#legend of korra angst

[thefandomthings]

Zuko x reader

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Betrayal

Hurt prompt #11: "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Pairing: Zuko x Gn!reader

Warnings: Angst, No comfort, Established relationship, !!SPOILERS¡¡, Takes place in Book 2. Ep. 18

Notes: Oh boy, I have so many avatar requests, it's amazing. Thank you guys for participating in my event it makes me so happy! Tell me if y'all want a part 2.

Prompt Event

All you felt was pain, deep inside your chest. Watching your boyfriend take sides against the avatar once again was brutal. What made it even worse was Iroh was to be imprisoned, you would hold the same fate if you were captured.

You stood next to Katara and Aang, Azula and Zuko on the opposite side of the cave. Azula held the same malicious grin on her face, watching the three of you with smugness.

"My, my Y/n. You seem so down, how sad." She mocks you with a slight chuckle. Zuko gives her a glare, his eyes wandering back to you. They are full of guilt, pleading for forgiveness from you. Practically begging you to understand why he did it, to come with him.

"Leave Y/n alone, Azula." Zuko grunts, getting in a fighting stance with his sister. Azula clicks her tongue and rolls her eyes at her brother.

"They're the enemy now, Zuzu. Can't protect them forever." Azula laughs, blue fire erupting from her fists.

The blue flurries of fire woosh past you fastly. Katara quickly blocks the fire with her water. Using her octopus arms she slashes and whips at Azula, both going back and forth. The ground beneath the five of you shakes and cracks.

Aang and Zuko are going at it hand to hand. You watch out of the corner of your eye as Zuko takes a hit by Aangs wind, sending him flying back into one of the crystal pillars. Your heart stops, skipping a beat as Zuko groans.

You curse under your breath and run towards him, Aang is calling your name frantically. You slid against the rock surface and get the few rocks that landed on Zuko off. He lets out a huff of air, the weight of the rock off of his chest allowing him to breath.

He's quick to sit up, using his hands, he does a walk over away from you. Your heart felt like it was stabbed, watching as he gets in a protective stance. He knows you'd never hurt him on purpose, and he'd never hurt you.

"Why are you doing this, Zuko? Why are you so desperate to gain your honor back?" Your voice is meek, tears gathering at your waterline, blurring his figure.

"You know why I have to, Y/n. This is my chance to prove to my father I am worthy."

Zukos heart physically aches, seeing your tears making him question everything. He never wanted to hurt you, never wanted to put strain on your relationship. You're his everything, you've been with him since the beginning along with Iroh. Loving him even when he didn't love himself.

"But Zuko, when you get home and see your father, will he even except you? What if he hurts you again, or what if he tries to kill you?" You plead, knowing this isn't him. He's just confused and fighting himself.

Zuko stays quiet, thinking over your words carefully. You have a point. His father could easily do all of those things, Azula to. Does he really want to go through with this? Having Uncle imprisoned, possibly you too?

He closes his eyes tightly, fists clenched at his side. He lets out a long breath, salty tears slide down his cheeks as he looks back up at you again.

"He won't. I'm sorry Y/n. You can't change my mind. I'm going home." He lifts his fists back into a defensive stance, hands trembling.

"Please...Please forgive me."

You let out a strangled sob at his words, heart clenching and shattering. Zuko grits his teeth, holding back his own cries.

"Get out of here, before Azula realizes I haven't killed you." Without realizing it, Zuko was beside you. Taking you into his arms, he holds you as close as he can. His lips pressing multiple kisses to your head. His nose buried in your hair, taking in your shampoo scent one last time.

"Does this mean you don't love me anymore? Since you're leaving?" You asked, face hidden in his neck, tears hitting his skin like rain. Zuko squeezes you softly, kissing the apples of your cheeks.

"That not what I meant, Y/n. And you know it." He pulls away from you, taking a few steps back to create distance.

Water then wraps around his waist sending him flying. You scream his name as Katara takes you in her arms. You sob holding onto Katara as she sees you down.

"It'll be alright, Y/n. I promise." She hugs you tightly, the sound of wind echos in the cave as Aang enters the avatar state. Suddenly lighting cracks, blue electricity shoots towards Aang. Shooting into his back like a spear.

"AANG!" You and Katara race towards him, watching as he falls, his body is lifeless. Katara catches him, tears falling from her eyes. You use your bending to keep the three of you protected as Katara holds Aang and bends up the waterfall.

Zuko watches as the love of his life disappears. He lets out a sob, his fist pounding the ground.

He's sorry. So, so sorry. He never wanted to hurt you, cause you this much pain. Yet he has, and he might never, ever be able to fix it.

He hopes you're safe, and he'll come and find you when the time is right before it's to late.

[hazashiovo]

korra (legend of korra) x reader angst to fluff 🙏🏻

I gotchuuu 😉👍

Korra x reader

+slight Kuvira x reader cause I have a huge brain rot for her🥲

Angst to fluff,mentions of trauma,long fic because it has plot in it.

Korra has been...distant.

Ever since Zaheer and the red lotus poisoned her and forced her to fight in the avatar state she's been different,to you and to her family.

She doesn't eat,when she sleeps she has nightmares, she doesn't talk to you...and it's worrying you so much,your heart aches each time she sends you away with her deafening silence.

You try talking to her about Asami's accomplishment or Mako's new job,even how Bolin made a name for himself.

But each time she'd have that empty look in her eyes,as she sits in that wheelchair she despises so much.

Sometimes you wish you could read her mind,chase away the memories that are tormenting her.

"Please Korra,I'm begging you,try...for me,just...I know you can do it." You sit on your knees,hands on her knees. Eyes looking at her pleading.

"I'm not who I used to be, (Name). Stop trying to save me." She turns her head away, avoiding your pleading eyes.

"That's not true,and you know it!" You cup her cheek, bringing her face closer to yours,yet your eyes hardly connect with each other.

She grabbed your wrist, pulling it away from her face."I don't need you and your pity, so find someone else to nag and leave me alone already!" Korra snaps,anger running trough her body.

Your eyes whiden in shock and you feel like she squeezed your heart with her harsh words.

"Do you even love me?" You bite your lip, waiting for an answer you know you won't get.

You avert your eyes from her face. Disappointed with her lack of will to be with you.

"That's what I taught." You get up and turn around ready to leave. Ready for a new start away from here,from Korra.

"(Name) i-" she wants to get up,run after you ,hug you and tell you she loves you more than herself. But she can't even gather her words properly.

You stop for a second , wishing to hear those words,only fooling yourself further.

.

.

With time Korra started getting more ambitious. She wanted to return to the person everyone knew her as. The avatar.

Her wish to prove to you that she can do better was growing by the day. Even so,the last time you spoke to here was the day you left, a day she still regrets even now.

Sometimes she would just feel like giving up,but you reminded her who she was doing this for,giving her the will to fight.

It's been a year since you've left the south pole. Being there with the shell of your lover was too much for you to handle.

Since you returned to Republic city you've been reunited with Bolin, helping Kuvira restore order to the earth kingdom.

It really took your mind off Korra. Now that you joined Kuvira, you got stronger. Unlike someone,you didn't let your trauma and past tragedies hunt you anymore.

"Well done (Name), you're getting stronger by the day." The dark haired woman smiles, hand laying on your shoulder proudly.

You wipe some sweat of your forehead, smiling back at her. "That's the goal I'm reaching for." She nods, looking at your form.

"I remember the first time Bolin introduced you to me and my cause." She wraps some bandages on her wrist, preparing to spar with you, "You were so lost." You watch her moves carefully, getting in a fighting stance.

"Im not the person I used to be." You speak,words giving you a sense of deja Vu.

Kuvira lounges , throwing some big stones at you. You grin, dodging them.

Once you find your opening,you make some ice disks and throw them at her.

Kuvira bends herself an earth wall,then throws it at you.

You make yourself a wave of water,going around Kuvira's wall, your water wave is circling the older woman. Once water is all around her ,you let it fall,and freeze, traping her in ice.

You move towards Kuvira's frozen body. "You cold in there?" A smug smile adorns your face as you slightly bend down to meet with her face. Your hands lazily lay on your knees.

She smirks,your metal collar suddenly pulled towards her. "Don't get to cocky now. It's just the first time you finally got to beat me. Let's try it with metal bending next time hm?"

You roll your eyes, releasing Kuvira from the Ice cage that kept her down. "I'm confident in myself,but not that confident yet." arms crossed as she rubbed some sore spots on her cold hands.

"Can't you have some faith in yourself?Keep going like this and you won't be far from becoming my second in charge." She smiles.

You smile proudly, happy you can finally accomplish something more for yourself.

.

.

Another year passed,with you growing stronger and smarter every day,but the taught of your former lover never ceased to fade. Even now ,her return growing closer by the day. You wonder how she's doing, from what Tenzin has told you,she's having a great recovery.so far. Finally able to walk again.

You worked hard to become Kuvira's right hand,and you're now closer to your goal than ever.

So many cities you helped bring back order and balance , so many lives you saved while being part of this cause.

Unfortunately, Kuvira soon has to step down from her spot,the council finding a new king for the earth kingdom while your boss brought peace wherever she went.

.

"Oh and Flying monkeys!" You blink, looking at Bolin. "Isn't that what Avatar Aang had ?" You raise a brow,not remembering how this conversation even started. "That is so incorrect." Bolin crosses his arms. Looking ready to give you a lecture. "Avatar Aang had a flying Lemur AND a bison as his animal companions. Not a flying monkey, (name)." You roll your eyes. "Whatever you say rock brain." You smirk noticing his anoyed expression. "Hey! How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?" He pokes you in the waist,making you joilt up. "Stop that!" You glare at him,poking him back.

The two of you go on like this for a little while, attracting a few stares to yourself.

Until someone clears their troath.

"Am I interrupting something?" Lin stands towering over you and Bolin, giving you a bored look. "Chief Beifong!" Bolin is quick to bow down, dragging you with him.

"You little-" you stop yourself, locking eyes with the police chief, now giving her an awkward smile.

"If the two of you are done acting like monkeys,could you follow me?" You and Bolin now stand straight, noticing Lin's mood is lower than usual.

"I can't stay for chit chatting,maybe (Name) could solve this? I remembered I was supposed to meet with mako,like 30 minutes ago." The brunette boy gives you a sorry smile as you glare at him. "How convenient." Your comment followed by narrowed eyes,sent chills down his spine. Bolin took a quick look at chief Beifong,then left.

"Good. I wanted to speak to you anyways." You raise a brow curiously at the older woman's words. "You did?I mean ,you do?" She nods,not saying another word until you get to a remote Cafe.

The two of you sit down in a corner, quite remote from the rest of the people in the public space.

"So ,what did you want to speak to me about Chief?" You start, looking at the window.

"It's about Kuvira." Your face turns to Lin as she got your interest.

"What about Kuvira?" You tilt your head.

"I'm worried she won't step down and allow the prince to rule the earth kingdom." Lin stops,as a waitress brought the two of you two cups of tea,"Kuvira seems to take great pride in what she accomplished,but I don't think she's willing to stop there. People of earth empire call her The Great Uniter." The chief looks at her mug, waiting for you to respond.

You fiddle with your fingers, searching for the right words to describe Kuvira's wishes. "She has done so much for the earth kingdom,and she's a strong woman,in combat and in mind,the name fits her ,if km honest."

You stop to drink a little from your (chosen) tea, "And I know it's not my place to talk but...ever since Korra is gone,the people see Kuvira as their savior."

Lin sighs, "Kuvira is forcing people to do labor work for her , threatening them with their lives." You whiden your eyes at the words spoken from her.

"I know how she can be..harsh,.but she wouldn't do such a thing." Your gaze moves to the window.

"She is manipulating you (Name), because she knows how strong you are. Should I also remind you how you used to date the avatar?." You close your eyes tightly, trying to push away the taughts of Korra. "Why do you think she chose to have you so close to her? If Korra ever becomes a problem for her,she'll have you as leverage." Lin's fist tightens, looking at your expression.

"It's not true. If you saw the way she acts...you wouldn't say that.Kuvira wouldn't just use me like that." She sighs at your way of defending Kuvira. How could you defend such a woman?

"Everything Kuvira does is for a reason,keep that in mind (Name)." Lin gets up and leaves some money on the table.

You remain there , trying to piece together your racing taughts.

.

And just like Lin said,once it was time for Kuvira to back down and allow the prince to rise,she made the announcement that from then on the earth kingdom would be under her rule.

The rule of The Great Uniter.

This got you contemplating ever joining her,it doesn't feel right with you.

Bolin chose to stick around,but you wanted to leave. Being in a situation like this was too much for you.

"So you planned to just abandon me?" The person you didn't want to see the most right now was behind you, leaning on your door frame.

"This isn't right,Kuvira." You stated, covering your arms as you turn to see her.

"This is exactly what's right for the earth kingdom. I can't let that spoiled Prince destroy everything we accomplished." She pushed herself of the door way, moving closer to you.

"It doesn't feel right,I can't fight for something that doesn't feel right with me." Kuvira sighs. She places a hand on your shoulder. "I know what I'm doing,but I can't do it without you by my side. We accomplished so many great things together." She starts slowly guiding you towards a window. "Just look at how much good we did" her hands point at the window. "The land is safe again, raiders are not attacking innocent people or stealing. What more could you ask?" you look at one of the cities she got back and supplied,it looks at peace. What if she was right?

You bite your lip, "What happens with the people after we leave?" Her eyes meet yours,

"We give them a job, something to do to make the earth kingdom a better place,even the raiders."

Even if your gut tells you not to trust her,your mind reminds you of the great things she did so far. Kuvira never left you down.

"Are you telling the truth to me?"

She smiles, holding eye contact with you.

"Why would I lie?"

.

.

This is getting out of hand, Kuvira wants to attack Zaofu, Suyin's home simply for not obeying her terms.

"Kuvira this is madness,you can't do this!" You enter the command center ,she dismisses the people that were in the room, leaving you two alone.

"No. It's necessary for me to do this. Once Zaofu finally surrenders to me I get total control of the earth empire."

You scoff at her words.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Pacing around the room,you can't help but glance at her troops just outside.

"I thought you were with me on this, remember everything we fight for." Her armor slightly clangs as she walks towards you.

"I fight to make this world a better place,you fight to take control and rule and empire, excuse me but there's a difference." You move away from her,scoffing at the taught of helping her bring Zaofu down.

Kuvira glares at the back of your head.

"I'm doing this because no one else was willing to. And I have to make some tough choices that many wouldn't,why can't you see?" The tall woman runs a hand trough her hair, trying to calm herself down.

Now it all makes sense,Lin was right and you were stupid for doubting her.

"I'm leaving and you can't stop me. Not this time." She sighs, once you start moving towards the door, two of her metal bands parts push you to the wall,hands stuck above your head.

"Let me go."you glare at her trying to get away from her metal.

"I expected better from you." She shakes her head disappointed. You look around the room, trying to find a water source, yet nothing in sight.or reach

"Lock her up tight. Make sure she gets no visitors." Kuvira calls for two of her guards.as they take you away,you see the shrinking image of Kuvira's disappointed face.

.

.

.

You watch as Korra fights with Kuvira for your life,and Suyin's.

She got so much better,but there's still something wrong with her you just know it.

Kuvira seems to have the upper hand,until Korra knocks her down. She was so close,but she hesitates suddenly, giving Kuvira the opportunity to trap Korra.

"No!" You scream,Kuvira turns her head to look at you,a smile adorning her face. Looking around desperately,you see a little source of water, hopefully close enough to you.

You move your hands that are tied behind your back to use the water,creating a razor form to slice trough Kuvira's metal.

You take off running, attacking Kuvira with spikes of ice.

The metal bender pushes herself away from Korra , creating a shield for herself.

Kuvira Is pissed,how could you escape? Are her soldiers good for nothing at all? More importantly,what are you going to do?

You create a big ice shield that goes all around to fit you and Korra trough,finally getting to touch her after so long.

"Korra please get up!" You cradle her head in your arms as her upper body lays on your thighs (Kuvira is jelly~~) she opens her eyes,bright blue eyes you would lose yourself in.

"I came back for you." She smiles touching your face lightly,fearing you might be another one of her illusions. Your eyes whiden, smiling at her words

"I shouldn't have left you in the first place." A tear falls on her face (imagine Kuvira trying to break the ice while those two have their moment ☠️)

"I didn't mean anything I said that day,I'm so sorry,I didn't mean to send you away." Korra gets up,now on her knees ,face to face with you. Her hands cup your face, staring at you lovingly." I Love you." Hearing those words,you jump on Korra,giving her a big hug.

You sniff, smiling at her. "We should really focus on getting out of this situation now." Your voice cracks as you joke.

Korra stands up,ready to fight once more, her will stronger than ever.

.

.

.

I originally wanted to write something else,but this plot came so I just rolled with it. ┐⁠(⁠ ⁠˘⁠_⁠˘⁠)⁠┌

[addictedball]

OK! Now it’s suffering time!

Imagine Aang and Zuko slowly getting to know each other at the Western Air Temple and then naturally develop a relationship so pure and romantic that grows just like them.

But life happens, they have to heal the world that was marred by the war, they search for Zukos’s mother, they have to move forward and build families.

Then they have to make choices and maybe one of them is drifting apart or hide their love. In TLOK we get to see that Aang wasn’t the perfect father. Maybe some of his travels to the Fire Nation have something to do with it.

Ohh a forbidden love 💔

[heartilywrites]

korra x air bender!reader pleasee, maybe as tenzin’s eldest daughter??

this one was definitely a challenge, but i got it figured. i got SO immersed in this story that i think it's best to do two parts to cover everything. let's go part one!!!

♡ — To be loved and to be in love ; Korra (p. 1)

to part 2 >

resume: where a love story goes all the way back to the playground.

content warning: fluff ; angst ; mentions of Mako and Korra's relationship ; airbender and fem!reader being Tenzin's older daughter ; Korra and reader being the most oblivious people ; childhood friends to lovers ; no use of y/n ;

wc: 2.7k

a/n: I know it's not specified how long Lin and Tenzin took to break up but since I made the reader a year younger than Korra let's say it was reaaaally long before she was born, yeah?

To be just friends, you're too beautiful. To just stay as friends, I know I'll regret this.

A breathe in to feel how the light fill your body entirely from your crown chakra to your earth one and a breathe out to let all the bad energies out of your body, feeling how the relaxation started to reign on every inch of your being, how you started to drif—

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “MEELO, STOP! MOOOOM!” ah, yes, of course, you forgot about that.

You sighed exhausted, in front of you, Korra laughed a little bit opening one eye to see you. “Very relaxing, huh?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Tell me about it.” instead of trying again to meditate, you stretched your arms upwards. “Any luck this time?”

Korra shook her head, disappointed. “I lost the connection forever.” you grimaced a bit before taking her hand and leave caresses.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You'll be okay, you still have your friends to guide you. You have me.” a peaceful smile painted your face, she blushed a little bit while reciprocating the gesture.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “And I have two airbending masters.” she poked your side making you laugh a little bit.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “One, I don’t have my tattoos yet.” you said, standing up from the floor. “Let's go, I think they're waiting for you.”

You helped the southerner to stand up, the hand she took felt warm making your heart skipped a beat.

Korra and you knew each other since almost diapers; one year after her, you were born. Tenzin couldn’t be more happy when he found out how close on age you two were, he made his mission for you two to be close almost as family, the airbender trusted you would help Korra with the air part of her training. He would take you with him to the Southern Water Tribe to visit her, there were weekends were he would let you stay with your grandmother to have more play time with Korra. And it worked, Korra was your first friend and you were hers, she would tell you everything just as you to her. You got a secret handshake, a secret place to hide when you two wanted to be alone, always being one beside the other in everything you could, you showed Korra some tricks with air as she did with water, earth and fire.

But just as families drift apart, once you got older and learned about more deep and complicated feelings, you realize how you saw Korra as something more than a friend. You found yourself wondering how would it feel to walk with her by the hand like the couples you've seen in the city, what would it be like to introduce her as your girlfriend, how her lips would taste like... And so you decided to step away from her a little bit. You only went to the south with your father or at important occasions or send her a couple of letter every other week. It wasn't that you didn't want to be with her anymore, it was just that she felt unreachable to you and you were so sure if at some point you said how you felt to her she would turn you down by saying how she sees you as a younger sister, because that was how she referred to you all those years. Her younger sister.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “How come Jinora can go with you but we don't!?” you heard Ikki claim to her dad and a big smile showed on your face.

Your eyes wandered to your friend, feeling a punch in your gut when you saw her with Mako.

You knew something was going on between them after she arrived to the air temple island and escaped to see probending. She would come to your room to talk about a gorgeous boy who was in a probending group as the firebender, three nights after she would talk to you about how he was in a relationship with another girl who she didn't liked and the day after how Pema gave her the idea to confess. That was pretty much enough for you to start your journey to another temples, you brought up the idea to Tenzin masking it up as your opportunity to visit those places by yourself as part of your spiritual journey and even though at first try he stood by his negative answer, when he saw how desperate you were to get out of the island he let you go. It was safe to say you didn't know if Mako and her were still together or not since when you came back she never mentioned a thing, everyone was so busy about the new emergence of airbenders and you were trying to help Korra see if she could reconnect with her past lives, clearly without any success.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You coming?” Korra asked your way, making you change your face to a more neutral expression.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'm not, sorry.” you answered, hugging yourself. “I'll be at the northern temple waiting for you, there are thing to take care of there before the other benders arrived. Jinora will go, though, so you have two airbender masters in the ship.”

Your sister smiled big at her recognition. Korra, on the other hand, had a indescribable grimace. She wanted you around, she already was away from you for months and now that you came back to her, she didn't want to lose you from her sight again.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Are... you sure? We could go met Ba Sing Se, remember how we said we should go together?” she stepped closer, you were so close to give up and go, but the sight of Mako stepping in the ship made your heart drop, you smiled through the discomfort, you didn't want to see them go all lovey-dovey in your face.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'm sure, we'll explore Ba Sing Se together when all this is over.” you assured stepping to give her a hug. “Take care, I'll see you in some days.”

After they left you stood one more moment in your place, Ikki walked to you and stood by your side. “You should've kiss her for good luck.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Okay, that's all.” you said while turning around over your heels to walk back inside.

A couple hours after they left, you took your own journey to the north. A goodbye was said to your mother, siblings and aunt while loading some food to your flying bison and your thoughts were your only companion all that time.

At the beginning it was all good, thinking the activities you needed to do, hoping on all sacred there were enough acolytes to help you and time spare, but once the sun started to set you found yourself thinking about Korra. About those times were you two stopped playing to see the sunset on the water tribe, talking about what you two would do once she was able to live the compound to the city. You would tell her about festivals with so many games and lights that you loved and you were sure she would love too or maybe about how the city lights look so beautiful at night, specially the bridge, how it looked warmer than the water tribe's lights.

How stupid, you thought, you needed to start to move on from her, there was no use in staying stuck in that infatuation if it wasn’t reciprocated.

Once you landed at the temple, it was time for you to get your head in the plans for the newcomers.

The next days felt as if you were in autopilot, helping your dad at everything you could, training the new benders by groups and seeing some other things for the future. The day that Zaheer went to the temple, Meelo and you were instructed to stay by the radio for news as Tenzin was told there could be a new airbender coming and he wanted to be informed once they were near.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Did you know we found a whole herd full of baby bison?” you heard your brother said, at the distance while you were walking slowly to the radio room with a big bowl of fruit for the two of you, but obviously you were taking pieces of fruit for yourself.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “No, a whole herd!? really– agh!” you laugh listening how they took Bolin out of the radio. “Meelo, this is your commander officer, go get your dad now!” the avatar's tone made you shiver a bit and stopping on your steps.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Yes, sir!” his feet sounded on the ground, you tried to stopped him to ask, but he was fast to continue. “Not now, woman! I am a man on a mission!”

A frown settled into your face, you were quick to run to the radio leaving the bowl down. “Korra, what's going on!?”

She said your name with such a relief, like she waited for decades to hear you voice. “Listen to me! Zaheer is on his way to the temple, he's going for all the airbenders, you have to get everyone out of there immediately! Drop everything and leave!”

The sound of an airship made you turn around, Tenzin just got by your side, your face fell when you saw the green ship. Korra demanded to hear what was happening when the airbender complained. “It's too late, Korra... He's here.” your voice said trembling.

The avatar couldn't admit it in a loud voice, but at the vague thought of losing you over the Red Lotus would definitely be her last straw. Even though you didn't thought she would, Korra noticed how you where slipping away from her and she grieved that deeply. She was so convinced you were going to be in her life all the time, she had pictured you two growing old in the city or in the air temple island, there was no way she could live without you.

It was at some point when she arrived from the south and was almost every hour of the day by your side that she stopped to think about the way she felt about you, it was... It definitely couldn't be friendship if she felt for you the same way she did with Mako, right? But even before she could figure out and tell you about it you were gone to the temples leaving her confuse and convincing herself that maybe it was a sign to try things with the firebender.

The fights for freedom on the temple pass for you as if it was on fast foward, you tried to help as much as you could, but mainly you tried to keep Rohan and your mother safe as she carried the younger of all. And to everyone's bad luck, the Lotus got every airbender and the last avatar's children.

Sitting beside you there was your sister spiritually projecting to look for a way out, at her words she saw how it was up to everyone there to leave when Ikki mentioned Korra.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “What did you really saw?” you whispered to her, she turned to look at you with worry shining in her eyes.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Korra, they're trying to end the avatar cycle.” she answered after some silence, you felt her hands look for yours when your gaze looked away.

When the youngers came with a plan to escape and executed it, the rest of Korra's team, her dad and the Beifongs appeared through, literally, a wall. You were so relieved to see them, once they got you untied you went to Tonraq. He calmed a little bit to see you well, the chief knew how important you were for his daughter, and he had come to appreciate you like part of his family too.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Let me help you get Korra out of there.” you asked him, the man shook his head without any doubt.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “We got this, you should go help your dad, we'll get Korra out of here.” he assured, patting you on your shoulder before leaving with the brothers.

You helped your aunt to walk out of the prision they set the nomads, minutes after the waterbender ran outside saying how his daughter needed help.

Looking up you catch Korra impulsing herself with fire, attacking however she could and you felt your heart in your throat. Jinora had come with a plan to help her and you could just only wish it worked; seeing her fall without any support made you jump a little bit, not worrying about how Zaheer hit the floor in his stomach.

Your feet ran to her after Tonraq arrived and kneeled not so far to see her. Breaking in cold sweat, she was fighting for her life and the avatar cycle, you teary-eyed to the point you could only deference the girl by her silhouette and when she closed her eyes you couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You can help her,” you heard Jinora at your back. “The venom is metallic.” your head turned to look to your sister and then Su who rushed to the southerner.

You stood up to leave the metalbender work, walking to Jinora. She hugged you by the waist and you could only rest an arm in her shoulders while watching how it went down.

The sound of Korra taking a deep breath in and seeing the grey liquid come out of her mouth made you let go the breathe you didn’t know you were holding, Jinora's arms tighten in her hug so you hugged her back the same way, now letting happy tears go.

The next days, you promised to stay at the air temple island. After almost losing Korra forever, you attached to her however you could. She was grateful for that, she felt as if she could breath again with you by her side, but she was so tired and weak that couldn’t say it to you.

With help, a second bed was moved to the room the avatar was staying at. You could help her eat by bringing each meal to her, brushed her hair every night, tried to lift her up by reminding the shared memories back when she was still at the south. She didn't sleep much and you stayed awake by her side the times needed, when she wanted to have someone by her side but wouldn't say it to you out loud, you knew her enough to understand what she needed most of the times and the hours she could catch of sleep weren't much as she woke up after screaming as a nightmare took her peace time.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's okay, you're safe, you're okay.” you usually said waking up with her, quickly going to her side and hugging her. She snuggled to you, looking for shelter. “I'm here, you're okay.”

After two weeks from the events, Jinora had her ceremony naming her airbender master finally and you couldn't be more proud of your little sister, she deserved it.

You helped Korra get ready for the ceremony while humming a melody in low voice.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “A look an avatar deserve, you look gorgeous as always.” you said showing her reflection, Korra smiled however she could. You kneeled to her side, making her follow you with her eyes. “No one expects you to be recovered right now, it's more than fine to take your time healing.”

The blue orbs were teary-eyed at your words, her hand looked for yours.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You can count that I'll be here by your side to celebrate when you're back on your feet to kick asses like before.” your hand gave hers a light squeeze before leaving a short kiss in her knuckles.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I appreciate you.” she said hoarsely out of nowhere, you gave her a fondly smile. “So much, I don't know what I would do without you.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I appreciate you too, Korra.” your hand left hers to cup a side of her face. “You'll always have me, you can't free yourself so easily.” your smile just got bigger. “We'll talk more later, let's go, they're waiting for us.”

Later, Korra thought, she knew that later her family and her would be on a boat to the Southern Water Tribe and you'll have to stay there with your family since you had a duty to fulfill, you weren't going to see her as much as you did so far. And with what the future hold for you both was just prove how strong your love could go.

[awakefor48hours]

Fun fact about the Avatar universe that I don’t see touched on often: Fire Lord Sozin made gay marriage illegal, meaning that gay marriage was illegal all throughout the original ATLA story

Source: The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars part 1

[nerdycanible1]

Heyo! Anyone want some Lin Fanart? :D

Here you go!

I'd like to think this is right after Suyin hurt her and Lin may or may be blinded 👀💧

I'm not exactly good with expressions but I wanted to show Lin in both pain but also the anger and hate in her eyes.

All art belongs to me. If reposted plz credit!

Accidentally written a little one shot that's horrible. I meant to take a nap but just sat in my living room typing this and munching on food!

Enjoy- tho I doubt it'll be good 💀

Suyin would undoubtedly be upset she hurt her sister, but wouldn't be prepared to see this expression. An expression she's never seen on Lin before and is possibly ingrained in her mind forever.

Suyin would go to help Lin but Lin would refuse to let Suyin any closer and literally build a wall preventing Suyin from getting close.

Toph shows up and asking what happened, comforts Suyin upon feeling the little ones erratic heart beating all before Suyin tells her mother she's sorry and that Lin's hurt.

Toph goes to see what happens and all she hears is Lin barking at the healer to just do what they can and a slam of a door closing. Toph could sense something is wrong with Lin and can tell she'd faint at any moment if she don't step in only for Lin to hold her hand up at her mother and tells her, "Not now."

Before Toph could say anything Lin tosses her metal coils down on the ground and telling Toph that they'd need to be upgraded and that it's best for everyone in the facility to get them reworked.

Lin's face begins to swell up, the blood is trickling onto the ground and the healer helplessly following Lin around as she's barking orders but is starting to sway and almost faint.

Toph ends up freezing Lin in her place with her metal armor just to help the poor healer out and demands Lin to tell her what happened.

Lin straining too much and only just begins to fall to her knees as she can't fight against her mother in the state she's in, her heart aches, her face feels in agony and she feels ready to fall asleep.

The next thing she knows, she wakes up in a dimly lit room. She could smell the incense and the sandal wood and the light smell of spring in the air. She could hear yelling down the hallway between her aunt and mother, Suyin screaming that it was Lin's fault and of course the numbing pain on Lin's face.

She knew what happened and knew how bad the wound was. She didn't need a healer to tell her how bad the wound was because she felt it, could already sense her other senses strengthening.

With a sigh the metalbender slowly turned her head which made the blood in her head pump and practically caused her brain to ache as she tried to look out the window.

It took too long for Lin to focus and could see the sun had set a bit ago. She'd sit up and leave if she could but just the thought of it hurt Lin's head and she didn't want to go through that pain.

"We don't arrest family!!"

"And look what happened! Agni Toph, Lin got hurt and Suyin's in shambles! I'm not asking you to arrest Suyin I'm just asking you to help her. Ground her! She needs a mother Toph, not an absent one!"

"If I need any advice from you I'd ask! It's just a scratch, Beifong's don't get hurt!-"

"Mom?-"

"-And what do you know about raising kids Sugar Queen? Your two oldest couldn't wait to leave you and where are they now?!"

"-Aunt Katara?-"

"-That's not fair and you know it! They're grown up! Let them do as they and ex- you know what? Forget it! Since you're blind to see what's in front of you I'll tell you! Lin hates you and you don't know why! You're so concerned about your job, about your name, about your position, about metalbending that you forgot what's important!"

"And what's so important huh?!"

"That Lin is important too!"

The silence is what stung Lin the most. Maybe it was the hesitance or maybe the fact that her mother took a whole 10 seconds to finally respond. It was enough for Lin to realize her mother never saw Lin on any level of importance in a very long time.

"So what. She's a big girl, she doesn't need me. She didn't need me when she started tying her shoes, she don't need me now."

Lin sighed felt tears prickle in her eye before quietly crawling out of bed and out the window. She made her way down to the beach and sat down mauling over her aunt and mother's words.

Maybe her mother was right. Maybe Lin was the first to start pushing everyone away. Maybe she forgot what family was. It would make sense why her mother and younger sister were close and how she wasn't. Maybe Lin stopped being apart of the family once she realized she was nowhere near the same as them. When she was the one ruining their fun and becoming a "party pooper."

And even if that was true, even if it were very much apparent, it didn't hurt any less. People used to tell her how much her mother and her were alike. Nicknaming her Little Toph or Tiny Beifong. That she was going to be just like her mother and become a great metalbender.

She thought that since she looked like her mother, became an officer like her mother, bent the same stones as her mother, that she and her would share a bond. A bond that no one would understand but them.

It hurt her once Suyin was born, it was like Toph and her clicked right away and suddenly Lin wasn't Little Toph anymore. She became Miss cranky pants or miss you're-not-Suyin's-mom. She was no longer little Chief but an annoyance to her and her mother. A nag that ruined the fun.

The more people saw Suyin and Toph together the more they said Suyin was exactly like her. Rough, abrasive, strong, stubborn and a powerful metalbender.

A metalbender. Lin just realized why her mother favored Suyin over her. It was because Suyin was a great metalbender. Maybe that's why she loved Suyin more than her.

Lin ran her fingers through the coarse sand and stared up at the moon. Was she always this different? Was she ever in the spotlight to begin with? Lin didn't know but she knew she'd have to accept that she'll never be good enough. Even as she thought these things, Toph was probably taking care of Suyin because she was upset.

Maybe one day Lin would be a true Beifong and everything will be fixed. One day where she was just liked her mother and sister and they could be happy. One day where she didn't become a buzz kill.

Maybe one day she'll be a great metalbender that was worth her mother's time. She just hoped it was soon rather than later. She didn't want to be the only one left behind.

[thatonebirdwrites]

Korrasami prompt: Romance

Asami derives the idea of dating Korra after she gives Korra her first driving lesson.

"I never had a girlfriend before," Korra says after they clear the air about Mako. However, Korra strangely follows it up with a quick, 'except Naga.' 

Asami is left pondering what Korra means for several days.

Is Korra saying she is in a romantic relationship with her polar bear dog? Or does she not know the full meaning of the term girlfriend?

Asami assumes the latter. The former is too strange and disturbing for her to dare let lose on her far too vivid imagination.

So Asami endeavors to teach Korra what girlfriend means. Her plan involves first approaching the subject to gather data, next she will implement her 'date Korra' strategy, and finally romance will blossom and grow into a happy ending. It is surely a fool-proof plan.

She tries approaching the subject subtlety, by asking if Korra enjoys going out on the town. (She does.) If Korra enjoys flowers (if there's food involved). What Korra is looking for in a romantic partner (someone badass who can keep up with her).

Asami hopes this gives Korra a clue she's interested.

It doesn't. Korra instead calls them delightful chats with a friend.

It's a trifle frustrating.

She decides perhaps gifting Korra something magnificent will help. Since her first airship, that she designed herself, was completed by the time airbenders started appearing, Asami decides this is the moment of truth.

Korra is elated. Then calls her the bestest friend one could have.

Asami is a trifle discouraged, but she is if anything relentless when she sets her sights on a goal.

Her next attempt involves offering Korra dinner in Omashu. Surely a candlelight dinner at a noodle restaurant will do the trick?

Korra tells the brothers, and they crash the attempted date. Her only solace is Korra sitting next to her, their legs practically touching. Asami does her best to make Mako as uncomfortable as possible. (She still hasn't forgiven him for refusing to tell Korra he broke up with her when Korra had partial amnesia. Nor for leading Asami and Korra on during that time. Plus making him squirm amuses her.)

Perhaps the right combination of flowers, noodles, and tickets to a musical in Zaofu would work as a clue?

Instead, Korra calls that a girl's night out and drags Opal and Jinora along, which Asami doesn't mind, but it defeats her plan of a romantic night that hopefully ends with a kiss.

Her next tactic involves borrowing a jeep in Zaofu to go for a picnic in the mountains.

That somehow ends with Korra challenging her to a sparring match, of which Asami wins.

Honestly, why she doesn't kiss Korra the moment she pins her to the grass leaves Asami frustrated with herself. Surely that would clue Korra into her attempts at romance? (Her nervousness at the possibility of a kiss ruining the fun she's having with Korra is what stops her.)

All of this is before Zaheer. Before the poisoning.

Before Asami fights her way to the airbenders, before she picks the locks on their chains, before Asami is tempted to zap Zaheer's head to shut him up, before Asami panics over whether Korra will live or not.

Taking care of Korra is the role Asami assigns herself. She insists on it.

Tonraq takes her aside on the airship to Zaofu. "Are you sure, Asami?" He looks concerned.

Asami nods. "I am sure. I will stay at her side as long as she has me."

Tonraq smiles at her and grasps her shoulder. "I'm glad she has you."

Asami considers this a sad victory. She has won the approval of Korra's father, even if Korra herself doesn't view her in a romantic way.

So Asami tirelessly and selflessly stays at Korra's side those few weeks in Zaofu and Air Temple Island. She helps Korra bathe and dress. Brushes and does her hair. Helps her into the wheelchair. Takes her outside to breathe fresh air at times. Reads books out loud to her to help her fall asleep. Tucks her in at night. (She is tempted to kiss Korra's temple each time. One night she gives in and does so.)

In the end, Korra decides to head South to see Katara.

Asami doesn't think twice. She offers to relocate South with Korra and aid in her recovery. She doesn't say the truth out loud to Korra -- that doing so would mean giving up everything she has in Republic City if Korra's stay in the South turns out to be more long-term, but Asami doesn't care.

Korra is what matters to her far more than anything else. That is when she realizes that she is hopelessly in love.

"No," Korra says that day at the docks, "I appreciate it, but I'll only be gone a couple of weeks. A little alone time will likely be good for me." Korra sounds dejected. Her entire frame droops forward, and she stares at her motionless feet. Asami squeezes her shoulders and accepts Korra's words.

The rejection stings, but Asami does her best to stay supportive. Korra is in pain. She's depressed. Likely doesn't know what to do with that request.

So Asami endeavors to write Korra often.

At first, she doesn't know quite what to write. Asami chews on the end of her pen and glares at the empty paper in front of her. Obviously, she can't just say, "Korra, I love you ,and I hope you feel my love across the distance, so that you know you're not alone."

That seems presumptuous and possibly too heavy.

Instead, she decides the best way to handle the situation would be to share about her day and how she feels about that.

Her first letter is written a week after Korra left for the South:

Dear Korra,

I never know how to start a letter, so I will jump into exactly how this day is going. At this moment, I sit at my desk within my office at Future Industries. Before me lies a large stack of paperwork that requires my review and signatures. I do not look forward to this. If someone had warned me that being CEO means mountains of paperwork, I might have stolen a plane and flown off into the sunset instead. But alas, I must do my duty and will do my best to survive. Wish me luck!

It is now close to lunchtime, the mountain of paperwork half done, but my break was sadly not at all interesting. I had several meetings this afternoon, except, Korra, have I mentioned how boring older men are? No hint of humor, dry blandness, and sterile suits that look like they bought new that day. Is that how they spend their salaries? What do they do with the old suits? Recycle them? Put them on display in the world's ugliest museum? I must listen and speak with authority, otherwise these egotistical and horribly uncreative duds would refuse to recognize that I am the CEO not them. So I've learned two dozen ways to politely tell them how terrifically awful their ideas for the company truly are.

Have I mentioned that they have no color sense? Who puts blue and orange together on a tie? It looked like a glaring florescent sign like those we saw in Ba Sing Se's Middle and Lower Rings.

After those meetings, I escape to the factories. There I am able to work alongside my employees. Perhaps the best part of the day. I inspect the lines, repair sections that failed to work, and assist newly hired employees with the finer details of construction. Walking and working with my employees like this makes me look more human to them. Like I'm approachable. I don't ever want to be that CEO that lives in some ivory tower and fails to offer their employees living wages and benefits to help them thrive.

Actually, one of workers on the line reminds me of you. She's from the Southern Water Tribe but a nonbender. She was so excited to meet me and had some excellent ideas about engine efficiency. I took her aside and we worked on an engine to test a few of her ideas, and I dare say, they worked! I am giving her a raise, and she's now on one of our engineering teams working to make her designs a reality. I love moments like that.

That actually gives me an idea. Since we are badly in need of sales still to break even, why not help get our name out in a good way? I'm going to set up community forums in the Dragonflats and Water Boroughs to teach engineering to anyone interested for free. Longer courses will be available at a very low price. Way cheaper than the university is my goal, maybe for the price of a noodle bowl once a month? We'll have a repair garage attached to the forums, and students can work with our engineers on repairs to see how it's done. What do you think?

I better close this up else I write you a novel!

Love, Asami

It's the word 'love' that has Asami hesitating on sending it, but in the end, she figures it can't hurt. Maybe if she's more blatant about her feelings Korra will eventually understand that Asami has been trying to date her this whole time. At the very least, the word will hopefully provide a comforting reminder that Korra is indeed loved. Asami desperately hopes Korra understands that truth.

She will gladly remind her with each salutation to her letters.

There is no reply to her initial letter, but this doesn't deter Asami. If anything, it makes her more determined. She decides on a schedule, sets time aside for updating the letter throughout the day, and a time to send it.

She determines that two times a week can suffice at first. If her schedule becomes too intensive with the rebuild Republic City project, then she will downgrade to once a week. She will not stand for less than once a week however.

Months pass, but Korra doesn't reply to her letters. At this point, it becomes a habit. She writes the letters and starts to become more free in what she says. At first, Korra's mother replies with a thank her for the letters, but that stops on month three.

By month seven, Asami wonders if something is wrong with the mail system. Maybe her letters are getting lost? Does she have the right address? She verifies with Tenzin, who offers to call Tonraq. Asami sits in on that call and learns that Korra hasn't written anyone back. In fact, she's closed in on herself.

This worries Asami.

Is there a way she can still help despite Korra's refusal to allow anyone close?

She decides to keep her schedule. It helps ease her own worry to write, and maybe the steadiness of her letters will aid Korra somehow too.

Part of this decision hinges on a conversation she had with Korra on the airship:

---

"Tenzin's schedules got no room for fun!" Korra throws her hands into the air, frustrated.

Asami leans against the balcony railing next to Korra. The wind blows her black hair backward, like a cape. "If you built the schedule, what would it look like?"

Korra looks startled. "Oh. Hmmm, maybe time for Naga, meditation, I guess we ought to do some airbending practice.... Ugh, okay, I'm terrible at them." She smiles, sheepishly. "I lose track of the time and day a lot. Easily get caught up in doing stuff, and then whoops, I failed to go to meditation or whatever."

Asami tilts her head and studies Korra. The sunlight on Korra's skin highlights the gorgeous copper undertones, and a hint of sweat glistens the hairline of Korra's chestnut-colored hair. Her wolftails dance with the touch of the wind. Asami simply cannot get enough of looking at Korra's bulging muscles, the curve of her breasts, or her deliciously muscular thighs.

This is not helpful for Korra. Asami blinks and focuses on Korra's eyes instead. "Did Tenzin start building schedules because of that then?"

Korra sighs. "Probably." Her blue eyes meets Asami's green, and for a moment, Asami's breath hitches in her throat. So unfair how utterly beautiful Korra looks all the time. "How do you manage it?"

Asami can't think the longer she looks into Korra's eyes. Her brain refuses to function. Instead she thinks only of how Korra's lips might taste. She forces herself to look at the mountains below them, while she grips the cold metal of the balcony tighter.

"Being CEO, I have to abide by a schedule, and honestly, I had one my entire life. Even as a child. So I am used to drafting one for each day. I made one for today actually."

"Really? Was our talk part of that?" Korra asks.

Asami blushes. "I always leave space on my schedule for you. I call it the spontaneity with Korra hour."

Korra grins. "Really?"

"Yes." Asami says, firmly. "It's what I call a floating hour. My schedules aren't as strict as Tenzin's. I tend to have one thing that cannot be altered, that item grounds my day, then I build up the tasks that need to be done and set them around that root. I need to be flexible since emergencies can and often do happen."

"Oh, you know, I like that. Having one thing that roots everything else, and float the other stuff around it." Korra taps her chin. "Maybe I can convince Tenzin to adapt to that."

Asami laughs. "Good luck. He seems as stubborn as you."

Korra crosses her arms over her chest. "Stubborn? I'm not stubborn. I'm...." She struggles to find a word, only to sigh and slump against the balcony's railing. "All right, you got me."

The next day, Asami makes it her goal to find a root to help anchor Korra. This becomes more urgent when she listens to Korra complain of her failed attempt to convince Tenzin. Asami takes it upon herself to soften him to the idea, until he gives in and tasks her with making the schedules. (Korra sees the newly pinned schedules as her finally convincing Tenzin, and Asami doesn't have the heart to correct this.)

---

So Asami continues to write weekly to Korra. Perhaps this root will help stabilize things for Korra? She hopes so.

A year passes with no reply. Asami is frustrated, worried, and grieving. She wonders if it was something she said or did. Maybe Korra hates her letters?

On the day of Asami's birth, one year and two months after Korra left, Asami fails to write her weekly letter.

Instead, after work, she buys several bottles of whiskey and drives to the mansion. She parks far from the entrance to avoid being seen my Mako's family. The sun sets to a glaze of red and gold, stars start to shine in the night sky, and Asami glances at it and feels only despair.

She unlocks the workshop that holds the entrances to her father's hateful underground factory, steps inside, and locks the door behind her. The room has not changed since that fateful day she turned on her father. The floor is still ripped up above the trap doors, and the shelves are still full of workshop supplies. She opens the trap doors. The darkness of the factory looms like the maw of a hideous mouth. A suitable mockery of her birthday she supposes. She sits on the steps and drinks the whiskeys, wallowing in grief.

Her company still struggles to make sales. Although the construction projects are going well, the city rarely meets its financial obligation in their contract. This makes it difficult to pay her workers, and she has decides to take only ten percent of her usual salary and bonuses in order to make sure all her workers are paid a living wage no matter what. In turn, she dips deep into her remaining savings to keep up with the taxes on her estate, the upkeep of her satomobile, and the cost of her new penthouse she'd bought three months prior.

For her friends and loved ones, their lives deviate from her own in painful ways. She receives nothing from Korra. Bolin leaves to assist Kuvira. Mako dives headfirst into investigator work, and the Air Nation works hard to help people all over the world.

Asami feels cut off and lost. She drinks an entire bottle of whiskey, and tosses the bottle down the stairs. It clatters against the wall and shatters on the bottom step. She uncaps the next bottle and raises it in a toast.

"To the eternal autumn that is the Sato name! Grief and despair seems to be our fate. May this one day be broken."

She drinks that bottle too and throws it.

It shatters on the third step.

She calls in sick to work to recover from the epic hangover. Asami decides it best to tell no one of this incident.

Two weeks after her birthday, she receives a surprise in the mail. A letter with the postmarking of the Southern Water Tribe.

Hope crashes through her, and she sprints into the residential building, staggers into the elevator, and takes it to her penthouse. She rips open the letter by the time she reaches her door and has to juggle her keys with the letter to unlock. Leaning against the door, Asami unfolds the letter.

Dear Asami,

This is Senna. First, I wanted to express heartfelt thanks for your steadiness and kindness with writing Korra. I know it may be frustrating to not hear from her.

Second, are you all right? We missed your letter this past week, which was unusual. Korra wanted to write and ask if you were okay, but she was unable to put words to paper. I offered to assist, which is why I am writing you today.

I hope this letter finds you well. If you need anything, please feel free to ask myself, Tonraq, or Tenzin. I'm sure we can provide support. Be safe, Asami.

Senna

Tucked inside the letter is a folded origami triangle, which is the start of a crane. Nothing is written on the origami, and Asami isn't sure if Korra folded it or if Senna or Tonraq did. Maybe Katara? She inspects it thoroughly, but she cannot find any clue as to why it was included. Despite this, she carries it with her to work to display on her desk in honor of Korra.

The letter, itself, is a balm to her soul. Her weekly letters did impact Korra. Enough to cause worry.

Asami hates the idea that she causes Korra worry.

She endeavors to repair this immediately and sends a reply that is not at all part of her schedule. (She decides she'll restart her schedule that week, so Korra will end up with two letters for the week.)

Dear Korra, Senna, and Tonraq,

Thank you for your concern. I apologize for causing you worry! I never meant to do so. I am sorry for that. It has been a rough week for me. My birthday was this past week, and it brought sour memories of my father. I am okay now. I suppose the grief of that hits me hard during my or my former parents' birthdays, and I admit, I am unused to seeking assistance or support. So thank you again for checking in on me.

I plan to continue my schedule. I hope it helps to anchor you all. Give you a root on which to build your own days and hopes.

Much love to you all, Asami

Within a week and a half, Asami receives a reply to her spontaneous letter.

Dear Asami,

I understand how hard birthdays can be. I too struggle with grief on the birthday of my late mother. She died when I was a teenager from a lung disease that couldn't be cured. So I understand how hard grief can hit. No need for you to apologize. That is perhaps my message for you. Never apologize for your feelings. Your feelings are valid.

Feel free to write me further if you find it helpful.

Take care, Senna

Asami is so touched by Senna's reply, that she reexamines her schedule. Perhaps writing Senna can be added to it?

She decides to continue her weekly schedule for Korra, but adds another schedule, where she writes Senna twice a month. She is a little worried this is presumptuous of her, but Senna's letters did offer this twice now. So why not?

To Asami's shock, Senna does reply to her letters. She does not mention Korra. She instead describes the landscape of the South (mostly glaciers and mountains, where trees are rare, Asami learns), some of her duties as the wife of the Chief (surprisingly she does a lot of negotiation), and asks questions about Asami's work.

One of Senna's suggestions sends Asami to the Air Nation to check on their needs. This, in turn, causes Asami to build an airbending glider suit, which she leverages Future Industries resources to build. It is a rousing success among the Air Nation, and Jinora demands Asami start visiting more often.

This is why Asami finds herself scheduling time for dinner with Jinora and her family twice a month. The connection warms her heart.

When one year and five months have passed, Asami finds herself frustrated with work. Frustrated at how sales continue to flounder. Frustrated by Raiko being a jerk about her community forums. (He calls them 'useless time wasters when those attending ought to be working.' The gall of the man! Asami decides to open up more forums and builds a few homeless shelters just to spite him.)

More than anything else, Asami finds herself frustrated by Korra's lack of reply, and frustrated with herself for not being able to handle the silence. Korra is likely struggling with so much. Why should Asami expect Korra to have energy to reply to her inane ramblings?

After a particularly hard day at work, Asami returns to the mansion's workshop, opens the trapdoor, and drinks an entire bottle of whiskey. She sings a song she vaguely remembers her mother singing to her. Her father has also sung it whenever they visited her grave, but he stopped when Asami was eleven.

So she sings it to herself as she drinks and tosses crumpled up love letters to Korra into the darkness of the factory entrance.

"Winter, spring, Summer and fall.

Winter, spring, Summer and fall

Four seasons, Four loves.

Four seasons, For love."

Part of Asami is tempted to go down and smash things. Maybe rip apart what is left of the vile factory, wreck destruction in a way she'd never done before, but she can't bring herself to do this.

Asami Sato is an engineer. She fixes things. She doesn't break things.

Instead, she drinks the bottle and tosses it down the steps. It lands far enough away that she can't hear if it shatters or not.

She does not describe this day in her letter to Korra.

By the second year, Asami is lost in depression. Keeping to her schedule has become incredibly hard. She has managed to persevere this long. Surely, she can keep going, right?

She wonders if she loves a ghost.

Will Korra ever return?

By this point, Asami's whiskey drinking on the steps of the underground factory has become a monthly activity. She makes sure she is not seen by Mako's family -- how could she explain it? -- she verifies a radio is playing somewhere, and she locks the workshop door behind her. The trapdoor pulls up easier each time.

She is unsure of how much shattered glass lies at the bottom of these steps nor how many crumpled up love letters. (She's a little afraid to check.)

On the third day of the second year, Asami goes to the workshop for her monthly drinking. She sings sadly to the looming maw of darkness, drinks far too much whiskey, and passes out on the floor of the workshop. When she wakes in the morning, she has a massive hangover. One that leaves her confused as to where she even is.

For a terrifying moment, she's convinced she's been kidnapped. Only for her to hear the sounds of Mako's family shouting nearby about breakfast. That roots her in her reality, and she realizes she fell asleep in the workshop. How embarrassing.

The sink in the workshop doesn't work, which is frustrating. Asami hasn't needed it before, nor has she included the upkeep of this workshop in the duties of her mansion's staff. (She's actually written rules that forbid them from entering this place, and keeps it locked.)

Asami sneaks out to her satomobile. When she reaches her penthouse at the residential building near Future Industries, she is feeling terrible, her head pounds, and she wishes she could be swallowed by the earth.

But she must focus on recovery since she has work the next day. It will be a big day. Several of the road projects will be completed, and she must do a press conference with that hideous Raiko. (Asami hates press conferences with Raiko. He insists on shaking her hand and putting his hand at the small of her back for a photo every time. He is lucky to not get punched after.)

Asami then discovers a surprise in her mailbox. A white and blue letter leans against the side of the box. It has a Southern Water Tribe postmark.

Except the handwriting doesn't match Senna's.

Asami is far too hungover to process the script on the letter's envelope. She thinks perhaps she is delusional.

She decides to leave it on her kitchen counter and shower instead. (Hot water is excellent for distilling thoughts into coherent ideas.)

When she returns to the kitchen, her hair wrapped in a towel, she notes how the letter continues to take up counter space. The print writing is still not Senna's handwriting. Asami doesn't know what Tonraq's handwriting is like. She decides it must be his. Though why he would write her is not something her hungover-addled brain can fathom.

She decides to make breakfast first and drink as much water as she can stomach. After she eats her oatmeal and eggs, she cleans the dishes and puts them away. Getting out a book, she tries to read in the armchair by her balcony door. Her headaches causes her to fall asleep.

By lunchtime, the letter has not moved. It is still in the same spot with that same handwriting.

Asami wonders if the letter is daring her to open it.

Is she afraid of a letter?

How ridiculous! She is Asami Sato. CEO of Future Industries, listed as one of the top philanthropists in the Republic Times (that award was just four months prior), and a local community leader. A letter does not scare her.

She takes a deep breath and snatches it off the counter. Her finger rips it open.

Inside is a folded piece of paper and again that origami triangle, except this time, it's much closer to being a full crane.

Asami unfolds the letter and promptly drops it on the counter.

Korra's name is in the salutation.

Asami has to sit down.

Korra has written her back. She truly has written her back.

Asami feels like she's soaring high, where all the spirits in the world sing the love song her parents had sung so often when she was a child.

Korra has written her back! What joy! What delight! Asami grins and swoons at the sight of Korra's meticulously written characters.

She picks up the letter again to read.

Dear Asami,

I'm sorry I haven't written to you sooner, but every time I've tried, I never know what to say. The past two years have been the hardest of my life. Even though I can get around fine now, I still can't go into the Avatar State. I keep having visions of Zaheer and what happened that day.

Katara thinks a lot of this is in my head, so I've been meditating a lot, but sometimes I worry I'll never fully recover.

Please don't tell Mako and Bolin I wrote to you and not them. I don't want to hurt their feelings, but it's easier to tell you about this stuff. I don't think they'd understand.

Yours, Korra

Asami can't stop the tears from flowing. She pulls out her handkerchief and weeps. She wishes she could hold Korra. To kiss her forehead. To remind her that she is worth everything and that she can defeat this. She can recover.

In the end, Asami decides she cannot wait for her schedule day to write. She responds right away.

Dear Korra,

I understand. Don't worry about how long it took. I will always be here to support you. And don't worry! I won't speak a word of this to Mako or Bolin. I will continue my weekly schedule, but I wanted to get this to you as soon as I could. So you knew that I hear you and I understand. Recovery is hard.

Love, Asami

Asami stares at her letter and thinks of how inane it feels. It doesn't come close to summing up how she feels. She thinks again of Korra's worry about the Avatar state, and wonders if she can help with that. She doesn't truly understand how the Avatar state works, but perhaps she can do some preliminary research? Would that help Korra through this?

When Asami sees a problem, it immediately makes her want to seek a solution, but she doesn't know if that is wise for this.

In the end, she sends the letter as is. She continues her weekly schedule, but she adds in time for brainstorming. She visits every library in the city and Air Temple Island. She reads about chi pathways, chakras, and prior Avatars. She learns about how acupuncture opens up the chakras, and how this effects bending. She ponders if this can be turned into a way for Korra to still have the Avatar state without the Avatar state.

She decides to take the glider suite design and add in an acupuncture design to the back. Between meetings and mountains of paperwork, she works on this in the workshop in front of her office. Occasionally, one of her department managers asks her about the project, and she only levels a 'don't you dare test me' glare at them. The interrupter slinks away ashamed. It takes her most of the month to complete.

When she visits Air Temple Island for her second dinner of the month, she asks Jinora to chat with her in the meditation pavilion.

"Would you like to test an idea for me?" Asami is both excited and nervous.

Jinora grins at her. "Sure!"

"Really? I haven't even explained what it is." Asami is taken aback at Jinora's blind trust.

Jinora laughs. "It's you asking. Why wouldn't I say yes? I know you'd never hurt me."

Asami hopes that is the case. "Well, I have a prototype glider suit for you. Can you wear it for three days and write down your observations for me? If you find it uncomfortable or if something goes wrong, please call me immediately. I'll drop everything for this, okay?" She reaches into her backpack and takes out the suit. She has specifically designed it for Jinora's build.

Jinora takes it and looks it over. "Why is the back so hard?" She taps her fist against the spine of the suit.

"That's the acupuncture spine. It's meant to open your chakras." Asami is very nervous now. "At least, that's what I read. We'll see what if it works."

Jinora smiles. "All right. I'll do it."

Asami leaves the island feeling like she's on cloud nine. Maybe her wacky idea might actually work.

She receives the call during one of her meetings. Her assistant, Tariq, rushes into the room. His blue eyes are wide, his brown skin flushed likely from running down several flights of stairs to the meeting room. He gasps out, "Ms. Sato, you said if Jinora called to alert you immediately."

Asami stands. "Thank you, Tariq." She turns to the engineering team. "Excuse me, I must attend this emergency. We will reschedule." 

She rushes up the four flights to her office to take the call. Jinora sounds panicked, and talks far too fast for Asami to make sense of on the phone. 

"I'll be right there," Asami assures her and hangs up. Grabbing her keys, she swaps out her dress shoes for her sturdier boots and sprints to the elevator. The drive takes far longer than she prefers, and finding a spot to park her precious blue satomobile also eats up minutes.

On the ferry, Asami frets over whether her idea has hurt Jinora. She wouldn't be able to bear it if it did.

When she walks up the path from the docks, she is shocked to see several fully grown trees torn up by their roots laying across the path. A large clearing now exists where that grove of trees once stood. Jinora sits on one of the trunks holding the suit, her head downcast.

"Asami!" She looks up relieved. "You came!"

"What... what happened?" Asami stares flabbergasted at the destruction. At least the trees hadn't hit the buildings?

Jinora stands and hands her the suit. "I... I wore this and tried to air bend, but I couldn't control it. It was way powerful, far more than I'd ever felt in my life." She looks sad and kicks at the ground. "I'm sorry I couldn't do the full experiment. Dad forbid me from wearing it again."

Asami looks down at the suit and comes to the conclusion that this is perhaps the worst idea she ever had.

But it would be a funny postscript for Korra. Best to not explain the why however.

She adds it to her next letter. "P.S. Jinora and I did an experiment. However, things went awry. We accidentally tore up an entire grove of fully grown trees. Tenzin was furious. However, I think our remodeling added a beautiful clearing for picnicking."

Asami doesn't expect a reply. It has been three months since Korra's last letter.

To her surprise, a letter from the Southern Water Tribe shows up in her mailbox a week later.

Dear Asami,

What the spirits was this experiment? That sounds amazing. I wish I could have seen that. I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time. I could just picture Tenzin's face red with fury. Bet there was steam coming out his ears too.

It got me thinking. Do you think I've been in the South too long? If maybe that's why I'm stuck in my healing? I haven't made any progress since my last letter, and it's been eating me up. But your letter got me thinking that maybe I do need a change of scenery. My own remodeling maybe?

What do you think?

Yours, Korra

Asami is delighted to learn she caused Korra to laugh. However, Korra's question makes Asami wonder if now is the time to reveal her truth. She so badly wants Korra to return to Republic City. She wants to take Korra out on a date still, maybe even go on an adventure in the wilds to do some experiments with chakras (Asami hasn't quite let go of ways to help Korra find her Avatar spirit again).

But part of her holds back out of fear that Korra doesn't return her feelings.

Sure, Korra signs these letters with 'yours' but Asami doesn't know if that is a friendship-y 'yours' or a romantic 'yours.' In fact, Asami hasn't ever written someone like this before, so she doesn't know how friends sign letters. Business contacts use 'sincerely,' so that isn't any help.

Asami decides to play it safe. She will admit to Korra having her heart, but that is the most she will do. Surely, that won't scare her away? She doesn't want Korra to stop writing after all.

Dear Korra,

I want to say come here to Republic City, but I also know you need to feel ready to do that. So please do not see this as me trying to convince you to come back. I want you to now that whatever you decide, I will always support you. You have my word and my heart.

Whenever I am stuck on an idea, which feels often of late especially with how difficult things are with Future Industries, I will take a day and go hiking in the mountains. There in the wilderness I find a solace that can't be captured elsewhere. Nature has such beauty and wonder hidden around every bend.

Did you know that fractals are perhaps the most common type of growth among plants and fungi? They are a perfect repeating geometric pattern that is everywhere. I bring my magnifying glass sometimes to examine leaves, mushrooms, even rocks, and all have these lovely patterns.

This excites my imagination. Then when I reach the peak, I stand at the edge and take in the breadth of the world. I can see for kilometers in all directions. Did you know that one of the tallest peaks in Republic Nation is Mount Makapu and is within a day journey by Satomobile? That one is my favorite to climb. It sits on a peninsula that overlooks Yue Bay and the ocean. I can see so far, and I can touch the clouds. (Clouds are so wet. I know scientifically they are made of water crystals condensed into fog form, but it's quite different to physically feel such a thing on my fingertips).

It reminds me of our airship adventures. Where we wandered the Earth Kingdom, sparring, laughing, and having great fun. Perhaps that is what you need?

Sometimes a journey requires more than a step. You took a big leap to go South for healing, but now you face the next step of your journey.

I have hope that no matter where that next step leads you, you will find your way. It will be hard at first. Just as climbing a mountain is hard. (Let me tell you, if you don't get the right boots, your feet will hate you forever! So make sure you have good hiking boots!) Each step up the mountain gets harder, especially at higher elevations when there is far less oxygen. This makes the journey very, very hard.

But to stand there at the top of the world? It is worth the hardship and pain.

I think you are still climbing that mountain. You have not yet reached the peak, but you will, Korra, you will. And when you are ready to climb back down, I will be here to offer you a hug and a heartfelt congratulations at such a marvelous achievement.

And if you want someone to accompany you on this next stage of your climb, you have only to ask. I will gladly take leave to walk that with you.

May this letter inspire you to new heights. And remember, you have my support always.

Love, Asami

Asami again doesn't expect a reply. She, however, continues her schedule. Writing Korra is perhaps one of the few things that gets her through her long days.

She often finds herself in Avatar Korra park (this was the first thing she built, she is proud to say) and sits by the statue to draw. Sometimes, she comes late at night to sit between Korra's legs and whisper her secrets to the stone (she hopes she is less likely to be recognized at night).

During this time, the bureaucrats in charge of the city's contract keep being very dodgy about paying the full amount owed, and she is tired of this song and dance to get them to follow through. Her company badly needs the money.

At least sales has improved somewhat thanks to her efforts with community forums. She finds that the lower income boroughs have lots of interesting engineering ideas. This delights her. For some of the more promising ones, she offers to help realize their designs with a contract. She can't afford to pay them full time, but she can at least sub contract with them part time to fund their projects. This is well received by the public, and Asami can't help but preen with pride at how helpful it has been for people.

She eagerly shares these successes with Korra in her letters. For the bureaucrats, she mocks them in what she hopes is an amusing way. She badly wants to hear Korra laugh, but this she supposes is the next best thing.

At two years and five months, Asami receives a third letter from Korra. She has had a long day at the office and construction sites dealing with emergencies. Plus, she keeps getting letters from her father (why is he writing her at all? The memory of him trying to kill her haunts her dreams far more than she'll ever admit.) All of this grief and frustrations tempts her with heading to the mansion workshop to drink it all away.

Instead, she opens her mailbox to find the letter.

She barely reaches her penthouse before she has torn it open.

Dear Asami,

I don't know what I'd do without you. Honestly, you're the best thing that's ever happened in my life.

I've thought long and hard about your letters, especially the one about mountain climbing. I think you're right. I do need to take this next step, and I think I know what to do. But I need you to do something for me. I know this will be hard, and it's not fair to you. Especially with how kind you are. With how devoted and steady you've been despite my lack of replies. I am probably being selfish, aren't I?

But I don't think I can do this without knowing you have my back. Can you stop writing me in exactly one month from the postscript of this letter? I need everyone to think I am returning at that time. Please tell no one of this letter.

I promise that I'll come back to you. I just need more time. I need to finish that metaphorical mountain climb, and when I reach the peak, I hope I will find my Avatar state there. Thank you for being here for me. I hope to see you soon.

Love, Korra

Asami stares at the letter. Her fingers hover over the word 'love.'

What is Korra planning? Asami thinks through her last few letters, and then abruptly remembers the one she'd written in reply to Korra's questions.

Korra is going on a journey somewhere. She asks Asami to not share with anyone what Asami now knows. For Korra to entrust her with this? Asami's heart swells with love.

She will honor Korra's request.

Asami continues her schedule for one month and promptly ends it. She tells no one of Korra's final letter to her.

At two years and six months, Asami must attend the train station reveal and deal with President Raiko. (She really hopes he doesn't do that touching of her back while shaking her hand. She decides she'll step hard on his foot if he does. Maybe she'll break one of his toes. It'd serve him right.)

The crowd is surprisingly large. Reporters hog the front viewing area with their large, lumbering cameras and pen and paper. Asami is anxious but relieved to learn she doesn't need to speak. (She really doesn't like public speaking.) Instead, she smiles and cuts the stupid, red ribbon with the biggest and most ungainly scissors she's ever seen.

She hopes this is all she needs to do. The mingling after the ceremony goes significantly easier. Nod, smile, pretend to care about the inane ramblings of uninteresting people. Honestly, Korra is the only person Asami could happily listen to ramble. Certainly not stiff business people in their overly tailored suits, greasy hair, and badly chosen tie colors. She's mastered the 'pretend to care' expression due to her time as CEO.

At least, it would have been easy if not for Prince Wu. He corners her to her irritation, then blatantly hits on her. This makes her want to stab his eyeballs or maybe stab her own. Then he calls himself a super human, and she can't help but roll her eyes.

No, the only superhuman is Korra.

To her relief, Mako comes to her rescue. She could hug him. (Not kiss him, that is only for Korra, and she knows Mako well enough that even a kiss on the cheek would confuse him. She is not interested in him and will never be interested in him again. That ship sailed long, long ago. Korra is the only one who has her heart.)

Mako mentions Korra's return.

Asami can't look him in the eye. She knows the truth. So she looks at the ground, and says what needs to be said, "I can't wait to see her." For that is the truth, but when she will see Korra, Asami doesn't know.

Later that day, the boat from the Southern Water Tribe pulls into Air Temple Dock. Asami sits on a bench at the top of the path and watches, knowing Korra will not be there. Naga is however, which makes Asami wonder if Korra has decided to be incognito.

The others panic at first. They talk of searching for Korra.

Asami decides to go play with Naga before she loses her temper at how ridiculous everyone is being. She is tempted to tell them all off and demand they trust Korra's intentions. But she simply cannot take that risk.

Naga is delighted to see her. Nearly knocks her over. Asami decides to incorporate visits with Naga into her schedule. She decides on three times a week. For her, Naga is a fragile connection with Korra, the person she loves most in the world. This is the least she can do for Korra.

Tonraq finds her in the clearing -- the same one Jinora had made by accident during Asami's suit experiment -- and he watches her throw the ball for Naga for awhile. Asami is nervous at first, but slowly relaxes when he doesn't try to interrogate her.

Except, his next words breaks Asami's calm. "Asami, I wanted to ask. Korra wrote you, didn't she?"

Asami doesn't want to lie to Korra's father. Not after all her work to prove herself to him. "She did."

"What did she tell you?"

Asami turns and meets his gaze. She sees the worry in his expression, the furrow in his brows. Korra has his eyes and nose, she realizes. "Tonraq, you are asking that I betray Korra's trust. I can't do that."

His lips twitch in an almost smile. "I understand. May I ask if you are worried? Of all of us, you are the most calm."

Asami is worried. She can't help it. Not knowing where Korra is, or if she is safe drives Asami to distraction. But Korra has asked for her word and her trust. Asami gives it readily to her. "I do worry, but I cannot and will not speak further on this."

Tonraq studies her for a long moment. She finds herself holding her breath and hopes she hasn't made an enemy out of Korra's father.

To her relief, he reaches out and grasps her shoulder. "Thank you, Asami, for being there for my daughter. She couldn't have a better pa-friend."

Asami smiles and bows her head in reply.

When he walks away to join the others, she looks after his tall figure and wonders if the word he meant to say was 'partner.' EDIT: Got it up on AO3 now.

[kilo-charlie7]

Some chats about Lin in discord led to this angsty sketch. We were discussing how if an officer was ever KIA, Lin would’ve visited the family herself to share the news. I immediately pictured Lin handing back a badge to that officer’s wife. 😩

[freciunia]

LIN BEIFONG SACRIFICE

this scene broke my heart so many times..

[wilcze-kudly]

I haven't yet checked if this aligns with the timeline but in my head Lin and Tenzin's relationship fell apart very soon after Aang's death.

Like I think they were actually very good together, which may also be the reason they're so bitter now. But Aang's death would have crushed Tenzin but also added to the pressure of having to continue the Air Nomad legacy.

Like you're not only dealing with grief from your father dying but also 'oh fuck I'm the last airbender fuck fuck' and since Lin didn't want children, I think that's where the cracks would start to show

[thatoneguy56fanfic]

Had an angsty idea: Kuvira is Suyin’s affair baby. Suyin chose to reconcile with Baatar Sr, but Kuvira’s bio dad wanted custody of her. So Suyin let him take her, and just never told anyone about her except for Baatar Sr. Then a few years later Kuvira shows up outside Zaofu.

[badgermolebender]

A day in the life of Wu of the Hou-Ting Dynasty, King of all the Earth Lands, and Glorious Defender of Ba Sing Se, 54th Earth Monarch

Morning

* Wake up

* Get out of bed

* Get out of bed

* Come on, you really have to get out of bed now, you have responsibilities

* Get out of bed

* Breakfast - look over the day’s meeting schedule

* Read over reports from yesterday

* Consider writing Mako, he still hasn’t responded to your last letter

* Attend first meeting, with transportation ministers, discuss the new trains constructed by Kuvira and the funding needed to maintain the system

* Try not to freak out at the mention of Kuvira and the war, succeed — mostly

* Wish Mako was there, you could really use some of his straight-talking, no-nonsense comfort, he doesn’t need to put up with you, he doesn’t need your problems

* Attend second meeting, with financial ministers, argue with them over the new tax structure

* The next time one of them implies you are too young or inexperienced to know what you are doing you are going to scream

* NO! that’s what Auntie would do, you are not Auntie, you won’t let yourself be

* Succeed — for now

Midday

* Lunch - breathe, you can get through the rest of the day

* Consider writing to Mako, the worst thing that happens is he doesn’t respond, it’s not like he isn’t already annoyed with you

* Attend last meeting of the day, with cultural ministers, try once again to convince them to use their funds for a memorial for the victims of Lake Laogai rather than finishing The Earth Queen’s Temple, that it would be good to commemorate the history of the people not just the Royals

* Make no progress, argue them to a standstill

* Consider introducing legislation to undo centuries of discrimination against same-sex relationships

* Your ministers/the aristocracy/the remaining Dai Li would know, they would know

* They’d go after you, your reign, your life

* Decide to start small, tomorrow

Evening

* Dinner - try not to cry staring at the empty table

* Wish that your parents were alive

* Wish that any of your family were alive, so you weren’t king, so you didn’t have to do this, so you weren’t alone

* Feel guilty for thinking this, you’re doing good work, you know you are

* Read over reports from the day

* Wish you could run away to The Cave of the Two Lovers and live with the badgermoles

* Make notes for tomorrow’s meetings

* Consider writing to Mako, he hasn’t written back because he hates you

* He’s always hated you

* He’s always going to hate you

Night

* Go to bed

* Wish you weren’t so alone

* Wish he didn’t hate you

* Wish he could love you the way you love him

* Try not to cry yourself to sleep

* Fail

[operationbeifong]

𝐋𝐈𝐍 + 𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐇 | "𝑨𝑵𝑨𝑻𝑶𝑴𝒀 " 𝒃𝒚 𝑲𝑬𝑵𝒁𝑰𝑬 𝒁𝑰𝑬𝑮𝑳𝑬𝑹.

BAWLING MY EYE BALLS OUT AFTER MAKING THIS.

[sukunasbride]

IMAGINEE The Next Avatars lover being Kataras reincarnation.. Katara and Aang being together in another life is something i need to see. ANGST ANGST ANGST PLEASE. The next avatar looking like being Asami and their lover looking like Katara and being her REINCARNATION would go CRAZYY IDCC. kataang + korrasami fans please manifest with me PLEASE. 😭😭

[calchexxis]

I rarely hype up other fics, but this one is an absolute must-read (with some caveats) if you love both Korrasami, and deep-seated, well-written angst.

Set after the events of S3 where Asami follows Korra home, it takes things in a much more intense direction. Fair warning that this story deals with themes of SA trauma, suicide, and surviving the aftermath, but with all that said, I cannot stress enough how, for lack of a better term, important a story like this is.

It gives everything an unflinching angle, both from Korra's perspective as a survivor and from Asami's as someone who is in love with her and trying to be there for Korra through something no one should ever have to go through.

I won't say that this is a story for everyone, but for what it's worth, I do think it's a story people should read, if only because of the way it handles such a delicate subject matter.

I don't want to spoil anything more than the tags already provide, so I'll just say that if you've got the grit for it, this story is going to be well worth your time.

Cheers.

[hotpinkrathian]

I will never get over the Suyin playing cupid trope and if you can't either than you should go read chapter 11 of A United Front

Still not convinced here's an excerpt of Lin and Kya rizzing each other up

I've posted about 1/2 of the complete story on AO3 now and I think yall deserve a special shout out your comments and theories are so inspiring and I hope I can post the rest of it soon. I'm up to 90K words now and I PROMISE those of you waiting for angst, it is coming.

But for now, enjoy these two awkward gays trying to flirt with each other

“Lin call me crazy but I think you enjoyed yourself, even if you did slip a bit of work in at the end.” 

“Having someone to fight other than my sister helped.” Lin said plainly. 

“I see,” Kya said, “so in summary, you like having me around.” 

Lin watched her family walk inside, busied by their own chatter and reflections of the evening. Suyin offered pointers and Bataar offered his excitement and encouragement. 

When they were inside, she turned back to Kya, who was watching her a little too intently. 

The sky had darkened significantly, Lin hadn't noticed before, but the stars were out. The sky wasn't quite black, but rather a stark shade of navy. The moon was almost full, a few more days and the fox-wolves would be audible from inside the dome. 

“Maybe I do,” Lin replied. “Would that be so bad?”

Kya seemed surprised, looking from Lin, to the house, to the sky before her eyes landed back on her. 

Lin's stomach tumulted in nervousness, or excitement, or both. 

You're not exactly subtle. 

Suyin was right, she wasn't subtle. She never had been. When she was angry she made it obvious. When she was frustrated she was expressive. She had held a grudge for twenty years because of how un-subtle she was. 

“Not at all,” Kya answered, her eyes darting back and forth with nervousness. 

There was a knock on the glass, so Lin looked to see her niece waving her over. 

“That can't be good,” Lin said, looking back to Kya. 

“Always the pessimist.” Kya laughed, brushing past her. Her shoulder nearly made Lin stumble with the impact. Kya's face turned at just the right angle that Lin could see a grin form when she thought Lin couldn't see. 

Lin sighed contently before following the others inside. 

She watched Kya in front of her, hoping the waterbender wouldn't turn around and catch her smile.