#like...how do you even have smellerbee and longshot being alive?

[swan2swan]

Remembering how the comics even ruined the Earth King's character... the feats in that were staggering

[zenithpng]

Post or during season 3 Zuko panic attacks, jet being all antagonistic at first then realising they’re two sides of the same coin and turning into a good guy, if possible zukka

YES YES YES YES YES OHHHHH MY GOD THIS WAS A GOD-TIER IDEA

also i'm not gonna lie i kinda,, took liberties with this. what you asked for is in there?? but not in the way you think. also the zukka is very minor i'm so sorry 😭

SUMMARY

["Not a firebender," he sneers. He fists his fingers into the front of Lee's shirt, jostling the slightly shorter teen. "What do you have to say for yourself now, Lee?"

(There's fear in those gold eyes, plain as day. Jet doesn't let go.)]

Read HERE on AO3, or read under the cut :))

ON A NEED TO KNOW BASIS recovery | scars | aftermath

Contrary to popular belief, Jet is very much not dead.

He knows this, because if he was then Smellerbee wouldn't be scolding him at every turn.

Well, actually, she probably still would be. He just wouldn't be able to hear it.

It takes him a long time to heal, hindered further by the overtaking of Ba Sing Se and the lack of reliable healers. But eventually he can walk without collapsing and breathe without pain. Bee and Longshot stay by his side the entire time, unwavering constants in the storm that ravages the world around them.

There's a terrible day in which the sky turns red and fire covers the city like never before. Smellerbee cries for the first time in years and all Jet and Longshot can do is sit next to her, huddled into a corner of their tiny home and pray to spirits long forgotten that they will be safe. That they won't burn alive.

But then it stops. And that's somehow worse.

Ba Sing Se is silent. There's ash on the ground the great comet is still blazing, drowning the greens and browns in garish red. No one dares to step into the street for fear that this is all a trap. That they'll be struck down as soon as they set foot outside.

Eventually a man walks down the street, robes that Jet can see had once been neat and pristine singed and shredded at the edges. He has a scabbard at his waist and his appearance doesn't quite place him to any one nation. The man looks around at the houses, exhaustion evident in his posture. Still, he holds himself tall.

In a loud, strong voice, he calls out,

"Ba Sing Se is free."

There's nothing but silence as the shockwave passes over the neighborhood. No one believes the man.

Jet can't stand this any more. He shoves himself to his feet, ignoring Smellerbee's cries for him not to go, pulling his clothes away from where Longshot grasps at his tunic. Grabbing his tiger heads from the floor, he storms out.

The man's eyes lock onto him the moment he steps outside. As Jet adjusts his grip on his swords, the man unclasps the scabbard from his waist and tosses it into the dirt, raising his hands. Jet doesn't trust the motion for a second.

"How do you know?" he shouts. "Who are you? Why should we trust you?"

"I know," the man answers, "because I helped to liberate this city. I am Master Pionado, and my allies and I took back this city for the people of the Earth Kingdom."

"What-" Jet has to pause, coughing harshly from the ash in the air. "What allies?"

"King Bumi of Omashu, Master Pakku of the Northern Water Tribe," the man says. "Former Admiral Jeong Jeong, the Fire Nation deserter. And General Iroh."

Shouting erupts when the people hear the last name, but the man does nothing but bow his head.

"I understand that you all have no reason to trust me," he begins, his voice carrying through the street. "I only wish happiness for you. Ba Sing Se is free from the Fire Nation. I only hope that you all will be able to celebrate this properly."

And with that, he turns on his heel and disappears into the smoke-heavy air.

It's hours before a young Earth Kingdom courier runs through the streets, breathless with the same words on his breath.

"We're free!"

And this time, the spell breaks.

There's screaming, there's crying, there's running but it's all so joyous. Smellerbee runs out and plants a kiss to his cheek, tears in her eyes and "It's over, it's over, it's over" on her breath. Longshot is smiling like never before and drags the both of them into a hug.

For the first time in so many years, Jet lets himself cry.

*****

Their lives move on. Smellerbee gets her old job at the nearby plant nursery back, and Jet finds work as a messenger, and he likes it. He's still, seeing so much of the huge city. There's a looseness to the air that wasn't there before and it has everyone smiling, giving gifts, tipping well.

It's so good. It's so, very good.

Months after the day of the comet, word comes to the city that the Fire Lord is visiting within the next few days. And some of that cheer snaps right back into tension. But this is not a sign of war. It's a meeting of peace, and it can benefit the city - the world.

Jet makes it a point to be in the upper ring on the day of the Fire Lord's arrival. He needs to be there, need to see what the city is working with.

He sees the Kyoshi Warriors first, fans at their sides and eyes sharp. They must be guarding the Fire Lord. (It's a strange thought, Earth Kingdom citizens guarding a Fire Lord.) And then Jet spots him.

His breath is sucked out of his lungs and his first instinct is attack-attack-attack because the ruler is dressed in head-to-toe red and those gold eyes stare ahead so seriously. It's not for another moment that he realizes whose face he's staring at.

It's Lee.

It's Lee from the tea shop who insisted he wasn't a firebender and he got Jet arrested and brainwashed and nearly killed. Jet is frozen where he stands, hands shaking. He can't believe it. He sword fought the Fire Lord. Hell, he kissed the Fire Lord behind the tea shop a few times.

Jet has never hated someone more in his life.

At home that day Smellerbee and Longshot hover, asking what's wrong, is he okay, why won't he talk to them. Jet remains silent.

A few days later, has to take a message to the palace. He smooths his hair down, discarding his swords because he won't be allowed in otherwise. He's doing fine, weaving through all the right halls, placing the scroll in its place, and then beginning his way back out.

Red catches his eye.

He follows the trail of fabric around the corner, stepping silently until he's within distance. As soon as he's within arm's reach, he seizes the back of the robe and spins Lee - the Fire Lord - around to face him.

"Not a firebender," he sneers. He fists his fingers into the front of Lee's shirt, jostling the slightly shorter teen. "What do you have to say for yourself now, Lee?"

(There's fear in those gold eyes, plain as day. Jet doesn't let go.)

Jet shoves him backwards, landing Lee on his back as Jet stalks closer. He doesn't even know what is coming out of his mouth at this point, only that it's hateful and angry. Lee's breath is coming in short gasps and somewhere, subconsciously, Jet knows he needs to calm down. He needs to step back from this.

But he doesn't. Not until a blur of blue rams into him and there's shouts of "What are you doing?!" in his ears. Looking up, his mind finally clears enough to register that it's fucking Sokka screaming at him and he jerks back, shaking the Water Tribe boy's grip off.

His ears are ringing as Sokka kneels in front of Lee, moving slowly and carefully, running a hand through Lee's hair, whispering to him, placing kisses across his knuckes. And Jet want to scream because why is he doing that, can't he see that Lee, if that's even the guy's real name, is a liar and a terrible, terrible person.

But no, Sokka just crouches there, lips pressed to Lee's forehead as rapid breaths slow.

Jet doesn't wait for them to get back up.

He runs.

*****

That night is a sleepless one. Jet lays awake and stares at the ceiling, asking himself why. Why did Lee have to be so terrible. Why did this have to happen to him.

Lee got Jet arrested over a lie.

(Jet would have done the same.)

Jet, no, Lee lied about his identity. Didn't even give his real name.

(Jet's been doing that for years.)

Jet Lee is nothing but a liar. He's violent and twisted and-

He Jet Lee had to fight in a war. Jet Lee is a traumatized kid. He has a group of people depending on him at such a young age and never had a true family and is just now beginning to heal and is still always so scared and it hurts-

Jet isn't sure if he's thinking about himself of Lee any more.

He doesn't want to know.

[passable-talent]

Hey! I saw your post about Jet and I was wondering if you could do some sort of angst with him? Thx love :)

ooooo jet angst

Jet had many adventures with the Freedom Fighters before they made it to Ba Sing Se. Some of which ended well, and some of which ended very, very badly. 

That takes us to the situation that currently befell him. 

Jet had taken himself up against a tree, leaning against its base and hoping that even sitting upright would keep him awake. He’d been in worse scrapes than this, he told himself, even as he watched his leg bleed, the scarlet liquid staining the dirt around him and turning it into sluggish, russet mud. 

The wound was deep. He’d taken a slice of a sword through the muscle of his inner thigh, where the skin was softer, and the arteries ran closer to the surface. It was bleeding, hard, fast, soaking through his pants. His vision started to get blurry.

He was lucky, he thought, a stupid laugh making its way through his body, that the sword had missed a certain other part of his body. 

His head was swimming. He barely knew where he was- just that his injury let the rest of the Freedom Fighters get away, and they were gone. He’d had hopes of catching up to them, but he couldn’t imagine that now. He couldn’t walk, and their head start was substantial. He knew they’d be fine. Smellerbee could handle Longshot, she knew the mission. They’d make it to Ba Sing Se, and they’d get the fresh start they needed. He knew they’d be okay.

Jet, he just, well, he didn’t want to die. Not here. 

“Are you okay?” said a voice, in a direction Jet could hardly place. His muscles all seemed to want to stay still, and so it was a challenge to move his head toward the sound. 

“Oh, spirits,” you breathed, running to the side of the figure, when you saw the amount of blood they were losing. “My name’s Y/N,” you told him, not even sure he was conscious, “I’m gonna take you home. You’re gonna be fine.” You grabbed his arms, trying to haul him to his feet, or at least one of them. He seemed awake enough to try to help, though how much he truly was helping was... up to debate. 

“Jet,” he murmured, his head limp in front of his chest, eyes barely peeking out from under their lids. 

“Jet, is that your name? Jet?” You kept hold of his wrist, its grip keeping his arm slung over your shoulders, your other arm under his. You didn’t know much first aid, but you knew enough. He wasn’t the first war casualty you’d come across. Keep him talking- that’s what your mother had always told you. Keep them talking. 

You wished there was a waterbender in town. You’d heard, a few towns over, about a sweet woman from the Northern Water Tribe who could heal the injured and sick thanks to waterbending. If that was an option, you knew he would heal much better than he would under your hand. 

“Yeah,” he breathed, eyes closing, his leg dragging between the two of you. His good leg, when his toes didn’t catch in the grass of the path, hopped along, keeping as much weight as he could from his other leg, as the blood still slid down his skin. It was a win, and a loss, in that he was helping you, but the elevation of his heartbeat only served to push more blood out of his body. 

“Where do you come from, Jet?” You asked, trying to keep up a light hearted conversation even through gritted teeth, as you hurried home. Home- how far away were you? You’d only been at the river, that wasn’t far, but you didn’t know how much distance Jet had in him. 

“West,” he murmured, the sound of the latter letters slurring on as he teetered closer to unconsciousness. 

“No, no, Jet,” you growled, forcing him further upright. “You pass out on me, this gets a lot harder, come on.” He groaned, gave another hop on his good foot, and tumbled into you as he lost consciousness. 

“Nope, not today,” you snarled, gritted teeth supporting your strength as you hauled him up. “You’re not going to die on me today.” You pulled both of his arms over your shoulders, collecting most of his mass onto your back, and hauled him home. 

Jet woke up three days later. Three days, in which you stitched up the wound as best you could, changed the bandages a dozen times, forced him to swallow water even as he slept, and being pretty sure it was going to somehow lead to him choking.

Three days, in which he was alive, but you couldn’t be sure he’d stay that way. He’d lost so much blood, what if his body just gave out? What if all of your help had been for nothing? Sure, you knew nothing about him, you’d just met him, but you couldn’t let him die. You’d rescued him- you were supposed to be his rescuer. 

You didn’t think you’d be able to handle it if he died, right here in your home. 

You’d taken up to sleeping, not in your bedroom, but instead in the main room, where he had been sleeping on a low table for the full three days. You’d gotten him a pillow, and tried to make him comfortable, but there was only so much you could do, thanks to his unconscious state. 

This, luckily, was where you were when he woke up. 

He let out a groan, and you heard him shift his head. You lifted your own, gazing across the room, and lifting a hand to rub your eyes to make sure your mind wasn’t playing tricks on you. 

“Jet?” You asked, and you watched as he tried to crane his head toward you. 

“Y/N, right? Do I remember it right?” He asked, and you nodded, standing up with maybe a bit too much excitement. 

“You’re awake,” you said, your smile bright as you cupped his cheek. “I can’t believe you’re awake.” His eyebrows knotted, and he blinked once or twice. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, “how long have I been out?” 

“Three days,” you said, and his eyes went wide. 

“Three days,” he breathed, looking away. “I’m never going to catch up with them now.”

“Who?”

“My friends. I got hurt so that they could escape- they’re headed to Ba Sing Se.” You wouldn’t admit it, but you didn’t want to say goodbye to him so soon. Your next words, however, were entirely true, and not rooted in selfishness whatsoever. 

“Jet, you can’t walk yet, much less travel. It might be a long time before you can.” You saw it in his eyes, when he made the decision to sit up and do it anyway, and so before he could you grabbed his shoulders and forced them back down. 

“Jet, I’m serious. Whatever cut you went straight through some of your muscles. If you try to walk now, you might just reopen it.” He swore, and laid back down, closing his eyes. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, after a moment collecting his thoughts. “You’re doing a lot to help me, and you don’t need to.” You felt a little bit of heat on your cheeks, and smiled. 

“Yeah, well,” you whispered, turning away to get him a cup of water. 

“If you come across bleeding out in the woods, it’s like, well, you probably should help, right?” He chuckled, a smirk pulling on his lips and revealing teeth on one side of his mouth. 

“Yeah, right.” You gave him a cup, and he sat up, taking a long drink, only pulling it from his mouth when it was empty. 

“Y/N,” he said, pulling your attention again. “I’m gonna repay you.”

“You don’t have to, Jet. Like I said, its the right thing to do.” You felt his fingers curl around your wrist, and you turned to him. 

“Y/N,” he said again, keeping eye contact. It was intoxicating, like he knew exactly his effect on you. “I’m alive because of you.” You broke his gaze and looked away, but as you did, his hand brushed back some of your hair. 

“Can I kiss you?” 

The question caught you off guard, and your eyes returned to his, wide, surprised. But you couldn’t- in no world would your answer be anything but:

“Yes.” 

-🦌 Roe

tag list- @lammello @kittyddandnyla

[army-of-mai-lovers]

Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

oh my gosh I have so many I’m literally incapable of sticking to one or two projects at once this list is going to be so long ahhh ok

keep the world at bay- Avatar Sokka au/nonbender Zuko au/Yue lives au/Jet lives au/Azula redemption au....she has layers (unsurprisingly, she’s projected to be 200k). basically, Aang didn’t go into the iceberg and grew up during the beginning of the Hundred Year War and spent most of his life trying to end it, but then he disappeared and there was a 40 year gap between his disappearance and the surfacing of the Water Tribe Avatar, Sokka. this fic frustrates me to no end sometimes but I really really love it. I am a bit of a nerd about writing, but there are some things that I’m really nerdy about within writing and alternate history stories is one of those things. I have a google doc with pages and pages and pages of text about what happened in between the first Sozin’s Comet and the start of the fic, and how this all ties in thematically, and this is all like, exactly the kind of stuff I live for. it’s self-indulgent as hell but I love it. I just posted earlier this week that the hiatus on the new chapter for this fic was going to be even longer and now I’m working on chapter 14 so...yeah I change my mind on a whim what about it? 

not ready to make nice- Jet lives au, one of my only fics in which Jet is not affiliated with a coffee/teashop in some way. basically, he wakes up in an apartment of Ba Sing Se after the events of Crossroads of Destiny, severely injured but alive, and finds out that Smellerbee and Longshot have been taken. even though there are three jail/prison break scenes in 9 chapters, it’s a very slow, very intense character study kind of fic exploring Jet’s many many traumas and how he learns to love himself enough to survive and thrive. fun fact: this fic was part of my six month plan to slowly convert people into jetru shippers, and right after I started it everybody started shippng jetru and the whole plan became moot (this is also why Haru doesn’t get introduced until ch 7) 

like ripples, like love- wuko enemies to lovers coffeeshop au, featuring background korrasami, bopal, jetru, and zukka. also probably the weirdest experience I’ve ever had being inspired for a fic--I made a couple jokes about how the perfect wuko fic would be a 200k enemies to lovers coffeeshop au in which Mako is the employee and Wu is a Karen, and then some of my mutuals were like “yo I’d read that fic” and I was like “lmao ok I’m not doing it” and three months later I have a 75k wuko enemies to lovers coffeeshop au, so...joke’s on me I guess. I really love the opportunity to be funny in a fic, honestly. my canonverse stuff is kinda depressing, and considering both the world and the atla fandom are dumpster fires, it’s really nice to just make something fun and lighthearted. this fic is also set in Hong Kong, which initially was me trying to be more responsible as a member of a fandom for a show based on Asian and Indigenous cultures, but it has grown into me just being interested in Hong Kong culture. I’ve done a lot of research for this fic and I’ve enjoyed all of it. I never would have listened to Chet Lam or Leslie Cheung or AGA if it weren’t for this fic, and I never would have read about Jessica Park and the Transgender Equality and Acceptance Movement. All of this has really enriched my understanding of queer culture and queer organizing outside of the US and it makes me really happy that I’ve gotten the opportunity to learn about all of this stuff. just posted ch 2, will probably post ch 3 soon!

it’s only a paper moon- yueki fic in which Suki talks to Yue (the moon) while she’s at Boiling Rock, and falls in love with her through these conversations. this is one of the first straight up angst things I’m writing (read: angst w/o a happy ending) and as someone who adores yueki being able to write about them in a variety of situations is really fun. also, it’s Suki pov and ngl Suki pov is my favorite pov to write. I love her so much and I love deconstructing her and making her vulnerable (instead of the invincible queen that everybody stans but nobody takes the time to treat like a human being) 

on my honor- probably the only straight up zukka fic I will ever write. It’s a donnaverse fic, set a few months after the events of bad girls and love will always find you, and Sokka and Zuko compete to be the biggest fans/supporters of their friends and sisters by having a Kyoshi merch arms race. I love donnaverse everything so I’m really excited about this, plus this fic has a lot of Sokka & Aang and Sokka & Haru and Sokka & Jet (and it features Jet and Haru’s first meeting). also, Zuko the Douchebag! so few zukka fics feature Zuko the Douchebag and I miss him I want him back. the whole point of Zuko is the character development so if I’m writing a zukka fic it’s got to have Zuko developing and becoming a better human. 

and finally....

Super Secret Zone Collaboration fic- [REDACTED]

fanfic meta ask game!

[zukkatrash]

atla pirate au

(soley based on me misreading a diff post and now wanting to see mai in a keira knightly getup) (also everything i know abt pirates is based on the pirates of the caribbean, treasure planet and black sails and hasty 2 am googling) (also also big fucking shoutout to @s-suki for helping me with this)

the gaang's ship - aka The Avatar

yue is captain!!! (@s-suki ur brain is huge and i luv u) so from what i know being a captain is a looot abt politics and u know our girl yue is good at that, not to mention how much her crew loves her bc she gives everything for them

sokka is navigator, one look at the stars and he knows where they are instantly, he charts a course in record time, captains have in fact fought over him but he is nothing but loyal to his captain!!!

aang spends at least half his time in the sails, as lookout and keeping knots secure(? idk shit abt sailing haha) he’s also the fastest one they got, no matter if he’s running, swimming or paddling a small boat

suki is the best fighter they have bc of course she is (also theres no misogyny in this bc i said so) grown men shit themselves when they see her / also shes boatswain (the boatswain was in charge of a ship's anchors, cordage, colors, deck crew and the ship's boats, and would also be in charge of the rigging while the ship was in dock)

toph! makes! bombs! also if u give her a gun that u found thats been underwater for three months and u give her like 2 hours, not only is it completely functional afterwards but it somehow works better than before?

katara is quartermaster and shes def like 30% of how yue keeps her crew in line

haru is ship cook (i know this has zero connection to canon but have you considered boi soft and warm like bread)

teo is the ships carpenter (highest ranking if they got more than one)

jet is a fighter obvs, also him and sokka do NOT get along but yue has this real icy stare that makes them both shut up immediately

smellerbee is dating toph and yue is not opposed to their relationship but does make sure theyre not around eachother too much when explosives are also near bc those 2 def get up to some wild shit

longshot is obvs the best shot they have and is the other lookout

appa is a parrot and he spends all of his time being adorable

momo is still a lemur and just steals so much shit

on to the firenation

ozai rules over a whole ass port/island or smth idk but like all the pirates have to deal with his fucking bullshit

zhao is his 2nd in command and yue at some point guts him 😊

azula is of course captain of her ship and she rules with an iron fist

mai is first mate (making any possible future betrayals that much worse)

ty lee is ship medic and just constantly gets underestimated in fights and wins like right away

zukos life motto on azulas ship is 'i hate it here' bc his job is basically everything nobody else wants to do (until! he is no longer on the ship. does he get pushed off the ship to drown? does he leave in the night with all the valuables he can carry and a map of a great prize? idk, YOU DECIDE)

more thoughts on zuko:

i dont think he’d join the gaang right away after he’s no longer with the fire nation but would first like half-die on some island (even if he didn’t get kicked off, i just imagine he’d do smth drastic like think he can sail a ship without getting lost just bc he’s spent a lot of time on a ship but like, honey no, navigation isnt as easy as it looks) bc zuko alone u kno

iroh is still his uncle in this, but zuko doesnt know that, so he thinks he’s just this weird hermit guy that finds him and takes him in

zuko is like "what does he want? what his secret agenda? how will this guy use this against me?" and iroh is just like "boy! eat something but also are u like okay? u want some cryptic advice thats consisting of 60 ocean metaphors?"

iroh does tell him hes his uncle tho and that he left when zuko was really young and he wasnt the only one who ran from that house that day...

URSA IS ALIVE!

she had been banished by ozai and threatened with zukos murder if she had stayed, ozai wouldve killed her but he knew he couldnt take her in a straight fight and if she had been the type you could assassinate they wouldntve ever gotten together anyway

now shes vibing with iroh and lu ten, because yes lu ten is alive (listen if there is any feasable way of my boi to be alive he is!!!)

also they’re def supporting everyone who opposes ozai as asafely as they can on whatever weird remote island theyre at

once zuko joins the crew of the avatar, sokka laughs like straight five minutes abt zuko thinking he could navigate his stolen boat after not even learning how to properly read a map, not to mention everything else that goes into navigating and zuko is like "fuck u" and sokka is like "lets show u how to read a map so this doesnt happen again" still with tears of laughter in his eyes, and maybe later when hes been on the crew for longer and maybe saved sokkas life in a fight, sokka teaches him abt the stars too and cue zuko pining after the way too beautiful guy trying to explain constellations but zuko just keeps getting lost in his eyes and being hyper aware of how close sokkas arm is when he points out specific stars

the reason zuko joins them in the first place is bc the avatar is the only crew that could protect him against azula and ozai and they’re the only ones willing/able to go up against the fire nation

also katara is the first to see zuko after he parted with the fn and she like immediately has a sword to his throat and boi just fucking faints

maybe jee is also a captain in this bc i really like it when the wani shows up in fanfics and maybe they’re not on good terms with ozai but they’re flying under the radar bc its just a small ship and they do bring in their percentage so maybe zuko joins his crew before he goes to find the gaang?

now some general thoughts:

the dai lee is the chinese navy out to get them all

miyuki is one of their highest ranking officers and gives the pirates a run for their money, but weirdly never goes to chase the Avatar

hakoda is also a captain but he’s working under ozai to take the operation down from the inside (also yes of course his husband bato is also there with him ^^)

kue is absolutely some weird hermit guy

once again big thanks to @s-suki for helping me with this check out their blog theyre great! (theyre on break rn tho but dont let that deter u!!)

if anyone wants to add to this PLEASE do!!! also if anyone draws or writes smth for this please please please tag me bc i would love to see it!! (also i will love u forever ♡)

[captainkirkk]

(Submission by @firsttothedoor)

🌻(my god this got long) I read kyuuley’s comments on the fem Zuko post and NOW I can’t stop thinking about fem Zuko in the context of her family. I share the headcanon that the Fire Nation couldn’t give half a fuck about gender or sexuality, but does emphasize blood and class, so Zuko being a girl doesn’t change her status but does subtly change her relationships.

She’s even more intensely the apple of Ursa’s eye, this daughter who is so much like her. Ursa, the oldest royal family member who isn’t directly involved in the government or military, would likely be in charge of the household, and would teach that responsibility to Zuko, who struggles to balance it and the sudden weight of being Crown Princess after Ursa leaves.

Azula is her father’s perfect daughter, that never changes, but Zuko is so much like Ursa that Azula has the same unwanted yearning for her affection, which Zuko probably gives her more freely, actually. In canon, Zuko resembles his father, but here she’s a more even mix of her parents, and might wear her hair like her mother’s. Sometimes Azula feels sickly grateful for her sister’s scar, because it lets her make sure that’s not Ursa in front of her. On the other hand, to everyone except their father, Azula is the talented sister, but Zuko is the good sister, the one candid about her intentions and honest with her affections. She gets things Azula doesn’t know how to get without fear and manipulation - friends, loyalty, favors.

And here’s some unrelated fluff:

Zuko taking Yue on a dragon ride;

(How is Yue alive? Maybe something similar to lessons in tea making, where when Zhao tries to kidnap the moon spirit she manages to get her hands on the bag before he can try any shit and goes Full On Goddess on these bitches);

Zhao trying to be creepy to Zuko and then he sees Uncle and the crew in the background glaring at him with death in their eyes and, taking the hint for once in his life, he backs off;

June and Zuko circling each other like cats, Zuko is snarking, June is flirting, Iroh has no idea how this to handle this;

Song, watching a pretty girl brood on her porch after she physically carried her much larger uncle into the clinic herself: My Time Has Come;

Jin very carefully, with a lot of plausible deniability bc Ba Sing Se, asks Zuko out and has a grand old time watching this very beautiful girl be an absolute social disaster; 

Ty Lee going to Zuko about trying to woo Azula, because half the world’s in love with Zuko, so she must know something Ty Lee can use;

Aang finally realizes Zuko is a girl their first training session after their Sun Warrior trip (like, he KNEW, obviously, but it didn’t click in his head before);

Zuko training Aang without a shirt on, so like just a sports-bra type thing and pants, and sitting to the side, in order: Sokka sharpening his swords and carefully Not Looking, Suki gazing appreciatively and moving on with her day, Toph Just Sitting Here Not Doing Anything What Do You Mean, and Katara scowling in Abject Victimized Fury (NO IM NOT LOOKING AT HER ABS I DONT EVEN CARE THAT SHE HAS ABS WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME ABOUT THIS GO AWAY);

Katara, when able to ignore Zuko’s Everything, is really excited to have a friend who is actually really into being feminine and who isn’t her brother’s girlfriend;

Katara and Zuko, Mom Friend Team (their Disappointed voices can get the Gaang to do anything)

Suki, at the Boiling Rock, watching Zuko fight her sister, fierce and deadly and determined and beautiful: …nice;

Toph makes Zuko carry her around after the feet burning, and she just laughs quietly and does it, and she’s so warm and strong and smells like smoke and fire lilies and - Toph, An Lesbian: This Was A Mistake; 

Toph and Katara and Yue with Zuko, Crown Princess and Heir to the Dragon Throne, a deeply powerful woman even independent of her bending, who was never taught to be less than what she is just because she’s a woman, and who still refuses to make herself small to make other people comfortable the way they’ve been told they have to;

word going around the Lower Ring about this great tea shop with an absolutely Gorgeous server, but be careful, if you creep her out you will get punched and tossed out the door

Longshot staring at Smellerbee and Jet’s hearteyes over this (admittedly pretty badass) scarred, grumpy tea server and giving up on understanding his friends;

Zuko going through the worst stages of puberty BANISHED on a SHIP in the MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN with an uncle who had NO DAUGHTERS. 

--

I love all of this?? Some thoughts:

In this AU, being born female almost seems like a positive change for Zuko, which I love. Rather than adding more hardships onto an already hard life, it allows the people around her to draw more parallels between Ursa and Zuko. The palace staff, the royal court - they see Ursa in Zuko’s kindness and clumsy grace. And Ursa may be a girl born to a humble coastal family, but you can’t tell me she didn’t secretly win the loyalty of many people in Caldera. After all, this is a woman cunning enough to intercept Ozai’s plan to kill Zuko and propose a new one so ruthless that even he couldn’t disagree. She would know how to make allies and keep herself busy.

When Zuko is banished, echoes linger in the palace. Ozai has always compared Zuko to Azula, but now, Azula hears the whispers of the royal court about how cold and cruel she is, how unlike her elder sister she is, and it makes her feel small and hard like a knife. She doesn’t need to be like Zuko, who was so kind that she got herself scarred and banished. Azula doesn’t need to be liked, after all: she just needs to be feared.

June/Zuko is glorious. June is having the time of her life flirting with this rough-around-the-edges princess, while Zuko easily falls into a sarcastic, antagonist rhythm with her. The UST is palpable. The crew rolls their eyes and just gets out of their way, while Iroh is so confused. 

(And, god. I love Iroh but he didn’t have any daughters and he really wasn’t prepared to take a 13yo girl under his wing. Oof)

I love that Katara being attracted to a shirtless, sweaty Zuko and being EXTREMELY angry about is universal across the AUs. Very good.

Toph is so valid!! She is a baby lesbian thoroughly enjoying the gaang suddenly acquiring a strong, firebender-warm, scratchy-voiced princess. She is not subtle and she Does Not Care.

And a scene I have stuck in my head: Zuko addressing Yue without any hesitation, as a leader speaking to another nation’s heir, full of respect and strength and confidence, because this is the way it should be. Yue would be so enthralled by a royal who only doubts herself because she wants to do right by her people, not because of her gender. A woman who never questions her place among the world leaders. They would get along so well - and that’s not even including all the accidental flirting.

[freedmfighter]

                                         @fantrained​        ―   &.    〈    SUKI    〉  !  

                          ❛ ❛                   YOU   THERE  !      YOU   FRIENDLY ?     ❜ ❜

up    until    then,    the   passing   group   probably   heard   what   sounded   like   birds   going   ballistic,      only    turning   out   to   be   a   group   of   three   teenagers   up   in   the   trees.      RIGHT  BACK  WHERE   THEY  STARTED ;     it   was   bittersweet   deja   vu     if   he   allowed   himself   to   see   it    more   than   a   tragedy    and   a  million  steps   back.    it's   not   like    they   had   a   real    good   day    in   years,   but   this   month   was   especially   horrendous.    ever   since   the   fire   nation   decided   to   take   their   cause    seriously,    they’ve   switched   from   OFFENSE  TO  DEFENSE ,   right   back   to   being   treated   like   vermin   by   the   very   monsters    taking   over   the   valley.   they   all   had   to   split   up,   all   until   it   was   just    Jet,    Longshot,    and   Smellerbee :   his   original   trio.    it   should   have   been   alright,   but   he   hasn’t   slept   since   sokka   told   him   he   was   the   traitor   . . .    since   the   duke   said   he   was   leaving   with   pipsqueak,   that   they   lost   faith   in   him   and   his   mission.    they  didn’t  feel  safe  with  him ;   he  failed  them.    in   a   way,     he   failed   himself,   too.      he   would   count   days   since   ,    but   everything   is    a  daze.   it   all   combined   into   a   single      “   it’s   been   too   long  .  ”   

they   had   gotten   used   to    imperials    fire   nation   soldiers   and   growing   number   of   colonists    swarming   in   on   the   valley.    where   they   used   to   feel    cocky     and   with  a   sense   of   empowerment ,   they   started   feeling   scared   again.    he   hated   that   feeling   more   than   anything.   it   brought   him   back   to   eight   years   old,   helpless.   now   it   was   just   strategy.   they   had   to   stick   to   that,   and   it   was   killing   him.    as   much   as   he   wanted   to   go   out   swinging,   a    FUCK-IT    mentality   of   not   caring   anymore   if   he   DIED   so   long   as   he   could   take   out   as   many   fire   nation   soldiers   as   he   could   on  the   way   out,   his   eyes   drifted   to   the   only   family   he   had   left.    he   couldn’t   abandon   them   like   that,   and   he   couldn’t   ask   for   them   to   do   the   same.    he   was   a    LEADER  ,    he    needed   to   stay   grounded   in   reality   and   consequence.   they   made   a   new   goal,    one    he   hated,   which   was   to   leave.    after    EIGHT   YEARS   OF   FIGHTING  ,   the   freedom   fighters   were   removing   themselves   from   a  valley   where   totalitarianism   won.     smellerbee   tried   to   convince   him   that   by   living  ,   it   was   a   way   of   winning.   the   fire   nation   wanted   them   dead,   but   they   were   alive.   how  can  that   be   enough,  though?     

there   was   another   problem:    they   didn’t   know   how   to   get   out.    Eight   years   of   fighting   since   he   was    eight   years   old.    he   knew   these   woods   like   the   back   of   his   hand,   sure,   but   these   woods  (   like   his   fight  )    were   all   he’s   ever   known.    overstepping   that   without   a   map   felt   impossible.   how   were   they   supposed   to   navigate   such   a   hot-spot   for   the   fire   nation’s   invasion?    it’s   not   like   the   towns   would   help   them,   they   never   did.   and   now    with   a   reputation?   it   felt   like   mission   impossible.    then   he   saw   this   group,   a   sight   for   sore   eyes.

smellerbee   and   longshot   were   trying   to   tell   him   not   to   tell   him   to   let   them   pass.    not   take   the   risk.     but   he   had   a   gut-feeling.   something   about   their   outfits,   their   makeup,  their   weapons   . . .   it   triggered   a   faint   memory   carried   by   a   passionate   voice   of   his   past.   the   name   was   on   the   tip   of   his   tongue   while   a   swell   of   hope   inflated   in   his   heart.   in   the   end  :   they   were   what   they   needed.     earth   kingdom   travelers ,   earth  kingdom  warriors.     about   fucking  time. 

he   cups   his   hand   next   to   his   mouth   so   his   call   from   the   trees   is   amplified.   crouching   on   a   tree   branch,   he   knows   he’s   just   barely   visible.    even   his   attire   blended   into   this   orange   scenery.    it   almost   feels   like   a  game:   can  you  see   me?           he   ends   up   standing,   if   to   make   it   more   obvious.   he   hears   a   call   from   smellerbee  ,  translating   to   get   down!    he   only   smiles,   half   ready   to   jump   down.    he   just   needs   an  official   green-light.   they’re   friendly,   they  have  to  be.

[defrostedwang]

Sunny Days of Hide and Seek

Hey y’all! If this gets enough love, I’m putting it on AO3, so if you like it, rb and all that!

Description:

The life of a Freedom Fighter is a dangerous one to lead. It’s a life of fear and adrenaline, where you have to fight for the right to every breath you take. Sometimes, the payoff is worth it. The glory after a triumph in battle, having your name chanted by your comrades, and the knowledge that you’ve hurt the Fire Nation yet again is a glorious feeling.

But beneath the ash and dirt, there’s one thing all the Freedom Fighters have in common: they’re all just kids.

That makes a loss that much harder.

Jet comforts a fighter in her last, painful moments.

It was dark, but the night was pretty and the moon shone through the gaps between the slats of wood in the walls and the straw that made up the roof. Jet was grateful for the pretty sights. It made it easier to stay awake, sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall.

Skink was curled up in the corner, despite the others advising otherwise.

“You can’t heal like that,” Smellerbee had scolded while she watched over her, slapping her hand gently while Longshot looked on with a sorry expression.

“Straighten out,” Sneers had said softly, wrapping her wounds, “Or I can’t take care of this. And I’m not wrestling with you over it.”

His voice was more doting and kind, Smellerbee’s was the grating tone of a well-meaning mother- it was strange that he could reasonably compare a twelve-year-old girl to a mother, but he could. He knew they both had the best of intentions in bugging her about it, but he also knew it was all out a place of hope that she could get better in the first place…

And Jet knew she wouldn’t.

It was a damn shame. She was little. Only about eight, no older.

She had insisted on coming along that day.

“I know I’m ready! You taught me!”

Jet had laughed and pulled her cap down over her eyes.

And then he had said yes.

How fucking stupid could he be?

He hung his head in shame, rubbing his eyes, trying to fend off exhaustion.

3 days, he had stayed up all night, getting his rest in the morning. 3 nights he had stayed with Skink, making sure she was okay.

Well… Okay was a stretch.

3 nights he had stayed with Skink, making sure she was still alive when he left and somebody else could take over.

3 nights he had listened to her soft little whimpers and wiped her tears. 3 nights he had made note of when her bandage was soaked, knowing they were running out. 3 nights he had brought extra dinner for her, only for it to be ignored.

3 days where Jet had to live with the knowledge that she wasn’t going to make it, knowing he had promised he would protect her.

He could only imagine how she felt.

Her breathing was soft, shaky, but not erratic… no panic. That was good. He didn’t want her to be afraid. He already had enough fear for both of them.

Jet continued to look away, out the doorway, out the holes in the wall, anything to distract him. But then, she woke up. Jet could feel her looking at him. She hadn’t done that for 3 days.

“Jet?” She croaked. She sounded tired. But more than that, she sounded like she was in pain. A lot of pain.

Jet looked back at her and crossed his legs.

“Yeah?”

She shrugged. “Making sure it was you.”

Jet nodded. “Alright. How do you feel?”

“Not good,” she said, her voice husky and quiet.

He didn’t expect anything else.

She cleared her throat a few times. Then Jet saw her sit up, wincing in pain, and scoot over to him.

“Whoa, hey…” he said, reaching over to support her. “Let me know before you move, okay? I can help you. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

Skink bit her lip and then nodded, looking down as she leaned on Jet’s shoulder.

“Jet?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for staying with me.”

Jet didn’t really know what to say. He was thinking about how he had to anyway, because it was definitely his fault she was hurt. But he couldn’t say that, who would?

“I-... it’s no problem, Skink. Anytime,” he said, forcing a soft little smile.

Skink closed her eyes. “I miss my mom.”

Jet sighed. “We all do,” He said, touseling her hair.

“I know. But I’m just thinking about her.”

“Fair. Do you want to talk about her?”

Skink nodded. She always wanted to talk about anything and everything.

“She was really pretty. She had really dark, really long hair.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. And she was fun. When dad was working, she would take me to a spot with a big tree and some big rocks around it. She said she used to climb on the rocks when she was a kid, but she didn’t let me. She said I would get hurt.”

“And you never got to?”

“No. I wish I did. She said I would someday.”

Jet swallowed.

“Maybe you will.”

Skink paused… and then shrugged.

“Even if I don’t… I still like thinking about the tree. And my mom.”

Jet closed his eyes and tried to stop himself from choking up when he replied again.

“What did you do at the tree?”

“Mom and I would play tag sometimes. She was faster than me, but she would trip and fall sometimes, so it was fair.”

“Right.” Jet smiled. Well, at least he knew the mom was cool enough to let her daughter win.

“Yeah. And sometimes we would play hide and seek in the other trees there.”

“Was it a good place to hide?”

“Not like this place. But it was really fun.”

“Good. Maybe we should play sometime.”

Again, Skink was quiet for a moment.

“Even if we don’t, we had fun playing hide and seek here.”

Jet swallowed again, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat.

“Yeah. We did. You’re the sneakiest, though. So I don’t think it’s fair for you to say it’s your favorite,” Jet said, nudging her shoulder playfully.

Skink laughed softly, trying not to disturb her injury.

“I’m sorry for being the best.”

“You’re not sorry at all. I know you, Skink.”

Skink closed her eyes and cuddled up.

“I’m cold, Jet.”

Jet held her and ran a hand through her soft hair. She seemed to stop shivering as much.

He couldn’t really hold back anymore, and he finally let a few tears roll down his cheeks, thankful that she couldn’t see them.

“I’m sorry you got hurt, Skink.”

“It’s alright, you didn’t mean it,” She mumbled.

“It’s not alright with me.”

“Well, you didn’t get hurt. It doesn’t matter if it’s alright with you.”

Fair.

“Someday we’ll go see that tree again,” He said, though the promise was empty. “We’ll track it down and we’ll play hide and seek, just like you remember.”

“No,” She finally said. “That was my mom’s spot. We already have a tree.”

“But-”

“I’m tired, Jet.”

Right. Who was he to stop a dying girl from sleeping?

He shut up, sliding down the wall a bit so they were a bit more comfortable.

“Alright. Goodnight, Skink.”

“‘Night, Jet. Thanks for keeping me safe.”

Jet rubbed her back until he felt her breathing even out again.

Then, finally, it became more and more shallow, until it was barely there at all.

When it stopped, Jet didn’t really know what to feel. He just… He just held her and wept.

He wished they’d found that tree. She deserved to see it one more time.

But as she had said… they already had one.

[intergalacticrp]

NAME :// JET LAOGAI ORIGIN :// AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER AGE :// TWENTY-FOUR GENDER :// NONBINARY ( HE/HIM/THEY/THEM ) JOB :// MECHANIC FC :// ZHANG YIXING

Underneath it all the truth is that I             Really feel like shit                         I'm so sick of being tired                                     I'm so tired of being sick

BIOGRAPHY ://

trigger warnings:  death, murder, blood, depressive episodes, parental death, military and dissociation. 

Jet Laogai wouldn't call himself a healthy puppy. He knows his shit's fucked up, that he hasn't had it all together for a very long time, that war broke him apart like chopsticks. He remembers some brights spots before his parents died, but they've all blurred together now; it's been over ten years, after all. He doesn't remember his mother's face or his father's voice, but that doesn't stop him from hearing his mother's voice ring through the apartment or from seeing his father walking down the hallway. His parents had never even left his home planet, not once - he wonders if they would approve of him now. He hopes not.

Fan and Wei Laogai were poor, but they were upstanding individuals, the kind of people who shared game with their neighbors and kept other people's children free of charge. They raised Jet to be like them, to take care of younger kids and be nice to animals and all that good, wholesome shit. He was eight when they were killed, slaughtered in front of him with blood spattered on their cheap apartment furniture, and Jet stayed hidden. He hid in the bottom of his father's closet with his legs tucked against his chest, breathing slow and quiet and waiting for the soldiers to leave. Sitting there, scared out of his mind and preparing himself to die, Jet decided something: he would never be afraid of soldiers again. Never again. His parents were the best people he had ever met, and he wouldn't let them die in vain. It could be said that the Freedom Fighters were founded by Jet's parents, really.

Starting the Freedom Fighters was kind of an accident, to tell you the truth, and not one of Jet's happiest. He started collected kids like stray dogs, because maybe he needed to eat, but so did they; he didn't mean to infect them with his fire, to let it eat out their insides and make them into nothing but charred remains. He raised them and razed them, turned children into soldiers without meaning to, and he's so sorry, but he wasn't at the time. At the time, it was power crawling up his throat instead of bile, and he was twelve leading a hundred soldiers, leading a raid, making killing things of kids. He remembers so well that they were only kids - sometimes he forgets that he was one too.

He was thirteen running things into the ground, because he never learned how to balance leadership with bloodlust. He doesn't know when he gained bloodlust. Smellerbee and Longshot pulled him out of that, made sure he did not drown in his own awful need for chaos, and he still doesn't know how to thank them for that. It's been eleven years. The war lasted and it lasted and it lasted, and he fought and he killed and he taught others to fight and to kill and he ruined as many lives as he ended and he's still dirty, he'll never be clean of this - he isn't finished yet.

Two years after Smellerbee and Longshot pulled him back to being a relatively rational leader, he was fifteen, and the military occupants started using bombs on populated cities. Jet evacuated as many as he could, helped people out of cities, wiped out a lot of red in his ledger just sneaking into military camps and finding plans that were not his business to find. That was when the Freedom Fighters started being less fighting and more freedom, liberating information and people and try to keep everyone alive rather than ripping out any soldier rot and leaving it all for dead. When saving people stopped being enough, Jet took the next step: he became a spy.

Becoming a spy at sixteen was admittedly not one of his best ideas. He could pass as eighteen, but he shouldn't have even tried; he had the adult weight and the attitude, but not the temperament. He shouldn't have left Smellerbee and Longshot, he shouldn't have gone off on his own, they could be trusted to lead, but he couldn't be trusted alone, and he never should have gone. June would have made a better spy, Teo, even the Duke would have made a better spy, and the kid was just a kid. They figured Jet out less than two weeks after his infiltration, and he doesn't talk about what happened after that. He thinks he blacked most of it out.

The war ended when he was nineteen. For the past three years, he had been going between letting himself recover from what could be called torture (what he called "I don't want to fucking talk about it, 'shot!") and ruthlessly suppressing every mental health issue he had ever had by continuing to lead his army. It only grew during his time being a spy and thereafter, but he almost wished that it hadn't. So many kids looked up to him with their big, hopeful eyes and he just wanted to tell them to give up hope, to throw it out the window and never be disappointed again. Then, the war ended.

Longshot and Smellerbee took him off planet, practically forced him along with them, and again he had a gratefulness to him that he didn't know how to speak. The two of them have always had a habit of knowing exactly how to push him into taking care of himself. They made him start talking again, start letting out some of his anger in the gym rather than just letting it burn him up, turn him to soot and rot and nothing of the person he used to be. He'll never be that kid again, but maybe he can steal some parts of himself back. He doesn't think so, sometimes.

He spends his days like this: he goes to the shop, works on someone else's car. He feels content and he feels like he's doing a job, something that doesn't take big decisions or directions or telling other people what to do. He sweats and it feels clean, and he gets along with some of his coworkers if not all of them, and they don't know about who he was before the war ended. He does not think about the war. Sunshine reverberates off of his shoulders and he feels just so light. He's excited about seeing Smellerbee and Longshot at the end of the day, but he's not rushing home. He is happy to be at work.

He spends his days like this: swathed in darkness, he does not know if he is even a person anymore, if he is separable from the shadows or if they've just swallowed him whole for once, if he doesn't have to be anymore. He only knows the wrongs he has done and the wrongs done to him, the things that no one can take back and that, as hard as he tries to force them down his own throat so he can digest them, get rid of them, remain lodged at the base of his spine. He remembers every moment of pain and sadness, no matter how hard he tries to push them away.

He spends his days like this: everything is grey. This is not a bad thing. He is not happy, but the sadness hasn't come back for him yet. Everything feels scraped out and empty, like every bad thing is gone, but every good thing is gone as well. He doesn't hear his mother's voice when he's alone. He almost misses her all over again. These days are both the best and the worst. There is no comedown, but there is no high either.

Jet Laogai would not call himself a healthy puppy. But he's working on it.

AESTHETIC ://

a sleek smirk, bright eyes, midnight, dusk, dawn, whispered plots, metal jewelry, fast paced music, leather wallets, dancing, when the sun backlights the trees, dreaming with your eyes wide open, falling asleep with all the lights on because you can’t do it any other way, co-sleeping, yin and yang.

MISC ://

on their own planet, things were a lot less fun and free for jet. he and a few of his friends (he always says a few, like there weren’t hundreds of them near the end) were better known as the freedom fighters than their names. at twelve, he was their leader, a child army, and all of them looked up to him for command - even the older ones. he couldn’t ever look lost or scared, to anyone but smellerbee and longshot. they’re the best friends he’s ever had.

there were enough of them to convince some adults to join their cause as jet grew older, and when he was eighteen, there were enough of them grown that they could actually petition the government. child labour laws and labour laws at large on their home planet have gotten better. they even stopped sporadically killing their citizens! but none of the efforts meant that jet could look at it the same anymore.

he doesn’t like to talk about it, but jet’s parents were killed in front of him when he was eight years old. it was his motivation to start the freedom fighters with his closest friends. because of this unfortunate history, jet is paranoid of authority figures and semi-prone to lashing out at anyone - besides smellerbee - who tells him what to do. he can’t stand to live alone anymore, so he, smellerbee and longshot share an apartment.

jet is known for his charisma, more than anything else, a smiling face and a magnetic personality that most everyone who has met him gets sucked into. jet knows he has this aura, and isn’t afraid to use it.

for fun, jet is a very skilled sword fighter. he used to use them during his days as a freedom fighter, but it’s just a pastime now. his personal favorites are two swords that end with hooks that he brought from their home planet, some of the only things he brought with him. he’s used to working with his hands with weapons and with fixing their homes, which is what brought him to becoming a mechanic.

CONNECTION ://

shan “smellerbee” lin and lok “longshot” sun : his closest friends, his confidants. the best things that have ever happened to him.

katara hakoda : just some girl he knows, but maybe not. he’s always good to see where things go.

aang roku, sokka hakoda and toph beifong : people who run around with katara. not as much fun.

zuko yu: katara’s friend, but different because jet finds him really sketchy.

AVAILABILITY :// OPEN || TAKEN BY MER

[crashingmeteorz]

post-war ba sing se bimbo headcanons

so zuko becomes the firelord, and jin and jet think it’s hilarious. he’s so good at it. he’s so charismatic. they’re like “who the hell is this guy? when did he get mature and responsible???” and song’s like “when zuko wasn’t doing stupid shit, he was stopping you two from doing stupid shit, i saw this coming a mile away.”

jin joins the kyoshi warriors, and is overwhelmed by all the pretty girls she’s working with, but for the most part it becomes a sisterhood. she will forever and always have a severe crush on suki, however, and really, can you blame her? so when suki reciprocates, jin writes song a four-page essay about it.

anyway, when zuko asks the warriors to come to the capital, obviously jin’s there, too. jet and song show up almost immediately after jin does.

“what, you two are hanging out without us now?” song asks them accusatorily. “it’s not fair that only you get to see jin, zuko.”

“yeah,” jet says. “and i used to see zuko shirtless a few times a week. and i thought i was lucky! now jin’s a kyoshi warrior and she gets to see it every day?”

“she does not!” says zuko. “yeah,” says jin, while shaking her head the opposite.

attempts on zuko’s life are about as common as rain showers, so song starts testing basically everything he eats with some of her chemicals. every time she finds something insidious, she tracks down every link in the chain that got the food to him, and finds a way to rectify the situation. she doesn’t trouble zuko with this, because he’s got enough going on. also, he probably maybe wouldn’t approve of her methods.

(song is not inherently violent, but when it comes to her family, she’s downright vicious).

jet wants to get in on the action, but between song’s disarming sweetness and the kyoshi warrior’s intimidation, zuko’s basically protected. what he isn’t, is good with people.

zuko can make grand dramatic speeches all day long, but when it comes to the council, or local government officials, or merchants, or literally even jet, he’s the same awkward kid jet met on the boat to ba sing se.

“you are never going to make it as firelord.” jet tells him from the couch he’s lounging on while he watches zuko practice a very basic interaction in the mirror.

“okay, fuck you, too.” zuko says miserably.

“sorry, i wasn’t clear,” jet says, standing beside zuko. “you are never going to make it as firelord without me.”

jet tries in vain to get zuko to lie better, to present himself differently, to deceive just a little bit, but it just isn’t happening. zuko doesn’t even want to lie, he doesn’t want to be like his father and azula, so they take a different approach.

instead, jet teaches him how to spot liars, and how to play the game. it’s basic stuff, like let silence linger because they’ll want to fill it if they’re afraid you don’t believe them. ask them bizarre questions so they overcorrect. if they’re complimenting you too much, they’re trying to deceive you.

to jet, it’s survival. to zuko, it’s like a whole world has opened up he never knew about. he hangs on to jet’s every word, and at the end, he asks that jet join him in council meetings, naming him an ambassador from the earth kingdom.

this is how jet discovers that he’s AMAZING at politics. he can’t believe how easy it is. he considers taking it up as a hobby when he gets back to the earth kingdom.

“you can’t do politics as a hobby,” zuko says.

“why not?” jet says. “it’s just fun. it’s not what i’m meant to be doing forever though.”

“do you have a mysterious job back in the earth kingdom none of us know about?” asks jin.

“yes,” says song, irritable from today’s batch of poison discoveries, “he’s working full-time as a little bitch.”

the more meetings jet attends, the more he wonders if politics really is for what he’s meant. arguing and debating delights him and, unlike the exhausted zuko, he leaves the debates feeling energized. but it just feels so bureaucratic, so useless compared to what he did during the war.

he’s so torn about it that he finally asks song for advice.

“i don’t know anything about politics,” she says tiredly. he’s playing idly with her hair after she’s had a long day of Keeping Zuko Alive. “why are you asking me?”

“because you don’t hold back,” jet tells her. “because you let me know when i’ve gone too far.”

song’s glad it’s dark in the lounge, because she can’t believe she’s blushing.

“well,” she says finally. “what would you be in it for?”

“what do you mean?” he says. “i just like it.”

“do you like the attention?” song asks. “are you just interested in the drama of it all? or do you want to make a difference?”

“i want to make a difference,” he says confidently. “i want to help the earth kingdom.”

“well, then, there’s your answer,” song says.

“yeah,” jet agrees. “no politics for me.”

“wait, what?” song asks him, because how did he reach that conclusion?

“it’s just smooth talking and paperwork. it’s not gonna help the earth kingdom,” jet tells her. “i’m not selling out.”

“is that what you think zuko’s doing?” she asks.

“of course not,” jet says, rolling his eyes. “but he’s also the firelord. that’s different.”

“and he’s your best friend,” she reminds him. “and you also happen to be on good terms with the avatar and the leaders of the southern water tribe, so you know you have influential people who will hear you out. if you want to make a difference, this is probably the best way.”

he’s quiet for a while. he almost looks disappointed.

“not every battle is on the battlefield, jet,” song says gently. “it’s not as glamorous, or as dangerous. it’s tedious and difficult and boring. but it’s what’s left, after the war.”

“i guess that’s the thing,” jet says sadly. “i don’t know who i am without the war.”

“i do,” song says with so much sincerity jet almost blushes. almost. he’s still, like, cool.

if they fall into a routine where song fixes his hair into something presentable for council meetings and jet forces her to take a break and enjoy the sunshine once in a while, zuko and jin don’t feel it’s necessary to comment.

for like three days.

“you stole my boyfriend,” zuko accuses song after catching her and jet kissing. the fact that sokka’s napping with his head in zuko’s lap as he says so doesn’t seem to faze him.

“you stole my ostrich horse,” she says, for the last time ever, “so now we’re even.”

“what’s with you and guys with weird facial hair?” jin asks as she stuffs her face with fire flakes, her new favorite treat. “first haru and now jet?”

“haru?” jet squeaks.

“i liked haru’s moustache,” song says thoughtfully. “i thought it made him look mature.”

“at least if jet grew a moustache i’d understand what everyone sees in him,” sokka says sleepily. “no offense.”

“you’re just mad i kissed zuko first,” huffs jet.

jet stops shaving that week. everyone notices.

when song and jet finally prepare to go back to the earth kingdom, jet privately asks zuko if it’s true that he and aang are considering founding a city that unites the nations. zuko tells him it is.

“well, i want in. whenever that is,” he says, and jet and zuko hug.

song and her mother open up a hospital and sanctuary that specifically caters to displaced families. jet reunites with longshot and smellerbee, and they drift around but tend to come back to the sanctuary. they often go out on missions to try and reunite families. it’s not quite fighting, and it’s not quite peace, so it’s a good transition for jet and his freedom fighters.

eventually, things slow down and so does jet. he starts walking around the village they’re located in without his weapons. a child asks song where she got the scars on her leg, and when she explains it was a firebender, the child says “oh, did he get in trouble?” song laughs and laughs, because for the first time in years, there are children who don’t know war.

jin doesn’t stay as a kyoshi warrior forever, but she does decide to settle down on kyoshi. she never really wanted the dangerous life, she just wanted some adventure and sort of stumbled into the chaos of jet and song and zuko. the quiet island is perfect for her. she still stirs up trouble once in a while though.

“COME GET YOUR IDIOT SHE TRIED TO RIDE THE UNAGI.” suki writes in two identical letters, one to jet and song and one to zuko.

“okay, whatever suki tells you, i want you to know she’s lying. i DID ride the unagi and it was SICK. sokka was here recently and said someone invented an image-capture thing is that true? because if it is i want you to bring one and come here ASAP so i can do it AGAIN.” says the fervent letter from jin that arrived three days after suki’s.

jet and song arrive promptly, song laden with medical supplies and a sternly-worded letter from her mother to jin. jet brings a camera.

zuko shows up a few days later with the latest in camera technology and a photographer, as well as his one-year-old daughter. he goes all-out because this is his and izumi’s first trip together. jet grumbles about being one-upped.

“you’re the firelord, you’re gonna encourage this?” song asks him, eyes furious but voice sweet as she plays with izumi. “excuse me, song, but the war is over, i have no jurisdiction here. if an earth kingdom citizen wants to exercise her right to be a dumbass she’s more than welcome to,” says zuko in his most diplomatic voice.

“and,” he adds more gently, “i missed you guys.” song still thinks he’s being ridiculous, but she gives him a big hug anyway.

zuko has to firebend at the unagi to stop it from eating jin and song is left to mend jin’s broken arm. jet takes pictures throughout the entire thing, from her climbing onto the creature, to getting thrown, to being bandaged up and laughs the whole time. song produces a second letter written by her mother which she was instructed only to give to jin in the event she rode the unagi.

all it says in neat hand-writing is, “i told you so. now come home so i can feed you, you ridiculous child.”

“i’m 24,” pouts jin, but since she’s the youngest, the group agrees heartily with song’s mother.

the five of them go to the sanctuary, where iroh is drinking tea with song’s mother and trading stories about their new respective lives.

zuko has to return to the capital in three days, iroh’s got his tea shop to run, and jin isn’t planning on staying long because her “super hot girlfriend is doing something extremely sexy” and she has to get back soon.

“jin, please, just talk normal for once in your life,” zuko begs her, bouncing izumi on his lap. “fine,” she says, “she’s being voted in as the leader of the island and i want to be there for the ceremony.”

jet realizes it’s not often he’ll have all the people he loves in one place, and quietly asks song something important.

they get married the night before zuko and jin leave, in front of jet’s freedom fighters and song’s mother and iroh. jin and zuko stand as their maid of honor and best man. zuko cries.

for the first time in almost two decades, all of them start to feel at peace.

ty so much for this au @azenkii writing about it is one of the most enjoyable experiences haha. is this update softer than usual? yes, of course, it’s what they deserve.

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[army-of-mai-lovers]

Jet, Smellerbee, Suki (and now also Haru) part 4

part 1 (aka me hijacking @ecology-major-ikki ‘s post) part 2 part 3

warning for discussions of death 

so they set off to Ba Sing Se, and all of them are keeping secrets from each other

Jet thinks Longshot might be dead, but he doesn’t want to tell Smellerbee, because he’s worried that if they can’t find Longshot, then that’ll mean they really can’t be a family again.

he also finds himself looking at Haru quite a bit but he’s not thinking about it he’s not thinking about it at ALL

Smellerbee knows in her soul that Longshot is dead, but she’s hoping against hope that she’s wrong. She keeps reminding herself that once upon a time, she thought Jet was dead, and now they’re together again, and they’ve got new friends too. Everything’s going to be okay. It has to be. 

Suki and Haru sit down and have a real conversation about what might happen once they get to Ba Sing Se, when they can’t find Longshot. Haru wants to invite Jet and Smellerbee back to his village, to live with his family and Pipsqueak and the Duke

Suki is very against this on the grounds that Smellerbee is a Kyoshi Warrior and Jet was really happy on Kyoshi Island and was planning to bring all the Freedom Fighters back there

Haru points out, gritting his teeth a little, that nothing has gone according to plan for a while

The discussion gets pretty unproductive pretty quickly, and Suki and Haru decide to drop it. Jet and Smellerbee definitely pick up that there’s some tension there though. 

Jet suspects that the tension has to do with some lovers’ quarrel, which is weird to him because Suki seemed so in love with that guy who doesn’t like him, Sokka

One night he asks her if she and Sokka are doing all right, and she frowns at him and says “we’re perfect, why do you ask?” 

Jet shrugs and says that he’s noticed that she and Haru spend a lot of time talking alone

Suki clams up because she does not want to start the “Longshot might be dead” conversation right now, so she just says that it’s none of his business because she’s an absolutely terrible liar

Jet sees right through her of course, and very quickly comes to the conclusion that Haru must have a thing for Suki and Suki’s trying to let him down easy by hanging out with him all the time

And for some reason, the thought of Haru having a thing for Suki makes him angry

Then, Haru keeps asking Jet to hang out alone, and whenever they do Jet thinks it’s to talk about something important, like where Longshot might be, but no, Haru just wants to talk about his childhood or the fate of the universe or go stargazing or some shit like that

And Jet cannot go stargazing with Haru if he has a crush on Suki

So he keeps making up excuses to get out of hanging out with Haru one on one, and most of these excuses involve him hanging out with Smellerbee

Smellerbee, the Smart One, knows immediately that whatever’s happening between Suki and Haru, it’s totally platonic, and she can see Jet’s crush on Haru from a mile away, even if he can’t

Normally, she wouldn’t get involved, bc the Spirits know that Jet can get himself in and out of a relationship without her help, thank you very much, plus they have way more important things to worry about, but she can tell that this is a little (a lot) out of Jet’s comfort zone

Haru isn’t dazzled by Jet, like Katara was, and Haru doesn’t need Jet, like Zuko did. Haru is just a normal person who likes Jet and whom Jet likes. 

and that is precisely the reason that Jet Cannot Get His Shit Together. 

So Smellerbee puts her foot down one night and tells Jet that he cannot use her as an excuse to not hang out with Haru anymore

Jet, being the guy that he is, simply decides to hang out in the woods alone instead.

When they get to Ba Sing Se, tensions between the group are high. Haru doesn’t understand why Jet is avoiding him, he’s still not-quite-fighting-but-things-are-tense with Suki, and he can barely look at Smellerbee without thinking about the fact that he doesn’t think Longshot is alive. 

So he suggests that they split up. 

Smellerbee and Jet immediately flag this as a bad idea, since the Avatar has yet to deal with the Dai Li, but Haru insists they’ll cover more ground that way

Suki proposes a compromise: Jet and Smellerbee can stick together, and she and Haru will split up, and they’ll meet back at the same spot in three hours and if any one of them is missing, the others will save them. 

Jet and Smellerbee aren’t happy about this, but they accept (though they both spend a lot of time warning Suki and Haru that Ba Sing Se isn’t safe and they need to blend in and stay under the radar as much as possible)

As soon as they all start asking after Longshot, people clam up. It’s really clear that they know exactly who they’re talking about, but they won’t say anything out of fear. 

Finally, Jet finds a little girl, about Smellerbee’s age, named Yin, who’s willing to talk to him and Smellerbee about what happened to Longshot. 

She says that he came to their family’s fruit stand last year, looking to buy some food, and while he was making his purchase, some Earth Kingdom soldiers started harassing her grandfather

Longshot punched one of them and told him that if he wanted to harass somebody, he could harass him

A fight broke out. It was six soldiers and only one Longshot, but he held his own until the Dai Li came

They dispersed the crowd and told everybody to go back inside, and so Yin and her family went inside, and they never saw a young man matching that description again. 

Jet and Smellerbee regroup with Suki and Haru and tell them what Yin said. Suki and Haru look between each other, and Suki decides it’s time for them to talk about the possibility that Longshot is dead. 

Suki tells them everything: how she and Haru have suspected that Longshot might be dead for a while, how they started arguing because Suki wants Jet and Smellerbee to go back to Kyoshi and Haru wants to invite them to live with his family and Pipsqueak and the Duke. 

Jet’s absolutely furious. He spent all this time growing and learning to trust people, only to find out that Suki and Haru have been keeping this from him the whole time. Smellerbee asks him to calm down, saying that she also suspected that Longshot might be dead but she didn’t want to upset him, and she’s sure that that’s exactly what Suki and Haru were trying to do for them. 

Suki and Haru agree with Smellerbee, saying that they were just trying to protect him, but Jet insists that he doesn’t need to be protected

and all of a sudden, he just falls silent

He’s hiding his face, but Haru can tell he’s crying, and gets up to go hug him

Jet leans into Haru’s chest, quietly sobbing, mumbling about how everything’s fallen apart

He expects Haru to say something reassuring so he can bite back and say there’s no bright side, there’s no silver lining. But Haru doesn’t. He just holds him, for hours. 

Eventually, they all go to sleep, and when Jet wakes up in the morning, he’s absolutely chipper, no evidence of last night’s breakdown at all. Smellerbee’s a little concerned he’s been brainwashed again. 

Suki asks him how he’s doing, and Jet says he’s doing absolutely fantastic. In fact, he thought of an idea.

They all think Longshot is dead, but everybody thought Jet was dead once. And look at him! So probably, Longshot’s being held in the Dai Li’s prison, and all they need to do is break in and get him

Smellerbee frowns and points out that breaking someone out of prison isn’t exactly a cinch, especially if you don’t know that they’re in that prison to begin with, but Jet insists that the Dai Li probably thought Longshot would be more valuable if he were reeducated than if he were dead, and they have an Earthbender on their side, so they can totally find him and break him out. 

Haru points out that it’s been over a year since anybody’s seen Longshot, but there is no valid point that anyone could bring up that could deter Jet from this plan now. 

Suki says she’s in, and after a bit of convincing, Smellerbee and Haru are in too. 

They go down into the catacombs where Jet was held, on constant lookout for Dai Li agents. The deeper they get into the catacombs, the bigger they seem, and Suki worries they’ll never find Longshot even if he is here. 

And then, suddenly, a voice behind them shouts “You shouldn’t be here!” 

It’s a Dai Li agent. Haru and Suki start fighting him immediately, but Jet and Smellerbee just stare at him, slack-jawed, unable to move. 

It’s a Dai Li agent. But it’s also Longshot