#don’t know why it took Korra so long to say it

[loklove48]

A day late, just another favorite Korrasami moment.

[cuntinies]

I loved your fic! And i was thinking if you can make a korra x reader enemies to lovers fic? Maybe the reader was an equalist? Or you can do something else with the idea. Thanks!

summary: settling in republic city has not been easy, especially with a nagging yet striking young woman who cant help but entertain you.

warnings - fem reader, cursing, not proofread. please let me know if i forgot anything else

you want to turn around and scream in this girl's face.

but you don't have to see her snarky ass smirk to know it was korra who decided to splash some water on you. 4 months ago, you decided to settle in republic city. dealing with your parents was one thing now that you were free from them, but at this moment dealing with this cocky, immature girl has hit your limit. you met korra right when you were dropped off at the dock.

heavy bags hauled on your shoulders and your sandals are barely hanging on a thread as you carefully walk down the dock into the city. bodies everywhere, not very used to so many people at once. back in the earth kingdom, everyone had their way but here, that was soon going to change for you.

"what's a pretty country girl doing over here in the city, hmm?" you hear a flirty feminine voice right next to you, matching your speed as you try your best to weave through the pushing bodies on this hot morning. you didn't have to time to glance at whoever was talking to you.

"look, i don't want to buy whatever you're selling-" you say, trying to quickly dismiss this woman and get to your next location. the woman makes her way in front of you, towering over you so that she covers the blazing sun from where she's standing. your eyes slowly rake up the woman's body, admiring how bold and strong she stood for a second, her biceps were built, and her face? her defined noses and lips, the way her eyebrows furrowed a teasing look. you took almost too long admiring her before you remembered that she was in your way.

"look here miss, i'm not trying to sell you anything. you people from the earth kingdom gotta start loosing up a bit." she snaps back at you, matching your energy. fuck, was it that noticeable? your dingy cloth overalls and your hair pushed back by a crochet bandana that your grandmother made you, made it obvious that you were from the earth kingdom.

"excuse me? your CITY PEOPLE are too pushy. now would you excuse me.." you say as you purposely elbow her as you walk by. you hear her wince, not daring to look back. "I'll see you around country girl!" is what you hear behind you, mixing in with the rest of the bustling noises of the city.

now here you were, working at a midnight food stall/bar that your landlord owned. she allowed you to stay if you worked for free. i mean the room you're staying in was the attic. It was hot as hell, and floorboards creaked so loud that you were worried that you were going to bring the whole house down, and would be so dusty. you didn't have a choice, so you decided to stay put. you and your landlord worked behind the counter at the food stall she owned for more than 30 years. you could tell she took pride in it, citizens trying to push in to find a seat at the full bar. she was mostly in the back preparing small noodle dishes for the workers who would come in after a night of drinking while you were to deal with the front, weird drunkards, nasty old men, and of course- korra.

"korra.." you say, turning around slowly, wiping your hands on your hand cloth, before meeting your gaze to korra. her arms crossed on the counter as she leaned on it, biting her bottom lip playfully as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"you know... you don't have to be such a bitch right?" she replies to you, taking a sip of her hot chai. even though korra was handsome, you wanted to slap her. why does she have such a huge ego? she would constantly pick at you and you two would bicker back and forth. the thing was that she always had a stupid smile on her face, teasing you. "you know you don’t have to be such a dick right?" you spit back, reaching over before the woman takes another sip, grabbing the small mug out of her hand. "hey!! what are you doing with my drink?" her voice heightened, upper body trying to reach over the counter to get the chai back. the mug clatters as you toss it in the basin, quickly turning around to face the desperate woman.

"im not doing this tonight korra. pick someone your size." you say through your teeth, trying your best to not let your guard down, but all you meet is her toothy grin. "im just waiting for the sweetest country girl to bite back," korra says with a quirk of her eyebrow.

korra always found a way to use her bending as an advantage. manipulating the rocky ground so you can trip in front of her, spritzing water on your face, pushing the wind to tussle your hair. she was waiting for you to do something to her, pinch her ear, or grab the collar of her top, but you did nothing. keeping that perfect zen earth kingdom attitude that she wanted to see crumble.

"oh, i will, don't you worry," you say, getting closer to her face, a mere 6 inches away from her nose. feeling her breathing increase as she got closer. her eyes widen in surprise but quickly replaced with a look of amusement.

"yeah? why don't you show me then babe?" korra smiled cheekily, biting her bottom lip as she looked down at your lips and then back to your eyes. you feel your face heat up instantly, blood rushing in your ears in embarrassment and rage. you scoff, whipping your head away from her to storm into the kitchen.

"so what time do you get off?!" korra yells as she watches you leave past the cloth that separates the bar to the kitchen.

a/n: thanks for all the love on my first post :'). here i give you a half ass request. idk if like this but lmk if yall want a pt2. inbox is open✉️

[dragonridernoobie]

Hello, hello, hello! I saw your requests were still open and since your one of the few tfp writers that has their requests open(plus your writing is awesome) I’ve returned with another request>:3 I really enjoy seeing headcanons where reader is similar to a character I love soooo, here I am as you did so well last to, could I possibly request some headcanons for TFP Ratchet, TFP Shockwave, TFP Optimus Prime, and if your able to TFP Soundwave(completely optional!) with a S/O who’s very nervous and twitchy, very similar to tweek from South Park(I can’t think of another way to describe it:,))

OR

If you don’t feel like doing that, some scenarios with TFP Bumblebee, Optimus Prine(Bayverse or TFP, your choice:>) with a reader like Eska from The legend of korra, similar to Bolin and Eska’s relationship( here’s a video as an example: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTUnBXW/) idk why but they are just oddly cute-

Anywayyyyss! Remember to take breaks, and don’t feel forced to write this, I shall eventually return with hopefully more creative ideas! Have fun!

I'm so happy you enjoy my writing! It makes me all giggly seeing people say that. I agree there is not many transformer writers or they take a long time to respond. Also, thank you for telling me to take breaks! Don't worry, I will (meaning I will immediately go grind on a game that will make me mad). I hope this is up to your standards and that you love it! Don't remmber to take breaks yourself. (Sorry this took a bit)

TFP x Nervous Reader

Optimus

When optimus met (Y/N), the first thing he noticed was (Y/N) was twitching and was extremely nervous.

He was gonna tell them to stay calm and he ment no harm.

Intel the decepticons appered.

(Don't ask)

Once he got to a safe place, he faced (Y/N).

He was concerned at first and asked if they were ok.

He learned that they are fine but can't control it.

When (Y/N) was brought to base, leave it to miko to make (Y/N) uncomfortable.

She probably said something like "why do you twitch? Is there something wrong with you're head?" 😑😑😑appeared.

Which caused bulkhead to yell at miko

Optimus looked up what was wrong with (Y/N), along with ratchet.

When he figures out what was wrong. He made sure to help (Y/N) as best as he can.

He loves being with (Y/N) since (Y/N) is very nice when they are calm.

He also made sure to keep little things inside of his subspace for (Y/N) like blankets, fidget toys, snacks, etc.

Ratchet

When ratchet meets (Y/N), it was when optimus brought them to base, after they where almost captured by the decepticons.

Even though he is a grump, he aint a asshole.

He knows something wrong, he might be annoyed at first but he will come around.

I can see ratchet being really protective of (Y/N), since they can hurt themselves from twitching alot.

He will look up ways how to help (Y/N) with their twitching.

Once he figures out, he will act on it immediately.

He will take (Y/N) away from anything that will cause them to twitch or get extremely nervous.

He will also ask the kids to get fidget toys from (Y/N) so they have something to do.

Ratchet now has a friend with him while he works on his Computer.

He will listen to (Y/N) talk, since when they are calm, they have a very nice voice.

He will also listen to (Y/N) when they tell him to take a break or take a drive with them.

He will also be willing to drive them to work/school/home.

Soundwave

When he met (Y/N), it was when the vitcons kidnapped them, megatron couldn't figure out why they were twitching, so sent then to Soundwave.

Since Shockwave was busy with predaking or he wasn't here at the time.

Soundwave immediately put (Y/N) in a caps thing (I don't know the name) and watched them

Obviously (Y/N) would twitch non-stop and Soundwave wrote this down.

Eventually, Soundwave will look up what (Y/N) has and once he figures out, he reports it.

Sorry (Y/N), you are the new pet of the decepticons.

(Get you're fucking head out of the gutters you sinners! Shame on you!😤😤😤)

Eventually Soundwave would actually start to build a friendship with them.

He would tell lord megatron they will be their "guardian" and protect (Y/N).

Lazerpeak also loves (Y/N) since they pet their head when relaxing.

(Y/N) is mostly stuck with Soundwave, so Soundwave gets used to (Y/N) just sitting next to his keyboard.

Soundwave would listen to (Y/N) and is penitent when he waits for (Y/N) to finish their sentence.

I can see him trying to teach (Y/N) how to speak normally while stressed.

Random funny pitcher.

[azulas-lightning-bolt]

fem mako… save me fem mako…

okay so I saw @jade-of-mourning’s post about how makorra would make bomb yuri and I am 100% in agreement so,, how I imagine tlok would go if mako was a girl.

I feel like this would totally affect mako’s backstory n stuff too because life on the street is rough for any kids but like. little girls with no one to run to surrounded by creepy criminal guys. not great! so not only would that add an extra layer of trauma, but I feel like it would also add dimension to mako+zolt’s dynamic when mako and bolin worked w the triads. like, instead of firebending gang leader who wants to shape a mini-me he found into his successor, it’s. hold on let me make another sentence. it’s a girl who’s learned to protect herself and a man she needs to defend herself from offering to teach her better. so there’s less of the straightforwardness of their canon interactions—mako knows she’s being exploited but is willing to play into it to take advantage of learning zolt’s skills and zolt knows she’s clever but wants her close. idk how fucked up zolt would be, but he could probably have some motivations related to trafficking as a backup should mako turn on him that would’ve been less viable with canon mako. idk. thoughts are thinking too quickly for me to type rn.

I’m not gonna go through everything in tlok for the sake of not yapping for 12 hrs like i did in my 100yr war mako post but through the four books in the context of makorra i imagine it would go:

b1: weirdgirl firebender who’s a control freak becomes the avatar’s best friend. she’s totally not in love btw. and there’s literally no jealousy at all when asami befriends korra either cause they’re just chill. just friends, how friends are, yk. amon is a freak but part of her is relieved he took zolt’s bending. thought the thought of her getting her bending taken away feels like a part of her autonomy being taken and that’s terrifying so she’s relieved when he fucking dies.

b2: from what I recall team avatar is more split up during b2 and do you know what that means. so much pining. it smells like a forest with the amount of longing bro. then mako gets arrested and prison as we all know is such a friendly environment for women so. more trauma. then harmonic convergence happens at that is absolutely when makorra realize they’re in loooove. then vaatu happens and it’s like ohhh shit I’m in deeeep.

b3: new airbenders yay! mako is distracted from korra a little bit when she and bolin meet their long lost extended family, until dear old grammy says that korra would make a fine husband for her granddaughter if she were a man. and cue gay panic cause DOES SHE KNOW???? HOW??? I’m being intentionally vague cause I last watched this show like five years ago and I don’t remember the timeline at all but bear with me. airbenders in ba sing se are freed, krew makes their way over to zaofu to meet opal. this is cool it’s fine. lin is literally mako’s mom and she’s still worried the whole time they’re on zaofu. korra is kidnapped. prison for mako and bolin (again). m+b search the desert for korrasami, it’s all mostly the same except more. yk. gay pining. korra is poisoned but the girls have a girl moment on air temple island after Jinora gets her tattoos :3

b4: korra travels for a while, before returning to rc. then she’s gone again to the swamp. kuvira attacks zaofu, korra defends, and then she’s back. mako and asami are. yeah. blah blah blah that one episode of makorra reminiscing gets really gay, kuvira tries to take over rc, mako lightning-zaps the mech and almost dies and then BOOM. they kiss after the battle. and the lesbians win once again as makorra walk into the spirit world hand in hand.

if you’re wondering why this was written so disjointedly it’s because I kept getting distracted mid-sentence. and I also hate how the romance was dealt with in canon, but it’s such a big part of b1 (my favorite book minus romance) and the repercussions lasted throughout all four seasons so obviously that I physically cannot bring myself to rewatch it. and girls are so. thank u lychee ur really super awesome and cool for drawing makorra as girls because I think they would’ve worked out in canon if mako was a girl. sorry I’m really sick rn and I’m a little out of it lmao 😭🙏🏼

[lokfeedsthegays]

WUKO WEEK 2024!!! :D!!!!!

Prompt: ANGST + AU

yes this is my miraculous au I’m cringe but I’m free

[CW: violence & implied homophobia]

-

It was personal. That was the first thing Mako thought upon seeing him.

The unfortunate consequences of their situation weren’t secret. Fighting people- usually innocent people, having their minds warped and twisted into near-cartoonish villainy- it was never pleasant. But if he didn’t think too much about it and got it done, it didn’t weigh on him too heavily. And they at least didn’t have the memory intact of him and his friends beating the shit out of them.

Naturally, it was harder to digest if it was someone he knew personally. Even more so someone he liked. Maybe more than liked, but he didn’t have the emotional capacity to process that at the moment.

They were taking a high perch on a building, trying to survey the threat. The threat, this time, being a friend of theirs’. Or what was left of him. How much truth was in akuma victims’ monologues and threats was an ongoing debate- and one Mako didn’t like. He tried not to care. He knew it wasn’t them, so that was all that mattered.

And it was easier to separate the slow-striding figure on the street below from the jovial, theatrical person he knew in his civilian life.

Long, ornate robes flowed on the asphalt, green and gold, his entire body ornamented with at least times the usual amount of jewelry that Wu normally wore, which was saying something. Mako could practically hear the clinking from where he was. His hands, normally soft and gentle, seemed to have gold growing out of them from the knuckles, coalescing and twisting together into hooked claws. Really, gold seemed to have replaced his veins, with branches of it swimming through his skin, which was grayed and pale and sickly-looking. Inhuman.

He had a crown. A pointed, heavy-looking, so ornate it was hard to process crown. And his eyes were like pearls- white and empty.

He scanned the abandoned street, pausing for a moment before continuing on his way. Every step was methodical, almost robotic, and regal to the point of sheer pretension. The only sign of emotion was the seconds of a grimace when he found no-one. Did he want people to be there? To watch him, maybe?

Where the last of his robe left, gold made the trail, making a signature of his presence wherever he went. And it let Mako know that they shouldn’t just go in and kick him. Not if they wanted to be solid gold in less than a second.

Whatever his new name was (Mako didn’t care, he’d still call him Wu), Mako was sure it wouldn’t be the best idea to just jump down and say hi.

“So then what do we do?” Korra huffed after he voiced this out loud, partially to him and partially to herself. Her blue, cat-like eyes narrowed in sheer concentration. She took her metal staff and sat it across her knees, hunching over into a relaxed position.

“There has to be some kind of weak spot. None of the villains are impervious. We just have to find out where it is. I suggest we keep observing- maybe we can find his object and…fish it out or something.”

”He’s covered in jewelry and ornamentation,” Asami piped up, her red cape folding as she leaned back. Her red, spotted outfit complimented Korra’s black suit as they slumped against each other. “We have to figure out which is the one holding the butterfly, but…I don’t know how to do that.”

“We could ask him,” Bolin provided, and Mako resisted a mean glare. Bolin blinked back at him through his green visor.

“No, Bolin, we’re not going down to the supervillain and asking him what his weakness is.”

“Well if we can’t think of anything else, why not?” Bolin said. “Besides, we can’t predict how they are. He might actually tell us. Wu’s a nice guy.”

”So are most of the people who get turned into villains,” Asami reasoned. “It doesn’t mean he’ll be nice now. He’s not in control; we have to be smart about this.”

“It seems like he’s looking for civilians,” Mako said, placing his fingers around his chin. “If we walk up to him like this, no doubt he’ll attack. But maybe one of us could go up undisguised. See if he’ll be calmer. But that’s a backup plan…I’d rather none of us get put in the path of danger.”

”Seems like a good plan to me,” Korra interjected, lowering herself and creeping closer to the edge, trying to get a better look at him. “We can’t just sit up here and watch him.”

”Well…yes we can,” Mako said slowly.

”And what if someone goes up to him and gets in trouble? We’ll just see what he does?”

”Well, no, but I-“

We don’t have time to waste watching him. We gotta do something, and now, before he does anything bad.”

”Well then what do you suggest?” Mako responded, his temper mounting.

”I suggest your first plan. I bet he’d say at least something with you down there. He likes you.”

”When he’s sane he does! I don’t know how he’ll-“

”C’mon, just go. We’ll be here to intervene if he does anything.”

”And get yourselves turned into statues? I’d rather not.”

”You don’t know that!”

Well we also don’t know-!”

”Just GO!” Korra cried, seeming as if she was one word away from smashing her head into the roof. “You’ll be fine. You’re smart and he’s got a big fat crush on you.”

”He does not-“

”Detransform, dude.”

Mako did as he was told, but not without a sour expression the entire time. Magical energy flowed off of him, leaving him vulnerable, and he promptly made his way down the building’s stairs, hurrying through and out the side door, dipping into the alleyway. He slid along the wall until he could peek around the corner, getting a closer look at Wu.

Safe to say, he grew a bit. Maybe there were some kind of insane platforms under that robe, but he was easily taller than Mako now, making him (unfortunately) more imposing. His now-gold plastered hands were curled into almost fists, and his face was locked in a grimace, making him look perpetually agitated.

He scanned the street again with his blank eyes, and Mako ducked out of view, making sure to tell his heartrate to slow the fuck down. Once he got that under control, he composed himself, checked to make sure his Miraculous was intact, then stepped out into the open.

Wu’s gaze immediately locked onto him within the second, piercing and almost wild. Mako suppressed a flinch, and decided to feign innocent surprise, his arms coming up in surrender. He let the moment sit, then squinted.

“…Wu?” he tried, covering the reach as slow recognition.

He prayed Korra was right, and that he wasn’t about to get swiftly and completely incapacitated.

Wu’s eyes narrowed before they widened, and even though his posture barely changed, he somehow seemed a little more relaxed. “Mako,” he breathed. “Finally. I was starting to think people were avoiding me.”

”What happened?” Mako asked, not daring to take a step closer.

“Oh, this?” Wu said, looking down at himself. As if Mako could be talking about anything else. ”A recent development. Does it look nice?”

Wu twisted a bit, showing off the intricate patterns of his robe.

”It’s…a lot,” Mako answered truthfully. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but your usual outfits are a little…tamer.”

Wu chuckled, and Mako took that for the leeway he hoped it was.

”But I mean- what happened to you? To make this happen…”

“Oh, nothing too bad, really,” Wu said, which was clearly a lie. “Just..family issues, mostly. Nothing revolutionary! But I suppose those issues are gone now.” He flexed his hooked fingers, the gold sparking in the sunlight. “Now I’m staking my claim, as it were.”

”What…happened to your family..?”

”My aunt? Hm. Well, she was being my aunt. That’s all. But the problem is solved, and she’s to be made an example of in my new domain.” Wu motioned out around them, and Mako’s expression sank.

“Wu, listen to me,” Mako said, his heart skipping a beat as he tried his luck, “there are people who can help you. You don’t want this, trust me. Are you hearing me?”

Wu smiled and strode closer, and Mako was frozen as Wu stopped right in front of him. Mako had to crane his neck to look up at him, which was absurd, and it only added to the heavy feeling in Mako’s chest.

”I love how you care,” Wu sighed, “but I’m alright. This is a new beginning for me! You’re my friend- you should be happy for me. You should join me on my coronation stroll. You can be made a high member in my court.”

Mako winced, his nose curling. “Wu, people are scared of you right now. You’re not yourself- just- let me help.”

“Mako! Chivalrous as ever, but trust me, everything is fine. Come with me- you’ll be safe, I promise.”

Wu reached out, his warped hand grasping Mako’s wrist. Mako tensed, preparing himself for the worst, but he quickly realized that nothing was happening. So it seemed Wu could control it- which could be beneficial if he played his cards right. Mako scanned his friend for any signs of a telltale object, but nothing stood out.

“But I don’t-“, Mako started to protest, but was cut off when Wu began his stride again, dragging him along the street. He tried to quell his panic, wanting anything but his friends to leap down there hastily. He could handle this- he just needed a bit more time.

”Now, I think we should find a decent point to declare this city’s new ruler. We can go to City Hall- a public assembly should be easy enough to gather with my talents. I’ll probably have to freeze the president, but, you know, necessities.”

“Wu-“

”Oh, and that name. I mean, it was nice while I had it, but that’s not who I am anymore. Someone at your station would call me ‘your highness’ but an exception can be made for you.”

”Wu- spirits- you don’t want to turn the president to gold! Just listen to me-“

The pressure on Mako’s wrist increased, and Wu’s smile dropped in an instant. “You know I love you, but you know you’re not exactly in a position to make requests. I’ll be happy to listen later, but right now I’m trying to do my job.”

“Please! Just- tell me where your object is- we can get you back to normal,” Mako pleaded, brushing off the disbelief at himself for using Bolin’s tactic. “This isn’t going to end well for anyone if you keep going. I know you know that!”

“Mako!” Wu shouted, his tone harshening into something unfamiliar. Mako jolted when he realized his feet were stuck to the ground. He looked down to see reflective gold rooting him to the spot. “You must stop arguing with me. Go with me, or stay here as a statue. Your choice, but that’s as far as my lenience will go.”

Mako clenched his jaw, his eyes darting around the robes, trying to find something significant. Anything significant at all. Transforming wouldn’t get him out of this mess- he had to be smart.

“Wait- I’ll go with you. I will, I’m sorry.” Uttering it made Mako want to hurl, but he needed more information. He hoped his friends could hear him.

”Hmmm. That’s what I thought,” Wu hummed, and the creeping gold quickly receded, letting Mako shake his feet out. “Not to worry. You’ve done a fine job protecting me in the past. It’s high time I return the favor.”

Wu began his stride again, and Mako had to hurry to keep up. He usually walked with a pseudo-haughty demeanor, but this was a full-on parade of privilege. This new Wu had no problem lifting his chin as high as he could without looking ridiculous, and all of his jewelry sparkled as he walked. That, coupled with his sterner than usual expression, remarkably gave off an air that was intimidating.

”So you…want to turn the president to gold?” Mako prompted.

”Yes. How else are people going to know that they have a new ruler?”

There were several leaps in logic there, but Mako would be remiss to point that out.

“My aunt claimed I was in no state to assume a position of power. She’s one to talk, though. She’s hardly the best queen ever. But no matter! She’s taken care of, and I’m proving that I am perfectly capable of commanding authority.” Wu chuckled contently at himself, then he looked down at Mako, his expression falling into a glare. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Mako swallowed. “Yes- yeah- I agree- yeah.”

As they continued on, Mako couldn’t help but let his gaze drift to the rooftops, a prickling feeling on his neck. And there were certainly people there, but not his friends looking out for him. Instead, it was the force, peering down with equipment and weapons, getting clear looks at them with binoculars.

He wasn’t surprised. The force tended to intervene on many akuma incidents, and now that there was a “hostage” involved, they’d definitely be a little more hands-on. But he didn’t like the risks it posed. Mostly the chance that Wu would get mad and lash out.

Mako wished Korra had let him think through their plan a little longer.

Most likely Wu had already noticed the police. Mako just had to make sure a fight didn’t break out. Hopefully Lin had enough patience to keep her men where it was safe.

“Wu-“

Wu harshly cleared his throat.

Mako stifled any potentially insulting noise. “Your…Highness, um, you’re not planning on hurting anyone, are you? I mean, you need people to rule, after all. Right?”

”Of course I will do my best, Mako, but people must also learn to respect me. If they get in my way, I must silence their protests. It’s only natural.”

No, it wasn’t natural. Especially coming out of Wu’s mouth. Mako at least had to admit to himself that it was one of the things he admired most about Wu. He was pragmatic. He was the last person to make things happen by force, but trying to remind him of that seemed fruitless.

“What happened? When you were transformed…were you arguing with your aunt?”

”Mmh. Not arguing so much as being berated by her. Nothing new, but I’d had a particularly unpleasant day, and she was more grating than usual. The cow kept going on and on about my responsibilities and lack of ability. I suppose I just…had enough of it. Next thing I knew, I had these powers. And she shut up very quickly.” Wu’s hand twitched, and Mako looked at the fingers that bore at least a dozen rings on the gold surface.

Squinting at them, he scanned each of the rings until one pricked a memory at the back of his mind. It was a smoothie date…outing. One of many. Mako remembered the excited grasp of Wu’s hand- he’d grabbed one of Mako’s fingers and dragged his arm up and down. He had that ring on- the duller one, with a dark green gem.

That didn’t definitively mean that it was the object with the butterfly in it, but it was a solid contender.

Luckily, the police didn’t bother them all the way to City Hall. Less luckily, there was a higher concentration of people deeper into the city, and they were less able to flee the scene when a clear supervillain showed up.

The mass of people gave a wide berth to the regal figure strolling through them, forming a sort of natural pathway in the way he was headed. Mako kept his head ducked, partially out of embarrassment, but he didn’t want to instigate too much with the crowd. One wrong move, and everyone in the square could be frozen solid.

As they made their way through, people scrambled to get out of the area. However, branching gold wormed its way through the earth, slithering out to the edges of the square and mounting on itself, forming swift walls. People screamed and tried to haul over as it was rising, but it was too tall too quickly, and they all promptly became caged in.

Mako couldn’t do much but stare in horror, regretting his decisions.

“Now that that’s settled!” Wu said satisfactorily, clasping his hands together, which clinked. He then turned to the stairway of the town hall making his way up. Mako tried to duck into the crowd to lose attention so he could transform, but Wu went ahead and grabbed his wrist, bringing him up with him.

Walking through a crowd and being intimidating was not a crime. But entrapment most certainly was, and now, unfortunately, the police had a blatant excuse to dive in.

Helicopter sounds finally made their way over the clamor of the screaming crowd, and Mako looked up to see a few amassing, and ropes streaming down to release the troops. This, Mako realized, was not the police force at all, but Raiko’s recently commissioned force: the AEF. Akuma Extermination Faction- which was about as friendly as it sounded.

Lin had made the smart play in laying low and getting a read on the situation. But Mako should’ve known to not trust Raiko to do the same.

He also couldn’t trust Raiko to concoct an effective program either, because the moments their boots hit the ground and their guns were pointed, gold shot at them through the concrete, swiftly encasing their boots, then crawling up until all that was left was a screaming statue.

It took a second, but the troops got smart enough to not land, and instead hovered, dangling from their aircrafts, weapons still pointed.

“Release the hostages, or immediate action will be taken,” a stern voice declared from a speaker.

Wu’s brow creased. “Better idea: Raiko! Get out here or your citizens will be nothing more than decorations! We have business to discuss.”

Mako tried a small attempt in wrenching his arm free, but Wu held on tight, and Mako couldn’t hope to brute strength his way out of it when his friend had powers and he didn’t. He’d have to have a discussion with Korra about their planning skills when this whole mess was over. If it was ever going to be over. Mako didn’t like how seemingly everything was suddenly going wrong.

“Stand down- people could get hurt here. Raiko’s forces aren’t coordinated enough!” Mako threw out. He didn’t know what else to do- not yet, anyway.

”Standing down is weakness,” Wu declared, his nose and lip curling. His grip tightened and Mako grunted in pain. Then, louder, “Standing down is out of the question! I’d hurry, if I were you. The odds aren’t in your favor.”

”Well they’re not in your’s, either!”

Mako looked up as his friends, led by Korra, descended onto the top of the steps, nearly crashing down on them. However, Wu ducked out of the way and found himself on the midway point of the stairs. Mako, having been pulled back with him, was now dangling from Wu’s grip, hanging just over the lower stairs, his hand getting redder.

Korra spun her staff, letting it fall behind her in an intimidation position, her suit’s ears flat against her head. “Let him and the rest of these people go. Then we can get right down to brass tacks.”

She held up her hand, brandishing her ring. “This is what you want, right? These were part of the deal?”

Wu stared unblinkingly at the jewelry.

“Well then come and get them. If you win, then who’s to stop you?”

Wu sat in complete stillness and silence for a moment, practically a statue himself. Then, finally, he slumped a little, but a tight smile worked its way onto his face. “No, I don’t think so. I have a proposal of my own.”

Wu dragged Mako forward, showing him off to his friends. Mako tried to tug free, but to no avail. “Give me your jewelry. The longer you take, the more people get frozen. Starting with him.”

Wu shoved him onto his knees, and Mako was immediately locked there, gold replacing his jeans. “Hey! No!” he grunted, his eyes instinctively and desperately searching for a solution.

”Stand down! Last warning!” the speaker-voice called from behind.

”NO! Let him go!” Bolin shouted, lifting his shield. “Right now!”

Gold encased his legs- became his legs. Mako began to feel the imminent panic of not being able to breathe. He uselessly struggled against his constraints, trying to calm his heart rate. “Wu! Please! Listen to me-!”

”That is not my NAME!” he screamed, his hands curling. He lifted his arms, the grand sleeves of his robe billowing out. “Clearly I’m not bluffing! You may stand down now or face the consequences!”

Asami’s yo-yo began spinning into a blur. “I guess we’re doing this the hard way,” she breathed, eyes narrowing in concentration.

”Open fire!”

”Mako!”

”WU-!”

Mako didn’t have the chance to see it all play out. In the moment just before his friends leapt forward to fight, everything went black, and his body went numb.

——

When he came to, it wasn’t from a rescue.

Instead, when he collapsed, his limbs finally free, it was pretty easy to realize that- besides Wu- he was the only one unfrozen in the entire square.

The gold wall had extended upwards, curling in and forming a mass of finger-like spikes, curving inwards in an incomplete sphere. People littered the ground, suspended in various displays of screams and desperation.

His friends were locked in almost picturesque poses. Bolin was on the ground, curling behind his shield. Asami was next to him, her yo-yo outstretched, the winding string made mesmerizingly still. And between them, completing the huddle, was Korra, on one knee and one hand stretched into the sky. Around her hand, black energy of an impending Cataclysm was aloft, not having been able to be put to use.

Mako grunted, trying to suppress his horror. He shifted, his joints popping, and he was able to see Wu- not too far away from him, sitting on the steps. His straight posture and air of authority was gone, replaced with sullenness. He was hunched over, his hands supporting his head.

Mako took a shaky breath. “What are you doing?” he managed to rasp out.

”Oh, just, coming up with a plan. I have to unfreeze them at some point to get their Miraculous. I just want to be prepared,” he sighed.

“And you unfroze me…why?”

”For company. Surely you knew my suspending you forever was a bluff.”

”…Not…really..”

”Well,” Wu started, standing up, “now you know. Welcome to my council.”

Mako looked around, his mouth pinched into a thin line. “Not much of a kingdom, is it?”

”It will be better,” Wu responded quickly.

”Will it?” Mako tilted his head to look up at Wu from his curled position. His back ached when he tried to sit up. ”It’s the ring, isn’t it?”

Wu folded his hands over each other, resting them on his chest.

Mako adjusted with a grunt, turning to sit on the step. When he realized one arm was shaking, he twisted so Wu couldn’t see. “You know whatever your aunt says…doesn’t matter, right?”

”I know that,” Wu snapped, that unnatural aggression surfacing again. “It’s in the past. We shouldn’t discuss it.”

”We should,” Mako insisted, against his better judgment. “I can tell you’re fighting it- or else we wouldn't be having this conversation.”

”We won’t be soon if you keep pushing it.”

”I’m not scared of you, Wu. I could never be scared of you.”

”Excuse me?” Wu’s expression curled, scrunching into something sour and foreign to his face.

”Even if that butterfly’s pushing you to, you don’t want to. Hurt me, I mean. So I’m not scared of you, and I know I can talk you out of this.” Mako knew he was talking out of his ass, but he didn’t have much more than confidence at the moment.

“Watch your tone with me,” he hissed, leaning in and over. “I am not the pathetic boy you knew. I am a king, and you will treat me like such.”

”That’s what you think you are?” Mako huffed. “Pathetic? That’s not at all what you are, Wu.”

”Not anymore.”

“You weren’t before…this either. Wu, you are one of the most creative, caring people I know. If…if your aunt hated that, that’s her problem- not yours.”

”I know that!” Wu said shortly, waving him off, his large sleeve trailing behind the motion. “I don’t wish to talk about this anymore. Quiet, before I force you to be.”

”Let me help you.”

”No. I’m keeping you. My power- with you by my side- that will prove everything she has ever said about me to be foolish. I’m not letting it go just because you said so.”

“With me? What makes me so important?”

Wu’s face tightened, clearly holding in a stream of confession. “You’re not. I just happen to like having you around.”

“I don’t think that’s true.” Mako slowly stood, his mind slowly starting to click the pieces given to him together- like second nature. “I think you were antagonized by your aunt your whole life. I think…although I don’t know particularly why, this time pushed you over the edge. And that’s what the butterfly prayed on. It made that moral outrage you had ugly.”

Mako hobbled over to Wu, his joints still stiff. “But it’s not ugly. Hell, Wu, it’s one of the best things about you. You care, dude. A lot. Don’t let some thing take that away from you.”

Wu’s face relaxed from the enraged mask of insult, to something much more neutral and unreadable.

“Fine,” he hummed. “If you’re so desperate for the waste of space that I was, I can let you make a play for him. But if you lose, you stay with me. Forever, just like this.”

At least it was something. Mako swallowed. “Fine.”

”Very well, then.” Wu held out his glittering hand. “Take the right ring. And you can have him back.”

Mako tentatively stepped forward, his brow furrowed. He shifted his weight between his legs, eyeing the green-gem ring.

Wu would think it was a simple answer. Mako was observant. He knew what he has seen before, and he’d take that to its logical conclusion.

But what did it mean to Wu? His friend had always worn a strong variety of jewelry, each on his person simply for the fact that it was pretty. But he never talked about them like they meant something.

Except for one piece- one he wore only once, and simply because he had to. It was for a political event. One that a foreign prince, who’s tenure in Republic City hinged on his education, would be obligated to go to.

A brooch his aunt had forced him to wear to look presentable.

And there it was, on his robe. Mako forced himself to not look directly at it, and instead feigned scanning the rings. Even if Wu wanted out, the butterfly wasn’t going to let him. If Mako simply pointed at or grabbed the brooch, Wu would fight back and stop him in an instant.

Mako took a deep breath and slid the green-gem ring off of Wu’s finger.

Wu let out a low, pitying note. “I’m afraid that’s the wrong one, Mako.”

“I’m sorry this happened.”

”Excuse me?”

”I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve to be targeted for all this. Not just your aunt, but so many people. It’s unfair.”

”For…this…?”

”For who you are. You- underneath all this…gold- you’re incredibly compassionate, innovative and empathetic. Everyone who tells you otherwise is lying.

”Sweet, but meaningless now.”

”I don’t think so.” In a swift motion, Mako snatched the brooch, ripping the opulent fabric of the robe. Wu screamed, lunging forward in rage. But his surprise made him too slow, and Mako whipped around, throwing the brooch away from the stairs.

It landed against Korra’s hand, right into the Cataclysm.

The brooch dissolved into black dust, and an aura of dark energy surrounded Wu, releasing him. He fell from his tall perch, and Mako caught him- the real him.

Wu opened his eyes. Green. “Mako?” he breathed wistfully. He tilted his head. “Where am I? Am I dead?”

Mako rolled his eyes, sighing fondly.

[l2bbocsstuff]

HAVE LOVE WILL TRAVEL

Another drabble from prompts I get on a Discord server I belong to.

Asami answered her cell phone on its third ring.  Opal was on the other end of the call and she blurted out, “Where the hell are you right now?  I tried the mansion but no one answered.”

“I’m never home on Sundays…at least I haven’t been since Korra’s down south.  I thought you knew that.”

“I guess I didn’t put two and two together, sorry!!  How long has she been gone?” Opal questioned.

“She’s been gone for two months and I’m going crazy without her.  She tells me all the time how much she misses me and I miss her too.  I mean we talk every second day but I’m just not sleeping well without her.  I just need to feel her next to me.  Plus, our anniversary is coming up and I don’t know if she’ll be home or not.  I feel like I’m losing it Ope.”

Asami knew that the confession she had just made would have Opal’s problem-solving skills kick into overdrive.  It did not take long for Opal to respond.

“Aren’t you the CEO of a multi-billion yuan company?”

“Yes, I am and that’s why I’m in the office right now.”

“And you’re missing your wife?”

“More than the three years she was gone.”

Asami could picture Opal raising one of her eyebrows as they spoke on the phone.  “Oh My Raava.  You’re the boss.  You’re allowed to say, ‘Fuck it’ and just leave the city to go see your wife you know.  I mean if I was you, I would book a first-class ticket to Harbour City right now and screw the consequences.  You have great people who work for you and they can take up the slack.  You did train them.”

Asami couldn’t argue with that.  “I so hate it when you’re right.”

“No, you don’t.  You love me!!!”

“Yeah, I guess I do.  Thanks for the pep talk.  I’ll book right now and I’ll send some emails to my team while I wait for the flight.  Thanks, Ope.  See you in a week.”

With that Opal and Asami hung up and Asami opened a travel site on her computer.  It took about fifteen minutes to get her flight and car booked.  The flight was leaving in three hours.  Plenty of time to get everything done.

___

Four hours later and in the air above the Mo Ce Sea, Asami was very glad for the tasty food she was being served by the cabin crew.  She hadn’t eaten anything since the bagel she had before she left for the office.  She could hear Korra in her head saying that she shouldn’t skip meals.  Asami smiled to herself and began to read the in-flight magazine.  She blushed because it was the newest edition of “Life in RC” and she was on the cover.  The story was about the new 3D printing machines that Future Industries had designed for home use.  Asami continued to peruse the magazine until the aircraft's captain came on the speakers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into Harbour City.  We are encountering some turbulent weather so it might get a bit bumpy.  We should be on the ground and at the terminal in a little under thirty minutes.”

Asami put the magazine back into its proper place and tightened her seatbelt.  Although the landing was a little choppy, she was relieved and grabbed her carry-on luggage from the overhead bin.  After thanking the crew, she stepped out of the aircraft and headed directly to the car rental place.  Asami knew that winters in the Southern Water Tribe could be wicked so a top-of-the-line Satomobile vehicle with all the bells and whistles was what she had booked.  As she got to the counter, the attendant was smiling.  He began, “Hi, I’m Kasen.  Are you here to pick up a vehicle?”

“Nice to meet you Kasen and yes, I’m here to pick up the SUV I booked.”

“Name?”

“Asami Sato.  I booked a new Scorpion XL this morning online.”

“Yes, ma’am.  I see the reservation right here.  I’m glad you picked this vehicle because the weather yesterday was pretty horrendous.  There were whiteout conditions in the town; subsequently, the roads were impassable.  With this machine, you will have no problems on the roads today.  May I please see your driver’s licence and credit card.”

Asami handed over what was asked for and was relieved that she wasn’t recognized this far south.  Once the transaction was complete, she walked out the front of the terminal and strode over to her ride.  She was very thankful for the heated seats and heated steering wheel.

As she drove through Harbour City along the waterfront she was amazed by the large chunks of ice washing up on the beach.  I guess it really was one helluva storm.

The trip to the Chief’s palace took about forty minutes and when she arrived, she was met at the door by the security staff.  Asami was escorted to the front door of the Chief’s living area.  She knocked.

She heard “Coming” from behind the door.  It was Korra’s voice.  Asami’s pulse began to race as she waited.  She was almost frantic.  The door was flung open and there stood the Avatar in all her glory.  Korra’s brow furrowed for a second and then a 1000-watt smile burst from her lips.

“Asami!!  What are you doing here?  I mean I love that you’re here but why.”

Asami’s voice came out as a squeak.  She pleaded, “I needed to see you.  I needed to hug you.  I needed to kiss you.”  The CEO’s eyes filled with tears. 

Korra lifted her hand and wiped the droplets away from her wife’s cheek.  Asami leaned in, embraced Korra and kissed her fiercely.  The relief she felt was almost overwhelming.  The couple's weeklong vacation brought them both the comfort and support they each needed.

[cartooniack1994]

I’m a Kataang shipper.

In the past, I used to tolerate Z*tara shippers when I first got into Avatar: the Last Airbender back in 2015, and I try my best to not get into any ship discourse in any fandom (because I got kicked out of three fandoms over it). I have the following policy: if they don’t bother me, I won’t bother them, and vice versa, if I don’t bother them, they won’t bother me.

Recently, however, it’s gotten to the point where I put Z*tara on my blacklist on Tumblr Savior, because the whole “Kataang-Z*tara War” has been going on for fourteen years, and I’m getting tired of it. What’s worse, many of those that ship Z*tara still refuse to accept Kataang as endgame, especially since Aang and Katara had kids (and grandkids) in the sequel series, The Legend of Korra. What was the Z*tara shippers’ intent? Trying to get Bryke to change their decision on the endgame pairing for Avatar: the Last Airbender? If that was the case, then it’s far too late.

I hope I don’t get kicked out of the fandom for saying this, but since it’s been bothering me for a long time, I’m here to prove why not only Z*tara is a bad pairing, but also why it wouldn’t work out in the long run.

As you very well know, in the first two season of the show, Zuko and Katara did nothing but fight, and they didn’t become friends until close to the end of the show. Personally, I can hardly consider any of their interactions as “ship fuel,” and yet, somehow, it became a more popular pairing than the canon Kataang pairing.

Zuko was an antagonist in Book One, as he was tracking down the Avatar in order to restore his honor and gain his father’s respect. In “The Waterbending Scroll” (Book 1, Chapter 9), Zuko used Katara’s necklace as was to bribe her in order to get her to betray Aang’s whereabouts, but she refused. He then employed a bounty hunter named June and her shirshu, a beast that can track a person by scent, and used said necklace to track, thus tracking Ang by proxy. Once Zuko found Aang, however, the necklace was reclaimed by Aang and returned to Katara.

In “The Crossroads of Destiny” (Book 2, Chapter 20), Zuko had his first chance of redemption when he was imprisoned in a crystal cave with Katara, who was angry at him, for she blamed him for starting the war between the Fire Nation and the rest of the Four Nations. After Zuko was sympathetic to Katara after hearing that the War took away her mother, Katara offered to use the spirit water to heal his scar, but then Aang and Iroh broke them out of the prison before any action could be taken. Zuko decided to side with his sister, much to Iroh’s and Katara’s disappointment, thus blowing his first chance at redemption. In the end, Katara used the spirit water that was given to her by Master Pakku to revive Aang, because he’s the Avatar (duh!), so he needed it the most. Zuko didn’t truly get redeemed until “The Day of Black Sun” (Book 3, Chapters 10 & 11) when he called out his father and told him that he was going to help the Avatar.

In “The Western Air Temple” (Book 3, Chapter 12), Aang, Sokka, Toph and especially Katara initially didn’t trust him when he wanted to join Team Avatar, as he let slip the fact he hired Combustion Man. At the end of the episode, after the others welcomed him on board after he helped defeat Combustion Man, Katara said the following, word for word, to Zuko after he joined Team Avatar:

“You might have everyone else here buying your...transformation, but you and I both know you’ve struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something, right now. You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won’t have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I’ll make sure your destiny ends...right then and there. Permanently.”

This scene in and of itself shows that Katara is not messing around, since she felt bitter towards him after his betrayal in “The Crossroads of Destiny.” Zuko and Katara didn’t truly become friends until the end of "The Southern Raiders” (Book 3, Chapter 16). In the episode, Zuko was wondering why she was bitter towards him after the other members of Team Avatar started to trust him. Katara was still bitter at him, because she was the first person to trust him at Ba Sing Se, and Zuko betrayed her trust by siding with Azula, and she was angry towards the Fire Nation in general, because a member of the Southern Raiders killed her and Sokka’s mother. At the end of that episode, Katara had finally forgiven him, thus making her his friend. One thing that gets me about those who ship them is that they see this gesture of friendship as “ship fuel,” especially since at the beginning of that episode didn’t trust Zuko until the end.

In conclusion, Kataang is a healthier relationship, as they had time to develop throughout the series, whereas Zuko and Katara didn’t have enough time to become a couple. In fact, in the comics (I only have “The Promise,” which I haven’t read all the way through yet), Katara and Aang’s relationship seems to be going strong. Besides, Zuko already had feelings for Mai at that time, anyway. At best, I view Zuko and Katara as nothing more than a sibling-type friendship, especially when you consider Zuko’s and Katara’s relationships with their actual siblings. Even if Zuko and Katara were to be a couple, it wouldn’t work out in the long run, because their personalities would clash. I wish that Z*tara shippers would just learn to accept the fact that Kataang is canon, stop attacking Bryke and Kataang shippers, and move on, because this war has been going on for fourteen years. In all fairness, Katara made the right choice by going with Aang.

TL;DR: Kataang is a better pairing than Z*tara, because Zuko and Katara did nothing but fight in the first two seasons, and they didn’t become friends until close to the end of the show.

[chdatz9000]

To the Future Nerds

Day/Prompt 11: Nerd Words: 978 Summery: Asami has a message she wants to send, with the help of her girlfriend, Korra.

            “Korra, please do this for me?”

            Korra blushed furiously as she thought about the whole thing. “I…I don’t know. I’m not pretty like you are….”

            Korra, you need to realize how absolutely gorgeous you are.”

            “If…if you say so….” Korra sheepishly rubbed the back of her elbow. She didn’t really like Asami’s newest idea for her self-published magazine. “But I think it should feature you, since you’re the genius millionaire engineering nerd!” It was Korra’s last hope to abscond from the entire situation.

            “Oh, I’ve already been featured, plenty of times.” Asami laughed. Knowing she wasn’t getting her whole point across she walked from behind the camera to grab hold of her girlfriend. She wrapped her arms around Korra’s upper back and pulled her into a hug. “It’ll be okay, I promise.” she sweetly promised.

            This was a long time coming for Asami. She had this plan for months to make a glorified ad magazine. It was to advertise to younger people, especially towards women, that fields like engineering, science, technology, politics, and the like were not only actually viable, but it was also not just for the men. She wanted to spread her love letter to her career and what she could provide to people everywhere. She even made coupons for newspapers and brochures so that younger people would be able to get it for free.

            She leaned away from Korra and gave the most comforting smile she could. “I know you don’t see it, but you’re an important part of this too.” Korra gave her a confused look. “You are literally the strongest person on the planet right now. You’re the Avatar, master of all four elements. You’re also the first Avatar to metalbend. To spiritbend. You’ve dealt with so many more disasters in one year than most Avatars do in ten. You’re so incredibly strong, and yet…you’re still a woman…. Do you get it?” Asami saw Korra contemplate everything she just said. “Do you remember all those nights, where you wanted to give up? Where you just wanted to run away because of what some men thought of you?”

            Asami went into deep thought as she spoke, but more so about her own hurdles. All those businessmen that barely listened to her because of how young she was. Didn’t matter how long she worked in the factory or directly with her father, she was still a woman in the eyes of those shallow people. How she literally had to trick several of them by hiring a random guy off the street to say exactly what she said. When she caught the businessmen in her trap, she gave them an ultimatum, and 99/100 times they failed. Sure, they would’ve been prosperous investors, but why would she have to degrade herself to get them?

“What some arbitrary ‘approval rating’ they made up, just to judge you from afar?” Asami continued, “When they couldn’t hold a candle compared to you? You know that they would never survive what you had to endure! You’re a woman. You’re an incredible and talented woman that pushed through all of your adversaries and are still able to stand strong against whoever or whatever opposes you. Do you know what message that can send to someone?” 

Korra, trying to hide her face due to all the blushing, shook her head. 

“It sends the message that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it. You didn’t overcome everything because you’re the Avatar. No, you stood victorious because you’re Korra. You took the labels that were given to you and burned them in the trash. That’s the message I’m trying to send, that you encapsulate so perfectly.” She paused to let her words sink in. She took her hand and cupped Korra’s turned cheek and pulled it so she had to face her. 

Korra, still incredibly red from hearing everything out loud, couldn’t bear to look at the person who was infinitely empowering her. Asami moved her head so that Korra could look at her, but Korra actively tried to avoid Asami’s gaze. 

“Please look at me.” Asami softly asked. Korra’s eyes slowly met Asami’s, and she was immediately blown away from the fire that raged from within. Asami’s eyes were dilated from the inspiration and determination that Korra naturally imbued. Asami used her thumb to stroke Korra’s cheek and Korra wished that they were in a private setting. She wanted to show her thanks and her love to Asami…but with all the people around….

“Think of all the people that would be inspired to fulfill their dreams. Think of all the future empowered women that can grow and help each other. All because we share who we are. Nerds and…dorks…” she laughed, referencing Korra’s sometimes simplistic and excruciating cute thoughts. “And…some of those girls…would be just like us.” Asami tried to add as much emphasis on the last word as she could. Her eyes darted to each of Korra’s to make sure that she understood everything that she was saying, and it seemed to have worked.

“O…okay.” Korra finally agreed, albeit timidly.

Asami smiled widely and planted a quick and hard kiss on Korra’s lips. “Thank you so much!”

Korra couldn’t help but match Asami’s happiness and energy as she nodded her head as she gave her a small one-sided grin. But that quickly went away as Asami bit her lip for only just long enough time for Korra to notice as Asami grabbed hold onto Korra’s waist, and it instantly transformed back to immediate embarrassment as Asami spoke once more, “Now, let me tatter your clothes a bit. It’d look a lot…better.” Asami’s eyes now looked…hungry. They shared the moment for just a small moment before Asami winked and walked away to gather some tools. Korra gulped, wishing she could hide the fact of how deep red her cheeks were.

[thehealingheart95]

Modern Dating (LOK FanFic) enjoy (:

Korra was drinking her morning coffee, while carelessly swiping left and right on her phone, searching for a single woman that appealed to her interest. She was beginning to get bored with her mindless swiping when she came across a beautiful woman with snow-white skin, long raven-colored hair, and gleaming green eyes. Her name was, Asami and in her bio, it stated, ‘Looking to have some fun with someone who can make me laugh and forget about work. Nothing serious, just like a friend’s with benefits type of thing.’ This makes, Korra groan in annoyance.

“Why do all of the women I find attractive not want what I want?” She yells out loud to herself.

But fuck, is she beautiful, and I could make her laugh! I’m funny… Her thoughts start to race. Screw it, I’m going to like her. Korra swipes her finger to the right and BAM, they match.

“WHAT?!” Nearly shouting this time.

 We matched? Shit, what do I say to her? Her mind is running ramped now as she stares at the screen, prompting her to send, Asami a message and “Hey!” That is all, Korra could think of. She took a second but really didn’t know what else to say, so she held her breath and pressed, SEND.

Korra puts her phone down, feeling like an idiot, “Hey!” that’s all I could manage to say to her. Seconds later her phone pings, “Hey, cutie, what are you up to? ;)”

She called me cute, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Come up with something dammit!

 Korra takes a deep breath and texts back, “Not much, gorgeous, just about to hop in the shower. Text you when I’m out?”

She presses send and it takes about 10 seconds for her phone to ping again, “Aww, wish I was there, but yes, I’ll be here when you get back.”

Holy hell, this woman isn’t playing around, I like it… Korra quickly showers, but makes sure to take her time landscaping, who knows, maybe she’ll end up getting lucky tonight.

She comes out in nothing but a towel, drops of water dripping from her short brown hair, down her cinnamon-shaded skin. She removes the towel, drying every inch of her perfectly toned body, when her phone buzzes again...

 “How long are you going to keep me waiting, thinking about me in the shower are we?”

 Korra can’t help but blush when she sees, Asami’s text. “Someone’s confident, hmmm? Sorry, I just love hot showers, it’s hard to get out of them, but knowing I had you waiting, was worth the exit.”

Korra replies before applying herself with lotion and getting dressed. Her phone pings again, “Listen, I don’t mean to be too forward, but I need to get laid, do you have any plans tonight?”

Korra’s holding her phone with her eyes nearly popping out of her head. Holy fuck, this woman knows what she wants! I want the same so why not?

“Nope, no plans, except with you.” Korra texts back, “Great, meet me tonight at 7 pm at my place. I can text you the address later. DM me your number. xx” Her place? How does she know I’m not some crazy serial killer? Well, I don’t want to sound too eager…

 “Okay, sounds great, I can’t wait.”

It is now six in the evening and, Korra is starting to lose her shit. Asami texted her the address about an hour ago, but she has no fucking idea what to wear or what she was doing with her hair. She needed backup so she called her best friend, Opal to come over to help but she was taking forever!

Finally, there’s a knock on the door, “Come in!” Korra yells out, while she fidgets with her hair. “Hey, Kor, sorry it took me so long, traffic was horrible. My god, you do need my help after all!”

 “Thanks for pointing out the obvious, O, yes I do, and we don’t have much time. I’m supposed to be there in 45 minutes!”

Opal’s mouth falls open, “Are you, kidding me, Korra? What is with you and procrastinating everything in your life? Uhg, you know who you’re talking to, right? I’ve got this. Now go brush those curls out of your hair, you look like a seven-year-old girl.” Opal tried not to laugh but she couldn’t help the shy giggle that escaped her.

“Ouch, O… I know I can be a pain but dang. Is everything okay?”

“Gosh, I’m sorry. Yeah, Bolin and I just had a little argument. No biggie, we’re good now. It just put me in a mood, let's just shake it off and get you lookin’ good.”

So, they did and when Opal was finished, Korra felt more confident than ever. Her straight brown bob flowed perfectly over her baby face and her smoky eye makeup made her big blue eyes, POP. She wanted to dress nicely, but at the same time look herself, she wasn’t big on pretending so she wore her favorite high wasted-back jeans and purple tie-dye halter top with the vans to match, and luckily it was a little chilly out so it gave her an excuse to wear her favorite beanie and leather jacket as well.

“You look great, Kor, there’s no way this, Asami will be able to keep her hands off you tonight!”

Korra is weaving in and out of traffic, trying to make a good impression by actually showing up on time to something for once in her life.

She arrives at the address she entered in her GPS and finds herself at a parking garage.

What the… A parking garage? This is fancy.

Korra thinks to herself while she enters the garage and searches for a space to park. She eases into one, gets out, gets on an elevator, and presses the letter P. With her anxiety rising, Korra attempted to take deep breaths and looked out of the glass to see a perfect night sky.

 This is going to be great, Korra, just relax. Fuck she’s so beautiful though and lives in a fucking penthouse? How could she possibly be interested in me? Her thoughts begin to race, again. The elevator dings and the doors slide open.

“Good evening. You must be, Korra, right this way please.” Greets an old man in a red uniform. Korra smiles and follows his lead until she’s in front of a 6-foot-long wooden dinner table, decorated with candles and rose petals.

“Ms. Sato will be joining you, momentarily.” Says the old man, before leaving, Korra alone.

Holy shit, this is impressive. All this for a lay?

“Wow, if your front is as good as your back, you’ll have to pinch me.” Greets an unfamiliar, seductive voice from behind.

 Korra quickly turns around; cheeks flushed and lets out a chuckle.

“So, she likes it rough, I’ll make a note of that.”

“You’re funny, I like funny. I’m, Asami, we haven’t officially met. May I say the pleasure is all, mine?”

“Hi, Asami I’m, Korra. You’re stunning.”

 Korra replied holding out her hand to, Asami, but instead, she pulled, Korra in for a sensual hug.

“Sorry, I just wanted to see what you felt like against me. Gotta say it was exhilarating.”

Asami whispered in, Korra’s ear. This makes, Korra’s entire body heat up.

“If you liked that, you’ll love this,” she promises before pressing her lips against, Asami’s red-painted mouth, parting her lips so she could twirl their tongues together all while grasping her perfect ass cheeks in each hand.

The two women enjoy each other’s mouths for several moments when Asami started to take off, Korra’s jacket and shirt, revealing her black lacy bra and a perfect amount of cinnamon-shaded cleavage. She peppered kisses all over, Korra’s chest and pulled down her bra strap strings and cups. Korra’s breasts pop out, bouncing and plump. Asami gazed up and got the green light through beaming blue eyes. She placed one of, Korra’s nipples in her mouth and began to swirl her tongue around her areola.

“Mmmm”

Korra moans, as, Asami moves her way to her other breast while using her hands to unzip, Korra’s jeans. Making her multitasking look so effortless.

“You… are… so… hot, Korra.”

Asami is practically drooling, as her fingers reached, the wet fold in between, Korra’s eyes.

“Mmmm, you’re beautiful.”

Korra moans back while Asami’s index and middle fingers enter her wet slit. Asami continues to thrust her fingers in and out of, Korra and pulled her in for a sloppy, wet kiss.

She can feel, Korra getting closer, and by her moans and movements, she can tell it won’t take her long to finish. She curves her fingers and twirls her thumb on, Korra’s clit until it’s clear Asami has helped her reach her climax.

“Uhhh, yeah…right…there…uhhhhh”

“Fuck, you’re even hotter when you cum for me.”Asami groans as she slides those same two fingers in her mouth.

“And you taste, absolutely delicious.”

“That… was…wow.”

Is all, Korra could manage to say, she was still in the after-effects of her orgasm, leaning up against the dining room wall, trying to steady her breathing.

Asami helped her gather her clothes and motioned for her to join her at the table. “Champagne?”

“Yes please, sounds refreshing,” Korra answers as she pulls on her top.

 Asami proceeds to pour their glasses to the rim and hands one to, Korra, they both waste no time and gulp the flutes empty.

“So, Korra, tell me about yourself. How is a woman like you single?” Asami asks eyebrow raised.

“There’s not a whole lot to tell, I’m a personal trainer, make average money, my favorite color is ocean blue, and my best friend's name is, Opal. I guess I’m still single because I just recently came out. I don’t know, dating is new to me, I actually, just made my account yesterday.”

 This intrigues, Asami, “Just came out huh? Tell me more about that.”

“Well, I’ve always known I like women, but I guess I just never felt comfortable or confident enough to come out. I had this friend who I was in love with and like an idiot, right before she got married, I told her how I felt about her. Ever since she rejected me, my feelings have gotten harder to ignore, so I decided it’s time to get out there and live my life the way I want to, not how my family or society expects me to.” Korra explains.

“I love that, fuck what people think. As long as you’re not killing people, what’s the big deal, why do people care so damn much about every little thing?” Asami asks rhetorically while filling the champagne flutes back up.

“I don’t know but ‘they’ sure seem to.” Korra says annoyed, “Basically my entire family besides my parents disowned me when I told them, even some of my ‘friends’ seemed to have a problem with it. Opal has been my biggest supporter through all this. if I didn’t have her, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Korra, that’s unfortunate that someone’s sexual orientation can be that big of a problem for some people. Just know, it’s not you, it’s them. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s just a fact. I will never understand why who someone sleeps with is such a big deal to some people.”

“Me either,” Korra pouted.

 “What about you, ‘Ms. Sato’? Tell me about yourself. I’d like to know more about you too. I mean you did just have your finger inside me.”

“Well, isn’t that a loaded question, let’s see… I practically live in my office. When my father died, I took over his engineering company and the work takes up the majority of my time, making it nearly impossible to do any of the things I enjoy. I am an only child, my favorite color is, blood red, and my best friend I guess would be my cat, Mishi.”

Korra and Asami are enjoying some casual conversation when, Asami asks, “Are you hungry? I can have my chief whip something up real quick?”

Korra stares directly at the incredibly sexy woman in front of her.

“I’m starving, but not for food.”

“Oh, really, well, shall we take this to the bedroom then?” Asami asks, green eyes glowing.

Korra smiles, shyly before saying, “Here is fine. I’ve always wanted to eat some pussy at the dinner table.”

Korra stands and swiftly picks up, Asami and places her ass on the edge of the table, pausing to take a moment to soak up her beauty.

 She was wearing a tightly fitted nightgown that hugged every inch of her slender, yet curvy body and the red coloring made her pale skin glow. Her dark, long wavy hair reached down to the small of her back, and her lips, were so plump and red, Korra had to practically stop herself from biting them.

“Asami Sato, you are breathtaking.”

Korra breathes in her new lover’s mouth while sliding her nightgown up above her waist.

Okay, Korra, it’s your time to shine, you may have never done this, but it can’t be that hard, you’re a woman, you know what they like right?

Korra’s thoughts begin to drift but she is quickly snapped back to reality by, Asami’s hands wrapping around her ass.

God, her touch is so intoxicating…

Korra grows the courage to undress herself slowly, allowing, Asami a full-access view of her naked body, “Holy shit, Korra, you’re beautiful.” Asami gasps, before pulling her in for another kiss.

Asami lifts her arms, as Korra takes off her nightgown and when she does, she can’t believe her eyes. She’s an angel, that’s it, that’s what it must be… Korra thinks to herself as she soaks up the glowing white of, Asami’s skin.

Korra then starts to kiss every inch of, Asami’s body and makes her way down to her inner thighs. She then slid off her matching red panties and buries her face in her entrance, inhaling the scent that was now, her Asami.

Finally, Korra’s tongue meets, Asami’s throbbing clit and she starts to simultaneously shake her head back and forth. “Oh, yes!” Asami screams, “Right there, mmmm.” With, Asami’s hands in her hair, Korra takes the cue and goes even faster.

“FUCK YES… oh my god…Korra, don’t stop!”

“Don’t you worry about that…” Korra moans with, Asami in her mouth. Korra continues to lick, twirl, and suck on, Asami’s clit until…

“Uhhh, uhhhh, uhhhh, yes… I’m going to cum, mmmm, YES!” Asami screams and trembles uncontrollably from her orgasm.

“Mmmm, so much better than dinner. You’re more like the dessert.”

[impostoradult]

I finally figured out why it feels like Supernatural murdered a unicorn (AKA why you need to STOP telling me to watch Black Sails)

I’ll start by saying, everything everyone else has been saying CERTAINLY bothers me: 

- the queer-baiting - the bury your queers - the undermining of Dean’s character arc  - the wasted opportunity for a certain kind of overall narrative closure - the flat out disrespect to Misha Collins and Jensen Ackles

 All of that bothers me tremendously. 

But there has been something else rather ineffable about this that has left a horrible taste in my mouth that I couldn’t quite pin down until last night. Bear with me, if you will, because this will require some set-up. 

*** This is not the first show to ever disappoint me in a spectacular fashion, nor will it be the last, I suspect. And one of the ways I’ve always coped with that disappointment was to remind myself that there will be other stories, other characters, other chances to get it right. (”It” being any number of things from just pure narrative emotional coherence to not burying your queers to not stringing along your queer audience and then yelling fuck you to them on the way out) 

But somehow that assurance -- that there will be other stories, other characters, other chances to get it right -- has rung particularly hollow in this instance, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why until yesterday. 

I kept asking myself, why do I still have this feeling, deep in the pit of my stomach, like something was lost here that can never be recovered? 

Because something was lost here that I am doubtful can ever be recovered, and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else talking about this aspect of it at all. 

***

A few months ago, TV critic Maureen Ryan did a great interview piece with Mike Schur (of Parks & Rec/The Good Place) discussing the death of long-form TV in the streaming era. They explore how the longer seasons and longer runs of traditional broadcast/cable TV provided an opportunity to tell particular kinds of stories that you simply can’t when seasons are 8-10 episodes and series typically run 2-4 seasons (thanks Netflix).

One key thing we’ve all lost in this new era of highly condensed TV storytelling (and of prestige TV narrative styles)? The traditional (several season’s long) slow-burn/will-they-won’t-they romance. Not only is there simply no longer the time or space to write such romances, it has also come to be seen as hacky, manipulative, cheap, artistically impoverished, low-brow, a embarrassing vestige of the era before TV became art™. 

Everybody is trying to be Fleabag now. No one wants to be Frasier. (”It’s really more like a 10 hour movie” they all like to brag)

Obviously TV still has romances, even ‘drawn out’ romances. But ‘drawn out’ in 2020 is like 2-3 seasons, maybe. More commonly it’s like half a season. Take Schitt’s Creek. The number of episodes between when David and Patrick first meet and when they first kiss? Seven. Seven episodes. Half a season. If you watched it live, it took less than 2 months for them to move from introducing that dynamic to consummating it. And I’m not bagging on Schitt’s Creek; I think the David/Patrick’s story is very lovely and well-written. 

But Niles & Daphne (Fraiser) had to wait 7 years and over 150 episodes before they finally got there. Josh & Donna (The West Wing) had to wait 6+ years, and 145 episodes. Mulder & Scully (The X-Files) had to wait 7 seasons and 143 episodes. Booth & Bones had to wait...you see where I am going with this. 

And my point is (and I can’t believe I never realized this explicitly until now): there has NEVER been a queer slow-burn/will-they-won’t-they romance of that type on TV ever. EVER. 

I’m going to say that again, because I think it bares repeating:

There has never been a queer, slow-burn/will-they-won’t-they romance that fits the 100-150 episode paradigm of delayed gratification on TV. 

Not ever.  

I can’t think of ONE example  Not a single, solitary one. And I know queer TV pretty well. Arguably the closest we’ve ever come is Legend of Korra, and that ran 50 episodes, a THIRD of the length of old school will-they-won’t-theys like Booth & Bones or Josh & Donna. 

Queer people have had a fair number of canonical romances on TV by now, even fairly long running ones. But we never got a primary/front-and-center romance that you had to root for for 100+ episodes before you got any kind of canonical consummation.

That is a particular kind of TV experience that queer people and queer characters were just 100% shut out of until it was too late. And because of how the TV landscape has changed in the last 10 years, I don’t know that that opportunity will ever come back around in our lifetimes. 

***

Dean and Castiel are/were a legacy of an earlier era of TV, an era that still contained the possibility for a will-they-won’t-they of that particular mold. There were other shows that could have also filled this gap at one time - Rizzoli & Isles, OUAT, House MD, etc. But one by one all of them were killed off, their queer romances unrequited, until Supernatural was the only one of its’ generation left standing. 

And they should have acknowledged that they were a species about to become extinct. 

There are plenty of other valid and compelling reasons Supernatural should have gone full Destiel, don’t get me wrong.

A) It would have been the most emotionally satisfying ending to the series and to those characters (and that would have been reason enough). 

B) It would have stopped the manipulative queer-baiting of the (disproportionately queer) fanbase (and that would have been reason enough). 

C) It would have been queer representation of middle-aged men, of bi men, of queers who came to their queerness later in life (and any/all of those would have been reason enough). 

D) It could have been a glorious subversion of the bury your queers trope, considering how often they’ve died and been resurrected (and that would have been reason enough). 

But point E) on this list is the reason this one hurts in a singular way that no one even appears to be acknowledging. 

Almost all of the other wrongs and missed opportunities contained in this Supernatural debacle have the possibility of being rectified (at least to a degree) elsewhere. I can and I likely will get more bi male characters from TV as time goes on. I can and likely will get more middle-aged queer characters. I can and likely will get more queer characters coming to their queerness later in life, and starting queer romances later in life. I can and likely will get more queer characters who aren’t killed cheaply and prematurely. I can and likely will get more genre TV shows with sprawling myth arc plots that are resolved in a coherent, satisfying way. I can and likely will get Misha Collins and Jensen Ackles involved in other projects that value their work and their talents. 

All of those other things are at the very least POSSIBLE, and many are even likely. 

But a queer 100-150 episode slow-burn romance a la Mulder & Scully or Niles & Daphne or Booth & Bones? That is the one baton Supernatural dropped spectacularly that no one else even has the possibility of picking up again for the foreseeable future. (They don’t even write those types of romances for heterosexuals anymore!) 

Seriously. It was a TV unicorn. And rather than letting it run wild and free, they stabbed it with a rusty nail. 

***

Given the monumental shifts in the TV landscape that have occurred in the last decade, I don’t know that TV will ever go back to the slow-burn/will-they-won’t-they romance spanning 100-150 episodes. Today it is a miracle if you can get ANY show to last longer than 50 episodes in the first place. 

And that is the piece of this that makes it feel (to me) like they murdered a unicorn.  

Because queer people have gotten a lot of things from TV, and they will get a lot more as time goes on. But that one? That one could very well be a totally extinct species.

That is the larger missed opportunity here that has left this feeling especially hollow and destructive. That is the thing that makes me balk when people tell me to go watch Black Sails or Pose or whatever other prestige TV show is doing this representation ‘better.’ Because that’s not really the loss I am mourning here. I KNOW there is ‘better’ representation elsewhere.  

But the will-they-won’t-they/slow-burn romance is a qualitatively unique thing that queer people literally just never got. Ever. There is no substitute, no alternate, no other show I can turn to with that kind of build-up and pay-off for a queer couple, and there probably won’t be in my lifetime. Not unless the TV industry undergoes another monumental evolution similar to the streaming revolution that shifts the incentives back to telling those types of stories again. 

All those shows you want me to displace Supernatural with? None of them can give me the one thing I uniquely wanted (and could have gotten) from Supernatural. THAT ALTERNATE SHOW DOESN’T EXIST. It doesn’t exist. And I have no reason to hope it will ever exist in my lifetime. 

So stop telling me to look somewhere else; you don’t understand what made this one a unicorn. 

***

Addendum: The only other possible show that could perhaps fill this gap is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (re: Mac/Dennis). But I’m hesitant to say it exactly meets that criteria, for a number of reasons:

1 - It’s far less serialized relative to Supernatural and (except for a handful of stand-alone episodes) very little of the story is grounded specifically in Dennis/Mac’s romantic dynamic (unlike SPN, where it is absolutely central to much of the narrative)

2 - IASIP is fundamentally satirically in nature/tone which makes it much harder to have genuine romantic pathos (not impossible, but harder) 

3 - All the characters on IASIP are fundamentally crummy people who you aren’t exactly supposed to root for. Which doesn’t mean a romance between two of them can’t have its value/charm/worth but it’s not the same as when it is between characters who unequivocally deserve nice things/happy endings

[haroldtea]

fic where wu takes a diplomatic visit to the fire nation and takes his former bodyguard mako w him (“is anyone else wondering why mako still goes everywhere with wu even though he’s not his bodyguard anymore? no? just me?” says bolin) and they meet with the stoic but surprisingly wry fire lord izumi.

it’s established before the fic begins that wu and mako have pretty much acknowledged their mutual feelings for each other that took full root after the events of book 4. wu is all in but mako’s refusing to entertain the idea bc wu is royalty and they live on other sides of the world, it doesn’t matter how they feel, it doesn’t matter that they both know there’ll never be anyone else, wu is in the middle of dismantling a monarchy and mako is still trying to figure himself out and his place in everything and them being together is just...something that doesn’t make sense, it can’t possibly work. so they’re not talking about it, and they’re just living in this weird limbo between together and not together that’s driving them both crazy and they’re bickering more than ever before.

so they have their meeting w izumi where wu and izumi are bonding over growing up royalty, and discussing how both nations can benefit the other as the earth kingdom regime changes, when mako notices that izumi’s sleeves kind of look like those ones korra wears and he asks about it. izumi’s face lights up cuz she sort of forgot she was wearing them and tells them about how her new tailor was able to make these sleeves for her that were water tribe in design but fire nation in execution (i.e. a bit more breathable in the morbid heat, what have you) and wu and mako are both kind of like .....why? and izumi is like ??? you guys didn’t know i’m half water tribe?? and they’re like HUH??? cuz izumi is a whole *fire bender* and she’s like um yeah, councilman sokka was my dad. and they’re like HUH???? isn’t lord zuko ur dad??? and she’s like.....yes. he is also my dad. (are our brains working today, boys?) and they’re both like ..........ohhhhhh and she’s like lol yeah oh.

so there’s a curiosity in both wu and mako, cuz they never knew this and apparently it wasn’t made super duper public. two people from different nations, one struggling w their duty to a broken monarchy, one struggling to leave a changing world better than they found it. izumi, catching on, tells them about how their union specifically was a symbol of healing in their post-war world, how things like distance and differences in background paled in comparison to the strength they found in each other. “they were partners in everything,” izumi tells them. “i doubt the fire nation would be what it is today if my dads didn’t have each other.” she shows them their family portrait, sokka and zuko holding baby izumi with young druk curled around them (that one fanart you know the one), and pulls down her collar and shows them the betrothal necklace zuko let her start wearing after sokka died, and in not so many words is basically like “hint hint wink wink” cuz cmon, she’d like to thinks she’s pretty observant for a fire lord and let’s face it, wu and mako are being kind of obvious. she throws in a “also, they had seen enough death in their teen years that the last thing they wanted to do was waste a single day not being with each other. like, what if zuko was assassinated suddenly and sokka never told him how he felt? that’s tragic.” because she’s having fun and we should let her.

so. you can kind of guess that that night wu and mako have a very long and important conversation full of “i don’t want to be with anyone else but you” and “knowing you’re on my side makes everything easier” and “we’ll never know if we don’t just try” and in the morning at breakfast after they head back to ba sing se, izumi finds a thank you note from mako and it makes her giggle, and zuko looks up from his food and is like “don’t tell me you played matchmaker with those two.” and shes like “what? they were being idiots!” “you can’t be meddling in other people’s business all the time!” “why not? they’re together now and much happier for it.” “you always make it sound like we moved mountains and cured famines. i swear you’re a bigger drama queen than your father was.” and izumi just pats him on the arm, cuz she misses sokka too, and goes back to eating with a smile on her face.

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine being Lin Beifong’s daughter and Korra having a crush on you

You entered President Raiko’s party late and hurried inside hoping to avoid your mother’s wrath by appearing as soon as possible. Being Lin Beifong’s daughter and employee meant she was twice as hard on you as anyone on the force, so she would not take your tardiness well. You were waved into the building by guards who recognised you on sight and rushed into the ballroom. You saw the party was already in full swing and braced yourself for all the fake smiling you’d have to endure when a young woman appeared across from you. “Avatar Korra” you nodded in recognition of the girl who grinned at you. “Miss Beifong” she smiled in greeting “you look as beautiful as ever...you legs alone seem to go on for years in those trousers” she commented glancing at them and you blushed. “Funny I just had a similar thought about your biceps”. Korra beamed “ow you can’t really see them in this thing but I’d be happy to give you a closer look”.

You couldn’t resist a smile and your blush grew to have such a beautiful woman flirt so blatantly with you. Korra was always like this around you and you enjoyed it greatly even if it wasn’t professional. Korra was a breath of fresh air in Republic City and you enjoyed her confidence and humour. You liked the avatar a lot but you had no intentions of pursuing anything beyond flirting with her. For one thing she was young, cocky, beautiful and THE avatar. You supposed she had hundreds of boys and girls queueing up for her and didn’t want to just be another name on her list. You’d heard about how the previous water tribe avatar had been a hit with women and apparently that was a trait Korra shared. She was the avatar, who wouldn’t be weak to her charm? Still you tried to behave so aimed to change the topic of conversation.

“I think we should join the party seeing as we’re both very late” you smiled slyly and Korra smirked “I didn’t think Beifongs were ever late. Are you really trying to tell me you’re not perfect?”. The girl was insatiable. “We all have our secrets” you replied and Korra’s grin only grew. “Mysterious, intelligent and beautiful...you have to let me lead you into the party. As the Avatar it’s my duty to serve the people”. “Well who I am to get in the way of that” you smirked rolling your eyes as you took her outstretched arm. Korra led you into the party proudly and you enjoyed being on her arm. Still you were in work mode, so you only stayed by Korra’s side for an appropriate amount of time before excusing yourself so nobody would get the wrong idea. Korra never failed to make you smile or blush but you wouldn’t let it progress no matter how much fun it would be. So you allowed the flirting and lingering glances but stopped it from going any further.

You saw Korra pretty regularly as she was always in trouble with the law in some way or another and not a month after the party President Raiko banned her from Republic City. It was something he’d likely take back pretty soon but still she had to leave so you and your mother went to help her however you could. The avatar didn’t seem too bothered by the President’s command and still had that cocky smile on her face. She let you into Tenzin’s home and explained how she was leaving tomorrow to go look for air benders anyway. She read out the names of some known airbenders in the earth kingdom and you paused as one was familiar.  “Wait did you say Opal? Is she from Zafou by any chance?” you asked and Korra nodded “yeah why?”. Your mother tried to silence you but you didn’t notice, too excited. “She’s my cousin!” you burst “This is so great, i’m so proud of her”. “Wait so Suyin is your sister?” Korra asked Lin and your mother nodded “yes. Which is something I wished to remain a secret but clearly that is not an option anymore” she said shooting you a look. “Well this is great news” Korra smiled “you have to come with me!”. “What!” your mother cried and Korra sighed “if she’s your niece then you can help us recruit her! We need all the help we can get”. “No way!” Lin cried “I am not seeing my sister ever again if I can help it, y/n can go if you want a Beifong so badly”. Korra looked at you and smiled “that does sound appealing, what do you say y/n? Want to come on a field trip with me?”. Korra held out her hand to you and you blushed, hoping your mother didn’t notice. You knew you probably shouldn’t go. Being in close quarters with Korra would certainly challenge your restraint but you hadn’t seen your extended family in so long and this was the perfect opportunity to go visit. Plus Korra looked so good when she smiled at you like that. “Sure” you said taking her hand “someone has to keep you out of trouble”.

You met Korra and her friends at Future Industries the next day and were soon flying to Zafou. Korra came to stand beside you on the deck and leant forwards flexing her arms right in front of you. “I’m glad you agreed to come” Korra smiled and you nodded “me too, it’s been forever since I’ve got out of Republic City”. Korra’s eye glinted “does this mean I’m going to witness holiday y/n? It’d be fun to see you let your hair down and go wild”. “If you’re lucky maybe you will” you smirked and Korra nodded “i’m looking forward to it” and winked before leaving you alone once more. You stared after her as she walked away and Korra must’ve felt your eye on her because before she disappeared back into the ship she turned and caught you red-handed watching her. She smiled widely a chuckle slipping from her lips and you turned around sharply, blushing vividly. Agreeing to this trip may not have been a smart decision at all.

When you touched down in Zafou Korra had you right beside her in pride of place. You recognised your aunt immediately and she addressed Korra first before she spotted you beside her and she did a double-take. “Y/n?” she asked and you grinned “Aunt Suyin!” and rushed forwards to hug her. Your aunt wrapped you in a hug and then quickly tugged you to go find your cousins, momentarily forgetting the avatar was here. She summoned all your cousins and they rushed to greet you...well some did. Bataar junior didn’t look impressed and Huan just glanced at you not particularly bothered but the twins and Opal were very welcoming. “It’s so good to see you again!” Opal cried and you nodded taking her hand “it is! It’s been far too long and I can’t believe you’re an airbender now!”. Opal nodded “trust me it was a shock to us all but i’m so excited to learn airbending”. “Well Korra can definitely help you with that” you said gesturing to the avatar who nodded confidently “of course, anything for y/n’s cousin” and you blushed slightly but managed to hide it.

You enjoyed your time with your family greatly and got along well with all your cousins. You participated in Wei and Wing’s power disk game and being a good metal bender yourself almost won the match. You noticed Korra watching you and briefly tried showing off before getting wiped out. The twins noticed Korra watching and invited her to join but she declined explaining she couldn’t metal bend. Your cousins rushed to assure her she could learn and volunteered to teach her. Korra seemed very excited at the idea and agreed before she turned to you “wait a minute y/n why did you never offer to teach me?”. You could tell she was only feigning annoyance so you shrugged “what can you blame me for wanting something over the almighty avatar?”. That stroked Korra’s ego and she smiled lazily “no but I’ll certainly get my own back in some way”. “Ow really? How”? you challenged her and the girl just shrugged. “I’m not sure yet, but be on your best behaviour Beifong” she smirked before rushing away.

Korra went off to train with your cousins and you were relieved hoping this would be a time for you to cool down and recover but no. Opal caught you and invited you to catch up with her in the gardens. You of course obliged your cousin but found yourself seated directly in view of Korra’s training with your cousins. You tried focusing on Opal but your eyes kept getting pulled to the avatar as she picked up metal bending remarkedly quickly. You noticed Korra had spotted you and she appeared to be putting on a show, trying valiantly to challenge your cousin entirely for your benefit. It was a clever strategy and soon Opal trailed off just letting you admire Korra. Your cousins were experiencing first-hand just how skilled the avatar could be and you saw them breaking out in a sweat with how hard Korra was pushing them.  

After a while they began trying to score past one another and Korra got an idea. She *accidentally* bent a disk near you and your cousin Wei teased her for being sloppy. She just shot them a lopsided grin and jogged over to you. “Ladies” she smiled looking straight at you “i’m sorry I didn’t see you there”. “Ow really?” you asked and Korra grinned “yeah I had no idea you were here whatsoever...which is odd considering how every eye is drawn to you whenever you’re nearby”. You blushed going red and Korra’s smile grew “I’ll leave you to your chat. Opal, Y/n” she nodded at you both in turn but winked when she met your gaze. You watched her run back to your cousins and found Opal staring at you. She immediately pushed you squealing “you didn’t tell me you were dating the avatar!”. “I’m not and keep your voice down please” you begged seeing the smug look on Korra’s face which told you she’d noticed Opal’s reaction. “But she was very openly flirting with you” Opal retorted and you nodded “I know we do that a lot but it’s just our friendship. I’d never let it go further because she’s the avatar! She’s not after a relationship she just wants a fun fling and I can’t give her that. Trust me the avatar will get bored of me and move on soon enough”. “Ow yeah?” Opal asked looking to where Korra was still putting on a show for you. Korra scored a point and shot you a smile. You blushed vividly and Opal laughed “I don’t think she’s not going cold on you any time soon”.

At the end of the week your Aunt Suyin threw a party to celebrate Opal’s progress and avatar’s arrival. It was magnificent and you hadn’t seen this much earth kingdom food in...well forever! You made sure Korra and the others were all okay and socialised with your cousins greatly enjoying being with your family. Bataar jnr told you about his machines, his girlfriend Kuvira traded military expertise with you, Wei and Wing quizzed you about all the pro-bending in Republic City, you teased Opal about her crush on Bolin and even Huan showed you some of his paintings. You were absolutely thrilled your family still felt like a family after all this time and hadn’t been this happy in a long time. However all that excitement can be draining. Towards the end of the night you began to grow tired so went outside for some fresh air and quiet. You were relaxing in the picturesque moonlight when you were disturbed. “Well your aunt certainly knows how to put on a spread” someone called and you jumped to find Avatar Korra making her way over to you on the abandoned balcony. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress and her eyes shone in the dark light. “She does” you smiled “never let it be said Beifong’s don’t know how to put on an event”. “That’s for sure” Korra agreed coming to sit right beside you. “The city is so beautiful” she commented before she turned “as are you”. “Thanks” you blushed “you look very beautiful too”. “There’s no way I can compete with you in that outfit” Korra smiled “Beifong’s apparently always look stunning as well as being great hostesses”. “Have you been checking out my aunt then?” you replied and Korra laughed “of course not, I only have eyes for you”. “Sureeee” you laughed but Korra nodded “I do I promise! You’re all I think about and why wouldn’t I? You’re the most interesting girl I’ve ever met. I’m crazy about you”. You blushed under Korra’s intense gaze but didn’t look away. “I....I don’t know what to say” you finally spoke up and Korra shrugged “well then how about we don’t bother talking anymore?”. Time seemed to freeze and you viewed the present in slow motion as Korra cupped your cheek gently and leant forwards. You liked the way her hands felt on you and instinctively leant into her before your brain caught up with the situation. “Wait! Korra I can’t” you said your heart hammering in your chest and the avatar frowned inches away from you. “You can’t? why? Do you not find me attractive?” Korra asked. “No of course I find you very attractive, i’ve never seen a human being I find more attractive than you” you admitted very flustered. “Then what’s the problem?” Korra asked and you sighed “the problem is I don’t just want to hook up with you a few times and be done with it. I know some people like that kind of thing and i’m sure as the avatar it is the perfect option but I’m not like that. Casual one night stands just aren’t my thing so I’m sorry I have to decline. Please don’t ask me again” and you rushed away. Korra called after you but you clearly wanted to be left alone so she didn’t follow you. She hung her head in her hands at how messed up things had gotten.

When Korra had allowed herself to wallow for a bit she came back inside to find the party over. She made her way to her shared room and found Asami waiting. “Korra where have you been we were all worried sick and...” Asami started when she caught sight of Korra’s expression and stopped abruptly.  “What’s wrong?” Asami asked and Korra sighed “you gave me terrible advice that’s what!”. Korra explained the situation more and Asami felt awful. Being more experienced with relationships Korra had come to Asami for advice on how to approach her feelings for you and it hadn’t worked well. Given Korra’s past approach of blurting out her love for people without a second thought, Asami advised Korra to try a different approach with you but she hadn’t meant it so literally. Instead of being serious or passionate Korra had been entirely flirty and forward with you. No substance just fun. So you’d wrongly gotten the idea all Korra wanted was a fun fling when she actually was madly infatuated with you and wanted far more long term things with you. Asami wasn’t sure what she could do but seeing Korra so distraught she knew she had to try and help her friend.

So Asami made her way to your room hoping you wouldn’t mind such a late-night visit. Asami knocked on your door and heard movement inside. There was a pause before she heard you call “who is it?” nervously. “It’s Asami” she called back “I need to speak to you”. The door opened slowly and Asami saw you looked upset. “Did Korra send you”? you asked quietly “because she didn’t do anything wrong I just need some space”. “No she didn’t send me but I am here because of her, I need to confess something”. Your eyes widened in confusion but you nodded and let Asami into your room. The minute you turned to face her Asami burst “It’s my fault! Korra came to me when she realised she liked you and asked me for advice. She was terrified of messing this up and doing what she did with Mako...with him she’d blurted out a lot of intense things right away and so I told her to do the opposite. I suggested she just toned down the seriousness and had fun with you. Flirt a little and try and gauge how you were feeling before she confessed her whole heart to you. But it seems she took my advice too much and now you don’t think her intentions are good at all which is not the case! Korra very much likes you for more than just your appearance and she has for a while”. You stared at Asami at an apparent loss for words “so Korra was...what acting?”. Asami shrugged “kind of, she was putting on this cocky flirty front when she’s actually a lot more emotional and sweet...she didn’t mean to come across so forward she was just following my advice which backfired horribly. I’m so sorry it upset you I promise that was not her intention at all. If you want to blame anyone blame me”. You assured Asami you weren’t upset with her and spent the next half hour understanding how the situation had gone so wrong. You were very excited by the end of it and couldn’t wait till morning to speak with Korra. Asami told you she was in their room and wouldn’t mind you disturbing her so late.

So you rushed to Korra’s shared room and knocked on the door lightly. Your stomach was bubbling with butterflies and you weren’t sure what you were going to say when you saw her. The door didn’t open so you knocked louder hoping Korra wasn’t asleep. Still there was no sound from inside so you frowned and decided she must be asleep. You didn’t want to wake her so started to retreat from the room when you heard a loud thud from inside. “Korra?” you called through the door “are you okay?”. You got no reply and were growing more and more concerned when you heard something smash inside followed by a grunt of pain. “Korra?” you yelled through the door and began bending the metal of the lock. The door swung open and you saw the room was an utter mess. Naga was unconscious on the floor and by the window...four people had a struggling Korra in their arms. She looked very weak and wasn’t putting up much of a fight so you figured she must’ve been drugged. “Korra!” you cried rushing into the room. You had no idea who these people were but you weren’t letting them take Korra. You launched into a flurry of attacks and managed to land a few hits on the earth and water bender. The air bender sent a gust which knocked you back but you were quick on your feet and pursued them leaping out of the window. You yelled as you chased them quickly attracting the attention of the guards who sounded the alarm. Suyin appeared as did her guard Kuvira and they helped cut the quartet off. “You have nowhere left to go, let her go” you glared and the leader just smiled “never”. You looked at Korra lying limp at their feet and felt rage take you. “Then i’ll drag her from you myself” and ran at him.

3 hours later

You were sat in the infirmary beside an unconscious Korra waiting for the effect of the drug to wear off. Everyone else had gradually retreated to bed but you couldn’t sleep. The adrenaline from the fight was still pulsing through your veins and was only overshadowed by your worry for Korra. You’d won the fight with the help of Suyin, her guards and Korra’s friends but still the drug they’d used hadn’t worn off. Your eyes fell to her for what felt like the hundredth time and you sighed “please wake up”. Finally Korra listened. With a loud gasp Korra jolted awake and you scrambled to your feet. “Korra breath! You’re okay, you’re safe just breathe!” you commanded and Korra slowly began to calm down. “Y/n? What happened?”. “The White Lotus, I didn’t realise it was them at first but i’ve been briefed on them. They tried to kidnap you when you were a kid and they tried again tonight”. You saw Korra shiver at that and frowned. “But never mind them” you sighed wrapping an extra blanket around her shoulders “how are you feeling?”. Korra frowned “okay...a bit groggy like i’ve come out of a really heavy sleep but it’s not too bad. It’s getting better. How are you?” she asked and you froze “me?”. “Yeah” Korra said offering you a small smile “you don’t look like you’ve slept a wink”. You chuckled softly “I haven’t. I wanted to see you wake up first and make sure you were okay. I haven’t been able to rest since it happened...I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them with you I was so angry but you’re okay now and that’s all that matters". Korra smiled at you "yeah I'm okay now...thanks to you". It wasn’t the usual cocky smirks she sent you. Instead it was a sweet tired smile but it made your heart hammer in your chest just as much. "Do you remember much?" you asked and she shook her head. "No I remember something hitting Naga. I went to look at it when one hit me too. I backed away from the window as the world began to spin and then everything went blurry...the next thing I remember was seeing you in my doorway. You attacked whoever had me and I fell. I remember being unable to move and seeing you send rocks flying through the air. You were terrifying" she laughed "a woman possessed". "Of course I was they were going to take you! I know I might have sent mixed messages last night but I like you Korra. I was coming to tell you that. Asami explained to me what happened and why you behave as you do around me". Korra blushed at that "what were you coming to say to me?". "Well I was coming to ask if it was true, did you really put on a mask around me, acting all confident and promiscuous?". Korra nodded "yeah...I meant everything I said to you I wasn’t lying about my attraction but I was doing the opposite of what I'd usually do because my last relationship didn’t work out well. I came on too intense too quick so I tried to take a more fun carefree approach but that didn’t work. I'm sorry I offended you or made you think I was only interested in you for one thing. I do think you’re gorgeous but that's just one of many things I like about you and by no means the most important". Korra blushed looking down and you found her adorable. How had she hidden this side of her so well? "So is this, you know, the real you?" you asked double-checking. Korra nodded "yep, this is me. I'm emotional, reckless and I always say the wrong thing. I have no tact and just say what I'm thinking. Now you can probably see why I was trying to act so put together and impressive before. They're much more attractive qualities". "Maybe" you shrugged "but I think this side of you is just as attractive, more so actually because it's real and it's beautiful. You're wonderful Korra exactly as you are". Korra stared at you in shock and you just smiled at her. "I...I..." she babbled and you smirked "how about I kiss you to save you having to speak?". "Yes please" the avatar breathed and you gently placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her. The kiss was sweet and Korra seemed uncharacteristically shy. She pulled back blushing vividly and you smiled at her reaction "how was it?". "Good...amazing" she replied and you smiled "great". Korra looked up at you but blushed as soon as she met your eye and you smiled taking her hand softly "I like you Korra and that kiss was good for me too, if you’d like to make it a more frequent thing we could go out on a date sometime?". "I'd love that!" Korra agreed before wincing "too eager?". "No it was adorable like you" you smiled kissing her forehead "now it really is late. You should try and get some rest, something tells me the next few days are going to be very long and strenuous". Korra nodded "I agree, goodnight y/n". "Goodnight Korra" you smiled and closed her door softly. The avatar wasn’t a womaniser but a shy bashful passionate woman. You were pleasantly surprised and couldn’t wait to see all the different layers of her left to discover.

____

Korra is 100% one of those people that’s all talk but is actually a huge softie romantically. Asami is one lucky lady (althought she’s also amazing so Korra is lucky too).

Also why is there so little Korra content out there? Her and Huan Beifong are very under-represented in the fanfiction game and I am personally offended by that 😂

[mohluskiepedard]

Rating ATLA Characters literally only from what I’ve seen in fandom

or: posts that probably shouldn’t be on my writeblr except I don’t have a sideblog

the context here is it’s half midnight and I have never seen ATLA except I have opinions now apparently so here we go whoop de do- 

I’m also not actually rating them like numerically that’s too much work i’m just stating opinions I know I’m a fraud

AANG

- A child?  - A son?  - he is Baby. but also. he has had It Rough  - would make the updog joke - has unspeakable power or smth and everyone says he’s better than the Korra girl who comes after him but honestly tastes like sexism to me - doesn’t kill people because he’s like twelve, right? he’s like twelve so he refuses to kill people - I stan honestly - less twelve year olds should kill people - Some people say his name WRONG and they are BAD but i don’t actually know what the right way or the wrong way is so. have fun w that yall - lived in peace unTIL THE FIRE NATION ATTACKED 

KATARA

- She is also like twelve???  - Is everyone here twelve - Cortana?? Katana?? Catbug??  - She has good hair, - Her mother is dead??? her mother is dead n she has a brother but she cares about her mother being dead WAY more than him (or apparently the entire fandom??) - Badass - She seems soft. good. sweet - she’s a water breather or whatever??? her brother is NOT but he is a meme - I love her 

SOKKA

- NGL looks like a fuckboy  - The meme brother! does not do the water things, but he has an aXe???  - dates BAMF lady - ngl until I talked to my ATLA watching friend I thought he canonically dated Zuko  - kinda mad he doesn’t - I haven’t actually seen anything about him except like. in zuko ship posts and also Suki appreciation posts - joined the white lotus not-a-cult by accident???  - dark ATLA tumblr show me more Sokka posts - is his name prounounced the same way as Soccer or isn’t it I need to know - HIS FIRST GIRLFRIEND TURNED INTO THE MOON - (AND THAT’S ROUGH, BUDDY) - He and Suki are a good ship, but also, Sokka Has Two Hands

SUKI

- the BAMF herself - she says STOP in that photo but also to sexism - Rlly all I see of her in fanon is abt her teaching Sokka to drink his respect women juice and I appreciate her doing that but also it’s sad she never gets talked about outside of what she did for a man - I hope she has other badass moments w/o him it would suck if she didn’t - she is NOT the girlfriend who turned into the moon, she is the one who didn’t - I don’t know much else about her ATLA Fandom y’all should appreciate her more

ZUKO

- Look at him... my son... - He has a good redemption arc - he and his sister are evil lesbian and redeemed gay guy??? - has a straight canon ship but should’ve been with Sokka this boy is gay - I Want To Protect Him - That’s literally it - he has a cool uncle and his dad sucks  - people ship him with Katara and I Do Not Get It that’s his sister in law except not really - “We don’t trust Zuko’s change of heart” [the next day] “so Zuko is my closest friend now,”  - His dad was like “fuck up the avatar to prove your worth to me” and Aang was like “counter argument you already have worth and we should fuck up your dad” and I think that’s beautiful - he becomes the fire man and he’s very good at it - Zuko for President 2020 - in the words of myself, half an hour ago: “ I was like "that kid with the burn on his face seems like a sad but then happy mlm who needs found family" and I was RIGHT” - took too long to find a happy picture of him :( Zuko rights NOW please - His mother’s story got compared to an OC of mine and all I can say is oh no and they deserve better based on that alone - I have had Zuko for five minutes but if anything else happens to him I will kill everyone in this throne room and then myself

TOPH

- She is badass but like also will murder you while laughing maniacally? - for some reason reminds me of Nott from Critical Role, another show I Have Not Seen - Is blind but gets more out of making jokes abt being blind than she would from being able to see - “Sight is just a cheap tactic to make weak benders stronger!!!” - Literally the opposite of Aang and has killed many people?? - She Can Tell When You’re Lying. But I do not know how and Am simply mildly threatened by this - Therapist: Toph’s ability to know if you’re lying isn’t real and can’t hurt you. Toph’s ability to know if I’m lying:  - She and Zuko.... buddies???  - if not they should be - tiny sad boy needs friends like toph

AZULA

- Evil Lesbian Culture - [BDG Voice] You committed a war crime! Oopsie! - took be gay do crime too literally - her and Zuko have accurate sibling writin except instead of “you ever want to murder your sibling for breathing in the same space as you,” being a Joke Azula took it seriously - okay but with a name like azula she should be the blue bender this ANNOYS me she should NOT be red bender - AZULa  - AZUL - IT MEANS BLUE - She was half of y’alls gay awakenings and it SHOWS - Should have maybe been redeemed too??? Jury is out no one knows - Was she gay for Ty Lee or wasn’t she I can’t tell how much of that Audio is a joke - IS SHE ALSO TWELVE??? IS EVERYONE HERE TWELVE?? IS THIS TWELVE YEAR OLD COMITTING ATROCITIES? 

UNCLE IROH

- A Good Man - Finally, Some Good Fucking [Adult Figures]  - he has the tea. literally and figuratively - Ozai is like “and I will permanently disfigure my son and throw him out” and Iroh is like “What The Fuck, Ozai,” thus voicing the entire audience’s thoughts - Literally the only adult in this that I trust - I? I love him. this is all I have to say. my love for him is unending. Some1 protect this man from all harm   - he’s Zuko’s uncle (and also Azula ig) but he does not seem related to Ozai. is it just a theme in this family that one sibling is chill and one sibling commits horrendous atrocities against your fellow human beings or  - something happened to his son???? :((((( I Don’t Want Him To Have Suffered Like This

OZAI

- A BAD MAN - Uh Oh (stinky)  - THE WORST OF THE MEN  - I do not like him - Bastard man. nasty. committed war crimes and then went “but what if - get this - i also abused my son,”  - I would like him to Not Be Like This - by Like This I mean present and alive  - :/ 

TY LEE

- She’s NOT the There Is No War In Ba Sing Se lady and I don’t know why i thought she WAS but until I looked up her photo I thought that was her  - She looks like a sweetheart tho - I hope nothing bad happens to her????  - talks about auras??? or smth??? let her vibe - She would talk animatedly to me about warrior cats if she was in my year seven class and I was sat alone and I would understand none of it but appreciate her anyway - if azula bullies her I’ll be :( at Azula and Azula will not care because she has Mommy Issues and therefore is slightly unhinged - She seems like that one kid with no trauma vibing at the edge of [every other kid having trauma] and not really getting it but trying her best - Is she also twelve?????? She maybe looks twelve

CABBAGE MAN 

- HIS CABBAGES - fulfills my favourite trope: ordinary person repeatedly has life disrupted by the inconveniences of relying on actual children to save the world - probably has a campaign post canon for letting trained adults fix the worlds’ problems in the future - or sets up the Very First Cabbage Insurance Company - look at him. he loves his cabbages so much. you go you funky lil cabbage man

ALSO THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES MOMO

- LOOK AT HIM HE’S SO GOOD - small. fluffy. big ears - Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty: his Momoness - a Good Boy...

APPA

- he looks so soft... - he can fly but he just does it by??? vibing through the air?? motionless??? iconic - I saw that one post about mishearing it as Abba and thinking he was Aang’s dad and he looks like he would be a good stand in dad ngl - he’s so LORGE - a chonky boy - love him

that is everyone I have heard of it and if I left someone out it’s a sign that y’all should talk about em more bc I have no clue they exist put more ATLA On my Dash ig I’ll do Legend of Korra ig maybe apparently that one has canon wlw and i love me some canon wlw

[zukkaoru]

good evening zukka nation yesterday i watched episode 3x03 of legend of korra and decided hmm. you know what would be fun? if zukka had been casually canon! why would that be fun? because then we could’ve seen p’li trying to tick zuko off by mentioning sokka.

anyway then i wrote this. i haven’t watched past 3x07 of tlok so just... ignore any inaccuracies 

tw for references to character death

and in the end, it had word count: 1016

P’li creeps closer to the cell door, and lowers herself enough that she can look Zuko in the eye. He meets her gaze, knowing better than to display any sign of fear.

“Where’s your little Water Tribe toy?” she taunts. “Didn’t bring him along today?”

Something icy stabs through Zuko’s chest at the reference to Sokka. It’s been long enough that the mere mention of his name doesn’t throw Zuko off kilter, but the way P’li speaks - like she somehow already knows - has Zuko wishing he could rip the cell door off its hinges and put an end to her right here and now. He might do it, too, if not for the knowledge that Sokka would disapprove.

Sokka would say something like, “She’s just trying to get under your skin. Don’t let her. You’re stronger than that, I know you are,” because Sokka always, always, believed in Zuko.

As it is, Zuko can’t stop his body temperature from rising.

P’li gasps, mock concern filling her voice to the point where it’s making Zuko sick. “Oh? Don’t tell me something happened to him.”

Zuko looks away from P’li’s gaze enough that it answers her question wordlessly. He can feel Tonraq standing tense next to him, like he’s ready to hold Zuko back from a fight. Like he’s hoping he even can. 

P’li clicks her tongue. “Well,” she says, the false sense of concern abandoned in favor of her original taunting tone. “We all knew you’d outlive him anyways.”

Zuko wants to scream. He wants to tell P’li off, tell her how it should have been Zuko to die first, how Sokka’s only gone because he sacrificed himself to save Zuko’s life. But then again, maybe that’s what she means. Of course Sokka wouldn’t have let Zuko die before him. He’s too stubborn, too loyal, too self-sacrificing, too insistent that he’s always the less important one.

He never was. As far as Zuko is concerned, Sokka was the most important. As far as Zuko is concerned, he still is.

Because it’s Sokka’s memory - Sokka’s ghost, haunting Zuko’s mind - that stops him from lashing out at P’li. It’s the part of Sokka’s spirit still dwelling in Zuko’s bones that reels his temper in and stops him from inadvertently freeing P’li before Zaheer even makes it to the North Pole.

She’s just trying to get under your skin.

If it had actually been Sokka speaking, he would’ve thrown some pet name in there that Zuko would have pretended to hate during the early years of their relationship but ultimately admitted he liked because it was a reminder that Sokka had chosen him.

Sokka isn’t actually speaking, though. He isn’t here. He’s gone.

Zuko steps towards the cell, bracing himself to throw Tonraq’s hand off him if he tries anything. He doesn’t.

“If you’re going to talk about Sokka,” Zuko has no idea how he manages to keep his voice steady, “at least have the decency to use his name.” It’s not even close to what he wanted to tell P’li, but it’s what he can manage without setting the entire place on fire and putting Avatar Korra in even more danger than she already is.

He turns on his heel, away from P’li so he doesn’t have to look at her menacing smile for a moment longer, looking like she’s trying to peer into Zuko’s mind and figure out what she can say to tip him over the edge. And he doesn’t have to stare at that mark on her forehead that sends Zuko all the way back to the Western Air Temple before the war was over, back to Team Avatar reluctantly accepting him into their group and Sokka’s soft smile when he showed Zuko to his room.

He avoids making eye contact with Tonraq or either of the kids. “Let’s go,” he grumbles, pushing past them. He doesn’t bother turning around to make sure they follow. 

“I’m sorry for your loss!” P’li calls after him. “No really - I am. You two were good for each other.”

Zuko winces. His hand reaches up towards his topknot absentmindedly, reaching for a hairpiece he can’t bear to wear anymore because it hurts too much to be reminded that Sokka is gone every time he catches a glimpse of his reflection.

He shoves his hands into his pockets and tries to block out P’li’s voice. It doesn’t work.

“I know what it’s like to be separated from a significant other for a long time.” He can hear the smirk in her voice. “Only difference is mine is coming back for me. Yours can’t.”

The sharp iciness digs itself deeper into Zuko, wrenching his heart in half and making his stomach churn. He closes his eyes and thanks Agni it’s too cold here for tears to fall. He hears footsteps and hushed voices behind him, but he pushes them from his mind and walks onwards.

It’s not like being outside of this prison will help much, though. It’s all snow, all Water Tribe and reminiscent of Sokka. It’s all Boiling Rock Freezer-adjacent. It’s all a reminder of what he’s lost, far as the eye can see, and he can feel the heat radiating off his body.

If Sokka were here, he’d tell Zuko to focus on the task at hand instead of letting P’li’s words get the better of him. He’d wrap his arms around Zuko and whisper into his good ear, and he’d hang on for longer than he needed too under the pretense of being cold. He’d tell Zuko that no matter what happens, they won’t let any harm come to Korra or they’ll die trying to keep her safe.

It was a promise they’d made each other nearly a decade and a half ago, on Aang’s behalf. They would do whatever they needed to in order to keep Korra safe, even if it meant dying.

It was a promise Sokka had made Zuko too, time and time again. He would do whatever it took to keep Zuko safe, even if it meant dying.

And in the end, it had.

[azulas-lightning-bolt]

im cooked. school is kicking my ass.

but yk who’s cooking? mako. that’s right, I have more to yap about him cause he’s my boy !!

so this post is gonna be shorter because I just wanted to share: mako is 100% an incredible cook. you give this man scraps he will put gordon gd ramsey to shame. I know in my heart that when they first became orphans (mako was eight, bolin six) bolin was THE pickiest eater. he didn’t actually care too much about what was in his food, but if you told him it was vegetables or if it wasn’t in a pretty shape he would not eat it. or if it was cooked three minutes too long? not going in this kid’s stomach.

so mako, willing to raze the world to the ground for his baby brother, learned to cook anything they got just right and make it into little smiley faces or sectioned into neat squares. bolin loved it. as he got older and started helping pull scams and stuff he got less picky (recognizing some of the desperation of their situation, despite mako shielding him to the best of his ability) but mako still made stuff look cute and presentable and at that point he’d just gotten so good at cooking whatever he had that bolin couldn’t complain if he wanted to.

cooking turns into his love language for the krew and asami is actually pissed that the fuckass rich people restaurant she took him to as an (apology?) date is genuinely mediocre in comparison to mako’s cooking. she’s like,, you were so impressed. why. you literally cook so much better that date was actually ass in retrospect with this information. and mako’s just like ?? you bought me a whole suit ?? no one has ever spent sm money on me ???

also he absolutely goes on autopilot and makes little smiley faces and kiddie style meals sometimes. the first time it happened korra poked fun, but asami and bolin beat her ass when mako refused to cook for them for two whole weeks. they were SUFFERING, korra.

he still does it but they don’t say anything. js giggle to themselves when he’s not paying attention 😭

[kingwuko]

Wuko in the Comics: Ruins of the Empire, Book 1 part 2

Welcome to my series of posts discussing Wuko in the Comics. In this post I'll continue to discuss RotE Book 1. There are some... interesting moments in the second half of this comic, including a very famous line that all but confirms canon Wuko.

Plot Summary

Fearing that Guan will use violence to stop the election, the Krew decides to bring Kuvira along with them to Gaoling, hoping that she can talk him down. When they come face-to-face with Guan, however, they discover he does not intend to use violence, but will run in Gaoling’s election. The Krew decides the best solution is to find another candidate with enough public support to defeat Guan fair and square; and they decide to ask Toph to run. It is revealed, however, that Guan does not intend to win fair and square. He’s planning to brainwash Gaoling’s citizens to vote for him.

Major Plot points in the second half of Book 1

We start off right away with the Sauna Scene. Everyone looks excellent. The ladies' sauna wear is lovely. Mako and Bolin have their classic swim suits seen in season 1. Wu is literally just wearing a towel. I found myself googling saunas and steam baths to see if it’s normal to wear swimsuits or just a towel, and everything I read said pretty much anything goes as long as you are comfortable, but I do find it interesting that everyone wears swimsuits except Wu. Maybe because he does steam baths more often and he’s just more comfortable in that setting? He seems pretty confident and not at all shy. I don’t have anything analytical to say about it, I just think it’s an interesting detail, that he doesn’t seem to have any hang-ups about being nearly naked around Mako his friends.

They are discussing Guan’s militaristic movement toward Gaoling, and tossing ideas around to handle the situation. Mako not-so-helpfully suggests using force with the united forces which Zhu Li shoots down right away, not wanting to escalate the situation. Wu agrees and wants to find a peaceful resolution. Korra, remembering her conversation with Kuvira, thinks she has the answer. She proposes bringing Kuvira along to Gaoling, which NOBODY is happy about. Asami is upset because she made it clear earlier she does not want to be in the same room as Kuvira, Bolin is distressed because Kuvira nearly had him killed when he defected from her inner circle, Mako points out that he nearly lost his arm taking down the mech, Zhu Li says she invaded republic city, Asami reminds everyone that Kuvira killed her father, and Wu boldly declares that we can’t forget she ruined his coronation… He quickly reads the room and apologises (character growth?).

Korra acknowledges everyone’s concerns and points out that she truly believes Kuvira can be an ally- she was their ally when Zaheer was trying to kill her and the airbenders; and when her spirit vine weapon ripped open a new portal to the spirit world, Kuvira thought she had died and Korra believes that changed her. Bolin points out that Kuvira is very persuasive and may have a good shot at convincing Guan to stand down. Everyone is convinced and declares their support for the plan.

Zhu Li orders Kuvira’s release and Korra brings her onto the airship taking them all to Gaoling. And, I’m sorry, this frame is like, the bitchiest collective look from Mako, Wu, Bolin and Pabu. I just love it.

They initially plan to restrain her, but decide it’s pointless when Kuvira points out if she wanted to escape that she would have already. They arrive at Gaoling and there’s no sign of Guan and his army. Kuvira is certain he’ll be there, and points out that she needs to change so she doesn’t meet with him looking like a prisoner.

Korra and Wu go to meet with the election candidates. Their portraits are on the wall and it’s revealed that the candidates are both elderly magistrates who have been working in the local government for a long time. They are practically indistinguishable from each other, which causes Korra concern. Wu isn’t happy about it either, he was hoping the elections would bring in new leaders to take the earth kingdom in a new direction. Instead, it looks like nothing will change in Gaoling or the rest of the earth kingdom if things play out the same way. They are both disappointed but Korra is optimistic that this is the first election and over things will improve as they iron out the political kinks

Back in the flying machine, they give Kuvira an outfit of Asami’s that is…. Like I can’t put it into words. I’ve never seen asami wear it and that is a shame. The word that comes to mind is “Dapper”. Like is we saw Asami wearing it when they first introduced her character literally everyone would have predicted Cannon Korrasami and immeadiately said “yup Asami’s gay straight women don’t dress like that”. Slacks, a collared long sleeve shirt, with a grey vest over top. Just like, amazing. I am so disappointed we never saw Asami wear this. Someone point me to a fanart of Asami in this outfit that canonically belongs to her please.

Guan arrives and Kuvira tries to talk to him, which goes about as well as you’d expect. So she tries to appeal directly to his troops and urges them to surrender, and they all say in unison “Hail Commander Guan!”. So Kuvira decides to challenge Guan and beats the crap out of him in a punch that looks like something directly out of a WWII propaganda poster or something.

Kuvira is literally about to kill him by bending the metal collar around his neck when suddenly Asami electrocutes her with some device she had hidden in the belt she gave Kuvira.

Once Mako and Bolin drag Kuvira away, Korra attempts to reason with Guan and tells him she won’t let him interfere with the election. Guan then reveals he has no intention of interfering- he plans on running in the election! He immediately turns in all the necessary paperwork to be on the ballot. He informs the Krew that soon, all the upcoming elections will have Earth Empire representatives running and once they have power in every territory, no one will question the Earth Empire's right to rule.

They reconvene back on the airship, where Kuvira is detained in the platinum box. They explain to Kuvira that she was wrong to provoke him, but right that he is an excellent strategist. Mako then tells Wu that he should just call off the election. Wu replies “Mako, you know I love you, but I’m trying to encourage democracy. I can’t just go around canceling elections because I don’t like one of the candidates. We need to see how this plays out”

…

Yes. “Mako, you know I love you”

…

We’ll discuss that at length in a bit.

They decide the best path forward is to find a new candidate who is popular enough to beat Guan. Korra excitedly suggests Toph. Which, like, wouldn’t have been the first person to come to mind for me, but I guess she’s the only person they know who is originally from Goaling? But everyone seems on board, except presumably Toph because she doesn't like to get involved in worldly affairs… So Korra announces they will just have to convince her!!

We then cut to Guan's encampment, where he is discussing Kuvira’s actions with a Doctor Sheng, observing that Kuvira just isn’t the same, and that the Avatar has corrupted her mind. The doctor suggests they “recalibrate” Kuvira’s mind and leads him into a structure where she shows him their latest “recruits'. We then see Goaling citizens tied up in chairs with devices on their heads. They are being brainwashed to vote for Guan! Yikes!

Mako and Wu Scenes

The Sauna scene

The meeting that took place in the sauna was at the behest of Wu. He said he was very stressed out so he couldn’t miss his steam bath. I know there are lots of jokes about Wu being high maintenance because he needs his spa days or whatever, but he is in a highly stressful situation right now and we know that self care is essential to maintain one’s mental health and in order to perform one’s job well. I think this was an interesting way to weave together his seemingly superficial hobbies with his new maturity and responsibility. I really loved this scene for that (though seeing all the hot people in sauna-wear is a bonus).

Also there is a recurring thing where Mako is just offering the worst advice to Korra. He wants the United Republic, a completely separate Nation from the Earth Kingdom, to just.. March into another country and ‘enforce’ their democratic process??? Like…. If you know anything about world history and current events we know that is awful and wouldn’t be received well and would be a recipe for political instability and long term conflict. Thank goodness everyone is like Mako no. I’m pointing this out because, as much as we think of Wu as being immature, irresponsible, whatever, the reality is that he has a level head while Mako is actually giving the irresponsible solutions here. It’s a really interesting evolution from the infamous Wu meltdown scene where Mako was the voice of reason, but here things have reversed.

Also, I want to point out the moment where Wu backs down after he adds his grievance to the list everyone is giving (She ruined my coordination!), it’s kind of played for laughs but like… Wu has a totally valid reason to be upset on par with everyone else, considering Kuvira had him drugged and kidnapped…. Why wouldn’t he have said that? Well, the simple and obvious answer is- the writers wanted to make a “Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking” joke. But since us fans like to give depths to the characters that they deserve, maybe Wu is genuinely traumatized and just doesn’t want to bring it up. And maybe everyone knows he’s traumatized and doesn't want to bring it up, because no one else is like “Wu, did you forget she had you drugged and kidnapped???” They just give him a look and he’s like “LOL oops sorry should have said my thing first!!” maybe Team Avatar understands that it was a really scary moment for him and they just let him shield himself with humor.

I know it isn’t isn’t exactly a strong Wuko moment, but the bitchy look that Moko, Bolin, Wu and Pabu give to Kuvira in the airship breathed life into me for some reason. I’m loving how they look like a group of mean girls who were just badmouthing Kuvira before she walked in. I think they were having a nice bonding moment before this.

Mako, you know I love you

Ok. So after Mako casually mentions just calling off the election, Wu flat out says “I love you” to Mako. This is a line us Wuko shippers just DIE for. The full line is as follows:

Mako: I say you call off the vote, at least for now. Make it impossible for Guan to win

Wu: Mako, you know I love you, but I’m trying to encourage democracy. I can’t just go around cancelling elections because I don’t like one of the candidates. We need to let this play out.

So. Like, what the heck are we supposed to make of this?

I’m not going to dig too deep and force my own interpretations and headcanons onto you. This I love you could mean a number of different things. I just want to pose some rhetorical questions about it and the context to give us all some things to think about.

Is Wu flirting? Does Mako actually know that Wu loves him? Is this an extension of Wu’s many other instances of flirting with complimenting Mako (on par with ‘my big tough guy” while staring at his ass)? Has Wu said “I love you” to Mako before? How many times has Wu said “Mako I love you” before? Is this evidence of them actually being in a romantic relationship during this comic? Or is it evidence of romantic tension building? Is Mako just totally oblivious to the fact that Wu said I love you? Or did he hear it and his brain blue-screened from the shock of being blatantly told I love you? Has Wu just gotten fed up that Mako seems oblivious to all his previous flirtations and he just decided to up the ante? Does Mako love Wu back?!

Lots of questions. Lots of interpretations. But (as far as I remember) Mako has only said I love you to two people- his brother and Korra (I don’t think he said I love you to Asami but I could be wrong). And if you’ve read this you know that Mako’s relationship with Wu is not brotherly. We’ve never heard “I love you” from Wu toward anyone else that I can recall so I don’t think he makes a habit of throwing the phrase around lightly. Also, worth noting: Literally no one reacts to the casual “I love you”. Everyone just goes on with the conversation at hand. The next frame that we see of Wu and Mako’s faces together, Mako is SMILING at Wu.

So like, he’s clearly not uncomfortable with being told that Wu loves him. And no one else is uncomfortable with it either. So what gives? Are they together? Are they flirting? Is everyone else just like “yup Wu said I love you Mako nothing out of the ordinary here because it’s painfully obvious Wu is into Mako, let's move on, nothing to see here”?

Wu and Korra

One thing I LOVE about these comics is the friendship between Korra and Wu. During the series, Korra tolerated Wu, warming up to him a bit at the very end when he told her his plan to abdicate. But through these comics there seems to be a comfortable familiarity between them. A bit of teasing, loads of moral support, and not a hint of her (or anyone) being super annoyed by him. He also doesn’t hit on her or anyone else except Mako, which is a very refreshing character growth because it was very tiresome to watch him objectify women in the animated series.

Korra and Wu spend a good amount of time together as she accompanies him to Gaoling’s city hall. They seem very comfortable with each other, comfortable enough that the writers included a fart joke.

Korra reassures Wu when he expresses worry about the election being pointless, she steps forward somewhat protectively when Guan shows up- the entire scene with Guan, Korra is standing between him and Wu.

Basically I bring this up because I genuinely love the idea that Korra and Wu are close and friendly, that they have moved on from his cringy behavior from the series (I like to think he apologized to both her and Asami?)

What this means for Wuko

If you are writing fic or just coming up with headcanon, there are two ways to look at the scenes. Either they are in a relationship, or they aren’t. You could easily just say they are in a relationship and are being quiet about it, because they aren’t ready to be fully public, or maybe because they are still figuring things out, or they are waiting for Wu to abdicate and move back to Republic City, etc. “You know I love you” is such an easy piece of canon content to make this your headcanon.

Likewise, one could say they are Not Together right now. Pre-relationship, if you will. Maybe they’ve danced around the idea, discussed feelings without actually getting together. Or maybe they are still clueless that there is a potential for a relationship. Wu might be putting out feelers to see how Mako responds to his flirtations. Mako might be wondering if he’s misinterpreting Wu’s affectionate touches and words. Lots of romantic tension, pining, each wondering if the other one has any feelings.

I also love the idea that Wu and Korra are friends and have discussed or will discuss Mako and Wu’s feelings for him.

So, in summary, Wu loves Mako. It’s canon. It’s right there in black and white. Make of it what you will!

Next post I will discuss Wuko in the first half of RotE Book 2. Wu goes on a life-changing field trip with Korra to meet Toph and confront a swamp-vision of his Late Great Aunt, while Mako gets captured and brainwashed by Guan. Wu and Mako are not together during these scenes but there will be lots of wonderful Wu backstory along with plenty of angst potential from the brainwashing storyline.

Wuko in Turf Wars

Wuko in RotE part 1