about her home.

“You mind some company?” Zuko smiled as he sat down next to her.

She smiled back at him.

“Not at all.”

His eyes met her e/y ones, and a blush appeared on both their faces.

“What’s on your mind?” He asked her.

She sighed, looking down. “My parents. I left them after the eclipse, they told me to go, that it’ll be safer for me.

I’m worried about them. I mean, I’m glad they’re not at the Boiling Rock, of course, but I have no idea where they are and it’s killing me inside.”

Zuko turned his body towards her, and placed his hand on hers. She looked up, her cheeks turning red as he gave her a soft look.

“Your parents are strong and capable, and I have no doubt they are still alive, pridefully fighting. When this is over, we’re going to free them, and you’ll reunite with them.”

He gently brushed his thumb over her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“They’ll want you to not worry about them. And I’m sure that wherever they’re right now, they’re so proud of you. You’re helping the avatar restore balance to the world, and you’re fighting against everything the other side of the war throws at you. They’re proud of you.”

He gently lifted her chin up, his golden eyes shining brightly as he stared at her as if she was the most beautiful person he ever laid eyes on.

“I am proud of you.”

She snapped out of it, watching him direct a fireball at Aang.

She frowned slightly, remembering the first time they met.

‘But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined’

It was during the time that Katara stole the water bending scroll from the pirates.

A week after Y/N left Omashu to help Aang and his friends, Zuko found them during the night while Y/N was watching Katara practice her water bending.

Since her earthbending skills weren’t that great back then, she didn’t really stood her ground against the pirates and Zuko with his guards, and ended up tied next to Katara.

“I’ll save you both from the pirates.” He tried to blackmails Katara to tell him the whereabouts of the avatar with her mother’s necklace.

“Go jump in the river.” Y/N spat at the prince.

He turned towards her, as if he noticed her for the first time.

“Well well, another peasant joined your little group.”

Y/N only rolled her eyes at him. “Strong words coming from a scarred banished prince with no honor, don’t you think?”

Need less to say, it didn’t went nicely from that moment on.

She worked hard with her earthbending from that day, swearing she’ll never be as useless as she was that night.

And every single time they met after that day, it was her that fought him. He always noticed that she was getting better each time they fought, and that’s when he truly paid attention to her.

She wasn’t much of a peasant after all.

‘And now he's dear, and so unsure

I wonder why I didn't see it there before’

But those days were in the past. He was a different man now. A strong, brave, kind man, who left his nation behind to join team avatar and fight against his father.

And she’d lie to say she didn’t have feelings for him.

He was handsome, inside and out.

Of course, he was still very insecure and had anger issues, but she knew he was working on that.

And she was proud of him.

She came out of her thoughts as she saw Zuko shot a huge fireball at Aang.

Poor Aang couldn’t firebend back in time, and used airbending instead.

The air blast was so strong, it sent Zuko flying two meters in the air before landing on the water.

He shot out of it after a few seconds, tangled in sea weed.

He yelled angrily as he tried to untangle himself, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

Even in these situations he managed to be just as handsome.

‘She glanced this way, I thought I saw’

His eyes widened when he heard laughter, not knowing Y/N was watching them. He finally untangled himself and turned to face her, and the sight of her giggling in amusement made his heart skip a beat.

How could someone be so perfect? He found himself asking.

‘And when we touched, she didn't shudder at my paw’

Memories of the precious night appeared in his mind, remembering how they watched the stars together the entire night, and he told her about his childhood, his mother, and his scar.

How embarrassing it was for him to realize he was crying. He thought she’d be disgusted by this gesture, that she’ll think he was weak and pathetic, just like his father and his sister thought.

What he didn’t expect was for her to slowly embrace him in her arms, softly leaning his head on her shoulder.

He gasped as her hand softly caressed his cheek, slowly going up to touch his scar.

He pulled away in fear; why was he afraid? Was he afraid? What if she thought he was as hideous as a monster? She must have thought this way, it was completely normal.

He was weak, pathetic, and hideous.

And she knew it, and he knew it.

“I know what you think of me.” He tried to say coldly, but his voice came out in a tremble, as if he was facing his worst nightmare. “You think I am hideous. As good as a monster.”

Y/N gasped in shock as he spoke, and she immediately took his hands in hers and brought them to her lips. Zuko blushed at her gesture, and watched her in surprise.

“I think your scar proves that no matter what you went through, no matter what people threw at you, you came out stronger than you were before. I don’t think you’re a monster, Zuko. I think you’re brave and honorable, and I am so happy you joined our group. I am glad to be around you, because you inspire me so much.”

His eyes widened, his lips trembling.

“I- I inspire you?”

She chuckled softly at him, placing her hand on his right cheek again. “You’re the living proof that we can learn from our mistakes and become the best versions of ourselves. That we can all change for the greater good.”

She leaned in slowly, and her lips rested on his scar softly, making him feel something he never felt before.

“And I don’t think you’re hideous, Prince Zuko. I think you’re the handsomest boy I have ever laid eyes upon.”

Zuko shook his head as Aang asked him if he was alright.

Of course he was.

Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?

Every since he joined team avatar, there’s hasn’t been a moment he didn’t think of her.

Whenever the group gathered around to eat, it wold physically hurt him if he didn’t sat directly next to her. It would pain him in various ways if she didn’t talk to him or acknowledge his presence.

But she always did. Sometimes he felt as if he was the only one she noticed at all.

‘No, it can't be, I'll just ignore’

He couldn’t let his feelings get to him. She couldn’t possibly like him, of course?

Why would she?

She was the most intelligent and beautiful girl he knew, and she always knew exactly what to say. She was mature and responsible and she wanted the best she could have in her future after the war would come to an end.

He was just a scared banished Prince, hated by his own family and nation. What could he possibly offer her that she’d want?

She could barely tolerate him, anyway.

His eyes widened as she slowly walked towards him as Aang decided to take a break, trying to look away from her hips as she swayed them gracefully on her way.

‘But then she's never looked at me that way before’

Her eyes met his, and a smile appeared on her face as he noticed her.

Several thoughts clouded his mind.

If she truly didn’t like him, why would she act this way around him?

“How was training, Prince Zuko?”

And she always called him by his title, as if it held any meaning at all. She probably did this to tease him, but he honestly thought that his title and his name never sounded as good as they did when it was her to say them.

“Wet.” He muttered, and blushed as she arched a brow in amusement at him. “I mean- seaweed.”

Seaweed? Seriously?

Could he act more like an idiot around her?

He almost sighed out in relief as she giggled softly at his words, and blushed as she took his hand in hers, brushing her thumb over his hand, making sparks lighten his body.

‘New, and a bit alarming

Who'd have ever thought that this could be?’

She blushed as well, but pushed her awkwardness away.

It’s now or never, she told herself.

“Listen, I spotted a nice dining place around the nearest town, ten minutes away from here. Would you like to go out with me there?”

He almost fainted right there and then.

“Are yo- you- a-asking me- you’re asking- you want to- are you-“

‘True, that he's no Prince Charming

But there's something in him that I simply didn't see’

She chuckled at his attempt to form a sentence. “Yes dummy, I’m asking you on a date. So? What’s your answer?”

He stood frozen to his place for a minute, and she shook him gently.

“Hello, Zuko there?”

He finally seem to step on earth, and his face formed a smile bigger than he ever did before.

“Yes! I mean...yeah, I’d love to.” He tried to play it cool, but ended up blushing and leaning in to her touch as she placed her hand on his cheek.

“Then let’s go, shall we?”

He kissed her hand, and took it in his.

“Yes, lets go.”

‘Well, who'd have thought? Well, bless my soul, Well, who'd have known?’

Unknown to them, Katara and Sokka were watching them leave, widening their eyes as they spotted them holding hands.

“I can’t believe it.” Katara gasped.

‘Well, who indeed? And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?’

Sokka grinned.

“I can’t believe it took them so long.”

“They are so perfect together.” Katara smiled.

‘It's so peculiar, wait and see, we'll wait and see a few days more’

There may be something there that wasn't there before’

“They truly are. They’re perfect for each other.” Sokka admitted.

“Who’s perfect for each other?” Aang asked as he stepped next to them.

His eyes widened and he let out a gasp as he saw Y/N and Zuko smiling at each other, walking hand in hand.

‘Here's a thought, perhaps there's something there that wasn't there before.’

Aang smiled brightly as his friend.

“Well, it’s about time!”

“What’s about time?” Toph asked as she stepped next to them as well, confused by Aang’s statement.

“What’s going on?”

Aang and Katara smiled at each other and walked away as Sokka turned to Toph.

He ruffled her hair and grinned.

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

~~~

This is my first one shot on tumblr and I’m quite satisfied with how it ended up. If you have a one shot or short story request, you can leave it here or message me.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Kissing Dead Pearls (Part 14)

Her eyes had been so wide with wonder and amazement. Nothing compared to the galaxy’s glimmering spray reflected upon the open ocean. With no city lights to dim them and no bustling tourist noise to break the quiet--no rushing cars with loud basses nor honking horns and loud chatter--Azula felt like she was in space.

The water was so crystalline, so pure. The water met the sky on the horizon giving her the illusion that she was floating in a sea of stars, drifting through the cosmos in a rocketship  rather than the ocean in a small sailboat.

“Dad look!” She exclaimed.

“At what?” He asked.

She didn’t know. She just started pointing everywhere, at everything. “Just look daddy!”

Her mother chuckled as she brushed the hair out of a snoring Zuko’s face. Ozai’s lips quirked into an amused half smile.

“Can we go to space, daddy?”

“Why would you want to go to space when you have stars right here?” He gestures to the shimmering world around her.

That was the first time she’d seen phosphorescent fish and plankton. She leaned over the boat’s railing. Ozai quickly came to hold her steady as she dipped her curious fingers into the water.

“Don’t do that, dear. There are sharks in the water.” Ursa cautioned.

But she didn’t see any sharks so she continued trying to catch one of the fish. She only managed to come up with a handful of plankton. She waited until Ursa was asleep to paint a bioluminescent mural upon her brother’s face.

That was her first experience with a boat and an open ocean. That was her first adventure.

.oOo.

Ozai comes home on his birthday, that is probably a gift enough for him but Azula bough him a gift anyhow and pestered Zuko and Katara help her make a cake.

“He doesn’t deserve one.” Zuko had grumbled the whole time.

Azula is inclined to agree, but she has it on the table for him no less. Perhaps he won’t be so angry with her if she does something to make his birthday special.

She sits herself on the couch and waits for the man to come home. Jet plops himself down next to her and drapes his arm over her shoulder. A half an hour goes by and she spends it by leaning her head into his chest and trying to convince herself that it is okay. That she is allowed to love Jet. That she is allowed to have love. That, should she find Sokka, he would understand.  She lets Jet rub circles on her back.

“I’m sure he isn’t angry with you, he’s just going through stuff.” Jet assures.

She lets him think that, that is the source of her unease. It is easier to explain. “I hope that you’re right.” She mumbles. He squeezes her a little tighter.

“How can he stay mad when you made him a whole cake?”

.oOo.

To be frank, Zuko never liked Jet. He never hated the boy, but there was something about him… Maybe it is that he is one of those pretty boys. That is probably it. Zuko never liked the type. Jet is nice enough but he thinks that he is such hot shit. Really the boy is no different than anyone else their age. He has a car. So what? He’s a smooth talker. Great for him. He’s got a good sense of fashion and can do sports. That’s fantastic. Zuko thinks that a person should have more substance than charming looks, material things, and a handful of talents.

He looks to his sister. She’s a pretty girl, she has to be if so many of the boys and a handful of girls flock to her. She’s got talents upon talents and as far as everyone knows, she still has riches. But that’s just the thing, she has more than that; she’s fun to be around, bold and adventurous. Annoying as hell, rather judgmental, and with a pretty solid mean streak. But she means well and she’s mostly a kind girl. At the very least she is able to keep certain comments to herself.

Jet is just a pretty face. He isn’t like Sokka. Sokka who was a complete and unapologetic dork. Sokka who was hilarious, fun, and always had something exaggerated tall tale to tell. He’s spontaneous and rather disorganized. He is energetic. He was all of those things, Zuko reminds himself.

Sokka is nearly her opposite of Azula in everything save for intellect. For as idiotic as he acted sometimes, the boy had brains. This is probably what had drawn Azula to him. Jet is so similar to her, right down to lost parents. That is why Sokka fit her so much better.

He observes the pair cozied up on the couch and his heart seizes. He never thought himself the type to play the protective brother but seeing Jet with his arms around his sister is...something doesn’t sit right. And maybe it is only because he is used to seeing her with Sokka. Maybe it is just that he isn’t used to it. Jet hasn’t done anything bad to her. In fact, he has been supportive. Supportive and much sweeter that Zuko anticipated. Still, he can’t shake the feeling that the boy isn’t right for his sister. He doesn’t say it, partly because he knows Azula. He knows that she is a creature of spite and will stick her tongue right down Jet’s in front of him if he does. She has been waiting for a chance to pay him back for the one time, in middle school, that he had made out with Mai while she was trying to do homework.

But mostly he doesn’t say anything because it is probably good for Azula to begin to move on. Having her cling to Sokka so furiously that she’d be willing to waste her college fun on some fruitless rescue mission...it isn’t healthy. He looks back at the sofa, at Azula who has turned to face Jet and slip her arms around him. This is healthy. This is one step closer to moving on.

“She’ll be fine.” Katara says. “I know that you don’t like him much but he’s not bad.”

“Then why did you break up with him?”

Katara shrugs. “Promise that you won’t laugh?”

“I promise.”

“He said that he didn’t like turtles.”

“What kind of person doesn’t like turtles!?” Zuko says a little too loudly.

“Have you ever been attacked by a family of snappers?” Jet calls from the couch. “I can show you the scars.”

“That’s how you got those?” Azula asks, trailing her fingers over his right hand and arm.  

“Yup.”

“Not all turtles are like that, Jet!” Zuko tries.

The boy chuckles, “I’m not taking any chances. You wanna go poke around in a snapping turtle nest, be my guest. I’ll be on the other side of the beach.”

Azula snickers and mutters something about protecting him from feral shelled beasts.

“That’s his tragic backstory.” Katara jokes. “Anyways, we just didn’t have much in common, I guess. Pretty cliche, right?”

“A little.” Zuko laughs.

“My point is, he’s a pretty good guy. He’s not much different than the other boys in our school.”

“That’s the problem I think. Sokka was...he was different. And Azula’s different.”

This time Katara laughs. “Yeah I don’t think I’ve met anyone like her before. I haven’t met anyone like you either. Your family is just weird.”

“We live in a lighthouse, what did you expect?” They both chuckle at this.

“That’s why we’re so smart.” Azula calls from the couch.

Zuko tilts his head in confusion.

“Because lighthouses are bright.” Azula explains. “We’re smart because we live in a lighthouse and lighthouses are bright and bright is another word for…”

“Is it rude to break up with someone over an awful joke?” Jet grumbles.

“If I could handle Sokka’s for as long as I did, you can handle mine.”

“Sokka would have loved that joke.” Zuko remarks.

“Sokka would have made that joke.” Katara replies.

The new silence between them is tense. Katara squeezes his hand. “Why do so many things have to remind me of him?”

“Because he’s your brother.” Zuko replies. Again he finds himself peering at Azula, now sitting and swatting Jet with a nearby stack of papers. She is probably the larges pain in the ass he has ever had to live with. But he couldn’t imagine how hollow it would feel to lose her. He thinks of the day that they’d found her, broken and gashed up after being thrown against rocks. He wonders if it had hurt, if she ever thinks about it. She never talks about it. He thinks of her climbing onto the arbor to untangle patio lights. He wouldn’t have been able to handle it if she’d fallen. “You never forget someone who you were that close to.” He hadn’t known Sokka nearly as well as Katara did and it still puts an unpleasant tingle in his belly when he comes across something that triggers the memory.

It is a hollow sort of longing that puts a flutter in his stomach a flutter that reaches his throat and has tears threatening to form. It is a somber yearning as he enters the room he’d last talked with Sokka in, as he visualizes Sokka as he’d last seen him. As he tries to latch onto that memory and make a physical manifestation of it. At the very least he tries to cling to it so that it doesn’t slip. It like being in a room with a phantom. Memories are ghosts.

“You can’t forget.” He repeats. “I don’t think that you want to either. I don’t. Azula doesn’t.”

He hears Katara swallow, but before they can get any further, Ozai opens the door. The man looks as hollow as Katara probably feels when thinking about Sokka. Mostly he is put together, clean shaven--for once--and with his hair neatly styled. But his clothing is wrinkled, his cheeks are sunken, and he has bags under his eyes.

“What’s this?” Ozai grumbles. “I told you that I was coming home from the hospital and you bring guests over?”

Zuko catches Azula visibly swallow and goes tense. Just like that he recalls that their father doesn’t know about Jet yet. Jet who tightens his grip protectively around Azula. And just like that, Zuko’s opinion of him changes rather drastically.

Azula pulls out of his grip.

“Tell them to go home.” Ozai says simply.

“Tell them to go home!?” Zuko gets to his feet. “We did this for--”

Azula holds up a hand. He can tell that her optimism is fading fast. “I thought that it would be a nice surprise to…” she gestures to the cake. “I can’t cook so I asked Katara to help.”

“And him?” Ozai nods to Jet.

She shifts uncomfortably.

Zuko’s stomach nearly gives when Jet opens his mouth. “I’m Jet, I’m on Azula’s surf team, remember?”

“I recall.” Ozai answers stiffly. “But that doesn’t tell me what you are doing here.”

Jets simply slips his arm around Azula’s waist and tugs her closer.

“I want them out, Azula.”

“But, I…”

“Out.” He commands more firmly.

Azula bunches her fists. Zuko knows what she is going to do before Ozai does. He praises her for her wit but, lord he wishes that she wouldn’t.

“Fine.”

.oOo.

The lighthouse door slams. It takes a moment for that Jet boy to react but he hastily follows her out.

Ozai sighs. It is long and drawn, he rubs a hand over his face, feeling thoroughly drained. He looks from the doorway to the birthday cake on the table. It is a nice sentiment, but he is not in a festive mood. She means well, they all mean well, but it might be too soon.

“We made all of this to cheer you up and you make us feel like shit!” Zuko accuses. Zuko seldom raises his voice at him. Much less cusses at him. “You make Azula feel…”

Ozai tries to tune his son out.

“She thinks that you hate her!” Zuko scowls. “You know that right? She was trying to give you a good birthday because she knows that you’re having a hard time.”

Katara links her arm around Zuko and clutches him tightly. Ozai wonders if he is frightening her. He must be. “Zuko, I am your father you will not speak to--”

“No. You aren’t.” Zuko hisses. “Azula and I lost both of our parents that night.”  He turns to his girlfriend. “Come on, lets go find Azula and Jet.”

Katara nods, “I’m worried about her, Zuko.”

Somehow the girl’s comment unsettled him more deeply than anything Zuko had said. With a second slam he is alone in the lighthouse. He finds a seat at the table in front of his birthday cake. There is no one left to eat it with.

Also in front of him is a handmade card. ‘Welcome home, congratulations, and happy birthday, father.’ She hadn’t left anything out and that was only the cover page. He is home, but his birthday isn’t happy and he doesn’t feel like there is anything worth congratulating. It is his own fault.

He’d just gotten clean and he is already ready for his next drink. He opens the fridge and curses Azula for her forethought. She’d gotten rid of all of it. He supposes that he has ingrained tough love into her.

He should probably give her space, let her run off to Katara’s house or Jet’s. But he thinks that this time, if he allows the problem to fester, he will lose her. He will lose both of his children.

He rakes his fingers through his hairline and heads for the door. He reaches it and hesitates. He sits back at the table.

[themomentofdavyprentiss]

Could you please write your essay on the zutara, kataang and maiko analysis? I would like to hear what you have to say...

Yes! Okay so I recently reblogged this post about Yin and Yang and how Zutara does not represent it, but Mai/ko and Kat/aang do. As I said in my tags, as a zutara shipper I do have a lot of thoughts on the interpretations of these three ships written in this post. 

The interesting thing about this anti zutara analysis and the reason I reblogged it is that I almost completely agree with everything said about zutara.  

In the original post, OP goes on describe the two most popular ways that people associate yin and yang with zutara and refute them:

I have seen two flavors of the yin and yang argument for Zutara. The first is the somewhat grounded point that Katara is a female waterbender and represents yin, while Zuko a male firebender and represents yang. The second is the completely clueless assertion that Zuko is “dark” and therefore yin and Katara “light.” therefore yang.

I could not agree more. So many anti zutara shippers (and even a lot of casual zutara shippers) like to picture zutara as the good girl/bad boy ship and I really hate that because the ship is so much more complex than that. Katara is not a goody two shoes pure angel, and Zuko is not an evil badboy who needs Katara to redeem him. 

The first of these arguments, of female, water-associated, yin Katara and male, fire-associated, yang Zuko is true as it goes according to the traditional concepts of yin-yang, but it’s incomplete, outdated, and even dehumanizing in my opinion. It’s basically saying two people are right for each other based on what they are, characteristics that were inborn or cannot be changed, instead of who they are, their personality and individuality. Their actual personalities tell a very different story, as I will discuss below…

…Also frankly, the parts about masculine yang and feminine yin are the products of heavily sexist societies from two millennia ago. They reflect archaic gender roles where men are expected to be aggressive and assertive and women to be submissive and supportive….

…That’s why I don’t like the “female waterbender and male firebender are yin and yang = instant romance!” formulation. It’s sexist and heteronormative, and literalizes what were meant to be symbolic representations…

…If you’re actually interested in applying philosophical yin-yang to individuals and their relationships, it may help to think of yang as “drama” and yin as “chill.” Yang is starting things, getting in people’s faces, wearing your heart on your sleeve, raised voices. Yin is resolving things, calming down, contemplation, quiet conversation or just silent contentment. Everyone has some drama and some chill, but some people have more of one or the other. If one person in a relationship brings tons of drama, it strikes a good balance if the other can bring the chill. In this understanding of yin and yang, it should be clear Zuko and Katara are both drama llamas, that is yang ascendant. “But female waterben-” shush. Katara is more than her gender and element. Also the gender and element are symbolic representations of yin anyway, not the actual thing.

Based on what OP has written (I recommend reading the original post, even though the quote above is very long, I cut a lot of good stuff out for length) I completely agree that Katara and Zuko are both Yang. Up to this point in the essay, I 100% agree with everything written about Zutara. 

Here is where I start to disagree…

Zuko and Katara, then, don’t personify the yin-yang balance at all. They both have too much fire, too much drama, and that’s why their interactions can spin out of control and bring out the worst in both. Remember “The Southern Raiders?” Where Katara set out to murder a war criminal and Zuko egged her on? It was Aang’s calming words, his chill, his yin that ultimately moderated her rage and helped her remember her better self. Aang is the yin to Katara’s yang.

Countless essays and analysis’ have been written about how ‘The Southern Raiders’ does not, in fact, bring out the worst in both Zuko and Katara, and so I’m not going to directly respond to the above statement. I will respond to the statement about Aang and Katara, however. 

If you take Katara and Aang’s individual personalities, traits, and mindsets, I absolutely agree that Kat/aang could be a wonderful representation of Yin and Yang. Aang’s role as Avatar is to be a mediator and to bring peace. Keeping in mind Katara’s fiery personality and emotional drive, I think that the two could have had a really amazing balance if written well. The issue, however, is that we don’t see this at all, which can all be boiled down to the fact that Aang doesn’t understand Katara. Let’s look at the scene between Aang and Katara in ‘The Southern Raiders’:

Aang: Umm… and what exactly do you think this would accomplish? Katara: (sighs and shakes her head) I knew you wouldn’t understand. (She begins to walk away)Aang: (Cut to a close up of Katara as Aang and Sokka look on behind her) Wait, stop, I do understand. You’re feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?Zuko: (off screen) She needs this, (everyone turn their eyes towards him) Aang. This is about getting closure and justice. Aang: I don’t think so. I think it’s about getting revenge. Katara: (off screen) Fine! (Cut to an angry and frustrated Katara) Maybe it is. Maybe that’s what I need. Maybe that’s what he deserves. Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet. Katara: (defensively) It’s not the same. Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he’s a monster. 

These are not calming words. Rather than see Katara’s determination and anger and calm her, Aang riles her up even more. He doesn’t try to understand where she is coming from. He just assumes that he already knows. And then he delegitimizes her need for closure. Rather than try to empathize, Aang tells her she is wrong and refuses to see where she is coming from. He even goes so far as to accuse her of being a murderer. 

The ultimate irony here, I think, is that when Appa was stolen, rather than show the sandbenders forgiveness, Aang entered the Avatar State and almost killed them. He would have, too, had Katara not been there to calm him down and be his yin.  

The way Aang tries to be there for Katara mimics how Mai tries to be there for Zuko. Let’s look at this Mai/ko conversation in ‘Nighmares and Daydreams’:

Mai: Zuko, it’s just a dumb meeting. Who cares? Zuko: I don’t. Mai: Well good. You shouldn’t. Why would you even want to go? (Cut to shot of Zuko and Mai standing in the window, the Fire Nation Palace before them. Mai puts her arm around Zuko) Just think about how things went to the last war meeting you went to. Zuko: (sighs)I know.  

Zuko has been completely distraught about not being invited to the war meeting. This is a huge deal to him, he wants to be the perfect son to Ozai, and he feels like a disappointment and an oversight. Mai can’t understand why this is a big deal to Zuko, and rather than try to understand, she invalidates it and acts like it’s the stupidest thing in the world to be upset over. On top of that, she throws in his face one of the biggest shames of his life, all for the sake of making him feel bad for caring. 

Let’s compare these two scenes to two scenes of Katara and Zuko supporting each other. First, Zuko supporting Katara in ‘The Southern Raiders’

Katara: But, we were too late. When we got there, the man was gone. (voice cracks slightly) And so was she. Zuko: (Cut to a sorrowful Zuko) Your Mother was a brave woman.Katara: (Cut to a front shot of Katara as she touches her necklace) I know.

Katara just opened up to Zuko about one of the most traumatic moments of her life: the murder of her mother. Zuko doesn’t make this about him; he doesn’t talk about the disappearance of his own motheR. He doesn’t try to defend the Fire Nation, his home or tell her not all Fire Nation people. He hears what happened to her, accepts how awful this was for her, and affirms that her mother was a wonderful woman. 

Now for Katara supporting Zuko in ‘The Old Masters’:

Katara: Are you okay? Zuko: No, (turning his head away from Katara) I’m not okay. My Uncle hates me, I know it. (Katara lowers herself to the ground) He loved me and supported me in every way he could and I still turned against him. How can I even face him? (Cut to a sideview of a regretful Zuko with Katara looking on.)Katara: Zuko, you’re sorry for what you did, right? Zuko: More sorry than I’ve been about anything in my entire life. Katara: (raises her shoulders) Then he’ll forgive you. (Zuko looks at her) He will. 

Zuko considers betraying Iroh his greatest regret. Iroh is the father figure Zuko never had growing up, and one of the most important people in his life. Right now Zuko is terrified out of his mind that the only adult figure who has ever loved him and supported him is now done with him forever. He is convinced Iroh will reject Zuko, and he doesn’t even want to face his uncle. Here enters Katara. She sees the regret and fear in Zuko. She knows there isn’t anything to worry about, that it’s ridiculous to think that Iroh wouldn’t forgive him. But Katara doesn’t say any of this. She doesn’t tell him to suck it up, or that he’s being dumb. She allows Zuko to reaffirm his sincerity and then reassures him that everything will be okay. 

In these interactions, you can see that even though Zuko and Katara’s personalities are traditionally ‘yang’, when they come together like this, they find a perfect balance. They don’t egg each other on or bring out the worst in each other, they bring out the best, most vulnerable, and their truest selves. 

This is what I love about zutara. It isn’t about ‘opposites attract’ or ‘good girl saves bad boy’. It’s about two people with very similar, but ultimately complementary, personalities coming together on equal playing grounds and supporting each other in the most positive way they can because the level of understanding between the two goes beyond words. It’s just natural for them to know exactly what the other needs. 

[alittletoosour]

Unpopular Opinion: Yue was criminally underdeveloped and her relationship with Asoka wasn't compelling

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

I see where you’re getting at here, anon. I’m not the biggest fan of Yue either (I’ll get to that at the end of this), but not for the reasons you brought up. 

I think it’s unfair to nitpick the development of a character that made a major appearence in only three episodes (The Waterbending Master and The Siege of The North: Parts 1 & 2). She was meant to be a simple side character, and for what her purpose is, she fulfills it well. She’s pretty admirable, actually; she’s an incredibly strong character - emotionally, at least. 

From The Siege of The North, Part 1:

Back at the Northern Water Tribe, citizens flee to the town hall, as two watchmen hit a drum to signal the Fire Nation’s approach. Sokka and Yue make their way up the steps, but Yue stops the approach.

Sokka: [Trying to drag her along.] What’s wrong? [Pointing up to the citadel.] We have to go!Yue: [Sadly; lets go of Sokka’s hand.] No, Sokka, wait, I can’t see you anymore. Not at all.Sokka: [Protesting.] What? We’re just friends.Yue: I wish we could just be friends, but I like you too much and it’s too confusing to be around you. I’m marrying someone else! [Turns away sorrowfully.]Sokka: You don’t love him, do you? You don’t even seem to like him.Yue: But I do love my people.Sokka: [Objecting.] You’re not marrying them.Yue: [Turns to face Sokka.] You don’t understand. I have duties to my father, to my tribe. I have to do this. Goodbye.

She runs past Sokka up the stairs quickly. Closes up on Sokka, who looks on with dismay.

Yue’s sense of responsibility is so strong it outweighs her desire to have a relationship with Sokka. Like Sokka said, Yue doesn’t even like Hahn, and much less loves him. Letting go of Sokka means letting go of her chance at happiness. Yue’s self imposed need to fulfill her duty catches up to her in the next episode. 

From The Siege of The North, Part 2:

Back at the oasis, Iroh places the dead koi fish in the water.

Katara: It’s too late, it’s dead.Iroh: [Iroh notices Yue.] You have been touched by the Moon Spirit. [Close-up of Yue.] Some of its life is in you.Yue: Yes, you’re right. It gave me life, maybe I can give it back.Sokka: No! You don’t have to do that. [Sokka reached to stop her.]Yue: It’s my duty, Sokka.Sokka: I won’t let you! [Close-up of him holding her hand.] Your father told me to protect you.Yue: [Close-up of Yue.] I have to do this.

Yue’s hand slips out of Sokka’s as she places her hands on the koi fish. The koi begins to glow and Yue closes her eyes.

Yue was left with no choice but to sacrifice herself for the sake of the world. However, you would still expect any person to react with hesitance in the face of death. But, Yue doesn’t. She steps up to the plate and accepts her fate with such a calm demeanor that it’s almost saddening. She knows this is her destiny, and she is ready to fulfill it. (This is completely unrelated, but can I comment on how Yue’s eyes are blue when the rest of the world has been cast into grayscale? I think that was such clever imagery. It really represents how the spirit of the Moon still lives inside Yue. This scene was perfectly executed.)

My point here is that you don’t need a full character arc for a character to be likeable. Sometimes, all you need is a person who you can look up to, and I definitely look up to Yue. She uptakes the ultimate responsibility as The Moon Spirit, and her figure serves as a martyr for the fight against the Fire Nation. 

I personally found Yue and Sokka’s relationship compelling. Hell, it’s one of my favorite relationships in the series. Was it trope-ish? Yeah, it definitely had that “forbidden lovers” feel going for it. However, it was the execution that really made it for me; it was done in such good taste. They had such an innocent and tender relationship, but it wasn’t perfect, they still had their troubles (y’know, with Yue being engaged and all). 

Sokka’s also just really good to Yue. Despite the rollercoaster of emotions he went on, he never argued with her, he never held a grudge against her, and he never expected anything from her. In The Water Bending Master, Sokka was even ready to let go of Yue because he believed she didn’t like him for their difference in social class. Was he disappointed? Yes (understandably so), but he quickly accepted her decision and respected it. 

And may I just add, they’re really cute around each other. I mean, just look at ‘em.

Their dynamic is the epitome of young, awkward, innocent, but wholesome love.

So, what’s my issue with Princess Yue? It might sound silly, but I don’t like her much because of her voice actress’s performance. I personally feel like her line delivery was inconsistent. It got as good as when Yue and Sokka were first talking at dinner in The Waterbending Master, and it got as bad as when Yue was monologing about her past in The Siege of the North, Part 2. For me, voice acting is important in animation, and Yue just doesn’t meet up to my standards. Otherwise, I don’t have any gripes with her. 

[bellatrixobsessed1]

The Art Of Remembrance (Part 38)

Her world is tainted in purple, she can only see purple. When she closes her eyes it is still there and, though it is a muted version of the color. Purple drips in her eyes,  and she sees the world as though she is peering through a window freshly spotted with rain.

And she is cold. So horribly cold. She can’t feel her fire.

They are all around her and this time they have faces. One is Ting-Lao’s ugly bearded mug. The man’s face is narrow and shrew-like. The one next to him is a woman, fairly young and with short hair. And the man next to her is bearded and somehow both burly and scrawny at once. She realizes that it is his chest that is burly but his arms are significantly less so. Those arms reach out to place a gag in her mouth, they have tired over her shouting and infuriated cursing.

She realizes with horror that they aren’t gagging her for the sake of doing so. But rather they are stuffing the veins into her mouth faster than she can safely swallow them. She can’t breath, she can barely even manage faint choking sounds.

Her mouth is filled with the taste of rancid water and fish and a tinge of something more earthy. The texture is slimy and slippery and all around unpleasant. She grasps at the air, reaching for some involuntary snatch for air. They show no mercy and less regard for her humanity as they pile more vines into her mouth. They catch in her throat and tighten her chest. She kicks her feet as far as the restraints will allow.

The purple in her vision fades as tears slip from her eyes, twin trails of agony that closely resemble the trails of saliva and swamp water that leak from the corners of her mouth. She isn’t sure how long this has been going on for but she is well aware that she should be dead having been deprived of oxygen for this long. Yet she continues to suffer and they continue to pile vines down her throat.

They begin to slide unpleasantly down the entire length of her throat, which is swollen and bulging with them. Her mouth is overflowing with them, spilling vine juices and Agni knows what else. She finds that she wants to just suffocate already, if only to be done with this. But slowly, the vines work their way into her stomach and some relief comes to her throat. It is short lived, they are heaping more vines into her mouth to replace the ones that have just left.

She almost wishes that they would begin slicing and cutting as usual. At least she is familiar with that brand of torture. This...this is new. This is terrifying. Like drowning but without the comforts of liquid. She feels bloated and fatigued and utterly hopeless. She knows that no one is coming to help her. She knows that she can’t help herself. She can now feel them coiling about in her belly. She worries that they may erupt from within her.

At some point she becomes desensitized to the vines being forced into her mouth. That sensation is all but gone when she begins to feel wriggling under the flesh of her arms and legs.

The unstrap, hoist her to her feet, and tell her to bend. She eyes them desperately, almost pleadingly but they insist, “waterbend.” But she can’t. She can’t even firebend. She can barely even hold herself upright, she feels so tired and heavy and nauseous.

She falls to her hands and knees and hurls. She doesn’t try to stop herself, she needs to purge at least some of the vines before they kill her. But they fight back, they latch themselves to her innards and cling until she is only dry choking.

She flops onto her side too weak to muster even a tormented moan. Azula lies in a heap, simply breathing. Breathing until a clump of vines sloughs out of her mouth. They are glowing purple. She notices now that her arms are as well and her tummy, and likely her neck as well.

She feels the vines pushing against her as though she is with child. She know what is about to happen. She knows it and she is horrified. She can only manage a small whimper before it does.

She is reduced to a ribboned version of herself, with vines wiggling from the bloody mass. They peer over her as if their experiment has been a success.

.oOo.

For the fifth night that week, Azula wakes in a state of potent dread, her face slick with nervous sweat. She is grasping reflexivly at her throat, a phantom burning lingers within it. The nightmares are back and they are twice as vivid and with real images to play upon. These are more paralyzing than the one she had just awakened from. At least this one she can say is out of the realm of possibility. Not like the ones where she watches them dissect her; a sleeptime replay of the truth. On most nights she wakes with her heart racing and her eyes watery and this time she has no one to reach out to.

Between the nightmares, the re-acquired loneliness, and the real fear that she is being persecuted, Azula’s head pounds constantly. The last time she had slept good was a week or so ago. This time no one has come to check on her, setting in stone that she has burned a very delicate bridge.

She thinks that she may lose her mind at any moment. Perhaps she is already in the process, she certainly doesn’t feel right. A disconnect, similar to what she felt with her memories, is beginning to settle in. She wanders the palace in something of a haze.

She is getting jumpy again, the thought that Long Feng might be sneaking people into the palace is becoming pressing. She can’t imagine that Zuzu will put much thought into thoroughly checking who he newly hires, especially not for her.

Azula notices that she is pacing and brings herself to a halt. The scars on her arms and belly seem to flare up and inch more intolerably than ever. She feels faint and leans herself heavily against the wall, slumping to the floor with her hands gripping her head.

She thinks of Sokka. Of how he had held her so close, of how he could usually talk her out of the chaos in her mind. She decides once and for all that she has made a mistake. Despite it all, despite any history, she is sure that it no longer matters. Not when he had been so good to her in a moment of weakness when he very well could have taken her down permanently. He had been so caring and she had pushed him away over what? Things that happened years ago, a silly feeling that she was supposed to hate him.

Azula isn’t sure how long she’d sat there, mind racing uncontrollably, but there is a sensation of pins and needles in her arms and legs. She is both thankful and distraught that no one has taken notice of her.

She forces herself to her feet, her legs are wobbly as she makes her way down the hall. With a deep sigh she resigns herself to what needs to be done. It will be a whole lot easier to take herself to Dr. Yu-Kang than it would be, to be forcibly escorted. Anyways, she needs someone to talk to.

A tap on her shoulder barely registers.

“You don’t look so good. I can tell, and I’m blind!”

“Why are you talking to me?”

Toph shrugs. “Just because Sokka and Katara are mad, doesn’t mean I have to be.”

The relief she feels is almost palpable, but she refrains from completely unloading on Toph. That’s what Dr. Yu-Kang is for. Instead she replies, “I’m fine.”

“Okay, you’re not even putting effort into that lie.”

“I’ll be fine.” Azula insists. “I just need to...I need to speak with Dr. Yu-Kang.”

“Your therapist?” Toph asks.

Azula nods.

“What for?”

“A lot of things.” She mutters.

“Like how Sokka’s mad?”

“Among other things, I suppose.” She replies matter of factly. The urge to unload everything onto the earthbender persists. But she can’t afford such a display of weakness at the moment. Not when so many people are furious with her.

“You wanna talk about it?” Toph asks. “I’m not a comforting person but I can tell you to man up.”

“I’m not a comforting person either.” Azula shrugs. Evidently she has been trying to tell herself to acquire herself some thicker skin. “I can take care of myself.”

“If you say so.” Toph shrugs. She begins to walk away and Azula wishes she had said more. Though she isn’t sure what to say. Regardless, Toph turns back around. “Hey, if you wanna, I don’t know, light stuff on fire and throw rocks at stuff with me, just ask.”

“I’ll...consider.” Azula says. Though random acts of destruction isn’t what she constitutes as a good time, she is willing to part take if it means having at least one person who doesn’t resent her.

.oOo.

Sokka has long since learned to sense anxiety on the fire princess and she is exuding it very strongly. He has a nagging and impulsive itch to go and comfort her as he normally would but he is done playing games. He is certainly done wasting his time on someone who would throw him aside over things that happened so far in the past.

From the room over, he observes her slip into a chair and wait for her lunch. When it is set before her, she stares at it for a good while before actually eating it. After she finishes it, she pushes the bowl aside, rests her arms on the table, and buries her face in them. He doesn’t think that she is crying. If she is, she is doing so very silently and unnoticeably.

He thinks that she might have fallen asleep.

“You doing okay, Sokka?” Katara asks.

He shrugs, “still pissed.” He folds his arms over his chest and fights to keep his voice low, Raava forbid he wakes that dragon. “I just wasted so much time. You told me so. You all warned me but I thought that maybe helping her out would make a difference…”

“To be fair, it did with Zuko. No one blames you for having hope.” Katara smiles. “And no one is mad at you for being a good person.”

“I am!” He shouts. He flinches and looks in Azula’s direction. She must be out cold.

“I know that Aang was happy to see you so optimistic.”

“And he wonders why I’m a pessimist.” Sokka grumbles.

Katara rolls her eyes. “If you keep crossing your arms like that they’re going to get locked in that position!” Katara declares. She nudges him lightly, “come on, let’s go walk by the turtle-duck pond.”

.oOo.

Azula takes a deep breath as she approaches the guest bedroom. This idea, this new idea is probably a much better one. Yet she dreads it all the same. She gives the door a knock before she can second guess herself.

She hears footsteps approaching and very briefly locks eyes with Sokka before the door falls open and she is beckoned inside. She catches the briefest flicker of something in Sokka’s eyes, it is probably hatred.

She slinks inside and slumps down on the sofa.

“Is everything alright?” Dr. Phang asks. “Have the side effects not cleared?”

“The treatment went fine. Perfect in fact.” Azula responds.

He tilts his head in confusion. “Then what are you doing here?” He clares his throat. “I inquire with all do respect, princess.”

She waves the apology off. “I’m here because it went perfectly.”

Again, Dr. Phang looks almost comically perplexed.

“I…” She trails off. “I want you to erase my memories again. All of them if need be.” She never takes her eyes from him.

The man parts his lips but remains silent for a time. “Would you like to speak with Dr. Yu-Kang, princess?”

She swallows, “that is my backup plan.”

“Then it is a good thing that you had a backup plan.”

“I am your princess and I am telling you…”

“Having your mind and spirit energy tampered with just once is extremely dangerous. Twice, is treading very dangerous waters. Thrice…” He pauses. “What you’re asking me to do is to ravage your mind. Forgive me, princess, but I study chi and spirit energy to aid people, not destroy them.”

Azula finds herself massaging small circles on her temple.

“I can contact Dr. Yu-Kang, if you would like.”

“Yes, please.” She says very softly.

.oOo.

Sokka steps back from the door, his stomach fluttering with secondhand sadness. He knows that this is a conversation that he wasn’t supposed to have heard and he doesn’t think that he should stick around and let it be known that he had.

He should just make his way back to his room and forget about it. She made it very clear that she wants nothing to do with him. He lightly raps on his forehead with the heel of his hand. But why would she ask him to wipe her memories again if she didn’t feel some sort of regret? He answers himself with a forward, she doesn’t want to remember what happened in the compound. Still, something keeps him rooted in the hallway.

Just as he makes up his mind that he is going to mind his own business, the door opens and he finds himself looking her directly in the eyes. Exhausted, weary eyes.

He opens his mouth to speak but she shoves past him, Dr. Phang in tow. He has an impulse to catch her wrist but he knows that taking her by surprise is never a good idea. At best she’d jerk away, at worst he’d be met with a faceful of fire. Anyhow, he doesn’t think that he should care.

But he doesn’t like her posture. The way she is almost slouched as though her head is too heavy for her neck. He supposes that he has invested too much time into this, whatever it is, to just let it fail. With a long sigh he catches up to Azula. “Why can’t you just apologize like everyone else does?”

Azula’s frown only deepens and her eyes grow dimmer.

“I’ll stop being mad if you just apologize.”

She presses her lips firmly and stubbornly together.

“I’m serious, I won’t forgive you if you don’t say it.”

He didn’t realize that an expression could get that dark and forlorn. He tries a lighter tone, “You did it the last few times.”

She holds her silence.

With the old Azula reawakened and in the way, he is almost sure that he isn’t going to coax an apology from her, not now that her mind is rooted back in old habits.

She turns back to Dr. Phang and quietly requests, “perhaps I should go to Dr. Yu-Kang.”

“Okay fine, you win!” Sokka bursts out, his hopes plummeting rapidly. “We can talk about things.” He doesn’t think that she will take him up on his offer.

He watches her take a place propped up against the wall. “You’re dismissed for the moment, Dr. Phang.” He isn’t sure how she can still sound so authoritative.

The man offers a slight bow. “I will be in the guest room, you know where to find me.”

He takes his leave and Azula lets herself slide down the wall. For a while she only stares blankly at the opposite wall. He can tell that she wants to cry but she doesn’t He wishes that she just would. She is always calmer when she just lets it out. “Talk.” Sokka finds that he has no dialogue to offer, he didn’t think he’d get this far. He didn’t think that he was going to even try. “You said that you didn’t want to talk to me.”

“I didn’t.” She sticks to her word. “Not at that moment.”

“Then why did you tell me that I was wasting my time?”

She is quiet for another very long stretch of time and he thinks that it is his cue to leave. He shifts his weight and she speaks up again. “You made me angry. I wanted to be left alone.”

“And I left you alone.” He points out.

“Not that alone.” She mutters.

“Well then when would you have wanted to talk to me?” He asks. “I wasn’t going to wait forever.”

“I can force Dr. Phang to get rid of my memories again, it will be easier…”

“Since when have you ever taken the easy way out of things?”

“Since the hard way became unmanageable.” Azula replies. “I know when to back out of a fight that I can’t win.” Somehow she looks tireder still.

“You can win this one though.”

.oOo.

Azula swallows. She should have kept walking. She should have just hustled onto that boat and back to Fire Lake. “Can I?” She asks. “It’s been over three years since I started it…” She feels so drained. So spent. “I’m tired of fighting.”

Sokka’s fingers seem to twitch. She speculates that he has just thought better of placing his hand atop hers.

“I think that I lost my memories because the universe knew that I couldn’t deal with them anymore.” Her soul feels as heavy as she had in her dream. She feels just as suffocated too. Each and every instinct she has screams for her to shut the hell up. To stop admitting weakness. But one single, particularly loud instinct pushes her to continue. “I don’t want to be alone again...it only took me a few days with my memories and one conversation to push everyone away.”

Sokka blinks.

“I can keep doing this or I can erase everything again with a note to myself that I don’t want my memories back and then I can move on.”

Sokka rubs his hands over his face.  “I can be patient.” He says. “I should have been patient. It takes time to get used to...everything.”

Azula shrugs, “patience wears thin eventually no matter how long the supply is.”

“Do you really think that it will take you that long to get it together?”

He truly does have such a way with words. She rolls her eyes, “yes, I do.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You need to back your claims with proof.”

“You wouldn’t have sat down and talked to me like this before, would you have?”

She considers. “No.”

“Well then…” He nudges her.

“Don’t do that.” She scowls.

“Sorry.” He mumbles.

A part of her almost feels bad, he is trying which is more than she can say. She wants to joke and jest but she can’t. She isn’t comfortable with it anymore. She doesn’t know why she can’t just be comfortable with it. It used to be so easy. She rests her face against her knees. For a moment she clutches her head but then she releases her hold and simply hovers her open hand slightly above her head.

“It would be better if I just…” She trails off. “I was easier to be around. People liked me more when…”

She doesn’t need to look up to know that grim, tightlipped expression is on his face. “If I can’t love the real you, is it love at all? I want to love you, not a half version of you.”

.oOo.

She looks up. Her lower lips seems to tremble. Still she doesn’t cry. He really, truly wishes that she would. He finds himself saying, “just let it out.”

“What?” She utters.

“Just cry already.” He laughs.

She shakes her head, “not a chance.”

“I’ve already seen you cry several times, I can list them off if you’d like.”

At this she cringes and her nose scrunches. “Don’t.” For a moment she looks faintly humored, but this fades quickly.

“I won’t.” He replies lamely. “But I don’t think any differently about you for crying. You’re still the most terrifying person I’ve ever talked to.” She misses the affection in the comment completely and seems to grow dim again. “I mean that in a good way. You’re fierce! You know, like dragons!”

“You’re horrible at this.” She mumbles.

“I’m trying, doesn’t that count for anything?”

She catches him off guard with an affirmative nod. “Yes.”